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Aztec hell - Christian Mictlan
How did Aztecs become Christians after the Conquest?
In the 19th century making fake pieces was hugely popular...
For ancient Mexicans the cosmos was woven and netted
Why would a Catholic priest build an Aztec pyramid?
A recipe for Aztec chocolate
A Mexican codex in Oxford was thought to be Egyptian!
'Codex Corner': Different names NEW
'Codex Corner': Codex Re-naming
Mixtec ideographic designs
Pre-Hispanic Mixtec Codices
Good introductions to Mexica writing
'Codex Corner': mistaken identity
'Codex Corner': sound
'Codex Corner': colours
Aztec Papermaking
Imaging two Aztec codices in Paris
Art of memory: sonnet v song
Bark painting in Mexico
Reconstructing a Mesoamerican codex
Conference on Mesoamerican Manuscripts
Aztec books - an introduction
Central Mexican Writing Systems
The Codex Cospi
London Nahuatl workshop on Aztec writing
3rd Nahuatl Study Day in London
4th Nahuatl Study Day in London
A tale of two 'tlacuilos'
[NOTE: For nearly three decades the Mexicolore teaching team has taken a facsimile of the Codex Cospi (pic 1) into schools throughout England in support of our workshops on (ancient) Mexico. We originally fell in love with the Codex after seeing a copy of the ADEVA facsimile in the library at Canning House, London; we were especially privileged to be allowed to study the original Codex, first hand and close up, resting on a small pedestal in a singularly obscure room deep in the basement of the Bibilioteca Universitaria in Bologna, on January 31st. 1994. As the Codex is so close to our hearts, we have decided to part illustrate this article with photos of primary pupils working with the facsimile in different English schools...]
Pic 2: The original Codex Cospi in the main room of the ancient Biblioteca Universitaria di Bologna, where it has been held since 1803 (Click on image to enlarge)
Codex Cospi is a pictorial manuscript pertaining to the so-called Borgia Group, probably proceeding from the Puebla-Tlaxcala area of Central Mexico, a region inhabited by Eastern Nahua peoples. The precise dating of the codex is unknown, but it was probably painted in the later part of the Late Postclassic period, between the middle of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th centuries.
The codex is composed of five strips of animal skin, most probably deerskin, joined in a single 3.64 m strip and screenfolded in order to form 20 pages, approximately measuring 18x18 cm each. All its pages are covered on both sides by a white background layer, even if only thirteen pages of the front side (obverse) and eleven of the back side (reverse) were painted with colorful imagery. Actually, the obverse appears to have been painted by a skilled artist, with a style suggesting that he could have worked in the city of Cholula or in a neighboring area. A much less skilled artist, on the other hand, worked on the reverse, whose style and thematic contents suggest that it was painted later than the obverse, probably near Tehuacan, in the border region between Puebla ad Oaxaca.
Pic 3: Children act as 'scribes' working on the first 8 pages of the facsimile Codex Cospi in a Mexicolore workshop on the Aztecs, Woodville Primary Schoool, South Woodham Ferrers, May 2004 (Click on image to enlarge)
The codex's obverse is a tonalámatl, or "Book of Destinies", that is a ritual book used by diviners or soothsayers in order to forecast the destiny of people and events on the base of calendric calculations and astronomical phenomena. Actually, the first section of Codex Cospi obverse is a tonalpohualli ("Count of the Days"), or 260-day divinatory calendar, formed by the association of twenty day names and 13 numeral coefficients (20x13 = 260). It is composed of red lines forming a grid-like pattern; each of the resulting 260 squares contains one of the twenty day names flanked by the distinctive sign of one of a group of nine gods, known as the Nine Lords of the Night. To read the whole calendar, the diviner would have needed to fully extend the first eight pages of the manuscript (see pic 3), starting his reading from the lower left corner, proceeding on the same line all along the eight pages, then starting again at the far left of the second line from bottom, and so forth to finally reach the last day of the calendar at the upper right corner.
Pic 4: One of the double-page sequences in the Codex Cospi (facsimile), showing a 'trecena' calendrical sequence (Click on image to enlarge)
The spatial arrangement of the signs in the horizontal lines ensures that every couple of pages contains a group of thirteen days, that is, a trecena, or Mesoamerican "week" (pic 4). Every horizontal line is thus formed by four trecenas, each of them associated with a cardinal point in an East, North, West, and South sequence. The Codex Cospi tonalpohualli does not make explicit the numeral coefficients of the days, but they can be inferred counting the columns from left to right, so that – for example – a day Rabbit in the eighth column should be read as 8 Rabbit.
Rectangular spaces along the upper and lower borders of the pages host the so-called "mantic" figures: we do not know precisely how they were read, but they surely conveyed additional meanings to be used during the divinatory sessions.
Pic 5: The 3-page section (pp 9-11) of the Codex Cospi (facsimile) showing representations of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli (Click on image to enlarge)
The second, three pages-long, section of the obverse is devoted to five representations of a deadly aspect of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli ("Lord of the House of Dawn"), or Venus as Morningstar, throwing darts at the hearts of five different targets: the Maize God Cinteotl, the water goddess Chalchiuhtlicue, a water mountain, a throne, and a jaguar holding a human heart (pic 5). The images represent the different kinds of negative influences of the planet when rising, after an eight-day period of invisibility during which the planet was thought to be in the Underworld, in the groups of four days listed in the margins of the pages. The reading order goes from bottom to top on pages 9 and 11 and from top to bottom on page 10. Historical sources suggest that codices were probably read aloud, in chant-like performances.
