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Natural Products Chemistry & Research
Research Article - (2013) Volume 1, Issue 4
Therapeutic Agents from Tissue Cultures of Medicinal Plants
Ciddi Veeresham* and Praveena Chitti
University college of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kakatiya University, Warangal, Andhra Pradesh, India
*Corresponding Author: Ciddi Veeresham, University college of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kakatiya University, Warangal Andhra Pradesh, 506009, India Email:
Plants are being the important continuous source of pharmacologically active compounds, with many blockbuster drugs being derived directly or indirectly from plants. Despite the current occupation with synthetic chemistry as a vehicle to discover and manufacture drugs, the contribution of plants to disease treatment and prevention is still enormous. However several challenges have been associated with supply of biologically active pharmaceuticals from natural sources. Alternative avenues for plant products have gained prominence during the past few years and plant biotechnology has a major role to play in plant based industries. Recently the production of secondary metabolites using plant cells has been the subject of extended research. Plant cell culture can be obtained from any plant species. In such culture, each cell has all genes necessary for all the functions of a plant including secondary metabolism. Different strategies can also be applied for the improvement of secondary metabolite production. A recent development to overcome the difficulties arising with cell suspension cultures is the genetic transformation of plants with Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Hairy roots have been found to be suitable for the production of secondary metabolites because of their stable and high productivity in hormone-free culture conditions. Plant transformed technology has now reached a platform of commercial reality. Here in this article we outline results of production of few bioactive secondary metabolites from in vitro cultures established in our laboratory.
Keywords: Plant tissue culture; Cell suspension culture; Hairy root culture
MS: Murashige and Skoogs; 2,4-D: 2,4-Dichlorophenoxy acetic acid; NAA: Napthalene Acetic Acid; Kn: Kinetin; BA: Benzyl Adenine
Nature is an infinite resource for drug development and created almost an inexhaustible array of molecular entities. It is not possible to obtain a precise figure for the total number of species existing on earth. Pimm et al. [1] made an effort to express biodiversity in number, estimating the total number of species to be 10-100 million and plants existing range from 2,50,000 to 7,50,000. Only 5-10% of these species however have been acknowledged through scientific evaluation to have therapeutic value [2].
Plant derived drugs are being widely used not only in developing countries but also in the most advanced countries. It has been reported by WHO that about 80% of the world's population rely on medicinal plants for their primary health care. Until recently plants are being the important source of novel pharmacologically active compounds, with many blockbuster drugs derived directly or indirectly from plants. Despite the current occupation with synthetic chemistry as a vehicle to discover and manufacture drugs, the contribution of plants to disease treatment and prevention is still enormous [3,4]. According to recent report utility of natural products as sources of novel structures is still alive and well. Up to 50% the approved drugs during the last 30years are from either directly or indirectly from natural products. In the area of cancer, over the time frame from around the 1940s to date, of the 175 small molecules 85 actually being either natural products or directly derived there from [5].
Although many of the drugs are made by synthetic chemistry, most of the core structures or scaffolds for synthetic chemicals are based upon natural products. Not all natural products can be fully synthesized and many natural products have very complex structures that are too difficult and expensive to synthesize on an industrial scale. Because of their complex structures and in spite of extensive efforts to develop partial or total chemical synthesis, isolation of such plant derived compounds from their natural source remains the only viable option, with very few exceptions. And most of the medicinal plants are not cultivated; rather they are collected from wild. In the past, quantities needed to meet demand were relatively low; however, increasing commercial demand is fast outpacing supply. Production and isolation of the chemicals by conventional techniques face several problems leading the plants to become endangered and resulting in loss of biodiversity [6].
Alternative avenues for plant products have gained prominence during the past few years and the production of secondary metabolites using plant cells has been the subject of extended research. Hence forth plant biotechnology has a major role to play in plant based industries (Table 1).
Secondary metabolite
Baccatin–III, Deacetyl baccatin-III Taxus wallichiana,
T. canadensis callus, cell suspension
Camptothecin Nothapodytes foetida callus, cell suspension
Castanospermine Castanospermum australe callus, cell suspension
Forskolin Coleus forskohlii callus, cell suspension, hairy root
Nitidine Toddalia asiatica callus, cell suspension
Hypercin, Pseudohypercin Hypericum perforatum shoot cultures
Ajmalicine and Serpentine Catharanthus roseus hairy root
Table 1: Bioactive secondary metabolites from plant tissue cultures.
Plant in vitro techniques, in which plant cells, tissues and organs are cultivated under aseptic conditions totally independent of geographical and climatic factors, offers alternatives for producing important metabolites, and several technologies based on them have been developed.
Plant tissue culture technology could be a potential alternative approach for bio production of phytoconstituents of therapeutic value and might be attractive under certain conditions if, for example, the source plant is difficult to cultivate, has a long cultivation period or has a low metabolite yield; if chemical synthesis has not been achieved or if it is technically problematic.
In vitro plant cell culture includes mainly four main approaches, namely callus, suspension, immobilized cells and differentiated cultures. In brief callus culture involves growing a disorganized aggregate of cells from plant explants by culturing on a semi-solid support which contains nutrients and any hormones required to promote growth of the cells. Suspension cultures result when callus is suspended in liquid growth medium and growing cells as dispersed cell culture. With their relatively fast growth - doubling times and their ease of manipulation, suspension cultures are widely employed in the study of secondary metabolite production by plant cells. The advantages of this approach are obvious, as biomass production is rapid than that of whole plant, nutritional and environmental requirements can be easily controlled allowing the production of pharmaceutical throughout the year if necessary, nutrient uptake is enhanced by submerged culture conditions which stimulate the multiplication rate and higher yield of bioactive compounds. The major problems of using suspension cultures are instability of the cell lines and low product yield that in some cases is virtually zero. It is generally acknowledged that lack of basic information about biosynthetic pathways and mechanisms underlying the production of secondary metabolites is the bottleneck that needs to be addressed [7,8].
Immobilized cell cultures result when free cells are entrapped in alginate, agarose or other similar matrices, or else are allowed to grow into a porous support such as reticulated polyurethane foam. Particularly in the case of cells immobilized in foams, where cell-to-cell contact is maximized and where the process is technically simple, such systems combine many of the advantages of both cell suspensions and callus. The final system in general use, an alternative method of producing biologically active compounds and one which is growing in importance, is the use of differentiated cultures such as shoot cultures, root cultures, transformed cultures because their behaviour is more predictable than that of undifferentiated cell suspension cultures. By manipulating the external hormone balance or by influencing the internal hormonal status of non-transformed differentiated cultures can be initiated. The structural integrity of organ cultures is maintained by manipulating the external hormonal balance. Such morphological stability is in turn associated with improved genetic and metabolic stability compared with undifferentiated cultures. Such organ cultures produce yields of secondary metabolites comparable to intact plants [9-11].
Alternatively, genetically transformed hairy root cultures have been extensively researched for the synthesis of root derived chemicals. The recent advances and developments in plant genetics and recombinant DNA technology have helped to improve and boost research into secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Genetic transformation would be a powerful tool for enhancing the productivity of novel secondary metabolites of limited use. Hairy roots, transformed with Agrobacterium rhizogenes have been found to be suitable for the production of secondary metabolites because of their stable and high productivity in hormone-free culture conditions. In certain instances, particularly transformed roots can grow almost as rapidly as the best suspension cultures whilst still maintaining high secondary metabolite productivity through genetic and biochemical stability. A number of plant species including many medicinal plants have been successfully transformed with Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Plant transformed technology has now reached a platform of commercial reality [12-15].
However, most often trails with plant cell culture fail to produce the desired products. In such cases, strategies to improve the production must be considered. Elicitor treatment, precursor feeding, carbon source, permeabilization, light, pH, temperature etc [16-19].
Research Work Carried out in Author's Lab
Callus and cell suspension cultures
Plant tissue culture studies carried were carried out on three species of T. axus, T. wallichiana, T. baccata and T. canadensis (Taxaceae) with an objective to enhance the bio production of pharmaceutically important phytoconstituents under the influence of different biotic and abiotic elicitors. Different explants such shoot buds, young leaves, roots as explants and three different nutrient media (MS, WPM, B5) were used for establishment of callus cultures. Young leaves of T. Wallichiana, T. baccata and shoot buds of T. canadensis were found to give best response of callus induction on Gamborg's B5 medium supplemented with Dicamba (2 mg/l), BA(0.2 mg/l), glutamate(292 mg/l) and sucrose (1%w/v). HPLC analysis of 15 weeks old callus cultures of T. wallichiana revealed the presence of 0.005% deacetyl baccatin-III on dry weight basis. Suspension cultures of T. wallichiana and T. canadensis after 3 passages from growth medium to production medium (1/4 B5, sucrose 5%w/v, 2,4-D 2 mg/l, zeatin 0.5 mg/l) incidentally shown the maximum concentration of baccatin–III and deacetyl baccatin-III. Abiotic elicitors arachidonic acid and methyl jasmonte significantly improved the production of baccatin–III and deacetyl baccatin-III over the control cultures of T. wallichiana and cinnanic acid enhanced the production of baccatin–III and deacetyl baccatin-III in cell suspension cultures of T. canadensis. Calcium chloride in low concentration was found to be effective in enhancing the yield of these taxanes from T. canadensi suspension cultures. Biotic elicitors employed in the study did not exhibit any activity on bio production of baccatin–III and deacetyl baccatin-III, on the other hand found to partially retard the bio production [20,21].
Camptothecin (CPT) and its analogues 10-hydroxy CPT, 9-methoxy CPT (MCPT) and semi synthetic derivatives topotecan, irinotecan are promising anticancer drugs with unique mechanism of action. Nothapodytes foetida (Iccacinaceae) is a potential source of CPT and its analogues than any other botanical sources of camptothecins. Though it is a potential source of camptothecins the concentration of these compounds is very low and needs large quantities of plant material. In addition biosynthesis is significantly influenced by physiological shifts caused by changes in environment leading to highly fluctuating productivity. Natural propagation is very slow and lack of information on vegetative propagation necessitated the attention for multiplication of N. foetida and alternative methods of production of CPT and its analogues. MS medium supplemented with Thiadiazuron (0.1 mg/l) gave good initiation of shoots from nodal explants of in vitro raised seedlings. Maintenance and elongation of shoots was accomplished on low cytokinin level i.e., Thiadiazuron (0.05 mg/l). MS medium supplemented with NAA (0.1 mg/l), and BA (0.05 mg/l) was found suitable for rooting.
MS medium supplemented with Picloram (2 mg/l), BA (1.0 mg/l) GA3 (1.0 mg/l) gave good callus induction frequency of 95% from leaf explants. CPT and MCPT were detected in callus and media. Cell suspension cultures initiated on same phytohormonal combination accumulated high levels of CPT and MCPT than callus cultures. However in both the case the yield of these compounds is lower than the intact plant. Addition of methy jasmonate and copper sulphate on day-7 to cell cultures enhanced the yields of CPT and MCPT. Supplementation of cell cultures with phenyl alanine, sodium acetate and tryprtophan on day-0 also enhanced the bio production which could be due their incorporation in biosynthetic pathway of CPT and analogues as precursors [22-24].
Coleus forskohlii, (Lamiaceae/Labiatae) is an important ancient root drug in Indian Ayurvedic Medicine contains an important secondary metabolite labdane diterpenoid forskolin which occurs exclusively in this plant. Forskolin has several biological and pharmacological activities that have been linked to its role as an activator of adenylate cyclase. Forskolin content of the roots obtained from natural habitats showed a range of variation from 0.04 to 0.44% dry cell weight. The total synthesis of forskolin reported involves 30 steps. The sole source of forskolin is the roots of wild or cultivated C. forskohlii plants. Biotechnological approaches especially plant tissue culture are found to have potential as a supplement to the traditional agriculture in the industrial production of bioactive plant metabolites.
MS medium with NAA (0.5 mg/l), 2, 4-D (0.25 mg/l), BA (1 mg/l) and sucrose (3% w/v) was found to be suitable for callus induction from young leaves and the established callus cultures shown the presence of forskolin. The cell cultures initiated in MS growth medium supplemented with NAA (0.5 mg/l), BA (1.0 mg/l), 2,4-D (0.5 mg/l), casein hydrolysate (600 mg/l) and sucrose (3% w/v) were also found to produce forskolin. To increase the yield elicitors and precursors were added to cell suspension cultures. Elicitor's salicylic acid, methyl jasmonate had a profound influence on forskolin production [25].
Castanospermum australe (Leguminosae), the only species of genus of Castanospermum found in Australia. Castanospermine, a polyhydroxy indolizidine alkaloid is the important constituent of C. australe. Semisynthetic derivatives of Castanospermine, Bu cast and Celgosivir are in clinical trials for anti-HIV and hepatitis infections respectively. In vitro bio production potential of C. australe and studies to enhance the production of its secondary metabolites in cell culture was not extensively studied. Callus cultures developed from leaf explants on MS medium supplemented with 2, 4-D(2 mg/l), NAA(2 mg/l) and Kn(0.5 mg/l) and were found to have biosynthetic potential to produce castanospermine and related alkaloids. Suspension cultures initiated were also bio productive. Intracellular amount of castanospermine was found be about 6 times more than the extracellular accumulation. Methy jasmonate, copper sulphate, cinnamic acid, calcium chloride employed as abiotic elicitors enhanced production of castanospermine however methy jasmonate, copper sulphate had a more significant effect with 6.6 and 6.2 fold increment in castanospermine levels than control cultures. Biotic elicitor Verticillium dahilae shown 2.7 fold improvement over control cultures. Addition of L-lysine, sodium acetae and L-pipecolic acid also found to enhanced the production of castanospermine [26].
Toddalia asiatica (Rutaceae), well known for its antimalarial activity traditionally, have been reported to have anticancer and anti-HIV activities. These activities are mainly attributed to benzophenanthridine alkaloid nitidine. The growing interest on search for plant derived anticancer and anti–HIV agents has given an intuition to work on this plant. The yield of the nitidine (alkaloid) in intact plant is too low and plant tissue culture has been used as an alternative method for increasing the production of secondary metabolites. MS medium supplemented with NAA (2 mg/L) and Kinetin (1 mg/L) was found to be more suitable for induction of callus culture. This callus cultures showed 10 fold production of the alkaloid than that of intact plant. Suspension cultures established from callus cultures have also shown biopotential as much as of callus cultures. Copper sulphate, salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate were had significant effect in increasing the yield of nitidine as elicitors. Positive precursor feeding response as a result of the treatment of α-ketoglutaric acid and tyrosine on bio production of nitidine from cell cultures also observed. Cells immobilized by ionotropic gelation of alginate using sodium alginate and calcium chloride. The entrapped cells in beads were transferred to MS medium with NAA (2 mg/l), Kinetin (1 mg/l) and sucrose (3% w/v) and subjected to elicitation and precursor feeding. There was 6 fold increase in the production of nitidine over the control cell cultures upon addition of salicylic acid and ~ five folds by copper sulphate over control cell cultures but was less than that produced in cell cultures. Addition of tyrosine and α-ketoglutaric acid on further enhanced the production of nitidine compared to control cell cultures [27].
Differentiated / Shoot cultures
Hypericum perforatum (Hypericaceae), commonly known as St. John's Wort, is an important medicinal plant and is one of the top selling herbs in U.S. It is an herbaceous perennial plant belonging to Hypericaceae family. It produces a wide range of chemical constituents like dianthrones, phloroglucinol derivatives, xanthones and flavonoids. Hypericins and hyperforins are the main constituents responsible for the therapeutic activity in the treatment of depression, AIDS and cancer. The hypericins are present in very low amounts, their content varies greatly in wild plants and the synthetic derivatives are biologically inactive. As a result, cell and tissue cultures of H. perforatum have been studied by various researchers for the production of significant quantities of therapeutically valuable hypericins.
Callus cultures were established from hypocotyl segments of in vitro germinated seedlings on MS media containing 2, 4-D (1 mg/l) and KN (0.5 mg/l). But analysis of callus cultures has not shown the presence of Hypericins. Even the cell suspension cultures initiated from callus cultures did not produce hypercin or its analogues. Elicitor and precursor feeding studies could not influence the biosynthetic ability of cell cultures. This necessitated the induction of differentiated cultures [28].
Shoot cultures were initiated from callus cultures accumulated significantly higher levels of hypercin and pseudohypercin. Effect of carbon source/sugar on growth and secondary metabolite production was studied and it has been found that sucrose promoted cell proliferation and production of secondary metabolite compared to other sugars (fructose, maltose and glucose) employed in the investigation. Various biotic and abiotic elicitors were screened for their effect on shoot cultures and chitosan and methyl jasmonate were found to be effective elicitors. Precursors, organic compounds and growth inhibitors were also employed to evaluate their effect on biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. These treatments significantly improved the production of hypercins [29].
Transformed cultures
Vinblastine and vincristine are widely used in the chemotherapy of cancer while ajmalicine is an anti-hypertensive agent. These anticancer alkaloids are present in very low amount in intact plant Catharanthus roseus (Apocynaceae) and organic synthesis of chemically complex molecules is not economical. Although semi-synthesis using monomeric precursors is possible but the plant produces a very little amount of catharanthine as compared to that of vindoline. As a result, cell and tissue cultures of C. roseus have been studied for many years for the production of therapeutically interesting alkaloids.
Hairy roots were obtained from leaf explants following infection with A4 strain. Ajmalicine, serpentine and catharanthine were identified but neither vindoline nor vinblastine could be detected in hairy root cultures. With an aim to increase the production of indole alkaloids, hairy root cultures were treated with abiotic and biotic elicitors. Heavy metals ions copper and silver were found to stimulate the production as well as their release into the medium. Highest concentrations of Cu (1000μM) produced more release than lower concentrations (500 μM and 100μM). Salt stress by Sodium chloride (250 μM) and osmotic shock by mannitol did not affect adversely growth of hairy roots on the other hand it stimulated the production and release of these alkaloids. Significant improvement in ajmalicine and serpentine production was observed with signal transduction molecules like arachidonic acid and linoleic acid.
Generally, hairy root culture C. roseus have been found to accumulate alkaloids within the cells. The artificial release of metabolites not only facilitates downstream processing but also provides opportunities for increasing the productivity by combining with other strategies like in situ removal. Hence hairy root were subjected to permeabilization with compounds with compounds like chitosan, dimethylsulfoxide and Tween 20. But surprisingly these chemical compounds did not induce the release of alkaloids into the culture medium. However with higher concentrations of Tween 20 (1 and 2%v/v), traces of ajamalicine and serpentine could be detected in culture medium. Nevertheless, all permeabilizing agents stimulated significantly the alkaloid production, increasing the root contents.
As permeabilizing agents did not induce the release of the alkaloids from hairy root cultures when used individually, it was thought that worthwhile to see whether the combined addition of these agents changes the accumulation pattern of alkaloids. Combined addition of permeabilizing agents produced a dramatic effect, inducing the release of indole alkaloids into the culture medium.
The biosynthesis of IPP and hence of alkaloids in C. roseus hairy root cultures was studied by employing various metabolic inhibitors. Significant reduction in levels of indole alkaloids was observed with lovastatin and fosidomycin treatment compared to control cultures [30,31].
Hairy root cultures induced from leaf explants of Coleus forskohlii were investigated for the bio production ability. It was found that forskolin production was parallel with the growth indicating that forskolin is growth associated product, accumulated to maximum levels during the exponential growth phase in parallel with the biomass. Precursors such as L-phenylalanine, α-ketoglutaric acid and elicitors such as salicylic acid, copper sulphate and methyl jasmonate significantly improved the production of forskolin in hairy root cultures [32].
Plants have been an important source of medicine from immemorial time. The use of plant tissue cultures for the biotechnological production of phytoconstituents has a number of attractions as mentioned above. Several reports are demonstrating the production of wide array of secondary metabolites of plants and some being produced on commercial scale. Tissue culture protocols have been developed for several plants but there are many other species, which are over exploited in pharmaceutical industries and other fields and do need conservation. Tissue culture technique is useful not only for production of phytoconstituents but also for multiplying and conserving the species, which are difficult to regenerate by conventional methods and save them from extinction. Still the word "potential" is used in connection with tissue culture technology. Hence there is much scope to develop and bring it to commercial scale for the benefit of human welfare and to preserve biodiversity.
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Citation: Veeresham C, Chitti P (2013) Therapeutic Agents from Tissue Cultures of Medicinal Plants. Nat Prod Chem Res 1:118.
Copyright: © 2013 Veeresham C, 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.
Agriculture Chemistry Alkaloids Bioactive Compounds Chromatography Flavonoids Glycosides Herbal Drugs Isoprenoids Marine Drugs Mass Spectroscopy Natural Medicine Natural Products Natural Products Research Pharmacognosy & Phytochemistry Phospholipids Phytomedicine Polyketides Secondary Metabolites Terpenoids
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Burglars jailed for 28 years after two people tied up and threatened with knife
Three burglars have been jailed after they broke into a house and tied two people up before threatening them with a knife.
Baffour Amponsah, Alfie Taylor and David Powell broke into a property in Gravesend, Kent at around 1am on July 11, 2019.
The three masked men entered the house and woke the residents up by barging into their bedroom and demanding all of their money, Woolich Crown Court heard.
Three burglars have been jailed after they broke into a house and tied two people up before threatening them with a knife. Pic: Kent Police
The residents were tied up and punched in the head, before they were ordered to lie face down on their bed by one burglar, while two others scoured the home for valuables.
Luckily, one of the residents was able to challenge the burglar in the bedroom, push him out of the bedroom, lock the door and call police.
The three men then fled the property with jewellery and cash, but Amponsah and Taylor were arrested on the same day while hiding at a friend's home.
Amponsah was in a bed and Taylor was hiding in a wardrobe of the home when officers entered the property on Thong Lane.
The three masked men entered the house and woke the residents up by barging into their bedroom and demanding all of their money, Woolich Crown Court heard. Pic: Kent Police
A woman called Elizabeth Woods was inside the address, she opened the door but tried to stop officers from entering and attempted to set her dog on them.
Once inside, Kent police found 40 plants in a downstairs room, while various designer handbags, designer shoes and approximately £5,000 was also seized.
The residents were tied up and punched in the head, before they were ordered to lie face down on their bed by one burglar, while two others scoured the home for valuables. Pic: Kent Police
Woods, 27, was arrested alongside Amponsah and Taylor and she was charged with perverting the course of justice, permitting the production of cannabis and possession of criminal property.
Amponsah and Taylor both pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary when they were arrested.
Burglars Baffour Amponsah, Alfie Taylor and David Powell have been jailed after they broke into a property in Gravesend, Kent at around 1am on July 11, 2019. Pic: Kent Police
Powell was arrested three days later when officers spotted him walking along Cruden Road and he was found to have a black face mask and gloves in his pocket.
He denied an aggravated burglary charge but was found guilty by a jury following a trial at Woolwich Crown Court.
The three men then fled the property with jewellery and cash, but Amponsah and Taylor were arrested on the same day while hiding at a friend's home. Pic: Kent Police
Amponsah, 32, pleaded guilty to burglary and was sentenced to nine years in prison, while Taylor was sentenced to eight years and Powell to 11 years.
Woods was sentenced to 15 months in prison following the discoveries at her home.
Powell was arrested three days after the people were tied up when officers spotted him walking along Cruden Road and he was found to have a black face mask and gloves in his pocket. Pic: Kent Police
Officer in charge of the case, Detective Constable Rebecca Ward said: 'This was a violent burglary and an extremely terrifying ordeal for the victims.
Woods, 27, was arrested alongside Amponsah and Taylor and she was charged with perverting the course of justice, permitting the production of cannabis and possession of criminal property. Pic: Kent Police
'Not only were they threatened with knives and tied up, they were assaulted without being able to defend themselves.'
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Robert Thayer Ewing, son of the late Bertram Thayer Ewing and Alyce Conkling Ewing, died Sunday, Feb. 16, at the Martha's Vineyard Hospital. Mr. Ewing, 78, was most recently a resident of the Windemere Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
Mr. Ewing came to the Vineyard in 1971 to live with his brother, Harvey Ewing, and family following his discharge from Monson Hospital in Palmer, where he had been a patient for several years. He was skilled at rug hooking and gave his rugs to family members and friends. He also enjoyed yard work, blueberry picking, music, fishing and backyard family barbecues.
He is survived by his sister in law, Jo-Ann Ewing; his nephews, Steven and Colin Ewing, and six grand-nieces and grand-nephews. He was predeceased by his brother, Harvey, and nephews Douglas and Scott Ewing.
A graveside memorial service will be held at a date and time to be announced. Memorial donations may be made to the Windemere Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Arrangements are by the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home in Oak Bluffs.


