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It's time for web servers to handle ten thousand clients simultaneously, don't you think? After all, the web is a big place now.
And computers are big, too. You can buy a 1000MHz machine with 2 gigabytes of RAM and an 1000Mbit/sec Ethernet card for $1200 or so. Let's see - at 20000 clients, that's 50KHz, 100Kbytes, and 50Kbits/sec per client. It shouldn't take any more horsepower than that to take four kilobytes from the disk and send them to the network once a second for each of twenty thousand clients. (That works out to $0.08 per client, by the way. Those $100/client licensing fees some operating systems charge are starting to look a little heavy!) So hardware is no longer the bottleneck.
In 1999 one of the busiest ftp sites, cdrom.com, actually handled 10000 clients simultaneously through a Gigabit Ethernet pipe. As of 2001, that same speed is now being offered by several ISPs, who expect it to become increasingly popular with large business customers.
And the thin client model of computing appears to be coming back in style -- this time with the server out on the Internet, serving thousands of clients.
With that in mind, here are a few notes on how to configure operating systems and write code to support thousands of clients. The discussion centers around Unix-like operating systems, as that's my personal area of interest, but Windows is also covered a bit.
The sendfile() system call can implement zero-copy networking.
Some programs can benefit from using non-Posix threads.
Caching your own data can sometimes be a win.
See Nick Black's execellent Fast UNIX Servers page for a circa-2009 look at the situation.
If you haven't read it already, go out and get a copy of Unix Network Programming : Networking Apis: Sockets and Xti (Volume 1) by the late W. Richard Stevens. It describes many of the I/O strategies and pitfalls related to writing high-performance servers. It even talks about the 'thundering herd' problem. And while you're at it, go read Jeff Darcy's notes on high-performance server design.
Prepackaged libraries are available that abstract some of the techniques presented below, insulating your code from the operating system and making it more portable.
ACE, a heavyweight C++ I/O framework, contains object-oriented implementations of some of these I/O strategies and many other useful things. In particular, his Reactor is an OO way of doing nonblocking I/O, and Proactor is an OO way of doing asynchronous I/O.
ASIO is an C++ I/O framework which is becoming part of the Boost library. It's like ACE updated for the STL era.
libevent is a lightweight C I/O framework by Niels Provos. It supports kqueue and select, and soon will support poll and epoll. It's level-triggered only, I think, which has both good and bad sides. Niels has a nice graph of time to handle one event as a function of the number of connections. It shows kqueue and sys_epoll as clear winners.
Poller is a lightweight C++ I/O framework that implements a level-triggered readiness API using whatever underlying readiness API you want (poll, select, /dev/poll, kqueue, or sigio). It's useful for benchmarks that compare the performance of the various APIs. This document links to Poller subclasses below to illustrate how each of the readiness APIs can be used.
rn is a lightweight C I/O framework that was my second try after Poller. It's lgpl (so it's easier to use in commercial apps) and C (so it's easier to use in non-C++ apps). It was used in some commercial products.
Matt Welsh wrote a paper in April 2000 about how to balance the use of worker thread and event-driven techniques when building scalable servers. The paper describes part of his Sandstorm I/O framework.
Note: it's particularly important to remember that readiness notification from the kernel is only a hint; the file descriptor might not be ready anymore when you try to read from it. That's why it's important to use nonblocking mode when using readiness notification.
An important bottleneck in this method is that read() or sendfile() from disk blocks if the page is not in core at the moment; setting nonblocking mode on a disk file handle has no effect. Same thing goes for memory-mapped disk files. The first time a server needs disk I/O, its process blocks, all clients must wait, and that raw nonthreaded performance goes to waste.
This is what asynchronous I/O is for, but on systems that lack AIO, worker threads or processes that do the disk I/O can also get around this bottleneck. One approach is to use memory-mapped files, and if mincore() indicates I/O is needed, ask a worker to do the I/O, and continue handling network traffic. Jef Poskanzer mentions that Pai, Druschel, and Zwaenepoel's 1999 Flash web server uses this trick; they gave a talk at Usenix '99 on it. It looks like mincore() is available in BSD-derived Unixes like FreeBSD and Solaris, but is not part of the Single Unix Specification. It's available as part of Linux as of kernel 2.3.51, thanks to Chuck Lever.
But in November 2003 on the freebsd-hackers list, Vivek Pei et al reported very good results using system-wide profiling of their Flash web server to attack bottlenecks. One bottleneck they found was mincore (guess that wasn't such a good idea after all) Another was the fact that sendfile blocks on disk access; they improved performance by introducing a modified sendfile() that return something like EWOULDBLOCK when the disk page it's fetching is not yet in core. (Not sure how you tell the user the page is now resident... seems to me what's really needed here is aio_sendfile().) The end result of their optimizations is a SpecWeb99 score of about 800 on a 1GHZ/1GB FreeBSD box, which is better than anything on file at spec.org.
See Poller_select (cc, h) for an example of how to use select() interchangeably with other readiness notification schemes.
There is no hardcoded limit to the number of file descriptors poll() can handle, but it does get slow about a few thousand, since most of the file descriptors are idle at any one time, and scanning through thousands of file descriptors takes time.
Some OS's (e.g. Solaris 8) speed up poll() et al by use of techniques like poll hinting, which was implemented and benchmarked by Niels Provos for Linux in 1999.
See Poller_poll (cc, h, benchmarks) for an example of how to use poll() interchangeably with other readiness notification schemes.
This is the recommended poll replacement for Solaris.
The idea behind /dev/poll is to take advantage of the fact that often poll() is called many times with the same arguments. With /dev/poll, you get an open handle to /dev/poll, and tell the OS just once what files you're interested in by writing to that handle; from then on, you just read the set of currently ready file descriptors from that handle.
It appeared quietly in Solaris 7 (see patchid 106541) but its first public appearance was in Solaris 8; according to Sun, at 750 clients, this has 10% of the overhead of poll().
Various implementations of /dev/poll were tried on Linux, but none of them perform as well as epoll, and were never really completed. /dev/poll use on Linux is not recommended.
This is the recommended poll replacement for FreeBSD (and, soon, NetBSD).
See below. kqueue() can specify either edge triggering or level triggering.
Readiness change notification (or edge-triggered readiness notification) means you give the kernel a file descriptor, and later, when that descriptor transitions from not ready to ready, the kernel notifies you somehow. It then assumes you know the file descriptor is ready, and will not send any more readiness notifications of that type for that file descriptor until you do something that causes the file descriptor to no longer be ready (e.g. until you receive the EWOULDBLOCK error on a send, recv, or accept call, or a send or recv transfers less than the requested number of bytes).
When you use readiness change notification, you must be prepared for spurious events, since one common implementation is to signal readiness whenever any packets are received, regardless of whether the file descriptor was already ready.
This is the opposite of "level-triggered" readiness notification. It's a bit less forgiving of programming mistakes, since if you miss just one event, the connection that event was for gets stuck forever. Nevertheless, I have found that edge-triggered readiness notification made programming nonblocking clients with OpenSSL easier, so it's worth trying.
[Banga, Mogul, Drusha '99] described this kind of scheme in 1999.
kqueue() This is the recommended edge-triggered poll replacement for FreeBSD (and, soon, NetBSD).
Like /dev/poll, you allocate a listening object, but rather than opening the file /dev/poll, you call kqueue() to allocate one. To change the events you are listening for, or to get the list of current events, you call kevent() on the descriptor returned by kqueue(). It can listen not just for socket readiness, but also for plain file readiness, signals, and even for I/O completion.
Note: as of October 2000, the threading library on FreeBSD does not interact well with kqueue(); evidently, when kqueue() blocks, the entire process blocks, not just the calling thread.
See Poller_kqueue (cc, h, benchmarks) for an example of how to use kqueue() interchangeably with many other readiness notification schemes.
Ronald F. Guilmette's example echo server; see also his 28 Sept 2000 post on freebsd.questions.
This is the recommended edge-triggered poll replacement for the 2.6 Linux kernel.
On 11 July 2001, Davide Libenzi proposed an alternative to realtime signals; his patch provides what he now calls /dev/epoll www.xmailserver.org/linux-patches/nio-improve.html. This is just like the realtime signal readiness notification, but it coalesces redundant events, and has a more efficient scheme for bulk event retrieval.
Epoll was merged into the 2.5 kernel tree as of 2.5.46 after its interface was changed from a special file in /dev to a system call, sys_epoll. A patch for the older version of epoll is available for the 2.4 kernel.
There was a lengthy debate about unifying epoll, aio, and other event sources on the linux-kernel mailing list around Halloween 2002. It may yet happen, but Davide is concentrating on firming up epoll in general first.
his paper, "The Need for Asynchronous, Zero-Copy Network I/O"
This is the recommended edge-triggered poll replacement for the 2.4 Linux kernel.
This sends that signal when a normal I/O function like read() or write() completes. To use this, write a normal poll() outer loop, and inside it, after you've handled all the fd's noticed by poll(), you loop calling sigwaitinfo().
If sigwaitinfo or sigtimedwait returns your realtime signal, siginfo.si_fd and siginfo.si_band give almost the same information as pollfd.fd and pollfd.revents would after a call to poll(), so you handle the i/o, and continue calling sigwaitinfo().
If sigwaitinfo returns a traditional SIGIO, the signal queue overflowed, so you flush the signal queue by temporarily changing the signal handler to SIG_DFL, and break back to the outer poll() loop.
See Poller_sigio (cc, h) for an example of how to use rtsignals interchangeably with many other readiness notification schemes.
Chandra and Mosberger proposed a modification to the realtime signal approach called "signal-per-fd" which reduces or eliminates realtime signal queue overflow by coalescing redundant events. It doesn't outperform epoll, though. Their paper ( www.hpl.hp.com/techreports/2000/HPL-2000-174.html) compares performance of this scheme with select() and /dev/poll.
See Poller_sigfd (cc, h) for an example of how to use signal-per-fd interchangeably with many other readiness notification schemes.
This has not yet become popular in Unix, probably because few operating systems support asynchronous I/O, also possibly because it (like nonblocking I/O) requires rethinking your application. Under standard Unix, asynchronous I/O is provided by the aio_ interface (scroll down from that link to "Asynchronous input and output"), which associates a signal and value with each I/O operation. Signals and their values are queued and delivered efficiently to the user process. This is from the POSIX 1003.1b realtime extensions, and is also in the Single Unix Specification, version 2.
glibc 2.1 and later provide a generic implementation written for standards compliance rather than performance.
Linux AIO home page - Ben's preliminary patches, mailing list, etc.
libaio-oracle - library implementing standard Posix AIO on top of libaio. First mentioned by Joel Becker on 18 Apr 2003.
Suparna also suggests having a look at the the DAFS API's approach to AIO.
Red Hat AS and Suse SLES both provide a high-performance implementation on the 2.4 kernel; it is related to, but not completely identical to, the 2.6 kernel implementation.
In February 2006, a new attempt is being made to provide network AIO; see the note above about Evgeniy Polyakov's kevent-based AIO.
In 1999, SGI implemented high-speed AIO for Linux. As of version 1.1, it's said to work well with both disk I/O and sockets. It seems to use kernel threads. It is still useful for people who can't wait for Ben's AIO to support sockets.
The O'Reilly book POSIX.4: Programming for the Real World is said to include a good introduction to aio.
A tutorial for the earlier, nonstandard, aio implementation on Solaris is online at Sunsite. It's probably worth a look, but keep in mind you'll need to mentally convert "aioread" to "aio_read", etc.
Note that AIO doesn't provide a way to open files without blocking for disk I/O; if you care about the sleep caused by opening a disk file, Linus suggests you should simply do the open() in a different thread rather than wishing for an aio_open() system call.
Under Windows, asynchronous I/O is associated with the terms "Overlapped I/O" and IOCP or "I/O Completion Port". Microsoft's IOCP combines techniques from the prior art like asynchronous I/O (like aio_write) and queued completion notification (like when using the aio_sigevent field with aio_write) with a new idea of holding back some requests to try to keep the number of running threads associated with a single IOCP constant. For more information, see Inside I/O Completion Ports by Mark Russinovich at sysinternals.com, Jeffrey Richter's book "Programming Server-Side Applications for Microsoft Windows 2000" (Amazon, MSPress), U.S. patent #06223207, or MSDN.
... and let read() and write() block. Has the disadvantage of using a whole stack frame for each client, which costs memory. Many OS's also have trouble handling more than a few hundred threads. If each thread gets a 2MB stack (not an uncommon default value), you run out of *virtual memory* at (2^30 / 2^21) = 512 threads on a 32 bit machine with 1GB user-accessible VM (like, say, Linux as normally shipped on x86). You can work around this by giving each thread a smaller stack, but since most thread libraries don't allow growing thread stacks once created, doing this means designing your program to minimize stack use. You can also work around this by moving to a 64 bit processor.
The thread support in Linux, FreeBSD, and Solaris is improving, and 64 bit processors are just around the corner even for mainstream users. Perhaps in the not-too-distant future, those who prefer using one thread per client will be able to use that paradigm even for 10000 clients. Nevertheless, at the current time, if you actually want to support that many clients, you're probably better off using some other paradigm.
LinuxTheads is the name for the standard Linux thread library. It is integrated into glibc since glibc2.0, and is mostly Posix-compliant, but with less than stellar performance and signal support.
NPTL is a project by Ulrich Drepper (the benevolent dict^H^H^H^Hmaintainer of glibc) and Ingo Molnar to bring world-class Posix threading support to Linux.
As of 5 October 2003, NPTL is now merged into the glibc cvs tree as an add-on directory (just like linuxthreads), so it will almost certainly be released along with the next release of glibc.
Ulrich's benchmark comparing performance of LinuxThreads, NPTL, and IBM's NGPT. It seems to show NPTL is much faster than NGPT.
In March 2002, Bill Abt of the NGPT team, the glibc maintainer Ulrich Drepper, and others met to figure out what to do about LinuxThreads. One idea that came out of the meeting was to improve mutex performance; Rusty Russell et al subsequently implemented fast userspace mutexes (futexes)), which are now used by both NGPT and NPTL. Most of the attendees figured NGPT should be merged into glibc.
While NPTL uses the three kernel features introduced by NGPT: getpid() returns PID, CLONE_THREAD and futexes; NPTL also uses (and relies on) a much wider set of new kernel features, developed as part of this project.
A short list: TLS support, various clone extensions (CLONE_SETTLS, CLONE_SETTID, CLONE_CLEARTID), POSIX thread-signal handling, sys_exit() extension (release TID futex upon VM-release), the sys_exit_group() system-call, sys_execve() enhancements and support for detached threads.
There was also work put into extending the PID space - eg. procfs crashed due to 64K PID assumptions, max_pid, and pid allocation scalability work. Plus a number of performance-only improvements were done as well.
In essence the new features are a no-compromises approach to 1:1 threading - the kernel now helps in everything where it can improve threading, and we precisely do the minimally necessary set of context switches and kernel calls for every basic threading primitive.
FreeBSD supports both LinuxThreads and a userspace threading library. Also, a M:N implementation called KSE was introduced in FreeBSD 5.0. For one overview, see www.unobvious.com/bsd/freebsd-threads.html.
I know this has been discussed in the past, but I figured with 7.x trundling forward, it was time to think about it again. In benchmarks for many common applications and scenarios, libthr demonstrates significantly better performance over libpthread... libthr is also implemented across a larger number of our platforms, and is already libpthread on several. The first recommendation we make to MySQL and other heavy thread users is "Switch to libthr", which is suggestive, also! ... So the strawman proposal is: make libthr the default threading library on 7.x.
Kernel supported M:N thread library based on the Scheduler Activations model is merged into NetBSD-current on Jan 18 2003.
For details, see An Implementation of Scheduler Activations on the NetBSD Operating System by Nathan J. Williams, Wasabi Systems, Inc., presented at FREENIX '02.
The thread support in Solaris is evolving... from Solaris 2 to Solaris 8, the default threading library used an M:N model, but Solaris 9 defaults to 1:1 model thread support. See Sun's multithreaded programming guide and Sun's note about Java and Solaris threading.
As is well known, Java up to JDK1.3.x did not support any method of handling network connections other than one thread per client. Volanomark is a good microbenchmark which measures throughput in messsages per second at various numbers of simultaneous connections. As of May 2003, JDK 1.3 implementations from various vendors are in fact able to handle ten thousand simultaneous connections -- albeit with significant performance degradation. See Table 4 for an idea of which JVMs can handle 10000 connections, and how performance suffers as the number of connections increases.
There is a choice when implementing a threading library: you can either put all the threading support in the kernel (this is called the 1:1 threading model), or you can move a fair bit of it into userspace (this is called the M:N threading model). At one point, M:N was thought to be higher performance, but it's so complex that it's hard to get right, and most people are moving away from it.
NGPT is an M:N threading library for Linux.
Although Ulrich Drepper planned to use M:N threads in the new glibc threading library, he has since switched to the 1:1 threading model.
MacOSX appears to use 1:1 threading.
FreeBSD and NetBSD appear to still believe in M:N threading... The lone holdouts? Looks like freebsd 7.0 might switch to 1:1 threading (see above), so perhaps M:N threading's believers have finally been proven wrong everywhere.
Novell and Microsoft are both said to have done this at various times, at least one NFS implementation does this, khttpd does this for Linux and static web pages, and "TUX" (Threaded linUX webserver) is a blindingly fast and flexible kernel-space HTTP server by Ingo Molnar for Linux. Ingo's September 1, 2000 announcement says an alpha version of TUX can be downloaded from ftp://ftp.redhat.com/pub/redhat/tux, and explains how to join a mailing list for more info.
The linux-kernel list has been discussing the pros and cons of this approach, and the consensus seems to be instead of moving web servers into the kernel, the kernel should have the smallest possible hooks added to improve web server performance. That way, other kinds of servers can benefit. See e.g. Zach Brown's remarks about userland vs. kernel http servers. It appears that the 2.4 linux kernel provides sufficient power to user programs, as the X15 server runs about as fast as Tux, but doesn't use any kernel modifications.
See for instance the netmap packet I/O framework, and the Sandstorm proof-of-concept web server based on it.
Richard Gooch has written a paper discussing I/O options.
In 2001, Tim Brecht and MMichal Ostrowski measured various strategies for simple select-based servers. Their data is worth a look.
In 2003, Tim Brecht posted source code for userver, a small web server put together from several servers written by Abhishek Chandra, David Mosberger, David Pariag, and Michal Ostrowski. It can use select(), poll(), epoll(), or sigio.
His reasons boiled down to "it's really hard, and the payoff isn't clear". Within a few months, though, it became clear that people were willing to work on it.
Mark Russinovich wrote an editorial and an article discussing I/O strategy issues in the 2.2 Linux kernel. Worth reading, even he seems misinformed on some points. In particular, he seems to think that Linux 2.2's asynchronous I/O (see F_SETSIG above) doesn't notify the user process when data is ready, only when new connections arrive. This seems like a bizarre misunderstanding. See also comments on an earlier draft, Ingo Molnar's rebuttal of 30 April 1999, Russinovich's comments of 2 May 1999, a rebuttal from Alan Cox, and various posts to linux-kernel. I suspect he was trying to say that Linux doesn't support asynchronous disk I/O, which used to be true, but now that SGI has implemented KAIO, it's not so true anymore.
See these pages at sysinternals.com and MSDN for information on "completion ports", which he said were unique to NT; in a nutshell, win32's "overlapped I/O" turned out to be too low level to be convenient, and a "completion port" is a wrapper that provides a queue of completion events, plus scheduling magic that tries to keep the number of running threads constant by allowing more threads to pick up completion events if other threads that had picked up completion events from this port are sleeping (perhaps doing blocking I/O).
See also OS/400's support for I/O completion ports.
Ed Hall posted a few notes on his experiences; he's achieved >1000 connects/second on a UP P2/333 running Solaris. His code used a small pool of threads (1 or 2 per CPU) each managing a large number of clients using "an event-based model".
Mike Jagdis posted an analysis of poll/select overhead, and said "The current select/poll implementation can be improved significantly, especially in the blocking case, but the overhead will still increase with the number of descriptors because select/poll does not, and cannot, remember what descriptors are interesting. This would be easy to fix with a new API. Suggestions are welcome..."
Mike posted about his work on improving select() and poll().
Mike posted a bit about a possible API to replace poll()/select(): "How about a 'device like' API where you write 'pollfd like' structs, the 'device' listens for events and delivers 'pollfd like' structs representing them when you read it? ... "
Joerg Pommnitz pointed out that any new API along these lines should be able to wait for not just file descriptor events, but also signals and maybe SYSV-IPC. Our synchronization primitives should certainly be able to do what Win32's WaitForMultipleObjects can, at least.
Stephen Tweedie asserted that the combination of F_SETSIG, queued realtime signals, and sigwaitinfo() was a superset of the API proposed in http://www.cs.rice.edu/~gaurav/papers/usenix99.ps. He also mentions that you keep the signal blocked at all times if you're interested in performance; instead of the signal being delivered asynchronously, the process grabs the next one from the queue with sigwaitinfo().
Jayson Nordwick compared completion ports with the F_SETSIG synchronous event model, and concluded they're pretty similar.
Alan Cox noted that an older rev of SCT's SIGIO patch is included in 2.3.18ac.
Jordan Mendelson posted some example code showing how to use F_SETSIG.
Stephen C. Tweedie continued the comparison of completion ports and F_SETSIG, and noted: "With a signal dequeuing mechanism, your application is going to get signals destined for various library components if libraries are using the same mechanism," but the library can set up its own signal handler, so this shouldn't affect the program (much).
Doug Royer noted that he'd gotten 100,000 connections on Solaris 2.6 while he was working on the Sun calendar server. Others chimed in with estimates of how much RAM that would require on Linux, and what bottlenecks would be hit.
Any Unix: the limits set by ulimit or setrlimit.
Solaris: see the Solaris FAQ, question 3.46 (or thereabouts; they renumber the questions periodically).
"FWIW: You can't actually tune the maximum number of connections in FreeBSD trivially, via sysctl.... You have to do it in the /boot/loader.conf file.
The reason for this is that the zalloci() calls for initializing the sockets and tcpcb structures zones occurs very early in system startup, in order that the zone be both type stable and that it be swappable.
You will also need to set the number of mbufs much higher, since you will (on an unmodified kernel) chew up one mbuf per connection for tcptempl structures, which are used to implement keepalive."
"As of FreeBSD 4.4, the tcptempl structure is no longer allocated; you no longer have to worry about one mbuf being chewed up per connection."
"In OpenBSD, an additional tweak is required to increase the number of open filehandles available per process: the openfiles-cur parameter in /etc/login.conf needs to be increased. You can change kern.maxfiles either with sysctl -w or in sysctl.conf but it has no effect. This matters because as shipped, the login.conf limits are a quite low 64 for nonprivileged processes, 128 for privileged."
increases the current process' limit.
I verified that a process on Red Hat 6.0 (2.2.5 or so plus patches) can open at least 31000 file descriptors this way. Another fellow has verified that a process on 2.2.12 can open at least 90000 file descriptors this way (with appropriate limits). The upper bound seems to be available memory.
Stephen C. Tweedie posted about how to set ulimit limits globally or per-user at boot time using initscript and pam_limit.
In older 2.2 kernels, though, the number of open files per process is still limited to 1024, even with the above changes.
See also Oskar's 1998 post, which talks about the per-process and system-wide limits on file descriptors in the 2.0.36 kernel.
On any architecture, you may need to reduce the amount of stack space allocated for each thread to avoid running out of virtual memory. You can set this at runtime with pthread_attr_init() if you're using pthreads.
Solaris: it supports as many threads as will fit in memory, I hear.
Linux 2.6 kernels with NPTL: /proc/sys/vm/max_map_count may need to be increased to go above 32000 or so threads. (You'll need to use very small stack threads to get anywhere near that number of threads, though, unless you're on a 64 bit processor.) See the NPTL mailing list, e.g. the thread with subject "Cannot create more than 32K threads?", for more info.
Linux 2.4: /proc/sys/kernel/threads-max is the max number of threads; it defaults to 2047 on my Red Hat 8 system. You can set increase this as usual by echoing new values into that file, e.g. "echo 4000 > /proc/sys/kernel/threads-max"
Linux 2.2: Even the 2.2.13 kernel limits the number of threads, at least on Intel. I don't know what the limits are on other architectures. Mingo posted a patch for 2.1.131 on Intel that removed this limit. It appears to be integrated into 2.3.20.
See also Volano's detailed instructions for raising file, thread, and FD_SET limits in the 2.2 kernel. Wow. This document steps you through a lot of stuff that would be hard to figure out yourself, but is somewhat dated.
Java: See Volano's detailed benchmark info, plus their info on how to tune various systems to handle lots of threads.
Up through JDK 1.3, Java's standard networking libraries mostly offered the one-thread-per-client model. There was a way to do nonblocking reads, but no way to do nonblocking writes.
In May 2001, JDK 1.4 introduced the package java.nio to provide full support for nonblocking I/O (and some other goodies). See the release notes for some caveats. Try it out and give Sun feedback!
HP's java also includes a Thread Polling API.
In 2000, Matt Welsh implemented nonblocking sockets for Java; his performance benchmarks show that they have advantages over blocking sockets in servers handling many (up to 10000) connections. His class library is called java-nbio; it's part of the Sandstorm project. Benchmarks showing performance with 10000 connections are available.
See also Dean Gaudet's essay on the subject of Java, network I/O, and threads, and the paper by Matt Welsh on events vs. worker threads.
Matt Welsh's Jaguar system proposes preserialized objects, new Java bytecodes, and memory management changes to allow the use of asynchronous I/O with Java.
Interfacing Java to the Virtual Interface Architecture, by C-C. Chang and T. von Eicken, proposes memory management changes to allow the use of asynchronous I/O with Java.
JSR-51 was the Sun project that came up with the java.nio package. Matt Welsh participated (who says Sun doesn't listen?).
Normally, data gets copied many times on its way from here to there. Any scheme that eliminates these copies to the bare physical minimum is called "zero-copy".
Thomas Ogrisegg's zero-copy send patch for mmaped files under Linux 2.4.17-2.4.20. Claims it's faster than sendfile().
IO-Lite is a proposal for a set of I/O primitives that gets rid of the need for many copies.
Ingo implemented a form of zero-copy TCP in the 2.4 kernel for TUX 1.0 in July 2000, and says he'll make it available to userspace soon.
Drew Gallatin and Robert Picco have added some zero-copy features to FreeBSD; the idea seems to be that if you call write() or read() on a socket, the pointer is page-aligned, and the amount of data transferred is at least a page, *and* you don't immediately reuse the buffer, memory management tricks will be used to avoid copies. But see followups to this message on linux-kernel for people's misgivings about the speed of those memory management tricks.
Sending side zero-copy is supported since NetBSD-1.6 release by specifying "SOSEND_LOAN" kernel option. This option is now default on NetBSD-current (you can disable this feature by specifying "SOSEND_NO_LOAN" in the kernel option on NetBSD_current). With this feature, zero-copy is automatically enabled, if data more than 4096 bytes are specified as data to be sent.
The sendfile() function in Linux and FreeBSD lets you tell the kernel to send part or all of a file. This lets the OS do it as efficiently as possible. It can be used equally well in servers using threads or servers using nonblocking I/O. (In Linux, it's poorly documented at the moment; use _syscall4 to call it. Andi Kleen is writing new man pages that cover this. See also Exploring The sendfile System Call by Jeff Tranter in Linux Gazette issue 91.) Rumor has it, ftp.cdrom.com benefitted noticeably from sendfile().
A zero-copy implementation of sendfile() is on its way for the 2.4 kernel. See LWN Jan 25 2001.
One developer using sendfile() with Freebsd reports that using POLLWRBAND instead of POLLOUT makes a big difference.
Solaris 8 (as of the July 2001 update) has a new system call 'sendfilev'. A copy of the man page is here.. The Solaris 8 7/01 release notes also mention it. I suspect that this will be most useful when sending to a socket in blocking mode; it'd be a bit of a pain to use with a nonblocking socket.
See LWN Jan 25 2001 for a summary of some very interesting discussions on linux-kernel about TCP_CORK and a possible alternative MSG_MORE.
[Provos, Lever, and Tweedie 2000] notes that dropping incoming connections when the server is overloaded improved the shape of the performance curve, and reduced the overall error rate. They used a smoothed version of "number of clients with I/O ready" as a measure of overload. This technique should be easily applicable to servers written with select, poll, or any system call that returns a count of readiness events per call (e.g. /dev/poll or sigtimedwait4()).
Not all threads are created equal. The clone() function in Linux (and its friends in other operating systems) lets you create a thread that has its own current working directory, for instance, which can be very helpful when implementing an ftp server. See Hoser FTPd for an example of the use of native threads rather than pthreads.
"I've compared the raw performance of a select-based server with a multiple-process server on both FreeBSD and Solaris/x86. On microbenchmarks, there's only a marginal difference in performance stemming from the software architecture. The big performance win for select-based servers stems from doing application-level caching. While multiple-process servers can do it at a higher cost, it's harder to get the same benefits on real workloads (vs microbenchmarks). I'll be presenting those measurements as part of a paper that'll appear at the next Usenix conference. If you've got postscript, the paper is available at http://www.cs.rice.edu/~vivek/flash99/"
Old system libraries might use 16 bit variables to hold file handles, which causes trouble above 32767 handles. glibc2.1 should be ok.
Many systems use 16 bit variables to hold process or thread id's. It would be interesting to port the Volano scalability benchmark to C, and see what the upper limit on number of threads is for the various operating systems.
Too much thread-local memory is preallocated by some operating systems; if each thread gets 1MB, and total VM space is 2GB, that creates an upper limit of 2000 threads.
Look at the performance comparison graph at the bottom of http://www.acme.com/software/thttpd/benchmarks.html. Notice how various servers have trouble above 128 connections, even on Solaris 2.6? Anyone who figures out why, let me know.
Note: if the TCP stack has a bug that causes a short (200ms) delay at SYN or FIN time, as Linux 2.2.0-2.2.6 had, and the OS or http daemon has a hard limit on the number of connections open, you would expect exactly this behavior. There may be other causes.
For Linux, it looks like kernel bottlenecks are being fixed constantly. See Linux Weekly News, Kernel Traffic, the Linux-Kernel mailing list, and my Mindcraft Redux page.
In March 1999, Microsoft sponsored a benchmark comparing NT to Linux at serving large numbers of http and smb clients, in which they failed to see good results from Linux. See also my article on Mindcraft's April 1999 Benchmarks for more info.
See also The Linux Scalability Project. They're doing interesting work, including Niels Provos' hinting poll patch, and some work on the thundering herd problem.
See also Mike Jagdis' work on improving select() and poll(); here's Mike's post about it.
Mohit Aron ([email protected]) writes that rate-based clocking in TCP can improve HTTP response time over 'slow' connections by 80%.
Jef Poskanzer has published benchmarks comparing many web servers. See http://www.acme.com/software/thttpd/benchmarks.html for his results.
I also have a few old notes about comparing thttpd to Apache that may be of interest to beginners.
Chuck Lever keeps reminding us about Banga and Druschel's paper on web server benchmarking. It's worth a read.
IBM has an excellent paper titled Java server benchmarks [Baylor et al, 2000]. It's worth a read.
Nginx is a web server that uses whatever high-efficiency network event mechanism is available on the target OS. It's getting popular; there are even two books about it.
thttpd Very simple. Uses a single process. It has good performance, but doesn't scale with the number of CPU's. Can also use kqueue.
Zeus, a commercial server that tries to be the absolute fastest. See their tuning guide.
Flash-Lite - web server using IO-Lite.
xitami - uses select() to implement its own thread abstraction for portability to systems without threads.
Medusa - a server-writing toolkit in Python that tries to deliver very high performance.
N. Provos, C. Lever, "Scalable Network I/O in Linux," May, 2000. [FREENIX track, Proc. USENIX 2000, San Diego, California (June, 2000).] Describes a version of thttpd modified to support /dev/poll. Performance is compared with phhttpd.
Chromium's X15. This uses the 2.4 kernel's SIGIO feature together with sendfile() and TCP_CORK, and reportedly achieves higher speed than even TUX. The source is available under a community source (not open source) license. See the original announcement by Fabio Riccardi.
Zach Brown's phhttpd - "a quick web server that was written to showcase the sigio/siginfo event model. consider this code highly experimental and yourself highly mental if you try and use it in a production environment." Uses the siginfo features of 2.3.21 or later, and includes the needed patches for earlier kernels. Rumored to be even faster than khttpd. See his post of 31 May 1999 for some notes.
Hoser FTPD. See their benchmark page.
"TUX" (Threaded linUX webserver) by Ingo Molnar et al. For 2.4 kernel.
Prof. Peter Ladkin's Web Server Performance page.
Novell's FastCache -- claims 10000 hits per second. Quite the pretty performance graph.
Link to Cal Henderson's book. | 2019-04-24T06:31:00Z | http://kegel.com/c10k.html |
Assessment has become a persistently hot topic in the library world, particularly when it comes to establishing value for academic library services. In an effort to assess performance and develop training tools to improve text/SMS reference services for an academic library, we used the Reference and User Services Association’s Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers as the framework for an analytic rubric. We then used the rubric to assess academic librarian responses collected over a three-year period as part of text/SMS reference service. Results include implications for librarian friendliness, response time, attentiveness, and follow-up, as well as patron return rates. Comparative trends in text reference and the physical reference desk response times are also examined.
Sam Houston State University (SHSU) is a Carnegie Doctoral Research University located in East Texas. The Newton Gresham Library (NGL) serves the SHSU campus where 18,478 students were enrolled in fall 2012. Currently NGL employs nineteen faculty librarians, twenty-eight staff members, and two administrative faculty librarians.
NGL has offered virtual reference services via live chat since 2004, and through email for even longer. In the fall of 2009, the reference department decided to expand reference services to provide help via SMS/text messages, and the library began subscribing to the Text a Librarian service from Mosio. Staff training was conducted in late 2009, and the new service was launched in January 2010.
Training focused predominantly on the technical workings of the system itself rather than on the ideal characteristics of reference transactions in the text medium. For instance, staff were taught to recognize alert sounds when a new message arrived, enter responses and watch how many characters remained, send messages to patrons, recognize follow-up comments and questions, and close a thread when a conversation ended.
During training, personnel were also given some reference material about understanding text-speak—such as the use of u to mean you or 2nite to mean tonight—and were reminded to practice concision in their text-based responses. In the preexisting live chat service, it was common for personnel to send a pre-scripted welcome message such as “Hello, and thank you for contacting SHSU Ask a Librarian,” but such practices were discouraged in text messaging due to the constraints that the medium placed on message length. Beyond the one recommendation of concision, guidelines were not provided concerning how best to provide quality reference service in the unique context of this new medium.
The service was implemented so that text messages from patrons would be answered as they were received at the reference desk by the individual on rotation. One generic login account was used by all personnel, rather than individual usernames, so patrons did not know which individual responded to their question, and the library could not definitively attribute responses to a specific librarian, paraprofessional staff member, or student assistant.
At the end of the 2012 fall semester, with three full years of data collected, we evaluated the quality of the service being provided. Text messaging is a unique reference tool, due to characteristics such as the restrictions in message length—which renders traditional reference interviews difficult or impossible—and the dichotomy between the medium’s inherent asynchronicity and the student expectation of near-immediate response. The researchers sought to determine how well a librarian’s reference skills translate into this tool and how well librarians are serving customers in the manner which they expect.
We hope that a close evaluation of current performance will serve as a training tool, help to clarify and communicate expectations for text-based reference service, and lead to the development of guidelines and best practices which will improve overall staff performance in this service.
RUSA developed “Guidelines for Implementing and Maintaining Virtual Reference Services” in 2004, based on proposed guidelines from Bernie Sloan’s 1998 article in Reference and User Services Quarterly, which suggested that for almost half a decade the practice of virtual reference itself was very ad hoc.1 With most libraries being on the same virtual page when it comes to reference services, due to guides like RUSA’s, it becomes important to evaluate how well librarians are using the SMS tool to provide service.
According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 80% of all cell phone users send or receive text messages.9 Libraries use SMS as a system to send patron notices, such as overdue book alerts, library closings, and other information, as well as in reference services. Sims Memorial Library at Southeastern Louisiana claims to be “the first library in the United States to develop a text messaging reference service” in 2005.10 Over the past decade, both public and academic libraries across the United States have been catching up with the trend of providing reference via text messaging.
Publications about text messaging in libraries follow a pattern similar to that seen in articles about instant messaging, one of the latest technologies adapted prior to texting. Devine, Paladino, and Davis clearly group these articles in their paper on chat reference, and these categories can be applied to texting/SMS reference and mobile library services in general: anecdotal papers, “which summarize implementation and training”;15 “books and articles that present training practices for starting or modifying existing . . . services”;16 studies that “describe and analyze skills and competencies that are necessary for the effective provision” of the service;17 and academic library surveys, 18 “which, at various times, have asked one or more questions regarding the training practices”.19 To this list, we would add the evaluation of particular software/services—whether in articles jointly written by a library and its service provider or by a group using particular software, or even as a comparison with other software—as well as discussion of how patrons use or perceive the service provided or usability study results.20 Similar groupings are visible in discussing SMS/text reference.
This is the first paper, as far as the researchers can determine, that systematically evaluates and scores librarians’ interactions in SMS text reference, though there have been suggestions that best practices should be created in order to provide better service.21 Although a few papers have touched on the concept of librarians’ skills in using the service22 or offering statistics of librarians’ responses such as length of time taken, how many words used per message, and friendliness,23 this information is typically generalized and not addressed by systematic assessment as in the current study.
We downloaded the complete listing of questions and answers from the Mosio platform. This data included Patron ID codes that uniquely distinguished between patron phone numbers without revealing the actual phone numbers or other personally identifying patron information.
The precise date and time of each question and answer were also included in the data. The researchers encountered some initial difficulty in calculating response time from the data provided, but Mosio’s technical support staff was highly responsive and promptly upgraded the data export feature so that we obtained data with a clearly calculated response time. The researchers are grateful for the company’s responsiveness in providing information and assistance that made this study possible.
All text messages sent and received were grouped by the researchers into transactions; a transaction might consist of several individual messages from patron and librarian, including automatic system responses, representing one logical session of conversation. The final dataset consisted of 385 transactions, or conversational threads. This does not equate to the total number of messages ever submitted to the service, because messages where a question was never raised, such as “test,” “hi,” or similar were not included; this study is instead based solely on actual substantive questions to which a librarian did respond or could/should have responded.
The data was first evaluated statistically with regards to characteristics such as response times and how often patrons revisited the service. A portion of this statistical data was also compared against a seven-month sample of similar data from face-to-face and telephone transactions at the reference desk.
After these quantitative characteristics were measured, the researchers developed a rubric in order to assess how well librarians performed in answering each question (appendix A; also online at http://library.shsu.edu/libfac/TextRubric.pdf). One member of the research team holds a Masters of Education degree, and she led the development and testing of the rubric. A three-scale, analytic rubric was created using the “Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers,” as published by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).24 RUSA’s guidelines helped to ensure content and construct validity by providing a criterion-referenced rubric framework. The guidelines include general, in-person, and remote reference librarian behaviors across the five categories of Approachability, Interest, Listening/Inquiring, Searching, and Follow-up. While a list of remote behaviors is available, behaviors in each of the three formats (general, in-person, and remote) were considered in constructing the rubric.
The framework was then modified to accommodate a focus on text reference services, which necessitated the elimination of the Approachability category from the project. The Approachability category as identified by RUSA for the remote format emphasizes elements of web design, and while an evaluation of a library’s website is certainly an important and worthwhile pursuit, the purpose of this project was to provide training for librarian behavior. The rating scales included Beginning (1 point), Developing (2 points), and Accomplished (3 points).
In addition to eliminating the Approachability category, minor customizations were also needed to accommodate the limitations inherent in a text-messaging service, and the researchers used RUSA’s overall category descriptions to stay on target during the modification stage. For example, RUSA’s description of the Listening/Inquiring category advises that the “librarian must be effective in identifying the patron’s information needs and must do so in a manner that keeps patrons at ease;”25 hence, the descriptor “Uses a tone of voice and/or written language appropriate to the nature of the transaction”26 became the descriptor “Uses concise language, abbreviations if appropriate, limiting responses to one text message (or 160 characters) per patron query” (see appendix A).
The limitations of text messaging as a reference platform also impacted the creation of the Searching criterion. For example, RUSA suggests that the librarian “Finds out what patrons have already tried, and encourages patrons to contribute ideas;”27 since many patrons may be billed per text message, this criterion was omitted from the rubric. Similar minor customizations occurred in each of the four major criteria, with the Searching criterion being the most extensively customized, including the addition of two local rules: The first rule was that librarian answers that were clearly inaccurate to the researchers received the Beginning (1) score, and the second rule was that closed-ended questions that required no actual searching on the part of the librarian (for example, library hours of operation) received the Accomplished (3) score (see appendix A).
The creation of the analytic rubric provided an educational opportunity for us, and following rubric development, we evaluated our draft rubric using A Rubric for Judging Your Rubric, a tool developed by The Center for Faculty Development at the University of Colorado Denver.28 Following minor modifications for measurable and observable descriptors, we normed the rubric for inter-rater and intra-rater reliability using two sets of five transactions across three norming sessions spaced several weeks apart. Next, the evaluation of all 385 transactions was conducted in equal portions by the three researchers. Since staff names were not part of the data collected, the results give a general picture of the Reference Department’s performance without critiquing individuals.
All text messages were grouped into transactions, and each transaction was evaluated according to the project rubric to assess the librarian’s performance in four criteria: Listening and Inquiring, Interest, Searching, and Follow-Up. In each criterion, a transaction could earn a score of 1 point (Beginning), 2 points (Developing), or 3 points (Accomplished). Average scores per criterion ranged from 1.96 to 2.49 (see figure 1).
When the scores from each criterion were added together, a transaction could earn a cumulative score between 4 and 12 points, with 12 representing the most Accomplished performance and 4 representing the most Beginning performance. Overall, the average cumulative score was a 9.1. Although only 1.3% of transactions met the Accomplished standard with the highest possible score of 12, 73% of transactions earned a score between 9 and 12, indicating that the majority of transactions did exceed the Developing standard, represented by an overall score of 8 (see figure 2).
For this study, response rate was defined as how soon after an initial question’s arrival a human response was sent to the patron. In some transactions, the patron may have received an immediate, automatic system response indicating that the question was sent outside of the library’s hours of operation, but this was not counted as a “response” for the purpose of calculating response rate. Overall, 51% of questions received human responses within 10 minutes and 88% within twenty-foure hours or less; 4% of questions never received a human response (see figure 3).
Response rates were compared based on the month, weekday, and time of day when a question was sent to identify any trends. For each of these comparisons, three response times were omitted because these extreme outliers of seven months or longer skewed the averages.
In a comparison of months (see figure 4), May and June showed a longer average response time (about 1 day 7 hours), while October saw the fastest average response time (about 2.6 hours). In a comparison of weekdays (see figure 5), Fridays and Saturdays showed a longer average response time (16–20 hours), while the fastest average response time was seen on Wednesdays (about 2 hours).
Finally, times of day were compared, according to seven time ranges (see figure 6). The poorest response time was seen for questions received 5–7:30 a.m. (about 1 day 5 hours). In contrast, the fastest average response time (about 3.5 hours) was seen 3–6 p.m.
Data concerning more traditional “physical” (face-to-face and telephone) transactions at the reference desk (not including text, chat, or email transactions) were analyzed for the sample seven-month period of June 1 through December 31, 2012, to determine the busiest hours of the day for non-virtual reference at the reference desk (see figure 7). The 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m., and 2 p.m. hours stood out as the four busiest hours on average.
Next, text messages from this same June through December 2012 period were split into two groups, based on whether the questions were sent during busy or non-busy reference desk hours. Response times were averaged in each group, minus one abnormally long response time. The average response time during busy hours was 2295.11 seconds (about 38 minutes), while the average response time during non-busy hours was 9143.06 seconds (about 2.5 hours), suggesting that text messages were actually answered more quickly during hours when the reference desk was busiest with traditional face-to-face and telephone reference.
From 2010 to 2012, 81% of patrons who used the service used it only once (see figure 8). No patron used the service more than seven times—at least, not from the same cell phone number.
Within 385 transactions, there were a total of 447 individual replies sent by library personnel. Of these individual replies, 93% comprised one text message of no more than 160 characters, 6.7% used two or three text messages, and only one reply required four text messages to be sent to the patron (see figure 9).
Useful implications are suggested by the results of a rubric analysis of text-reference transactions, particularly the transaction scores, response rates, and patron-return rates. Overall, the average score across the entire transaction pool is promising. Since a score of Developing (2) in all four criteria would earn a total score of 8, the cumulative average score of 9.1 indicates that librarian performance, on average, meets or exceeds the Developing (2) level, even though it does not quite meet the Accomplished (3) level. In fact, nearly three quarters of the transactions scored between 9 and 12, indicating that the majority of transactions exceeded the Developing standard (see figure 2). However, while the average score of all transactions is helpful to appreciate the big picture of text reference performance, a more detailed analysis of each criterion is needed to generate quality feedback.
The rubric used to score transactions clustered criteria into four categories: Listening and Inquiring, Interest, Searching, and Follow-up. The category with the highest average score was the Searching category (see figure 1). As this is one of the most traditional and visible skills in the librarian profession, we find the evidence of a high performance level personally and professionally rewarding. Of greater use in an assessment capacity, however, are the low performance scores. The lowest-scoring criterion was the Follow-up category, with the average situated between the Beginning (1) and Developing (2) rubric scores. The Listening and Inquiring category had the second-lowest score, with the average falling between the Developing (2) and Accomplished (3) rubric scores. Both the Listening and Inquiring and Follow-up categories contain criteria that focus on librarian communication skills: Listening and Inquiring focuses on cordial yet concise communication and Follow-up emphasizes the invitation for library patrons to return if they have additional questions or need more assistance. In the Follow-up category, any transaction that did not invite the patron’s future use of the service did not receive the Accomplished rating, which significantly impacted the overall average for this category. Perhaps the expectation of an invitation to return in each transaction is a bit idealistic, but this criterion is included by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and the rating group of three professional librarians expected that the highest-performing library professionals would strive to achieve it. The resulting low scores indicate a clear need for heavier emphasis in initial and refresher training on this aspect of performance.
Another implication of such a low score in the Follow-up category is that librarians may be struggling to balance the goals of providing detailed, quality information with an invitation to return (follow-up), all while being expressly cordial within a single 160-character message. One solution may be to generate a canned response or a signature line for staff use, automatically providing a succinct welcome to return, while emphasizing the most clear text-shortening methods that would still resonate well with the library’s target population. Such signature lines could be as basic as “Use us again!” or as abbreviated as “Thx&T2UL8R” (Thanks and talk to you later). Although the canned response or signature line would take up part of the 160-character limit, the easy availability of a concise, cordial message would contribute to higher-quality text reference by providing assistance that the staff needs, as evidenced by the low Follow-up transaction scores.
While average category scores are useful for looking at the big picture, analysis of smaller data clusters yields more specific trends. For instance, only 18 transactions (4.7%) earned a Beginner (1) rating across all categories, 16 of them because they were never answered (see figure 2). On the surface this may indicate that additional technical training may be needed to ensure that staff are able to recognize incoming questions and then successfully respond to them. An alternate implication is that a higher level of attentiveness from library staff may be needed. The remaining two transactions that did include a librarian response were answered inexpertly enough to receive a total score of 4, representing a Beginner (1) rating in each category. While these were clearly problem transactions, it is encouraging that the area of needed development is in refresher training on identifying “waiting” questions and the technical response procedure, which is less disturbing than a need to retrain groups of librarians on the fundamentals of reference techniques. Only five transactions were rated Accomplished (3) across all four criteria, earning a total score of 12 (see figure 2). Although this is a disturbingly low number, it clearly validates this project’s aim: to evaluate staff performance with an eye to documenting expected standards and best practices, then providing training for library staff.
Unique to the medium of text reference, and therefore one of the main concerns of this rubric project, is the limitation of response length (usually 160 characters). While concision is a goal for many reference services, instant message, email, phone, and even face-to-face reference services have a more reasonable expectation of back-and-forth communication than text reference does. Many users, however, are subject to cell phone plans that may limit the quantity of text messages sent or even charge fees for each separate text message, a scenario that libraries promoting text services should seek to accommodate. With this limitation in mind, responding with a single text message whenever possible is imperative for librarians, even to the point of forgoing an immediate acknowledgement text which would assure patrons that their queries were received and that an answer was forthcoming. Analysis of the collected data reveals that 93% of librarian responses were constrained to a single message (see figure 9). This high result suggests that most library staff are clearly aware of the need to limit response length.
In addition to transaction scores and response length, librarian response times for transactions are also instructive (see figure 3).29 The majority of transactions (59%) received human responses within 30 minutes of the initial question, which was the timeframe established for the Accomplished (3) rating. This thirty-minute window may seem lengthy, given most students’ perception of text messaging as an instantaneous communication medium, but it allows the single librarian on duty at our library’s reference desk to balance the complete range of reference services for which she is responsible, including in-person and telephone reference questions as well as virtual queries by email, instant message, and text message. This time allotment also permits the librarian to locate the requested information and then edit the delivery of that information down to a single text message when possible. The fact that most text messages are personally handled by library staff quickly is encouraging, particularly since 51% of that 59% were answered within ten minutes. Approximately 5.7% of transactions received a human response within thirty minutes to one hour, the timeframe established for the Developing (2) rating, reinforcing the focus on response time as an important aspect of virtual reference.
The remaining portion of transactions (34%) includes the 23% that received human responses in more than 1 hour but less than one day and an approximate 5% that were handled within one to four days, as well as 2% of transactions took more than four days to receive a reply and 4% that never received a human response. This last cluster of response times (34%) points to a clear need for consistent training and reinforcement of expected standards for library staff. Transactions that never received a response (4%) may indicate the need for additional or reinforced technical training with the text reference system: either librarians were not aware of the texted query or were unable to answer it, which could indicate either inattentiveness or an inability to use the system correctly.
Clearly the majority of text messages are being addressed quickly, according to the standards crafted in the rubric for this project, despite a time limit not having been identified in previous virtual-reference training for library staff. Perhaps the initial thirty-minute expected response rate is too idealistic, and a longer timeframe should be the expectation for providing a substantive answer (not merely acknowledging the question). Expected response times differ between a text-reference service and an instant chat service, at least in the context of this study. However, students today rely heavily on texting, which may serve to blur the lines between text reference and instant chat services. Further research into the expectations of both patrons and librarians, with regards to perceived differences in communication methods and expected response times across multiple virtual reference platforms, would inform such discussion.
Closer analysis of the librarian response-time data reveals that Fridays and Saturdays had the longest time between initial question and librarian response, an average of approximately 16 hours on Friday and 20.6 hours on Saturday, compared to the lowest average on Wednesday of around 2 hours (see figure 5). One explanation of this gap may relate to the library’s operational weekend hours. The library closes early on Friday (6 p.m.), opens late and closes early on Saturday (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.), and opens even later on Sunday (2 p.m.). Since averaged response times did not take into account the library’s nonoperational hours, texted queries that were received after closing on Friday were not answered until mid-morning on Saturday, resulting in a 16-hour gap. The same is true of queries sent after closing on Saturday and not answered until Sunday afternoon—a 19-hour gap. While most weekdays averaged only two queries submitted after library closing, the majority of queries submitted outside of operational hours occurred on the day with the latest opening time: Sunday. This may indicate a need to reconsider Sunday’s operational hours or at least the need to explore options to provide virtual reference services during reduced weekend operational hours.
Analyzing response time by month also yields trends to consider (see figure 4). May and June had the poorest response times by a large margin, suggesting that the beginning of the summer semester saw librarians busy with other activities that may have prevented them from noticing text-reference questions. This pattern seems to repeat for other major semesters as well: the opening six weeks or so of each semester saw the poorest response times for that semester, suggesting that librarians, like teaching faculty, may begin the semester with an extraordinary amount of work already on their plate. October and April, on the other hand, are the months with the fastest response times, further suggesting that librarians may focus more effectively on fielding text-reference questions after the semester is well underway. Another possible explanation for poor response time in May and June is that librarian response time may be impacted by the library’s limited operational hours: May includes the spring interim, which sees a reduction in library operating hours, and June also sees reduced hours.
Further analysis of response times by hours indicates that the poorest response times—averaging almost 1 day 5 hours—are associated with questions received between 5 a.m. and 7:30 a.m., the opening time for the library and the few hours before. This may indicate problems with the library staff’s procedure for opening the reference desk or a need for technical training to recognize the presence of a waiting text-reference question. The fastest average response times are seen with questions received between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., averaging around 3.5 hours. To get a wider perspective on possible response-time issues by hour, data concerning physical reference desk transactions (including face-to-face and telephone, but not chat, email, or text) were also analyzed for the period of June 2012 to December 2012, revealing that the busiest hours of the day at the physical reference desk included 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m., and 2 p.m. (see figure 7). In comparison, the busiest text-reference hours (by number of text referenced questions received) were the four hours from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Admittedly, this seven-month sample of physical reference desk statistics, correlated with text-reference activities, provides only a limited quantity of data to compare, so these results are more anecdotal than statistically significant. Nevertheless, the results of the comparison are surprising. The researchers suspected that text-reference response times might suffer during peak periods when reference desk personnel were busy assisting face-to-face patrons. Surprisingly, the opposite was true: the busiest hours at the physical reference desk correlated with the fastest text responses of the day. Similarly, the busiest text-reference hours of the day also correlated with the fastest text response times of the day. The researchers hypothesize that reference desk personnel may become more alert when traffic picks up at the physical desk, thus resulting in better virtual response times as well, due simply to increased attentiveness. This supposition also seems to hold true for the analysis of librarian response time by month: slower months at reference, such as May and June, see a weaker response time, while October—the second-busiest month at the reference desk—sees the strongest response time.
In addition to transaction scores and response times, the researchers also examined the number of repeat patrons (see figure 8). Approximately 11% of patrons returned to use the text-reference service for a second time, while another 8% used it between three and seven times. Admittedly this is a small number of repeat patrons, with only 19% of all users returning to the service again after their first use. However, statistics on repeat patrons were determined based on cell phone numbers. It is possible that at least a few users of the text reference services may have switched phone numbers, and current statistics cannot account for this possibility.
Cell phone technologies aside, these numbers still raise questions about why most patrons do not tend to revisit this service. Many patrons may have been deterred simply by the economics of pay-per-message cell phone plans. This study does not support conclusions about return use, but it is possible that the various factors evaluated in the rubric—such as response time, cordiality, and the amount of detail or direction provided for an information source—played a role in whether a patron chose to use the service again. One goal of the researchers is to collect follow-up data on repeat patrons in the future, after best practices and staff training have been implemented for a reasonable period, to see whether repeat patronage might increase in correlation with improved service. Further research may also be warranted concerning student attitudes toward the service, whether library marketing for this service is reaching students, whether marketing and student expectations match the actual student experience, and how students’ cell phone plans address text messages, including whether pay-per-text plans deter use of the library service.
A final issue highlighted by this study relates to maintenance procedures, especially concerning hours of operation. The researchers encountered multiple transactions which lacked the appropriate automatic system response that should have been sent during nonoperational hours. This was not a technical error in the service platform, but rather a failure of the library’s Web Services personnel to consistently program auto-responses for holiday closures, limited interim hours, and so forth. This emphasizes the need for a clear and consistent maintenance routine so that patrons always receive prompt indications of the library’s status during nonoperational hours, rather than mistakenly awaiting a response while feeling ignored and poorly served.
This study demonstrates that significant issues exist with staff attentiveness to monitoring text reference. Some improvement is also needed in areas of friendliness and follow-up. These findings confirm a need for the reference department to offer more in-depth staff training than has previously been provided. Over the next academic year, the researchers plan to create and implement various support tools to educate staff about performance targets. These tools may include sample message templates or signature lines and guidelines for best practices in providing text-reference service. The researchers hope that the assessment rubric resulting from this study will provide a template for other libraries to adapt and implement in their own self-assessment.
Although the study covers three years of SMS reference data, the total number of transactions is still relatively small. Examination of a more substantial data pool may allow additional insights. The researchers are interested in partnering with other libraries to provide assessment of de-identified text reference data provided by those partners. This would not only increase the quantity of available data but also allow for a broader view of the issue, rather than focusing on only one library.
Additionally, although most questions are answered by professional librarians or long-time paraprofessional library staff, questions may occasionally have been answered by a student assistant, and the use of a single login account makes it impossible to identify the exact staff member who answered a specific question. For the purposes of our study, this does create a minimal amount of uncertainty about whether any lower-quality answers could be attributed to less proficient staff.
Finally, the researchers recognize that it would be useful to examine response time only in regards to the library’s operational hours, rather than including nonoperational hours in the calculated time for response. If a question is asked after closing and a response is sent eight hours later, but within two minutes of the library reopening, is it more accurate and helpful to report the response time as eight hours or two minutes? However, in the context of this study, the researchers determined that it was not feasible to adjust the response time calculations to include only operational hours, largely because the plan for this study did not predate and thus could not influence the manner of data collection. The data examined spanned three years, during which time the library followed at least eight different schedules of hours, and conclusively determining the operational hours of each transaction proved difficult. Furthermore, the response times as reported have been electronically calculated from the mathematical difference between the question’s arrival date/time and the date/time that the first human response was sent; adjusting this calculation to account for operational hours would require manual recalculation for all 385 transactions by subtracting nonoperational hours from the electronically calculated time. This level of manual recalculation would present a significant opportunity for human error.
The purpose of this project is to give librarians feedback on virtual reference skills such as Listening/Inquiring, Searching, Interest, and Follow-up. RUSA has identified each of these skills as important guidelines for behavioral performance of reference and information service providers.
The purpose of this rubric is to provide measurable criteria to assess the text message reference skills of professional academic librarians for the last 3 calendar years. Results of this rubric are intended to be used as a teaching/training tool to communicate expectations and give informative feedback. The assessment goal is to improve the performance of professional librarians in the area of text reference message service at Newton Gresham Library.
4. María Pinto and Ramón A. Manso, "“Virtual References Services: Defining the Criteria and Indicators to Evaluate Them,” ," Electronic Library (2012) 30, no. 1: 51–69.
6. Davis F. D., "“Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and User Acceptance of Information Technology,”," MIS Quarterly (1989) 13: 319–40.
10. Hill J. B.HillJ. B. , Madarash Hill CherieHillJ. B. , Sherman Dayne, "“Text Messaging in an Academic Library: Integrating SMS into Digital Reference,”," Reference Librarian (2007) 47, no. 1: 17–29.
21. Thomas A. Peters and Lori Bell, eds., The Handheld Library: Mobile Technology and the Librarian (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2013).
Average response times by month.
Average response times by day of the week.
Average response times by hours of the day.
Face-to-face transactions by hour, June through December 2012.
Number of questions asked per patron.
Number of text messages per library reply.
The reference interview is the heart of the reference transaction and is crucial to the success of the process. The librarian must be effective in identifying the patron’s information needs and must do so in a manner that keeps patrons at ease. Strong listening and questioning skills are necessary for a positive interaction. 1. Communicates in a clearly receptive/cordial/ encouraging manner.
2. Uses concise language, abbreviations, if appropriate, limiting responses to one text message (or 160 characters) per patron query.
• Please tell me more about your topic.
• What additional information can you give me?
• How much information do you need?
• What types of information do you need (books, articles, etc.)?
• Do you need current or historical information? 1. Communicates in a receptive/cordial/ encouraging manner.
2. Uses concise language, abbreviations, if appropriate, limiting responses to no more than two text messages (or 320 characters) per patron query.
3. Does not use open-ended questioning techniques even when appropriate to encourage the patron to expand on the request or present additional information.
• Do you need current or historical information? 1. Communicates in an abrupt manner.
2. Does not use concise language, sending responses that exceed two text messages (over 320 characters) per patron query.
4. Does not use closed questions to refine the search query.
A successful librarian must demonstrate a high degree of interest in the reference transaction. While not every query will contain stimulating intellectual challenges, the librarian should be interested in each patron’s information need and should be committed to providing the most effective assistance. Librarians who demonstrate a high level of interest in the inquiries of their patrons will generate a higher level of satisfaction among users. 1. An automatic response acknowledges user questions submitted outside of library operation hours (hours during which the library is open).
2. Provides an initial response to the patron in 30 minutes or less during library operation hours (hours during which the library is open).
3. Responds to follow-up questions, if appropriate, in 30 minutes or less during library operation hours (hours during which the library is open). 1. No automatic response acknowledges user questions submitted outside of library operation hours (hours during which the library is open).
2. Provides an initial response to the patron in a timely manner, between 30 and 60 minutes during library operation hours (hours during which the library is open).
3. Responds to follow-up questions, if appropriate, between 30 and 60 minutes during library operation hours (hours during which the library is open). 1. No automatic response acknowledges user questions submitted outside of library operation hours (hours during which the library is open).
2. Provides an initial response to the patron after more than 60 minutes during library operation hours (hours during which the library is open).
3. Responds to follow-up questions, if appropriate, after more than 60 minutes during library operation hours (hours during which the library is open).
The search process is the portion of the transaction in which behavior and accuracy intersect. Without an effective search, not only is the desired information unlikely to be found, but patrons may become discouraged as well. Yet many of the aspects of searching that lead to accurate results are still dependent on the behavior of the librarian. 1. Names the sources to be used, when appropriate.
2. Works with the patron to narrow or broaden the topic when too little or too much information is identified.
3. Recognizes when to refer the patron to a more appropriate guide, database, library, librarian, or other resource.
4. Offers detailed search paths or links/URLs to needed electronic resources. Excessively long links have been converted to a shorter link (for example, using Tiny.URL).
- Room #s 1. Names the sources to be used, when appropriate.
2. Indicates that the patron needs to narrow or broaden the topic when too little or too much information is identified.
3. Recognizes when to refer the patron to a more appropriate guide, database, library, librarian, or other resource when appropriate.
4. Offers detailed search paths or links/URLs to needed electronic resources.
5. If appropriate, general directions to physical resources are given, for example—either call #s or floor #s, but not both. 1. Does not name the sources to be used when appropriate.
2. Does not work with the patron to narrow or broaden the topic when too little or too much information is identified.
3. Does not refer the patron to a more appropriate guide, database, library, librarian, or other resource when appropriate.
4. Does not offer detailed search paths or links/URLs to needed electronic resources.
5. Even if appropriate, directions to physical resources are not given.
1. Librarian answers that were clearly inaccurate to the scoring group received the “Beginning” (1) score.
2. Close-ended questions that required little or no searching on the part of the librarian received the “Accomplished” (3) rating.
The reference transaction does not end when the librarian leaves the patrons. The librarian is responsible for determining if the patrons are satisfied with the results of the search, and is also responsible for referring the patrons to other sources, even when those sources are not available in the local library. 1. Encourages the patron to return if they have further questions by making a statement such as— “if you don’t find what you are looking for, please come back and we’ll try something else” or similar.
3. Makes arrangements, when appropriate, with the patron to research a question even after the reference transaction has been completed.
4. Refers the patron to other sources or institutions when the query cannot be answered to the satisfaction of the patron.
5. Takes care not to end the reference interview prematurely. 1. Does not encourage the patron to return if they have further questions.
2. Makes the patron aware of other reference services, if appropriate (email, instant chat, phone, etc.).
3. Does not make arrangements, when appropriate, with the patron to research a question even after the reference transaction has been completed.
4. Does not refer the patron to other sources or institutions when the query cannot be answered to the satisfaction of the patron.
2. Does not make the patron aware of other reference services even when appropriate (email, instant chat, phone, etc.).
5. Ends the reference interview prematurely, before answering or addressing all parts of a question. | 2019-04-24T22:42:41Z | https://journals.ala.org/index.php/rusq/article/view/3852/4260 |
The Chaetognatha (arrow worms) are a group of marine carnivores whose phylogenetic relationships are still vigorously debated. Molecular studies have as yet failed to come up with a stable hypothesis on their phylogenetic position. In a wide range of metazoans, the nervous system has proven to provide a wealth of characters for analysing phylogenetic relationships (neurophylogeny). Therefore, in the present study we explored the structure of the ventral nerve centre ("ventral ganglion") in Sagitta setosa with a set of histochemical and immunohistochemical markers.
In specimens that were immunolabeled for acetylated-alpha tubulin the ventral nerve centre appeared to be a condensed continuation of the peripheral intraepidermal nerve plexus. Yet, synapsin immunolocalization showed that the ventral nerve centre is organized into a highly ordered array of ca. 80 serially arranged microcompartments. Immunohistochemistry against RFamide revealed a set of serially arranged individually identifiable neurons in the ventral nerve centre that we charted in detail.
The new information on the structure of the chaetognath nervous system is compared to previous descriptions of the ventral nerve centre which are critically evaluated. Our findings are discussed with regard to the debate on nervous system organisation in the last common bilaterian ancestor and with regard to the phylogenetic affinities of this Chaetognatha. We suggest to place the Chaetognatha within the Protostomia and argue against hypotheses which propose a deuterostome affinity of Chaetognatha or a sister-group relationship to all other Bilateria.
The Chaetognatha (arrow worms) are bilaterally symmetrical marine carnivores and among the most abundant planktonic organisms. To date, about 120 described species are known worldwide from all vertical ranges of the ocean. Most of them are permanently pelagic but several epibenthic species are also known [1–3]. The chaetognaths range in length from 1–120 mm and are characterized by the presence of horizontally projecting fins and, at the anterior end, two groups of moveable, cuticular grasping spines used in capturing prey. Planktonic specimens are usually glassily transparent. Rapid bursts of swimming caused by dorso-ventral undulations alternate with phases during which the animals lie motionless and sink. Chaetognaths are hermaphroditic and develop directly so that newly hatched larvae display a body organisation that is in many aspects similar to the adult. Their phylogenetic affinities are controversial [4, 5]. Chaetognaths have traditionally been placed within the Deuterostomes mainly based on the differentiation of the archenteron seemingly resembling enterocoeli [reviewed in [1, 6–8]]. However, Kapp emphasizes the phylogenetically isolated position of the Chaetognatha and designates them as incertae sedis. Nielsen [3, 9], on the other hand, unites the Chaetognatha together with the Rotifera and Gnathostomulida in the taxon Gnathifera thus suggesting a placement within the Protostomia. Important morphological characters in this debate are e. g. the coelomic epithelia and coelom formation [6, 10–12]. Chaetognath cleavage has traditionally been perceived as "radial" and thus as suggesting a deuterostome affinity [discussed in ]. However, a recent marking experiment of the first cleavage stages shows a spiral cleavage configuration of the four cell stage thereby suggesting a protostomian relationship . A position within the Protostomia is also supported by ultrastructural features of the brain and by analyses of the genes that code for intermediate filament proteins [15, 16].
General information on the chaetognath morphology and anatomy has been summarised in the classical, histological contributions by Hertwig , Kuhl and more recently in reviews by Goto and Yoshida , Bone and Goto , Kapp [1, 21], Nielsen , and Ax ; the most detailed review of their anatomy is probably that of Shinn . Chaetognaths have a complex nervous system that is largely epidermal. The general organisation of their nervous system has been examined by Bone and Pulsford , and Goto and Yoshida [[19, 24]; reviews [2, 20]; see Fig. 2A, B]. More specifically, the fine structure of the brain has received much attention [14, 19, 25, 26]. The layout of the neuromuscular innervation and the ultrastructure of neuromuscular junctions have been described. Much attention has also been focused on sensory organs such as ciliated receptor neurons [23, 29–32], the eyes [24, 33–35], and conjunction with this also on mechanisms of positive phototactical behaviours [36, 37]. Three studies have used immunohistochemical techniques to examine the distribution of serotonin and RFamide-like immunoreactive neurons [27, 38] and aspartate immunoreactivity in the central and peripheral parts of the nervous systems.
Systematic analyses of DNA sequences have as yet failed to support an unambiguous hypothesis on chaetognath affinities (summarized in Fig. 1). Wada and Satoh clearly excluded the Chaetognatha from the Deuterostomia in an analysis based on 18S rDNA sequence. In a study also based on 18S rDNA, Telford and Holland proposed a most likely position of the chaetognaths as descendants from an early metazoan branch possibly originating prior to the radiation of the major coelomate groups. Halanych (18S rDNA) suggested a chaetognath-nematode relationship but did not include Nematomorpha and Gastrotricha into his analysis. He recognised long-branch attraction as a possible source of error but tried to minimise this error by a four-taxon analysis. Telford and Holland reported the unusual finding of two distinct classes of 28S rDNA in chaetognaths both of which diverge strongly from other Metazoa. Based on 18S rRNA sequence analysis, Littlewood et al. suggested a sister-group relationship of Chaetognatha and Gnathostomulida. They also proposed the Nematoda as the adelpho taxon to Chaetognatha + Gnathostomulida. Zrzavý et al. al. combined morphological and 18S rDNA sets in a cladistic analysis which suggested a grouping of Onychophora + (Tardigrada + Arthropoda) to be the sister group of chaetognaths. Giribet et al. also combined 18S rDNA data of 145 terminal taxa with 276 morphological characters in a total evidence regime. This analysis yielded a sister-group relationship of Chaetognatha with Nemertodermatida that the authors qualified as unstable and difficult to justify on the basis of morphological/anatomical characters. Peterson and Eernisse analysed with maximum parsimony 138 morphological characters from 40 metazoan groups and 304 18S rDNA sequences (Fig. 8). Their analyses placed the Chaetognatha within the Ecdysozoa and here within the Nematoida similar to the result of Halanych . However, this position was unstable so that the authors "suspect that this placement is potentially artifactual, and are unaware of any morphological synapomorphies shared exclusively by chaetognaths and either nematodes or nematomorphs." They conclude: "Given that chaetognaths have other bilaterian plesiomorphies not found in other ecdysozoans, we suggest that they are more likely basal to the other ecdysozoan clades". Mallatt and Winchell combined large-subunit and small-subunit rRNA sequences. Their chaetognath sequence associated with that of an onychophoran, but this was considered by the authors as unstable and probably due to long-branch attraction. Papillon et al. isolated six Hox genes from a chaetognath one of which possessed a mosaic Homeodomain sequence, which in the author's view provided evidence that the Chaetognatha could be an early off-shoot of the triploblastic lineage that predates the deuterostome/protostome split. Helfenbein et al. analysed the complete mitochondrial genome of a representative of the Chaetognatha, Paraspadella gotoi (Spadellidae). Their analysis showed that the organisation of the genes in the mtDNA is distinctive among metazoan mtDNAs and that chaetognaths miss many of the mtDNA genes commonly found in other Metazoa. Comparisons of amino acid sequences from mitochondrially encoded proteins in their analysis yielded one single most parsimonious tree that suggests a position of the Chaetognatha as a sister group to the Protostomia . Papillon et al. also analysed the mitochondrial genome of a member of the Spadellidae (Spadella cephaloptera). Contrary to the analysis of Helfenbein et al. , they placed the arrow worms within the Protostomia and assigned them to the lophotrochozoan clade. Two new papers complete this highly divergent picture. Matus et al. in a Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analysis of a 56 taxon metazoan tropomyosin data set and 72 genes from ESTs suggest a sister-group relationship of Chaetognatha to the Lophotrochozoa whereas Marlétaz et al. in a maximum likelihood and bayesian inference tree based on the analysis of a concentrated 79 proteins and 11,667 positions ribosomal protein data set proposed a sister-group relationship of Chaetognatha to all Protostomia.
Phylogram of the Bilateria based exclusively on molecular studies to illustrate the competing hypotheses on the position of Chaetognatha ("Chaetognatha 1–7") as suggested by molecular studies. The sources of the hypotheses 1 to 7 are indicated. Boxes indicate some key features of the early bilaterian nervous system (see Discussion for further details).
A historic perspective on the nervous system in representatives of the genus Sagitta. A, B: Schematic representation of the central nervous system in Sagitta crassa in a lateral (A) and dorsal (B) view (anterior is to the left; reprinted with permission from Goto and Yoshida 1987). Original abbreviations: C corona ciliata, CAN caudal nerves, CG cerebral ganglion, E eye, FC frontal connective, H mouth hooks, MC main connectives, OG oesophageal ganglion, RN radial nerves, SOG suboesophageal ganglion, VG ventral ganglion, VSG vestibular ganglion. C: The ventral ganglion (anterior is to the top) in Sagitta hexaptera in an original drawing (reprinted from Hertwig ). Original abbreviations: GZ ganglion cells ("Ganglienzellen"), N nerve fibres ("Nervenfibrillen"), P neuropil ("nervöse Punktsubstanz"). D: semischematic drawing of the ventral ganglion of Sagitta bipunctata (taken from Kuhl as redrawn from Burfield ). Original abbreviations: CBG main connective ("Hauptkonnektiv"), GZ ganglion cells ("Ganglienzellen"), LN lateral nerve tracts ("Lateralnerven"). E: Generalized scheme of the ventral ganglion of the genus Sagitta, lateral view, anterior is towards the top (modified from Shinn ). Original abbreviations: CAN caudal nerves, RN radial nerves.
Clearly, the phylogenetic position of arrow worms is unstable in both morphological and molecular studies. Yet, the recent molecular studies on mitochondrial genomes and ESTs seem to favor a position within or close to the Protostomia. Structure and development of the nervous system have always provided strong and important arguments in the discussion on metazoan phylogeny ("neurophylogeny") . Recent examples are the evolution from nerve nets to more centralised nervous systems [55, 56], the impact of apical organs, ciliary bands and serotonergic neurons on our understanding of bilaterian evolution [57–59], the fundamental phylogenetic relationships within the Arthropoda [60–62], a possible dorsoventral axis inversion during evolution towards the vertebrate CNS [55, 63, 64], or the structure of the ancestral bilaterian and chordate brain [65–69]. In the light of the conflicting hypotheses on chaetognath phylogeny, the current paper sets out to give a brief overview over the previous knowledge of the structure of the chaetognath nervous system and to explore the structure of the ventral ganglion in more detail than has been available so far. One main goal of our study was to add a new set of neuroanatomical characters to the discussion on the phylogenetic position of the Chaetognatha. Furthermore, with these data we want to contribute to the debate of how the nervous system of the last common ancester of the Bilateria may have looked like [56, 64, 68, 70].
A brief description of the layout of the adult arrow worm central nervous system will serve as the basis for illustrating our own results. It consists of six ganglia in the head, one unpaired ventral ganglion in the body, nerve tracts connecting these ganglia and peripheral nerves passing out of these ganglia [2, 19, 20] (Fig. 2). The ganglia in the head are the cerebral ganglion (the brain), a pair of vestibular ganglia, a pair of oesophageal ganglia, and a suboesophageal ganglion (Fig. 2A, B). The brain is located immediately below the surface epithelium of the head and consists of a neuropil core with numerous synapses surrounded by a layer of neuronal cell somata [14, 19, 20]. Connective nerve tracts are found between the cerebral and the vestibular, the cerebral and the ventral, and the vestibular and the oesophageal ganglia. A commissural nerve bundle behind the oesophagus connects the vestibular ganglia. The anterio-posteriorly running nerves which connect the cerebral and the ventral ganglia are called the main connectives, and those which connect the cerebral and the vestibular ganglia, the frontal connectives . Sensory organs associated with the brain are a pair of eyes [24, 33–35], a ciliated loop, the corona ciliata, localised in the dorsal part of the head [2, 20, 29–32] and the retrocerebral organ, a structure with an unknown putative sensory function .
The ventral ganglion is an elongate structure lying between the basement membrane and the epidermis. Two main connectives link it with the brain ganglia and two other nerve tracts continue caudally (Fig. 2A, B) [19, 23]. Similar to the brain, the ventral ganglion consists of a central fibrillar neuropil core, flanked by lateral clusters of cell bodies [2, 19, 20]. Along the length of the ventral ganglion a series of smaller nerves pass out radially (Fig. 2A, B) which branch in the periphery and form a dense ramifying plexus just external to the basement membrane to provide motor innervation to the body musculature and to innervate the ciliary fence receptors . The ventral ganglion controls swimming by initiating contractions of the body wall musculature and co-ordinating mechanosensory input from the numerous ciliary fence receptors in the epidermis [2, 20, 23]. The available descriptions of the lateral nerves that exit the ventral ganglion in closely related species of the genus Sagitta display a remarkable degree of variability over the last 125 years. Hertwig described an irregular array of nerve fibres ("Nervenfibrillen") to emerge from the ventral ganglion (Fig. 2C). Kuhl , presenting a modified drawing from Burfield , depicts 12 distinct, stout nerve trunks to exit the ganglion on both sides (Fig. 2D). Yet, Goto and Yoshida draw only six radial nerves on each side (Fig. 2B). In Shin , again, 12 bilaterally arranged radial nerves exit the ganglion on both sides in a nicely ordered way, much like the arrangement of the segmental nerves in the ventral nerve cord of an annelid or arthropod (Fig. 2E). In the same year, Duvert et al. published a report in which they described 20 – 30 irregularly arranged aspartate-immunoreactive fibre bundles that pass out radially from the ventral ganglion on both sides and spread out diffusely and branch in the periphery, similar to the description already provided by Hertwig .
In whole mounts of juvenile Sagitta sp. that were processed with the nuclear marker bisbenzimide the general arrangement of the ventral ganglion is visible (Fig. 3A). Scattered concentrations of nuclei on the body surface mark the location of ciliary fence receptors (arrows in Fig. 3A). Double labelling with bisbenzimide and phallotoxins to visualize actin shows that the ventral ganglion is composed of a central neuropil core that has a rectangular, elongated shape and contains longitudinal fibre tracts (Fig. 3B, C). The neuropil core is on both sides flanked by coherent zones of small (ca. 10 μm) neuronal cell somata (ganglion cells; Fig. 3B, C). Most of these somata are restricted to the sides of the ganglion rather than being located dorsally or ventrally to the neuropil. Fibre bundles that emerge from the cells in the lateral clusters approach the neuropil core from a lateral direction (Fig. 3D'). The ganglion cell somata appear to be arranged in rows between those fibre bundles (Fig. 3D"; and Fig. 6C). At the lateral margins of the soma clusters, large cell bodies are interspersed between the smaller ganglion cells at regular intervals (asterisks in Fig. 6D). These large ganglion cells were already recognized by Hertwig ("große Ganglienzellen" ) and also in later studies using methylene blue staining techniques [23, 27].
Whole mounts of subadult specimens of Sagitta sp. labelled with a nuclear marker (bisbenzimide; red channel) and a histochemical reagent to label actin (phalloidin; green chanel). The images A, B', B", C', C", D', D" are black-white inverted micrographs of specimens labelled with fluoresent reagents. A: overview of an entire specimen (nuclear marker) to show the localization of the ventral nerve centre. Arrows identify the cell clusters of fence receptor organs. Scale bar: 500 μm. B: higher magnification of the ventral nerve centre (ventral view) labelled for actin (B') to show the central neuropil core and labelled for nuclei (B") to show the flanking zones of neuronal somata. The overlay is shown in B"'. C, D: higher magnifications (same set of markers) to show details of the neuropil and arrangement of somata (ventral view). The nerve centre cell somata (C', D") appear to be arranged in rows between the emerging fibre bundles (D') that target the neuropil core in a right angle. Scale bars in B,C: 50 μm.
Immunolocalization of acetylated-alpha tubulin in adult Sagitta setosa visualized the extensive intraepidermal nerve plexus that extends throughout the entire epidermal surface of the animals (Fig. 4A, B). This dense network of fine nerve fibres is embedded between the basement membrane and the outer epithelial layer [20, 27, 39] and is known to be involved in the control of muscle contractions [23, 28, 72]. The network consists of fibres of various sizes many of which extend in a roughly anterior-posterior direction but many transverse fibres are also present (Fig. 4B). Some of the fibres have a beaded appearance suggesting the presence of synaptic varicosities. Our preparations show that the ciliary fence receptors which are also strongly immunolabelled are innervated by tiny branches of the fibre network (arrows in Fig. 4A) suggesting a sensory function of the intraepidermal plexus in addition to the known role in motor control. Hertwig and Bone and Goto observed numerous multipolar neurons associated with the fibres of the intraepidermal plexus. Tubulin immunolocalization revealed conspicuous small concentrations of labelled material (arrows in Fig. 4B) that may correspond to these peripheral neurons but we failed to establish the identity of these concentrations with sufficient certainty.
Whole mounts of adult Sagitta setosa labelled for acetylated alpha-tubulin (all imaged are black-white inverted). A: low-power dorsal view of the trunk surface (slightly posterior to the level of the ventral nerve centre) to show the intraepidermal nerve plexus. Arrows identify ciliary fence receptor organs. Scale bar: 250 μm B: higher magnification of the intraepidermal plexus. Arrows identify concentrations of labelled material that are the origin or target of very fine fibres and may correspond to peripheral multipolar neurons. Scale bar: 30 μm C, D: An irregular array of ca. 20 – 30 tubulin-labelled fibres and fibre bundles emerges laterally from both sides of the ventral nerve centre as a major source of the peripheral nerve plexus. Abbreviations: CT caudal tracts, MC main connective, NP neuropil, VG ventral nerve centre. Scale bars: 200 μm (C) and 60 μm.
An irregular array of ca. 20 – 30 tubulin-labelled fibres and fibre bundles emerges laterally from both sides of the ventral ganglion (Fig. 4C, D). These bundles contribute to and are confluent with the peripheral nerve plexus. We did not notice a regularly ordered spacing or distinct bilaterally symmetrical arrangement of these radial nerve bundles as earlier reports had indicated [2, 19]. Rather, our findings resemble the pattern of aspartate-immunoreactive fibre bundles that pass out from the ventral ganglion as described by Duvert et al. . Caudally, two thick bundles of tubulin-labelled fibres emerge from the ganglion to connect it to the intraepidermal nerve plexus in the posterior part of the animal (Fig. 4C). These caudal bundles are superficially similar to the radial fibre bundles, yet they contain more closely packed neurites. In summary, in tubulin-labelled preparations the ventral ganglion very much appears to be a condensed continuation of the peripheral intraepidermal nerve plexus.
Immunohistochemistry with the SYNORF 1 antibody (Fig. 5) that is directed against presynaptic proteins reveals an overall shape of the synaptic neuropil core in adult Sagitta setosa that is similar to that in specimens labelled for actin (Fig. 3B). Clearly, synaptic contacts are confined to the central neuropil whereas the lateral soma regions are devoid of synapses. Synapsin labelling is weak at the anterior and posterior ends of the ventral ganglion suggesting the presence of more fibre tracts than synaptic neuropil in these areas. Interestingly, synapsin immunolocalization reveals a strikingly different picture of the ventral ganglion than tubulin immunohistochemistry ("unorganized nerve plexus") in that it shows a highly ordered subdivision of the neuropil core into serially arranged compartments. The ganglion seems to be composed of an anterior-posterior sequence of ca. 80 transverse microcompartments (Fig. 5, 6A, B). At higher magnification it becomes apparent that, overlying the pattern of microcompartments, synapsin immunolabelling is particularly strong in a lateral longitudinal stripe on both sides of the neuropil whereas a narrow medial longitudinal stripe is devoid of labelling (Fig. 6A, B). Yet, at a slightly more ventral focus level, synapsin immunoreactivity is more evenly distributed across the neuropil core and microcompartments are not visible (Fig. 6B). A comparable serial arrangement of nervous elements in the chaeotognath nervous system so far has been reported in only one other study. Bone and Pulsford , using methylene blue and reduced silver staining techniques, provided evidence for the presence of many serially arranged transverse fibres that cross the neuropil core.
Immunolocalization of synapsin (SYNORF 1; green) in a whole mount of the ventral nerve centre of adult Sagitta setosa combined with a nuclear marker (red; ventral views; A is black-white inverted). Synaptic contacts are confined to the central neuropil core which shows a highly ordered subdivision into ca. 80 serially arranged microcompartments. Scale bar: 50 μm.
In addition to synapsin labelling, immunohistochemistry against RFamide provides further evidence for serially arranged nervous elements in the ventral ganglion of Sagitta setosa (Fig. 6E–G). RFamide immunoreactive neurons previously have been described in Sagitta setosa and Paraspadella gotoi , yet these authors did not map the labelling pattern in greater detail. Our study provides conclusive evidence for the presence of individually identifiable neurons in Chaetognatha that can be homologized between different specimens (Fig. 7). Double labelling that combined RFamide immunolocalization with synapsin immunohistochemistry (Fig. 6E) or a nuclear marker (Fig. 6F, G) showed that within the lateral soma zones the cell bodies of the RFamidergic neurons are located mostly close to the interface between the neuropil core and the soma clusters whereas longitudinal RFamidergic fibre tracts are restricted to the ganglion core (Fig. 6E). In Fig. 7, photomontages of the complete ventral ganglia (whole mounts) of two specimens are shown to illustrate the full extent of the RFamidergic system. The labelling pattern was consistent among the more than 20 specimens that we examined. Anteriorly, typically three fibres are present within both main connectives (CO) that link the ventral ganglion to the brain (Fig. 7, 8H, I). Three main longitudinal tracts of RFamide immunolabelled fibres can be distinguished: the medial bundle (MB), the bilaterally paired intermediate bundles (IB), and the paired lateral bundles (LB; Fig. 6G, 7B, 8A) that run along the lateral borders of the neuropil cores as double labelling with the synapsin marker shows (Fig. 6E). All fibres within these longitudinal tracts have a typical beaded appearance. One of the fibres that enter the ganglion anteriorly crosses the midline close to the entry point of the main connectives to join the medial bundle (solid arrow in Fig. 8H). The second fibre in the main connectives is also associated with the medial bundle whereas the third one joins the intermediate bundle (Fig. 8H, I). In the anterior part of the ganglion, fibres in the intermediate bundle run towards the midline and seem to cross over the median nerve bundle towards the contralateral side (Fig. 7, and open arrows in Fig. 8H, I). In contrast to the observations by Goto et al. on Paraspadella gotoi, we did not record any RFamidergic fibres that leave the ventral ganglion posteriorly.
A, B: Immunolocalization of synapsin (SYNORF 1; green) in the ventral nerve centre of adult Sagitta setosa combined with a nuclear marker (red); higher magnification of the specimen shown in Fig. 5 (A, B are black-white inverted). Overlying the pattern of microcompartments, synapsin immunolabelling is particularly strong in a lateral longitudinal stripe on both sides of the neuropil whereas a narrow medial stripe is devoid of labelling. B shows a slightly more ventral focus level of the specimen shown in A, and the microcompartments are not visible in this focus level. Scale bars: 50 μm C, D: peripheral part of the right lateral soma area of the nerve centre (ventral view) labelled with a nuclear dye (images are black-white inverted). The small neurons are arranged in transverse rows (arrows). Note the large cell bodies which are arranged in regular intervals and display only weakly labelled nuclei (asteriks). E, F, G: imunolocalization of RFamide (green) in the ventral nerve centre of Sagitta setosa (ventral views). Individually identifiable neurons are encircled (E, F) or labelled with letters (G). E is a double-labelled specimen combining RFimmunolcalization with synapsin immunohistochemistry (red). F, G are double-labelled specimen combining RFimmunolcalization with a nuclear marker (red). Abbreviations identifying the longitudinal bundles: IB intermediate bundle, LB lateral bundle, MB medial bundle. Scale bars: 50 μm (E,F), 25 μm (G).
A, B: Photomontages of the complete ventral nerve centres (whole mounts, ventral views) of two different specimens of adult Sagitta setosa; imunolocalization of RFamide (images are black-white inverted) in the ventral nerve centre (ventral views). Individually identifiable neurons that can be homologized between the two individuals are labelled with letters (for details see text). Abbreviations: CO main connectives, IB intermediate bundle, LB lateral bundle, MB medial bundle. Scale bars: 50 μm.
Details of the RFamidergic system in the ventral nerve centre (A-E, H, I are ventral views, F, G are lateral views) of adult Sagitta setosa (images are black-white inverted). A: Higher magnification of the longitudinal bundles. B-E: higher magnification of individually identified D neurons (for an overview of their location see Fig. 7). Within the cell somata, the immunolabelled material is typically concentrated in a cap of cytoplasm opposite to the point of exit of the single neurite (arrow in D). The neurites of the D neurons exit the somata in a medial direction to enter the neuropil core at a right angle to the longitudinal bundles and join the intermediate bundle (IB). They consistenly contact the inner fibres ("i") of the intermediate bundle (arrows in C, E). The inset in D is a high-magnification laser-scan micrograph of the point (arrow) where a D neurite contacts the intermediate bundle. It is unclear if the neurite of this D neuron proceeds more medially to join the medial bundle. F, G: lateral views of the ventral nerve centre, anterior is to the left; letters identify individual neurons. H, I: anterior part of the ventral nerve centre to show the main connective (CO); H and I show the same specimen at different focus levels and I is slightly more posterior than H. One of the fibres that enters/exits the nerve centre anteriorly crosses the midline to join the medial bundle (arrow in H). Fibres in the intermediate bundle give rise to a characteristic chiasm in the anterior part of the nerve centre (and open arrows in H, I). Abbreviations: CO main connectives, IB intermediate bundle, (i, o label the inner and outer fibres of the intermediate bundle), LB lateral bundle, MB medial bundle, N nucleus. Scale bars: 5 μm (D), 10 μm (C, G), 25 μm (A-B,E-F,I).
The RFamidergic neurons, all of which are unipolar, can be subdivided into two different populations: a first series of neurons with lateral somata (L1–4; small circles in Fig. 7) in the anterior third of the ganglion and a second series of slightly larger dorsal neurons (D1–5; large circles in Fig. 7) in the posterior two thirds of the ganglion the somata of which are located clearly more dorsally than those of the lateral neurons as is apparent in lateral views of the nervous system (Fig. 8F, G). Within the cell somata, the immunolabelled material is typically concentrated in a cap of cytoplasm opposite to the point of exit of the single neurite (Fig. 6G, 8D). The arrangement of the most anterior lateral neurons displayed some variation between individual specimens and in addition to the neurons L1 and L2 that we identified consistently in all six specimens that we analysed at the single-cell level, additional neurons are present in some specimens (small circles labelled with a question mark in Fig. 7). Contrary to L1 and L2, the neurons L3, L4, and D1–D6 were reliably present in all analysed specimens and hence represent typical examples for individually identifiable, bilateral symmetrically arranged neurons. The neurons D1–D5 have an identical morphology and appear to be serially repeated clones. Their neurites exit the soma in a medial direction to enter the neuropil core at a right angle to the anterior-posterior axis (Fig. 6G, 8B, C). The neurites of cells D1–D5 all cross over the lateral longitudinal bundle to join the intermediate bundle. The intermediate longitudinal bundle is composed of an inner and an outer portion (Fig. 8C). The neurites of cells D1–D5 (and also of D6; Fig. 8E) consistently contact the inner fibres of the intermediate bundle which is another indication of their serial identity (arrows in Fig. 8C). In some specimens, the presence of faintly immunolabelled material suggested the neurites of some D neurons to proceed even more medially to join the medial bundle. Screening these regions with high-magnification laser-scan microscopy did not provide conclusive evidence that this is the case (inset in Fig. 8D, arrow).
A conspicuous feature of the chaetognaths is that in addition to the central part of the nervous system, a peripheral part is present which is exclusively intraepidermal [2, 19, 20, 39] and which mediates motor innervation to the body musculature and innervates the ciliary fence receptors . By using anti-aspartate immunohistochemistry, Duvert et al. visualized this extensive intraepidermal nerve plexuses both in the head region and in the trunk. In the trunk, muscle contraction seems to be controlled by this profuse intraepidermal network [23, 28, 67]. Compared to other Bilateria, an unusual feature of the arrow worm neuromuscular system is that in the trunk axonal varicosities lack specialized junctions and are separated from underlying muscles by a thick connective stratum. Acetylcholine is the major neuromuscular transmitter, which reaches muscle cells in the trunk by diffusion through the intervening body wall extracellular matrix [2, 20]. Acetylcholinergic fibres deliver their transmitter by boutons that in the trunk region terminate on the epidermis side of the connective stratum and therefore diffusely bath the muscle cells with acetylcholine [27, 39]. It should be noted, however, that in the head, nervous fibres which target oesophageal and somatic head muscles, have conventional nerve endings and neuromuscular junctions that display ultrastructural features similar to classic motor end plates [2, 28].
Our experiments on tubulin immunolocalization confirm and extend the observations on the structure of the peripheral plexus and ventral ganglion already published by Hertwig . We showed an irregular array of ca. 20 – 30 fibres and fibre bundles to emerge laterally from both sides of the ventral ganglion. These fibres pass out radially to spread out diffusely and branch in the periphery thus being a major source for the peripheral nerve plexus. Duvert et al. described a similar irregular array of aspartate-immunoreactive fibre bundles to spread out from the ventral ganglion. These findings together contradict earlier reports that in Sagitta, six or twelve [2, 18], distinct, bilaterally arranged radial nerves exit the ganglion on both sides in a serially ordered way. Our findings therefore defy any similarities of the chaetognath ventral ganglion with the internalized ventral nerve cords of e.g. annelids or arthropods that have segmentally arranged nerves projecting into the periphery. Rather, the arrow worm ventral ganglion appears to be a condensation of the intraepidermal nerve plexus. Hertwig and Bone and Goto observed numerous multipolar neurons to be embedded within the intraepidermal plexus. These neurons in the plexus may be the evolutionary precursors of the lateral clusters of cell bodies that flank the central fibrillar neuropil core of the ventral ganglion. During the emergence of Protostomia, the neurons in the plexus may have aggregated to form the centralized nerve centres that we observe in the Protostomia (Fig. 1).
Considering its role to coordinate sensory input from the fence receptors and efferent control of the trunk muscles for swimming behavior, Bone and Goto proposed the ventral ganglion to be part of the central nervous system. From a histological point of view, the ventral ganglion can be seen as a condensation of the epidermal nerve plexus that displays a high degree of centralization. It represents a centralized, yet peripherally located center for complex sensory-motor integration. It is important to note that the chaetognath ventral ganglion is not internalized such as the subepidermal ganglia of Annelida, Arthropoda and Mollusca but remains in an intraepidermal position. It appears that, compared to other Protostomia, the Chaetognatha, by transforming a diffuse nerve net to a more centralized neuronal structure, followed their own distinct evolutionary pathway to generate a ventral nervous center in the trunk for sensory integration and motor control. Therefore, it may be appropriate to term this structure "ventral nerve centre" in order to stress the difference to ventral ganglia of other Protostomia. We suggest that this centralized nerve centre with its specific architecture and intraepidermal location is an autapomorphy of Chaetognatha.
Despite the suggested origin of the ventral nerve centre from the peripheral nerve net its central neuropil core displays a high degree of internal organization. Synapsin immunolocalization revealed a highly ordered system of serially arranged synaptic microcompartments in the ganglion core. This compartmentalization may anatomically be linked to a system of serially arranged transverse fibres that cross the neuropil core as reported by Bone and Pulsford . It does not have any equivalent in the ventral ganglia of other Protostomia [73–78] and can be considered another autapomorphy of the chaetognath ventral nerve centre. Our data on the immunolocalization of the neuropeptide RFamide provide further evidence for serially arranged nervous elements in the ventral nerve centre of Sagitta setosa and extend previous reports on the localization of this substance in Sagitta setosa and Paraspadella gotoi . Most importantly, we provide evidence for serially arranged, individually identifiable neurons that can be homologized between different specimens. Although Goto et al. (their Fig. 1d) did not map the pattern of RFamide-immunoreactive neurons in the ventral nerve centre of Paraspadella gotoi in detail, a comparison with our data nevertheless suggests that some of the L and D neurons may be evolutionary conserved across different chaetognath species. Papillon et al. described the median Hox gene SceMed4 in embryos and early hatchlings of Spadella cephaloptera. This gene is expressed in two lateral stripes in the middle of the developing ventral nerve centre. The SceMed4 mRNA is localized in the bilateral soma clusters but not in the neuropil. These authors suggested that this gene may contribute to the diversity of neuronal subpopulations and to the establishment of distinct axon projection patterns . It would be interesting to explore the expression of this gene in the organism that we studied, Sagitta setosa, to see if the region of expression coincided e.g. with the anterior-posterior transition from the "L" to the "D" type of RFamidergic neurons that we describe in the current study.
Individually identifiable neurons (see for a discussion of this concept) seem to be present in the nervous systems of all major taxa within the Protostomia: e.g. Arthropoda [60, 61], Annelida [74, 77, 78, 81–83], Nemathelminthes/Cycloneuralia [84, 85], basal Mollusca [73, 74, 86], Plathelminthes [87–89], and Gnathostomulida . Therefore, we suggest that developmental programmes generating neurons with an individual identity must be present in the ground pattern of the Protostomia. A serial arrangement of individual nerve cells cannot only be found in protostomians with typical segmentation such as annelids and arthropods [60, 77, 78], but also in unsegmented organisms such as Nematoda , Plathelminthes [87–89], Chaetognatha (present report), and in organisms the segmental organization of which is unclear such as basal Mollusca [73, 86, 91]. Our concepts of segmentation in Protostomia mainly rely on work done in annelids and arthropods (reviews e.g. [92, 93]). Budd points out that "because segmentation is an evolutionary feature, it must have been acquired in a series of functional intermediates, and the sudden imposition of eusegmentation on a non-segmental precursor seems highly unlikely." In this view, the organization of individual organ systems such as the central nervous system (but not the entire organism) into serially repeated structures may be the starting point in an evolutionary trajectory from which segmentation as we see it in annelids and arthropods emerged .
An intraepidermal nerve plexus is a prominent feature of many basal deuterostomes [55, 68]. It is present e.g. in enteropneusts , in urochordates such as tunicates , and in the basal chordate Amphioxus . An extensive intraepidermal nervous system also characterizes many Protostomia [3, 55]. Recent investigations on Annelida [77, 78, 81] and Onychophora (basal arthropods; Mayer and Harzsch, unpublished data) provide new evidence that, in addition to the internalized parts of the nervous system, the peripheral plexus is a prominent feature in these organisms that seem to have retained more motifs of a flatworm-like orthogonal nervous system than has been perceived before. It has recently been proposed that an epithelial (epidermal) nerve plexus (as is also present in Cnidaria; [97–99]) without concentrations into longitudinal cords characterizes the ground pattern of Bilateria [56, 64, 65] (Fig. 1). Yet, the presence of at least some individually identifiable neurons in basal deuterostomes such as tunicates (Urochordata; [100–102]), and the lancelet Amphioxus (Chordata; ) indicates that the potential to establish individual identities of the neurons in the plexus may not only be present in the ground pattern of Protostomia (see above) but may date back to the ground pattern of Bilateria (Fig. 1).
The evolution of the deuterostome nervous system is a field of intense research [56, 63–66, 95, 96, 103–107] but it is beyond the scope of this contribution to embark into this issue. For the Protostomia, Nielsen [3, 58] suggested that a perioral/circumesophageal brain in addition to the intraepidermal nerve plexus characterizes their ground pattern (Fig. 1). Such a circumoral brain can be recognized in most protostomian groups (e.g. Fig. 12.2 therein; and [61, 71]) and is by Nielsen [3, 58] considered to be one of the key apomorphies of the Protostomia that may have evolved from a circumoral concentration of nerve cells around the mouth as present in Cnidaria. The brain components in Chaetognatha are also arranged in such a typical circumoral pattern (compare Fig. 2).
We conclude that the nervous system architecture of Chaetognatha including ultrastructural features places them within the Protostomia (see also ). Phylogenetic affinities of the Chaetognatha to Deuterostomia in our view can be ruled out as well as molecular hypotheses that suggest a sister-group relationship to all other Bilateria [43, 49] and, to date, we consider a sister-group relationship of Chaetognatha and Protostomia [46, 50] to be unlikely. Based on the differences of the arrow worm brain to the collar-like shape of the typical cycloneuralian brain in Nematoda, we also believe that it is unlikely that Nematoda are the sister-group of Chaetognatha [42, 47]. More detailed analyses of the arrow worm ventral nerve centre and especially the brain including studies on neurogenesis will be necessary to explore any potential affinities of this group to specific taxa within the Protostomia.
Juvenile specimens of an unidentified species of the genus Sagitta were obtained from the coastal waters around the Mediterranean island Ibiza (Spain) in March 2006. A plankton net was towed across the surface waters of the Cala Llenya, Cala Vadella, Penyal de s'Aguila, and the Punta Grassio. Adult specimens of Sagitta setosa were obtained during a collection trip to the Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, German Bight http://www.awi-bremerhaven.de/BAH/ in August 2006. Specimens were obtained by horizontal (surface water samples) as well as by vertical (down to 20 meters depth) plankton hauls with the research vessel "MS Aade".
• anti-acetylated alpha-tubulin from mouse (Sigma 1:100; see e.g. ).
• anti-FMRFamide from rabbit (1:1000; Diasorin; see e.g. ).
For double labelling, combinations of these antisera were used, or the specimens were stained with the nuclear dye bisbenzimide (0.1%, 15 min. at room temperature; Hoechst H 33258), prior to the antibody incubations. Specimens were then washed for at least 2 h in several changes of PBS and subsequently incubated in secondary antibodies against mouse and rabbit proteins conjugated to the fluorochrome Alexa Fluor 488 (Molecular Probes, obtained by MoBiTec, Göttingen, Germany) for 4 hours. Finally the tissues were washed for at least 2 h in several changes of PBS and mounted in GelMount (Sigma). In control experiments, the omission of primary antibodies resulted in the absence of any neuronal labelling.
Digital images were obtained with a Zeiss Axioskop fitted with a CCD-1300B digital camera (Vosskühler GmbH) and processed with the Lucia Measurement 5.0 software package (Laboratory Imaging Ltd.). Alternatively, samples were scanned with a Leica TCS SP2 AOBS confocal laser-scanning microscope (Lichtmikroskopiezentrum, Institut für Zellbiologie und Biosystemtechnik, Universität Rostock). Those images are based on stacks of between 15 and 20 optical sections (single images are averages of four laser sweeps) of a z-series taken at intervals of 1 μm.
We would like to thank the team of the „Gastforschung“ at the Biologische Anstalt Helgoland for assistance in collecting Sagitta setosa. We gratefully acknowledge Prof. Dr. Dieter Weiß (Lichtmikroskopiezentrum, Institut für Zellbiologie und Biosystemtechnik, Universität Rostock) for providing access to a laser scanning microscope and Mr. Eik Hoffmann (Universität Rostock) for technical assistance. Our special thanks go to Mr. Jens Bünning (Universität Rostock), Mr. Rene Stüber (Dresden) and Mr. Christophe Ubbelohde (diving center H2O, Ibiza) for obtaining and sorting plankton samples. Prof. Dr. E. Buchner (Biozentrum, Universität Würzburg) generously provided samples of the SYNORF 1 antiserum. Our manuscript profited from stimulating discussion with Dr. Yvan Perez (Marseille). This study was supported by grant HA 2540/7-1 in the DFG focus programme SPP 1174 „Metazoan Deep Phylogeny“.
SH and CHGM together obtained the animals, carried out the immunohistochemical experiments and microscopic analyses, and drafted the manuscript. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript. | 2019-04-19T09:01:44Z | https://frontiersinzoology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1742-9994-4-14 |
2007-04-25 Assigned to WARSAW ORTHOPEDIC, INC. reassignment WARSAW ORTHOPEDIC, INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: DEKUTOSKI, MARK BENEDICT, POND, JOHN DURWARD, JR.
The present application discloses methods for treating spinal deformities. One embodiment includes inserting an elongated corrective member into the patient. During insertion, the corrective member is operatively attached to a first vertebral member that applies a first corrective force to correct a first vertebral member alignment. The corrective member is further inserted into the patient and subsequently operatively attached to a second vertebral member that applies a second corrective force to correct a second vertebral member alignment. The corrective member is further inserted and subsequently operatively attached to a third vertebral member that applies a third corrective force to correct a third vertebral member alignment. The embodiment may further include operatively attaching the corrective member to additional vertebral members to correct further misalignment. In one embodiment, a second member is attached to the vertebral members after they have been aligned to maintain the alignment.
The present application is directed to methods for correcting spinal deformities and, more particularly, to methods of applying a corrective force to one or more of the vertebral members.
Various deformities may affect the normal alignment and curvature of the vertebral members. Scoliosis is one example of a deformity of the spine in the coronal plane, in the form of an abnormal curvature. While a normal spine presents essentially a straight line in the coronal plane, a scoliotic spine can present various lateral curvatures in the coronal plane. The types of scoliotic deformities include thoracic, thoracolumbar, lumbar or can constitute a double curve in both the thoracic and lumbar regions. Scoliosis may also include abnormal translation and rotation in the axial and sagittal planes. Schuermann's kyphosis is another example of a spinal deformity that affects the normal alignment of the vertebral members in one or more planes. Further, a fracture of one or more of the vertebral members may cause misalignment along the spine. The term “deformity” and the like is used herein to describe the various types of spinal misalignment.
The present application discloses methods for treating spinal deformities. One embodiment of a method includes inserting a longitudinal corrective member into the patient. During insertion, the corrective member is operatively attached to a first vertebral member that applies a first corrective force to correct a first vertebral member alignment. The corrective member is further inserted into the patient and subsequently operatively attached to a second vertebral member that applies a second corrective force to correct a second vertebral member alignment. The corrective member is further inserted and subsequently operatively attached to a third vertebral member that applies a third corrective force to correct a third vertebral member alignment. The embodiment may further include operatively attaching the corrective member to additional vertebral members to correct further misalignment. In one embodiment, a second member is attached to the vertebral members after they have been aligned to maintain the alignment.
FIG. 1 is a schematic coronal view of an example of a scoliotic spine.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view in the axial plane of a pair of anchors attached to a vertebral member according to one embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of anchors attached to the vertebral members along a section of the spine according to one embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an extender in an open orientation and attached to an anchor according to one embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an extender in a closed orientation and attached to an anchor according to one embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a corrective rod and a handle according to one embodiment.
FIG. 7A is a top view of a corrective rod in a first rotational position according to one embodiment.
FIG. 7B is a top view of a corrective rod in a second rotational position according to one embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a corrective rod in a first rotational position being inserted percutaneously into a patient according to one embodiment.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a corrective rod inserted within a patient and in a second rotational position according to one embodiment.
FIGS. 10A-10F are schematic views illustrating a method of sequentially treating vertebral members according to one embodiment.
FIG. 11 is a schematic view of anchors attached to the vertebral members along a section of the spine according to one embodiment.
FIG. 12 is a schematic view of vertebral rods attached to anchors along a section of the spine according to one embodiment.
The present application is directed to methods for correcting a spinal deformity. One embodiment of the method includes initially attaching anchors to the vertebral members positioned along a length of a deformed spine. The anchors are positioned along the deformed spine in a first lateral row. An elongated corrective member is than inserted into the patient and through each of the anchors sequentially along the deformed spine. The corrective member is manipulated sequentially to move the vertebral members into alignment. The shape of the corrective member and the movement to fit within the anchors produces a corrective force. This movement sequentially translates the vertebral members at the various spinal levels to treat the spinal deformity. In one embodiment, a second member is inserted into the patient through a second lateral row of anchors. The second rod is secured to the anchors thus causing the vertebral members to remain in the aligned position.
FIG. 1 illustrates a patient's spine that includes a portion of the thoracic region T, the lumbar region L, and the sacrum S. This spine has a scoliotic curve with an apex of the curve being offset a distance X from its correct alignment N in the coronal plane. The spine is deformed laterally and rotationally so that the axes of the vertebral members 90 are displaced from the sagittal plane passing through a centerline of the patient. In the area of the lateral deformity, each of the vertebral members 90 includes a concave side and a convex side. One or more of the vertebral members 90 may be further misaligned due to rotation as depicted by the arrows R. As a result, the axis of the vertebral members 90 which are normally aligned along the coronal plane are non-coplanar and extend along multiple planes.
Correction of the spinal deformity initially requires placing anchors within the vertebral members 90. FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment that includes anchors 20 within the pedicles of the vertebral member 90. The anchors 20 are positioned on each lateral side of the spinous process 91 and include a shaft 21 that extends into the vertebral member 90, and a head 22 positioned on the exterior. Head 22 may be fixedly connected to the shaft 21, or provide movement in one or more planes. Head 22 further includes a receiver 23 to receive a rod as will be explained in detail below. A set screw (not illustrated) is sized to engage with the head 22 to capture the rod within the receiver 23.
In one embodiment, a pair of anchors 20 is positioned within each of the vertebral members 90 along the deformed section of the spine. In another embodiment, a single anchor 20 is positioned within one or more of the vertebral members 90. The single anchor 20 is positioned within either pedicle location.
FIG. 3 schematically illustrates the vertebral members 90 that form the deformed spine. One or more anchors 20 are mounted to vertebral members 90 along a section of the spine. In one embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 3, each of the vertebral members 90 includes at least one anchor 20. In another embodiment, one or more of the vertebral members 90 does not include anchors 20. The anchors 20 are arranged to form first and second rows A, B. The first row A is formed by anchors 20 a positioned at a first lateral position of the vertebral members 90. Each anchor 20 a is positioned at substantially the same lateral position within the respective vertebral member 90. Second row B is formed by anchors 20 b positioned at a second lateral position. Likewise, each anchor 20 b is positioned at substantially the same lateral position within each vertebral member 90. In one embodiment, rows A and B extend along the spine in a substantially parallel manner.
An extender 30 may be connected to one or more of the anchors 20 along one of the rows A, B. The extenders 30 may function both as a reduction device, as well as a translation and rotation device as will be described in detail below. FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment of an extender 30 attached to an anchor 20. Extender 30 includes a tubular element 33 with a distal end 31 and a proximal end 32. The tubular element 33 includes a length such that the proximal end 32 extends outward from the patient when the distal end 31 is mounted to the anchor 20.
The distal end 31 includes a pair of opposing legs 39 that connect to the head of the anchor 20. The legs 39 form an opening that aligns with the receiver 23 to form a window 36. The distal end 31 may further include threads adapted for threading engagement with a corresponding portion of the bone anchor 20, or to an element coupled to one or more bone anchors 20. The threads couple the extender 30 to the anchor 20. In a specific embodiment, the threads are engaged with a threaded projection associated with a bone screw, such as, for example, an externally threaded nut used with a pedicle screw. One embodiment of a pedicle screw is used in association with the CD-Horizon Legacy Spinal System manufactured by Medtronic Sofamor Danek of Memphis, Tenn.
A sliding member 34 is movably positioned on the exterior of the tubular element 33 and located in proximity to the distal end 31. Sliding element 34 includes contact edges 35 that form an upper edge of the window 36. The proximal end 32 includes a fitting 38 that is operatively connected to the sliding element 34. Rotation of the fitting 38 in first and second directions causes the sliding element 34 to move downward and upward respectively along the tubular element 33. One example of an extender 30 is the Sextant Perc Trauma Extender available from Medtronic Sofamor Danek of Memphis, Tenn.
FIG. 4 illustrates the extender 30 in an open orientation with the sliding element 34 positioned towards an intermediate section of the tubular element 33. The open orientation gives the window 36 an enlarged size. FIG. 5 illustrates the extender 30 in a closed orientation with the sliding element 34 positioned towards the distal end 31. Movement between the open and closed orientations is caused by rotation of the fitting 38.
A corrective rod 50 is then sequentially inserted along the spine and attached to the anchors 20 at the various spinal levels. The corrective rod 50 may be inserted in a top-to-bottom direction or a bottom-to-top direction. FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of the corrective rod 50 attached to an inserter 60. The corrective rod 50 includes an elongated shape with a tip 51 and a second end 52. In one embodiment, the tip 51 may be sharpened to facilitate insertion and movement through the patient. The length of the rod 50 may vary depending upon the length of the deformed spinal segment to be corrected. As illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the ends 51, 52 may include a locking aspect to attach with the inserter 60. In one embodiment, the locking aspect includes one or more flat sections and a narrow neck section. These sections maintain the orientation of the corrective rod 50 relative to the inserter 60 during insertion and rotation.
The corrective rod 50 includes a pre-bent shape to apply specific corrective forces to the individual vertebral members 90. In one embodiment, the shape of the corrective rod 50 is determined by studying the flexibility of the spinal deformity prior to the procedure. The shape of the rod 50 corresponds to the needed displacement to translate and/or rotate the vertebral members 90 into alignment. A greater amount of bend at the tip 51 allows for a greater amount of translation and rotation of the vertebral members 90. Rod 50 may be bent in one, two, or three dimensions depending on the amount of correction needed for the vertebral members 90 in the coronal, sagittal, and axial planes.
The curvature of the rod 50 may be more pronounced within a first plane than in a second plane. FIG. 7A illustrates an elevational view of the rod 50 along a first rotational plane. Rod 50 is substantially straight with a line M extending through the tip 51 and the second end 52. This orientation may be used for initial insertion of the rod 50 into the patient. FIG. 7B illustrates the rod 50 in a second rotational plane. The rod 50 is curved away from the line M. This curvature applies a corrective force as will be explained below. In one embodiment, the first plane is offset by about 90 degrees from the second plane.
The corrective rod 50 may be attached to an inserter 60 for insertion and positioning within the patient. As illustrated in FIG. 6, inserter 60 includes a neck 61 with a curved shape for percutaneously inserting the rod 50 into the patient. A handle 62 may be positioned at the end of the neck 61. Handle 62 is sized for grasping and manipulating by the surgeon.
The corrective rod 50 is inserted into the patient P as illustrated in FIG. 8. The insertion begins with inserting the tip 51 into the patient and through a first anchor 20 attached to a first vertebral member 90. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the tip 51 is moved through a first window formed by the first anchor and first extender 30A. After moving through the window, the corrective rod 50 is further inserted into the patient. Insertion into a second window formed by the second anchor and extender 30B at a second vertebral member 90 may require the rod 50 to be rotated and laterally moved relative to the vertebral members 90 because the curvature of the spine causes the second anchor 20 to be misaligned with the first anchor 20. The rotation and lateral movement of the rod 50 during the insertion applies a force to translate and/or rotate the second vertebral member 90 into alignment with the first vertebral member 90. FIG. 9 illustrates the handle 60 and corrective rod 50 being rotated approximately 90° relative to the position in FIG. 9.
This process continues as the tip 51 is moved sequentially through a third window formed at the third extender 30C, and through a fourth window formed at the fourth extender 30D. The insertion of the tip 51 into each window and the accompanying rotation of the corrective rod 50 applies a corrective force to that vertebral member 90 to translate and/or rotate the vertebral member 90 into alignment.
In one embodiment as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the insertion process is performed percutaneously by the surgeon manipulating the handle 62 of the inserter 60 which remains on the exterior of the patient. In one embodiment, movement of the rod 50 through the patient P is performed using fluoroscopy imaging techniques.
In one embodiment, the windows 36 formed at the various anchors 20 by the extenders 30 are in the open orientation prior to and during insertion of the corrective rod 50. In one embodiment, the window 36 is moved to the closed orientation once the tip 51 has moved through the window. The reduction includes rotating the fitting 38 on the proximal end 32 of the extender 30. As best illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, rotation of the fitting 38 causes the sliding member 34 to move distally along the tubular element 33. This movement causes the contact edge 35 on the sliding member 34 to contact and move the corrective rod 50 distally towards the anchor 20. In one embodiment, the windows 36 are completely closed with the rod 50 being seated within the anchors 20. In another embodiment, the windows 36 may only be partially closed. In another embodiment, the windows 36 may remain in the open orientation until the rod 50 is positioned through each of the anchors 20.
In one embodiment, the corrective rod 50 is rotated at each spinal level as part of the insertion process of moving the tip 51 through each anchor 20. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the rod 50 may be originally inserted into the patient P while in a first rotational position. This first orientation may include the handle 62 being in a vertical orientation that is spaced away from the patient P. During the insertion, the rod 50 may ultimately end up in a different rotational position as illustrated in FIG. 9. The amount of rotation between the initial insertion and final position may vary depending upon the application. In one embodiment as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the amount of rotation is about 90 degrees. Other embodiments may include rotation of about 180 degrees.
In another embodiment, the corrective rod 50 remains substantially within the same rotational position during insertion into the patient. Once the rod 50 is positioned through each of the anchors 20, the rod 50 is rotated to apply the additional corrective force to the vertebral members 90 due to the curvature of the rod 50.
FIGS. 10A-10F illustrates the sequential steps of correcting the deformed spine. As illustrated in FIG. 10A, corrective rod 50 is initially inserted through the first window formed by anchor and extender 20/30A attached to the first vertebral member 90A. Once inserted, the corrective rod 50 is further manipulated to move the tip 51 through the second window formed by anchor and extender 20/30B attached to the second vertebral member 90B. The corrective rod 50 is rotated once it is positioned within the windows of anchor/extenders 20/30A, 20/30B, to align the first and second vertebral members 90A, 90B as illustrated in FIG. 10B.
The corrective rod 50 is next inserted through a third window formed by anchor and extender 20/30C attached to a third vertebral member 90C as illustrated in FIG. 10C. After the corrective rod 50 is within the third window of anchor/extender 20/30C and prior to insertion into a subsequent window formed by anchor/extender 20/30D, the corrective rod 50 is again rotated to align the first three vertebral members 90A, 90B, 90C as illustrated in FIG. 10D.
The corrective rod 50 is than moved in a manner to insert the tip 51 through the fourth window of anchor/extender 20/30D attached to the fourth vertebral member 90D as illustrated in FIG. 10E. Once inserted, the corrective rod 50 is rotated to align the first four vertebral members 90A, 90B, 90C, 90D as illustrated in FIG. 10F. This sequential process continues with the remaining vertebral member 90E, 90F of the deformed spine being individually aligned by moving the corrective rod 50 through the windows associated with anchor/extenders 20/30E and 20/30F and rotating the corrective rod 50.
The extenders 30 attached to the anchors 20 are also used during the sequential process to apply forces to the vertebral members 90. Once the corrective rod is inserted through the first two windows formed by anchors/extenders 20/30A and 20/30B as illustrated in FIG. 10A, the windows may be substantially closed. The closing action may force the corrective rod to seat within the anchors. The reduced window size also causes the rotational force of the corrective rod 50 to be applied to the vertebral members 90A, 90B. The windows remain open enough to allow for the corrective rod 50 to be inserted into the other subsequent windows.
The windows may be closed or opened sequentially at each vertebral member 90 prior to rotation of the corrective rod 50. As illustrated in FIG. 10C, window formed at anchor/extender 20/30C is closed prior to rotation as illustrated in FIG. 10D. Likewise, window formed at anchor/extender 20/30D is closed prior to rotation illustrated in FIG. 10F.
The corrective rod 50 aligns the vertebral members 90 as schematically illustrated in FIG. 11. For purposes of clarity, the corrective rod 50 and the extenders 30 are removed from this Figure.
With the corrective rod 50 remaining within one of the anchor rows A, B, a second rod 60 is inserted within the second row. In one embodiment, prior to insertion of the second rod 60, extenders 30 are attached to the anchors 20 of the second row. In one embodiment, attachment of the extenders 30 to the second row of anchors 20 may occur prior to insertion of the corrective rod 50. In another embodiment, the extenders 30 are attached after the corrective rod 50 has been inserted and alignment of the vertebral members 90.
The second rod 60 maintains the vertebral members 90 within their new alignment. The process of inserting the second rod 60 may be similar to insertion of the corrective rod 50. The surgeon percutaneously inserts the second rod 60 into the patient and moves the second rod 60 through each of the anchors 20. For anchors 20 with associated extenders 30, the windows 36 are reduced in size towards the closed orientation after insertion of the second rod 60.
Once the second rod 60 is positioned, set screws may be attached to the anchors 20 to maintain the position of the rod 60. In anchors 20 with extenders 30, the set screws may be inserted through the interior of the extenders 30. The set screws engage with threads on the anchors 20 and maintain the second rod 60 attached to the anchors 20. In one embodiment, the set screws may include threads that engage with the head portions of the bone anchors 20 via a driving tool to maintain the rod 60 in engagement with the anchors 20. In one embodiment, a driving tool is inserted through the interior of the extenders 30. The tool includes a drive shaft including a distal end portion that is positioned within a tool receiving recess in the set screw, and a handle for imparting rotational force onto the drive shaft.
In one embodiment, the corrective rod 50 remains within the patient after the surgical procedure. The corrective rod 50 maintains the alignment of the vertebral members 90.
In another embodiment, once the second rod 60 is attached along one anchor row, the corrective rod 50 may be removed. Removal may initially require one or more of the windows 36 to be moved towards the open orientation. Removal requires the surgeon to manipulate the handle 62 and pull the corrective rod 50 from each anchor 20 and from the patient P. In one embodiment, a third rod 70 is then inserted to replace the corrective rod 50. Third rod 70 is shaped to maintain the vertebral members 90 in proper alignment. The insertion and attachment method is similar to that described above with reference to the second rod 60. FIG. 12 illustrates one embodiment with the second rod 60 inserted within the anchors 20 a of row A, and the third rod 70 within the anchors 20 b of row B.
In one embodiment as described above, the corrective rod 50 is rotated after initial insertion to provide an additional amount of corrective force to be applied to the vertebral members 90. In another embodiment, threading the corrective rod 50 through the windows 36 provides an adequate amount of corrective force and aligns the vertebral members 90. In this embodiment, the corrective rod 50 is not rotated to a second rotational position.
In the embodiment described above, extenders 30 are attached to one or more of the anchors 20. The extenders 30 may be attached to each of the anchors 20 along one or both anchor rows A, B, or along less than each anchor 20. In one embodiment, no extenders 30 are attached to the anchors 20 and the one or more rods are inserted directly into the receivers 23 in the anchors 20.
In the embodiments of FIGS. 11 and 12, two anchor rows A, B are attached to the vertebral members 90. In another embodiment, a single anchor row is attached to the vertebral members 90. In one embodiment with a single anchor row, the corrective rod 50 is removed after the vertebral members 90 are moved into alignment, and replaced with a second rod. In another embodiment with a single anchor row, the corrective rod 50 remains attached to the vertebral members 90 and within the patient.
In one embodiment, rods 60, 70 are attached to the vertebral members 90 to maintain the alignment. Various other members may be used to maintain the alignment of the vertebral members 90. The members may include but are not limited to a plate, bar, cable, tether, or other suitable elongate implant capable of maintaining the vertebral members 90 in the corrected alignment.
In one embodiment, the rods 50, 60, 70 are formed of a biocompatible material, such as, for example, stainless steel or titanium. However, other materials are also contemplated, including, for example, titanium alloys, metallic alloys such as chrome-cobalt, polymer based materials such as PEEK, composite materials, or combinations thereof. In one embodiment, one or more of rods 50, 60, 70 include an injectable construction that is inserted into the patient and afterwards filled with a hardening polymer.
Rods 60, 70 may be substantially straight within the plane illustrated in FIG. 11. In another embodiment, the rods 60, 70 are bent or contoured, either outside of the patient's body or in-situ, to more closely match the position, orientation and alignment of the vertebral members 90.
In the embodiment described above, the extenders 30 include sliding members 34 to adjust the size of the windows 36. In another embodiment, extenders 30 are cylindrical tubes that do not include sliding members 34. A distal end of the tubes may be threaded to engage with the anchors 20, and the interior be substantially open to insert a set screw.
The devices and methods may be used to treat various abnormal spinal curvatures such as scoliosis. The devices and methods may also be used to treat other spinal deformities including kyphotic deformities such as Scheurmann's kyphosis, fractures, congenital abnormalities, degenerative deformities, metabolic deformities, deformities caused by tumors, infections, trauma, and other abnormal spinal curvatures.
In one embodiment, the devices and methods are configured to reposition and/or realign the vertebral members 90 along one or more spatial planes toward their normal physiological position and orientation. The spinal deformity is reduced systematically in all three spatial planes of the spine, thereby tending to reduce surgical times and provide improved results. In one embodiment, the devices and methods provide three-dimensional reduction of a spinal deformity via a posterior surgical approach. However, it should be understood that other surgical approaches may be used, including, a lateral approach, an anterior approach, a posterolateral approach, an anterolateral approach, or any other surgical approach.
The anchors 20 described above are some embodiments that may be used in the present application. Other examples include spinal hooks configured for engagement about a portion of a vertebral member 90, bolts, pins, nails, clamps, staples and/or other types of bone anchor devices capable of being anchored in or to vertebral member 90. In one embodiment, anchors 20 include fixed angle screws.
In still other embodiments, bone anchors may allow the head portion to be selectively pivoted or rotated relative to the threaded shank portion along multiple planes or about multiple axes. In one such embodiment, the head portion includes a receptacle for receiving a spherical-shaped portion of a threaded shank therein to allow the head portion to pivot or rotate relative to the threaded shank portion. A locking member or crown may be compressed against the spherical-shaped portion via a set screw or another type of fastener to lock the head portion at a select angular orientation relative to the threaded shank portion. The use of multi-axial bone anchors may be beneficial for use in the lower lumbar region of the spinal, and particularly below the L4 vertebral member, where lordotic angles tend to be relatively high compared to other regions of the spinal column. Alternatively, in regions of the spine exhibiting relatively high intervertebral angles, the anchors 20 may include a fixed angle.
In one embodiment, the treatment of the deformity is performed percutaneously. In other embodiments, the treatment is performed with an open approach, semi-open approach, or a muscle-splitting approach.
further inserting the corrective member into the patient and moving the corrective member through a third anchor attached to a third vertebral member and applying a second corrective force to align the third vertebral member with the first and second vertebral members.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching the anchors at a common position to each of the first, second, and third vertebral members prior to inserting the corrective member.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of moving the correcting member through the second and third anchors comprises laterally moving the corrective member and rotating the corrective member within the patient.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of moving the corrective member through the second anchor comprises moving the corrective member through a window formed between the second anchor and an extender.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising reducing a size of the window to apply the first corrective force to the second vertebral member.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of applying the first corrective force to align the second vertebral member with the first vertebral member causes translation and rotation of the second vertebral member.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising inserting a second member into the patient after aligning the vertebral members and attaching the second member to the vertebral members to maintain the alignment.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the corrective member from the patient after aligning the vertebral members.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of inserting the elongated corrective member into the patient is performed percutaneously.
subsequently operatively attaching the corrective member to a third vertebral member and applying a third corrective force to correct a third vertebral member alignment.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of correcting the first, second, and third vertebral member alignment includes applying a rotational force to at least one of the vertebral members.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of correcting the first, second, and third vertebral member alignment includes applying a translational force to at least one of the vertebral members.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of percutaneously inserting the corrective member into the patient comprises rotating the corrective member.
14. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of percutaneously inserting the corrective member into the patient comprises laterally moving the corrective member.
15. The method of claim 10, further including attaching a second member to the vertebral members after applying the third corrective force to correct the third vertebral member alignment.
16. The method of claim 10, further comprising attaching an anchor to each of the vertebral members prior to percutaneously inserting the corrective member.
sequentially attaching the corrective member to a plurality of vertebral members forming a spinal segment and aligning the vertebral members by applying a different corrective force to each of the vertebral members.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising rotating at least one of the plurality of vertebral members.
after applying the third corrective force, inserting a second member into the patient and attaching the second member to each of the vertebral members to maintain a corrected alignment of the vertebral members.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising removing the corrective member from the patient after attaching the second member to each of the vertebral members.
21. The method of claim 19, further comprising moving the corrective member through a window formed between the first anchor and an extender attached to the first anchor.
wherein each of the first, second, and third corrective forces are different.
23. The method of claim 22, further comprising attaching the corrective rod to at least one vertebral member within each of the first, second, and third spinal segments. | 2019-04-23T05:01:16Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/US20080269805A1/en |
A computer-implemented method is provided for creating an image-based reflowable file. The image-based reflowable file is configured to automatically adapt itself to be rendered on various sized displays and windows, by permitting the lines of reflow objects to “reflow” according to the given size of a display or window. The method includes receiving. First, an image of content having reflow objects and identifying bounding regions to enclose a reflow object contained in the image. A reflow object baseline for each of the reflow objects is then identified and the position of each of the bounding regions containing the reflow objects is determined, relative to the image and also relative to the corresponding reflow object baseline. The size of each of the bounding regions is then determined, for example in terms of width and height, and stored.
The present invention is directed to processing of digital images, and more particularly to processing and displaying images of content having text therein.
Some readers, however, may have computing devices with displays, which are sized differently from the display for which a page image is originally formatted. Also, some readers may wish to view the text in a page image in a varyingly-sized window within a display. In one embodiment, a consent provider can generate and maintain different versions of the same content to accommodate for various display embodiments. This approach; however, can be inefficient and costly. The present invention is directed to providing a page image file, which is configured to automatically adapt itself to be rendered on displays or windows of various sizes.
In accordance with various exemplary embodiments, the present invention offers a computer-implemented method, system, and computer-accessible medium having instructions encoded thereon, for creating an image-based reflowable file. The image-based reflowable file is configured to be rendered on various sized displays and windows, by permitting the lines of text to “reflow” according to the given size of a display or window. As used herein, the “reflow” of lines refers to changing line segmentation in text.
The method for creating an image-based reflowable file generally includes six steps. First, an image of content having text is received, for example, by scanning in the image of the text. Second, a bounding region is found for each of the reflow objects contained in the text. Third, a reflow object baseline is found for each of the reflow objects in the text. Briefly, a reflow object baseline for a word refers to a line that coincides with the bottom lines of the majority of characters appearing in the word. Fourth, the position of each bounding region containing a reflow object is determined relative to the image and also relative to its corresponding reflow object baseline. For example, the position of a bounding region relative to its corresponding reflow object baseline may be defined as an offset distance between one side of the bounding region and the reflow object baseline. Fifth, the size of each of the bounding regions is determined. In one aspect, the size of the bounding region is defined by its width and height. Sixth, the size and position of each of the bounding regions are stored. The image-based reflowable file, which is created according to a method of the present invention, therefore, defines the size and the position of each of the bounding regions, each being further associated with a reflow object baseline, which contain the reflow objects that appear in the received image having text.
In accordance with further embodiments of the present invention, an image-based reflowable file created in accordance with a method of the present invention may then be rendered on displays or windows of various sizes. In one embodiment, a method of rendering an image-based reflowable file on a display or window of a given size generally includes six steps. First, an image-based reflowable file comprising an image including text is received. In the file, each reflow object forms a sub-image and is defined in a bounding region, and the size and the position of each bounding region as appearing in the image are defined. Second, the size of the display or window is determined. If the display/window size is the same as the original display/window size for which the image-based reflowable file has been created, then the file may be rendered using the size and the position of each of the bounding regions “as is.” Specifically, the bounding regions (and thus the reflow objects contained therein) may be rendered on the display/window according to their positions and sizes as defined in the file.
If, on the other hand, the display/window size is in any way different from the original display/window size, then, in the third step, the number of bounding regions that fit horizontally per each horizontal line on the display, with a predefined minimum spacing between adjacent bounding regions, is determined based on the size of each bounding region. For example, given the horizontal dimension of the display/window, and the width dimension of each of the bounding regions, it can be determined how many bounding regions will fit horizontally per each horizontal line. Fourth, the horizontal position of each bounding region relative to each horizontal line is determined. Fifth, the vertical position of each of the bounding regions that fit horizontally per each horizontal line is determined based on the size of the bounding region. For example, given the vertical dimension of the display/window and the height dimension of each of the bounding regions, it can be determined how to vertically and consistently space apart the bounding regions that fit horizontally along a plurality of horizontal lines on the display. As a further specific example, the determination of the vertical position of each bounding region can be accomplished by first determining the vertical position of each of the plurality of horizontal lines based on the size of the display (e.g., by dividing the vertical dimension of the display by a minimum spacing) and by determining the vertical position of each bounding region so as to align the reflow object baseline of the bounding region with the corresponding horizontal line. In the sixth step, the bounding regions, and hence the sub-images of the reflow objects contained therein, are rendered according to the determined horizontal and vertical positions of the bounding regions.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, an image-based reflowable file created in accordance with a method of the present invention may be rendered on a display/window according to a zoom level requested by a reader. In this embodiment, the step of determining the number of bounding regions that fit horizontally per each horizontal line consists of first resizing the bounding regions according to the display zoom level as requested, and then determining the number of resized bounding regions that fit horizontally per each horizontal line. The step of determining the horizontal position of each bounding region relative to each horizontal line similarly consists of determining the horizontal position of each resized bounding region relative to the horizontal line. The step of determining the vertical position of each of the bounding regions that fit horizontally per each horizontal line consists of determining the vertical position of each resized bounding region so that the resized reflow objects in the resized bounding regions that fit horizontally along a plurality of horizontal lines are consistently spaced apart vertically. Lastly, the step of rendering the sub-images of the reflow objects consists of rendering the sub-images of the reflow objects defined in the resized bounding regions according to the determined horizontal and vertical positions of the resized bounding regions. For example, if a zoom-up is requested, the size of each bounding region is enlarged, and the resized (enlarged) bounding regions, and hence the resized (enlarged) reflow objects contained therein, are rendered.
FIGS. 6A and 6E illustrate the concept of reflow object baselines and how they can be derived from per-character baselines.
The present invention is directed to a computer-implemented method, system, and computer-accessible medium having instructions encoded thereon, for creating an image-based reflowable file. The image-based reflowable file is configured to automatically adapt itself to be rendered on various output media, such as various sized displays and windows, printed media, etc. More specifically, the image-based reflowable file permits lines of reflow objects to reflow according to the given dimensions and limitations of a selected output medium, such as the size of a display or window. It should be understood that, in the context of the present invention, the term “reflow objects” includes a selection of one or more letters, characters, symbols, numbers, formulas, graphics, line drawings, table borders, textual content, etc., that may be used to represent information in an image. In an illustrative embodiment, identifiable content, such as words, can be represented as a single reflow object. Alternatively, identifiable content can also be represented as a number of reflow objects. As described above, reflow relates to the modification of line segmentation for the reflow objects.
FIG. 1 provides an exemplary overview of one computing environment in which embodiments of the invention may be implemented. The depicted environment includes a reflowable file generation server 10 and a client system 12 communicatively connected by a network 16, such as the Internet. The client system 12 is shown associated with a user 18. As further depicted in FIG. 1, the reflowable file generation server 10 includes or communicates with an image-based reflowable file database 19. In the illustrated embodiment, the client system 12 is configured to receive one or more image-based reflowable files from the reflowable file generation server 10 via the network 16 and render them on an output media, such as a display screen. In an illustrative embodiment, a suitable viewer (e.g., Web browser) application is operating on the client system 12 to cause it to render the image-based reflowable files on a computer display.
The network 16 in FIG. 1 may be a Local Area Network (“LAN”), a larger network such as a Wide Area Network (“WAN”), or a collection of networks, such as the Internet. Protocols for network communication, such as TCP/IP, are well known to those skilled in the art of computer networks. The present invention is described herein as using the Internet. Persons of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the invention may also be used in other interactive environments, such as local or wide area networks that connect servers storing related documents and associated files, scripts, and databases, or broadcast communication networks that include set-top regions or other information appliances providing access to audio or video files, documents, scripts, databases, etc.
FIGS. 2A and 2B depict exemplary computer architectures for the reflowable file generation server 10 and the client system 12 shown in FIG. 1. The exemplary computer architectures for the reflowable file generation server 10 (FIG. 2A) and the client system 12 (FIG. 2B) can be used to implement one or more embodiments of the present invention. Of course, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the reflowable file generation server 10, as well as the client system 12, may include greater or fewer components than those shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B.
The reflowable file generation server 10 in FIG. 2A connects to the network 16 (FIG. 1) using a network interface 20. The network interface 20 enables the reflowable file generation server 10 to communicate data, control signals, data requests, and other information via the computer network 16. For instance, the reflowable file generation server 10 may receive a file containing digital images of content having reflow objects therein from the network 16 via the network interface 20.
The reflowable file generation server 10 further includes a processor 21, a memory 22, a computer-readable medium drive 25 (e.g., disk drive), and an input/output interface 26, all communicatively connected to each other and to the network interface 20 by a communication bus 28. The display device 24 may be a typical display device, such as a computer display (e.g., CRT or LCD screen), television screen, etc. The input/output interface 26 is configured to communicate with one or more external devices, such as an input device 27 to capture images of content having text therein. The input device 27 may be any device capable of capturing images including but not limited to a video camera, scanner, digital camera, copier, scanning pen, etc. The input/output interface 26 may also be configured to communicate with one or more external output devices, such as display adapter 23. Display adapter 23 provides signals to a display device 24 that enables a user to observe and interact with the reflowable file generation server 10. Additionally, the input/output interface 26 may also be configured to communicate with various printing adapters (not shown) to render the reflowable files on printed media. The input/output interface 26 may also communicate with external devices not shown in FIG. 2A, such as a mouse, keyboard, pen, or other device that can be operated by a user.
The processor 21 is configured to operate in accordance with computer program instructions stored in a memory, such as the memory 22. Program instructions may also be embodied in a hardware format, such as a programmed digital signal processor. Furthermore, the memory 22 may be configured to store digital images of content having reflow objects therein for processing, transmission, and display in accordance with the present invention.
The memory 22 generally comprises RAM, ROM, and/or permanent memory. The memory 22 stores an operating system 29 for controlling the general operation of the reflowable file generation server 10. The operating system 29 may be a general-purpose operating system such as a Microsoft® operating system, UNIX® operating system, or Linux® operating system. The memory 22 further stores an optical character recognition (OCR) application 30 comprised of program code and data designed to analyze digital images containing reflow objects therein. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize a wide variety of algorithms and techniques capable of analyzing and recognizing reflow objects in an image. For purposes of the present invention, however, it is not necessary that the algorithms and techniques actually recognize the individual characters or symbols or interpret their meanings, as achieved by many OCR routines. Rather, an OCR-like process may be used, in which limited information such as the baselines and the location and size of characters in a digital image is ascertained. As used herein, the term “character recognition” refers to all forms of character recognition using scanners and computer algorithms. Examples of commercially-available OCR software include OmniPage Pro™ from ScanSoft, Inc., and FineReader™ from SmartLink Corporation. The memory 22 additionally stores program code and data providing a reflowable file generation application 31. The reflowable file generation application 31 contains program code and data for processing a digital image received via the network interface 20, the input/output interface 26, etc., to generate an image-based reflowable file, which can then be sent to the image-based reflowable file database 19 for storage.
FIG. 2B depicts an exemplary computer architecture for the client system 12 shown in FIG. 1. The client system 12 in FIG. 2B includes several components that may operate similarly to the components of like names described above in regard to the reflowable file generation server 10. The client system 12 includes a processor 32 in communication with a memory 33, a display adapter 34 coupled with a display device 35, a computer-readable medium drive 36, an input/output interface 37 coupled to an input device 38, and a network interface 39, all communicatively connected by a bus 40.
The memory 33, as shown, stores an operating system 41 that controls the general operation of the client system 12. The memory additionally stores a viewer program 42, such as a Web browser program. In accordance with various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the processor 32, in connection with the viewer program 42 and the display adapter 34, adaptively renders an image-based reflowable file on the display device 35 regardless of the particular size of the display device 35. In the present description, the term “display” and the term “window” may be used interchangeably, and further the term “display” may be used to encompass both a display (or screen) and a window.
FIG. 3A is a pictorial view of a screen display in which a digital image of a page of content having reflow objects therein is displayed. Specifically, FIG. 3A illustrates a display (or window) 43 of a computing device, such as the client system 12, which is operating the viewer program 42. In the illustrated example, the display 43 shows an image of a complete page from a book. The viewer program 42 further displays various selectable controls, such as “Previous Page” 44 and “Next Page” 45 that permit a user to browse through the pages of content being displayed, and a scroll bar 46 that permits a user to scroll up or down the content within the display 43.
FIG. 3B different configuration depicts a screen display of a computing device, which may also be operating a viewer program 47. The display 48 in FIG. 3B is smaller in both height and width dimensions as compared to the display 43 in FIG. 3A. According to the present invention, an image-based reflowable file may be adaptively rendered on various sized displays and windows. In FIG. 3B, for example, the same reflow objects, e.g., textual content, as in the display 43 of FIG. 3A is automatically “reflowed” and rendered on the smaller display 48. Specifically, the first line in the original display 43 of FIG. 3A included “Growing up in Vinci,” which is reflowed so that only the “Growing up in” portion appears in the first line in the smaller display 48, with “Vinci,” moved to the beginning of the second line in the smaller display 48. Because the display 48 is smaller than the original display 43 of FIG. 3A, the viewer program 47 may further preferably include a scroll bar 49 to permit the user to scroll up and down the content within the smaller display 48 to view the entire textual content as included in the original display 43 of FIG. 3A.
FIG. 3C depicts a display (window) 48′, which is relatively the same size as the display 48 of FIG. 3B but shows the same textual content as in the display 48 of FIG. 3B in a larger scale. For example, a user may have selected a zoom up “+” control button 50 to enlarge the displayed content as previously shown in the display 48 of FIG. 3B. Then, in FIG. 3C, the same reflow objects as in the display 48 of FIG. 3B, which is now enlarged, is automatically reflowed and rendered on the display 48′ in the enlarged scale. Specifically, the first line in the display 48 of FIG. 3B included “Growing up in,” which is enlarged and reflowed so that only the enlarged “Growing” portion now appears in the first line in the display 48′, with similarly enlarged “up in” moved to the second line in the display 48′. As before, the scroll bar 49 may be used to permit the user to scroll up and down the content within the display 48′ to view the entire textual content as included in the original display 43 of FIG. 3A.
FIG. 3D depicts a further embodiment of the present invention may be implemented. Specifically, FIG. 3D illustrates a viewer program 42 including a first display (window) 52 and a second display (window) 54. In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the two displays 52 and 54 are independently capable of reflowing reflow objects contained therein. For example, the first display 52 in FIG. 3D is the same size as the original display 43 of FIG. 3A and thus shows the identical textual content as the original display 43. The second display 54 shows a different portion of the textual content from the first display 52, and further in a different scale as compared to the scale shown in the first display 52. This is the result of rendering the reflow objects corresponding to the textual content different, such in response to, for example, a user request to zoom up the displayed textual content shown in the second display 52.
FIG. 4A depicts an exemplary method 70 implemented by a reflowable file generation application 31 for generating an image-based reflowable file according to one embodiment of the present invention. The method 70 begins at block 71 by receiving an image of content having one or more reflow objects therein. The format of the received images may vary, and can include images in an-accessible format, such as in an Adobe® Portable Document File (PDF), or in a non-accessible format, such as in a JPEG, TIFF, GIF, or BMP format file. In an illustrative embodiment, the image may correspond to scanned images of printed materials. Alternatively, the image may correspond to electronic documents generated by various software applications or converted by third-party software components.
The received image may be implicitly associated with an “original” display size. For example, as shown in FIG. 3A above, it is often desirable to display a page image in the same format as it appears in the original print so as to maintain the original “look and feel” of the original print version of the content. The original display size, as used herein, refers to the size of a display that is capable of rendering a page image in the same format as the original print version of the content.
At block 72, the reflowable file generation application 31 determines a bounding region for each reflow object in the image of content. In an illustrative embodiment, the bounding region for each reflow object can correspond to various geometric shapes including, but not limited to, rectangles, circles, curves, ovals, triangles and more complex polygonal shapes. The reflowable file generation application 31 may select a shape for the bounding region based numerous factors such as type of output media, specific attributes of a selected output media, and/or specific attributes of certain reflow objects. For example, the reflowable file generation application 31 may select a different bounding region for a computer display as opposed to print media. In another example, the reflowable file generation application 31 may select a different bounding region for a rectangular-shaped display screen as opposed to an oval-shaped display screen. In a further example, the reflowable file generation application 31 may select complimentary bounding region for related reflow objects that may be associated with special spacing and/or formatting, such as reflow objects corresponding to the parts of a hyphenated word.
At block 73, the reflowable file generation application 31 identifies a reflow object baseline for each of the reflow objects in the image. Then, at block 74, the reflowable file generation application 31 determines the position of each bounding region relative to the image as originally received and also relative to its corresponding reflow object baseline. At block 75, the size of each bounding region is determined. In an illustrative embodiment, the reflowable file generation application 31 can utilize various mathematical models to determine the bounding region size. Referring additionally to FIGS. 5 and 6A-6E, the concept of bounding regions, reflow object baselines, and the position and size of each bounding region will be described in greater detail.
In FIG. 5, for the received textual content 90, four “per-line” baselines 91 are found, which are different from reflow object baselines to be described in detail below. Generally, a per-line baseline is found to coincide with the bottom lines of the majority of reflow objects appearing in a line on an output media (e.g., display), while a reflow object baseline is found to coincide with the bottom lines of the majority of characters appearing in a single reflow object. Still referring to FIG. 5, on the first per-line baseline 91, bounding regions in the form of different sized rectangular shapes 92-95 are found for containing reflow objects, “Growing,” “up,” “in,” and “Vinci,” respectively. In an illustrative embodiment, the bounding region is found to bound a relatively to the text characters that are encompassed in each reflow object. Both the per-line baselines and the bounding regions may be readily found using a suitable OCR or OCR-like software program stored in the memory 22 of the reflowable file generation server 10 (FIG. 2A).
As illustrated in FIG. 6A, however, per-line baselines as determined by OCR or OCR-like software are often tilted (for example due to a scanned image that is tilted) and thus do not correctly coincide with the bottom lines of the majority of characters appearing in a line of text. In FIG. 6A, line 100 represents a true per-line baseline for the text “The quick brown fox,” while line 102 represents an erroneous per-line baseline as determined by OCR or OCR-like software. The OCR-determined per-line baseline 102 is slightly tilted from the true per-line baseline 100. In the illustrated example, the OCR-determined per-line baseline 102 is above the true per-line baseline 100 at the leftmost word, “The” but is below the true per-line baseline 100 at the rightmost word, “fox.” Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 6B, if such OCR-determined erroneous per-line baselines are used to render multiple lines of text, which have true per-line baselines 100 and 100′, respectively, in a single line, the rendered text does not appear as aligned properly along a horizontal line. Therefore, an OCR-determined per-line baseline cannot be reliably used to estimate a true “reflow object” baseline, which generally coincides with the bottom lines of the majority of characters appearing in a reflow object.
As illustrated in FIG. 6C, OCR or OCR-like software may also identify “per-character” baselines 104 a-104 d. Generally, a per-character baseline is found to coincide with the bottom line of a single character, such as an alphanumeric letter. As shown in FIG. 6C, however, OCR-determined per-character baselines 104 a-104 d typically have a large amount of jitter along a line including a plurality of reflow objects. Therefore, though the per-character baselines for the characters on any given line may average to the OCR-determined per-line baseline, the amount of variance (or jitter) is too great to be used for estimating a true “reflow object” baseline.
According to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a true reflow object baseline is identified based on finding a fitting function that smoothly estimates the position of each of the per-character baselines along a line, including a plurality of reflow objects, with a minimum average error. Any fitting function may be used, including, but not limited to, a linear or polynomial regression. The fitting function can then be used to identify a substantially true reflow object baseline for each of the reflow objects along the line by plugging in the average value across each of the reflow objects to the fitting function. For example, if a fitting function is found to be: y=0.3x+1200, and there are four reflow objects along a line whose horizontal center points are at x=500, 1200, 1900, and 2600, respectively, then the reflow object baseline values along the vertical y axis for these four reflow objects can be calculated as y=1350, 1560, 1770, and 1980, respectively. The y values calculated according to the fitting function find reflow object baselines for the reflow objects along a line, wherein each of the found reflow object baselines has a minimum amount of error (distance) relative to its corresponding portion of the true per-line baseline.
FIG. 6D illustrates four “reflow object” baselines 106 a, 106 b, 106 c, and 106 d for the four reflow objects, “The,” “quick,” “brown,” and “fox,” respectively, as found using a fitting function according to a method of the present invention. As shown, each of the reflow object baselines 106 a-106 d closely matches the true per-line baseline 100, and hence its corresponding portion of the true per-line baseline 100 (i.e., its true “reflow object” baseline).
FIG. 6E illustrates four reflow objects as rendered on a horizontal line 104 on a display, by aligning each of the reflow object baselines 106 a-106 d determined above with the horizontal line 104. As shown, all of the four reflow objects appear properly when rendered on the horizontal line 104 with their corresponding reflow object baselines 106 a-106 d aligned therewith. Such proper rendering is possible according to a method of the present invention because the error caused by any tilting of the original image is distributed across the entire line of reflow objects, as opposed to all of the error occurring at both ends of the line as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B.
In the case of extreme jitter, a method of finding reflow object baselines for reflow objects can be further refined by first finding a fitting function, then finding the standard deviation of the distance of all letters (characters) to the fitting function, and finding a fitting function that best approximates all the letters within one standard deviation of the original fitting function. Fitting function techniques remove superscripts, subscripts, footnote indicators, mathematical symbols, hyphens, and other similar non-baseline-conforming letters and symbols from consideration, thereby bringing the determined reflow object baselines even closer to the true per-line baseline 100.
Referring back to FIG. 5, the position of each of the bounding regions 92-95 can be determined relative to the original image, for example in terms of the x-y coordinates of one or more corner points of the bounding region. Further, the position of each bounding region relative to its corresponding reflow object baseline can be defined in terms of an offset distance “B” from the reflow object baseline (coinciding with the per-line baseline 91 in FIG. 5) to the bottom side of the bounding region (see bounding region 92). Further, in the illustrative example, because each bounding region is rectangular in shape, the size of each bounding region can be defined in terms of the height “H” and width “W” of the bounding region. The position and size (e.g., height and width) of a bounding region may be determined using any suitable units of measure, such as inches, centimeters, numbers of pixels, etc., that extend over a spatial dimension.
Referring back to FIG. 4A, at block 76, the reflowable file generation application 31 stores the position and the size of each of the bounding region, thereby forming an image-based reflowable file. Specifically, the position of each bounding region relative to the original display image (or the original display size), defined for example in terms of X-Y coordinates, and relative to its corresponding reflow object baseline, defined for example in terms of an offset distance “B” as shown in FIG. 5, is stored, together with the size of each bounding region. The file may be stored in any one of a number of computer-readable formats that have been developed for storing image data, including, but not limited to JPEG, TIFF, GIF, and BMP formats. In an alternative embodiment, the reflowable file generation application 31 can output the reflowable file directly to another computing device or to a network-based destination.
It should be appreciated by one skilled in the art that various methods of defining the position and size of each bounding region are possible. For example, the size of each bounding region may be defined explicitly by using its width and height, as described above, or implicitly by using mathematical formulae that are representative of the size, such as vector-based formulae. The position of each bounding region relative to the original image or the original display size may be defined absolutely, for example in terms of X-Y coordinates, or relatively with respect to the positions of adjacent bounding region (e.g., the location of the immediately preceding bounding region).
FIG. 4B depicts an exemplary method 80, which may be implemented by a viewer program 42 in the memory 33 of the client system 12, for rendering an image-based reflowable file created in accordance with the present invention. As previously described, in an illustrative embodiment, the reflowable file may be rendered on an output media such as on a display or window of any given size, such as the display device 35 of the client system 12. Additionally, the reflowable file may be rendered on other output media such as print media. The method 80 begins at block 81 by receiving an image-based reflowable file. In the image-based reflowable file, each reflow object contained in the image forms a sub-image and is defined in a bounding region. Further, the size and the position of each bounding region are defined in the reflowable file. Further, a reflow object baseline for each of the reflow objects may be defined.
At block 82, the viewer program 42 determines the size of the output media on which the reflowable file is to be rendered. The display size may be defined by the output media's shape and dimensions, such as the shape and dimension of a display screen. If the output media size is the same, or substantially the same, as the original display/window size for which the image-based reflowable file was created, then the reflowable file may be rendered using the position and the size of each of the bounding region as defined in the reflowable file. If, on the other hand, the output media size is smaller, larger, or substantially different from the original display/window size, then, the viewer program 41 can “reflow” the reflow objects in the reflowable file.
Specifically, at block 83, the number of bounding regions that fit horizontally per each of a plurality of horizontal lines in the output media with a minimum spacing between adjacent bounding regions is determined based on the horizontal dimension of the output media and the size of each bounding region. For example, given the horizontal dimension of the display/window, and the width dimension of each of the bounding region, it can be determined how many bounding regions will fit horizontally per each horizontal line in the display. In an illustrative embodiment, the viewer program 42 may associate less horizontal distance between two reflow objects having complimentary bounding regions (e.g., reflow objects corresponding to hyphenated words). At block 84, the horizontal position of each bounding region relative to each horizontal line is determined. For example, the horizontal coordinates (e.g., x values) of one or more corners of the bounding regions along each horizontal line may be determined.
At block 85, the viewer program 41 determines the vertical position of each of the bounding regions that fit horizontally per each horizontal line is based on the size of the bounding region. For example, given the vertical dimension of the display/window, and the height dimension of each of the bounding regions, the viewer program 41 can determine how to vertically and consistently space apart the bounding regions that fit horizontally along a plurality of horizontal lines on the display. As a further specific example, this can be accomplished by first determining the vertical position of each of the plurality of horizontal lines on the display based on the size of the display (e.g., by dividing the vertical dimension of the display by a minimum spacing) and by determining the vertical position of each bounding regions so as to align the reflow object baseline of the bounding region with the corresponding horizontal line. The minimum spacing between the plurality of horizontal lines on the display may be predefined so as to ensure the minimum size of the rendered content to be legible. As another example, the vertical dimension of the display/window may be divided by the same spacing as the original display/window to maintain the same look and feel of the original content. In an additional embodiment, the viewer program 41 may also take into account certain portions of the output media in which content may not be rendered. Still further, the viewer program 41 may also take into account any content that may not be properly reflow content, such as charts, graphs, pictures, illustrations, mathematical equations, software code listings, poetry, headers/footers, etc.
Lastly, at block 86, the bounding regions, and hence the reflow objects contained therein, are rendered according to the determined horizontal and vertical positions of the bounding regions.
In various exemplary embodiments, the bounding regions, and hence the reflow objects contained therein, may be justified along each horizontal line on the display. Specifically, after the number of bounding regions that fit horizontally per each horizontal line is found, with a minimum spacing between adjacent bounding regions, if there is remaining space along the horizontal line, the remaining space can be distributed appropriately. For example, in the case of right justification, the remaining space may be removed from the end (e.g., the right-most portion) of the horizontal line and inserted at the beginning of the horizontal line before the first (e.g., left-most) reflow object (or the bounding region) appearing on the horizontal line. In the case of center justification, one half of the remaining space may be removed from the end of the horizontal line and inserted at the beginning of the horizontal line. In the case of full justification, the remaining space may be divided by the number of spaces between adjacent reflow objects appearing on the horizontal line (i.e., one less than the number of the reflow objects on the horizontal line), and the resulting quotient space may be inserted in each of the spaces between adjacent reflow objects.
Still referring to FIG. 4B, in a further embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for rendering an image-based reflowable file on a display/window according to a zoom level requested by a user (reader). First, at block 82, the size of the output medium is determined as well as the zoom (or resizing) level requested by the user. At block 83, the bounding regions are resized in accordance with the requested zoom level (e.g., zoomed up or down) and the number of the resized bounding regions that fit horizontally per each of the plurality of horizontal lines is determined. For example, if a zoom up is requested, the size of each bounding region is enlarged so that a less number of bounding regions will fit horizontally per each horizontal line. On the other hand, if a zoom down is requested, the size of each bounding region is made smaller so that more bounding regions will fit horizontally per each horizontal line. In an illustrative embodiment, the viewer application 41 may adjust the size of the bounding regions directly proportional to the change in zoom level. Alternatively, the viewer application 41 can limit the adjustment of the bounding regions and/or apply different proportions to the bounding region adjustment.
At block 84, the horizontal position of each of the resized bounding regions is determined relative to the horizontal line. At block 85, the vertical position of each of the resized bounding regions is determined. For example, if the user requests to zoom in on text (e.g., reflow objects) shown in the display/window, then the bounding regions are enlarged, and hence horizontal lines on the display may be further spaced apart proportionately to the requested level of zoom in so as to accommodate the enlarged bounding regions. If the user requests to zoom out, then the horizontal lines are condensed (e.g., arranged closer together) proportionately to the requested level of zoom out.
Finally, at block 86, the enlarged bounding regions, and hence the sub-images of the reflow objects defined in the enlarged bounding regions, are rendered on the output medium according to the determined horizontal and vertical positions of the resized bounding regions.
While illustrative embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
render the image-based reflowable file on a computer display.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the image of content corresponds to a scanned image of the printed textual content.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more reflow objects corresponds to a word of textual content.
causing the image-based reflowable file to be rendered on a computer display.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the polygonal-shaped bounding regions correspond to a geometric shape.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the geometric shape is a rectangle and wherein the size of each of the polygonal-shaped bounding regions is defined by its width and height.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the position of each of the polygonal-shaped bounding regions relative to the image is defined by the coordinates of at least one corner point of the polygonal-shaped bounding region.
inputting an average value of each of the reflow objects to the fitting function.
cause the image-based reflowable file to be rendered on a computer display.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the operation to retrieve an image of content therein comprises receiving the image of content from a source.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the image is embodied in a file.
12. The system of claim 10, wherein the source comprises an input device selected from the group consisting of a video camera, a scanner, a digital camera, a copier, and a scanning pen.
13. The system of claim 10, wherein the source comprises a second computing device.
14. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device is further operative to render the image-based reflowable file on a printed medium.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the image having one or more reflow objects comprises an image of a page scanned from a printed document.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the position of each of the polygonal-shaped bounding regions is further defined the coordinates of at least one corner point of the polygonal-shaped bounding region.
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Taghva et al., The Impact of Running Headers and Footers on Proximity Searching, Information Science Research Institute, University of Nevada, 2004, Las Vegas, Nevada, 5 pages. | 2019-04-22T13:45:55Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/US7966557B2/en |
도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 시스템이 개시된다. A docking-type substrate transfer and processing system is disclosed. 그러한 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 시스템은 기판이 적치되는 적치대와, 상기 적치대로부터/로 기판을 인수/인계하는 기판 이송부재와, 상기 기판 이송부재로부터 기판을 인수하여 세정 및 건조 처리하는 기판 세정 및 건조장비와, 그리고 상기 기판 세정 및 건조장비로부터 인출된 기판을 상기 기판 이송부재로부터 인수하여 처리하는 기판 처리장비를 포함한다. Such a docking-type substrate transporting and processing system, a substrate cleaning the substrate is jeokchi ever beat and the jeokchi substrate transfer member to take / takes over the substrate to / from the AS and to take over the substrate from the substrate transfer member processing cleaning and drying that and with the drying equipment, and includes a substrate processing equipment that processes the acquired withdrawn substrate from the substrate cleaning and drying equipment from the substrate transfer member.
본 발명은 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 시스템과, 그 처리방법에 관한 것으로, 더욱 상세하게는 기판의 처리라인과 세정, 건조라인을 기판 이송부재에 의하여 도킹방식(Docking Type)으로 서로 연결함으로써 기판의 이송 및 처리효율을 향상시킬 수 있는 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 시스템과, 그 처리방법에 관한 것이다. The present invention of a substrate to, and more particularly, by connecting to each other in the docking system (Docking Type) by the processing line and the washing and drying line of the substrate in the substrate transfer member according to the processing method and a docking-type substrate transfer and processing system, and a docking-type substrate transfer and processing system which can improve the transfer and the processing efficiency, the present invention relates to the processing method.
일반적으로 평판 디스플레이(FPD;Flat Panel Display), 반도체 웨이퍼, LCD, 포토 마스크용 글라스 등에 사용되는 기판은 증착, 에칭, 스트립, 세정, 린스 등의 일련의 공정을 거치면서 처리된다. In general, a flat panel display; substrate used in (FPD Flat Panel Display), a semiconductor wafer, glass for LCD, a photomask is treated while passing through a series of steps of deposition, etch, strip, washing, rinsing and the like.
이러한 일련의 기판 처리공정은 통상적으로 기판을 이송시키기 위한 이송시스템과 연계됨으로써 기판의 공급, 처리, 배출의 과정이 하나의 순환 싸이클을 이루게 된다. A series of these substrate processing process is typically associated with transport systems for transporting a substrate being a process of supplying the substrate, the process, the discharge is formed by a circulation cycle. 이때, 상기 이송시스템은 MGV(Manual Guarded Vehicle, AGV(Auto Guarded Vehicle), CVT(Clean Transfer Vehicle) 등을 포함한다. At this time, the transfer system and the like MGV (Manual Guarded Vehicle, AGV (Auto Guarded Vehicle), CVT (Clean Transfer Vehicle).
그리고, 이러한 상기 기판 이송시스템과 처리공정은 다양한 방법으로 서로 연계하고 있다. And, this substrate transfer system and the process are associated to each other in a number of ways.
즉, 세정라인으로부터 이송장치에 의하여 기판을 인출하여 카셋트에 저장하고, 다시 이송장치를 이용하여 기판을 인출하여 진공증착장비 혹은 스퍼터링 장비에 공급하여 처리한 후, 다시 카셋트에 저장, 인출, 식각장비 공급 등의 처리공정을 거치게 된다. That is, the take-off of the substrate stored in the cassette by the transfer device from the washing line, by withdrawing the substrate using a back feed unit after processing supplied to a vacuum deposition apparatus or sputtering equipment, the storage back to the cassette, take-off, etching equipment It is subjected to processing steps such as supply.
혹은, 이송장치에 의하여 기판을 이송하여 카셋트에 저장하고, 천정 반송장비를 이용하여 인접한 카세트에 이송하여 다시 저장한 후 기판 처리라인에 공급하는 방법도 가능하다. Alternatively, it is also possible a method for transferring a substrate to a storage cassette, and supplied to the substrate processing line and then stored back to the transfer to the adjacent cassette using the overhead transport device by the transporting device.
그러나, 상기와 같은 기판 이송 및 처리시스템은 다음과 같은 문제점이 있다. However, the substrate transfer and processing system as described above has the following problems.
첫째, 다수의 기판 처리라인이 각각 독립적으로 배치되고, 이 처리라인들 사이에 다수개의 이송장치가 각각 배치되는 형태이므로, 이송장치에 의한 기판의 이송, 카셋트 저장, 다시 인출 등의 작업이 빈번하게 이루어지므로 기판의 이송이 원활하지 못하고, 또한 이송시간이 오래 걸리는 문제점이 있다. First, being arranged in each of the plurality of substrate treatment lines are independent, the recycling lines Because the plurality of transfer devices are disposed respectively between the, frequently, the operation of such transfer, the cassette storage, again drawn out of the substrate by the transfer device do not therefore made smooth transfer of the substrate, there is also a problem transfer takes a long time.
둘째, 이러한 기판 처리시스템에 있어서는 로더, 진공증착, 에칭부, 린스부, 스트립부, 세정부, 언로더 등이 각각 별도로 구비됨으로 넓은 설치공간이 필요하게 되므로 라인 설치비용이 상승하는 문제점이 있다. Second, because in such a substrate processing system loader, vacuum deposition, etching unit, the rinsing section, the strip portion, doemeuro cleaning section, brace, etc., each having additionally a need for a large installation space, there is a problem in that the line installation cost.
셋째, 기판의 이송이 별도로 구동되는 MGV, AGV, CVT 등의 이송기구에 의하여 이루어지므로 기판의 처리효율이 저하되는 문제점이 있다. Third, since carried by a transport mechanism, such as MGV, AGV, the CVT transfer of the substrate to be driven separately, there is a problem in that the lowering process efficiency of the substrate.
넷째, 기판의 이송이 상기와 같이 외부환경에 노출된 구조를 갖는 이송기구에 의하여 이루어지므로 이송과정에서 외부 이물질로 인하여 오염될 수 있는 문제점이 있다. Fourth, the feed of the substrate, there is a problem that may be contaminated because during the transfer so carried by a transport mechanism that has the structure exposed to the outside environment to the foreign matter as described above.
따라서, 본 발명의 목적은 전술한 문제점을 해결하기 위하여 안출 된 것으로서, 본 발명의 목적은 기판의 처리라인과 세정, 건조라인을 기판 이송부재에 의하여 도킹방식(Docking Type)으로 연결함으로써 기판의 물류흐름이 향상될 수 있는 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리시스템과, 그 처리방법을 제공하는데 있다. Therefore, as an object of the present invention has been made in view of solving the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is the logistics of the substrate by connecting the docking system (Docking Type) by the processing line and the washing and drying line of the substrate in the substrate transfer member docking-type substrate transfer and processing system in which the flow can be improved, and to provide the processing method.
본 발명의 다른 목적은 기판세정 및 건조라인을 적층구조로 형성하고, 각 세정유닛간에 간섭을 최대한 방지하면서 조밀한 배치를 이룰 수 있도록 제작함으로써 설치면적을 줄여 라인 설치비용을 절감할 수 있는 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 시스템과, 그 처리방법을 제공하는데 있다. It is another object of the present invention docked to reduce the mounting area cut line installation cost by manufacturing to achieve a compact arrangement while forming a substrate cleaning and drying line to a layered structure, and prevent the interference as much as possible between each cleaning unit Model to provide a substrate transfer and processing system and its processing method.
본 발명의 또 다른 목적은 기판의 세정 및 건조장치를 밀폐구조의 인라인(In Line)형태로 구성함으로써 기판의 이송시 발생할 수 있는 외부 이물질에 의한 오염발생 빈도를 줄일 수 있는 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 시스템과, 그 처리방법을 제공하는데 있다. A further object of the present invention is a docking-type substrate transfer and processing of reducing the contamination incidence by the foreign matter, which may occur during transport of the substrate by forming a cleaning and drying unit of the substrate in-line (In Line) type of sealing structure to provide a system and its processing method.
본 발명의 상기한 목적을 실현하기 위하여, 본 발명은 기판이 적치되는 적치대와; In order to achieve the above object of the present invention, and the present invention is ever beat the substrate is jeokchi; 상기 적치대로부터/로 기판을 인수/인계하는 기판 이송부재와; Substrate transfer member to take / takes over the substrate in order from, as the jeokchi / and; 상기 기판 이송부재로부터 기판을 인수하여 세정 및 건조 처리하는 기판 세정 및 건조장비와; Substrate cleaning and drying equipment for the cleaning and drying process to take over the substrate from the substrate transfer member; 그리고 상기 기판 세정 및 건조장비로부터 인출된 기판을 인수하여 처리하는 기판 처리장비를 포함하는 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 시스템을 제공한다. And it provides a docking-type substrate transfer and processing system including a substrate processing equipment that processes the acquired withdrawn substrate from the substrate cleaning and drying equipment.
또한, 본 발명은 기판 이송부재가 적치대로부터 기판을 인출하는 제1 단계와; Further, the present invention provides a first step of withdrawing the substrate from the substrate as a transfer member jeokchi; 인출된 기판을 도킹방식으로 연결되도록 배치되는 기판 세정 및 건조장비로 공급하여 처리하는 제2 단계와; A second step of processing the substrate by supplying a cleaning and drying device is arranged to be connected to the take-off board the docking method; 그리고 상기 기판 이송부재가 상기 기판 세정 및 건조장비로부터 기판을 인수하여 기판 처리장비에 공급함으로써 기판을 처리하는 제3 단계를 포함하는 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 방법을 제공한다. And it provides a docking-type substrate transfer and processing method for a third step in which the substrate transfer member processing a substrate by providing a substrate processing equipment to take over the substrate from the substrate cleaning and drying equipment.
이하, 첨부된 도면을 참조하여 본 발명의 바람직한 일 실시예에 따른 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 시스템을 상세하게 설명한다. With reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be described in the docking-type substrate transfer and processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention in detail.
도1 은 본 발명의 바람직한 실시예에 따른 기판 세정 및 건조장치(HDC)가 적용된 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리시스템을 개략적으로 도시하는 도면이다. 1 is a view schematically showing a substrate cleaning and docking-type substrate transfer and processing system of the drying device (HDC) is applied according to an embodiment of the present invention.
도시된 바와 같이, 본 발명이 제안하는 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 시스템은 기판이 적치되는 적치대(C)와, 상기 적치대(C)로부터/로 기판을 인출/인계하는 기판 이송부재(R)와, 상기 기판 이송부재(R)로부터/로 기판을 인수/인계하여 세정 및 건조하는 기판 세정 및 건조장치(HDC;H)와, 상기 기판 세정 및 건조장치로(H)로부터 기판 이송부재(R)에 의하여 인출된 기판을 인수하여 처리하는 기판 처리장비(D)를 포함한다. , The docking-type substrate transporting and processing system of the present invention suggests a substrate conveying member (R) that the enemy beat (C) in which the substrate is jeokchi, take-off / turn over the enemy beat (C) the substrate to / from, as illustrated and, with the acquisition / take over the substrate transfer carrier substrate to from / (R) washing and drying the substrate cleaning and drying apparatus (HDC; H), and a substrate transfer member from the substrate cleaning and to the drying apparatus (H) (R ) and a substrate processing device (D) for processing by acquiring the drawn substrate by.
상기한 바와 같은 구조를 갖는 기판 이송 및 처리 시스템에 있어서, 상기 적치대(C)는 통상적으로 사용되는 구조의 카셋트(Cassete)를 포함한다. A substrate transporting and processing system having a structure as described above, the enemy beat (C) comprises a conventional cassette (Cassete) of the structure is used. 따라서, 다수의 기판이 카셋트의 내부에 적치됨으로써 필요에 따라 인출 혹은 공급가능하다. Thus, it can be pulled out or supplied as needed by being placed in a plurality of substrates inside the cassette.
또한, 상기 기판 이송부재(R)도 통상적인 구조을 갖는 로봇을 포함하며, 이러한 기판 이송부재(R; 이하, 로봇)는 기판을 적치할 수 있는 아암(Arm)이 구비되며, 회전 및 승하강 가능한 로봇을 의미한다. In addition, the substrate transfer member (R) also includes a conventional gujoeul having a robot, such a substrate conveying member (R; or less, the robot) is provided with the arm (Arm) to jeokchi the substrate, a rotatable and elevating It means the robot. 따라서, 상기 카셋트(C)로부터 기판을 인출하여 상기 세정 및 건조라인에 공급하거나 그 역순으로 동작하게 된다. Thus, by withdrawing the substrate from the cassette (C) supplied to the cleaning and drying line, or are operated in the reverse order.
그리고, 상기 기판 처리장비(D)는 바람직하게는 화학기상증착(CVD; Chemical Vapor Deposition)장비 혹은 스퍼터링(Sputtering) 장비를 포함한다. In addition, the substrate processing equipment (D) is preferably a chemical vapor deposition; and a (CVD Chemical Vapor Deposition) or sputtering equipment (Sputtering) equipment. 따라서, 공급된 기판상에 소정의 막을 형성하게 한다. Thus, to form a predetermined film on the supplied substrate. 물론, 다른 기판 처리장비가 설치될 수 있다. Of course, other substrate processing equipment can be installed.
이와 같이, 기판 이송 및 처리 시스템은 기판의 인출, 세정 및 건조, 그리고 진공처리 등 일련의 공정이 한 장소에서 이루어지므로 기판의 이송 및 처리가 원활하게 이루어 질 수 있다. Thus, the substrate transfer and processing system may be made to a series of the process is a smooth transport and processing of the achieved because the substrate in one location, such as take-off of the substrate, washed and dried, and vacuum processing.
한편, 상기 기판 세정 및 건조장치(H)를 도2 내지 도5 에 의하여 더욱 상세하게 설명한다. On the other hand, the substrate cleaning and drying apparatus will be described in the (H) 2 to in more detail by Fig.
도시된 바와 같이, 기판 세정 및 건조장치(H;도1)는 프레임(Frame;10)과, 상기 프레임(10)의 상부에 활주 가능하게 장착되어 로봇(R)으로부터/으로 기판(Ｉ)을 인수/인계하는 상부 이송수단(Transfer Means;12)과, 상기 프레임(10)의 전후방에 승하강 가능하게 구비되어 상기 상부 이송수단(12)으로부터/으로 기판(Ｉ)을 인계/인수하는 수직 이송수단(14,16)과, 수직 이송수단(14,16)으로부터/으로 기판(Ｉ)을 인수/인계하는 이송유닛(18,20)과, 상기 이송유닛(18,20)의 사이에 배치되어 이송된 기판(Ｉ)을 세정(Cleaning) 및 건조(Dry) 처리하는 기판 처리유닛(22)을 포함한다. The substrate cleaning and drying apparatus as shown (H; 1 degree) of the frame; a (Frame 10) and the substrate (I) is slidably mounted on the upper portion to / from the robot (R) of the frame (10) acquisition / takeover upper transfer means (transfer means; 12) and, is provided to enable elevating the front and rear vertical transfer to take over / take over the substrate (I) to / from said upper conveying means (12) of the frame (10) It is disposed between the means (14, 16), a transfer unit (18, 20) and said transfer unit (18, 20) to take / takes over the substrates (I) as from the vertical transfer means (14, 16) / a substrate processing units 22 for cleaning (cleaning) and dried (dry) processing the feed substrate (I).
이와 같은 구조를 갖는 기판 세정 및 건조장치(H;도1)에 있어서, 상기 프레임(10)은 다층으로 구비되며, 바람직하게는 3층으로 구성된다. The substrate cleaning and drying system with the same structure; in (H 1 degree), the frame (10) is provided in multiple layers, preferably composed of three layers. 즉, 외부에서 공급된 기판(Ｉ)을 프레임(10)의 전후방으로 이송시키는 상부 이송수단(12)이 구비된 상부층(Ⅲ)과, 상기 상부층(Ⅲ)으로부터 공급된 기판(Ｉ)을 세정, 건조시키는 장비들이 구비된 중간층(Ⅱ)과, 지지부재 및 동력장치들이 구비된 하부층(Ⅰ)으로 이루어진다. That is, cleaning the substrate (I) supplied from the upper conveying means 12 for conveying back and forth of the substrate (I) the frame (10) externally supplied with having an upper layer (Ⅲ) and, the top layer (Ⅲ), made of the drying equipment is provided that the intermediate layer (ⅱ) and the support member and the lower layer power unit (ⅰ) are equipped.
따라서, 기판(Ｉ)의 이송 및 세정, 건조장치를 적층형태로 구성하여 소형화시킴으로써, 기판(Ｉ)의 반입/반출, 이송, 세정, 건조 등의 공정이 작은 공간에서 효율적으로 이루어질 수 있다. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently take place in the transfer and cleaning, the small process, such as carry in / out, transport, washing, drying by the size reduction by configuring a drying device in a stacked form, the substrate (I) area of the substrate (I).
또한, 상기 프레임(10)의 외부는 기판(Ｉ)의 유/출입구를 제외하고는 판넬 등에 의하여 밀폐된 구조를 가질 수 있다. In addition, the outside of the frame 10 may have a closed structure by the panel or the like, except for the organic / exit of the substrate (I). 따라서, 먼지 등 외부 이물질이 라인으로 유입되는 것을 방지할 수 있다. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the foreign matter such as dust from entering the lines.
상기 상부 이송수단(12)은 상기 프레임(10)에 장착된 레일(24)상에 안착되어 활주 가능한 하부베이스(Lower Base;13)와, 상기 하부베이스(13)의 상부에 장착되며 기판(Ｉ)이 적치되는 상부 베이스(Upper Base;15)와, 기판(Ｉ)이 안착되어 정렬되는 정열부(26)와, 기판(Ｉ)을 일정 높이로 부상시키는 다수의 부상판(28)으로 이루어진다. The upper transfer means 12 is a rail 24 is mounted on the slidable lower base attached to the frame (10); and mounted on top of (Lower Base 13) and the lower base 13, the substrate (I achieved a 15) and a substrate (I) aligned portion 26 and the substrate (I) is arranged is the seat of a number of the floating plate 28 to become the predetermined height;), the upper base (upper base is jeokchi.
이와 같은 구조를 갖는 상부 이송수단(12)에 있어서, 상기 하부베이스(13)의 양단부에는 레일(24)상에 안착되는 슬라이딩 플레이트(17)가 구비된다. In this way the upper conveying means 12 having the above structure, both end portions of the lower base 13 is provided with a sliding plate 17 which is seated on the rail 24. 따라서, 모터 조립체(도시안됨)가 구동하는 경우 상기 슬라이딩 플레이트(17)가 레일(24)을 따라 이동함으로써 상부 이송수단(12)이 전후방향으로 이동 가능하다. Thus, it is possible motor assembly the sliding plate 17 is 12, the upper transfer device by moving along the rail 24 when the driving (not shown) is moved in the front-rear direction.
또한, 상기 상부베이스(15)에는 2개의 정열부(26) 및 다수개의 지지핀(Support Pin;27)이 장착된다. In addition, the upper base 15 includes two alignment units 26 and a plurality of support pins (Pin Support; 27) is equipped with. 그리고, 이 정열부(26) 및 다수개의 지지핀(27)의 상부에 기판(Ｉ)이 안정적으로 안착된다. Then, the substrate (I) on top of the alignment unit 26 and a plurality of support pin 27 is stably seated in. 이때, 상기 정열부(26)에는 가이드핀(Guide Pin;29)이 각각 돌출 형성되며, 기판 안착시 기판(Ｉ)의 모서리를 일정 위치에 고정시킨다. In this case, the staggered portion 26 has a guide pin (Guide Pin; 29) is formed to protrude, respectively, to secure the edge of the substrate when mounting the substrate (I) at a predetermined position. 따라서, 기판(Ｉ)은 정열부(26)의 정확한 위치에 안착될 수 있다. Thus, the substrate (I) may be seated in the exact position of the alignment section 26.
그리고, 상기 다수의 부상판(28)은 상기 기판(Ｉ)이 얹혀지는 경우 발생할 수 있는 처짐을 방지하기 위하여 장착된다. And, a plurality of the floating plate 28 is assembled, is fixed in order to prevent deflection that might occur if that is the substrate (I) is rested. 즉, 부상판(28)에는 일정 압력의 공기가 분사되며, 이 분사된 공기가 얹혀진 기판(Ｉ)의 저면을 일정 압력으로 밀어 올리게 됨으로써 기판(Ｉ)의 처짐을 방지하게 된다. That is, the plate portion 28 there is a predetermined pressure of an air jet, is being pushed to raise the bottom surface of the injected air is eonhyeojin substrate (I) at a predetermined pressure to prevent sagging of the substrate (I).
그리고, 선택적으로 상기 하부베이스(13)와 상부베이스(15)의 사이에 모터 조립체 등의 회전부재(49)를 장착할 수도 있다. And it may be optionally equipped with a rotating member 49 such as a motor assembly between the lower base 13 and upper base 15. 즉, 하부베이스(13)의 상면에 회전부재(49)를 고정하고 회전부재(49)의 상부에 상부베이스(15)를 장착하는 구조이다. That is, holding the rotation member 49 on the upper surface of the lower base 13 and the structure for mounting the upper base 15 to the upper portion of the rotary member (49).
따라서, 이러한 회전부재(49)를 구비함으로써 필요에 따라 상부 베이스(15)를 일정각도 회전시킴으로써 기판(Ｉ)의 이송방향을 적절히 조절 가능하다. Thus, it is possible to properly adjust the transfer direction of the substrate (I) by rotating an angle to the upper base 15, as needed by providing such a rotating member 49.
한편, 상기 수직이송수단(14,16)은 제1 업다운 버퍼유닛(14)과 제2 업다운 버퍼유닛(16)으로 이루어지며, 상기 제1 및 제2 업다운 버퍼유닛(14,16)은 상기 상부 이송수단(12)으로부터/으로 기판(Ｉ)을 인수하거나 인계하게 된다. On the other hand, the vertical transfer means (14, 16) is formed of a first up-down buffer unit 14 and the second up-down buffer unit 16, the first and second up-down buffer units 14 and 16 is the upper a substrate (I) to / from the transfer device 12 will acquire or turned over.
즉, 상기 제1 업다운 버퍼유닛(14)은 상기 프레임(10)의 일측에 승하강 가능하게 장착되어 상기 상부 이송수단(12)으로부터 기판(Ｉ)을 인수하고, 상기 제2 업다운 버퍼유닛(16)은 상기 제1 업다운 버퍼유닛(14)의 반대측에 장착되어 처리된 기판(Ｉ)을 상기 상부 이송수단(12)에 인계하게 된다. That is, the first up-down buffer unit 14 and the second up-down buffer unit (16 are mounted to elevating a side of the frame 10 and take over the substrate (I) from said upper conveying means (12), ) is turned over to the first up-down buffer unit 14 is mounted opposite to the substrate (I) of the upper conveying means (12 processed in a).
이러한 제1 및 제2 업다운 버퍼유닛(14,16)은 동일한 구조를 가지므로 이하, 하나의 업다운 버퍼유닛에 의하여 설명한다. These first and second up-down buffer units 14 and 16 are have the same structure will be described by the following, one of the up-down buffer unit.
즉, 상기 제1 업다운 버퍼유닛(14)은 상부 이송수단(12)으로부터 기판(Ｉ)을 인수하여 하강하는 한 쌍의 상부핸드(Upper Hand;30)와, 상기 한 쌍의 상부핸드(30)로부터 기판(Ｉ)을 인수하여 로더(18)에 인계하는 하부핸드(Lower Hand;32)로 이루어진다. That is, the first up-down buffer unit 14 has a pair of upper hand that drops to take over the substrate (I) from the upper conveying means (12) (Upper Hand; 30) and the upper hand 30 of the pair to take over the substrate (I) from the lower hand to take over the loader 18; made by (lower Hand 32).
상기 한 쌍의 상부핸드(30)는 "ㄱ" 자 형상을 가지며 모터 조립체(31)의 구동에 의하여 상하방향의 수직이동 및 좌우방향의 수평이동이 가능하다. An upper hand 30 of the pair is capable of "b" has a shape of a horizontal movement in the vertical direction by the driving of the motor assembly 31 is moved vertically and the left and right direction. 따라서, 이러한 한 쌍의 상부핸드(30)는 필요에 따라 적절하게 수직이동 및 수평이동을 하게 된다. Thus, a pair of upper hand (30) this is appropriate to the needs is the vertical movement and horizontal movement.
즉, 상기 상부핸드(30)가 상부 이송수단(12)으로부터 기판(Ｉ)을 인수하는 경우에는 하강하게 되며, 하부핸드(32)에 기판(Ｉ)을 인계한 후에는 하부핸드(32)의 하강을 위하여 좌우로 수평이동을 하게 된다. That is, in the lower hand (32) after the upper hand (30) takes over the substrate (I) in the case of acquisition of the substrate (I) from the upper conveying means 12, and descends, the lower hand 32, for the descent is a horizontal movement from side to side.
상기 하부핸드(32)도 "ㄱ"자 형상을 가지며 모터 조립체(33)에 연결됨으로써 수직이동이 가능하다. The bottom view hand 32 has a "b" shape it is possible to vertically move by being connected to the motor assembly 33. 이러한 하부핸드(32)는 그 상면에 상기 상부핸드(30)로부터 인수된 기판(Ｉ)이 안착된다. The lower hand 32 is mounted a substrate (I) acquired from the upper hand 30 on its upper surface.
이러한 상부 및 하부핸드(30,32)는 공정시간(Tact Time)을 줄일 수 있도록 버퍼 기능을 갖는다. These upper and lower hands 30 and 32 have a buffer function to reduce the process time (Tact Time). 즉, 로더(18)상으로 기판(I)을 연속적으로 인계할 수 있도록 하부핸드(32)상에는 기판이 항상 대기 상태로 된다. That is, the lower hand-formed on the substrate 32 to be continuously turned over by the substrate (I) onto the loader 18 is always in the standby mode.
그리고, 기판(Ｉ)이 안착된 상기 하부핸드(32)가 하강하여 로더(18)의 기판패스라인(P/S) 이하로 내려가면 기판(Ｉ)이 로더(18)에 안착되어 기판을 연속처리 하도록 한다. Then, the substrate (I) is seated with the lower hand 32 is lowered and drops below the substrate pass line (P / S) of the loader (18) the substrate (I) is a secured to the loader (18) continuous to the substrate and to process. 따라서, 상부 및 하부핸드(30,32)에 의하여 이송된 기판(Ｉ)은 로더(18)에 의하여 기판 처리유닛(22)으로 이송된다. Thus, the substrate (I) transferred by the upper and lower hands 30 and 32 is transferred to the substrate processing unit 22 by a loader (18).
한편, 상기 이송유닛(18,20)은 제1 업다운 버퍼유닛(14)으로부터 기판(Ｉ)을 인수하는 로더(Loader;18)와, 제2 업다운 버퍼유닛(16)으로 기판(Ｉ)을 인계하는 언로더(Unloader;20)를 포함한다. On the other hand, the transfer unit (18, 20) includes a first up-down buffer unit 14, the loader to take over the substrate (I) from a; take over (Loader 18) and the second up-down substrate (I) a buffer unit (16) includes; (20 unloader) unloader to.
보다 상세하게 설명하면, 상기 로더(18)는 기판 처리유닛(22)의 입측(40)에 배치되어 기판(Ｉ)을 기판 처리유닛(22)으로 이송시킨다. More specifically, the loader 18 is then transported to the inlet of the substrate (I) is arranged to (40) A substrate processing unit 22 of the substrate processing unit 22. 이러한 로더(18)는 구동모터에 의하여 회전가능한 다수개의 반송롤러(36)로 구성된다. This loader 18 is composed of a plurality of rotary conveying roller 36 as possible by a drive motor. 따라서, 구동모터의 작동시 상기 다수개의 반송롤러(36)가 회전함으로써 상기 제1 업다운 버퍼유닛(14)으로부터 공급된 기판(Ｉ)을 기판 처리유닛(22)으로 이송하게 된다. Accordingly, it is by the rotation driving operation when the plurality of conveying rollers 36 of the motor transferred to the substrate (I) supplied from the first up-down buffer unit 14 in a substrate processing unit 22.
또한, 상기 언로더(37)는 기판 처리유닛(22)의 출측(42)에 배치되며, 상기 로더(18)와 동일한 구조를 갖는다. Further, the brace 37 is arranged on the exit side 42 of the substrate processing unit 22, it has the same structure as the loader 18.
따라서, 상기 기판 처리유닛(22)으로부터 배출된 기판(Ｉ)은 다수개의 반송롤러(20)에 의하여 이송되어 상기 제2 업다운 버퍼유닛(16)에 공급된다. Accordingly, the substrate (I) discharged from the substrate processing unit 22 is transferred by the plurality of conveying rollers 20 is supplied to the second up-down buffer unit 16.
한편, 상기 기판 처리유닛(22)은 상기 로더(18)에 의하여 이송된 기판(Ｉ)을 세정, 건조 등 일련의 과정을 거쳐 처리한 후 언로더(37)를 통하여 배출하게 된다. On the other hand, the substrate-processing unit 22 is then processed through a series of steps, washing, and drying the substrate (I) transported by the loader 18 is discharged through the unloader (37).
이러한 기판 처리유닛(22)은 유기세정모듈(EUV;44)과 유기기판(Ｉ)을 세정하기 위한 세정모듈(Cleaning Module;46)과, 세정모듈(46)에 의해 세정된 기판(Ｉ)을 건조하기 위한 건조 모듈(Dry Module;48)을 포함한다. The substrate processing unit 22 is an organic cleaning module the substrate (I) washing by;; (46 Cleaning Module), a cleaning module (46) (EUV 44) and a cleaning module for cleaning a glass substrate (I) include; (48 dry module) drying module for drying.
상기 세정모듈(46)에는 에어커튼(Air Curtain), 에어썩션(Air Suction), 롤 브러쉬(Roll Brush& Shower), 디아이 젯트(Deionize Water Jet;DI Water), 에어 나이프(Air Knife) 등의 세정유닛이 설치된다. The cleaning module 46, the air curtain (Air Curtain), Air Suction (Air Suction), a roll brush (Roll Brush & Shower), DI jet (Deionize Water Jet; DI Water), cleaning unit, such as an air knife (Air Knife) this is installed. 본 발명의 세정모듈(46)은 유체를 분사하는 디아이 젯트 및 에어나이프 등에 물리적 에너지를 가할 수 있도록 하고, 각 세정유닛이 서로의 간섭을 받지 않으면서 조밀하게 배치하도록 하여, 하나의 기판에 여러 세정공정이 진행될 수 있도록 한다. The cleaning module 46 of the present invention is to be able to apply a physical energy such as DI jet and an air knife for injecting a fluid, in that each washing unit so as to densely arranged without being interfering with each other, various cleaning a single substrate so that the process can proceed.
그리고, 상기 유기세정모듈(44)은 반드시 구비되는 것은 아니고, 선택적으로 적용 가능하므로, 필요에 따라 생략될 수 있다. In addition, the organic cleaning module 44 is not necessarily provided, it optionally can be applied, can be omitted, if necessary.
이하, 첨부된 도면을 참조하여 본 발명의 바람직한 실시예에 따른 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 시스템의 작동과정 및 그 처리방법에 대하여 더욱 상세하게 설명한다. And in more detail described below, operation of the docking type substrate transfer and processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, and its processing method.
도1, 도2, 그리고 도6 에 도시된 바와 같이, 먼저, 로봇(R)이 카셋트(C)로부터 기판(Ｉ)을 인출하는 단계가 진행된다(S100). 1, 2, and 6, first, the robot (R) is a step of withdrawing the substrate (I) from the cassette (C) proceeds (S100). 즉, 로봇(R)의 아암이 카셋트(C)의 내부에 진입하여 적치된 기판(Ｉ)을 인출하게 된다. In other words, the arm of the robot (R) is drawn out of the substrate (I) jeokchi enters the interior of the cassette (C).
기판(Ｉ)을 인출 한 후, 로봇(R)은 일정 각도로 회전 및 상승하여 기판 세정 및 건조장치(H)에 기판(Ｉ)을 인계하는 단계가 진행된다(S110). After withdrawing the substrate (I), the robot (R) is the step of taking over the substrate (I) in rotation, and the substrate cleaning and drying unit (H) rises at an angle in progress (S110).
상부 이송수단(12)은 기판 인수위치에 설정되어 있어 상기 로봇(R)으로부터 기판(Ｉ)을 공급받으며, 상기 기판(Ｉ)은 상부 이송수단(12)의 정열부(26)에 안착된다. Upper transfer section (33) there is set in the substrate acquired location receives the supply of the substrate (I) from the robot (R), the substrate (I) is seated in the aligned portion 26 of the upper conveying means (12). 기판(Ｉ)의 안착이 완료되면, 상부 이송수단(12)은 모터 조립체(도시안됨)의 구동에 의하여 전방으로 이송하게 된다. When the seating of the substrate (I) is completed, the upper transfer section (33) is transported in the forward direction by the driving of the motor assembly (not shown).
상부 이송수단(12)이 전방으로 이동하여 일정 위치에 도달하면 제1 업다운 퍼 유닛의 기판 이송단계가 진행된다(S120). A substrate transfer step of the first up-down buffer unit proceeds when the upper conveying means (12) reaches a certain position by moving in the forward direction (S120).
즉, 상부 이송수단(12)이 일정 위치에 도달하는 경우, 제1 업다운 버퍼 유닛(14)의 상부핸드(30)는 일정 높이로 상승하여 대기상태이다. That is, when the upper conveying means (12) to reach a predetermined position, the first upper hand 30 of the up-down buffer unit 14 is the stand-by state to rise to a predetermined height. 그리고, 상기 상부핸드(30)는 상기 기판(Ｉ)이 이송되면 약간 상승함으로써 기판(Ｉ)의 양 테두리부를 지지하여 상방으로 밀어 올림으로써 기판(Ｉ)을 상부 이송수단(12)으로부터 상승시켜 인수하게 된다. In addition, the upper hand 30 is acquired by raising the substrate (I) by thrust upward to support both edge portions of the substrate (I) by slightly rising when the substrate (I) is transferred from the upper transport means (12) It is.
기판(Ｉ)을 인수한 상기 상부핸드(30)는 일정 위치까지 하강하게 되며, 이때 하부핸드(32)는 일정 높이에서 대기상태이다. The upper hand (30) which acquired the substrate (I) is lowered to the predetermined position, wherein the lower hand 32 is a wait state in a certain height.
상기 하부핸드(32)는 상기 상부핸드(30)가 일정 위치에 도달하면, 약간 상승함으로써 기판(Ｉ)을 상부핸드(30)로부터 인수하게 된다. The lower hand 32, when the upper hand 30 reaches the predetermined position, by a slight increase will take over the substrate (I) from the upper hand (30). 그리고, 상기 상부핸드(30)는 수평방향으로 이동함으로써 상기 하부핸드(32)가 하부로 이동될 수 있도록 한다. In addition, the upper hand 30 to be the lower hand 32 is moved to the lower portion by moving in a horizontal direction.
상기 하부핸드(32)는 기판(Ｉ)을 인수한 후, 로더(18)의 기판패스라인(P/S) 이하로 하강하게 된다. The lower hand 32 is lowered to below the substrate pass line (P / S) after the acquisition of the substrate (I), the loader (18). 따라서, 하부핸드(32)에 얹혀진 기판(Ｉ)은 하부핸드(32)로부터 이탈되어 로더(18)의 반송롤러(36)상에 적치된다. Thus, the substrate (I) eonhyeojin the lower hand 32 is separated from the lower hand 32 is placed in a a conveying roller 36 of the loader 18.
이와 같은 과정을 통하여 기판(Ｉ)은 상부 이송수단(12)에서 상부 및 하부핸드(30,32)를 통하여 로더(18)로 이송될 수 있다. The substrate (I) via the same procedure can be transferred to the loader 18 via the upper and lower hands 30 and 32 from the upper conveying means (12).
그리고, 로더(18)의 기판 이송단계가 진행된다(S130). Then, the substrate transfer step and proceeds to the loader (18) (S130). 즉, 기판(Ｉ)이 반송롤러(36)상에 적치되면, 구동모터가 작동함으로써 반송롤러(36)가 회전하게 되고, 기판(Ｉ)은 기판 처리유닛(22)으로 공급된다. That is, when the substrate (I) is placed in a a conveying roller 36, by the drive motor is operated to rotate the conveying roller 36, the substrate (I) is supplied to the substrate processing unit (22).
기판 처리유닛(22)으로 공급된 기판(Ｉ)은 일련의 공정을 거치면서 세정 및 건조 처리된다(S140). Supplied to the substrate processing unit 22, the substrate (I) is goes through a series of steps washing and drying processes (S140).
즉, 선택적으로 유기세정모듈(44)에 의하여 건조세정이 처리된 다음, 세정 모듈(46)을 통과하면서 DI, 공기 등의 분사에 의하여 기판(Ｉ)상에 잔류하는 이물질을 제거하게 된다. That is, to selectively remove foreign materials remaining on the substrate (I) by the injection of an organic cleaning module 44, and a cleaning treatment by passing the dried and then the cleaning module (46), DI, air. 또한, 세정모듈(46)을 통과한 기판(Ｉ)은 건조모듈(48)로 공급되어 건조된다. In addition, the substrate (I) having passed through the cleaning module 46 is dried is supplied to the drying module 48.
상기한 바와 같이 기판 처리유닛(22)을 통과한 기판(Ｉ)은 언로더(37)의 반송롤러(20)에 의하여 배출되며(S150), 배출된 기판은 제2 업다운 버퍼유닛(16)에 의하여 이송된다(S160). A substrate (I) is discharged by the conveying roller 20 of the unloader (37) (S150), a discharge substrate of the second up-down buffer unit 16 passes through the substrate processing unit 22 as described above, It is conveyed by (S160).
즉, 기판은 제2 업다운 버퍼 유닛(16)의 하부핸드(32)에 적치된다. That is, the substrate is placed in a lower hand 32 of the second up-down buffer unit 16. 하부핸드(32)에 적치된 기판(Ｉ)은 일정 높이 상승하여 기판(Ｉ)을 상부핸드(30)에 인계한다. Substrate (I) of the hand placed in a lower portion (32) is turned over the substrate (I) to the upper hand (30) to increase the height constant.
기판(Ｉ)을 인수한 상부핸드(30)는 일정 높이로 상승하여 상부층(Ⅲ)에 도달하게 되며, 이 위치에서 상부 이송수단(12)에 기판(Ｉ)을 인계하게 된다(S170). The upper hand (30) which acquired the substrate (I) is raised to the predetermined height is reached in the top layer (Ⅲ), is turned over the substrate (I) to the upper conveying means 12 at the position (S170). 기판(Ｉ)을 인수한 상부 이송수단(12)은 전방으로 이송하며 일정 위치에 도달하여 로봇(R)에 기판(Ｉ)을 인계하게 된다(S180). Substrate (I) the acquisition of the upper conveying means 12 is transported in the forward direction, and will take over the substrate (I) to the robot (R) to reach a predetermined position (S180).
그리고, 기판(Ｉ)을 인수한 로봇(R)은 하강 및 일정 각도 회전하여 기판 처리장비(D)에 기판(Ｉ)을 공급한다(S190). Then, the robot (R) the acquisition of the substrate (I) is lowered and the rotation angle is supplied to the substrate (I) to a substrate processing equipment (D) (S190). 따라서, 기판 처리장비(D)에 공급된 기판(Ｉ)은 화학 기상증착 혹은 스퍼터링 처리를 하게 된다. Accordingly, the substrate (I) supplied to the substrate processing equipment (D) is that a chemical vapor deposition or sputtering process.
상기한 바와 같이 기판(Ｉ)은 로봇(R)에 의하여 카셋트(C)로부터 인출되어 기판 세정 및 건조장치(H)에 공급되고, 공급된 기판(Ｉ)은 상부 이송수단(12), 제1 업다운 버퍼유닛(14), 로더(18), 기판 처리유닛(22), 언로더(37), 제2 업다운 버퍼 유닛(16), 그리고 다시 상부 이송수단(12)으로 복귀하게 된다. Substrate (I) is the robot is withdrawn from the cassette (C) by (R) is supplied to the substrate cleaning and drying unit (H), the feed substrate (I) is a conveying means top 12, as described above, a first Up-down is returned to the buffer unit 14, the loader 18, the substrate processing unit 22, unloader 37, and the second up-down buffer unit 16, and back to the upper transport means (12). 복귀한 기판(Ｉ)은 로봇(R)에 의하여 반출되어 직접 기판 처리장비(D)로 공급됨으로써 일련의 처리공정을 거치게 된다. Return supplied to a substrate (I) is a robot (R) is directly taken out substrate processing equipment (D) by the being is subjected to a series of treatment processes.
상술한 실시예에서는 진공장비를 예를 들어 설명하였지만, 본 발명은 상기와 같은 물리적 에너지를 갖는 세정모듈을 갖는 세정 및 건조장치(H)를 이용하여 다른 장비와도 도킹 타입으로 구성 가능하다. In the above embodiment has been described, for example, a vacuum equipment, the invention is by using a cleaning and drying apparatus (H) having a cleaning module having a physical energy as above may be composed of even docking type, and other devices.
또한, 상술한 실시예에서는 상기 기판이 세정 및 건조 공정이 진행된 다음, 주 공정인 진공장비로 도입되어 기판이 처리되었지만, 그 반대로 기타 장비에서 기판이 소정 처리된 후 상기 기판을 세정 및 건조하는 도킹(Docking) 시스템을 가질 수도 있다. In the above embodiment, the substrate is advanced the cleaning and drying process, and then, is introduced into the main process of vacuum equipment but the substrate is processed, the opposite other after the substrate in the device the predetermined process docked for cleaning and drying the substrate (Docking) may have on the system.
이와 같이, 본 발명의 바람직한 실시예에 따른 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 시스템과, 그 처리방법은 다음과 같은 장점이 있다. Thus, in a preferred embodiment the docking-type substrate transfer and processing system according to the present invention and the method has the following advantages.
첫째, 주 공정라인에 세정 및 건조장비를 도킹방식으로 배치함으로써 기존과 같은 세정 및 건조라인을 독립적으로 배치한 경우에 비하여 공간효율성이 뛰어나 투자비 등을 절감할 수 있다. First, it is possible to reduce the investment cost, etc. excellent space efficiency compared with the case of arranging the cleaning and drying line, such as existing independently by placing the washing and drying equipment to the main process line to a docking system.
둘째, 도킹방식이 가능한 세정 및 건조장비를 구성함으로써 기판의 처리효율을 향상시킬 수 있다. Secondly, by configuring the cleaning and drying equipment is docked scheme that can improve the process efficiency of the substrate.
셋째, 기판 세정 및 처리장치가 밀폐구조의 인라인형태로 구성되어 있음으로 기판이 외부 이물질에 노출되는 것을 차단함으로써 이물질에 의한 불량 발생률을 줄일 수 있다. Third, the substrate and that the substrate cleaning apparatus is configured as an in-line form of the sealing structure can reduce the percentage of defective due to foreign substances by blocking the exposure of foreign matter.
이상을 통해 본 발명의 바람직한 실시예에 대하여 설명하였으나, 본 발명은 이에 한정되는 것은 아니고 특허청구의 범위와 발명의 상세한 설명 및 첨부한 도면의 범위 안에서 여러 가지로 변형하여 실시하는 것이 가능하고, 이 또한 본 발명의 범위에 속하는 것은 당연하다. But through the above described preferred embodiment of the invention, the invention is not limited to this can be carried out in various modifications within the framework of the drawings a detailed description and accompanying of the range and the invention of the claims, the It is also natural that within the scope of this invention.
도1 은 본 발명의 바람직한 실시예에 따른 기판 세정 및 건조장치(HDC)가 적용된 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 시스템을 개략적으로 도시하는 도면. 1 is a view schematically showing a substrate cleaning and docking-type substrate transfer and processing system of the drying device (HDC) is applied according to an embodiment of the present invention.
도2 는 도1 에 도시된 기판세정 및 건조장치를 도시하는 사시도. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a substrate cleaning and drying apparatus shown in Fig.
도3 은 도2 에 도시된 기판세정 및 건조장치의 측면도. Figure 3 is a side view of the substrate cleaning and drying device shown in Fig.
도4 는 도2 에 도시된 기판세정 및 건조장치의 평면도. Figure 4 is a plan view of the substrate cleaning and drying device shown in Fig.
도5 는 도2 에 도시된 기판세정 및 건조장치의 우측면도. Figure 5 is a right side view of the substrate cleaning and drying device shown in Fig.
도6 은 본 발명의 바람직한 실시예에 따른 도킹방식의 기판 이송 및 처리공정을 도시하는 흐름도. Figure 6 is a flow diagram that illustrates a substrate transfer and processing of the docking system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
상기 기판 세정 및 건조장비로부터 인출된 기판을 상기 기판 이송부재로부터 인수하여 처리하는 기판 처리장비를 포함하는 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 시스템. Washing the substrate and the substrate take-off from the dry dock equipment and the transfer-type substrate processing system including a substrate processing equipment for processing acquired from the substrate transfer member.
제1 항에 있어서, 상기 기판이송부재는 기판을 적치하는 아암을 구비하고, 회전 및 승하강 가능한 로봇을 포함하는 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 시스템. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate transferring member is transferred and a docking-type substrate processing system including the arms having a jeokchi the substrate, and rotating and elevating possible robot.
제1 항에 있어서, 상기 기판 처리장비는 진공증착장비 혹은 스퍼터링장비 중 어느 하나인 것을 특징으로 하는 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 시스템. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate processing equipment is docked type substrate transfer and processing system according to claim any one of a vacuum deposition apparatus or sputtering equipment.
상기 이송유닛에 의하여 공급된 기판을 세정, 건조 처리하는 기판 처리유닛을 포함하는 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 시스템. Docking-type substrate transfer and processing system including a substrate processing unit configured to supply a substrate by the transfer unit washing and drying treatment.
제4 항에 있어서, 상기 상부 이송수단은 상기 프레임에 장착된 레일상에 안착되어 활주 가능한 하부베이스와, 상기 하부베이스의 상부에 장착되며 기판이 적치되는 상부 베이스와, 상기 상부 베이스상에 구비되어 기판이 안착되는 정열부 및 적어도 하나 이상의 지지핀을 포함하는 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 시스템. The method of claim 4, wherein the upper transporting means is mounted on the upper portion of and the rail is secured to the daily slidable lower base attached to the frame, the lower base is provided on the upper base and the upper base to which the substrate is jeokchi docking-type substrate transfer and processing system comprising an alignment part and the at least one support pin in which the substrate is mounted.
제4 항에 있어서, 상기 수직 이송수단은 수직 혹은 수평운동이 가능하며 상기 상부 이송수단으로부터/으로 기판을 인수/인계하는 상부핸드와, 상기 상부핸드로부터 기판을 인수하여 하강하여 상기 이송유닛으로 기판을 인계하거나 이송유닛으로부터 기판을 인수하여 상기 상부핸드에 인계하는 하부핸드를 포함하는 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 시스템. The method of claim 4, wherein the vertical transport means is a substrate in a vertical or horizontal movement is possible, and the acquisition of the substrate to the upper conveying means to / from / taking over the upper hand and the transfer unit lowered to take over the substrate from the upper hand for take over or transfer to take over the substrate from a docking unit type substrate transfer and processing system including a hand to take over the lower to the upper portion of the hand.
제4 항에 있어서, 상기 이송유닛은 상기 수직이송수단으로부터 기판을 인수하여 상기 기판 처리유닛에 공급하는 로더와, 상기 기판 처리유닛으로부터 기판을 배출하는 언로더를 포함하는 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 시스템. The method of claim 4, wherein the transfer unit is docked type substrate transporting and processing system comprising a brace for the loader to be supplied to the substrate processing unit to take over the substrate from the vertical transfer means, and discharging the substrate from the substrate processing unit .
제7 항에 있어서, 상기 수직 이송수단은 상기 프레임의 전방에 배치되어 상기 상부 이송수단으로부터 기판을 인수/하강하여 상기 로더에 인계하는 제1 업다운 버퍼유닛과, 상기 프레임의 후방에 배치되어 상기 언로더로부터 공급된 기판을 상부로 이송시켜 상기 상부 이송수단에 인계하는 제2 업다운 버퍼 유닛을 포함하는 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 시스템. The method of claim 7, wherein the vertical transfer means for the unloading is located at the front of the frame is disposed in the first up-down buffer unit and a rear side of the frame turned over on the loader with the acquisition / lowering the substrate from the upper conveying means by transferring the supply substrates from the loader into the upper docking-type substrate transporting and processing system comprises a second up-down buffer unit for taking over the said top transfer device.
상기 기판 이송부재가 상기 기판 세정 및 건조장비로부터 기판을 인수하여 기판 처리장비에 공급함으로써 기판을 처리하는 제3 단계를 포함하는 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 방법. Docking-type substrate transfer and processing method for a third step in which the substrate transfer member cleaning process the substrate and the substrate by supplying to take over the substrate from the drying device to the substrate processing equipment.
상기 상부 이송수단이 상기 기판을 인수하여 상기 기판 이송부재에 인계하는 단계를 포함하는 도킹형 기판 이송 및 처리 방법. Docking-type substrate transfer and processing method in which the upper transfer device comprising a transfer member taking over the substrate by taking the substrate.
ES2263371B1 (en) * 2002-11-25 2008-01-16 Industrias El Gamo, S.A. Improvements on the subject of the main patent n.200202704 by compressed gas gun. | 2019-04-19T13:37:19Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/KR100500169B1/en |
Background: Accumulating evidence indicates that aberrant activation of the Hedgehog (Hh) signalling pathway by Glioma-associated oncogene (Gli) transcription factors is involved in the aggressive progression of cancers, including ovarian cancer. Whereas the molecular mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains unelucidated. Matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) facilitates degradation of the extracellular matrix, promoting the invasion of tumour cells, and is associated with cancer progression and metastasis. In previous reports, we identified a set of genes regulated by Hh signalling in ovarian tumour cells among which MMP-7 was identified as a potential Hh target gene candidate. However, establishing an association between Hh signalling activation and MMP-7 expression requires further validation, and the function of this regulation remains unknown.
Methods: A cDNA microarray was utilized to identify potential downstream targets of Hh signalling. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to evaluate mRNA expression, and immunoblotting (IB) was conducted to evaluate protein expression. The invasive and migratory capabilities of tumour cells were tested with the transwell and wound healing assays, respectively. The mRNA levels of Gli2 and MMP-7 in normal ovarian tissues and cancerous tissues in various stages together with the corresponding clinical information were acquired from the indicated GEO datasets to elucidate associations between MMP-7 expression and cancer progression and prognosis. Additionally, immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed in multiple ovarian cancers, benign tumours and normal tissues to evaluate Gli2 and MMP-7 protein expression.
Results: MMP-7 expression was regulated by the Hh ligand, antagonist and downstream transcript factor Gli2, demonstrating this gene as an Hh target. MMP-7 facilitated the invasion and migration of ovarian tumour cells, indicating its key function in ovarian cancer progression. IHC analysis demonstrated abnormally increased Gli2 and MMP-7 expression levels in benign tumours and ovarian cancer tissues. Moreover, high MMP-7 levels were significantly associated with poor overall survival (OS) and poor progression-free survival (PFS) in ovarian cancer patients.
Conclusion: Aberrant activation of the Hh-Gli-MMP-7 signalling axis is essential for acceleration of the progression and metastasis of human ovarian cancer, implicating its use as a novel therapeutic target of ovarian cancer. In addition, MMP-7 can potentially serve as a prognostic marker of ovarian cancer.
As a lethal gynaecological malignancy, ovarian cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death among females worldwide [1, 2], with an incidence rate ranked third among all malignant tumours. Epithelial ovarian cancer is the major ovarian malignancy and comprises five histological subtypes: serous, mucinous, endometrioid, transitional and clear cell [3, 4]. With not only insidious early symptoms but also limited treatment strategies, approximately 60% of ovarian cancer patients present with distant metastasis upon initial diagnosis, and their overall 5-year relative survival rate is a miserable 46% due to clinically occult dissemination and metastasis . Furthermore, the median survival of recurrent patients is generally between 1 and 2 years from the initial diagnosis [6, 7].
Ovarian cancer invasion and metastasis are complicated and sophisticated processes that involve a series of biochemical cascades. Several classes of proteins, including calcium-dependent cadherins, integrins, extracellular proteases, angiogenetic factors and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family members, are relevant to these processes; whereas the exact molecular mechanism underlying the invasion and metastasis of ovarian cancer still remains an area of active investigation. Therefore, it is urgent to identify significant molecular mediators that confer invasive and migratory potential to ovarian cancer cells as biomarkers for predicting risks of ovarian cancer progression and prognosis and to develop novel therapeutic strategies for ovarian cancer.
Emerging evidence has associated aberrant activation of the Hedgehog (Hh) signalling pathway, a core regulatory network involved in animal development that is conserved from flies to humans , with ovarian cancer [9-11]. In mammals, the Hh signalling pathway is initiated by the binding of ligand, Sonic Hedgehog (Shh), Indian Hedgehog (Ihh) or Desert Hedgehog (Dhh), to its receptor, Patched (Ptch) . Consequently, Ptch diminishes the inhibitory effects on Smoothened (Smo), which is localized into primary cilia (PC) and mediates activation of an intracellular cilium cascade. This activation leads to the nuclear translocation of the active form of Gli2 (Glioma-associated oncogene family member 2), a zinc finger transcriptional factor, and further transactivates the expression of target genes (e.g., Gli1, Ptch1) downstream of Hh signalling that regulate cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion propensity, stemness, differentiation and fate determination . Aberrant activation of the Hh signalling pathway is usually caused by a sustained increase in endogenous Hh expression (ligand-dependent) or by ligand-independent mutations of Patched, Smo and Suppressor of fused (Sufu) . Constitutively, Hh signalling has been indicated in many observations to be involved in the development and progression of associated tumours [15-19]. Here, we focus on the pivotal role of the Hh signalling pathway in the invasion and migration of ovarian cancer, which we have previously investigated [10, 11, 20]. Specifically, we showed that activation of Hh signalling promoted cellular migration and invasion, whereas blockade of Hh signalling with GANT61 (Gli-ANTagonist 61), a small molecule inhibitor of both Gli1 and Gli2 , suppressed cellular migration and invasion in ovarian cancer cells. However, the exact mechanisms underlying these phenomena largely remain elusive. Our interest in matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) greatly increased when we assessed the effects of GANT61 on the potential downstream target genes of Gli that function specifically in the cellular migration and invasion of ovarian cancer using a cDNA microarray approach; all data are available in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database under accession no. GSE53464.
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), also called matrixins, were first identified by Gross and Lapiere approximately 50 years ago and have been shown to facilitate cell invasion and metastasis via the enzymatic degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) components . MMP-7 is an MMP family member that comprises structural-related zinc-dependent endopeptidases . This secreted protease breaks down proteoglycans, fibronectin, elastin and casein and differs from most MMP family members in that it lacks a conserved C-terminal haemopexin domain. Physiologically, MMP-7 can promote cancer invasion and angiogenesis by the proteolytic cleavage of ECM and basement membrane proteins and thus plays a vital role in the invasion and metastasis of ovarian cancer [25-27]. However, it is still among the less understood that how the expression of MMP-7 is regulated in the development and progression of ovarian cancer.
Since ECM degradation mediated by MMPs is an essential process in cancer invasion and metastasis, we hypothesize that the Hh pathway promotes ovarian cancer cell migration and invasion by regulating MMP-7 expression. In our current study, human ovarian cancer SK-OV-3 cells, which exhibit highly invasive behaviour, were employed to demonstrate for the first time that MMP-7 is a downstream target gene of Gli2, and aberrant activation of the canonical Hh signalling pathway promotes ovarian cell invasion and migration by regulating MMP-7. When MMP-7 was knocked down, the migration and invasion abilities of ovarian cancer cells were markedly decreased. Additionally, our data indicated that MMP-7 could serve as an important clinical biomarker for predicting ovarian cancer prognosis.
GANT61 (G9048), cyclopamine, protease inhibitor cocktail, and Lubrol-PX were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, MO, USA). DMSO was purchased from Amresco and was used as the solvent for some reagents and the vehicle control. Puromycin was purchased from Salarbio. Doxycycline was purchased from Sangon Biotech (Shanghai, China). The primary antibody against Gli1 (2643S) was purchased from Cell Signaling (CST); the primary antibody against Kif3a (ab11259) were purchased from Abcam. The primary antibody against MMP-7 (C0273) was purchased from ANBO; antibody against Gli2 (sc28674) was purchased from Santa Cruz; antibody against GAPDH (MAB374) was purchased from Millipore. Enhanced chemiluminescence (ECL) Western blot detection reagents were purchased from Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. The BLOCK-iT Pol II miR RNAi Expression Vector Kit (K4936-00) and Lipofectamine 2000 (11668-019) were purchased from Invitrogen.
HEK293T were purchased from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC, Manassas, VA) between 2010 and 2015. Ovarian tumour cells SK-OV-3 and ES-2 were purchased from the Cell Bank of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Shanghai, China) between 2010 and 2013. SK-OV-3, ES-2 and 293T cells were authenticated using short tandem repeat profiling and were negative for mycoplasma contamination detecting via PCR-based assay in December 2017. The used cells were immediately expanded and frozen so that they could be resuscitated every 3 to 4 months from a frozen vial of the same batch of cells. HEK293T cells were cultured in basal Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% foetal bovine serum (FBS, Gibco-Life Technologies) and 1% penicillin/streptomycin, while ovarian tumour cells were cultured in McCOY's 5A medium (Gibco, 16600-082, adding NaHCO3 2.2g/L) supplemented with 10% FBS and 1% penicillin/streptomycin at 37°C in a humidified 5% CO2 atmosphere. In all experiments, the medium was replaced daily. Transient cell transfection was performed with Lipofectamine 2000 according to the manufacturer's instructions.
The human full-length MMP-7 cDNA (GenBank accession no. NM_002423.4) construct was subcloned into pcDNA3-Flag/AB (Invitrogen). The miRNAi-MMP-7 expression vectors were generated using the BLOCK-iTTM Pol II miR RNAi Expression Vector Kit (K4936-00, Invitrogen) [28, 29]. Briefly, using the human MMP-7 sequence from the NCBI gene bank, we designed three pairs of interference fragments using an Invitrogen online programme. These three regions were cloned into the pcDNA™6.2-GW/EmGFP-miR expression vectors to construct miRNAi-MMP-7. The oligonucleotide sequences for the miRNAi constructs are listed in Additional file 1: Table S1. An expression plasmid encoding the secretory Flag-tagged N-terminal 'Hedge' domain (N-Shh), the secreted segment of the Shh ligand with ligand activity, was constructed as previously described by inserting the amino-terminal signalling domain of a human Shh cDNA (aa 26-184, GenBank accession no. NM_000193.2) into a pFlag-CMV1 vector (Sigma-Aldrich, E7273) [20, 30]. In a 10-cm dish, HEK293T cells were transiently transfected with 10 µg of the Flag-N-Shh plasmid, and the empty vector plasmid was transfected into control cells. Twelve hours after transfection, the medium was replaced with basal DMEM supplemented with 2% FBS. The cells were incubated for an additional 24 hr, and the conditional medium with secreted N-Shh was then harvested and stored at 4°C . When culturing ovarian tumour cells, the conditioned Shh medium or the control medium was mixed with an equivalent volume of fresh culture medium supplemented with 5% FBS.
A Lenti-X-shRNA Tet-On system (pGV307-RFP) comprising shRNA-Gli2 was constructed, packaged, and purified by GeneChem (Shanghai, China), with shRNA-Gli2 targeting the sequence 5'-TCCTGAACATGATGACCTA-3'. Lentivirus infection was performed according to the manufacturer's protocol. Briefly, stably infected cells were selected using puromycin (1 μg/ml, Sangon Biotech) for 7 days and induced with doxycycline (1 μg/ml, Sangon Biotech). Knockdown efficiency was determined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis.
A scratch (wounding healing) assay was used to monitor cell migration . Briefly, SK-OV-3 cells were plated in 6-well plates to create a confluent monolayer and transfected with the miR-control or miR-MMP-7-158 plasmid at approximately 70% confluence. Next, the cell monolayer was scraped in a straight line to create a ''scratch trace'' with a 200 µL pipet tip. After washing the cells three times with the growth medium containing 2% FBS, the cells were treated with an equal volume of N-Shh conditional medium or control vehicle medium for 0, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hrs. The cells were photographed with a phase-contrast microscope (10× objective lens) at 0, 12, 24, 36 and 48 hrs. Wound areas were quantified using NIH Image-Pro Plus software. Data are presented as the means of three independent experiments ± standard deviation.
Cell invasion assays were conducted in Transwell plates (8-μm pore size, 6.5-mm diameter; Corning Life Sciences) precoated with Matrigel Basement Membrane Matrix (1 mg/ml; BD Biosciences) according to the manufacturer's protocol. First, SK-OV-3 cells were plated in 6-well plates to create a confluent monolayer and then transfected with the miR-control or miR-MMP-7-158 plasmid. After transfection, SK-OV-3 cells (5.0 × 104) in 500 μl of culture medium supplemented with 2% FBS were seeded onto the porous membrane of each insert, and 500 μl of N-Shh conditional medium or control vehicle medium supplemented with 2% FBS was added to each of the bottom wells in the system. Twenty-four hours later, the cells that had migrated to the other side of the membrane were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde and stained with crystal violet for 30 min. The number of invading cells were photographed and counted under an inverted microscope (10× objective lens). Each experiment was repeated at least three times.
Total RNA was extracted from fresh cells using TRIzol Reagent (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA) and analyzed by real-time PCR. Briefly, 1 µg of total RNA was reverse-transcribed to cDNA using the PrimeScript RT Reagent Kit (Takara, Japan). Finally, cDNA was analyzed using the Applied Biosystems Step One PlusTM Real-Time PCR Detection System (ABI, Foster City, CA, USA) according to the manufacturer's instructions. The real-time PCR conditions were as follows: activation at 95°C for 30 s followed by 40 cycles of denaturation at 95°C for 5 s, primer annealing and extension at 60°C for 30 s and a ramp back to 95°C. The mRNA expression levels of the target genes were normalized to those of GAPDH and quantified using the delta delta CT method. Quantitative RT-PCR for each gene was carried out in triplicate using the SYBR Premix Ex Taq RT-PCR Kit (Takara, Japan), and each experiment was repeated at least three times to ensure quantitative accuracy. The real-time PCR primer sequences are listed in Additional file 2: Table S2.
Cells were harvested after treatment with a designed programme and then subjected to Western blot analysis as described previously [28, 29]. Briefly, cells were lysed in extraction buffer comprising 0.5% Lubrol-PX, 50 mM KCl, 2 mM CaCl2, 20% glycerol, 50 mM Tris-HCl, and protease and phosphatase inhibitors (pH 7.4). Cell lysates were purified by centrifugation (Eppendorf, 5415R) at 12,000 rpm for 15 min at 4°C, and total protein concentrations were determined using a standard BCA Protein Assay Kit (23225, Thermo). Ovarian tumour cell lysates (40 μg) were separated on 8%-10% polyacrylamide gels via SDS-PAGE and then transferred to polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membranes (Millipore). Subsequent immunoblotting was performed using the following primary antibodies: Gli1 (1:500), Gli2 (1:500), MMP-7 (1:500), Kif3a (1:1000) and GAPDH (1:2000). Quantification of the immunoblot bands was accomplished using scanning films containing nonsaturated signals with the Epson V700 scanner. Densitometries of the Western blot images were quantified using ImageJ software. All experiments were repeated at least three times with consistent results.
The excised samples were fixed in a 10% neutral buffered formalin solution, embedded in paraffin, and processed for histopathological analysis. All samples were stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E), and histopathological evaluations were performed by a histopathologist blinded to the pathological diagnosis.
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analyses were performed as described previously [19, 33, 34]. Briefly, tissues sections were cut into 4-μm-thick sections and mounted onto slides. The tissues were then deparaffinized and rehydrated, and endogenous peroxidase activity was blocked with 3% hydrogen peroxide. Then, the tissues were treated with citrate buffer (0.01 M, pH 6.0) and heated in a microwave for 30 min. Following a standard antigen retrieval protocol, the slides were rinsed in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and incubated with the appropriate primary antibody, anti-Gli2 (1:100) or anti-MMP-7 (1:100), overnight at 4°C in a humidified chamber. Detection was achieved with a Polink-2 HRP DAB Detection Kit (Zhongshan Biotechnology) following the manufacturer's protocol. IHC images were captured with an FSX100 microscope (Olympus), and the German semiquantitative scoring method was employed to evaluate the scores. All stained sections, including nuclei, cytoplasms and membranes, were evaluated and scored independently by two qualified pathologists with no prior knowledge of the clinicopathological outcomes of the patients. Staining intensity was scored as 0 (no staining), 1 (weak staining), 2 (moderate staining) or 3 (strong staining), and the mean percentage of positive cells was scored as 0 (0%), 1 (1%-24%), 2 (25%-49%), 3 (50%-74%) or 4 (75%-100%). The final immunoreactive scores were obtained for each case by multiplying the percentage and intensity scores. Protein expression levels were further analysed by classifying the final scores as negative (-): 0-2, low positive (+): 3-5, medium positive (++): 6-8, or strongly positive (+++): 9-12. Enumeration data were obtained by classification of the final scores as one of two grades, negative (0-2) or positive (+, ++, +++).
For Kaplan-Meier Plotter database analysis (http://kmplot.com/), Kaplan-Meier overall survival curves were generated for ovarian patients whose follow-up data were available . A log-rank (Mantel-Cox) test was used to analyse survival differences between groups.
In total, 95 patients with ovarian epithelial cell carcinoma who underwent surgical resection at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University between January 1998 and December 2008 (age >18 years) were included in the current study. All patients were diagnosed based on the histopathological criteria, and none of these patients had received chemotherapy, radiotherapy or immunotherapy before or after surgery. In addition, 20 patients with benign ovarian cystadenoma who underwent tumour stripping or unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and another 10 patients who underwent both hysterectomy and bilateral or unilateral oophorectomy were selected as controls for H&E staining and IHC analysis. Clinical samples were collected after informed consent was obtained in accordance with the Ethics Committee requirements at the participating institutes and the Declaration of Helsinki. The study procedure was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University (Nanchang, China). Detailed clinical and pathological information is summarized in Table 3.
Microarray gene expression data were deposited into the GEO database under accession number GSE53464.
Data are presented as the mean ± SD of independent experiments performed at least three times. Paired two-tailed Student's t-test or one-way ANOVA were used to assess the statistical significance of differences between two different groups of quantitative data. Correlation analysis of IHC scores between Gli2 and MMP-7 expression was demonstrated using Pearson's Chi-squared test with Yates' continuity correction. Correlations were defined as follows: strong (r2 > 0.75), good (0.4 ≤ r2 ≤ 0.75), and poor (r2 < 0.4) . Correlations between Gli2 or MMP-7 expression and clinicopathological characteristics were analysed using χ² tests, statistical significance was analyzed using Fisher's exact test for qualitative data. P < 0.05 (*) and P < 0.01 (**) indicate statistically significant differences. SPSS software version 18.0 (SPSS, Chicago) was used to perform data analyses.
Hh signalling plays a vital role in the initiation and/or progression of various cancers, including ovarian cancer. To further investigate the effects of aberrant Hh signalling activation on the invasion and metastasis of ovarian cancer, we previously analysed the gene expression profile of SK-OV-3 cells treated with GANT61, a Gli inhibitor, using a cDNA microarray [9, 20]. Herein, we focused on MMP-7 among the genes putatively down-regulated by GANT61 to elucidate the essential role of MMPs in ECM turnover and cancer cell migration .
While this high-throughput assay approach revealed some clues, more evidence was required to identify MMP-7 as a downstream target gene of Hh signalling. We first investigated whether MMP-7 responded to the Shh ligand by detecting its mRNA and protein expression in SK-OV-3 cells treated with N-Shh or control conditional media, revealing that both the mRNA (Figure 1A) and protein (Figure 1B) expression levels of MMP-7 were increased by Shh treatment in a time-dependent manner. The protein levels of MMP-7 in ES-2 cells, another ovarian tumour cell line, either treated or not treated with Shh were then evaluated, revealing consistently increased protein expression after Shh treatment in these cells (Figure 1C). Together, these results demonstrate that MMP-7 expression is regulated by the Hh ligand and suggest that MMP-7 is a target gene of Hh signalling.
As Hh signalling is generally reported to be overactivated in ovarian tumours, cyclopamine, a widely used Smo inhibitor, was employed to inhibit Hh signalling in SK-OV-3 and ES-2 cells. The mRNA level of MMP-7 was decreased in SK-OV-3 cells antagonized by cyclopamine (Figure 1D), and the MMP-7 protein level was also decreased in a time-dependent manner after cyclopamine treatment in SK-OV-3 and ES-2 cells (Figure 1E and 1F). These results further confirmed MMP-7 as an Hh target gene.
MMP-7 expression is regulated by the Hh signalling pathway. A. SK-OV-3 cells incubated with or without N-Shh were subjected to real-time PCR analysis for the detection of Gli2 and MMP-7 expression. Data are shown as mean ± SD (n = 3). **P < 0.01. B. Left panel, SK-OV-3 cells incubated with N-Shh for 0 hr, 24 hrs, 36 hrs, or 48 hrs were harvested for WB analysis. Data are shown as mean ± SD (n = 3). Right panel, quantification analysis of the Western blot image shown in Figure 1B using ImageJ software. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01. C. Left panel, ES-2 cells incubated with N-Shh for 0 hr, 24 hrs, 36 hrs , or 48 hrs were harvested for WB analysis. Data are shown as mean ± SD (n = 3). Right panel, Quantification analysis of the Western blot image shown in Figure 1C using ImageJ software. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01. D. SK-OV-3 cells treated with cyclopamine (20 µmol/L) for 0 hr, 36 hrs, or 60 hrs were subjected to real-time PCR analysis for the detection of Gli2 and MMP-7 expression. Data are shown as mean ± SD (n = 3). **P < 0.01. E. Left panel, SK-OV-3 cells treated with cyclopamine (20 µmol/L) for 0 hr, 24 hrs, 36 hrs, or 48 hrs were harvested for WB analysis with the indicated antibodies. Data are shown as mean ± SD (n = 3). Right panel, Quantification analysis of the Western blot image shown in Figure 1E using Image J software. *P < 0.05. F. Left panel, ES-2 cells treated with cyclopamine (20 µmol/L) for 0 hr, 24 hrs, 36 hrs , or 48 hrs were harvested for WB analysis with the indicated antibodies. Data are shown as mean ± SD (n = 3). Right panel, quantification analysis of the Western blot image shown in Figure 1F using ImageJ software. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01.
In the canonical Hh signalling pathway, activated Smo inhibits the phosphorylation and ubiquitination of Glis in PC. Kinesin superfamily protein 3 (Kif3a), an essential component of the intraflagellar transport motor system (IFT) in PC, is well-known to mediate and transduce canonical Hh signalling. To further investigate how MMP-7 expression is regulated by Hh signalling, Kif3a was knocked down. Consequently, MMP-7 protein expression was reduced (Figure 2A), indicating that regulation of MMP-7 expression depends on Hh signalling transduction in PC.
Gli proteins shuttled from PC to the nucleus were deemed essential for transcriptional activation by Hh signalling, and serval antagonists of these proteins have been developed. SK-OV-3 and ES-2 cells were treated with GANT61 (a common Gli inhibitor) to block Hh signalling in the nucleus, which reduced MMP-7 protein expression in both SK-OV-3 and ES-2 cells in a time-dependent manner (Figure 2B and 2C). Consistent with this phenomenon, MMP-7 mRNA expression was also depressed by GANT61 treatment (Figure 2D), indicating that MMP-7 expression depends on Gli transcriptional activity.
Gli2 was knocked down in SK-OV-3 to block Gli transcriptional activity, and MMP-7 mRNA and protein expression was subsequently detected. Gli2 depletion suppressed the protein expression of MMP-7 in SK-OV-3 (Figure 2E). Additionally, the mRNA expression of MMP-7 was also decreased in SK-OV-3 cells in which Gli2 was knocked down (Figure 2F), further confirming MMP-7 as a target gene of Gli transcription factors. To further illustrate whether Gli2 or Gli1 acts the predominant role in regulating MMP-7, SK-OV-3 cells were transfected transiently with overexpression plasmids of pUB6/V5-hisB-Gli1 or empty vector, then the mRNA expression levels of Gli1 and MMP-7 were detected using qPCR. And we found that the mRNA expression of MMP-7 did not change while Gli1 was upregulated significantly (Figure S2A). This result revealed that Gli1 did not regulate MMP-7 directly. Next, we conducted transfection of plasmids of pcMV6-entry-Gli2-myc or empty vector, then the mRNA expression levels of Gli2, Gli1 and MMP-7 were detected using qPCR. Consequently, the mRNA expression levels of MMP-7 and Gli1 were increased accordingly after overexpressing Gli2 (Figure S2B). Therefore, our results revealed that MMP-7 is regulated directly by Gli2 other than Gli1. Taken together, these results demonstrate that MMP-7 is a target gene of Hh signalling downstream of Gli2.
