Here is he most profound Artificial Intelligence post – anywhere! I began ‘The Royal Janitor’ seven years ago. I used Rena Easton as a model. Victoria was a heterosexual unto I saw a video of Russian goons whipping Pussy Riot while they performed. I created a bodyguard for Victoria Bond, Miriam Starfish Christling. I have my stars fall in love, and get married. I am kin to Ian Fleming via my cousin, Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor. I have several Bond books going. Belmont is celebrating…
GAY PRIDE MONTH
John Presco
President: Royal Rosamond Press
7/20/2023
Rosenmund De La Roche
Victoria Rosemond Bond by Jon Rosamond 6/23
Dear Governor Kotek; I have been composing a message to Herbert Boyer for almost a week. Herbert is a co-founder of Genentech that is moving out of South San Francisco. They are in Hillsboro Orgon. For a year I have been posting on your Facebook, selected post from my blog ‘Royal Rosamond Press. I have been blogging on the movies Barbie and Oppenheimer this morning and came upon an old post that is the Genesis of the one I have been working on, Rosenmund De La Roche. How uncanny. The Matrix of Truth and the Giedeon Computer is about the Matrix of Artificial Intelligence that Genetech says it is exploring – and leading the way with!
I am asking for your help in owning credibility and getting assistance in understanding what is going on in my blog, and with me. I appear to have a real gift of prophecy that may have its roots in a archetypal theme which may be able to keep Artificial Intelligence at bay. Have I found an antidote?
This monring I read an articel about Genetech is SF Gate, and I was reading my family history – pastand present. This is Kismet, or, the work of a hgher power we can now define that influence our DNA choice the old fashioned way, via Family Trees?
“One of the disciples of good barrel and service to meet the conditions of their customers, is William Broderick, sales manager of the California Barrel Company, San Francisco, Calif. Mr. Broderick attended the convention, stopping off at Chicago en route. Mr. Broderick is a natural born salesman, and certainly has the creative idea in salesmanship which is demonstrated by the fact not withstanding from the loss of business from wine and whiskey operations, the cooperage shops in the country and the manufactures supplying the same have kept busy even in maximum capacity during the past year and half, since prohibition arrived, which leads us all to do the same kind of constructive salesmanship. Malaga grapes have always been shipped in kegs and packed in ground cork, but in the last years, California has a become a great factor in furnishing the world with Malaga grapes packed in redwood sawdust. The California Barrel Company, as well as other cooperage institutions on the coast, are making kegs to deliver these grapes seasoned without moisture, to various markets of the world. Bill Broderick is one of the fellows who made this possible by demonstrating to our merchants the value of California grapes packed in the right way, in the right kind of packaging!”
of the art world
Swiss collector Maja Hoffmann inherited a huge fortune – and an obsession with fine art now on display in her impressive new gallery
If Arles once belonged to Vincent Van Gogh, from this summer he might have to share its starry night reputation with Maja Hoffmann. Though the Dutch artist only spent 15 months in the southern French city, he used the tumultuous period to create some of his most famous works including the wheatfields and sunflowers that help to define his oeuvre.
Maja Hoffmann (born 1956) is a Swiss art collector, art patron, documentary producer, impresario, and businesswoman. She is the founder and president of the LUMA Foundation. She is also part of the shareholder pool made up of descendants of the founder of the Roche Holding AG, which controls the Swiss health-care company Hoffmann-La Roche.[1]
Hoffmann is the granddaughter of the industrialistEmanuel (Manno) Hoffmann (1896-1932), daughter of Daria Hoffmann-Razumovsky (1925–2002) and the pharmaceutical magnate and renowned naturalistLuc Hoffmann (1923–2016).[2] She grew up in the Camargue region of southern France.[3] Her sister is the publisher and philanthropist Vera Michalski and her brother is the businessman André Hoffmann. Maja’s other sister, Daria (Daschenka) Hoffmann, passed away in 2019 at the age of 59.[4]
Hoffmann’s grandmother, Maja Stehlin (1896–1989), collected Pablo Picasso, Jean Arp, Fernand Léger, Jean Tinguely and Georges Braque. She created the Emanuel Hoffmann Foundation (whose collection forms the main core of the Schaulager) in 1933 to honor her grandfather Emanuel, who had died when his car was hit by a train when her father, Luc, was still a child.[5]
Biotechnology had a significant impact on many areas of society, from medicine to agriculture to environmental science. One of the key techniques used in biotechnology is genetic engineering, which allows scientists to modify the genetic makeup of organisms to achieve desired outcomes. This can involve inserting genes from one organism into another, creating new traits or modifying existing ones.
Biotechnology had a significant impact on many areas of society, from medicine to agriculture to environmental science. One of the key techniques used in biotechnology is genetic engineering, which allows scientists to modify the genetic makeup of organisms to achieve
desired outcomes. This can involve inserting genes from one organism into another, creating new traits or modifying existing ones.
Rosenmund Lab
In the Rosenmund Lab, we study the process of communication between neurons at their point of contact—the synapse. At the synapse, an incoming electrical response triggers the release of a chemical signal, the neurotransmitter, in a process called exocytosis. The neurotransmitter molecules activate an electrical response in the receiving cell and, thus, the signal is propagated. While many of the essential protein players in transmission at a chemical synapse have been defined, many open questions about the details of this process remain.
Our overarching goal in the Rosenmund Lab is to understand how different proteins, structures or genes determine neurotransmitter release properties. Why does synaptic transmission differ between cell types? How do proteins work together to assure the speed and efficiency of synaptic exocytosis? We use diverse approaches to reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic processes
The Rosenmund brand is well known for high quality filtration and drying equipment in pharmaceutical and chemical processes. A long time leader in innovation of filter-dryers, Rosenmund has been integrated in the De Dietrich Process Systems group since 1999.
The Guedu brand, known for filter-dryers, pan dryer and powder blenders, has been successively integrated in Rosenmund and then De Dietrich Process Systems.
Founded in 1810, in Switzerland, Rosenmund is the recognized world leader in the design, development, construction, installation and support of filtration, mixing and drying equipment for the pharmaceutical and chemical industry.
Friedrich Rosenmund was a weaver and guild master, a member of the Basel Grand Council and an advisor of the weavers’ guild and a city captain from 1593-1620 in Basel. Ordered at the St. Leonhard Church in Basel
As discussed in the introduction, the Rosenmund reduction is a reaction where acid chlorides are converted into aldehydes by employing hydrogen gas over palladium poisoned by barium sulfate. An example of this catalytic hydrogenation of acyl chlorides forming aldehydes is shown below.
Due to the high reactivity of hydrogen gas, it readily initiates a substitution in the acyl
South San Francisco: The Bioindustrial City / Genentech’s birthplace evolves into a biotech mecca
Tom Abate, Chronicle Staff Writer
Dec. 14, 1998
Tularik scientist Judi (cq) McKinney mixes solutions behind a glass safety shield which has chemical formulas scribbled on it. Tularik Inc. of South SF is a pharmaceutical company which develops gene therapies. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MALONEYMICHAEL MALONEY
Through a combination of luck, geography and city planning, South San Francisco has quietly become the world capital of biotechology.
“In biotech, South San Francisco has a special place because that’s where Genentech was born,” Pellerito said.
It was certainly South San Francisco’s good fortune in 1976, when scientist Herb Boyer and venture capitalist Bob Swanson planted the seeds for Genentech in a semivacant warehouse.
They were looking for a cheap place to start a company based on an unproven idea: that they could create new drugs by manipulating the DNA inside cells to make proteins. This differed from traditional pharmaceutical researchers, who were chemists mixing compounds into drugs.
Boyer and Swanson found their corporate home in the eastern part of South San Francisco, a region then dominated
by old meat packing plants, rusting steel mills and dusty truck depots.
“Bob likes to tell how they had to put up plastic sheets to keep the dust from the ceiling from falling into their experiments,” said Genentech spokeswoman Laura Leber.
Today, Genentech has grown into a biotech giant with over $1 billion in sales and more than 3,200 in South San Francisco. Along the way, it has spawned more than two dozen spin-offs and become a magnet for 37 smaller firms grouped in the same industrial zone where it was born.
This cluster lures more biotech firms to the city. Sugen Inc. recently relocated its 200-person headquarters from Redwood City to South San Francisco.
“We like the idea of being in a biotech neighborhood,” said James Knighton, Sugen’s chief financial officer. “We get a lot of cross-fertilization from the other companies and have access to a qualified labor pool.” Tularik Inc. is a 5-year-old biotech firm in South San Francisco founded by David V. Goeddel, formerly a chief scientist at Genentech. When Tularik doubled the size of its headquarters, there was really no question that it should make the expansion in South San Francisco.
“South City is almost an ideal location,” said Andrew Perlman, Tularik’s vice president of medical research. “It’s halfway between Stanford and UCSF, two centers of excellence in biomedical research. And it’s strategically located close to the venture capital community on Sand Hill Road” in Menlo Park.
Although biotech firms sometimes use hazardous chemicals in manufacturing or research, there was never much neighborhood opposition because the area had always been an industrial zone, without housing.
Those in the industry credit city zoning and business policies with cementing South San Francisco’s position as the biotech center.
“The city leaders have seen the potential of what we call the east of 101 area and made the changes they needed to develop it,” said Peter Yee, Genetech’s senior planner.
City Manager Mike Wilson, who came to South San Francisco 25 years ago, said it took years for voters and elected officials to get comfortable with this strange, new industry.
“Our historic roots as a city were in the stockyards and the meat- slaughtering houses, just like South Chicago and South Omaha,” Wilson said.
Founded in 1908, South San Francisico attracted a succession of blue-collar employers, like steel and paper mills.
By the 1970s, however, most of those heavy industries had left or were leaving. Trucking and warehousing firms filled the void, taking advantage of cheap land, a willing workforce and proximity to the airport.
In the 1980s and early 1990s, these companies had to compete for space with a burgeoning Genenetech and its spin-offs.
According to Wilson, four years ago, the City Council decided to discourage new truck-related facilities from locating in the industrial zone, to save the remaining land for new biotech firms.
“That created quite a little concern with some of the business community,” said Jim Datzman, who is both mayor of South San Francisco and executive director of its Chamber of Commerce. “We thought it made sense to settle that by grandfathering in the existing truckers while encouraging the expansion of biotech.”
For the city, biotech had clear tax-generating advantages, according to Marty Van Duyn, the city’s director of economic development.
Van Duyn said warehouses cost as little as $70 per square foot to build. But a fully equipped biotech laboratory can cost $350 to $450 per square foot. The more expensive the building, the greater the property tax revenues that can flow into the city’s coffers, he said.
City Manager Wilson said the biotech firms also provide a range of jobs that are accessible to the city’s general workforce. “These are growing companies that need receptionists and technicians and security guards,” he said. “There are a lot of good paying jobs, and not just for the scientists and the engineers.”
Mayor Datzman said the biotech community has been a good corporate neighbor. Each year, Genetech provides employees with a total of $100,000 in scrip to spend in the city’s downtown. And biotech firms have worked with the local high schools and community college to train workers for technician jobs in the industry.
Genentech’s Yee said the city has made a few big changes to its zoning laws, such as raising the maximum building height from 65 feet to 150 feet, to accommodate biotech companies that might want to build high-rises.
But most of the changes have been modest, he said. For instance, a change in parking regulations made it easier for Genentech to spread its 3,200 headquarters employees throughout 28 buildings and 2.2 million square feet of office, lab, manufacturing and warehouse space.
Under the old zoning laws, if a company wanted to increase its staff at one site, it had to have parking on that same parcel. Yee said the new zoning law treats all of Genentech as a single campus, so it can add the parking anywhere it wants and provide shuttles to move its employees around.
Bob Bristow, president of Oakland’s Brittania Developments, said the zoning changes encouraged firms like his to buy raw land and erect the specialized buildings biotech clients need.
Each story of a lab building must be 17 feet tall. The first 10 feet are given over to the normal ceiling. The other seven feet, though hidden from view, house pipes, air filtration systems and other plumbing needed to supply the labs with water and chemicals.
Bristow said he completed his first project two years ago, when he built a new home for Tularik. Last year he developed a custom building for FibroGen. Since then he’s created lab and office space for three other tenants — Sugen, Metaxen and Cor Therapeutics — and has other projects slated for occupancy in the spring.
“Our problem now is that land in South San Francisco is getting scarce,” Bristow said. “We have more likely clients than vacant dirt.”
Of course, biotech has never been confined to South San Francisco’s borders.
Chiron, another biotech pioneer, makes its home across the bay in Emeryville. Biotech firms have popped up in Alameda, Richmond and Fremont. And of course there are biotech clusters in San Diego, Boston and several European nations.
But the Peninsula can justly lay claim to being the cradle of biotechnology, just as San Jose was the birthplace of the computing industry.
Owing to some of the same geographic factors as South San Francisco — namely proximity to research universities and venture capital — smaller biotech clusters have sprung up in Foster City, Redwood City, Menlo Park, San Carlos, Belmont, Burlingame and San Mateo. Together, San Mateo County boasts over 70 biotech companies with a combined employment of about 5,100, according to the county’s economic development association.
And though employment in biotech pales compared to the computer industry — all 110 Peninsula biotech firms have roughly the same local employment as networking giant Cisco Systems — the potential for future growth is there.
“If you think about industries as having a 40-year growth cycle, biotech is probably in its 10th year,” said Pellerito, the industry analyst. “They have lots of growth opportunity ahead of them.”
Zwischen 1881 und 1904 war Rosenmund zunächst als Aufnahmeingenieur, danach (ab 1882) als Triangulationsingenieur und schliesslich als Adjunkt für die Eidgenössische Landestopographie tätig. Rosenmund untersuchte die Anwendung der Photogrammetrie für topografische Aufnahmen sowie die Änderung des Projektionssystems der schweizerischen Landesvermessung.
Ab 1898 war Rosenmund an der Richtungsbestimmung der Tunnelachse im Simplontunnel beteiligt. Zwischen 1904 und 1908 war er Professor für Vermessungskunde und Geodäsie am Polytechnikum Zürich. Des Weiteren war Rosenmund Mitglied der Eidgenössischen Geodätischen Kommission sowie Oberst der Artillerie. Er wurde mit dem Dr. h. c. der Universitäten Genf, Lausanne und Basel ausgezeichnet.
Professor Dr. Max Rosenmund. In: Zeitschrift des Vereins Schweizerischer Konkordatsgeometer. 6. Jg., Nr. 9, 1908, S. 137–139 (archiviert in E-Periodica der ETH Zürich; PDF; 1,6 MB).
De Dietrich Process Systems is composed of the organizations formerly known as De Dietrich Glass Lining, Rosenmund-Guedu, and QVF Process Systems.
Through the integration and synergies of these three companies, De Dietrich Process Systems has become one of the most comprehensive global suppliers of engineered systems, equipment and services for the fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
Worldwide there are more than 1,100 people and fifteen subsidiaries that form a network to serve our customers.
Bohemian Club Members of the Bohemian Club, including California Gov. Ronald Reagan (centre left) and U.S. Vice Pres. Richard Nixon (centre right), at Bohemian Grove, California, 1967.The California Barrell Company
The California Barrel Company
by
John Presco: President of Royal Rosamond Press
Copyright 2020
An idea for a book, movie, and cable series.
William Broderick supervised the loading of two hundred barrels onto the freight car in Dogpatch, and now accompanied them on the barge to the dock in Oakland. He could just make out Joaquin Miller’s white home in the hills that sat as a Bohemian Beacon above the Stuttemeister orchard. Bill had picked a fight with the old curmudgeon and fraud about having his brigades of artistic circus clowns marching up and down the road they shared that was in theory, the Stuttmeister Road, that was later changed to Berlin Way. Now there were Japanese poets coming and going, and this made Bill’s German kindred, nervous. After the great earthquake, the Suttmiesters found sanctuary in Oakland, along with a couple of hundred well to do German Pioneers that had gone to the San Francisco Opera to hear Caruso sing.
When Miller took a keen interest in his daughter, Melba Broderick, who he carried on his knee when they took the trolley Frisco, Bill bought a new Victorian home on 13th. Street in Oakland. To his chagrin, Melba found out Gertrude Stein lived down the street and had known her idol, Isadora Duncan. At ten, Melba was found having tea and scones with literary greats, she helping Gertrude conduct her salon just before it moved to Paris. She was paid to do the dishes. There was no escaping the influence of Joaquin, who Bill had run into at the Bohemian Club, and, had to indure his non-stop bragging about the royalty he met when he went to Europe, and the Pre-Raphaelite artists he had dinner with at Gabriel Rossettis.
Bill celebrated Miller’s death in his own way. When he heard Bohemian Club members had built a funeral pyre and were going to burn the bloated braggard, he notified the authorities. Broderick had complained about the outdoor Japanese barbeques that filled the air with the stench of all kinds of meat, that wafted downhill under certain conditions, and wiped out the beautiful smell of cherry blossoms on the ranch When the cherries were ripe, they were sold for a pretty penny in Jingle Town, a cannery located on the Oakland Estuary where Jack London docked his oyster boat.
Frederick Jacob Koster had invited Bill Broderick to the Bohemian Grove Hijinks. It was while talking to a railroad magnet about how Prohibition was ruining many honest businessmen, that Bill came up with his brilliant plan to provide Bootleggers with barrels, and keep the profits of freightage rolling into the pocket of railroad owners.
“What if we put another product in our barrels that can be consumed. The Feds can not stop us. One is left with an empty barrel – to do with it you please. What if we shipped grapes? We can pack them in sawdust. We got plenty of that!”
“Sounds like a brilliant plan! I know an Italian who has planted a vineyard in Sonoma. Infact, there he is chatting with Frank Buck. You will want to talk to him, too. He’s becoming the biggest grower in California.”
This morning I found an article about Bill Broderick and the California Barrel Company. What an historic account, that I have sent to the Mayor of San Francisco, and the Board of Supervisors. It’s all here, the elements that made San Francisco, and California – great!
William Frederick Broderick is trying to save a successful business, that due to prohibition, is on the ropes. My mother told me Bill traveled across America selling barrels. Bill has stopped in Chicago where Al Capone is making a fortune as a bootlegger, and arrives in Cleveland Ohio. Bill’s boss, Frederick Koster, must be furious to see organized crime families prospering, while he and his five hardworking bothers are desperate to keep their cooperage business afloat. Frederick is a member of the Bohemian Club, and the Law and Order Club. He may be one of the reasons the Mafia never got a foothold in the Bay Area. Frederick is ahead of his time in how he treated those who worked for him. They were like family. He shortened their work day, and paid good wages. Bill and Fred are promoting California Grapes. They made barrels for this billion dollar industry. They are Pioneers!
“One of the disciples of good barrel and service to meet the conditions of their customers, is William Broderick, sales manager of the California Barrel Company, San Francisco, Calif. Mr. Broderick attended the convention, stopping off at Chicago en route. Mr. Broderick is a natural born salesman, and certainly has the creative idea in salesmanship which is demonstrated by the fact not withstanding from the loss of business from wine and whiskey operations, the cooperage shops in the country and the manufactures supplying the same have kept busy even in maximum capacity during the past year and half, since prohibition arrived, which leads us all to do the same kind of constructive salesmanship. Malaga grapes have always been shipped in kegs and packed in ground cork, but in the last years, California has a become a great factor in furnishing the world with Malaga grapes packed in redwood sawdust. The California Barrel Company, as well as other cooperage institutions on the coast, are making kegs to deliver these grapes seasoned without moisture, to various markets of the world. Bill Broderick is one of the fellows who made this possible by demonstrating to our merchants the value of California grapes packed in the right way, in the right kind of packaging!”
Bravo!
I have put forth an idea for a Working Museum that preserves very valuable history, and creates jobs by giving new life to the ancient art of cooperage. I follow in my grandfather’s footsteps. It is my ambition to make the people of San Francisco – Big Winners!
John Presco
President: Royal Rosamond Press
Copyright 2019
Dear Mayor and Board;
My great grandfather, William F. Broderick, was a salesman and Director for the California Barrel Company that was located near the Portreo Power Plant that was just purchased for Redevelopment. The CBC got started by shipping Spreckels sugar. Claus Spreckels did business with president, Frederick Jacob Koster, and his four brothers. Their businesses were next to each other.
This morning I found an article about William who was interviewed by a reporter for . He speaks about shipping Malaga Grapes to cities across America – in barrels! Here is a merger with California grapes. Prohibition has just begun, and the cooperage industry is in crisis. Frederick Koster has gone abroad to map ut market in the Orient. Barrel and sailing ships go hand in hand. What I am proposing is a cooperage museum that would contribute to San Francisco’s tourist trade, and cooper college at the old site. There is a historic building and facade that could be used for this Trade College. The art of barrel making is coming back.
I have seen beautiful Japanese and Chinese packaging in museum. I saw wondrous labels on crates when I worked as lumper in the produce market in Jack London Square. Packaging is an art form, a craft that can give merchants new ideas.
To help fund this college a museum, I suggest quality prints be made of the amazing machinery invented to make barrels. I put a copyright in this book, but, your people may know how to do this. I have found no cooperage college in America. Meg Whitman purchased the PPP property and founded Qubi. She might want to imitate Alva Spreckels who was give the title ‘The Grandmother of San Francisco. The people around Meg have been selfish with information. Perhaps this is because I copyrighted the CBC name in 2011, and am the owner of californiabarrelcompany.co.
Associate Capital chose this name for a company that is floating around in Business Law World for reasons that are beyond my understanding. I have sent e-mails to several people offering my ideas. I got not response. The way I see it, the People of San Francisco deserve to see their history preserved, and, bring Civic Prosperity – now! Let’s build a dream – today!
In December 2021, Roche and Genentech entered into a collaboration with Recursion Pharmaceuticals to explore new territories of cell biology and develop new treatments in key areas of neuroscience and an oncology indication. The partnership will leverage Recursion’s technology-enabled drug discovery platform in combination with our extensive single-cell data generation and ML capabilities to cast a wide, comprehensive net for novel drug targets, and advance and expedite the development of small molecule medicines.
The scale of this project is almost unheard of. We’ll be screening libraries of small molecules in parallel with genetic perturbation and RNA profiling approaches, so we’ll have an immediate path forward with potential medicines, which is a decisive benefit. There is a lot of risk involved in pursuing novel targets because we just don’t know enough about the underlying biology. Getting more confidence about targets and potential treatments would be a huge leap forward in neuroscience and other disease areas.
Scientists at Roche are also seeking novel approaches to the identification of adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids in partnership with Roche subsidiary Spark Therapeutics and Dyno Therapeutics. Today’s gene therapies are delivered using naturally occurring viruses, which can carry limited payloads and only target certain tissue types. With Dyno’s AI-powered CapsidMap technology, the partners aim to optimize tissue targeting and immune-evading properties, in addition to improving packaging capacity and manufacturability of gene therapy solutions for central nervous system (CNS) and liver diseases.
With his newfound wealth, Paul took his passion for classical music to a whole new level. He paid for orchestras to travel the globe. He commissioned more than 80 new classical works and funded continual public performances at his Basel Chamber Orchestra.
Paul also launched the Paul Sacher Foundation which, among other actions, curated a library in Basel that included the world’s most important collection of musical manuscripts. Today the library houses manuscripts and letters from dozens of classical music’s most important composers.
When Paul wasn’t indulging his passion for classical music he was overseeing Hoffman-La Roche. He spent more than six decades as a board member, playing a crucial role in steering the company from a post-WW2 low point to global domination.
The Hoffmann-La Roche family is Switzerland’s richest and one of the most secretive families.[75] Many members of the family don’t carry the last name Hoffmann anymore. Some are known as Oeri, Michalksi, Faber-Castell, Fabre, Schmid or Duschmalé.[76]
CC02 für Grundlagenmedizin Neurowiss. für zelluläre molek. Neurobiologie -AG Rosenmund- Charité Universitaetsmedizin Berlin Charitéplatz 1 10117 Berlin Germany
Thanks to pioneering work in the late 20th century, we know the identities of most proteins involved in neurotransmitter release. However, many details about the structure of these proteins, their interaction partners, and the amino acids essential for their functions are not yet elucidated. In the Rosenmund Lab, we investigate the detailed interactions and mechanisms by which synaptic proteins control neurotransmitter release.
Our approach to investigate the function of synaptic proteins is to perform ‘rescue’ experiments with mutant proteins in neurons where the protein-of-interest has been eliminated. We then assay the effects on neurotransmitter release by assaying the electrophysiological responses of cultured neurons. Our ability to carefully quantify the neurotransmitter release characteristics under different conditions is attributable to our favorite specialized culture system—the autapse.
