Right after I read this story last week in The Washington Post, I subscribed to Andy Carvin's Twitter feed.
Hours later, I unsubscribed. The guy lives up to the billing, and then some.
Carvin, a D.C.-based social media strategist for NPR, has made it his mission to provide updates on happenings in the Middle East. Given the subject matter, the result is a lot of tweets. A lot. I just couldn't keep up with him.
What's fascinating is how Carvin uses Twitter to verify information. His followers play an active role in the process. For students, "@acarvin" is worth studying not only as a potential model for how to incorporate Twitter into newsgathering, but also as an example of how to engage citizens.
"Despite the speed of delivery and breadth of material that Carvin musters every day, the form has its weaknesses. Carvin acknowledges that it's difficult to know the full context of some of the information he transmits, such as the harrowing footage he linked to last week of a father encountering his dead and disfigured son in a hospital room. The video apparently was from Yemen, but much else — who shot it, under what circumstances and when — was hard to substantiate.
"What's more, Carvin doesn't speak Arabic or Farsi, which means he must rely on his followers for translations. He's also never met about two-thirds of the hundreds of sources he uses for tips and tweets.
By way of addressing some of that, Carvin says he sticks with reliable sources and makes a point of labeling unconfirmed items. Post blogger Melissa Bell provided a glimpse into Carvin's process, which speaks to the values of verification and transparency.
While I don't plan to add "@acarvin" back into my feed, I do keep him in my saved searches so I can visit from time to time. Sa-lute!


text:
TERRELL'S TUNE-UP: Meet Your Death and James Leg
A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
Back in 1960, a folklorist/ethnomusicologist named Frederick Usher discovered a street singer named Eddie Jones (if, indeed, that was his real name) playing a one-stringed contraption and singing the blues on Skid Row in Los Angeles.
Usher described Jones' instrument as a "home-made African derived Zither-Monochord." (I doubt Jones called it that.) It's basically a close cousin of the diddley bow, another instrument with African roots.
There, in some Skid Row alley, Usher recorded at least 15 songs by Jones, some with his crony, harmonica player Edward Hazelton. Four years later, the venerated folk label Takoma Records released an album of those recordings under the title One-String Blues.
I first heard this remarkable, if under-appreciated, blues gem back when I was in college. My favorite track was a wild, filthy, hilarious little romp Jones called "The Dozens."
The song begins:
"God made elephant big and stout / He wasn't satisfied until He made him a great long snout. … He made him some eyes that was to look at that grass / He wasn't satisfied until He gave him a big fat ass ..."
So imagine my delight when I recently came across a new self-titled album by an Austin band called Meet Your Death. They've got a track they call "Elephant Man," which is a louder, more raucous version of Jones' one-string "Dozens." Frontman Walter Daniels growls the lyrics over John Schooley's apocalyptic slide guitar and then blows his harmonica as if challenging the elephant to a loser-leave-town battle.
This version is based on Bo Diddley's 1970 take on it, also titled "Elephant Man." And even though I'm pretty sure Meet Your Death wasn't overly concerned about getting a G rating here, they leave out the "dirty" verses. Even so, the song is crazy joy from start to finish.
Walter Daniels
But even without "Elephant Man," I was bound to love this band. I've been a long-time fan of both Daniels and Schooley — I even got to see them together in an acoustic setting along with fiddler Ralph White at a Beerland gig in Austin a few years ago.
Harp-man Daniels is a longtime Austin stalwart, having played in such bands as Big Foot Chester and Jack O'Fire, which covered a Blind Willie McTell song called "Meet Your Death" back in 1994.
I mostly know Schooley from his three albums on the Swiss label Voodoo Rhythm Records, under the name "John Schooley and his one-man band."
In Meet Your Death, this dynamic duo is backed by a couple of younger guys — Harpal Assi on bass and Matt Hammer on drums.
John Schooley
Meet Your Death plays hard-rocking punk blues covers by some great American writers like Hank Williams ("I Don't Care If Tomorrow Never Comes") and Mose Allison ("If You Live").
But next to "Elephant Man," my favorite song here is the opening track, which comes from a more obscure source. "Obeah Man" is based on a song called "Exuma, The Obeah Man," recorded in 1970 by Bahamian singer Macfarlane Gregory Anthony Mackey, who recorded under the name Exuma.
Starting off with jungle drums, the song quickly turns into a hoodoo-drenched, Dr.-John-by-way-of-Bo-Diddley invocation to the ruling demons of rock 'n' roll, with Daniels as the ragged-voiced high priest.
By the end of the song you'll believe that the singer "came down on a lightning bolt" and "has fire and brimstone coming out of [his] mouth," as he sings.
* Blood on the Keys by James Leg. If you need more of that blues-driven, rump-bumpin', holy-roller-shoutin', swampy rock 'n' roll, a keyboard player called James Leg just might be your man.
Leg was born John Wesley Myers. He's the son of a preacher man, born in Port Arthur, Texas ( Janis Joplin country), and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee (home of the choo-choo).
Before launching his solo career, Leg played with a couple of notable hard-chugging bands. He fronted The Black Diamond Heavies and played in the final incarnation of The Immortal Lee County Killers, a pioneering band of the punk blues sound. Leg also recorded an album (Painkillers, 2012) with current blues minimalist titans Left Lane Cruiser.
Blood on the Keys, recorded in a converted Masonic lodge in Kentucky, is a splendid showcase of what Leg does best: roaring and thundering (with a voice that falls somewhere between Captain Beefheart and Jim "Dandy" Mangrum of the band Black Oak Arkansas) over stripped-down atomic-powered boogie.
A big percentage of these songs feature Leg backed by his own keyboards and drummer Mathieu Gazeau — sometimes joined by guest guitarists and, on a couple of tracks, backup female vocalists (a group called Foxxfire).
And indeed, these songs — including the opener, "Human Lawn Dart"; "Mighty Man" (written by the early '70s British band Mungo Jerry, best known for their hit "In the Summertime"); "Huggin the Line"; and "DogJaw (Do Some Things You Say)" — are guaranteed to get the crowds moving.
But there are a handful of outliers here too. One of the most memorable songs on the album is "Should've Been Home With You," penned by the late Austin songwriter Blaze Foley. This minor-key tune rocks with just about as much intensity as any other on Blood on the Keys, but the demonic fiddling of Sylvia Mitchell gives it a sweet touch.
Mitchell also plays on "St Michel Shuffle," which sounds like a tribute to Tom Waits. There are also a couple of soulful, gospel-influenced ballads, including the title song and, even better, "I'll Take It."
I'm glad that Leg's blues bruisers outnumber his ballads. But there's nothing wrong with a little variety.
Here's Meet Your Death live at Beerland
Here's some live Leg (from a Paris show in July)
And finally, I couldn't find "The Dozens" by Eddie "One-String" Jones on YouTube, Spotify or anywhere else. But here's a video of Jones doing "Baby Please Don't Go."
Labels: tuneup
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The potential for the UK to leave the EU has been a topic of extensive media coverage in the UK and Europe. With UK politicians torn between looking tough for their more conservative audience with the occasional speech on leaving the 28 Member State Union while desperately trying to avoid making that happen, the debate makes for good comedy but not much worry.
Few in the halls of the EU institutions actually believe that Britain leaving the EU is a possibility but the case for staying still needs to be made. Who then to look to to make the case? Large companies are treated with distrust, EU federalists even more so and their own politicians are deemed "part of that system".
The science lobby to the rescue it seems. Horizon 2020 represents the single biggest pot of funding for science in the world and the UK gets 16% of this in R&D budget. UK researchers are more than aware of this and have been active in new articles and journals about the benefits of EU funding and the risks to R&D that a brexit presents .
Scientistsforeu.uk became active the day after the referendum and immediately became a powerful media force very likely because it is difficult to find objections to a sector that is not normally associated with having either a profit motive or a political one.
To have those known to deal in facts and mostly disassociated with politics come out in favour of EU membership will present a convincing case to many voters who are fatigued by party politics or politics in general.
More information about ScienceforEU can be found here.