Two supporters of a Democratic Republic of Congo opposition presidential candidate were killed in clashes with police at a rally on Tuesday, a local human rights organisation said, as tensions rise just 12 days before a crucial election.
The Congolese Association for Access to Justice (ACAJ) said 43 people had been wounded, including 15 by bullets, at the rally venue in Lubumbashi, the country's second largest city. A seriously injured police officer was also among the casualties.
Police meanwhile said that 11 officers and two civilians were injured in the clashes with supporters of Martin Fayulu, a frontrunner in DRC's election, at the rally.
The opposition coalition Lamuka, which backs Fayulu, said that up to six people had been killed.
An AFP reporter at the scene of the rally earlier said police fired tear gas to disperse several hundred people who had gathered to welcome Fayulu.
Former oil executive Martin Fayulu, 62, a little-known lawmaker making a late surge in the campaign, said police had diverted him away from the venue. But the candidate accused the police of firing "live rounds".
"They made us follow an itinerary… [preventing us] from reaching the venue," Fayulu said in a tweet.
"They sent us to the home of 'Papa' Kyungu," he said, referring to a local opposition leader.
The ACAJ said 27 pro-Fayulu supporters were arrested at the rally.
Police had earlier dispersed Fayulu supporters at Lubumbashi airport with tear gas and jets of hot water.
There had been fears of violence ahead of the election on December 23, when voters will choose a successor to outgoing President Joseph Kabila.
The 47-year-old has constitutionally remained in power as caretaker leader even though his second and final elected term ended nearly two years ago.
At stake in the ballot is stewardship of mineral-rich country that has never known a peaceful transition of power since independence from Belgium in 1960.
Kabila has been in power since January 2001, taking the helm after his father, president Laurent-Desire Kabila, was assassinated.
Twenty-one candidates are registered to vie to replace him.
Fayulu last month was named the joint champion of several opposition parties.
His main rivals are Felix Tshisekedi of the mainstream Union for Democracy and Social Progress opposition party, and Kabila's handpicked successor, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary.
One of Fayulu's supporters is Moise Katumbi, a former governor whose power base is Lubumbashi, but who has been barred from contesting the elections.
The city, located in the southeastern province of Katanga, is also a Kabila stronghold. Shadary launched his elections campaign there on November 26.


