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Q: canvas hole in html5 with image not working I am trying to create a hole in canvas; and loading image in canvas after.
I want this canvas to contain a hole at a top layer.
I just read about counter-clockwise canvas rules and then created hole with counter clockwise position as below-
  var c = document.getElementById("canvas-front");
        var ctx = c.getContext("2d");
        var centerX = c.width / 2;
        var centerY = c.offsetTop;
        var radius = 30;
        ctx.beginPath();
        ctx.arc(centerX, centerY, radius, 0, 2 * Math.PI,true);//boolean true to counter-clockwise
        ctx.fillStyle = 'black';
        ctx.fill();

I have canvas before image in it-

After applying image in this canvas-

Canvas-
                    <canvas id="canvas-front" width="261" height="506"></canvas>

As you can see from both the images, I can't get this hole in canvas work.
How do I create this arc so that image doesn't overlap this.

A: I get this issue solved-
What I had to do-
On change of file I did empty to canvas and redrew image and then while image is being loaded
the arc is being created to counter-clockwise position-
Drawing the canvas again on image change-
   var canvas = document.getElementById("canvas-front");
                        canvas.width = canvas.width;//blanks the canvas
                        var c = canvas.getContext("2d");

Creating image and giving it required src from changed input-
 var img = new Image();
    img.src = e.target.result;

Loading image and creating arc parallely-
   img.onload = function () {
   c.drawImage(img, 0, 0);
   var centerX = canvas.width / 2;
   var centerY = canvas.offsetTop;
   var radius = 30;
   c.beginPath();
   c.arc(centerX, centerY, radius, 0, 2 * Math.PI, true);
   c.fillStyle = 'black';
   c.fill();
   }


Instead of purchasing material goods as a gift, opt to purchase experiences like going bowling, to the museum or engage in an art class with a loved one. For the kids in your family, parents will thank you when you give an experiential gift rather than another battery-operated toy to put away – family memberships to local museums, passes to a kids center or movie theatre, or tickets to live theatre are all great choices.
Take a friend and go on an adventure to find second hand gifts from your local thrift shop. While you're there, why not look for a new outfit for that holiday party you have coming up? Often enough you will find brand new or close to new items which give character to your giving!
Plan a holiday gathering that includes local, fair trade, direct trade or sustainably raised food, beverages and treats. Green Action Centre has a great list of resources on eating local in the winter. Food Matters Manitoba has a handout on where to find Traditional Indigenous Foods in Winnipeg and Fair Trade Manitoba's search feature can help you find fair trade sugar, cocoa and more for your holiday baking and edible gifts.
If you do wrap up a gift, use recycled paper, reusable containers or bags, or practical items like dishtowels to add a sustainable flare to any present.
Winnipeg and Manitoba have a lot to offer! Give the gift of adventure by taking a friend ice-skating, sledding or for a nature walk. There are plenty of unique places to do so like Fort Whyte Alive, The Forks or even right here on the U of M campus.
Out of gift ideas? Try searching "easy handmade gifts" for an endless list of items you can add your personal artistic touch. Go one-step further by making those items out of reused and repurposed materials. You can also create your own plant or herb growing kits. This gift will continue to grow and add flavour in the kitchen all year round!
Travelling out of town? Try finding other friends to carpool with on GoManitoba, try out the bus or train to your final destination. Time spent together is sure to be a blast or at least a great story to tell!
Host a clothing swap during your holidays to swap out some old pieces and refresh with new items for the second semester. Donate all remaining clothes to a local shelter in need.
Make a donation in someone's name this holiday. Donate to a local charity in a friend or family's name and let them know what their donation is going towards. Have U of M alumni in the family or friend group? Consider donating to the U of M's Front and Centre campaign. A guaranteed crowd pleaser.
Gather up a group of friends and family to volunteer at a local non-profit. The more hands on deck, the better. Check out the list of volunteer opportunities in Winnipeg on the Volunteer Manitoba website.
In the end, quality time with loved ones is the greatest gift you can give. Shut down your electronics and dive into a conversation and quality time.
Let us know what sustainable choices you are making this holiday season! Post your ideas or creations on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #umsustainability. Do not forget to follow us at @SustainableUofM.


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Agabetes is a genus of beetles in the family Dytiscidae, containing the following species:

 Agabetes acuductus (Harris, 1828)
 Agabetes svetlanae Nilsson, 1989

References

Dytiscidae genera
Taxa named by George Robert Crotch

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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The Owl & The Pussycat [Comedy Highlights & Music from the Soundtrack] (1971)
Catalog Number(s):
AS 30401
The Confrontation [11:18]
The Warmup [9:55]
The Seduction [4:01]
The Morning After [11:05]
The Reunion [10:22]
About the Album
Original Release: January 1971
Produced by Thomas Z. Shepard
Music Performed by Blood, Sweat & Tears
Music Composed and Arranged by Richard Halligan
Lyrics by Blood, Sweat & Tears
Original Recording Engineer: Arthur Kendy
Liner Notes: Steve Schiffman
Columbia released "Comedy Highlights and Music from the Soundtrack" of Barbra's film The Owl and the Pussycat in 1971. The vinyl LP featured actual dialogue from the film, mixed with the rock songs by Blood, Sweat & Tears.
The album has never appeared on CD.
"This soundtrack is actually dialog between Barbra Streisand and George Segal, extracted from the movie. The music that is heard is performed and written by Blood, Sweat & Tears and fits in with the dialog quite well. It is a big band sound with a little rock added for seasoning. The dialog itself runs the gamut from absurdly sublime material to simply ridiculous material."
— Billboard Jan. 2, 1971 review
In 2014, Blood, Sweat & Tears released an album titled Rare, Rarer & Rarest which contains only their music for The Owl and the Pussycat—there is no Streisand/Segal dialogue.
Download Rare, Rarer & Rarest from iTunes
Order Rare, Rarer & Rarest CD from Amazon
[Note: Barbra Archives has reproduced the liner notes from the album, written by Steve Schiffman:]
This is a Barbra Streisand you have never seen or heard before. Miss Streisand is not a singer but an actress who sings; her role in "The Owl And The Pussycat" could prove to be a turning point in her career. The screen adaptation of William Manhoff's long-running Broadway hit is a comedic tour de force with Miss Streisand handling the satiric material and situations with finesse.
Buck Henry's screenplay chronicles the comic misadventures of Felix Sherman ("The Owl"—portrayed by George Segal) and Doris Wilgus ("The Pussycat"—played by Barbra Streisand). Felix is a would-be writer who works nights as a book clerk at Doubleday's. Doris is a would-be actress and model who occasionally slips into prostitution.
Doris and Felix both have apartments in the same Manhattan building—and similar delusions of grandeur. Doris is earthy, uneducated, hot tempered; Felix is priggish, intellectual and emotionally repressed.
Felix's instincts have compelled him to report Doris' late-night entertaining to their landlord. Having learned who caused her to lose her apartment, Doris tricks her way into Felix's apartment at 3 o'clock in the morning and bombards him with charges that he is jealous of what the big boys are doing. Too tired to defend himself against this girl who, he thinks, is suffering from some aggravated paranoid delusion, Felix agrees to let Doris sleep in his apartment on her promise that she will be gone in the morning.
It is a sleepless night for both of them. Complaining that she cannot fall asleep without the blasting of a television set, Doris charges into Felix's bedroom and nearly catches him naked. Amused at his outraged modesty, Doris begins hiccuping uncontrollably. She tells Felix that he has to scare her. Doris goes to the kitchen for something to drink. Felix, in the meanwhile, dons a Halloween skeleton costume and frightens her out of her wits and her hiccups. The noise awakens the landlord and they are ousted from the apartment with only Felix's suitcase of manuscripts and Doris' broken television set—and no money between them.
They find refuge in the living room of the apartment of Felix's friend. Instead of allowing Felix to fall asleep, Doris continues to defend herself against his moral judgments and persuades him to lull her to sleep by reading her one of his stories. Incensed by his word imagery, Doris tells Felix that she hates his writing, thus causing another argument along with the departure of Felix's friend from his apartment.
Felix and Doris eventually end up in the bedroom together. Their first encounter is a comedy of errors, with Felix unable to remove Doris' negligee and she dictating their lovemaking. Nevertheless, they do succeed and Doris ends up asking Felix whatever gave him the idea that he was a homosexual. He tries to explain that he never thought he was, but she remains convinced that she has helped save a lost soul.
They have a few hours of restless sleep. Shortly after they awaken, Felix asks Doris how many men she has slept with. Hurt and angered by his question, Doris tells Felix that he wasn't all that good in bed. An argument follows in which Doris lambasts Felix about his writing style and he calls her a streetwalker. She storms out of the apartment.
The next few days provide revelations for both Doris and Felix, climaxing with their reunion. Felix tries to explain himself to Doris, and she attempts to please him by using several new words she has learned. (She also happens to use a few that she has known for quite a while.)
Felix takes Doris to the home of his fiance's parents, which they find to be empty. She undresses Felix and draws a bath for him, then undresses herself and joins him in the tub. As the two of them are floating in the water, Felix's future in-laws, the Weyderhauses, walk in. The confrontation is further complicated by the fact that Mr. Weyderhaus turns out to be a regular customer of Doris. After fleeing the house, Felix and Doris begin their most brutal argument. It proves to be their first real understanding of each other—and themselves.
BARBRA STREISAND. A leading star of recordings, television, Broadway and Hollywood (with three roadshow musicals—"Funny Girl,""Hello, Dolly!" and "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever" — to her credit in less than two years), she is now playing her first non-singing role in "The Owl And The Pussycat," which reunites her with producer Ray Stark after their smash hit, "Funny Girl." Look described Miss Streisand as "the most talked about, sought after performer in many, many years." Barbra Streisand has established herself as a unique personality whose individuality is especially appealing to today's youth.
GEORGE SEGAL is oft thought of by filmgoers as the rugged dramatic star of such films as "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?"—for which he earned an Academy Award nomination—"Ship Of Fools" and "King Rat." Segal's comedic talent comes to the fore with "The Owl And The Pussycat."
RAY STARK—PRODUCER. "The Owl And The Pussycat" is Stark's fifth production. He attained prior recognition with such films as "Funny Girl," "The World Of Suzie Wong," "Night Of The Iguana" and "Reflections In A Golden Eye." After a successful career as an agent, Stark later produced the Broadway stage hit "Funny Girl" and co-founded Seven Arts Productions, where he supervised the production of more than 100 major films.
HERBERT ROSS—DIRECTOR. The latest choreographer-dancer to join the film directorial ranks, Ross follows the example of such noted filmmakers as Stanley Donen, Charles Walters and Gene Kelly. Ross made his motion picture directorial debut with "Goodbye, Mr. Chips," for which he received praise for his handling of both the dramatic and musical sequences. On Broadway, Ross created the choreography for the shows "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn," "I Can Get It For You Wholesale," "Anyone Can Whistle" and "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever." In films, he has directed the musical sequences for "Funny Girl," "Doctor Dolittle," "Inside Daisy Clover" and "Carmen Jones."
BUCK HENRY—SCREENWRITER. The services of Buck Henry are the most in-demand of any screenwriter in the film industry, partially due to his having co-written the screen version of "The Graduate." He is currently represented as the screenwriter for the film version of "Catch-22," Joseph Heller's celebrated anti-war novel.
THE MUSIC. The music heard in the motion picture, and which provides the background for this dialogue highlights album, was composed and arranged by Richard Halligan. The lyrics were written by Blood, Sweat & Tears.
Liner Notes by Steve Schiffman
<-- Previous Streisand Album
Next Streisand Album -->
Related: Owl & The Pussycat movie page
[ top of the page ]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