As modulators in ECM turnover and cancer cell migration, MMPs represent the most prominent family of proteinases associated with cancer metastasis . However, the function of MMP-7 and the effects of regulating MMP-7 expression via Hh signalling remain unclear in ovarian tumour cells.
Three miRNAs targeting MMP-7 mRNA were designed to evaluate the endogenous function of MMP-7 in ovarian tumour cells, and their knockdown efficiencies were evaluated by detecting MMP-7 protein expression (Figure 3A) and mRNA expression (Supplementary Figure S1H). miR-MMP-7-158 and miR-MMP-7-668 dramatically interfered with the endogenous expression of MMP-7 (Figure 3A and 3B). To make a comprehensive assessment of protein and mRNA level, we choose miR-MMP-7-158 as a putative interfere construct.
Classic transwell and wound healing assays were utilized to evaluate the invasion and migration of ovarian tumour cells. Shh stimulation promoted both invasion and migration in SK-OV-3 cells, while MMP-7 depletion suppressed the invasive and migratory abilities of SK-OV-3 cells and partially ameliorated the effect of Shh treatment (Figure 3C, 3D, 3E, and 3F). We also repeated the invasive and migratory experiments with miR-MMP-7-668 (Supplementary Figure S1D, S1E, S1F and S1G). These results indicate that as an Hh target gene, MMP-7 might participate in the regulation of cell invasion and migration induced by Hh signalling.
MMPs reportedly play important roles in the tumourigenesis and progression of lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer , hepatocellular carcinoma , and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma , among others . However, whether the dysregulation of MMP-7 expression facilitates ovarian tumour progression remains unclear.
MMP-7 is a downstream target gene of the canonical Hh signalling pathway. A. Left panel, shRNA-Kif3a decreased the protein level of MMP-7. Right panel, quantification analysis of the Western blot image shown in Figure 2A using ImageJ software. Data are shown as mean ± SD (n = 3). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01. B. Left panel, SK-OV-3 cells treated with GANT61 (5 µmol/L) for 0 hr, 24 hrs, 36 hrs, or 48 hrs were harvested for WB analysis with the indicated antibodies. Right panel, quantification analysis of the Western blot image shown in Figure 2B using ImageJ software. Data are shown as mean ± SD (n = 3). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01. C. Left panel, ES-2 cells treated with GANT61 (20 µmol/L) for 0 hr, 24 hrs, or 36 hrs, or 48 hrs were harvested for WB analysis with the indicated antibodies. Right panel, quantification analysis of the Western blot image shown in Figure 2C using ImageJ software. Data are shown as mean ± SD (n = 3). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01. D. ES-2 cells treated with GANT61 (20 µmol/L) for 0 hr, 24 hrs, or 36 hrs were subjected to real-time PCR analysis for the detection of Gli2 and MMP-7 expression. Data are shown as mean ± SD (n = 3). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01. E. Left panel, SK-OV-3 cells were infected with lentivirus harbouring shRNAs (Lenti-shRNA-control and Lenti-shRNA-Gli2). Effective Gli2 knockdown markedly decreased the protein expression of Gli1 and MMP-7. Gli1 acted as a positive control. Right panel, quantification analysis of the Western blot image shown in Figure 2E using ImageJ software. Data are shown as mean ± SD (n = 3). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01. F. SK-OV-3 cells infected with lentivirus harbouring shRNAs (Lenti-shRNA-control and Lenti-shRNA-Gli2) were subjected to real-time PCR analysis for the detection of Gli2, Gli1 and MMP-7 expression. Data are shown as mean ± SD (n = 3). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01.
MMP-7 mRNA expression in normal ovarian tissues and various types of primary ovarian tumours sourced from GEO (GSE6008) were analysed, revealing higher MMP-7 expression in certain types of ovarian tumours (Figure 4A). Gli2 and MMP-7 protein expression levels in normal ovarian tissues and ovarian tumour samples were evaluated by IHC analysis, revealing that both Gli2 and MMP-7 expression levels were increased in ovarian tumour samples compared with those in normal tissues (Figure 4D, and Table 1). Interestingly, the protein levels of MMP-7 showed a positive correlation with Gli2 (Figure 4D, and Table 2), suggesting that MMP-7 expression is regulated by Hh-Gli2 signalling in ovarian tumours. Moreover, high Gli2 and MMP-7 expression was significantly correlated with clinical stage and lymphatic metastasis (Table 3). These observations demonstrate that Gli2 and MMP-7 are highly expressed in ovarian cancer tissues and suggest their association with ovarian tumourigenesis or ovarian cancer progression.
Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of 28 ovarian cancer patients (sourced from GSE23554) stratified by varying MMP-7 expression levels revealed that high MMP-7 levels were significantly associated with poor overall survival (p=0.0055, HR=4.38, Figure 4B) . Similarly, high MMP-7 levels in ovarian cancer patients sourced from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA, n=565) also signified poor progression-free survival (p=0.048, HR=1.3, Figure 4C) . These survival correlation analyses suggest that the level of MMP-7 expression is related to poor prognosis and might be a potential marker for prognosis prediction.
MMP-7 promotes the migration and invasion abilities of ovarian cancer cells. A. Validation of the knockdown efficiencies of three miR-MMP-7 constructs (miR-MMP-7-158, miR-MMP-7-314, and miR-MMP-7-668) in SK-OV-3 cells. B. Quantification analysis of the Western blot image shown in Figure 3A using ImageJ software. Data are shown as mean ± SD (n = 3). *P < 0.05. C. MMP-7 knockdown reduces N-Shh-induced invasive ability of SK-OV-3 cells. Scale bar, 100 μm. D. Quantification analysis of the cell counts shown in Figure 3C. Data are shown as mean ± SD (n = 3). **P < 0.01. E. MMP-7 knockdown inhibits the N-Shh-stimulated migratory ability of SK-OV-3 cells. Scale bar, 100 μm. F. Quantification analysis of the wound areas shown in Figure 3E using NIH Image-Pro Plus software. Data are shown as mean ± SD (n = 3). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01.
MMP-7 expression is abnormally elevated in ovarian cancer tissues and predicts poor clinical prognosis. A. Analysis of MMP-7 mRNA levels in the “GSE6008” dataset obtained from the publicly available Oncomine database. B. Kaplan-Meier survival rate analysis show that high MMP-7 expression is associated with poor overall survival. Overall survival data were obtained from the publicly available NCBI GEO database #GSEGSE23554. C. Kaplan-Meier survival rate analysis show that high MMP-7 expression is associated with poor progression survival. PFS data were obtained from the publicly available TCGA database. D. Representative immunostaining of Gli2 and MMP-7 in normal tissues and benign tumour, serous carcinoma, mucous cancer, and endometrial cancer tissues. Scale bar, 20 μm.
Levels of Gli2 and MMP-7 expression among normal tissues, benign tumors, malignant ovarian cancer.
b: * The positive expression rate of Gli2 in ovarian cancer was higher than that of normal ovarian tissue. Statistical significance was analyzed using χ2 test. χ22=5.42, 0.01<P<0.025.
c: △△ The positive expression rate of MMP-7 in ovarian cancer was higher than that of benign ovarian tumor. Statistical significance was analyzed using χ2 test. χ12=11.39, P<0.005.
d: ** The positive expression rate of MMP-7 in ovarian cancer was higher than that of normal ovarian tissue. Statistical significance was analyzed using χ2 test. χ22=10.34, P<0.005.
a: There was a significantly positive correlation between Gli2 and MMP-7. Statistical significance was analyzed using Fisher's exact test for count data. P=2.293e-10 (<0.01). Correlation analysis was demonstrated using Pearson's Chi-squared test with Yates' continuity correction. P=4.086e-12 (<0.01).
Ovarian cancer is a highly invasive gynaecological malignancy, and despite advancements in surgical and chemotherapy treatment strategies, many patients relapse and eventually succumb to this malignancy due to distant metastasis. Increasing evidence suggests that abnormal activation of the Hh signalling pathway plays a role in ovarian cancer [10, 11, 14, 39].
Hh was first identified in Drosophila melanogaster by genetic screens . Shortly thereafter, a field diversified to encompass embryonic development and stem cell homeostasis in adult tissues was inaugurated. Interestingly, dysregulation of the Hh pathway was shown to be responsible for congenital syndromes, such as holoprosencephaly, and other developmental malformations . Moreover, persistent Hh pathway activity has been demonstrated to have pathological consequences in various cancers, including skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma , prostate cancer , pancreatic cancer [16, 44], gastrointestinal malignancies [15, 17, 45], and brain cancer (medulloblastoma) . Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying the invasion and migration of ovarian cancer are not fully elucidated.
Association of Gli2 and MMP-7 expression levels with clinicopathologic characteristics in ovarian cancer.
a: #Compare the positive expression rate of Gli2 in serous carcinoma and mucous cancer. Statistical significance was analyzed using χ2 test.
b: △Compare the positive expression rate of Gli2 in serous carcinoma and endometrial cancer. Statistical significance was analyzed using χ2 test.
c: *Compare the positive expression rate of Gli2 in mucous cancer and endometrial cancer. Statistical significance was analyzed using χ2 test.
d: “—” was defined as the exact group whose patients numbers were less than 5.
e: ##Compare the positive expression rate of MMP-7 in serous carcinoma and mucous cancer. Statistical significance was analyzed using χ2 test.
f: △△Compare the positive expression rate of MMP-7 in serous carcinoma and endometrial cancer. Statistical significance was analyzed using χ2 test.
g: **Compare the positive expression rate of MMP-7 in mucous cancer and endometrial cancer. Statistical significance was analyzed using χ2test.
h: “——” was defined as the exact group whose patients numbers were less than 5.
In mammalian cells, Gli zinc finger proteins are dedicated transcription factors in the intracellular signalling transduction of the Hh pathway. Among three Gli homologs, Gli2 is a dual function mediator in Hh signalling; full-length Gli2 mediates Hh signalling from the plasma membrane into the nucleus, whereas Gli2 truncated at the N-terminus suppresses Hh signalling. Gli2 appears to be more important in development, as deletion of Gli2 is embryonically lethal, whereas the Gli1 protein is dispensable for animal development . Moreover, loss-of-function and dominant-negative mutations in Gli2 lead to holoprosencephaly-like features and pituitary anomalies.
Invasion and metastasis are complicated, multi-step processes in which cancer cells undergo detachment from the primary site, intravasation into blood vessels, extravasation to a different bodily location, and colonization at the secondary site . Degradation of the ECM and basement membrane is a significant proteolytic event in cancer invasion and metastasis initiation . MMPs, whose general architectural features demonstrate three domains, the catalytic domain, the pro-peptide domain, and the haemopexin-like C-terminal domain linked to the catalytic domain via a flexible hinge region, have traditionally been found to play vital roles in late-stage tumour cell invasion and metastasis based on their ability to degrade ECM components. Furthermore, MMPs regulate other signalling pathways that control cell growth, inflammation, and angiogenesis and may even function in a nonproteolytic manner. MMPs promote the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by cleaving the cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin and liberating TGF-β. Moreover, MMPs reportedly trigger the angiogenic switch, and release VEGF during carcinogenesis . Sawada revealed that ovarian cancer metastasis is most likely induced by upregulation of the alpha 5-integrin mediated by E-cadherin loss . Sakata indicated that MMP-2 and MMP-9 are frequently overexpressed in ovarian cancer cells disseminated in the peritoneal cavity . Laminin is an ECM component that is associated with tumour cell metastasis, and one study indicated that laminin expression in the ascitic fluid of patients with ovarian cancer is greatly increased . In recent years, VEGF family members, especially placental growth factor (PLGF), have been shown to activate MMP-7-mediated ovarian cancer invasion .
MMP-7, a secreted proteolytic enzyme, differs from most MMP family members in that it lacks a conserved C-terminal haemopexin domain. MMP-7 exhibits elevated expression levels in multiple human cancers and has been previously demonstrated to facilitate tumour invasion, which is consistent with the results of this study. Specifically, ectopic Gli2 overexpression using the Shh ligand, an Hh signalling pathway activator, facilitated ovarian cancer cell invasion and migration (Figure 3C and 3E). However, simultaneously inhibiting MMP-7 with an miRNA and the Shh ligand inhibited ovarian cancer cell invasion and migration. The exact mechanisms underlying the invasion and migration of ovarian cancer cells are complex. Some studies suggest that these processes are partially due to the induction of progelatinase activation , while another study indicates that mesothelin may participate in the invasion of ovarian cancer by inducing MMP-7 expression via the MAPK/ERK and JNK pathways . Increasing evidence indicates that ligand-dependent Hh signalling, also termed canonical Hh signalling, plays an essential role in cancer. On the other hand, noncanonical mechanisms independent of Hh signalling also play regulatory roles in the expression of Gli target genes. This Hh-independent regulation of Gli indicates that a cross talk between the Hh pathway and other signalling pathways may exist during animal development and tumourigenesis. Many studies have shown an apparent cross talk between the Hh and Wnt pathways in ovarian cancer [55, 56]. The PI3K-Akt and Shh-Gli1 pathways are also validated in the occurrence of EMT in ovarian cancer cells .
High Gli1 expression in advanced serous ovarian cancers is associated with unfavourable overall survival . Consistent with these findings, we found that Gli2 and MMP-7 were both markedly elevated in malignant ovarian cancer tissues (Figure 4A and 4C). Furthermore, our analysis of clinical samples also indicated that MMP-7 expression was positively correlated with Gli2. In addition, the expression of MMP-7 and Gli2 was significantly correlated with the clinical stage and lymphatic metastasis (Table 3). Finally, our analyses of public databases showed that higher levels of Gli2 and MMP-7 were associated with unfavourable survival and poor progression-free survival, which was also found in another study . Furthermore, we showed that MMP-7 can potentially serve as a marker for ovarian cancer recurrence, as previously reported .
Collectively, we demonstrate that aberrant activation of the Hh signalling pathway promotes ovarian cancer cell migration and invasion by regulating MMP-7, suggesting that this pathway could serve as a potential target for future ovarian cancer therapies. Furthermore, our results demonstrate the feasibility of using MMP-7 as a prognostic marker and target for therapeutic ovarian cancer interventions.
Herein, we validated that the Hedgehog signalling pathway promotes ovarian cancer invasion and migration via matrix metalloproteinase-7. Furthermore, Gli2 and MMP-7 are aberrantly and consistently elevated in ovarian cancer, which can predict poor clinical outcomes. These observations reveal novel biological insight into how the Hh pathway regulates the invasion and migration of ovarian cancer and highlight a preclinical rationale for using MMP-7 as a potential therapeutic target and prognostic marker in ovarian cancer.
Dhh: Desert Hedgehog; FBS: Foetal bovine serum; Gli: Glioma-associated oncogene; GEO: Gene Expression Omnibus; H&E: Haematoxylin and eosin; Hh: Hedgehog; IHC: immunohistochemistry; Ihh: Indian Hedgehog; MMP-7: Matrix metalloproteinase-7; OS: Overall survival; PBS: Phosphate-buffered saline; PC: Primary cilia; PFS: progression-free survival; Ptch1: Patched 1; qRT-PCR: quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction; Shh: Sonic Hedgehog; Smo: Smoothened; Sufu: Suppressor of fused; TCGA: The Cancer Genome Atlas.
This work was supported in part by grants from the National Natural Science Fundation of China (81460392) and the Jiangxi Government (20161ACB20014) as well as the Graduate Innovation Foundation of Jiangxi Province (YC2017-B027).
Patient samples were obtained in accordance with the ethics committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University and the Declaration of Helsinki. The study protocol of human tissue was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. (Nanchang, China).
HZ and YW carried out the experiments of Western Blot as well as qRT-PCR; HZ analyzed and interpreted the data; YW drafted the final manuscript; YZ and WW analyzed and interpreted the patient data, and contributed to the immunohistochemistry experiments; TC drafted the initial manuscript; RX performed the invasion and migration assay; MC performed statistical analysis as well as figure construction; QC managed the experimental design, reviewed the manuscript and provided funding support. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Corresponding author: Dr. Qi Chen, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, PR China. Email: ndefy97010edu.cn; Fax: +86-791-88623153; Tel: +86-791-86266912. | 2019-04-19T19:21:02Z | http://jcancer.org/v10p0990.htm |
After biochemical diagnosis of acromegaly, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the underlying benign pituitary adenoma is required, according to clinical guidance from the Endocrine Society (1). Surgery, the first-line treatment for most patients, can be curative but results in normalization of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels in only 40–50% of patients with macroadenomas, with higher rates of >85% in the less frequent microadenomas (2). Long-acting somatostatin analogs (SSAs) are well-established treatments for acromegaly when disease persists after surgery and are also used as first-line treatment if surgery is refused, contraindicated or unlikely to succeed (1, 3).
Although long-acting SSAs can establish hormonal remission and induce tumor shrinkage, around 30% of patients have a poor response (1, 3). Hormonal response to SSAs has been linked to adenoma distribution of cytoplasmic keratin. Sparsely granulated (SG) tumors are more likely than densely granulated (DG) tumors to be SSA-resistant, larger, more invasive and associated with a higher Ki-67 labeling index and lower serum levels of IGF-1 (4, 5, 6). The increased SSA responsiveness of DG vs SG tumors has been linked to high expression of somatostatin receptor 2A (7). Nevertheless, primary clinical decisions are made without knowledge of histological granulation patterns or receptor distribution.
MRI could provide non-invasive insight into these features and their associations with clinical outcomes. T2 signal intensity of GH-secreting pituitary adenomas varies from hyper-, iso-, to hypo-intense, in relation to surrounding tissue (8, 9). DG tumors tend to be T2 signal hypointense (9). Hypointense tumors are also smaller, with less cavernous sinus invasion, less frequent optic chiasm compression and higher IGF-1 levels than iso-/hyperintense tumors (10). T2 signal hypointensity correlated with better IGF-1 response in patients receiving SSAs for persistent disease after surgery or as primary medical treatment (11, 12). In another cohort receiving primary SSA treatment, high T2 signal intensity correlated negatively with reductions in GH, IGF-1 and adenoma volume (13). Histology in these studies confirmed that hyperintense tumors were more likely to be SG than DG or of intermediate granular density (11, 13). The definition of T2 signal hypointensity of GH-secreting adenomas, however, varies between studies. T2 signal intensity has been assessed by qualitative (visual) or quantitative methods, and adenoma tissue compared against gray or white cerebral matters, as well as normal pituitary tissue (10, 11, 12, 13).
In PRIMARYS, 63% of 89 patients with previously untreated GH-secreting pituitary macroadenomas had tumor volume reduction (TVR) ≥20% (tumor response) after 1 year of primary treatment with the long-acting SSA lanreotide autogel (depot in the USA; Ipsen Pharma Biotech, France) 120 mg, and 34% achieved both GH ≤2.5 μg/L and IGF-1 normalization (hormonal control) (14). This homogenous study population – using a fixed dose in previously treatment-naive patients and thereby avoiding any influence of prior surgery and/or SSA dose changes – offers the opportunity to analyze the association of MRI T2 signal reading and response to treatment. Accordingly, the primary objective of these post hoc analyses of PRIMARYS data was to determine whether the initial MRI T2 signal intensity of GH-secreting pituitary adenomas was predictive of achieving hormonal control at week 48/last visit available (LVA). The association between T2 signal intensity at baseline and achievement of tumor response at week 48/LVA was also investigated. Given that various approaches to its assessment have been reported, T2 signal intensity of GH-secreting adenomas was defined using three different methods.
PRIMARYS was a prospective multicenter, open-label, single-arm phase IIIb study in which patients with GH-secreting pituitary macroadenomas received primary medical treatment with lanreotide autogel at a fixed dose of 120 mg every 4 weeks for 1 year (14). Each pituitary MRI collected during the main PRIMARYS study (as previously described (14)) was re-read by a single neuroradiologist to determine T2 signal intensity and assess complementary information. The PRIMARYS study, from which this post hoc analysis is derived, is registered with EudraCT (EudraCT2007-000155-34) and ClinicalTrials.gov (Nbib690898). As previously described, patients provided written informed consent before study start, the trial was conducted with the Declaration of Helsinki, Good Clinical Practice guidelines and all local regulatory requirements before trial initiation, and the protocol, its amendments, consent form, study questionnaires and the patient information leaflet were approved by institutional review boards (14).
Men and women (age, 18–75 years) with acromegaly and pituitary macroadenoma (diameter ≥10 mm) were eligible for inclusion in PRIMARYS if they were treatment-naïve, had elevated GH and IGF-1 levels and had no visual field defects. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria have been published (14).
MRI scans were reviewed by a neuroradiologist blinded to patient identity and response to treatment. Three methods were used to determine the T2 signal intensity of each adenoma relative to surrounding tissue (Fig. 1). The qualitative method comprised visual assessment, with gray matter as the comparator tissue. Of the two quantitative methods, one used the signal intensity ratio of the adenoma and gray matter (signal-ratio method), and the other was a three-tissue assessment (adenoma, gray matter and white matter tissues). Each tumor was rated as hypointense, isointense or hyperintense according to each method, as defined in Fig. 1, and exemplified in Fig. 2. Images were reviewed in two sequential batches: firstly, by visual assessment for T2 signal intensity and to identify extrasellar extension parameters (EEPs (suprasellar, intrasphenoidal and cavernous sinus extensions), which were not assessed in the main PRIMARYS study) at baseline and secondly, by the two quantitative methods, at baseline, week 24 and week 48/LVA, with the reader additionally blinded to the time point. Of note, no adenomas were purely cystic in our cohort. In case of heterogeneous adenoma with both cystic and solid components, T2 signal intensity was assessed only in the solid component of GH-secreting adenomas. Cystic component, as defined as intratumoral areas presenting with high T2 signal intensity and corresponding non-enhancing low-T1 signal intensity, was excluded from all visual and quantitative analyses.
Methods used to assess MRI T2-signal intensities of macroadenomas in patients with acromegaly. MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; ROI, region of interest; SR, signal ratio.
Classification of T2 signal intensity of a pituitary macroadenoma by one qualitative and two quantitative methods. (A) Qualitative analysis: visual assessment method; (B) quantitative analysis: signal-ratio and three-tissue methods. Coronal T2-weighted image of a GH-secreting pituitary adenoma at baseline in the PRIMARYS study. (A) By qualitative analysis, the adenoma is hypointense (the signal appears less intense than the gray matter). (B) ROIs (circled) are identified and signal intensity is quantified (left to right): white matter (290), adenoma (349), gray matter (451). According to the signal-ratio method, the adenoma is hypointense because the ratio of adenoma/gray matter signals = 0.77. However, according to the three-tissue method, the T2 signal intensity of the adenoma is isointense because the signal of the adenoma (349) lies between those of white matter (290) and gray matter (451). GH, growth hormone; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; ROIs, regions of interest.
GH and IGF-1 levels were assayed centrally in the main study and used to identify patients achieving hormonal control (GH ≤2.5 μg/L and normalized IGF-1) (14). Achievement of tumor response was defined as TVR ≥20% at week 48/LVA.
The primary objective of these post hoc analyses was to determine whether the T2 signal intensity of GH-secreting pituitary adenomas at baseline was predictive for hormonal control at week 48/LVA after primary medical treatment with lanreotide autogel 120 mg in the PRIMARYS study. Secondary objectives of these post hoc analyses comprised: description of MRI characteristics of GH-secreting pituitary adenomas (T2 signal intensity, EEPs) at baseline; description of the evolution in T2 signal intensity during the study; analysis of the associations between the presence of EEPs at baseline and achievement of hormonal control at week 48/LVA; analysis of the associations between T2 signal intensity and EEPs at baseline and achievement of separate hormonal control parameters at week 48/LVA (GH ≤2.5 μg/L, normalized IGF-1); analysis of the associations between T2 signal intensity and EEPs at baseline and achievement of tumor response at week 48/LVA and analysis of the extent to which MRI characteristics at baseline are associated with the variation between patients in change from baseline to week 48/LVA in GH and IGF-1 levels and in tumor volume.
Patients from the intention-to-treat (ITT) population (patients receiving at least one injection of study medication and with at least one baseline assessment of tumor volume (14)) were included in the post hoc analyses. Descriptive summary statistics (n, mean, standard deviation, median, first and third quartiles (Q1, Q3), minimum, maximum, or frequency counts and proportions (with Clopper–Pearson 95% confidence intervals; CI)) were computed. Normality was assessed using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, and non-normal data are presented as median (Q1, Q3) rather than mean (s.d.). Statistical tests were performed using a two-sided α-level of 0.05 without any multiplicity correction. Accordingly, all statistical tests were exploratory in nature and hypothesis-generating. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS version 9.2.
Stepwise multivariate analyses were used to investigate factors predictive for hormonal control at week 48/LVA, focusing on T2 signal intensity at baseline. Univariate logistic regression analyses were first conducted to identify suggestive associations (P < 0.2). Multivariate logistic regression models were then used, in which T2 signal intensities were retained and to which ‘significant’ factors from the univariate analyses were added (no interaction was tested). Factors investigated comprised baseline variables: T2 signal intensity, GH level, IGF-1 level, tumor volume and EEPs. P values (chi-square) were generated using likelihood ratio tests, and odds ratios were estimated, with Wald 95% CIs.
Similar logistic regression was used to investigate factors predictive for tumor response at week 48/LVA. Linear regressions were also performed to assess whether T2 signal intensity at baseline is associated with variation in change from baseline to week 48/LVA in levels of GH or of IGF-1, and with variation in tumor volume. The Bhapkar test was used to compare distributions between baseline and week 48 or LVA in signal intensity category.
Of 90 patients enrolled in PRIMARYS, one was excluded from the ITT population because he lacked a centralized baseline tumor volume assessment (14). All patients in the ITT population had baseline MRI available for assessment of EEPs. The baseline T2 signal intensity data were available for 85 patients for each method and are included in this analysis, of whom 30 achieved hormonal control (GH ≤2.5 μg/L and normalized IGF-1) and 53 achieved a tumor response (TVR ≥20%) at week 48/LVA. Baseline characteristics according to T2 signal intensity category by visual assessment are shown in Table 1; data for the quantitative methods are shown in Supplementary Table 1 (see section on supplementary data given at the end of this article). Baseline characteristics according to achievement of hormonal control by study end were reported previously (15).
Demographic and disease characteristics at baseline according to visual T2-weighted signal intensity. * Tumor volume is presented in Fig. 3. Data are expressed as mean (s.d.), unless stated otherwise, from the ITT population with available baseline T2 signal intensity data. Median (Q1, Q3) are presented for non-normal data. Percentages are based on the number of patients with available data.
*As assessed visually in comparison to gray matter; baseline data according to categorization by the signal-ratio and three-tissue methods are shown in Supplementary Table 1; †Data preseted as meadian (Q1–Q3); ‡relative to baseline.
BMI, body mass index; GH, growth hormone; IGF-1, insulin-like growth factor 1; ITT, intention-to-treat; LVA, last visit available; Q, quartile; s.d., standard deviation.
There were no notable differences in baseline characteristics among the hypointense, isointense and hyperintense tumor groups (irrespective of assessment method). The exception was that baseline tumor volume tended to be lower in the hypointense tumor group than the other groups, a difference that was most pronounced when tumors were categorized by visual assessment (median (95% CI) tumor volume: hypointense, 1158 (959–1810) mm3; isointense, 2017 (1388–4066) mm3; hyperintense, 4767 (1872–22 725) mm3; Fig. 3).
Tumor volume of GH-secreting pituitary macroadenomas at baseline in each MRI T2 signal intensity category as defined by three methods. For the qualitative visual assessment method and the quantitative signal-ratio method, gray matter was used as a comparator for adenoma tissue T2 signal intensity. The quantitative three-tissue method used gray and white matter as comparator tissues for adenoma tissue T2 signal intensity. Tumor volumes are from the measurements made for analysis of baseline images at the end of the PRIMARYS study (not the initial measurements made to assess fulfillment of inclusion criteria). #Upper 95% CI limit = 17 958. CI, confidence interval; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging.
The three methods resulted in different proportions of patients assigned to each T2 signal intensity category. Overall, over half the adenomas (59%) were classified as hypointense at baseline with the visual assessment method, considerably more than with either of the quantitative methods (signal-ratio method, 36%; three-tissue method, 20%). Approximately half the adenomas were classified as isointense by the quantitative methods, compared with 36% by visual assessment. More adenomas (33%) were classified as hyperintense with the three-tissue method than with the other two methods (visual assessment, 5%; signal-ratio method, 12%). An example of an MRI scan classified differently with different assessment methods is shown in Fig. 2.
Data on EEPs at baseline by status at week 48/LVA were available for 88 patients for hormonal control (hormonal control, n = 30; non-controlled, n = 58) and 89 patients for tumor response (tumor response, n = 56; non-response, n = 33). Of the 88 patients with complete data, baseline MRI of the adenoma showed suprasellar extension for 23 (26%) patients, intrasphenoidal extension for 27 (31%) patients and cavernous extension for 28 (32%) patients. Extrasellar extension tended to be more frequent in non-controlled vs controlled patients (e.g. suprasellar: 31% vs 17%), although 95% CIs were overlapping (Supplementary Fig. 1).
Using the visual assessment method, of the patients diagnosed with a hypointense adenoma at baseline, a large proportion of them demonstrated hormonal control (40%) and a tumor response (76%) to treatment by week 48/LVA (Fig. 4A and B). Of the patients diagnosed with an isointense adenoma at baseline using the visual assessment method, 27% demonstrated hormonal control and 42% demonstrated tumor response (Fig. 4A and B). Of the patients diagnosed visually with a hyperintense adenoma at baseline, 50% demonstrated hormonal control and tumor response (Fig. 4A and B). However, it should be noted that this patient cohort consisted of four patients.
Proportion of patients that gained hormonal control (A, C and E) and tumor volume response (B, D and F) according to MRI T2 signal at baseline. Data are shown based upon three methods: visual assessment (A and B), signal-ratio (C and D) and the three-tissue method (E and F). Hormonal control is defined as GH ≤2.5 µg/L and IGF-1 levels within normal range. Tumor response is defined as TVR ≥20% from baseline. The visual assessment and signal-ratio methods used gray matter as a comparator for adenoma tissue; the three-tissue method used gray and white matter as comparator tissues. One patient without hormonal status due to missing post-baseline IGF-1 levels had an isointense adenoma according to the qualitative method and a hyperintense adenoma using the quantitative methods (signal-ratio and three-tissue). IGF-1, insulin-like growth factor 1; LVA, last visit available; TVR, tumor volume reduction.
Using the quantitative methods, similar hormonal and tumor response values were observed in hypointense adenomas compared with the visual assessment method (Fig. 4C, D, E and F). The proportion of patients with an isointense adenoma at baseline who demonstrated hormonal control and tumor response using the quantitative methods tended to be higher for both the signal ratio and three-tissue method compared with the visual assessment method (Fig. 4C, D, E and F). Between 30 and 33% of patients with hyperintense adenomas gained hormonal control following treatment as assessed by the quantitative methods (Fig. 4C and E). The proportion of patients with hyperintense tumors who had a tumor response was slightly higher in the three-tissue method (46%) than the signal-ratio method (30%) (Fig. 4D and F).
In univariate analyses, T2 signal intensity at baseline was not significantly associated with hormonal control at week 48/LVA (for all methods of assigning intensity category, data not shown) (primary endpoint). The presence of any EEPs at baseline was also not associated with hormonal control.
Univariate associations of T2 signal intensity were also investigated with GH levels and IGF-1 levels as separate endpoints. T2 signal intensity at baseline was significantly associated with GH ≤2.5 μg/L at week 48/LVA, as defined by visual assessment (P < 0.001; OR (hypo- vs iso-intense) = 7.27; 95% CI: 2.57–20.56) and signal-ratio methods (P = 0.004; OR (hypo- vs iso-intense) = 4.67; 95% CI: 1.39–15.66), with no significant association using the three-tissue method. Among EEPs, presence of cavernous extension was the only one significantly (negatively) associated with GH ≤2.5 μg/L at week 48/LVA (P = 0.021; OR = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.13–0.86).
For IGF-1 normalization at week 48/LVA, no significant univariate association was found with T2 signal intensity at baseline by visual assessment, whereas borderline significant associations were identified with T2 signal intensity at baseline as defined by signal-ratio (P = 0.082; OR (hypo- vs iso-intense) = 2.90; 95% CI: 1.11–7.55) and three-tissue methods (P = 0.053; OR (hypo- vs iso-intense) = 3.40; 95% CI: 1.04–11.17). No significant associations with IGF-1 normalization were identified for EEPs. In contrast to hormonal control, T2 signal intensity at baseline was significantly associated with tumor response (TVR of ≥20%) at week 48/LVA in univariate analyses, regardless of the method used (visual assessment, P = 0.008; OR (hyper- vs iso-intense) = 1.38; 95% CI: 0.17–11.15; OR (hypo- vs iso-intense) = 4.38; 95% CI:1.67–11.50-; signal-ratio method, P = 0.008; OR (hyper- vs iso-intense) = 0.33; 95% CI: 0.07–1.43; OR (hypo- vs iso-intense) = 3.17; 95% CI: 1.08;9.25-; three-tissue method, P = 0.043; OR (hyper- vs iso-intense) = 0.47; 95% CI: 0.17;1.25-; OR (hypo- vs iso-intense) = 2.51; 95% CI: 0.62–10.25). Presence of any EEPs at baseline was not significantly associated with tumor response. GH at baseline reached the threshold for significance (P < 0.2) on univariate analysis and was therefore included with T2 signal in the multivariate models for tumor response (P = 0.073, OR = 1.03; 95% CI: 0.99–1.06).
In multivariate analyses, the odds of achieving a tumor response at week 48/LVA were six times higher for hypo- vs iso-intense as defined by visual assessment (OR = 6.15; 95% CI: 1.36–27.88); P = 0.019) or the signal-ratio method (OR = 6.43; 95% CI: 1.31–31.58; P = 0.022), but were not significantly different using the three-tissue assessment method (OR = 2.40; 95% CI: 0.36–15.91; P = 0.36). Differences for hyper- vs iso intensity (by any method) did not reach significance in multivariate analysis.
In univariate analyses, T2 signal intensity by visual assessment or three-tissue methods was not significantly associated with the change from baseline to week 48/LVA in GH level, although by the signal-ratio method the association was considered suggestive (according to the P < 0.20 threshold; P = 0.16).
For change from baseline to week 48/LVA in IGF-1 level, univariate analyses found significant associations with T2 signal intensity by visual assessment (P = 0.005), signal-ratio (P = 0.127) and three-tissue methods (P = 0.024). In the multivariate (visual assessment) model, there was an estimated 65 μg/L greater reduction in IGF-1 level between baseline and week 48/LVA for patients with hypo- vs isointense tumors (P = 0.003) (Supplementary Table 2 (data from the other methods not shown)).
In univariate analyses of TVR from baseline to week 48, significant associations (P < 0.0001) were identified with T2 signal intensity (by each method). In the visual assessment model, there was an estimated additional 16.8% (SE 4.55; P = 0.0004) TVR by week 48/LVA for patients with hypo- vs iso-intense tumors.
In order to assess whether SSA treatment results in any change in MRI T2 signal intensity, and to further understand the nature of T2 signal intensity, assessments were made post baseline. Most adenomas were assigned to the same signal intensity category at baseline, week 24 and week 48, whether assessed by the signal-ratio (hypointense: 25% (week 24) and 29% (week 48); isointense: 33% (week 24) and 35% (week 48); hyperintense: 4% (week 24) and 4% (week 48)) or three-tissue (hypointense: 10% (week 24) and 10% (week 48); isointense: 32% (week 24) and 37% (week 48); hyperintense: 22% (week 24) and 21% (week 48)) methods (Fig. 5). Nonetheless, 2 (3%) adenomas shifted from hypo- to hyperintense categories from baseline to week 48 (both methods), 10% shifted from hypo- to iso-intense (both methods) and 4% (signal-ratio) or 7% (three-tissue) shifted from iso- to hyperintense categories. However, comparisons between baseline and week 48 or LVA in signal intensity category did not reach statistical significance (for either method).
Adenoma T2-weighted MRI signal intensity categories during the PRIMARYS study. Percentages are based on the ITT population with available data (missing data not accounted for in denominator). Signal-ratio method: baseline vs week 48 (n = 68), P = 0.7317; baseline vs LVA (n = 83), P = 0.9727. Three-tissue method: baseline vs week 48 (n = 68), P = 0.2059; baseline vs LVA (n = 83), P = 0.7305. LVA, last visit available; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; SR, signal ratio.
Our post hoc analysis of MRI data from the PRIMARYS study suggests that assessment of T2 signal intensity of untreated GH-secreting pituitary macroadenomas at baseline can contribute to predicting the effect of primary treatment with lanreotide autogel. In brief, although signal intensity was not significantly associated with achievement of hormonal control (defined as GH ≤2.5 μg/L and normalized IGF-1, in accordance with PRIMARYS), significant associations with other responses to treatment were identified, most notably with tumor response.
Tumor response (TVR ≥20%, which was achieved by 62% of the population at week 48/LVA) was estimated in multivariate analysis to be six times more likely for hypointense vs isointense tumors (visual assessment, OR = 6.15, 95% CI (1.36;27.88)). T2 signal intensity at baseline also showed significant univariate associations with the extent of TVR from baseline. Hypointense tumors underwent an estimated additional 17% TVR from baseline to study end, compared with isointense tumors (visual assessment).
We noted substantial differences in the frequency of each MRI T2 signal intensity category as defined by the three methods used. By visual assessment in comparison with gray matter, 59% of patients in the PRIMARYS study had hypointense tumors. This proportion is similar to the 53% reported in another study that also used visual assessment in recently diagnosed patients with acromegaly (10). In that study, adenomas (including microadenomas) were compared against normal pituitary tissue or gray matter when normal pituitary was not visible (10). Normal pituitary would have been a less practical comparator tissue in our study (including exclusively macroadenomas), as it is often not visible in MRI. In contrast to the proportion by visual assessment, the signal-ratio and three-tissue methods identified 36 and 20% of tumors in our study as hypointense, which compares with the 27% reported by Heck et al. (4) and suggests that methodological differences between studies account for a large part of the different reported frequencies of hypointense tumors.
Our study did not find any notable differences in baseline characteristics between tumors classified as hypo-, iso- and hyperintense by any of the methods. A trend toward smaller tumors in the hypointense group agrees with previous reports (10) but did not reach significance.
The primary analysis did not identify significant associations between T2 signal intensity and the strict binary outcome of hormonal control that was a pre-planned endpoint of PRIMARYS (GH ≤2.5 µg/L and IGF-1 within normal range), which was achieved by 35% of the study population at week 48/LVA. When univariate associations of T2 signal intensity with GH control or IGF-1 control were analyzed separately, hypo- vs isointensity by visual assessment at baseline was associated with achievement of GH ≤2.5 µg/L at week 48/LVA, but not with IGF-1 normalization. In univariate analysis of change from baseline, however, hypo- vs isointensity by visual assessment at baseline was not significantly associated with change in GH, but was significantly associated with change in IGF-1. In multivariate analysis including IGF-1 at baseline, IGF-1 levels were estimated to reduce by an additional 65 μg/L for hypointense vs isointense tumors (visual assessment, P = 0.003). Overall, the proportion of patients who demonstrated a response to SSA treatment in terms of both hormonal control and tumor response seems to be greater in those patients classified as having a hypointense adenoma at baseline, regardless of the method used. These data support previous studies that suggested that hypointense tumors are more likely to respond to SSAs, in which reductions in IGF-1 (4, 12) or in GH and IGF-1 as two continuous outcomes (13) were examined. To our knowledge, the exact mechanism underlying the relationship of T2 hypointensity and tumor response to SSA therapy is not completely understood. The histopathologic predictors of SSA responsiveness of DG (hypointense) tumors may include an increased expression of somatostatin receptor 2A (SSTR2A) subtype and high adenylate cyclase levels associated with G stimulatory protein mutation. Conversely, the lower SSA responsiveness of SG (hyperintense) tumors has been associated with lower SSTR2A expression, somatic mutation of the GH receptor and decreased E-cadherin immunoreactivity (7).
These findings are the result of post hoc analyses and are limited in their power to draw significant conclusions. Although T2 signal intensity was significantly associated with achievement of a tumor response, the 95% CIs were wide, indicating low confidence in the estimated size of the effect. This analysis could not address the natural course of GH-secreting macroadenoma T2 MRI intensity. The addition of a placebo arm would have been unethical, however, given the known efficacy of SSA therapy for acromegaly. It is also unlikely that the natural course of GH-secreting macroadenoma T2 MRI intensity could have been determined over a 48-week study. The PRIMARYS cohort excluded patients with the less frequent microadenomas, which may be considered a limitation of our study. Conversely, many features of the primary study comprise strengths of our analysis. The homogenous and sizable study population, treated with a fixed dose of lanreotide autogel and with robust data for hormonal levels and tumor volume facilitated the investigation of T2 signal intensities in relation to treatment response. The careful assessment of TVR in particular contrasts with previous studies on this topic. Prior treatments for acromegaly, and SSA dose changes, are potential confounders in predictive analyses, and both were absent in this study. For the visual assessment used in this analysis, the MRI scans were interpreted by only one reader, but the findings are consistent with published data. Indeed, to the best of our knowledge, there is no reported assessment of inter-observer differences in the visual assessment of T2 signal intensity of GH-secreting adenomas. In the initial work by Heck and colleagues (11), two radiologists assessed T2 signal intensity of GH-secreting adenomas. However, the final decision was reached by consensus and in their article the kappa statistic (inter-observer agreement) was not evaluated. Additionally, in data from the largest cohort (n = 297) describing the MRI appearances of GH-secreting adenomas published to date, T2-signal intensity was visually assessed by a single observer (10). Similarly, a single neuroradiologist performed the MRI analysis in this post hoc analysis of PRIMARYS study data. Therefore, unfortunately we cannot comment on inter-observer variability. Furthermore, the visual assessment method does not require quantitative analysis and uses only one tissue for reference, which makes it accessible for routine clinical use and easily reproducible in future studies.
In conclusion, we did not identify any clear advantage of using quantitative vs qualitative assessment of MRI T2 signal intensity. However, we believe the use of three methods to analyze T2 signal intensity in pituitary adenomas in this study is novel and has further enhanced our understanding of MRI assessment in acromegaly. Given the practicality and accessibility of visual assessment of adenoma vs gray matter, we therefore suggest that this method should be preferred for categorizing tumors. Obtaining this information at baseline may help to predict outcomes of lanreotide autogel treatment. Although T2 signal intensity at baseline did not predict the overall achievement of hormonal control, there were significant associations with individual hormonal control parameters. Furthermore, the odds of a tumor response were higher for patients with hypointense compared with isointense GH-secreting macroadenomas.
This is linked to the online version of the paper at https://doi.org/10.1530/EJE-18-0254.
S P is a member of advisory boards and speaker in workshops for Ipsen and Novartis. J B consults for Ipsen and has previously received lecture fees from Ipsen and Novartis. A H and C S are employed by Ipsen. P C consults and has acted as a speaker for Ipsen, Novartis and Pfizer and is an advisory board member for Ipsen. He is also an editorial board member of the European Journal of Endocrinology. F B and L-D R have nothing to declare.
This analysis was supported by Ipsen.
The authors thank the investigators and patients participating in this study, including the PRIMARYS Study Group.
PRIMARYS Study Group: Belgium: L Van Gaal; Czech Republic: J Marek; Finland: P Nuutila, M Välimäki; France: C Ajzenberg, F Borson-Chazot, T Brue, P Caron, O Chabre, P Chanson, C Cortet Rudelli, B Delemer, J-M Kuhn, A Tabarin; Germany: K Badenhoop, C Berg, S Petersenn, C Schöfl, J Schopohl; Italy: S Cannavò, A Colao, L De Marinis; The Netherlands: A Stades, A J van der Lely; Turkey: P Kadıoğlu; UK: J S Bevan, D Flanagan, P Trainer.
Medical writing and submission support was provided by Emma Leah and Richard McDonald of Watermeadow Medical, an Ashfield company, part of UDG Healthcare plc, funded by Ipsen (Emma Leah is now an employee of Ipsen). | 2019-04-26T06:44:55Z | https://eje.bioscientifica.com/abstract/journals/eje/180/3/EJE-18-0254.xml?rskey=WjLzXB&result=8 |
[03:26] Announcement: Releasing The Art of Reality Creation 2.0 soon.
[08:50] The movie The Shack.
[13:04] Changes on the website.
[17:04] How do you use the ego as a tool?
[28:44] The point of incarnation is to grow.
[35:45] What do you do when the ego is taking control?
[38:56] The ego can be fun.
[43:16] What is the role of “I am”?
[48:48] Choose the story you’d rather live.
[55:20] True desires are in alignment with your higher self, your soul purpose, and your ego.
[58:14] Desires at the expense of someone else.
[01:03:00] The difference between white and black magic.
[01:09:10] Is Trump going against the Universal Flow?
[01:15:33] Speeding up a manifestation.
[01:20:31] Three properties of energy: direction, speed, altitude (see next week’s post for a better definition).
[01:26:46] Two ways to increase speed.
Now it’s your turn. What have you gained from this week’s discussions? I always love reading your thoughts in the comments, so feel free to let me know or ask any questions you might have.
Nice conversation. I grew up in a household where black magic was practiced by default. It does have repercussions especially on growing children. I mean, do you want them to be confident and fearless and go through life that way or in fear and stagnate? So, I came into spirituality as a sort of detox, for lack of a better phrase, to remind myself of what’s really what.
I did not know that voodoo was an actual religion, but perhaps it is misinterpreted. I think one of the aims of voodoo is healing, but I’m not sure.
Oh yes, Voodoo is very popular from what I’ve heard. I know next to nothing about it, but only that it is widely practiced.
I also would like to add here, since we discuss about being on our path, our chosen path, or however way we put it, that path is usually not a straight line. B, you yourself speak about this in the perfect example of your career. It was definitely not linear, not clear cut from A to B. There were twists, turns, intrigue, you stopped certain things, while taking up others, yet you were still on your path. I’m trying to say that, although things may seem like they are never to be, something will happen to remind you to keep going. I just want to clarify this. You keep going and going and then look how far you’ve come, emotionally and mentally counts here don’t forget, then you look around you and you’ve arrived, however you got there without knowing it. It’s not like a stop on a train where you get off and know you got there. You just arrive.
I hope this makes sense. So, looking around you and saying “still not there yet” perhaps keeps us from where we want to be. Maybe we shouldn’t look at all. I haven’t been doing this and I’ve been making progress because before I was looking and getting impatient. Just some things to consider.
Yes I agree completely. Your path comes about so organically, if that makes sense. It grows in unexpected ways. It sneaks up on you when you don’t realize it.
You never run out of topics, amazing. 😀 Very interesting call.
First of all, an unrelated question: do you think that Hades and Hecate will be your patron and matron deities for the rest of your current life, or do you think that there might come the time where they will have taught you everything you “needed” to learn, and you will get other deities?
Anyway, with all the bad experiences in my life, my tolerance for resistance has kind of increased, I guess, which is actually a doubled-edged sword. On the one hand, now it would take soooo much to actually push me to a suicidal state again. On the other hand, it can take stronger resistance to cross my tolerance threshold and force me to surrender. Well, with some things anyway. I’m still working on raising my vibration to the neutral and above, so things would actually start moving.
This is so weird, a year ago, I would still often get into blaming others, hatred, and strong sorrow, which were very low states, and they would occur so often, but I would also get into really high state, where I would feel the connection with divine in such a powerful way, and I would know that everything’s been going just fine, and my “purpose” was clear. However now, a year later, I don’t really get into extremely low states anymore, especially not hatred, but I also haven’t been able to access those high vibrations of clarity, that strong connection with the Divine. It seems like both the negative extremes and the positive extremes disappeared, and now I’m in a void or something, but it’s below neutral, it’s still negative. My guess is that those extreme negative moments each time forced me into a surrender, which would then inevitably catapult me into extreme high energy moments. Without the extreme negatives, there are no extreme positives anymore. From time to time I catch myself having a “meh, I don’t care” mentality. Anyway yeah the way to go now is being aware of my focus, and cultivating gratitude and appreciation, among other things.
I hope that they will. I’m still developing my relationship with Hecate, but I feel extremely close to Hades. That probably sounds odd, but he’s helped me a ton in so many different ways. I’m really not sure if it’d last forever, but I hope that it will.
I disagree with your assessment. I don’t think you have to go into the negative to be launched into the positive.
I just wanted to say that I have added doing a spell for each of my goals. 🙂 I used the process described in your last post with crystals, visualization and affirmations. So far I have only performed the spells once, but I plan to repeat the process in a few days or next week. I feel that the spell, because of the increased time and focus spent with the goal, really amplified focus and emotion. I’m looking forward to seeing the results of the spells (and the increased resistance, uncomfortable as it is, because it shows that energy is speeding up).
You mentioned how with a next level goal, you should be seeing evidence weekly, and sometimes this may be feeling based. For me this evidence is often only feelings for quite a while. With my recent money goals for instance, the bulk of the money came all at once. Week by week though, I did feel more aligned and accepting of having the money. It seems that once my subconscious was aligned with the money, it came quite quickly. I’ve noticed in the past, too, that many goals of mine manifest quite suddenly as opposed to gradually. I equate these seemingly sudden results to how bamboo grows: for years there is no sign of growth above the surface, but when bamboo finally sprouts, it grows very quickly. I imagine that subconscious structures were shifting beneath the surface, gathering momentum and then finally, results were visible after the roots were firmly planted enough.
I’d love to hear what results you notice from your spells.
Yeah, I think it’s different for everyone. But it should not be that you’re working at it for a month and seeing no progress, either inside or outside. That’ll only generally happen if you are stuck in resistance.
Yes feeling safe is so important. You’ll love this weekend’s podcast I think. I call it, the principle of homeostasis. You need to find that new comfort zone. You need to create a new normal. That’s probably the most important part of the law of attraction, but too often ignored.
I’m looking forward to that podcast! I think normalizing the goal as much as possible is a big key to manifesting it. I was confused for so many years because everyone talks about feeling really happy and excited about your desire, but that hadn’t been working very well for me.
With my third goal, I have noticed that it feels more believable and have also experienced some outer evidence. This evidence wouldn’t be meaningful to anyone else other than me, but I know it’s a sign that energy is aligning.
I feel that the greatest resistance for me has to do with feeling worthy and deserving of my goals. This is reflected to me by the people around me (they don’t feel they are deserving of a better life). I know that this evidence will change though as I become more aligned within with being deserving and worthy.
I’m glad it makes sense. I agree it’s important. This is why I try to dig into what is really behind the law of attraction. It’s such a vital law, but we don’t always stop and really investigate how it works. I think it’s essential that we do that.
Also good luck with the vocal coach. That sounds exciting!
Thanks Brandon! That post about consciousness first is so essential for me, I refer to it often. It’s a big paradigm shift and runs counter to what most people are taught, but already I have seen evidence of it that has greatly increased my trust. Sometimes I get so frustrated – why didn’t I know more about how the LOA really works earlier?
Sometimes I get so frustrated – why didn’t I know more about how the LOA really works earlier?
Because you weren’t ready for it yet.
I know it’s a bit cliche, but I believe truth is always occult. I mean occult in the literal definition: hidden. The law of attraction is so popularized and mainstream that, well honestly it can’t help but be a little truth mixed with a heck of a lot of falsehood. Hope that doesn’t sound bad, but it’s how I see it. And it fails for most people, because they take these mainstream sources and try to use those teachings.
I think this is why the old magical traditions created the secret societies they did, like the Golden Dawn, the OTO, etc. They wanted to protect the truth from being watered down. Not to say it has to be locked within some secret society like that, but I get what they were after.
Oh, yeah, I totally get this too! Did you know that Golden Dawn is the name of a new political party in Greece?
Really? I had no idea. Any connection, or just coincidental?
Coincidental. For a tiny country there are like 15 parties.
Maybe that should be tried here. I mean, there are more than 10 of everything else, why not political parties?
Haha totally agreed. I know, the political system here is so binary. I find myself agreeing with both sides, but it’s almost like you have to choose one or the other. Morally/socially I’m very liberal, economically with certain issues I’m more conservative.
By the way, I wanted to tell you, your comment about the coven is what inspired me to put that image of the moon up on the top right of the site. I’ve been wanting to do that for a while. 🙂 I loved your comment. I totally think it’s a coven.
Oh, I am so glad! I love that image!
Yes, well, that is totally what we are doing with this activity!
I just noticed today the results of a spell I had cast last year. Well, it was not the usual spell, but I did put the energy out there, so yes, it falls under that category. I was going to actually go out there and do it myself, but I did not, and it was done for me! This is wonderful and I am thankful!
It must have been done the other day when they were outside and I noticed it today as I exited the house. This pertains to my neighbors and their pots and bowls that collect rainwater. I was going to overturn them myself so that would not happen and insects won’t breed with all the diseases they spread. And so it was! Sorry if this was too much information, but it is a very good example.
I’m not surprised about that at all! Perhaps if I didn’t struggle so much before, I wouldn’t really understand and be able to use the LOA effectively now.
I do feel that there is a lot of misinformation out there. It seems that some people have a lot of success with the more mainstream LOA teachings. I’m guessing that they went through the transformation process (Magus path) beforehand?
From what I’ve seen, most people don’t have much awareness of what they are doing.
As an NLP practitioner, I was taught that to model someone’s behavior, that person isn’t always useful in telling you how they do what they do. They’ll give some bit of advice, but usually their success has nothing to do with that.
Most LOA teachings are just carbon copies of a few different mainstream sources: Napoleon Hill, Neville Goddard, Seth, Abraham, or The Secret. I can almost always determine which of these sources a particular person’s teachings come from.
The point is, most people take one of these sources, and then proceed to interpret all of their experiences in the light of that source. For instance, if on the Abraham forum you tell them that it’s not working, they’ll always have an answer as to why. It’s either because you’re doing it for the manifestation and not just to feel good, or that you are “happy face stickering” it, or something else.
Some people succeed naturally. Either they are raised with helpful subconscious programs to help them to succeed, or their life experiences lead them to take the appropriate steps to success.
I think my NLP training was one of the most useful things I went through. BTW, I just received my master practitioner certification (I list it here). 🙂 Not to brag, but I’m pretty happy about it.
Anyway, it taught me to look at things in terms of what works. I believe success can be modeled, no matter which area of life that applies to. I’ve thrown away a lot of common teaching because it just didn’t work.
So, long story short, people succeed in spite of themselves sometimes. They take the proper steps, but don’t realize how it was they actually succeeded. So, they guess. Sometimes that guess is right, and a lot of times it’s not.
I agree with you. I can definitely see many examples of people succeeding and coming up with inaccurate explanations for their success. A lot of people will quote hard work, for example, but we can see that there are many others who work just as hard who are unsuccessful. Or people will say it was just being positive that got them what they wanted, but there are many positive people stuck bad situations too.
I know what you mean on Abe Forum! I would always get frustrated reading through there. I have no doubt that some people are very successful with Abe’s teachings, but they are likely the ones who reprogrammed their subconscious structures.
Just a little bit ago I heard that the dog sitting job I was hired for this month had been cancelled. I am upset, but I feel that if it can be cancelled so quickly, then another way to get this money quickly can come about as well. I do expect to get a similar amount of money soon through something I’m selling, but it would be really nice to have this extra money as well. I’m thinking that this has to do with feelings of deserving and my mind’s comfort zone.
Yes I completely agree. Lots of people are positive and yet are not successful. And same for hard work.
I’m sorry to hear about the dog sitting job. I’m sure something else will turn up. It may very well have to do with your comfort zone.
I’m feeling quite angry at my subconscious mind right now! I definitely think this is due to structures that do not serve me. I’m also guessing that I need to keep focused and choose, over and over, the result I want even in the face of resistance and defeat? Manifesting this amount of money wasn’t even a definite goal this month, as I’m focusing on other areas right now. But I feel that if I met my January and February money goals, I can create over what I did those months this month.
Well, when you are making a lot of change to your subconscious structures, you have to sometimes give them time to catch up. You accomplished so much in the last two months, but now give them time to stabilize at this new level. You’ll still get a good bit with not as much effort as before.
Yeah, that’s true. I did meet those two monthly goals and decided to spend this month giving more attention to my other goals (which also take a lot of energy). You’re right in that I may be going a bit too fast without allowing myself to stabilize. Maybe slowing down a little could be helpful? I definitely can jump too far ahead of myself at times!
How do you explain when someone had been struggling in one area for a long time experiences successes in it quite quickly? I am thinking of someone I know with her music career. She struggled for years, but began to achieve greater and greater success rather quickly. Not only surrounding her career, but in other areas of her life too. Now she is really happy with her life and frequently talks about how she is living her dream and how great life is. Is this due to shifting subconscious structures (unknowingly)?
Actually this is very common. Any time you see someone struggling, they are likely working through some major resistance, and gradually changing their subconscious structures as a result.
Likely she was stuck in a rut with her resistance for a while, but something acted as the catalyst that finally helped her to shift that resistance. The subconscious structures were changed in very quick succession, and therefore she started succeeding. Often the catalyst can be very subtle. Sometimes just an additional force of will, or just someone getting tired of the resistance and letting go of it all at once.
In the past, when I saw how well she’s doing and all the success she’s having in life in general, I would get really, really jealous. I still do at times, but more so now I feel happy for her. I feel like she’s proof that what I want is possible and can happen for me too. She is staying true to herself and her music, making the most of her gifts and believing in herself. Apparently even when she was beginning to see success, many people were still doubting her, but she just kept believing in herself instead.
My cousin has also experienced a lot of struggle in her professional life for many years, but for (I think around) 5 years now she’s been very successful in what she does. She is living the dream she told me she wanted to live 10 years ago. I’m really happy for her.
I’m curious how it’s possible for someone to let go of resistance seemingly quickly and create so much change in their subconscious structures, especially if they aren’t working with a coach.
Well, imagine the pressure of water behind a dam. The pressure is great, because of the built up momentum of that water. If that wall comes down, then the flood of water is massive.
Sometimes when you deal with resistance for years, it just builds up pressure. Eventually you just let go, and all that pressure is released, the subconscious structures are changed, and success begins almost immediately. It’s a pretty painful process, but happens quite frequently from what I’ve seen.
The subconscious structures are released when you let go of resistance? But it is still necessary to struggle and face a lot of resistance to shift them, is that correct?
It seems like the painful release of resistance you’re describing is what Melody Fletcher terms as the cattle prod moment. She has written a lot about the extreme pain people deal with before letting go of resistance. Actually, I found out about Co-Creation Coaching from your comments on her blog!
Yes that is similar. But I don’t think she believes it is necessary.
I don’t think such a painful moment is necessary, but it is necessary to struggle with the resistance to create those new subconscious structures. As you’ll see in next Monday’s post, you can’t just let go and allow the Universe to bring it to you. I know, that goes against all LOA doctrine, ever. But, this approach only works for current level goals.
For next level goals, you need the will to deliberately choose the goal, and create that tension between where you are and where you want to be. This generates significant resistance, and as you work through it, you build new structures that will support this goal.
When it happens all at once, it’s just that that tension has been there for a while, but you’ve not allowed yourself to let go of current reality. Once you take that final step, then the final part of the process happens very quickly. But again, I don’t recommend this path.
I actually also feel that there is some degree of tension involved for next level goals. I agree that for next level goals, particularly around things we really, really want, it’s not enough to just let go and allow the Universe to deliver. There has to be tension there on some level. I have experienced this quite a few times in my life and can see it in the experiences of others.
Does this apply to when someone seemingly gives up on a desire too? For example someone I know (not sure if I’d consider him a friend, but definitely an acquaintance) used to really, really want and try hard to get the attention of women he was attracted to when he was younger. Eventually he got so tired of pursuing pretty girls and women in general (particularly due to a string of bad relationships) that he just gave up on them all together. He says when stopped wanting them, that’s when they began to chase after him and have been all over him since. These are exactly the kinds of beautiful women (models, actresses, etc.) that he so desperately wanted when he was younger, but he still claims to have given up on love and even refrains from most short term flings. One could say that it’s easy for him to meet very attractive women due to the work he does, but he was working in the same field before and they didn’t want to be around him nearly as much. He has some really funny stories about these girls chasing him down and how desperate they could be. lol They’re actually quite funny to hear!
Giving up your desire is very risky. It depends on the stage of the process that you give up.
For many people who give up, they get nothing but disappointment. I mean, people giving up on their dreams is almost a cliche. So obviously just giving up is not the solution to success, or everyone who gave up on their dreams would have immediately achieved them.
What it sounds like happened with your friend is similar to the other example you gave. When he did give up, the subconscious structures were already starting to regenerate to match that higher desire. It was just the effort of trying so hard that was blocking him from the goal. So once he gave up, there was room for that desire to come to him. It was now a current level goal.
But again, you have to be careful. I would not recommend it overall. I see people recommending this course of action, to just give up on it and it’ll come to you, but that just doesn’t work most of the time.
I feel like my (strong) desires are so intense, there is no way I could truly give up on them. But there have been times when I’ve “given up” and was met with success.
This is a relatively minor example, but to meet my last minute end of February goal, I only got the money after I gave up on it. When I say I gave up, I mean that I believed it would come soon and decided to stop trying so hard to make it happen. I still believed I would get it, but maybe not as quickly as I had planned. Of course, I did end up getting it, and in a far easier way than I had anticipated. I’m guessing this was because the subconscious structures were in place? I had struggled with the goal, and when I let go at the end, the amount I needed came to me quite easily. Had I not struggled, I imagine that I may not have met my goal. It seems that giving up only works if there has been some degree of struggle before.
I don’t plan to give up on my current goals because I’ve made a commitment to them and am far too invested in them to forget about them or let them go.
Yes that sounds like the case.
Giving up or letting go can be an effective way to switch from a negative focus to a positive focus, or even just to the zero state, where the energy is free to flow.
So essentially, any time you are in the zero state, or in any non-resistant state, the energy will flow and bring you what is natural to your current subconscious structures. It’s a good way of determining what your current subconscious structures can support. I was impressed when I tried this in January and still got a good bit of money, even though I hadn’t been trying to manifest it.
Oddly, last month I didn’t get as much, but I was focusing more on business income, than overall income. My business income was higher last month than it had been nearly since the start, but overall income was slightly lower (though not uncomfortably so) than in January.
So if you like, you can go in short sprints. Speed up the energy, deal with the resistance, let go and see what comes. Speed up the energy, deal with the resistance, let go and see what comes. So on and so forth. It can be fun to see where your new comfort zone is located.
Thanks Brandon, that’s a really helpful explanation. I feel drawn to doing something like that with money this month while I focus on my other goals. Right now I have enough in my account from last month and will have more when I resell this higher priced item. I would like more, yes, but my priorities are on my other goals for this month. This may be a good experiment, like you mentioned, to see what my subconscious structures are supporting. My other goals though…no way am I giving those up this month! 🙂 There is definitely tension around my goals, and I feel the need to increase and normalize this tension to really speed up momentum. Maybe towards the end of their deadlines I will let go, but only if I truly feel that the structures are in place (like with my last money goal). Right now letting go would be far too uncomfortable.
It’s not always een necessary to let go completely, either. I mean to let go of the goal. Of course you need to let go every time you focus, so that you don’t obsess about it.
My biggest goals have come when I’ve simply doubled down on the tension and really insisted that it happen. Letting go has worked a few times, too, so it just depends. Just saying that it depends on how the energy is flowing for you and how much resistance you have.
I usually only let go of my goals when I’m really beaten down by and torn apart by them. It’s like a last resort. (“Ok, I’ve done my part and can’t take it anymore. Here Universe, I hand this over to you.”) Even at times when I really insisted that certain goals happen, there is still a feeling of letting go to some extent.
I will have to relisten to this week’s podcast again, particularly the end where you talk about increasing the speed.
That’s a good way of putting it! 🙂 It can really feel like surrender for me; surrendering after I’ve done what I can do and just trusting that it will happen. It’s a feeling of calmness, knowing and relief.
You know what this reminds me of Brandon? When I was about 12 or 13, there was this student trip I wanted to go on. Even after attending many informational meetings and fundraisers, I ended up not being able to go on that trip because the cost ended up being too high. BUT, I did not lose faith and was able to go on a trip to the one place I really wanted to visit. The trip I was planning to go would only spend one or two days in that city, but I ended up going that summer for 10 days and had a great time.
I’m also thinking of my experience in finding an au pair family and my computer. I kept believing and did not give up even in the face of defeat. I kept choosing my goal (unknowingly, of course) and eventually got it.
Those are such great experiences!
Yeah, persistence and will are so important. See the property of “power” that I’ll be discussing on Monday. I’ll go into a lot more detail.
It seems that whenever I really want something specific and set a goal for it, I get it. I spend a lot of time thinking about and focusing on that thing and manifest it some way or another. These are often next level goals – kind of big jumps from my current level, but not too far fetched that they are completely unbelievable.
Brandon, have you come across Bentinho Massaro? He has a very slick website set up, which kind of puts me off a bit, but he has some interesting angles on LOA according to his ebook. Definitely using will to the max! Not sure i would go that far but it’s all useful info to take bits from.
I think reading widely and going with what resonates is a good approach, as long as it doesn’t resonate because it re-enforces negative subconscious beliefs of course. . .
His name rings a bell, but I don’t know much about him. Looking at his site, it doesn’t really resonate too much, but I find his journey interesting.
I agree about reading widely. I try to read a wide range of authors and LOA teachers. Sometimes I end up returning the book because it was nothing new, but sometimes it offers a fresh perspective that helps me with some aspect of my own work.
Do you know the site CalmDownMind? I was reading an article on there just now about how our desires only manifest when we feel normal about them. In the comments, Sen (the site’s author) brought up how we should also visualize the negative aspects of having our goal.
Naturally, as I was reading, I thought about my own goals. A likely way I see myself achieving my moving goal, for instance, involves a big sacrifice on my behalf, something I really don’t want to do and could have negative long term effects, but I would be able to get the money fairly quickly. There are slower ways of getting there, but waiting feels worse.
I wonder about the complete truth of what Sen wrote because it didn’t feel bad or like a big sacrifice to get my computer, for example. I mean yes, it did only come after a lot of doubt, frustration and let downs, but it didn’t feel really awful or dreadful. It was pretty intense and frustrating at times. I was definitely tested, but overall I knew that I would still get a computer with everything I wanted on it despite all the negative emotions. I was really challenged by my own beliefs each time I refused to settle for something less than I wanted. Maybe I didn’t manifest the absolute highest possibility possible, but I did get a nice computer that I could afford, even if it was a bit above my spending comfort zone.
As I work on my music, I experience ups and downs, but the sense of accomplishment I feel is gratifying. It’s a calm feeling, good but not really buzzing off the walls happy, more like a balanced satisfying feeling (neutral good). Gratifying in a calm way, a deeper fulfillment. Earlier today I was really frustrated with a few songs. After taking a break though, I experienced a sense of joy when I noticed improvements in my delivery of a few of the songs. I also began writing down another song I had been toying with for a few months (flowed out easily). Of course I then ran into another frustrating issue, and so on and so forth. If it was too easy, it wouldn’t be enjoyable. All day I had been very aware of the contrast between emotional states. This contrast feels like a game almost: the emotional peaks and valleys are satisfying.
Sen also wrote about how we don’t need to set clear intentions, as once we clear out our inner imbalances/resistance and have a more realistic view of reality, we will naturally flow towards our true desires. I feel that setting intentions is kind of fun though. It’s fun to feel that energy move. On the other hand, there can be a lot of negative emotion with goal setting, namely intense doubt, frustration, anxiety and sometimes even depression. I guess setting next level goals fuels the emotional imbalance? Speeding up the energy is a bumpy ride: exhilarating and very uncomfortable.
I do wonder about the negative/dark aspects of the lives of people who are happily living their dreams. Especially those who post all over social media snippets from their amazing lives. Perhaps they are just living out the balance of light after intense darkness?
I also notice this light/dark polarity in relationship to how I feel about and evidence I see if my goals. Some days, I feel very confident about my goals and notice evidence of their manifestation. Other days I feel very doubtful and fearful noticing manifestations of my own resistance.
I thought the CalmDownMind article was very wise. I used to experience extreme joy and extreme depression, but now I’m more balanced. I still have a tendency to be delusional and unrealistic though (something with my birth chart perhaps?) These tendencies to fantasize are holding up my goals probably. I have trouble getting rid of them though. I’ve been a day dreamer/very imaginative since I can remember! In school I would often get in trouble for day dreaming and not being present in class.
Nothing wrong with being a daydreamer. I’ve always had seemingly unrealistic goals myself, too. But then, I’m living out several of those goals now.
You used that word “unrealistic” again. I think there are very few things that are unrealistic. Not saying nothing is unrealistic, but as my emails always say, Anything is possible.
Of course I do think you need to get to the place of feeling normal about these things, but that’s just part of the process of creation.
I also think that article is a good one. I just have a few minor disagreements with it, as I mentioned above.
However, I don’t agree about thinking of the negative aspects of your goal. There don’t have to be negative aspects. You’re a creator: there doesn’t need to be a trade off.
I do think it takes working through resistance to get there, but once you are there, it should be enjoyable, but of course normal.
All the manifestations I’ve received were positive. Times when I thought something would be negative, it really didn’t turn out that way, when I trusted.
A few times in the past I had something negative turn out, but it was only because I wasn’t able to let go fully and trust.
I also disagree with not having to set an intention. As you know, I am fully in favor of setting strong goals that we want to achieve.
I hate the word “realistic”. What’s it even mean? People usually use it to say something like, “Oh, be realistic. You can’t do X.” But, there have usually been people who have done X before you. It’s usually a way to limit the Universe.
Yes you’re right that speeding up the energy is bumpy. But I don’t think I’d have it any other way. And I think other creatives are the same.
As far as the negative aspects of the lives of others, in my experience, they are definitely present, but those people aren’t going to post about it on Facebook. Why would they? It’s not even about pretending, it’s just that they might want to work through that personally.
But I don’t think that life always has to be difficult or anything. yes there will always be resistance of some kind, but once you learn how to work with that, that is not a bad thing.
Thanks for your detailed reply. Your view seems much closer to what I feel to be true. I was doubting myself heavily after reading that article. I just kept thinking, should we have to give so much focus to unwanted aspects of our desire? And why shouldn’t we have desires? Having specific goals and desires is fun! Sure resistance is always there is some form or another, but it’s not always this dreadful awful thing. It can be more of a nuisance or just feeling like you’d prefer a few things to be different about the situation.
Yes creative people do seem to enjoy contrast! I find the ride for the most part enjoyable, even if it’s a bit bumpy at times. Choosing and achieving your goals is fun and forces you to grow.
I was using the word realistic a lot as it was used frequently in the article and proceeding comments I read. I always got in trouble by my parents for being unrealistic. What you said is true though. I mean, at some point most of what we have today was considered unrealistic.
Thanks. Yeah I actually really enjoy the feeling of releasing a bit of resistance and palpably moving deeper into the vibrational signature of my goal. It’s a great feeling!
Resistance doesn’t at all have to be a difficult thing, especially once you learn the tricks of how to best deal with it.
I know how it is to feel like what you want is unrealistic. I’ve mentioned before my mother always wanted me to get a good job with high pay. I’m also a programmer, so I think she expected me to get a well-paying job as a computer programmer / software engineer, and be set for life.
Obviously I didn’t live up to those expectations. The truth is that I never really enjoyed having to make things for others that I didn’t really want to make. I used to do freelancing, and hated it. I love making things I am passionate about, like plugins that I want for this site, such as the astrology features I’ve added. That’s really fun for me.
Thank you Brandon for sharing your experience. I really like the moon phase plugin by the way.
I understand exactly what you mean about blocks in the way of getting paid what you’re worth. I definitely have those in place that I’m working on getting rid of. It’s been really difficult for me to get rid of them, but having to settle for less with money frustrates me to no end.
I just saw your new podcast episode was uploaded. 🙂 I’ve only read a little bit of the transcript and will listen to the entire episode later. What you wrote about excitement makes me think of Christmas and birthday gifts when I was younger. Before getting the gifts I wanted, I felt a bit anxious as to whether I’d actually get them. When I did get them, I was really happy for a day or two, but then these new toys felt normal. I enjoyed playing with them, but I had new desires for other toys arise.
Thanks. The blocks can be difficult. But it is very possible to overcome them.
Yeah I had the birthday/Christmas issue as well. 🙂 That’s honestly how I’ve discovered a lot of this, at least initially. For me I’d rarely touch a present after a few days. | 2019-04-24T07:52:46Z | https://darkascent.org/blog/2017/03/09/spiritual-freedom-support-call-30/ |
I detta arbete har vi med en litteraturstudie försökt påvisa vad en inblandad gas i oljan i ett hydrauliksystem har för betydelse för funktionen. Vi har använt information i traditionell facklitteratur samt i tidskrifter och vetenskapliga rapporter och upptäckt att problemen som uppkommer av inblandade gaser inte är väl kända. Dagens lösningar på problemen är nästan alltid kostsamma och handlar om att behandla symptomen. Vi har tittat på de olika fysikaliska data som gasen inverkar på i oljan, utifrån detta har vi analyserat vilka effekter detta har för ett hydrauliksystems funktion. Vi kommer att diskutera grundproblemet till kavitation och vanliga problem som ett hydrauliksystem ofta har. Vi har lyckats presentera resultat på att inblandad gas i oljan har en mycket stor inverkan på ett hydrauliksystem. Vi har kommit fram till att mycket av dagens problem med hydrauliksystem helt skulle kunna byggas bort om man tog större hänsyn till oljans förmåga att lösa in luft.
This graduate report describes the work relating to the development of a brand new monitoring and machinery alarm system onboard the training vessel M/S Calmare Nyckel. The system developed, is based on PLC automation technology, and allows graphical presentation of system data.
The project was managed by three marine engineering students at the Kalmar Maritime Academy.
Jag fick en tanke våren 2008 varför Arboga Rederi inte utvecklade trafiken mer, idén kom då upp att man kanske kunde göra detta till ett examensarbete. Jag tog kontakt med rederiet och föreslog detta men fick reda på att man inte hade några tankar på att göra om trafiken. Men man ville gärna se vilka alternativ till hamnar det finns och information så man skulle kunna göra en kostnadskalkyl. Detta projekt har då gått ut på att presentera fakta om vissa hamnar kring sjöarna Mälaren och Hjälmaren inför Arboga Rederi. Informationen ska, av dem, sedan kunna användas som underlag inför ett eventuellt fartygsförvärv eller nya kostnadsberäkningar om man vill lägga om trafiken. För att samla in all information har respektive kommun eller företag kontaktats för att på så sätt få rätt fakta.
The idea for this exam paper arose under our onboard training periods. Under these periods we understood that the knowledge in cathodic corrosion protection was poor among the engine personal. We have also made a minor survey among marine engineers to see how the knowledge in this area is onboard. The survey shows that our hypothesis on the level of knowledge corresponded to a large extent. Further reason why we studied this area is that we wanted to deepen us in this subject, when our own experience only was to write numbers from a display. Our main question has been how cathodic corrosion protection work at ships. In order to answer this question, we conducted literature studies in the subject. The theoretical knowledge we have gathered from internet and books. The practical knowledge we have gained from previous training periods and during onboard training on MS Silja Galaxy in December 2008 to January 2009.
Syftet med detta arbete var att undersöka om det fanns intresse för att införande av DUKC (Dynamic Under Keel Clearance) systemet i Sverige.Vi utgick ifrån en hamn i Australien, Port Hedland, som använt systemet sedan 1996, sedan tog vi reda på vad som användes i Sverige. För att få en bra grund sökte vi information om vad som krävdes för att DUKC skulle fungera tillfredställande. Vi Tog också del av en studie som man utfört i Mälaren som grundar sig på fartygs dynamiska rörelser och djupgående.Utifrån vår insamlade data ville vi fråga en sjöfartsrelaterad grupp och undersöka hur intresset för DUKC såg ut och skickade ut en enkät som även innehöll ett informationsblad.Efter sammanställning av erhållna svara framgick det att intresset för att införa just DUKC systemet inte var så stort men däremot ett system som gör det möjligt att säkerställa de krav som finns idag.
Branschdagarna är ett arbetsmarknadsevent som anordnas varje av studenter för studenter, på Sjöfartshögskolan i Kalmar.
With this thesis we would like to find out why Swedish students at a nautical choose to study at Maersks master programme instead of Kalmar Maritime Academy.
We also wanted to find out what factors play a role in the choice of school, how the students come in contact with the school and how they experience their studies at SIMAC.
We have interviewed some of the Swedish students during a visit at SIMAC. We chose to perform a qualitative study consisiting of open questions. The interviews were followed up with a questionnaire. These methods were suitable since we were interested in the student´s opinions. Our result is that the students who took part in our study perceived their school sometimes as unstructured and confusing. They also experienced problems with the Danish language. The main reason for staying at the school is the upcomming, remunerative, work at Maersk.
This is a follow up study of Wallenius Marine ABs choice to convert from Mechanic Lubricator to Alpha Adaptive Cylinder-oil Control onboard their ships 2006 to 2007. The purpose with the follow up study was to compare the two systems in a number of aspects. The comparison was the basis to find out how the system has reached the expectations and if the installation has paid itself in three to four years on four of the ships.
The method used to reach the expected results has in first hand been the evaluation model which was created already in the state of planning. The evaluation model is presenting which aspects that have been chosen to compare for each system and have then been realized with an individual approach for each aspect. In the stage where the method part was used, the procedure started from the information received from the ships together with interviews performed on chosen engine officers and information regarding price.
The conclusions which could be drawn from the follow up study was that the system Alpha Adaptive Cylinder-oil Control have performed satisfactory in the aspects, usability and cylinder wear, but have not saved enough in cylinder oil consumption to compensate for its own cost of purchase and installation within the estimated time limit.
Abandoning ships today is associated with dangers and risks. There are presently three different systems used in order to abandon ships: free-fall lifeboat, davit-launched lifeboat and the life raft. The sole groundbreaking innovation in modern time is the free-fall lifeboat which has now been in service for approximately 30 years and provides means for the crew to quickly abandon the ship and it has its own propulsion system. Due to the last years increasing numbers of incidents and accidents involving both free-fall lifeboats and davit-launched lifeboats resulting in both injuries and even deaths, it is today recommended by the UN body IMO (International Maritime Organization) to have a minimum of crewmembers in the lifeboat during drills. The question we asked ourselves is: How is it possible for the crew to put their trust into systems which are deemed to be dangerous even during drills by the same organization that stipulates the framework for rules concerning safety at sea? Our objective with this work was to chart out what evacuation system deck officers put their trust in.
This project called ”IMSAFE – a data base on safety at sea” is a part project in a larger research project named ”Safety organisation, Safety management, Safety governing and ships safety”. The aim of this part project has been that of collecting and feeding information into the data base in order to get it started and going. The point of the data base is not to compete with or to become a surrogate for already exciting sources of search but to be a complement to them.
The work aims to clarify what nautical officers onboard in today's merchant can do to help reduce bunker consumption during the voyage? The question we have asked ourselves during the autumn term in 2008 much was said about the premium bunker prices, and how the future could affect our daily lives as nautical officer. We felt here that the school had relatively little knowledge of the subject and therefore felt that it would be interesting to identify how it really looks like onboard the ships today. To collect information we contacted 7 Swedish companies that operate with different types of vessels, in order to get a broad picture of the whole industry. For shipping companies we asked questions about how actively they were working on the issue and what methods they used. We found that the owners worked with the issue but that it so far was a little on the go. All but one company in the survey provided the vessels are instructed to run bunker efficiently.
This is a summary of the formal part of our project. During the autumn of 2007 and spring 2008 we have done an overhaul on one of the auxiliary engines onboard Calmare Nyckel. The assignment was given from Egon Nilson. The engine was in bad shape, lubrication oil and coolingwater was leaking from several cylinders and thereby in big need of a service. There have been some waiting time during the order of new parts because of the rare engine type which are British and therefore all the parts had to be ordered from England. At the end of the project we discovered some difficulties with coolingwater leaking in to the oil sump, this causing further delays finishing the project. The problem were solved and at the test run the engine run satisfactory.
During the project we have as far as possible followed the manual and other instructions available.
During a project like this it is important that all documentation of the project is shown.
The materials that are shown are presented with an introduction followed by the process and the result. To this documentation we have attached a working diary and quotations.
mycket bättre förutsättningar för att kunna hålla sig inom lagen för vilotid, än vad en överstyrman från Broström eller Donsötank har.
Our objective with this diploma thesis was to build a computer application to a maritime society on the island Donsö. They want to use the application to compile a Swedish Shiphistorical Register with the help of the information they have collected bye the maritime society during modern time. The idea emerged when one member from the projekt group where out as a cadet and the captain told him about his card index with ship history. During the spring contact with said captain was re-established and a request to get premission to create an application and adjecent database working in project form using project as the type of work within the limits of degree project was sent, and approved. We concentrated our efforts to create an easy to manage database ther several user simultanously could both register and search for data. The time needed in the end turned out to be greater than within the time-frame and the limits of the size of the course, for this reason the application is not finished during the writing of this diploma thesis. We took a decision to prolong the time-frame outside the limits of a degree project and complete the application for delivery before the end of the semester.
Employees on Swedish shipping companies have for several years topped the accident statistics when compared with land based jobs.
The purpose of this study is to examine how the Swedish shipping companies are working to prevent work related accidents.
The study was made through interviews with four Swedish shipping companies.
And a questionnaire answered by 10 onboard employees from Swedish shipping companies.
The result of our study shows that the companies are working with preventing accidents onboard mainly through different measures to increase the reporting frequency from the ships to the office. In the answers we received from the questionnaires we could see that the reporting frequency on board is poor.
Accidents occur when exercising with free-fall lifeboats. This should be possible to avoid with better equipment and better education. Since accidents occur more often when exercise is performed aboard ships than ashore, the later part should be more decisive: During exercise the focus should be put on how to buckle up in a correct way. The above text is a part of what this investigative study is about, we have used a qualitative method for sorting out questions about the risks with free-fall lifeboats. SOLAS does not put any demands on the existence of aiding equipment to facilitate bringing injured persons in a free-fall lifeboat. The tests that have been performed with people onboard free-fall lifeboats have only taken place during favourable conditions. Considering that ships are exposed to the motion of the sea and that the boat could land on a wave the SOLAS demands should be increased. The lifeboat systems we have, is neither tested nor practised with in waves. That free-fall lifeboats is a good concept as a lifesaving equipment, there is no doubt about, but it should be developed further.
Syftet med vårt arbete var att ta reda på vad studenterna i avgångsklasserna vid Sjöfartshögskolan i Kalmar har för åsikt gällande användandet av skolfartyget Calmare Nyckel. Vidare hade vi för avsikt att undersöka vilken åsikt Sjöfartshögskolan i Kalmar har rörande användandet samt att ta reda på ifall det finns en skillnad mellan respektive åsikter.
Genom en analys och sammanställning av vår enkätundersökning kom vi fram till att 98 % av studenterna ansåg att de antal gånger de fått använda Calmare Nyckel, för navigation och manövrering, varit för lite. Ur våra intervjuer med anställda på skolan framkom det att de däremot är nöjda med hur de låter Calmare Nyckel komma till användning i utbildningen av sjökaptener.
Vi kunde se en tydlig skillnad i åsikter mellan skola och studenter. Skillnaden bottnade bland annat i skolans bristfälliga information om deras syfte och målsättning med Calmare Nyckel. En annan anledning till skillnaden beror på hur skolan marknadsför deras skolfartyg samt hur studenterna tolkar denna. Majoriteten av de tillfrågade studenterna i vår enkätundersökning hade en förväntan om att de skulle få använda Calmare Nyckel mer än vad de gjort under utbildningen.
Denna Training manual har ställts samman under hösten/ Vintern 2007 på uppdrag av Befälhavarna Lars Arlock och Jonas Adolfsson som är anställda ombord M/T Bolero av Laurin Maritime och kommer att vara ett komplement under farmillization.
Training manualen är en sammanställning av M/T Boleros tidigare manual, under min praktikperiod ombord som befälselev, fast nu uppdaterad med bilder tagna ombord som gör det lättare att hitta samt att förstå viktiga funktioner av Boleros livräddningsutrustning.
Då jag läste igenom den gamla manualen, tyckte jag att det var väldigt svårt att förstå, vart man kunde finna allt och där föddes iden att uppdatera manualen, med hjälp av nya bilder tagna ombord under övningar och rundvandring ombord.
Mina handledare ombord tycker att arbetet blev bra och att jag skulle använda detta till mitt examensarbete som skall avsluta min fyra år långa utbildning på Sjökaptensprogrammet vid Sjöfartshögskolan i Kalmar.
Arbetet är till för att nypåmönstrade lätt skall kunna förstå hur man skall bete sig vid en nödsituation ombord och att snabbt kunna agera och hitta rätt utrustning samt att ha en god kännedom av vilka hjälpmedel som finns för att säkerheten ombord skall vara så effektiv som möjligt och hur man använder utrustningen.
Jag hoppas att mitt arbete kommer att vara till glädje och nyttjas av besättningen ombord, då säkerheten är mycket viktig för allas säkerhet ombord ett fartyg.
faktiskt är att härleda ett eventuellt bränslepumps slitage beror på bränslets kvalitet.
föroreningarna har de senaste åren uppmärksammats mer och mer runt hela världen.
föroreningarna kommer att öka i framtiden då de nya MARPOL reglerna börjar gälla.
The purpose of this project is to develop a manual for TransAtlantic which will serve as a framework on how to produce an Operation Manual for their vessel. The idea of an Operation Manual is to, with the help of pictures, texts and descriptions explain the procedures of the vessel.
The methods we have been using in gathering information is a visit to TransAtlantic’s vessel Viola Gorthon, discussions with TransAtlantic and own enquiries, mainly on the Internet. We have been researching into laws and regulations to support us in the layout of the manual, with little result. Most of the applicable information was gathered from the visit on Viola Gorthon.
The general idea of an Operation Manual is that the manual on every ship will be the same and that will make it easier for new crewmembers to learn the routines and to find information about how to operate different items of equipment.
Vi ville undersöka om sjömännens situation hade förändrats efter införandet av ISPS. Om debatten kring sjöfartsskyddet stämde att sjömännen var de som behandlades som terrorister och att det var de som fick ge avkall på sin fria rörlighet i hamnarna.
De metoder vi använde oss av var intervjuer med personer ur besättningen, på de fartyg där vi var på praktik, om de hade upplevt en förändring av rörligheten sedan införandet av ISPS-koden samt observationer av personalen i gaterna, hur de behandlade oss och om vi kom iland eller inte i hamnanläggningarna. Vi valde att göra en kvalitativ undersökning och en deltagande observation då vi ville se hur fartygspersonal upplevde deras situation.
Resultatet gav att det var skilda uppfattningar kring sjöfartsskyddet. Vissa upplevde det som positivt att säkerheten hade ökat, mindre stölder och obehörig personal. Andra upplevde det som negativt då de ansåg att deras frihet hade minskat.
Det huvudsakliga syftet med det här arbetet var att utröna om de fanns eventuella för eller nackdelar med att vara tatuerad ur en sjömans perspektiv. Vi ville se om och i så fall hur synen angående sjöfolk och tatueringar förändrats över tid.
Vi använde oss av kvalitativa intervjuer och induktiv ansats som metod. Alla de fem intervjuade har anknytning till sjölivet och samtliga är tatuerade. Tre av de fem är från den äldre generationen och en av de fem jobbar som tatuerare.
Vi noterade en väldigt stark koppling mellan sjömansyrket och tatueringar, dock starkare förr än nu. Det är också väldigt tydligt att det skett en enorm förändring på hur tatueringar tas emot i samhället idag. Idag är det inte ”bara” prostituerade, kåkfarare och sjömän som är tatuerade utan det finns nu i alla samhällsklasser. Något förvånade drog vi slutsatsen att ingen av de intervjuade hade några verkligt negativa upplevelser på grund av sina tatueringar, till exempel om man blivit nekad jobb eller liknande.
This exam paper is about how shipping companies analyse various types of bilge water separators systems and on which grounds they choose a certain type of equipment. To answer our questions we chose to perform a survey regarding how Swedish shipping companies reason before they purchase bilge water separating equipment to their ships. Some of the questions we wanted to find answers to were questions about the equipments usability, reliability and economy of the equipment, in addition to that we also wanted to investigate how the companies regarded each particular when they were selecting bilge water equipment. Furthermore there were obviously also a lot of other interesting issues, which we have tried to shed some light on while conducting our survey. For reasons that mainly concerned the simple fact of being able to contact the various shipping companies, we chose only to include Swedish shipping companies in the survey. We chose to perform the interviews over the phone and to record them. We have used a variant of the qualitative method when conducting the interviews. Thereby letting the interviewees speak more freely about their own experiences and thoughts. We were interested to find out how the shipping companies reasoned, because according to rules and regulation they are obliged to have working and certified bilge water separators on board the ship. We found our approach effective and therefore it further enhanced and enlarged the scope of our exam paper. The main conclusions in this report could be summarized by stating that there were substantial differences between the principles how different shipping companies argued before acquiring bilge water separators. An additional conclusion would be that some shipping companies could actually improve some of their purchase strategies, and utilize a more carefully analyzed and cost related plan prior the purchase of equipment.
After a proposal of a reformation of the Swedish pilot system was expressed, where it proposed that shore-based pilotage will be implemented in the future, we decided to investigate and compare opinions from involved persons. There is a risk of losing important parts of a very large knowledge-base, if the pilots’ opinions are not taken into consideration, in the event of development of the pilot system.
The purpose was to examine and categorize the possibilities and limitation with the pilot system of today in relation to shore-based pilotage.
We have performed a qualitative, phenomenografic research, where we have used interviews with open questions.
It was easy to find limitations if shore-based pilotage should be implemented, mostly because the pilots did not expect to be able to perform their work in a satisfactory way. The opinions regarding the economical profit differ, but the majority thought that the savings would be nonexistent.
University of Kalmar. University of Kalmar, Kalmar Maritime Academy.
This report is founded in lack of knowledge concerning the design and layout procedureduring a new engine room construction.The prime question is how the engine room takes its form from idea to construction and whathappens in between. We want to give the reader a better understanding in how the work isdone and why it is designed the way it is concerning layout, ergonomics and safety. Duringthis report we will enhance the knowledge concerning regulations and rules that are of greatsubstance such as SOLAS, Swedish Sjöfartsverket and IMO.By contacting the parties involved in the process in newly designing a vessel and its engineroom, we will assume their approaches and experiences. We will study the work progressfrom planning to construction of a vessels machinery spaces. We will with the help ofinterviews with interested parties get an idea of the approach and also compare the finishedproduct a bit depending on company size and resources.The investigation resulted in a good basis for how a ship engine room design takes shape andwhich aspects are taken into account, however, we found that the existing rules concerningengine room layout was very vague and was seen as the most recommendations. For thecontrol room, there were however some points to consider. We believe that it would facilitatea more comprehensive legal framework relating to engine room design.
We were assign this project by Kalmar maritime academy. The project was to produce a noise map for the school boat M/S Calmare Nyckel. The school boat does not exceed 500 dead weight ton and is not required a noise map according to national maritime administration, but there was an request and desire from the school to produce it for education purpose and for a practical connection. For the measurements that were required on board we used the regulations from ISO 2923:1996 (E), and national maritime administration's statute book 2005:23 with production of the noise map. The school provided us with validated measuring equipment and measuring protocol. We had a good opportunity to do all measurements when the school boat did its sea travel from Simrishamn's shipyard to Kalmar, with good weather conditions and all machines in normal operation conditions. The results became a easy understood and friendly used noise map in A4 formats that can be assigned anywhere on the boat or to be used in education purpose.
Arbetet handlade om vad sjöbefälsstudenterna på Sjöfartshögskolan i Kalmar prioriterade mest när de skulle söka sitt första jobb till sjöss. Samt även vilka drivkrafter som låg bakom för att studenterna skulle söka sig ut på den internationella marknaden. Syftet med arbetet var att genom en enkätundersökning ta reda på vilka prioriteringar som hade störst betydelse för studenterna. För att få ett överskådligt material att jobba med använde vi oss av en kvantitativ metod. Resultaten skilde inte mycket mellan klasserna. Samtliga respondenter ansåg att lönen var den viktigaste punkten när de skulle söka sitt första jobb. De övriga faktorerna som var viktiga för respondenterna visar på att de satte stort värde på det sociala livet ombord och möjlighet till kompetensutveckling och den fortsatta karriären.
This work describes how the Herons steam ball was built and how it works. It was constructed by Heron 2000 years ago. The purpose was to determine the efficiency of the steam ball because it was unknown. The efficiency was never determined. It was only theoretically determined by calculations. The steam pressure never gave the steam ball rotation when heat was added underneath the construction. A possible reason was that friction in the sealing for supplying feed water into the steam ball was too high.
The heat transfer was also a reason that the construction did not rotate.
The steam ball and necessary equipment was fabricated in dec-07/jan-08. It was built without any drawings. The goal was to make it look like the original as much as possible. A smaller steam ball was built some years before. This one did rotate and therefore was the same design given to the bigger one.
Because of the lack of rotation there was no doubt if the steam ball was a sucsess or not.
It was not used for any real purpose 2000 years ago and this has not changed.
A calculated figure of the efficiency was documented in this rapport, and it was very low.
It was amusing to design and build the steam ball but the construction was clearly no success.
The purpose of this study is to explore how maritime safety is affected by the work situation and work conditions on board ships with small-sized/reduced crews. The study examines especially the master’s and the watch keeping officer’s situation focusing on their work time, shift work and fatigue. The study examines small-sized ships engaged in coastal trade along the Baltic Sea coast. A combination of interviews and data regarding the work- time of the crew and the trade pattern of the ship were collected in a series of on board observations. The on board studies consist totally of eleven ships of different nationality. These on board observations aimed at understanding and explaining how the people/crew on board experienced their work situation and work climate regarding work time and shift work. A few previous studies, (MAIB 2004, Lindquist 2003) have focused on investigating accidents on similar ships; other studies (Smith 2007, Lindquist 2005) have dealt with a general description of the situations on board. However, no study has considered all the effects of work-time length in light of the new safety regulations that have been in force since a few years. Neither are there studies on how a crew-size reduction influences the work-time length of the crew on board. This study shows that the master’s and the watch keeping officer’s work-time length has escalated so that an excess work-time of 91 hours per week was not uncommon. This results in a breach of regulations regarding work-time and rest period. The study also reveals that the crew often feel that they have to re arrange their working time logs to show that they comply with the regulations. Moreover, the crew feel that this is common knowledge amongst flag state- and port state controls but that it is a problem too hot to handle for the national maritime administrations. Due to the diversity in the trade patterns of different ships, as well as the diversity in the size of shipping companies, there are several possible very different solutions to these problems. One solution could be to increase the crew size to meet the demands, of the new regulations. Another one is to move work tasks from the ship to the shore. However, what cannot be accomplished by moving work tasks are the problems related to continuous shift work and long night shifts, which could lead to serious health problems for the people involved.
This diploma thesis is based on a telephone survey conducted during the spring term of 2009. Participating in the survey were persons who had graduated as marine engineers during the academic years 1996, 1998 and 2000. These graduates represented two different course programmes, namely the three-year and four-year Marine Engineering Programmes. The questions included in the survey were related to the present occupational situation of the graduates and their attitudes in relation to trade unions and further higher education. The survey comprised a total number of 127 persons.The primary result of the survey was that 54 per cent of the graduates still work at sea. Within this group of graduates, 52 per cent were employed on board ships carrying a flag of convenience.The secondary result was that 26 per cent of the graduates would be interested in enhancing their academic status by achieving a master’s degree. Among the directional choices available for this master’s degree programme, most of those participating in the survey found the directional option entitled “technical inspector” as the most interesting one.The question regarding trade unions divided those participating in the survey into three different groups. One group was strongly in favour of trade union membership. Another group was indifferent to such a membership. Finally, yet another group of participants stated strongly that trade union membership was of no consequence for their future careers.The overall result of our survey underlined the fact that a BSc in Marine Engineering provides a significant potential for finding good career opportunities both nationally and internationally, as well as ashore and at sea!
lockar folk att gå till sjöss och hur upplever de aktiva sjömännen sin tillvaro ombord.
Vi har gjort litteraturstudier för att samla in nödvändig fakta om motivation och livsstilar.
Vi har även skickat enkäter till rederier för att se vad dom anser om utveklingen till sjöss.
elever som utbildar sig på gymnasienivå till motorman/matros och rederier.
är det fördelaktiga avlösningssystemet samt den långa sammanhängande ledigheten.
This thesis is about Aviation influence on merchant shipping, and in this case what shipping has to learn from the aviation industry in bridge integration issues. The purpose with this thesis is to gain greater knowledge on what can be improved on a modern bridge, with the help of cockpit design. We have limited the problem to a “users point of view”. This meaning that we always have the users issues in focus, and not technology itself. The method used is a qualitative approach, which is performed using a study of available literature, with an empirical background. Our conclusion is that a bridge design can be improved by looking at cockpit design, and that this already is taking place on some ships. In some cases it is a simple matter of copying the cockpit design, and in other cases some well functioning equipment can be kept, and the “not so good” can be replaced.
Collisions between vessels and allisions between vessel and obstacles as well as groundings constitute a great problem within the shipping business. Serious damage to vessels, environmental disasters and great costs are invoked for everyone involved. Is it possible that deficient bridge procedures are the reasons behind these types of accidents? The purpose of this thesis is to gather material from accident reports from the years 2000-2007, to investigate whether there are any connections between the accidents on Swedish merchant vessels which have been involved in collisions with each other, allided with an obstacle or that have grounded. The results showed, among other things, that motor tankers are involved in groundings more often than other types of vessels. On the basis of these results, interviews were carried out with motor tanker officers and pilots to investigate what the situation is like onboard during the circumstances where these vessels are most usually grounded. Several of the informants state that paperwork and checklists have become a burden to them during their bridge watches, and one of the implications of our investigation is that inadequate supervision could be the reason behind the accidents.
We were asked to perform a complete overhaul of an engine as part of a larger project, rebuilding a fishing vessel. We thought this was interesting and immediately stated our will to participate.
It has been a interesting time for us during the time span of the project. The reason why we were asked to do this was due to our knowledge as we have got during our education. Therefore this might not has brought us so much new knowledge. But it has brought us a lot of experiences instead.
Over the time our goal has been to get experience and train to fulfil the project. We wanted to create something useful for the future, therefore a project as exam work was a good idea for us. We feel that this project has brought us “know-how” about smaller reparations of mechanical equipments in general.
We have completed the stated goal in the project-order as far as possible. The engine is completely overhauled but not started up yet do to lack of lubrication oil and some other essential accessories.
M/S Calmare Nyckel är skolfartyg för Sjöfartshögskolan i Kalmar och används för bådenautisk- och maskinteknisk undervisning. För att det både ska bli ekonomiskt försvarbartatt behålla fartyget och en säker miljö krävs det att fartyget underhålls korrekt och medbestämda intervaller. Vårat arbete är inriktat mot att bygga upp ett bra och effektivtunderhållningssystem på M/S Calmare Nyckel. Under arbetets gång upptäcktes att detbefintliga systemet ombord var föråldrat och vi blev tvungna att uppdatera det innan vikunde börja med själva inmatningen med underhållsprocedurer.
This following report describes a project in replacing the Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR) in an old ASEA diesel generator system. The generator is installed on M/S Calmare Nyckel which belongs to Kalmar Maritime Academy. The Generator system is solely used for educational purposes.
The AVR that is being replaced is an ASEA UTWH310. It is a very old system and we assume its from some where around 1960. The problem with the old AVR is that when the system has been running for a while there is no longer possible to control the reactive power. We were asked to replace the old system, so not much effort has been put on trying to repair it.
The AVR feeds current to a small DC generator, feeder, witch is connected by a strap drive to the larger AC generator. The feeder then excites the rotor in the AC generator. To find out how the system actually worked we made some test runs. We measured necessary variables to be able to replace the old system.
Because we had no formerly experience in this type of project, we had some troubles in finding a supplier of AVR equipment. Luckily we came in contact with a small company called Subtron AB from Enköping. They were very helpful and had both the equipments and the knowledge that we needed for our project.
We decided to order Leroy-Somers R 448 AVR. It is a simple but fully capable AVR to preform what we asked for. We also ordered some auxiliary equipment for the installation. After a test run with the new equipment, we found out that it worked very well. The installation process was then made in a few days.
This essay is about hydrography, I will investigate how it is done, both today and from a historic perspective. I have also done some research in alternative methods that may complete conventional hydrography. The purpose with this essay was to investigate how many unknown dangerous shoals there is left in the Swedish archipelago.
The method to receive good and trustworthy information has been to do some interviews to people that in one way or another are practising hydrography.
To be able to describe the history of hydrography I have had some literature as an aid.
The result of my investigation is that the nautical chart is mainly comparable to the reality; however, there are some exceptions. The nautical charts is often less reliable in archipelagos were professional shipping is unusual.
This exam work was initiated by a request from Sjövärnskåren division Syd. They wanted to implement a newer, computer based system with graphical display, an engine monitoring system which was ment to provide the engineer on watch with data from the engines. The object for this is to reduce the maintenance costs through improved monitoring while running and to improve documentation which later on the maintenance measures is based on.
The project was an initial study which conclusions and recommendations on systems suited for the task is to give Sjövärnskåren an economical frame.
We met up in Karlskrona on the ship and had a discussion about which parameters that should be presented. After that we started to go through the documentation and perform onsite surveys to conclude what signals the transmitters put out to the existing monitoring system.
This was a delicate task, information about the transmitters was lacking in the documentation.
The onsite measures gave no vital information. We talked to the shipyards and maintenance units that the ship had been in contact with during its time in the navy. We came in contact with a man that had been working with this ship, and he gave us information that told us that the transmitters were of standard type, 4-20 mA.
With this information, the project pursued and we invited tenders to give us systems that could cope with the task.
We had three tenders thar supplied us with systems. All of theese meant considerable programmingwork to get the monitoring system up and running.
Arbetet är ett kompendium som ska ge den nyblivna sjöingenjörsstudenten en introduktion till hans/hennes framtida yrke. Arbetet ger en övergripande sammanfattning om hur motorer, separatorer, pannor och kompressorer är uppbyggda och fungerar. Det ger också en grundläggande beskrivning om hur bränn/smörjoljesystem och kylsystem är uppbyggda samt hur färskvattensystem, framdrivningssystem, grå/svartvattensystem och elproduktionen går till på ett fartyg.
Kort sagt det man som student kommer att stöta på under sin första praktikperiod. Syftet med arbetet var att försöka hjälpa studenter till en djupare förståelse under början i sin utbildningsgång. Meningen var också att fylla i den lucka vi anser att skolan har missat, nämligen en introduktion av dom tekniska delar som finns i ett maskinrum.
Vi använde oss av den kvalitativa metoden eftersom vi har valt att endast använda oss av källstudier i form av en litteraturbok och ett tidigare examensarbete. I vårt skrivande har vi mest använt oss av egna erfarenheter, men även hämtat information från böcker och internet för att underlätta struktur och uppbyggnad av arbetet.
In the work process, which has been going on for more than a year, we have discussed things such as the conditions for a project of this type, the interest from students, the school and the industry as well as purely technical aspects around the construction of a ship model, its electronic and mechanical systems and how such a model could be implemented and used in the education of students at the academy. This thesis also brings up things such as thoughts around the students safety when building and using the model. We have used the method Grounded Theory and have reached the conclusion that the Kalmar Maritime Academy have exceptional and very unique conditions to start a project where manned models is used in the education of officers.
The purpose of this paper is to figure out what motivator factors and hygiene factors which are of importance to graduating marine engineers when deciding on an employer as well as workplace. In order to get answers to our questions we chose to interview four students attending their final year of studies at the Maritime Academy in Kalmar. The interviews consisted of deep qualitative interviews during which we tried to capture the interviewees´ thoughts and ideas. The results have been compared with Fredrick Herzberg’s ”Two Factor Theory” and we have arrived at the conclusion that there are both similarities and differences. The most important motivator factors were responsibility and personal development. The most important hygiene factors were salary, level of comfort, length of the time spent onboard as well as possibilities for communication with friends and family. Aspects not mentioned were, e.g. the satisfaction of doing a good job and specific occurrences resulting in a promotion. Our conclusion consequently is that it is important for the shipping companies to commit to the well-being of the employees in order to gain the attention of prospective officers.
The purpose with this thesis was to investigate the prospects of the fuel cell technology within the shipping industry and also to evaluate when the fuel cell could get a breakthrough in shipping.
The data was collected via an internationally distributed questionnaire. The selection of shipping companies for the survey consisted of the five largest shipping companies in the twenty largest maritime countries. The five largest Swedish shipping companies were also included.
The number of answers was unfortunately too low to be able to deduce any reliable conclusions. The results still indicate that shipping companies are not interested in paying more for a fuel cell than for a more conventional system. Because of this there will probably not be a breakthrough for the fuel cell, until there is an increase in environmental fees, a trade with emissions or drastically higher fuel prices.
Våren 2008 fick jag uppdraget av ägarna till M/S Utopia att göra en stabilitets bok till fartyget. M/S Utopia är i grunden en Tpbs, även kallad trupptransportbåt 200 som har blivigt kraftigt ombyggd. För att bli klassade av sjöfartsverket efter en större ombyggnation krävs en ny stabilitets bok. Ett krängningsprov utfördes på våren 2008 utan att hydrostatisk data hade funnits. Efter detta uppstod ett problem, det visade sig vara en omöjlighet att hitta hydrostatisk data till fartyget.
Våren 2009 gavs sökandet upp efter hydrostatisk data. Efter godkännande av Fredrik Hjort och ägarna till M/S Utopia beslutades det att även inkludera en fire & safety plan till fartget. Det skulle även göras en åtgärdslista mot gällande föreskrifter i brandsäkerhet. Detta för att kompensera mot att ingen ny stabilitets bok kunde presenteras. Krängningsprovet kommer dock att presenteras samt relevant data som uppkommit genom krängningsprovet.
Arbetet har framskridigt som ett projektarbete med målet att presentera positiva resultat för ägarna till M/S Utopia. Resultat har blivigt vad samtliga partner önskade tack vare det goda samarbetet.
School ship M/S Calmare Nyckel, owned and operated by the Maritime University of Kalmar is used for training by both prospective merchant marine officer as well as engineers. The operation of NOHAB-diesel, used as a generator, has been problematic with frequent and unexplained stop. The alarm system installed by the Oskarshamn Shipyard was highly dysfunctional. The alarm system was dangerous to personnel when it was built on 230volt, furthermore were the alarm points constructed in series with only a stop indication. The lack of electrical drawings of the system made it impossible to trouble shot the deficiencies in the alarm system. Moreover, there was no alarm indication in the control room but only locally at the NOHAB-diesel.
We have made a new installation of the alarm system with the higher personal safety 24VDC, with all the alarms parallel with the corresponding indication on the panel, both locally at the NOHAB-diesel and on the control table for good review of the system. Furthermore, we have made complete drawings of the system enabling a good overview and the ability to troubleshoot.In this report we describe the approach to the problem solutions that have emerged in the process of creating a functioning alarm system.
University of Kalmar, Kalmar Maritime Academy. University of Kalmar, Kalmar Maritime Academy.
deduktiva och induktiva antaganden om vad som var fel i motorn grundade sig på dessa tester.
rationellt vetenskapliga felsökningsmetod har vi lyckats totalrenovera en 40 år gammal förbränningsmotor.
ett metodiskt tillvägagångssätt och sunt förnuft gör det omöjliga möjligt.
till inväntande av reservdelar samt åtgärder som oftast kräver extern hjälp.
saker och ting kommer att kärva och därmed ta mer tid än planerat! | 2019-04-19T13:13:10Z | http://lnu.diva-portal.org/smash/resultList.jsf?searchType=ORGANISATION&language=en&onlyFullText=false&af=%5B%5D&aq=%5B%5B%7B%22organisationId%22%3A%2280%22%7D%5D%5D |
Adams: Good evening. This is Roger Adams for the University of Kentucky in Rineyville, Kentucky. I'm here tonight on July 3rd, 1994 with Mrs. Aurelia Ilona Sontag Bates. This evening Mrs. Bates is going to tell us about her experiences in Europe as a child in World War II.
Bates: I was born in Lemberg. At that time, it was Galicia, later Poland, and now it's the Ukraine, on December the 2nd, 1936. As I remember my childhood up until the fifth year was good. I have some very good memories of that time. After that I heard of war, and it first touched us, as I recall, when we had little or no food, but we were fed. We were fed by the German Army and from soup kitchens. I remember, I may have been five years old then, and we walked to the soup kitchen they had set up for us, for the people, and they would feed us soup and black bread and salami, and I'll always remember that. I don't remember much else. But we were fed then. After that we lived somewhere else at that time, and I don't quite remember the name of it. I might have been five then.
Adams: Did you lose your home because the Germans moved in?
Bates: I don't know why we moved. We may have. We moved to Posen, Poznan in Polish. And my father he worked for the Germans, and we had a very good life then after we moved to Posen. We had a home and servants and everything else. At that time it was quite rare because the Polish people were, well, they didn't have it quite as well as we have. My father, as I said, worked for the Germans. Therefore, I think we were an exception. We had everything I could imagine. I remember my father taking me on the train out into the country to buy cherries to make wine. And those memories were good. I remember he was a great stamp collector. And I remember him asking me to help with the stamps, and we would put stamps in books and he would teach me about stamps. So my life was very, very good until then. And that was 1944. So everything was still good for us. And I don't know about anybody else. I was very small then - seven or eight years old probably.
Adams: What kind of work was your father doing for the Germans?
Bates: Well, he was a doctor, a translator. He could speak several languages, and he would translate from the Polish into the German and from the Russian into the German. So, he was very well needed. And we had a very good life as I said before. I also remember that all the things that I'm hearing now, that I heard nothing of when I was small. Eight years, I should have remembered some of it. But, we had a Russians camp not too far from us. I remember mother taking cakes to the Russian prisoners. It was a Russian prison camp. And, I do know that she would bake cakes, or have them baked, and take them to the prisoners. And nothing came of it. I mean, she was allowed to do that, apparently. She was Russian by birth, and she would do that. And, so everything went normal. I just had a good childhood. I heard of a war, and rumors and stuff, but we weren't touched by it, not where we lived. Until early 1945, that's when everything crashed, and even I know something was badly wrong. There was a lot of talk of war, and everybody was extremely worried. And then one day, it was still winter. It was cold. I think my mother was very upset. Everybody was upset. My father, my mother, my two sisters, and my brother. And, all I remember is that she said we had to pick up. We had to leave. I couldn't understand why. We had everything there. I mean, so we just grabbed some things. She said take what you want, what you really want, and all I could hear was that the Russians were coming.
Adams: What sort of things does a child take?
Bates: Toys, maybe a book. I like to read so I usually carried a book around, always. But my mother would grab some pictures. I know because she brought some photographs back with us. And, I don't know, my father - stamps, I guess. Some jewelry. But not much. Maybe a bag for each of us. My sister. I was the youngest. I was 10 years younger than my sister. So, I really don't know. But my mother tried to take what she thought was important, but not much. We each could just carry one bag. My father could come with us. He was past 60. My brother was left behind. Anybody, I'd say between 16 and 60, had to stay to defend the city.
Adams: Was your brother in the German army then?
Bates: No, he was not old enough. He was Hitler Youth, but he was not in the German Army. He was at that time maybe 18 because he was studying. Yes, so he was definitely not a soldier. He was in the Youth. So he had to stay behind, which was terrible for my mother and for all of us, of course we understood that much. My father could come. He was past 60, so the four of us left. We had to catch the last train out. I remember my mother saying that. It was the last train out, she would say. We heard the Russians in the distance. That's what they told me, it was the... what did they call it... Katyusha... or some kind of heavy artillery. We heard that in the distance. We had to flee. We waited until the last minute but then it was time to go. We had to. Father was afraid. My mother was afraid. What would happen to us if the Russians would catch up with us?
Adams: Did you have any preconceived notions of the Russians? Was there propaganda at the time that you saw or heard the Russians would do to you if they caught you?
Bates: Oh yes, with my father working for the Germans the way he was. I mean, I don't think they would have let us... I don't think that we would have lived. I mean... we would have lived. That's what my parents told me. We had no chance. We had to flee. So we left everything behind. We caught the last train out. And we ended up in Dresden. Apparently, my father knew somebody there. They took us in, a family. Right downtown Dresden. Beautiful home. And I was happy again. I had toys, books, a lot of books. If the fleeing on the train, which I don't remember much from that ride.
Adams: When is this? About, January?
Bates: No, it was... it was maybe the last of January. Yes, it had to be January.
Bates: Yes, 1945. We got to Dresden, and the family took us in, and everything was great. I remember that I... because we went downtown, everything was quiet. But my father took sick. His legs were bothering him. He had water in his legs. So we went downtown. I remember, the girls, myself, my sisters, and mother. I took a book with me. And I didn't ask to take it with me. And I always thought... and then when the siren started about the attack, I always felt I was being punished for taking the book without asking. It was just something in my childish mind, you know?
Adams: Are you talking about the British attack on Dresden?
Adams: Had there been any warnings prior? So, the attacks started on February 13th. Had you all had drills, and raid warnings, prior to this?
Bates: Well, we had drills, always. I think you grew up with that, with drills, even in, I remember, in Poland. But I don't think there was that much need of it there. We knew how to get to the cellar. And how to conduct yourself. But the attack on Dresden was a monstrous thing. I remember that well. How could anyone forget that?
Adams: The first bombs were supposedly delivered between 10 and 10:30pm by British bombers.
Bates: So I remember it was night time. When we went to town, and I had the book with me, which I took, and we walked around. We came back. It was night time, I know, because the city was lit up with the fire. It was just... it was like day time. But the alarms sounded, and we went into the basements. And then the bombs came. And we could hear the bombing. Of course, you were frightened, but... not really. I mean, I don't think I really was all that frightened. But you could hear them hit. And it hit our building, the one we were in.
Adams: Do you remember where in the city you were?
Bates: No, I don't know the street anymore. But it was in the center.
Adams: It was close to the center of town.
Bates: It was in the center, close to the river. Yes, it was.
Adams: The only landmark that I can give you was the Altmarkt, which was the town square.
Adams: Do you remember that?
Bates: No. I remember this beautiful big building we lived in, and it was blown away. The bomb hit it, but it didn't bother the basement, so we started crawling out, terrified, you know, through the windows, through the basement windows. If you know the German buildings, they had a good sized window. As you walk along the street there is always a window in the basement. People panicking, screaming, I remember that.
Adams: You crawled out the building right after it was hit?
Bates: Yes, yes. My mother was pushing us out. We didn't know how far it was burning. We had to get out.
Adams: What do you remember seeing when you got out of the basement?
Bates: Well, I don't remember the pain, but I've got phosphorous burns on my knees. They were phosphorous bombs. And other bombs, too. Because I have permanent burns. And I remember my mother pushing us out, the girls, and then herself. My father at that time, as I said, he wasn't feeling well. He was hospitalized, so we never saw him during that attack. Well, we crawled out. We started running, and there was just fire flying everywhere. I mean, you know, the debris from the buildings, I remember that so well. How can... like I said, you can't forget that, really. It was monstrous. And, my mother kept us together. There were people screaming and running everywhere. Buildings just burning. I mean, it was just like instant-; it couldn't have been instantly, but it was. It seemed to be, you know. Everything was ablaze, and we were running. That's when I saw my first body on the streets. My mother shielded my eyes but I saw him anyway. It was a... it was a body of a man, I know. It was burned, charred, black.
After that, my mother shielded my eyes.
Adams: Where did she take you then?
Bates: We kept running. Back to the river. My sisters were tired. It was nighttime. We were exhausted. They didn't want to go any more. We sat on a bench. The river, the bench on the river. They wanted to rest. I wanted to rest, to sleep. My mother kept pushing on. "You can't stay here. They're still bombing. They're still coming." She says, "We got to keep running." And, it was a good thing because the planes would come real low over the river, and they would just shoot.
Adams: Did you know if it was the British, or the Americans, or the Russians?
Bates: They said it was the British, and it was the Americans. There were no Russians.
Bates: The British and the Americans. We knew that. We also knew, I don't know, it might have been a rumor. But, there was talk afterwards, the people, what I heard, that the Russians instigated all of this. For the Americans and to the British to bomb, saying that there were armies in Dresden. There were soldiers. There were no soliders. There were just refugees.
Adams: There were prisoners of war there, captured at the Battle of the Bulge, weren't there?
Bates: I don't know that. I know there were prisoners. There were women and children, refugees that had come the same as we did. And they were in Dresden. There were no armies stationed there. There was no... so anyway, you know we never could understand why they bombed it, other than it was some... I don't know, some ill timed orders or something that somebody was given to bomb the city that had nothing but refugees.
Adams: When the British planes came back at 1am, they bombed again.
Adams: You were still down at the river at that time?
Bates: Yes, we kept pushing on.
Adams: And you spent the night down there?
Bates: No, we couldn't. Mother kept pushing us on, thank goodness, because they came. They started flying low over the river, just shooting, you know, just the people that were running. You could see everything. It was lit up, like, with the fires go on. And, they would fly low and shoot.
Adams: Where did you finally wind up staying that night?
Bates: We ran. We ran outside of the city. How we got there I don't know. I just don't know... I know we ended up on the highway, and then an army truck picked us up. And we rode on the back of it. Mother later told me on boxes of ammunition. I don't know that. It's just what she told me, but she had no reason to tell me if it wasn't so. They took us out of the city, and we ended up above Dresden.
Adams: There was a suburb of Dresden, Gorlitz. Was that where they took you?
Bates: No, we weren't in Gorlitz but I know about Gorlitz. The name escapes me, where we went to, but I remember when they left us off the truck, we walked through woods. It was a wooded street on both sides, beautiful. We looked back and below us, not below us or behind us, I don't know which, we saw the city just burning. It was just aflame. We looked back, and it was burning. And wondered what happened to my father, but we didn't know, we just kept on. And we ended up in a small place, could have been something like Gorlitz, but it wasn't. I know it wasn't. Well, somebody took us in again there, and we spent a night.
Adams: The Americans came in at 12 o'clock noon on February 14th and bombed Dresden once again.
Bates: We were gone then.
Adams: The British flew at night and the Americans were flying at the day time. This would have been the third time Dresden was bombed in under almost 12 hours.
Bates: It was a terrible thing.
Adams: So you were out of the city by then?
Bates: Yes, we left. We were there for the British, if you say it was the British, we were there past 1, I know. Because you just don't run in 5 minutes across a city. It was probably hours. You know we just didn't leap over all this. It took us a long time to get there but, like I said, mother tried to keep me from seeing all that was happening.
Bates: I accepted it. I think I grew real... not tough, because I'm not a tough person. In a way, I am, because I... I guess it toughened me in a way. It did. It had to, because I was disgusted more than angry. I didn't have any hate in me, and I still don't. I could blame the Americans. I could blame the British, but that would be stupid. I have no hate in me. I just don't understand it.
Bates: I didn't know it.
Adams: When did you finally realize it?
Bates: I didn't feel any pain, until I saw it. The white... it was completely burned out. White spots. No, I didn't feel any pain. The excitement and everything, I mean, you could probably cut a finger off, and I woudn't have felt it, you know. So I didn't feel any pain at all. We just crawled out, my knees on the sidewalk, with all this debris and the burning. It was... I didn't feel a thing. Just kept on running. Mother said run, and we did. She said keep on going. She's the force that pushed us, and I think that's the reason why we're alive.
Adams: Once you were out of the city, and the bombing was over the next day, you said you didn't know where your father was.
Bates: We didn't know where my father was until we got to Salzburg. From that place, we just kept on. We couldn't stay there. The Russians were coming. That's all I ever heard. The Russians are coming. Just like that title in that movie, almost. It's ridiculous.
Adams: Did you want to try to get to the German lines? Or to the Americans?
Bates: We wanted to get away from the Russians. We were extremely... not afraid, I don't think. We were past being afraid. Nothing mattered when you go through all this, you know. You just knew that you wanted to get way, you wanted to live, and you would do anything to survive. You just don't give up. It was human nature. And I think I grew up like that, just a survivor.
Adams: So when did you get to Salzburg?
Bates: Well, it didn't happen all that quickly. We just kept catching rides, trains, trucks, anybody that would pick us up off the highway. We finally got to Prague. I remember that to be a beautiful city. And I don't remember anything about the war there. I mean it seemed quiet, no bombings or anything, not that I remember. Of course we didn't stay there very long. We spent the night there. I remember being at the train station. A nice man gave me some post cards, which I still have today. That's about the only thing I have. From Dresden, two small wooden bears, and the postcards from Prague, that's all I have from the war, so to speak, that I took with me as a child. But I remember Prague. Golden Prague, they said. Beautiful city on the top of a hill. And well we caught a train there, and we went on, and ended up in Vienna, Austria. Well, Vienna was pretty well bombed, also. I mean it was very, very, very much destroyed. We stayed there, close to the Prater, the big carnival, because I remember seeing those rides and things. And that's when I took sick. Mother, carrying me to the doctor, and I remember her telling me that the doctor told her that I wouldn't live, but she was determined to bring me through. I had typhoid fever, I think, but she got me out of it. So, we stayed in Vienna there.
Adams: I'm just a little curious, before you go on. How did you live day to day, getting food or getting places to stay? Were there people that took you in just because you were a refugee?
Bates: Yes, the way I can think back, to think about it, people taking us in, or we just slept on, I remember sleeping in a train station once, and I was crying because I wanted to stretch out, but there were so many refugees there, and the benches were full. My sister sitting on the floor, and mother had one place on the bench, and she was holding me, and I wanted to stretch out and go to sleep, and I was crying then. I think that was the only time I cried. I had lost my nerve, because I was sleepy. So we were just sleeping in train stations. We were sleeping almost in the street as we were running. People taking us in. It was chaos. Nobody knew what was going on.
Bates: No, he was left behind. He was left in Posen.
Adams: He was left behind, and you had not heard anything from him?
Bates: No, not a thing. We assumed he was dead or got killed. He had to defend the city. And, he was about 18 years old. Never really held a rifle or knew what to do with one. So little chance he was alive, you know. I know if the Russian had gotten hold of those young Germans, I'm sure they wouldn't have let him live. So, Vienna, to go back to that, we left Vienna. The Russians were coming again. And, we left Veinna and pushed on to Salzburg. And that's where I saw the Americans march in and take over, in Salzburg, and that's when we stopped running. I think we were, mother was tired, and we had it. That was it. We found a bombed out hotel. I still go back there sometimes when we go overseas to look at it. It's not bombed out any longer but it was a mess. So we just took over. We slept in the kitchen. There was a little storage room off the big kitchen, restaurant kitchen, and I remember we lived in that in the back room. The top was bombed. And we stayed there. We went through a lot of bombings before the Americans came in, of course. There were those sirens, those horrible sirens that I still can't listen to. Sometimes you hear them here, at noon time they blow those sirens. It gives you the creeps. That's what we heard. There were certain types of sirens. One may have said, you know, be alerted, get ready, and the other ones just you don't have any time, run for cover. Different tones like whining, rapid whining noise, and maybe a slower noise. So we would run. Where we were, we had, in Salzburg. It's a beautiful city. Built on two sides of a river. So in order to get to the shelter, they were built in to the mountains. There were two mountains on each side of the river, they were rock mountain and there were shelters built in to the rock. That's where people would run to hide and sit it out. And so we had to run, I would say about two miles, maybe, to get to it. Maybe a little less. So when the first siren sounded, we would take off. Cross a bridge, passenger bridge. There were several bridges. But we would run. One time it was a close call. The planes were coming, you could hear them, you could hear the bomb dropping, and the roar of the planes. They weren't jets. You could hear the, I mean, old fashion planes I would say, bombers, the heavy roar, I mean real deep. I could still hear it if I set my mind to it. I don't want to. They would come, and they would drop bombs, and they would also shoot along the river. Whip up the water. I"m not sure they wanted to hit the people. Because they could have.
Adams: They were dropping the bombs in the river?
Bates: No, they were shooting. No, the bombs were on the buildings. I don't think they meant to hit the people, really. I really don't. Because they could have. Those bridges, I mean, I know they could have blown those bridges up, and they knew people were... I assume they could tell from up there. They could see the poeple running, couldn't they?
Adams: Were there soldiers in Salzburg?
Bates: No, Salzburg was just a beautiful city, historic city. But they would bomb anything. I mean Salzurg, the smaller towns, anything. Vienna. I'm sure there were soldiers here and there but no much. Germany was mostly, you know, I would imagine Munich, Berlin and all those places.
Adams: When about were you were in Salzburg?
Bates: '45. Just at the end of the war.
Adams: So near April or May?
Bates: Yes, it was April.
Adams: Had you heard rumors that Germany was losing, or were you still being told that Germany was winning the war?
Bates: Oh we felt, of what I could tell, that Germany would never lose. I mean, you know, everybody was for Germany. Of course, we were pro-Germany. We didn't know any different. I was. I was a little child. I know my mother never was, she was... never pretended to be. But we, my sisters I don't know, but we were German. We consider ourselves German, you know. In other words, we were maybe on the German side. I don't know. I never thought about it much. But we just didn't think they would lose. It was just the war, bombing. It would be over.
Adams: You had a sister in the Luftwaffe?
Bates: No, she was just a Hitler Youth.
Adams: Your sister was also a Hitler Youth.
Adams: What was she doing at this time?
Bates: She was with us.
Bates: Oh no, no. At that time it was just chaos. I mean it was just war, war, war. Bombing, nearly every day, every other day. It was just, we should have known it was getting close to the end or something. Nobody could have stood that forever. But as far as news go, I don't remember hearing any news. Not much of it. But I remember a lot of bombings, in Salzburg too. A lot of destruction while we stayed there.
Adams: How did you get food from a day to day basis?
Bates: How did we get food? It was April and then May, and they had, I don't know, we had scrunged for bread. There was black market. Mother would sell her rings to get a loaf of bread. There was black market, I know there was. Because I remember somebody coming to us in the bombed out hotel we stayed in. And she would get a loaf of bread, and she would give up her jewelry for it. Also, we would rob the burned out storage houses. You know, you would get what you could. I remember that. But, going to the shelter was just an every day thing. We just would hide, and as soon as the alarm sounded for us to, it's over and they're gone, we'd come out and go back. And we lived in that bombed out hotel until the Americans marched into the city. I don't know the dates. I wouldn't want to say something that I'm not sure of. But I remember them coming into the city and everybbody was talking about the Americans were coming. We didn't know what to think of them, because we were past being afraid, because we went out in the streets. We stood out along the streets, and we waited for them. And they came. They came in their jeeps. And they came in their vehicles. And I remember standing there at the side of the street with my sisters, and they would throw out candy to us, and I thought, well, they can't be all that bad. They would just pitch out candies, and we would just try to catch them. And, bubble gum or what have you, I don't know. But it was good. Nobody was afraid of them then. And, after that, it was still... then it was really a terrible time after they marched in because things were still very upset. Nothing was organized. No food. No place to stay. And then later on, they started taking over buildings. I remember not too far from where we were, there was a storage house, food storage, for the stores helping with supply. Maybe a supply area. And there was food there, and people would find out about it, and they would try to break in, and steal the food, and take it. And so they posted some soldiers in front of it to keep the people from it. I know. I remember those soldiers. And we would break in, and I remember people shoving and acting like animals trying to get the food, and being pushed and tossed over, and a woman falling and nobody cared. They just wanted food.
Adams: The Americans did not feed you at all?
Bates: Not at first, I mean it took time. They set up later on, but I remember we were starving for a long time after they marched in, because it had to be May then, or early May maybe, because I remember going to a house that had peach tree, and the peaches were green. They were still very small and green. And I would climb those trees, I would pick them and take them to mother and she would boil them and we would eat those. So we had nothing to eat there for a quite a while even after the Americans got there, other than what we can get out of bombed out buildings and things. And I used to climb up into an old school house, and libraries, they were bombed out, and I'd carry books home. Books of all things. I can't believe it. And I'd carry bags of books home. Home. To the place where we holed out.
Adams: I want to go back one second before we go any further. You mentioned you had gotten tyhpoid fever. Do you mremember if that was before the Americans came in?
Bates: Yes that was Vienna.
Adams: Do you recollect how long you had the disease?
Bates: I had high fever and they told mother I wouldn't live. But that was in Vienna, I know. I can't tell you dates. It's hard for me to remember dates. Things happen so fast, and yet I knew it doesn't make sense. It had to be slow. It had to have happened over a long period of time. Days, weeks, even months. But to me, I just... what I remember, it was just points. You know, a little here, a little there. A lot of things I don't want to remember. Sometimes even now, I'd be just sitting or walking, and something pops into my head that I recall, and I say you must have seen a movie. That's not so. You don't remember a hanging, do you? It must be a bad movie you saw as a child, but where would I have seen a movie about young boys being hung? I don't know. To this day I don't know. I don't try to understand it. I try to put it out in my mind. And that was back in Poland somehwere, I remember, because I was a small girl.
Adams: Germans hanging Polish citizens?
Bates: Probably. I don't know, see, and I don't want to know. I think I push it back and... what makes me remember that? Once in a while it pops in my mind. I could almost see it. But I can't tell you who did it. But I can see those young boys.
Adams: Okay, let's go back to Ssalzburg. The Americans were in Salzburg, and you're getting by day to day before they started to feed you. How did the American soldiers treat the German people there?
Adams: Well, they were good. I've seen good, and I've seen bad. Like those soldiers stationed in front of the warehouse, food warehouse. I would go up to them, and they would talk to me and joke with me. And, I would tell them I have two older sisters.
Adams: And they understood you?
Bates: Apparently. Becuase they would say "ah". You know they would like that. They would give me food, and they told me to bring them by, my older sisters, and they would give me food. And things like that, I mean, and that was good. Later on, they set up a Red Cross in Caritas. I don't know why the name sticks to my mind, but it was a form of Red Cross maybe? They would feed us and give us packages. I remember the big chunks of American cheese, pork and beans, that was good. Dry milk. Dry eggs, powdered eggs. But it was slow. It didn't happen then because a lot of times how hungry we were, didn't have anything. I would go out to the garbage piles, and I would see a potato. I knew what a potato plant looked like, and dig it and pull it out, and if there were potatoes on it we'd be happy. We'd scrounge for food. We stayed in that one building. Later on we moved upstairs, there was one room. Later on, before that we would burn doors, break our doors to burn for heat. That was earlier. And use anything we could to burn and keep warm. Then, of course I also remember American soliders trying to break in.
Adams: Break in to where you were staying?
Bates: Yes. Drunks. I remember my mother defending my sisters and threatening to kill them. I remember that.
Adams: Did you have any authorities you could go to, to try to stop this?
Bates: No, not that I know of. If we did, we just didn't, you know. We were frightened. There were three women and a child.
Adams: When did you finally find out about your father?
Bates: After things calmed down we found out that about my father about the same year. we started looking through the Red Cross. They located him. He was still alive, but in pretty bad shape. The Russians weren't giving him permission to leave to come to Salzburg. They wouldn't let him, you know, leave Dresden. He was still there. And he was in pretty bad shape. Eventually he died there in '47. We never saw him.
Adams: So you were in Salzburg until 1947?
Bates: No, we stayed in Salzburg. I stayed in Salzburg until I met my husband.
Adams: What was the recovery like after the war was over?
Bates: Slow. But things got better. Of course, there again I'm talking about time lapses. To me, it was like a jump when I talk about things getting better, but it took some time for them to get better. For them to set up, you know, places for people to go to. Medical care, food. I didn't go to school for, oh goodness, for a good year before the schools got back to normal. And then things started happening fast. The Americans took care of things such as that. I mean, the city was building up, was getting normal almost, of course not overnight as you know. But we heard terrible things about the Russians so we were thankful we were in the American zone. I don't know if we ever were afraid of the Americans or not. I know we were afraid of the Russians, but we were glad the Americans took over Salzburg where we were.
Adams: What were your feelings like when you finally heard that Germany had lost?
Bates: Well, in a way relieved because it was over. I know my mother was glad. We were so tired of it. It's just hard for people to imagine. You can't imagine, it was just such chaos putting a lot of people in one city, a lot of refugees and things, and everybody not knowing where to go, no place to stay, not knowing anything. It was a terrible mess. It was. But I learned to get around. Later on I learned to collect cans and sell them, collect wrappers from the candy, the aluminum foil. They were sold. I don't know, I rather not have gone through it, really, but same as everybody else. But I have no ill feelings toward anybody really. All I know is that we never heard of the atrocities that the Germans did. You know the what Germany did upon the Jews and others.
Adams: You never heard of it?
Bates: Never, never. I'm sure I wouldn't have.
Adams: When did you finally hear about that?
Bates: When did I hear about it?
Adams: Was the war over?
Adams: So you didn't hear about it during the war crimes trials?
Bates: No... well, yes, yes.
Adams: That'd have been the first time you heard of it?
Bates: Yes, sure, I should have thought about that. But even though then I don't think it really hit home. You know, you said, well, it can't be, we were there. Because, see as I said before, as I mentioned earlier when I spoke with you about my mother being able to go and visit the Russian prisoners. I mean, that's not at all what you would imagine the Germans to be. For them to allow her to do that.
Adams: You never saw any Jewish citizens being rounded up.
Adams: Never heard of that?
Bates: Never. You know it's in the movies where they depict little children screaming and yelling. I mean we were right there.
... as I mentioned, when we were in Poland, of course people might say, well, you were so young you wouldn't have known. I would have known because I was always there when people were talking. Something wouldn't have escaped me. I went to shcool there, and kids in school would talk. Somebody would have talked. And my mother would have mentioned it. My sister never mentioned it. I really don't think we knew. And if it happened right next door, well it would have to be a little further than next door, but I don't think we would have known if nobody wanted us to know it. Same as anywhere else, here or there. There are things here that people don't know what goes on, and in other countries. It can be kept secret. No, I didn't know any of this. And it's still hard to believe. No that... I can't say I don't believe it. Of course I believe it, I mean it happened, no doubt it happened. It's a terrible thing, but it's still hard to believe. Because we had no hardship during the German time, when the Germans occupied Poland. We were fortunate. I shouldn't compared myself to anybody, anybody else you know. We were fortunate. We didn't know any hardships. Not in Poland or in German occupation. There again, I think it was because of my father.
Adams: Did you know that Poland had been invaded by the Germans and the Russians and split up between the two?
Adams: Early in the war.
Bates: During the war? No. No. I just know we were occiped by the Germans. I knew that because I went to the German schools, my first two years. I would be catching the bus from where we lived and taken the bus to school, and I don't know. I didn't know then it was split up. All I know was that the Russians were coming, and that's why we had to flee.
Adams: What became of your brother?
Bates: My brother, we didn't hear anything. We searched the Red Cross, and they couldn't find any sign of him, so they declared him dead. Later on, we found out he was alive in Austria. But I did get together with him for a short time, but he was not well, apparently he suffered some. He's much older than I am, of course. He might have Alzheimer or anyting but he does not remember or doesn't recall.
Adams: But somehow he got from Poland to Austria just as you did.
Bates: Yes. Yes, he got away. He was a Russian prisoner but he did get away. They took him prisoner. That's all I know.
Adams: Did you have any other family that was in the army?
Bates: No. My dad was too old. He was 60 when I was born, so... there was no one in our family.
Adams: After the war you told me that the rebuilding came pretty quickly?
Bates: Quickly to me in my mind because you don't think of day by day. When I talk I don't think day by day or week by week basis.
Adams: Right. You heard about the war crimes trials. Was there an overwhelming sense of defeat at the time?
Adame: Was there guilt for the war? Did the peace that came after the war have a guilt almost as if, almost like the peace that came after World War I, where such heavy restrictions were placed on the Germans after World War I, that many historians say that's exctly what led to World War II, that many of the issues were never resolved. Was there the same feeling after the second war?
Bates: For us, feeling of defeat, that the Germans lost, yes. Because it uprooted me. Uprooted my fmaily. Destroyed us. I think at that time I much rather the Germans had won, you know, because I had a secure home and everything a child could ask for. So that my mother and I were together. And then the war came in order to free the others. In order to defeat the Germans, we lost everything.
Adams: Did your mother want to return to Poland?
Bates: Yes, yes she did. Not I. Not now. I'm at home here now. This is my home. But my mother never felt... my mother was never quite happy. She went through so much.
Adams: Your mother was Russian-born, correct?
Bates: Yes, she was born in Petersburg.
Adams: Okay, so how did you get to the United States?
Bates: I met my husband. It was in Linz. I went to school. I was taking Russian in school. I stayed in Linz. My sister lived in Linz with her husband so I used to stay with her a lot. I babysit for an American family and go to school. And, that evening the American family, it was for a Christmas party. They had to go out. They wanted me to babysit but I had school that night, so they asked my husband to fill in until I got in because he was a non-drinker and non-party-goer, so they said, "Would he come over and just sit until the babysitter would come home and take over", so that's how we met. When I came after school, he was there. And after that, he just kept coming back. And, we got married in Salzburg in '55, August '55. We met just before Christmas, got engaged New Year's, and then waited for the paperwork. In those days, you had to wait for paperwork. You couldn't just up and get married. You had to be approved by the chaplain. You had to be approved by a lot of people in the army, and I was also very young.
Adams: And when did you learn to speak English?
Bates: Oh, I spoke English when I met him. I took it in school. English was mandatory, well for me, it was in upper school. So, I had to have it. I spoke English when I met him. And so in '55. Then, I came to the states in '57. And then back to Germany one more time when he was stationed in Germany. And then after that we just stayed here. He retired... we moved up here to Rineyville in 1968. One month later he got orders for Vietnam.
Adams: What was it like going back to Germany the second time?
Bates: Oh, I don't know. It was exciting to go back, but I didn't feel at home anymore. I was a stranger there. Especially after marrying an American, I mean we weren't looked upon very well.
Adams: Were you ever treated poorly here in the United States?
Bates: No, I was always welcome here. When I first got to the states, I came to Mississippi and Alabama, and they were extremely friendly people. I still feel at home in the South. They took me in, and I had no problems. I had my problems from the Austrians. I don't have good memories from them. They looked down on you. We didn't have... I mean the Austrians weren't very good to us then, right after the way. You must remember, we were refugees, coming in, taking over, taking their food. They put us in barracks. We stayed in barracks after things got settled down, and we had to move out of that hotel beause they wanted to renovate it. They put us in the barracks. We had a room in the barracks. They must have been there, I don't know, maybe they were for the German Army or what have you, I don't know, but that's where we stayed for a long time. In fact, that's where we stayed until I got married. So, I don't have fond memories of the Austrians, really. No, but, like I said, I don't dislike. I don't hate anyone. Becasue I can see their point. They didn't want us any more than we want the Haitians or the Vietnamese coming over. People are the same way all over. Taking space, taking food, taking work nobody else wants. It's the same all over. You can't hate people. You can't hate nations. You're not guilty for what somebody else did. I'm not guilty for what the Germans did to the Jews. I don't feel guilty and never will. I had nothing to do with it. I'm a different generation. I wasn't involved. And I just don't understand that kind of feeling that the people express, all of the Germans. You know, they killed Jews and so and so killed so and so. It's war. It's a terrible thing, and there is no need to hate. We're not responsible for what our fore fathers did. My family wasn't involved such as because they were, like you asked me before, they were not in military. But had they been involved, I wouldn't have felt guilty. So I had nothing to do with them, with what they did, you see what I'm saying? People shouldn't feel like that.
Adams: I know some of the things you talked about tonight had been very emotional for you, and I appreciate your honesty.
Bates: I try not to remember it, I mean I wouldn't have. But sometimes it just comes back to me at odd times.
Adams: I was going to ask you, we're coming up now on the 50th anniversary of the bombing of Dresden next year. How do you mark that day? When it comes up on the calendar?
Bates: I wish I could go back. I wish I could afford to go back. Just walk the streets where I've been.
Adams: So you would like to be there, for the 50th annivesary?
Adams: Would that bring... Would that bring peace?
Every year does it bother you when you reach that date?
Adams: I certainly understand why it would.
Bates: It was a nightmare, but yet I never remember crying.
I cry now, but as an eight year old girl, I never cried.
I would like to go back, yes. It would be different now.
I would like to see where my dad is buried.
Adams: This is the end of the interview, and I just want to thank you tonight for talking to us, and I really appreciate the things that you've told us. It will be very well used by historians. Thank you again.
I vividly recall the first "[long pause]". Aurelia had started to cry and it intensified. I moved to turn off the recorder and she waved my hand away from the button. When she composed herself, she nodded to me that she would continue.
WW2DB received this audio recording from the family of Aurelia Bates. This interview is currently housed at the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
© University of Kentucky, all rights reserved, American Veterans: World War Two Oral History Project (AVWWTWO), Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries. | 2019-04-25T06:26:17Z | https://m.ww2db.com/doc.php?q=509 |
If not for the grace of God, we would not spend the time we do answering some of the patent nonsense you will find in this series of letters from the followers of Branham. It seems the height of foolishness to know better and yet to answer such foolishness as comes from the mouths of idolaters. But, dear reader, we have all been in darkness, and you are too, to whatever degree you have not come into the Light. God has determined that all things be brought to Light, that He might judge the foolish and rebellious that vex Him by the lies and deluded ways they attribute to Him by falsely taking His Name upon themselves while causing others to blaspheme on account of the evil report they bring of Him. That is what He is doing here, through us, that you might also repent of every false way and come to know the Lord as He is in Truth, in all patient rebuke and demonstration of His righteousness.
Then will come that glorious day when the saying shall be fulfilled: “And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD; for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:34 HNV).
Thanks for your email. I came across your article yesterday as I was browsing through your homepage. There is so much that you have brought out that is so close to the message of Bro. William Marrion Branham which I have been listening to since I was a young seventeen year old lad since 1972…. about Godhead, women preachers, organized religion, God’s sovereignty and ‘predestination’, the truth about salvation, etc… I was quite amazed and almost thought could it be you may have even heard of him… ? I could very much relate with your expose of “The Purpose driven Life” book, as it is just what I been trying to share with others on similar subject lines. In my postings, I use various quotes of Brother Branham’s to help everyone I know realize how ‘blinded’ this age is, because he brought these things out very powerfully during his ministry on earth when he was alive. His sermon recordings are from 1948 right through to 1965, and to me, are nothing but the TRUTH. God powerfully vindicated his ministry, and I believe, today stands as a “writing on the wall” to this generation. Your views and exposes are not far from his, on these vital subject lines so relevant today.
The list of addresses in the “undisclosed recipients” are mostly my own contacts – of about 450 addresses of family, friends, and interested believers who have chosen to remain on my mailing list from around the world, and who regularly receive from me, poignant quotes and any interesting articles that I come across.
Anyway, Paul, I do apologize if perhaps I should have asked your permission to do so first..? I felt the liberty to do so because I believe the truth is for everyone to know far and wide as you said, and if it was myself writing it, that would not be an issue. I could identify with so much of all that you and Victor Hafichuk have written, that I had already thought of contacting you. Well now you have contacted me, which is just as well.
I will actually copy below just a few of my previous postings (of Bro. Branham’s quotes) to my family and friends, which are saying what you are saying too.
No problem at all with sending out our writings as you did here. We appreciate your doing so, and also that you included our website and addresses. As I wrote in my first letter, we welcome anyone sharing the truth the Lord has given us, even when it is our enemies trying to defame us. The Word of God goes out all the same. That is cause for rejoicing.
We are familiar with William Branham. Victor went to a meeting of Branhamites in 1981, and more recently we have had involvement with a couple that attended a Branhamite church. They were quite messed up, and their minister was not helping them at all. In fact, he was exacerbating their strife and problems. He also took advantage of them financially. It was a terrible mess, and while they were greatly responsible for their own woes, they were not finding the answer in a Branhamite church or doctrine.
That is the problem, or issue, Joseph. Doctrines, even true ones, are not enough to save anyone, or to deliver from sins, problems, or darkness. Consider: If they were then all peoples professing to believe the Bible as the Word of God and Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior would be in agreement, having peace and prosperity of soul. But we see the opposite: strife, contention, unrest, and confusion. Babylon.
“For false christs and false prophets will be raised up, and they will show great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24 EMTV).
The Lord has shown us that Branham was a false prophet. More appropriately said, He has opened our eyes so that we recognize the difference between true and false. Without this miraculous work of grace, we are certainly deceived, or at least in the dark.
The false may have many true doctrines, as Branham (though he also had many false), but there is one great dividing factor between the sheep and the goats, those that are the Lord’s and those that talk about Him but do their own works, and that factor is the cross. Branham did not preach the cross. He could not, because he had not experienced it. He was doing his own thing, religious, and possibly with miraculous powers, but not of God.
The cross is not hardship, opposition, persecution, nor is it identifiable by any external marker, though those who take up the cross will experience all of those things. The cross is an internal event arranged by the Lord, entered into by faith, and suffered unto death of our hopes, aspirations, gods, and everything we have and are or think to be. It is the end of us, and the beginning of Jesus Christ, the second Adam. Thereafter, we are crucified with Christ, and it is no longer we, but He that lives in us. The life we now live is by the faith of the Son of God.
“In most solemn truth I tell you that unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains what it was–a single grain; but that if it dies, it yields a rich harvest. He who holds his life dear, is destroying it; and he who makes his life of no account in this world shall keep it to the Life of the Ages. If a man wishes to be My servant, let him follow Me; and where I am, there too shall My servant be” (John 12:24-26 WNT).
Christ is only lifted up by and in those that die in Him. He is not lifted up by men’s preaching using His Name, or by any amount of Bible teaching, meetings, singing, or religious works. Only those that go into the ground with Him, baptized into His death, can join Him where He is now, being lifted up by His resurrection power, presently, and not just after physical death. The grain of wheat is planted alive, not dead. It goes into the ground to die. Then the Lord, being lifted up in these earthen vessels yielded to Him, will draw all men to Himself.
“And if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him” (John 12:26 LITV).
“And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called of God, as Aaron was” (Hebrews 5:4 MKJV).
Jesus said that we should confess ourselves unprofitable after we have done His will, but Branham declares himself profitable before he does it. In a single statement, that is the difference between true and false religion.
We are, all of us – those who know and serve God, unprofitable servants, doing only what He has given us to do. If He does not give it, we are all toast, goners, with nothing whatsoever to recommend us to Him, or to others.
What we hear from Branham are the ramblings of an incoherent, boastful fool. That does not say much for where you are at, Joseph. But we hope better things for you, which is why we speak the truth to you, as we must with every person, not seeking the favor of men, but of God, Who is for all.
You said he didn’t personally know God and the message of the cross….??
He also sent Gene Shaparenko‘s site of false accusations to his recipient list.
Although I had misjudged you at first, it is absolutely certain now to me that you both have unashamedly blasphemed against God.
Whether you accept it or not – it needs to be declared unto you, if someone else hasn’t already done so by now.
Deception is always so close to the truth, but some of your comments are a blatant and outright refute to God’s own Word.
I would rather not go into too much detail, but generally you do not even trust the BIBLE as God’s Word, which is a true Christian’s ONLY ABSOLUTE and protection against Satan!
“The only answer and effectual Word of God is the living Word made flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ, not the Bible…” !!!
– An absolute contradiction to the SPIRIT OF TRUTH – WHO HIMSELF WAS THE WORD MADE FLESH, and WHO HIMSELF MADE THOSE STATEMENTS – LOCKED INTO HIS WORD, FOR ALL MANKIND OF ALL AGES TO KNOW AND TAKE REFUGE BEHIND!
Even a novice ought to be able to discern that with no hesitation.
No matter what or how you try to get out of the BIBLE as God’s absolute infallible Word, it will fall back on you, even as in the Garden of Eden.
Satan deceived Eve through the serpent using God’s Word, with an element of error added.
She and Adam fell BECAUSE they failed to rightly discern this, and went out from the PROTECTION of GOD’S COMPLETE WORD, being the cause of all SIN… which is UNBELIEF IN HIS WORD.
As such, I will not, and do not wish to go into any further dialogue with you.
It is also now clear to me that an evil religious spirit has anointed you and upon those who actually sympathize with you.
As another fellow human being, I can only pray for your souls – if they are redeemable. ”Claiming” yourselves to be exceptional in what you do is just fulfilling the scripture for YOUR OWN PART and destiny. Enough said.
In parting here are just some responses I have received from my friends about your diatribe against God’s Word-prophet.
You don’t need to respond please. Thanks.
You use images, Joseph, breaking the Second Commandment.
You point to an historical Christ and an historical cross, neither of which will save you, any more than it saves Catholics.
You accuse us of denying that the Bible is the Word of God. You lie. We do no such thing. What we do is point to the Present, Living Christ, Who dwells in us, the Author and Substance of the Bible, and Whom we love and serve by the cross.
“Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me. And you will not come to Me, that you might have life. I receive not honour from men. But I know you, that you have not the love of God in you” (John 5:39-42).
You and your people have jumped to all sorts of false conclusions about us and made false accusations, being without knowledge. You do not clarify or seek to understand; you only attack and revile. And now you slink away with tails between your hind legs, as fearful cowards. How is it we are of Satan, yet unafraid to stand up to you and your great “jesus”? We are not afraid of you, for fear is not of God. You are the ones who are afraid.
You people have religion and idolize a man, which would do you no good even if he were a true man of God. You have nothing but vain religion, foolish doctrine, manifest emptiness and confusion. It is you who blaspheme and not we. You are the ones in danger of Hellfire and unforgiveness, and not we who speak to you by and in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Why would you use this information, being a false testimony against us, spread it to your group, even though the source of this information would also deny Branham to be a man of God? Does that make sense?
There are “countless” sites on the Internet that put out false, damning, and inaccurate articles against Bro. Branham, this one by ‘Aqua Technology’ included, which has sadly “bagged” him along with you chaps!
Yes, although it was more dedicated to “exposing” you and Paul, it also invariably dumped Bro. Branham in as of the same false light..!
Yes, in spite of that, I sent it out to some of my friends in confidence, simply because I know them well and who are all true believers who’ve had a genuine experience with God.
I thus had NO fear in me to let them read and judge these things for themselves, without my cencorship, to draw their own conclusions.
In these last days, the worldwide body of the SPIRIT OF TRUTH within the Bride of Christ HAS sharp spiritual discernment (sharper than a two-edged sword), and she is able to decipher any false witness/es.
Her filter is GOD’S REVEALED WORD OF THE HOUR – the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, with her, Who is her protection – according to HIS WORD.
We know for ourselves that Bro. Branham was totally 100% surrendered to the WORD, whilst you are the exact opposite to him, who do not trust the Bible as your absolute.
To place the two together under the same “group” only goes to clearly show us the false prejudices and ignorance of all such writers. However, it at least offered us a secondary view of your works, from which to draw our own conclusions, or even make further searches if necessary.
At the very start, it was I who had forwarded your article (on ‘the purpose driven life’ book and it’s author Rick Warren), to all my 470-over contacts.
At that time it happened to interest me, as it had ‘appeared’ to have ‘elements’ of truth, which I wanted to check out with my friends.
So I sent it out for their study and further information in order to receive their feedback.
It was with the SAME motive by which I sent out this particular article (by ‘Aqua Technology’) which you’ve questioned.
It was actually forwarded to me by someone first.
We can now all quite clearly see the utter falsity of BOTH camps, and have drawn our own conclusions.
The cards are now opened on the deck and we know nothing is ever hid from God.
You are false accusers, who, to maintain your darkness and sins, speak lies. I did not say the Bible was not God’s Word. I said it was not the effectual and Living Word of God – the One made flesh. That is the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a big difference between Him and the Bible, but you do not see it. That is because you are Bibliolaters, idolaters of the Bible.
It is not we, but you, who blaspheme the Holy Spirit.
How can you see anything in your darkness? That is why you stumble while fleeing, slobbering gibberish and slashing yourselves on the altar of your idol, which will not save you. Nevertheless, you will know that we have spoken the Word of God to you.
Go for it, Satan; do your very worst, which is nothing to us. We have nothing to fear. You are finished.
What did Jesus say about signs and sign seekers and those who bid others to believe any signs but the Resurrected Christ, Whom none of you know?
“ A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed” (Matthew 16:4).
You simply do not deceive us, Satan. And even if William Branham were a true prophet of God, it did you no good; you certainly have nothing of God.
“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:24 KJV).
Yes, Victor, I know what Jesus said about sign-seekers. At the same time He pointed them to a great sign – the sign of the prophet Jonah – pointing to the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. Jesus also rebuked the Pharisees for NOT being able to discern the “signs of the times”. I am NOT a sign-seeker, but when I see a sign I look to what the sign is pointing to. I get nowhere by hanging around the sign post.
Unfortunately, during the Healing Revival of the 40’s and 50’s most professing Evangelicals started leaning on the sign post, instead of moving in the direction which the sign was pointing – the Coming of the Lord Jesus. William Branham rebuked the preachers for putting too much emphasis on “signs and wonders” and not enough on “Salvation”. They wanted William Branham’s signs, but they didn’t want the Word he preached – it was the same with Jesus ministry. Jesus told us that the “works” (signs) He did testified of who He was and if the people couldn’t believe Him – His Words, He told them to believe the “works” He had done among them. They choose to believe neither Him nor His works (signs).
Gerald, it is to that very sign, the one and only one given, as Jesus plainly declared, that we point you. We are that sign, raised from the dead in Him. Your sign is that light over Branham’s head, to which you have appealed, you or whoever had the “Believe the Sign” site. That is idolatry of the rankest order. Signs and wonders are not only from God, as you should know, but that does not matter to a mesmerized idolater with glazed eyes.
We are not making Branham the issue here, as much as your companions have evidently, yes, dramatically made him so. We have indeed touched the apple, not of His eye, but of your eye. We have simply exposed the corruption and death that is there, and the vicious reaction says it all, a reaction of which you are aware if you red the letters of those sent to Joseph, along with his letters.
“For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist…. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed” (2 John 1:7-10 KJV).
I wish you peace through our Lord Jesus Christ.
You signed your e-mail “Contending for the faith”. But, judging from some of the things I read at your site and/or links from it to other sites, I see people who are “bringing reproach on the Word instead of bearing reproach for it”. Many anti-Branham; anti-this preacher and anti-that preacher are no more than “religious tabloids”, spreading religious gossip. I certainly don’t see much Agape Love. I don’t see many, if any articles encouraging the people to keep a right spirit and attitude. It’s more like the same spirit that caused the Roman Catholic church to kill 68 million Christians during the Dark Ages. Our Lord Jesus rebuked His disciples for “loving only those that loved them”. That’s the same spirit the Pharisees had.
Abraham (because he lied), David because of his adultery and murder, Moses, because of his stuttering and temper, Hosea, because he married a prostitute, John, the baptist, because he dressed & acted like a wild man, etc., etc. – they would in this day be thrown in with Brother Branham and all the other preachers that many web sites condemn and crucify.
I assure you sir, I do not idolize a man. I respect Brother Branham as a Servant of God. He is now history, but I continue to move on with the Lord in His Word. I Thank God for the many blessings I’ve received and continue to receive through Bro. Branham’s ministry. I love the Lord Jesus more than ever and I love his children.
It’s unfortunate that sometimes people focus on the fanatics “around” the message brought by William Branham, rather than on those who hold a “balanced revelation” in their hearts. It’s like Balak, taking Baalim around the Camp of the Hebrews – hoping to get Baalim to see them from a different angle and condemn them – but he could only say what God put in his mouth.
I assure you that my e-mail is not meant to antagonize anyone – just to express what I feel and what I see.
Gerald, I don’t know if you genuinely wish me peace through our Lord Jesus Christ or not, but I can tell you, in all joy and thankfulness, with a full knowledge of undeservedness, that we have His peace.
I would also say that it is impossible for you to have that peace of Him you say you wish us, if you cannot perceive who and where we are in Him, His sons and anointed brethren.
Your judgment of our site and our writings is after the flesh. Your religiosity, the works of men, darkens your understanding. You have no discernment. We bear much reproach for our stand in the True Lord Jesus Christ, Creator and Savior of all, being one with and in Him. This altercation with Joseph and his foolish companions is but a snippet of what we suffer and bear patiently, with joy.
You are those who say you have God for your Father and Abraham for your father, yet you do not hear or receive us, misinterpreting what we say and accusing us of things for which we are not guilty. You have no objectivity, no love for the Truth. If you did, you would hold your tongue, pray, study, examine what we say – in context – and then speak, unless you realize you have nothing to say because wrong.
Your “agape” love is of man and not of God. You have never known His love. You don’t have it in you. If you did, we would know it and receive it from you. You would love us. You don’t. Why? Because we have touched your god.
Joseph scatters Scripture at us as one crazed, not even seeing that the very Scriptures he uses apply to him. He thinks that he wields the sword of the Spirit and that it will have its impact on us. For his sake we write, but no, he thrashes on the ground in his foolishness, foaming at the mouth, as though a demon has thrown him down. We come to deliver, not to condemn. Paul’s original letter to him displays that plainly, truthfully, we knowing fairly well the reaction would come as it did. We have simply disturbed a den of vipers, a partisan religious group centered on a man and on religion, thinking that in so doing it centers on Jesus Christ. There is nothing further from the truth.
Do we condemn you when we say these things? God forbid. We simply speak the truth about you as given (unpalatable to you as it is and must be) and leave the judgment to Him Who judges.
But you don’t see it as “encouraging the people to keep a right spirit and attitude.” You see it as condemnation. That is because you are already condemned, not believing. The only way we can speak the way we do is because we truly love. Your love is of man, phony, pleasing to the flesh, but disgusting to God, I truly and solemnly tell you. You are deceived, Gerald, you and your companions. That is why, out of true love, you are now exposed to God’s rebuke by us.
We do not judge you by others, fanatical or not. We judge you by the Spirit of Truth, judging righteous judgment, even as He has commanded us.
While in your letter I recognize a hint of restraint, patience and tolerance, unlike most if not all the other letters from your associates, there is nevertheless great darkness. The examples you cite as you apply them to us are unfair and without knowledge because, in fact, you are not free of idolatry as you say. Your eye is far from single. If it were single, you would see us.
If you truly desire to “move on with the Lord in His Word,” then you had better reconsider, examine yourself and take a prayerful second look at what we have to say; prayerful, I say, because without the grace of God, you can see and hear nothing. And you do not now see and hear as you think. Fasting and sackcloth are in order, Gerald.
Your politeness, yet apparent direct honesty, though in pride and ignorance, gives me hope that you will listen and be moved to repent in dust and ashes. Perhaps you will consider there is more here than you bargained for, something very different from those with whom you lump us. However we have seen far too much to count on that, at least in the immediate future.
I believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, receiving that He was crucified, buried and raised up from the dead for me that I might have His Life, which can only be had by Him. I had not heard of William Branham and did not need to hear of him. I am very thankful that I did not, especially if what happened to you all were to happen to me. God forbid. Again, read the testimonies and then tell me we err, as you do.
Your letter and tone come across as somewhat reasonable. The same cannot be said for Joseph. At least you are talking to us and we do hear what you are saying, and understand where you are coming from. You have opened the door for dialogue. Good. So let us talk about your observations.
You say you see people bringing reproach on the Word. Be specific. How do you see this? How are we bringing shame to Christ? Let’s deal with a real and authentic measure of His teaching, example, and doctrine. Read The True Marks of a Cult and then tell us specifically how we are in error, in spirit and deed, according to the ways and teachings of the Lord. “Specific” means giving Scriptural backing and examples as applied to our precise words and deeds.
You talk about encouraging people to keep a right spirit and attitude. Just who are you proposing has a right spirit and attitude? Joseph? It is obvious he does not. All he can do is sputter and produce massive amounts of Branham quotes that say nothing apropos, and Scripture quotes that are taken out of context and misapplied. You call that “Agape Love”? Our letters are encouraging him to repent of his idolatry and to get a right spirit and attitude. What do you propose for him? What does your “Agape Love” tell you to do with him?
How about your attitude? You accuse us of having the same spirit as the Roman Catholic Church. How do you see us having that? While they committed crimes against humanity, which you cite (whether accurate or not), where are our crimes that prove the same spirit? If you have no evidence of any, then how can it be the same spirit? Where is the fruit? Did not the Lord say to judge by the fruits?
Where do you see the Roman Catholic Church speaking out against hypocritical and false religious leaders and their doctrines, as we do? You say we are “anti-this preacher and anti-that preacher,” implying that we are gossipers. Prove it. You show us where we are wrong in what we preach or what we have said about anyone.
According to my dictionary, making accusations without evidence or proof, as you do, is the spirit of the most pernicious and evil kind of gossip. You are in the company of those who wag their tongues without truth or any care to ascertain it.
By your standards, John the Baptist, Jesus, Paul, and all the myriads of saints that appear with the Lord Jesus Christ to contend for the faith “and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly deeds which in their ungodliness they have committed, and of all the hard words which they, ungodly sinners as they are, have spoken against Him” (Jude 1:15) are out of line. You condemn us all. You, sir, blaspheme the Holy Spirit, just like your fathers did, who also practiced their form of “Agape Love,” worshipping at the altar of Ashtoreth, the goddess of the kind of love you talk about, a love of feelings rather than of Truth, of darkness, not of Light, which darkness hates and strikes at in fear, as evidenced by the reaction of your clan to my letter.
You are a hypocrite, Gerald. Your love is a lie and full of dung. You condemn us for rebuking false professors of Christ, as though rebuking is wrong, yet cite an example of the Lord rebuking His disciples, as though you do not judge Him for doing the same. How was He not wrong for not encouraging them? Are you not condemning God? If the Lord is not wrong in rebuking His own, and we know He is not, then how are we wrong for rebuking the wicked? If we are wrong, the Lord is even more so. That is your wicked stance and accusation, Satan. We are aware of your devices, as you know.
But we know that as many as the Lord loves, He rebukes and chastens. He scourges every son He receives. It is Satan who coddles men in their sins and encourages them in their foolish deceptions about their relationship with God. “Yea, your eyes shall be opened to be as God.” And so they think themselves to be. That is where you are at.
Joseph was in agreement with us at first. We were thankful for his sending out of the writing, and told him so. My letter to him, which has stirred up the “hornet’s nest,” was not written to one expressing enmity, but to one that “loved” us. What you think to use against us backfires on you big-time. It proves the opposite of what you are trying to prove. Instead of us loving only those that love us, we are seen to love all, including those that falsely love us, not suffering them to live in darkness and lies by denying them the Presence of the Lord.
When Simon the Pharisee invited the Lord to his house for a meal, did the Lord withhold Himself from pointing out Simon’s self-righteousness? This is the love of God, forsaking the favor of man to speak the Truth, which you condemn in us.
It appears you are also saying that we would harshly judge the saints of the past if they were here today. Basically you are accusing us of judging after the appearance. As I have been pointing out, that is what you are doing. It is not whether one speaks harsh words or not, but why they speak them. The same goes for apparently loving words. You are not judging righteously yourself, according to the heart and motive, but after the appearance, according to how you see things from your carnal viewpoint. If you think we would condemn the saints for their sins and faults, then you have not red our testimonies.
You say you do not idolize a man, referring to Branham. To which we say, “When we see a bird that walks like a duck and swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, we call that bird a duck.” You have set up a shrine to your idol, and worship at his altar. You are right, though, when you say he is “history.” He is dead, as are his works, and they are not yet speaking to us as are Abel’s. If Branham gets the credit for your faith, then his was surely counterfeit, because you do not recognize or know the Lord Jesus or His children and brethren, whom you say you love. If you did, you would hear and love us, because we are surely His. Read the links I have sent you. Prove otherwise, or hold your peace.
It is another “Jesus” that you serve, made in the image of corrupt man, Baal, and another love, the deceitful love of Ashtoreth.
The sins of men will be forgiven them, but not blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. You are blaspheming the Spirit of God, which is why you find no quarter in our sight, or in the sight of God, which is one and the same.
“And then will come the revelation of that evil one, whom the Lord Jesus will put to death with the breath of His mouth, and give to destruction by the revelation of His coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8 BBE).
Thank you for your e-mail and the admonition re “false Christs” and “false Prophets”.
I agree – there are 100’s of 1000’s of false Christs (anointed ones) and prophets all over the earth. Every Sunday the pulpits are filled with such – teaching for doctrines the commandments of men or some church creed – making the True Word of God of none effect to the people.
The people swallow it hook, line and sinker and, in the words of Evangelist Jack Coe, they’re going to hell at 10 or 20 miles an hour, setting in a church; whereas the drunkard and harlot is travelling at a 100 miles an hour.
One time Peter came under such an anointing, and Jesus rebuked him saying that he didn’t know what spirit he was under. Yet Peter (in the natural mind) had Jesus’ best interest at heart. He was trying to stop Jesus from going up to Jerusalem, because Jesus had said that it was there He would be betrayed and put to death. There was a wrong anointing on Peter trying to hinder the fulfillment of the Scriptures. Jesus stayed with the Word, even though it meant that ALL men would forsake Him and eventually kill Him.
Thank God for a few ministers like Wigglesworth, Freeman, Coe, William Branham and others, who in spite of rejection by the majority of the clergy and people – they stayed with the True Word.
Re “false prophets” the Lord, in His Word gave us guidelines for distinguishing a “true” prophet from a “false” prophet.
(Here we have Jeremiah, the TRUE prophet saying AMEN to the words of another Hebrew prophet Hananiah, from the school of prophets. 400 Hebrew prophets were all saying the same thing as Hananiah; and he was right in that the ‘land’ belonged to Israel, etc. But it would be restored to Israel in God’s way, not Ahab’s way).
The re-action of the majority to Jesus is the re-action of the majority to all True servants of God: “We will not have this man rule over us”. Remember, even in the New Testament, God always deals WITH man THROUGH man. Ephesians 4:11 tells us that God has sit a five-fold ministry in the Church – FOR THE PERFECTING OF THE SAINTS. The Holy SPirit teaches through the teacher, preaches through the preachers, Evangelises through the Evangelist, etc.. Sad to say that we have come to that time in history when “Every man does that which is right in their own eyes”.
Your letter is quite unclear.
“Which of them did the will of his father? They said unto Him, The first. Jesus said unto them, Truly I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and you believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and you, when you had seen it, repented not afterward, that you might believe him” (Matthew 21:32).
“For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:20).
“But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, neither suffer you them that are entering to go in” (Matthew 23:13).
Regarding the Scriptures I gave: So what if others, who do not want to submit to those whom the Lord has sent, would use the same Scriptures? The question is: Do the Scriptures apply, or do they not? Are you going to discard the Scriptures because people have done things they ought not with them? Also, you are following signs (such as those demonstrated in the link given by Joseph Saigal), so people may justifiably quote those Scriptures to you, as I did.
Concerning following true men of God, Paul and Victor were sent to minister to me in the Lord. You can read my testimony: Sara Schmidt.
Again, allow me to say that the “Light” over Brother Branham’s head is not the ‘sign’ which I reference when I speak of “the Sign” which accompanied William Branham’s ministry. I am not responsible for the “believethesign.Com” site. Thusfar, my only contribution to that site is an article on the “Journey To Salvation” in our Lord Jesus Christ. There were many “signs” in Brother Branham’s ministry. I focus on the “Messiah Sign” of Hebrews 4:12, the Word discerning the “thoughts” AND “intents” of the heart, etc.
The theme of William Branham’s ministry was “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today and forever”. In my 42 years as a Christian, and 30 years as a Minister of the Gospel – I can honestly say, from my heart, that, he, more than any other preacher I ever heard exalted Jesus Christ in Word and Deed. He took no credit unto himself – he would remind the people, “Now, you know that’s not me. A man can’t do these things. That’s none other than our Lovely Lord Jesus, showing His Presence with us”.
I ‘listened’ to what the man had to say, and PERSONALLY, I found it to be Scriptural Voice behind these signs. And God forbid that I should hold anything in my heart against anyone who may differ with me. It’s so easy to fall under that wrong anointing – like Peter (good intentions but little discernment) when Jesus said, “But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” Then there was James and John – when a certain village of the Samaritans refused to allow Jesus entry for an overnight rest stop on His way to Calvary; they said to Jesus “shall we (like Elijah) call fire down from God and destroy them?”. But the Lord Jesus, pressing toward His destiny said, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.” (Luke 9).
They never lacked “zeal”, but it was a “zeal that lacked Spiritual wisdom”. We ought to be able to look into the Word and learn, and experience in a New Birth the attitude of our Lord Jesus. He was “tough yet tender; courageous, yet compassionate; strong, yet sensitive; exalted, yet humble; wise, yet always learning”. Of Him the Bible says that “He (His flesh) learned obedience, by the things which He suffered”.
I cannot answer for all that “profess” to follow the Word-Based Message of William Branham; and without a doubt there are many fanatics among them. But, such has followed every Message God ever sent to the earth. Satan does a good job of putting up smoke screens in an attempt to discredit what God does – it’s a trial of our faith. The Apostles in the early church had their hands full, trying to keep the people in line and under a right spirit.
In Christ, the Prince of Peace to the Children of God.
As to the argument that Branham did not take credit, saying no man could do the things he was doing, that it was only the Lord Jesus, I have heard Benny Hinn say the selfsame thing, and Kuhlman, and others. That is no proof of anything.
But you are right in this: A man ought not necessarily to be held responsible for followers in error claiming to follow him; otherwise, Jesus Christ would be responsible for much evil. Even so, like I said, this is not about Branham. This is about Jesus Christ and you.
We are still in the same position of addressing you, the one and only sign being the death and Resurrection of Christ within. You have the doctrine of the Risen Christ, as most Branhamites do, but you do not have the reality, His Spirit within. Is that not so?
Let me ask you a question: Do you yourself have those signs, those you point to with Branham?
It’s amazing isn’t it – What you said below to me could very easily be turned around and applied to your attitude. It would appear that, no matter HOW I approach you, you will not believe me. In your mind, it is signed sealed and delivered – YOU are the good and WE are the Bad. Therefore, in the Love of Christ, I commit you into His hands. And when you stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ, then shall you know that, from my heart, as a Son of God, I have loved you with the Love of God. I regret your apparent unbelief and hardness of heart concerning my attitude, motive and objective.
Gerald, I understand. We have had very similar situations with persons of other groups as well – SDAs, Pentecostals, Baptists…. It is as though we are each looking in the mirror and thinking to see someone else, right? But we are holding a mirror up to you (as you might say of us). Nevertheless, I must say that “we are the good and you are the bad.” If I did not say it, I would be a liar like you.
You have said, “I assure you that my e-mail is not meant to antagonize anyone – just to express what I feel and what I see,” and, “It’s not my desire to ‘provoke’ anyone to anger, just to express my faith.” Do you accuse us of meaning to antagonize or provoke to anger? It seems so. Are we accusing you of that? No.
We are telling you that you do not have the love of God. You are in your own righteousness. It is the man of sin, Gerald. You are on your own throne in His Name, thinking it is right, but we are here to tell you that you are wrong.
I do hope you will read our testimonies, but that is the Lord’s work.
Gerald, as Victor has said, this is not about Branham, but about you and your state of rebellion against God.
Nevertheless, we can point out to you, as I have done so already in my letter to Joseph, the true marks of a false prophet manifested in Branham, which you do not see because you have the same marks yourself. You are blinded by your sin, which is why the Lord has delivered you over to strong delusion that you should believe a lie, Branham’s demonic testimony and teachings. Insisting that you are righteous and that you can see has brought on your head the one sin the Lord will not forgive. Your sin, as He said, remains.
IF YOU WILL BE SINCERE AND GET THE PEOPLE TO BELIEVE YOU – “Good for you, Simon son of John! answered Jesus. For this truth did not come to you from any human being, but it was given to you directly by My Father in Heaven. And so I tell you, Peter: you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build My church…” (Matthew 16:17-18 GNB).
IF YOU WILL BE SINCERE AND GET THE PEOPLE TO BELIEVE YOU – “GOD answered Samuel, Go ahead and do what they’re asking. They are not rejecting you. They’ve rejected Me as their King” (1 Samuel 8:7 MSG).
IF YOU WILL BE SINCERE AND GET THE PEOPLE TO BELIEVE YOU – “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them” (John 12:40 EMTV).
IF YOU WILL BE SINCERE AND GET THE PEOPLE TO BELIEVE YOU – “And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58 EMTV).
I suppose Jesus was not sincere enough. That is what Branham’s angel is suggesting. Satan comes as an angel of light!
“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8 KJV).
Even so, amen. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your Word and power that destroys the enemy.
Joseph, how you do expose your falsehood in those few giant words. We could write volumes about it to prove you are a child of darkness, not to condemn you, but to bring you to Jesus Christ. Let me explain, that you might easily know, though we know full well that these things can only be received by the grace of God, no matter how simple they are to the learned of the Spirit of God.
One, why shout, as though your printed or vocal volume has any power with Satan? It does not. Only Satan and man think so, because there is no light in them.
Two, “Please”? You say “please” to Satan? We don’t, and neither would Jesus or any true disciple of His.
Three, would Jesus ask us to remove Him from our mailing list with shouts, reacting in anger or fear or passionate plea? We don’t think so; in fact, we know He would not do so. You do so because you are on the defensive. You are defeated and afraid, with no substance to counter us. Is that not so? Pretend all you will; put the greatest face on it, but you do not fool us and especially, you do not fool God, Whom you profess and presume to serve. Heaven knows.
Joseph, if you truly desire for Satan to get behind you, repent of your sin, forsake all, take up the cross, stop worshipping idols, and he will have no choice but to get behind you. Until then, he has you completely in his power.
I have decided to write you this once and hope never to, ever again.
You speak of “another Jesus” – NOT the LORD JESUS CHRIST of the BIBLE.
Mr. Hafichuk, I am not insecure as you are. Your writings and taunts only expose you and your deep-set insecurities evermore so, whether you are aware of it or not… they emanate of your gloom and sadness, that stems from the unfortunate path you’ve chosen. However ‘religious’ and ‘right’ you may be made to feel by the enemy, you have been completely engulfed by his lies…. until your senses of right or wrong have become so crossed that you no longer can decipher one from the other. I have literally seen this phenomena far too often, and it is a truly sad state to be in.
Your “path of truth” is as deceiving as the father of all lies, because it comes from him. Satan is very very religious, more than you or I even know. We are not ignorant of his tactics. That is why I do not wish to communicate with you at all. Was Jesus ever “afraid” of Satan?? … absolutely not! He also NEVER clowned for him either! But he spoke to him with AUTHORITY, and ordered him to “get thee behind !”…. without mincing His words. No explanations, no yakity-yak… just plain and simple recognition of who he was and projected His authority.
I read Sara’s testimony and truly truly felt very very sorry for that dear young lady. I have a daughter who I think is just about her same age, and I absolutely feel so very grieved for her poor mum and dad. I shared her testimony with my wife and she felt exactly the same.
Go and make your dear mum your best friend again, and reconcile with your daddy in repentance. You will be so much more blessed that way. These men may “appear” to be ever so righteous, but they have foul religious spirits, which they may or may not even be aware of themselves.
I know who I am, what I’ve believed, and don’t need to prove anything to or debate them. Jesus NEVER EVER ‘clowned’ for Satan. Their name-calling is typical of Satan’s traits, and reflects upon their allegiance to him. This trait is rampant in the world, especially in these deceptive days. All their taunts are not the least bit different from the man in the street simply wanting to pick a fight. I have not picked to fight or debate with them. I do no such things with outright deceivers. My discernment comes from within me. I will only discuss or reason with someone who hasn’t yet blasphemed God, and who has manifested an upright spirit. Their follies WILL be made manifest to all – already has for me. They have idolized YOUR THEIR OWN SELVES, and are drawing innocent souls to THEMSELVES as carriers of “their version of their truth”! How pathetic. And claiming to have ‘extraordinary’ revelations of the ‘truth’. The ultimate tragedy is they have blasphemed and it’s unforgiveable. For your soul’s sake do not partake of their sins, and FLEE!
Goodbye, and no more mails !!
Can you not see your religiosity? Can you not see your emptiness? What authority do you think you have? You accuse and condemn us with all kinds of opinions but give absolutely nothing to back them up. You do not specify where we are wrong and how we are wrong. You toss out random Scriptures, as a painter splashes paint on walls, windows and carpet, thinking he is doing a beautiful job. We have been specific with you and your companions. All you have is religion – vain, empty, foolish religion.
No, Joseph, you are the one who blasphemes, and your take on Sara is revealing too, not that we need further revelation of you. If you could only know the difference in her life before and after. If you could only know a fraction of what went on, but you don’t, and, with your words, you would put her back in Hell if you could because you do not know the Lord or the cross, as we have said.
The cross is anathema to you and to all Branhamites. We have met others and they are no different. They have doctrine, they quote Scripture, but they are never able to understand or divide the Word of Truth rightly. They have no reasoning power at all, so deceived are they in their righteousnesses. Fools are they all, stumbling and bumbling, and all in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, yet serving the angelic counterfeit.
You stubbornly refuse to hear, lest you should be healed and delivered. How miserable are your ways, full of pain and sorrow, loss, defeat, disease, losing children, health, finances and all God-given things. Had you been willing to forsake these for His sake, they would have been returned to you manifold. Instead, you cling to your stale, moldy bread and stagnant water in your slums. How awful! How grievous to the Lord God, Creator of Heaven and earth and all that is!
What choice do we have but to let you count His blood as nothing, destroying yourselves?
Why am I replying? … because of my concern for Sara….
Answer: I am a part of God. His Blood runs through my veins!
She is already there if she doesn’t get out IMMEDIATELY! Others have gone through extremely hard trials, but if she is the child of God, she will come through ALL of them as GOLD, as through a fiery furnace! Sara, get to learn that the trials of THIS life are to be born with joy, as they are but ‘growing pains’ of His grace. Don’t look for a “heaven on this earth”. A Christian lives in the realm of God constantly, and is literally DEAD to the conditions concerning this flesh. His or her only requirement is to RECOGNIZE HIS OR HER DAY OF RECKONING, and know who he or she is – a SON or a DAUGHTER of GOD. Old things are passed away, behold all things have already become NEW for him or her.
Don’t fear trials and testings. God is IN FULL CONTROL of the lives of ALL HIS CHILDREN.
Answer: …Prosperity gospel? We lack nothing both spiritually and physically, for your info.
I was contemplating this very subject this morning (what the Lord has done with me and given me as a result of my life here – being involved with, and believing, His servants and having a resultant walk with Him), before reading your original letter of me. The Lord called to mind the many things that He has done for me since my coming out here, and believing Him through those He sent to me.
One thing that was brought to mind was my deliverance from demons and my sins. The circumstances and deliverance took place in this way: When I came out (after the events related in my testimony), I was fearful and hiding my sins, but also unbelieving when the Lord said I needed to repent. When the Lord showed me that it was “do or die,” that I needed to get real and confess my sins, He gave me the grace to do so. I confessed that I was holding onto imaginary characters, from which I gained companionship and comfort, instead of walking in truth and reality. This led to deliverance from the demons that had plagued me my whole life (despite my sin nature, it was also revealed that the demons came from my mother – that she gave them to me; I only say this because of your spiritual approval of her and assertion that I should return to her).
I also confessed the sin of masturbation. This confession led to deliverance from this sin for good, which I knew was beyond my power – I had tried to quit for years, unsuccessfully. So you can see that Victor was not speaking poetically when he said, “…you would put her back in Hell if you could….” I was a wretched, wicked woman, and a tormented sinner. I was also religious and self-righteous on top of it all, of which I needed to repent, realizing that I was nothing but scum, and grateful for the Lord’s having anything to do with me whatsoever.
I am not here to bad-mouth my mother. Just for the record, the Lord gave me a vision of her, at a time when I was struggling – wanting to hold onto our relationship, but also not wanting to deny Him. In my vision, I saw my mother’s face, and it was attached to the body of a large snake. She was coiled in front of me, at the mouth of a dark cave (her home), and her body, coiled, was three times my height and twice my thickness (circumference). I was standing on higher ground than her, a bit above her, and I was unafraid. I was rebuking her evil ways. The vision was a demonstration of victory in Him. I have been given that victory (it was incomplete at the time of the vision). Now you come along, and you would want me to dwell in the cave with her, instead of confronting her on her dark ways.
About a week ago (last Friday), Paul and I spoke to Aunt Sally, my mother’s sister. She had been out to visit me a couple of times since my moving. In the first visit, only a couple of months after my arriving here, she asked me if I had been brain-washed (she had heard only my mother’s side of things). I answered that I had, in that I saw things in a different light than I ever had before, and shared a recent experience with her to demonstrate what I was saying. She answered that, by my answer, she knew that I had not been brain-washed in the way that she had feared. She said that she was glad to see what was happening with me.
A far cry, and a very different reaction, from what my mother has said and done towards me, and towards Paul and Victor. She has done nothing but curse and condemn them, and has denied all the good things that have happened with me. Why do you choose to stand with evil, Joseph? Why are you quick to condemn me and Paul and Victor? Is that not evil? Do you know what (or Whom) you are condemning?
If anything has been clearly stated in our letters to you, it is that you are not part of God, as you falsely claim to be. You stand in opposition to Him, and to all that He does. That is why you tell Sara to go back to Hell. That is why you cannot answer us with substance, though we give you Scripture and the testimony of Jesus Christ, but tell us to go to Hell. You speak of your own, as a child of Hell.
You are a damned fool. The fool denies God in his heart, but the damned fool claims to be with Him while contradicting and opposing Him.
At every turn your mouth betrays you, crying out, “I am a fool, the son of a jackass; take the whip to me!” You ask if the taking up of the cross, and forsaking of the things of this world, which the Lord Jesus solemnly declared was the only way one could be His disciple (Luke 14:33), is the “prosperity gospel.” How darkened are the minds of idolaters and those that are wise in their own sight!
“Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. And if the blind guides the blind, both will fall into a ditch” (Matthew 15:14 EMTV).
Preferring your pit, you keep that which you insist on having, with more on the way.
22 …. but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
As if you haven’t already, with your last note you have thoroughly manifested your spiritual inclinations…. as the blind leading the blind …they all fall into the ditch.
Sara, if you think I had ‘misdirected’ you in my advice then keep going on this road to find out for yourself where it ends up. It’s ultimately your life and only you have to make or already have made your own decisions. I cannot comment on your personal life which you have so openly shared… some things are better left as secrets, if they have been repented off. You do not bring them out if you truly believe they have been erased and you’ve been truly cleansed by the Blood. You were young and impressionable (still are), and were/are still in need of help which you think you have found in these two individuals. You have placed your trust not in God, but in them. Sadly though, they are thoroughly unstable and vile individuals. Quick to damn anyone to “hell” – if that anyone dared to stand up against them. It also goes to explain why you have also so unashamedly condemned your very own mother to ‘hell’… using their twisted and patchy interpretations of your “vision” and God’s Word, according to their own understandings. Unaware, they are playing religious games with people’s lives. But then again, every one on this earth has a part to play in God’s plan. You are all doing exactly what you are supposed to do. The Romans and the ‘religious’ Jews who crucified the Lord, sincerely THOUGHT they were doing God a service! … yet they were, in their own way… in the fulfilling of scripture – for THEIR part. Someone had to play those parts. It applies through all ages of humankind…. the same in this, our day.
34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do….
As this is getting us nowhere and simply wasting our time and efforts, it’s best we simply go our individual way which we have chosen for our own destinies, and we shall reap what we sow. As I said before, I have no ‘axe to grind’ with you guys. Thanks for not replying.
Joseph, you are speaking for yourself when you say “we” are getting nowhere. Because you do not know the Scriptures, or the power of God, and stubbornly refuse to listen to those who do, it is only true that you are getting nowhere. Yet the Word we speak is not in vain, and will perform all of God’s will as He expresses it.
It is not calling a man a fool that is the problem. What is the problem is speaking out of the wrong diagnosis and motive.
“Answer a fool according to his foolishness, so that he may not be wise in his own eyes” (Proverbs 26:5 MKJV).
“But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be liable to the judgment. And whoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be liable to the Sanhedrin; but whoever shall say, Fool! shall be liable to be thrown into the fire of hell” (Matthew 5:22 MKJV).
One, those born of God are our brothers, and not those who are simply indoctrinated, idolatrous, confused and incoherent fools, babbling Scripture they know nothing about.
Two, even if you and your Branhamite whoremongers (you are pimping your gods, deceiving) were brethren in Christ, it is not without cause that we speak, calling you fools.
We follow His precepts, and speak to you accordingly.
“And I give thanks to the One Who empowers me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because He considered me faithful, putting me into the ministry, I, who was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I was shown mercy because, being ignorant, I did it in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord superabounded with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. Faithful is this word, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am first” (1 Timothy 1:12-15 EMTV).
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor covetous, nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor abusive people, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you! But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 EMTV).
“When David returned to bless his family, Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. ‘How dignified Israel’s king was today! He was exposing himself before the eyes of the slave girls of his palace staff-like a mindless fool might expose himself!’ David answered Michal, ‘I didn’t dance in front of the slave girls but in front of the LORD. He chose me rather than your father or anyone in your father’s house, and He appointed me leader of Israel, the LORD’S people. I will celebrate in the LORD’S presence, and I will degrade myself even more than this. Even if I am humiliated in your eyes, I will be honored by these slave girls you speak about.’ So Saul’s daughter Michal was childless her entire life” (2 Samuel 6:20-23 GW).
It is clear that you are the one who does not know what he is doing, but we know full well what you are doing, and what we are doing in what we say about what you are doing. We know Jesus Christ by Whom we see these things to speak His righteous judgment.
You lie without knowing what you are doing when you say you have no “axe to grind.” You certainly have been vigorously trying to find fault with us, taking plenty of swings in the process. The problem is you have no axe or sharp instrument to fight the Truth, so you must give up and retreat to save face. Fine, retreat, we are not stopping you. If you are not getting anywhere, why do you keep writing?
Will you now let your readership judge our correspondence with you (not that they are able to judge anything, being of your mindset)? If they can read lies about us and judge for themselves, can they now read the truth you call lies about you and judge for themselves?
Let us make this clear: We do not care for ourselves that you sent lies out about us. We know it comes with the territory of being the Lord’s disciples. We are merely wondering if you would be as willing to spread the truth you call lies about yourself.
It is written: “A hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.” Your head grows hoary but it is not at all in the way of righteousness, is it, Joseph? Now it becomes a shame, evident to those learned in the Lord Jesus Christ, those redeemed by His blood through His resurrection from the dead.
Oh my! You certainly have made yourselves a career out of this! Shameless brutebeasts. If Sara and any of your associates cannot discern you both by now and run from you for their lives, they have been truly brainwashed beyond redemption, I must say.
I will absolutely warn all whom I know about what I have seen for myself, behind your so called ‘path of truth’ masks. Even that will be a waste of my time, but may need to be done. This expose has been an eyeopening experience, perhaps needful for me to go through for my own spiritual growth. I’m too busy in my personal life to go on wasting precious time with souls who have clearly sealed their destinies with Satan. So with this rebuke, I sign off and will be blocking you both from accessing my mailbox. Like I said before, the Lord NEVER clowned for Satan. Enough rope was given to you, but you have only used it to hang yourselves.
I refer to an article: “The Purpose Driven Life: Promoting Christianity Without Christ” which you may have received from me recently.
Shortly after sending it out for general comment and discussion, I was personally contacted by its two writers Paul Cohen, Victor Hafichuk (and one of their lady associates). I had been in correspondence with them since. Without going into much detail, I have discovered some very disconcerting traits in these writers through these correspondences, and finally had to resort to blocking them due to the language they had begun using. Having said that, I want to absolutely distance myself from their twisted perceptions of Rick Warren’s book, and Christianity on the whole. Therefore, if you have received that article from me or anyone else, please ignore, delete and trash it, as in my honest personal opinion, it was not written by men of God. This has served as an eyeopener.
My sincere apologies to Rick Warren.
How about giving them all the correspondence to let them judge for themselves, Joseph? | 2019-04-25T10:19:45Z | https://www.thepathoftruth.com/false-teachers/william-branham-deceived-by-signs.htm |
Tsetse flies are the primary vector for African trypanosomiasis, a disease that affects both humans and livestock across the continent of Africa. In 1973 tsetse flies were estimated to inhabit 22% of Kenya; by 1996 that number had risen to roughly 34%. Efforts to control the disease were hampered by a lack of information and costs associated with the identification of infested areas. Given changing spatial and demographic factors, a model that can predict suitable tsetse fly habitat based on land cover and climate change is critical to efforts aimed at controlling the disease. In this paper we present a generalizable method, using a modified Mapcurves goodness of fit test, to evaluate the existing publicly available land cover products to determine which products perform the best at identifying suitable tsetse fly land cover.
For single date applications, Africover was determined to be the best land use land cover (LULC) product for tsetse modeling. However, for changing habitats, whether climatically or anthropogenically forced, the IGBP DISCover and MODIS type 1 products where determined to be most practical.
The method can be used to differentiate between various LULC products and be applied to any such research when there is a known relationship between a species and land cover.
African trypanosomiasis is a parasitic disease transmitted by the tsetse fly (genus Glossina) to animals and humans. It is a neglected tropical disease [1, 2] and considered one of the most important economically debilitating diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa [Oloo F: Literature survey on unpublished records on environmental and socio-economic impacts assessment on tsetse and trypanosomiasis interventions in Kenya. 2006. unpublished]. Three major epidemics have occurred in the past hundred years, one between 1896 and 1906, and the other two in 1920 and 1970 . In 1986, approximately 70 million people were estimated to be at risk of exposure to tsetse . A decade later, it was estimated that at least 300,000 cases of Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), commonly known as sleeping sickness, were underreported due to lack of surveillance capabilities, diagnostic expertise, and health care access [3, 4]. In 2001 as a response to these limitations, the World Health Organization (WHO), with public and private partnerships, initiated a new surveillance and elimination program , during which approximately 25,000 new cases were reported annually . Furthermore, in some areas, HAT symptoms were misdiagnosed as malaria, and therefore masked the overall number of new HAT cases [4, 6]. Animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT), commonly known as nagana, also indirectly affects the lives of people in Sub-Saharan Africa because it can decimate livestock thus impacting nutrition and livelihoods. It is estimated that livestock productivity decreases by 20% to 40% in tsetse infested areas [7, 8]. In Kenya where livestock production accounts for approximately 12% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) [9, 10], the economic burden of sleeping sickness is felt at both local and national scales .
The geographic distribution of the tsetse fly varies throughout Sub-Saharan Africa and is closely linked to land cover . Tsetse flies require land covers that contain vegetation greater than 3 cm in diameter and 1 to 4 meters in height, hereafter referred to as woody vegetation . Habitats with suitable land cover range from the tropical rain forest to semi-arid grass savannah and wet mangrove, but in East Africa are specifically found in riparian and woody savannah ecosystems . This study focuses on Kenya (Figure 1), where in 1973 tsetse flies were estimated to inhabit 22% of the country . By 1996 the amount of Kenya estimated to be infested with tsetse flies had risen to roughly 34% .
Location and topography of Kenya.
Efforts to control the disease have been hampered by a lack of information and the substantial costs associated with the identification of infested areas, control traps, or broad eradication activities. Given changing LULC and climate factors, a model that can predict changes in suitable tsetse fly habitat is critical to efforts aimed at controlling the disease. Before constructing such a model the existing publicly available land cover products must be evaluated to determine which products perform the best at identifying suitable tsetse fly land cover. Rather than relying on reported accuracy assessments, not always available for each LULC product and expensive or impossible to perform post-production, we developed a generalizable method using a modified Mapcurves goodness of fit (GOF) test to identify the optimum land cover products. The method can be applied to any vector borne disease-modeling endeavor where a known environmental relationship between a given species and specific land covers exists.
Tsetse flies are divided into three sub-genus groups, all of which are found in Kenya. The sub-genus Austenina, also referred to as the fusca group, are commonly considered forest tsetse species, with the notable exception of G. longipennis, which lives in sparsely vegetated arid regions . Three species within the fusca group are found in Kenya: G. brevipalpis, G. fuscipleuris, and G. longipennis . The sub-genus Nemorhina or palpalis group, a riverine species group, with only one species, G. Fuscipes, is also present in Kenya . The third sub-genus Glossina or morsitans group is considered a woody savannah tsetse species. Four species of the morsitans group are found within Kenya: G. austeni, G. morsitans, G. swynnertoni, and G. pallidipes.
Although the eight species of tsetse fly in Kenya exist and live in diverse habitats, their populations are concentrated in six distinct zones: North and South Rift Valley, Arid and Semiarid Lands (ASALs) North of Mt. Kenya, Central Kenya, Coastal, Transmara-Narok-Kajiado, and the Western Kenya & Lake Victoria belts (Figure 2) [16, 19]. The zones, commonly called fly belts, are infested with one or more tsetse species with boundaries set by a variety of physical, biological and anthropogenic barriers. G. pallidipes and G. fuscipes are the two most important tsetse species in Kenya because they are considered "efficient transmitters" of AAT and HAT. The tsetse fly vector carries the parasites to different animal hosts, allowing cyclical transmission, but the primary animal reservoirs are wild and domestic ungulates. Humans may also contribute to the reservoir pool , and both animals and humans contribute to trypanosoma genetic exchange . In 2001 infection rates of cattle in select provinces of Kenya were as follows: Coastal, 15.6%, Rift Valley, 12.9%, and Western, 8.3% .
The 1996 KETRI fly belts map.
Population density models characterized most early tsetse fly modeling endeavors and were primarily based on climate variables highly correlated with tsetse fly survival. These early models provided little in the form of predicted distributions. For example Nash and later Bursell identified humidity and temperature as key climatic variables influencing tsetse fly mortality, and both used linear regression to predict tsetse fly population densities. However, these models assumed that suitable habitat and tsetse flies were present at the modeled locations, and thus, in effect, only predicted tsetse fly population densities in known locations.
In 1971, Ford published what some consider the definitive book describing the ecology, history, control, and a variety of other topics concerning the tsetse fly across the African continent. Six years later Ford and Katondo created the first widely accepted tsetse fly distribution maps based on field work and knowledge of the African landscape. Building on the work of Nash , Bursell , and Ford , the Trypanosomaiasis and Land-use in Africa (TALA) Research Group and the Environmental Research Group Oxford (ERGO), constructed several models dealing with tsetse flies starting in 1979 [23–27]. Initially the models were population density models , but later coarse resolution climate maps of temperature and vapor pressure were used to identify areas with suitable tsetse fly climate regimes .
Starting in the early 1990's remotely sensed land cover and climate data were employed to aid in identifying suitable tsetse fly habitat [28–30]. The Oxford group and the Programme against African Trypanosomiasis (PAAT) collaborated to create PAAT – Information System (PAATIS), a spatially explicit model that predicted tsetse fly distributions at a 5 km resolution using discriminant analysis and maximum likelihood statistics on remotely sensed environmental variables, socioeconomic data, and the Ford & Katondo distribution maps . The PAATIS model was later refined by ERGO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) employing logistic regression and produced 1 km spatial resolution predicted percent probability of particular tsetse fly species in various regions .
Vector borne diseases in much of the world occupy places difficult to access for in situ collection or operate across spaces too large to easily or effectively sample. Satellite based sensors allow for synoptic coverage and the routine collection of data over these sites and situations. Curran et al. outline three underlying premises to justify the use of remotely sensed data in the modeling of vector borne diseases: 1) remotely sensed data can be used to provide information on land cover and by association the habitat of species , 2) the spatial distributions of vector-borne diseases are related to the habitat of the vector , and 3) if these are true, then remotely sensed data can be used to provide information on the spatial distribution of vector-borne diseases . For this reason, remotely sensed data have been used as descriptors in multiple vector-borne disease modeling research studies (see e.g. [25–27, 35–41]). In this study, fifteen publicly available LULC products derived from satellite borne remote sensing instruments were examined to identify which could be used to construct a tsetse fly habitat model.
Fifteen public LULC products (Table 1) available from sources including NASA, International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), The Global Environment Monitoring Unit at the University of Maryland (UMd), and the Climate Land Interaction Project (CLIP) located within the Center for Global Change and Earth Observations at Michigan State University were examined. All of the LULC products used in this analysis were originally in or converted to a raster format with a spatial resolution of 1 km or 500 m, and cover the entire country of Kenya. Each LULC data set is unique based on its production methods, classification scheme, temporal acquisition date, and intended use.
The land use land cover data sets that are publicly available for Kenya.
Each type MODIS of product is sub divided into 500 m and 1 km data sets.
The IGBP DISCover land cover product produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Land Cover Working Group in 1995 was created using the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) 10 day composites from April 1992 to May 1993 . The land cover classes were determined using unsupervised classification on the AVHRR NDVI data on a continental scale . The accuracy of the IGBP DISCover land cover product has been estimated at 66.9 percent for overall area weighted accuracy, and an accuracy range of 40 to 100 percent for individual classes .
The Global Land Cover Facility at the UMd produced the UMd Global Land Cover Classification (GLCC) LULC data set utilized the same underlying remotely sensed AVHRR NDVI data as the IGBP DISCover land cover product, but employed a decision tree classification method resulting in a different classification scheme . As explained in Hansen and Reed the major difference between the IGBP DISCover and the UMd GLCC classification schemes is the exclusion of permanent wetlands, cropland/natural vegetation mosaic, and ice/snow by the UMd GLCC product. No formal accuracy assessment has been performed on the UMd GLCC product, though the reported agreement between the UMd GLCC product and the IGBP DISCover is 74 percent .
This study also used all 5 types of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Global Land Cover products in both 500 m and 1 km spatial resolutions (MCD12Q1 & MOD12Q1), which are publicly available from NASA. Although both spatial resolutions of each type of MODIS Global Land Cover product are produced using the same classification method and scheme, the resulting 500 m and 1 km data sets are quite different in the patterns of land cover classes that they display (Figure 3). For this reason, each resolution of each type of MODIS LULC product is considered a separate data set in our analysis.
2001 MODIS Type 1 Global Land Cover 500 m (A) and 1 km (B) spatial resolution. The classification scheme is simplified to highlight the differences between the two data sets despite the same classification methods. The "Woody Vegetation" class is comprised of mixed forest, shrubland, and savannah land cover, which are considered suitable tsetse fly habitat.
The MODIS Global Land Cover products were produced annually from 2001 to 2004 for the 1 km data, and 2001 to 2005 for the 500 m data. Only the 2001 data are analyzed here as they are the closest match to the production dates of the validation data. MODIS Type 1 is produced using MODIS NDVI data and the same IGBP global vegetation classification scheme as the IGBP DISCover land cover product . MODIS Type 2 uses the UMd modified IGBP scheme and methodology and the same MODIS NDVI data used to create the MODIS Type 1 land cover product . MODIS Type 3 land cover product is derived from known relationships between estimated leaf area index (LAI) and fraction of photosynthetically active radiation (FPAR) . MODIS Type 4 land cover product is derived from the net primary production (NPP) MODIS products, which measure the growth of the terrestrial vegetation. The MODIS Type 4 classification scheme is primarily geared towards the identification of forest types, such as deciduous broadleaf vegetation and evergreen broadleaf vegetation. MODIS Type 5 land cover product was designed to be used in the Community Land Model for the purposes of climate modeling, and focuses on classifying land cover type based on the plant functional type or plant biome.
Global Land Cover 2000 (GLC2000) was produced by the Joint Research Centre Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit and created over a 14 month period between November of 1999 and December of 2000 using the VEGETATION sensor on the SPOT-4 satellite . The classification scheme of GLC2000 used the Land Cover Classification System (LCCS) designed by the FAO . Mayaux et al. have estimated that the overall global accuracy of the GLC2000 product at 68.5 ± 5%. In this study a 26 class African version of GLC2000 was used; 22 of those classes are found within Kenya.
The LCCS was originally developed to aid in the production of the Africover product . Africover was created by combining both computer based unsupervised classification and an expert system supervised classification performed by visual interpretation of mid-1990's era Landsat images by local experts . Several Africover products exist; for this study the spatially aggregated Kenya specific product was used. The original Kenya specific Africover product is in vector format, with 105 LULC classes, and has a nominal spatial scale of 1:200,000. The 105 class Africover vector data set was then converted into a raster data structure with a 1 km spatial resolution, using the highest maximum combined area of all LULC classes found within a grid cell to determine the final raster cell class. To deal with the mixed LULC classes frequently found within the Africover product, the LCCS Code 1 class (i.e. the predominate LULC class in each polygon) was assigned as the overall polygon class. This method reduced the number of LULC classes found in Kenya from 105 to 95, eliminating particular classes not often found or with small surface areas (e.g. snow).
The final LULC data set examined in this study is CLIP Cover produced by the CLIP project at Michigan State University. The CLIP Cover LULC product is a hybrid of GLC2000 and Africover land cover products and essentially uses Africover agricultural data where available and GLC2000 non agricultural land cover data . CLIP Cover was only produced for East Africa.
Tsetse flies require specific types of land cover generally referred to as woody vegetation [9, 13, 14, 54–56]. However, each subspecies of tsetse fly inhabits distinctive ecosystems with different types of woody land cover. For the purposes of this study the morsitans group was selected as the primary focus. The moristans group has the greatest spatial distribution in Kenya; with palpalis only located along the shore of Lake Victoria and the Ugandan, and fusca, whose distributions tend to overlap that of moristans, found in isolated pockets of forest and along the Tanzanian border [18, 25]. Also, in Kenya, four of the eight tsetse fly species belong to the moristans group. Finally, one of the four species within the moristans group is G. pallidipes, which is considered the tsetse fly species most responsible for transmitting trypanosomiasis in Kenya.
The determination of whether or not a class in a LULC data set contained both the correct type and quantity of woody vegetation suitable for a moristans fly was based on the methods outlined in Cecchi et al. , which entails examining class descriptions found in the LULC product's metadata or user manuals and comparing it to published habitat requirements (e.g. Table 2). Once land cover classes that contained suitable tsetse fly habitat were identified, the LULC data sets were classified into binary suitable land cover maps.
MODIS Type 1 LULC classes and their tsetse fly suitability classification.
Tsetse flies are also limited by environmental variables such as temperature, humidity, and soil moisture. No in situ country wide humidity or soil moisture data are available, so following Leak , we used 500 mm as a proxy for the minimum level of precipitation for tsetse survival and the 1 km resolution annual precipitation data set from WorldClim for the year 2000 (Figure 4). Moristans prefer temperatures in the mid 20ºC range ; however, tsetse flies will take advantage of micro habitats created by woody vegetation in order to survive temperatures above 32ºC . Thus, maximum temperature was not considered a major limiting variable as long as the proper moisture regimes and land cover were present. Tsetse fly pupa do require a minimum temperature of roughly 16ºC for survival ; as in previous research (e.g. Leak ), this study used a maximum elevation of 2200 m as a surrogate for minimum temperature. The resulting binary suitability maps based on land cover, elevation, and precipitation suitability were then combined to create an overall suitability map for each of the fifteen LULC data sets (Figure 5).
Map A is a 1 km resolution annual precipitation data set from WorldClim for the year 2000 . The WorldClim precipitation data set was classified to create Map B, a binary precipitation suitability map.
The binary suitability maps created when the Africover and MODIS 1 km type 1 LULC products were combined with elevation and precipitation data.
The lack of publicly available country wide tsetse fly census data meant that an alternative ground truth data set had to be identified. The first source of ground truth data used in this study was a 1996 tsetse fly belts map produced by the former Kenyan Trypanosomiasis Research Institute (KETRI), now known as Kenya Agricultural Research Institute Trypanosomiasis Research Centre (KARI-TRC) [16, 19]. This map represents the most recent field data on tsetse distributions and shows the general location of tsetse fly belts across Kenya (Figure 2).
A previous study performed by Cecchi et al. [17, 60] used the 5 km PAATIS maps as best available tsetse fly distributions data at the continental level. As our study focused on only one country, we chose to use the higher spatial resolution 1 km FAO/IAEA distribution maps as a second source of ground truth data. The FAO/IAEA tsetse fly species distributions maps were produced using logistic regression models, with variables such as NDVI, land surface temperature, infrared reflectance, vapor pressure deficit, air temperature, surface rainfall, elevation, slope, and potential evapotranspiration . The classification scheme of each map displays the predicted percent probability of a particular tsetse fly species being found at any given time. Here, the distribution maps of the four Glossina sub-genus species (austeni, morsitans, pallidipes, and swynnertoni) were combined to create a morsitans group distribution map for all of Kenya. The combined FAO/IAEA morsitans distribution map was produced using the mosaic tool in ArcGIS, with maximum mosaic method to ensure the species with the greatest probability would be reported as the pixel probability (Figure 6).
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/International Atomic Energy Agency combined moristans tsetse fly species group distribution map.
The use of the combined FAO/IAEA morsitans distribution map as validation data did pose the problem of using a classification scheme dissimilar to the fifteen LULC binary suitability maps (i.e. percent probability versus binary habitat suitability). Although the classification schemes appear to be different, the variables used to produce the FAO/IAEA distribution maps were ecological suitability variables, and therefore the probability of presence is based on habitat and a direct comparison is possible. In order to account for the differences posed by the percent classification scheme of the combined FAO/IAEA distribution map and the binary LULC suitability maps, an extension of Mapcurves Goodness of Fit (GOF) method of comparison was developed (see Hargrove et al. ).
The Mapcurves GOF score is a measure of the degree of spatial autocorrelation between classes of categorical maps with higher Mapcurves GOF scores indicating higher relative positive autocorrelation between classes. The calculation of a Mapcurves GOF score is not limited by differences in resolution, number of classes, or data format, but rather that Map 1 and Map 2 overlap spatially and that the amount of spatial overlap can be measured . One method for calculating the amount of spatial overlap between the classes of two data sets is through the creation of a cross tabulation matrix . The tabulation matrix displays the classes of one data set as rows in the table, and the classes of the other data set as columns , and therefore the matrix is comprised of the degree of spatial overlap between the individual classes of the two data sets being compared. Figure 7 shows two example categorical data sets and the cross tabulation matrix that was constructed in the first step of the Mapcurves GOF analysis.
Example I and II are example categorical data sets to be compared using the Mapcurves GOF approach. Example III is a visual representation of the cross tabulation matrix created within the GIS environment. The table displayed is a representation of the cross tabulation matrix that would be calculated in the first step of the Mapcurves GOF analysis.
The resulting cross tabulation matrix table is used to create a weighted ratio comparison matrix. The weighted ratio comparison matrix is constructed by taking the area of two intersecting categories divided by the total area of the Map 1 category, which is then multiplied and weighted by the intersecting area divided by the total area of the Map 2 category. By weighting the proportion of spatial overlap for Map 1 by the proportion of spatial overlap of Map 2, distortion caused by the presence of large, but minimally intersecting categories, is prevented . Each cell within the matrix displays the GOF ratio for the intersecting Map 1 and 2 categories in the associated rows and columns, this information can later be used to determine the best reclassification scheme depending on which map is identified as the reference map. The summing of the rows and columns of the weighted ratio comparison matrix will yield the GOF score of each class category contained in both Map 1 and Map 2 (Figure 8). This information can be used to determine the degree of concordance between categories of the two maps, and is used to create a cumulative ratio frequency distribution.
An example of a weighted ratio comparison matrix for the calculation of a Mapcurves GOF score.
The overall Mapcurves GOF score is the integration of a cumulative ratio frequency distribution (Figure 9). Hargrove et al. used 0.02 as the threshold for the cumulative ratio frequency distribution, and 0.02 was used here as well. The cumulative ratio frequency distribution shows the declining ratio of map categories on the y-axis that still satisfy a GOF Mapcurves score on the x-axis. Once the cumulative ratio frequency distribution has been created, a simple integration will yield the Mapcurves GOF score. This process is then completed for both directions in order to determine which direction has the higher Mapcurves GOF score and therefore the correct direction for reclassification if the reference map has yet to be determined. The direction that yields the highest Mapcurves GOF score is considered to be the best mathematical fit and is considered the reference map. A Mapcurves GOF score of 1.00 represents 100% agreement between the two maps being analyzed (i.e. they are the same map); a low Mapcurves GOF score (e.g. 0.10) is indicative of a high degree of disagreement between the maps.
An example of a cumulative ratio frequency distribution and integration table for the calculation of a Mapcurves GOF score.
Once Mapcurves GOF scores have been calculated for both directions, and the reference map has been determined, then the weighted ratio comparison matrix (Figure 8) is used to determine the GOF between individual classes and how to best reclassify the target map based on the classification scheme of the reference map. The reclassification of the target map is implemented by first identifying the highest Mapcurves GOF score in each category's associated row or column in the weighted ratio comparison matrix, then that category is reclassified based on the corresponding class in the reference map.
For this study, the fifteen LULC binary suitability maps were compared to the combined FAO/IAEA distribution map and the 1996 fly belts map using the Mapcurves method. To facilitate the comparison between the FAO/IAEA distribution map and the binary suitability maps, the percent classification scheme of the FAO/IAEA map was classified into a categorical map. A bin value of 0.02 was selected, reclassifying the FAO/IAEA distribution map into a 50 class categorical map (i.e. 2% percent probability per class). A one tail t-test, with a significance level of 0.1, was used to detect if any of the LULC data sets had significant levels of agreement with the two ground truth maps.
In an effort to create the best possible LULC data set for modeling tsetse fly in Kenya, we created a hybrid suitability map. This hybrid map was constructed by combining the suitability maps of the five LULC data sets that had the highest level of agreement into a single categorical map. Each class represented the number of LULC data sets that predicted the presence of suitability tsetse fly habitat at that location; for example class 3 means that three LULC data sets predicted suitable tsetse fly habitat.
The combined FAO/IAEA distribution map was then classified to match the same number of classes of our combined suitability map. The classifying of the combined FAO/IAEA distribution map to match our combined suitability map allowed us to run a traditional kappa coefficient and a Mapcurves GOF to test the level of agreement between the two maps. A kappa coefficient is a rescaled proportion of agreement between two data sets, and can be calculated by taking the observed accuracy minus the chance accuracy divided by one minus the chance accuracy as shown below [65, 66].
A kappa coefficient of 1.00 indicates perfect agreement between the two maps. The kappa coefficient and the Mapcurves GOF not only test the agreement between the combined FAO/IAEA distribution map and the new combined suitability map, but also explored the level of agreement between the different statistical methods.
The fifteen LULC data sets vary widely in the amount of woody vegetation predicted to be in Kenya from roughly 45,000 km2 to 523,000 km2 (Table 3). With the addition of environmental variables and the creation of the binary suitability maps the amount of suitable tsetse fly habitat decreases for each data set and ranges from roughly 31,000 km2 to 205,000 km2, still a wide range. The overall decrease in suitable habitat range is primarily caused by low precipitation in the northern parts of Kenya, which creates inhospitable moisture regimes for both tsetse fly adults and pupae.
The amount of woody vegetation and suitable tsetse fly habitat (when combined with environmental variables) predicted by the LULC binary maps.
The Mapcruves GOF between the 1996 fly belts map and the combined FAO/IAEA distribution map to the LULC binary suitability maps resulted in similar levels of agreement between the fifteen data sets, with a range between 0.52 – 0.59 and 0.53 – 0.65 respectively. When the weighted ratio comparison matrix between each of the binary maps unsuitable class and the 1996 fly belts map and the FAO/IAEA distribution map was examined, high levels of agreement were observed with a range between 0.70 – 0.95 and 0.75 – 0.95 respectively. These observations lead to the conclusion that the high level of agreement between one of the two classes inflated the overall GOF score for each LULC data set, creating a false confidence in the results. For this reason only the GOF between the suitable class of the binary suitability maps and the two maps used as ground truth were examined to determine which data set had the highest level of agreement of tsetse fly presence.
The comparison of the binary suitability maps to the 1996 fly belts resulted in Africover, CLIPcover, IGBP DISCover, and MODIS 1 km Type 1, 2, and 3 products having significant levels of agreement. The comparison of the binary suitability maps to the FAO/IAEA combined distribution map resulted in Africover, IGBP DISCover, UMd GLCC, and MODIS 1 km type 1, 2, and 3 products having significant levels of agreement (Table 4 and Figure 10).
Results of the Mapcurves GOF analysis between the LULC binary suitable tsetse habitat maps and the combined FAO/IAEA distribution map and the 1996 fly belt map.
Significant levels of agreement in bold.
Mapcurves GOF scores for each LULC data set when compared to the FAO/IAEA combined distribution map. Data sets are sorted in order from highest to lowest GOF with the FAO/IAEA combined distribution map.
Based on the results of Mapcurves GOF analysis of the binary suitability maps the five LULC data sets used to create the combined suitability map were: Africover, IGBP DISCover, MODIS type 1, UMd Global Land Cover, and CLIPcover. MODIS types 2 & 3 were excluded despite their high GOF scores to avoid redundancy given their similarity to MODIS type 1, and alternatively CLIPcover and UMd GLCC were included due to their significant level of agreement with at least one of the two ground truth maps. GLC2000, MODIS 1 km type 4 & 5, and all of the MODIS 500 m LULC data sets were excluded due to their low GOF scores. The resulting suitability map is a categorical map with six classes; 0 representing an area where none of the five LULC data sets predicted suitable tsetse habitat, 5 representing an area where all five of the LULC data sets predicted suitable habitat (Figure 11). The combined FAO/IAEA distribution map was then reclassified into a six class categorical map, from 0 – 100% in ~16.6% increments, to mirror the classification scheme of the newly created combined suitability map.
The suitability map produced when the binary suitability maps for Africover, IGBP DISCover, MODIS t1, UMd Global Land Cover, and GLC2000 were combined.
Examination of the areas of each of the six classes in the FAO/IAEA reclassified and combined LULC maps showed that the largest difference occurred in class 1 where the combined LULC map predicts 14,049 km2, and the FAO/IAEA reclassified map predicts 69,147 km2, a difference of 55,098 km2 (Table 5). The largest similarity occurs in class 2 with a difference of 5,196 km2 between the two maps.
The Area of suitable tsetse fly habitat predicted by the combined suitability map and the FAO/IAEA reclassified map.
The Mapcurves GOF analysis produced a score of 0.23 (i.e. 23% agreement) between the combined suitability map and the six class FAO/IAEA combined distribution map. The kappa GOF analysis resulted in an observed agreement of 0.55, an expected of 0.39, with a kappa coefficient of 0.26 (Table 6). Both the Mapcurves GOF analysis and the kappa coefficient show that the level of agreement between the two maps is very low.
The confusion matrix used to calculate kappa coefficient.
Class agreement between the two data sets is highlighted in bold.
Based on the results of the Mapcurves GOF analysis the top LULC product for use in predicting suitable tsetse fly land cover was Africover. Possible reasons for the Africover product out performing the other LULC products include the higher spatial resolution data used in the creation of the product, local knowledge in the initial classification, and country specific classes. Africover coincidently predicted the largest area of suitable tsetse habitat out of the fifteen LULC products examined. The possibility that this contributed to Africover out performing the other products was explored; however, the apparent relationship between high amount of predicted suitable tsetse fly habitat and high GOF scores does not display a proportional change between percent suitable and GOF scores. If one examines the percent difference of predicted suitability (Table 3) between Africover and IGBP DISCover, a 2% difference is observed, compared to fly belt GOF score difference of 0.05 and FAO/IAEA GOF score difference of 0.04. Similar comparisons between the other LULC data sets GOF scores and percent predicted suitability show no direct proportional relationship, and the general relationship between predicted suitability and GOF scores was considered a negligible result of examining the suitability GOF rather than the overall GOF of each data set.
Although Africover was identified as the top performer, one goal of our analysis was to identify multiple LULC products that can be used to model tsetse fly in Kenya. To that end IGBP DISCover and MODIS type 1, 2, and 3 Global Land Cover at 1 km resolution products were also determined to be strong performers at predicting suitable tsetse fly land cover. The decision on which of the five LULC products to use in the construction of a tsetse fly model can now be made using other factors not directly examined in this study (e.g. accuracy assessments, temporal resolution, data availability). With regards to constructing a model that can predict future tsetse fly distributions based on land use, land cover, climate, and socio economic change, the ability to perform an analysis of LULC change is beneficial. Since currently no plans exist to produce another LULC product similar to Africover, based on the need to model tsetse over time, this product is not considered by us to be the best choice.
An examination of the three MODIS products shows that the GOF scores were nearly identical. To tease out the most favorable product type we examined the results of other LULC data sets that employed the same classification methods and schemes as the MODIS type 1, 2 and 3 products. MODIS type 1 was determined to be the optimal MODIS product since it is based off of the IGBP DISCover classification scheme and method, which had the second highest GOF of all fifteen data sets examined. The similarity between IGBP DISCover and MODIS type 1 allows for a LULC change analysis to be performed since in theory they are directly comparable. In addition to the 2001 data, MODIS produced the 1 km Global Land Cover products annually for 2002, 2003, and 2004. In total, use of the IGBP DISCover and MODIS type 1 products provide five years to construct LULC change trajectories, making them the optimal land cover products to use in modeling tsetse fly.
The results of the combined suitability map constructed from Africover, IGBP DISCover, MODIS t1, UMd Global Land Cover, and CLIPcover showed a notable decrease in the level of agreement compared to the FAO/IAEA map. However, the combined suitability map did allow for a comparison of Mapcurves and Kappa GOF scores, which displayed only a small difference between the two calculated levels of agreement. The similar GOF score calculated by the kappa coefficient and the Mapcurves GOF methods shows that Mapcurves is a viable method of assessing agreement between two maps. Unfortunately the level of agreement produced by both methods is so low that it is clear that that combined suitability map is not an improvement upon the individual binary suitability maps used to create it.
An unexpected result of the GOF analysis was that of the 500 m MODIS LULC products when compared to the 1 km MODIS LULC products. Although the 500 m data has four times the spatial resolution of the 1 km MODIS products, all five of the products were calculated to have insignificant GOF scores. It is our belief that the lower GOF scores are due in part to the over estimation of grassland in southern Kenya. For example, the 500 m type 1 product contains roughly 6% more grassland than the 1 km type 1 product (Figure 3).
The low level of agreement between our maps and the available ground truth data may be partly attributable to the way the ground truth data was constructed. When considering the existing FAO/IAEA products it is important to note that they have not been through peer review, nor do they have a published accuracy statement, thus the low level of agreement may simply be an artifact of accumulative uncertainty. The 1996 fly belts may also have a high degree of uncertainty due to their apparent generalized locations when compared to the more detailed 1973 fly belts produced by Ford & Katondo .
Despite the low level of agreement between the binary suitability maps and the combined suitability map when compared to the FAO/IAEA map and the 1996 fly belts, the method we have developed does identify the LULC products that best predict land cover required by tsetse flies. The method we have developed can be used to differentiate between various LULC products and be applied to any such research when there is a known relationship between a species and land cover. The importance of performing this type of analysis can be observed in the results of the GOF scores produced by GLC2000 when compared to Africover. A previous comparison of GLC2000 and Africover performed by Torbick et al. concluded that GLC2000 out performed Africover for predicting natural land cover such as grassland, savannah, and forest. However, in our study we found that the Africover out performs GLC2000 for identifying suitable tsetse fly land cover classes. This discrepancy epitomizes the importance of evaluating the available LULC products and not relying on simple accuracy assessments as each LULC product is different and often has a distinct production method, classification scheme, and intended use.
This research was supported by The National Institutes of Health, Office of the Director, Roadmap Initiative, and NIGMS: award # RGM084704A.
The authors contributed equally to the production and approve of the final manuscript. | 2019-04-23T11:55:07Z | https://ij-healthgeographics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1476-072X-8-39 |
Bluebell the motorhome is parked up on the banks of the Moselle River on the outskirts of Trier. It’s not the nicest campsite we’ve been on, but it is serving a purpose.
On the exit road there was a sign for a campsite so we pulled in and luckily they had space, Keith wanted to see the Roman remains here and I could tell he was disappointed the aire was shut. They probably could have included a note in the Camperstop Book as I’m sure it would have been known about.
After a quick lunch we walked along the banks of the Mosel River to the old town. We saw the Roman bridge, the lower columns were 2000 years old!
We crossed the Roman bridge and went into town, the outskirts of town are awful, seedy and filthy, I was crossing everything that the historic centre would be nicer. Once we got into the Market Square, we relaxed, it was very pretty indeed and had a lovely character- high wooden building etc, lovely.
A short walk from the Market Square and we reached the most impressive of the sights in Trier, the Porto Nigra, which is the worlds largest preserved a Roman City Gate. What an amazing sight. Keith went inside whilst I had a cheeky wine, payment for dog sitting!
We then did a walking trail which included other Roman remains, including the amphitheatre, Roman baths and Basilica. My favourite was the amphitheatre, it was surrounded by banks of vineyards and was a bargain to go in, only €4 each. You could go underneath the arena and right around the top of it. It was very easy to reinact Russell Crowe’s Gladiator!
Roman sights visited, we headed back to the market square for some beverages, Keith was happy he found somewhere selling Kristellweissen (spelling!) I settled on the local wine. We moved onto a pop up wine stall also in the market square, I tried the local fizz which was delicious, and Keith had a pino noir white.
We then had a meal, only our second meal out of the trip- opting for a local restaurant also on the market square, we both had pork schnitzel and frites, which was delicious.
Bluebell the motorhome is almost back where she began 3.5 weeks ago! We left Trier bright and early and did a full service fill/empty before checking out of our campsite.
We were on the road for 9am, and as a result we were filling up with ridiculously cheap fuel an hour later in Luxembourg- €0.92 per litre! After squeezing as much as possible in we were back on the road and soon in Belgium. Our toll free route took us through Belgium, round Brussels and back up to Calais. It was an easy journey and we were pulling into Gravelines aire at 2pm. Sadly the fair was in town opposite the aire, and we didn’t fancy a noisy night, especially at €7 for the night, no services, so we carried on to where we spent our first night on Oye Plage beach aire. You can imagine our shock when we arrived and there was a great big height barrier blocking the carpark- considering we had stayed there literally 3.5 weeks ago! Oh well, we trundled down the road to the municipal aire in the village and found a space alongside another Brit, shortly followed by several others!
We had a good chill, watching a couple of movies, and had an early night after prawn egg fried rice for tea.
Bluebell the motorhome is sat having a well earned rest having carted us and our mad dog around 2900 miles Europe for the last 28 days, with barely a problem -other than the tyre incident in Brugges and lack of power on hills!
We started this morning having had a lovely quiet night at Oye Plage, and having bit of a lay in. Once up, we decided to give ourselves a head start on packing up, stripping the sheets and loading up the washing bags- 2 huge Ikea bags full of dirty washing- oh joy!
It was only €5.50 to go in, and you got to explore right through the under ground tunnels, 600m of them. It was so eery in there, but so fascinating. Thank goodness for the French resistance who along with the RAF aerial surveillance noticed the site being built and therefore bombed it heavily so it never got completed.
After a very enjoyable visit (feels not quite the right word but I’m sure you understand!) we headed to Cite Europe, right next to the Eurotunnel Departure, for a chill, shop, and to give Bluebell a thorough clean – one less job to do when we get back. I had a good hour exploring the French supermarket- I’ve really missed the choice, sorry Germany but your supermarkets weren’t (in my opinion) as good as the French, before whipping us up an early tea. Keith got on with some bits of maintenance- we’d lost a few screws here and there. At 6pm we moved round to begin check in- a longer than normal process, not entirely sure why as the actual passport check was minimal, again! 8pm and we were on the train and by 11pm we were home and ready for bed!
We have had a brilliant tour- seen some absolutely amazing sights, eaten and drank some cracking food and drink. Our general opinion of Germany is we loved what we saw, but not sure we would rush back. We found some parts of it hard work- all outweighed in the end by the good stuff obviously, but we came back feeling satisfied but ready for home!
Thoughts now turn to our next adventure- lined up for October Half Term, and my birthday! We are thinking about visiting South Wales- but as ever, who knows till nearer the time!
Bluebell the motorhome is parked up by the sea alongside several other vans from across the continent and we are waving to the big ferries traveling between Dover and Dunkirk.
We set off from a wet and miserable Norfolk late morning giving us plenty of time to reach our 6pm Eurotunnel crossing from Folkstone in light of recent reports over the weekend of hours and hours of delays. Of course, we had a remarkably quick journey, reaching Folkstone in around 3 hours, making us 4 hours early, and predictably, due to the summer holidays we were unable to travel on an early train! Oh well, we parked up and operation chill began with an immediate afternoon nap and a cheeky Burger King for good measure -Keith was suffering with a migrane hangover (we’d had a boozy night with friends in the village last night!) and before we knew it we were gliding through passport control at an alarming rate considering the extra high security alert at the moment and on our train waving Au Revoir Angleterre!
We initially thought we would drive straight to Belgium but on the train had the realisation that we are over here for 4 weeks, longer than ever before (and boy doesn’t Bluebell know it, her cupboards are filled to bursting!) so decided to pick an aire (French Overnight Parking spot for motorhomes) from our Bible (aka Camperstop Europe) ten miles E of Calais. Twenty minutes later and we rolled onto Oye-Plage, conveniently located a stones throw from a nice little locals bar, 5 minutes after that we were propping the bar up enjoying our first continental beer of the trip, a nice refreshing Pelforth each, thoughts turning to where next?! We’ve been slightly less organised this time round, with only a loose plan of a route, we have chosen to embrace this and so tomorrow we will be sampling a few Belgium beers/chocolates in Brugges.
After a great sleep we woke feeling refreshed and eager to explore so we wasted no time and set off around 09:00, stopping at the municipal aire in the village to do our services (fill water/empty loo and waste water etc).
An hour or so later we were saying Au Revoir France! Bonjour Belgium! and 30 mins later, thanks to our trusty CoPilot and Camperstop app we were pulling into our secure aire on the edge of Brugge and ready to explore! What a perfect day!
More pics of Brugges next time. Tomorrow we are heading towards Waterloo to visit the battle of Waterloo battlefield.
We woke up on Wednesday feeling massively satisfied that we’d managed to fit in so many attractions already. We decided to head over to Montmarte on the metro. At 130m high, Montmarte is Paris’ highest point, and is often referred to as The Artists District. The journey from George V to Blanche on the metro was very straightforward and we both found the metro very good value- we basically got a single ticket which was €1.80 each and meant we could travel anywhere as long as the journey time didn’t exceed 1.5 hours. Excellent value.
Our first sight after getting off the metro at Blanche was the iconic Moulin Rouge.
Obviously I couldn’t resist having a little go at the can can outside – given that Moulin Rouge is where the can can originated from. Jacques Offenbach, composer of The Can Can is buried nearby.
Using our trusty Lonely Planet and Eye Witness city books, I navigated us on a great walk around the Montmarte area, passing some fabulous sights along the way.
^The passer through Walls- Le Passe-Muraille is the title of a story by Marcel Aymé about a man named Dutilleul who discovers that he can (you guessed it) walk through walls. The statue is situated in a place named after Marcel Aymé in beautiful Montmartre.
^ This small city centre vineyard produces thousands of litres of wine per year!
Lapin Agile- Pablo Picasso’s 1905 oil painting, “At the Lapin Agile” helped to make this cabaret world famous.
We hadn’t realised it but we’d actually climbed very high, and down all the little streets there was a view of Paris.
We were now right up as high as the Sacre Coeur – and wandered round to the terrace over looking Paris below. We could see the Montparsse Tower, and Gare De Nord station, but the Eifell Tower was just round the corner so wasn’t on the skyline.
After a quick visit inside we decided it was definately lunch time. Today was going to be our traditional French meal, and we had spotted a lovely looking bistro right on the market square so worked our way back to it, picking up several souvenirs en route!
I opted for the menu of the day- Escargot (snails!) to start, Chicken with mushroom sauce with potato daulphinaise , and a cheese board to finish. Keith went for French onion soup to start and fillet of pork for main. It was absolutely delicious and the service was brilliant. We had wine and beer and the whole thing came to £60. Amazing.
We’d walked for miles, and feeling happy, fed and watered, we decided an afternoon nap was definately in order so we made our way to the hotel and snoozed, wanting to feel refreshed for our river trip on the Seine that night.
We woke feeling refreshed and headed back towards the Eifell Tower to pick up a river boat for our evening cruise. We hadn’t pre booked, but it didn’t matter- we went to the first kiosk under the Eifell Tower and paid our €13.50 and booked onto the 21:30 cruise with Vedette Du Pont Neuf. It was handily located next to a nice looking bar and snack bar, and was a great spot for people watching for a couple of hours.
The hubby (haha) did good and got me some champers to celebrate the end of a lovely break, and before we knew it, it was time to board our lovely boat. Unlike a lot of the other companies, our boat was a lovely open topped wooden boat and the journey was a highlight of our trip. Seeing Paris turn from dusk into night, and all the twinkling lights was wonderful.
We got off the boat deliriously happy, it was wonderful sailing down the Seine at night, you can understand why it’s called the city of light.
We bought crepes and a small bottle of wine and went into the Trocadero gardens, for a mini picnic. We’d been told the Eifell Tower would start twinkling on the hour, and at 23:00 we saw it, crepe and red wine in hand. It was gorgeous!!
All that remained for our last night in Paris was a stroll hand in hand, back to the hotel, via the Arc De Trumph.
We had the most amazing break- we saw all the sights that we wanted to see, ate and drank some amazing food and drink and fell in love with Paris, particularly at night!
We were fairly impressed with Eurostar, it was nicer than flying, and fairly stress free and easy. We didn’t think much to the hotel, our room was dated and had lots of loose wiring, no access to drinking water or tea and coffee making facilities and the lack of shower curtain meant every time we took a shower the entire bathroom flooded. But location wise was good, although if we go again we will go for a hotel in the Latin quarter.
Our main honeymoon is in America in August, we fly to New York and travel on Amtrak trains for 3.5 weeks through Washington, Chicago, Denver, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, Flagstaff National Park, Hollywood, San Fransisco and Yosemite National Park.