text:
Western Australian Museum › Collections And Research › Research Areas › Maritime Archaeology › Batavia Cape Inscription › Batavia › Beacon Island Burials
Beacon Island Burials
The discovery of the Batavia wreck site in 1963 led to a considerable frenzy of digging, especially on Beacon Island where archaeological material and human bones had been found on previous occasions. Several grave sites and isolated finds were located during the early and mid 1960s.
In the late 1980s, human bones were once again uncovered on Beacon Island, this time during the digging of a trench for a leach drain in the backyard of a fishing camp. The bones, including some skull fragments, were put back in the trench and covered up when the drain was finished.
The Museum was not informed about the finds until a Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Amnesty was declared in 1993-94. This allowed people to make reports without fear of prosecution under the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976 and to declare any unregistered cultural material that they might have in their possession. Unfortunately, the site had already been subjected to vandalism and some bones had been reportedly removed.
The degree of prior human disturbance and ongoing disturbance by local wildlife (including mutton birds), together with the risk of future vandalism, led to the decision to fully excavate the grave site.
The excavation of the grave site also provided an opportunity to extend the research on the historical skeletal remains, which had started in 1994 as a UWA honours project. An important aim of this study was to identify the individuals with the aid of the well-known historical sources about the events on the Abrolhos Islands in 1629 and information obtained from physical anthropological research of the skeletal remains. In particular information on the individuals' age, sex, cause of death, life standards and social status might combine to allow a victim's identity to be determined with some degree of confidence.
Forensic Scientists, Chemists, Anthropologists and Archaeologists teamed up to conduct a Forensic Archaeological analysis of the mass grave sites.
Remains discovered in 1963 during early expedition. Henrietta Drake-Brockman, Hugh Edwards & George Brenzi
Image copyright WA Museum
Beacon Island Burial Sites
Human skull fragments were discovered in the 1980s on Beacon Island by fisherman digging a leach drain from their privy behind two of the shacks. These finds remained unreported until the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Amnesty in 1993–1994 from prosecution under the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976. A team from the Western Australian Maritime Museum partially excavated the grave site in 1994 finding skeletal material from two adults and a child.
In 1999, the excavation area was enlarged to 5 square metres and the remains of five individuals (SK7, SK8, SK9, SK10 and SK11) were removed from a mass grave.
The bodies were found to lie over, under, or in, a large deposit of black, dense soil penetrated by numerous fines roots… Embedded in these black deposits were metal buttons, some fibrous material and impressions of woven, fibrous material, which may indicate the presence of fabric. Since this black deposit obviously needs special care and investigation it was left in-situ for future investigation.
In 2001, the excavation of the mass grave resumed.
Excavation Methods and Analysis
The excavation of the grave opened up the 6 squares from 1999 and removed backfill to the level of the upper part of the solid mass. The aim was to remove intact the dense soil feature at the centre of the grave: accordingly the areas around the mass were excavated in 5cm spits. Eventually the mass sat on a pedestal of crushed coral and sand.
The removed soil was sieved in 5mm and 3mm sieves and residues searched both on site and - due to the slow detailed sorting required - later in the Maritime Museum. This was how the teeth of the infant (SK12) were located, as the deciduous teeth are almost indistinguishable within the crushed coral and shell matrix that constitutes Beacon Island.
The dense matter required careful treatment during excavation and removal. During excavation the mass was constantly kept damp to avoid the black matrix and the protruding human bones from drying out. Photographic techniques followed those developed earlier to create a 3D photo model of the mass. A wooden box was built around the mass and then packed with sandbags and hardened foam for transport to the Maritime Museum in Fremantle.
Analysis of dense soil feature
The analysis of the grave contents at the Maritime Museum involved several techniques -
1. The grave mass was x-rayed revealing the location of artefacts and bones;
2. The matrix was then excavated in thin layers of one centimetre.
The time afforded by excavation at the Museum allowed the bone fragments to be carefully removed and their position carefully plotted with photogrammetry. The matrix was a thick vegetable material combined with soil and intrusions of white material. Samples were taken for AMS dating from the organic material that had formed inside the long bones; this meant that if the dark matrix had formed in 1629 or shortly afterwards it could be dated.
Discussions with archaeologists who work with mass burials indicated that the solid mass was a rare formation that had not been seen in other contexts. Consequently, a sample of the mass was retained whole in the museum collection.
Individual human remains:
The removal of human skeletal material allowed more complete assemblies of the skeletons. As a result it is possible to state that there were six individuals in the grave: three adults, a teenager, a child, and an infant (Table 1). The infant SK12 was represented only by 19 teeth. Only one skeleton showed visible trauma (SK6+SK10), however this does not rule out a violent death for the remainder as murder by drowning or a cut throat (two common methods on the islands) would not leave evidence of trauma on the bones.
INDIVIDUAL HUMAN REMAINS BEACON ISLAND MASS GRAVE SITE
Skeletal material from group burial, including sex and age estimations based on findings of Franklin (2001) and Pasveer (2000).
Individual Sex Age Elements SK5+SK11 Male 35-45 Damaged cranium & post-cranial skeleton SK6+SK10 Male 20-30s Damaged cranium & post-cranial skeleton SK7 Male 20s Skull & post-cranial skeleton SK8 Possibly male 12-16 Skull & post-cranial skeleton SK9 ? 5-6 Skull & post-cranial skeleton SK12 ? <1 Deciduous and permanent teeth
An important result of the 1999 excavation is that the existence of a mass burial pit has been confirmed. The position of the individuals in the burial pit is such that they cannot be considered to have had a 'normal' Christian burial. The circumstances of their burial strongly suggest that the victims were buried in haste and without ceremony.
Apart from the cracked skull and displaced tooth of SK6, no positive evidence of violence was found among the five skeletons. It can be concluded, with the possible exception of SK6, that these individuals were unlikely to have died from blows with heavy instruments, sharp or blunt. The possibility remains, however, that these victims were killed in ways that leave little if any trace on the skeletal remains.
There are several descriptions of deaths, killings and burials in historical accounts, the main source being Pelsaert's journal. A recent study of the historical accounts indicated many individual and group murders occurred on and near Beacon Island, as well as deaths from drowning and sickness (although many of the sick were murdered before meeting natural deaths). Two main mass burials are described in the journals, although other mass deaths could have gone unreported in the slaughter.
One mass burial included the Predicant's family on July 21st: his wife and six children were beaten to death, their maid stabbed, another female had her throat cut, and another man was battered to death. An earlier mass killing occurred on July 10 or July 12 when Passchier van den Enden (gunner), Jacob Hendricxsz (carpenter) and a sick boy were killed as well as English soldier Jan Pinten.
The age profile and fact that, like the carpenter, SK7 probably limped in life, convincingly suggests that the 3 adults and 1 youth in the mass grave are those of van den Enden, Hendricxsz, Pinten and the cabin boy.
The child (SK9) and infant (SK12) could have died of natural causes or been among those murdered in early days. Clearly the infant was born on voyage, and may be one of those described as suckling: for example, Maijken Cardoes was described as having a suckling child who was strangled on July 20th 1629 (the day before the murder of the Predicant's family).
The grave would have been more shallow than today - as the surface has been built up in the historic era - perhaps covered with less than 20 cm of sand. The infant SK12 would appear to have been the first in the grave. Some were buried with clothing, despite reports that clothes were retained by the murderers, and some everyday items, such as thimbles and jewellery - possibly in their clothes - were also interred.
Experts in craneofacial reconstruction have recreated an image showing the possible appearance of the man who died in this grave.
‹ Long Island Investigation Cape Inscription ›
Batavia and Cape Inscription
Batavia's History
Discovery of the Batavia Wreck Site
Excavation of the Batavia Wreck Site
Long Island Investigation
Cape Inscription