F&G offers retirement annuities and life insurance products to help you protect and plan for your future. Login to our policyholder & agent portals.
(g º f)(x) = g(f(x)), first apply f(), then apply g() We must also respect the domain of the first function; Some functions can be de-composed into two (or more) simpler functions.
Given f (x) = 3x + 2 and g(x) = 4 – 5x, find (f + g)(x), (f – g)(x), (f × g)(x), and (f / g)(x). To find the answers, all I have to do is apply the operations (plus, minus, times, and divide) that they tell me to, in the order that they tell me to.
Functional powers. In some cases, when, for a given function f, the equation g ∘ g = f has a unique solution g, that function can be defined as the functional square root of f, then written as g = f 1/2 . More generally, when gn = f has a unique solution for some natural number n > 0, then f m/n can be defined as gm .
"F&G" refers to Fidelity & Guaranty Life, the marketing name for Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Company issuing insurance in the United States outside of New York.
F&G Truck and Crane Service is a major supplier of freight and crane services in the lower mainland and throughout the province of British Columbia. Our seasoned professionals bring you more than 50 years industry experience and a proven track record for handling difficult projects.
Directed by Prashanth Neel. With Yash, Srinidhi Shetty, Ramachandra Raju, Archana Jois. Set in the 1970s, it's the story of a fierce rebel who rises against the brutal oppression and becomes the symbol of hope to legions of downtrodden people.
F&G Cranes has the experience and know-how to design, install and service top quality overhead crane systems to meet your needs. The company was founded in 1987 and is staffed with more than 200 years of combined EOT crane experience to ensure the highest quality, know-how and customer satisfaction in the industry.


1) The marital agreement must be in writing. If it is not in writing, it may not be enforceable in court. All marital agreements should also be signed by both parties.
2) Mutually binding promises. Marital agreements should include mutually binding promises that have value for each party that signs the agreement.
3) Full disclosure of assets. When signing a marital agreement, each party must agree that the agreement is fair and that assets were fully disclosed. This means that one party cannot hide information about income, assets or finances from the other party or else the agreement may not be binding.
If you are thinking about drafting a marital agreement, now is the time to get help from a Jacksonville family lawyer at Hutchinson Law. Contact our law firm now!


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Captive Review Power 50 List
Anne Marie Towle Lands Again on Captive Review Power 50 List
Anne Marie Towle Named to Captive Review Power 50
JLTIM EVP and Consulting Practice Leader on List for Three Straight Years
Towle Advances to 16th on This Year's List, Up Seven Spots from 2017 Ranking
For the third consecutive year, JLT Insurance Management's Anne Marie Towle has been named to the Captive Review Power 50.
Towle, Executive Vice President and Consulting Practice Leader for JLT Insurance Management (USA) LLC, jumped seven spots from 23rd in 2017 to 16th this year. She debuted on the list at #36 in 2016.
The captive insurance publication wrote, "One year into her role as executive vice president at JLT Insurance Management, Towle has become an increasingly visible and authoritative voice on the global captive stage [and]. . . . She is well positioned to share her expertise and influence internally and externally. We are likely to see the fruits of her labor in 2018."
"Those of us who are lucky enough to work with Anne Marie know she is deserving of this honor," says JLTIM USA CEO Guy Ragosta. "I join with the rest of the JLTIM family in congratulating her for achieving this latest honor."
More than 6,000 votes were cast for this year's Power 50, which recognizes the most influential professionals in the global captive insurance industry.


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Q: Admin panel not loading properly, after magento 2 upgraded I have recently upgraded Magento from 2.3 version to 2.4 version and it has been the upgraded, after upgrade the admin panel is breaking. Not loading properly. Can anyone please help me with solution.

A: run below command, You must need to add your admin locale.. like en_GB,en_AU
bin/magento setup:static-content:deploy en_US -f

A: execute below commands
php bin/magento main:enable

php bin/magento setup:upgrade

php bin/magento setup:static-content:deploy -f

php bin/magento main:disable

A: Try run these commands in order:
php bin/magento setup:upgrade
php bin/magento s:d:c
php bin/magento s:s:d -f
php bin/magento i:rei
php bin/magento c:c

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Princess Eugenie & Jack Brooksbank Are Engaged!
Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank are engaged! Watch to find out where and when they'll get married. Plus, see Sarah Ferguson's reaction to her daughter's happy news.


Alfa Romeo is a leading auto manufacturer and has always presented high performance, state of the art, powerful engines with maximum efficiency. If you are searching for high quality replacement engine for your Alfa Romeo vehicle then you are at the right place. We are one of the biggest suppliers of replacement Alfa Romeo engines in the UK. We carry huge variety of petrol and diesel engines for all types and models of Alfa Romeo. As a manufacturer, Alfa Romeo symbolize sophistication, exciting performance and cutting-edge technology in engine manufacturing. In these tough economic times, replacing a problematic Alfa Romeo engines is a viable option your vehicle. Our experts inspect and test all second hand and remanufactured engines to make 100% sure that they are in proper working condition. The inspection of all our Alfa Romeo recon engines include block crack inspection, leak, crankshaft reconditioning, compression and starting tests to ensure your safety as our top most priority.
Our experts help you find replacement Alfa Romeo engine at affordable price that sounds good for you and your budget. When it comes to reliable and high performance engines for sale, we are on the top in every aspect. We maintain strict quality control from inspection to testing and replace every little faulty part during the engine re-conditioning process. That's how we specialize in delivering fully functioning Alfa Romeo reconditioned engines to our valued customers both in the UK and around the world.
Get engine for your Alfa Romeo from our highly experienced and trained specialists to avoid any hassles and save your time and money.
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.P.A is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded on June 24, 1910 in Milan as A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili). Since 1911 the Alpha Romeo Company has been engrossed in car racing, and has a repute for building luxurious and classy sports cars. It was possessed by Italian state holding company Istituto Per La Ricostruzione Industriale from 1932 and 1986, while it became a division of the Fiat Group, and since February 2007, an official part of Fiat Group Automobiles S.P.A. Alfa Romeo Automobiles Company was founded as Società Anonima Italiana Darracq (SAID) in 1906 by the French vehicle manufacturing firm of Alexandre Darracq, with some Italian shareholder. In late 1909, the Italian Darracq cars were trading slowly and a new business was brought into being named A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili, at the start still in joint venture with Darracq.