Pic 6: The date 1-Reed, laden with associations, Codex Cospi (facsimile) p. 10 (detail) (Click on image to enlarge)
Remarkably, a passage in a Nahuatl alphabetical text, recorded in early colonial times and known as the Anales de Cuahuhtitlan, contains some phrases that seem to be the reading of images of the kind – even if not identical to – those in Codex Cospi, as well as similar ones appearing in the related codices Borgia and Vaticanus B, and even in the Maya manuscript known as Dresden Codex. The text explains that when Quetzalcoatl died he went for four days into the Land of the Dead, then spent a further four days making darts, so that when he rises he "casts light on certain people, venting his anger against them, shooting them with darts. [...] if on 1 Reed [pic 6], he shoots nobles" (represented by the throne in Codex Cospi). "[...] And if on 1 Water, there is drought" (represented by the attack on a water mountain in the codex), etc.
Pic 7: Part of a section on scribes and writing, Mexicolore schools workshop (Click on image to enlarge)
The days listed in the margin of the page do represent an entire group of twenty days, or a Mesoamerican "month" (4x5 = 20); at the same time their awkward numbering, with the first days of each group always associated with the number 1 and not with the number of their actual position, alludes to a much wider time span, since they correspond to the initial days of cycles of 13 "Venusian" years of 584 days each. The whole second section of Codex Cospi thus covers a period of 5 cycles of 13 Venusian years (5x13x584 = 37,960), precisely corresponding to 104 solar years (104x365 = 37,960), that is to two cycles of 52 years, a time span that the Nahuas called xiuhmolpilli ("Bundle of Years") and that can be described as a Mesoamerican "century".
Pic 8: The final 2-page section (obverse) of the Codex Cospi (facsimile) (Click on image to enlarge)
The third and last section of the obverse contains images of four gods burning incense in front of four temples (pic 8), indicating specific omens for the twenty days listed in the margin of the page. The reading order is from top to bottom on page 12 and from bottom to top on page 13, thus following the usual cardinal order. To the East, the Sun God Tonatiuh burns precious incense in front of a temple containing an elegant bird, probably a quetzal (good omen); to the North, the blind Itzlacoliuhqui "Bent Obsidian Knife", God of Cold, burns incense toward a temple containing a deadly owl with a smoke column inscribed with the glyphs for Stone and Wood, a common Mesoamerican metaphor for castigation; to the West, the Maize God Cinteotl burns precious incense toward a temple with a quetzal (good omen); to the South, the Death God Mictlantecuhtli burns incense in front of a skeletonized temple containing an owl and a smoke band inscribed with human skulls (bad omen).
Pic 9: The 11-page reverse of the Codex Cospi (facsimile) (Click on image to enlarge)
The eleven pages of Codex Cospi reverse, to be read from right to left, are occupied by images of fully armed gods identified by their calendrical names. Below the gods there are numerical patterns expressed by means of the bar-and-dot numeral system, in which a single dot equals 1 and a bar equals 5. This system is a quite rare occurrence in Late Postclassic Central Mexico, but it also appears in codices Laud and Fejérváry-Mayer of the Borgia Group. Comparisons with rituals performed by contemporary Tlapanec Indians from Guerrero suggest that the whole section is a ritual handbook prescribing the proper offerings to be proffered during different ceremonies, with the bar and dot numbers prescribing the amount and spatial arrangement of the offerings to be proffered in front of the image of the god.
Pic 10: A page of the codex being submitted to non-destructive chemical analyses during the campaign recently carried out by the Mobile Laboratory (MOLAB) of the University of Perugia (Click on image to enlarge)
Pages 21-24 deal with rituals aimed at protecting from the dangerous animals listed in the margins of the pages; pages 25-26, with depictions of female goddesses sitting in the open mouth of the Earth, seem to be related to textile production, asking for success in the raising of cochineal and purpura [gastropod]; pages 27-31 are devoted to hunting rituals aimed at favoring the capture of the animals whose heads and hearts are represented on the right side of the pages.
Pic 11: Knowledge of the painting materials used by the ancient scribes is an important element in understanding the existence of different technological traditions or schools in ancient Mesoamerica (Click on image to enlarge)
Non-destructive chemical analyses recently carried out on the codex (pix 10 & 11) allowed the identification of the materials used by the ancient scribes. While the white background on both sides of the codex is identical and composed of gypsum (calcium sulphate), the two painters/scribes used quite different color palettes. The artist of the obverse used lamp black, a mixture of cochineal and another red dye, three different lakes composed of clays and yellow/orange dyes, and blue dye; the blue dye and a yellow lake were mixed to obtain a greenish blue color. The painter of the reverse, on the other hand, used lamp black, cochineal, orpiment yellow (arsenic trisulphide), and Maya blue (a lake composed of indigo and paligorskite clay). The two different color palettes, matching similar palettes on other analyzed codices, confirm that the two sides of the codex were painted in different times and places.
