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Tag: Forfarshire
St. Francis' Well, Dundee, Angus
Holy Well (destroyed): OS Grid Reference – NO 4007 3046
Grey Friar's Well
Site shown on 1776 map
This is another one of Dundee's lost holy wells (see also the Lady Well, the Nine Wells, St Clement's Well, St Mary's Well and Sinavey Well), around which the town was first built. Its cold fresh waters were located less than a hundred yards north of the old Houff graveyard in the middle of town, or where Alex Maxwell (1884) described as upon "the sunny slopes of the Gray Friars' meadows."
Maxwell told us that this sacred site was the most favoured of the the holy wells in the area, having been dedicated to St Francis of Assisi by the monks who built the medieval Grey Friars monastery, whose ruins lie beneath the Houff graveyard. After the destruction of the priory in the 16th century, the holy well and surrounding meadows came under the ownership of the local council. The well had become ruinous and so was repaired back to its old condition, but a few decades later had become very neglected again and was ordered to be closed. It was mentioned in several early land rental documents, including this from 1630 which told,
"That haugh or meadow lying on the south side of the Tentour Hill, and on the east side of the meadow called Monorgan's croft, togidder with the lands lying about St. Francis' well, were set for the yearly penny mail of fifty-ane pounds."
The most extensive description of it came from Alex Maxwell's own pen, and I reproduce it here in full. He began by speaking of the other holy wells of Our Lady and St. Clement's in Dundee, but told us that,
"The most important of them was the Gray Friars' well, which came out of the rising ground westward from where the High School is built, and had been dedicated to the honour of St. Francis, the founder of the order — a man of exalted character, whom Dean Milman calls "most blameless and gentle." The water, which ran perennially and was of singular purity, had no doubt been highly venerated in the days of the old Church, and it continued to be much esteemed, and even to maintain somewhat of its traditional sanctity, long after the memory of the good man whose name it bore had become forgotten.
"When the Friars' house was in ruins, and the gardens laid waste, St. Francis' well did not escape unharmed. One austere iconoclast—James Patrie was his name—had probably been offended at its sculptural reminiscences of the old faith, and he cast it down. When arraigned to answer for this,
"he confest and grantit that he took down the common well callit the Friar well, quhilk servit the haill town with guid and wholesome water, and referrit him in the Bailies' and Council's will thereanent; and they being advisit with his offence, declarit that he sail pay for the reparation of the said well and common warks the soum of ten pounds; always, gif he big and repair the well as Weill as it wes of before with lime mortar, or Pasch next, this pain to be remitted; otherwise, the day past and the well nocht biggit, to pay the said soum but favour."
James, however, proved contumacious; the day did pass, and the well still lay in ruins. But he got further time, for the Council not yet having possession of the monastic lands, had not chosen to act arbitrarily, and
"James Patrie was ordained to repair the Friar well conform to the last act, under the pain contenit thereintil, betwix the date hereof and Whitsunday;"
and he probably then proceeded to restore it into good condition, as we do not find any other ordinance on the matter. He had not, however, erected it very substantially; for, before thirty years had elapsed, the structure was again ruinous, and the Council resolved
"that St. Francis' well be of new biggit and made close, so that na common access be had thereto."
"The meadow land of the Gray Friars which lay around the well, formed a pleasant open space for the use of the old burgh, and it was always held in much regard. Early in last century, the water from the Lady well was impounded and conveyed in pipes for supplying other cisterns throughout the town ; but St. Francis' spring, which was softer and purer, was left undisturbed to flow down the grassy slope in its natural course ; and when the place became appropriated for homely purposes, and upon
"Its verdant braes,
The lasses used to wash and spread their claes,"
"the gossiping naiads made the meadow very lively as they plashed in the brimming basins of the Friars' old well, or filled their pitchers at the fresh fountain, or sprinkled the water in crystal showers over their snowy linen. About the time that the ground was sacrificed for the erection of buildings, a dyer in the neighbourhood sank a well which evidently reached the source of the spring and drained it off. Years afterwards, when the place had been overbuilt, he ceased to use his well, and the stream, returning to its old course, found access into the lower part of a church which now covers the site of the fountain, much to the dismay of the deacons. The water was then carried off elsewhere, and will be seen no more ; and the remembrance of those virtues which belonged to the once famous well will soon have passed away."
In Christian lore, St Francis' festival day was October 4.
Maxwell, Alexander, The History of Old Dundee, David Douglas: Edinburgh 1884.
Angus, Holy Wells, Scotlandancient monuments, Angus, animism, antiquarian, antiquities, Archaeology, Dundee, earth mysteries, Firth of Tay, Forfarshire, healing, healing wells, heritage, history, Holy Wells, medieval history, sacred sites, saints, Scotland, Scottish heritage, St Francis, traditions, waterLeave a comment
Lady Well, Dundee, Angus
Our Lady's Well
Lady Well on 1776 map
One of at least five sacred wells that could once be visited in Dundee: like its compatriots they have all fallen under the hammer of the Industrialists and flow no more. Our Lady's Well could once be seen, said Maxwell (1884), "flowing from under the Chapelshade Braes," its waters "bright and sparkling," but today it has been drained and laid to rest beneath the road. Its memory however, has been preserved in the modern place-names of the Ladywell Roundabout and the nearby Ladywell Avenue.
The well was mentioned as far back as 1409 when, as Alex Lamb (1895) found, it was referred to in a contract between the Constable of Dundee and the burgesses. It flowed freely until the beginning of the 18th century when, as Maxwell told us, "the water from the Lady well was impounded and conveyed in pipes for supplying other cisterns throughout the town." Previously, the water from here was one of many springs and burns that fed the larger Castle Burn down to the sea.
Lamb, Alexander C., Dundee: Its Quaint and Historic Buildings, G. Petrie: Dundee 1895.
Angus, Holy Wells, Scotlandancient monuments, Angus, animism, antiquarian, antiquities, Archaeology, Dundee, earth mysteries, Firth of Tay, Forfarshire, healing, healing wells, heritage, history, Holy Wells, medieval history, sacred sites, Scotland, Scottish heritage, St. Mary, traditions, Virgin Mary, waterLeave a comment
St. Mary's Well, Dundee, Angus
Holy Well (lost): OS Grid Reference – NO 401 301 (approximation)
Cited just once in the "Register of the Great Seal" (Registrum Magni Sigilli) in the year 1512 CE, this Fontis Beate Marie, or Well of St. Mary has long since disappeared. Its exact location in the city has been forgotten, but it seems likely to have been close to St. Mary's Church. Further research is needed.
Saints in Scottish Place-Names
Angus, Holy Wells, Scotlandancient monuments, Angus, animism, antiquarian, antiquities, Archaeology, Dundee, earth mysteries, Firth of Tay, Forfarshire, healing, healing wells, heritage, history, Holy Wells, medieval history, sacred sites, Scotland, Scottish heritage, St. Mary, traditions, waterLeave a comment
St. Clement's Well, Dundee, Angus
Bishop's Well
Saint's Well
One of at least five sacred wells that formerly existed in old Dundee, this one dedicated to St. Clement was associated with the ancient church, also of his name. It could be found a short distance south of the church—itself long gone—"rising out of a knoll overhanging the river bank," wrote Alexander Maxwell (1884) and possessing considerable renown to local people. This great Dundee historian found several early references to it in old council registers: one of which, from 1589, described a conflict regarding the building of a school on land owned by Andro Renkyne. And it was on this piece of land where St. Clement's Well emerged. The school was built and then Rankyne built a gable up to the edge of the school but, in doing so, cut off his own access to the holy well. This somewhat short-sighted action of Renkyne's was subsequently remedied in 1607 by Dundee Council. Maxwell told us:
"The Council "grantit him licence to strike furth ane windok in the north side wall of his tenement in St. Clement's kirkyard, near to the well in the schoolhouse closs, or within the bounds of the said well, to the effect he may draw water furth of the well to his awn service, with this provision that he hald the windok continually close, except at sic time as the water is drawn thereat, and that he close up the windok with stane wark quhenever he beis requirit."
The waters—"reputed to have sovereign virtues"— were protected and covered by an old well-house. When Alex Lamb (1895) came to write about it he told that it was of a circular form with "unmistakable traces of splendid workmanship." On its stone roof was what seemed to be a somewhat crude carving of a bishop and because of this it acquired the name "Bishop's Well." Another title given it by some locals was the Saint's Well.
In the middle of the 19th century the remains of the well-house could still be seen, albeit in a state of neglect between the school building and Renkeyne's house. But their end was nigh. Maxwell continued:
"When the buildings were demolished a few years ago, the saint's old well — its water yet pelucid and fresh — was discovered at the angle where the school joined to Andro's house. Above it was the window which he struck furth for drawing water; but it had long before been built up and the purpose of it forgotten, and its curiously recessed position and uncouth masonry only served as a puzzle for ingenious antiquaries."
Subsequently he lamented the demise of the well telling how it had "been covered over by the extension of the Townhouse."
Alexander Maxwell (1891) told how the church was used as a shrine by local people and fishermen, as St. Clement of Rome had been cast into the sea chained to an anchor and so became the patron saint of sailors. He thought such properties, "would, no doubt, be in request for the supply of ships."
St. Clement himself was a very early, first century saint, said to have died in 99 CE. His festival date is 23 November.
Maxwell, Alexander, Old Dundee, David Douglas: Edinburgh 1891.
Canmore notes on St Clement's Well
Angus, Holy Wells, Scotlandancient monuments, Angus, animism, antiquarian, antiquities, Archaeology, Dundee, earth mysteries, Firth of Tay, Forfarshire, healing, healing wells, heritage, history, Holy Wells, medieval history, sacred sites, Scotland, Scottish heritage, St Clement, traditions, waterLeave a comment
Tods Stone, Monifieth, Angus
Standing Stone (destroyed): OS Grid Reference – NO 486 339?
The only reference I can find about this site is in A.J. Warden's (1880) massive survey of the county of Angus—previously called 'Forfarshire'—where, in his discussion of the hillforts of the area, he told us that,
"About a quarter of a mile distant from The Laws is the Gallow Hill of Ethiebeaton. In a field, a little to the south, there formerly stood a large upright stone called Tods Stone."
All trace of it disappeared when quarrying operations were undertaken there, also destroying a number of prehistoric tombs close by. The monolith may have had some association with the tombs, but we cannot be certain.
The name of the stone, tods, probably derives from the word 'foxes', although we cannot be certain of this either, as there are a variety of other Scottish dialect words relating to 'tod'that may have had bearing on the name.
If anyone has any further information about this long lost site, we would gladly welcome it.
Grant, William (ed.), The Scottish National Dictionary – volume 9, SNDA: Edinburgh 1973.
Warden, Alex J., Angus or Forfarshire – volume 1, Charles Alexander: Dundee 1880.