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Attracting, training and retaining the next generation is a priority issue for the agricultural sector, and the NFF plays an active role in projects and partnerships in agricultural education, training and skills development.
People Agricultural Education, Skills, Training and Labour Working Group Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia Rural Skills Australia Future Farmers Network
The NFF believes that if Australian agriculture is going to have a strong and sustainable future, then we must invest in our most important resource – people.
There are many challenges facing agriculture's human resources: the labour force is ageing, there are fewer young people entering agriculture, and drought and other competing industries have had a significant impact on the amount of labour available.
Yet the career opportunities available in agriculture are enormous. Career options include farmers and farm managers, animal nutritionists, plant breeders and soil scientists, agronomists, natural resource managers, quarantine officers, journalists, policy advisers, commodity marketers... all the way through to those who rely on agricultural produce, like chefs, winemakers and fashion designers.
The NFF believes education is a vital component of ensuring the longevity of the agricultural sector - from primary school children right through to tertiary students - in order to encourage greater interest in agricultural careers, and to help build understanding of where food and fibre comes from. This is why the NFF is a founding member of the Primary Industries Education Foundation (PIEF), and was one of the driving forces behind its creation.
Then, as students begin their agricultural career, it is essential that the right skills, training and education opportunities are available to ensure students are well prepared for the roles ahead (one of the reasons why NFF remains a strong supporter of Rural Skills Australia), and that career development and leadership opportunities are available.
For more on the role NFF is playing in helping to solve the issue, view the NFF's recent submissions on education, training and skills.
Agricultural Education, Skills, Training and Labour Working Group
The NFF is taking an active role in bringing together the education, skills, training and labour sectors to work towards a collaborative solution to the education and labour shortage issues facing Australian agriculture.
In February 2012, the NFF convened an Industry Roundtable, bringing together 50 industry, government and education representatives as the first step towards finding practical solutions. From this Industry Roundtable, an Education, Skills, Training and Labour Working Group has been established involving key industry leaders to drive solutions.
The NFF is playing a facilitation role, as we appreciate that the issues are larger than any one group alone. Real outcomes in this area will rely on collaboration and coordination of industry, government and the education sector, hence the Working Group is taking an active leadership role on behalf of Australian agriculture.
For more information, view the NFF's 2011 Submission to the Senate Inquiry into higher education, skills and training in agriculture, or the NFF's 2012 media release re the Industry Roundtable.
Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia
The Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia (PIEFA) is an independent, not-for-profit organisation aimed at delivering food and fibre education programs to primary and high school children across the country, and ensuring agriculture is factored into the national curriculum.
Research by PIEFA found that 75 percent of children believe cotton is an animal product and 27 percent think yoghurt is a plant product. The research clearly shows that more needs to be done to build children's understanding of where food and fibre comes from: exactly why the PIEFA exists.
The PIEFA is dedicated to raising the profile and awareness of farming among students to foster greater understanding and appreciation of farming's relevance to the everyday lives of Australians, and to encourage more students to consider agricultural-related careers.
The NFF is a founding member of PIEFA, and was one of the driving forces behind its creation. The NFF helped bring together agricultural groups, educators, peak bodies and the Australian Government to pioneer the PIEFA, meeting the educational needs of schools, teachers and students.
For more information, contact the PIEFA CEO Ben Stockwin on 02 6198 3271 or visit the PIEFA website.
Rural Skills Australia
Rural Skills Australia provides advice and assistance on rural and related skills and training to the NFF and our membership, as well as Australian Apprenticeship Centres, Jobs Services Australia members, registered training organisations and and group training organisations.
Formed by the NFF in 1995 through funding from the National Employment and Training Taskforce (NETTFORCE), Rural Skills Australia works to improve rural involvement in education and training, and enhances the skills and capacities of those in agriculture.
Rural Skills Australia has contributed significantly to increasing the number of rural and related traineeship and apprenticeship commencements each year, with a view to combating an ageing rural workforce and shrinking rural communities, and to equipping the next generation of rural workers with transferable, recognised and valued skills.
Rural Skills Australia has maintained a network of Education and Training Advisers, with bipartisan support, to assist the NFF and its membership across the full spectrum of employment, education and training matters.
For more, visit the Rural Skills Australia website.
Future Farmers Network
The Future Farmers Network is Australia's only national agricultural youth network, with members from across all aspects of the industry.
Future Farmers Network members include those working on farms and remote stations, stock and station agents, commodity traders, bankers, journalists, policy developers, researchers and many others, from those in the bush to those in the boardrooms.
The Future Farmers Network is a source of information specifically designed to help young Australians involved in agriculture. The Future Farmers Network has been operating since 2002 and provides members with access to the latest news, events, scholarships, awards and information from across all aspects of the agricultural sector.
The NFF joined forces with the Future Farmers Network in February 2013, in a partnership that provides opportunities for young farmers to learn about policy development and advocacy on the national stage.
For more, visit the Future Farmers Network website.


Sunfood Marine Phytoplankton is a product that contains marine phytoplankton, a strain of microalgae among thousands of others that was identified for its incredible density of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, amino acids and superoxide dismutase (or SOD). With particular emphasis on the latter, Sunfood's blend can aid human physiology in a number of ways, from preventing cellular damage pertaining to all organ systems to combating food-related diseases – liver, kidney, bladder, diabetes, heart conditions and a host of others. Hailing from San Diego, the American, family run business prides itself with raw, organic and verified non-GMO products.
Although it seems that Sunfood Marine Phytoplankton was replaced by a newer formula (Ocean Alive 2.0), the nutrition experts from the superfood company limit their indications for both products to the following: they offer the body a boost of energy and improved health. Furthermore, the underlying ingredient is allegedly grown in purified sea-water to be found in a protected environment, thereby safeguarding its freshness, integrity and potency.
Given the relatively low concentration of algae, this product is a fairly expensive supplement – bottle indication states 350mg per serving, which translates into 10.5 mg of total phytoplankton and, roughly, 11ml of microalgae to the bottle total of 29.5ml. Moreover, the effects of taking marine phytoplankton may pass unnoticed, resulting in mixed feelings when it comes to customer satisfaction. Still, Sunfood Marine Phytoplankton offers good quality if compared to industry standards.
Sunfood Marine Phytoplankton contains the following ingredients: 350 mg of marine phytoplankton per serving and pure trace sea mineral solution.
Sunfood Marine Phytoplankton is a micro-algae supplement that can offer amazing health benefits due to the incredible nutritional value delivered by its marine phytoplankton component. Unlike plants and vegetables growing on dry land, algae have the benefit of an ocean environment submersed in minerals and vital amino acids.
The plethora of anti-oxidant traces in Sunfood Marine Phytoplankton stands as argument to the multiple health advantages, especially since common meals are so devoid of fresh, organic minerals that are essential to our every cell's basic energy production. From incredibly rare substances and non-animal products, such as vitamin B12, to anti-oxidants such as the aforementioned SOD, Manganese or Glutathione, as well as vital amino acids, marine phytoplankton deserves its title of superfood. From an increased metabolism rate to reduced fatigue, lowering of cholesterol levels by means of the Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, improved digestion and responsiveness to insulin due to Alanine, the effect of these substances has been successfully proven by strong scientific research.
Last but not least, the substances inherent to Sunfood Marine Phytoplankton help combat arthritis and liver toxicity, whilst the other minerals contribute to a stronger immune system, better bone and connective tissue.
Raw vegan alternative to chemically manufactured supplements and a good source of B12 for vegans.
High-quality, fresh algae that do not come from genetically modified crops.
Crops are grown into a controlled environment, ensuring a pure yield.
Multiple health benefits, especially for individuals who lack minerals such as Calcium, Potassium, Chromium or Magnesium.
The best source of anti-oxidants.
Vital for a balanced, varied in-take of amino acids and fatty acids.
Low concentration of marine phytoplankton, roughly 1/3rd of the bottle's capacity.
Immediate results are scarce. Sometimes they are not visible.
People who never tried similar products may have an issue with the strong taste.
Most of the natural toxins that contaminate fish and shellfish are produced by phytoplankton.
The price/quantity ratio can be too much to afford.
Sunfood Marine Phytoplankton enjoys a varied pool of customer reviews, ranging from individuals who experienced a complete change in mood and overall bodily health to others who could notice no improvement whatsoever. It is essential to acknowledge that a lot of our conditions and diseases do not initially manifest overtly, whereas others may never be traced without proper nutritional investigation. In metabolomics, diet is an important factor, but some time may be necessary for the entire system to make a comeback, especially if there is more than one condition to address.
Considering this, it is likely that Sunfood Marine Phytoplankton has had a good and important contribution to all of the customers' dietary requirements, provided that they respected the advised dosage. As such, determining its effectiveness would require proper medical investigation of substances present in the customer's blood both before and after taking the supplement.
Overall, Sunfood Marine Phytoplankton comes to fulfill a dietary requirement that mandates minerals, amino acids and fatty acids to be consumed in a balanced quantity and that is ignored by the majority of consumers in their daily meals. Nonetheless, the high price and relatively low concentration of phytoplankton may still challenge its effectiveness in comparison with the same amount of money calculated in raw produce of microalgae.
Sunfood Marine Phytoplankton or HCF?