Pic 12: Ferdinando Cospi; detail of front cover (facsimile) showing (just!) the words 'de la China' underneath 'del Messico' (Click on image to enlarge)
Recent research has shed light on the historical circumstances that saved the codex from destruction and brought it to its current location. Codex Cospi was apparently brought to Bologna (Italy) by the Dominican friar Domingo de Betanzos, who donated it to Pope Clement VII on March 3rd, 1533. The codex remained in unknown hands until the middle of the 17th century, when it was owned by the Zani family. Then, Count Valerio Zani bestowed the codex to Marquis Ferdinando Cospi, as stated by the handwriting on the European parchment cover that was added to the codex: Libro del Messico donato dal Sigr: Co: Valerio Zani al Sig: March: Cospi il di XXVI Dicre: MDCLXV ("Mexican Book given by Mr. Count Valerio Zani to Marquis Cospi on December 26th, 1665"); curiously enough, the word "Mexican" is written on top of a previously written word meaning "Chinese"!
Pic 13: 'Cabinet of Curiosities' - the collection of Ferdinando Cospi; note the intriguing similarity between the display layout of the objects here and the format of the calendrical section of the Codex! (Click on image to enlarge)
From that date onward, the codex followed the destiny of the Cospi collection: in 1672 it was donated to the city Senate, and in 1743 it passed to the Museum of the Institute of Sciences; finally, in 1803 the codex passed to the University Library of Bologna, where it is still held today.
Additional thanks are due to ADEVA, in Graz, Austria, for producing such a splendid facsimile edition of the Codex Cospi!
Pic 14: Children studying the Codex Cospi (facsimile); Royal Masonic School for Girls, Rickmansworth (Click on image to enlarge)
Picture sources:-
• Pix 2, 10 & 11: Photos by and courtesy of Luca Sgamellotti
• Pic 1: Photo by Chris Tims/Mexicolore
• Pix 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9: Photos by Ian Mursell/Mexicolore
• Pix 12 (L) & 13: Images from Wikipedia (Ferdinando Cospi)
• Pic 14: Photo by Phillip Mursell/Mexicolore.
This article was uploaded to the Mexicolore website on Mar 06th 2015
1 At 12.40pm on Thursday March 12 2015, Fernando Servin wrote:
Great papers like these on mesoamerican books are hard to find for those that don't come from an academic background on the subject. Keep them coming!


"There he is at five in the morning . . . . on his knees with his English Bible, his Greek New Testament and Henry's Commentary spread out before him. He reads a portion in the English, gains a fuller insight into it as he studies words and tenses in the Greek and then considers Matthew Henry's explanation of it all. Finally, there comes the unique practice that he has developed: that of 'praying over every line and word' of both the English and the Greek till the passage, in its essential message, has veritably become part of his own soul." ~Arnold Dallimore, George Whitefield, I:82-83.
Are there still any preachers who still preach Christ and him crucified like George Whitefield?
I thought it was Spurgeon who did this. I got that one wrong. I wonder why he didn't use Calvin's commentary. I've been doing similar lately (sans Greek) and use Henry and Calvin, sometimes Gill too.
I love Gill and JFB commentaries.
Thanks for that precious reminder!
…there might be slightly different preferences regarding the used commentaries – however most important is to start doing Bible study like Whitefield, Spurgeon, Georg Mueller etc.


I love days like today. Days when my little guy sleeps past 6:30 (ok, barely, but every minute counts). Days when I had the foresight to do the dinner dishes last night, and wake up to clean reasonably tidy kitchen. Days when I can spend the morning strolling around the farmers market while the baby stares bright-eyed at all the colorful produce and "big" kids running around, nary a peep coming from those slobbery little lips of his. Days when the afternoon is full of possibilities, none of which involve laundry (or maybe only a little laundry).
Today is one of those end of summer days that make me regret all the nasty things I said about this summer being too hot and dry and not conducive to growing a vegetable garden. Finding this big 'ole bushel of tomatoes at the farmers' market takes some of the sting out of the fact that my garden has yielded exactly ZERO tomatoes thus far.
Yep, it looks like there is some tomato sauce-making in my future. But I had to dig into one or two of these lovelies before they went into the pot. And while the tomatoes aren't really the star of this sandwich, they certainly help the situation. I love this sandwich because it feels like the perfect lunch for today- bright, fresh, simple, and so very enjoyable. It's the kind of lunch that never makes it off the cutting board and onto a plate. Heck, the tomatoes barely made it onto the actual sandwich.
I love the flavor combination of goat cheese and avocado. Both have this lovely, creamy texture thing going on, but the goat cheese adds a tang that makes the avocado seem even richer and creamier. It's downright dreamy. A little squeeze of lemon balances out all that richness, along with the tomatoes. Summer on a baguette. I'm going to leave it at that, because this recipe is so simple that it seems a little silly to talk around it so much. It's just plain good. And perfect for a day like today- or any day really. It'll make you wish that August lasted forever. Enjoy.
