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Effect of different dietary protein levels and amino acids supplementation patterns on growth performance, carcass characteristics and nitrogen excretion in growing-finishing pigs
Yumei Zhao1,
Gang Tian1,
Daiwen Chen1,
Ping Zheng1,
Jie Yu1,
Jun He1,
Xiangbing Mao1,
Zhiqing Huang1,
Yuheng Luo1,
Junqiu Luo1 &
Bing Yu ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-6605-67421
Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology volume 10, Article number: 75 (2019) Cite this article
This study was conducted to determine the effects of different dietary protein levels and amino acids supplementation patterns in low protein diets on the growth performance, carcass characteristics and nitrogen excretion in growing-finishing pigs.
Forty-two barrows (25.00 ± 0.39 kg) were randomly assigned to 7 diets. Diet 1: the high crude protein diet with balanced for 10 essential amino acids (EAAs). Diet 2: the medium crude protein diet with 2% (approx) decreased protein level of Diet 1 and balanced 10 EAAs. Diet 3: the low crude protein diet with 4% decreased protein level of Diet 1 and balanced 10 EAAs. The protein levels of Diet 4, 5, 6 and 7 were the same as that of Diet 3. Diet 4 was only balanced for lysine (Lys), methionine (Met), threonine (Thr) and tryptophan (Trp); Diet 5 and 6 were further supplemented with extra isoleucine (Ile) or valine (Val), respectively; Diet 7 was further supplemented with extra Ile + Val.
Over the 112 days trial, the reduction of dietary protein by 2% or 4% with balanced10 EAAs significantly decreased nitrogen excretion (P < 0.05), but had no effects on growth performance and carcass characteristics (P > 0.05). In low protein diet, Val supplementation significantly increased body weight gain at 25–50 kg phase (P < 0.05), while Ile supplementation at 75–100 kg phase and 100–125 kg phase significantly reduced the ratio of feed to gain (P < 0.05). No effect of different dietary protein levels and amino acids supplementation patterns in low protein diets on carcass characteristics was observed (P > 0.05). The total N excretion of pigs supplemented with only Lys, Met, Thr and Trp was numerically higher than that of pigs fed with extra Ile, or Val, or Ile + Val diets.
In low protein diet, Val is more required than Ile in the early growing phage (25–50 kg), while Ile becomes more required in the late growing and finishing phage (75–125 kg).
On the economic and environmental perspectives, the reduction of dietary crude protein and the supplementation with crystalline amino acids were the effective strategies for the swine industry to reduce the cost and pollution [1, 2]. It has been reported that the total N excretion is reduced by approximately 8% for every 1 % unit reduction in dietary CP [3]. Previous studies showed that the 4% reduction of CP in diet does not influence growth performance in pigs from growing to finishing when supplemented with crystalline Lys, Trp, Thr and Met [4,5,6,7]. However, the opposite result was reported thatreducing dietary protein by 4% and supplementing Lys, Trp, Thr and Met decrease the average daily gain (ADG) in 20–50 kg pigs [8]. Moreover, reducing dietary protein levels by 5% in 20–50 kg pigs, significantly decreases growth performance [9], probably due to the deficiency of other essential amino acids (EAAs) in the low protein diets.
Ten EAAs were required in pigs for the maximum of nitrogen deposition [10]. However, it was impossible to balance 10 EAAs in diets due to the high cost. Thus, supplementation of the first four limiting amino acids (Lys, Met,Trp and Thr) or even fewer is a common strategy in pig production. As mentioned, when the dietary protein level was reduced by more than 4%, the supplementation of the only first four limiting amino acids might affect the growth performance in growing-finishing pigs [8, 9, 11]. Thus, it is necessary to find an economical supplementation pattern that can ensurethe normal growth of pigs. Val and Ile are the fifth and sixth limiting AA in growing-finishing pigs [12]. Val, Ile and leucine (Leu) are branched-chain amino acids and play important roles in protein deposition and normal physiological functions in the body. Due to the similar structure, branched-chain amino acids compete with each other for the absorption, transportation and degradation [13]. In diets with corn as the main ingredient, Leu content generally exceeds the needs of pigs, which may decrease the decomposition of Val and Ile and exacerbate the lack of these two amino acids [14, 15]. Several studies have investigated the effects of Val and Ile in low protein diets on the growth performance of piglets and growing pigs [12, 16,17,18]. However, there are limited data available in finishing pigs.
The objective of this experiment was to estimate the effects of different dietary protein levels and amino acids supplementation patterns (including Val and Ile) in low protein diets on growth performance, carcass characteristic and nitrogen excretion of the growing-finishing pigs.
Experimental animals and diets
The experiment was conducted in the Metabolism Laboratory of the Institute of Animal Nutrition, Sichuan Agricultural University (Yaan, China).A total of 42 barrows [(Landrace×Yorkshire) × Duroc; initial body weight 25.00 ± 0.39 kg] were randomly allotted to seven diets based on the initial weight (n = 6). The trial lasted 112 days and was divided into four weight phases 25–50 kg, 50–75 kg, 75–100 kg and 100–125 kg. The 7 diets were: Diet 1, the high crude protein diet (HCP), protein levels in the four phases were 17.5%, 16.0%, 14.5% and 13.0%, respectively, and balanced for 10 EAAs; Diet 2, the medium crude protein diet (MCP), based on the NRC (2012) recommendation, protein levels in the four phases were 15.70%, 13.50%, 12.13% and 10.44%, respectively, and 10 EAAs were balanced. The dietary protein level of Diet 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 (the low crude protein diets, LCP) was decreased by 4% on the basis of Diet 1. Additionally, Diet 3 balanced for 10 EAAs; Diet 4 only balanced for Lys, Met, Thr and Trp; Diet 5 and 6 were further supplemented with extra Ile or Val, respectively; Diet 7 was further supplemented with extra Ile + Val. The NE level of Diet 1 and Diet 2 was 10.36 MJ/kg according to NRC (2012) [19]; the NE level of Diet 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 was 10.06 MJ/kg according to the results of Yi et al. [8], which found that the NE level should be reduced to obtain optimal carcass characteristics in low protein diet. All pigs were individually housed in stainless-steel metabolism crates (1.8 m × 0.8 m × 1.6 m).
Experimental diets were mainly composed of corn, wheat bran, soybean meal and rapeseed meal. Dietary protein level was reduced by replacing part of soybean meal with corn and wheat bran. Experimental diets were formulated on the basis of the standardized ileal digestible amino acids and NE system. Feed ingredients samples were collected for crude protein and amino acid analysis before the feed formulation, and the standard ileal digestible amino acid of the diets was calculated according to the standard ileal digestibility in the Table of China Feed Composition and Nutritional Value (25th ed., 2014). Nutrients in the diets met or exceeded the nutrient requirement recommended by NRC (2012) except dietary CP and NE (Table 1 and Additional file 1: Table S1-S4). Limitation order of EAAs in low protein diets showed in Table 2.
Table 1 Nutrient levels of diets
Table 2 Limitation order of essential amino acids in low protein diets
Pigs were fed at 8:00, 14:00 and 20:00 ad libitum with free access to water. Pigs were individually weighed at each weight phase shift, and the daily feed consumption of each pig was recorded. The data was used to calculate average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG) and feed-to-gain ratio (F/G ratio).
Nitrogen balance andammonia emissionstudy
In the last four days of each phase, all pigs were subjected to a 4-day total faeces and urine collection. At the end of the collection period, four day's fecal samples from each pig were pooled. 500 g fecal sample was dried in a forced-draft oven at 65 °C, grounded through a 0.45-mm sifter, and kept at − 20 °C for further analysis. Urine was collected and recorded daily at the same time as the faecal collection. At the end of the collection period, four day's urine samples from each pig were pooled, and a 100 mL subsample stored at − 20 °C for further analysis. Additionally, on the last day of the collection, fresh feces (100 g) and urine (100 mL) from each pig were immediately placed into a 10-L bucket. The ammonia concentration in the bucket at 0 h and 4 h were measured by portable ammonia detector (APES-NH3(200)-H, Empaer, Shenzhen, China).
Blood sample collection
At the end of the trial (day 113), blood samples were collected via jugular vein puncture after a 12-h overnight fasting. Blood samples were centrifuged (3,000×g for 15 min at 4 °C) and serum samples were stored at − 20 °C.
Assessment of carcass characteristics and organ index
After blood sampling, all pigs were slaughtered following a standard procedure at the end of the trial. After exsanguination and evisceration, carcass was split through the midline, and the hot carcass weight (including kidney and leaf fat) was recorded to calculate dressing percentages. Internal organs were removed and weighed to calculate organ index, which is the percentage of the organ weight to the live weight of the pig. The other carcass traits were measured (obtained from the left side of the carcass), including average backfat thicknesses (average of first- rib, last-rib and last-lumbar fat thickness), carcass length and loin-eye area (The measurement position of loin-eye area is the cross-section of the longissimus dorsi muscle at the junction of the thoracolumbar segment, and the measurement method is used a vernier caliper to measure the maximum height and width of the eye muscle, and the calculation formula is: loin-eye area = length × width × 0.7).
Laboratory analysis of samples
For determining nitrogen-balance, crude protein of experimental diets, faeces and urine samples were analyzed according to AOAC 984. 13 [21].
The concentration of serum urea nitrogen (SUN), total protein (TP) and albumin (ALB) were analyzed using assay kits according to the manufacturer's instructions (Nanjing Jiancheng Bioengineering Institute, China).
Ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) concentration in serum and faeces was determined spectrophotometrically according to Nessler reagent with yellow coloring and photometering at a wavelength of 420 nm.
All measurements were determined in triplicate.
Diet 1, diet 2 and diet 3 groups were compared to explore the effect of different dietary protein levels in the same amino acid supplementation pattern, diet 3, diet 4, diet 5, diet 6 and diet 7 groups were compared to explore the effect of different amino acid supplementation patterns at the same dietary protein level. All data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA for a randomized complete block design using the SPSS statistical software package (SPSS 20.0).Statistical differences between diets were separated by Duncan's multiple range tests. All data were expressed as the mean ± SE. A difference was considered significant at P < 0.05 and 0.05 < P < 0.10 was considered a tendency.
Results & discussion
The reduced level of protein in the diet requires the increased supplementation of amino acids to maintain the similar growth performance [22]. The balance of different amino acids in diet also affected the utilization of nitrogen and other nutrients. It was reported that 4% lower protein diet with supplementation of the first four limiting amino acids (Lys, Met, Trp and Thr) has no effect on the growth performance of pigs, compared to normal protein diet [4,5,6]. However, the reduction of more than 4% of protein in diets hinders the growth of pigs, even if supplemented with those limiting amino acids [8, 9, 11]. This may be due to the imbalance of essential amino acids in the low protein diets. The effects of different amino acids supplementation patterns in low protein diets on finishing pigs are still unclear. Therefore, in this study, we estimated the effects of different dietary protein levels and amino acids supplementation patterns (including Val and Ile) in low protein diets on growth performance, carcass characteristic and nitrogen excretion of the growing-finishing pigs.
Growth performance of growing-finishing pigs