Is there a war on Christmas? If there is, is it also a war on Christians? If it is, is it a war on the Christian faith? Who are Christians at war against? What ammunition is being used against Christians? What ammunition are Christians supposed to use?
There is a cacophony of voices on TV, and social media telling Christians that we need to fight to keep Christ in Christmas. Do we? Or can we relax and enjoy this holiday season? Oops, Christmas season.
I don't have all the answers to the questions I've asked, but I do have some thoughts that might help us win the war (if there is one), and enjoy celebrating the birth of our Savior.
First of all, I don't think the Christian faith is under attack, at least not my faith. My faith is not placed in a holiday. My faith is not placed in traditions. My faith is not placed in the color or symbols on my coffee cups. My faith is not affected by the words that other people use to wish me a good day.
My faith is placed in Jesus Christ – the one and only Son of God, who left the glory of heaven and was born as a baby. He lived a perfect life, died on the cross, was resurrected on the third day and lives, exalted, in heaven. Nothing can alter that reality, the assurance or the eternality of the Gospel in which I place my faith.
Are we out of line to insist that total strangers, store clerks, advertising agencies and retail giants say, "Merry Christmas," when they greet us? Is this how we keep Christ in Christmas? Are we fighting a war with words or are we fighting a war of words? Does it matter?
Are we alienating possible future believers when we fight over words? What picture are we painting of Christians and of the God whom we serve by insisting on words? Are we inadvertently becoming the weapon of choice for the Evil One in his fight?
Trust me, I get it, I want to keep Christ in Christmas, and I want the celebration of our Savior's birthday to have the honor that it deserves, but, seriously, are we helping or hurting our cause by fighting with the tools we've chosen. If it is a fight worth fighting, perhaps we need to fight differently.
Jesus overturned the money-changers in the temple, and yes, that was a holy and righteous anger – but is the anger that we direct at a sixteen-year-old barista, or an over-worked, underpaid single mom who checked us out at the grocery store and who failed to say the "magic words" truly holy and righteous?
I'm not suggesting that we surrender Christmas, but I am suggesting that we fight differently than the world fights. Instead of getting angry with people who prefer to say "Happy Holidays", why don't we show love?
We can fight to keep Christ in Christmas, but it doesn't have to be ugly. Quite the opposite, I think it should be beautiful. We should leave a fragrance of life when we leave any shop, store or restaurant, rather than a stench of anger and self-righteousness. Could we take a few minutes to check our attitude before we demand that everyone else check theirs?
Could we win this "War on Christmas" if we fight with love? Our actions speak much louder than our words ever will. How will you demonstrate the love of Christ to everyone you meet this Christmas season?
What Do You Need for Christmas?
Thanks Marcia! I needed that kind of encouragement before writing my Christmas letter!
Well-timed practical thoughts. Love the verse from Timothy. Thanks for using your writing gift to gently nudge our words back to a loving place.
Amen! I hope you and your family have a happy and blessed Christmas.
Thank you, and Merry Christmas to all of you!
Great article, Marcia. The line that stuck with me most was "Shouldn't the kindest words the retail clerk hears all day come from our mouths?" While it's easy for me to be kind to retail clerks, I was convicted about other people I come in contact with that irritate me. Thank you!
I agree with getting angry at front line employees or people that just choose not to say Merry Christmas but as a person who deals with businesses frequently I do have a problem and will not go quietly when workers are told NOT to say Merry Christmas and that is where we should speak out as Christians and Americans. Christ love does not mean lay your rights down at the door.
Thanks for this perspective. I appreciate the Point! We live in a country where free speech is still guaranteed, as is freedom of religion.


text:
Села:
 Левадне — Дніпропетровська область, Покровський район
 Левадне — Донецька область, Олександрівський район
 Левадне — Запорізька область, Гуляйпільський район
 Левадне — Запорізька область, Токмацький район
 Левадне — Луганська область, Старобільський район

Також
 Левадна

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Indian Real Estate
Bangalore Master Plan: Everything You Need To Know
By : Times Property| 29 November, 2022
One of India's fastest-growing cities, Bengaluru attracts workers from all over the world to its worldwide IT hub. As a result, stronger infrastructure is constantly required. The regulation document intended to direct urban growth, the Bangalore Master Plan 2031, is currently pending with the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA). The draught was made available in 2017 and recently changed to take into account public comments. However, the BDA agreed to modify the draught in July 2020 in order to incorporate expert demands. The Authority is now working on a Revised Master Plan (RMP) 2031 for the city and has asked the public for new ideas.
Transit-oriented development will probably be incorporated into the Bangalore Master Plan 2031.
The Bengaluru Master Plan 2031 may set the premium FAR at five
The Bengaluru Development Authority decided to rewrite the draught master plan in July 2020 and withdrew it.
The BDA Master Plan 2031's Main Points
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) released a transit-oriented development (TOD) policy in May 2019 that was in direct conflict with the Draft Master Plan 2031. The updated master plan will adopt a TOD strategy, which calls for dense, mixed-use development along transportation corridors like suburban rail lines and bus hubs.
The Bengaluru Master Plan 2031 may set the premium floor area ratio (FAR) at 5, allowing for the development of towering commercial and mixed-use structures beside transit corridors.
The zoning laws in Bengaluru will also change if and when the TOD policy is included in the city's master plan, particularly along the metro corridors. High-density, mixed use complexes will be located in "Impact Zones" that are a five to ten minutes walk from major transit corridors.
Following public outrage over the acquisition of property for the projects, it is currently up for debate whether the elevated corridor projects will be included in the new master plan.
The Ultimate Guide About Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA)
Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority Builders registering their projects with MahaRERA will now have to go through stricter scrutiny for consumers' benefits Currently, the state has 37,823 Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act-registered projects. However, applications for 1,096 projects are in the process of being ...
Large buffer zones have been suggested for lakes and drain in the draught master plan. However, the National Green Tribunal-mandated ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court (NGT). Now, these conditions might not be included in the updated master plan.
In locations bounded by the Outer Ring Road, commercialization will be discouraged (Zone A). In places outside the ORR, infrastructure upgrades are probably in order (Zone B). Zone C will see more improvements in order to boost farmers' financial returns. This was one of the key recommendations of the Draft Master Plan 2031, which is likely to be abandoned because other planning agencies prefer to invest in infrastructure improvements in key locations rather than spreading them outside of the city.
The Public Raised a Number of Objections, the Majority of Which Focused on the Following Issues:
Private property was not allowed to be included in its 12 heritage zones.
The NGT's strict regulation of buffer zones around lakes was criticised.
Zones are divided into residential, commercial, and agricultural areas. All of the city's property owners were vehemently opposed to this.
The updated draught did not incorporate any public feedback or suggestions, and the BDA did not explain why these were disregarded.
The draught did not assess the previous master plan or examine the reasons why some RMP 2015 provisions were not carried out.
Owners of real estate requested a higher FAR, which would have provided them with additional room for the construction.
Bangalore 2031 Master Plan - The Timeline
The idea of preparing a revised plan floated
Consultant for the master plan selected
Public consultation held
Public meetings were conducted
The final revised master plan submitted
Provisional approval of the draft master plan
Over 14,000 objections were received
The revised master plan was sent to the Urban Development Department for approval
BMRCL comes out with a TOD policy
The Urban Development Department asks BDA to withdraw the draft master plan 2031.
A master plan is a long-term planning document that serves as a roadmap for a city's future growth. The authority has removed the BDA Master Plan 2031 and will soon publish it again.
BBMP Plans Rotary Flyover To Ease Access To Railway Terminal
To strengthen mobility and ensure better connectivity to Sir M Visvesvaraya railway terminal at Byappanahalli in Mahadevapura zone, BBMP is planning to build an elevated rotary at a cost of over Rs 30
By : TNN 31 January, 2023
Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway To Open By Feb: Minister
Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari recently said that the 10-lane Bengaluru Mysuru Expressway will soon be completed and it is likely to be inaugurated by February After a
Sceptical About Buying a Property in Bangalore? Here are the Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Consider
Introduction Bengaluru, Karnataka's capital city, is known as the IT hub and home to several start-ups. The Silicon Valley of India, located around 3,000 feet above sea level, attracts thousand
By : Times Property 29 November, 2022
Source -
Explore The Diversive Indira Nagar Locality Of Bangalore: A Detailed Realty Guide
Explore The Amazing Bellandur Locality Of Bangalore: A Detailed Realty Guide
What Keeps Bengaluru's Real Estate Thriving
Cost Of Renovating A House In Bangalore
Confused with all the unwanted Information about House Buying!!No Worries!! Times Property is the one stop trusted solution for all your Home Buying Queries. Why Wait?? Subscribe Now


When seeking a regular job without the worries of getting unemployed, avail the free CNA classes in Cincinnati, Ohio and see if this career is suitable for you. There are several healthcare facilities in need of good nursing assistants nowadays because of the healthcare demands of the baby boomer generation. Certified Nursing Assistants work alongside nurses and doctors in providing primary care to a diverse group of patients. They have a demanding job but their pay is more than average. If you undergo years working as a CNA, you will also experience an increase in pay and more employment benefits. To get you started with this profession, learn how avail the free CNA classes in Cincinnati, Ohio and experience the advantages this rewarding career.
Free CNA classes in Cincinnati, Ohio are offered through The Health Care Management Group. This healthcare institution is hiring Certified Nursing Assistants and also accepting individuals willing to be trained. The application process is meticulous because students must be ready for employment right after passing the state competency exam. Applicants have to be high school graduates or show a GED equivalent. They also have to present a complete immunization record and undergo a criminal background check, TB screening drug test and chest X-ray. The Health Care Management Group ensurse that all students receive the best CNA education. They provide a combined format of classroom lectures, skills training and clinical exposure to give a hands-on experience to potential nursing assistants. The free CNA classes of Health Care Management Group are offered to a limited group of students because qualified applicants will have an opportunity to receive employment thereafter.
Low income individuals aged 16 to 24 can take free CNA classes through the Cleveland Job Corps. This program is financed by the government to provide an opportunity for Ohio residents to get a job in a healthcare facility through training provided by Job Corps. It is intended to enhance the skills of future nursing assistant. The CNA training program takes a couple of weeks to complete consisting combined classroom lectures, laboratory training and clinical practice. Individuals who qualify will receive free board and lodging in addition to an allowance and any training costs. They will be educated in the nursing concepts and skills appropriate for the profession. Topics will include anatomy and physiology, safety and infection control, activities of daily living, vital signs taking, charting and documentation, assessment and many others. The admission process of Cleveland Job Corps is challenging because of the limited class size provided. However, successful applicants will get a chance to take the certification exam for nursing assistants.
The CNA training program of the American Red Cross is intensive and rigorous. Individuals who want to receive the best training for the profession will take 96 hours from the American Red Cross.divided into 72 hours of classroom study and 24 hours of clinical exposure. The good thing about the American Red Cross is that they have the best facilities and people for the training. The instructors are all licensed and qualified healthcare providers who will fully equip students with the knowledge and skills required of a nursing assistant. Students in the program will get the chance to master nursing topics including anatomy and physiology, first aid care, CPR, safety and infection control, activities of daily living, patient lifting and transporting, equipment use, charting, medical terminologies and many others. They will experience supervised clinical instruction that takes place in an accredited healthcare facility. Scholarship and financial aid programs are provided by the American Red Crosson a limited basis. Students who graduate from the program will be qualified to take the certification exam and become a nursing assistant in the state of Ohio.


text:
David Jirka (born 4 January 1982 in Jindřichův Hradec) is a Czech rower.