You'll notice there are no real amounts for most of the ingredients below. As a guideline, I used one half of a large avocado and about an ounce of goat cheese when I made this for my lunch. Everything else is to taste, so it would be a little silly for me to tell you how much lemon or salt or pepper you'd like on your sandwich, don't you think?
In a small bowl, combine goat cheese, a squeeze of lemon juice, a few turns of freshly ground black pepper, and the flesh from the avocado. Lightly mash with a fork; season with salt, pepper, or more lemon juice to taste.
Divide avocado mixture between the baguette halves and spread to cover each. Top the baguette halves with tomato slices, then with a generous drizzle of olive oil, more lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Dig in.
What a lovely fresh sandwich!
It's one of those deceptively simple meals. It's nice and fresh, but it's super satisfying, especially for a vegetarian sandwich. Enjoy!


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Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal | Past issues | Volume 23, 2017 | Volume 23, issue 8 | Knowledge and awareness of radiation hazards among Palestinian radio technologists
Knowledge and awareness of radiation hazards among Palestinian radio technologists
Ahmed Hamarsheh1 and Ahmad Amro2
تقييم المعلومات والوعي لدى تكنولوجيي الأشعة الفلسطينيين بمخاطر وأضرار الإشعاعات الناجمة عن الإشعاع: دراسة مقطعية
أحمد حمارشة، أحمد عمرو
الخلاصة: هذه الدراسة لتقييم مستويات المعلومات والمعرفة لدى تكونولوجيي الأشعة الفلسطينيين بمخاطر وأضرار الإشعاعات الناجمة عن الفحوصات الإشعاعية. تم دراسة 94.4% من مجموع تكنولوجيي الأشعة في فلسطين. كان المتوسط العام للإجابات الصحيحة لأسئلة المعلومات والوعي 26.4%. وكانت النسبة المئوية للإجابات الصحيحة التي دلت على معرفة التكنولوجيين بنظرية الألارا والهارموسيس 66.5% و17.2% على التوالي. ووجدت الدراسة مستويات أعلى من المعلومات والوعي لدى التكنولوجيين ذوي المستوى الأعلى من التعليم والذين لديهم أقل من خمس سنوات من الخبرة في مجال العمل. وتم تحديد الأعضاء الأكثر حساسية للتأثر بالإشعاعات بشكل صحيح على النحو التالي: الرئتين 6.9%، المعدة 4.9% والغدد التناسلية 2.5% وتم الكشف عن أن التزام أفضل بقواعد السلامة لدى تكنولوجيي الأشعة العاملين في المؤسسات والمستشفيات الفلسطينية غير الحكومية. وتكشف هذه النتائج عن نقص كبير في المعلومات والوعي لدى تكنولوجيي الأشعة الفلسطينيين والذي من شأنه تعريض المرضى إلى جرعات غير ضرورية من الأشعة المؤينة. يعكس هذا الحاجة إلى التدريب الإلزامي والتعليم المستمر حول الحماية من الإشعاع في جميع مؤسسات الرعاية الصحية الفلسطينية.
ABSTRACT This study investigated 94.4% of Palestinian radio technologists and the mean percentage of correct answers for knowledge and awareness questions was 26.4%. The percentage of correct answers for questions testing knowledge of the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle and hormesis hypothesis was 66.5% and 17.2%, respectively. Radio technologists with education level higher than bachelor degree and < 5 years' work experience showed a significantly higher level of knowledge. The most radiosensitive organs were correctly identified as the lungs and stomach by 6.9% and 4.9%, respectively, and 2.5% correctly identified the gonads as the next most radiosensitive organ. There was a serious deficit in knowledge and awareness of radiation hazards among Palestinian radio technologists, which may expose patients to unnecessary doses of ionizing radiation. This indicates the need for mandatory training and education about radiation protection in all Palestinian healthcare institutions.
Connaissances et prise de conscience des techniciens en radiologie palestiniens en matière de risques découlant de l'exposition aux rayonnements
RÉSUMÉ La présente étude couvrait 94,4 % des techniciens en radiologie palestiniens. La moyenne générale de réponses correctes pour les questions sur les connaissances et la prise de conscience était de 26,4 %. Le pourcentage des réponses correctes pour les questions examinant la connaissance du principe ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable en anglais ou principe d'optimisation) et de l'effet d'hormèse étaient respectivement de 66,5 % et de 17,2 %. Les techniciens en radiologie ayant un niveau d'éducation plus élevé et une expérience de travail de moins de cinq ans ont montré un niveau de connaissances significativement plus élevé. Les organes les plus sensibles aux radiations ont été correctement identifiés comme étant les poumons et l'estomac respectivement par 6,9 % et 4,9 % des techniciens tandis que 2,5 % ont correctement identifié les gonades comme étant l'autre organe le plus sensible aux radiations. On observe un déficit grave de connaissances et de prise de conscience parmi les techniciens en radiologie palestiniens, pouvant exposer les patients à des doses inutiles de rayonnements ionisants. Ceci reflète le besoin d'une formation obligatoire et d'une éducation portant sur la protection contre les rayonnements dans tous les établissements de soins de santé en Palestine.
1Al Makassed Hospital, Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, Palestine. 2Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Quds University, Abu-Dies, Jerusalem, Palestine. (Correspondence to: A. Amro: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).