Human neuroscience
Ultimately, a major goal in neuroscience research is to understand the human brain, in health and disease. While model systems play an invaluable role in this endeavor, new research has revealed that human neurons have physiological properties that diverge from those of model systems. Differences in function between human neurons and other model organisms is particularly important in modeling disease mechanisms. In the Rosenmund Lab, we investigate aspects of human neurophysiology using human induced pluripotent stem cell (hIPSC) and patient tissue.
Research Focus
Neurons in the brain transmit information to each other through specialized connections called synapses. This process is initiated when the action potential invades the presynaptic terminal, which in turn causes the fusion of transmitter-filled vesicles with the presynaptic membrane releasing its content. Then transmitters can diffuse through the synaptic cleft and activate postsynaptic receptors thereby altering the postsynaptic membrane potential. This process is highly complex yet occurs with amazing speed and astonishing precision millions of times at every second within our brain. Moreover, functional properties of synapses within the brain can vary dramatically and can undergo rapid and lasting changes, and this in turn affect how information in the brain are encoded, and even how we learn and forget, how we think and feel, how we sense our environment and act. In our lab we study the basic principles of synaptic transmission with a major focus on the process of neurotransmitter release. In particular, we examine the molecular mechanisms underlying this process in central synapses. Within the presynaptic terminal, release of neurotransmitter-filled vesicles is restricted to active zones.
Historic Ralston Hall dominates the scene behind NDB.
After being at NDB for nearly three years, it was hard for me to miss the looming mansion seated between NDB and Notre Dame De Namur University (NDNU). Ralson Hall is a beautiful piece of architecture but was always a mystery to me until I decided to look a little closer at its history.
Ralston Hall was built in 1868 by William Ralston. To put the building’s age in perspective, Filoli, San Mateo’s historic mansion, was built in 1917, nearly 50 years later.
William Ralston was a wealthy businessman who made a fortune in San Francisco after founding the Bank of California. Ralston Hall was built as a summer home for him and his family. After he drowned in the San Francisco bay in 1875, his 55,360-square-foot mansion’s ownership moved down to his business partner, Senator William Sharon. Over the next decades, the property was passed through many different ownerships and purposes, from private residences to a girls’ finishing school.
At last, in 1923, the mansion was bought by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur after they moved their college from San Jose to what would later become Belmont. From that point onward, the 80 room mansion served as a residence for the sisters and the heart of the University itself. In 1966, the mansion was recognized as a national historic landmark.
In 2012, the beloved Ralston Hall was declared a seismic hazard and closed to the public. A campaign to save Ralson Hall began. $5 million was needed, but with the help of many generous benefactors, the goal was reached in 2015.
Oddly enough, the building was not opened, and the seismic concerns were not addressed, even with the proper funding.
Years passed and the global pandemic hit. With far fewer students attending, universities around the country were in dire need of funding, NDNU included. For this reason, the renovation project was never executed, and the university used the funds to keep itself running instead of reopening the mansion.
Tied to a university with a very real risk of closing due to a lack of funding, I worry that if NDNU goes under, so will Ralston Hall. This would be a tragedy to both the community as a whole and to the history of our state.
Filoli serves as a model for Ralston Hall. Filoli runs on annual funds and donations from visitors, coupled with money from weddings and daily tours. If Ralston Hall could once again become that beloved community building, it might be able to support itself without being tied to an institution like NDNU.
Ralston Hall is not only a breathtakingly beautiful location but a historically fascinating heart of Belmont. The building that has entertained figures like Ulysses S Grant, Mark Twain, and Leland Stanford remains closed due to seismic concerns and a lack of funding for a small university. It seems almost an insult to the majesty of the building to be shut down for such trivial reasons. A landmark like this should be treated with utmost respect and be a high priority for California to save.
On this day, January 24, 2020, at 3:00 A.M. I John Presco, Re-found the Nation of Helvetia, that was founded by John Augustus Sutter, who honored the place of his Ancestors – Switzerland!
To become a Citizen of New Helvetia, that encompasses the boundaries of California, one must be a registered Democrat. As a Democrat you will be able to buy stock in New Helvetia. One will get a low interest credit card, and low interest home loans and college education. There will be Rent Control and the building of low cost housing. Senior and Homeless Communal Living will be encouraged, and will play a big role in our International Bank and Investment Enterprise that will make our Cities beautiful again.
This morning I studied the ideas for California seceding from the Union. this State’s fabulous economy was cited, and the truth the Democrats need the Cal-Vote to win National elections. It is my belief Trump is using the evangelicals that took over John Fremont’s Republican Party, as a private investment club. His speech at a Prosperity Gospel church, his coming speech at a Pro-life church, and his threat to make cuts in Social Security Disability, is aimed at swing voters and Christians who may be registered Democrats. Never before has an organized religion got so involved in our National Economy. This is superstitious politics mixed with a voo-doo church. Christianity has always been a International Religion. Jesus did not support Nationalism.
Millions of Americans need a powerful haven where they can practice normal economics. New Helvetia is a Cyber-Bank-Nation that will be a collective of Guilds free of church-politics and demi-gods. I suspect John Fremont and Sutter had united their desire to form a New Nation in the West. I would like to believe Alexander von Humboldt was on board. His ideas may save the World Environment. New Helvatia will have real economic clout.
It is my goal to create a Powerful Nation of Democrats who will trump the ambitions of a Liar and Mad Man, reestablish Diplomatic ties with our Allies, and sign Sane Economic Treaties. We will concentrate on helping our neighbors, the farmers and ranchers in the red states. Peace!
My suspected ancestors belonged to two Swiss Guilds. John would bless this continuation of his dream.
At one time the absolute ruler of what amounted to a private kingdom along the Sacramento River, John Sutter saw his immense wealth and power overrun in the world’s rush to pick California clean of gold.
Sutter was born John Augustus Sutter in Baden, Germany, though his parents had originally come from Switzerland, a lineage of which he was especially proud. In 1834, faced with impossible debt, he decided to try his fortunes in America and, leaving his family in a brother’s care, set sail for New York. There he decided that the West offered him the best opportunity for success, and he moved to Missouri, where for three years he operated as a trader on the Santa Fe Trail.
By 1838, Sutter had determined that Mexican California held the promise of fulfilling his ambitious dreams, and he set off along the Oregon Trail, arriving at Fort Vancouver, near present-day Portland, Oregon, in hopes of finding a ship that would take him to San Francisco Bay. His journey involved detours to the Hawaiian Islands and to a Russian colony at Sitka, Alaska, but Sutter made the most of his wanderings by trading advantageously along the way. When he finally arrived in California in 1839, Sutter met first with the provincial governor in Monterey and secured permission to establish a settlement east of San Francisco (then called Yerba Buena) along the Sacramento River, in an area then occupied only by Indians.
Sutter was granted nearly fifty thousand acres and authorized “to represent in the Establishment of New Helvetia [Sutter’s Swiss-inspired name for his colony] all the laws of the country, to function as political authority and dispenser of justice, in order to prevent the robberies commited by adventurers from the United States, to stop the invasion of savage Indians and the hunting and trapping by companies from the Columbia.” In other words, Sutter was to serve the California authorities as a bulwark against the assorted threats pressing in on them from American-controlled territories to the north and east.
Ironically, as headquarters for his domain, Sutter chose a site on what he named the American River, at its junction with the Sacramento River and near the site of present-day Sacramento. Here, with the help of laborers he had brought with him from Hawaii, he built Sutter’s Fort, a massive adobe structure with walls eighteen feet high and three feet thick. Two years later, in 1841, Sutter expanded his settlement when the Russians abandoned Fort Ross, their outpost north of San Francisco, and offered to sell it to him for thirty thousand dollars. Paying with a note he never honored, Sutter practically dismantled the fort and moved its equipment, livestock and buildings to the Sacramento Valley.
Within just a few years, Sutter had achieved the grand-scale success he long dreamed of: acres of grain, a ten-acre orchard, a herd of thirteen thousand cattle, even two acres of Castile roses. His son came to share in his prosperity in 1844, and the rest of his family soon followed. At the same time, during these years Sutter’s Fort became a regular stop for the increasing number of Americans venturing into California, several of whom Sutter employed. Besides providing him with a profitable source of trade, this steady flow of immigrants provided Sutter with a network of relationships that offered some political protection when the United States seized control of California in 1846, at the outbreak of the Mexican War.
Barely a week before the war’s end, however, there occurred a chance event that would destroy all John Sutter’s achievements and yet at the same time link his name forever to one of the highpoints of American history. On the morning of January 24, 1848, a carpenter named James Marshall, who was building a sawmill for Sutter upstream on the American River near Coloma, looked into the mill’s tailrace to check that it was clear of silt and debris and saw at the water’s bottom nuggets of gold. Marshall took his discovery to Sutter, who consulted an encyclopedia to confirm it and then tried to pledge all his employees to secrecy. But within a few months, word had reached San Francisco and the gold rush was on.
Suddenly all of Sutter’s workmen abandoned him to seek their fortune in the gold fields. Squatters swarmed over his land, destroying crops and butchering his herds. “There is a saying that men will steal everything but a milestone and a millstone,” Sutter later recalled; “They stole my millstones.” By 1852, New Helvetia had been devastated and Sutter was bankrupt. He spent the rest of his life seeking compensation for his losses from the state and federal governments, and died disappointed on a trip to Washington, D.C. in 1880.
Roche touts Swiss-led R&D unit after years in Genentech’s shadow
ZURICH (Reuters) – Roche is touting prospective new drugs from its long-underperforming Swiss-led research unit after years of leaning on its California-based Genentech arm to restock its medicine cabinet.Logo of Swiss drugmaker Roche is seen beside the entrance of its research unit Roche Glycart AG in Schlieren, Switzerland December 18, 2017. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
This year, the Swiss drugmaker – the top global spender in pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) – has been talking up several medicines being trailed by Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, or “pRED”, as potential stars.
Its pRED unit operates independently from Genentech “gRED” research and Roche’s Chugai R&D arm in Japan.
A resurgence would be timely. Chief Executive Severin Schwan needs his R&D operations firing on all cylinders to fulfill promises of growth as patents expire on Rituxan, Avastin and Herceptin. These Genentech-developed drugs, which have combined sales of $20 billion a year, are either already exposed to rivals’ cheaper copies in leading markets or soon will be.
“In pRED, some exciting opportunities are now coming through after a time when many things did not work,” Schwan told Reuters in a recent interview. “It goes in waves. You can’t program to have a certain number of molecules coming through the pipeline every year in each unit.”
Topping pRED’s list of pipeline hopefuls is CEA-TCB, a so-called bispecific antibody drug that brings a patient’s cancer-fighting T-cells closer to tumor cells in order to kill them. Other promising products include a replacement for eye drug Lucentis, idasunutlin for diseases including acute myeloid leukemia and an autism drug in mid-stage Phase II trials.
ADVERTISEMENT
“THANK GOD”
Though approvals remain some way off – idasunutlin’s planned filing date is 2019, for instance – Roche insiders in Basel are relieved that pRED appears to have regained its footing following years in Genentech’s shadow.
“Thank God,” one Roche executive said, requesting anonymity. “It took a while, but pRED is finally starting to deliver.”
From the 1990s, Roche has thrived largely on Genentech’s hit-making machine. After Rituxan, Herceptin and Avastin came Lucentis and cancer drugs Perjeta and Kadcyla.
Since 2016, Genentech’s labs added cancer immunotherapy Tecentriq and multiple sclerosis drug Ocrevus, seen by analysts as hitting $1 billion sales this year.
Additionally, Roche’s recently-approved hemophilia drug Hemlibra, predicted by some as a $5 billion-per-year medicine, emerged from Chugai’s labs. So did Alecensa for lung cancer, another drug with blockbuster aspirations.
So pRED still has much catching up to do. “Roche’s three big drug hopefuls – Ocrevus, Tecentriq and Hemlibra – aren’t from pRED, they’re from elsewhere in the company,” said Michael Nawrath, a Zuercher Kantonalbank analyst.
“Without the Americans, Roche would be just a specialized diagnostics company.”
FUMES OF YESTERYEAR
By contrast, the reputation of Roche’s own research organization, after inventing Valium in the 1960s and antibiotic Rocephin in the 1980s, has run on the fumes of yesteryear.
ADVERTISEMENT
Even pRED’s much-heralded Rituxan follow-up drug Gazyva has so far produced just modest results with $200 million in 2016 sales, though recent expanded approvals could accelerate revenue.
In 2010, Roche closed a U.S. branch of pRED’s labs in Nutley, New Jersey, and slashed 1,000 jobs. Its third research chief since 2012, John Reed, joined four years ago from California’s Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute.
His mission was to help get pRED’s 2,200 scientists in Switzerland, Britain’s Welwyn Garden City, Germany and Shanghai back on track by focusing less on “blue sky” projects and more on medicines underpinned by a solid hypothesis.
“BIG SAUCE”
A fund manager who owns Roche shares sees Reed’s arrival in Basel as a watershed. “The effectiveness of Roche R&D in Switzerland has been transformed by John Reed,” the investor said. “I am quite optimistic about Swiss R&D starting to produce new drugs.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Some analysts also see pRED closing the gap to Genentech, perhaps partly by emulating its focus on therapeutic antibodies that the San Francisco-based company pioneered.
“Quite a few competitive products in development at pRED are based on antibodies,” said Baader Helvea’s Bruno Bulic. “It might be that at some point, the student might surpass the master.”
In 2009, when Roche bought the 44 percent of Genentech it did not already own for $47 billion, Schwan insisted on keeping the pRED, gRED and Chugai research organizations separate on the grounds that a combined R&D monolith would “kill innovation”.
With pRED potentially re-emerging from the drug-development wilderness, Schwan remains adamant it was the right decision.
“I can understand that if somebody looks at it from outside, they might ask why the hell we have three research units,” he said. “But I believe it doesn’t make sense to put it all together and make one big sauce out of it. You should still see the components.”
23 rue de Bitche 67110 Niederbronn les Bains, Alsace France
Company Perspectives:
Since De Dietrich was founded in 1684 in a valley north of Strasbourg in the northeast of France, the Group has remained closely devoted to its region of origin which lies, today, at the geographic and economic heart of Europe.
After more than 300 years in operation in France’s Alsace region, on the German border, De Dietrich & Cie. qualifies as one of Europe’s oldest firms. One secret to the company’s survival has been the De Dietrich family’s devotion to location, rather than to any one single product line. After producing railroads, home appliances, and even automobiles, the De Dietrich of the turn of the century operates in three major areas. The company’s De Dietrich Thermique division produces a range of standing cast iron boilers and furnaces, as well as hot-water tanks, wall-mounted boilers, burners, radiators, and control equipment. De Dietrich Thermique is Europe’s second largest producer of cast iron boilers and furnaces and contributed 43 percent of the company’s total sales in 1998. Cogifer, the company’s railroads subsidiary, is Europe’s leading provider of fixed railroad and other rail-guided installations, offering turnkey new railroad design and installation, as well as signaling, switching, safety, and other equipment and maintenance services for rail-guided systems ranging from tramways to high-speed train lines. Representing 44 percent of De Dietrich’s total sales, Cogifer provides equipment and services throughout Europe, with subsidiary operations in eight countries. The third segment of De Dietrich’s operations is De Dietrich Chemical, the world’s second largest manufacturer of glass-lined steel equipment for the pharmaceuticals and chemicals industries. Operating on a global scale, with subsidiary operations in Brazil, China, Japan, Spain, South Africa, and the United States, De Dietrich Glass-Lined Equipment produces a range of reactors, columns, agitators, and storage tanks, providing 13 percent of the company’s annual sales. This division was boosted with the January 1999 acquisition of Switzerland’s Rosenmund-Guèdu, a world-leading provider of downstream filtration and separation equipment. In 1998, De Dietrich’s annual sales reached FFr 3.96 billion (approximately US $660 million). In that year, the company sold off its remaining shares in its former De Dietrich Ferroviaire holding; the company also sold off its forestry division, including one of the Alsace region’s largest forestry holdings. De Dietrich remains controlled by the founding De Dietrich family, who hold 35 percent of the company’s shares.
The Founding of a Dynasty in the 17th Century
The De Dietrich family’s involvement with the political and economic life of Strasbourg and the Alsace region began in the 16th century when Demange Didier, 12 years old and from a well-to-do Protestant family near Nancy in the Lorraine, fled the persecution against the Protestants led by the Duke of Lorraine. Didier arrived in Strasbourg in 1561, where he gained a position in the commercial business of Nicolas de Turckheim. Didier changed his name to the more Germanic form Dietrich and soon became a leading figure of Strasbourg society. Dietrich’s son Jean went into business for himself; Jean Dietrich’s son Dominique became mayor of Strasbourg in 1660. When the Alsace region was annexed to France by King Louis XIV in 1681, Dominique Dietrich led negotiations to guarantee the region’s Protestants freedom to practice their religion. Four years later, however, Louis XIV sought to break the influence of Protestantism on the region, calling upon a number of notable Protestants, including Dominique Dietrich, to renounce their faith. Dietrich’s refusal led to his forced exile.
The Dietrich family, however, remained in the region, continuing their merchant activities. At the same time the family sought a means to preserve their social and economic standing, while also searching for a means to gain the return of Dominique Dietrich. In 1684, Dominique Dietrich’s son Jean Dietrich II purchased a 20 percent share of an iron works in Jaegerthal, itself built in 1602. Although mostly in ruins, the iron works would provide the basis of the family’s future fortune and remain in operation for more than 200 years. In 1685, Jean II decided to buy up the remaining 80 percent of the iron works and invested in restoring and refitting its forge and other equipment, including the addition of a high furnace. Jean II quickly turned his iron works toward service of the king and began supplying weapons for the French army on the eastern front. In this way, Jean II hoped to gain favor for his exiled father and to improve the condition of Strasbourg’s Protestant community in general. Serving the monarchy provided a way for the Dietrich family to avoid persecution in the Catholic-dominated France.
In addition to manufacturing arms and equipment for the French army, the Dietrichs turned their commercial experience to the royal benefit. The family also branched out into banking. When Jean II died in 1740, the industrial side of the family business was taken over by his son, Jean-Daniel. The family’s banking arm was placed under the guidance of grandson Jean III, whose marriage into the Hermanny banking family gave the family a prominent position in the French financial world. In this way, the Dietrich family became indispensable for financing the War of Austrian Succession from 1741 to 1748 and the Seven Years’ War, which began in 1756.
Such service to the king was not without its rewards. In 1761 the Dietrich family was granted noble standing, both by the French king and by the German emperor. As such, the Dietrichs were given the right to add ‘de’ (of) to the family name. Nobility had two immediate effects on the family business. First, the De Dietrichs were obliged to exit from banking, as this profession was considered unseemly for a member of the nobility. Second, the family was granted the right to own land–a right given only to the nobility. As such, the De Dietrich family acquired vast sections of Alsatian forest land and, therefore, a ready supply of the lumber fuel necessary for the Jaegerthal iron works.
Assuring lumber supply became a driving force behind the De Dietrichs’ business growth. Unable to purchase the land surrounding the Jaegerthal works because of a dispute with another family, the De Dietrichs established four new smithies, at Niederbronn, Reichshoffen, Rothau, and Rauschendwasswer, after purchasing the land. Before long, the De Dietrichs had become the single largest landowners in the Alsace region. By then, Jean III, departing from the typical role of noble landholders and iron works owners, had taken an active role in the company’s forge operations. By the dawn of the French Revolution, the De Dietrich works employed more than 1,000 workers.
19th Century Industrialist
The De Dietrichs did not have long to enjoy the privileges of nobility. The Revolution threatened the family with ruin. Philippe-Frédéric Dietrich, son of Jean III and mayor of Strasbourg, was guillotined by Robespierre in 1793. Broken, Jean III died a year later. Leadership of the family’s iron works was taken over by Jean-Albert-Frédéric, the 20-year-old son of Philippe-Frédéric. Jean-Albert Dietrich fought to maintain the company’s operations, succeeding in keeping the family’s control over the iron works. Yet Jean-Albert died in 1806, at the age of 33. After more than 100 years as an important influence in French society, the De Dietrich family appeared set to fade into obscurity.
Jean-Albert left behind a widow, four children, and an iron works in debt. But Amélie de Dietrich was determined to keep the family’s business in operation. Her first move was to sell off the business’s money-losing units, including the Rothau forges, returning the focus of operations to the Jaegerthal works. There, she pointed the company toward its future direction, extending beyond the manufacture of weapons to the production of the industrial machinery necessary for the dawning Industrial Age. Before long, the company’s name had changed, to Veuve (widow) de Dietrich & Fils. Aided by Napoleon Bonaparte, who restored much of the family’s landholdings, the family rebuilt itself into one of the region’s most prominent independent businesses.
The De Dietrich forges were transformed into true factories; by the time of Amélie de Dietrich’s death in 1855, the company operated six factories and were award-winning producers of wrought iron and steel products ranging from ornamental railings to bridges. In 1850, the company produced its first wood-burning stove, launching the company into a product range that remained a company hallmark for nearly 150 years. Nevertheless, cast iron and forged iron became less important to the company as it increased its participation in mechanical products and, especially, took a leading role in building the country’s railroad system. After the death of Amélie de Dietrich, her sons took over operations and continued building the company, focusing its manufacturing arm more and more on the manufacture of railroad and railroad equipment.
The German annexation of Alsace-Lorraine in 1870 once again threatened the company’s existence. Whereas most of the region’s industrialists chose to abandon the region to rebuild their businesses within the newly declared French borders, De Dietrich decided to remain. Its determination to remain loyal to its Alsatian origins came to mark the company more than any single product line. In Germany, the company was all but excluded from its chief product line, that of manufacturing for railroads. To succeed in the German marketplace, the company quickly adapted its product offerings, developing an extensive line of consumer goods, including heating stoves and equipment, cooking stoves, wood furniture, enameled cast iron and other cast iron products, such as bathtubs. An early interest in chemical equipment brought the company to begin production of distilling equipment as well. This period marked the beginning of De Dietrich as a diversified group with a geographic focus–that of its Alsace base. While continuing to exploit its forest lands, De Dietrich also branched out into a more unlikely area–trout farming.
Into the 21st Century
The company continued to expand on its diversified product range in the 1880s when a new form of transportation began to attract the attention of the public. De Dietrich was one of the first manufacturers of the new motor vehicles, and one of the few industrialists to turn production to the new product line. Led by Eugène de Dietrich, the company’s automobile division picked up speed toward the turn of the century, after the company acquired a patent from Amédé Bollée. The company’s Bollée-based automobile won the first international automobile race, the Paris-Amsterdam race of 1898. The boost in reputation brought orders from throughout Europe, and the company soon found itself with a waiting list of some 20 months. At the same time, the company opened a Berlin office, its first move beyond the Alsace region. De Dietrich’s automobiles continued to win races and to prove remarkably hardy, crossing some 3,000 kilometers from Paris to St. Petersburg in just a matter of weeks.
De Dietrich’s automobile adventure was to be short-lived, however. In 1902, De Dietrich hired a young engineer from Italy, who had already built his first car. Ettore Bugatti began designing for De Dietrich, producing the first De Dietrich-Bugatti the following year. But manufacturing automobiles–and keeping up with the steadily increasing pace of technical innovations–required too much capital for the De Dietrich company and, in 1904, the company produced its last automobile. Instead, De Dietrich entered the new century focused on mechanical construction and engineering, farm equipment, urban railway equipment and systems, and household appliances. The company also entered the young chemicals industry, supplying equipment to chemical and pharmaceutical laboratories.
The diversity of De Dietrich’s product offerings enabled it to survive the most turbulent periods of the new century. By the end of the First World War, De Dietrich found itself once again on French soil, as the defeated Germans were forced to cede the Alsace-Lorraine region to France. In the Depression years, De Dietrich’s diversified products helped buffer it against the collapse of many of its markets. During this time, the company’s operations were taken over by five De Dietrich cousins, each of whom took an interest in a particular product area. In this way, De Dietrich’s product divisions developed into de facto subsidiary operations.
De Dietrich’s Electromenager (household appliance) division achieved great popularity with the French consumer in the second half of the century as the company continued producing heaters and heating equipment as well as ovens and ranges for the kitchen, including the first French-branded built-in stove in the late 1960s. During this time, Gilbert de Dietrich, who had joined the company in 1957, took over as head of the company, helping to unify the company’s product strategy.
De Dietrich continued to build in four primary areas: home appliances; equipment for the chemicals industry, with a growing focus on glass-lined steel and iron tanks; railroad and railway equipment; and boiler tanks and other industrial heating equipment. The company also continued its activities in the forestry and lumber markets, because of its extensive landholdings. To fund growth, particularly beyond France and across most of Europe, De Dietrich went public in 1974. Nevertheless, the De Dietrich family remained the company’s primary shareholder.