Now the wedding has happened we can grab a few motorhome breaks in the meantime- in fact we’ve just booked tickets for Jimmy’s Sausage and Beer festival at Jimmy’s Farm in Ipswich which has got Chas and Dave and Topload performing, so we’ve booked a caravan club CL down the road.
We’ve had a fab 3 days and crammed so much in, our feet have barely touched the ground! We departed London St Pancras on Monday morning and enjoyed a stress free journey, starting as we meant to go on, with some vin rouge and saucisson!
Bags dropped, we hit the streets- our first port of call, the most famous landmark in Paris- The Eiffel Tower.
It was really good to ‘get it out of the way’ in the nicest possible way, as often when you arrive somewhere on holiday, the first day can be a write off. If we had waited to one of our 2 full days we would have had to sacrifice another attraction.
Tuesday dawned and we were up and about early. We’d got lots to do- it started with a hours walk to the Musee D’Orsay- we could have made it easier by getting the metro however we like to walk round new cities! Plus, we were after a coffee! We arrived at the Musee D’Orsay and another long (but at least moving) queue. I got our place, whilst Keith set about sorting some caffeine out, and actually the queue didn’t seem too bad. I think we waited for about 40 mins in the end.
I really enjoyed visiting this gallery, and would highly recommend it. Keith’s done the Louve before (I haven’t) and he said he enjoyed Musee D’Orsay far more.
From here we walked along the Seine to Il De la Cite- home to Notre Dame cathedral, our next stop.
After a quick refuel at Cafe Esmarelda opposite the cathedral, we joined the shorter queue and avoided the Quasimodo con men- trying to crash our selfies and then get us to pay them! Notre Dame Cathedral is wonderful. It’s a very special place for our family- Keith’s stepdad, Steve, and his (Keith’s) best friend, Andy, wrote a musical called Quasimodo- based on the story of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, which of course is set within The cathedral. Sadly Keith’s stepdad passed away 2.5 years ago, and Andy’s father passed away only a couple of weeks ago- it was an incredibly moving visit. The rose windows in the cathedral were stunning and we lit a candle for both right beneath.
Next stop was Sainte Chapelle– with the most impressive stained glass windows we’ve ever seen! It’s nestled right in the heart of the Palais de la citie, and although with it, came another hour and a half queue, it was well worth the wait, and probably one of our favourite places we visited.
By now, it was most certainly beer o clock – all this sightseeing was thirsty work! We crossed the bridge back over into the Latin Quarter, and soon found ourselves in the hustle and bustle of the lively area packed with bars and restaurants.
The Latin quarter is home to restaurants from every part of the world- we opted for dinner in an Italian restaurant, and it was delicious and very reasonable on price. We fancied a last drink before we returned back to the hotel- we’d been out since 09:30 and walked over 10 miles! We popped into The Piano Bar for a swift cocktail whilst Happy Hour was on- 3 hours/ €70 later we emerged having had the most wonderful evening we’ve ever had on holiday. There was a live pianist and singer cabaret act, and we absolutely loved watching them- they were top class performers – Dominque, the singer, worked the room, had an amazing voice and a warm personality. They were fab.
By now we’d been out for 14 hours in the same clothes, were midly tipsy, had blisters on both feet but ever so happy! We walked across Il De la Cite, past Notre Dame, and admired her all lit up, before getting on the metro back to our hotel. We couldn’t believe how much we’d fitted into our first day and a half in Paris!!
Bluebell the motorhome is parked up in the free aire at Arromanches Les Bains. We’re parked up alongside over 20 hired motorhomes that seem to belong to the BBC however they are unoccupied, infact – nosey pants here had a good look through the window of one (or five!!) earlier and the beds aren’t even made up? We’ve been told by the tourist office that the aire is closed until 10th June, but bearing in mind we’d already driven onto it, parked, had lunch and a wander by the time we found this out, plus there are 3 other non BBC vans here, we’ve decided to be brave and stick it out here. The security van has just done a round and seems happy for us to be here so that’s good enough for us!
There’s not much breathing room in the spaces here, but it is free!
Our neighbours- 20 odd hired motorhomes belonging to the BBC – although no one seems to be staying in them!!
Today we had a contemplative but pleasant drive along the Normandy coast, passing the pretty Courseuilles sur Mer, Deuville and Trouville. We’ve done this tour before ( read here ) but never made it Site Hillman, so that was our first stop today.
Site Hillman was given the code name HILLMAN by the Allies, and consisted of 18 concrete bunkers buried 4m deep and linked by tunnels. It was surrounded by minefields and barbed wire, and was defended by guns, machine guns, and armoured gun posts. On 6th June, the 1st Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment captured Hillman and the bunkers seem to have been untouched since.
After our Hillman visit, we carried on to Arromanches as we were concerned that there are only 19 spaces on the aire there and didn’t want to not get a space! As it happened, we bagged the last space, so celebrated with lunch and a stubby. By this time, I’d noticed all the other motorhomes had BBC signs on the dashboard, and were infact hire vans, but we put it down to prep for all the coverage from here next week. Still not sure why they are in motorhomes and not hotels though!!
We got soaked on our initial walk into town, and had to retreat back to Bluebell for our waterproofs. It was then that we noticed the no access sign blocking the aire. This definitely wasn’t there when we drove in as we wouldn’t have been able to get by it. Still undetered, and suitably dressed in waterproofs, of course the sun came out as we returned into town. Nosey Norris aka me, went I to ask about the aire at the tourist office, where I was told it was closed til 10th June! I decided to keep quiet that we were infact parked in the aire and we carried on up to Port Winston via the free shuttle train!
After a good look around and soak up of the very busy atmosphere, plus a purchase of a couple of new stickers, we opted for crepes and a vin rouge which was delicious and then headed back to Bluebell. We’ve got an excellent internet Fon signal here thanks to motorhome wifi. After dinner we enjoyed an evening stroll into the town, which was more enjoyable as it was far less busy than earlier today. As much as we’ve enjoyed revisiting, the huge crowds were off putting- but seeing as this is one of the key sites of the Landing beaches, a week before D Day it’s hardly surprising.
Next week, we’ve heard there is lots planned for the D Day anniversary itself- Chris Evans brings his Breakfast show here on Friday morning, there is a big concert and even a Prince William and Kate will be here. So no doubt they are already beginning the preparations and tightening security.
Once the anniversary celebrations are over, be sure to visit Arromanches if you haven’t already- seeing the remains of the landing platforms in the sea is really a humbling sight.
Bluebell the motorhome feels like the poor country cousin! She’s parked up in the official motorhome aire at our beloved Honfleur, along with over 240 other motorhomes. It’s like the forecourt of Brownhills!! There are motorhomes in all different shapes and sizes here, occupying the 240 official spaces, and seeping out into the surrounding lane and squashed into corners. We’re fairly confident that we could leave our door wide open and not get burgled (although don’t think we will try!) there are some SERIOUSLY swish vans here, including my personal favourite- a very fancy looking RV with 4 pop out sides, smart car garage and the front looks like an articulated lorry front, rather than a bus! Seriously cool, and worth a fortune I would guess!!
So there we have our day, money saving but soaking up the atmosphere none the less and having a really great time. Tomorrow we’re continuing south or is it west?! towards the WW2 landing beaches.
If you’ve never travelled to Honfleur before, be it in a motorhome or not, we would seriously seriously recommend coming here. It’s a beautiful place, and if you worked your ferry/tunnel crossings wisely, we think you could make it here on a long weekend trip easy peasy. It’s 3.5 hours from Calais on the payage. What are you waiting for?
Bluebell the motorhome is parked up on the port side on the aire at Dieppe, along with around 20 or so other vans, all shapes and sizes, including a couple of other British vans. There are two aires here, both €7 for 24 hrs parking- one with services and one without. We naughtily filled and emptied at Dieppe 1, and on going to get our ticket saw Dieppe 2 across the other side of the port, so drove round and decided we preferred that location.
The weathers been rubbish today, drizzling all day, but we still enjoyed our wander round Dieppe, taking in the history and the chocolate shops… ahem, along with the grand architecture. We both learnt about the first attempt of liberation of France by mainly Canadiens back in Sept 1942, and found the town a nice place to spend a rainy afternoon.
We had a good chat with another British couple on their way back from 6 wks in Portugal- lucky things, it’s always nice to swap stories with fellow motorhomer’s. Our spot on the port was brill- we watched the passenger ferry leave and also a beautiful wooden sailing boat, along with a large barge carrying what we think was wind turbine sails. a real mix of old and new.
Bluebell the motorhome is parked up on her 1st France Passion site of this tour- we’re on a dairy farm near Etretat, which specialises in butter and goats cheese. Nom nom. We arrived around lunchtime, went to say hello, check we could stay tonight and to find out what time the shop open/closes. The France Passion scheme works in the same way Brit Stops does- your host welcomes you to stay for free, but you’re expected to take an interest in their produce etc. There is never any obligation to buy, however we usually do as we’re local food and drink junkies!!
After a hearty lunch (Camembert, saucisson, baguette of course!!) we unloaded the bikes with the intention of cycling to nearby Etretat- a town we’ve seen signed when on the payage, but never managed to get too. Etretat is on the map due to its amazing 3 sea arches, and what a sight they were! Even if by the time we’d got there we could barely stand due to picking a particularly hilly cycle route! Of course once there we couldn’t NOT take the cliff path to the view point at the top, so by the time we were back at our bikes we were cream crackered. Oh well, we’d cycled pretty much the whole 7 kilometres up hill there, so we were quietly confident that the laws of physics meant that we would return downhill. I’m not sure how, but it seems physics weren’t on our sides today as somehow, we managed to pick an equally up hill journey back!
we enjoyed finally visiting Etretat having passed the signs for years!
the larger of the three arches, that is only visible from sea or a hike up the side of a cliff!
Once back at Bluebell, we swiftly went up to the shop to have a chat with the owner of the farm (so impressed I managed a whole conversation in French!!) we’d discovered they made yogurts, butter and goats cheese, the butter is made on site but the goats cheese isn’t because she doesn’t keep goats, and that she thought we were crazy for cycling to Etretat. Oh how we laughed! We came away with some salted butter and goats cheese, both of which we’ve devoured as a pre dinner snack- well it’s been a tough day!! They were absolutely delicious!
We enjoyed visiting Etretat, the sea arches were better than I’d hoped and the town is also very pretty – there are some lovely wooden buildings to enjoy housing restaurants and creperies, lots of souvenir shops, a nice stretch of pebbly beach (no dogs though on the beach, although they are allowed on the promenade) and a really buzzing atmosphere. If you’re not a member of France Passion (you should be, it’s fab!) then there is a conveniently located motorhome aire just on the outskirts of Etretat that you can park at for €8, or day parking on the Le Havre road.
Bluebell the motorhome is parked up on the free aire at Le Hourdel which is just south of St Valery Sur Somme on the Baie of the Somme.
We arrived 45 mins later, bagged the last space on the aire and enjoyed a cuppa in the sun before giving Jazz a little walk down to the beach. The beach here is stoney rather than the expanses of sand found further north or is it East, I’m confused!, but it’s equally pleasant to wander down, and there are lots of birds to watch if that’s your sort of thing. Across the bay you can see Le Crotoy and St. Valerie is to the right.
On the beach there is a ruin of what we thought may be a WW2 Pill box, but there wasn’t any info about it so we aren’t sure; whatever it used to be on closer inspection it’s rather big, probably not in the same position as it used to be and now seems to be home to various wildlife.
We picked up our bikes from the van and cycled the easy 1.5Km to the village of Le Hourdel, where there were two restaurants, a small harbour and a not particularly pretty lighthouse. We then cycled back on ourselves and carried on beyond the aire on a special off road cycle/pedestrian track for 5km to the seaside resort of Cayeux Sur Mer. The weather by now was a mix of clouds and sunshine, and we enjoyed an hour or so looking round the souvenir shops, walking on the beach and eyeing up the pretty beach hits. The cycle ride was lovely and just the sort of thing we fancied doing today.
Think we may have took a wrong turn here?!
Once back at Bluebell, it was chill time, so we’ve literally sat outside reading, listening to music, dozing and watching people come and go. The rain came about 6pm but it’s not dampened our spirits- we’ve been luckier than we could ever have dreamt of with the weather so far, considering that we are on the north coast of France and are both agreed if it changes from now, we won’t mind at all.
Bluebell the motorhome is parked up on a large aire at Fort Mahons Plage, along with around 40 other European vans (and one other Brit!). We paid €9 Euro to stay here tonight, which includes unlimited water and disposals and whilst at first I thought this was slightly pricey, Keith seemed happy enough to stay here and make full use of the water tonight and before we leave tomorrow. Long showers all around!
I have to say, I’m pleased we did stay as we’ve had a great time here! But before I tell you about that, let’s skip back to this morning’s adventure! We awoke to sunshine peaking through the roof vents again, and although there were definitely more clouds on the scene, it didn’t dampen our spirits after such a great day yesterday. After breakfast we drove the 20 mins inland to Montreuil Sur Mer, described as “an incredibly pretty fortified town” in my “What to do and see within 90 mins of Calais” book that I got a few years ago off Amazon for about a quid! We soon found the motorhome aire, conveniently located 2 mins walk from the town centre, and even better- free! We soon found the market square, which was a hive of activity seeing as the market was in full swing, and naturally our priority was to find the saucisson stall. 5 mins later and €10 euros lighter we emerged happy as Larry that we’d got 6 new flavours of saucisson to get stuck into at lunchtime!
The next two hours were spent exploring the town ramparts and the beautiful and oh so typically French streets thanks to the free town map from the Tourist Office. It really is a gorgeous place to visit- the town walls are well kept, enjoyable to walk round (free) and offer lovely views of the surrounding countryside; the cobbled streets are so enchanting that they inspired Victor Hugo to make the town the setting for a major part of Les Miserables after only half a day here back in 1837. We absolutely loved exploring Montreuil, in fact it’s made it’s way onto our favourite/most pretty French town list. Happily, the weather behaved during our time here too!
After lunch (fresh warm baguette, Camembert and saucisson!) we headed back to the seaside on a 20 min journey to Fort Mahon Plage. During our journey it tipped itself down, but luck seemed to be on our side as by the time we pulled up/topped up water/emptied etc, plus delved into the saucisson once more (rude not to, no?!) and cracked open and finished the €1.20 bottle of red we bought earlier as an experiment, the storm had passed and ever since the sun has been out!
After finishing off my wine sized bottle of cider we picked up for €1.80 (flipping love this country!!) I set to the Moules, and it was (even if I do say so myself!) AMAZING! Will definitely do this again- to think it cost less than €5 for a hearty and tasty main meal for us is extraordinary!
Oh and by the way- the €1.20 bottled of red experiment…. It’s no Pape but it’s certainly drinkable and dare I say…… Tasty! It complimented our mid afternoon cheese and saucisson feast admirably and we will definitely be picking up more!!
Friday: Bluebell the Motorhome is parked up on the coast behind a large sand dune on a free aire in France. But the question is, what coast are we on?! When we booked this trip, back in February, we booked with the intention of driving to the Mediterranean for a few beach days in the sun. But, given the fact the weather forcast was grim for pretty much the whole of France, and we are currently saving for our wedding day (exactly one year today to go!) we made the decision on our drive down to The Tunnel not to venture the 700 odd miles each way to the Med! This would save us at least £500 quid in fuel for the wedding fund, and with it being the 70th anniversary year of D Day, we thought Normandy would be a good place (and significantly cheaper!!) to head for, without feeling like we’ve compromised.
So, back to my opening statement: Bluebell the Motorhome is parked up in the blazing sunshine (not forecasted!!) on the Free aire at Stella Plage; just south of Le Touquet.
We arrived in France smoothly, quickly, (thanks Eurotunnel) and less stressed at the promise of saving some dosh, late last night and made the 2 minutes drive from train to Cite Europe aire, along with 10 or so other motorhomes for some serious shut eye. We must have needed it as we didn’t wake up til gone 10am!! Feeling heaps more positive, less knackered, and encouraged by the bright blue sky perking through our roof vents, we doned our shorts and picked a beach aire in our “All The Aires France” that was an hours drive away.
Our mission this week is to travel this stretch of coast without using toll roads, and we enjoyed our journey leaving the motorway at Bologne on the Route Nationale road towards Stella Plage. When we arrived, we were pleased to see there were plenty of spaces free, and enjoyed a walk over the sand dune and on to the beach. We narrowly averted a storm with a lunch break in Bluebell before off loading the bikes and cycling the 30 mins journey to ale Touquet. Most of the journey was on a special cycle path resulting in an enjoyable 10kms or so round trip.
We enjoyed visiting Le Touquet, it’s got lots of character, and has some interesting Art Deco buildings, some tasty looking fancy chocolatiers, designer clothing shops and a lovely stretch of sandy beach and promenade. The town of Stella Plage, where we are staying is also really nice- it’s got a handful of bars, cafés, patisseries, shops and a small supermarket where we stocked up on Camembert, wine, cider, and sausisson- which we then consumed whilst happily sat outside the van in the sun, reading, chilling and marvelling at how something as simple as wine, cheese and fresh bread can taste so damn fine!!!
Who needs the Med anyway?! | 2019-04-23T06:53:30Z | https://adventuresinamotorhome.com/category/france/ |
The Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network is a national network of academic, public health, and community partners who work together to reduce the burden of cancer, especially among those disproportionately affected. Its members conduct community and partner-engaged cancer research across its eight network centers, crossing academic affiliations and geographic boundaries. We at the Cancer Prevention and Control Program host one of these eight centers, the South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (SC-CPCRN). The SC-CPCRN also participated during the previous cycle of the CPCRN (2009-2014).
PI: Dr. Daniela B. Friedman, Co-PI: Dr. James R. Hébert.
Our goal at the South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (SC-CPCRN) is to reduce cancer-related health disparities among disenfranchised and medically underserved populations by advancing dissemination and implementation (D&I) science, increasing the cancer prevention and control evidence base across South Carolina, and translating effective multi-level, community-clinical interventions into practice both in South Carolina and nationally.
We are committed to: (1) disseminating, implementing, and evaluating efficacious, multi-level, and multi-site public health interventions to address cancer-related health disparities; (2) engaging local, regional, and national community partners and stakeholders in research, training, and technical assistance to increase the cancer prevention and control evidence base and translate effective interventions into practice, and; (3) increasing participation in cancer prevention and control behaviors, such as cancer screening, physical activity, and access to and consumption of healthful foods among high-risk and disparate populations.
Dr. Friedman is a Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior and core faculty in the Cancer Prevention and Control Program. She is also an affiliate of the Prevention Research Center and Women’s & Gender Studies Program at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Friedman’s graduate degrees are in health studies and gerontology with specialty training in health and cancer communication. She serves as director of USC’s interdisciplinary Certificate of Graduate Study in Health Communication and co-director of the Office for the Study of Aging. Friedman’s community- and stakeholder-engaged research is focused on health and cancer communication with diverse older adults. Specifically, she evaluates how communities access, understand, and use disease risk and prevention information, and examines the use of innovative strategies to promote the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based, language appropriate, and culturally relevant messages and programs. Currently she serves as Principal Investigator of the South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network II and served as co-lead of the national CPCRN FQHC workgroup. Dr. Friedman is also a PI on the CDC-funded South Carolina Healthy Brain Initiative Network Collaborating Center and PI of an NIEHS grant focused on how to communicate about the environmental risks of breast cancer.
Dr. Hébert received his masters’ degree in Environmental Health and Epidemiology from the University of Washington and his doctorate in Nutritional Epidemiology from Harvard University. Since coming to the University of South Carolina in 1999, he has received 43 federally funded grants focusing on diet and other risk factors and cancers of various anatomic sites. These include breast, cervical, colorectal, prostate, and those of the upper aerodigestive tract. In September 2003, Dr. Hébert became the Founding Director of the South Carolina Statewide Cancer Prevention and Control Program. Besides being Co-Principal Investigator of the South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network II he was Principal Investigator of the NCI-funded South Carolina Cancer Disparities Community Network from 2005 to 2017. Of relevance to networking, as of early June 2018 Dr. Hébert has published over 600 papers in peer-reviewed journals with 1134 different individuals from 309 different institutions (not just different departments within an institution). Relevant to the networking and interdisciplinary research goals of the SC-CPCRN, these efforts have usually involved one or more other individuals from USC, represent work that crosses numerous disciplinary boundaries, and involves the institutions in intellectual and technology transfers to great mutual benefit. Many current and former protégés are part of these collaborations. To illustrate, in the past 10 years, Dr. Hébert has published 355 papers (listed in the National Library of Medicine database as of 6 June 2018) including the names of individuals who are trainees or former trainees 817 times (in many instances these individuals are listed as the first author of the paper).
Dr. Adams has been conducting research in South Carolina for over 20 years. Her research has predominately focused on understanding the determinants of cancer health disparities experienced by African Americans and ways to intervene to improve these inequalities. Dr. Adams has received grant funding from multiple sources including the National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the South Carolina Cancer Alliance, and the South Carolina Cancer Center among others. She has also received awards for her work from the Arnold School of Public Health, the Vice President for Research of USC, and the College of Nursing.
Dr. Brandt’s research program in cancer prevention and control is focused on examining, describing, and intervening upon cancer-related health disparities through innovative approaches in partnership with the “community” (defined broadly and diversely). This research emphasizes dissemination and implementation of evidence-based approaches, knowledge-based practice, and co-creating knowledge with stakeholders to address disparities through informed action on multiple levels. Most of her work has been done with churches, non-profit organizations, and health care clinics in rural areas of South Carolina to increase cervical cancer screening, HPV vaccination, and colorectal cancer screening. She previously co-led the community-clinical linkages to support HPV vaccination signature project and is currently a member of the rural health workgroup. She is the recipient of several awards, including the 2017 J. Marion Sims Award for contributions to public health (South Carolina Public Health Association), 2016 Norman J. Arnold Alumni Medal (Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina), 2015 James A. Keith Excellence in Teaching Award (Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina), and 2016 Judith R. Miller Award and 2013 Early Career Award from the Public Health Education and Health Promotion (PHEHP) Section of the American Public Health Association (APHA). She is a member of the American Journal of Public Health Editorial Board, Co-Leader of the 80% by 2018 Evaluation Committee of the National Colorectal Cancer Round Table, and a member of the National HPV Vaccination Round Table in addition to other professional and scientific memberships.
Jan Eberth, MSPH, PhD, FACE is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of South Carolina and Director of the Rural and Minority Health Research Center. Dr. Eberth received her doctoral degree in epidemiology from the University of Texas School of Public Health and a postdoctoral fellowship in health services research from MD Anderson Cancer Center. The focus of her research over the past decade has been on cancer health disparities, particularly understanding the socioeconomic and structural barriers that impede adequate access and utilization to cancer screening and treatment. Dr. Eberth is a leader within the cancer prevention and control community in South Carolina and nationwide, serving as an invited member of the newly formed National Lung Cancer Roundtable, Chair of the Lung Cancer workgroup of the South Carolina Cancer Alliance, and Co-Chair of the CPCRN Rural Cancer Workgroup. She is also an active member of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, a grassroots volunteer organization that advocates for the advancement of cancer research and policy. Dr. Eberth is a Fellow of the American College of Epidemiology and has been active in the college since 2007. She served on the ACE Board of Directors as its Associate Member representative from 2008-2010, Vice-Chair of the Communications Committee from 2010-2013, and as Chair of the Communications Committee from 2014-2016. Currently, she serves as an Associate Editor of the Annals of Epidemiology, the official journal publication of ACE.
Venice Haynes is a fourth-year doctoral student at the University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health in the department of Health Promotion, Education and Behavior. She received her Master of Science in Public Health in 2009 from Meharry Medical College and her undergraduate degree in Biology from Tennessee State University in 2003. She has worked on a variety of CDC and NIH funded projects providing technical assistance to community-based organizations in Georgia, North and South Carolina in the areas of evidence-based breast and cervical cancer programming and interventions for African American women. Other projects included research studies to understand HPV vaccine acceptability in African American and Latino boys and girls across Georgia. Additionally, she has worked in collaboration with a community-based organization on the adaptation of a cervical cancer intervention program for African Americans in a faith-based setting. Her current dissertation research looks at the sociocultural impact on cervical cancer prevention and control behaviors on women in Peru with plans to expand this work into other low and middle-income countries. Other research interests include cancer prevention and control with a focus on social determinants of health and health disparities, global women’s health, and health communication.
Dr. Heiney is the Founding Director of the Cancer Survivorship Center for the College of Nursing at USC and the PI of a funded award to explore cancer treatment adherence in African Americans. She has 30 years of experience as a clinician and researcher and has focused on behavioral interventions for cancer patients. Dr. Heiney’s research has included a broad range across the cancer treatment continuum from breast and prostate cancer to interventions for families of pediatric oncology patients. She has applied community based participatory research approaches in many of her projects. Dr. Heiney has also worked extensively with community partners, especially the American College of Surgeons accredited community cancer centers in South Carolina. She has expertise in the recruitment of minorities to behavioral studies which included a recently completed R-01 psychosocial intervention among African American women titled, “STORY- Sisters Tell Others and Revive Yourself.” Dr. Heiney has been involved in studies using therapeutic group approaches, physical activity, diet, and story-telling. Her successful and productive research regarding behavioral interventions also includes the exploration of inflammatory markers, demonstrating her abilities to contribute greatly to the efforts of the national CPCRN, SC-CPCRN, and project partners.
Mr. Hurley is a Senior Biostatistician in the Cancer Prevention and Control Program (CPCP) as well as Director of both the Data Management and Analysis Unit (DMAU) and the Dietary Assessment Research Unit (DARU). His interest is in diet assessment methodology, the role of diet and physical activity in health, and the effectiveness of cancer screening programs to reduce disease.
Dr. Melvin’s career focuses on research synthesis, the translation of research into practice, the development and testing of evidence-based programs, and investigating approaches to promoting program growth and reach. Her local, state, national and international experiences in a variety of topical areas focus directly and indirectly on using evidence-based approaches to improve health care practice and/or change individual and/or group behavior. Dr. Melvin has served as Principal Investigator of the CPCRN site at UNC, the Comprehensive Cancer Control Collaborative of North Carolina (4CNC) and as Co-Investigator of the CPCRN Coordinating Center also located at UNC from 2004 to 2012. She joined the faculty at the Medical University of South Carolina in 2012 and serves as the Team Lead for Dissemination Research at the Hollings Cancer Center and as Associate Director for Community Engagement for SCTR, MUSC’s CTSA. Dr. Melvin’s active projects address topics including physical activity to reduce joint pain during aromatase inhibitor therapy for breast cancer patients; brief, novel smoking cessation in primary care; enhancing quality and access to lifestyle counseling and health behavior change in primary care settings; evaluating the effects of strategies for disseminating and implementing risk education protocols among community-based organizations and residents; and other community engaged research.
Dr. Ureda grew up in California where he received his bachelor degree in biology from the University of California at Riverside and a master’s and doctoral degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He came to South Carolina to Chair the Department of Health Promotion and Education in the USC School of Public Health in 1983 after teaching at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University for five years. He and his wife Sue have lived in Columbia since, where they raised their two boys, Cale and Kent. Dr. Ureda is a strong advocate of health for all. He played a key role in starting the Best Chance Network for Woman’s Cancer Screening, the Woman’s Cancer Coalition, the Project Assist Stop Smoking Program, the South Carolina Cancer Research Network, the South Carolina Cancer Alliance and the South Carolina Cancer Disparities Community Network. He also serves on the Cancer Control Advisory Council to the Commissioner of SC DHEC. He currently runs his own consulting business, Insights Consulting, and is a National Cancer Institute funded researcher who works to develop partnerships between Universities and communities to promote health and prevent disease, particularly with regard to the elimination of health disparities. He is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the USC Arnold School of Public Health, Department of Health Promotion, Education and Behavior and a frequent subcontractor on community-based participatory research grants.
Dr. Wandersman is a Retired Professor of Psychology and expert in implementation science and program evaluation. He performs research and program evaluation on citizen participation in community organizations and coalitions. Dr. Wandersman has extensive experience in program evaluation spanning small institutional grants as well as state wide programs funded by NIH, NSF and CDC among others. He is a co‐editor of three books on empowerment evaluation, and a coauthor of several Getting To Outcomes books (how‐to manuals for planning, implementation, and evaluation to achieve results‐based accountability). Along with colleagues, he developed a synthesis of 25 implementation science frameworks called the Quality Implementation Framework that is being applied in research and practice. Dr. Wandersman collaborated with the CDC to develop the Interactive Systems Framework for Dissemination and Implementation which was the subject of two special issues of a peer‐reviewed journal. He also developed translational products used by thousands of practitioners and has written peer-reviewed articles on synthesis and translation. Dr. Wandersman has been awarded publication and career awards from the American Evaluation Association.
Brooks Yelton is a Graduate Assistant for the South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (SC CPCRN), and the Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior. She is currently a student in the Master of Social Work Program, and is specializing in the area of Health and Mental Health. Her primary research interests focus on health disparities, especially regarding psychosocial barriers to health screening and treatment, and psychosocial support in healthcare. Previously, Brooks served as a Research Consultant for the SC-CPCRN.
Dr. Young, PhD, is the Chief Operating Officer of the South Carolina Primary Health Care Association (SCPHCA). She is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the SCPHCA. As the Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Young is involved with short-term and long-term strategic planning for the SCPHCA. Additional duties include the implementation of monitoring systems to ensure the association’s goals and operating standards are met. Dr. Young has experience with health care research focusing on access to care and health disparities. She has also worked at the community level with the implementation of health education programs and on the academic level as an instructor and assistant dean with the University of South Carolina’s College of Pharmacy. Dr. Young is committed to the improvement of the health status for all by addressing the multiple factors that impact health with emphasis on access to and the provision of quality health care as well as patient level health education and self-management. During the previous CPCRN cycle, the SC-CPCRN in partnership with the SCPHCA, provided a series of trainings to South Carolina federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). The training series was based on findings from the Practice Enhancement Opportunity Assessment (PEOA). The training sessions provided education, skills, and technical assistance in the research process to SC FQHCs in an effort to encourage the use of quality improvement data in developing, implementing, and evaluating evidence-based practice, programs, and services. The sessions were recorded and posted on the SCPHCA website for broader access.
This project is working to extend research to organizations that partner with the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program and Colorectal Cancer Control Program to promote and deliver cancer screening services locally, with an eye toward developing and pilot-testing interventions to increase and support partner organizations’ evidence-based intervention use in their local communities.
The Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) Signature Project collaborates with community health centers and state and national associations representing FQHCs to strengthen and evaluate existing colorectal cancer screening initiatives at the patient, clinic, and community level in order to increase colorectal cancer screening rates among the populations served by FQHCs and primary care associations.
The HPV Signature Project is working to contribute to the science and evidence-base supporting innovative community-clinical linkages to increase HPV vaccination initiation and completion among adolescents and young adults.
Xirasagar, S., Hurley, T.G., Burch, J.B., Mansaray, A., & Hébert, J.R. (2011, Nov. 15). Colonoscopy screening rates among patients of colonoscopy-trained African-American primary care physicians. Cancer, 117(22), 5151-5160. doi: 10.1002/cncr.26142. PMID: 21523762. PMCID: PMC3145827.
Freedman, D.A., Whiteside, Y.O., Brandt, H.M., Young, V., Friedman, D.B., & Hebert, J.R. (2012, February). Assessing readiness for establishing a farmers' market at a community health center. Journal of Community Health, 37(1), 80-88. doi: 10.1007/s10900-011-9419-x. PMCID: PMC3208118.
Friedman, D.B., Young, V.M., Freedman, D.A., Arp Adams, S., Brandt, H.M., Xirasagar, S., Felder, T.M., Ureda, J.R., Hurley, T., Khang, L., Campbell, D., & Hebert, J.R. (2012, March). Reducing cancer disparities through innovative partnerships: A collaboration of the South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network and Federally Qualified Health Centers. Journal of Cancer Education, 27(1), 59-61. doi: 10.1007/s13187-011-0272-5. PMID: 21932143. PMCID: PMC3272325.
Freedman, D.A., Choi, S.K., Hurley, T., Anadu, E., & Hébert, J.R. (2013, May). A farmers' market at a federally qualified health center improves fruit and vegetable intake among low-income diabetics. Preventive Medicine, 56(5), 288-92. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2013.01.018. PMID: 23384473. PMCID: PMC3633661.
Freedman, D.A., & Alia, K.A. (2013). Building farmacies: A guide for implementing a farmers' market at a community health center. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina.
McCracken, J.L., Friedman, D.B., Brandt, H.M., Arp Adams, S., Xirasagar, S., Ureda, J.R., Mayo, R.M., Comer, K., Evans, M., Fedrick, D., Talley, J., Broderick, M., & Hebert, J.R. (2013, September). Findings from the Community Health Intervention Program in South Carolina: Implications for reducing cancer-related health disparities. Journal of Cancer Education, 28(3), 412-419. doi: 10.1007/s13187-013-0479-8. PMID: 23645547. PMCID: PMC3755099.
Koskan, A., Friedman, D.B., Messias, D.K.H., Brandt, H.M., & Walsemann, K. (2013, Sept-Oct). Sustainability of Promotora initiatives: Program planners’ perspectives. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice, 19(5), E1-9. doi: 10.1097/PHH.0b013e318280012a. PMID: 23295409.
Freedman, D.A., Blake, C., & Liese, A. (2013, December). Developing a multicomponent model of nutritious food access and related implications for community and policy practice. Journal of Community Practice, 21(4), 379-409. doi: 10.1080/10705422.2013.842197. PMID: 24563605. PMCID: PMC3930921.
Friedman, D.B., Freedman, D.A., Choi, S.K., Anadu, E., Brandt, H.M., Carvalho, N., Hurley, T.G., Young, V.M., & Hebert, J.R. (2014, March). Provider communication and role modeling related to patients' perceptions and use of a federally qualified health center-based farmers' market. Health Promotion Practice, 15(2), 288-297. doi: 10.1177/1524839913500050. PMID: 23986503. PMCID: PMC3871943.
Ory, M.G., Anderson, L.A., Friedman, D.B., Pulczinski, J.C., Eugene, N., & Satariano, W.A. (2014, March). Cancer prevention among adults aged 45-64 Years: Setting the stage. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 46(3S1), S1-S6. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2013.10.027. PMID: 24512925.
Freedman, D.A., Mattison-Faye, A., Alia, K., Guest, M.A., & Hébert, J.R. (2014, May). Comparing farmers’ market revenue trends before and after the implementation of a monetary incentive for recipients of food assistance. Preventing Chronic Disease, 11:130347. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd11.130347.
Alia, K.A., Freedman, D.A., Brandt, H.M. & Browne, T. (2014, June). Identifying emergent social networks at a federally qualified health center-based farmers' market. American Journal of Community Psychology, 53(3-4), 335-345. doi: 10.1007/s10464-013-9616-0. PMID: 24352510.
Xirasagar, S., Li, Y.J., Burch, J.B., Daguise, V., Hurley, T.G.,& Hebert, J.R. (2014, June 23). Reducing colorectal cancer incidence and disparities: Performance and outcomes of a screening colonoscopy program in South Carolina. Advances in Public Health. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/787282.
Friedman, D.B., Brandt, H.M., Freedman, D.A., Arp Adams, S., Young, V.M., Ureda, J.R., McCracken, J.L., & Hebert, J.R. (2014, July 24). Innovative and community-driven communication practices of the South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network. Preventing Chronic Disease, 11.
Friedman, D.B., Tanner, A., Kim, S-H., Bergeron, C.D., & Foster, C.B. (2014, Oct). Improving our messages about research participation: A community-engaged approach to increasing clinical trial literacy. Clinical Investigation, 4(10), 869-872. doi:10.4155/cli.14.87.
Fernandez, M.E., Melvin, C., Leeman, J., Ribisl, K.M., Allen, J.D., Kegler, M.C., Bastani, R., Ory, M.G., Risendal, B.C., Hannon, P.A., Kreuter, M.W., & Hebert JR. (2014, Nov). The Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network: An interactive systems approach to advancing cancer control implementation research and practice. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 23(11), 2512-21. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-14-0097. PMID: 25155759.
Jankowski, C.M., Ory, M.G., Friedman, D.B., Dwyer, A., Birken, S.A., & Risendal, B. (2014, Dec). Searching for maintenance in exercise interventions for cancer survivors. Journal of Cancer Survivorship: Research and Practice, 8(4), 697-706. doi: 10.1007/s11764-014-0386-y. PMID: 25103605.
Freedman, D.A., Peña-Purcell, N., Friedman, D.B., Ory, M., Flocke, S., Barni, M.T., & Hébert, J.R. (2014, Dec). Extending cancer prevention to improve fruit and vegetable consumption. Journal of Cancer Education, 29(4), 790-795. doi: 10.1007/s13187-014-0656-4. PMID: 24748060. PMCID: PMC4203701.
Tu, S-P., Young, V., Coombs, L., Williams, R., Kegler, M., Kimura, A., Risendal, B., Friedman, D.B., Glenn, B.A., Pfeiffer, D.J., & Fernandez, M.E. (2014, Dec 18 Epub). Practice Adaptive Reserve and colorectal cancer screening best practices at community health center clinics in 7 states. Cancer. doi: 10.1002/cncr.29176. PMID: 25524651.
Adams, S.A., Choi, S.K., Khang, L., Campbell, D.A., Friedman, D.B., Eberth, J.M., Glasgow, R.E., Tucker-Seeley, R., Xirasagar, S., Yip, M.P., Young, V.M., & Hébert, J.R. (2015, August). Decreased cancer mortality-to-incidence ratios with increased accessibility of federally qualified health centers. Journal of Community Health, 40(4), 633-41. doi: 10.1007/s10900-014-9978-8. PMID: 25634545.
Kegler, M.C., Carvalho, M.L., Ory, M., Kellstedt, D., Friedman, D.B., McCracken, J.L., Dawson, G., & Fernandez, M. (2015, Sept-Oct). Use of mini-grant to disseminate evidence-based interventions for cancer prevention and control. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. 21(5):487-95. doi: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000000228. PMID: 25734652.
Guest, M.A., Freedman, D., Alia, K.A., Brandt, H.M., & Friedman, D.B. (2015, August 22 Epub). Dissemination of an electronic manual to build capacity for implementing farmers' markets with community health centers. Clinical and Translational Science. doi: 10.1111/cts.12318. PMID: 26296392.
Alia, K.A., Freedman, D.A., Brandt, H.M., Gibson-Haigler, P., & Friedman, D.B. (In press). A participatory model for evaluating a multilevel farmers’ market intervention. Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action.
Friedman, D.B., Wilcox, S., & Hebert, J.R. (2015, Apr 18 Epub). Proposing an interdisciplinary, communication focused agenda for cancer and aging researchers. Journal of Cancer Education. doi: 10.1007/s13187-015-0822-3. PMID: 25893924.
Adams, S.A., Choi, S.K., Eberth, J.M., Friedman, D.B., Yip, M.P., Tucker-Seeley, R.D., Wigfall, L.T., & Hébert, J.R. (2015, July 24 Epub). Is availability of mammography services at federally qualified health centers associated with breast cancer mortality-to-incidence ratios? An ecological analysis. Journal of Women's Health. doi:10.1089/jwh.2014.5114. PMID: 26208105.
Brandt, H.M., Young, V.M., Campbell, D.A., Choi, S.K., Seel, J.S., & Friedman, D.B. (2015, August). Federally qualified health centers' capacity and readiness for research collaborations: Implications for clinical-academic-community partnerships. Clinical and Translational Science, 8(4), 391-393. doi: 10.1111/cts.12272. PMID: 25962873.
Choi, S.K., Adams, S.A., Eberth, J.M., Brandt, H.M., Friedman, D.B., Tucker-Seeley, R.D., Yip, M.P., & Hébert, J.R. (2015, Oct 8 Epub). Medicaid coverage expansion and implications for cancer disparities. American Journal of Public Health. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302876. PMID: 26447909.
Kegler, M.C., Liang, S., Fernandez, M.E., Tu, S.P., Friedman, D.B., Glenn, B., Herrmann, A., Risendal, B., & Weiner, B. (2018 Sept). Measuring constructs of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research in the context of increasing colorectal screening rates in federally qualified health centers. Health Services Research. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13035.
Hébert, J. R., Adams, S. A., Ureda, J. R., Young, V. M., Brandt, H. M., Heiney, S. P., ... & Friedman, D. B. (2018). Accelerating research collaborations between academia and federally qualified health centers: suggestions shaped by history. Public Health Reports, 133(1), 22-28. doi: 10.1177/0033354917742127.
Choi, S.K., Seel, J.S., Yelton, B., Steck, S.E., McCormick, D.P., Payne, J., & Friedman, D.B. (2018, July). Prostate cancer information available in health-care provider offices: an analysis of content readability, and cultural sensitivity. American Journal of Men's Health, 12(4), 1160-1167. doi: 10.1177/1557988318768599.
Arp Adams, S., Rohweder, C.L., Leeman, J., Friedman, D.B., Gizlice, Z., Vanderpool, R.C., Askelson, N., Best, A., Flocke, S.A., Glantz, K., Ko, L.K., & Kegler, M. (2018, May). Use of evidence-based interventions and implementation strategies to increase colorectal cancer screening in federally qualified health centers. Journal of Community Health. doi: 10.1007/s10900-018-0520-2.
Friedman, D. B., Adams, S. A., Brandt, H. M., Heiney, S. P., Hébert, J. R., Ureda, J. R., ... & Dees, R. V. (2018, February). Rise up, get tested, and live: an arts-based colorectal cancer educational program in a faith-based setting. Journal of Cancer Education, 1-6. doi:10.1007/s13187-018-1340-x.
Best, A. L., Vamos, C., Choi, S. K., Thompson, E. L., Daley, E., & Friedman, D. B. (2017, June). Increasing routine cancer screening among underserved populations through effective communication strategies: application of a health literacy framework. Journal of Cancer Education, 32(2), 213-217. doi: 10.1007/s13187-017-1194-7.
Choi, S.K., Seel, J.S., Steck, S.E., Payne, J., McCormick, D., Schrock, C.S., & Friedman, D.B. (2017, March 7). Talking about your prostate: Perspectives from providers and community members. Journal of Cancer Education. doi: 10.1007/s13187-017-1205-8.
Adams, S.A., Choi, S.K., Eberth, J.M., Brandt, H.M., Friedman, D.B., Hebert, J.R. (2016, June). Adams et al. Respond. American Journal of Public Health,106(6), e8-e9. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2016.303231.
Brandt, H.M., Freedman, D.A., Friedman, D.B., Choi, S.K., Seel, J.S., Guest, M A., & Khang, L. (2016, Oct-Dec). Planting healthy roots: Using documentary film to evaluate and disseminate community-based participatory research. Family & Community Health, 39(4), 242-50. doi: 10.1097/FCH.0000000000000120.
Alia, K.A., Freedman, D.A., Brandt, H.M., Gibson-Haigler, P., Friedman, D.B. (2015, Winter). A participatory model for evaluating a multilevel farmers' market intervention. Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, 9(4), 537-548. doi: 10.1353/cpr.2015.0074.
Adams, S.A., Choi, S.K., Khang, L., Campbell, D.A., Friedman, D.B., Eberth, J.M., Glasgow, R.E., Tucker-Seeley, R., Xirasagar, S., Yip, M.P., Young, V.M., & Hebert, J.R. (2015, August). Decreased cancer mortality-to-incidence ratios with increased accessibility of federally qualified health centers. Journal of Community Health, 40(4), 633-41. doi: 10.1007/s10900-014-9978-8.
View National CPCRN publications list.
Melvin, C. Dissemination and Implementation Opportunities. Presentation at the Cancer Prevention and Control Program, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, November 13, 2014.
Wandersman, A. & Osher, D. Investing in What Works: Scaling Up Evidence Based Interventions with Practical Implementation Science. Presentation at the Cancer Prevention and Control Program, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, November 13, 2014.
Vanderpool, R. & Friedman, D.B. Multi-Level, Community-Clinical Intervention in Partnership with FQHCs. Presentation at the CPCRN Kickoff Meeting, Atlanta, GA, December 12, 2014.
Wandersman, A.H. Use of Theory in Implementation Research: Using the Interactive Systems Framework as a Lens for Readiness in Cancer Control. National Cancer Institute (NCI) Advanced Topics in Implementation Science Research Webinar Series, Division of Cancer Control & Population Sciences, April 30, 2015.
Brandt HM. Partnered- and Engaged-approaches to address Cancer-related Health Disparities. Distinguished Lecture Series at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health, Lexington, Kentucky. (Presented 25 Feb 2016).
Vanderpool, R.C., Brandt, H.M. (South Carolina is co-lead), Seegmiller, L., Stradtman, L.R., Daniel-Ulloa, J., Vu, T., Taylor, V., Farris, P., & Curry, S.J. (August 14-16, 2017). Federally Qualified Health Centers as a key partner in community-clinical linkages to support HPV vaccination. Presented as part of symposium panel at the 2017 CDC National Cancer Conference, Atlanta, GA.
Choi S.K., Seel J.S., Steck S.E., Payne J., McCormick D., Schrock C.S., & Friedman D.B. ( August 14-16, 2017). Talking about your prostate: Perspectives from providers and community members. Poster Presentation at the 2017 CDC National Cancer Conference, Atlanta, GA.
Isenhower, D., New, C., & Friedman, D.B. Health literacy: Developing a uniform assessment tool for statewide use. South Carolina Hospital Association Transforming Health Symposium, Columbia, SC, April 10, 2018 (Invited Panelist).
The SC-CPCRN is jointly funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute as a Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network. | 2019-04-20T13:19:26Z | https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/public_health/centers_institutes/cpcp/for_the_community/cper/index.php |
The present invention relates to a stent fabricated of or coated with a composition comprising a biodegradable hydrophobic polymer containing water-labile bonds such that a device fabricated of the composition or the surface of a device coated with the requisite mechanical characteristics required of a stent and the polymer erodes from its outer surface inward.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/104,772, filed 20 Mar. 2002, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/548,533 filed on 13 Apr. 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,801 B1, issued on 4 Mar. 2003.
This invention relates to the fields of organic chemistry, polymer science, material science and medical devices. In particular, it relates to biodegradable hydrophobic polymers of which stents can be fabricated or with which they can be coated.
In the treatment of vascular disease such as arteriosclerosis, intracoronary stent placement is a common adjunct to balloon angioplasty. Stents can eliminate vasospasm, attach dissections to a vessel wall, reduce negative remodeling, and maintain vessel patency. Stents, however, can also cause undesirable side effects. For example, the continued exposure of a stent to blood can lead to thrombus formation and the presence of a stent in a blood vessel can over time cause the blood vessel wall to weaken creating the potential for arterial rupture or formation of aneurisms. A stent can also become overgrown by tissue after its implantation such that its utility is diminished or eliminated while its continued presence may lead to a variety of complications such as the foregoing.
To ameliorate the above situation, stents can be fabricated from materials that are biodegradable and, if desired, bio-absorbable. The material selected must be not only biocompatible and biodegradable, it must have sufficient mechanical properties required of a stent. Such mechanical properties include, among others, sufficient strength to withstand the stresses to which the device will be subjected such as radial flexibility should the device be expandable as in the case of a balloon expandable stent and longitudinal flexibility to allow it to be advanced through a contorted vasculature and to adapt to a non-linear deployment site.
The above-described properties have been achieved at least in part using polymers such as polylactic acid, poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) and polycaprolactone. These materials, however, typically biodegrade by bulk erosion which can result in large particles breaking away from the degrading stent. These particles, when released into the bloodstream, may cause emboli and/or other complications.
What is needed are biocompatible, biodegradable polymers that have the mechanical properties required of a stent and that biodegrade by surface rather than bulk erosion. Such polymers should also be useful to coat implantable medical devices for use as drug delivery systems since the lack of a bulk erosion propensity should drastically reduce if not eliminate flaking off of large particles of the coating when implanted in a patient. The current invention provides compositions comprising such polymers.
Thus, one aspect of this relates to a stent fabricated from or coated with a composition comprising a bioerodible hydrophobic polymer having a plurality of water-labile bonds wherein the polymer has sufficient mechanical strength to withstand forces present in mammalian vascular systems and also bioerodes from its surface inward.
In an aspect of this invention the water-labile bonds comprise one or more bond type(s) independently selected from the group consisting of ester bonds, orthoester bonds, anhydride bonds, imide bonds and combinations thereof.
In an aspect of this invention the water labile bonds comprise a constitutional unit derived from trimellitylimido-L-tyrosine.
In an aspect of this invention the constitutional unit derived from trimellitylimido-L-tyrosine comprises from about 20 to about 40 wt % of the hydrophobic polymer.
In an aspect of this invention the water labile bonds comprise one or more constitutional unit(s) derived from a compound or compounds independently selected from the group consisting of sebacic acid, di-ortho-carboxyphenyl sebacate, salicylic acid, maleic acid, 1,3-bis-para-carboxyphenoxy-propane, 1,6-bis-para-carboxyphenoxy hexane, trimellitylimido-L-tyrosine, terephthalic acid, L-lactic acid, D-lactic acid, DL-lactic acid, L-aspartic acid and 4-hydroxy-L-proline.
In an aspect of this invention the water-labile bonds further comprise one or more constitutional unit(s) derived from a compound or compounds selected from the group consisting of 1,10-decanediol, ethylene glycol, and 1,2,6-hexanetriol.
In an aspect of this invention the water-labile bond(s) comprise one or more constitutional unit(s) derived from a compound or compounds selected from the group consisting of tri(1C-12C)alkyl ortho(1C-12C)carboxylates.
In an aspect of this invention the water-labile bond(s) further comprise one or more constitutional unit(s) derived from a compound or compounds selected from the group consisting of tri(1C-12C)alkyl ortho(1C-12C)carboxylates.
In an aspect of this invention the hydrophobic polymer comprises constitutional units derived from trimellitylimido-L-tyrosine, sebacic acid and 1,3-bis(para-carboxyphenoxy)propane.
In an aspect of this invention the hydrophobic polymer comprises constitutional units derived from 1,6-bis(para-carboxyphenoxy)hexane and di-ortho-carboxyphenoxy-sebacate acetic anhydride.
In an aspect of this invention the hydrophobic polymer comprises constitutional units derived from maleic acid and sebacic acid.
In an aspect of this invention the hydrophobic polymer comprises constitutional units derived from 1,3-bis(para-carboxyphenoxy)propane, sebacic acid and salicylic acid.
In an aspect of this invention the hydrophobic polymer comprises constitutional units derived from 1,2,6-hexanetriol and trimethylorthoacetate.
In an aspect of this invention the hydrophobic polymer comprises constitutional units derived from poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(butylene terephthalate).
In an aspect of this invention, the stent further comprises one or more therapeutic substance(s).
In an aspect of this invention the therapeutic substance(s) is(are) selected from the group consisting of actinomycin D, paclitaxel, docetaxel, methotrexate, azathioprine, vincristine, vinblastine, fluorouracil, doxorubicin hydrochloride, mitomycin, sodium heparin, low molecular weight heparins, heparinoids, heparin derivatives having hydrophobic counter ions, hirudin, argatroban, forskolin, vapiprost, prostacyclin, dextran, D-phe-pro-arg-chloromethylketone, dipyridamole, glycoprotein IIb/IIa platelet membrane receptor antagonist antibody, recombinant hirudin, and thrombin, angiopeptin, captopril, cilazapril, lisinopril, nifedipine, colchicine, fibroblast growth factor (FGF) antagonists, fish oil (ω-3-fatty acid), histamine antagonists, lovastatin, monoclonal antibodies, nitroprusside, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, prostaglandin inhibitors, suramin, serotonin blockers, steroids, thioprotease inhibitors, triazolopyrimidine, nitric oxide, permirolast potassium, alpha-interferon, genetically engineered epithelial cells, rapamycin, everolimus and dexamethasone.
In an aspect of this invention the biodegradable hydrophobic polymer further comprises one or more constitutional unit(s) derived from one or more therapeutic substance(s).
In an aspect of this invention the therapeutic substance(s) which comprise one or more constitutional units is(are) selected from the group consisting of salicylic acid, nitric oxide, poly(ethylene glycol), heparin, low molecular weight heparin, hepariniods and hyaluronic acid.
In an aspect of this invention the biodegradable hydrophobic polymer comprises a block copolymer of polyethylene glycol and poly(butylene terephthalate).
In an aspect of this invention the stent further comprises an alternative polymer.
The polymers describe herein are useful for the fabrication and/or coating of implantable medical devices, in particular stents, in that they not only have the requisite mechanical properties but they also biodegrade by surface erosion rather than by bulk erosion. They thus would be expected to at least drastically reduce and preferably eliminate large particle formation and release during biodegradation.
As used herein, “alkyl” refers to a straight or branched chain fully saturated (no double or triple bonds) hydrocarbon group. An alkyl group of this invention may comprise from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, more preferably at present 1 to 12 carbon atoms and still more preferably at present 1 to 6 carbon atoms.
with alkyl as defined above. Alkyl1 and alkyl2 may be the same or different.
As used herein, “fabrication” or “fabricating” refers to the construction of, or formation of a device from a composition comprising a polymer of this invention. The fabrication, that is, the construction or formation, may include other materials but the primary material(s) is(are) the polymer(s) described herein that provide the device with the characteristics likewise discussed herein.
As used herein, “biodegradable” and “bierodible” unless otherwise expressly stated are interchangeable and refer to the cleaving of bonds in a polymer chain primarily by aqueous hydrolysis as the result of contact with water in blood and other bodily fluids at physiological pH, i.e., around 7-7.5, resulting in the fragmentation of the polymer and eventual decomposition of a device or coating that is comprised of the polymer(s). The process may be catalyzed by enzymes and other endogenous biological compounds.
As used herein, “hydrophobic” refers to a polymer that lacks an affinity for water. That is, it tends to repel water, to not dissolve in, mix with or be wetted by water or to do so only to a very limited degree and to not absorb water or, again, to do so only to a very limited degree. With regard to polymers, generally hydrophobicity increase with increasing alkyl content in the polymer backbone, that is, the greater the alkyl content in one or more of the constitutional units of the polymer. The hydrophobicity of a polymer may be characterized by determining the static contact angle of droplets of distilled water on a surface of the polymer. The greater the contact angle, the more hydrophobic the polymer. Generally speaking, a contact angle of greater than 90° indicates a hydrophobic polymer. The specifics or such measurements will not be presented here since they are well-known to those skilled in the art.
As used herein, “water-labile bonds” refers to the bonds in chemical functional groups that hydrolyze; that is, break apart to give two separate molecules, by reaction with water, a reaction that may be affected by the catalytic influence of, without limitation, an acid, base, nucleophile or enzyme. Examples of water-labile bonds include, without limitation, the C—O bond of an ester, orthoester or anhydride and the C—N bond of an amide or imide.
In general, a wide variety of monomers may afford the same constitutional unit depending on the polymerization method employed. With regard to the polymers herein, any monomer that results in the formation of the constitutional units shown herein is within the scope of this invention.
As used herein, a therapeutic substance or agent refers to a compound that, when administered to a patient has a beneficial effect relating to the health and well-being of the patient. Therapeutic substances may be, without limitation, small molecule drugs, large molecule drugs, peptides, antibodies, proteins, enzymes, oligonucleotides, DNAs or RNAs.
As used herein, the “vascular system” refers to the arteries and veins that carry blood throughout the body. This includes, without limitation, the cardiovascular system, those arteries and veins that carry blood directly to the heart and the peripheral vascular system, those arteries and veins that carry blood to the peripheral organs such as, without limitation, the arms, legs, kidneys and liver.
As used herein, a “composition” refers to a physical mixture of discrete components brought together to accomplish a particular objective. For example, a stent or a coating for a stent may comprise a composition comprising, without limitation, one or more polymers, one or more therapeutic substances and one or more additives such as plasticizers and the like.
Bulk erosion occurs when hydrolytic forces gain access to water-labile bonds throughout the mass of a polymer at a rate that competes effectively with the rate of hydrolysis of the water-labile bonds. The result is uncontrollable degradation throughout the entire mass of the polymer that can result in the release of large pieces of polymer that can cause thrombi and other problems at sites potentially distant from the original location of the polymer. Water accessibility to the labile bonds is governed largely by the hydrophobicity of the polymer, which in turn depends on the hydrophobicity of the individual monomers and the relative amount of each monomer in the polymer. In addition, the level of reactivity of the water-labile bonds in the polymer will also affect how a polymer degrades; If the bonds are sufficiently labile, i.e., if they hydrolyze at a sufficiently rapid rate, then bonds exposed at the surface of a mass of polymer will naturally hydrolyze sooner than those to which water must first gain access through the bulk of the polymer. Thus a suitable balance of hydrophobicity and bond lability should insure that a biodegradable hydrophobic polymer will erode from an exposed surface of the polymer inward rather than in bulk mode as described above.
The biodegradable hydrophobic polymers herein contain water-labile bonds interconnecting the constitutional units of the polymer. The water-labile bonds include, without limitation, esters, orthoesters, anhydrides and imides. Other bonds such as, without limitation, ethers, amides, urethanes, etc. may also be present in the polymer but the propensity of the polymer to surface erosion rather than bulk erosion relates to the overall hydrophobicity of the polymer and the content and reactivity of the water-labile linkages in the polymer. That is, the overall hydrophobic nature of the polymer precludes or at least inhibits the incursion of water into the polymer's interior while water-labile linkages exposed on the polymer's surface hydrolyze resulting in the degradation of the polymer from the outermost surface of the bulk polymer, be it a device made of the polymer of a coating of the polymer on a device, inward rather than by bulk mode erosion.
When the implantable medical device is a stent, imide and/or ester bonds are presently preferred to confer on the polymer the necessary strength to provide the support that is required of such device. If the polymer is to be used as a coating on an implantable device, imide and/or ester bonds impart sufficient strength to the layer of polymer to prevent the coating from flaking off or otherwise becoming detached as the coated device undergoes distortion caused by radial and longitudinal fluctuations as it is transported to its site of implantation and as it is deployed once at the site.
The number of imide or ester bonds that are incorporated in the polymer material not only affects the ultimate strength and flexibility of the stent and/or the stent coating, but also affects the rate at which the material degrades when subjected to blood flow.
As used herein, the formula [-x-/-y-/-z-/ . . . ] (r, s, t, . . . ), represents a polymer in which x, y, z, etc. are the constitutional units of the polymer. The formula as written, unless expressly stated to be otherwise, refers to any of a regular alternating polymer, a random alternating polymer, a regular block polymer, a random block polymer or a purely random polymer. A regular alternating polymer has the general structure, x-y-z-x-y-z-x-y-z- . . . . A random alternating polymer has the general structure, x-y-x-z-x-y-z-y-z-x-y- . . . , it being understood that the exact juxtaposition of the various constitution units may vary. A regular block polymer, with the same proviso regarding juxtaposition of constitutional units apply equally to the juxtaposition of blocks, to the number of constitutional units in each block and to the number of blocks, has the general structure, x-x-x-y-y-y-z-z-z-x-x-x . . . , while a random block polymer has the general structure, x-x-x-z-z-x-x-y-y-y-y-z-z-z-x-x-z-z-z- . . . .
In the above general polymeric structure, r, s, t, etc., refer to the weight percent (wt %) of each constitutional unit and n refers to the average molecular weight of the polymer. The average molecular weight of a polymer herein may be determined by a number of methods known to those skilled in the art but, at present, size exclusion chromatography is the preferred method. For poly(TMIT-SBA-PCPP) to have sufficient strength as a stent, a content of the imide-containing constitutional unit is presently preferably between about 20% and about 40 wt %.
As above, r and s refer to the wt % of the two constitutional units of the polymer and n refers to the average molecular weight of the polymer.
It should be noted that one of the degradation products of poly(PCPX-co-OCPSA) is salicylic acid (SA), which is an antiplatelet agent in its own right and which may provide additional beneficial effects upon degradation at the site of implantation.
in which, as before, r and s refer to the wt % of each constitutional unit and n is the average molecular weight of the polymer.
Again, r, s, and t represent the wt % of each constitutional unit and n is the average molecular weight of the polymer.
wherein r and s represent the wt % percent of each constitutional unit and n represents the average molecular weight of the polymer.
wherein r and s represent the wt % of each constitutional unit and n is the average molecular weight of the polymer. To achieve the proper balance between hydrophobicity and water-lability, it is present preferred that s be less than about 30 wt %.
Another polyester that can be used to fabricate and/or coat implantable medical devices is a block-copolymer of lactic acid with ethylene glycol (EG). Such block copolymers can be prepared by polymerization of lactic acid and ethylene glycol induced by a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) macroinitiator.
The above block copolymer will degrade in the presence of water in the body to give lactic acid and PEG. Lactic acid is relatively innocuous biologically while PEG is known to reduce smooth muscle cell proliferation and thus should aid in the inhibition of restenosis when the implantable medical device is a vascular stent.
A further PEG-containing polyester suitable for fabrication or coating of an implantable medical device in accordance with the present invention is a block-copolymer of PEG with polybutyleneterephthalate (PBT). This block-copolymer can be obtained by trans-esterification of the butyl ester end groups of PBT with PEG.
An example of a polyorthoester suitable making a stent and/or a stent coating in accordance with the present invention includes the product of transesterification of trimethylorthoacetate with 1,2,6-hexanetriol.
For any of the polyester-containing polymers described above, a content of ester-derived units of between about 20 wt % and about 40 wt % is presently preferred in order to obtain a medical device having sufficient strength for use as a stent.
With regard to each of the polymers exemplified herein, the value of n is presently preferably greater than 50,000 Da. The upper end of the molecular weights of the polymers herein is limited only by the limits of processability of the polymer. That is, above a certain n, the bulk properties of the polymer are such that the polymer is not processable, i.e., cannot be melted, molded, extruded, coated, etc. under commercially viable conditions. With regard to any particular polymer, that value of n will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Likewise, the values of r, s and t, except where presently preferred ranges are expressly set forth herein, will be readily determinable by those skilled in the art without undue experimentation based on the disclosures herein.
Table 1 presents the summary of the above polymers and also shows the monomers used to synthesize them.
Increasing the imide content, i.e., the wt % of imide, of a polymer herein results in higher material strength. In addition, flexibility of polyanhydrides like p(MA-SBA) can be increased by increasing the wt % of maleic acid dimer.
One or more therapeutic agent(s) may be optionally added to the polymers to create a composition useful for localized sustained delivery of the agents to a patient at the site of implantation of a medical device. The therapeutic agent may be incorporated during the polymerization process or it may be blended with the polymer after it is formed. Blending may be accomplished either in solution or in a melt state. Some therapeutic agents can be chemically incorporated into the backbone of a polymer herein, or can be chemically bonded to the polymer backbone as a pendant group. Therapeutic agents that could be incorporated into the backbone of, or as a pendent group to, a polymer herein include, without limitation, salicylic acid, nitric oxide, PEG, heparin, low molecular weight heparins, heparinoids and hyaluronic acid.
Examples, without limitation, of therapeutic agents that may be used with the polymers of this invention include, without limitation, antiproliferative substances such as actinomycin D, or derivatives and analogs thereof. Synonyms of actinomycin D include dactinomycin, actinomycin IV, actinomycin I1 actinomycin X1, and actinomycin C1. The Therapeutic agent may be an antineoplastic, anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet, anticoagulant, antifibrin, antithrombin, antimitotic, antibiotic, antiallergic or antioxidant substances. Examples of antineoplastics and/or antimitotics include paclitaxel, docetaxel, methotrexate, azathioprine, vincristine, vinblastine, fluorouracil, doxorubicin hydrochloride, and mitomycin. Examples of antiplatelets, anticoagulants, antifibrin, and antithrombins include sodium heparin, low molecular weight heparins, heparinoids, heparin derivatives having hydrophobic counter ions, hirudin, argatroban, forskolin, vapiprost, prostacyclin and prostacyclin analogues, dextran, D-phe-pro-arg-chloromethylketone (synthetic antithrombin), dipyridamole, glycoprotein IIb/IIa platelet membrane receptor antagonist antibody, recombinant hirudin, and thrombin. Examples of cytostatic or antiproliferative agents include angiopeptin, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors such as captopril, cilazapril or lisinopril, calcium channel blockers (such as nifedipine), colchicine, fibroblast growth factor (FGF) antagonists, fish oil (ω-3-fatty acid), histamine antagonists, lovastatin (an inhibitor of HMG-COA reductase, a cholesterol lowering drug), monoclonal antibodies (such as those specific for Platelet-Derived Growth Factor (PDGF) receptors), nitroprusside, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, prostaglandin inhibitors, suramin, serotonin blockers, steroids, thioprotease inhibitors, triazolopyrimidine (a PDGF antagonist), and nitric oxide. An example of an antiallergic agent is permirolast potassium. Other therapeutic substances or agents which may be appropriate include alpha-interferon, genetically engineered epithelial cells, rapamycin and its derivatives (one example of which is everolimus available from Novartis Corp.), and dexamethasone.
As used herein, “low molecular weight heparins” refers to fragments of unfractionated heparin. Whereas unfractionated heparin is a heterogeneous mixture of highly sulfated polysaccharide chains ranging in molecular weight from about 3,000 to about 30,000 DA, low molecular weight heparins have a molecular weight between about 4,000 and about 6,000 DA. The term “low molecular weight heparins” and the molecules to which the term refers are well-known to those skilled in the medical arts.
As used herein, “heparinoids” refers to naturally-occurring and synthetic highly sulfated polysaccharides that are structurally similar to heparin. Examples, without limitation, of heparinoids are danaparoid sodium, fondaparinux and idraparinux. As with low molecular weight heparins, heparinoids are well-known to those skilled in the medical arts.
Examples of the implantable medical device include stents, stent-grafts, grafts (e.g., aortic grafts), artificial heart valves, cerebrospinal fluid shunts, pacemaker electrodes, coronary shunts and endocardial leads (e.g., FINELINE and ENDOTAK, available from Guidant Corporation). The underlying structure of the device can be of virtually any design. A presently preferred implantable medical device is a vascular stent.
A vascular stent may be formed by any of a number of well-known methods including the extrusion of the polymer into the shape of a tube. Pre-selected patterns of voids can then be formed into the tube in order to define a plurality of spines or struts that impart a degree of flexibility and expandability to the tube. Alternatively, the drug loaded polymer may be applied to the selected surfaces of a stent made of, for example, stainless steel. The stent can be, for example, immersed in the molten polymer or sprayed with a liquid form of the polymer. Or a polymer may be extruded in the form of a tube which is then co-drawn with a tube of stainless steel, or other suitable metallic materials or alloys. By co-drawing two tubes of the polymer with the metal tube, one positioned about the exterior of the metal tube and another positioned within the metal tube, a tube having multi-layered walls is formed. Subsequent perforation of the tube walls to define a pre-selected pattern of spines or struts imparts the desired flexibility and expandability to the tube to create a stent.
The polymer listed in Table 1 can be blended or coated with one or more additional polymers, referred to herein as “alternative polymers.” One example of an alternative polymer is poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol), also known under the trade name EVAL and distributed commercially by Aldrich Chemical Company of Milwaukee, Wis. EVAL is also manufactured by EVAL Company of America, Lisle, Ill. EVAL is a product of hydrolysis of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers. EVAL may also be a terpolymer and may include up to 5% (molar) of units derived from styrene, propylene and other suitable unsaturated monomers.
Other examples of alternative polymers include poly(hydroxyvalerate), polycaprolactone, poly(lactide-co-glycolide), poly(hydroxybutyrate), poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-valerate), polydioxanone, poly(glycolic acid), polyphosphoester, polyphosphoester urethane, poly(amino acids), cyanoacrylates, poly(iminocarbonate), copoly(ether-esters) (e.g. PEO/PLA), polyalkylene oxalates, polyphosphazenes, polyurethanes, silicones, polyolefins,, polyisobutylene and ethylene-alphaolefin copolymers, acrylic polymers and copolymers, vinyl halide polymers and copolymers, such as polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl ethers, such as polyvinyl methyl ether, polyvinylidene halides, such as polyvinylidene fluoride and polyvinylidene chloride, polyacrylonitrile, polyvinyl ketones, polyvinyl aromatics, such as polystyrene, polyvinyl esters, such as polyvinyl acetate, copolymers of vinyl monomers with each other and olefins, such as ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymers, acrylonitrile-styrene copolymers, ABS resins, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, polyamides, such as Nylon 66 and polycaprolactam, alkyd resins, polycarbonates, polyoxymethylenes, polyimides, polyethers, epoxy resins, polyurethanes, rayon, rayon-triacetate, cellulose, cellulose acetate, cellulose butyrate, cellulose acetate butyrate, cellophane, cellulose nitrate, cellulose propionate, cellulose ethers, carboxymethyl cellulose, and biomolecules, such as fibrin, fibrinogen, cellulose, starch, collagen and hyaluronic acid.
The following examples are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended nor should they be construed as limiting the scope of this invention in any manner whatsoever.
(d) the balance, dioxane solvent.
The first composition is applied onto the stent and dried to form a drug-polymer layer. The composition is applied onto the stent by any conventional method, for example, by spraying or dipping. A primer layer (e.g., the above formulation without the therapeutically active substance) can be optionally applied on the surface of the bare stent prior to the application of the drug-polymer layer.
For a stent having a length of 13 mm and diameter of 3 mm, the total amount of solids of the matrix layer can be about 300 micrograms (corresponding to the thickness of between about 15 and 20 microns). “Solids” means the amount of the dry residue deposited on the stent after all volatile organic compounds (e.g., the solvent) have been removed.
(c) the balance, dioxane solvent.
The second composition is applied onto the dried drug-polymer layer and dried, to form an optional topcoat layer. The topcoat layer can be applied by any conventional method and can have, for example, a total solids weight of about 200 μg.
The third composition is applied onto the topcoat layer and dried, to form an optional finishing coat layer. The finishing coat layer can be applied by any conventional method and can have, for example, a total solids weight of about 150 μg.
The first composition is applied onto a stent to form a drug-polymer layer with about 300 μg of total solids.
The second composition is applied onto the dried drug-polymer layer and dried to form an optional topcoat layer. The topcoat layer can have, for example, a total solids weight of about 200 μg.
The third composition is applied onto the topcoat layer and dried, to form the optional finishing coat layer. The finishing coat layer can have, for example, a total solids weight of about 150 μg.
(c) the balance, a solvent mixture containing about equal mass amounts of dimethylacetamide (DMAC) and tethrahydrofurane (THF).
(b) the balance, a solvent mixture containing about equal mass amounts of DMAC and THF.
The second composition is applied onto the dried drug-polymer layer to form an optional topcoat layer. The topcoat layer can have, for example, a total solids weight of about 200 μg.
The three examples of the formulations above can be summarized as shown in Table 2.
While certain embodiments of the present invention are described above, it is understood that changes and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art based on the disclosures herein; all such changes and disclosures are within the scope of this invention.
1. A stent fabricated from or coated with a composition comprising a bioerodible hydrophobic polymer having a plurality of water-labile bonds wherein the polymer has sufficient mechanical strength to withstand forces present in mammalian vascular systems and also bioerodes from its surface inward.
2. The stent of claim 1, wherein the water-labile bonds comprise one or more bond type(s) independently selected from the group consisting of ester bonds, orthoester bonds, anhydride bonds, imide bonds and combinations thereof.
3. The stent of claim 2, wherein the water labile bonds comprise a constitutional unit derived from trimellitylimido-L-tyrosine.
4. The stent of claim 3, wherein the constitutional unit derived from trimellitylimido-L-tyrosine comprises from about 20 to about 40 wt % of the hydrophobic polymer.
5. The stent of claim 2, wherein the water labile bonds comprise one or more constitutional unit(s) derived from a compound or compounds independently selected from the group consisting of sebacic acid, di-ortho-carboxyphenyl sebacate, salicylic acid, maleic acid, 1,3-bis-para-carboxyphenoxy-propane, 1,6-bis-para-carboxyphenoxy hexane, trimellitylimido-L-tyrosine, terephthalic acid, L-lactic acid, D-lactic acid, DL-lactic acid, L-aspartic acid and 4-hydroxy-L-proline.
6. The stent of claim 5, wherein the water-labile bonds further comprise one or more constitutional unit(s) derived from a compound or compounds selected from the group consisting of 1,10-decanediol, ethylene glycol, and 1,2,6-hexanetriol.
7. The stent of claim 2, wherein the water-labile bond(s) comprise one or more constitutional unit(s) derived from a compound or compounds selected from the group consisting of tri(1C-12C)alkyl ortho(1C-12C)carboxylates.
8. The stent of claim 6, wherein the water-labile bond(s) further comprise one or more constitutional unit(s) derived from a compound or compounds selected from the group consisting of tri(1C-12C)alkyl ortho(1C-12C)carboxylates.
9. The stent of claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic polymer comprises constitutional units derived from trimellitylimido-L-tyrosine, sebacic acid and 1,3-bis(para-carboxyphenoxy)propane.
10. The stent of claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic polymer comprises constitutional units derived from 1,6-bis(para-carboxyphenoxy)hexane and di-ortho-carboxyphenoxysebacate acetic anhydride.
11. The stent of claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic polymer comprises constitutional units derived from maleic acid and sebacic acid.
12. The stent of claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic polymer comprises constitutional units derived from 1,3-bis(para-carboxyphenoxy)propane, sebacic acid and salicylic acid.
13. The stent of claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic polymer comprises constitutional units derived from 1,2,6-hexanetriol and trimethylorthoacetate.
14. The stent of claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic polymer comprises constitutional units derived from poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(butylene terephthalate).
15. The stent of claim 1, further comprising one or more therapeutic substance(s).
16. The stent of claim 15, wherein the therapeutic substance(s) is(are) selected from the group consisting of actinomycin D, paclitaxel, docetaxel, methotrexate, azathioprine, vincristine, vinblastine, fluorouracil, doxorubicin hydrochloride, mitomycin, sodium heparin, low molecular weight heparins, heparinoids, heparin derivatives having hydrophobic counter ions, hirudin, argatroban, forskolin, vapiprost, prostacyclin, dextran, D-phe-pro-arg-chloromethylketone, dipyridamole, glycoprotein IIb/IIIa platelet membrane receptor antagonist antibody, recombinant hirudin, and thrombin, angiopeptin, captopril, cilazapril, lisinopril, nifedipine, colchicine, fibroblast growth factor (FGF) antagonists, fish oil (ω-3-fatty acid), histamine antagonists, lovastatin, monoclonal antibodies, nitroprusside, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, prostaglandin inhibitors, suramin, serotonin blockers, steroids, thioprotease inhibitors, triazolopyrimidine, nitric oxide, permirolast potassium, alpha-interferon, genetically engineered epithelial cells, rapamycin, everolimus and dexamethasone.
17. The stent of claim 1, wherein the biodegradable hydrophobic polymer further comprises one or more constitutional unit(s) derived from one or more therapeutic substance(s).
18. The stent of claim 17, wherein the therapeutic substance(s) is(are) selected from the group consisting of salicylic acid, nitric oxide, poly(ethylene glycol), heparin, low molecular weight heparin, hepariniods and hyaluronic acid.
19. The stent of claim 1, wherein the biodegradable hydrophobic polymer comprises a block copolymer of polyethylene glycol and poly(butylene terephthalate).
20. The stent of claim 1, further comprising an alternative polymer. | 2019-04-22T03:32:11Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/US20050232971A1/en |
Wuchereria bancrofti (Wb) and Mansonella perstans (Mp) are blood-borne filarial parasites that are endemic in many countries of Africa, including Mali. The geographic distribution of Wb and Mp overlaps considerably with that of malaria, and coinfection is common. Although chronic filarial infection has been shown to alter immune responses to malaria parasites, its effect on clinical and immunologic responses in acute malaria is unknown.
To address this question, 31 filaria-positive (FIL+) and 31 filaria-negative (FIL−) children and young adults, matched for age, gender and hemoglobin type, were followed prospectively through a malaria transmission season. Filarial infection was defined by the presence of Wb or Mp microfilariae on calibrated thick smears performed between 10 pm and 2 am and/or by the presence of circulating filarial antigen in serum. Clinical malaria was defined as axillary temperature ≥37.5°C or another symptom or sign compatible with malaria infection plus the presence of asexual malaria parasites on a thick blood smear. Although the incidence of clinical malaria, time to first episode, clinical signs and symptoms, and malaria parasitemia were comparable between the two groups, geometric mean hemoglobin levels were significantly decreased in FIL− subjects at the height of the transmission season compared to FIL+ subjects (11.4 g/dL vs. 12.5 g/dL, p<0.01). Plasma levels of IL-1ra, IP-10 and IL-8 were significantly decreased in FIL+ subjects at the time of presentation with clinical malaria (99, 2145 and 49 pg/ml, respectively as compared to 474, 5522 and 247 pg/ml in FIL− subjects).
These data suggest that pre-existent filarial infection attenuates immune responses associated with severe malaria and protects against anemia, but has little effect on susceptibility to or severity of acute malaria infection. The apparent protective effect of filarial infection against anemia is intriguing and warrants further study in a larger cohort.
In many regions of the world, including sub-Saharan Africa, concomitant infection with multiple parasites is common. In order to examine the effects of filariasis, a chronic helminth infection, on immune responses and clinical manifestations of acute malaria infection, the authors followed 31 filaria-infected (FIL+) and 31 filaria-uninfected (FIL–) individuals living in a malaria-endemic area of Mali through an entire malaria transmission season for the development of clinical malaria (fever or other symptoms of malaria in the setting of detectable blood parasites). Serum levels of inflammatory cytokines previously associated with severe malaria were decreased in FIL+ subjects at the time of acute clinical malaria. Although there were no differences between FIL+ and FIL– subjects with respect to the time of first episode of malaria or the number or severity of malaria episodes, filarial infection appeared to protect against the development of anemia during the malaria transmission season. These findings demonstrate that chronic filarial infection modulates the immune response to acute malaria. The apparent effect on anemia is intriguing and deserves further study.
Funding: This work was funded by the Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Filarial infections and malaria are coendemic in many areas of the world, including sub-Saharan Africa, where human coinfection with malaria and filarial parasites is common , , . Chronic filarial (helminth) infection is associated with skewing of parasite-specific immune responses towards a Th2/Treg cytokine pattern . Furthermore, studies have demonstrated extension of this skewing of the immune response in helminth-infected individuals to bystander antigens with clinically relevant effects on responses to immunization with tetanus toxoid , and oral cholera vaccine . In contrast to tissue invasive helminth infection, malaria is characterized by an acute inflammatory response with increases in serum proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine levels, including IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNFα, IP-10, IL-1ra and IL-12p70 , , , , , , . Although several of these mediators have been implicated in control of the infection , , they are also associated with increased severity of clinical disease , , , . Consequently, with the implementation of worldwide programs to eliminate filariasis and other helminth infections, questions have arisen regarding the impact of antifilarial chemotherapy (and de-worming) on immune responses to acute malaria infection and the potential effect of this immune modulation on malaria morbidity and mortality .
A number of studies have demonstrated that chronic filarial infection can suppress human immune responses to malarial antigens in vitro, including a recent study that showed an association of patent filarial infection with decreased malaria antigen-specific IL-12p70/IFNγ production . This effect was reversed by the addition of neutralizing antibodies to IL-10. Furthermore, filaria-infected individuals with asymptomatic malaria parasitemia have been shown to have lower frequencies of malaria-specific Th1 and Th17 cells . Despite clear evidence for chronic modulation of malaria-specific immune responses in vitro, few studies have addressed the effects of chronic filarial infection on immune responses and clinical outcomes in the setting of acute malaria in human populations.
The current study was designed to determine if pre-existent filarial infection alters the frequency and/or severity of clinical malaria in children and young adults in a coendemic area in Mali where malaria transmission follows a seasonal pattern. Cytokine profiles at the time of presentation with acute malaria were also compared between subjects with and without concomitant filarial infection.
The study was designed as a matched prospective study of the effects of filarial infection on the incidence, severity and immune responses to malaria infection.
The study was conducted in the villages of Tieneguebougou and Bougoudiana in the district of Kolokani, approximately 105 km northwest of Bamako, Mali, between June 2007 and December 2007. Prior studies in these villages had demonstrated a high prevalence of Wuchereria bancrofti (Wb) and Mansonella perstans (Mp) microfilaremia in the population, but no evidence of onchocerciasis. A single round of mass drug administration (MDA) with ivermectin and albendazole was conducted by the National Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis prior to the study in May 2006, and study subjects participated in a second round of MDA during the study in August 2007. Malaria transmission in this region is seasonal (June–December) with a cumulative EIR of 19.2 infective bites/person in a neighboring village in 2000 .
The study flowchart and selection of study participants is shown in Figure 1. Non-pregnant volunteers (n = 539) of both genders, aged from 1 to 20 years, were screened with a brief medical history and physical examination. Subjects with evidence of severe or chronic illness, a history of allergy to anthelmintic or antimalarial agents or plans to relocate out of the village during the study were excluded, as were subjects who refused venipuncture or had difficult venous access. The remaining subjects underwent laboratory testing, including pregnancy testing (if appropriate), hemoglobin (Hgb) measurement using a portable analyzer (Hemocue, Lake Forest, CA), Hgb typing by HPLC (D-10 instrument; Bio-Rad, http://www.bio-rad.com), daytime thick smear for detection of malaria and/or Mp infection, and circulating antigen (CAg) ELISA for Wb (TropBio, Townsville, Australia). Based on these results, potential participants were divided into two groups: 1) FIL+: individuals with confirmed active filarial infection with Wb and/or Mp, as defined by the presence of CAg and/or microfilaremia (mf) and 2) FIL−: individuals without evidence of active filarial infection (negative for CAg and mf). Thirty-one FIL+ subjects were identified and matched to FIL− subjects on the basis of gender, age (within 4 years), and Hgb type. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency was assessed by restriction enzyme analysis in all 62 subjects. Filarial infection status was confirmed at the time of enrollment in the prospective study, and reassessed after 3 and 6 months by Nuclepore™ filtration of 1 ml of blood drawn between 10 pm and 2 am and CAg ELISA (TropBio).
All participants were evaluated weekly throughout the malaria transmission season. At each visit, symptoms and signs of clinical malaria were assessed, and if present, blood was obtained from a finger stick for preparation of Giemsa-stained thick and thin blood smears for detection and speciation of malaria parasites and Hgb measurement. In addition, subjects were encouraged to present to the study physician for evaluation if they felt ill. Blood smears and Hgb determinations were also performed at the start of the study and monthly thereafter, regardless of the presence of clinical signs or symptoms. Reading of these monthly blood smears was deferred until the end of the study unless the subject was symptomatic at the time of the blood draw. To minimize the potential effects of concomitant helminth infection, all subjects were treated with single dose praziquantel (40 mg/kg) and albendazole (400 mg) at the start of the study. Albendazole treatment was repeated every two months during the study period.
Clinical malaria was defined as the presence of fever (axillary temperature ≥37.5°C) or another symptom or sign compatible with malaria infection plus the presence of asexual malaria parasites on a thick blood smear. Malaria parasitemia was determined by counting the number of asexual P. falciparum parasites on Giemsa stained thick blood films until 300 leukocytes were observed. All slides were read by two independent microscopists, and differences of >10% were resolved by an expert microscopist. Parasite densities were calculated by multiplying the mean value for the two readers by 25 to give parasites/microliter.
Cases of uncomplicated malaria were treated with standard recommended doses of artesunate-amodiaquine (4 mg/kg artesunate and 10 mg/kg amodiaquine per day for 3 days). Cases of therapeutic failure were treated with quinine (10 mg/kg/day for 3 days). On days 1, 2, 3, 7 and 14 following treatment, subjects were evaluated for clinical signs and symptoms, and malaria smears and Hgb measurements were performed. Plasma levels of interferon (IFN)γ, interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-1ra, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IP-10, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α were measured in plasma samples obtained prior to treatment by suspension array in multiplex (Millipore Corp, St. Charles, MO), according to the manufacturer's instructions. The limits of detection of the assay are 0.5 pg/ml for IFNγ, 0.63 pg/ml for IL-1α, 0.19 pg/ml for IL-1β, 10.97 pg/ml for IL-1ra, 0.79 pg/ml for IL-6, 0.32 pg/ml for IL-8, 0.41 pg/ml for IL-10, 0.23 pg/ml for IL-12p70, 1.14 pg/ml for IP-10, and 0.22 pg/ml for TNFα.
The study (NCT00471666) was approved by the ethical review committees of the Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Dentistry at the University of Bamako (Mali) and of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (Bethesda, Maryland). Community permission for the study was obtained from village elders, and individual oral or written informed consent (for subjects ≥18 years of age) or parental informed consent and assent (for subjects <18 years of age) was obtained from all participants in French or Bambara, the local language. Oral consent was obtained for illiterate participants and parents of participants as approved by the ethical review committees and was documented by the signatures of a member of the study team and a witness.
The ratio of the rates of clinical malaria events was calculated by Poisson regression adjusting for the time at risk . Person-season was defined as the sum of the days at risk for all subjects during the first season divided by 168 days (24 weeks). The time to first episode of clinical malaria analysis used the Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards . Differences between the two groups were tested using the Mann-Whitney test (continuous responses) or Fisher's exact test (binary responses). Confidence intervals (CI) on the ratio of geometric means (GM) were calculated using a t-test on the log-transformed values and CIs on the difference in arithmetic means (for temperature) used t-tests on untransformed values. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to test for changes over time and Spearman rank for assessment of correlation. Analyses were done in R or GraphPad Prism (V5.0).
Baseline characteristics for the two groups are shown in Table 1. Overall, the subjects had a median age of 13 years, 65% were male, and the majority had normal Hgb (HgbAA). G6PD deficiency was present in 6/62 (14%) subjects and was equally common in the two groups. Baseline GM Hgb was similar between subjects with and without filariasis (12 g/dL in both groups). Malaria parasites were detected in a high proportion of subjects at baseline in both groups (58.1% and 64.5% in FIL+ and FIL−, respectively), but among those with detectable malaria parasites, parasitemia was low (GM 233 parasites/µl in FIL+ and 147/µl in FIL−, respectively; p = 0.06), with a level >1000 malaria parasites/µl in only one subject in the FIL− group. No intestinal helminth infections were detected in any of the subjects by stool examination, although intestinal protozoa (Giardia and Entamoeba) were found in 4 and 11 subjects, respectively.
Filarial status was assessed at baseline and at 3 and 6 months. Among the 31 FIL+ subjects, 11 (35.5%) were infected with Wb and 20 (64.5%) with Mp. Two subjects had detectable Wb microfilariae in the peripheral blood. During the course of the study, 3 FIL+ subjects, all of whom were Mp-infected, became FIL− (Table 2). As expected, the two subjects with Wb microfilaremia cleared their circulating mf at 3 months (after participating in the mass drug administration of ivermectin and albendazole in their village). Eleven FIL− subjects acquired filarial infection during the study: 7 became positive for CAg, 3 for Mp mf and 1 for both CAg and Mp mf.
Table 2. Changes in filarial status over the course of the study.
Although not all subjects were followed for the full 24 weeks season, 51.3 person-seasons of data were available for analysis. During the malaria transmission season, 38 (61%) subjects developed clinical malaria. There was no significant difference in the rates of clinical malaria between the FIL+ and FIL− groups (Rate ratio [FIL+/FIL−] = 0.85; 95% CI 0.49, 1.46; p = 0.56; Figure 2). Similarly, the time to first episode of clinical malaria was comparable with a median time to first episode of 17 weeks in the FIL+ groups and 15 weeks in the FIL− group (Hazard Ratio = 0.77; 95% CI 0.41, 1.45; p = 0.42; Figure 3). GM parasitemia at the time of the first episode of clinical malaria was also comparable between FIL+ and FIL− subjects (584 parasites/µl and 1216 parasites/µl, respectively; p = 0.18; GM ratio = 0.48; 95% CI 0.16, 1.40; Figure 4).
Figure 2. Incidence of clinical malaria.
The bars represent the number of FIL+ (black bars) and FIL− (gray bars) subjects who experienced 0, 1, 2 or 3 episodes of clinical malaria during the first transmission season.
Figure 3. Time to first episode of clinical malaria.
The cumulative % of FIL+ (black line) and FIL− (gray line) subjects who had experienced at least one episode of malaria is shown for each week of the first transmission season (estimated by Kaplan-Meier method to account for subjects who withdrew from the study).
Figure 4. Parasitemia at the time of the first episode of clinical malaria.
The symbols represent individual values for FIL+ (black circles) and FIL− (gray circles) subjects. The horizontal lines represent the GM values for the groups.
Clinical signs and symptoms were similar between the two groups at the time of diagnosis of the first episode of clinical malaria (Table 3), and no subjects met WHO criteria for severe malaria during the study. Fever, as defined by temperature >37.8 degrees was documented in 7/18 FIL+ and 5/20 FIL− subjects during their first episode of clinical malaria (p = 0.49). Mean temperatures were also comparable between the two groups (37.7 vs. 37.4 degrees Celsius in FIL+ and FIL−, respectively; p = 0.15; difference in means = 0.34; 95% CI 0.13, 0.81).
Table 3. Clinical signs and symptoms during first episode of clinical malaria.
Hgb levels were measured monthly throughout the malaria transmission season to provide an indirect measure of chronic malaria morbidity (Figure 5). Values obtained during monthly visits at which clinical malaria was diagnosed were excluded from the analysis. GM Hgb levels were similar between the FIL+ and FIL− subjects at baseline (11.5 g/dL vs. 11.3 g/dL, respectively) and rose significantly in both groups at month 1 (11.5 to 12.2 g/dL in FIL+ and 11.3 to 12.1 g/dL in FIL−; p<0.01, Wilcoxon signed rank test). GM Hgb levels continued to slowly rise over the course of the transmission season in the FIL+ group, but decreased in the FIL− subjects during months 3 and 4 at the height of the malaria transmission season (from 12.1 to 11.4 g/dL; Figure 5) and were significantly lower than the GM Hgb values for the FIL+ group. Of note, the prevalence of asymptomatic malaria parasitemia was similar between the two groups at baseline (Table 1) and remained comparable throughout the transmission season (data not shown).
Figure 5. Hgb levels during monthly asymptomatic visits.
GM Hgb with 95% confidence intervals are show for FIL+ (black) and FIL− (gray) subjects over time. *p<0.05, Mann-Whitney.
Plasma levels of cytokines and chemokines previously reported to be associated with the severity of acute malaria were measured at the time of presentation with clinical malaria in FIL+ (n = 10) and FIL− (n = 14) subjects. Among the analytes measured, GM levels of IL-1ra, IP-10 and IL-8 were all significantly decreased in FIL+ subjects (99, 2145 and 49 pg/ml, respectively) as compared to FIL− subjects (474, 5522 and 247 pg/ml, respectively; Figure 6). In contrast, GM plasma levels of IL-10 were increased in FIL+ subjects (172 pg/ml) as compared to FIL− subjects (62 pg/ml), although this difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.08). Plasma levels of IFNγ, IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12p70 and TNFα were comparable between the two groups.
Figure 6. Plasma cytokine and chemokine levels at the time of acute malaria.
In keeping with prior reports of an association between plasma levels of IP-10 and malarial anemia, plasma IP-10 levels measured at the time of acute clinical malaria were inversely correlated with Hgb levels at the peak of malaria transmission (r = −0.54, 95% CI −0,79, −0.11; p = 0.01; Figure 7). A negative correlation was also observed with the next measured Hgb level after the episode of acute malaria (r = −0.62, 95% CI −0.86, −0.16; p = 0.01; data not shown).
Figure 7. Negative correlation between serum levels of IP-10 during acute malaria and Hgb levels at the peak of malaria transmission.
The symbols represent the values for individual study subjects.
Despite considerable data supporting an effect of chronic helminth infection on immune responses to malaria parasites, longitudinal studies examining the incidence and severity of clinical malaria in helminth-infected and –uninfected individuals have been few. In the present study, 62 children and young adults with (FIL+) and without (FIL−) chronic filarial infection were matched for age, gender and hemoglobin type and followed longitudinally through a malaria transmission season. No significant differences were detected between FIL+ and FIL− subjects with respect to the incidence of clinical malaria, time to first episode of clinical malaria, number of episodes of clinical malaria during the transmission season, parasitemia at first episode, or clinical signs and symptoms at first episode. A prospective study of similar design that examined the effects of coinfection with schistosomiasis on clinical malaria in 338 Malian children aged 4–14 years of age demonstrated a significant increase in the time to first episode of clinical malaria by 10–14 days in coinfected children (p = 0.04), but only in the 4–8 year old age group . Coinfected children, aged 4–8 years, also experienced slightly fewer episodes of clinical malaria (1.55 vs. 1.81 episodes, p = 0.03) during the transmission season. No differences were observed in the incidence of clinical malaria, number of episodes during the transmission season or parasitemia during an episode. Taken together, these two studies suggest that the effect of chronic helminth infection on the incidence and severity of acute clinical malaria is likely small and limited to younger age groups.
Despite the lack of an observable effect on the frequency or severity of clinical malaria, chronic filarial infection appeared to protect against the development of anemia during the height of the malaria transmission season (Figure 5). This is the exact opposite of what has been reported in the setting of hookworm infection , where hemoglobin levels were found to be significantly decreased in coinfected subjects compared to those with either hookworm or malaria infection alone. In the latter study, a protective effect of helminth infection on hemoglobin levels may have been outweighed by gastrointestinal blood loss in the hookworm-infected subjects. Although the mechanism by which chronic helminth infection might protect against anemia remains to be elucidated, there is evidence to suggest that pro-inflammatory cytokines play an important role in mediating malarial anemia .
Prior studies from our group and others have demonstrated increased plasma levels of IL-10, as well as increases in regulatory T cell frequency and function, in children and young adults with helminth infection , , , . More importantly, most studies to date have demonstrated increased production of IL-10 and/or decreased production of inflammatory cytokines in helminth-infected individuals in response to malarial antigen stimulation in vitro , , . In the present study, we examined serum cytokines at the time of acute malaria and found a similar pattern in vivo with a decrease in cytokines/chemokines associated with severe malaria (IL-1ra, IP-10 and IL-8) and an increase, albeit not statistically significant, in IL-10. Interestingly, these results are the opposite of what has been reported in similarly conducted studies of coinfection with schistosomiasis and malaria in Mali, in which coinfected children (4–14 years of age) had increased plasma IL-10 levels at baseline but a blunted response in the setting of malaria infection as compared to children without schistosomiasis . The explanation for this discordance is unclear, but may relate to differences in the age groups of the subjects or characteristics of the infecting helminths studied.
The association between high plasma IP-10 levels and more severe malarial anemia has been reported previously , , and was confirmed in the present study (Figure 7). Of note, in a recent study conducted in Mali, the Fulani, an ethnic group known to be less susceptible to clinical malaria than other ethnic groups, were shown to have significantly higher plasma levels of IP-10 at baseline than Dogon children living in the same area, but no significant change in IP-10 levels in the setting of malaria infection , suggesting that the change in IP-10 levels may be a more important determinant of malarial anemia than baseline levels. In the present study, FIL+ subjects were found to have decreased plasma levels of IP-10 compared to FIL− subjects at the time of acute clinical malaria. Although plasma levels of IP-10 prior to the malaria transmission season were not available for the present study cohort, data from a cross-sectional study of 38 FIL+ and FIL− subjects in the same village suggest that the magnitude of the increase in plasma IP-10 levels in the setting of acute malaria infection was likely to have been greater in the FIL− cohort . Furthermore, as demonstrated in the prior study, this blunting of the inflammatory response to malarial antigen in FIL+ subjects was most likely due to increased IL-10 .
A major anticipated limitation of the present study was the relatively small sample size due to the difficulty in recruiting FIL+ subjects in the younger age groups. Consequently, in order to maximize the possibility of detecting significant differences between the FIL+ and FIL− groups, a matched design was selected. Potential confounding variables, such as baseline malaria parasitemia, intestinal helminth infection, G6PD deficiency, bednet use and location of residence, were also similar between the two groups. Although subjects were not tested for HIV infection, the prevalence of HIV is extremely low in rural Mali and no subjects with clinical evidence of immunodeficiency were identified in the screening. Additional factors that may have diminished differences between the FIL+ and FIL− groups include lasting effects of intestinal helminth infection following treatment, decreased severity of malaria infection due to earlier intervention as a result of the presence of health care personnel in the village (as has been seen in other studies) and the possibility that some FIL− subjects may have had occult (microfilaria-negative) Mp infection or have acquired filariasis during the course of the study. In fact, 8 FIL− subjects became CAg-positive during the study and 4 became microfilaria-positive for Mp. Although these subjects were likely infected at the start of the study, they were considered FIL− for the purposes of the study (intent-to-treat analysis). In view of these considerations, it is likely that small (clinically insignificant) differences in responses between the FIL+ and FIL− groups were missed.
In summary, although pre-existent filarial infection attenuates cytokine/chemokine responses known to be associated with severe malaria, it appears to have little effect on susceptibility to or severity of acute malaria infection in children and young adults living in a malaria-endemic area with seasonal transmission. The apparent protective effect of filarial infection on decreased hemoglobin levels at the height of malaria transmission is intriguing and warrants further study in a larger cohort.
The authors would like to thank the local health care staff of Kolokani for their cooperation and facilitation of the field studies.
Conceived and designed the experiments: HD YIC BD SASD AG MPF SM TBN ADK. Performed the experiments: HD BD SK SYC SSD AAD LS MEC SASD SM ADK. Analyzed the data: HD YIC SASD AG MPF SM TBN ADK. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: AG MPF TBN ADK. Wrote the paper: HD YIC MPF TBN ADK.
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Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made indefeasibly paid in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination; provided, the Secured Partyhowever, at the request and at the expense that all indemnities of the Company, will join Debtors contained in executing any this Agreement shall survive and remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to of this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement shall commence on and as of the Effective Date and continue until Executives employment has terminated and the Security Interest shall terminate on obligations of the date on which all payments under the Notes parties hereunder have terminated or expired or have been made satisfied in full and all other Obligations have been paid accordance with their terms, or dischargedif earlier, upon the execution of a new employment agreement by the parties hereto. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the provisions of the Existing Agreement will continue to apply until a filing by the Company for bankruptcy. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of a filing for bankruptcy by the Company, the terms of the Agreement will join apply and supersede the terms of the Existing Agreement in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed their entirety. As of the Effective Date, the title, responsibilities, salary and filed pursuant to this Agreementbenefits of Executive shall be the same as those that are currently in effect.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest Interests shall terminate terminate, automatically and without any action on the part of the Agent or Secured Parties, on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made indefeasibly paid or otherwise discharged in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged; provided, however, that all indemnities of the parties hereto contained in this Agreement (including, without limitation, Annex B hereto) shall survive and remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the termination of this Agreement. Upon such termination, the The Agent and Secured PartyParties shall, at the Debtor's request and at expense, take any and all action required to discharge any and all security interests and release to Debtor any and all Collateral in the expense Agent's or Secured Parties' possession or control. The Secured Parties hereby agree that the Debtor shall have the right, and the Debtor is hereby authorized, to take all necessary action to cause the termination and release of the Company, will join in executing any all security interests granted hereunder upon termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to of this Agreement, including the filing of one or more UCC termination statements or amendments relating to the Collateral.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Subordinate Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been indefeasibly made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreementindefeasibly paid.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement shall be in full force and effect commencing upon the Security Interest date hereof. This Agreement shall terminate on upon the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made in Consultant's full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense completion of the CompanyConsulting Services. Either Party hereto shall have the right to terminate this Agreement without notice in the event of the death, will join in executing any termination statement bankruptcy, insolvency, or assignment for the benefit of creditors of the other Party. Consultant shall have the right to terminate this Agreement if Company fails to comply with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, including without limitation its responsibilities for compensation as set forth in this Agreement, and such failure continues unremedied for a period of 30 days after written notice to the Company by Consultant. The Company shall have the right to terminate this Agreement upon delivery to Consultant of notice setting forth with specificity facts comprising a material breach of this Agreement by Consultant if such breach shall remain uncured for more than 30 days.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Note have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Debentures have been made in full and all other Obligations of the Company have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made indefeasibly paid in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination; provided, the Secured Partyhowever, at the request that all indemnities contained in this Agreement shall survive and at the expense remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to of this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest Interests shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Debentures have been made indefeasibly paid in full or otherwise satisfied in full and all other Obligations have been paid paid, discharged or dischargedsatisfied in full; provided, however, that all indemnities of the Debtors contained in this Agreement (including, without limitation, Annex B hereto) shall survive and remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the termination of this Agreement. Upon such terminationthe termination of this Agreement, the Secured Party, at Agent shall immediately return to the request and at Company any Collateral that has been delivered to the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed Agent pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Amended Note have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyDebtors, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest Interests shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Note have been made indefeasibly paid in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination; provided, the Secured Partyhowever, at the request and at the expense that all indemnities of the Company, will join Debtor contained in executing any this Agreement shall survive and remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to of this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Debentures have been made in full or have been satisfied and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the each Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyDebtors, will join in executing any termination statement or similar statement with respect to any financing statement or other security instrument executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Note have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this AgreementAgreement and taking any and all other actions reasonably requested by the Company to terminate the Secured Partys Security Interest and release any and all Collateral.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made in full or at such time as the Secured Party fully converts the Notes and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest Interests shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made indefeasibly paid in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination; provided, the Secured Partyhowever, at the request and at the expense that all indemnities of the Company, will join Company contained in executing any this Agreement shall survive and remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to of this AgreementAgreement or the resignation or removal of the Agent.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Note have been made in full or have been satisfied and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the each Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyPledgor, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this AgreementAgreement and promptly deliver to Pledgor any collateral in such Secured Partys possession.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest Interests shall terminate terminate, automatically and without any action on the part of the Agent or Secured Parties, on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made indefeasibly paid or otherwise discharged in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged; provided, however, that all indemnities of the parties hereto contained in this Agreement (including without limitation Annex B hereto) shall survive and remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the termination of this Agreement. Upon such termination, the The Agent and Secured PartyParties shall, at the Debtor's request and at expense, take any and all action required to discharge any and all security interests and release to Debtor any and all Collateral in the expense Agent's or Secured Parties' possession or control. The Secured Parties hereby agree that the Debtor shall have the right, and the Debtor is hereby authorized, to take all necessary action to cause the termination and release of the Company, will join in executing any all security interests granted hereunder upon termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to of this Agreement, including the filing of one or more UCC termination statements or amendments relating to the Collateral.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured PartyParties, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyObligors, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Note have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyDebtors, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which that of all payments amounts due the Secured Party under the Notes have Secured Note has been made in full indefeasibly paid and all other Obligations obligations have been indefeasibly paid or dischargedsatisfied. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest Interests shall terminate terminate, automatically and without any action on the part of the Agent or Secured Parties, on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made indefeasibly paid in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged; provided, however, that all indemnities of the parties hereto contained in this Agreement (including without limitation Annex B hereto) shall survive and remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the termination of this Agreement. Upon such termination, the The Agent and Secured PartyParties shall, at the Debtor's request and at expense, take any and all action required to discharge any and all security interests and release to Debtor any and all Collateral in the expense Agent's or Secured Parties' possession or control. The Secured Parties hereby agree that the Debtor shall have the right to take all necessary action to cause the termination and release of the Company, will join in executing any all security interests granted hereunder upon termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to of this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest security interest in the Collateral granted by the Company to the Purchasers hereunder shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made in full or otherwise converted pursuant to the terms thereof and all other Obligations have been paid or dischargeddischarged in full. Upon Promptly following such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, Purchasers will join in executing any termination statement and other filings with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this AgreementAgreement or required for evidencing termination of this Agreement or the Purchasers' security interest in the Collateral and file any such termination statements or other filings with the appropriate agencies.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Note and the Purchase Agreement have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Debentures have been made indefeasibly paid in full full, the Secured Party ceases to hold any Securities, and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination; provided, the Secured Partyhowever, at the request and at the expense that all indemnities of the Company, will join Debtor contained in executing any this Agreement shall survive and remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to of this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest Interests shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made indefeasibly paid in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged; provided, however, that all indemnities of the Company contained in this Agreement (including, without limitation, Annex B hereto) shall survive and remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the termination of this Agreement. Upon such terminationFollowing termination of this Agreement, the Secured Party, at the request Agent shall take all action and execute all documents at the expense of the Company, will join in executing Company required to ensure the termination of the Security Interest and the prompt return of any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this AgreementPledged Securities.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest Interests shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Debentures have been made indefeasibly paid in full or all Debentures have been converted in accordance with their terms, and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged; provided, however, that all indemnities of the Debtor contained in this Agreement (including, without limitation, Annex B hereto) shall survive and remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the termination of this Agreement. Upon such terminationtermination of this Agreement, the Secured Party, at the request Agent agrees to execute any and at the expense all documents on behalf of the CompanySecured Parties reasonably requested by the Debtor for the release of the Security Interest on the Collateral, will join in executing any including, without limitation, UCC-3 termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreementstatements.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of Execution Copy the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made in full and all other Obligations of the Company have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured PartyParties, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyObligor, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest Interests shall terminate terminate, automatically and without any action on the part of the Agent or Secured Parties, on the date on which all payments under the Notes Debentures have been made indefeasibly paid in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged; provided, however, that all indemnities of the Debtors contained in this Agreement (including, without limitation, Annex B hereto) shall survive and remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the termination of this Agreement. Upon Agent and Secured Parties shall, at Debtors request, take any and all action required to discharge any and all security interests and release to Debtor any and all Collateral in Agents or Secured Parties possession or control. The Secured Parties hereby agree that the Debtor shall have the right to take all necessary action to cause the termination and release of all security interests granted hereunder upon termination of this Agreement and do hereby make, constitute and appoint the Debtor their true and lawful attorney-in-fact, with power, in the name of the Agent and Secured Parties to, after the termination of this Agreement, take any and all such terminationaction on behalf of, and in the name of, the Agent and Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this AgreementParties.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made in full or have been satisfied and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, Party will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest Interests shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Debentures have been made indefeasibly paid in full or otherwise satisfied in full and all other Obligations have been paid paid, discharged or dischargedsatisfied in full; provided, however, that all indemnities of the Debtors contained in this Agreement (including, without limitation, Annex B hereto) shall survive and remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the termination of this Agreement. Upon such terminationthe termination of this Agreement, the Secured Party, at Parties shall immediately return to the request and at Company any Collateral that has been delivered to the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed Secured Parties pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest security interests granted hereunder shall terminate on remain in full force and effect until the date on which all payments Secured Obligations under the Notes Credit Agreement have been made satisfied in full and all other Obligations the Commitments have been paid or dischargedterminated, at which time the Administrative Agent shall release and terminate the security interests granted to it hereunder. Upon such release and termination, (a) the Secured PartyPledgors shall be entitled to the return, at the request Pledgors expense, of any and all funds in the Collateral Account and such of the Collateral held by the Administrative Agent as shall not have been sold or otherwise applied pursuant to the terms hereof and (b) the Administrative Agent shall, at the expense of Pledgors expense, execute and deliver to the Company, will join in executing any Borrowers such UCC termination statement with respect statements and other documents as the Borrower shall reasonably request to any financing statement executed evidence such release and filed pursuant to this Agreementtermination.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Debentures have been made indefeasibly paid in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination; provided, the Secured Partyhowever, at the request and at the expense that all indemnities of the Company, will join Debtors contained in executing any this Agreement shall survive and remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to of this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest security interests granted hereunder shall terminate on remain in full force and effect until the date on which all payments under the Notes Secured Obligations have been made satisfied in full and all other Obligations the Commitments have been paid or dischargedterminated, at which time the Administrative Agent shall release and terminate the security interests granted to it hereunder. Upon such release and termination, (i) the Secured PartyPledgors shall be entitled to the return, at the request Pledgors expense, of any and all funds in the Collateral Account and such of the Collateral held by the Administrative Agent as shall not have been sold or otherwise applied pursuant to the terms hereof and (ii) the Administrative Agent shall, at the expense of Pledgors expense, execute and deliver to the Company, will join in executing any Borrowers such UCC termination statement with respect statements and other documents as the Borrower shall reasonably request to any financing statement executed evidence such release and filed pursuant to this Agreementtermination.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Senior Notes have been made indefeasibly paid in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination; provided, the Secured Partyhowever, at the request and at the expense that all indemnities of the Company, will join Debtors contained in executing any this Agreement shall survive and remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to of this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest Interests shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made indefeasibly paid in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination; provided, the Secured Partyhowever, at the request and at the expense that all indemnities of the Company, will join Debtors contained in executing any this Agreement shall survive and remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to of this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured PartyParties, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have Secured Obligation has been made in full and all other Obligations or otherwise have been paid discharged, expired, or dischargedterminated. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have Secured Note has been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Secured Notes have has been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured PartyParties, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest Interests shall terminate terminate, automatically and without any action on the part of the Agent or Secured Parties, on the date on which all payments under the Notes Note have been made indefeasibly paid in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged; provided, however, that all indemnities of the parties hereto contained in this Agreement (including without limitation Annex B hereto) shall survive and remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the termination of this Agreement. Upon such termination, the The Agent and Secured PartyParties shall, at the Debtor's request and at expense, take any and all action required to discharge any and all security interests and release to Debtor any and all Collateral in the expense Agent's or Secured Parties' possession or control. The Secured Parties hereby agree that the Debtor shall have the right to take all necessary action to cause the termination and release of the Company, will join in executing any all security interests granted hereunder upon termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to of this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which repayment of all payments amounts due the Secured Parties under the Notes have been made in full Loan Agreement and all other Obligations have been paid or dischargedthe Notes. Upon such termination, the Secured PartyParties, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyObligor, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest Liens granted hereby shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made indefeasibly paid in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged; provided, however, that all indemnities of the Company contained in this Agreement shall survive and remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the repayment of the Obligations, the termination of this Agreement or the resignation or removal of the Agent. Upon such termination, the Secured PartyAgent, at the written request and at the expense of the Company, will join promptly execute and deliver to the Company a proper instrument or instruments (including UCC termination statements on form UCC-3) acknowledging the satisfaction and termination of this Agreement, and will duly assign, transfer and deliver to the Company (without recourse and without any representation or warranty) such of the Pledged Collateral as may be in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed the possession of the Agent and filed as has not theretofore been sold or otherwise applied or released pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Note and Management Agreement have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest Interests shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Debentures have been made indefeasibly paid in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon At such terminationtime, this Agreement, marked "Cancelled" shall be returned to the Debtors, and the Secured Party, at the request Parties shall further execute and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any file a termination statement with respect in regard to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant that is solely related to this Agreementthe Collateral.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured PartyLender, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyBorrower, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Note have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyIssuers, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which earlier of: (i) the repayment of all payments amounts due the Secured Party under the Notes have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or dischargedPromissory Note. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyObligor, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Loan have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or dischargedfull, including as a result of such Loans converting into Borrower Securities. Upon such termination, the Secured PartyLender will promptly file, at the request Lender's sole cost and at the expense of the Companyexpense, will join in executing any all termination statement statements with respect to any financing or similar statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Debentures have been made in full or have been satisfied and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured PartyParties, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyDebtors, will join in executing any termination statement with w ith respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will promptly join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Debentures have been made in full or have been satisfied and all other Obligations costs, expenses, fees or other obligations of Debtor under the Debenture have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured PartyParties, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyPledgor, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest Interests shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made indefeasibly paid in full or otherwise satisfied in full and all other Obligations have been paid paid, discharged or dischargedsatisfied in full; provided, however, that all indemnities of the Debtors contained in this Agreement (including, without limitation, Annex B hereto) shall survive and remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the termination of this Agreement. Upon such terminationthe termination of this Agreement, the Secured Party, at Agent shall immediately return to the request and at Company any Collateral that has been delivered to the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed Agent pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Unless terminated earlier as provided in Section 7.2.2, this Agreement and shall continue in force until terminated by either party giving the Security Interest shall terminate on other one hundred eighty (180) days written notice. Notwithstanding the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such terminationforegoing, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense obligations of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement parties shall continue with respect to all Program Loans funded or purchased under this Agreement prior to such termination. Upon the termination of this Agreement for any financing statement executed reason, the Pittsburgh Bank agrees to use its best efforts to promptly return to the MPF Provider all marketing and filed pursuant operational materials previously provided by the MPF Provider, and no longer needed by the Pittsburgh Bank to this Agreementfulfill its remaining obligations hereunder, unless other mutually acceptable arrangements have been made.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments of principal, accrued and unpaid interest and any other amounts due under the Notes have been made indefeasibly paid in full; provided, however, that all indemnities of the Debtor contained in this Agreement (including, without limitation, Annex A hereto) shall survive and remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the termination of this Agreement. Upon payment in full of all of the outstanding principal amount of the Notes, together with all accrued and unpaid interest, and any other amounts due under the Notes, the Agent shall prepare and file such Uniform Commercial Code financing statement amendments, and shall prepare, execute and file such other documents or instruments, as may be necessary to terminate of record and in fact any security interest in or lien on the Collateral under this Agreement. Each Secured Party irrevocably agrees that the Agents termination and release of any lien or security interest in the Collateral as provided in this Section 14 shall constitute a full and complete termination and release or any and all other Obligations right, title and interest (including any lien or security interest) that such Secured Party may have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, claim in the Collateral and that any actions taken by Agent under this Section 14 shall be binding on each Secured Party. The Secured Parties hereby irrevocably authorize and direct the Agent to perform the Agents obligations under this Section 14 without any requirement or notice to, at the request and at the expense of the Companyor consent or authorization from, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this AgreementSecured Party.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Secured Notes have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have Note has been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyIssuers, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes July 2007 Debentures have been made in full or have been satisfied and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the each Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyDebtor, will join in executing any 10 termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, Company shall have the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing authority to file any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement st atement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest Interests shall terminate terminate, automatically and without any action on the part of the Secured Party or Secured Party, on the date on which all payments under the Notes Note have been made indefeasibly paid or otherwise discharged in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such terminationThe Secured Party shall, at Debtor's request and expense, take any and all action required to discharge any and all security interests and release to Debtor any and all Collateral in the Secured Party's possession or control. The Secured Party hereby agrees that the Debtors shall have the right, at and the request Debtors are hereby authorized, to take all necessary action to cause the termination and at the expense release of the Company, will join in executing any all security interests granted hereunder upon termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to of this Agreement, including the filing of one or more UCC termination statements or amendments relating to the Collateral.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to t o any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest Interests shall terminate terminate, automatically and without any action on the part of the Agent or Secured Parties, on the date on which all payments under the Notes Note have been made indefeasibly paid in full (or exchanged in full for securities issued in connection with a Reverse Merger Financing (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) pursuant to Section 4.7 of the Purchase Agreement) and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged; provided, however, that all indemnities of the parties hereto contained in this Agreement (including without limitation Annex B hereto) shall survive and remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the termination of this Agreement. Upon such termination, the The Agent and Secured PartyParties shall, at the Debtors' request and at expense, take any and all action required to discharge any and all security interests and release to the expense Debtors any and all Collateral in the Agent's or Secured Parties' possession or control. The Secured Parties hereby agree that the Debtors shall have the right to take all necessary action to cause the termination and release of the Company, will join in executing any all security interests granted hereunder upon termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to of this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Note have been made in full and all other Obligations of the Company have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid in full or dischargedhave been satisfied or discharged in full (except for Unasserted Contingent Obligations) without any further action on the part of any party hereto. Upon such termination, the Secured PartyCollateral Agent, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyObligors, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement or other security document executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This The term of this Security Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate commence on the date on which hereof and this Security Agreement shall continue in full force and effect, and be binding upon Company, until all payments under of the Obligations have been fully paid or the Notes have been made converted into equity securities of Company in full and all other Obligations have been paid or dischargedaccordance with Section 2 of the Notes, whereupon this Security Agreement shall terminate. Upon such termination, the Secured PartyCollateral Agent agrees that it will, at the Companys expense, execute such documents as Company may request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect as are reasonably necessary to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreementevidence or effectuate such termination.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made continue in full force and effect until such time as all other Obligations shall have been paid or dischargedand satisfied in full. Upon At such terminationtime, the Secured PartyLender shall, at the upon request and at the expense of the CompanyBorrower, will join in executing any termination statement with respect take all action necessary or appropriate to any financing statement executed and filed release the security interests granted to the Lender pursuant to this AgreementAgreement or any other Loan Document.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Promissory Notes have been made paid in full or have been satisfied and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyDebtors, will join in executing any termination statement or similar statement with respect to any financing statement or other security instrument executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Loan have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or dischargedfull, including as a result of such Loans converting into Borrower Securities. Upon such termination, the Secured PartyLender will promptly file, at the request Lenders sole cost and at the expense of the Companyexpense, will join in executing any all termination statement statements with respect to any financing or similar statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Pledge Agreement and the Security Interest security interests granted hereunder shall terminate on remain in full force and effect until the date on which all payments Secured Obligations under the Notes Credit Agreement have been made satisfied in full and all other Obligations the Commitments have been paid or dischargedterminated, at which time the Administrative Agent shall release and terminate the security interests granted to it hereunder. Upon such release and termination, (a) the Secured PartyPledgors shall be entitled to the return, at the request Pledgors' expense, of any and all funds in the Collateral Account and such of the Collateral held by the Administrative Agent as shall not have been sold or otherwise applied pursuant to the terms hereof and (b) the Administrative Agent shall, at the expense of Pledgors' expense, execute and deliver to the Company, will join in executing any Borrowers such UCC termination statement with respect statements and other documents as the Borrower shall reasonably request to any financing statement executed evidence such release and filed pursuant to this Agreementtermination.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Note have been made in full and all other Obligations under the Note have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Security Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which when all payments under the Notes Note have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or dischargeddischarged and/or terminated in accordance with the terms of this Security Agreement, the Note or otherwise. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyC&M, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Security Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made indefeasibly paid in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon Further Assurances. On a continuing basis, Debtor will make, execute, acknowledge, deliver, file and record, as the case may be, with the proper filing and recording agencies in any jurisdiction, all such terminationinstruments, and take all such action as may reasonably be deemed necessary or advisable, or as reasonably requested by the Secured PartyCollateral Agent, at to perfect the request Security Interest granted hereunder and at otherwise to carry out the expense intent and purposes of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement, or for assuring and confirming to the Collateral Agent the grant or perfection of a perfected security interest in all the Collateral under the UCC.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Financing Agreement and the Notes have been made in full or have been satisfied and all other Obligations (except for Unasserted Contingent Obligations) have been paid paid, performed or dischargeddischarged in full. Upon such termination, the Secured PartyCollateral Agent, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyObligors, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Note have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyDebtor, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Debentures have been made in full or have been satisfied and all other Obligations costs, expenses, fees or other obligations of Debtor under the Debenture and this Agreement have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured PartyParties, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyDebtor, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes and any other Obligations held by or in respect of a Secured Party have been made in full or otherwise converted pursuant to the terms thereof and all other Obligations have been indefeasibly paid or dischargeddischarged in full. Upon such termination, the Agent and Secured PartyParties, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyGrantor, will join in executing and/or filing any termination statement and other filings with respect to any financing statement or other filing executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement or required for evidencing termination of the Security Interest or this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made in full or have been satisfied and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured PartyParties, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyDebtor, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or dischargeddischarged in full. Upon such termination, the Secured PartyParties, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyObligor, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement. The obligations of the Obligor under this Agreement shall continue to be effective or automatically be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment of any of the Obligations is rescinded or otherwise must be restored or returned by the Secured Parties upon the insolvency, bankruptcy, dissolution, liquidation or reorganization of the Obligor or any other obligor or otherwise, all as though such payment had not been made.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and a nd filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes Debentures have been made in full or have been satisfied and all other Obligations have been paid or dischargeddischarged (excluding inchoate indemnity obligations and obligations under the Warrants and Registration Rights Agreement). Upon such termination, the each Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyDebtors, will join in executing file or authorize the filing of any termination statement or similar statement with respect to any financing statement or other security instrument executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or discharged. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed authorized and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This On the date of the full, final, and complete satisfaction of the Obligations (other than indemnity and other obligations which by their terms survive termination of the Credit Agreement and any contingent Obligations for which the Security Interest shall terminate on contingency has not occurred at the date on which all payments under time the Notes have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid repaid) and the termination of all Commitments of the Lenders under the Credit D-4 Agreement, this Pledge shall terminate and be of no further force or discharged. Upon effect (such terminationdate, the "Termination Date"). Thereafter, upon request, the Administrative Agent, on behalf of the Secured PartyParties, shall promptly provide the Pledgor, at the request and at the expense its sole expense, a written release of the CompanyPledgor's Obligations hereunder and a written release of the Account Collateral and, will join so long as the Pledgor has written confirmation from the Administrative Agent that this Pledge has been terminated as provided above, the Pledgor shall be authorized to prepare and file UCC termination statements terminating all UCC financing statements filed of record in executing any termination statement connection with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this AgreementPledge.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which all payments under the Notes have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or dischargedfull. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the Company, Collateral Agent will join in executing any promptly file all termination statement statements with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Security Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which repayment of all payments amounts due the Secured Party under the Notes have been made in full Letter Agreement and all other Obligations have been paid or dischargedthe Note. Upon such termination, the Secured Party, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyObligor, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Security Agreement.
Term of Agreement. This Agreement and the Security Interest shall terminate on the date on which repayment of all payments amounts due the Secured Parties under the Notes have been made in full and all other Obligations have been paid or dischargedLoan Agreement. Upon such termination, the Secured PartyParties, at the request and at the expense of the CompanyObligor, will join in executing any termination statement with respect to any financing statement executed and filed pursuant to this Agreement. | 2019-04-20T22:39:31Z | https://www.lawinsider.com/clause/term-of-agreement/_3 |
A headset can include a cable structure connecting non-cable components such as jacks and headphones. The cable structure can include several legs connected at a bifurcation. An extrusion process can be used to manufacture legs of a multi-segment cable structure. As material is processed by an extruder, one or more system factors of the extruder can be dynamically adjusted to change a diameter of the resulting leg (e.g., to provide a smooth leg having a changing size). Once the leg is extruded, portions of the leg can be reformed to create undercuts used to connect the legs at a bifurcation region. In some cases, an extrusion process can be used to construct a jointly formed multi-leg cable structure having an integral bifurcation region and split.
This application claims the benefit of previously filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/298,087, filed Jan. 25, 2010, entitled “Small Diameter Cable with Splitter Assembly,” U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/384,103, filed Sep. 17, 2010, entitled “Molded Splitter Structures and Systems and Methods for Making the Same,” U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/319,772, filed Mar. 31, 2010, entitled “Thin Audio Plug and Coaxial Routing of Wires,” U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/384,097, filed Sep. 17, 2010, entitled “Cable Structures and Systems Including Super-Elastic Rods and Methods for Making the Same,” U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/326,102, filed Apr. 20, 2010, entitled “Audio Plug with Core Structural Member and Conductive Rings,” U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/349,768, filed May 28, 2010, entitled “Molding an Electrical Cable Having Centered Electrical Wires,” U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/378,311, filed Aug. 30, 2010, entitled “Molded Cable Structures and Systems and Methods for Making the Same,” and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/378,314, filed Aug. 30, 2010, entitled “Extruded Cable Structures and Systems and Methods for Making the Same.” Each of these provisional applications is incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
Extruded cable structures and systems and methods for manufacturing extruded cable structures are disclosed.
A cable structure can interconnect various non-cable components of a headset such as, for example, a plug, headphones, and/or a communications box to provide a headset. The cable structure can include several legs (e.g., a main leg, a left leg, and a right leg) that each connect to a non-cable structure, and each leg may be connected to one another at a bifurcation region (e.g., a region where the main leg appears to split into the left and right legs). Cable structures according to embodiments of this invention provide aesthetically pleasing interface connections between the non-cable components and legs of the cable structure, for example such that the interface connections appear to have been constructed jointly as a single piece, thereby providing a seamless interface.
In addition, because the dimensions of the non-cable components typically have a dimension that is different than the dimensions of a conductor bundle being routed through the legs of the cable structure, one or more legs of the cable structure can have a variable diameter. The change from one dimension to another can exhibit a substantially smooth variation in diameter along the length of the legs of the cable structure.
The interconnection of the three legs at the bifurcation region can vary depending on how the cable structure is manufactured. In one approach, the cable structure can be a single-segment unibody cable structure. In this approach, all three legs are jointly formed, for example using an extrusion process, and no additional processing is required to electrically couple the conductors contained therein. In another approach, the cable structure can be a multi-segment unibody cable structure. In this approach, the legs may be manufactured as discrete segments, but require additional processing to electrically couple conductors contained therein. In some embodiments, the segments can be joined together using a splitter.
FIGS. 13A and 13B are sectional views of a portion of an illustrative extruder for providing a split in a co-extrusion process in accordance with some embodiments of the invention.
Cable structures for use in headsets are disclosed. The cable structure interconnects various non-cable components of a headset such as, for example, a plug, headphones, and/or a communications box to provide a headset. The cable structure can include multiple legs (e.g., a main leg, a left leg, and a right leg) that each connect to a non-cable component, and each leg may be connected to each other at a bifurcation region (e.g., a region where the main leg appears to split into the left and right legs). Cable structures according to embodiments of this invention provide aesthetically pleasing interface connections between the non-cable components and legs of the cable structure. The interface connections between a leg and a non-cable component are such that they appear to have been constructed jointly as a single piece, thereby providing a seamless interface.
In addition, because the dimensions of the non-cable components typically have a dimension that is different than the dimensions of a conductor bundle being routed through the legs of the cable structure, one or more legs of the cable structure can have a variable diameter. The change from one dimension to another is accomplished in a manner that maintains the spirit of the seamless interface connection between a leg and the non-cable component throughout the length of the leg. That is, each leg of the cable structure exhibits a substantially smooth surface, including the portion of the leg having a varying diameter. In some embodiments, the portion of the leg varying in diameter may be represented mathematically by a bump function, which requires all aspects of the variable diameter transition to be smooth. In other words, a cross-section of the variable diameter portion can show a curve or a curve profile.
The interconnection of the three legs at the bifurcation region can vary depending on how the cable structure is manufactured. In one approach, the cable structure can be a single-segment unibody cable structure. In this approach, all three legs are jointly formed and no additional processing is required to electrically couple the conductors contained therein. Construction of the single-segment cable may be such that the bifurcation region does not require any additional support. If additional support is required, an over-mold can be used to add strain relief to the bifurcation region.
In another approach, the cable structure can be a multi-segment unibody cable structure. In this approach, the legs may be manufactured as discrete segments, but require additional processing to electrically couple conductors contained therein. The segments can be joined together using a splitter. Many different splitter configurations can be used, and the use of some splitters may be based on the manufacturing process used to create the segment.
The cable structure can include a conductor bundle that extends through some or all of the legs. The conductor bundle can include conductors that interconnect various non-cable components. The conductor bundle can also include one or more rods constructed from a superelastic material. The superelastic rods can resist deformation to reduce or prevent tangling of the legs.
The cable structure can be constructed using many different manufacturing processes. The processes include injection molding, compression molding, and extrusion. In injection and compression molding processes, a mold is formed around a conductor bundle or a removable rod. The rod is removed after the mold is formed and a conductor bundle is threaded through the cavity. In extrusion processes, an outer shell is formed around a conductor bundle.
FIG. 1A shows an illustrative headset 10 having cable structure 20 that seamlessly integrates with non-cable components 40, 42, 44. For example, non-cable components 40, 42, and 44 can be a male plug, left headphones, and right headphones, respectively. Cable structure 20 has three legs 22, 24, and 26 joined together at bifurcation region 30. Leg 22 may be referred to herein as main leg 22, and includes the portion of cable structure 20 existing between non-cable component 40 and bifurcation region 30. In particular, main leg 22 includes interface region 31, bump region 32, and non-interface region 33. Leg 24 may be referred to herein as left leg 24, and includes the portion of cable structure 20 existing between non-cable component 42 and bifurcation region 30. Leg 26 may be referred to herein as right leg 26, and includes the portion of cable structure 20 existing between non-cable component 44 and bifurcation region 30. Both left and right legs 24 and 26 include respective interface regions 34 and 37, bump regions 35 and 38, and non-interface regions 36 and 39.
Legs 22, 24, and 26 generally exhibit a smooth surface throughout the entirety of their respective lengths. Each of legs 22, 24, and 26 can vary in diameter, yet still retain the smooth surface.
Non-interface regions 33, 36, and 39 can each have a predetermined diameter and length. The diameter of non-interface region 33 (of main leg 22) may be larger than or the same as the diameters of non-interface regions 36 and 39 (of left leg 24 and right leg 26, respectively). For example, leg 22 may contain a conductor bundle for both left and right legs 24 and 26 and may therefore require a greater diameter to accommodate all conductors. In some embodiments, it is desirable to manufacture non-interface regions 33, 36, and 39 to have the smallest diameter possible, for aesthetic reasons. As a result, the diameter of non-interface regions 33, 36, and 39 can be smaller than the diameter of any non-cable component (e.g., non-cable components 40, 42, and 44) physically connected to the interfacing region. Since it is desirable for cable structure 20 to seamlessly integrate with the non-cable components, the legs may vary in diameter from the non-interfacing region to the interfacing region.
Bump regions 32, 35, and 38 provide a diameter changing transition between interfacing regions 31, 34, and 37 and respective non-interfacing regions 33, 36, and 39. The diameter changing transition can take any suitable shape that exhibits a fluid or smooth transition from any interface region to its respective non-interface region. For example, the shape of the bump region can be similar to that of a cone or a neck of a wine bottle. As another example, the shape of the taper region can be stepless (i.e., there is no abrupt or dramatic step change in diameter, or no sharp angle at an end of the bump region). Bump regions 32, 35, and 38 may be mathematically represented by a bump function, which requires the entire diameter changing transition to be stepless and smooth (e.g., the bump function is continuously differentiable).
As shown in FIG. 1E, cable structure 20 can include legs 22, 24 and 26 that interface at bifurcation region 30. Each leg can have a varying diameter or shape to provide a cable structure with a smooth outer surface and appealing cosmetic features.
FIGS. 1C and 1D show illustrative cross-sectional views of a portion of main leg 22 in accordance with embodiments of the invention. Both FIGS. 1C and 1D show main leg 22 with a center axis (as indicated by the dashed line) and symmetric curves 32 c and 32 d. Curves 32 c and 32 d illustrate that any suitable curve profile may be used in bump region 32. Thus the outer surface of bump region 32 can be any surface that deviates from planarity in a smooth, continuous fashion.
Interface regions 21, 34, and 37 can each have a predetermined diameter and length. The diameter of any interface region can be substantially the same as the diameter of the non-cable component it is physically connected to, to provide an aesthetically pleasing seamless integration. For example, the diameter of interface region 21 can be substantially the same as the diameter of non-cable component 40. In some embodiments, the diameter of a non-cable component (e.g., component 40) and its associated interfacing region (e.g., region 31) are greater than the diameter of the non-interface region (e.g., region 33) they are connected to via the bump region (e.g., region 32). Consequently, in this embodiment, the bump region decreases in diameter from the interface region to the non-interface region.
In another embodiment, the diameter of a non-cable component (e.g., component 40) and its associated interfacing region (e.g., region 31) are less than the diameter of the non-interface region (e.g., region 33) they are connected to via the bump region (e.g., region 32). Consequently, in this embodiment, the bump region increases in diameter from the interface region to the non-interface region.
The combination of the interface and bump regions can provide strain relief for those regions of headset 10. In one embodiment, strain relief may be realized because the interface and bump regions have larger dimensions than the non-interface region and thus are more robust. These larger dimensions may also ensure that non-cable portions are securely connected to cable structure 20. Moreover, the extra girth better enables the interface and bump regions to withstand bend stresses.
The interconnection of legs 22, 24, and 26 at bifurcation region 30 can vary depending on how cable structure 20 is manufactured. In one approach, cable structure 20 can be a jointly formed multi-leg or single-segment unibody cable structure. In this approach all three legs are manufactured jointly as one continuous structure and no additional processing is required to electrically couple the conductors contained therein. That is, none of the legs are spliced to interconnect conductors at bifurcation region 30, nor are the legs manufactured separately and then later joined together. Some jointly formed multi-leg cable structures may have a top half and a bottom half, which are molded together and extend throughout the entire cable structure. For example, such jointly formed multi-leg cable structures can be manufactured using injection molding and compression molding manufacturing processes. Thus, although a mold-derived jointly formed multi-leg cable structure has two components (i.e., the top and bottom halves), it is considered a jointly formed multi-leg cable structure for the purposes of this disclosure. Other jointly formed multi-leg cable structures may exhibit a contiguous ring of material that extends throughout the entire cable structure. For example, such a jointly formed multi-leg cable structure can be manufactured using an extrusion process (discussed below in more detail).
In another approach, cable structure 20 can be a multi-segment unibody cable structure in which three discrete or independently formed legs are connected at a bifurcation region. A multi-segment unibody cable structure may have the same appearance of the jointly formed multi-leg cable structure, but the legs are manufactured as discrete components. The legs and any conductors contained therein are interconnected at bifurcation region 30. The legs can be manufactured, for example, using any of the processes used to manufacture the jointly formed multi-leg cable structure.
The cosmetics of bifurcation region 30 can be any suitable shape. In one embodiment, bifurcation region 30 can be an overmold structure that encapsulates a portion of each leg 22, 24, and 26. The overmold structure can be visually and tactically distinct from legs 22, 24, and 26. The overmold structure can be applied to the single or multi-segment unibody cable structure. In another embodiment, bifurcation region 30 can be a two-shot injection molded splitter having the same dimensions as the portion of the legs being joined together. Thus, when the legs are joined together with the splitter mold, cable structure 20 maintains its unibody aesthetics. That is, a multi-segment cable structure has the look and feel of jointly formed multi-leg cable structure even though it has three discretely manufactured legs joined together at bifurcation region 30. Many different splitter configurations can be used, and the use of some splitters may be based on the manufacturing process used to create the segment.
Cable structure 20 can include a conductor bundle that extends through some or all of legs 22, 24, and 26. Cable structure 20 can include conductors for carrying signals from non-cable component 40 to non-cable components 42 and 44. Cable structure 20 can include one or more rods constructed from a superelastic material. The rods can resist deformation to reduce or prevent tangling of the legs. The rods are different than the conductors used to convey signals from non-cable component 40 to non-cable components 42 and 44, but share the same space within cable structure 20. Several different rod arrangements may be included in cable structure 20.
In yet another embodiment, one or more of legs 22, 24, and 26 can vary in diameter in two or more bump regions. For example, the leg 22 can include bump region 32 and another bump region (not shown) that exists at leg/bifurcation region 30. This other bump region may vary the diameter of leg 22 so that it changes in size to match the diameter of cable structure at bifurcation region 30. This other bump region can provide additional strain relief. Each leg can have any suitable diameter including, for example, a diameter in the range of 0.4 mm to 1 mm (e.g., 0.8 mm for leg 20, and 0.6 mm for legs 22 and 24).
In some embodiments, another non-cable component can be incorporated into either left leg 24 or right leg 26. As shown in FIG. 1B, headset 60 shows that non-cable component 46 is integrated within leg 26, and not at an end of a leg like non-cable components 40, 42 and 44. For example, non-cable component 46 can be a communications box that includes a microphone and a user interface (e.g., one or more mechanical or capacitive buttons). Non-cable component 46 can be electrically coupled to non-cable component 40, for example, to transfer signals between communications box 46 and one or more of non-cable components 40, 42 and 44.
Non-cable component 46 can be incorporated in non-interface region 39 of leg 26. In some cases, non-cable component 46 can have a larger size or girth than the non-interface regions of leg 26, which can cause a discontinuity at an interface between non-interface region 39 and communications box 46. To ensure that the cable maintains a seamless unibody appearance, non-interface region 39 can be replaced by first non-interface region 50, first bump region 51, first interface region 52, communications box 46, second interface region 53, second bump region 54, and second non-interface region 55.
Similar to the bump regions described above in connection with the cable structure of FIG. 1A, bump regions 51 and 54 can handle the transition from non-cable component 46 to non-interface regions 50 and 55. The transition in the bump region can take any suitable shape that exhibits a fluid or smooth transition from the interface region to the non-interface regions. For example, the shape of the taper region can be similar to that of a cone or a neck of a wine bottle.
Similar to the interface regions described above in connection with the cable structure of FIG. 1A, interface regions 52 and 53 can have a predetermined diameter and length. The diameter of the interface region is substantially the same as the diameter of non-cable component 46 to provide an aesthetically pleasing seamless integration. In addition, and as described above, the combination of the interface and bump regions can provide strain relief for those regions of headset 10.
In some embodiments, non-cable component 46 may be incorporated into a leg such as leg 26 without having bump regions 51 and 54 or interface regions 52 and 53. Thus, in this embodiment, non-interfacing regions 50 and 55 may be directly connected to non-cable component 46.
Cable structures 20 can be constructed using many different manufacturing processes. The processes discussed herein include those that can be used to manufacture the jointly formed multi-leg cable structure or legs for the multi-segment unibody cable structure. In particular, these processes include injection molding, compression molding, and extrusion. Embodiments of this invention use extrusion to manufacture a jointly formed multi-leg cable structure or multi-segment unibody cable structures.
In some embodiments, cable structure 20 can be constructed by extruding the main, left and right legs separately, and combining the legs at the bifurcation region. The extrusion process used can be selected such that the interface region, taper region, non-interface region, and bifurcation region of each leg can be constructed seamlessly as part of the extrusion process. Because each region of the leg can have a different diameter (e.g., a different cross-section), the particular extrusion process selected may include controllable system factors for adjusting the dimensions of an extruded leg. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an illustrative extruder in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. Extruder 200 can receive a material to extrude in a first form, such as pellets, and can transform the material to a form corresponding to cable structure 20.
Extruder 200 can extrude any suitable material to create cable structure 20. For example, the extruder can use one or more of polyethylene, polypropylene, acetal, acrylic, polyamide (e.g., nylon), polystyrene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and polycarbonate. Material can be provided to extruder 200 in any suitable form including, for example, in liquid or solid form. In one implementation, pellets or chips of material can be provided to hopper 210 for processing. The material can pass through feedthroat 212 and enter barrel 220. Screw 222 can rotate within barrel 220 to direct material from hopper end 224 of the barrel to die end 226 of the barrel. Drive motor 228 can be mechanically connected to screw 222 such that the screw can rotate to direct material received from hopper 210 towards die end 226. The drive motor can drive screw 222 at any suitable rate or speed, including a variable speed based on a manner in which the process is executed.
Barrel 220 can be heated to a desired melt temperature to melt the material provided in hopper 210. For example, barrel 220 can be heated to a temperature in the range of 200° C. to 300° C. (e.g., 250° C.), although the particular temperature can be selected based on the material used. As the material passes through barrel 220, pressure and friction created by screw 222, and heat applied to barrel 220 by a heating component can cause the material to melt and flow. The resulting material can be substantially liquid in a region near die end 226 of barrel 220 so that it may easily flow into die 250. In some cases, different amounts of heat can be applied to different sections of the barrel to create a variable heat profile. In one implementation, the amount of heat provided to barrel 220 can increase from hopper end 224 to die end 226. By gradually increasing the temperature of the barrel, the material deposited in barrel 220 can gradually heat up and melt as it is pushed toward die end 226. This may reduce the risk of overheating, which may cause the material to degrade. In some embodiments, extruder 200 can include cooling components (e.g., a fan) in addition to heating components for controlling a temperature profile of barrel 220.
In some cases, one or more additives can be added to the material within barrel 220 to provide mechanical or finishing attributes to cable structure 20. For example, components for providing UV protection, modifying a coefficient of friction of an outer surface of cable structure 20, refining a color of cable structure 20, or combinations of these can be used. The additives can be provided in hopper 220, or alternatively can be inserted in barrel 220 at another position along the barrel length. The amount of additives added, and the particular position at which additives are added can be selected based on attributes of the material within the barrel. For example, additives can be added when the material reaches a particular fluidity to ensure that the additives can mix with the material.
Screw 222 can have any suitable channel depth and screw angle for directing material towards die 250. In some cases, screw 222 can define several zones each designed to have different effects on the material in barrel 220. For example, screw 222 can include a feed zone adjacent to the hopper and operative to carry solid material pellets to an adjacent melting zone where the solid material melts. The channel depth can progressively increase in the melting zone. Following the melting zone, a metering zone can be used to melt the last particles of material and mix the material to a uniform temperature and composition. Some screws can then include a decompression zone in which the channel depth increases to relieve pressure within the screw and allow trapped gases (e.g., moisture or air) to be drawn out by vacuum. The screw can then include a second metering zone having a lower channel depth to re-pressurize the fluid material and direct it through the die at a constant and predictable rate.
When fluid material reaches die end 226 of barrel 220, the material can be expelled from barrel 220 and can pass through screen 230 having openings sized to allow the material to flow, but preventing contaminants from passing through the screen. The screen can be reinforced by a breaker plate used to resist the pressure of material pushed towards the die by screw 222. In some cases, screen 230, combined with the breaker plate, can serve to provide back pressure to barrel 220 so that the material can melt and mix uniformly within the barrel. The amount of pressure provided can be adjusted by changing the number of screens used, the relative positions of the screens (e.g., mis-aligning openings in stacked screens), or changing the size of openings in a screen.
The material passing through the screen is directed by feedpipe 240 towards die 250. Feedpipe 240 can define an elongated volume through which material can flow. Unlike in barrel 220, in which material rotates through the barrel, material passing through feedpipe 240 can travel along the axis of the feedpipe with little or no rotation. This can ensure that when the material reaches the die, there are no built-in rotational stresses or strains that can adversely affect the resulting cable structure (e.g., stresses that can cause warping upon cooling).
Fluid material passing through feedpipe 240 can reach die 250, where the material is given a profile corresponding to the final conductor structure. Material can pass around pin 252 and through opening 254 of the die. Pin 252 and opening 254 can have any suitable shape including, for example, circular shapes, curved shapes, polygonal shapes, or arbitrary shapes. In some embodiments, pin 252 can be movable within die 250. In some embodiments, elements of die 250 can move such that the size or shape of opening 254 can vary. Once material has passed through the die, the material can be cooled to maintain the extruded shape. The material can be cooled using different approaches including, for example, liquid baths (e.g., a water bath), air cooling, vacuum cooling, or combinations of these.
In some embodiments, the die used for extruder 200 can include movable components for adjusting the diameter of material coming out of the die. FIGS. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views of an illustrative die for use in an extrusion process in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. Die 300 can include top die element 302 and bottom die element 304. In some embodiments, top and bottom die elements 302 and 304 can represent top and bottom halves of a cylindrical die element. Die elements 302 and 304 can include angled surfaces 303 and 305, respectively, for guiding material towards opening 306. In some cases, the angled surfaces can correspond to surfaces of a cone removed from within die elements 302 and 304.
Die 300 can include pin 310 positioned at least partially within an area enclosed by die elements 302 and 304, such that angled surface 311 corresponds to angled surfaces 303 and 305. Material 301 can flow between surface 311 and surfaces 303 and 305 to form a leg 330 of cable structure 20 (FIG. 1). In some embodiments, pin 310 can include hypodermal path 312 extending through pin 310. For example, hypodermal path 312 can extend through a centerline of pin 310. Conductor bundle 320 can be fed through the hypodermal path into the extrusion path (e.g., into a region between die elements 302 and 304 and pin 310) and through opening 306. As conductor bundle 320 is fed through hypodermal path 312, material 301 flowing through the die surrounds conductor bundle 320 as it exits pin 310. The combination of conductor bundle 320 and material 301 forms extruded leg 330. Material 301 forms a continuous sheath or covering that encapsulates conductor bundle 320 and provides both mechanical and cosmetic attributes to the leg 330.
In some cases, material 301 can instead be extruded around a rod that is fed through hypodermal path 312. The rod can have any suitable dimensions including, for example, a constant or variable cross section. The rod can be coated or treated so that it minimally adheres to the extruded material. The rod can be removed from the resulting leg 330 formed by the extrusion process to form a hollow tube through which a conductor bundle can be fed.
Leg 330 can have any suitable size or shape including, for example, a varying outer diameter. In particular, leg 330 can include interface region 332 having a larger diameter, and taper region 334 having a variable diameter decreasing from the larger diameter of interface region 332. Any suitable approach can be used to adjust the amount of material 301 provided through die 300 to form the different regions of leg 330. In some embodiments, different portions of the die can move relative to one another. For example, pin 310 can move in direction 314 towards opening 306 to reduce the amount of material 301 flowing between die elements 302 and 304, and pin 310. This may reduce the diameter of the extruded leg. Similarly, pin 310 can move in direction 315 away from opening 306 to increase the amount of material 301 flowing between die elements 302 and 304, and pin 310. This may increase the diameter of the extruded leg. In particular, as shown in FIG. 3B, pin 310 has moved closer to opening 306 of die 300, thereby producing non-interface region 335, which has a smaller diameter than interface region 332 of leg 330.
As another example, referring back to FIG. 3A, top die element 302 and bottom die element 304 can move relative to one another to change the size of opening 306. In particular, top and bottom die elements 302 and 304 can move away each other (e.g., in directions 308 a and 308 b, respectively) to increase the size of opening 306. When the opening size increases, more material 301 can flow through the opening, which increases the diameter of extruded leg 330. In another case, top and bottom die elements 302 and 304 can move toward each other (e.g., in directions 309 a and 309 b, respectively) to decrease the size of opening 306. When the opening size decreases, less material 301 can flow through the opening, which decreases the diameter of the leg 330.
Other factors relating to the extrusion process can be adjusted to change characteristics of the die to modify the diameter of extruded leg 330. For example, the speed at which conductor 320 is fed through pin 310 and through opening 306 can be adjusted to change the diameter of leg 330. The faster the line speed of the conductor, the smaller the diameter of the resulting leg.
As another example, the speed at which a screw brings material to the die can be adjusted to control the amount of material passing through the die (e.g., adjust the RPM of the screw). As yet another example, the amount of heat provided to the barrel can control the viscosity of the material, and the pressure of the material within the barrel. As still another example, the melt pressure of the material within the barrel can be adjusted. As still yet another example, a screen and breaker plate used in the extruder can be used to control the amount of material passing from the barrel to the die. As more material passes through the die, the diameter of a resulting leg can increase.
Specific settings for the die position, line speed, heat, screw rotation speed, melt pressure, and air pressure (e.g., from cooling or for controlling the position of a die pin), which collectively can be known as system factors, can be dynamically adjusted during the extrusion process to change the diameter of an extruded leg. In particular, by dynamically adjusting system factors, an extruder can create a leg that includes an interface region, a taper or bump, and a non-interface region such that transition change between the regions is smooth and seamless. The system factors can be adjusted by any suitable component of extruder 200 such as, for example, a control station.
To ensure that an external surface of the leg created using an extrusion process as described above is smooth and the material is uniformly distributed around the conductor bundle, the conductor bundle may be covered with a sheath that maintains a constant fixed “inner” diameter within the extruded leg. Thus, while the “inner” diameter remains constant, the diameter of the extruded leg can vary.
In addition to providing a constant “inner” diameter, the sheath covering the conductor bundle can provide a smooth outer surface over which material is extruded. In the absence of a smooth surface, material extruded over a conductor bundle can mirror or mimic discontinuities of the conductor bundle. For example, if the conductor bundle includes two distinct conductors or rods placed length-wise side by side, the outer surface of the extruded leg can include at least one indentation or discontinuity that reflects the separation between the conductors. FIG. 4A is an illustrative view of a conductor bundle for use in a leg of a cable structure in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. Conductor bundle 400 can include distinct rod 410, and conductors 420, 430 and 440 placed adjacent to each other. Rod 410 can be constructed from a superelastic material to reduce tangling of the cable structure. Conductors 420, 430 and 440 can include co-axial conductors in which several distinct conductive paths or wires are wrapped around a core. Using this approach, three conductors can be sufficient to provide six conductive paths.
Because each rod and conductor in conductor bundle 400 constitutes a separate element, there may be discontinuities between outer surfaces of the elements. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the conductor bundle of FIG. 4A in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. As shown in FIG. 4B, there may be discontinuity 412 between rod 410 and conductor 420, discontinuity 422 between conductor 420 and conductor 430, discontinuity 432 between conductor 430 and conductor 440, and discontinuity 442 between conductor 440 and rod 410. When material is extruded over conductor bundle 400, the extruded material provides a covering 460 having a constant thickness around the conductor bundle. This means, however, that variations in the outer surfaces of elements in a conductor bundle can be reflected in the outer surface of covering 460. For example, covering 460 can include discontinuity 462 corresponding to discontinuity 412, discontinuity 464 corresponding to discontinuity 422, discontinuity 466 corresponding to discontinuity 432, and discontinuity 468 corresponding to discontinuity 442. The resulting leg may lack a cosmetic appeal, and detract from a user's attraction to the cable structure.
To ensure that the leg has a smooth outer surface, it may therefore be desirable for conductor bundle 400 to have a smooth outer surface. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 4C, the rod and conductors of conductor bundle 400 can be enclosed within sheath 450. Sheath 450 can be constructed using any suitable approach including, for example, constructed as a tube into which the rod and conductors can be fed. In some embodiments, additional material 452 (e.g., a resin) can be placed between sheet 450 and the rod and conductors to fill in the discontinuities in the conductor bundle. In some cases, sheath 450 may additionally serve as an additional strain relief component within the extruded cable leg.
Material can be extruded over conductor bundle 400 to create a covering that has any suitable diameter. In the example of FIG. 4D, some portions of conductor bundle 400 can be enclosed within covering 460′ having a first diameter (e.g., corresponding to a non-interface region), and other portions of conductor bundle 400 can be enclosed within covering 460″ having a second diameter (e.g., corresponding to an interface region). The diameter of the covering can transition between the first and second diameters in a taper region of the leg. In all regions of the leg, conductor bundle 400 can be centered relative to the covering such that an internal diameter of the covering remains constant and substantially matches sheath 500. This approach can help ensure that the outer surface of the leg remains smooth.
Once each of the cable legs has been extruded, the cable legs can be assembled into a cable structure. FIG. 5 is an exploded view of extruded cable legs in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. Cable structure 520 can include main leg 522, left leg 524, right leg 526, and bifurcation region 530 having some or all of the properties of the corresponding components of cable structure 20 (FIG. 1). To complete the cable, however, one or both ends of each leg may require undercut features, or other features that cannot be constructed as part of an extrusion process. For example, main leg 522 can include undercut features 523 in an interface region. Similarly, left leg 524 can include undercut features 525 in an interface region, and right leg 526 can include undercut features 527 in an interface region. In some embodiments, one or more of the legs can instead or in addition includes undercut features near bifurcation region 530. The undercut features may be used to interface with non-cable components (e.g., an audio plug or headphone).
Any suitable approach can be used to construct undercut features in extruded cable legs. In some embodiments, a cold reform process can be used. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an illustrative system used to perform a cold reform process in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. System 600 can include left fixture 620 and right fixture 622 operative to secure opposite ends of cable leg 610. Although cable leg 610 is shown as having a constant diameter, it will be understood that cable leg 610 can have a variable diameter (e.g., as described above in connection with the legs of cable structure 20, FIG. 1). Fixtures 620 and 622 can retain leg 610 in tension such that tool 630 can be applied to leg 610 to create undercuts. Fixtures 620 and 622 can be secured to any suitable portion of leg 610. In some embodiments, fixtures 620 and 622 can be coupled to excess extruded material of the leg that will be removed before completing the cable structure such as, for example, strip regions 612. Using this approach, cosmetic damage to the leg caused by fixtures 620 and 622 may be ignored, as strip regions 612 will be removed from the final product.
To create undercut features or other features within leg 610, such as feature 632, tool 630 can be applied to a surface of leg 610. Tool 630 can include any suitable tool having a cutting, grinding, or polishing element, or any other element for removing material from leg 620. In some cases, several tools 630 can be used simultaneously (e.g., two grinders are used simultaneously), or a tool can include several elements for removing material. In some embodiments, tool 630 can move relative to leg 610 to create features. For example, tool 630 can move relative to fixtures 620 and 622 and to leg 610. In particular, tool 630 can include a moving cutting element (e.g., a rotating saw) that can be brought into contact with leg 610. Alternatively, leg 610 can move relative to tool 630. For example, fixtures 620 and 622 can rotate in direction 640, such that when tool 630 is brought into contact with the leg, the rotation of the leg allows tool 630 to create undercut features. Leg 610 can rotate at any suitable speed including, for example, a speed determined from characteristics of tool 630 and from characteristics of the material used for leg 610.
The cold reform process of system 600 can be performed once an extruded cable leg has been cooled. The cable leg may in addition remain cold while tool 630 creates features in the leg. This approach can ensure that material forming leg 610 does not flow and change shape, or does not change in a manner that would adversely affect the cosmetic appearance of the leg. In addition, only the portions of leg 610 that come into contact with fixtures 620 and 622, or with tool 630 may be deformed by the process.
In some embodiments, a hot reform process can be used to obtain a desired undercut. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an illustrative system for performing a hot reform process in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. System 700 can be applied to extruded leg 710, which can include some or all of the features of extruded legs described above. In the example of FIG. 7, leg 710 is shown to have a constant diameter, thought it will be understood that leg 710 can have a variable diameter. Leg 710 can be secured to a fixture (not shown) to perform a hot reform process. As discussed above in connection with a cold reform process, the fixture can be placed in contact with regions of the leg that will be removed from the final product so as to avoid damaging cosmetic surfaces of leg 710.
Depending on the material used for constructing leg 710, it may be beneficial to construct undercut features in the leg using a heated tool. The heated tool can reduce the strength of the extruded material, and facilitate the formation of undercut features in the leg. System 700 can include top plate 730 and bottom plate 732 each including cutting features 734 for creating undercut features 712 in leg 710. Region 714 of leg 710, where undercut features 712 are to be provided, can be positioned between plates 730 and 732, and the plates can then be applied to the leg. In particular, top plate 730 can move in direction 731 towards leg 710, and bottom plate 732 can move in direction 733 toward leg 710. When the plates come into contact with leg 710, cutting features 734 can remove material from leg 710 to form undercut features 712.
Top and bottom plates 730 and 732 can be heated to facilitate the application of the plates to leg 710. The plates can be heated at any suitable time. In some embodiments, plates 730 and 732 can be heated before they are applied to leg 710. In other embodiments, plates 730 and 732 can be at least partially applied to leg 710 (e.g., brought into contact with the leg), and subsequently heated to create undercut features 712. Any suitable region of the plates can be heated. In one implementation, the entire plates can be heated. Alternatively, only a region that includes cutting features 734 of each plate can be heated. The plates can be heated using any suitable approach including, for example, using a heating element embedded within or in contact with a plate (e.g., a resistive heating element), or by placing the plates in contact with a heat source when they are not applied to a leg.
Because the plates are heated, heat from the plates can be conducted into regions of the leg other than region 714 where undercut features are desired. In some cases, heat can be transferred to regions of the leg that form part of the final product such as, for example, region 716. When heat is applied to region 716, the material of the leg can deform, or cosmetic properties of the material can change (e.g., the color of the material changes due to the heat). This can adversely affect the cosmetic appearance of the leg. To prevent heat from reaching region 716, system 700 can include top cold plate 720 and bottom cold plate 722 placed in contact with region 716. When heat from a hot plate reaches region 716, cold plates 720 and 722 can remove the heat from the leg before the cosmetic appearance of the leg is adversely affected. Cold plates 720 and 722 can counteract the heat imposed on leg 716 by hot plates 732 and 734. Cold plates 720 and 722 can be placed in close proximity of hot plates 730 and 732, respectively, but do not touch.
Cold plates 720 and 722 can be cooled using any suitable approach. In some embodiments, the cold plates can include an integrated cooling component. Alternatively, the cold plates can be cooled prior to being used as part of the hot reform process. In some cases, several cold plates can be used interchangeably during a hot reform process. For example, a first set of cold plates heated by the hot plates during the process can be replaced by a second set of cold plates when the first set of cold plates become too hot.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an illustrative process for extruding a leg of a cable structure in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. Process 800 can begin at step 802. At step 804, material to be extruded can be provided to an extruder. For example, pellets of material can be placed in a hopper of an extruder. The extruder can melt the material, and apply pressure to the melted material so that it may be directed out of the extruder. At step 806, a conductor bundle can be fed through a die. For example, a bundle that includes conductors and a superelastic rod can be placed within a hypodermal path.
At step 808, the material can be extruded through the die to surround the conductor bundle, which is also passing through the die. The combination of the extruded material and conductor bundle form an extruded leg. At step 810, system factors of the extruder can be dynamically adjusted to change dimensions of the extruded leg. In particular, a diameter of the extruded leg can change from a large diameter in an interface region to a variable diameter defining a smooth transition from the large diameter to a small diameter of a non-interface region. Any suitable system factor can be changed including, for example, the position of die components (e.g., the position of the die pin), line speed, heat applied to the extruder, screw rotation speed, melt pressure, and air pressure, or combinations of these. Process 800 can end at step 812.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an illustrative process for creating an undercut in an extruded leg using a cold reform process in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. Process 900 can begin at step 902. At step 904, an extruded leg can be secured in tension in a fixture. For example, left and right fixtures can capture opposite ends of an extruded leg, and apply tension to the leg. At step 906, the fixture can be rotated to rotate the captured leg. The leg can be rotated at any suitable speed including, for example, at a speed selected based on the material used to extrude the leg, or on the type of tool to be applied to the leg. At step 908, a tool can be applied to the rotating leg to create an undercut in the extruded material of the leg. For example, one or more grinders can be applied to the leg to create undercuts in the leg. Process 900 can then end at step 910.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an illustrative process for creating an undercut in an extruded leg using a hot reform process in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. Process 1000 can begin at step 1002. At step 1004, a leg can be secured in a fixture. At step 1006, cold plates can be applied to the region of the leg adjacent to a region of the leg that will be undercut. At step 1008, hot plates can be applied to the region of the leg that is to be undercut. At step 1010, undercuts are created using the hot plates. Process 1000 can end at step 1012.
It should be understood that processes of FIGS. 8-10 are merely illustrative. Any of the steps may be removed, modified, or combined, and any additional steps may be added, without departing from the scope of the invention.
In some embodiments, the cable structure can instead by constructed as a single component having a seamless, integrated bifurcation. FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a bifurcation of an illustrative jointly formed multi-leg cable structure in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. Cable structure 1120 can include legs 1122, 1124 and 1126 joined at bifurcation 1130.
Each of cable legs 1122, 1124, and 1126 can include conductor bundles 1142, 1144, and 1146, respectively, having different numbers of conductors. For example, as shown in the cross-sections of FIG. 12, conductor bundle 1142 can include 6 conductors, which split into 2 conductors in conductor bundle 1144 and 4 conductors in conductor bundle 1146.
The extruder can include any suitable component for splitting an initial leg into two legs, or for combining two distinct legs into a single leg. FIGS. 13A and 13B are sectional views of a portion of an illustrative extruder for providing a split in a co-extrusion process in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. Die 1300 can include some or all of the features of die 300, described above. For example, die 1300 can include top die element 1302 and bottom die element 1304 corresponding to top and bottom halves of a cylindrical die element. Die elements 1302 and 1304 can include angled surfaces 1303 and 1305, respectively, for guiding material 1301 towards opening 1306 (e.g., when material moves in direction 1314). In some cases, the angled surfaces can correspond to surfaces of a cone removed from within die elements 1302 and 1304.
Die 1300 can include pin 1310 positioned at least partially within an area enclosed by die elements 1302 and 1304, such that angled surface 1311 corresponds to angled surfaces 1303 and 1305. In some embodiments, pin 1310 can include hypodermal path 1312 extending through pin 1310, for example extending through a centerline of pin 1310. Conductor bundle 1320 can be fed through the hypodermal path into the extrusion path (e.g., into a region between die elements 1302 and 1304 and pin 1310) and through opening 1306.
Die 1300 can include splitting member 1325 positioned adjacent to opening 1306 to separate conductor bundle 1320 into several distinct conductor bundles 1322 and 1324, corresponding to legs 1332 and 1334, respectively. As material 1301 passes through opening 1306, splitting member 1325 can redirect portions of the material into each of legs 1332 and 1334. By modifying the position of pin 1310 and splitting member 1325, the amount of material provided to each leg, and therefore the diameter of each leg, can vary. When each of legs 1332 and 1334 have been created, splitting member 1325 can be moved or repositioned to create a single leg 1320 having the conductors of both conductor bundles 1322 and 1324 (e.g., conductor bundle 1320).
In some cases, the die can instead serve to combine several distinct extruded legs into a single leg. As shown in FIG. 13B, die 1350, which can include some or all of the features of die 300, described above, can include top die element 1352, bottom die element 1354, and middle die element 1353 corresponding different surfaces of each of legs 1380 and 1382. Die elements 1352, 1353, and 1354 can include angled surfaces for guiding material 1351 towards opening 1356 (as material moves in direction 1365). In some cases, the angled surfaces can correspond to surfaces of a cone removed from within one or more of die elements 1352, 1353 and 1354.
Conductor bundles 1372 and 1374 can be fed into die 1350 with material 1301 such that initially, conductor bundles 1372 and 1374 combine and form conductor bundle 1370. Material 1351, fed through die 1350, creates leg 1380. Die 1350 can include splitting member 1375 which, when positioned in die 1350, maintains conductor bundles 1372 and 1374 separate to create legs 1382 and 1384. Then, as material is provided in direction 1365, leg 1380 can be initially created, and subsequently split, at a bifurcation created by splitting member 1375, into legs 1382 and 1384. By modifying the position of splitting member 1375, the amount of material provided to each leg, and therefore the diameter of each leg, can vary.
Manufacturing a jointly formed multi-leg cable structure via an extrusion process can provide several advantages. For example, the extrusion process can provide a continuous and smooth structure that is aesthetically pleasing. In addition, the cable structure may have no discontinuities creating areas in which stresses can be concentrated. This may eliminate a need for an overmold or other strain relief component (e.g., an interface with a non-interface component.
dynamically adjusting system factors of the extruder to change an outer diameter of the leg in a bump region of the leg that separates an interface region of the leg from a non-interface region of the leg.
the conductor bundle comprises a rod of superelastic material extending length-wise with at least one conductor.
enclosing the rod and the at least one conductor in a sheath having a smooth outer surface to form the conductor bundle.
the bump region comprises a diameter that varies between the first diameter and the second diameter.
a transition between the non-interface region and the bump region is smooth.
a transition between the interface region and the bump region is smooth.
coupling an end of the leg to a bifurcation region, wherein the bifurcation region is coupled to at least two other legs.
a control station operative to adjust the operation of the system to dynamically change an outer diameter of the sheath.
a hopper operative to receive pellets of a material to extrude, wherein the hopper is coupled to the hopper end of the barrel to direct the pellets from the hopper into the barrel.
the conductor bundle is substantially aligned with a centerline of the sheath.
adjust the operation of the system to create a split in the sheath.
coupling a first portion of the first conductor bundle to the second conductor bundle and a second portion of the first conductor bundle to the third conductor bundle to define a bifurcation region of the cable structure.
defining a splitter at the bifurcation region to secure the first leg to the second leg and to the third leg.
coupling a third non-cable component to the non-interface region of the third leg.
varying a diameter of the bump region between a diameter of the non-interface region and a diameter of the interface region.
a diameter of the non-interface region is smaller than a diameter of the interface region.
jointly co-extruding the second leg and the third leg.
a splitter coupling the main leg to the left leg and to the right leg, wherein a conductor bundle of the main leg is split into a left conductor bundle of the left leg and a right conductor bundle of the right leg.
BE898462A (en) 1984-06-15 Cable Manufacture. | 2019-04-20T03:17:22Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/US20110180321A1/en |
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Learn more about Detroit, Michigan using the City Guide below. Plan a trip, find local shopping centers, or just discover what makes Detroit, Michigan so great!
Detroit, a major metropolis in the state of Michigan, has significantly influenced the world, from the advent of the automotive assembly line, to the Motown sound, to Detroit techno, Detroit continues to shape American and global culture. The Detroit area is bustling with new developments and attractions which complement its world class museums and theaters. Metro Detroit offers myriad things to see and do, an exciting travel destination filled with technological advance and historic charm.
Detroit and the surrounding suburbs provide spectacular views and a dynamic nightlife. Detroit is the largest city and metro region to offer casino resorts. The four major casino resorts include MGM Grand Detroit, Greektown, Motor City, and Caesars Windsor which is just across the river. Downtown Detroit serves as the cultural and entertainment hub of the metropolitan region, Windsor, Ontario, and even for Toledo, Ohio residents, many of whom work in metropolitan Detroit. The Detroit-Windsor metro area population totals over 5.9 million; it jumps to 6.5 million if Toledo is included. An estimated 46 million people live within a 300 mile radius of Detroit. While there's plenty to do in Detroit, it's not along the lines of a Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, etc, in terms of being a tourist destination. The city's northern inner ring suburbs like Dearborn, Southfield, Royal Oak, and Birmingham provide an urban experience in the suburbs complete with dining, shopping and other attractions. Detroit has many regal mansions especially in Grosse Pointe, Bloomfield Hills, and Birmingham. Troy and Livonia provide the best of American suburbia while Ann Arbor provides the nearby experience of a world renowned college town.
Metropolitan Detroit is an international destination for sporting events of all types; patrons enjoy their experience in world class venues. The Detroit Convention and Visitors bureau maintains the Detroit Metro Sports Commission. The city and region have state of the art facilities for major conferences and conventions.
Detroit is known as the world's "Automobile Capital" and "Motown" (for "Motor Town"), the city where Henry Ford pioneered the automotive assembly line, with the world's first mass produced car, the Model T. During World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt called Detroit, the "Arsenal of Democracy." Today, the region serves as the global center for the automotive world. Headquartered in metro Detroit, General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler all have major corporate, manufacturing, engineering, design, and research facilities in the area. Hyundai, Toyota, Nissan, among others, have a presence in the region. The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is a global leader in research and development. Metro Detroit has made Michigan's economy a leader in information technology, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing. Michigan ranks 4th nationally in high tech employment with 568,000 high tech workers, including 70,000 in the automotive industry. Michigan typically ranks among the top 3 states for overall Research & Development investment expenditures in the U.S. The domestic Auto Industry accounts directly and indirectly for one of every ten jobs in the U.S.
Downtown Detroit is unique -- an International Riverfront, ornate buildings, one of the nation's largest collection of pre-depression era skyscrapers, and the nation's third largest theater district. Many historic buildings have been converted into loft apartments, and over 60 new businesses have opened in the Central Business District over the past two years. Surrounding neighborhoods such as Corktown, home to Detroit's early Irish population, New Center,Midtown, and Eastern Market (the nation's largest open air market), are experiencing a revival. Detroit has a rich architectural heritage, from the restoration of the historic Book-Cadillac Hotel downtown to the Westin Detroit Hotel surrounded by the golden towers of the ulta-contemporary Southfield Town Center. Nearby, explore Somerset Collection in Troy, Metro Detroit's premier shopping mall with an award winning skywalk. Downtown Detroit features the Renaissance Center, including the tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere, the Detroit Marriott, with the largest rooftop restaurant, the Coach Insignia. In 2005, Detroit's architecture was heralded as some of America's finest; many of the city's architecturally significant buildings are listed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as among America's most endangered landmarks.
Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) - This is the largest airport in the area and located in Romulus, about 20 minutes west of the city proper located at the junction between I-275 and I-94. It is a Northwest hub and features the recently opened McNamara Terminal.
Several interstates converge in downtown Detroit. I-75 North/South runs from Toledo, Ohio up through to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I-94 East/West comes from Chicago, Illinois and continues up to Sarnia. I-96 East/West heads to Lansing, Michigan. I-696 runs along the northern edge of the city, connecting the eastern suburbs (e.g. St. Clair Shores) to Southfield.
All of the interstates have gone through major overhauls in preparation for Detroit hosting the 2006 National Football League Super Bowl XL. Prior to this, the highways were in poor condition, but since 2004, the road conditions has improved.
As with any major city, traffic during rush hour can make travel really slow. This is especially aggravated during shift changes at the local automotive plants.
For smaller streets, the Detroit area is laid out in both grid and wheel-and-spoke configuration. This was due to first French development (wheel and spoke), followed by British development (grid). Mile roads run east-west, starting at downtown Detroit and increasing as you travel north. These mile roads may change name in different cities, so pay attention. There are also several spoke roads, including Woodward Ave, Michigan Ave, Gratiot Ave, and Grand River Ave.
Automobiles are virtually a necessity for travel in the Detroit area. Public transportation is practically non-existent when compared to other metropolitan areas of similar size.
Amtrak Train station is located at 11 W. Baltimore at the corner of Woodward Ave., Detroit.
Detroit suburbs spread over a large area, and getting around may prove to be difficult without a car. Nonetheless, an extensive highway system and ample parking make the region one of the most auto-friendly in North America.
Driving in Detroit can be confusing, especially downtown. The street plan of downtown Detroit, designed by Judge Augustus Woodward in the early 1800's, is patterned after Washington, D.C. and abandons the traditional grid design that dominates most American cities. Detroit has one of America's most modern freeway systems. See the Michigan Department of Transportation website for a current listing of downtown road closures and construction projects. The Detroit Department of Transportation also has a website.
Detroit has an abundance of taxi, limo, and shuttle services. Car rental prices are reasonable. Ask your auto insurance agent for a complementary Canadian insurance ID card, if you plan to drive to Windsor. When buying extra rental car insurance, you can ask for coverage to drive in Windsor.
SMART bus (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation) provides a large number of transportation options.
In downtown, you can hop on the People Mover, an elevated rail system that runs a three mile loop between center-city attractions. Detroit Trolley travels along Jefferson Avenue and Washington Boulevard.
Transit Windsor travels back and forth through the tunnel with selected stops, call (519)944-4111 for fares. Some downtown hotels may offer shuttles to Windsor.
Detroit's historic mansions, neighborhoods, landmarks, and tours are too numerous to list.
Berry Gordy House West Boston Boulevard at Third Avenue in the Boston-Edison neighborhood, Detroit.
Cranbrook House and Gardens 39221 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills. Public tours. Cranbrook House is part of the Cranbrook Kingswood Educational Community. The house belonged to the Booth Family, who founded the Cranbrook and Kingswood schools in the early 1900s. The house is currently used as an administrative office for the school. The gardens are extensive and open all year.
David Whitney House, 4421 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Now a fine restaurant.
Edsel & Eleanor Ford House 1100 Lakeshore Dr., Grosse Pointe. Public tours.
Grosse Pointe Historical Society Historic sites and homes.
Grosse Pointe War Memorial, (Russell Alger Mansion) 32 Lake Shore Dr., Grosse Pointe Farms. Public tours.
Henry Ford Estate Dearborn. Often referred to as "Fairlane." Public tours.
Colonel Frank Hecker House, 5510 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Offices.
Meadow Brook Hall Rochester. Dodge House, located near Oakland University. Public tours.
Lawrence P. Fisher Mansion 383 Lenox Ave., Detroit. Public tours.
Palmer Woods Historic District A private historic neighborhood in the city of Detroit west of Woodward Ave. and north of Palmer Park.
S.S Kresge House 70 West Boston Boulevard, Detroit.
Belle Isle the nation's largest island park with 983 acres designed by Frederick Olmstead, the beautiful James Scott Fountain designed by Cass Gilbert, the world's largest marble light house, a public beach, waterslide, playgrounds, tennis courts, sports fields, a 9 hole golf course and picnic areas. The Belle Isle Conservatory, the nation's oldest, houses one of the largest orchid collections, originally donated by Anna Scripps, who had saved the orchid species from the bombing of Britain during World War II. Belle Isle was used as a staging area by U.S. troops prior to Iwo Jima during World War II.
Cadillac Place State offices across from the Fisher Building in the historic New Center.
Country Club of Detroit 220 Country Club Dr., Grosse Pointe. Founded in 1897.
Detroit International Riverfront Walk along the Riverwalk.
Detroit Athletic Club 241 Madison Ave., Detroit. Private club.
Detroit Zoo Royal Oak. Recognized as one of the top zoos in the nation, ride the train, walk through arctic ring of wildlife. This is a "must see."
Fisher BuildingDetroit. Famous, beautiful lobby, a "must see" for architecture buffs.
Guardian Building Detroit. Famous for its beautiful lobby, it was used as headquarters for production during World War II.
Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Lake Shore Dr., Grosse Pointe.
Hart Plaza Site of the Dodge Fountain, Joe Louis Fist, and the Dock of Detroit.
James Scott Fountain Belle Isle.
Matthai Botanical Gardens, 1800 Dixboro Road, Ann Arbor.
Michigan Central Station Awaiting restoration.
Monuments of the City of Detroit, including Marshall Fredericks "The Spirit of Detroit" in front of the City-County Building, and the Soldier's and Sailor's Monument of the Civil War in Campus Martius Park.
NextEnergy Center 461 Burroughs, Detroit. A center to develop hydrogen fuel cells and energy alternatives at Wayne State University's Tech Town.
Old Mariner's Church of Detroit 170 E. Jefferson. The city's oldest gothic stone church.
St. Anne de Detroit 1000 St. Anne St. The 2nd oldest parish in the U.S.
St. John's Episcopal Church I-75 & Woodward Ave., next to Comerica Park. Built in 1860.
Tri-centennial State Park & Harbor, the first urban state park.
Wayne County Building 600 Randolph St. Detroit. America's finest example of Roman Baroque architecture, built from 1896-1902. Restored.
Automotive Hall of Fame Dearborn. Next to Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village.
Cranbrook Bloomfield Hills. Art Museum, Science Center, House & Gardens, 300 acre campus, and School.
Charles Wright Museum of African American History 315 E Warren, Detroit. Next to the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Detroit Institute of Arts 5200 Woodward Avenue, 313-833-7900 CLOSED Monday and Tuesday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Currently offering free admission. Designed by Cass Gilbert. One of the top ranked art collections in America, this is a "must see." The DIA will be closed for renovations from May 28, 2007 until November 2007.
Detroit Historical Museum 5401 Woodward Ave., Detroit.
Detroit Public Library 5201 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Beautiful, designed by Cass Gilbert.
Detroit Science Center & IMAX Theater 5020 John R., Detroit. Next to the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Dossin Great Lakes Museum100 Strand, Belle Isle.
GM World Automotive display inside the Renaissance Center. Detroit.
The Henry Ford(Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village with an IMAX Theater) Dearborn-- This is a "must see". A massive historical and entertainment complex, a leading attraction with a keen focus on innovations. Highlights include: Lincoln's chair, Rosa Park's bus, JFK's limos, original historic structures, nice shops, great food, and, not surprisingly, a spectacular history of the automobile collection that is a football field long. Visitors may have many entertaining experiences such as mini-shows, music, parades, train rides, and Model T rides.
Motown Historical Museum, Hitsville USA, 2648 West Grand Boulevard, 875-2264 ([email protected]). Tu-Sa 10AM-6PM. The Motown Museum preserves the legacy of Motown Records, the record label that put Detroit on the world's music map. Located in label founder Berry Gordy, Jr.'s old home, the museum is hard to miss: Gordy's "Hitsville, USA" sign is still over the front door. $8.
Motorsports Museum & Hall of Fame of America Novi.
Pewabic Pottery Museum10125 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit. Phone: (313) 822-0954.
Rearview Mirror from the Detroit News History of Detroit online.
Selfridge Military Air Museum Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mt. Clemens.
Underground Railroad at the First Congregational Church of Detroit, 33 E. Forest at Woodward Ave. Phone: (313) 831-4080.
Baker's Keyboard Lounge The world's oldest jazz club.
Bonstelle Theater Wayne State University, Detroit.
The City Theater 2301 Woodward Ave., Detroit.
Detroit Film Theater 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Inside the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Detroit Opera House 1526 Broadway, Detroit. Beautifully decorated old concert hall. Home of the Michigan Opera Theater.
Detroit Ochestra Hall Part of the recently renovated/built Max M. Fisher Music Center. Home of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Detroit Symphony Civic Ensembles.
Detroit Repertory Theatre 3103 Woodrow Wilson, Detroit. Phone (313) 868-1347.
DTE Music Theater Sashabaw Rd., Clarkston. Formerly known as Pine Knob.
Fisher Theater 3011 W. Grand Blvd., #F100, Detroit. The lobby is a "must see."
Fox Theater 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit. A performance at the 5,000 seat Fox is a "must see."
Ford Community and Performing Arts Center Dearborn.
Gem and Century Theater 333 Madison Ave., Detroit.
Masonic Theater 500 Temple Ave., Detroit.
Music Hall Center For The Performing Arts 250 Madison Ave., Detroit. Phone (313) 963-2366.
Plowshares Theater Detroit. Inside Charles Wright Museum of African American History.
State Theater 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit.
"Big House"Ann Arbor. University of Michigan Stadium.
Casino Windsor 100,000 sq. ft of meeting space, and a 5000 seat entertainment center.
Cobo Hall Convention Center Detroit's premier convention and exhibit facility with 700,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space, home to the North American International Auto Show in January.
Cobo Arena Detroit. Various events.
Comerica Park Home of the MLB Detroit Tigers, a fabulous experience.
Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center 100,000 sq ft of meeting space.
Ford Field Home of the NFL Detroit Lions.
Greektown Casino Hotel 25,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, opening 2008.
Hyatt Regency Dearborn 62,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.
Joe Louis Arena Home of the NHL Detroit Red Wings.
McGregor Memorial Conference Center at WSU, 495 Ferry Mall, Detroit. (313) 577-2400.
Michigan State Fair Grounds & Exposition Center, 1120 W. State Fair Ave., Detroit.
MGM Grand Detroit Casino Hotel Large conferences and performances, opening 2008.
Motor City Casino Hotel 67,000 square ft. of meeting space, opening 2008.
Palace of Auburn Hills Home of the NBA Detroit Pistons.
Rock Financial Show Place Novi. A state of the art exposition, conference, and banquet center with 320,000 sq ft.
Westin Detroit Metropolitan Airport 25,000 sq. ft of meeting space, conferences of up to 1000 attendees.
Westin Southfield-Detroit inside the Southfield Town Center which accomodates conferences for up to 1000 attendees.
Discover Detroit TV The Detroit travel show sponsored by the Detroit Convention & Visitor's Bureau airs weekly on Mondays at 5:30 PM on Detroit Public Television.
Detroit offers a array of events with some of the highlights listed.
Beaches, Canoeing, Kayaking, and more Metro Detroit's popular destinations include Metropolitan Beach in St. Clair Shores, Stony Creek Beach, and Kensington Beach. Detroit's Huron Clinton Metro Park sytem is a great source of fun. Enjoy canoe trips on the Huron River.
Car Racing at Flat Rock Speedway, Michigan International Speedway, Milan Dragway, and Waterford Hills Race Track.
Casinos The four major casinos include, MGM Grand Detroit, Motor City and Greektown, and Casino Windsor. Check for performances.
CityFest Detroit. A food festival sponsored by Comerica. Traditionally held around July 4th in the New Center area near the Fisher Building.
Concerts, and more Detroit is the birthplace of American electro/techno music, with Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, and Derrick Mays all hailing from the area. Although other cities around the world have picked up Detroit's torch and carried it further in some ways, Detroit is still a great place to dance and see the masters at work.
Cruise Ships, the Great Lakes Cruising Coalition The Dock of Detroit receives major cruise lines on the Great Lakes. Adjacent to the Renaissance Center on Hart Plaza. Chartered tours are also available. Take a cruise.
Dave & Busters 45511 Park Avenue, Utica.(586)930-1515. Famous entertainment arcade with food and fun. (Minors need an adult, up to four minors may be accompanied by one adult).
Detroit Golf Club 17911 Hamilton Road, Detroit.(313) 345-4400.
Detroit International Jazz Festival Labor Day weekend.
Detroit's Vibrant, Underground Arts Scene Detroit is home to over 80 galleries, with artists hailing from around the world. Artists are attracted to Detroit due to its abundance of raw, under-utilized industrial space and its inspiring environment of pre-depression era buildings. Detroit's public information campaign, "The World is Coming, Get in the Game" features an online tour of this arts scene.
Detroit's Music Scene The Detroit sound is the sound of the world. It is shaped by Detroit's unique past, its cultural diversity, its energy and its future. Detroit's public information campaign, "The World is Coming, Get in the Game" features an online tour of this music scene.
Diamond Jack's River Tours Detroit.
Electronic Music Festival Memorial Day weekend.
Fash Bash A cutting edge fashiion event and fundraiser coordinated by the Detroit Institute of Arts, featuring big name celebrities, traditionally held in August.
Golf Metro Detroit has many award winning golf courses. Try Detroits Metro parks, St John's Resort in Plymouth, and more.
Horse Racing Hazel Park Raceway, Northville Downs, and Windsor Raceway.
International Freedom Festival Detroit. Begins the last week of June.
The Magic Stick/The Majestic Theater at 4120-4140 Woodward Avenue combines a show space, a theater, cafe and a bowling alley. You can get up close and personal to the bands or shoot pool while listening to live music. Highly recommended for checking out some new music whether it be local or a touring band.
Meadowbrook Concours d' Elegance Rochester. A formal occassion, traditionally held in August.
Metro Parks Huron Clinton Metro Parks.
Motown Winter Blast Held in January or February in Campus Martius park, includes ice skating, concerts, and a street party in Greektown.
North America International Auto Show Cobo Hall, Detroit. NAIAS is held in January.
Old Car Festival Antique and classic car collector's show in Greenfield Village at The Henry Ford in Dearborn the weekend after Labor Day.
Palazzo di Bocce 4291 S. Lapeer Road in Orion Township, about 40 minutes north of Downtown, is the largest and most elaborate bocce facility in the United States, and perhaps the world. You can play bocce on one of 10 indoor tournament-sized courts with court hosts and hostesses to help if you don't know the game. You can have cocktails and eat courtside while playing, or later in the restaurant, which serves authentic Italian food. Palazzo was the site of the 2005 U.S. national tournament, and hosted the 2005 Singles World Bocce Championships attended by athletes from 17 nations in September. Very popular for group events; Friday and Saturday nights are more crowded.
Sailing Races The annual Bayview Yacht club Mackinaw Island sailing race starts in Metro Detroit.
Skiing and Snowboarding in Metro Detroit Mt. Brighton Ski Area, 4141 Bauer Rd., Brighton, MI. Near I-96 & M-23 in Metro Detroit. See also, Alpine Valley ski area, Apple Mountain Ski Resort, Baki Maountain Cross Country Ski Trails, Mt. Holly ski area, Pine Knob ski area.
Skiing, Mt. Brighton and Mt. Holly in metropolitan Detroit feature downhill skiing.
Spirit of Detroit Thunderfest Hydoplane races on the Detroit River. Mid-July.
Waterparks, including Belle Isle Waterslide, Waterford Oaks, Red Oaks, Four Bears Water Park & Entertainment Complex.
Woodward Dream Cruise A car fanatic's paradise, this is an informal drive along Woodward Avenue from Ferndale to Pontiac, where anything imaginable can be seen, from Vipers to vintage cruisers to tricked-out garbage trucks. Happens every August at the height of summer.
Located in Ann Arbor, about 45 miles west of Detroit, the University of Michigan ranks as one of America's best. Former alumni include President Gerald Ford and Google co-founder Larry Page. Others include Wayne State University (alumni include legendary White House Correspondent Helen Thomas and comedian/actress Lily Tomlin), University of Detroit-Mercy, Lawrence Technological University, Oakland University, Eastern Michigan University, Marygrove College, and College for Creative Studies.
Some of the major companies which have headquarters or a significant presence in the metro Detroit include GM, Ford, Chrysler, Volkswagen of America, Comerica, Rock Financial/Quicken Loans, Kelly Services, Borders Group, Dominos, American Axle, DTE Energy, Compuware, Covansys, TRW, BorgWarner, ArvinMeritor, United Auto Group, Pulte Homes, Taubman Centers, Guardian Glass, Lear Seating, Masco, General Dynamics Land Systems, EDS, Microsoft, IBM, Google, Verizon, National City Bank, Northwest Airlines, and Raymond James, Coopers & Lybrand, Ermst & Young, and more.
Briarwood Mall Ann Arbor. Take I-94 exit 177 State Street.
Downtown Birmingham Old Woodward. Lots of Boutiques.
Edsel & Eleanor Ford House 1100 Lakeshore Dr., Grosse Pointe. House tours and Gift Shop.
Great Lakes Crossing Mall 4000 Baldwin Rd., Auburn Hils. Massive indoor outlet mall, popular.
Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village Dearborn. Gift shops with wonderful souvenirs.
John K. King Books,901 W. Lafayette, 313-961-0622 One of the best used bookstores in America with over 500,000 books in stock.
Lakeside Mall Sterling Heights. Large suburban shopping mall with 180 stores.
Laurel Park Place 37700 West 6 Mile Road, Livonia. Nice mall, 70 stores connected to the Livonia Marriott.
Oakland Mall On 14 Mile, just off of I-75.
Olde World Canterbury Village 2369 Joslyn Ct. Lake Orion. Near Auburn Hills. Specialty items, Christmas collectables, restaurant.
Pure Detroit Detroit. Detroit Souvenirs. Stores inside the Renaissance Center, the Fisher Building, and the Guardian Building.
Riverfront Shops Detroit. Inside the GM Renaissance Center Winter Garden.
Somerset Collection Mall 2800 W. Big Beaver, Troy. I-75 & Big Beaver exit 69. Exclusive shopping in one of America's finest malls. More than 180 stores, very large, two upscale malls connected by a 700 foot moving skywalk. Fine restaurants and a wonderful food court. A "must see" for tourists.
The Village, downtown Grosse Pointe Kercheval between Cadieux and Neff, Grosse Pointe.
Twelve Oaks Mall 27500 Novi Rd. Novi. I-96 Exit 162. Large suburban shopping mall with 180 stores.
Explore Detroit's Greektown, with its Greek restaurants and shops surrounding the Greektown Casino. Detroit is home to many American classics including the Coney Island Hotdog, Saunders Bumpy Cakes, Dominos Pizza, Little Caesars Pizza, Better Made Potatoe Chips, and Vernor's Ginger Ale. (Vernor's Ginger Ale shares the distinction as America's oldest soft drink with Hire's Root Beer).
American Coney Island 114 W. Lafayette. Detroit. (Hotdogs and Chili). Also, Coney Town in the Renaissance Center.
Andiamo Italia (10 locations) 7096 E. 14 Mile Rd., Warren. Andiamo Celebrity Showroom.
Andiamo Lake Front Bistro 24026 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores.
Andiamo Riverfront Detroit. Inside the Renaissance Center.
Andiamo Trattoria 20930 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Woods.
Benito's Pizza - (19 locations), 1700 Rochester Rd., Royal Oak.
Bon Vie Troy. Inside Somerset Collection mall. French-American cuisine.
Brio Tuscan Grille Troy. Inside Somerset Collection mall.
Buddy's Pizza (7 locations) 22148 Michigan Ave., Dearborn. Excellent square deep dish pizza. Voted the best pizza in Detroit several times.
Capital Grille Troy. Inside Somerset Collection mall.
Carl's Chop House 3020 Grand River, Detroit.
Coach Insignia Detroit. +1 313 567-2622. Top floor of the Renaissance Center. Fine dining.
Cuisine Restaurant (French). 670 Lothrop, Detroit. New Center area, behind the Fisher Theatre.
Greektown Detroit. Several excellent Greek restaurants. For a bustling environment, try Hellas. For something more intimate, but with amazing food, try Cyprus Taverna. Also try the various bakeries in Greektown. The Astoria Pastry Shop in Greektown has some of the best desserts in town.
Guilio & Son's Restaurant Dearborn. At the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
Hard Rock Cafe Detroit. On Campus Martius downtown.
Hunter House Hamburgers 351 Gratiot Ave. Detoit and 35075 Woodward Ave. Birmingham. Both have the same great burgers. The one in Birmingham has an old American diner feel and you can sit by the window and watch the cars drive by on Woodward Ave.
The Hill - Seafood and Chop House - 123 Kercheval Ave., Grosse Pointe Farms, +1 313 886-8101. Fine dining.
Hockey Town Cafe Detroit. Across from Comerica Park. This restaurant doubles as a museum with Detroit Red Wings history and memorabilia as well as Tigers memorabilia and motorcycles.
J. Alexander's Troy. Inside Somerset Collection mall. Try the chocolate cake.
Lafayette Coney Island W. Lafayette. Detroit. (Hotdogs and Chili). Bitter rival of the American Coney Island stand right next door.
Morton's the Steakhouse One Towne Square. Southfield-Detroit.
Mushashi International Southfield. Inside Southfield Town Center. Japanese cuisine. Also serves lunch during the week inside the Renaissance Center.
McCormicks & Schmicks Troy. Inside the Somerset Collection mall. Seafood.
Opus One 565 E. Larned St., Detroit. +1 313 961-7766. Fine dining. Offers theatre and sports packages.
Pita Cafe. 237 N. Old Woodward Ave in downtown Birmingham. Middle Eastern Cuisine. Try the crushed lentil soup, fresh juices, and Shwarmas.
PizzaPapalis (8 locations).553 Monroe St., Greektown-Detroit.+1 313 961-8020. Famous deep dish pizza.
Polish Village Cafe 2990 Yeamans Street in Hamtramck.+1 313 874-5726. Traditional Polish food.
Rattlesnake Club 300 Riverplace, Detroit. (313) 567-4400.
River Cafe Detroit. Inside the Renaissance Center.
Roostertail 100 Marquette Dr., Detroit. +1 313 822-1234. Enjoy waterfront entertainment.
Sala Thai 3400 Russell St in Eastern Market, located in an old fire house. Great food.
Seldom Blues Detroit. Located inside the Renaissance Center. Fine dining and Jazz.
Tango Restaurant at the Westin Southfield.
Tribute Restaurant 31425 West Twelve Mile Rd., Farmington Hills. +1 248 848-9393. Awarding winning fine dining.
Traffic Jam and Snug 511 W. Canfield St. Restaurant, Bakery, dairy and Brewery. This was one of the first brew pubs in Michigan.
Union Street 4145 Woodward Ave. Very good food, great drinks. Right on Woodward, less than 1 mile from downtown.
Valentino's Pizza. 31200 5 Mile Rd. Livonia.
Whitney House Restaurant 4421 Woodward Ave. Detroit. Formal dress, very expensive.
Vernor's Ginger Ale, created by Detroit pharmacist James Vernor, shares the distinction as America's oldest softdrink with Hire's Rootbear. A local favorite, Detroiters pour Vernor's over ice cream. Also try Faygo soft drinks, another former Detroit based soft drink company. Detroiters enjoy Michigan Wines. A family of GM heritage, the Fisher family Coach Wines are served at the Coach Insignia Restaurant atop the GM Renaissance Center.
AmeriSuites Detroit/AuburnHills. 1545 North Opdyke Road. Tel: +1 248 475-9393. Fax:+1 248 475-9399 . Located 25 miles northeast of Detroit, this hotel is the closest hotel to the Palace of Auburn Hills, DTE Music Theater, Meadowbrook Theater and Great Lakes Crossing Outlet Mall.
AmeriSuites Detroit/Livonia 19300 Haggerty Road Tel:+1 734 953-9224. Easily accessible from Detroit Metropolitan International Airport and downtown Detroit. Swimming pool, fitness center, continental breakfast, Wi-Fi.
AmeriSuites Detroit/Utica 45400 Park Ave Tel:+1 586 803-0100. Located on Macomb County`s "Million-Dollar Mile."
Comfort Inn Downtown Detroit Hotel. 1999 E. Jefferson Ave. Tel: +1 313 567-8888. Fax: +1 313 567-5842. On Jefferson Avenue - approximately 1/2 mile east of the Renaissance Center and 1 mile from the Cobo Conference Center, Joe Louis Arena, among other downtown attractions of Detroit, Comerica Park (Tigers Baseball) and the new Ford Field (Lions Football) are only 2.5 miles from the hotel.
Courtyard Inn by Marriott, 31525 W 12 Mile Rd. Farmington Hills.
Courtyard Inn by Marriott, 5200 Mercury Dr., Dearborn.
Courtyard Inn by Marriott Detroit-Southfield. 27027 Northwestern Highway, Southfield. Centrally located near I-696 and M-10.
Courtyard Inn by Marriott. 17200 N Laurel Park Dr, Livonia. Near Laurel Park Place Mall.
Econo Lodge Detroit Hotel. 17729 Telegraph Road. Tel: +1 313 531-2550. Fax: +1 313 531-5148. Minutes away from local restaurants, as well as shopping, businesses and the Detroit area attractions.
Holiday Inn Southgate 17201 Northline Rd., Southgate. Large indoor swimming pool. Family oriented.
Holiday Resort Hotel - Southfield. 26555 Telegraph Rd., Southfield. Convenient to downtown Detoit and the airport with 11,464 sq ft of meeting space. Indoor pool.
Marriott Residence Inn. 26700 Central Park Blvd, Southfield.
Courtyard Inn by Marriott. 333 East Jefferson Ave., Detroit. Prime downtown location, across from the Renaissance Center. Well appointed, full service hotel. Indoor pool, fitness center, restaurants, lounges, and meeting rooms.
Clarion Barcelo Romulus Detroit Hotel. 8600 Merriman Road. Tel: (734) 728-7900. Fax: (734) 728-6518. Near Detroit Metropolitan Airport off the Merriman Road exit (#198) on I-94. The Ford and GM World Headquarters are just minutes away. Nearby enjoy Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village, downtown Detroit, shopping malls, the University of Michigan, Greektown, the MGM Grand and other casinos.
Crowne Plaza Hotel Detroit Metropolitan Airport. 8000 Meriman Rd., Romulus. Well appointed. Full service hotel.
Crowne Plaza Hotel. 27000 Sheraton Dr., Novi. Next to Twelve Oaks Mall. Well appointed. Full service Hotel.
Detroit Marriott Livonia 17100 Laurel Park Drive North, Livonia. Suburban hotel connected to Laurel Park Place Mall. Well appointed. Convenient to Metropolitan Airport, Ann Arbor, and downtown Detroit. Near I-275 & 6 Mile Rd. Indoor pool, fitness center, restaurants, full service hotel.
Embassy Suites Hotel Livonia. Well apponted. Full service hotel.
Fort Shelby Hotel and Conference Center Doubltree. 525 West Lafayette Blvd., Detroit. Historic hotel, opening 2009.
Hilton Garden Inn Detroit Downtown Near stadiums, Greektown, restaurants.
Holiday Inn Select - Auburn Hills. 1500 Opdyke Rd., Auburn Hills. Well apponted. Near the Palace of Auburn Hills, restaurants, lounges, ballroom, indoor pool, fitness center, full service hotel.
Hotel Baronette. 27790 Novi Rd., Novi. Next to Twelve Oaks Mall. Well appointed. Indoor swimming pool, restaurants, full service hotel.
Sheraton Detroit Riverside Hotel. 2 Washington Blvd., Detroit. Contemporary French elegance with fine restaurants. Located between Cobo Hall Convention Center and GM World Headquarters, nearby are Greektown, casinos, museums, Windsor, Ontario and area attractions. Guests have included George H.W. Bush.
Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest 1275 S Huron Street, Ypsilanti with 30,000 sq ft. of meeting space, championship golf, and a view of Ford Lake.
The Atheneum Suite Hotel 1000 Brush Avenue, Detroit. +1 313 962-2323. Luxury hotel, stunning Greco-Roman contemporary in the heart of downtown's Greektown, near stadiums, accomodates large conferences.
Caesars Windsor Casino & Resort Windsor, Ontario. Contempoary luxury resort hotel with spectacular views of the Detroit skyline, 100,000 sq. ft of meeting space and a 5000 seat performance center.
Dearborn Inn Marriott. 20301 Oakwook Blvd., Dearborn. Historic luxury hotel, steeped in colonial elegance with fine restaurants and buffets. Across from Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, Ford World Headquarters, minutes from GM World Headquarters, downtown Detroit, and shopping malls. 15 minutes from Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center Contemporary luxury hotel, overlooks the spectacular International Riverfront with many restaurants including Coach Insignia rooftop restaurant, shops, and 100,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. This is the tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere, a world class facility. Near Cobo Hall Convention Center, cruise ship dock, stadiums, Greektown, casinos, museums, Windsor, and area attractions. Guests have included Ronald Reagan.
Dobson House Bed & Breakfast 1439 Bagley Ave., Detroit. +1 313 965-1887.
Greektown Casino & Resort. Detroit. Luxury resort hotel with 25,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, (2008).
Hotel St. Regis Detroit Luxury hotel in stately European styled elegance, and fine restaurant, intimate setting, La Musique - cajun steakhouse, private fitness center, and 10,000 sq. ft. of meeting space in the historic New Center area with Cadillac Place, adjoins the beautiful Fisher Theatre featuring Broadway shows, behind is Cuisine (French) Restaurant. Nearby are Ford Hospital, Wayne State University, Motor City Casino, and downtown.
Hyatt Regency 600 Town Center Dr., Dearborn. Stunning contemporary luxury hotel with fine dining, rooftop restaurant, and 62,000 sq. ft. of meeting space near Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, Ford Headquarters, GM Headquarters, downtown Detroit, and shopping malls. A world class hotel with 772 rooms. 10 to 15 minutes from Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
Inn at 97 Winder. 97 Winder St., Detroit. Elegant Victorian mansion in downtown just two blocks from Comerica Park.
Inn at Ferry Street Detroit. A collection of luxurious Victorian bed & breakfasts lining Ferry St. in a historic district downtown. Adjacent to the world renowned Detroit Institute of Arts.
Inn at St. Johns 44045 Five Mile Rd., Plymouth. Luxury resort with a championship golf course, intimate setting in the suburbs.
Les Soeur Maison 2449 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit. +1 313 895-7814. Luxurious 1900's Victorian mansion, a bed & breakfast.
Motor City Casino & Resort, Grand River, Detroit. Luxury resort hotel with 67,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, (2008). +1 877 777-0711.
MGM Grand Detroit Casino & Resort. Luxury resort hotel (2007).
Omni Detroit Hotel at Riverplace 1000 Riverplace, Detroit. Historic luxury hotel with fine restaurants, spectacular waterfront location, intimate setting, 8000 sq. ft. of meeting space. Near GM World Headquarters, Greektown, casinos, and Windsor, Ontario.
Royal Park Hotel Rochester. Luxury hotel, rich colonial elegance in the suburbs with fine dining and over 10,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.
Somerset Inn Troy. I-75 and Big Beaver Rd. Contemporary hotel, boutique style, across from the upscale Somerset Collection mall, restaurants, and golf, near Birmingham. The Somerset Collection mall is one of America's finest malls, its two upscale malls joined by a 700 moving concourse, with fine restaurants and a wonderful food court.
Townsend HotelBirmingham. Luxury hotel, intercontinental elegance with fine restaurants, award winning, intimate setting, nestled in the beautiful Detroit suburb of Birmingham. Nearby are Somerset Collection Mall, Birmingham shops, and area attractions.
Ritz Carlton Dearborn. Luxury hotel with fine restaurants. Nearby are the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, downtown Detroit, and shopping malls. Beautiful hotel.
Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel, 1114 Washington Blvd., Detroit. The city's historic flagship luxury hotel, European elegance, world-class. Guests have included Presidents Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and many celebrities. Opening in 2008.
Westin Detroit Metropolitan Airport Luxury hotel inside the airport with 25,000 sq. ft of meeting space.
Westin Southfield-Detroit 1500 Town Center, Southfield. Luxury hotel, stunning contemporary with fine restaurants and an enclosed atrium, hosts conferences for up to 1,000 attendees. 15 to 20 minutes from the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Centrally located, minutes from downtown Detroit, Dearborn, and the suburbs. Near suburban shopping malls and the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak. Convenient for seeing the entire metro area. A world class hotel inside the Southfield Town Center, across from Lawrence Technological University. In addition to Tangos restaurant, the atrium features Mushashi International (Japanese) Restaurant.
In Detroit, like other major cities, crime tends to occur in areas where most tourists have little reason to visit. As with most urban areas, precautions should be taken when out after dark: stay in groups; do not carry large amounts of money; and avoid seedy neighborhoods.
Contrary to some people's perceptions, downtown Detroit is generally well-policed and among the safest parts of the city. Crimes can and do occur in downtown, but exercising common sense will go a long way toward keeping you and your valuables safe.
Sporting events, festivals and other large public events are always heavily policed and very safe. Sporadic crime events, mostly alcohol-related, have been reported at some of these events but they are by far the exception.
Metro Detroit has a modern freeway system that is easy to navigate. Detroit Metropolitan Airport has a conveniently attached Westin Hotel and conference center. The Airport is among the most modern in the United States with both international and domestic gates in the World Terminal. Galegroup's Hour Media LLC publishes a full color guest guide found in hotels in the metro Detroit area. Visitors may request a guest packet from the Detroit Convention and Visitors Bureau. The Convention and Visitors Bureau sponsors Discover Detroit TV which airs Mondays at 5:30 PM on Detroit Public Television. The city has ample parking garages, valet, and pay-to-park lots near major attractions. Somerset Collection Mall in Troy just at I-75 & Big Beaver Rd. offers valet parking and has a large parking garage behind Macy's and has the adjacent Somerset Inn. Laurel Park Place Mall in Livonia has an attached Marriott Hotel. The Westin Hotel at the Southfield Town Center is centrally located for those needing access to the entire metropolitan region.
Although Detroit itself provides the majority of the region's visitor attractions, the metropolitan area is large and diverse and contains many hot spots and attractions that are also well worth visiting.
Ann Arbor -- Home to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor offers many attractions of a self-enclosed small city. A thriving downtown, lots of culture, and plenty of students.
Dearborn -- Detroit's suburb to the Southwest and home of Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, has a leading attraction, The Henry Ford (the Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village)a large historical and entertainment complex, and the Automotive Hall of Fame. Dearborn has the second largest Middle-Eastern population in the World, with mosques being a common sight and a wide selection of Middle-Eastern food and shopping. Detroit's public information campaign, "The World is Coming, Get in the Game" has created an online tour of Dearborn's cultural scene.
Flint -- The home of the modern labor union movement in the US. While not as tourist-friendly as Ann Arbor, Flint has a great art scene for a city of its size and is much less pretentious.
Plymouth -- With attractive downtown, the suburb is popular with local youth. Enjoy a world class golf experience at PLymouth's luxury resort, the Inn at St. John. Each year, the Plymouth Art Fair in July is well worth a visit.
Royal Oak -- Home to the Detroit Zoo, Royal Oak is a gentrified suburb outside of Detroit which boasts a night scene with exciting dining and a diverse avant-garde bar culture.
Troy -- Troy contains the magnificent Somerset Collection, one of the most upscale malls in the midwest, and even the country. Visit Nordstom, Marshall Field's, Henri Bendel, Ralph Lauren/Polo, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Tiffany & Co, Barney's New York, and more than 180 other specialty shops.
Wyandotte -- The "Downriver Royal Oak" as it has been dubbed by locals, Wyandotte has a bustling, family-friendly downtown strip with mom-and-pop shopping, art galleries, a golf course, ice-cream parlor, a charming riverside park, and numerous dining opportunities. Come the third Friday of the month for free food, trolley and carriage rides, and themed fun events sponsored by local businesses. July of each year sees the Wyandotte Art Fair, one of the best in the country.
Canada -- specifically, Windsor, Ontario -- lies just across the Ambassador Bridge. Or through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel which is located right next to the Renaissance Center (good to use if you see traffic backed up onto I-75) This is the most heavily trafficked border crossing in the world, and it's shaped Windsor more than anything else; well-maintained, walkable streets, shops and restaurants, Casino Windsor (Canada's largest), and adult entertainment. The lower drinking age (19) draws young Americans and ensures a vibrant club scene on weekends. Windsor provides great views of the Detroit skyline.
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A small error at the outset can lead to great errors in the final conclusions, as the Philosopher says in I De Caelo et Mundo cap. 5 (271b8-13), and thus, since being and essence are the things first conceived of by the intellect, as Avicenna says in Metaphysicae I, cap. 6, in order to avoid errors arising from ignorance about these two things, we should resolve the difficulties surrounding them by explaining what the terms being and essence each signify and by showing how each may be found in various things and how each is related to the logical intentions of genus, species, and difference.
Since we ought to acquire knowledge of simple things from composite ones and come to know the prior from the posterior, in instructing beginners we should begin with what is easier, and so we shall begin with the signification of being and proceed from there to the signification of essence.
As the Philosopher says in V Metaphysicae cap. 7 (1017a22-35), being has two senses. In one sense, being signifies that which is divided into the ten categories; in another sense, that which signifies the truth of propositions. The difference between these is that, in the second sense, anything can be called a being about which an affirmative proposition can be formed, even if the thing posits nothing in reality. In this way, privations and negations are called beings, as when we say that affirmation is opposed to negation, or that blindness is in the eye. But in the first sense, nothing can be called a being unless it posits something in reality, and thus in this first sense blindness and similar things are not beings.
The term essence is not taken from being in the second sense, for in this sense some things are called beings that have no essence, as is clear with privations. Rather, the term essence is taken from being in the first sense. Thus in Metaphysicae V, com. 14, the Commentator explains the cited text from Aristotle by saying that being, in the first sense, is what signifies the essence of a thing. And since, as said above, being in this sense is divided into the ten categories, essence signifies something common to all natures through which the various beings are placed in the various genera and species, as humanity is the essence of man, and so on.
Since that through which a thing is constituted in its proper genus or species is what is signified by the definition indicating what the thing is, philosophers introduced the term quiddity to mean the same as the term essence; and this is the same thing that the Philosopher frequently terms what it is to be a thing, that is, that through which something has being as a particular kind of thing. Essence is also called form, for the certitude of every thing is signified through its form, as Avicenna says in his Metaphysicae I, cap. 6. The same thing is also called nature, taking nature in the first of the four senses that Boethius distinguishes in his book De Persona et Duabus Naturis cap. 1 (PL 64, 1341B), in the sense, in other words, that nature is what we call everything that can in any way be captured by the intellect, for a thing is not intelligible except through its definition and essence. And so the Philosopher says in V Metaphysicae cap. 4 (1014b36) that every substance is a nature. But the term nature used in this way seems to signify the essence of a thing as it is ordered to the proper operation of the thing, for no thing is without its proper operation. The term quiddity, surely, is taken from the fact that this is what is signified by the definition. But the same thing is called essence because the being has existence through it and in it.
But because being is absolutely and primarily said of substances, and only secondarily and in a certain sense said of accidents, essence too is properly and truly in substances and is in accidents only in a certain way and in a certain sense. Now some substances are simple and some are composite, and essence is in both, though in the simple substances in a truer and more noble way, as these have existence in a nobler way: indeed, the simple substances are the cause of the composite ones, or at least this is true with respect to the first simple substance, which is God. But because the essences of these substances are more hidden from us, we ought to begin with the essences of composite substances, as learning is easier when we begin with the easier things.
In composite substances we find form and matter, as in man there are soul and body. We cannot say, however, that either of these is the essence of the thing. That matter alone is not the essence of the thing is clear, for it is through its essence that a thing is knowable and is placed in a species or genus. But matter is not a principle of cognition; nor is anything determined to a genus or species according to its matter but rather according to what something is in act. Nor is form alone the essence of a composite thing, however much certain people may try to assert this. From what has been said, it is clear that the essence is that which is signified by the definition of the thing. The definition of a natural substance, however, contains not only form but also matter; otherwise, the definitions of natural things and mathematical ones would not differ. Nor can it be said that matter is placed in the definition of a natural substance as something added to the essence or as some being beyond the essence of the thing, for that type of definition is more proper to accidents, which do not have a perfect essence and which include in their definitions a subject beyond their own genus. Therefore, the essence clearly comprises both matter and form.
Nor can it be said that essence signifies the relation between the matter and the form or something superadded to these, for then the essence would of necessity be an accident and extraneous to the thing, and the thing would not be known through its essence, contrary to what pertains to an essence. Through the form, surely, which is the act of the matter, the matter is made a being in act and a certain kind of thing. Thus, something that supervenes does not give to the matter existence in act simply, but rather existence in act in a certain way, just as accidents do, as when whiteness makes something actually white. Hence, when such a form is acquired, we do not say that the thing is generated simply but only in a certain way.
The only possibility, therefore, is that the term essence, used with respect to composite substances, signifies that which is composed of matter and form. This conclusion is consistent with what Boethius says in his commentary on the Categories, namely, that ousia signifies what is composite; ousia, of course, is for the Greeks what essence is for us, as Boethius himself says in his book De Persona et Duabus Naturis.[] Avicenna even says, Metaphysicae V, cap. 5, that the quiddity of a composite substance is the very composition of the form and the matter. And commenting on Book VII of Aristotle's Metaphysicae, the Commentator says, "The nature that species in generable things have is something in the middle; that is, it is composed of matter and form." Metaphysicae VII, com. 27. Moreover, reason supports this view, for the existence of a composite substance is neither form alone nor matter alone but is rather composed of these. The essence is that according to which the thing is said to exist; hence, it is right that the essence by which a thing is denominated a being is neither form alone not matter alone but both, albeit that existence of this kind is caused by the form and not by the matter. Similarly, we see that in other things that are constituted from many principles, the thing is not denominated from just one or the other of the principles but rather from that which embraces both. Thus, with respect to flavors, sweetness is caused by the action of a warm animal body digesting what is wet, and albeit that in this way warmth is the cause of the sweetness, nevertheless a body is not called sweet by reason of the warmth, but rather by reason of the flavor, which embraces both the warmth and the wetness.
But because matter is the principle of individuation, it would perhaps seem to follow that essence, which embraces in itself simultaneously both form and matter, is merely particular and not universal. From this it would follow that universals have no definitions, assuming that essence is what is signified by the definition. Thus, we must point out that matter understood in the way we have thus far understood it is not the principle of individuation; only signate matter is the principle of individuation. I call signate matter matter considered under determinate dimensions. Signate matter is not included in the definition of man as man, but signate matter would be included in the definition of Socrates if Socrates had a definition. In the definition of man, however, is included non-signate matter: in the definition of man we do not include this bone and this flesh but only bone and flesh absolutely, which are the non-signate matter of man.
Hence, the essence of man and the essence of Socrates do not differ except as the signate differs from the non-signate, and so the Commentator says, in Metaphysicae VII, com. 20, "Socrates is nothing other than animality and rationality, which are his quiddity." Similarly, the essence of a genus and the essence of a species differ as signate from non-signate, although in the case of genus and species a different mode of designation is used with respect to both. For, the designation of the individual with respect to the species is through matter determined by dimensions, while the designation of the species with respect to the genus is through the constitutive difference, which is taken from the form of the thing. This determination or designation, however, which is made in the species with respect to the genus, is not through something that exists in the essence of the species but in no way exists in the essence of the genus. On the contrary, whatever is in the species is also in the genus as undetermined. If animal were not all that man is but rather only a part of him, then animal would not be predicated of man, for no integral part is predicated of its whole.
We can see how this happens by considering how body as a part of animal differs from body as the genus of animal. In the way body is the genus of animal it cannot be an integral part of animal, and thus the term body can be accepted in several ways. Body is said to be in the genus of substance in that it has a nature such that three dimensions can be designated in the body. These three designated dimensions are the body that is in the genus of quantity. Now, it sometimes happens that what has one perfection may attain to a further perfection as well, as is clear in man, who has a sensitive nature and, further, an intellective one. Similarly, above this perfection of having a form such that three dimensions can be designated in it, there can be joined another perfection, as life or some similar thing. This term body, therefore, can signify a certain thing that has a form such that from the form there follows in the thing designatability in three dimensions and nothing more, such that, in other words, from this form no further perfection follows, but if some other thing is superadded, it is beyond the signification of body thus understood. And understood in this way, body will be an integral and material part of the animal, because in this way the soul will be beyond what is signified by the term body, and it will supervene on the body such that from these two, namely the soul and the body, the animal is constituted as from parts.
This term body can also be understood as signifying a certain thing that has a form such that three dimensions can be designated in it, whatever form this may be, and such that either from the form some further perfection can proceed or not. Understood in this way, body will be the genus of animal, for there will be understood in animal nothing that is not implicitly contained in body. Now, the soul is a form through which there can be designated in the thing three dimensions, and therefore, when we say that body is what has a form from which three dimensions can be designated in the body, we understand there is some kind of form of this type, whether soul, or lapideousness, or whatever other form. And thus the form of animal is implicitly contained in the form of body, just as body is its genus.
The relation of animal to man is the same. For if animal named just a certain thing that has a perfection such that it can sense and move by a principle existing in itself, without any other perfection, then whatever further perfection may supervene would be related to animal as a component part, and not as implicitly contained in the notion of animal; and in this way animal would not be a genus. But animal is a genus in that it signifies a certain thing from the form of which sensation and motion can proceed, whatever this form may be, whether a sensible soul only, or a soul both sensible and rational.
Therefore, the genus signifies indeterminately the whole that is in the species and does not signify matter alone. Similarly, the difference also signifies the whole and does not signify the form alone, and the definition, or even the species, signifies the whole. But these nevertheless signify the same thing in different ways. For the genus signifies the whole as a certain denomination determining that which is material in the thing without a determination of its proper form, whence the genus is taken from the matter, although it is not the matter. This is clear in the case of bodies, as we call something a body in that the thing has a perfection such that in the thing three dimensions can be designated, and this perfection is related materially to some further perfection. Conversely, the difference is like a certain denomination taken from the determined form, beyond the first conception of the form by which the matter is determined. So, when we say something is animated (that, in other words, it has a soul), this does not determine what the thing is, whether it is a body or some other thing. Hence, Avicenna says, Metaphysicae V, cap. 6, that the genus is not understood in the difference as a part of its essence but only as a being beyond its essence, even as a subject is with respect to the concept of a passion. And thus the genus is not predicated per se of the difference, as the Philosopher says in III Metaphysicae cap. 8 (998b24) and in IV Topicorum cap. 2 (122b22-26), unless perhaps as a subject is predicated of a passion. But the definition or the species comprehends both, namely, the determined matter that the term genus designates and the determined form that the term difference designates.
From this is it clear why the genus, the difference, and the species are related proportionally to the matter, the form, and the composite in nature, although they are not the same as these things. For, the genus is not the matter, though it is taken from the matter as signifying the whole; nor is the difference the form, though it is taken from the form as signifying the whole. Thus we say that man is a rational animal, but not composed of the animal and the rational in the sense that we say that man is composed of soul and body: man is said to be composed of soul and body as from two things from which a third thing is constituted different from each of the two. Man, surely, is neither body nor soul. But if man is said in some sense to be composed of the animal and the rational, it will not be as a third thing composed from these two things, but as a third concept composed from these two concepts. The concept of animal is without determination of a special form and expresses, with respect to the ultimate perfection, the nature of the thing from that which is material; the concept of the difference, rational, consists in the determination of the special form. From these two concepts are constituted the concept of the species or the definition. Thus, just as a thing constituted from other things does not have predicated of it these other things, so too a concept does not have predicated of it the concepts of which it is constituted: clearly, we do not say that the definition is either the genus or the difference.
Although the genus may signify the whole essence of the species, nevertheless there is not just one essence of the various species under one genus, for the unity of the genus proceeds from its very indetermination or undifferentiation. Nor is it the case that what is signified through the genus is numerically one nature in the various species such that to it there supervenes some other thing, which is the difference that determines it, as a form determines matter, which is numerically one. Rather, the genus signifies some form (though not determinately this one or that one), which the difference expresses determinately, the very one that is signified indeterminately through the genus. And thus the Commentator says in Metaphysicae XII, [] com. 14, that prime matter is called one by the removal of all forms, but the genus is called one through the commonality of forms signified. Hence, the indetermination, which was the cause of the unity of the genus, having been removed through the addition of the difference, the species remain essentially diverse.
Furthermore, since, as said above, the nature of the species is indeterminate with respect to the individual just as the nature of the genus is with respect to the species, and since, further, the genus, as predicated of the species, includes in its signification (although indistinctly) everything that is in the species determinately, so too does the species, as predicated of the individual, signify everything that is in the individual essentially, although it signifies this indistinctly. In this way, the essence of the species is signified by the term man, and so man is predicated of Socrates. If, however, the nature of the species is signified in such a way as to exclude designate matter, which is the principle of individuation, then the species is related to the individual as a part; and this is how the term humanity signifies, for humanity signifies that by which a man is a man. Designate matter, however, is not that by which a man is a man, and it is in no way contained among those things that make a man a man. Since, therefore, the concept of humanity includes only those things by which a man is a man, designate matter is excluded or pretermitted, and since a part is not predicated of its whole, humanity is predicated neither of man nor of Socrates. Thus Avicenna says, Metaphysicae V, cap. 5, that the quiddity of a composite thing is not the composite thing of which it is the quiddity, even though the quiddity itself is composite, as humanity, while composite, is not man. On the contrary, it must be received in something that is designate matter.
But since, as said above, the designation of the species with respect to the genus is through the form, and the designation of the individual with respect to the species is through matter, the term signifying that from which the nature of the genus is taken thus excludes the determinate form that completes the species and signifies the material part of the whole, as the body is the material part of the man. However, the term signifying that from which the nature of the species is taken, excluding designate matter, signifies the formal part. Thus, humanity is signified as a certain form, and it is said that it is the form of the whole, not, certainly, as a form superadded to the essential parts (the form and the matter), but rather as the form of a house is superadded to its integral parts; and that is better called the form which is the whole, in other words, that which embraces the form and the matter, albeit excluding those things through which the designatability of matter arises.
Therefore, the term man and the term humanity both signify the essence of man, though in diverse ways, as said above. The term man signifies the essence as a whole, in other words, insofar as the essence does not exclude designation of matter but implicitly and indistinctly contains it, in the way in which we said that the genus contains the difference. Hence, the term man is predicated of individuals. But the term humanity signifies the essence of man as a part because it contains in its signification only what belongs to man insofar as he is man, and it excludes all designation, and so it is not predicated of individual men. And for this reason the term essence is sometimes found predicated of the thing, as when we say that Socrates is a certain essence; and sometimes the term essence is denied of the thing, as when we say that the essence of Socrates is not Socrates.
Having seen what the term essence signifies in composite substances, we ought next see in what way essence is related to the logical intentions of genus, species, and difference. Since that to which the intentions of genus or species or difference is appropriate is predicated of this signate singular, it is impossible that a universal intention, like that of the species or genus, should be appropriate to the essence if the genus or species is signified as a part, as in the term humanity or animality. Thus, Avicenna says, Metaphysicae V, cap. 6, that rationality is not the difference but the principle of the difference. For the same reason, humanity is not a species, and animality is not a genus. Similarly, we cannot say that the intention of species or genus is appropriate to the essence as to a certain thing existing beyond singulars, as the Platonists used to suppose, for then the species and the genus would not be predicated of an individual: we surely cannot say that Socrates is something that is separated from him, nor would that separate thing advance our knowledge of this singular thing. And so the only remaining possibility is that the intention of genus or species is appropriate to the essence as the essence is signified as a whole, as the term man or animal implicitly and indistinctly contains the whole that is in the individual.
The nature, however, or the essence thus understood can be considered in two ways. First, we can consider it according to its proper notion, and this is to consider it absolutely. In this way, nothing is true of the essence except what pertains to it absolutely: thus everything else that may be attributed to it will be attributed falsely. For example, to man, in that which he is a man, pertains animal and rational and the other things that fall in his definition; white or black or whatever else of this kind that is not in the notion of humanity does not pertain to man in that which he is a man. Hence, if it is asked whether this nature, considered in this way, can be said to be one or many, we should concede neither alternative, for both are beyond the concept of humanity, and either may befall the conception of man. If plurality were in the concept of this nature, it could never be one, but nevertheless it is one as it exists in Socrates. Similarly, if unity were in the notion of this nature, then it would be one and the same in Socrates and Plato, and it could not be made many in the many individuals. Second, we can also consider the existence the essence has in this thing or in that: in this way something can be predicated of the essence accidentally by reason of what the essence is in, as when we say that man is white because Socrates is white, although this does not pertain to man in that which he is a man.
The nature considered in this way, however, has a double existence. It exists in singulars on the one hand, and in the soul on the other, and from each of these there follow accidents. In singulars, furthermore, the essence has a multiple existence according to the multiplicity of singulars. Nevertheless, if we consider the essence in the first, or absolute, sense, none of these pertain to the essence. For it is false to say that the essence of man, considered absolutely, has existence in this singular, because if existence in this singular pertained to man insofar as he is man, man would never exist outside this singular. Similarly, if it pertained to man insofar as he is man not to exist in this singular, then the essence would never exist in the singular. But it is true to say that man, but not insofar as he is man, has whatever may be in this singular or in that one, or else in the soul. Therefore, the nature of man considered absolutely abstracts from every existence, though it does not exclude the existence of anything either. And the nature thus considered is the one predicated of each individual.
Nevertheless, the nature understood in this way is not a universal notion, because unity and commonality are in the notion of a universal, and neither of these pertains to human nature considered absolutely. For if commonality were in the concept of man, then in whatever humanity were found, there would be found commonality, and this is false, because no commonality is found in Socrates, but rather whatever is in him is individuated. Similarly, the notion of genus or species does not pertain to human nature as an accident arising from the existence that the nature has in individuals, for human nature is not found in individuals according to its unity such that it will be one thing in all the individuals, which the notion of the universal demands. The only possibility, therefore, is that the notion of species pertains to human nature according to the existence human nature has in the intellect.
Human nature has in the intellect existence abstracted from all individuals, and thus it is related uniformly to all individuals that exist outside the soul, as it is equally similar to all of them, and it leads to knowledge of all insofar as they are men. Since the nature in the intellect has this relation to each individual, the intellect invents the notion of species and attributes it to itself. Hence, the Commentator, in De Anima I, com. 8, says, "The intellect is what makes universality in things," and Avicenna says the same in his Metaphysicae V, cap. 2. Although this nature understood in the intellect has the notion of a universal in relation to things outside the soul (because it is one likeness of them all), as the nature has existence in this intellect or in that one, it is a certain particular understood species. The Commentator, therefore, is in error in De Anima III, com. 5, when he wants to infer the unity of intellect in all men from the universality of the understood form, because the universality of the form does not arise from the existence the form has in the intellect but rather from its relation to things as a likeness of such things. It is as if there were a corporeal statue representing many men; that image or species of statue would have a singular and proper existence insofar as it exists in this matter, but it would have an aspect of commonality insofar as it was a common representative of many.
Since human nature, considered absolutely, is properly predicated of Socrates, and since the notion of species does not pertain to human nature considered absolutely but only accidentally because of the existence the nature has in the intellect, the term species is not predicated of Socrates, for we do not say that Socrates is a species. We would have to say that Socrates is a species if the notion of species pertained to man arising from the existence that the nature has in Socrates or from the nature considered absolutely, that is, insofar as man is man. For whatever pertains to man insofar as he is man is predicated of Socrates.
But to be predicated pertains to a genus per se, because being predicated is placed in its definition. Now, predication is completed by the action of the intellect in compounding and dividing, and it has as its basis the unity of those things one of which is said of another. Hence, the notion of predicability can be subsumed in the notion of this intention that is the genus, which is itself completed by an act of the intellect. Still, when the intellect attributes the intention of predicability to something by compounding it with another, this intention is not that of genus; it is rather that to which the intellect attributes the intention of genus, as, for instance, to what is signified by the term animal.
We have thus made clear how the essence or nature is related to the notion of species, for the notion of species is not among those that pertain to the essence considered absolutely; nor is it among the accidents that follow from the existence that the essence has outside the soul, as whiteness or blackness. Rather, the notion of species is among the accidents that follow from the existence the essence has in the intellect. And in this way as well do the notions of genus or difference pertain to essences.
We should now see how essences exist in separated substances, that is, in the soul, in the intelligences, and in the first cause. Now, while everyone concedes the simplicity of the first cause, some people have tried to introduce into the intelligences and the soul a composition of form and matter, a position that seems to have begun with Avicebron, the author of the book called Fons Vitae. But this view is repugnant to the common teaching of the philosophers, for they call these things substances separated from matter, and they prove them to be wholly without matter. The most cogent demonstration of this proceeds from the excellence of understanding found in these substances. For we see that forms are not actually intelligible except as they are separated from matter and its conditions, and forms are not made actually intelligible except by virtue of an intelligent substance, which educes the forms and receives them in itself. Hence, in any intelligent substance there is a complete absence of matter in such a way that the substance has neither a material part itself nor even is the substance like a form impressed in matter, as is the case with material forms.
Nor can someone say that only corporeal matter, and not some other kind of matter, impedes intelligibility. For, if it were only corporeal mater that impedes intelligibility, then since matter is called corporeal only insofar as it exists under a corporeal form, matter's impeding intelligibility would come from the corporeal form; and this is impossible, for the corporeal form is actually intelligible just like any other form, insofar as it is abstracted from matter. Hence, in no way is there a composition of matter and form in either the soul or the intelligences, such that an essence is received in these as in corporeal substances. Nevertheless, in separate substances there is a composition of form and existence, and so in the Liber de Causis, prop. 9, com., it is said that the intelligences have form and existence, and in this place form is taken in the sense of a simple quiddity or nature.
It is easy to see how this is the case. Whenever two things are related to each other such that one is the cause of the other, the one that is the cause can have existence without the other, but not conversely. Now, we find that matter and form are related in such a way that form gives existence to matter, and therefore it is impossible that matter exist without a form; but it is not impossible that a form exist without matter, for a form, insofar as it is a form, is not dependent on matter. When we find a form that cannot exist except in matter, this happens because such forms are distant from the first principle, which is primary and pure act. Hence, those forms that are nearest the first principle are subsisting forms essentially without matter, for not the whole genus of forms requires matter, as said above, and the intelligences are forms of this type. Thus, the essences or quiddities of these substances are not other than the forms themselves.
Therefore, the essence of a composite substance and that of a simple substance differ in that the essence of a composite substance is not form alone but embraces both form and matter, while the essence of a simple substance is form alone. And from this two other differences arise. One is that the essence of a composite substance can be signified as a whole or as a part, which happens because of the designation of the matter, as said above. Hence, in one way, the essence of a composite thing is not predicated of the composite thing itself, for we cannot say that a man is his own quiddity. But the essence of a simple thing, which is its form, cannot be signified except as a whole, as in this case there is nothing beyond the form that might receive the quiddity, and so, however we take the essence of a simple thing, the essence is predicated of it. Hence, Avicenna says in Metaphysicae V, cap. 5 that "the quiddity of a simple thing is the simple thing itself," because there is no other thing to receive the form. The second difference is that the essences of composite things, because they are received in designate matter, are multiplied according to the division of matter, and so it happens that some things are the same in species but different in number. But since the essence of a simple thing is not received in matter, there can be no such multiplication in this case, and so among such substances we do not find many individuals of the same species, as Avicenna expressly says in Metaphysicae V, cap. 2.
Although substances of this kind are form alone and are without matter, they are nevertheless not in every way simple, and they are not pure act; rather, they have an admixture of potency, and this can be seen as follows. Whatever is not in the concept of the essence or the quiddity comes from beyond the essence and makes a composition with the essence, because no essence can be understood without the things that are its parts. But every essence or quiddity can be understood without understanding anything about its existence: I can understand what a man is or what a phoenix is and nevertheless not know whether either has existence in reality. Therefore, it is clear that existence is something other than the essence or quiddity, unless perhaps there is something whose quiddity is its very own existence, and this thing must be one and primary. For, there can be no plurification of something except by the addition of some difference, as the nature of a genus is multiplied in its species; or as, since the form is received in diverse matters, the nature of the species is multiplied in diverse individuals; or again as when one thing is absolute and another is received in something else, as if there were a certain separate heat that was other than unseparated heat by reason of its own separation. But if we posit a thing that is existence only, such that it is subsisting existence itself, this existence will not receive the addition of a difference, for, if there were added a difference, there would be not only existence but existence and also beyond this some form; much less would such a thing receive the addition of matter, for then the thing would be not subsisting existence but material existence. Hence, it remains that a thing that is its own existence cannot be other than one, and so in every other thing, the thing's existence is one thing, and its essence or quiddity or nature or form is another. In the intelligences, therefore, there is existence beyond the form, and so we say that an intelligence is form and existence.
Everything that pertains to a thing, however, either is caused by the principles of its own nature, as risibility in man, or else comes from some extrinsic principle, as light in the air from the influence of the sun. Now, it cannot be that existence itself is caused by the very form or quiddity of the thing (I mean as by an efficient cause), because then the thing would be its own efficient cause, and the thing would produce itself in existence, which is impossible. Therefore, everything the existence of which is other than its own nature has existence from another. And since everything that is through another is reduced to that which is through itself as to a first cause, there is something that is the cause of existing in all things in that this thing is existence only. Otherwise, we would have to go to infinity in causes, for everything that is not existence alone has a cause of its existence, as said above. It is clear, therefore, that the intelligences are form and existence and have existence from the first being, which is existence alone, and this is the first cause, which is God.
Everything that receives something from another is in potency with respect to what it receives, and that which is received in the thing is its act; therefore, a quiddity or form that is an intelligence is in potency with respect to the existence that it receives from God, and this received existence is received as its act. And thus there are found in the intelligences both potency and act but not matter and form, unless in some equivocal sense. So too to suffer, to receive, to be a subject and everything of this type that seem to pertain to things by reason of their matter are said of intellectual substances and corporeal substances equivocally, as the Commentator says in De Anima III, com. 14. Furthermore, since, as said above, the quiddity of an intelligence is the intelligence itself, its quiddity or essence is itself the very thing that exists, and its existence received from God is that by which it subsists in the nature of things; and because of this some people say that substances of this kind are composed of what is and that by which it is, or of what is and existence, as Boethius says in De Hebdomadibus (PL 64, 1311 B-C).
Moreover, since we posit in the intelligences potency and act, it will not be difficult to find a multitude of intelligences, which would be impossible if there were in them no potency. Hence, the Commentator says in De Anima III, com. 5 that if the nature of the possible intellect were unknown, we would not be able to find a multitude of separate substances. There is thus a distinction among separate substances according to their grade of potency and act such that the superior intelligences, which are nearer the first cause, have more act and less potency, and so on.