Medical imaging procedures involving the use of ionizing radiation are associated with potentially harmful biological effects, especially after long-term exposure or high doses of radiation (1–3). Detrimental health effects, such as cancer or genetic defects, resulting from exposure to any dose of radiation have been described in the linear-no-threshold hypothesis (4). The application of this hypothesis in practice is the ALARA principle (As Low As Reasonably Achievable), which aims to minimize radiation dose and the release of radioactive materials (5). Conversely, the radiation hormesis hypothesis assumes that adaptive/protective mechanisms are stimulated by low-dose radiation and prevent spontaneous and toxicant-related cancers, as well as other adverse health effects (6-8).
In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, 437 medical imaging units operated by 370 radio technologists are registered by the Palestinian Ministry of Health and the Palestinian Medical Imaging Association. A previous study has shown poor knowledge and awareness of the potential hazards associated with radiological examinations among Palestinian physicians (9). However, knowledge and awareness of these hazards among Palestinian radio technologists has thus far not been investigated.
In this study, we assessed the level of knowledge and awareness among Palestinian radio technologists working in Central Palestinian hospitals about the radiation hazards, possible risks caused by radiological examinations, and knowledge and attitudes toward the ALARA principle and hormesis hypothesis.
We conducted a cross-sectional study in the West Bank and East Jerusalem among radio technologists working in 11 governmental and 9 nongovernmental Palestinian hospitals. The selected hospitals are all main healthcare providers and have 67% of the total number of beds (n = 2181) in the study area. We investigated 215 radio technologists who were working in these hospitals, which comprised 65% of the registered radio technologists in the West Bank and East Jerusalem (10).
A self-administered questionnaire consisting of 2 sections was developed. The first section assessed the following sociodemographic variables: workplace, gender, level of education, years of experience in practice, and the country and university in which they graduated. The second section consisted of 27 questions assessing the level of knowledge and awareness of radiation hazards. All questions were multiple choice with 4–8 possible answers. The questionnaire was based on previously published research (11–16).
Cronbach's α was calculated to assess the reliability of the questionnaire using SPSS for Windows version 22.0 and was found to be 0.82. In addition, a committee of 4 experts in radiology and ionizing radiation and a focus group of 20 radio technologists agreed that the questionnaire was valid. Data collection was during July–August 2015. Data were managed and analysed using SPSS for Windows version 22.0. We performed descriptive analysis using frequencies and percentages. The χ2 and Fisher's exact tests were used where applicable. Level of statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.
The study was revised and approved by the Ethics Committee at Al-Makassed Hospital in East Jerusalem.
Out of 215 radio technologists, 203 (94.4%) returned completed questionnaires (Table 1). One hundred and nineteen (58.6%) participants worked in governmental hospitals and 84 (41.4%) in nongovernmental hospitals. Most of the radio technologists were male (83.3%), had bachelor degrees in medical imaging programmes (71.9%) and had graduated from Palestinian universities (77.8%). Their work experience ranged from 20 years (26.1%). The overall mean percentage of correct answers for the knowledge and awareness questions was 26.4%. However, 6 questions were answered correctly by ≤ 10% of the participants.
One hundred and thirty-five (66.5%) and 35 (17.2%) radio technologists were aware of the ALARA principle and the hormesis hypothesis, respectively. However, participants with a level of education higher than bachelor degree had a significantly higher level of knowledge about radiation risks (P = 0.001). Participants with < 5 years work experience had a significantly higher level of knowledge (P = 0.005). Ninety-six (47.3%) participants had attended at least 1 course or lecture at their workplaces and 91 (44.8%) were aware of any published articles concerning the radiation hazards. Moreover, 65 (32%) answered correctly that multislice computed tomography (CT) scanners delivered a higher radiation dose than the single-slice helical scanners. Significant differences were seen among respondents based on their level of education (2 years diploma, bachelor degree, and higher than bachelor degree); more correct answers were given by those who had a higher level of education (55%) (n=11), followed by diploma (37.8%) (n=14) and bachelor degree (27.6%) (n=40). A significantly higher number of correct answers was given by those who graduated from Al-Quds University, Jerusalem 14/20 (70%; P = 0.003) and radio technologists working in nongovernmental hospitals 15/20 (75%; P = 0.001).
Radio technologists were asked about the percentage of ionizing radiation to which the public is exposed from medical applications. The correct answer was given by 59 (29.1%) of the respondents. Furthermore, only 20 (9.9%) participants answered correctly that there was in fact no dose limit defined for patients. Participants were asked about the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommendations that define professional responsibility for protecting patients from unnecessary radiation doses. Eighty-nine (43.8%) participants knew that these recommendations forbid unjustified exposure to ionizing radiation and place the responsibility for protecting patients from unnecessary radiation doses on both the prescribing physician and the radio technologists. Moreover, 63 (31%) of the participants correctly answered that maximizing the distance from the radiation source was the most effective method of radiation protection.