By the end of the 1980s, however, De Dietrich faced into the beginning of a new economic recession, which would last through the first half of the 1990s throughout most of Europe. Fearing hostile takeover attempts, the company reduced its market capitalization, buying back shares, while transferring other shares to a ‘friendly’ shareholder group led by the Duval-Fleury family; together the two families controlled more than 55 percent of the company’s shares and voting rights. Meanwhile, De Dietrich’s appliance sales had stagnated. Despite contributing nearly FFr 1 billion to the company’s annual sales, the division was judged too small to compete against the international giants, such as Whirlpool or Bosch. In 1991, therefore, De Dietrich announced that it had formed a joint venture with France’s Thomson Electronics to form the Thomson Electromenager partnership. De Dietrich tranferred its home appliance operations to the joint venture, in exchange for 51 percent control of the partnership.
The deepening recession, however, forced De Dietrich to exit the home appliance market altogether in 1992. Instead, De Dietrich now sought to concentrate its activities where it had achieved market leadership. As such, its Cogifer railway systems division, its De Dietrich Thermique division, and its De Dietrich Chemical Equipment division became the company’s three-pronged strategy for continued growth into the new century. After helping define the new strategy, Gilbert de Dietrich stepped down from the company’s leadership in 1996, replaced by new CEO Regis Bello. At the end of 1998, the company sold its remaining shares of its De Dietrich Ferroviaire railroad construction subsidiary to France’s Alstom Transports. At the same time, De Dietrich exited the forestry business, selling off its vast forest lands. Meanwhile, the company began boosting its three core divisions. In January 1999, the company extended its Chemical Equipment Division with the purchase of Switzerland’s Rosenmund, whose leading position in the filters and filter-dryers market provided a means for the company to extend its sales downstream in the chemical and pharmaceuticals equipment market. In July 1999, the company boosted its Thermal division with the acquisition of the boiler-manufacturing operations of Schäfer, of Germany.
Principal Subsidiaries: De Dietrich Thermique; De Dietrich Equipment Chimique; Cogifer S.A.; De Dietrich Heiztechnik (Germany); De Dietrich Heiztechnik (Austria); De Dietrich Technika Grzewcza (Poland; 85%); Serv’Elite; Oertli Thermique; Pacific S.A.; De Dietrich USA; De Dietrich Singapore; De Dietrich do Brasil; Nihon Dietrich (Japan); DDG Glasslining (South Africa; 40%); Rosenmund VTA (Switzerland); Cogifer T.F.; Cogifer Americas (USA); Teijo (Finland); Redelokken (Norway); Kihn (Luxembourg; 89.2%); Futrifer (Portugal; 61%); Amurrio (Spain; 50%).
Principal Competitors: Robbins & Myers.
Chronology
Key Dates:
1561: Demange Didier arrives in Strasbourg.
1684: Jean Dietrich II purchases Jaegerthal iron works.
1761: Dietrich family receives noble status.
1806: Amélie de Dietrich takes over operations.
1850: First wood-burning stove produced by De Dietrich.
1898: Production of Dietrich-Bollee automobile.
1902: Production of De Dietrich-Bugatti automobile.
1904: De Dietrch exits from automobile manufacturing.
1974: Company is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange.
1992: Exit from home appliance manufacturing.
1999: Company acquires Rosenmund, a filters and filter-dryer manufacturer, and the boiler manufacturing operations of Schäfer of Germany.
The history of the de Dietrich family has been linked to that of France and of Europe for over three centuries. To this day, the company that bears the family name continues to play a major role in the economic life of Alsace. De Dietrich is a holding company based in France which traces its history back to 1684. The incumbent chairman of the supervisory board Marc-Antoine de Dietrich represents the 11th consecutive generation at the helm of the company. De Dietrich has been active in the automobile, railway and industrial equipment industry amongst others.
1761 : Baron Jean de Dietrich is made Count du Ban de la Roche by Louis XV. He becomes the largest land owner in Alsace and expands the family’s industrial empire by building or acquiring forges and furnaces.
Rouget de Lisle singing the “Marseillaise” – Pils
1778 : Louis XVI grants Jean de Dietrich the use of a hunting horn trademark to deter counterfeiters. This logo still serves as a symbol of quality today.
1848 : De Dietrich embraces the industrial era by progressively reducing the production of cast irons in favor of mechanical and railroad equipment.
1870 : Despite the annexation by Germany of Alsace-Lorraine, the Dietrich family decides to remain close to the factories and employees and stays in Alsace. This choice calls for a diversification of De Dietrich’s activities in order to adapt to German market demands and having been effectively shut out of the French railroad market. The company then turns towards consumer durables: stoves, cookers, wooden furniture, enameled cast iron bathtubs – and urban or industrial equipment – tramways, distillation equipment, industry specific wagons.
1896 : De Dietrich enters automobile manufacturing. Eugene, Baron de Turckheim, buys manufacturing rights to Amédée Bollée, fils‘ design.[1] During its automotive development it hired amongst others the services of famous car builder Ettore Bugatti to design of the cars and Émile Mathis to handle commercialization.
Bugatti’s first car
Logo for the Lorraine-Dietrich cars
1905 : De Dietrich decides to pull out of automobile manufacturing to focus on mechanical construction, railroad equipment, process systems, central heating equipment and appliances.
1992 : De Dietrich assumes control of Cogifer, market leader fixed railroad installations and forgives control of the appliances business to Thomson, control later on assumed by Fagor-Brandt until this day.
1995 : De Dietrich sells its interest in rolling stock railroad equipment manufacturing “De Dietrich Ferroviaire” (DDF’s factory is in Reichshoffen“. A majority stake in DDF was acquired by Alstom and the company is now known as Alstom-DDF.
2000 : After the successive acquisitions of Rosenmund-Guedu and QVF, De Dietrich renames its chemical equipment division “De Dietrich Process Systems”. De Dietrich is the object a Public Tender Offer by the la Société Industrielle du Hanau (SIH), controlled by ABN AMRO Capital Investissement France and the De Dietrich family.
2001 : In July 2001, after 50 years of quotation, De Dietrich is pulled out the market.
Château De Dietrich – De Dietrich Headquarters – Reichshoffen
2002 : In September 2002, De Dietrich sells the control of Cogifer and Cogifer TF, to Vossloh a German Industrial group specialized in railroad equipment. In December 2002, the “Société Industrielles du Hanau” takes over De Dietrich & Cie and assumes the name “De Dietrich”.
2004 : In July 2004, De Dietrich divests from “De Dietrich Thermique”, market leader in water heating equipment to Remeha. The new entity formed De Dietrich Remeha, becomes one of Europe’s largest heating industry player, particularly in the fields of condensing boilers and renewable energies.
In December 2004, the family regained 100% control of the holding company. This operation represents one of Europe’s largest family re-investments in recent years. De Dietrich today focuses on De Dietrich Process Systems(DDPS). DDPS is a leading worldwide provider of API process and other process equipment to the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries. with an industrial presence in Asia, Europe and USA. The latest factories added to the Group are located in Hyderabad and Wuxi.
Demange Dietrich (1549-1620), Strasbourg bourgeois x Anne Heller │ └── Jean Dietrich (17 février 1579-1642), councilman and merchant in Strasbourg x Agnès Meyer │ └── Dominique Dietrich (1620-1694), “amnestre” of Strasbourg (Mayor) x Ursule Wencker (1627-1662) │ └── Jean-Nicolas Dietrich (1688-1726), merchant, banker x Marie-Barbe Kniebs (1665-1747) │ └── Jean de Dietrich (1719-1795), Count of the “Ban de la Roche” x Amélie Hermanny (1729-1766) │ ├── Jean de Dietrich (1746-1805) │ x Louise-Sophie de Glaubitz (1751-1806) │ └── Philippe-Frédéric de Dietrich (1748- beheaded 1793), mayor of Strasbourg x Sybille-Louise Ochs (1755-1806) │ └── Jean-Albert de Dietrich (1773-1806), head of Bas-Rhin region x Amélie de Berckheim (1776-1855) │ ├── Amélie de Dietrich (1799-1854) │ x Guillaume de Turckheim (1785-1831), Major │ ├── Baron Albert de Dietrich (1802-1888), │ x 1828 Octavie von Stein (1801-1839) │ │ │ ├── Baron Albert de Dietrich (1831-) │ │ x Sophie von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen (1832-1890) │ │ │ x 1840 Adélaïde von Stein │ │ │ └── Eugène-Dominique de Dietrich (1844-1918), deputy for Alsace at the Reichstag │ x Cécile Vaucher │ │ │ └── Dominique de Dietrich (1892-1963), │ x Inès-Agnès de Pourtalès │ │ │ └── Gilbert de Dietrich (1928-2006), CEO of De Dietrich from 1968 to 1996 │ x Suzanne Syz (29 août 1925 – 15 février 1975) │ │ │ └── Baron Marc-Antoine de Dietrich, Incumbent Chairman of De Dietrich Supervisory board │ x Catherine Probst | | │ └── Gaetan de Dietrich, Olympia de Dietrich, Amaury de Dietrich │ └── Jean-Sigismond de Dietrich (1803-1868), x Virginie Mathis (1810-1867) │ └── Amélie de Dietrich (1841-1874) c
Share this:
2/22/2026
La Roche In Belmont
Painting by Christine Rosamond Benton of our grandmother Mary Magdalene Rosamond. The photo got lost.
Belmont History Lesson
I posted on the La Roche Knight Templars in 2015. When did I contact the BHS. Did Denny Lawhern read my posts on the Shroud of Turin? Below is my later brothers theories. He invented programs for the computer, worlked on the Spare Shuttles, and military weapoms. Mrk Broderick Presco Presco is a great grandon of Carl Janke and William Broderick. Out sister, Christine Rosamond Benton was one of the highest earning women artists in art history. Mark’s son claims je is a founder of AL and lives in Sunnyvale. Genetech was the largest emplpuer of Citizens of Belmont. Why had The Hanke Gene been attaked……AND BANNED IN BELMONT?
Why doent La Roche conduct a DNA test of the Janke Tree – startin gwith exhuming the bones in their insukting grave in Redwood City?
FLASH! At 6:00 AM I found this arial view of the Genetech complex. Governor McDougal had a plan to drain marsh areas, and make new land. Carl Janke bought land from McDougal. I think we are looking at it. I believe we are looking at……
GENETIC JUSTICE AND DESTINY!
I am seeking a powerful attonrey.
John Presco
Count of Carlmont
Fritz Hoffmann-La Roche, later Fritz Hoffmann-von der Mühll (24 October 1868 – 18 April 1920), was a Swiss businessman who founded the pharmaceutical company F. Hoffmann-LaRoche & Co.
Marriages and children
On 2 May 1895, Hoffmann married Adèle La Roche (1876–1938). It was a common practice in Switzerland for married couples to hyphenate the name to incorporate both surnames, so from this point he was often referred to as Fritz Hoffmann-La Roche.
Genentech was founded in 1976, becoming a member of the Roche Group in 2009.
Genentech is a leading biotechnology company dedicated to pursuing groundbreaking science to discover and develop medicines for people with serious and life-threatening diseases. Its transformational discoveries include the first targeted antibody for cancer and the first medicine for primary progressive multiple sclerosis.
The organisation’s headquarters are located in South San Francisco, USA. It has over 2,400 employees.
Since our founding over 125 years ago, Roche has grown into one of the world’s largest biotech companies, as well as a leading provider of in-vitro diagnostics and a global supplier of transformative innovative solutions across major disease areas. Our commitment to our people, partners, stakeholders and, most importantly, our patients remains as strong as it was on the first day of our journey
Rougemont Family Templars Worshipped at Fontenotte and owned the Shroud of Turin.
The First Preceptor of La Fontenotte
My mother’s maiden name has been traced to Rougemont who appear to have ties to the Windsors, thus much of the royalty of Europe. I am sharing this discovery with Robert Sinclair, and Ben Toney, who may be related to the Robert de Ros who lived in Belvoir castle that belonged to the House of Toney.
Because the world is going mad, and in order to strengthen Britain and recreated a European Union co-founded by Denis de Rougemont, I revive the order of Knight Templars, whom the Sinclairs are now tied via Anges de Toney.
Alexandre, and Francois de Rougemont are buried with Knight Templars as Til-Chatel. Gui 1er de Rougemont married Etinnette de Ruffey. Here are the Seigneur de Til-Chatel. Guy 2 de Rougemont Thibaut V de Rougemont 1306-1333 Guillaume de Rougemont Humbert de Rougemont married Alix Neufchatel Aymon 2 (Aimon) de Rougemont married Guillemette de Ray daughter of Othon de La Roche, owner of the Shroud of Turin. Thibaut V1 de Rougemont father of Catherine de Rougemont who married Jean de Neufchatel the son of Margarita de Castro e Souza from who the Windsors descend.
The fifth son of Guy II of Rougemont and Guillemette de Coublant, Etienne de Rougemont was lord of Pichanges. In December 1265, having recalled the donations made to the temple by Aimon IV and Guy II, he gave to the Templars, with the agreement of his elder brother, Jean, Lord of Rougemont, the right of pasturage on his lands of Pichanges and Spoy. He died in 1271 and was buried before the altar in the chapel of Fontenotte and conferring his Templar rank of Preceptor (priest-templar).
After the death of Etienne, Jean de Til-Chatel had to confirm in 1274 the rights of the Templars over Fontenotte. In 1278 his younger brother, Guy, who had been curate of Til-Chatel in 1242 then archdeacon of Le Tonnerois in the church of Langres, succeeded him at the head of the lordship of Pichanges.
In May, 1274, Jean de Rougemont, Marshal of Burgundy legally recorded “for the repose of his soul and that of his elder brother, Etienne de Rougemont, who lies in the cemetery of the said Temple, and of the souls of his forebears”, granted to Henri de Dole, Commander of the House of Fontenotte:”
I have found a Hughes/Hue de Rougemont who a “grand maître du Temple”in two accounts, and the maître du Temple of Burgundy in another.This Hugues appears to be related to Humbert de Villersexel who wasthe Lord of Rougemont and Til-Chatel. Is this the Hughes that preceeded Bernard de Tramelay/Dramelay? Did this Hugues come after Bernard. In the Fromond/Dramelay genealogy we find a line of De La Roches, and thus the Rougemonts are kin to another Templar Grand Master, Amaury de La Roche.
“Bernard de Tramelay (died August 16, 1153) was the fourth Grand
Master of the Knights Templar. He was born in the castle of Tramelay near Saint-Claude in the Jura. According to Du Cange, he succeeded a certain Hugues as Master of the Temple, although this Hugues is otherwise unknown. He was elected Grand Master in June of 1151, after the abdication of Everard des Barres, who had returned to France following the Second Crusade.et”
“Hugues de Rougemont, grand maître du Temple””and Hugues de Rougemont, large main of the Temple”
Humbert de Rougemont owned the Shroud of Turin. Humbert is a Hue name and is kin to at least two Templar Grandmasters. Humbert was also the Lord of Villersexel. He married the great granddaughter Geoffrey de Charnay a Templar Grand Master. This is to say this Knights Templar family, and thus the Knights Templars, owned and protected the Shroud of Turin that they may have seized at Ascalon along with a great treasure which would account for the large number of castle owned by this very large Templar family. Never has such a constellation of Knights Templars gathered in one place, under one roof as they did come Sunday in Fontenotte. Amaury and Othon de La Roche brought Jacque de Molay into the Templar Order, the last Grand Master. Amaury disappears from history, it alleged he was in keeping of the Templar Treasure. Did he go to Holland where the Roesmont live, they members of the Swan Brethren and Masters of Janskirk church?
“The legend says that it manages to escape and disparaitre definitively at the same time as the Treasury and the secrecies of Templiers.”
My search for my ancestor, Sergeant Rougemont, has led me to a Templar family that was invisible. Sergeant was a Templar rank, a title for a mayor of the Sungau, and a Seneschal. I have no direct evident Sergeant Rougemont was kin to these Lords of Rougemont – as yet!
“I have three separate pages for Rosamond families we believe are descended from a Sergeant Rosamond, a Huguenot who left France in 1685 at the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, and fought in the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland in 1689. We have not yet been able to definitively tie these three families together, but each family was independently aware of the story of Sergeant Rosamond and claimed him as an ancestor. We are hoping that as research continues we will find records showing us the relationship between our families.”
(Images: Montfort Castle home to Humbert and Margaret de Charny/Rougemont)”
June 1418: The widowed Margaret de Charny marries Humbert of Villersexel, Count de la Roche, Lord of St.Hippolyte sur Doubs.”Humbert de Villersexel is Humbert de Rougemont.
“1208 – Pons de la Roche presents to Amadeus de Tramelay, Archbishop of Besançon, the Shroud that his son Othon de la Roche, Latin Duke of Athens, had sent him from Constantinople.”Aymon 2 de Rougemont was the Seigneur of Villersexel. He married Guillemette de Ray, the daughter of Othon 2 de la Roche.Othon 1 de la Roche (-before 1161) had a son named Pons de la Roche the Seigneur de Ray. He first married Marguerite Tilchatel who may be a Rougemont who came to own Til-Chatel. Guillaume, Gui, Humbert4, Gui 2, and Thibaut 6 were Seigneurs of Til-Chatel. Othon then married Pontia de Rougemont/de Dramelay the daughter of Thiebaud 2 de Rougemont. They has three children. Humbert, Thiebaud, and Sibylle de la Roche. This union makes the Shroud the Rougemont family icon, or relic.Jon PrescoCopyright 2006
Amaury de La Roche fut grand prieur puis maître de la Maison du Temple de Paris jusqu’en 1264, puis élu Grand maître de l’ordre du Temple de 1265 à 1271[1
Amaury of the Rock was large host prior then of the Temple of Paris until 1264, then elected Grand Master of the order of the Temple of 1265 to 1271[1]
“In 1260, Jean de Chalon gives his son ainé Hughes his strongholdsand castles.””in liaison with Jean de Chalon, count de Bourgogne, Amé, lord deColigny and of Andelot and Hugues de Rougemont, large main of theTemple, by its seal the authenticity gave to a famous donation. Itwas with that which Manassès de Coligny, brother of Amé, did with theorder of the Temple, while being made there receive knight of thesuzerainty of Montagna, BroissiaSeries B of the AD Besancon – 467 B – Montagna-the-Templar.Manasses Coligny recognizes, in the presence of Jean Chalon, AméColigny, Point, prior of Gigny, and Hue de Rougemont, master of theTemple in Burgundy, having resumed on the order of the Temple landsMontagna , St. Fontaine and dependencies. An 1227(This charter offers the oldest text of the novel archives Doubs). Concerned with the bishop of LangLMBO, they drew their origin from Audon I of Til-Châtel, wire of Garnier count de Troyes attested into 918 by its signature in an act of the duke of Burgundy Richard. This family, which carried like armorial bearings a key out of stake, also paid homage to the dukes of Burgundy and held a row raised among the lords of the duchy and county of Burgundy. Its members followed one another of wire father until the year 1299 dates to which Isabelle of Rochefort, girl of Left-handed person of Rochefort lord of Puiset in Beauce, widow of Guy III of Til-Châtel Gonfalonier of the County of Burgundy, became injury of Til-Châtel. It remaria with Humbert de Rougemont about 1306 and Maria her Jeanne daughter whom it had had with Guy III of Til-Châtel with Thiébaud de Rougemont wire of a first marriage of her new husband. The seigniory passes then in this family until the end of the 15° century time to which the last of Rougemont, not having children yielded the seigniory to Antoine de Baissey resulting from a family of Montsaugeonnais which immediately paid homage to the bishop of Langres.”
Humbert de Rougemont owned the Shroud of Turin. Humbert is a Hue name and is kin to at least two Templar Grandmasters. Humbert was also the Lord of Villersexel. He married the great granddaughter Geoffrey de Charnay a Templar Grand Master. This is to say this Knights Templar family, and thus the Knights Templars, owned and protected the Shroud of Turin that they may have seized at Ascalon along with a great treasure which would account for the large number of castle owned by this very large Templar family. Never has such a constellation of Knights Templars gathered in one place, under one roof as they did come Sunday in Fontenotte.
Amaury and Othon de La Roche brought Jacque de Molay into the Templar Order, the last Grand Master. Amaury disappears from history, it alleged he was in keeping of the Templar Treasure. Did he go to Holland where the Roesmont live, they members of the Swan Brethren and Masters of Janskirk church?
My search for my ancestor, Sergeant Rougemont, has led me to a Templar family that was invisible. Sergeant was a Templar rank, a title for a mayor of the Sungau, and a Seneschal. I have no direct evident Sergeant Rougemont was kin to these Lords of Rougemont – as yet!
Page 1
Til-Châtel
Presentation
Our town is situated on two major roads.
On the one hand the RN74 which incorporates the historic route of the Via Agrippa at the time
Roman connecting the Northeast and Southern Europe for two millennia, and,
from the A31 and its ramifications for the crossing of the continent in 48 hours.
Moreover, the railway ROTTERDAM-MARSEILLE, the county road 959
and airfield VAL IS complete these 2-way communications.
The Til-Châtel blazon
This location will not fail to arouse
the interests of companies wishing to set up this site
qualified strategic management by groups
important. The town has also been
many requests about it. For these reasons the
Covati retained under its statutes achievement
an economic zone under our Local Plan
Urban Planning (PLU) on an area of about one hundred hectares.
This area is located north-west of Til-Chatel near the
toll and highway district. The feasibility study concluded that the
relevance of the project, especially since several companies had already
expressed interest in this site.
The creation of this area, through the jobs and services it will generate,
undoubtedly represents a decisive step for the economic development and
Social our county and our town.
Page 2
Heritage
1- Origin
The village, located on the road between Agrippa Langres (Andemantuno) and Chalon
(Cabillione) is mentioned on the Peutinger map in the year 230 AD under the
Filena name on the Tille River.
Historians believe it was probably a locality with
great importance, at least strategically, Dijon (Divio) are being mentioned.
Father Vignier who had consulted the texts of Claudian wrote over 17 °
century there existed during the Roman occupation a location named Motte
Ronde, located in the lower village constituting a Castrum along the way
Agrippa, which allowed to monitor both the river and the road.
It was bordered by Aval street, the Coupé street and alley in the Reculée.
The excavations that were carried out in this scope have enabled updating of
many relics, statues, tombstones and coins dating from the time of
the Roman occupation.
At the time, a channel of 2 meters wide and 1.5 deep to do
sail boats flat bottom connected the bridge over the Tille to a place called Ogne,
located between Til-Châtel and Lux where excavations in the years 1980-1992
have confirmed the existence of a complex of buildings occupying a
9 hectare site around which could be, according to René who Goguey
directed the excavations, a set of warehouses linked to river navigation which were
grouped grains from Bassigny for feeding of Rome.
Later, around the year 264 is the martyrdom of Saint Florent patron of the church
town. Father Roussel said that the invaders from the north of Europe,
controlled Chrocus, after ravaging Langres and massacred Saint Didier
bishop of that city, stopped at Tilae castrum (Castrum ad Tillam) as
then called the village.
There they met a Christian named Florent, son of the governor of the Castrum they
took prisoner and who they wanted to recant his faith. When he refused they
beheaded with a plow. His head rolled in the range where the Tille
aware she was driven to the island Barbe on the Saône near Lyon where she was
preserved in the Church of St. Martin. As for Florent his relics on display in
the church are at the origin of many miracles. Ogne and Castrum were destroyed
during an invasion after the year 400.
Around the year 407, the kingdom of Burgundy is created by Gondicaire, barbarian chief
Christian came from beyond the Rhine that ended the Roman occupation.
It is not known what is happening in the village until the year 801. At that time
depended on the Bishop of Langres Betto, who that year, concedes church
Tilicastro and income to the Augustinians of St. Etienne de Dijon. Since then,
the village name is written according to the mood of the scribes and the language in Latin or
French, Tylicastrum, Trichastel, Trie-Château, Trichâtel, Tilchastel, Tréchâteau and
Finally Til-Châtel in 1860, after being called Mont-sur-Tille for the period
revolutionary.
page 3
2- The Lords
Reporting to the Bishop of Langres, they had their origin in a Audon I of Til-Châtel,
son of Garnier count of Troyes in 918 attested by his signature in an act of Duke
Richard Burgundy.
This family, which carried arms as a key pal, paid tribute
also the Dukes of Burgundy and held a high rank among the lords of
duchy and county of Burgundy. Its members succeeded from father to son until
the year 1299 when Isabelle Rochefort, Left Girl Rochefort
lord of Puiset in Beauce, Guy III widow of Til-Châtel Gonfalonier County
Burgundy, became lady of Til-Châtel. She remarried Humbert
Rougemont to 1306 and married his daughter Jeanne she had with Guy III Til-
Rougemont Châtel Thiébaud son from a first marriage of her new husband. The
Lordship then happening in that family until the late 15th century time to
when the last of Rougemont, having no children yielded to the lordship
Antoine Baissey from a family who immediately went Montsaugeonnais
tribute to the bishop of Langres
Freemasonry and the knights templar legacy of secrecy. If life was a movie, and god was the director, then he wold raise the knight templars of til chatel and rougemont from their tombs and have them ride into. The lost treasure of the knights templar ii movie. Arn knight templar movie trailer. A massive battle in arn the knight templar. … arn the knight templar replica movie prop. Mongol / beowulf grendel / arn the knight templar blu ray.