References

1982 births
Living people
Czech male rowers
Olympic rowers of the Czech Republic
People from Jindřichův Hradec
Olympic silver medalists for the Czech Republic
Rowers at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Rowers at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Olympic medalists in rowing
Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics
World Rowing Championships medalists for the Czech Republic
European Rowing Championships medalists
Sportspeople from the South Bohemian Region


Answer: I don't think there is a magic age. It really depends on the kid.
With that said, I have guided kids as young as 6 who love it and can stay focused for a few hrs. But I have also guided adults with little patience, and after 30-45 minutes they are board. So often times, I think it has more to do with patience than age.
Bottom line: If you think you can have some fun outside, AND fish at the same time, then the time is now!
Here are a few tips I use to win kids over both in the outdoors and in the sport of fly fishing.
1. Set expectations! Kids that know what they are getting into, have less anxiety about all of the new strange things we are asking of them. They will be putting on waders, driving in the car, walking in the woods, peeing in the woods, walking in the water. This will build excitement and help ease anxiety for the big event!
2. Make it fun! The most important thing you can do to get your child excited about fly fishing is to make it fun. Often times with kids, it's their first-time wearing waders, so something as simple as walking in water is new and fun for them. With that said, always use a wading belt and hold their hand when in the river or creek. Also, use lots of encouragement. "Nice Step!" or "You're really walking well in your boots!" are two that I say all the time.
3. Keep it simple!! Start with a roll cast and eventually work your way up to a more traditional 10-2 cast. Be excited about the day and have them help pick a fly (even if I doesn't make it on the line they will feel included). Or pull out a few flies that you like and have them pick one.
4. Take breaks! Kids are not going to fish all day. Keep it short, fish for a few hrs. or until they loose interest. Take a break from fishing and do something different. Throw some rocks, teach them to skip rocks, look for wildlife or tracks by the river. Go explore the area around the creek or river. Look for flowers or wild berries. Then try to fish again if they want to. Remember, there is so much more to appreciate about fly fishing than JUST the act of fishing! Kids like to wander and dive into some of these finer points, let them!
5. For the love of god, BRING SNACKS! Kids get hungry; always have some snacks available for them. I prefer to choose a treat they usually would not get, to make fishing special. I remember fishing with my dad when I was a kid, and he always had bite size Snickers. Often times, I was more excited about the Snickers, than catching a fish. Don't forget drinks, water, Gatorade, maybe a root beer to end the trip with.
6. Be patient. This one is very important. If you get frustrated/mad your child will most likely not want to go again. Kids make mistakes, but so do we all, and that is part of learning. The younger your child is, the less fishing you will be doing. However, watching how excited they get when they catch a fish will make up for you not fishing. Slowly, over the course of many fishing outings, you can teach them how to tie on their own fly, read the water, untangle their line, and select the right fly. Before you know it you will have a fishing buddy for life.
7. Get a guide. If you want to fish, and you want your child to learn and have fun, a guide can be a game changer. Make sure you talk to the shop prior to booking the trip and explain that you have a child and their age. Some guides are great with kids, others not so much. This way the shop can get you with a guide that will have fun and teach your child about fly fishing. Personally, I love taking kids out. Some of my favorite clients over the years have been kids. They have good energy and are usually so excited to go. If you have a guide they can get you started, select some flies for you, then work with your child. This way you can fish and your child can learn.
8. Take pictures! Kids will forget so much of their youth. But you can bet that if you whip out a picture of them holding a fish and talk about how huge it was, how awesome of a fly caster they were, how patient they were on the water, or how brave they were walking into the river by themselves- this will lift them up in a way only the outdoors can do. And who would miss an opportunity to brag about a little outdoors person doing SUCH GREAT THINGS!
If you are reading this and taking a kid outside, you are already doing great! I hope this helps you think of a few ways to get ready for your next adventure!
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As part of Lostwithiel Food Festival, we're showing a special screening of Chocolat on Saturday 30th October, the closing night of the festival.
Special bars of Kernow Chocolate will be on sale at the film, with a golden ticket giving the lucky winner a free seat at the next Lost In Film screening.
With an all star cast led by Juliette Binoche and including Alfred Molina, Johnny Depp and Carrie-Anne Moss, Chocolat is an all-time favourite and a delicious way to end Lostwithiel Food Festival. Hollywood Reporter described it as "a charming confection of a comic fable graced by an abundance of delectable performances" and Empire Magazine celebrated the "rare showcase for the wonderful Binoche".
Chocolat will be shown on Saturday 30th October, at the Church Rooms, Church Lane, Lostwithiel. Tickets cost £4 and will be available in advance from Watts Trading or on the door if not already sold out.
For full details of Lostwithiel Food Festival visit the Lostwithiel website.