We assessed the knowledge of radio technologists about sensitivity of organs to ionizing radiation, taking into consideration the tissue weighting factors according to ICRP 103 (17). The most radiosensitive organs were correctly identified as the lungs and stomach by 14 (6.9%) and 10 (4.9%), respectively. The gonads were correctly identified as the next most radiosensitive organ by 5 (2.5%). The bladder and liver were correctly identified as the third most radiosensitive organ by 46 (22.7%) and 53 (26.1%), respectively.
Knowledge of chest X-ray equivalents for each type of radiological examination was assessed (Table 2). Only 14 (6.9%) participants knew that the radiation dose from one lumbar spine X-ray equalled that from 65 posterior anterior chest X-rays. Moreover, 85 (41.9%) and 15 (7.4%) participants knew that each radiation dose from one abdominal CT scan and each from one barium enema, respectively, was equal to that from > 250 chest X-rays.
One hundred and nine (53.7%) radio technologists reported that they never used gonad shielding for children during X-ray examination. One hundred and nineteen (58.6%) participants reported that they often requested a consent form before performing an X-ray examination on pregnant women. Participants working in nongovernmental hospitals showed a significantly better rate of requesting these consent forms (P = 0.003). Eighty-eight (43.3%) participants outlined all of the risks and benefits of X-ray examinations to the patients and their families and 95 (46.8%) reported that patients and their families rarely requested information about radiation doses and risks.
To assess their attitude toward radiation risks, the radio technologists were asked if they thought that there was a proven increase in lifetime risk of developing cancer attributed to different types of radiological examinations, including routine X-ray, fluoroscopy and CT scans (Table 3).
One hundred and sixty-seven (82.3%) radio technologists correctly identified children as the age group most sensitive to ionizing radiation. Moreover, 179 (88.2%) participants indicated the need for radiation protection officers in Palestinian hospitals.
The results of the current study indicate a lack of knowledge and awareness among Palestinian radio technologists regarding the possible risks of radiological examinations. This was not surprising since studies in many other countries have indicated similar results among radio technologists and other health professionals (11–13, 15, 18–20).
Although 47.3% of participants attended at least 1 course or lecture on radiation hazards in their workplaces, their level of knowledge was not significantly better than those who had not. Institutionalized training on radiation hazards and protection for all Palestinian health professionals should be regularly provided. Moreover, we recommend that access to electronic journals and resources should be made available.
Identification of children as the most radiosensitive age group may reflect awareness that children are in a dynamic state of growth, and are therefore more sensitive to environmental hazards than adults are (12). Radio technologists should be aware of the ALARA principle and aim to minimize each patient's dose when conducting any radiological examination. These findings highlight the need to increase awareness among Palestinian radio technologists about the dose limits in ICRP guidelines and the need to protect patients from radiation hazards. This can be achieved by educating radio technologists and clarifying for them the meaning of the ALARA principle.
Radio technologists should have the ability to compare radiation doses associated with different medical imaging modalities and to express the effective doses in terms of chest X-ray equivalent units. This has proven useful in helping patients and their families understand the relative risks of radiation (5, 21, 22, 23). We reported an unacceptable level of knowledge about X-ray equivalent units among our study participants. These results could be related to the training and academic curricula in Palestinian medical imaging schools, which do not focus on teaching about the universal communication skills needed to explain radiation risks. These skills are recommended by many radiation protection bodies worldwide. However, our study was limited to the Palestinian central hospitals, hence generalization of the findings to other health settings may be limited.
In conclusion, the results of our study reflect a serious deficit in the knowledge and awareness of radiation hazards among radio technologists in Palestine. This suggests that there is a need for regular training and workshops in hospitals, which take into consideration the frequent changes in the available biological and physical information and radiation safety standards. Moreover, a legal framework is needed that outlines the responsibilities of prescribers and radio technologists in protecting patients and to ensure that patients are treated safely. Further research is required to assess the level of knowledge about the hazards of radiation among final year medical imaging students and among other health professionals.
The authors would like to thank Dr. Abed A. Sabbah, for his assistance with the statistical analysis, and Dr. Hussein A. Sharkh and Dr. Tewfeik Al-Jundi for their invaluable detailed advices on radiation and medical imaging. We are grateful to Miss Sarah Whitear for English language editing.
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Shevchenko VA. [Evolution of the ideas on genetic hazards of ionizing radiation in humans]. Radiats Biol Radioecol. 2001 Sep–Oct;41(5):615–26 (in Russian). PMID:11721355
Calabrese EJ. The road to linearity: why linearity at low doses became the basis for carcinogen risk assessment. Arch Toxicol. 2009 Mar;83(3):203–25. PMID:19247635
Quinn AD, Taylor CG, Sabharwal T, Sikdar T. Radiation protection awareness in non-radiologists. Br J Radiol. 1997 Jan;70:102–6. PMID:9059306
Kaiser J. Hormesis. A healthful dab of radiation? Science. 2003 Oct 17;302(5644):378. PMID:14563982
Calabrese EJ, Bachmann KA, Bailer AJ, Bolger PM, Borak J, Cai L, et al. Biological stress response terminology: Integrating the concepts of adaptive response and preconditioning stress within a hormetic dose-response framework. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2007 Jul 1;222(1):122–8. PMID:17459441
Prekeges JL. Radiation hormesis, or, could all that radiation be good for us? J Nucl Med Technol. 2003 Mar;31(1):11–7. PMID:12624121
Hamarsheh A, Ahmead M. Assessment of physicians' knowledge and awareness about the hazards of radiological examinations on the health of their patients. Eastern Mediterr Health J. 2012 Aug;18(8):875-81. PMID:23057378
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. The demographic survey in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Ramallah: Palestinian National Authority; 2013 (http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/DesktopDefault.aspx?lang=ar, accessed 18 May 2017).