Angus, Scotland, Standing Stonesancient sites, Angus, antiquarian, antiquities, Archaeology, Bronze Age, Dundee, earth mysteries, etymology, Forfarshire, heritage, megalithic, Megaliths, Monifieth, monoliths, neolithic, place-names, prehistoric sites, sacred sites, Scotland, Standing Stones, TaysideLeave a comment
White Caterthun Carving, Menmuir, Angus
Cup-Marked Stone: OS Grid Reference – NO 54671 66022
The carving below the walling
Many ways here, but from the nearest town of Brechin, take the minor north road out of town (not the B966) to Little Brechin, heading roughly north to the renowned hillforts of White and Brown Cathertun (ask a local if needs be). Park up and walk up the slope to White Cathertun, following the immense walling around to the right. Near where you reach the opposite side of the hillfort, look down the rocky slopes for a large boulder, just on the edge of the walling. You'll find it!
Although Canmore include this cup-marked stone in the site-profile of the incredible White Caterthun hillfort, it should really have an entry of its own, as it's age and nature very probably pre-date the construction of the giant fortress. But, this aside, if you're visiting the hillfort (an incredible place!), at least give this heavily cup-marked stone your attention too.
Looking across the carving
Close-up of the main cups
Probably neolithic in origin, there was a small portable cup-marked companion found 30 yards away, suggesting perhaps that a cairn might once have stood on this hilltop—but tradition is silent on the matter. No other petroglyphs of any note have been located nearby, which is unusual. In all probability other carvings remain undiscovered, particularly in the hills immediately to the north.
Consisting of around 80 cup-marks, several of which appear linked by carved lines, the stone has been bound together with concrete and metal bolts after some idiot damaged it in the 19th century. It was first described by Miss Christian Maclagan (1875) in her stunning megalithic survey of the period. She wrote:
"To Sir James Simpson's list of cup-markings we are able to add the one at the Caterthun, on a large block 6 feet long, which is quite covered with very distinctly cut cup-markings. It is a block of basalt…and the cups are so very clear and sharp in their lines that their freshness can only be accounted for by the stone having lain with the markings buried in the ground. This curious stone has been quite recently broken in two. It is a pity to see it so destroyed, because it is valuable to the antiquary in helping to establish a very remote antiquity for the fortification. It lies on the north side of the fort, among a chaos of stones, having probably once formed the side of a gateway."
A few years later the late great J. Romilly Allen (1882) visited the site and gave us his description, telling:
"On the west side (of the hillfort), 10 yards north of the boundary of the fir plantation that covers one-half of the hill is a cup-marked boulder… The stone has been broken in two, and one portion of it lies at the foot of the stone rampart just above the first outer ditch, whilst the other half has been rolled down the hill by some mischievous person with more muscles than brains, and is to be found immediately below, where its further progress was arrested by coming in contact with the outermost wall. The two fragments when placed together measure 6 feet 9 inches long by 3 feet wide, and 1 foot 9 inches thick. The stone is greenish quartzose slate, and on its upper surface are carved eighty cups, varying from 1½ to 2½ inches diameter. In two cases two cups are united into one by a connecting groove."
J. Sherriff's 1995 drawing
J.R. Allen's 1882 drawing
The most recent description and illustration of the stone is in John Sherriff's (1995) survey. When we visited the carving recently we noticed three cup-marks etched onto the side of the stone, with a possible carved line running above one of them—but due to the bright sunlight on of the day of our visit, it was difficult to say whether this was a geological in nature or not (bright daylight can hamper good visibility of many carvings). Check it out!
Allen, J. Romilly, "Notes on some Undescribed Stones with Cup Markings in Scotland," in Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries Scotland, volume 16, 1882.
Kenworthy, J., "White Caterthun: Cup-Marked Stone", in Discovery & Excavation, Scotland, 1980.
MacLagan, Christian, The Hill Forts, Stone Circles and other Structural Remains of Ancient Scotland, Edmonston & Douglas: Edinburgh 1875.
Sherriff, John, "Prehistoric Rock-Carvings in Angus," in Tayside & Fife Archaeological Journal, volume 1, 1995.
Angus, Cup-and-Ring Stones, ScotlandAngus, antiquarian, antiquities, Archaeology, Brechin, Bronze Age, Cup-and-Ring Stones, cup-markings, earth mysteries, Forfarshire, heritage, Hillforts, Iron Age, Menmuir, neolithic, Petroglyphs, pictographs, prehistoric rock art, Scotland, StrathmoreLeave a comment
Formal, Bridge of Craigisla, Lintrathen, Angus
Standing Stone (fallen): OS Grid Reference – NO 25618 54024
Standing Stone on 1865 map
From Alyth village, take the B954 road north for several miles. At the sharp bend of the road when you've crossed the Bridge of Craigisla, a few hundred yards along take the next road left. Barely 100 yards along, stop! Walk into the where the large farm-buildings are and keep your eyes peeled on the ground, just in front of the first farm building. A large long stone measuring about 7-feet (2.1m) is thereby beneath your very feet!
Formal Stone, laying down
At the edge of the farm-buildings this all-but-forgotten standing stone lays prostrate, almost hidden, and slowly being covered by the soil and grasses, nearly falling away past the eyes of history. It's a pity, as this fallen stone would have stood some six-feet upright, with a couple of feet of it underground. When it was mapped by the Ordnance Survey lads in the 1860s, a portion of the stone remained standing. This was echoed in the survey of the Object Name Book in 1861 in which the buildings of Formal were described:
"A fine farm house and offices the property of the late Robert Smith Esqr. of Balharry – in the stackyard is a broken standing stone, to which my attention was drawn by Alexander Annand of Blackdykes and the (parish) Minister."
Thankfully the present-day farmer here would like to have the stone stood back upright, so hopefully its resurrection aint gonna be too far away.
Formal Stone, looking east
Formal Stone, looking south
The stone isn't lying in its original upright position. It used to stand nearly 10 yards east of here, and was knocked down and rolled into its present spot when an earlier adjacent building was erected. Another large boulder in the corner where the walls meet (at NO 25585 54044), just through the gates, may also have had some megalithic relationship with the fallen monolith.
Angus, Scotland, Standing StonesAngus, antiquarian, antiquities, Archaeology, Bridge of Craigisla, Bronze Age, Forfarshire, Glen Isla, heritage, Lintrathen, megalithic, Megaliths, monoliths, neolithic, prehistoric sites, sacred sites, Scotland, Standing StonesLeave a comment
Fenton Hill, Airlie, Angus
Souterrain (destroyed): OS Grid Reference – NO 3044 5040
Airlie II
One in a cluster of at least seven souterrains that could once be found to the east of Alyth, this was first described in notes by David Whyte in the 1845 New Statistical Account as being "about a mile to the south" of those at Barns of Airlie. Although Whyte told that the two places "are separated by a deep hollow but are within view of each other," the explorer F.T. Wainwright (1963) was unable to locate the precise spot, despite several visits. Three earlier writers (Anderson, Jervise and Warden) merely echoed notes of there being a cluster of sites hereby and made no personal explorations of their own. Without the expertise of local people, the exact status of this underground chamber remains unknown…
Anderson, Joseph, Scotland in Pagan Times – volume 1: The Iron Age, David Douglas: Edinburgh 1883.
Jervise, A., "Notice of Antiquities in the Parish of Airlie, Forfarshire," in Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, Scotland, volume 5, 1864.
Royal Commission of Ancient & Historicc Monuments, Scotland, The Archaeological Sites and Monuments of Scotland: Central Angus, RCAHMS: Edinburgh 1983.
Wainwright, F T., The Souterrains of Southern Pictland, RKP: London 1963.
Warden, Angus J., Angus or Forfarshire – volume 1, Charles Alexander: Dundee 1880.
Angus, Scotland, SouterrainsAirlie, Alyth, Angus, antiquarian, antiquities, Archaeology, Bronze Age, earth houses, Forfarshire, heritage, Iron Age, Picts, prehistoric sites, sacred sites, Scotland, souterrains, Strathmore, Tayside, weemsLeave a comment
Brae of Airlie, Airlie, Angus
Airlie IV (Wainwright)
This was one amongst a good cluster of souterrains that existed hereby, remains of which may still exist beneath the ground. It was rediscovered in the 19th century through a series of most curious events—owing more to the local belief in spirits and witches than any archaeological rationale. Mr A. Jervise (1864) told the story in his essay on Airlie parish:
"The circumstances which led to the discovery of one of these weems is curious. Local story says, that the wife of a poor cottar could not for long understand why, whatever sort of fuel she burned, no ashes were left upon the hearth; and if a pin or any similar article was dropt at the fireside, it could not be recovered. Having "a bakin" of bannocks, or oatmeal cakes, on some occasion, one of the cakes accidentally slipped from off "the toaster," and passed from the poor woman's sight! This was more than she was prepared for; and, believing that the house was bewitched, she alarmed her neighbours, who collected in great numbers, and, as may be supposed, after many surmises and grave deliberation, they resolved to pull down the house! This was actually done: still the mystery remained unsolved, until one lad, more courageous and intelligent than the rest, looking attentively about the floor, observed a long narrow crevice at the hearth. Sounding the spot, and believing the place to be hollow, he set to work and had the flag lifted, when the fact was disclosed, that the luckless cottage had been built right over an "eirde" house. The disappearance of ashes, and the occasional loss of small articles of household use, were thus satisfactorily accounted for; but, unfortunately, although the site of this weem remains, as well as that of another near the same place, both were long ago destroyed, and the materials of which they were constructed used for a variety of utilitarian purposes."
Or to put it simply: right beneath the fireplace, a small opening into the souterrain below appeared, into which all things fell. F.T. Wainwright (1963) placed the position of the site "about 100 feet east of the road between Barns of Airlie and Brae of Airlie, about 200 yards from the former." On the 1865 OS-map, this spot is marked with a small unnamed building. No excavation has ever been tried here
Wainwright, F T., The Souterrains of Southern Pictland. RKP: London 1963.
Angus, Scotland, SouterrainsAirlie, Angus, antiquarian, antiquities, Archaeology, Bronze Age, earth houses, Forfarshire, heritage, Iron Age, prehistoric sites, sacred sites, Scotland, souterrains, Strathmore, Tayside, weemsLeave a comment
Barns of Airlie (2), Airlie, Angus
Airlie III (Wainwright 1963)
There are no remains left of this old 'weem', earth-house, or souterrain as they are now commonly known. It was one of at least seven separate souterrains beneath the fields between the Barns of Airlie and Brae of Airlie, but very little is now known of this one. The first and only real note of the site was given in Mr A. Jervise's (1864) essay on the antiquities of Airlie parish. Nearly a hundred years later when F.T. Wainwright (1963) went to investigate any possible remains, he found very little, telling:
"A possible location for Airlie III…presented itself on 24 June, 1951, when Mr D.B. Taylor and I noticed a considerable number of boulders and slabs cast up in the field which lies over the wall from the entrance to Airlie I (souterrain). The farmer was aware that there was a heavy concentration of stones spread over an area of two or three thousand square feet, but he could add no further information. In 1951 we were not able to do more than record this possibly significant scatter of stones—it lies between 150 and 200 feet west from the present entrance of Airlie I on a bearing of 260º—and to note that it could very well indicate a souterrain settlement."
Many of the scattered stone have subsequently been removed for use in walling and no trace remains of the site.