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Martin Partington: Spotlight on the Justice System
Keeping the English Legal System under review
Reform of the Parole Board
The Warboys affair, in which the Parole Board recommended the release from jail of a London taxi driver who had been convicted of a number of rapes and who was suspected of involvement in other offences, caused public outcry in January 2018. It lead to the resignation of the Chair of the Parole Board, Prof Nick Hardwick. And the Secretary of State for Justice, David Gauke, was clearly anxious that there should be changes to the ways in which the Parole Board worked (somewhat disingenuously, as the Parole Board itself had for sometime been arguing for change).
A review of the Parole Board was announced in January 2018 (see this blog for 24 January 2018). The review was asked to look at the following issues:
the law, policy, guidance and practice relating to challenges to Parole Board decision-making
the transparency of Parole Board decision-making
victim involvement in Parole Board hearings
arrangements for communicating with victims
The result of this review was published on April 28 2018. It can be found at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/703534/review-of-the-law_policy-and-procedure-relating-to-parole-board-decisions.pdf
The Government has made a number of important announcements which will affect the ways in which the Parole Board undertakes its work going forward.
In particular, Rule 25 of the Parole Board Rules – which currently prohibits publication of details of parole board decisions – will be amended in favour of much greater transparency.
In addition, the Government has announced that it will make immediate changes to how it communicates with victims, as well as looking at how more victims can be offered the Victim Contact Scheme (VCS).
A more fundamental change proposed is that there should be created, within the Parole Board itself, a mechanism for the reconsideration of decisions taken by the Board, that would remove the necessity of parties having to launch expensive proceedings in the Courts for judicial review. The precise ways in which the reconsideration process should work have not yet been finalised, but a Consultation Paper setting out various options and suggestions has been published with views sought by the end of July 2018. It is anticipated that reconsiderations would in general be chaired by judges who are members of the Parole Board.
See https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/reconsideration-of-parole-board-decisions/
There has also been published the terms of reference for a full review of the Parole Board Rules, with the specific object of trying to improve the transparency of the work of the Board.
See https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-the-parole-board-rules
The speed with which these first decisions have been taken is an indication of the political pressure to respond to the outcry created by the Warboys case. Further details, in particular on the proposed reconsideration process, will be considered here in due course. It is worth observing that the Secretary of State's strategy can be delivered entirely through changes to regulations, which will not require parliamentary time.
Written by lwtmp
Posted in Chapter 5
Tagged with parole, Parole Board
RESOLVING CONSUMER DISPUTES: Alternative Dispute Resolution and the Court System
Lawyers might think that a government research report with the above heading would/should have been published by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). Would this not be a central theme in the Transforming the Justice System programme that is currently underway?
It may therefore come as a surprise that this is the title of a report commissioned and published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). In it consultants have looked at a number of contexts in which consumers may seek to obtain redress for problems they have with traders or other service providers.
The report seems to have been written with no account taken of the not inconsiderable body of work already done on the use of ADR in England and Wales (e.g. the reports by Professor Dame Hazel Genn). There is no reference to the court transformation programme. There is one reference to the Civil Justice Council (though not to its relatively recent paper on ADR). It is as though BEIS and MoJ are living in separate if not parallel universes, with no communication between them.
This may of course be deliberate. It is possible to imagine that BEIS – who have responsibility for promoting business and protecting consumers – have become fed up with the slow place of change in the use of ADR in the court system and want to charge ahead with their own initiatives.
What is interesting, however, is to see just how pervasive the use of ADR mechanisms are in the UK. The report sets out a list of 95 bodies who offer differing forms of ADR for the resolution of complaints and disputes. And there is an intriguing footnote citing more recent research, undertaken by Citizen's Advice, which reveals that the total number of such schemes is approaching 150.
From the data they collected, the researchers suggest that ADR is quicker and cheaper than the courts; that those who use either the courts or ADR are in general, older, better off and better educated than consumers taken as a whole; and that these groups are in general better informed about the existence of different forms of ADR.
It is not the function of this report to argue that either use of ADR or use of the courts is to be the preferred method for resolving consumer disputes. But the researchers do, at the end, list a number of 'indicators' that could be used for ongoing monitoring of the use of ADR. This suggests to me that BEIS might hope to find over the years greater consumer awareness of and use of ADR schemes for the resolution of consumer disputes.
What the policy outcomes of this study will be are hard to discern from the present document. One may guess that, for modest-value disputes, use of different forms of ADR will steadily grow. What is surprising is the apparent lack of contact with others working on the reform of civil justice.
The report can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/resolving-consumer-disputes-alternative-dispute-resolution-and-the-court-system
(I am grateful to Walter Merricks, CBE, for drawing the existence of this report to my attention.)
Posted in Chapter 10, Chapter 4, Chapter 8
Tagged with alternative dispute resolution, alternatives to courts, consumer protection, Department for Business
The law-making process: consultation over-load?
In Chapter 3 of the book, I suggest that the legislative process passes through a number of stages:
ideas set out in the party election manifesto of the winning political party;
(sometimes) publication of a Green paper – setting out ideas for law reform;
(more frequently) publication of a White paper – setting out firmer proposals for changing the law
publication of a Bill – putting the proposed changes into draft legislative form.
Of course, real life is not as clear-cut as that.
I was struck, however, by an article that recently appeared in The Times (30 March 2018) under the heading "Hundreds of government pledges the Tories have quietly forgotten". Investigators from the newspaper stated that, since 2015, 1,661 consultations that have been launched by the present government. In most cases, there is little sign that the results of the consultations are either being analysed or acted upon. And given that consultations cost, on average, £40,000, this represents a waste of cash resources as well.
The authors state "Whitehall guidelines say there should be an official response within three months outlining steps for new policy or legislation. However, the government website shows that almost a third of the Tories' consultations have had no such response and 202 out of 898 that started before the end of 2016 remain incomplete."
Thus what might seem to be an important source of ideas for legislative change turns out to be somewhat underwhelming. Sorting out legislative priorities is a challenge for any government, but it is important that, when the public is asked for its views on possible reform ideas, it should feel that its views are taken into account, even if not acted upon in the way respondents might hope for. If the public starts to think that 'consultation' – which might imply some action – is being used, instead, as an excuse for inaction, this does not seem to me to be a sensible use of the consultation process – which should encourage engagement in the policy/law-making process.
The Times article is at https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hundreds-of-government-pledges-the-tories-have-quietly-forgotten-6kwt879bg
(This may be behind a paywall).
Tagged with legislative process, public consultation
Slimming down the size of Parliament: the turn of the House of Lords
I have commented before on current plans to reduce the size of the House of Commons from 650 to 600 MPs. The process, taking place under the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011, has already been subject to delay. And, there is much speculation that the revised date for implementation (sometime in 2018) will either be further delayed or even abandoned. (See this blog October 30 2017.)
A somewhat similar exercise has been launched in relation to the House of Lords. As the House of Lords is not an elected body, a reduction in size cannot be achieved simply by reducing the number of Parliamentary Constituencies. Instead, other steps have to be adopted if its numbers are to reduce.
In 2017, Lord Burns was asked by the Lord Speaker to chair a Committee on how this might be achieved. The Burns report, which was published in October 2017, sets out a programme for size reduction over the next ten years. Among the recommendations are that membership of the House of Lords should be limited to 15 years (currently appointments are for life); and that until the target number of reached only 1 new member should be appointed for every two members whose appointments end.
To date the report has been debated in the House of Lords (December 2017) and is now being examined by the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee of the House of Commons. Final decisions have not yet been taken.
Lord Burn's Report can be read at https://www.parliament.uk/size-of-house-committee.
The Lords' Debate is at https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2017/december/lords-debates-size-of-the-house-report/.
The Select Committee on Public Administration and Constitutional affairs is at https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/public-administration-and-constitutional-affairs-committee/inquiries/parliament-2017/lord-speakers-committee-size-house-17-19/
Tagged with house of lords reform
Equal treatment: Guidance from the Judicial College
It should go without saying that, particularly in the legal arena, those who take part in proceedings before courts and tribunals need to feel that they have been treated equally.
This is, of course, easier said than done, as David Lammy's report on the Criminal Justice System, published in 2017 showed. (See this blog 29 Sept 2017). But for many years first the Judicial Studies Board and now the Judicial College have offered guidance to judges (and by extension to others involved in the justice system) about the best ways to try to ensure that people are treated fairly.
Much of this focusses on the language that judges and others involved in the justice system use generally (for example in relation to litigants in person) and in relation to those from specific sectors of society, who may be defined by their religion, their ethnicity, their sexual orientation, mental or physical disabilities, their gender.
In February 2018, the Judicial College published an on-line updated revision to its 'Equal Treatment Bench Book'. Bench books were originally devised as a handy guide to key issues which could sit on the judge's desk, available for him to refer to it that seemed necessary.
I am not sure whether this particular Bench Book can be used in this way. For one thing, it is very long – well over 400 pages. And the issues raised are such that I would have thought judges would need to have considered them before a case or other proceedings have started. (It would not be desirable for a judge to stop in the middle of a sentence in order to look up how a particular person should be addressed.)
But I don't agree, as some comments in the press have suggested, that the Equal Treatment Bench Book is an example of political correctness gone mad. It seems to me to be an honourable attempt to raise questions and address issues that arise in practice but that many judges may not have thought about before. (Indeed, I think there are some parts of the book that would be of interest to a wider readership.)
I set out the link to the text here, and invite readers to take a look at the Book and come to their own view on its value.
See https://www.judiciary.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/equal-treatment-bench-book-february-v6-2018.pdf
Posted in Chapter 4, Chapter 5, chapter 6, chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9
Tagged with bench books, equal treatment, judges, judicial college, litigants in person
Introduction to the English Legal System, 2019-2020 edition
Studying Law: first steps. Introducing the 2019-2020 edition of 'Introduction to the English Legal System'
Transforming the English Legal System: Recent changes and future prospects
John Flood blog
Joshua Rozenburg Guardian blog
Law Technology and Access to Justice
Legal futures
Legal voice
Martin Partington: Introduction to the English Legal System 2019-2020
Oxford University Press Online Resources
Richard Moorhead Lawyer Watch
UK Administrative Justice Institute