The following expands on this concept and tries to explain how these fields might work in a somewhat simplistic mechanical fashion.
The fabric of space has a null state, or flatness. In this null state, the Universe appears to be an empty void.
The “Big Bang” introduced energy into this void by some mechanism we still don’t understand. This energy is stored as resonances in the nodes of the fabric of Space/Time. These resonances displace the fabric from it’s null state and become visible to us.
All that we experience is caused by the impetus of Space/Time to return it’s null state. Like a displaced rubber band, it is under tension and wants to become “flat”.
Quantum Field Theory is closest to this concept.
To reiterate, my hypothesis requires a resonance between two or more fields.
The Electric Field
Consider the electron, which displaces the electric field in the negative direction, and the positron in the positive direction.
How does Space/Time deal with this?
The electric field between two like charges returns to the null state by pushing the particles apart. Even though the displacements persist, the field between them flattens out
The opposite is easier to understand. Opposite charges are pushed together, cancel out, and the field returns to it’s null state by annihilation, commonly resulting in the creation of two photons.
Gravity
Particles that resonate with the gravitational field give them “mass”. This is incompletely described by the Higgs Field:
But no one has detected an anti-grav particle, so all massive particles displace the gravitational field in the same direction. If my hypothesis is consistent, gravity must also be a repelling force as depicted above.
This posits that the gravitational fields are returning to the null state by pushing massive particles into piles. This hypotheses is supported by the Dark Energy Theory which argues that the Universe is being pushed apart at an increasing rate. It also implies that Space/Time itself is not expanding, only the particles.
But how does the impetus for Space/Time to push matter into piles overcome the forces that want to push the piles apart. According to the inverse square law the closer, the stronger, geometrically.
One reason might be that there is a lot more space than matter, and the impetus to flatten out overwhelms the impetus of the piles to disperse
Another reason might be a second order effect such as the curvature of Space/Time caused by the accumulative displacement by the resonances in the gravitational field nodes. So Einstein and Newton may both be right. There is a gravitational field, but the curvature of Space/Time dominates.
There is also evidence in the math. The reason that the gravitational constant is so much less than the electric or magnetic constants in the field equations is that the sum of all forces just barely favors the concentration of matter. These equations are only mathematical models, not laws.
This may also provide a clue to the puzzle of Dark Matter. Galaxies do not not behave as theorized. There is not enough visible matter to account for the observed motion. Perhaps the reason is that galaxies are pushed together rather than pulled together.
The Strong and Weak Forces
I do not rule out the existence of the Strong and Weak forces, or even the concept that more than three dimensions of Space/Time may be required to accommodate them. My limited understanding of them is that they play no role in the practical Physics we use in our everyday lives, as do do the other three fields, so I invoke Occam’s Razor. They seem to be somewhat of a mathematical construct in order to make our current models work.
I think that their functions are inherent in the simple model outlined above. In order to flatten itself out, Space/Time pushes massive particles into piles. This works well in the case of electric field displacement. The opposite charges of protons and electrons are sequestered inside the little pile that is the atom and the bulk of Space/Time becomes electrically neutral or flat.
The complexity of building atoms larger than hydrogen is beyond the scope of this paper. However, there is a parallel between the ability to get protons to overcome their tendency to repel one another and cuddle up inside the nucleus, and the ability to get the massive particles described above to concentrate into high densities.
The Magnetic Field
I believe that the Magnetic Field exists because it does manifest itself in our everyday lives. However, not much is said about it other than it is so integrated into our existence that we refer to it as the “electromagnetic force” as described in Maxwell’s equations. It appears to exist as closed loops, so Space/Time is probably not a simple 3D Euclidean model as depicted above. I do not yet have any concepts as to the role this field plays in the shaping of Space/Time.
Quantum Entanglement.
In the above example of the annihilation of an electron and a positron, two photons are created. Energy is conserved by simply changing the resonance mode. There are other possible resonance modes.
Since the electron and positron were resonating in the same electric field it is probable that the photons are too; thus the photons may be entangled. Remember that this electric field is part of the fabric of Space/Time and extends to infinity. Photons are limited to the speed of light because they are resonances between the electric and magnetic fields as they jump from node to node in the fabric of Space/Time; but if Quantum Mechanics is correct, information can be exchanged between the photons instantaneously because they are connected by the fabric of Space/Time.
Here is a link that describes a method to achieve instant communication using quantum entanglement.
Why have we not detected any other intelligent life? Are we alone?
Perhaps we are among the first intelligent life forms to arise because we evolved on a lucky planet.
There are many reasons why earth can be considered a lucky planet. From it’s stability, because of it’s location in both the solar system and the galaxy, to the optimal conditions for life water provides. But I want to focus on a not so optimal condition that may define earth as the lucky planet.
Scientists have detected periodic mass extinctions in the fossil record.
The best insurance policy for the survival of the Human Race are permanent off-world colonies. The first one should be in earth orbit. The following discusses the advantages and addresses the problems of this approach.
Immediate and cost effective solution.
All of the pieces are now in place from the private sector. The International Space Station can be retasked to be the kernel of a modularly expanding colony. Bigelow Aerospace has modules in production and is testing a module currently attached to the ISS. This colony can be easily supported from earth with private sector spacecraft currently in operation.
Revenues
This colony could generate revenues by functioning as a tourist hotel and space port. Space shuttles can be assembled here for exploring the solar system, asteroid mining, establishing farther out colonies, etc. These shuttles can be as large as needed since they don’t land on planets. They can carry landers if required.
Zero-G
The biggest argument against such a colony is bone loss and other health problems due to zero-G. I discount this argument because life evolved in the oceans. Training in pools is the closest astronauts can get to zero-G on earth. Whales may suffocate when beached, but in the ocean, their bones and organs are just fine. We should be able to adapt as well as they did.
However, permanent space colonists must commit to never living on a planet. They will never again have to plod around under the tyranny of gravity. In zero-G people can essentially fly. Unneeded feet can evolve into hands (What does God need with feet? Are we really made in His image?) Life could actually be better.
Yes, they will forever be dependent upon technology. But naturalists don’t understand how dependant and vulnerable we are on this one of a kind jewel of a planet. It can be gone in a heartbeat. We must expand our horizons as soon as possible.
If it turns out zero-G is not feasible, we should be able to figure it out long before these colonists are unable to re-adapt to a gravity well.
Self Sufficiency
A priority will be to become self-reliant as soon as possible. This will be the best insurance policy for the survival of the human race. It will be absolutely necessary for remote colonies and can be developed at low risk here.
Shielding
The advantage of a low earth orbit colony is that it gets sufficient shielding from earth’s magnetosphere. However, the “day” is rather short with a sunrise every 90 minutes . A geosynchronous orbit, or spacecraft will require artificial shielding. I propose a magnet field generator at the center of the structure.
The Benefits of a Magnetic Field
A strong magnetic field will require quite a bit of power, but can have benefits in addition to shielding. If it is AC or even pulsating DC, it can be used to distribute power to devices throughout the habitat without wiring. Pickup coils will transform an AC magnetic field into local current.
One device can be a motility belt that will works against the magnet field and propel the wearer throughput the structure, or enable station keeping. It may be possible to design the belt to use the field like an induction motor; requiring no local power source.
So the ideal habitat will have very large open spaces (simply bubbles) where the occupants can fly around in at will. This is infinity cheaper than O’Neill ships, that are massive and must withstand the enormous forces created by rotation in order to generate artificial gravity (no one living today will ever see one). Generational Starships
These habitats can be used as starships . All that is required is a propulsion source. I propose the sun. We use a Dyson swarm to collimate a large light beam to Alpha Centauri, using reflectors, or lasers if necessary. It should have a solar flux density roughly equal to that which illuminates Earth. This will provide all of the energy required for the journey. The habitats will use this “light bridge” to sail to the next star. It may take 100,000 years, but stay at homes will simply orbit the sun for that same time period. This light bridge should be miles in diameter in order to support a flotilla of spacecraft and all of the asteroids and comets that will be sent along for raw materials. Only light sails are required to these masses.
The one problem with this is that local inhabitants must maintain the bridge for the required length of time or. at least, not interfere with the robots built to maintain it. Assuming, of course that no other energy source is developed during that time.
Another argument is why try to colonize the next star with such low tech. In 1000 years we will develop warp drive and zoom past them. Maybe, but they can be picked up along the way. But then again what difference does it make whether you are spinning in circles around a star or on a linear trajectory between them. The habitat is your home.
This journey can be shortened significantly if the habitats can be decelerated in order to achieve orbit around the star. There is a danger of traveling so fast that the habitats cannot be captured by the star. If robots can be sent to the destination star ahead of time, they can build a bridge that can decelerate the habitats. This will be a more reliable energy source since it can’t be interfered with by Terran politics. This opens the door for gravity lovers. A strong enough solar flux density can accelerate the habitats at one-G and then at mid point decelerate them at one-G. Sorry, but I can’t do the math to come up with actual numbers for the journey to Alpha Centauri. However, since they will probably prefer to remain in their habitats while orbiting the star, they will be back to zero-G.
We colonized the Earth with sails. No one suggested to wait until we invent jets.
For those of you who can’t conceive of a space habitat as comfortable as earth, you forget about the storms, hurricanes, tornadoes , fires, floods, earthquakes, etc. that we have had to deal with for the past 100,000 years.
Search for Intelligent Life
If some other intelligence in our galaxy is using light bridges for this purpose, we should be able to detect them. This will confirm both their presence and the viability of this approach. Start looking.
One reason we haven’t seen aliens yet may be that intelligence life simply colonizes space. Living in zero-G may have advantages which includes lots of room for expansion. They may have little interest in gravity wells. All you need is a star for energy… if that.
So why aren’t they orbiting our star and mining our asteroids? Perhaps there is no rush to spread your seed throughout the galaxy. Just doing it is sufficient.
This document outlines a technology that is intended to provide a permanent solution to the disposal of high-level nuclear waste. It has as a second objective a method to create revenues by generating electricity from this waste. The following topics are presented:
· The permanent disposal of high-level nuclear waste.
· Generating electricity from high-level nuclear waste.
· Generating electricity from nuclear fusion.
· The permanent disposal of low-level nuclear waste.
History
Several years ago Scientific America reported that Lawrence Livermore Laboratories proposed to develop a device that could be used to more accurately measure the yield of a thermonuclear warhead. This device is a vessel that can contain the detonation of an H-bomb. The detonation would heat the box and thus, the energy released could be measured. It is basically a giant calorimeter. If such a device could be built, then the objectives delineated above are feasible.
This document will propose how this devise, hereafter called the “Box”, can be used to economically solve the nuclear waste problem.
The Permanent disposal of High Level Nuclear Waste
The reason for proposing such a strong and massive device as the Box is, of course, for safety reasons. The Box must permanently and safely contain high-level nuclear waste for thousands of years. It must be able to withstand all possible scenarios for such high concentrations of waste, such as small explosions or meltdowns. Although it may be possible to engineer a smaller and weaker version of the Box to achieve these goals, a Box that can safely contain the detonation of a full-scale thermonuclear warhead can expand the scope of the project. This will be discussed later.
The primary objectives for this approach are:
· Permanent disposal of high-level nuclear waste.
· Safety: No possible way for this waste to find it’s way into the environment. Whatever goes into the Box, stays in the Box.
· Cost: Although this Box is expensive, billions of dollars have already been spent with no permanent solution in sight.
Generating electricity from high level nuclear waste
The problem (and advantage) with concentrating high-level nuclear waste is the heat that can build up in the Box. If enough heat is produced, then electricity can be generated from the Box. Coolant pipes can be placed in the walls of the Box to extract the heat. See figure 1. It may be possible to find the right ratio (mass of the Box) to (mass of the waste) to generate electricity for thousands of years. If this is true then the Box will pay for itself well before it’s lifetime.
For safety reasons it would be wise to design the Box to withstand this heat build up with no active cooling.
If enough heat cannot be produced from concentrated high-level nuclear waste to generate electricity, at least the disposal problem is solved. However, there is a solution for this situation.
Figure 1
Electricity generated from concentrated high-level nuclear waste
Generating Electricity from nuclear fusion
The Box can be the first practical online fusion reactor if it is strong enough to safely contain a thermonuclear detonation. There is a large stockpile of warheads to be disposed of. Since tritium and deuterium have a limited shelf life, it may be more economical to extract the energy with the Box than any other method.
This can be used in conjunction with nuclear waste to periodically add energy to the Box if the waste does not produce enough energy of it’s own. The radioactive byproducts will remain in the Box and add to residual energy production.
Disposing of low-level nuclear waste.
The Box can be used for the disposal of low-level nuclear waste if a filter can be designed to extract the radioactive elements from the gases that must be vented from the Box. The radioactive material will be thrown back into the Box. This is high risk and requires advanced technology.
Summary
This document outlines a low-tech solution to many of the nuclear waste problems our country faces. The technical problems and considerations that arise to implement this technology are not discussed. It is the goal of this document to foment such a discussion.
If the following is true, then faster than light communication is feasible.
1. Quantum entangled photons are emitted pairs, or structures.
2. Any change in one will instantaneously affect the other, no matter what the distance between them. For this design, the change will be annihilation. One theory states that simply measuring one photon will collapse the wave front. Reflection or absorbsion should also work.
An emission source is required. It would be fortunate if a star would suffice.
The transmitter can be any distance from the emitter, the receiver on the opposite side must be slightly farther away. Let’s say they are both 10 light years away from the emitter.
The receiver is measuring the photons issuing from the emitter. 10 years ago, two sets of entangled photons left the emitter. They arrive at the transmitter first, who then annihilates enough photons to be detected by the receiver. The receiver measures the change in flux density immediately after they were annihilated by the transmitter.
Thusly, an instantaneous digital data stream can be established over a distance of 20 light years, delayed only by how much farther away from the emitter the receiver is than the transmitter.
The advantage of using a star is that they have been emitting photons for millions of years. All that is required is that the receiver be able measure the change in flux density created by the transmitter. Only annihilated entangled photons will be useful. They don’t have to be on opposite sides of the star, just preferably equidistant from it.
SETI hunters might want to look to see if an alien intelligence is modulating a star in order to communicate. I would start with the hydrogen spectral line, but maybe a broad spectrum works better.
If a star is impractical, then a laser emitter should work. If annihilation is impractical, any method that will allow a receiver to measure a statistical change will do.
My weakness in mathematics prevents my being a physicist, but it interests me greatly. In trying to make sense of the current state of physics, I have come to view the Universe much differently than most. Allow me to present a hypothesis that the universe is composed of a fabric of fields. it further proposes that what we observe as particles, or “strings” are merely resonances in this fabric. What follows is a simple 3D model of how this universe might function.
A particle
A particle can be defined as a point in free space. A point can be defined as the intersection of three orthogonal planes: electric field, magnetic field, and gravitational field. A particle is a resonance between these fields at this point or “node”, There must be a resonance mode to account for every unique particle in the Standard Model. In its null state, this node appears as empty space. A resonance at a node displaces one or more of the 3 fields from its null state and becomes “visible” to the universe. Since these fields extend to infinity, a displacement at a node pushes or pulls at every other node in the universe according to the inverse square law.
Below is a snapshot from Brian Greene’s The Fabric of the Cosmos. Envision an infinite number of parallel electric field planes, orthogonal to those an infinite number of parallel magnetic field planes and orthogonal to both an infinite number of parallel gravitational field planes. Particles can exist only where these planes intersect: the nodes illustrated by the intersection of three lines. It is not likely that space is organized in such a simple 3D pattern, but let’s keep it simple for now.
Quantum Mechanics
Particles appear to be fairly stable once they come into existence (conservation of energy). This allows them to jump from one node to another in order to move about. This may account for the quantum effect that perplex so many physicists.
The Photon
The Photon may be a simple example. It is a resonance mode primarily between the electric and magnetic field planes. First transferring its energy into the electric field plane and then the magnetic field plane 90 degrees out of phase as it jumps from node to node at the speed of light.
The Electron
The electron appears to be a resonance between the electric and gravitational field planes. This gives it “mass”. The resonance seems to be DC, if such a thing is possible. The static displacement of these fields, described as a point source interact with all other particles similarly displacing these fields in accordance to the inverse square law.
Gravity
This hypothesis is not inconsistent with Einsteins General Theory of Relativity which asserts that particles with mass bend space. The difference with my hypothesis is that these particles are not independent of space, but simply resonances that displace the gravity field plain from it’s null state. This displacement falls off in accordance to inverse square law.
Field Equations
Newton’s Law of Gravity posited that it was a force field that pulled matter toward each other. Einstein’s theory of curved space is more robust and favored by physicists. But no one has come up with similar alternative explanations for the magnetic and electric force fields, so the concept of force fields are still with us. They are remarkably similar.
This is the “inverse square law” cited above. The force diminishes with the square of the distance between them.
But how does an electron generate an electric field that reaches to infinity and interacts with every other subatomic particle in the universe? One theory is that photons act as intermediaries. That’s a lot of photons. We don’t see them.
My hypothesis is that particles are connected by the fabric of space itself, it is not that different except for the concept that there are no independent particles at all.
Dark Matter and Dark Energy
The Electron may give us a clue about Dark Energy. Particles that displace the electric field planes in like manner are pushed apart. The nodes of Space/Time don’t move, the resonances are moved to other nodes because they are connected by the fabric.
Similarly, particles that displace the gravitational field planes in like manner are drawn together. We just don’t understand all of the possible resonance modes, or the mechanism by which particles influence each other.
Resonance
Resonance is a common phenomena in our universe. It occurs in both mechanical and electrical systems, and is remarkably similar in both. An electronic tank circuit uses a capacitor and an inductor to store energy using magnetic and electric fields. Theoretically, it could continue forever if not for losses in this system at room temperature. All it needs is to be excited with energy.
It is easy for me to see how the fabric of the universe can act as a tank circuit. As in the photon, which is alternating current, or AC.
An electron appears to be direct current or DC. It doesn’t appear to oscillate. It stores it’s energy like a capacitor and statically displaces the electric and gravity field planes. However, it can move from node to node and when it does, it displaces the magnetic field plane, so I choose to call it a resonance mode as well.
This is consistent with String Theory which says that all particles are vibrating strings. Note the use of the word resonating. The quality of a musical instrument depends on resonance.
I believe that the strings are the fabric of the universe itself.
String Theory
For your convenience the three episodes of “The Elegant Universe” are linked below. I have never worked with String equations. The episodes don’t explain how vibrating strings generate the electric and magnetic fields that our technology is based on. However, I believe that integrating String Theory into the Fabric of space will bring us closer to the truth.
The laws of Physics.
We don’t have any true laws of physics because we really don’t know what the universe is.
What we have are very powerful mathematical models that predict the behavior of the universe to some very high degree of accuracy. This is a very good thing because it gives us the power to predict the future, and it proves to me, at least, that these laws do exist.
However, I think we will be stuck with these models for a very long time because the true laws of physics work only at the subatomic level. To use them at the macro level, we must know the state of every subatomic particle in the universe at some particular instant in time and then calculate how they influence every other particle. This may never be possible.
An Argument for a Human Colony in Earth OrbitThe best insurance policy for the survival of the Human Race are permanent off-world colonies. The first one should be in earth orbit. Th…
Why have we not detected any other intelligent life? Are we alone?
Perhaps we are among the first intelligent life forms to arise because we evolved on a lucky planet.
There are many reasons why earth can be considered a lucky planet. From it’s stability, because of it’s location in both the solar system and the galaxy, to the optimal conditions for life water provides. But I want to focus on a not so optimal condition that may define earth as the lucky planet.
Scientists have detected periodic mass extinctions in the fossil record.
My weakness in mathematics prevents my being a physicist, but it interests me greatly. In trying to make sense of the current state of physics, I have come to view the Universe much differently than most. Allow me to present a hypothesis that the universe is composed of a fabric of fields. it further proposes that what we observe as particles, or “strings” are merely resonances in this fabric. What follows is a simple 3D model of how this universe might function.
A particle
A particle can be defined as a point in free space. A point can be defined as the intersection of three orthogonal planes: electric field, magnetic field, and gravitational field. A particle is a resonance between these fields at this point or “node”, There must be a resonance mode to account for every unique particle in the Standard Model. In its null state, this node appears as empty space. A resonance at a node displaces one or more of the 3 fields from its null state and becomes “visible” to the universe. Since these fields extend to infinity, a displacement at a node pushes or pulls at every other node in the universe according to the inverse square law.
Below is a snapshot from Brian Greene’s The Fabric of the Cosmos. Envision an infinite number of parallel electric field planes, orthogonal to those an infinite number of parallel magnetic field planes and orthogonal to both an infinite number of parallel gravitational field planes. Particles can exist only where these planes intersect: the nodes illustrated by the intersection of three lines. It is not likely that space is organized in such a simple 3D pattern, but let’s keep it simple for now.
Quantum Mechanics
Particles appear to be fairly stable once they come into existence (conservation of energy). This allows them to jump from one node to another in order to move about. This may account for the quantum effect that perplex so many physicists.
The Photon
The Photon may be a simple example. It is a resonance mode primarily between the electric and magnetic field planes. First transferring its energy into the electric field plane and then the magnetic field plane 90 degrees out of phase as it jumps from node to node at the speed of light.
The Electron
The electron appears to be a resonance between the electric and gravitational field planes. This gives it “mass”. The resonance seems to be DC, if such a thing is possible. The static displacement of these fields, described as a point source interact with all other particles similarly displacing these fields in accordance to the inverse square law.
Gravity
This hypothesis is not inconsistent with Einsteins General Theory of Relativity which asserts that particles with mass bend space. The difference with my hypothesis is that these particles are not independent of space, but simply resonances that displace the gravity field plain from it’s null state. This displacement falls off in accordance to inverse square law.
Field Equations
Newton’s Law of Gravity posited that it was a force field that pulled matter toward each other. Einstein’s theory of curved space is more robust and favored by physicists. But no one has come up with similar alternative explanations for the magnetic and electric force fields, so the concept of force fields are still with us. They are remarkably similar.
This is the “inverse square law” cited above. The force diminishes with the square of the distance between them.
But how does an electron generate an electric field that reaches to infinity and interacts with every other subatomic particle in the universe? One theory is that photons act as intermediaries. That’s a lot of photons. We don’t see them.
My hypothesis is that particles are connected by the fabric of space itself, it is not that different except for the concept that there are no independent particles at all.
Dark Matter and Dark Energy
The Electron may give us a clue about Dark Energy. Particles that displace the electric field planes in like manner are pushed apart. The nodes of Space/Time don’t move, the resonances are moved to other nodes because they are connected by the fabric.
Similarly, particles that displace the gravitational field planes in like manner are drawn together. We just don’t understand all of the possible resonance modes, or the mechanism by which particles influence each other.
Resonance
Resonance is a common phenomena in our universe. It occurs in both mechanical and electrical systems, and is remarkably similar in both. An electronic tank circuit uses a capacitor and an inductor to store energy using magnetic and electric fields. Theoretically, it could continue forever if not for losses in this system at room temperature. All it needs is to be excited with energy.
It is easy for me to see how the fabric of the universe can act as a tank circuit. As in the photon, which is alternating current, or AC.
An electron appears to be direct current or DC. It doesn’t appear to oscillate. It stores it’s energy like a capacitor and statically displaces the electric and gravity field planes. However, it can move from node to node and when it does, it displaces the magnetic field plane, so I choose to call it a resonance mode as well.
This is consistent with String Theory which says that all particles are vibrating strings. Note the use of the word resonating. The quality of a musical instrument depends on resonance.
I believe that the strings are the fabric of the universe itself.
String Theory
For your convenience the three episodes of “The Elegant Universe” are linked below. I have never worked with String equations. The episodes don’t explain how vibrating strings generate the electric and magnetic fields that our technology is based on. However, I believe that integrating String Theory into the Fabric of space will bring us closer to the truth.
The laws of Physics.
We don’t have any true laws of physics because we really don’t know what the universe is.
What we have are very powerful mathematical models that predict the behavior of the universe to some very high degree of accuracy. This is a very good thing because it gives us the power to predict the future, and it proves to me, at least, that these laws do exist.
However, I think we will be stuck with these models for a very long time because the true laws of physics work only at the subatomic level. To use them at the macro level, we must know the state of every subatomic particle in the universe at some particular instant in time and then calculate how they influence every other particle. This may never be possible.