The results of growth performance were shown in Table 3. Reduced dietary protein levels by 2% had no significant effect on growth performance in pigs (P > 0.05), which was consistent with previous research [23,24,25]. We also found that a 4% reduction in dietary protein with balanced for 10 EAAs had no negative effect on pig growth performance (P > 0.05). However, if only balanced for Lys, Met, Thr and Trp, 4% reduction of dietary protein increased F/G ratio, indicating other essential amino acids were lacking in the low protein diets. In 25–50 kg pigs, Val supplementation significantly increased ADFI and ADG (P < 0.05), while the supplementation of Ile even reduced ADFI. The similar results were observed in Figueroa et al. [16] that the addition of Val or Val + Ile in 5% lower protein diet improves the growth performance in 20 kg growing pigs, compared to control diet. However, the addition of Ile alone significantly decreased ADFI and ADG. The authors suggested that when dietary protein level decreased by 5%, the fifth limiting amino acid was Val instead of Ile. The addition of extra Ile to low protein diets exacerbates deficiency of Val. Val deficiency leads to decreases in feed intake and growth [26]. Moreover, deficiency of Val increases both central somatostatin expression and ghrelin resistance resulting in reduced feed intake [27, 28]. Val activates hypothalamus mTORC1 and GACC, increases the expressions of NPY and MC4R, and thus promotes food intake [29]. In this study, there was no significant difference in growth performance between different amino acids balanced patterns in 50–75 kg phase (P > 0.05).The reduction of feed intake in Ile alone group in 50–75 kg phase was smaller than that in 25–50 kg phase, which indicated that the lack of Val was relieved in 50–75 kg phase. In both 75–100 kg phase and 100–125 kg phase, supplementation of Ile alone significantly improved the ADFI and ADG (P < 0.05) and decreased F/G (P < 0.05), while supplementation of Val even decreased the ADG and increased F/G. It indicated that Ile was more required than Val in 75–100 kg and 100–125 kg phase pigs. The results of growth performance were consistent with the limiting order of the essential amino acid in the low protein diets showed in Table 2, i.e., Val was the fifth limiting amino acid for the growth performance in the 25–50 kg phase, and Ile was the fifth limiting amino acid in the later phase and even rose to the fourth limiting amino acid in the 100–125 kg phase in the present experimental diets.
Table 3 Growth performance of growing-finishing pigs fed low protein diet supplemented with different amino acids (n = 6)
Carcass characteristics and organs index in finishing pigs
In addition to the controversy in the growth performance, the impact of low protein diets on carcass characteristics had also been questioned by many researchers. Kerr et al. found that reduced dietary protein levels and supplemented with synthetic amino acids increases carcass fat deposition, compared to normal protein diet [4]. The increase in carcass fat was due to the enhancement of both net energy density and energy efficiency when reducing the dietary protein level [30, 31]. Both Knowles et al. [32] and Dourmad et al. [33] found that the formulation of low-protein diets with using NE system could reduce the deposition of carcass fat, compared with using DE system. Yi et al. [8] found that reduce NE level in low protein diets improves carcass characteristics which were similar to those of the normal protein diet group. In order to avoid the interference of dietary energy on carcass characteristics, the net energy level of low protein diets (4% reduction) was established based on the result of Yi et al. [8]. No significant effects of dietary protein levels and amino acid balance patterns on carcass characteristics were observed (Table 4). The similar result was also reported in Jiao et al. [34]. Thus, different amino acids supplementation in low protein diets had no significant effects on carcass characteristics.
Table 4 Carcass characteristics and organ index of finishing pigs fed low protein diet supplemented with different amino acids (n = 6)
Pancreas and kidney play important roles in the process of protein digestion and metabolism. Pancreatin secreted by the pancreas can degrade proteins into peptide and amino acids. The kidney is an important excretory organ for nitrogen metabolism. It has been reported that reduce dietary protein from 16% to 12% significantly reduces the organ index of the pancreas in 30–60 kg pigs [7]. Peng et al. [35] also found that reduce dietary protein level from 20% to 15.3% significantly decreases the organ index of the liver and pancreas in piglets. The further reduction of dietary protein level from 16.7% to 13.2% significantly decreases the organ index of the kidney. In the present study, reduction of dietary protein levels by 2% or 4%with balancing 10 EAAs decreased pancreas index (P < 0.05) (Table 4). Meanwhile, dietary protein levels decreased by 4% also significantly reduced the kidney index (P < 0.05). When the dietary protein level was reduced, the metabolic burden of the organs related to nitrogen metabolism was supposed to be decreased. However, different balanced patterns of amino acids in low protein diets had no effect on the organ index (P > 0.05), suggesting dietary CP level had a greater influence on the organ index than amino acid balance patterns.
Nitrogen emission of growing-finishing pigs
Albumin (ALB) and globulin in serum reflect protein synthesis and nutritional status. Serum urea nitrogen (SUN) was an end product of the metabolism of proteins and amino acids, and its concentration was negative correlated with the utilization of proteins and amino acids [36]. NH3-N is a metabolite of intestinal microbial decomposition of protein and amino acids, which reflects the utilization of protein and amino acids. In this study, with balanced 10 EAAs, a 2% or 4% reduction in dietary protein significantly decreased the concentration of SUN (P < 0.05) but did not affect serum TP, ALB and NH3-N contents (Table 5). Similar results were found in Figueroa et al. [16], in which a 4% reduction of dietary protein significantly reduces the concentration of SUN in growing pigs. Furthermore, in low protein diet, addition of extra Ile significantly reduced the concentration of serum NH3-N (P < 0.05), compared with diet only balanced for Lys, Met, Thr and Trp. It was indicated that supplementation with Ile improved the amino acid balance in low protein diets and increased N utilization resulting in lower NH3-N levels. There was no significant difference in serum SUN, TP and ALB between the different amino acids addition diets, which was consistent with previous studies [18, 34]. Lordelo et al. [18] suggested that the changes in the concentration of serum amino acid and urea nitrogen had no aid in the identification of limiting amino acids in the diet.
Table 5 Blood profiles of finishing pigs fed low protein diet supplemented with different amino acids (n = 6)
Reduce the dietary protein level and supplementation of crystalline amino acids is an effective way to reduce N excretion without affecting animal growth performance. In this study, when the dietary protein level was reduced by 2% or 4% and balancing 10 EAAs, total nitrogen excretion decreased by 16.9% and 31.9%, respectively (P < 0.05) (Table 6), which was consistent with previous studies [37, 38]. Also, the N intake and N excretion in 4% lower protein diet were 11.6% and 26.1% less than that of the 2% reduction diet, respectively. This result indicated that total N excretion could be reduced by 8.2% for every one percent reduction in dietary protein, consisting with the previous summary [35]. In 4% lower protein diet, the total N excretion in groups supplemented with only Lys, Met, Thr and Trp was numerically higher than that of other groups. Specifically, in the 25–50 kg phase, the total N excretion was 29.5% higher than that of 10 EAAs balanced diet and 22.0% higher than that of Ile alone addition diet. In summary, both dietary protein levels and amino acid balance patterns would affect the utilization and excretion of N.
Table 6 Nitrogen balance of growing-finishing pigs fed low protein diet supplemented with different amino acids (n = 6)
The nitrogen in urine is mainly in the form of urea. When mixed with faeces, urea can be quickly decomposed into carbon dioxide and ammonia by the urease in the faeces [39, 40]. Therefore, the volatilization of ammonia in pig excreta is closely related to the amount of nitrogen excretion. Several studies found that low-protein diets can reduce nitrogen excretion and ammonia emissions [41, 42]. In this study, 2% lower protein diet with balanced 10 EAAs significantly decreased slurry ammonia volatilization at 4 h in each phase(P < 0.05). 4% lower dietary protein diet significantly decreased slurry ammonia volatilization at 0 h and 4 h in each phase (P < 0.05) (Table 7). However, there was no significant difference in slurry ammonia volatilization at 0 h and 4 h between the different amino acids balanced patterns of low protein diets. It suggested that the volatilization of excrement ammonia was mainly affected by dietary protein level.
Table 7 Slurry NH3 emission of growing-finishing pigs fed low protein diet supplemented with different amino acids (n = 6)
Taken together, 2% or 4% decreases in dietary protein levels with balanced 10 EAAs had no significant effects on growth performance and carcass characteristics but significantly reduced nitrogen excretion in pigs. In 4% lower protein diets, Val supplementation significantly increased body weight gain at 25-50 kg phase, while Ile supplementation at 75-100 kg phase and 100–125 kg phase significantly reduced the ratio of feed to gain. The total N excretion of pigs supplemented with only Lys, Met, Thr and Trp was numerically higher than that of pigs fed with extra Ile, or Val, or Ile + Val diets. These results indicated that in low protein diet, Val is more required than Ile in the early growing phage (25–50 kg), while Ile becomes more required in the late growing and finishing phage (75–125 kg).
The data analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Amnio acids
ADFI:
Average daiy feed intake
ADG:
Average daiy gain
ALB:
Crude protein
EAA:
Essential amnio acids
F/G:
Feed to gain ratio
NE:
Net energy
NH3-N:
Ammonia nitrogen
NRC:
National research council
TP:
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Deng D, Huang RL, Li TJ, Wu GY, Xie MY, Tang ZR, et al. Nitrogen balance in barrows fed low-protein diets supplemented with essential amino acids. Livest Sci. 2007;109(1–3):220–3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2007.01.122.
Monteny GJ, Erisman JW. Ammonia emission from dairy cow buildings: a review of measurement techniques, influencing factors and possibilities for reduction. Neth J Agric Sci. 1998;46(3):225–47.
Aarnink AJA, Verstegen MWA. Nutrition, key factor to reduce environmental load from pig production. Livest Sci. 2007;109(1):194–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2007.01.112.
Latimier P, Dourmad JY. Effect of three protein feeding strategies, for growing-finishing pigs, on growth performance and nitrogen output in the slurry and in the air. In: Verstegen MWA, Hartog LAD, Kempen GJM, Metz JHM, editors. Nitrogen flow in pig production and environmental consequences. Wageningen: EAAP publication no. 69, Pudoc scientific Publisher; 1993. p. 242–5.
O'Connell JM, Callan JJ, O'Doherty JV. The effect of dietary crude protein level, cereal type and exogenous enzyme supplementation on nutrient digestibility, nitrogen excretion, faecal volatile fatty acid concentration and ammonia emissions from pigs. Anim Feed Sci Technol. 2006;127(1):73–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2005.09.002.
We thank Dr. Hui Yan of Washington University in St. Louis for editing the manuscript.
This study was supported by the Grant from the Science and Technology Support Program of Sichuan Province (2015NZ0042, 2016NZ006) and National Key R&D Program of China (2018YFD0500605).
Key Laboratory of Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, 46# Xinkang Road, Yucheng District, Yaan, 625014, Sichuan, China
Yumei Zhao, Gang Tian, Daiwen Chen, Ping Zheng, Jie Yu, Jun He, Xiangbing Mao, Zhiqing Huang, Yuheng Luo, Junqiu Luo & Bing Yu
Yumei Zhao
Gang Tian
Daiwen Chen
Ping Zheng
Jie Yu
Jun He
Xiangbing Mao
Zhiqing Huang
Yuheng Luo
Junqiu Luo
Bing Yu
YMZ and BY designed and performed the experiment, analyzed the data and wrote the paper. GT, DWC, PZ and JY helped to design the experiment. JH, XMB, ZQH, YHL and JQL helped to performe the experiment and collect samples. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Correspondence to Bing Yu.
The experimental protocols used in the current study were reviewed and approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of Sichuan Province (Case No. SYXK (Sichuan, China)2014–187) and followed the guidelines for animal welfare established by this committee.
The authors declare that they have no competing interests
Table S1. Ingredient and chemical composition of experimental diets during phase I 25–50 kg (as fed basis). Table S2. Ingredient and chemical composition of experimental diets during phase II 50–75 kg (as fed basis). Table S3. Ingredient and chemical composition of experimental diets during phase III 75–100 kg (as fed basis). Table S4. Ingredient and chemical composition of experimental diets during phase IV 100–125 kg (as fed basis). (DOCX 41 kb)
Zhao, Y., Tian, G., Chen, D. et al. Effect of different dietary protein levels and amino acids supplementation patterns on growth performance, carcass characteristics and nitrogen excretion in growing-finishing pigs. J Animal Sci Biotechnol 10, 75 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-019-0381-2
Growing-finishing pigs
Growth performance
Low protein diets
Nitrogen excretion