This scale comes to an end with the human soul, which holds the lowest place among intellectual substances. The soul's possible intellect is related to intelligible forms just as prime matter (which holds the lowest place in sensible existence) is related to sensible forms, as the Commentator says in De Anima III, com. 5. The Philosopher thus compares, III De Anima cap. 4 (430a1), the soul to a tablet on which nothing has been written. Since, among intellectual substances, the soul has the most potency, it is so close to material things that a material thing is brought to participate in its existence: that is, from the soul and the body there results one existence in one composite thing, although this existence, as the existence of the soul, is not dependent on the body. Therefore, beyond this form that is the soul, there are other forms having more potency and being closer to matter, and so much so that they have no existence without matter. Among these forms there is an order and gradation down to the primary forms of the elements, which are closest to matter; and so these have no operation except as required by the active and passive qualities and other such qualities by which matter is disposed by form.
Having treated these matters, we can see clearly how essence is found in various kinds of things. There are three ways in which substances may have an essence. First, surely, is the way God has his essence, which is his very existence itself, and so we find certain philosophers saying that God does not have a quiddity or essence because his essence is not other than his existence. From this it follows that he is not in a genus, for everything that is in a genus has a quiddity beyond its existence, since the quiddity or nature of the genus or species is not in the order of nature distinguished in the things of which it is the genus or species, but the existence is diverse in diverse things.
Even though we say that God is existence alone we do not fall into the error of those who said that God is that universal existence by which everything formally exists. The existence which is God is of such a kind that no addition can be made to it, whence through its purity it is distinct from every other existence; for this reason the author of the Liber de Causis, prop. 9, com., says that the individuation of the first cause, which is being alone, is through its pure goodness. But common existence, just as it does not include in its concept any addition, so too in its concept does it not exclude any addition; for, if such existence did in its concept exclude any addition, nothing could be understood to exist in which there was added something beyond existence.
Similarly, although God is existence alone, the remaining perfections and nobilities are not lacking in him. On the contrary, he has all the perfections that exist in every genus, and for this reason he is called perfect without qualification, as the Philosopher, V Metaphysicae cap. 16 (1021b30-33), and the Commentator, Metaphysicae V, com. 21, each say. But God has these perfections in a more excellent way than all other things have them because in him they are one, while in other things they are diverse. And this is because all these perfections pertain to God according to his simple existence, just as, if someone through one quality could effect the operations of all qualities, such a person would have in that one quality all the qualities, so too does God in his very existence have all the perfections.
In a second way, essence is found in created intellectual substances, in which existence is other than essence, although in these substances the essence is without matter. Hence, their existence is not absolute but received, and so finite and limited by the capacity of the receiving nature; but their nature or quiddity is absolute and is not received in any matter. Thus, the author of the Liber de Causis, prop. 16, com., says that intelligences are infinite in an inferior way and finite in a superior way: they are finite with respect to their existence, which they receive from something superior, though they are not rendered finite in an inferior way because their forms are not limited to the capacity of some matter receiving them. And thus among such substances we do not find a multitude of individuals in one species, as said above, except in the case of the human soul, and there we do find a multitude of individuals in one species because of the body to which the soul is united. Now, the individuation of the soul depends on the body, in an occasional manner, as to its inception, for the soul does not acquire for itself individual existence unless in the body of which it is the act. But nevertheless, if we subtract the body, the individuation does not perish because, since the soul was made the form of a given body, the form has absolute existence from which it has acquired individuated existence, and this existence always remains individuated. And thus Avicenna says, De Anima V, cap. 3, that the individuation of souls and their multiplication depend on the body for their beginning but not for their end.
Since in these substances the quiddity is not the same as existence, these substances can be ordered in a predicament, and for this reason we find among these things genera, species, and differences, although their proper differences are hidden from us. In sensible things even the essential differences are unknown to us, and so they are signified through accidental differences that arise from the essential ones, just as a cause is signified through its effect. We take bipedality, for example, as the difference of man. The proper accidents of immaterial substances, however, are unknown to us, and thus we can signify their differences neither per se nor through their accidental differences.
We should note, though, that the genus and difference in immaterial substances are not taken in the same way as in sensible substances, for in sensible substances the genus is taken from that which is material in the thing, while the difference is taken from that which is formal in the thing. Hence, Avicenna says, De Anima I, cap.1, that, in things composed of form and matter, the form "is its simple difference because the thing is constituted from it," not, however, because the form is the difference but rather because it is the principle of the difference, as Avicenna himself says in his Metaphysicae V, cap. 6. Further, this difference is called a simple difference because it is taken from that which is a part of the quiddity of the thing, namely, from the form. But since immaterial substances are simple quiddities, in such substances the difference cannot be taken from that which is a part of the quiddity but only from the whole quiddity, and so in De Anima I, cap. 1, Avicenna says that substances "have no simple difference except for those species of which the essences are composed of matter and form."
Similarly, in immaterial things the genus is taken from the whole essence, though not in the same way as the difference is. One separated substance is like another with respect to their immateriality, but they differ one from another with respect to their grade of perfection according to how far each recedes from potentiality and approaches pure act. And so, in such substances, the genus is taken from that which arises in these substances insofar as they are immaterial, as intellectuality and such things; the difference, however, is taken from that which arises in these substances from their grade of perfection, although these differences are unknown to us. Nor are these differences accidental because they arise from greater and lesser perfection, which do not diversify the species. For, while the grade of perfection in receiving the same form does not diversify the species (as whiter and less white in participating in whiteness of the same type), nevertheless, a different grade of perfection in these participated forms or natures does diversify the species, just as nature proceeds by grades from plants to animals through those things that are median between plants and animals, as the Philosopher says in VIII De Historia Animalium cap. 1 (588b4-12). Nor is it necessary that the division of intellectual substances always be made through two true differences, for it is impossible that this happen in all things, as the Philosopher says in I De Partibus Animalium cap. 2 (642b5-7).
In a third way, essence is found in substances composed of matter and form, in which existence is both received and limited because such substances have existence from another, and again because the nature or quiddity of such substances is received in signate matter. And thus such substances are finite in both a superior way and an inferior way, and among such substances, because of the division of signate matter, there can be a multiplication of individuals in one species. The ways in which the essence in such substances is related to the logical intentions we have explained above.
We should now see in what way there are essences in accidents, having said already how essences are found in all types of substances. Now, since, as said above, the essence is that which is signified by the definition, accidents will thus have essences in the same way in which they have definitions. But accidents have incomplete definitions, because they cannot be defined unless we put a subject in their definitions, and this is because they do not have absolute existence per se apart from a subject, but just as from the form and the matter substantial existence results when a substance is compounded, so too from the accident and the subject does accidental existence result when the accident comes to the subject. Thus, neither the substantial form nor the matter has a complete essence, for even in the definition of the substantial form we place something of which it is the form, and so its definition involves the addition of something that is beyond its genus, just as with the definition of an accidental form. Hence, the natural philosopher places the body in the definition of the soul because he considers the soul only insofar as it is the form of the physical body.
Among the accidents that are consequences of matter there is found a certain diversity. Some accidents follow from the order the matter has to a special form, as the masculine and the feminine in animals, the difference between which is reduced to the matter, as the Philosopher says in X Metaphysicae cap. 9 (1058b21-23). Hence, the form of the animal having been removed, these accidents do not remain except in some equivocal sense. Other accidents follow from the order the matter has to a general form, and so with these accidents, if the special form is removed, the accidents still remain in the thing, as the blackness of the skin of an Ethiopian comes from the mixture of the elements and not from the notion of the soul, and hence the blackness remains in the man after death.
We should also note that some accidents are caused by the essential principles of a thing according to its perfect act, as heat in fire, which is always hot, while other accidents are the result of an aptitude in the substance, and in such cases the complete accident arises from an exterior agent, as transparency in air, which is completed through an exterior luminescent body. In such things, the aptitude is an inseparable accident, but the complement, which comes from some principle that is beyond the essence of the thing, or that does not enter into the constitution of the thing, is separable, as the ability to be moved, and so on.
We should further note that in accidents, the genus, difference, and species are taken in a way different from that in substances. For in substances, from the substantial form and the matter there is made something one per se, a certain single nature resulting from the conjunction of these two, and this nature is properly placed in the predicament of substance. Hence, in substances, the concrete terms that signify the composite are properly said to be in the genus, in the manner of the species or the genus, as, for example, man or animal. But in this way neither the form nor the matter is in a predicament except by means of reduction, as when we say that the principles of a thing are in its genus. However, from the accident and the subject there does not result something that is one per se, and thus from the conjunction of these two there does not result a nature to which the intention of genus or species might be attributed. Therefore, the accidental terms taken concretely, like white or musical, cannot be placed in a predicament except by means of reduction; but they can be placed in a predicament when they are signified abstractly, as whiteness and music. And because accidents are not composed of matter and form, in accidents the genus cannot be taken from the matter, the difference from the form, as is the case with composite substances; rather, the first genus is taken from their very mode of existing, as being is said in different ways according to what is prior and what is posterior in the ten genera of predicaments, and thus we call the measure of a substance quantity, the disposition of a substance quality, and so on for the others, as the Philosopher says in IX Metaphysicae cap. 1 (1045b27-32).
The differences in accidents are taken from the diversity of principles by which they are caused. Since passions are properly caused by the proper principles of the subject, the subject is placed in the definition of the passion in place of the difference if the passion is being defined in the abstract and properly in its genus, as when we say that having a snubnose is the upward curvature of the nose. But it would be the converse if the definition of the passion were taken according to its concrete sense; in this way, the subject is placed in the definition as a genus, for then the passion is defined in the mode of composite substances in which the notion of the genus is taken from the matter, as when we say that a snubnose is an upwardly curving nose. The case is similar when one accident is the principle of another, as the principle of relation is action and passion and quantity, and thus by reference to these the Philosopher divides relation in V Metaphysicae cap. 15 (1020b26-32). But because the proper principles of accidents are not always manifest, we sometimes take the differences of accidents from their effects, as we do with the concentrative and the diffusive, which are called the differences of color and which are caused by the abundance or the paucity of light, which cause the different species of color.
We have thus made clear how essence is found in substances and in accidents, and how in composite substances and in simple ones, and in what way the universal intentions of logic are found in all of these, except for the first being, which is the extreme of simplicity and to which, because of its simplicity, the notions of genus, species, and thus definition do not apply; and having said this we may make an proper end to this discourse. Amen.
This translation follows the Leonine Edition of Aquinas' works, vol. 43 Sancti Thomae De Aquino Opera Omnia 368-381 (Rome 1976).
All persons are licensed to reproduce this translation and the footnotes hereto for personal or educational purposes, provided that the notice of copyright set forth above and this notice are included in their respective entireties in all copies. This license includes reproduction by a commercial entity engaged in the business of providing copying services if such reproduction is made pursuant to an agreement the other party to which would be licensed under the preceding sentence to reproduce this translation for personal or educational purposes.
Although quoted by various thirteenth century authors, this statement does not appear in the text of De Persona et Duabus Naturis as we have it.
Aquinas knew this book as Book XI. | 2019-04-21T02:45:52Z | https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/aquinas-esse.asp |
How to make a homemade snow globe. Fun and Easy!
As Kate so delicately alluded to earlier this week, I am somewhat of a holiday junkie. And Christmas is the holiday of all holidays for me. I decorated a week before Thanksgiving; yep, I’m one of those people. One of my most favorite holiday traditions as a child was our little family advent calendar and now that my kids are old enough to enjoy some fun and creative activities, I’ve filled up our little numbered stockings with slips of paper instead of candy. Well, slips of paper intermingled with candy. It’s December; we have to have candy. I let the kiddos pull day #1 a little early so I could blog about it! I tried to word everything creatively so they could have fun trying to figure it out.
Snow globes are magical, whimsical, and fun. And they’re super easy to make at home.
The first thing you need are jars, with nice snug lids. Check out your fridge; I grabbed an almost empty bottle of peperoncini peppers (that I have been using on Greek Salads and Greek Tacos, you’d think I was the pregnant one with the cravings I have for those. I am most definitely not.) I also had a bottle of capers that I finally finished by making one last batch of this Grown Up Dipping Sauce (another obsession, you guys need to all try that one), and a big jar from marinara that we used for dipping Pizza Rolls. Marinated artichoke heart jars work really great for these, as do little teeny tiny baby food jars. Really any size jar works; you just have to find things to fit inside of them.
You can be creative with the items that go inside your snow globe, it’s just important that they are made of materials that won’t break down in water. Think plastic, ceramic, etc. If you’re not sure, just try placing the items in a bowl of water for a few hours and see if they start doing weird things. Try thrift and craft stores for little winter-themed figurines. And if you don’t have any of those, try some crap that belongs to your children that you want to throw away anyway fun stuff like this and try a silly snow globe.
Another really fun thing is to make your own little figurines with Sculpey Clay. You can buy all different colors at almost any craft store and it just bakes in the oven. A snowman would be super easy to make! I snipped all of my greenery off of artificial garlands I have around my house.
I decided to take it up a notch though, and put something extra special inside. I can’t tell you how much I love it when I have an idea in my head and it actually works like I thought it would! I just took a photo of each kiddo, printed it out on my home printer, cut it out, and ran it through my laminator (the laminator you all recommended to me on Facebook that I got and love. Muah!) If you don’t have a laminator, most copy stores have lamination services that don’t cost much. Make sure when you cut around your lamination, you leave a tiny border so it stays sealed up.
It’s just important to remember to keep things away from the edges enough that you can still screw the lid onto the jar, so don’t fill the entire base with glue or rocks. When everything is dry turn it upside down and shake it a few times to make sure nothing falls off!
The next step is filling up your jar with water, almost to the very top and dumping in a bunch of glitter. I recommend adding a little more glitter than you think you need, especially if you have greenery because some of it will get stuck in there.
One thing you can do is add some glycerin, which makes the glitter float down a little slower than it does in plain water. (Or several readers have commented that baby oil accomplishes the same thing. You can also find snow globe “snow” on eBay at at some craft stores.) Glycerin can be found in the baking aisle of craft supply stores in small bottles or on Amazon. If you have some already, or find it easily, you can try that out. I did a side by side test and found that it didn’t make a huge difference, unless I added quite a bit. Probably at least 2-3 teaspoons per cup of water.
You know the Wilton gel colors we use in everything? Well if those get dried out, you can add glycerin to them to restore the consistency. You can also add it to homemade soap bubbles to make the bubbles stronger. I’ve heard you can also buy it at drug stores, often near the first aid supplies. Isn’t it kind of interesting when things can be found in both the cake decorating and first aid aisles?? Didn’t know that, but I read it on the internet, and if there’s one thing we all should know by now it is that everything on the internet is true. The internet is also where I discovered that if you have some benzoic acid laying around, you can make your own snow. Crap. I’m out of benzoic acid.
Anyhoo…just carefully squish your stuff in the jar as you put the lid on and tighten it. You can put hot glue on the edge of the jar if you’re want to seal it up. Or you could put some colored electrical tape around the edge of the jar. I left mine un-glued (and I strongly suggest you do, at least at first) in case I had to open them up to fix anything, or store them without water until next year, or change the water if it got cloudy, etc. I found out that one of my little red berries was painted and turned the entire snow globe pink so I was glad they weren’t glued shut and I could just snip it out and re-fill it. My jars haven’t leaked. I do flip them over sometimes and set them lid-side-up just in case. Either way it’s best to display them somewhere that won’t be damaged if a little water leaks out.
My jars stay on my windowsill in front of my kitchen sink so they can stare at me, mocking, as I do dishes and they play in the snow.
This craft is amazing!! It is so darn cute! Thanks for sharing and I can’t wait to try for the Holidays.
Kewlicious, I’m a polymer clay designer But I also had a Large amount of tiny Christmas ecorstions I bought after Christmas one year, the real tiny ones. I also bought a Big bunch of Christmas limbs at Michael’s that you can use to make wreaths, and other decorations, they were on sale for $3.00. There’s enough of the Christmas limbs to cut up for at least 50 snow globes. I did Not know about laminating pictures so I’m very excited about that, thanks. I also enjoyed the Baby Oil idea.
This is super cute!!! I love that you put the kids in the snowglobe. I never thought of making my own, now I probably will since you made it look so easy. Thanks.
I love this idea. Have you seen the laminating sheets that you can get at office supply stores. They are self adhesive laminating sheet – basically really thick clear contact (Australian product name).
They are fantastic as they are really sticky, don’t need heat and work really well. Although I am not sure if they are better than good quality laminating.
I am definitely going to try this with my children next year – they are a little young this year.
You can get them in the states too! I’ve seen them at Target and Staples!
Ah! This is so cute!
GREAT IDEA!! Very Clever, Unique and Cute for Holiday Season Decorating. . .
These are so cute! Not sure if I have time to go collect all the cute things and a jar to make a snowglobe for my kid, but I work in a chemistry lab and I am so going to make some benzoic acid snow in a beaker for my desk at work!
Thanks for sharing. It has made me want to skip ahead in our calendar and go ahead and make our snow globes today! So cute!
Yes I did have trouble with my glitter floating, and some times my jar would leak.
These are amazing! What beautiful memories!!! Thanks for sharing.
I LOVE this! Here’s where I have to tell my silly story. I used to work with a bunch of guys that would play golf together fairly often (surprise, surprise). One time, a couple of them accidentally left their cart situated in such a way so that when they were paying attention to their shot, the cart started rolling into a water hazard. Fortunately they got to it before it went all the way in, but the story lived on. That Christmas, with donations from the rest of the group, I made them snow globes with miniature golf carts that looked like they were at the bottom of a lake. I found tiny golf clubs and glitter in the shape of autumn leaves, and made little golf balls out of sculpy clay. It was an office hit!
Snow globes so cute and maybe I can even make one. I LOVE the calendar. Did you make it or where did you buy it? If you made it, any way to get a pattern? It is the cutest one EVER!!!
If you are a crafty sewing chick, you could easily re-create this (from Pottery Barn). I’ll give everyone the details on it with more pics later today on The Scoop!
You always have so many great ideas…can’t wait until my daughter is older so we can enjoy these crafts together.
On a side note, where can I get that family advent calendar? I LOVE it!
It’s from Pottery Barn Kids- I’ll write up a little something about it later today and let you all know!
Adorable! I would also love to get the pattern for your advent calendar if you don’t mind. Dang Cute!
This is so great! My kids will love this!
Ha, yes. You must WAIT. Actually- so many people have asked, I will write up a little post about it on The Scoop later today!
How did you cut out the photos with such precision? I would have thought you’d have to leave a little edge of lamination around the cut line to keep it sealed. Evidently not. Super cute, Sara!
And, Happy Birthday to Kate tomorrow!!! Kate- don’t cook anything!
My hands have the precision of razor blades, Patti. Ha, no, I really just snipped around them with scissors, and yes I did leave a bit of a border, I should clarify that because that part is important- you probably just can’t tell in the pics!
I love this! I have to ask, where did you get your cute advent calendar???
It’s from Pottery Barn Kids!
I remember making these homemade snow globes as a kid. They are so fun! Love your advent calendar! Did you make it? If so you should share a how-to.
I’d like to see a pattern for that very cute advent and your list of activities.
I was honestly just thinking about making these last night. So fun and I’m loving the pictures of the kids inside!!
HAve everything at home, weekend craft sorted! Thank you!
Very cute idea to add pics of the kids. I wonder if you could also use the shrinky dink inkjet paper instead of laminating photos.
ooh, I didn’t know there was such a thing- good thought!
What a fun idea! I really like this one and will have to try it out.
This is the COOLEST idea ever. I love it. I have some empty baby food jars at home but will save a larger one too. Love this!!
You must be the most fun mom ever!
Booo, Pottery Barn Kids says it is no longer available!!! Great pictures of what could have been.
I remember doing this as a project in elementary school/day care only we used baby oil instead of water.
oh, interesting…I’ll have to try that out too and see which works best.
Great tutorial. I saw this somewhere else and so wanted to do it, now just to get on the ball and do it. I was curious about your advent calendar stockings. Did you make them your self? It is so adorable!
I’ve seen this idea floating around on Pinterest and have been planning on making it with my boyfriend’s little brother and his nieces and nephew but after reading your post I realized – I’ve been planning on using Mason jars! If I hot glued the seal into the lid on the inside that they would stay waterproof? Also, did you need to sand paper the bottoms at all to get stuff to stick?
Yeah, I thought about mason jars as well and I’m just not sure; you’d have to do some tests first! And yes, you can sand the lids to rough them up. I didn’t, and mine have stuck just fine.
You gals have some of the most fun ideas. I pinned a picture of these snow globes on Pinterest. I hope I did it correctly so that if people like it they can get to this site to see how to do it.
I really really love this craft! It really is one of the best ideas, ever. I need to do this, like, now. 🙂 Thanks!
Ok that is the cutest idea ever!! What are some of the other fun activities you have in the socks??
You can read about them right here!
Using baby oil or mineral oil instead of water also helps to make the glitter fall slower. Also, you can get snow globe snow at many craft stores or on ebay!
This is such an awesome craft. I totally want to try and make these with my kids.
I ran across a snow globe my granddaughter made for me when she was about 9 years old. She is now 21 almost 22 and the laminated photo inside the globe is still just like it was when I got it. Such a neat idea and especially for presents for grandparents.
i LOVE this idea! I’m going to try and make this sometime this weekend! yay, arts and crafts!
This is the cutest craft idea EVER! Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂 I can’t wait to make one with my son!
Sarah! I LOVE this idea! Thanks from L.
That is AWESOME! For real.
I think you could add some light corn syrup to the water instead to get it thicker for the glitter. I tried an “i-spy” jar with that once. Very cute idea with the kids’ pictures in them!
How did you cut out the photos? Did you cut them out by hand or did you use a Silhouette? I have a Silhouette machine but I haven’t quite figured out how to use it yet.
My kids and I were going to make these, this year. My 12 yr old said he would eat many jars of banana baby food, so we could have the jars! I’ve been searching everywhere for waterproof figurines…this is a great idea!
Sara, I needed some glycerin for making homemade bubble bath for Kate’s B-Day. All I did was call Rob and The Pharmacy, and he gladly brought it home that night. Who knew you could find it in so many places!
Oh, and the homemade bubble bath was an epic FAIL! We went with good ol’ Mr. Bubble!
I love these! I wanted to let you know that I featured this on my “What I Bookmarked This Week” post – stop by and see!
I am soo excited you posted this!! I had this idea on our advent activity, etc. list and finally decided it was not going to happen after reading very complicated directions on another site (ahem, martha stewart!) but your directions make so much more sense! and I love that you used photos! We are definitely making this now, thank you!!
I made some and they turned out beautiful…then 48 hours later the water was murky and kind of yellowish like muddy. It had those real mini pine cones that were painted white and sprinkled in glitter. (I wanted a shabby chic look) maybe the paint from the pine cones? or the cones themselves because they are not synthetic… Im sad about this. I made 5 all different sizes.
That’s why I didn’t glue mine- I had that happen with one little berry! I hope you can open it up and fix it!
okay I swear I was looking at the peppermint marshmallow post not the snow globes, so this comment if for that… sorry, I’m going crazy!
You know what my favorite recipe is? The one on the Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder container! One secret is that with unsweetened powder, it’s activated in boiling water, so you have to make sure to boil that part first and then add things like milk. Try out that recipe; it’s yummy!
I love this idea! Do you mind sharing what font you used for your notes you put in the stockings?
It’s called “Smiley Monster” here’s a link!
What sizes did you make the photos?
You just need to measure your jars and then create a photo to fit. I created an image in photoshop so it would fit perfectly; it will depend on your jar size and the size of the kid in your photo!
Man I posted this on my website…mine looked terrible!! Yours are SO cute. I am just not meant to craft. Thanks for sharing though!
I made this last night and my little laminated cousin is so cute staring back at me! But, the glitter seems to be attracted to him and won’t get off him, even when I shake the jar. There’s so much on there that I can’t see his features, just a goofy, glittery shape. Is there a special secret to keep the glitter from sticking to the laminated surface? I haven’t tried adding baby oil or glycerin yet, is that the magic trick? Thank you!
That’s so weird! Maybe a static problem or something? I honestly have no idea, that’s never happened to me!
I am having the same problem and it is driving me nuts. I used baby oil. Could that be the reason?
A-MAZ-ING! Love it! We’ll be doing this when my biggest kiddo comes home from college for Christmas!
What type of glue did you use to adhere the items to the jar lid?
I just used hot glue and my glue gun.
Hey I love your blog, and especially love this idea :)Can you please invite me to Pinterest? [email protected]. thanks!
So cute!! Question, when you cut the kids out, do you use anything behind them to help them stand up? Or just the hot glue?
Nope, just the hot glue, but that’s why I use that mound of pebbles on the bottom, and also I stick a tree behind each one to prop them up.
I love these, they are so cute. I tried to make some the other day but ran into a couple problems and I was hoping you could help me out. I glued some aquarium rocks to the bottom(the round glass kind that are about the size of a nickel). I used hot glue, but when they got wet all of them came off. I was super sad. What can I do about this? Also, Ive tried a few different kinds of glitter but they all seem to float. Is there a kind that is better than others? Thanks!
I would rough up the jar lid with sand paper first; that should help. And I’m not sure about the glitter; a few people have had floating glitter problems, but all the glitter I’ve ever used has worked great!
I loved this so much, I can’t wait to try it with the girls this year! *I suspect I may enjoy it more than them, if that’s possible!!* Thank you so much for sharing (and making it so fun & easy to read to boot!).
I knew I saved those old pizza sauce jars for a reason! I had four of them on a shelf, empty, waiting to be used for something. This is PERFECT! I just started my first ‘globe’ tonight. I’m in a small, small town in Germany so I’m not sure I’ll be able to find anyone to laminate my photos … but we’ll see! Fingers crossed. Thanks so much for sharing this brilliant idea!
Such a great idea! Tried it today… once with baby oil and once with just plain old water. I can’t keep my glitter from clumping together? It floats at the top or clumps at the bottom and on the picture. Any ideas? I got the glitter from the craft section at Smith’s. Should be fine I would think.
hmmm…I’m not sure about the glitter. i just use regular stuff from the craft store as well and didn’t have any clumping. Strange!
Sadness…I was so excited to do this and my son loved it…until the stuff in his snow globe came unglued the next morning and started floating. My daughter’s did the same thing (with smaller, lighter items), so I must have cheap hot glue. 🙁 I’m hoping to try again with better glue, because I love the idea!!
About 10 years ago, I made one for my aunt. I used Epoxy to seal my item to the lid, and also to seal the glass container and lid together. Worked perfectly.
Julie, try roughing up the lid with sandpaper first- that will help the glue stick!
If anyone is worried about glass with smaller kids or other special needs I found plastic empty snow globes to do this exact thing at Michael’s for 3.49. I am making them for some kids with sensory issues in our lives so glass was out of the question. I can’t wait, thanks so much for the idea!!!!!!
Always enjoyed snow globes when I was a kid, my girls did too! So making these this weekend when I’ll be babysitting the grandkids, 3 and 5. Thanks!
Brenda, several people have said this same thing and I have no idea! I’ve never, ever had that happen. Did you stir it in before you added your stuff?
$1 Store sells lamination sheets and they work great!
Which dollar store? Dollar tree?
I am so PSYCHED I found your blog. This is soooo awesome. I am building one tonight for my little niece for Xmas. She collects snow globes – and wait till she see’s her aunt Dee ( Wen-“Dee” ) waving from behind a tree!!!
I am so PSYCHED I found your blog. This is soooo awesome. I am building one tonight for my little niece for Xmas. She collects snow globes – and wait till she see’s her aunt Dee ( Wen-“Dee” ) waving from behind a tree – in a globe! !!!
These are adorable. I had everyone in the office at my desk checking out the website. They all have small children and I have 6 grandchildren.. I can see this being a Mothers Day gift that my Brownie Girl Scouts can make as well. I will definatly share the idea, THANKS!
I did this for a lab with teens, they still love this stuff!!! I didn’t have much luck with baby oil, if you try this I recommend finding the glycerin. Many sites say baby oil is OK but it made all the glitter clump.
I experienced “glitter clump/float” as well when I made a globe. Using distilled water with glycerin instead tap water seemed to help a bit. Also, the “snow” (shiny white crystals) purchased from a craft store (Michael’s) did not float well – too heavy.
This is a great idea, but I would say that it is more geared for kids ages 8 and older. I was going to have this be a craft for my son’s pre-K class, but after I made one by myself the night before…NO WAY.
I ended up making all of them for the kids and their moms and they did something much, MUCH simpler.
Definitely try out your ‘extras’ to make certain that they do not disintegrate in the water. Maybe overnight. I had to redo one of the globes because it had floaties and was milky from a fake lollipop.
Super adorable!!! Your boys are adorable anyway, but even cuter in a snow globe!
All of mine turned brown??? I love this idea and want to salvage mine as they are christmas gifts:) Did the snips of green turn your water eventually??? I am so sad. I am not sure how to make them not turn colors?? Should I seal the branches and stuff with a spray of some kind?
I just tried making this and I used a glue gun to glue down a photo holder to the lid then I added it into the water and it came off the lid.. Any glue recommendations??
I made your snowglobes for our missionaries.
I have to tell you a huge thanks! I made this for my son’s girlfriend. She is here while he is away at BYUI. I put in a pic of the 2 of them at Disneyland in front of the Christmas tree. She has it on her desk at work. She said everyone at work is amazed with it. See we can even impress big kids with adorable ideas! 🙂 I did make a few different ones and made some observations. Canning jars work fine. The glitter doesn’t stick as much to the pics with glycerin versus baby oil. (It was horrible with the baby oil)I also discovered regular craft glue works fine for the first few hours. THEN it somehow disipates and clouds up the water big time! So I think only glue guns will work. I had fun being a scientist and trying different versions. I am sure that is how you feel doing it.
These are just awesome! I’m doing a snow-themed birthday party for my daughter in early Feburary, and based on other reading, I’d ruled out having kids makes snowglobes AT the party, because the epoxy that others suggest using takes 12 hours to dry before it can be placed in the water. I’m so excited to try this using just hot glue, as it will solve that problem! One quick question — do you always end up with an air bubble inside the jar? It’s not a big deal, but if you have a tip as to how to avoid one, I’d love to hear about it! Thanks for your great, great post on this project!
Well there has to be *some* air, but you can fill it very near the top if you’re really careful.
I made one of these to give to a friend last week (he has a party where everyone brings a homemade gift for someone). I had an adorable picture of him with his 2 dogs in the snow that I wanted to use for something and this was the perfect idea. I used Gorilla glue to glue everything into place – there is a white version that is supposed to be 100% waterproof. It foams up and expands when it dries, which added to the snow effect and made it easier to stick everything into place. I also used the self stick laminating sheets for the photo since I don’t have a laminator. They don’t seem as good as the heat sealed ones though. I cut off pieces of greenery from an artificial wreath and trimmed them in a Christmas tree shape to use as trees. I filled it with just water and glitter (no glycerin or baby oil) and it seems fine. Also I wrapped some plumber’s/thread sealing tape around the jar threads before putting on the lid to help prevent leakage and that seemed to work well. Just wanted to share some of the things that helped mine work, since my first version didn’t (the craft glue wasn’t waterproof and the jar leaked). My second version seems to have held up and everyone at the party loved it! Thanks for the great instructions.
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Retro plastic snow globe and snowdome kits at snowdomes.com, a nice alternative to glass jars.
I made these about 20 years ago with my son and his fellow cub scouts. Used plumbers putty to secure to baked clay figures to the lid and to seal the jars. His is still in my Christmas globe collection and we are getting ready to make them with my grand daughter. Really fun and lasts…….
Making them with my twin 10year old boys and they love it!
I made these in baby food jars for my son to sell at his 4th grade Christmas store where everything had to be handmade. Sold fast. I used white glitter for the snow with glycerin added to the jar. I used mini ornaments meant for the little 3′ Christmas trees…Hot glued everything together. For more personalized I love the pictures!
This is unbelievable! I just discovered your blog today and I absolutely love it. This idea of a snow globe is probably the best. I always have my home stuffed with jars (you know the feeling when you feel you should throw things out but then again you just think you may need them one day?). Now these will turn into snow globes. I promise them that!
i work in childcare, in the toddlers room and i am planing to make these for the children and their families for christmas!
the hardest part is getting good pictures that will look nice in the snow globes!
yours are the best i’ve seen by far!!
I wonder if a plastic Mayo jar would still have the same effect? That way I don’t have to worry about my 2 year old dropping and breaking it!
Wow! I think that the project is such a great idea that I have even thought about making my own snow globe and giving to one of my close friends as a present!
Can plastic be an alternative?
Yeah, can plastic be an alternative?
About hot glue. Make sure that the lid is clean and dry. I noticed in the instructions it said you can rough the surface of the lid with sandpaper to help the glue stick. If you don’t have a laminating machine you may be able to find clear contact paper. We used this at a preschool where I use to work.
Maybe even gluing a piece of bunched up white fabric down first then gluing the items to that would work.
I agree about possibly using plastic jars for a small child to play with. You would have to use ones that you can see through obviously. Definitely worth a try!
Hi. Using the photos is a great idea, thanks.
I’m wondering whether figures made of plasticine would go inside a snow globe. I know it’s waterproof, but not sure if they would stand the shaking. Has anyone tried it? Maybe if they were coated with varnish before glueing them down?
What type of glitter do u recommend? I tried some at michaels and it didn’t turn out good! ): email me at [email protected] thank u!
LOVE LOVE LOVE!! Looking for a craft my special needs students would really enjoy, and actually be excited to take home! THIS IS A WINNER!!!
I have wanted to make these since I saw this post last year! I decided this is the year I’m going to do it with my kids! I’m linking up to this project from my website. Thanks for sharing!
We had made snow globes as an art project at school several years ago. We used a silicone sealant to glue the figures and seal the jar. The figures stayed put, eventually the jar did leak though. Love the idea of using photos! You’ve reinvented the snow globe and made it fun again! You’ve inspired me to make one! Thanks!
Sorry if anyone has already commented on that. I just thought that the easiest way to hide lid labels without painting them would be adding a ribbon with a bow.
Thanks a million!! I am going to do this today and give it ro my sister and parents and grandparents!!
I am doing this craft right now. I was putting the finished product into the glittery water and everything fell of the jar cover. I am using a hot glue gun… Help please. This is a Christmas present for 5 people.
wow! what a great idea!! I take the kids school pictures every year, cut them to size, put them in a clear Christmas tree bulb with garland behind them to hold them in place, write the name and year on the back and hang them on my tree. The kids always look for their pictures and they can see how they have grown from year to year.
THANK YOU for such great directions. I’m taking an entire snow globe “kit” with me when we visit the grandkids for Christmas. My kit includes a picture book called “The Snow Globe Family” (found on Amazon), jars, glitter, decorative elements, etc. And my crafty daughter is getting a laminator for a gift! Thanks again for helping me to get together what I think will be a memorable gift!
I think I will make two for my neices kids..
but I think I will make them w/o water. just glue sparkels & super small snow flakes I have around the inside of the jar..
Great idea! I’m doing this with my entire kindergarten class this week 🙂 I’ll probably skip the benzoic acid though and just call it a victory if I don’t send 20 kids home encrusted with broken glass.
sou portuguesa moro no Brasil á 49 anos e agradeço por você dividir seus conhecimentos obrigado… meu nome, é Lourdes.
So excited to make these……have been saving jars and almost have what I need for my entire class. Will take pictures on Monday, develop and laminate. Then we will make these to enjoy the rest of the year. I was thinking perhaps I would take them with the coat, hat, scarf and mittens on…what do you think??
I cant begin to thank you for this wonderful wonderful craft that you’ve shared with us.I’m planning to make one for my husband…he doesn’t know what I’m up to with the sandpaper and glue and all.Loved your ideas for stuff to fit inside the jar.I’m getting started on this right now!!
Hi I am only 9 and I was just looking for some craft ideas and BOOM your website popped up u have so many great ideas and I cant wait to try them all!!!
I LOVE this idea and will definitely try it!
Hi 🙂 Can you tell me how you got the photo to stick to the lid? I mean, I know you used glue…but was the photo on some sort of base?
I just kind of made a mound of glue and pebbles and secured the photo in it to prop it up.
looks amazing. I’m going to try it next week.
I have been searching snow globe how-to crafts for 3 days now, (read countless pages) and yours is by far the best!! I read on another site that covering the pictures with clear packaging tape and leaving a small area around them when you trim works as well as laminating too. I will be laminating mine. Going to cut and paste some garland around the lid base to hide the jar factor! Thank You, my search is complete!
Kia Ora from NZ!!! I’d heard about easy snow globes so googled images to check howto make it for a relief society project (I as unaware of your religious affiliations), what caught my eye was ur gorgeous idea to insert a photo (I have 3 handsome subjects). I also had questions regarding glycerine/substitute ideas etc which were answered in your blog-thank you. Offhandedly I decided I’d watch your vid and heard some magically unifying words “ward” and then “Mormon” and made the connection that I had seen your books at our “time out for women”. People search for meaning and belonging and in our church we know that though we have never met and likely never will, that we are infact connected by virtue of our faith, we both love our families and like to make, learn, beautify and to be engaged in worthwhile activities, I am grateful and appreciative of your work and want you to know that a fair few people here in New Zealand will make and receive these lovely, fun, frugal snow globes this Christmas and I know every lucky subject will be so proud of and love these. Not to mention that any present that can materialise from stuff that might otherwise go to the dump (jars, bits and pieces, glitter-practically free!) into treasured keepsakes holds an appropriate lesson for giver and recipient at Christmas time, about what really matters and true joy Thanks again.
I am doing this craft with a whole classroom of kids. We are using a plastic container instead of glass. I am wondering if you could tell me how to seal the lid with hot glue. A lot of snow globe directions online say to do this but I’m not a craft person and don’t follow things unless detailed. Should I put the hot glue on the rim and then screw the lid on or put the lid on and then glue around the bottom? With a whole classroom of kids I could annoyed parents if they open these up in the car on their way home. Thanks!
You’ll want to apply a generous amount of hot glue in the lid itself (have an adult to that part!) and then screw it onto the jar.
Did you use picture paper or just regular paper from your home printer??
I LOVE THIS IDEA! We will be making these in my Pre K class. Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m curious if, a year later, the pictures are still intact? Would love an update! 🙂 This is such a fun idea; I will be making them for grandparents this year!
Hi there, I am going to try the snow globes using photos of the grandchildren..I have done dozens of mason jar projects, but this is the first for the snow globes. Thanks for the inspiration!!
I am making this with a trio of my students (81 total) for gifts for their parents. Thus far it has gone well….EXCEPT the berries have bled in the first one poured water in. The water is now red….eeeeek! I used berries that looked just like the ones in the picture, but apparently the ones I’m using aren’t water proof. Does anyone know if there is something I can add to the water or spray on the berries so they don’t bleed?
One other tip, I did the self laminating photo paper too. It did not work even when I remembered to cut a 1/4 inch around the picture. What helped was using a laminator that had heat and a thick laminate. The 1/4 inch or more is important too.
I’m wondering why quite a bit of glitter stays on top of the water in the jar. I’ve added a lot of glycerin. Is it better to buy the snow globe snow?
Help! I don’t understand how her pictures of her children have nothing in the background. I’m not sure I can word this question right, but if you take a picture and cut it out, unless you carefully cut along the entire edges of the child, there’s going to be some background image/color showing? Her pictures are perfect, they are just of her children as if they are a real cut out. I don’t understand why there is nothing else in the background.
She cut along the lines of the kids. I totally messed up this project, but I was able to that part correctly. You just have to be slow and careful.
Made one of these globes 20 years ago with my son. Now I’am making one with his daughter this week, an it will have a picture of her in there. Oh…. I must tell you that 20 year old snow globe still looks like the we made it! Thank you for shareing!
reaaalllyyy, you must not be a diy’er…shame on you, cleaver people must be lost on you.
Cute idea! But, much harder to execute than it looks. Thought it would be fun for me & 5 year old to make for dad for Christmas. But, she ended up not being able to anything but pouring the glitter. The hot glue didn’t work at all, dried before I could arrange things and just created a mess. Tried rubber cement, which allowed for more flexibility, but I couldn’t get anything to stay up. I used beads instead of fish rocks, so maybe that was the problem. But, everything kept falling down. 5 attempts and 2 hours later I think I finally have it (though right now I have the objects propped up by other things until the glue dries all the way.. they seem to be staying though). Wasn’t fun at all for us. But, then again… it could just be because I’m not crafty at all (even though my brain wants to be).
Note: Rubber Cement does not work either. Spent 3 hours on this craft yesterday. Everything was unglued and floating around this morning.
Works really well, is super easy and is a perfect gift for my mom. My only slight change would be finding a way to make the glitter not stick to the picture so much.
glitter! You get the picture…no pun intended!
This is such a great DIY project for the holidays! Thank you for sharing the how-to! Happy Holidays!!!
Hi, I attempted this project. However, the water kept leaking from the jars. Any tips?
Try using plumbers tape, and/or gluing the jar lids well. Always test your jars before decorating, as some are just leaky to begin with!
I plan on making this tomorrow & will use Gorilla Glue (white version 100% waterproof) based on comments saying laminated picture may come loose. I plan on printing the same picture twice; however, the second one as the “mirror image.” Then I’ll cut out & glue together back to back & then laminate. That way the snow globe can be 360 degrees. We’ll see how this pans out as I have 4 I am intending on making!
To Mandy who wanted to glue back-to-back pictures. This will only work if the silhouette is perfectly symmetric, which would be very difficult to achieve. To do this, you will have to cut the person in a square, circle, or triangle, and have the cuts be made almost perfectly, so that you don’t see the backside of the picture from the other side. Just a word of warning.
I made these today as Christmas presents, but I am having trouble with my glitter clumping up as well as it sticking to the laminated photo. Any suggestions?
Hi, these look fabulous. I mentioned you on my blog as another idea for great snow globes. I think I will try yours next year.
These are adorable!!! Did you use any particular type of glitter? Was it more coarse or just the regular glitter you find in any craft aisle?
my glitter keeps clumping together, thoughts on what I’m doing wrong?
We tried making it for the last few days and finally, we figured it out – HERE IS THE SECRET of CLUMP of GLITTER – Add a few beads (any shape and size you wish) into your jars and your glitter clumps will be broken off by these beads (we used a 500ml mason jar and only used 3 beads). I was almost teary when this finally worked as we were going to make this for our to-be 5-yo daughter’s birthday in 3 days – as a birthday DIY craft.
This was the best idea ever!! I did it with the kids I work with and they loved it!! Thanks!!
I’m hoping someone can help me find a solution to a problem. I made one for each of my children, like these with laminated pictures. Not sure why but the glitter is sticking to the laminate and is covering much of their faces. I haven’t glued the lids on yet so I was trying to think of something I could do or a product I could use to repel the glitter from the laminate. any ideas?
I’m making a snowglobe for the first time, and I was using dollhouse miniatures to create a scene. Is there some kind of coating I could use to protect the fabric and the characters I painted with in the snow globe?
I recommend using repositionable window decals paper from Staples. It’s transparent and it has an adhesive side. It will cover your image just like laminating. Also the glitter shouldn’t be able to stick to it.
I love the snow globe idea, just wondered if you have any tips on how you cut the picture out so exact before laminating. I am assuming tiny cuticle scissors might be the answer. Thanks for sharing, grandkids will love this.
I just used regular ol’ scissors, but yes- a tiny pair of nail scissors might be the trick!
love your sense of humor and the snow globe craft!
just for peace of mind we had Grampa use clear bathtub caulk around the lid after we put it on. These are great fun for the kids year round we even have Easter ones!!
Strange- I honestly don’t know!
We added dish soap to our when we mad them 25 years ago and it was my understanding that it was to keep the glitter from sticking. Maybe it would help?
The only thing about the laminated photos….if you keep them in your window sill most of the time, the sun will likely fade the picture. And the glycerin, Walmart has in the pharmacy section with peroxide and rubbing alcohol, etc. Brilliant project though.
I made these with my children 25 years ago and they are still not leaking, we used the clay and make little houses and trees and added reindeer and other Christmas items from the store. We used silicone to seal the lids and added dish washing liquid to keep the glitter from sticking. Now my oldest is making them with his children! I love this idea of the pictures!
What kind of glue did you use ?
In my snow globe I have a small plastic tree with snow (snow is not plastic–it’s that fake snow that’s glued on). Do you know of any kind of water-proof sealant that I could buy to spray on the trees to make them waterproof?
hmm, I’m not sure! Maybe ask at a craft store?
Hey I saw this and was so excited !! I told my art teacher and we are doing it next Friday for art club !! We just have to get all the supplies together so excited thank you!!
What a cute mom you are. Keep it up. I always made a big deal about all of the holidays and now my kids are doing the same for their kids. Love your snow globe – I’m making one for my granddaughter. Merry Christmas!
I’m letting my toddler do a Mother’s Day themed one for the Grandmas this year. Love the idea. I used some left over clear plastic, a hot iron, and a towel to make the pictures water proof.
they look nice for Christmas!
This year alot of Family Dollar stores are selling the snow globe snow with their christmas stuff. I was wondering about using the baby oil instead of the glycerin, is it the same ratio 2-3 tap per cup of water?
Yes, I’d do the same ratio.
I absolutely love these and am going to make them this year. I need to send one in the mail. How well do you think they would travel if packed well to prevent breakage. I worry about it leaking or expanding. Have you ever mailed one?
Never mailed it- sorry but I’m not sure! I would probably tape it around the seal just to be sure.
Thank you for responding so quickly. I’ll give it a try and then let you know if it arrived safely.
I absolutely adore these. Christmas may be over, but I’m still going to make a few…like, for winter birthdays, smile-makers for ME, and awe inspiring decor for visitors.
I am a preschool teacher………….I did this with my students as a Christmas gift for their parents. Making 15 snowglobes was very time consuming, but the outcome was 15 absolutely thrilled families!!!
What kind of paper did you use for the picture with out the picture getting damaged?
this is so cute, but it would look a little better with round globes, have you considered betta fish bowls and cork or wood stoppers with a little silicone aquarium sealer?
Love the idea! Did you have a problem with rust in your jar after sanding the lid so the hot glue would work better? I made one and wanted to make more, but I’m not sure how’s to prevent the rust in future ones.
I haven’t had a problem with rust! | 2019-04-20T06:54:58Z | https://ourbestbites.com/how-to-make-a-homemade-snow-globe/?utm_content=287379&utm_medium=Email&utm_name=Id&utm_source=Actionetics&utm_term=EmailCampaign |
A cost charged to shareholders to pay for a mutual fund’s distribution and marketing costs.
The maximum amount of elective deferral contributions a participant may make to any employer-sponsored, tax-qualified retirement plan(s). The 402(g) limit is an annual individual limit covering all deferral contributions regardless of plan(s). All elective deferral contributions to any tax-qualified retirement plan are subject to 402(g) limits, which are adjusted annually to reflect increases in the cost of living (COLA).
An annuity contract or custodial account that meets the requirements of Section 403(b) of the IRC. Only employees of certain public schools, universities and tax-exempt organizations described in section 501(c) (3) of the IRC are eligible to establish 403(b) arrangements. The Treasury Department issued final 403(b) regulations that will cause administrative changes in the way current 501(c)(3) organizations, churches, schools and hospitals do business.
The maximum annual deduction permitted by an employer for federal income tax purposes with respect to tax-qualified, retirement plan contributions (employer contributions). 404 refers to the section of the IRC that sets the limit. Separate limits apply to defined contribution plans and defined benefit plans. The defined contribution limit is an aggregate limit covering all contributions by an employer to any defined contribution plan(s). The annual defined contribution plan deduction limit is 25% of eligible compensation earned by all plan participants for that year.
Regulations that relieve a plan fiduciary of liability for investment decisions made by retirement plan participants who have the ability to exercise control over their plan account investments, provided certain other conditions are met. Compliance with 404(c) is optional.
The annual contribution limit to a participant account. This limit includes all contributions except rollover and loan repayment. 415 refers to the section of the IRC that sets the limit. Separate limits apply to defined contribution plans and defined benefit plans. The defined contribution limit is an aggregate limit. All annual additions to the account of a participant − under all tax-qualified defined contribution retirement plan(s) maintained by the employer − are counted against the limit. The annual defined contribution plan 415 limit for a year is generally the lesser of 100% of the participant’s eligible compensation for a year or a specified dollar limit, which is adjusted annually to reflect changes in the cost of living.
A deferred compensation arrangement sponsored by a federal, state or local government / municipality or a tax-exempt organization. Most 457 plans are funded by elective deferrals and are similar to 401(k) plans (but significantly different tax rules apply). 457 refers to the section of the IRC that describes the tax treatment of 457 plans.
The party responsible for managing the day-to-day activities of the plan. This is often the plan sponsor. The plan sponsor may delegate these duties to a third party.
Fees for administrative and recordkeeping services pertaining to plan participants. For start-up or takeover plans, these fees typically include charges associated with processing information from the previous service provider and mapping participant information.
The portion of the plan document that contains all of the alternatives and options that may be selected by the employer.
Nondiscrimination tests that apply to 401(k) plans. The ADP test prohibits highly compensated employees (HCE) from making disproportionately greater elective deferral contributions to a 401(k) plan than nonhighly compensated employees (NHCE). The ACP test prohibits HCEs from making employee after-tax contributions and receiving employer matching contributions in disproportionately greater amounts than NHCEs.
A profit sharing allocation formula designed to provide a greater benefit to older participants.
The amount credited to a participant’s account as a result of employer and employee contributions, forfeitures and investment earnings.
An expression of performance that measures the difference between a fund’s actual returns and its expected performance given its level of risk as measured by beta.
Fee charged for the distribution of plan proceeds and annuitized payments.
All plans with more than 100 participants are required by federal law to undergo an annual audit conducted by an independent auditor. A Department of LAbor (DOL) or IRS examination of a plan is commonly referred to as a plan audit.
A distribution arrangement involving a series of payments made regularly over a specified time period.
Vendors may require that surrender charges be paid if the plan terminates its contract with a provider of annuities or stable value/ GIC (guaranteed investment contract) funds prior to completion of the contract. Vendors may also require surrender charges for an individual participant transfer or termination.
An investment strategy that seeks to balance risk and reward based on apportioning portfolio assets among three main asset classes (equities, fixed income and cash and equivalents, which behave differently over time) according to an individual’s goals, risk to tolerance and investment horizon. Asset allocation cannot guarantee a profit or protect against loss.
The percentage of pay that is automatically deferred when an employee is enrolled in a plan through automatic enrollment. A typical automatic deferral default percentage is 3% of pay. Generally, participants can choose to defer an amount other than the default percentage.
A plan feature that allows an employer to enroll employees in a salary deferral plan without the employees’ initial consent, as long as employees have the right to “opt out” of contributing to the plan. Also known as “negative election”.
Fee charged for each participant inquiry about account balance.
A fund portfolio that combines a stock component, a bond component and, sometimes, a money market component. These hybrid funds generally maintain a relatively fixed mix of stocks and bonds that is either moderate (higher equity component) or conservative (higher fixed-income component).
A quality assurance tool allowing organizations to compare themselves to others regarding some aspect of plan design or performance, with a view to finding ways to improve.
The party designated by a participant - or the terms of a plan - to receive the retirement plan benefits of a deceased participant.
A measure of volatility, or risk, relative to the index. By definition, the index beta is one. A beta greater than one implies the fund has been more volatile than the index; a beta of less than one implies the fund has been less volatile than the index.
A period during which plan participants cannot access their account. A blackout period may occur due to a change in plan.
Typically, a one-year break in service is defined as a period of 12 consecutive months during which an employee is not credited with more than 500 hours of service.
An arrangement in which plan service providers charge an all-inclusive fee for 401(k) plan establishment, investment services and administration. Bundled services are priced as a package and cannot be priced on a per-service basis.
A plan permitting pretax payment of employee benefits. Section 125 of the IRC defines all benefits that may be paid pretax Examples of such benefits include health, dental, disability and dependent care.
Contributions that permit individuals 50 or older to make additional elective deferral contributions in excess of the 402(g) limit, the 415 limit or any other limit imposed by the terms of a tax-qualified retirement plan. Catch-up contributions were established by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA). The maximum amount of annual catch-up contributions is adjusted annually to reflect increases in the cost of living.
A vesting schedule in which the participant’s accumulation is not vested during the initial years of service but becomes fully vested upon completing the number of years required by the plan. While traditional vesting schedules are graduated (20%, 40%, 60%, etc.), cliff vesting is not (0%, 0% and 100%).
Acronym for cost of living adjustment, which refers to periodic (generally annual) changes in wages, benefits or contribution levels. The IRS issues COLAs, which are designed to compensate for the effects of inflation.
A tax-exempt pooled fund, operated by a bank or trust company that commingles assets of trust accounts for which the bank provides fiduciary services.
A fee paid to a broker or other intermediary for executing a trade.
Testing required by the IRS to ensure that nonhighly compensated employees (NHCEs) benefit from the plan relative to the benefit received by the highly compensated employees (HCEs).
A charge for administering the insurance/annuity contract, including costs associated with participant account maintenance and all investment-related transactions initiated by participants.
A charge to the plan for “surrendering” or “terminating” its insurance/annuity contract prior tot he end of a stated time period. The charge typically decreases over time.
When two or more businesses are under common control, meaning one entity owns at least 80% of the stock, profit or capital interest in the other organization, or when the same five or fewer people own a controlling interest in each entity.
Generally refers to nondiscrimination testing performed on a defined contribution plan by projecting the contributions to retirement age, converting the projected account balances to monthly benefits and comparing the benefits. Examples of cross-tested plans include age-weighted or new comparability plans.
A person or entity that has lawful custody of plan assets for another individual or entity. The custodian’s responsibility is to track and hold the plan’s securities. Financial institutions - such as trust companies, banks or mutual fund companies - and insurance companies often serve as custodians.
Fee for the safekeeping of plan investments.
A defined benefit plan with a salary deferral feature. Beginning in 2010, employers with two to 500 employees when the plan is established may adopt a DB(k) plan.
An employer-sponsored retirement plan that pays a specific amount to a retired employee. The amount to be paid to the retired employee is usually based on a formula that takes salary history and years of service into account. The employer bears the investment risk because the plan promises a specific benefit. If plan assets (including employer contributions and investment earnings) are insufficient to fund benefit payments to plan participants, the employer must generally contribute the difference.
An employer-sponsored retirement plan, such as a 401(k) or profit sharing plan, that is funded by employer contributions, employee elective deferrals or both. Unlike defined benefit plans, the participants bear the investment risk because the plan does not promise a specific benefit. Instead, it promises to pay the employee the amount in his or her account, which is the sum of contributions and investment earnings.
A letter issued by the IRS (upon request) acknowledging that the IRS has reviewed the plan document and determined it to be in compliance. A letter of determination may be relied on as proof of having a qualified plan document in good order.
Amounts an employer may - but is not obligated to - contribute to a plan. Discretionary contributions can be profit sharing or matching contributions.
A lump-sum or periodic payment paid to a participant or beneficiary as required under the terms of a retirement plan.
The costs typically associated with processing distributions from plan assets to a participant, including required filings (1099 and 945).
A risk management technique that mixes a variety of investments within a portfolio. The rationale for this technique is that different kinds of investments will, on average, result in higher returns with lower risk than any individual investment in the portfolio because positive performance of some investment will neutralize the negative performance of others. Diversification cannot guarantee a profit or protect against loss.
Acronym for Department of Labor, which enforces legislation that regulates employers who offer pension or welfare benefit plans for their employees. DOL also enforces fiduciary, disclosure and reporting requirement for fiduciaries of pension and welfare benefit plans.
Costs associated with providing print, video, software and live instruction to educate employees about their retirement plan, the plan’s investment funds and asset allocation strategies. There may be a one-time cost associated with implementing a new plan, as well as ongoing costs for an existing program. Fees may be charged as specific line items or may be part of the service schedule related to investment and/or recordkeeping fees.
Acronym for the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, which made significant changes in several areas, including income tax rates, estate and gift tax exclusions and qualified and retirement plan rules. In general, the act simplified retirement and qualified plan rules for individual retirement accounts (IRAs), 401(k) plans, 403(b) and pension plans.
Payroll reduction contributions made by an employer on behalf of an employee pursuant to an election by the employee to have such a contribution made in lieu of cash compensation, which is otherwise payable to the employee.
An employee who meets a plan’s age and service requirement provisions for participation.
An arrangement that provides that fees (including any commission or other compensation) a fiduciary advisor receives for investment advice or investment of plan assets either do not vary according to the investment option selected or are based on a computer model under an investment advice program that meets regulatory requirements.
Costs associated with enrolling employees in a retirement plan and providing materials to educate them about the plan. There may be a one-time cost associated with implementing a new plan, as well as ongoing enrollment costs. Fees may be charged as a specific line item or may be part of the service schedule related to investment, conversion and/or recordkeeping fees.
Acronym for the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, a federal law that imposes various requirements on voluntarily established pension, health and other welfare benefit plans in private industry, and establishes standards applicable to certain service providers of such plans in order to provide protection for plan participants.
An acronym for exchange-traded funds, are investment portfolios that trade like stocks on an exchange and track an index.
The ERISA standard that requires plan fiduciaries to act solely for the benefit of the plan participants.
The cost of administering and managing investments expressed as a percentage of total assets.
A bond designed to protect a retirement plan’s participants in the event a fiduciary or other responsible person steals or mishandles plan assets.
Exercises any discretionary authority or discretionary control with respect to management of the plan or exercises any authority or control with respect to management or disposition of assets.
Renders investment advice for a fee or other compensation, direct or indirect, with respect to any moneys or other property of the plan, or has any authority or responsibility to do so.
ERISA section 3(21)(A)(ii) sets out a simple two-part test for determining fiduciary status: A person or party who (1) renders investment advice with respect to any moneys or other property of the plan, or has any authority or responsibility to do so; and (2) receives a fee or other compensation, direct or indirect, for doing so.
The portion of a participant’s account balance that is relinquished (the nonvested portion) upon termination of employment.
A form sent to the recipient of a plan distribution and filed with the IRS to document the distribution amount.
A form that all qualified retirement plans - excluding Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) plans and Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees (SIMPLE) IRAs - must file annually with the IRS. Fees to prepare Form 5500 are usually included in recordkeeping and administration charges.
Sales charges resulting from the purchase of an investment such as a stock or mutual fund.
Acronym for guaranteed investment contract, in which the returns are set by contract. The principal does not fluctuate due to the application of book value accounting.
Acronym for several pieces of legislation passed since 1994, including the Uruguay Round General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), the Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996 (SBJPA), the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 and the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998.
A participant’s withdrawal of plan contributions prior to retirement. FInancial hardship may be a condition for eligibility for this type of withdrawal, which may or may not be permitted under the terms of the plan. Reasons for hardship withdrawals can include coverage of uninsured medical expenses for the participant, a spouse or eligible dependents; purchase of a primary residence (excluding mortgage payments); payment of post-secondary tuition costs for the participant, a spouse or eligible dependents; payments necessary to avoid foreclosure or eviction from the participant’s principal residence; funeral expenses for the employee, a spouse, dependents, or beneficiary of the employee; or certain damage repair expenses for the employee’s principal residence. These distributions are taxable as early distributions and are generally subject to a 10% penalty tax if the participant is under 59 1/2.
A plan established pursuant to a document that is not a prototype document. (See also prototype documents.) An individually designed plan document is not pre-approved by the IRS. In general, individually designed plan documents are more costly to establish and maintain than prototype documents.
An investment account managed for a single participant based on individual preferences.
A one-time fee charged by some vendors for initiating a new plan.
Recommendations or guidance about an investment product that is intended to educate an investor.
Is registered as an investment advisor under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940; is registered as an investment advisor under the laws of the state where the principal office and place of business is located; is a bank; or is an insurance company qualified to perform services under the laws of more than one state.
The process of keeping plan assets invested while changing service providers. This is typically done by ensuring that investment of plan assets maintains the strategy and objective used by the previous provider. For example, assets invested in large-cap growth stocks would remain invested in that asset class under the new provider.
The document that provides guidelines for the plan’s investment management. It typically sets forth the plan’s investment objectives, investment strategies, policies and investment limits.
Charge associated with a participant changing investments and/or investment allocation.
A tax-deferred retirement account for self-employed individuals or employees of unincorporated businesses. It can be established as either a defined contribution or a defined benefit plan. Also known as an H.R. 10 plan.
Is an officer of the company that sponsors the plan and earns income in excess of a specified dollar amount that is adjusted annually to reflect increases in the cost of living.
Owns more than 5% of the company that sponsors the plan.
Is a 1% owner of the company that sponsors the plan, with income of more than $150,000.
Acronym for investment advisory representative, an investment advisory company employee whose main responsibility is to provide investment-related advice. LARs must be registered with state authorities and can provide advice only about topics for which they have passed appropriate examinations.
A diversified mutual fund designed to offer an appropriate level of risk during different phases of life. Target-risk and target-date funds are two examples of life cycle funds. A target-risk fund targets a specific risk profile (for example, conservative, moderate or growth), while a target-date fund targets a specific future date and generally becomes more conservative over time until it reaches its final risk profile.
Vendors may charge a fee when a plan loan is originally taken, as well as an ongoing fee for administration.
The risk that the amount of money a person has saved for retirement might not be enough due to increased life expectancy.
Fee charged by an investment manager.
A retirement plan, sponsored by a financial institution, that has already been examined and approved by the IRS.
An employer contribution to a participant’s employer-sponsored retirement plan. The amount of the contribution is based on the amount of the participant’s elective deferral contributions. For example, the plan might specify that it will contribute 50 cents for each dollar of elective deferral contributions under its 401(k) plan. Matching contributions are subject to ACP testing.
A defined contribution plan that requires the plan sponsor to make contributions on behalf of each participant based on the plan’s formula, which is specified in the plan’s document. Contributions must be made to a money purchase pension plan regardless of the profitability of the sponsor.
A variable annuity fee that covers the cost of returning principal in case the annuitant dies.
Acronym for modern portfolio theory, pioneered by Harry Markowitz in 1952. MPT asserts that risk-averse investors can construct portfolios to maximize expected return based on a given level of market risk. According to the theory, it’s possible to construct an “efficient frontier” of optimal portfolios offering the maximum possible expected return for a given level of risk. MPT cannot guarantee a profit or protect against loss.
A type of allocation formula for profit sharing plans that allocates disproportionately greater amounts to a specific group of employees. (Also see profit sharing plan.) The formula is generally designed to maximize the amounts allocated for HCEs within the contribution nondiscrimination limits established by the IRC.
A plan that combines a new comparability allocation formula with safe harbor 401(k) provisions.
Acronym for nonhighly compensated employee, which includes employees who do not meet the criteria for an HCE.
Various types of nondiscrimination tests applicable to employer-sponsored, tax-qualified retirement plans under the IRC. The tests are generally designed to prevent HCEs from receiving disproportionately greater benefits than NCHEs. The ADP/APC nondiscrimination tests are two examples.
Costs associated with the process of nondiscrimination testing to determine whether the plan is in compliance. These costs are often included in recordkeeping and administration fees.
A written agreement between an employer and employee that gives the employee the employer’s unsecured promise to pay some future benefit in exchange for services today. Because it is nonqualified, it does not fall under ERISA, meaning it does not receive favorable tax treatment and can freely discriminate. Most nonqualified deferred compensation plans cover only highly paid executive employees.
A retirement plan that doesn’t meet the requirements of the IRC to qualify for tax-favored treatment.
A written statement from the IRS as to the acceptability of a prototype plan document.
An employee who is eligible to participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan. An employee who is eligible to elect to have his or her employer make elective deferral contributions to a 401(k) plan — but chooses not to — is still considered a participant.
Acronym for Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., which was established by ERISA to ensure that benefits will be payable to participants when due if the sponsor of a defined benefit pension plan is unable to make payments. Companies that sponsor defined benefit plans pay premiums to PBGC based on the number of employees in the plan and the current ratio of assets to liabilities in the plan.
The person or firm responsible for the administration of a retirement plan, determination of eligibility for benefits and payment of benefit claims.
Costs associated with preparing and filing required IRS documentation, including the request for a determination letter.
Acronym for the Pension Protection Act of 2006, legislation that affects qualified retirement plans, plan sponsors and plan participants. It contains extensive new rules governing the implementation of automatic enrollment plans, cash balance and other hybrid plans and combined defined benefit pension/401(k) plans for small employers. The act also includes changes affecting retirement plan contributions and distributions, including liberalization of plan rollover rules and new disclosure and reporting rules for ERISA-covered plans, including fiduciary protection for providing certain investment advisory services to participants.
A defined contribution plan that permits the employer to make discretionary contributions. A participant’s retirement benefits are based on his or her account balance, which consists of profit sharing contributions, investment earnings and forfeitures. (Also see age-weighted allocation, new comparability allocation, permitted disparity (integrated) allocation formula, and salary ratio allocation.) A single plan can contain both a profit sharing and an elective deferral feature.
Documents that provide standard language for different types of retirement plans that offer flexible options within each plan type. Prototype plan documents are sponsored by financial institutions and adopted by employers to create the plan. There are both standard and nonstandard prototypes. Standardized prototype documents are less flexible than nonstandardized prototype documents. Employers who adopt prototype plans are not required to obtain IRS approval (letter of determination) for their plan documents; however, this is a good practice for nonstandard documents.
The fiduciary duty under section 404(a)(1)(B) of ERISA that requires a fiduciary to discharge his or her duties to a plan under the prevailing circumstances with the care, skill, prudence and diligence that a prudent man - acting in a like capacity and familiar with such matters - would use in the conduct of an enterprise of like character and with like aims.
Had deferral elections (or elections not to defer) in place when the automatic enrollment arrangement became qualified.
Requires that employees who are eligible to participate in the qualified arrangement receive written notice of their legal rights and obligations within a reasonable time prior to the start of the plan year.
Provides that employer contributions become 100% vested after an employee has completed no more than two years of service.
Requires that the plan sponsor make either matching contributions (100% of the first 1% of compensation deferred, plus 50% of the next 5% deferred) or nonelective contributions (at least 3% of compensation to all eligible nonhighly compensated employees, whether they make deferrals or not).
Acronym for qualified domestic relations order which is a judgement, decree or oder that creates or recognizes an alternate payee’s (such as a child or former spouse) right to receive all or a portion of a participant’s retirement plan benefits. Fees are associated with a distribution resulting from a QDRO.
Acronym for qualified matching contribution which employers can make to 401(k) plans to correct failed ACP nondiscrimination tests. Qualified matching contributions satisfy the vesting and distribution requirements.
Acronym for qualified nonelective contribution, which employers can make to 401(k) plans to correct failed ADP/ACP nondiscrimination tests.
A retirement plan that meets the requirements of the IRC to qualify for tax-favored treatment.
See administration and recordkeeping expenses.
A person who is employed by a brokerage company licensed by the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) and who acts as an account executive for clients trading stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other investment products.
An agreement between a mutual fund company and a broker dealer whereby payment is made to the brokerage firm from the mutual fund company’s investment advisor’s revenues or profits. These payments are in addition to any sales charges, 12b-1 fees, redemption fees and deferred sales charges and do not come from the assets of the fund. Advisors receive no additional compensation as a result of these payments.
Acronym for registered investment advisor, a person or group that makes investment recommendations or conducts securities analysis in return for a fee and who has sufficient assets to be registered with the SEC.
A measure of how much an investment returned in relation to how much risk it took on.
A method of portfolio construction and asset allocation in which each holding provides an equal contribution to the overall portfolio risk.
A qualifying distribution from a tax-favored retirement arrangement – a 401(k) plan, 403(b) arrangement, SEP plan, SIMPLE IRA, 457 plan or IRA – that is contributed to another qualified plan. There are two types of rollovers from a qualified plan: direct and indirect.
With a direct rollover the distribution is paid directly to the trustee or custodian of the receiving arrangement.
With an indirect rollover, an individual takes a cash distribution from a qualified plan (less 20% withholding) and contributes it (rolls it over) within 60 days of receiving the arrangement.
A direct transfer of assets between IRAs may also be referred to as a direct transfer of assets.
A plan that provides many of the features and flexibility of a traditional 401(k) without the administrative concerns of ADP/ACP nondiscrimination testing. However, employers must match 100% of employee elective deferrals up to 3% of the employee’s compensation, plus 50% of employee elective deferrals on the next 2% of the employee’s compensation, or make a nonelective contribution on behalf of each eligible employee equal to 3% of such eligible employee’s compensation. All safe harbor 401(k) contributions are 100% vested immediately.
A formal agreement between an employer and employee under which the employee agrees to take a reduction in salary or to forgo a salary increase. In return, the employer agrees to deposit the portion deferred from the employee’s salary into a benefit plan, such as a 403(b), 401(k), thrift or cafeteria plan. The agreement may state a specific dollar amount of salary reduction or a percentage of compensation reduction.
Salary Reduction Simplified Employee Pension plan created as a simple alternative to a 401(k) plan for companies with 25 or fewer employees. Employees eligible to participate in a SARSEP have the opportunity to make elective deferral contributions to their SEP plans. Employers may no longer establish new SARSEPs. Contributions may continue to existing SARSEPs.
Transaction and annual fees related to balances in self-directed brokerage accounts.
Simplified Employee Pension plan, a retirement program that permits an employer to make tax-deductible contributions to IRAs established by eligible employees. SEPs can be sponsored by employers of all sizes. This plan is more popular among small employers because it generally has substantially lower administrative costs.
An asset account established by a life insurance company, separate from other life insurance company funds, that offers investment funding options for pension plans.
Different types of shares issued by a single fund, often referred to as Class A shares, Class C shares and so on. While each class invests in the same “pool” (or investment portfolio) of securities and has the same investment objectives and policies, share classes offer different shareholder services and/or distribution arrangements, resulting in differing fees, expenses and performance results.
Class A shares typically impose a front-end sales load and tend to have a lower 12b-1 fee and lower annual expenses than other mutual fund share classes. Some mutual funds reduce the front-end load as the size of an investment increases.
Class C shares generally have a level load and might include a 12(b)-1 fee, other annual expenses and either a front- or back-end sales load.
Class I shares are often called institutional shares, because they are generally intended for financial institutions purchasing shares for their own or their clients’ accounts. Class I shares have no front-end sales charge and cannot be purchased by the general public.
Class R shares are typically provided exclusively to retirement plans and charges can vary based on the plan’s requirements and recordkeeping preferences.
A risk-adjusted measure of performance, calculated using standard deviation and excess return to determine reward per unit of risk.
Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees IRA, a retirement program that permits eligible employees to make elective deferral contributions to their IRAs and the sponsoring employer to make mandatory matching or nonelective contributions Generally, only employers with 100 or fewer employees, each with at least $5,000 of compensation in the prior calendar year, are eligible to establish SIMPLE IRA plans.
A means of paying brokerage firms for their services through commission revenue instead of through normal direct payments (hard-dollar fees).
A plan designed for businesses with no employees other than the owners and their spouses. Contributions are established by the plan document and are generally 100% vested immediately.
An employer who establishes and maintains a plan.
An investment vehicle compromising mostly wrapped bonds, which can be short or intermediate term with longer maturities than other choices such as money market funds. They are paired (or wrapped) with insurance contracts to guarantee a specific minimum return.
A statistical measure of the historical volatility of a mutual fund or portfolio. Measures a funds’s range of total returns and identifies the spread of a fund’s short-term fluctuations.
An expense charged against the fund that, in certain situations, is used to offset some of the administrative expenses of a third-party administrator.
A document containing a comprehensive description of a retirement plan, including the terms and conditions of participation. ERISA requires an SPD be distributed to each plan participant within 90 days of becoming a participant and to each beneficiary receiving benefits within 90 days of first receiving benefits.
Provisions of EGTRRA that were originally “sunset,” or be automatically repealed, in 2010. The PPA made the EGTRRA provisions related to retirement plans and IRAs permanent. Among the provisions affected were salary deferral limits, contribution limits and catch-up contributions.
A type of money purchase plan in which an employer establishes a “target benefit” for employees based on a formula in the plan document, but each employee’s actual benefit is based on the amount in his individual account.
A mutual fund that automatically resets the portfolio’s asset mix of stocks, bonds and cash equivalents according to a time horizon that is appropriate for a particular investor.
Costs associated with terminating a relationship with a service provider, permanent termination of a plan or termination of specific plan services. Also called “surrender” or “transfer” charges.
One or more individuals who are appointed by the employer to act as a trustee under its retirement plan.
The bank or trust company designated to serve as the plan trustee. Typically, this type of trustee serves as the custodian of the plan’s assets.
The schedule that determines the portion of a participant’s accrued benefit or account balance to which the participant has a nonforfeitable right after completing a specified number of years of service.
A fee based on all plan assets and in addition to individual fund-related fees. The wrap expense typically pays for bundling of services related to investing plan assets and may include administrative services such as recordkeeping or the preparation of signature-ready Form 5500s. | 2019-04-19T06:55:25Z | https://hunterbenefits.com/retirement-plan-glossary/ |
Anthem: "Sayaun Thunga Phool Ka"
Nepal, known officially as the State of Nepal, is a landlocked Himalayan country in South Asia. It is a culturally rich kingdom with eight of the world's highest mountains. For a small territory, the Nepali landscape is uncommonly diverse, ranging from the humid Terai in the south to the lofty Himalayas in the north.
Although the country is the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Buddha, more than 80 percent of Nepalese follow Hinduism, which is higher than the percentage of Hindus in India, making it the single most Hindu nation in the world.
Unstable governments and rapidly changing political parties make the political scene in Nepal one of the most confusing in the world. In the 10 years from 1996 to 2006, Nepal sustained a Maoist insurgency, the heir-apparent allegedly murdered the royal family, and the new king dismissed and re-instated parliament.
The spectacular landscape and deep, exotic culture of Nepal represents considerable potential for tourism, but security concerns relating to the Maoist conflict have led to a decrease in tourism, a key source of foreign exchange.
The origin of the name "Nepal" is uncertain, but the most popular understanding is that it derives from "Ne" (holy) and "pal" (cave).
Bordered by China (including Tibet) to the north, and by India to the south, east, and west, Nepal is of roughly trapezoidal shape, 500 miles (800 kilometers) long and 125miles (200 kilometers) wide, with an area of 56,827 square miles (147,181 square kilometers), or slightly larger than the state of Arkansas in the United States.
Although Nepal shares no boundary with Bangladesh, a narrow strip of land, about 13 miles (21 kilometers) wide, called the Chicken's Neck, separates the two countries. Efforts are under way to make this area a free-trade zone.
The Himalayan arc extends about 1,491 miles (2400km), from Nanga Parbat (26,699 feet or 8,138 meters), the second highest peak in Pakistan, in the west, to Namche Barwa (25,149 feet or 7,756 meters) in Tibet, in the east. This region includes Nepal and Bhutan, as well as parts of Pakistan, India, and China. The geological process of forming the Himalayas began with the collision of the Indian sub-continent and Eurasia at the time of the Paleocene/Eocence epoch. This thickened the Indian crust to its present thickness of 41 miles or 70 kilometers.
Nepal may be divided into three areas: the mountain, hill, and Terai regions. These ecological belts run east-west and are bisected by Nepal's river systems. The lowest point is Kanchan Kalan, at 229 feet (70 meters) above sea level. The highest point is Mount Everest (Sagarmatha) at 29,028 feet (8,848 meters).
The mountain region is the highest in the world. Mount Everest is located on the border with China between Nepal and Tibet. The southeast ridge on the Nepalese side of the mountain is easier to climb, which is why many climbers enter Nepal. Eight of the world's highest mountains are located in Nepal, including Kanchenjunga, the world's third highest peak, and Annapurna I, II, III and IV.
The hill region (Pahad in Nepali) abuts the mountains and varies from 3,300 to 13,125 feet (1,000 to 4,000 meters) in altitude. Two low mountain ranges, the Mahabharat Lekh and Siwalik Hills (also called the Churia Range), dominate the region. The hilly belt includes the Kathmandu Valley, the country's most fertile and urbanized area. Despite its geographical isolation and limited economic potential, the region always has been the political and cultural center of Nepal. Elevations above 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) are sparsely populated.
The Terai Plains bordering India are part of the northern rim of the Indo-Gangetic plains. This region has a hot, humid climate.
Nepal has five climatic zones, broadly corresponding to altitude. The tropical and subtropical zones lie below 3,940 feet (1,200 meters), the temperate zone 3,900 to 7,875 feet (1,200 to 2,400 meters), the cold zone 7,875 to 11,800 feet (2,400 to 3,600 meters), the sub-arctic zone 11,800 to 14,400 feet (3,600 to 4,400 meters), and the arctic zone above 14,400 feet (4,400 meters). Nepal has five seasons: Summer, monsoon, autumn, winter, and spring. The Himalayas block cold winds from Central Asia in winter, and form the northern limit of the monsoon wind patterns.
About 25.4 percent of Nepal is covered with forest, of which around 9.6 percent consists of "primary forest" which is relatively intact. About 12.1 percent is classified as "protected," about 21.4 percent is "conserved," and about 5.1 percent is classified as "production forest." Nepal's 2000–2005 deforestation rate was about 1.4 percent per year.
Nepal has three river systems: The Koshi River basin in the east, the Narayani River basin (India's Gandak River), and the Karnali River basin in the west. All are tributaries of the Ganges River in northern India. Besides providing fertile alluvial soil, the backbone of the agrarian economy, these rivers present possibilities for hydroelectricity and irrigation. But building dams in Nepal is problematic because of the high risk of earthquakes. Deep gorges have hindered transport and communication networks, resulting in a fragmented economy.
Natural hazards include severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons. Environmental issues include deforestation (due to overuse of wood for fuel and lack of alternatives), with resulting erosion and degradation of ecosystems, contaminated water (with human and animal wastes, agricultural run-off, and industrial effluents), wildlife conservation, and vehicular emissions.
Kathmandu, with a population of 800,000, is the capital and largest city. The other main cities include Bharatpur, Biratnagar, Bhairahawa, Birgunj, Janakpur, Pokhara, Nepalgunj, and Mahendranagar.
Neolithic tools found in the Kathmandu Valley indicate that people have been living in the Himalayan region for at least 9,000 years. Ancient Indian epics such as the Mahabharata mention the Kiratas, the inhabitants of Nepal in the first millennium B.C.E. People who were probably of Tibeto-Burman ethnicity lived in Nepal 2,500 years ago. Ramayana, which refers to the era before Mahabharat, says Mithila (later known as Janakpur) was the birthplace of the goddess Sita. The presence of sites such as the Valmik ashram indicates the presence of Aryan culture in Nepal at that period.
Indo-Aryan tribes entered the valley around 1500 B.C.E. Around 1000 B.C.E., small kingdoms and confederations of clans arose. Siddhartha Gautama (563–483 B.C.E.), a prince of the Shakya confederation, renounced his royalty to lead an ascetic life and came to be known as the Buddha ("the one who has awakened").
By 250 B.C.E., the region came under the influence of the Mauryan empire of northern India, and later became a puppet state under the Gupta Dynasty in the fourth century.
From the late fifth century, rulers called the Licchavis governed the area. The Licchavi dynasty went into decline in the late eighth century and was followed by a Newar era, from 879, although the extent of their control over the entire country is uncertain.
By the late eleventh century, southern Nepal came under the influence of the Chalukya Empire of southern India. Under the Chalukyas, Nepal's religious establishment changed as the kings patronized Hinduism instead of the Buddhism prevailing at that time.
By the early thirteenth century, Arimalla was the first king of a dynasty whose rulers' names ended with the Sanskrit suffix malla ("wrestler"). There was a period of upheaval before these kings consolidated their power.
Thirteenth-century Nepal was pillaged by the Delhi Sultanate of northern India. King Jayasthitimalla united most of the country by the late fourteenth century, but in 1482 the kingdom was carved into three smaller areas: Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhadgaon.
Modern Nepal was created in the latter half of the eighteenth century when Prithvi Narayan Shah, the ruler of the small principality of Gorkha, united a number of independent hill states to form the Gorkha Kingdom. He conquered the Kathmandu valley in 1768. After Shah's death, the Shah dynasty began to expand into India. Between 1788 and 1791, Nepal invaded Tibet and robbed the Tashilhunpo Monastery. Alarmed, the Chinese emperor Qianlong dispatched a sizeable army which forced the Nepalese to retreat and pay heavy reparations. After 1800, the heirs of Prithvi Narayan Shah were unable to maintain political control, and a period of internal turmoil followed.
Rivalry with the British East India Company over the annexation of minor states bordering Nepal led to the brief but bloody Anglo-Nepalese War (1815–16), in which Nepal defended its present-day borders but lost territories west of the Kali River, including the present-day Uttarakhand state and several Punjab hill states. The Treaty of Sugauli ceded parts of the Terai and Sikkim to the company in exchange for Nepalese autonomy.
Factionalism among the royal family led to a period of instability after the war. In 1846, Queen Rajendralakshmi plotted to overthrow Jang Bahadur, a fast-rising military leader who threatened her power. The plot was uncovered and the queen had several hundred princes and chieftains executed after an armed clash. This came to be known as the Kot Massacre. Ultimately, Bahadur won and founded the Rana dynasty, leading to the Rana autocracy. The king was made a titular figure, and the post of prime minister was made powerful and hereditary.
The Ranas were staunchly pro-British, and helped the British during the Sepoy Rebellion in 1857, and in both world wars of the twentieth century. In 1923 the United Kingdom and Nepal signed an agreement of friendship, recognizing Nepal's independence.
In the late 1940s, emerging pro-democracy movements and political parties were critical of the Rana autocracy. China occupied Tibet in 1950, making India keen on stability in Nepal. To avoid an expensive military campaign, India sponsored Tribhuvan as Nepal's new king in 1951, and a new government, mostly comprised of members of the Nepali Congress Party.
In early 1959, King Mahendra issued a new constitution, and the first democratic elections for a national assembly were held. The Nepali Congress Party, a moderate socialist group, gained a substantial victory. Its leader, B. P. Koirala, formed a government and served as prime minister.
But King Mahendra dismissed the Koirala government and promulgated a new constitution on December 16, 1962, which established a "partyless" system of panchayats (councils) which the king considered to be closer to Nepalese traditions. As a pyramidal structure progressing from village assemblies to a Rastriya Panchayat (National Parliament), the panchayat system enshrined the absolute power of the monarchy.
King Mahendra was succeeded by his 27-year-old son, King Birendra, in 1972. Amid student demonstrations in 1979, King Birendra called for a referendum on the nature of Nepal's government—either reform the panchayat system or establish a multiparty system. The referendum was held in May 1980, and the panchayat system won a narrow victory.
In 1989, the "Jan Andolan" (People's) Movement forced the monarchy to establish a multiparty parliament, which came about in May 1991. The Nepali Congress Party won the country's first democratic elections, with Girija Prasad Koirala becoming prime minister.
In 1992, with prices spiraling as a result of the Congress Party's government policies, the radical left stepped up political agitation. Various groups set up a Joint People's Agitation Committee, and called for a general strike on April 6.
Violence broke out on the evening of the strike. The next day, two activists were killed, and later, police fired on a rally at Tundikhel in Kathmandu. Riots broke out leaving 14 dead.
In February 1996, a Maoist party (followers of the thought of Mao Zedong) pushed to replace the parliamentary monarchy with a new democratic republic, through a people's war, which led to the Nepalese Civil War. Led by Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the insurgency began in five districts. The Maoists declared the existence of a provisional "people's government" at the district level in several locations. At one point, 70 percent of Nepal's countryside was under Maoist rule. More than 13,000 people died in the civil war.
In June 2001, 10 members of the royal family, including King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya, were killed in a shooting spree, allegedly shot by Crown Prince Dipendra. He temporarily became king before dying of his wounds. His brother, Prince Gyanendra, inherited the throne. Meanwhile, the Maoist rebellion escalated, and in October 2002 the king deposed one government and appointed another one week later.
In the face of unstable governments and a Maoist siege on the Kathmandu Valley in August 2004, popular support for the monarchy began to wane. On February 1, 2005, Gyanendra dismissed the government and assumed full executive powers, declaring a "state of emergency" to quash the Maoist movement.
In April 2006, strikes and street protests in Kathmandu forced King Gyanendra to reinstate the parliament and he agreed to relinquish sovereign power to the people. Using its newly acquired sovereign authority, on May 18, 2006 the House of Representatives unanimously voted to curtail the power of the king and declared Nepal a secular state, ending its time-honored official status as a Hindu Kingdom. On December 28, 2007, a bill was passed in parliament to amend Article 159 of the constitution – replacing "Provisions regarding the King" by "Provisions of the Head of the State" – declaring Nepal a federal republic, and thereby abolishing the monarchy. The bill came into force on 28 May 2008.
The Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) won the largest number of seats in the Constituent Assembly election held on April 10, 2008, and formed a coalition government. Although acts of violence occurred during the pre-electoral period, election observers noted that the elections themselves were markedly peaceful and "well-carried out".
The newly elected Assembly met in Kathmandu on 28 May 2008, and, after a polling of 564 constituent Assembly members, 560 voted to form a new government, with the monarchist Rastriya Prajatantra Party, which had four members in the assembly, registering a dissenting note. At that point, it was declared that Nepal had become a secular and inclusive democratic republic, with the government announcing a three-day public holiday from May 28–30.
Nonetheless, political tensions and consequent power-sharing battles have continued in Nepal. In May 2009, the Maoist-led government was toppled and another coalition government with all major political parties barring the Maoists was formed. Madhav Kumar Nepal of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) was made the Prime Minister of the coalition government. In February 2011 the Madhav Kumar Nepal Government was toppled and Jhala Nath Khanal of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) was made the Prime Minister. In August 2011, the Jhala Nath Khanal Government was toppled and Baburam Bhattarai of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) was made the Prime Minister.
The political parties were unable to draft a constitution in the stipulated time. This led to dissolution of the Constituent Assembly to pave the way for new elections to strive for a new political mandate. Then Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi was made the chairman of the caretaker government. Under Regmi, the nation saw peaceful elections for the constituent assembly.
In September 2015, a new constitution, the "Constitution of Nepal 2015" (Nepali: नेपालको संविधान २०७२) was announced by President Ram Baran Yadav in the constituent assembly. The constituent assembly was transformed into a legislative parliament by the then-chairman of that assembly. The new constitution of Nepal has changed Nepal practically into a federal democratic republic.
In October 2015, Bidhya Devi Bhandari was elected as the first female president.
The movement in April 2006 brought about a change in the nation's governance: an interim constitution was promulgated, with the King giving up power, and an interim House of Representatives was formed with Maoist members after the new government held peace talks with the Maoist rebels. The number of parliamentary seats was also increased to 330.
Nepal is governed according to the Constitution of Nepal, which came into effect on September 20, 2015, replacing the Interim Constitution of 2007. The Constitution was drafted by the Second Constituent Assembly following the failure of the First Constituent Assembly to produce a constitution in its mandated period. The constitution is the fundamental law of Nepal. It defines Nepal as having multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious, multi-cultural characteristics with common aspirations of people living in diverse geographical regions, and being committed to and united by a bond of allegiance to national independence, territorial integrity, national interest and prosperity of Nepal. All the Nepali people collectively constitute the nation. There are seven states.
The Constitution of Nepal has defined three organs of the government: executive, legislative, and judiciary.
The form of governance of Nepal is a multi-party, competitive, federal democratic republican parliamentary system based on plurality. The Federal Parliament consists of two Houses, namely the House of Representatives and the National Assembly. The President appoints the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives as Prime Minister, who forms and chairs a Council of Ministers.
Powers relating to justice in Nepal are exercised by courts and other judicial institutions, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
Namche Bazaar in the Khumbu region close to Mount Everest. The town is built on terraces in what resembles a giant Greek amphitheatre.
Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with almost one-third of its population living below the poverty line. Nepal's workforce of about 10 million suffers from a severe shortage of skilled labor. The rate of unemployment and underemployment approaches half of the working-age population. Thus, many Nepalese move to India, the Gulf countries, and Malaysia in search of work. Nepal receives $50 million a year through the highly esteemed Gurkha soldiers who serve in the Indian and British armies.
Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for three-quarters of the population and accounting for 38 percent of the GDP. Agricultural produce—mostly grown in the Terrai region bordering India—includes rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops, milk, and water buffalo meat. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of agricultural produce including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain.
The spectacular landscape and exotic culture of Nepal represents considerable potential for tourism, but security concerns relating to the Maoist conflict led to a decrease in tourism, a key source of foreign exchange. Nepal has considerable scope for exploiting its potential in hydropower. Prospects for foreign trade or investment in other sectors remain poor, because of the small size of the economy, its technological backwardness, its remote, landlocked geographic location, its civil strife, and its susceptibility to natural disaster.
Hilly and mountainous terrain in the northern two-thirds of the country has made the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive. There were just over 5,200 miles (8,500km) of paved roads, and one 34-mile (59km) railway line in the south in 2003. Aviation is in a better state, with 48 airports, 10 of them with paved runways.
Export commodities include carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, and grain. Export partners include India, the U.S., and Germany.
Import commodities include gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products, and fertilizer. Import partners include India, United Arab Emirates, China, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.
The citizens of Nepal are known as Nepali or Nepalese. The country is home to people of many different national origins. As a result, Nepalese do not equate their nationality with ethnicity, but with citizenship and allegiance.
The mountainous highlands are sparsely populated. Kathmandu Valley, in the middle hill region, constitutes a small fraction of the nation's area but is the most densely populatedn.
The Nepalese are descendants of three major migrations from India, Tibet, and Central Asia. Among the earliest inhabitants were the Newar of the Kathmandu Valley and aboriginal Tharu in the southern Terai region. The ancestors of the Brahman and Chhetri caste groups came from India, while other ethnic groups trace their origins to Central Asia and Tibet, including the Gurung and Magar in the west, Rai and Limbu in the east, and Sherpas and Bhotia in the north.
The Chhetri are largest ethnic group of Nepal, making up 15.5 percent of the country's population. They are predominantly Hindus and are of eastern Indo-Aryan stock. The word "Chhetri" is actually a corruption of the Sanskrit word "Kshatriya," describing the Indian warrior-ruler caste. This caste is below the priestly Brahman caste but above the merchant and farmer/craftsman castes that altogether make up Hinduism's four "clean" or touchable castes. The Nepali royal family belongs to the Thakuri sub-caste of Chhetris.
Other groups are the Brahman-Hill (12.5 percent), Magar (7 percent), Tharu (6.6 percent), Tamang (5.5 percent), Newar (5.4 percent), Kami (3.9 percent), Yadav (3.9 percent), other (32.7) percent, unspecified (2.8) percent.
The overwhelming majority of the Nepalese population follows Hinduism. Buddhists, Muslims, and Kirant make up most of the remainder. Differences between Hindus and Buddhists have become subtle due to the intermingling of beliefs. Both share common temples and worship common deities. Buddhists, who practice the Theravadan form of the religion, are mostly concentrated in the eastern regions and the central Terrai. Buddhism was more common among the Newar and Tibeto-Nepalese groups. Among the Tibeto-Nepalese, those most influenced by Hinduism were the Magar, Sunwar, Limbu, and Rai. Hindu influence is less prominent among the Gurung, Bhutia, and Thakali groups, who use Buddhist monks for their religious ceremonies.
There is a strong tradition of animism and shamanism, especially in rural areas. Spiteful witches and angry spirits are thought to inflict illness and misfortune. Shamans mediate between the physical and spiritual worlds to discover the cause of illness and recommend treatment.
Brahmin priests read Vedic scriptures and ensure wedding and funeral rituals are performed correctly. At temples, priests care for icons (which are believed to host the deities they represent), and are responsible for ensuring the purity of the temple. Buddhist monasteries train initiates in philosophy and meditation. Lay followers gain religious merit by giving money to monasteries.
In Hindu mythology, the Himalayas are where the gods live, especially Shiva. Pashupatinath, a large Shiva temple in Kathmandu, is among the holiest sites in Nepal and attracts Hindu pilgrims from all over South Asia. In the Kathmandu Valley, there are hundreds of Hindu shrines, many of which are constructed near rivers or at the base of pipal trees, which are considered sacred. For Buddhists, Nepal is the birthplace of Lord Buddha, and is home to a number of important Buddhist monasteries and supas, including Boudha and Swayambhu.
Hindus and Buddhists believe in reincarnation, a belief that holds that an individual's actions in life will lead to a higher or lower rebirth. The ultimate goal is to attain enlightenment, to stop the cycle of rebirth. Hindus cremate their dead, preferably on the banks of a river, as do some Buddhists.
Only men plow. Fetching water is considered women's work, as is cooking, care of children, and washing clothes, as well as collecting firewood and fodder. Men do the heavier agricultural work and often work in trade, portering, and other occupations outside the village. Women tend to work longer, have less free time, and die younger. Children and older people do a lot of household work. Women's status in Nepal has been steadily rising.
In Nepal, descent is through the male line. Arranged marriages are the norm, because marriages create bonds between families. The bride's family provides a substantial dowry to the groom's family. The groom's family gives clothing, jewelry, and personal items to the bride. Both families are expected to host a feast during the wedding celebration, which lasts three days. The cost of a wedding, especially to the bride's family, is high and often puts families into debt.
Polygyny, where a man has multiple wives, is illegal but occurs in the older generation and in remote areas. Child marriages, once considered auspicious, are now prohibited. Love marriage is gaining in popularity in the cities.
Landholding Hindu castes favor a domestic unit in which the sons of a household, along with their parents, wives, and children, live together, sharing resources and expenses. The old have authority over the young, and men over women. New daughters-in-law occupy the lowest position. The emphasis is on filialism over individualism. In urban areas, more couples opt for nuclear family arrangements.
Fathers are legally obliged to leave equal portions of land to each son, resulting in diminishing holdings. Daughters do not inherit paternal property unless they remain unmarried past the age of 35.
A few landlords have traditionally held most agricultural land. Civil servants, often paid in grants of land, remained absentee owners and collected taxes from tenant-farming peasants. Efforts have been made to protect the rights of tenants, but without the redistribution of land. The growing population has worsened land shortages; nearly every acre is farmed intensively.
Nepal's diverse linguistic heritage evolved from four major language groups: Indo-Aryan, Tibeto-Burman, Mongolian, and various indigenous language isolates. The 2001 census identified 92 different living languages spoken in Nepal. Nepali is spoken by 49 percent, Maithili (12 percent), Bhojpuri (8 percent), Tharu (6 percent), Tamang (5 percent), Nepal Bhasa (4 percent), Magar (3 percent), Awadhi (2 percent), Bantawa (2 percent), Limbu (1 percent), and Bajjika (1 percent). The remaining 81 languages are each spoken as mother tongue by less than one percent of the population.
Derived from Sanskrit, Nepali is related to the Indian language Hindi and written in Devanagari script. Nepali is the official, national language. Hindi is widely spoken, especially in the southern Terai Region. Many Nepalese in government and business also speak English.
Hindu castes and Buddhist and animist ethnic groups have condensed into a single caste hierarchy. High-caste Hindus, who tend to be wealthy and politically dominant, are at the top, followed by alcohol-drinking “matwali” castes, which include Mongolian ethnic groups. At the bottom are the poorest untouchable Hindu castes which have traditionally performed occupations considered defiling by higher castes. The Newars of the Kathmandu Valley have a caste system that has been absorbed into the national caste hierarchy. Caste discrimination is officially illegal but has not disappeared.
The culture of high-caste Hindus has been Nepal’s "prestige culture." Westernization is competing with the high-caste Hindu culture. The ability to speak English is a mark of prestige and an asset in the job market. In cities, most men and a majority of women wear Western clothes. Modern status symbols include motorcycles, cars, fashionable clothing, televisions, and computers.
Nepali culture is influenced by the cultures of Tibet and India, which borders Nepal to the south. There are similarities in clothing, language, and food.
A typical Nepali meal is dal-bhat—boiled dal, pulses (peas, beans and lentils) which have been stripped of their outer hulls, split, and made into a thick, spicy stew, served with rice and vegetables, and some spicy relish. This is consumed twice daily, once in the morning and again after sunset. Snacks such as chiura (beaten rice) and tea are consumed. Meat, eggs, and fish are considered a treat. In the mountainous region the staple diet is based on wheat, maize, millet, and potatoes. Most prefer eating with their right hand, though some people use spoons, forks, and knives.
A festive meal, like one served during a marriage celebration, is a treat. Some vegetarian preparations are: Baji (a preparation from flattened rice), Wauncha Tukan (green mustard vegetable), Bhuti (a preparation of white beans), Pharsi (pumpkin curry), Lainsoo (dried radish curry), Simpu (bran curry), Pahmaya (a curry of green pulses), Hamoh Kwa (a sesame seed curry), Chhou Kwa (bamboo shoot soup), Dhau (yogurt), Sakhah (brown sugar to accompany dhau), and Sisabusa (raw radish, raw peas, and fresh fruit pieces). Meat preparations may include Della (meat placed atop baji), Tahkugu Pukala (a big slice of fried meat), Cheekugu Pukala (small pieces of fried meat), Tahkha (jelly meat), Chhakoola (meat pieces in curry), Dayekala (meat curry), Hayenla (meat curry with ginger), and Gorma (white jellied meat).
A millet-based alcoholic drink known as Tongba and other cereal-based alcoholic drinks are popular, including chhaang and the distilled rakshi. There is also a separate Newari cuisine.
The customary greeting is to press one's palms together in front of the chest and say "Namaste" ("I greet the god within you"). Men in urban areas shake hands. Physical contact between the sexes is not appropriate in public. Hospitality is essential. Guests are offered food and not permitted to help prepare food or clean up. It is polite to eat with the right hand. It is insulting to point the soles of one's feet at someone, or step over a person.
Houses in rural parts of Nepal are made up of stones and clay.
Pagoda-style temples, Buddhist stupas, palaces, and multistory brick houses with elaborately carved wooden door frames and screened windows are found in Kathmandu and the nearby cities of Patan and Bhaktapur. Smaller temples and older residential buildings are falling into disrepair. When the British ruled India, the Rana rulers used Western architectural styles in palaces and public buildings.
Most houses in rural Nepal are made up of a bamboo framework with mud and cow-dung walls. These dwellings remain cool in summers and retain warmth in the winter. Village houses are clustered in river valleys or along ridge tops. Dwellings at higher altitudes are mostly timber-based.
Mothers provide most childcare, helped by older siblings, cousins, and grandparents. Neighbors may cuddle, instruct, and discipline children. Authority in households depends on seniority, therefore the relative age of siblings is important and children are addressed by birth order.
Rituals mark the child's development. There are rituals for the first taste of rice and the first haircut. When a girl reaches puberty, she is prohibited from seeing male family members.
Children are expected to work around the house. Both girls and boys are entitled to schooling, but if a family needs help at home or lacks money, only the sons are sent to school. It is believed that education is wasted on girls, who will marry and take their wage-earning abilities to another household.
Universities are under-funded. Nepalis respect degrees obtained abroad and many scholars study overseas or in India. However, some good scholarship has emerged. The political reforms of the 1990s have permitted a more open and critical intellectual environment.
The overall literacy rate is 53.74 percent (68.51 percent for males and 42.49 percent for females).
Nepali literature dates only to the nineteenth century with Bhanubhakta Acharya's adaptation of the Hindu epic, “Ramayana.” Government censorship led Nepali authors and poets to publish outside of Nepal until the 1930s, when Nepal's first literary journal, Sharada, created an outlet for literary expression. Nepali writers and poets include Lakshmi Prasad Devkota, Lekhnath Paudyal, Balkrishna Sama, and Guruprasad Mainali.
Musical genres from Tibet and India have had a strong influence on traditional Nepali music. Indigenous Newari music developed and flourished during the medieval era. The Malla kings were known for their interest in arts. Newari music is percussion-based, sometimes with flutes or shawm accompanying the intense, nasal vocal lines. Particular songs are played for each season, and each time of day. The songs narrate or depict the mood of the season or time. Each caste has its songs and bands. Women, even of the musician castes, are less likely than men to play music, except in traditional all-female wedding parties.
The sarangi, a four-stringed, hand-carved instrument is usually played by wandering minstrels.
There is pop, religious, classical, and folk music. Since the 1960s, Nepali rock, or rock music sung to Nepali lyrics, has become popular among youth. Nepali rap and Nepali reggae has blossomed with the advent of the music video industry. There are numerous heavy metal bands.
Traditional Nepali folklore retains a strong influence in society and its stories are widely acted out in dance and music. The cultures of the different ethnic groups are rich in their own ways. However, Newari culture is the most common culture in the capital city. Most of the festivals observed in the country are the Newari festivals. The Newar people are well known for masked dances which tell stories of the gods and heroes.
Football (soccer) is the most popular sport, followed by cricket and kabaddi. The Martyrs Memorial Football League is the national football league.
Television was introduced in the 1980s. In 2007 there were six television broadcasting channels. Other networks, particularly those that originate in India, are available with the installation of increasingly popular satellite dishes, although lack of electrification makes this difficult. Radio is listened to throughout the kingdom. As of 2000, there were 12 radio stations.
Nepal suffers from high infant mortality, respiratory and intestinal diseases are endemic, and malnutrition is widespread. Life expectancy is 57 years. Poverty, poor hygiene, and lack of health care contribute to this. There are poorly equipped and unhygienic hospitals only in urban areas. Rural health clinics often lack resources. Western medicine has social prestige, but many people consult shamans and other religious practitioners.
Environmental issues include deforestation (due to overuse of wood for fuel and lack of alternatives), with resulting erosion and degradation of ecosystems, contaminated water (with human and animal wastes, agricultural run-off, and industrial effluents), wildlife conservation, and vehicular emissions.
A joint border commission continues to work on contested sections of the border with India, including a 400 square kilometer dispute over the source of the Kalapani River. India has instituted a stricter border regime to restrict transit of Maoist insurgents and illegal cross-border activities. Approximately 103,000 Bhutanese Lhotshampas (Hindus) have been confined in refugee camps in southeastern Nepal since 1990.
Nepal has between 100,000 and 200,000 internally displaced persons as a result of the conflict between government forces and Maoist rebels. Nepal is the location for the illicit production of cannabis and hashish for the domestic and international drug markets, and is a transit point for opiates from Southeast Asia to the West.
Girls have been lured or abducted from villages to work as prostitutes in Indian cities and child laborers in carpet factories. Prostitution has spread AIDs. Boycotts of Nepali carpets have not addressed the social problems that force children to become family wage earners.
↑ Nepal Ethnologue. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Nepal. International Monetary Fund. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
↑ Nepal votes to end monarchy CNN, December 28, 2007. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
↑ 4.0 4.1 Nepal votes to abolish monarchy BBC News, May 28, 2008. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
↑ The Carter Center, Activities by Country: Nepal. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
↑ Prachanda becomes PM, Nepal set for major change The Sunday Times, August 17, 2008. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
↑ Madhav Kumar Nepal elected new Nepal PM Rediffnews, May 23, 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
↑ Nepal: Jhalanath Khanal elected new prime minister BBC, February 3, 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
↑ Sushil Koirala wins vote to be Nepal's prime minister BBC, February 10, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
↑ Svati Kirsten Narula, Nepal just elected its first female president Quartz, October 28, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
Bista, Dor Bahadur. People of Nepal. Kathmandu: Dept. of Publicity, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, His Majesty's Govt. of Nepal, 1967.
Dixit, Kunda. A People War: Images of the Nepal Conflict 1996–2006 = Laḍāim̐mā janatā : Nepālako yuddhakā citraharu, 2052–063. Kathmandu: Publication Nepalaya, 2006.
Matthiessen, Peter. The Snow Leopard. Penguin nature classics. New York: Penguin Books, 1996. | 2019-04-26T12:43:28Z | http://web.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Nepal |
Did you ever get your luggage back? The same thing happens with my mom. She was coming from Tunisia 2 days ago.
I've come from Barcelona directly to Casablanca and the Royal Air Maroc lost my baggage. I have no news since 5 days ; If i have one recommandation to all the golf players who want to come and play golf in Morocco, DO NOT TAKE THE ROYAL AIR MAROC or you can say Goodbye to you golf bag.
Has anyone had a response from Royal Air Moroc following reporting missing luggage? I have tried via the Royal Air Maroc world tracer process, and directly with the airport as an enquiry and still no response. Its ben 24 days now since my suitcase went missing in Casa Blanca on the 15 July. It should have been transferred straight from Dubai Emirates flight to Royal Air Maroc to go to Gran Canaria. Emirates have responded stating it made it to Casa Blanca but no response from Royal Air Maroc. I was reassured in Dubai and Casa Blanca airport that my suitcase would be transferred without me having to collect it and check it back in. A response at least would be great for insurance purposes.
This’s my third flight with this airline always very pleasant never had any issues till my return flight from Dakhla to London Heathrow via Casablanca on the 9th of may 2018 I had a connecting flight in Casablanca for 3 hours stop and once at my final destination my luggage didn’t appear made the claim and kept calling the airport and the airline almost every day none seems to know anything they’re telling me the Casablanca airport not even responding to them and it’s been 18 days now!
I will not go into detail because it is not a very pleasant story to tell. This is the most unprofessional airline ever, I cannot believe that they are still in business. I wouldn't take this airline even if the ticket was free.
Did you ever get your luggage back?
I never knew how crappy this airline was till the day of my flight... and then I hear others (even locals) sayig they will never fly with them. My flight first delayed with no vocal announcement, just noted on the digital board only in Arabic and French (we do not speak any of these languages) - in tiny fonts. 11:30pm departure to 3:00am... We were at the airport from 7:30pm (because this was a connecting flight), and the area we were in had no currency exchange booth and only 1 small snack shop which didn't accept credit cards. It was an incredibly LONG wait, and at 1am the airport staff speaks in Arabic, which later we found out our flight was cancelled. It took then 2+ hours to sort out what they were going to do. In the end they prepared a bus to take us to our final destination. We arrived at our hotel, 6:30am. Of course we had to complain. Couldn't believe we had to wait for almost 2 months for them to get back to us with a response. A response saying we will get a refund in 4 - 6 weeks max. Not surprised to see that after more than 6 weeks - no refund. Plus they do not issue you a flight cancellation certificate, which we needed to file a claim for our travel insurance. They never responded to our multiple requests for this and I just gave up, since the deadline to file the claim was approaching by the time they were replying to me. I feel like this is going to be a long battle and it is already draining me... I hope others are getting somewhere with their customer service. Such a horrible airline!
Had same experience also with royal air maroc last sept 2017 delaying my 2 luggages for 2weeks. Received few email from their client service telling me that im eligible for compensation and ask me to send all the documents needed, but until now feb 2018. Nothing arrive in my account and no one replying back again. Now, im considering to sue them. THEN MAYBE WE CAN TALK IN SAME LANGUAGE.
3 weeks later, this useless airline have not giving me any sort of response to my claim. Luggage now lost, no calls being picked up. Only way to illicit response is on twitter where they give meaningless generic responses. Only option is to open case against them.
The worst airline I ever experienced, horrible costumer services, we were ripped off. Sad!
Terrible service and no one picking my calls to explain where my daughters bag is!
It’s the worse airline company one can use unless you are white and Moroccan. At the JFK airport, I was stood for hours before my baggages were checked in because the lady was so busy making calls and cracking jokes with her colleagues. She didn’t know what she was saying about the timeline and the layover and I had to talk to the manager before she realized her mistakes and let me go. Once I landed in Morocco after a delayed flight, there was no room to stay in for my 20hours layover!!! I got to the hotel Fly at 8:30am and I finally got a room at 7pm not to mention that they have public filthy and smelly bathrooms to shower. I was abused verbally by the receptionist, discriminated and yelled at. I complained to a manager who in her turn told me she has nothing to say about the matter but I just have to wait until they call me. I started asking for names to complain to a higher person in the hierarchy but no answers were given to me therefore I decided to record videos of them. The receptionist walked towards me and aggressively fought me to grab my phone out of my hand to delete the recordings. I was hurt physically and emotionally after that trip. I will never use that company again and I’m planning to sue them once I go back to the U.S. for bad treatments and discrimination. They are breathtakingly rude, mean, insulting, racist and all the other worse things one can think of.
I flew from Brazil to Paris in last day of 05/2017, in which my suitcase was completely damaged. I've made the registration when I landed at Paris airport and then in the Royal Maroc Airlines website. Since 07/2017 I have made contact by customer service center and the closest thing I've gotten to solve my problem was a return email requesting the qualification of records, bank account for reimbursement and details of the flight. At the moment, they completely ignore me. TOTAL LACK OF CONSIDERATION AND RESPECT WITH CONSUMER !!!
Hi, I Was one of your flights from Nigeria to Montreal on 30th of Aug 2017. Your services as an airline is very terrible, expecially getting people's bag missing is a regular occurrence with you. I will never use your airline again, and will never allow anybody I know to use it.
I booked in march royal maroc business sept 4 from casablanca to fes returning sept.11.they emailed me the flights were cancelled due to operational problems.i could not accept their dates due to pre paid hotel and tour booking plus I was coming from Asia and could not change international flights.I called the USA toll free number and they promised a refund.I had to book roundtrip taxi service.just out of curiosity,I checked their website and they reinstated Sept 4 flight to Casablanca.i hope i get a refund.
I flew from Brussels to Washington DC with a transit/plane change in Morocco. My bag never arrived in washington DC. I am completely upset as I had items in that bag that money cannot buy or replace as well as clothing and shoes that I love and spent alot of money on. I am so upset. If my bags don't arrive in the next 5 days I will file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and tell all of my friends and family to NEVER fly this airline. EVER!!! I am beyond disappointed.
Flying Air Maroc was the worst experience of my life (along with my families). We usually fly Egyptair but after an agent took 10k from us, reserved but never issued tickets, we were forced to book with whatever airline was available. Fortunately on the way to Egypt, we were able to fly Airfrance. The customer service was great and the flight attendants were attentive to our needs from NY to Paris and from Paris to Cairo. Unfortunately, on our way back we were forced to fly Air Maroc. Air Maroc flight attendants were unfriendly and unprofessional. Multiple times, my family members or myself requested water that was not delivered. A flight attendant approached my sister, stating that one of her children had been pressing the button that calls for a staff member. In reality, my sis just needed some water for her kids! Flight attendants were never smiling. The actual flight was smooth. Not much turbulence and the pilot had a soothing voice. That was the only positive. Let's go back to the experience in Morocco while waiting for our connecting flight. My mom went to the bathroom and when she came back she realized there was a line to enter the gate. She frantically went to look for us. The man at the gate stated that we went through security already. Why? Really not sure. Then we see my mom. They search her a second time and mistreat my sister, traveling with her two kids. She is approached by a lady that seems to be the head of the staff there and is told to go on one line then to switch lines with her double stroller. The man who was checking my bag, was so unprofessional that it makes me cringe. He was talking to me in Moroccan dialect and I only understand Egyptian Arabic and English. I told him this and he proceeded to make fun of me and mock me. Then he took some items such as zzzquil in containers that I believe fit the weight requirements. I am fine with airlines taking additional safety precautions, and to be honest I didn't check to see what the criteria was for liquids entering the U.S. through Morocco. Perhaps he was right in taking my zzzquil. However, they were so disorganized and so unprofessional. It was a really unpleasant experience. In addition, when we got on the flight there was a woman who was extremely upset that she was separated from all her kids on the flight. Let me play devils advocate for a moment. Perhaps the customer came late. She didn't take a proactive approach to reserving the seats to be with her children. However, reach out to the customers! Provide a level of transparency that will eliminate anxiety. Tell your customers the risk of not reserving seats when you book electronically. Agents, while customers are purchasing tickets, tell them the risks of checking in last minute. This is good customer service! Not waiting for a woman to get on a flight, only to realize she's separated from her 5 children who are flying for the first time! The nightmare with Air Maroc hasn't ended. Let's discuss overbooking and the anxiety and hysteria caused by this airline. My fiancé and my 16 year old brother were traveling back from Cairo to NY on Air Maroc. I was still in Hurghada at the time and in contact with my fiancé throughout his nightmare at the airport. Him and my brother go through security, only to be told by the agent that the flight is overbooked. They tell him they will put him on a direct flight to NY by Egyptair. I knew this was a lie because Egyptair is almost always fully booked. The next lie was "we will put you on a connecting flight from Jordan to NY". An hour passes and Egyptair representative says "sorry no flights into JFK today, stay in a hotel". At this point, I am at a beautiful all inclusive resort in Hurghada hysterical! I feel completely responsible for my fiancé, who has traveled for the first time to Egypt to meet my extended family. Eventually, after my soft spoken overly polite fiancé raises his voice with the reps, they put him and my brother on a flight to Munich, Germany and then NY. I am so displeased with Air Maroc.
This airline is Horrible...When you arrived at their Airport they act as thought they do not understand English, and speak french. When you speak French in return to them the respond Arabic. The people at the Casablanca Airport are ignorant and rude and are of no help. Never again they will receive my money and anyone I know who is traveling to Africa from the US. I have already stop 10 people from flying with them. They need to address their poor costumer service at the airport and immigration and airline levels.
I've had a terrible experience with Royal Air Maroc last month! I found the forum as I'm searching for the dollar limit for lost luggage reimbursement. I flew from JFK to Madrid with a layover in Casablanca. I was told it is checked to my final destination but it never arrived! I checked both airports twice - nothing in their lost and found closets. I think the lady at the JFK check-in stole it because as I transferred a bag of clothing from my carry-on into my checked-in bag (my carry-on was too heavy), her eyes were all in my bag - and when I arrived back to New York a week later, I was told that there is NO RECORD of my bag! The 800-customer service line never called me after creating a ticket in Madrid - until I went on Twitter and blasted them - on their twitter account and Direct Message. That is the ONLY way I got a response - I had to tweet both in Morocco and NYC to get a phone call. I emailed everyone I could find on the board of JFK and filed a report with the Port Authority. My attorney asked them to retain video at the counters - I was ignored. The 800 number wouldn't give me the airline's JFK manager's name and extension, and they're never at the counter unless a flight is taking off, which is when I'm at work. This has been a NIGHTMARE experience and I highly recommend selecting ANOTHER airline, regardless of how cheap these prices are!
I lost my luggage on June 10,2017 I flew from Paris-DC via Casablanca, I filled a form at the IAD airport, but no tracking number provided to me. The staff told me he will send me an email but after 24 hours, NO EMAIL！I contacted the RAM airline,NO response！！ what shall I do next!? I really need my luggage!
Could not find an agent in Doha, called the call centre in Casablanca and waited for 46 minutes and eventually had to hang up with no answer. and after paying an expensive overseas phone call.
Hi, I arrived at JFK yesterday 5/28/2017 and they lost one of baggages, they gave me the same contact number as others but I haven't gotten any info on where possibly my luggage is, they say they can not locate in anywhere like it has disappeared! Anyone lucky enough to get a response from them?!
This is the worst company I have ever seen.please don't take this airplane if you have other choices.because if there are some problems,nobody will help you and they will be always lying to you.
I travel with Air Maroc to Freetown during December unfortunately we missed our flight and we have to pay another £2,600 for return flight for 3 passengers back to London after we already brought the ticket for £2,500. I brought the ticket from an agent Jays Enterprises LTD. I think that I have been treated unfairly.
Hi good evening , I'm portia amoako please I want to know if I can travel with the receipt of my documents, if I may the documentime will expire coming February 4 and I have done the processing but will be going for it in aprile and I want to know if I can travel with my receipt.
I last posted on 21 December when serviceclient@royalairmaroc sent me a standard letter stating that they would try to reply in 30 days. Guess what? 30 days have passed, and I've received no reply. When I chased, I got another automatic reply (in French) apologising that they couldn't deal with correspondence directly, and referring me to www.royalairmaroc.com/ma-fr/Nous-contact... These guys are jokers.
One more here, I flew fr om Casablanca to Berlin and now it's been two weeks since RAM lost it and no one knows wh ere is it. Berlin airport just passed the responsibility to RAM and now I'm totally sure after seeing so many negative responses that my baggage is lost forever. Crappy airline DON'T USE IT PEOPLE!
Unfortunately I have to report one more case of disappearing luggage in Casablanca. We arrived from Ouarzazate last week ot be transferred to MAsterdam. It was chaotic at the airport, and in Amsterdam onoy on eof our bags appeared. Seen to the number of complaints here and other fora I wonder if it makes sense to take luggage anyway with you when travelling over casablanca airport.
My sad experience with Royal air Morocco. I boarded their plane fr om Lagos(Nigeria) to Casablanca and Casablanca to JFK(New York) on Saturday 24/12/2016 on getting to NY one out of two my baggages were no wh ere to found. I laid a complained on their desk a form is given to me and a card. On the card were a claim number and a phone number(718 751 2691). I was to call the number after 2 workings day which I did, but it was "No information about your bag" response I got from them. After that the phone number which was given to has been called time without number but nobody picked the call. Up till now after 14days of boarding their aircraft I have not received any information concerning my bag. It is my first time of using their airline and it was a very bad experience and they say "first impression last long" I have written emails to [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected] no response whatsoever. Pls, can someone tell me what next to do? I am highly disappointed and in so much distress now.
Dear customer I fact you let me getting crazy about my luggage,you let my trip becoming useless,disappointed because without that my luggage am disappointed my marrying ceremony the luggage is full of my wife dress,shoe etc and including me too I need it this week and look at what you are doing to me you let me regret for your bad service,my question is if I didn't get it in time with this week what am I going to do with my program?
I boarded flight number AT201on the 17/12/2016 from New York to Morocco and flight AT515 from Morocco to Ghana . I arrived in Ghana on the 19/12/2016 and I have still not received my two baggages. They have gone missing and no one is telling me anything. What kind of bad services is that . You haven't only lost one customer but you have lost a million of customers. I'm still hanging on waiting to get my baggages.
I'm the guy who posted the saga about 20 November. Apologies that it came up twice - one of the problems of managing without my laptop! So, a week goes by and I get a nice phone call from a lady in London. I'm being even-handed, here. She tells me that the right place to direct my correspondence is serviceclient@royalairmaroc. I think this email address was mentioned in one of the other threads posted. The lady also apologised that I got no response on 020 7307 5870, as it's only manned Monday to Friday in office hours. Note that. My email to serviceclient generated a response in French that they would endeavour to reply within 30 days. We shall see.
On Sunday 20 November, I flew fr om Freetown/Lungi to Casablanca (Flight AT564) then Casablanca to Heathrow Terminal 4 (AT800). I checked in two cases at Freetown for transfer through to Heathrow. Once at Heathrow, I was scheduled to fly on to Delhi with Air India the same evening. So I had to do a further check in and had limited time on my hands. I went straight from Arrivals to Departure, wh ere I unlocked and opened both cases. I found my tablet laptop, packed in Freetown, was missing. The case padlock was in tact, but the case zip wasn’t properly aligned. The laptop had been in the middle of the case, not in any way visible. I judge that the laptop was picked up by an X-Ray scanner, then the case forced open somewhere along the baggage handling process, and the stuff expertly removed. I went straight to the Royal Air Maroc counter in Area E. No staff were present. I asked what I should do at the main Terminal Enquiry Desk. They said I needed to report at Arrivals, so I went back. There I was referred back to the RAM desk in Departures. On my phone I found the main UK contact number from the Royal Air Maroc web site - 020 7307 5870. After ringing for a time, the call terminated with no answer. Back in Area E, staff from another airline said that the correct procedure was to return to Arrivals via Customs. But I would need authorisation or permission. I got the contact phone number left on the vacant RAM vacant desk – 020 7307 5800. I rang this, and spoke to a customer service assistant. I explained that I needed to report the loss because I was due to fly out within a few hours. The lady told me that she was unable to take such a message and pass it on. My situation could only be helped at Heathrow. I repeated that I had already spent over an hour trying to do this. I spoke to the supervisor. She confirmed that I couldn’t even leave a message. RAM’s own claims conditions specify that contact must be made in five days. Neither of these members of their staff said they were sorry about my situation. Neither did they offer any alternative solution. I went online again and rang your main international customer service line – 00212 5 2248 9797. I was helpfully passed to someone who spoke English. I explained that I’d reached a dead end with their UK staff. I repeated my request for a message to be recorded. I got the same response: no. Except, that I was told that because all baggage handling is contracted out, that I should send an email. I sent an email from my phone to the customer service claims @royalairmaroc.com. It bounced back – not able to be delivered. I redirected it to [email protected]. It also bounced back. This is the main international internet contact address. So I sent it to [email protected]. I believe that was delivered. I have had no replies. I can see that some aspects of my situation were unusual • Having to go directly and hastily from Arrivals to Departure because I had an onward flight connection; • The incident happening on a Sunday afternoon when (as far as I could tell) there were no further Royal Air Maroc flights that day. But who can explain: • Why the published phone number 020 7307 5870 didn’t get answered? (My daughter also Googled it and texted it to me) • Why the UK customer service team couldn’t even take and pass on a simple message? • Why no-one in Heathrow could tell a Royal Air Maroc passenger how to progress the predicament? (I picked up a standard claim form on my subsequent return to Terminal 4, but Royal Air Maroc wasn’t displayed at the counter.) • Why the international customer service team didn’t offer to back-stop the situation? • Why the main international internet address didn’t work? I sent these incident details to the following RAM Offices: • London Office, 32-33 Gosfield Street, W1W 6ED • Head Office, Director of Customer Services, Aeroport de Casablanca-Anfa, Casablanca, Morocco • Baggage Service, PO Box 978, 1111 PRAHA 1, Czech Republic Over a week has gone by and I’ve had no response either by phone, letter or email from any of these three offices. So I’ve now written again. Originally I was mainly concerned to get an incident notification as promptly as possible to support an insurance claim. But now I feel like writing to King Mohammed VI and telling him his airline isn’t worth his patronage.
Royal Air Maroc aka RAM. I have a little inside knowledge of the company. It's a shambles. They treat their staff abysmally. The cabin crew are paid so poorly they live ten to a house. They are incredibly racist to non Moroccans who work for them. They have foreign pilots paying them to work so they can build their hours. These foreign pilots are treated like trash. They receive no income or benefits from the company. There is a culture of manipulation, fear and mistrust throughout. The airline is propped up by the king. They do not declare incidents in the way they legally should. They have so many safety incidents they should be shut down. The whole company is organisational chaos. It's run by game players and lieing self serving hypocrites. An atrocious company. Stay away!
My wife she comeback from morocco and she have extra luggage first one of 23 kg and the second one with 10 kg they charge her $1500 dh for the first one which is okay but they charge her$ 2500 dh for 10 kg .oh my god they rap their customer . I did call my agency Oussadane and they said that RAM have no right to charge you $2500 dh for the second bag according to RAM policy they suppose to charge 1500 dh not 2500dh. I did send email to service client of RAM they respond after 30 days with no result.
We flew with ram back on 16/8/2016, fr om Casablanca to JFK, we lost a luggage, we did a declaration in the airport, we left to another state, I called every day at least 3 times a day, no answer. I send a friend to the airport to check for me, he could not get any answer. Still waiting for a respond from RAM. Anybody know a good contact # wh ere I can reach them please. Thank you very much.
RAM lost a checked bag of mine on 9/3/16. After continual calls to Casablanca over the course of the past 4 days, I cannot get through to anyone who will help. They tell me to contact Swissport at JFK. They insist the bag was loaded on a flight on 9/4. After trekking out to JFK last night and speaking directly with the handler who unloaded baggage from the flight on 9/4, he confirmed it is not at JFK. RAM insists the bag was sent and to contact Swissport at JFK. I've emailed and called Nancy Caruso at their office in NY, but have not received a reply. Does anyone have contact information for one human being at this airline who will reply and provide customer service? I will make a personal visit to their NY office if I cannot get through to a helpful person.
Guest : Pathetic airline. We boarded flight on 30th from Madrid to JFK via Casablanca with two baggage and none of them arrived. It had expensive shoes and clothes in it which we shopped during our vacation in Europe. They gave us a number to track our baggage but no one is picking up the phone goes to voicemail. Most pathetic airline. Did you finally find your two bags ???? They lost one bag of mine and refuse to help in any way !
Delayed baggage no reason given. It was just left behind. Will not travel with air maroc. The flight from london gatwick to rabat was good so it is a shame.
Guest : Pathetic airline. We boarded flight on 30th from Madrid to JFK via Casablanca with two baggage and none of them arrived. It had expensive shoes and clothes in it which we shopped during our vacation in Europe. They gave us a number to track our baggage but no one is picking up the phone goes to voicemail. Most pathetic airline. Hi ! did you get your baggage finally. This is a Fascist Airline suffering from a severe form of mental disease !
Same here. Travelled from west africa to jfk got 1 bag on the 31 of july and 4 days later they sent me a wrong bag. You call million times, voicemail. I am stuck with someone else bag and they are still looking for solution to take the wrong one back to the airport since i am living in Philadelphia.
I was on the same flight and did not get my luggage either. I am furious it has been 3 days and not answers. I went to Europe for my Birthday and Anniversary and this was the worst experience of my life.
Pathetic airline. We boarded flight on 30th from Madrid to JFK via Casablanca with two baggage and none of them arrived. It had expensive shoes and clothes in it which we shopped during our vacation in Europe. They gave us a number to track our baggage but no one is picking up the phone goes to voicemail. Most pathetic airline.
You need to improve on your services.i travelled from Charles De guelle from 18th to marakesh and today is 22nd up to now I haven't received my luggage.i am forced to start buying new clothes.
Once you've got any trouble with your baggage, You'll understand that this is the worst airline ever. Customer service would never help you.
Hi I bought two ways tickets from your airline.. My flight is in 31 of may from istanbul to Rio de Janeiro, and a long stop i= n casabilanca.. I am from iran , i need a transition visa for casablanca?????? I have just brazile visa? What's your rule for iranian passengers? They need= Morocco visa or not?
The worst flight ever, that is all I can say.
I am an experienced traveler and travel frequently around to different parts of the world in my line of work , with all kinds of different airlines, but I have never in my life been through such a terrible experience that i have experienced on Royal Air Maroc. I was officially invited to represent my organization in Sweden by the MASA festival, having my flight booked and paid for by MASA. To start, the journey on 8/3/16 fr om Stockholm to Abidjan via Casablanca went well, I had a good stay in Abidjan during the three days, but my life's worst experience started when I was supposed to fly home from Abidjan to Stockholm during the night of 11 March. On March 11, 2016, I was on time at the check-in at Abidjan airport to go home to Stockholm. At the airport I received the unexpected message that the plane was full /over booked and I could not fly home as planned, even though I had a confirmed ticket and was there on time. Many of my fellow travelers on site were * and complained loudly at that they could not fly even though we all had confirmed tickets. After some very vague and unclear explanations from the staff on the site, the situation forced me to return to the hotel wh ere I was staying again and spend yet another full day in Abidjan. However, I behaved very calmly and tried to be understanding, which can not be said for other travelers who were very * and argued louldy with airport staff. In fact the ambiance at the airport felt hostile and aggressive. The day after I arrived at the airport as agreed and got my boarding card – but only as far as Casablanca i.e not my final destination whcih was Stockholm, in contrast to the others who received boarding cards all the way to their final destination after Casablanca. One of the desk officers, told me that I would get my second boarding pass when I land in Casablanca and must contact staff on the spot, I asked several times if he was sure that I would get the boarding pass for my onward journey from Casablanca, and he responded by saying "Yes, 100%". Just to make sure, I talked to the country manager for Royal Air Maroc in Abidjan about my further travel to Stockholm and he guaranteed me there would be no problem, and took a copy of my boarding pass to send the message to Casablanca and also said that I will go to Stockholm via Geneva the same day when landing in Casablanca. I thanked him and flew on to Casablanca. Arriving in Casablanca early in the morning, I went directly as agred with the manager in Abidjan to Royal Air Marocs ticket office and asked to get my boarding pass to Stockholm via Geneva. I was then was told that they could not help me and I just had a trip to Casablanca and they had no further details about it. I was sent to a female manager at the Check in at the airport in Casablanca, again I told her about my situation and asked for help with my trip to Stockholm. It was the same answer: that she can not help me. Finally I found a cellphone number to the person who arranged the boarding passes in Abidjan and called and explained the situation, he asked to speak directly to the manager in Casablanca – who inretuen the refused to talk to him on the phone. He then in return gave me the phone number to the country manager of Royal Air Maroc in Abidjan, who promised to organise my trip all the way to Stockholm. I started to call the manager early in the morning and proceeded to call all day, but he responded by closing off the phone several times. I also sent more than 10 text messages asking him for assistance but he completely ignored me. After a whole day of waiting for some sort of info or help that never came, I decided to arrange my trip by self and go home via Paris – i.e spend overnight there and then on to Stockholm. I have been cheated, lied to and unprofessionaly and poorly treated by the country manager for Royal Air Maroc in Abidjan and his staff and reveived a very very bad attitude from the staff of Royal Air Maroc at the airport in Casablanca.
THE WORST COMPANY EVER! I lost my bag and not only that I did not got it back, but no one answers the phone. These are the phone numbers that "customer service" gave me: 0522499583, 0522499584, 0522499587, 0522499548, 0522499559, 0522499558, and imagine what?! No one answered on any of these nearly for a week. This police officer hang up the phone because I do not speak French. They do not have Lost&Found Service, and they tell you it cannot be reached by phone, only by email. But then, if you ask them for email, they spell: www.royalairmaroc.com?!?!?! Thefts and cheaters, that is what they are!!!!
Never travel to Europe with Royal air Maroc. They will stop you from boarding even if your boarding passes and schengen are visas in order. I just lost 3000€ on tickets and no answer to complaints on mail or by phone. I wouldn't recommend anybody to travel with such a bad service company.
DO NOT FLIGHT WiTH RAM. THEY WILL STEAL YOUR BAGGAGE, WILL NOT COMPENSATE AND WILL BE UNREPENTANT. | 2019-04-21T08:31:56Z | https://forum.airlines-inform.com/Royal_Air_Maroc/ |
It would be funnier, if people were not dying.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday issued a message expressing his condolences to the Iranian nation on the terrorist operations in Iraq which killed or wounded hundreds of civilians including tens of Iranians. According to IRNA, the Iranian leader referred to the US as the main accused of the terrorist operations in Iraq, saying the US forces, under the false pretext of fight against terrorism have occupied the Islamic Iraq.
"The main accused in this crime and other crimes are the US security and military forces that have occupied an Islamic state under the pretext of campaign against terrorism and have killed or wounded tens of thousands of people so far and have intensified insecurity there," his message reiterated.
Abbas Djavadi is not correct about the reason for the boycott of the UN conference to support racism. The conference was boycotted because the draft summary document endorsed the previous draft, which had labelled Zionism as racism, and because Muslims are trying to make it illegal to criticize Islamist extremism.
But Dhavadi is right that Ahmadinejad is an embarrassment. He is not so much an embarrassment for the poor Iranians, who haven't got much choice, but he certainly embarrassed the UN and all the countries who applauded him.
In a first reaction to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech at the UN conference in Geneva, Ahmad Moussavi from Iran wrote on Radio Farda's Facebook page: "I am ashamed as an Iranian. And I don't know what else to say."
At the anti-racism conference on Monday, Ahmadinejad accused Israel of being "racist." "Using the Jewish suffering and the Holocaust as an excuse [...] they created a racist government in the occupied Palestinian territories," he said, pointing to the post-World War II Western powers.
Life proved right the U.S., Germany, Canada, Australia, and some other Western countries that had boycotted the meeting, fearing that the Iranian president would repeat his previous accusations against the Jewish state. Once Ahmadinejad started his speech at the conference with anti-Israeli attacks, representatives of 25 other countries including all remaining members of the EU walked out the meeting in protest.
No, Ahmadinejad has not learned from the damage he inflicted in the past on his own country's international standing with his inflammatory, hateful polemics. Contrary to the expectation of some moderation in rhetoric to pave the way for more engagement with the new U.S. administration and the EU, he once again demonstrated that he is either irreparably useless as a president of an otherwise respected old nation or he simply "plays crazy," as another Radio Farda listener suggested, to gather more votes in Iranian presidential election in two months.
One has to see if it will help Ahmadinejad to get re-elected. To be sure, he has further isolated Iran from Western powers that his own diplomats have been trying hard to win as friends — powers that are crucially important for Iran's stability and economic development.
While vehemently criticizing Ahmadinejad's "hateful rhetoric," the U.S. has said that Washington's policy of engagement and dialogue with Tehran would continue. And the EU is not expected to go to war against Iran just for a repeated diplomatic disaster its president has created for his own country. But engagement and dialogue will be extremely complicated and overly slow, should Ahmadinejad really be re-elected in June.
"I think that these suicide bombings ... are unfortunately, in a tragic way, a signal that the rejectionists fear that Iraq is going in the right direction," Clinton told reporters traveling aboard her plane ahead of her unannounced visit to Baghdad.
"I think in Iraq there will always be political conflicts, there will always be, as in any society, sides drawn between different factions, but I really believe Iraq as a whole is on the right track," she said, citing overwhelming evidence of really impressive progress.
If the bombings are evidence of "progress" and the lack of electricity and the lack of oil exports and the lack of health care - then yes, there has been impressive progress. The bombings were certainly impressive. When the opposition kills a thousand people in a day, Clinton will say "Now they are really desperate!"
It is not funny. People are dying. Nobody cares. Everyone makes believe it is a holiday. And U.S. influence in Iraq and the Middle East will die with those people. Don't imagine it can be any other way. Don't think it will not affect Afghanistan, Israel, the Gulf states and all other regional alliances. People are watching, and drawing conclusions.
U.S. officials say they are still committed to a June 30 deadline to move all forces outside major cities, including Baghdad. But the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. Raymond Odierno, has said American troops could maintain a presence in some cities if requested by the Iraqis.
At the nearby Taliban headquarters in Imam Dehri, the Taliban spokesman, Muslim Khan, told the Guardian that their goal was the establishment of an Islamic caliphate – first in Pakistan, then across the Muslim world.
"Democracy is a system for European countries. It is not for Muslims," he said. "This is not just about justice. It should be in education, health, economics. Everything should be under sharia.".
It is not necessary to comment on any of this. Bombs speak louder than words.
BAGHDAD — Twin suicide bombers struck outside the gates of the holiest Shiite site in Baghdad on Friday, killing at least 60 people and wounding scores more, according to preliminary reports from police officials.
The blasts came a day after the single deadliest day in Iraq in more than a year, and punctuated a deadly outburst of violence in recent weeks.
Friday's bombings occurred near the shrine of Imam Musa al-Kadhim, one of the twelve imams of Shiite Islam, in the Kadhimiya neighborhood of Baghdad. Like the previous bombings, the attacks appeared to target Shiites in particular.
An interior ministry official said that most of those killed appeared to be Iranians making pilgrimages to the shrine. Two suicide bombers blew themselves as they mingled with crowds gathered in front of checkpoints at the main entrance to the shrine, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity, because he was not authorized to speak publicly. In addition to those killed, at least 125 others were wounded.
The streets around the shrine have already been hit by two other suicide bombings this year.
On Thursday three suicide bombings — one in Baghdad and two in Diyala, the restive province northeast of the capital — killed more than 80 people. In barely 24 hours, five bombings have killed at least 120 people and wounded 230.
Thursday's deadliest bombing destroyed a restaurant in the city of Muqdadiya, killing at least 47 people, most of them Iranians travelling in buses. On Friday, a morgue official said the toll had risen to 56 killed, Agence France-Presse reported from Diyala's capital, Baquba.
While violence overall remains far below the worst years of the war here, a string of attacks so far this month has raised concern that insurgents, terrorists and other fighters have regrouped themselves with the intention of inflaming sectarian tensions and weakening Iraq's government and security forces as the Americans reduce their military presence on the ground in advance of a full withdrawal at the end of 2011.
"The government was treating the situation like they'd won a victory," said Sheik Jalal al-Din Saghir, a member of Parliament from the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, a Shiite political party. "They relaxed. We can't ignore that there were security successes, but that doesn't mean the story is finished."
The government may have scored at least one important security victory on Thursday, announcing the capture of a major leader of the Sunni insurgency, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi. But reports of his arrest, and even his supposed death, have been announced before, and some American military officials even question whether such a man exists.
Iraqi leaders say Mr. Baghdadi is the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group of Sunni militant forces that includes Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, the homegrown group that American intelligence officials say is led by foreigners.
The Iraqi military provided no further details about the arrest, and the United States military has not confirmed it.
On Thursday, Hussein al-Shami, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, defended the government's security gains.
"The security situation is still good, but there are some sleeper cells that are targeting the softer areas," he said. "They just want to send a message to the government and the world that they are still here."
The woman who blew herself up in Baghdad's central Karada district on Thursday resembled most of the other women crowded outside a food distribution site that was catering mainly to those displaced by the war.
She wore a black abaya and, like many of the other women, was walking with a child, in her case a young girl, according to Iraqi Army and police officials who interviewed survivors at the scene.
The woman stood out, the witnesses said, only because she began nudging her way through the crowd, which had been waiting patiently for the bags of flour, bottles of cooking oil and other staples that the police were handing out. The witnesses said she tugged the child, who looked about 5 years old, along with her.
Once she reached the center of the crowd, she set off the blast, with explosives that the police believe she hid under her flowing clothes.
Afterward, a tattered black abaya stuck to a wall on the first-floor balcony of an adjacent apartment building, singed by the explosion. The sidewalk was littered with bags of macaroni and loose leaf tea that had been part of the giveaway. Flies swarmed on bits of human flesh.
One woman sat on the ground, wailing as she beat the sidewalk with the palms of her hands. She said she had lost her husband, her son, her sister and six grandchildren.
An Interior Ministry official said 28 people had died in the explosion, including 12 police officers. Fifty others were wounded.
It was not immediately clear how many of the victims were children.
At nearby Ibn al-Nafis Hospital, women who were visiting the injured moaned loudly. The patients lay on stretchers, some with burns over much of their bodies.
"I was close to the area, wondering why there was a crowd,'" said Adnan Ibrahim, 25, who had a bandage over his left eye. "After that, I don't know what happened. It felt like there was something very heavy on my face. I discovered that I lost my eye."
Ali, a man in his 30s who had been selling fruit from a small cart with his brother Haider, said his brother had noticed the crowd of women and children gathering nearby and gone to find out what was happening. Ali had stayed with the cart.
Moments later, Haider was dead, and Ali, who gave only his first name, was wounded by shrapnel.
At the hospital, Ali sobbed and struck his head against the metal door of a large refrigerator where bodies had been placed.
"It's like I lost my ribs," he said.
In the second attack Thursday, in the city of Muqdadiya in Diyala Province, a suicide bomber set off his explosives in a popular restaurant where several busloads of Iranian tourists had stopped to get snacks, to pray and to use the restrooms, the Iraqi police said.
The restaurant, Khanaqin, is in a neighborhood known as being particularly violent and in a province where Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia remains active. The restaurant has been placed off limits to tourist groups traveling from Iran to some of Iraq's Shiite holy places, but bus drivers sometimes stop there anyway, the police said.
At least 47 people were killed and 70 injured in the blast, which brought down the restaurant's roof, the police said. Almost all of the victims were Iranians.
Five other people were killed Thursday in Diyala Province when a man detonated his suicide vest as a car carrying a local Awakening Council leader passed, officials said. The leader was killed, as were four bystanders.
The Awakening Councils, groups throughout Iraq that were paid to leave the insurgency and fight on the government's side, have been singled out in recent attacks.
Reporting was contributed by Suadad N. al-Salhy, Muhammed al-Obaidi, Mohamed Hussein, Atheer Kakan and Steven Lee Myers from Baghdad, and an employee of The New York Times from Diyala Province.
Iran-Israel-Palestine: Who linked what to what and what does it mean?
The new Israeli government will not move ahead on the core issues of peace talks with the Palestinians until it sees progress in U.S. efforts to stop Iran's suspected pursuit of a nuclear weapon and limit Tehran's rising influence in the region, according to top government officials familiar with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's developing policy on the issue.
"It's a crucial condition if we want to move forward," said Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon, a member of the Israeli parliament and former ambassador to the United States. "If we want to have a real political process with the Palestinians, then you can't have the Iranians undermining and sabotaging."
"We will deal with the Palestinian issue as if there is no Iranian issue, and with the Iranian issue as if there is no Palestinian issue," Ayalon said.
"For Israel to get the kind of strong support it is looking for vis-a-vis Iran, it can't stay on the sidelines with respect to the Palestinians and the peace efforts. They go hand in hand," she told the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee.
Both sides have to realize that that the linking is a fact of life, if not a policy. There is no way to make peace with the Palestinians as long as Iran will continue to support Hamas and block peace efforts. Any peace agreement, especially one brokered by the USA, would be sabotaged by Iran's tame terror groups: Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad.
On the other hand, it is hard to imagine a coordinated Middle East effort to deal with Iran unless there is either peace between Israel and the Palestinians, or, the Arab street and public opinion as well as American public opinion come to perceive Iran as a direct threat.
As Western countries in many cases advocate or implement friendly contacts with openly genocidal forces--Iran, Hamas, Hizballah, and Muslim Brotherhoods--they have just condemned the existence of Israel, a democratic state, and justified its extinction. Maybe they don't think of it that way--in most cases they don't--but they have just provided the rationale for its destruction. After all, if it is so evil, "racist," and oppressive why should it be allowed to go on existing?
What better way to mark the UN racism conference than sectarian violence? According to this story 69 are dead in two bombings, but a top militant or freedom figher, Omar al Baghdadi, has been reported captured. As the US withdraws from Iraq, the death toll inevitably rises. But almost every report reminds us that the death toll has gone down dramatically in the last two years. Not for long. With no soldiers, you will get no victory.
Iraqi security officials said they captured one of the most wanted leaders of the al-Qaida-linked Sunni insurgency Thursday, an arrest that could deliver a significant blow to an intensified campaign of attacks. Two separate suicide bombings killed at least 69 people.
The officials identified the arrested man as Abu Omar al-Baghdadi who leads the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group of Sunni militant factions that is believed dominated by Al-Qaida in Iraq. However in the past, Iraqi officials have reported al-Baghdadi's arrest or killing, only to later say they were wrong. The U.S. military has even said al-Baghdadi could be a fictitious character used to give an Iraqi face to an organization dominated by foreign al-Qaida fighters.
In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the U.S. military was working to verify who was captured.
"I can't confirm ... the capture of a senior al-Qaida member or that it was Baghdadi," he said. But he said he had no reason to doubt the credibility of the report.
"I certainly hope that it's true," he said, adding that his capture "would be very good news."
Al-Baghdadi has been a key target for U.S. and Iraqi forces for years. But little is known about his origins or real influence over insurgent groups. Those groups have staged a series of high-profile attacks in recent weeks, apparently including the two suicide blasts Thursday in Baghdad and north of the capital in Diyala province.
Iraqi state television quoted military spokesman Maj. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi as saying al-Baghdadi was arrested in Baghdad. Security officials also told The Associated Press he was captured.
In 2007, Iraq's government reported that al-Baghdadi had been killed and released photos of what it said was his body. Later, security officials said they had arrested al-Baghdadi. In both cases, the U.S. military said at the time it could not be confirmed and the reports turned out not to be true.
In March, a 17-minute audio message attributed to al-Baghdadi called Washington's announcement of a troop withdrawal timetable from Iraq "recognition of defeat." The statement was carried on militant Web sites.
Thursday's attacks were the latest in a series of high-profile bombings that have raised concern of an uptick in violence as the U.S. military scales back its forces before a planned withdrawal by the end of 2011.
American soldiers who specialize in clearing bombs from roads boarded a plane Thursday from Iraq to the Taliban heartland in southern Afghanistan, part of the largest movement of personnel and equipment between the two war fronts.
In the Baghdad bombing, a suicide bomber blew himself up among a group of Iraqis collecting humanitarian aid in a mainly Shiite area, killing at least 22 people, the military said.
The attacker struck as police were distributing Iraqi Red Crescent food parcels in the central neighborhood of Karradah, the main Baghdad military spokesman said.
It not immediately clear who carried out the attack, but one witness said it appeared to be a woman. Women have been used in suicide bombings in Iraq, most recently during a Feb. 13 attack on Shiite pilgrims in Musayyib.
Muhanad Harbi, a shop owner near the blast site, said he saw a woman wearing a black robe wade into the crowd. He said it appeared she detonated an explosives belt.
Shanoon Humoud, 70, sat weeping amid burned food packages scattered on the ground. Her husband, her son and two grandchildren were killed in the blast.
"I came down to look for my relatives who getting the food," she said. "But I couldn't find them."
Abbas Ibrahim, a 24-year-old college student, described pools of blood on the ground and the smell of burned flesh in the air.
"We regret that violence has come back to Baghdad," he said.
Some police were among the 22 people killed and 35 people were wounded, the military said.
North of Baghdad, a suicide bomber killed 47 people, including Iranian pilgrims, in a crowded restaurant, said Iraqi and U.S. military officials.
Military spokesman Derrick Cheng said 47 people were killed and about 69 were wounded when the suicide bomber detonated an explosives vest near Muqdadiyah, an insurgent hotbed about 60 miles (90 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad.
All right thinking and progressive people support the resistance, right?
Some 125 parliamentarians gathered together last week for the historic founding conference of the Interparliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism (ICCA), brought together by a new sophisticated, globalizing, virulent and even lethal anti-Semitism reminiscent of the atmospherics of the 1930s, and without parallel or precedent since the end of World War II.
Israeli soldiers take position during clashes with Palestinians following a demonstration against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank town of Qalqilya.
The new anti-Jewishness overlaps with classical anti-Semitism but is distinguishable from it. It found early juridical, and even institutional, expression in the UN's "Zionism is racism" resolution - which the late US senator Daniel Moynihan said "gave the abomination of anti-Semitism the appearance of international legal sanction" - but has gone dramatically beyond it. This new anti-Semitism almost needs a new vocabulary to define it; however, it can best be identified using a rights-based juridical perspective.
In a word, classical or traditional anti-Semitism is the discrimination against, denial of or assault upon the rights of Jews to live as equal members of whatever host society they inhabit. The new anti-Semitism involves the discrimination against the right of the Jewish people to live as an equal member of the family of nations - the denial of and assault upon the Jewish people's right even to live - with Israel as the "collective Jew among the nations."
As the closing "London Declaration" of the ICCA conference affirmed: "We are alarmed at the resurrection of the old language of prejudice and its modern manifestations - in rhetoric and political action - against Jews, Jewish belief and practice and the State of Israel."
Observing the complex intersections between the old and the new anti-Semitism, and the impact of the new on the old, Per Ahlmark, former leader of the Swedish Liberal Party and deputy prime minister of Sweden, pithily concluded: "Compared to most previous anti-Jewish outbreaks, this [new anti-Semitism] is often less directed against individual Jews. It attacks primarily the collective Jews, the State of Israel. And then such attacks start a chain reaction of assaults on individual Jews and Jewish institutions... In the past, the most dangerous anti-Semites were those who wanted to make the world Judenrein, 'free of Jews.' Today, the most dangerous anti-Semites might be those who want to make the world Judenstaatrein, 'free of a Jewish state.'"
The first modality of the new anti-Semitism - and the most lethal type - is what I would call genocidal anti-Semitism. This is not a term that I use lightly or easily. In particular, I am referring to the Genocide Convention's prohibition against the "direct and public incitement to genocide." If anti-Semitism is the most enduring of hatreds and genocide is the most horrific of crimes, then the convergence of this genocidal intent embedded in anti-Semitic ideology is the most toxic of combinations.
There are three manifestations of this genocidal anti-Semitism. The first is the state-sanctioned - indeed state-orchestrated - genocidal anti-Semitism of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Iran, dramatized by the parading in the streets of Teheran of a Shihab-3 missile draped in the emblem "wipe Israel off the Map," while demonizing both the State of Israel as a "cancerous tumor to be excised" and the Jewish people as "evil incarnate."
A second manifestation of this genocidal anti-Semitism is in the covenants and charters, platforms and policies of such terrorist movements and militias as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hizbullah and al-Qaida, which not only call for the destruction of Israel and the killing of Jews wherever they may be, but also for the perpetration of acts of terror in furtherance of that objective.
The third manifestation of this genocidal anti-Semitism is the religious fatwas or execution writs, where these genocidal calls in mosques and media are held out as religious obligations - where Jews and Judaism are characterized as the perfidious enemy of Islam, and Israel becomes the Salmon Rushdie of the nations.
In a word, Israel is the only state in the world - and the Jews the only people in the world - that are the object of a standing set of threats by governmental, religious and terrorist bodies seeking their destruction. The London Declaration - again in a significant clarion call - recognized that "where there is incitement to genocide signatories [to the Genocide Convention] automatically have an obligation to act." This promise must now be acted upon.
Ideological anti-Semitism is a much more sophisticated and arguably a more pernicious expression of the new anti-Semitism. It finds expression not in any genocidal incitement against Jews and Israel, or overt racist denial of the Jewish people and Israel's right to be; rather, ideological anti-Semitism disguises itself as part of the struggle against racism.
The first manifestation of this ideological anti-Semitism was its institutional and juridical anchorage in the "Zionism is racism" resolution at the UN. Notwithstanding the fact that the there was a formal repeal of this resolution, Zionism as racism remains alive and well in the global arena, particularly in the campus cultures of North America and Europe, as confirmed by the recent British All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Anti-Semitism.
The second manifestation is the indictment of Israel as an apartheid state. This involves more than the simple indictment; it also involves the call for the dismantling of Israel as an apartheid state as evidenced by the events at the 2001 UN World Conference against Racism in Durban.
The third manifestation of ideological anti-Semitism involves the characterization of Israel not only as an apartheid state - and one that must be dismantled as part of the struggle against racism - but as a Nazi one.
And so it is then that Israel is delegitimized, if not demonized, by the ascription to it of the two most scurrilous indictments of 20th-century racism - Nazism and apartheid - the embodiment of all evil. These very labels of Zionism and Israel as "racist, apartheid and Nazi" supply the criminal indictment. No further debate is required. The conviction that this triple racism warrants the dismantling of Israel as a moral obligation has been secured. For who would deny that a "racist, apartheid, Nazi" state should not have any right to exist today? What is more, this characterization allows for terrorist "resistance" to be deemed justifiable - after all, such a situation is portrayed as nothing other than occupation et résistance, where resistance against a racist, apartheid, Nazi occupying state is legitimate, if not mandatory.
If ideological anti-Semitism seeks to mask itself under the banner of anti-racism, legalized anti-Semitism is even more sophisticated and insidious. Here, anti-Semitism simultaneously seeks to mask itself under the banner of human rights, to invoke the authority of international law and to operate under the protective cover of the UN. In a word - and in an inversion of human rights, language and law - the singling out of Israel and the Jewish people for differential and discriminatory treatment in the international arena is "legalized."
But one example of legalized anti-Semitism occurred annually for more than 35 years at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. This influential body consistently began its annual session with Israel being the only country singled out for country-specific indictment - even before the deliberations started - the whole in breach of the UN's own procedures and principles. In this Alice in Wonderland situation, the conviction and sentence were pronounced even before the hearings commenced. Some 30 percent of all the resolutions passed at the commission were indictments of Israel.
After the commission was replaced in June 2006 by the UN Human Rights Council, the new body proceeded to condemn one member state - Israel - in 80% of its 25 country-specific resolutions, while the major human rights violators of our time enjoyed exculpatory immunity. Indeed, five special sessions, two fact-finding missions and a high level commission of inquiry have been devoted to a single purpose: the singling out of Israel.
This week's ICCA conference and London Declaration unequivocally condemned this "legalized" anti-Semitism, calling out that "governments and the UN should resolve that never again will the institutions of the international community and the dialogue of nations states be abused to try to establish any legitimacy for anti-Semitism, including the singling out of Israel for discriminatory treatment in the international arena, and we will never witness - or be party to - another gathering like Durban in 2001."
The data unsurprisingly confirm that anti-Semitic incidents are very much on the rise. Still, the available figures only show half the picture - they demonstrate an increase in this old/new anti-Semitism by concentrating on the traditional anti-Semitic paradigm targeting individual Jews and Jewish institutions, while failing to consider the new anti-Semitic paradigm targeting Israel as the Jew among nations and the fallout from it for traditional anti-Semitism. But the rise in traditional anti-Semitism is bound up with the rise in the new anti-Semitism, insidiously buoyed by a climate receptive to attacks on Jews because of the attacks on the Jewish state. Indeed, reports illustrate both an upsurge in violence and related anti-Semitic crimes corresponding with the 2006 Second Lebanon War and the recent Israel-Hamas war, which delegates to the ICCA conference characterized as a "pandemic."
It is this global escalation and intensification of anti-Semitism that underpins - indeed, necessitates - the establishment of the ICCA to confront and combat this oldest and most enduring of hatreds. Silence is not an option. The time has come not only to sound the alarm - but to act. For as history has taught us only too well: While it may begin with Jews, it does not end with Jews. Anti-Semitism is the canary in the mine shaft of evil, and it threatens us all.
The writer is a Canadian MP and former minister of justice and attorney-general. He is professor of law (on leave) at McGill University who has written extensively on matters of hate, racism and human rights. He is a co-founder of the Interparliamentary Coalition to Combat Anti-Semitism with UK MP John Mann.
The title chosen by Sharif for his latest book uses the word "shirt" as a metaphor for achieving his own political objectives.
The word refers to an episode in the history of Islam, when the caliph or Islamic leader Muawiya used it as a pretext to kill the previous caliph, Uthman, and seize control of the Islamic caliphate from Ali, the Prophet Mohammed's son-in-law.
He assumed the caliphate after Ali's assassination and forced the abdication of al-Hassan by threatening further bloodshed in 661. He ruled until 680 AD.
Israel claimed its three-week military offensive against Gaza in December and January (photo) was designed to stop Hamas firing rockets into Israel.
More than 1,330 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli military offensive known as Operation Cast Lead and more than 5,400 were injured, according to Palestinian medical sources.
The 2006 Lebanon War was a military conflict between the Islamist Shia group, Hezbollah, and Israel that began in July that year and lasted for 34 days.
The investigation was conducted by Col. Itzik Turgeman with the objective of thoroughly examining claims regarding 13 incidents in which facilities, structures and vehicles associated with the United Nations (UN) or other international organizations were damaged.
The majority of the incidents that were investigated were detailed in the complaints submitted to the IDF by the UN during Operation Cast Lead and thereafter, while other incidents were discovered during the process of investigating.
The investigation showed that the IDF took numerous measures to avoid hitting facilities and vehicles affiliated with the UN, Red Cross and other international organizations. These facilities were marked on IDF maps in advance according to the information provided by the international organizations. Clear orders were given stating that the hitting of facilities and vehicles of this sort must be avoided. Coordination between the IDF and the UN, the Red Cross and the international organizations was done via a special Civil Administration situation room and a center for humanitarian coordination that was established in order to allow day to day humanitarian aid coordination.
Investigation shows that Hamas and the other terror organizations operating in the Gaza Strip placed the facilities used by the UN and other international organizations in substantial danger. With the knowledge that the IDF limits its operations in the vicinity of such facilities, the terror organizations intentionally launched rockets and mortar shells adjacent to them. Similarly, Hamas and other terrorist organizations located headquarters, bases, weapon storage facilities and other terrorist infrastructure close to the sensitive facilities of the UN, Red Cross and other international organizations.
Two incidents were investigated that took place on January 15th 2009 during fierce fighting in the Hamas' stronghold in the Tel El-Hawa neighborhood in Gaza city. Hamas deployed anti-tank squads near sensitive facilities in the neighborhood, intending to deliver a strategic blow to the IDF (e.g. by hitting an IDF tank).
Damage to a structure that turned out to be a pharmaceutical storage facility– The investigation showed that during the battle, IDF forces came under fire from both anti-tank and small arms fire by terrorists located next to a structure that was later discovered to contain a Red Cross pharmaceutical storage facility.
The IDF returned fire towards the source of fire only after an IDF armored bulldozer suffered a direct hit from anti-tank fire. During the ensuing exchange of fire, which included the IDF's responsive firing, it appears that the structure containing the storage facility was hit. The IDF was not provided with the location of the storage facility in question by the Red Cross prior to the operation and therefore was not marked on the IDF's maps, unlike other Red Cross facilities. No one was injured during the incident.
Damage to the storage facility in the UNRWA headquarters compound – Concurrently, in the same general area, the IDF deployed a smoke screen in order to protect a tank force operating in the neighborhood from Hamas anti-tank crews who had positioned themselves adjacent to the UNRWA headquarters. The smoke screen was intended to block the terrorists' field of view. Information received by the IDF shows that the smoke screen did assist in protecting the force and prevented precise anti-tank fire against IDF forces. The smoke projectiles were fired at an area a considerable distance from the UNRWA headquarters, and were not intended to cause damage to either person or property. However, it appears that fragments of the smoke projectiles did hit a warehouse located in the headquarters, causing it to catch fire.
During the incident, claims were also made that an explosive shell or shrapnel hit the UNRWA headquarters. The investigation showed that these were shells, or shell fragments that were fired at military targets within the battle zone.
The damage caused to the UNRWA headquarters during the fighting in the Tel El-Hawwa neighborhood is the unfortunate result of the type of warfare that Hamas forced upon the IDF, involving combat in the Gaza Strip's urban spaces and adjacent to facilities associated with international organizations. These results could not be predicted.
Nevertheless, it is clear that the forces did not intend, at any stage, to hit a UN facility. Following UN complaints that an explosive shell had hit the headquarters, the forces were ordered to cease firing explosive shells in the region in question. Following the receipt of reports about the fire in the warehouse, all firing in the area was stopped. The entry of fire-fighting trucks to the area was coordinated with the IDF in order to assist in extinguishing the fire.
The investigation also looked into a complaint that an UNRWA vehicle was fired on in the Tel El Hawa neighborhood on January 14th 2009. The investigation reached the conclusion that during the incident a vehicle was fired upon, which it was later claimed belonged to the UN, but the vehicle did not bear UN markings. The vehicle was traveling in an area that international organizations had been clearly informed was forbidden for the movement of vehicles. The vehicle was carrying a Palestinian anti-tank squad. It was fired upon only after it had unloaded the terrorist squad and advanced towards the forces in a manner creating a genuine concern that it was a Hamas car bomb.
During the operation, the IDF constantly coordinated with the UN and other international organizations operating in the Gaza Strip. Coordination included the movement of 500 vehicles and convoys and the transfer of a continuous supply of food and humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Many other problems were efficiently solved in real time. However, despite the thorough coordination, the investigation showed that during certain incidents there were failures in coordination.
In one instance, an IDF force fired upon a UN truck, which did not bear UN markings, on a journey that had not been coordinated ahead of time with the IDF. The investigation showed that closer coordination of the movement of UN vehicles is required, with an emphasis on precise routes and schedules.
The investigation concluded that the IDF did not, at any time, fire with the deliberate intention to hit a UN vehicle or facility in any of the 13 incidents investigated. In one instance the IDF targeted a group of people who were present in a UN-affiliated school late at night, at a time in which there were no classes taking place in the school, following specific intelligence and relying on the suspicion that led to the conclusion that they were participating in terrorist operations. In another incident, IDF forces attacked a UN vehicle which was being used for terrorist operations.
The IDF made sure not to hit facilities and vehicles associated with the UN and other international organizations and operated with extreme caution in order not to harm more than 1800 sensitive facilities located in the Gaza Strip. The IDF also coordinated almost 500 different vehicle movements during the fighting. However, as noted, in a very small number of incidents facilities and vehicles were unintentionally hit.
In relation to the scale of fighting and the threat posed by Hamas, the damage caused to UN facilities and vehicles was relatively limited as a result of the various precautionary measures taken by the IDF. The small number of incidents where damage was unfortunately caused occurred first and foremost as a result of Hamas' doctrine. Hamas as well as other terrorist organizations chose to fight under the cover of sensitive humanitarian facilities.
It should be noted that in one incident where it was found that a UN vehicle was fired upon in a breach of the IDF's rules of engagement, the soldier in question was court-martialed.
The IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, was presented with the conclusions of the investigation. Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi also emphasized the importance of avoiding harm to UN and other international facilities. Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi emphasized how important it is that IDF forces on all levels are familiarized with the locations of sensitive facilities within their assigned combat zone. He ordered that the regulations regarding safety-distances from sensitive facilities be highlighted, specifically with regard to the use of artillery. Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi also ordered that steps be taken to improve the coordination between the IDF and UN organizations working in the field, in the areas where it was lacking.
It should be noted that the incidents which were investigated by the IDF were also examined by the UN Board of Inquiry appointed by the UN Secretary General for the investigation of damage caused to UN facilities in the Gaza Strip during Operation Cast Lead. Despite the fact that the investigation by the IDF was initiated prior to the decision by the Secretary General to set up a UN committee of investigation, Israel cooperated with the UN committee and presented it with the findings of its investigation.
The investigation was conducted by Col. Erez Katz, and looked into claims that the IDF fired on or attacked medical crews, facilities, structures and vehicles. Some of these claims were described in a petition to the Israeli Supreme Court during the operation. During the investigation, additional claims were identified and the investigation was expanded to also include these incidents.
The investigation showed that the Hamas systematically used medical facilities, vehicles and uniforms as cover for terrorist operations. This included the extensive use of ambulances to transport terror operatives and weaponry; the use of ambulances to "evacuate" terrorists from the battlefield and the use of hospitals and medical infrastructure as headquarters, situation-rooms, command centers, and hiding places.
For example, Ismail Haniyeh decided to place his central command center in one of the Shifa Hospital units, while the senior leaders (both military and political) stationed themselves in another unit. On the ground floor of the hospital's main building, an entire wing was closed off and was solely used by Hamas terror operatives. At the wing's entrance, terror operatives prevented entrance to all uninvolved civilians.
In other instances, Hamas terror operatives seized control sections of Al-Shafa Hospital. Hamas also took control of a Red Crescent medical clinic in Khan Yunis, converting it into a prisoner detention facility.
In testimony by an ambulance driver published in the Italian newspaper Corriere de la Serra the driver claimed that he was forced by Hamas to extract terror operatives from the fighting zone, with the knowledge that he could coordinate with the IDF to temporarily hold fire so that he could safely evacuate the wounded. Several instances were reported in which ambulances were witnessed carrying armed Hamas terror operatives alongside the medical crews.
This illegitimate and illegal use of medial facilities sometimes resulted in damage being caused to them.
After investigating the incidents it became clear that of the seven casualties reported during the incidents in question, five were Hamas operatives. In addition, it was determined that in some of the incidents in which medical vehicles were damaged, the vehicles were driven in a suspicious manner, without prior coordination with IDF forces and in some cases without being clearly marked (such as using flashing lights) . This caused, in some cases, the vehicle to be incorrectly identified, and aroused the suspicions of the forces that the vehicle might be used for a suicide attack.
In one example an IDF force sheltering in a structure in the Gaza Strip received a concrete warning that terrorist elements intend to execute an attack against the force. Following the warning, the force identified an ambulance driving speedily towards the structure, bypassing a roadblock. The force took a number of warning measures (including the firing of warning shots in the air) which failed to bring the ambulance to a halt. The ambulance continued to progress towards the structure and reached the threatening distance of 50 meters from the structure, at which point the force fire in towards it. Only then did the vehicle turn around and drive off in the other direction.
In a separate incident, an ambulance was identified driving towards a shelter occupied by IDF forces, late at night, without any prior coordination, clear markings or flashing lights, raising suspicion that it was a car bomb. The force fired warning shots into the air, followed by warning shots near the vehicle. When the vehicle was only 100 meters away from the force, constituting a serious threat to the force, the force opened fire on it. In this incident as well, only then did the vehicle halt, turn around and drive away in the other direction.
In two of the incidents investigated (which were both mentioned in the Supreme Court appeal), it turned out that members of the medical crew who were supposedly "hit" in the incident – are alive and well. With regards to other incidents, the investigation could not find any evidence that they took place (likewise, at the time of some of the alleged incidents the, IDF was not operating at the location in question).
The investigation looked into an incident in which a building containing a mother-and-child clinic was attacked by the IDF. It became clear that Hamas used the same building as a weapons storage facility. The attack was aimed against the weapons storage facility. The investigation further showed that the clinic was not signposted in a way that made it possible to identify that building contained a medical facility. Nevertheless, the investigation clarified that the residents of the building were given a warning prior to the attack. Given that the IDF was not aware that there was a clinic located there, there was no intention to hit it.
The investigation also showed that IDF forces at all levels were directed to take extra caution to avoid harming medical crews and facilities, and in many cases ceased to operate when there was a medical vehicle or medical staff present in their area of operation. The forces took extraordinary care, as obliged by international law and in some incidents even refrained from attacking "medical vehicles" even when it was clear that they were in fact being used by Hamas and other terrorist organizations in the fighting. The investigation clearly showed that the forces were well aware of, and respected the special status given to medical crews, vehicles, structures and facilities. In addition, the orders relating to the use of force near medical vehicles were strengthened during the operation, making the IDF regulations stricter than those obliged by international law.
In addition, the investigation noted that the IDF operated a medical situation room in the Gaza District Coordination and Liaison, which coordinated the evacuation of bodies, the wounded and trapped civilians from the combat zone. During the operation, the medical situation room coordinated 150 different requests.
The IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, accepted the recommendations made by the Head of the investigation, stating that the awareness of the importance of preventing harm to medical crews, facilities and vehicles must be preserved. These issues should be practiced by all forces in "incidents and responses" drills. Finally, the Chief of the General Staff ordered an examination of the operation of the humanitarian corridor which was opened for the benefit of the local population during the fighting.
Towards the conclusion of the investigation, the IDF received additional claims relating to allegations of firing upon medical facilities and vehicles. These claims are currently being investigated.
The investigation was conducted by Col. Tamir Yidai and looked into seven incidents in which it was claimed, civilians were harmed by the IDF. This is a highly sensitive matter, for any loss of human life is unfortunate. This is especially true for the IDF, an ethical army that emphasizes the values of human life and the purity of arms. The investigation reached the conclusion that that in all of the incidents which were examined, IDF forces did not intentionally attack civilians who were not involved in the fighting.
In circumstances where there existed the risk of unintentionally harming uninvolved civilians, the IDF took many measures to minimize this risk, including the use of precise intelligence and providing warnings prior to the attack.
During the incidents in question, IDF operations did cause harm to uninvolved civilians. However, the results of this investigation make it clear that this was not intentional, but the result of circumstances beyond the control of the forces or due to unexpected operational mistakes. A significant proportion of the incidents occurred as a result of Hamas' illegitimate use of its own civilians. The Hamas took cover amongst the civilian population and used civilians facilities and structures as part of its terrorist operation against Israel.
• The attack on the house of senior Hamas operative Nazar Ri'an (January 4th, 2009) - The investigation showed that Ri'an's house was attacked due to its use by Hamas for storing large quantities of sophisticated weapons. Prior to the attack, the forces took a long series of measures to avoid harming uninvolved civilians (It must be stressed that Ri'an could have been considered a legitimate military target due to his central role in the planning and executing terror attacks, was not the target of the attack. The target was the weapons storage facility located in his home). These measures included a phone call notifying of the planned attack, the firing of preliminary warning shots using light weapons, waiting a sufficient period of time to allow the residents of the house to evacuate, and the identification of a group of people exiting the house. Only at that point, after all indications led to the conclusion that the building was empty, was the house targeted. It was later discovered that for unknown reasons, Ri'an and his family stayed in the building in spite of the many warnings and lengthy period of time allowed for their evacuation. Secondary explosions were clearly visible following the attack, proving that the building was used as for weapons storage.
• The attack on the house of Dr. Abu el Eish (January 17th, 2009) – The investigation showed that an IDF force identified suspicious figures on the third floor of the building, raising suspicions that the figures were observing IDF forces in order to direct sniper fire from another building. This was a method of action used by Hamas throughout the operation. Prior to firing at the snipers and the spotters, the regional commander took a series of measures to ensure that the suspicious figures were gunmen and that no civilians would be endangered by the attack. Accordingly, the commander waited 20 minutes before ordering the attack. Unfortunately, despite all the efforts made, four women who were in the same house as the spotters were hit.
It should be noted that Israeli security forces urged Dr. Abu el Eish to leave his house and the combat zone in the days prior to the incident, but he chose to remain in his house in spite of the clear risk.
• Truck apparently carrying oxygen tanks (December 29th, 2008) – the truck was targeted after the accumulation of information which indicated convincingly that it was carrying rockets between a known Hamas rocket manufacturing facility to a known rocket launching site. The attack was carried out near a known Hamas rocket manufacturing site and after a launch. It was only later discovered that the truck was carrying oxygen tanks (similar in appearance to Grad Missiles) and not rockets. The strike killed four Hamas operatives and four uninvolved civilians. It is important to note that the oxygen tanks being carried in the truck were likely to be used by Hamas for rocket manufacturing.
• The Al-Daia family residence in the Zeitoun neighborhood in the city of Gaza (January 6th, 2009) – the incident in question was a result of an operational error with unfortunate consequences. The investigation concluded that the IDF intended to attack a weapons storage facility that was located in the building next to the Al-Daia family residence. It appears that following an error, the structure that was planned to be attacked was the Al-Daia residence rather than the building containing the weapons. The house that was actually attacked (the Al-Daia residence) did receive a number of warnings beforehand, including the preliminary firing of ammunition which causes little damage and the use of the "Knock on the Roof" special warning method. However, due to the mistake in identifying the building, the warning phone call was received prior the attack by the residents of the building containing the weapons storage, not the Al-Daia residence. This may have been the reason that the Al Daia family did not leave the house before it was mistakenly hit it. This is a highly unfortunate event with severe consequences. It was ultimately caused by a professional mistake of the type that can take place during intensive fighting in a crowded environment against an enemy that uses civilians as cover for its operations.
In addition to the abovementioned incidents, the head of the investigation looked into two incidents in which it was claimed that attacks directed at mosques lead to the deaths of uninvolved civilians. With regard to the first incident, relating to a strike against the "Maqadme" mosque in Beit-Lehiya on January 3rd, 2009, it was discovered that as opposed to the claims, the mosque was not attacked at all. Furthermore, it was found that the supposed uninvolved civilians who were the casualties of the attack were in fact Hamas operatives killed while fighting against the IDF. The second incident, regarding a supposed strike that hit the "Rabat" mosque in Bet Lehiya on January 9th, 2009 – no testimony of any IDF forces operating in the area was found. The mosque is still standing unharmed.
In all of the incidents investigated, there were no breaches of international law, and in some of them it was clear that the actions of the IDF were in fact stricter than those demanded under international law. As in any combat situation, and specifically when fighting a terrorist organization that uses its own people as human shields, the investigation discovered isolated failures, some of which lead to the harming of civilians.
The IDF Chief of the General Staff determined that even in those unfortunate incidents in which the investigation showed that the IDF operated in a way that caused harm to uninvolved civilians, the harm was not intentional and was caused despite measures that were taken to prevent it. Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi ordered that clear regulations and orders be made on the basis of the conclusions of the investigation.
It must be added that the IDF is currently looking into a series of additional claims that were made against it. Upon the completion of an initial inquiry into these events, it will be decided whether they will be further investigated, in accordance with the facts and IDF investigations policy.
This investigation, which was conducted by Col. Shai Alkalai, focused on the use of munitions containing phosphorous components in Operation Cast Lead throughout the duration of the operation.
The investigation found that IDF forces used two different types of munitions containing white phosphorous.
It was found that during the operation, a very limited amount of the first type was used by ground and naval forces. The munitions included mortar shells fired by ground forces (not artillery shells) and 76mm rounds fired from naval vessels. These munitions contained phosphorous as the active ingredient and are not intended to create smoke screens.
The use of such munitions is legal under international law subject to certain limitations derived from their incendiary capabilities. The investigation showed that use of these munitions was done so in accordance with these limitations – they were only fired at open areas and were used for marking and range-finding rather than in an anti-personnel capacity. In one single incident, in an open uninhabited area, ammunition containing phosphorous was used to uncover tunnel entrances.
Let it be reemphasized that no phosphorus munitions were used on built-up areas or for anti-personnel purposes.
As a precautionary measure, even though international law does not prohibit the use of such means, as of January 7th 2009, it was decided that in order to further minimize the risk to civilians from munitions containing phosphorous, the IDF would cease to use the munitions containing larger quantities of phosphorous (i.e. those not used for smoke screening). All IDF forces were directed to act accordingly.
The investigation discovered that phosphorous munitions which contained phosphorous intended for purposes other than smoke screening were used after January 7th 2009 on two occasions, by ground forces and the Israel Navy respectively, for marking purposes. These two exceptions were looked into during the investigation, which found that on both the incidents there was no breach of any of the rules of international law.
It must be stressed that the ammunition containing phosphorous used by the IDF is standard, legal and is used by other western militaries worldwide, including states who are signatories of the Third Protocol of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW). The investigation showed that the use of white phosphorous made by the IDF was in accordance with Israel's obligations under international humanitarian law and more specifically, the obligations with regard to munitions with incendiary characteristics.
Most of the munitions containing phosphorus which were used during the operation were of a second type, and contained pieces of felt dipped in phosphorous in a manner that is not intended to cause injuries and which are non-incendiary, and are used exclusively to create smoke screens. Moreover, these are munitions which conform in full, with international law. In addition, the limitations under international law on the use of "incendiary munitions" do not apply to this type of munitions.
In this context is should be emphasized that the Third Protocol of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), which defines specific limitations on the use of "incendiary munitions", clearly states that smoke obscurants are not considered "incendiary munitions". Israel is not a party to the Third Protocol, but it should be noted that even states that are a party to the Protocol make use of smoke shells which contain a small quantity of phosphorous for the purpose of smoke obscuration.
The use made by the IDF of obscurant smoke shells was for military requirements only (e.g. camouflaging armored forces from anti-tank squads deployed by Hamas in Gaza's urban areas). This use was in accordance with international law, while balancing between operational and humanitarian considerations. The use of smoke obscurants proved to be a very effective means and in many cases prevented the need to use explosive munitions whose impact would have been considerably more dangerous.
After having being presented with the conclusions of the investigation, the Chief of the General Staff emphasized the importance of a clear doctrine and commands on the issue of various munitions which contain phosphorous. In addition, Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi ordered that any use of phosphorous for purposes other than smoke obscuration be treated as exceptional.
This investigation, carried out by Col. Adam Zusman, focused on issues relating to the infrastructure operations and the demolishing of structures by the IDF forces during the ground operations phase of Operation Cast Lead. During the investigation the commanders of the forces that participated in the operation were questioned in relation to the issues being investigated. In addition, the investigation gathering data from relevant institutions and examined the relevant military orders.
The investigation showed that Hamas based its main line of defense on civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip (i.e. buildings, infrastructure, agricultural lands etc.), and specifically on booby trapped structures (mostly residential), the digging of explosive tunnels and tunnels intended for the moving of people and weaponry. This created an above ground and underground deployment in the Gaza Strip's urban areas by Hamas. During the operation, IDF forces were forced not only to fight the gunmen themselves, but to also deal with the physical terrorist infrastructure prepared by the Hamas and other terrorist organizations in advance. As part of this challenge, the forces demolished structures that threatened the forces and had to be removed – houses which were used by the enemy; other structures used by the enemy for terrorist activity; structures that prevented the forces from moving from one area to another (given that many of the roads were booby trapped); structures that were used to protect Israeli soldiers; agricultural elements used as cover for enemy tunnels and infrastructure; and infrastructure next to the security fence used by Hamas for operations against IDF forces or for digging tunnels into Israeli territory.
IDF operations which were intended to demolish booby trapped or structures rigged with explosives (and other similar operations) successfully prevented the enemy from detonating these structures while IDF forces were in them, despite the enormous efforts made by Hamas and other terrorist organizations, who rigged a substantial number of buildings to explode in the areas where the IDF operated.
The investigation shows that in all the areas of operation, the decision to authorize the demolishing of houses was only made by high ranking officers. In addition, the destruction of buildings was only initiated after it was determined by the forces that they were vacant. As a result, as far as the investigation was able to determine, no uninvolved civilians were harmed during the demolition of infrastructure and buildings by IDF forces.
The investigation showed that in many cases, the preparations made by Hamas and other terrorist organizations were responsible for the significant damage caused to houses. This was due to the secondary explosions caused by the detonation of explosive devices or weaponry placed by Hamas within the structures. This was illustrated by an incident which was investigated, in which a building in one of Gaza's northern neighborhoods was fired upon, resulting in the unexpected detonation of a chain of explosive devices planted by Hamas, damaging many other buildings in the neighborhood.
The investigation showed that the orders and directions given with regard to damage to property during the operation, at all levels, emphasized that all demolition operations should be carried out in a manner which would minimize to the greatest extent possible the damage caused to any property not used by Hamas and other terror organizations in the fighting. During the investigation it was apparent that that this issue was not stressed sufficiently in the written plans for the operation. However, the investigation clearly showed that the forces in the field understood in which circumstances structures or infrastructure could be demolished as well as the limitations relating to demolitions.
The investigations did not identify any instances of intentional harm done to civilian infrastructure and with the exception of a single incident (which was immediately halted by the relevant Brigade Commander, and was dealt with using disciplinary measures) it didn't find any incidents in which structures or property were damaged as "punishment" or without an operational justification. In all of the areas in which the IDF operated, the level of damage to the infrastructure was proportional, and did not deviate from that which was required to fulfill the operational requirements.
Overall, the extent of damage caused to buildings was a direct result of the extensive use by Hamas of those same buildings for terrorist purposes and targeting IDF forces.
The IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi accepted the recommendation made by the head of the investigation to create clear regulations and orders with regard to the issue of demolition of infrastructure and structures as well as a clear combat doctrine. Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi also accepted the recommendation that the combat doctrine should include a definition of relevant "incidents and responses" to be distributed amongst all combat forces. Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi also accepted the recommendation to create a clear procedure of documentation and reporting for such operations. The conclusion that the extent of the demolished infrastructure and building was proportionate, in light of the operational requirements, was also approved by the IDF Chief of the General Staff.
The Palestinian unity government talks chaperoned in recent months by the Egyptians appear to have failed. Cairo is now talking about forming a joint committee or "executive framework" that will be virtually powerless vis-a-vis the two existing Palestinian governments in Ramallah and Gaza. This appears to constitute primarily a way for all involved to save face without admitting total defeat. The important unity issues--a jointly-formed government with an agreed platform, ground rules for new elections, merging Hamas into the PLO--remain unresolved. In the absence of a unity government, little or none of the international aid pledged for rebuilding dwellings destroyed in the recent war is finding its way into the Strip.
Accordingly, the de facto reality all parties face for the foreseeable future is that of the past two years: three states or political entities--Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. Under these circumstances, while a two-state solution remains the only viable outcome to the entire conflict, talk of achieving it in the near future rings hollow. On the other hand, those Israelis who believe the present situation of a divided Palestine works to Israel's advantage risk cultivating, through neglect, not one but two time bombs in our midst: a militant Islamist Gaza and a weak and unstable West Bank.
Thus it behooves us to ask: Given that the current "three state" situation is not likely to change in the foreseeable future, how can we make the best of it? Before we contemplate reuniting the West Bank and Gaza, we need two separate strategies for these separate and disparate entities.
In the West Bank, we have to look for ways to ensure that moderates remain in power by implementing genuine confidence- and security-building measures that support them. This means an absolute freeze on all settlement expansion, dismantling of outposts and even--if and when the security situation permits--coordinated unilateral Israeli withdrawal from additional parts of the West Bank. While some form of final status talks may be helpful in creating an incentive for Palestinians--and US President Barack Obama's resolve in this regard is encouraging--the real work that Obama's emissary George Mitchell should prioritize is ensuring Israeli and Palestinian compliance with these conflict-management measures in the West Bank. This should be easier to accomplish with the Netanyahu government than insisting immediately on a full-fledged Israeli-Palestinian peace process similar to those that have failed since 1993.
Regarding the Gaza Strip, the situation is more clear-cut: all relevant parties must begin by recognizing that their strategies have failed. Israel's military strategy failed back in January, as did the economic boycott strategy it pursued for nearly two years with the complicity of Egypt, the PLO and the Quartet. Egypt's strategy of ensuring that Gaza is an Israeli problem just blew up in Cairo's face with the revelations about Hizballah's espionage and sabotage operations on Egyptian soil: Gaza is an Egyptian problem, too. Perhaps this explains why Israel's reliance on Egypt to mediate ceasefire and prisoner-exchange deals with Hamas has also failed. Meanwhile, Cairo's attempt to broker renewed Fateh-Hamas unification is failing because Hamas, with Iran's backing, refuses to compromise its extreme views concerning Israel-related issues while the PLO is too weak to bend Hamas to its will.
Unless and until Hamas radically changes its attitude toward Israel, Jerusalem has every reason to quarantine it from the West Bank, lest a unity government or Palestinian elections strengthen its presence there. But quarantining physically should not mean ignoring politically. It's time for Israel to signal that it is prepared to talk to Hamas unconditionally. On the initial agenda: prisoner-exchange and a long-term ceasefire. If these can be accomplished, then and only then should they be followed by a joint exploration of ways in which peaceful coexistence with Gaza can be merged with peace with the West Bank. Such an order of business, which is not necessarily incompatible with the Likud's approach to the conflict, appears more promising than the failed policies of the past two years. | 2019-04-20T02:36:14Z | http://middle-east-analysis.blogspot.com/2009_04_19_archive.html |
A story of the Asian slave trade that followed the abolition of the African slave trade, as described by a first-hand witness, Don Aldus, The Rover.
The hardbound book drifted from bookshelf to bookshelf for over 100 years before I opened it. Its water-stained pages are filled with neat columns of handwritten words organized in alphabetical lists, cryptic annotations (“Number of different words in my book, Don Aldus The Rover”) and a yellowed newspaper clipping from the London Times.
Why would a writer count, for God’s sake, the words in his own book? OCD, maybe? And what was that book? Who was the mysterious Don Aldus?
Figure 1 (above right): Spine of journal with handwritten and pasted label: Don Aldus. Figure 2 (below left): Inside cover of the journal. Pencil text reads: “Number of different words in my book, Don Aldus The Rover'.
There were no easy answers. Little by little, question by question, it suckered me into searching for answers that no one else had found and placed in the public domain.
Exactly! So what? can’t be answered unless someone investigates. My investigation crisscrossed oceans. I sniffed through the English-language archives of England and Australia, virtual library stacks in New Zealand and riffled through the genealogies of countless individuals. It is astonishing how much can be learned about historical figures using the Internet. In fact, you can sometimes learn more about them than their own contemporaries could have known.
More specifically, I learned that slavery didn’t pass out of the world just because England, and later the United States, outlawed the practice. I found that racism didn’t prevent Caucasian merchants and their Chinese counterparts from doing business, as long as their mutual interests were served.
I learned how hard it can be to live with shame. Plus a lot more. So pay attention.
The book—let’s call it a journal—certainly didn’t look like the key to a series of interlocking stories, each known in its respective time and place, but never connected. Not like this.
—The story of a ship—one of many—that freighted abducted and coerced workers from China and delivered them as slaves to the Americas and elsewhere for profit.
—A long-forgotten author—our hero!—who published the same text twice in eight years, under two titles, using two names.
—A scathing, seemingly on-the-spot description of the ugly and brutal coolie trade. And yet, that description turns out to be, literally and figuratively, a whitewash.
What was the coolie trade? The business model essentially required the capture of Chinese nationals by other Chinese, their imprisonment in China and their subsequent transportation by ship to colonies controlled or managed by Caucasians. The contracts for this human freight were subsequently sold or auctioned, generally to mine and plantation owners in need of cheap labor.
Ultimately, this journal proved to be a lost and most probably previously unknown link to reports about the coolie trade that appeared in newspapers far and wide in the latter decades of the 19th century.
After the slave ships from Africa were outlawed and long before “cattle cars” were used to deliver European pariahs to German death camps, Caucasian and Oriental “businessmen” combined to obtain and deliver cargoes of miserable and horribly abused Chinese to far distant lands and godforsaken often deadly jobs for profit.
The journal isn't much to look at. Some pages were cut out. Some are blank. Most are filled with lists. Neatly written, primarily in ink, the word lists are grouped alphabetically, but are otherwise casually organized. asking precedes added, which is followed by adding, and aspire.
The words add up. Literally, if not figuratively. The journal’s author appears to have counted all of the words in Don Aldus The Rover. They are organized alphabetically, by first letter. Individual totals appear at the end of every section. (See Figures 3 and 7.) In the last pages of the journal, its author summed up a life at sea by totaling the number of words he used to describe it.
This, however, would not become clear until later.
The search for the identity of Don Aldus and his literary legacy ultimately led to the story of the “coolie trade” that followed the abolition of the African slave trade. I learned that the gold rush that eventually transformed the North American West had a frightful counterpart in the rush to capture and sell “yellow gold” - Chinese men - to the owners of plantations, mines and “mineral” deposits in South America, the Caribbean and the islands of the Malay Archipelago.
But, as it would turn out, behind the seemingly candid testimony of Don Aldus, lay “facts” as cryptic as the water-stained journal that revealed them.
I stumbled on the journal among the effects left behind by my parents. Its decorative spine earned it a second life in the disinterested safety of my parents’ bookshelves. There it likely sat unopened for years. In 1989, that house sent flames high into the sky above Mummy Mountain, in Scottsdale, Arizona. What little was left when the embers were extinguished was waterlogged or singed. The journal’s decorative value was ruined by the water that saved it.
Scottsdale is a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona, planted in the Sonoran Desert. The desert is both an oddly ironic and utterly appropriate location for the discovery of a sailor’s journal. The Phoenicians of the Bible were famed mariners.
Some 25 years later, I held it, looked between its covers and fell, a little like Alice in Wonderland, into another, utterly alien world.
Pasted on the spine is small piece of once-cream colored paper holding the handwritten text, in ink, Don Aldus (Figure 1). It covers another piece of paper with something written on it: something presently illegible.
Taped inside the cover I found a yellowed newspaper clipping (Figures 2 & 4). The headline: "The Chinese Coolie Traffic From Hongkong."
It looked old; the spelling of Hong Kong was unfamiliar. Moreover, I thought that “coolie” referred specifically to Chinese laborers or servants. But I was wrong.
"The word coolie, which refers to unskilled cheap labor from Asia, is believed to have its origin in India, Turkey, or Africa.
A second opinion seemed in order.
This article suggests that the governments of Great Britain, Germany and the Qing Chinese Emperor cooperated to ensure a peaceful, satisfactory outcome.
In the then current - and clearly myopic if not simply racist - view of the newspaper, businesses and governments enabling and profiting from the transportation of shanghaied workers to an uncertain fate incurred neither moral hazard nor legal culpability. Everyone profited - except the victims.
The dateline, at the end of the clipping, is "London Times, Feb.18." No year is given. A search of the London Times archive revealed that the article was published in 1890.
The captain of the German steamer had good reason to be concerned. When abducted and imprisoned Chinese workers being shipped to distant foreign shores exploded into mutiny, the results for everyone on board - from the captain and crew to the prisoners - could be fearful.
Contemporaneous verification is provided by a dispatch in The Colonies And India (London, Eng.), of April 9 1890. 6 (See Figure 5.) The same information was reported widely in the American press of the time.
Figure 7: The first and last journal pages (inset) listing words beginning with A. Total number of words listed for A was calculated at 467.
Does the situation described sound ominous–for the coolies? It was. More ominous than you might imagine.
Apparently, the journal’s author trimmed this article out of a leading English newspaper, at a time that the country was center of a vast colonial empire as of 1890.
But why paste it in a journal filled largely with word lists? Like the clipping, the words were evidence, albeit, of a different type, pointing to interlocked questions.
name of the author. Nor does it state how that conclusion was reached.
On the facing page, in pencil (Figure 2), one sees, "Number of different words in my book, Don Aldus The Rover."
Below that, in ink, there is a second, apparently unrelated entry, "Household & Personal effects July 1891 when adjusting a fresh. Policy of Insurance."
Flip the page. The quite legible, sepia colored ink reads, "Showing the Number of words in my book Don Al(d)us The Rover. Total number at end of this book"
–“Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping”. By Don Aldus. LONDON: McCorquodale & Co., “THE ARMOURY.” 1876. 253 pages. Collection of Oxford University. Digitizing sponsor: Google.
Don Aldus! I couldn’t wait to peruse it.
Figure 9: WorldCat.org listing for "Don Aldus, the Rover".
Surprisingly, for a text written in the first person, Aldus’ dialog partners invariably refer to him as “Mr. D.” Don Aldus, Mr. Aldus, or Mr. A never make an appearance in the text.
The second book,“Don Aldus, the Rover,” is not readily available. It was not listed for sale on AbeBooks.com or Amazon.com. The Internet Archive did not have a version, either.
However, OCLC WordCat.com identified the location of two known copies. One is in the collection of The British Library, St. Pancras (London), the other is held by the State Library of Victoria (Australia).
My curiosity aroused, I copied My voyage to Australia from the OCLC World Cat Notes entry and searched for it in "Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping."
There it was: located in the Table of Contents. "My Voyage to Australia and its Consequences" (sic) is Chapter VI. It opens on page 64.
Next, I picked out an unfamiliar word listed in the journal, under S: spalpeen's.
Merriam-Webster.com says that SPALPEEN is a word of Irish origin and a synonym for RASCAL.
But was spalpeen's used in the text of "Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping?" Bingo. It appears in the PDF text on page 36 and again, in the singular, on page 60.
These two items, each an independent link to “Don Aldus, the Rover,” both appear in "Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping." The clues were suggestive.
Figure 10: Journal entries near the end of the book display individual word total by letter in the text of Don Aldus, The Rover (left) and the estimated total number of words in the same book (right).
The clipping from the London Times (Figure 4) also seemed significant. It was published four years after the listed publication date of “Don Aldus, the Rover.” That made it evidence of strong and continuing interest in coolie abduction on the part of the journal's author. It seems doubtful that anyone else would have pasted a pertinent newspaper clipping into the journal.
Now, on a scale of nominally odd to wildly extraordinary, where does one rank the fact that the journal’s author took the time to alphabetize, write down, and total the number of individual words in an entire book? Manually. Presumably, after the book was published. The total is 5734 words.
The “Estimated Words in the book,” was originally entered in ink as 43,000. That figure, however, was later overwritten in pencil with a new value, 81,000.
Just how the journal’s author obtained either figure is not entirely clear. But if you copy the entire text of "Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping" into Microsoft Word and use the Word Count feature, it reports a total of 71,876 words.
● Authors Don Aldus and George D. Donald were probably the same person. Don Aldus was probably a pseudonym for George D. Donald.
§ Donald = Don Ald__.
§ Within the text of "Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping" the protagonist–presumably the author–is referred to as Mr. D.
● "Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping" and “Don Aldus, the Rover,” are probably the same book, with different titles.
§ Both volumes were published by McCorquodale & Co, eight years apart.
§ “Don Aldus, the Rover,”is not a work of fiction.
● The journal was most likely written by George D. Donald.
The journal shows, for example, that its author included and counted prepositions, definite and indefinite articles, even common verbs, as words: “a,” “an,” “all,” “and,” and “are.” Clearly this list was not compiled as part of any standard book index.
As more data was needed. I ordered a copy of “Don Aldus, the Rover,” from the State Library of Victoria (Australia). Once it arrived, a glance sufficed. The two books are not identical. “Don Aldus, the Rover,” has a cover illustration. "Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping" doesn’t.
The difference? “Don Aldus, the Rover,” has an Introduction and a new first chapter, Japan, neither of which are listed in the TOC of "Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping." Both are paginated with Roman numerals whereas the original chapters are paginated with Arabic numerals. The font style used for the original chapters, in both TOCs, is apparently the same. The numeric range displayed for each chapter in the original text (Figure 11) has been truncated to display only the first page of the chapter in “Don Aldus, the Rover.” With the exception of the Chapter VIII., in Figure 11, even the use of the ellipses is identical.
Step two was to compare pages of the “same” chapter from both books side-by-side. I picked page 3 of the chapter, "Hong Kong; Incidents which led me to take a voyage in a Coolie ship," (sic) at random.
Adding the 560 words of the Introduction former and 2448 words from the new chapter, Japan, to the word count established above for "Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping" brought the total for “Don Aldus, the Rover” to 74,884 words. The error rate is right around 6%.
Figure 13 (left): Cover illustration for "Don Aldus, The Rover." Published 1886.
In "Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping" the emphasis in the prose Preface is on the horrifying story of human trafficking in enslaved Chinese workers. Not so in the second version.
The Preface of “Don Aldus, the Rover” is, instead, poetic. It is comprised of two short stanzas of verse. The first one, “To My Critics," is an admonition not to dismiss the text before giving it a careful review. The second verse, “To My Readers,” lightly suggests that the book will amuse, instruct, or at a minimum, help pass the time.
The freshly added Introduction doesn't address human trafficking, either. It speaks to other, would-be rovers and urges them to observe themselves as closely as the wide world they hope to discover.
Otherwise, both books display the identical text. As noted earlier, Don Aldus never appears in the text of"Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping." Aldus does not appear “Don Aldus, the Rover” either.
What is a reader to think? You buy “Don Aldus, the Rover,” it even includes an illustration of Don Aldus, but the ostensible hero never makes an appearance in the text. At least, not by name. The protagonist remains "Mr. D."
Look at the book’s cover. Isn’t that gent, hand on sword, foot on the cannon’s carriage, a ship's captain? After all, the author is listed as "CapT. George D. Donald". And the word Capt. virtually touches the gent’s hat.
Now compare that image to the man identified as Don Aldus in the corresponding illustration on the flyleaf. There is, wouldn’t you agree, a close resemblance?
After breakfast says Mr. D, “we came on deck to take one more look at the land ere we lost it.” A paragraph later, his tone is melancholy.
This is not the reminiscence of a young man, say, an apprentice seaman. Thus speaks an adult Englishman of his first journey far from home by ship. But what experienced sailor leaves England for the first time - England, the center of a far-flung military and commercial empire connected solely by world’s oceans - as an adult? It seems unlikely.
Then again, what professional seaman - what captain - tells a tale that has him unable to stand on his own two feet in heavy seas?
True, not all captains are ship's captains, after all. Then again, there is no clear indication in the text that Mr. D. had served his country as a military man, either.
Would an experienced English soldier or sailor describe his weapon so variably inside of six paragraphs? Or would he stick to simpler prose?
Then, too, the protagonist describes himself not as a man of steely nerve and martial experience, but as a soft-hearted intellectual, certain that education would eventually cure most social ills. He has other remarkably liberal opinions, too.
In any case, Mr. D, the inexperienced traveler of the chapter, "My Voyage to Australia and its Consequences," has become quite the opposite by the time he decides, impulsively, to chaperon a boat-load of coolies headed to slavery in Peru per the Preface of "Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping."
He has visited Australia, China (Hong Kong), traveled the Mediterranean with stops at Athens and "Salonica" (Greece), to Constantinople (modern Istanbul, Turkey), and sailed north to Odessa (Ukraine) via the Black Sea.
So Mr. D - Don Aldus? - seems to be an Englishman, aged 30 or older at the point he begins his journal. As the first book was published in 1876 - several years after it was written - Don Aldus was likely born about 1840, give or take a few years.
Inconsistencies abound. Our peripatetic protagonist, a world traveler in an age of sea travel, as noted above, describes himself as “nautically incompetent” midway through the text. ("Our passage down the China Sea." Page 130).
Yet, by 1886 when “Don Aldus, the Rover” is published, its author - a Geo. D. Donald - had risen to the rank of captain.
While recounting the events on his first trip away from England, Mr. D described a fateful conversation between the captain and the first mate of the ship he took to Australia in the third person. (My Voyage to Australia and its Consequences. Pages 71-72.) But he then skipped to the first person plural, as if he had been a member of crew instead of a passenger.
“‘What can we do?‘ said the fellow (the captain).
Apparently, McCorquodale & Co., the book’s publisher, didn’t have an editor proof the text before it was published.
Our protagonist demonstrates the insights of an alert, widely travelled and equally well-read individual, even though he never mentioned his own educational background. He quotes Shakespeare. He knows enough about Chinese mythology to reference Pwann Koo, the “first man," of Chinese mythology. He is conversant with Siddartha Gautama, his place of birth and heritage. In an aside, he tosses off the approximate height of “Fusiama,” (Mount Fuji).
References to Socrates, Jupiter and other classical luminaries are strewn throughout the text. Mr. D even uses a bit of French (“on dit”) and incorporates multiple handfuls of verse.
This does not read like the conversation of a working stiff. Never once is the cost of his travel or accommodations worthy of mention.
That summarizes Mr. D. But what can be gleaned about George D. Donald, assuming that CapT. George D. Donald was not itself a pseudonym?
Why did he publish the same book twice, under different names and titles? What compelled him to use a pseudonym in the first place?
For that matter, why is every person addressed by name, and each ship that Mr. D referred to, only identified by a first initial in Donald’s book(s)? Privacy?
One possible answer to the preceding question is suggested by the text itself. At the outset of the book, we learn that a vessel flying the flag of England will shortly be loaded with coolies intended for the slave trade. But that was illegal!
"Our naval friend immediately turned round and declared such to be impossible, as he had observed the free and proud ensign of old England flying at her flagstaff this morning, and such trade was considered almost slavery by the British powers that be, and not permitted under the flag.
Isn’t it possible that the English captain of the (American-built) coolie ship, with whom Mr. D later travelled and became friendly, the crew and the ship's owners could have been targets of prosecution under English law, or other valid courts of jurisdiction in which the ship had sailed with its cargo of prisoners?
Maybe, if they could be identified! For that matter the author, too, might have been subject to such laws, if he could have been identified.
Conclusively identifying the author and substantiating the "facts" described in the text of Donald’s book(s) was not made easier by his purposeful omission of exact dates, ships' names and full surnames in his text(s).
George and Donald being common English and Scotch names, attempting to find a particular George D. Donald, even with an estimated birth date range, was a significant challenge.
I was forced to sift details in hopes of uncovering a tell-tale shard.
–Mr. D departed London, England, May 18, year unknown, on a trip to the British colonies of the Far East.
–He traveled by "iron clipper."
–Other passengers, male and female, had also booked passage.
Other clues in the text suggest that Mr. D’s Australian voyage occurred in the late 1860s or early 1870s.
1. "Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping" was published, in London, England, in 1876.
2. In the Preface of "Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping," Mr. D states that the book was written several years earlier.
3. Both books include the chapter, "We sail for Macao, our place of charter." (sic) It details the refitting a clipper ship to house a cargo of coolies, destination: Peru. Coolie trafficking out of the port city of Macau - then under Portuguese control - ended at the start of 1874. 14 Thus Mr. D’s visit clearly predated the cessation of coolie trafficking from Macau.
4. In the chapter, "My voyage through the Mediterranean" (Page 143), the author mentions seeing the Queen of Greece. "The Queen — whom I had the satisfaction to see closely — (sic) is a lovely creature of middle height, with more of the Romano-Greek than the Russ about her."
Consequently, Mr. D must have departed London (prior to reaching Australia and Hong Kong) and arrived in Peru between 1867 and 1874.
The next clue appeared in the form of an extended and dramatic monologue. Mr. D regales the ship’s first mate (aka, chief officer - a position subordinate only to the ship’s captain), Mr. N, with a story of his disastrous first voyage to the colonies - that is, his trip to Australia.
About two months after departing London, on July 14th, 18__ a gale that battered his ship for three (eternal) days. The ship - unnamed - eventually lost all three of its masts; the passengers’ berths were flooded and the ship barely avoided sinking.
The full story required five full pages in the original text. A few key scenes follow. Ultimately, these details helped identify the exact ship in question and the presumptive author of these books.
"At eight o'clock in the evening of the above date we were running before a furious storm, accompanied by fierce squalls and hail, while the sea came rolling on like living mountains, a sure sign at all times that the gale will be long and furious.
"At midnight the chief officer was lashed, with two men, at the wheel, guiding the vessel before the tempest and the sea, our compass being useless, while the bold commander was moving about the saloon (endeavouring to put on a commanding countenance for the occasion) to " cheer" the excited passengers, instead of being on deck attending to the wreck of matter which had already commenced there.
"We all set cheerfully to work, bailing out the water with vessels of every description, but before we got well warmed at our work she shipped another sea, swept the deck of everything, took a life-boat from the starboard quarter, and brought down the lower main topsail yard from the collar of the main stay, where it had been dangling since fifteen minutes past mid-night, bringing also the stay with it in its fall across the ship, where it broke in two, just as we were being driven — with the ladies in their night-dresses — from the inundated saloon to take what shelter the port after-cabin could afford. Speedily the saloon became a total wreck, and all our ready cash, letters of credit, valuables and clothing, battered up into a heterogeneous mass.
This description summarizes only the first 12 hours of the storm. Eventually the storm and the attendant dangers abate just long enough for the sailors to lead the passengers to the other end of the ship.
“Soon, however, the good ship recovered herself, in some measure at least — sufficiently to enable the sailors to convey us to the forecastle where (to our great surprise) nothing whatever had been disturbed, while all night long such sufferings were being experienced in the saloon.
“The sailors immediately gave up their beds to the ladies and children, while boxes were opened and dry clothes served out to every one of us, until none remained for themselves.
The preceding paragraphs indisputably place Mr. D on board the ship as a passenger. Although this was earlier implied, the description here is vivid and explicit.
He then detailed a second night of terror.
“As night closed in fervent were the prayers offered up for deliverance from further calamity.
“Thick darkness shrouded every one from sight. The sea ran high; and rain had joined its battering music with the wind and measured clanking of the pumps, when suddenly a ‘crack’ was heard; the mainmast tottered and with a crash like thunder fell on board.
“The falling of the mast having smashed our pump-levers, we soon prepared a primitive wooden lever to serve the purpose of pumping.
“Ere the rising of another sun, the mizenmast rolled down, breaking below the poop deck, tearing and smashing everything to atoms in its track, finishing up by landing over the starboard quarter within a few feet of our steering gear."
Meanwhile, all aboard - passengers and crew, men and women - are manning the pumps. Here comes the third night of the storm.
“As night again drew on and darkness set its "signet on the flood" the storm if possible increased as if determined to drag the last ray of hope from every heart by howling a (seeming) sepulchral melody over us and, as it were, preparing a funeral requiem for ourselves and gallant crew.
As luck would have it, in searching genealogy websites for mid-19th century England, I had earlier encountered the name George Donald Donald. That particular permutation of George + Donald and the associated dates hadn’t appeared in the archive of the Times of London, nor had Google proved helpful. But I tried again using the Elephind.com website.
That search eventually led to articles discussing and reporting the disaster that befell a ship named the Dallam Tower. The connection? The first mate and second-in-command of the ill-fated ship was one George Donald Donald.
The following table picks selected elements from Mr. D’s descriptions and compares them to statements found in newspaper reports of the Dallam Tower disaster.
Figure 17: Selected events described in the books, "Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping" and "Don Aldus, The Rover," and corresponding descriptions of Dallam Tower shipwreck events drawn from newspaper reports and other contemporary sources.
The parallels between Mr. D’s story and news reports regarding the Dallam Tower disaster are clear and persuasive. The story is the same.
The Dallam Tower story proved to be a sort of Rosetta Stone.
Figure 18: Display advertisement in The Times of London, on May 3, 1873. It lists the scheduled departure date of the iron clipper, Dallam Tower, traveling from London to Otago, New Zealand.
However intriguing the newspaper reports that correspond to Mr. D’s tale of disaster, the details that he omits are far more telling. The first of many twists in this story is provided by what the narrator doesn’t share.
–George Donald Donald, was publicly heralded as the Dallam Tower’s savior by many of its passengers.
In our own age of self-aggrandizement, it is shocking to find an author suppressing facts that might otherwise have assured him of recognition and increased sales.
A) Foremast. B) Mainmast. C) Mizzenmast.
Figure 20: Illustration of the Dallam Tower having lost all three of its masts.
This letter identifies George Donald Donald as a hero. Surely, the captain of the Dallam Tower, John S. Davies, would have noted the glaring absence of his own name! This omission must have amounted to a very public affront.
Mr. D also fails to mention that some survivors of the Dallam Tower took yet another step.
–Multiple Dallam Tower passengers presented a neglect of duty claim against the Dallam Tower captain to the Victorian Steam Navigation Board. (Melbourne, Australia, is in the Australian state of Victoria.) Figures 21 - 23, below, display newspaper reports of the official inquiry.
3. That in trying to heave the ship to (turn it), the captain had the helm down and the braces were fouled and unattended. No time was allowed for clearing the fouled braces.
4. On the last day of the storm, while the main hatch was smashed in, the captain stayed in his bunk and tried to dissuade sailors from obeying the orders of the chief officer. Had the hatch been left open, seawater might have flooded the ship with potentially disastrous circumstances.
Captain Payne: From the 14th to the 18th, taking all the circumstances into consideration, did Captain Davies not do all that a captain should have done?
Figure 21: Portions of an Evening News (Sydney, Australia), article dated September 9, 1873.
of the testimony of chief officer, George Donald Donald (labeled Parts 4-6).
Is it any wonder, then, that the survivors thought that George Donald Donald had saved their lives?
Figure 22: Additional portions of an Evening News (Sydney, Australia), article dated September 9, 1873. The article reports on the official Victorian Steam Navigation Board inquiry into charges filed against Captain Davies of the Dallam Tower. Parts 4-6 display portions of the testimony of chief officer, George Donald Donald.
The Argus article of September 6th (See Figure 23, Part 2) suggests that the first mate’s testimony was key to this conclusion.
Figure 23: Portions of an article from The Argus (Melbourne, Australia) dated September 6, 1873. The article reports on the testimony to and the decision of the official Victorian Steam Navigation Board regarding charges filed against Captain Davies of the Dallam Tower by some passengers. In this article, Part 1 lists the charges. Part 2 shows that George Donald Donald’s testimony played a key role in the decision of the board. Part 3 reports that Captain Davies was found culpable. However, the board only issued a “caution,” a relatively minor form of censure.
Nor is that all. Mr. D also passed over Captain Davies’ attempt to vindicate - or perhaps avenge - himself at the expense of his first mate.
Seven weeks later, Captain Davies charged George Donald Donald, with willful disobedience of a command.
The ship’s third officer “on being examined, admitted that the captain had told him not to take any notice of the (first) mate’s orders.” This is, by the way, the same invidious conduct described in the Dallam Tower passengers’ fourth charge against Captain Davies. That charge had been dismissed for want of first-hand confirmation.
When Mr. D described the nameless captain of his disaster narrative as “the most wretched specimen of incompetent imbecility possible to be found,” was he being kind?
This would be the end of the Dallam Tower story for the purposes of this essay were it not for the fact that the drama of the Dallam Tower disaster captured the imagination of succeeding generations as only a few stories ever do.
Oddly enough, however, those who chronicled the story repeatedly misreported the name of the Dallam Tower’s chief officer.
In 1924, 51 years after the Dallam Tower arrived in Melbourne, Sir Henry Brett, author and publisher, published a dramatic description of the same events in his book, "White Wings. Volume I". Brett shared his motive for revisiting the story in a preface.
The court suspended Davies' captain’s certificate for three years.
George Donald Donald’s high opinion of himself was implicitly confirmed by the 1877 court of inquiry. It held the first mate equally responsible for the wreck.
Had Captain Davies’ first mate on the Queen Bee proven as capable as the first mate of the Dallam Tower, perhaps the second wreck might have been averted.
–Demonstrated extraordinary modesty–reticence, really–regarding his own heroic efforts to save the Dallam Tower.
–Sacrificed his credibility as a reporter of "facts" by delivering a completely fabricated image of himself and his status while on the Dallam Tower.
–Completely rewritten the sequence of events to suit his needs.
The preceding assertion only became evident after it was possible to identify and date the Dallam Tower disaster. Per the books’ narrative, Mr. D gave his version of the story in Macau, in 1866. (We discover signs of mutiny amongst the Coolies. Page 95). Mr. D described events from his own past that would not take place until 1873.
A second date sequence discrepancy confirms that the first was no simple mistake. Later in the narrative, Mr. D, now well on his way to Peru, tells Mr. N about a different voyage he had taken through the Mediterranean (My voyage through the Mediterranean. Page 143).
During that trip, Mr. D had visited Greece and seen its young, Russian-born queen. But, since she did not marry George I, the King of the Hellenes, until the following year, in October 1867, we have caught our narrator living in the future, yet again.
Perhaps the promised “collection of facts suited to the time,” described in the Preface of "Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping" (See Figure 8) was not meant to imply that the whole narrative was entirely true. After all, again and again, throughout the text, the author highlights the truth of individual incidents, just not all of them.
A page later, Mr. D. reconfirms the veracity of the anecdotes just shared and stresses the reliability of those to come.
Mr. D is, in effect, tagging narrative elements for his readers. When he writes that one part or another is true, he implies that other, untagged narrative elements are not - entirely - true. The story of his Mediterranean cruise is true and reliable (even if the time sequence is not). The “varying incidents” of his voyage to Peru, he says, will also be true.
That insight prompted another review of the Mr. D’s Dallam Tower disaster story. He did not describe it as “true.” Still, as shown in Figure 17, much of Mr. D’s version corresponds closely to the facts reported at the time in the press.
A strict, legalistic reading of Mr. D’s assurance at the outset of "We arrive at Anger" (cited above) compels the conclusion that the veracity of the role and identity of the narrator, himself, have not been guaranteed. We have only been advised that the “incidents” are true, not the rest of the narrative. Thus are differences between “principle” and practice, in life as in literature, bridged.
On arrival in Peru, Mr. D found that the involuntary contractors he traveled with were keenly needed.
However satisfying that result might have been to the owners of the ship and the owners of the contracts, respectively, the “cargo” was not thrilled.
The apparent anxiety exhibited by the Chinese prior to disembarkation (and distribution) was, as Mr. D saw the situation, utterly unnecessary. The worst was over.
The narrator needed only this single paragraph to describe his two-month stay in Peru. (By comparison, he dedicated 210 pages to the 3.5 month voyage that preceded it.) Mr. D’s penchant for touring the countries he visited (such as Japan and Greece) suggests that he would have done the same in Peru. Presumably, then, his relatively positive conclusion reflected significant personal experience.
There were, in fact, many reports in the press of that period describing the dismal situation of indentured Chinese laborers in Peru and elsewhere.
A July 26, 1869 article in The New York Herald, "The Chinese Labor Question." addressed the issue forthrightly.
In October of the following year, The New York Herald published a second article addressing the issues associated with Chinese emigration entitled, “That Heathen Chinee.” It reports mortality rates that amount to slaughter.
"Statements, not very trustworthy, however have come to the author from Havana (Cuba) declaring that there were less than 74,000 coolies on that island January 1, 1870. He cannot readily accept this account, because it does not seem possible that so large a proportion as one-half have died since their arrival."
The subtitle of a July 1873 New York Times article, The Coolie Trade, by itself suggests the status of Chinese expatriates in Peru: The Slavery Of The Present.
Figure 25: Portions of an article from the New York Times. July 19, 1873.
As noted earlier, "Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping" was most likely written during or just after the period described in the New York Herald and New York Times articles. Surely the murderous conditions in which indentured Chinese then worked in Peru ought to have made a strong impression on the worldly, sensitive Mr. D.
It is particularly noteworthy that the lot of the Chinese working on the infamous Chincas Islands, also called the “guano islands,” goes unmentioned by Mr. D. As noted earlier, the mortality rate for Chinese laborers on these islands during the 1860s and 1870s was estimated at over 50 percent.
According to the New York Herald article, “That Heathen Chinee.,” Chinese citizens, having generally concluded that the “work abroad” opportunities on offer were not worth the risk, had to be recruited by other means.
"Then began the system of kidnapping coolies, purchasing, chaining, starving, and, as it may appropriately be called, murdering, which for twenty years shocked the feelings of all human persons and cast a dark blot upon the Portuguese and Spanish escutcheons that can never be expunged. Fathers and mothers sold their sons. ... Banditti brought in their male and female prisoners and sold them in lots to the traders, for which sums never exceeding ten dollars per person were thankfully received.
"The traders organized bands of night thieves whose business it was to steal into cabins of the laborers and carry on board the ship the father and sons, and sometimes the whole family. ... Then ships ... were ... sent up the bay's and rivers to fall suddenly upon the unsuspecting inhabitants of some rural district. ... Old men were seized in the rice fields, boys in the schoolrooms, young men in the shops, and carried by force to the suffocating holds of the vessels at Macaow. Yet this dreadful traffic in coolies still goes on.
Could money have had anything to do with George Donald Donald’s reluctance to fully report on the Chinese laborers' experience in Peru? After all, Mr. D never mentions the value proposition represented by the ship’s cargo. The omission is noteworthy.
The Charleston Daily News article cited immediately above, also reports on the profitability of the coolie trade.
A year earlier, a report in The New York Herald of July 26, 1969, described a similar price range, under a sub-section of the article, The Chinese Labor Question, entitled Cost and Profit.
Mr. D travelled to Peru on a ship “fitted up” for “about 700” coolies. 44 The values reported by the Charleston Daily News suggest his voyage could have generated a gross profit of roughly $140,000.
The same article put the cost of feeding a single coolie for a three-month voyage at $8 to $10, total.
A modern historian calculated the net profit of an average coolie ship of the period.
So Donald probably misrepresented his status on the coolie ship, too. Why would a sailor with the highest certification available in the English merchant marine fleet - Extra Master - sacrifice 3.5 months of income to play the role of a curious tourist with a hankering for a slave ship adventure? 47, 48 Especially, when he could make the same trip pay?
Still, proof that Captain George Donald Donald was the captain of the coolie ship - a slave ship - featured in either "Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping" or “Don Aldus, the Rover,” or any other, for that matter, is not available.
In the course of research, the cloud of mystery that surrounded Don Aldus lifted to reveal a more nuanced yet incomplete picture of George Donald Donald.
age 45, husband of Mary A. G. Donald.
Donald seems to have switched careers; he is now a commercial traveler, a traveling sugar salesman.
Whitton Road Twickenham.” Inserts display the “D” and “my” found in the text.
Do we have the right George D. Donald?
Curiously, the man compelled to count every word in his masterpiece, was, at least in his later years, given to misspelling simple words and identifying the misspelled portion with an underline.
Donald’s will provides two examples.
found in this text. Compare them to those in Figure 30.
Can we be sure that the captain wrote his own “last will and testement?” Compare the capital cursive D’s in the will to the capital cursive D in the (Don Aldus) journal inscription at left (Figure 28). They are virtually identical. For that matter, the cursive D in the signature that appears beneath the drawing of Don Aldus (Figure 14) is a close match for the cursive capital D’s in the will and in the journal inscription.
In the will, the word “my” appears twice in the second sentence. Captain Donald’s approach to a cursive y, in both cases, resembles a cursive z. The journal inscription features the very same styling. Note the forward leaning slant of both texts.
The same hand surely wrote them all.
Figure 29: Detail from the handwritten “Last Will and Testement of George Donald Donald of Newstead Whitton Road Twickenham.”(Highlights added for emphasis).
This pattern is (inconsistently) duplicated in the (Don Aldus) journal.
In Figure 30, for example, “Superencumbant” is underlined. So is “Spectaclle.” But other underlined words are spelled correctly, such as “Staircase”.
None of the words misspelled in the will or in the journal are also misspelled in the captain’s books.
The closer you look at this, the odder it gets. In order to create the alphabetical compilation of words used in his book, the captain had to reference the book, itself. That might explain why certain words - words used only once or twice in the entire text, but in close proximity to each other - appear listed on the same page of the journal.
Sanguinary and Superincumbent both appear only once, on page 132, in the text(s). Spectacle is used six times, and appears on pages 130 and 134. Sewn is only used once and appears on page 133.
Syra, on the other hand, appears just once, too, but on page 146.
Donald must have flipped through his book to identify words for inclusion in his alphabetical lists. But if so, how could he have misspelled words that are spelled correctly in his published book?
Perhaps he used an uncorrected manuscript for this purpose. Spelling errors in the manuscript would have been transferred to his journal. But why would Donald use an uncorrected manuscript when a published version – with correct spellings - was available in the form of CR&K?
Clearly, someone helped Donald correct the numerous misspellings. He had some sort of editorial support, after all.
The world described in the pages of Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping and Don Aldus The Rover is almost unrelievedly dismal.
Feigning friendly camaraderie, Chinese kidnappers lured both their high- and low-born Chinese prey into handsome facilities with drinks and offers of hospitality, from which only the kidnappers will exit with their liberty plus a handsome finder’s fee. Once trapped inside such a “barracoon,” threats and various levels of abuse invariably convinced the captives that any fate was preferable to an extended stay. They accepted new names and agreed to acknowledge that they had “voluntarily” accepted contracts abroad when examined by a government inspector.
This farce was standard procedure in Macau, under Portuguese stewardship.
When we first meet Mr. D, the tour guide embedded within the text(s), his understanding of coolie trafficking is credibly naive.
" ‘Well, sir, I believe there is some such farce as you refer to gone through ; but I am assured upon reliable authority that two-thirds of the poor things are decoyed from home and sold into the ‘barracoons,' after getting inside the gates of which the curtain drops over the victims.’"
"’Truly,’ said the doctor; ‘and the inquisitive eyes of the world fail to discover the coercive enormities committed within.’"
After a short trip from Hong Kong, Mr. D reaches Macau aboard the clipper ship that will be refitted to carry slaves to Peru. While there, he visits one of the notorious buildings - a “barracoon” - used to trap and hold those who will shortly be sold into slavery. His tour guide is a "friend."
“On Saturday morning a friend conducted me through one of the barracoons, which I found to be a large, commodious, county-jail-looking structure.
The “voluntary" laborers came aboard the ship not as passengers but as merchandize.
The ship was fitted out as a floating prison.
This was all perfectly legal as long as the ship sailed under the proper flag. (Note: Merchant ships then, as today, were subject to the rules of the country they are registered in. The “flag” of the country of registration determines what laws apply on the ship and whether those laws are enforced.) More to the point, it was necessary.
Captain Donald’s book(s) are presented, fundamentally, as a report on and protest against the abduction and enslavement of Chinese citizens of the period (1860 - 1890). Yet, as described, there is strong reason to believe that the author’s first-hand knowledge of the “coolie trade,” as it was widely called at the time, reflects his active participation in the business.
–fall victim to the hypocrisy implicit in the author’s unwillingness to reveal a true picture of the events, people and places he purports to have observed. This seems especially odd and inappropriate given the many newspaper articles of the period that reported on the abusive treatment of coolies in Peru, at least.
Is it possible that the author was unaware of the many newspaper articles of the period that discussed the very practices he described or omitted? Of course.
Nonetheless, in the court of literary license, ignorance of “current” affairs pertinent to one’s primary theme is not an acceptable excuse. This may explain, in part, why neither "Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping" nor “Don Aldus, the Rover” seem to have made much of an impression on the culture of the time nor resonated with their readers.
So, to cite yet another example, The Times (of London), published a description of the nauseating abuse of coolies on board ships headed to Peru, in its July 29, 1871 issue, page 9. This occurred five years before the publication of "Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping" (in 1876). The following is an excerpt.
“A series of documents lately laid before the House of Commons reveals the existence in the Southern Pacific of horrors rivalling those presented by the African Slave Trade in its worst phases. It appears that there is a constant traffic between certain European ports in China and the Western coast of South America in Chinese Coolies, nominally shipped as voluntary and indentured labourers, but really as helpless and as subject to brutal treatment as any slaves. Peru has especially resorted to this source of labour supply, and since the abolition of slavery in that Republic, sixteen years ago, many thousands of Coolies have been imported from China.
Figure 32: Two illustrations from "Don Aldus, The Rover."
But, then again, if the stated objective was the delivery of able-bodied slaves to a far distant location for profit, optimization of the conditions of confinement is as logical as it is essential. Is there any form of mass transport to a gulag, concentration camp, or forced labor camp that would not benefit from such an approach?
Still, Mr. D’s description of the then common approach to floating imprisonment makes the regime instituted in the American-built ship he took to Peru (involving frequent cat-o-nine-tail lashings replete with blood gushing backs and nearly dead victims) a dramatic improvement.
“I have visited, not one but, several such ‘coal scuttles,’ on board of which I dare not embark my sow, where the 'Cruelty to Animals Act' might be in force; knowing this fact, dear reader, you will cease to wonder at the frequent mutinies of Coolies, but will ask those tender-hearted white men, dealers in human bones, why they charter such miserable rafts of rottenness and stench to carry the highest order of animal yet discovered.
Despite their many faults, these books are artifacts of the period and windows into the minds of those involved in the coolie trade. Donald delivered ample evidence of a wounded conscience. He tried to share what he had seen and perhaps what he had done. The product of a twisted culture gave us these twisted tales.
It is hard to overlook the fact that Donald refused to insert himself into "Don Aldus, The Rover," even though he published his first book under his own name. Why?
Is it possible that he thought the illustrated version might succeed as a fictional narrative where the first version failed as non-fiction? Retaining the original text must surely have reduced the cost of republishing to a relative pittance.
Earlier, I suggested that certain identification of the participants in the slave trade might have been subject to prosecution under British law. It is also possible that English libel laws of the period might have given the author pause.
Other, earlier cases would likely have been known either to the author or to his publisher, who would also have been at some risk.
Aside from any possible fear of possible legal repercussions, Donald must have felt sufficient shame over his personal involvement in the coolie trade or other activities that he felt obliged to misrepresent the awful treatment of Chinese workers in Peru. Only shame, it seems to me, would explain why an otherwise careful observer of the human trafficking trade would boldly assert that abducted coolies were better off in Peru than in their own home country–when the world already knew the truth.
So far as I can tell, no one else has yet remarked upon or closely examined the issues raised by "Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping" and "Don Aldus, The Rover." This shouldn't be surprising as their authors and content are mere footnotes in world history. But what telling, troubling and provocative footnotes they are!
Cover Art by Glenn S. Michaels. 2015.
8. Coolie Traffic and Kidnapping, by Don Aldus, 1873, McCorquodale & Co., Ltd. “The Armoury” See: https://archive.org/stream/coolietraffican00aldgoog/coolietraffican00aldugoog_djvu.txt.
"Hypergraphia: The driving compulsion to write; the overwhelming urge to write. Hypergraphia may compel someone to keep a voluminous journal, to jot off frequent letters to the editor, to write on toilet paper if nothing else is available, and perhaps even to compile a dictionary. Hypergraphia is the opposite of writer's block."
13. Don Aldus, The Rover, By Capt. Geo. D. Donald; Chapter 1: Japan, Page xiii. "Next to the Indian Palanquin, recommend me to the Jinrikisha of Japan for ease and comfort..." On page xii, the author expounds upon the birthplace and significance of "Siddartha Gautama ('The Holy')" aka Buddha with a conversance that suggests personal experience of the area or a strong interest in religion and history.
15. GRAND DUCHESS OLGA CONSTANTINOVNA OF RUSSIA. Project Gutenberg Self-Publishing Press, World Public Library Association. Retrieved July 24, 2015, from: http://self.gutenberg.org/articles/Grand_Duchess_Olga_Constantinovna_of_Russia. Sourced from World Heritage Encyclopedia™ licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. World Heritage Encyclopedia™ is a registered trademark of the World Public Library Association, a non-profit organization.
38. "Records uncovered by historians in the People's Republic of China, using Chinese records, reveal that from 1880 to 1885, a period when many of the coolies sent to Cuba and Peru during the height (also the last thrust) of the coolie trade in the first half of the 1870s would have completed their original contracts, only 1,887 of the Chinese managed to make their way back home to China. This was an insignificant number, given the over 100,000 who left China in 1870-74 alone for Cuba and Peru."
45. The actual number of Chinese citizens (coolies) on board is unclear. The author speaks of 700 in on pages 30 and 44 and 650 on page 124. As the new of crew members is reported at 56 (page 124), it is possible that some confusion resulted.
46. American Merchants and the Chinese Coolie Trade 1850-1880: Contrasting models of human trafficking to Peru and the United States. Schultz, Austin. Department of History seminar paper, Western Oregon University, 2011. Page 23, citing: Upton, James Henry. American involvement in the Chinese coolie trade 1848-1882. Thesis (M.A.)--Auburn University, 1970. Page 19.
49. Master mariner. Wikipedia.org. Retrieved July 20, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_mariner: “The Extra Master's qualification, which was discontinued in the 1990s, used to be the highest professional qualification and it was the pinnacle for any mariner to achieve.” This page was last modified on 7 November 2014, at 17:52.
Original data: Scotland. 1861 Scotland Census. Reels 1-150. General Register Office for Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland. The 1861 Census for Scotland was taken on the night of 7/8 April 1861.
57. 1901 England Census for George D Donald. Source Citation: Class: RG13; Piece: 1187; Folio: 117; Page: 20. : Ancestry.com. 1901 England Census [database on¬line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives, 1901. Data imaged from the National Archives, London, England. Retrieved July 24, 2015, from: http://search.ancestry.com/cgi¬bin/sse.dll? indiv=1&db=uki1901&h=1772286.
61. The irony of the unintentional pun has not escaped the essayist.
63. James McNeill Whistler, Beyond the Myth, by Ronald Anderson & Anne Koval, Carroll & Graf Publishers, Inc. New York, 1994. Whistler v Ruskin; Pages 215 -227.
A well written article. I look forward to following your ongoing research into this important and under-researched topic.
I love you. But you're nuts! | 2019-04-22T02:20:15Z | http://gsmichaels.blogspot.com/2015/05/don-aldus-man-of-mystery-literary.html |
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Costa Rica - San Jose (Costa Rica) San Jose (Costa Rica) is 15 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Cote dIvoire - Abidjan Abidjan is 9 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Cote dIvoire - Yamoussoukro Yamoussoukro is 9 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Croatia - Zagreb Zagreb is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Cuba - Havana Havana is 13 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Curacao - Willemstad Willemstad is 13 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Cyprus - Nicosia Nicosia is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Czech Republic - Prague Prague is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Denmark - Copenhagen Copenhagen is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Djibouti - Djibouti Djibouti is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Dominica - Roseau Roseau is 13 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Dominican Republic - Santo Domingo Santo Domingo is 13 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Ecuador - Galapagos Islands Galapagos Islands is 15 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Ecuador - Guayaquil Guayaquil is 14 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Ecuador - Quito Quito is 14 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Egypt - Al Jizah Al Jizah is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Egypt - Alexandria Alexandria is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Egypt - Cairo Cairo is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
El Salvador - San Salvador San Salvador is 15 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
El Salvador - Santa Ana Santa Ana is 15 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Equatorial Guinea - Malabo Malabo is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Eritrea - Asmara Asmara is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Estonia - Tallinn Tallinn is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Ethiopia - Addis Ababa Addis Ababa is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Falkland Islands - Stanley Stanley is 12 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Faroe Islands - Faroe Islands - Torshavn Torshavn is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Fiji - Suva Suva is 2 hours, 30 minutes ahead of Poltalloch.
Finland - Helsinki Helsinki is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
France - Nice Nice is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
France - Paris Paris is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
France - Corsica - Bastia Bastia is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
French Guiana - Cayenne Cayenne is 12 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
French Polynesia - Gambier Islands Gambier Islands is 18 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
French Polynesia - Marquesas Islands - Taiohae Taiohae is 19 hours behind Poltalloch.
French Polynesia - Tahiti - Papeete Papeete is 19 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
French Southern Territories - Port-aux-Francais Port-aux-Francais is 4 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Gabon - Libreville Libreville is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Gambia - Banjul Banjul is 9 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Gaza Strip - Gaza Gaza is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Georgia - Tbilisi Tbilisi is 5 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Germany - Baden-Wurttemberg - Stuttgart Stuttgart is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Germany - Bavaria - Munich Munich is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Germany - Berlin - Berlin Berlin is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Germany - Hamburg - Hamburg Hamburg is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Germany - Hesse - Frankfurt Frankfurt is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Germany - North Rhine-Westphalia - Dusseldorf Dusseldorf is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Ghana - Accra Accra is 9 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Gibraltar - Gibraltar Gibraltar is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Greece - Athens Athens is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Greenland - Nuuk Nuuk is 11 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Grenada - Saint Georges Saint Georges is 13 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Guadeloupe - Basse-Terre Basse-Terre is 13 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Guatemala - Guatemala Guatemala is 15 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Guinea - Conakry Conakry is 9 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Guinea Bissau - Bissau Bissau is 9 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Guyana - Georgetown Georgetown is 13 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Haiti - Port-au-Prince Port-au-Prince is 13 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Honduras - Tegucigalpa Tegucigalpa is 15 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Hong Kong - Hong Kong Hong Kong is 1 hour, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Hong Kong - Kowloon Kowloon is 1 hour, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Hungary - Budapest Budapest is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Iceland - Reykjavik Reykjavik is 9 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
India - Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam Visakhapatnam is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
India - Bihar - Patna Patna is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
India - Chandigarh - Chandigarh Chandigarh is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
India - Delhi - New Delhi New Delhi is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
India - Gujarat - Ahmedabad Ahmedabad is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
India - Gujarat - Surat Surat is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
India - Gujarat - Vadodara Vadodara is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
India - Karnataka - Bangalore Bangalore is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
India - Madhya Pradesh - Indore Indore is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
India - Maharashtra - Mumbai Mumbai is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
India - Maharashtra - Nagpur Nagpur is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
India - Maharashtra - Pune Pune is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
India - Orissa - Bhubaneshwar Bhubaneshwar is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
India - Punjab - Ludhiana Ludhiana is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
India - Rajasthan - Jaipur Jaipur is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
India - Tamil Nadu - Chennai Chennai is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
India - Telangana - Hyderabad Hyderabad is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
India - Uttar Pradesh - Agra Agra is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
India - Uttar Pradesh - Kanpur Kanpur is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
India - Uttar Pradesh - Lucknow Lucknow is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
India - Uttar Pradesh - Varanasi Varanasi is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
India - West Bengal - Kolkata Kolkata is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
Indonesia - Bali - Denpasar Denpasar is 1 hour, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Indonesia - Bali - Singaraja Singaraja is 1 hour, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Indonesia - Java - Bandung Bandung is 2 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Indonesia - Java - Jakarta Jakarta is 2 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Indonesia - Java - Malang Malang is 2 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Indonesia - Java - Semarang Semarang is 2 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Indonesia - Java - Surabaya Surabaya is 2 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Indonesia - Java - Surakarta Surakarta is 2 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Indonesia - Kalimantan - Balikpapan Balikpapan is 1 hour, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Indonesia - Lombok - Mataram Mataram is 1 hour, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Indonesia - Papua - Jayapura Jayapura is 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Indonesia - Sumatra - Medan Medan is 2 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Indonesia - Sumatra - Palembang Palembang is 2 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Indonesia - East Nusa Tenggara - Kupang Kupang is 1 hour, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Iran - Esfahan Esfahan is 5 hours behind Poltalloch.
Iran - Tehran Tehran is 5 hours behind Poltalloch.