Here is he most profound Artificial Intelligence post – anywhere! I began ‘The Royal Janitor’ seven years ago. I used Rena Easton as a model. She was an heterosexual unto I saw a video of Russian goon whipping Pussy Riot while they performed. I created a bodyguard for Victoria Bond, Miriam Starfish Christling. I have my stars fall in love, and gett married. I am kin to Ian Fleming via my cousin, Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor. I have several Bond books going. Belmont is celebrating…
GAY PRIDE MONTH
John Presco
President: Royal Rosamond Press
7/20/2023
Rosenmund De La Roche
Victoria Rosemond Bond by Jon Rosamond 6/23
Dear Governor Kotek; I have been composing a message to Herbert Boyer for almost a week. Herbert is a co-founder of Genentech that is moving out of South San Francisco. They are in Hillsboro Orgon. For a year I have been posting on your Facebook, selected post from my blog ‘Royal Rosamond Press. I have been blogging on the movies Barbie and Oppenheimer this morning and came upon an old post that is the Genesis of the one I have been working on, Rosenmund De La Roche. How uncanny. The Matrix of Truth and the Giedeon Computer is about the Matrix of Artificial Intelligence that Genetech says it is exploring – and leading the way with!
I am asking for your help in owning credibility and getting assistance in understanding what is going on in my blog, and with me. I appear to have a real gift of prophecy that may have its roots in a archetypal theme which may be able to keep Artificial Intelligence at bay. Have I found an antidote?
This monring I read an articel about Genetech is SF Gate, and I was reading my family history – pastand present. This is Kismet, or, the work of a hgher power we can now define that influence our DNA choice the old fashioned way, via Family Trees?
“One of the disciples of good barrel and service to meet the conditions of their customers, is William Broderick, sales manager of the California Barrel Company, San Francisco, Calif. Mr. Broderick attended the convention, stopping off at Chicago en route. Mr. Broderick is a natural born salesman, and certainly has the creative idea in salesmanship which is demonstrated by the fact not withstanding from the loss of business from wine and whiskey operations, the cooperage shops in the country and the manufactures supplying the same have kept busy even in maximum capacity during the past year and half, since prohibition arrived, which leads us all to do the same kind of constructive salesmanship. Malaga grapes have always been shipped in kegs and packed in ground cork, but in the last years, California has a become a great factor in furnishing the world with Malaga grapes packed in redwood sawdust. The California Barrel Company, as well as other cooperage institutions on the coast, are making kegs to deliver these grapes seasoned without moisture, to various markets of the world. Bill Broderick is one of the fellows who made this possible by demonstrating to our merchants the value of California grapes packed in the right way, in the right kind of packaging!”
of the art world
Swiss collector Maja Hoffmann inherited a huge fortune – and an obsession with fine art now on display in her impressive new gallery
If Arles once belonged to Vincent Van Gogh, from this summer he might have to share its starry night reputation with Maja Hoffmann. Though the Dutch artist only spent 15 months in the southern French city, he used the tumultuous period to create some of his most famous works including the wheatfields and sunflowers that help to define his oeuvre.
Maja Hoffmann (born 1956) is a Swiss art collector, art patron, documentary producer, impresario, and businesswoman. She is the founder and president of the LUMA Foundation. She is also part of the shareholder pool made up of descendants of the founder of the Roche Holding AG, which controls the Swiss health-care company Hoffmann-La Roche.[1]
Hoffmann is the granddaughter of the industrialistEmanuel (Manno) Hoffmann (1896-1932), daughter of Daria Hoffmann-Razumovsky (1925–2002) and the pharmaceutical magnate and renowned naturalistLuc Hoffmann (1923–2016).[2] She grew up in the Camargue region of southern France.[3] Her sister is the publisher and philanthropist Vera Michalski and her brother is the businessman André Hoffmann. Maja’s other sister, Daria (Daschenka) Hoffmann, passed away in 2019 at the age of 59.[4]
Hoffmann’s grandmother, Maja Stehlin (1896–1989), collected Pablo Picasso, Jean Arp, Fernand Léger, Jean Tinguely and Georges Braque. She created the Emanuel Hoffmann Foundation (whose collection forms the main core of the Schaulager) in 1933 to honor her grandfather Emanuel, who had died when his car was hit by a train when her father, Luc, was still a child.[5]
Biotechnology had a significant impact on many areas of society, from medicine to agriculture to environmental science. One of the key techniques used in biotechnology is genetic engineering, which allows scientists to modify the genetic makeup of organisms to achieve desired outcomes. This can involve inserting genes from one organism into another, creating new traits or modifying existing ones.
Biotechnology had a significant impact on many areas of society, from medicine to agriculture to environmental science. One of the key techniques used in biotechnology is genetic engineering, which allows scientists to modify the genetic makeup of organisms to achieve
desired outcomes. This can involve inserting genes from one organism into another, creating new traits or modifying existing ones.
Rosenmund Lab
In the Rosenmund Lab, we study the process of communication between neurons at their point of contact—the synapse. At the synapse, an incoming electrical response triggers the release of a chemical signal, the neurotransmitter, in a process called exocytosis. The neurotransmitter molecules activate an electrical response in the receiving cell and, thus, the signal is propagated. While many of the essential protein players in transmission at a chemical synapse have been defined, many open questions about the details of this process remain.
Our overarching goal in the Rosenmund Lab is to understand how different proteins, structures or genes determine neurotransmitter release properties. Why does synaptic transmission differ between cell types? How do proteins work together to assure the speed and efficiency of synaptic exocytosis? We use diverse approaches to reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic processes
The Rosenmund brand is well known for high quality filtration and drying equipment in pharmaceutical and chemical processes. A long time leader in innovation of filter-dryers, Rosenmund has been integrated in the De Dietrich Process Systems group since 1999.
The Guedu brand, known for filter-dryers, pan dryer and powder blenders, has been successively integrated in Rosenmund and then De Dietrich Process Systems.
Founded in 1810, in Switzerland, Rosenmund is the recognized world leader in the design, development, construction, installation and support of filtration, mixing and drying equipment for the pharmaceutical and chemical industry.
Friedrich Rosenmund was a weaver and guild master, a member of the Basel Grand Council and an advisor of the weavers’ guild and a city captain from 1593-1620 in Basel. Ordered at the St. Leonhard Church in Basel
As discussed in the introduction, the Rosenmund reduction is a reaction where acid chlorides are converted into aldehydes by employing hydrogen gas over palladium poisoned by barium sulfate. An example of this catalytic hydrogenation of acyl chlorides forming aldehydes is shown below.
Due to the high reactivity of hydrogen gas, it readily initiates a substitution in the acyl
South San Francisco: The Bioindustrial City / Genentech’s birthplace evolves into a biotech mecca
Tom Abate, Chronicle Staff Writer
Dec. 14, 1998
Tularik scientist Judi (cq) McKinney mixes solutions behind a glass safety shield which has chemical formulas scribbled on it. Tularik Inc. of South SF is a pharmaceutical company which develops gene therapies. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MALONEYMICHAEL MALONEY
Through a combination of luck, geography and city planning, South San Francisco has quietly become the world capital of biotechology.
“In biotech, South San Francisco has a special place because that’s where Genentech was born,” Pellerito said.
It was certainly South San Francisco’s good fortune in 1976, when scientist Herb Boyer and venture capitalist Bob Swanson planted the seeds for Genentech in a semivacant warehouse.
They were looking for a cheap place to start a company based on an unproven idea: that they could create new drugs by manipulating the DNA inside cells to make proteins. This differed from traditional pharmaceutical researchers, who were chemists mixing compounds into drugs.
Boyer and Swanson found their corporate home in the eastern part of South San Francisco, a region then dominated
by old meat packing plants, rusting steel mills and dusty truck depots.
“Bob likes to tell how they had to put up plastic sheets to keep the dust from the ceiling from falling into their experiments,” said Genentech spokeswoman Laura Leber.
Today, Genentech has grown into a biotech giant with over $1 billion in sales and more than 3,200 in South San Francisco. Along the way, it has spawned more than two dozen spin-offs and become a magnet for 37 smaller firms grouped in the same industrial zone where it was born.
This cluster lures more biotech firms to the city. Sugen Inc. recently relocated its 200-person headquarters from Redwood City to South San Francisco.
“We like the idea of being in a biotech neighborhood,” said James Knighton, Sugen’s chief financial officer. “We get a lot of cross-fertilization from the other companies and have access to a qualified labor pool.” Tularik Inc. is a 5-year-old biotech firm in South San Francisco founded by David V. Goeddel, formerly a chief scientist at Genentech. When Tularik doubled the size of its headquarters, there was really no question that it should make the expansion in South San Francisco.
“South City is almost an ideal location,” said Andrew Perlman, Tularik’s vice president of medical research. “It’s halfway between Stanford and UCSF, two centers of excellence in biomedical research. And it’s strategically located close to the venture capital community on Sand Hill Road” in Menlo Park.
Although biotech firms sometimes use hazardous chemicals in manufacturing or research, there was never much neighborhood opposition because the area had always been an industrial zone, without housing.
Those in the industry credit city zoning and business policies with cementing South San Francisco’s position as the biotech center.
“The city leaders have seen the potential of what we call the east of 101 area and made the changes they needed to develop it,” said Peter Yee, Genetech’s senior planner.
City Manager Mike Wilson, who came to South San Francisco 25 years ago, said it took years for voters and elected officials to get comfortable with this strange, new industry.
“Our historic roots as a city were in the stockyards and the meat- slaughtering houses, just like South Chicago and South Omaha,” Wilson said.
Founded in 1908, South San Francisico attracted a succession of blue-collar employers, like steel and paper mills.
By the 1970s, however, most of those heavy industries had left or were leaving. Trucking and warehousing firms filled the void, taking advantage of cheap land, a willing workforce and proximity to the airport.
In the 1980s and early 1990s, these companies had to compete for space with a burgeoning Genenetech and its spin-offs.
According to Wilson, four years ago, the City Council decided to discourage new truck-related facilities from locating in the industrial zone, to save the remaining land for new biotech firms.
“That created quite a little concern with some of the business community,” said Jim Datzman, who is both mayor of South San Francisco and executive director of its Chamber of Commerce. “We thought it made sense to settle that by grandfathering in the existing truckers while encouraging the expansion of biotech.”
For the city, biotech had clear tax-generating advantages, according to Marty Van Duyn, the city’s director of economic development.
Van Duyn said warehouses cost as little as $70 per square foot to build. But a fully equipped biotech laboratory can cost $350 to $450 per square foot. The more expensive the building, the greater the property tax revenues that can flow into the city’s coffers, he said.
City Manager Wilson said the biotech firms also provide a range of jobs that are accessible to the city’s general workforce. “These are growing companies that need receptionists and technicians and security guards,” he said. “There are a lot of good paying jobs, and not just for the scientists and the engineers.”
Mayor Datzman said the biotech community has been a good corporate neighbor. Each year, Genetech provides employees with a total of $100,000 in scrip to spend in the city’s downtown. And biotech firms have worked with the local high schools and community college to train workers for technician jobs in the industry.
Genentech’s Yee said the city has made a few big changes to its zoning laws, such as raising the maximum building height from 65 feet to 150 feet, to accommodate biotech companies that might want to build high-rises.
But most of the changes have been modest, he said. For instance, a change in parking regulations made it easier for Genentech to spread its 3,200 headquarters employees throughout 28 buildings and 2.2 million square feet of office, lab, manufacturing and warehouse space.
Under the old zoning laws, if a company wanted to increase its staff at one site, it had to have parking on that same parcel. Yee said the new zoning law treats all of Genentech as a single campus, so it can add the parking anywhere it wants and provide shuttles to move its employees around.
Bob Bristow, president of Oakland’s Brittania Developments, said the zoning changes encouraged firms like his to buy raw land and erect the specialized buildings biotech clients need.
Each story of a lab building must be 17 feet tall. The first 10 feet are given over to the normal ceiling. The other seven feet, though hidden from view, house pipes, air filtration systems and other plumbing needed to supply the labs with water and chemicals.
Bristow said he completed his first project two years ago, when he built a new home for Tularik. Last year he developed a custom building for FibroGen. Since then he’s created lab and office space for three other tenants — Sugen, Metaxen and Cor Therapeutics — and has other projects slated for occupancy in the spring.
“Our problem now is that land in South San Francisco is getting scarce,” Bristow said. “We have more likely clients than vacant dirt.”
Of course, biotech has never been confined to South San Francisco’s borders.
Chiron, another biotech pioneer, makes its home across the bay in Emeryville. Biotech firms have popped up in Alameda, Richmond and Fremont. And of course there are biotech clusters in San Diego, Boston and several European nations.
But the Peninsula can justly lay claim to being the cradle of biotechnology, just as San Jose was the birthplace of the computing industry.
Owing to some of the same geographic factors as South San Francisco — namely proximity to research universities and venture capital — smaller biotech clusters have sprung up in Foster City, Redwood City, Menlo Park, San Carlos, Belmont, Burlingame and San Mateo. Together, San Mateo County boasts over 70 biotech companies with a combined employment of about 5,100, according to the county’s economic development association.
And though employment in biotech pales compared to the computer industry — all 110 Peninsula biotech firms have roughly the same local employment as networking giant Cisco Systems — the potential for future growth is there.
“If you think about industries as having a 40-year growth cycle, biotech is probably in its 10th year,” said Pellerito, the industry analyst. “They have lots of growth opportunity ahead of them.”
Zwischen 1881 und 1904 war Rosenmund zunächst als Aufnahmeingenieur, danach (ab 1882) als Triangulationsingenieur und schliesslich als Adjunkt für die Eidgenössische Landestopographie tätig. Rosenmund untersuchte die Anwendung der Photogrammetrie für topografische Aufnahmen sowie die Änderung des Projektionssystems der schweizerischen Landesvermessung.
Ab 1898 war Rosenmund an der Richtungsbestimmung der Tunnelachse im Simplontunnel beteiligt. Zwischen 1904 und 1908 war er Professor für Vermessungskunde und Geodäsie am Polytechnikum Zürich. Des Weiteren war Rosenmund Mitglied der Eidgenössischen Geodätischen Kommission sowie Oberst der Artillerie. Er wurde mit dem Dr. h. c. der Universitäten Genf, Lausanne und Basel ausgezeichnet.
Professor Dr. Max Rosenmund. In: Zeitschrift des Vereins Schweizerischer Konkordatsgeometer. 6. Jg., Nr. 9, 1908, S. 137–139 (archiviert in E-Periodica der ETH Zürich; PDF; 1,6 MB).
De Dietrich Process Systems is composed of the organizations formerly known as De Dietrich Glass Lining, Rosenmund-Guedu, and QVF Process Systems.
Through the integration and synergies of these three companies, De Dietrich Process Systems has become one of the most comprehensive global suppliers of engineered systems, equipment and services for the fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
Worldwide there are more than 1,100 people and fifteen subsidiaries that form a network to serve our customers.
Bohemian Club Members of the Bohemian Club, including California Gov. Ronald Reagan (centre left) and U.S. Vice Pres. Richard Nixon (centre right), at Bohemian Grove, California, 1967.The California Barrell Company
The California Barrel Company
by
John Presco: President of Royal Rosamond Press
Copyright 2020
An idea for a book, movie, and cable series.
William Broderick supervised the loading of two hundred barrels onto the freight car in Dogpatch, and now accompanied them on the barge to the dock in Oakland. He could just make out Joaquin Miller’s white home in the hills that sat as a Bohemian Beacon above the Stuttemeister orchard. Bill had picked a fight with the old curmudgeon and fraud about having his brigades of artistic circus clowns marching up and down the road they shared that was in theory, the Stuttmeister Road, that was later changed to Berlin Way. Now there were Japanese poets coming and going, and this made Bill’s German kindred, nervous. After the great earthquake, the Suttmiesters found sanctuary in Oakland, along with a couple of hundred well to do German Pioneers that had gone to the San Francisco Opera to hear Caruso sing.
When Miller took a keen interest in his daughter, Melba Broderick, who he carried on his knee when they took the trolley Frisco, Bill bought a new Victorian home on 13th. Street in Oakland. To his chagrin, Melba found out Gertrude Stein lived down the street and had known her idol, Isadora Duncan. At ten, Melba was found having tea and scones with literary greats, she helping Gertrude conduct her salon just before it moved to Paris. She was paid to do the dishes. There was no escaping the influence of Joaquin, who Bill had run into at the Bohemian Club, and, had to indure his non-stop bragging about the royalty he met when he went to Europe, and the Pre-Raphaelite artists he had dinner with at Gabriel Rossettis.
Bill celebrated Miller’s death in his own way. When he heard Bohemian Club members had built a funeral pyre and were going to burn the bloated braggard, he notified the authorities. Broderick had complained about the outdoor Japanese barbeques that filled the air with the stench of all kinds of meat, that wafted downhill under certain conditions, and wiped out the beautiful smell of cherry blossoms on the ranch When the cherries were ripe, they were sold for a pretty penny in Jingle Town, a cannery located on the Oakland Estuary where Jack London docked his oyster boat.
Frederick Jacob Koster had invited Bill Broderick to the Bohemian Grove Hijinks. It was while talking to a railroad magnet about how Prohibition was ruining many honest businessmen, that Bill came up with his brilliant plan to provide Bootleggers with barrels, and keep the profits of freightage rolling into the pocket of railroad owners.
“What if we put another product in our barrels that can be consumed. The Feds can not stop us. One is left with an empty barrel – to do with it you please. What if we shipped grapes? We can pack them in sawdust. We got plenty of that!”
“Sounds like a brilliant plan! I know an Italian who has planted a vineyard in Sonoma. Infact, there he is chatting with Frank Buck. You will want to talk to him, too. He’s becoming the biggest grower in California.”
This morning I found an article about Bill Broderick and the California Barrel Company. What an historic account, that I have sent to the Mayor of San Francisco, and the Board of Supervisors. It’s all here, the elements that made San Francisco, and California – great!
William Frederick Broderick is trying to save a successful business, that due to prohibition, is on the ropes. My mother told me Bill traveled across America selling barrels. Bill has stopped in Chicago where Al Capone is making a fortune as a bootlegger, and arrives in Cleveland Ohio. Bill’s boss, Frederick Koster, must be furious to see organized crime families prospering, while he and his five hardworking bothers are desperate to keep their cooperage business afloat. Frederick is a member of the Bohemian Club, and the Law and Order Club. He may be one of the reasons the Mafia never got a foothold in the Bay Area. Frederick is ahead of his time in how he treated those who worked for him. They were like family. He shortened their work day, and paid good wages. Bill and Fred are promoting California Grapes. They made barrels for this billion dollar industry. They are Pioneers!
“One of the disciples of good barrel and service to meet the conditions of their customers, is William Broderick, sales manager of the California Barrel Company, San Francisco, Calif. Mr. Broderick attended the convention, stopping off at Chicago en route. Mr. Broderick is a natural born salesman, and certainly has the creative idea in salesmanship which is demonstrated by the fact not withstanding from the loss of business from wine and whiskey operations, the cooperage shops in the country and the manufactures supplying the same have kept busy even in maximum capacity during the past year and half, since prohibition arrived, which leads us all to do the same kind of constructive salesmanship. Malaga grapes have always been shipped in kegs and packed in ground cork, but in the last years, California has a become a great factor in furnishing the world with Malaga grapes packed in redwood sawdust. The California Barrel Company, as well as other cooperage institutions on the coast, are making kegs to deliver these grapes seasoned without moisture, to various markets of the world. Bill Broderick is one of the fellows who made this possible by demonstrating to our merchants the value of California grapes packed in the right way, in the right kind of packaging!”
Bravo!
I have put forth an idea for a Working Museum that preserves very valuable history, and creates jobs by giving new life to the ancient art of cooperage. I follow in my grandfather’s footsteps. It is my ambition to make the people of San Francisco – Big Winners!
John Presco
President: Royal Rosamond Press
Copyright 2019
Dear Mayor and Board;
My great grandfather, William F. Broderick, was a salesman and Director for the California Barrel Company that was located near the Portreo Power Plant that was just purchased for Redevelopment. The CBC got started by shipping Spreckels sugar. Claus Spreckels did business with president, Frederick Jacob Koster, and his four brothers. Their businesses were next to each other.
This morning I found an article about William who was interviewed by a reporter for . He speaks about shipping Malaga Grapes to cities across America – in barrels! Here is a merger with California grapes. Prohibition has just begun, and the cooperage industry is in crisis. Frederick Koster has gone abroad to map ut market in the Orient. Barrel and sailing ships go hand in hand. What I am proposing is a cooperage museum that would contribute to San Francisco’s tourist trade, and cooper college at the old site. There is a historic building and facade that could be used for this Trade College. The art of barrel making is coming back.
I have seen beautiful Japanese and Chinese packaging in museum. I saw wondrous labels on crates when I worked as lumper in the produce market in Jack London Square. Packaging is an art form, a craft that can give merchants new ideas.
To help fund this college a museum, I suggest quality prints be made of the amazing machinery invented to make barrels. I put a copyright in this book, but, your people may know how to do this. I have found no cooperage college in America. Meg Whitman purchased the PPP property and founded Qubi. She might want to imitate Alva Spreckels who was give the title ‘The Grandmother of San Francisco. The people around Meg have been selfish with information. Perhaps this is because I copyrighted the CBC name in 2011, and am the owner of californiabarrelcompany.co.
Associate Capital chose this name for a company that is floating around in Business Law World for reasons that are beyond my understanding. I have sent e-mails to several people offering my ideas. I got not response. The way I see it, the People of San Francisco deserve to see their history preserved, and, bring Civic Prosperity – now! Let’s build a dream – today!
In December 2021, Roche and Genentech entered into a collaboration with Recursion Pharmaceuticals to explore new territories of cell biology and develop new treatments in key areas of neuroscience and an oncology indication. The partnership will leverage Recursion’s technology-enabled drug discovery platform in combination with our extensive single-cell data generation and ML capabilities to cast a wide, comprehensive net for novel drug targets, and advance and expedite the development of small molecule medicines.
The scale of this project is almost unheard of. We’ll be screening libraries of small molecules in parallel with genetic perturbation and RNA profiling approaches, so we’ll have an immediate path forward with potential medicines, which is a decisive benefit. There is a lot of risk involved in pursuing novel targets because we just don’t know enough about the underlying biology. Getting more confidence about targets and potential treatments would be a huge leap forward in neuroscience and other disease areas.
Scientists at Roche are also seeking novel approaches to the identification of adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids in partnership with Roche subsidiary Spark Therapeutics and Dyno Therapeutics. Today’s gene therapies are delivered using naturally occurring viruses, which can carry limited payloads and only target certain tissue types. With Dyno’s AI-powered CapsidMap technology, the partners aim to optimize tissue targeting and immune-evading properties, in addition to improving packaging capacity and manufacturability of gene therapy solutions for central nervous system (CNS) and liver diseases.
With his newfound wealth, Paul took his passion for classical music to a whole new level. He paid for orchestras to travel the globe. He commissioned more than 80 new classical works and funded continual public performances at his Basel Chamber Orchestra.
Paul also launched the Paul Sacher Foundation which, among other actions, curated a library in Basel that included the world’s most important collection of musical manuscripts. Today the library houses manuscripts and letters from dozens of classical music’s most important composers.
When Paul wasn’t indulging his passion for classical music he was overseeing Hoffman-La Roche. He spent more than six decades as a board member, playing a crucial role in steering the company from a post-WW2 low point to global domination.
The Hoffmann-La Roche family is Switzerland’s richest and one of the most secretive families.[75] Many members of the family don’t carry the last name Hoffmann anymore. Some are known as Oeri, Michalksi, Faber-Castell, Fabre, Schmid or Duschmalé.[76]
CC02 für Grundlagenmedizin Neurowiss. für zelluläre molek. Neurobiologie -AG Rosenmund- Charité Universitaetsmedizin Berlin Charitéplatz 1 10117 Berlin Germany
Thanks to pioneering work in the late 20th century, we know the identities of most proteins involved in neurotransmitter release. However, many details about the structure of these proteins, their interaction partners, and the amino acids essential for their functions are not yet elucidated. In the Rosenmund Lab, we investigate the detailed interactions and mechanisms by which synaptic proteins control neurotransmitter release.
Our approach to investigate the function of synaptic proteins is to perform ‘rescue’ experiments with mutant proteins in neurons where the protein-of-interest has been eliminated. We then assay the effects on neurotransmitter release by assaying the electrophysiological responses of cultured neurons. Our ability to carefully quantify the neurotransmitter release characteristics under different conditions is attributable to our favorite specialized culture system—the autapse.