We invite you to join us in Colorado for SYNERGY2019 — a gathering of the industry elite and an opportunity to share expertise, energize your connections, and empower your circle of influence. You'll be able to attend educational sessions and learn from the best and brightest in the tax industry — plus you'll spend four days earning CPE credit, getting hands-on training, learning about technology updates, and being inspired by tax and technology experts.
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As an Israeli who has lived his entire life in fear of terrorist attacks, I can say quite simply: Terror embitters life. It imposes a military mode of behavior on a person, places him in an unending state of stress. These factors slowly percolate throughout one's life and foul it.
The terrorists don't have to make too much of an effort. From the moment they inject fear into the hearts of the citizenry, from the moment they persuade the populace that they have no limits, they can make do with occasional attacks, here and there. Fear will spread everywhere like a flesh-eating bacterium.
The combat aircraft now flying over New York are only the beginning. Gradually, Americans, Europeans, and others will find themselves surrounded by an endless number of security systems. These systems are meant to defend people, but actually make them feel more upset and less secure. Myriad policemen, security guards, special forces troops, and overt and covert detectives will be stationed at the entrances to cinemas, theaters, and shopping centers. Guards will check those who enter schools and preschools.
But are there enough guards to oversee everyone who goes down to the subway? How many hours before the football game will we have to be at the stadium, so that the guards can examine the bags of each and every fan? In Israel, if you lose your handbag or if you leave your suitcase for a minute to go buy a bus ticket, chances are that they will be blown up by a police sapper robot. Dozens of streets get closed off in Jerusalem each day because of suspicious packages. Every Israeli knows that he must allow double the normal time to get anywhere because of these security controls. Boarding an El Al plane is a complex matter involving interrogations and personal searches. It's almost like trying to get into a prestigious college.
Large parts of the work force serve in security-related jobs. Huge amounts of energy and creativity that could have gone into science or technology and into improving the quality of life are channeled into security. Personal freedoms and rights are restricted in order to protect life.
You can presume that at this very moment every Western state is extending a dense web of private telephone wiretaps and e-mail surveillance. Thousands of innocent civilians are being arrested, and will continue to be arrested, in an effort to prevent the next attack. An army of secret agents will be allowed to invade every private, intimate area. In years to come we will see more people carrying firearms in the streets of the United States, England, and Europe. This massive presence will affect every little friction and confrontation. The rates of violence and murder will rise. "I thought he was a terrorist" is an acceptable justification for shooting people in terror-stricken places.
It's not only countries that will be enveloped in a dense security network that has as its purpose the defense of normal life (except that life long ago stopped being normal). The individual soul also will become enveloped by this coarse, stiff veneer. That is the immediate result of living in fear, in suspicion of every unfamiliar person.
It is the way every normal person defends himself against the pain of what is liable to be taken from him at any moment. It is the inability to believe in routine even for a minute. Every such situation, every routine, is but an illusion, and he who is tempted to believe in it will not be prepared for the final blow when it comes.
It is painful to admit, but in a certain sense terror always succeeds. The war against it, and the process of becoming accustomed to what it does with our lives, slowly perverts all that is precious and human.
The frightened civilian quickly composes his own internal mechanism that identifies and catalogs strangers by their racial/national/ethnic traits. Like it or not, he becomes more racist. It is not hard to predict that, under such conditions, the political parties that feed off racism will flourish. Nor is it hard to predict how bitter the lives of minorities will be, especially those who outwardly match the profile of the suspected terrorist. Just a few weeks of life in the shadow of fear will show every nation how rapidly it can turn needs into values, let fear determine its norms.
Terror humiliates. It rapidly returns a human being to a pre-cultural, violent, chaotic existence. It determines where society's breaking point is. It entices certain groups, not small ones, to join it, and actively to seek to use force to destroy and crush everything they hate.
Terror contains something that acts like a decomposition enzyme-the decomposition of the private body and the public body. Terror also sharpens one's awareness that a democratic, tranquil way of life requires the true goodwill of a country's citizens. That is the amazing secret of democratic rule, and also its Achilles heel. All of us, when it comes down to it, are each other's hostages. Terrorists act on this potential and so unravel the entire fabric of life.
I regret having to write such harsh things. They are unbearable for me, too, because as I write them I realize how great a price I pay in each dream at night, in each morning farewell to my children. But it is now, when we are still overcome with shock, that I want to reiterate something.
We all have so much to lose. That which is most precious to us is so fragile. A country that fights terror fights not only for the physical security of its citizens. It fights also for their reason to live, for their humanity, for everything that makes them human and civilized.