"Over the Beat" is an invitation to Sumo's musical universe in order to encounter new experiences. This opus is identified through captivating and soulful vocals, an 80ies touch and electronic sounds mixed with Hip-Hop and Deep-House beats.
In this album, Sumo invited singers Detroit Grand Pubahs, Lyin M and Mc Granit from the Band Aloan (CH) as well as the swiss musicians Yvan Baumgartner (trumpeter), Ernie Odoom (saxophonist)and Patrick Müller (pianist) from Eric Truffaz.
As the title of this album suggests, Sumo elevates themselves over the beat, into a new realm and space in order to open new gates in their musical space.


text:
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son. -Hal Smith
Courting Carlos Beltran
Getting Randy Johnson
Hurricane Ike
Remembering Dickie Thon
Drafting Phil Nevin
Wade v. Chacon
The Ghosts of Cesar Cedeno
Hurricane Harvey, Justin Verlander, and the Astros
Wednesday Morning Hot Links
Today is July 3rd. Many of you know that I was born in England, and every 3rd of July my wife and I celebrate Dependence Day, in honor of the last day of the Colonies' dependence on England. Newcastle Brown Ale, Harp, Bass, Bangers & Mash, and lots (and lots) of Ocean Colour Scene, Oasis, Blur, Pulp, and Kula Shaker. Happy Dependence Day. Piers Morgan can get stuffed, though.
The Astros won a wild one last night in Colorado and are undefeated when Jose Urquidy starts. Houston is 54-32, 7.0 games up on Oakland and 7.5 up on the 3rd Place North Madisonville Rangers. The Astros have won six of their last eight games. They've scored 6+ runs three games in a row for the first time since May 11-13. Hinch:
I don't come here a lot, and I don't manage here a lot, but it feels like every time I do come here, it's a game that never ends and a game you're never quite in control of and never quite out of. Good team win for us. We had a lot of people step up and do a lot of good things.
Houston is 4-1 at Colorado since 2015, outscoring them 35-21.
*George Springer and Jose Altuve combined for seven of the Astros' 13 hits - Springer going 3x5 and Altuve going 4x5 with a double. Altuve has seven hits in his last ten PAs. If you excuse his first game back from the IL, Altuve is hitting .367/.385/.510 in his last eleven games. He stole two bases in a game for the first time since June 2, 2018. Hinch, on Altuve:
He hasn't forgotten how to play. When he gets these hits in bunches and he starts to run the bases aggressively, I think we all collectively exhale and feel really good for him. People have no idea how hard he's worked and what he's put in and the stress he carries when he doesn't do well.
*Springer is hitting .345/.406/.483 since coming off the IL.
*Yuli Gurriel was 3x5 with two home runs. It's the second 2HR game of his career, first since September 21, 2018. Since June 11, Gurriel is hitting .338/.390/.676. He also struck out last night for the first time since June 20, going 41 PAs between strikeouts. Bum. Hinch, on Gurriel:
He's getting pretty good pitches to hit and he's not missing them.
Gurriel, on how he likes hitting at Coors:
Mucho. Good stadium to hit in and the ball goes far.
Chandler Rome says the story behind Gurriel's resurgence begins with a conversation with Carlos Beltran.
*Jose Urquidy made his MLB debut last night and threw 3.2IP, 6H/2ER, 4K:1BB, throwing 52 of his 81 pitches for strikes. He got dinked (sic) on. Unlucky. He'll get another start Sunday. A.J. Reed was DFA'd to make room on the 40-Man Roster for Urquidy, and Reymin Guduan was optioned back to Round Rock to make room on the 25-Man.
Within that link we find that Correa and Diaz are working out at the team's Spring Training facility in West Palm Beach.
*Josh James kind of crapped the bed, getting four outs and allowing 3H/5R (4ER) with 1K:2BB. It's the second time this season he has allowed 4ER. He has allowed runs in 10 of his 31 appearances, and multiple runs in nine of those.
*Will Harris allowed four hits for the 4th time in his career and the first time in the regular season since July 8, 2016. It happened once in the 2015 ALDS but we do not speak of this. He worked himself out of a bases-loaded jam. Harris:
You know coming in you're just going to have to go out there and find a way to get three outs. You know you're going to give up hits and you just have to keep grinding.
*Chris Devenski, Ryan Pressly, and Roberto Osuna closed the door on the Rockies, combining for 3IP, 1H/0ER, 5K:1BB.
*Holdt up a minute: Baseball-Reference has their own Playoff Odds tracker and they say the Twins (10.3%) have a better chance of winning the World Series than the Astros (9.5%)? And the Dodgers have a 1-in-3 chance? GTFOH. Related from Buster Olney: Can the Twins keep winning?
*The County Mountie has some potential spin rate trade targets for your reading pleasure.
*The Astros signed #14 international prospect Dauri Lorenzo yesterday, and 12 other international players.
*The Athletic's Marc Carig has a good piece on potential trade target Zack Wheeler.
*The Braves just couldn't score enough for Dallas Keuchel.
*The Ringer: The 2019 Orioles might be the 1927 Yankees of awful.
*Wired: A costly reminder that you don't actually own your E-books.
*Cain and Abel and Oil.
*A Musical Selection:
Posted by Astros County
Labels: Colorado Rockies, Dauri Lorenzo, George Springer, Jose Altuve, Jose Urquidy, Rumors, Yulieski Gurriel, Zack Wheeler
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This plays into the conspiracy theory that Hitler didn't commit suicide in 1945, but actually escaped Berlin and managed to flee, undetected, to either Brazil or Argentina--where he lived out his remaining days.
The story opens with a coffin--carrying a very special passenger--being loaded onto the submarine U-239, destined for South America. Lieutenant Hegel, of course, follows his orders without question, and is only told that it's the body of a very important Nazi that must not fall into enemy hands. Over the course of the 10-day journey, several crew members disappear, or meet mysterious, accidental deaths on board the submarine (which hints of Dracula's journey to Whitby aboard the Demeter). As the body count rises, Hegel starts to question why his men, who were some of the bravest in the Third Reich, have been abandoning all hope by taking their own lives--or even killing each other.
It's only then that Hegel discovers the very important passenger is very much alive--and it's the Führer! Although the Lieutenant is (obviously) taken aback, Hitler assures him that he was only posing as a corpse to fool the enemy, in the event the submarine was intercepted en route to South America. As the most-decorated U-boat commander, Hegel was chosen to deliver Hitler safely and securely, so he can rise once again to build a new German navy!
Hegel believes the story, but worries that with so few crew members remaining, they'll never reach their destination. It's only after inadvertently witnessing the death of the last crew member that he discovers the horrible truth: Hitler has been turned into a vampire!
Hegel has a crisis of conscience. This isn't the leader that he swore his life to protect; this is a monstrosity, a Devil, a man perverted by science. So the honourable Lieutenant takes matters into his own hands.