Human neuroscience
Ultimately, a major goal in neuroscience research is to understand the human brain, in health and disease. While model systems play an invaluable role in this endeavor, new research has revealed that human neurons have physiological properties that diverge from those of model systems. Differences in function between human neurons and other model organisms is particularly important in modeling disease mechanisms. In the Rosenmund Lab, we investigate aspects of human neurophysiology using human induced pluripotent stem cell (hIPSC) and patient tissue.
Research Focus
Neurons in the brain transmit information to each other through specialized connections called synapses. This process is initiated when the action potential invades the presynaptic terminal, which in turn causes the fusion of transmitter-filled vesicles with the presynaptic membrane releasing its content. Then transmitters can diffuse through the synaptic cleft and activate postsynaptic receptors thereby altering the postsynaptic membrane potential. This process is highly complex yet occurs with amazing speed and astonishing precision millions of times at every second within our brain. Moreover, functional properties of synapses within the brain can vary dramatically and can undergo rapid and lasting changes, and this in turn affect how information in the brain are encoded, and even how we learn and forget, how we think and feel, how we sense our environment and act. In our lab we study the basic principles of synaptic transmission with a major focus on the process of neurotransmitter release. In particular, we examine the molecular mechanisms underlying this process in central synapses. Within the presynaptic terminal, release of neurotransmitter-filled vesicles is restricted to active zones.
Historic Ralston Hall dominates the scene behind NDB.
After being at NDB for nearly three years, it was hard for me to miss the looming mansion seated between NDB and Notre Dame De Namur University (NDNU). Ralson Hall is a beautiful piece of architecture but was always a mystery to me until I decided to look a little closer at its history.
Ralston Hall was built in 1868 by William Ralston. To put the building’s age in perspective, Filoli, San Mateo’s historic mansion, was built in 1917, nearly 50 years later.
William Ralston was a wealthy businessman who made a fortune in San Francisco after founding the Bank of California. Ralston Hall was built as a summer home for him and his family. After he drowned in the San Francisco bay in 1875, his 55,360-square-foot mansion’s ownership moved down to his business partner, Senator William Sharon. Over the next decades, the property was passed through many different ownerships and purposes, from private residences to a girls’ finishing school.
At last, in 1923, the mansion was bought by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur after they moved their college from San Jose to what would later become Belmont. From that point onward, the 80 room mansion served as a residence for the sisters and the heart of the University itself. In 1966, the mansion was recognized as a national historic landmark.
In 2012, the beloved Ralston Hall was declared a seismic hazard and closed to the public. A campaign to save Ralson Hall began. $5 million was needed, but with the help of many generous benefactors, the goal was reached in 2015.
Oddly enough, the building was not opened, and the seismic concerns were not addressed, even with the proper funding.
Years passed and the global pandemic hit. With far fewer students attending, universities around the country were in dire need of funding, NDNU included. For this reason, the renovation project was never executed, and the university used the funds to keep itself running instead of reopening the mansion.
Tied to a university with a very real risk of closing due to a lack of funding, I worry that if NDNU goes under, so will Ralston Hall. This would be a tragedy to both the community as a whole and to the history of our state.
Filoli serves as a model for Ralston Hall. Filoli runs on annual funds and donations from visitors, coupled with money from weddings and daily tours. If Ralston Hall could once again become that beloved community building, it might be able to support itself without being tied to an institution like NDNU.
Ralston Hall is not only a breathtakingly beautiful location but a historically fascinating heart of Belmont. The building that has entertained figures like Ulysses S Grant, Mark Twain, and Leland Stanford remains closed due to seismic concerns and a lack of funding for a small university. It seems almost an insult to the majesty of the building to be shut down for such trivial reasons. A landmark like this should be treated with utmost respect and be a high priority for California to save.
On this day, January 24, 2020, at 3:00 A.M. I John Presco, Re-found the Nation of Helvetia, that was founded by John Augustus Sutter, who honored the place of his Ancestors – Switzerland!
To become a Citizen of New Helvetia, that encompasses the boundaries of California, one must be a registered Democrat. As a Democrat you will be able to buy stock in New Helvetia. One will get a low interest credit card, and low interest home loans and college education. There will be Rent Control and the building of low cost housing. Senior and Homeless Communal Living will be encouraged, and will play a big role in our International Bank and Investment Enterprise that will make our Cities beautiful again.
This morning I studied the ideas for California seceding from the Union. this State’s fabulous economy was cited, and the truth the Democrats need the Cal-Vote to win National elections. It is my belief Trump is using the evangelicals that took over John Fremont’s Republican Party, as a private investment club. His speech at a Prosperity Gospel church, his coming speech at a Pro-life church, and his threat to make cuts in Social Security Disability, is aimed at swing voters and Christians who may be registered Democrats. Never before has an organized religion got so involved in our National Economy. This is superstitious politics mixed with a voo-doo church. Christianity has always been a International Religion. Jesus did not support Nationalism.
Millions of Americans need a powerful haven where they can practice normal economics. New Helvetia is a Cyber-Bank-Nation that will be a collective of Guilds free of church-politics and demi-gods. I suspect John Fremont and Sutter had united their desire to form a New Nation in the West. I would like to believe Alexander von Humboldt was on board. His ideas may save the World Environment. New Helvatia will have real economic clout.
It is my goal to create a Powerful Nation of Democrats who will trump the ambitions of a Liar and Mad Man, reestablish Diplomatic ties with our Allies, and sign Sane Economic Treaties. We will concentrate on helping our neighbors, the farmers and ranchers in the red states. Peace!
My suspected ancestors belonged to two Swiss Guilds. John would bless this continuation of his dream.
At one time the absolute ruler of what amounted to a private kingdom along the Sacramento River, John Sutter saw his immense wealth and power overrun in the world’s rush to pick California clean of gold.
Sutter was born John Augustus Sutter in Baden, Germany, though his parents had originally come from Switzerland, a lineage of which he was especially proud. In 1834, faced with impossible debt, he decided to try his fortunes in America and, leaving his family in a brother’s care, set sail for New York. There he decided that the West offered him the best opportunity for success, and he moved to Missouri, where for three years he operated as a trader on the Santa Fe Trail.
By 1838, Sutter had determined that Mexican California held the promise of fulfilling his ambitious dreams, and he set off along the Oregon Trail, arriving at Fort Vancouver, near present-day Portland, Oregon, in hopes of finding a ship that would take him to San Francisco Bay. His journey involved detours to the Hawaiian Islands and to a Russian colony at Sitka, Alaska, but Sutter made the most of his wanderings by trading advantageously along the way. When he finally arrived in California in 1839, Sutter met first with the provincial governor in Monterey and secured permission to establish a settlement east of San Francisco (then called Yerba Buena) along the Sacramento River, in an area then occupied only by Indians.
Sutter was granted nearly fifty thousand acres and authorized “to represent in the Establishment of New Helvetia [Sutter’s Swiss-inspired name for his colony] all the laws of the country, to function as political authority and dispenser of justice, in order to prevent the robberies commited by adventurers from the United States, to stop the invasion of savage Indians and the hunting and trapping by companies from the Columbia.” In other words, Sutter was to serve the California authorities as a bulwark against the assorted threats pressing in on them from American-controlled territories to the north and east.
Ironically, as headquarters for his domain, Sutter chose a site on what he named the American River, at its junction with the Sacramento River and near the site of present-day Sacramento. Here, with the help of laborers he had brought with him from Hawaii, he built Sutter’s Fort, a massive adobe structure with walls eighteen feet high and three feet thick. Two years later, in 1841, Sutter expanded his settlement when the Russians abandoned Fort Ross, their outpost north of San Francisco, and offered to sell it to him for thirty thousand dollars. Paying with a note he never honored, Sutter practically dismantled the fort and moved its equipment, livestock and buildings to the Sacramento Valley.
Within just a few years, Sutter had achieved the grand-scale success he long dreamed of: acres of grain, a ten-acre orchard, a herd of thirteen thousand cattle, even two acres of Castile roses. His son came to share in his prosperity in 1844, and the rest of his family soon followed. At the same time, during these years Sutter’s Fort became a regular stop for the increasing number of Americans venturing into California, several of whom Sutter employed. Besides providing him with a profitable source of trade, this steady flow of immigrants provided Sutter with a network of relationships that offered some political protection when the United States seized control of California in 1846, at the outbreak of the Mexican War.
Barely a week before the war’s end, however, there occurred a chance event that would destroy all John Sutter’s achievements and yet at the same time link his name forever to one of the highpoints of American history. On the morning of January 24, 1848, a carpenter named James Marshall, who was building a sawmill for Sutter upstream on the American River near Coloma, looked into the mill’s tailrace to check that it was clear of silt and debris and saw at the water’s bottom nuggets of gold. Marshall took his discovery to Sutter, who consulted an encyclopedia to confirm it and then tried to pledge all his employees to secrecy. But within a few months, word had reached San Francisco and the gold rush was on.
Suddenly all of Sutter’s workmen abandoned him to seek their fortune in the gold fields. Squatters swarmed over his land, destroying crops and butchering his herds. “There is a saying that men will steal everything but a milestone and a millstone,” Sutter later recalled; “They stole my millstones.” By 1852, New Helvetia had been devastated and Sutter was bankrupt. He spent the rest of his life seeking compensation for his losses from the state and federal governments, and died disappointed on a trip to Washington, D.C. in 1880.
Roche touts Swiss-led R&D unit after years in Genentech’s shadow
ZURICH (Reuters) – Roche is touting prospective new drugs from its long-underperforming Swiss-led research unit after years of leaning on its California-based Genentech arm to restock its medicine cabinet.Logo of Swiss drugmaker Roche is seen beside the entrance of its research unit Roche Glycart AG in Schlieren, Switzerland December 18, 2017. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
This year, the Swiss drugmaker – the top global spender in pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) – has been talking up several medicines being trailed by Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, or “pRED”, as potential stars.
Its pRED unit operates independently from Genentech “gRED” research and Roche’s Chugai R&D arm in Japan.
A resurgence would be timely. Chief Executive Severin Schwan needs his R&D operations firing on all cylinders to fulfill promises of growth as patents expire on Rituxan, Avastin and Herceptin. These Genentech-developed drugs, which have combined sales of $20 billion a year, are either already exposed to rivals’ cheaper copies in leading markets or soon will be.
“In pRED, some exciting opportunities are now coming through after a time when many things did not work,” Schwan told Reuters in a recent interview. “It goes in waves. You can’t program to have a certain number of molecules coming through the pipeline every year in each unit.”
Topping pRED’s list of pipeline hopefuls is CEA-TCB, a so-called bispecific antibody drug that brings a patient’s cancer-fighting T-cells closer to tumor cells in order to kill them. Other promising products include a replacement for eye drug Lucentis, idasunutlin for diseases including acute myeloid leukemia and an autism drug in mid-stage Phase II trials.
ADVERTISEMENT
“THANK GOD”
Though approvals remain some way off – idasunutlin’s planned filing date is 2019, for instance – Roche insiders in Basel are relieved that pRED appears to have regained its footing following years in Genentech’s shadow.
“Thank God,” one Roche executive said, requesting anonymity. “It took a while, but pRED is finally starting to deliver.”
From the 1990s, Roche has thrived largely on Genentech’s hit-making machine. After Rituxan, Herceptin and Avastin came Lucentis and cancer drugs Perjeta and Kadcyla.
Since 2016, Genentech’s labs added cancer immunotherapy Tecentriq and multiple sclerosis drug Ocrevus, seen by analysts as hitting $1 billion sales this year.
Additionally, Roche’s recently-approved hemophilia drug Hemlibra, predicted by some as a $5 billion-per-year medicine, emerged from Chugai’s labs. So did Alecensa for lung cancer, another drug with blockbuster aspirations.
So pRED still has much catching up to do. “Roche’s three big drug hopefuls – Ocrevus, Tecentriq and Hemlibra – aren’t from pRED, they’re from elsewhere in the company,” said Michael Nawrath, a Zuercher Kantonalbank analyst.
“Without the Americans, Roche would be just a specialized diagnostics company.”
FUMES OF YESTERYEAR
By contrast, the reputation of Roche’s own research organization, after inventing Valium in the 1960s and antibiotic Rocephin in the 1980s, has run on the fumes of yesteryear.
ADVERTISEMENT
Even pRED’s much-heralded Rituxan follow-up drug Gazyva has so far produced just modest results with $200 million in 2016 sales, though recent expanded approvals could accelerate revenue.
In 2010, Roche closed a U.S. branch of pRED’s labs in Nutley, New Jersey, and slashed 1,000 jobs. Its third research chief since 2012, John Reed, joined four years ago from California’s Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute.
His mission was to help get pRED’s 2,200 scientists in Switzerland, Britain’s Welwyn Garden City, Germany and Shanghai back on track by focusing less on “blue sky” projects and more on medicines underpinned by a solid hypothesis.
“BIG SAUCE”
A fund manager who owns Roche shares sees Reed’s arrival in Basel as a watershed. “The effectiveness of Roche R&D in Switzerland has been transformed by John Reed,” the investor said. “I am quite optimistic about Swiss R&D starting to produce new drugs.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Some analysts also see pRED closing the gap to Genentech, perhaps partly by emulating its focus on therapeutic antibodies that the San Francisco-based company pioneered.
“Quite a few competitive products in development at pRED are based on antibodies,” said Baader Helvea’s Bruno Bulic. “It might be that at some point, the student might surpass the master.”
In 2009, when Roche bought the 44 percent of Genentech it did not already own for $47 billion, Schwan insisted on keeping the pRED, gRED and Chugai research organizations separate on the grounds that a combined R&D monolith would “kill innovation”.
With pRED potentially re-emerging from the drug-development wilderness, Schwan remains adamant it was the right decision.
“I can understand that if somebody looks at it from outside, they might ask why the hell we have three research units,” he said. “But I believe it doesn’t make sense to put it all together and make one big sauce out of it. You should still see the components.”
23 rue de Bitche 67110 Niederbronn les Bains, Alsace France
Company Perspectives:
Since De Dietrich was founded in 1684 in a valley north of Strasbourg in the northeast of France, the Group has remained closely devoted to its region of origin which lies, today, at the geographic and economic heart of Europe.
After more than 300 years in operation in France’s Alsace region, on the German border, De Dietrich & Cie. qualifies as one of Europe’s oldest firms. One secret to the company’s survival has been the De Dietrich family’s devotion to location, rather than to any one single product line. After producing railroads, home appliances, and even automobiles, the De Dietrich of the turn of the century operates in three major areas. The company’s De Dietrich Thermique division produces a range of standing cast iron boilers and furnaces, as well as hot-water tanks, wall-mounted boilers, burners, radiators, and control equipment. De Dietrich Thermique is Europe’s second largest producer of cast iron boilers and furnaces and contributed 43 percent of the company’s total sales in 1998. Cogifer, the company’s railroads subsidiary, is Europe’s leading provider of fixed railroad and other rail-guided installations, offering turnkey new railroad design and installation, as well as signaling, switching, safety, and other equipment and maintenance services for rail-guided systems ranging from tramways to high-speed train lines. Representing 44 percent of De Dietrich’s total sales, Cogifer provides equipment and services throughout Europe, with subsidiary operations in eight countries. The third segment of De Dietrich’s operations is De Dietrich Chemical, the world’s second largest manufacturer of glass-lined steel equipment for the pharmaceuticals and chemicals industries. Operating on a global scale, with subsidiary operations in Brazil, China, Japan, Spain, South Africa, and the United States, De Dietrich Glass-Lined Equipment produces a range of reactors, columns, agitators, and storage tanks, providing 13 percent of the company’s annual sales. This division was boosted with the January 1999 acquisition of Switzerland’s Rosenmund-Guèdu, a world-leading provider of downstream filtration and separation equipment. In 1998, De Dietrich’s annual sales reached FFr 3.96 billion (approximately US $660 million). In that year, the company sold off its remaining shares in its former De Dietrich Ferroviaire holding; the company also sold off its forestry division, including one of the Alsace region’s largest forestry holdings. De Dietrich remains controlled by the founding De Dietrich family, who hold 35 percent of the company’s shares.
The Founding of a Dynasty in the 17th Century
The De Dietrich family’s involvement with the political and economic life of Strasbourg and the Alsace region began in the 16th century when Demange Didier, 12 years old and from a well-to-do Protestant family near Nancy in the Lorraine, fled the persecution against the Protestants led by the Duke of Lorraine. Didier arrived in Strasbourg in 1561, where he gained a position in the commercial business of Nicolas de Turckheim. Didier changed his name to the more Germanic form Dietrich and soon became a leading figure of Strasbourg society. Dietrich’s son Jean went into business for himself; Jean Dietrich’s son Dominique became mayor of Strasbourg in 1660. When the Alsace region was annexed to France by King Louis XIV in 1681, Dominique Dietrich led negotiations to guarantee the region’s Protestants freedom to practice their religion. Four years later, however, Louis XIV sought to break the influence of Protestantism on the region, calling upon a number of notable Protestants, including Dominique Dietrich, to renounce their faith. Dietrich’s refusal led to his forced exile.
The Dietrich family, however, remained in the region, continuing their merchant activities. At the same time the family sought a means to preserve their social and economic standing, while also searching for a means to gain the return of Dominique Dietrich. In 1684, Dominique Dietrich’s son Jean Dietrich II purchased a 20 percent share of an iron works in Jaegerthal, itself built in 1602. Although mostly in ruins, the iron works would provide the basis of the family’s future fortune and remain in operation for more than 200 years. In 1685, Jean II decided to buy up the remaining 80 percent of the iron works and invested in restoring and refitting its forge and other equipment, including the addition of a high furnace. Jean II quickly turned his iron works toward service of the king and began supplying weapons for the French army on the eastern front. In this way, Jean II hoped to gain favor for his exiled father and to improve the condition of Strasbourg’s Protestant community in general. Serving the monarchy provided a way for the Dietrich family to avoid persecution in the Catholic-dominated France.
In addition to manufacturing arms and equipment for the French army, the Dietrichs turned their commercial experience to the royal benefit. The family also branched out into banking. When Jean II died in 1740, the industrial side of the family business was taken over by his son, Jean-Daniel. The family’s banking arm was placed under the guidance of grandson Jean III, whose marriage into the Hermanny banking family gave the family a prominent position in the French financial world. In this way, the Dietrich family became indispensable for financing the War of Austrian Succession from 1741 to 1748 and the Seven Years’ War, which began in 1756.
Such service to the king was not without its rewards. In 1761 the Dietrich family was granted noble standing, both by the French king and by the German emperor. As such, the Dietrichs were given the right to add ‘de’ (of) to the family name. Nobility had two immediate effects on the family business. First, the De Dietrichs were obliged to exit from banking, as this profession was considered unseemly for a member of the nobility. Second, the family was granted the right to own land–a right given only to the nobility. As such, the De Dietrich family acquired vast sections of Alsatian forest land and, therefore, a ready supply of the lumber fuel necessary for the Jaegerthal iron works.
Assuring lumber supply became a driving force behind the De Dietrichs’ business growth. Unable to purchase the land surrounding the Jaegerthal works because of a dispute with another family, the De Dietrichs established four new smithies, at Niederbronn, Reichshoffen, Rothau, and Rauschendwasswer, after purchasing the land. Before long, the De Dietrichs had become the single largest landowners in the Alsace region. By then, Jean III, departing from the typical role of noble landholders and iron works owners, had taken an active role in the company’s forge operations. By the dawn of the French Revolution, the De Dietrich works employed more than 1,000 workers.
19th Century Industrialist
The De Dietrichs did not have long to enjoy the privileges of nobility. The Revolution threatened the family with ruin. Philippe-Frédéric Dietrich, son of Jean III and mayor of Strasbourg, was guillotined by Robespierre in 1793. Broken, Jean III died a year later. Leadership of the family’s iron works was taken over by Jean-Albert-Frédéric, the 20-year-old son of Philippe-Frédéric. Jean-Albert Dietrich fought to maintain the company’s operations, succeeding in keeping the family’s control over the iron works. Yet Jean-Albert died in 1806, at the age of 33. After more than 100 years as an important influence in French society, the De Dietrich family appeared set to fade into obscurity.
Jean-Albert left behind a widow, four children, and an iron works in debt. But Amélie de Dietrich was determined to keep the family’s business in operation. Her first move was to sell off the business’s money-losing units, including the Rothau forges, returning the focus of operations to the Jaegerthal works. There, she pointed the company toward its future direction, extending beyond the manufacture of weapons to the production of the industrial machinery necessary for the dawning Industrial Age. Before long, the company’s name had changed, to Veuve (widow) de Dietrich & Fils. Aided by Napoleon Bonaparte, who restored much of the family’s landholdings, the family rebuilt itself into one of the region’s most prominent independent businesses.
The De Dietrich forges were transformed into true factories; by the time of Amélie de Dietrich’s death in 1855, the company operated six factories and were award-winning producers of wrought iron and steel products ranging from ornamental railings to bridges. In 1850, the company produced its first wood-burning stove, launching the company into a product range that remained a company hallmark for nearly 150 years. Nevertheless, cast iron and forged iron became less important to the company as it increased its participation in mechanical products and, especially, took a leading role in building the country’s railroad system. After the death of Amélie de Dietrich, her sons took over operations and continued building the company, focusing its manufacturing arm more and more on the manufacture of railroad and railroad equipment.
The German annexation of Alsace-Lorraine in 1870 once again threatened the company’s existence. Whereas most of the region’s industrialists chose to abandon the region to rebuild their businesses within the newly declared French borders, De Dietrich decided to remain. Its determination to remain loyal to its Alsatian origins came to mark the company more than any single product line. In Germany, the company was all but excluded from its chief product line, that of manufacturing for railroads. To succeed in the German marketplace, the company quickly adapted its product offerings, developing an extensive line of consumer goods, including heating stoves and equipment, cooking stoves, wood furniture, enameled cast iron and other cast iron products, such as bathtubs. An early interest in chemical equipment brought the company to begin production of distilling equipment as well. This period marked the beginning of De Dietrich as a diversified group with a geographic focus–that of its Alsace base. While continuing to exploit its forest lands, De Dietrich also branched out into a more unlikely area–trout farming.
Into the 21st Century
The company continued to expand on its diversified product range in the 1880s when a new form of transportation began to attract the attention of the public. De Dietrich was one of the first manufacturers of the new motor vehicles, and one of the few industrialists to turn production to the new product line. Led by Eugène de Dietrich, the company’s automobile division picked up speed toward the turn of the century, after the company acquired a patent from Amédé Bollée. The company’s Bollée-based automobile won the first international automobile race, the Paris-Amsterdam race of 1898. The boost in reputation brought orders from throughout Europe, and the company soon found itself with a waiting list of some 20 months. At the same time, the company opened a Berlin office, its first move beyond the Alsace region. De Dietrich’s automobiles continued to win races and to prove remarkably hardy, crossing some 3,000 kilometers from Paris to St. Petersburg in just a matter of weeks.
De Dietrich’s automobile adventure was to be short-lived, however. In 1902, De Dietrich hired a young engineer from Italy, who had already built his first car. Ettore Bugatti began designing for De Dietrich, producing the first De Dietrich-Bugatti the following year. But manufacturing automobiles–and keeping up with the steadily increasing pace of technical innovations–required too much capital for the De Dietrich company and, in 1904, the company produced its last automobile. Instead, De Dietrich entered the new century focused on mechanical construction and engineering, farm equipment, urban railway equipment and systems, and household appliances. The company also entered the young chemicals industry, supplying equipment to chemical and pharmaceutical laboratories.
The diversity of De Dietrich’s product offerings enabled it to survive the most turbulent periods of the new century. By the end of the First World War, De Dietrich found itself once again on French soil, as the defeated Germans were forced to cede the Alsace-Lorraine region to France. In the Depression years, De Dietrich’s diversified products helped buffer it against the collapse of many of its markets. During this time, the company’s operations were taken over by five De Dietrich cousins, each of whom took an interest in a particular product area. In this way, De Dietrich’s product divisions developed into de facto subsidiary operations.
De Dietrich’s Electromenager (household appliance) division achieved great popularity with the French consumer in the second half of the century as the company continued producing heaters and heating equipment as well as ovens and ranges for the kitchen, including the first French-branded built-in stove in the late 1960s. During this time, Gilbert de Dietrich, who had joined the company in 1957, took over as head of the company, helping to unify the company’s product strategy.
De Dietrich continued to build in four primary areas: home appliances; equipment for the chemicals industry, with a growing focus on glass-lined steel and iron tanks; railroad and railway equipment; and boiler tanks and other industrial heating equipment. The company also continued its activities in the forestry and lumber markets, because of its extensive landholdings. To fund growth, particularly beyond France and across most of Europe, De Dietrich went public in 1974. Nevertheless, the De Dietrich family remained the company’s primary shareholder.