text:
New Wilson Tour truck for the younger generation
Wilson Golf has modernised its Tour truck to reflect the demands of young players on the Challenge Tour, as well as European Tour stars like Open winners Padraig Harrington and Paul Lawrie, plus new champion Joakim Lagergren.
The truck features a brand-new look in a traditional Wilson red colourway, along with the brand's historic shield logo appearing prominently on the side, back and even the roof. It houses the latest machinery for club-making and customisation, plus a comfortable interior to give Tour players an area to relax away from the course and practice range.
"We have nine players on the Challenge Tour this season, so the investment in the truck is designed to give these young stars of the future as much support as possible," said Tour Manager, Phil Bonham. "We also continue to look after our established Tour players on the European Tour, so to have a distinctive new truck that projects the brand's modern outlook is a real positive," he added.
Wilson Staff players using the truck include three-time Major Champion and six-time Ryder Cup star Padraig Harrington, who has been associated with Wilson for more than 20 years, one of the longest relationships in the game; Paul Lawrie, the Open Champion at Carnoustie in 1999, who returns to the historic Angus links in July; Englishman Paul Waring, who sits comfortably inside the Top-100 in the Race to Dubai standings; and Swedish sensation Joakim Lagergren, recent winner of the Rocco Forte Sicilian Open using the brand's FG Tour 100 irons.
The eye-catching truck will be seen at most of the lucrative Rolex Series events on the European Tour, starting with the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth this week. After visiting Köln, Germany for the BMW International Open, it will arrive in Ballyliffin GC, Co Donegal for the Irish Open, before heading for two weeks in Scotland – first at Gullane GC for the Scottish Open, then a short trip north for the 147th staging of the Open Championship at Carnoustie.
For more details about Wilson Staff clubs and the rest of the golf range, visit: www.wilsongolf.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
19th of Kislev
The Secret of the West
Gal Einai	 Nov 16, 2021
The Lubavitcher Rebbe coined the word Ufaratzta ("and you shall spread/burst forth") as the slogan of Chassidut in our time. Ufaratzta is part of the verse, "And you shall spread forth to the west, to the east, to the north and to the south" (Genesis 28:14). The 19th of Kislev, the day on which Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi was acquitted and released from a libelous claim against him is marked as the New Year of Chassidut. It is a perfect time of year to contemplate this slogan and its inner meaning.
Bursting Forth from Prison
The basic meaning of Ufaratzta is spreading or bursting forth and becoming strengthened. It is about not being content with the existing situation, but developing and expanding into new realms. Bursting forth alludes to release, overcoming obstacles and even breaking through barriers and accepted norms. With this in mind, the 19th of Kislev adds a new dimension to the Chassidic consciousness of spreading the wellsprings of Chassidut, which has accompanied the movement since its inception. Ever since the Ba'al Shem Tov performed a soul ascent to the chamber of Mashiach, where Mashiach told him that he would come "when your wellsprings spread forth outside," Chassidut has been focused on this goal.
The Alter Rebbe's imprisonment was mirrored by a Heavenly spiritual objection to the fact that he was spreading the wellsprings of Chassidut. His release on the 19th of Kislev was a signal that a new era of even greater dissemination of Chassidut—both qualitatively and quantitatively—was at hand. It was not only that the Alter Rebbe's incarceration stifled the dissemination of the wellsprings both technically and spiritually. The deep message was that if a person does not act to spread the wellsprings and to spread into new realms of influence, he is essentially in prison. He is locked into his natural comfort zone, busy convincing the already convinced, and his message to the world is chained to its contracted, external image, and remains lacking the ability to express its depth to the entire world. Spreading forth is when the most internal, deep forces pull together and emerge to express themselves, released from their internal and external barriers until they manage to spread out and bring their energies to new domains.
Reach Far
In Genesis 28:14, God blesses Jacob to spread forth in all four directions: "to the West, to the East, to the North and to the South." The first direction in this verse is West, this in spite of the fact that Jacob was on his way north, to Haran. Normally, we do not find that the Torah gives precedence to the West when detailing directions. This begs the question of why when it comes to spreading forth, the West (in Hebrew, "yamah," which literally means "toward the sea," referring to the Mediterranean Sea on Israel's western flank) comes first? What is so important about the West?
With regard to the spreading of wellsprings, the sea is the farthest destination. All wellsprings flow into rivers and ultimately, "all the rivers empty into the sea." The motivation to spread forth and expand begins with deciding upon the final goal, the very farthest destination. When the energies are directed there, they will reach and pass through all the nearer goals on the way.
But there is also a geographic dimension to the West taking precedence. In the geography of the land of Israel, the Mediterranean Sea, making up the land's western border, is the passageway to other lands, which the sages called "the lands of the sea." In the Land of Israel today, the city of Tel Aviv is on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Fittingly, Tel Aviv is constantly looking to the West, peering abroad to the wide world outside Israel's borders; it is a city that tries to be as internationally cosmopolitan as possible. When a clear Jewish message is lacking, however, it is easy to fall into attempts to imitate other nations. But when we understand that the Torah—particularly its inner dimension—has a message for the entire world, we can turn westward and aspire to reach out as far as possible.
The Way of the World Precedes the Torah
In Israel, the North, South, and Jerusalem (on the East) are considered more or less "front lines," while Tel Aviv is considered the civilian rear guard (the term used in Hebrew, oref, literally means "the back of the neck"). This is also true in the Torah's nomenclature where East is the front, the direction that we face, the South and North are right and left, respectively, and the West is at the rear.
Victory in war depends on the steadfastness of the civilian population not only because it is the weak and most vulnerable link, but also because it is the source of steadfastness. Thus, the Torah calls the people of Israel a "stiff-necked nation" which can be taken as praise. In the psyche, the back of the neck is a symbol of the un-conscious. The power to burst forward and triumph depends upon the steadfastness and sense of justification held by the civilians behind the lines. If, God forbid, doubts erode the resilience of the civilians—possibly at first unconsciously, but then consciously—the soldiers on the front lines lose the willpower to triumph.
In more general terms: even a person who consciously defines himself as the opposite pole to Tel Aviv, is still very influenced by it—as the city and its inhabitants can be seen as a collective unconscious of the entire Jewish population. Thus, in order to spread forth, the first place to influence and strengthen is the civilian rear, the area that lies far behind the front lines. Hebrew linguists explain that another Hebrew word for West (ma'arav), shares a root with 'hitarvut'—meaning the mixing of many shades and colors seen in the Western sky as the sun sets. In our context, the West, the ma'arav, is the place of the mixing of many different opinions. This is why the Tel Aviv cultural scene claims that is open to many shades of opinions (though in practice this may not actually be true, a topic for another article). Still, a person who really wants to be involved with the different shades of the people of Israel cannot ignore Tel Aviv.
"East and North and South" symbolize the pillars of Judaism: Torah, prayer, and acts of kindness. East (kedmah) corresponds to Torah, which preceded (kadam) the world. North (tzafon) parallels the service of the heart, prayer, during which a person pours out what is hidden (tzafun) in his heart (which is at the north-left of the body). South (negbah) is the right side of kindness. Abraham, the personification of kindness, spent his life journeying to the south. By contrast, West (yamah) symbolizes the basic "way of the world"—going out to work and trade (mostly export and import to and from other nations overseas) and simple involvement in all facets of life. Chassidut emphasizes the fulfillment of the phrase, "Know Him in all your ways" (Proverbs 3:6). This presents us with the mission of finding God even in the places that seem simple and distant, with the consciousness voiced by the sages' dictum that, "the way of the world precedes the Torah." The basis and ultimate purpose of service of God is feeling God's presence in the entire world that He created for His honor.
Tel Aviv, gematria - numerology, Chassidut, Kabbalah
Gal Einai
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I may be the only actor to do this play twice: at Bolton School I had played the fair maid of Fressingfield. Now I was her lover, rival to Derek Jacobi as the Prince. The Marlowe Society did productions in the summer-long vacation at the Arts Theatre in Cambridge, often with a professional director. In 1960 we took "Friar Bacon" with "Dr Faustus" to an open-air theatre in the Bancroft Gardens at Stratford-upon-Avon between the main theatre and the church where Shakespeare is buried. After all the school camps, I felt at home. But on this visit we met some of the RSC actors. After this jaunt we re-visited the Lyric Opera House in Hammersmith.
In repertory with "Dr Faustus"