text:
8,856 'enemies of state': An entire village in Tamil Nadu lives under shadow of sedition
8,856 'enemies of state': An entire village in Tamil Nadu lives under shadow of sedition
Protesters, including Udayakumar, were also accused of taking funds from the Church to lead the agitation.
Arun Janardhanan
Updated: September 12, 2016 7:02:34 am
Last week, the Supreme Court laid down what sedition wasn't. But for five years now, as officials let cases drag, almost the entire population of a village in Tamil Nadu, protesting against the nuclear plant, has lived under the shadow of Section 124 A. Arun Janardhanan reports. Photos by Amrithraj Stephen.
On September 5 the same day as the Supreme Court said criticism of the government isn't sedition, a figure on a white board in a village on the distant southern tip of the country was changed — to Day 1,846.
The Supreme Court ruling was on just one case, won by S P Udayakumar of Idinthakarai, but there are 140 more such cases against people in the village. In India's sedition map, Idinthakarai is ground zero. In the protests against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) that have been on in this village and adjacent Kudankulam village since 2011, led by Udayakumar, 8,956 people have been slapped with 21 cases of sedition — the maximum such number charged in the country.
Unit 1 of the Kudankulam plant was commissioned on August 10, 2016
Nobody expects these cases to amount to anything — least of all the police. Almost all the 380 FIRs lodged (240 were withdrawn in October 2014 following an SC order) first named Udayakumar, then five or 10 accused, and ended with the line "and another 300" or "3,000 people". A senior police officer who doesn't want to be named says this was for two reasons — to "scare people" as any one of them could be among the unnamed; and because naming "all the hundred or thousand was impractical at a time when we were registering multiple cases implicating over 2,000 or 5,000 people in each".
So, for five years now, Idinthakarai, a village of over 10,000 people in Tamil Nadu, has lived under the shadow of Section 124A, the law governing sedition. Most of the accused are also booked in 21 other cases registered under Section 121 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), for "waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the government of India" — a crime that can fetch the death penalty.
Most of them have no idea of the status of their cases; many haven't even seen the FIRs against them. No sedition case has so far been dropped.
* First sedition case (Crime No. 315): Oct 15, 2011
No. of people booked: 10
The protests against the 6,800 MW Kudankulam nuclear plant, in the works since 1988, and located just half a kilometre from where the white board marks Idinthakarai's protest, had erupted in 2011, ahead of a reported date of commissioning. The protests were led by women as the men in the largely fishing village were mostly away at sea.
Advocate C Rasarathinam, known mostly as Chemmani even in the case documents, says the first case of sedition was registered on October 15 that year following a road roko near the Kudankulam junction. Chemmani is associated with the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), that is leading the protests.
Among those named in 'Crime No. 315' was Udayakumar, the PMANE convenor, and a priest, Father Michael Pandian Jesuraj.
Udayakumar would go on to be named as 'Accused No. 1' in over 300 FIRs, including all the 21 sedition cases and all the 21 cases under Section 121, besides nearly 100 criminal cases. And that is just a rough estimate, Udayakumar laughs. The Indian citizen facing arguably the largest number of sedition cases ever is himself not clear on the number after five years.
Women sit under the huge canopy built in the St Lourdes Church compound for the protests
Protesters, including Udayakumar, were also accused of taking funds from the Church to lead the agitation. This fanned allegations of foreign funding behind PMANE.
V Narayanasamy, then Union minister of state in the PMO and currently Chief Minister of Puducherry, was among the Congress leaders who attacked PMANE. Asked about the allegations now, Narayanasamy says, "I said all that when I was in the ministry. You should ask the present government." But does he still believe PMANE is getting foreign funds? "Why are you talking about all that now?" he replies. "All that is over."
Not for Udayakumar — though despite all the cases against him, he has not received summons from court in any. He has never been arrested and was only detained by Central agencies while on the way to Nepal for a conference two years ago. He says "sources" have told him of 35 cases in the process of turning into chargesheets; of the others, he has "no clue".
Chemmani says that is not surprising, as there was "no violence or even disruption of public life". "They just wanted to scare the protesters." Many of those booked, for example, didn't leave the village for up to two years fearing arrest, he says.
Udayakumar points out that cases were filed "for charges such as arson, shouting of slogans against then prime minister Manmohan Singh, attempt to murder, sedition, and waging war against the country."
While a Supreme Court order in October 2014 whittled down the number of cases from 380 to 240, neither charges of sedition nor 121A were among those withdrawn.
Son of a retired railway employee, Udayakumar did his Master's in English Literature from Kerala University and after working in Ethiopia as a school teacher, earned a doctorate in Peace Studies in the US. Inspired by the green movement in Germany, he launched a Green Party in 2000 after his return from the US. Soon he came to head the PMANE. He lives in Nagercoil, 40 km from Idinthakarai, with his teacher wife and runs a school. His wife is also named in one of the sedition cases after she attended one PMANE meeting.
Image from the peak of the agitation in September 2012
Another accused in the first sedition case, Father Jesuraj, had come to Idnithakarai to join the protests from Cheranmahadevi, 80 km away. He has been part of the Kudankulam agitation since his student days, he says, and after 2011, "requested the Church to relieve me of my parish duties to let me join the protests".
Father Jesuraj got repeated warnings from both the Tirunelveli bishop and the Monsignor in Delhi for his actions, even as he kept evading arrest.
Idinthakarai is a mostly Christian village, with less than a hundred Hindu families. The white board marking the day of the protest, changed every day by hand — now at the 1,850 mark — stands at the entrance to a thatched canopy in front of the village's St Lourdes Church, which can accommodate up to 2,000 people at a time. A Mariamman temple is right across the road.
Sundari, who served the maximum time in jail among women protesters, at home with her husband
Initially the Church kept its distance from the protests. "But the parish priest, Father F Jayakumar, had no choice but to support us when the entire village came together against the plant. Nobody took permission for the huge canopy in the church compound for the protests," says Sundari, one of those accused of sedition who served the maximum time in jail among the woman protesters.
"Father Jayakumar too got calls from the Tirunelveli bishop house to leave the village. But he had to stand by us," says another sedition accused, Antony Kebiston.
Soon, each time there was a police attempt to enter the village, the bells at St Lourdes Church would be rung, to alert residents to converge in front of the building.
In 2014, Father Jesuraj contested the Lok Sabha elections from Tirunelveli on an Aam Aadmi Party ticket, like Udayakumar. Jesuraj told the Church that unless they had representation in Parliament, a solution couldn't be found to the problem. However, the Church wasn't convinced, and he was suspended. Eventually, Jesuraj lost the elections by 18,650 votes. Back serving as a priest, at Palayamkottai near Tirunelveli, Jesuraj says he doesn't regret being part of the protests, though "still there are some 135 cases, including more than a dozen sedition cases, against me".
Antony Kebiston says the presence of the priests made their agitation "successful and peaceful". "While Father Jayakumar was the parish priest, it was Father Jesuraj who played the role of both a priest and protester. He led from the front".
Sedition case on November 22, 2011
No. of people booked: 17, "another 600"
Sedition case on April 22, 2012
No. of people booked: 17, including 2 women, "another 425"
No. of people booked: Udayakumar, and 2,265
No. of people booked: Udayakumar, and 565
Ahead of the scheduled opening of the first reactor in 2012, villagers expanded their protests, to nearby villages and towns, including Valliyur and Nagercoil, attracting up to 20,000 people at times.
The government though withheld arrests till the 2012 by-election in Sankarankovil, after which the crackdown began.
Youths in the village booked for sedition have stories of blacklisted passports, forcing many to give up plans to go abroad.
In these FIRs and the others that followed, the names that kept repeating were of Antony Kebiston, who was a stationery shop owner at Idinthakarai; Pushparayan and Mugilan, activists who came to Idinthakarai to support villagers; Milton, among the leaders of the protest; Sundari; Mildred, 46, who led rallies outside the village and Tamil Nadu for PMANE; a 65-year-old, partially blind daily wage labourer, Aadi Lingam; and Father Jayakumar.
The FIRs show that all the cases were registered at three police stations. A senior officer, who was deployed at Kudankulam at the time, says the cases were registered at the Kudankulam police station upon directions from Pazhavoor station and Radhapuram station.
"A DSP-rank officer stationed at Radhapuram issued final orders to local stations upon directions from his superiors. An inspector general of police and a deputy IG of South Zone directly monitored the situation," he says, refusing to be named.
Kebiston, who is facing over a hundred cases, including of sedition, handled the "media wing" of the protests. "I had a BSNL dial-up connection to post live updates of our protests," he says. One of the videos he posted that went viral was of his daughter Nilopher, 3, singing anti-nuclear songs.
"She used to sing and shout slogans. She would also scold Jayalalithaa. One day, some miscreants came and set fire to our shop. After that incident, Nilopher got scared," says Kebiston's wife Maheswari, who fasted for over 10 days as part of the protest.
"Kebiston could not leave the village for over three years as there were threats he would be arrested if he ventured out (the only road that connects Idinthakarai with outside world is through Kudankulam, except a few forest paths). On the day his sister got married, we had to take her to the bridegroom's village through a forest path," she says.
Mildred Raj, 44, and her three children continue to be part of the protests. "We can't stop coming until we succeed," she says.
Mildred Raj, 44, and her three children are part of the protests. Despite the sedition charge and nearly a hundred cases against her, she comes to the site at the church every day, mostly with them. While her sons are 18 and 20, her daughter is 19. The sons have a diploma in engineering and maritime studies, and her daughter is in college. "We can't stop coming until we succeed," Mildred says.
Mildred admits she doesn't know the technicalities of nuclear energy. But, she asks, "Why have there been a dozen emergency shutdowns and abrupt drops in output if it is that safe? Why have commissioning tests failed repeatedly and deadlines postponed? How many scientists have been punished for violating safety guidelines that led to accidents?"
Leela, 68, also booked in many criminal cases, had been with Mildred when they were attacked by Hindu Munnani cadres at the Tirunelveli Collectorate, who levelled allegations of foreign funding and called Udayakumar an agent of Christians.
"They came with helmets and attacked us," says Leela, who also spends almost every day at the protest site. "Do you think I will die at this place?" she laughs.
Six sedition cases in September 2012
No. of people booked: in one case, 49 named and "100 others"; in another, 48 named and "300 others"; in third, 18 named and "50 others"; in fourth, Udayakumar and "5,000 others" (after altering from "2,000 others")
No. of people booked: A dozen, "along with 3,400"
In September 2012, police lathicharged women and children as they tried to enter the protest site at St Lourdes Church.
On September 10, four sedition cases followed, in which around 5,500 people were booked, more than 5,000 of them in Crime No. 345 alone. September 11 saw two more sedition cases, with over 3,000 booked.
Sundari, 40, who served 98 days in Trichy prison and is facing over 300 cases, including at least a dozen of sedition, was arrested in the September 10 sweep. Sundari was the head of the women committee of protesters, which had around 85 members, and which coordinated with hundreds of others.
While Sundari was in prison, it fell to her husband, a fisherman, to look after their children, a nine-year-old son and a daughter who is a year older. "Police would not let my children come near me when I was brought to court. They would start crying, run around the police van till we left," Sundari says. "That was the only time I cried," she adds. While she was living up to her beliefs, she felt she was failing her duties as a mother.
Later, she wrote a book on her time in jail,The Fiery Struggle of Idinthakarai. Among chapters on prison life and tales of fellow inmates is one on how she would dictate recipes over the phone to her husband, who didn't know cooking.
Sundari served the maximum time in jail among other women protesters due to the sedition charge. "I was among seven women and 63 men arrested on September 10, 2012. While four women got bail in 45 days, another two were released after 80 days. Since I was a 'terrorist', I had to move the Madras High Court to get conditional bail after 98 days."
The bail condition was that she would sign at three police stations in Madurai, 240 km from her village, every day for almost two months. She stayed at a Madurai women's hostel during that time, before returning to the village, where she was required to sign at the Kudankulam police station for another six months every day.
"Every one, the police, government and even the court, worked together to defeat our struggles. Neither the government nor the judges enquired about the charges imposed on us. Instead, they sent us to faraway prisons to get harassed further," she says.
On alleged safety violations and postponed deadlines, he says they were all partially incorrect complaints.
The family is still boycotted by Sundari's in-laws for the "anti-national" tag stuck to it.
Youths in the village booked for sedition have stories of blacklisted passports, forcing many to give up plans to go abroad. Many had to wait for their passport applications to get processed. An engineering diploma holder, K Vinod, 26, got his passport two months ago, after it was blocked for four years. "I had three job opportunities in Dubai, including one offering Rs 1.5 lakh a month. I lost all. They refused to clear the passport despite having no clear answers on the charges against me."
August 10, 2016: 1,000 MW Unit 1 of KNPP commissioned
Sedition cases still standing: 21
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa jointly announced commissioning of Unit I of the Kudankulam nuclear plant, assuring it was one of the safest atomic plants in the world. It was done by video-conferencing, with Modi in Delhi, Putin in Moscow and Jayalalithaa joining in from Chennai.
KNPP Site Director R S Sundar says villagers having no clue about nuclear energy have been raising allegations. "We met them several times, tried to tell them they are safe. But they asked questions of which they have no knowledge," he says.
On alleged safety violations and postponed deadlines, he says they were all partially incorrect complaints. "Multiple agencies and experts from the Centre have certified all the necessary clearances. Unfortunately, villagers refuse to believe people like A P J Abdul Kalam."
At the end of the winding road, down which lies Idinthakarai, on the day of the commissioning too, a handful of women gathered near the church to mark their protest. A dozen also sleep here every night.
Sundari, who is among those who comes to the protest site often, says her journey from a homemaker to a "dreaded leader" took all of one year. "I was a woman who used to watch only movies and TV serials. Now I watch news bulletins first."
Government promises of nuclear power being safe don't reassure her, Sundari says. "For people who live in cities, we are all illiterates as they think they are intelligent with their English education. So they want a nuclear reactor in our backyard to run their air-conditioners, to run their offices and luxuries. But we know why we are unsafe, how incapable is our government. When the tsunami struck in 2004, no one came to rescue us or our boats. The government didn't even know it was coming despite all its big rockets and satellites. They are not even capable of tracing a missing aircraft and Army men from the seas. And they want us to believe that everything is fine with the the plant? We need to fight our battles alone anyway."
An IG-rank official aware of the cases against the protesters admits they usually close such cases in six months. "We write on the files 'Further Action Dropped'. But Kudankulam and Idinthakarai were most peculiar cases as we needed to keep a check on the villagers. Retaining these charges will help douse their anger; over 8,000 people booked under charges will scare them to not initiate similar protests again."
Asked about further action, he says there is nothing to be probed or chargesheeted. "These were all cases to scare them. When I look back after five years, I see that those 121 and 124A charges on 8,000 random people did serve the purpose."
Sundari says the State shouldn't be so sure. Standing next to the shore in Idinthakarai, whose name means "broken coast", she says she is not bothered about the cases against her anymore. "They call us terrorists, let them. We know who we are."ON SEPTEMBER 5, the same day as the Supreme Court said criticism of the government isn't sedition, a figure on a white board in a village on the distant southern tip of the country was changed — to Day 1,846.
Most of them have no idea of the status of their cases; many haven't even seen the FIRs against them.
First sedition case (Crime No. 315): Oct 15, 2011
Sundari served the maximum time in jail among other women protesters due to the sedition charge.
When the tsunami struck in 2004, no one came to rescue us or our boats. The government didn't even know it was coming despite all its big rockets and satellites.
Sundari says the State shouldn't be so sure. Standing next to the shore in Idinthakarai, whose name means "broken coast", she says she is not bothered about the cases against her anymore. "They call us terrorists, let them. We know who we are."