In Greek mythology, the Meliae (/ˈmiːliˌiː/; Ancient Greek: Μελίαι Meliai or Μελιάδες Meliades) were usually considered to be the nymphs of the ash tree, whose name they shared.
According to Hesiod, the Meliae (probably meaning all tree-nymphs) were born from the drops of blood that fell on Gaia [Earth] when Cronus castrated Uranus. In Hesiod's Works and Days, the ash trees, perhaps meaning the Melian nymphs, are said to have been the progenitors of the generation of men belonging to Hesiod's Bronze Age.
The Meliae were nurses of the infant Zeus in the Cretan Dikti mountains, according to the 3rd century BC poet Callimachus, Hymn to Zeus, where they fed him on the milk of the goat Amalthea and honey.
Callimachus appears to make the Theban nymph Melia, who was, by Apollo, the mother of Tenerus and Ismenus, one of the "earth-born" Meliae. Elsewhere, however, this Melia is an Oceanid, one of the many daughters of Oceanus and Tethys.
^ Callimachus, Hymn 1—To Zeus 42–50.
^ Callimachus, Hymn 4—To Delos 79–85; Hesiod, Theogony 187; Larson, p. 142.
^ Pindar, Paean 9 fr. 52k 38–46; Pausanias, 9.10.5, 6, 9.26.1; Larson, pp. 40–41, 142.
Burkert, Walter, 1985. Greek Religion (Cambridge: Harvard University Press).
Most, G. W., Hesiod: Theogony, Works and Days, Testimonia, Loeb Classical Library, No. 57, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2006 ISBN 978-0-674-99622-9. Online version at Harvard University Press.
Pindar, Nemean Odes. Isthmian Odes. Fragments, Edited and translated by William H. Race. Loeb Classical Library No. 485. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1997. ISBN 978-0-674-99534-5. Online version at Harvard University Press.
Darl J. Dumont, "The Ash Tree In Indo-European Culture" from Mankind Quarterly 32.4 (Summer 1992), pp. 323–336.
This page was last edited on 16 November 2018, at 13:20 (UTC).