This is not Bill O'Reilly's first time making headlines.
After revelations of sexual harassment allegations, Bill O'Reilly's long career at Fox News appears to be over. But the latest controversy is hardly The O'Reilly Factor host's first time making headlines.
One infamous O'Reilly moment occurred during an outtake from Inside Edition — which he hosted from 1989 to 1995 — that surfaced in 2008. O'Reilly apparently took issue with the closing line of the broadcast script and proceeded to curse, scream, rant and then rip off his jacket.
"We'll do it live!" he then shouted, along with a string of expletives.
"You had your 35 minutes. Shut up!"
You don't usually expect things to get heated at a book exposition, but it got pretty hot when O'Reilly had to share the stage with his fierce critic — and future U.S. senator — Al Franken at one in 2005.
Franken had mocked O'Reilly on television and in his books for the Fox host's claim that Inside Edition won two Peabody awards — widely considered the most prestigious award for electronic media — during his tenure on the show. According to Franken, the show actually won a Polk Award for work done after O"Reilly left the show.
O'Reilly called Franken an idiot and said he "misspoke" about the awards.
"I wouldn't have rescued them"
During a Sept. 14 episode of his radio show, O'Reilly said he wished Hurricane Katrina "had only hit the United Nations building" and "flooded them out."
"And I wouldn't have rescued them," he added.
"That's a bunch of crap," O'Reilly responded, before telling Glick to "shut his mouth" and telling producers to "cut his mic."
There was also the time he and Geraldo Rivera got into it over sanctuary cities.
"M.F.-er, I want more iced tea"
During a September 2007 broadcast of his radio show, O'Reilly shared his experience after dining with civil rights leader Al Sharpton at Sylvia's, a famous soul food restaurant in Harlem. O'Reilly "couldn't get over the fact that there was no difference between Sylvia's Restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City."
"I mean, it was exactly the same, even though it's run by blacks, primarily black patronship," he said.
The host said it was "like going into an Italian restaurant in an all-white suburb" because people were just sitting and ordering. "And there wasn't any kind of craziness at all."
"There wasn't one person in Sylvia's who was screaming, 'M.F.-er, I want more iced tea," he later told Juan Williams.
During a 2014 episode of The O'Reilly Factor, the host criticized Lebron James' decision to wear an "I can't breathe" T-shirt, a reference to Eric Garner, who died after a confrontation with a New York police officer.
"Don't abandon your children. Don't get pregnant at 14. Don't allow your neighborhoods to deteriorate into free-fire zones. That's what the African-American community should have on their T-shirts," O'Reilly said.
White House slaves were "well-fed and had decent lodgings"
Last July, O'Reilly sparked controversy with his remarks in response to Michelle Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention where she spoke of what it was like to wake up every morning in the White House, which was built by slaves.
"Slaves that worked there were well-fed and had decent lodgings, provided by the government," he said. He added that free blacks, white and immigrants also helped build the White House.
"Muslims killed us on 9/11"
During an Oct. 14, 2010 taping of The View, O'Reilly shared his opinion on the construction of a mosque near Ground Zero in New York City. He acknowledged that while they "have a right to do it" he said it was "inappropriate" and slammed then-president Obama's handling of the issue.
"Muslims killed us on 9/11," O'Reilly said when asked why the mosque was inappropriate during a heated exchange. Outraged hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar then walked off the set in protest.
"I was looking at the James Brown wig"
More recently, O'Reilly came under fire for his comments about Rep. Maxine Waters' hair, which he compared to a "James Brown wig" during an episode of Fox & Friends.
Of course, there may well be more memorable moments to come. O'Reilly's time at Fox may be over, but it remains to be seen where his career will take him next.