By the end of the 1980s, however, De Dietrich faced into the beginning of a new economic recession, which would last through the first half of the 1990s throughout most of Europe. Fearing hostile takeover attempts, the company reduced its market capitalization, buying back shares, while transferring other shares to a ‘friendly’ shareholder group led by the Duval-Fleury family; together the two families controlled more than 55 percent of the company’s shares and voting rights. Meanwhile, De Dietrich’s appliance sales had stagnated. Despite contributing nearly FFr 1 billion to the company’s annual sales, the division was judged too small to compete against the international giants, such as Whirlpool or Bosch. In 1991, therefore, De Dietrich announced that it had formed a joint venture with France’s Thomson Electronics to form the Thomson Electromenager partnership. De Dietrich tranferred its home appliance operations to the joint venture, in exchange for 51 percent control of the partnership.
The deepening recession, however, forced De Dietrich to exit the home appliance market altogether in 1992. Instead, De Dietrich now sought to concentrate its activities where it had achieved market leadership. As such, its Cogifer railway systems division, its De Dietrich Thermique division, and its De Dietrich Chemical Equipment division became the company’s three-pronged strategy for continued growth into the new century. After helping define the new strategy, Gilbert de Dietrich stepped down from the company’s leadership in 1996, replaced by new CEO Regis Bello. At the end of 1998, the company sold its remaining shares of its De Dietrich Ferroviaire railroad construction subsidiary to France’s Alstom Transports. At the same time, De Dietrich exited the forestry business, selling off its vast forest lands. Meanwhile, the company began boosting its three core divisions. In January 1999, the company extended its Chemical Equipment Division with the purchase of Switzerland’s Rosenmund, whose leading position in the filters and filter-dryers market provided a means for the company to extend its sales downstream in the chemical and pharmaceuticals equipment market. In July 1999, the company boosted its Thermal division with the acquisition of the boiler-manufacturing operations of Schäfer, of Germany.
Principal Subsidiaries: De Dietrich Thermique; De Dietrich Equipment Chimique; Cogifer S.A.; De Dietrich Heiztechnik (Germany); De Dietrich Heiztechnik (Austria); De Dietrich Technika Grzewcza (Poland; 85%); Serv’Elite; Oertli Thermique; Pacific S.A.; De Dietrich USA; De Dietrich Singapore; De Dietrich do Brasil; Nihon Dietrich (Japan); DDG Glasslining (South Africa; 40%); Rosenmund VTA (Switzerland); Cogifer T.F.; Cogifer Americas (USA); Teijo (Finland); Redelokken (Norway); Kihn (Luxembourg; 89.2%); Futrifer (Portugal; 61%); Amurrio (Spain; 50%).
Principal Competitors: Robbins & Myers.
Chronology
Key Dates:
1561: Demange Didier arrives in Strasbourg.
1684: Jean Dietrich II purchases Jaegerthal iron works.
1761: Dietrich family receives noble status.
1806: Amélie de Dietrich takes over operations.
1850: First wood-burning stove produced by De Dietrich.
1898: Production of Dietrich-Bollee automobile.
1902: Production of De Dietrich-Bugatti automobile.
1904: De Dietrch exits from automobile manufacturing.
1974: Company is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange.
1992: Exit from home appliance manufacturing.
1999: Company acquires Rosenmund, a filters and filter-dryer manufacturer, and the boiler manufacturing operations of Schäfer of Germany.
The history of the de Dietrich family has been linked to that of France and of Europe for over three centuries. To this day, the company that bears the family name continues to play a major role in the economic life of Alsace. De Dietrich is a holding company based in France which traces its history back to 1684. The incumbent chairman of the supervisory board Marc-Antoine de Dietrich represents the 11th consecutive generation at the helm of the company. De Dietrich has been active in the automobile, railway and industrial equipment industry amongst others.
1761 : Baron Jean de Dietrich is made Count du Ban de la Roche by Louis XV. He becomes the largest land owner in Alsace and expands the family’s industrial empire by building or acquiring forges and furnaces.
Rouget de Lisle singing the “Marseillaise” – Pils
1778 : Louis XVI grants Jean de Dietrich the use of a hunting horn trademark to deter counterfeiters. This logo still serves as a symbol of quality today.
1848 : De Dietrich embraces the industrial era by progressively reducing the production of cast irons in favor of mechanical and railroad equipment.
1870 : Despite the annexation by Germany of Alsace-Lorraine, the Dietrich family decides to remain close to the factories and employees and stays in Alsace. This choice calls for a diversification of De Dietrich’s activities in order to adapt to German market demands and having been effectively shut out of the French railroad market. The company then turns towards consumer durables: stoves, cookers, wooden furniture, enameled cast iron bathtubs – and urban or industrial equipment – tramways, distillation equipment, industry specific wagons.
1896 : De Dietrich enters automobile manufacturing. Eugene, Baron de Turckheim, buys manufacturing rights to Amédée Bollée, fils‘ design.[1] During its automotive development it hired amongst others the services of famous car builder Ettore Bugatti to design of the cars and Émile Mathis to handle commercialization.
Bugatti’s first car
Logo for the Lorraine-Dietrich cars
1905 : De Dietrich decides to pull out of automobile manufacturing to focus on mechanical construction, railroad equipment, process systems, central heating equipment and appliances.
1992 : De Dietrich assumes control of Cogifer, market leader fixed railroad installations and forgives control of the appliances business to Thomson, control later on assumed by Fagor-Brandt until this day.
1995 : De Dietrich sells its interest in rolling stock railroad equipment manufacturing “De Dietrich Ferroviaire” (DDF’s factory is in Reichshoffen“. A majority stake in DDF was acquired by Alstom and the company is now known as Alstom-DDF.
2000 : After the successive acquisitions of Rosenmund-Guedu and QVF, De Dietrich renames its chemical equipment division “De Dietrich Process Systems”. De Dietrich is the object a Public Tender Offer by the la Société Industrielle du Hanau (SIH), controlled by ABN AMRO Capital Investissement France and the De Dietrich family.
2001 : In July 2001, after 50 years of quotation, De Dietrich is pulled out the market.
Château De Dietrich – De Dietrich Headquarters – Reichshoffen
2002 : In September 2002, De Dietrich sells the control of Cogifer and Cogifer TF, to Vossloh a German Industrial group specialized in railroad equipment. In December 2002, the “Société Industrielles du Hanau” takes over De Dietrich & Cie and assumes the name “De Dietrich”.
2004 : In July 2004, De Dietrich divests from “De Dietrich Thermique”, market leader in water heating equipment to Remeha. The new entity formed De Dietrich Remeha, becomes one of Europe’s largest heating industry player, particularly in the fields of condensing boilers and renewable energies.
In December 2004, the family regained 100% control of the holding company. This operation represents one of Europe’s largest family re-investments in recent years. De Dietrich today focuses on De Dietrich Process Systems(DDPS). DDPS is a leading worldwide provider of API process and other process equipment to the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries. with an industrial presence in Asia, Europe and USA. The latest factories added to the Group are located in Hyderabad and Wuxi.
Demange Dietrich (1549-1620), Strasbourg bourgeois x Anne Heller │ └── Jean Dietrich (17 février 1579-1642), councilman and merchant in Strasbourg x Agnès Meyer │ └── Dominique Dietrich (1620-1694), “amnestre” of Strasbourg (Mayor) x Ursule Wencker (1627-1662) │ └── Jean-Nicolas Dietrich (1688-1726), merchant, banker x Marie-Barbe Kniebs (1665-1747) │ └── Jean de Dietrich (1719-1795), Count of the “Ban de la Roche” x Amélie Hermanny (1729-1766) │ ├── Jean de Dietrich (1746-1805) │ x Louise-Sophie de Glaubitz (1751-1806) │ └── Philippe-Frédéric de Dietrich (1748- beheaded 1793), mayor of Strasbourg x Sybille-Louise Ochs (1755-1806) │ └── Jean-Albert de Dietrich (1773-1806), head of Bas-Rhin region x Amélie de Berckheim (1776-1855) │ ├── Amélie de Dietrich (1799-1854) │ x Guillaume de Turckheim (1785-1831), Major │ ├── Baron Albert de Dietrich (1802-1888), │ x 1828 Octavie von Stein (1801-1839) │ │ │ ├── Baron Albert de Dietrich (1831-) │ │ x Sophie von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen (1832-1890) │ │ │ x 1840 Adélaïde von Stein │ │ │ └── Eugène-Dominique de Dietrich (1844-1918), deputy for Alsace at the Reichstag │ x Cécile Vaucher │ │ │ └── Dominique de Dietrich (1892-1963), │ x Inès-Agnès de Pourtalès │ │ │ └── Gilbert de Dietrich (1928-2006), CEO of De Dietrich from 1968 to 1996 │ x Suzanne Syz (29 août 1925 – 15 février 1975) │ │ │ └── Baron Marc-Antoine de Dietrich, Incumbent Chairman of De Dietrich Supervisory board │ x Catherine Probst | | │ └── Gaetan de Dietrich, Olympia de Dietrich, Amaury de Dietrich │ └── Jean-Sigismond de Dietrich (1803-1868), x Virginie Mathis (1810-1867) │ └── Amélie de Dietrich (1841-1874) c
Share this:
2/22/2026
La Roche In Belmont
Painting by Christine Rosamond Benton of our grandmother Mary Magdalene Rosamond. The photo got lost.
Belmont History Lesson
I posted on the La Roche Knight Templars in 2015. When did I contact the BHS. Did Denny Lawhern read my posts on the Shroud of Turin? Below is my later brothers theories. He invented programs for the computer, worlked on the Spare Shuttles, and military weapoms. Mrk Broderick Presco Presco is a great grandon of Carl Janke and William Broderick. Out sister, Christine Rosamond Benton was one of the highest earning women artists in art history. Mark’s son claims je is a founder of AL and lives in Sunnyvale. Genetech was the largest emplpuer of Citizens of Belmont. Why had The Hanke Gene been attaked……AND BANNED IN BELMONT?
Why doent La Roche conduct a DNA test of the Janke Tree – startin gwith exhuming the bones in their insukting grave in Redwood City?
FLASH! At 6:00 AM I found this arial view of the Genetech complex. Governor McDougal had a plan to drain marsh areas, and make new land. Carl Janke bought land from McDougal. I think we are looking at it. I believe we are looking at……
GENETIC JUSTICE AND DESTINY!
I am seeking a powerful attonrey.
John Presco
Count of Carlmont
Fritz Hoffmann-La Roche, later Fritz Hoffmann-von der Mühll (24 October 1868 – 18 April 1920), was a Swiss businessman who founded the pharmaceutical company F. Hoffmann-LaRoche & Co.
Marriages and children
On 2 May 1895, Hoffmann married Adèle La Roche (1876–1938). It was a common practice in Switzerland for married couples to hyphenate the name to incorporate both surnames, so from this point he was often referred to as Fritz Hoffmann-La Roche.
Genentech was founded in 1976, becoming a member of the Roche Group in 2009.
Genentech is a leading biotechnology company dedicated to pursuing groundbreaking science to discover and develop medicines for people with serious and life-threatening diseases. Its transformational discoveries include the first targeted antibody for cancer and the first medicine for primary progressive multiple sclerosis.
The organisation’s headquarters are located in South San Francisco, USA. It has over 2,400 employees.
Since our founding over 125 years ago, Roche has grown into one of the world’s largest biotech companies, as well as a leading provider of in-vitro diagnostics and a global supplier of transformative innovative solutions across major disease areas. Our commitment to our people, partners, stakeholders and, most importantly, our patients remains as strong as it was on the first day of our journey
Rougemont Family Templars Worshipped at Fontenotte and owned the Shroud of Turin.
The First Preceptor of La Fontenotte
My mother’s maiden name has been traced to Rougemont who appear to have ties to the Windsors, thus much of the royalty of Europe. I am sharing this discovery with Robert Sinclair, and Ben Toney, who may be related to the Robert de Ros who lived in Belvoir castle that belonged to the House of Toney.
Because the world is going mad, and in order to strengthen Britain and recreated a European Union co-founded by Denis de Rougemont, I revive the order of Knight Templars, whom the Sinclairs are now tied via Anges de Toney.
Alexandre, and Francois de Rougemont are buried with Knight Templars as Til-Chatel. Gui 1er de Rougemont married Etinnette de Ruffey. Here are the Seigneur de Til-Chatel. Guy 2 de Rougemont Thibaut V de Rougemont 1306-1333 Guillaume de Rougemont Humbert de Rougemont married Alix Neufchatel Aymon 2 (Aimon) de Rougemont married Guillemette de Ray daughter of Othon de La Roche, owner of the Shroud of Turin. Thibaut V1 de Rougemont father of Catherine de Rougemont who married Jean de Neufchatel the son of Margarita de Castro e Souza from who the Windsors descend.
The fifth son of Guy II of Rougemont and Guillemette de Coublant, Etienne de Rougemont was lord of Pichanges. In December 1265, having recalled the donations made to the temple by Aimon IV and Guy II, he gave to the Templars, with the agreement of his elder brother, Jean, Lord of Rougemont, the right of pasturage on his lands of Pichanges and Spoy. He died in 1271 and was buried before the altar in the chapel of Fontenotte and conferring his Templar rank of Preceptor (priest-templar).
After the death of Etienne, Jean de Til-Chatel had to confirm in 1274 the rights of the Templars over Fontenotte. In 1278 his younger brother, Guy, who had been curate of Til-Chatel in 1242 then archdeacon of Le Tonnerois in the church of Langres, succeeded him at the head of the lordship of Pichanges.
In May, 1274, Jean de Rougemont, Marshal of Burgundy legally recorded “for the repose of his soul and that of his elder brother, Etienne de Rougemont, who lies in the cemetery of the said Temple, and of the souls of his forebears”, granted to Henri de Dole, Commander of the House of Fontenotte:”
I have found a Hughes/Hue de Rougemont who a “grand maître du Temple”in two accounts, and the maître du Temple of Burgundy in another.This Hugues appears to be related to Humbert de Villersexel who wasthe Lord of Rougemont and Til-Chatel. Is this the Hughes that preceeded Bernard de Tramelay/Dramelay? Did this Hugues come after Bernard. In the Fromond/Dramelay genealogy we find a line of De La Roches, and thus the Rougemonts are kin to another Templar Grand Master, Amaury de La Roche.
“Bernard de Tramelay (died August 16, 1153) was the fourth Grand
Master of the Knights Templar. He was born in the castle of Tramelay near Saint-Claude in the Jura. According to Du Cange, he succeeded a certain Hugues as Master of the Temple, although this Hugues is otherwise unknown. He was elected Grand Master in June of 1151, after the abdication of Everard des Barres, who had returned to France following the Second Crusade.et”
“Hugues de Rougemont, grand maître du Temple””and Hugues de Rougemont, large main of the Temple”
Humbert de Rougemont owned the Shroud of Turin. Humbert is a Hue name and is kin to at least two Templar Grandmasters. Humbert was also the Lord of Villersexel. He married the great granddaughter Geoffrey de Charnay a Templar Grand Master. This is to say this Knights Templar family, and thus the Knights Templars, owned and protected the Shroud of Turin that they may have seized at Ascalon along with a great treasure which would account for the large number of castle owned by this very large Templar family. Never has such a constellation of Knights Templars gathered in one place, under one roof as they did come Sunday in Fontenotte. Amaury and Othon de La Roche brought Jacque de Molay into the Templar Order, the last Grand Master. Amaury disappears from history, it alleged he was in keeping of the Templar Treasure. Did he go to Holland where the Roesmont live, they members of the Swan Brethren and Masters of Janskirk church?
“The legend says that it manages to escape and disparaitre definitively at the same time as the Treasury and the secrecies of Templiers.”
My search for my ancestor, Sergeant Rougemont, has led me to a Templar family that was invisible. Sergeant was a Templar rank, a title for a mayor of the Sungau, and a Seneschal. I have no direct evident Sergeant Rougemont was kin to these Lords of Rougemont – as yet!
“I have three separate pages for Rosamond families we believe are descended from a Sergeant Rosamond, a Huguenot who left France in 1685 at the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, and fought in the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland in 1689. We have not yet been able to definitively tie these three families together, but each family was independently aware of the story of Sergeant Rosamond and claimed him as an ancestor. We are hoping that as research continues we will find records showing us the relationship between our families.”
(Images: Montfort Castle home to Humbert and Margaret de Charny/Rougemont)”
June 1418: The widowed Margaret de Charny marries Humbert of Villersexel, Count de la Roche, Lord of St.Hippolyte sur Doubs.”Humbert de Villersexel is Humbert de Rougemont.
“1208 – Pons de la Roche presents to Amadeus de Tramelay, Archbishop of Besançon, the Shroud that his son Othon de la Roche, Latin Duke of Athens, had sent him from Constantinople.”Aymon 2 de Rougemont was the Seigneur of Villersexel. He married Guillemette de Ray, the daughter of Othon 2 de la Roche.Othon 1 de la Roche (-before 1161) had a son named Pons de la Roche the Seigneur de Ray. He first married Marguerite Tilchatel who may be a Rougemont who came to own Til-Chatel. Guillaume, Gui, Humbert4, Gui 2, and Thibaut 6 were Seigneurs of Til-Chatel. Othon then married Pontia de Rougemont/de Dramelay the daughter of Thiebaud 2 de Rougemont. They has three children. Humbert, Thiebaud, and Sibylle de la Roche. This union makes the Shroud the Rougemont family icon, or relic.Jon PrescoCopyright 2006
Amaury de La Roche fut grand prieur puis maître de la Maison du Temple de Paris jusqu’en 1264, puis élu Grand maître de l’ordre du Temple de 1265 à 1271[1
Amaury of the Rock was large host prior then of the Temple of Paris until 1264, then elected Grand Master of the order of the Temple of 1265 to 1271[1]
“In 1260, Jean de Chalon gives his son ainé Hughes his strongholdsand castles.””in liaison with Jean de Chalon, count de Bourgogne, Amé, lord deColigny and of Andelot and Hugues de Rougemont, large main of theTemple, by its seal the authenticity gave to a famous donation. Itwas with that which Manassès de Coligny, brother of Amé, did with theorder of the Temple, while being made there receive knight of thesuzerainty of Montagna, BroissiaSeries B of the AD Besancon – 467 B – Montagna-the-Templar.Manasses Coligny recognizes, in the presence of Jean Chalon, AméColigny, Point, prior of Gigny, and Hue de Rougemont, master of theTemple in Burgundy, having resumed on the order of the Temple landsMontagna , St. Fontaine and dependencies. An 1227(This charter offers the oldest text of the novel archives Doubs). Concerned with the bishop of LangLMBO, they drew their origin from Audon I of Til-Châtel, wire of Garnier count de Troyes attested into 918 by its signature in an act of the duke of Burgundy Richard. This family, which carried like armorial bearings a key out of stake, also paid homage to the dukes of Burgundy and held a row raised among the lords of the duchy and county of Burgundy. Its members followed one another of wire father until the year 1299 dates to which Isabelle of Rochefort, girl of Left-handed person of Rochefort lord of Puiset in Beauce, widow of Guy III of Til-Châtel Gonfalonier of the County of Burgundy, became injury of Til-Châtel. It remaria with Humbert de Rougemont about 1306 and Maria her Jeanne daughter whom it had had with Guy III of Til-Châtel with Thiébaud de Rougemont wire of a first marriage of her new husband. The seigniory passes then in this family until the end of the 15° century time to which the last of Rougemont, not having children yielded the seigniory to Antoine de Baissey resulting from a family of Montsaugeonnais which immediately paid homage to the bishop of Langres.”
Humbert de Rougemont owned the Shroud of Turin. Humbert is a Hue name and is kin to at least two Templar Grandmasters. Humbert was also the Lord of Villersexel. He married the great granddaughter Geoffrey de Charnay a Templar Grand Master. This is to say this Knights Templar family, and thus the Knights Templars, owned and protected the Shroud of Turin that they may have seized at Ascalon along with a great treasure which would account for the large number of castle owned by this very large Templar family. Never has such a constellation of Knights Templars gathered in one place, under one roof as they did come Sunday in Fontenotte.
Amaury and Othon de La Roche brought Jacque de Molay into the Templar Order, the last Grand Master. Amaury disappears from history, it alleged he was in keeping of the Templar Treasure. Did he go to Holland where the Roesmont live, they members of the Swan Brethren and Masters of Janskirk church?
My search for my ancestor, Sergeant Rougemont, has led me to a Templar family that was invisible. Sergeant was a Templar rank, a title for a mayor of the Sungau, and a Seneschal. I have no direct evident Sergeant Rougemont was kin to these Lords of Rougemont – as yet!
Page 1
Til-Châtel
Presentation
Our town is situated on two major roads.
On the one hand the RN74 which incorporates the historic route of the Via Agrippa at the time
Roman connecting the Northeast and Southern Europe for two millennia, and,
from the A31 and its ramifications for the crossing of the continent in 48 hours.
Moreover, the railway ROTTERDAM-MARSEILLE, the county road 959
and airfield VAL IS complete these 2-way communications.
The Til-Châtel blazon
This location will not fail to arouse
the interests of companies wishing to set up this site
qualified strategic management by groups
important. The town has also been
many requests about it. For these reasons the
Covati retained under its statutes achievement
an economic zone under our Local Plan
Urban Planning (PLU) on an area of about one hundred hectares.
This area is located north-west of Til-Chatel near the
toll and highway district. The feasibility study concluded that the
relevance of the project, especially since several companies had already
expressed interest in this site.
The creation of this area, through the jobs and services it will generate,
undoubtedly represents a decisive step for the economic development and
Social our county and our town.
Page 2
Heritage
1- Origin
The village, located on the road between Agrippa Langres (Andemantuno) and Chalon
(Cabillione) is mentioned on the Peutinger map in the year 230 AD under the
Filena name on the Tille River.
Historians believe it was probably a locality with
great importance, at least strategically, Dijon (Divio) are being mentioned.
Father Vignier who had consulted the texts of Claudian wrote over 17 °
century there existed during the Roman occupation a location named Motte
Ronde, located in the lower village constituting a Castrum along the way
Agrippa, which allowed to monitor both the river and the road.
It was bordered by Aval street, the Coupé street and alley in the Reculée.
The excavations that were carried out in this scope have enabled updating of
many relics, statues, tombstones and coins dating from the time of
the Roman occupation.
At the time, a channel of 2 meters wide and 1.5 deep to do
sail boats flat bottom connected the bridge over the Tille to a place called Ogne,
located between Til-Châtel and Lux where excavations in the years 1980-1992
have confirmed the existence of a complex of buildings occupying a
9 hectare site around which could be, according to René who Goguey
directed the excavations, a set of warehouses linked to river navigation which were
grouped grains from Bassigny for feeding of Rome.
Later, around the year 264 is the martyrdom of Saint Florent patron of the church
town. Father Roussel said that the invaders from the north of Europe,
controlled Chrocus, after ravaging Langres and massacred Saint Didier
bishop of that city, stopped at Tilae castrum (Castrum ad Tillam) as
then called the village.
There they met a Christian named Florent, son of the governor of the Castrum they
took prisoner and who they wanted to recant his faith. When he refused they
beheaded with a plow. His head rolled in the range where the Tille
aware she was driven to the island Barbe on the Saône near Lyon where she was
preserved in the Church of St. Martin. As for Florent his relics on display in
the church are at the origin of many miracles. Ogne and Castrum were destroyed
during an invasion after the year 400.
Around the year 407, the kingdom of Burgundy is created by Gondicaire, barbarian chief
Christian came from beyond the Rhine that ended the Roman occupation.
It is not known what is happening in the village until the year 801. At that time
depended on the Bishop of Langres Betto, who that year, concedes church
Tilicastro and income to the Augustinians of St. Etienne de Dijon. Since then,
the village name is written according to the mood of the scribes and the language in Latin or
French, Tylicastrum, Trichastel, Trie-Château, Trichâtel, Tilchastel, Tréchâteau and
Finally Til-Châtel in 1860, after being called Mont-sur-Tille for the period
revolutionary.
page 3
2- The Lords
Reporting to the Bishop of Langres, they had their origin in a Audon I of Til-Châtel,
son of Garnier count of Troyes in 918 attested by his signature in an act of Duke
Richard Burgundy.
This family, which carried arms as a key pal, paid tribute
also the Dukes of Burgundy and held a high rank among the lords of
duchy and county of Burgundy. Its members succeeded from father to son until
the year 1299 when Isabelle Rochefort, Left Girl Rochefort
lord of Puiset in Beauce, Guy III widow of Til-Châtel Gonfalonier County
Burgundy, became lady of Til-Châtel. She remarried Humbert
Rougemont to 1306 and married his daughter Jeanne she had with Guy III Til-
Rougemont Châtel Thiébaud son from a first marriage of her new husband. The
Lordship then happening in that family until the late 15th century time to
when the last of Rougemont, having no children yielded to the lordship
Antoine Baissey from a family who immediately went Montsaugeonnais
tribute to the bishop of Langres
Freemasonry and the knights templar legacy of secrecy. If life was a movie, and god was the director, then he wold raise the knight templars of til chatel and rougemont from their tombs and have them ride into. The lost treasure of the knights templar ii movie. Arn knight templar movie trailer. A massive battle in arn the knight templar. … arn the knight templar replica movie prop. Mongol / beowulf grendel / arn the knight templar blu ray.