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FGA Culture & Values
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At the request of established clients, Falcon Global Acquisitions arranges the private buying and selling of Unique Precious Stones, Rare Collections and Rough Diamonds Globally. We work closely with Private Diamond and Precious Stone Buyers and Sellers, in most cases we represent either the end buyer or seller involved in the transaction, in some cases we are the direct end buyer or seller.
So if you are an owner or dealer of diamonds and other precious stones and want to see if we can be an asset to you, feel free to contact us at info@falconglobalacquisitions.com
Rough Diamonds:
FGA works closely with clients who may be a buyer or a seller of quality rough diamonds globally, we assist such buyers in securing parcels that meet their criteria and we assist such sellers in matching up with viable buyers. Our mission is to make sure that every transaction is transparent, smooth and all parties are content with the transaction.
Dealers and miners of rough diamonds can contact us to discuss how we can be an asset to liquidating your supply on a consistent basis. Please be prepared to furnish information.
Industrial Grade Diamonds:
FGA has the relationships and ability to fulfill the Industrial Grade Diamond needs of the drilling and manufacturing industries, even with the advent of manmade diamonds there is still a great demand for natural industrial grade diamonds. Potential clients that are in need of a genuine and dependable supplier producing a steady supply of industrial grade diamonds for their business then please contact us to discuss it.
LEARN ABOUT SOME PRECIOUS STONES
Which color would you spontaneously associate with love and vivacity, passion and power? It's obvious, isn't it? Red. Red is the color of love. It radiates warmth and a strong sense of vitality. And red is also the color of the ruby, the king of the gemstones. In the fascinating world of gemstones, the ruby is the undisputed ruler.
For thousands of years, the ruby has been considered one of the most valuable gemstones on Earth. It has everything a precious stone should have: magnificent color, excellent hardness and outstanding brilliance. In addition to that, it is an extremely rare gemstone, especially in its finer qualities.
For a long time India was regarded as the ruby's classical country of origin. In the major works of Indian literature, a rich store of knowledge about gemstones has been handed down over a period of more than two thousand years. The term 'corundum', which we use today, is derived from the Sanskrit word 'kuruvinda'. The Sanskrit word for ruby is 'ratnaraj', which means something like 'king of the gemstones'. And it was a royal welcome indeed which used to be prepared for it. Whenever a particularly beautiful ruby crystal was found, the ruler sent high dignitaries out to meet the precious gemstone and welcome it in appropriate style. Today, rubies still decorate the insignia of many royal households. But are they really all genuine rubies? Read on to find out more!
Ruby is the red variety of the mineral corundum, one of the hardest minerals on Earth, of which the sapphire is also a variety. Pure corundum is colorless. Slight traces of elements such as chrome, iron, titanium or vanadium are responsible for the color. These gemstones have excellent hardness. On the Mohs scale their score of 9 is second only to that of the diamond. Only red corundum is entitled to be called ruby, all other colors being classified as sapphires. The close relationship between the ruby and the sapphire has only been known since the beginning of the 19th century. Up to that time, red garnets or spinels were also thought to be rubies. (That, indeed, is why the 'Black Ruby' and the 'Timur Ruby', two of the British Crown Jewels, were so named, when they are not actually rubies at all, but spinels.)
Ruby, this magnificent red variety from the multi-colored corundum family, consists of aluminum oxide and chrome as well as very fine traces of other elements – depending on which deposit it was from. In really fine colors and good clarity, however, this gemstone occurs only very rarely in the world's mines. Somewhat paradoxically, it is actually the coloring element chrome which is responsible for this scarcity. True enough, millions of years ago, when the gemstones were being created deep inside the core of the Earth, chrome was the element which gave the ruby its wonderful color. But at the same time it was also responsible for causing a multitude of fissures and cracks inside the crystals. Thus only very few ruby crystals were given the good conditions in which they could grow undisturbed to considerable sizes and crystallize to form perfect gemstones. For this reason, rubies of more than 3 carats in size are very rare. So it is no wonder that rubies with hardly any inclusions are so valuable that in good colors and larger sizes they achieve top prices at auctions, surpassing even those paid for diamonds in the same category.
Some rubies display a wonderful silky shine, the so-called 'silk' of the ruby. This phenomenon is caused by very fine needles of rutile. And now and then one of the rare star rubies is found. Here too, the mineral rutile is involved: having formed a star-shaped deposit within the ruby, it causes a captivating light effect known by the experts as asterism. If rubies of this kind are cut as half-dome shaped cabochons, the result is a six-spoked star which seems to glide magically across the surface of the stone when the latter is moved. Star rubies are precious rarities. Their value depends on the beauty and attractiveness of the color and, though only to a lesser extent, on their transparency. Fine star rubies, however, should always display rays which are fully formed all the way to the imaginary horizontal line which runs through the middle of the stone, and the star itself should be situated right in the center.
Red for ruby. Ruby-red. The most important thing about this precious stone is its color. It was not for no reason that the name 'ruby' was derived from the Latin word 'rubens', meaning 'red'. The red of the ruby is incomparable: warm and fiery. Two magical elements are associated with the symbolism of this color: fire and blood, implying warmth and life for mankind. So ruby-red is not just any old color, no, it is absolutely undiluted, hot, passionate, powerful color. Like no other gemstone, the ruby is the perfect way to express powerful feelings. Instead of symbolizing a calm, controlled affection, a ring set with a precious ruby bears witness to that passionate, unbridled love that people can feel for each other.
Which is the most beautiful ruby-red? Good question. The red of a ruby may involve very different nuances depending on its origin. The range of those nuances is quite wide, and could perhaps be compared to hotel categories, from luxury accommodation down to a plain inn or hostel. For example, if the gemstone experts refer to a 'Burmese ruby', they are talking about the top luxury category. However, it does not necessarily follow that the stone is of Burmese origin. It is basically an indication of the fact that the color of the ruby in question is that typically shown by stones from the famous deposits in Burma (now Myanmar): a rich, full red with a slightly bluish hue. The color is sometimes referred to as 'pigeon-blood-red', but the term 'Burmese color' is a more fitting description. A connoisseur will immediately associate this color with the legendary 'Mogok Stone Tract' and the gemstone centre of Mogok in the North of Myanmar. Here, the country's famous ruby deposits lie in a mountain valley surrounded by high peaks. Painstakingly, gemstones of an irresistible luminosity are brought to light in the 'valley of the rubies'. Unfortunately, really fine qualities are quite rare even here. The color of a Burmese ruby is regarded as exceptionally vivid. It is said to display its unique brilliance in any light, be it natural or artificial.
The journey to the world's most important ruby deposits takes us further on to the small town of Mong Hsu in the North-East of Myanmar, where the most important ruby deposits of the nineties lie. Originally, it was believed that these rubies would hardly prove suitable for use in jewelry, since untreated Mong Hsu ruby crystals actually display two colors: a purple to black core and a bright red periphery. Only when it had been discovered that the dark core could be turned into deep red by means of heat treatment did rubies from Mong Hsu begin to find their way on to the jewelry market. Today, the Mong Hsu gemstone mines are still among the most important ruby suppliers. In the main, they offer heat-treated rubies in commercial qualities and sizes between 0.5 and 3 carats.
Ruby deposits also exist in neighboring Vietnam, near the Chinese border. Rubies of Vietnamese origin generally display a slightly purplish hue. Rubies from Thailand, another classical supplier, however, often have a darker red which tends towards brown. This 'Siamese color' – an elegantly muted deep red – is considered second in beauty only to the Burmese color, and is especially popular in the USA. Ceylon rubies, which have now become very rare, are mainly light red, like ripe raspberries.
Other ruby deposits are located in Northern Pakistan in the Hunza Valley, Kashmir, Tadzhikistan, Laos, Nepal, and Afghanistan. But rubies are also produced in India, where deposits with relatively large crystals were discovered in the federal states of Mysore and Orissa. These crystals have many inclusions, but they are, nevertheless, eminently suited to being cut as beads or cabochons.
Lately, people have begun to talk about East Africa as a source of rubies. Straight after their discovery in the 1960s, rubies from Kenya and Tanzania surprised the experts by their beautiful, strong color, which may vary from light to dark red. But in the African mines too, fine and clear rubies of good color, purity and size are very rare. Usually the qualities mined are of a merely average quality.
As we have said, color is a ruby's most important feature. Its transparency is only of secondary importance. So inclusions do not impair the quality of a ruby unless they decrease the transparency of the stone or are located right in the centre of its table. On the contrary: inclusions within a ruby could be said to be its 'fingerprint', a statement of its individuality and, at the same time, proof of its genuineness and natural origin. The cut is essential: only a perfect cut will underline the beauty of this valuable and precious stone in a way befitting the 'king of the gemstones'. However, a really perfect ruby is as rare as perfect love. If you do come across it, it will cost a small fortune. But when you have found 'your' ruby, don't hesitate: hang on to it!
In earlier times, some people believed that the firmament was an enormous blue sapphire in which the Earth was embedded. Could there be a more apt image to describe the beauty of an immaculate sapphire? And yet this gem comes not in one but in all the blue shades of that firmament, from the deep blue of the evening sky to the shining mid-blue of a lovely summer's day which casts its spell over us. However, this magnificent gemstone also comes in many other colors: not only in the transparent grayish-blue of a distant horizon but also in the gloriously colorful play of light in a sunset – in yellow, pink, orange and purple. Sapphires really are gems of the sky, although they are found in the hard ground of our 'blue planet'.