text:
The Use of Theatre to Develop Social and Communication Behaviors for Students with Autismand#160;Spectrum Disorders: A Preliminary Investigation | OMICS International
Journal of Speech Pathology & Therapy
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Research Article Open Access
The Use of Theatre to Develop Social and Communication Behaviors for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Preliminary Investigation
Suzanne Reading1*, James Reading3, Robert J Padgett1, Samantha Reading2 and Pete Pryor2
1Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46208
2People's Light and Theatre Company, Malvern, PA 19355
3Communication and Reading Excellence, Indianapolis, IN 46280
*Corresponding Author:
Suzanne Reading
Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave
Received date: September 18, 2015; Accepted date: November 04, 2015; Published date: November 05, 2015
Citation: Reading S, Reading J, Padgett RJ, Reading S, Pryor P (2016) The Use of Theatre to Develop Social and Communication Behaviors for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Preliminary Investigation. J Speech Pathol Ther 1:102. doi: 10.4172/2472-5005.1000102
Copyright: © 2015 Reading S, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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Social and communication behaviors are often a focus of instruction for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). A theatre rehearsal and production process is challenging and joyful work that nurtures the development of social and language skills. This study evaluated and described social and language behaviors for students with ASD both before and after a 10-week theatre experience. The results indicated that, when compared with a control group, the students with theatre experiences had significant and positive changes in the development of social and language skills. Most particularly, these students had significant improvement in Social Responsiveness, acknowledgement of the Perspective of Others, and Participation and Cooperation. The theatre experiences led to positive changes in social and communication behaviors for students with ASD.
Understanding the thoughts and feelings of others presents a challenge for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The ability to understand the Perspective of Others, referred to as theory of mind [1], underlies all social interactions. This challenge in ASD can prevent participation in social routines, meaningful conversations, group activities, and engagement in behaviors that indicate a willingness to cooperate, collaborate, and show concern for the well-being of others. The inability to understand the Perspective of Others results in social and communication problems and is often considered a primary deficit in ASD. Therefore, the improvement of social skills is often a focus of instruction for individuals with ASD [2-8].
Theatre and ASD Connection
In recent years, there has been an interest in using theatre activities to improve the social and communication challenges that occur with ASD. Although traditional educational and treatment methods teach valuable skills, it is possible that theatre experiences offer more opportunities for socialization by virtue of theatre production requirements. For example, acting a part involves conveying to the audience how a character is feeling and thinking. In this way, acting can be used to teach emotion recognition, emotion expression, nonverbal behaviors and gestures, listening skills, eye contact, conversation skills, and strategies to handle social situations. Other aspects of theatre such as set design, staging and choreography, and lighting also rely on social and language skills that lead to collaboration, compromise, and cooperation. Theatre may utilize the strengths of some students with ASD because it is highly structured, with prescribed lines and movements that require repeated practice. Activities associated with creating theatre can provide a backdrop for helping students with ASD have purposeful and meaningful experiences. Therefore, theatre-based experiences may be especially beneficial when working with students who have ASD [9-11].
Theatre is considered a safe, supportive community [12], a place where individuals can try new things and make mistakes without serious consequences. For many, theatre is also inherently fun and motivating. The personal success and enjoyment that accompany theater activities are important aspects of life that are often minimized in traditional academic settings for individuals with ASD. For these individuals, theatre activities may have the potential to develop social skills including gestural communication, verbal expression, interest in and concern for the well-being of others, and collaboration with group members to achieve a common goal. In all these ways, theatre may be a valuable paradigm for providing support for individuals with ASD.
Several theatre programs have involved young individuals with ASD. These programs have been developed throughout the U.S. and include, most notably, The Miracle Project (Santa Monica, CA), founded and led by Elaine Hall; the project achieved wide recognition in 2008 through an Emmy Award-winning HBO documentary that profiled five young Miracle Project participants. Other programs include the Florida Repertory Theatre (Fort Myers, FL), Des Moines Playhouse, Phoenix Theatre (Phoenix, AZ), and the Red Kite Project (Chicago Children's Theatre). Parents, eager for help with social skills, take advantage of these creative opportunities. Sparked by community interest in drama and theatre activities for children with ASD, several researchers have investigated the claims that this is a useful instructional technique. To date, three studies have reported on results of incorporating theatre activities and drama games in intervention for children and adolescents with ASD. Lerner et al. [10], used dramatic training activities to improve social skill behaviors in adolescents with high-functioning ASD, including Asperger syndrome. The Sociodramatic Affective Relational Intervention (SDARI), modified from an earlier program by [9], was used to present drama activities. This pilot program included nine participants who completed a six-week summer program and eight controls who were matched for diagnosis and served as a comparison group. SDARI involved dramatic training activities such as gibberish, in which one member of the group speaks nonsense sounds instead of words while using body language to show how to perform a common task. Another group participant must translate the gibberish into words for others. The researchers employed several measures to assess change in behaviors. Parental reports comprised some of the measures and included the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS), [13] which indicated a significant increase on the Assertion subscale. The other significant finding was from the Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy-2 (DANVA2), [14], a test of ability to read nonverbal cues in faces, tone of voice, and postures. Results from the DANVA2 indicated a significant increase in correctly identifying emotions in adult voices. This study also found evidence that participants were able to generalize what they learned and were able to maintain skills beyond the treatment period.
In another study, Minne et al. [11], used the Social Competence Intervention Program For Young Children (SCIPYC), developed by the authors and based on a similar program by Guli et al. [15], but modified to include younger children. Five children, 6-7 years old, participated in SCIPYC, which was conducted for 16 sessions, two 1 ½ hour sessions per week for eight weeks, and treated deficits in nonverbal communication through socio-dramatic play activities, cooperative games, and interactive discussions. Qualitative results from parent and child interviews indicated that children had positive changes in awareness of others, awareness of self, sense of connectedness/relatedness, developing self-confidence and leadership, and regulating negative emotions.
Guli et al. [16], implemented the Social Competence Intervention Program (SCIP), developed by Guli et al. [15], to present interactive drama activities to 39 children and adolescents, ages 8-14 years, for 16 sessions. The SCIP emphasizes relationships, emotions, communication cooperation and imagination, in-context learning, and the give-and-take of nonverbal cues. The Behavioral Assessment System For Children (BASC), [17], a parent report measure, and the DANVA2, the nonverbal cue-reading test, were administered to measure progress. Participants showed increases in positive interactions and decreases in solitary play, indicating improved social interaction in a natural setting; these findings were not seen in the control group. The authors concluded that these results provide initial support for the use of drama programs to develop social skills.
Corbett et al. [18], reported on the Social Emotional Neuroscience Endocrinology (SENSE) Theatre, designed by the authors, a unique study in that it incorporated a true production. This study included eight participants with ASD, between the ages of 6-17 years, who were paired with typically developing peers and who performed a musical performance of Disney's The Jungle Book among a cast of 37. SENSE lasted three months, with rehearsals one to four days per week. Activities included modeling, providing a nurturing, fun environment, natural reinforcers, multiple trainers, and video modeling. For video modeling, participants watched pre-recorded videos that demonstrated what they should copy. The authors included several pre-test and post-test measures to assess the effect of theatre experiences for participants. First, four different questionnaires were administered to the parents of the eight participants. Questionnaires were used to investigate their observations of characteristics of ASD, stress, sensory sensitivity, and adaptive functioning. Next, specific subtests from the Developmental NEuroPSYchological Assessment (DNEPSYA) [19]-Memory for Faces, Affect Recognition, and Theory of Mind-were administered as part of this standardized neuropsychological battery. Finally, two biomarkers for stress levels in the ASD population were evaluated, by means of salivary cortisol sampling and oxytocin levels from a blood sample. The results from this study indicated that there were no significant differences between pre-test and post-test parental reports. DNEPSYA results indicated significant differences from pre-test to post-test in Memory for Faces and Theory of Mind. There was a reduction in cortisol values between the start of the first and the end of the middle rehearsals; however, there was not a significant difference in cortisol levels after the final rehearsal, which the authors explained as a result of habituation and improved comfort in the setting. There were no significant differences in oxytocin levels. The authors concluded that there is potential in using theatrical teaching and settings to address challenges in ASD.
These research findings provide support for using theatre to advance social and communication skills in ASD. Therefore, the current study was designed to report on the effect of actual participation in a theatre production designed for adolescents with ASD. New information about the theatre and ASD connection will be obtained from this study with the inclusion of a dependent variable that involved the direct measurement of behavioral changes in social skills as recorded by trained, objective raters. Previous studies have used parental reports and objective measures that do not directly describe social behaviors.
The study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of theatre experiences on social behaviors for students with ASD. Specifically, the purpose was to describe behaviors of students with ASD before and after participating in a theatre experience, and to compare these behaviors with those of a control group of students with ASD who did not participate in the theatre experience. With this comparison, it was possible to describe changes in social behaviors as a result of theatre experiences.
Participants in this study included 16 students enrolled in a nonprofit private school that serves students with neurological impairment, including ASD. Eight students, six males and two females, between the ages of 17-21 years (average age 18 years 10 months) and diagnosed with ASD volunteered to participate in the theater experiences. A group of students, eight males, between the ages of 17-20 years (average age 18 years 11 months) and matched for diagnosis of ASD and age, were not involved in the theatre experience, and served as a control group. Participants and controls had verbal ability.