text:
Materials & Methods
extreme lateral inter body fusion, xlif, colon injuries, spine surgery
Risks of Colon Injuries in Extreme Lateral Approaches to the Lumbar Spine: An Anatomical Study
Emre Yilmaz, Joe Iwanaga, Marc Moisi, Ronen Blecher, Amir Abdul-Jabbar, Tamir Tawfik, Rod J. Oskouian, R. Shane Tubbs
Emre Yilmaz , Joe Iwanaga, Marc Moisi, Ronen Blecher, Amir Abdul-Jabbar, Tamir Tawfik, Rod J. Oskouian, R. Shane Tubbs
Published: January 29, 2018 (see history)
Cite this article as: Yilmaz E, Iwanaga J, Moisi M, et al. (January 29, 2018) Risks of Colon Injuries in Extreme Lateral Approaches to the Lumbar Spine: An Anatomical Study. Cureus 10(1): e2122. doi:10.7759/cureus.2122
The extreme lateral interbody fusion technique (XLIF) is a modification of the retroperitoneal approach to the lumbar spine. This is a minimally invasive technique allowing direct access to the disc space without peritoneal or posterior paraspinal musculature damage. Nevertheless, the retroperitoneal part of the colon can be injured in this operative technique. To our knowledge, a study analyzing the anatomical considerations of the extreme lateral interbody fusion technique with regards to potential colon injuries has not been previously performed. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the potential risk of colon injuries during the extreme lateral approach to the lumbar spine.
The extreme lateral approach to the lumbar spine was performed on four fresh-frozen cadaveric sides. K-wires were placed into the intervertebral discs and positioned at L1/L2, L2/L3, L3/L4, and L4/L5 levels. Next, the distances from the wires to the most posterior aspect of the adjacent ascending or descending colon were measured.
The mean distance from the intervertebral disc space to the ascending or descending colon was 23.2 mm at the L2/L3 level, 29.5 mm at the L3/L4 level, and 40.3 mm at the L4/L5 level. The L1/L2 level was above the colon on both sides.
Our study quantified the relationship of the retroperitoneal colon during an extreme lateral interbody fusion approach. Our results, as well as previously described cases of bowel perforations, suggest a greater risk for colon injuries at the L2/3 and L3/4 levels.
Minimally invasive approaches to the anterior lumbar spine have evolved in order to improve treatment and reduce approach-related morbidity [1]. One such approach is the extreme lateral transpoas approach as first described by Ozgur et al. in 2006 [2]. The extreme lateral approach to the lumbar spine is a modification of the retroperitoneal approach to the lumbar spine. Intraoperative monitoring is used and the space between the 12th rib and the highest part of the iliac crest is entered. The extreme lateral interbody fusion technique is a minimally invasive technique allowing direct access to the disc space and without peritoneal or posterior paraspinal musculature involvement [3-7].
Despite its minimally invasive nature, the overall complication rate for the lateral approach based on the literature is about 18%. For example, weakness of the psoas major has been reported in 1-8% of patients following this procedure. Postoperative sensory nerve injury is reported to range from 5-49%. The most commonly reported injury is a nerve injury. Vascular and bowel injuries are rare complications associated with this approach [8]. However, Rodgers et al. found no vascular or intraoperative visceral injuries in 600 patients undergoing the lateral approach [9]. Nevertheless, the retroperitoneal parts (ascending and descending) of the colon can be injured with this approach [10, 11].
To our knowledge, a study analyzing the anatomical considerations of the extreme lateral approach to the lumbar spine and potential colon injuries has not been previously performed. Therefore, the aim of this cadaveric study was to evaluate the potential risk of colon injury during an extreme lateral approach to the lumbar spine.
We performed an anatomical study on four sides from two fresh, frozen, and thawed adult cadavers (one male, 81 years at death; one female, 73 years at death) in a surgical training facility (Seattle Science Foundation, Seattle, Washington, USA). The dissections were initially performed in the prone position between the 12th rib and highest point of the iliac crest on each side. The latissimus dorsi muscle and the thoracolumbar fascia were dissected. The retroperitoneum was opened and the fat tissue was removed. Next, the cadavers were positioned in the direct lateral position (90°) and K-wires were placed into the intervertebral discs. The placement was confirmed using anteroposterior (Figure 1) and lateral fluoroscopy (Figure 2).
Figure 1: Labeled anteroposterior radiograph of the lumbar spine showing the placement of the wires which were used for the measurements.
Figure 2: Labeled lateral radiograph of the lumbar spine showing the placement of the wires which were used for the measurements.
All wires were placed by fellowship-trained spine surgeons. The wires were positioned at L1/L2, L2/L3, L3/L4, and L4/L5 levels. After this, the distances from the wires to the most posterior aspect of the adjacent ascending or descending colon were measured by two different surgeons and the average of the measurements taken (Figure 3, 4).
Figure 3: Lateral view showing the wire placement into the intervertebral disc spaces.
Figure 4: Posterior view of the retroperitoneal dissection.
Measurements were made using microcalipers (Mitutoyo, Kanagawa, Japan) with a resolution of 0.01 mm and an accuracy of ±0.025mm.
No scoliosis or other anatomical variants were observed in any of the specimens. No past surgical scars were noted in the areas dissected. No gross pathology or anatomical variations were seen in the areas dissected. The mean distance from the intervertebral disc space to the posterior edge of the ascending and descending colon was 23.2 mm (6.0-41.0mm) at the L2/L3 level, 29.5 mm (14.0-45.0mm) at the L3/L4 level and, 40.3 mm (20.0-60.0mm) at the L4/L5 level. The L1/L2 level was above the colon on both sides. No grossly visible differences were noted between the two specimens. These results are summarized in Table 1.
Specimen 1 right side (mm) Specimen 1 left side (mm) Specimen 2 right side (mm) Specimen 2 left side (mm)
L1/L2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 mean (mm)
Colon X X X X X X X X X
Colon X X 41 40 X X 6 6 23.3
Colon X X 14 14 X X 45 45 29.5
Table 1: Measurements from lumbar intervertebral disc spaces to the ascending and descending colon.
Minimally invasive approaches such as the extreme lateral lumbar interbody fusion have been shown to achieve similar or better outcomes in regards to pain and disability relief compared to direct approaches [8, 12-15]. Furthermore, studies suggest a lower complication rate with less blood loss, decreased risk of vascular or lumbar plexus injuries, decreased costs, and a shorter length of hospital stay [8, 9, 16-20].
Bowel injuries are rare, undesirable, and sometimes life-threatening complications that can occur after anterior lumbar spinal surgeries [9, 11, 21, 22].
In the present study, we analyzed the anatomical relations of the retroperitoneal parts of the colon to the intervertebral disc space of the lumbar spine in order to better understand the mechanisms leading to a bowel injury during the extreme lateral lumbar approach. We found that the ascending and descending colon are at risk, especially at the L2/L3 and L3/4 levels. The average distance from the disc space to the colon on left and right sides was 23.3 mm and 29.5 mm respectively. During a L4/L5 extreme lateral lumbar approach the distance was greater with an average distance of 40.3 mm from the disc space to the colon. Therefore, based on our cadaveric study, injury to the colon at this level would be less, compared to proximal lumbar levels during lateral approaches.
To our knowledge only two cases of bowel injuries after extreme lateral interbody fusion are described in the literature. Balsano et al. reported the case of a 70-year-old male who underwent an L3/4 and L4/5 extreme lateral transpsoas approach for interbody fusion. The patient suffered a perforation of the splenic flexure of the colon and required surgical intervention with a temporary colostomy for three months [10]. In their series, Tormenti et al. reported one bowel perforation out of eight scoliotic patients undergoing lateral transpsoas approaches. Specifically, a cecal perforation occurred, which necessitated an emergency exploratory laparotomy and bowel resection. As suggested by Tormenti et al., the rotatory component of scoliotic spines changes the topographical anatomy and could significantly increase the risk of damage to intra- and retroperitoneal structures [11]. In these cases, the preoperative imaging should be analyzed thoughtfully. The literature is lacking in studies analyzing topographical changes in scoliotic patients or analyzing anatomical variations related to the extreme lateral interbody fusion procedure.
To prevent injury of peritoneal and retroperitoneal components, complete access to the retroperitoneal space is necessary. The muscle fibers have to be carefully spread and dilators and retractors placed through the space of the lateral border of the psoas major muscle. Careful removal of the retractor and ensuring that there are no obvious injuries to the bowel are crucial.
Our cadaveric study quantitated a close relationship of the retroperitoneal colon during extreme lateral interbody fusion procedures. Our results as well as the previous described cases of bowel perforations in the literature suggest a greater risk for injuries at the L2/3 and L3/4 levels during lateral approaches to the spine. Moreover, scoliotic spines might lead to a greater risk of colonic injuries.
Balsano M, Carlucci S, Ose M, Boriani L: A case report of a rare complication of bowel perforation in extreme lateral interbody fusion. Eur Spine J. 2015, 24:405–408. 10.1007/s00586-015-3881-6
Caputo AM, Michael KW, Chapman TM, Massey GM, Howes CR, Isaacs RE, Brown CR: Clinical outcomes of extreme lateral interbody fusion in the treatment of adult degenerative scoliosis. ScientificWorldJournal. 2012, 680643. 10.1100/2012/680643
Formica M, Zanirato A, Cavagnaro L, Basso M, Divano S, Felli L, Formica C: Extreme lateral interbody fusion in spinal revision surgery: clinical results and complications. Eur Spine J. 2017, 4:464-470. 10.1007/s00586-017-5115-6
Isaacs RE, Sembrano JN, Tohmeh AG, Group SDS: Two-year comparative outcomes of MIS lateral and MIS transforaminal interbody fusion in the treatment of degenerative spondylolisthesis: part II: radiographic findings. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2012, 41:133–144. 10.1097/BRS.0000000000001472
Keerthi I, Dhillon CS, Shetty MB: Late-onset bowel perforation and iliac artery erosion after prominent anterior spinal instrumentation. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2012, 37:22. 10.1097/BRS.0b013e318267f813
Khajavi K, Shen A, Lagina M, Hutchison A: Comparison of clinical outcomes following minimally invasive lateral interbody fusion stratified by preoperative diagnosis. Eur Spine J. 2015, 3:322–330. 10.1007/s00586-015-3840-2
Malham GM, Ellis NJ, Parker RM, Seex KA: Clinical outcome and fusion rates after the first 30 extreme lateral interbody fusions. ScientificWorldJournal. 2012, 10.1100/2012/246989
Ozgur BM, Aryan HE, Pimenta L, Taylor WR: Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF): a novel surgical technique for anterior lumbar interbody fusion. Spine J. 2006, 6:435–443. 10.1016/j.spinee.2005.08.012
Patel VC, Park DK, Herkowitz HN: Lateral transpsoas fusion: indications and outcomes. ScientificWorldJournal. 2012, 893608, 10.1100/2012/893608
Pereira EA, Farwana M, Lam KS: Extreme lateral interbody fusion relieves symptoms of spinal stenosis and low-grade spondylolisthesis by indirect decompression in complex patients. J Clin Neurosci. 2017, 35:56–61.
Rodgers WB, Gerber EJ, Patterson J: Intraoperative and early postoperative complications in extreme lateral interbody fusion: an analysis of 600 cases. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2011, 36:26–32. 10.1097/BRS.0b013e3181e1040a
Rodgers WB, Gerber EJ, Patterson JR: Fusion after minimally disruptive anterior lumbar interbody fusion: Analysis of extreme lateral interbody fusion by computed tomography. SAS J. 2010, 4:63–66. 10.1016/j.esas.2010.03.001
Rodgers WB, Gerber EJ, Rodgers JA: Lumbar fusion in octogenarians: the promise of minimally invasive surgery. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2010, 35:355–360. 10.1097/BRS.0b013e3182023796
Ruf M, Voigt A, Kupczyk-Joeris D, Merk HR: Perforation of the sigmoid colon due to intradiscal spacer dislocation. Eur Spine J. 2011, 2:289–293. 10.1007/s00586-011-1696-7
Saraph V, Lerch C, Walochnik N, Bach CM, Krismer M, Wimmer C: Comparison of conventional versus minimally invasive extraperitoneal approach for anterior lumbar interbody fusion. Eur Spine J. 2004, 13:425–431. 10.1007/s00586-004-0722-4
Sembrano JN, Tohmeh A, Isaacs R, Group SDS: Two-year comparative outcomes of MIS lateral and MIS transforaminal interbody fusion in the treatment of degenerative spondylolisthesis: part I: clinical findings. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2016, 41:123–132.