Blue is the main colour of the sapphire. Blue is also the Sophirefavourite colour of some 50 per cent of all people, men and women alike. We associate this colour, strongly linked to the sapphire as it is, with feelings of sympathy and harmony, friendship and loyalty: feelings which belong to qualities that prove their worth in the long term – feelings in which it is not so much effervescent passion that is to the fore, but rather composure, mutual understanding and indestructible trust. Thus the blue of the sapphire has become a colour which fits in with everything that is constant and reliable. That is one of the reasons why women in many countries wish for a sapphire ring on their engagement. The sapphire symbolises loyalty, but at the same time it gives expression to people's love and longing. Perhaps the most famous example of this blue is to be found in music, in George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue". And the blue of the sapphire even appears where nothing at all counts except clear-sightedness and concentrated mental effort. The first computer which succeeded in defeating a world chess champion bore the remarkable name 'Deep Blue'.
SophireIts beauty, its magnificent colours, its transparency, but also its constancy and durability are qualities associated with this gemstone by gemstone lovers and specialists alike. (This does not only apply to the blue sapphire, but more of that later on). The sapphire belongs to the corundum group, the members of which are characterised by their excellent hardness (9 on the Mohs scale). Indeed their hardness is exceeded only by that of the diamond – and the diamond is the hardest mineral on Earth! Thanks to that hardness, sapphires are easy to look after, requiring no more than the usual care on the part of the wearer.
The gemstones in the corundum group consist of pure aluminum oxide which crystallized into wonderful gemstones a long time ago as a result of pressure and heat at a great depth. The presence of small amounts of other elements, especially iron and chrome, are responsible for the coloring, turning a crystal that was basically white into a blue, red, yellow, pink or greenish sapphire. However, this does not mean that every corundum is also a sapphire. For centuries there were differences of opinion among the specialists as to which stones deserved to be called sapphires. Finally, it was agreed that the ruby-red ones, colored by chrome, should be called 'rubies' and all those which were not ruby-red 'sapphires'.
If there is talk of the sapphire, most gemstone aficionados think immediately of a velvety blue. It's a versatile color that becomes many wearers. A blue sapphire fits in best with a well balanced lifestyle in which reliability and temperament run together and there is always a readiness to encounter things new – as with the woman who wears it. The fact that this magnificent gemstone also comes in a large number of other colors was known for a long time almost only to insiders. In the trade, sapphires which are not blue are referred to as 'fancies'. In order to make it easier to differentiate between them, they are referred to not only by their gemstone name but also by a description of their color. In other words, fancy sapphires are described as yellow, purple, pink, green or white sapphires. Fancy sapphires are pure individualism and are just made for lovers of individualistic colored stone jewelry. They are currently available in a positively enchanting variety of designs – as ring stones, necklace pendants or ear jewelry, as solitaires, strung elegantly together or as sparkling pavée.
However, the sapphire has yet more surprises in store. For example there is an orange variety with a fine pink undertone which bears the poetic name 'padparadscha', which means something like 'lotus flower'. The star sapphires are another rarity, half-dome-cut sapphires with a starlike light effect which seems to glide across the surface of the stone when it is moved. There are said to have been gemstone lovers who fell in love with these sapphire rarities for all time. And indeed the permanence of relationships is one of the features that are said to belong to this gemstone.
Sapphires, call them gemstones of the sky though we may, lie well hidden in just a few places, and first have to be brought to light through hard work. Sapphires are found in India, Burma, Ceylon, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, Brazil and Africa. From the gemstone mines, the raw crystals are first taken to the cutting-centers where they are turned into sparkling gemstones by skilled hands. When cutting a sapphire, indeed, the cutter has to muster all his skill, for these gemstones are not only hard. Depending on the angle from which you look at them they also have different colors and intensities of color. So it is the job of the cutter to orientate the raw crystals in such a way that the color is brought out to its best advantage.
Depending on where they were found, the color intensity and hue of the cut stones vary, which means, later on, that the wearer is rather spoilt for choice. Should she perhaps go for a mid-blue stone which will remind her even on rainy days of that shining summer sky? Or should she prefer a lighter blue because it will continue to sparkle vivaciously when evening falls? The bright light of day makes most sapphires shine more vividly than the more subdued artificial light of evening. So in fact it is not, as is often claimed, the darkest tone that is the most coveted color of the blue sapphire, but an intense, rich, full blue which still looks blue in poor artificial light.
Specialists and connoisseurs regard the Kashmir color with its velvety shine as the most beautiful and most valuable blue. These magnificent gemstones from Kashmir, found in 1880 after a landslide at an altitude of 16,000 feet and mined intensively over a period of eight years, were to have a lasting influence on people's idea of the color of a first-class sapphire. Typical of the Kashmir color is a pure, intense blue with a very subtle violet undertone, which is intensified yet more by a fine, silky shine. It is said that this hue does not change in artificial light. But the Burmese color is also regarded as particularly valuable. It ranges from a rich, full royal blue to a deep cornflower blue.
The oldest sapphire finds are in Ceylon, or Sri Lanka as it is known today. There, people were already digging for gemstones in ancient times. The specialist recognizes Ceylon sapphires by the luminosity of their light to mid-blue colors. Having said that, most blue sapphires come either from Australia or from Thailand.
Their value depends on their size, color and transparency. With stones of very fine quality, these are, however, not the only main criteria, the origin of the gem also playing a major role. Neither is the color itself necessarily a function of the geographical origin of a sapphire, which explains the great differences in price between the various qualities. The most valuable are genuine Kashmir stones. Burmese sapphires are valued almost as highly, and then come the sapphires from Ceylon. The possibility of the gemstone's having undergone some treatment or other is also a factor in determining the price, since gemstones which can be guaranteed untreated are becoming more and more sought-after in this age of gemstone cosmetics. And if the stone selected then also happens to be a genuine, certificated Kashmir or Burmese, the price will probably reflect the enthusiasm of the true gemstone lover.
It is not often that daring pioneers discover gemstones on a scale such as was the case on Madagascar a few years ago, when a gemstone deposit covering an area of several miles was found in the south-east of the island. Since then, not only have there been enough blue sapphires in the trade, but also some splendid pink and yellow sapphires of great beauty and transparency. Meanwhile, experts in Tanzania have also found initial evidence of two large-scale gemstone deposits in the form of some good, if not very large sapphire crystals colored blue, green, yellow and orange. And the third country to register new finds recently was Brazil, where sapphires ranging from blue to purple and pink have been discovered. So lovers of the sapphire need not worry: there will, in future, be enough of these 'heavenly' gems with the fine color spectrum. Top-quality sapphires, however, remain extremely rare in all the gemstone mines of the world.
Emeralds are fascinating gemstones. They have the most beautiful, most intense and most radiant green that can possibly be imagined: emerald green. Inclusions are tolerated. In top quality, fine emeralds are even more valuable than diamonds.
The name emerald comes from the Greek 'smaragdos' via the Old French 'esmeralde', and really just means 'green gemstone'. Innumerable fantastic stories have grown up around this magnificent gem. The Incas and Aztecs of South America, where the best emeralds are still found today, regarded the emerald as a holy gemstone. However, probably the oldest known finds were once made near the Red Sea in Egypt. Having said that, these gemstone mines, already exploited by Egyptian pharaohs between 3000 and 1500 B.C. and later referred to as 'Cleopatra's Mines', had already been exhausted by the time they were rediscovered in the early 19th century.
Written many centuries ago, the Vedas, the holy scriptures of the Indians, say of the precious green gems and their healing properties: 'Emeralds promise good luck …'; and 'The emerald enhances the well-being …'. So it was no wonder that the treasure chests of Indian maharajas and maharanis contained wonderful emeralds. One of the world's largest is the so-called 'Mogul Emerald'. It dates from 1695, emerald weighs 217.80 carats, and is some 10cm tall. One side of it is inscribed with prayer texts, and engraved on the other there are magnificent floral ornaments. This legendary emerald was auctioned by Christie's of London to an unidentified buyer for 2.2m US Dollars on September 28th 2001.
Emeralds have been held in high esteem since ancient times. For that reason, some of the most famous emeralds are to be seen in museums and collections. The New York Museum of Natural History, for example, has an exhibit in which a cup made of pure emerald which belonged to the Emperor Jehangir is shown next to the 'Patricia', one of the largest Colombian emerald crystals, which weighs 632 carats. The collection of the Bank of Bogota includes five valuable emerald crystals with weights of between 220 and 1796 carats, and splendid emeralds also form part of the Iranian National Treasury, adorning, for example, the diadem of the former Empress Farah. The Turkish sultans also loved emeralds. In Istanbul's Topkapi Palace there are exhibits with items of jewelry, writing-implements and daggers, each lavishly adorned with emeralds and other gems.