The following expands on this concept and tries to explain how these fields might work in a somewhat simplistic mechanical fashion.
The fabric of space has a null state, or flatness. In this null state, the Universe appears to be an empty void.
The “Big Bang” introduced energy into this void by some mechanism we still don’t understand. This energy is stored as resonances in the nodes of the fabric of Space/Time. These resonances displace the fabric from it’s null state and become visible to us.
All that we experience is caused by the impetus of Space/Time to return it’s null state. Like a displaced rubber band, it is under tension and wants to become “flat”.
Quantum Field Theory is closest to this concept.
To reiterate, my hypothesis requires a resonance between two or more fields.
The Electric Field
Consider the electron, which displaces the electric field in the negative direction, and the positron in the positive direction.
How does Space/Time deal with this?
The electric field between two like charges returns to the null state by pushing the particles apart. Even though the displacements persist, the field between them flattens out
The opposite is easier to understand. Opposite charges are pushed together, cancel out, and the field returns to it’s null state by annihilation, commonly resulting in the creation of two photons.
Gravity
Particles that resonate with the gravitational field give them “mass”. This is incompletely described by the Higgs Field:
But no one has detected an anti-grav particle, so all massive particles displace the gravitational field in the same direction. If my hypothesis is consistent, gravity must also be a repelling force as depicted above.
This posits that the gravitational fields are returning to the null state by pushing massive particles into piles. This hypotheses is supported by the Dark Energy Theory which argues that the Universe is being pushed apart at an increasing rate. It also implies that Space/Time itself is not expanding, only the particles.
But how does the impetus for Space/Time to push matter into piles overcome the forces that want to push the piles apart. According to the inverse square law the closer, the stronger, geometrically.
One reason might be that there is a lot more space than matter, and the impetus to flatten out overwhelms the impetus of the piles to disperse
Another reason might be a second order effect such as the curvature of Space/Time caused by the accumulative displacement by the resonances in the gravitational field nodes. So Einstein and Newton may both be right. There is a gravitational field, but the curvature of Space/Time dominates.
There is also evidence in the math. The reason that the gravitational constant is so much less than the electric or magnetic constants in the field equations is that the sum of all forces just barely favors the concentration of matter. These equations are only mathematical models, not laws.
This may also provide a clue to the puzzle of Dark Matter. Galaxies do not not behave as theorized. There is not enough visible matter to account for the observed motion. Perhaps the reason is that galaxies are pushed together rather than pulled together.
The Strong and Weak Forces
I do not rule out the existence of the Strong and Weak forces, or even the concept that more than three dimensions of Space/Time may be required to accommodate them. My limited understanding of them is that they play no role in the practical Physics we use in our everyday lives, as do do the other three fields, so I invoke Occam’s Razor. They seem to be somewhat of a mathematical construct in order to make our current models work.
I think that their functions are inherent in the simple model outlined above. In order to flatten itself out, Space/Time pushes massive particles into piles. This works well in the case of electric field displacement. The opposite charges of protons and electrons are sequestered inside the little pile that is the atom and the bulk of Space/Time becomes electrically neutral or flat.
The complexity of building atoms larger than hydrogen is beyond the scope of this paper. However, there is a parallel between the ability to get protons to overcome their tendency to repel one another and cuddle up inside the nucleus, and the ability to get the massive particles described above to concentrate into high densities.
The Magnetic Field
I believe that the Magnetic Field exists because it does manifest itself in our everyday lives. However, not much is said about it other than it is so integrated into our existence that we refer to it as the “electromagnetic force” as described in Maxwell’s equations. It appears to exist as closed loops, so Space/Time is probably not a simple 3D Euclidean model as depicted above. I do not yet have any concepts as to the role this field plays in the shaping of Space/Time.
Quantum Entanglement.
In the above example of the annihilation of an electron and a positron, two photons are created. Energy is conserved by simply changing the resonance mode. There are other possible resonance modes.
Since the electron and positron were resonating in the same electric field it is probable that the photons are too; thus the photons may be entangled. Remember that this electric field is part of the fabric of Space/Time and extends to infinity. Photons are limited to the speed of light because they are resonances between the electric and magnetic fields as they jump from node to node in the fabric of Space/Time; but if Quantum Mechanics is correct, information can be exchanged between the photons instantaneously because they are connected by the fabric of Space/Time.
Here is a link that describes a method to achieve instant communication using quantum entanglement.
Why have we not detected any other intelligent life? Are we alone?
Perhaps we are among the first intelligent life forms to arise because we evolved on a lucky planet.
There are many reasons why earth can be considered a lucky planet. From it’s stability, because of it’s location in both the solar system and the galaxy, to the optimal conditions for life water provides. But I want to focus on a not so optimal condition that may define earth as the lucky planet.
Scientists have detected periodic mass extinctions in the fossil record.
The best insurance policy for the survival of the Human Race are permanent off-world colonies. The first one should be in earth orbit. The following discusses the advantages and addresses the problems of this approach.
Immediate and cost effective solution.
All of the pieces are now in place from the private sector. The International Space Station can be retasked to be the kernel of a modularly expanding colony. Bigelow Aerospace has modules in production and is testing a module currently attached to the ISS. This colony can be easily supported from earth with private sector spacecraft currently in operation.
Revenues
This colony could generate revenues by functioning as a tourist hotel and space port. Space shuttles can be assembled here for exploring the solar system, asteroid mining, establishing farther out colonies, etc. These shuttles can be as large as needed since they don’t land on planets. They can carry landers if required.
Zero-G
The biggest argument against such a colony is bone loss and other health problems due to zero-G. I discount this argument because life evolved in the oceans. Training in pools is the closest astronauts can get to zero-G on earth. Whales may suffocate when beached, but in the ocean, their bones and organs are just fine. We should be able to adapt as well as they did.
However, permanent space colonists must commit to never living on a planet. They will never again have to plod around under the tyranny of gravity. In zero-G people can essentially fly. Unneeded feet can evolve into hands (What does God need with feet? Are we really made in His image?) Life could actually be better.
Yes, they will forever be dependent upon technology. But naturalists don’t understand how dependant and vulnerable we are on this one of a kind jewel of a planet. It can be gone in a heartbeat. We must expand our horizons as soon as possible.
If it turns out zero-G is not feasible, we should be able to figure it out long before these colonists are unable to re-adapt to a gravity well.
Self Sufficiency
A priority will be to become self-reliant as soon as possible. This will be the best insurance policy for the survival of the human race. It will be absolutely necessary for remote colonies and can be developed at low risk here.
Shielding
The advantage of a low earth orbit colony is that it gets sufficient shielding from earth’s magnetosphere. However, the “day” is rather short with a sunrise every 90 minutes . A geosynchronous orbit, or spacecraft will require artificial shielding. I propose a magnet field generator at the center of the structure.
The Benefits of a Magnetic Field
A strong magnetic field will require quite a bit of power, but can have benefits in addition to shielding. If it is AC or even pulsating DC, it can be used to distribute power to devices throughout the habitat without wiring. Pickup coils will transform an AC magnetic field into local current.
One device can be a motility belt that will works against the magnet field and propel the wearer throughput the structure, or enable station keeping. It may be possible to design the belt to use the field like an induction motor; requiring no local power source.
So the ideal habitat will have very large open spaces (simply bubbles) where the occupants can fly around in at will. This is infinity cheaper than O’Neill ships, that are massive and must withstand the enormous forces created by rotation in order to generate artificial gravity (no one living today will ever see one). Generational Starships
These habitats can be used as starships . All that is required is a propulsion source. I propose the sun. We use a Dyson swarm to collimate a large light beam to Alpha Centauri, using reflectors, or lasers if necessary. It should have a solar flux density roughly equal to that which illuminates Earth. This will provide all of the energy required for the journey. The habitats will use this “light bridge” to sail to the next star. It may take 100,000 years, but stay at homes will simply orbit the sun for that same time period. This light bridge should be miles in diameter in order to support a flotilla of spacecraft and all of the asteroids and comets that will be sent along for raw materials. Only light sails are required to these masses.
The one problem with this is that local inhabitants must maintain the bridge for the required length of time or. at least, not interfere with the robots built to maintain it. Assuming, of course that no other energy source is developed during that time.
Another argument is why try to colonize the next star with such low tech. In 1000 years we will develop warp drive and zoom past them. Maybe, but they can be picked up along the way. But then again what difference does it make whether you are spinning in circles around a star or on a linear trajectory between them. The habitat is your home.
This journey can be shortened significantly if the habitats can be decelerated in order to achieve orbit around the star. There is a danger of traveling so fast that the habitats cannot be captured by the star. If robots can be sent to the destination star ahead of time, they can build a bridge that can decelerate the habitats. This will be a more reliable energy source since it can’t be interfered with by Terran politics. This opens the door for gravity lovers. A strong enough solar flux density can accelerate the habitats at one-G and then at mid point decelerate them at one-G. Sorry, but I can’t do the math to come up with actual numbers for the journey to Alpha Centauri. However, since they will probably prefer to remain in their habitats while orbiting the star, they will be back to zero-G.
We colonized the Earth with sails. No one suggested to wait until we invent jets.
For those of you who can’t conceive of a space habitat as comfortable as earth, you forget about the storms, hurricanes, tornadoes , fires, floods, earthquakes, etc. that we have had to deal with for the past 100,000 years.
Search for Intelligent Life
If some other intelligence in our galaxy is using light bridges for this purpose, we should be able to detect them. This will confirm both their presence and the viability of this approach. Start looking.
One reason we haven’t seen aliens yet may be that intelligence life simply colonizes space. Living in zero-G may have advantages which includes lots of room for expansion. They may have little interest in gravity wells. All you need is a star for energy… if that.
So why aren’t they orbiting our star and mining our asteroids? Perhaps there is no rush to spread your seed throughout the galaxy. Just doing it is sufficient.
This document outlines a technology that is intended to provide a permanent solution to the disposal of high-level nuclear waste. It has as a second objective a method to create revenues by generating electricity from this waste. The following topics are presented:
· The permanent disposal of high-level nuclear waste.
· Generating electricity from high-level nuclear waste.
· Generating electricity from nuclear fusion.
· The permanent disposal of low-level nuclear waste.
History
Several years ago Scientific America reported that Lawrence Livermore Laboratories proposed to develop a device that could be used to more accurately measure the yield of a thermonuclear warhead. This device is a vessel that can contain the detonation of an H-bomb. The detonation would heat the box and thus, the energy released could be measured. It is basically a giant calorimeter. If such a device could be built, then the objectives delineated above are feasible.
This document will propose how this devise, hereafter called the “Box”, can be used to economically solve the nuclear waste problem.
The Permanent disposal of High Level Nuclear Waste
The reason for proposing such a strong and massive device as the Box is, of course, for safety reasons. The Box must permanently and safely contain high-level nuclear waste for thousands of years. It must be able to withstand all possible scenarios for such high concentrations of waste, such as small explosions or meltdowns. Although it may be possible to engineer a smaller and weaker version of the Box to achieve these goals, a Box that can safely contain the detonation of a full-scale thermonuclear warhead can expand the scope of the project. This will be discussed later.
The primary objectives for this approach are:
· Permanent disposal of high-level nuclear waste.
· Safety: No possible way for this waste to find it’s way into the environment. Whatever goes into the Box, stays in the Box.
· Cost: Although this Box is expensive, billions of dollars have already been spent with no permanent solution in sight.
Generating electricity from high level nuclear waste
The problem (and advantage) with concentrating high-level nuclear waste is the heat that can build up in the Box. If enough heat is produced, then electricity can be generated from the Box. Coolant pipes can be placed in the walls of the Box to extract the heat. See figure 1. It may be possible to find the right ratio (mass of the Box) to (mass of the waste) to generate electricity for thousands of years. If this is true then the Box will pay for itself well before it’s lifetime.
For safety reasons it would be wise to design the Box to withstand this heat build up with no active cooling.
If enough heat cannot be produced from concentrated high-level nuclear waste to generate electricity, at least the disposal problem is solved. However, there is a solution for this situation.
Figure 1
Electricity generated from concentrated high-level nuclear waste
Generating Electricity from nuclear fusion
The Box can be the first practical online fusion reactor if it is strong enough to safely contain a thermonuclear detonation. There is a large stockpile of warheads to be disposed of. Since tritium and deuterium have a limited shelf life, it may be more economical to extract the energy with the Box than any other method.
This can be used in conjunction with nuclear waste to periodically add energy to the Box if the waste does not produce enough energy of it’s own. The radioactive byproducts will remain in the Box and add to residual energy production.
Disposing of low-level nuclear waste.
The Box can be used for the disposal of low-level nuclear waste if a filter can be designed to extract the radioactive elements from the gases that must be vented from the Box. The radioactive material will be thrown back into the Box. This is high risk and requires advanced technology.
Summary
This document outlines a low-tech solution to many of the nuclear waste problems our country faces. The technical problems and considerations that arise to implement this technology are not discussed. It is the goal of this document to foment such a discussion.
If the following is true, then faster than light communication is feasible.
1. Quantum entangled photons are emitted pairs, or structures.
2. Any change in one will instantaneously affect the other, no matter what the distance between them. For this design, the change will be annihilation. One theory states that simply measuring one photon will collapse the wave front. Reflection or absorbsion should also work.
An emission source is required. It would be fortunate if a star would suffice.
The transmitter can be any distance from the emitter, the receiver on the opposite side must be slightly farther away. Let’s say they are both 10 light years away from the emitter.
The receiver is measuring the photons issuing from the emitter. 10 years ago, two sets of entangled photons left the emitter. They arrive at the transmitter first, who then annihilates enough photons to be detected by the receiver. The receiver measures the change in flux density immediately after they were annihilated by the transmitter.
Thusly, an instantaneous digital data stream can be established over a distance of 20 light years, delayed only by how much farther away from the emitter the receiver is than the transmitter.
The advantage of using a star is that they have been emitting photons for millions of years. All that is required is that the receiver be able measure the change in flux density created by the transmitter. Only annihilated entangled photons will be useful. They don’t have to be on opposite sides of the star, just preferably equidistant from it.
SETI hunters might want to look to see if an alien intelligence is modulating a star in order to communicate. I would start with the hydrogen spectral line, but maybe a broad spectrum works better.
If a star is impractical, then a laser emitter should work. If annihilation is impractical, any method that will allow a receiver to measure a statistical change will do.
My weakness in mathematics prevents my being a physicist, but it interests me greatly. In trying to make sense of the current state of physics, I have come to view the Universe much differently than most. Allow me to present a hypothesis that the universe is composed of a fabric of fields. it further proposes that what we observe as particles, or “strings” are merely resonances in this fabric. What follows is a simple 3D model of how this universe might function.
A particle
A particle can be defined as a point in free space. A point can be defined as the intersection of three orthogonal planes: electric field, magnetic field, and gravitational field. A particle is a resonance between these fields at this point or “node”, There must be a resonance mode to account for every unique particle in the Standard Model. In its null state, this node appears as empty space. A resonance at a node displaces one or more of the 3 fields from its null state and becomes “visible” to the universe. Since these fields extend to infinity, a displacement at a node pushes or pulls at every other node in the universe according to the inverse square law.
Below is a snapshot from Brian Greene’s The Fabric of the Cosmos. Envision an infinite number of parallel electric field planes, orthogonal to those an infinite number of parallel magnetic field planes and orthogonal to both an infinite number of parallel gravitational field planes. Particles can exist only where these planes intersect: the nodes illustrated by the intersection of three lines. It is not likely that space is organized in such a simple 3D pattern, but let’s keep it simple for now.
Quantum Mechanics
Particles appear to be fairly stable once they come into existence (conservation of energy). This allows them to jump from one node to another in order to move about. This may account for the quantum effect that perplex so many physicists.
The Photon
The Photon may be a simple example. It is a resonance mode primarily between the electric and magnetic field planes. First transferring its energy into the electric field plane and then the magnetic field plane 90 degrees out of phase as it jumps from node to node at the speed of light.
The Electron
The electron appears to be a resonance between the electric and gravitational field planes. This gives it “mass”. The resonance seems to be DC, if such a thing is possible. The static displacement of these fields, described as a point source interact with all other particles similarly displacing these fields in accordance to the inverse square law.
Gravity
This hypothesis is not inconsistent with Einsteins General Theory of Relativity which asserts that particles with mass bend space. The difference with my hypothesis is that these particles are not independent of space, but simply resonances that displace the gravity field plain from it’s null state. This displacement falls off in accordance to inverse square law.
Field Equations
Newton’s Law of Gravity posited that it was a force field that pulled matter toward each other. Einstein’s theory of curved space is more robust and favored by physicists. But no one has come up with similar alternative explanations for the magnetic and electric force fields, so the concept of force fields are still with us. They are remarkably similar.
This is the “inverse square law” cited above. The force diminishes with the square of the distance between them.
But how does an electron generate an electric field that reaches to infinity and interacts with every other subatomic particle in the universe? One theory is that photons act as intermediaries. That’s a lot of photons. We don’t see them.
My hypothesis is that particles are connected by the fabric of space itself, it is not that different except for the concept that there are no independent particles at all.
Dark Matter and Dark Energy
The Electron may give us a clue about Dark Energy. Particles that displace the electric field planes in like manner are pushed apart. The nodes of Space/Time don’t move, the resonances are moved to other nodes because they are connected by the fabric.
Similarly, particles that displace the gravitational field planes in like manner are drawn together. We just don’t understand all of the possible resonance modes, or the mechanism by which particles influence each other.
Resonance
Resonance is a common phenomena in our universe. It occurs in both mechanical and electrical systems, and is remarkably similar in both. An electronic tank circuit uses a capacitor and an inductor to store energy using magnetic and electric fields. Theoretically, it could continue forever if not for losses in this system at room temperature. All it needs is to be excited with energy.
It is easy for me to see how the fabric of the universe can act as a tank circuit. As in the photon, which is alternating current, or AC.
An electron appears to be direct current or DC. It doesn’t appear to oscillate. It stores it’s energy like a capacitor and statically displaces the electric and gravity field planes. However, it can move from node to node and when it does, it displaces the magnetic field plane, so I choose to call it a resonance mode as well.
This is consistent with String Theory which says that all particles are vibrating strings. Note the use of the word resonating. The quality of a musical instrument depends on resonance.
I believe that the strings are the fabric of the universe itself.
String Theory
For your convenience the three episodes of “The Elegant Universe” are linked below. I have never worked with String equations. The episodes don’t explain how vibrating strings generate the electric and magnetic fields that our technology is based on. However, I believe that integrating String Theory into the Fabric of space will bring us closer to the truth.
The laws of Physics.
We don’t have any true laws of physics because we really don’t know what the universe is.
What we have are very powerful mathematical models that predict the behavior of the universe to some very high degree of accuracy. This is a very good thing because it gives us the power to predict the future, and it proves to me, at least, that these laws do exist.
However, I think we will be stuck with these models for a very long time because the true laws of physics work only at the subatomic level. To use them at the macro level, we must know the state of every subatomic particle in the universe at some particular instant in time and then calculate how they influence every other particle. This may never be possible.
An Argument for a Human Colony in Earth OrbitThe best insurance policy for the survival of the Human Race are permanent off-world colonies. The first one should be in earth orbit. Th…
Why have we not detected any other intelligent life? Are we alone?
Perhaps we are among the first intelligent life forms to arise because we evolved on a lucky planet.
There are many reasons why earth can be considered a lucky planet. From it’s stability, because of it’s location in both the solar system and the galaxy, to the optimal conditions for life water provides. But I want to focus on a not so optimal condition that may define earth as the lucky planet.
Scientists have detected periodic mass extinctions in the fossil record.
My weakness in mathematics prevents my being a physicist, but it interests me greatly. In trying to make sense of the current state of physics, I have come to view the Universe much differently than most. Allow me to present a hypothesis that the universe is composed of a fabric of fields. it further proposes that what we observe as particles, or “strings” are merely resonances in this fabric. What follows is a simple 3D model of how this universe might function.
A particle
A particle can be defined as a point in free space. A point can be defined as the intersection of three orthogonal planes: electric field, magnetic field, and gravitational field. A particle is a resonance between these fields at this point or “node”, There must be a resonance mode to account for every unique particle in the Standard Model. In its null state, this node appears as empty space. A resonance at a node displaces one or more of the 3 fields from its null state and becomes “visible” to the universe. Since these fields extend to infinity, a displacement at a node pushes or pulls at every other node in the universe according to the inverse square law.
Below is a snapshot from Brian Greene’s The Fabric of the Cosmos. Envision an infinite number of parallel electric field planes, orthogonal to those an infinite number of parallel magnetic field planes and orthogonal to both an infinite number of parallel gravitational field planes. Particles can exist only where these planes intersect: the nodes illustrated by the intersection of three lines. It is not likely that space is organized in such a simple 3D pattern, but let’s keep it simple for now.
Quantum Mechanics
Particles appear to be fairly stable once they come into existence (conservation of energy). This allows them to jump from one node to another in order to move about. This may account for the quantum effect that perplex so many physicists.
The Photon
The Photon may be a simple example. It is a resonance mode primarily between the electric and magnetic field planes. First transferring its energy into the electric field plane and then the magnetic field plane 90 degrees out of phase as it jumps from node to node at the speed of light.
The Electron
The electron appears to be a resonance between the electric and gravitational field planes. This gives it “mass”. The resonance seems to be DC, if such a thing is possible. The static displacement of these fields, described as a point source interact with all other particles similarly displacing these fields in accordance to the inverse square law.
Gravity
This hypothesis is not inconsistent with Einsteins General Theory of Relativity which asserts that particles with mass bend space. The difference with my hypothesis is that these particles are not independent of space, but simply resonances that displace the gravity field plain from it’s null state. This displacement falls off in accordance to inverse square law.
Field Equations
Newton’s Law of Gravity posited that it was a force field that pulled matter toward each other. Einstein’s theory of curved space is more robust and favored by physicists. But no one has come up with similar alternative explanations for the magnetic and electric force fields, so the concept of force fields are still with us. They are remarkably similar.
This is the “inverse square law” cited above. The force diminishes with the square of the distance between them.
But how does an electron generate an electric field that reaches to infinity and interacts with every other subatomic particle in the universe? One theory is that photons act as intermediaries. That’s a lot of photons. We don’t see them.
My hypothesis is that particles are connected by the fabric of space itself, it is not that different except for the concept that there are no independent particles at all.
Dark Matter and Dark Energy
The Electron may give us a clue about Dark Energy. Particles that displace the electric field planes in like manner are pushed apart. The nodes of Space/Time don’t move, the resonances are moved to other nodes because they are connected by the fabric.
Similarly, particles that displace the gravitational field planes in like manner are drawn together. We just don’t understand all of the possible resonance modes, or the mechanism by which particles influence each other.
Resonance
Resonance is a common phenomena in our universe. It occurs in both mechanical and electrical systems, and is remarkably similar in both. An electronic tank circuit uses a capacitor and an inductor to store energy using magnetic and electric fields. Theoretically, it could continue forever if not for losses in this system at room temperature. All it needs is to be excited with energy.
It is easy for me to see how the fabric of the universe can act as a tank circuit. As in the photon, which is alternating current, or AC.
An electron appears to be direct current or DC. It doesn’t appear to oscillate. It stores it’s energy like a capacitor and statically displaces the electric and gravity field planes. However, it can move from node to node and when it does, it displaces the magnetic field plane, so I choose to call it a resonance mode as well.
This is consistent with String Theory which says that all particles are vibrating strings. Note the use of the word resonating. The quality of a musical instrument depends on resonance.
I believe that the strings are the fabric of the universe itself.
String Theory
For your convenience the three episodes of “The Elegant Universe” are linked below. I have never worked with String equations. The episodes don’t explain how vibrating strings generate the electric and magnetic fields that our technology is based on. However, I believe that integrating String Theory into the Fabric of space will bring us closer to the truth.
The laws of Physics.
We don’t have any true laws of physics because we really don’t know what the universe is.
What we have are very powerful mathematical models that predict the behavior of the universe to some very high degree of accuracy. This is a very good thing because it gives us the power to predict the future, and it proves to me, at least, that these laws do exist.
However, I think we will be stuck with these models for a very long time because the true laws of physics work only at the subatomic level. To use them at the macro level, we must know the state of every subatomic particle in the universe at some particular instant in time and then calculate how they influence every other particle. This may never be possible.
Rosamond Press 
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Leave a comment