Theatre Experiences
Schedule: Participants engaged in 10 sessions of theatre activities. The sessions were two hours in length and occurred one time a week during the school day. Six of the 10 sessions were conducted at the school and four sessions took place at a professional theatre. Students were transported to the theatre for those sessions.
The leaders of the theatre activities were two professional theatre artists and co-authors of this study. One is the resident director of the professional theatre where activities took place. The resident director directs and choreographs plays as well as teaches theatre to students including individuals with special needs. The other is an actor, director, and playwright who is also the artist-in-residence at the school the students attend. He teaches drama at that school.
Content of sessions during the 10 week program: The theatre program was designed to help students learn about scripts, the rehearsal process, costume design, and scenery construction, as well as to prepare for a final performance. Drama activities, exercises to help students be creative and interactive, were included in the theatre program. The sole focus of the program was on the process of creating theatre. Social skills and functioning were not specifically targeted. The first session was conducted at the theatre; students toured the theatre building and learned about the scene shop, costume shop, and main stage. Students were then introduced to the story and the script; discussion focused on the content of the story. Students received a script and their assigned role (all had a speaking part on stage), and were led through an initial reading of the script. Sessions 2-3 were conducted at the school; students discussed the meaning of words, the content of the story, and the characters. Students were encouraged to figure out what their characters wanted, the means by which characters got what they wanted, and why characters behaved the way they did. These sessions focused on understanding the motivation and perspective of the characters, the meaning of the words used by the characters, and the overall story content. Sessions 4-5 were at the theatre and involved students in making props, construction of scenery, and staging the play. Leaders provided specific instructions on blocking, body-space relationships, voice projection, clear articulation, and cuing. Students learned terminology associated with theatrical productions such as stage right and stage left. Students practiced the script on stage and were expected to have the script mostly memorized. During sessions 6-9, at the school, students discussed aspects of the play and were coached on their roles, including suggestions for improvement. Students were led in a dialogue with specific instructions to give a compliment about another person's performance. The tenth and last session culminated in the production, scenes from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, performed by the theatre participants in front of an actual live audience (not only parents and friends). A reception provided a celebratory event upon the conclusion of the program. See Appendix A for more details about the sessions.
At times, some students found it difficult to participate productively in the theatre activities. Students who had difficulty or became disruptive were removed from the activity and were able to return when their behavior was under control. Removal from the activity involved taking a walk and talking through the problem with one of the leaders or a supervisor from the school who was also present. Usually disruption occurred with non-structured activities, such as making scenery or props. In the scene shop, students wore earplugs because of the loud equipment noise (standard practice in the theatre). At the beginning of the 10-week program there were more occurrences of disruptive behavior than at the end; it was observed that students did not want to be removed from activities and were able to keep their own behavior in line with expectations.
Measurement of Social Behaviors
Rating of Social Behaviors (RSB): A measurement tool, the Rating of Social Behaviors was developed specifically for this study by the first two authors, both speech-language pathologists with current certification by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The RSB includes 24 social behaviors that are common concerns for individuals with ASD. The selection of the 24 behaviors was the result of consultation with the teaching staff at the school that the participants attended. Twenty-five social and communication behaviors were submitted to the staff, which used the form prior to the theatre experience. Based on feedback provided by the teaching staff, 24 behaviors were selected and described in greater detail. The ratings for each of the social behaviors used a five-point Likert scale indicating occurrence of the behavior in a natural environment as 1=Never, 2=Seldom, 3=Sometimes, 4=Often, and 5=Frequently.
Measurement Scales and Reliabilities: The 24 behaviors on the RSB form were divided into four subscales: 1) Language Use and Conversation (conversational responses, initiates conversation, maintains conversation, gestures, and shares experiences); 2) Social Responsiveness (eye contact, greetings, politeness, emotion, accepts praise, response to directions, and humor); 3) Perspective of Others (understanding, interest in others, concern for others, offers help, accepts criticism, and acknowledges the perspective of others); and 4) Participation and Cooperation (takes turns, friendship, shares objects, joins groups, teamwork, and controls temper). Descriptions of these behaviors are presented in Appendix B. These four subscales served as the four primary dependent measures for the study. The reliability of these four subscales was established by using both an inter-rater agreement index (Spearman's r) and a measure of internal consistency (coefficient alpha). The inter-rater reliability for each of the subscales from the RSB rating form was established by comparing the results of the primary rater, Rater A, with the results of a second evaluator, Rater B. Rater A was a staff member at the school, familiar with all the students, but was not involved in the theatre experience and did not know who was a participant in the theatre program. Rater B was also a staff member at the school, familiar with all the students, but was directly involved in the theatre experience and an author of this study.
Prior to the start of the theatre experience, Rater A independently rated all 16 participants using the 24 items on the RSB. Rater B independently rated a random subset of the participants (n=8) on the same 24 RSB items. Ratings were then averaged across each item to calculate a subscale score. The inter-rater reliability for each of the subscales was calculated using Spearman's r, and the results are reported in Table 1.
Subscale
Inter-rater reliability (rs)
Internal consistency Reliability (α)
Language Use and Conversation 0.75 0.88 5
Social Responsiveness 0.73 0.81 7
Perspective of Others 0.85 0.92 6
Participation and Cooperation 0.78 0.8 6
Table 1: Reliabilities for the RSB subscales.
As indicated, the inter-rater reliabilities were acceptably high, with all subscales having inter-rater reliability indices above 0.70. The results reported in this paper were calculated using only the ratings of Rater A, who was blind to participant condition and not otherwise involved in this study.
Table 1 also presents the internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) reliabilities for the four subscales as well as the number of items that comprised each subscale. As shown, alpha reliabilities were sufficiently high, with all internal consistency measures at 0.80 or above.
The RSB was used to rate the behaviors of the eight participants and the eight students in the control group at two different times, prior to beginning the theatre experience (Time 1) and immediately following the theatre experience (Time 2).
Each of the four subscales from the RSB was analyzed in a 2 (Condition: Theatre Participants versus Controls) X (2) (Time: Prior to the theatre experience and immediately following) mixed design ANOVA with Condition as a between-subjects factor and Time as a within-subjects factor. The results for each subscale are discussed in turn below.
The 2 X (2) mixed design ANOVA for the Language Use and Conversation subscale revealed a significant effect of Condition (F (1,14)=16.53), p=0.001,(?2=0.54) where theatre participants showed higher levels of Language Use and Conversation (M=4.7, SEM=0.18) than non-participants (M=3.6, SEM=0.18). Neither Time nor the Condition by Time interaction was significant. These results are depicted in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Average scores for Participants and Controls, before and after the Theatre Experience, for RSB Subscale Language Use and Conversation.
The 2 X (2) mixed design ANOVA for the Social Responsiveness subscale revealed a significant effect of Condition, (F (1,14)=11.95, p=0.004, ?2=0.46), where theatre participants showed higher levels of Social Responsiveness (M=4.4, SEM=0.17) than non-participants (M=3.6, SEM=0.17). Although no main effect of Time was found, there was a significant Condition X Time interaction (F (1,14)=4.66, p=0.049,?2=0.25). As depicted in Figure 2, participants in the theatre program showed a significant increase in Social Responsiveness after having participated in the theatre experience (as compared to Time 1), whereas control students did not show a gain in Social Responsiveness.
Figure 2: Average scores for Participants and Controls, before and after the Theatre Experience, for RSB subscale Social Responsiveness.
The 2 X (2) mixed design ANOVA for the Perspective of Others subscale revealed a significant effect of Condition (F (1,14)=12.92, p=0.005, η2=0.44), where theatre participants showed higher levels on the Perspective of Others subscale (M=3.9, SEM=0.27) than non-participants (M=2.6, SEM=0.27). There was also a Time of Measurement effect (F (1,14)=11.06, p=0.005, η2=44) found, where all students averaged higher levels on the Perspective of Others subscale at Time 2 (M=3.4, SEM=0.18) as compared to Time 1 (M=3.1, SEM=0.20). That Time effect, however, was qualified by the finding of a significant Condition X Time interaction (F (1,14)=5.29, p=0.037, η2=0.28). As depicted in Figure 3, it was predominantly the participants in the theatre program who showed a significant increase on the Perspective of Others subscale (at Time 2 as compared to Time 1), and not the control students.
Figure 3: Average scores for Participants and Controls, before and after the Theatre Experience, for RSB Subscale Perspective of Others .
Finally, the 2 X (2) mixed design ANOVA for the Participation and Cooperation subscale revealed neither a main effect of Condition nor Time. However, there was a significant Condition X Time interaction (F (1,14)=4.55, p=0.051, η2=0.24). As depicted in Figure 4, participants in the theatre program showed a significant increase in Participation and Cooperation after having participated in the theatre experience (as compared to Time 1), whereas control students did not show a gain in Participation and Cooperation.
Figure 4: Average scores for Participants and Controls, before and after the Theatre Experience, for RSB Subscale Participation and Cooperation.
The purpose of this study was to describe the impact of theatre experiences on the social behaviors of students with ASD. Twenty-four social behaviors, identified in a Rating of Social Behaviors (RSB) scale, were divided into four subcategories: 1) Language Use and Conversation, 2) Social Responsiveness, 3) Perspective of Others, and 4) Participation and Cooperation. It should be noted that there were differences between the two groups at the outset of the study. However, the differences became greater between the two groups, indicating a positive change for participants at the end of the 10 week theatre program. In three of the four subcategories, data analysis of the scores for the social behaviors showed significant increases for the participants in the theatre program. In contrast, a significant increase was not observed for the control students.