Yurt A, Cavusoglu B, Gunay T. Evaluation of awareness on radiation protection and knowledge about radiological examinations in healthcare professionals who use ionized radiation at work. Mol Imaging Radionucl Ther. 2014 Jun;23(2):48–53. PMID:24963445
Ramanathan S, Ryan J. Radiation awareness among radiology residents, technologists, fellows and staff: where do we stand? Insights Imaging. 2015 Feb;6(1):133–9. PMID:25412827
Mihai LT, Milu C, Voicu B, Enachescu D. Ionizing radiation–understanding and acceptance. Health Phys. 2005 Oct;89(4):375–82. PMID:16155459
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Thomas KE, Parnell-Parmley JE, Haidar S, Moineddin R, Charkot E, Ben David G, et al. Assessment of radiation dose awareness among pediatricians. Pediatr Radiol. 2006 Aug;36(8):823–32. PMID:16699764
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Paolicchi F, Miniati F, Bastiani L, Faggioni L, Ciaramella A, Creonti I, et al. Assessment of radiation protection awareness and knowledge about radiological examination doses among Italian radiographers. Insights Imaging. 2016 Apr;7(2):233-42. PMID:26596570
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Arslanoglu A, Bilgin S, Kubal Z, Ceyhan MN, Ilhan MN, Maral I. Doctors' and intern doctors' knowledge about patients' ionizing radiation exposure doses during common radiological examinations. Diagn Interv Radiol. 2007 Jun;13(2):53–5. PMID:17562506
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careers — St. Louis Board Game Bar and Cafe - Pieces STL, LLC.
We are always looking for individuals who enjoy interacting with people, learning new board games, and enjoy a high paced environment. If you're interested in employment at Pieces as a Game Navigator, or Bartender but do not have restaurant industry experience, please apply as a Host with promotion opportunity. Retail experience is a plus!
We are always looking for board game aficionados who enjoy interacting with people and sharing a love for tabletop gaming. Job duties include: suggesting games to guests; setting up and explaining games with limited need to refer to rule books; and food and drink service. Restaurant industry experience is required for this position.
We typically promote from within for the Bartender position. However, if you have extensive experience as a mixologist, you are welcome to apply. Job duties include: assisting the General Manager with drink menu development; alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage preparation; and responsibility for cleaning bar area. A general interest in board games is helpful, but not required.
We are always looking for energetic staff members to join our back of the house team. While kitchen experience is preferred, an appetite to learn is critical to the position. Job duties include: assisting the Kitchen Manager with menu development; food preparation; cooking; and cleaning. Great opportunity for individuals considering a career in culinary arts or currently enrolled in school.
Send us a message today and we will contact you to begin the application process!
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text:
China envoy threatens Australia boycott over coronavirus probe
Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne. PHOTO: AFP
Chinese ambassador says demands for inquest into virus spread could lead to boycott of Aussie goods
SYDNEY: China's ambassador in Australia has warned that demands for a probe into the spread of the coronavirus could lead to a consumer boycott of wine or trips Down Under.
In response, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne cautioned China against attempts at "economic coercion".
Australia has joined the US in calling for a thorough investigation of how the virus transformed from a localised epidemic in central China into a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 people, forced billions into isolation and torpedoed the global economy.
In a thinly veiled threat, ambassador Cheng Jingye warned the push for an independent inquest into the origins of the outbreak was "dangerous".
"The Chinese public is frustrated, dismayed and disappointed with what Australia is doing now," he claimed in an interview with the Australian Financial Review published on Sunday.
"If the mood is going from bad to worse, people would think, 'why should we go to such a country that is not so friendly to China?' The tourists may have second thoughts," he added.
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Tracing app a must for most adults in bars, eateries in HK
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Parents' groups in S. Korea protest against vaccine pass rule for kids
"It is up to the people to decide. Maybe the ordinary people will say, 'Why should we drink Australian wine? Eat Australian beef?'"
Mr Cheng also threatened the flow of Chinese students to Australian universities, a key source of revenue that is already under threat from pandemic travel restrictions.
"The parents of the students would also think whether this place which they found is not so friendly, even hostile, whether this is the best place to send their kids," he said.
The comments mark a significant escalation in tensions between Beijing and Canberra, whose relations are already strained.
Mr Cheng also accused Australia of echoing talking points from the US.
"Some guys are attempting to blame China for their problems and deflect the attention," he said.
"It's a kind of pandering to the assertions that are made by some forces in Washington."
Ms Payne said in a statement yesterday that Australia had made a "principled call" for an independent review of the Covid-19 outbreak.
"We reject any suggestion that economic coercion is an appropriate response to a call for such an assessment, when what we need is global cooperation," Ms Payne said.