It is common to make mistakes at the time of developing and typing the program.Unexpected errors may be obtained because of a mistake in the program.The error may terminate the execution of the program itself.
Errors may be broadly classified into two categories.
These are nothing but syntactical errors generated at the time of compilation of the program.
These are the errors generated at the time of execution of the program although the program has not generated any syntactical errors.
An exception is a condition that is caused by a run - time error in a program. When the java interpreter encounters an error such as dividing an integer by zero, it creates an exception object and throws it. If the exception object is not caught and not handled properly, the interpreter will display the error message and will terminate the program. If we want the program to continue to the execution of the remaining code, then we should try to catch the exception object thrown by the error condition and then display an appropriate message for taking corrective actions. This task is known as exception handling.
Used by Java to provide error handling capabilities for its programs.
An event that occurs during the execution of a program that disrupts the normal flow of execution.
When exceptional event occurs within a Java method, the method creates an exception object, hands it over to the runtime system.
Contains information about the exception.
Runtime system tries to find some code to handle.
It helps to separate the error handling code from the regular code.
Since the cost of handling of these exceptions exceeds the benefit, compiler does not require you to catch or specify them .
'try' block contains the code that might throw an exception.
'catch' block contains the exception handling code.
Example2: Program to catch invalid command line argument.
Optional part of try/catch block.
The code within this block will be executed irrespective of whether the exception is thrown or not.
Usually contains code for cleanup process - such as releasing resources, closing file, save process status etc.
// code which may throw exceptions.
The java language requires that methods either catch or specify or check exceptions that can be thrown in the scope of that method. The try/catch block facilitates protecting code and catching any exceptions that might occur. An alternative way is to indicate that a method may possibly throw an exception. This is done by adding the throws keyword after the signature of the method followed by the name of one or more exceptions.
A method can throw any number of possible exceptions.
When multiple exceptions are to be thrown, they are all put in the throws clause separated by commas.
There may be times when we like to throw our own exceptions and we do this by using the keyword throw.
Create a class which inherit from suitable Exception class.
Return an object of this class in the method which throws the exception.