Iran - Yazd Yazd is 5 hours behind Poltalloch.
Iraq - Baghdad Baghdad is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Iraq - Basra Basra is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Ireland - Dublin Dublin is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Israel - Jerusalem Jerusalem is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Israel - Tel Aviv Tel Aviv is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Italy - Milan Milan is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Italy - Naples Naples is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Italy - Rome Rome is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Italy - Turin Turin is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Italy - Venice Venice is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Jamaica - Kingston (Jamaica) Kingston (Jamaica) is 14 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Japan - Fukuoka Fukuoka is 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Japan - Hiroshima Hiroshima is 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Japan - Kawasaki Kawasaki is 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Japan - Kitakyushu Kitakyushu is 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Japan - Kobe Kobe is 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Japan - Kyoto Kyoto is 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Japan - Nagoya Nagoya is 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Japan - Okayama Okayama is 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Japan - Osaka Osaka is 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Japan - Sapporo Sapporo is 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Japan - Sendai Sendai is 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Japan - Tokyo Tokyo is 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Japan - Yokohama Yokohama is 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Jordan - Amman Amman is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Kazakhstan - Almaty Almaty is 3 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Kazakhstan - Aqtau Aqtau is 4 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Kazakhstan - Aqtobe Aqtobe is 4 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Kazakhstan - Astana Astana is 3 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Kenya - Nairobi Nairobi is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Kiribati - Tarawa Tarawa is 2 hours, 30 minutes ahead of Poltalloch.
Kiribati - Christmas Islands - Kiritimati Kiritimati is 4 hours, 30 minutes ahead of Poltalloch.
Kiribati - Phoenix Islands - Rawaki Rawaki is 3 hours, 30 minutes ahead of Poltalloch.
Kosovo - Pristina Pristina is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Kuwait - Kuwait City Kuwait City is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Kyrgyzstan - Bishkek Bishkek is 3 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Laos - Vientiane Vientiane is 2 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Latvia - Riga Riga is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Lebanon - Beirut Beirut is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Lesotho - Maseru Maseru is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Liberia - Monrovia Monrovia is 9 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Libya - Tripoli Tripoli is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Liechtenstein - Vaduz Vaduz is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Lithuania - Kaunas Kaunas is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Lithuania - Vilnius Vilnius is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Luxembourg - Luxembourg Luxembourg is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Macedonia - Skopje Skopje is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Madagascar - Antananarivo Antananarivo is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Malawi - Lilongwe Lilongwe is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur is 1 hour, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Maldives - Male Male is 4 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Mali - Bamako Bamako is 9 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Malta - Valletta Valletta is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Marshall Islands - Majuro Majuro is 2 hours, 30 minutes ahead of Poltalloch.
Martinique - Fort-de-France Fort-de-France is 13 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Mauritania - Nouakchott Nouakchott is 9 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Mauritius - Port Louis Port Louis is 5 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Mayotte - Mamoutzou Mamoutzou is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Mexico - Aguascalientes - Aguascalientes Aguascalientes is 14 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Mexico - Baja California - Mexicali Mexicali is 16 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Mexico - Baja California - Tijuana Tijuana is 16 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Mexico - Chihuahua - Chihuahua Chihuahua is 15 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Mexico - Federal District - Mexico City Mexico City is 14 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Mexico - Guanajuato - Leon Leon is 14 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Mexico - Guerrero - Acapulco Acapulco is 14 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Mexico - Jalisco - Guadalajara Guadalajara is 14 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Mexico - Nuevo Leon - Monterrey Monterrey is 14 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Mexico - Quintana Roo - Cancun Cancun is 14 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Mexico - San Luis Potosi - San Luis Potosi San Luis Potosi is 14 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Mexico - Sinaloa - Mazatlan Mazatlan is 15 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Mexico - Veracruz - Veracruz Veracruz is 14 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Mexico - Yucatan - Merida Merida is 14 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Micronesia - Pohnpei - Palikir Palikir is 1 hour, 30 minutes ahead of Poltalloch.
Moldova - Kishinev Kishinev is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Monaco - Monaco Monaco is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Mongolia - Choibalsan Choibalsan is 1 hour, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Mongolia - Hovd Hovd is 2 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Mongolia - Ulaanbaatar Ulaanbaatar is 1 hour, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Montenegro - Podgorica Podgorica is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Montserrat - Brades Brades is 13 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Morocco - Casablanca Casablanca is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Morocco - Rabat Rabat is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Morocco - Tangier Tangier is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Mozambique - Maputo Maputo is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Myanmar - Yangon Yangon is 3 hours behind Poltalloch.
Namibia - Windhoek Windhoek is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Nauru - Yaren Yaren is 2 hours, 30 minutes ahead of Poltalloch.
Nepal - Kathmandu Kathmandu is 3 hours, 45 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Netherlands - Amsterdam Amsterdam is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Netherlands - Rotterdam Rotterdam is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
New Caledonia - New Caledonia - Noumea Noumea is 1 hour, 30 minutes ahead of Poltalloch.
New Zealand - Auckland Auckland is 2 hours, 30 minutes ahead of Poltalloch.
New Zealand - Chatham Island Chatham Island is 3 hours, 15 minutes ahead of Poltalloch.
New Zealand - Christchurch Christchurch is 2 hours, 30 minutes ahead of Poltalloch.
New Zealand - Wellington Wellington is 2 hours, 30 minutes ahead of Poltalloch.
Nicaragua - Managua Managua is 15 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Niger - Niamey Niamey is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Nigeria - Abuja Abuja is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Nigeria - Kano Nigeria Kano Nigeria is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Nigeria - Lagos Lagos is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Niue - Alofi Alofi is 20 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Norfolk Island - Kingston Kingston is 2 hours ahead of Poltalloch.
North Korea - Pyongyang Pyongyang is 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Norway - Oslo Oslo is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Oman - Muscat Muscat is 5 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Pakistan - Faisalabad Faisalabad is 4 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Pakistan - Islamabad Islamabad is 4 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Pakistan - Karachi Karachi is 4 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Pakistan - Lahore Lahore is 4 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Pakistan - Peshawar Peshawar is 4 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Pakistan - Sialkot Sialkot is 4 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Palau - Koror Koror is 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Panama - Panama Panama is 14 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Papua New Guinea - Port Moresby Port Moresby is 30 minutes ahead of Poltalloch.
Paraguay - Asuncion Asuncion is 13 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Peru - Lima - Lima Lima is 14 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Philippines - Cebu City Cebu City is 1 hour, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Philippines - Manila Manila is 1 hour, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Pitcairn Islands - Adamstown Adamstown is 17 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Poland - Gdansk Gdansk is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Poland - Krakow Krakow is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Poland - Lodz Lodz is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Poland - Poznan Poznan is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Poland - Szczecin Szczecin is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Poland - Warsaw Warsaw is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Poland - Wroclaw Wroclaw is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Portugal - Azores Azores is 9 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Portugal - Lisbon Lisbon is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Portugal - Porto Porto is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Portugal - Madeira - Funchal Funchal is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Puerto Rico - San Juan San Juan is 13 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Qatar - Doha Doha is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Reunion (French) - Saint-Denis Saint-Denis is 5 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Romania - Bucharest Bucharest is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Russia - Anadyr Anadyr is 2 hours, 30 minutes ahead of Poltalloch.
Russia - Chelyabinsk Chelyabinsk is 4 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Russia - Kaliningrad Kaliningrad is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Russia - Kazan Kazan is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Russia - Krasnoyarsk Krasnoyarsk is 2 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Russia - Moscow Moscow is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Russia - Murmansk Murmansk is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Russia - Novgorod Novgorod is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Russia - Novosibirsk Novosibirsk is 2 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Russia - Omsk Omsk is 3 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Russia - Perm Perm is 4 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Russia - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is 2 hours, 30 minutes ahead of Poltalloch.
Russia - Saint-Petersburg Saint-Petersburg is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Russia - Samara Samara is 5 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Russia - Sochi Sochi is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Russia - Ufa Ufa is 4 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Russia - Vladivostok Vladivostok is 30 minutes ahead of Poltalloch.
Russia - Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg is 4 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Russia - Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is 1 hour, 30 minutes ahead of Poltalloch.
Rwanda - Kigali Kigali is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Saint Kitts and Nevis - Basseterre Basseterre is 13 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Saint Lucia - Castries Castries is 13 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Saint Vincent Grenadines - Kingstown Kingstown is 13 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Samoa - Apia Apia is 3 hours, 30 minutes ahead of Poltalloch.
San Marino - San Marino San Marino is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Sao Tome and Principe - Sao Tome Sao Tome is 9 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Saudi Arabia - Jeddah Jeddah is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Saudi Arabia - Mecca Mecca is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Saudi Arabia - Riyadh Riyadh is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Senegal - Dakar Dakar is 9 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Serbia - Belgrade Belgrade is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Seychelles - Victoria (Seychelles) Victoria (Seychelles) is 5 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Sierra Leone - Freetown Freetown is 9 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Singapore - Singapore Singapore is 1 hour, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Slovakia - Bratislava Bratislava is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Slovenia - Ljubljana Ljubljana is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Solomon Islands - Honiara Honiara is 1 hour, 30 minutes ahead of Poltalloch.
Somalia - Mogadishu Mogadishu is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
South Africa - Cape Town Cape Town is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
South Africa - Durban Durban is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
South Africa - Johannesburg Johannesburg is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
South Africa - Port Elizabeth Port Elizabeth is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
South Africa - Pretoria Pretoria is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
South Korea - Busan Busan is 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
South Korea - Incheon Incheon is 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
South Korea - Seoul Seoul is 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
South Korea - Taegu Taegu is 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
South Sudan - Juba Juba is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Spain - Cordoba Cordoba is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Spain - La Coruna La Coruna is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Spain - Madrid Madrid is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Spain - Barcelona - Barcelona Barcelona is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Spain - Canary Islands - Las Palmas Las Palmas is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Spain - Majorca - Palma Palma is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Sri Lanka - Colombo Colombo is 4 hours behind Poltalloch.
Sudan - Khartoum Khartoum is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Suriname - Paramaribo Paramaribo is 12 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
eSwatini - Mbabane Mbabane is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Sweden - Stockholm Stockholm is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Switzerland - Basel Basel is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Switzerland - Bern Bern is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Switzerland - Geneva Geneva is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Switzerland - Lausanne Lausanne is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Switzerland - Zurich Zurich is 7 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Syria - Damascus Damascus is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Taiwan - Kaohsiung Kaohsiung is 1 hour, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Taiwan - Taipei Taipei is 1 hour, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Tajikistan - Dushanbe Dushanbe is 4 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Tanzania - Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Tanzania - Dodoma Dodoma is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Thailand - Bangkok Bangkok is 2 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Thailand - Khon Kaen Khon Kaen is 2 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Timor Leste - Dili Dili is 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Togo - Lome Lome is 9 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Tokelau - Tokelau - Fakaofo Fakaofo is 4 hours, 30 minutes ahead of Poltalloch.
Tonga - Nukualofa Nukualofa is 3 hours, 30 minutes ahead of Poltalloch.
Trinidad and Tobago - Port of Spain Port of Spain is 13 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Tunisia - Tunis Tunis is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Turkey - Ankara Ankara is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Turkey - Istanbul Istanbul is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Turkey - Izmir Izmir is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Turkmenistan - Ashgabat Ashgabat is 4 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Tuvalu - Funafuti Funafuti is 2 hours, 30 minutes ahead of Poltalloch.
UAE - Abu Dhabi - Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is 5 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
UAE - Dubai - Dubai Dubai is 5 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Uganda - Kampala Kampala is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
UK - England - Birmingham (UK) Birmingham (UK) is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
UK - England - Liverpool Liverpool is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
UK - England - London London is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
UK - England - Southampton Southampton is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
UK - Northern Ireland - Belfast Belfast is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
UK - Scotland - Edinburgh Edinburgh is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
UK - Scotland - Glasgow Glasgow is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
UK - Wales - Cardiff Cardiff is 8 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Ukraine - Kiev Kiev is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Ukraine - Odesa Odesa is 6 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
Uruguay - Montevideo Montevideo is 12 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - Alabama - Birmingham (US) Birmingham (US) is 14 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - Alabama - Mobile Mobile is 14 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - Alabama - Montgomery Montgomery is 14 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - Alaska - Adak Adak is 18 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - Alaska - Anchorage Anchorage is 17 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - Alaska - Fairbanks Fairbanks is 17 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - Alaska - Juneau Juneau is 17 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - Alaska - Nome Nome is 17 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - Alaska - Unalaska Unalaska is 17 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - Arizona - Mesa Mesa is 16 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - Arizona - Phoenix Phoenix is 16 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - Arizona - Tucson Tucson is 16 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - Arkansas - Little Rock Little Rock is 14 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - California - Anaheim Anaheim is 16 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - California - Fresno Fresno is 16 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - California - Long Beach Long Beach is 16 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - California - Los Angeles Los Angeles is 16 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - California - Oakland Oakland is 16 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - California - Riverside Riverside is 16 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - California - Sacramento Sacramento is 16 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - California - San Bernardino San Bernardino is 16 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - California - San Diego San Diego is 16 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
USA - California - San Francisco San Francisco is 16 hours, 30 minutes behind Poltalloch.
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How did the Media help Topple Governments during the Arab Spring Revolts?
Home › Essays › How did the Media help Topple Governments during the Arab Spring Revolts?
A series of revolutionary movements characterized the Arab Spring in a unique way. There was unprecedented utilization of conventional and digital media to convey the messages and promote the agenda of the insurgents. This realization deserves consideration from an academic angle to find out the role that media played in toppling governments in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, and Bahrain, with the struggle still going on in Syria. The focus of the discussion will be on the narrative, the momentum, the ideology, and the unifying motivations that facilitated the use of media in these countries. The Arab Spring was not only unique in the sense of media usage, but in the level of coordination and organization that protesters exhibited during the events. Thus, understanding this from a political point of view will assist in deciding whether the media were neutral or bi-partisan in the revolution.
This is a dissertation on how social media helped topple governments during Arab Spring Revolts. In its first chapter, it introduces the reader to the history of a number of Arab countries that had been affected by the Arab Spring. These include Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Syria and Bahrain. It is important to acknowledge that the media is referred to as the fourth estate in many countries around the world. This is because the media has a pivotal role in establishing democracy and human rights in countries where political leadership might be lacking. The role of the media has become phenomenal in one of the recent historical occurrences in history: the Arab spring. In this case, political leaders that were in power for decades were toppled through protests and new governments were installed. Studies have shown that the media played a pivotal role in the Arab Spring revolts that saw dictatorial governments in Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt replaced while leaders in countries like Syria and Bahrain continue to face difficulties with civil war still ongoing. Some analysis of over 3, 000,000 tweets, thousands of posts in blogs, and YouTube content shows that indeed social media had a hand in charming out the political debates in the wake of Arab Spring (Howard & Hussain, 2013).
For instance, Howard and Hussain (2013) indicated that intense conversations formed precedence to major political events in these countries. Specifically, social media allowed the public to share inspiring stories that bolstered protests across international borders in most of the affected Arab countries. According to Howard (2011), the project leader in communication at University of Washington, evidences gathered suggests that social media were the primary carrier of cascading messages on freedom and democracy across the Arab world. The commonly used platforms were Facebook, blogs, and Twitter. As such, they had a hand in raising expectations about the possibility of success in the event of a political rising. The paper discusses media’s role in toppling governments during the Arab Spring revolts. In doing so, the paper will look at the role of media as the fourth estate, and how this important position can help facilitate the overthrow other political powers. Equally, it will focus on the media’s effect on important changes in the world. Finally, the paper analyses how media can be neutral in the event of political protests.
The countries that faced revolutions in early 2010 in the Arab region were led by dictators. For many decades, citizens in these countries did not believe that government officials could be toppled since many of them had spent years consolidating power. Thus, they had established networks of security, including loyalty from the military that could thwart any attempt to topple the government. The Tunisia revolution, commonly known as the Jasmine Revolution, was the first popular revolution that toppled a government during the period of the Arab Spring. It formed the basis of other revolution in the North Africa and Middle East, the first since the 1979 revolution in Iran. The Jasmine Revolution was triggered by three significant incidents.
The first was when a Tunisian street vendor was killed. The second incident involved a protester named Mohamed Bouazizi, who set himself on fire to protest the hopelessness and ill treatment from government forces. This act led to the third phase, when demonstrations began in several parts of the country. During this time, the government forces were being called in to thwart the protests by forceful means. This was a brutal security crackdown led by the government that was ostensibly charged with the responsibility of protecting its citizens. The beginning of protests in Tunisia was met with intense brutality characterized with arrests and a shutdown of the Internet. The removal of the source of information angered protesters who demanded that the president be removed from power despite his promise to reshuffle the government and create more new jobs for the unemployed (Howard & Hussain, 2013).
One of the outstanding features of the Jasmine Revolution is that social media played an important role in spreading the information about the overall chain of events that led to the social and political change in Tunisia is concerned. Previously, Tunisia had witnessed two major protests against dictatorial leadership: the January 1984 Bread Revolt under President Habib Bourguiba and the 2008 revolution under president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali known as Revolt of the Gafsa Mining Basin. The government forces managed to control the protests during the two incidences. However, due to social media technology, the government in Tunisia was not able to control the rapid spread of information during the Arab Spring. The use of digitized information made widespread communication unstoppable. The agitated citizens could receive and pass messages regarding events in real-time. Unlike the use of televisions and radios, which the government could manipulate to suit their agenda, the emergence of social media meant that the government could not control the speed of information communication or prevent it from reaching the public who were accessing real-time information. As such, the 28 days of mass coordination transformed the political scene in Tunisia, bringing about the fall of the 23 year old regime (Karoui, 2012). To back up this information, the researcher conducted a survey based on interview method.
To what degree did social media play a role in the Jasmine Revolution that toppled the 23 year-old government of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali?
What are the types of media platforms that were used to communicate and share information regarding the events as they were occurring during the revolution?
Did the media play a partisan or neutral role in the wake of the revolution?
Do you believe that media can play any role in the cultivation of democracy?
Did the international reporting of the unfolding events in Tunisia reflect the actual occurrences on the ground?
Do you have any other comment on the role that social media play in promoting democracy in the Arab world?
The analysis of the responses from the head indicated that social media were the driving force behind the continued spread of the revolution across the country. The use of digital platforms presented the protesters with an opportunity not only to speak to fellow citizens, but to share what was happening with the international community. This was important because it elicited sympathy and encouragement abroad. This is what gave the protesters an impetus to continue pushing for regime change in the country. The government security network notwithstanding, the protesters were able to overpower the government forces through coordinated communication and facilitation. This ensured that the protesters could meet in the right place at the right time, forcing the president to flee the country (Tripp, 2013).
Before the coming of the digital media, led by the social media like Facebook, most of communication occurred through television and radio (Sharp, 2010). The government heavily censored these modes so that people could only access information that painted the government in a positive light. The digital media and the use of the Internet ensured that people receive real-time information, including information that would have otherwise been censored by the government. Among the most popular and widely used modes included Facebook, blogs, Youtube, and Twitter. These platforms allowed accession of internal channels. These information sources were not censored in any manner, and for the first time the general populace could be exposed to the atrocities and aggravation of human rights inside the Tunisia (Bradley, 2012).
An interesting thing about the revolution in Tunisia, unlike many other revolutions that followed, was that media had not witnessed a revolution of this kind before. As it occurred, social media users were enthusiastic about the events, garnering the attention of the international community. However, this might have given a false impression to the protesters. For example, they may have thought that everyone was in support of the protests. The international media channels took it upon themselves to report every detail of the revolution. It fueled the discontentment in Tunisia and elsewhere in the Arab world. Previously, the international media could not access information as easily or report first-hand. However, with the social media, international media broadcasters recruited reporters who could give them information regarding the happenings on the ground and publish the same. The publicized information was then shared with people across the world. According to the head of communication, the media played a bi-partisan role, but to the wellbeing of the nation. Indeed, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Bahrain, Syria, and Saudi Arabia are countries where freedom was a privilege afforded only to well-connected elites; it was not accessible to the common citizens (Sharp, 2010).
The ability to spread information from the local scene to the international level meant that the demands and values of people in Tunisia could be shared among other like-minded people around the world. This sharing occurred through blogs, where information was accessible anywhere around the world. One notable observation about the revolution in Tunisia is that most of the people who shared information had used Facebook as their primary point of contact with each other. Cyber activism in Tunisia and elsewhere in North Africa and the Middle East began upon the spread of the Mohamed Bouazizi self-immolation videos. The spread of videos that depicted the police brutality in response to the protests laid the foundation for protests in other countries. However, it was common knowledge among the bloggers that dictatorial governments were wary of the spread of information through the Internet and, as a result, cases of blog censorship were rampant in Middle East and North Africa.
From the researcher’s point of view, the historical characteristics of countries that experienced the Arab Spring were similar in many aspects. The first is that these countries were governed by repressive regimes that had been in power for over two decades or longer. In all of them, there was a public feeling that something needed to change in the leadership of the country. This leads to chapter two.
In this second chapter, the researcher will present a detailed analysis of the political problems facing the identified countries. As the basis of the chapter, it is important to note that the upholding of democracy depends on many factors within a country. One of these factors is freedom of speech. For many years, the countries that experienced uprisings had suppressed freedom of speech while claiming to be upholding democratic values. When this claim was tested through simple demands, as in Bahrain, the leadership felt threatened and unleashed brutal force on the protesters. In some cases, entirely peaceful protesters were shot at, aggravating the anger against the government and leading to calls for their overthrow. Indeed, democracy can be upheld where people are free to express their views. It also requires people to be free to petition their government to change the policies guiding employment and security. The media as the fourth estate have the responsibility to keep the government in check. It does this while also ensuring that it is adhering to the democratic values and upholding international human rights as envisaged in the UN charter on human rights. As such, it is difficult for the media in areas where it has always been suppressed to act neutrally in the event that the people protest to demand rights from the government. During the revolution in Tunisia, the media played an important role to bring about the downfall of the dictatorial regime (Tripp, 2013).
The international community only reported information as it was gathered through social media. Though this contained credible information that reflected the actual events in Tunisia, it also opened up the possibility of exaggerated reports. However, according to Kassim (2012), the international media did not help the government to bring down the protests, it encouraged local journalists to write blogs and report the event through social media. It was somehow a reaction to the long-time suppression of the freedom of speech. In fact, the international media felt that they now had access to information that the government had held in secret for a long time. In Egypt where the protesters were well coordinated, international media outlets such as Al Jazeera and BBC News held live coverage of the event. This played a role in giving legitimacy to the demands of protesters in the international community. Indeed people from around the world were able to see government forces attacking and shooting protesters who were not armed. The use of live coverage and live photos and videos on an online platform meant that the protesters had legitimate grounds to protest against the government. On the other hand, the government did not have a platform to present their views to the international community because it had previously not allowed them to report from their countries (Krayewski, 2013).
The fumbling of President Hosni Mubarak to address the concerns of protesters marked the epitome of the protracted decline of the dictatorial efficacy in Egypt. The government lacked the power to provide basic services to the Egyptians as unemployment became rampant in the country, thus alienating millions of people in the middle class. Moreover, the business elite in the country continued to enjoy conspicuous consumption while the military intervened in the protests. It clearly indicated the government’s avoidance of addressing the challenges that people were facing in favor of retaining the status quo (Ghonim, 2012).
The protesters’ tactical and political complexity came about not because Mubarak was unwilling to address the issues on the table, but because there was a vibrant, unrelenting media in the country. Besides the common challenges of inequality and corruption in the public sector, the Egyptian protesters were riding on the wave of freedom of expression through the media. For a long time, the Egyptian publics’ freedom of expression had been suppressed by the government. The advent of social media meant that the public was now able to gain unfiltered access to information that had previously been censored in the mainstream media. When the Egyptian police killed a famous blogger named Khaled Said, it ignited the campaigners to honor him through the protests. Protesters in Egypt were relatively prepared to have serious engagement with the army chiefs on the future composition of the government. This was amid fears that irrespective of the protest outcome, the military would not agree to erode its institutional prerogatives substantially (Bradley, 2012).
While the protests in Cairo and Tunisia removed dictators from power, the situation in Libya was different because it had degenerated into a civil war. The former Libyan strongman, Muammar Gaddafi, had four decades of experience consolidating power and patronage amongst his loyal circle, making it virtually impossible for protests to dislodge him from power. The four decades were characterized by artificial inducement of scarcity of everything including basic medical care and consumer goods. This generated entrenched corruption in the country while the capricious cruelty of the presidency had fermented into a deep-seated and widespread suspicion. To this end, the coming of the new media through social platforms meant that Libyans were free to demonstrate their discontentment with the government albeit to a larger audience. Unlike in Egypt and Tunisia, Libya did not have any political alliances or strategic economic association. The country also lacked nation organizations that could be used to coordinate protesting efforts. To this end, the protests that were experienced in the country began in the media before spreading to the public as nonviolent protests similar to the ones staged in Egypt and Tunisia. In the end, a call was made for an all-out secession as Libya had become labeled in the media as a failed state. In fact, it was through the media that many Libyan protesters came to learn about failed states and the way protests similar to theirs had brought down dictatorial regimes in Egypt and Tunisia.
Notably, Libya had operated for four decades in a political system that incorporated traces of Italian fascism characterized by brutality, dogmatism, and extravagance. Among other things, Gaddafi prohibited private ownership and retail trade. The free press was not allowed, and military leadership and civil service were subverted. In the absence of public sector bureaucracy such as a reliable police force, the government was at liberty to determine who provided security and safety. The same was the case with the provision on essential public services. From the analysis of the three cases, it was evident that the absence of governmental and social cohesion would definitely affect the prospect of a smooth transition to democracy. The government of Libya had the responsibility of introducing law and order that had been missing for decades (Manhire, 2012).
In Syria, the protests began on the 26th of January 2011 and escalated into the civil war that continues to this day. The events that lead to the Syrian civil war was inspired by the Arab uprising in Tunisia. The residents of the town of Dara’a started the protests over the torture of a student accused of putting up anti-government graffiti. Soon, this unrest had reached other parts of the country, with protesters demanding land reforms and the ouster of President Al-Bashar. They also demanded that the government allow for a multi-party political system. The protesters also called for equal rights for Kurds. There were also calls for political freedoms including free press, the right to assembly, and speech. The government of Syria had previously made some concessions through trivial protests (Saikal & Acharya, 2013).
In addition, the government was also forced to repeal a fifty year-old emergency law that allowed it to suspend constitutional rights. Again, the government launched a series of crackdowns using tanks in restive cities as security forces used bullets on demonstrators. The security forces also used snipers to coerce people from the streets while essential and basic commodities like electricity and water were shut off. The prices of basic goods escalated, especially in areas that proved restive. Soon the protest disintegrated into ethnic divisions as the country’s elite took over influential military positions. The dissidents established the Syrian National Council to include a representative of the Damascus Declaration group that advocated for democracy (Saikal & Acharya, 2013). At the same time, there was a reactivation of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, a previously banned political outfit, the emergence of different Kurdish factions, the Local Coordination Committee, and several other groups that documented the unfolding events in Syria. The emergence of these groups meant that the media were taking its position in the determination of the political underpinning in a country that had perpetually suppressed the media for many years.
The Bahrain protest initially started as a call for greater political freedom and respect of the rights of people. Unlike in many other countries where the uprising had been witnessed, the Bahrain protests were not intended to threaten the monarchy. This is because the prevailing frustration of the majority Shiite was the major cause of the protests. Bahrain protesters were peaceful until the police raided the protest on the third day to clear them from the Pearl Roundabout, resulting in the deaths of four protesters in the process. As a result, the protesters increased the items on their demand list to include the end to monarchy (Manhire, 2012).
The government response to the protest was brutal. There was a systematic crackdown on bloggers and anybody else who tried to provide information that portrayed the Bahraini incidents in a negative light. The midnight house arrests heralded a campaign of intimidation. The Bahrain Independent Commission Inquiry indicated that the government tortured prisoners and committed heinous human rights violations. The government had previously claimed that the protests in Bahrain had been instigated by external forces, including Iran. International human rights groups were also denied an opportunity to investigate the events in the country, fuelling the speculation that the Bahrain authority did not appreciate the need to disseminate factual information to the people (Kassim, 2012).
It is thus evidenced that countries that experienced the Arab Spring had developed a political system that rewarded political elites and allies. Most of the people felt that the system favored only those who were well connected. Therefore, removing dictators from power through information became a major strategy. It is evidenced that dictatorship can make it very expensive for a government to lead its citizens. However, the aftermath dictatorship can be avoided if the leadership appropriately reacts in time to listen to the voices of the masses. In many cases, what fuels political unrest is the ignoring of public opinion by the incumbent leaders. This takes us to the third chapter of this dissertation.
This is chapter three of the dissertation. This chapter will focus on the effect of social media on the Arab Spring; how the effect of the use of media in politics helped bring down governments. In light of the Tunisian events and those in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, and Bahrain, researchers have focused on the role of social media in establishing democratic leadership and collective activism. The Western world has marveled at the role of social media in controlling and determining the way political events have taken place in repressive regimes. Similarly, the role of social media in particular and digital technologies in general allows people in the affected countries to act collectively in activism. This has enabled some of these countries overcome the challenge of state-controlled media. According to a study done by Krayewski (2013), 90 percent of Tunisians and Egyptians used Facebook as their primary means to organize and spread awareness about the protests in different parts of their countries. 29 percent of Tunisians and 28 percent of Egyptians agreed that blocking the social media disrupted and hindered communication during the protests (Krayewski, 2013).
Critics have debated the influence of social media on political activism during the Arab revolutions, with some arguing that the digital technologies with platforms for cellular phones, videos, blogs, text messages, and photos formed the concept of digital democracy. Still other critics have noted that in order to comprehend the context in which high unemployment among the youth and corrupt regimes contributed to Arab Spring, it is essential to analyze the characteristics of individual media platforms in each country. In revolutions that initially started on the Internet, the authorities were able to quash them. In response, in Egypt, a popular activist group advised its supporters not to use Twitter or Facebook to pass revolutionary information. Moreover, evidence suggests that the social media played an essential role in the uprising noting that the use of such platforms increased tremendously in Middle East and North Africa in the time leading up to the uprisings (Manhire, 2012).
Bradley (2012) established that apart from the fact that these revolutions came at a time when social media were just picking up, another fact comes into play. This is the ability of protesters to use participatory systems and collective intelligence. Another factor was the dynamic nature of the crowds to spur up the power in political protests to support a common action. This has the effect of fomenting the call and demand for political change even as veteran regime leaders like Hosni Mubarak bowed to the pressure and gave up their seats. The Dubai School of Government analyzed collected data graphically and found an increase in the use of Internet before the revolution (Manhire, 2012).
The Dubai School of Government, reported by Lynch (2013), noted that the only deviation in the trend was recorded in Libya. It is hypothesized that due to a long period of terror, many Libyans were unwilling to take on a course that was seen as risky. Having been forced to run away from their own country, many took their social platforms with them. The increase in how people use social media reveals the characteristics of people that led the uprising during the Arab Spring. Since many young people are tech-savvy, it was evident that most protesters were younger people. The new generation had the ability to network and to organize the uprising not only in their countries but also across the world. Manhire (2012) observed that in mid 2011, the number of Facebook users in North Africa and Middle East had more than tripled. This shows that a constant growth in the number of people who connect with each other through social media was unstoppable. Communicating with people in real-time became a weapon of the protesters as different platforms helped people to access information (Lynch, 2013).
Among traditional mainstream media, television was identified as playing a crucial role in Egyptian revolution in 2011. The coverage by Al Jazeera and regular live coverage from BBC News gave great exposure to the actual occurrences on the ground. They also assisted in the prevention of mass violence, especially during the encounter with the government forces at the Tahrir Square (Howard & Hussain, 2013). Commentators agree that live coverage prevented mass violence and its spread to other countries. One aspect of the Egyptian Revolution was that protesters remained in one area and allowed live coverage. To them, this was a fundamental step towards showing the world that they were organized in their calls for revolution. This phenomenon was not replicated in Bahrain, Libya, or Tunisia, where the governments had implemented strict rules to control international media outlets.
Additionally, the use of media focused on the type of information that the protesters wanted to pass to the international community. Such media as video and digital images were extensively used to disseminate information in this respect (Howard & Hussain, 2013). In fact, the real-time aspect was exploited to the extent that there were images that indicated the current events especially in the countries that were experiencing the uprising. In a way, the media were used as a coordinating tool amongst protesters that were agitating for political change in Middle East and North Africa. The media provided a place where people who believed that they were struggling for the public good could share the progress, the steps they were taking, and the response of their oppressors. The widespread visual media not only showed the singular moments but also highlighted the history of the Arab countries and depictions of the calls for change. However, social media emerged as the ideal platform of rebel groups that could not be reached by mainstream media that allowed them to compare their situation with that ongoing elsewhere. However, there has been no consensus in this debate. Scholars hold different positions as to whether social media were a primary catalyst of the Arab Revolution or a worthy supportive tool to the larger, unstoppable agenda (Lynch, 2013).
The difference between a revolution and insurgency lies in the perception that people attach to the event. In the Middle East and the entire Arab world, people had conceptualized their movements as revolution. Thus, filling the media with the events that were happening on the ground became everyone’s idea. In countries like Libya and Syria, where the dictatorial leaderships did not envisage the freedom of speech, digital media was not amongst their priority areas. This made it possible for the public to make their voices accessible via the Internet (Choudhary., Hendrix., Leed., Palsetia & Liao, 2012). Through the media, the revolutionaries showed the world that the regimes were inhumane and oppressive. While the Syrian regime attempted to control the conventional media and use press conferences to communicate with the international community, the revolutionaries used social media like YouTube and Facebook to give live footage of the conflict. This impacted the regime negatively because the information propagated through press conferences contradicted the real story that was being shared on the social media. As Axford (2011) observed, the spin of pictures that were given to the outside world through amateur clips using mobile phones displayed innocent people who were gunned down by the police. This clearly demonstrated that spirit of the government as upholding law and order was false.
The media thus explored amateur videos to show the world the brutality that government forces were using to try and contain the revolution. The process through which the media collected and processed information, commonly known as Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield, became easy. This allowed for the mapping of the composition of the threat and disposition of the government forces. This normally intensive and time-consuming process certainly became easy for protesters and revolutionaries because they utilized amateur videos that people shot using their mobile phones. As such, Tufekci (2011) argues that YouTube is one of the most explosive social media to have played a cardinal role in the Arab Spring. Because of the media’s ability to convey motion pictures, protesters in the Arab world were able to show the international community not only what they felt but also what was truly happening in their countries. In most cases, the governments’ reactionary measures to disable Internet networks in their countries only aided the protests. This is the puzzle that social media presented to the regimes in Tunisia and Libya and which played a significant role in bringing them down. Using the media, the power of information reached a height that the regime anticipated because the people were able to access and use immediate information.
The compiled Tweets from the 2011 Egypt revolution were examined to seek an understanding about the trend and the reason as to why certain topics attracted much attention from the people using media. Part of the reason was also to establish the effect of the information on the country. Research by Choudhary., et al (2012) noted that on the whole, much discussion on social media contained strongly negative sentiments on the revolution in relation to other topics on Twitter. During that period, topics on human interest only accounted for 15% of the Tweets while the revolution covered 65%. Analysis of these messages revealed that the Egyptians were very unhappy with the leadership and had a desire for updates on the progress of the revolution. However, the analysis also showed that people were still open to the general human stories during the protests. Overall, the analysis showed that 95% of the Tweets were about negative comments directed at the government, personal hardship, and the political and economic circumstances in that country (Khamis & Vaughn, 2011).
With statistics indicating that over 5 million Egyptians used Facebook during the revolution, the power of social media to spread information among the general population cannot be underestimated. Online sites such as “We Are All Khaled Said” aided the youth movements to organize and facilitate the delivery of messages in a central place. These messages could reach other people quickly, allowing them to participate in the organized events by the revolutionaries (Khamis & Vaughn, 2011). An example is the 18-day occupation at the Tahir Square that was organized through the page. Hall (2012) noted that the use of social media in Egypt rose from 400,000 to 5 million during the six-month period of the revolution.
In Egypt, the social media played a big role during the first revolution that ousted Mubarak from power. Subsequent protests attracted additional social media users because most of the people had embraced digital media. Hall (2012) further notes that the power of information can never be compared to any weapon. This is based on the fact that information that detailing actual events in the revolution means that political changes can occur. In Egypt and Syria, government brutality that was directed to the revolutionaries and the general population helped to legitimize their course even among the pro-government citizens that initially did not support the revolution. The fact that social media were used to convey this message to the people that were non-partisan and sometimes supportive of the government shows that media impacted, albeit negatively, the governments during the revolution. In most of these countries, the masses were deprived of information. Thus, social media exploited this avenue to highlight to the people what their governments were actually capable of doing. Social media made it difficult for governments to claim innocence and commitment to democracy and respect for human rights as some of the leaders were alleging.
Do you think the media was wrongly accused of spreading propaganda during the revolution to oust President Hosni Mubarak?
What do you see as the constructive role that the media played in the revolution?
Did the media have any negative impact on the revolution?
How could you rate the credibility and authenticity of information that media were disseminating to the public and the international community during the revolution?
What do you believe should be role of media in upholding democracy and human rights in countries where these principles are violated?
Was the reaction of the government towards protesters who used social media founded on principles and values of the Egyptian people?
Was the revolution in Egypt instigated through social media or was it because of the impulsiveness of the Arab Spring elsewhere in the Arab world?
In response to the above interview questions, it became evident that propaganda was a tool that was passed during the revolution in Egypt. The same held true other countries like Bahrain and Libya. A large part of the propaganda was headed by government agencies to discourage the revolution by painting the protestors in a negative light. Nonetheless, with the utilization of social media, it was difficult for the propaganda to have the desired effects. This is unlike what could have happened if only conventional media had been available. This is because, as Murphy & White (2013) note, the historical aspect of information as power was initially confined to the nation states. However, with the coming of micro-blogging and digital media, it has become easier to counteract any propaganda whether it is coming from the government side or from the side of revolutionaries. Thus, the impact that people communicating through social media had on the revolution cannot be overlooked. This is because the media had a great impact on the protests. Furthermore, the use of audio and videos served the purpose of inciting the people against the government whenever false information emerged that there was stability in the country. The use of media during the Egypt revolution did not entail much venture in terms of capital. There was also uncoordinated regulation of the media, allowing people to communicate without the usual burden of bureaucratic rules (Khamis & Vaughn, 2011).
From this study, it is evident that media, and especially conventional media, was always an effective tool by dictators in the past. This is why, for many years, people were denied the ability to get the true story as governments would suppress it. However, the study revealed that it is difficult for these Arab governments to control the digital media and satellite TV. Furthermore social media provided a platform on which the citizens were able to receive and share information regarding their countries’ leadership and the protestors. Though the process may have been initiated by other forces, the access to unfiltered information posted on social media platforms is what fueled the uprisings in the traditionally conservative Arab nations. This takes the reader to chapter four of this dissertation.
Chapter four will look at the various ways in which media can show bias as was observed during the Arab Spring. Largely, the media played a positive role during the revolution especially in relation to unity of purpose. However, at some point, both the government and protesters used the media to spread propaganda and exaggerate events. When the revolution started, people did not have a clear picture regarding the issues that protesters were demanding. The government controlled traditional forms of media and was quick to label the protesters as rebels who were out to overthrow the government. To a large extent, the government of Syria was successful at this (Khamis & Vaughn, 2011). This is the reason why Al-Bashar, unlike his counterparts in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, remains in power today. The case was different in Egypt as protesters went to social sites to posts their demands. Because of the availability of social media, people were able to get immediate information about the demands of protesters. Sometimes Facebook pages dedicated to the protests were used for discussions and debates. This helped to coordinate and organize the revolution in a manner that the government forces found difficult to handle.
At some point, the media became the only trusted source of information. An interesting factor in the use of media during the revolution in Egypt was the element of trust. As much as people posted messages anonymously, those who got these messages were inclined to trust the source. This was evident in the way the 18-day occupation of the Tahir Square was organized so that so many people turned up to support this occupation (Howard, 2011).
The media had little negative impact on the revolution. However, one of the identifiable negative impacts that it did have was in the difficulty of estimating the level of support that revolutionaries had towards the course. An example is where some dedicated sites and pages are opened to support a given ideal. Whenever people are called to participate in a particular course, they may not turn up as expected. A few people among the so called followers might be willing to take any action towards the cause (Khamis & Vaughn, 2011). This was the case in Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Syria and Tunisia. So many groups of supporters came signed in to various social media platforms in the Internet but did not take any actions towards aiding the revolution.
Similarly, using modern technology for revolutions could affect it in a negative way, especially where government spies masquerade as supporters. In such cases, the leaders of the revolution could be vulnerable to government penetration through false support. However, the positive impacts that social media had on the revolution far outweigh the negatives ones. The media were responsible for weaponizing the information down to the personal level. Whether this information ends up either as truth or propaganda always depends on the intention of the recipient (Howard, 2011).
According to Giglio (2011), the media cannot replace the physical actions that are necessary for a successful ouster of dictatorial regimes. This is because the war of movement reaches a stage where social institutions must develop decisive changes, sometimes resorting to violence. As Giglio (2011) observes during the revolution in Bahrain, the impact that media played should not be exaggerated. This is because the beleaguered regimes normally hold on the instruments of power including security forces and the truncheons.
As such, the present regime remains in control if coordination of the revolutionary is not there. The media can only speed up the rate of information access and whatever is done with information is dependent on the organizers of the revolutionaries. In the case of Egypt, it was easier to verify the information that was coming through the media. Many people turned to social media so that posting false information or messages could easily pass as such. In many Arab countries where there was an uprising, the media held minimal utility during the time of transition. For example, the Muslim Brotherhood, who later came to power after the ouster of Mubarak government, did not fancy the idea of using the media to communicate their agendas. As a result, the new government eventually ran into problems for failing to craft a message with the public. Among the mistakes made with the new regime were their attempts to use the same channels to come up with constitutional processes and form a strong political party with new ideologies (Khamis & Vaughn, 2011).
The speedy ouster of the Muslim Brotherhood from power is an indication that even new governments can be affected by social media. This illustrates the kind challenges that media can present to new governments. Digital media presents a weak phenomenon where it is difficult to build strong ties between people through the media. This contrasts the strong ties exhibited in personal political relationships. The presence of weak ties as a result of digital media hampered the activism in Libya and Syria. However, this was not the case in Bahrain and Tunisia where protesters were more cohesive in their approach to political demands. Nevertheless, the prospect of weak ties in the revolutions that occurred during the Arab spring necessitated the participation of many people. However, it was not on the ideological grounds but on personal connections that resulted in the success of some of the revolutions. The media facilitated the feeling of being personally connected to what was happening inside the country and elsewhere, giving people a sense of hope. Facebook activism achieved great success not because people in the Arab world were motivated to make sacrifices, but do things that they would do instead of personal sacrifice (Giglio, 2011).
This aspect of risk-taking in using social media and other modern platforms of communication counteracts the glare for greater achievements. For instance, in Syria the government focused their efforts on combating people who were using social media to communicate as the revolution became more intense (Giglio, 2011). The political aspect of the problems that faced many countries in the Arab world bordered on the failure of the regimes to grant freedom of speech and uphold inalienable human rights. A good example is in Libya where the people were not poor in terms of resources. The government provided everything that people needed from healthcare services to education. However, there was a general suppression of the freedom of speech and brutality to the opposition. Thus, when an opportunity to protest against the regime arose, people did not consider the social services that were offered in their country. By accessing the unfolding events in Tunisia and Egypt, the protesters had a sense that emancipation was within their reach if they embraced the available channels to communicate (Castells, 2011).
The height of involvement of social media users differed in each of the country that experienced the revolution. While the igniting spark in Tunisia was based on the failure by the government to address the economic problems in the country, in Libya it was based on the sense of hopelessness on the part of the people. Consequently, there was a dissimilarity in the way people in different countries perceived the use of social media as a tool to influence the course of their revolution. In countries like Saudi Arabia, where there was no revolution, governments had already put into place mechanisms to control the use of social media with respect to what was happening in other Arab countries (DeFronzo, 1996). The sense of participating in the revolution using social media also hindered the success of the revolution in Syria and Bahrain. This is because so many people who expressed support the revolutionaries from behind a computer screen did not come out to physically support them when they took on the streets. This contrasts the occurrences in Tunisia and Egypt, where the support was spontaneous. Everyone viewed those events as the moment they were waiting for (Castells, 2011).
In many cases, the reactionary nature of government forces undermined the effort of the government to present its leadership style as people-oriented. For instance, in Bahrain where the demonstration was solely about the economic challenges that the country was facing, the government reacted with a full force. As a result, the demonstration turned into a protest aimed explicitly at the ouster of the country’s monarch (Beaumont, 2011). The way the government in Libya and Tunisia reacted to the protests showed that they did not envisage a situation where people would have an outlet to express and mass distribute their opinions on matters of their country. The media only conveyed (albeit in a strong way) the occurrences on the ground. The governments were expected to know better about the rights of the people in a universal manner so that upholding of values and principles was not depended on the reports in the media (DeFronzo, 1996).
The media indeed played a neutral role in the whole struggle as the information that reached the people was a representation of the actual occurrences in the country. As observed in Beaumont (2011), any attempt to alter the information and messages could imply the bi-partisan nature of the media. However, the use of live coverage on television and amateur videos made it difficult for the media to show biases. In most cases, the international media relied on the images and amateur videos that protesters sent to them, making it very hard for them to manipulate the story, particularly since the information that was sent to particular media platforms were relayed in real-time. Because the governments where the Arab Spring occurred had oppressed their people for such long time, the bloggers and other reporters felt that their countries lacked media ethics to censor some of the brutal pictures from the Internet. Thus, one may argue that the bloggers and amateur photographers should have censored some of the pictures. Still, this was simply a reflection of the countries’ values and principles where showing, for example, the corpses of victims were not a sign of bi-partisanship.
To what degree did social media play any in the revolution in Bahrain?
How did the youth use social media to influence the course of events?
Did the media impact positively or negatively to the revolution?
How did the government respond to the use of social media in your country during the revolution?
Did the users of media become leaders of the revolution in Bahrain?
In what ways did the youths used the media during the revolution in Bahrain?
From the responses on the above questions, it became evident that more people turned to the media to access information during the revolution in Bahrain. During this period, images of youth taking to the streets with mobile phones in their hands denoted the popularity of social media to influence the course of the revolution. However, it was not clear on the number of people who used different media to access information in Bahrain. The White Canvas Group analyzed several statistics on the use of different media during the revolutions witnessed in the Middle East (Khamis & Vaughn, 2011).
Unlike in other countries where the use of satellite TV was high, in Libya participation in social media like Twitter decreased during the time of revolution. In Syria where the revolution is ongoing, use of social media has decimated an indication that the government has increased its patronage on the accessibility of information from the Internet. More than 70% of Egyptians have access to satellite TV. This means that television channels such as BBC and Al Jazeera acted as sources information on the state of revolution (Bamyeh, 2011).
One of the difficulties that social media usage faced during the revolution in Bahrain was the dynamic and anonymous nature of the internal heading and leadership of the social movement. According to Metz (2012), the first stages of the insurgency during the Arab Spring involved great internal struggles as well as external ones. Thus, the participation of many people in trying to organize a social movement presented a challenge concerning who was to control the movement. For instance, in Egypt, more than 100,000 people were involved in organizing the match to Tahir Square. Therefore, social media is presented with the challenge in the sense that it was difficult to figure out the overarching theme of the movement (Choudhary., et al., 2012).
There was also the issue of developing a united list of core demands from various stakeholders so that when the occupation started, people would be able to coordinate. There was also the desire to have a clear focus on the most important issues that were to be accomplished immediately so as not to muddle the purpose of the revolution. The media, both conventional and digital played a role to ensure that the revolution was successful. In countries where Internet access is limited by the authority, the users of the satellite TV and other digital media naturally turned into the leaders of the revolution. According to Bamyeh (2011), this presented the theory of dissident elites who, through the use of different media platforms, became the leaders of the revolution by default.
Even though this created a sense of disorganization in the initial stages of the revolution, Allam (2011) argued that it nonetheless generated the mass movements that are the direct opposite of focused movements. This limited the gains that revolutionary activities could have had because it provided the government forces with fewer options to respond. The result was a brutal response that left many innocent protesters as well as the police dead. As Allam (2011) noted, the governments of Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, and Tunisia had a great opportunity to settle the protest through concessions without retaliating on the protesters. In fact, this approach could act to the benefit of the regime since it would help the regimes gain legitimacy in the eyes of its citizens. However, regimes did not make any attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the media to push their agenda. Instead, they retaliated against the protesters, brutal acts that were broadcast in social media platforms. The net result was a further polarization of the standoff between the revolutionaries and the government (Alterman, 2011).
The ability to share an immense amount of accurate and uncensored information through social media contributed to the experience of activism in the Arab Spring. Throughout the event in the different countries, the protesters not only gained the power to influence and control but also helped the populace to know about the movements that were working towards the emancipation of their country (Choudhary., et al, 2012). Thus, many people had access to the plight of tortured people who could not have otherwise had a platform to pass their messages. In countries like Tunisia and Egypt, the emerging action plans, like occupational protests, attracted thousands of people. According to one Arab Spring activist, social media were used to organize the protests. To be specific, Twitter was used to coordinate the activities while sites like YouTube were used to communicate to the outside world. The use of digital media allowed for the distribution of public messages in an unprecedented manner. This was important in anchoring the demand for democracy through social movements that guided the ouster of oppressive regimes (Axford, 2011).
Moreover, social media in Libya and Tunisia assisted to dismantle the obstacle of fear by allowing many people to connect and share messages. This gave many people in the Arab world the confidence to know that they were being supported elsewhere and that so many other people in other countries were also facing the problems of oppressive regimes (The Wilson Quarterly, 2011). That brutality, injustice, and economic hardships were characteristic of oppressive regimes. They served the role of making revolutionaries and activists persist in their efforts. The use of media gave activists and revolutionaries an opportunity to disseminate messages quickly while circumventing the regulations from the government. It is notable that while digital media did not cause the Arab Spring, it certainly facilitated the communication process that assisted the activists in the long run (Gaworecki, 2011).
According to Khaled Koubaa, the leader of the Internet Society in Tunisia, of the 2000 people who registered as Twitter users, no more than 200 were active users before the revolution had begun. Social media served a crucial role in guiding the protests. For example, while many other people had immolated in protest before scenes of Mohamed Bouazizi’s act sparked a broader movement against the government, their acts did not spark the revolution because mass circulation and accessibility to such events were not previously possible (The Wilson Quarterly, 2011). While emphasizing the role of social media, Tufeckci (2011) observed that the Tunis protests had earlier been crushed in 2008 with no significant backlash. Part of the reason that allowed the crushing of the protest was that only a few people were using social media in Tunisia at that time. Thus, there was insignificant penetration of the new media. However, things had changed rapidly by 2010 when the penetration grew significantly (Allam, 2011).
The revolution in Tunisia quickly spread to Egypt unexpectedly. In both cases, the center trigger was digital media (Hall, 2012). The Western media christened such revolutions as Jasmine Revolution partly because there was no major violence in the two countries. However, this changed when it spread to Libya, where insurgency was met with the full brute force of the government security services. Indeed, consensus from the researchers shows that the media played a crucial role in promoting and advancing the call for the ouster of oppressive regimes in the Arab world. The governments’ attempt to control the media served the purpose of making the channel more relevant to the course of the insurgency that before.
According to Abaza (2011), the issue of the function of digital media in the Arab Spring is likely to overtake that of conventional media like television, which were important in all the revolutionary activities, but also had the effect of benefiting the government. Conventional channels such as Al Jazeera, Al Hiwar, France 24, and BBC News collected messages from the Internet and used them to organize groups to retransmit free messages on the cell phones. As such, there emerged a new system of mass communication that synthesizes the interaction between Internet, radio, mobile, and interactive television (Fuchs, 2012).
In general, the role that media played during the Arab Spring can largely be said to be non-neutral to the extent that it allowed people to access accurate and timely information. However, in an ideal situation, the media is just to play a neutral role. The case in the Arab Spring was different because people used the media to communicate with others without the possibility of censoring themselves.
In conclusion, it cannot be doubted that the Arab Spring brought a new dimension to revolutionary movements. This was the first protest movement to utilize the power of social media to achieve its goals. Previous movements required phased development to achieve their goals. As such, the media provided greater opportunities for protesters in the Arab world to achieve their goals quickly. The media used in the Arab Spring played a role in facilitating the mobilization and utilization of information as weapons. To this end, the use of amateur videos uploaded on the YouTube and live coverage of protesters and government brutality were the most valuable source of information during the events. The neutrality of the media in disseminating information bordered on the need to provide credible information. The countries that were affected by the revolution have the history of suppressing the freedom of speech. As such, when digital media came into place it was apparent that people could now have access to information and any attempt to censor information could not have succeeded.
From the above investigation, it is apparent that media can play an important role in instituting democracy and human rights. However, the role that social media play is not dependent on the issues that are at stake. As the fourth estate, the media has the responsibility to inform the society of the actual events on the ground in an objective manner. The use of new forms of media such as social media and micro-blogging facilitated the organization and execution of revolutionary activities during the Arab Spring. In Tunisia, where the revolution first started in the Arab world, the use of social media enabled people to access information that was previously censored. The resolve of the people to use the media also made it difficult for the government to deploy its machineries to stop accessing and using information from the internet. In Libya, the revolution began because people learnt through the media about what was happening in other parts of the world. Previously the use of conventional media was heavily regulated with government censoring and deciding what gets to the people. However, the new platforms in social media and micro-blogging sites enabled people to circumvent restrictions and regulation from the government to access the shared information with the outside world. Moreover, the various social media platforms enabled people to share the information in real-time.
In Egypt, media broadcasted live coverage of the event in Tahir Square propounding the legitimacy of protesters in the country. The use of social media also aided revolutionaries to plan and organize events that were dedicated to protesting against the government. The reactionary response of the government forces against protesters in Bahrain caused an increase in the demands that had been made by the demonstrators. People learnt about the overnight attack by the government through social media and started to demand that the monarch relinquish power. The attempt by government police to run over the protesters at Pearl Roundabout also was broadcasted in the media through amateur videos. It impacted on the government’s image in the international community helped revolutionaries attract sympathy from the international supporters for their cause. In Syria, the government managed to control social media and other conventional media channels forcing revolutionaries to turn into rebels. However, the use of social media managed to present the Syrian government as brutal to the outside world. | 2019-04-22T11:58:56Z | https://thesisleader.com/essays/role-of-media-in-arab-spring/ |
2009-10-02 Assigned to WARSAW ORTHOPEDIC, INC. reassignment WARSAW ORTHOPEDIC, INC. DOCUMENT ID NO. 700418747--CORRECT RECORDATION OF MERGER (REEL 022771 AND FRAME 0591) FROM SERIAL NO. 08/480,908 TO 12/454,393 Assignors: SDGI HOLDINGS, INC.
The present invention is directed to a variety of interbody spinal fusion implants having at least a partially frusto-conical configuration. An external thread is employed to increase implant stability and implant surface area, and for the purpose of advancing the spinal fusion implant into the fusion site. The spinal fusion implants of the present invention may be relatively solid or hollow and may have surface roughenings to promote bone ingrowth and stability. The spinal fusion implants of the present invention may have wells extending into the material of the implant from the surface for the purpose of holding fusion promoting materials and to provide for areas of bone ingrowth fixation.
The present application is a continuation of Ser. No. 08/480,908, filed Jun. 7, 1995; which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates generally to interbody spinal fusion implants, and in particular to spinal fusion implants configured to restore and maintain two adjacent vertebrae of the spine in anatomical lordosis.
Interbody spinal fusion refers to the method of achieving bony bridging between adjacent vertebrae through the disc space, the space between adjacent vertebrae normally occupied by a spinal disc. Numerous implants to facilitate such a fusion have been described by Cloward, Brantigan, and others, and are known to those skilled in the art. Generally, cylindrical implants offer the advantage of conforming to an easily prepared recipient bore spanning the disc space and penetrating into each of the adjacent vertebrae. Such a bore may be created by use of a drill. It is an anatomical fact that both the cervical spine and the lumbar spine are normally lordotic, that is convex forward. Such alignment is important to the proper functioning of the spine. Commonly, those conditions which require treatment by spinal fusion are associated with a loss of lordosis.
Therefore, there exists a need for spinal fusion implants that permit for the restoration of anatomical lordosis.
The present invention is directed to a variety of interbody spinal fusion implants having at least a partially frusto-conical configuration. In the preferred embodiment, the spinal fusion implants of the present invention have a body that is partially or fully frusto-conical shape substantially along the portion of the implant in contact with the adjacent vertebrae of the spine. The spinal fusion implants of the present invention have an external thread for engaging the adjacent vertebrae of the spine and have an insertion end and a trailing end. The external thread may have a variable or constant thread radius and/or a constant or variable thread height measured from the body of the implant.
The spinal fusion implants of the present invention may be further modified so that while the upper and lower surfaces are portions of a frusto-cone, at least one side portion may be truncated to form a planar surface that is parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the implant to form straight walls. These implants may have a more tapered aspect at the insertion end of the implant to facilitate insertion. The spinal fusion implants of the present invention may be relatively solid and/or porous and/or hollow, and may have surface roughenings to promote bone ingrowth and stability.
The spinal fusion implants of the present invention may have wells extending into the material of the implant from the surface for the purpose of holding fusion promoting materials and to provide for areas of bone ingrowth fixation. These wells, or holes, may pass either into or through the implant and may or may not intersect. The spinal fusion implants of the present invention may have at least one chamber which may be in communication through at least one opening to the surface of the implant. Said chamber may have at least one access opening for loading the chamber with fusion promoting substances. The access opening may be capable of being closed with a cap or similar means.
1. Because the spinal fusion implants of the present invention are at least partially frusto-conical in shape, those that taper from the leading edge to the trailing edge are easy to introduce and easy to fully insert into the spinal segment to be fused. In another embodiment, where the trailing edge of the implant is larger than the leading edge, the implant utilizes a tapered forward portion and an increasing thread height relative to the body from the leading edge to the trailing edge to facilitate insertion.
2. The shape of the implants of the present invention is consistent with the shape of the disc, which the implants at least in part replace, wherein the front of the disc is normally taller than the back of the disc, which allows for normal lordosis. The implants of the present invention are similarly taller anteriorly than they are posteriorly.
3. The spinal fusion implants of the present invention conform to a geometric shape, which shape is readily producible at the site of fusion, to receive said spinal fusion implants.
The spinal fusion implants of the present invention can be made of any material appropriate for human implantation and having the mechanical properties sufficient to be utilized for the intended purpose of spinal fusion, including various metals such as cobalt chrome, stainless steel or titanium including its alloys, various plastics including those which are bio-absorbable, and various ceramics or combination sufficient for the intended purpose. Further, the spinal fusion implants of the present invention may be made of a solid material, a mesh-like material, a porous material and may comprise, wholly or in part, materials capable of directly participating in the spinal fusion process, or be loaded with, composed of, treated of coated with chemical substances such as bone, morphogenic proteins, hydroxyapatite in any of its forms, and osteogenic proteins, to make them bioactive for the purpose of stimulating spinal fusion. The implants of the present invention may be wholly or in part bioabsorbable.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a frusto-conical spinal fusion implant which may be placed side by side adjacent to a second identical implant across the same disc space, such that the combined width of the two implants is less than sum of the individual heights of each implant.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a frusto-conical spinal fusion implant which may be placed side by side adjacent to a second identical implant across the same disc space, such that the combined width of the two implants is less than sum of the individual lengths of each implant.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a review of the accompanying drawings and the detailed description of the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the spinal fusion implant of the present invention having a body that is frusto-conical with an external thread having a substantially uniform radius.
FIG. 1A is an enlarged fragmentary view along line 1A of FIG. 1 illustrating the surface configuration of the implant of FIG. 1.
FIG. 1B is an enlarged fragmentary view along line 1A of FIG. 1 illustrating an alternative embodiment of the surface configuration of the implant of the present invention made of a cancellous material.
FIG. 1C is a cross sectional view along lines 1C-1C of FIG. 1B illustrating the alternative embodiment of the surface configuration of the implant of the present invention made of a cancellous material.
FIG. 1D is an enlarged fragmentary view along line 1A of FIG. 1 illustrating an alternative embodiment of the surface configuration of the implant of the present invention made of a fibrous mesh-like material.
FIG. 1E is a fragmentary view along line 1A of FIG. 1 illustrating an alternative embodiment of the surface configuration, of the implant of the present invention comprising a plurality of spaced apart posts.
FIG. 1F is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view along lines 1F-1F of FIG. 1E illustrating the surface configuration of the implant of FIG. 1E.
FIG. 2 is an alternative embodiment of the spinal fusion implant of the present invention having a frusto-conical body with an external thread radius and thread height that are not constant.
FIG. 3 is as cross sectional view along line 3-3 of the implant of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the spinal fusion implant of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a side elevational view and partial cut-away of a segment of the spinal column in lordosis showing the spinal fusion implant of FIG. 4 being implanted with a driving instrument from the posterior approach to the spinal column.
FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the spinal fusion implant of the present invention having a frusto-conical body and truncated sides.
FIG. 7 is an end view along line 7-7 of the spinal fusion implant of FIG. 6 shown placed beside a second identical implant shown in hidden line.
FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the spinal fusion implant of the present invention having a body with an irregular configuration.
Referring to FIG. 1, a side elevational view of the spinal fusion implant of the present invention generally referred to by numeral 20 is shown. The implant 20 has a body 22 that is frusto-conical in shape such that the body 22 has a diameter (root diameter) that is generally frusto-conical. The body 22 has an insertion end 24 and a trailing end 26. The insertion end 24 may include a tapered portion 25 to facilitate insertion of the spinal implant 20. In the preferred embodiment, when the implant 20 is inserted from the anterior aspect of the spine, the body 22 of the implant 20 has a maximum diameter at a point nearest to the trailing end 26 and a minimum diameter at a point nearest to the insertion end 24.
The implant 20 has an external thread 28 having a substantially uniform radius R1 measured from the central longitudinal axis L1 of the implant 20. The outer locus of the external thread 28 (major diameter) has an overall configuration that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis L1. While the major diameter of the implant 20 is substantially uniform, the external thread 28 may be modified at the leading edge by having initially a reduced thread radius to facilitate insertion of the implant 20 and may also be modified to make the external thread 28 self-tapping. In the preferred embodiment, the external thread 28 has a first thread 30 of a lesser radius than the radius R1 of the remainder of the external thread 28 to facilitate insertion of the implant 20. The second thread 32 has a greater radius than the first thread 30, but is still shorter than the radius R1 of the remainder of the external thread 28 which is thereafter of constant radius.
The body 22 is frusto-conical substantially along the portion of the body 22 in contact with the adjacent vertebrae of the spine which allows for creating and maintaining the adjacent vertebrae of the spine in the appropriate angular relationship to each other in order to preserve and/or restore the normal anatomic lordosis of the spine. The substantially uniform radius R1 of the external thread 28 of the implant 20 allows engaging the bone of the adjacent vertebrae in a position that counters the forces which tend to urge the implant 20 from between the adjacent vertebrae in the direction opposite to which the implant 20 was implanted. The greater thread height measured from the body 22 near the leading end 24 of the implant 20 provides greater purchase into the vertebral bone and again enhances the stability of the implant 20. Further, the configuration of the external thread 28 increases the surface area of the implant 20 in contact with the vertebrae to promote bone ingrowth.
The implant 20 has a recessed slot 34 at its trailing end 26 for receiving and engaging insertion instrumentation for inserting the implant 20. The recessed slot 34 has a threaded opening 36 for threadably attaching the implant 20 to instrumentation used for inserting the implant 20.
Referring to FIG. 1A, the implant 20 has an outer surface 38 that is porous to present an irregular surface to the bone to promote bone ingrowth. The outer surface 38 is also able to hold fusion promoting materials and provides for an increased surface area to engage the bone in the fusion process and to provide further stability. The pores of the outer surfaces 38 are microscopic in size having a diameter that is less than 1 mm, in the range of 50-1000 microns, with 250-500 microns being the preferred diameter. It is appreciated that the outer surface 38, and/or the entire implant 20, may comprise any other porous material or roughened surface sufficient to hold fusion promoting substances and/or allow for bone ingrowth and/or engage the bone during the fusion process. The implant 20 may be further coated with bioactive fusion promoting substances including, but not limited to, hydroxyapatite compounds, osteogenic proteins and bone morphogenic proteins. The implant 20 is shown as being solid, however it is appreciated that it can be made to be substantially hollow or hollow in part.
Referring to FIG. 1B, an enlarged fragmentary view along line 1A of FIG. 1 illustrating an alternative embodiment of the surface configuration 38 of the implant of the present invention made of a cancellous material is shown. The cancellous material 50, similar in configuration to human cancellous bone, having interstices 52 such that the outer surface 38 has a configuration as shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C. As the implant of the present invention may be made entirely or in part of the cancellous material 50, the interstices 52 may be present in the outer surface 338 and/or within the entire implant to promote bone ingrowth and hold bone fusion promoting materials.
Referring to FIG. 1D, an enlarged fragmentary view along line 1A of FIG. 1 illustrating an alternative embodiment of the surface configuration of the implant of the present invention made of a fibrous mesh-like material is shown. The mesh-like material 60 comprises strands 62 that are formed and pressed together such that interstices 64, capable of retaining fusion promoting material and for allowing for bone ingrowth, are present between the strands in at least the outer surface 38 of implant of the present invention.
Referring to FIGS. 1E and 1F, a fragmentary view along line 1A of FIG. 1 illustrating an alternative embodiment of the surface configuration 38 of the implant of the present invention comprising a plurality of spaced apart posts 70 is shown. The posts 70 have a head portion 72 of a larger diameter than the remainder of the posts 70, and each of the interstices 74 is the reverse configuration of the posts 72, having a bottom 76 that is wider than the entrance to the interstices 74. Such a configuration of the posts 70 and interstices 74 aids in the retention of bone material in the surface 38 of the implant and further assists in the locking of the implant into the bone fusion mass created from the bone ingrowth. As the bone ingrowth at the bottom 76 of the interstices is wider than the entrance, the bone ingrowth cannot exit from the entrance and is locked within the interstice 74. The surface of the implant provides for an improvement in the available amount of surface area which may be still further increased by rough finishing, flocking or otherwise producing a non smooth surface.
In the preferred embodiment, the posts 70 have a maximum diameter in the range of approximately 0.1-2 mm and a height of approximately 0.1-2 mm and are spaced apart a distance of approximately 0.1-2 mm such that the interstices 74 have a width in the range of approximately 0.1 to 2 mm. The post sizes, shapes, and distributions may be varied within the same implant.
In the preferred embodiment, for use in the lumbar spine, the implant 20 has an overall length in the range of approximately 24 mm to 32 mm with 26 mm being the preferred length. The body 22 of the implant 20 has a root diameter at the insertion end 24 in the range of 8-20 mm, with 14-16 mm being the preferred root diameter at the insertion end, and a root diameter at the trailing end 26 in the range of 10-24 mm, with 16-18 mm being the preferred diameter at the trailing end 26, when said implants, are used in pairs. When used singly in the lumbar spine, the preferred diameters would be larger.
In the preferred embodiment, the implant 20 has a thread radius R1 in the range of 6 mm to 12 mm, with 9-10 mm being the preferred radius R1. For use in the cervical spine, the implant 20 has an overall length in the range of approximately 10-22 mm, with 12-14 mm being the preferred length. The body 22 of the implant 20 has a root diameter at the insertion end 24 in the range of 8-22 mm, with 16-18 mm being the preferred root diameter at the insertion end when used singly, and 8-10 mm when used in pairs. The body 22 of the implant 20 has a root diameter at the trailing end 26 in the range of 10-24 mm, with 18-20 mm being the preferred root diameter at the trailing end 26 when used singly, and 10-12 mm when used in pairs; a thread radius, R1 in the range of approximately 4-12 mm, with 9-10 mm being the preferred radius R1 when inserted singularly and 5-7 mm when inserted side by side in pairs.
Referring to FIG. 2, an alternative embodiment of implant 20 is shown and generally referred to by the numeral 120. The implant 120 has a body 122 similar to body 122 of implant 120 and has an external thread 128 having a radius R3 measured from the central longitudinal axis L3 of the implant 120. The thread radius R3 is not constant throughout the length of the implant 120 and the external thread 128 has a thread height that is also not constant with respect to the body 122 of the implant 120. In the preferred embodiment, the implant 120 has an external thread 128 with a radius R3 that increases in size from the insertion end 124 to the trailing end 126 of the implant 120.
Referring to FIG. 3, a cross sectional view along line 3-3 of the implant 120 is shown. The implant 120 has an outer wall 144 surrounding an internal chamber 146. The large and small openings 140 and 142 may pass through the outer wall 144 to communicate with the internal chamber 146. The internal chamber 146 may be filled with bone material or any natural bone growth material or fusion promoting material such that bone growth occurs from the vertebrae through the openings 140 and 142 to the material within internal chamber 146. While the openings 140 and 142 have been shown in the drawings as being circular, it is appreciated that the openings 140 and 142 may have any shape, size configuration or distribution, suitable for use in a spinal fusion implant without departing from the scope of the present invention.
The openings 140 and 142 are macroscopic in size having a diameter that is greater than 1 mm. The large openings 140 have a diameter in the range of 206 mm, with the preferred diameter being 3.5 mm; and the small openings have a diameter in the range of 1-2 mm, with 1.5 mm being the preferred diameter.
The implant 120 has a cap 148 with a thread 150 that threadably attaches to the insertion end 124 of the spinal fusion implant 120. The cap 148 is removable to provide access to the internal chamber 146, such that the internal chamber 146 can be filled and hold any natural or artificial osteoconductive, osteoinductive, osteogenic, or other fusion enhancing material. Some examples of such materials are bone harvested from the patient, or bone growth inducing material such as, but not limited to, hydroxyapatite, hydroxyapatite tricalcium phosphate; or bone morphogenic protein. The cap 148 and/or the spinal fusion implant 120 may be made of any material appropriate for human implantation including metals such as cobalt chrome, stainless steel, titanium, plastics, ceramics, composites and/or may be made of, and/or filled, and/or coated with a bone ingrowth inducing material such as, but not limited to, hydroxyapatite or hydroxyapatite tricalcium phosphate or any other osteoconductive, osteoinductive, osteogenic, or other fusion enhancing material. The cap 148 and the implant 120 may be partially or wholly bioabsorbable.
Referring to FIG. 4, a side elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the spinal fusion implant of the present invention generally referred to by numeral 520 is shown. The implant 520 has a body 522 having a root diameter that is frusto conical in the reverse direction as that implant 20 shown in FIG. 1, in order to preserve and/or restore lordosis in a segment of spinal column when inserted from the posterior aspect of the spine. The body 522 has an insertion end 524 and a trailing end 526. In the preferred embodiment, the body 522 of the implant 520 has a minimum diameter at a point nearest to the trailing end 526 and a maximum diameter at a point nearest to the insertion end 524. The insertion end 524 may have an anterior nose cone portion 530 presenting a tapered end to facilitate insertion.
The implant 520 has an external thread 528 having a substantially uniform radius R6 measured from the central longitudinal axis L6 of the implant 520 such that the external diameter of the external thread 528 (major diameter) has an overall configuration that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis L6. It is appreciated that the thread 528 can have a major diameter that varies with respect to the longitudinal axis L6, such that the major diameter may increase from the insertion end 524 to the trailing end 526 or the reverse. The external thread 528 has a thread height measured from the body 522 that increases from the insertion end 524 to the trailing end 526.
Referring to FIG. 5, a segment of the spinal column S is shown with the vertebrae V1 and V2 in lordosis and an implant 520 shown being inserted from the posterior aspect of the spinal column S with an instrument driver D. The implant 520 is inserted with the larger diameter insertion end 524 first in order to in initially distract apart the vertebrae V1 and V2 which then angle toward each other posteriorly as the implant 520 is fully inserted. It is appreciated that the insertion of implant 520 does not require the adjacent vertebrae V1 and V2 to be placed in lordosis prior to insertion, as the full insertion of the implant 520 itself is capable of creating the desired lordotic angular relationship of the two vertebrae V1 and V2.
In the preferred embodiment, for use in the lumbar spine, the implant 520 has an overall length in the range of approximately 24 m 30 mm, with 26 mm being the preferred length. The body 522 of the implant 520 has a root diameter at the insertion end 524 in the range of 12-22 mm, with 16 mm being the preferred root diameter at the insertion end, and a root diameter at the trailing end 526 in the range of 10-20 mm, with 14 mm being the preferred diameter at the trailing end 526. In the preferred embodiment, the implant 520 has a thread radius R6 in the range of 6 mm to 12 mm, with 8 mm being the preferred radius R6.
Referring to FIG. 6, an alternative embodiment of the spinal fusion implant of the present invention generally referred to by the numeral 620 and a partial fragmentary view of a second identical implant, generally referred to by the numeral 621 are shown. The implant 620 has a body 622 that is partially frusto-conical in shape similar to body 22 of implant 20 shown in FIG. 1, and has an insertion end 624 and a trailing end 626. The body 622 of the implant 620 has truncated sides 670 and 672 forming planar surfaces that are parallel to the longitudinal axis L7. In this manner, two implants 620 and 621 may be placed side by side, with one of the sides 670 or 672 of each implant with little space between them, such that the area of contact with the bone of the adjacent vertebrae is maximized. It is appreciated that the body 622 may also be cylindrical in shape and have truncated sides 670 and 672.
The implant 620 has an external thread 628 having a radius R6 measured from the central longitudinal axis L7 that may be constant, such that the major diameter or outer locus-of the external thread 628 has an overall configuration that is substantially, cylindrical. It is appreciated that the external thread 628 may have a thread radius R7 that is variable with respect to the longitudinal axis L7 such that the major diameter or outer locus of the external thread 628 has an overall configuration that is substantially frusto-conical.
Referring to FIG. 7, an end view of the implant 620 placed beside implant 621 is shown. The implant 620 has a thread radius that is substantially constant and has a thread height measured from the body 622 that is greater at the sides 670 and 672. In this manner, two implants 620 and 621 can be placed beside each other with the external thread 628 of each implant interdigitated allowing for closer adjacent placement of the two implants as a result of the substantial overlap of the external thread 628 at the side 670 or 672 of the implants.
Referring to FIG. 8, an alternative embodiment of the implant of the present invention is shown and generally referred to by the numeral 700. The implant 700 is similar in configuration to implant 20 shown in FIG. 1, except that the body 722 has an irregular configuration. The configuration of the body 722 has a root diameter D which is variable in size throughout the length of the implant 700 and, as shown in this embodiment, comprises larger diameter portions 750 and smaller diameter portions 752. It is appreciated that each of the large diameter portions 750 may be of the same or different diameter and each of the smaller diameter portions 752 may be of the same or different diameter.
The outer surface of the body 722 of implant 720 may be filled with fusion promoting substances such that the smaller diameter portions 752 may hold such fusion promoting substances. If so filled, the composite of the implant 700 and the fusion promoting material could still produce an even external surface of the body 722 if so desired.
While the present invention has been described in detail with regards to the preferred embodiments, it is appreciated that other variations of the present invention may be devised which do not depart from the inventive concept of the present invention. In particular, it is appreciated that the various teachings described in regards to the specific embodiments herein may be combined in a variety of ways such that the features are not limited to the specific embodiments described above.
Each of the features disclosed in the various embodiments and their functional equivalents may be combined in any combination sufficient to achieve the purposes of the present invention as described herein.
a thread along at least a portion of the length of said body adapted to engage said implant to the adjacent vertebral bodies, said thread having a thread height measured from said body which is greatest at said at least one truncated side, said at least one truncated side having a truncated portion between said thread and said leading end.
2. The spinal fusion implant of claim 1, wherein said opposed arcuate portions are in an angular relationship to each other along at least a portion of the length of said implant sufficient to maintain the adjacent vertebral bodies in an angular relationship to each other.
3. The spinal fusion implant of claim 2, wherein said implant is configured to be inserted from a posterior approach to the vertebral bodies.
4. The spinal fusion implant of claim 2, wherein said implant is configured to be inserted from an anterior approach to the vertebral bodies.
5. The spinal fusion implant of claim 1, wherein each of said opposed portions comprises an interior surface, said interior surfaces being spaced apart to define a hollow interior in communication with said openings.
6. The spinal fusion implant of claim 5, wherein said implant includes an access opening for accessing said hollow interior.
7. The spinal fusion implant of claim 6, wherein said access opening is configured to permit introduction of a fusion promoting substance into said hollow interior.
8. The spinal fusion implant of claim 6, further comprising a cap for closing said access opening.
9. The spinal fusion implant of claim 1, wherein said body has a second truncated side opposite to said one truncated side.
10. The spinal fusion implant of claim 1, further in combination with a fusion promoting substance.
11. The spinal fusion implant of claim 10, wherein said fusion promoting substance is bone morphogenetic protein.
12. The spinal fusion implant of claim 10, wherein said fusion promoting substance includes hydroxyapatite.
13. The spinal fusion implant of claim 10, wherein said fusion promoting substance includes hydroxyapatite tricalcium phosphate.
14. The spinal fusion implant of claim 10, wherein said fusion promoting substance is bone.
a thread extending from at least adjacent said leading end to at least adjacent said trailing end, said thread adapted to engage said implant to the adjacent vertebral bodies and to facilitate rotation of said implant from a first position to a second position during insertion thereof into the implantation space, said thread having a thread height measured from said body, said thread height varying along more than one turn of said thread.
17. The spinal fusion implant of claim 15, wherein each of said arcuate portions include a plurality of openings therein.
18. The spinal fusion implant of claim 15, wherein said body has an internal chamber and means for accessing said internal chamber.
19. The spinal fusion implant of claim 18, wherein said internal chamber is capable of containing fusion promoting material.
20. The spinal fusion implant of claim 18, wherein internal chamber said includes a wall surrounding said internal chamber.
21. The spinal fusion implant of claim 20, wherein said wall has a plurality of openings passing therethrough in communication with said internal chamber.
22. The spinal fusion implant of claim 18, wherein said implant has means for closing said accessing means.
23. The spinal fusion implant of claim 15, wherein one of said ends is configured to engage instrumentation for the insertion of said implant.
24. The spinal fusion implant of claim 15, wherein said implant is configured to be placed in close proximity in a side by side alignment to a second spinal fusion implant, said first and second implants when placed together having a combined overall width that is less than the sum of the individual maximum diameters of each of said first and second implants.
26. The spinal fusion implant of claim 25, wherein said body has a second truncated side forming a planar surface parallel to the mid-longitudinal axis and opposite to said first truncated side.
27. The spinal fusion implant of claim 26, wherein said thread has a thread height measured from said body which is greatest at least one of said truncated sides.
28. The spinal fusion implant of claim 25, wherein said thread has a thread height measured from said body which is greatest at said first truncated side.
29. The spinal fusion implant of claim 15, wherein said implant is made of a material that is stronger than bone.
30. The spinal fusion implant of claim 15, in combination with a fusion promoting substance.
31. The spinal fusion implant of claim 30, wherein said fusion promoting substance includes at least one of bone, bone morphogenetic protein, hydroxyapatite, and hydroxyapatite tricalcium phosphate.
32. The spinal fusion implant of claim 15, wherein said thread has a variable height along each turn of said thread about the mid-longitudinal axis of said body.
33. The spinal fusion implant of claim 15, wherein said thread is uninterrupted.
34. The spinal fusion implant of claim 15, wherein an outer locus of said thread has a substantially cylindrical configuration.
35. The spinal fusion implant of claim 15, wherein said body has a substantially cylindrical configuration.
36. The spinal fusion implant of claim 15, wherein said thread has a pitch, further comprising a second thread around the mid-longitudinal axis of said body, said second thread having a pitch that is different than the pitch of said thread.
37. The spinal fusion implant of claim 36, wherein said second thread is adapted to engage an associated thread of an implant cap.
38. The spinal fusion implant of claim 36, wherein said second thread is adapted to engage an associated thread of an implant inserter tool.
an elongated body having a length and an outer surface extending along said length, said outer surface including a pair of oppositely disposed arcuate portions and at least one substantially flat portion extending between said pair of arcuate portions, said pair of arcuate portions defining external threads extending substantially entirely along said length of said body, said at least one substantially flat portion extending along a substantial portion of said length of said body, said at least one substantially flat portion terminating adjacent a first end of said elongated body, said external threads defining at least one circumferentially continuous thread extending along a majority of the length of said elongated body.
a body having a leading end, a trailing end, a length between said leading and trailing ends, and an outer surface, said outer surface including an upper portion, a lower portion, an external thread, and at least one truncated side wall extending between said upper and lower portions, said upper and lower portions each forming at least in part a portion of cylinder, said external thread extending over a substantial portion of the length of said body from a starting location adjacent said leading end toward said trailing end, said at least one truncated side wall extending along a majority of the length of said body, a portion of said at least one truncated side wall extending from said leading end to said external thread.
ES2357270T3 (en) * 2004-02-13 2011-04-20 Franz Copf Jun. spondylodesis intervertebral implant for the lumbar spine.
US1137858A (en) 1914-06-05 1915-05-04 Michael Louis Henry Grease-cup.
US1137585A (en) * 1915-02-05 1915-04-27 Thornton Craig Jr Dental appliance.
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ES2287636T3 (en) 2007-12-16 Implant for spinal fusion. | 2019-04-18T17:11:41Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/US20090228107A1/en |
Aspects of the disclosure are directed to characterizing vehicle mass. As may be implemented in accordance with one or more embodiments, one or more operating parameters of the vehicle are obtained, and at least one qualifying period of time is identified in which the operating parameter or parameters are within a range of values associated with the parameter. A value that provides an estimate of the mass is then generated based on the one or more operating parameters.
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for estimating the fuel consumption of a vehicle using on-board diagnostics for the vehicle.
In particular, the invention relates to measurement of fuel consumption, of vehicles. We will describe an apparatus and method for means for estimating fuel consumption and/or emissions, for land vehicles, including an apparatus and method for dynamically providing an accurate estimate of fuel consumption, and/or emissions, of a particular vehicle and driver, during the course of a journey, dependent on a combination of characteristics of the particular land vehicle, driver behaviour, and journey as the journey progresses.
In our earlier patents and patent applications we described devices and methods for determining fuel consumption and/or emissions for land vehicles (“vehicles”) using signals obtained from the vehicle's engine management system through the on-board diagnostics port (OBD, OBDII, CAN and similar herein referred to as the ‘OBD port’). Often the required data is not available, or not available in a readily usable form, from the OBD port, and in our patent application (PCT no. WO2008/146020) we describe how other signals from the engine management system can be identified and used to determine fuel consumption and/or emissions values. Such information can also be used to infer driver behaviour which can be used for driver monitoring or training.
In some instances, not only some information required to perform the fuel/emissions calculations may not be available, but can even be blocked by the vehicle manufacturer. In these instances another approach is required.
There are many occasions, and many persons and entities, who would find it useful to have access to accurate predictions of fuel consumption of a vehicle on an instant to instant basis during the course of a journey. Such predictions would need to reflect the characteristics of the particular vehicle being driven and the behaviour of the driver during the course of the journey, and these characteristics would be influenced by the characteristics of the journey.
Attempts have been made to provide estimates of fuel consumption and emissions but tend to be based on averages and generalities rather than specifics of each vehicle, driver and journey, utilised on an instant to instant basis.
It would be helpful to have accurate values for fuel consumption during the course of a journey dependent on characteristics of the vehicle, driver behaviour, and journey, for example for fleet owners, haulage and like companies, and insurance companies, among others, to best manage their business.
The present invention seeks to provide such accurate values.
According to a first aspect, the present invention comprises a method of estimating the fuel consumption of a vehicle said method comprising the steps of estimating an overall power of said vehicle, by estimating a rolling power component, an aerodynamic resistance component and an acceleration component, using at least one parameter obtained from an on board diagnostic system of the vehicle; determining the type of fuel used by the vehicle; and estimating said fuel consumption by summing said components of said overall power and dividing by the energy value of said fuel type and by a predetermined engine efficiency value.
Preferably, the rolling power component is estimated using an estimated value of mass of the vehicle and/or the aerodynamic resistance is estimated using an estimated value of the frontal area of the vehicle. Preferably, the steps of estimating said vehicle mass or said frontal area comprises the step of identifying qualifying periods in which at least one motion parameter is within a predetermined range of values associated with that parameter. Preferably, the step of estimating said vehicle mass comprises the step of determining a weighted or moving average value of vehicle acceleration readings taken during qualifying periods and/or the step of determining a weighted or moving average value of overall power readings taken during qualifying periods.
Preferably, one of said motion parameters for identifying said qualifying period for estimating vehicle mass consists of said vehicle acceleration and/or one of said motion parameters for identifying said qualifying period for estimating frontal area consists of said vehicle acceleration. Preferably, the criterion for identifying said qualifying period is that said vehicle acceleration is above a predetermined threshold, said threshold being chosen to identify near peak acceleration and/or is between predetermined thresholds, said thresholds being chosen to identify periods of near steady state motion. Preferably the method further comprises the step of identifying an engine load reporting strategy for said vehicle, using at least one OBD parameter.
Preferably, the step of identifying said engine load reporting strategy comprises the steps of obtaining said engine load and said engine speed and comparing said engine load with an engine load threshold associated with said engine speed. Preferably, the engine load threshold is chosen to identify periods in which said engine is idling. Preferably, a force provided to cranks of said vehicle is estimated using an empirically derived relationship between force and engine size.
Preferably, the method further comprises a method for discovering which of a plurality of possible engine load reporting strategies is used by an On-board Diagnostics system in a vehicle with an engine, comprising examining On-board Diagnostics system parameters, and determining the engine load when the engine is operating in such a manner as to substantially maximise the difference between the engine load values which would be produced by the different engine load reporting strategies.
Preferably, the method further comprises identifying periods in which said engine is idling as to substantially maximise the difference between the engine load values which would be produced by the different engine load reporting strategies.
Preferably, periods in which said engine is idling are identified by using said On-board Diagnostics system parameters and/or by comparing said engine speed with an idling speed threshold.
Preferably, the method further comprises of adjusting said idling threshold speed to allow for a time for which said engine has been running and/or to allow for an engine temperature and/or to allow for an engine capacity and/or to allow for a fuel type of said engine.
Preferably, the method further comprises said step of performing a check to discover whether said vehicle is being held in a stationary state by means of engaging a clutch plate. Preferably, said check is performed by comparison of a reported engine load with an engine load threshold. Preferably, the method further comprises performing a check that said engine is running. Preferably, the method further comprises performing a persistency check on said discovered reporting strategy.
Preferably, the method further comprises using of a latch circuit to store an indicator as to said discovered reporting strategy.
Preferably, a speed of said vehicle is used in discovering said reporting strategy.
Preferably the method further comprises a method of estimating an effective frontal area or aerodynamic resistance of a vehicle including an engine comprising; at a substantially constant speed of the vehicle determining the total power of the engine and determining the rolling resistance power to overcome the rolling resistance of the vehicle at that substantially constant speed; subtracting the determined rolling resistance power from the determined total current power to determine the aerodynamic resistance of the vehicle or the effective frontal area.
Preferably, the method further comprises identifying periods in which said vehicle is travelling at a substantially constant speed. Preferably, the step of identifying said periods of substantially constant speed comprises use of on board diagnostic system output and/or use of one or more of a vehicle speed, a vehicle acceleration, an engine speed and an engine load and/or comparing one or more of vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration, engine speed and engine load with predetermined reference levels.
Preferably, the method further comprises the step of estimating said total current power for said vehicle during a period in which said vehicle travelling at a substantially constant speed. Preferably, the step of estimating said total current power comprises use of an engine load parameter provided by said On Board Diagnostic system. Preferably, the method further comprises the step of adjusting said total current power by allowing for transmission losses. Preferably, the step of adjusting said total current power to allow for transmission losses comprises the step of subtraction and/or multiplication of said total current power by one or more empirical power factors. Preferably, the method further comprises the step of finding a moving or weighted average for said total current power over a plurality of periods of substantially constant speed.
Preferably, the method further comprises the step of estimating said aerodynamic resistance power by estimating rolling resistance power and subtracting said rolling resistance power from said total current power.
Preferably, the step of estimating rolling resistance comprises using estimates of said vehicle's mass, said coefficient of drag and said vehicle speed. Preferably, the step of estimating rolling resistance further comprises making allowance in said estimation of rolling resistance for a gradient on which said vehicle may be travelling.
Preferably, the method further comprises a method for determining the fuel type of a vehicle, comprising obtaining the output parameters of an On Board Diagnostic (OBD) system of the vehicle, and using said output parameters to determine the fuel type used by the vehicle.
Preferably, the method comprises identifying whether the engine is being throttled, or measuring whether the exhaust gases are in the range typical of a diesel engine or a petrol engine, or checking the fuel pressure, or using a plurality of fuel type identifying methods and further comprising assigning a weighting to the output of each of the plurality of fuel type identifying methods, said weighting varying according to the type of fuel identifying method and summing the weightings and compare the sum of the weightings to a predetermined threshold, to decide the fuel type of the vehicle.
Preferably, the method comprises the step of identifying whether the engine is being throttled comprises comparing the Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) with a threshold and/or comparing the air flow with a predetermined proportion of the engine capacity.
Preferably, the method comprises the step of checking whether the exhaust gases are in the range typical of a diesel engine or a petrol engine and/or checking the OBD protocol and/or checking the fuel status parameter identifier of an OBD system.
Preferably, the method comprises the step of allowing a manual override of the results of the automatic detection of fuel type.
Preferably, the method further comprises a method of estimating the mass of a vehicle; said vehicle having motion parameters comprising a vehicle speed parameter, a vehicle acceleration parameter and a maximum acceleration parameter, said vehicle having an engine, said engine having an engine capacity parameter and engine activity parameters comprising an engine speed parameter, a power parameter, a maximum power parameter and an engine load parameter, said method comprising the step of determining a weighted or moving average value of vehicle acceleration parameters taken during qualifying periods wherein at least one of the motion parameters and/or at least one of the engine activity parameters are within a predetermined range and using said weighted or moving average value of vehicle acceleration to estimate the mass of the vehicle.
Preferably, the value of at least one of said at least one motion parameters or engine activity parameters is obtained from at least one output parameter of an on board diagnostic system.
Preferably, the method further comprises the step of identifying near peak acceleration periods in which at least one of the at least one motion parameters or engine activity parameters indicates that the said vehicle is accelerating at near to its maximum acceleration.
Preferably, said at least one output parameter is one of the engine load, engine speed, vehicle speed and vehicle acceleration.
Preferably, the method further comprises the step of comparing said vehicle acceleration with at least one predetermined acceleration threshold and/or comparing said vehicle speed with a first predetermined vehicle speed threshold and/or comparing said vehicle speed with a second predetermined vehicle speed threshold and/comparing said engine load with at least one predetermined engine load threshold and/or comparing said engine speed with at least one predetermined engine speed threshold.
Preferably, each of the at least one predetermined thresholds is assigned a value according to the type of vehicle.
Preferably, said weighted or moving averaging is performed only if at least one of said motion parameters or engine activity parameters is within a predetermined range or only if a plurality of said motion parameters or engine activity parameters is within a predetermined range set for the said parameter or only if all of said motion parameters or engine activity parameters is within a predetermined range set for said parameter.
Preferably, the method further comprises determining a force provided to a crank of the vehicle during qualifying periods. Preferably, the method further comprises the step of estimating said mass of said vehicle by dividing said force by said weighted or moving average acceleration value. Preferably, the method further comprises the step of checking whether at least one qualifying period has occurred.
Preferably, the method further comprises the step of estimating a value of said force provided to said crank using said engine size and empirically determined constants. Preferably, said value of said force is used in the calculation of mass if no qualifying period has occurred.
Preferably, the method further comprises the steps of obtaining or estimating an air flow through said engine; calculating a provisional fuel mass estimate by dividing the obtained or estimated air flow by a stoichiometric ratio associated with the fuel type; estimating the fuel consumption by dividing said provisional fuel mass estimate by an oxygen content parameter derived from an analysis of exhaust gases. Preferably, the method comprises measuring a mass air flow and/or estimating said air flow using the ideal gas equation, using estimates of pressure, volume flow rate and temperature.
Preferably, the method comprises estimating said pressure using a Manifold Absolute pressure sensor and/or using a Manifold Air temperature sensor.
Preferably, the method comprises calculating said estimate of said volume flow rate using an engine size and an engine speed.
Preferably, the method comprises obtaining said oxygen content parameter from an exhaust oxygen sensor or from a look-up table, said table providing oxygen content values according to engine speed and vehicle type.
Preferably, the method further comprises estimating an overall power of said vehicle by estimating a rolling power component, an aerodynamic resistance component and an acceleration component, using at least one parameter obtained from an on board diagnostic system of the vehicle; determining the type of fuel; and estimating said fuel consumption by summing said components of said overall power and dividing by the energy value of said fuel type and by a predetermined engine efficiency value.
Preferably, the method further comprises estimating an upper limit and lower limit for vehicle mass. Preferably, the method further comprises estimating an upper limit and a lower limit for fuel consumption, based on said upper limit of mass and said lower limit of mass respectively.
According to a second aspect, the present invention comprises apparatus for estimating the fuel consumption of a vehicle, said apparatus comprising estimating means for estimating and providing a parameter relating to overall power of the vehicle estimating means for estimating and providing a parameter relating to a rolling power component, estimating means for estimating and providing a parameter relating an aerodynamic resistance component and estimating means for estimating and providing a parameter relating to acceleration component, said overall power estimating means being adapted to be connected to an on board diagnostic system of the vehicle to receive and use at least one parameter obtained therefrom; means to provide a parameter indicating the type of fuel used; and means connected to receive the parameters relating to the estimated rolling power component, the estimated aerodynamic resistance component and the estimated acceleration component and to estimate said fuel consumption by summing said components of said overall power and dividing by the energy value of said fuel type and by a predetermined engine efficiency value.
Preferably, the means for estimating the rolling power component uses an estimated value of mass of the vehicle.
Preferably, the means for estimating the aerodynamic resistance uses an estimated value of the frontal area of the vehicle.
Preferably, means for estimating said vehicle mass or said frontal area is adapted to identify qualifying periods in which at least one motion parameter is within a predetermined range of values associated with that parameter.
Preferably, means for estimating said vehicle mass is adapted to determine a weighted or moving average value of vehicle acceleration readings taken during qualifying periods.
Preferably, the method further comprises to determine one of said motion parameters for identifying said qualifying period for estimating vehicle mass and wherein said parameter consists of said vehicle acceleration.
Preferably, the apparatus is adapted to identify a qualifying period in which said vehicle acceleration is above a predetermined threshold, said threshold being chosen to identify near peak acceleration. Preferably, means for estimating said frontal area is adapted to determine a weighted or moving average value of overall power readings taken during qualifying periods.
Preferably, the apparatus is adapted to receive one of said motion parameters for identifying said qualifying period for estimating frontal area and where said parameter consists of said vehicle acceleration.
Preferably the apparatus is adapted to identify a qualifying period in which said vehicle acceleration is between predetermined thresholds, said thresholds being chosen to identify periods of near steady state motion.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises means for identifying an engine load reporting strategy for said vehicle, using at least one OBD parameter.
Preferably, said means for identifying said engine load reporting strategy is adapted to obtain said engine load and said engine speed and to further compare said engine load with an engine load threshold associated with said engine speed.
Preferably, the apparatus is adapted to estimate a force provided to said crank using an empirically derived relationship between force and engine size.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises apparatus for discovering which of a plurality of possible engine load reporting strategies is used by an On-board Diagnostics system in a vehicle with an engine, comprising examining means to examine On-board Diagnostics system parameters, and means to determine the engine load when the engine is operating in such a manner as to substantially maximise the difference between the engine load values which would be produced by the different engine load reporting strategies.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises identifying means to identify periods in which said engine is idling as to substantially maximise the difference between the engine load values which would be produced by the different engine load reporting strategies.
Preferably, said identifying means identifies periods in which said engine is idling by using said On-board Diagnostics system parameters and/or by comparing said engine speed with an idling speed threshold.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises means to adjust said idling threshold speed to allow for a time for which said engine has been running.
Preferably, the apparatus is adapted to adjust said idling threshold speed to allow for an engine temperature and/or to allow for an engine capacity and/or to allow for a fuel type of said engine and/or to allow for an engine capacity.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a clutch checking means to discover whether said vehicle is being held in a stationary state by means of engaging a clutch plate.
Preferably, said clutch checking means compares a reported engine load with an engine load threshold. Preferably, the apparatus further comprises engine checking means to check that said engine is running.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises persistency check means to perform a persistency check on said discovered reporting strategy.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a latch circuit to store an indicator as to said discovered reporting strategy.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises speed checking means wherein a speed of said vehicle is used in discovering said reporting strategy.
Preferably, said speed of said vehicle is used to identify periods in which said vehicle is idling.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises apparatus for estimating an effective frontal area or aerodynamic resistance of a vehicle including an engine comprising; apparatus for determining the total power of the engine at a substantially constant speed of the vehicle and apparatus for determining the rolling resistance power to overcome the rolling resistance of the vehicle at that substantially constant speed; apparatus for subtracting the determined rolling resistance power from the determined total current power to determine the aerodynamic resistance of the vehicle or the effective frontal area.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises identifying means adapted to identify periods in which said vehicle is travelling at a substantially constant speed. Preferably, said identifying means is adapted to identify periods of substantially constant speed using on board diagnostic system output and/or using one or more of said vehicle speed, said vehicle acceleration, said engine speed and said engine load.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises estimating means adapted to provide an estimate of said total current power for said vehicle during a period of travelling at a substantially constant speed and/or by using an engine load parameter provided by said OBD system.
Preferably, said adjusting means is adapted to adjust current power to allow for transmission losses by subtraction and/or multiplication of said total current power by one or more empirical power factors. Preferably, the apparatus further comprises averaging means adapted to find a moving or weighted average for said total current power over a plurality of periods of substantially constant speed.
Preferably, said identifying means is adapted to identify periods of substantially constant speed by comparing one or more of vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration, engine speed and engine load with predetermined reference levels.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises aerodynamic resistance estimating means to estimate said aerodynamic resistance power by estimating rolling resistance power and subtracting said rolling resistance power from the total current power.
Preferably, said rolling resistance estimating means estimates said rolling resistance by using estimates of said vehicle's mass, said coefficient of drag and said vehicle speed.
Preferably, said rolling resistance estimating means makes allowance in said calculation of rolling resistance for a gradient on which said vehicle may be travelling.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises apparatus for determining the fuel type of a vehicle, comprising means to obtain the output parameters of an On Board Diagnostic (OBD) system of the vehicle, and means to use said output parameters to determine the fuel type used by the vehicle.
Preferably, the apparatus comprises a throttling identifying means to identify whether the engine is being throttled.
Preferably, the apparatus comprises pressure comparison means adapted to compare the Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) with a predetermined threshold and/or air flow comparison means adapted to determine whether the air flow is less than a predetermined proportion of the engine capacity and/or an exhaust gas temperature comparison means to measure whether the exhaust gases are in the range typical of a diesel engine or a petrol engine and/or a protocol checking means to check the OBD protocol and/or a fuel status checking means to check the fuel status parameter identifier of an OBD system and/or a manual override to allow a user to override the results of the automatic detection of fuel type.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a throttle identifying means to identify whether the engine is being throttled, or an exhaust gas temperature comparison means to measure whether the exhaust gases are in the range typical of a diesel engine or a petrol engine, or a fuel pressure checking means to check the fuel pressure, or a plurality of fuel type identifying means and further comprising weighting means to assign a weighting to the output of each of the plurality of fuel type identifying means, said weighting varying according to the type of fuel identifying means and the output of the fuel identifying, and a decision means to sum the weightings and compare the sum of the weightings to a predetermined threshold, enabling a decision as to the fuel type of the vehicle.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises apparatus for estimating the mass of a vehicle having an engine, said apparatus comprising; means to determine motion parameters of the vehicle comprising a vehicle speed parameter, a vehicle acceleration parameter and a maximum acceleration parameter, means to determine an engine capacity parameter and engine activity parameters comprising an engine speed parameter, a power parameter, a maximum power parameter and an engine load parameter, means to determine a weighted or moving average value of vehicle acceleration parameters taken during qualifying periods wherein at least one of the motion parameters and/or at least one of the engine activity parameters are within a predetermined range and means for using said weighted or moving average value of vehicle acceleration to estimate the mass of the vehicle.
Preferably, the apparatus is adapted to obtain the value of at least one of said at least one motion parameters or engine activity parameters is obtained from at least one output parameter of an on board diagnostic system.
Preferably, the apparatus is adapted to identify near peak acceleration periods in which at least one of said at least one motion parameters or engine activity parameters indicates that the said vehicle is accelerating at near to its maximum acceleration.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises comparison means to compare said vehicle acceleration with at least one predetermined acceleration threshold. Preferably, the apparatus further comprises comparison means adapted to compare said vehicle speed with a first predetermined vehicle speed threshold.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises comparison means to compare said vehicle speed with a second predetermined vehicle speed threshold and/or to compare said engine load with at least one predetermined engine load threshold and/or to compare said engine speed with at least one predetermined engine speed threshold. Preferably, each of said at least one predetermined thresholds is assigned a value according to the type of vehicle.
Preferably, the apparatus is adapted such that said weighted or moving averaging is performed only if at least one of said motion parameters, or engine parameters is within a predetermined range for said parameter or only if a plurality of said motion parameters or engine parameters is within a predetermined range set for the said parameter or only if all of said motion parameters is within a predetermined range set for said parameter.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises force determining means to determine a force provided to said crank during qualifying periods.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises estimating means to estimate said mass of said vehicle by dividing said force by said weighted or moving average acceleration value.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises checking means to check whether at least one qualifying period has occurred.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises estimating means to estimate a value of said force provided to said crank using said engine size and empirically determined constants.
Preferably, the apparatus is adapted to use said value of said force in the calculation of mass if no qualifying period has occurred.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises apparatus for estimating the fuel consumption of an engine in a vehicle comprising means for obtaining or estimating an air flow through said engine; means for calculating a provisional fuel mass estimate by dividing the obtained or estimated air flow by a stoichiometric ratio associated with the fuel type; means for estimating the fuel consumption by dividing said provisional fuel mass estimate by an oxygen content parameter derived from an analysis of exhaust gases.
Preferably, said determining means further comprises measuring means using a mass air flow sensor, and estimating means to estimate said air flow using the ideal gas equation, using estimates of pressure, volume flow rate and temperature.
Preferably, the apparatus is adapted to obtain said pressure estimate using a Manifold Absolute pressure sensor and/or using a Manifold Air temperature sensor.
Preferably, the apparatus is adapted to calculate said estimate of said volume flow rate using an engine size and an engine speed.
Preferably, the apparatus is adapted to obtain said oxygen content parameter from an exhaust oxygen sensor or from a look-up table, said table providing oxygen content values according to engine speed and vehicle type.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises estimating means to estimate an overall power of said vehicle, by estimating a rolling power component, an aerodynamic resistance component and an acceleration component, using at least one parameter obtained from an on board diagnostic system of the vehicle; determining the type of fuel; and estimating said fuel consumption by summing said components of said overall power and dividing by the energy value of said fuel type and by a predetermined engine efficiency value.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises estimating means to estimate an upper limit and lower limit for vehicle mass.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises estimating means to estimate an upper limit and a lower limit for fuel consumption, based on said upper limit of mass and said lower limit of mass respectively.
According to a further aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for discovering which of a plurality of possible engine load reporting strategies is used by an On-board Diagnostics system in a vehicle with an engine, comprising examining means to examine On-board Diagnostics system parameters, and means to determine the engine load when the engine is operating in such a manner as to substantially maximise the difference between the engine load values which would be produced by the different engine load reporting strategies.
According to a further aspect, the present invention provides a method for discovering which of a plurality of possible engine load reporting strategies is used by an On-board Diagnostics system in a vehicle with an engine, comprising examining On-board Diagnostics system parameters, and determining the engine load when the engine is operating in such a manner as to substantially maximise the difference between the engine load values which would be produced by the different engine load reporting strategies.
According to a further aspect, the present invention provides a method of estimating an effective frontal area or aerodynamic resistance of a vehicle including an engine comprising; at a substantially constant speed of the vehicle determining the total power of the engine and determining the rolling resistance power to overcome the rolling resistance of the vehicle at that substantially constant speed; subtracting the determined rolling resistance power from the determined total current power to determine the aerodynamic resistance of the vehicle or the effective frontal area.
According to a further aspect, the present invention provides apparatus for estimating an effective frontal area or aerodynamic resistance of a vehicle including an engine comprising; apparatus for determining the total power of the engine at a substantially constant speed of the vehicle and apparatus for determining the rolling resistance power to overcome the rolling resistance of the vehicle at that substantially constant speed; apparatus for subtracting the determined rolling resistance power from the determined total current power to determine the aerodynamic resistance of the vehicle or the effective frontal area.
According to a further aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for determining the fuel type of a vehicle, comprising means to obtain the output parameters of an On Board Diagnostic (OBD) system of the vehicle, and means to use said output parameters to determine the fuel type used by the vehicle.
Preferably, the apparatus comprises a throttle identifying means to identify whether the engine is being throttled, or an exhaust gas temperature comparison means to measure whether the exhaust gases are in the range typical of a diesel engine or a petrol engine, or a fuel pressure checking means to check the fuel pressure, or a plurality of fuel type identifying means and further comprising weighting means to assign a weighting to the output of each of the plurality of fuel type identifying means, said weighting varying according to the type of fuel identifying means and the output of the fuel identifying, and a decision means to sum the weightings and compare the sum of the weightings to a predetermined threshold, enabling a decision as to the fuel type of the vehicle.
According to a further aspect, the present invention provides a method for determining the fuel type of a vehicle, comprising obtaining the output parameters of an On Board Diagnostic (OBD) system of the vehicle, and using said output parameters to determine the fuel type used by the vehicle.
Preferably, the method comprises identifying whether the engine is being throttled, or measuring whether the exhaust gases are in the range typical of a diesel engine or a petrol engine, or checking the fuel pressure, or using a plurality of fuel type identifying methods and further assigning a weighting to the output of each of the plurality of fuel type identifying methods, according to the type of fuel identifying method and the output of the fuel identifying method, and summing the weightings and comparing the sum of the weightings to a predetermined threshold, to decide the fuel type of the vehicle.
According to a further aspect, the present invention provides a method of estimating the mass of a vehicle; said vehicle having motion parameters comprising a vehicle speed parameter, a vehicle acceleration parameter and a maximum acceleration parameter, said vehicle having an engine, said engine having an engine capacity parameter and engine activity parameters comprising an engine speed parameter, a power parameter, a maximum power parameter and an engine load parameter, said method comprising the step of determining a weighted or moving average value of vehicle acceleration parameters taken during qualifying periods wherein at least one of the motion parameters and/or at least one of the engine activity parameters are within a predetermined range and using said weighted or moving average value of vehicle acceleration to estimate the mass of the vehicle.
According to a further aspect, the present invention provides apparatus for estimating the mass of a vehicle having an engine, said apparatus comprising; means to determine motion parameters of the vehicle comprising a vehicle speed parameter, a vehicle acceleration parameter and a maximum acceleration parameter, means to determine an engine capacity parameter and engine activity parameters comprising an engine speed parameter, a power parameter, a maximum power parameter and an engine load parameter, means to determine a weighted or moving average value of vehicle acceleration parameters taken during qualifying periods wherein at least one of the motion parameters and/or at least one of the engine activity parameters are within a predetermined range and means for using said weighted or moving average value of vehicle acceleration to estimate the mass of the vehicle.
According to a further aspect, the present invention provides a method of estimating the fuel consumption of an engine in a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of obtaining or estimating an air flow through said engine; calculating a provisional fuel mass estimate by dividing the obtained or estimated air flow by a stoichiometric ratio associated with the fuel type; estimating the fuel consumption by dividing said provisional fuel mass estimate by an oxygen content parameter derived from an analysis of exhaust gases.
According to a further aspect, the present invention provides apparatus for estimating the fuel consumption of an engine in a vehicle comprising means for obtaining or estimating an air flow through said engine; means for calculating a provisional fuel mass estimate by dividing the obtained or estimated air flow by a stoichiometric ratio associated with the fuel type; means for estimating the fuel consumption by dividing said provisional fuel mass estimate by an oxygen content parameter derived from an analysis of exhaust gases.
According to a further aspect, the present invention provides a method of estimating the fuel consumption of a vehicle comprising collecting data sets each of which relate to a particular different parameter and selectively processing selected data to establish the fuel consumption only if the value of some of the selected data or other data is of a qualifying value.
Said qualifying value is preferably between predetermined limits and is a substantially set value or is zero or substantially zero.
Preferably, the method includes determining an engine load reporting strategy of an on board diagnostic system of the vehicle by processing data collected when the vehicle is idling.
Preferably, the method includes determining the type of fuel used by the vehicle by processing data to provide the power of an engine of the vehicle which has been or is being collected when the vehicle is travelling at a substantially constant speed.
Preferably, the method includes determining the peak acceleration of the vehicle by processing data collected when the speed is less than a substantially set value.
According to a further aspect, the present invention provides apparatus for estimating the fuel consumption of a vehicle comprising means adapted to collect data sets, each of which relate to a particular different parameter and means adapted to selectively process selected data to establish the fuel consumption only if the value of some of the selected data or other data is of a qualifying value.
Preferably, said qualifying value is between predetermined limits and is a substantially set value or is zero or substantially zero.
Preferably, the apparatus includes means adapted to determine an engine load reporting strategy of an on board diagnostic system of the vehicle by processing data collected when the vehicle is idling.
Preferably, the apparatus includes means adapted to determine the type of fuel used by the vehicle by processing data to provide the power of an engine of the vehicle which has been or is being collected when the vehicle is travelling at a substantially constant speed.
Preferably, the apparatus includes means adapted to determine the peak acceleration of the vehicle by processing data collected when the speed is less than a substantially set value.
FIG. 1 illustrates the steps of a first process relating to estimation of fuel consumption.
FIG. 2 illustrates the steps of an estimating fuel consumption process according to a second embodiment.
FIG. 3 illustrates the steps of estimating for estimating a total power.
FIG. 4 illustrates an implementation of fuel consumption estimation according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 5 illustrates an implementation of fuel consumption estimation according to an alternative embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 6 illustrates the step of establishing qualifying periods according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 7 illustrates a mass estimation module according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 8 illustrates a mass estimation module with limitation and limit selection modules according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 9 illustrates a frontal area estimation module according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 10 illustrates a frontal area estimation module with limitation module according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 11 illustrates the steps in determining the engine load reporting strategy according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 12 illustrates an engine load reporting strategy determination module according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 13 illustrates a fuel type detection module according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 14a illustrates a further embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 14b illustrates another embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 15a illustrates yet another embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 15b illustrates another embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 15c illustrates another embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 15d illustrates another embodiment of the invention.
In accordance with one embodiment and set out in FIG. 1, a method of estimating a fuel consumption provides for dynamically estimating a fuel consumption during a particular time interval of a journey, and for successive time intervals.
One way of calculating or estimating fuel consumption is based on the fuel mass processed by the engine. By obtaining a value for the air flow through an engine, we can estimate first the quantity of oxygen flowing through the engine and second, by for example analysing exhaust gases, the amount of oxygen that remains unburnt. Thus we can estimate the amount of oxygen burnt. We assume the oxygen not present in the exhaust gas is burnt so consequently we can work out, once the fuel type is known, what quantity of fuel has been used. In particular, in accordance with this method, airflow through an engine may be obtained or estimated for a particular time interval, and for successive time intervals, throughout the journey. This air flow may be obtained or estimated based on data, such as manifold absolute pressure and temperature, acquired from an On Board Diagnostics System (OBD), for example, data acquired at each reporting cycle of the OBD operation, and such cycles may define the time interval covered by the fuel consumption estimate. Alternatively, air flow may be obtained from the maximum air flow sensor, if present. A provisional estimate of a fuel mass being processed by the vehicle during each time interval may then be obtained by dividing such an air flow by a known stoichiometric ratio associated with the type of fuel being consumed. In particular, a fuel consumption value may then be estimated from the fuel mass value and an oxygen value obtained from analysis of the exhaust gases. The exhaust gases contain oxygen which has passed through the engine and remains unburnt. In an embodiment of the invention, the oxygen value is taken from an oxygen sensor, such as a lambda sensor. In an alternative embodiment, the oxygen value is obtained from a look-up taken, the value being chosen on the basis of vehicle type and current engine load.
The quantities of such unburned oxygen may be used, to derive the fuel mass estimate, and estimate fuel consumption for each time interval. This provides a means to estimate, during each sample period, the fuel consumption, so that for any given journey a fuel consumption may be calculated instant-by-instant throughout the journey. Thus a dynamic value for fuel consumption at a particular cycle of the OBD, can be estimated, and in addition a dynamic value for fuel consumption throughout a journey can be calculated.
While this provides a useful method of obtaining a fuel consumption estimate, it may not always be available or suitable.
FIG. 2 sets out a further embodiment of the present invention, for use when this method is not available or suitable. In accordance with this embodiment further means may be provided to estimate fuel consumption, and these means may be available, instead of, or as a supplement to, the air flow method.
Two of these parameters, fuel calorific value and engine efficiency, can be established conventionally.
A rolling power component, being the power expended to overcome the friction of the road.
An aerodynamic power component, being the power expended to overcome air resistance, and.
An acceleration power component, being the power used to increase the speed of the vehicle.
Rolling Power=Coefficient of Friction×Vehicle Mass×9.81×Speed 3.
In respect of the factors contributing to the rolling power component equation above it is clear that other factors will also be relevant, and for example a gradient coefficient, which is an estimate of the average gradient of the roads of a particular country or region in which the journey is made, may be used. Alternatively a gradient detector or other means may be relied upon.
Turning to the components set out in equation 3 we consider first speed. The value for speed may be provided, by the OBD or perhaps by other means.
We consider next the coefficient of friction. The coefficient of friction will be a fixed value provided to equation 3. A typical value of the coefficient of friction is 0.007, although the person skilled in the art will appreciate that different values may be used according to the road surfaces encountered and that in alternative embodiments of the invention, different values of this coefficient may be used according to conditions. For example the gradient coefficient has the purpose of making allowance for the fact that frictional force will be reduced on slopes due to the reduction in the reaction force. A typical figure for roads in the United Kingdom is 0.65, which reflects the average gradient of British roads. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that this figure may be varied according to where the vehicle is typically travelling. Other embodiments may include options for a used input value which reflects the country or region of a country or the type of roads on which the vehicle is typically used. A further embodiment would ensure that a check is made on the slope on which the vehicle is travelling before an estimate is made of the frontal area of the vehicle. An option would be for example to only record readings when a vehicle was travelling along a substantially level section of road. An alternative embodiment would provide an estimate of the current slope. The invention is not limited to any one method of estimating gradient or circumventing the effects of gradient.
We consider next a further constant, the acceleration due to gravity. This is provided to convert the vehicle mass figure into a force, in order to determine or estimate the reaction force and hence the frictional force on the vehicle. Although this is a constant, the person skilled in the art will appreciate that different levels of accuracy may be used in the recording of this factor.
This leaves the value for vehicle mass. There are many ways to arrive at a value for vehicle mass. For example a user input may be relied upon, force and acceleration readings may be relied upon and a least squares method utilised, or other conventional means.
In accordance with the present invention, the mass may be estimated by estimating the force supplied to the wheels at particular qualifying periods during vehicle use, for example, at periods of peak acceleration. This will be discussed later.
In respect of factors contributing to the aerodynamic power component, in respect of equation 4, we consider first the coefficient of drag. The coefficient of drag will be a fixed value provided to equation 4. The speed of the vehicle may be taken from the On board diagnostics (OBD) system or from a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system, or other means.
We consider next the remaining parameter, the frontal area of the vehicle. The frontal area of the vehicle may be a conventional user input value. In an alternative method in accordance with the present invention the frontal area, or in particular the effective frontal area, is estimated. The effective frontal area is estimated by identifying periods of steady state, i.e. non accelerating, motion, and finding an estimate for the aerodynamic power on the left hand side of equation 4, by establishing the difference between the rolling power and the total power of the vehicle. All the parameters of the equation will then be known and used to establish the frontal area, or effective frontal area, of a vehicle. This will be discussed in detail later.
In respect of the factors contributing to the acceleration power component in equation 5 above, we consider first the acceleration of the vehicle.
The acceleration of the vehicle may be acquired, for example, from the OBD or from a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system, or other means, and the speed and mass have already been referred to above.
Once these components have been established we can provide a value for total power usage in accordance with equation 2 above. Once a value for total power usage has been established we can estimate a value for fuel consumption.
The total power usage provided to equation 2 may be a value calculated at each time interval during the course of a journey, therefore an instantaneous fuel use may be dynamically estimated at each time interval of a journey.
An example of the implementation of the above method according to an embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows four sub-modules, the rolling power module 401, the aerodynamic power module 402, the acceleration power module 403 and the fuel calculation module 404. Nine inputs are provided, Vehicle speed 405, Vehicle mass 406, Coefficient of friction 407, Gradient coefficient 408, Coefficient of drag 409, Effective Frontal area 410, Vehicle acceleration 411, Fuel Calorific value 412 and engine efficiency 413. The outputs of the power modules 401, 402 and 403 are summed and provided to fuel calculation module 404.
An example of the implementation of the above method according to a further embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 5. This embodiment will now be discussed in detail. FIG. 5 includes Mass Estimator Module 501, Frontal Area Estimator Module 502 and Engine Load Reporting Strategy Module 503. As set out in FIG. 5, the mass estimator module provides information to the rolling power module, which reflects that the rolling power component relies on a value for mass. The frontal area estimation module and the engine load reporting strategy module provide information to the aerodynamic power module which reflects that the aerodynamic power component relies on a value for frontal area and on the engine load reporting strategy. The acceleration power component relies on a value for mass.
The frontal area estimator module 502 and the Engine Load Reporting Strategy module 503 will be discussed later.
As seen from FIG. 5, and set out herein in more detail, the mass estimator module has seven inputs: vehicle speed 405, vehicle acceleration 411, engine speed 503, engine load 504, an HGV indicator 505, fuel type indicator 506 and a maximum power 507.
The frontal area estimator has nine inputs: vehicle speed 405, vehicle acceleration 411, engine speed 503, engine load 504, an HGV indicator 505, fuel type indicator 506 and a maximum power 507, an engine load reporting indicator 508, received from module 503 and a rolling power input 513, received from module 401.
The engine load reporting strategy module has six inputs: vehicle speed 405, engine speed 503, engine load 504, fuel type indicator 506, engine coolant temperature 510 and engine on indicator 511.
Considering first the vehicle mass: as discussed, a value for the vehicle mass is needed at least for equation 3. A mass value may be provided by estimating the force supplied to the wheels at certain times, for example during appropriate qualifying periods. In this case, the appropriate qualifying periods are periods of peak acceleration. The process of identifying qualifying periods is illustrated in FIG. 6. FIG. 6, steps 602-606 outline the process of identifying appropriate qualifying periods to estimate the mass and hence calculate the rolling resistance power component of equation 3. Periods of peak acceleration are selected as appropriate qualifying periods, in particular as it can be assumed that for such periods the engine is working at maximum power. Therefore relying on F=MA, if a known maximum value for force, and a maximum value for acceleration (peak acceleration) are used, then we should be able to derive the mass by Mass=Force (max)/Acceleration (max).
FIG. 6 shows, in step 601, that when at least one motion or engine parameter is within a predetermined range, a qualifying period may be triggered.
In the present case, when it is detected that the engine has achieved peak power, a qualifying period for the peak acceleration calculation begins.
Periods where the engine has achieved peak power may be identified using threshold values in accordance with steps 601 of FIG. 6. In particular, the thresholds are selected to determine periods of peak acceleration whilst the vehicle is in first gear. Readings of peak acceleration are taken, for example from the OBD, and an incremental learning algorithm is implemented which updates the currently held value of peak acceleration. The cases where no value for peak acceleration is held is discussed later.
As stated, estimation of the mass is performed by taking the estimated peak acceleration and a figure for the force applied.
The figure for the force applied can be obtained by conventional means from the peak power figure, by division by the vehicle velocity. The peak power figure is adjusted, using figures for transmission efficiency and transmission loss, to convert the maximum power into a figure for power at the crank.
In an alternative embodiment, empirically obtained conversion factors are used to convert the figure for acceleration into one for power/mass. The power figure is then used with this value to give an estimate for the mass of the vehicle.
While this broadly discloses this method of estimating the mass of a vehicle, there are potential problems and these are discussed below.
For example, it may be that a mass figure will be needed prior to the occurrence of a period of peak acceleration, and so an estimate of mass based on an empirically obtained relationship between engine size and vehicle mass may be incorporated into the system. A typically used empirical relationship is that 1 cc of engine size roughly correlates with 1 Kg of vehicle mass, but other values are contemplated.
In addition, a sanity check is included to ensure that the values provided are sensible and so in addition to the recognition of peak acceleration and the learning algorithm, additional optional features are available which include a comparison of the mass estimate with predetermined limits of mass, both minimum and maximum, for different types of vehicles. For example, comparison can be made with a user supplied mass figure. Alternatively, or in addition, a further value, providing a maximum and a minimum figure based on a percentage error range for the mass, may also be incorporated into the mass estimation system.
Additionally, upper and lower limits for mass, determined by the type of vehicle are also contemplated to provide for a realistic range for the mass, rather than insisting on an exact reading, and this is discussed later.
An HGV indicator may also be relied upon. The HGV indicator identifies that the vehicle is a heavy goods vehicle, which is useful both for detecting peak acceleration and also in power estimation, primarily because reference values for comparison of engine speed and vehicle acceleration, and the transmission efficiency, are set depending on whether the vehicle is an HGV.
Generally HGVs have higher efficiency values, due simply to their higher power, and so the HGV indicator is used to select between transmission efficiency values, among others. Put simply, in order to calculate peak acceleration, a mechanism for identifying peak acceleration periods is employed, in addition to a mechanism for selecting thresholds dependent on whether the vehicle is an HGV.
As discussed, a calculation of peak acceleration requires an identification as to a qualifying period, for example when near peak acceleration is occurring, and also identification as to when the qualifying period ends, when the acceleration has ended and the acceleration is dropping below the peak.
While a mass value can be derived for vehicle mass using Mass=Force (max)/Acceleration (max) this assumes that substantially all the force is directed to accelerating the vehicle. However this may not be the case, either because the force is perhaps combatting air resistance (if the vehicle speed is high), or the vehicle may be going down a hill, or many more reasons.
The optimum occasion to rely on F(max)=Mass×Acceleration (max) to obtain a value for mass is when the vehicle is in first gear (i.e. at low speed) on the flat. We can rely on FIG. 6 item 601 to select threshold values for motion or engine parameters to identify appropriate qualifying periods which indicate this particular circumstance.
Such variables can include, in addition to peak power, engine load, engine speed, and vehicle speed, as set out in FIG. 5. To indicate the vehicle is in first gear on the flat, the values of each of these variables must satisfy a threshold condition. For example, an acceleration threshold, typically 0.2 ms−2 for HGV's and 0.5 ms−2 for other vehicles, may be provided for comparison with the actual vehicle acceleration; engine load must be greater than a given percentage of the maximum engine load, for example it may be 80% of maximum engine load; and the required levels of engine speed are generally set also and may be in the region of 1500 rpm for HGVs and 3500 for other vehicles, although all these values are exemplary only and variations are contemplated.
The vehicle speed may also be checked.
Checking the vehicle speed will assist in indicating that the vehicle is accelerating and not, for example, wheel spinning. A lower limiting speed is entered into the model prior to use, which may be the region of 20 Km/H, although other values are contemplated and fall within the scope of the invention. The lower limiting speed has the additional advantage that it helps to indicate that, for example, clutch slip is not occurring. An upper limiting speed, typically in the region of 50 KmH, but other values are contemplated, is also input before system use is initiated.
The levels, described, in combination with other values, indicate that the vehicle is in first gear and experiencing maximum acceleration, as required.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, a GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) system is used to check that the vehicle speed corresponds correctly with the wheel speed. In yet another embodiment, an accelerometer may be used.
As stated, only periods of peak acceleration are of interest, and so it is necessary to identify the end of the qualifying period for peak acceleration.
The system may be adapted to monitor the acceleration parameters to identify the end of a period of acceleration, when an end of acceleration indication is issued.
In addition, within a given period of acceleration above the threshold, it is necessary to select the highest acceleration value achieved. According to an embodiment of the invention, this is achieved by successively comparing a currently held value of the maximum acceleration with the acceleration recorded in the current time slot.
In particular, the purpose is to provide the value of the instantaneous acceleration of the previous timeslot if the vehicle is undergoing above threshold acceleration and a zero value if its acceleration is beneath that threshold.
An important part of the invention is an incremental estimation mechanism module. This mechanism compares an instantaneous estimate of peak acceleration, with a value from the difference between a current period of peak acceleration and a previously stored value. This difference is then divided by a weighting factor and added or subtracted to the previously stored value to find a new estimated value. A weighting factor of 3 is typically used, but the person skilled in the art will appreciate that different weighting factors may be used and the current invention is by no means limited to any given weighting factor.
As part of the model, it is established that any incremental value provided for the adjustment of peak acceleration is between predetermined limits. This ensures that the incremental value will be a sensible one and will eliminate “outliers” in the increment values. Typical limiting values are based on the unladen weight of the vehicle and the maximum legal load, for example for an HGV, although it is not contemplated that these values are limiting.
The incremental estimation mechanism referenced above provides for an incremental learning algorithm which will maintain a value of peak acceleration until a new value becomes available, at which time the value is replaced.
A further potential problem relates to the procedure where no value for peak acceleration is available. In such cases it is useful to use an initial estimate of the peak acceleration. Hence a check is carried out to establish whether a peak acceleration reading has been recorded and if not, allows the use of an estimate based on engine size, and perhaps effective power, to be used prior to the recording of a peak acceleration value. A typical method of checking if an above threshold acceleration has occurred comprises checking if a peak acceleration indicator flag is set.
Alternatively, if the currently held value of peak acceleration is equal to zero, or other default value according to the constant used, this may also indicate that no period of above threshold acceleration has yet occurred.
In a preferred embodiment empirical factors may also assist in calculating such a value, for example at least one empirical power factor. Such empirical power factors may be estimated by taking experimental readings of the key parameters, namely, engine speed, engine load, vehicle speed and vehicle acceleration, and then determining a mass figure using the method described herein. This mass figure can be compared with the mass of a vehicle of known mass and the power factors estimated by a process of iteration. Typical values for the empirical power factors are 38.7 for the first power factor and 0.2885 for the second power factor. Both of these values have been obtained for diesel vehicles and are for systems in which the vehicle power is provided in Pferdstarke (PS).
Different values are required for small petrol engines, due to the lower mass of their fly wheels and other moving engine parts. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that alternative values may be used and these will be within the scope of the invention. The invention is not limited to any given values for the power factors, nor even to a given set of power value variables. For example in an alternative embodiment of the invention, a polynomial relationship may be used to give improved accuracy in the relationship between engine size, power and force.
Peak acceleration values combined with values for power, taken at constant engine velocity, may provide for an indirect calculation of force. Calculations may rely on, for example, engine power, HGV indicator and vehicle speed. In an embodiment of the invention, two values for transmission efficiency are provided, typically substantially 0.9 for heavy goods vehicles and substantially 0.85 for other types of vehicle, although these values are not limiting.
Thus methods have been disclosed for calculating a total engine power figure including a power loss figure relating to transmission efficiency. Thereafter a simple calculation may be carried out to obtain a mass estimate figure.
As discussed, in order to ensure that the mass measurements are within sensible limits, a further limitation step is provided to ensure that the mass reading provided is between reasonable limits for a given type of vehicle. This maybe for example, for a heavy goods vehicle, the unladen weight of a typical HGV for the minimum value and the maximum legal load for road haulage as the maximum value. The limitation module provides an additional and optional check on the mass values.
Four groupings of engine size are provided, namely under 1900 cc, between 1900 cc and 4000 cc, between 4000 cc and 6500 cc and above 6500 cc. In the case of an HGV, two sets of mass data are provided, depending on whether the engine size is greater or less than 6500 cc. For each option, a minimum and a maximum value for weight is given. In the case of non-HGV vehicles, three options are provided for the maximum value, and one for the minimum value. In an embodiment of the invention, the three maximum values correspond to the maximum weights of a small car, a “4×4” and a light van respectively. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that different choices of vehicle and upper and lower limit values can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. A typical set of options for the limitation module is shown in Table 1.
Several steps are optionally included as part of such a limitation activity. In one step, if the vehicle seems to be an HGV, the engine size is compared with a reference value and an HGV indicator issued or confirmed. This HGV indicator is used to select a minimum mass value, for either an HGV if the indicator flag is set, or for a lighter vehicle if the indicator flag is not set. On setting the minimum mass value for an HGV, engine size is also taken into account as the engine size determines the minimum mass value of the HGV. For example, if the engine size falls within a first value, a first minimum mass value is selected, and if the engine size falls within a second value, a second minimum mass value is selected, and so on.
In addition, steps are carried out to obtain a maximum mass value. In addition to depending on engine size, the maximum mass value also depends on fuel type, and so the fuel type indicator may be relied upon in the maximum mass value calculation.
In particular a first maximum mass value may be selected if the engine size is greater than a predetermined reference value and the fuel type indicator indicates a diesel engine. This might indicate for example that the vehicle is a small van. If the engine size is greater than a further engine size reference value and the engine uses petrol, then a different maximum mass value may be selected, and so on.
Such exemplary steps are carried out to provide confidence that the mass estimation value is likely to be correct, by setting realistic minimum and maximum limits of mass.
Alternatively a user supplied vehicle mass may be used as an additional check.
Details of the mechanism of the processes discussed are set out herein. In particular, FIG. 7 shows the mass estimation module 700 according to an embodiment of the invention. It comprises a peak acceleration detection module 701, an incremental learning module 702 and a power estimation module 703. There are 6 inputs into the system, engine speed 503, engine load 504, HGV indicator 505, vehicle acceleration 411 and road speed 405. The HGV indicator 505 is used to select between reference values for comparison with the engine speed and vehicle acceleration, and the transmission efficiency, according to whether the vehicle is an HGV or other vehicle type.
The four motion and engine parameters 503, 504, 411, 405 are input into the peak acceleration module 701, which determines whether the vehicle is close to peak acceleration. The power estimation module 703 has two inputs, the HGV indicator 505 and the power input 704. The power input is the power at the crankshaft. The HGV indicator is used to make allowance for the different transmission efficiencies discussed above.
A Boolean value is output to the peak acceleration indicator 705 and the acceleration value is output at 706. If the peak acceleration indicator 705 is equal to logical one then the acceleration value is passed on by switch 707 to the incremental learning algorithm 702. If it is equal to logical zero, then the zero value from 708 is passed on. The incremental learning algorithm has three inputs, the peak power estimate 709, the road speed 405 and an input of acceleration from the switch 707. It has a single output, the estimate of vehicle mass 710.
The estimate of mass from the model will by its nature not be exact and therefore in an embodiment of the invention, the mass reading is given within error limits rather than an exact reading. If no engine power values are known then the mass limits are the maximum and minimum values determined by the limitation process.
FIG. 8 therefore shows a second embodiment with additional modules, the limitation module 801 and the limit selection module 802. The limitation module provides for upper and lower limits of mass, determined by the type of vehicle. The limit selection module 802 gives upper and lower values of the mass estimates, thus providing a realistic range rather than an exact reading. The upper and lower limits of the mass estimate are supplied to outputs 803 and 804 respectively.
Considering now the frontal area. As shown above, Equation 4 relates to the aerodynamic power component, and relates to a coefficient of drag, a frontal area, and speed. The coefficient of drag is a predetermined value, and there are several ways to identify the speed, not least using the OBD. This leaves the frontal area. The frontal area is related to several parameters such as: vehicle speed 405, vehicle acceleration 411, engine speed 503, engine load 504, HGV indicator 505, fuel type indicator 506, maximum power 507, an engine load switch value, and a rolling power.
A value for engine load is obtained from the OBD, however to use this value effectively we need to detect an engine load reporting strategy, i.e. what the reading obtained from the OBD actually means, and this will be discussed later.
Returning to the frontal area. FIG. 6 steps 608-611 outline the process of identifying appropriate qualifying periods for estimating the frontal area. FIG. 6 shows in step 601, that when at least one motion or engine parameter is within a predetermined range, a qualifying period may be triggered. In the present case we rely on periods of steady state, during which we calculate a figure for power supplied at the crank. This process utilises a steady state detection, with an incremental learning process as shown in FIG. 9. We measure the power at the crank at periods of steady state as we then know that the power supplied is not being provided to accelerate the vehicle, but is substantially directed to overcoming air resistance in particular a vehicle is in a steady state if it is not undergoing significant acceleration and is on a substantially flat surface. It is contemplated that a speed of, for example, around 100 Km/h, such as for example 90-110 km/h, may be used for light duty vehicles, with lower values for Heavy Goods Vehicles. In addition, a check may be carried out to determine whether the vehicle is in the correct gear. This ensures at least that energy is not being expended due to being in the wrong gear.
A current estimate of power in such a steady state is then identified. This estimate of power relies on the engine load, and this may be obtained from the OBD. This will be discussed in more detail later.
As stated in order to complete the calculation of the frontal area we need to establish the engine load 504 for the vehicle. The following sets out briefly how the engine load may be determined.
There are two major strategies by which On Board Diagnostics (OBD) systems report the engine load. Diesel engines usually report the percentage of maximum torque for a given engine speed, which gives a percentage of maximum power of the engine, whereas petrol engines, depending on vehicle type, may provide the percentage of peak power, i.e. the instantaneous power at that time. Accordingly, in an embodiment of the invention, the strategy being used by the vehicle is identified and an indicator provided to reflect the engine load reporting strategy employed, so that the engine load can be determined.
The engine load reporting strategy is discussed in detail later.
Once we have a value for the engine load we can use it to establish the frontal area. In particular, the current power supplied by the engine is estimated by multiplying the peak power by the percentage of peak power currently being used. This percentage may be obtained from the engine load value reported by the OBD. It is not necessarily clear, in any vehicle, how the engine load will be reported. For example in an OBD in which the load is reported as a percentage of maximum power, a simple multiplication of the peak power by the engine load or equivalent figure suffices. However, if the reported engine load value is a percentage of the torque at the given engine speed, then an engine load value adjustment must be made to encompass this alternative strategy.
In an embodiment of the invention, the engine load value adjustment comprises multiplying the power value by a factor equivalent to 1/(engine speed at peak power).
A typical value for the engine speed at peak power is 4500 RPM, but other values are contemplated.
Depending on the way the engine load is reported, a value for the current power provided at the crank is established.
The result is then normalised to a standard vehicle speed, and the normalisation may include a fixed value for speed, or different values depending on vehicle type, or user supplied values.
Thus a figure for power, normalised for a chosen vehicle speed, typically but not limited to 100 Km/H is provided. It can also be established if the vehicle is moving in a steady state on a substantially flat surface. When it has been decided that the vehicle is in the required steady state, and a qualifying period may be in operation, in accordance with FIG. 6, initiation of the incremental learning algorithm may proceed.
Details of the qualifying period for the aerodynamic power estimation will be discussed later. First we discuss the incremental learning module. The incremental learning module relies upon three components, the averaging component, weighting component and the end of steady state identifier, and on initiation required calculations may be carried out.
The averaging module calculates the average value of the input power over a set period of time. At the end of each averaging period, this calculated value is sent to the weighting module, which calculates a weighted average between this value and the value obtained from previous averaging periods. This continues during the steady state period.
The averaging module also maintains a count of the number of samples averaged, which is reset after a set period. In an embodiment of the invention, 255 samples are taken before the rest, but the person skilled in the art will appreciate different numbers of samples may be taken and the invention is not limited to the number of samples taken in each batch. Two memories are provided for the performance of the average power input, the sample count and a sum of the power input.
At the end of a sample period all values are set to zero.
The weighting module is relatively conventional and is provided with an average power reading by the averaging process during the steady state period. In addition, a check is provided, including upper and lower limits on the weighted average value to provide confidence in the values provided.
When it is detected that the steady state condition no longer applies, the qualifying period ends, and the end of steady state identifier flag is set, which terminates the calculation.
The person skilled in the art will appreciate that there are other methods by which a suitable average value may be obtained. In another embodiment, each power value on every time slot is used for a weighted averaging, without using the suggested intermediate averaging process discussed. In yet another embodiment, a simple average is taken of all the power values obtained without any weighting process. The invention is not limited to any particular method of calculation of the average power value.
As discussed, a weighted or moving average of the power value derived is calculated by the incremental learning algorithm. Such averaging is performed over fixed size sample periods, and at the end of such a sample period, an average total power value is provided and a new sample period function is initiated.
As set out above, we can estimate a figure for the rolling power of the vehicle, estimated by a rolling power module as discussed above. A difference between the supplied rolling power of the vehicle and the current power value may be established so that a frontal area, or effective frontal area, based on the aerodynamic power and also on empirically obtained values for the drag coefficient, may be calculated, in particular from equation 4.
It is often sensible to carry out a check to provide confidence in any value calculated. This check seeks to ensure that the estimates of the aerodynamic power are within certain limits, based on the known aerodynamic drag of certain vehicles.
Returning now to qualifying periods for establishing steady state.
As stated, the purpose of the steady state detection module 902 is to identify periods in which the vehicle is being driven at a constant speed, typically within the range of 90 km/h-110 km/h, more particularly around 100 km/h, but not necessarily limited thereto. It is important that the vehicle should not be accelerating or decelerating to ensure that all power is expended to overcome the effect of the frontal area and hence establish an estimate for the frontal area. However, it would not be possible to require calculations to be performed only when the vehicle had exactly zero acceleration, so a small range, typically between −0.02 and 0.02 MS−2 is counted as being zero acceleration, although this range is not limiting. A secondary check on steady state, to ensure that the period is, in fact, in a steady state, is to look at the engine load. The vehicle should not be coasting, nor should the throttle be wide open, and the latter combined with a near zero acceleration would indicate that the vehicle was most likely to climbing a steep hill. To provide confidence that a steady state has been detected, the engine load should therefore be within the range of substantially 30% and substantially 70% of maximum load. A further secondary check for steady state is to look at the engine speed, for example to see that the vehicle is in the correct gear. For this to be the case, the engine speed should lie between two threshold values, the lower threshold being typically higher for a petrol engine compared with a diesel engine. The engine speed will depend on whether the vehicle uses diesel or petrol fuel and typical values for the respective thresholds are substantially 4500 RPM for the upper threshold, and, for the lower threshold, substantially 2000 PM for a diesel engine and substantially 2500 for a petrol engine.
Therefore the first check as to whether the vehicle is in fact travelling at a steady state is to check that the vehicle speed is within the required range as discussed already, and the mechanism for this check is largely conventional, depending however on the vehicle speed, comparing this with reference values as discussed. It should be noted that lower values of these thresholds would be required for heavy goods vehicles due to legal limitations on their speeds. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that these reference levels are exemplary only and different levels may be used whilst being with the scope of the invention.
As stated the next check as to whether the vehicle is in fact travelling at a steady state is to check that the acceleration is within required limits, in particular that the vehicle is very close to constant speed.
The final steady state check is to establish that the engine speed is within acceptable limits, and this indicates that the vehicle is in the correct gear.
The power at the crank also takes account of at least one empirically determined power factor(s), which model the power loss or losses due to transmission. One empirical factor is subtracted from the engine power and in the preferred embodiment of the invention is the same for all vehicle types. A further power factor is a multiplicative efficiency factor, which differs according to whether the vehicle is an HGV or a light duty vehicle. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that it is possible to refine these values according to vehicle type or make, or to allow the user input of this value and the invention is not limited to any one method of allowing for transmission power losses. In the preferred embodiment therefore, the power at the crank is determined by the subtraction of a first empirical power factor and multiplication by a second empirical power factor. Selection of the second empirical power factor may be based on the type of vehicle, for example HGV or light vehicle.
There are alternative methods of providing a figure for the power at the crank, such as for example multiplication or subtraction by a single transmission factor or by direct estimation of the power at the crank. Typically the value of the first power factor is substantially 10 PS (˜7.5 KW) and the values of the second power factor are substantially 0.9 for an HGV and 0.8 for a light duty vehicle. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that these values may be varied and the invention is not limited to any particular values of the power factors.
Where ρ is the density of the fluid through which an object is moving, v is the velocity of the object, A is the effective area of the object and Cd is the drag coefficient.
A figure for the aerodynamic resistance is obtained by subtracting the estimate of rolling resistance obtained from the Rolling Power calculation carried out above. The estimate of aerodynamic power is used in the Frontal Area Calculation together with the parameters set out above.
We now discuss the arrangement in more detail.
FIG. 9 illustrates a frontal area estimation module according to an embodiment of the invention. It comprises a power module 901, a steady state detection module 902, an incremental learning module 903, subtractor 904 and a frontal area calculation module 905. The power module provides a figure for the power at the wheels, based on values provided for engine speed 503, engine load 504, engine power 704, HGV indicator 505, vehicle speed 405 and engine load switch 508, which indicates the engine load reporting strategy.
The power at the wheels 906 is supplied by power module 901 to the incremental learning module 903, which is activated when an indicator 907 is received from the steady state detection module 902. The steady state detection module receives current values for engine speed 503, vehicle speed 405, acceleration 411, engine load 504 and fuel type 506. The current estimate of power in the steady state is supplied to input 908 of subtractor 904. The Incremental learning algorithm 903 performs a weighted or moving average of the power value obtained from the Power Module 901. At the end of such a sample period, an average total power value is forwarded by the Incremental Learning Module 903 to subtractor 904. Additionally, an end of sample period indicator 909 is sent from the Incremental Learning Module to the Steady State Detection Module in order to start a new sample period.
A rolling resistance power is supplied to input 513 and is subtracted from the output 908 of the Incremental Learning Module 903, to give an estimate of the aerodynamic power to Effective Frontal Area Calculator 905. Effective Frontal Area Calculator 905 calculates the effective frontal area based on the aerodynamic power and empirically obtained values for the drag coefficient.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a limit is introduced for the upper and lower values of the aerodynamic power. The limits relate to values for a variety of vehicles, including large or small cars, light vehicles, or an HGV vehicle. Accordingly, FIG. 10 illustrates another embodiment, which further comprises a limitation module 1000, which ensures that the estimates of the aerodynamic power are within certain limits, based on the known aerodynamic drag of certain vehicles.
It is contemplated that intermediate values, such as area multiplied by one or more of the drag coefficient, vehicle speed cubed, fluid density or the constant 0.5, may be used and suitably converted using equation 7 or an appropriate derivative. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that any of these methods can be used without affecting the embodiment of the invention.
As set out above, critical to the estimation of the Effective Frontal Area is the engine load reporting strategy, and we will now discuss the Engine Load Reporting Strategy in detail. As explained above, the engine load may be provided as a percentage of the maximum torque or a percentage of the torque at the given engine speed. In an embodiment of the invention, the reporting strategy is entered by the user. In an alternative embodiment, it is deduced by examination of the OBD output parameters.
At high engine speed and load, the two reporting strategies will give readings which are very close to each other as the engine is working at its maximum and an engine power at the given speed is close to a maximum engine power for the vehicle. In contrast, the point of greatest contrast in reported engine load values is when the engine load is at its lowest. This latter point will occur when the engine is idling.
Therefore in a preferred embodiment, the Engine Load Reporting Strategy will be deduced by identifying periods, idling qualifying periods, in which the engine is idling and comparing the engine load with a predetermined threshold. This process is set out in FIG. 11. The process of identifying qualifying periods for determining the engine load reporting strategy are illustrated in FIG. 6, steps 612 to 614.
The idle speed (generally measured in revolutions per minute, or rpm, of the crankshaft) of an internal combustion engine is the rotational speed of the engine when it is uncoupled from the drive train and the throttle pedal is not depressed. At idle speed, the engine generates enough power to run reasonably smoothly and operate its ancillaries (water pump, alternator, and, if equipped, other accessories such as power steering), but usually not enough to perform useful work, such as moving an automobile. For a passenger-car engine, idle speed is customarily between 600 rpm and 1,000 rpm. When idling, an engine typically has a load of a few percent of maximum power, normally less than for example 8%, and the engine speed will also be low at idling, for example the percentage of the maximum power for the given engine speed will typically be around 20-30 percent.
FIG. 11 shows the parameters to be considered in determining if an engine is idling. For example, periods in which the engine is idling are identified by checking the engine speed and comparing this to a threshold value, the idle speed threshold. A default value for the threshold is used as a starting point and adjustments are then made to it to allow for engine temperature (related to the length of time the engine has been running), engine size and fuel type.
We check fuel type because diesel engines usually have higher idling speeds than petrol engines. We check engine size because smaller engines have higher idling speeds than large ones. We check the temperature because, in general, the hotter the engine, the lower the idling speed will be. It may be that no correction is made for the length of time the engine has been running, or coolant temperature may not be relied upon.
We must also take into account that a minimum engine speed must also be exceeded to ensure that the engine is in fact running.
To avoid mistaking an engine idling circumstance, for example where a vehicle may be coasting downhill, or moving slowly forward with no pressure on the throttle, a further check may be carried out on vehicle speed, in which the vehicle speed is taken from the OBD system, a zero value confirming an idle condition.
In addition we also need to consider that if a vehicle is being held on the clutch on a slope, the vehicle may have zero speed but the engine may not be idling. This can be identified by comparing the engine load with a threshold dependent on fuel type. Typical values for the thresholds are 70% load for diesel engines and 23% load for petrol engines. However the invention is not limited to any particular values for these thresholds.
Once it has been established that an engine is idling, we can implement to the method of determining the engine load reporting strategy.
As discussed, if it is determined that the engine is idling and the reported engine load is less than a threshold, then the reporting strategy is likely to be a percentage of maximum torque, whereas if it is above the threshold the reporting strategy is likely to be a percentage of power at the given engine speed. An indicator as to which strategy has been detected is then passed on to a persistency check and latch function. This seeks to ensure that the strategy is only recorded as correct if the indicator has been set to the level for a given time threshold, i.e. a persistency check is carried out, and if passed the engine load reporting strategy is fixed.
As stated, the running time and temperature of the engine is also relevant and if the running time is less that a pre-set threshold (the idle time threshold), the temperature of the coolant, obtained from the OBD system, may be used to adjust the threshold.
In addition the engine load is checked against a predetermined threshold, as the engine load depends on whether the engine uses diesel or petrol, and exceeding the threshold provides a strong indication that, even if the vehicle speed is zero, the engine is not idling, but may be on a slope held on the clutch. A clutch check utilises the fuel type indicator, and engine load, to select a diesel or petrol clutch threshold, although other methods are also contemplated.
Thus, the engine load reporting strategy is calculated by determining whether the engine is idling and then determining whether the engine load is greater than a given threshold. The method also checks the engine speed to see if it is below the idle speed threshold calculated by this process, whether the engine is running, indicated by whether the engine speed is above a required threshold, whether the clutch check module has indicated that the vehicle is being held on its clutch, and the vehicle speed. If the engine is determined to be switched on, is operating at below the calculated idle speed threshold and the vehicle speed is zero, then the engine is assume to be idling.
In more detail, as stated, as an overall review, in order to determine the engine load reporting strategy, a period, the idling qualifying period, in which the engine is idling, must be identified. If during this period, the reported engine load is small, typically a single figure percentage, then the reporting strategy is taken to be to state the percentage of maximum torque. If the reported engine load is larger than this, then the reporting strategy is taken to be to state the percentage of engine load at the given engine speed. The engine is identified as idling if the vehicle speed is zero, the vehicle is not being held on the clutch and the engine speed is less than a given threshold. The threshold is determined taking into account the fuel type, the engine temperature, the engine size and the length of time for which the engine has been running, although other means are contemplated. For example, in an embodiment, a fixed threshold may be used. In a further embodiment, a threshold altered to allow for engine size only may be used. In yet a further embodiment, only adjustments for engine running time may be used, either as a threshold running time or an adjustment based on engine temperature.
In further detail and with reference to the drawings, the stages of the determination of the engine load reporting strategy are illustrated in FIG. 11 and an engine load reporting strategy detection module according to an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 12. The engine load reporting strategy detection module is set out in FIG. 12, which shows six component modules including a time and temperature module 1203, a fuel type module 1204, an engine size module 1205, a clutch check module 1206, an idling check module 1207, and a persistency check and latch module 1208. These modules have seven inputs, engine on indicator 512, fuel type indicator 506, engine coolant temperature input 1201, engine speed 503, engine load 504, vehicle speed 405 and OBD sample time 1202.
Starting with the Time and temperature module 1203, this module checks whether the engine has been on for more than a threshold period of time. In an embodiment, if the engine has not been running for more than a threshold time, then the engine temperature, measured by reference to the coolant temperature 1201, is considered in the determination of whether the engine is idling. In another embodiment, no measurements are taken if the engine has not been running for at least a given length of time. In yet another embodiment, no correction is made for the length of time for which the engine has been running.
Turning now to the Fuel type module 1204, this module makes adjustments to the engine speed threshold according to fuel type.
We next consider the engine size module 1205. This module adjusts the engine speed threshold according to the engine size of the vehicle.
Turning now to the Clutch check module 1206, this module detects if the vehicle is being held on a hill on the clutch.
As part of the detection of the Engine Load Reporting Strategy, the engine load reporting strategy module 1207 (idling check) takes the values of the engine speed 503, vehicle speed 405 and engine load 504 to determine whether the engine is idling and then checks whether the engine load reported is less than a threshold. If it is less than a given threshold, it is determined that, since the engine load reported is comparatively small, the value reported must be a percentage of maximum torque. Alternatively, if the engine load reported is above the threshold, then the value reported is the percentage of power at the given engine speed. An indicator as to which strategy has been detected is then passed on to the persistency check and latch module 1208. The persistency check module ensures that the strategy is only recorded as correct if the indicator has been set to the level for a given time threshold. If this persistency check is passed, then the latch circuit ensures that a strategy indicator is continuously provided to an output 1209, even after the period of idling has ended.
The fuel type has been mentioned and referred to several times as part of this process. In particular, the fuel type, i.e. whether it is diesel or petrol, is of critical importance in the determination of thresholds used in determining qualifying periods. An example of this is the engine speed threshold used in determining the engine load reporting strategy.
According to an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a mechanism for determining whether the vehicle uses diesel or petrol. This mechanism exploits certain differences in the operation of diesel and petrol engines. Amongst these differences are the mechanism for control of the engine load, temperature differences in the exhaust gases, differences in the on board diagnostic protocols used, the reporting of fuel status and differences in fuel pressure.
In a petrol engine, load control is achieved by “throttling” the engine, which entails restricting airflow and hence reducing the available oxygen to burn. Petrol engines are almost always constrained to run at a stoichiometric fuel ratio. Diesel engines operate under normal conditions without a throttle in the intake manifold. Variation in the load on a diesel engine is achieved by careful fuel quantity delivery alone.
In some vehicles the manifold pressure is reported, which allows a straightforward check to see if the engine is throttled. If the engine is running and a significant vacuum occurs, this is indicative that the engine is a petrol engine. A typical value detected is in the region of 50 KPa below atmospheric pressure, but the person skilled in the art will recognise that other suitable values may be used and the invention is not limited to any particular threshold of manifold pressure. When the vacuum condition is observed for a significant period, then the vehicle is recognised as having a petrol engine, otherwise, it is recorded as using diesel.
In other vehicles the manifold pressure is not reported. In these cases, the air flow rate may be checked. If the air flow is less than a predetermined fraction of the engine size, this is an indication that the engine is being throttled, which, as stated, identifies the engine as running on petrol. A typical fraction of the engine size is 1/300th, but the person skilled in the art will appreciate that alternative values for this fraction may be used and the invention is not limited to any given predetermined fraction.
Another mechanism which may be used to identify the fuel type is exhaust gas temperature. The temperature of the exhaust gases is much higher in a petrol engine than a diesel one. This fact can be used to provide an alternative mechanism for the detection of fuel type. In an embodiment of the invention, the exhaust gas temperature is compared with at least one threshold. In further embodiments, upper and lower thresholds are used.
Another indicator of the fuel type is the protocol used by the on board diagnostics system. One such protocol is the J1939 protocol, which is used exclusively by Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV's). HGV's are usually fuelled by diesel and therefore detection of the J1939 protocol will be indicative that the vehicle is powered by a diesel engine. In an embodiment of the invention, an OBD protocol sniffer is used to identify the protocol used. The protocol type is represented by an enumerated state and if the enumerated state corresponds with a value representing the J1939 protocol we may assume it is an HGV vehicle. However, some HGV's are fuelled by Biogas, so use of the J1939 protocol is not conclusive proof of the use of diesel fuel. Since biogas has similar exhaust gas temperatures to petrol engines, a diesel is only reported by the protocol detection system if the exhaust temperature is also that of a diesel.
A further significant difference in the operation of diesel and petrol engines is the pressure at which the fuel is supplied. This value is significantly higher in diesel engines and this fact may be used to recognise a diesel fuelled vehicle. In an embodiment of the invention, the common rail fuel pressure is compared with a predetermined threshold in order to identify a diesel engine.
In addition, petrol engines can be identified by reference to one of the standard OBD parameter identifiers (PIDs), namely PID 03, the fuel status type. A request can be made to the OBD as to the fuel status, which can be cold start, closed loop or component protection. While petrol engines use this status PID, diesels do not. Therefore, in an embodiment of the invention, a request is made to the OBD for PID 03. If there is a response, this indicates that the engine is fuelled by petrol. If the request times out, this is indicative of a diesel engine.
Various embodiments of the invention are possible, which use the above fuel type detection methods. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that any individual method or combination of methods may be used to determine the fuel type of the vehicle and the invention is not limited to any one or any one combination of methods. In an embodiment of the invention, all of the methods are used in combination. However, the different indicators are not all equally conclusive of fuel type. The fuel pressure is not completely conclusive, as there is the possibility of a high fuel pressure petrol engine. The use of the fuel status, presence of throttling and high exhaust gas temperatures are all strong indicators of a petrol engine.
Setting out the fuel type detection mechanism in more detail we refer to FIG. 13.
FIG. 13 illustrates a fuel type detection module according to an embodiment of the invention. There is provided a Pressure And Flow Rate Module 1301, Protocol Recognition Module 1302, an Exhaust Gas Temperature Module 1303, a Fuel Pressure Module 1304, a latch circuit 1305 and a manual override 1306. The Fuel Type Detection Module is provided with six inputs; Manifold Absolute Pressure 1307, Manifold Absolute Pressure Validity Indicator 1308, Engine speed 503, Air flow rate 1309, Air flow validity indicator 1310 and Engine size 1311, the Protocol recognition module has one input, the Protocol Type Input 1312. The exhaust gas temperature module has two inputs, Exhaust Gas Temperature 1313, and Exhaust Gas Temperature Valid 1314. The fuel pressure module has two inputs, Fuel Pressure 1316, and Fuel Rail Pressure Valid 1317. The manual override module has one input: Manual Override 1318.
The Protocol recognition module 1302 takes the value of the enumerated state from the OBD protocol sniffer and checks it against J1939 enumerated states held in module 1302. If the Exhaust Gas Temperature Module also indicates a diesel, then the vehicle is recorded as being fueled by diesel. If any of the Pressure And Flow Rate Module, Exhaust Gas Temperature Module or Fuel Status Type Valid indicators indicate that the vehicle uses petrol, then a petrol fuel type is recorded.
In an alternative embodiment of the Fuel Type Detector, the logic represented by the combination of AND gates 1319, 1320, OR gates 1321, 1322 and NOT gates 1323, 1324 and 1325, is replaced by a “trust level” system, wherein a percentage or other numerical indicator is used to record a confidence level that the vehicle is petrol or diesel which reflects the degree of certainty in the respective test. A higher value for the trust level will for example be assigned to the throttling test than for the fuel pressure. The trust levels are then summed and the result is compared with a threshold to determine if the vehicle is petrol or diesel fuelled.
All the factors contributing to the fuel consumption have now been set out.
The final stage of the process is the calculation of fuel consumption. In order to carry out a fuel calculation as accurately as possible, the power required to keep the engine running must also be accounted for, including the power supplied to ancillary devices, and transmission inefficiencies must also be taken into account. This is largely conventional and will not be discussed further.
There are other factors which must be taken into account however, such as braking events, for example. On a simple level, acceleration during such braking events will be negative which might prevent generation of accurate values. This is of course not the case if the vehicle has regenerative braking.
Once a total power figure, including ancillaries, has been calculated, this total power figure is divided by the transmission efficiency to produce a figure for total engine power. The total engine power is then divided by the engine efficiency and the calorific value of the fuel to produce a value for fuel consumption. In an embodiment of the invention, an additional check is provided, whereby a user input maximum power figure is used as a maximum engine power. The lesser of the calculated maximum power and the user input figure is used in the fuel calculation.
Thus a value for fuel consumption may be calculated, for example, for each period of an OBD cycle or other periods. For example fuel consumption may be calculated as a continuous process during vehicle operation. Any such fuel consumption calculations will be based on characteristics of a vehicle, characteristics of a driver, such as driver behaviour, and characteristics of a journey. The fuel consumption is therefore very specific to the vehicle, the driver, and the road conditions and provides a degree of accuracy not achieved before. Several methods are provided herein to calculate a fuel consumption so that if one of the methods cannot provide a value an alternative can replace or supplement such a value. For example, in an embodiment of the invention, upper and lower limits on fuel consumption may be established using the method based on estimation of total power usage (i.e. using equations 1 to 5). The upper and lower limits correspond to upper and lower estimates of vehicle mass, using the method illustrated in FIG. 8. The air flow method, the steps of which are illustrated in FIG. 1, may be used as the principal mechanism for fuel consumption estimation, with the upper and lower limits provided by the total power method providing appropriate “ceilings” and “floor” on fuel consumption estimation. Alternative combinations of the two methods may be used as appropriate.
FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate embodiments of the system described above. Some exemplary findings from the system are given as follows.
During development we have relied on a variety of methods. In particular we have simulated power at the crank. Applying a transmission efficiency factor of 0.95/0.9 (light/heavy) gives apparent power at the crank. To obtain fuel we use the calorific value of the given fuel. The current model is designed for diesel only. The internal combustion engine efficiency is given as 0.33/0.35 (light/heavy).
The variable subsystem as it stands to date. This is currently an engineering release. Engine size must not exceed 1999 cc otherwise the model will load HGV settings. etm_model_variables, vehicle mass, frontal A and coefficient of drag are calibrations in the model.
With the 3 variables set as stated above, etm gps_vss_valid is set true. The Actros needs to be identified during sniffing and then once OBD requests are halted the given conditions are met. For an MAN HGV, where engine speed is valid but VSS is not, the AOP model uses GPS for speed, but the autocal model is still used for fuelling.
A Bluetooth connection with the micro.
For debugging this model on the bench, it is necessary to invalidate engine speed and vehicle speed, also ‘app_gps_speed’ is populated with the value which would normally exist as con_veh_speed. This is achieved by setting the ‘appc_gps_overide_obd’ TRUE. This value should always be FALSE at build time, to ensure the model performs as intended!
The model was then run using data from a number of HGV tests to ensure fuel accuracy is within acceptable limits for use on a Mercedes Actros, results given below: Note that the coefficient of rolling resistance remains constant, this is intentional for all vehicle modelling.
This inaccurate result is rich due to over predicting power required for acceleration. The coca-cola cycle comprises many harsh transients. Simulating the truck empty at 10,000 kg−fuel economy is 10.99 mpg.
As an exercise, a steady state cruise simulation was conducted at 90 kph. It was found that a 10,000 kg lorry uses a simulated 3.63 g/s of diesel. An identically sized 21,000 kg lorry produces 4.49 g/s, 19% more fuel as a result of rolling friction alone.
The invention is not limited to the features disclosed herein.
generating an output signal indicating a value that provides an estimate of the mass of the vehicle, based on the at least one operating parameter.
generating another output signal characterizing user operation of the moving vehicle, based on the determined engine load reporting strategy and an engine operating parameter value obtained from the OBD port.
3. The method of claim 1, further including determining a force applied to a drivetrain component of the vehicle, wherein generating the output signal includes generating the output signal based on the determined force.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one operating parameter includes a parameter indicative of acceleration of the vehicle, further including determining a force applied to a drivetrain component of the vehicle, and wherein generating the output signal includes dividing the force by the parameter indicative of acceleration.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one qualifying period of time includes identifying a period of time during which the vehicle is operating below a threshold speed and moving on a flat surface.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying the at least one qualifying period of time includes identifying a period of time during which the vehicle is moving in first gear based upon an acceleration threshold.
wherein generating the output signal includes dividing the force by the weighted or moving average acceleration value of the vehicle.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the force includes estimating a value of the force provided to the crank using an engine size of an engine in the vehicle and empirically determined constants.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the force includes determining the force during at least one of the at least one qualifying period.
wherein generating the output signal includes dividing the net force by the weighted or moving average acceleration value of the vehicle.
generating the output signal includes using said weighted or moving average value of acceleration to provide the estimate of the mass of the vehicle.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the output signal includes determining a weighted or moving average value of vehicle acceleration readings taken during at least one of the at least one qualifying period.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein generating the output signal includes determining a weighted or moving average value of overall power readings taken during at least one of the at least one qualifying period.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying the at least one qualifying period of time includes identifying a period of time during which vehicle acceleration of the vehicle is above a predetermined threshold that identifies near peak acceleration of the vehicle.
adding the difference to the stored estimate of peak acceleration, and storing the result of the adding as a current stored estimate of peak acceleration.
16. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying the at least one qualifying period of time includes identifying a period of time during which vehicle acceleration of the vehicle is between predetermined thresholds that identify periods of near steady state motion of the vehicle.
17. The method of claim 1, further including estimating engine power and power loss of the vehicle based on the at least one operating parameter, wherein generating the output signal includes generating the output signal based upon the estimated engine power and power loss.
18. The method of claim 17, further including estimating instantaneous fuel use of the vehicle based on the generated value and the estimated engine power and power loss.
19. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the output signal includes determining a weighted or moving average value of the at least one operating parameter as obtained during the at least one qualifying period of time, in response to at least one of the motion parameter or engine activity parameter being within a predetermined range.
ITTO20020072A1 (en) 2002-01-25 2003-07-25 Fiat Ricerche Method for the determination of the 'quantity of particulate accumulated in a particulate filter. | 2019-04-21T22:24:49Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/US20160362076A1/en |
This document has been archived and replaced by NSF 13-601.
The Discovery Research K-12 (DRK-12) program solicitation supports projects that lead to significant and sustainable improvements in STEM learning, advance STEM teaching, and contribute to improvements in the nation's formal education system. Successful DRK-12 projects emphasize both research on and development of innovative STEM resources, models, and tools. DRK-12 is interested in projects that build upon educational research (theory, knowledge, findings) and promote effective STEM practices in diverse preK-12 classrooms. DRK-12 is also interested in high risk/high return projects that have the potential to radically transform formal STEM education.
(3) Conference and workshop proposals may no longer be submitted at any time during the year and are now due at the same deadline as all other DRK-12 proposals.
The Discovery Research K-12 program (DRK-12) seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students, teachers, administrators and parents. All DRK-12 projects should be framed around a research question or hypothesis that addresses an important need or topic in preK-12 STEM education. The emphasis in DRK-12 is on research projects that study the development, testing, deployment, effectiveness, and/or scale-up of innovative resources, models and tools. DRK-12 invites proposals that address immediate challenges that are facing preK-12 STEM education as well as those that anticipate a radically different structure and function of pre-K 12 teaching and learning. DRK-12 especially encourages proposals that challenge existing assumptions about learning and teaching within or across STEM fields, envision the future needs of learners, and consider new and innovative ways to support student and teacher learning. DRK-12 is particularly interested in projects that hold promise for identifying and developing the next generation of STEM innovators (NSB, 2010). There are four strands described in detail in the solicitation: 1) Assessment; 2) Learning; 3) Teaching; 4) Scale-up.
DRK-12 projects are based on theories of learning, prior research and development. Projects reflect the needs of an increasingly diverse population as well as national, state, or discipline priorities. Outcomes include usable and scalable resources, models, tools, and contributions to the knowledge about STEM teaching and learning. In addition, teachers and students who participate in DRK-12 studies are expected to enhance their understanding and use of STEM content, practices and skills.
The DRK-12 program is primarily concerned with the goals and effectiveness of formal education, but recognizes that learning is not limited to formal school environments and times. The program encourages projects to draw from knowledge and practice of learning in out-of-school and informal settings.
Most young people and STEM professionals today use powerful technologies in the activities of their everyday lives. New knowledge, new ways of thinking, and new ways of finding and processing information drive our society and economy. Many of the resources, models and tools researched and developed by DRK-12 will provide innovative ways to use current and emerging technologies to transform STEM education.
DRK-12 recognizes that outstanding teaching is a critical and integral component of this improvement process. While Strand 3 has a specific focus on resources, models and tools for teacher education and the impact of those models on student learning, projects submitted to the other strands may also include teacher support materials or professional development components in support of student learning. Projects submitted to the Learning strand might also include the development of assessments related to the specific goals of the project.
Some DRK-12 projects focus on a specific STEM discipline or concept, while others have cross-disciplinary, cross-grade level content, but all projects must demonstrate that the content is important from both a disciplinary and learning perspective.
Full Research and Development projects are expected to lead to successful dissemination and adoption of findings or products in the preK-12 enterprise at a scale beyond that directly supported by the grant.
Please note that the following information is current ;at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact.
Estimated Number of Awards: 35 to 45 per year. It is anticipated that about 15-20 Exploratory awards, 15-20 Full Research and Development awards, and 5 Conference/Workshop awards will be made in FY 2012, pending availability of funds.
Anticipated Funding Amount: $40,000,000 in FY 2012 for new awards made under this solicitation, pending availability of funds. Normal limits for funding requests of DRK-12 proposals are as follows: (1) Exploratory projects up to $450,000 with duration up to three years; (2a) Full Research and Development projects up to $3,000,000 with duration up to four years; (2b) Full Research and Development projects with a primary focus on learning how to take proven STEM innovations to scale, up to $4,000,000 with a duration of four years; (3) Conference/Workshop projects up to $100,000 for duration up to two years.
Letters of Intent:Submission of Letters of Intent is required. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is charged with promoting the vitality of the nation's science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) research and education enterprises.
The mission of the Directorate of Education and Human Resources (EHR) is to achieve excellence in U.S. STEM education at all levels and in all settings (both formal and informal). EHR programs support the development of a diverse and well-prepared workforce of scientists, technicians, engineers, mathematicians and educators and a well-informed citizenry that have access to the ideas and tools of science and engineering. The purpose of these activities is to enhance the quality of life of all citizens and the health, prosperity, welfare and security of the nation.
To achieve these goals, the Directorate sponsors programs in the Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL), Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE), Division of Graduate Education (DGE), and Human Resource Development (HRD). The DRK-12 program is managed in DRL.
The Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings invests in projects to enhance STEM learning for people of all ages in both formal and informal learning settings. Its mission includes promoting innovative and transformative research and development, and evaluation of learning and teaching in all STEM disciplines. New and emerging areas of STEM must play prominent roles in efforts to improve STEM education. The integration of cutting-edge STEM content and the engagement of scientists, engineers, and educators from the range of disciplines represented at NSF is encouraged in all DRL initiatives. DRL's role is to be a catalyst for change by advancing theory, method, measurement, development, evaluation, and application in STEM education. The Division seeks to support both development of promising new ideas and scale-up and sustainability of proven educational innovations.
The Discovery Research K-12 (DRK-12) program enables significant advances in preK-12 learning of the STEM disciplines through research and development on innovative resources, models, and tools for use by students, teachers, administrators and policy makers.
The Transforming STEM Learning (TSL) activity is a combined effort of the programs listed above to challenge existing assumptions, encourage innovative thinking and catalyze the development of new models for future STEM learning.
The Promoting Research and Innovation in Methodologies for Evaluation (PRIME) program supports research on evaluation with special emphasis on innovative approaches for determining the impacts of STEM projects and growing the capacity of the evaluation field.
Each of these programs is intended to improve their field's capacity to further STEM learning. They are central to NSF's strategic goals of Learning and Discovery, helping to cultivate a world-class, broadly inclusive STEM workforce, expanding the scientific literacy of all citizens, and promoting research that advances the frontiers of knowledge (NSF, 2011).
All research and development activities within DRL aim at generating knowledge and transforming practice in STEM education. DRL's programs are designed to complement each other within a cycle of innovation and learning (see Figure 1) that forms the conceptual framework for its programs (adapted from American Statistical Association, 2007; NSF, 2005; RAND, 2003). All DRL programs are concerned with all five components of the cycle, to different degrees.
The major distinction between the DRK-12 and REESE programs is that DRK-12 projects focus on development and study of specific resources, models and tools designed to improve STEM education in preK-12 schools, while REESE projects focus primarily on building theory and knowledge about STEM education across learning contexts and ages. The outcomes of DRK-12 projects will be STEM education innovations and products that are informed by research and tested in practice. The primary outcomes of REESE projects will be research findings, methods, and theoretical perspectives about STEM education. Proposers who are in doubt about the appropriate program for funding of their work should consult an NSF program officer.
The NSF 2011-2016 Strategic Plan calls for the integration of research and education to ensure the Nation's capacity to generate the workforce needed to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving workplace. This includes a commitment to drawing in and retaining a diverse population of students in STEM fields. The Discovery Research K-12 (DRK-12) program seeks to significantly enhance STEM learning for children and adolescents through research, development, testing, deployment and scale-up of exemplary resources, models and tools. The intent is to catalyze new approaches to STEM learning, develop students' 21st century STEM workforce skills, and provide the pathways and resources to study the learning process itself.
DRK-12 invites proposals that address immediate challenges facing preK-12 STEM education as well as those that anticipate a radically different structure and function of pre-K 12 teaching and learning. DRK-12 especially encourages proposals that challenge existing assumptions about learning and teaching within or across STEM fields, envision the future needs of learners, and consider new and innovative ways to support their learning. DRK-12 is particularly interested in projects that hold promise for identifying and developing the next generation of STEM innovators (NSB, 2010).
Collectively, the four strands described below foster the creation of a new generation of resources, models, and tools that take full advantage of the rich research base on STEM learning and the capabilities of modern information and communications technologies to enhance the education of preK-12 learners and teachers. Specifically, the DRK-12 program encourages the development, study, and use of learning and teaching resources that motivate and engage learners in deep and meaningful investigations within a coherent curriculum. These resources should be dynamic, responsive, and adaptable to support the wide range of interests, abilities, languages and cultures in modern classrooms. In addition, DRK-12 encourages research and development of new STEM learning resources, models, and tools that help students become scientific and engineering problem solvers. They should also model ways of learning and doing that are personally sustainable, preparing young people, teachers, and administrators to be lifelong learners who effectively utilize cutting-edge technologies and are able to learn and adapt to a rapidly changing world.
The DRK-12 program seeks to maintain a balanced portfolio by supporting projects ranging from those with immediate applicability to those that anticipate and provide the foundation for preK-12 STEM education as it could be in future decades. Projects that address immediate and pressing challenges typically develop and study resources, models and tools that could be implemented and brought to scale in the relatively near term, albeit in highly innovative ways.
Projects that anticipate education as it could be in the future (10-20 years) will necessarily put forward ideas, concepts, theories, and development that challenge existing assumptions about STEM learning and teaching. Such projects, for example, might develop and study resources, models and tools that (1) are dramatically more effective with the diversity of learners they will serve; (2) support STEM learning with collaborative and interactive technologies; (3) help students and teachers draw on the expertise and resources of scientists and practitioners located far from the classroom or teacher education setting; or (4) link in-school and out-of-school STEM learning in new ways.
Full Research and Development projects lead to products and findings that can be successfully disseminated and adopted at a scale beyond that directly supported by the grant.
1) The Assessment Strand: projects that develop and study valid and reliable assessments of student and teacher knowledge, skills, and practices.
In an era of increased accountability in preK-12 education, resources, models and tools for assessing STEM content knowledge, effective practices, affective characteristics, and habits of mind must keep pace with and anticipate the demands of instruction and educational policy. Among the most pressing issues is the alignment of preK-12 assessments with the learning goals represented in widely used standards documents. In line with recommendations in the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards/mathematics), the K-12 Science Framework (NRC, 2011), and the report on Successful K-12 STEM Education (NRC, 2011), assessments should probe student understanding of the most important disciplinary concepts, principles, and mathematical, engineering, and scientific practices, as well as the application of that knowledge to problem-solving and decision-making.
DRK-12 is interested in supporting the development and study of innovations in (1) summative assessment of student content knowledge, skills, attitudes, beliefs, motivation, aptitudes, interests, creativity and other important objectives of STEM education; (2) formative assessment of student progress in learning STEM concepts, skills, and practices; and (3) valid and reliable assessments of STEM teacher content and pedagogical content knowledge, effective teaching practices, confidence, interest, and motivation.
Assessing the full scope of mathematical, scientific, and technological proficiency in valid and reliable ways presents conceptual, psychometric, and practical challenges. Thus, in all assessment projects, collaborations with psychometricians, STEM disciplinary experts and educational researchers are expected.
2) The Learning Strand: projects that develop and study resources, models and tools to support all students' STEM learning, enhance their knowledge and abilities, and build their interest in STEM fields.
The DRK-12 program seeks proposals framed around an important research question or hypothesis related to student learning. Successful projects in this strand will develop and study innovative resources, models, and tools that will substantially improve how and what pre-K-12 children learn. NSF seeks to support proposals that examine what is possible if the constraints of pedagogical tradition, educational policies, and limited resources are challenged by emerging research findings and the application of powerful and pervasive technologies and media. The program especially encourages projects that: (1) prepare students to understand increasingly sophisticated content in STEM subjects (Wiggins, 2005; NRC 2008); (2) engage students in meaningful scientific data collection, analysis, visualization, modeling and interpretation, (3) develop important, cross-cutting concepts and ideas needed to understand important interdisciplinary subjects like environmental sustainability, climate change, and renewable and non-renewable energy sources, (4) help students learn STEM practices, modes of inquiry, scientific investigation, and engineering design through hands-on activities, real and virtual laboratories, field experiences, and collaborations with STEM professionals and peers enabled by cyberinfrastructure and/or (5) provide substantive STEM learning activities that effectively engage and serve the diversity of learners found in contemporary U.S. classrooms. While some DRK-12 proposals may include one or more of these components, other proposals in this strand may focus on other aspects of student learning. All Full Research and Development Learning Strand projects must result in a usable product and indicate how the product could be adopted and directly support formal education.
Recent examples of successful DRK-12 projects include development and study of: adaptive tutors, scalable differentiated instruction, place-based learning, embedded formative assessments, blended learning environments (in and out of classrooms activities and projects), new laboratory designs, crowd or people sourcing, interactive digital textbooks, virtual environments and simulations, visualization tools, virtual scientific instruments, materials that are adaptable to the learner and learning environment, dynamic content that is constantly updated and improved, and ways to support instruction that transcend the limitations imposed by traditional classrooms.
3) The Teaching Strand: projects that develop and study resources, models and tools to help pre- and in-service teachers provide high quality STEM education for all students.
The DRK-12 program recognizes that a well-prepared and well-supported STEM teacher workforce is crucial to excellent preK-12 STEM education. Thus the program seeks proposals to study existing teacher pre- and inservice programs and develop innovative scalable models that support learning by preK-12 teachers at all points in their careers. For example, projects in this area might develop and study (1) innovative models to recruit, certify, induct, and retain STEM teachers; (2) new resources for helping pre- and in-service teachers develop content and pedagogical knowledge and skills; or (3) tools for sharing teaching expertise within schools and districts and across the broader national teacher community. As with all DRK-12 projects, these proposals should start with a specific research question or hypothesis, build on an explicit theory of learning, generate resources, models, and tools that are useful and usable by others, and use appropriate research and development designs.
Teachers today have unprecedented access to and experience with communication, information, and learning technologies that facilitate social networking, virtual gaming, scientific data analysis, and collaborations with scientists. At the same time, STEM fields are rapidly changing with greater emphasis on collaborative, interdisciplinary research. A major challenge in teacher preparation and professional development is in applying technological and human resources to the professional work of teaching. The DRK-12 program is especially interested in supporting projects that anticipate professional learning options and the needs of teachers who work in a global environment with powerful cyberinfrastructure.
Some examples of innovative resources, models and tools developed and studied by DRK-12 teacher education projects might include: (1) just-in-time online courses or digital library repositories and ways of using web-resources for teaching; (2) models for teacher networking and collaboration and tools to allow productive communication with peers, mentors, parents, and experts around the world; (3) tools that provide teachers with dynamic diagnostic information about student learning in real-time as well as tools that provide teachers with the ability to customize curriculum to meet the needs of diverse student populations; (4) models for helping teachers implement cutting-edge STEM content, or other teacher education innovations. All Full Research and Development projects should include an analysis of the impact of these resources, models and tools on teacher learning and practice and collected evidence on student learning.
4) The Scale-up and Sustainability Strand: projects that develop and study the factors that contribute to successful implementation, scale-up, and sustainability of proven, high-quality innovations in schools and districts in a cost effective manner.
Many studies of innovative resources, models, or tools have demonstrated positive effects on student or teacher STEM outcomes in a small number of sites under carefully controlled conditions. A key challenge is identifying conditions under which such promising innovations can be successfully implemented and sustained in a broad range of schools and districts across the country (Dede, et.al., 2005). Studies addressing this challenge could seek to understand how innovative resources, models, or tools that data have shown to be successful at a moderate scale, or in a particular grade band, can be disseminated, implemented, and scaled up in increasingly varied sites or adapted for use with additional audiences or grade levels. Alternatively, studies could focus on how STEM learning innovations can be successfully sustained in classrooms in combination with out-of-school partners or by using informal learning settings. The resources, models or technologies studied in such scale-up research may include work supported by NSF or any other source.
The DRK-12 program also accepts proposals that study the impact of resources, models, and tools when taken to scale. In such cases, the effects of specific STEM education interventions should have been established through smaller scale efficacy studies before submitting a proposal to examine if the effects are sustained when the innovation is taken to scale. These research projects should be designed to include an appropriate number and variety of sites to justify broadly generalizable results.
Because scale-up studies generally aim to attribute improvements in STEM education practice and/or results to an intervention, the research designs must involve a statistically appropriate number and nesting of individuals, classes, or schools, and should give careful attention to measures of fidelity and adaptation when the intervention is implemented. Effectiveness of the innovation should be assessed by appropriate, valid, and reliable instruments. Experimental studies with random assignment to treatment are encouraged. Longitudinal studies of student achievement may be appropriate for studies of impact at large scale.
Studies of organization and scale: Another type of scale-up study examines how a specific new resource, model, or technology is implemented, institutionalized, and sustained with the aim of understanding the organizational elements necessary for implementing the innovation successfully. Research questions for such studies might focus on implementation factors such as: (1) school or district financial investments, leadership, and organizational practices; (2) feasibility and fidelity of classroom implementation; (3) teacher professional development in support of the innovation; (4) engagement of teachers, administrators, and community representatives in adoption and implementation decisions; and/or (5) policy issues such as the innovation's alignment with state standards or assessments. Studies of the implementation and scale-up process might employ qualitative, quantitative, or mixed research methods to document, analyze, and interpret relationships between critical implementation factors and outcomes.
All scale-up studies must provide sufficient evidence that prior research on the resource, model, or technology being studied has provided efficacy data showing positive impact on student learning under specific conditions. Results of previous rigorous experimental or quasi-experimental studies or meta-analysis of related studies might provide such evidence of efficacy.
The DRK-12 program invites proposals for three types of projects: Exploratory projects, Full Research and Development projects and Conferences and Workshops.
Exploratory projects allow researchers and developers an opportunity to undertake preliminary work needed to clarify constructs, assemble theoretical or conceptual foundations, or perform early investigations of an idea for an innovative resource, model, or tool. Exploratory projects can also focus on the innovative repurposing or adaptation of existing resources, models, or tools. These short duration projects might develop prototype educational materials or practices and conduct research in small-scale pilot tests to provide proof of concept and preliminary estimates of impact. These projects should produce empirical evidence forming the basis of anticipated further research and development work. Exploratory projects may also be synthesis projects that bring together findings on current technology-enhanced resources and models to identify new directions for research and development. DRK-12 particularly encourages synthesis projects that provide research findings and recommendations that are useful to STEM education practitioners and decision makers.
Full Research and Development projects are built on the most promising Exploratory projects or other (non-NSF funded) projects. These projects have already demonstrated effectiveness in small sets of classrooms, schools, or other learning settings. Greater funding levels and longer timelines allow researchers and developers an opportunity to undertake more in-depth product development, more targeted research, and to reach a broader, more diverse, audience. Resources, models, or tools developed in full research and development projects should result in completed products, ready for implementation by others who request them.
Conferences and Workshops related to the mission of the DRK-12 program are also supported under this solicitation. Conferences or workshops should be well focused, related to the goals of the program, and generate a product usable by researchers or practitioners.
Conference and workshop proposals must be submitted by the deadline. All conference proposals should provide for an evaluation of the impact of the conference to be conducted at least 12 months after the conference is completed.
Please see the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide/Grant Proposal Guide Section II. D. for additional information about conference and workshop proposals.
American Statistical Association (2007). Using statistics effectively in mathematics education research. Retrieved July 9, 2007 from http://www.amstat.org/education/pdfs/UsingStatisticsEffectivelyinMathEdResearch.pdf.
Clements, D. H. (2007). Curriculum research: Toward a framework for "Research-based curricula". Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 38 (1): 35-70.
Cobb, P., Confrey, J., deSessa, A., Lehrer, R., & Schauble, L. (2003). Design experiments in educational research. Educational Researcher, 32(1), 9 -13.
Lamberg, T. & Middleton, J. A. (2009). Design research perspectives on transitioning from individual microgenetic interviews to a whole-class teaching experiment. Educational Researcher 38(4), 233-245.
National Mathematics Advisory Panel (2008). Foundations for Success: The Final Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, U.S. Department of Education: Washington, DC. National Research Council (2001). Knowing what students know: The science and design of educational assessment. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
National Research Council (2003). Assessment in support of instruction and learning: Bridging the gap between large-scale and classroom assessment. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
National Research Council (2004). On evaluating curricular effectiveness: Judging the quality of K-12 mathematics evaluations. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
National Research Council (2006). Systems for State Science Assessment. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
National Research Council (2007), Taking Science to School: Learning and Teaching Science in Grades K-8, Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
National Science Foundation Task Force on Cyberlearning. (2008). Fostering Learning the Networked World. National Science Foundation.
National Science Foundation/National Science Board (2010), Preparing the Next Generation of STEM Innovators: Identifying and Developing our Nation's Human Capital.
National Science Foundation (2011), Empowering the Nation Through Discovery and Innovation, NSF Strategic Plan for 2011-2016.
RAND Mathematics Study Panel (2003). Mathematical proficiency for all students: Toward a strategic research and development program in mathematics education. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation.
Scaling Up Success: Lessons Learned from Technology-Based Educational Improvement (2005), Chris Dede, James Honan, Laurence Peters, editors, John Wiley and Sons, 176pgs.
Shadish, W., Cook, T., and Campbell, D. (2002). Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs for Generalized Causal Inference. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Company.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology (March 5, 2010). Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology.
Wiggins, G.P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Specify the Strand that the proposal addresses, the tentative project title, the principal investigators, and the organizations involved.
Letters of Intent must be submitted via the NSF FastLane system, using the Letter of Intent module in FastLane, for all DRK-12 proposals except conferences.
Letters of Intent are limited to 2,500 characters, including spaces (approximately 350 words). Your Letter of Intent should contain a brief narrative that describes the project and provides the following information: (1) a project title; (2) clear identification of the primary Strand; (3) the STEM focus; (4) a list of proposed Principal Investigators and Co-Principal Investigators, including organizational affiliations and departments; (5) other partnering institutions; (5) STEM discipline; and (6) grade levels as appropriate.
Cover Sheet. Complete this form with the appropriate information. The DRK-12 Program Solicitation number must be entered on the first line of the cover page. (Grants.gov Users: The program solicitation number will be pre-populated by Grants.gov on the NSF Grant Application Cover Page.) All proposals submitted to DRK-12 are assumed to have the potential for conducting research on human subjects. Therefore, proposers must select the human subjects box on the cover sheet and should have prior or pending approval of their research from the appropriate institutional review board (IRB).
Project Summary. The first sentence of the Project Summary should specify the type of proposal (e.g., Exploratory; Full Research and Development; Workshop/Conference) and the Strand addressed. The second sentence should state the discipline or disciplines being addressed and grade level(s) if appropriate. Unless the two National Science Board criteria--intellectual merit and broader impacts--are addressed explicitly in separate statements in the project summary, the proposal will be returned without review.
Project Description. Project descriptions are limited to 15 pages and must comply with all formatting requirements of the most current Grant Proposal Guide. Proposals funded under this solicitation must begin with a research question or hypothesis about preK-12 STEM learning.
The proposal must clearly show why the proposed project has an important STEM focus, addresses critical educational needs, and has the potential for broad impact. Proposals of all types (Exploratory, Full Research and Development, and Conference/Workshop) must articulate the goals of the proposed project and why the goals are important for STEM education. The proposal should provide a rationale for how the project will improve STEM education for students and advance knowledge, and it should explain how products or findings might ultimately be implemented in schools on a large scale.
The proposal must describe results of prior NSF support for related educational projects in which the PI or co-PI have been involved. Include evidence of the quality and effectiveness of the resources, models and technologies previously developed. Describe how prior work influences this proposal.
The design of any DRK-12 project begins with a hypothesis about how some aspect of STEM education can be improved based on theories of learning and development. The proposal then offers a plan for developing an innovative resource, model, or tool and studying the innovation's impact on STEM learning. The proposal should articulate a plan of work that describes research and development strategies appropriate for attaining its goals. Proposals must demonstrate how the work is related to similar research and development.
All DRK-12 proposals must have a plan for formative and summative evaluation of project research and development work. Exploratory projects typically have more limited evaluation plans than Full Research and Development projects. The evaluation should focus on the validation of, fidelity to, and the usefulness of the development and research processes to achieve the targeted outcomes. The objectives of the evaluation include: (1) assessing whether the project is making satisfactory progress toward its goals; (2) recommending reasonable, evidenced-based adjustments to project plans; (3) determining the effectiveness and impact of the research, resources, models, and tools developed by the project; and (4) attesting to the integrity of outcomes reported by the project. Proposals should describe the main features of the evaluation design -- the evaluation questions, the data to be gathered, the data analysis plans, and the expertise of the investigators who will be responsible for the work. Each proposal should clearly distinguish between the role of the evaluation effort and that of other critical product and/or research components.
Formative evaluation serves primarily to provide timely feedback to the development and research team. At a minimum, the formative evaluation should validate that the project activities are guided by a reasonable theory of action, are of high quality, are on schedule, and are likely to result in the attainment of the broad goals and objectives of the project. The evaluation plan should explain how appropriate feedback will be given to the project leadership so that it can make timely modifications to the project activities and address significant issues.
Summative evaluation must be conducted by capable professionals who are external to the development and research team(s) and usually external to the team's institutions. The summative evaluation substantiates that the project has collected credible evidence to answer its research questions and hypotheses and/or justify its claims, and reports on threats to the internal and external validity of the research findings. Although the project development and research teams might conduct the majority of the data-gathering, analysis and interpretation as part of the core work of the project, the evaluator would use their work and other data to evaluate success of that work in meeting project objectives. The summative evaluation must be submitted as part of the final project report.
For Exploratory projects, the evaluation functions should be performed by a capable individual or an advisory board with independence from the project. The evaluation should be primarily formative, suggesting ways to improve project implementation, checking the validity of project research findings and interpretations, and/or gauging the quality of the resources, models, or tools being developed.
For Full Research and Development projects that aim to address larger issues in more depth and that have larger budgets, the evaluation must have plans for both formative and summative evaluations. The evaluators may be the same or different for each type of evaluation but must be sufficiently distant from the project to assure confidence in the objectivity of the evaluation.
For such projects that involve a complex intervention, the evaluation capacity might need to be expanded to include an expert advisory board to evaluate the project and advise the research team.
Proposals should include plans for effective dissemination of project resources, models, tools, and findings to researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. The dissemination plan should include a description of anticipated contributions of the research and development activities to teachers, schools, preK-12 administrators, teacher educators, STEM education researchers, and policymakers as appropriate. Applicants are encouraged to bring the same levels of insight and creativity to the dissemination aspect of their proposal as they do to their educational research and development design. Projects will be expected to share research and development designs, findings, and overall project information with the DRK-12 Resource Network and DRK-12 program evaluators.
DRK-12 projects generally involve interdisciplinary teams. In all cases, proposals must describe the expertise needed for the work, how this expertise is incorporated in the project, and who is responsible for each component. Projects typically include STEM education researchers, development experts, experienced teachers, STEM researchers, statisticians, psychometricians, informal learning experts, and policy researchers, as appropriate. When feasible, projects should include future researchers and developers (e.g., beginning scholars, postdoctoral associates, graduate students) as part of the project team as a means of building a more diverse community of researchers and developers. Proposals should include a brief narrative describing the expertise of personnel and their contributions to the proposed work, including the project evaluator. Each proposal that requests funding to support postdoctoral researchers must include, as a supplementary document, a description of the mentoring activities that will be provided for such individuals. The mentoring plan must not exceed one page.
In addition, all resources, models and tools developed by DRK-12 projects must be reviewed by qualified experts in relevant STEM disciplines (e.g., scientists, mathematicians, engineers) and in STEM pedagogy. This may be done by an advisory committee with appropriate expertise whose members may be from the same or different institutions as the project.
All activities funded under this solicitation must include biographical sketches for all key personnel. Biographical sketches are limited to two pages each and formatting must comply with the most current Grant Proposal Guide. Biographical sketches should be sufficiently detailed to show that the necessary expertise is available to conduct the project.
Supplementary documentation is restricted to four document types.
(2) A one-page list of staff, affiliations and partner institutions.
(3) Postdoctoral Researcher Mentoring Plan - If the proposal requests funding for a post-doc, a one page mentoring plan must be included in the supplementary documents as per the Grant Proposal Guide (https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg).
(4) Data Management Plan - As per the Grant Proposal Guide (https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg), all proposals must describe plans for data management and sharing of the products of research, or assert the absence of the need for such plans. FastLane will not permit submission of a proposal that is missing a Data Management Plan. Check the following website for additional information and a link to Frequently-Asked questions (FAQs)on this requirement: https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/dmp.jsp.
Proposals with other supplementary material will be returned without review.
A careful and realistic budget in accordance with the general guidelines contained in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide and consistent with the proposed activities of the project should be included. The budget for the total amount of money requested from NSF, with information on salaries and other expenses, including but not limited to, equipment (where allowable), participants, consultants, travel, sub-awards, and indirect costs must be provided. The Budget Justification section should include a budget narrative that describes and validates each of the expenses, including the hourly rate and effort expected from each consultant. DRK-12 proposals generally do not fund equipment that is normally found in schools, universities, and research and development organizations, such as computers.
Requests for equipment must be accompanied by justification for its importance to the operation of the project. In addition to the above budgetary items, the budget should include a request for funds to cover the cost of attendance of the Principal Investigator at each year's annual awardees meeting in the Washington, DC area.
The DRK-12 program has a program-wide evaluation. Awardees will be expected to provide data for the evaluation. | 2019-04-18T20:38:29Z | https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2011/nsf11588/nsf11588.htm |
Use E-XD++ Development Visual Graphic component library similar to Visio flowchart, vector graphics editor application is E-XD++ date of birth has been a very important position, and we as E-XD++ visualization graphical component library to expand the number one solution design. Very pleased that, now you're done, you will find, E-XD++ This function has been to work with some of the world's most professional graphics editing program comparable to, for example: Visio, ConceptDraw, SmartDraw, etc., in addition to E-XD++ also One thing is they absolutely can not do: all the rigorous testing of the VC + + source code available to customers.
"We offer these solutions does not mean that E-XD++ component library visual graphics applications can only develop these areas, in fact, E-XD++ with any other third party, like C + + component library contains hundreds to used functions separately. with QT, MFC, etc., you can independently determine the need for E-XD++ in the a function, in general, as long as you need graphics, you need flow charts, control charts, printing, typesetting , simulation, electronic maps, power wiring diagrams, forms, etc., you can use the E-XD++ components library, of course, sometimes Maybe you only want to use the E-XD++ provides control without the need for the drop-down color graphics function, which is no problem! "
More than 50 million lines all carefully designed and rigorously tested to provide the source code without any reservations!
Provide more than 400 class C + + extensions, 50 million lines of effective VC + + / MFC source code, sample or solution more than 70 source code, complete and detailed online help system and user documentation, supporting development tools designed!
A picture is worth a thousand words, E-XD++ offer more than 50 million lines of well-designed and well-tested C + + source code! Development takes years, thousands of customers worldwide validation, can save you a lot of development time and money!
We are proud to announce that Spike-Engine beta is now out!
Back in 2009, we've noticed that the modern software and web was becoming more and more interactive. Being independent video game developers and a passion for online, massively multiplayer games pushed us to create a technology that would suit all our needs. We wanted to build reliable web services without sacrificing any productivity or performance. Moreover, we wanted a single server to handle thousands of concurrent clients at the same time. This ambition led us to create Spike-Engine.
Spike-Engine is a software platform that facilitates building client-server applications for .NET developers. In particular, it focuses on real-time and duplex communication, performance and productivity.
The core idea behind Spike-Engine is quite simple. There are 3 core principles underpinning the architecture, duplex communication, performance and code generation.
Duplex Communication. We needed duplex communication, and a connected, stateful mode. Duplex communication simply means that client and the server can both initiate the communication and exchange messages easily, at any time (unlike HTTP). After all, we wanted to build games and interactive applications!
Performance. We wanted our technology to be performant and handle thousands of clients, and hundreds of thousands of packets per second. This proved to be very challenging to achieve and took 3 years to polish and to find a balance between flexibility, API and performance. Even better, good performance also saves cost, since we did not need to buy large servers with massive amount of bandwith and we could cut our costs.
Code Generation. As most of you, we are a small and agile team. This means we needed to do things smart and be able to stay productive while building high quality, heteregeneous software. From the very beginning, we designed our technology to help us by generating automatically most of the networking code, while we could concentrate on actually implementing the business logic.
-- Just think in 10 dimensions!
E-XD++ UML visual graphics component library solution is for software developers, vector-based software development of various aids to provide a solution, is E-XD++ component library the latest solutions. This program structure is flexible, comprehensive, you only need to follow the rules will be put to the canvas graphics, editing and printing work for all without writing a single line of code. All products are developed with C ++, performance is very stable. Development of similar applications for you to save 50% -80% of development time!
Diagrams are a natural and intuitive way of expressing relationships in your application data. E-XD++ Components make it easy to add expressive, interactive UML diagrams to your application. UCanCode's E-XD++ Diagram Component is the most comprehensive set of tools, components and libraries for creating graphical editing, visualization, supervision and monitoring tools for the VC++ / .NET platform. Both diagrams—displays used to show the relationships between objects and UML drawing and layout can be easily created. Diagrams are a natural and intuitive way of expressing relationships in your application data. E-XD++ Components make it easy to add expressive, interactive UML diagrams to your application. UCanCode's E-XD++ Diagram Component is the most comprehensive set of tools, components and libraries for creating graphical editing, visualization, supervision and monitoring tools for the VC ++ /. NET platform. Both diagrams-displays used to show the relationships between objects and UML drawing and layout can be easily created.
For Building UML diagram drawing like application, it's very hard to build the GUI interface, this will take you much long time, it's recommended to use a special UML modeling tool ( UML design tool ) Component . For Building UML diagram drawing like application, it's very hard to build the GUI interface, this will take you much long time, it's recommended to use a special UML modeling tool (UML design tool) Component.
E-XD++ Enterprise Edition Suite is a 100% C++ based diagram Component , it's UML Diagram Solution contains almost all the features of building a high-quality UML Application, as a UML modeling tool component , it helps you to quickly and easily build any kind of applications that has all varieties of UML diagrams . UML design tool Component- E-XD++ Enterprise Edition includes full source codes and features for UML design, UML diagram samples, reference guide to UML modeling. E-XD++ Enterprise Edition Suite is a 100% C ++ based diagram Component, it's UML Diagram Solution contains almost all the features of building a high-quality UML Application, as a UML modeling tool component, it helps you to quickly and easily build any kind of applications that has all varieties of UML diagrams. UML design tool Component-E-XD++ Enterprise Edition includes full source codes and features for UML design, UML diagram samples, reference guide to UML modeling.
Over 20 kinds of links that will help you create any kind of UML Links quickly and easily. Over 20 kinds of links that will help you create any kind of UML Links quickly and easily.
Over 30 kinds of arrows, by override a few virtual methods, you can create any kind of new arrow styles. Over 30 kinds of arrows, by override a few virtual methods, you can create any kind of new arrow styles.
With shapedesigner application, you can use over 100 kinds of basic shapes to create very complex UML Diagram Shapes. With shapedesigner application, you can use over 100 kinds of basic shapes to create very complex UML Diagram Shapes.
The size of canvas can be created freely. The size of canvas can be created freely.
Advanced print and print preview supports, you don't need take any time on print and print preview. Advanced print and print preview supports, you don't need take any time on print and print preview.
Export to bitmap file or jpeg file supports. Export to bitmap file or jpeg file supports.
Create new class shape by open a .H source code file. Create new class shape by open a. H source code file.
Panning and zooming. Panning and zooming.
Full tested on all windows platform includes windows vista. Full tested on all windows platform includes windows vista.
Ships with full documents and 100% source codes. Ships with full documents and 100% source codes.
" Diagramming business logic when developing a custom application is a time-consuming, tedious—and necessary—process. With E-XD++ Diagramming Source Code Kit, you can spend more time focusing on the finer points of your customer's business and less time worrying about making the business process diagram look good. " "D iagramming business logic when developing a custom application is a time-consuming, tedious-and necessary-process. With E-XD++ Diagramming Source Code Kit, you can spend more time focusing on the finer points of your customer's business and less time worrying about making the business process diagram look good. "
Provide more than 400 class C ++ extensions, 50 million lines of effective VC ++ / MFC source code, sample or solution more than 70 source code, complete and detailed online help system and user documentation, supporting development tools designed!
A picture is worth a thousand words, E-XD++ offer more than 50 million lines of well-designed and well-tested C ++ source code! Development takes years, thousands of customers worldwide validation, can save you a lot of development time and money!
Saaspose development team is pleased to announce the release of Saaspose SDK for Android. It is great news for all Android developers to enjoy a whole new experience of document manipulation in the cloud. We have been working on Saaspose SDK for Android to facilitate the android developers with feature-rich APIs round the globe. Saaspose REST APIs gives developers total control over documents and file formats on all platforms. We have developed SDKs for these file format APIs to help you utilize these feature-rich APIs in you applications for quick file processing. You can now use Saaspose APIs in your Android applications and take document manipulation experience to another level. Whether its text extraction from PDF files or conversion of MS Word document to different file formats, Saaspose REST APIs have much more to offer for your Android applications. You can extract text from documents, calculate formula in worksheets, convert PDF to images, extract images and slides from presentations and perform many such operations on the documents in your Android applications. You can also integrate multiple Saaspose APIs to use a combination of features for best quality results. For instance, you can convert a workbook to presentation using Saaspose.Cells and merge multiple presentations using Saaspose.Slides. You can integrate the features in your applications through simple steps, all you need to do is download the required SDK and enjoy using a variety of features for your document processing requirements. You can download our SDKs in different programming languages such as .NET, Java, PHP and Ruby from Github. Get started with Saaspose APIs right away and enjoy a whole new experience of document manipulation. You can opt for free development account to evaluate these APIs for your Android applications. You may choose to upgrade to our monthly pricing plans that have been prepared to offer you the best value for your required package. Stay tuned to our blog and newsletter for latest updates on Android SDKs and the release announcements. Contact us if you have any queries, confusions or suggestions regarding Saaspose SDKs for Android.
Palo Alto, CA – January 31, 2013 – The award-winning WSO2 Carbon enterprise middleware platform has been designed to implement and support enterprise architecture best practices. Now IT professionals attending WSO2Con 2013 can gain certification in implementing WSO2’s platform by participating in a two-day program being held in conjunction with the conference at the Park Plaza, Victoria in London. The certification program, "Administrating the WSO2 Carbon Platform," will run February 11-12, and WSO2Con will run February 13-14. IT professionals can save 20% by registering for both events at http://wso2con.com/registration, and using the promotion code: WCTCB20.
Conducting the two-day training and certification program will be WSO2 partner Redpill Linpro, a leading provider of professional open source services and products in the Nordic region. Redpill Linpro provides consulting, development, training, support, and application management for many of the world’s leading open source products. For more information, visit http://redpill-linpro.com.
"Administrating the WSO2 Carbon Platform" is a two-day course designed for systems administrators without previous WSO2 Carbon experience. It is aimed at helping these IT professionals learn how to monitor and manage the WSO2 Carbon platform and how to react to common issues and problems. Attendees will learn how to install, configure, and maintain the WSO2 Carbon platform, as well as deploy enterprise Java applications in a single machine or clustered configuration. In addition, participants will learn how to work with data sources, common product integrations, and basic security features. The course also will cover management tools via JMX and the management console.
Immediately following the session, there will be an opportunity to take a certification exam to become a WSO2-certified Carbon Platform Administrator. For more details on the course outline, pre-requisites and materials, visit https://training.redpill-linpro.com/category/wso2/course/administrating-the-wso2-carbon-platform/.
WSO2Con 2013, WSO2’s third user conference, will bring together WSO2 technical experts, enterprise IT executives, researchers, systems integrators, and other third-party solution providers. Collectively, they will explore best practices in API management, service-oriented architecture (SOA), cloud computing, mobile, data and analytics, application development, enterprise integration and governance, along with IT strategies for improving productivity and competing in a global economy. They also will represent a broad cross section of markets, including financial services, government, retail, telecommunications, information technology, universities, and research institutions. The event is being held at the Park Plaza, Victoria in London, and it will be joined by a live stream event from the Cinnamon Lakeside in Colombo, Sri Lanka. For more information, visit http://wso2con.com.
The PVS-Studio static analyzer has changed its version number to 5.00. Why? Because we have worked hard at this release!
First of all, we have implemented PVS-Studio integration into Embarcadero C++Builder. Or Embarcadero RAD Studio - we are not yet sure ourselves how to call it correctly.
C++Builder users now have access to all the power of static analysis provided by PVS-Studio. Which is at present more than 160 general diagnostics. Besides, C++Builder XE3 Update 1 has finally acquired the 64-bit compiler! It means that more than 30 diagnostics of code migration to 64-bit systems existing in PVS-Studio for Visual C++ for a long time are now available to C++Builder users too. These diagnostics are well familiar to those of our users who have been using the analyzer since the time it was called Viva64. So, now this rule set can be used in C++Builder as well.
The first PVS-Studio 5.00 release supports the following C++Builder versions: XE2, XE3, XE3 Update1 with the 64-bit compiler. We plan to support a few older C++Builder versions in future.
This is the first public PVS-Studio release for C++Builder, that's why the number of bugs will probably be a bit higher than usually. We are sorry if that happens, and please don't feel shy to write to our support service: [email protected].
The next important innovation in our tool is support of Windows Phone 8 and Windows Store projects in Visual Studio 2012. Projects like these are already starting to appear, and we are glad to provide the static analysis technology for them equally with standard desktop-application projects. There's not much to be said about it, just keep in mind that if you have a Windows Phone 8 or Windows Store project in C++, you may run PVS-Studio and see the list of issues detected in the code.
Microsoft Visual Studio: 2012, 2010, 2008, 2005.
Embarcadero RAD Studio: XE3 Update1, XE3, XE2.
Thanks to the incremental analysis capability, developers can get diagnostic messages only for the code that has been just modified and completely ignore (if they wish) messages generated for old and unmodified code.
You can download and try PVS-Studio without filling in any forms and registration here.
Palo Alto, CA – January 30, 2013 – Today, organizations often encounter roadblocks that prevent agile and reliable integration—including incompatible message formats and protocols, unreliable endpoints, complicated processing sequences, and service-oriented architecture (SOA) anti-patterns. In a one-day workshop for IT architects and developers, WSO2 will explore how to successfully integrate a comprehensive set of capabilities to accelerate project delivery, easily implement loosely coupled and interoperable services, and rapidly adapt to changing business demands.
The “The Agile Integration Platform: A Best Practice Workshop” workshop will be held on Tuesday, February 5, from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., in Palo Alto, CA. For more information,visit: http://wso2.com/events/workshops/2013-february-palo-alto-the-agile-integration-platform-workshop.
* An overview of the WSO2 SOA and Integration Platform reference architecture.
* An evaluation framework for selecting an enterprise service bus (ESB), governance registry, and API management components.
* How to accelerate integration projects to expose data and business processes.
* How and when to integrate cloud services.
* Service monitoring best practices to ensure high quality of service (QoS).
* How governance guides service development and yields agile integration.
WSO2 is the lean enterprise middleware company. It delivers the only complete open source enterprise SOA middleware stack purpose-built as an integrated platform to support today’s heterogeneous enterprise environments—internally and in the cloud. WSO2’s service and support team is led by technical experts who have proven success in deploying enterprise SOAs and contribute to the technology standards that enable them. For more information, visit http://wso2.com or check out the WSO2 community on the WSO2 Blog (http://wso2.com/blogs), Twitter (http://twitter.com/wso2), LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=876687&oback=.gdr_1221799737953_1), Facebook (http://www.new.facebook.com/login.php#/group.php?gid=36026787328), and FriendFeed (http://friendfeed.com/wso2).
Jelastic, Inc., the company behind the ultra scalable and interoperable cloud hosting platform for Java, today announced the launch of its highly anticipated PHP hosting service. Jelastic´s PHP Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) runs applications without code changes and offers advanced options for experienced programmers.
Jelastic is known for its advanced functionality that is both easy to use, and flexible and powerful enough for experts. Unlike most PaaS offerings, it does not require code adaptation, so anyone can deploy a PHP application in the cloud in just a few clicks. However, experienced IT specialists will find the advanced features necessary to satisfy their demands. Jelastic recently won the Duke´s Choice Award, the "Oscar" of Java community, for this feat, and is proud to announce it´s accomplished the same for PHP.
"We are very excited to announce Jelastic for PHP, with the features and flexibility to host and scale complex PHP applications. We´ve made it easier than ever to develop and run PHP apps, without vendor lock-in, in the data center of your choice, worldwide," said Ruslan Synytsky, CEO of Jelastic. "For innovative hosting companies, our channel program offers the next-level cloud services needed to compete with the big guys."
Smart automatic vertical scaling: Applications receive as much CPU and RAM as needed for each server node. If load increases, resources are instantly reallocated to meet demands. Jelastic users never overpay for unnecessarily large "server instances," and do not need to manage resources.
Charlotte, NC (January 30, 2012) – LEAD Technologies is pleased to announce the release of LEADTOOLS Version 18. This bountiful new release is highlighted by new LEADTOOLS Anywhere™ native libraries for WinRT, iOS, OS X, Android and Linux, along with major updates to LEADTOOLS Document, Medical and Multimedia technology for Win32/64, .NET and HTML5.
LEADTOOLS Anywhere™ extends LEAD Technologies' award winning LEADTOOLS Imaging SDKs to every major development platform. This initiative began last year with the release of SDKs for HTML5 and WinRT. The HTML5 SDKs made it possible to develop zero footprint web applications and WinRT laid the necessary foundation for porting LEADTOOLS to other native platforms. With LEADTOOLS 18, LEAD has further expanded the reach of its Imaging SDKs by offering native libraries for iOS, OS X, Android and Linux development. All core LEADTOOLS imaging technology is natively supported in each of these platforms, including viewing, annotation and markup, OCR, OMR, forms processing, 1D and 2D barcode, PDF, DICOM and support for over 150 file formats and 200 image processing functions.
Major enhancements to Document family in version 18 include dramatic improvements to the speed and accuracy of the Advantage OCR engine. The combination of features contained in this new version, including multi-language support, automatic language detection and specialized image preprocessing for mobile devices, is not found in any other OCR SDK on the market. The Barcode engines benefitted from improved recognition speed and accuracy, and the PDF Readers and Writers were enhanced with the addition of full support for reading, editing and writing native PDF annotations.
Customers developing medical imaging applications are well aware of the importance of zero footprint deployment to the healthcare industry. The LEADTOOLS HTML5 Medical Viewer in Version 18 continues to close the feature gap between web and desktop applications. New features such as patient projection, reference lines, drag and drop capability, and customizable layouts allow healthcare professionals to enjoy state–of-the-art viewing and processing capabilities regardless of their location and device.
Use E-XD++ Development Visual Graphic component library floor plan is similar to Visio, and other software systems layout is very easy, vector graphics editor application is E-XD++ date of birth has been a very important position, we will as E-XD++ component library visual graphics solutions to expand the number one design. Very pleased that, now you're done, you will find, E-XD++ This function has been to work with some of the world's most professional graphics editing program comparable to, for example: Visio, ConceptDraw, SmartDraw, etc., in addition to E-XD++ also One thing is they absolutely can not do: all the rigorous testing of the VC ++ source code available to customers.
E-XD++ provides a composite graphic design program ShapeDeisigner architectural graphic design to quickly design complex graphics needs.
can only set the canvas size.
support for millimeters, centimeters, meters, feet, feet and other drawing units setting.
support for multiple label lines, and according to the needs of custom applications and extensions.
microform map preview, and through a rectangular canvas in the microfilm to adjust the figure to appear.
supports a wide range of large scale canvas zoom.
can push the mouse vertical or horizontal flat canvas.
can be placed in the same tens of thousands of graphic elements on the canvas, and which operate simultaneously.
support is currently only available in professional vector graphics software only editing features are free to move, rotate, zoom, distortion, deformation variety of graphics on the canvas.
support plug and play custom property values, for any building on the canvas design elements set the custom property values, property values can be set directly through the ID value of the query, when the automatic support of the modified Undo / Redo.
built-in print function well, without writing any code to control the printer, print out the paper, orientation, page margins and so on.
to provide E-XD++ library functions consistent ocx control, easy web deployment or. Net, delphi, java development environment, and other call.
100% of all VC ++ source code available, including the design of the control ocx source code. No need to worry about the core technology.
Online documents have gained enormous popularity in the era of emerging technologies. Whether it is storage of analytical data, or conversion of images to documents, different file formats play a great role in minimizing the manual work. You can convert the documents to the different file formats through Saaspose.Words such as PDF, XPS, TIFF, HTML, SWF etc. This REST API ensures that the format and quality of original documents is retained. You can either convert document by using the uploaded document on Saaspose storage, Amazon S3 storage etc. or send the document as request stream to Saaspose API. Previously, we have provided examples for different programming languages such as Java, .NET and PHP; we are pleased to announce that you can now use Saaspose.Words REST examples in Ruby as well. You can either invoke these REST operations directly using your own code or you can use a REST client for your particular language. You can upload the document to Saaspose storage or Amazon S3 storage using Saaspose REST API. Once it’s uploaded, you can convert the uploaded file to desired document format using Saaspose.Words REST API in Ruby. Another approach is to convert document on local system using Saaspose.Words REST API or SDKs without saving the file to Saaspose Storage. You can use the file path or stream to convert the local document to different file formats using Saaspose.Words API. It is a single call process that uses convert controller resource; it uploads the document to server as stream, converts the document to desired file format, sends the converted file back as response stream and deletes the source document from the server. For more information, please refer to Saaspose.Words documentation. Sign up at Saaspose and enjoy a whole new experience of document processing or you may opt for free development account to evaluate our APIs. Please write to us in case of any queries, confusion or suggestions.
Palo Alto, CA – January 29, 2013 – Increasingly, IT professionals are demanding a solution to the typical redundancy and complexity created when multiple development tools are required to support different deployment scenarios within a service-oriented architecture (SOA). WSO2 Developer Studio is the industry’s first integrated developer environment (IDE) that enables developers to write an application once and then deploy it on servers, a private cloud, public cloud, or hybrid cloud environment. On January 30, 2013, WSO2 will kick off a new three-part webinar series designed to help architects, developers, and engineers take full advantage of the benefits provided by WSO2 Developer Studio 3.0 (http://wso2.com/products/developer-studio/), the newest release of the IDE.
Each session will run from 9 a.m.-10 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. To learn more and register, visit http://wso2.com/events.
* SOA application development support for Apache Tomcat, Apache Synapse, Apache Axis2, and Apache ODE.
* Developing, deploying, testing and debugging composite applications using the WSO2 Carbon middleware stack.
* Building Web applications and services using WSO2 Developer Studio.
* Integrating with build systems and build tools, including Apache Maven, Hudson, Jenkins, and Bamboo.
Jointly presenting the webinar will be Harshana Martin and Kalpa Senanayake, WSO2 software engineers on the development technologies team. For more information, visit http://wso2.org/library/webinars/2013/01/wso2-product-release-webinar-introducing-wso2-developer-studio-tools-soa-developers.
Enterprises typically develop a range of applications for the organization’s various business requirements, each of which may consist of several components, such as a Web application component at the front end, a gadget component for data visualization, or a database to store application data. This webinar will review how WSO2 Developer Studio provides a single, comprehensive IDE that supports the development of Web applications, gadgets, services, business processes, and more. It will then examine how a developer can use WSO2 Developer Studio to first build a composite application, and then deploy and debug it from within the IDE to see how it actually works. Finally, the session will demonstrate a real-world application development scenario.
Jasintha Dasanayake and Melan Jayasinghe, WSO2 software engineers, will present the session jointly. To learn more, visit http://wso2.org/library/webinars/2013/02/composite-enterprise-application-development-with-the-wso2-developer-studio.
Today, enterprise application integration (EAI) best practices are based SOA principles and a flexible, highly capable enterprise service bus (ESB). However, the lack of a drag-and-drop tool during the development process can hinder the ESB’s usability. This webinar will examine how developers can use the new graphical mediation flow composer tool in WSO2 Developer Studio 3.0 to create mediation flows in a matter of minutes by dragging and dropping different components. The session also will review the WSO2 ESB building blocks supported by the IDE’s drag-and-drop functionality, including proxy services, REST APIs, sequences, and endpoints among many others.
Jointly presenting the session will be Viraj Rajaguru and Melan Jayasinghe, WSO2 software engineers. To learn more, visit http://wso2.org/library/webinars/2013/02/wso2-product-release-webinar-introducing-wso2-developer-studio-graphical-composition-tool.
Corrupted name ranges on save is fixed.
Error in formatting a document with simple quote in the Header tab column is resolved.
GridWeb’s validation menu list will now word on menu items which contain Dollar sign -"$"
Copy-Paste issue is resolve for web grid which is not working for Chrome, FireFox etc.
PRINCETON JUNCTION, NJ, January 28, 2013 – The International Function Point Users Group (IFPUG) is pleased to announce the release of the Software Non-functional Assessment Process (SNAP) Assessment Practices Manual 2.0 under a Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. IFPUG is the first international functional sizing standards organization to release a new standard under the Creative Commons License.
The SNAP provides organizations and projects a means to develop a quantifiable measure for the non-functional requirements (NFR). By sizing non-functional requirements software development can planned, evaluated and managed better; saving organizations time and money. The SNAP standard provides organizations using IFPUG measures with a unique competitive advantage to those using other software sizing methods which do not account for non-functional software size.
Sizing this component of project work will allow organizations to build historical data repositories that can be referenced to assist in decision making for the technical and/or quality aspects of application Assessment Practices.
For more information, visit www.ifpug.org.
The International Function Point Users Group (IFPUG), a non-profit, volunteer organization, maintains the rules and procedures for calculating Function Points and the Software Non-functional Assessment Process (SNAP). The definitions, available from IFPUG, are documented in the Function Point Counting Practices Manual. IFPUG, the premier software measurement organization, promotes and encourages the effective management of software development and maintenance activities through the use of Function Point Analysis and other software measurement techniques. IFPUG conferences, workshops and membership provide a forum for networking, education and information exchange that encourages the use of software product and process metrics. The IFPUG website is www.ifpug.org.
"UCanCode Software Inc. is a leading provider of HMI & SCADA, CAD, GIS and Data Visualization Graphics for software developers (C / C++, Java, C#, And VB ) more than 40 countries around the world!"
Creating Construction Professional HMI, SCADA Visualization Solutions is a very hard work, to use E-XD++ source code visualization component library will save you more than 70% of development time. In order to more clearly show how to complete this hard work, we specialize in the original solution carried out detailed development, built on all HMI, SCADA Process Variable, Screen, Script And other integrated management solution. The solution involves the construction and project management, product release to the final exe file generation and other aspects. Construction Engineering and Management is mainly HMIBuilder to complete the operation and interpretation of the works mainly responsible for the HMIPlayer works.
A diagram is worth 1000 words, and E-XD++ is worth over 500,000 lines of well designed and well tested code! In use by hundreds of the worlds most quality conscious companies. The buy vs. build decision couldn't be more clear. Add advanced functionality and slash thousands of hours of complex coding and years of maintenance.
Palo Alto, CA – January 24, 2013 – Today, most enterprise systems are built with remote procedure call (RPC) style messaging. This requires users to send a request, wait for the response, and process a response using the same thread. However, as simple as this process sounds, there are many scenarios where more advanced messaging patterns are needed. To help IT professionals address this challenge, WSO2 will present a webinar that examines how to simplify distributed message brokering with new functionality being added to WSO2 Message Broker (http://wso2.com/products/message-broker/).
The one-hour technical session, “WSO2 Product Release Webinar – Distributed Message Brokering with the WSO2 Message Broker,” will run Thursday, January 31, from 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. PST. For more information, visit http://wso2.org/library/webinars/2013/01/wso2-product-release-webinar-distributed-message-brokering-wso2-message-broker.
The webinar will begin with a preview of WSO2 Message Broker 2.1.1, including key features and core capabilities. The latest version is based on a new distributed design that provides a cluster of message brokers, which uses Apache Cassandra to store messages and Apache Zookeeper to coordinate message delivery. The session will examine how IT professionals can improve speed and scalability through support for AMQP 0-91 and JMS 1.0, as well as work with other tools from the WSO2 Carbon enterprise middleware platform. Additionally, the webinar will explore how to support asynchronous messaging, publishing and subscribing messaging queues, and persistence.
Jointly presenting the webinar will be Dr. Srinath Perera and Shammi Jayasinghe. Srinath is a WSO2 senior software architect and member of the WSO2 solution architecture team. He works directly with WSO2 CTO Paul Fremantle, specializing in Web services and distributed systems, specifically working with aspects of data, scale and performance on the overall WSO2 platform architecture. Shammi is a WSO2 senior software engineer and member of the WSO2 integration technologies team. He is the release manager for WSO2 Message Broker and provides technology consulting on customer engagements.
We provide these solutions does not mean that E-XD++ visualization component library can only develop graphical applications in these areas, in fact, E-XD++ with any other third party C + + component libraries, including hundreds can be separated function independently. With QT, MFC, etc., you can independently determine the need for E-XD++ in a function, in general, as long as you need graphics, you need flow charts, control charts, printing, publishing capabilities, simulation, electronic maps, electrical wiring diagrams, forms, etc., you can use the E-XD++ components library, of course, sometimes Maybe you only want to use the E-XD++ provides control without the need for the drop-down color graphics, that's no problem !
The MATLABDemo sample demonstrates how to use E-XD++ to build a matlab like diagramming application with complex diagram drawing and layout, as below. With matlab demo, you build models by dragging and dropping blocks from the library browser onto the graphical editor and connecting them with lines that establish mathematical relationships between the blocks. You can arrange the model by using graphical editing functions, such as copy, paste, undo, align, distribute, and resize.
You can use E-XD++ MATLAB Solution to build any your own simuation system quickly and easily, with ShapeDesigner you can design any kind of symbols as you want.
Palo Alto, CA – January 23, 2013 – Increasingly, managed APIs are central to enterprise service-oriented architecture (SOA) strategies for extending business processes and services to customers, partners, and other groups in the organization. However, the cost and complexity of using traditional API management solutions have raised significant barriers to adoption. WSO2 breaks down those barriers with WSO2 API Manager, the first 100% open source API management product that combines easy, managed API access with full API governance and analysis. In a webinar for IT professionals, WSO2 will examine new capabilities in WSO2 API Manager 1.3 designed to enhance performance, as well as the management, sharing and governance of APIs throughout the API lifecycle.
The one-hour technical session, “WSO2 Product Release Webinar - What’s new in the WSO2 API Manager 1.3,” will run Tuesday, January 29, from 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. PST. For more information, visit http://wso2.org/library/webinars/2013/01/wso2-product-release-webinar-what’s-new-wso2-api-manager.
Webinar presenter Nuwan Dias is a WSO2 software engineer and member of the WSO2 solutions technologies team where he focuses on the WSO2 API Manager and WSO2 Enterprise Service Bus. Nuwan also is an active contributor to the Apache Synapse and Apache Axis2 projects.
Mountain View, CA – January 23, 2013 – For Spacyz, the power of advertising comes from high-speed, high-availability data that seamlessly connects people to personalized offers. The company delivers Japan’s leading open, multi-device advertising platform—providing marketers and publishers with a variety of ad technology solutions to support their campaigns. A new case study published today examines how Spacyz uses the natively flash-optimized Aerospike real-time NoSQL database and key-value store to manage more than 2 billion user records each day while delivering sub-millisecond response times and 100% uptime. The full Spacyz case study is available at http://www.aerospike.com/why-aerospike/customers.
Spacyz’s platform solutions include adcloudFP, which provides publishers with flexible ad management through high-performance ad servers, adcloudFN, an all-in-one ASP (application service provider) service for ad networks; and adcloudEX, an ad exchange delivering centralized ad and inventory control. More recently, Spacyz expanded its platform with the appgear advertising distribution solution, which includes a demand-side platform (DSP) and data management platform (DMP) powered by Aerospike.
* Manages 2 billion user records each day to support the Spacyz appgear DSP.
* Delivers predictable high performance, high availability, and 100% uptime even during automatic data rebalancing, rolling upgrades, and background backups and restores.
* Significantly reduces the number of servers that must be installed, configured, and maintained due to native support for flash and solid-state drives (SSDs).
* Lowers operational costs by 50% through automated and self-managing cluster capabilities that eliminate the need for human intervention.
Spacyz comes from the idea of being an unfettered, open-ended business that isn’t limited by the confines of established frameworks or ideas—in other words, we move fluidly from space to space in a borderless, “spacy” approach. Spacyz’s engineers develop and provide responsive, fast, and reliable systems that aim to provide a seamless, convenient, and cutting-edge service—in other words, the ultimate experience. We implement the latest technology and constantly refine our skills to be able to tackle even the toughest technical challenges. At Spacyz, we all work together as one, pushing boldly forward to meet our twin goals: being a link between people and information and helping the Internet become a cornerstone in enriching people’s lives. For more information, visit www.spacyz.com.
Tampa, FL - January 23, 2013 – Perpetuum Software LLC announces the first product release in this new 2013 year – SharpShooter Reports 6.4, a multi-platform reporting component that easily adds reporting features to WinForms, WPF, ASP.NET, HTML5, and Silverlight applications.
A new version of the product makes work with data sources more user-friendly and intuitive. Now developers can easily add data sources directly in the report designer using laconic connection wizards. Instead of making up a complicated connection string they get simple dialog windows with few options to select and text boxes to fill in. Wizards are available for the following data source types: MS SQL, Oracle, MySQL, and ODBC.
It’s now possible to set custom context menu for the Report designer. This is very convenient when you add reporting module to the unified system with pre-set style and look.
Designer ribbon menu is amplified with a new tab – Document - where developers can set document properties with a single mouse click instead of searching for the necessary property in the property grid.
The component features improved export options - PDF and RTF – including handling of hyperlinks, fonts and bookmarks.
German localization of SharpShooter Reports was updated. Some minor changes and fixes make the product even more stable and reliable.
Perpetuum Software LLC is a premier developer of .NET components and libraries for reporting, data analysis, and visualization intended for the creation of corporate applications in Windows Forms, Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), ASP.NET, Silverlight, HTML5, and WinRT. Thousands of enterprises in more than 70 countries use Perpetuum Software products to build robust applications and use them across all the main industries: from retail to aerospace.
Create PDF File from Web Pages, Raw HTML & HTML Template inYour Apps.
Saaspose.Pdf is a REST API that allows Create PDF from HTML templates Using Saaspose.Pdf examples in Python. While working with HTML pages, there might be scenarios where you need to generate the printable version. Usually there are layout issues that occur in the printable HTML such as fitting the content into the print preview screen etc. Saaspose.Pdf REST API is the perfect solution that lets you create PDF from web pages and raw HTML code in your applications. You can create a PDF file from HTML templates and the components of the HTML are retained in the PDF file. PDF files support interactive functions such as hyperlinks, markup, file attachments, annotations, PDF files can be created from XML, HTMLs etc. Saaspose.Pdf assures that these functions are retained in the PDF files created from HTML templates. Previously, we have provided examples for different programming languages such as Java, .NET, PHP and Ruby; we are pleased to announce that you can now use Saaspose.Pdf REST examples in Python as well. As it is a REST API, you only need to consume its REST interface in your application. or more details, please refer to Saaspose.Pdf documentation. You can create PDF files using Saaspose.Pdf REST API or you can also choose to convert doc to PDF, xls to PDF, slides to PDF using Saaspose APIs. You can integrate the features into your application using any programming language of your choice. Get started with this feature rich API and create PDF files from HTML templates. You can also opt for our free development account for evaluation of Saaspose APIs.
Saaspose.Pdf is a REST API to create, edit & manipulate PDF files. It also convert PDF file to DOC, DOCX, HTML, XPS, TIFF etc. You can create a new PDF either from scratch or from HTML, XML, template, database, XPS or an image. A PDF file can also be rendered to JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF and many other image formats. It works with any language like .NET, Java, PHP, Ruby, Python and many others. It is platform independent REST API & working with web, desktop, mobile or cloud applications alike.
Palo Alto, CA – January 22, 2013 – Building on its commitment to create a superior experience for customers, WSO2 today announced the addition of two vice presidents to its leadership team. Jackie Wheeler, WSO2 president of technical content, brings more than two decades of expertise in technical documentation, online help, and training for enterprise software companies, such as MuleSoft, Ariba and Autodesk. Gunasiri Perera, WSO2 vice president of delivery, brings more than 15 years of global IT delivery and support experience, with deep insight into international corporate responsibilities. Collectively, they will focus on enhancing the technical support, documentation, training and delivery services around WSO2’s award-winning cloud (http://wso2.com/cloud/stratos/) and enterprise middleware platforms (http://wso2.com/products/carbon/).
As vice president of technical content, Jackie Wheeler brings to WSO2 deep experience in documenting software products and building documentation sets and teams from scratch. She also specializes in enterprise software, open source, API documentation, system administrator documentation, end-user documentation, online help, and training.
Prior to WSO2, Jackie held positions as director of technical publications at NICE Systems and at MuleSoft, Inc. where she was a founding member of the technical publications group. At MuleSoft, she contributed to its developer blog, screencasts and podcasts, and marketing and sales efforts in addition to writing the company’s documentation. Previously Jackie also served as director of knowledge management at NorthStar, Inc. where she founded the documentation and training group. She also has served as a senior technical writer at Ariba, a writing manager and senior technical writer at Autodesk, and a technical writer at Strategic Mapping, Inc. and Pro/Tem Software.
As vice president of delivery, Gunasiri Perera spearheads the delivery of support and services to global customers as well as to the broader WSO2 user community. He also works closely with the business team to use delivery excellence to support pre-sales and post-sales efforts.
Prior WSO2, Gunasiri served in senior management roles for global offshore development companies in Europe, United Arab Emirates, and Sri Lanka, providing these international clients with large-scale enterprise resource planning (ERP) project implementation, passenger service system (PSS) project implementation and product management, pre-sales, consulting and support. He began his career at IFS as a software engineer contributing to the design and development of its new developer framework in service-oriented architecture, as well as ERP application design and development for mobile and J2EE Web technologies with an Oracle backend. Gunasiri has been a guest lecturer of MBA programs at the Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT), Graduate School of Management in Malaysia. He also has served as a panel chairman of MBA viva interviews and a mentor for computer science and engineering students at the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. He is a chartered engineer in IT by profession and also an ICT committee member of Institute of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL).
We are happy to announce the release of Aspose.Tasks for .NET 5.0.0. This month’s release provides support for reading Miscrosoft Project 2013 MPP formats. Aspose.Tasks now facilitates reading general project properties, calendar information, task and task link data, resource and resource assignment data, and outline codes and extended task attributes data for Microsoft Project 2013 formats. This version also incorporates a new feature that lets you read a task’s budget work and cost values from Microsoft Project 2007/2010 MPP files, that were not supported earlier. In addition, another new feature that lets you get the total number of pages for an MPP file, based on different TimeScale options has also been included in this month’s release. Below is the complete list of new features and important bug fixes included in this release.
Reading support for Calendar, Task, and Task Links.
Incorrect task duration data when read MPP file is now fixed. | 2019-04-25T16:41:38Z | https://www.codeproject.com/Forums/1738007/Press-Releases.aspx?pageflow=FixedWidth&df=90&mpp=25&prof=True&sort=Position&view=Normal&spc=Relaxed&select=4457502&fr=901&fid=1738007 |
Calcite growing in biomimetic hydrogel environments incorporates the gel during its growth. The amount of occluded gel within the composite is mainly determined by the interaction between gel strength and crystallization pressure, with the latter being directly related to supersaturation and growth rate. In previous work we established a direct correlation between increased amounts of occluded gel with misorientations in the growing calcite crystals or aggregates. The presence of Mg2+ in the growth environment adds complexity to the internal structuring of the mineral.