Smith WD, Christian G, Serrano S, Malone KT: A comparison of perioperative charges and outcome between open and mini-open approaches for anterior lumbar discectomy and fusion. J Clin Neurosci. 2012, 5:673-680.
Smith WD, Wohns RN, Christian G, Rodgers EJ, Rodgers WB: Outpatient minimally invasive lumbar interbody: fusion predictive factors and clinical results. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2016, 41:106–122.
Tormenti MJ, Maserati MB, Bonfield CM, Okonkwo DO, Kanter AS: Complications and radiographic correction in adult scoliosis following combined transpsoas extreme lateral interbody fusion and posterior pedicle screw instrumentation. Neurosurg Focus. 2010, 28:7. 10.3171/2010.1.FOCUS09263
Wang MY, Mummaneni PV: Minimally invasive surgery for thoracolumbar spinal deformity: initial clinical experience with clinical and radiographic outcomes. Neurosurg Focus. 2010, 28:9. 10.3171/2010.1.FOCUS09286
Winder MJ, Gambhir S: Comparison of ALIF vs. XLIF for L4/5 interbody fusion: pros, cons, and literature review. J Spine Surg. 2016, 2:2–8. 10.21037/jss.2015.12.01
Youssef JA, McAfee PC, Patty CA, Raley E, DeBauche S, Shucosky E, Chotikul L: Minimally invasive surgery: lateral approach interbody fusion: results and review. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2010, 35:302–311. 10.1097/BRS.0b013e3182023438
Emre Yilmaz Corresponding Author
Surgery, Swedish Neuroscience Institute, Seattle, USA
Bergmannsheil Bochum, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, DEU
Joe Iwanaga
Medical Education and Simulation, Seattle Science Foundation, Seattle, USA
Marc Moisi
Neurosurgery, Seattle Science Foundation, Seattle, USA
Neurosurgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, USA
Ronen Blecher
Orthopedic Department, Assaf Harofeh, Affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
Swedish Medical Center, Swedish Neuroscience Institute, Seattle, USA
Amir Abdul-Jabbar
Orthopaedics, Swedish Neuroscience Institute, Seattle, USA
Tamir Tawfik
Swedish Medical Center, Swedish Neuroscience Institute
Rod J. Oskouian
Neurosurgery, Swedish Neuroscience Institute, Seattle, USA
R. Shane Tubbs
Human subjects: Consent was obtained by all participants in this study. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.
Yilmaz E, Iwanaga J, Moisi M, et al. (January 29, 2018) Risks of Colon Injuries in Extreme Lateral Approaches to the Lumbar Spine: An Anatomical Study. Cureus 10(1): e2122. doi:10.7759/cureus.2122
Received by Cureus: January 15, 2018
Peer review began: January 19, 2018
Peer review concluded: January 22, 2018
Yilmaz et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY 3.0., which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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text:
A ZENIT DAILY DISPATCH
Female Servers in the Extraordinary Form
ROME, 8 SEPT. 2009 (ZENIT)
Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.
Q: Is there any definitive answer available regarding the use of female servers at celebrations of the extraordinary form of the Roman rite? — A.J., Pontypridd, Wales
A: Although a clarifying instruction on several such questions was frequently described as "imminent," a long time has passed and it would seem that it is still in the pipeline.
All the same, it is important to remember that, even in the ordinary form, the use of female altar servers is in virtue of a specific permission and is not automatic. As the Holy See has explained on several occasions, the local bishop may permit the use of female servers but may not oblige the pastor to use them.
Also, the Holy Father's motu proprio granting permission for the celebrations of the extraordinary form was for the Roman Missal according to the edition issued under Pope John XXIII. Since the rubrics of this missal in no way contemplate the possibility of female servers, then it must be surmised that only altar boys or adult men are allowed as servers in the extraordinary form of the Roman rite.
To help us to understand the underlying logic behind this we can reflect on a particular situation.
It appears there was at least one case in which women were allowed some functions habitually carried out by the servers. In the preface to the 1936 first edition of H.E. Calnan's guide for altar servers, he mentions the following circumstance: "In most parishes, a dozen influences combine to restrict the supply of efficient Mass servers. Layfolk must be asked to serve at short notice, or without warning. A woman with knowledge of Latin may venture, because she has only to answer and not to move about."
The case foreseen here is when there were no assigned altar servers present. In such a plight a woman with knowledge of Latin could do the responses.
A woman could carry out this role because it was properly speaking a role of the assembly. In making the Latin responses the altar boys in a way represented and substituted the assembly, who frequently did not know the liturgical language. One of the challenges of being an altar boy (and a source of legitimate pride to his parents) was memorizing the Latin texts to be recited.
However, years before the conciliar reform there was already a liturgical movement that encouraged the whole assembly's recitation of these parts, and not just the server. This practice is relatively common today among communities that habitually celebrate the extraordinary form.
Father Calnan's mention that the woman "has only to answer and not move about" makes it clear that she did not carry out any of the other functions of the altar boy in serving the Mass. Since in these roles the altar servers substituted some of the functions of those who had received minor orders (and who were thus canonically numbered among the clergy), only males could carry out these functions.
In the ordinary form the clerical minor orders have been replaced by the lay ministries of lector and acolyte. However, even though they are lay ministries, only males may be instituted as lectors and acolytes. Since instituted lectors and acolytes are uncommon in most parishes, other lay readers and servers may be delegated. At this stage the rubrics allow either men or women to be chosen as readers and, were permitted, as servers.
In the extraordinary form, though, the minor orders and the liturgical logic behind them still exist. For this reason I would say that in this form the rule reserving altar service to boys or men remains in force.
Follow-up: Female Servers in the Extraordinary Form [9-22-2009]
In the wake of our Sept. 8 reply on the use of female altar servers in the extraordinary form of the Roman rite, we received two very interesting comments from our readers.
A Canadian correspondent, an expert canonist, wrote: "I read your recent response concerning use of female altar servers at Masses celebrated according to the extraordinary form with great interest. I recently prepared a similar reply to this same topic in the 2008 edition of Roman Replies and CLSA Advisory Opinions, published by the Canon Law Society of America: C.J. Glendinning, 'Use of Female Altar Servers in Liturgical Celebrations using the Extraordinary Form,' in S. Verbeek, et al. (eds.), 2008 Roman Replies and CLSA Advisory Opinions, Washington, Canon Law Society of America, pp. 77-79.
"I reached a different conclusion, based on CIC/83, cc. 6, 20 and the authentic interpretation of c. 230, §2, 6 June 1994 (AAS, 86 [1994], p. 541).
"You state: 'Since the rubrics of this missal in no way contemplate the possibility of female servers, then it must be surmised that only altar boys or adult men are allowed as servers in the extraordinary form of the Roman rite.'
"The reasons why the rubrics 'in no way contemplate the possibility of female servers' is because female servers were restricted by the 1917 Code (c. 813, §2). The 1917 Code is now completely abrogated, along with the prohibition on female altar servers, in virtue of the promulgation of the 1983 Code (c. 6). This was confirmed by means of an authentic interpretation of c. 230, §2. Such interpretations have the same force as the law itself (c. 16, §2).
"Due to the above juridical considerations, I concluded: 'If female altar servers are employed in other celebrations of the Mass according to the ordinary form, there is no reason to restrict the use of female altar servers when utilizing the 1962 Roman Missal on the basis of abrogated liturgical discipline. Of course, the liturgical setting of the extraordinary form, and the sensibilities of the faithful would be especially important to consider when deciding whether to permit the use of female altar servers when celebrating according to the extraordinary form of the Roman rite. Nevertheless, the same disciplinary laws — the ius vigens — govern these two usages of the one Roman rite' (p. 79)."
An Irish reader also wrote: "Father, I must respectfully disagree with something from your column. You wrote, 'In the ordinary form the clerical minor orders have been replaced by the lay ministries of lector and acolyte,' and 'In the extraordinary form, though, the minor orders and the liturgical logic behind them still exist.'
"I don't think this is accurate. Subdiaconate no longer exists as an order (though the title and role may be retained by acolytes, as is the case, I think, in Greece) and there are no minor orders. There is no provision for someone to enter into minor orders for use in the extraordinary form.
"There is a danger of confusing rubrics, role, function and office. I've heard of priests reluctant to allow permanent deacons to exercise their functions at high Mass because there were no permanent deacons before Vatican II. This is nonsense. Today we have instituted acolytes and lectors and, as always, ordinary laypeople. The rubrics of the extraordinary form have to be interpreted to take account of those realities. For example, the Holy See has determined that an instituted acolyte may carry out the functions previously assigned to subdeacon but he doesn't become a subdeacon. You can't say the extraordinary form has subdeacons and the ordinary form doesn't. Neither form now has subdeacons because they don't exist.
"As regards female servers, I think they're bad for vocational promotion reasons. But if the bishop allows them, and the pastor has no objections, I cannot see how the rubrics can be used to prevent their use in the extraordinary form.
"I am very happy that the Pope has allowed and encouraged the use of the two forms, but it cannot be understood as creating two churches or two rites — the Pope warned very much about that danger."
As I have stated before, I am not a trained canonist and must defer to the experts in canonical interpretation. In investigating my reply, however, I found different opinions and was more convinced by the argument that Pope Benedict XVI's authorization was specifically to celebrate Mass according to the texts and rubrics of the missal promulgated by Blessed John XXIII.
Since the Holy Father's motu proprio is also law, its prescriptions to follow the rubrics of the 1962 missal could also be considered as binding. Likewise, as the most recent law, it could also be interpreted as the actual ius vigens which by mandating the use of the 1962 missal establishes an exception to the general principle established in the 1994 authentic interpretation of Canon 232.2. We should also remember that this decision was taken in the context of the new liturgical books and new Code of Canon Law and need not be retroactively applied to the rubrics of a rite that moves in a different canonical and theological context.
The canonical implications of the motu proprio are admittedly murky; however, and, while awaiting a definitive clarification from the Holy See, I would still tend to consider that female altar servers are not allowed in the extraordinary form.
In response to my fellow countryman, I would agree with him that the instituted acolyte can carry out the functions of the subdeacon. I also agree with him that it is wrong to impede a permanent deacon from serving in the extraordinary form, because there is no difference in orders between a permanent and transitory deacon.
I would not quite agree with him that the order of subdeacon no longer exists. It certainly exists and is fully approved by the Church for those congregations, such as the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), dedicated to the exclusive celebration of the extraordinary form. Likewise there is no fundamental reason why the Holy Father could not restore it for other seminarians outside the ambience of those congregations.
Since the Church has approved the use of the subdiaconate for the extraordinary form, there is no danger of creating two Churches or infringing unity.
That the Church can live with the two forms of the Roman rite with distinct orders of ministers — one with minor orders and the other with only lay ministries — shows that it can also get by with one form having the possibility of female altar servers and the other without it.
This article has been selected from the ZENIT Daily Dispatch
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text:
\section{Introduction}