Ms Payne said an "honest assessment" of the pandemic would seek to strengthen the World Health Organisation's role.
SCHOOLS REOPEN
In a separate development, tens of thousands of students returned to school in Shanghai and Beijing yesterday after months of closures intended to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Shanghai students in their final year of middle and high school returned to classrooms, while only high-school seniors in Beijing were allowed back on campus to prepare for the all-important "gaokao" university entrance exam.
Across the country, schools that have been closed or online-only since January began gradually reopening last month.
Virus epicentre Wuhan is set to reopen its high schools on May 6.
Students in the capital will have their temperatures measured at school gates and must show a "green" health code on a special app that calculates a person's infection risk, according to China's Education Ministry. - AFP, REUTERS


Bill Text - AB-384 The Qualified ABLE Program: tax-advantaged savings accounts.
An act to amend Sections 4879, 4880, and 4884 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to the Qualified ABLE Program, and making an appropriation therefor.
AB 384, Irwin. The Qualified ABLE Program: tax-advantaged savings accounts.
Existing federal law, the Stephen Beck, Jr., Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2014 (ABLE Act), encourages and assists individuals and families to save private funds in a tax-advantaged savings account for the purpose of supporting persons with disabilities to maintain their health, independence, and quality of life by excluding from gross income distributions used for qualified disability expenses by a beneficiary of a qualified ABLE program established and maintained by a state, as specified. Existing law establishes the Qualified ABLE Program, administered by the California ABLE Act Board, in this state for purposes of implementing the federal ABLE Act. Existing law requires the board to segregate the moneys coming into the ABLE program trust into 2 funds: the program fund, which is continuously appropriated, and the administrative fund, which is available upon appropriation by the Legislature. All moneys paid by designated beneficiaries or eligible individuals in connection with ABLE accounts are required to be deposited, as received, into the program fund, promptly invested, and accounted for separately.
Existing law requires that an ABLE account only be established for a designated beneficiary who is a resident of this state, and that the board market the program to residents of this state to the extent funds are available. Existing law also provides that moneys in, contributions to, and any distribution for qualified disability expenses from, an ABLE account, not to exceed $100,000, do not count toward determining eligibility for a state or local means-tested program.
This bill would expand the residency requirement for a designated beneficiary to being a resident of the United States, and as a result, would expand the purposes of a continuously appropriated fund, thereby making an appropriation. The bill would require the board to market the program to residents of the United States to the extent funds are available. The bill would clarify that specified existing provisions of law exempting the moneys in, and qualified distributions from, an ABLE account from being included as income for certain federal means-tested programs also apply.
This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 4880 of the Welfare and Institutions Code proposed by AB 688 to be operative only if this bill and AB 688 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
(1) The designated beneficiary is limited to one ABLE account for purposes of this chapter.
(2) The ABLE account is established only for a designated beneficiary who is a resident of the United States.
(1) The contribution is not in cash.
(2) Except in the case of contributions under Section 529A(c)(1)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to change in designated beneficiaries or programs, the contribution to an ABLE account would result in aggregate contributions from all contributors to the ABLE account for the taxable year exceeding the amount in effect under Section 2503(b) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to exclusion from gifts, for the calendar year in which the taxable year begins.
(c) The designated beneficiary shall retain ownership of all contributions made to the designated beneficiary's ABLE account to the date of utilization for qualified disability expenses, and all interest derived from the investment of the contributions to the designated beneficiary's ABLE account shall be deemed to be held in the ABLE program trust for the benefit of the designated beneficiary. Neither the contributions, nor any interest derived therefrom, may be pledged as collateral for any loan.
(d) The board shall develop adequate safeguards to prevent aggregate contributions on behalf of a designated beneficiary in excess of the maximum contribution limits necessary to provide for the qualified disability expenses of the designated beneficiary. For purposes of this subdivision, aggregate contributions include contributions under any prior qualified ABLE program of any state or agency or instrumentality thereof.
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, moneys in, contributions to, and any distribution for qualified disability expenses from, an ABLE account, not to exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), shall not count toward determining eligibility for a state or local means-tested program.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), Section 103 of Division B of Public Law 113-295 and Sections 17140.4 and 23711.4 of the Revenue and Taxation Code shall apply.
(c) This section shall become inoperative on September 1, 2018, and, as of January 1, 2019, is repealed.
(c) (1) Notwithstanding any other law, moneys in an ABLE account, not to exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), shall be exempt from enforcement of a money judgment without making a claim.
(2) A money judgment in favor of the State Department of Health Care Services shall not be subject to the exemption provided in paragraph (1) during any period of time in which federal law or guidance issued by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requires the department to recover funds from ABLE accounts for reimbursement of qualifying Medi-Cal expenditures.
(d) This section shall become operative on September 1, 2018.
The board shall market this program to residents of the United States to the extent funds are available to do so.
Sections 2.5 and 2.7 of this bill incorporate amendments to Section 4880 of the Welfare and Institutions Code proposed by both this bill and Assembly Bill 688. Those sections shall only become operative if (1) both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2018, (2) each bill amends Section 4880 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, and (3) this bill is enacted after Assembly Bill 688, in which case Section 2 of this bill shall not become operative.