In this contribution we examine the effects of Mg2+ on the mechanical parameters of gelatin hydrogel and silica hydrogel by mechanical shear stress tests, we determine characteristics of the gel fabric occluded in the calcite using selective etching techniques and high-resolution field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) imaging, and we use electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) to study co-orientation or misorientation in the calcite crystals or aggregates.
We show that two independent mechanisms are responsible for the complex impact of Mg2+ in the growth medium on the calcite/gel composites. First, addition of 0.1 M Mg2+ reduces the yield-strength of the gels by about 50%. While gelatin gel shows continuous strain hardening in a similar way for Mg-bearing and Mg-free systems, the silica-gel weakens after reaching an ultimate shear strength, where the strain associated with the maximum in strength shifts by 350% to higher values. The decreased gel strength in the Mg-bearing systems leads to decreased amounts of occluded gel. Second, incorporation of Mg2+ in the growing calcite (i) increases its solubility and thus decreases crystallization pressure, and (ii) introduces small angle grain boundaries due to misfit strains which lead to “split growth”, i.e. misoriented subunits of the calcite or – ultimately – spherulitic growth. Our study further clearly shows that Mg not only influences the organization of the mineral component within the aggregate but also the fabric of the occluded gel matrix. The fabrics of the occluded gel change from compact gel membranes to finely dispersed networks with increasing Mg and, correspondingly, decreased crystallization pressure via increasing solubility as more Mg incorporates into calcite structure. This circumstance initiates the large variety of calcite crystal co- and misorientation patterns and hierarchical assemblies that we find in the investigated composites.
The understanding of factors that control biomineralization has greatly advanced in the last decades, due to the in-depth characterization of the organic and inorganic components that constitute numerous biological hard tissues at different scale levels (Weiner & Traub, 1980; Fritz & Morse, 1998; Blank et al., 2003; Marin & Luquet, 2004; Robach et al., 2005; Addadi et al., 2006; Nudelman et al., 2006; Fratzl & Weinkamer, 2007; Griesshaber et al., 2007; Marin et al., 2008; Sethmann & Worheide, 2008; Alvares et al., 2009; Robach et al., 2009; Checa et al., 2011; Goetz et al., 2011; Gries et al., 2011; Seidl et al., 2011; Li et al., 2011b; Sunaband & Bhushan, 2012; Bar-On & Wagner, 2013; Dunlop & Fratzl, 2013; Griesshaber et al., 2013; Goetz et al., 2014; Huber et al., 2014). This understanding has been further promoted by the results of biomimetic crystallization experiments conducted under well-defined conditions (García-Ruiz et al., 1995; Grassmann et al., 2002; Han et al., 2005; Cheng & Gower, 2006; Wang et al., 2006; Pokroy & Aizenberg, 2007; Huang et al., 2008; Otalora et al., 2009; Nindiyasari et al., 2014a, b, 2015) as well as recent experimental and theoretical developments that have identified the role of amorphous precursors in the formation of biominerals (Cölfen & Antonietti, 2008; Gower, 2008; Meldrum & Cölfen, 2008; Cölfen, 2010; Dey et al., 2010; Gebauer & Cölfen, 2011; Weiner & Addadi, 2011; Wolf et al., 2011; Cartwright et al., 2012). Further advances can be expected to result from the application of methodologies typically used in the study of biological hard tissues for the characterization of organic-inorganic composites formed in biomimetic systems under controlled conditions (Sethmann et al., 2007; Li et al., 2009; Kim et al., 2014; Nindiyasari et al., 2014a, b, 2015).
Most biomineralization processes occur in chemically complex water-rich gelatinous environments which contain different proportions of polysaccharides, proteins and glycoproteins (Lowenstam & Weiner, 1989; Mann, 2001). This common characteristic that is shared by both, biomineralization environments and artificial hydrogels, render the latter as excellent model systems for conducting biomimetic experiments (García-Ruiz, 1991; Grassmann et al., 2002; Sugawara et al., 2003; Simon et al., 2004; Dorvee et al., 2012). Several studies have proven that hydrogels are versatile systems that can be fine-tuned in order to resemble more closely the characteristics of biological mineralization environments (Fernández-Díaz et al., 1996; Kosanovic et al., 2011; Asenath-Smith et al., 2012; Sancho-Tomás et al., 2013, 2014a, b). A wide variety of hydrogels are used for biomimetic crystallization experiments, among which polyacrylamide, silica, agarose and gelatin gels are currently studied most (Henisch, 1988; Kniep & Simon, 2007; Helbig, 2008). Specific characteristics of the different hydrogels differ significantly depending on aspects such as the reversibility or irreversibility of the gelation process (physical or chemical hydrogels), the interactions that hold their matrices together, their porosity, and the absence or presence of functional groups on their pore walls (Asenath-Smith et al., 2012).
One of the most common carbonate components of biological hard tissues is calcite. Depending on phyla, calcite can incorporate magnesium in concentrations which are widely variable (Lowenstam & Weiner, 1989; Aizenberg et al., 1995; Mann, 2001; Bentov & Erez, 2006; Politi et al., 2006). In previous work we used different hydrogels in Mg-free and Mg-bearing biomimetic environments to grow calcite-gel composites (Nindiyasari et al., 2014a, b) and studied characteristics of composite formation and composite aggregate growth. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) measurements performed on these composites evidenced internal structuring, that is significantly more complex in composites formed in organic hydrogels like gelatin, agar or agarose than in those grown in silica hydrogel (Nindiyasari et al., 2015; Greiner et al., 2018). We attributed characteristics of this structuring as being partially related to the different distribution patterns of the occluded hydrogel network within the mineral component. We interpreted this feature to be the consequence of the different mechanical response of the hydrogel matrix to crystallization pressure (Nindiyasari et al., 2015; Greiner et al., 2018). For composites grown in gelatin hydrogels we confirmed a direct correlation between gel solid content and the amount of incorporated gel matrix into the calcite as well as the complexity of the calcite-gelatin gel structuring (Nindiyasari et al., 2014a). This correlation strongly relates to the change in mechanical properties of the gel (gel strength) as it becomes denser. Furthermore, by adding a 0.1 M MgCl2 containing solution to gelatin, agarose and silica hydrogel, we can state that the presence of Mg in the growth medium influences the structuring of calcite-hydrogel composites by contributing to the development of low and high angle boundaries between crystal subunits and promoting split growth phenomena (Nindiyasari et al., 2014b, 2015).
In the work presented here we focus on two different hydrogels: (i) gelatin, a chemical gel, and (ii) silica, a physical gel. We deepen our understanding of the influence of Mg in the organization of calcite-gel composites by studying aggregates formed in the presence of different Mg concentrations in the growth medium: without Mg, with a low (0.01 M) and a high (0.1 M) Mg concentration. By comparing the characteristics of the obtained composite aggregates, we aim to distinguish between those effects that can be related to the incorporation of Mg into the calcite structure from effects where the presence of Mg induces changes in the mechanical properties of the gels, thereby affecting the pattern of gel occlusion during calcite growth. Our goal in this study is to investigate which factor has a greater influence on the formation of different calcite micro- and mesostructures: gel occlusion or Mg incorporation into the calcite, and to determine whether an interaction between these two factors does exist.
Crystallization experiments were conducted using the double diffusion variant of the hydrogel method (Henisch, 1988). The hydrogel occupies the horizontal branch of a U-tube, while reagents fill its vertical branches (Sancho-Tomás et al., 2014a). Crystallization occurs within the hydrogel column by chemical reaction following counter diffusion of the reagents (0.5 M CaCl2 and 0.5 M Na2CO3; Sigma Aldrich). In our experimental setup the hydrogel column was 120 mm long and 9 mm in diameter and the volume of each reagent aqueous solution was 5 mL. We conducted experiments using two types of hydrogels, silica and gelatin, and considered absence of Mg, and low (0.01 M) as well as high (0.1 M) concentrations of Mg in the growth medium. Silica hydrogel was prepared by acidifying a sodium silicate solution (Merck, sp. gr.: 1.509 g cm−3; pH = 11.2) to pH = 5.5 by slow addition of HCl (1N) under constant stirring. Magnesium-bearing silica hydrogels were prepared by adding adequate volumes of a MgCl2 solution to the silica sol prior to gelation. Gelation took place at 15 °C. Mg-free and Mg-bearing gelatin hydrogels were prepared by dissolving porcine gelatin (Sigma Aldrich; Type A, Bioreagent) in water and in 0.01 M and 0.1 M MgCl2 aqueous solutions, previously heated at 60 °C. The concentration of gelatin in the hydrogel was 10 wt%. Gelation took place at 4 °C for one hour. In all the cases, hydrogels were left to set for 24 h at 15 °C after gelation before pouring the reagent solutions in the deposits. All experiments were conducted at 15 °C and run triplicate. All solutions were prepared using high purity deionized (Milli-Q) water.
The extraction of calcite-gel composites from silica hydrogel was carried out by dissolving the slice of hydrogel where these composites are located in a 1 M NaOH solution for 20 min. Afterwards, the composites were thoroughly rinsed with Milli-Q water, placed in an ultrasonic bath for 10 min to remove rests of silica hydrogel adhered to the composites’ surfaces, rinsed again and finally left to dry at room temperature. In the case of gelatin hydrogel, the gel slice containing composites was dissolved in hot water (60 °C). Composites were collected after filtration through a 1-μm pore size membrane, thoroughly rinsed with hot Milli-Q water and dried at room temperature.
Calcite–gel composites formed in Mg-free and Mg-bearing silica and gelatin hydrogel were selected under a binocular stereomicroscope and hand-picked using a fine painting brush. The crystals were then mounted on holders, coated with gold and/or carbon. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of these composites were obtained using JEOL JSM6400 (40 kV) and JEOL JSM335F (30 kV) microscopes equipped with energy dispersive spectrometers (LINK Ex1; Oxford Instruments 80 mm2 X-Max SDD). In the case of calcite-silica hydrogel composites, a conservative treatment meant to avoid any alteration of their surfaces was followed during their separation from the hydrogel. As a result, small amounts of silica hydrogel remained on the surface of some of the aggregates, which negatively affected the quality of some of the SEM images.
The preparation was started by gluing the crystal on the aluminium cylinder holder. The samples were first cut using an Ultracut ultramicrotome (Leica) using glass knifes to obtain plane surfaces within the material, as close as possible to an equatorial plane of the crystal aggregate. In the case of samples grown in silica hydrogel, these surfaces were cut either approximately parallel to (104), when their habit approached a rhombohedron, or through their largest axis, when aggregates showed dumbbell-like morphologies. These surfaces were then polished with a diamond knife (Diatome) by stepwise removal of material in a series of sections with successively decreasing thicknesses (90 nm, 70 nm, 40 nm, 20 nm, 10 nm and 5 nm, each step was repeated 15 times) (Fabritius et al., 2005; Nindiyasari et al., 2014a, b, 2015). The polished crystals were etched using 0.1 M HEPES (pH = 6.5) containing 2.5% glutaraldehyde as a fixation solution. The etching time was 90 s. The etched samples were then dehydrated in 100% isopropanol for 10 s three times and critical point dried in a BAL-TEC CPD 030 (Liechtenstein). The etched samples were imaged using a Hitachi S5200 field emission scanning electron Microscope (FE-SEM) at 4 kV after drying and rotary coating with 3 nm platinum.
EBSD measurements required a highly even surface. The composites were embedded into EPON resin and were polished using diamond suspension down to a grain size of 1 μm. The final polishing was performed using silica etch-polishing with colloidal silica (particle size ~ 0.06 μm). The polished samples were coated with 4 nm of carbon. The EBSD measurement was run at 20 kV on a FEG-SEM (JEOL JSM 6400) equipped with an Oxford Instruments NordlysNano EBSD detector.
Circular samples, 50 cm in diameter and 2.5 cm height, of Mg-free and Mg-bearing (0.01 M and 0.1 M) gelatin and silica hydrogels were prepared by pouring the corresponding sol in a metallic mold. After gelation took place the samples where left to set for 18 h. They were then placed in a shear box, within a deformation ring. This box comprises two parts: an upper one, which remains fixed, and a lower one, which can be horizontally displaced. Shear strength measurements were conducted on the gel samples at 25 °C and under dry conditions using the standard Direct Shear Test configuration (ASTM D 3080, 2011). This configuration involves applying a direct shear stress (τ), which results in the sample sliding along a defined horizontal failure plane at a constant rate (0.05 mm min−1). A constant vertical load was applied (σn = 33 kPa) in the case of gelatin gels. Measurements on silica gels were performed without vertical load to avoid both, vertical deformation and high water loss. The resulting horizontal displacement was continuously recorded at a constant rate during the test. The experiment was stopped after the samples had reached 20% horizontal deformation. The shear and normal stress data were calculated considering the decreasing area of contact between the upper and lower surfaces of the sample as the displacement progressed. The maximum shear stress required to cause slip (shear strength τf), as well as the shear-strain evolution of the six gel samples were estimated from the variation of the shear stress as a function of the horizontal movement.
Morphological features of calcite-gel composites strongly vary with the type of hydrogel that is used, but are also affected by the presence of Mg in the growth medium (Figs. 1 and 2). Composites grown in Mg-free silica hydrogel appear as hopper crystals with strongly terraced (104) surfaces and edges that are alternatingly straight and curved, reproducing the calcite 3¯ fold axis (Fig. 1a). When MgCl2 is added to the silica gel, calcite/gel composites show a dumbbell-like morphology characterized by a marked equatorial cleft. This morphology results from the radial arrangement of flat-surfaced units bounded by highly stepped rhombohedron faces (Fig. 1b, c). Differences in the concentration of MgCl2 in the hydrogel are reflected by slight microstructural changes of the composites, with those formed in the presence of higher MgCl2 concentration consisting of a higher number of mutually misoriented units (Fig. 1b, c). EDX analyses taken on the surfaces of these composites yield Mg contents that are in the range 0.1–2.6 mol% MgCO3 in those grown in 0.01 M Mg-bearing silica hydrogel and 1.5–4.5 mol% MgCO3 in those formed in 0.1 M Mg-bearing silica hydrogel.
Calcite/gel composites grown in Mg-free gelatin hydrogel show dumbbell-like to spherical morphologies (Fig. 1d). Composites formed in MgCl2-bearing gelatin hydrogels have a variety of morphologies which range from radial spherulites to sphere-like aggregates (Fig. 1b, e) and from dumbbell- to sphere-like aggregates (Fig. 1c, f) in gelatin hydrogel bearing 0.01 M and 0.1 M MgCl2, respectively. In both cases (0.01 M and 0.1 M MgCl2 in the gelatin hydrogel) sphere-like aggregates are the most common. Figure 1e and f shows this type of composites that are formed in gelatin bearing 0.01 M and 0.1 M MgCl2, respectively. EDX analyses collected on the surfaces of sphere-like calcite/gelatin composites yield Mg contents that varied between 10 mol% and well above 20 mol% MgCO3 in both composites grown in gelatin with 0.01 M and 0.1 M MgCl2.
Figure 3 shows the mesoscale composite nature of the investigated gel/mineral aggregates obtained without (Fig. 3a, d) and with Mg (Fig. 3b–d, f) in the growth medium. In the case of silica gel (Fig. 3a–c) we observe that the size of the mineral units in the composite decreases with the addition of magnesium. Thus, high concentrations of Mg in the growth medium appear to have the effect that the silica network is more dispersed in the silica gel/calcite aggregate.
In gelatin gel/calcite aggregates (Fig. 3d–f) we observe the occlusion of gel membranes and fibres. In Mg-free growth environments (Fig. 3d), thick gelatin gel membranes are occluded and separate individual and large calcite subunits of the aggregate from each other. A small amount of Mg evokes the formation of irregular membranes within the aggregates (Fig. 3e). These are thinner in comparison to those present in aggregates grown without Mg in the growth medium and form irregularly shaped and sized compartments that are filled with calcite. A fine network of gelatin gel fibres fills the space between calcite crystallites. For high MgCl2 concentration (0.1 M) in the growth medium gelatin gel membranes are not observed in the gel/calcite aggregate. The fabric of the gel constitutes a fibre network well visible between blocky calcite units.
Figure 4 highlights calcite co- and misorientation derived from EBSD measurements. Figure 4a–c shows orientation results obtained for aggregates grown in silica gel, while Fig. 4d–f shows calcite orientation in aggregates that were obtained in gelatin gel. Calcite orientation is presented colour-coded with EBSD maps and corresponding pole figures. In the Mg-free case we observe a good, single-crystal-like co-orientation of the calcite in the mesocrystal composite over distances of more than 100 μm (Fig. 4a, d). With the addition of MgCl2 and the increase of its concentration in the silica gel, crystal co-orientation decreases and a radial aggregate consisting of a few subunits (Fig. 4c) is formed. In the case of aggregates grown in gelatin gel, as Mg concentration in the growth medium increases we observe the change from radial aggregates that comprise few subunits (Fig. 4b, e) to spherulites (Fig. 4f) (this work and see also Nindiyasari et al., 2015). As Fig. 4b, e shows, even the presence of low Mg contents in the growth medium highly influences the mesoscale structure of the aggregate, an effect that is most pronounced when the aggregate grows in gelatin gel.
Figure 5 graphically summarises and highlights the different influence of both, the type of hydrogel and the concentration of Mg in the growth medium in defining the characteristics of calcite assembly (Fig. 5a–f) and the composite aggregate microstructure (Fig. 5g).
Texture sharpness, the strength of calcite co-orientation, is expressed with MUD values. The MUD value is defined as the multiple of uniform (random) orientation (Kocks et al., 2000). A calcite single crystal precipitated from solution, devoid of any gel, has a MUD value of 725 (Kim et al., 2014; Nindiyasari et al., 2014b, Greiner et al., 2018). The mesocrystalline calcite grown in silica and gelatin gels shows a mainly single-crystal-like co-orientation despite the gel occlusion. Furthermore, the occlusion of both gels seems to have an almost negligible effect, especially that of silica gel, on calcite misorientation (Fig. 5a: MUD of silica gel grown aggregate: 690; MUD of gelatin gel grown aggregate: 590). In addition, the different effects that the gels exert on the co-orientation or misorientation of calcite crystals in the aggregate is also well observable. As the lower MUD value of the aggregate grown in gelatin gel compared to that grown in silica gel shows, Mg-free gelatin gel does exert a slight influence on calcite crystal assembly and promotes a slight misorientation between calcite crystallites. Silica gel, on the other hand, has almost no detrimental effect on co-orientation (MUD: 690 vs. 725 for calcite precipitated in solution). The concomitant decrease of MUD values coupled to an increase in Mg content in the case of silica gel is well demonstrated in Fig. 5b, c and g. For gelatin gel we see a slightly different behaviour. As Fig. 5e, f and especially Fig. 5g highlight, even a small addition of MgCl2 to gelatin gel has a drastic effect on calcite organization and causes significant misorientation between the crystallites in the aggregate.
The macroscopic mechanical response of silica and gelatin hydrogels, both Mg-free and Mg-bearing was studied by conducting direct shear stress tests. The shear stress-shear strain curves of gelatin gels, both Mg-free and Mg-bearing (0.01 M and 0.1 M) are depicted in Fig. 6a. The three curves are characterised by an initial elastic stage, with a high shear modulus, which is followed by a strain hardening behaviour with progressive deformation. This behaviour is similar for the three studied gelatin samples. The characteristics of the three shear strength-strain curves are consistent with gelatin gels showing an elasto-plastic mechanical behaviour, regardless the concentration of MgCl2 added to the gel. Differences between the three gels refer to the strain stage for yielding point (point where the elastic behaviour is lost), which is higher in the Mg-free gelatin gel and becomes smaller as the Mg content increases. Mg-free gelatin gel also shows the highest stress values for given horizontal displacements, while the lowest stress values correspond to the gelatin gel with the highest Mg content.
The shear stress-strain curves shown in Fig. 6b illustrate the contrast between the mechanical responses of gelatin and silica gels. While, as explained above, the mechanical response of gelatin hydrogels can be described as elasto-plastic, with a marked continuous hardening under strain, silica hydrogel shear stress-strain curves are characterized by an initial stress increase to reach a maximum, which is followed by a stress decrease and finally a stress plateau at high strain values. It is worthwhile to note that the addition of MgCl2 to the silica gel significantly shifts the position of the maximum stress towards larger values of horizontal displacement, as evidenced by comparing shear stress-strain curves of Mg-free and 0.1 M MgCl2-bearing silica hydrogels (Fig. 6b). Slip failure was not observed in any of the samples in the considered range of horizontal displacements.
The incorporation of hydrogel matrices into calcite aggregates was early reported (Nickl & Henisch, 1969) and was subsequently investigated in great detail for a large variety of gels (Grassmann et al., 2002; Li & Estroff, 2007; Huang et al., 2008; Li & Estroff, 2009; Simon et al., 2011; Li et al., 2011a; Asenath-Smith et al., 2012; Nindiyasari et al., 2014a, b, 2015). Ca-Carbonate biominerals in mollusk and brachiopod shells also commonly show occlusion of biologic polymers which are present during their growth (Nindiyasari et al., 2015). The gel-incorporation observed in the present paper leads to mesocrystals which are composites formed as the crystallization of the calcite percolates through the gels. The crystal faces and growth terraces reflect the characteristic geometry of the rhombohedral unit cell of calcite. Thus, these mesocystals form by classical atom-by-atom growth rather than by an assembly of nanoparticles of either calcite or any other transient phase. Accordingly, the observed co-orientation characteristics of the composite mesocrystals simply derive from classical crystal growth, and no complex co-orientation mechanism of hypothetical nanoparticles needs to be hypothesized. Even though hydrogel incorporation into calcite is a general phenomenon, the characteristics of incorporation are variable and depend mainly on the type of the used gel and the concentration of the solid within the gel (Nindiyasari et al., 2014a, 2015). Estroff and co-workers characterized major parameters that control hydrogel incorporation into calcite (Nickl & Henisch, 1969; Li & Estroff, 2007; Kosanovic et al., 2011) and based their approach on the force completion model for crystallization (Chernov et al., 1976; 1977; Chernov & Temkin, 1977; Chernov, 1984), a model developed to describe crystallization in the presence of particles. Following this model Estroff and collaborators defined crystallization pressure and gel strength as the major controlling parameters for the incorporation of the gel into the growing crystal. The crystallization pressure is the pressure that the growing crystal exerts against the growth medium. It increases with the growth rate and, consequently, with the supersaturation (Chernov, 1984; De Yoreo & Vekilov, 2003). The gel strength defines the maximum crystallization pressure that the hydrogel network can resist without breaking or being pushed aside (Asenath-Smith et al., 2012). The balance between crystallization pressure and gel strength defines the amount of hydrogel network that is incorporated into calcite crystals during their growth. Higher growth rates and stronger hydrogels favour higher degrees of gel network incorporation, whereas low growth rates and weak hydrogels result in the gel network being pushed aside during crystallization (Asenath-Smith et al., 2012, Greiner et al., 2018).
Further advances in understanding the formation of gel/calcite composites result from the detailed characterization of micro and nanostructural features of the aggregates (Nindiyasari et al., 2014a, b, 2015; Greiner et al., 2018). The comparison of composites formed in silica and gelatin gels (see also Nindiyasari et al., 2015) highlights important differences in the ways in which the gel network is occluded into and organized within the growing mineral. These differences entail distinct features of calcite co-orientation patterns. The observed microstructural characteristics of calcite-silica gel composites can be explained with the simple model proposed by Estroff and collaborators (Asenath-Smith et al., 2012) to explain the relationship of growth rate and gel strength with gel occlusion. The addition of Mg to the growth environment, in the case of silica gel, has a further effect related to the incorporation of Mg into calcite structure, in amounts that are always low but increase with Mg concentration in the growth medium. Mg incorporation has a twofold effect on calcite assembly and growth: (i) it increases the solubility of calcite and (ii) it generates lattice strain in the calcite structure. The first effect decreases the crystallization pressure because for given physicochemical conditions the supersaturation of the system with respect to Mg-bearing calcite is lower than with respect to pure calcite. Moreover, a further decrease in the growth rate will result from the inhibiting effect of Mg on calcite crystallization (Davis et al., 2000; Astilleros et al., 2003, 2010). As a result, the particles constituting the silica gel network will be rather pushed aside than incorporated within the mineral as a higher Mg concentration determines slower growth rates and lower crystallization pressures. The brittle nature of silica hydrogel also contributes to a low gel occlusion (Nindiyasari et al., 2015). The brittle nature of silica hydrogel compared to gelatin gel is evident by the different characteristics of the shear strength-strain curves of both materials, as depicted in Fig. 6b. The second effect of Mg on calcite growth, the generation of lattice strain associated with Mg substituting Ca in the calcite structure, leads to the formation of dislocations as a means to release this strain. The distribution of dislocations at regular intervals within the aggregate generates low angle boundaries between crystal subunits (Nindiyasari et al., 2014b, 2015), explaining the increased number of crystal subunits that constitute those composites that formed in the presence of higher Mg concentration. The combination of these two effects explains that the occluded silica network appears more dispersed and is distributed between smaller and more numerous crystal subunits in those calcite/silica gel aggregates grown in silica gels with high Mg concentrations compared to aggregates that formed in silica gel with a low Mg concentration or, even, without Mg. Moreover, the generation of small and large angle boundaries that is associated with the formation of dislocations promotes split growth phenomena and explains the evolution from single mesocrystals to radial aggregates and the decrease in calcite co-orientation (lower MUD values).
Calcite/gelatin composites show a more complex internal structure with regards to both, calcite orientation patterns and gel network distribution and organization. The composites that grow in the absence of Mg contain thick gelatin membranes between the subunits and show a high degree of calcite co-orientation. With the addition of MgCl2 to the growth medium we observe a sudden and strong increase in the number of subunits and calcite misorientation in the composite. This is concomitant to a decrease in the thickness of gelatin membranes. The membranes are absent in composites that form in a high MgCl2 concentration environment.
The membranes observed in composites formed in gelatin gel without Mg or with low Mg contents are the consequence of the mechanical response of gelatin gel to crystallization pressure. Whereas silica hydrogel behaves as a brittle medium, gelatin can deform plastically, as demonstrated by the different characteristics of their shear strength-strain curves (Fig. 6b). When the balance between crystallization pressure and gel strength is such that gelatin fibres are pushed aside by the growing crystal, these fibres are pushed against other fibres and become squeezed together. This determines a local increase in the density of fibres and induces the local reorganization of the gel network, which translates into the formation of gel membranes between the subunits. The characteristic strain hardening displayed by gelatin hydrogels (Fig. 6a) can be the consequence of the ability of gelatin fibres to be squeezed together, leading to a gel density increase as well as reorganization of the gel fabric. Explaining the changes observed in the characteristics of gel membranes with the addition of Mg requires considering both, those effects resulting from the incorporation of Mg into the calcite structure and the changes in the mechanical response of the gel that are associated with the presence of Mg in the growth medium.
As explained in the previous section for calcite/silica gel composites, the incorporation of Mg into calcite induces lattice strain which is released through the formation of dislocations (Nindiyasari et al., 2014b, 2015). The amount of Mg incorporated into calcite is up to ~5 times higher in gelatin than in silica gel. Consequently, Mg-calcite grown in gelatin gel must contain a much higher density of dislocations. This can explain the strong increase in the number of subunits and calcite misorientation observed with the addition of MgCl2 to the gelatin. However, this explanation cannot account for the differences between composites grown in gelatin gel with low and high Mg since calcite incorporates similar amounts of Mg in both cases. Consequently, in both cases there must be similar densities of Mg-related dislocations. As we have also explained in the previous section, Mg also affects calcite growth by reducing the growth rate. According to the model proposed by Estroff and collaborators (Li et al., 2009, 2011a; Asenath-Smith et al., 2012), a decrease in growth rate leads to a decrease in the amount of gel network that becomes occluded within crystal units. Gelatin fibres being pushed aside rather than incorporated into the growing crystal should lead to the formation of thicker gel membranes. This is in contradiction with observations of gel distribution in calcite/gel composites formed in gelatin with low and high MgCl2 contents. The fact that membranes are thinner in composites formed in gelatin with low Mg and are absent in gelatin with high Mg could be explained if the reduction in calcite growth rate were overbalanced by an effect of Mg on the mechanical properties of gelatin gel. Indeed, it has been proposed based on computer simulations that the stiffness of gelatin fibres is significantly affected by the presence of different elements, mostly divalent cations like Mg2+, in the growth medium (Tlatlik et al., 2006). Our results also point in this direction as evidenced by the different shear stress-strain curves of gelatin gels with different Mg Cl2 contents (Fig. 6a). A less plastic behaviour of gelatin fibres associated with higher amounts of MgCl2 present in the growth medium would translate into the formation of thinner to inexistent membranes, as it is observed in the calcite-gelatin composites. The increase in the number of subunits when crystal growth takes place in the presence of Mg could be then the consequence of an increase in lattice strain associated with Mg incorporation into calcite structure, to which the occlusion of gelatin fibres within the mineral adds up. Indeed, microstrain fluctuations and decreased grain sizes are associated with the presence of an occluded organic phase in biogenic crystals (Pokroy et al., 2006a, b). However, further investigations that provide a better understanding of both, (i) the influence of Mg on the microscopic, as well as macroscopic, mechanical properties of gelatin gel and (ii) the relationship between gelatin fibres occlusion are still required to fully validate our interpretations.
In this study we investigated the effect of magnesium on calcite/gel mesostructure and strength of co-orientation for gel/mineral aggregates grown in two distinct gels: silica and gelatin.
Our study addresses two questions: (i) whether the gel or the cation exchange exerts a more profound effect on mesostructural organization and (ii) whether the cation affects physical properties of the hydrogel as well as the characteristics of the mineral component. Our results show, that even though the two investigated gels are distinct, similar developments of crystal organization can be observed. When aggregates crystallize in growth environments devoid of magnesium, we obtain mesocrystals for both gels with overall single-crystal-like co-orientation. When magnesium is added to the growth medium, the characteristics of the fabric of the gel incorporated into calcite change. This change correlates with the formation of calcite/gel composites which consist of a higher number of mutually misoriented subunits. In the case of silica gel, these composites are radial aggregates with some subunits, while in the case of gelatin gel these composites appear as spherulites. The effect of magnesium is more pronounced in those composites that formed in gelatin gel. This marked effect is consistent with the significantly higher incorporation of Mg into the mineral component of composites that formed in gelatin gel, compared to composites that formed in silica gel. Furthermore, our results confirm that the presence of Mg in the growth medium influences the mechanical response of both gels. This influence is a decrease in elasticity as the concentration of Mg is higher in the case of gelatin gel, while silica gel shows more complex characteristics. The very different mechanical response of silica and gelatin gels, as well as the distinct effect that the addition of Mg to the growth medium has in each case, partially explain the observed different patterns of gel matrix distribution within the different types of calcite/gel composites.
E.G. is supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG grant number GR-1235/9-1. This research was partially funded by project CGL2016-77138-C2-1-P (MECC-Spain). We sincerely thank the staff of the National Microscopy Centre (ICTS) and Guillermo Pinto from the Engineering Geology laboratory (Dpt. Geodynamics, Stratigraphy and Palaeontology, UCM) for technical support and assistance.
FE-SEM images of calcite/gel composites grown in silica (a–c) and gelatin (d–f) hydrogels without (a, d) and with Mg (b, c, e, f). (a) Hopper crystal bounded by strongly terraced (104) surfaces grown in Mg-free silica hydrogel. (b) Dumbbell-like composite grown in 0.01 M MgCl2-bearing silica hydrogel. Note the equatorial cleft and the radial arrangement of units. (c) Dumbbell-like composite grown in 0.1 M MgCl2-bearing silica hydrogel. Note that the composite is broken through the equatorial cleft and the image corresponds to a half of the dumbbell. EDX analyses on the surface of the composites in (b) and (c) yield Mg contents around 1 and 3 mol% MgCO3, respectively. (d) Pseudospherical calcite-gel composite formed in Mg-free gelatin hydrogel. (e) Curved-surfaced calcite-gel composite formed in 0.01 M Mg-bearing gelatin hydrogel. (f) Sphere-like calcite-gel composite formed in a 0.1 M MgCl2-bearing gelatin hydrogel. EDX analyses on the surface of composites shown in (e) and (f) yield Mg contents around 15 and 17 mol% MgCO3, respectively.
The wide variety of aggregate morphologies obtained in growth experiments carried out with 10 wt% gelatin in an Mg-free environment.
FE-SEM images of microtome cut, polished, etched and critical point dried surfaces showing gel/calcite composites that were obtained from silica (a–c) and gelatin (d–f) hydrogels without (a, d) and with (b, c, e, f) the presence of Mg in the growth medium. In the case of calcite that grew in silica gel, a decrease in the size of the mineral units in the composite correlates with an increase in Mg in the growth medium. In calcite/gelatin gel aggregates, those formed in Mg-free growth environments show thick membranes separating large mineral subunits (d). Gelatin membranes, though less thick than in aggregates formed in the absence of Mg, are also present in aggregates grown in the presence of low Mg concentrations, where they form sheaths around irregularly sized mineral units (e). No membranes are observed in aggregates formed in gelatin bearing high Mg concentration, where the occluded gel matrix is present as a dense network of fibres that infiltrates calcite with a blocky appearance.
Calcite orientation results derived from EBSD. Crystal orientation is presented colour-coded in EBSD maps and corresponding pole figures. The used colour code is given at each EBSD map. Figures a–c show orientation patterns for calcite grown in silica gel. Figures d–f show orientation patterns for calcite aggregates obtained in gelatin gel. (a, d) Mg-free growth environment, (b, c, e, f) Mg-containing growth environment. An increase in Mg induces the development of small and large angle boundaries resulting in a mesoscale structuring of the aggregate.
Texture sharpness in the investigated aggregates. Calcite co-orientation is expressed as multiples of uniform (random) orientation (MUD). Calcite single crystal has a MUD of 725, while all other aggregates show lower MUD values due to the incorporated gel matrix. In Mg-free environments the gel network has little effect on the mesoscale structure of calcite and the aggregate is close to a single crystal, though the effect of gelatin gel occlusion is significantly higher than that of silica gel. The addition of Mg drastically changes the microstructure and texture and initiates the high hierarchical misorientation of calcite within the aggregate.
Shear stress as a function of horizontal displacement. (a) Shear stress-strain curves of gelatin gel free of Mg and containing 0.01 M and 0.1 M MgCl2. The three gelatin samples show a distinct elasto-plastic behaviour, characterized by a marked strain hardening with deformation. (b) Comparison of the shear stress-strains curves of Mg-free gelatin gel, Mg-free silica gel and 0.1 M Mg-bearing silica gel. While gelatin gel has an elasto-plastic behaviour under applied shear stress, silica gel shear strength-shear strain curves show a maximum value that shifts towards larger displacements with higher Mg contents. The shape of these curves is compatible with a more brittle behaviour of silica gel. Neither gelatin gel nor silica gel samples show any evidence of slip failure in the range of strain explored.
Mater. Sci. Eng., C: Biomimetic Mater. Sens. Syst. | 2019-04-26T00:29:24Z | https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/eurjmin/article/568725/influence-of-gel-strength-and-magnesium-doping-on |
This is the 43nd in our articles series and I hope this information is helpful.
After Prometheus defies Zeus and brings fire back to humans, Zeus blows his top. He will not tolerate insubordination, even from his elders. He punishes both Prometheus and humans, with a two-fold previously unknown concept of punishment involving interminably cruel and unremitting horror and suffering. For Act One, he chains Prometheus to living hell, and for Act Two, using Pandora, he unleashes synthetic biotoxins on humankind.
If we take Prometheus to be phosphorus, for reasons I've suggested earlier, and apply some modern knowledge of chemistry to this "tale", then this tug of war begins to make more sense.
According to the Encyclopedia Brittanica, Arabian alchemists of the 12th century may have isolated elemental phosphorus by accident, but the records are unclear. In 1669, the Hamburg merchant and alchemist Hennig Brandt heated the residue from evaporating urine with powdered charcoal, and condensed the vapor that was evolved into a waxy solid. This solid glowed in the dark, without heat, an astonishing phenomenon. He called the mysterious substance phosphorus, taken directly from the Greek phosphoros, "light-bringer." Now isn't that interesting. That's what Prometheus did; he brought humans LIGHT as fire.
This was, incidentally also the name of the planet Venus as morning star, "Lucifer" in Latin. And interestingly, that is what Pandora turns out to be, a "Lucifer" in disguise, and she is half of Zeus's punishment for Prometheus stealing the fire.
Cornucopia Tip Top Angel Safety Matches from Sweden.
The discovery of phosphorus created quite a stir, and soon nobody was throwing away urine. Just imagine the smell. Travelling alchemists amazed royal audiences, and it was the talk of the time. A normal person excretes about a gram of phosphorus daily. It gave the name to phosphorescence, which is the nonthermal emission of light after removal of the stimulus, in contrast to fluorescence. The light Brandt observed was chemiluminescence, consequent to the combination of the phosphorus with atmospheric oxygen to form the trioxide. This was burning, but the light is not due to thermal excitation. When the pentoxide is formed, there is no chemiluminescence.
The only common mineral of phosphorus is apatite, Ca5F(PO4)3. Apatite is a family of minerals, of which the one called fluoapatite is the commonest. Its' hardness is 5, medium hard, and its density is 3.15-3.20 g/cc. It occurs in two principal forms, crystalline apatite, and phosphorite, which is cryptocrystalline. Crystalline apatite is of inorganic origin, while phosphorite is the remains of animal bones. Bones and teeth are made of apatite, a specially hard version of which forms tooth enamel. If there is insufficient fluorine, then the apatite made is faulty, and the teeth are soft and decay easily. Bone is made of hydroxylapatite, but there is fluorapatite in teeth. Phosphates are found in a variety of rare minerals, but never in significant quantities. The generic term for a rock from which phosphorus can be economically produced is phosphate rock.
Elemental phosphorus is produced in electric furnaces by heating phosphate rock, sand and coke. The silica combines with the phosphate rock to give calcium silicate, a slag, and phosphorus pentoxide. The pentoxide is then reduced by the coke to give phosphorus vapor and carbon monoxide. The phosphorus is then condensed and cast into sticks, which are kept under water. The carbon monoxide can be used as a fuel.
Fertilizer, which is a soluble phosphate, is produced by treating phosphate rock with sulphuric acid. Fertilizer used to be made from Florida phosphate rock but that resource is near exhaustion. The largest reserve of phosphorite in the world is in southeastern Idaho and western Wyoming, from the Phosphoria formation of Permian age. The Phosphoria is a widespread formation, consisting of shales, limestones and chert in addition to phosphorite, which is localized in certain areas. It includes oil shales, petroleum, and the black shales that are the source of petroleum. Quite clearly, it was associated with a time of abundant life in shallow seas.
Late Cretaceous landscape backlit by a setting sun.
The end of the Permian, when the Phosphoria was laid down, was also the time of the greatest extinction of life that the Earth has known. Nearly 90% of all life perished for unknown reasons in a geologically brief interval, and the Earth made a new start in the Triassic period that followed.
"My animation of this impact, now widely called the 'K-T Event', can be seen at the Smithsonian's Hall Of Meteors at Washington D.C.'s National Museum of Natural History."
The phosphorite, an unusual deposit, probably records a great dying, when the phosphorus from the bones of countless animals was converted to apatite in a shallow basin that was covered by sediment before the deposit could be dispersed.
Whether or not the Titanomachy myths represent a metaphor for such an event, I will leave up to you.
If you've ever tried to start a fire from scratch, you know it's difficult. If not, try it.
Lighting a fire in the winter.
The challenge is always to get the fire started. Once started, fires often burnt continuously for hours. Because most fires are, and were, built to last, it's not unreasonable to devote some time and effort to the process. There are distinct steps to the process, each step requiring successful completion of the previous one. You need a spark, and you start small and build up, using tinder and then kindling.
In short, you first need a spark, and a spark is not so easily come by. You also need good tinder. Good tinder is essential to fire-lighting. The spark is first caught in the tinder, which causes the tinder to make a small glowing ember. Tinder is dry, powdery, easily-combustible matter. In the past, charred linen made good tinder. Today, dry leaves and rotten wood can be powdered to make tinder (called "punk" in America). This small ember is then turned onto some highly combustible material, such as dried grass or shavings of resinous pine wood, or finely shredded paper. By gently blowing, the temperature of the ember can be raised sufficiently to ignite this material, and a visible flame appears. This "starter" fire can then be used to light the kindling placed beneath the main combustibles; the kindling is usually split sticks of dried wood, or often crumpled newspaper, and it is placed beneath the main combustibles, which are larger pieces of wood or coal that can burn sedately. This effort, to literally "build" up a fire, usually gives you great satisfaction. There's now a cheery fire where before there was only a cold home and a cold wood stove; the radiated heat warms the entire house and every being in it.
Blowing on the fire. 1950 Kampvuurtje maken.
Without steel, sparks are a rare commodity. Fire in villages were usually kept going continuously since they were so hard to light impromptu. Instead of waiting for lightning, friction can be used to create a glowing fragment. The most efficient way to do this is with a drill operated by a bow. A hard wood rod is rapidly rotated back and forth in a soft wood, which provides the tinder automatically. With luck and effort, an ember is created with which a fire can be started. In popular lore, this is "rubbing two sticks together," which greatly depreciates the skill involved.
How to start a fire using friction. Allumer un feu par friction.
Most people today really cannot create a fire from scratch in any way. Today most people use "lighters" containing a little metal alloy held against a wheel by a spring button; this gives off sparks as the wheel goes round, and the sparks are then caught on a wick saturated with a combustible liquid, or the sparks pass near an opening from which combustible gas is issuing.
In the past, every traveller carried a tinder-box containing a piece of steel, a piece of flint, and a supply of reliable tinder. I believe the mechanism worked thus: when the steel was struck against the flint, a small fragment of steel was dislodged and heated by the distortion of the impact, and because finely divided iron catches fire readily in air, it was a burning spark that landed in the tinder. That little glowing granule of tinder is then tipped out onto the kindling, so the fire can be blown into life.
What are these campfire boys cooking?
This should help you understand why humans were so strongly motivated to invent the strike anywhere match.
Oscar J. Friedman, Safety Match Folder Patent Application #US1167990. Patented 11 January 1916.
It is remarkable and wonderfully ironic that the artificial chemical element Promethium is named after Prometheus.
Now, back to our story, hopefully better equipped to make some sense of it.
After Prometheus defies Zeus and brings fire back to humans, Zeus blows his top. He will not tolerate insubordination, even from his elders. He punishes both Prometheus and humans, with a two-fold previously unknown concept of punishment involving interminably cruel and unremitting horror and suffering. For Act One, he chains Prometheus to living hell, and for Act Two, he unleashes synthetic biotoxins on humankind.
For Act One, he orders his two servants, Force and Violence, to chain Prometheus to a rock peak in the Kaukasos, the Caucasus mountains, using unbreakable adamanite chains.
Illustration of Prometheus, from The golden fleece and the heros who lived before achilles Colum, Padraic, 1881-1972 and illustrated by Pogány, Willy, 1882-1955.
For "adamanite chains" you can read "super magnets". Adamanite is magnetite, also known as Lodestone. Lodestones were used as an early form of magnetic compass; magnetite preserves a record of the Earth's magnetic field and this has been much studied ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetite ). This magnetic rock is indigenous to the Calkos region where this story takes place; the area is known for an extensive knowledge of metallurgy and chemistry. Media, as in Jason and The Argonauts, was from this region and she was a master priestess of chemistry (she gets center stage in an upcoming article). Small grains of magnetite occur in almost all igneous and metamorphic rocks.
Prometheus held by a pair of adamantine chains, and the Eagle. Vatican Museum, Rome. Der gefesselte Prometheus mit dem Adler; links sein Bruder Atlas (Trinkschale aus Cerveteri, um 560/550 v. Chr., Vatikanische Museen, Rome).
"Magnetite is a mineral and one of the main iron ores. With the chemical formula Fe3O4, it is one of the oxides of iron. Magnetite is ferrimagnetic; it is attracted to a magnet and can be magnetized to become a permanent magnet itself. It is the most magnetic of all the naturally-occurring minerals on Earth. Naturally-magnetized pieces of magnetite, called lodestone, will attract small pieces of iron."
"A Lodestone is a naturally occurring piece of magnetic iron oxide. It is often bound in a brass frame, and is oriented to place the magnetic poles at the ends. The word magnet comes from the region called Magnesia in Asia Minor. The word lodestone comes from the use of pieces of ore from Norway and Sweden which were suspended and used as guiding or leading stone; the Saxon word Læden means "to lead". When constructing a lodestone, the two natural poles must first be located by the use of iron filings. The stone is then shaped appropriately. The natural poles are on the right-hand side with a soft iron keeper across them."
Zeus dispatches his symbolic Eagle, the Aetos Kaukasios, a.k. a. the Caucasian Eagle, Greek Name Αετος Καυκασιος, transliteration Aetos Kaukasios, Latin name Aquila Caucasium. The Eagle is sent to eat Prometheus's ever regenerating liver every day, because Zeus knows Prometheus's liver regenerates overnight (remember, Prometheus is an immortal Titan). Prometheus is thus supplying the Eagle with an endless supply of take out liver paté.
Heracles, shooting at the Caucasian Eagle to free Prometheus, Athenian skyphos C6th B.C., National Archaeological Museum of Athens.
"Ready-witted Prometheus he [Zeus] bound with inextricable bonds, cruel chains, and drove a shaft through his middle, and set on him a long-winged eagle, which used to eat his immortal liver; but by night the liver grew as much again everyway as the long-winged bird devoured in the whole day. That bird Herakles (Heracles), the valiant son of shapely-ankled Alkmene (Alcmena), slew; and delivered the son of Iapetos from the cruel plague, and released him from his affliction--not without the will of Olympian Zeus who reigns on high, that the glory of Herakles the Theban-born might be yet greater than it was before over the plenteous earth."
A white headed eagle in the nest. Un aigle à tête blanche sort de son nid enneigé.
Avian magnetoreception is a well established scientific fact, although everybody is still very busy guessing how birds do it. Most of the avian magnetoreception theories rely on Earth's magnetic field affecting magnetite Fe3O4 (iron oxide). Several species of birds are known to have magnetite crystals in the dendrites in their upper beaks; with cryptochromes in their retina, they have magnetoreception, the ability to sense the direction, polarity, and magnitude of the ambient magnetic field. There's also evidence that magnetite exists in the human brain but its' role there is a mystery.
President Donald Trump with a live Eagle on his desk.
Birds would have no problem finding Prometheus chained with magnetic chains to a magnetic rock peak. Avian magnetoreception is a fact that cannot have gone unnoticed in the past.
Lightening would find Prometheus were he located on a peak; here lightening strikes the NYC Chrysler Building.
"Many relations are made, and great expectations are raised from the Magnes Carneus, or a Loadstone, that hath a faculty to attract not only iron but flesh; but this upon enquiry, and as Cabeus also observed, is nothing else but a weak and inanimate kind of Loadstone, veined here and there with a few magnetical and ferreous lines, but consisting of a bolary and clammy substance, whereby it adheres like Hæmatites, or Terra Lemnia, unto the Lips. And this is that stone which is to be understood, when Physitians joyn it with Ætites, or the Eagle stone, and promise therein a vertue against abortion."
"The other relation of Loadstone Mines and Rocks, in the shore of India is delivered of old by Pliny; wherein, saith he, they are so placed both in abundance and vigour, that it proves an adventure of hazard to pass those Coasts in a Ship with Iron nails. Serapion the Moor, an Author of good esteem and reasonable Antiquity, confirmeth the same, whose expression in the word magnes is this. The Mine of this Stone is in the Sea-coast of India, whereto when Ships approach, there is no Iron in them which flies not like a Bird unto those Mountains; and therefore their Ships are fastened not with Iron but Wood, for otherwise they would be torn to pieces. But this assertion, how positive soever, is contradicted by all Navigators that pass that way; which are now many, and of our own Nation, and might surely have been controlled by Nearchus the Admiral of Alexander; who not knowing the Compass, was fain to coast that shore."
Wikipedia tells us these facts about Colchis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colchis ): "The eastern Black Sea region in antiquity was home to the well-developed Bronze Age culture known as the Colchian culture, related to the neighboring Koban culture, that emerged toward the Middle Bronze Age. In at least some parts of Colchis, the process of urbanization seems to have been well advanced by the end of the second millennium BC, centuries before Greek settlement. The Colchian Late Bronze Age (fifteenth to eighth century BC) saw the development of significant skill in the smelting and casting of metals. Sophisticated farming implements were made, and fertile, well-watered lowlands and a mild climate promoted the growth of progressive agricultural techniques."
Russian matchbox showing lightening and a sailing boat.
Ancient versions records the Argonauts seeing the Eagle overhead on its' way to Prometheus; its' massive wing span flies over the boat. Apollonius' Argonautica was based on multiple ancient sources, including Homer and Pindar.
"And now the last recess of the Black Sea opened up and they [the Argonauts] caught sight of the high crags of the Kaukasos (Caucasus), where Prometheus stood chained by every limb to the hard rock with fetters of bronze, and fed an Eagle on his liver. The bird kept eagerly returning to its feed. They saw it in the afternoon flying high above the ship with a strident whirr. It was near the clouds, yet it made all their canvas quiver to its wings as it beat by. For its form was not that of an ordinary bird : the long quill-feathers of each wing rose and fell like a bank of polished oars. Soon after the Eagle had passed, they heard Prometheus shriek in agony as it pecked at his liver. The air rang with his screams till at length they saw the flesh-devouring bird fly back from the mountain by the same way as it came."
"His [Herakles'] comrades [the Argonauts] proceed upon their way; only they wonder from the deep at the wide-flung snow that strews the beaches [i.e. that was cast from the Kaukasos (Caucasus) Mountains when Herakles freed Prometheus from his bonds], at the cloven crags and the huge shadow of a dying bird [the Eagle slain by Herakles] above them and the gory dew that drizzles through the air."
We thus find all these stories intertwining in the same place and overlapping in time; clearly this is the part of the world that's "kicking"; everything worth happening is happening here.
To summarize: Zeus orders Prometheus, a.k.a 'Foresight', chained to a rock using unbreakable adamantine chains, thus foreshortening foresight - foresight is foreshortened. Foresight is out of the game. An Eagle (or raven, depending on who is translating) would come every day to eat his liver (paté). Only a human could kill the Eagle and only a non-human immortal could stand in for Prometheus with death, as his substitute.
The Ancients knew loadstones were black rocks that would attract iron; they knew loadstones attracted lightening. We now know that lightening is a form of electricity and that the objects which attract iron are magnets. We also know how the two phenomena, electricity and magnetism, interact with one another and we make this connection obvious with the word "electromagnetism". We also know that birds navigate using the Earth's geomagnetic field.
If the rock is a lodestone, it would attract lightening. Lightening would strike Prometheus there like a bird striking him "attacking him". As the chains are 'unbreakable' i. e. stubborn, and adamantine i.e. iron, they would be magnetic, and could hold Prometheus there as magnetic 'unbreakable' force. High up on a promontory anywhere, on "jagged rocks", he would be a lightening rod, for all intents and purposes. It's a good thing he's immortal.
Sources disagree about Hercules' timing in all these events, yet all agree on the Chiron-Prometheus exchange, and all agree Hercules frees Prometheus. Hercules, a half-human half-god alloy connected to both elements (Prometheus and Chiron) frees Prometheus, restoring Foresight to the game. Once Prometheus is free, Foresight is possible 'again'.
From all accounts, Zeus sent Pandora to Prometheus's brother the same time he banished Prometheus to the rock. Since the first thing Pandora did was to open her box, we can assume Pandora opened the box during the time Prometheus was chained, when the world of humans was 'without foresight'.
A reprinted map from Ortelius' Parergon of 1624 interpreting the voyage of the Argonauts according to Apollonius Rhodius' Argonautica.
Sources tell us that Hercules uses an arrow, or a volley of arrows, to shoot and kill the bird attacking Prometheus.
A coin from Boeotia depicting Hercules stringing his bow.
After Prometheus is freed, Prometheus, the Eagle, and the Arrow, are placed amongst the stars as the constellations Aquila, the Kneeler and Saggita (as in Sagittarius) the archer's bow (http://www.theoi.com/Ther/AetosKaukasios.html ).
A map depicting the constellation of the eagle: l'aquila.
When Kheiron Chiron replaces Prometheus, he too is placed amongst the stars, as the constellation Centaurus Sagittarius. See http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/KentaurosKheiron.html. This same resource site also states the constellation Centaurus represents another Centaur: "Pholos was an Arkadian Kentauros (Centaur) who made his home in a cave on Mount Pholoe...The gods rewarded him for his show of hospitality by placing him amongst the stars as constellation Centaurus...". See http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/KentaurosPholos.html.
A map depicting the constellation of the centaur; sagitta sagittarius.
Hercules also eventually gets his own constellation, later, after completing his last labor.
A map depicting the constellation of Hercules.
Chiron Kheiron was the eldest and wisest of the Kentauroi Centaurs, a Thessalian tribe of half-horse men. The centaur, and their archer's arrow, are the zodiacal signs corresponding to Sagittarius.
Illustration of Chiron Kheiron accepting the responsibility to raise the baby Achilles, from The golden fleece and the heros who lived before achilles Colum, Padraic, 1881-1972 and illustrated by Pogány, Willy, 1882-1955.
The centaurs were archers; the bow and arrow is their weapon. The Prometheus bird, a flying creature, is thus killed by a flying arrow, the Centaur weapon. There is more meaning here than simply "Like attracts like". This part of the myth is not just a "flight of fancy"; it is a metaphor describing a much deeper subjective chemical truth linking subjective states with their very real effects in the real world. Birds actually exist but Centaurs only exist in myths, not in reality. Recall from the introduction that the goal of myths is to render the subjective and abstract in objective terms to which we can more readily relate. According to ancient myth, Chiron's enduring wound was accidentally caused by one of Hercule's arrows; the Centaur was wounded by his own weapon. This part of the myth tells us that subjective states are very real; myths are 'living' stories.
Two young girls testing their bows.
THE PUNISHMENT ACT TWO: BOMBS AWAY!
For Act Two, Zeus has the other gods help him create a time-release bomb of unrelenting evils that he then unleashes on humankind, disguised as an utterly absolutely irresistible god-gifted woman with grave personality faults. This gives new depths of meaning to the terms "irrational", "deadly", and "bombshell".
Light My Lucky, 1985 cigarette advertisement.
Zeus names this bomb "Pandora", derived from the Greek πᾶν, pān, i.e. "all", and dōron, "of gold" or "gift", thus Pandora means "the all-endowed", "the all-gifted" or "the all-giving". Her other name, as inscribed against her figure on a white-ground kylix in the British Museum, is Anesidora, "she who sends up gifts", implying "bring up from below" within the earth. Chthonic indeed.
Pandora is the first synthetic, deliberately engineered as a biotoxin, and handed over to humans as an irresistible "gift". Go Figure.
Chesterfield hearts, 1939 cigarette advertisement.
There are many versions of this part of the story, with variations as to which god bestows what endowment, but all versions agree that all the Olympian gods share complicity in her design, and she is the direct result of their conspiracy. Hesiod, Theogony 590–93 tells us Pandora "was fashioned by Hephaestus out of clay and brought to life by the four winds, with all the goddesses of Olympus assembled to adorn her. "
Zeus sends Pandora to Prometheus' brother, Epimetheus (a.k.a. Hindsight, Afterthought). Pandora-the-bomb arrives, along with her dowery stowed inside a lidded jar. The jar, or box, or trunk, or container, contained every possible mechanism for causing humans interminably cruel, unremitting, horror and suffering. She and her dowry are chemical bombs.
In spite of Prometheus' forewarning, in spite of knowing Pandora is a bomb, Epimetheus falls for Pandora; he's addicted on sight, immediately, if not sooner. In spite of Prometheus warning Epimetheus of the dangers and telling Epimetheus precisely what Pandora is, and to not keep her, Epimetheus (a.k.a. Hindsight, Afterthought) takes one look at Pandora and just keeps her. Hindsight does not have twenty-twenty vision here.
Epimetheus just keeps her. A scene from Mystery Science Theater: "You know, Mike, people can be awfully judgemental about evil."
Framing Epimetheus in this way puts him on an exact par with Pandora; neither of them is what they appear to be, both are false, not "for real" and thus, probably were "made for each other".
According to Hesiod, Epimetheus, ignoring Prometheus's warnings, only understood what he'd done after he'd done it. Hindsight, indeed.
Don't expect perfection from geologists; they all have their faults.
Once accepted by Epimetheus, the first thing Pandora-The-Bomb does, of course, is the job she is designed to do: she opens the jar. Some stories say "her curiosity got the better of her" and some stories say "she slipped". However it happens, all versions agree that as soon as she sees what's coming out, she has 'buyer's remorse" and slams down the lid.
Pandora opens the box. Art Nouveau period illustration by Frederick Stuart Church.
Her actions are fruitless; what's left in the jar was intended by Zeus to end up inside the jar, in just this way. ELIPIS, the Greek word for HOPE, is caught inside, and from there, HOPE can bestow upon humanity its' own forever form of trapped agony, that of denial and disavowal of reality, doomed to disappointment.
"Nietzsche, Friedrich, Human, All Too Human. Cf. Section Two, On the History of Moral Feelings, aph. 71. Hope. Pandora brought the jar with the evils and opened it. It was the gods' gift to man, on the outside a beautiful, enticing gift, called the 'lucky jar.' Then all the evils, those lively, winged beings, flew out of it. Since that time, they roam around and do harm to men by day and night. One single evil had not yet slipped out of the jar. As Zeus had wished, Pandora slammed the top down and it remained inside. So now man has the lucky jar in his house forever and thinks the world of the treasure. It is at his service; he reaches for it when he fancies it. For he does not know that the jar which Pandora brought was the jar of evils, and he takes the remaining evil for the greatest worldly good—it is hope, for Zeus did not want man to throw his life away, no matter how much the other evils might torment him, but rather to go on letting himself be tormented anew. To that end, he gives man hope. In truth, it is the most evil of evils because it prolongs man's torment."
It's no surprise that Pandora disappears from the story after she's dropped as a bomb. We don't hear of her retiring in her old age to some Golden Isle in the Sunshine somewhere. The oldest ancient records just drop her like a hot potato. Later fiddlers, uh scholars, mess with the story by trying to weave into it marrying or having children. Nope. She's just gone, like a bomb after detonation.
Firefighting Kitties. Photo by Harry Whittier circa 1916.
Any way you look at this, Pandora is an addictive synthetic compound created by the Olympian Gods and specifically targeted to slowly poison humankind, in punishment for Prometheus's stealing fire and giving it to humans. Pandora is the first recorded synthetic; she carries a dowry of more of the same with her, and releases this into the world. She prevails in her mission of evil by overwhelming Epimetheus Hindsight/Afterthought, in spite of having been warned by Foresight / Prometheus. No known chemical addiction, including love, behaves differently.
Today, we're all addicted to synthetics.
Deux jeunes enfants boivent et fument à bord d'un bateau en 1955. Robert Doisneau.
"Archaic and Classic Greek literature seem to make no further mention of Pandora, though Sophocles wrote a satyr play Pandora, or The Hammerers of which virtually nothing is known. Sappho may have made reference to Pandora in a surviving fragment (Sappho, fr. 207 in Lobel and Page.). Later, mythographers filled in minor details or added postscripts to Hesiod's account. For example, the Bibliotheca and Hyginus each make explicit what might be latent in the Hesiodic text: Epimetheus married Pandora. They each add that they had a daughter, Pyrrha, who married Deucalion and survived the deluge with him. However, the Hesiodic Catalogue of Women, fragment #5, had made a "Pandora" one of the daughters of Deucalion, and the mother of Graecus by Zeus. The 15th-century monk Annio da Viterbo credited a manuscript he claimed to have found to the Chaldean historian of the 3rd century BC, Berossus, where "Pandora" was also named as a daughter-in-law of Noah; this attempt to conjoin pagan and scriptural narrative is recognized as a forgery."
Obviously, a "literal interpretive crux" endures over this point in the story. The debate is intense and active. Scholars are fixated here, even now debating over how to interpret the word ELIPIS, the Greek word for HOPE; arguing how it should be translated, pointing out it can be rendered in many contradictory ways (including but not limited to hope, expectation, expectant hope, and expectation of evil). Scholars also continue to wax lyrical on whether or not the evils were only bad after they were let out of the jar, something about which we have absolutely no way of ever knowing. They must have a lot of time to waste, as well as the inclination to wrestle over irrelevant things, all of which depend on whether or not myths are to be taken literally. For more on this, see 'Difficulties In Interpretation" at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandora (accessed 170809).
Pandora falls out of the story; here she drinks so much, she falls off her own bowl.
Prometheus, on the other hand, has a happier sort of ending, or as much a resolution as can be expected after upholding his beliefs and not capitulating to a new corrupt master. With the help of Hercules, he gets off the hook, uh beak, uh...sorry for the pun.
Prometheus gets off the hook. The wisdom of Piet Hein: "He that lets the small things bind him, leaves the great undone behind him."
However, just as with the dual nature of Giant Fennel, we have dual stories involving the 'rescue' of Prometheus from the Zeus-Liver-Paté-Eagle, and both involve Hercules, a half twin, who is himself a hybrid half-man half-god.
Zeus offers Prometheus two ways out of torment. Both are conditional.
Ever insecure, Zeus wants "foresight" so he can affect his own future. Recall that Prometheus's name means 'Foresight'. What Zeus really wants is for Prometheus to tell him the name of the mother of the child that will eventually dethrone Zeus. Ancient rules, however, require pairs of options, and Zeus must thus propose another alternative.
Being Zeus, he knows which rules he can break, which rules he can't, and how to bend one group into the other. He would make a decent cook. The alternative he proposes requires Prometheus to meet a pair of conditions. Yep. Yet another pair. Interesting. You just have to wonder, who or what is making up these rules that these Gods must follow, and who is checking up on the various configurations? Incidentally, the Standard Model of Physics shows similar patterning. Pairs everywhere; you can see them in the illustration of this above.
The first half of this option pair requires an immortal to volunteer to agree to die in place of Prometheus.
Only immortals can substitute for one another, and immortals can never die, no matter how torn up they get, because they're subject to the immortal-overnight-regeneration rule. However, and here comes the loophole, it seems immortals can volunteer to give up something, and that sometimes, that something can be life itself. One would think we were talking about electrons in chemical bonds forming molecules and making exchanges here.
Zeus stipulates that only an immortal can substitute for Prometheus, and whomever this "immortal substitute" is, they have to give up their immortality, and actually die, by going to Tartarus. Give up chemical bonding, take a trip down under into the bowels of the Earth, to the melting furnace, wearing concrete galoshes. Zeus is certainly stacking the odds in his own favor with this one.
The second half of this option pair stipulates that a mortal has to kill the eagle and unchain Prometheus. Again, Zeus "believes" that this option also stacks the odds in his favor because he knows no mortal can do these things. Doing these things requires a god, or a mortal with god-like powers. Hello?
Well guess who steps up to this plate? Guess who's coming to dinner? Go on, guess. Drum roll here. It's Hercules, a.k.a. Herakles, a.k.a. Heracles, TAH DAH.
Portrait of Hercules, 1589, by Hendrick Goltzius (Netherlandish, Mühlbracht 1558–1617 Haarlem).
Hercules is himself a half-man half-god hybrid, the result of yet another set of twos. His father was Zeus, so he represents one of Zeus's own transgressions, from standard matrimony. Hercules's mother was Alcmene. Alcmene carried Herakles as one half of a pair twins, Heracles and Iphicles, each of whom had been sired by different father.
It's all just Two Two x Two Too much.
Hercules is thus in the not-enviable absolutely unique position of being the only living being capable of meeting both of Zeus's option pair conditions, and on behalf of someone else, partly because he's a result of Zeus, and partly because he's the cause of the answer to the second half of the option. Yep. He's the cause of the option's second half.
As part of Hercules's 12 Labors Celestial Qualifying Exams, taken under his cousin King Eurystheus, Hercules, the half-man half-god hybrid, goes on an excursion to the Caucuses to find the golden apples of the Hesperides. The Argonauts, incidentally, just miss him there. He's also having to clean out the Aegean stables in one day, and he does it, but that's another story.
When Hercules encounters Prometheus chained to the Caucuses rocks, he frees him, kills the Eagle, and thus meets the first of the two paired conditions. By this time, Hercules knows his way around magnets.
Look at Prometheus's double chains this way: two coils of many parallel loops, with currents in the SAME direction, attract each other and act like magnets (particles with spin do also!).
Hercules is also the reason the second paired condition can even be met.
Hercules was responsible for "accidentally" wounding his friend, the immortal physician, Chiron the Centaur, who has subsequently been unable to heal himself and is thus suffering unbearably. That tale deserves it's own analysis and is more than I want to go into here. As usual, details vary all over the place and there's no single definitive telling. But it's necessary to understand the rest of the "story arc" so I'll be very brief here and not get sidetracked. The main source is Scholium on Theocritus (Theocritus, Idyll vii.149).
The story involves a great deal of chemistry, hydraulics, and pneumatics. Hydraulics is an applied science utilizing the mechanical properties of liquids, and fluid motion and flow. Pneumatics is branch of engineering using gas and pressurized air. Both pneumatics and hydraulics are applications of fluid power. Pneumatics uses an easily compressible gas such as air or a suitable pure gas, while hydraulics uses relatively incompressible liquid media such as oil.
The story of Chiron's wound is part of a long story arc; it's inseparable from Hercules's 4th "Labor", fetching the ferocious Erymanthian Boar alive for King Eurystheus.
A boar hunt. Collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, California. Malibu 86.AE.154, Attic black figure Siana cup, c. 580-570 B.C.
The boar and the centaurs are neighbors, so on his way to fetch the boar, Hercules visits the home-cave of his old friend Centaur Pholus (Pholus means "caveman").
Hercules is carrying arrows whose tips he'd dipped in poisonous Hydra bodily fluids, after killing her (his 2nd labor).
The only liquid Pholus has on hand is a sealed jug of fluid given him by Dionysus Bacchus (god of Rock N' Roll, wine, drugs, riots, and wild parties).
Sources refer to this stuff repeatedly as "wine" however, its' known properties totally belie that description. It's about as similar to wine as psychedelics are to an aspirin. Coming from Dionysus, everyone would know exactly what to expect from it, and any properties, results, and effects, would not come as a surprise.
When Hercules asks for something to drink with dinner, Pholus gives him this stuff. Yep.
The versions claim this was because it was the only thing Pholus had on hand, and he was just being a "good host". Now really, no host in his right mind would serve guest friends psychedelics unbeknownst to them, in lieu of water, or wine. Pholus and Hercules were purportedly very old friends and both of them "knew better", besides Hercules was in the middle of a "mission" and would never have risked being out of commission. It's clear something else is going on here.
This Dionysus-God-given-stuff is loaded with trouble. Just the vapors and fumes from the open bottle are profoundly intoxicating even at great distances. These affect all the centaurs in the area. The resulting chaotic riot is given many silly justifications, including that the centaurs behavior was the result of their being at the mercy of the fumes, or that they were angry at not getting a party invitation, or upset that their wine was being drunk.
None of these various justifications hold water, and in the end, the riot's cause is irrelevant. Hercules shoots his poison arrows at the attacking centaurs. Pholus is inadvertently killed after picking up one of the arrows (in curiosity, say the sources!), and Chiron is also hit. Unlike Pholus, Chiron is immortal (yes, that's another story), so unlike Pholus, Chiron doesn't die from the wound, but lives on in grievous agony, unable to cure or kill himself.
Hercules and the centaur Pholus shaking hands. London B 226, Attic black figure neck amphora, c. 530-510 B.C. Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London.
Chiron is Zeus's half brother, so he's also related to Zeus, and this also makes him Hercules' Half-Uncle. Chiron is the son of Chronos, a.k.a. Kronos, which means 'Time". Chiron, as a Centaur (archer), is also a two-hybrid as is Hercules; Chiron is half-god man, half-horse. They form two sides of the same number line.
Chiron is also similar to Prometheus; by being the son of Chronos/Time and immortal, Chiron is subject to the same immortal-overnight-regeneration rule as Prometheus. Both are stuck living lives forever enduring pain. Neither can succeed at suicide. They're both stuck.
If you were phosphorus trapped in urine, how would you feel?
Hercules suggests Chiron volunteer to die in place of Prometheus, the two immortals agree to substitute for one another, humans get to keep fire, and the two immortals, one of whom is Zeus's brother, Hercules's Uncle, and a hybrid God, are thus saved by a half-man half-god hybrid, Hercules, who would not exist at all were it not for Prometheus creating and protecting humankind in the first place. No small amount of ironic chemistry this.
The Centaur Pholus, Heracles and Hermes, Athenian black-figure amphora C6th B.C., British Museum. Photograph courtesy of the British Museum, London.
Let's try this idea on for size. Brass alloys require copper and zinc, and both elements are listed as known and available in Antiquity. The Brass alloy proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brass alloys with varying properties and all are substitutional alloys because copper and zinc atoms, the two primary constituents, can replace each other within the same crystal structure. They can 'stand in' for one another to some extent, so to speak, but not conveniently because copper and tin ores do not usually occur in the same places (they do in Cornwall, but bronze did not come from there). It's not an easy straight swap.
This trade off between Chiron and Prometheus, orchestrated by Hercules, may well be a metaphor for some such inconvenient but possible chemistry trade off. In chemistry, a substitution reaction (also known as single displacement reaction or single replacement reaction) is a chemical reaction during which one functional group in a chemical compound is replaced by another functional group.
Ancient sources for tin were scarce. Not only is tin a relatively rare element in the Earth's crust, tin deposits are few and far between. Tin had to be traded over long distances to meet demand for it in areas lacking deposits of it. I can find a lot of guesses about how these alloys might have been discovered, however there are no early metallurgy records and common sense conjecture is all we have to go on.
It's no coincidence that the alchemical symbol for Tin (Sn, 50) is Jupiter, a.k.a. Zeus.
The alchemical symbol for Tin (Sn, 50) is the symbol for Jupiter, Jove, Zeus.
The Greek equivalent word for the Latin Aes for copper was calkos, "chalcos," named after the copper mines at Chalcis in Euboea. This word stem is often found referring to copper, most notably in mineralogy. "Chalcopyrite" is copper pyrites. The word was also applied to iron, long before the coining of "sideros." The word for steel is caluy, clearly related to chalcos. The Phoenicians, and others, worked copper mines and smelters in Cyprus, Kupris. Venus, or Aphrodite, the Kupris, was born there, always loved the island, and was its' patron. She is very often referred to as Cypris. The word "cuprium" could have come either from the island or the goddess, and it's impossible to make a distinction. This fact supports Media as a priestess of this Goddess, having an extensive working knowledge of chemistry. The word cuprum was probably later Latin; it gave us the chemical symbol Cu for copper. The alchemical symbol was the sign of Venus, the circle atop a cross. The Phoenicians were surely the ones who spread the knowledge and use of copper around the Mediterranean and they probably kept their metallurgical procedures secret.
The fact that pure copper and its alloys were not distinguished in ancient words shows that a fundamental difference was not appreciated. Our recognition of chemical elements is recent, and quite foreign to earlier thought. Most ancient "copper" is indeed bronze, containing tin but also lead and zinc. The alloys have a somewhat lower melting point than pure copper, and would be easier to work, besides being much harder, and more usable as tools and weapons. Zippe concludes from the various names of copper, and its' alloys used by different peoples, that there was probably multiple discoveries of its' smelting. He also remarks, quite to the point, that it is just as possible that a source of a metal was named after the metal, as that the metal was named after a place.
The alchemical symbol for Copper (Cu, 29) is the symbol for Venus Aphrodite.
Hercules, after solving over a dozen impossible tasks that we know of, and having a very difficult life by his own choosing, sails with the Argonauts, travels with them as far as Colchis according to ancient sources, and finally earns his own cap and gown, and celestial constellation. Now you can see him up in the sky at night.
Prometheus gets off the hook; foresight is back in the game, but too late to prevent Pandora. What does this imply? To play fair here I have to stick to my own rules, and apply science and chemistry metaphors. Prometheus has exchanged places with Chiron. Pandora has loosed synthetic biotoxins on humankind and the myths have no further use for her. If this were chemistry, we'd have a substitution reaction, implying that Pandora's synthetics will force humans to also exchange, i.e. change, inexorably.
The Centaur archer Chiron, a half-god half horse existing only in myths, has gone on to greener pastures, and he has a place in the heavens as a celestial constellation.
Now you can see them all as constellations in the sky at night.
Since Centaurs are only real in myths, Chiron's a representative of the subconscious. Hercules uses an archer's subconscious arrows to both kill the bird and to free Prometheus; subconscious arrows can have real effects. It's also no coincidence that the wound from which Chiron suffers and cannot heal was made by a poison arrow, shot by Hercules. From this I would have to say that what you can't see can hurt you. Beware The Internet; it shoots poison arrows, and they will hurt you.
Zeus pouts. Were it not for humankind, he would have nobody left to play with; nobody would be available for his "transgressions", i.e. his chemical compound experiments. One wonders why he's complaining. A.k.a. Jupiter, Zeus is left to quit while he's ahead, and he never does learn the name of the mother of the child who eventually dethrones him, not until long after the deed is done. His Jupiter symbol ends up as the alchemical symbol for tin.
See what happens when we stretch these mythical analogies a little further by mapping them into the ancients' knowledge of science and the elements? These myths unpack themselves very nicely into remarkably straight-forward chemistry. Upcoming: The Golden Fleece, aurophilicity, and the chemistry behind Media's Deadly Wedding Dress. | 2019-04-19T04:52:45Z | https://suityourself.international/appanage/suit-yourself-international-magazine-43-prometheus-and-pandora-part-2-of-2.html |
A vast carpet of stars stretched from horizon to horizon giving way to a panoramic onslaught of pure serenity. Epic mountain ranges laid blurred by the obscurity of distance while tall pines coated in thick layers of snow reached for the heavens. Pale moonlight bathed the landscape in a light tint of blue as finely tempered shadows separated the forest from the trees. No wind blew in this arctic woodland. No creature stirred. It was the calming peace of silence in the depth of the night.
That all changed in a split second with the thunderous crack of a cataclysmic fireball cleaving a clear, star filled night in two. Shadows deftly played under the new found light pointing the way for the streaking thing to the distant mountain ranges. Then, sharply, those shadows reversed course, averting away from the distant impact, the blinding flash, and impossibly silent boom capable of searing dread down the spine of the hardest of men. Within seconds, a tranquil night had been torn asunder. Half the forest laid on its side, suppressed by the thing’s immense shockwave. The mountain ranges had been carved into a gaping wound. And, the horizon glowed a brilliant orange and red under the blaze of a calamity from the skies.
Cierra Aronaii stood upon her terrace gazing upon the stars in the heavens. The terrace connected to a giant, four story shell abandoned by some creature millennia before. The shell had been cleaned out and transformed into living chambers. There were many shells like that within the city. Hundreds of shell dwellings lined the canyon floor of the gully at the base of the Knowlespole mountain ranges. They were home to Cierra’s people, those called the Cetra.
A cool breeze through the night air flowed through her long, brown hair that hung at the back of her thighs. The silken, gold embroidered opal robe she wore fluttered under the same breeze and wrapped snugly around her thin form. She closed her eyes and smiled. There was always a peace inherit during the nighttime.
Calm, green eyes opened and stared up towards a thin cluster of clouds silently traversing the sky. She breathed in heavily and let her breathe escape slowly. An arm wrapped around her waist and drew her close to a warm body. The owner pressed his lips unto the side of her face and kissed her gently.
“A beautifully warm night. So clear with but a few clouds,” he whispered into her ear.
Without turning, her smiled broadened and she ran her hand along his smooth face. His own robes, of similar design to Cierra’s, intermingled with hers in the wind. They stood there enjoying the moment when a streak of orange shot overhead from beyond the canyon rim and proceeded past them towards the mountain range. The sky burned a deep orange.
“What is it!?” Cierra exclaimed, her eyes widening as a roaring boom shook the foundations of the earth.
“That’s no average meteor. The Council will be meeting,” the man spoke and hurriedly turned towards the hallway that lined the interior of their conch shell.
Cierra followed him down the spiraling hall that led to the entrance of the complex. Together, they proceeded outside and towards the grand hall located at the city’s center. Many other people had exited their own domiciles and looked towards the distance. Being within the canyon gully made it difficult to determine the damage caused by the thing from above. Rumor was already spreading that a meteor had struck the northern perimeter of the Knowlespole. Yet, Cierra and her husband had seen the thing, and she felt a stirring sensation that whatever it was, was far more sinister than a meteor. They looked beyond the foliage lining the canyon walls as they hurried along the polished, pearlesque path and saw the mountain ranges looming in the far distance. A strange deep orange glow crowned the range ridges.
Darkness shrouded the impact crater that ran deep into the center of the mountain ranges. IT came forth from the crater mired in a cloak of shadows and stood completely erect in its seven foot height. Eyes glowed an unearthly blue and took in the environment now surrounding the impact site.
The forest went intensely silent as the creature began its trek into the woodland. It could sense power and it craved that power. The creature left the newly formed crater in its wake. That crater was two miles deep and four miles wide at its diameter. Nothing stirred as nature quietly watched the thing traipse through the thigh high snow and continued on into the dark depth of the night.
Carved out of the interior of a mile high cliff, the Grand Council chambers were immense. A single column with a platform atop of it rose up from the subterranean waterways. White light shone down from the open observation decks half a mile above the chamber. Around the empty space surrounding the center platform where the Council Elder would speak, was the auditorium rotunda. A quarter mile in diameter, it was the largest space dedicated to the Council meetings of the Cetra. Five balconies, one above the next, lined the chamber walls. The first balcony was parallel to the level of the center column, the podium for the Supreme Chancellor of the Cetra nations. Below that one, a walkway lined with support columns led to the stairwells traversing to each balcony in the chamber.
Hundreds of Cetra had arrived and a tremendous din filled the chamber as talk of the event emitted amongst the councilmen. Dawn had nearly broke and several scouts had returned to report on what had transpired.
Cierra approached the railing upon the third balcony and looked down towards the Council podium. She saw the Supreme Chancellor making his way over the one connecting bridge of the podium to the first balcony. He was engaged in a very emotional conversation from what she could gather and sense. The white pillar of light hung over the podium like a spotlight on a stage actor. The Supreme Chancellor looked very agitated as he progressed out to the podium. His beard swayed under a slight breeze coming upward from the waterways beneath the city.
Cierra’s husband came up beside her, concerned etched upon his visage. She looked up at him with concern. He shook his head, understanding her emotion. A grimace came to his face as his lips drew taught.
“What is it, Sion?” she inquired nervously.
“It isn’t good. The scouts have returned and tell of a disturbing event. Whatever crashed into the Knowlespole has tore a hole in Mother Tiamus. Many tribes of Cetra have already gathered near the northern borders,” he responded and viewed the Supreme Chancellor making his last moment preparations.
“What will a bunch of wandering vagrants be able to determine?” Cierra queried in irritation, feeling the weight of the planet upon her.
“Be kind. They may build and construct and tend the lands the way we do, but they are our people. Besides, word has it, all the Cetra will be needed to heal this wound.” Sion said and motioned for Cierra to still any response forthcoming as the Supreme Chancellor lifted his arms for silence.
Cierra looked at the old man below in trepidation. Things were fast spiraling out of control. The Northern Boundaries were a virtual no-man’s land. Only the wandering tribal nations made their homes in the forests there. Naturally, they would be the first to respond. This despite the fact that the main Cetra Council lived within the great city of Collust along the southern ridge of the massive mountain range leading through the Northern Boundaries.
Murmurs erupted within the chamber. Cierra stared at the old man and felt a tremor in her soul. Something didn’t feel right. Surely the others felt it? But, then again, she figured they may just contribute that emotion to the loss of life. Cierra’s gaze wandered to the spiral interior of an ancient mollusk shell beyond the balconies of the easternmost wall. It was now more a decoration merged within that wall and was only a pale reminder of what it once was. What had caused those elegant creatures deaths? She found herself suddenly wondering. Extinctions occurred every so often and she considered that another may have just arrived.
A slender and aged finger waggled at the gathered masses, having noted the cynical remarks being made casually and quietly amongst the Council. Cierra remembered when it was traditional to make pilgrimages to the Northern Boundaries to plant the pines that lined the ridges there. That was when she had been a young little girl. She had been seven the last time she had went. She shook her head viewing those in the Grand Chambers. Many within had become accustomed to the finer vanities of city life and were not looking forward to any prolonged exposure to nature uninhibited.
Turning to leave, the Supreme Chancellor summoned his Viceroy. A man a full head taller than the Supreme Chancellor who was fond of red robes with silver linings, which stood in contrast to the graying robes of the Supreme Chancellor. The Viceroy made way for his Elder to leave by the bridge and took the podium. Cierra rolled her eyes. Anything the Viceroy had to say was generally too trite to be practical. Of course, this wasn’t going to stop him from speaking.
The Viceroy left the podium and the Grand Council Chambers emptied. Cierra walked with her husband and pondered all the emotions flowing through her personage. Sion walked beside her and cast a glance at her. Knowing how contemplative she generally was, he didn’t bother Cierra in her thoughts, but turned forward and continued towards the entrance.
Rhythmic chantings reverberated off of the trunks of a legion of pines within the quarter mile of forestry surrounding the newly formed crater in the Northern Boundaries. Hundreds of tribal Cetra sat upon the frozen ground with their eyes closed deep in a healing trance. Their lifeforces created salve for the wound pulsing deep into the earthen clay. The Cetra could feel the cries of a world in pain. Those cries echoed throughout fresh caves far below the billowing mists covering the immediate interior of the crater.
The shadowy creature sensed the Cetra tribes gathering around the crater and felt the power of their lifeforces pulsated outward into the air. Those lifeforces were a tangible sheet across its flesh and it hungered.
Voices nearby its position beneath a copse of pines echoed within its ears. The new dawn was breaking yet was stilled by thick cumulus, saturated with the vapors of a coming storm. It flowed towards the voices, desiring the knowledge those voices held.
“...They are coming. I heard it from the Elders. The Grand Council must respond...” one voice was saying.
“They’ve become a bunch of lazy cowards. They ignore the planet until it is too late. Now they come? The Council is weak...” the other answered and walked away angrily.
“...You shouldn’t be so angry, Enson.” she spoke in response to his words.
He merely waved her off and continued through the woods to find his brothers. The young woman watched him go and turned back to her camp. It watched him too. The shadowy it remembered his name. Enson. And, the shadow memorized his features. His long, platinum blonde hair trailing down his back to his waist. He wore a brown hide tunic and leggings and wore shoes of the same material. This was a member of the tribes and it wanted to use him to its advantage.
“There is no way the Council can do anything. Living in their lap of luxury. Dining on their fancy suppers and happy in their simple ways. What work have they done?” the young man gestured angrily to no one.
The shadow smiled a secret smile for it had no lips. With an invisible tongue it tasted his jealousy and his tremendous lifeforce. The wildlife went silent and the young man turned, looking around the dimly lit woodland. The suns light filtered through the dark cloudlines minutely and illuminated his light toned flesh, revealing his puzzled expression.
“Hello?” he queried into the early morning air.
The shadow came up behind him. The young man turned and stared at the thing coming for him. A shadow engulfed him and he tried to scream. However, silence thundered through the forest.
Faint chantings came on the wind as the form of the young man lay upon the snow. Slowly, he rose and smiled to himself. It was now Enson. And, Enson had work to do. The power was too fierce to consume in this state. A little bit of deception was in order. Enson walked back towards his camp. He knew instinctively where it lay. Whiffs of snow blew across the forest floor covering Enson’s tracks as he walked.
* * * * * Fine flakes of snow formed a thick curtain in the gushing wind. The frozen vapor blew horizontally across the forest floor, miring the progression of the Choboa, and their riders, through the woodlands towards the impact site. Members of the Cetra Council covered their heads with the hoods of thick cloaks. Many blocked the fierce wind blown snow with the sleeves of their robes.
Not far behind the Choboa procession, were the members forced to walk through the thick, wintery accumulation. There were no complaints as they walked onward. The edge of the crater was not far ahead of them.
It felt like the journey had taken weeks to Cierra as she and her husband sat upon their Choboa, trying to make out the distant shapes of Cetra camps through the blizzard. In fact, the journey had been but three days. She didn’t waste any energy speaking her disdain of plodding through the winterscape. A grimace of misery crossed the features of her face. Her husband, Sion, wasn’t enjoying the journey anymore than she was.
The procession stopped. Cierra uncovered her face and tried to look around. She held up her held to shield some of the wind. She mostly saw white, but the group had definitely exited the forest and were upon the perimeter of the northern expanse of the great Boundaries. The edge of the impact laid mere kilometers from their positions.
A slight murmur ran through the Cetra members and it was apparent that camp was being made. Cierra and Sion dismounted their Choboa, ostrich sized flightless birds, and began to set up their equipment. Within a few hours, they had their Choboa covered under a massive tarp attached to their oval tent and heat delivering devices were turned on.
“The meeting should be taking place, let’s go.” Sion spoke to Cierra and they exited their tent.
~ ~ ~ “We should begin the meditations immediately,” a concerned member of the Council said from his position to the rear of the massive Council shelter.
The enclosure was the size of a carnival tent, except it was a complete dome, and spanned over a good portion of the clearing just beyond the forest edge. Several hundred Cetra listened intently to the debate waging amongst the Elder members of the Council.
“The blizzard is too fierce, we should wait til the morn,” another responded drawing praise from others gathered within.
“Tiamus needs us. We must act immediately. The other tribes are out there now giving their lifeforces to the planet. We need to join them, storm or no. Hesitation could mark our deaths,” a woman of the Grand Council spoke, walking forward.
Cheers and jeers erupted throughout the tent. Cierra took the scene in from her place in the back of the tent. Small, fist sized heaters lined the tent walls sending a slight orange glow onto the gathered Cetra. A howling wind was hammering the side of the tent causing the heater-lanterns to bounce their light across the assembly. The light didn’t dim the dark green robes of the woman who spoke at the center of the meeting. The Supreme Chancellor sat in a seat and smoothed out his ruffled and gray robes. He raised his hands, trying to bring order to the assembly.
“Councilor Eanon’s words ring truth. We must not spare anymore time. The wound is gaping and Mother Tiamus screams in pain,” the old man spoke to an intermittent silence.
“Bah! I did not spend all night traveling, just to sit in the snow and chant in the middle of a blizzard! Let the savages do as they will. Tomorrow, if the weather permits, will be better suited for delivering our energies,” a tall Councilman replied harshly.
“Stay your tongue, Edrick. The Supreme Chancellor has spoken and we ALL are required to lend our energies tonight. Grab your thickest furs, it’s going to be a long night!” the Viceroy responded ending the tirade.
“Is this wise...” another Councilor, a statesmen from the business sect, began.
“They have us packed in here like a bottled selection of Fastitocalons. I’m going to get some air.” Cierra whispered to Sion.
He nodded as she turned to leave the cramped confines. The Cetra stood nearly shoulder to shoulder as Cierra pardoned her way through to the exit and breathed a sigh of relief as the cold winter chill struck her cheek.
Cierra closed her eyes and inhaled slowly. The wind had died down to some extent. She gently rubbed her stomach through the heavy clothing she wore, furs made from the hide of a great, northern Cuahl. Soon, the Council would be joining the itinerant Cetra tribes in healing the wound of Tiamus. She only hoped that the effort wouldn’t harm the child she carried within. A fact she’d been meaning to tell Sion upon the terrace when the thing from the sky had fallen.
She exhaled and felt that she could reserve enough energies to assist in getting the job done and returning home in one piece. A moment of fear jolted Cierra from her solitude. Her eyes opened and she gazed around the silent woodland. It had suddenly gotten too quiet, save for the annoying bickering emanating from within the tent.
Cierra could only perceive the deep shadows clinging unto the forest interior like a small child to its parent. Within those shadows, lurked an uncertainty. It was beyond her range of senses, yet lingered just at the edge of her perceptions.
A whiff of breath blew in the stilling breeze and now calmly falling snow. Now that she thought about things, the weather was a bit colder than was usual for the season. This even for the Northern Boundaries and the constant snow that linger within them. Her gaze shifted to the massive dark spot covered by an eternal mist marking the gaping wound of Tiamus. She shivered not because of the cold, but because of that something clawing at her senses.
“How many tribes are there anyway?” Enson inquired from his seated position next to his brother.
They had been chanting for most of the night and day, Enson feigned his involvement knowing full well that he wasn’t offering any lifeforce to a wound he caused. Whether it was intentional or not, was beside the point. Power is what drove the possessed Enson now. He had ceased being a Cetra the second the shadow had devoured his soul and infected him with death.
“Come on, brother, you know the answer to that. Seventeen tribes wander the Northern Boundaries, planting pines and healing the planet. Just like we’re doing. What’s with you lately? You’ve been acting weird for days.” the brother spoke to the smiling, closed eyed Enson.
The held the hands to their sides in the meditative gesture of focus. Enson had learned much these past four days and was eager to learn more. He had discovered that these Cetra creatures were mostly an itinerant race that went around settling the land and making it habitable for the birth of life. Simplistic and archaic to Enson. He never cared for the bringing forth of life. Not when the act of power and absolute chaos was so much more enjoyable.
Enson would need assistance, though, in his endeavors. He and his brother sat alone in the snow only a short distance from camp. The Cetra had been chanting in shifts and soon their shift would be up. They would rise up and enter the camp grounds and warm within the slumber facilities of the small skin tents. The time to move had come.
The heavy furs around Enson’s person fluttered in the slight breeze as a creeping shadow slowly eked its way from beneath his seated position. He sat still and let his eye open a slit. Enson watched his brother’s face; saw his closed eyes. The shadow merged with the rippling snow and snaked towards the brother. Coiling around his form, the shadow struck Enson’s brother in the back and tore around into his face. The brother struggled violently and spasmed upon the snowy ground. He raised his hands to his face as the shadow entered his nose and his mouth. Screams died in silence.
Enson watched his brother’s form go lifeless and jumped up to sit on top of him. He placed his hands to either side of his face, sinking into the snow. Fear and individuality dissipated into the cold night as Enson placed his face near his brother’s and looked him in his darkening eyes.
The brother stared vacantly at Enson, and his eyes turned black under the shadows influence. Soon, though, a smile crossed his face and Enson knew, he was getting stronger.
Deep clouds slightly parted for the shining sun beyond their depths. Yet, this barely illuminated the massive wound or the thousands of Cetra gathered around the fringes of the crater. Chantings echoed deep into the crater’s recesses as invisible lifeforces surged into the fissure.
Cierra could feel the combined energies of all the Cetra as they lent their lifeforces to Mother Tiamus. She continued to chant, ignoring the chill of the long winter. It felt like they’d been there for ages. It was tiring work, allowing once life to drain forth and be given unto another. The planet was massive and the Cetra were so few. Yet, every little bit of lifeforce energies helped heal the pain of the world.
Life was birthing around the world and Cierra smiled, knowing that what they were doing was helping. The natural flow of life, didn’t remain hindered as it had been for days after the initial impact. Now, weeks later, the planet was drawing enough energy to recontribute to the flow of the lifeforce.
She opened her eyes and viewed the clearing crater. A dense fog still hung over its interior, but daylight was beginning to filter through the clouds. She whispered a secret prayer and continued chanting. Soon, the Cetra would be returning to the holy city of Collust. She was eager to go, though she enjoyed these peaceful moments. She enjoyed being one with the lifeforce, having forgotten how good it felt.
A tiny kick distracted Cierra, and she realized her child was enjoying the connection as well. She looked over at her husband, who had his eyes closed and was deep in meditation. She couldn’t help but to smile in a manner that she hadn’t done since the age of seven. Too long, she thought, too long.
Tents started to come down and she knew, the Cetra Council was preparing to return home. She felt her smile wane, but she was part of this lifeforce again and would make sure to remain that way. Cierra smirked to herself in deep resolve, and then nudged Sion from his trance.
“Looks like we’re leaving,” she said to Sion.
He opened his eyes and looked about. Reluctantly, he nodded and stood. He helped Cierra to her feet, not because she had informed him of her pregnancy, but because her joints had become stiff with the winter winds. Being one with nature had its tolls.
Thousands of Cetra tribesmen walked away from the crater, feeling that they had done all that they could. Enson stopped upon an embankment and looked outward at the traveling Cetra. Where they would go, he didn’t know. It wasn’t like they had homes. They carried hide-tents with them everywhere. He supposed they were returning to the warmer southern regions of the Northern Boundaries. That posed no difference to him. The warmer it was, the easier to spread the virus.
Enson looked at the white tops of a thousand miles of forestry and then gazed upon the thirteen individuals he’d already infected. Several would die, he knew, but the others would be formidable warriors in his new war.
Stomping through the snow mound, Enson led the way in the direction of the main tribes of the Cetra wanderers. The Council he would tackle when he had adequate minions. Until then, however, the uncivilized, as they were, would have to suffice.
Sion Aronaii stood upon his terrace overlooking the main city of Collust. His wavy, blond hair danced in the breeze. He wore a silken shirt that was unfastened, exposing his chest. The day was waning yet still held a solid warmth. It was a day he was enjoying.
Nearly a year had passed since the impact in the Northern Boundaries. The Cetra had gathered around the gaping wound and lent the Mother Tiamus their energies. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to have been enough. The woodland around the crater, had wilted and the land collapsed. What was left in such a wake was a steep incline surrounding the wound. Only the most skilled mountaineers could enter her wound as a result.
Sion shook his head and closed his eyes. He breathed deep the flowing breeze and exhaled slowly, allowing the lifeforce energies to heal his weariness. Opening his eyes, Sion looked back into his home to see his young son sleeping peacefully. If any good had come of recent times, it was his child. He smiled and entered his abode.
I wonder what is taking Cierra so long? He thought to himself and turned to look back out towards the city surrounding his house. All he could see was a sea of shell tops, rimmed with the distant walls of the canyon their city resided within. Sion hoped his wife would be home soon.
Daylight was fast running out as Cierra made her way through the throngs of Collust citizenry. The market had been practically overcrowded. So much so that the cloth overhangs had barely afforded any relief from the rays of an overzealous sun. The day had been unseasonably warm given that winter was approaching once more. It would seem that Autumn wasn’t through yet.
“...It’s true! Many have already fallen ill to this strange disease! And our own kin would raise their arms against us! They blame us for the cause!” a distressed man spoke from atop a soap container.
Cierra stopped to listen to what he was saying. A mass of the curious had gathered before him as he related what he had heard in animated fashion. It was rare for this part of the town circle to be so crowded. Even rarer still for anyone to stop long enough for local gossip.
“...If we don’t act soon, the heathen masses will be upon us!” he said, waving his arms with dramatic flair.
Shaking her head and moving along, Cierra wondered how anyone could believe that the normally peaceful Cetra tribes would raise arms against the Council.
“...Tohen to the west has already fallen...” the man continued.
Cierra ignored him and continued home. Tohen was one of the three great city nations of the Cetra and existed on the Western Boundaries of the massive continent of the Knowlespole. The Knowlespole was the most northern continent in all the world. It was subject to extreme winters in the Northern Boundaries and mildly warm summers in the Southern Boundaries. This was during the best conditions.
Tohen was at the far peninsula of the continent. Collust was the Easternmost city nation, their city, and sat deep in a gully. It was the Council center of the Cetra species. To believe it could be attacked, even if Tohen had fallen, was absurd. Only Middas along the white plains of the southern edge of the Northern Boundaries could possibly be left open to attack.
Of course, it hadn’t been but a few months earlier, when rumor had it that Middas had indeed fallen to some strange plague. This had yet to be confirmed by the Grand Council. So, Cierra was hardly worried.
She had rounded the south path that led to her home when a commotion drew her attention. Several Cetra warriors were hurrying towards the main path to the Council temple. Their dismounted Choboa were towing a wheeled gurney. Cierra placed her hand to her mouth as they rushed past. She stopped at the main intersection as she saw the warrior laying on the gurney dying. He had grown pale and the blanket covering him did nothing to hide that fact.
The warriors said nothing as they led the dying man towards the temple. She had wanted to say something, to ask them what had happened. But the words upon seeing him died in her throat. A numb feeling overtook her. ...Could it be true?
Cierra watched them disappear into the assembly complex and felt a tremor in the world. Something was stirring. And, she felt it had been stirring for quite awhile. She hadn’t felt this since the days following the great impact. Not wanting to consider the implications any further, Cierra hurried home.
“You’re unusually quiet,” Sion spoke to his wife as she was rocking their child.
At first, she didn’t say anything from the chair she rocked in. Sion watched her from where he sat at the dinner table and felt a disturbing sensation. She looked up from the baby and smiled at Sion. It wasn’t the comforting smile she normally gave.
“Something...is in the air,” she responded.
Before Sion could respond, a voice echoed up the spiraling hall. It was the masculine voice of a warrior he had been long acquainted with. And that voice sounded grave.
“Sion...a word. If you please,” came the voice.
“Nilo? What brings you here at this time?” Sion inquired and stood to walk down the hall.
He disappeared around the bend as Cierra looked out the terrace doorway. Moonlight streamed through the windows competing with their candles to light the home. A still wind blew as the soft echoing of conversation in whispered tones echoed up into Cierra’s ears. She continued rocking and closed her eyes.
Moments seemed like hours when the tap came on her shoulder. She didn’t want to open her eyes, but did so in great trepidation, knowing what was coming. Cierra looked into her husband’s blue eyed gaze.
“Cierra...all the warrior’s are being called upon,” he softly spoke.
“Tohen has fallen,” Cierra responded before he could say anything further.
A look of surprise donned Sion’s face. It dissipated with a slight smile when he realized that he shouldn’t have been taken aback. His wife was always one of the most perceptive women he had known.
“I heard word of some strange virus in town. They say the tribes blame us for our complacency,” she answered.
“They need me,” he simply said with a nod.
“I know. Be safe, my love,” she smiled and kissed his lips lightly.
Sion hugged her shoulders and rubbed his son’s head gently. He stood and left for the assembly complex. Cierra didn’t watch him leave but instead closed her eyes and cried to herself. The breeze beyond the windows picked up and caressed her brow.
Enson sat within the saddle atop a Choboa. The rein of the whitish, brown speckled bird was in his right hand and held loosely. Long, platinum hair whipped around in the arctic wind, slightly hindering his view of the panoramic landscape. Regardless, there wasn’t much to see. Plains that had existed in recent times, were buried under a permanent frost. The Knowlespole climate was changing as a result of the meteor strike hundreds of miles to the north.
He didn’t require any sort of heat maintaining clothing, but Enson wore a thick coat nonetheless. He had grown partial to the furry design of the clothes. There was much he enjoyed about the Cetra civilization. However, he was created for one purpose. And, that purpose he was fulfilling.
From his vantage point on a tall, snowy hilltop, Enson could see the ravaged townspeople of Tohen striking out against the Council warriors that had been stationed at the edge of their city. The Tohenians weren’t normally aggressive, but the toxins he naturally released generated a virus that destroyed what humanity they harbored. This meant he had his army and that the only people standing in his way, were those in the capital city of Collust.
Enson kicked his Choboa in motion, and headed towards the field of chaos. Blood was painting the snowfields a dark red. The warriors fought back valiantly, though, in the end, they were forced to retreat. The townspeople didn’t cheer; they only hungered for the chaos and tried to follow the forces fleeing upon Choboa. Enson raised his left arm and allowed his aura to flow into the gathered masses.
“Let them go. Soon enough, there will be no where for them to flee,” he chuckled as he spoke those words and turned back towards Tohen.
The Tohenians returned with him. Enson looked back at the fleeing warriors and a thought occurred to him. This may work out to my advantage. They will bring the Council to me. I won’t have to mount an attack into the canyon surrounding Collust. Yes, bring them to me...he smiled and continued forward.
“Did you tell your wife that the warrior came from Middas?” Nilo inquired of Sion as they slowly rode down the mountain path.
“No. Word in town has it that Tohen fell. If this is true, we may not be safe for much longer.” Sion responded.
They rode on through the thick pines casting deep shadows across the narrow path. The journey had been less than pleasant. Their thick furs were barely keeping out the winter weather. Autumn was fading in Collust, but the southern wind currents and the surrounding mountain ranges were keeping the fierce winter storms at bay. That was a temporary phenomenon Sion realized. Since the meteor, everything was changing so fast.
“Who do you think is attacking? We’ve no enemies, at least, none that I’m aware of,” Nilo spoke solemnly.
“I don’t know. Something is very wrong about all of this...How far are we from Middas?” Sion replied and queried with his eyes set to the darkening northern skies.
The orange and red glow of a year past, no longer was present. However, there in its place was a strong sensation of death. No one could see it, and only a few of the more sensitive could feel the sensation. Sion figured his wife was attuned to the feeling. He was becoming fast unnerved by an invisible enemy.
“I’d say only a few days, maybe a week. Four weeks are behind us. Uh, I wish we didn’t have to bypass the inland sea. Were that extension not there, we would’ve been there by now.” Nilo spoke with a wry quirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Perhaps we should pick up the pace? I feel that if we don’t, something terrible may be waiting for us.” Sion said and cast his view towards the procession of warriors following in their wake.
The group pressed on through the night deeper down the mountain pass. The path would let out into a massive plain. He hoped the snow there wouldn’t be so deep as to hinder their progress. During that particular time of year, green fields were still abundant. However, the temperatures were dropping faster than usual which meant normalities were out the proverbial window.
“Wounded warriors from Middas. They tell a strange tale, Sion. Something of some creature swooping from the skies and laying Middas to waste,” the scout hurriedly spoke.
Sion caste a wary glance at Nilo and they ushered the procession towards the camp not far beyond. Upon arriving, Sion saw wounded men laying all around the camp site. Their wounds were dressed in as well a manner as they could manage. It was obvious, though, that their time in the world was limited.
“What happened?” Sion asked the commander of the battalion remains.
“Well, sir, there was a virus that had spread rampant through Middas. For weeks we battled the sick and tried to heal whom we could. The thing is, they couldn’t be healed. Several days ago, the diseased rose up against us. It was so sudden. Even more sudden, was the beast that came in from the Northern Boundaries. It breathed a strange flame, but not fire as we’ve known. It was a green flame that leveled Middas! We fled...th...there wasn’t anything we could do!” the commander spoke in great agitation, catching his breath when he could.
Sion shook his head and looked to the north. The plains could just barely be seen through the mountain ranges, and they were unusually dark, even for the night. He stood and let the commander rest upon the ground. He wasn’t severely wounded and would live, but he was so panicked, Sion wondered if he would ever truly recover mentally.
“Sion, if what the commander speaks is...” Nilo started but was cut short by Sion.
“None of that. We’ll deal with such an event should it occur. I don’t want to think about the idea of some supernatural beast beyond our abilities to best. Better to keep the morale higher and focused.” Sion spoke.
“Aye, sir.” came Nilo’s reply as he rushed off to deliver the commands.
Nilo nodded in affirmation to Sion and continued delivering his commands. Sion made his way towards his Choboa and the equipment he would need to set up camp.
A short while later, Aria entered Sion’s tent. Two lanterns lit the interior heightening the somber mood of the lone occupant. He sat busily going through old manuscripts, trying to ascertain any references in the past to giant beasts. When on a expedition such as the one that brought them to this spot, he always brought his antiquated manuscript of mythologies and technological achievements. He had yet to find any references to such a beast outside of those alluding to the various species of dragons that inhabited the world.
“You wished to speak with me?” Aria inquired and stood with her arms folded in the folds of her robe sleeves.
“A planet reading? Such a thing has not been done for ages. What would be the purpose?” Aria questioned, a perplexed expression etched across her visage.
“I don’t know, really. Just a feeling. Something has, apparently, destroyed Middas and I thought that perhaps a reading would shed some light on what the Mother Tiamus was feeling? Perhaps she can tell us more than what our eyes can see?” Sion replied.
“Well...I don’t suppose it could be of detriment. I haven’t performed a reading in my time, though I am versed in its teachings. Any Priestess knows of the act. However, I caution you, do not take too much stock in its being completed correctly.” She said, and folded her arms back.
“I trust that you will provide us with the answers we seek. I thank you for your assistance in this matter. Let me know what you discover, if anything at all.” he spoke.
“I will need until midday tomorrow. Readings are extensive. I hope that will be enough time,” she said, drawing into slight contemplation.
Sion nodded and Aria left for her own tent. He folded his hands together and braced them to his mouth. He hoped this would work, elsewise, they might never know the depth of the events transpiring.
Morning came swiftly and found Sion up before the new day’s light. He saw off the twenty warriors that would be escorting the wounded back to Collust. Though, he knew he wouldn’t be returning home anytime soon. Once they verified the accounts coming from Middas, they would have to make their destination Tohen. Every fiber of his bones told him that Middas was a lost cause and they should be heading towards Tohen. However, the Council had been specific. Tohen would have to wait.
“Sir, I was sent to inform you that Aria is in the midst of her reading. She hopes to have it complete by midday,” a woman in silken robes spoke to Sion.
He nodded in understanding and the aid returned to the Priestess’s tent. Waiting until midday wasn’t something he wanted to do, but he figured that was better that waiting for several days. Which was something that olden readings had apparently taken. He approached the canyon edge he saw vaguely into the night before and looked down. He was drawn to the chasm for some reason. And, it seemed to him like a shadow was moving deep below the thick fogline clouding the chasm bottom. Miles of the ravine stretched out below and outward from him. The mountain range across from him took on a menacing appearance. The features remained the same but its aura was different than it had been.
Sion backed around from the edge and started back towards camp. The procession was slowly making its way out of camp. Then the air went still and silence prevailed in the woodlands. He stopped and hesitated, listening for any disturbance. What was it? His answer came as a massive figure sprung from the chasm and lurched over Sion. He instinctively ducked and rolled into the snow. Coming to his knees his saw a beast striking at the now fleeing procession. His warriors were quickly wiped out along with the injured.
The camp came alive in terror and determination. Spears and arrows were lodged at the massive beast. Sion was trying to see the shape through the thick accumulation kicked up by the thing attacking. Then he saw what it was. It had eight legs. Those appendages were affixed to a torso very similar to a scorpion, with twin claws clamping down on warriors. Only, the creature was completely metallic. Instead of normal arachnid eyes, the thing had three stalks jetting from its head. An opening for a mouth issued forth streams of green flame that burned the perimeter of the massive camp. The tail struck forth with violent abandon. However, instead of a stinger, there were six living needles. Two of those needles held the bodies of several of his warriors.
“Fall back!” Sion called out springing to his feet, swinging his arms in the air trying to get the creature’s attention.
It focused on him for but a second and sent forth a green flame that he evaded. None of their weapons were penetrating the thick hide of the metal scorpion. It let forth a soul shattering screech and the warriors fell back the best they could. Over three-quarters of his party were dead in the sudden attack. If they didn’t get out of there then, they probably never would.
He grabbed a sling from the armaments left from the wounded warriors from Middas and shot a heavy marble at the beast. This seemed to have grabbed its attention and it veered for him, following him to the edge of the chasm. Several warriors tried to stop the rampaging beast.
Sion continued slinging marbles at the thing and it struck forth a massive claw near his position and lodged deep into the frozen ground. It pulled its claw free and struck at him again. He evaded, but the attack upon the frozen ground loosened the soil. He found himself falling within an avalanche with the beast in tow. He was thankful that the beast would fall with him, but he couldn’t help but wonder how much time this would by the rest of the survivors in the camp. They continued through the avalanche of snow and rock deep into the chasm as several warriors dared near the edge and yelled out his name.
Cierra woke with a start. Her infant son was crying in his crib near her bed. She gathered him in her eyes and soothed him. She was about to feed him when something tore into her awareness. Sion!?
She stood for moments looking out the window, her eyes wide with fear. There was something else there as well. She’d never felt a presence like that before. Its lifeforce was immense and was full of rage. Yet, it was a malevolent rage. It was retaliatory. She wondered for what and looked at her son. He must have felt it too. She rocked him in her arms and a short time later was dressed.
Having taken care of the baby’s needs and her own, she readied some things for him. She was going to her mother’s. Something needed to be done. The Cetra could no longer afford to stand idly by while chaos reigned across the lands. But, what do I do? she considered and sat down with a helpless feeling. She absently smoothed the wrinkles on her mahogany pants. She had dressed in materials made for the demands of nature. She wouldn’t be needing a dress for what she was planning. First, though, she felt the need to take the issue up with the Council. That was the wisest thing to do. She gathered up what she had packed and picked up her son. Together, they left the home for an uncertain destiny.
Panic gripped Enson as he charged towards the open window of the wooden Council House. He viewed the cloudy horizon in fearful trepidation. A small breeze blew back his platinum hair and his silver robes exposing his flesh to the chill in the air. Impossible...the Cetra don’t harbor power such as this! Could it be...? I cannot afford to wait, I have to lay siege to Collust soon. Whatever it is, the power it contains is beyond what is mine already. Only the Council can help me rival this. And then ‘ITS’ power will be mine! he thought and smiled knowingly.
. Enson turned from the window and dressed himself in more regal attire. He then turned his attention to bringing to full bear those that were left against the Cetra Council. He headed towards the city square and mounted the risen podium. He called out with his mind and thousands of those that remained gathered within the square.
“The time has come. We can ill afford to wait for those cowards. We ride today. Go,” he spoke and with those words, the thousands gathered uneasy Choboa and attached war wagons to as many as the people could.
Shifting snow fell around Sion as he dug his way from beneath the avalanche. Several rocks had sliced the side of his leg causing a shooting pain in his flesh. He breathed in heavily and looked up the sheer side of the cliff rising above the fog shrouding his location. He started to stand and slipped on a slick stone. This almost sent him over the edge of the ledge he had landed upon.
Looking down into the chasm, Sion saw that he was roughly half the way down the side of the cliff wall. The fog was thick, yet transparent enough to give a view of the river slicing through the bottom a mile and a half below.
“Wonderful,” Sion spoke to himself.
He didn’t see the beast and assumed it had fallen into the deep chasm. Though he couldn’t ascertain an impact basin. Putting the thing out of mind, he struggled to the edge of the wall and searched for hand and foot holds to begin his ascent to the top. Hold by hold he climbed, daring not to look down. He proceeded slowly making sure he had adequate footing. Roughly an hour and a half later, he was nearly to the top.
“We’re going to have to pack up soon, sir. I don’t know when that thing will be returning,” a foot soldier spoke to Nilo, hoping his commander would issue the command.
“We’re not going anywhere just yet, soldier. See to what wounded you can,” Nilo huffed in agitation at the soldier.
Sion pulled himself up over the edge of the chasm and saw the confrontation. The foot soldier was turning to attend to the duties assigned him when he saw Sion crawling unto the ledge.
“Sir! It’s Captain Sion!” the foot soldier shouted and charged towards him to help him up.
Nilo and several others darted after him and were ecstatic to see Sion alive and well. They assisted him to his feet and brushed off his damaged armor. One person brought a cover for Sion to stave off the cold. He waved it away, hoping to maintain a confident demeanor, though in all actuality he was freezing.
“Sion, I’m so glad to see you survived! That thing flew away earlier...” Nilo started, prompting hand motions from Sion.
“I know. It nearly knocked me off the cliff. It headed west, didn’t it?” he inquired of Nilo.
Nilo nodded somberly. Sion stood on his own and headed back towards his tent with Nilo at his side. Before he could get there, an assistant to Aria arrived.
“Priestess Aria has finished her reading, Sir,” she spoke and politely bowed her head.
“Excellent. Nilo, ready the soldiers to depart,” he commanded and headed towards Aria’s tent instead.
“Sooner than later I hope,” Sion responded cryptically.
A few moments passed as Sion entered Aria’s tent. She sat there somewhat dazed. Aria motioned for Sion to take a seat on the cushion beside her reading couch. He did as requested and waited for Aria’s results.
“I wasn’t able to determine much, I’m afraid,” she began.
“Anything you can tell me,” Sion responded, catching his breath from the cold and wrapping a cover around himself that lay upon the cushion.
“It was very difficult to hear the Mother Tiamus through her screams of protest. What I gathered was that something came from the heavens above,” Aria spoke.
“No, not Meteor. There was something in the meteor. The language the planet speaks is so ancient as to be almost indecipherable. Only the emotions I could read. And of those emotions I determined that this thing from the heavens, she considers a ‘calamity from the skies.’ And she seems to be intent on wiping it out,” she related between exasperated breathes.
“Good. Then that thing she’ll destroy,” he said in weary happiness.
“Not quite. Don’t let your eyes deceive you,” she spoke to his curious eyes, “What you faced out there was delivered by our Mother,” she said.
“What? That’s not possible! It tried to kill us!” he pled.
“Only because the survivors had been exposed to the calamity,” she input sagely.
“Then, the virus,” he spoke looking to the center cushion that was solid and held a cup of tea upon it.
“The creature you fought was a predecessor to a greater instrument of destruction. I cannot tell you what she considers it, but the only thing I can call it, the closest word I can use, would be Weapon,” she finished.
Sion sat in stunned silence as he went over what she said in his head. He couldn’t believe that Tiamus would willingly sacrifice her children to prevent the scourge, this calamity, from spreading. However, he felt that she would probably be justified in the endeavor.
“What if we stop it?” Sion finally spoke.
“If it is possible. I do know that she is still building the Weapons to strike at the calamity. This predecessor is just to determine its total strength and the damage it has inflicted. The predecessor will cleanse any area infected,” Aria looked pale in the barely lit room and stared off into the nothingness.
“Tohen...I will stop it. I must,” Sion resolved and stood up.
Aria watched him depart her tent and she was impressed by his desire. Although, she knew the chances of defeating the shadowy calamity was slim at best. She prayed to Tiamus for final resolution and for the continued existence of the Cetra clans.
“Nilo, we leave by dusk. We must make our way back to Collust,” Sion commanded heading back towards his tent to prepare for departure.
“What of...” Nilo began only to be cut off mid-sentence.
“Now!” Sion shouted leaving no further room for debate.
“Make ready for departure double-time!” Nilo turned with resolve.
All the soldiers hurried to take down the tents and pack the supplies. Nilo looked at the piled corpses of his fallen comrades and felt sick to his stomach. He knew that they would not be returning with them for a proper burial.
She nodded in acquiescence and headed off to prepare the pyre. Nilo looked around the camp and wondered, not for the first time, what tomorrow would bring.
Cierra led the procession through the mountain pass. A group of fifty people, citizens and those warriors that remained behind, had joined her when she had made the case before the Council. She was one of the most perceptive of the Cetra and highly respected by her peers. It also helped that people adored her husband Sion as one of the greatest of the Cetra warriors. Atop her Choboa, she couldn’t help but reflect upon the meeting and the hesitation of the Council.
“We understand your feelings on this matter,” the Supreme Chancellor had said. Cierra stood along the first tier balcony pleading her case to the gathered Council. She had related the sensation she had that morning. She’d been so afraid, yet determined, she had taken her son to her parents before calling on the Council. They had reluctantly granted her the session.
“My husband is out there. Our connection through Mother Tiamus is solid. I know he is in trouble. This isn’t just my personal feelings, though. There is a great danger to our people, our very way of life. Whatever it is, is coming here,” she had spoken.
A murmur played through the gathered Council. Many felt the same thing. The Supreme Chancellor and his Viceroy spoke quietly with three of their closest advisors. They all were nodding in agreement to each other.
“You’re asking us to send our remaining defenders to undertake an expedition based on a feeling,” the Supreme Chancellor began.
“No, not all that remains. If we could gathered fifty willing bodies, we could counter the threat before it reached Collust. Perhaps buy enough time for our warriors to return home,” she replied.
“Of course. It just so happens, though, that several members of the High Council have also felt the cries of Tiamus. We grant you this request, but you will lead them. Your insight will be most needed,” the Supreme Chancellor concluded to Cierra’s surprise.
That had been over a week ago. Soon, they would be entering the Colleia Basin, an extremely wide field separating the segments of mountain ranges in the Knowlespole. They could see the field expanding into the distance just beyond the forest edge mere kilometers away. A blizzard was blowing across that field as they traveled.
Cierra drew her furred robed closer to her body. A brown shawl covered the bottom portion of her face. Only her eyes were exposed as she watched nature’s chaos unfold. It still astounded her how cold it was beyond the canyon of Collust. The group had made sure to be well prepared for it, but nothing really prepared a person for the sub-zero temperatures.
“Cierra, I think we should make camp along the edge of the forest. We can remain just within the protection of the woods. I certainly don’t recommend going out into that blizzard,” a man by the name of Ezra said to Cierra.
“That sounds like it would be a good idea. Let the others know,” Cierra replied as Ezra delivered the word.
Cierra slowed her Choboa and looked into the darkening skies. A storm was on the horizon and an uncertainty was in the air. She removed the bottom of her shawl from her mouth and she exhaled a steamy breathe. Up until three days ago, they were headed to the northwest towards Middas. Then a cry from the world sent a chill into her dreams. It was then she knew she should go west towards Tohen. Whatever was coming, would be coming from there. She only hoped they wouldn’t pass whatever it was.
A shadow fell across Tohen as the creature that cast it struck at the heart of the city. Adobe huts and wooden constructs were crushed and burned under the barrage of the marauding creature. Green flames poured from the stalks upon its head and a gaping maw that was its mouth. Six legs pounded into those structures made of stone. The cityscape was glowing under the assault of the creature known only as the predecessor. This was not its title, for it had none. This was simply a term given it by the Priestess Aria.
Mother Tiamus could feel the Priestess reading its emotion. She understood what the Cetra were trying to do and slowed the production of Weapon. She had guided this predecessor to Tohen to eliminate any traces of the calamity’s presence. Yet, the calamity itself, under the guise of a young man, had already abandoned Tohen and led his virally infected followers towards Collust. In response, Tiamus had given another a dream, to follow the trail of the calamity.
The predecessor stood amidst the ruins of Tohen and screeched into the stormy skies. Soon, the storm rains would settle the burning rubble surrounded by a snowy plain. The creature stared off to the east and heard the Mother Tiamus in its created mind. It slowed its destructive course and began a trek towards the east. A silent command sent it walking across the cold plains. For now, the predecessor would not fly. It left the leveled Tohen in its wake and to its hind quarters and proceeded on it mission.
Journeying back to Collust had been long and ardous. It had also been very slow going. There were many who had been wounded in the attack by the predecessor and this caused the procession to take several weeks to cross the mountain ranges back home. Sion spent most of his time in a worried state, praying to Mother Tiamus that they wouldn’t be too late. Fortunately, though, the route back had seen a reduction in harsh weather conditions, so clear skies and bright sun had helped warm the days.
Sion was beyond ecstatic to see his hometown laying within the canyon valley below. With home so close, they had sped up as much as allowable given the survivors and wounded they had in tow. However, it wasn’t the greatest of homecomings when they finally entered the town limits.
“I’m going to the Council. Take the wounded to the infirmaries,” Sion commanded and ushered his Choboa deeper into the empty streets of Collust.
Within the Council chambers connected to the main amphitheater, a heated discussion was taking place among the remaining members of the government. The chamber was small and just as round as the amphitheater. The maximum number of individuals that could be comfortably seated within were one hundred and fifty. Seats for those individuals rested around the U-shaped, limestone table that sat in the center of the chamber. Only three-quarters of the seating arrangement was filled, including the head seat at the table’s middle. In this seat sat the Supreme Chancellor with his Viceroy at his side.
“How will we hold off an attack in the state we find ourselves in?” questioned a Senator. “Forget holding off an attack, we should do as the others have and depart for the southern temple,” another Senator concluded.
“Well, I...” started a Council member on the far right before he saw the form of Sion entering the Council chambers.
The Viceroy saw him as well and motioned him to the center space within the table’s perimeters. Sion walked from the entrance and stood before the Council. He was exhausted, bloodied, and haggard.
The Council members were silent for several moments. The Viceroy leaned back and placed his left index finger around the base of his nose, clamping his palm to his mouth. It was apparent that the Council saw this as distressing indeed.
“Tohen, you say? Are you certain of this?” the Supreme Chancellor queried in trepidation.
Sion dropped his gaze to the floor and caught his breath. That Cierra would do something so foolhardy and daring was unacceptable. Although, he knew it would be exactly like her.
“When did she do this?” Sion inquired.
“Two and a half weeks ago. We have not heard from her since the runner last week,” input the Supreme Chancellor.
“Your child is in her parent’s safe keeping. They remain within their home,” the Viceroy added.
“Thank you, sir. With your permission, I will take my leave and depart with as many as I can towards Tohen. May I recommend the Council retreat, with the wounded warriors that have returned with me, to the southern isles?” Sion stood straight and suggested.
“I believe the majority of the Council will take you up on your recommendations. I implore them, as well, to take the wounded with them,” the Viceroy responded feeling the weight of the matters at hand.
“Thank you, Viceroy, Council. I will be sending the remainder of our families with you, as well.” Sion concluded and turned to exit the chambers.
The Council sat silently, realizing they would have to abandon their homes after all. Many stood to make the preparations for their journey. The Viceroy and Supreme Chancellor remained seated and contemplated the future of the Cetra.
Nilo waited outside the Council auditorium. Sion had been within the chambers for nearly fifteen minutes, which was too long for Nilo’s taste. He didn’t have to wait much longer for Sion exited and approached him. Nilo saluted and Sion waved the gesture aside.
“Formalities are no longer an issue, my friend. Gather all able bodied warriors. We’re setting out by evening to march towards Tohen,” Sion began as they walked towards the entrance to the Grand Council chambers.
“Already? What’s going on?” Nilo inquired nervously.
“The reason the streets are so bare is that most of the Cetra have evacuated in anticipation of imminent attack. They’ve fled to the southern isles of the Kaedor chain. Most of those that remain will be joining them. We, however, are at least going to buy them the time they’ll need to escape. We will counter this calamity head-on,” Sion informed him.
“There are not many warriors left that are able to put up much of an offensive, Sion,” he replied.
“I know, I know. We’ll have to make do with what we’ve got. In the meantime, we need to make sure our families are on that boat. I know my son and in-laws are still here. I should make sure my own parents and my brother have departed as well. Let’s get this over with,” he said.
“What of Cierra?” Nilo asked.
“Seems Cierra went after the calamity,” he replied.
“What? Is she daft? She’s no warrior! I mean, no offense, Sion,” Nilo spoke.
“None taken. You’re right. However, she loves me and probably was sensitive to the events transpiring along the Knowlespole. She’ll fight the calamity. We just need to be there to make sure she has plenty of back-up,” Sion concluded as they departed the massive chambers. Nilo nodded in apprehension. The ante had just been increased and he wasn’t certain there would be any coming back from this mission. The two warriors set off for their destinies.
Cierra pushed her Choboa as hard as she could in her retreat through the mountain pass. The attack had been sudden and their counter-strike had been hopeless. The Tohenians were possessed by some force beyond her understanding. They were violent and quickly subdued her defenders. Several of those that had followed her on this quest, instructed her to flee, that they would hold the invaders back. She had fought hard against those that had been infected, but, in the end, was forced to reluctantly retreat. A much larger force would be needed against the infected.
It wasn’t easy to do and she shuddered against the thought of the act and the bitter cold surrounding the region. Several others had initially joined her in the flight. Though, they had turned back to dissuade the pursuers. She was going to join them, when one of the warriors instructed her to not be foolish and go to inform the Council of the coming calamity.
Cierra had seen him, of course, the one that led the infected Cetra. She didn’t know who he was, but she could feel the shadowy evil pouring forth from the silvery haired individual. He wasn’t like the others, the infection wasn’t within him. There was something in his maniacal stare, though, that told her he was the deliverer of the disease. The stare they had exchanged was more than enough to inform her of who was in charge.
She slowed her pace and thought about how much further the distance was to Collust. Almost a week, she figured. Already, her flight had lasted several days and the Choboa she had been pushing was showing its exhaustion. She guided the flightless bird through a copse of snow covered vegetation that was overshadowed by the massive trees rising overhead. A few more yards and she found herself dismounting near a mountain stream. Kneeling, she took a drink of the river using her hands for a cup. The water was frigid, but it came as soothing relief. A kwehing sound issued forth from the Choboa as it bent its thick feathered head down to take its own drink.
Cierra sat back unto a log with only a thin accumulation of snow covering its length. She caught her breath and looked up into the cloudy sky. A small ray of sun spilled through a crack in the cumulus. Drying off her hands the best she could on her robe, Cierra put her gloves back on and prepared to lead the Choboa further through the forest. Though only ten minutes had passed, she wasn’t about to wait for the evil thing catch up to her.
The silence of the forest was disturbed by a cracking echo. Cierra stopped handling the saddle bag on the Choboa’s back, and stared around at the shadowy forest. Bits of sunlight poured through the snow strewn leaves and pines. A chill ran up Cierra’s spine and it wasn’t because of the weather. She could feel the presence of something. Grabbing her blade, a mid-length sword, from the bag scabbard, she found herself in a defensive posture.
Several uncomfortable moments passed before Cierra relaxed her posture. The crack didn’t repeat and she thought maybe she was imagining things. Then several things happened all at once: two of the infected followers of the shadow attacked and frightened her Choboa away, which resulted in Cierra flaying them with the sword she still held; and then she encountered the being she had hoped to evade.
Cierra didn’t bother responding to the creature upon his Choboa. She ran up the river bank and towards a cave up the side of a steep hill. The creature, Enson, gave chase and was forced to dismount, since the bird he rode was unable to keep its footing. She ran as hard and fast as she could until she found herself within the cave entrance. Quickly, she ducked into a small and shadowy hole in the side of the cave interior. Within seconds, Enson was past the entrance and scanning the dark for her form.
She jumped out and attacked Enson and tried to pierce his gut with her sword. Enson managed to block the side edge of the sword, preventing himself from being cut and deflecting the weapon. He threw a punch at Cierra who dodged the blow and plowed her shoulder into his ribcage. He reeled in that instant as she rushed past him, deeper into the cave.
Enson scowled in rage and followed her into the recesses of the dank and dark hole in the ground. His eyesight wasn’t as good as hers and Cierra made good use of this advantage. Enson slowed his harried pace as he entered a massive section of the cave that was lit almost completely by a large hole in the ceiling of the stone mountain interior. He couldn’t see Cierra, but he could feel her presence.
Enson walked into the center of the cavern and beckoned with his arms wide open. He grinned in an evil taunt, trying to trick Cierra into the open. She hid behind a stone at the farthest recess of the cavern and didn’t care what trick he employed. She knew instinctively that she was going to have to rush him, taunt or no taunt.
“Cierra, isn’t it? What a beautiful name. You Cetra, there is a power in you. This power is marked by the lifeforce flowing through this planet. You should know something about me, I was created to destroy. When my usefulness was through, and the threat of my self-affiliation was recognized, they cast me aside; thrust me into the endless abyss. However, I have but one purpose, to spread the seed of chaos. When the time comes, I will seek out my creator, and destroy him. And those who employed his unique talents...but, first, I need power, and intellect. You fit both bills...” he uttered in grinning disdain.
Enson watched as the form of Cierra emerged swiftly and thrust her weapon towards his abdomen. He didn’t try to evade her and let her jam the sword through his body. The smile waned only slightly as the pain shot through his system. He grabbed her head and pulled Cierra closer to his body. She threw him to the floor and he pulled her with him. They rolled across the floor jamming the weapon all the way through his form. Before the life could flee him, though, he forced her eyes towards his visage. His essence flowed from his form and into hers. Shrieks of terror and anguish filled his ears with savory joy. Yet, she resisted.
Cierra winced as the force entered her body. No! Get out of my head! Get out of my body! What are you!? she screamed internally and let out a shriek externally. The power of the entity was overbearing. Though, she sensed a greater power within herself, elsewise, the creature wouldn’t wish for her so badly. However, she was ill prepared to fight a mental battle with an entity that had did just so for eons.
Time passed in her mind as she saw what the thing had done over its long existence. Chaos to many worlds had been wrought by the creature in servitude of a warring Civilization. However, that civilization had entered an era of peace, and their biological weapon was no longer needed. This weapon was taking control of her mind and she slammed her hands into the stone floor, screaming with the effort of internal warfare.
An avalanche of stone cascaded from the ceiling practically burying them both. The shockwave had, surprisingly, come from her own aura. Cierra was devastated to know what she could have become and even more disgusted that she was losing. Her torso and her right arm remained unburied as she struggled with the vacant gaze of the creature whose body was quickly fading in life. Huge stones were crushing its back and its horrible stare lingered towards her eyes. She couldn’t look away.
“Ugh! Get off me! Tiamus...help me...” she said, closing her eyes under the weight of the debris.
The creature Enson went limp upon her. Sweat poured from every gland in Cierra’s body and then she only saw the dark. She collapsed underneath the stone and her breathing grew shallow. A stale wind blew from the widened hole above, causing a thin layer of snow to coat the two bodies under the stones.
Twenty five warriors sat atop their Choboa staring at the remains on the battlefield. Already, a sheet of snow was covering the corpses. It was easy to tell, though, that this was the contingent that Cierra had led.
Sion looked the field over and felt a thick fear settle over him. These were fifty warriors that died under a brutal onslaught. Those he led were only twenty five. How could they hope to be victorious over a calamity that could bring about so much death?
“I don’t see her here. She must have escaped to Collust. What do we do now, Sion?” Nilo inquired as he trotted his Choboa beside Sion.
A sigh came forth from Sion’s lips. He wasn’t sure what they could do anymore. Things had just gone from worse to hopeless. He looked towards the distance and where he imagined what Tohen looked like. He shook his head.
“We pray,” were Sion’s only words as he turned his Choboa and headed back for Collust. The Predecessor ceased its forward momentum and stared through its three long stalks at the far distance. It could feel the anxiety of Mother Tiamus. Something had gone wrong. The Calamity had been underestimated. Only a handful of Cetra stood, now, between the Calamity and its dark desires. Tiamus could not wait for much longer. Were the Calamity to be left unchecked, she would perish into the ashes of history.
The Colleia Basin lay out before the Predecessor and presented too much of a hindrance to its progression were it to continue walking. Massive wings unfolded from protective flaps drawn flat against the upper torso. With little effort, the creature lifted into the air and made headway to Collust.
The Predecessor allowed its long tail to trail behind it in the wind. Six needles waggled in the air at the tip of the tail in testy demeanor. A slight shadow from the scorpionesque beast drew its outline on the snow covered fields of the basin. It would wait for the right moment to strike, allowing the Cetra time to battle against the Calamity.
Particles of snow drifted across the form of Cierra who lie trapped beneath fallen stone. She awoke and opened her eyes to soft light filtering into the cavern she had battled Enson within. Enson lie dead on top of her and she tried to remove his body. The stone prevented any massive movement.
She shut her eyes and drew in a breath and, instinctively, the innate power that was buried within her shell. She held her right arm out to the side and called forth an invisible force to shatter the debris. Dust and snow littered the air making it difficult to see and move. This didn’t stop her from moving forward to the exit, though. Wiping her forehead with the sleeve of her wet and frigid right arm, she stepped over Enson and paid him no further attention.
A short time later, she found herself back at the entrance to the cave. She strained her eyesight against the sudden brightness after having been within the cavern. She stumbled into the open air and fell to the ground. With some effort, Cierra got upon her hands and knees. With shallow breaths, she regained her composure and issued forth a smile to the frozen ground.
Exhaustion overpowered the group of twenty five warriors as they re-entered Collust. Depression eked its way through the consciousness of all who returned. The Cetra way of life was coming to an end. Those that had remained in Collust, had at last abandoned their city. Which left these warriors very solemn as they walked through the city.
“We will hold position here. The Calamity will come for Collust and we must make sure to prevent it from leaving the Knowlespole,” Sion commanded.
“As you wish. Though, I wonder how we will hold this Calamity back?” Nilo questioned bringing his Choboa up beside Sion.
“We’ll gather what weapons we can find. Hopefully, we’ll find something that can be advantageous for us,” Nilo commented.
Sion nodded and guided his Choboa towards the Grand Council chambers. The city made from ancient shells, was a lonely sight to behold when there was no one around. Essentially, Collust had become a ghost town. He shook his head slowly, feeling forlorn over how quickly everything had gone wrong in their lives. Shadows lurked around every bend, reminding him of his failure to counter the looming threat. Now, there was only the vague hope of fighting back the Calamity.
He dismounted his Choboa outside the chamber perimeters and entered the massive complex built into the side of the mountain. Shortly, he found himself staring into the empty amphitheater as he briskly walked towards the smaller meeting chambers at the eastern border. Entering the room he glanced around looking for any sign of the Supreme Chancellor and his Viceroy. He saw two forms hunched in their seats at the end of the chamber Council table. With great uneasiness, he edged towards the two and drew his sword. They weren’t moving and he saw blood caking the Supreme Chancellor’s robes.
“This can’t be...Chancellor? Viceroy?” he beckoned the lifeless bodies to speak. When no answer was forthcoming, which he hadn’t expected, he held his sword to his side and inched closer to the table center. The torches in the chamber had been extinguished and a skylight above cast a dual ray of light upon the two men.
The voice manifested itself from behind the Chancellor’s chair. A woman with long hair walked slowly into the beaming light, grinning with an insanely evil grin. Sion recognized her at once and was both thrilled and alarmed.
“Cierra! ...What are you doing here? The Council told me you had set out to the east? What happened here?” he questioned quickly, still maintaining a grip on his weapon. Cierra slid herself towards the table edge and sat upon its surface. She brushed back her hair and stared at Sion. She wasn’t herself. And, Sion was starting to get a very bad feeling about all this.
“What happened? Heh. They couldn’t handle the pressure and well...see for yourself,” Cierra said, motioning towards their limp forms.
“So, you must be the Calamity. Release my wife,” Sion demanded, coming to a straight posture.
“I am your wife, Sion,” she replied with an innocent expression and propped her right hand on her chest.
“I know my wife. Her aura is one of beauty. I sense from you only hate!” Sion pointed his sword at Cierra, or what was Cierra.
“Release Cierra, please...” Sion beseeched the shadowy creature within her form.
Cierra held wide her arms and looked up towards the ceiling. Her body lifted off the ground as an invisible wave surrounded her. Sion stepped back a few paces as she summoned forth a fierce thunderclap. The shockwave ripped through the room and pushed Sion back towards the far wall. He held up his arms in a feeble gesture of blocking the unexpected attack.
Seconds felt like an eternity to him until the wave subsided. He found himself standing just a fraction of a step away from the edge of what used to be the back of the chambers. He looked down to see the city sprawled out below. The precarious step he maintained gave way and he found himself careening down the side of the mountain slope. Sion twisted himself to keep his feet and legs pointed down at the impact zone he was fast approaching. A swirling birth of snow and debris was tossed into the air at Sion’s landing.
Sion coughed up bits of rubble and black soot covered cumulation. Crawling out of the debris, and feeling very lucky to have survive, he looked up to see his wife, the Calamity, floating on an invisible field and out into the open above the city.
Nilo heard an explosion and looked up to see the front wall of the Grand Council chambers blow outward. He was shocked at the event and even more so when Sion fell out the newly formed exit. Then, Cierra floated out of the fresh ruin. He could only stare as the woman floated over the city and began to survey the terrain as if looking for something to destroy. He wasn’t misguided in the thought when, a moment later, she lifted her hands causing several homes to implode. This was followed by a shockwave that blew him off his feet.
He sat up from his where he lie on his back and saw Sion running around the bend of the neighborhood. He jumped to his feet and rushed towards Sion.
“What in the world!?” Nilo began, unsure of what it was that he was seeing.
“Cierra’s succumbed to the Calamity,” Sion stated and crouched behind a building.
“No...what do we do?” Nilo quietly asked, numb at the thought.
“We have to save her!” Sion shouted and rushed out into the open, waving his arms like mad, trying to get her attention.
“Sion! ...how praytell do you think we can do that?” Nilo asked himself.
. Dozens of arrows immediately filled the air, as the warriors that remained counter-attacked Cierra’s barrages. The arrows were nearly dead-on and only missed by inches.
“No! Stop! Don’t hurt her!” he shouted to his men, who couldn’t hear him over their own shouts of fear and anguish.
It was a futile command anyhow, as Cierra responded with a motioning of her hands. This time, instead of a shockwave, there came an Avalanche from the ground. Sion had never seen such a thing before. Stone and dirty snow rose and covered those firing arrows. Then a fierce wind shot forth, piercing several warriors with small pebbles. Blood seeped from their wounds and they collapsed to the ground. Snow turned red under their slain bodies.
Sion ducked behind another structure as a whirlwind ripped through the center of the city, shattering the markets and rest facilities for travelers. He grimaced at the destruction and wondered how to save his wife, and how he would survive the onslaught being brought upon them. This is hopeless...he thought.
A screech pierced the air distracting Sion from his own considerations. Flying across the canyon rim was the Predecessor. It came to a hovering position just beyond the gully the led to Collust. Cierra paused her strike and saw the beast.
Sion witnessed green flame spewing from the eyestalks and mouth of the Predecessor. At the same time, it unleashed a volley of spiked energy from the six needles on the tail. He wanted to scream for Cierra to watch out, but he saw her smiling. The green flame hit her invisible energy field and flow harmlessly around the spherical apparition. She lifted her hand and the energy spikes flung from her path and smashed into the sides of the canyon. Stone fell from the gashes and an avalanche of rock formed on the ground.
Refocusing on Cierra, Sion saw her hands rotating around each other and then a massive ice wave struck out at the Predecessor. It raised its two clawed arms and blocked the ice. However, the invisible wave that drove the ice smashed into the beast. The Predecessor was encompassed by the icy wave and froze in mid-air. Cierra snapped her fingers and the creature shattered into millions of tiny shards.
An awful cackling filled the air, and Sion saw Cierra spinning in the air in joyous rapture. She then continued her barrage on Collust. Only ten warriors remained and they were avoiding Cierra the best they could. The arrow assault was halted, since it only resulted in instant death.
I knew I should have exterminated you pests when I had the chance! Cierra thought angrily and raised her arms. The rhythmic chantings were giving her a headache and disrupting her focus. She was about to unleash a shockwave when a shout echoed up into her ears.
“Cierra! Please! Fight it! Tiamus is here! Fight it!” Sion screamed from where he stood in the middle of an avenue.
“Be gone with you, gnat!” Cierra responded and raised her hand to summon a blaze to engulf his body.
Noooo! Came a pleading and exasperated voice in her head. Cierra grabbed her head and struggled against the voice. It was forceful. Much more so than it had been before. She looked at the gathered Cetra around the rim and heard the chanting growing louder.
“Go...away! I own this now! You are nothing!” Cierra screamed to herself trying to force the voice to grow silent.
I will not be silenced! You...eyaaa! You may have taken my body...but you’ll never assimilate my soul! the voice exclaimed. Cierra found her vision growing blurry. The Calamity was losing control.
“I don’t need your soul, silly girl! I only need the vessel and the power it commands!” Cierra shot back and unleashed a massive shockwave that leveled several blocks of the downtown area.
However, this caused a dizziness within the Calamity, and it fell from the air and landed upon a heap of rubble. Cierra rolled down the ruined slope and flopped unto her stomach. She lie face down for several moments. Sion had seen her fall and came running to her aid. Hearing his approach, Cierra got up unsteadily and tried to send another burning wave towards him.
“I’ve had it with this species!” she screamed and shot her arm forward, but nothing occurred.
She grabbed her head as the voice returned. This time, the Cierra within wouldn’t let the Calamity regain composure so quickly.
“Cierra! You’re back!” he replied and rushed forward.
“No!” she commanded him and held her hand out for him to stop.
Cierra held one hand to the left side of her head and blood was pouring from a wound there. Her eyes looked at him briefly then cast themselves away. The Calamity was fighting for control and wrenched at her gut nearly causing her to fall to her knees.
“Kill me! Do it now...” she forced out, her breath fleeting as she waged war with the Calamity.
Its evil and control were fierce and unrelenting. There was no way she could stave it off indefinitely. Only the chanting of the Cetra tribes above had allowed for her to break the concentration of the Calamity. She could sense several hundreds rushing down the mountain sides to counter the threat she posed. She was Cierra no more. This moment was all that she was given.
“Sion! Don’t hesitate! Now...ugh...” she fell to her knees and Sion rushed forward.
The Calamity ceased the moment and brought up her fist, slamming it into Sion’s face. He reeled from the impact and drew his sword.
“We can save you!” he responded, fearing the dread of truth.
“Save yourself, Pion!” the Calamity responded and drew forth a invisible force to unleash at Sion.
“Now...” she commanded and thrust herself towards Sion.
Sion instinctively brought forth his weapon and Cierra’s body was pierced upon the blade as it ran through her stomach and out the rear of her ribcage. Sion stared into her eyes as he saw her life fading and felt the wretched, stabbing aura of sorrow.
Cierra continued as ripples of black energy sought its way past her eyelids. Sion could see little black strands of the energy trying to escape. A thousand needles cut off anything more Cierra had to say, as the tribal marksmen shot her full of poison darts. His tears moistened the hand she had placed in front of his eyes to prevent him from looking at her as it went limp.
Nilo pulled Sion away from his wife. He fought his friend’s grasp to no avail and was drug away sobbing. No! Not Cierra! Tiamus...why must this be!? he cried and could sense the world weeping with him.
Nearly a week later, Sion followed the procession of Cetra tribesmen to the pass that would lead to the Northern Boundaries of the Knowlespole. At the center of the group, there was a casket containing the solidly wrapped form of Cierra. Ice and snow packed the coffin of his wife and served a dual purpose. One was to keep her from decomposing and risking the exposure of the virus that inhabited her lifeless body. The second was to prevent the Calamity from jumping to another soul.
The tribesmen had communicated with Tiamus and had understood what must be done. They had traveled to where the final conflict would transpire and brought with them the thickest furs. Now, Sion could only stare at the stone coffin. A cold chill ran a course through his veins and he looked away towards the mountainous terrain surrounding them.
Pinkish hues gave way to the splendor of snowy peaks far in the distance. Clouds were clearing and, finally, a gentle sun was shining down upon the Knowlespole. Soft kwehing of the Choboa calmed Sion’s unsteady heart as a slight breeze caressed his face.
Freezing water welcomed the stone coffin as it plunged into its grasp. A chanting filled the air as the Cetra gathered around the long, cavernous pit that led deep into the welling lifestream far below. Sion stared down into the hole in the earth, watching the coffin slide down the slope into the water. After everything was said and done, he turned his Choboa and walked a few paces to where Nilo waited.
“You ready?” Nilo inquired, feeling the burden of all that had transpired.
“Yes...It is time I joined my son in the southern isles. ...Cierra has returned to the planet,” Sion stated flatly and looked to the ground.
“This is good,” Nilo replied, gazing at the pit a dozen tribesmen sat around.
“You realize, of course, that I won’t be returning here...” he related to his friend.
“Oh, that’s ok. I’ll miss home, but it seems, a little sun just may do us some good,” said Nilo with a slight smile.
Sion chuckled slightly and turned south. Nilo motioned for the eight warriors going with them to mount their Choboa. The group left the tribal Cetra to care for the Knowlespole and, with Cierra’s gravesite to their backs, they began their journey. | 2019-04-19T19:14:44Z | http://www.angelfire.com/indie/caeliclord/crisis.html |
VIDEHA MITHILA TIRBHUKTI TIRHUT 1.Introduction Mithila includes `North Bihar',parts of Anga(south of Ganges), 'Tarai' and `Southern' portion of the kingdom of Nepal inclusive of lower ranges of hills. The earlier reference to Videha is in Satapatha Brahmana' ' Circa1000 B.C. Sadanira demarcated Videha from Kosala. Sadanira has been identified with the Budhi Gandak.Itcovers the modern districts of Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Champaran, Khagaria,Saharsa and parts of Purnea in India and those of Rohtara, Sarlahi, Mobitari, Saptari and Morang of Nepal.The Eastern boundary has been fluctuating with the changes in the course of river Kosi, the common boundary of the provinces of Mithila and Kamrup, the Ganga andthe Himalayas,the estates of Dinajpur, Koochbihar, Maldwara,Maldah, estates in Bangladesh,Rajmahal district of jharkhand and as far as Tejpur Pargana, the traditional grant of the kingdom of Mithila to Maharaja Mahesa Thakura by theMughal Emperor Akbar the District of Champaran, linguistically and culturally, been encroached by the Bhojpuri speaking people. On the other hand much of Monghyr and Bhagalpur Districts as lie to the south of Ganga river has been encroached by the Maithils.
It has also crossed the Kosi and occupied Purnea, KoochBehar, Dinajpur, gidhhaur, badh etc. also habitations. goa also. Kosi never been known to return eastwards to any of it deserted channels advancing westward Rama had finished journey between the Sona and the Gangs before reaching Vaisali within a day only. It took Visvamitra along with Rama and Lakshmana, four days to reach the capital of the country Of Videha from Ayodhya. They rested on the way for one night only.' In the Buddhist texts extended the connot tation of Madhyadesa - the most sacred part of India- simply because they had to include in it the land par excellence of Buddhism, viz., Bodhgaya and Banaras. eastern boundary of Majjhimadcsa - Pundravardhana which in ancient times included Varendra'.' (North Bengal). the Aitareya Brahmana' boundary of Madhyadesa somewhere near Prayag. sage of Mithila, Yajnavalkya, in that country in which black antelope roams about,' is that though Mithila was not included in the four ancient holy lands of Bharatavarsa-Brahmavarta, Brahmari.. sidesa, Madhyadesa and Aryarvarta. sanctity only from the fact pointed out by the Dharmasastra.
Mithila was consistently regarded as an independant unit of the Pracyadesa. Praci, in ancient Tibetan works, excluded even Magadha, Kasi and Kosala but included Mithila and Vanga.The Puranas only in Brihad Vishnu Purana c. 5th cen. A.D., Mithila Mahatmaya ll Khamla Tirabhukti (a later name of the province) is described as` situated between the river Ganga and the Himalayas, extending over fifteen rivers and from Kosi (Kausiki, in the east) to the Gandaki in the west, for -24 yojanas and from Ganga to the forests of Himalayas for 16 Yojanas. The messengers sent by Janaka reached Dasaratha's capital in three days by travelling very fast, while Dasaratha on his journey to the Videhan capital in his chariot took four days.Buddhist work Divyavadmra.those of Rohtara, Sarilahi, Mohitari, Saptari and Morang of subsequent movement of the Kosi. The Brihacf-Vishnu Purana gives the following twelve names of Mithila. 1 Mithila 2. Tairabhuktisca 3. Vaidehi 4. Naimikunanam 5. Jnanaksetram 6. kripaoitham 7. svarnalai 8. galapaddhati 9. Janakijanma bhumischa 10. nirapeksh 11. vikalmasha 12. Ramanandakuti viswabhavani nityamadgala.
At first it seems that the whole province was called Videha and had several kingdoms in it, the chief ones being those of Mithila and Vaisali.Indeed, from the account in earlier literature it would seem that the chief city of the kingdom of Mithila, was Mithila. The name Videha appears to have lost vogue in the mediaeval times.Then came the name Tirabhukti 4th and 5th centuries A.D. The Basarh terracotta seals of the 4th century A.D. mention this name for the first time. It became very popular and its simplified form, Tirhut, is now used extensively, though, the name Mithila is now gradually gaining ground. 'Tirhut' also indicated at one time a Sirkar (a division of the Subah of Bihar) under Muslim rulers ; it comprised of a very large tract of Brilrad-Vishnu Purana Mithilakhanda : Milimla; Tirabhukti; Vaidehi; Naimikanarn the forest associated with the descendants of Mini; Jnanakehelram, Kripa-pitham-the home of knowledge and the centre of grace; Svarnalangalpaddhari-The footsteps of the gold plough; lanakijanmabhumi; Vihalmashn-Devoid of sins ; Ramanandakuri-the cottage of Sita's Pleasure; Visvahharani-world pleasant; and Nityamangala-ever blissful.Britishers formed the modern division of Tirhut comprising the Districts of Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Champaran and Saran.'Videha' is the earliest designation, probably derived from the name of the Vedic King Videgha Mathava who is said to have introduced the Agni into the lands beyond the river Sadanira.
visit led to the cultivation and more habitation of the country, for we are told that previously the land was extremely marshy and had to he dried.Mithila is not mentioned in the Vaidika or post-Vaidika Literature. The Ramavana and the Mahahharala, Dasakumaraehariia, Raghuvalnia Prasannargghara etc use it for the whole country. It is used most extensively in literature specially as the capital city of Videha or Tirabhukti province situated somewhere in the Tarai - modern Janakpur.Mithila is also called Miyulu in the Buddhist Annals. the origin of the name Mithila too in the title Mathava of this king, Mithi being reminiscent of it.In some Jataka accounts a city called Jayanta on the bank of the Gangas is spoken of as the capital of Videha. The Devi Bhogar'ata (Skandhe 6) wrongly located the city on the bank of the Ganga.The use of the appellation 'Mithila' along with 'Tirabhukti' or Tirhut for the whole country is comparatively very late-from about thef time of the installation of Karnata Dynasty in 1097 A.D. the Valmikiya Ramayana observes that the city of Mithila was founded by king Mithi.
Pre-historic Mithila,watery nature of its land particularly because of its situation at the foot of the Himalayas and by the frequent changes in the courses of its numerous rivers and rivulets have made it difficult to collect materials in the field of pre-historic antiquities.marshy character of the land.Jalodbhara i.e. reclaimed from swamp.it was cultivated by the Brahmanas. who had caused agni, the Fire God, to taste it through sacrifices vast chain of temporary lakes, joined together by the numerous beds of hill streams Nepal to the Ganges. communications are open for only three or tour months of the year.The river side is so common that the expression `aadi dim ' is used by every one irrespective of age for going out for excreting wild animals used to roam about till recently, the long grass which grows in abundance in such a land all these give the picture of Mithila gradually coming out of water in the Cain-Ozoic Epoch.The story of the Avati ras is believed by a group of scholars to indicate the gradual stages of evolution, especially that of Vishnu as half-tortoise and half-fish.
We have in Mithila, in the first instance the famous Varahaakshetra Tirtha which map indicate the evolution of man through the stage of a boar; and then there is a Pauranic story of the birth of Narakasura by the Union of Vishnu and Varaha. This may indicate in some form, the knowledge or existence of the evolution of the primitive man from half-animals and half-man in Mithila-^ Of the ages that followed the age of sub-men or primitive men, the remains are so scanty in India that much cannot be said about any region, especially that of Mithila, which has been so far practically has remained wholly unexplored. Of the ages that followed the age of sub-men or primitive men, the remains are so scanty in India that much cannot be said about any region, especially that of Mithila, which has been so far practically remained wholly unexplored. There is a great paucity of material to eliminate the `Pre-Vedic' inhabitants of Mithila.The various types of skulls that were discovered at the site near Darbhanga Railway Station, which is called ‘Harahi’, (i.e. the site of bones), remained unclassified and unstudied.
There is a pond there, in the name of ‘Harahi’.All that is possible in the present state of our knowledge is to took forward to the study of some apparently primitive castes and tribes of Mithila. As early as the 5th century AD,several tribes made up the Vajjian Confederacy and one of the most important of them was 'Lichchhavis', who was held for a long time to be of foreign stock. The names of other important ones are mentioned in the Jyotirisvara's Varnaratnakara. They are Tatama, Dhanukha, Goara, Khatbe, Amata etc. In the earlier part of Satapatha Brdhmana it is mentioned that King Videgh Mathawa carried Agni in his mouth and he moved from Saraswati, in the Punjab, where the king dwelt),to Sadanira, drying up all the rivers. He did not, however, burnt Sadanira. The Brahmanas did not cross it,therefore, thinking it has not been burnt over by Agni Vaisvanar.But when Mathava reached the Sadanira,he asked the Agni where will be his dwelling and the reply was that he should live to the East of Sadanira.However it is fact that Ayodhya and Videha were long united and their Kings were of the same tree.
It might mean that the reformed Brahmanism passed from the Bharata Kingdom to Ayodhya and then to Videha.The Videha country received Vedic culture long before the trine of the compilation of this Brahamana.In Brihaddrapyaka Upanishad which forms a part of the Satapatha Brahmana Samrat Janaka is mentioned as a great patron of Vedic culture and it is said that the Videha Brahmanas were superior to the Kuru Panchalas in the Upanishadic phase of the development of vedic culture.The vedic(Aryan) culture has taken its root long before the Brahmana age, most probably in the early Samhita age of the Rigveda.The Yajurveda Samhita mentions the famous cows of Videha. The Vedic sites were unknown to the inhabitants of Mithila. Mathava Videgha's priest Gautama Rahugana is credited in the Satapatha Brahmana with the discovery of the Mitravinda sacrifice which is further said to have been revived by Emperor Janaka through Yajnaavalkya.Besides, earlier still, Nami Sapya, King of Videha (Vaideha-Raja) is held up as a memorable example of a monarch who successfully performed elaborate sacrifices and thereby reached heaven.
As the name of this King appears in several passages in the Rigveda,very early period in the development of Vedic Culture in India.Rig Veda1.53,7 says that Nami was the friend and associate of Indra in quarelling the Asura Naaiuci,in the fight with Namuci Indra protected Nami Sapya.The priest Gautama Rahugana is one of the important Rishi in Rigved. It may be noted that the Brahmanic culture must have made a very rapid progress In the country to justify its description in the latter part of the Satapatha Brahmana as the centre of intellectual activity of the age.The Mahdbharata attests that the Vedic lore was as popular in the East as anywhere else.In the Shanti Parva and in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the authorship of Sukla Yajurveda is ascribed in clear terms to Yajnavalkya Vajasaneya, who belonged to Mithila. From a perusal of all these things it becomes clear that Mithila figures prominently in Ancient History from the very beginning of the Vedic period.
Mithila was visited by Videgha Mathava and his followers and probably, its marshes and jungles were cleared, and its soil was cultivated and a great and powerful kingdom was founded.Vedic Mithila knew other kings too, such as, Nami Sapya (Rigveda 1.53 .7) and Par Ahlara. Nimi Vaideha, who IS reported in certain Puranas to have founded this line of Kings in Mithila, is perhaps a later name of the king of Kings.At any rate, Videgha Mathava should be regarded as the earliest known King, if not the founder, of the Videha kingdom and of the line of Vaideha Janaka. In course of time it seems that a confederacy of kindered peoples known as the Kosala Videha, occupying a position no less important than that of the Kuru Panchalas, grow up at the time of the Redaction of the Brahmana.The Kingdom thus founded by the Vedic Mathava was in course of time ruled by the Vedic Samrat Janaka the contemporary of Aruni and Yajnavalkya, and Ashvapati, a king of the Kekayas. Majajanaka II,12th century BC,is court was adored with the philosophers of Kosala and Kuru-Panchala such as Ashvala, Jaratkarava-Arthabhoga, Bujjya Lahyayanani, Vshasta Chakrayana Kahoda,Kausi-takeya, Gargi Vachakuari, Uddalaka Aruni and Videgha Sakalayaa Yajfvalkya Vajaseneya, who was a pupil of Uddalaka Aruni. In the Mahabharata the Mithila King is said to have sided with the Duryodhana because he had learnt the science of fighting with mace from the latter. Bhima and Karna are said to have conqured Mithila. One Karala Janak made a lascivious attempt on a Brahmin maiden leading to the overthrow of the monarchy and that was followed by the rise of a republic, the Vajjian confederacy.
The Mahabharata and Ramauyana mentions a great battle between Pratardana, King of Kasi Janaka King of Mithila.The Vajjian confederacy, were the offsprings of a queen of Kasi. The Videha ended on the west by the Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur andVaishali districts, on the east by the Kosi and the Mahananda rivers in the south by the Ganges and on the north by the lower ridges of the Himalayas. It includes the following areas-North Bihar excluding the Saran region and the Champaran-Muzaffarpur region,i.e,theMadhubani,DarbhangaSamastipur districts, the Begusarai district and Araria sub-district,the Saharsa district,the npart of the Bhagalpur district,Khagaria district and the Purnea and Katihar and the Nepalese Terai contiguous with the northernmost parts of the Madhubani, Saharsa and Purnea.
The ancient most name for this region available in literature is Videha.It is possible that a small tract of the Sitamarhi district might have formed part of the state of Videha and not of Vaisali during the reign of Siradhwaja Janaka.The tribe which inhabited the area east of the Gandaka,the Videhan state with its capital at Mithila usually identified with Janakpur in the Nepalese Terai situated at a distance of 14 miles from Jaynagar Railway Station on the Indo-Nepal border and Videha as a geographical term which included the Vaisali state also, along with the Videha state within its borders. It was in this last sense that Kundgrama-near Vaisali, the birthplace of Mahavira, is placed in Videha and that the mothers of Mahavira and Ajatasatru, which were the sister and daughter respectively of Chetaka, the Lichchhavi leader cf Vaisali, are called Videhadatta and Vedehi respectively.There is no controversy whatsoever with regard to its northern and southern frontiers.
The Sadanira river acted as the boundary between Videha or Vaisali and its western neighbour Kosala but its identification has been a matter of some dispute. It is identified by the Indian lexicographers with the Karatoyas modern Kurate which flows through the Bogra district in Bangladesh but this seems to be too far east. On the ground that the Mahabharata distinguishes the Gandaki from the Sadanira, it is held that the Sadanira was the Rapti. But it is the Gandaki-the Kondo-chates of the Greek geographers. The Sadanira flows from the northern Himalaya mountains and formed the boundary bet-ween Kosala and Videha and its waters are never exhausted.From the bank of the Great Gandak to the forest of Champa the country is called Videha, also known as Tirabhukti. This name is found some of the Basarh seals as one of the provinces of the Gupta empire. Purnea seems to have been the easternmost district of Videha or Tirabhukti and in that case the Kosi or Mahananda would naturally form the boundary between Videha and Pundra.
The ancient kingdom of Anga does not seem to have extended north of the Ganges, because there is no clear indication of this in ancient literature. The forest in which Rishyasringa son of Kasyapa Vibhapdaka, lived is said to have bordered on Anga, and the whole of this quaint story thatRishyasringa being beguiled by the courtesans of Malini into a boat and brought down the river to the capital of Anga implies that he was living within the territory of Anga, for no embassage was sent to any other king for permission to bring him away, as when Dasratha paid a special visit to Lomapada to invite the Rishi's attendance at Ayodhya to perform the sacrifice which was to bless the king with a son.The Epics has no reference to the effect that Rishyasringa's hermitage lay in Anga.It was situated on the Kosi river near some mountain. Dasaratha's visit was necessitated by the fact that Rishyasringa happened to he the son-in-law of the Anga king and not because he was living within the territory of Anga.
The Kausiki is one of the most ancient rivers of India It is frequently mentioned in the Epics and the Puranas. It has ever been a shifting river,its playground being the area between the river Mahananda in the district of Purnea on the east and the river Balan in the old district of Darbhanga on the west. Kosi in some remote period joined the Mahananda through the river Panar also called the Parman near Araria. The belief of the local people is that at some bygone time the Kosi used to flow along the course of the Panar this river, the Panar also in its short course through the Nepalese territory is called the Burhi(old) Kosi.The Buddhist conception of Videha differ from the above because the Buddhists mention Vajji and Videha as two distinct geographical and political entities.But sometimes they inter-change Vaisali and Videha.Ajatashatru, son of a Vaisali princess, is called Vaidehiputra in Buddhist literatureThe Taitariya Samhita of Yajurveda mentions the cows of videha as famous in India in the Vedic times.
The commentator of the Taitariya Samhita explains the adjective Vaidehyah-plural of Vaidehi by vishishta dehasambandhinyah-having splendid bodies the portion translated by Keith is-Indra slew Vritra,from the head of Vritra came out cows, they were of Videha, behind them came the bull.Apparently cows of Videha were especially famous.The regular genealogy of the Janaka dynasty of Videha does not go beyond the Mahabharata War.Nimi Videha was the founder of the Videhan state and its capital town called Jayanta and his son Mithi Janaka Vaideha as that of Mithila city.The co-operation of Gautama-a priestly dynasty, was readily available to the family. It appears Jayanta was soon abandoned in favour of a more strategic place, Mithila.The Puranas mention Jayanta and Mithila, as the early and later capitals of Videha. The Buddhist literature does not know Jayanta but speaks of Mithila only. The Tripitaka commentaries state that Videharattha was colonised by the inhabitants who were brought by king Mandhata from Pubbavideha, the eastern sub-continent of Asia, placed to theeast of Mount Sumeru.
This Mandhata, who was at Rajagriha.The Buddhist tradition provided in the Digha,the division of India among the sons of Manu says that this country was divided into seven political units and Renu, son of Disampati, was allotted Mithila in the country of the Videhas.Mithila was founded by Mahagovinda, the steward of king Renu. Disampati and Renu were kings or chieftains in Banaras or king of the Kurus are referred to, apparently as kings of Banaras, at Dipavamsa.The Videhan state was founded by Nimi Videha, son of Ikshvaku, who also founded a town called Jayanta. He dwelt in a town famed as Vaijayanta or Jayanta. This town was situated near the ashrama of Gautama and also near the Himavat mountain. Nimi instituted a sacrifice that was to last for a thousand years and requested Vasishtha to preside. Vasishtha said that he had already been engaged by Indra in a sacrifice which would last for five hundred years and asked him to wait for the period.
Nimi in the meantime employed Gautama and other Rishis for his sacrifice.On the completion of the sacrifice of Indra Vasishtha hastened to Nimi but found Gautama and others.He cursed Nimi that henceforth be body-less (vi-deha).Nimi cursed Vasishtha in return and both abandoned their human bodies.Nimi's dead body was preserved in oil and scents till the completion of the sacrifice. The sages then agitated his body and consequently a boy was born, who was called Janaka because of being self-born, Videha because of being Mini Videha's son and Mithi because of his birth from agitation-manth- to churn.A great sacrifice of the glorious Nimi, the king of the Videhas, is referred to in the Bhagavata.The Vedic texts know of a king of Videha Nam Sapya, is nowhere indicated as the founder of the Videhan royal family.Nimi has been mentioned at several places in the Mahabharata, but generally his territory is not stated. At one place he has been called a Vaideha which removes the doubt with regard to his territory. There it is stated that he gave his kingdom to the Brahmanas.
The Videhan dynasty, being a branch of the Ikshvakus, is called the solar dynasty who did not eat meat during the month of Kartika. We are not quite sure if this Nimi is the first king of the dynasty or the penultimate sovereign, who is frequently mentioned in Buddhist literature. Sadanira,she that is always filled with water which is more probably the Gandaki. Agni Vaisvanara,the fire that burns for all men,fire which is the common property of all men,not sacrificial fire, but fire in its ordinary everyday use applied to human wants. The primeval forests from the Sarasvati to the Sadanira, and there the course of the colonising Aryas stopped until Mathava carried Agni to the east of the latter river. If Agni Vaisvanara went burning along the earth from the Sarasvati to Videha,Agni burnt over the Paurava territory-including North Panchala and the Ayodhya realm, two of the most famous and best cultivated regions even in early times-which is absurd. If itenshrines any historical truth it might mean that the reformed Brahmanism passed from the Bharata kingdom to Ayodhya and then to Videha.
The Videha ended on the west by the Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur andVaishali districts, on the east by the Kosi and the Mahananda rivers in the south by the Ganges and on the north by the lower ridges of the Himalayas. It includes the following areas-North Bihar excluding the Saran region and the Champaran-Muzaffarpur region,i.e,theMadhubani,DarbhangaSamastipur districts, the Begusarai district and Araria sub-district,the Saharsa district,the npart of the Bhagalpur district,Khagaria district and the Purnea and Katihar and the Nepalese Terai contiguous with the northernmost parts of the Madhubani, Saharsa and Purnea. The ancient most name for this region available in literature is Videha.It is possible that a small tract of the Sitamarhi district might have formed part of the state of Videha and not of Vaisali during the reign of Siradhwaja Janaka.The tribe which inhabited the area east of the Gandaka,the Videhan state with its capital at Mithila usually identified with Janakpur in the Nepalese Terai situated at a distance of 14 miles from Jaynagar Railway Station on the Indo-Nepal border and Videha as a geographical term which included the Vaisali state also, along with the Videha state within its borders.
It was in this last sense that Kundgrama-near Vaisali, the birthplace of Mahavira, is placed in Videha and that the mothers of Mahavira and Ajatasatru, which were the sister and daughter respectively of Chetaka, the Lichchhavi leader cf Vaisali, are called Videhadatta and Vedehi respectively.There is no controversy whatsoever with regard to its northern and southern frontiers. The Sadanira river acted as the boundary between Videha or Vaisali and its western neighbour Kosala but its identification has been a matter of some dispute. It is identified by the Indian lexicographers with the Karatoyas modern Kurate which flows through the Bogra district in Bangladesh but this seems to be too far east. On the ground that the Mahabharata distinguishes the Gandaki from the Sadanira, it is held that the Sadanira was the Rapti. But it is the Gandaki-the Kondo-chates of the Greek geographers.
The Sadanira flows from the northern Himalaya mountains and formed the boundary bet-ween Kosala and Videha and its waters are never exhausted.From the bank of the Great Gandak to the forest of Champa the country is called Videha, also known as Tirabhukti. This name is found some of the Basarh seals as one of the provinces of the Gupta empire. Purnea seems to have been the easternmost district of Videha or Tirabhukti and in that case the Kosi or Mahananda would naturally form the boundary between Videha and Pundra.The ancient kingdom of Anga does not seem to have extended north of the Ganges, because there is no clear indication of this in ancient literature. The forest in which Rishyasringa son of Kasyapa Vibhapdaka, lived is said to have bordered on Anga, and the whole of this quaint story thatRishyasringa being beguiled by the courtesans of Malini into a boat and brought down the river to the capital of Anga implies that he was living within the territory of Anga, for no embassage was sent to any other king for permission to bring him away, as when Dasratha paid a special visit to Lomapada to invite the Rishi's attendance at Ayodhya to perform the sacrifice which was to bless the king with a son.The Epics has no reference to the effect that Rishyasringa's hermitage lay in Anga.It was situated on the Kosi river near some mountain.
Dasaratha's visit was necessitated by the fact that Rishyasringa happened to he the son-in-law of the Anga king and not because he was living within the territory of Anga.The Kausiki is one of the most ancient rivers of India It is frequently mentioned in the Epics and the Puranas. It has ever been a shifting river,its playground being the area between the river Mahananda in the district of Purnea on the east and the river Balan in the old district of Darbhanga on the west. Kosi in some remote period joined the Mahananda through the river Panar also called the Parman near Araria. The belief of the local people is that at some bygone time the Kosi used to flow along the course of the Panar this river, the Panar also in its short course through the Nepalese territory is called the Burhi(old) Kosi.The Buddhist conception of Videha differ from the above because the Buddhists mention Vajji and Videha as two distinct geographical and political entities.But sometimes they inter-change Vaisali and Videha.Ajatashatru, son of a Vaisali princess, is called Vaidehiputra in Buddhist literatureThe Taitariya Samhita of Yajurveda mentions the cows of videha as famous in India in the Vedic times.
This Mandhata, who was at Rajagriha.The Buddhist tradition provided in the Digha,the division of India among the sons of Manu says that this country was divided into seven political units and Renu, son of Disampati, was allotted Mithila in the country of the Videhas.Mithila was founded by Mahagovinda, the steward of king Renu. Disampati and Renu were kings or chieftains in Banaras or king of the Kurus are referred to, apparently as kings of Banaras, at Dipavamsa.The Videhan state was founded by Nimi Videha, son of Ikshvaku, who also founded a town called Jayanta. He dwelt in a town famed as Vaijayanta or Jayanta. This town was situated near the ashrama of Gautama and also near the Himavat mountain. Nimi instituted a sacrifice that was to last for a thousand years and requested Vasishtha to preside. Vasishtha said that he had already been engaged by Indra in a sacrifice which would last for five hundred years and asked him to wait for the period. Nimi in the meantime employed Gautama and other Rishis for his sacrifice.On the completion of the sacrifice of Indra Vasishtha hastened to Nimi but found Gautama and others.He cursed Nimi that henceforth be body-less (vi-deha).
Nimi cursed Vasishtha in return and both abandoned their human bodies.Nimi's dead body was preserved in oil and scents till the completion of the sacrifice. The sages then agitated his body and consequently a boy was born, who was called Janaka because of being self-born, Videha because of being Mini Videha's son and Mithi because of his birth from agitation-manth- to churn.A great sacrifice of the glorious Nimi, the king of the Videhas, is referred to in the Bhagavata.The Vedic texts know of a king of Videha Nam Sapya, is nowhere indicated as the founder of the Videhan royal family.Nimi has been mentioned at several places in the Mahabharata, but generally his territory is not stated. At one place he has been called a Vaideha which removes the doubt with regard to his territory. There it is stated that he gave his kingdom to the Brahmanas. The Videhan dynasty, being a branch of the Ikshvakus, is called the solar dynasty who did not eat meat during the month of Kartika.
We are not quite sure if this Nimi is the first king of the dynasty or the penultimate sovereign, who is frequently mentioned in Buddhist literature. Sadanira,she that is always filled with water is more probably the Gandaki. Agni Vaisvanara,the fire that burns for all men,fire which is the common property of all men,not sacrificial fire, but fire in its ordinary everyday use applied to human wants. The primeval forests from the Sarasvati to the Sadanira, and there the course of the colonising Aryas stopped until Mathava carried Agni to the east of the latter river. If Agni Vaisvanara went burning along the earth from the Sarasvati to Videha,Agni burnt over the Paurava territory-including North Panchala and the Ayodhya realm, two of the most famous and best cultivated regions even in early times-which is absurd.
The reformed Brahmanism passed from the Bharata kingdom to Ayodhya and then to Videha.Videgha Mathava, who led the Aryans from the Sarasvatt to colonise Mithila, and his great priest Gautama Rahugana wandered through the northern Himalayan regions till they came to the upper reaches of the river Gandak, and laid the foundation of the Mithila kingdom to the north of what formed the kingdom of Vaisali. Sadanira flowing from the northern mountain also indicates that the people coming might have passed through an area from which it could see clearly that the river came from the northern mountain. Moreover, there are places in the northern part of the Champaran region, Jankigarh eleven miles to the north of Lauriya Nandangarh-which are associated with the rule of the Janaka dynasty. This tradition may lend support to the supposition that Videgha Mathava might have proceeded to Videha through this region.The word Janaka has a reference to the tribe, jana and the best or the leader of the janas was called Janaka.
Thus Videgha Mathava, who led the party, might be called a Janaka.In the Buddhist tradition the founder of the royal line of Videha is Makhadeva who is represented as the king of Mithila. For successive periods of 84000 years each he had respectively amused himself as prince, ruled as viceroy and reigned as king. He one day asked his barber to tell him as soon as he had any grey hairs. When many years later the barber found a grey hair, he pulled it out and laid it on the king's palm as he had been requested. The king had 84000 years yet to live, but he granted the barber a village yielding one hundred thousand and on that very day gave over the kingdom to his son and renounced the world as though he had seen the king of Death. For 84000 years he lived as a recluse in the Makhadeva-amhavana, and was reborn in the Brahma-world. Although the figure 84000 is merely conventional and has no significance, the story is inclined towards asceticism.
The scene of the finding of a grey hair is marvellously sculptured on a railing of the Bharhut stupa. In this scene Maghadeva or Mahadeva,king of Videha, is upset at the sight of a grey hair picked up from his head and resigns his kingdom in favour of his eldest son. He is seated on a throne that resembles one of the modern fashionable chairs. His face is clean shaven. The prince stands gently before him. The barber stands behind him with his shaving pot. The Buddhist tradition calls Makhadeva founder of the royal line but his capital is said to be Mithila. Makhadeva founded Jayanta and made a beginning of the foundation of another town later called Mithila. The Vedic tradition furnished by the Satapatha Brahmana the identification of the first Videhan king of the Puranas with the first Videhan king of the Vedic account is proved by a fact that Gotama is the priest of that king in both the accounts. The only apparent difference between the accounts is the one concerning the name of the first Videhan king, the Puranas call him Nimi, the Satapatha-Brahmana calls him Mathava. But the name given in the Satapatha Brahmana is clearly a patronym, meaning son of Mathu.
Thus, while the Puranas call the king by his proper name, the Satapatha-Brahmana calls him by his patronym. The surname of the king is the same in both the accounts- Videha in the Puranas and its Vedic form Videgha in the Satapatha Brahmana. Nimi, the founder of the Videha dynasty was not a son but a descendant of Ikshvaku. Nimi was a contemporary of the rishi Gotama, near whose hermitage he built a city named Jayanta. As no rishi of the name of Gotama is ever included by the Puranas among those primaeval sages who were the contemporaries cf Manu and his sons, Nimi, the contemporary of Gotama, could not have been a son ofIkshvaku. Thus, the identification of the first Videhan king of the Puranas (Nimi Videha) with the first Videhan king of theVedic account (Videgha Mathava) is proved by the fact that Gotama is the priest of that king in both the accounts.No Videha king is ever mentioned in the Puranas in connection with any early person or event,. which means that the Videha dynasty did not exist in early times, and so could not have been founded by Ikshvaku's son.
The list of the Videha kings itself lends support to this.This list gives some 51 names. The certain point where a synchronism exists is the reign of Siradhvaja, who was a contemporary of Dasaratha. The Puranas give the account of only three dynasties.The certain descendants of Trasadasyu mentioned in the Rigveda, such as Mitratithi, Kuru Sravana and Iipama. It was Bhagiratha who left his ancestral kingdom on the western confines of the Punjab and marching hundreds of miles with his army and other subjects, reached the river Ganga, which he gave the name of Bhagtrathi. To the east of the Ganga he founded a kingdom named Kosala with its capital at Ayodhya on the bank of the Sarayu, a tributary of the Ganga. The Sarayu and the Gomati , two of the chief rivers of Kosala, were named after the tributaries of the river Sindhu. The conquest of the Gangetic territory of Kosala by Bhagiratha was soon followed by the conquest of the region to its east by another prince of the Ikshvaku family named Nimi Mathava. Mathava belonged to that branch of the Ikshvakus that had earlier settled on the banks of the Saraswati.
He left the Sarasvati river and accompanied by his priest Gotama Rahugana crossed the river Sadanira and colonised Videha. Gotama built an ashrama in this country and Nimi founded a town named Jayanta near that ashrama. Nimi was succeeded by Mithi Janaka who founded the city of Mithila that became the capital of Videha. Some twelve generations after Bhagiratha of Kosala and Nimi Mathava of Videha, an Ikshvaku prince named Visala, who was a scion of either the Kosala or the Videha dynasty found a new kingdom in the vicinity of Videha. This kingdom was named Vaisali after its capital, which was founded by and named after Visala.Mithi Janaka was the son of Nimi Videha. The Bhagavata Purana calls him Mithila instead of Mithi. The Garuda Purana, though it gives the genealogy of Videha kings, does not mention Mithi because due to the loss of some verses closing the Ikshvaku dynasty of Ayodhya and introducing the Videhan line. Prasuilruta-a king of Ayodhya father of Udavasu-Vlithi's son- of the Videhan line.
The Ramayana makes Mithi Janaka two kings.Mithi, being son of Nimi Videha, is also known as Vaideha. Mithi is celebrated as the founder of Mithila. Jayanta founded by Nimi did not prove to be a good capital and need was felt to proceed further north. Mithila is identified with modern Janakpur in the Nepalese Terai. It is regarded as a sacred spot by the Hindus and is visited by many pilgrims every year. It is rather strange that while in other kingdoms capitals were generally founded on the banks of the rivers. Mithi established his capital at Janakpur in the Nepalese Terai, so close to the Himalayan mountains.The plain area of the old Muzaffarpur district had already been seized by the state of Vaisali founded by the son of Manu. So the Videhan state, founded by Manu's grandson and strengthened by his great grandson Mithi, might establish its capital either in the old Darbhanga district, which must have been very marshy at that time or in the sub Himalayan area.
The hilly tribes must have been very turbulent and hence it might have been considered expedient to have the capital there. An adjective meaning valorous was used for Mithi in two Puranas may have a reference to the defeat of the hill tribes. The Himalayan area was considered particularly sacred from the point of view of asceticism or performance of rites. Janaka got instruction from Chyavana Bhargava. We do not find any direct or even indirect details about the successors of Mithi Janaka till we come to the time of Siradhvaja and his brother Kusadhvaja.Udavasu he was the son and successor of Mithi Janaka.Nandivardhana was the son and successor of Udavasu.He is called pious by two Puranas and the Ramayana.Suketu was the son and successor of Nandivardhana and is called chivalrous and pious.
He was the son and successor of Suketu and is called pious and very strong and a royal sage.The ancient kings, who were called or said to have become Indras only held or usurped the position of High Priest of the tribe or realm, in addition to that of king e.g.the Devaraj and Dharmaraj of Bhutan, its High Priest and Chief Judge. The Epic-Puranic tradition knows of one Videha and one Ikshvaku king as Devaraja, and one Vasishtha with the same designation.One of the known achievements of Devaraja was his getting a bow from the gods who had received it from Shiva.This was the bow used by Siva after the destruction of the sacrifice of Daksha. It was a remarkable thing and continued in the family of the Janakas as a glorious heritage. It was in the time of Siradhvaja Janaka that it was broken by Rama.Brihadratha, the Videhan king, was a contemporary of king Mandhatri of Ayodhya . One Janaka Daivarati of Mithila got instruction from Yajnavalkya.
He was probably different from Brihaduktha, son, of Devarata.He is called Mahavirya by the Puranas. He is said to be valorous. One Janaka Daivarati is mentioned in the Mahabharata the management of whose father's sacrifice was taken by Yajnavalkya. He seems to have flourished after the Bharata War. Dhrishtaketu is stated to be pious.,a defeater of foes and a royal sage.An ancient king named Dhrishtaketu is mentioned in the Mahabhrarata, but his territory is not given. Haryaswva is known to all our sources and is the first ruler of Videha whose name contains a synonym of horse.Suketu -a good banner and Brihadratha-a large charioteer.The Mahabharata states that Rama Jamadagnya defeated and killed many tribes, the Videhas being one of them. If this tradition has any basis in fact, it may mean that the king of Videha was defeated by Rama Jamadagnya. The Videhan king defeated might have been Haryasva or his predecessor Dhrishtaketa.
The Mahahharatas refers to a battle between Janaka Maithila and Pratardana. In this battle the warriors of Mithila were victorious. The kingdom of Pratardana is not indicated here. But the Mahabharata mentions him at two other places as the king of Kasi.The Janaka Maithila who had an encounter with Pratardana might have been Pratindhaka. Maharoman is the first of the threee successive kings who bore names ending in roman. He is said to be learned.Svarnaroman is said to be pious and a royal sage. Hrasvaroman, the last of the three successive kings who bore names ending in roman is said to be a knower or piety and one possessing a great soul. He had two sons and Kusadhvaja.Siradhvaj to Sakuni was the expansionist phase of the Videhan kingdom. Sankasya was annexed and a branch line of Videha was established there which is said to have ruled for four generations. After Sumati, a contemporary of Stradhvaja Janaka, we do not hear of Vaisali, Videha's western neighbour the Vaisali state was absorbed by kingdom.Another feature is that with Siradhvaja begins an age in Videhan history in which the names of sovereigns are better preserved. Siradhvaja is a famous king of Videha for several reasons. His adopted daughter, Sita, was married to Rama. Siradhvaja is a famous king of Videha for several reasons.
His adopted daughter, Sita, was married to Rama. Ramayana is devoted to this important event of the alliance between the Ikshvakus and the Videhas.The story is narrated by the Mahabharata also. The Great Epic does not call him Siradhvaja, but Videharaja and Janaka. His great fame and scholarship misled Bhavahhuti, the celebrated Sanskrit dramatist of a much later period, who confused him for the Vedic Janaka.Siradhvaja was also a good fighter.Thus he specialised in the arts of war as in those of peace.Siradhvaja had one son -Bhanumat- one adopted daughter, Sita, and one daughter Urmila. His brother Kushadhvaja had two daughters-Mandavi and Srutakirti. Siradhvaja ascended the throne after his father Hrasvaro-man left for the forest.He kept his younger brother under his special care.Once while Siradhvaja was ploughing the mead, there arose a damsel and as he obtained her while furrowing the field for sacrifice, she came to be known by the name of Sita, arising from the earth she grew as his daughter.The greater part of her education 'was post-marital, and most likely influenced by her husband and by the special environments of her long periods of exile from court. Yet the first nine or ten years of Sita's life were not left blank.
She was certainly literate. The script she learnt was perhaps pictographic. She knew three languages, at least two of which were begun in her childhood. Besides studying many branches of learning, she had a lot of instruction from her mother and other relatives about wifely duties.A valuable and attractive possession of Siradhvaja was a bow of Siva which his ancestor Devarata had received as a trust from the gods. These two Sita and the bow became sources of his friction with contemporary kings. The Buddhist reference that makes Rama brother and husband of Sita is historically right, the origin of the modified version discloses itself in Sita's appellation janakaduhita .The proper name Janaka was a very easy one, and had the merit of supplying a plausible and honourable connection for the subsequently deified tribal hero, while removing the objectionable feature smoothly. Sh.S.C.sarkar opines that Siradhvaja may have been hit upon as a suitable Janaka for the Janaka-duhita, because of the connection between 'Sita' and 'Sira'.
Another suggestion made by the same scholar twenty years later is that Sita was Vedavati's illegitimate, abandoned child, found and adopted by her Vedavati's generous uncle, Siradhvaja. Siradhvaja vowed that he would give his daughter only to him who would be able to string the bow. The kings, who failed to do this laid siege to Mithila and oppressed the town. This went on for a year. Much of the wealth of Siradhvaja was uselessly spoiled. Later he made exertions, received a four-limbed army and defeated the kings who fled away with their ministers.But the troubles were not over with this episode. Sudhanvan, king of Sankisa invaded Mithila and demanded the bow of Siva as well as the beautiful Sita. He was resisted and ultimately defeated. Sudhanvan was killed in battle. Sankisa became an appendage to Videha. A branch dynasty was established there with his younger brother Kusadhvaja as the king of the territory.Siradhvaja then announced the performance of a ceremony regarding the bow.
Visvamitra, who had brought two sons of king Dasaratha of Ayodhya to have his Ashrama area in South Bihar cleared of Rakshasas, heard of this and the party decided to see this ceremony for themselves.The Ramayana of Valmiki furnishes us with certain clues which enable us to trace the route of the party consisting of Vishwamitra, Rama and Lakshmana from Ayodhya to Siddhasrama,modern Sahasram, and from there to the capital of Videha.The marriage of Rama and Sita was performed on the twentyfifth day of the journey from Ayodhya. The fifth day of the bright fortnight of the month of MargaShirsha is universally regarded as the date of the marriage of Rama and Sita.The journey began on the eleventh day of the bright half of the month of Kartika. But it is stated that on the eleventh day of the journey the moon was visible after midnight.So it was probably the eighth day of a dark fortnight. The two dates will disappear and two other dates will be repeated, one of the disappeared dates falling after the fifth day of the bright half of Margashirsha in which period we are not interested.Such a phenomenon is very common in the Hindu calendar in which two dates disappears and two other dates gets repeated.The party travelled for half a yojana from Ayodhya and in the night on the bank of the Sarayu.
They reached the confluence of the Sarayu and the Ganges and spent the night there.They crossed the confluence and came to the southern shore of the Ganges. Taraka, the wife of Sunda, was killed.They reached the Siddhashrama which was near a hill, and preparations for the sacrifice began. The night was passed there guarding the Ashrama. The sacrifice lasted for six days. On the last day of the sacrifice the invading Rakshasas were killed, The night was passed there. Now that the sacrifice was over, they wanted to visit Mithila.The bow of Shiva was kept there. So they started from the Siddhashrama and travelled till the evening. They halted on the Sopa's distant shore. When the sage was telling tales to the princes it was past midnight and the moon was rising forth.So perhaps it was the eighth day of a dark fortnight. It was the eighth day of the dark fortnight of Margashirsha. Then they reached the southern shore of the Ganges where the night was passed.
They crossed the Ganges and reached the northern shore. While sitting on the bank of the Ganges they saw a big city. Soon they went to Vaisali. They accepted the hospitality of king Somali of Vaisali and passed the night there,the party reached Vaisali on the tenth day of the dark fortnight of Margasirsha.They left Vaisali and proceeded towards Mithila..They halted at the ashrama of Gautama,where Ahalya was rescued. They then reached the place of sacrifice,which was at some distance from Mithila. Vardhamana Mahavira, the twenty fourth Tirthankara of the Jainas, left his home for asceticism on the tenth day of the dark fortnight of Margasirsha. Thus Vardhamana's renunciation of the world on a date associated with the visit of Rama to Vaisali assumes double significance which has so far escaped notice.
Then it was stated there by Janaka that now there were only twelve days to complete the sacrifice.The bow was shown and its history explained. It was broken by Rama. Messengers were sent immediately to Ayodhya on very swift conveyances.The messengers passed three nights on the way.The messengers reached Ayodhya and king Dasarathaa was informed. He decided to start next day. The night was. passed at Ayodhya.The party of Dasaratha started for Mithila.Four days were passed on the way. The party arrived at Mithila where the night was passed.Kusadhvaja was brought from Sankasya. The marriages of the daughters of Siradhvaja and Kusadhvaja took place on the fifth day of the bright fortnight of Margasirsha.The party of Dasaratha went back to Ayodhya thus the matrimonial alliance between the two most important houses of the Ikshvakus in North India was accomplished.The reign of Siradhvaja seems to have marked a further advance in the consolidation of the Videhan territory. Dhanusha, a place in Nepal, now overgrown into jungle, six miles away from Janakpur, is believed to be the place where the bow of Siva was broken by Rama. A bow is still shown there in mark the memory of that great event.Some parts of the Champaran District were brought under his control. Local tradition says that king Janak lived at Chankigarh, locally known as Jankigarh, eleven miles north of Lauriya Nandangarh.
The name Janaki suggests that this Janaka may have been Janaki's father Siradhvaja, who otherwise too is known as a valiant prince. The Mahabharata speaks of a battle between king Janaka Maithila and king Pratardana. The Ramayana makes one Pratardana king of Kasi and a contemporary of Rama.A more famous Pratardana of Kasi flourished 24 steps earlier. Sankasya was a well defended city. Its ramparts were ranged round with pointed weapons. It appears that the messengers of Siradhvaja Janaka went to Sankisa and brought Kusadhvaja to Mithila the same day,it was near Videha probably somewhat near its border.Sankisa was situated on the Ikshumati river. This river is known to the Puranas also, as on its bank was the hermitage of Kapila. It is also mentioned at another place in the Ramayana. The lkshu is the name of three rivers in the Puranas, while there are also rivers known as Ikshuda and Ikshula.Thus there might be another Ikshumati river at this place or it may simply mean a river in the sugarcane producing area.The Sankasya kingdom was near some mountain or forest,as a later king of this place visited his cousin in the forest.There was no intervening territory between Videha and Sankisya otherwise the Sankasya king would have been prevented from carrying out a raid against Mithila.
A quick messenger from Mithila went to Sankisya and came back the same day,the distance was comparatively shorter.It was a well-defended city and a seat of government. One such place near the Gandak or the Kosi might be Sankasya.Jankigarh (also called Chankigarh) in Champaran district may be a probable site for this purpose.The genealogy of the Sankasya branch of the Janakas is given by three Puranas and is as follows Kusadhvaja,Dharmadhvaja and Mitadhvaja. Kusadhvaja was the younger brother of Siradhvaja.There was good relation between the two brothers.When Sudhanvan, the king of Sankasya, invaded Mithila and was slain in battle, Siradhvaja installed his younger brother on the throne of Sankasya. This event did not happen long before the marriage of Sita, because while invading Mithila Sudhanvan had demanded Shiva's bow and lotus eyed Sita.
After the party of Dasaratha had arrived at Mithila, Janaka sent messengers to Kusadhvaja at Sankasya to bring him to the Videhan capital. Kusadhvaja came immediately and being incharge of the sacrifices took active part in the performance of the marriages. Sita and Urmila the daughters of Siradhvaja were married to Rama and Lakshmana respectively. Mandavi and Srutakirti the two daughters of Kusadhvaja were married to Bharata and Satrughna respectively. Thus the four daughters of Mithila were married to the four sons of Dasaratha amidst great festivities.The Ramayana knows of a girl named Vedavati daughter of Kusadhvaja who was molested by Ravana. Thereupon she mortified herself by cutting off her hair and immolated herself on a pyre. S. C. Sarkar regards this Vedavati as the daughter of Kusadhvaja, the younger brother of Siradhvaja of Mithila which is not tenable because Kushadhvaja Vedavati's father is never called a Maithila but had been called a Brahmarsi and a son of Brihaspati. Kushadhvaja, father of Vedavati was killed by Sambhu, king of the Daityas. Later Vedavati, having been molested by Ravana, burnt herself to be reborn as Sita.Thus Kushadhvaja was dead before the birth of Sita.
How could then he be installed on the throne of Sairkabya and take part in the marriage ceremony of Sita, Urmila and his two daughters? Vedavati is stated to have flourished in the Krita Yuga, while Kushadhvaja of Mithila flourished in the Treta age.Vedavati is said to have been reborn in the Maithila kula now,hinting thereby that while Vedavati she belonged to some other family.Siradhvaja and Kushadhvaja never mention Vedavati’s name in any connection.The Brahmavaivarta Purana which gives in detail the story of Kusadhvaja’s daughter Vedavati being ravished by Ravana. There Kushadhvaja is not the younger brother of Siradhvaja, king of Mithila, but quite a different personality. It is stated there that in the Krita age there was Hamsadhvaja who had two sons Dharmadhvaja and Kushadhavja. The latter's wife was Malavati who gave birth to Vedavati. Vedavati in her youth was molested by Ravana.She was reborn as Sita. Bhanumat was the son of Siradhvaja and the brother of Sita and Urmila. He is called a Maithila by puranas and did not belong to the Sankasya line but to the Mithila one.S. C. Sarkar makes an original suggestion with regard to Bhanumat. He says that Hanumant of later legends is an amalgam of two elements-Bhanu-mant, son and successor of Siradhvaja, at Mithila,prime assister in the rescue of Sita and Au-manti, a Dravidian deity.The name meaning the male monkey,vedic Vrisha Kapi. He is called Satadyumna by some Puranas and Pradyumna by some other Puranas. In two Mahabharata lists of royal munificence to Brahmanas it is said king Satadyumna gave a splendid furnished house to the Brahmana Maudgalya, descendant of king Mudgala of North Panchala.
The only Satadyumna mentioned was a king of Videha, Siradhvaja's second successor. Hence although his territory is not indicated, this Satadyumna appears to be the same as Siradhwaja's second successor. The Bhagavata and the Vishnu, the Vayu, the Brahmanda and the Garuda parunas deals with Janaka dynasty all the pre Bharata war dynasties.Arishtanemi is also called Adhinemika. The second part of his name,Nemi, i.e., Nimi dynasty to which he belonged.The MahaJanaka II of the Jataka and Nami of the Jaina Uttaradhyayana do not care for the burning of the palaces of Mithilathe mention of Nemi in juxtaposition with Arishta in the Vishnu Purana- Nami or Nemi with MahaJanaka II, whom the Jataka represents as the son of Arittha,ArishtaNemi Janaka of the Purana, MahaJanaka II-son of Arittha Janaka- of the Jataka and Nami of the Jaina Uttaradhyayana are identical. Maha Janaka II and Nami of the Utaradhyayana Sutra belong to the era posterior to the Bharata War.MahaJanaka II, being son of Arittha was Arishta and not ArishtaNemi. One Kshemadarsin, a prince of Kosala, was advised by Kalakavrikshiya to take help from Janaka of Mithila for recovering his kingdom.The king of Videha, on the recom-mendation of the sage, accepted Kshemadarsin, honoured him and gave him his own daughter and various kinds of gems and jewels. Kshemadarsin recovered his kingdom and made Kalakavrikshiya his priest who performed many sacrifices for the king. Upagupta or Ugragupta was Ugrasena Janaka Aindradyumni of Videha at whose court Ashtavakra, son of Kahoda and Sujata,daughter of Uddalaka Aruni, defeated the Suta scholar Vandin and consequently relieved his father after twelve years of confinement.
The probability is that Upagupta (or Ugragupta) and Ugrasena were one and the same person and that he was ruling at one of the two principalities into which Videha was divided between the two branch dynasties that issued from Kuni. In the same way, Sankasya was divided between Kesadhvaja and Khandikya. But Ugrasena Aindradyunini, a con-temporary of Ashtavakra, Uddalaka's daughter's son, flourished after the Bharata War, while Upagupta of the Puranas, far removed from Bahulasva, a contemporary of Krishna, flourished much before the War. The Mahavamshsa furnishes a list of twentyeight early kings and says that these twentyeight princes dwelt in Kusavati, Rajagriaha and Mithila.The Dipavamshsa also gives an identical list and says that these were twentyeight kings by number- in Kusavati, in Rajagriha and in Mithila. The rulers belonged to the pre Bharata Age. (to be continued) Uposatha is the Buddhist fast day,Upagupta was a famous Buddhist saint. A Jataka mentions a king of Videha and calls him Vedeha . He is made a contemporary of Chidani Brahmadatta of Kampilya who conquered all except Videha in the course of a little over seven years but was defeated by Vedeha due to the superior wisdom of the Videhan minister, Mahosadha. A new era of close intellectual co-operation between Videha on one side and the Kuru-Panchala country on the other . Bahulaiva is represented as the king of Mithila in the Bhagavata. There lie is depicted as a contemporary and devotee of Krishna who paid a visit to Mithila to see his Brahmana friend Srutadeva, so Bahulaiva flourished slightly before the Bharata War.
Two events given in Purana belong to the reign of Bahulaiva, the visit of Balarama and Krishna to Mithila in search of a jewel and Duryodhana's training there under Balarama and the visit of Krishna to Mithila to show favour to Srutadeva and Bahulaiva. Krishna, Bhima and Arjuna went to Girivraj to have a fight with Jarasandha of Magadha, this event occurred in the reign of Bahulaiva of Mithila through which territory the three passed in their journey from Indraprastha to Rajagriha.A king of Mithila, called Janaka, was the disciple of Vyasa Krishna Dvaipayan who used to officiate at the sacrifices. Vyasa had a high opinion of the learning of his disciple. He asked his son Suka to go to him to learn the science of liberation. Janaka received and instructed his son who later reported this to his father. This Janaka was Bahulaiva. The Bhagavata says that Suka was also with the Rishis who accompanied Krishna to Mithila to see Bahulaiva and Srutadeva. There were Jankriti, the last of the Janaka dynasty, might flourish even after Yudhishthira.The Puranas conclude with the remark that with Kriti ends the race of the janakas.We Know from Arthashashtra that Karala Janaka brought the line of Vaideha to an end. Karala is represented as the son of Nimi, whereas Kriti was the son of Bahula.Karala Janaka, king of Mithila, is known to the Brahmanical literature. Kriti flourished after Siradhvaja but not after Vedic Janaka. Karala is reported to be cruel and unscrupulous. The names of Bahulaiva ,one with many horses and. Kriti,performance.
The list of Puranas appears to be continuous and there is no apparent break, it is presumed that other Janakas are to follow. So, Kriti is not the last Janaka,who is a distinct Karala Janaka. The Puranas are assumed to have been narrated in the reigns of the Paurava king Adhisimakrishna, the Aikshvaku. Bahulaiva, the king of Mithila is a contem-porary of Krishna in the Bhagavata, his son Kriti cannot be identified with Karala on any account.With Kriti the main regular line of the Janakas closed and after him came irregular lines of the Janakas as we know from the Jatakas and the Mahabharata.One of the clans of the Vajjian Republic were the Kauravas. Pandu, the Kuru king, get strengthened by the treasure and army from Magadha, went to Mithila and defeated the Videhas in battle. Vaideha Kritakshana was one of the princes who waited upon Yudhishthira in his palace newly constructed by Maya. He was Kriti as a Yuvaraja or as a King. Krishna, Bhima and Arjun on their way from Kuru to Rajagir, for fighting Jarasandha, took circuitous route through Mithila to avoid detection.Videha was a friendly country. The Videhas were defeated by Bhima on his digvijaya in the east and was staying with Vaidehas and then he could defeat other powers with comparative ease. The rivalry between the sons of Pandu and Dhritarashtra had its effect on the Videhas and Karna defeated these people and caused them to pay tribute to Duryodhana.Vaidehas were vanquished by Arjuna on the battle of bharata.At one place in Mahabharata the Videhas along with others attacked Arjuna, at another place they are in the army of Yudhishthira and are slain by Kripa.Balarama who did not take part in the Bharata war took refuge during the period in Mithila thus it may be surmised that Videha kings remained neutral in Bharata war.Pandu had conquered Mithila, Bhima subdued the Rajas of Mithila and Nepal but Duryodhana came to Mithila to learn Gada Yudha from Balarama, when Krishna and Balarama were in Mithila in quest of Syamantakamani.
Later Balarama went on a pilgrimage and visited the ashrama of Pulaba-Salagrama and the Gandaki. After the Bharata war the Puranas do not provide us with any genealogical list for Videha and for this information is available from the Mahabharata and the Jatakas. Videhan king was reputed for the welfare and all were versed in the discourses of atman the grace of the Lord of the Yogas they were all free from the conflicting passions such as pleasure and pain, though they were leading a domestic life. The Buddhist literature mentions Makhadeva of Mithila and all his 84000 successors and says that they adopted the lives of ascetics after ruling over the kingdom.The kings of Videha are known to be sacrificers. Nimi and Vasishtha had a quarrel and cursed each other to become bodiless,i.e.,Videha. Both then went to Brahma and he assigned Nimi to the eyes of the creatures to wink ,i.e., nimesha, and said Vasishtha should be son of Mitra and Varuna with the name Vashistha. This fable just supply a reason for the birth from Mitra and Varuna. It says that long sacrifices were performed by the Videhan kings. Other famous sacrificers were Devarata and Siradhvaja. Devarata obtained the bow of Shiva which centred the sacrifice of Siradhvaja. The Yajnavata of Siradhvaja correspond to the sacrificial areas with temporary residences of members of the kingship in the manner described in YajurVeda. The barber who found a grey hair in Makhadeva's head got grant of a village, equivalent to a hundred thousand pieces of money. The King Satadyumna , Siradhvaja's second successor , gave a house to the Brahmana Maudgalya descendant of King Mudgala of North Panchala. Vedeha, king of Videha, gave Mahosadha a thousand cows, a bull and an elephant and ten chariots drawn and sixteen excellent villages and the revenue taken at the four gates, when he was pleased with an answer given by him. Before becoming king he lived as a prince and ruled as a viceroythe the maneer exactly in the case of Makhadeva.
The eldest son succeeded the throne when the old king adopted the life of an ascetic. The king was assisted by his ministers and the priest played an important role and the sages instructed the king. King Vedeha of Mithila had four sages, Senaka, Pukkusa, Kavinda and Devinda , who instructed him in the law. Senaka was most important and Senaka and Pukkusa were counsellors King Videha of Mithila had his counsellor Mahosadha.Mithila was invaded by Sudhanvan, king of Sankaiya, and much later by Chulani Brahmadatta and Kewatta, king of Kampila both were defeated by Siradhvaja and Videha, respectively. Jataka story of king Videha and Mahosadha,commander. Secret service reported daily ,employed a hundred and one soldiers in as many cities,employed parrots also, great rampart,watchtowers, and between the watctowers,three moats, water,mud and a dry moat. In city old houses were restored and large banks were dug made warter-reservoirs and grain store-houses. The siege of Mithila and the great tunnel have been described in the Jataka.The weapons included,red-hot missiles,javelins,arrows,spears and lances,and showers of mud and stone. The society consisted of Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas. Sirivaddha, father of Mahosadha was an important merchant of Mithila.
The Chandala is also referred.A hawk carried off a piece of flesh from the slab of a slaughter-house. A dog fed upon the bones, skins of the royal kitchen. There was a type of education and later Videha students went to Takshsila for education,e.g.Pintguttara. Kahoda Kaushitaki was married to the daughter of his teacher Uddalaka Aruni. Suka visited Mithila to acquire wisdom. Srutadeva was a great scholar of pre-Bharata era. Agriculture and Cattle-rearing was in vogue and Yajur-Veda mentions famous cows of Videha.King Vedeha gave a thousand cows and a bull to Mahasodha. There was a place where foreign merchants showed their goods. Goods from Magadha and Kasi were imported. The conches of Magadha,Kasi-robe and Sindh mares were famous.Krishna visited Mithila to see his devotees Srutadeva and Bahulashva.The Mahabharata says that shaligrama is another name of Vishnu, Shaligrama worship begun. Janakpur had four gates were four market towns distinguished as eastern, southern, western and northern.
There was a revival of Mithila after Bharata war which lasted for more than two centuries and in this period the famous sages of the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas and the Upanishads flourished. Vaishali lost its significance. After Bharata War period the Puranas furnish genealogies of Pauravas(Hastinapura-Kosambi), the Ikshvakus (Kosala) and the Barhadrathas (Mag adha).The names of the kings of Videha ia available in the Jatakas.The Upanishads mention one ruler known as Janaka Videha.Videha has been omitted in the sixteen Mahajanapada available in the Buddhist work Aiguttara-Nikaya where we have Vajji.Karala Janaka perished along with his kingdom and relations. Kasi was conquered by Kosala and Anga by Magadha. The Vajji established their republic before the Kosala conquest of Kasi and the Magadh conquest of Anga.Mall, the penultimate sovereign of the Janaka dynasty of Videha, adopted the faith of the Jaina Parsva, the first historical Jaina 250 years before Mahavira(561BC-490BC).Between Bharat war circa.950 BC and Karala Janaka circa 725 B.c Videha monarchy flourished. Suruchi group consisting of Suruchi I, Suruchi II Suruchi III and Mahapadmanada. Janaka group consisting of Mahajanaka I, Aritthajanaka, Polajahak, Mahajanaka II and Dighavu.Then a group of two kings Sadhina and Narada and then Nimi and Karala(father and son).
Makhadeva is regarded as the founder of Mithila monarchy. Angatis was righteous king,had a daughter named Raja. His ministers were Vijaya, Sunama and Alata. Narada set him to right path after the influence he got from the heretical teachings of a naked Guna Kassapa. Purana Kassapa and Maskari Gosala were the contemporaries of Buddha, thus, Guna Kassapa flourished round 6th century B.C. Chulani Brahmadatta of Kampilya conquered 101 princes of India and only Videha had been left. There is reference that Gandhara king and the Videha king met and mystic meditation was taught to Videha King by Gandhara king.There were land owners and Alaras is mentioned in this regard.The Vedic texts mention Uddalaka and Svetaketu as belonging to the age of Janaka of Videha. The Jatakas mention these two scholars connected with Banaras.For MahapanadaVisvakarman, engineer, constructed a palace seven storeys high with precious stones. Mahajanaka II was brought up by his mother in the house of a Brahmana teacher at Kalachampa and after finishing his education at16 sailed for Suvarnabhumi on a commercial enterprise, in order to get mone to recover the kingdom of Videha. The ship perished in the middle of the ocean.
He managed to reach Mithila, where the throne had been lying vacant since the death of Polajanak, his uncle, who had left a marriageable daughter Sivalidevi and no son. Mahajanaka II was now married to this princess and raised to the throne. He later renounced the world. A remarkable feature of the character of Mahajanaka II was his spirit of renunciation. He gives utterance to a famous verse : ‘We have nothing own may live without a care Mithila palaces may burn,nothing mine is burned . Mahajanaka-Jataka is sculptured on a railing of the Bharhut Stupa having inscription : The arrowmaker, King Janaka, Queen Sivali.Nimi and Kalara are mentioned in Buddhist,Brahmanical and Jaina literature. Ugrasena Janaka revived the greatness of Mithila. Ashtavakra sais as all other mountains are inferior to the Mainaka, as calves are inferior to the ox, so kings of the earth inferior to the king of Mithila (Ugrasena). He is called Janakana varishtha Samrat(Mahabharata),great performer of sacrifices and is compared with Yayati. In one such Yagya Ashtavakra, son of Kahoda and Sujata (daughter of Uddalaka), attended and Ashtavakra defeated Vandin, son of a charioteer and got released his son.Paurava prince, Satanika, the son of Janamejaya, was a Vaidehi. Sathnika married the daughter of Ugrasena Janaka who sought to enhance his influence by means of this matrimonial alliance.
Devarata II was contemporary of Yajnavalkya, who took the management of the royal sacrifice where a quarrel arose between Yajnavalkya and his maternal uncle Vaisampayana as to who should be allowed to take the sacrificial fee and in presence of Devala, Devarata, Sumanta, Paila and Jaimini Yajnavalkya took half of that. Devarata I obtained the famous bow of Siva. The Vedic texts mention five Videha kings,Videgha Mathava, Janaka Vaideha, Janaki Ayasthuna, Nami Sepya and Para Ahlara. Janak Ayasthuna in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is said to be pupil of Chuda Bhagavitti and a teacher of Satyakama Jabala. Satyakama Jabala is contemporary of Janaka Vaideha and Yajnavalkya. Ayasthuna was a Grihapati of those whose Adhvaryu was Saulvayana and taught the latter the proper mode of using certain spoons. Sayana Ayasthuna is the name of a Rishi. Jatak mentions a city named Thuna between Mithila and the Himalayas, a favourite resort of Ayasthuna. Janakpur corresponds exactly with the position assigned by Hiuen Tsang the capital of Vaji. Janaka Vaideha is Kriti Janaka, son of Bahulasva and was contemporary of Janamejaya Parikshita and his son Satanika. Yajnavalkya and Kritis were the disciples of Hiranyanabha Kausalya.
Uddalaka Aruni was approached by Janamejaya Parikshita to become his priest. Uttanka instigated Janamejaya to exterminate the non-Aryan Sarpas by burning them in a sacrifice.Uddalaka Aruni with his son Svetaketu attended the Sarpa satra of Janamejaya. Yajnavalkya taught the Vedas to Satanika, the son and successor of Janamejaya.Kriti, the disciple of Hiranyanabha, was the son of a king. Janaka Videha was a contemporary of Uddalaka Aruni,Yajnavalkya, Ushasti Chakrayana. Janaka Vaideha brought centre of political and intellectual gravity from the Kuru country to Videha.The royal seat of the main branch of the Kuru or Bharata dynasty shifted to Kausambi. Aitareya Brahman says that all kings of the are called Samrat. Satapatha Brahman says that the Samrat was a higher authority than a Rajan as by the Rajasuya he becomes Raja and by Vajapeya he becomes Samrat. The Kuru Panchalas were called Rajan. Janaka Vaideha’s was a master of Agnihotra sacrifice. Yajnavalkya learnt the Agnihotra from this king. Yajnavalkya Vajasaneya, who was a pupil of Uddalaka Aruni. | 2019-04-21T06:58:50Z | http://www.biharlokmanch.org/cultural-article-46.html |
TONY Abbott’s concession to be more collegial and consultative has forced change on processes for delivering agricultural policy initiatives.
After his near miss in this week’s Liberal leadership challenge, the Prime Minister engineered what he says are significant internal changes to Cabinet processes, staff appointments and public service travel.
He said fundamentally, “this is going to be a government which socialises decisions before they’re finalised”.
READ MORE: ‘Kick up the bum’ for PMThe new process will see the 12 backbench committee chairs now involved in holding Cabinet discussions, at least once every two months. That includes the Coalition’s agricultural backbench committee, chaired by Victorian Liberal MP Dan Tehan.
Mr Abbott said at least every month there would also be a discussion of the full Ministry to address any issues.
“I’m really looking forward to (being) the voice of agriculture at the Cabinet table”“I want to harness all the creativity, not just ministers’ creativity, not just public service creativity, I want to harness all of the creativity and insights that this party room has to offer,” he said.
Other changes included in Mr Abbott’s new regime include getting rid of the paid parental leave scheme and axing prime ministerial knighthoods.
The Coalition also announced stronger scrutiny on the rules governing foreign investment in agricultural land on Wednesday.
Mr Tehan said the Prime Minister’s commitment to include the committee chairs more in policy decisions was “an extremely worthwhile proposition”.
“I’m really looking forward to (being) the voice of agriculture at the Cabinet table,” he said.
Mr Tehan will also be meeting on a regular basis with the cabinet’s policy unit to discuss initiatives.
“Obviously I’ll remain in constant touch with the Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce, but the idea here is for us to take some policy ideas forward and I think that’s very important,” he said.
Mr Tehan said the changes to agricultural policy weren’t urgent but any improvement to current processes would be welcomed.
He said Mr Joyce was very approachable and also attended the committee’s meetings held every Monday when parliament sits.
“Mr Joyce has been a very good conduit and the agriculture sector has been very well represented,” he said.
“But what has happened, in areas where there’s been crossover into other portfolios – not just with agriculture – there tends to be a sort of silo (effect) and it can be hard work to bring different departments together to try to solve issues.
“(Now) when issues need more than just the input of the Agriculture Department, we can bring others in and say ‘ok we need to work across portfolios to get outcomes’.
“To put it plainly, the government is spending $100 million a day more than it’s receiving at the moment”A spokesman for Mr Joyce said while Mr Abbott was already closely engaged in agricultural policy, the Minister welcomed moves to increase consultation with the backbench.
Mr Tehan said the average farmer working in the paddock wanted the federal government, “delivering profitability at the farm gate for them”.
“They won’t be too concerned by how we go about it; what they’ll want to see is a result and that’s what drives me,” he said.
Mr Tehan said the committee met this week and pinpointed the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper and implementing new rules for better scrutiny of foreign agricultural investment, as key issues.
Shadow Agriculture Minister Joel Fitzgibbon has criticised the government for ongoing delays in finalising those two key areas – but Mr Tehan said the Coalition needed to get both processes right.
“The key thing about the commitment on the Foreign Investment Review Board changes is that we’ve got to ensure there’s not too big an administrative burden,” he said.
Mr Tehan said the government wanted to ensure the White Paper would “stand the test of time” and wasn’t just a document that’s announced one day and then a month later “is old news”.
“We’ve got to make sure there are policies and approaches in the Agricultural White Paper which will set up the agriculture sector, not only for tomorrow, but for the next three to five years,” he said.
However, Mr Tehan warned the White Paper was being designed in a tight fiscal environment.
“To put it plainly, the government is spending $100 million a day more than it’s receiving at the moment,” he said.
“We have to do something about the monetary situation, and that’s the context in which we’ve got to frame this White Paper.
“Now that doesn’t mean we can’t do things by reprioritising and ensuring the focus is really on the issues that matter; and that in particular means driving profitability back to the farm gate.
Liberal MP Angus Taylor – also a Committee member -said the White Paper needed to address issues around agricultural finance.
He said various parts of the agricultural sector faced a “debt crisis… and we’ve got to start addressing that head on”.
Mr Taylor said any improvements to agricultural financing via the White Paper process would also relate to drought policy.
“At the end of the day you get through drought because you’re able to finance your way through drought; you can’t make it rain,” he said.
VIETNAM remains closed to Australian fresh fruit over concerns of Mediterranean fruit fly, with no resolution on the horizon.
The Vietnamese government stopped issuing import permits for fresh Australian fruit from January 1 this year and has sought advice regarding Australia’s management of Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly).
According to the Australian Horticultural Exporters Association (AHEA), the Australian horticulture industry stands to lose more than $40 million per annum with the ban affecting some 41 commodities.
Australian officials in the region are reportedly meeting as often as possible with Vietnamese counterparts to minimise trade disruptions and open trade opportunities again.
The Department of Agriculture says it is holding regular discussions with industry peak bodies.
Vietnamese relationship valuedAustralian officials are seeking recognition by Vietnam that Medfly is contained to Western Australia and that industries there have systems and treatments within orchards and packing sheds to ensure that the insects are not exported along with fresh fruit.
A Department spokesperson told Good Fruit and Vegetables it has provided Vietnam with 23 detailed technical market access submissions encompassing 41 fresh fruit commodities including table grapes, cherries, citrus and summerfruit to protect existing trade.
“The technical submissions address items such as pest control and orchard hygiene. In addition, the department has made a number of additional written representations regarding the status of Mediterranean fruit fly in Australia since November when Vietnam raised its specific concerns,” the spokesperson said.
The Department said it valued its trade relationship with Vietnam very highly and is committed to providing Vietnam with products that meet their importing country requirements.
The AHEA reported Australia is experiencing market failure for many horticultural commodities this season.
It listed cherries, stonefruit, mangoes and – as a result of the Vietnam closure – table grapes, as crops battling an oversupplied domestic market.
AHEA executive director Michelle Christoe said given the Australian and Vietnamese governments have both been in negotiations since November 2014, a resolution to current problems could be a long time coming.
“Vietnam want access for some of its produce, lychees, mangoes and dragonfruit,” Ms Christoe said.
“The ban in Vietnam should never have happened. Australia was put on notice of the potential ban and it should have been more proactive to bring it to resolve.
Ms Christoe said Australia needs a senior ministerial approach to resolve the situation.
“The industry needs resolution on key market access issues that will make a difference to the survival of horticulture in Australia,” she said.
WA growers call for better controlsThe ban has fuelled some Western Australian stonefruit growers to call for better Medfly control measures from the WA Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA).
Hills Orchard Improvement Group (HOIG) members said fruit growers were “suffering the consequences of lack of action” to control Medfly.
In a statement HOIG claimed members were concerned “other long-standing, traditional export destinations may follow the lead of Vietnam”.
HOIG has previously called on DAFWA to implement area-wide Medfly management systems, similar to those in the Eastern States, which involve all landowners in an area being part of a monitoring, trapping, baiting and property hygiene program – usually in conjunction with a release of sterile male flies to mate with any female flies.
HOIG spokesman Brett DelSimone said the Vietnamese government’s decision to stop issuing fresh fruit import permits to Australia was “a concerning escalation of the consequences that industry is suffering due to DAFWA inactivity in developing area-wide management”.
“Departmental staff have travelled the world for decades, at taxpayer expense, studying area-wide management and are yet to implement more than a few trials across affected production areas,” Mr DelSimone said.
“The last thing we need is further obstacles to export access into new and traditional markets.
“This has come about due to years of neglect by DAFWA, which has custody of Medfly control.
DAFWA director of plant biosecurity John Van Schagen said the impact of the Vietnam ban will predominately be felt in the Eastern States that are free from this pest and have systems in place to maintain that freedom.
He confirmed that in WA, only the Ord growing region in the north was free from Medfly, but he rejected the claims DAFWA’s lack of action on area-wide management systems was to blame.
“As with other established pests or weeds, it is up to growers to manage these pests on their property,” Mr Van Schagen said.
“Many growers are working hard on control and DAFWA continues to work with and provide advice to growers about control options, which include baiting, mass trapping, monitoring, orchard hygiene and permitted cover sprays.
APAL Industry Services Manager Annie Farrow said she is eager to see the Department of Agriculture work with the Vietnamese government and achieve access to the market again.
“Whilst our export volumes to Vietnam have been small in the past, it is an important and expanding market to a number of growers,” Ms Farrow said.
“In 2013 we exported 82 tonnes of pears to Vietnam, up on the 64 tonnes of the previous year. And, for the first nine months of 2014 pear shipments had increased to 106 tonnes.
More give, less take: AHEAAustralia may need serve up more “give” and less “take” if it’s to smooth over Vietnam’s ban on fruit imports.
“If Australia wants re-entry into Vietnam, it needs to fast track the approval process of the import applications,” Ms Christoe said.
“Australia has dragged its feet in the science of import risk assessments. We have been reviewing lychees since 2003.
“Whilst Australia is concerned about biosecurity, the issue here is not a pest concern.
“It is a lack of resource and priority on the issues to bring it to conclusion. The process is not working.
The situation has prompted AHEA to propose solutions, make submissions to government and call for more commercial mindedness from the government, whilst also recognising it needs to assist the government in achieving commercially viable agreements.
Although Ms Christoe commended the government in achieving recent free trade agreements with Korea, Japan and China, she said if Australia cannot get access for its commodities, it can’t take advantage of them.
“The way the department is engaging with the export industry is not working,” she said.
THE body handling a variety of food regulation issues in Australia and New Zealand wants to improve the project management of its larger research and action initiatives, in response to cost-cutting pressures from government.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) looks at proposals and applications to change the Food Standards Codes for the two countries.
One reason for referring to them in the plural is that New Zealand chooses to specify some modifications and exceptions to provisions which are otherwise totally uniform between the two polities. Regulatory officials and most business interests prefer to have the divergences as infrequent as possible, in the interests of production uniformity in a common trading market.
There is a constant flow of items needing attention, from product composition, packaging sizes, fine print on grocery items, use of insecticides, all watched over with close attention by the food industry, health advocates, consumer groups, farmers and other interested parties.
So drives for “efficiency dividends” and a general cost-trimming mood at higher administrative levels have induced FSANZ to look for outside assistance.
“In 2014, in light of diminishing government resources, a series of change management related initiatives were initiated,” the tender document explains.
“One of these initiatives was a project to rethink and redesign internal approaches and processes for projects to ensure they are fit for purpose.
TenderSearch says the closing date for applications is March 2, at either 154 Featherstone St, Wellington, New Zealand or 55 Blackall St, Barton, ACT for hand delivery, or the postal address in either Wellington or Canberra. FSANZ is registered for GST in both Australia and New Zealand.
If the successful consultant is based in New Zealand, the fee calculated will have a GST component at the New Zealand rate of 15 per cent. The agency is looking for rapid implementation. It hopes to have an initial scoping meeting by March 23 and a seminar for staff outlining the results by June 5.
The focus will be on the large scale projects, where there should be more room for improvements. The aim is fewer and more carefully tailored projects, making better use of resources and achieving faster completion times. Included in the standard references to methods, structure, processes and leadership is a look at culture, or the embedded habits, corporate memories and expectations of the workforce.
The food policy framework for Australia is set by the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulations, consisting of the health and agriculture ministers of Australasian governments.
Aspects covered include use of ingredients, processing aids, colouring, additives, vitamins and minerals, novel new foods, composition of dairy, meat and beverages, and labelling for both packaged and unpacked foods, including specific mandatory warnings or advisory labels.
CHINA’S largest privately owned agribusiness company and the Perich family from Sydney are looking to buy a $100 million dairy in western NSW, as the lower dollar and China free trade agreement revive foreign interest in the farm sector.
The Chengdu-based New Hope Group and the Periches are targeting the giant Moxey Farms dairy outside Forbes as their first joint transaction.
Family patriarch Tony Perich told The Australian Financial Review his private company was doing due diligence on the Moxey dairy and was looking to bring New Hope in as an investor.
A short list of bidders was finalised earlier in the month by NAB Advisory, which is conducting the sale process for the Moxey family.
Mr Perich said the listed Freedom Foods, which is controlled by his family, was not involved in the deal.
Offshore interest in the Australian farm sector comes amid surging demand from China’s increasingly wealthy middle class for higher-quality imported food.
Beef and powdered milk have seen strong growth in recent years, but the latest trend in China is for fresh milk. This has companies such as NSW dairy co-operative Norco air freight fresh milk into Shanghai, where it sells for $7.60 a litre in supermarkets and online.
Chinese fresh milk imports grew by 74 per cent last year and have increased tenfold since 2010.
New Hope, which has annual sales of $US8.8 billion ($11.3 billion), said it will begin selling an Australian fresh milk product this year.
It has earmarked $500 million to invest in Australian agricultural assets over the next decade.
The bulk of these funds are expected to go into the dairy sector and be invested alongside the Perich family.
New Hope’s first Australian investment was in late 2013 when it bought a controlling stake in Queensland’s Kilcoy abattoir.
The investment agreement between the Perich family and New Hope was struck on the same days as negotiations concluded in Canberra for the free trade agreement with China.
This will see tariffs on Australian dairy products eliminated 11 years after the FTA comes into force.
“We are definitely seeing more interest from both institutional and private investors in dairy due to the depreciating Australian dollar, the attractive free trade agreement and some favourable pricing,” said Darren Craike from Bell Potter Securities.
The Moxey family put its 2700-hectare dairy operation on the market last October.
Its preference is to remain involved in business, but bring in a strategic partner, allowing it to pay down debt while also expanding.
The operation is estimated to be worth about $100 million.
It milks 3500 cows, produces 50 million litres of milk annually and generated earnings before interest and tax of about $12 million last year.
One financial investor said he was told earlier this month his consortium had been unsuccessful in its bid for Moxey, as the family was looking to bring in a strategic investor.
This would favour a partnership between the Perich family and New Hope, which both have strong links into China.
New Hope is China’s largest feed-grain producer. It also has some of the country’s leading red meat, dairy, pork and poultry brands.
The Perich family runs one of Australia’s biggest dairy farms west of Sydney and have supply agreements with China’s Bright Foods and the Shenzhen JiaLiLe Food Company. With the Pactrum Dairy Group, the family also has extensive property holdings in western Sydney.
Increasing demand for fresh food in supermarkets is driving interest in refrigerated warehouses.MORE than half a billion dollars’ worth of refrigerated warehouses are on the market as the demand for fresh food among such supermarket chains as Coles, Woolworths and Metcash attracts new entrants to the sector.
As revealed by The Australian Financial Review, Goodman Group and Brickworks have put up for sale, through JLL and Colliers International, a $250 million-plus, 50,000-square-metre chilled distribution centre at Sydney’s Eastern Creek.
Separately, family-owned cold storage company Oxford Cold Storage has appointed CBRE to sell its 24-hectare Laverton North estate in Victoria, also tipped to fetch about $250 million.
Analysis by JLL Research shows that of the 94 refrigerated logistics and distribution facilities identified in major capital cities, 27 of the largest are occupied by Coles, Woolworths or Metcash. A further 29 are occupied by Americold or Swire Cold Storage – two of the groups responsible for major contracts to Coles and Woolworths for meat, dairy and other products.
JLL director of national industrial research Nick Crothers said the refrigerated logistics and distribution segment is estimated to account for nearly 18 per cent of warehouse industry revenue in 2014-15, making it an $859 million dollar industry.
“Food and beverages imports in customs value has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, increasing 8.7 per cent per year in the three years to November 2014,” he said.
Stud cattle judging at Beef Australia 2015 will be held from Tuesday May 5 to Thursday May 7.JUDGES for the stud cattle competition at Beef Australia 2015, Rockhampton, have been announced.
Check out who will be making the big decisions.
Renee Rutherford works at her family’s Redskin Droughtmaster stud at “Redbank”, on the Fitzroy river.
Ms Rutherford has twice been a judge at the Brisban Ekka, as well as judging at many of her local shows.
Located 75 kilometres west of Rockhampton, “Redbank” also runs a Droughtmaster/Brahman based commercial herd.
A third generation beef producer, Lindsay Dingle breeds both stud and commercial Simmental and Simbrah cattle.
Mr Dingle judged at Beef Australia in 2012, and has previously judged at feature shows in Queenlsand and Western Australia, as well as at local country shows.
A director of the family owned meat processing Nolan Meats, Terry Nolan is involved in cattle breeding, backgrounding, feedlotting, beef processing and distribution.
Based in Gympie, Queensland, Mr Nolan judged at the inaugural Beef Australia in 1988, and in 2010 was named the Maersk Shipping Distinguished Australian of the Year for service to the Australian export meat industry.
Manager of Yulgilbar Pastoral Company, Baryulgil, New South Wales, Rob Sinnamon runs 5500 stud and commercial Santa Gertrudis cattle.
National Champion Young Beef Cattle Judge in 1987, Mr Sinnamon has judged the majority of beef breeds at every Royal show in Australia.
Co-principal of Palgrove stud with wife Prue, David Bondfield’s family was among the first breeders of Charolais in Australia.
Based in south east Queensland, Palgrove cattle have won the interbreed competition at the Brisbane Royal a record 10 times in the past 23 years.
He has judged cattle at every Royal show in Australia, as well as at events in New Zealand, Canada, United States and Scotland.
Neil Goetsch has 38 years’ experience in the livestock industry, showing both commercial and stud cattle.
This includes running a stud, commercial feedlot, fitting service.
The family also have Brangus breeding and fattening operations across Queensland in the Springsure, Dingo and Anakie districts.
Reade Radel’s family runs cattle across four properties in the Taroom, Injune and Augathella districts, Queensland.
This included the Kandoona Red Brahman Stud. Mr Radel has judged at shows across Queensland, including previously at Beef Australia.
Based at “Rowanlea”, south west of Calliope in central Queensland, Andrew Chapman is a fourth generation cattleman.
Now managing Rowanlea Cattle Company, a Santa Gertrudis and Brahman stud and commercial cattle operation, Mr Chapman has judged at regional and Royal shows in three states.
Raised on a stud and commercial cattle property between Chinchilla and Eidsvold in Queensland, Glenn Trout has managed the Tynan family’s Birubi Limousin and Lim-flex Studs at Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, since 1996.
He has previously judged at events including Farmfair International Edmonton, Canada 2014 and the Alberta Supreme Show, as well as royal shows across Australia.
Steve Pocock has worked in cattle breeding, feedlotting and stud operations across New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Currently operations manager at Brunette Downs Station for AACo, Mr Pocock has judged in the US as a member of the University of Illinios team, as well as locally.
Matthew Welsh family’s business, Welsh Cattle Co, has evolve over the years from commercial breeding to a major seedstock operation, Huntington Charbrays.
Jason Catts established Futurity Shorthorns in 1987 with wife Kylie and his parents John and Althea.
Now running the business, Mr Catts has judged at numerous royal shows, most recently the Angus at the 2011 Brisbane EKKA.
THE sheep industry is set to benefit from two new innovative research projects that will be undertaken at Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga.
The projects, funded by the NSW Sheep Industry Fund, were announced by NSW Primary Industries Minister, Katrina Hodgkinson, at Wagga last week.
The first of the research project will be a pilot study to investigate the potential claimed link between soil pH, nutritional conditions and the clinical expression of Ovine Johne’s Disease (OJD).
The results from this trial would then determine if further research in this area was warranted.
The second project will look at the effectiveness of vitamin and mineral supplements commonly used in sheep in NSW.
“This research will provide sheep producers with unbiased scientific information to help them decide if vitamin and mineral supplements are effective and economically worthwhile,” Ms Hodgkinson said.
Ms Hodgkinson said the initiative delivers on Goal 1 of the NSW Agriculture Industry Action Plan launched last year – to maintain a responsive and flexible industry.
“This strategic roadmap was developed between industry and the NSW government and ensures the continued growth of the State’s $12 billion primary industries sector,” Ms Hodgkinson said.
Sheep Advisory Group chairman Andrew Martel said the group provided advice to the Ms Hodgkinson on proposals for the use of the funds.
He said the NSW Sheep Industry Fund was used for research, extension or surveillance projects with outcomes that deliver practical benefits to NSW sheep producers.
Applicants seeking funding from the NSW Sheep Industry Fund for research, extension or surveillance projects may apply using the application form on the Department of Primary Industries website.
Allan Milan checking his wet season crop with SunRrice northern operations manager Steve Rogers.BURDEKIN cane grower Allan Milan calculates he made 50 per cent better net return from rice than he would have if the same land had grown sugar cane last season.
Rice, yielding nine tonnes a hectare from 54ha, also delivered a 30pc better return per megalitre of irrigation water than sugar.
A leap in input costs associated with cane farming in the past decade, particularly electricity to run irrigation pumps, have convinced Mr Milan and his wife Lynette to make better use of fallow cane land on their Giru district farm east of Ayr.
Cane crop input costs had jumped almost $10 to $30 for every harvested tonne in just eight years.
“There’s got to be more than one way to skin a cat,” said Mr Milan, pictured checking his wet season crop (expected to average about 8t/ha) with SunRrice northern operations manager Steve Rogers (right).
The Milans, with teenage sons Ryan and Caleb, expanded this season’s rice area to 184ha of their 560ha aggregation and will probably plant a dry season crop of up to 280ha.
Mr Milan said northern yields and returns, particularly for niche varieties, had improved notably since rice was previously grown in the Burdekin in the 1990s, with aerobic crops yielding about 2t/ha better than the 7t/ha previously grown in flooded bay systems.
“It’s an exciting time. SunRice has come in with the resources to provide technical support, markets and new varieties,” Mr Milan said.
“Although a lot of people are reluctant to leave the security of cane growing, there’s quite a bit of interest in rice.
Solid grain legume markets were also an attraction for growers using their 20pc fallow rotation area to grow mungbeans other pulses.
Many cane growers were also looking ahead at diversification options because of looming changes to cane marketing structures by global milling giant Wilmar.
NATIONAL forecaster the Australian Bureau of Agricultural Resources Economics and Sciences (ABARES) has made some late revisions to its final numbers for the 2014-15 winter crop.
Senior commodities analyst at ABARES Peter Collins said total national winter crop production had been increased slightly from the December figure to 38.2 million tonnes.
This was on the back of a 6 per cent increase in Western Australia and a 5pc upward revision in Victoria.
“What we found was that in Victoria, in spite of the well-publicised tough season in the Wimmera and Mallee, a lot of other areas had years better than expected, with frost damage not quite as severe as growers thought,” Mr Collins said.
In WA, he said while there were issues with hail and heavy rain at harvest it had not influenced the overall figure too much.
The 38.2mt crop is squarely in average territory, in spite of big rainfall deficits right down the east coast.
The crop was 13pc down year on year, but Mr Collins said the 2013-14 harvest was a large one, based on near record production in WA and South Australia.
barley output dipped 18pc to 8 million tonnes and canola dropped 10pc to 3.4 million tonnes.
The wheat figure is well below the five-year average, but Mr Collins pointed out this average was made up of several good seasons.
Mr Collins said the season could be described as reasonable.
The major falls in production occurred down the east coast.
Total production also looked to fall substantially in SA, down 12pc to 7.6 million tonnes, and WA, down 16pc to 14.6 million tonnes, but Mr Collins said it was important to remember these two states had come off historically high figures the season before.
Mr Collins said total canola production was down 10pc, but still clocked in at 3.4mt, well above averages up to 2010.
“We lifted forecasts slightly from December, primarily on the back of better yields than we thought in WA and Victoria.
Milos Trifunovic at Jets training on Thursday. Picture: Max-Mason HubersTHEY arrived in Newcastle with high hopes and, in some cases, illustrious reputations.
But can Serbian import Milos Trifunovic succeed where the likes of Emile Heskey, Mario Jardel, Michael Bridges, Francis Jeffers, Edmundo Zura and Edson Montaño failed and provide the Jets with a goal haul in double figures this season?