In black-hole (BHXB) and neutron-star (NSXB) X-ray binaries, the transfer
of mass from the optical companion to the compact star is mediated by an
optically thick, geometrically thin, accretion disk. Because the mass
to radius ratio in neutron stars and black holes is similar\footnote{A 5$~{\rm M}_\odot$
black hole has a Schwarzchild radius of $\sim$ 15 km.}, the characteristic
velocities and dynamical time scales near the compact object are also
similar ($v\sim 0.5c$, $t \simless 1$ ms). Thus, it is not
surprising that BHXB and NSXB show very similar  X-ray spectral and
temporal characteristics
\citep{vanderklis94,maccarone03,vanderklis05,barret04,disalvo06,munoz14}.

It is generally accepted that  the X-ray spectral continuum of BHXB and
NSXB results from the sum of two main components: one thermal component
which follows a blackbody distribution and another non-thermal component
that is best described as a power law. The thermal component dominates at
lower energies, hence it is referred to as the soft component, while the
power-law component extends up to a few hundred keV and it is often known as
the "hard tail"  \citep{barret04,mclintock06,lin07,done07,church12}.

In BHXB, the soft thermal component is  attributed to the emission from
the innermost, hotter regions of the accretion disk, while the hard power
law results from Comptonization of low-energy photons by energetic
electrons.  The physical origin of the Comptonizing medium could be an
advection-dominated accretion flow \citep{narayan94,esin97}, a low angular
momentum accretion flow \citep{ghosh11,garain12}, or a radio jet
\citep{band86,georganopoulos02,reig03, giannios05, markoff05}.

In NSXB, the emission spectrum is more complex owing to the presence of a
hard surface. Thus below $\sim$ 10 keV, NSXB may display two soft
components: a single-temperature blackbody from the neutron star  surface
or from the boundary layer between the disk and the neutron star and a
multi-temperature blackbody from the accretion disk
\citep{mitsuda84,gilfanov03}. The temperature of the neutron star photons
is expected to be higher ($kT\sim 2-3$ keV) than that of the disk soft
photons ($kT\sim 1$ keV), because the effective area of the neutron star
surface is more compact than that of the accretion disk
\citep{farinelli07}. Above $\sim$ 20 keV, the most prominent spectral
feature in the X-ray spectrum of NSXB is a power-law distribution (the hard
tail), that usually extends  up to 200--300 keV without evidence for a
cutoff
\citep{disalvo00,disalvo01,iaria01,damico01,farinelli05,migliari07,ding11}.

Both kinds of binary systems exhibit distinct spectral states in response
to changes in the mass accretion rate, for example, in the course of an
outburst. The main of these states are generally referred to as soft  and
hard, depending on whether the bulk of the luminosity is radiated below or
above a few keV, respectively.

Another common property to both BHXB and NSXB is the presence of radio jets
\citep{fender04,migliari06}. Optically thick, compact, steady radio
emission is detected during the low (in the 1-20 keV band) X-ray lumonisity
hard state, while optically thin radio flares occur during transitions from
the hard to the soft sate. The jet is quenched in the soft state, when
the X-ray luminosity approaches the Eddington limit
\citep{paizis06,migliari07,miller-jones10}.

A useful way to describe the rich phenomenology exhibited by these systems
in the X-ray band is the hardness-luminosity diagram (HLD). In the HLD, BHXB
and NSXB display distinct curves, along which the sources move smoothly
as the mass accretion rate varies.
In Kylafis \& Belloni (2015), a physical inerpretation was offered for the
phenomenology of BHXB along the q-shaped curve in the HLD.
In NSXB, the shape of the curve in the HLD devides them
into $Z$ sources and {\it atoll} sources
\citep{hasinger89,vanderklis06}. The three branches that form the Z-shaped
HLD are called horizontal (HB), normal (NB), and flaring (FB) branches.
The  HB corresponds to the hardest X-ray state, while the FB is the soft
state. In the case of atoll NSXB, the branches are called island and banana
branches, with subcategories such as extreme island and lower and upper
banana. The extreme island branch corresponds to the hardest spectral sate.
The hard tail has been detected in almost all the currently known Z
sources  \citep{disalvo02} and many of the atoll sources
\citep{paizis06}.

The association of the compact radio jet and the X-ray hard tail with a
specific region of the source in the HLD is well documented in BHXB
\citep{fender09} and NSXB \citep{paizis06,migliari06}. Both the radio
emission and the strength of the hard tail become weaker at higher
accretion rates. Radio and hard X-rays show the strongest intensity in the
hard states of BHXB, the horizontal branch of $Z$-NSXB
\citep{hjellming90b,migliari07,dai07}, and the island or lower banana
states in {\it atoll}-NSXB \citep{migliari03}. In BHXB, radio emission is
absent in the soft sate. In some NSXB, radio emission may be still detected
in the softer states, albeit highly reduced \citep{homan04}.

While there is a general consensus that the radio emission is produced by a
compact jet, the physical origin of the hard tail is not well understood.
It naturally arises from Comptonization, however, the details of how the
electrons acquire their energy (thermal, non-termal, or  bulk motion)  and
the source of seed photons (neutron-star surface, inner accretion disk,
synchrotron photons) remain unclear
\citep{barret00,disalvo06,paizis06,lin07,markoff05,farinelli09,revnivtsev14}.
A weak hard tail contributing a small percentage of the total flux
($\simless 3$\%) is also detected in the soft state, when the jet is
quenched or absent \citep[see, e.g.,][and references therein]{mclintock06}.
In this state, the power-law tail is thought to come from Comptonization in
non-thermal flares above and below the thermal disk
\citep{Poutanen97,gierlinski99}.

In a series of papers
\citep{reig03,giannios04,giannios05,kylafis08,reig15}, we showed that
Compton upscattering of soft photons from the accretion disk in the jet can
explain a number of observational relations between the spectral and timing
parameters in the hard state of BHXB. Our results clearly demonstrate that
jets play a central role in all the observed phenomena, not only in the
radio emission.  Motivated by the similarities of the X-ray spectral
continuum in BHXB and NSXB and {\it especially by the clear connection  of
the presence of a hard tail with a radio-loud state of the source}, we
investigate whether our model can also account for the spectral properties
of NSXB.

Our objective in this paper is to demonstrate that
emission from the neutron-star surface plus Comptonization in a jet
can reproduce the observed spectra of bright NSXB, namely a soft thermal
component that is well described by a blackbody distribution with $kT=2-3$
keV and a hard tail that follows a power-law with photon index in the range
1.8--3 with no evidence for a cutoff up to 200--300 keV.

\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=8cm]{./fig1.eps}
\end{center}
\caption[]{Emergent spectra from the Monte Carlo simulations. The models
plotted correspond to a fixed $\gamma_{\rm min}=3.34$ ($v_{\perp}=0.52c$)
and optical depth $\tau=0.1,0.25,0.5,0.75,1.0,1.25,1.5$. The input source of photons
follows a blackbody distribution with $kT=2.5$ keV.
The normalization of the input blackbody
was chosen so that the hard component contributes
about 5\% of the 0.1-300 keV luminosity. In the energy range covered by
current missions ($<300$ keV) the hard tail shows no break.}
\label{fig1}
\end{figure}

\section{The model}
\label{model}

The model that we have used  in this work is identical to that used in
\citet{reig15}.   For our Monte Carlo code we follow
\citet{pozdnyakov83}.  Photons from a blackbody distribution of
temperature $kT_{bb}$ are injected at the
base of the jet with an upward isotropic distribution. As the photons
travel through the medium, they experience Compton scatterings with the
spiraling electrons. In each scattering, the photons gain
on average energy from the bulk
motion (i.e. $v_{\parallel}$ and $v_{\perp}$) of the electrons.
Comptonization can
occur everywhere in the jet. The optical depth to electron scattering, the
energy change and the new direction of the photons after scattering are
computed using the corresponding relativistic expressions. Each model is
run for $10^7$ photons. More details of how the code works can be found in
\citet{kylafis08}.