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National Military Park Pennsylvania
1938 Reunion Then and Now
1. Veteran Points to the Scene of Pickett's Charge from the Position of Cushing's Battery Then & Now
Left image
Gathered at the monument to Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery, a veteran from California points with his cane to the scene of Pickett's Charge while three other veterans look on.
Credit: The Last Reunion of the Blue and Gray by Paul L. Roy.
Right image
The monument to Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery stands where the veterans gathered in 1938.
Credit: NPS Photo.
Cushing's Battery A, 4th U.S Artillery went into action at Gettysburg on July 2, 1863. Commanded by Lieutenant Alonzo Cushing, the battery was located in the Angle and was heavily engaged in the cannonade and repulse of Pickett's Charge. The battery suffered heavy losses: all but one gun was disabled, all horses but three were killed or wounded, 1 officer and 31 men were wounded, and 1 officer and 5 men were killed. The officer killed was Lieutenant Cushing, shot through the head while firing one of the last rounds from the remaining gun.
2. Veterans Shake Hands Across the Stone Wall at Cemetery Ridge Then & Now
A Confederate veteran and a Union veteran shake hands over the stone wall on Cemetery Ridge. The top of the 1st Delaware infantry monument can be seen above the heads of the Union veterans on the right of the picture.
The stone wall and the 1st Delaware monument act as reference points. Much is the same as 1938 with the exception of the partially collapsed stone wall and rehabilitated Brian farm buildings in the background.
The 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg was the last to host veterans of the Civil War. The theme of national unity was heavily promoted at both the 1938 and 1913 reunions—unity between the North and South and unity between friends who were once foes. In this photograph taken at the stone wall on Cemetery Ridge, a Confederate veteran can be seen greeting a Union veteran. These staged, yet moving, photos were a common occurrence at the battle anniversaries. The top of the 1st Delaware infantry monument can be seen above the heads of the Union veterans on the right of the picture.
1195 Baltimore Pike
Gettysburg , PA 17325