The green of the emerald is the color of life and of the springtime, which comes round again and again. But it has also, for centuries, been the color of beauty and of constant love. In ancient Rome, green was the color of Venus, the goddess of beauty and love. And today, this color still occupies a special position in many cultures and religions. Green, for example, is the holy color of Islam. Many of the states of the Arab League have green in their flags as a symbol of the unity of their faith. Yet this color has a high status in the Catholic Church too, where green is regarded as the most natural and the most elemental of the liturgical colors.
The magnificent green of the emerald is a color which conveys harmony, love of Nature and elemental joie de vivre. The human eye can never see enough of this unique color. Pliny commented that green gladdened the eye without tiring it. Green is perceived as fresh and vivid, never as monotonous. And in view of the fact that this color always changes somewhat between the bright light of day and the artificial light of a lamp, emerald green retains its lively vigor in all its nuances.
The lively luminosity of its color makes the emerald a unique gemstone. However, really good quality is fairly rare, with inclusions often marring the evenness of the color signs of the turbulent genesis which has characterized this gemstone. Fine inclusions, however, do not by any means diminish the high regard in which it is held. On the contrary: even with inclusions, an emerald in a deep, lively green still has a much higher value than an almost flawless emerald whose color is paler. Affectionately, and rather poetically, the specialists call the numerous crystal inclusions, cracks or fissures which are typical of this gemstone 'jardin'. They regard the tender little green plants in the emerald garden as features of the identity of a gem which has grown naturally.
So where do they come from and how is it that they exist at all? In order to answer these questions, we need to look far, far back into the time of the emerald's origin. Emeralds from Zimbabwe are among the oldest gemstones anywhere in the world. They were already growing 2600 million years ago, whilst some specimens from Pakistan, for example, are a mere 9 million years young. From a chemical-mineralogical point of view, emeralds are beryllium-aluminum-silicates with a good hardness of 7.5 to 8, and belong, like the light blue aquamarine, the tender pink morganite, the golden heliodor and the pale green beryl, to the large gemstone family of the beryls. Pure beryl is colorless. The colors do not occur until traces of some other element are added. In the case of the emerald, it is mainly traces of chromium and vanadium which are responsible for the fascinating color. Normally, these elements are concentrated in quite different parts of the Earth's crust to beryllium, so the emerald should, strictly speaking, perhaps not exist at all. But during intensive tectonic processes such as orogenesis, metamorphism, emergences and erosion of the land, these contrasting elements found each other and crystallized out to make one of our most beautiful gemstones. The tension involved in the geological conditions conducive to the above processes produced some minor flaws, and some major ones. A glance through the magnifying-glass or microscope into the interior of an emerald tells us something about the eventful genesis of this unique gem: here we see small or large fissures; here the sparkle of a mini-crystal or a small bubble; here shapes of all kinds. While the crystals were still growing, some of these manifestations had the chance to 'heal', and thus the jagged three-phase inclusions typical of Colombian emeralds were formed: cavities filled with fluid, which often also contain a small bubble of gas and some tiny crystals.
Logically enough, a genesis as turbulent as that of the emerald impedes the undisturbed formation of large, flawless crystals. For this reason, it is only seldom that a large emerald with good color and good transparency is found. That is why fine emeralds are so valuable. But for the very reason that the emerald has such a stormy past, it is surely entitled to show it – that is, as long as only a fine jardin is to be seen, and not a rank garden which spoils both color and transparency.
Colombia continues to be at the top of the list in terms of the countries in which fine emeralds are found. It has about 150 known deposits, though not all of these are currently being exploited. The best known names are Muzo and Chivor, where emeralds were mined by the Incas in pre-Columbian times. In economic terms, the most important mine is at Coscuez, where some 60 faces are being worked. According to estimates, approximately three quarters of Colombia's emerald production now comes from the Coscuez Mine. Colombian emeralds differ from emeralds from other deposits in that they have an especially fine, shining emerald green unimpaired by any kind of bluish tint. The colour may vary slightly from find to find. This fascinatingly beautiful color is so highly esteemed in the international emerald trade that even obvious inclusions are regarded as acceptable. But Colombia has yet more to offer: now and then the Colombian emerald mines throw up rarities such as Trapiche emeralds with their six rays emanating from the center which resemble the spokes of a millwheel.
Even if many of the best emeralds are undisputedly of Colombian origin, the 'birthplace' of a stone is never an absolute guarantee of its immaculate quality. Fine emeralds are also found in other countries, such as Zambia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and Russia. Zambia, Zimbabwe and Brazil in particular have a good reputation for fine emeralds in the international trade. Excellent emerald crystals in a beautiful, deep emerald green and with good transparency come from Zambia. Their color is mostly darker than that of Colombian emeralds and often has a fine, slightly bluish undertone. Emeralds which are mostly smaller, but very fine, in a vivacious, intense green come from Zimbabwe's famous Sandawana Mine, and they often have a delicate yellowish-green nuance. And the famous emerald mines of Colombia currently face competition from right next door: Brazil's gemstone mine Nova Era also produces emeralds in beautiful green tones, and if they are less attractive than those of their famous neighbor it is only by a small margin. Brazil also supplies rare emerald cat's eyes and extremely rare emeralds with a six-spoked star. Thanks to the finds in Africa and Brazil, there are more emeralds on the market now than there used to be – to the delight of emerald enthusiasts – .
While its good hardness protects the emerald to a large extent from scratches, its brittleness and its many fissures can make cutting, setting and cleaning rather difficult. Even for a skilled gem cutter, cutting emeralds presents a special challenge, firstly because of the high value of the raw crystals, and secondly because of the frequent inclusions. However, this does not detract from the cutters' love of this unique gem. Indeed, they have developed a special cut just for this gem: the emerald cut. The clear design of this rectangular or square cut with its beveled corners brings out the beauty of this valuable gemstone to the full, at the same time protecting it from mechanical strain.
Emeralds are also cut in many other, mainly classical shapes, but if the raw material contains a large number of inclusions, it may often be cut into a gently rounded cabochon, or into one of the emerald beads which are so popular in India.
Today, many emeralds are enhanced with colorless oils or resins. This is a general trade practice, but it does have the consequence that these green treasures react very sensitively to inappropriate treatment. For example, they cannot be cleaned in an ultrasonic bath. The substances that may have been used by the cutter during his work, or applied subsequently, seal the fine pores in the surface of the gem. Removing them will end up giving the stone a matt appearance. For this reason, emerald rings should always be taken off before the wearer puts his or her hands in water containing cleansing agent.
Unfortunately, because the emerald is not only one of the most beautiful gemstones, but also one of the most valuable, there are innumerable synthetics and imitations. So how can you protect yourself from these 'fakes'? Well, the best way is to buy from a specialist in whom you have confidence. Large emeralds in particular should only be purchased with a report from a reputable gemological institute. Such an institute will be able, thanks to the most modern examination techniques, to differentiate reliably between natural and synthetic emeralds, and will inform you as to whether the stone has undergone any treatment of the kind a purchaser has the right to know about.
And one more piece of advice on the purchase of an emerald: whilst diamonds generously scintillate their fire in sizes below 1 carat, you should go for larger dimensions when acquiring a colored gemstone. True, there are some lovely pieces of jewelry with small colored gems to set decorative accents, but emeralds, like other colored gemstones, do not really begin to show that beautiful glow below a certain size. How large 'your' emerald ends up will depend on your personal taste, and on your budget. Really large specimens of top quality are rare. This means that the price of a top-quality emerald may be higher than that of a diamond of the same weight. The fascination exuded by a fine emerald is simply unique.
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Where would you most like to take a vacation?
After posing the question, instruct staff members to go to the corner of the room labeled with the letter that matches their first response to the question. (For example, staff members who prefer response A, New York City, will go to the corner marked by the A poster.) Once all staff members are settled into a corner, invite them to share some of the reasons they went to that corner.
Which flower are you more like?
Which vehicle are you most like?
This is a fun way to get to know staff members. Be sure each staff member has a chance to share a comment in response to a couple of the questions.
This activity can be used for grouping purposes too. If you need four random working groups, pose a question and have staff members go to a corner. The staff members gathered in each corner become a "working group."
About which of these classroom teaching approaches would you most like to learn more?
Invite staff members to go to the appropriate corner. Among the staff members in each corner will be the teacher you approached in advance about preparing a presentation. That person will lead a 15-minute mini-workshop on the topic.
About which of these topics would you most like to learn more?
Once teachers have "gone to their corners," present to each group the related book you have pre-selected for their "book group" to read.
With the latter two activities, if a group gathered in any one corner is too large, you might ask those teachers if any of them have a "close second choice" and might be willing to go to another corner to help fill out one of the smaller groups.