Since we are not interested in reproducing the radio
spectrum \citep[see][]{giannios05}, we have assumed mono-energetic
electrons in the jet with  Lorentz factor equal to the smallest in the
distribution, namely

\begin{equation}
\label{lorenzt}
\gamma_{\rm min}=\frac{1}{\sqrt{1-(v_{\parallel}^2+v_{\perp}^2)/c^2}},
\end{equation}

\noindent where $v_\parallel = v_0 =$ constant
is the terminal velocity of the jet and $v_\perp$ is the
smallest peprendicular velocity of the electrons in the lab frame.

The flow velocity in the jet is given by

\begin{equation}
\label{accel}
v_{\parallel}(z) =
\begin{cases}
v_0 ~ (z/z_1)^p  & \text{if } 0< z \leqslant z_1\\
v_0                   & \text{if } z> z_1,
\end{cases}
\end{equation}

\noindent where $z_1$ and $p$ are parameters.  In other words, the jet has an
acceleration region of thickness $z_1$, beyond which the flow has
constant velocity $v_0$.

For a parabolic jet, i.e. one whose radius at height $z$ is
$R(z)=R_0(z/z_0)^{1/2}$, the electron density is obtained from the
continuity equation and for $z>z_1$ it is inversely proportional to $z$.

The fixed parameters of our models and their reference values are:   the
radius $R_0 = 50 \, R_{\rm NS}$ of the base of the jet, where  $R_{\rm
NS}=1.25 \times 10^6$ cm is the radius of the neutron star,  the distance
$z_0 = 1 \, R_{\rm NS}$ of the bottom of the jet from the neutron
star center, the
height $H=10^5 \, R_{\rm NS}$ of the jet, the terminal velocity $v_0= 0.8
c$ of the jet,  the thickness $z_1= 5 \, R_{\rm NS}$ of the acceleration
zone, the exponent $p=1/2$, and the temperature  $kT_{bb} = 2.5$ keV of the
soft-photon input.

The parameters of our model that we have varied are the Thomson optical
depth $\tau_{\parallel}$ along the axis of the jet and the  minimum Lorentz
factor $\gamma_{\rm min}$. Since $v_0$ is  a constant in our models, the
variation of $\gamma_{\rm min}$ is equivalent to a variation in
$v_{\perp}$.

Because the jet is relativistic, the results also depend on the angle
$\theta$ of observation with respect to the jet axis.  Here we consider an
intermediate range of observing angles $0.2 < \cos \theta < 0.6$.
Practically, for the Monte Carlo simulation this means that we count only
photons that leave the jet in this range of angles.

 \begin{figure}[!t]
   \centering
   \includegraphics[width=8cm]{./fig2.eps}
   \caption{Photon index and cutoff energy as functions of $\tau_{\parallel}$
   and $\gamma_{\rm min}$. On the left panels, each point represents a
   calculation with the same $\gamma_{\rm min}=3.34$ ($v_{\perp}=0.52c$)
   and different $\tau_{\parallel}$.  On the right panels, each point
   represents a calculation with the same $\tau_{\parallel}=1$ and different
   $\gamma_{\rm min}$. The scale of the Y-axis was left the same to
   faciliate the comparison.}
   \label{fig2}
 \end{figure}

\begin{table}
\caption{Results of our Monte Carlo simulations. Different models
correspond to different values of the optical depth ($\tau_{\parallel}$)
and perpendicular component of the electron velocity ($\gamma_{\rm min}$).
All the remaining parameters of the model were fixed at the reference
values (see Sect.~\ref{model}).}
\label{simu}
\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{cccc}
\hline	\hline
$\tau_{\parallel}$     &$\gamma_{\rm min}$/$v_{\perp}$ (c)     &$\Gamma$    &$E_{\rm c}$ (keV)       \\
\hline
0.10	&3.015/0.50    &3.30	&133	 \\
0.10	&3.164/0.51    &3.31	&172	 \\
0.10	&3.341/0.52    &3.28	&223	 \\
0.10	&3.556/0.53    &3.26	&314	 \\
0.10	&3.824/0.54    &3.27	&571	 \\
0.25	&3.015/0.50    &2.82	&151	 \\
0.25	&3.164/0.51    &2.82	&195	 \\
0.25	&3.341/0.52    &2.81	&253	 \\
0.25	&3.556/0.53    &2.79	&355	 \\
0.25	&3.824/0.54    &2.79	&566	 \\
0.50	&3.015/0.50    &2.44	&173	 \\
0.50	&3.164/0.51    &2.44	&219	 \\
0.50	&3.341/0.52    &2.43	&288	 \\
0.50	&3.556/0.53    &2.42	&392	 \\
0.50	&3.824/0.54    &2.41	&588	 \\
0.75	&3.015/0.50    &2.21	&187	 \\
0.75	&3.164/0.51    &2.20	&238	 \\
0.75	&3.341/0.52    &2.20	&309	 \\
0.75	&3.556/0.53    &2.19	&422	 \\
0.75	&3.824/0.54    &2.18	&604	 \\
1.00	&3.015/0.50    &2.01	&195	 \\
1.00	&3.164/0.51    &2.02	&251	 \\
1.00	&3.341/0.52    &2.01	&322	 \\
1.00	&3.556/0.53    &2.01	&438	 \\
1.00	&3.824/0.54    &2.00	&628	 \\
1.25	&3.015/0.50    &1.88	&205	 \\
1.25	&3.164/0.51    &1.89	&262	 \\
1.25	&3.341/0.52    &1.89	&344	 \\
1.25	&3.556/0.53    &1.88	&461	 \\
1.25	&3.824/0.54    &1.88	&665	 \\
1.50	&3.015/0.50    &1.73	&210	 \\
1.50	&3.164/0.51    &1.74	&268	 \\
1.50	&3.341/0.52    &1.74	&347	 \\
1.50	&3.556/0.53    &1.73	&457	 \\
1.50	&3.824/0.54    &1.73	&640	 \\
\hline
\hline
\end{tabular}
\end{center}
\end{table}

\section{Results}
\label{results}

The spectral parameters relevant to the present study are the photon index
of the hard-tail component and the cutoff energy. We have investigated the
dependence of these two quantities on the choice of two parameters of our
model, namely the optical depth and the electron velocity (see
Table~\ref{simu}).

Figure \ref{fig1} shows the emerging spectra that result from our
simulations using the reference values of the parameters reported in
Sect.~\ref{model} with $\gamma_{\rm min}=3.34$ ($v_{\perp}=0.52c$) and
various optical depths $\tau_{\parallel}$ =  0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0,
1.25, and 1.5. As it can be seen, although the spectra roll over above a
certain energy, this energy is well above 200-300 keV. Thus, up to 200 -
300 keV, the spectra are essentially pure power-laws with photon index
between 1.8--3, as observed. Figure \ref{fig2} shows the
photon index $\Gamma$ and the cutoff energy $E_{\rm c}$ as functions of
optical depth $\tau_{\parallel}$ and $\gamma_{\rm min}$ (or equivalently
$v_{\perp}$). The scale of the  vertical axis was kept the same in the two
plots to better assess the differences. The cutoff energy has a weak
dependence on $\tau_{\parallel}$ for the range of optical depths
considered, but it is strongly dependent of $\gamma_{\rm min}$ . This is
expected because the cutoff is mainly determined by the energetics of the
electrons \citep{giannios05}. In contrast, the photon index strongly
depends on $\tau_{\parallel}$, but only weakly on  $\gamma_{\rm min}$. The
reason is that the slope of the spectrum is very sensitive to the number of
scatterings, which increases with optical depth.

Because of the significant flow velocity in the jet, the up-scattered
photons escape preferentially in the forward direction. Thus we expect the
results to depend also on the angle $\theta$ of observation with respect to
the jet axis. The hardest spectra are found at small observation angles, as
these are the photons that have suffered the most energetic scatterings. The
cutoff energy increases as the observation angle decreases, but stabilizes
at intermediate angles. However, once the angle range is fixed, the
parameters follow a similar trend with optical depth and Lorentz gamma
factor, irrespective of the range considered.

We have also computed the time lag of hard photons in the energy range
7--40 keV with respect to softer photons in the range 2--7 keV. The
time-lag spectrum, i.e. the time lag as a function of Fourier frequency, is
shown in Fig.~\ref{fig3}. The spectra follow a power-law dependence on
Fourier  frequency $t_{\rm lag} \sim \nu^{-\beta}$,  with $\beta =
1.0\pm0.1$. This slope is somewhat steeper than the average slope measured
in black-hole binaries, $t_{\rm lag}\sim \nu^{-\alpha}$ with $\alpha =
0.7\pm0.1$ \citep{nowak99,pottschmidt03,cassatella12}, but agrees with the
results reported by \citet{olive01}.  We have not found a significant
dependence of the shape of the lag spectrum with either the optical depth
or $\gamma_{\rm min}$.

 \begin{figure}[!t]
   \centering
   \includegraphics[width=8cm]{./fig3.eps}
   \caption{Time-lag spectrum that results from the model with
  $\tau_{\parallel}=1$ and $\gamma_{\rm min}=3.34$. All the remaining parameters
  of the model were fixed at the reference values (see Sect.~\ref{model}).}
   \label{fig3}
 \end{figure}

\section{Discussion}

We have run Monte Carlo simulations of the Compton upscattering of soft
photons in an outflow moving at relativistic velocity (representing a radio
jet) and computed the emerging X-ray spectrum. The input parameters of the
model have been selected so that the results  match what is seen in
bright NSXB.  Assuming a blackbody input source of photons with $kT$=2.5
keV, our model reproduces very well the observed 1-300 keV X-ray spectrum
in the harder states, a power law continuum with a photon index $\Gamma$ in
the range 1.8--3 without evidence for a cutoff up to 200--300 keV.