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Movie Review: The River Wild (1994)
A rapid run through the churning waters of a stressed family confronting evil, The River Wild is a rewarding adventure, made memorable by two impressive performances from Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon.
Gail (Streep) her husband Tom (David Strathairn) and their son Roarke (Joseph Mazzello) embark on a river rafting trip near the Canadian border. The relationship between Gail and Tom is strained almost to the breaking point thanks to his obsession with work and neglect of the family. Gail used to be a river guide and is an experienced river rafter, a fact that intrigues the apparently likable Wade (Bacon), also heading out onto the river with his buddy Terry (John C. Reilly) in another raft.
With Roarke angry at his dad, Wade fills the vacuum and quickly befriends the boy. But as the two rafts make their way downriver, Wade and Terry start to spend too much time with Gail's family at every stop, and both Gail and Tom sense that something is wrong. Sure enough, Wade and Terry are revealed to be criminals on the run, having committed a botched robbery that included the killing of a security guard. Using the threat of a loaded gun, Wade holds the family hostage and demands that Gail navigate them down river, through a highly treacherous section of white water called The Gauntlet.
Wade is one of Kevin Bacon's finest roles. The outward charm hiding heartless cruelty allows Bacon to play to his strengths. Roarke's immediate attraction and subsequent hero worship of Wade, as compared to his stodgy Dad, is compellingly delivered, and adds yet another life lesson to the already rich classroom that the river provides. And when Wade finally removes his nice-guy mask and reveals his true colours, Bacon switches from dangerously friendly to chillingly evil without losing his engaging personality, which makes Wade all the more depraved.
Meryl Streep did most of her own stunts in one her most physically demanding roles. But Gail's arduous journey cannot hide another terrific acting performance from Streep as Gail fights an unfair battle on four fronts: a marital battle with a husband who has checked out; a battle against falling for the charms of Wade, who initially seems to represent all that Tom does not; a battle to save her family from the raging river; and finally a battle against pure criminal evil. When she finally grasps what she is up against, Streep brings out of Gail the steely determination of a woman under mortal threat, doing what is necessary to survive.
David Strathairn as Tom suffers in comparison, primarily because his character's development is the least convincing. From a disconnected husband, uncaring father and boring office worker to a heroic outdoorsman with incredible agility and stamina, Tom's journey does not ring true, despite Strathairn's best efforts. Providing better support is John C. Reilly as Terry, Wade's sidekick and relatively dim servile follower.
Director Curtis Hanson puts the breathtaking scenery to excellent use, and combines the talent of his cast with nature's stunning beauty and power to great effect. Filmed on the Kootenai and Flathead Rivers in Montana and the Rogue River in Oregon, The River Wild may be Hollywood's ultimate salute to rafting, the water growing ever more turbulent as the dangers increase around Gail. But navigating the river is also her strength and advantage over Wade, and as the water gets more ferocious, Gail is riding into her element. The river may be wild, but for Gail the greater challenge is to try and overcome a ruthless criminal and save her family.
Labels: David Strathairn, Film Review, John C. Reilly, Kevin Bacon, Meryl Streep, Movie Review