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Fernando Malvar-Ruiz
An internationally regarded choral conductor, clinician and educator, Fernando Malvar-Ruiz became Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Children's Chorus in 2018.
From 2004 to 2017, he was the Music Director of the American Boychoir, leading some 150 performances and up to five national and international tours annually. He prepared the choir for appearances with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic and London Symphony Orchestra, among others. He also conducted the choir on six recordings, led its performances on the Academy Awards and a 9/11 memorial service broadcast globally on CNN, and he was the music director on the film Boychoir, directed by François Girard. He has guest conducted children's and youth choirs around the globe. He has a master's degree in choral conducting from Ohio State University and completed the coursework toward a doctoral degree from the University of Illinois.
He made his LA Opera debut preparing the children's chorus for Hansel and Gretel in 2018.


text:
Sex differences in the effectiveness of statins after myocardial infarction
Igor Karp, Shun-Fu Chen and Louise Pilote
CMAJ January 30, 2007 176 (3) 333-338; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.060627
Igor Karp
Shun-Fu Chen
Louise Pilote
© 2007 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors
Background: We sought to investigate the sex differences in the effectiveness of statins in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
Methods: Linking hospital discharge and drug claims databases from Quebec, Canada (1998–2004), we identified statin users (n = 14 710) and non-users (n = 23 833) discharged from hospital after an AMI-related hospital stay and followed up for as long as 7 years.
Results: All-cause death rates were 4.1 and 14.6 per 100 person-years among users and non-users, respectively, whereas cardiac death rates were 2.2 and 7.4 per 100 person-years. For death from any cause, the adjusted hazard ratios associated with statin use in women were 0.61 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54–0.69) within 1 year of follow-up, 0.55 (0.48–0.63) at 1–3 years and 0.38 (0.31–0.49) at > 3 years; in men, the corresponding estimates were 0.54 (0.48–0.60), 0.48 (0.42–0.55) and 0.34 (0.30–0.39). For cardiac-related death, the adjusted hazard ratios associated with statin use in women were 0.70 (0.60–0.81) within 1 year, 0.56 (0.46–0.68) at 1–3 years and 0.44 (0.31–0.62) at > 3 years of follow-up, whereas in men, the estimates were 0.59 (0.51–0.69), 0.47 (0.39–0.58) and 0.37 (0.30–0.45), respectively.
Interpretation: Statin therapy after an AMI was associated with reduced rates of all-cause and cardiac mortality. The effect increased with time in both sexes, but the degree of risk reduction was less for women than for men.
Statins have been shown to be effective medications for prevention of secondary events in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).1–3 However, because women have been underrepresented in clinical trials on statins,4 potential sex differences in the efficacy of statins have not been well studied. Among the studies that explored this issue, some indicated a possibly greater cardiovascular risk reduction among men,5,6 whereas others suggested that statins were as effective in women as in men, or even more effective.7–10 This latter proposition would indeed be consistent with the greater low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and total cholesterol reductions in women than in men in response to the use of statins that were reported from some earlier studies.11–13
Current knowledge about the magnitude of the statin-induced risk reduction in death rates among women with CHD or cardiovascular disease (CVD) in general is even less definitive. Whereas at least 2 studies have reported a potential benefit of statins in women,14,15 a recent systematic review16 concluded that lipid-lowering medications, including statins, did not reduce total mortality rates among women with CVD, just as they did not among women without CVD. However, the review did find statistically significant reductions in CHD-related deaths, nonfatal myocardial infarction, revascularization and total CHD events accompanying lipid-lowering therapy in women with CVD.16
Thus, the current evidence on potential quantitative differences in the efficacy of statins for prevention of secondary events in men and women with CHD is still inconclusive. We conducted this study to investigate possible statistical sex–statin interaction in patients after a myocardial infarction (AMI).
The Quebec hospital discharge summary database, which includes information on all hospital admissions for AMI, was linked to provincial databases of physician and drug claims. In Quebec, people younger than 65 years typically receive drug benefits through employee plans; those without employee benefits or who are aged 65 years and over receive prescription coverage at minimal cost. Thus, our source of drug data included information on patients of all ages. For completeness, vital status information was obtained from the same databases, which are linked to pension, car insurance and death registry services. The patients' unique, encrypted health care insurance number was used to link the data within and between the databases. During the linkage, a total of 53 subjects could not be matched and were therefore excluded from our analyses.
Patients with a first record of an AMI-related hospital admission who were discharged alive between April 1, 1998 and March 31, 2004 were included in the cohort. (The interval was based on the most recently available data from the hospital discharge database.) All patients had AMI (ICD-9-CM code 410)17 recorded in the hospital discharge database as the most responsible diagnosis — that is, the principal diagnosis contributing to the greatest extent to the patient's hospital stay.
Patients were excluded (for the reason in parentheses) if they met any of the following criteria: the AMI was coded as an in-hospital complication (to minimize the possibility of including iatrogenic AMI cases); the AMI-related hospital admission was a transfer from another hospital (to avoid counting the patients more than once); the total length of hospital stay was less than 2 days (to exclude patients with ruled-out AMI cases and those admitted only for procedures); the patient was discharged to a long-term care institution or rehabilitation centre, or moved out of the province (since data on prescriptions would then be unavailable); or the health care number was invalid. More details of the rationale for these criteria can be found elsewhere.18
Statin use was defined as data indicating a prescription filled for any of the 6 statin medications, which are considered to be of similar effectiveness for the prevention of secondary events in patients with CHD: atorvastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin, lovastatin, rosuvastatin and fluvastatin.19 Available prescription information (type of drug, dosage category, frequency and duration) was used to calculate daily dosages, which were converted into equivalent atorvastin doses and the corresponding number of Defined Daily Doses (DDD), as defined by the World Health Organization.20 Based on the patient's statin-prescription status at the time of discharge (time zero), 2 study groups were retrospectively defined: patients who were prescribed a statin (statin users) and those not prescribed a statin (statin non-users, the control group). Each patient was followed from time zero until the occurrence of either of the study end-points (all-cause death and cardiac death [ICD-9-CM codes 390–450, 785 or v588]),17 the end of study follow-up (March 31, 2005), loss to follow-up, or discontinuation of the statin use/ non-use regimen initially adopted, whichever came first. In the last case, statin users were considered to have discontinued statin use if at least 30 consecutive days passed during which they did not fill a prescription for a statin. Among statin users, switching the type of statin used (i.e., among the 6 statin medications) would not represent a discontinuation. On the other hand, switching from a statin medication to a nonstatin drug or to a statin other than the 6 types already mentioned would represent a statin discontinuation for the purposes of our study.
Potential confounders were taken into consideration, as follows. Patient demographic characteristics and comorbidities at discharge were determined from the hospital discharge databases at the index admission. Comorbidities included coexisting cardiovascular and lung diseases, chronic kidney or liver conditions, diabetes mellitus, dementia and malignant disease. Use of major cardiac medications at discharge was also recorded: β-blockers, angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, antiplatelet drugs (ASA, clopidogrel), calcium-channel blockers, diuretics, warfarin and digoxin. Information was also obtained on any in-hospital procedure performed (catheterization, percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary artery bypass graft surgery), the year it was performed (according to the hospital's fiscal year), length of the hospital stay, the specialty of the treating physician (cardiologist, internist, other specialist, general practitioner), type of hospital (teaching or rural) and availability of a cardiac catheterization facility in the hospital. Finally, it was documented whether the patient was prescribed a statin within the 12 months before the AMI-related hospital admission.
Descriptive statistics were computed to compare baseline patient characteristics between the 2 study groups according to sex. Next, for both outcome end-points, hazard ratios associated with statin use were estimated in Cox regression models. In investigating the association between statins and the study outcomes, it was important to allow for the possibility of time-dependence (i.e., an accumulation of effect of statins over time), including time-dependent effects that are nonlinear.21 This was done by adding 3 product terms between the indicator of statin use and 3 follow-up periods after discharge (< 1 yr, 1–3 yr and > 3 yr) to the Cox models. The potential modifying effect of sex on the effectiveness of statin therapy was investigated by the addition of a product term between the indicator of statin use and the male/ female indicator. In addition to the unadjusted Cox regression, multivariable Cox models were fitted that also adjusted for age, marital status, presence of comorbidities, use of cardiac medications at baseline (time zero), use of statins during the 12 months before the index hospital admission, the in-hospital procedure performed, the year the procedure took place, length of hospital stay, specialty of the treating physician and type of hospital.
Because information on the cause of death was unavailable for 223 patients, they were excluded from the primary analyses that used this outcome end-point. However, as part of sensitivity analyses in those analyses involving cardiac death as the outcome end-point, we assessed 2 alternative, "extreme" approaches to handling data for these 223 patients. In the first, all patients who died of unknown cause were assumed to have had cardiac causes, and were thus combined with known cardiac deaths for analysis. In the second, we assumed that all such deaths were noncardiac in origin, and combined them with known cases of noncardiac death. The study was approved by the Ethics Review Board of McGill University.
Of 38 543 patients who were discharged from hospital after AMI who were included in the analysis, 23 815 (61.8%) were men and 14 728 (38.2%), women. At the time of hospital discharge, 14 710 patients (38.2%) were prescribed a statin. Both male and female non-users of statins tended to be slightly older than users (Table 1). The 2 groups were comparable in terms of comorbid conditions except for congestive heart failure, which was more common among non-users than users of statins. In both sexes, statin users tended to have been prescribed other cardiac medications and undergone invasive cardiac procedures more frequently, compared with non-users. The median length of stay in the hospital was similar in the 2 groups. Admissions by fiscal year are available in an online Appendix (www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/176/3/333DC1).
Overall, statin users contributed a total of 28 881 person-years of follow-up to the analysis; statin non-users, 32 792 person-years (Table 2). In the intervention group, 57% of patients in the user group continued to use statins throughout follow-up, whereas 38% of patients in the control group remained non-users throughout the follow-up period. Similar percentages of male and female patients switched from the initial statin type (19% and 18%, respectively) or stopped statin use during the study follow-up (44% and 41%, respectively). Among statin users, the mean atorvastatin-equivalent dose was similar between patients of either sex: men 19.5 mg, women 19.2 mg.
A total of 6172 patients died during the follow-up, 3053 from a cardiac cause (Table 3), with the overall unadjusted mortality rates being 10.4 all-cause events per 100 person-years and and 5.0 cardiac events per 100 person-years. In both men and women, statin users had lower overall unadjusted rates of both all-cause and cardiac death than did non-users.
The adjusted Cox regression models (Table 4) indicated that the statin-induced risk reduction for both all-cause and cardiac deaths increased with increased duration of treatment (p < 0.001 for interaction between statin use and time since discharge, for both end-points). For all durations of follow-up, however, the magnitude of the reduction in risk was greater for men than for women (p = 0.04 for interaction between statin use and sex for all-cause death; p = 0.06, for cardiac death).
In the sensitivity analysis, when deaths from an unknown cause were assumed to have been of cardiac or noncardiac origin, the point estimates, confidence intervals and conclusions did not differ materially from those derived in the main analyses, which were based on an end-point of cardiac death.
In this study of 38 543 post-AMI patients, we found a gradual accumulation over time of preventive effects from statin therapy that decreased overall and cardiac-related mortality rates in both sexes, with moderate risk reduction in the early follow-up period after discharge from hospital and considerable risk reduction after a longer duration of therapy. However, statin use conferred a lower degree of reduction in the risk of all-cause and cardiac death to women than it did to men.
CVD-related preventive benefits of statins are thought to be mediated largely by LDL-cholesterol reduction,22–24 with ensuing decreased progression of atherosclerosis, regression of atherosclerotic lesions and slowed development of new lesions. Therefore, the design and analysis of studies attempting to quantify statin-conferred benefits should be lengthy enough to allow for the possibility of a lag between initiation of therapy and achievement of the maximum reduction in the occurrence of clinical events.21 Nonetheless, statin treatment has been associated with morbidity and mortality benefits early after AMI.25,26 These early benefits of statins could be mediated via both lipid-lowering and pleiotropic effects.
Several reasons are possible for the survival difference in male versus female patients. Differences in our study cannot be attributed to dose: in our study, men were prescribed virtually the same dose of statins as women (Table 1). Some studies27,28 have suggested that LDL-and total-cholesterol concentrations in serum may be stronger determinants in men of rates of CVD-related death than in women. A recent meta-analysis21 of findings from studies of major coronary and major vascular events among patients with and without CHD, however, revealed that men and women exhibited similar reductions in event rates per unit of LDL-cholesterol reduction. In some animal studies, the rate of metabolism of simvastatin was found to be considerably higher in males than in females;29,30 the statin might therefore be expected to have a greater clinical effect on males. This hypothesis was nevertheless not corroborated in studies on human volunteers, which, in contrast, showed a lower degree of metabolism of simvastatin and lovastatin in men than in women.31 Moreover, several epidemiological studies11–13 have reported greater reductions in both LDL and total cholesterol in response to statins used by women than by men.
Another mechanism responsible for a differential effect of statins could be sex-dependent drug clearance, given that the clearance of lipid-soluble statins involves cytochrome P450 system enzymes (CYP)32–34 and that CYP expression can vary by sex.35 This could lead to between-sex differences in clearance rates, bioavailability and, consequently, the clinical effects obtained with the same dose of the drug.36
Our findings concur with those of earlier studies suggesting that statin therapy leads to a greater reduction in risk of cardiovascular events in men with CVD than in women with CVD.5,6 However, these previous studies generally included numbers of women that were insufficient to demonstrate the potential sex–treatment interaction or else did not account for the apparent time-dependence of statin-induced risk reductions.
Our study had several advantages. First, we were able to include a large number of patients of both sexes, which provided sufficient power to detect the sex–treatment interaction. Second, the patients included in our study represented a wider clinical and sociodemographic spectrum than those generally enrolled into randomized controlled trials, which should enhance the generalizability of our findings. Third, the patients had sufficiently long follow-up to allow us to demonstrate the added benefits of statin therapy with increased duration.
Some limitations of our study should also be considered. First, we had to rely on data obtained from an administrative database rather than on actual use of statin medications, which could introduce misclassification in statin-use status. However, such misclassification would likely be nondifferential and tend to dilute the associations found. Second, because data on patients' serum lipid profile were unavailable, it was impossible for us to explore whether the apparent effect modification by sex was attributable to the differential effects of statins on LDL-cholesterol concentration or to pleiotropic effects. Third, data on cause of death were not available for all subjects. Still, our sensitivity analyses, where we considered 2 extreme-alternative scenarios with respect to cause of death, showed our findings to be robust. Next, although we adjusted for several codeterminants of all-cause and cardiac deaths, a possibility remains that residual confounding by indication could have introduced bias into our results.37 Nevertheless, since confounding by indication generally leads to dilution of the effect of the intervention studied,37 our estimates of the effects of statins are likely to be conservative. Even if the estimates of statins' effects are subject to some degree of residual confounding, it is unlikely that this would explain the differential effects of statins observed between men and women. Finally, because the database did not include such important patient characteristics as tobacco use and obesity status, we were unable to adjust for them; our findings of sex-differential effects of statins could therefore be at least partly attributable to potential differences in the levels of these factors.
Our findings could have potentially important implications for clinical practice. If corroborated by independent studies on the effects of statins on serum cholesterol levels, these results would suggest a possible need for reappraisal of target daily doses for statins: women might require a higher dose to achieve preventive effects similar to those observed in men. Moreover, the differential effect of statins in men and women could translate into differential outputs from cost-effectiveness38 and risk–benefit analyses of statin therapy.39
Future studies should further investigate the apparent interaction between sex and the use of statin. Ultimately, the knowledge would better enable physicians and patients alike to make informed decisions on optimal treatment plans following an AMI.
Contributors: All coauthors have been involved in the conception, study design and analysis of data. They have all taken part in drafting and revising the manuscript, and have approved the final version for publication.
Acknowledgement: This study was undertaken as part of the Gender and Sex Determinants of Cardiovascular Disease (GENESIS) project, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institutes of Gender and Health (IGH) and Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH), and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Louise Pilote is a research scholar of the CIHR and, at McGill University, a William Dawson Professor.
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Igor Karp, Shun-Fu Chen, Louise Pilote
CMAJ Jan 2007, 176 (3) 333-338; DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.060627
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