The main difficulty of the models that seek to reproduce the
high-energy X-ray spectral
continuum in NSXB lies in explaining the absence of a cutoff, because the
spectrum resulting from Comptonization is expected to roll over at a certain
energy (an effect known as Compton recoil), when the energy of the photons
approaches that of the electrons. Various models have been put forward to
explain the absence of a cutoff in the hard tails: bulk motion
Comptonization \citep{bradshaw03,paizis06,farinelli07,farinelli08}, Comptonization by a
hybrid--thermal-non thermal corona
\citep{gierlinski99,ozel00,zdziarski01,farinelli05,revnivtsev14}, or
synchrotron emission from the electrons of a jet \citep{markoff05}. Because
of the limited sensitivity of current detectors at energies above $\sim$100
keV, statistically significant detections are given up to $\sim$200 keV,
typically. The spectral continuum could in principle still roll over at a
certain energy provided that this cutoff energy is larger than the limit
energy of the detectors\footnote{From the point of view of the energetics,
if the slope of the power law is $\Gamma \leq 2$, then the spectrum must
show a rollover at certain energy to prevent a diverging luminosity.}. Recently,
\citet{revnivtsev14} reported the highest lower limit on the cutoff energy
that has been detected so far: $E_{\rm c}> 330$ keV, at a  $2\sigma$
significance level.

This relatively high lower limit of the cutoff energy was used by
\citet{revnivtsev14} to rule out the bulk-motion Comptonization model. The
reason is that the cutoff energy in thermal and bulk-motion Comptonization
depends on the temperature and the velocity of the Comtonizing electrons,
respectively. For realistic values of $kT_e < 50$ keV and assuming
free-fall velocity $v_{\rm ff} \approx 0.5 c$
onto a neutron star of canonical mass ($1.4~{\rm M}_\odot$) and
radius ($10^6$ cm), the cutoff energy is expected
to be below 200 keV. Moreover, the radiation pressure expected to result
from the emission of
the neutron-star surface may reduce the infall velocity to less than
$0.2c$, decreasing the bulk motion Comptonization effect \citep{farinelli08}.

Observations collected over the past decade show that there exists a clear
connection between the X-ray spectral states and the radio emission in
NSXB. Similarly to BHXB,  the NSXB are radio loud in the hard state,
usually displaying a flat spectrum indicative of a relativistic jet. The
radio emission is quenched when the source enters the soft state in most
(but not all) cases
\citep{penninx88,hasinger90,hjellming90b,oosterbroek94,migliari06,migliari07,miller-jones10}.

Motivated by the disputed origin of the hard X-ray tail in NSXB and by the
clear relationship between the presence of this hard component and  radio
emission from the source in the form of a jet, we have investigated whether
the observed X-ray spectrum of NSXB can be reproduced by our jet model. Our
goal has been to reproduce the observed spectrum above $\sim$20 keV,
namely, a power-law distribution with a photon index in the range 1.8--3
and the absence of a high-energy cutoff up to an observed energy of  300
keV. In Sect.~\ref{results}, we demonstrated that such a range of photon
indices can be obtained with an optical depth varying in the range $0.1
\le \tau_{\parallel} \le 1.5$ (Table~\ref{simu}). The lack of a cutoff in
the observed spectra translates into cutoff energies above 200 keV in our
models. These energies are obtained when the electrons move with
$\gamma_{\rm min} \simmore 3.2$  ($v_{\perp} \simmore 0.52 c$, for
$v_{\parallel} = 0.8 c$). Note that, in principle, and contrary to the bulk
motion Comptonization model, there is no restriction on the velocity
components of the electrons in the jet, provided that the parallel
component is significantly larger than the perpendicular component.
Therefore, although we selected models that give cutoff energies above but
not too far from 300 keV, we could increase our limit on $E_{\rm c}$ simply
by increasing $\gamma_{\rm min}$ (see Fig~\ref{fig2}).  Note that such high
$\gamma_{\rm min}$ is possible, since \citet{fomalont01b}, who studied the
evolution of the radio emission in  Sco X--1, found that  $v > 0.95 c$.

\subsection{Comparison with black-hole binaries}

There are two major differences between the jets in NSXB and BHXB: {\em i)}
the radio luminosities of neutron-star jets are typically $\sim$30 times
lower than those of black-hole jets at comparable X-ray luminosities
\citep{fender01, migliari03} and {\em ii)} radio emission is not completely
quenched in the soft state of some NSXB \citep{migliari04}, as opposed to
their non-detection in BHXB, when they are in the same state.

Both of these differences have been addressed successfully in
\citet{kylafis12}, where the formation and the destruction of jets is
explained using the Cosmic Battery
\citep{contopoulos98,contopoulos06,christodoulou08}.

That the radio luminosity is significantly lower in neutron-star
jets than in black-hole ones can be understood as follows:
while the radio luminosity scales as $\dot m M$ for both types
of compact object (here, $\dot m$ is the mass accretion rate
in units of the Eddington value and $M$ is the mass of the compact object),
the X-ray luminosity
due to the ADAF-like inner accretion flow scales as $\dot m M$ for
neutron stars and as $\dot m^2 M$ for black holes
\citep{narayan97, migliari06, abramowicz13}.
Thus, for comparable X-ray luminosities, the radio luminosity of
neutron-star jets is $\sim \dot m$ times smaller than that of black-hole ones.

The radio emission is quenched in the soft state of BHXB, because the
Cosmic Battery works very inefficiently when the accretion flow is in the
form of a Shakura-Sunyayev type \citep{shakura73}.  On the other hand, in
low-mass NSXB with weak magnetic field ($B\sim 10^{8}-10^{9}$ G), the
Cosmic Battery can work moderately  efficiently due to the ``spreading
layer'' \citep{inogamov10} that forms on the surface of the neutron star,
provided that there is  a significant difference between the spin frequency
of the neutron star  and the Keplerian frequency of the disk.

The findings from our calculations are consistent with the characteristics
of neuron-star and black-hole jets discussed above.  We have found that
in NSXB the required optical depths are in the range  $0.1 \le
\tau_{\parallel} \le 1.5$, while in BHXB they are in the range $1 \le
\tau_{\parallel} \le 10$ \citep{reig03,kylafis08, reig15}. Because the
optical depth is proportional to density and so is the radio emission, the
lower optical depth in NSXB is consistent with the observational fact that
the radio emission of the jet in NSXB is significantly smaller than that in
BHXB.

To explain the fact that BHXB exhibit a high-energy cutoff in the X-ray
spectrum while NSXB do not, we were forced to assume that $\gamma_{\rm
min}$ in the jets of NSXB is larger than in BHXB.   In particular, we found
from our calculations that for BHXB  $\gamma_{\rm min} \simless 2.4$
\citep{reig15}, while for NSXB $\gamma_{\rm min} \simmore 3$.  It will be
interesting to see if this  is confirmed by observations.

In a recent paper \citep{koljonen15}, an important  anti-correlation was
found between the break frequency $\nu_b$ in the jet spectrum (spectral
energy distribution) and the power-law index $\Gamma$ of the hard X-ray
spectrum for BHXB and AGN.  If the X-ray spectrum is produced in the jet by
inverse Compton scattering \citep{reig03, giannios04, giannios05,
kylafis08, reig15}, then this anticorrelation can be understood at least
qualitatively.  As the jet weakens, $\tau_{\parallel}$ decreases, and as a
result  $\Gamma$ increases \citep{reig15} and $\nu_b$ decreases. If our
model is correct, i.e., the hard X-ray spectrum is produced in the jet by
inverse Comptonization, then we {\em predict that NSXB as a class will
exhibit lower values of $\nu_b$ than BHXB}.

In our model, time or phase lags result from the random walk of the
photons in the scattering medium. Hard photons scatter on average
more times than softer ones
before escaping the Comptonizing medium, i.e. the jet, hence they
are delayed with respect to the softer ones. While the amplitude of the lags
depends on the optical depth and the dimensions of the jet
\citep{giannios04,kylafis08}, the slope of the time-lag spectrum
appears to be rather insensitive to those parameters or the Lorentz factor.
In practice, the slope is determined for given energy ranges of the soft
and hard photons and calculated for a given frequency range. Although most of
our models produce slopes $\sim$ 1, smaller indices, similar to those of
BHXB, could be obtained by different combinations of frequency and energy
ranges. Given the lack of publications reporting Fourier time-lag spectra
of NSXB, we cannot conclusively establish whether the different slopes that
our calculations suggest corresponds to a distinguishing feature between
NSXB and BHXB.

\section{Conclusion}

We have run Monte Carlo simulations of the Compton upscattering of soft
photons in an outflow moving at relativistic velocity (representing a radio
jet) and computed the emerging X-ray spectrum of bright NSXB.   Our Monte
Carlo simulations reproduce the observed spectral features:  a power-law
energy distribution at energies above 20 keV with photon index in the range
1.8--3 and the absence of a high energy cutoff  up to $\sim$300 keV. We
demonstrate that the hard tail detected in these syetms can be explained by
Comptonization in the jet. The observed connection between the hard X-ray
tail and the radio emission in low-mass X-ray binaries with neutron star
companions supports this scenario.  We explain the differences in the
spectral and timing parameters between BHXB and NSXB by assuming that the
electron population in the jets of NSXB have higher velocities and lower
densities than in BHXB.

\begin{acknowledgements}

This research has been supported in part by the
"RoboPol" project, which is implemented under the "ARISTEIA" Action of the
"OPERATIONAL PROGRAM EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING" and is co-funded by
the European Social Fund (ESF) and National Resources.

\end{acknowledgements}

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