For Subcategory 1, Language Use and Conversation, the theatre participants had significantly higher scores than the controls. However, the scores for both groups did not increase from the beginning to the end of the experience. The expected increase in scores for the theatre participants may not have occurred because of the overall high scores achieved prior to the beginning of the experience. The high score on the pre-test did not allow for much gain from pre-test to post-test to be realized. There was, essentially, a ceiling effect. In addition, skills in Language Use and Conversation are inherently difficult to assess for adolescents altogether, and it may be that the RSB was not sensitive enough to measure subtle changes. In addition, gains in Language Use and Conversation for adolescents are subtle. It may be that the RSB was not sensitive enough to measure these small changes. The theatre participants' high scores in this subcategory may reflect their comfort level with the language activities required by theatre, and may have been a factor in their decision to volunteer for the theatre program.
For Subcategory 2, Social Responsiveness, theatre participants again had significantly higher scores on the RSB than the controls. In addition, and of most interest, there was a significant increase in the scores of theatre participants from pre-testing to post-testing, while a corresponding increase for the controls was not found. We take this finding as an indication that the theatre experience had a positive effect on the behaviors in the Social Responsiveness subcategory, such as eye contact, greeting, and politeness. Such behaviors enable individuals to engage with others in a positive way, thus making the theatre experience rewarding for the participants.
When Subcategory 3, Perspective of Others, was examined, it was determined that the RSB scores for theatre participants were significantly greater than the scores for the controls. As in Subcategory 2, the theatre participants showed significant increase from pre-testing to post-testing, whereas the controls did not. We argue that this finding provides further evidence that the theatre experience facilitated the social development of students with ASD on important behaviors such as interest in others, concern for others, and offering to help. These behaviors are especially beneficial in a theatre production, as they enable the understanding of a character and that character's motivations.
When Subcategory 4, Participation and Cooperation, was examined, it was determined that a significant difference did not exist between the overall scores of the theatre participants and the controls. This lack of difference was unlike the patterns observed in Subcategories 1-3. However, like Subcategories 2 and 3, the scores of the theatre participants did increase significantly from pre-testing to post-testing, while the scores of the controls did not show a significant increase. This subcategory included behaviors such as taking turns, sharing, and teamwork, all developmentally important behaviors required by the collaborative work of theatre.
It is significant to note that the primary purpose of this program was to provide a theatre experience for the participants that would culminate in an on-stage production. The significant increases in scores on the RSB from pre-testing to post-testing occurred even though the social behaviors under investigation were not specifically targeted or taught. Rather, the behaviors described on the RSB are behaviors expected of typical adolescents and adults and are also critical for cooperative activities, such as those required in a theatre environment.
The theater experience was also joyful and exciting, thus providing motivation for these adolescents to engage in positive, interactive social behaviors. The experience provided a framework for encouraging the participants to consider and examine the feelings, motives, and behaviors of others, thus indirectly helping participants to better understand the Perspective of Others (Theory of Mind). Thus, this theatre experience, by virtue of the inherent social requirements, was useful in developing important social and communication behaviors in students with ASD.
It is interesting to note that the leaders of this theatre experience were theatre-educated and experienced theatre professionals. Although they had sensitivity to individuals with ASD and some experience in teaching students with special needs, they were first and foremost theatre professionals. Yet the theatre experience that they led resulted in significant increases in social behaviors for individuals with ASD. This is perhaps a reflection of the power of theatre to help facilitate and teach cooperation and recognizing the Perspective of Others, behaviors that are keys to success in social and communication interactions. This finding has significance for educational settings. Along with experiencing other instructional methods, students with ASD may benefit from involvement in theatre, either in mainstream schools or in specifically designed community theatre programs. The skills learned in the theatre setting may generalize to everyday activities.
It is important to recognize that this study is a preliminary investigation into the involvement of adolescents with ASD in a theatre project. This is a report of a project, and as such, there are inherent limitations to a non-experimental design. While random assignment is desirable, it was not possible or ethical when considering the potential benefit of this program with an at-risk population such as students with ASD. Therefore, it was necessary to rely on individuals who were willing to be included and thus random assignment was precluded. Furthermore, there were only eight participants, a small number. Because of these limitations, the results of this study do not lead to firm conclusions about the benefits of theater for students with ASD. However, this study does provide direction for further promising research.
An important aspect of this study was the development of the RSB, a criterion-referenced measure created for the purpose of measuring pre- and post-behaviors. It appeared that, with one possible exception, the behaviors included on this rating form were sensitive to changes in social skills for individuals with ASD. Additional studies are needed to replicate and refine this tool and to corroborate its usefulness.
In summary, the theatre experiences described in this study resulted in significant gains in social and communication behaviors as measured by the RSB. This study provides further evidence that theatre experiences can be beneficial for students with ASD.
Appendix A: Schedule of the 10-week Theatre Program
Week 1 (theatre)
•Tour of the theatre that included the scene shop, costume shop, and main stage;
•Students received a copy of the script and their speaking part;
•The story was explained and the students read some parts of their scripts.
Weeks 2-3 (school)
•Students read their scripts and discussed the content of the story and the meaning of words used by the characters;
•Students discussed the characters in the story to understand the intentions, motivation, and perspective of the characters, and to figure out what the characters wanted, how they got it, and the outcome.
Weeks 4-5 (theatre)
•Assignment to costume shop to make hats and kites for the play;
•Assignment to scene shop to put a fence together, used as a prop in the play;
•Students learned to stage the play; students were given instruction in blocking, body-space relationships, voice projection, clear articulation, and cuing;
•Students learned terminology associated with theatrical productions, such as stage right and stage left;
•Students focused on audience needs, such as hearing lines clearly, not turning your back to the audience, facial expressions, and tone of voice to convey meaning;
•Students practiced the script on stage and were expected to have the script mostly memorized.
•Discuss the play, what is working, what changes need to be made for improvement;
•Discuss how it all fits together;
•Engage in dialogue with specific instruction for everyone to say one compliment about another person's performance;
•Dress rehearsal.
Week 10 (theatre)
•Performance on the main stage;
•Live audience of theatre staff, teachers, and participant parents and siblings;
•Reception afterward to celebrate the successful performance.
Appendix B: Social and Communication Behaviors used in the Rating of Social Behaviors (RSB) Form
Subscale 1: Language Use and Conversation
Conversational Responses
•Provides a verbal response directly following a question from the instructor
•Provides a verbal response directly following a question from a peer
Initiates Conversation
•Stays within 3 feet of others while initiating a greeting, asking a question, or making a comment
Maintains Conversation
•Engages in 3 reciprocal exchanges (6 sentences total)
•Facial expressions match physical gestures
Shares Experiences
•During conversation, offers personal information
Subscale 2: Social Responsiveness
•When talking to another person, looks the other person in the eye for a count of 3-5 seconds
•Initiates greetings with variations of Hi, Hello, How are you?
•Responds to greetings with variations of Hi, Hello, How are you?
•Uses Please and Thank you
•Stays silent when other people are talking
•Display of emotions is appropriate for the environmental context
Accepts praise
•Given a compliment, either smiles and/or says variations of Thank you
Response to directions
•When prompted, responds within 10 seconds of request
•Laughs, jokes, and finds humor during appropriate situations
Subscale 3: Perspective of Others
•Notices mistakes of others and says variations of That's okay, It's not a big deal, We'll try it again
•Acknowledges personal mistakes and says variations of I'll keep trying, I'll keep practicing, I'll do better next time, I'll try harder
Interest in Others
•Shows verbal expressions of interest in the hobbies and activities of others
•Asks others variations of Are you okay? What's wrong? What's the matter? What's bothering you?
Offers Help
•Without prompting, asks others variations of Do you need help? Can I help you? Do you want me to help you?
Accepts criticism
•Looks at the person
•Acknowledges feedback
•Does not argue about criticism
•Accepts responsibility
Perspective of Others
•Acknowledges different opinions
Subscale 4: Participation and Cooperation
Takes Turns
•Waits for turns
•Allows others a turn
•Makes and establishes friendships
Shares objects
•When asked to share, complies with the request in a gracious way
•Offers to share items voluntarily
Joins groups
•Enters into group activities without prompting
•Does their own job completely
•Cooperates with others
•Listens attentively
•Accepts feedback from others
•Shares materials
•Takes turns with others
•Praises the performance of others
Controls temper
•Identifies negative emotions or behaviors that are difficult to control
•Uses a strategy to help calm self
The theatre program for students with autism described in this study was partially funded by a grant from the Pennsylvania Council for the Arts, administered through the Philadelphia Arts in Education Partnership, and awarded to People's Light and Theatre Company.
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Making that major step to relocate your business can be challenging. Not only do you need to find the perfect office, in the right location, but you also need to ensure your new office is entirely ready for the big move!
At JBH Refurbishments we provide office relocation support and office fit-outs in London, Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Essex. As part of our service we are involved from the early stages of your office relocation plans. Once you have selected a few properties we will analyse the available space and provide sound advice on the most suitable office for your business needs. Our advice takes into account your current workforce and the future growth of your business.
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If you need to take action on a schedule of deilapidation on your soon-to-be former premises, before your big move, we can help. JBH Refurbishments can carry out neccessary dilapidation works to commercial properties throughout London and the South East.
Our quality and thorough refurbishment service will guarantee your Landord is presented with an attractive interior that is ready to let come the end of your lease. More information on this is available on our End of Lease Dilapidation Works page.