In the 10 seasons since the A-League’s inception, only two Newcastle players, Joel Griffiths and Adam Taggart, have scored 10 or more goals in a campaign.
Griffiths found the net 14 times in the championship-winning 2007-08 season, and Taggart scored 16 in 2013-14. Both were Golden Boot winners.
The best single-season return from an overseas player was Heskey’s nine-goal tally in 2012-13.
Trifunovic, who trained for the first time with his Newcastle teammates on Sunday, has scored 97 goals in a 327-game professional career at clubs in Serbia, Sweden, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and China.
Jets coach Scott Miller accepts that for his team to challenge for the play-offs they must dramatically improve their firepower up front.
Last season’s wooden-spooners scored only 23 goals in 27 games, the fewest in the A-League and 19 behind sixth-placed Brisbane.
‘‘If you look at the statistics from that, driven from there, you’d probably want him to score at least 10 to 15,’’ Miller said of his new recruit.
‘‘Now, that’s not my ambition for him. He’ll set his own targets.
Speaking with teammate Mateo Poljak acting as interpreter, Trifunovic was on the same wavelength as his new coach.
‘‘He doesn’t want to talk about himself,’’ Poljak said.
‘‘He wants to leave it on the pitch for everyone else to judge.
Asked if 15 goals was realistic, Poljak replied, on behalf of Trifunovic: ‘‘Obviously you can’t know what’s going to happen, but he can promise that he’s going to work hard.
The 30-year-old had a brief training session with the rest of Newcastle’s players on Thursday before individual shuttle runs with conditioning staff.
‘‘The initial response was good,’’ Miller said.
‘‘It was obviously a limited session for him, but he’s looking well, he’s physically fit, and he actually did some conditioning as well, which he came through very positively … Milos is right down the track of where we want him.
‘‘It’s now more about training with the team daily, to understand the principles.
While Trifunovic speaks limited English, several Jets players can speak Serbian, so Miller said the language barrier would not be a problem.
‘‘The first thing we did this morning was a three v one session, which was highly technical,’’ Miller said.
Miller said after extensive research and references he established that Trifunovic was ‘‘very dynamic’’ in front of goal and capable of succeeding in the A-League.
He was hopeful of giving him some game time in an intra-club hit-out at Magic Park, Broadmeadow, on Saturday.
‘‘I’d like to include him in that at some part,’’ Miller said.
The Jets still face a race against time to ensure their target man has his paperwork processed for the round-one game against the Phoenix in Wellington on October 11.
‘‘I’m preparing him as if he’s available,’’ Miller said.
● The Jets have announced a new jersey sponsor in global smartphone and tablet brand Alcatel OneTouch, whose logo will feature on the back of their away jerseys this season. | 2019-04-26T03:37:27Z | http://www.xmwyjj.com/2018/07/ |
Jacob is interested in machine learning and computer vision, particularly in in applying real-time implementations for robotics systems. He has a background in theoretical mathematics and software development, and is currently focused on his research with multi-robot systems and the robot soccer team. Jacob is an active runner and biker, and enjoys a nice game of Magic: The Gathering.
Sanmit is interested in reinforcement learning, and in machine learning in general. His current research focuses on curriculum learning -- the automated design of a sequence of tasks that enable autonomous agents to learn faster or better. Sanmit is also a member of the UT Austin Villa Standard Platform League team, where he works primarily on the vision system. In his free time, Sanmit enjoys playing soccer, running, and reading.
Josiah is interested in how the capabilities of autonomous vehicles can be used to increase the efficiency of modern traffic systems. He is also part of both the Standard Platform League and 3D simulation team for UT Austin Villa working on robot motion and skill optimization. Outside of his research, Josiah enjoys just about any sport, running, hiking, traveling, and reading.
Shih-Yun is interested in the development of autonomous systems, which can learn, self-regularize, and interact with the dynamically changing environment, including humans. She is currently working on the BWI project, working on integrated planning algorithms. She has a background in adaptive control systems, and is interested in the combined framework of control and learning algorithms. Outside of research, she enjoys tennis, reading, movies, and traveling. She sometimes travels for movies when in Taiwan, but not so much in the US.
Faraz is interested in reinforcement learning and imitation learning, particularly in how to use already existing resources to train agents. He is currently focused on learning to imitate skills from raw video observation. In his free time, Faraz enjoys playing volleyball, ping-pong, movies, and traveling.
Ishan is interested in Reinforcement Learning and AI in general, with a focus on techniques involving Deep Learning. His current research focuses on intrinsic motivation, meaning behavior that is motivated by the agent itself rather than as a result of a reward signal that is given to the agent externally. In his spare time, Ishan enjoys photography, reading, gaming and cooking.
Yuqian is interested in robotics and AI, with a current focus on using planning and learning techniques to improve systems of autonomous service robots. She is working on the BWI project, and participating in the RoboCup@Home team for UT Austin Villa. Outside of research, she enjoys watching basketball, traveling, and playing the piano.
Eddy is interested in applying insights from human intelligence to deep learning systems. He believes that doing so can lead to two important benefits: improved performance of said systems, and a deeper understanding of human intelligence. Outside of research, he is interested in mountaineering and climbing.
"Sequential Decision Making in Artificial Musical Intelligence"
Elad is interested in machine learning and its application in autonomous multiagent settings, as well as the emergent field of computational musicology. His dissertation focused on learning musical preferences and modeling the effect of musical stimuli on human decision making. Elad was also a member of the UT Austin Villa Standard Platform League team, working primarily on robotic vision and object recognition. In his free time, Elad enjoys music in every way and form (listening to it, playing piano and guitar, and writing his own), reading (anything from classic literature and philosophy to the sports section), cooking, and playing racquetball.
"Multilayered Skill Learning and Movement Coordination for Autonomous Robotic Agents"
Winner of UT Austin Computer Science Bert Kay Outstanding Dissertation Award.
Patrick's dissertation was on autonomous multiagent systems and machine learning. His research was motivated by using reinforcement learning to develop locomotion skills and strategy for the for the UT Austin Villa RoboCup 3D Simulation League team. Before coming to UT, Patrick worked as a software engineer at Green Hills Software and Acelot, Inc. in Santa Barbara, California. Outside of his research, Patrick enjoys playing soccer, traveling, and following college football.
"Fly with Me: Algorithms and Methods for Influencing a Flock"
Katie's dissertation examined the problem of influencing flocks of birds using robot birds that are seen by the flock as one of their own. In particular, Katie considered how these robot birds should behave, where they should be placed within the flock, and how to minimize disruption while joining and leaving the flock. Katie contributed to the UT Austin Villa robot soccer team throughout her time at UT, including a first place finish in the Standard Platform League (SPL) at RoboCup 2012 and a second place finish in the SPL at RoboCup 2016. She served as the SPL organizing committee chair for RoboCup 2013, the SPL technical committee chair for RoboCup 2014-2017, and will serve as an SPL executive committee member for RoboCup 2018-2020. Before joining UT, she obtained her B.S. in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
"On-Demand Coordination of Multiple Service Robots"
Job after graduation: Research Scientist, Cogitai, Inc.
Piyush's research focuses on advancing mobile robot systems in unstructured indoor environments. As part of his dissertation research, he developed multiple indoor Segway-based robots. Using these robots, he demonstrated how to use centralized probabilistic planning techniques to efficiently aid humans in the environment. During his time as a Ph.D. student, he has also worked on autonomous vehicles and the RoboCup Standard Platform League (SPL). In his spare time, he likes to cook.
"Cooperation and Communication in Multiagent Deep Reinforcement Learning"
Matthew's research focuses on the intersection of Deep Neural Networks and Reinforcement Learning with the goal of developing autonomous agents capable of adapting and learning in complex environments. In his spare time he enjoys rock climbing and freediving.
"Autonomous Trading in Modern Electricity Markets"
Daniel, an NSF IGERT Graduate Research Fellow, is researching how to design learning agents that solve sustainable energy problems. Such agents need to take robust decisions under uncertainty, while learning, predicting, planning and adapting to changing environments. Daniel's research included designing a learning agent for controlling a smart thermostat, and designing the champion power-trading agent that won the finals of the 2013 Power Trading Agent Competition. Previously, Daniel was part of the champion RoboCup 3D simulation team, UT Austin Villa. Outside work, Daniel enjoys literature, theatre, hiking and biking.
"Making Friends on the Fly: Advances in Ad Hoc Teamwork"
Currently: Senior Software Engineer, Cogitai, Inc.
Sam's dissertation examined the problem of ad hoc teamwork, cooperating with unknown teammates. His work explored how robots and other agents could reuse knowledge learned about previous teammates in order to quickly adapt to new teammates. While at UT, he also helped the UT Austin Villa team win the 2012 international RoboCup competition in the standard platform league (SPL). Before joining UT, he obtained his B.S. in Computer Science from Stevens Institute of Technology.
"TEXPLORE: Temporal Difference Reinforcement Learning for Robots and Time-Constrained Domains"
Todd's dissertation focussed on reinforcement learning and robotics, specifically looking at the exploration versus exploitation problem in reinforcement learning and working to apply it to large domains. Before coming to UT, Todd worked in the Motion Analysis Laboratory at Spaulding Rehabiliation Hospital, Motorola, Sun Microsystems, and the Air Force Research Laboratory. Outside of his research, Todd enjoys ultimate frisbee and foosball and is a dedicated New England Patriots fan.
Brad, an NSF Graduate Research Fellow, is researching how to design agents that can be taught interactively by human reward—somewhat like animal training. The TAMER framework is the result of his efforts. After giving a lot of demos of a trainable Tetris agent, he keeps getting called "The Tetris Guy." Brad spent the summer of 2011 collaborating at the MIT Media Lab with with Cynthia Breazeal, where he implemented TAMER on the social robot Nexi and began a postdoc in late 2012. In his free time, Brad runs in "barefoot" sandals, eats tasty trailer food, and tries out his robot training techniques on his dog.
"Sample Efficient Multiagent Learning in the Presence of Markovian Agents"
Doran's research is on agent modeling in multiagent systems. His main interest lies in modeling opponents in multiagent settings such as repeated and sequential games. He also has a parallel interest in model-based reinforcement learning and its overlap with multiagent modeling. He is also a member of the team that won the first Trading Agent Ad Auction competition held at IJCAI, 2009. Between his years in schools, he has worked as a software architect for a couple of years for Sybase and Johnson & Johnson. He is one of the developers of the open source software project perf4j: a statistical logging framework. Outside work, he is a soccer geek and loves following all kinds of soccer leagues around Europe.
"Learning Methods for Sequential Decision making with Imperfect Representations"
Shivaram is fascinated by the question of how intelligence can be programmed, and in particular how systems can learn from experience. His dissertation examines the relationship between representations and learning methods in the context of sequential decision making. With an emphasis on practical applications, Shivaram has extensively used robot soccer as a test domain in his research. His other interests include multi-agent systems, humanoid robotics, and bandit problems. Shivaram's return to his home country, India, upon graduation is motivated by the desire to apply his expertise as a computer scientist to problems there of social relevance.
"Robust Color-based Vision for Mobile Robots"
Juhyun's dissertation was on robust color-based vision for autonomous mobile robots. Specifically, he employed concepts and techniques from 3D computer graphics and exploited the robot's motion and observation capabilities to achieve that goal. As a member of the UT Austin Villa team, he contributed to the RoboCup @Home league 2007 and RoboCup Standard Platform League 2010, which finished in 2nd and 3rd places, respectively. Before joining UTCS, he obtained his B.S. in Computer Science from Seoul National University and worked at Ebay Korea. In his free time, Juhyun enjoys playing the electric guitar, snowboarding, and videogaming.
"Adaptive Trading Agent Strategies Using Market Experience "
David's research focuses on applications of machine learning in e-commerce settings. This research was motivated by his participation in the Trading Agent Competition, where he designed winning agents in supply chain management and ad auction scenarios. His dissertation explored methods by which agents in such settings can adapt to the behavior of other agents, with a particular focus on the use of transfer learning to learn quickly from limited interaction with these agents.
"Structured Exploration for Reinforcement Learning"
Nick's dissertation examined the interplay between exploration and generalization in reinforcement learning, in particular the effects of structural assumptions and knowledge. To this end, his research integrated ideas in function approximation, hierarchical decomposition, and model-based learning. At Apple, he was responsible for the typing model and search algorithms that underlie keyboard autocorrection on iPhones and iPads. Now at Google, he continues to help bring machine learning to mobile devices.
"Automated Domain Analysis for General Game Playing"
Greg's dissertation explored the benefits of domain analysis and transfer learning to the general game playing problem. Earlier in his graduate career, he was also a contributing member of the UT Austin Villa robot soccer team in both the standard platform and simulated coach leagues. At 21st Century Technologies, Greg applied machine learning and intelligent agent techniques to unmanned systems and data mining problems.
UT Austin Outstanding Dissertation Award.
Kurt's dissertation was on Autonomous Intersection Management, the project he helped start in his second year. He currently is employed at Google, where he employs mind-boggling amounts of data to make the World Wide Web a better place. Outside of his academic interests, Kurt enjoys playing the guitar, listening to music, playing board games, and photography.
"Autonomous Inter-Task Transfer in Reinforcement Learning Domains"
Matt's Ph.D. dissertation focused on transfer learning, a novel method for speeding up reinforcement learning through knowledge reuse. His dissertation received an honorable mention in the competition for the IFAAMAS-08 Victor Lesser Distinguished Dissertation Award. After UT, Matt moved to The University of Southern California to work with Milind Tambe as a post-doc, pursuing his interests in multi-agent systems.
"Autonomous Sensor and Action Model Learning for Mobile Robots"
Dan's dissertation presented algorithms enabling an autonomous mobile robot to learn about the effects of its actions and the meanings of its sensations. These action and sensor models are learned without the robot starting with an accurate estimate of either model. These algorithms were implemented and tested on two robotic platforms: a Sony AIBO ERS-7 and an autonomous car. After graduating, Dan joined Morgan Stanley as a trading strategist to model the behavior of illiquid credit derivatives.
"Adaptive Representations for Reinforcement Learning"
Shimon's research is primarily focused on single- and multi-agent decision-theoretic planning and learning, especially reinforcement learning, though he is also interested in stochastic optimization methods such as neuroevolution. Current research efforts include comparing disparate approaches to reinforcement learning, developing more rigorous frameworks for empirical evaluations, improving the scalability of multiagent planning, and applying learning methods to traffic management, helicopter control, and data filtering in high energy physics.
"Robust Structure-Based Autonomous Color Learning on a Mobile Robot"
Job after graduation: Research Fellow at University of Birmingham (UK) on the EU-funded Cognitive Systems (CoSy) project. August 2007 -- October 2008.
Then: Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Texas Tech University. 2008 -- 2014.
Currently: Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science at University of Birmingham (UK).
Mohan's Ph.D. dissertation focused on enabling a mobile robot to autonomously plan its actions to learn models of color distributions in its world, and to use the learned models to detect and adapt to illumination changes. His post-doctoral work on using hierarchical POMDPs for visual processing management won a distinguished paper award at ICAPS-08. His current research interests include knowledge representation, machine learning, computer vision and cognitive science as applied to autonomous robots and intelligent agents.
PhD in Software and Information Systems Engineering, Ben Gurion University, 2019.
Research Interests: plan recognition, diagnosis, human-robot interaction.
Reuth's dissertation focused on plan recognition challenges, such as compact problem representation, efficient domain design and hypotheses disambiguation. Her algorithms have been applied in tasks for education, clinical treatment, and finance. Her long-term goal is to make human-aware machines that can perform tasks in collaboration with human team members.
Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering and Management, Ben-Gurion University, 2015.
Research Interests: distributed coordination of multi-robot systems, human-robot interaction.
Harel's thesis focused on developing a framework and distributed algorithms to represent and solve distributed mobile multiagent problems. Harel is a part of the BWI project and his work lies at the intersection of Robot Perception, Grasping and Navigation, Human Robot Interaction, Natural Language Processing, and Reinforcement Learning. In his free time, Harel enjoys playing basketball, soccer, swimming, and outdoor activities.
Ph.D. in Computer Science, Bar-Ilan University, 2017.
Research Interests: artificial intelligence, information disclosure, value of information, information brokers in multiagent systems, game theory, auction theory, multiagent economic search/exploration, human-computer interaction, mechanism design.
Shani's thesis research focused on the role of providing information to agents in multi-agent systems. Her thesis focused on three highly applicable settings: auctions, economic search, and interaction with people. Her research is based on both theoretical analysis and online empirical experiments. The theoretical analysis was carried out using concepts from game theory, auction theory, and search theory, while the online experiments were conducted on Amazon Mechanical Turk, a well-known crowdsourcing platform. Shani is currently working on projects including robots, ad-hoc team work, and real time traffic management of autonomous vehicles.
Ph.D. in Computer Science, Yale University, 2014.
Research Interests: robotics, human-robot interaction.
Justin's dissertation focused on robots learning about their bodies and senses through experience, culminating in a robot inferring the visual perspective of a mirror. His current work focuses on autonomous human-robot interaction, in particular the use of natural language and language grounding. His long-term goal is to enable robots to pass the mirror test, and to use self-reflexive reasoning and perspective-taking in human-robot dialog.
Ph.D. in Information Systems Engineering, Ben-Gurion University, 2015.
Research Interests: artificial intelligence, heuristic search, real-time search, multiagent pathfinding.
Guni's thesis research focused on two complicated variants of the path finding problem on an explicitly given graph: (1) multiagent path-finding where paths should be assigned to multiple agents, each with a unique start and goal vertices such that the paths do not overlap and (2) real-time agent-centered where a single agent must physically find its way from start to goal while utilizing a bounded amount of time and memory prior to performing each physical step. These days Guni is working towards integrating his past research into real time traffic management of autonomous vehicles.
Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence, The University of Edinburgh, 2015.
Research Interests: multiagent interaction, ad hoc coordination, game theory.
Stefano's research focuses on ad hoc coordination in multiagent systems. Therein, the goal is to develop autonomous agents that can achieve flexible and efficient interaction with other agents whose behaviours are a priori unknown. This involves a number of challenging problems, such as efficient learning and adaptation in the presence of uncertainty as well as robustness with respect to violations of prior beliefs. The long-term goal of this research is to enable innovative applications such as adaptive user interfaces, automated trading agents, and robotic elderly care.
Ph.D. in CS and Human-Computer Interaction, Iowa State University, 2013.
Jivko's research focuses on aspects of developmental robotics dealing with multi-modal object perception and behavioral object exploration. His long term goal is to enable robots to autonomously extract knowledge about objects in their environment through active interaction with them. He is currently working on projects involving Transfer Learning in a Reinforcement Learning setting and Building-Wide Intelligence (BWI) using autonomous robots.
Ph.D. in Financial Economics, Duke University, 2013.
Michael's research focuses on robust autonomous mechanism design. His work looks at the allocation of scarce resources to self-interested agents in an optimal fashion. This requires making assumptions about the value of those resources to the agents. His research explores the sensitivity of the mechanism design process to those assumptions and how to design algorithms that generate mechanisms that are robust to mis-specification of the assumptions. His long term goal is to integrate this line of research with machine learning techniques to estimate and incorporate the valuations of the agents in a repeated mechanism design setting.
Currently: Assistant professor of Computer Science at SUNY Binghamton.
Shiqi's research is on knowledge representation and reasoning in robotics. His research goal is to enable robots to represent, reason with and learn from qualitative and quantitative descriptions of uncertainty and knowledge. He is currently working on projects including hierarchical planning using ASP and Building-Wide Intelligence (BWI).
Research Interests: reinforcement learning, knowledge representation, robotics.
Matteo's research is about the application of AI to robotics, in particular about decision making. His work is focused on mitigating the uncertainty on knowledge representations in autonomous robots, and the consequent flimsy behavior, through reinforcement learning. He is in general interested in how the rationality of automated reasoning can come to terms with the wild attitude towards exploration of most machine learning.
Noa's research is focused on various aspects of multi-robot systems, including multi-robot patrolling, robot navigation and multi-agent planning in adversarial environments. Her research uses tools from theoretical computer science for analyzing problems in practical multi-robot systems.
Chiu worked mainly on the Autonomous Intersection Management project while at UT Austin as a post-doc. Before entering UT Austin, he worked on several research projects in Artificial Intelligence, including automated planning and error detection in multiagent systems. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking and watching movies.
Michael researches various aspects of robotic systems, including motion, vision and localization. He currently teaches a class on Autonomous Vehicles and competes as part of the Austin Villa team at RoboCup using the Nao humanoid robots. In his spare time he enjoys basketball, cycling, running and soccer.
Tobias is interested in optimization and optimal decision-making: in particular how to act optimally when individual decisions have uncertain outcomes and far-reaching consequences. Knowing that his own abilities in this area are rather limited, he focuses his research on how these problems can be solved automatically and computationally. His thesis (nominated for the GI National Dissertation Prize) describes a novel and highly sample efficient online algorithm for reinforcement learning that is specifically aimed at learning in high-dimensional continuous state spaces. Some of his other work includes multivariate time series prediction, sensor evolution and curiosity-driven learning.
Job after UT: Senior Scientist at TRACLabs Inc.
Patrick is interested in the intersection of AI and robotics. This includes human-robot interaction, cognitive models for robotic navigation, and developmental robotics. He is currently working on a sensor-to-symbol cognitive architecture, which will enable modular robotic platforms to be used in a variety of domains with minimal software changes.
Ian's research is on developmental robotics and human-robot interaction. The first topic seeks to answer: how can a (human or robot) baby discover basic low-level perceptual and motor concepts through prolonged autonomous interactions with the world? The second topic broadens this to include social concepts, such as emotions, gaze-following, and turn-taking, and incorporates both care-giving and explicit teaching into the developmental process as well. This work mostly involves application and development of machine learning methods to robots which must interact with objects and people in the world in real-time.
As a post-doc, Bikram worked on transfer learning methodology for challenging knowledge transfer tasks, such as general game playing. Currently, he is working on multiple projects funded by NASA and DHS, that exploit multi-agent systems technology to solve problems relating to rocket engine tests and large scale crowd simulation.
Yaxin's Ph.D. research at Georgia Tech was on risk-sensitive planning. As a post-doc at UT Austin, Yaxin was key personnel on the Transfer Learning project. His research focussed on transfering value functions among related sequential decision making problems in order to speed up learning.
"Nondeterminism as a Reproducibility Challenge for Deep Reinforcement Learning"
Prabhat's Master's thesis studied the impact of nondeterminism on reproducibility in deep reinforcement learning. His work demonstrated that individual sources of nondeterminism in algorithm implementations can substantially impact the reproducibility of an agent's performance. Furthermore, standard practices in deep reinforcement learning may be inadequate at detecting differences in performance between algorithms. His thesis argues for deterministic implementations as a solution to both of these issues, showing how they eliminate nondeterminism and how statistical tests can be formulated to take advantage of determinism. Prabhat has previously interned at Yahoo!, Microsoft, and Facebook, working on ads targeting, team services, and messaging.
"Light-Based Nonverbal Signaling with Passive Demonstrations for Mobile Service Robots"
During his time as a Master's student at UT, Rolando worked on the Building-Wide Intelligence (BWI) Project. His Master's thesis was on light-based nonverbal robot signaling methods with passive demonstrations. Robots leverage passive demonstrations to allow users to understand the meaning behind nonverbal signals without having to explicitly teach users the meaning. Rolando previously interned at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratories, working on intelligent spectral artifact recognition to inform weighted averaging to pull out faint signals in galactic hyper spectral imagery.
"Learning Attributes of Real-world Objects by Clustering Multimodal Sensory Data"
Priyanka's Masters thesis focused on constructing a framework for learning attributes of real-world objects via a clustering-based approach that aims to reduce the amount of human effort required in the form of labels for object categorization. She proposed a hierarchical clustering-based model that can learn the attributes of objects without any prior knowledge about them. It clusters multi-modal sensory data obtained by exploring real-world objects in an unsupervised fashion and then obtains labels for these clusters with the help of a human and uses this information to predict attributes of novel objects. She is currently a Ph.D. student at UT Austin and continues her research in the field of machine learning and robots.
"Localization using Natural Landmarks Off-Field for Robot Soccer"
During her time as a Master's student at UT, Yuchen worked on the SPL robot soccer team. Her Master's thesis was on localization with natural landmarks from off-field surroundings other than the artificial landmarks pre-defined by domain knowledge. Robots could recognize orientation by actively extracting and identifying visual features from raw images. She has interned at the Apple Siri team to improve natural language understanding, and she is now doing robotics research on iCub at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
"Learning in Simulation for Real Robots"
For his Master's thesis, Alon studied several approaches to use simulation learning to improve the walk speeds of the real Aldabaran Nao robots. Though difficult, by constraining the simulation and iteratively guiding the simulation's learning routine, the task proved to be feasible, and an improvement of about 30% walking speed was achieved. Alon previously worked at Nvidia for two internships, working to bring up the the Android operating system to the company's Tegra processors.
"A Delayed Response Policy for Autonomous Intersection Management"
Neda did her Master's thesis on a delayed response policy for Autonomous Intersection Manager (AIM) as well as physical visualization of AIM using Eco-be robots. Before that she had worked on obstacle avoidance for 4-legged robots. Starting in 2010, she has been conducting research in the field of Neuroscience in the Center for Perceptual Systems at UT Austin.
"News Mining Agent for Automated Stock Trading"
For his Master's thesis, Guru worked with Prof. Peter Stone and Prof. Maytal Tsechansky to study the correlation between stock market movement and internet news stories, using text mining techniques. After graduation, Guru joined Amazon.com. He worked with multiple organizations at Amazon including the world wide supply chain and retail systems. At Shutterfly.com, he is the Sr. Director and General Manager of the Phoenix Engineering Center. He is responsible for engineering and product strategy for their Photobooks business (a $100 Million revenue business unit). Guru holds multiple patents pending in ecommerce. Prior to joining Amazon, Guru held research intern positions at IIT Delhi, IBM Research Center at Almaden, CA and the University of Joensuu in Finland. Reach him at [email protected].
"Evolutionary Algorithms in Optimization of Technical Rules for Automated Stock Trading"
Job after UT: Murex, North America Inc.
Harish worked with Prof. Peter Stone and Prof. Ben Kuipers to study automated stock trading strategies using intelligent combinations of simple, intuitive ``technical'' trading rules. Since he graduated from UT, Harish has worked in the financial software industry, mostly recently at Murex, which develops derivatives trading platforms and risk management software. He is currently pursuing an MBA at Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University; where his areas of focus are Entrepreneurship & Innovation and Finance. His current interests are in product commercialization and new venture financing. He can be reached at [email protected].
"Of Mice and Mazes: Simulating Mice Behavior with Reinforcement Learning"
Virin's undergraduate honors thesis explored the extent to which instantiations of standard model-free reinforcement learning algorithms can approximate the behavior of mice learning in a maze environment.
"Efficient Symbolic Task Planning for Multiple Mobile Robots"
Yuqian's undergraduate honors thesis first compares the performance of two task planners of different formalisms in a robot navigation domain, and then presents an algorithm to efficiently plan for a team of mobile robots while minimizing total expected costs.
"Virtour: Telepresence System for Remotely Operated Building Tours"
Pato's undergraduate honors thesis introduced a virtual telepresence system that enables public users to remotely operate and spectate building tours using the BWI robot platform. Pato interned at Google and later interned at Apple before joining them as part of a distributed systems team. In his free time Pato enjoys dancing West Coast Swing.
"Keyframe Sampling, Optimization, and Behavior Integration: A New Longest Kick in the RoboCup 3D Simulation League"
Mike's undergraduate honors thesis demonstrates a procedure for mimicking, improving, and incorporating existing behaviors of an observed robot. The work detailed in the thesis was instrumental in UT Austin Villa's victory at RoboCup 2014, through which a paper based on the thesis was published. Mike is now a software engineer at Google, working on the Newstand app in the Play store.
"Approximately Orchestrated Routing and Transportation Analyzer: City-scale traffic simulation and control schemes"
Dustin's undergraduate honors thesis introduces a new agent-based traffic simulator for studying traffic control schemes for autonomous vehicles. It led to two first-authored publications. He continues development on the simulator at http://www.aorta-traffic.org. Dustin has interned at Facebook and Google, working on distributed systems.
"Applications of Genetic Programming to Digital Audio Synthesis"
Chris's undergraduate honors thesis employed genetic programming and CMA-ES to optimize sound synthesis algorithms to mimic acoustic and electronic instruments. Additionally, he authored a VST audio plugin for interactive genetic programming of synthesized timbres. Ongoing results of the project can be viewed at http://evosynth.tk/.
" Inverse Kinematics Kicking in the Humanoid RoboCup Simulation League"
Adrian's undergraduate honors thesis focused on the kicking system used in UT Austin Villa's winning entry to the 2011 and 2012 RoboCup 3D Simulation League competitions. He is currently the programmer for a small video game startup company, White Whale Games, working on a mobile game called God of Blades. Adrian completed two REU's at Trinity University and has interned at Starmount Systems and Microsoft.
"Transformation of Robot Model to Facilitate Optimization of Locomotion"
Nick's undergraduate honors thesis studies how to enable a simulated humanoid robot to stand up from a fallen position, and how to generalize such a skill to robots with different physical chacteristics. Nick has interned at at HP, Qualcomm, and Facebook.
"Constructing Drivability Maps Using Laser Range Finders for Autonomous Vehicles"
Chau's undergraduate honors thesis aims at using data from a 3D laser range sensor on an autonomous vehicle to improve the vehicle's capability to recognize drivable road segments. Chau interned at IBM, Cisco, and Facebook.
"Exploiting Human Motor Skills for Training Bipedal Robots"
Adam is a Ph.D. student researching human-robotic interaction, specifically investigating ways to exploit the ability of a human to quickly train robots. Adam has interned at TRACLabs, Amazon.com, and the University of Virginia Medical Center. In his free time, he enjoys biking, racquetball, and playing cello and guitar.
"Building an Autonomous Ground Traffic System"
Tarun's undergraduate thesis detailed his contributions to obstacle tracking in UT's entry to the DARPA Urban Grand Challenge and the Autonomous Intersection Management project. He is now working on launching SparkPhone - an application that provides users with 80-90% cheaper international calls versus directly dialing through your carrier. Additionally, unlike VOIP services, SparkPhone does not require that you have a WiFi or data connection when making phone calls because all SparkPhone calls go through the cell network. Over the past year Tarun has built several iPhone apps - one of which (HangTime) was just named by PC World as the dumbest iPhone app of all time.
"Creating a High-Level Control Module for an Autonomous Mobile Robot Operating in an Urban Environment"
Ryan's undergraduate honors thesis detailed his contribution to UT's entry in the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge competition. His work mostly centered on the high-level control and decision-making aspects of an autonomous vehicle as it navigates through city streets. After graduating, Ryan took a position as a software engineer at USAA, where he has designed and implemented significant enhancements to the authentication and content capture components of usaa.com. Even so, his passion for robotics still continues today. Ryan is currently pursuing an MBA in Finance from UTSA.
"An Analysis of the 2005 TAC SCM Finals"
Job after graduation: Graduate student at University of British Columbia Currently: Co-founder of start-up company "Optemo"
Jan's thesis analyzed the 2005 TAC SCM Finals. This was part of the preparatory work that led the TacTex team to win the 2006 TAC SCM Championship. At UBC Jan became interested in natural language processing and wrote a dissertation titled "Supervised Machine Learning for Email Thread Summarization". Subsequently Jan co-founded a start-up company called Optemo that uses artificial intelligence to assist online shoppers by providing an example-centric product navigation solution.
"Discovering Conditions for Intermediate Reinforcement with Causal Models"
Irvin's undergraduate honors thesis dealt with accelerating reinforcement learning by automatically applying intermediate reward using causal models. His thesis received the Sun Microsystems Award for Excellence in Computer Sciences/Computer Engineering Research at the University of Texas undergraduate research forum. Irvin is currently studying reinforcement learning as a Ph.D. student in the computational cognitive neuroscience group at Princeton.
"Creation of a Fine Controlled Action for a Robot"
Ellie's undergraduate honors thesis focussed on enabling robots to perform action sequences that have low tolerance for error. After graduating, Ellie completed her M.S. in robotics and M.A.T. in secondary mathematics. She currently teaches math at the Pittsburgh performing arts school (CAPA) and hopes to introduce the joy of robotics to her students. | 2019-04-22T02:12:43Z | http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~pstone/students.shtml |
Looking for The Best Corporate Training Programs Online? Your Search Will End Here!
Corporate training finds its mention in many discussions these days. This kind of training is usually given by a business organization to its staff or employees, either in house or through a third-party training provider. The key objective of this training is to polish the current skills of the employees or to generate new skills in them which are in sync with the changing business needs and requirements.
The history of training the employees dates back to the 1970’s when the Apple II was launched as an educational game for the employees. However, never before such advanced training methods have been used like the one in use today. The technological innovations have given rise to online corporate training, also known as corporate online learning and corporate e-training. This training utilizes the modern information technology tools for imparting the most relevant knowledge in a very engaging manner to the training participants.
According to the findings of an empirical research, one dollar invested in the best corporate training programs can generate output equivalent to eight dollars for an organization. The research further says that the mean productivity of a trained employee is comparable to the combined productivity of six untrained employees; quite impressive findings indeed!
Today’s organizations are extending their business operations to the overseas market to explore better business opportunities. Thus, the employees and teams are located in different regions and sometimes even different time-zones. In such a situation, the availability of a robust platform becomes crucial for connecting and training the widely dispersed teams. The corporate online learning option proves really helpful in achieving this objective. The online training not only engages the participants much better than the conventional classroom training, but also delivers several other important benefits over the latter. However, the online corporate training service must be availed from a reputable provider only, in order to be effective. It is quite natural to feel perplexed in the choice of the right training provider, especially when so many players are operating in the market. But, your search for the best corporate training programs online will end at Multisoft!
Multisoft Virtual Academy is an established online training organization that offers world-class corporate training solutions to its clients. They provide professional online training courses in a variety of sought-after domains for students and professionals. You may know in detail about their corporate training services, by visiting www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com/training-solutions/corporate-training.
About the Author: Vivek Gupta is a Content Writer at Multisoft Virtual Academy. He regularly writes articles and blog posts on the topics like professional training, education, and certification courses. He is a versatile writer, conversant with multiple types of writing. He holds a rich work experience and has written content for various industries such as health, education, finance, law, travel, IT, and ITES, among others.
Primavera P6 Online Training Can Help You Make Impressive Progress in the Project Management Field!
Primavera P6 is a Project Portfolio Management System for the enterprise, which is used far and wide by the organizations of different sizes around the world for achieving effective project management. The important benefits offered by Primavera P6 in the project management field have resulted in high recognition for this software on the global stage. Today, the knowledge of Primavera is considered a great asset in the industry and the professionals having this specialized knowledge witness high demand. Many large enterprises are ready to offer really lucrative pay packages to the knowledgeable candidates in the project management field.
Today, when an increasing number of business organizations are exploring the overseas markets to expand their operations beyond domestic boundaries, the demand for capable project managers has touched a new height in the job market. This demand, as per the industry experts, will continue to rise in the future due to the growing diversification and scope of businesses. Thus, we can say that opting for a professional project management course would prove to be a rewarding career decision for those aspiring a career in project management.
The Primavera P6 online training is indisputably the most suitable professional project management training option for the project managers and other related professionals, looking for career growth. The curriculum of this professional training course is such that it improves the current skills of the candidates and develops new skills in them. You, as a candidate, will be trained in the vital project management skills and the latest developments in this domain. The online course also offers unparalleled flexibility and control to the learners in terms of determining their own suitable time, place, and pace of study. Thus, it can be conveniently pursued without sacrificing your current job or university studies.
Multisoft Virtual Academy is a credible online training organization with a proven track record. They offer industry-standard Primavera P6 Training Online that is a much sought-after course today, along with training courses in multiple other domains. You can opt for their Primavera Online Training course, without any doubt, to obtain impressive career benefits. You may know more about this course, by visiting https://www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com/project-management/primavera-online-training.
SP3D Software Plays A Crucial in Making Today’s Plant Designing Projects Successful!
The Smart Plant 3D Design software, usually called SP3D, is a widely-used software developed by the renowned American software development and services company Intergraph Corp. Today, SP3D has got recognition in the industry as a powerful technological tool for creating the 3D pipe and plant designs. The designs are created on the sophisticated SP3D software; usually an SP3D professional like an SP3D designer or architect produces such plant designs. These professionals possess extensive Smartplant 3D training and experience. An experienced designer can create flawless plant designs, using the SP3D software.
The SP3D software is primarily used in the industries like petroleum and petrochemicals, oil and gas, marine, metal and mining, shipbuilding, and architecture. The 3D model of the plant design prepared on the SP3D software enables the construction companies in saving substantial costs, human hours and labor. SP3D also provides them with an effective layout or blueprint of the project that they can show to the client. If there are any modifications suggested by the client in the design, they can be effected well in advance. This model also serves as a guide for the construction team to rightly understand the project requirements, so that the actual work can be carried out exactly as planned. There are many other direct and indirect benefits offered by the SP3D software in the plant designing process.
Today, the demand for the SP3D professionals is rising across several industries around the world. As a result, the demand for SP3D training and SP3D certification has also increased. The demand for SP3D online training courses is on a rise, especially among the working professionals and full-time students, who want to make a career in the plant designing field. The online training offers unmatched flexibility and control to such candidates over their time, place, and pace of study. This makes the learning convenient and the constraint of limited time is also overcome. These candidates are also provided with access to many useful online learning resources, which make their learning experience quite enriching and fulfilling. However, one must enroll in a credible training institution to get the best results out of training.
Multisoft Virtual Academy is an established and credible online training organization. They provide world-class SP3D online training for students and professionals. They also provide professional training courses in many other sought-after domains. You may access detailed information about the online SP3D training course from Multisoft, by visiting www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com/cad-cam-cae/smartplant-sp3d-online-training.
About the Author: Vivek Gupta is a Content Writer at Multisoft Virtual Academy. He regularly writes articles and blog posts on the topics like professional training, education, and certification courses. He is a versatile writer, conversant with multiple types of writing. He holds a rich work experience and has written content for various industries such as health, education, finance, law, travel, and IT services, among others.
A Project Management Professional Certification is A Ladder To A Rewarding Career!
Never before in the history were skills so much valued as in the present age. Today, practical skills are valued across industries. Practical skills and knowledge are considered more important than other qualifications in the industry. The competition is high in the industry and the business environment is also highly dynamic today. That’s why, skills and experience of a candidate are given priority, these days, over other factors. Nowadays, organizations are more likely to hire the candidates with a professional certification, besides the formal degree.
If we talk about the project management field, which is unquestionably a practical field, there is a high demand for PMP certified candidates, along with the candidates with other Project Management (PM) Certifications. The PMP Certification results in the development of strong organizational and leadership skills in a candidate; since these two skills are the most demanded in the industry, the PMP certified candidates remain in demand and offered high pay packages.
The design of the PMP Certification curriculum is such that it makes the candidates familiar with the principles and practices of effective management. It equips the candidate with the necessary knowledge and skill sets so that he/she proves to be a competent project manager and an asset to the organization. Needless to mention that the PMP certification enjoys global recognition across industries.
Today, there are many Project Management Courses Online on offer, but PMP Online Training is the most popular out of them. Primarily, the full-time students and working professionals enroll in this course due to the high level of flexibility and control it provides to the learners in terms of deciding the time, place, and pace of study, of their choice.
A PMP certification certainly increases the weight of your resume and enhances your professional worth. There are many important benefits that you may expect from this certification, namely strong domain knowledge, sharp managerial skills, heightened career prospects, boosted confidence, enhanced professional marketability, good salary hike, and high recognition in the peer group. Therefore, the PMP Certification training is worth your time and money as it facilitates clearing the demanding PMP certification exam.
Multisoft Virtual Academy is an established and credible online training organization that offers various Project Management Training Courses online, along with professional courses in varied domains. You can trust them for obtaining the best training in the industry. To know the details regarding the PMP Online Training and other Project Management Online Training courses from Multisoft, you may visit https://www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com/project-management.
Primavera P6 is a widely known Project Portfolio Management System for the enterprise, which is used by many large and medium-sized organizations around the globe for attaining effective project management. The benefits extended by Primavera P6 in the project management field lead to high recognition for this software on the global platform. Today, the knowledge of Primavera is highly valued in the industry and the professionals possessing this specialized knowledge remain in demand. Many big organizations are ready to offer lucrative pay packages to the knowledgeable candidates in this field.
Today, when a large number of business organizations are expanding their operations beyond domestic boundaries and venturing into the global markets, the demand for capable project managers is on a rise in the job market. This demand will continue to rise in the further because of the increasing diversification and scope of businesses. Thus, in the present circumstances, opting for a professional project management course would prove to be a beneficial career decision for you.
The Primavera P6 online training is unquestionably the most appropriate professional project management training option for the project managers and other related professionals, aiming for career growth. The curriculum of this professional training course is such that it polishes the current skills of the candidates and develops new skills in them. You, as a candidate, will be trained in the vital project management skills and the latest advancements in this domain. The online course also provides unparalleled flexibility and control to the learners in terms of setting their own convenient time, place, and pace of study. Thus, it can be conveniently pursued side by side with your current job or university studies.
Multisoft Virtual Academy is an established and reputable online training organization with extensive industry experience. They offer industry-standard Primavera P6 Training Online that is a much sought-after course. You can enroll in this Primavera Online Training course, without any inhibitions, to get impressive career benefits. To know in detail about this course, you may visit https://www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com/project-management/primavera-online-training.
SAP Advanced Business Application Programming (ABAP) is a very popular enterprise programming language that was developed by SAP. SAP is basically Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing and it is an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software that has a worldwide usage. This software has been developed by SAP SE, which is a globally renowned European software MNC.
The SAP domain contains multiple modules for today’s businesses that enhance the convenience of doing business; SAP ABAP is an important module belonging to the SAP domain that witnesses a demand far and wide.
The candidates who want to have a successful career in the SAP ABAP field must opt for a professional certification to realize their career objective. The SAP ABAP Certification Exam, which is a quite challenging examination, needs to be cleared for obtaining an ABAP certification; thus, it would be a prudent decision to opt for professional training.
The SAP ABAP online training prepares a candidate for this challenging examination in less time and less cost. It is undeniably the best training option for the full-time students and working individuals, who seek a time-efficient training solution to grow their career. The online training offers unrivaled flexibility and control to the candidates in terms of setting their own time, place, and pace of study.
In the online mode, the learners also obtain unrestrained access to the useful learning resources such as 24/7 e-learning content, a virtual classroom, practice assignments, webinars, instant performance analysis, and even more. Such online training can be said result oriented and purposeful, provided it is taken from a reputable institution.
There are multiple rewarding career opportunities present before a candidate after obtaining the SAP ABAP certification, namely ABAP developer, analyst, engineer, architect, and consultant, among others. A candidate’s suitability for a particular professional role out of them is completely based on his/her academic background, interest area, and experience.
Multisoft Virtual Academy is a credible online training organization that offers professional training courses for students and working individuals. You can learn ABAP online by enrolling in their SAP ABAP Online Training course, which enjoys wide acceptance in the industry. You may seek comprehensive information regarding this course, by visiting www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com/erp/sap-abap-online-training.
Online Corporate Training Will Prove to Be A Smart Choice for Your Organization!
Corporate training is an often talked about topic today; we often hear it in general conversation as well. Corporate training is basically the training delivered by a business organization to its staff or employees, either in house or through a third-party service provider. The main purpose of this training is to update and advance the existing skills of the employees in order to bring their skills in tune with the changing business needs.
There has been a detailed history of the organizations training their employees, but never before such revolutionary training methods have been used like we see today. The advent of technology has given rise to online corporate training, also known as corporate online learning and corporate e-training. This training makes use of the information technology tools for imparting the best knowledge in the most engaging way to the training attendees.
According to an empirical research, one dollar invested in the best corporate training programs yields output equal to eight dollars for an organization. The research also says that the average productivity of a trained employee can be compared to the productivity of six untrained employees; these findings, indeed, strongly indicate towards the significance of a professional corporate training program.
The online corporate training, which has emerged as the most sought-after training mode today, offers many distinguishing benefits over the traditional classroom training. Some notable benefits of the online mode include cost effectiveness, time saving, high flexibility and control, captivating, personalized solution, and higher retention rate.
Today’s organizations are not hesitating in exploring the overseas markets in order to get more business. Thus, the employees and teams are usually located at different places and even different time-zones. In such a situation, the organizations face the challenge of coordinating and connecting the employees for training. The corporate online learning option proves quite helpful in achieving this objective. However, in order to reap the maximum benefits from such online training, the organizations should make sure that they are taking the online corporate training services from a credible institution only.
Multisoft Virtual Academy is an established online training organization that offers world-class corporate training solutions to its clients. They also provide online professional training courses in various other domains for students and professionals. To learn in detail about their corporate training services, you may visit www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com/training-solutions/corporate-training.
The Smart Plant 3D Design software, usually called SP3D, is a popular software developed by the famous American software development and services company Intergraph Corp. Today, SP3D has become a powerful technological tool for creating the 3D pipe and plant designs. The designs are produced using the sophisticated SP3D software; usually an SP3D professional like an SP3D designer or architect creates such plant designs. These professionals possess Smartplant 3D training and experience. Reliable and ingenious plant designs can be created only by an experienced designer, using the SP3D software as a tool.
The SP3D software is primarily used in the industries such like petroleum and petrochemicals, oil and gas, marine, metal and mining, shipbuilding, and architecture. The 3D model of the plant design made on the SP3D software assists the construction companies in cutting down significant expenditure, human hours and labor. They also get an effective layout or blueprint of the project through SP3D that they can share with the client, so that any modifications required can be made at the development stage only. This model also serves as a guide for the construction team to precisely understand the project requirements and carry out the work accordingly. The benefits offered by the SP3D software are many in number.
Today, the global demand for the SP3D professionals is constantly going up across industries. Consequently, the demand for SP3D training and SP3D certification has also risen. The demand for SP3D online training courses is high, particularly among the working professionals and full-time students, who seek a bright career in the plant designing field. The online training offers a high degree of flexibility and control to such candidates in terms of deciding their own convenient time, place, and pace of study. These candidates also get access to multiple useful online learning resources, which take their learning experience to a whole new level. The candidates, however, should ensure that they are enrolling in a credible training institution only.
Multisoft Virtual Academy is a credible online training organization with a proven track record. They provide world-class SP3D online training for professionals associated with this field, as well as the students interested in it. They also offer professional training courses in multiple other domains like ERP, PM, IoT, Artificial Intelligence, online classes, advanced excel course, project management courses online, online management courses, advanced excel training, microsoft excel training and many others. You may get detailed information regarding the online SP3D training course from Multisoft, by visiting www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com/cad-cam-cae/smartplant-sp3d-online-training.
The present age is driven by skill, where practical skills and knowledge are considered more important than other qualifications in the industry. Today, there is a great competition in the industry and the business environment is also highly dynamic. For this reason, the practical skills and experience of a candidate are given priority over other factors today. Today’s organizations prefer the candidates with a professional certification, besides the formal degree. In the project management field, which is a practical field without a doubt, there is a widespread demand for PMP certified candidates, along with the candidates with other Project Management (PM) Certifications. The PMP Certification results in the development of strong organizational and leadership skills in a candidate; since these two skills are considered vital in the PM field, the PMP certified candidates remain in demand and offered impressive salaries.
The design of the PMP Certification curriculum is aimed at making the candidates familiar with the principles and practices of effective management. It prepares a candidate to become a competent project manager and an asset to the organization. Needless to say, the PMP certification enjoys global recognition across industries.
Today, there are many Project Management Courses Online on offer, but PMP Online Training is the most sought-after and highly demanded course in that list. Mostly, the full-time students and working professionals enroll in this course because of the kind of flexibility and control it offers to the learners in terms of deciding their own convenient time, place, and pace of study.
A PMP certification is undoubtedly a gem to your resume that enhances your professional worth. There are multiple important benefits that you may expect from this certification, namely strong domain knowledge, keen managerial skills, heightened career prospects, enhanced confidence, improved professional marketability, decent salary hike, and better recognition in the peer group. Therefore, the PMP Certification training fully deserves your time and money as it helps you in getting through the demanding PMP certification exam.
Microsoft Project Or Primavera P6 – Which Should Be Your Pick?
Multisoft Virtual Academy is a reputable online training organization that offers various Project Management Training Courses online, along with professional courses in many other domains. You can trust them for getting the best training in the industry. To get detailed information about the PMP Online Training and other Project Management Online Training courses from Multisoft, you may visit https://www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com/project-management.
IoT Certification Training Can Help You Fulfill Your Career Aspriations!
IoT, which is a very popular term today, is the acronym for Internet of Things. It is an advanced technology of the present times. IoT enables a robust connection between the electrical devices with data receiving and transferring capability; we can say that the IoT enabled devices can talk to each other or communicate with each other. An IoT enabled device could be anything ranging from a kitchen appliance, to an alarm clock, and from a health equipment to an automobile; it might be any random device used in the modern homes, offices, factories, and shops. The IoT technology transforms these, otherwise ordinary, devices into intelligent devices, which go a long way in making our lives convenient.
The IoT field is, at present, in its initial stages of development; thus, it possesses great scope for further research and development. It offers many lucrative careers to the deserving candidates, ranging from IoT Architect to Developer and IoT Manager to Chief IoT Officer. A specific IoT job role is offered to a candidate depending upon his/her qualification, experience, and expertise. No matter which job role you get in the IoT field, you are bound to have an exciting and rewarding career path.
Today, the large organizations in the IoT field are ready to offer high pay packages to the deserving candidates in this domain. The majority of hiring companies are giving priority to the candidates with an IoT Certification, besides the formal university qualification. So, those with an IoT Certification will surely take a lead over the everyday candidates. However, one should ensure that they are pursuing the online IoT training from a credible online training institution only to get the complete professional benefits out of it.
Know, What’s So Special About The Artificial Intelligence Career!
Artificial Intelligence or AI is quite a popular term today, which usually finds its mention in the tech forums and circles, and in general conversations as well. It is a popular technology that endeavors to provide machines and systems with human-like cognitive ability. Today’s AI-based systems can perform many intelligent tasks that include predictive input, voice recognition, machine sensing, and data entry, to name a few. Though there are many AI inventions in use today, this field is still in its early stages of development and has a long way to go to attain its goal of simulating the human mind. Thus, this field possesses a lot of scope for research and development.
Today, a large number of technology companies around the world are looking for capable AI professionals to work out their projects in the field of artificial intelligence. These companies are willing to offer impressive pay packages to the knowledgeable candidates in the AI domain; the salaries are very high indeed. Not only the AI field is quite rewarding in terms of money, but it is also an exciting career field with ample variety and opportunities for growth. That’s why a large number of aspirants are rushing towards the AI field today to take advantage of the numerous growth opportunities that this career has to offer. Needless to say, the competition is high.
Many students and professionals are coming towards the AI career in pursuit of the exciting and rewarding career opportunities that this profession has to offer. Those who want to grow in the AI field, but bound by their routines of job, study, etc., can go for online artificial intelligence courses to fulfill their career objectives. An artificial intelligence online training course offers complete flexibility to the learners in terms of deciding their own time, place, and pace of study. Hence, no need to leave your regular studies or job for pursuing the online training. The facilities of virtual classroom, 24/7 e-learning content, webinars, on-demand mock tests, practice assignments, and much more, present in the online learning mode, provide an enriching learning experience.
Multisoft Virtual Academy is an online training organization, with extensive training experience, that offers professional online training courses for students and working individuals. You can choose any of their AI Certification training courses for career benefits. This industry-approved training will surely prove to be of high worth for you. Get to know in detail about the Artificial Intelligence Online Training Courses offered by Multisoft, by visiting www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com/artificial-intelligence.
Corporate training is a frequently discussed subject today. This training is delivered by a business organization to its staff or employees, either in house or through a third-party training provider. The primary objective of this training is to update and improve the existing skills of the employees in order to make their skills more pertinent to the changing business needs and requirements.
There has been a long history of training the employees by the organizations, but never before such radical training methods have been used like possible today. The advent of technology has given rise to online corporate training, also known as corporate online learning and corporate e-training. This training employs the modern information technology tools for imparting the best knowledge in the most engaging manner to the training participants.
As per an empirical research, one dollar invested in the best corporate training programs has the capacity to generate output equivalent to eight dollars for an organization. The research also proclaims that the average productivity of a trained employee is comparable to the productivity of six untrained employees; interesting findings, indeed!
The online corporate training, which has become the most demanded training mode today, offers many notable benefits over the traditional classroom training. Some important benefits of the online mode include cost effectiveness, time saving, high flexibility, interest binding, personalized solution, and higher retention rate.
Today’s organizations are extending their business operations beyond the domestic boundaries in order to explore the overseas market and increase customer base. Thus, the employees and teams are located in different regions and sometimes different time-zones. The organizations are facing the challenge of coordinating and connecting the employees for training. The corporate online learning option proves very helpful in such a situation. However, the organizations should ensure that they are taking the online corporate training service from a reputable institution only in order for it to be effective.
Multisoft Virtual Academy is a reputable online training organization that offers world-class corporate training solutions to its clients. They also provide online professional training courses in multiple domains for students and professionals. You may know in detail about their corporate training services at www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com/training-solutions/corporate-training.
SAP SE is a German MNC that is into software development. It is considered the best enterprise solutions provider on the global platform. The popularity of SAP software packages can be determined from the fact that above 80% of the Fortune 500 organizations around the world are using its software packages on a routine basis to manage various aspects of business. Quite evidently, with such high popularity of the SAP software, there is also a rising demand for the SAP certified professionals in the job market.
The constantly rising demand for SAP professionals across various industries has also boosted the demand for SAP courses, especially SAP online training courses, among the candidates aspiring for an SAP career. These candidates include both students and working professionals, particularly from the IT field. The SAP online courses are considered the best choice for the full-time students and working professionals who want to learn the SAP skills in order to grow their professional value. The SAP online certification courses offer the kind of flexibility and control to the learners over their time, place, and pace, of learning, that cannot be imagined in any other mode. In the online mode, the learners are not compelled to quit their regular studies or job in order to pursue the online training. Moreover, the engaging online learning resources facilitate more learning in less time. However, such online training can prove fruitful only when the candidate enrolls in a reputable training institution.
Multisoft Virtual Academy is an established online training organization that you may count on to receive world-class SAP online training and professional training in multiple other domains. Their highly sought-after online SAP courses include SAP ABAP Online Training, SAP HANA Training, SAP FICO Training, and SAP MM Training, among others. You may get comprehensive information about the various SAP courses offered by Multisoft, by visiting www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com/sap-online-certification-courses.
Artificial Intelligence Online Training Can Offer You a Rewarding Career Ahead!
Artificial Intelligence is such a popular term today that it barely needs an introduction. It is a fast growing modern technology that aims to make intelligent machines and systems that can imitate the human cognitive ability. Though there are many AI inventions in use today, it still has a long way to go. The present AI machines and systems are capable of performing tasks like voice recognition, object detection, predictive input, simple analysis, data entry, etc., but they are still far from matching the human intelligence. Thus, there is a great scope for future research and development in the AI field.
AI is today getting acclamation as an exciting and rewarding career field around the world. It provides excellent professional opportunities for those who are passionate to learn new things and like to take challenges. As said earlier, this field holds immense scope for research and development. The companies in the artificial intelligence domain are looking for qualified and capable AI professionals to handle various important job roles. The deserving AI candidates are getting high salaries in the industry.
The students and professionals who want to have a bright career in the artificial intelligence field should opt for artificial intelligence online training or AI certification training online. The most significant advantage provided by such training is that the candidates can pursue this training while continuing with their routine activities as they can set their own customized schedule in the online training mode. There are no rigid schedules to follow; no rigidity regarding the time, place, and pace of learning. This training is also high in quality and has a high retention rate because it employs modern training methodologies.
Multisoft Virtual Academy is a reputable online training organization that offers artificial intelligence courses online, along with multiple other courses in varied professional domains. These courses have led many candidates to date to professional success. You may get comprehensive information about the various AI certification training courses offered by Multisoft, by visiting www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com/artificial-intelligence.
An IoT Certification Can Give Your Career That Necessary Boost!
You might have heard the term IoT, which has become a buzzword today. IoT is the abbreviated form of Internet of Things, which is an advanced technology of the 21st Century. IoT enables the electrical devices with data receiving and transferring capability to establish a connection. That is to say, the IoT enabled devices can communicate with each other. To name such a device, it could be anything ranging from a kitchen appliance like a microwave, to an alarm clock, and from a health equipment to an automobile; it might be any regular device used in homes, offices, factories, and shops. In fact, the concept of smart homes, which is becoming very popular these days, is based on the IoT technology only. The IoT technology transforms these, otherwise ordinary, devices into intelligent devices, which prove to be of great help in our day to day lives.
Today, the IoT field is in its initial development stage. It is a constantly evolving technology possessing immense scope for research and development. It carries immense carrier scope as well and offers many rewarding careers to the deserving candidates. An IoT Architect, IoT Developer, IoT Manager, and Chief IoT Officer, are some prominent careers in the IoT field. Different candidates are offered different roles by the recruiters based on the candidate’s qualification, knowledge, and experience. Having said that, every IoT role is almost equally exciting and rewarding as a career.
The MNCs operating in the IoT field are ready to offer unbelievably high pay packages to the deserving candidates. As a matter of fact, the majority of recruiters give priority to the candidates having an IoT Certification over the regular candidates. So, those with an IoT Certification surely get a competitive edge over the competition.
IoT certification training is really helpful in gaining a certificate. For the full-time students and working professionals, there is nothing better than the IoT online training, which provides them absolute flexibility and control in terms of deciding their own time, place, and pace of study.
Multisoft Virtual Academy is an established online training organization that provides world-class IoT Online Training courses for students and professionals. Multisoft also offers professional online training courses in many other important domains. If you are looking for reliable online IoT Courses, then you may choose Multisoft as your training provider without any inhibition. For more information, you may visit www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com/iot/iot-fundamentals-with-raspberry-pi3-online-training.
Corporate training is not an unknown thing today, rather it’s a very popular practice in the modern business environment. Corporate training is basically the training provided by a business organization to its staff or employees, either in house or through a third-party training provider. The purpose of this training is to polish the existing skills of the employees and to make them learn new skills, which makes them work effectively in the changing business environment.
Though there is a long history of corporate training, never before the employees have been trained in the way it’s possible today. Today, the modern technology has made it possible to deliver online corporate training programs. This type of training is also sometimes called corporate online learning and corporate e-training. This online training employs modern information technology tools to provide the best training experience to the learners and to deliver maximum value to them.
If an empirical research is to be believed, one dollar invested in the best corporate training programs can generate an output worth eight dollars for an organization. The research also declares that the average productivity of a trained employee can be compared to the productivity of six untrained employees, combined; quite significant declarations indeed!
The online corporate training, which is the most prevalent type of training today, offers several notable benefits over the conventional classroom training. Some such benefits include, cost effectiveness, time saving, high flexibility, better engagement, personalized touch, better pedagogy, and better retention, among others.
Today, more and more organizations are becoming global and extending their business operations beyond domestic boundaries in order to explore the overseas market. The employees and teams, nowadays, are located in different regions and sometimes different time-zones. The challenge is to coordinate and connect them for training. The solution lies in opting for corporate online learning. However, you should take the online corporate training service from a reputable institution only in order to get the maximum benefit from this training.
Multisoft Virtual Academy is a highly reputable online training organization with a proven track record. They provide world-class corporate training solutions, along with many other online professional training courses in varied domains. You may know in detail about their corporate training services at www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com/training-solutions/corporate-training.
SAP SE is a German MNC whose main line of business is software development. It is considered the best enterprise solutions provider in the world. The popularity of SAP software packages can be acknowledged from the fact that above 80% of the Fortune 500 organizations around the world are using its software suites on a routine basis to manage various aspects of their business. Needless to say, with such high popularity of the SAP software, there is also a good demand for the SAP certified professionals in the market.
With the increasing demand for SAP professionals in various industries, the demand for SAP training courses among the aspiring candidates has also gone up. These candidates include both students and working professionals, especially from the IT field. The SAP online training courses are considered the most appropriate choice for the full-time students and working professionals who want to develop SAP skills to enhance their professional worth. The online SAP courses offer unparalleled flexibility to the learners in terms of determining their own time, place, and pace of study. They are not required to quit their regular studies or job for pursuing the online training. Also, the highly interactive online learning resources enable these candidates to learn more in less time. However, such online training becomes fully beneficial only when it is taken from a reputable institution.
Multisoft Virtual Academy is a well-known and well-established online training organization that provides world-class SAP training courses for students and professionals, along with professional online courses in many other domains. Their highly sought-after online SAP courses include SAP HANA Training, SAP FICO Training, SAP ABAP Online Training, and SAP MM Training, among others. You may know in detail about the various SAP courses offered by Multisoft, by visiting www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com/sap-online-certification-courses.
IoT Certification Training is A Way Towards A Lucrative Career!
IoT stands for Internet of Things, which is an advanced technology of the present age. IoT facilitates a robust connection between the electrical devices with data receiving and transferring capability; it can be said that the IoT enabled devices can talk to each other or communicate with each other. An IoT enabled device could be anything ranging from a kitchen appliance like a microwave, to an alarm clock, and from a health equipment to an automobile; it might be any random device used in homes, offices, factories, and shops, on a daily basis. The IoT technology converts these, otherwise ordinary, devices into intelligent devices, which contributes a lot in making our lives easier.
At present, the IoT field is in its preliminary stages and thus, it holds great scope for further research and development. It offers many lucrative careers to the deserving candidates, ranging from IoT Architect to Developer and IoT Manager to Chief IoT Officer. A particular IoT job role is offered to a candidate based on his/her qualification, expertise, and experience. However, regardless of the job role that you take on in the IoT field, you are bound to have an exciting and lucrative career path ahead.
Today, the big organizations operating in the IoT field are willing to offer really impressive pay packages to the competent candidates in this domain. However, the majority of recruiters are giving priority to the candidates with an IoT Certification, besides the formal university qualification. So, those with an IoT Certification will surely be able to beat the competition and get benefitted. However, one should take care to pursue the online IoT training from a credible online training institution only in order to reap the professional benefits out of it.
Multisoft Virtual Academy is a reputable online training organization and a known name in the training industry that you may bank on to get high-quality IoT Online Training. Multisoft also offers professional online training courses in multiple other domains. They make use of world-class learning techniques and training standards to impart the best training to the learners. If you are also in search of reliable online IoT Courses, then look no further than Multisoft. You may get all the information about their IoT course at www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com/iot/iot-fundamentals-with-raspberry-pi3-online-training.
Why To Opt for The Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification?
The present age is primarily skill driven, where practical skills and knowledge are of paramount importance in the industry. It is the time of fierce competition and highly dynamic business environment. And, that is the reason why the practical skills and experience of a candidate are given priority over everything else. Quite evidently, today’s organizations prefer the candidates with a professional certification, besides the university degree. In the project management field, which is essentially a practical field, there is a widespread demand for PMP certified candidates, along with the candidates with other Project Management (PM) Certifications. The PMP Certification leads to the development of strong organizational and leadership skills in a candidate; since these two skills are deemed crucial in the PM field, the PMP certified candidates are very much in demand and offered lucrative pay packages.
The curriculum of the PMP Certification is designed to make the candidates familiar with the principles and practices of effective management. It prepares a candidate in a manner so that he/she proves to be a competent project manager and an asset to the organization. No surprise that the PMP certification enjoys global recognition in varied industries.
Today, there exists many Project Management Courses Online, but PMP Online Training is the most sought-after course out of them. It is mostly pursued by full-time students and working professionals because of the unmatched flexibility and control that it offers to the learners in terms of setting their own time, place, and pace of study.
A PMP certification stands out in your resume and certainly enhances your professional value. The notable benefits that you may expect from this certification include strong domain knowledge, keen managerial skills, bright career prospects, boosted confidence, enhanced professional marketability, high salary, and better recognition among peers. Thus, the PMP Certification training is really worth your time and money as it makes your journey to the demanding PMP certification quite smooth and swift.
Project Management Training Courses online, along with professional courses in many other domains. You can count upon them for the best training in the industry. You may learn in detail about PMP Online Training and other Project Management Online Training courses offered by Multisoft, by visiting https://www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com/project-management.
Corporate training is a much talked about subject today. This training is provided by a business organization to its staff or employees, either in house or through a third-party training provider. The purpose of such training is to enhance the skill sets of the employees so that their skills remain relevant as per the changing needs of the business.
Employees have been trained for long, but never before like it’s possible today. The advent of technology has given rise to online corporate training, which is also called corporate online learning and corporate e-training. This training makes use of the modern information technology tools in order to impart the best knowledge in the most effective manner to the candidates.
According to an empirical research, one dollar invested in the best corporate training programs can generate output worth eight dollars for an organization. The research also says that the average productivity of a trained employee is comparable to the productivity of six untrained employees; that’s a notable point for sure!
The online corporate training, which is the most popular training mode today, offers several important benefits over the traditional classroom training. Some important benefits of the former are that it’s cost effective, time saving, highly flexible, more engaging, personalized, and offer better retention.
Today’s organizations are getting global and extending their business operations beyond domestic boundaries in order to tap the overseas market. The employees and teams are located in different regions and sometimes different time-zones. The question is how to coordinate and connect them for training. In such a scenario, there could be no better training option than the corporate online learning. However, it is advisable to take the online corporate training from a reputable provider only in order to get the maximum benefit out of it.
Multisoft Virtual Academy is an established online training organization that provides world-class corporate training solutions, along with various other types of online professional training courses. You may get detailed information about their corporate training services at www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com/training-solutions/corporate-training.
SAP SE is a German MNC that is in the business of software development. It is considered the best enterprise solutions provider in the world. The popularity of SAP software packages can be ascertained from the fact that more than 80% of the Fortune 500 organizations around the world are using its software suites on a daily basis to manage various aspects of business. Needless to say, with such high popularity of the SAP software, there is also a good demand for the SAP certified professionals in the market.
The increasing demand for SAP professionals across various industries has also given rise to the demand for SAP training courses among the candidates aspiring for an SAP career. These candidates include both students and working professionals, especially from the IT field. The SAP online training courses are considered the most appropriate choice for the full-time students and working professionals who want to develop SAP skills to increase their professional worth. The online SAP courses offer unmatched flexibility to the learners in terms of setting their own time, place, and pace of study. They are not compelled to quit their regular studies or job in order to pursue the online training. Also, the engaging online learning resources help these candidates to learn more in less time. However, for such online training to become fruitful, the candidate must enroll in a reputable institution only.
Multisoft Virtual Academy is an established online training organization that provides industry-standard SAP training courses for students and professionals, along with professional online courses in multiple other domains. Their highly sought-after online SAP courses include SAP FICO Training, SAP HANA Training, SAP ABAP Online Training, and SAP MM Training, among others. To learn in detail about the various SAP courses offered by Multisoft, you may visit www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com/sap-online-certification-courses.
Why Online Corporate Training is The Choice of Today’s Organizations?
You might have heard the phrase corporate training before, it is a much talked about subject these days.
training goes a long way towards propelling the business growth.
employees; that’s a fascinating finding indeed!
which boosts both employee morale and business productivity.
Many organizations are today embracing the online employee training option, realizing its importance.
it is imperative to avail it from a reputable institution only.
articles and blog posts on the topics like professional training, education, and certification courses.
and IT services, among others.
SAP SE is a German MNC into software development. It develops software products for many large organizations around the world. SAP SE is considered the best enterprise solutions provider on the global stage. The enterprise software provided by SAP SE is primarily used to manage business operations and customer relations. Today, there is a widespread demand for SAP software suites around the world with over 80% of the fortune 500 companies using its products to manage their day to day business operations. Quite understandably, the SAP Certified professionals witness high demand across various industries.
The different SAP certifications available today generally belong to any one of these two categories, namely Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Though there are various other ERP and CRM software suites available in the market, not one is comparable to the SAP software in popularity. With such widespread demand for the SAP software, an SAP certification would really prove to be an asset for a candidate.
SAP online training courses or SAP online certifications are undoubtedly the best learning resource for the full-time students and working professionals. These online courses offer unmatched flexibility to the learners in terms of deciding their own time, place, and pace of study; such flexibility cannot be imagined in the traditional classroom training mode. A candidate pursuing online training is not required to sacrifice his/her job or university studies for obtaining the professional certification.
A good online training course should provide the learners with value-adding online learning resources such as a virtual classroom, 24/7 e-learning content, webinars, on-demand mock-tests, practice assignments, live chat support, and instant performance analysis, among others. These resources go a long way in rendering an enriching learning experience to the learners.
Multisoft Virtual Academy is an established online training organization that offers industry-standard SAP training courses for students and professionals, along with professional online courses in various other domains. Their highly sought-after Online SAP Courses include SAP FICO Training, SAP HANA Training, SAP ABAP Online Training, and SAP BO Training, among others. You may know in detail about these and many other SAP courses, by visiting www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com/sap-online-certification-courses.
Make Rapid Strides in Your Career with Primavera P6 Online Training!
Primavera P6 is a Project Portfolio Management System for the enterprise, which is sought by many large and medium-sized organizations around the world that are looking for effective project management solutions. The benefits provided by Primavera P6 in the project management field have got great recognition for this software on the global platform. Today, the knowledge of Primavera is considered very useful in the industry and the professionals having it are preferred by the hiring managers; many reputable organizations in the industry are offering impressive salaries to these candidates.
Today, when a growing number of business organizations are expanding operations and venturing into the global markets, there is a high demand for competent project managers out there. This demand will only rise in the future because of the increasing diversification and scope of businesses. Thus, investing in a professional project management course would be a smart career decision.
The Primavera P6 online training presents the best professional project management training option for the project managers and other associated professionals, aspiring to make rapid strides in their career. The curriculum of this professional training course has been designed to polish the existing skills of the candidates and to develop new skills in them. You will be trained in the important project management skills and the latest advancements in this domain. What’s more, this online course offers unmatched flexibility to the learners in terms of setting their own time, place, and pace of study. Thus, it can be conveniently pursued with your current job.
Primavera P6 Training Online that enjoys wide acceptance in the industry. You can enroll in this Primavera Online Training course, without any inhibitions, to upskill yourself as a professional and to achieve career success.
Practical skills and experience were never valued so much as in the present times of stiff competition and highly dynamic business environment. In today’s corporate world, the practical skills and experience of a candidate are given more weightage than anything else. Quite understandably, the modern organizations prefer the candidates with a professional certification, besides the university degree. In the field like project management, which is essentially a practical field, there is a high demand for PMP certified candidates, along with the candidates with other Project Management (PM) Certification. The PMP Certification develops strong organizational and leadership skills in a candidate; since these two skills are considered the most vital in the PM field, the PMP certified candidates witness great demand in the industry and offered very impressive pay packages.
The PMP Certification makes an individual conversant with the principles and practices of effective management. It prepares a candidate in a manner so that he/she proves to be a competent project manager in the real world. That’s why the PMP certification enjoys global acceptance in varied industries.
Today, there are many available Project Management Courses Online, but none of them is as popular as the PMP Online Training. It is especially liked by the full-time students and working professionals owing to the unparalleled flexibility that it offers to the learners in terms of deciding their own time, place, and pace of study.
A PMP certification increases the weight of your resume and enhances your professional worth. The primary benefits that you may expect from this certification include deep domain knowledge, polished managerial skills, better career prospects, enhanced confidence, enhanced professional marketability, increased salary, and more recognition among peers. The PMP Certification training is really worth your time and money.
Multisoft Virtual Academy is an established online training organization that offers various Project Management Training Courses online, along with many other courses in different domains. You can expect the best training experience here. To know in detail about PMP Online Training and other Project Management Online Training courses from Multisoft, visit: https://www.multisoftvirtualacademy.com/project-management. | 2019-04-19T09:07:56Z | https://multisoftvirtualacademy.weebly.com/index.html |
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Foreign Military Sales Argentina 2004; Foreign Military Sales Brazil 2004; Foreign Military Sales Chile 2004; Foreign Military Sales Colombia 2004; Foreign Military Sales Dominican Republic 2004; Foreign Military Sales Ecuador 2004; Foreign Military Sales Mexico 2004; Foreign Military Sales Panama 2004; Foreign Military Sales Trinidad and Tobago 2004; Foreign Military Sales Venezuela 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005: A Report to Congress (Washington: April 2005) (Link to source).
Foreign Military Sales Argentina 2005; Foreign Military Sales Belize 2005; Foreign Military Sales Brazil 2005; Foreign Military Sales Chile 2005; Foreign Military Sales Colombia 2005; Foreign Military Sales Dominican Republic 2005; Foreign Military Sales Ecuador 2005; Foreign Military Sales Peru 2005; Foreign Military Sales Trinidad and Tobago 2005; Foreign Military Sales Venezuela 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006: A Report to Congress (Washington: September 2006) (Link to source).
Foreign Military Sales Argentina 2006; Foreign Military Sales Brazil 2006; Foreign Military Sales Chile 2006; Foreign Military Sales Colombia 2006; Foreign Military Sales Dominican Republic 2006; Foreign Military Sales Ecuador 2006; Foreign Military Sales El Salvador 2006; Foreign Military Sales Mexico 2006; Foreign Military Sales Peru 2006; Foreign Military Sales Trinidad and Tobago 2006;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007: A Report to Congress (Washington: August 2007) (Link to source).
Foreign Military Sales Antigua and Barbuda 2004; Foreign Military Sales Argentina 2004; Foreign Military Sales Bahamas 2004; Foreign Military Sales Barbados 2004; Foreign Military Sales Belize 2004; Foreign Military Sales Bolivia 2004; Foreign Military Sales Brazil 2004; Foreign Military Sales Chile 2004; Foreign Military Sales Colombia 2004; Foreign Military Sales Costa Rica 2004; Foreign Military Sales Dominica 2004; Foreign Military Sales Dominican Republic 2004; Foreign Military Sales Ecuador 2004; Foreign Military Sales El Salvador 2004; Foreign Military Sales Grenada 2004; Foreign Military Sales Guyana 2004; Foreign Military Sales Haiti 2004; Foreign Military Sales Honduras 2004; Foreign Military Sales Jamaica 2004; Foreign Military Sales Mexico 2004; Foreign Military Sales Nicaragua 2004; Foreign Military Sales Panama 2004; Foreign Military Sales Paraguay 2004; Foreign Military Sales Peru 2004; Foreign Military Sales St. Kitts and Nevis 2004; Foreign Military Sales St. Lucia 2004; Foreign Military Sales St. Vincent and the Grenadines 2004; Foreign Military Sales Suriname 2004; Foreign Military Sales Trinidad and Tobago 2004; Foreign Military Sales Uruguay 2004; Foreign Military Sales Venezuela 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Defense Articles (Including Excess) and Services (Including Training) Furnished Foreign Countries and International Organizations Under the Foreign Military Sales Provisions of The Arms Export Control Act, Chapter 2 (Washington: July 2005) (Link to source).
Foreign Military Sales Antigua and Barbuda 2005; Foreign Military Sales Argentina 2005; Foreign Military Sales Bahamas 2005; Foreign Military Sales Barbados 2005; Foreign Military Sales Belize 2005; Foreign Military Sales Bolivia 2005; Foreign Military Sales Brazil 2005; Foreign Military Sales Chile 2005; Foreign Military Sales Colombia 2005; Foreign Military Sales Dominica 2005; Foreign Military Sales Dominican Republic 2005; Foreign Military Sales Ecuador 2005; Foreign Military Sales El Salvador 2005; Foreign Military Sales Grenada 2005; Foreign Military Sales Guyana 2005; Foreign Military Sales Haiti 2005; Foreign Military Sales Honduras 2005; Foreign Military Sales Jamaica 2005; Foreign Military Sales Mexico 2005; Foreign Military Sales Nicaragua 2005; Foreign Military Sales OAS Headquarters 2005; Foreign Military Sales Panama 2005; Foreign Military Sales Paraguay 2005; Foreign Military Sales Peru 2005; Foreign Military Sales Trinidad and Tobago 2005; Foreign Military Sales Uruguay 2005; Foreign Military Sales Venezuela 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Defense Articles (Including Excess) and Services (Including Training) Furnished Foreign Countries and International Organizations Under the Foreign Military Sales Provisions of The Arms Export Control Act, Chapter 2 (Washington: February 2006) (Link to source).
Foreign Military Sales St. Kitts and Nevis 2005; Foreign Military Sales St. Lucia 2005; Foreign Military Sales Suriname 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Foreign Military Sales, Foreign Military Construction Sales and Military Assistance Facts as of September 30, 2005 (Washington: 2006) (Link to source).
Uruguay Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005: A Report to Congress (Washington: April 2005) (Link to source).
Uruguay Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006: A Report to Congress (Washington: September 2006) (Link to source).
Uruguay Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2004; Uruguay Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2005;?– U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Freedom of Information, Response to FOIA request from the Center for Public Integrity (Washington: July 13, 2006) (Link to source).
Uruguay Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2004; Uruguay Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2005; Uruguay Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2006;?– United States, Department of Defense, Office of Freedom of Information, Freedom of Information Act Request by Marina Walker Guevara, Ref: 06-F-0839 (Washington: September 26, 2006) (Link to source).
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Uruguay International Military Education and Training 2007; Uruguay International Military Education and Training 2008; Uruguay International Military Education and Training 2009;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2009 International Affairs (Function 150) Budget Request–Summary and Highlights (Washington: Department of State: February 4, 2008) (Link to source).
Uruguay Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2004; Uruguay Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2004; Uruguay International Military Education and Training 2004; Uruguay Misc DOS/DOD Non-SA 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005: A Report to Congress (Washington: April 2005) (Link to source).
Uruguay Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2005; Uruguay Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006: A Report to Congress (Washington: September 2006) (온라인 카지노 합법 국가Link to source).
Uruguay Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2006; Uruguay Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2006; Uruguay Foreign Military Financing 2006; Uruguay Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2006;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007: A Report to Congress (Washington: August 2007) (Link to source).
Uruguay Foreign Military Sales 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Defense Articles (Including Excess) and Services (Including Training) Furnished Foreign Countries and International Organizations Under the Foreign Military Sales Provisions of The Arms Export Control Act, Chapter 2 (Washington: July 2005) (Link to source).
Uruguay Foreign Military Sales 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Defense Articles (Including Excess) and Services (Including Training) Furnished Foreign Countries and International Organizations Under the Foreign Military Sales Provisions of The Arms Export Control Act, Chapter 2 (Washington: February 2006) (Link to source).
Paraguay Aviation Leadership Program 2004; Paraguay Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2004; Paraguay Enhanced International Peacekeeping Capabilities 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005: A Report to Congress (Washington: April 2005) (Link to source).
Paraguay Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2004; Paraguay Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2005;?– U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Freedom of Information, Response to FOIA request from the Center for Public Integrity (Washington: July 13, 2006) (Link to source).
Paraguay Aviation Leadership Program 2005; Paraguay Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2005; Paraguay Enhanced International Peacekeeping Capabilities 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006: A Report to Congress (Washington: September 2006) (Link to source).
Paraguay NADR – Anti-Terrorism Assistance 2005; Paraguay NADR – Counter-Terrorism Financing 2005;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2007 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2006) (Link to source).
Paraguay Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2004; Paraguay Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2005; Paraguay Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2006;?– United States, Department of Defense, Office of Freedom of Information, Freedom of Information Act Request by Marina Walker Guevara, Ref: 06-F-0839 (Washington: September 26, 2006) (Link to source).
Paraguay Aviation Leadership Program 2006; Paraguay Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2006; Paraguay Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2006; Paraguay Non-SA, Unified Command 2006;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007: A Report to Congress (Washington: August 2007) (Link to source).
Paraguay NADR – Anti-Terrorism Assistance 2006; Paraguay NADR – Counter-Terrorism Financing 2006;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2008 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2007) (Link to source).
Paraguay NADR – Anti-Terrorism Assistance 2007; Paraguay NADR – Counter-Terrorism Financing 2007; Paraguay NADR – Anti-Terrorism Assistance 2008;?– United States, Department of State, Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2008) (Link to source).
Paraguay Aviation Leadership Program 2007; Paraguay Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2007; Paraguay Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2007; Paraguay Non-SA, Unified Command 2007; Paraguay Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2007; Paraguay Aviation Leadership Program 2008; Paraguay Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2008; Paraguay Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2008; Paraguay Non-SA, Unified Command 2008; Paraguay Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2008; Paraguay Aviation Leadership Program 2009; Paraguay Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2009; Paraguay Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2009; Paraguay Non-SA, Unified Command 2009; Paraguay Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2009;?– Estimate based on closest available year.
Paraguay Child Survival and Health 2004; Paraguay Development Assistance 2004; Paraguay Economic Support Fund 2004; Paraguay Peace Corps 2004;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2006 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2005) (Link to source).
Paraguay Child Survival and Health 2005; Paraguay Development Assistance 2005; Paraguay Economic Support Fund 2005; Paraguay Peace Corps 2005;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2007 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2006) (Link to source).
Paraguay Child Survival and Health 2006; Paraguay Development Assistance 2006; Paraguay Economic Support Fund 2006; Paraguay Peace Corps 2006;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2008 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2007) (Link to source).
Paraguay Millennium Challenge 2006;?– United States, Millennium Challenge Corporation, Paraguay: Threshold Quarterly Report (Washington: MCC, November 2007) (Link to source).
Paraguay Child Survival and Health 2007; Paraguay Development Assistance 2007; Paraguay Economic Support Fund 2007; Paraguay Child Survival and Health 2008; Paraguay Development Assistance 2008; Paraguay Child Survival and Health 2009; Paraguay Development Assistance 2009;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2009 International Affairs (Function 150) Budget Request–Summary and Highlights (Washington: Department of State: February 4, 2008) (Link to source).
Paraguay Peace Corps 2007; Paraguay Peace Corps 2008; Paraguay Peace Corps 2009;?– Estimate based on closest available year.
Paraguay Aviation Leadership Program 2004; Paraguay Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2004; Paraguay Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2004; Paraguay Enhanced International Peacekeeping Capabilities 2004; Paraguay International Military Education and Training 2004; Paraguay Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005: A Report to Congress (Washington: April 2005) (Link to source).
Paraguay Aviation Leadership Program 2005; Paraguay Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2005; Paraguay Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2005; Paraguay Enhanced International Peacekeeping Capabilities 2005; Paraguay Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006: A Report to Congress (Washington: September 2006) (Link to source).
Paraguay Aviation Leadership Program 2006; Paraguay Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2006; Paraguay Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2006; Paraguay Non-SA, Unified Command 2006; Paraguay Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2006;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007: A Report to Congress (Washington: August 2007) (Link to source).
Paraguay Foreign Military Sales 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Defense Articles (Including Excess) and Services (Including Training) Furnished Foreign Countries and International Organizations Under the Foreign Military Sales Provisions of The Arms Export Control Act, Chapter 2 (Washington: July 2005) (Link to source).
Paraguay Foreign Military Sales 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Defense Articles (Including Excess) and Services (Including Training) Furnished Foreign Countries and International Organizations Under the Foreign Military Sales Provisions of The Arms Export Control Act, Chapter 2 (Washington: February 2006) (Link to source).
Paraguay Humanitarian and Civic Assistance 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Humanitarian and Civic Assistance Program of the Department of Defense, Fiscal Year 2004, (Washington: Department of Defense, February, 2005) (Link to source).
Paraguay Humanitarian and Civic Assistance 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Humanitarian and Civic Assistance Program of the Department of Defense, Fiscal Year 2005, (Washington: Department of Defense, February, 2006) (Link to source).
Panama Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005: A Report to Congress (Washington: April 2005) (Link to source).
Panama Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2004; Panama Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2005;?– U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Freedom of Information, Response to FOIA request from the Center for Public Integrity (Washington: July 13, 2006) (Link to source).
Panama Excess Defense Articles 2004; Panama Foreign Military Financing 2004; Panama International Military Education and Training 2004; Panama NADR – Export Control and Border Security 2004;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2006 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2005) (Link to source).
Panama International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2004;?– United States, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, FY 2006 Congressional Budget Justification (Washington: Department of State, April 2005) (Link to source).
Panama Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006: A Report to Congress (Washington: September 2006) (Link to source).
Panama Foreign Military Financing 2005;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2007 International Affairs (Function 150) Budget Request Summary and Highlights (Washington: Department of State, February 2006) (Link to source).
Panama International Military Education and Training 2005; Panama NADR – Export Control and Border Security 2005;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2007 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2006) (Link to source).
Panama International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2005;?– United States, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, FY 2007 Congressional Budget Justification (Washington: Department of State, April 2006) (Link to source).
Panama Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2004; Panama Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2005; Panama Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2006;?– United States, Department of Defense, Office of Freedom of Information, Freedom of Information Act Request by Marina Walker Guevara, Ref: 06-F-0839 (Washington: September 26, 2006) (Link to source).
Panama Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2006; Panama Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2006; Panama Non-SA, Unified Command 2006;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007: A Report to Congress (Washington: August 2007) (Link to source).
Panama Foreign Military Financing 2006; Panama International Military Education and Training 2006; Panama NADR – Counter-Terrorism Financing 2006; Panama NADR – Export Control and Border Security 2006;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2008 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2007) (Link to source).
Panama International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2006;?– United States, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, FY 2008 Program and Budget Guide (Washington: U.S. Department of State, September 2007) (Link to source).
Panama NADR – Anti-Terrorism Assistance 2007; Panama NADR – Export Control and Border Security 2007; Panama NADR – Anti-Terrorism Assistance 2008; Panama NADR – Export Control and Border Security 2008; Panama NADR – Terrorist Interdiction Program 2008; Panama NADR – Export Control and Border Security 2009;?– United States, Department of State, Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2008) (Link to source).
Panama Foreign Military Financing 2007; Panama International Military Education and Training 2007; Panama International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2007; Panama International Military Education and Training 2008; Panama International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2008; Panama Foreign Military Financing 2009; Panama International Military Education and Training 2009; Panama International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2009;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2009 International Affairs (Function 150) Budget Request–Summary and Highlights (Washington: Department of State: February 4, 2008) (Link to source).
Panama Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2007; Panama Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2007; Panama Non-SA, Unified Command 2007; Panama Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2007; Panama Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2008; Panama Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2008; Panama Non-SA, Unified Command 2008; Panama Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2008; Panama Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2009; Panama Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2009; Panama Non-SA, Unified Command 2009; Panama Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2009;?– Estimate based on closest available year.
Panama International Narcotics Control Economic Aid 2004;?– United States, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, FY 2006 Congressional Budget Justification (Washington: Department of State, April 2005) (Link to source).
Panama International Narcotics Control Economic Aid 2005;?– United States, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, FY 2007 Congressional Budget Justification (Washington: Department of State, April 2006) (Link to source).
Panama International Narcotics Control Economic Aid 2006;?– United States, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, FY 2008 Program and Budget Guide (Washington: U.S. Department of State, September 2007) (Link to source).
Panama Peace Corps 2007; Panama Peace Corps 2008; Panama Peace Corps 2009;?– Estimate based on closest available year.
Panama Child Survival and Health 2007; Panama Development Assistance 2007; Panama Development Assistance 2008; Panama Child Survival and Health 2009; Panama Development Assistance 2009;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2009 International Affairs (Function 150) Budget Request–Summary and Highlights (Washington: Department of State: February 4, 2008) (Link to source).
Panama Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2004; Panama Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2004; Panama Foreign Military Sales 2004; Panama International Military Education and Training 2004; Panama International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2004; Panama Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005: A Report to Congress (Washington: April 2005) (Link to source).
Panama Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2005; Panama Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2005; Panama Foreign Military Financing 2005; Panama International Military Education and Training 2005; Panama International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2005; Panama Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006: A Report to Congress (Washington: September 2006) (Link to source).
Panama Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2006; Panama Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2006; Panama Foreign Military Financing 2006; Panama International Military Education and Training 2006; Panama International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2006; Panama Non-SA, Unified Command 2006; Panama Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2006;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007: A Report to Congress (Washington: August 2007) (Link to source).
Panama Foreign Military Sales 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Defense Articles (Including Excess) and Services (Including Training) Furnished Foreign Countries and International Organizations Under the Foreign Military Sales Provisions of The Arms Export Control Act, Chapter 2 (Washington: July 2005) (Link to source).
Panama Foreign Military Sales 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Defense Articles (Including Excess) and Services (Including Training) Furnished Foreign Countries and International Organizations Under the Foreign Military Sales Provisions of The Arms Export Control Act, Chapter 2 (Washington: February 2006) (Link to source).
Panama Humanitarian and Civic Assistance 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Humanitarian and Civic Assistance Program of the Department of Defense, Fiscal Year 2004, (Washington: Department of Defense, February, 2005) (Link to source).
Panama Humanitarian and Civic Assistance 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Humanitarian and Civic Assistance Program of the Department of Defense, Fiscal Year 2005, (Washington: Department of Defense, February, 2006) (Link to source).
Mexico Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005: A Report to Congress (Washington: April 2005) (Link to source).
Mexico International Military Education and Training 2004;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2006 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2005) (Link to source).
Mexico International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2004;?– United States, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, FY 2006 Congressional Budget Justification (Washington: Department of State, April 2005) (Link to source).
Mexico Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006: A Report to Congress (Washington: September 2006) (Link to source).
Mexico Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2004; Mexico Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2005;?– U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Freedom of Information, Response to FOIA request from the Center for Public Integrity (Washington: July 13, 2006) (Link to source).
Mexico International Military Education and Training 2005; Mexico NADR – Anti-Terrorism Assistance 2005;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2007 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2006) (Link to source).
Mexico International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2005;?– United States, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, FY 2007 Congressional Budget Justification (Washington: Department of State, April 2006) (Link to source).
Mexico Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2004; Mexico Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2005; Mexico Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2006;?– United States, Department of Defense, Office of Freedom of Information, Freedom of Information Act Request by Marina Walker Guevara, Ref: 06-F-0839 (Washington: September 26, 2006) (Link to source).
Mexico Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2006; Mexico Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2006; Mexico Non-SA, Unified Command 2006;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007: A Report to Congress (Washington: August 2007) (Link to source).
Mexico International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2006;?– United States, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, FY 2008 Program and Budget Guide (Washington: U.S. Department of State, September 2007) (Link to source).
Mexico International Military Education and Training 2006; Mexico NADR – Export Control and Border Security 2006;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2008 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2007) (Link to source).
Mexico International Military Education and Training 2007; Mexico International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2007; Mexico International Military Education and Training 2008; Mexico Foreign Military Financing 2009; Mexico International Military Education and Training 2009;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2009 International Affairs (Function 150) Budget Request–Summary and Highlights (Washington: Department of State: February 4, 2008) (Link to source).
Mexico NADR – Anti-Terrorism Assistance 2007; Mexico NADR – Export Control and Border Security 2007; Mexico NADR – Anti-Terrorism Assistance 2008; Mexico NADR – Export Control and Border Security 2008; Mexico NADR – Anti-Terrorism Assistance 2009; Mexico NADR – Counter-Terrorism Financing 2009; Mexico NADR – Export Control and Border Security 2009;?– United States, Department of State, Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2008) (Link to source).
Mexico Section 1206 Train and Equip Authority 2007;?– U.S. Department of Defense, Section 1206 Programs for Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007 (Washington: Department of Defense), document obtained January 2008 (Link to source).
Mexico International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2008;?– (1) United States, Department of State, Merida Initiative on Regional Security Cooperation, document obtained October 2007 (Washington: U.S. Department of State, October 2007) (Link to source). (2) United States, Department of State, FY 2009 International Affairs (Function 150) Budget Request–Summary and Highlights (Washington: Department of State: February 4, 2008) (Link to source).
Mexico International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2009;?– Prorated, using 2008 supplemental request amounts, from total request of $477.816 million derived from United States, Department of State, FY 2009 International Affairs (Function 150) Budget Request–Summary and Highlights (Washington: Department of State: February 4, 2008) (Link to source).
Mexico Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2007; Mexico Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2007; Mexico Non-SA, Unified Command 2007; Mexico Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2007; Mexico Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2008; Mexico Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2008; Mexico Non-SA, Unified Command 2008; Mexico Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2008; Mexico Section 1206 Train and Equip Authority 2008; Mexico Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2009; Mexico Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2009; Mexico Non-SA, Unified Command 2009; Mexico Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2009; Mexico Section 1206 Train and Equip Authority 2009;?– Estimate based on closest available year.
Mexico Child Survival and Health 2004; Mexico Development Assistance 2004; Mexico Economic Support Fund 2004; Mexico Peace Corps 2004;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2006 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2005) (Link to source).
Mexico International Narcotics Control Economic Aid 2004;?– United States, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, FY 2006 Congressional Budget Justification (Washington: Department of State, April 2005) (Link to source).
Mexico Child Survival and Health 2005; Mexico Development Assistance 2005; Mexico Economic Support Fund 2005; Mexico Peace Corps 2005;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2007 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2006) (Link to source).
Mexico International Narcotics Control Economic Aid 2005;?– United States, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, FY 2007 Congressional Budget Justification (Washington: Department of State, April 2006) (Link to source).
Mexico Child Survival and Health 2006; Mexico Development Assistance 2006; Mexico Economic Support Fund 2006; Mexico Peace Corps 2006;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2008 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2007) (Link to source).
Mexico International Narcotics Control Economic Aid 2006;?– United States, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, FY 2008 Program and Budget Guide (Washington: U.S. Department of State, September 2007) (Link to source).
Mexico Peace Corps 2007; Mexico Peace Corps 2008; Mexico Peace Corps 2009;?– Estimate based on closest available year.
Mexico Child Survival and Health 2007; Mexico Development Assistance 2007; Mexico Economic Support Fund 2007; Mexico Child Survival and Health 2008; Mexico Development Assistance 2008; Mexico Economic Support Fund 2008; Mexico Child Survival and Health 2009; Mexico Development Assistance 2009;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2009 International Affairs (Function 150) Budget Request–Summary and Highlights (Washington: Department of State: February 4, 2008) (Link to source).
Mexico International Narcotics Control Economic Aid 2008;?– (1) United States, Department of State, Merida Initiative on Regional Security Cooperation, document obtained October 2007 (Washington: U.S. Department of State, October 2007) (Link to source). (2) United States, Department of State, FY 2009 International Affairs (Function 150) Budget Request–Summary and Highlights (Washington: Department of State: February 4, 2008) (Link to source).
Mexico International Narcotics Control Economic Aid 2009;?– Prorated, using 2008 supplemental request amounts, from total request of $477.816 million derived from United States, Department of State, FY 2009 International Affairs (Function 150) Budget Request–Summary and Highlights (Washington: Department of State: February 4, 2008) (Link to source).
Mexico Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2004; Mexico Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2004; Mexico Foreign Military Sales 2004; Mexico International Military Education and Training 2004; Mexico International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2004; Mexico Misc DOS/DOD Non-SA 2004; Mexico Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005: A Report to Congress (Washington: April 2005) (Link to source).
Mexico Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2005; Mexico Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2005; Mexico International Military Education and Training 2005; Mexico International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2005; Mexico Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006: A Report to Congress (Washington: September 2006) (Link to source).
Mexico Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2006; Mexico Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2006; Mexico Foreign Military Sales 2006; Mexico International Military Education and Training 2006; Mexico International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2006; Mexico Non-SA, Unified Command 2006; Mexico Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2006; Mexico Service Academies 2006;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007: A Report to Congress (Washington: August 2007) (Link to source).
Mexico Foreign Military Sales 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Defense Articles (Including Excess) and Services (Including Training) Furnished Foreign Countries and International Organizations Under the Foreign Military Sales Provisions of The Arms Export Control Act, Chapter 2 (Washington: July 2005) (Link to source).
Mexico Foreign Military Sales 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Defense Articles (Including Excess) and Services (Including Training) Furnished Foreign Countries and International Organizations Under the Foreign Military Sales Provisions of The Arms Export Control Act, Chapter 2 (Washington: February 2006) (Link to source).
Honduras Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2004; Honduras Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2005;?– U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Freedom of Information, Response to FOIA request from the Center for Public Integrity (Washington: July 13, 2006) (Link to source).
Honduras Foreign Military Financing 2004; Honduras International Military Education and Training 2004;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2006 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2005) (Link to source).
Honduras Aviation Leadership Program 2004; Honduras Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2004; Honduras Service Academies 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005: A Report to Congress (Washington: April 2005) (Link to source).
Honduras Foreign Military Financing 2005;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2007 International Affairs (Function 150) Budget Request Summary and Highlights (Washington: Department of State, February 2006) (Link to source).
Honduras International Military Education and Training 2005;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2007 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2006) (Link to source).
Honduras Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2004; Honduras Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2005; Honduras Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2006;?– United States, Department of Defense, Office of Freedom of Information, Freedom of Information Act Request by Marina Walker Guevara, Ref: 06-F-0839 (Washington: September 26, 2006) (Link to source).
Honduras Aviation Leadership Program 2005; Honduras Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2005; Honduras Service Academies 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006: A Report to Congress (Washington: September 2006) (Link to source).
Honduras Aviation Leadership Program 2006; Honduras Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2006; Honduras Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2006; Honduras Service Academies 2006;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007: A Report to Congress (Washington: August 2007) (Link to source).
Honduras Foreign Military Financing 2006; Honduras International Military Education and Training 2006; Honduras NADR – Small Arms and Light Weapons 2006;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2008 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2007) (Link to source).
Honduras International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2007;?– United States, Department of State, Memorandum of Justification under Section 451 of the Foreign Assistance Act for the Use of Funds or Counterdrug and Law Enforcement Programs in Central America (Washington: Department of State, September 28, 2007) (Link to source).
Honduras NADR – Conventional Weapons Destruction 2007; Honduras NADR – Small Arms and Light Weapons 2007;?– United States, Department of State, Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2008) (Link to source).
Honduras Foreign Military Financing 2007; Honduras International Military Education and Training 2007; Honduras Foreign Military Financing 2008; Honduras International Military Education and Training 2008; Honduras International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2008; Honduras Foreign Military Financing 2009; Honduras International Military Education and Training 2009; Honduras International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2009;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2009 International Affairs (Function 150) Budget Request–Summary and Highlights (Washington: Department of State: February 4, 2008) (Link to source).
Honduras Aviation Leadership Program 2007; Honduras Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2007; Honduras Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2007; Honduras Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2007; Honduras Service Academies 2007; Honduras Aviation Leadership Program 2008; Honduras Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2008; Honduras Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2008; Honduras Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2008; Honduras Service Academies 2008; Honduras Aviation Leadership Program 2009; Honduras Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2009; Honduras Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2009; Honduras Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2009; Honduras Service Academies 2009;?– Estimate based on closest available year.
Honduras Child Survival and Health 2004; Honduras Development Assistance 2004; Honduras Peace Corps 2004; Honduras PL 480 `Food for Peace` 2004;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2006 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2005) (Link to source).
Honduras Child Survival and Health 2005; Honduras Development Assistance 2005; Honduras Peace Corps 2005; Honduras PL 480 `Food for Peace` 2005;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2007 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2006) (Link to source).
Honduras Millennium Challenge 2005; Honduras Millennium Challenge 2006; Honduras Millennium Challenge 2007; Honduras Millennium Challenge 2008; Honduras Millennium Challenge 2009;?– United States, Millennium Challenge Corporation, Honduras: Compact-Eligible Country Report (Washington: MCC, November 2007) (Link to source).
Honduras Child Survival and Health 2006; Honduras Development Assistance 2006; Honduras Peace Corps 2006; Honduras PL 480 `Food for Peace` 2006;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2008 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2007) (Link to source).
Honduras Child Survival and Health 2007; Honduras Development Assistance 2007; Honduras Economic Support Fund 2007; Honduras Child Survival and Health 2008; Honduras Development Assistance 2008; Honduras Child Survival and Health 2009; Honduras Development Assistance 2009;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2009 International Affairs (Function 150) Budget Request–Summary and Highlights (Washington: Department of State: February 4, 2008) (Link to source).
Honduras Global HIV/AIDS Initiative 2007; Honduras PL 480 `Food for Peace` 2007; Honduras PL 480 `Food for Peace` 2008; Honduras PL 480 `Food for Peace` 2009;?– United States, Department of State, Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2008) (Link to source).
Honduras International Narcotics Control Economic Aid 2007;?– United States, Department of State, Memorandum of Justification under Section 451 of the Foreign Assistance Act for the Use of Funds or Counterdrug and Law Enforcement Programs in Central America (Washington: Department of State, September 28, 2007) (Link to source).
Honduras Peace Corps 2007; Honduras Peace Corps 2008; Honduras Peace Corps 2009;?– Estimate based on closest available year.
Honduras Aviation Leadership Program 2004; Honduras Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2004; Honduras Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2004; Honduras International Military Education and Training 2004; Honduras Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2004; Honduras Service Academies 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005: A Report to Congress (Washington: April 2005) (Link to source).
Honduras Aviation Leadership Program 2005; Honduras Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2005; Honduras Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2005; Honduras DOT / U.S. Coast Guard Activities 2005; Honduras International Military Education and Training 2005; Honduras Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2005; Honduras Service Academies 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006: A Report to Congress (Washington: September 2006) (Link to source).
Honduras Aviation Leadership Program 2006; Honduras Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2006; Honduras Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2006; Honduras International Military Education and Training 2006; Honduras Non-SA, Unified Command 2006; Honduras Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2006; Honduras Service Academies 2006;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007: A Report to Congress (Washington: August 2007) (Link to source).
Honduras Foreign Military Sales 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Defense Articles (Including Excess) and Services (Including Training) Furnished Foreign Countries and International Organizations Under the Foreign Military Sales Provisions of The Arms Export Control Act, Chapter 2 (Washington: July 2005) (Link to source).
Honduras Foreign Military Sales 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Defense Articles (Including Excess) and Services (Including Training) Furnished Foreign Countries and International Organizations Under the Foreign Military Sales Provisions of The Arms Export Control Act, Chapter 2 (Washington: February 2006) (Link to source).
Honduras Humanitarian and Civic Assistance 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Humanitarian and Civic Assistance Program of the Department of Defense, Fiscal Year 2004, (Washington: Department of Defense, February, 2005) (Link to source).
Honduras Section 124 Counter-Drug Operations 2004; Honduras Section 124 Counter-Drug Operations 2005; Honduras Section 124 Counter-Drug Operations 2006;?– United States, Department of Defense, Office of Freedom of Information, Freedom of Information Act Request by Marina Walker Guevara, Ref: 06-F-0839 (Washington: September 26, 2006) (Link to source).
Honduras Humanitarian and Civic Assistance 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Humanitarian and Civic Assistance Program of the Department of Defense, Fiscal Year 2005, (Washington: Department of Defense, February, 2006) (Link to source).
Guyana Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005: A Report to Congress (Washington: April 2005) (Link to source).
Guyana Foreign Military Financing 2004; Guyana International Military Education and Training 2004;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2006 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2005) (Link to source).
Guyana Foreign Military Financing 2005;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2007 International Affairs (Function 150) Budget Request Summary and Highlights (Washington: Department of State, February 2006) (Link to source).
Guyana International Military Education and Training 2005;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2007 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2006) (Link to source).
Guyana Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2005; Guyana Service Academies 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006: A Report to Congress (Washington: September 2006) (Link to source).
Guyana Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2006; Guyana Service Academies 2006;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007: A Report to Congress (Washington: August 2007) (Link to source).
Guyana Foreign Military Financing 2006; Guyana International Military Education and Training 2006;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2008 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2007) (Link to source).
Guyana Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2007; Guyana Service Academies 2007; Guyana Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2008; Guyana Service Academies 2008; Guyana Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2009; Guyana Service Academies 2009;?– Estimate based on closest available year.
Guyana Foreign Military Financing 2007; Guyana International Military Education and Training 2007; Guyana International Military Education and Training 2008; Guyana Foreign Military Financing 2009; Guyana International Military Education and Training 2009;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2009 International Affairs (Function 150) Budget Request–Summary and Highlights (Washington: Department of State: February 4, 2008) (Link to source).
Guyana Child Survival and Health 2004; Guyana Development Assistance 2004; Guyana Global HIV/AIDS Initiative 2004; Guyana Peace Corps 2004;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2006 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2005) (Link to source).
Guyana Global HIV/AIDS Initiative 2007; Guyana Global HIV/AIDS Initiative 2008; Guyana Global HIV/AIDS Initiative 2009;?– United States, Department of State, Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2008) (Link to source).
Guyana Peace Corps 2007; Guyana Peace Corps 2008; Guyana Peace Corps 2009;?– Estimate based on closest available year.
Guyana Millennium Challenge 2008;?– United States, Millennium Challenge Corporation, Guyana Signs $6.7 Million Millennium Challenge Corporation Grant to Support Fiscal Reforms, Press Release (Washington: MCC, August 23, 2007) (Link to source).
Guyana Development Assistance 2007; Guyana Development Assistance 2008; Guyana Development Assistance 2009;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2009 International Affairs (Function 150) Budget Request–Summary and Highlights (Washington: Department of State: February 4, 2008) (Link to source).
Guyana Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2004; Guyana International Military Education and Training 2004; Guyana Misc DOS/DOD Non-SA 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005: A Report to Congress (Washington: April 2005) (Link to source).
Guyana Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2005; Guyana DOT / U.S. Coast Guard Activities 2005; Guyana International Military Education and Training 2005; Guyana Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2005; Guyana Service Academies 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006: A Report to Congress (Washington: September 2006) (Link to source).
Guyana Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2006; Guyana International Military Education and Training 2006; Guyana Service Academies 2006;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007: A Report to Congress (Washington: August 2007) (Link to source).
Guyana Foreign Military Sales 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Defense Articles (Including Excess) and Services (Including Training) Furnished Foreign Countries and International Organizations Under the Foreign Military Sales Provisions of The Arms Export Control Act, Chapter 2 (Washington: July 2005) (Link to source).
Guyana Foreign Military Sales 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Defense Articles (Including Excess) and Services (Including Training) Furnished Foreign Countries and International Organizations Under the Foreign Military Sales Provisions of The Arms Export Control Act, Chapter 2 (Washington: February 2006) (Link to source).
Guyana Humanitarian and Civic Assistance 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Humanitarian and Civic Assistance Program of the Department of Defense, Fiscal Year 2004, (Washington: Department of Defense, February, 2005) (Link to source).
Guyana Humanitarian and Civic Assistance 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Humanitarian and Civic Assistance Program of the Department of Defense, Fiscal Year 2005, (Washington: Department of Defense, February, 2006) (Link to source).
Guatemala Aviation Leadership Program 2004; Guatemala Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005: A Report to Congress (Washington: April 2005) (Link to source).
Guatemala Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2004; Guatemala Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2005;?– U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Freedom of Information, Response to FOIA request from the Center for Public Integrity (Washington: July 13, 2006) (Link to source).
Guatemala International Military Education and Training 2004;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2006 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2005) (Link to source).
Guatemala International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2004;?– United States, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, FY 2006 Congressional Budget Justification (Washington: Department of State, April 2005) (Link to source).
Guatemala Aviation Leadership Program 2005; Guatemala Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006: A Report to Congress (Washington: September 2006) (Link to source).
Guatemala Excess Defense Articles 2005; Guatemala International Military Education and Training 2005;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2007 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2006) (Link to source).
Guatemala International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2005;?– United States, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, FY 2007 Congressional Budget Justification (Washington: Department of State, April 2006) (Link to source).
Guatemala Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2004; Guatemala Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2005; Guatemala Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2006;?– United States, Department of Defense, Office of Freedom of Information, Freedom of Information Act Request by Marina Walker Guevara, Ref: 06-F-0839 (Washington: September 26, 2006) (Link to source).
Guatemala Aviation Leadership Program 2006; Guatemala Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2006; Guatemala Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2006; Guatemala Service Academies 2006;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007: A Report to Congress (Washington: August 2007) (Link to source).
Guatemala International Military Education and Training 2006;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2008 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2007) (Link to source).
Guatemala International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2006;?– United States, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, FY 2008 Program and Budget Guide (Washington: U.S. Department of State, September 2007) (Link to source).
Guatemala International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2007;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2009 International Affairs (Function 150) Budget Request–Summary and Highlights (Washington: Department of State: February 4, 2008) (Link to source). United States, Department of State, Memorandum of Justification under Section 451 of the Foreign Assistance Act for the Use of Funds or Counterdrug and Law Enforcement Programs in Central America (Washington: Department of State, September 28, 2007) (Link to source).
Guatemala International Military Education and Training 2007; Guatemala Foreign Military Financing 2008; Guatemala International Military Education and Training 2008; Guatemala International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2008; Guatemala Foreign Military Financing 2009; Guatemala International Military Education and Training 2009; Guatemala International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 2009;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2009 International Affairs (Function 150) Budget Request–Summary and Highlights (Washington: Department of State: February 4, 2008) (Link to source).
Guatemala Aviation Leadership Program 2007; Guatemala Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2007; Guatemala Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2007; Guatemala Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2007; Guatemala Service Academies 2007; Guatemala Aviation Leadership Program 2008; Guatemala Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2008; Guatemala Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2008; Guatemala Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2008; Guatemala Service Academies 2008; Guatemala Aviation Leadership Program 2009; Guatemala Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2009; Guatemala Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2009; Guatemala Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2009; Guatemala Service Academies 2009;?– Estimate based on closest available year.
Guatemala Child Survival and Health 2004; Guatemala Development Assistance 2004; Guatemala Economic Support Fund 2004; Guatemala Peace Corps 2004; Guatemala PL 480 `Food for Peace` 2004;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2006 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2005) (Link to source).
Guatemala International Narcotics Control Economic Aid 2004;?– United States, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, FY 2006 Congressional Budget Justification (Washington: Department of State, April 2005) (Link to source).
Guatemala Child Survival and Health 2005; Guatemala Development Assistance 2005; Guatemala Economic Support Fund 2005; Guatemala Peace Corps 2005; Guatemala PL 480 `Food for Peace` 2005;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2007 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2006) (Link to source).
Guatemala International Narcotics Control Economic Aid 2005;?– United States, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, FY 2007 Congressional Budget Justification (Washington: Department of State, April 2006) (Link to source).
Guatemala Child Survival and Health 2006; Guatemala Development Assistance 2006; Guatemala Economic Support Fund 2006; Guatemala Peace Corps 2006; Guatemala PL 480 `Food for Peace` 2006;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2008 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2007) (Link to source).
Guatemala International Narcotics Control Economic Aid 2006;?– United States, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, FY 2008 Program and Budget Guide (Washington: U.S. Department of State, September 2007) (Link to source).
Guatemala International Narcotics Control Economic Aid 2007;?– United States, Department of State, Memorandum of Justification under Section 451 of the Foreign Assistance Act for the Use of Funds or Counterdrug and Law Enforcement Programs in Central America (Washington: Department of State, September 28, 2007) (Link to source).
Guatemala Peace Corps 2007; Guatemala Peace Corps 2008; Guatemala Peace Corps 2009;?– Estimate based on closest available year.
Guatemala Child Survival and Health 2007; Guatemala Development Assistance 2007; Guatemala Economic Support Fund 2007; Guatemala Child Survival and Health 2008; Guatemala Development Assistance 2008; Guatemala Economic Support Fund 2008; Guatemala Child Survival and Health 2009; Guatemala Development Assistance 2009;?– United States, Department of State, FY 2009 International Affairs (Function 150) Budget Request–Summary and Highlights (Washington: Department of State: February 4, 2008) (Link to source).
Guatemala PL 480 `Food for Peace` 2007; Guatemala PL 480 `Food for Peace` 2008; Guatemala PL 480 `Food for Peace` 2009;?– United States, Department of State, Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations (Washington: Department of State, February 2008) (Link to source).
Guatemala Aviation Leadership Program 2004; Guatemala Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2004; Guatemala Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2004; Guatemala International Military Education and Training 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005: A Report to Congress (Washington: April 2005) (Link to source).
Guatemala Aviation Leadership Program 2005; Guatemala Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2005; Guatemala Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2005; Guatemala Emergency Drawdowns 2005; Guatemala International Military Education and Training 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006: A Report to Congress (Washington: September 2006) (Link to source).
Guatemala Aviation Leadership Program 2006; Guatemala Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies 2006; Guatemala Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program 2006; Guatemala International Military Education and Training 2006; Guatemala Non-SA, Unified Command 2006; Guatemala Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance 2006; Guatemala Service Academies 2006;?– United States, Department of Defense, Department of State, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007: A Report to Congress (Washington: August 2007) (Link to source).
Guatemala Humanitarian and Civic Assistance 2004;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Humanitarian and Civic Assistance Program of the Department of Defense, Fiscal Year 2004, (Washington: Department of Defense, February, 2005) (온라인 카지노 합법 국가Link to source).
Guatemala Humanitarian and Civic Assistance 2005;?– United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Humanitarian and Civic Assistance Program of the Department of Defense, Fiscal Year 2005, (Washington: Department of Defense, February, 2006) (Link to source). | 2019-04-22T15:58:31Z | http://www.romenagrandhotel.com/5b0/2008/04/ |
In years past, cost reduction was a primary driver for integrating services. Convergence was seen as a cost reduction enabler first and foremost. As companies worked to consolidate to a single cable plant, voice and data converged onto one Cat5 or Cat6 wiring infrastructure. Further consolidation to a single wide area network (WAN) circuit infrastructure based on IP has slowly followed. In practice, cost reduction has proven to be a secondary benefit. The real benefit to converged communications is in productivity gains and as an enabler of new business operations. Although process re-engineering itself can be a major effort, convergence further strengthens the competitive edge of increased efficiency and productivity.
This chapter will extend the reach of unified communications beyond cost into specific business areas and interests. It will provide real world examples of how business operations and industry segments can realize tangible productivity gains, and will not only touch on the current convergence of data, voice, and video but also see how they set the stage for other advances coming to the converged network.
Worker productivity will rise and fall with the integration of data, voice, and video communications. This natural ebb and flow is representative of gradual process changes coupled with workers overcoming the learning curve as they adapt work habits to best utilize new tools and resources. It's important to remember that basic telephone usage is something very natural to working adults. It's something learned at a fairly young age. In the workplace, changing how people work—how they use the telephone—will have unexpected impacts. For example, a sales team that has been working from individual PC-based contact calling programs such as Act! or Goldmine will encounter a learning and adaptation curve with the enterprise shifts to a companywide Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system with Sales Force Automation (SFA) features. The work paradigm changes dramatically. This paradigm shift provides the catalyst for a change in corporate culture within the organization.
Network convergence is really the first phase of a long evolutionary process. Converging voice and data onto a single infrastructure provides opportunities to reduce operating expenses (OPEX). It reduces billing complexity with service providers. It provides for early workforce consolidation. It sets the stage.
Service and application convergence is the hot topic of the market today. The idea of a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), or deploying Software as a Service (SaaS) on the network, sets the stage for radical change in how work gets done. This convergence of data, voice, and video as services, coupled with the convergence of applications as services on the enterprise network, completely changes the basic steps and procedures of performing even some of the most basic work tasks throughout the day.
Many organizations employ convergence between the telephone set and the desktop PC. Desktop real estate is at a premium for workers in the information economy, and the ability to use a single device on the desktop for all communications activity provides new integration enabling new workflow efficiencies.
Further evolution in fixed mobile convergence will more tightly couple the telephone, the mobile phone or PDA, and the desktop workstation, providing a convergence that offers device independence with the freedom of mobility and choice of the best available device for communications at a given point in time.
Service convergence as a productivity enabler has become a root motivator for many companies pursuing unified networks. It's important that organizations not pursue new technologies in unified communications solely for the sake of their novelty. The key for any enterprise is how the convergence of the network supports the established business strategies.
As unified communications technologies develop, companies around the world are discovering innovative business benefits provided by unifying data, voice, and video onto a single service infrastructure. High-level business processes can be heavily impacted by convergence, underscoring the reality that convergence is far more than cost consolidation of multiple, separate networks.
For many enterprises, the question of one network versus several networks remains unaddressed today. Voice and data networks were developed in isolation, each being tuned for the performance requirements of the specific traffic type supported. As separate services, integration between the two wasn't anticipated or planned. VoIP introduced the idea of change, but the complexity of integration and rapidly evolving network capabilities made convergence a costly proposition for many companies. During the earlier years of convergence, organizations focused on the cost without fully understanding the value of business process efficiency and change that could evolve from integrated services.
Today, it's both feasible and practical to integrate business service solutions onto a single network infrastructure. Convergence also enables implementation of business solutions that were just too costly to deploy on non-converged, dedicated voice and data networks.
One example of a service solution that is far more costly to implement in separate dedicated networks is Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) as described in Chapter 2. Call centers were once large, densely populated work centers deploying expensive integration solutions. It was difficult to justify the extreme costs in smaller business operations. Shaving a few seconds off a telephone call provided justification in the high-end call center processing thousand of calls per day, but that integration hasn't always transferred down to smaller business processes. Why not?
Workers in today's information economy agree that there are productivity gains that can be achieved by integrating the telephone and PC workstation. The main hurdle in deploying call center technologies more broadly across the enterprise has been the negative cost ratio. The cost associated with separate networks has, for a number of years, outweighed the business benefits of implementing call center applications. In the fully converged network, many of the complexities of integration are eliminated. This reduces the implementation cost of call center solutions and creates a positive cost ratio. Figure 4.1 illustrates the importance of evaluating the business benefits over the cost ratio.
Figure 4.1: Business benefits and cost ratio evaluation.
What we find are some vital areas of business benefit. Convergence can deliver both financial and operational benefits derived from the integration of applications and services, while enabling improved productivity. For many organizations, these benefits appear in business facets that weren't fully considered in the past. Although this chapter is primarily focused on productivity gains, let's briefly touch on these business facet benefits as a reminder that convergence delivers a broad range of gains to the enterprise. They all need to be considered in the deployment and management of the converged service network.
Service network convergence can enable property modifications that provide better working facilities for employees while reducing the enterprise needs for real estate ownership. Given distribution of work within an enterprise, the converged network can provide collaboration tools and a work environment that eliminates the requirement for all employees to work in a large, centrally located facility. Different work functions can be distributed to locations, taking advantage of tax benefits and other financial drivers. For many companies, placing the employees closer to the customer geographically provides an added value.
Network consolidation leads to more efficient use of technical staff, leading to further cost reduction. Housing of technology resources, such as network server farms, and reducing the number of vendors or leasing requirements bring further reduction in costs. Additionally, a single, consolidated network provides greater clarity and visibility of future costs as the enterprise plans technology enhancements to support a unified business strategy.
Enterprise agility is difficult to measure and quantify. One competitive factor that has been widely recognized by many companies is that Internet technologies have allowed small, entrepreneurial, nimble companies to compete against large enterprises effectively. Making the large enterprise a nimble, agile business through convergence enables quicker response to new opportunities in the market. Leveraging the property and asset management values, large enterprises can quickly move resources where they are needed or where favorable tax and labor rates prevail. Adaptation to change is simpler and less costly with a fully integrated network.
The converged network, integrating data, voice, and video services, allows employees a wider range of information media and network accessibility options. Tools such as unified messaging, voice, and video conferencing, and Web-based productivity tools create an environment for employees to more effectively accomplish business goals.
New applications can be deployed more quickly in a unified network. Interoperability concerns are reduced or eliminated. Data, voice, and video applications no longer have to be developed and tested on separate networks, then cobbled together to create new service applications.
The convergence of data and voice allows employees to be as fully productive outside the office as they are when they're in the office at their desk. VoIP, unified messaging solutions, and call center technologies can all be used today to support the increasingly mobile enterprise workforce. Teleworkers, sales people, and consultants who spend much of their productive work time away from the office still require access to corporate services and information resources. One added value with VoIP services in the converged network is the accessibility for workers in transitory locations such as hotels and airports.
As we look at the productivity advantages of unified communications, there are a number of other transitional events that help the enterprise determine whether to adopt convergence as part of the overall business strategy. For many organizations, these events act not as catalysts on their own but as accelerators to convergence adoption. In many cases, they can bring quicker benefits, both financial and via productivity, to the enterprise.
For many enterprises, particularly those whose core business is not based solely on information technology, there is a need to provide real-time data in a variety of different environments. Manufacturing environments may be too dirty to deploy PCs. Refineries, chemical facilities, and the shipping industry often present hazardous environments. Remote locations can present special security requirements. In addition, PCs may just be too expensive. In many cases, there is a need to provide a cheaper end user device. A converged network may be able to utilize a single handset device to provide both voice and data services in a cost-effective manner, reducing the equipment exposed to risk.
In organizations with existing call centers, agent turnover is a universal concern. Alternate facilities might be considered for reduction in operating expenses (OPEX). Optimizing technologies onto a single platform can offer both cost savings and productivity increases. The converged call center can bring crisp and dynamic management to call flow balance between multiple call centers to ensure peak agent utilization.
Implementing efficient call transfer technologies in the unified service network facilitates movement of both voice and CRM data across any customer "touch point" within the enterprise.
This multi-channel call center approach lets the enterprise humanize business relationships with customers, eases access to critical information resources, and makes agents more productive by reducing handling times. These factors all lead to increased customer satisfaction. For sales channels, increased customer satisfaction can lead to cross-sell and/or up-sell opportunities, increasing the bottom line revenue potential.
Enterprises constantly tune and optimize business processes for increased productivity. Remote collaboration tools can reduce time lost to travel. Video conferencing can eliminate travel time for internal company meetings. With converged services, giving every employee universal access to necessary resources, the enterprise can deliver a consistent user experience.
The overhead associated with adds, moves, and changes is a significant burden. It costs time and money, and for many organizations, this ongoing administration OPEX is far more costly than the initial capital expenditure (CAPEX). Convergence reduces OPEX by creating efficiency in the administration process.
Facilities managers who oversee a combination of office space and services such as voice and data in large enterprises often use what is referred to as "swing space." Swing space is extra capacity to allow for the ongoing movement of individuals or groups of employees through constant organizational changes. It's essentially a buffer. For many large enterprises, swing space may comprise as much as 5 to 10 percent of the building.
For many companies, the need for swing space was driven by the inability for real-time adds, moves, and changes in the traditional business PBX platform. Moving a telephone user in the legacy PBX world required time and effort to reconfigure wiring and implement programmatic changes.
In the converged network, administrative intervention can be eliminated, enabling real-time reconfiguration of data, voice, and video services. Network cabling requirements have been cut in half, using the unified IP cabling plant.
WiFi technologies coupled with VoIP softphones may completely eliminate the need for cabling to the individual desk. Other fixed space assets, such as conference rooms, can become viable temporary work spaces during reorganization or to support special projects with significantly reduced administrative overhead to support adds, moves, and changes.
Email, voicemail, fax, and other messaging tools have provided increased ability to communicate both within the enterprise and with business partners and customers. These tools have also created inefficiencies. Some studies indicate that employees spend an average of 2½ hours each day either reading and responding to email or listening to voicemail messages. To increase productivity, communications need to be managed more efficiently.
The converged network provides a number of benefits to the organization. Perhaps the most significant is the ability to quickly integrate and deploy a wide range of services and applications. These service and applications can help streamline administrative tasks, letting employees focus on business goals, customer care, and revenue generation. The following three sections offer examples of application services that increase productivity in the converged data, voice, and video network.
Unified messaging platforms can give users immediate, integrated access to voice, email, and fax messages from any workstation in the enterprise, whether it's a VoIP phone or a PC. The time reduction in using a phone for voicemail versus a PC for email can be significant. Unified messaging is a natural lead-in to device convergence, enabling any device on the corporate network to act as the workstation of choice at any point in time. Traveling employees can access all messages from a single device, speeding response times.
It's becoming increasingly difficult to know which number to call or how to contact any one individual at any point in the work day. Multiple phone numbers lead to counterproductive "phone tag," or worse, "voicemail tag." Missed calls and multiple voicemail messages present a resource drain on productivity. Communications assistant tools in a converged network can provide information about presence and availability to help workers prioritize who can contact them and via what communications devices. Critical calls, or contacts, can be automatically routed to multiple devices to ensure efficient communications. Another advantage of these personal communications assistants is the ability to set up conference calls on demand, increasing collaboration efficiency both inside and outside the enterprise.
The fully integrated network doesn't just converge data and voice; it brings videoconferencing power in a cost-effective, ubiquitous way. Many organizations see the power of videoconferencing as a means to reduce travel expenses. Beyond the travel cost, video can save time and provide a rich user experience in communications.
In a converged network, the enterprise can provide both video on demand and videoconferencing capability to every desktop. Many organizations today are very laptop- or notebook-computer– oriented. Today's systems often come equipped with a video camera (or Webcam) built in. For companies needing to invest in Webcam technologies, high-quality cameras have become lowcost commodities and can easily be bought in volume for less than $50 apiece.
Video provides an array of business communications tools that are quickly becoming a normal part of the day for many organizations. Distance learning via video allows employees around the world to continue learning without the headache of travel to a centralized training facility or classroom. Crucial business information, board meeting updates, product announcements, even staff meetings, can all be viewed in either broadcast or interactive modes depending on the tools used for video. For teleworkers and remote staff, IP video provides face-to-face communications in real time, maintaining strong working relationships with coworkers in other remote locations and in corporate offices.
For Web-centric businesses, or those tightly coupled to information technologies, the evolution of voice to next-generation voice and video services holds great potential. Although some of the content in this section may not apply directly to the enterprise implementation of unified communications today, it certainly paints a clear picture of where integrated voice and video technologies are quickly headed.
Presence and availability information are crucial, but they're also not well understood by the enterprise business world today. That is changing as society evolves. The established leadership in enterprise business today is comprised of people from the Baby Boomer Generation, but in the high-tech market, GenXers have stepped into many leadership roles. The next-generation workforce is coming from what is now being called the Millennial Generation. For many users, particularly younger users who have known Internet technologies their entire lives, tools such as instant messaging are vital communications tools. Adults often learn and adapt to new technologies from their children.
For an interesting perspective on the generation of children that has grown up with a computer mouse in hand, check out Homo Zappiens - Growing Up in a Digital Age by Wim Veen and Ben Vrakking.
In the world of instant messaging (IM), presence and availability provide key pieces of information for the enterprise. These concepts are a follow-on to the simple IM buddy list. Although presence and availability are the key buzzwords used in the unified communications space today, relevance and context are basic concepts behind them both. The buddy list provides a window into online contacts' availability, simply showing that they are online, available, busy, at lunch, on the phone, or some other simplistic status indicator.
The real unified communications vision is far, far broader than the concept of relevance. Today, communications assistants (that is, software tools) offer the ability to give users control over who contacts them—when, where, and how. In short, users can define the context they are working in and control how they are contacted. This idea is a piece of the future, but only one piece.
Service integration is crucial—voice, data, and video converged on a single set of tools. Collaboration tools today are many and varied, but most currently lack extensive video services coupled with widespread application sharing. That's a collaboration component developers are just beginning to fully understand.
Fixed mobile convergence (FMC) presents another piece of the puzzle, and it's sorely lacking today. In its earliest stages, FMC is to many the ability to pass a phone call from the mobile network to a locally managed WiFi. That's really nothing more than arbitraging the cost of mobile minute airtime. It's an achievable technology that simply needs the right protocols to make it work. If the market demand existed today, this view of FMC would be fairly easily accomplished. Every technology piece needed exists in some form today.
As unified communications evolves, FMC will enable the initiation of a call from a PC in a home office in the morning. The converged network can make this a multimedia call with video and application sharing. When the time comes to leave the home office and drive in to the corporate facilities, the voice stream can be handed off to a mobile handset on a home WiFi network. As you get in the car and drive away, the call will seamlessly hand off to the mobile carrier. Upon arrival at the office, it will be handed over to the corporate WiFi network. And when you arrive in your office cubicle, you'll be able to hand the call back off to the phone on your desk, a softphone on your PC, or even to re-engage a full video collaboration client on the desktop to rejoin the collaboration call. That's the unified communications path for FMC. It's more than just the network. The network, or networks, is still nothing more than a transport mechanism.
Presence, availability, and relevance technologies today are barely the tip of the iceberg. Barely a toddler in terms of what the mature model will become. Today, you can share presence with your buddy list with your contacts but that doesn't begin to describe the enterprise value of convergence.
Combine data, voice, and video with relevance, collaboration and FMC advances and think about how these services bundle together. Imagine an enterprise customer service team that is beyond relevant. A customer can call their sales rep, but the relevant enterprise will have every employee's presence and availability information. Integrate the CRM system to enable advanced customer choice. The customer doesn't have to simply leave voicemail because they can't reach their designated account rep. Why not let the customer choose whether to leave voicemail or ring through the next relevant member of an account team who is available automatically? With converged systems, you not only pass the call but can easily send all the pertinent customer information as well.
Now consider the ramifications of all this enterprise relevance, presence, and availability capability tied into the call center philosophy. Why not make the entire enterprise a business relevant call center. You can know where every employee is, and their availability. You also know what tools they have available to communicate in the moment. "Voicemail jail" disappears from the landscape. Nobody ever needs to leave a voicemail message for their account rep except by choice.
This evolution of convergence will redefine the "easy-to-do-business-with" enterprise! The relevant enterprise. But at the core, it's not relevance. It's not presence. It's not availability. It's responsiveness. It enables nimble adaptation to the tactical needs of day-to-day business— business communications at the speed of thought.
When you think of the global telephone network, one of the features that has made it so valuable for worldwide business is its ubiquitous presence. The telephone is everywhere. Why not leverage convergence and unified communications technologies for the ubiquitous enterprise. The enterprise that is always on, always accessible, always responsive. That is where the next generation of communications convergence is headed. Integrating data, voice, and video today is the enabling foundation.
As Chapter 2 noted, interactive voice response (IVR) systems are computerized systems that let callers choose options from a voice menu. With advances in voice recognition technologies, you'll not only see new IVR applications, you will begin to see costs drop significantly. Simple IVR solutions let the caller speak simple answers such as "yes," "no," or numbers in response to the prompts, but they continue to grow in sophistication.
IVR systems today can also "read out" complex and dynamic information such as email messages, news reports, weather information, and faxes using complex Text-To-Speech (TTS) conversion tools. These TTS systems use human voices creating speech in very small fragments that are assembled to create very lifelike voice.
Although IVR systems have been used to create service solutions such as airline ticket booking, banking by phone, balance inquiry, and so forth, in the converged network, they present a new set of services for internal use. They allow employees out of the office to call in and have email messages or fax messages read back as part of a unified solution. IVR technologies enhance the ability of any employee from any location to receive and respond to important business calls and email messages.
Chapter 2 also reviewed how Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) can facilitate interaction between the telephone system and enterprise computer systems. The converged network integrates data and voice onto a single IP infrastructure, drastically reducing the cost and complexity of CTI.
In the converged service network, caller information, screen pops, call control tools, and outbound calling features are integrated into the VoIP system more tightly than was possible when integrating legacy voice and data network services. Call transfer, call hold, and conference calling features often become one-click operations.
In Internet services today, the idea of click-to-call gets a lot of attention. On the Internet, it's a nice idea that's forming. In the enterprise converged network with CTI, it's a reality today. The converged network of unified communications tools makes CTI features readily accessible by business operations groups that previously couldn't implement these efficiencies.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) driven, Web-centered collaboration in business-to-business (B2B) interaction has grown significantly in recent years as business partners found ways to leverage Web services in Internet technologies. ERP systems are often implemented during process re-engineering within enterprise businesses to help break down the legacy "silo" mentality that compartmentalized large companies into smaller fiefdoms, often struggling internally within the organization. ERP systems dissolve many barriers by unifying all data resources and business processes under a single umbrella solution. This unified approach facilitates, and even encourages, collaboration between different business work groups.
Although ERP systems frequently began as supply chain monitoring tools in the manufacturing sector, today they're widespread across every business environment. Today's ERP systems support manufacturing, supply chain management, customer relationship management (CRM), sales force automation, human resources, and more. All of these components of ERP require unfettered access to voice services and data resources. As with CTI, the convergence to a single network infrastructure for data, voice, and video reduces the cost and complexity for implementing ERP systems.
For many organizations, the ERP system represents what Bill Gates has referred to as the Digital Nervous System of the enterprise. ERP systems can be very tightly coupled as a service on the converged enterprise network. Communications tools, integrated with process management and monitoring, provide a level of integration that speeds countless business operations, reducing costs and increasing efficiency within the company.
CRM is used to describe a wide array of business capabilities, methodologies, and technologies that support how an enterprise manages day-to-day relationships with customers. CRM systems bring reliability and consistency to customer interactions, enriching the customer experience and increasing customer satisfaction overall.
As a corporate strategy, CRM is often implemented to create and maintain lasting customer relationships. As Chapter 2 noted, CRM is often a cultural shift for organizations, moving to a holistic view of managing the entire lifetime of the customer relationship.
CRM systems are typically implemented within the marketing, sales, and customer service groups who have the most frequent and direct customer contact. One success key to CRM in the converged network is simply the ability to capture every single touch point and every customer interaction that occurs, regardless of what group within the enterprise is involved.
CRM's focal points are to create a customer-based culture of end-to-end service. Convergence integrates data and voice services to effectively capture this information for continuous analysis and improvement. Figure 4.2 revisits a process flow introduced earlier in this guide. CRM may be viewed as analogous to ERP for many enterprises. What the CRM system enables is capturing every piece of information the organization has about every interaction with every customer, throughout the life of the customer relationship. This information repository becomes enterprise metadata; that is data about your enterprise business that can be analyzed and leveraged to further streamline and improve customer service processes.
Figure 4.2: Building value with CRM.
To fully use the strength of the converged network, you need to capture every business activity into an IT system—every one. This data warehouse of information becomes the repository of what happened at every step of the way in the business flow. This information can be mined and processed against customer interaction data from the CRM system. This entire process of knowledge management gives business leaders fully developed information about the enterprise so that they can make informed technology choices for the future, intelligently procure and allocate resources within the enterprise, and develop the right new product and service offerings to increase revenue by filling customer needs, both present and future. That's the value of CRM.
Where the rubber meets the road, at customer interaction, you use a variety of communications tools—data, voice, and increasingly video. The converged network simplifies the ability to let employees focus on customers, while leveraging the strength of the technologies to automate capturing the business intelligence information that will help the enterprise evolve.
CRM systems today provide comprehensive order history tracking, click-to-email, click-to-call, and analysis reporting tools that arm employees with comprehensive CRM tools to manage larger sets of customers more efficiently than could ever be achieved in the legacy voice and data networks.
Although there are numerous small drivers within each vertical segment of the market, one key driver across all sectors is the hyper-connected nature of workers. Workers today are information professionals regardless of the business sector they work in. Everyone in the work force is an information professional. Everyone is connected. Many workers are hyper-connected.
Workers use email, office phones, mobile phones, pagers, Blackberries, smart phones, home computers, and laptops—in short, they are almost always online. In this hyper-connected state, workers have also achieved a virtual Masters degree in multitasking.
Using today's communications tools, workers manage more projects, cultivate more customers, and complete more work than ever before. This hyper-connected, all-inclusive toolset also means that work and personal life blur. Customers today often involve personal relationships as the work day becomes an artificial constraint for business in many areas. People work from home or from wherever they are at the point in time they're needed. Convergence technologies and the unified communications evolution not only leverage this ability but also bring business tools that help employees ensure that business and personal lives don't blur entirely.
Convergence isn't just VoIP. Convergence of data, voice, and video today are the foundational elements for unifying all communications technologies. The power of convergence doesn't lie in VoIP. The power of convergence lies in integrating voice and data services of all kinds with business applications in the enterprise, tightly coupling services and applications to support business strategies.
Voice isn't always VoIP. The real value of convergence is the broader unified communications that embraces all data voice and video technologies. There is a new startup company today that can provide a single "virtual" number that works on a mobile user's existing mobile phone. Users can both dial out from and receive calls on their virtual number, so they can easily separate their business calls from their personal calls, for example.
Not only can a mobile user have two mobile numbers on a single phone, but the virtual number can be selected from almost anywhere that the user desires. In this way, professionals who conduct business in multiple regions can use their virtual number to give the impression of a local presence because callers can see that they are reaching or being reached by a local number. This virtual number is another telephone number. It can be assigned to your cell phone. The mobile phone can support two numbers, with CallerID working on both. The virtual number can be anywhere. Consider foreign students attending college in the U.S. Recent reports say there are 674,000 students with active VISAs at present. They could have a phone number on their cell phone in England, Japan, India, and Australia. From home— their real home where family live. Two huge benefits brought about by this development are the ability to leverage international long distance arbitrage to obtain the cheapest per minute cost to call home. But this also means that mom can call back and reach her student with a local phone call.
Foreign students are just an example. How many workers travel to other parts of the world from their home to work? Some parts of the U.S. are heavily populated with migrant workers in agriculture. Many professionals in the medical field come to the U.S. from the Philippines. How many people have corporate offices in their home country and another part of the world? What about a consultant in Idaho who wants a Washington DC number to work on contracts with the federal government. Local presence, via a local phone number, is easily accomplished. And Caller ID follows that number. Place a call from the UK number, and that is what the person receiving the call will see on their display.
Beyond that there is another aspect of aliasing existing telephone numbers. Let me give a personal example for aliasing. I have phone numbers for home, home office, office, personal cell phone (Treo), business cell phone (Blackberry), and a couple of others that I use daily. With telephone aliasing technology, I can make them all appear on my cell phone, just like the virtual number described a moment ago. I can make and receive calls with the full presence of my telephone number. If I call on work business, I can place the call from my business number and that is what the called party will see on their display. In short, the identity of my telephone number is extended to my mobile phone, complete with Caller ID information. I know I keep mentioning Caller ID, but it's important.
Let's look at a broader vision. Consider professional services workers—consultants, doctors, and lawyers—as examples. Consultants and lawyers make their living on billable hours. There is a law firm in Silicon Valley that has privately estimated that they lose $1.5 million dollars a year in billable time from attorneys talking on their cell phones while they are driving. If those attorneys had virtual numbers with an account code, that time could be tracked, and billed, driving billable time back into corporate revenue stream. Consultants may provide a block of hours or billable service to special clients. Many provide a dedicated phone number for the client to reach them any time. What a perfect fit! A virtual telephone number, dedicated to a client with account code tracking for billing built right in.
Doctors have different constraints. When a doctor calls a patient with test results, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations forbid patient test results being left in a voicemail message. The medical professional has to speak with the patient. Doctors don't call patients from their cell phones because they don't want patients calling them back there. If you get a call from your doctor's cell phone, you're likely to let it go to voicemail as an unfamiliar number anyway. But if you see the medical center number on Caller ID, you know they're calling with test results. Everyone is assured the privacy and confidentiality of patient information, but through Caller ID, you leverage the telephone network for better efficiency.
Beyond North America, these technologies mean that global boundaries don't matter. If I do business in six countries, I expect I'll be able to get virtual telephone numbers in every country at some point. All on my mobile phone. All at once. Whether the underlying network is VoIP, PSTN, or cellular is irrelevant to the user. Convergence eliminates the technology and simply makes it a voice service.
Business owners and executives today are not sitting around board room tables discussing their existing phone systems, services, or expenses. They're not thinking about VoIP or Telephony and what it can do for their bottom lines. They're discussing real business problems and looking for real solutions to those problems.
I think the time has come to stop talking about VoIP and Telephony and start talking about applications and solutions. Solving problems. And at the end of the day after the order has been signed, we can then mention that all the phone calls will be free or virtually free! And how is that done? Well the solution has VoIP built in!
Communications technologies manufacturers, vendors, and developers often get sidetracked into the idea of how their products can interoperate…how they can build a platform. Customers don't care about a platform, and don't care what vendors are doing beneath the hood. Customers care about their business problems and solutions to those business problems.
For business sales, Web-enabled businesses and the hyper-connected workers of today, access to corporate business resources and instant, easy communications are vital to success. Convergence of network voice and data services provides a first step. Integration with ERP and CRM systems takes convergence further along the road to productivity enhancement and business success.
All markets are up for grabs—The marketing paradigm changes dramatically. The always-on enterprise leverages communications tools to reframe the discussion and win customers while the less-empowered competitor is left behind.
Difference not differentiation—The converged enterprise minimizes the behavioral changes in customers by embracing change within the enterprise. This can give your customers a tangible set of reasons to love your products and services.
Don't disappoint—By leveraging reliable new technologies, you ensure that everything works and the organization can react instantly to a situation.
Make your marketing sociable—The enterprise can't control the customer conversation, but can leverage best-in-breed convergence technologies and refined business processes to build genuine relationships with established and potential customers rather than whitenoise relationships. CRM becomes not a buzzword, not a catch phrase, but a corporate culture of nurturing the business.
Interaction requires iteration—It's not enough to listen and respond to customers. Business success requires a long-term, sustainable dialogue that convergence technologies support. Meaningful long-term connections with customers come from community, co-operation, and co-creation—all collaborative efforts that the integration of services and applications enhance.
Don't forget to sell—Engagement is great but it doesn't pay the bills. Remember that every touch point throughout the customer relationship cycle is an opportunity to up-sell, cross-sell, or lose business. Selling is responding to the customers. It's about making it easy to do business with you. Convergence technologies integrate all your corporate intellectual capital into a suite of services and applications that make you easy to do business with.
Beyond the basics of efficiency and productivity, there is another set of drivers in the financial services sector that are tied to regulatory compliance. Whether it's the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), ISO-17799, or IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), there is a set of practices that are ever widening across business sectors. The financial services sector has always been tied to close auditing and scrutiny.
Beyond audit or compliance considerations, the financial services sector is perhaps the closest sector to a pure information economy. In financial services, the ledgers and paper trails of old have become a stream of information on the network. The paper is gone and finance is all about moving information quickly, accurately, and securely.
Convergence of data, voice, and video onto a single infrastructure will, for many financial institutions, provide a consolidated approach to monitoring and management, simplifying the entire data capture, warehousing, and analysis process for regulatory compliance. Figure 4.2 showed the importance of CRM in the business flow, but that same chart provides an overview of touch points in the flow that eases compliance reporting and documentation for companies involved in financial services.
For financial services businesses, the reduction in cost of call center technologies may play a key role in redefining the financial services business. Deploying call center methodologies in smaller volumes now affordable with convergence can drive measurable gains in productivity down into smaller workgroups.
Like financial services, the health care environment brings a unique set of compliance requirements related to HIPPA. This legislation established standards for transactions in the healthcare sector, but also established requirements for the security and privacy of patient health data.
Converged services again provide a single infrastructure to secure and bring into compliance. The complexity of HIPAA has spawned numerous supporting, consulting service markets. Network consolidation can allow health care providers to take a single, unified approach to HIPAA compliance, thereby focusing on their core business—health care.
Beyond compliance, the converged network brings the model of CRM to patient care in the health care environment. This integration of voice and data services means that doctors, physician's assistants, nurses, and other health care professionals can leverage advances such as screen pop CTI and click-to-call technologies to better serve patient needs.
For manufacturing, the advantages of convergence may seem hidden. The manufacturing sector doesn't appear at first to be tied to network services the way purer information-driven companies might be. But in manufacturing, there are several key areas where convergence brings real value to the integration of data, voice, and video.
Perhaps the most tangible value in convergence lies in the broad spectrum of supply chain management and the vendor/supplier relationships that make up an integral part of the manufacturing process. Inventory control data systems can easily prompt via an enterprise ERP system to contact a supplier and ensure inventory restocking is timely. The integration of data and voice in the converged network has for many manufacturing businesses proven the key to success in following the precepts of "just in time" component delivery.
For several years, the big question with Voice over IP (VoIP) was whether it actually worked, and if so, whether it worked well enough for corporate ears. Well, the answer is in: Yes! As long as the network is architected properly, VoIP is definitely ready for enterprise use, and convergence projects are running strong in the vast majority of organizations.
Better still, while voice typically is the first application implemented on a converged IP backbone, Nemertes is starting to see IT executives explore new applications—such as video, unified communications, and other collaborative tools—that can also leverage the IP network. The benefits can be great, including cost savings and increased productivity in the virtual workplace.
As they deploy these and other technologies, companies are starting to recognize the need for network optimization, enhanced management tools and tight security. And although most IT executives don't spend a lot of time worrying about specific standards, they like what standards get them—easy integration and interoperability among vendors and networks, both of which are important when it comes to communications technologies. As SIP grows more robust and more common, companies will have more vendor options open to them—and they'll start to take advantage of the benefits convergence brings: Integration, interoperability, and the ability to stay agile in an increasingly global world.
Most companies that have already deployed VoIP, when queried, identify plans to extend converged voice service to teleworkers. Although today the focus is predominantly voice service, other collaborative applications, such as voice conference services, desktop videoconferencing, and Web conferencing/collaboration are expected to follow quickly.
Many organizations are already running some kind of video over IP. Business managers show increasing interest in leveraging the technology for more than just voice communications. Many enterprises are running trials and developing applications using video to address business needs in their emerging converged network environment.
General industry predictions are for significant growth in both desktop and room-to-room video deployments in 2007 and 2008. IP networking and advances in broadband technologies have made video an affordable and practical business tool. Although desktop videoconferencing is viewed as a relatively new technology for almost everyone, the barrier to entry is very low. Business managers and strategists see video as one tool in a larger suite of collaborative applications, and show their interest in using it where no video exists today.
According to a report by Nemertes, video is one of the leading drivers for converged networks (28 percent of participants in Nemertes' latest benchmark name video as a key driver). That's very important because of the large number of enterprise business employees who either work remotely from their direct managers or are geographically dispersed in remote offices. Some broad industry projections show that teleworkers have increased as much as 800 percent in number over the past 5 years. As companies become more global in nature, and more widely dispersed, the value of real-time communications over converged networks becomes apparent.
Results showed, not unexpectedly, that growing revenue is the foremost business driver across all surveyed organizations with a mean score of 4.38 out of 5. Second in importance was meeting regulatory and legal requirements, with a 4.07. Cost reduction placed third in the survey with a 4.02 mean score. Gaining competitive advantage scored 3.84. Of these five categories, boosting employee productivity came in with the lowest rating at 3.8. When you compare these strategic business drivers with IT services and network convergence projects, it becomes apparent that demonstrating benefits at the top line (revenue) increase the adoption rate of convergence. Cost reduction is also important, but gains in productivity are still seen as a soft cost and are very difficult to quantify. Given the difficulty in proving these benefits, it's not surprising that improving employee productivity is the lowest importance of the business drivers in Nemertes' survey on convergence.
When methodically implemented, the converged service network can lower OPEX and increase employee productivity.
The converged service network typically creates a scalable infrastructure capable of supporting new business applications in a dynamic environment.
To achieve cost savings and productivity benefits, a holistic view of business services and applications is required. It's critical to look at the full picture and not just focus on either cost savings or employee productivity.
The full converged network can provide greater visibility into granular cost controls.
Industry studies have shown that 80 percent to 85 percent of the enterprises that have already implemented a converged network determine that the quality, resiliency, and scalability that these technologies provide either meet or exceed their expectations.
Convergence of data, voice, and video is a viable technology. It's available in the market and can be implemented today. Through integration of unified data, voice, and video onto a single IPbased infrastructure, organizations can lower their total cost of ownership (TCO). They can lower expenses for equipment and maintenance, reduce administrative costs, and lower carrier charges. The converged services network can also increase productivity and enterprise communications capabilities by facilitating employee mobility and providing a solid foundation for the deployment of advanced, feature-rich services and solutions. | 2019-04-22T22:12:33Z | https://statemigration.com/productivity-advantages-of-unified-communications/ |
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Business title-holders are here looking at a simplifying taxation function that is also less time-consuming and promotes better company transactions. Another tangible get advantage the Gst offers to the professional India is without question likely that can come due to reasonable scheduling details costs that are less by one considerable border.
Bigger stores and end market include driven scheduling details planning is considered to be likely to result all over meaningful cost savings over time. During account out of entry tax and heavy duty paperwork at state validate posts, truth be told there is that additional 5-7 hour added to my transit season for inter-state transport behind goods. Abolishment of entry tax and easier place a burden on compliance procedures is likely to lead to in more easily movement amongst products and the supplements at the nationwide level.” – Asia Express.
The transport market over the location that is now currently led by a wide range of unorganized transportation service offerings will see the introduction and the very emergence in an tidy service manufacturer as a larger number of taxes may possibly no taller be added costs by businesses.
The Logistics service providers looking at business addition and believability as powerful essential role of ones own brand take pleasure in would sometimes invest while adopting dependable and cutting edge technologies and as a consequence time regarding time exercise of effort in get to buildup efficiency.
Decrease in fees of domestic goods wills encourages a major improved goods quality additionally an increase in specific competitiveness most typically associated with the Asia finished products, goods, and after that services. The particular same applies to often the international .
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The statigic planning and truck business business people follow different unethical treatments in concept to avert tax must also deteriorate once the GST maintains rolled online. The notice of our own business communities would be concentrated entirely on efficiency rather than taxation savings. uniform regime have the ability to play a definite very needed role if you want to the next level amongst growth, helping the world to realize its conceivable as a global trading hub.
Success in this particular overall logistics sector ranging from the point of sell would focus around trying to figure out the success of ‘Make in India’ campaign launched by the very Government regarding India.
The decent effect from GST will probably be faster transportation time and slash turnover days to achieve goods and the customers. A groundwork revealed that GST is likely to have a suitable double aggressive impact entirely on transport from the time the scheduling details cost will be able to come reducing and effectiveness will supercharge both present in India and as well as exports. For sure taxes all the way through the railway transportation team also really does either becoming minimized or simply will benefit from evaded, resulting in which the reduction to load via the track transpositions. although GST brings a sense of liberation for the particular logistics industry, but keeping it outside the offset umbrella of GST, makes them a minus. In some sort of defense of the strategic planning industry, your example with regards to the efforts industry is a most suitable fit.
Petroleum products are people of the essential part of the industry, the application would possibly be a everyone should be open move as long as petroleum was being to try to be ‘non-exempt’ better from the most important start. This process would enable various logistics businesses for you to avail the main credit connected with the oil products used in the course with regards to facilitating and furthermore giving the logistics services to some economy. Logistic costs are expected on be cheaper by at least one.5% – 3.00% of commissions. Because of optimization of warehouses, it leads as a way to the minimized inventory .
This structure is match up across the region in differing states staying paying 2% corporate profitability tax. Also, the routine is designed to period out involved with inter-state sellings tax. Generally there is large scope to optimization of costs. Thus, we see how your advantages most typically associated with GST outweigh the disadvantages.
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Logistics plays an significant role in the financial well-being of business. Companies that may provide services and product rely on logistics remedies for the timely distribution of their products which can the buyer and each end-user. The advent together with much awaited GST law promises to bring evolution for the business market place.
Business collectors are at this point , looking located at a simplifying taxation function that is also less time-consuming and promotes better business transactions. Yet tangible perk the Goods and services tax offers that will help the professional India often is likely that can come since reasonable logistics costs the are less by a considerable perimeter.
Bigger warehouses and finish market will need driven strategic planning planning must be likely that can result in meaningful demand savings over time. Via account involving entry fees and solid paperwork over at state check posts, recently there is an additional 5-7 hour contributed to that this transit time for inter-state transport related goods. Abolishment of entry tax then easier place a burden on compliance practices is likely to result in easier movement of the products and as a consequence the equipment at unquestionably the nationwide place.” – In india Express.
The transportation market around the british isles that is now currently overpowered by tons of unorganized transport service expert services will find the come out and the emergence of an prearranged service manufacturer as multiple taxes likely will no taller be bundled costs by businesses.
The Statigic planning service providers looking available at business extension and believability as any essential position of their brand take pleasure in would sometimes invest in adopting dependable and cutting edge technologies but time so as to time training of effort in get to broaden efficiency.
Diminishment in price of nation wide goods wills encourages wonderful improved item quality and an increase in some competitiveness most typically associated with the Indian finished products, goods, and after that services. same is geared to often the international spot.
People earning a living in strategies industry encourage GST rendering in the system that will cause the free stuff an no problem process. Here in addition, when a routine tax is paid when it comes to the methods of travel of wares applied for multiple states it assists in protecting time on behalf of paying duties and overtax to all the different states and each of our government regulators.
The strategies and shipping business pet owners follow multiple unethical practices in concept to avert tax will also decline once typically the GST gets rolled from. The really concentrate of the business organizations would be concentrated via efficiency instead than than taxing savings. uniform regime will play an absolute very fundamental role – the next level with regards to growth, helping the national to discern its ability as a single global trade hub.
Progress in specific overall logistics sector caused from the future of company would weight lifting around determining the attaining your goal of ‘Make in India’ campaign sent out by the Government about India.
The decent effect linked GST will surely be faster transportation point and lower turnover time to achieve goods to help the subscribers. A study revealed in which it GST should be able to have each double good impact on the transport after the scheduling details cost will come straight down and work productivity will increase both in a matter of India and also exports. Likely taxes in the track transportation agency also really does either getting minimized or simply will get evaded, coming in our reduction to load on the track transpositions. although GST drives a smell of release for unquestionably the logistics industry, but making sure to keep it outside the patio umbrella of GST Online Registration in India, makes this task a setback. In the defense related with the statigic planning industry, an example off the energy industry is now a most suitable fit.
Petroleum products are anyone of its essential portions of of their industry, it would possibly be a accepted move in cases where petroleum could have been to are ‘non-exempt’ true from the main start. It all would enable various strategic planning businesses to positively avail generally credit most typically associated with the petroleum products employed in each course associated with facilitating moreover giving its logistics services to the type of economy. Logistic costs may be expected to be low priced by the.5% – four.00% of commissions. Because among optimization linked warehouses, so it leads to the bottom inventory costs.
This structure is set in place up within the country in dissimilar states protecting against paying 2% corporate profitability tax. Also, the system is planned out to phase out involving inter-state sales tax. Generally is immense scope when it comes to optimization connected costs. Thus, we see how the advantages related GST be greater than the disadvantages.
Make the best get started with of very good opportunity pointing to getting your prized GST registration done by using the industry professionals. In addition, if you can have this particular GST Subscription done coupled with looking advanced to Gst Return Filing? Then necessitate our help and look for the very service within competitive yields in the very market. Individual business endeavors at receiving client approval by sharing top score services via competitive fee that tend to be delivered on time.
Looking for an internal designer or interior decorator can be overwhelming if state of mind sure which designer you need for your scope or building. Are you building, renovating or moving and need professional advice? Are you planning to sell your property as an alternative to sure how to arrange for the first inspection?
This document offers you answers to faq in regards to interior design, interior decorating, colour consulting and property terme conseillrr.
It will help you finding the right designer for whenever you design and decorating projects and eventually create your individual style in your own house.
What could be the difference between an interior designer together with an interior stylist?
You may well asked yourself this question already when facing a building or renovation plan. Do I need an inside designer, an internal decorator, a colour consultant or an internal stylist?
The answer is that you should consider on the scope with the project.
An interior designer can be a skilled professional who is designing interior environments plan . your briefing. The interior designer either modifies what already exists (renovation) or provides a uniquely new design for a spot (new build). In this case the interior designer works closely with all the architect and comes in at beginning stage of the project. Interior kitchen designers dorset work either along a team in design firm or on their particular.
What will be the job of an interior hair dresser? An interior stylist is a designer or consultant from a field short sale changes in style, especially fashion or interior decorating. An interior stylist cultivates or maintains any particular style together with in most cases stylist are finders, keepers and collectors of beautiful objects.
The interior stylist may possibly you finding your own style, creating beautiful interiors that are unique and meaningful. Only one be achieved with most basic things will not not always be be precious. The only thing you have to do is keep your eye area open to beautiful things in nature, architecture, design, museums, art, exhibitions, books, textiles and travel. Put on pounds . only one rule: Only collect or buy what mean something to your organization!
The colour consultation finds creating a colour scheme for a specialized room or space which is the whole house according to any briefing. Illustrates the fact colour consultant can help you with interior and exterior colour techniques.
Prior to designing a colour scheme for the colour consultant should always talk you r about the mood and atmosphere you is wanting to achieve in your home. He will explain to you distinctions between between the paint companies and their products and choose the right product for requirements. After designing the type scheme realize that some receive an itemized recommendation including a specification sheet and brushouts ready for your painter to begin.
More practical as to be able to traditional Marketing.
In the layman’s terms, SEO is a marketing discipline, which is focused on organic (non-paid) visibility on search websites. SEO is not necessarily related to make your website or online presence better for motors like google but also about that makes it better for people like us. To provide relevant results to its audience, Google regularly updates its algorithms. A new consequence of this regular updates by Google, many experts state that their effort is futile but their results or SEO is dead. However the truth tends to be that Google tries to filter web sites that don’t deserve to get on leading of search results Result Pages (SERP’s).
SEO is actually of probably the most cost-effective strategies that will take organic visitors to your website. So, there will not be a doubt in investing in SEO work.
It will be the most effective and comprehensive strategy develop your business and drive more visitors to your website in a progressively more competitive current market. With lots of business presence on digital platform and every one of them keeping their eyes on the same, it’s not significant to market online, and SEM amongst the of really ways to advertise or market your business. It is done primarily through paid effort, may why it is also called as Paid Search engine marketing.
The SEM domain is diverse and complicated, such the foundation of the structure of your business, might choose PPC (Pay per Click) or CPM (Cost Per-Thousand Impressions) or CPC (Cost per Click). Pay per click (Google) and Bing ads (Yahoo) always be the most popular platforms for SEM.
Content creation is an effective marketing method and even though the modifications in Google’s algorithms like Penguin, Panda or Humming bird update, content articles are still essentially the most significant metric while measuring the search engine results. Content could be presented in a great many ways, pertaining to instance blogs, e-books, case studies, how to guides, question & answer articles, banners, infographics, images, news updates, videos or content for social media sites.
You can cause content on any topic related to your business (if you are creative), and thus skillfully link it of your business ultimately. The content ought to professional appear engine seo’ed. It is always better to go out of certain things in hands of professionals to succeed in organization. There are many Content Writing as well as Content Marketing agencies which not only write content material in the professional way but also promote it on digital media made brand awareness and bring traffic, within turn turn come to be your people.
The basic goal of SMM will be always to engage or communicate utilizing the users, increase brand visibility and reach more members. Having an active Social Media Presence (engage on daily basis) has become an invaluable part to inflate your reach, which as the result will build own personal reputation and brand.
The steps for a getting a patent could be quite complex, if in order to unfamiliar with the process. In fact, InventHelp Reviews it is almost always recommended find the assistance of a patent attorney in order to help guide you through the steps for obtaining a patent.
The first step that you have to have to take as a way to begin the associated with obtaining a patent for your invention idea is to join in a patent search. A patent search is a search that will quickly other patents of filed for inventions that are quite similar or the actual same as your invention. If another patent has been filed as such, you are out of luck.
Performing a search for the patent can help you save legal trouble for the reason you will not file a patent for something similar and risk infringing on another patent owner’s legal privileges. A patent attorney can advise you to do the search which may save you lots of trouble.
If you understand no other patents have been declared inventions such as yours, the alternative will be to fill out the patent application. Use is quite complex, and can simply be misread or submitted incorrectly. The application will include the submission of a review statement of your invention, drawings of your invention and how to invent a product it is exactly that desire protected or patented and why.
Be advised that you’ll likely have a good wait once you submit the application for approval. The actual application is finally reviewed, if could not approved, its going to be sent for you to the applicant for corrections. This could cause a further delay in the associated with steps for getting a patent. It budding a wise duration of action to have the assistance of a patent attorney which experienced in knowledgeable in matters of patent application.
If the application is approved, then you may file for one patent. It makes sense that as a part of the steps to get a patent in which you find out a bid of what your costs will be up front. Method you can determine if it is financially viable for that obtain a eclatant.
inventhelp innovation, http://www.photovoicebb.com/how-to-build-an-marketing-advertising-strategy/; Knowing how to evident an invention is undoubtedly easy for a first time inventor. One aspect that has to prove told is not within order to listen to all linked to those scam artists. Typically are plenty of groups and idea patent individuals that highlight that they can aid in you obtain a obvious for your invention. All only cost is any slice of the profits and a small minor fee. There is no way reason why you would be wise to give away part of most your profits since a person did all the labour on inventing this innovative product or piece associated with equipment.
Filing for their patent is most of the same process, little matter what it is. This has the potential to only be succesfully done by filling over an application and submitting it within order to the US Eclatant and Trademark Office or the USPTO. To help establish sure your application is accepted and moreover you receive a good patent, it is probably advisable to research the patent hard drive base to verify if there is generally already a equipment like yours.
The search is just a necessary go because not the inventions are presented very well. Individuals inventions are by known so look the USPTO record base. If no similar product has become found, then in which is time to proceed with usually the paperwork.
The word files is just an important word today to describe the ancient process. The today is accomplished all electronically. These application that is filled out right now is a fillable PDF file those is submitted and automatically placed easily into the patent office’s database.
How to patent an invention has become just the to start off step. Do no more forget about selling your product.
Recent developments in the business arena have suddenly fabricated huge unprecedented advantages for small web business. The World Greater Web for incident has opened themsleves the commercial advertise place in unprecedented ways for lightweight business.
For the for a start time, there is undoubtedly a level learning field where small business can compete alongside big business and even overcome.
In added words the rules have changed forcefully. The conclude now is without question that what normally really extramarital liasons for a small owner now is how different those behind the businesses are. This means that a majority of useful plus unique discoveries can indeed be created and www.unraticode.com as well , quickly inspired into most of the market every minimal set you back.
Even much important, most of the small business venture environment offers you now are the just the thing place to be create numerous new inventions and test drive them swiftly. The minuscule timer possibly can then a lot more develop the main inventions it show generally promise on the marketplace.
This has been virtually very difficult to manage with a definite big enterprise that may have plenty with bureaucracy, where wide InventHelp Patent Referral Services are had taken before some sort of small preference is undertaken. The most opposite to a small setup where decisions will be able to be created swiftly and even implemented when the conducted. This to be flexible is everything gives a large number small work enterprises a huge advantage over that larger rivals. More very in in today’s world markets that change fantastically swiftly from little or even a no warning.
Small business owners owners have demonstrated rather clearly that most they are typically capable of shifting issues and changing direction instantly in system to movements in the market, thus leaving many larger enterprises in the dust.
This is just the perfect haven suitable for the unique mind on top of that the inventor, mostly just they can sometimes very swiftly get most of the inventions ideas to make the current market. They has the ability to also test out and get used their developments until this company are as close that would perfect due to the fact possible.
If you have a person really are believe to be a good idea for an invention, as well as don’t know what in order to next, here are points you can do to protect your idea.
If you ever end up in court over your invention, you need conclusive evidence when you thought of the idea. In the the rightful owner belonging to the patent is the person that thought of it first, not the one who patented it first. An individual must be able to prove when you looked at it.
One way defend your idea might be to write down your idea as simply and plainly once you can, and then have three or InventHelp Stories four credible non-relatives witness your document stating that they understand the invention and dating their signature. It’s usually a good idea to include drawings or sketches as well. In the future, if however any dispute with regards to when you came out with your idea, you have witnesses that can testify in court, as to when you showed them your tip. Proof positive is using need.
You might wish to consider writing it in an approved inventor’s journal – a book specially designed with numbered pages so that every person difficult to add information later. There are numerous sources, just search the internet these. It his harder at least in theory to later customize the contents of the journal, making it better evidence during times of court.
Once you’ve established the date in which you thought of your idea, you ought to follow a few simple rules in order to prevent losing your insurance. If you do not do anything to increase your idea within one year, your idea becomes a part of the public domain and you lose your right to get a patent. So keep a file where you can put notes, receipts, etc. in, probably least do any scenario that leaves a paper record you can file away in case you end up in court on a rainy day. Be able to prove in court that more than a year never passed may did not in some way work on the idea.
If you disclose your idea within a publication like a newspaper or magazine, that starts a single year period specifically where you must file a patent, a person lose your right to file.
Just because you could have never seen your new product idea in a store doesn’t mean it’s patentable or saleable. According to the patent office, less than 3% of issued patents ever make it to the marketplace. It’s quite possible your idea was invented but for various reasons was never marketed. If innovation has ever existed, anywhere, at any time, created by any person, improbable patent it – it’s already been invented! And the U.S. Patent office searches world wide when they process your patent application.
You can do your own patent an idea search using several online resources, but in case you have determined that there is a viable and marketable invention, I would recommend that you hire a competent patent attorney to create a professional prior-art patent search done, to ensure that your idea hasn’t already been thought of, wasting your valuable time and funds.
I’ve tried doing patent searches on my own, and I came to be stunned when I saw the results a real patent examiner found. These types of professionals and learn what they are going to do.
If you have a person need believe to be a good idea for an invention, and don’t know what in order to next, here are some things you can do to shield your idea.
If you ever land in court over your InventHelp Invention Service, you need conclusive proof when you thought of your idea. In the the rightful owner within your patent is the a person who thought of it first, not the one who patented it first. A person must be able to prove when you looked at it.
One way guard your idea will be write down your idea as simply and plainly whenever you can, and then have three or four credible non-relatives witness your document stating that they understand kansasbirp.com the invention and dating their signature. It’s often a good idea to include drawings or sketches as well. Planet future, if there any dispute as to when you emerged with your idea, you have witnesses that can testify in court, with when you showed them your tip. Proof positive is that need.
You might in order to be consider writing it in an approved inventor’s journal – a book engineered with numbered pages so that it difficult to add information later. May find numerous sources, just look the internet for them. It his harder at least concept to later alter the contents of the journal, making it better evidence if in court.
Once you’ve established the date in which you thought of your idea, you ought to follow a few simple rules to avoid losing your a security program. If you do not do anything to develop your idea within one year, your own idea becomes a part of the public domain and you lose your right obtain a patent. So keep a file where you can put notes, receipts, etc. in, probably least do a thing that leaves a paper record you can file away in the instance that you end up in court sometime. Be able to prove in court more and more than a year never passed a person did not some way work within idea.
If you disclose your idea within a publication like a newspaper or magazine, that starts a 1 hour year period within which you must file a patent, a person lose your to be able to file.
Just because you could have never seen your idea in a retail store doesn’t mean it’s patentable or marketable. According to the patent office, less than 3% of issued patents ever make it to the marketplace. It’s quite possible your idea was invented but for sirppi.com quite a few reasons was never marketed. If an invention has ever existed, anywhere, at any time, created by any person, ingestion . patent it – it’s already come to exist! And the U.S. Patent office searches world wide when they process your patent application.
You can seek information own patent search using several online resources, but in case you have determined that there are any viable and marketable invention, I would recommend that you hire a competent patent attorney to create a professional prior-art patent search done, to make sure your idea hasn’t already been thought of, wasting your valuable time and cash.
I’ve tried doing patent searches little own, and I am stunned when I saw the results a real patent examiner found. Usually are very well professionals and how to locate what they do.
When we talk of inventions which have either touched or changed our lives, we often praise the inventor ideas for “thinking out of the box.” How do these people think of a new invention idea by thinking out of brother ql-570 comes with? Is it possible for you and me to do it too? To know this we have to exactly what the “box” is so that we can think beyond it. The “box” will be the way things are, and the way we have been tutored to view things. A variety of factors which determine method we look at situations. Thus the first step start thinking beyond the normal is to identify and challenge our own views and perceptions.
The entire process of challenging preconceived notions, established norms and usual assumptions is a very powerful and creative way to unravel a problem, because walking on the much-treaded patch is safe, though lackluster. For instance, InventHelp Success when you think about a domestic air-conditioner, what are the assumptions? Cooling, auto switch off, silent, it needs to run on electricity, therefore forth. What if someone thought of ways to manufacture an air-conditioner which ran on something else which is more organic and saved on power consumption? Another way to consider a new invention idea is to think the top absurd. One needs a very open mind for this as the process can both be fun and also irritating. There could be hundreds of completely absurd solutions to a problem, but one of them could be a genuinely new invention idea. Using a “what if” question and you will be impressed at the number of absurd answers you could arrive at.
There is a literal way of thinking as well as and that is to get away from your home or office and watch the way people live, behave and communicate. The story in the shoe salesman comes in your thoughts. This man went to Africa to sell shoes, a country where people never wore these types of. By thinking out of the box, he thought of the idea of selling his first pair into a curious buyer by highlighting its heat resisting abilities and ensuing comfort to his feet. The shoe salesman soon opened shop and became a uniform. There are many stories like this and as the saying goes, you can actually sell a refrigerator a good Eskimo, provided you can invent some way to convince him of its utility.
Concepts like division, subtraction, temperature control, how to patent an idea or product colorful all trigger great invention ideas; make a large table foldable help make matters more space for utility purposes; relieve two legs from another to enable faster cleaning; add color to domestic utility items showcase them inter-changeable; ideas like these will flow once choice deeper and harder at the common daily objects and concepts for new inventions will be a knock away!
Sometimes you have exclusive idea and can’t help wondering if someone besides you has already had this idea too. Perhaps acquired seen that great thought of yours come to fruition in the situation of a brand amazing invention. Yet, how offer you determine if which experts claim invention has already recently been designed and patented by someone else? The resultant text can help you find out if your invention has already felt patented.
Before you try to determine once someone else which has patented your invention, you might first assess whether the best invention is able to copyright. Its United States Clair and Trademark Branch provides information in which it can help you determine if your entire invention can end up patented (uspto.gov/inventors/patents.jsp#heading-3). Hold in mind any laws of flora and fauna or physical means cannot obtain the patent. In addition, abstract ideas also inventions deemed nasty or offensive for the public is going to not qualify as for protection. To are considered for a patent, your invention will want to be new and non-obvious. It really need to also be contrast and compare to have your own prescribed use. Inventions that most most often qualify for InventHelp review refuge may be another manufacturing article, a process, a machine, or a important improvement of type of of these items.
The Joined States Patent and product patent Brand Office gives you to perform all quick to advanced search results for patents; patents will most likely also be searched when the product case assortment even in fact in my case that you’re simply searching for for studies of an similar and / or the old invention on record. It’s essential to search by simply patents; a few people will begin their check simply after Googling its idea together with invention. This type related to search, despite the fact interesting, could be bogus as present may becoming no the other trace using the product outside all the record amongst its dealt with product.
Searching for a clair can traditionally be robust. For this method reason, a great number of inventors your job with an international progressive invention and furthermore patent business organisation to help them browse through the ins and outs of this particular patent digest. Because just a few inventions may be time-sensitive, working by consultants can make this entire plan run easily and guide to the exact production of your technology. When executing your specific patent search, you should certainly plan returning to search both domestic along with international patents. The eclatant office reports that any person perform particular search prior to you ask for a great product safety equipment. Moreover, these types of people even recommend that novice patent searchers obtain our services on a taught agent and also patent attorney to be of assistance to in the search process. | 2019-04-23T00:20:50Z | http://pruitt.baiav.com/page/3/ |
VFC earnings call for the period ending September 29, 2018.
Greetings, and welcome to the VF Corporation Second Quarter 2019 Earnings Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. A question-and-answer session will follow the formal presentation. (Operator Instructions) As a reminder, this conference is being recorded.
I would now like to turn the conference over to your host, Mr. Joe Alkire, Vice President of Investor Relations for VF Corporation. Thank you, you may begin.
Joseph Alkire -- Vice President, Investor Relations.
Good morning, and welcome to VF Corporation's second quarter fiscal 2019 earnings call. Participants on today's call will make forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and are subject to uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These uncertainties are detailed in documents filed regularly with the SEC.
Unless otherwise noted, amounts referred to on today's call will be on an adjusted, which we define in the press release that was issued this morning. We use adjusted amounts as lead numbers in our discussion because we believe they more accurately represent the true operational performance and underlying results of our business. You may also hear us refer to reported amounts which are in accordance with US GAAP.
Reconciliations of GAAP measures to adjusted amounts can be found in the supplemental financial tables included in the press release, which identify and quantify all excluded items and provide management's view of why this information is useful to investors.
During the first quarter of fiscal 2019, the Company completed the sale of its Nautica brand business. During first quarter of fiscal 2018, the Company completed the sale of its Licensed Sports Group or LSG business. In conjunction with the LSG divestiture, VF executed its plan to exit the licensing business and completed the sale of the assets of the JanSport brand collegiate business in the fourth quarter of 2017. Accordingly, the Company has included the operating results of these businesses in discontinued operations to their respective dates of sale. Unless otherwise noted, results presented on today's call are based on continuing operations.
Joining me on today's call will be VF's Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Steve Rendle, and Chief Financial Officer, Scott Roe. Following our prepared remarks, we'll open the call for questions.
Thank you, Joe, and good morning, everyone.
VF's second quarter results were strong, fueled by the continued acceleration in our core brands and platforms. Our focus and investment in support of our 2021 strategy is driving accelerated growth and value creation across key pillars of our portfolio.
Over the past few months, geopolitical and macroeconomic events have caused increased volatility in the marketplace. I like to take a moment and address how a few of these events are shaping how we think about our business and our consumers. First as it relates to the current trade climate between the US and China, we are closely monitoring the situation and are actively involved in scenario planning.
For context, about 11% of VF's total cost of goods sold come directly to the US from China. By leveraging our global supply chain, we have positioned ourselves to address any additional changes in the overall trade environment with China. And we have the ability to reposition our global sourcing footprint in the near-to-mid term to mitigate the potential negative impact of additional tariffs should they materialize.
Second, with regards to the recent trade agreement between the US, Mexico and Canada, we're pleased with the outcome. For VF, we've retained the most significant benefits we've enjoyed through NAFTA and the impact to our business is expected to be minimal.
And finally, this week one of our US customers filed for bankruptcy. As a reminder, the 2021 financial targets we laid out at our Investor Day in Boston contemplated ongoing industry consolidation and customer bankruptcies in the US market. So, while the customer bankruptcies pressure our results in the short term, there is no impact to the long-term growth outlook for any of our brands.
Regarding the consumer, above average GDP growth, low unemployment and multi-year highs in consumer sentiment are driving strong results in the US market. In China, consumer spending in footwear and apparel remain solid, thus far unfazed by geopolitical rhetoric. And while the performance of our European business has been slightly more volatile the past few months due in part to unusual weather patterns across the continent, we have not seen a meaningful change in the trajectory of our business.
Let's review a few highlights from our second quarter. Revenue increased 6% on an organic basis or 7%, excluding the impact of FX, as our growth engines continued to fuel our results. Our big three brands grew to a combined rate of 11%, with our Vans brand delivering another exceptional quarter, up 26%. Vans revenue growth was strong across all regions, channels and product categories, and importantly, growth also remains well diversified.
Last month, Vans hosted an Investor Day at the brand's headquarters in southern California, where brand leaders outlined a path to $5 billion of revenue by 2023, representing a five-year CAGR between 10% and 12%. Vans' performance will continue to be a key driver of our commitment to deliver top quartile TSR.
Momentum in the North Face brand continues to accelerate, with 5% growth or 7%, excluding the impact of FX. DTC was strong across all regions and our digital business delivered over 35% growth. Strong performance in accessories, seasonal and lifestyle products drove the brand's results.
This fall, the North Face unveiled the retro Nuptse jacket and vest collection, a water resistant, 700 fill down enhanced replica of the original 1996 version. The launch was supported as a key pillar of our new Explorers campaign and was highlighted in our first ever urban brand experience, which sold out in minutes.
The North Face's reenergized product engine is beginning to drive consumer demand as the brand explores innovative ways to connect and engage with consumers. Based on our increased confidence and visibility into the second half, we now expect revenue growth for the North Face to be between 7% and 8%. As a reminder, our updated outlook for the North Face includes a 1-point headwind from FX versus our initial outlook of 6% to 8% growth for the brand in April.
Now looking at total VF on an organic basis. International increased 4% or 7%, excluding the impact of FX. China increased 12%, or 15% constant currency. Direct-to-consumer increased 13% with more than 30% growth in digital. And our Work segment increased 5%, driven by balanced growth across nearly all brands. So now, halfway through the year, we are executing well on our plan in making a significant progress against our 2021 strategy. As a result of our strong performance in the quarter and our increased confidence in the full year, we are raising our revenue and earnings growth outlooks for fiscal 2019, and Scott will cover the details later in the call.
I'd like to take a moment and update you on our recent portfolio actions. In August, we announced a significant milestone in VF's storied history. Our intention to separate VF into two companies via a spin-off of our Jeans business. Since the announcement almost two months ago, our management team, Board of Directors and external advisors have been working diligently toward a target separation date at the end of April 2019. We're pleased with our progress and remain on track with our timeline. We'll have more specific details to share with you over the coming months.
In September, we announced the new location for VF's global headquarters in Denver's lower downtown district. We're excited to co-locate select VF corporate leaders with our Outdoor brands in the Rocky Mountains. We look forward to moving into our new building in fall of 2019.
Earlier this month, we entered into a definitive agreement to sell the Reef brand to the Rockport Group. The transaction is expected to close at the end of October. I like to personally thank the Reef employees for their hard work and dedication to VF throughout the years. The Rockport Group is the appropriate partner to shepherd the Reef brand to its next phase of growth and success.
And finally, the integration processes for Icebreaker, Altra and Williamson-Dickie remain on track. While still early, we are even more optimistic about the long-term growth opportunity for these high-quality assets. This is an extraordinarily exciting time at VF. The actions we're taking continue to advance our journey toward becoming a purpose-led, performance-driven organization focused on and committed to delivering superior returns to shareholders. We're delivering on our commitments and remain sharply focused on the foundation we're setting to position VF for sustainable long-term growth and value creation.
And with that, I'll turn it over to Scott.
Thank, Steve. And good morning, everyone.
Our results for the second quarter were strong and our confidence is high as we enter the fall holiday season. We are executing well against our strategic growth plan. Momentum continues to build across our core growth engines and platforms. And our portfolio is well positioned to deliver sustainable long-term growth and top quartile value creation.
Now let's review our second quarter performance in more detail. Total revenue increased 15% or 6% organically, with balanced growth across our core brands and platforms. Excluding the impact of acquisitions, DTC increased 13%, led by more than 30% growth in digital and double-digit brick and mortar growth, and that's despite fewer stores compared to a year ago. Wholesale increased 3% organically, led by continued strength in international and our digital wholesale partners.
On a regional basis, excluding the impact of acquisitions, growth was balanced, with both US and international up 7% constant currency. Europe remained solid, delivering mid-single-digit growth, while Asia-Pacific increased 7%, including 15% growth in China, excluding the impact of FX. Our non-US Americas business also performed well in the quarter, with 12% growth organically on a constant currency basis.
Our big three brands collectively increased 11%, led by 26% growth in Vans and 7% growth at the North Face, excluding the impact of FX. Revenue growth in our big three brands was balanced globally, with 20% growth in DTC and high-single-digit growth in wholesale. Results for Timberland were muted for the quarter. However, we have visibility to improve performance in the second half of this year and we remain confident in our long-term aspirations for the brand.
Our Work portfolio delivered another strong quarter, with revenue up 5%. Excluding the impact of a customer bankruptcy, Bulwark and Wrangler RIGGS each grew double digits and our Timberland PRO and Red Kap businesses increased at a high-single-digit rate. And on a pro forma basis, Dickies had another strong quarter with revenue growth of 11%.
As expected, our Jeans business had a difficult quarter, compounded by the impact of a customer bankruptcy contributing to a decline of 7%. It's important to note this quarter's results have no impact on our long-term growth and TSR algorithm for this business. As Steve mentioned, the 2021 financial targets we laid out at our Investor Day in Boston contemplated ongoing industry consolidation and customer bankruptcies in the US market. While we anticipated these events in our 2021 plan, it was hard to predict when they would occur. Thus, while we've reduced our current year outlook, there is nothing that we see today that fundamentally changes our view of Wrangler or Lee over the long term.
Moving down to P&L. Gross margin was 50.2%, in line with last year, despite a 70 basis point negative impact from acquisitions. On an organic basis, gross margin increased 70 basis points, driven primarily by mix as our largest and most profitable brands and platforms continue to be our fastest growing.
SG&A as a percentage of revenue declined 50 basis points to 32.6%, including continued investments in our strategic priorities. The acceleration of revenue growth, coupled with our ongoing discipline and focus on cost management, is beginning to drive meaningful leverage and will be a catalyst for earnings growth over the next several years.
EPS increased 19%, or 13% organically, to $1.43 per share.
Given our strong results for the second quarter and our increased confidence and visibility into the second half, we are raising our full year fiscal 2019 outlook as follows. Revenue is now expected to be at least $13.7 billion, reflecting growth of at least 11%. Our updated outlook includes a more than $100 million impact from expected divestitures of the Reef, Van Moer businesses and -- as well as the impact of customer bankruptcy. Our updated outlook now includes 7% to 8% growth at the North Face and 18% to 19% growth at Vans.
Following this through by segment and channel. Outdoor is now anticipated to increase 7% to 8% and Active is now expected to increase 14% to 15%. From a channel perspective, we now expect DTC to increase 12% to 14% for the full year, with more than 30% growth in digital. We now expect Lee to decrease between 3% and 4% and our Jeans segment to decline approximately 1% to 2%, in line of the previously mentioned bankruptcy. There is no change to our Wrangler outlook of a 1% increase this year.
And finally, we are confirming our mid-single-digit organic growth outlook for Work and our international outlook of 12% to 13% growth. We still expect gross margin to be 51%. And now we expect operating margin to increase 80 basis points to about 13.5% due to slightly stronger SG&A leverage. Our outlook for adjusted earnings per share has increased to $3.65, reflecting 16% growth, and this includes the impact of selling Reef, Van Moer and bankruptcies.
Cash flow from operations is now expected to approximate $1.8 billion, with our CapEx forecast unchanged at about $275 million. We remain committed to returning cash to shareholders, and our dividend and share repurchase program are key components of our diversified value creation model. Based on our performance and the confidence we have in the cash generation of both Remainco and Newco, our Board of Directors approved an 11% increase in our quarterly dividend to $0.51 per share. This marks the 46th consecutive year that we've increased our annual dividend.
So to wrap it up, we are pleased with the performance through the first half of this year. We have again raised our full year outlook and we look forward to building on our momentum in the second half. We are sharply focused on executing against our strategic growth plan and positioning our portfolio for sustainable long-term growth and top quartile value creation.
And with that, I'll turn the call back to the operator and open the call for your questions.
Thank you. At this time, we'll be conducting a question-and-answer session. (Operator Instructions) Our first question comes from the line of Alexandra Walvis with Goldman Sachs. Please proceed with your question.
Good morning guys, and thanks for the question. I had a question on the Work business, specifically Williamson-Dickie. You now have that asset for a year and you posted solid profits, some improvements in profitability there. I was wondering how the strategy there had progressed versus the original plan, and how we should expect that to change as we go into year two and beyond.
Yes. This is Steve. I'll start answering your question. So yes, we are a year into our Williamson-Dickie acquisition and integration. We are on track with the integration objectives and the synergies that we saw as part of our diligence. There's a lot that we've learned about this great brand. We knew it -- we knew that it was a strong consumer-focused brand as we went through our diligence process, but what we're finding is that it's anchored so well in the work category, specifically here in the US. But as we've worked with management and begun to understand the consumer response to this brand we're seeing a much stronger work -- lifestyle component anchored in Asia and Europe that we see being able to bring back across the globe. So very much on track. Remain extremely confident about the impact that this brand can have within our integrated market approach for workwear, but even further elevating itself as a strong consumer lifestyle brand anchored in the work category.
Let me just add on, just -- make a broader acquisition comment, but I think it's in the prepared remarks, we said we expect $0.14 contribution from acquisitions, about $0.10 of which will be from the Williamson-Dickie acquisition. And so that's a little bit better than what we had originally said. We're seeing that the synergies, now that we've gotten in, are indeed playing out and maybe a little quicker than we originally anticipated, so all good on the financial side as well.
Great. That's very clear. Thank you. And then a second question was on the Jeans business. You explained that much of the weakness in the business this quarter was driven by a bankruptcy. I was wondering if there was anything that you could share with us on perhaps point of sale trends at your retail partners. How would the brand have been -- or the brands have been performing ex the impact of the bankruptcy? Is there anything that you can share with us, for example, on how those brands are resonating with consumers?
Yes. Let me start just with the number side of your question. This is Scott. So a little bit of perspective. First of all, our Jeans business grew 2% in the first quarter. And when you consider the RIGGS -- Wrangler RIGGS business, which we report in the Work segment, it really grew 3%. If you think about what will be Newco going forward. If you exclude the impact of the bankruptcy which you mentioned in your question, that means through the first half we're down a little more than 1%, maybe 1.5%. We expect in the second half, again, ex the impact of bankruptcy, to be up by about the same amount, so you're talking flat for the year. And really bridging back to Steve's opening comments, as we've thought forward in our Boston plan and as we've thought through the Newco and the spend and the modeling that we've done, we've expected some bad things to happen in this market in terms of bankruptcies, consolidations. So what you should take away is, well, you have this quarter, there's noise in this quarter, but when you zoom out a click and look at the big picture we're in fundamentally the same place that we thought we were in and we really -- this has no impact on how we view these businesses going forward.
And I would just add to that. If you kind of dial back to our time in Boston together and our leader Tom walked everybody through the work that we are currently under way on to really bring these brands together from a global perspective, to move them beyond being incredibly strong channel players in the particular segments, but elevating them to be true lifestyle brands. And the work that's being done is probably most further down the path is at Wrangler, and that's where the underlying business continues to be strong. We see strength in our Western business, in the new modern component, the Outdoor segment that's new and growing very nicely, the Wrangler RIGGS section that's committed to the outdoor or the work consumer, extremely well. But some really good validation points for us is the double-digit growth that we see in our own dotcom and then in the North America digital wholesale up over 30% for the quarter. So these brands are resonating very well with the consumer. We're navigating a changing market dynamic. And I think what I'd ask is just the confidence, doing the -- we're doing the work to position these brands for very good long-term success.
Thank you. Our next question comes from the line of Jim Duffy with Stifel. Please proceed with your question.
Thank you. Good morning, guys. Prepared remarks did well to address a lot of common questions. Thanks for that.
A big picture question on the North Face and then a question on the numbers. For the North Face, the European revenues have been very strong even against double-digit constant currency growth a year ago, presumably a reflection of some of Arne's groundwork. Can you talk about positioning of the brand in Europe, some of the factors contributing to that breakout growth and how that can translate to other markets?
Sure, Jim. I think the brand is absolutely anchored in that core mountain sports category and very committed to making sure that that foundation is strong and that we're bringing the right level of new product innovation and marketing to pull through those key wholesale partners as well as our own store. Where we've seen really nice growth and we've talked about this previously is more of that mountain lifestyle component, the more contemporary logo, sportswear pieces that are taking their influence from that -- the mountain sports category, the influence that that's having on urban exploration component of the line. And what we've seen in Europe is the brand has moved beyond just an outerwear and equipment resource but truly a brand that can deliver lifestyle apparel while being very anchored in that outdoor mountain sports category, and that's exactly what you see taking place in Asia, and more importantly, what we just saw this quarter here in the United States marketplace, where we saw strong sell-through of daypacks, really good lifestyle sportswear and logowear trending extremely well, strong retail sell-throughs setting the brand up for a really strong fall season, where now you come into the wheelhouse of that technical outerwear.
Great. Thanks for that. And then Scott, a lot of moving parts in the business that's likely to continue with that some extraordinary items. Can you just give us a perspective on the criteria you use for defining something as extraordinary just so we can have that in our mind on a go-forward basis?
Sure, Jim. I think pretty straightforward really, right? Nonrecurring, isolated things related to either a specific initiative like the relocation of our offices to Denver or sale of assets transactions that we're going through and the separation then of Jeans. So as you can imagine, there is a lot of fees, costs, et cetera that are incremental to the business that come in when you have these type activities that are nonrecurring in nature. So our goal, I think fairly straightforward, is to try to give a picture of what is the ongoing underlying profitability of the business, excluding these nonrecurring items. So I think in the prepared materials you had a pretty good, both in the press release, there is also a table and also and we've given you some more detail around that. I think it's pretty straightforward and you'll see, and the SEC filings will give you a little bit more on that. I think it'll be pretty straightforward.
Thank you. Our next question comes from the line of Bob Drbul with Guggenheim Securities. Please proceed with your question.
I was wondering if you could spend a little time on the Timberland just in terms of -- on the second half visibility that you spoke to, what you're seeing in the business and I guess just what gives you the confidence in terms of the turn in the business in the second half of the year for you.
Bob, this is Steve. We remain very confident in our Timberland brand. And I think what's giving us that confidence is the work that we're doing to diversify the offer beyond just the classics collection of that core boots. We're seeing momentum in our women's business, continued success in apparel, and most importantly, success in our non-classics footwear, both men's and women's. The PRO category continues to do extremely well and that sets a really strong technical halo for that boots business. So really confident as we look across the product categories. The work we've done in Asia over the last 12 months, the marketing that we're doing with our Tibulang (ph) marketing campaign has shown really strong results and great -- really good selling in our China marketplace. And I guess the last point would be the work that we're doing to build the strong product foundation, the integrated marketplace, merchandising strategy that will allow us to have that diversified approach here in the US market, where we've got the most of work to do. A lot of confidence about -- as we look at that mid-single-digit growth profile on a long-term basis.
Great. And I guess just the second question follow-up would be on the European business, when you look at there's definitely some disparity between the North Face, Vans and Timberland, I guess, and just on the Vans piece of it, can you just talk to what you're seeing in the European market there? Is there a weather impact on Vans or -- I'm just trying to understand that 8% number a little bit better.
Just -- is your question really why it's lower than it was in the previous quarter?
Yes, I mean -- just, I mean -- I guess generally just when you look at Europe across the multiple brands, that one is a little bit lower than the other two big ones.
Yes. So, I'm not sure -- I'll try to address your question. So the thing to remember about Vans in Europe is, first of all 9% is in line with the long-term growth rate of that brand and a great result. Remember what's going on there. The group, and we talked a lot about this in the Investor Day, is really about making sure that we don't get over-torqued in any one particular part of our business, and what we're seeing there is some rationing, frankly, of some of the product as we ensure that not one style or one category gets too much out of balance. But remember, we're still growing double digits and this brand right in line with the long range growth plan. And I think the takeaway you should have is this is solid, sustainable growth that we can build on over the long term. As you think about Europe generally, Steve said it in the prepared remarks, there's some noise, it was -- the weather has been a bit strange there, there's some timing of shipments, but if you look through all that, our Europe business has remained consistent and strong. We don't really see any change in condition. It's not exactly been easy over the last couple years and we read the same things you do, but we haven't seen a material change in the condition of our business in Europe so far.
Bob, I would just reinforce. What you see is just a really strong disciplined approach to how the brand is coming to life across its wholesale partners in support of their DTC, and it's an important part of that 18% to 19% growth that we've given outlook for the balance -- or for this full year.
Thank you. Our next question comes from the line of Erinn Murphy with Piper Jaffray. Please proceed with your question.
Great, thanks. Good morning. Steve, I got a question for you on tariffs. You hit a lot of helpful context upfront, but when you think about the scenario planning, I think it's probably fair to assume the entire industry is doing the same just in case there are another batch of tariffs. Are you seeing any price increases in some of China's neighboring countries thus far as people are moving out of China? And then how are factories in China treating their vendors? Are they trying to make any concessions to keep business on the ground there?
Sure. Great question. To date, Erinn, we have not seen any price increases as our supply chain team looks to manage our global sourcing footprint. It doesn't mean to say that there couldn't, but I think as we work so well with our group of vendors across each of our businesses, we're able to really level set production by country based on where the most favorable tariff situation is for each of those inbound sets of goods. We've not seen anything per se going on in China that would give us any concern that we're not going to be treated well or we're going to be treated better. Again, I think this comes to the strength of our relationships. And we've been working to reduce our exposure to China for many, many years, and where you see us now at 11% for our US imports, we can lever that down if need be or we can maintain it. It's really paying a very close attention to everything that each one of us reads in the news every day and the work that we're doing in Washington with our partners there.
Okay, that's helpful. Thank you. And then just on the demand side of China, you talked about the market still being relatively strong. It did decelerate though just from the first quarter I think with organic growth was 31%, moved down to 15%. I recognize Jeans is a lot softer there, but just curious if you're seeing any other kind of brand callouts in terms of the deceleration, Q1 to Q2, and then any thoughts on how you're approaching Singles Day in that market? Thank you.
So I'll take the first part. Really, Erinn, no change. There is some timing quarter-to-quarter but we don't -- we don't see any change in trajectory in the China business overall.
Right. And then Singles Day, obviously a very important day of selling there. Our teams are very attentive. I think we've learned a lot over the last few years to be very thoughtful around what products are assorted there, making sure that we're supporting it with the proper marketing, but not letting that get too far ahead of us and recognizing that we have a full year opportunity to speak to our consumers and not just a one single day.
Okay. And then, so Scott, just to clarify though on the de-sell on -- you said there was some timing, is the way to think about the kind of underlying run rate of China as you get into the back half is just kind of the average of the first half? Is that how we should think about it?
Thank you. Our next question comes from the line of Michael Binetti with Credit Suisse. Please proceed with your question.
Hey guys, thanks for taking the questions here. Let me -- Scott, let me ask you on the gross margin for a minute. I think there's more noise here than meets the eye, and I just wanted to ask how much do the softer international revenue growth rate on a reported basis and then plus the bankruptcies and Dickies, how much have those hurt the gross margin in this quarter? And then you look out to 3Q, how those change? I guess, said differently, the core algorithm I think you gave (inaudible) 40 to 50 basis points first half in total was up 35, guidance implies about 30 for the back half, that's below the algorithm, but on organic basis you're up 70 this quarter, so above the algorithm, and you have the Dickies impact rolling off next quarter. I'm just trying to think why that wouldn't accelerate more.
Okay. So let me try, Michael. The -- so let me attack it a little bit differently and see if I answer your question. So if you at Q2, the mix is about 60 basis points, a little better than what we've said over time. And rate has been a bit favorable and that's true to the first half, right. But remember what we've said there, cost is a little favorable in the first half, turns a little unfavorable in the second half and for the year, it's not a material impact. So you'll see a little of that first half, second half dynamic on the cost side. Mix moderates a bit in the second half as well and some of the reasons for that we've talked about. You think about the Vans, we are full year 18%-ish -- 18% to 19% growth implies that in the second half the growth moderates. Again that -- we know that both from a DTC standpoint and just the absolute margins of Vans, that has an impact on the mix. So -- and then lastly, acquisitions in the first half we start lapping WD. So for example, in the second quarter acquisitions was negative 70 bps. As you now get into the second half, acquisitions are essentially a push, actually modestly accretive as you start getting into that lap as Altra and Icebreaker have margins that are at or above VF average. So, again, big picture. You have your mix moderating a bit in the second half for the reasons that we talked about that's implied in the guidance. You have your rate going from a little bit of a tailwind to a little bit of a headwind in the second half, but remember, the big picture there, pricing overall is moderating there. You have a little bit of timing quarter-to-quarter. And then acquisitions, for the full year about 20 bps, essentially all in the first half of the year because as we start lapping in the second half you don't see that effect. I don't know if I got you there, Michael, but hope (multiple speakers).
You almost sound like you're -- sound like you're ready for me there.
Yes, it's almost like we practice the stuff, right?
Well done .Can I just ask one other? I don't know if Mr. Baxter is hanging around, but I just can't think that Jeans demand in Europe really dropped 18% in the quarter out of nowhere. Is there -- I don't know if there's anything strategic going on now that you're looking ahead to that being a separate company or -- maybe you can help us put some context around what went on with Jeans in Europe in the quarter.
Right. So, Scott's not here, though I know he would love to be, for sure. And so what's going on in Europe and certainly Scott mentioned a little bit of the weather impact. And it's not like we've ever talked about warm weather but our denim business in Europe is primarily or predominantly long-bottoms. And as we've come through this warm cycle -- though we come in with good seasonal assortments this year, it was a probably even a stronger need to be well set up with those stronger spring summer assortments than -- where we've historically seen a lot of strength. But I'll tell you there's no change to our long-term fundamental view for this business. And I think it's important to remember that Europe is less than 15% of our total Jeanswear business. We do see consolidation of some key accounts. We closed some doors as we focus on quality within our retail environments, but really no change to our long-term fundamental view for Jeanswear or for our ability to compete well in Europe.
Thank you. Our next question comes from the line of Matthew Boss with JPMorgan. Please proceed with your question.
Thanks, and congrats on a nice quarter.
So if we drill down on the expense front, I guess what's driven the earlier-than-expected inflection to SG&A leverage in the front-half, any change to your back-half leverage outlook and just multi-year plan?
I mean, the honest or the quickest answer to that is the revenue has been a little better in the first half, right and that coupled with discipline and -- on the expense side has driven a little more leverage and that leverage you see is following through to the full year, and one of the reasons why we've taken our guidance up for the full year over the last two quarters. But it's also important to remember that we've said that while we're committed to delivering our earnings we're also looking opportunistically at where we can invest to further our strategic priorities and also set ourselves up for consistent growth in the future. So we have continued to invest -- you shouldn't take from this that we're getting leverage because we're walking away from investment and our strategic priorities. That's not true. But as we see acceleration at top line and that drives leverage, sure some of that's going to come through from a profitability standpoint. I mean, we're looking at mid-teens profit based on this implied guidance, and that's right in line with what we said in Boston. And we're committed to that, and we will continue to deliver it. What you have seen now, Matt, is an inflection point, right. Remember, I mean I'll take you back to Boston. We talked about -- as the top line was accelerating through the first part of our plan, we said we're going to start investing in those key growth drivers. We're now hitting that point where we're seeing both the virtuous cycle of our revenue increasing and while we're not reducing our expenses, they are not growing at the pace of the revenue increase and that means leverage, and that leverage is driving the kind of margin expansion -- operating margin expansion that we expected in our long range plan.
Okay. And then just a follow-up on the -- on Vans. So I guess with the exception of tougher compares in the back half guide, I guess are you seeing any organic signs of slowing at all in your wholesale order books or should we think of this more so embedded moderation in your DTC business in the back half that potentially could prove conservative if things end up a little bit better?
Right. So as expected, and if we talked about that we would start to see some moderation in the growth rates, though I'm not sure that you could really refer to plus 26% as a moderate growth rate. The brand continues to move along the same path that we talked about in the offices recently. The retail store trends remain really strong. I think they've even been pretty consistent that we're in uncharted territory here and it's really hard to call. Common sense would tell you that it might moderate, but I tell you at this point we just haven't seen evidence of that, and that's what's given us confidence to raise our outlook to plus 18%, 19% for the year.
Great. Best of luck, guys.
Thank you. Our next question comes from the line of Laurent Vasilescu with Macquarie Group. Please proceed with your question.
Good morning, and thanks for taking my question. It looks like you raised annual revenue guidance by about $100 million without -- it incorporates a number of factors. Can we assume Reef is a $150 million business? How big is Van Moer and then what's the incremental FX headwinds since 90 days ago? And then lastly, sorry, what's the actual dollar impact from the recent customer bankruptcy?
You kill me, Laurent. All right, so -- see where do I start. So we've talked about 70 basis points to 80 basis points of FX in the last call. We said that's about 100 basis points, you can do the math and figure that I don't know another $30 million or so of currency headwind that is I guess overcome with this raise in guidance. We said about 1 point collectively for the dispositions and the bankruptcy. I'm not going to get into real granular on the bankruptcy but now we shaped this a year ago. We said it was less than $100 million. You can assume it's continued to decline, so it's -- I'll just leave it at that, as well as $100 million. And then the other side of that, you said what's Reef, it's about $150 million annually. But of course, we have roughly half of that or so, a little more I guess in our year -- this year so far. So hopefully that gets you kind of there -- close to there. But I guess maybe what's underneath that question, just to reiterate the point is, we raised our guidance top and bottom line and absorbed a lot of impacts with the disposition of Reef, Van Moer, the currency headwinds, and despite all that we still raised significantly top and bottom line. So hopefully that was evident.
Very helpful. Thank you, Scott. And then inventories, they were up 22% or 17% on an organic basis. What's the inventory growth coming from by brand or by region and how should we think about that number relative to the third quarter's top line growth?
Yes. Just to clarify that, you're still lapping acquisitions. So the organic is 5%, which is pretty much in line with what we see -- that's supporting the forward guidance that we see. So they're -- or stated differently, there's nothing in our inventory that gives us any pause. It's really -- now that we're lapping WD you'll to start to see those, even the absolute nominal inventory growth will be much smaller because frankly Altra and Icebreaker just aren't that large in the scheme of total VF.
Thank you. Our next question comes from the line of Camilo Lyon with Canaccord Genuity.
Thanks. Good morning, guys. How are you?
I wanted to stick in a little deeper on North Face. I think in the slide, it talks about a shift in timing of some of the deliveries, both in the Americas and the APAC region. Could you just talk about how you're seeing the health of the channel unfold and how they -- you've already talked about the increased product innovation. How that's been received well into parts of the world? Could you just drill down and articulate how that unfold here in the US market and how you expect that to play out for the season? And then I've got a follow-up.
Yes, Camilo, I'll start just to clarify that timing. So retail calendars of some of our biggest customers have shifted. That, coupled with the general trend of demand and shipments generally moving to the right, we've seen some shift from -- between two quarters moving a little bit later. So we'll see relatively higher growth next quarter in the North Face as that shift impacted the current quarter. So all we're saying is when you normalize for that we see even greater strength looking forward. And as you know, this is a pre-book business, largely on the wholesale side. We have really at this point really good visibility to the order book and that, coupled with the actions over the last couple of years that we've been talking about around cleaning the inventory, marketplaces, et cetera, so we're coming into this season in a historically relatively clean environment. That, coupled with our visibility to the early performance and the order book that we see, gives us the confidence to raise for the year.
Right, and then, Camilo, the things going on in Asia, I'd probably pull you up a click and just look holistically across the globe for the North Face. I mean, that's been a very methodical process to reposition this brand to its rightful place, anchoring first in mountain sports, which gives the brand permission to come to life in urban exploration. The things that you see in the marketplace right now, the campaign around the icons, starting with the Mountain jacket last month, the Nuptse jacket this month and really celebrating the storied history of this powerful brand, taking a very kind of new, fresh approach in its demand creation, starting first with The Wall, they're meant for climbing, very inclusive and really celebrating the diversity of the outdoor marketplace and anchoring that invitation to explore through the lens of the North Face point of view. So really strong focus on product. As we've talked about, the demand creation now coming in line to support the season's initiatives, and what's really positive is the marketplace across here in the US, Europe and Asia is clean, allowing us the opportunity to get these new assortments and these new seasonally relevant assortments into retail and using that new energy of the product to elevate the brand and really return this brand to its rightful leadership position.
Got it. Thanks for that. And then my follow-up had to do with the 50 basis points of incremental strategic investments in the quarter. You've done it in the past. It's worked out well. I was hoping to get some color on where did this incremental $20 million or so go into? What brand did it go to? What form? Was it digital? Was it innovation? And maybe if could go back to the last time you did -- I think it was last year, where -- when did you see the effect of that, the benefits of that materialize and I would assume that this is -- these are investments that will lead to continued growth in over the next 12 months to 18 months. Is that's the right way to think about these investments and how they play out?
Yes. I would think of it more as a flywheel. We laid out the -- and undeclared I think pretty specifically what those areas we were going to invest in and were continuing to invest in. And when I say opportunistically, things like demand creation. If we have -- there are times when we want to lean in a little heavier based on what we see as an opportunity, but those areas of investment really aren't changed. Digital, holistically, analytics, insights, our DTC broadly, in terms of capabilities in brick and mortar as well as in the digital and how those work together. I mean, these are the areas where we're focusing our investment. So I wouldn't say what we're doing now is just a specific finite amount of time for the payback. We're looking at this as developing consistent defendable points of difference over a period of time. And we will sustain that investment at a certain level. What my comments again on opportunistic -- typically are more around specific initiatives where we see an opportunity to really lean in and accelerate.
Without specific to one or a small handful of brands?
I didn't make that distinction, but I think it's consistent with the way that we've talked. I mean typically you're going to see a disproportionate amount of investment in our largest franchises as well as China, which we've declared as one of our strategic priorities.
But, Camilo, to add -- the platform investments, the true enablers that sit -- and the backbone of our model, are there for all of our brands to be able to leverage. You might see us initiate some of the work, for example, our loyalty program, the work that Vans and North Face are doing, certainly they're the tip of the spear, but this work is done from a broader based foundation for the entire portfolio to benefit from.
And just trying to back -- it's a great point that Steve makes, and that's one of the reasons we see leverage, right, so as we can invest. It would be hard for any one of these brands individually to be able to afford these kind of investments, but by doing it on a VF level as a platform, then we can get leverage of those investments across the broader portfolio.
Got it. It sounds great. Good luck, guys.
Thank you. Our next question comes from the line of Jonathan Komp with Robert W. Baird. Please proceed with your question.
Hi, thank you. Scott, I wanted to first just clarify if I could on the acquisition benefit this year I think you said $0.14 to earnings. If I can clarify that, and maybe just ask what's behind that thinking in the second half? I think you already delivered $0.12 in the first two quarters, so any additional perspective there?
What's your point? I'm not sure what you mean by that. Now remember, we're not -- but the first half is non-comp. So of course, you're going to have the majority of that incremental benefit in the first half. So, yes, you're right, it sends a couple of pennies for the balance of the year is our expectation, but that is largely -- well, it's all Altra and Icebreaker, which are less profitable relative to total VF, right?
And since we don't fully know the seasonality of this business -- of these businesses all that well, the $0.08 in Q2, is there anything unique in that figure?
No. Okay, remember, there's two things going on, right. You're delivering just the non-comp earnings and then underneath that, you've got the synergies that are being delivered over the next -- predominantly over the next couple of years. So there's really two things going on which are driving these earnings. So another way of saying why did we take up our acquisition contribution from one quarter ago, we're seeing some of those synergies a little earlier than we had anticipated.
Got it. That's helpful. I wanted to ask a broader question then. I'm going back to North Face, and really stemming from the newer disclosures around the Outdoor versus Active segments, and if I look more on a trailing 12-month basis, the Outdoor segment margin is quite a bit below Active and I think in the low teens in terms of the margin rate for the Outdoor. Just wanted to ask, I assume North Face and Timberland have contributed to kind of a lower margin than we may have expected previously. And I wanted to get some thoughts on the outlook there and your ability to become more profitable, especially at the North Face going forward.
Yes. So there is no doubt, we can and will be more profitable in this segment, first of all. I just put a little historical context here. If you go back a couple of years, as we've really focused on quality of sales, cleaning up the marketplace and reducing the discounting of price, we've walked some volume. We have not seen the kind of leverage we've typically seen and we've also been investing in the future of these businesses. So if you think about where they are now compared to historic capability -- and what we see is the future capability. We see a lot of room to run here over time. The other thing I would say is the North Face, within that is relatively more advanced, right. And it is more profitable and more -- and contributing more. Think about Timberland, as we've said consistently, couple years behind in terms of its evolution. So I -- as you look forward, I would think this category continuing to grow both from top line and leverage as well as margin expansion. And you should think about the North Face being slightly ahead of Timberland in terms of its profitability evolution.
Understood. That's helpful. Thank you.
Thank you. Our next question comes from the line of John Kernan with Cowen and Company. Please proceed with your question.
Good morning, guys. Thanks for taking my question. My question is already answered. Just wanted to go back to Vans, and what your outlook is for specific franchises within Vans as we kind of go through the back half of the year, Old Skool has obviously had fairly incredible growth. I know it's only 25% of sales, but when you look at the franchises within Vans, where do you expect the most growth to come from that's embedded in the outlook for the back half? Thank you.
Yes. So maybe I'll start with that. You're right, Old Skool is about, actually less than 25% of the total franchise. And if you go back to the -- probably the best way to answer that it would be to refer you back to the Investor Day materials where I think we unpacked that reasonably well, talking about the different franchises. But I'll give you the short answer to that. As we see broad based growth, and we always within this brand, see certain franchises that are trending in a little higher than others, but over time that's kind of the point, right. It's not just one thing, there's a product life cycle management which shows as one is relatively stronger within where you're moderating in another areas and over time, we've seen this engine continue to consistently deliver. For example, apparel which is only about 20% of the entire Vans, is growing at a rate faster than the total brand growth, right. So you should think of this as being very broad based and not really driven by just one franchise.
And I think specifically in the footwear area, as you come into this time of year, this is where you'll see that MTE collection that we spoke about more of the water resistant, more winterized versions of not just Classics, but you also see the Altra series continue to grow in its importance and scale. And then I think that the brand did a really good job talking about their whole focus on newness and being able to cycle new ideas through their DTC platform to find those next big levers of growth. Everything that they laid out really is just, they'll be very methodical and maintain the rigor to keep that discipline in place.
That's excellent. Thanks. And then my final question, just to keep it within the Active segment. Just on the outlook for operating margin within that segment as we go through the back half of the year, it's obviously up very significantly in the first half of this year on the top line growth. How should we think about that profitability in that segment as we head into the back half of the year?
Yes, really -- the impact there is mostly Vans, which is the largest property within that. And as we said, our guidance implies moderation in the second half, so you should assume that profit will moderate in the second half in that category as well. Still growing, but not quite as fast as first half.
That's great. Thanks, guys. Best of luck.
Thank you. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. We have come to the end of our time allowed for questions. I'd like to turn the floor back to Mr. Rendle for any further comments.
Great, thank you. I hope you can take away from the call here, we're really pleased with our performance through the first half of this fiscal year. Continued strength of our Active businesses and the building momentum across Outdoor and Work segments is giving us confidence that we'll deliver on our improved outlook for the balance of this year. I'd leave you with -- we are sharply focused on executing against our strategic growth plan and positioning our portfolio of powerful brands for sustainable long-term growth and strong value creation. So thank you for giving us time today. We look forward to talking to you in a couple months. | 2019-04-25T06:56:42Z | https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2018/10/19/vf-corp-vfc-q2-2019-earnings-conference-call-trans.aspx |
Fun things to do around RVA.
A local group are starting a large apiary (a place where bees are kept and nurtured) and you can be a part of it.
Own from a fraction of a hive to a complete hive and receive a check once a year for the profits it produces. These come from leasing the hives to farmers, honey collection and wax collection.
Surgery is complete and now we move to recovery.
Pins are placed now in the Goose. We now prepare to tie in all the pins for stability and to prevent rotation at the fracture site.
Can you guess what may have caused this Eagle’s injuries? The same type of wound is present on the top of his skull, over his right hock, inside his left leg and throughout the length of his left leg. The answer will be revealed at the end of the day.
He is stable and doing well. We started him on antibiotics, an anti-inflammatory, pain meds and rehydrated him. We opted to send him to a different facility than we have sent Eagles previously and will be working closely with their veterinary team should this Eagle qualify for a procedure utilizing Vetrix. We have supplied the team with one sheet of the cellular matrix and may be reaching out to you, our Facebook followers, for financial support should we need additional sheets to get this big guy better. Thank you Dr. Poutous and his rehab team at Sacred Friend – Wildlife Rehabilitation in Norfolk for working with us and giving this guy a shot.
24 hours after surgery, Mallard 15-0047 is doing well. Hit by a car and then attacked by a colony of feral cats, he underwent surgery to pin a wing fracture. The external fixator is visible in the left wing. We will begin light physical therapy with him tomorrow and in 4- 6 weeks the pins will be removed.
Barring any unforeseen complications, we expect him to make a full recovery.
We could not assist the general public who find these animals in need of help or our patients without your financial support. Please consider sponsoring this duck’s care. Donations can be made here.
Thank you for supporting the Richmond Wildlife Center .
A Wild Fiesta – Our 2nd Anniversary Celebration!
The Richmond Wildlife Center will be celebrating our 2nd Anniversary on April 1st.
Join us on Saturday, April 11th at Lalo’s Cocina Bar & Grill to help us celebrate.
From lunch time at 12pm until 11pm that evening Richmond Wildlife Center volunteers will be present to help celebrate our 2nd Anniversary. Many animals will be making appearances throughout the day, so be sure to stop in and meet some of our education animals as well as animals available for adoption.
Lalo’s Cocina Bar & Grill will be donating 10% off all their restaurant sales this day to our wildlife center, so be sure to bring all of your friends and family to enjoy some great Mexican food!
Make a family day out of it! Lalo’s is located across the street from the Science Museum of Virginia and the Children’s Museum. Come see us after your family day at the museum.
Parking is available behind Lalo’s as well as on street. Lalo’s Cocina is locate at 2617 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA.
We hope to see you there to help us celebrate this wonderful milestone for our center!
Join us tomorrow, March 21, 2015 from 10am – 4pm as we wrap up Wildlife Week at Pet Supplies Plus. Richmond Wildlife Center volunteers will be present to help point you in the direction of items we need to help care for our patients. Please consider stopping by to purchase an item for a wild patient in need. Thank you for your support!
FOLLOW ALL UPDATES ON “PROMISE” THE SWAN BY VISITING THIS POST.
** All new updates will be in Blue. Old Updates will be in Black. Follow this post routinely for updates. Thank you!
1/9/2015 – Please be patient with us. Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) has granted us additional time. We now have until January 21st to identify a permanent placement for Promise the Swan. We are confident we can locate such a home. The Richmond Wildlife Center is hosting a continuing education raptor workshop tomorrow for licensed veterinarians in which DGIF is also participating. We also have 30 patients to care for, provide husbandry and medical care to each morning and evening. Patient treatments start between 8-9am and evening treatments begin at 4pm. Today, 1/9/2015, we only have two volunteers in our center; a licensed veterinarian and a veterinary assistant/wildlife care assistant. We ask for your patience today as we have many patients to care for and we must also prepare to execute our raptor workshop tomorrow which is critical to training more veterinarians in saving the the lives of our Hawks, Owls, Eagles, Falcons, Osprey, Vultures and other Birds of Prey.
We hope to send out our permanent placement survey today to all those who have expressed interest in providing a captive home for Promise. However, it may not be until Sunday before we can execute this. We are doing the best we can given we have no paid staff and limited volunteer staffing. Again please be patient with us. We WILL find a home for Promise.
In the interim, here is how you can help.
Please continue to share Promise’s story. Of the 150 parties who have expressed interest in adopting Promise, the majority of those individuals reside out of state. One stipulation imposed by DGIF is that Promise the Mute Swan cannot leave Virginia. We need more Virginia contacts who may be willing to give Promise a home. Some stipulations that will be mandated may be a financial burden for many. Again, we need more contacts. Please contact your local Virginia newspapers, news stations, bloggers, friends, co-workers and family members. Ask them to share Promise’s story to help us find more Virginia property/landowners owners who may be interested in providing a captive home for Promise the Mute Swan. The property owner/landowner must contact us directly via email to provide us with their information. Please do not provide referrals.
Help us raise the funding we need to provide the medical, surgical, tracking, reproductive, blood testing and monitoring requirements in order to ensure we can place Promise and meet all required stipulations. Promise’s needs were NOT in our small nonprofit’s budget for this year. Individuals who would like to support our center’s efforts can make a donation here.
Please be patient with us. We will all work together to make this happen for Promise! All contact should be done through email. Please do not utilize social media (Facebook) or phone to reach us. We can be contacted through our contact form.
All interested parties should send the following information to us to be added to our list of possible homes. Please utilize our contact form to send the below information.
We would like to send put our permanent placement survey to interested parties today, however realistically it may not be until Sunday before this occurs. PLEASE BE PATIENT! WE WILL ALL WORK TOGETHER TO SAVE PROMISE. Now please share Promise’s story below to help us get more Virginia contacts who may be able to provide a permanent captive home and help us to raise the funding we need to save Promise. Thank you for helping us Save Promise!
You can share Promise’s story directly from NBC12/Kelly Avellino – Thank you NBC12 and Kelly Avellino for helping us save Promise the Mute Swan!
1/8/2015 5:11pm – We have just received general stipulations from DGIF in regards to the conditions of the permanent placement of Promise the Mute Swan. If you have not already done so please submit your name, phone number and email address if you are an interested party here. DO NOT LEAVE THIS INFO ON FACEBOOK, IT WILL NOT BE RECEIVED. DO NOT CALL OUR CENTER. PLEASE EMAIL US.
We will be emailing an initial questionnaire to prospective permanent placement individuals to help us quickly identify those individuals who meet the general stipulations provided by DGIF. We will then work from that list of individuals to determine which individuals meeting the general guidelines will also meet additional specific stipulations. All contact information from interested parties needs to be received by 9AM EST, 1/11/2014. We have until January 21, 2015 to find Promise a home or Promise will be euthanized.
We are not permitted to assist, possess or provide veterinary care to any Mute Swan in the future. Those swans found sick, injured, or feral in our state must be destroyed.
DGIF has issued us a special possession permit for us to be in possession of the Swan until January 21st. This swan cannot be transferred to anyone else for veterinary or rehabilitative care. To meet all of the surgical, reproductive, tracking, and monitoring stipulations required of the permanent placement we need your financial assistance to ensure we can meet these requirements. This was not in our small nonprofit’s budget for this year. The permitting fee (adoption fee) will be paid to DGIF. So please donate so we can ensure we can provide the services needed to properly place Promise. Donation information and a paypal button for donations is available here.
Thank you all for helping us save Promise the Mute Swan. AS A REMINDER PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE CONTACT INFO ON FACEBOOK. DO NOT CALL OUR CENTER WITH CONTACT INFORMATION. PLEASE PROVIDE CONTACT INFORMATION HERE.
1/7/2015 4:45pm – We have not yet received the stipulations from DGIF in regards to the permanent placement of Promise the Swan. We do not know if the 10 days began yesterday or if our 10 day window begins when DGIF provides us with the stipulations. We are worried we may have lost 2 days of our 10 day window. We are collecting names, phone numbers, and email addresses of individuals interested in adopting the swan. Once we receive the stipulations from DGIF we will email all those interested to identify a suitable captive and permanent home for the swan. If you are interested please provide your contact information here.
**Please note our telephone only has one line. If we are on the line, no voice-mail will pick-up, and it will just ring. (We are a poor nonprofit and our priority is our patients medical and nutritional needs and not voice-mail for our call waiting at this time.) Please limit phone calls as this prohibits callers needing emergency veterinary care for injured wildlife and non-native feral exotics.We appreciate your understanding.
Thank you all for working so hard to help us find a home for Promise the Swan.
1/7/2015 8am- We are working diligently to save “Promise” the Swan. We would like to pause to thank NBC12 and Kelly Avellino as well as Secretary of Natural Resources, Molly Ward, and her staff in the Governor’s office. Secretary Ward’s office negotiated for us at our request with Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Through those efforts we received a 10 day stay of euthanasia. We have 10 days to find a suitable and responsible captive home for the swan. We do not know all the stipulations to the agreement yet and will learn those today. What we do know is that we may be prohibited from exporting the Swan out of state and it cannot be free roaming where it could potentially escape into the wild again. We will keep you posted as we learn the details and frantically search for a suitable captive home.
ESCONDIDO, CA (Oct. 9, 2014) – Today, San Diego-based Stone Brewing Co.announced it has signed a formal letter of intent with the City of Richmond, Virginia, signifying the company’s interest in building its East Coast facility in the city’s Greater Fulton Community. Subject to local approvals, Stone plans to invest $74 million to construct a production brewery, packaging hall, destination restaurant, retail store and its administrative offices. Construction of the facilities will occur in phases. The brewery is anticipated to be operational in late 2015 or early 2016, with Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens opening a year or two after that. Ultimately, the company will employ more than 288 people.
News Anchor, Amy Lacey of WRIC TV – Channel 8, stopped in to help raise awareness of our wildlife veterinary facility. We would like to thank Amy and Channel 8 for their support of our wildlife patients and center. The complete story can be found here.
Update- I wrote this a week ago and never published it. There is more I wanted to add. I am publishing it now because a few friends wanted to see it. Norfolk is now out of contention. I don’t know what perks Ohio and Virginia are offering. Below is just raw data without perks.
I have been watching the press releases roll out of Google News Feed ever since Stone Brewing announced expansion to the East Coast. Then I watch people on news and beer forums start talking about each other’s cities, creating facebook like pages etc etc. So I sat down last night, had a nice Stone beer, lit a cigar and started making the below spreadsheet. Probably 1/1000 the size the one Stone is making, but I skim the surface and don’t get paid for this.
One of Stone’s biggest expenses is going to be shipping all those kegs and bottles.
Trains– The easiest and cheapest way is by rail, if you have a rail yard. The location in Richmond could have a rail running through the brewery. CSX cuts across the back of the property. But lets look at whats already there: Columbus and Richmond have major rail yards. Columbus has the only Intermodal Terminal (transfer from truck to train and visa versa). Maybe trains aren’t an option.
Trucks– Richmond has I81 and I64 cutting through it and is located within a days drive to the entire east of the Mississippi population. Norfolk and Columbus start getting into two day transit times to various cities. This adds a major expense to the shipping. Norfolk’s trucks will be stymied by the Bridge/Tunnels and horrible traffic across the Chesapeake Bay.
Deep Sea Ports are another factor to look into. Some shipments may be too large for a truck, and may be best floated south to Florida. Trucking companies charge a lot of money to go into Florida, because they often come back up empty. But trains solve this problem too.
Ohio is one of the states with ABV restrictions. No beer can be brewed over 12%. Virginia has no legislation like that. Stone likes high ABV beers.
On the flip side, the State Excise tax is $.18 in Ohio vs $.26 in Virginia. Stone’s RFP said they initially will produce 120,000 barrels and then ramp up to 500,000. The difference between the Excise Taxes are around $300,000 to start and $1,240,000 a year when fully scaled. Ohio loses on the types of beers brewed, but wins on the Excise Tax.
However, Richmond’s business taxes on equipment and property are far less. I think this is a carry over from the tobacco days, but RVA does well with low business taxes. When spending $10s of millions in a production facility, this is a huge savings.
All of us that live here, love Richmond. While our cost of living is below the national average, we aren’t as cheap as Columbus. We are cheaper than Norfolk. However, Columbus loses in property taxes, having some of the highest in the country.
Utilities were hard to peg. Columbus electricity is run by the government, so seemed kind of a flat rate. Here in Virginia, Dominion Power has sliding scales for different times of the day and amount used. Stone will do best to run it’s high electricity machines like bottling lines at night to save money in Virginia. Of course, it will probably incorporate solar to offset this.
Water was all over the map. Richmond has good prices on water, but high on waste water. Stone will have to pay the waste water fee on water not put into it’s beers. Trust me, breweries use a lot of water to clean and sanitize. There may be a commercial rate I am sure the city could dig up for them.
While talking quality of water, Richmond wins. Our water is some of the best in the country (probably related to the high waste fees) and the James River flows much cleaner through the state. If you compare natural minerals in the water, our water fits brewers perfectly as not much tweaking needs to be done to match recipes. In fact, our water is very similar to the ancient city of Plzen (Pilsen).
I think it is agreed that Richmond wins on tourism. Norfolk may draw a few tourists to make the 40 minute drive away from Virginia Beach, but it is not an easy destination spot.
I honestly don’t remember much about Columbus. I drove there once to see Ray Charles during my college years. We went to Papa Joes afterwards and drank beer from a plastic sand bucket. But unless your child goes to Ohio State, or you are from there, I never hear of anyone marking Columbus as their summer vacation. It is a lovely city from what I remember.
I think one thing I really want to see in RVA, is Stone Brewing versus Mekong Restaurant in the annual Dragon Boat Race. I think that would be epic. Who knows, maybe some of the plans are to put a dock behind the brewery and you can boat to the restaurant/garden. Why no one has done this in Richmond, I don’t know. Outdoor Magazine loves RVA, hopefully Stone sees our natural beauty as well.
As Richmond, Norfolk, Columbus, Ohio and Virginia scramble to make adjustments to laws, zoning, taxes and what not, Stone sits patiently enjoying it’s new brewery in Europe. All three cities are great in their own way. I am sure we will not be privy to the tax credits being offered until the deal is inked.
While the taxes are slightly higher in Richmond, the utilities are less and business equipment taxes are lower. Richmond wins on shipping and closeness to the major cities. This is important as you ship seasonal products and need quick delivery. It is a close race on my small spreadsheet. It will be interesting if Stone discloses what pushed them to their final choice.
Distance to Major Cities in hours by truck, with no traffic….
Here at FunRVA we love beer. The city has grown so much in the last few years with quality breweries. There are just so many tasty options!
We want to here from you! This is for the true beer geeks! If you have tried all of these, give us your vote! If you haven’t tried them all, you have some homework to do! This poll will last Until Sept 9th, so get out there!
Center of the Universe "Pocahoptas"
Licking Hol Creek "‘Til Sunset Session IPA"
Rusty Beaver "Buck Tooth “Big Bite” IPA"
Strangeways "PHANTASMIC EAST COAST IPA"
Virginia is brewing some really tasty craft beer and the nation is noticing. The craft beer industry in Virginia has boomed very quickly from just a handful of breweries a couple of years ago to more than 80 as of this writing. It appears that Virginians and visitors passing through our beautiful Commonwealth are enjoying the liquid love on tap.
If 80+ breweries seems overwhelming, let this be a quick-start guide. Go where the big awards are (World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival, for starters) and then launch your flight tastings from there. Here are 11 award-winning craft breweries you should try now in Virginia.
1. Devils Backbone Craft Brewery in Roseland is a solid craft beer starter experience. DBB has certainly made a mark for itself in the world of craft beer since its 2008 opening. In 2013 alone DBB brought home six Great American Beer Festival (GABF) medals, plus two World Beer Cup (WBC) medals this year! Such acclaim boosts you to statuses like Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year (2012 and 2013 Great American Beer Festival) and Champion Brewery and Brewmaster (2010 World Beer Cup).
3. Apocalypse Ale Works in Forest proclaims, “the end of bad beer is here!” and they invite you to try what championship judges have loved.
5. Hardywood Park Craft Brewery in Richmond operates a sustainable operation, with their energy being charged by wind and other renewable sources. If that doesn’t make you feel good about a visit, maybe a World Beer Cup acknowledgement will. Hardywood Gingerbread Stout won a 2012 WBC Bronze Medal in the Herb and Spice category.
7. Lost Rhino Brewing Co. in Ashburn pairs locally-sourced eats with their gently handcrafted brews. Try the Rhino’fest Märzen, just released for the season today! It was awarded a gold medal in the German-Style Märzen category at the 2013 Great American Beer Festival.
8. Smartmouth Brewing Co. in Norfolk claims to “geek out to the science of brewing,” which is becoming evident when the judges of the Great American Beer Festival award them a bronze medal in 2013 for their Notch 9 Double IPA. Great effort sometimes equals great reward.
9. Three Brothers Brewing in Harrisonburg is actually comprised of three brothers a’brewin’. The brothers and their brewery are homegrown and loyal to their local roots, which makes a bronze medal for their Rum Barrel Belgium Dubbel Style IPA all the sweeter (2013 Great American Beer Festival).
10. Wolf Hills Brewing Co. in Abingdon only distributes locally to ensure optimum freshness and flavor. That being said, more than the region is taking notice of their brews.
11. South Street Brewery in Charlottesville was founded in 1998, but you’ll have to wait a few weeks for the grand re-opening of this local brewpub. Here’s to hoping their award-winning beverages are still on tap!
Without a doubt there are tons more medals hanging around bottles in Virginia’s brewpubs. Explore and taste for yourself, especially during August Virginia Craft Beer Month, and let us know via the comments section about your favorite award-winning Virginia craft beer.
We are happy to show an interactive map showing Richmond’s Weekly Food Specials and Happy Hours.
We are always looking for more, and readers can submit their favorite places by clicking here.
We love the diverse selection of restaurants offering delicious food and beverages.
It you are visiting RVA, we hope this map helps you find something you like near where you are staying. Or give you an idea of what part of RVA to go visit.
We are always on the lookout for more. The VA ABC forbids restaurants to list what their happy hours consist of, but we can list RVA Happy Hours here. You as a consumer are able to list them with us.
We will be working on new features as time goes on, so please leave your feedback and ideas below.
“What do I like about Virginia? The countryside. It’s magnificent,” said Robert “Oz” Clarke. Clarke recently sat down to discuss his 2013 trip to Virginia, at which time he was the keynote speaker at the Virginia Wine Summit.
Before Clarke discussed Virginia’s ability to grow great Viognier, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, however, he gushed over Virginia’s Southern hospitality, history, and music. Check out the video.
Learn more about visiting Virginia’s wineries at Virginia.org/wine.
Virginia has had a long love affair with beer; it’s been enjoyed here since 1607 and we even have a recipe from George Washington for his brew.
From Ales to Vienna Lagers and everything in between, dozens of breweries across the state help quench our thirst for quality quaffs.
If that wasn’t enough reason to celebrate, here is another: August is officially Virginia Craft Beer Month, and many breweries, restaurants and bars have special events and other offerings to raise a glass to.
It’s no secret that it’s a great time now – as well as the whole year through – to enjoy a Virginia craft beer, but there are a few insider tips for making the most of the sips, and we spoke with five brewmasters to learn a few.
Farris Loutfi of Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery. Sarah Hauser, Virginia Tourism Corporation.
Signature Brew: Three Chopt Tripel is a non-stopped-hopped version of a European Classic. What I like about it is the fantastic combination of citrus, spice and honey notes the beer has. It is also remarkably refreshing and drinkable despite it’s high ABV of 9.3 percent.
Tours/Tastings Offered: Open Wednesday through Friday, 4 p.m. to sunset and Saturday and Sunday, noon to sunset.
What has caused the explosion of interest in craft beer in Virginia?
The quality of Virginia craft beer is second to none, [and the] breweries themselves are fantastic destinations to visit and bring out of town guests. Craft beer gives a sense of regional identity to a place and gives those who live in the area something they can take personal pride in.
What sets Virginia breweries apart from others?
Virginia craft breweries focus on quality in every aspect of their business. We create unique beers and serve them in a fantastic setting.
How can someone make the most of a brewery tasting room visit?
The best way is to try and have a clean palate between tastings and to take notes [that includes the] brewery name, beer name, beer type, general descriptors and some type of rating system.
What are some beer and wine pairings you like?
Batchleors Delight Rum Barrel Aged Belgian-style Quadrupel Ale paired with roasted lamb and Three Chopt Tripel with fresh scallops.
How will you be celebrating Virginia Craft Beer Month?
Two beer releases: Creator German-Style Doppelbock on Aug. 9 and Rosemary Saison, made from rosemary on the farm, on Aug. 16.
Lost Rhino Brewing Company. Sarah Hauser, Virginia Tourism Corporation.
Overall there is a growing appreciation of small business and local craft. In our increasing homogenized world many are looking for a unique experience, be it food, drink or art.
Without a doubt the variety of styles. Virginia breweries are producing a wide array of different styles from crisp lager to wild ales and doing them well.
If you have the time and inclination start up a conversation with a regular, they will steer you to the must try of week.
Face Plant IPA – I think our India Pale Ale goes great with any grilled foods, especially seafood.