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And yes, it DOES matter that he wrote so much. It's a little odd, isn't it, when the "great" writers of an age produce so little? These coddled New Yorker-ers who manage to squeeze a half-dozen books and die of advanced self-consciousness -- what would Defoe or Balzac make of them? It is the genre writers, science fiction and crime, those machines who turn out 50 books and die young, who are the writers. It's not good to write so little; you start to catch up with yourself, read your own press, and you end up imitating yourself. The machines have no such leisure, and it's their salvation.
To this day, no one appreciates the extraordinary inventions Dick created from the most banal materials lying to hand. Take his novel We Can Build You, so obscure even most PKD fans haven't read it. This novel comes out of a forgotten moment: the Centennial of the American Civil War, from 1961-1965. Much was made of the anniversary at the time: Life magazine did photo shoots of Gettysburg, newspapers ran those "On this day 100 years ago," and you can still see Peanuts strips from the early sixties showing Charlie Brown wearing one of those little blue Union caps.
The Centennial came and went -- and seven years after it ended, Dick produced We Can Build You. This is the story of Louis Rosen, who runs the a small company which builds organs. With the musical-instrument market going bad, the company decides to branch out into building simulacra of great historical figures. They build a walking, talking, thinking, feeling Abraham Lincoln.
As usual, Dick grabbed this idea from something floating around California. In this case, he picked up on the "audio-animatronic" figures in Disneyland, one of Walt's pet projects in his last years. These were simply moving mannequins which went through the motions of oratory as they repeated taped phrases from famous speeches. Since Disney built the exhibit during the Centennial years, the star of the Disneyland audio-animatronic show was of course Abraham Lincoln.
But the Lincoln in We Can Build You has as much in common with Disney's Lincoln as Disney's Anastasia has with those cold bones lying in Ekaterinburg. Dick's Lincoln is the real thing: a sad, brilliant figure who quickly sizes up the world in which he's been reanimated and becomes a sort of stoic Ann Landers for Louis Rosen, who's fallen in love with Pris, the brilliant girl who built Lincoln's artificial mind.
The Lincoln simulacrum (and yes, Dick WAS using that term long before you lot ever read your damned Baudrillard) doesn't have much time to exercise his benign influence over events, though, because the company makes a second simulacrum: Edwin Stanton, Lincoln's sinister Secretary of Defense. During the years of the Centennial, there were a number of articles reviving the old debate about whether Stanton took part in the plot to kill Lincoln. Dick, who probably never even read these articles, somehow picked up on their distant vibrations (the man had more sensitivity to distant electrical currents than a great white shark) and makes Stanton Lincoln's antagonist, an equal and opposite God. Dick had been making Manichean oppositions from the beginning; in one of his finest early novels, The Cosmic Puppets, he sets the ancient Persian gods of Light and Decay against each other in a quiet West Virginia valley. In We Can Build You he pits Lincoln, the Mercer-like preacher of endurance and faith, against Stanton, the quick, brilliant and cruel advocate of force.
And all this plays against a half-dozen other plots, starting with the protagonist's descent into schizophrenia. I could write pages on the place of schizophrenia in Dick's work. The term as he uses it has very little to do with the textbook definition. In this novel, there's an epidemic of schizophrenia, with vast institutions imprisoning huge numbers of Americans. Louis tries to avoid being scooped up into one of these, helped by the morose and kind figure of Lincoln, while pursuing Pris.
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Single mode performance of a single mode injected locked quantum dot laser
V. Chu, M. G. Thompson, R. L. Sellin, P. Hartmann, R. V. Penty, I. H. White, G. Huyet, B. Corbett
An injection locked QD laser is demonstrated to provide single longitudinal mode operation with a 40dB SMSR and an improvement in RIN peak from 1.3-2.3GHz. Alpha factor is measured to be 0.8.
2005 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO
2005 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO - Baltimore, MD, USA United States
Duration: 22 May 2005 → 27 May 2005
Chu, V., Thompson, M. G., Sellin, R. L., Hartmann, P., Penty, R. V., White, I. H., ... Corbett, B. (2005). Single mode performance of a single mode injected locked quantum dot laser. In 2005 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO (pp. 1790-1792). [CThO1] (2005 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO; Vol. 3).
Single mode performance of a single mode injected locked quantum dot laser. / Chu, V.; Thompson, M. G.; Sellin, R. L.; Hartmann, P.; Penty, R. V.; White, I. H.; Huyet, G.; Corbett, B.
2005 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO. 2005. p. 1790-1792 CThO1 (2005 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO; Vol. 3).
Chu, V, Thompson, MG, Sellin, RL, Hartmann, P, Penty, RV, White, IH, Huyet, G & Corbett, B 2005, Single mode performance of a single mode injected locked quantum dot laser. in 2005 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO., CThO1, 2005 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO, vol. 3, pp. 1790-1792, 2005 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO, Baltimore, MD, USA United States, 22/05/05.
Chu V, Thompson MG, Sellin RL, Hartmann P, Penty RV, White IH et al. Single mode performance of a single mode injected locked quantum dot laser. In 2005 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO. 2005. p. 1790-1792. CThO1. (2005 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO).
Chu, V. ; Thompson, M. G. ; Sellin, R. L. ; Hartmann, P. ; Penty, R. V. ; White, I. H. ; Huyet, G. ; Corbett, B. / Single mode performance of a single mode injected locked quantum dot laser. 2005 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO. 2005. pp. 1790-1792 (2005 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO).
@inproceedings{2bed0e0e5d704849ac660b36546686f9,
title = "Single mode performance of a single mode injected locked quantum dot laser",
abstract = "An injection locked QD laser is demonstrated to provide single longitudinal mode operation with a 40dB SMSR and an improvement in RIN peak from 1.3-2.3GHz. Alpha factor is measured to be 0.8.",
author = "V. Chu and Thompson, {M. G.} and Sellin, {R. L.} and P. Hartmann and Penty, {R. V.} and White, {I. H.} and G. Huyet and B. Corbett",
series = "2005 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO",
booktitle = "2005 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO",
T1 - Single mode performance of a single mode injected locked quantum dot laser
AU - Chu, V.
AU - Thompson, M. G.
AU - Sellin, R. L.
AU - Hartmann, P.
AU - Penty, R. V.
AU - White, I. H.
AU - Huyet, G.
AU - Corbett, B.
N2 - An injection locked QD laser is demonstrated to provide single longitudinal mode operation with a 40dB SMSR and an improvement in RIN peak from 1.3-2.3GHz. Alpha factor is measured to be 0.8.
AB - An injection locked QD laser is demonstrated to provide single longitudinal mode operation with a 40dB SMSR and an improvement in RIN peak from 1.3-2.3GHz. Alpha factor is measured to be 0.8.
T3 - 2005 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO
BT - 2005 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO


Here we are for episode EIGHTY NINE - where we are very proud to be launching into the festivities for the Pride48 Summer Live Streaming Weekend. Mr Yeti has a special guest for the show, old friend Nick Goodman who he has known for 30 years. There are also messages from the regulars - greetings from famous people of the past and lots of nattering in the chat-room. This version of the episode also has some extra content, including some of Shy Yeti's silly verse. Our next episode, number 90 - will be our first episode released in May and in it we will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of my poetry collection, RHYMES BEARS STEAL PIES FOR... Do join us, won't you? Please email me at shyyeti@yahoo.co.uk if you have any comments - you can even send me a sound-file and I'll include it on the show. The music is by Shy Yeti and Luca. All content of this episode is Copyright Paul Chandler, 2017. Episode 89 was recorded live on Saturday 24th June 2017 (between noon and 1pm (EDT) or 5 and 6pm (GMT). The episode included some pre-recorded inserts recorded between the 12th and 24th June 2017.