text:
Home News and Resources Economy EC to tackle mobile workers
EC to tackle mobile workers
The European Commission (EC) have announced the launch of a targeted initiative to carry out a thorough assessment of member states" tax regimes to determine whether they create disadvantages for mobile EU citizens report Harris & Co accountants Northampton.
Worker mobility is both a fundamental right for European citizens and a key instrument for developing a Europe-wide job market. However, tax obstacles, which may arise either in the state of origin or in the new state of residence, remain one of the key deterrents to EU citizens leaving their state of origin to look for work in another member state. The EC aims to ensure that workers and EU citizens residing in states other than their own are not treated differently from nationals of the host state and that they enjoy the same tax advantages as national workers.
Throughout 2014, the EC will scrutinise and assess whether EU citizens (workers, the self-employed and pensioners), residing in a member state other than their own are penalised and taxed more heavily as a result of their mobility. Tax disadvantages to EU citizens may arise.
•because of the location of their investments or assets, the location of the taxpayer himself or due to the mere change of the taxpayer"s residence;
•in respect of their contributions to pensions schemes, receipt of pensions or transfers of pension and life insurance capital;
•in respect of their self-employed activities carried-out in another state or due to the mere relocation of such activities;
•because of the refusal of certain tax deductions or tax benefits; and
•because of their accumulated wealth.
If discrimination or breaches of the EU"s fundamental freedoms are found, the EC will flag them to the national authorities and insist that necessary amendments are made. Should the problems persist, the EC may initiate infringement procedures against the member states in question.
Algirdas Šemeta, Commissioner for Taxation, Customs, Anti-Fraud and Audit, said:
'EU rules are clear: all EU citizens must be treated equally within the Single Market. There cannot be discrimination, and workers" right to free movement must not be impaired. It is our duty to citizens to ensure that these principles are reflected in practice in all member states" tax rules.'