text:
Alexander "Sawney" Bean era o chefe de um clã de 48 membros que teria vivido entre os séculos XV e XVI na Escócia e a quem é atribuído o assassinato em massa e a canibalização de mais de 1.000 pessoas.

A história aparece no The Newgate Calendar, um catálogo de crimes da Prisão Newgate em Londres. Apesar da maioria dos historiadores concordarem que Sawney Bean nunca existiu ou que sua história foi muito exagerada, sua lenda foi integrada ao folclore local e tornou-se parte da indústria de turismo de Edimburgo.

Lenda
De acordo com o The Newgate Calendar, Sawney Bean nasceu em East Lothian, durante o ano de 1500. Seu pai era um escavador de vala e jardineiro e Bean tentou assumir o negócio da família, mas rapidamente percebeu que tinha pouco gosto pelo trabalho honesto.

Ele saiu de casa com uma mulher viciosa que aparentemente compartilhava de suas inclinações. O casal acabou por viver em uma caverna costeira no Bennane Head, entre as cidades de Girvan e Ballantrae, onde viveram por cerca de 25 anos. A caverna estava localizada a 200 jardas de profundidade e durante a maré alta a entrada era bloqueada pela água. O casal acabou por produzir oito filhos, seis filhas, 18 netos e 14 netas. Vários netos eram produtos de incesto. Sem a inclinação para o trabalho regular, o clã prosperou colocando emboscadas à noite para roubar e matar indivíduos ou pequenos grupos. Os corpos eram trazidos de volta para a caverna, onde eram desmembrados e comidos. As sobras ficavam em conserva e partes dos corpos descartados, às vezes, eram encontradas em praias próximas. As partes do corpo e os desaparecimentos não passaram despercebidos pelos moradores locais, mas os Beans ficavam nas cavernas durante o dia e atacavam suas vítimas apenas durante a noite. O clã era tão secreto que os moradores não tinham conhecimento dos assassinos que moravam nas proximidades.

Conforme os desaparecimentos passaram a chamar mais atenção, várias buscas organizadas foram iniciadas para encontrar os culpados, sendo que uma delas encontrou a caverna, mas os homens se recusaram a acreditar que qualquer humano poderia viver nela. Frustrados e em uma busca frenética por justiça, os habitantes da cidade lincharam vários inocentes e os desaparecimentos continuaram.

Em uma fatídica noite, os Beans emboscaram um casal que cavalgava ao voltar de uma feira, mas o homem era hábil em combate e deteve o clã com uma espada e uma pistola. Os Beans, no entanto, feriram fatalmente a esposa do homem quando ela caiu no chão durante o conflito. Antes que pudessem levar o marido resistente, um grande grupo de feirantes apareceu na trilha e os Beans fugiram.

Com a existência dos Beans finalmente revelada, não tardou até que o Rei Jaime VI da Escócia (mais tarde Jaime I da Inglaterra) soubesse das atrocidades e decidisse conduzir uma caçada humana com uma equipe de 400 homens e vários cães de caça. Eles logo encontraram a caverna anteriormente esquecida dos Beans em Bennane Head. A caverna estava repleta de restos humanos, tendo sido palco de muitos assassinatos e atos de canibalismo.

O clã foi capturado vivo e levado acorrentado para a Cadeia Tolbooth em Edimburgo, em seguida, transferido para Leith ou Glasgow, onde foram prontamente executados sem julgamento; os homens tiveram seus órgãos genitais, mãos e pés cortados e foram deixados a sangrar até a morte; as mulheres e crianças, depois de assistir a morte dos homens, foram queimadas vivas. (Isso lembra, em essência, se não em detalhe, as punições "hanged, drawn and quartered", decretadas para homens condenados por traição, enquanto as mulheres condenadas pelo mesmo motivo eram queimadas.)

Veracidade

Sawney Bean é muitas vezes considerado uma figura mítica. Citando um relato de 1843, Dorothy L. Sayers incluiu uma narrativa horrível em sua antologia Great Short Stories of Detection, Mystery and Horror. Um artigo de 2005 de Sean Thomas observa que documentos históricos, tais como jornais e diários da época em que Sawney Bean teria supostamente vivido, não fazem menção de desaparecimentos de centenas de pessoas. Além disso, Thomas observa inconsistências nas histórias, mas especula que alguns crimes reais poderiam ter inspirado a lenda:

Ligações externas
BBC Scotland - The Grisly Deeds of Alexander Bean

Assassinos em série do Reino Unido
Escoceses do século XVI
Século XVI na Escócia
Canibais


KUN Entertainment presents SHOW ME YOUR STYLE 2018!!! Showcase comp, 2v2 Open style Battle and Special Exhibition match!!!!
You may know us from successful events such as KOD ANZ 2017, KUN is proud to bring back another event this year called Show Me Your Style!
At this event, we want YOU to showcase YOUR original style and share your talent with the viewers from around the world! We are bringing down many national and international guests to be on our Judging and Battle Guest panel!!
The showcase competition will be a choreography style competition that features your own style. The showcase competition will be split up into 2 age categories, KIDS and OPENS.
Time limit for each showcase must be 3-4 mins. No shorter or no longer.
The minimum number of dancers in a showcase is 3 people.
The Battle will be a 2v2 Open Style battle. Try your best to showcase your style to make your way to the top!
Preliminaries will be in a cypher/audition format. The rule is if one member on your team goes into the cypher, the other member MUST go directly after him.
Each team will be given a number, however you do not need to go into the cypher in numerical order.
The top 15 teams will be selected to join the Battle Guest team to form a Top 16 Battle tournament.
KUN is proud to present a special exhibition match between Australia All Stars vs China All Stars!!
This exhibition battle will feature our top Australian Dancers battling out with the amazing guest dancers from China!
Stay Tuned for the journey of the featured dancers on our Facebook and Instagram page!!


Antithrombotic and antineoplastic effects of phyto-organosulfur compounds.
Ariga T1, Tsuj K, Seki T, Moritomo T, Yamamoto JI.
Department of Biochemical and Agricultural Chemistry, Nihon University College of Bioresource Sciences, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan.
The antiplatelet activity of methyl allyltrisulfide (MATS), a component commonly present in steam-distilled garlic oil, has been demonstrated by the authors. MATS inhibits arachidonic acid cascade at the reaction site with PGH synthase. However, this enzyme catalyzes two successive reactions, from arachidonic acid to PGG2, and from PGG2 to PGH2. The present study revealed that MATS inhibited the latter reaction. In addition, our recent findings that to a promyelocytic leukemia cell HL60, Allium oils shows marked anti-neoplastic effects representing both growth suppression and differentiation activities are described. The garlic oil and onion oil showed almost equal ability in inducing the proliferation, which measured either by nitroblue-tetrazolium reducing activity assay or by flow cytometry for detecting CD11b expression. The combination use of one of these oils with all-trans retinoic acid or with dimethyl sulfoxide lead to the marked differentiation of the cells, and their effects were estimated to be synergistic.