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Club teams up with charity working to make Merton more sustainable
Sustainable Merton will work with AFC Wimbledon on developing sustainability objectives
The Club is pleased to announce a new partnership with Sustainable Merton.
As a local charity working to clean up Merton's air, tackle food poverty, and reduce our consumption of energy and resources across the borough, AFC Wimbledon are proud to team-up with Sustainable Merton.
With construction of the new stadium soon to get underway, this is a key moment for the Club to take a lead on environmental and sustainability issues within its community, working with the charity on projects such as reducing single-use plastics across the London Borough of Merton.
But activities to improve the sustainability of the Club will not wait until we move to Merton, we are already planning initiatives to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic and increase recycling, amongst other ways to improve the environmental sustainability of the Club whilst still based at the Cherry Red Records Stadium. One of the first initiatives already underway is the switching to biodegradable bags from standard plastic bags, which you will soon see being used in the club shop.
Diana Sterck, Chief Executive of Sustainable Merton, said: "We are delighted to be working with Wimbledon AFC on their environmental and sustainability plans for the new stadium. We are very keen to work with any organisation that deals with a large number of visitors in order to reduce the waste from single use plastics and the blight that these plastics can cause in the environment"
Sustainable Merton will work with the club to help develop an environmental policy as well as developing sustainability objectives for the club. If you're interested in being part of a working group to support this initiative and to be part of this process, please contact Dons Trust Board member colin.dipple@thedonstrust.org.
And if you have any ideas or suggestions for how the Club could be more sustainable please get in touch by e-mailing info@afcwimbledon.ltd.uk .
We'd love to hear your thoughts!
Sustainable Merton


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#import "MWLink.h"

// MWLinkPruner manages removal of filters that are linked only on one side, and other such situations that refcounting won't take care of.

@interface MWLinkPruner : NSObject {
  id <MWLinkable>target;
}

+ (void)pruneLater:(id <MWLinkable>)t;

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


This property is courtesy of Brokers, LLC.
Spacious 2 bedroom 2 bathroom single family home in pembroke pines. Ceramic floors with spacious floorplan. Property has long drive way and large garden area in the backyard. Only 20 minutes away from shopping centers, schools and major highways. Don't miss out on this great opportunity !


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package it.ozimov.cirneco.hamcrest.clazz;

import lombok.Data;

@Data
public class TestClassWithLombokDataAnnotation {

    private TestClassWithLombokDataAnnotation() {

    }

}


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Lifestyle, Press and Events
Bounty Fresh Throws Big Celebrations for October
It's an OctoberFresh Month with World Chicken and Egg Day 2019 and a First Birthday Party all in one Celebration
Bounty Fresh, the leading provider of chicken and premium egg products is celebrating OctoberFresh this month, the brand's third annual celebration of World Chicken and Egg Day. The event, which was exclusively organized by Bounty Fresh in the country, stays true to its original goal when it was first celebrated here in 2017—to raise awareness about the nutritional value of eggs and other chicken products as well as build appreciation for their contribution to our everyday diet. Specifically, Bounty Fresh advocates for consumers to develop the habit of selecting quality and freshness when shopping, qualities that their #Lakingfarmfresh products have.
Bounty Fresh, the sole provider of #Lakingfarmfresh chickens, is the perfect player to head the campaign. The brand produces blemish-free eggs and other breaded products that are strictly produced using only state-of-the-art, ISO-certified technology and processes. This year though, the brand promises to make the event bigger with its #ChickyMinute campaign, a very cheeky—pun intended—digital series of films that follows the adventure of the brand's ambassador Chicky. Chicky is set to celebrate the first birthday of her egg "Eggy" on October 12, which is also the highlight activity of this year's World Chicken and Egg Day.
Ms. Patricia Cheng-Lim, Assistant Vice President for Marketing of Bounty Fresh has this to share about this year's event. "Our yearly OctoberFresh is dedicated to our customers who continuously patronize our products. As a brand, we take our commitment to continuously bring happiness to Filipino families so we have prepared a day full of fun and surprises that everyone can enjoy."
In addition to Chicky who was first introduced last year, Bounty Fresh also brought in a new ambassador who will make her new adventures much more interesting. Helping Chicky throw the perfect birthday party for Eggy is none other than celeb icon and mom Jolina Magdangal.
Eggy's Wonderful First Birthday and the grand celebration of World Chicken and Egg Day will be filled with exciting events, contests, and performances that the whole family will surely enjoy. The event, which will be held at the TriNoma Activity Center will be opened to the public at noon until the evening. Parents and children alike are invited to participate in exciting events like the Star Hatchievers which invites participants to showcase their one of a kind talents. Other exciting activities like special shows for kids will also be held for Eggy's first birthday party.
The event also promises exciting deals and prizes for the attendees. Several raffle draws will be held, including a grand prize that will grant a lucky winner a P100,000 tax-free grand prize! Participants only need to purchase Bounty Fresh products during the event to get a chance to win the grand prize.
The third World Chicken and Egg Day is promised to be grander than its previous celebrations, and Bounty Fresh promises to keep to this trend for its succeeding events. Ms. Twinkle Magbag, Bounty Fresh's First Vice President for Marketing shares, "Every family deserves to be LAKING FARMFRESH. We highly encourage everyone to be more discerning of their choices. So let's revive the tradition of home-cooking with our fresh take on what's best for our family through the guaranteed quality, safety and freshness of our Bounty Fresh products.
Similar to its past years of celebration, the Philippine World Chicken and Egg Day event is also being simultaneously celebrated in other parts of the world like Australia, the UK, USA, Brazil, France and neighboring Asian countries like Vietnam and Indonesia, to name a few.
Follow Bounty Fresh at their official Facebook (https://web.facebook.com/bountyfreshphilippines/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bountyfreshph/) page for more updates.
Our Awesome Weekend in Pampanga! (feat. Lubao International Balloon Festival, Best Western Bendix Hotel, & Apag Marangle)
Everything You Need to Know About Laser Hair Removal
Eclipse 24/7 : RKC Coach Mark Limbaga


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HKM » Employment Blog » Tip Sharing Litigation Brings into Question the Limits of the Labor Department's Authority
Tip Sharing Litigation Brings into Question the Limits of the Labor Department's Authority
June 20, 2013 by Daniel Kalish
In our last post, we discussed an ongoing legal battle between the United States Department of Labor and members of the restaurant industry in the Northwest. The case involves tip sharing arrangements at restaurants in which servers are required to pool either part or all of their tips together, and the resulting amount is redistributed among both servers and other restaurant staff. In 2011, the Labor Department made a rule saying that while tip pools were permissible, kitchen workers and other restaurant staff who are not normally tipped (chefs, line cooks, dishwashers, janitors, and busboys among others) are not allowed to participate in such arrangements.
Does the Tip Sharing Rule Contravene Ninth Circuit Precedent?
In this post, we will examine some of the legal arguments on both sides of this debate. As Law360 reported, the plaintiffs in this case, the members of the restaurant industry, claim that the Labor Department's rule contravenes a finding by the Ninth Circuit court (which covers Oregon, where the federal case is being heard) in Cumbie v. Woody Woo Inc., which says that the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) allows employers to collect servers' tips and redistribute them among both tipped and non-tipped staff as long as workers make more than minimum wage and the employer was not using tips to make the minimum wage. (In certain instances, employers are allowed to pay their workers a minimum cash wage of $2.13 per hour as long as the employee makes the $7.25 per hour federal minimum wage when tips are included – in these instances, tip pools are not permissible.)
Does the Labor Department Have the Authority to Make the Rule?
In addition to the argument that the Labor Department's rule is wrong, the plaintiffs are arguing that it did not even have the authority to put out such a rule in the first place. A recent Supreme Court decision, City of Arlington v. Federal Communications Commission, weighs heavily into the debate on this point. In Arlington, the Supreme Court held that when there is ambiguity in a statute that concerns an agency's rulemaking authority, deference should be given to the agency's interpretation of that ambiguity. In this case, the Department of Labor uses Arlington to argue that, under the FLSA, it has broad authority to make rules regarding labor standards and its rules excluding certain workers from tip pools cannot be ignored just because FLSA does not give it specific authority to make such a rule.
The plaintiffs, on the other hand, argue that Arlington is completely irrelevant to the case at hand, because the FLSA is not ambiguous, as it was in that case. When there is a lack of ambiguity about an agency's authority in the statute itself, the plaintiffs claim, the statute's clear provisions are what rule the case. Since the FLSA is clear, plaintiffs argue that the Department of Labor deserves no deference in its interpretation of its own authority.
This case is an interesting mix of local and national issues. While it most directly affects the restaurant workers in Oregon and other parts of the Northeast who have brought the case, it can have strong implications for the limits of the Department of Labor's authority in making rules that affect employees in all fields across the country. Workers in Oregon would do well to pay close attention to the results of the case.
If you or someone you know has an issue with a Labor Department rule that you feel is unfair or unwarranted, please contact one of our experienced attorneys to help you evaluate your claim.
Categories: Employment Policies