text:
"""
Program Name: voice_properties.py
Organization: Student Projects and Research Committee at Auburn University
Project: Lab Assistant
Description: Contains the assistant class which is responsible for recording and decoding mic input and speaking
responses back to the user.
"""
from gtts import gTTS
import os
import time
import speech_recognition as sr
import ConfigParser
from sys import platform

if platform == "linux" or platform == "linux2":
    print("OS Detected: Linux")
    import pygame
elif platform == "win32" or platform == "cygwin":
    print("OS Detected: Windows")
    import pyglet
elif platform == "darwin":
    print("OS Detected: MacOS")
    import pyglet
else:
    print("Unkown OS detected.  Compatibility cannot be guaraneteed")
    import pyglet

class Assistant:
    userCommand = ""

    def __init__(self, name, voice, purpose, location, input, output, microphone):
        """Initializes assistant, adjusts for ambient noise, and checks TTS"""
        self.name = name
        self.name = self.name.lower()
        self.purpose = purpose
        self.voice = voice
        self.location = location
        self.r = sr.Recognizer()
        self.mic = microphone
        self.input = input
        self.output = output

        with sr.Microphone(device_index=self.mic, chunk_size=1024, sample_rate=48000) as source:
            self.r.adjust_for_ambient_noise(source)  # Adjust for ambient noise by listening for 1 second
            # self.r.energy_threshold = 30 # Threshold offset
            print ("\tThreshold: " + str(self.r.energy_threshold))

        print("\tInitializing {}...".format(self.name))
        self.speak("My name is " + self.name + " and I am here " + self.purpose + ".  How may I help you?")

    def processcommand(self, usermsg, source):
        """
        Processes command from user and deals with wake word detection
        Returns True if Response was when assistant is awoken
        :param usermsg: The message that the user inputted
        :param source: Microphone audio source
        """
        print ("< " + usermsg)
        wake_words = ["hey", "ok", "okay", "yo", "you", "hi"]
        awake = False
        for word in wake_words:
            if self.userCommand == word + " " + self.name:
                awake = True
        if awake:
            self.playsound("start.mp3")
            self.speak("Yes?")
            print ("\tWaiting for command..")
            response_heard = False
            while not response_heard:
                print ("\tThreshold: " + str(self.r.energy_threshold))
                print ("\tWaiting for command...")
                try:
                    audio = self.r.listen(source, timeout=5)
                    print("...")
                    self.playsound("end.mp3")
                    try:
                        self.userCommand = self.r.recognize_google(audio)
                        self.userCommand = self.userCommand.lower()
                        response_heard = True
                        print ("< " + self.userCommand)
                    except sr.UnknownValueError:
                        print("\tUnknown Value from Google, or nothing heard")
                    except sr.RequestError as e:
                        print("\tCould not request results from Google Speech Recognition service; {0}".format(e))
                    except Exception as e:
                        print (str(e))
                except Exception:
                    print ("\tHeard nothing")
                    pass
            return True
        else:
            for word in wake_words:
                if self.userCommand.__contains__(word + " " + self.name):
                    print ("\tGetting command..")
                    self.userCommand = self.userCommand.split(word + " " + self.name + " ")[1]
                    return True
            return False

    def listen(self):
        """Listens to response from microphone and converts to text"""
        self.userCommand = ""
        with sr.Microphone(device_index=self.mic, chunk_size=1024, sample_rate=48000) as source:
            print ("\tThreshold: " + str(self.r.energy_threshold))
            print ("\tWaiting for words...")
            try:
                audio = self.r.listen(source, timeout=5)
                # self.playSound("end.mp3")
                try:
                    self.userCommand = self.r.recognize_google(audio)
                    self.userCommand = self.userCommand.lower()
                    if not self.processcommand(self.userCommand, source):
                        return False
                    else:
                        return True
                except sr.UnknownValueError:
                    print ("\t...")
                except sr.RequestError as e:
                    print("\tCould not request results from Google Speech Recognition service; {0}".format(e))
                except Exception as e:
                    print (str(e))
            except Exception:
                print ("\tNo audio heard")
                pass

    def speak(self, whattosay):
        """
        Converts text to speech
        :param whattosay: Text to speak
        """
        print (self.name.upper() + " > " + whattosay)
        audio_file = "response.mp3"
        tts = gTTS(text=str(whattosay), lang="en")
        tts.save(audio_file)
        self.playsound(audio_file)
        os.remove(audio_file)

    @staticmethod
    def playsound(audio_file):
        """
        Plays mp3 use process best for each operating system
        :param audio_file: String of location of mp3 file to be played
        """
        if platform == "linux" or platform == "linux2":
            pygame.mixer.pre_init(22050, -16, 1, 2048)
            pygame.init()
            pygame.mixer.init()
            pygame.mixer.music.load(audio_file)
            pygame.mixer.music.play()
            while pygame.mixer.music.get_busy():
                pygame.time.Clock().tick(10)
        else:
            sound = pyglet.media.load(audio_file, streaming=False)
            sound.play()
            time.sleep(sound.duration)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
In reality and film, a battle for schools
By staff and wire services reports
On Tuesday officials in Adelanto, a California desert town, are set to consider whether parents there can be the first to take over a failing public school under a new state law that is being closely watched around the country, the New York Times reports. The Hollywood version? It's already a done deal. In a rare mix of hot policy debate and old-fashioned screen drama, 20th Century Fox is preparing a September release for "Won't Back Down." The film heads smack into the controversies around so-called parent trigger laws that in California and a handful of other states allow parents to dump bad teachers and overrule administrators in bottom-ranked schools. Viola Davis, an Oscar nominee as best actress for "The Help," plays a teacher who risks career and friendships to join the revolt. Maggie Gyllenhaal is the single mother who sells cars, tends bar and rouses parents to take charge of their grade school…
staff and wire services reports