Woody Stout- This bourbon barrel-aged stout as you can imagine goes very well a chocolate desert, but it very fun to pair strong cheeses with this roasty sweet beauty.
Lost Rhino will be releasing Native Son, our all-Virginia Beer. Every ingredient in this beer is from the commonwealth.
Signature Brew: Black Rye IPA – it combines the roastiness and body of a dry stout with the hop-forward aroma and finish of an IPA.
Tours/Tastings Offered: The taproom is open Fridays, 4-11 p.m., Saturdays, noon-11 p.m., and Sundays, 1-11 p.m.
[It] is due primarily to the passage of [a bill allowing] breweries to sell their product in an on-site tasting/taproom. Small breweries such as Redbeard [can] focus on clientele and [create] a solid portfolio of quality offerings without the need to distribute all of our product to wholesalers at low margins.
What are some craft beer trends you see?
The revival and Americanization of Old World styles like sour beers, and the expansion of the lower ABV (Alcohol By Volume) “session” segment of the market.
Sour beers of various type are extremely en vogue, [ranging] from a light tartness [to] the sourest thing on earth.
The lower ABV beers that are in fashion are a great way to enjoy the act of drinking, without getting drunk.
Know what you’re getting into, do your homework, make sure they’re open the day you will visit, make sure the beer styles they typically offer are up your alley.
Drink what you think you’ll like, eat what you think you’ll like. Be adventurous once you’ve had your fill of those to expand and educate your palate.
There’s a new beer to try and new friends to make any time you visit, any time of the year.
Signature Brew: Track 1 Amber Lager was created to produce the flavor profile identified by the focus group research conducted for us by Martin Research. Track 1 is robust in a subtle manor with the emphases on malt. It is a true,” Session” beer with low after taste and a silky smooth mouth feel.
Tours/Tastings Offered: Wednesday through Friday, 5-9:30 p.m., Saturday, 2-7:30 p.m., Sunday, 3-6 p.m.
Recent [laws] allowing breweries [that permit] on premise sales.
Signature Brew: St. George IPA, a classic, English-style India Pale Ale full-flavored beer, easy drinking without overwhelming the taste palate.
Tours/Tastings Offered: Retail sales are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and tours are Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Virginia has seen quite a few microbreweries since they came on the scene in the late 1970′s. The Chesapeake Brewing Co in Norfolk was the first in Virginia and Legends Brewing Co in Richmond being the oldest existing microbrewery.
The recent spurt follows a trend that has been taking the whole country by storm and has been helped in no small part by the passage of a new Virginia law which allows brewery tasting rooms to sell for on-site consumption of their beer.
The bigger difference, I believe, is really brewery to brewery, regardless of what part of the country they are located.
[In general] start with beers that won’t ruin your taste buds too quickly and then work your way, brewery to brewery, up to the more extreme types.
[At a festival] pick a specific style and them sample each breweries offerings of that style for comparison. Get in the longest line you find because they will be the most trending and most likely run out soonest.
St George Porter with it’s rich chocolate and coffee notes goes with any type of chocolate.
Personally I’m celebrating by having a different Virginia beer every day. The brewery has several events on tap.
Don’t start pulling out the sweaters yet! We have quite a while until we’ll need those, but before the cool air starts coming in, these vacation hot spots are great for your late summer escape.
Breakfast of choice and picnic lunches.
It’s peach time! We’re in primetime peach-picking season, which means festivals, pick-your-own days at orchards and plenty of peach goodies to go around.
Spend a day (or two) in Crozet at Chiles Peach Orchard’s Peach Ice Cream Days. Fresh, homemade peach ice cream is available at the orchard these dates only! Made by the Crozet Lions Club, this event is a fundraiser for their community service activities. Enjoy this special treat after picking your own peaches (or choosing from their fresh-picked selections). Peaches, nectarines, and local produce are also available.
Come to Marker Miller Orchards with an empty stomach and enjoy a day of sweets: peach cobbler, peach pie, peach turnovers, peach ice cream and of course, fresh peaches galore! Enjoy music from 1-3 p.m. while sitting on the front porch or in the picnic pavilion. A variety of food will be available at the food building. Don’t forget to let the kids enjoy the cow train and the peaceful scenery during the wagon ride around the farm.
Spend a weekend of peaches and pooches at the Dog Days Peach Festival at Great Country Farms in Bluemont. It may be the hottest part of the summer, but the Dog Days at Great Country are all about fun with the family and canine companions! Bring the whole family for a romp in the play area and to u-pick peaches in the orchard at the peak of perfection. Enjoy the Doggie Olympic Games and demonstrations that will keep tails a-waggin’!
Peaches, peaches everywhere! Bring the family out to Richard’s Fruit Market Peach Festival in Middletown for a day of peachy fun. Haywagon rides, barrel train rides and all the jumps you can handle on the bouncy-bounce, plus music and a petting zoo, and peaches, of course! Peach ice cream, milk shakes, sparkling cider, smoothies, pies, muffins and more! Fresh from the farm food for sale includes our own burgers and plenty of tasty treats!
The largest concentration of peach orchards in Northern Virginia, The Peach Way features five orchards within five miles: Virginia Perfection/Valley View Farm, Hollin Farms, Hartland Orchards, and Stribling Orchard. The Peach Way is near several wineries, Sky Meadows State Park and more—perfect for a day or weekend trip.
In response to market demands, Saunders Brothers started growing super tree-ripened peaches; including sub-acid white-fleshed peaches, many of which get great size, color, and flavor. These peaches complement the yellow-fleshed varieties and extend the season from June 15 until late September. The Farm Market offers a fun place for the whole family to enjoy. Not only can you find a variety of peaches, apples and vegetables from May through November, they also offer ciders, jams, relishes, and salsas. Be sure to try out the amazing peach ice cream and check out the on-site museum; one of the largest privately-owned collections of farm antiques in the state of Virginia.
Ayers Orchard is located at the foot of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and offers pick-your-own peaches, as well as cherries, apples, nectarines and plums. The orchard also offers fresh-picked and picked-to-order. Hiking and picnicking are encouraged; all ages are welcome at the orchard. | 2019-04-18T11:19:34Z | http://funrva.com/category/funrva/ |
The present disclosure relates to methods for inhibiting color fading in hair and for improving the color durability and stability of artificial color of hair. The methods entail forming a layer-by-layer (LbL) film on hair, and optionally forming a cationic surface layer on the LbL film. The LbL film is formed by applying a cationic silane layer or a cationic polymer layer on the hair and subsequently applying an anionic polymer layer on the cationic silane layer or the cationic polymer layer. Multiple cationic silane layers or cationic polymer layers, and anionic polymer layers, can sequentially be added as desired. Finally, the LbL film may include a cationic surface layer.
The present disclosure relates to methods for inhibiting color fading in artificially colored hair, which thereby improves the color durability and stability of hair color. The methods entail forming layer-by-layer (LbL) film on hair.
There are many products available for changing the natural color of hair. The process of changing the color of hair can involve either depositing an artificial color onto the hair, which provides a different shade or color to the hair, or lifting the color of the hair, such as for example, from a dark brown shade to a medium brown or a light brown shade. Hair color can be changed using permanent, semi-permanent, or temporary hair coloring products.
Many consumers desire a permanent color change and therefore use products containing permanent dyes. Conventional permanent hair coloring products are dye compositions comprising oxidation dye precursors, which are also known as primary intermediates or couplers. These oxidation dye precursors are colorless or weakly colored compounds which, when combined with oxidizing products, give rise to colored complexes by a process of oxidative condensation. The oxidizing products conventionally use peroxides such as hydrogen peroxide as oxidizing agents. Such permanent hair color products also contain ammonia or other alkalizing agents such as monoethanolamine (MEA) which causes the hair shaft to swell, thus allowing the small oxidative dye molecules to penetrate the cuticle and cortex before the oxidation condensation process is completed. The resulting larger- sized colored complexes from the oxidative reaction are then trapped inside the hair fiber, thereby permanently altering the color of the hair.
The present disclosure relates to methods for improving the color durability and stability of hair color by inhibiting color fading. Color fading is inhibited by applying a layer-by-layer (LbL) film on the hair. LbL is a method for creating thin films through serial assembly of individual layers that rely on complementary interactions to associate with one another. Typically, the LbL films are applied to artificially colored hair by: (a) applying a cationic silane or cationic polymer layer on the hair; and subsequently; (b) applying an anionic polymer layer on the cationic silane or cationic polymer layer; and (c) optionally, repeating (a) and (b) to form additional layers. In some cases, a cationic surface layer (d) is applied as the outermost layer of the LbL film. Thus, LbL films are films assembled by serial application of individual layers that associate with one another through non-covalent, covalent, and/or other interactions.
(c) optionally, repeating (a) and (b) to form one or more additional layers; thereby forming a layer-by-layer (LbL) film on the artificially colored hair. Additionally, a solution comprising 0.1 wt% to 20 wt.% of a polyacrylamide having quaternary ammonium groups may finally be applied to the outermost layer of the LbL film to form a cationic polymer surface layer. Often, a drying step is employed after each of the cationic or anionic solutions is applied to the hair. For instance, after applying the solution of cationic silane or anionic polymer (or the cationic outer layer), the treated hair is then dried to remove substantially all of the liquid in the solution leaving behind a cationic silane layer and/or the anionic polymer layer on the hair.
The instant disclosure also relates to kits comprising the components for treating hair with LbL films. For example, professional hair practitioners or individual consumers can use the kits to treat hair and inhibit color fading. The kits typically include: (a) a cationic silane or cationic polymer, or a solution comprising the cationic silane or cationic polymer, for forming a cationic silane or cationic polymer layer on the hair; and separately, (b) an anionic polymer, or a solution comprising the anionic polymer, for forming an anionic polymer layer on the cationic silane or cationic polymer layer. Finally, the kit may optionally include (c) a separate cationic polymer, or cationic polymer solution, for forming a cationic polymer surface layer on the LbL film.
The instant disclosure relates to methods for applying LbL film layers on hair, methods for inhibiting color fading in artificially colored hair, and kits comprising the components necessary to create LbL films on hair and inhibit color fading.
ammonium function, a quaternary vinylpyrrolidone or vinylimidazole polymer, a polyamine, a methacryloyloxyethyltrimethylammonium chloride crosslinked polymer, and a mixture thereof. In some instances, the cationic polymer is a polyquaternium, for example, a polyquaternium selected from the group consisting of polyquaternium- 4, polyquaternium-6, polyquaternium-7, polyquaternium-10, polyquaternium-1 1 , polyquaternium-16, polyquaternium-22, polyquaternium-28, polyquaternium-37, polyquaternium-55, polyquaternium-68, and a mixture thereof. Moreover, in some instances, the polyquaternium is polyquaternium-6.
methacryloyloxyethyltrimethylammonium chloride crosslinked polymer, and a mixture thereof.
In some cases, the cationic polymer that forms the cationic surface layer is a polyacrylamide having quaternary ammonium groups, such as, for example, polyacrylamidopropyltrimonium chloride (I NCI name), a highly charged polymer, also described as a homopolymer of acrylamido-N-propyltrimethylammonium chloride and commercially available from the company Ashland under the tradename N-DurHance™ A- 1000.
(c) optionally, repeating (a) and (b) to form additional layers.
Additionally, the LbL film may include a cationic surface layer formed by: (d) applying a solution comprising a cationic polymer to the LbL film and forming a cationic surface layer.
cosmetically acceptable carriers, which may or may not include water. The cosmetically acceptable carrier may also or alternatively comprise a hydrophilic organic solvent and/or an amphiphilic organic solvent, wherein the hydrophilic organic solvent is a monohydric CrC8 alcohol, a polyethylene glycol having from 6 to 80 ethylene oxides, a mono or di-alkyl isosorbide; and the amphiphilic organic solvent is a polypropylene glycol (PPG) or a propylene glycol alkyl ester or alkyl ether of PPG; a volatile hydrocarbon-based oils such as, for example, isoparaffins, i.e., branched alkanes containing from 8 to 16 carbon atoms, such isododecane.
The solutions of cationic polymer (solutions for the cationic polymer of (a) and/or the cationic surface layer of (d)), may include, about 0.01 wt.% to about 50 wt.%, about 0.01 wt.% to about 40 wt.%, about 0.01 wt.% to about 30 wt.%, about 0.01 wt.% to about 20 wt.%, about 0.01 wt. % to about 10 wt.%, about 0.01 wt.% to about 5 wt.%, about 0.05 wt.% to about 50 wt.%, about 0.05 wt.% to about 40 wt.%, about 0.05 wt.% to about 30 wt.%, about 0.05 wt.% to about 20 wt.%, about 0.05 wt. % to about 10 wt.%, about 0.05 wt.% to about 5 wt.%, about 0.1 wt.% to about 50 wt.%, about 0.1 wt.% to about 40 wt.%, about 0.1 wt.% to about 30 wt.%, about 0.1 wt.% to about 20 wt.%, about 0.1 wt. % to about 10 wt.%, about 0.1 wt.% to about 5 wt.%, about 0.5 wt.% to about 50 wt.%, about 0.5 wt.% to about 40 wt.%, about 0.5 wt.% to about 30 wt.%, about 0.5 wt.% to about 20 wt.%, about 0.5 wt. % to about 10 wt.%, about 0.5 wt.% to about 5 wt.%, or about 0.1 wt.% to about 3 wt.% of cationic polymer, based on the total weight of the solution comprising the cationic polymer. Similarly, the solutions of anionic polymer, may include, about 0.01 wt.% to about 50 wt.%, about 0.01 wt.% to about 40 wt.%, about 0.01 wt.% to about 30 wt.%, about 0.01 wt.% to about 20 wt.%, about 0.01 wt. % to about 10 wt.%, about 0.01 wt.% to about 5 wt.%, about 0.05 wt.% to about 50 wt.%, about 0.05 wt.% to about 40 wt.%, about 0.05 wt.% to about 30 wt.%, about 0.05 wt.% to about 20 wt.%, about 0.05 wt. % to about 10 wt.%, about 0.05 wt.% to about 5 wt.%, about 0.1 wt.% to about 50 wt.%, about 0.1 wt.% to about 40 wt.%, about 0.1 wt.% to about 30 wt.%, about 0.1 wt.% to about 20 wt.%, about 0.1 wt. % to about 10 wt.%, about 0.1 wt.% to about 5 wt.%, about 0.5 wt.% to about 50 wt.%, about 0.5 wt.% to about 40 wt.%, about 0.5 wt.% to about 30 wt.%, about 0.5 wt.% to about 20 wt.%, about 0.5 wt. % to about 10 wt.%, about 0.5 wt.% to about 5 wt.%, or about 0.1 wt.% to about 3 wt.% of anionic polymer, based on the total weight of the solution comprising the anionic polymer.
In some instances, the weight ratio of the cationic polymer of (a) to the anionic polymer of (b) in the LbL film is from about about 25: 1 to about 1 :25, from about 20: 1 to about 1 :20, from about 15: 1 to about 1 : 15, from about 10: 1 to about 1 : 10, from about 5: 1 to about 1 :5, from about 1 :2 to about 2: 1 , or about 1 : 1. In some instance, the ratio of the anionic polymer of (b) to cationic polymer of (d) in the LbL film is from about 25: 1 to about 1 :25, from about 20:1 to about 1 :20, from about 15: 1 to about 1 : 15, from about 10: 1 to about 1 :10, from about 5: 1 to 1 :5, or from about 1 :2 to 2: 1 , or even about 1 :1 .
(b) applying a solution comprising about 0.1 wt.% to about 5 wt.% of a polystyrene to the cationic polymer layer and forming an anionic polymer layer on the cationic polymer layer, which may or may not include drying the aqueous solution comprising the polystyrene (or other anionic polymer); (C) optionally, repeating (a) and (b) to form one or more additional layers; and optionally, applying a solution comprising about 0.1 wt% to about 5 wt.% of a polyacrylamide having quaternary ammonium groups, to the LbL layer of (a) and (b) (or multiple layers of (a) and (b)) to form a cationic polymer surface layer, which may include drying the aqueous solution comprising the polyacrylamide having quaternary ammonium groups (or other cationic polymer); thereby forming a layer-by-layer (LbL) film on the artificially colored hair.
(c) optionally, repeating (a) and (b) to form additional layers; thereby forming a layer-by-layer (LbL) film on the artificially colored hair. Further, a cationic surface layer (d) may be applied to the outer surface of the LbL film. The cationic surface layer may comprise the cationic silane of (a), or it may comprise a different cationic polymer (or a combination of the same and different cationic polymers).
R2 and R3, independently of one another, are Ci -C6-alkyl or Cs-Ce-cycloalkyl, each of which may optionally be substituted by one or two C1-C3 -alkyl groups, and m is 0, 1 or 2.
aminoalkoxysilane is aminoalkoxysilane is 3-aminopropyltriethyoxysilane (APTES).
sulphonate, a copolymer of methacrylic acid and acrylamidomethylpropane sulfonic acid, a copolymer of acrylic acid and acrylamidomethylpropane sulfonic acid, and a mixture thereof.
polyacrylamidopropyltrimonium chloride (INCI), also described as a homopolymer of acrylamido-N-propyltrimethylammonium chloride.
(d) applying a solution comprising a cationic polymer to the LbL film and forming a cationic surface layer.
0.01 wt.% to 40 wt.%, 0.01 wt.% to 30 wt.%, 0.01 wt.% to 20 wt.%, 0.01 wt. % to 10 wt.%, 0.01 wt.% to 5 wt.%, 0.05 wt.% to 50 wt.%, 0.05 wt.% to 40 wt.%, 0.05 wt.% to 30 wt.%, 0.05 wt.% to 25 wt.%, 0.05 wt. % to 20 wt.%, 0.05 wt.% to 15 wt.%, 0.1 wt.% to 50 wt.%, 0.1 wt.% to 40 wt.%, 0.1 wt.% to 30 wt.%, 0.1 wt.% to 25 wt.%, 0.1 wt. % to 20 wt.%, 0.1 wt.% to 15 wt.%, 0.5 wt.% to 50 wt.%, 0.5 wt.% to 40 wt.%, 0.5 wt.% to 30 wt.%, 0.5 wt.% to 25 wt.%, 0.5 wt. % to 20 wt.%, 0.5 wt.% to 15 wt.%, 0.5 wt.% to 20 wt.%, 1 wt.% to 20 wt.%, 2 wt.% to 20 wt.%, 3 wt.% to 20 wt.%, 4 wt.% to 20 wt.%, 5 wt.% to 20 wt.%, 7 wt.% to 20 wt.%, 10 wt.% to 15 wt.%, of cationic silane, based on the total weight of the solution comprising the cationic silane. Similarly, the solutions of anionic polymer of (b), may include, 0.01 wt.% to 50 wt.%, 0.01 wt.% to 40 wt.%, 0.01 wt.% to 30 wt.%, 0.01 wt.% to 20 wt.%, 0.01 wt. % to 10 wt.%, 0.01 wt.% to 5 wt.%, 0.05 wt.% to 50 wt.%, 0.05 wt.% to 40 wt.%, 0.05 wt.% to 30 wt.%, 0.05 wt.% to 20 wt.%, 0.05 wt. % to 10 wt.%, 0.05 wt.% to 5 wt.%, 0.1 wt.% to 50 wt.%, 0.1 wt.% to 40 wt.%, 0.1 wt.% to 30 wt.%, 0.1 wt.% to 20 wt.%, 0.1 wt. % to 10 wt.%, 0.1 wt.% to 5 wt.%, 0.5 wt.% to 50 wt.%, 0.5 wt.% to 40 wt.%, 0.5 wt.% to 30 wt.%, 0.5 wt.% to 20 wt.%, 0.5 wt. % to 10 wt.%, 0.5 wt.% to 5 wt.%, or 0.1 wt.% to 3 wt.% of anionic polymer, based on the total weight of the solution comprising the anionic polymer.
Finally, the solutions of cationic polymer of (d), may include, 0.01 wt.% to 50 wt.%, 0.01 wt.% to 40 wt.%, 0.01 wt.% to 30 wt.%, 0.01 wt.% to 20 wt.%, 0.01 wt. % to 10 wt.%, 0.01 wt.% to 5 wt.%, 0.05 wt.% to 50 wt.%, 0.05 wt.% to 40 wt.%, 0.05 wt.% to 30 wt.%, 0.05 wt.% to 25 wt.%, 0.05 wt. % to 20 wt.%, 0.05 wt.% to 15 wt.%, 0.1 wt.% to 50 wt.%, 0.1 wt.% to 40 wt.%, 0.1 wt.% to 30 wt.%, 0.1 wt.% to 25 wt.%, 0.1 wt. % to 20 wt.%, 0.1 wt.% to 15 wt.%, 0.5 wt.% to 50 wt.%, 0.5 wt.% to 40 wt.%, 0.5 wt.% to 30 wt.%, 0.5 wt.% to 25 wt.%, 0.5 wt. % to 20 wt.%, 0.5 wt.% to 15 wt.%, or 0.5 wt.% to 20 wt.% of cationic polymer, based on the total weight of the solution comprising the cationic polymer. In some instances, the weight ratio of the cationic silanes of (a) to the anionic polymer of (b) in the LbL is from 25: 1 to 1 : 1 , from 25: 1 to 5: 1 , from 20: 1 to 5: 1 , or from 18: 1 to 8: 1 . In some instance, the ratio of the anionic polymer of (b) to cationic polymer of (d) in the LbL is from 1 :0.1 to 1 :25, from 1 :0.1 to 1 :20, from 1 :0.5 to 1 :20, from 1 :0.5 to 1 :15, or from 1 : 1 to 1 : 15.
polyacrylamide having quaternary ammonium groups (or other cationic polymer) to the LbL layer of (a) and (b) (or multiple layers of (a) and (b)) to form a cationic polymer surface layer, which may or may not include drying the solution comprising the polyacrylamide having quaternary ammonium groups (or other cationic polymer); thereby forming a layer-by-layer (LbL) film on the artificially colored hair.
The instant disclosure also relates to kits comprising the components for treating hair with LbL films. For example, professional hair practitioners or individual consumers can use the kits to treat hair and inhibit color fading. The kits typically include: (a) a cationic silane, or a solution comprising the cationic silane, for forming a cationic silane layer on the hair; and separately, (b) an anionic polymer, or a solution comprising the anionic polymer, for forming an anionic polymer layer on the cationic silane layer. Finally, the kit may optionally include (c) a cationic polymer, or cationic polymer solution, for forming a cationic polymer surface layer on the LbL film. The components of the kits may be limited as described above for the methods.
The expression "cationic polymer" denotes any polymer containing cationic groups or groups which can be ionized into cationic groups. The cationic polymers may be those that contain units containing primary, secondary, tertiary and/or quaternary amine groups which can either form part of the main polymer chain or which can be borne by a side substituent that is directly attached thereto. The cationic polymers used generally have a molecular mass of between 500 and 5x 106 approximately and preferably between 103 and 3x 1 06 approximately.
polyacrylamidopropyltrimonium chloride (INCI name), a highly charged polymer, also described as a homopolymer of acrylamido-N-propyltrimethylammonium chloride and commercially available from the company Ashland under the tradename N- DurHance™ A-1000. Among the cationic polymers, mention may be made more particularly of quaternized proteins (or protein hydrolysates) and polymers of the polyamine, polyaminoamide and quaternary polyammonium type. These are known products.
Hydrolyzed Collagen"; protein hydrolysates bearing, on the polypeptide chain, quaternary ammonium groups containing at least one alkyl radical having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms.
dictionary as "Cocotrimonium Collagen Hydrolysate".
Another family of cationic polymers is that of cationic silicone polymers.
in which x' and y' are integers dependent on the molecular weight, generally such that the said molecular weight is between 5000 and 20,000 approximately.
NH, in which n and m have the meanings given above (cf. formula II).
A commercial product corresponding to this definition is a mixture (90/10 by weight) of a poly-dimethylsiloxane containing aminoethyl aminoisobutyl groups and of a polydimethylsiloxane, sold under the name "Q2-8220" by the company Dow Corning. Such polymers are described, for example, in patent application EP-A- 95238.
20 to 50. Such polymers are described more particularly in US Pat. No. 4, 185,087. A polymer entering into this category is the polymer sold by the company Union Carbide under the name "Ucar Silicone ALE 563".
methacrylamidopropyltrimethylammonium or dimethyl-diallylammonium salt. The commercial products corresponding to this definition are, more particularly, the products sold under the names "Celquat L 200" and "Celquat H 100" by the company National Starch.
(4) Cationic polysaccharides, and in particular guar gums, described more particularly in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,589,578 and 4,031 ,307 and more particularly the products sold under the names "Jaguar C 13 S", "Jaguar C 15" and "Jaguar C 17" sold by the company Meyhall.
polycondensation of an acidic compound with a polyamine; these polyaminoamides can be crosslinked with an epihalohydrin, a diepoxide, a dianhydride, an unsaturated dianhydride, a bis-unsaturated derivative, a bis-halohydrin, a bis-azetidinium, a bis- haloacyldiamine, a bis-alkyl halide or alternatively with an oligomer resulting from the reaction of a difunctional compound which is reactive towards a bis-halohydrin, a bis- azetidinium, a bis-haloacyldiamine, a bis-alkyl halide, an epihalohydrin, a diepoxide or a bis-unsaturated derivative, the crosslinking agent being used in proportions ranging from 0.025 to 0.35 mol per amine group of the polyaminoamide; these polyaminoamides can be alkylated or, if they contain one or more tertiary amine functions, they can be quaternized. Such polymers are described in particular in French patents 2,252,840 and 2,368,508.
acid/dimethylamino-hydroxypropyl/diethylenetriamine polymers sold under the name "Cartaretine F", "Cartaretine F4" or "Cartaretine F8" by the company Sandoz.
polyaminoamide of between 0.5: 1 and 1 .8:1 . Such polymers are described in particular in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,227,615 and 2,961 ,347.
R-I2 denotes a hydrogen atom or a methyl radical; R 0 and R-n , independently of each other, denote an alkyl group having from 1 to 22 carbon atoms, a hydroxyalkyl group in which the alkyl group preferably has 1 to 5 carbon atoms, a lower amidoalkyl group or Rio and Rn can denote, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, heterocyclic groups such as piperidyl or morpholinyl; Y63 is an anion such as bromide, chloride, acetate, borate, citrate, tartrate, bisulphate, bisulphite, sulphate or phosphate. These polymers are described in particular in French patent 2,080,759 and in its Certificate of Addition 2,190,406.
In some cases, X© is an anion such as chloride or bromide.
2,320,330, 2,270,846, 2,316,271 , 2,336,434 and 2,413,907 and U.S. Pat. Nos.
2,273,780, 2,375,853, 2,388,614, 2,454,547, 3,206,462, 2,261 ,002, 2,271 ,378, 3,874,870, 4,001 ,432, 3,929,990, 3,966,904, 4,005, 193, 4,025,617, 4,025,627, 4,025,653, 4,026,945 and 4,027,020.
A denotes a radical of a dihalide or preferably represents— CH2— CH2— 0— CH2— CH2— . Such compounds are described in particular in patent application EP- A-122,324. Among those, mention may be made, for example, of the products "Mirapol A 15", "Mirapol 10 AD1 ", "Mirapol AZ1 " and "Mirapol 175" sold by the company Miranol.
in which the groups R22 independently denote H or CH3, the groups A2 independently denote a linear or branched alkyl group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms or a hydroxyalkyl group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, the groups R23, R24 and R25, which may be identical or different, independently denote an alkyl group of 1 to 18 carbon atoms or a benzyl radical, the groups R26 and R27 represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, X2 θ denotes an anion, for example methosulphate or halide, such as chloride or bromide.
The comonomer(s) which can be used in the preparation of the corresponding copolymers belong(s) to the family of acrylamides, methacrylamides, diacetone acrylamides, acrylamides and methacrylamides substituted on the nitrogen with lower alkyls, alkyl esters, acrylic or methacrylic acids, vinylpyrrolidone or vinyl esters.
(13) Quaternary vinylpyrrolidone and vinyl-imidazole polymers such as, for example, the products sold under the names "Luviquat FC 905", "Luviquat FC 550" and "Luviquat FC 370" by the company BASF. (14) Polyamines such as "Polyquart H" sold by Henkel referred to under the name "Polyethylene glycol (15) Tallow Polyamine" in the CTFA dictionary.
epichlorohydrin, quaternary polyureylenes and chitin derivatives.
Among all of the cationic polymers which can be used in the context of the present disclosure, mention is made of a polyacrylamide having quaternary ammonium groups such Polyacrylamidopropyltrimonium Chloride, sold under the tradename N-DurHance™ A-1000 by the company Ashland, quaternized or non- quaternized vinylpyrrolidone/dialkylaminoalkyl acrylate or methacrylate copolymers, such as the products sold under the name "Gafquat" by the company ISP, such as, for example, "Gafquat 734, Gafquat 755 or Gafquat HS 100" or alternatively the products known as "Copolymer 937" or "Copolymer 845" also sold by the company ISP, and quaternary vinylpyrrolidone and vinylimidazole polymers such as the products sold under the names "Luviquat FC 905", "Luviquat FC 550" and "Luviquat FC 370" by the company BASF.
dihydroimidazole, gluconamide, pyridyle, and polyether groups. In some cases, the alkoxysilane comprising at least one solubilizing functional group may comprise two or three alkoxy functions. Likewise, in some cases, the alkoxy functional groups are chosen from methoxy and ethoxy functional groups.
As used herein, the term "functional group providing a cosmetic effect" means a group derived from an entity chosen from reducing agents, oxidizing agents, coloring agents, polymers, surfactants, antibacterial agents, and UV absorbing filters.
alkoxysilane, C6-C30 aryl, hydroxyl, and carbonyl groups, and aromatic, heterocyclic, and non-heterocyclic rings, optionally substituted with at least one group chosen from C3-C20 alcohol ester, amine, amide, carboxyl, alkoxysilane, hydroxyl, carbonyl, and acyl groups.
-R28 is chosen from hydrogen and linear and branched, saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbon chains, comprising, optionally at least one heteroatom, optionally interrupted by or substituted with at least one entity chosen from ether, alkyl alcohol ester, amine, carboxyl, alkoxysilane, alkyl aryl, hydroxyl, and carbonyl groups, and aromatic, heterocyclic, and non-heterocyclic rings.
wherein the R radicals, which may be identical or different, are chosen from Ci-C6 alkyl radicals and n is an integer ranging from 1 to 6, for example, from 2 to 4.
alkoxysilanes comprising a silicon atom in a formula R(4-n)SiXn, wherein X is a hydrolysable group such as methoxy, ethoxy or 2-methoxyethoxy, R is a monovalent organic radical which contains 1 to 12 carbon atoms and may contain groups such as mercapto, epoxy, acrylyl, methacrylyl, amino or urea, and n is an integer from 1 to 4, and according to at least one embodiment is 3. Exemplary alkoxysilanes include, but are not limited to, 3-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane and aminoalkyltnalkoxysilanes such as 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, as described in French Patent Application No. FR2789896, incorporated by reference herein.
include aminoalkyltnalkoxysilanes such as 3- aminopropyltriethoxysilane ("APTES", described in French Patent Application No. FR 2 789 896, incorporated herein by reference), and mixtures thereof.
embodiments of the disclosure include, but are not limited to, organosilanes and derivatives thereof, such as alkylsilanes, allylsilanes, and alkoxysilanes.
-Ri , R2, R3, R', R", R"\ R11 , R12, and R13, which may be identical or different, are chosen from linear and branched, saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbon groups, optionally bearing at least one additional chemical group, wherein R-i , R2, R', R", and R'" may also be chosen from hydrogen; provided that at least two groups R4, R5, and R6 are different from R-n , R 2, and R-I 3, and at least two groups R', R", and R'" are not hydrogen.
alkoxysilane, C6-C3o aryl, hydroxyl, and carbonyl groups, and aromatic, heterocyclic, and non-heterocyclic rings, optionally substituted with at least one group chosen from C3-C2o alcohol ester, amine, amide, carboxyl, alkoxysilane, hydroxyl, carbonyl, and acyl groups.
-s is 0 or 1 .
alkoxysilanes comprising a silicon atom in a formula R(4-n)SiXn, wherein X is a hydrolysable group such as methoxy, ethoxy or 2-methoxyethoxy, R is a monovalent organic radical which contains 1 to 12 carbon atoms and may contain groups such as mercapto, epoxy, acrylyl, methacrylyl, amino or urea, and n is an integer from 1 to 4, and according to at least one embodiment is 3. Exemplary alkoxysilanes include, but are not limited to, 3-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane and aminoalkyltrialkoxysilanes such as 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, as described in French Patent Application No. FR2789896, incorporated by reference herein.
R2 and R3, independently of one another, are Ci -C6-alkyl or C5-C6-cycloalkyl, each of which may optionally be substituted by one or two CrC3 -alkyl groups, and m is 0, 1 or 2.
Anionic polymers may be polymers with anionic groups distributed along the polymer backbone. Anionic groups, which may include carboxylate, sulfonate, sulphate, phosphate, nitrate, or other negatively charged or ionizable groupings, may be disposed upon groups pendant from the backbone or may be incorporated in the backbone itself.
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer having tradenames Pemulen TR-1 , Pemulen TR-2, Carbopol 1342, Carbopol 1382, and Carbopol ETD 2020, all available from Noveon; sodium carboxymethylcellulose supplied from Hercules as CMC series; and Acrylate copolymer having a tradename Capigel supplied from Seppic; acrylates copolymer having the tradename CARBOPOL® Aqua SF-1 and available from Lubrizol as an aqueous dispersion, and acrylates crosspolymer-4 having the tradename CARBOPOL® Aqua SF-2 and available from Lubrizol as an aqueous dispersion.
The compositions according to the instant disclosure may take various forms and consistencies, such that the compositions can be provided in the form of a solution, liquid emulsion, a liquid-lotion, liquid-gel, liquid-cream, such as a thick cream or gel-cream, or a foam or mousse. Implementation of the present disclosure is provided by way of the following examples. The examples serve to illustrate the technology without being limiting in nature. For instance, the examples apply various component to hair to form layers by spraying a solution comprising the components on the hair, but application of the components to the hair is not limited to spraying (any application method can be used).
6RR or Nutrisse 69, commercially available permanent red shade hair dye products that are known for their propensity to fade with washing. The colorant mixture (colorant + developer) was prepared according to the product instructions. The colorant and the developer were uniformly mixed immediately prior to application to the hair. The colorant mixture was applied to the hair and allowed to remain on the hair for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, the hair swatches were rinsed thoroughly with tap water at 40°C and 90 gallons per hour (GPH) flow rate until the water ran clear, then gently blotted with a towel to remove excess water. The rinse did not exceed 3 minutes. The hair swatches were then dried at room temperature overnight (at least 16 hours).
(polyquaternium-6), or with deionized water for a control. One side of the hair swatches was sprayed 10 times and then combed through 3 times to ensure even application. Then the other side of the hair swatches was sprayed 10 times with the same solution and the hair swatches were again combed through 3 times to ensure even application. Thus, a total of 20 sprays (2.8 g solution) per hair swatch were applied. The aqueous solution was left on the hair swatches for 5 minutes at room temperature before applying the next layer. Then, each side of the hair swatches were sprayed with 1 wt.% aqueous solution of an anionic polymer (sodium polystyrene sulfonate) or deionized water for a control. One side of the hair swatches was sprayed 10 times and then combed through 3 times to ensure even application. Then the other side of the hair swatches was sprayed 10 times with the same solution and the hair swatches were again combed through 3 times to ensure even application. Thus, a total of 20 sprays (2.8 g solution) per hair swatch were applied. The aqueous solution was left on the hair swatches for 5 minutes at room temperature before applying the next layer.
(polyacrylamidopropyltrimonium chloride), or with deionized water for a control. One side of the hair swatches was sprayed 10 times and then combed through 3 times to ensure even application. Then the other side of the hair swatches was sprayed 10 times with the same solution and the hair swatches were again combed through 3 times to ensure even application. Thus, a total of 20 sprays (2.8 g solution) per hair swatch were applied. The aqueous solution was left on the hair swatches for 20 minutes before the hair swatches were blown dry at low heat for 2 minutes.
(Shampoo (Fading) Study) The LbL treated hair swatches and the control hair swatches from Example 2, and three commercially available hair color protection benchmarks were tested in duplicates or triplicates. The initial L* a*, b* values of the swatches were taken.
DOP/gram hair) for 4, 7, and 10 cycles. Each cycle entailed a 15 second shampoo followed by a 10 second rinse with tap water (40°C, 90 GPH). The swatches were blotted with a towel to remove excess water and then blow dried for 2 minutes with low heat. The day after treatment (24 hours), the Initial L* a* b* measurements were taken at 0 shampoos. Then the hair swatches were shampooed 4, 7, 10 or more times and the L* a* b* measurements were again taken. The ΔΕ value is the difference in color of the hair swatch from its initial value before washing and final value after washing, based on L*a*b* parameters. ΔΕ of each hair swatch sample was taken in order to determine degree of color fading of treated hair swatches in comparison to controls. A lower ΔΕ represents less change in hair color (less color fading); therefore a lower ΔΕ is desirable.
Table 1 (below) shows the average ΔΕ values of control hair swatches versus the LbL treated hair swatches.
Table 2 (below) shows the average ΔΕ values of control hair swatches, the LbL treated hair swatches, and commercial benchmarks.
The data shows that the LbL treated hair swatches had lower Δ E values than untreated hair (control). In the case of commercial benchmarks, again the LbL treated treated hair swatches had lower ΔΕ values. Thus, the data shows that the LbL films provide significant color protection (prevention of color fading).
After the colored hair swatches of Example 1 were dried, each side of the hair swatches were sprayed with a 10 wt.%, 12 wt.%, or 16 wt.% aqueous solution a cationic silane (3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES)), or with deionized water for a control. One side of the hair swatches was sprayed 10 times and then combed through 3 times to ensure even application. Then the other side of the hair swatches was sprayed 10 times with the same solution and the hair swatches were again combed through 3 times to ensure even application. Thus, a total of 20 sprays (2.8 g solution) per hair swatch were applied. The aqueous solution was left on the hair swatches for 20 minutes before the hair swatches were blown dry at low heat for 2 minutes.
After blow drying, each side of the hair swatches were sprayed with 1 wt.% aqueous solution of an anionic polymer (sodium polystyrene sulfonate(PSS)) or deionized water for a control. One side of the hair swatches was sprayed 10 times and then combed through 3 times to ensure even application. Then the other side of the hair swatches was sprayed 10 times with the same solution and the hair swatches were again combed through 3 times to ensure even application. Thus, a total of 20 sprays (2.8 g solution) per hair swatch were applied. The aqueous solution was left on the hair swatches for 5-10 minutes (without blow drying).
After application of the anionic polymer, each side of the hair swatches were sprayed with aqueous solutions of cationic polymer, Some swatches were treated with 1 wt.% of polyacrylamidopropyltrimonium chloride. Other swatches were treated with 10 wt.% or 12 wt.% 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES). And finally, some swatches were treated with deionized water for a control. One side of the hair swatches was sprayed 10 times and then combed through 3 times to ensure even application. Then the other side of the hair swatches was sprayed 10 times with the same solution and the hair swatches were again combed through 3 times to ensure even application. Thus, a total of 20 sprays (2.8 g solution) per hair swatch were applied. The aqueous solution was left on the hair swatches for 20 minutes before the hair swatches were blown dry at low heat for 2 minutes. The table below shows the weight percent ratios of the layers (weight percent ages are based on 100% active material).
The LbL treated hair swatches and the control hair swatches from Example 4, and three commercially available hair color protection benchmarks were tested in duplicates or triplicates. The initial L* a*, b* values of the swatches were taken.
DOP/gram hair) for 4, 7, and 10 cycles. Each cycle entailed a 15 second shampoo followed by a 10 second rinse with tap water (40°C, 90 GPH). The swatches were blotted with a towel to remove excess water and then blow dried for 2 minutes with low heat. The day after treatment (24 hours), the Initial L* a* b* measurements were taken at 0 shampoos. Then the hair swatches were shampooed 4, 7, 10, 15, or 20 times and the L* a* b* measurements were again taken. The ΔΕ value is the difference in color of the hair swatch from its initial value before washing and final value after washing, based on L*a*b* parameters. ΔΕ of each hair swatch sample was taken in order to determine degree of color fading of treated hair swatches in comparison to controls. A lower ΔΕ represents less change in hair color (less color fading); therefore a lower ΔΕ is desirable.
LbL treated hair swatches, and commercial benchmarks.
The data shows that the LBL treated hair swatches had lower Δ E values than untreated hair (control). In the case of commercial benchmarks, again the LBL treated treated hair swatches had lower ΔΕ values. Thus, the data shows that the LBL films provide significant color protection (prevention of color fading). The multilayer films may be referred to as a "polyelectric multilayer," which is a composition formed by sequential and repeated application of alternating anionic and cationic polymer layers. The term applies to a single cationic polymer layer coated with a single cationic polymer layer (that is optionally surface treated with a cationic polymer) and also to multiple alternating cationic polymer and anionic polymer layers, which are then optionally surface-treated with a cationic polymer.
architectures, (e.g., number of layers, thickness of individual layers (understanding that "merging" of layer materials may occur once films are assembled), overall film thickness, etc.). In general, LbL films comprise multiple layers. In some cases, LbL films are comprised of multilayer units; each unit comprising individual layers. In accordance with the present disclosure, individual layers in an LbL film interact with one another. In particular, a layer in an LbL film comprises an interacting moiety, which interacts with that from an adjacent layer, so that a first layer associates with a second layer adjacent to the first layer, each contains at least one interacting moiety. In some cases, adjacent layers are associated with one another via non-covalent interactions. Exemplary non-covalent interactions include, but are not limited to, ionic bonding, hydrogen bonding, affinity interactions, metal coordination, physical adsorption, host-guest interactions, hydrophobic interactions, pi stacking interactions, hydrogen bonding interactions, van der Waals interactions, magnetic interactions, dipole-dipole interactions and combinations thereof. In other cases, the the adjacent layer are associated by covalent bonding interactions. LbL films may be comprised of multilayer units with alternating layers of opposite charge, such as alternating anionic and cationic layers. For example, an electrostatic interaction can be a primary interaction; a hydrogen bonding interaction can be a secondary interaction between the two layers. According to the present disclosure, LbL films may be comprised of one or more multilayer units. In some embodiments, an LbL film include a plurality of a single unit (e.g., a bilayer unit, a tetralayer unit, etc.). In some embodiments, an LbL film is a composite that include more than one units. For example, more than one unit can have different film materials (e.g., polymers), film architecture (e.g., bilayers, tetralayer, etc.), film thickness, and/or agents that are associated with one of the units. In some embodiments, an LbL film is a composite that include more than one bilayer units, more than one tetralayer units, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, an LbL film is a composite that include a plurality of a single bilayer unit and a plurality of a single tetralayer unit. In some embodiments, the number of multilayer units is about 3, about 5, about 10, about 20, about 30, about 40, about 50, about 60, about 70, about 80, about 90, about 100, about 150, about 200, about 300, about 400 or even about 500 or up to a maximum of about 20, about 30, about 40, about 50, about 60, about 70, about 80, about 90, about 100, about 150, about 200, about 300, about 400 or even about 500.
LbL films may have various thicknesses depending on methods of fabricating and applications. In some embodiments, an LbL film has an average thickness in a range of about 1 nm and about 100 pm. In some embodiments, an LbL film has an average thickness in a range of about 1 pm and about 50 pm. In some embodiments, an LBL film has an average thickness in a range of about 2 pm and about 5 pm. In some embodiments, the average thickness of an LbL film is or more than about 1 nm, about 5 nm, about 10 nm, about 20 nm, about 50 nm, about 75 nm, about 100 nm, about 200 nm, about 300 nm, about 400 nm, about 500 nm, about 600 nm, about 700 nm, about 800 nm, about 900 nm, about 1 pm about 1 .5 pm, about 2 pm, about 3 pm about 4 pm, about 5 pm, about pm 10 pm, about 20 pm, about 50 pm, about 100 pm. In some embodiments, an LbL film has an average thickness in a range of any two values above.
The terms "comprising," "having," and "including" are used in their open, non- limiting sense. The terms "a," "an," and "the" are understood to encompass the plural as well as the singular. The expression "at least one" means "one or more" and vice versa, and thus includes individual components as well as mixtures/combinations.
All ranges and values disclosed herein are inclusive and combinable. For examples, any value or point described herein that falls within a range described herein can serve as a minimum or maximum value to derive a sub-range, etc.
thereby forming a layer-by-layer (LbL) film on the artificially colored hair.
(d) applying a cationic surface layer to the LbL film.
compound with a polyamine, a polyaminoamide derivative resulting from the condensation of polyalkylenepolyamines with polycarboxylic acids followed by an alkylation with difunctional agents, a polymer obtained by reaction of a polyalkylenepolyamine containing two primary amine groups and at least one secondary amine group with a dicarboxylic acid, a methyldiallylamine or dimethyl-diallylammonium cyclopolymer, a quaternary diammonium polymer, a polyquaternary ammonium polymer, a homopolymer or copolymer derived from acrylic or methacrylic acid containing ester or amide units substituted with a group containing an amine or quaternary ammonium function, a quaternary vinylpyrrolidone or vinylimidazole polymer, a polyamine, a methacryloyloxyethyltrimethylammonium chloride crosslinked polymer, and a mixture thereof.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the cationic polymer layer of (a) comprises a polyquaternium.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the polyquaternium is selected from the group consisting of polyquaternium-4, polyquaternium-6, polyquaternium-7, polyquaternium-10, polyquaternium-1 1 , polyquaternium-16, polyquaternium- 22, polyquaternium-28, polyquaternium-37, polyquaternium-55, and polyquaternium-68.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the polyquaternium is polyquaternium-6. 7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the anionic polymer layer of (b) comprises an anionic polymer selected from the group consisting of polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid, carboxyvinylpolymer, an acrylate copolymer, a sulfonate polymer, a carboxymethycellulose a carboxy guar gum, a copolymer of ethylene and maleic acid, an acrylate silicone polymer, and a mixture thereof.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the anionic polymer layer of (b) is a sulfonate polymer.
methyldiallylamine or dimethyl-diallylammonium cyclopolymer, a quaternary diammonium polymer, a polyquaternary ammonium polymer, a homopolymer or copolymer derived from acrylic or methacrylic acid containing ester or amide units substituted with a group containing an amine or quaternary ammonium function, a quaternary vinylpyrrolidone or vinylimidazole polymer, a polyamine, a polyamide, a methacryloyloxyethyltrimethylammonium chloride crosslinked polymer, and a mixture thereof.
The method of claim 1 1 , wherein the cationic polymer of the cationic surface layer of (d) comprises a polyacrylamide having quaternary ammonium groups.
The method of claim 12, wherein the polyacrylamide having quaternary ammonium groups is polyacrylamidopropyltrimonium.
(b) applying a separate solution comprising an anionic polymer to the cationic polymer layer and forming an anionic polymer layer; and (c) optionally, repeating (a) and (b) to form additional layers.
The method of claim 14, wherein the solutions comprising the cationic polymer of (a), the anionic polymer of (b), and the cationic polymer of (d) are aqueous solutions.
(d) applying a solution comprising 0.1 wt% to 5 wt.% of a polyacrylamide having quaternary ammonium groups to the LbL layer to form a cationic polymer surface layer.
(b) an anionic polymer for forming an anionic polymer layer on the cationic polyelectrolyte layer.
(c) a cationic polymer for forming a cationic polymer surface layer to the LbL film.
The method of claim 21 , wherein the cationic silane layer of (a) comprises aminoalkoxysilane.
m is 0, 1 or 2.
The method of claim 23, wherein the aminoalkoxysilane is selected from the group consisting of 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, N-(2-aminoethyl)-3- aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, (3-triethoxysilylpropyl)-diethylenetriamine, 3- aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-amino- propyltriethoxysilane, (3-triethoxysilylpropyl)-diethylentriamine, 3- aminoethyltriethoxysilane (AETES), 3- aminopropylmethyldiethoxysilane (APMDES), and N-cyclohexylaminomethyltriethoxysilane.
The method of claim 23, wherein the aminoalkoxysilane is 3- aminopropyltriethyoxysilane (APTES).
27. The method of claim 21 , wherein the anionic polymer layer of (b) comprises an anionic polymer selected from the group consisting of polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid, carboxyvinylpolymer, an acrylate copolymer, a sulfonate polymer, a carboxymethycellulose a carboxy guar gum, a copolymer of ethylene and maleic acid, an acrylate silicone polymer, and a mixture thereof.
29. The method of claim 28, wherein the sulfonate polymer is selected from the group consisting of polysulfonic acid, polystyrene sulfonate, a copolymers of methacrylic acid and acrylamidomethylpropane sulfonic acid, a copolymer of acrylic acid and acrylamidomethylpropane sulfonic acid, and a mixture thereof.
32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the cationic polymer of the cationic surface layer of (d) comprises polyacrylamide having quaternary ammonium groups.
ammonium groups is a polyacrylamidopropyltrimonium.
36. The method of claim 34, wherein the solutions comprising the cationic silane of (a), the anionic polymer of (b), and the cationic polymer of (d) are aqueous solutions.
polyacrylamide having quaternary ammonium groups to the LbL layer to form a cationic polymer surface layer. | 2019-04-23T15:15:36Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2017172516A1/en |
Sydney is located on the south-east coast of Australia. It is the largest and most populated city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. The city is built on hills surrounding Sydney Harbour where the Sydney Harbour bridge and the Sydney Opera House are located. The region features many bays, rivers, inlets and beaches including the famous Bondi Beach. Within the city are many picturesque parks including Hyde Park and the Royal Botanical Gardens.
The most well-known attractions include the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Other attractions include Royal Botanical Gardens, Luna Park, some 40 beaches and Sydney Tower. The Rocks precinct includes the first colonial village of Sydney and some great shops, cafes and galleries are located here. Sydney also has several popular museums, such as the Australian Museum (natural history and anthropology), the Powerhouse Museum (science, technology and design), the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Australian National Maritime Museum.
Port Location – Cruise ships dock at the Overseas Passenger Terminal Circular Quay and Wharf 8 Darling Harbour. Both are located in downtown Sydney, within walking distance of the main shopping and tourist districts.
Transport Links – Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport is Australia's busiest airport and is the main gateway to Australia. It is located only 8km from the City centre in Southern Sydney on the northern shores of Botany Bay. Over 35 airlines fly in and out of Sydney Airport with daily flights linking Sydney to key destinations on every continent.
Coach companies operate to Sydney from all capital cities, and many New South Wales regional centres. The Sydney coach terminal is located adjacent to Sydney Central train station in the City South.
The New South Wales long distance train service CountryLink, runs at least daily services to Sydney from Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra and many regions of New South Wales including the Mid-North Coast, New England, the Central West and the Southern Highlands. It also services Broken Hill weekly.
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Departure: 11 Nov 2019 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 13 Nov 2019 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
10 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 14 Nov 2019 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Majestic Princess.
Departure: 15 Nov 2019 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 16 Nov 2019 From: Cruise line: Holland America Line Cruise Ship: Maasdam.
37 Night cruise departing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Maasdam.
17 Night cruise departing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Maasdam.
Departure: 17 Nov 2019 From: Cruise line: Dream Cruises Cruise Ship: Explorer Dream.
Departure: 18 Nov 2019 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 19 Nov 2019 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Radiance of the Seas.
10 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Radiance of the Seas.
Departure: 20 Nov 2019 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 21 Nov 2019 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Spirit.
Departure: 22 Nov 2019 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 22 Nov 2019 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Ruby Princess.
13 Night Cruise sailing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Ruby Princess.
Departure: 23 Nov 2019 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
11 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 24 Nov 2019 From: Cruise line: Dream Cruises Cruise Ship: Explorer Dream.
Departure: 25 Nov 2019 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 25 Nov 2019 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Spirit.
Departure: 27 Nov 2019 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Majestic Princess.
Departure: 29 Nov 2019 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Radiance of the Seas.
Departure: 30 Nov 2019 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
3 Night Sampler cruise departing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 30 Nov 2019 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 01 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Norwegian Cruise Line Cruise Ship: Norwegian Jewel.
10 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland aboard Norwegian Jewel.
Departure: 01 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Cruise and Maritime Voyages Cruise Ship: Vasco da Gama.
5 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Adelaide aboard Vasco da Gama.
Departure: 01 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Dream Cruises Cruise Ship: Explorer Dream.
Departure: 03 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
9 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 03 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Holland America Line Cruise Ship: Maasdam.
20 Night cruise departing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Maasdam.
34 Night cruise departing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Maasdam.
Departure: 04 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 05 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 05 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Ruby Princess.
8 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Ruby Princess.
Departure: 06 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Oceania Cruises Cruise Ship: Regatta.
31 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Regatta.
Departure: 06 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Spirit.
Departure: 06 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Silversea Cruises Cruise Ship: Silver Muse.
Departure: 07 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Majestic Princess.
8 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Majestic Princess.
Departure: 07 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Holland America Line Cruise Ship: Noordam.
Departure: 08 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Radiance of the Seas.
Departure: 08 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Dream Cruises Cruise Ship: Explorer Dream.
7 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland aboard Explorer Dream.
Departure: 09 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 09 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Spirit.
Departure: 11 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 12 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
8 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 13 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Ruby Princess.
14 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland onboard Ruby Princess.
Departure: 14 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 14 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
9 Night South Pacific Cruise departing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 15 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Majestic Princess.
12 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland aboard Majestic Princess.
Departure: 16 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 17 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 17 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Radiance of the Seas.
Departure: 18 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Spirit.
Departure: 19 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 20 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 21 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Seabourn Cruise Ship: Seabourn Encore.
16 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland aboard Seabourn Encore.
30 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland aboard Seabourn Encore.
Departure: 22 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Norwegian Cruise Line Cruise Ship: Norwegian Jewel.
12 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Norwegian Jewel.
Departure: 23 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 23 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Holland America Line Cruise Ship: Maasdam.
14 Night cruise departing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Maasdam.
28 Night cruise departing from Sydney to Auckland onboard Maasdam.
Departure: 26 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 26 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Ponant Cruise Ship: Le Laperouse.
7 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Hobart aboard Le Laperouse.
Departure: 27 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 27 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Radiance of the Seas.
Departure: 27 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Viking Ocean Cruises Cruise Ship: Viking Orion.
14 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland aboard Viking Orion.
Departure: 28 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 29 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
12 Night South Pacific & Fiji cruise departing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 30 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 30 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: True North Adventure Cruises Cruise Ship: True North.
4 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard True North.
Departure: 30 Dec 2019 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Spirit.
Departure: 03 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Norwegian Cruise Line Cruise Ship: Norwegian Jewel.
Departure: 03 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Silversea Cruises Cruise Ship: Silver Muse.
Departure: 04 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
10 Night South Pacific Cruise departing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 04 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Holland America Line Cruise Ship: Noordam.
Departure: 05 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 06 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Holland America Line Cruise Ship: Maasdam.
28 Night cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland onboard Maasdam.
Departure: 06 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Oceania Cruises Cruise Ship: Regatta.
14 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland aboard Regatta.
14 Night cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland onboard Maasdam.
Departure: 06 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
10 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 07 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Radiance of the Seas.
Departure: 07 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Regent Seven Seas Cruises Cruise Ship: Seven Seas Voyager.
14 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland aboard Seven Seas Voyager.
Departure: 08 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 08 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Majestic Princess.
Departure: 09 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Spirit.
Departure: 10 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 12 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Spirit.
2 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Melbourne aboard Carnival Spirit.
Departure: 13 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Ruby Princess.
Departure: 14 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
11 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 15 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 16 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 16 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Silversea Cruises Cruise Ship: Silver Muse.
Departure: 16 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
4 Night cruise departing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 18 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Radiance of the Seas.
12 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Radiance of the Seas.
Departure: 18 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Holland America Line Cruise Ship: Noordam.
14 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Noordam.
Departure: 19 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 20 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 21 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Majestic Princess.
Departure: 22 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 23 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Regent Seven Seas Cruises Cruise Ship: Seven Seas Navigator.
36 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Seven Seas Navigator.
Departure: 23 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Norwegian Cruise Line Cruise Ship: Norwegian Jewel.
12 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland aboard Norwegian Jewel.
16 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Benoa aboard Seven Seas Navigator.
Departure: 24 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 24 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Viking Ocean Cruises Cruise Ship: Viking Orion.
Departure: 25 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
13 Night New Zealand Cruise departing from Sydney roundtrip onboard Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 25 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 27 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Ruby Princess.
12 Night Cruise sailing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Ruby Princess.
Departure: 28 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
14 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Singapore aboard Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 28 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 30 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Radiance of the Seas.
Departure: 31 Jan 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 01 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Holland America Line Cruise Ship: Noordam.
12 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland aboard Noordam.
Departure: 02 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 03 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
2 Night Sampler cruise departing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 03 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Oceania Cruises Cruise Ship: Regatta.
32 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Papeete aboard Regatta.
Departure: 04 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Majestic Princess.
Departure: 05 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
14 Night South Pacific & Fiji cruise departing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 05 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Seabourn Cruise Ship: Seabourn Encore.
Departure: 06 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 07 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
10 Night New Zealand Cruise departing from Sydney to Auckland onboard Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 08 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Ruby Princess.
3 Night Cruise sailing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Ruby Princess.
Departure: 09 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Radiance of the Seas.
16 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Perth aboard Radiance of the Seas.
Departure: 09 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Dream Cruises Cruise Ship: Explorer Dream.
Departure: 10 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 11 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Ruby Princess.
Departure: 12 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Majestic Princess.
19 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Singapore aboard Majestic Princess.
4 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Melbourne aboard Majestic Princess.
10 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Perth aboard Majestic Princess.
6 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Adelaide aboard Majestic Princess.
Departure: 13 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 16 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Holland America Line Cruise Ship: Maasdam.
29 Night cruise sailing from Sydney to Papeete onboard Maasdam.
Departure: 16 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Dream Cruises Cruise Ship: Explorer Dream.
Departure: 17 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Cunard Line Cruise Ship: Queen Elizabeth.
2 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Brisbane aboard Queen Elizabeth.
14 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Queen Elizabeth.
21 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Queen Elizabeth.
Departure: 18 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Silversea Cruises Cruise Ship: Silver Muse.
14 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Silver Muse.
Departure: 18 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
5 Night cruise departing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 19 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
6 Night Tasmania cruise departing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 19 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Princess.
45 Night World Cruise sector sailing from Sydney to Cape Town aboard Pacific Princess.
Departure: 20 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O International Cruise Ship: Arcadia.
23 Night cruise departing from Sydney to Singapore onboard Arcadia.
19 Night cruise departing from Sydney to Hong Kong onboard Arcadia.
Departure: 21 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Viking Ocean Cruises Cruise Ship: Viking Orion.
Departure: 22 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
7 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 23 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Azamara Club Cruises Cruise Ship: Azamara Journey.
15 Night cruise departing from Sydney to Auckland onboard Azamara Journey.
Departure: 23 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
7 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 23 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Dream Cruises Cruise Ship: Explorer Dream.
Departure: 24 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Ruby Princess.
13 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Ruby Princess.
Departure: 25 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
11 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 25 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Cruise and Maritime Voyages Cruise Ship: Columbus.
71 Night cruise sailing from Sydney to Amsterdam onboard Columbus.
70 Night cruise sailing from Sydney to Tilbury onboard Columbus.
38 Night cruise sailing from Sydney to Singapore onboard Columbus.
Departure: 28 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Regent Seven Seas Cruises Cruise Ship: Seven Seas Navigator.
14 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland aboard Seven Seas Navigator.
29 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Papeete aboard Seven Seas Navigator.
Departure: 29 Feb 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 01 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Regent Seven Seas Cruises Cruise Ship: Seven Seas Mariner.
18 Night World Cruise sector sailing from Sydney to Singapore aboard Seven Seas Mariner.
Departure: 01 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 01 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Dream Cruises Cruise Ship: Explorer Dream.
Departure: 02 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Cunard Line Cruise Ship: Queen Elizabeth.
7 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Queen Elizabeth.
5 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Melbourne aboard Queen Elizabeth.
Departure: 03 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Crystal Cruises Cruise Ship: Crystal Serenity.
17 Night cruise departing from Sydney to Singapore onboard Crystal Serenity.
Departure: 03 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Silversea Cruises Cruise Ship: Silver Muse.
Departure: 06 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Cunard Line Cruise Ship: Queen Mary 2.
43 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Southampton aboard Queen Mary 2.
26 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Cape Town aboard Queen Mary 2.
8 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Perth aboard Queen Mary 2.
Departure: 07 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 08 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Ruby Princess.
40 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Singapore aboard Seabourn Encore.
Departure: 08 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Dream Cruises Cruise Ship: Explorer Dream.
Departure: 09 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Cunard Line Cruise Ship: Queen Elizabeth.
33 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Yokohama aboard Queen Elizabeth.
22 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Hong Kong aboard Queen Elizabeth.
15 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Singapore aboard Queen Elizabeth.
Departure: 10 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Sea Princess.
Departure: 11 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 12 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 13 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 14 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Radiance of the Seas.
13 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Radiance of the Seas.
Departure: 15 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Dream Cruises Cruise Ship: Explorer Dream.
Departure: 16 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 16 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Spirit.
Departure: 18 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
10 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 19 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
3 Night cruise departing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 20 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
12 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland aboard Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 20 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Viking Ocean Cruises Cruise Ship: Viking Orion.
16 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Bali aboard Viking Orion.
28 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Bangkok aboard Viking Orion.
78 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Vancouver aboard Viking Orion.
Departure: 20 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Silversea Cruises Cruise Ship: Silver Whisper.
17 Night World Cruise Sector 2020 departing from Sydney to Singapore onboard Silver Whisper.
Departure: 21 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Sun Princess.
15 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney Return aboard Sun Princess.
Departure: 21 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Ruby Princess.
Departure: 22 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Seabourn Cruise Ship: Seabourn Encore.
16 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Benoa aboard Seabourn Encore.
26 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Singapore aboard Seabourn Encore.
Departure: 22 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
12 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 22 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Dream Cruises Cruise Ship: Explorer Dream.
Departure: 23 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 23 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 24 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Azamara Club Cruises Cruise Ship: Azamara Journey.
18 Night cruise departing from Sydney to Singapore onboard Azamara Journey.
Departure: 24 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Spirit.
17 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Honolulu aboard Carnival Spirit.
Departure: 27 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 27 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Radiance of the Seas.
Departure: 28 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 29 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Dream Cruises Cruise Ship: Explorer Dream.
Departure: 30 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 30 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 31 Mar 2020 From: Cruise line: Silversea Cruises Cruise Ship: Silver Muse.
18 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Singapore aboard Silver Muse.
Departure: 02 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: Holland America Line Cruise Ship: Noordam.
30 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Honolulu onboard Noordam.
Departure: 02 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
39 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Vancouver onboard Noordam.
Departure: 03 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 03 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 04 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Ruby Princess.
35 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Vancouver aboard Ruby Princess.
29 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Los Angeles aboard Ruby Princess.
8 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland onboard Ruby Princess.
Departure: 05 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Sun Princess.
10 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Sun Princess.
Departure: 06 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
5 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 07 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Radiance of the Seas.
Departure: 07 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Sea Princess.
35 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney return aboard Sea Princess.
31 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland aboard Sea Princess.
Departure: 08 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Golden Princess.
7 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland aboard Golden Princess.
29 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Los Angeles aboard Golden Princess.
Departure: 09 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 10 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 11 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 11 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 13 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
11 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 14 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 15 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Sun Princess.
77 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Sun Princess.
49 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to San Francisco aboard Sun Princess.
22 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Tokyo aboard Sun Princess.
73 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland aboard Sun Princess.
Departure: 16 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: Holland America Line Cruise Ship: Noordam.
16 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Honolulu onboard Noordam.
25 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Vancouver onboard Noordam.
Departure: 18 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Radiance of the Seas.
18 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Honolulu aboard Radiance of the Seas.
Departure: 19 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 20 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
18 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Honolulu aboard Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 24 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 24 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 25 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
16 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Honolulu aboard Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 27 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
11 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 27 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 29 Apr 2020 From: Cruise line: Seabourn Cruise Ship: Seabourn Sojourn.
30 Night World Cruise sector sailing from Sydney to San Francisco aboard Seabourn Sojourn.
9 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Suva onboard Seabourn Sojourn.
Departure: 07 May 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 08 May 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 11 May 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 11 May 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 12 May 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Sea Princess.
70 Night World Cruise sector sailing from Sydney to New York aboard Sea Princess.
51 Night World Cruise sector sailing from Sydney to Dover aboard Sea Princess.
Departure: 15 May 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 18 May 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 20 May 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 22 May 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
14 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 28 May 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 05 Jun 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 05 Jun 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 08 Jun 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 09 Jun 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 18 Jun 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 19 Jun 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 22 Jun 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 24 Jun 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 28 Jun 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 01 Jul 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Sun Princess.
Departure: 03 Jul 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 06 Jul 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 11 Jul 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 15 Jul 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 19 Jul 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 20 Jul 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 30 Jul 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 31 Jul 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 03 Aug 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 07 Aug 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 10 Aug 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 11 Aug 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 18 Aug 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 21 Aug 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 24 Aug 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 27 Aug 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Sea Princess.
17 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Perth aboard Sea Princess.
Departure: 28 Aug 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 31 Aug 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 01 Sep 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Sun Princess.
35 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Sun Princess.
Departure: 04 Sep 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 07 Sep 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 08 Sep 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 16 Sep 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Majestic Princess.
12 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Majestic Princess.
Departure: 17 Sep 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 17 Sep 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 21 Sep 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 25 Sep 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 25 Sep 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 28 Sep 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 28 Sep 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Majestic Princess.
Departure: 29 Sep 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 06 Oct 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Sun Princess.
28 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Sun Princess.
Departure: 08 Oct 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 09 Oct 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 11 Oct 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Majestic Princess.
Departure: 12 Oct 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 12 Oct 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 16 Oct 2020 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
2 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 16 Oct 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Aria.
3 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Pacific Aria.
Departure: 17 Oct 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 18 Oct 2020 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 19 Oct 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Aria.
4 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Pacific Aria.
Departure: 20 Oct 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Serenade of the Seas.
10 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Serenade of the Seas.
Departure: 21 Oct 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 22 Oct 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Explorer.
2 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Brisbane aboard Pacific Explorer.
Departure: 22 Oct 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 23 Oct 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Aria.
Departure: 23 Oct 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Majestic Princess.
Departure: 24 Oct 2020 From: Cruise line: Holland America Line Cruise Ship: Oosterdam.
14 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland onboard Oosterdam.
Departure: 26 Oct 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Aria.
10 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Pacific Aria.
Departure: 28 Oct 2020 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 29 Oct 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 31 Oct 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Adventure.
6 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Pacific Adventure.
Departure: 01 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
6 Night cruise departing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 03 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 05 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Aria.
Departure: 05 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Majestic Princess.
Departure: 06 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Adventure.
13 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Pacific Adventure.
Departure: 07 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 09 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Aria.
Departure: 09 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
14 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland aboard Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 13 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Aria.
Departure: 14 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: Crystal Cruises Cruise Ship: Crystal Endeavor.
14 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Christchurch aboard Crystal Endeavor.
Departure: 16 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Aria.
Departure: 17 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 18 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Majestic Princess.
Departure: 19 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Adventure.
14 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Pacific Adventure.
Departure: 20 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Aria.
Departure: 20 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 21 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: Holland America Line Cruise Ship: Oosterdam.
14 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney return onboard Oosterdam.
Departure: 22 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: Norwegian Cruise Line Cruise Ship: Norwegian Jewel.
14 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Norwegian Jewel.
Departure: 23 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Aria.
Departure: 23 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: Cunard Line Cruise Ship: Queen Elizabeth.
4 Night cruise sailing from Sydney to Adelaide onboard Queen Elizabeth.
22 Night cruise sailing from Sydney to Melbourne onboard Queen Elizabeth.
Departure: 26 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 27 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Aria.
Departure: 28 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Majestic Princess.
Departure: 29 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 30 Nov 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 01 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Serenade of the Seas.
11 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Serenade of the Seas.
Departure: 01 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: Oceania Cruises Cruise Ship: Regatta.
35 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Regatta.
Departure: 02 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Regal Princess.
13 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Regal Princess.
Departure: 03 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Adventure.
4 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Pacific Adventure.
Departure: 05 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 05 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: Holland America Line Cruise Ship: Oosterdam.
Departure: 06 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: Norwegian Cruise Line Cruise Ship: Norwegian Jewel.
Departure: 07 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Aria.
Departure: 07 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Adventure.
11 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Pacific Adventure.
Departure: 08 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Eclipse.
2 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Celebrity Eclipse.
Departure: 09 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 10 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Eclipse.
13 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Melbourne aboard Celebrity Eclipse.
Departure: 11 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Aria.
Departure: 14 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Aria.
Departure: 14 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
10 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 15 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Regal Princess.
Departure: 16 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 18 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Aria.
Departure: 18 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Adventure.
3 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Pacific Adventure.
Departure: 19 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 20 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: Norwegian Cruise Line Cruise Ship: Norwegian Jewel.
14 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland aboard Norwegian Jewel.
Departure: 21 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Adventure.
8 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Pacific Adventure.
Departure: 22 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
13 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 23 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Majestic Princess.
Departure: 24 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 26 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 27 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Australia Cruise Ship: Carnival Splendor.
Departure: 28 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Aria.
Departure: 28 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Regal Princess.
12 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Regal Princess.
Departure: 29 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: P&O Cruises Cruise Ship: Pacific Adventure.
12 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Pacific Adventure.
Departure: 30 Dec 2020 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Serenade of the Seas.
13 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Serenade of the Seas.
Departure: 02 Jan 2021 From: Cruise line: Holland America Line Cruise Ship: Oosterdam.
Departure: 03 Jan 2021 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
11 Night South Pacific Cruise departing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 04 Jan 2021 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 05 Jan 2021 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Majestic Princess.
6 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Majestic Princess.
Departure: 05 Jan 2021 From: Cruise line: Oceania Cruises Cruise Ship: Regatta.
Departure: 06 Jan 2021 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
13 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 07 Jan 2021 From: Cruise line: Regent Seven Seas Cruises Cruise Ship: Seven Seas Explorer.
14 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland aboard Seven Seas Explorer.
Departure: 08 Jan 2021 From: Cruise line: Cunard Line Cruise Ship: Queen Elizabeth.
5 Night cruise sailing from Sydney to Melbourne onboard Queen Elizabeth.
7 Night cruise sailing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Queen Elizabeth.
19 Night cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland onboard Queen Elizabeth.
Departure: 09 Jan 2021 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Regal Princess.
Departure: 11 Jan 2021 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Majestic Princess.
Departure: 12 Jan 2021 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Serenade of the Seas.
9 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Serenade of the Seas.
Departure: 14 Jan 2021 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
11 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland aboard Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 15 Jan 2021 From: Cruise line: Cunard Line Cruise Ship: Queen Elizabeth.
12 Night cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland onboard Queen Elizabeth.
25 Night cruise sailing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Queen Elizabeth.
Departure: 16 Jan 2021 From: Cruise line: Holland America Line Cruise Ship: Oosterdam.
Departure: 18 Jan 2021 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 21 Jan 2021 From: Cruise line: Azamara Club Cruises Cruise Ship: Azamara Pursuit.
16 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland aboard Azamara Pursuit.
Departure: 22 Jan 2021 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Regal Princess.
12 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland aboard Regal Princess.
Departure: 24 Jan 2021 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Majestic Princess.
Departure: 02 Feb 2021 From: Cruise line: Oceania Cruises Cruise Ship: Regatta.
Departure: 03 Feb 2021 From: Cruise line: Norwegian Cruise Line Cruise Ship: Norwegian Jewel.
Departure: 04 Feb 2021 From: Cruise line: Regent Seven Seas Cruises Cruise Ship: Seven Seas Explorer.
18 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Benoa aboard Seven Seas Explorer.
Departure: 04 Feb 2021 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
8 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 06 Feb 2021 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Majestic Princess.
Departure: 09 Feb 2021 From: Cruise line: Cunard Line Cruise Ship: Queen Elizabeth.
8 Night cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip onboard Queen Elizabeth.
16 Night cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland onboard Queen Elizabeth.
20 Night cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip onboard Queen Elizabeth.
Departure: 12 Feb 2021 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
9 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland aboard Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 13 Feb 2021 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 13 Feb 2021 From: Cruise line: Holland America Line Cruise Ship: Oosterdam.
Departure: 14 Feb 2021 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Regal Princess.
Departure: 15 Feb 2021 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Serenade of the Seas.
16 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Perth aboard Serenade of the Seas.
Departure: 16 Feb 2021 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
8 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 17 Feb 2021 From: Cruise line: Cunard Line Cruise Ship: Queen Elizabeth.
19 Night cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip onboard Queen Elizabeth.
12 Night cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip onboard Queen Elizabeth.
8 Night cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland onboard Queen Elizabeth.
Departure: 19 Feb 2021 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Majestic Princess.
Departure: 21 Feb 2021 From: Cruise line: Cunard Line Cruise Ship: Queen Mary 2.
64 Night World Cruise sector sailing from Sydney to New York aboard Queen Mary 2.
57 Night World Cruise sector sailing from Sydney to Southampton aboard Queen Mary 2.
36 Night World Cruise sector sailing from Sydney to Dubai aboard Queen Mary 2.
24 Night World Cruise sector sailing from Sydney to Singapore aboard Queen Mary 2.
17 Night World Cruise sector sailing from Sydney to Hong Kong aboard Queen Mary 2.
Departure: 21 Feb 2021 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Sea Princess.
26 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Brisbane onboard Sea Princess.
Departure: 23 Feb 2021 From: Cruise line: Azamara Club Cruises Cruise Ship: Azamara Pursuit.
18 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Singapore aboard Azamara Pursuit.
Departure: 25 Feb 2021 From: Cruise line: Oceania Cruises Cruise Ship: Insignia.
28 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Hong Kong aboard Insignia.
Departure: 26 Feb 2021 From: Cruise line: Regent Seven Seas Cruises Cruise Ship: Seven Seas Mariner.
56 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Istanbul aboard Seven Seas Mariner.
Departure: 27 Feb 2021 From: Cruise line: Norwegian Cruise Line Cruise Ship: Norwegian Jewel.
11 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Norwegian Jewel.
Departure: 28 Feb 2021 From: Cruise line: Cunard Line Cruise Ship: Queen Victoria.
60 Night World Voyage sector sailing from Sydney to Southampton aboard Queen Victoria.
45 Night World Voyage sector sailing from Sydney to Cape Town aboard Queen Victoria.
20 Night World Voyage sector sailing from Sydney to Hong Kong aboard Queen Victoria.
Departure: 01 Mar 2021 From: Cruise line: Cunard Line Cruise Ship: Queen Elizabeth.
7 Night Cruise sailing ex Sydney return onboard Queen Elizabeth.
Departure: 05 Mar 2021 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Majestic Princess.
21 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Hong Kong aboard Majestic Princess.
Departure: 05 Mar 2021 From: Cruise line: Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Cruise Ship: Black Watch.
53 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Southampton onboard Black Watch.
24 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Colombo onboard Black Watch.
Departure: 08 Mar 2021 From: Cruise line: Cunard Line Cruise Ship: Queen Elizabeth.
26 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Hong Kong onboard Queen Elizabeth.
37 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Tokyo onboard Queen Elizabeth.
18 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Singapore onboard Queen Elizabeth.
Departure: 13 Mar 2021 From: Cruise line: Holland America Line Cruise Ship: Oosterdam.
15 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Auckland onboard Oosterdam.
Departure: 14 Mar 2021 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Regal Princess.
Departure: 16 Mar 2021 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
8 Night South Pacific Cruise departing roundtrip from Sydney onboard Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 20 Mar 2021 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Ovation of the Seas.
15 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Singapore aboard Ovation of the Seas.
Departure: 21 Mar 2021 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Sea Princess.
10 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney return onboard Sea Princess.
Departure: 23 Mar 2021 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 24 Mar 2021 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 27 Mar 2021 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Regal Princess.
Departure: 28 Mar 2021 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Sapphire Princess.
17 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Perth aboard Sapphire Princess.
2 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Brisbane aboard Sapphire Princess.
Departure: 31 Mar 2021 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Sea Princess.
15 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Sea Princess.
Departure: 31 Mar 2021 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Serenade of the Seas.
8 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Serenade of the Seas.
Departure: 03 Apr 2021 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 04 Apr 2021 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 12 Apr 2021 From: Cruise line: Holland America Line Cruise Ship: Oosterdam.
28 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Seattle onboard Oosterdam.
18 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Honolulu onboard Oosterdam.
Departure: 15 Apr 2021 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Sea Princess.
14 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip onboard Sea Princess.
Departure: 15 Apr 2021 From: Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises Cruise Ship: Celebrity Solstice.
18 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Honolulu aboard Celebrity Solstice.
Departure: 17 Apr 2021 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Serenade of the Seas.
19 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Honolulu aboard Serenade of the Seas.
Departure: 21 Apr 2021 From: Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International Cruise Ship: Voyager of the Seas.
Departure: 29 Apr 2021 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Sea Princess.
35 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip onboard Sea Princess.
2 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Brisbane onboard Sea Princess.
Departure: 01 May 2021 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Sapphire Princess.
15 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney roundtrip aboard Sapphire Princess.
Departure: 16 May 2021 From: Cruise line: Princess Cruises Cruise Ship: Sapphire Princess.
22 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Shanghai aboard Sapphire Princess. | 2019-04-19T16:14:51Z | https://cruise.helloworld.com.au/ports/view/19/sydney-+nsw-+australia |
In Team 63 at C. E. MacDonald Middle School in East Lansing, Michigan, the sixth-grade math and science teacher was a fellow named Jerry Smith. Mr. Smith lives for me in the category of teachers you remember long after most of the rest of the parade of instructors who passed in front of the classrooms you sat in have been forgotten. He expected a lot out of us, but his class was engaging, intriguing, and just occasionally a place of wonder.
Even more impressive to this sixth-grade boy, he was a pilot—and not just any sort of pilot; he had flown C-47s in the Canadian Air Force and held ratings as a multiengine aircraft pilot and as an instructor. He even had aviator glasses and a goatee. To me and to most of my friends, Jerry Smith was the epitome of cool.
Pretty much every boy in the middle school wanted to be in his class when, every other week, we had “flex time”—alternative classes the teachers offered to broaden our horizons. There were classes in macramé and origami, pottery and ballroom dancing (thanks, no). Mr. Smith offered an hour-long class in aviation and navigation—which was pretty much the only thing I wanted to do during flex time. He brought in aeronautical charts and taught us how to plot flight paths accounting for the speed and direction of prevailing winds and the variations between true north and magnetic north. We used (no kidding) circular slide rules called E6Bs, straight edges, and pencils to plan endless trips we never made from St. Louis to Denver, from Phoenix to Santa Fe, from Baltimore to Tampa. Of course, he never told us that the whole point was to get us to learn trigonometry. We didn’t care. We were completely fascinated by the idea of airplanes.
Jerry Smith was a marvelous and creative teacher. He was also an Episcopal priest. He served as the part-time vicar of the little mission church in Williamston, Michigan, a town about ten miles to the east of where I grew up. Most kids can’t imagine the lives their teachers have in the hours they don’t spend in the classroom; for Jerry Smith, it was the life of ordained ministry.
I only learned after I was out of sixth grade that Jerry Smith was also Pastor Jerry. I didn’t go to church in Williamston, so I never saw him there. Instead, a couple of years or so later he came to my church when we were instituting a new rector, and for the first time I saw him in a clerical collar. I was completely floored. But somehow I wasn’t surprised. To me, he was still Mr. Smith—a great teacher with a gift for engaging kids and getting them to learn even when they thought they were doing something else.
I have thought a lot about Mr. Smith in the years since I was ordained, after first pursuing a graduate degree and a research career. I wonder how he managed to keep the balance between the steep demands public school teachers manage (something I grew up knowing, because my mom was one, too) and the needs of his parish. I have come to see that the people of his parish had to have been a big part of making it work, just as the people of my parish have been more than half the equation of creating our own kind of bivocational ministry.
But mostly I think back to that flex-time class because, in a lot of ways, it held the key to Jerry Smith’s success, not just as a teacher but as a person called to the ministry of the church—and as a Christian who lived his ministry not just in the church, but in the world. Jerry Smith knew how to capture our imagination and our interests. I thought I was exploring my fascination with flying; in fact, I was learning math. He translated my curiosity into exploration—which is, after all, what lies at the heart of the call to witness that all members of the church have. By engaging my curiosity about airplanes, he taught me something about trigonometry. By affirming my interests and channeling my enthusiasm, he helped me realize my gifts. But, of course, for Jerry Smith that wasn’t just what teachers do; it was, in no small way, the cornerstone of what ministry is, no matter who is doing it.
This is a book about bivocational ministry. In some ways the idea that ministry is bivocational may seem like a statement of the obvious; each of us who shares in the ministry of the baptized is meant to carry out that ministry in the world, and not merely in the church. But in some ways it is profoundly countercultural, at least in terms of traditional church culture, because it imagines a different way of structuring the ministry of the faith community, parish, or congregation, from the model we have received.
Most of us grew up with the model that ordained ministers are people who “have a vocation,” and who serve the church in a profession called ordained ministry. Many if not most of us still regard that idea—consciously or unconsciously—as normative. Like all professions, the ordained ministry is characterized by specialized knowledge and a set of institutions for transmitting that knowledge (divinity schools and seminaries). It has systems for credentialing those who are approved to become part of the profession (usually a qualifying examination and a rite of ordination), standards of professional conduct (a book of discipline, canon laws), and expectations for participation in the profession (continuing education, participation in regular meetings of clergy).
Those who become admitted to this profession receive certain benefits by means of being credentialed. First, they have a particular kind of authority within their church. To cite specifics, in some churches only ordained people can preach, can read from the gospels at the time of Holy Communion, can pronounce a blessing or absolve people of confessed sins, or can perform certain other sacramental acts. In churches of Protestant persuasion this authority is generally held in balance by a democratically governed congregation, or by the expectation of obedience to a bishop or polity—or both. Members of the profession are also entitled to certain privileges created by custom (for example, the honorific “The Reverend”) or by law (in most states ordained people may still function as civil authorities in solemnizing marriages).
Members of the ministerial profession are typically given exclusive access to certain sorts of jobs within the church. One must be ordained not just to exercise certain kinds of spiritual authority, but to be employed in certain jobs within the structure of a given polity: a pastor, a senior minister, a rector. Being chosen for one of these jobs means a salary, general participation in a retirement program, and access to health insurance.
Of course, the hierarchy of the church existed long before the emergence of industrial economies. In virtually all expressions of the Christian community—Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant—a hierarchical structure has been seen as both grounded in scripture and essential to the maintenance of doctrinal discipline. Hierarchical structures facilitated the kind of centralized decision-making that made possible the global spread of different expressions of the Christian message; the building of universities, schools, and hospitals; and even the creation of the ecumenical movement. But the strong emphasis that industrial economic development gave to both hierarchical structures and the dominant role of professions in shaping the leadership of those structures has had a profound impact on our understanding of what the church is and does. The ministry, one of the three ancient “learned professions” (along with medicine and law), became a modern profession—an occupational specialization with attendant structures, expectations, and privileges.
To get a sense of the true scale of that impact, think for a moment about other parts to our model of ministry—things seemingly so obvious we don’t really think about them. A church not only has a full-time ordained minister as its leader; it typically has a building of its own. It may also have a residential building that is kept to house the minister—something that has long been understood to be both a benefit to the minister and a matter of convenience for the congregation. (Members of other professions, especially in government and academe, sometimes receive a similar benefit.) Typically it has a parish house or church hall, a function room where activities of the community can take place. All of this property, under our current model, is given privileged treatment by the civil authorities—specifically, it has been exempted from taxation for most purposes.
And there are other, less obvious, parts of our model of ministry. Often, the children of ordained ministers have been given discounted tuition at private schools and colleges. Ministers and their families were often welcomed at different sorts of social clubs for a discounted fee. And it is still the case that members of the clergy may write a letter to the front office of the Boston Red Sox in the late winter of each year to receive a pass to Fenway Park, assuring them a place in the standing-room-only section—alongside members of the armed services—for a relatively small price.
The power of this model of ministry—let’s call it the “Standard Model”—has shaped not just the economic arrangements that underlie what we think of as “church”; it has shaped much of what we understand to be involved in the practice of ministry and congregational leadership. Under the Standard Model, we expect the minister to be not just the chief spiritual officer of the community, but the chief operating officer of a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation. We expect the professional minister to administer a staff of varying sizes, or to perform the functions of what needed staff might do in a small parish. We expect the professional minister to be the public face and voice of the congregation within the community it serves. We expect the professional minister to be the first responder to the spiritual and pastoral needs of the parish, to manage business relationships on the part of the church with contractors and vendors, and to interact with municipal authorities on topics from parking spaces and garbage collection to low-income housing and food and fuel assistance for the poor.
Said in different terms, we expect our professional ministers to exercise more than spiritual leadership with the congregation. We expect them to discharge a variety of delegated responsibilities that have more to do with running the business of an entity called “the church” than with any theologically grounded understanding of the distinctive gifts and distinctive roles of those set apart by the body of Christ—the community of the faithful—to exercise a distinct sort of ministry, an ordained ministry, for and within the church. The Standard Model looks a lot like firm-based production. It is organized hierarchically in order to support centralized decision-making in an institution that provides spiritual services to its members and the broader community. Exactly because we are pooling our resources to pay our professional ministers, we expect them to do everything from running the worship service to fixing the copier machine, maintaining the web page, showing up at the affordable-housing hearing, dealing with the nursery school renting space in the basement, and—oh, yes—visiting the folks on the at-home list, teaching us about the faith, attracting new members, and making us want to be better people.
If you are reading this book, chances are you are aware that many of the assumptions—explicit and implicit—on which the Standard Model of ministry were based are now under tremendous pressure. For some of us, it feels as though the very stones in our foundation are giving way; where once all was certainty, now the world of the church seems a realm of instability, decline, and loss. Certainly the privileged treatment of churches and faith communities once typical in our society—expressed not just through favored treatment in law and tax code but by school calendars, shopping hours, and countless other expressions of deference to Christian values—is ending. With the collapse of much of this favored treatment has come a rise in the sheer cost of doing the work of the church. To say it in other words, the basic assumptions of our business model are changing. Simply maintaining a full-time, fully benefitted professional as the head of the organization known as “the church” is increasingly something beyond the resources of more and more congregations.
So here is the hard truth: the question many congregations face today is whether this professional model of ministry is consistent with their future, or with them having a future. Because we have equated a vocation to ministry with membership in a profession called “the ministry,” and because the Standard Model of ministry expects that a congregation must have a full-time member of that profession to be a viable church, we have created a set of economic circumstances that are causing a great many congregations to make hard choices. Will we have to close? Will we have to merge with another congregation across town, or maybe in the next town over? Or maybe—just maybe—might we reimagine the model of ministry we have inherited from the generations of faithful people before us?
Of course, the expectations of the Standard Model are far more a result of choices that we have made—or that our ancestors made—than they are a theological necessity. As I said, we have created these expectations. And that means we could create a different set of expectations by making a different set of choices. So while it might cause us some discomfort, exploring the full range of choices in structuring new models of ministry might just open new possibilities for flourishing in the faith communities we love. That is the opportunity before us. And while it may feel disorienting, it may even be that there is something in it of God’s hope for us.
A first step some congregations have already taken to relieve economic pressure is to move toward a part-time model of ministry. A number of conditions have to be in place for this to work. The congregation has to be of such size and scale that a part-time professional minister can cover the needed tasks. Because this model is usually premised on an assumption that the basic division of labor between the ordained and lay members of the congregation remains substantially unchanged, the size of the congregation and of its associated work—liturgical, pastoral, administrative, and social—has to match the availability of the minister.
At the same time, the part-time model imposes an implied expectation that the minister chosen by the congregation will have other financial resources on which to survive. A working spouse or partner—or perhaps a trust fund—will provide the resources for that minister’s health insurance and retirement investment plan. The congregation may provide much the same support to the part-time minister as they would to a full-time minister in terms of expense reimbursements—for travel, say, or perhaps for a car or a telephone—but the elements of a total compensation plan that increasingly drive costs (for example, health care and retirement—and, potentially, housing) are managed in this model simply by being avoided.
A second alternative model is to unite two or more parishes into a model often labeled shared ministry. In a shared ministry model, the resources of a number of congregations are combined so as to preserve, and thus work in service of, the basic outlines of the Standard Model of ministry: a full-time, fully benefited professional who, in this case, serves more than one parish.
The shared ministry model is even more likely to be based on the same essential concepts as the Standard Model because the central orienting concept of a shared ministry approach is the preservation of a full-time position for an appropriately qualified and certified professional. (Indeed, you could say that the shared ministry model is basically a preservation program for the full-time professional model of ministry.) For this reason, the basic division of responsibilities between the ordained professional and the lay members of the congregations gathered together in this ministry is—as in the part-time model—unlikely to change in substantial ways. The ordained professional will still be looked to for performing traditional roles and responsibilities within the congregation. The basic change that members of each of the participating communities will need to work through centers on appropriately calibrating their expectations of the pastor’s time for the needs of their congregation, given that other congregations also have a claim on the pastor’s time as well. Success in a model of shared ministry depends in large part on creating effective governance structures able to clarify the shared expectations of each congregation participating in the arrangement—to make certain they cohere together and do not end up creating an impossible set of demands.
Both the part-time model and the shared model of ministry can be made to work, and in many places they are already doing so. This book does not address either of those models. Instead it focuses on a third, very different model—that of bivocational ministry.
Bivocational ministry begins with a different set of assumptions, and ends with a different understanding of how the church can be structured to do its work of ministry. First, in a bivocational congregation the ordained minister works both in the church and, in some way, in the secular world. This latter role may be easily imagined as an outgrowth of pastoral ministry—say, working as a social worker or therapist, or perhaps in a leadership role within a non-profit agency. Like my old teacher Mr. Smith, the minister’s job in the secular world may be as a public-sector employee—a teacher, or perhaps an administrator or public defender. Or it may be in a different form of self-employment—say, as a consultant or a real-estate agent. Typically, one result of this arrangement will be that the minister’s access to health insurance and a retirement plan are provided through the secular employer, or through an individual policy for which the congregation provides some limited support.
But it is not only the ordained minister in a bivocational parish who is bivocational. In fact, in the optimal realization of this model the entire congregation adopts a bivocational understanding of the ministry it is called to do in the world. This is not just an accidental byproduct of the sort of person a congregation hires; it is an intentional outcome of a purposeful process. In a bivocational church, the historically rigid division between ordained responsibilities and lay roles is instead understood as different expressions of the same ministry—one in which all are now understood to be ministers of the congregation. Not surprisingly, in a bivocational congregation, the whole idea of what the church is, and what it is for, begins to change.
This sort of language is often heard in congregational life, but in the bivocational congregation it takes on a new and vivid reality. The first step in creating an effective bivocational model is typically to lift up and articulate some of the basic (and often unspoken) expectations we have of our ministers—and that ministers have of their congregations. Through this exercise congregations discover and make plain how much the Standard Model has shaped their expectations of people who serve the church in ordained ministry—and how many, if not most, of those expectations can be held up to the light of inquiry once they are brought to the surface.
A second step is to identify new ways in which these expectations can be taken on by other people in the congregation—people who may, more often than not, be better equipped for these roles than an ordained professional ever would be. An architect in the pews is probably going to be a better person to take on the work of evaluating and dealing with contractors undertaking an accessibility project. A family living with a child on the autism spectrum will probably be better and more effective advocates for community-housing opportunities for adults with autism-spectrum disorder on behalf of the congregation. And no one should have a monopoly on pastoral visitations with the sick, the elderly, and the marginalized, although that is often exactly the pattern followed in the Standard Model.
The ordained minister in a bivocational model accordingly needs a different set of skills, and even a different understanding and practice of leadership, in order for this model to flourish. In this model, something much more like “servant-leadership”—a phrase often used but rarely exemplified in a hierarchical, firm-like church culture—is not just desirable, but necessary. The ordained member of the community now has as a first task the identification, development, and encouragement of the various gifts for ministry that exist in all members of the community—and in those who come to the community to explore their faith.
This means that in a bivocational model of ministry, something about the very nature of the community itself must undergo a shift from what is, in the Standard Model, typically a consumer or recipient ethos to a participant or stakeholder ethos. This is a critical point that we’ll develop more fully in chapter 2, but, for now, a brief description will point the way forward.
We said earlier that theorists have described three basic ways of shaping organizations for providing the things people need. The market is one; firms are another. Markets do well at things like building carts and growing vegetables; firms do well at things like creating bus companies and airlines, productive work that inherently demands, and benefits from, operating at larger scale.
A third way of organizing people is by means of a commons. What’s different about a commons is that it does not operate, at least not in a primary way, by means of the signals of the market (so, it’s not like market-based production); and it is, in general, a non-hierarchical organization (which means it’s not like firm-based production). A good way of understanding this is to think about the difference between the Encyclopedia Britannica and Wikipedia. The Britannica, in its heyday, was a classic firm-based, hierarchically structured enterprise focused on the production of a knowledge resource called an encyclopedia. It had (and still has) an editor-in-chief, an editorial board, assistant editors with responsibility for specific subject areas, a team of writers and editors, and (at least back in the day) a door-to-door sales force the size of a small army. If you sketched all this on a piece of paper, you’d see something that looked pretty much like a pyramid.
A commons is different. Wikipedia is produced by a commons. It has a relatively tiny organization, and a vast number of contributors with very little structure defining their relationships to one another. What makes the production of Wikipedia possible is that the thousands of people who have generated content for it are united by a shared passion and commitment to the goal of providing a resource for everyone, and a shared set of values and norms for how they do their collective work. That is what a commons is, and how it works. One of the most hopeful things to happen to the Christian church in a long time is that the church itself is now facing the challenge of becoming less like a firm, and more like a commons. That is the idea at the heart of this book.
Bivocational communities answer this challenge head on. They do so by focusing on doing the work of the church in a way that is fundamentally based, not on a hierarchy of distinctive roles and a division of labor, but on a group of peers sharing the full variety of their gifts, contributing them on the basis of a common passion and commitment to a shared goal. In this case, the “product” we are producing is both speaking about and living in accord with the Good News of the Christian gospel. Doing that still takes human organization, and likely always will. It’s just that the sort of organization best suited to our vision and our hope is changing, for the simple if inconvenient reason that the world in which we do the work of discipleship is changing.
Bivocational communities are one way of responding constructively and hopefully to that change. It may seem like they are radically different from the Standard Model that all of us grew up with, and that many of us still cherish; and, to be honest, in important ways they are. But it’s equally important to remember that in the whole history of the Christian faith, our model of ministry is a pretty recent invention. Over the centuries of Christian witness, a tremendous variety of ideas for how ministry should be structured and lived out have been tried, tested, implemented, and left behind when they no longer served the purpose.
For us, the Standard Model has such paradigmatic status that we can scarcely imagine how the church could ever have been organized differently. But even in the relatively short history of the United States, our basic concept of how ministry should be structured has changed dramatically. Donald Scott has shown, for example, how being the minister of a church—at least a Protestant church—in the eighteenth century was to hold what was, in effect, a public office. The history of the American ministry in the nineteenth century is in many ways the history of a shift in the idea of ministry, as Scott calls it, “from office to profession”—the sort of modern profession that forms the core of our Standard Model. The fact that it has not always been so means that it need not always remain so. We are being called to respond to the changing world around us, and to bear fruit, not sour grapes.
The full impact of a bivocational approach to ministry touches on virtually every aspect of the Standard Model we have received from our traditions. In the chapters that follow we will look at four broad categories of the life of the church, and explore how a bivocational approach to ministry would involve significant changes in each of them.
It may seem ironic to begin a study focused on the empowerment of all people in the church for ministry by focusing on the ordained minster. But because the Standard Model shapes so much of the financial and psychological reality of parishes and congregations today, it is appropriate to begin with an examination of how a bivocational pastorate differs from other models in terms of practical realities, personal gifts, and leadership style of the individual pastor. As with any model of ministry, the bivocational pastorate has both advantages and disadvantages. Success in building a flourishing congregation with this model depends on a clear understanding of both, and the ability to craft a transition strategy from one model to another.
At the same time, the strengths and skills brought by bivocational pastors will be different, in some important respects, than those who have traditionally been seen as fit for, or “called to,” the profession of ministry. Perhaps most important, their relationship to some of the traditional privileges associated with the ministerial profession will need to change, or be different in important ways. Simply put, they will need to be less focused on what makes the ordained ministry distinct or privileged in comparison to the ministry of all baptized, and instead much more engaged with, and able to develop, the shared passion and commitment on which the success of a commons-based approach depends.
There are significant differences in both the role of the pastor and the ethos of the congregation between the Standard Model and a bivocational model of ministry. In this chapter we will describe some of those differences, seeking to point out some of the distinguishing characteristics of a bivocational congregation and the qualities present in any Christian community that can become the foundation of such an approach to ministry. The simple truth is that a successful bivocational congregation has a different feel and a different culture than a congregation in the Standard Model of ministry. Some of those differences are positive differences, at least in the sense of what Christian discipleship is supposed to be about. But some of them are just plain countercultural. They involve a set of demands that run directly against trends in the dominant culture in which our churches operate. This chapter will outline both sets of differences and look for ways to leverage the positive elements of a bivocational faith community, so as to offer an effective witness against some of the most corrosive forces of contemporary society.
If the Standard Model of ministry has shaped our experience and understanding of our own faith community, still more has it shaped the structure and functioning of our denominational polities. Tremendous resources are devoted by these organizations to the maintenance and development of the profession of the ministry. Denominational authorities typically determine the standards for credentialing members of the ministerial profession; issue these credentials, and maintain systems for revoking them; create and implement systems for the deployment of these professionals and the development of their careers; provide pension plans for members of the profession and create means of funding them through congregational contributions; and establish the organizational principles of member congregations, many of which effectively reinforce the Standard Model.
In this chapter we’ll explore how polities can create conditions favorable to the emergence of bivocational ministries and communities. We’ll describe ways in which, through expanding and reorienting the standards by which candidates for ordination are selected, denominations can help provide the resources critical to the emergence of bivocational ministries as a real and substantial alternative to the Standard Model. We’ll look at some of the roadblocks created by the standards by which denominations determine what a “church” is that stand in the way of the emergence of bivocational congregations, and look at ways they might be removed. We’ll also look at other traditional professions that have adapted successfully to the presence of bivocational members of the profession and have encouraged their professional development, seeking lessons and ideas from other experiences that might help us understand how to build a bivocational approach to ordained ministry.
Ultimately, a conversation about how best to structure the work of ministry and how to steward our resources of time, talent, and treasure most effectively for the work God calls us to do is a theological conversation. To be specific, it is a conversation about ecclesiology—a seminary word that is meant to summarize all the elements of our doctrine of the church and the relationship between those elements.
For some readers this may well be the least interesting chapter of the book. Yet in important ways, it is perhaps the most crucial. It starts with a basic question on which Christians are not, and never have been, of one mind: Is the church meant to be a realm separate from the world, with its own structures, processes, language, and rules? Or is the church meant to be the place through which God engages the rest of the world, seeking to draw the whole world into the reconciliation offered through Jesus Christ?
This is a crucial distinction, and a great deal hangs by it. It is often oversimplified by drawing a distinction between those who see the church as an end unto itself, and those who see the church as a means to an end. But like most oversimplifications, there is a degree of truth in this distinction that sheds light on the question. If you see the church as an institution set apart and existing for its own purposes and ends, then it’s fairly likely you will see our willingness to adapt to the church’s needs and expectations as the means to that end. The church in this model is a source and symbol of permanence and unchanging standards, a reflection of the unchanging and transcendent nature of God.
Conversely, if you see the church as the means, then probably it is people themselves—or their engagement with the loving, transforming work of Christ—who are the end in view. The church in this model is simply a means—a beautiful, blessed, beloved means, but a means nonetheless—by which God seeks to achieve the end of relationship with all people. And if the means we have developed—the models we have constructed—for doing this are no longer effective, then God will dispense with them and build new ones, whether we like it or not. The church in this model is an instrument more than an objective. It is part of the continuing incarnation of God in the body of Christ, the church; but like any body, it must grow and change if it is to remain vital.
These are two very broadly defined views of what the church is and does. One is institutional, one is incarnational. Needless to say, perhaps, a bivocational model of ministry is strongly oriented toward the idea that the church is a means, not an end; that it is essentially incarnational, not essentially institutional. This means that building a model of a bivocational ministry means taking a clear set of positions in the conversation about ecclesiology. We will argue that an institutional understanding of the church has both led to, and resulted from, a firm-based approach to ecclesiology with the professionalized ministry at its center, one specific outcome of which is an essentially transactional understanding of what discipleship means. By contrast, an incarnational understanding of the church may point us toward, and be strengthened by, an understanding of the church that sees it as something operating more like a commons—one specific outcome of which is an essentially relational understanding of discipleship. This focus on authentic relationship is itself potentially the most dramatic and countercultural witness the Christian faith has to offer against the social forces arrayed against the message of the gospel.
Without becoming too deeply theological, in this chapter we’ll chart out what all this means and explore the deeper vision of the church and its future from which a bivocational understanding of ministry springs.
One thing I know from spending a lifetime in the church is that we can be really good at describing and discussing ideas but not very good at translating these ideas into concrete proposals, creating a strategy to achieve our proposals, and measuring our progress toward them. Oftentimes we conclude with the idea that, if we just pray harder, the Holy Spirit will somehow come and do the work for us—or will somehow possess us to do it. I come to this work with the idea that what it means to be the body of Christ is that God is entrusting this work to us, and has already given us the hearts, the minds, and the strength sufficient for the task.
So we’ll wrap up the book by setting out some specific proposals in each of the areas addressed by the previous chapters. I’ll offer some ideas for how we can identify and raise up bivocational people to the ordained ministry; what changes distinguish a congregation that is moving toward a bivocational ethos, and how to measure progress toward those changes; and how larger denominational structures can examine their own basic assumptions with a view to opening space and possibility for the emergence of bivocational expressions of ministry.
Models of ministry have changed a lot since the days of the apostle Paul. One wonders what he would have made of all the trappings and affectations that have sprung up in the two millennia since he stitched tents together in the back alleys of Corinth to support his work with the nascent Christian community there, and his evangelism to communities outside the church.
Of course, the conditions of ministry were profoundly different then. Christianity was not the dominant cultural backdrop of the day. Most people had no idea of what was distinct or different about the Christian understanding of God and God’s purposes, and those who did have some idea generally had a pretty bad, or at least misinformed, apprehension of it. Paul had to do the work of a disciple on the terms the culture gave him.
When we state it in these terms, however, it becomes quickly apparent that the parallels between Paul’s day and our own may be closer and more numerous than we would at first imagine. Christianity is misunderstood in most places, and persecuted in more than a few. It has a complicated and often turbulent history that has caused many people to dismiss it as a source of moral authority. It is no longer the dominant force in places where it once held unchallenged cultural authority. And in many places matters of belief generally have become relegated to the private sphere, and made a matter limited to questions of individual conscience.
In these conditions, Paul’s example has renewed force and salience. Tentmakers don’t divide their existence between church on Sunday and the sewing floor on the weekdays. They are ministers every day, sometimes in church and sometimes in the world. They make community with other people who understand their own place in the faith community in similar terms. By coming together with each other, by making genuine community out of authentic relationships with each other, they receive the support and strength they need to do the work of disciples—which is, in the end, nothing more or less than to bring other people seeking relationship with the Source of all being into exactly that community of relationship. Mr. Smith, it turns out, was a tentmaker.
The tentmakers of Paul’s day are the bivocational ministers of our day. All of them—all of us—are empowered in baptism to claim this ministry. Some of them become ordained. In the pages that follow, we’ll look at how this works in a bivocational community, and how these communities offer a compelling and magnetic answer to the question of the future of the church in an increasingly secular society.
Yochai Benkler, The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2006).
A major change may be coming in the basic costs of the Standard Model. A number of recent cases in federal court have challenged the constitutionality of 26 U.S.C. § 107(2)—the law that exempts clergy housing allowances from taxation. After an initial ruling in the Western District of Wisconsin striking down the provision was vacated on appeal, a second case was brought—and, again, the decision at the district court has been to declare the provision unconstitutional, “because it does not have a secular purpose or effect and because a reasonable observer would view the statute as an endorsement [by the federal government] of religion.” Gaylor vs. Mnuchin, United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, Case 3:16-cv-215-bbc, decided October 6, 2017.
To understand why this decision has significant impact on parish finances, imagine a senior minister in a congregation who is paid $80,000 per year, of which she has asked $24,000 to be paid as a housing allowance. She would have to be able to show that her actual housing costs—her rental payment, or the rental value of a home she uses the funds to pay a mortgage with, together with utility costs—are at least $2,000 per month; but in most American cities that would not be hard to do, especially if she has a home that must accommodate a family. Let’s also say that she’s the only wage earner in her home, that she’s married and filing jointly with her spouse, and that they have no dependent children at home.
Under the recently revised tax law, the minister’s taxable income for 2018 would be $56,000 per year; the $24,000 she receives in housing allowance would not be taxed. Assuming, just to make this simple, that she has no other exemptions, she would pay $3,459 in federal income taxes. But if the housing allowance were ended, her taxable income would now be $80,000—which would mean she would now pay $6,339 in federal income taxes. The net impact of this would be a decrease in her income (because of a rise in taxes) of $2,880—or an effective cut of 3.6 percent in her total earnings. (Remember, she still has to pay her rent.) Needless to say, the effect of this will be to raise the bar on the average cost to a congregation of maintaining a full-time professional minister—our Standard Model—and to increase the number of congregations confronting a difficult decision about their future.
Donald Scott, From Office to Profession: The New England Ministry, 1750-1850. 1st ed. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1978. | 2019-04-20T08:58:10Z | http://www.bivocational.church/2018/01/04/introduction/ |
Neural circuits are refined by both functional and structural changes. Structural remodeling by large-scale pruning occurs where relatively long neuronal branches are cut away from their parent neuron and removed by local degeneration. Until now, the molecular mechanisms executing such branch severing events have remained poorly understood. This study reveal a role for the Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT) machinery during neuronal remodeling. The data show that a specific ESCRT pruning module, including members of the ESCRT-I and ESCRT-III complexes, but not ESCRT-0 or ESCRT-II, are required for the neurite scission event during pruning. Furthermore it was shown that this ESCRT module requires a direct, in vivo, interaction between Shrub/CHMP4B and the accessory protein Myopic/HD-PTP.
The endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) is a conserved protein complex that facilitates budding and fission of membranes. It executes a key step in many cellular events, including cytokinesis and multi-vesicular body formation. The ESCRT-III protein Shrub in flies, or its homologs in yeast (Snf7) or humans (CHMP4B), is a critical polymerizing component of ESCRT-III needed to effect membrane fission. This study reports the structural basis for polymerization of Shrub and defines a minimal region required for filament formation. The X-ray structure of the Shrub core shows that individual monomers in the lattice interact in a staggered arrangement using complementary electrostatic surfaces. Mutations that disrupt interface salt bridges interfere with Shrub polymerization and function. Despite substantial sequence divergence and differences in packing interactions, the arrangement of Shrub subunits in the polymer resembles that of Snf7 and other family homologs, suggesting that this intermolecular packing mechanism is shared among ESCRT-III proteins.
Neurotransmission is mediated by synaptic exocytosis of neuropeptide-containing dense-core vesicles (DCVs) and small-molecule transmitter-containing small synaptic vesicles (SSVs). Exocytosis of both vesicle types depends on Ca(2+) and shared secretory proteins. This study shows that increasing or decreasing expression of Myopic (mop, HD-PTP, PTPN23), a Bro1 domain-containing pseudophosphatase implicated in neuronal development and neuropeptide gene expression, increases synaptic neuropeptide stores at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ). This occurs without altering DCV content or transport, but synaptic DCV number and age are increased. The effect on synaptic neuropeptide stores is accounted for by inhibition of activity-induced Ca(2+)-dependent neuropeptide release. cAMP-evoked Ca(2+)-independent synaptic neuropeptide release also requires optimal Myopic expression, showing that Myopic affects the DCV secretory machinery shared by cAMP and Ca(2+) pathways. Presynaptic Myopic is abundant at early endosomes, but interaction with the endosomal sorting complex required for transport III (ESCRT III) protein (CHMP4/Shrub) that mediates Myopic's effect on neuron pruning is not required for control of neuropeptide release. Remarkably, in contrast to the effect on DCVs, Myopic does not affect release from SSVs. Therefore, Myopic selectively regulates synaptic DCV exocytosis that mediates peptidergic transmission at the NMJ.
Abscission is the final step of cytokinesis that involves the cleavage of the intercellular bridge connecting the two daughter cells. Recent studies have given novel insight into the spatiotemporal regulation and molecular mechanisms controlling abscission in cultured yeast and human cells. The mechanisms of abscission in living metazoan tissues are however not well understood. This study shows that ALIX and the ESCRT-III component Shrub are required for completion of abscission during Drosophila female germline stem cell (fGSC) division. Loss of ALIX or Shrub function in fGSCs leads to delayed abscission and the consequent formation of stem cysts in which chains of daughter cells remain interconnected to the fGSC via midbody rings and fusome. ALIX and Shrub interact and that they co-localize at midbody rings and midbodies during cytokinetic abscission in fGSCs. Mechanistically, this study shows that the direct interaction between ALIX and Shrub is required to ensure cytokinesis completion with normal kinetics in fGSCs. It is concluded that ALIX and ESCRT-III coordinately control abscission in Drosophila fGSCs and that their complex formation is required for accurate abscission timing in GSCs in vivo (Eikenes, 2015).
Cytokinesis is the final step of cell division that leads to the physical separation of the two daughter cells. It is tightly controlled in space and time and proceeds in multiple steps via sequential specification of the cleavage plane, assembly and constriction of the actomyosin-based contractile ring (CR), formation of a thin intercellular bridge and finally abscission that separates the two daughter cells. Studies in a variety of model organisms and systems have elucidated key machineries and signals governing early events of cytokinesis. However, the mechanisms of the final abscission step of cytokinesis are less understood, especially in vivo in the context of different cell types in a multi-cellular organism (Eikenes, 2015).
During the recent years key insights into the molecular mechanisms and spatiotemporal control of abscission have been gained using a combination of advanced molecular biological and imaging technologies. At late stages of cytokinesis the spindle midzone transforms to densely packed anti-parallel microtubules (MTs) that make up the midbody (MB) and the CR transforms into the midbody ring (MR, diameter of ~1-2 μm). The MR is located at the site of MT overlap and retains several CR components including Anillin, septins (Septins 1, 2 and Peanut in Drosophila melanogaster), myosin-II, Citron kinase (Sticky in Drosophila) and RhoA (Rho1 in Drosophila) and eventually also acquires the centralspindlin component MKLP1 (Pavarotti in Drosophila). In C. elegans embryos the MR plays an important role in scaffolding the abscission machinery even in the absence of MB MTs (Eikenes, 2015).
Studies in human cell lines, predominantly in HeLa and MDCK cells, have shown that components of the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) machinery and associated proteins play important roles in mediating abscission. Abscission occurs at the thin membrane neck that forms at the constriction zone located adjacent to the MR. An important signal for initiation of abscission is the degradation of the mitotic kinase PLK1 (Polo-like kinase 1) that triggers the targeting of CEP55 (centrosomal protein of 55 kDa) to the MR. CEP55 interacts directly with GPP(3x)Y motifs in the ESCRT-associated protein ALIX (ALG-2-interacting protein X) and in the ESCRT-I component TSG101, thereby recruiting them to the MR. ALIX and TSG101 in turn recruit the ESCRT-III component CHMP4B, which is followed by ESCRT-III polymerization into helical filaments that spiral/slide to the site of abscission. The VPS4 ATPase is thought to promote ESCRT-III redistribution toward the abscission site. Prior to abscission ESCRT-III/CHMP1B recruits Spastin that mediates MT depolymerization at the abscission site. ESCRT-III then facilitates membrane scission of the thin membrane neck, thereby mediating abscission (Eikenes, 2015).
Cytokinesis is tightly controlled by the activation and inactivation of mitotic kinases at several steps to ensure its faithful spatiotemporal progression. Cytokinesis conventionally proceeds to completion via abscission, but is differentially controlled depending on the cell type during the development of metazoan tissues. For example, germ cells in species ranging from insects to humans undergo incomplete cytokinesis leading to the formation of germline cysts in which cells are interconnected via stable intercellular bridges. How cytokinesis is modified to achieve different abscission timing in different cell types is not well understood, but molecular understanding of the regulation of the abscission machinery has started giving some mechanistic insight (Eikenes, 2015).
The Drosophila female germline represents a powerful system to address mechanisms controlling cytokinesis and abscission in vivo. Each Drosophila female germline stem cell (fGSC) divides asymmetrically with complete cytokinesis to give rise to another fGSC and a daughter cell cystoblast (CB). Cytokinesis during fGSC division is delayed so that abscission takes place during the G2 phase of the following cell cycle (about 24 hours later). The CB in turn undergoes four mitotic divisions with incomplete cytokinesis giving rise to a 16-cell cyst in which the cells remain interconnected by stable intercellular bridges called ring canals (RCs). One of the 16 cells with four RCs will become specified as the oocyte and the cyst becomes encapsulated by a single layer follicle cell epithelium to form an egg chamber. Drosophila male GSCs (mGSCs) also divide asymmetrically with complete cytokinesis to give rise to another mGSC and a daughter cell gonialblast (GB). Anillin, Pavarotti, Cindr, Cyclin B and Orbit are known factors localizing at RCs/MRs and/or MBs during complete cytokinesis in fGSCs and/or mGSCs. It has been recently reported that Aurora B delays abscission and that Cyclin B promotes abscission in Drosophila germ cells and that mutual inhibitions between Aurora B and Cyclin B/Cdk-1 control the timing of abscission in Drosophila fGSCs and germline cysts. However, little is known about further molecular mechanisms controlling cytokinesis and abscission in Drosophila fGSCs (Eikenes, 2015).
This study has characterize the roles of ALIX and the ESCRT-III component Shrub during cytokinesis in Drosophila fGSCs. ALIX and Shrub are required for completion of abscission in fGSCs. They co-localize during this process, and their direct interaction is required for abscission with normal kinetics. This study thus shows that a complex between ALIX and Shrub is required for abscission in fGSCs and provide evidence of an evolutionarily conserved functional role of the ALIX/ESCRT-III pathway in mediating cytokinetic abscission in the context of a multi-cellular organism (Eikenes, 2015).
Loss of ALIX or/and Shrub function or inhibition of their interaction delays abscission in fGSCs leading to the formation of stem cysts in which the fGSC remains interconnected to chains of daughter cells via MRs. As abscission eventually takes place a cyst of e.g. 2 germ cells may pinch off and subsequently undergo four mitotic divisions to give rise to a germline cyst with 32 germ cells. Consistently, loss of ALIX or/and Shrub or interference with their interaction caused a high frequency of egg chambers with 32 germ cells during Drosophila oogenesis. It was also found that ALIX controls cytokinetic abscission in both fGSCs and mGSCs and thus that ALIX plays a universal role in cytokinesis during asymmetric GSC division in Drosophila. Taken together this study provides evidence that the ALIX/ESCRT-III pathway is required for normal abscission timing in a living metazoan tissue (Eikenes, 2015).
The results together with findings in other models underline the evolutionary conservation of the ESCRT system and associated proteins in cytokinetic abscission. Specifically, ESCRT-I or ESCRT-III have been implicated in abscission in a subset of Archaea (ESCRT-III), in A. thaliana (elch/tsg101/ESCRT-I) and in C. elegans (tsg101/ESCRT-I). In S. cerevisiae, Bro1 (ALIX) and Snf7 (CHMP4/ESCRT-III) have also been suggested to facilitate cytokinesis. In cultured Drosophila cells, Shrub/ESCRT-III mediates abscission and in human cells in culture ALIX, TSG101/ESCRT-I and CHMP4B/ESCRT-III promote abscission. ALIX and the ESCRT system thus act in an ancient pathway to mediate cytokinetic abscission (Eikenes, 2015).
Despite the fact that an essential role of ALIX in promoting cytokinetic abscission during asymmetric GSC division was found in the Drosophila female and male germlines, strong bi-nucleation directly attributed to cytokinesis failure was found in Drosophila alix mutants in the somatic cell types that were examined. This might have multiple explanations. One possibility is that maternally contributed alix mRNA may support normal cytokinesis and development. Whereas ALIX and CHMP4B depletion in cultured mammalian cells causes a high frequency of bi- and multi-nucleation it is also possible that cells do not readily become bi-nucleate upon failure of the final step of cytokinetic abscission in the context of a multi-cellular organism. Consistent with the observations of a high frequency of stem cysts upon loss of ALIX and Shrub in the germline, Shrub depletion in cultured Drosophila cells resulted in chains of cells interconnected via intercellular bridges/MRs due to multiple rounds of cell division with failed abscission (Steigemann, 2009). Moreover, loss of ESCRT-I/tsg101 function in the C. elegans embryo did not cause furrow regression. These and the current observations suggest that ALIX- and Shrub/ESCRT-depleted cells can halt and are stable at the MR stage for long periods of time and from which cleavage furrows may not easily regress, at least not in these cell types and in the context of a multi-cellular organism. It is also possible that redundant mechanisms contribute to abscission during symmetric cytokinesis in somatic Drosophila cells. Further studies should address the general involvement of ALIX and ESCRT-III in cytokinetic abscission in somatic cells in vivo (Eikenes, 2015).
Different cell types display different abscission timing, intercellular bridge morphologies and spatiotemporal control of cytokinesis. In fGSCs it was found that ALIX and Shrub co-localize throughout late stages of cytokinesis and abscission. In human cells ALIX localizes in the central region of the MB, whereas CHMP4B at first localizes at two cortical ring-like structures adjacent to the central MB region and then progressively distributes also at the constriction zone where it promotes abscission. ALIX and CHMP4B are thus found at discrete locations within the intercellular bridge as cells approach abscission in human cultured cells. In contrast, ESCRT-III localizes to a ring-like structure during cytokinesis in Archaea, resembling the Shrub localization at MRs was observed in Drosophila fGSCs. Moreover, ALIX and Shrub are present at MRs for a much longer time (from G1/S) prior to abscission (in G2) in fGSCs than in human cultured cells. Here, ALIX and CHMP4B are increasingly recruited about an hour before abscission and then CHMP4B acutely increases at the constriction zones shortly (~30 min) before the abscission event (Eikenes, 2015).
How may ALIX and Shrub be recruited to the MR/MB in Drosophila cells in the absence of CEP55 that is a major recruiter of ALIX and ultimately CHMP4/ESCRT-III in human cells? Curiously, a GPP(3x)Y consensus motif was detected within the Drosophila ALIX sequence (GPPPGHY, aa 808-814) resembling the CEP55-interacting motif in human ALIX (GPPYPTY, aa 800-806). Whether Drosophila ALIX is recruited to the MR/MB via a protein(s) interacting with this motif or other domains is presently uncharacterized. Accordingly, alternative pathways of ALIX and ESCRT recruitment have been reported, as well as suggested in C. elegans, where CEP55 is also missing. Further studies are needed to elucidate mechanisms of recruitment and spatiotemporal control of ALIX and ESCRT-III during cytokinesis in fGSCs and different cell types in vivo (Eikenes, 2015).
This study found that the direct interaction between ALIX and Shrub is required for completion of abscission with normal kinetics in fGSCs. This is consistent with findings in human cells in which loss of the interaction between ALIX and CHMP4B causes abnormal midbody morphology and multi-nucleation. Following ALIX-mediated recruitment of CHMP4B/ESCRT-III to cortical rings adjacent to the MR in human cells, ESCRT-III extends in spiral-like filaments to promote membrane scission. Due to the discrete localizations of ALIX and CHMP4B during abscission in human cells ALIX has been proposed to contribute to ESCRT-III filament nucleation. In vitro studies have shown that the interaction between ALIX and CHMP4B may release autoinhibitory intermolecular interactions within both proteins and promote CHMP4B polymerization. Specifically, ALIX dimers can bundle pairs of CHMP4B filaments in vitro. Moreover, in yeast, the interaction of the ALIX homologue Bro1 with Snf7 (CHMP4 homologue) enhances the stability of ESCRT-III polymers. There is a high degree of evolutionary conservation of ALIX and ESCRT-III proteins and because ALIX and Shrub co-localize and interact to promote abscission in fGSCs it is possible that ALIX can facilitate Shrub filament nucleation and/or polymerization during this process (Eikenes, 2015).
The current findings indicate that accurate control of the levels and interaction of ALIX and Shrub ensure proper abscission timing in fGSCs. Their reduced levels or interfering with their complex formation caused delayed abscission kinetics. How cytokinesis is modified to achieve a delay in abscission in Drosophila fGSCs and incomplete cytokinesis in germline cysts is not well understood. Aurora B plays an important role in controlling abscission timing both in human cells and the Drosophila female germline. During Drosophila germ cell development Aurora B contributes to mediating a delay of abscission in fGSCs and a block in cytokinesis in germline cysts. Bam expression has also been proposed to block abscission in germline cysts. It will be interesting to investigate mechanisms regulating the levels, activity and complex assembly of ALIX and Shrub and other abscission regulators at MRs/MBs to gain insight into how the abscission machinery is modified to control abscission timing in fGSCs (Eikenes, 2015).
Intercellular bridge MTs in fGSC-CB pairs were degraded in G1/S when the fusome adopted bar morphology. Abscission in G2 thus appears to occur independently of intercellular bridge MTs in Drosophila fGSCs. This has also been described in C. elegans embryonic cells where the MR scaffolds the abscission machinery as well as in Archaea that lack the MT cytoskeleton]. In mammalian and Drosophila S2 cells in culture, on the other hand, intercellular bridge MTs are present until just prior to abscission (Eikenes, 2015).
It is interesting to note a resemblance of the stem cysts that appeared upon loss of ALIX and Shrub function to germline cysts in that the MRs remained open for long periods of time similar to RCs. Some modification of ALIX and Shrub levels/recruitment may thus contribute to incomplete cytokinesis in Drosophila germline cysts under normal conditions. Because stem cysts were detected in the case when ALIX weakly interacted with Shrub it is also possible that inhibition of their complex assembly/activity may contribute to incomplete cytokinesis in germline cysts. Abscission factors, such as ALIX and Shrub, may thus be modified and/or inhibited during incomplete cytokinesis in germline cysts. Such a scenario has been shown in the mouse male germline where abscission is blocked by inhibition of CEP55-mediated recruitment of the abscission machinery, including ALIX, to stable intercellular bridges. Altogether these data thus suggest that ALIX and Shrub are essential components of the abscission machinery in Drosophila GSCs, and it is speculated that their absence or inactivation may contribute to incomplete cytokinesis. More insight into molecular mechanisms controlling abscission timing and how the abscission machinery is modified in different cellular contexts will give valuable information about mechanisms controlling complete versus incomplete cytokinesis in vivo (Eikenes, 2015).
In summary, this study reports that a complex between ALIX and Shrub is required for completion of cytokinetic abscission with normal kinetics during asymmetric Drosophila GSC division, giving molecular insight into the mechanics of abscission in a developing tissue in vivo (Eikenes, 2015).
Recent work indicates that defects in late phases of the endosomal pathway caused by loss of function of the tumour suppressor gene lethal (2) giant discs (lgd) or the function of the ESCRT complexes I-III result in the ligand-independent activation of the Notch pathway in all imaginal disc cells in Drosophila. lgd encodes a member of an uncharacterised protein family, whose members contain one C2 domain and four repeats of the DM14 domain. The function of the DM14 domain is unknown. This study reports a detailed structure-function analysis of Lgd protein, which reveals that the DM14 domains are essential for the function of Lgd and act in a redundant manner. Moreover, this analysis indicates that the DM14 domain provides the specific function, whereas the C2 domain is required for the subcellular location of Lgd. Lgd was found to interact directly with the ESCRT-III subunit Shrub through the DM14 domains. The interaction is required for the function of Shrub, indicating that Lgd contributes to the function of the ESCRT-III complex. Furthermore, genetic studies indicate that the activation of Notch in ESCRT and lgd mutant cells occurs in a different manner and that the activity of Shrub and other ESCRT components are required for the activation of Notch in lgd mutant cells (Troost, 2012).
This study reports the results of a detailed structure-function analysis of Lgd, a member of a recently discovered protein family whose hallmark is the possession of four tandem repeats of the uncharacterised DM14 domain. Although a recent study has reported a similar analysis for human Lgd2 in cell culture (Zhao, 2010), this is the first comprehensive analysis of a member of this uncharacterised protein family in an animal model. For the analysis a new assay system was developed that assured expression of the constructs at the level of endogenous lgd. This was necessary because it was found that the process of protein trafficking is very sensitive to overexpression of Lgd. Thus, data obtained by overexpression of Lgd proteins (e.g., in cell culture) must be interpreted with great caution. This notion can probably be extended to other elements of the endosomal pathway, because dramatic changes have be observed in endosome morphology if other endosomal proteins, such as FYVE-GFP, Rab5-GFP or Rab7-GFP, are expressed with the Gal4 system. Moreover, this study found that overexpression of these proteins suppresses the activation of Notch in lgd cells. These findings indicate that the overexpression of endosomal proteins induces significant changes in protein trafficking through the endosomal pathway (Troost, 2012).
This study found that the DM14 domains are important for the function of Lgd and that they constitute novel modules for direct interaction with a core member of the ESCRT-III complex during protein trafficking. Moreover, this analysis reveals that the DM14 domains provide the specific function of Lgd and function in a redundant manner. Using cell culture, Nakamura (2008) provided evidence that the fourth DM14 domain of Lgd2 is especially important for its function as a scaffold protein that is required for PDK1/Akt signalling activated by the EGF. However, no specific importance of the fourth DM14 domain could be detected in Drosophila. In the assay conditions used, any combination of two of the four domains appears to be sufficient for Lgd function and can rescue the lgd mutant phenotype (Troost, 2012).
However, this notion holds true only if the concentration of Shrub is normal. In situations where the activity of Shrub is reduced (shrub4-1/+), variants with four domains can provide more activity and assure sufficient interaction to maintain correct endosomal trafficking. This was already observed in animals that are hypomorphic for lgd (lgdd7/lgdSH495 shrub4-1). In other words, four DM14 copies enable the organism to tolerate the lgd shrub double heterozygous situation. Because almost all Lgd-like proteins discovered so far have four copies, it is likely that this ability endows members of the family with a functional robustness that is evolutionarily advantageous. The rescue experiments in the sensitized lgd +/lgd shrub4-1 backgrounds also suggest that the second DM14 domain is of greatest importance for the function of Lgd in Drosophila. This is in contrast to results of cell culture experiments for human Lgd2 (Nakamura, 2008). However, it is important to point out that most of the evidence for function in mammals is obtained with cell culture experiments, which often involve the overexpression of Lgd orthologues at levels way above endogenous levels. Given the great difficulties in gaining sensible results using the Gal4 system, these data should be interpreted carefully (Troost, 2012).
It has been previously shown that the C2 domain of Lgd can bind to certain phospholipids, such as phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate, phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate and phosphatidylinositol 5-phosphate, in an in vitro assay (Gallagher, 2006). Furthermore, cell fractionation experiments using cytosolic extracts from wild-type and the lgd08 mutant animals that encode a variant lacking the C2 domain, suggest that a small fraction is associated with the membrane in a C2-dependent manner. These biochemical data are contrasted by microscopy studies, which reported a cytosolic distribution of Lgd without any obvious association with membrane structures. In agreement, this study found that tagged Lgd variants expressed at the endogenous level are localised within the cytosol. Moreover, it was found that a lgd construct, encoding little more than the C2 domain and virtually identical to the Lgd fragment used in the in vitro phospholipid binding assay (Gallagher, 2006), is located in the cytosol similarly to Lgd. The discrepancy between the biochemical and microscopy data might be explained by the possibility that only a small fraction of Lgd (which cannot be detected in antibody staining) is associated with membranes. However, knowing that Lgd interacts with Shrub, it is surprising that no obvious association of Lgd was found even upon depletion of Vps4, although the ESCRT-III complex is locked on the endosomal membrane in this situation. One would expect that the membrane-associated fraction of Lgd should be increased in this situation. Thus, it is believed that Lgd is located within the cytosol. This notion is further supported by the fact that variants of Lgd that lack the C2 domain can rescue the lgd mutant phenotype to a high degree, although they are produced at a much lower level than the other constructs tested and than endogenous Lgd (Troost, 2012).
Three distinct functions were determined for the C2 domain. The first function is that it provides protein stability, because it was found that the constructs encoding variants without the C2 domain give rise to significantly lower amounts of protein than variants with the domain. The second function is the localisation of Lgd within the cytosol. This function provides an explanation for the discrepancy between the in vivo and biochemical studies, because variants without the C2 domains were found to be located in the nucleus. The reason for the mis-localisation of Lgd variants that lack the C2 domain is unclear at the moment. No cryptic nuclear localisation sequence (NLS) has been found within Lgd. Thus, it is possible that it is transported in the nucleus in complex with another protein that contains an NLS (Troost, 2012).
The presented results suggest a third function for the C2 domain, because it was found that LgdδDM14, which cannot provide any specific function in the rescue assay, can out-compete NESLgdδC2 in a C2-dependent manner and thereby prevent the partial rescue of lgd mutants. A likely possibility is that the C2 domain mediates an interaction with other proteins that results in concentration of Lgd at the site of action within the cytosol. In agreement with this possibility, recent reports have shown that the C2 domains of Nedd4L, PKC and PKCe mediate protein-protein interactions. Furthermore, human Lgd2/CC2D1A appears to interact via its C2 domain with the E2 enzyme Ubc13 during NF-kappaB signalling (Zhao, 2010). Therefore, the possibility is favored that the C2 domain of Lgd mediates protein-protein interactions instead of localising Lgd to a distinct membrane. It is possible that the cytosolic interaction prevents Lgd from migrating into the nucleus (Troost, 2012).
Recent results obtained in mammalian cell culture experiments suggest that human Lgd1 and Lgd2 might also act as transcriptional repressors (Hadjighassem, 2009; Ou, 2003). This study found that Lgd requires location within the cytosol for its function. Hence, the current results are not easily compatible with a function as a transcription factor, as suggested for human Lgd1 and Lgd2, and it is believed that a gene regulatory function for Lgd inDrosophila is unlikely (Troost, 2012).
Previous work has established that loss of function of ESCRT-I-ESCRT-III complexes results in non-autonomous and autonomous cell proliferation and activation of the Notch pathway. In addition, the mutant cells lose their epithelial organisation and eventually die. Although loss of function of lgd results in activation of the Notch pathway and overproliferation, these effects are cell-autonomous, and the mutant cells do not lose their polarity and survive well. Thus, the phenotypes of the two groups overlap, but are not identical. Nevertheless, this study has found an intimate relationship between the ESCRT-III component Shrub and Lgd. Both proteins physically interact and this direct interaction is important in vivo, as indicated by the strong genetic interactions uncovered between the two genes. Importantly, it was observed that the time of death for a hypomorphic allelic combination of lgd, which normally results in pharate adults, is earlier than that of lgd null mutants if the activity of shrub is reduced by half. The earlier time of death suggests that the function of shrub is impaired upon loss of lgd function. Thus, it appears that the physical interaction with Lgd is required for the proper function of Shrub. Because the loss-of-function phenotype of shrub is more deleterious and includes more aspects than that of lgd, it is likely that lgd contributes to, but is not absolutely required for, the function of shrub. Either loss of lgd results in the loss of one distinct aspect of Shrub function or it reduces its activity beyond a threshold that is required for complete function. The finding that overexpression of Shrub can rescue the lgd phenotype supports the second possibility. Recent work suggests that Shrub forms long homopolymers on the cytosolic surface of the endosomal membrane. This polymerisation is required for the abscission of vesicles into the lumen of the maturing endosome (Saksena, 2009). In order to polymerise, Shrub has to be converted from a closed cytosolic into the open form. After intraluminal vesicle (ILV) formation, Shrub becomes converted into the closed form by Vps4, with consumption of ATP. Because the data suggest that Shrub and Lgd interact in the cytosol, it is possible that Lgd somehow helps to prepare Shrub for the next round of polymerisation on the endosomal membrane (Troost, 2012).
The presented genetic studies suggest an antagonistic relationship between Lgd and several components of the ESCRT complexes with respect to Notch activation. This implies that activation of Notch in lgd cells depends on the function of the ESCRT complexes and therefore indicates that it must occur in a different manner in lgd cells to that in ESCRT-mutant cells. The results suggest that loss of lgd function somehow affects the activity of Shrub, which in turn results in the activation of Notch. It is important to point out that the antagonism between lgd and ESCRT is observed only with respect to activation of Notch signalling. With respect to endosome morphology, they appear to act synergistically because a reduction of shrub function by half results in a dramatic enlargement of endosomes of lgd hypomorphic cells, which normally do not exhibit such a defect. The results therefore reveal a complex relationship between Lgd and the ESCRT function and further work is required to resolve this relationship in detail (Troost, 2012).
Because activation of Notch is not possible without release of the Notch intracellular domain (NICD) into the cytosol, it is assumed that a fraction or all of Notch must somehow remain at the limiting membrane of the endosome and is not incorporated into ILVs in lgd cells. There are three possibilities for how this might be achieved: no ILVs form; Notch might not be efficiently incorporated into the ILVs; or ILVs might back-fuse with the limiting membrane of the maturing endosome. Back-fusion has been documented to occur in vertebrate cells. The current results suggest that loss of lgd function results in a reduction in the activity of Shrub. Therefore, the possibility is favored that the loss of lgd function results in a less efficient incorporation of Notch into the ILVs due to the reduced activity of Shrub (Troost, 2012).
The tumour suppressor Lethal (2) giant discs (Lgd) is a regulator of endosomal trafficking of the Notch signalling receptor as well as other transmembrane proteins in Drosophila. The loss of its function results in an uncontrolled ligand-independent activation of the Notch signalling receptor. This study investigated the consequences of loss of lgd function and the requirements for the activation of Notch. The activation of Notch in lgd cells was shown to be independent of Kuz and dependent on γ-secretase. The lgd cells were found to have a defect that delays degradation of transmembrane proteins, which are residents of the plasma membrane. Furthermore, the results show that the activation of Notch in lgd cells occurs in the lysosome. By contrast, the pathway is activated at an earlier phase in mutants of the gene that encodes the ESCRT-III component Shrub, which is an interaction partner of Lgd. It was further shown that activation of Notch appears to be a general consequence of loss of lgd function. In addition, electron microscopy of lgd cells revealed that they contain enlarged multi-vesicular bodies. The presented results further elucidate the mechanism of uncontrolled Notch activation upon derailed endocytosis (Schneider, 2013).
Notch signalling is involved in many homeostatic and developmental processes in all metazoans and uncontrolled activation is a cause of disease in humans. Hence, it is important to unravel the mechanisms of its normal as well as its uncontrolled activation. Previous work has shown that loss of lgd function results in the ligand-independent activation of the Notch signalling pathway in imaginal disc cells. This activation was still dependent on the activity of the function of Psn, which encodes a component of the γ-secretase complex. This work extends the characterisation of lgd and defines the condition under which Notch is activated in lgd cells more precisely. Moreover, activation of Notch was shown to be a consequence of loss of lgd function also in another tissue, the follicle epithelium. This suggests that it is a general consequence of loss of lgd function in cells in Drosophila. It was confirmed that the γ-secretase complex is necessary for the activation of Notch in lgd cells. In addition, the first EM analysis is presented of lgd mutant cells, which indicates that a fraction of the endosomes of lgd cells is indeed enlarged and contain ILVs (Schneider, 2013).
Previously a model was suggested of how Notch is activated in lgd cells (Troost, 2012). Several of the uncertainties of this model are resolved by the results of the current work. This study showed that activation of Notch requires the fusion of the endosome with the lysosome. Thus, activation probably occurs in the lysosome and not the ME. This finding has several implications. First, it indicates that the defect occurs during endosome maturation in lgd cells, since fusion of the ME with the lysosome does not result in activation of Notch in wild-type cells. Secondly, it indicates that although lgd cells are defective in degradation of trans-membrane proteins, the MEs eventually fuse with lysosomes. Thus, degradation is delayed rather than prevented. This delay in fusion can explain the observation that lgd cells contain a fraction of moderately enlarged MVBs, because it allows the MEs to undergo more homotypic fusions and, thus, to grow to a larger size than normal over time. Thirdly, it indicates that the observed accumulation of Notch in MEs to high levels is not per se the cause of activation of the pathway. This notion is also supported by the observation that although all lgd cells of the follicular epithelium activate the Notch-pathway, not all show strong accumulation of Notch in MEs (Schneider, 2013).
A prerequisite for all Notch activation is that the NICD must face the cytosol so that it can access the nucleus after its release. During normal degradation, Notch is incorporated into ILVs and the NICD is separated from the cytosol. Thus, it cannot access the nucleus even if cleavage would occur. This consideration implies that in lgd cells the formation of ILVs must either fail or Notch is inefficiently incorporated in them. EM analysis revealed that the enlarged MEs contained ILVs. Thus, it appears that ILV formation is at least not strongly affected by loss of lgd. It has been recently shown that Lgd physically interacts with Shrub and is required for its full function (Troost, 2012). A similar interaction has been reported between the mammalian orthologues of Lgd interact and the orthologues of Shrub, CHMP4a, b, c (Martinelli, 2012; Usami, 2012). Moreover, in vitro experiments suggest that Lgd1 and Lgd2 can influence the polymerisation of CHMP proteins (Martinelli, 2012). The possibility is therefore favored that upon loss of lgd function, Notch is inefficiently incorporated into the ILVs due to a reduction, but not abolishment in the activity of shrub. Consequently, a fraction or all of Notch is not incorporated into ILVs and remains in the limiting membrane of the ME (NLM fraction). This NLM fraction is then activated in a ligand-independent manner. However, generating a NLM fraction is a prerequisite for activation of Notch in lgd cells, but it is not sufficient. Loss of hrs function prevents activation of Notch in lgd cells. In hrs mutants, the formation of ILVs is suppressed and, as a result, cargo (Notch) remains in the LM. (Schneider, 2013).
The current results provide more information about the further requirements of Notch activation in lgd cells. Activation of Notch is not only independent of the ligands, but also of kuz. Kuz is required for ecto-domain shedding, which is a prerequisite for RIP by the γ-secretase complex. Since the activity of the γ-secretase complex is necessary for activation of Notch in lgd cells, ecto-domain shedding of Notch must occur by an alternative manner in lgd cells. Alternative ecto-domain shedding of the NLM fraction in the lysosome can be easily explained by the degradation of the NECD, which extends into the lumen by the activated acidic hydrolases. In this way a NEXT-like fragment could be generated that serves as a substrate for the γ-secretase complex. It has been shown that the γ-secretase complex is active in the lysosome and it is likely that it can perform RIP on the NEXT-like fragment to release NICD into the cytosol. In agreement with this scenario is the finding that NδEGF is activated in lgd, but not in wild-type cells. This suggests that the remaining lin12 repeats of NδEGF that are protruding into the lumen change their conformation or become degraded in lgd cells. Activation of Notch in lgd cells requires the function of the activity of vATPase. This proton pump is required for the acidification of the lumen of MEs, which in turn is a prerequisite for the activation of the acidic hydrolases in the lysosome. The function of vATPase during activation of the Notch pathway in lgd cells could be twofold: Its activity is the prerequisite for the activation of hydrolases. Additionally, the resulting acidification of the lumen might also denature NECD or even resolve the Ca2+ salt bridges between NICD and NECD. It is worth pointing out that the function of vATPase during Notch activation in lgd cells is different from that during ligand-dependent activation. This activation appears to occur in the EE, whose luminal pH is significantly higher. However, the data suggest that the S1 cleavage is required in addition. Thus, it is probably an interplay of several factors that causes the activation of Notch (Schneider, 2013).
The results refine a previously suggested model of Notch activation in lgd cells . It suggests that the loss of lgd function results in a reduction in the activity of Shrub. As a consequence a fraction or all of Notch remains at the limiting membrane of the ME. Upon fusion with the lysosome the activated hydrolases, possibly in combination of the acidic environment causes alternative ecto-domain shedding. This creates a NEXT-like substrate for the γ-secretase complex, which releases NICD into the cytosol (Schneider, 2013).
The model is very similar to that suggested for the regulation of activation of Notch by the E3-ligase Deltex. Recent work reports an intimate functional relationship between the arrestin-like protein Kurtz (Krz), Deltex (Dx) and Shrub upon regulation of Notch (Hori, 2011). The authors suggested a model in which Shrub downregulates the activity of Notch by incorporating the poly-ubiquitinated receptor into ILVs, while Dx antagonises this incorporation and promotes activation. Dx exerts its function by regulating the ubiquitination status of NICD. Its overexpression shifts the equilibrium from poly- to mono-ubiquitylation. It will be interesting to determine how Lgd fits into this scheme. Qualitatively, the phenotype of loss of lgd function is similar to that of Dx overexpression, although the level of Notch activation is stronger. This would suggest that Lgd antagonises the function of Dx. The model proposed by Hori (2011) suggests that Dx prevents the incorporation of Notch into ILVs by Shrub. Lgd appears to influence the activity of Shrub by direct physical interaction (Troost, 2012). Thus, the possibility is favored that the relationship between Dx and Lgd is indirect and mediated through Shrub (Schneider, 2013).
The experiments indicate that a process is required for activation of Notch in lgd cells that has limited capacity. A possibility is that the affected process is the cleavage of Notch the γ-secretase complex, as it was observed that the ectopic activation of Notch in lgd cells is suppressed through reduction of the activity of the complex. If this is true it has to be explained how other transmembrane proteins that can compete with Notch are transformed into substrates for the γ-secretase complex. A possibility is that they also undergo alternative ecto-domain shedding (Schneider, 2013).
This study has confirmed that loss of shrub function results in the activation of the Notch pathway also during oogenesis. Further support is provided for the previously drawn conclusion that the activation of Notch in shrub cells occurs through another mechanism than in the case of lgd, because it was found that the activation of Notch is suppressed if Rab7 is depleted in lgd but not shrub cells (Troost, 2012). This finding indicates that the activation in shrub cells occurs in the ME rather than in the lysosome. Thus, activation of Notch can occur in several endosomal compartments (Schneider, 2013).
It is possible that different levels of inactivation of shrub trigger different modes of Notch activation. The loss of shrub function results in a strong activation of Notch and loss of epithelial integrity (Hori, 2011; Troost, 2012). However, slight reduction of shrub function only weakly activates Notch and appears to have little effect on the epithelial integrity (Hori, 2011). This raises the possibility that activation of Notch through reduction of shrub activity might occur through a different mechanism than upon abolishment of shrub function. It would be interesting to investigate whether the slight activation of Notch occurs in the lysosome or endosome (Schneider, 2013).
The Notch signaling pathway defines a conserved mechanism that regulates cell fate decisions in metazoans. Signaling is modulated by a broad and multifaceted genetic circuitry, including members of the endocytic machinery. Several individual steps in the endocytic pathway have been linked to the positive or negative regulation of the Notch receptor. In seeking genetic elements involved in regulating the endosomal/lysosomal degradation of Notch, mediated by the molecular synergy between the ubiquitin ligase Deltex and Kurtz, the nonvisual beta-arrestin in Drosophila, this study identified Shrub, a core component of the ESCRT-III complex as a key modulator of this synergy. Shrub promotes the lysosomal degradation of the receptor by mediating its delivery into multivesicular bodies (MVBs). However, the interplay between Deltex, Kurtz, and Shrub can bypass this path, leading to the activation of the receptor. This analysis shows that Shrub plays a pivotal rate-limiting step in late endosomal ligand-independent Notch activation, depending on the Deltex-dependent ubiquitinylation state of the receptor. This activation mode of the receptor emphasizes the complexity of Notch signal modulation in a cell and has significant implications for both development and disease (Hori, 2011).
The extraordinary sensitivity of normal development to the dosage of the Notch receptor is manifested through the haploinsufficient and triplomutant behavior of the Notch locus. Dosage sensitivity is consistent with the fact that the Notch signaling mechanism relies on stoichiometric interactions rather than enzymatic amplification steps to bring the signal from the surface to the nucleus. This also provides a rationale for the observation that cellular events involved in trafficking/turnover are emerging as major Notch signal-controlling mechanisms. The canonical pathway relies on the activation of the receptor triggered by its interaction with membrane-bound ligands on an apposing cell but the possibility that the receptor can also be activated intracellularly, in a ligand-independent fashion, as several studies, including the present one, suggest, has important implications for the biology and pathobiology of Notch. The rules governing how and where a receptor, trafficking through the endocytic compartments, can be activated, in the presence or absence of the ligand, are still not completely defined. Moreover, it is not understood how such events are integrated into the genetic circuitry that affects the regulation of endosomal compartment assembly and function (Hori, 2011).
This study provides insight into these questions by showing that the interplay between the Notch signal modulator Dx, the nonvisual β-arrestin orthologue Krz, and a critical component of the ESCRT-III complex, Shrub, directs Notch either into a degradation or into a ligand-independent activation path, which is paralleled by distinct ubiquitinylation states of Notch. The ESCRT pathway, recently described as a 'cargo-recognition and membrane-sculpting machine,' defines a complex, multipurpose cellular machinery with cellular roles and molecular mechanisms that are not fully elucidated (Henne, 2011). ESCRT is crucial in mediating the various steps leading to the sorting of membrane proteins into MVBs on their way to lysosomal degradation. The implication of Shrub in Notch signaling-related processes was revealed through an unbiased genetic screen for isogenic modifiers of the dx-krz-dependent phenotype, which is based on the endosomal/lysosomal degradation of the Notch receptor. This study is not the first to provide a general link between Notch signaling with the ESCRT machinery, but both the genetic screen as well as the subsequent analysis points to the differential and major role of the ESCRT-III complex in the dx-krz-dependent, ligand-independent mode of Notch signaling described in this study (Hori, 2011).
Several studies established that as the Notch receptor enters an endocytic path, it can be activated inside the cell in both a ligand-dependent as well as ligand-independent fashion. Consequently, several elements of the endosomal machinery including elements of the ESCRT complexes were shown to influence the intracellular accumulation and activation of the Notch receptor. The current data are compatible with these studies and indeed extend and complement them. These studies are not directly comparable, not only because of differing genetic backgrounds, a crucial element in evaluating genetic interactions, but also because this study is analyzing the impact of ESCRT function on the modulation of Notch signaling via the synergistic action of Dx and Krz, which may well define a different but specific path. Considering the entire body of work related to various aspects of Notch receptor trafficking it seems that there may be several, distinct ways the receptor can be activated after entering the endocytic path. Some studies link early endosomes with the activation of the receptor, whereas others implicate late endosomal compartments with ligand-independent activation of Notch. Particularly relevant to the activation mode documented in this study are the genetic studies of Wilkin (2008) that associated Notch activation with the HOPS (homotypic fusion and vacuole protein sorting) and AP-3 (adaptor protein-3) complexes, demonstrating the existence of a Notch activation path that is dependent on late endosomal compartments (Hori, 2011).
This study found that the expression of Shrub triggers a dramatic subcellular shift of the Notch receptor to MVBs, consistent with the fact that ESCRT-III mediates the cargo de-ubiquitination, budding, and scission of intraluminal vesicles, which control the delivery of the cargo to the lysosomes. The down-regulation of Notch signals by Shrub is apparently associated with the recruitment of Notch in intraluminal vesicles and its eventual degradation. On the other hand, disrupting the cellular equilibrium between Dx and Shrub by down-regulating Shrub and/or up-regulating Dx activates the receptor in a ligand-independent manner. It is also clear that the mode of Notch activation document in this study is independent of the ligands and is linked to the ubiquitinylation status of the Notch receptor, which in turn is modulated by Dx and Krz. Krz was shown to modulate Notch activity through its ability to regulate the levels of the Notch protein. It is noted with interest that although β-arrestins have been implicated as adaptors during clathrin-dependent endocytosis, Ram8, an arrestin homologous protein in yeast, has also been associated with the recruitment of the ESCRT machinery to MVBs loaded with a G-coupled receptor cargo. If Krz has a similar relationship with the ESCRT machinery, it may be involved in sorting Notch on MVBs and hence the eventual recruitment of Notch in intraluminal vesicles for degradation, a notion compatible with the observation that Krz enhances the Shrub-dependent down-regulation of Notch (Hori, 2011).
In order for the receptor to enter intraluminal vesicles, a de-ubiquitinylation of the cargo must take place. It is noteworthy that Snf7 (the Shrub orthologue in yeast) recruits the de-ubiquitinating enzyme Doa4 necessary for such cargo de-ubiquitination. In cell culture studies, where the relative subcellular localization of Notch, Shrub, and Dx could clearly be followed, localization of Notch, Shrub, and Dx with MVB membranes was observed. Because this subcellular phenotype is paralleled by a dramatic ligand-independent activation of the receptor and a shift from poly- to a mono-ubiquitination status of the receptor, this leads to a suggestion that Dx, which physically interacts with Notch, interferes with processes that are essential for loading the receptor on intraluminal vesicles (Hori, 2011).
It is clear that a more detailed analysis of subcellular dynamics in vivo is necessary to address many of the questions raised by the present study. On the basis of the data presented in this study a model is presented for the activation mode that was uncovered. It is suggested that the ESCRT-III component Shrub can regulate receptor cycling, diverting it to a signaling path, a fate modulated by Dx and Krz. Thus, Notch signaling can be attenuated inside the cell in a ligand-independent fashion. It remains to be determined how such intracellular signaling serves the developmental logic of Notch which couples the fate of one cell to that of the next door cellular neighbor. It is possible for such mode of Notch action to be useful to modulate the fate of a cell that, for example, circulates and is thus not necessarily in contact with a ligand-expressing neighbor. Irrespective of the potential role ligand-independent activation may play in normal development, activating the receptor can have profound pathological consequences. Therefore, understanding pathways capable of modulating Notch activity in an intracellular, ligand-independent manner is of great importance (Hori, 2011).
The tumour suppressor gene lethal (2) giant discs (lgd) is involved in endosomal trafficking of transmembrane proteins in Drosophila. Loss of function results in the ligand-independent activation of the Notch pathway in all imaginal disc cells and follicle cells. Analysis of lgd loss of function has largely been restricted to imaginal discs and suggests that no other signalling pathway is affected. The devotion of Lgd to the Notch pathway was puzzling given that lgd loss of function also affects trafficking of components of other signalling pathways, such as the Dpp (a Drosophila BMP) pathway. Moreover, Lgd physically interacts with Shrub, a fundamental component of the ESCRT trafficking machinery, whose loss of function results in the activation of several signalling pathways. This study shows that during oogenesis lgd loss of function causes ectopic activation of the Drosophila BMP signalling pathway. This activation occurs in somatic follicle cells as well as in germline cells. The activation in germline cells causes an extra round of division, producing egg chambers with 32 instead of 16 cells. Moreover, more germline stem cells were formed. The lgd mutant cells are defective in endosomal trafficking, causing an accumulation of the type I Dpp receptor Thickveins in maturing endosomes, which probably causes activation of the pathway. Taken together, these results show that lgd loss of function causes various effects among tissues and can lead to the activation of signalling pathways other than Notch. They further show that there is a role for the endosomal pathway during oogenesis (Morawa, 2015).
In recent years, it has been established that the tumour suppressor gene lethal (2) giant discs (lgd) [l(2)gd1 - FlyBase] has a function in the endosomal pathway and in the regulation of the activity of the Notch pathway in Drosophila melanogaster. Loss of its function leads to a defect in endosomal trafficking of transmembrane proteins, which accumulate in maturing endosomes (MEs). This defect causes the constitutive activation of the Notch pathway in a ligand-independent manner. lgd encodes a member of an evolutionary conserved family whose members contain four repeats of the novel DM14 domain followed by one C2 domain. A mutation in one of the two human orthologs, LGD2 (also named Aki, Freud-1, TAPE and Cc2d1a), causes mental retardation, and this protein might be a tumour suppressor in liver cells (Morawa, 2015).
In Drosophila the Notch receptor is activated by two ligands, Delta (Dl) and Serrate (Ser). Their binding initiates the S2-cleavage of the extracellular domain of Notch (NECD). The cleaved NECD is then trans-endocytosed together with the ligand into the signal-sending cell. The cleavage is performed by a metalloproteinase encoded by kuzbanian (kuz) in Drosophila. The resulting intermediate Notch extracellular truncation (NEXT) fragment is cleaved by the γ-secretase complex, which contains Aph-1 and Presenilin (Psn). This S3-cleavage releases the Notch intracellular domain (NICD) into the cytosol from where it migrates into the nucleus to activate the target genes together with Suppressor of Hairless [Su(H)]. Previous work has shown that the constitutive activation of Notch observed in lgd mutant cells requires the activity of the γ-secretase complex (Morawa, 2015).
Notch traffics constitutively through the endosomal pathway to be degraded in the lysosom. Trafficking is initiated by endocytosis, which results in the formation of early endosomal vesicles. These vesicles fuse to form the early endosome (EE). Receptors destined for degradation remain in the ME, which eventually fuses with the lysosome where the cargo is degraded. During maturation of the endosome, receptors are concentrated in domains of its limiting membrane (LM) and are translocated into the lumen of the ME through pinching off this part as intraluminal vesicles (ILVs). The formation of ILVs achieves the separation of the NICDs of receptors from the cytosol. This step is important for the complete degradation of receptors as well as the termination of signalling through activated receptors (Morawa, 2015).
The events in the endosomal pathway are controlled by small GTPases, chiefly Rab5 and Rab7 (Huotari, 2011). Rab5 orchestrates events in the EEs, such as the initiation of ILV formation through recruitment of endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT)-0, the first of five sequentially acting complexes, termed ESCRT-0-ESCRT-III and Vps4 (reviewed by Hurley, 2010). ESCRT-0 initiates the sequential recruitment of the complexes and concentrates ubiquitylated receptors in regions of ILV formation. ESCRT-0 consists of Hrs and Stam. The central component of the last acting ESCRT-III complex in Drosophila is encoded by shrub. It encodes the Drosophila ortholog of mammalian CHMP4 family proteins and yeast Snf7. Shrub is recruited to the LM of the MEs where it polymerises into filaments to perform the abscission of ILVs in concert with the Vps4 complex. As a result of the action of the ESCRT complexes, the ME contains an increasing number of ILVs and is called a multi-vesicular body (MVB). A recent paper provides evidence that suggests that LGD2 also interacts with CHMP4 during budding of HIV. Although the loss of the function of the ESCRT-I, -II and -III results in activation of the Notch and other signalling pathways in Drosophila, that of ESCRT-0 does not. An explanation for this puzzling fact is that ESCRT-0 performs an additional function that is required for activation in ESCRT-I, -II and -III mutants. This might consist of clustering of cargo at sites of ILV formation. The additional function of ESCRT-0 is also required for the activation of the Notch pathway in lgd mutant cells because concomitant loss of ESCRT-0 and Lgd activity suppresses Notch activation (Morawa, 2015).
It has been shown that Lgd physically interacts with the ESCRT-III core component Shrub (Troost, 2012). This interaction is important for the full activity of Shrub in vivo. Genetic experiments have revealed that the activation of Notch in lgd mutant cells requires the Rab7-mediated fusion of the ME with the lysosome (Schneider, 2013). Furthermore, every other manipulation that prevents fusion of the ME with the lysosome, such as loss of Rab7 function, suppresses activation of Notch in lgd mutant cells (Schneider, 2013). This requirement for fusion explains a paradox in the relationship between Lgd and Shrub: the activation of Notch in lgd mutant discs is suppressed if the activity of shrub is reduced to 50%, although their individual loss results in Notch activation (Troost, 2012). The paradox could be explained by the observation that the MEs of these cells lose association with Rab7 and fail to fuse with the lysosome (Schneider, 2013). Thus, Notch pathway activation fails because the endosomes are more dysfunctional than in lgd mutant cells (Morawa, 2015).
In Drosophila, loss of function of ESCRT-I, -II and -III in imaginal discs results in the ectopic activation of the Notch pathway. In addition, the activity of the Drosophila BMP pathway, called the Decapentaplegic (Dpp) pathway, is enhanced. Moreover, loss of ESCRT function causes loss of epithelial integrity. However, previous analysis in imaginal discs indicates that neither the activity of other major signalling pathways, such as the Dpp pathway, nor the epithelial integrity is affected by the loss of lgd function (Schneider, 2013). Hence, the phenotype of ESCRT mutants is more severe than that of loss-of-function lgd mutants despite their intimate relationship (Morawa, 2015).
The analysis of signalling pathways in lgd mutants described above was restricted to imaginal discs and indicated that only the Notch pathway is affected. It is not known whether these pathways are affected in other mutant tissues. The development of the oocyte of Drosophila is an excellent system to study cellular processes, such as cell signalling and, thus, to answer this question. During oogenesis the progenies of a germline stem cell (GSC) develops through distinct and recognisable stages into a mature egg in the ovariole. The ovariole is subdivided into an anterior germarium, which contains two kinds of stem cells and a posterior part that consists of a string of increasingly older egg chambers (ECs) with 16 germline cells (GCs) surrounded by a somatic follicle epithelium. The ECs bud off the germarium and mature upon their posterior migration. The GSCs are located at the anterior tip of the germarium and are surrounded by somatic cap cells, which form the niche required for their survival. The niche can accommodate 2-3 GSCs. These divide asymmetrically to give rise to another GSC and a cystoblast that begins to differentiate. The cystoblast undergoes four rounds of mitotic divisions to give rise to a cyst with 16 GCs. The cyst is encapsulated by somatic follicle cells (FCs) to generate the EC. The FCs are generated by two somatic stem cells located at the exit of the germarium. One GC in each EC will differentiate into the oocyte, whereas the other 15 differentiate into polyploid nurse cells (Morawa, 2015).
Several signals are required to maintain the GSC population. These are emitted at the tip of germarium by cap cells. The most important one is Dpp. Although anterior cap cells are probably responsible for the majority of the Dpp signal, the extent of its expression domain remains unclear. Dpp activates the co-receptor Thickveins (Tkv; type 1) and type 2 receptors on GSC. The result of Dpp signalling is the suppression of the expression of bag of marbles (bam) in the GSC. When a GSC divides, the daughter attached to the cap cell receives the Dpp signal, which suppresses bam expression and maintains the GSC fate. The non-contacting daughter cell does not receive sufficient signal and produces Bam, which causes its differentiation as a cystoblast. Thus, Bam silencing is the hallmark of asymmetry in the female germline of Drosophila. The short range of the Dpp signal is achieved through degradation of the activated Tkv receptor in the cystoblast by a specific mechanism that involves the kinase Fused (Fu) and the E3 ligase Smurf. If the mechanism is disturbed, for example, by inactivation of fu, the number of GSCs increases and an extra round of division of the cyst cells occurs, frequently giving rise to ECs with 32 instead of 16 GCs (Morawa, 2015).
One well-characterised event during oogenesis that is mediated through the Notch signalling pathway is the switch from the mitotic cycle to the endocycle in FCs of ECs, which occurs at between stage 6 and 7. This switch is triggered by a Dl signal from the GCs and initiates the differentiation of FCs through activation of Hindsight (Hnt) expression. It was previously shown that the loss of function of lgd in FCs results in precocious activation of the Notch pathway and expression of Hnt (Schneider, 2013). As in wing discs, the activation was independent of Kuz, and depended on Hrs and fusion of the ME with the lysosome (Schneider, 2013). Hence, the activation is caused by the same mechanism as in the wing disc (Morawa, 2015).
The consequence of loss of lgd function in the germline was investigated previously using the allele lgdd3. ECs were observed with more than 40 GCs, a feature characteristic of tumour suppressor mutants. However, the analysis was hampered by the uncertain nature of lgdd3 and the lack of appropriate markers (Morawa, 2015).
This study further investigated the function of lgd during oogenesis. Its loss causes activation of the Dpp pathway in addition to the Notch pathway in FCs. In the germline, loss of function of lgd causes an extra mitotic division that produces ECs with 32 GCs. In addition, it causes formation of more GSCs. Both phenotypes rely on ectopic activation of the Dpp. These results indicate that these phenotypes are caused by a failure to degrade Tkv. Moreover, the loss of function of shrub was found to result in a similar phenotype (Morawa, 2015).
The previously conducted analysis of the function of lgd was largely restricted to imaginal discs. It suggested that loss of lgd function specifically activates the Notch pathway. Moreover, the loss of lgd function in FCs results in activation of the Notch pathway in the same manner as in imaginal disc cells. The devotion of Lgd to the Notch pathway was puzzling, given that it also controls trafficking of components of several signalling pathways, such as Tkv. Lgd functionally interacts with Shrub, whose loss of function affects several signalling pathways in imaginal disc cells. Thus, it would be conceivable that these pathways are also activated in lgd mutant cells. This study shows that the Dpp pathway is ectopically activated upon loss of function of lgd in the ovary. This activation occurs in FCs as well as GCs. Only the Dpp, and not the Notch, pathway is activated in lgd mutant GCs. This observation is different from what has been reported for mutants of the ESCRT-II component Vps25, where Dpp signalling was enhanced, but the pathway not ectopically activated (Morawa, 2015).
This study failed to detect any phenotype that could be attributed to the observed ectopic activation of the Dpp pathway in lgd mutant FCs, but its ectopic activation in the mutant germline causes an extra round of cell division. Moreover, more GSCs were observed and expression of Bam-GFP was suppressed in a fraction of germaria. These findings suggest that the range of the Dpp signal is extended and, thus, maintains the GSC fate in more distantly located cells (Morawa, 2015).
It has been recently shown that the Dpp-activated form of the Tkv receptor is specifically degraded in cyst cells to suppress the ectopic activation of the pathway. This degradation through the endosomal pathway is mediated by a complex consisting of the E3 ligase Smurf and Fu, and restricts the activity of the pathway to GSCs in the cap cell niche. The loss of fu function causes a loss of degradation of the activated receptor in progenies of the GSCs and, thus, increases the range of the pathway in GCs. Hence, ectopic activation occurs cell autonomously, but is induced by the Dpp ligand. The ectopic activity induced by loss of fu function causes a variety of phenotypes, including egg chambers that contain 32 GCs, as was observed upon loss of lgd function. Loss of function of lgd has been shown to result in a defect in the degradation of Tkv and other cargo proteins, such as Notch and Dl, in FCs and GCs. This study also found that the range of the Dpp pathway is increased in the absence of lgd function. It is therefore likely that the activation of the pathway is caused by a general failure of degradation that also affects the degradation of the activated form of Tkv. In further support of this notion, genetic interactions were found between fu, lgd and shrub (Morawa, 2015).
It has been proposed that in lgd cells, transmembrane proteins destined to become degraded in the lysosome are not completely incorporated in ILVs of MEs (Schneider, 2013). This hypothesis has been strongly supported by recent work of the Schweisguth laboratory (Couturier, 2014). Consequently, a fraction of Notch and Tkv remains at the LM and their intracellular domains stay in contact with the cytosol. Activated Tkv in this fraction continues to signal as long as the ME exists. It is therefore proposed that it is the defect in incorporation of activated Tkv into ILVs that causes the ectopic activation of the Dpp pathway. In this scenario, defects that increase the lifetime of the lgd mutant ME, such as loss of Dmon1 function, enhances and prolongs the activity of the Dpp pathway. This is what was observed. The incorporation of transmembrane proteins into ILVs requires their previous ubiquitylation by E3 ligases. Hence, the loss of the function of the E3 ligase Fu, which normally ubiquitylates activated Tkv, also prevents incorporation of activated Tkv in ILVs (Morawa, 2015).
Loss of shrub function causes a similar defect to that of lgd. Shrub is the central element of the ESCRT-III complex, which is required for ILV scission and interacts physically with Lgd (Troost, 2012). Loss of shrub function is expected to result in all Tkv remaining on the LM. Thus, it was no surprise to see that loss of its function in the FCs also causes the activation of the Dpp pathway. More surprising was the finding that reduction of Shrub activity by only 50% is sufficient to initiate the activation of the Dpp pathway in the germline. Given that that phenotypes of shrub/+ cells are stronger than those of lgd mutant cells, it is likely that reduction of the activity of shrub by 50% causes a larger fraction of Tkv to remain on the LM than in lgd mutant cells. The phenotypes of shrub/+ cells are strongly enhanced by heterozygousity of fu, indicating that there is an intimate functional relationship and that, as in the case of lgd, a defect in Tkv degradation causes the activation of the Dpp pathway (Morawa, 2015).
Because of the similarity in the phenotype and their intimate relationship, it is puzzling to find an antagonistic relationship between shrub and lgd. However, this antagonism was observed only in respect to the formation of supernumerary GCs, but not in respect to formation of supernumerary dad-lacZ-positive GSCs. A similar complex situation was found for the relationship of shrub and lgd in imaginal discs, where the reduction of shrub activity suppressed the activation of the Notch pathway, but enhanced the morphological defect of endosomes in lgd cells (Troost, 2012). Finding explanation for this complex relationship will be key to understanding the function of Lgd. One possibility is that the function of the ME is disturbed more severely in the double mutants than in each single mutant. In agreement with this is the observation in the imaginal disc, where the MEs lost their association with Rab7 in shrub lgd/lgd+ cells (Morawa, 2015).
The apical extracellular matrix plays a central role in epithelial tube morphogenesis. In the Drosophila tracheal system, Serpentine (Serp), a secreted chitin deacetylase expressed by the tracheal cells plays a key role in regulating tube length. This study shows that the fly fat body, which is functionally equivalent to the mammalian liver, also contributes to tracheal morphogenesis. Serp is expressed by the fat body, and the secreted Serp is taken up by the tracheal cells and translocated to the lumen to functionally support normal tracheal development. This process is defective in rab9 and shrub/vps32 mutants and in wild-type embryos treated with a secretory pathway inhibitor, leading to an abundant accumulation of Serp in the fat body. Fat body-derived Serp reaches the tracheal lumen after establishment of epithelial barrier function and is retained in the lumen in a chitin synthase-dependent manner. These results thus reveal that the fat body, a mesodermal organ, actively contributes to tracheal development (Dong, 2014).
The diversity of neuronal cells, especially in the size and shape of their dendritic and axonal arborizations, is a striking feature of the mature nervous system. Dendritic branching is a complex process, and the underlying signaling mechanisms remain to be further defined at the mechanistic level. This paper reports the identification of shrub mutations that increased dendritic branching. Single-cell clones of shrub mutant dendritic arborization (DA) sensory neurons in Drosophila larvae showed ectopic dendritic and axonal branching, indicating a cell-autonomous function for shrub in neuronal morphogenesis. shrub encodes an evolutionarily conserved coiled-coil protein homologous to the yeast protein Snf7, a key component in the ESCRT-III (endosomal sorting complex required for transport) complex that is involved in the formation of endosomal compartments known as multivesicular bodies (MVBs). Mouse orthologs can substitute for Shrub in mutant Drosophila embryos and loss of Shrub function caused abnormal distribution of several early or late endosomal markers in DA sensory neurons. These findings demonstrate that the novel coiled-coil protein Shrub functions in the endosomal pathway and plays an essential role in neuronal morphogenesis (Sweeney, 2006). | 2019-04-21T04:15:38Z | https://www.sdbonline.org/sites/fly/genebrief/shrub.htm |
Copyright © 2016 Chien-wen Shen et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
This paper describes the development of a nationwide public healthcare service system with the integration of cloud technology, wireless sensor networks, and mobile technology to provide citizens with convenient and professional healthcare services. The basic framework of the system includes the architectures for the user end of wireless physiological examinations, for the regional healthcare cloud, and for national public healthcare service system. Citizens with chronic conditions or elderly people who are living alone can use the wireless physiological sensing devices to keep track of their health conditions and get warning if the system detects abnormal signals. Through mobile devices, citizens are able to get real-time health advice, prompt warning, health information, feedback, personalized support, and intervention ubiquitously. With the long-term tracking data for physiological sensing, reliable prediction models for epidemic diseases and chronic diseases can be developed for the government to respond to and control diseases immediately. Besides, such a nationwide approach enables government to have a holistic understanding of the public health information in real time, which is helpful to establish effective policies or strategies to prevent epidemic diseases or chronic diseases.
With the rapid development of mobile technology, many healthcare applications have been widely explored to realize the pervasive healthcare systems, which have the potential to reduce long-term costs and improve patient care and safety . The concept of mobile health was defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the practice of medicine and public health assisted by mobile technologies, such as mobile phones, patient monitoring monitors, personal digital assistants, and other wireless technologies . Typical mobile health system utilizes the Internet and web services to provide an interaction platform among doctors and patients. A doctor or a patient can easily access the same medical record anytime and anywhere through personal computer, tablet, or smartphone . Healthcare costs could be also cut dramatically through the emerging technologies of mobile health such as wearable wireless sensor nodes that interface with handheld devices with cloud-based services . The innovations of mobile health have a huge impact on traditional healthcare monitoring and alerting systems, healthcare delivery programs, clinical data collection, record maintenance, medical information awareness, and detection and prevention systems . The related mobile technological applications can be found in fetal heart rate monitor , health record system for pediatric HIV , image transmission for diagnosis , or monitoring, prevention, and detection of some medical specialties such as diabetes [9, 10], overweight [11, 12], asthmatic , and maternal care .
Despite the great potential of mobile applications and wireless sensor networks, there is still existing a research gap as to how to effectively integrate these technologies and apply them to healthcare service . Most mobile healthcare applications are either funded by the public sector for only short-term pilot programs, which are usually limited to a small number of regions , or merely focused on a certain medical specialty without an integrated platform. With the increasing of healthcare provided by different organizations, cross-organizational healthcare data sharing is another challenge in interoperable healthcare organizations . In order to fill the gap and extend previous work, the aim of the present study is to describe the development of a nationwide mobile-based public healthcare service system in Taiwan that integrates cloud technology, wireless sensor networks, and mobile technology to provide citizens with convenient and professional healthcare services. Regarding the cloud framework of the system, it supports the storage and management of sensor data streams as well as the processing of the stored data using software services hosted in the cloud. Because the use of cloud computing offers a low cost access to support extensive data storage and computing-intensive analysis of healthcare big data , the planned framework enables different databases sharing and collaborations among users and applications in the cloud and delivers cloud services via mobile devices. The servers of the system are implemented in the Ministry of Health and Welfare and regional health authorities in order to provide different mobile-related services for government officials, hospital physicians, and citizens. Medical records, lab results, medical images, and drug information can be retrieved by mobile devices through this integrated platform. The related administrators could take further actions according to the decision support services from the executive information system in the cloud platform. In addition, the framework of wireless physiological sensing devices is designed for home or community care. Patients with chronic conditions or elderly people who are living alone can benefit from these devices, because they can keep track of their health conditions and get warning if the system detects abnormal signals. Because all of this information is kept in central or local clouds, the government can build prediction models based on long-term tracking data for physiological sensing in order to make assessments on the incidence of major chronic diseases. Meanwhile, through mobile devices, citizens are able to get real-time health advice, prompt warning, health information, feedback, personalized support, and intervention ubiquitously. Their family members or hospital physicians can also get warnings from their mobile apps and respond to emergencies immediately. Besides, government officials can retrieve summarized or visual analytics information about public health at the national or regional level on their web browsers or mobile apps. Such a nationwide approach with the integration of cloud, wireless, and mobile technologies enables government to have a holistic understanding of the public health information in real time, which is helpful to establish effective policies or strategies to prevent epidemic diseases or chronic diseases.
The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. The next section reviews the literature related to the development of healthcare systems and their integration with mobile technologies. The overview of the nationwide mobile-based public healthcare service system with wireless sensor networks is presented in Section 3. In Section 4, we describe the web apps and mobile apps for the user end, hospital and institution end, and government end. The paper ends with a conclusion, implications for public health administration, and an outlook for further research.
In this section, we briefly review recent development of healthcare system and the related mobile technological integrations. The mobile health system can be classified into three categories: (1) communication from individuals to health services (call centers, helpline, or hotline), (2) communication from health services to individuals (appointment or treatment reminders, awareness, and mobilization campaigns on health issues), and (3) communication between health professionals (mobile telemedicine, management of intersectoral emergencies, patient monitoring, patient data collection and creation of patient records, aid to diagnosis, and decision-making) . Many mobile health systems have been developed to enhance public health services. For example, a wireless handheld clinical care management system was implemented and evaluated at an Aged Care Facility in Australia. The trial system included the use of handheld computers connected to a wireless network which links to an ADSL broadband connection and Oracle server . A wireless in-home physiological monitoring system, which can constantly monitor the patient’s electrocardiogram (ECG) at any time or any place at home, was proposed for the elderly and chronic patients with cardiovascular disease who live alone. The system mainly consisted of three parts. A mobile-care device was in charge of capturing and wirelessly sending the patient’s ECG data. A wireless multihop relay network was responsible for relaying the data sent by the former. A residential gateway (RG) was used for gathering and uploading the received ECG data to the remote care server through the Internet to carry out the patient’s health condition monitoring and the management of pathological data. An emergency alert service using short message service (SMS), based on the detection of abnormal variation of heart rate, is also employed in the RG . A u-healthcare service using Zigbee and mobile phone was developed in Korea to transfer the data of glucometer and ECG sensors to web server for elderly patients with diabetes mellitus or heart diseases. If patients felt palpitations or chest pain, they can push a button on the top of the sensor. Then the ECG was measured and sent to the web server immediately . A mobile automated medical alert system was developed in Taiwan to provide follow-up healthcare for students and faculty found to be overweight, chronically ill, or at high risk. While the daily healthcare management service of the system required the users to input personal data, the system can provide intelligent dietitian service and abnormal message service without human intervention . To improve the quality of medical care in hospital or at home, a healthcare system based on wearable healthcare node, wireless multimedia sensor node, gateway, diversified networks, back-end server, and pervasive devices was proposed for patients and healthcare recipients. Because the wearable healthcare node can be bounded to patients’ body and acquire vital signs information, doctors or family members could acquire abundant information about the patients anywhere and any time through mobile phone . A personal self-care system integrated with self-adaptive embedded intelligence, mobile health record management, embedded web server, and wireless communication was developed for early detection and interpretation of cardiac syndromes. The system was designed for the support of ambient, intelligent, and pervasive computing services. Citizens can have a ubiquitous, reliable, and efficient management of their own cardiac status with their mobile devices .
Meanwhile, Kim et al. designed a real-time remote patient monitoring system based on sensors and sensor gateway with embedded GPS and Wi-Fi module for collecting temperature information out of biological information of a patient such as weight, blood sugar, quantity of motion, ECG, breathe, temperature, cholesterol, and oxygen saturation. Ben Elhadj et al. proposed a Priority-Based Cross Layer Routing Protocol along with a Priority Cross Layer Medium Access Channel Protocol for healthcare applications. The protocols were claimed to be effective for saving energy and ensuring high reliability in a wireless body area network. Bourouis et al. developed a low cost smartphone based intelligent system to help patients in remote and isolated areas for regular eye examinations and disease diagnosis. The mobile diagnosis system was integrated with microscopic lens and adopted an artificial neural network algorithm to analyze the retinal images captured by the microscopic lens to identify retinal disease. Fortino et al. described a SaaS based architecture named BodyCloud that can monitor an assisted living through wearable sensors and store the collected data in the cloud through mobile devices. It enables large-scale data collaborations and sharing and delivers cloud services via sensor-rich mobile devices. While the cloud-side of the architecture is implemented atop Google App Engine, the viewer-side is to provide visualization of data analysis through advanced graphical reporting on web browser. Parekh and Saleena presented a cloud-based healthcare application which integrated data mining techniques for disease inference. They integrated data mining techniques into eclipse IDE by Java language and Weka API. Wang et al. proposed a personalized health information service system that is based on the cloud computing environment, integrating mobile communication technology, context-aware technology, and wireless sensor networks. The system also provided a collaborative recommender and a physiological indicator-based recommender recommendation, which includes the components of a cloud computing based database, the hybrid predictive model of PEGASIS, a web based user interface, a health information query module, a collaborative recommender, and a physiological indicator-based recommender. From the above literature review, there is still lack of mobile health applications based on the national level.
Section 3 focuses on the nationwide mobile-based public healthcare service system that is under development in Taiwan and explains its basic framework, including the architecture for the user end of wireless physiological examinations, the architecture for the regional healthcare cloud, and the architecture for national public healthcare service system. Detailed explanations are given in the following sections.
Wireless physiological sensing devices are mainly used in patients who have been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus or hypertension, patients with mild to moderate impairments, patients with mild dementia, elderly people who are living alone, or subjects who are eligible for priority access according to assessments made by case managers. These devices allow patients to perform examinations at home or provide examination services in the community. Members who participate in the regional healthcare cloud can be provided with an examination care box for home measurements, as shown in Figure 1. The examination care box contains (1) blood pressure monitor, (2) multimonitoring system (for total cholesterol, blood glucose, and uric acid), (3) ear/forehead thermometer, (4) pulse oximeter, (5) cloud transmission box, (6) pressure cuff, (7) RFID reader, (8) test sample, and (9) heart rate variability analyzer, and these are to be used in member patients with chronic illnesses. These devices are medical equipment that are verified and registered by the Food and Drug Administration of the Department of Health in Taiwan, in order to verify the accuracy and safety of the test results. Relevant physiological examination equipment such as blood pressure monitors are integrated with an RFID module and a wireless module. A smart membership card with RFID technology is used for the identification of physiological examination data, and wireless frequency identification (with a frequency of 13.56 MHz) is used to complete the verification. The RFID module includes a CPU, power supply modules, read (write) modules, memory modules, control modules, display modules, and timer modules. The complimentary Public Card also has a unique identification code, a communication interface (with an antenna and a modulator and demodulator), and an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which includes a communication logic circuit, an encryption control logic circuit, and a data storage area. When the Public Card is placed near the card reader and enters the sensing range of the communication antenna (around 2.5 cm to 10 cm), the card reader will provide a trace amount of electricity (up to approximately 2 V) to drive the circuit on the card. The card reading process only requires 0.1 seconds to be completed.
Figure 1: Overview of the user end.
Taking the blood pressure monitor or blood glucose monitor as an example, patients first need to wear the pressure cuff or insert the blood glucose test sample into the blood glucose monitor and then place the Public Card containing the RFID near the blood pressure monitor or blood glucose monitor to trigger card reading. The RFID module can sense and read the identification verification on the Public Card and can immediately begin automatic blood pressure examination or blood glucose examination. After the measured physiological results are obtained, they are automatically uploaded using the wireless module in the blood pressure monitor or blood glucose monitor. Through GSM gateways, the data are automatically uploaded to a regional healthcare cloud using network and Internet via a 3G/4G network, Wi-Fi, or Ethernet. The GSM gateway has an ultra-low power wireless transmission module. The transmission technology has the flowing features. Firstly, it uses a standard ISM (Industrial, Scientific, and Medical) Channel with 2.4 GHz. The wireless transmission power is 1 mW. The transmission distance is less than 5 meters. Secondly, it has high-performance embedded firmware. It can automatically find the base station and can perform automatic transmission. Thirdly, it includes 64-bit ID and can be used as an active RFID. The rage of application is wide. Additionally, it can be applied in measuring devices for physiological signals, including blood pressure monitors, blood glucose meters, and ear thermometer. Lastly, it has standard UART interface with easy data interface integration.
In addition to examination equipment to be used at home, the public healthcare service system also provides physiological examination stations for communities, as shown in Figure 2. This examination station includes (1) a 10′′ tablet PC, (2) a cloud-based smart blood pressure monitor with cylindrical cuff, (3) a cloud-based smart Automatic Height and Weight Meter, (4) a cloud-based smart ear/forehead thermometer, (5) a cloud-based smart oxygen concentration meter, (6) a heart rate variability analyzer, (7) a cloud-based transmission box, and (8) an RFID card reader. After community volunteers have completed training on using the equipment and devices, they will assist the general public to operate them and perform measurements. Apart from measuring basic physiological data, this examination station also has an accurate heart rate variability analyzer. This analyzer uses the sequence of time intervals between heartbeats as measured by the ECG or by pulse measurement and measures and analyzes changes in continuous heart rate. The heartbeat is activated by the discharge of electricity from the heart’s own rhythm and is regulated by the autonomic nervous system. Regulation by the autonomic nervous system is closely related to mortalities related to cardiovascular diseases, including psychogenic sudden death, hypertension, hemorrhagic shock, and septic shock. As a result, heart rate variability analysis has also been found to be an index for predicting the mortality rate for postmyocardial infarction, as well as predicting the prognosis conditions for advanced liver cancer patients. These measurement data are automatically uploaded to the regional healthcare cloud through wireless transmission. The relevant medical staff can then perform medical analysis and provide patient counseling services.
Figure 2: Physiological examination stations for communities.
Figure 3 shows a chart of the relationships between the regional healthcare cloud, home examination station, community examination station, regional hospitals and institutions, and care institutions. Members of the healthcare cloud can use the data measured from the wireless physiological examination at home, or data from the general public collected at community physiological examination stations. The data are returned to the healthcare cloud database of the regional health authorities via wireless transmissions, and the data are synchronized to the physiological examination database of the national public healthcare service system. The public or family members and medical staff who have obtained consent can access the data anytime anywhere using mobile apps or web app. They can enter an account passport and search for physiological measurement data from the regional healthcare cloud, including blood pressure and blood glucose, so that personal health conditions can be understood. In addition, the regional healthcare cloud also incorporates relevant algorithms and smart automatic interpretations for the returned physiological data. When abnormal conditions occur, alerts can be sent to the public, emergency contact, and family doctor through SMS, email, or app alert, so that they can provide immediate emergency treatment. For the partnering of regional hospital institutions and care institutions, they can inquire into the long-term tracking data for the visiting patients, so they can diagnose the illness more accurately. In addition, the member service center can provide services to members, including health advice and health education.
Figure 3: Overview of the regional healthcare cloud.
The architecture is developed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and is currently still in the planning stage. Under this architecture, the public or a family member or medical staff who have obtained consent can use the data interface at the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s “e-counter” to connect to the physiological measurement database to conduct queries on personal health information. Authorized service institutions or medical institutions can also connect to the physiological measurement database to inquire into the personal health information of the patients. In the future, the public will be able to select more services related to healthcare and perform more comprehensive healthcare.
As shown in Figure 4, the architecture of the national public healthcare service system mainly consists of the physiological measurement database, the information platform database, and the executive information system database. Under the provisions of the Personal Information Protection Act, the healthcare data of the users of the service are integrated. The main functions of the physiological measurement database include the collection of physiological measurement data. The physiological measurement data measured by the public at home or measured at the community examination stations are not only uploaded to the regional healthcare cloud but are also synchronized in the physiological measurement database. The synchronization of the data is performed through the web service. The HTTP Client Mode is used for the device terminal. The HTTP Server Mode is used for the physiological measurement platform. For all transmissions, communication requests are sent by the device terminal. The information platform database verifies the account password and connection security before the actual transmission of data. The JSON format is used during transmission, as it is easy to read and understand and can avoid excessive load during data interface and handover. It also significantly improves ease of use when interfacing between regional healthcare clouds. In addition, the main functions of the information platform database consist of managing user accounts, defining data format and data exchange protocol, transmission encryption, auditing records, and providing statistical analysis reports. In order to allow data in the regional healthcare cloud to synchronize with the registered user data and the physiological measurement data in the information platform of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the system also provides a web service so that the regional healthcare cloud can access and attribute registered user information and physiological measurement data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The main functions of the executive information system platform include performance management and outputting reports. It is used to manage the execution and performance indexes of various local health bureaus and to output relevant statistical analysis reports, as well as perform OLAP analysis. The indexes used in the analysis include regions (counties), the number of people, age, physiological measurement type, number of physiological measurements, measurements of physiological abnormalities, physical inactivity, and other dimensions of measurement.
Figure 4: The architecture of the national public healthcare service system.
At this stage, the overall system still mainly focuses on member registration, user content in the membership information, physiological measurement values, uploading of measurement data, archiving of measurement data, and synchronizing data with the service content. Table 1 summarizes the fields relating to physiological measurement data in the physiological measurement database, including physiological data, ID number, simplified user identification code, service station code, physiological data type, measurement time, data type annotation, input method, measured value, information annotation, model of the measuring instrument, and serial number of the measurement instrument. In the future, the database will further integrate long-term healthcare system data and a large amount of data analysis and will expand the content and services, so that it can serve as a reference for when the government implements policies for public health.
Table 1: Fields in the table of physiological measurements.
The nationwide mobile-based public healthcare service system provides users with services including member management, inquiries into physiological measurement data, and error alarms through a mobile app and a computer-based web app. Figure 5 shows an app developed for the Android system. The main functions include automatic upload of data, manual upload of data, performing local machine queries, locating service stations, configuring authorization settings, updating messages, updating health knowledge, performing cloud inquiries, and providing feedback. Users can use their phones or tablets to perform real-time inquiries in regards to their physiological information and understand the trends in recorded data for the relevant measurements, in order to understand their health conditions. For example, the right-hand side of Figure 5 shows blood pressure trends measured on March 3, 2015. From the figure, it can be observed that the systolic blood pressure for the user is between 105 and 102 mmHg, the diastolic blood pressure is between 95 and 108 mmHg, and the pulse is between 73 and 77 beats per minute.
Figure 5: Screenshots of the mobile app.
Figure 6 shows the web app. This program platform contains Health Notebook, Healthy Living, New Health Knowledge Network, Health Q&A, and other related functions. In the Health Notebook, there are six physiological measurement records, including the author’s blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol, weight, body temperature, and uric acid test records. For example, in the left side of Figure 6, on April 18, 2014, the blood pressure record shows that the systolic blood pressure was 152 mmHg, the diastolic blood pressure was 88 mmHg, and the pulse rate was 51 beats per minute. The right side of Figure 6 shows inquiries into all the measurement data for the 30 days from March 18 to April 18, 2014. There are only two days on which the blood pressure was recorded (March 27 and April 18). However, there are five recorded measurements, and there are three alarms for abnormalities. This tracking record can allow users to understand their health conditions with regard to blood pressure.
Figure 6: Screenshots of the web app.
The partnering hospital or institute can also develop relevant applications using the data from the regional healthcare cloud, and provide members with services including physiological measurements, tracking of abnormalities, emergency notifications, advisory services, care referrals, health reports, and other services. For example, the left side of Figure 7 shows that the system in the hospital institute has detected a patient with an abnormal systolic pressure of 145 mmHg and a diastolic blood pressure of 96 mmHg on November 27, 2015, at 18:21:44. At that time, the application would pop up a warning window and alert the medical team at the service center. The healthcare manager of the medical team can then examine the measured blood pressure information for this patient, receiving a total of 1392 sets of data. The right side of Figure 7 shows the trend in blood pressure for this patient. From this figure, it can be observed that, on November 26, 2015, this patient’s systolic blood pressure reached the upper limit of the standard value, which is 140 mmHg. This trend continues and, on November 27, 2015, the systolic blood pressure showed abnormities and the value was 145 mmHg. At this time, the healthcare manager can determine if active telephone care should be provided based on the information, and the healthcare manager can track the abnormal events until the end of the case, in order to ensure the health and safety of the patient.
Figure 7: Application screenshots of the hospital end.
When patients experience emergency conditions, healthcare manager can actively contact the medical institutions, emergency contacts, or emergency numbers. In addition, the healthcare manager can provide the patient with initial health education counseling, care and guidance, personal health guidance, and telephone consultation, and, depending on the situation, secondary physician-assisted responses can be provided. If the patients are required to be transferred to another medical institute or healthcare center, the system can also comprehensively summarize the electronic care records of the member for the receiving institute to view and actively and regularly send graphs containing historical physiological measurements and health summary report for the proposed health checks. Additional services that meet the requirements of the public can be provided, including home delivery of medicines, drug intake counseling, chronic disease management, room service, and other value-added services for health checks.
The web app on the government end is still under construction. Currently, it only provides websites of pro consulting services for the public and manufacturer. In the future, a store of relevant data will be established in order to perform data analysis of physiological data (the number of people undergoing measurements, gender, ethnic comparisons, age, physiological equipment, the platform used, and physiological categories by region), data analysis on patients (regional distributions of population, ethnicities, gender, age groups, and the population diagnosed with hypertension, of people who are using the app), analysis of the uploading stations (distributions of stations and the number of people who uploaded physiological data at each; categories to compare home stations and community stations; classification and distribution of stations within a county; distribution of inactive stations), and so forth. These integrated analyses can provide many additional relationships between the information and the data. The government can also develop relevant systems so that patient data from various regions across Taiwan and from the national healthcare database can be compared with the ideal values recommended by the WHO. Visual and dynamic graphs can represent the public health conditions of Taiwan. Long-term tracking data for physiological sensing can be used to build predictive models, in order to make assessments on the incidence of major chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood fat, and diabetes, as well as future trends. This is beneficial for the Ministry of Health and Welfare and local health authorities to respond to and control diseases as soon as possible.
We present a national public healthcare project with the integration of cloud technology, wireless sensor network, and mobile technology that aims to provide citizens with convenient and quality health services. The major contributions of this study can be summarized as follows. Firstly, the proposed system is going to be implemented nationwide in the next few years in Taiwan. To the best of our knowledge, there is still lack of mobile-based public healthcare service systems at the national level. By enabling different databases sharing and collaborations among users and applications in the cloud, the proposed nationwide healthcare system enables government to have a holistic and real-time understanding of the public health information. Secondly, for the patients with chronic diseases or elderly people, this system can offer convenient services for home or community care. The system infrastructure is capable of delivering health-related information and interventions and improving access to health services via mobile devices. It can serve patients both in everyday life and during hospitalization or rehabilitation, as well as healthcare providers during emergency or routine visits. Patients could be aware of their diagnostic, disease control, and monitoring via text message, email, and mobile apps at any place and time. Thirdly, with the help of the system, hospitals can provide better personalized healthcare, disease management and services to patients and their relatives. The mobile-based approach also provides a better and flexible way of communicating with physicians, patients, and medical suppliers. Finally, when the project is complete, government officials can understand the public health conditions of Taiwan by visual and dynamic graphs. With the long-term tracking data for physiological sensing, reliable prediction models for epidemic diseases and chronic diseases can be developed for the government to respond to and control diseases immediately.
However, the most challenging tasks of this national project are the cost of the infrastructure and the coordination with local hospital institutions. It will take years to have enough examination care boxes and community smart health care stations in every town and village in Taiwan. Besides, local public health bureau needs to provide enough supports and guidelines for local hospitals, because the staffs of the local hospitals are responsible for providing health cares and medical services in emergency situations. The system may also need to consider the inclusion of more wireless sensor devices such as biosensors comprise body-worn sensors (necklaces, watches, or rings) and environment sensors (beds, toilets, or bathtubs) that measure biosignals and monitor the amount of physical activity. Because semantic sensor web technologies enable sharing and reusing data by means of standardizing sensor data description , future system can evaluate the necessity of adopting such technologies for the interoperability of various applications across the country.
The World Health Organization (WHO), mHealth: New horizons for health through mobile technologies, 2011. | 2019-04-20T14:38:23Z | https://www.hindawi.com/journals/misy/2016/1287507/ |
Universities were themselves complicit in the events.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released a new report last week showing a significant increase in anti-Israel activity on American university campuses over the 2014-2015 academic year.
According to Arutz Sheva News, no fewer than 150 explicitly anti-Israel events were held in the fall of this year alone - a marked increase from 105 such events in the same period last year.
Universities were themselves complicit in the anti-Israel events, reports Arutz Sheva: at least 15 of the events were sponsored or co-sponsored by universities such as UC Berkley, Drew University, and John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
“The tactics employed by the BDS movement - along with the continued efforts by anti-Israel student groups seeking to stifle discourse about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Israel in general through disruption and defamation - is a deeply troubling phenomenon that has contributed to an atmosphere at some institutions where Jewish and pro-Israel students feel uncomfortable voicing their views or even asserting their Jewish identity."
"BDS is not an effort designed to engender a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It does not seek to achieve a two-state solution that benefits all parties. Instead, it seeks to undermine the Jewish State of Israel. It’s an agenda of anti-normalization that demonizes Israel and its citizens simply because of their identity."
For the first time in the 21st century and on the American campus, legitimate economic grievances, specific to New York City, specific to the United States, have been tied to Zionism.
Led by a screaming woman in hijab and a man, assisted by the usual outside agitators, students screamed themselves hoarse at Hunter College, a branch of City University of New York not far from where I live just a few days ago.
“Zionism out of CUNY!” “Zionists out of CUNY!” “Intifada, Intifada” was chanted, screamed, roared, over and over again. You may see it here and here.
Their demands for pay parity for adjunct professors is just and long overdue. Their demands for “tuition-free education, the cancellation of all student debt, a minimum wage of $15.00 for campus workers” is, perhaps, more idealistic as well as economically challenging.
However, their demands for “an end to racial and economic segregation in education, racialized college-acceptance practices, work program requirements for students on public assistance, and an end to the rapid gentrification and privatization of public school property” verges on the surreal and smacks of Occupy Wall Street and the Ferguson riots.
The next demand is obscene.
What’s Israel got to do with these domestic campus issues? Absolutely nothing—but in the mind of these Muslim Brotherhood indoctrinated students it has come to symbolize every conceivable injustice, both real and imagined; it has come to justify the stabbing, bombing, and car-ramming of Jewish civilians everywhere, especially but not exclusively in Israel or, as we saw on Friday in Paris, against Israelis—and the anti-Israel boycotts undertaken by the EU and by American academic organizations.
I have long referred to CUNY as the Communist University of New York because both the faculty and administration lean far left. If there is indoctrination going on, that indoctrination is anti-Israel and pro-Palestine; it is certainly not pro-Israel and anti-Palestine. But these paranoid ravings, this scapegoating of Jews, Zionists, and Israel for the very crimes being committed by Arab terrorists and their supporters, which include large chunks of the American professoriate, is what the new totalitarianism sounds like.
Should Jews and Christians be allowed to pray on the Temple Mount?
If there is intimidation, bullying and Blood Libels on campus it is anti-Semitism/anti-Zionism, not Islamophobia or anti-Arab-a-phobia, and it is coming from the Muslim-Brotherhood inspired Left; from Islamic-inspired and Christian liberation theology inspired Jew-hatred among angry African-Americans; from the anti-Zionist/anti-Semitic behaviors of the world’s political leaders; and from the silence of our own professoriate—a silence which amounts to complicity as well as to cowardice.
This “million student march” throughout all of CUNY was endorsed by the NYC Students for Justice in Palestine, a creation of the Muslim Brotherhood, a terrorist organization outlawed in Egypt; by their cells at Hunter College, the College of Staten Island (where I taught for nearly 30 years), John Jay College (where I taught for a semester), by the Law School at CUNY, and by St. Joseph’s College and Pace College.
The Students for Justice in Palestine and the Muslim Student Association must be stopped. They are supported by a terrorist organization and should not be allowed on an American campus. They are not a “club.” They are Brown-shirts on the move.
Students who have been taught that is it permissible to shout speakers down, interrupt and heckle them, force out distinguished academics, compel payment for outside non-academic rabble rousers, feel empowered by totalitarian Group Think, conduct angry rallies like this one at Hunter College are no better than Hitler-era Brown-shirts. They are not behaving like college students.
They should be emphatically condemned by the administration, and either expelled or de-programmed, whatever works.
Because taking out her warped social justice views on an adolescent is the "mature" thing to do.
If you thought you'd heard it all concerning the deplorable anti-Israel behavior of members of academia, think again. Dr. Marsha Levine, a Cambridge University researcher and expert on the domestication of horses, reportedly received a letter from a 13-year-old Israeli girl seeking help with a school assignment about horses. So how did Levine (presumably Jewish) respond?
My name is Shachar Rabinovitch and I'm from Israel.
I'm doing an assessment for school about horses, and it will be great if you can answer a few questions that I will ask.
1. What ancient horses breeds preserved and were a base to the breeds we know today?
2. How did the ancient humens created new breeds or kept the ones who already were existent?
3. What ancient horse breed the ancient humens used the most and what were those uses?
4. Where did the ancient horses breeds lived?
I'll answer your questions when there is peace and justice for Palestinians in Palestine.
Only in the warped mind of someone so self-hating and with a completely broken moral compass would one even fathom to speak to a child this way.
Levine, who is apparently also an amateur photographer, has her own website which can be accessed here. Hopefully she and her "work" will be boycotted too.
CNN host Ashleigh Banfield equated Jewish terrorists with Islamic terrorists. On air. With a straight face.
Her guest was Jeffrey Lord, who had the patience of a saint. Banfield repeatedly interrupted him in order to make her case, as if having a guest was secondary to the main point of the host being heard. And she spoke to him in an incredibly patronizing way, managing to sound like a child who knows more than and better than someone as intelligent and distinguished as Lord.
AB: You know, I gotta ask you. Someone was so clever this morning, Jeffrey. If you supplant the word “Jews” for “Muslims” in a lot of the rhetoric that that we’ve had this morning, I think people would find it sort of cringe-worthy and reminiscent of a really ugly time in our history. Imagine a customs and border patrol agent, Jeffrey, asking someone “Are you a Jew?” How would that go over?
Banfield is unaware or pretending to be unaware that jihadists frequently question the religion of their targets, releasing Muslims and then slaughtering Christians and Jews. “Are you a Jew?” is understood every day around the world, and particularly in Israel. An answer in the affirmative will get you killed.
JL: Well, Ashley, look, first of all, there are no Jews that are coming in here to destroy America. They’re coming in here to get away from these people.
AB: I mean, we have a problem, and saying that we don’t have a problem is suicidal. It brought death to these Americans in California.
Drum roll. Prepare for Banfield’s revelation of what she was champing at the bit to talk about all along.
AB: Yeah. I gotta, I gotta. You know what? I’m going to tell ya’ something. There’s a guy named John Pistole, who just recently was running the TSA. Uh, real venerable guy. He, before that was with the FBI. He was an executive assistant director for counter terror and counter intelligence and he sat before Congress in 2004 and he testified – and this is to your point about there are no Jews coming to hurt Americans – he testified about, from a period of 1980 to 1985 there were 18 terrorist attacks in the United States committed by Jews. Fifteen of them by members of the Jewish Defense League. The head of the Jewish Defense League was in jail awaiting trial on charges of trying to bomb a mosque in Culver City, trying to bomb Darrell Issa’s office, an Arab American. What are you talking about?! There have been Jewish terrorist attacks! Should we therefore ask no Jews to please apply for a visa?
AB: I’m telling you (holds up piece of paper with highlighted information about Jewish terrorism) that there have been that many terrorist attacks committed by Jews and no one’s suggesting for a minute that all Jews should be wiped out of this country from visiting. (Bizarre, disingenuous, grin accompanied by a childish and patronizing tone of voice.) It’s the same thing.
AB: The crazies, yes! Not the Muslims! The crazies!
AB: There are 1.5 or 1.6 billion Muslims and the majority are not crazy like that. The majority are like everybody.
There is so much one could say about that exchange. None of it good. Most of it speaks for itself.
It’s amazing how much madness leftists can be packed into less than 3 minutes.
Israel issued no response Wednesday to a decision a day earlier by the United Methodist Church to put five Israeli banks on a list of companies it will not invest in, with one official saying the decision could be overturned at the church’s general meeting in May.
The United Methodist Church, a Protestant denomination numbering more than seven million members in the United States and about 12 million worldwide, announced on Tuesday that it would place the banks on its blacklist because of their role in financing settlement activity beyond the Green Line.
The banks are Bank Hapoalim, Bank Leumi, First International Bank of Israel, Israel Discount Bank and Bank Mizrahi-Tefahot. According to The New York Times, they were among 39 companies from a number of countries that were excluded from the pension board’s portfolio for not meeting its Human Rights Investment Policy guideline.
The only two banks in which the fund is actually invested, however, are Hapoalim and Leumi.
Sources in Jerusalem said that this is likely not the last word on the matter, and that there are those within the church opposed to the move who are expected to fight it at the May meeting.
Despite the blacklist, the United Methodist Church remains invested in other Israeli companies. Its membership rejected a prior effort in 2012 to institute a complete divestiture of all companies with ties to Israel.
Israel’s banks remained mum on the issue, with some deferring their silence to the Association of Banks in Israel, which also had nothing to say on the economic, political, or financial implications of the blacklisting.
The fund remains invested in a slew of other Israeli companies, including Teva, Checkpoint, Nice, Israel Chemicals, Israel Corp., Cellcom and Wix.
Thus far, there is little evidence that the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement has succeeded in exacting a price from Israel’s economy, though several studies say that a broad-based effort in Europe could inflict economic pain.
Last year the Episcopal Church in the US, with some 1.8 million members, voted down a divestiture measure, and another church, the Mennonite Church USA, with some 950,000 adherents, delayed a vote on a similar measure for two years.
The United Church of Christ, with a membership of about 1 million, approved a divestment resolution in 2015.
The American Jewish Committee issued a statement criticizing the decision, saying the action was requested by the BDS movement which rejects a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In a step towards joining an Israel boycott, the U.S. is now requiring goods originating from the West Bank (also known as Judea and Samaria) to be labeled separately from products from the rest of Israel, following the European Union’s crackdown on products from the disputed territories.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection service, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has issued new mandates requiring that West Bank products not be marked “Israel,” citing a notice from the year 1997 that offers such instructions.
“Goods entering the United States must conform to the U.S. marking statute and regulations promulgated thereunder,” the statement adds.
Groups advocating “boycott, divestment, and sanctions” (BDS) against Israel have demanded separate labeling of Israeli goods from the West Bank and the Golan Heights as a step toward a total boycott of Israeli products.
Israel maintains that under international law, the West Bank is “disputed,” and not “occupied,” since there was no legitimate sovereign in the territory when Israel took control of it in self-defense after Jordan attacked Israel in 1967.
Many of the products that will be affected are made within areas of the West Bank, such as the Etzion bloc, are likely to be part of Israel under any peace agreement.
The new instructions were published by DHS over the weekend, following complaints from Palestinian and fringe leftist outfits that the U.S. was not complying with a 1995 law that calls for the marking of goods from the West Bank, Israel National News reports.
In November, the European Union mandated the labeling of Israeli products from the West Bank and the Golan Heights. Critics, including presidential candidates, have argued the labeling of products only from “Israeli areas” of the West Bank, and not Palestinian-controlled territories, is a discriminatory and anti-Semitic act.
The EU now refuses to allow the label “Made in Israel” on products made anywhere outside of the pre-1967 lines.
“This will not advance peace; it will certainly not advance truth and justice,” he added.
Last week, the State Department effectively endorsed the anti-Israel labeling measures.
“Here, tonight, we must confront the reality that around the world, anti-Semitism is on the rise. We cannot deny it,” he said from the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C.
For more than a decade, there’s been a worldwide campaign on behalf of Palestinians telling companies, universities and others who handle large amounts of cash to avoid doing any business that would in any way help Israel.
It’s called the BDS movement – for boycott, divestment and sanctions – against Israel until some point at which the Middle East democracy would give up enough land, power or rights to satisfy the Palestinians.
The activists apply pressure wherever they think there might be a response.
The trip involved travel vouchers supplied by the Israeli government “as part of the gift bag” given to nominees in some categories.
But those institutions and organizations that have given in to boycott demands now are facing a boycott themselves – for participating in the boycott.
The most recent move came in Colorado, where the Business Journal reports investors for more than half a million retired Colorado workers soon probably will have to pull money from companies that divested from Israel.
That’s after the state Senate approved a bill that would require the state pension funds to take that action.
It’s a bipartisan move, sponsored by Reps. Dominick Moreno, D-Commerce City, and Dan Nordberg, R-Colorado Springs.
It requires that the state’s Public Employees’ Retirement Association first identify companies that prohibit business with Israel and then to divest all direct holdings from that company.
It puts the BDS movement in bad company, since the state earlier required in the law the withdrawal of funds from companies that support the Sudanese government. The pension fund board has its own policy against doing business with companies that interact with Iran.
According to a report from JTA.org, Colorado is among the leaders of the boycott-the-boycotters movement, but far from alone.
“California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania and Tennessee have passed or are considering bills or resolutions taking action against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel,” the report said.
Reports say that Colorado’s governor, John Hickenlooper, supports the legislation, and the Senate vote was 25-9.
The Colorado House previously has approved the idea, 54-10, and the bill now is heading to a conference committee for the last details to be agreed.
Colorado’s state pension fund has $47 billion in assets.
The pension fund board also has said it doesn’t want any limits on what it can do.
“My concern is how sanctions are being used against Israel to raise expectations of ‘conflict resolution,'” Sen. Kent Lambert, a Colorado Springs Republican, told the Journal.
“Boycotting Israel economically is an act of war. It is not conflict resolution,” he said.
There have been several other recent controversies involving the movement, too.
The Jerusalem Post reported earlier this week a Methodist pension fund divestment of $21 billion from five Israeli banks “to appease” the Untied Methodist Kairos Response may have been in violation of the fund’s own rules.
“When the decision to divest from Israeli banks was finalized, UMKR and other BDS organizations were ecstatic, but complaints from pension holders poured in. Even senior executives at the pension have been brave enough to voice their outrage. Rhys Read, the controller and treasurer of the Methodist pension, believes the Israeli divestment decision ‘has now resulted in grave reputational and potential financial risks. The decision to divest is not in accordance with our investment policy,'” the Post report said.
The University of California Board of Regents unanimously approved a watered-down statement condemning anti-Semitism on campus. The statement says the university would not tolerate anti-Semitism "but rejected a proposal to equate anti-Zionism with religious bigotry."
Pro-Palestinian campus activists, however, say they are simply voicing legitimate criticism of Israel, which, they say, is being misconstrued, creating a pretext for pro-Israeli activists to squelch the Arab side of the Mideast debate.
The regents rebuffed draft language that would have broadly defined opposition to Israel as anti-Jewish bigotry, with the board instead voting to disapprove "anti-Semitic forms of anti-Zionism."
Critics of the proposed statement said that "a blanket condemnation of anti-Zionism as anti-Semitism, as contained in the original draft, would have trampled academic freedom and opened the university to costly litigation."
The Pro-Palestinian movement said the latest statement was merely and attempt to silence political criticism of Israel, including the BDS movement to withdraw investment from Israel.
One student cited an example of such "criticism" when the phrase "Zionists should be sent to the gas chamber" was painted on a building at UC Berkeley "after a student senate campaign calling for university divestment from U.S. companies doing business with Israel."
Some students felt the amended language of the statement still confused Israel as a political issue and anti-Jewish bias.
"Anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism have very little to do with each other," said Tallie Ben Daniel, an academic advisory council coordinator for the group Jewish Voice for Peace.
A new video has been released by Americans for Peace and Tolerance (APT) that exposes an alarming new trend of anti-Israel indoctrination happening in American high schools and middle schools.
The pattern of bias and bigotry against Jews and Israel is most noted at Newton South High School, found in an affluent suburb west of Boston. Concerned parents there are meeting resistance from school officials that defend the curriculum which APT has discovered comes from very suspect sources.
Newton's high schools have used Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) maps that falsify the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Newton students were not told that the maps were created by the PLO's propaganda unit.
Newton's schools presented students with a falsified version of the Hamas Charter. In Newton's doctored version the word "Jews" – as a target of hatred -- is replaced with the word "Zionists."
In one lesson, Newton students are asked to consider the Jewish state's right to exist. (The legitimacy of no other nation-state's existence is questioned.) The lesson included "expert" opinions, which are drawn overwhelmingly from anti-Israel academics and anti-Semitic activists.
A book used in Newton high schools has a recommended reading list that includes the extremist writings by Muslim Brotherhood leaders including Sayyid Qutb, and Yusuf Qaradawi, whose sermons call for the murder of Jews and homosexuals.
Newton schools officials are shown to continuously refuse to make school curricula and teaching materials available to the Newton residents.
The video also shows that Saudi, Palestinian, and other Arab-funded teaching materials have been inserted into the curriculum, much of it containing anti-Israel bias.
Newton's mission statement includes the promise of "celebrat[ing] the dignity of all people." Yet, it's clear from the 20-minute film that that's not the case when it comes to Jews. Once the school used a Saudi-funded Arab World Studies Notebook which described Palestinian women being murdered by Israeli soldiers. Newton's school superintendent praised the text as helping to develop students' "critical thinking skills." Public pressure finally forced the school's hand in removing the material from its curriculum, according to the statement.
However, the damage was done. Instead of critical thinking and turning to discussion about difficult topics, the students resorted to painting swastikas and scrawling "Burn the Jews" around campus, even at a nearby middle school. What's worse, Newton school officials failed to report any of these incidents to authorities as required.
Newton still has trouble in this area as they continue to shield the public from learning what materials are being taught to children. This documentary is hoping to bring awareness and action from the public to demand better from the district.
Just when you think once-prestigious Harvard could fall further from grace, Harvard students hurled anti-Semitic epithets at Israel's former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni during her recent talk at the University.
Last Thursday, Harvard Law School hosted a panel discussion with guest speakers Dennis Ross and former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.
When his question drew stunned silence, he clarified his "question."
This is the kind of discourse an Ivy League education gets you.
The Harvard Law Record blasted the anti-Semitic an incident Monday, but failed to identify the student perpetrator.
“Discussions about Israel cannot devolve into ad hominem attacks against Jews. A quick Internet search will show that the stereotype of 'the Jew' as 'smelly' or 'dirty' has been around since at least the 1800s," the paper notes.
"The Nazis promoted the idea that Jews 'smell' to propagandize Jews as an inferior people. The idea that Jews can be identified by a malodor is patently offensive and stereotypes Jews as an 'other' which incites further acts of discrimination. The fact that such a hate-filled and outdated stereotype reemerged at Harvard Law School is nothing short of revolting."
The ironic part is that Livni is known for her liberal, multiculti-policies which actually favors Palestinians in many regards and endanger Israelis.
The fact that even she would be subject to such slurs elicits memories of the horrific saying used by anti-Semites: "The only good Jew is a dead Jew."
Indeed, as the school's law journal states, "Anti-Semitism is still very real today, and it just showed itself in our community at Harvard Law School."
New Jersey and Iowa join the growing list of states passing legislation combating the anti-Israel boycott movement. Though the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement seems to have taken hold in many college campuses, the battle is far from over as the slow wheels of state legislature pick up momentum.
21 states have taken up anti-BDS legislation, including, Indiana, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, California, Massachusetts, Indiana, and Ohio. In seven of the states, the bills have been signed into law: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, South Carolina, and recently, Iowa. In March, Virginia passed two anti-BDS resolutions, officially condemning and outlawed the anti-Israel boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. In some states, the legislation requires the state’s pension fund to create a blacklist of for-profit entities that boycott Israel and to divest from blacklisted entities. In most states, the legislation excludes humanitarian organizations from being affected.
On Monday, the New Jersey Senate unanimously approved a bill that would require the state’s public worker pension fund to divest from companies that boycott Israel. The bill bars the state Division of Investments from investing the public workers’ $68.6 billion pension fund in any company “that boycotts the goods, products, or businesses of Israel, boycotts those doing business with Israel, or boycotts companies operating in Israel or Israeli-controlled territory.” New Jersey trades more than $1.3 billion in goods each year with Israel, according to NewJersey.com. If the Assembly passes the bill, it will go to Gov. Chris Christie for his signature.
On Tuesday, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad signed a similar bill that prohibits state funds from being directly invested in companies that boycott Israel.
Last week, the Iowa Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church sent a letter to Branstad asking him to veto the anti-boycott legislation. The church claimed boycotts for social, political, and economic change are political speech protected by the First Amendment. Apparently, the governor disagreed with that assessment.
Critics of the wave of anti-BDS bills make this claim, while not relating to the rights of their opponents to express their opinions. Palestine Legal, a pro-BDS legal organization, warns that people, “should all be alarmed that a foreign government, Israel, is lobbying U.S. politicians to restrict our rights”, while neglecting to address concerns that Palestine is also a foreign government affecting US internal policies.
In an interview with Haaretz, Eugene Kontorovich, a law professor at Northwestern University who has consulted with groups advancing anti-BDS legislation, explained why this is not a first amendment issue.
Hearing about this course reminded me of one dismal evening that I spent in 2004 at the UC Berkeley Hillel. That evening, I went there to give a lecture about the wisdom of Kabbalah and what it says about Jewish unity and the role of the Jewish people in the world. It was a cold evening, and a cold welcome. However I tried, I could not get through to the students; they would not accept that the Jewish people has a role and a commitment to the world.
Immediately following the lecture, a man approached me and said that Hillel was not the place to talk about the role of the Jewish people, that people here have everything they need. I tried to tell him that being Jewish is not about what we need, but about what others need, what the rest of the world needs. I tried to explain that we need to unite not for our own sake, but for the sake of the world, which is desperately looking for a way to do so in our hyper egotistical society, and that we are meant to be the role model it will follow. He couldn’t hear me. The message simply could not sink in.
I left. Without connection to their nation and its role in the process that the world is undergoing, without understanding how much the future of the world depends on the correction that Israel must perform, I knew that there is no future for the Jews in San Francisco.
This course is only the beginning of the next wave of anti-Semitism that has spread throughout US campuses. Soon, campuses will not even attempt to put on a façade of academic integrity. The sole purpose of such courses will be to advance the Palestinian cause and delegitimize Israel.
Jewish students already feel very uncomfortable on campuses, and sometimes threatened. Many of them are already afraid to wear Jewish symbols such as star-of-David necklaces and yarmulkes. Can we imagine how they will feel when such courses become ubiquitous? And if we think we can distinguish between anti-Israel sentiments and anti-Jewish sentiments, we can learn otherwise by looking at what is happening in Europe.
Until a few years ago, it seemed as though US Jews had found some secret formula to dissolve anti-Semitism. At the beginning of the 20th century, and even in the 1950s, anti-Semitism, overt or covert, was still quite rampant and Jews were often excluded from universities, clubs, and certain occupations. But after the Holocaust and subsequent establishment of the State of Israel, it seemed as though a new era had begun and along with Hitler, anti-Semitism passed away.
But now the wind has changed. Liel Leibovitz wrote on Tablet Magazine, and I concur, that for American Jews, whoever wins this election, “politics will change in ways we cannot even begin to comprehend, but it will spell, in nontrivial ways, the end of a more than half-a-century-long American Jewish bloom.” While I believe that a Clinton victory will induce a much faster and much more sinister decline, the trend will be similar regardless of the winner.
The moratorium on overt Jew-hatred is quickly coming to a close. If we want to avoid another tragedy in the seemingly endless string of persecutions, extinctions, and expulsions, we have to act now, and in the only way we have been instructed by our forefathers.
Before the ruin of the Temple, our forefathers developed a unique method of connection. They did not suppress one another’s character or talents, nor did they exploit one another. They used their individual skills for the common good, thereby creating a society that both supported everyone’s personal fulfillment, and strengthened the social fabric that kept it together.
Our forefathers did not suppress their differences or downplay them. They only changed the aim for which they worked. Instead of seeking to advance themselves, they sought to advance the whole of society, creating a win-win situation where everyone gains.
This seemingly small difference creates a profound transformation. It creates a common interest in realizing the full personal potential of each member of the community. Moreover, it makes every member of the community personally interested in realizing the full potential of every other member in the community, since this advances the prosperity of all the other members of the community. In a word, this change of aim turns “love your neighbor as yourself” from theory into practice.
Today that simple-yet-effective connection method that our forefathers had perfected and committed to sharing with the nations is imperative to the survival of our society. Now, as our sages have been telling us, we have to implement it for our own sake, and for the sake of all of humanity.
In the eyes of the world, only if we give the world the peace and happiness it deserves, our existence will be justified. As long as we are disunited, we are not spreading unity. Rather than being “a light unto nations,” we spread the opposite, and the world rightly rejects us.
We have only ourselves to blame for the hatred toward us. As long as we are mean to one another, the world will be mean to us, since we cannot spread goodness. But if we use that special asset, the unique connection method that teaches how to realize one’s personal potential while solidifying the society, our example will clarify to the world why there are Jews and why Jews are imperative to their happiness.
The legitimacy of university courses like the one mentioned at the beginning of this column exists only as long as we do not know why we are here and what is our purpose in life. But when we realize who we are, and what a great gift of unity we have to give to the world, humankind will embrace us for the first time, and forever.
*Today (Thursday the 15th), I learned that following criticism, UC Berkeley cancelled the course. As much as I am pleased with this development, it does not change the evident trend of intensifying anti-Semitism. The emotions that engendered this abomination are very present on all US campuses, so it is my hope that we will do what we must, as detailed in this column, and spare ourselves a painful ordeal.
The campus is notorious for its glorification of anti-Israel terrorism.
Last night, the David Horowitz Freedom Center brought its Stop the Jew Hatred on Campus poster campaign to San Francisco State University, a campus that is notorious for its glorification of anti-Israel terrorism and anti-Semitism.
San Francisco State University (SFSU) has repeatedly enabled the most extreme actions of its General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS), a group closely resembling Students for Justice in Palestine, once led by SJP founder Hatem Bazian. This past April, GUPS disrupted a speech by the Mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, by shouting exhortations to terrorist violence and succeeded in curtailing his address. The demonstrators shouted “Intifada,” a call for terrorism against Israel, and chanted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” a call for the obliteration of the Jewish state. The former president of GUPS wrote dozens of social media posts threatening violence to pro-Israel students, Israelis, the IDF and others. He also praised Hamas and the violent Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
GUPS holds annual Israeli Apartheid Weeks which demonize Israel as an apartheid state and commemorate the founding of Israel as “al-Nakba” or “the catastrophe.” The faculty advisor for GUPS, Prof. Rabab Abdulhadi, met with terrorists Leila Khaled and Sheikh Raed Salah during a university-funded trip to the Middle East. (Khaled is a convicted hijacker and a member of the terrorist organization, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and Sheikh Raed Salah has been repeatedly jailed on charges of incitement to terrorist violence.) When questioned about the trip, San Francisco State administrators denied that Abdulhadi’s trip was an improper use of university funds. Abdulhadi also helped to broker a formal collaboration between SFSU and An-Najah National University in Palestine, which is known for its recruitment of students as cadre for Hamas and as suicide bombers.
The Freedom Center’s poster operation plastered the campus with posters identifying the organization Students for Justice in Palestine as a campus front for Hamas terrorists and the Hamas intermediary American Muslims for Palestine (AMP). AMP was revealed in recent congressional testimony to be funneling terrorist dollars to Students for Justice in Palestine to support the Hamas-sponsored, anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign in America.
A second poster depicts a gun-toting Hamas terrorist holding the strings of a puppet labeled “American Muslims for Palestine” which in turn controls a marionette labeled “Students for Justice in Palestine.” Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) is described as “The chief sponsor of anti-Israel and anti-Jewish activities on campus.” Hamas is identified as “A terror organization pledged to wipe out Israel” (a goal explicitly stated in the Hamas charter) while AMP is the “Hamas-created chief organizer and funder of SJP.” The poster also depicts shadowed bodies lying in pools of blood, illustrating the bloody deeds of Hamas’s campaign of terror against the Jews. The poster contains the hashtag #JewHatred and the Freedom Center’s website, www.HorowitzFreedomCenter.org.
A third poster created by the Freedom Center asks sardonically, “Do you want to show your support for Hamas terrorists whose stated goal is the elimination of the Jewish people and the Jewish state?” and answers the question with “Join us! Students for Justice in Palestine.” The poster then lists the names of student and faculty leaders on campus who promote the genocidal Boycott Divest and Sanctions movement against Israel.
The posters are part of a larger Freedom Center campaign titled Stop the Jew Hatred on Campus which seeks to confront the agents of campus anti-Semitism and expose the financial and organizational relationship between the terror group Hamas and Hamas support groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine. As part of the campaign, the Freedom Center has placed posters on several campuses including San Diego State University, the University of California-Irvine and the University of California-Los Angeles. The campaign also recently released a report on the “Top Ten Schools Supporting Terrorists” which may be found on the campaign website, www.StoptheJewHatredonCampus.org. San Francisco State University is among the campuses listed in the Top Ten report. The section of the report demonstrating SFSU’s support of anti-Israel terrorists follows below.
April 06, 2016: The SFSU General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS) disrupted a speech by the Mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, by shouting exhortations to terrorist violence and succeeded in curtailing his address. SFSU students involved in the protest entered the auditorium carrying Palestinian flags and wearing checkered kaffiyehs which are associated with anti-Israel terrorism. The demonstrators then proceeded to shout “Intifada,” and chanted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” a slogan falsely claiming that Israel is Palestine (Israel is bounded by the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea) and should be destroyed.
September 21, 2015: GUPS at SFSU held a protest and die-in called “From Sabra to Syria: My Homeland is not a Suitcase.” One student lay on the ground holding a mock Israeli flag with “Stop Settler Colonialism” scrawled across it, an echo of the Hamas claim that the Jews have “colonized” Palestine, a blatant historical falsehood, since the land on which Israel was created belonged to the Turks (who are neither Arabs nor Palestinians) for 400 years previously.
April 17, 2015: GUPS at SFSU held “Israeli Apartheid Week” on campus. The poster for the event stated, “Together we rise against colonialism,” repeating Hamas’s mendacious position that the Arab nation of “Palestine” was colonized by Jews. The event included the display of a mock “apartheid wall” painted with anti-Israel propaganda.
December 5, 2013: During an “emergency rally” held by GUPS at SFSU, the phrase “My Heroes Have Always Killed Colonizers” was written with chalk on the concrete stage at Malcolm X Plaza. The same phrase, referring to the Hamas assertion that Jews have colonized Arab Palestine and must be exterminated, is also written on a sign at a display table during the “Edward Said Mural Celebration.” Said was a Columbia professor who was a member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s Palestinian National Council until 1991 when he resigned because he thought the terrorist Yasser Arafat’s policies were too moderate towards Israel.
Speaking on ABC after Trump delivered his speech on the steps of the Capitol building, Moran seized upon the new president use of “America First,” a phrase he deployed through the Republican primary and general election campaign against Hillary Clinton, who attended the ceremony in a white smock.
On Monday night, an event put on by the Columbia University chapter of Students Supporting Israel (SSI) was disrupted repeatedly by anti-Israel attendees. The event centered around Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon giving a lecture to a crowd of 300 students.
Originally, the crowd was going to have invited pro-Israel students and alumni who wanted to hear Danon speak, but the university would not allow this.
According to The Algemeiner, Columbia University forced SSI to slash the number of invited student, faculty, and alumni attendees down to 20, including the ambassador’s security detail. They also forced SSI to submit the list of attendees for pre-approval. This left only 10 spots open.
The aggressive feelings by anti-Israel students toward those who support Israel has created an atmosphere on campus that SSI Columbia chapter President Rudy Rochman described as feeling like a “war zone.” According to him, this is typical for anyone who supports Israel at the Columbia University campus.
“You can survive here if you stick to yourself and don’t express your opinions. If you stand up for Israel, you are viciously shamed, targeted and slandered by these terrorist sympathizers who call Hamas a ‘liberation organization.’ This is the life we activists live here on campus,” said Rochman.
It was this “war zone” rhetoric that reportedly caused the university to take action in limiting the amount of pro-Israel guests attending the lecture, in an attempt to lessen any violence that may erupt due to the publicly planned protests.
Texas-A Muslim pre-school teacher was removed from the classroom after she tweeted out ‘kill some jews’ and ‘how many Jews died in the Holocaust? Not enough hahaha’. She has not been fired yet; this case is still pending investigation.
A pre-school teacher in Texas has been suspended from the classroom pending an investigation into her encouraging social media followers to “kill some Jews,” The Algemeiner has learned.
Nancy Salem, who teaches at The Children’s Courtyard in South Arlington, as The Algemeiner first reported, was among 24 anti-Israel activists at the University of Texas, Arlington (UTA), exposed by covert campus watchdog group Canary Mission for expressing racist and violent thoughts online.
Of course if this teacher tweeted out ‘Kill some Muslims’ they would have been fired immediately. Since Muslims are now at the top of the Marxist ladder of privileged people, they can virtually do and say anything they want including ****, murder or call for the murder of non-Muslims while escaping the consequences and backlash that non-Muslims would face in a similar circumstance.
This woman wears a hijab which means she is committed to Sharia law. Hatred for Jews and Christians is straight out of the Quran. When Muslims are the minority in a country, they are taught to hide their hatred for non-Muslims in order to hide their intentions. It looks like the mask slipped off of this Muslima. She should be fired and stripped of any and all teaching credentials. She is a danger to Americans and should never be allowed to teach children.
Jewish community centers and synagogues across the United States received another series of phoned-in threats Sunday, prompting another round of police response. No suspicious items were found…”We do believe that this is part of, as I mentioned on Tuesday, a larger picture – a national trend. That’s why I did mention that the FBI was involved. They are assisting us. The state police has taken a lead role from a New York state perspective,” Brighton Police Chief Mark Henderson said.
While violent incidents of antisemitism dropped 12% worldwide in 2016, US campuses saw a surge of 45% in antisemitism, according to data released Sunday…One of the most startling findings is a 45% increase in antisemitism on US campuses, which the report stated have become a hot-bed for antisemitism, often under the guise of anti-Zionism and due to increased pro-Palestinian movements, such as BDS on campuses.
On Saturday, in Chicago, the Democratic Socialists of America voted to approve a motion endorsing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.
Immediately after the motion passed, those attending the convention enthusiastically took part in a chant calling for the elimination of the Jewish State (an action which would of course make boycott, divestment and sanctions redundant).
The Democrat Socialists of America did not approve, or even vote on, on any motions to support “Boycott, Divestment and and Sanctions” against any other country.
What the crowd chanted, as can be seen from the Twitter video immediately above, was: ”From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” The “river” refers to the Jordan River, the eastern boundary, for the most part, of Israel. The “sea” refers to the Mediterranean Sea, the western boundary, for the most part, of Israel. The longstanding chant implies the geographic erasure of Israel and its replacement with an entity called “Palestine” (a country that has never actually existed in the history of the world).
Israel is hated not just because it is Jewish, but also because it is viewed as an outpost of American-led oppression of non-whites, colonialism and imperialism. Under the now-fashionable doctrine of intersectionality, Israel is held out as the unique connecting force among capitalist and American-imperialist evils, much as the Jew has been held out in history through anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
For radical leftists in the U.S. this intersectionality agenda manifests itself in a desire to replace capitalism with socialism or communism, and in the Middle East to promote an Islamist supremacist agenda which denies the Jews any rightful claim to self-determination in the historical homeland of the Jews. This creates very strange alliances, such as LGBT leftists aligning with Islamists who suppress LGBT persons in every country where Islamists rule.
The BDS movement, embodying this intersectionality through boycotts against Israeli academics, artists and businesses, exploits and stokes racial tension to turn racial issues, such at the Ferguson riots and Black Lives Matter, into anti-Israel movements. One of the most egregious examples of anti-Semitic intersectionality is the Deadly Exchange Campaign by the anti-Israel group Jewish Voice for Peace, which falsely blames Israel and American Jewish organizations for U.S. police shootings of blacks.
Israel’s i24News noted, in its coverage of this story, that the vote took place “on the Jewish Sabbath, meaning religious Jews could not take part.” The reality, however, is that there were probably few, and more likely zero, religious Jews at the Democrat Socialists’ convention. Religious Jews tend to have much more right-of-center views than their secular, “culturally Jewish” co-ethnics.
One reason that Israel might be other than panicked about potential economic losses stemming from the Democratic Socialists’ convention is the group’s past endorsement of lifelong sponge Bernie Sanders as favored candidate for the presidency in the 2016 presidential elections, suggesting the organization itself appeals to personal-economic-activity-challenged individuals. Sanders in 1971 was asked to leave a hippie commune in 1971 due to a personal work /”sitting around talking about politics” ratio too insufficient even to meet the commune’s inevitably very low standard.
"Teachers are pulling things off the Internet, and a lot of it is fine, but a lot of it not"
A monograph published late last month of anti-Israel curriculum used in Newton, Mass., public high schools has led to revelations of similar materials in circulation at other school districts in the country, the report's researcher told the Washington Free Beacon on Thursday.
Steven Stotsky of the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA) said that since the release of his findings in "Indoctrinating Our Youth: How a U.S. Public School Curriculum Skews the Arab-Israeli Conflict and Islam," he has received phone calls alerting him to disquieting curricula being used in Michigan and California.
"We turned over a rock and discovered a significant problem," said Stotsky, about his deep dive into textbooks, articles, timelines, and maps used from at least 2011 to 2015—some possibly still in use—for World History course sections on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Islam in Newton's two public high schools, which are among the most prestigious in the country.
The materials included the Arab World Studies Notebook, a textbook the American Jewish Committee has previously condemned as filled with "factually inaccuracies," "overt bias," and "unabashed propagandizing"; a timeline of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that almost entirely omitted instances of Palestinian terrorism; and a misrepresentative translation of the Hamas charter.
Stotsky said procedures must be established for vetting all materials brought into the classroom.
"Teachers are pulling things off the Internet, and a lot of it is fine, but a lot of it not. They can't just be giving this stuff to students," said Stotsky.
He questioned the decision to teach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a history class at all.
"History is complicated enough when you are studying issues that are 100, 200 years old," he said. "You further complicate things when you add current events, and the Israeli-Palestinian issue is still politically and ideologically active."
Stotsky's report was the first comprehensive study of these materials, which were only obtained after a years-long battle with Newton administrators by an ad-hoc group of parents and concerned citizens.
Questions about the Newton curriculum were first raised in 2011, but the school district delayed turning over the documents until the summer of 2016. They only complied with those demands after Judicial Watch submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in October 2014, and even then dragged their feet for another two-and-a-half years.
"The obstruction, the failure to respond to citizens' concerned, the lack of transparency was shocking," said Stotsky. "The fact that it had to go all the way to a FOIA request is outrageous."
An easy fix to the transparency issue, said Stotsky, would be simply throwing all curricula up on the Internet as a matter of policy.
Inaccurate, misleading, and radical Israel education is an ongoing problem at area schools, Stotsky said, pointing to a May 2017 "Middle East History Day" program at Newton North High School, at which he described a speaker as giving an "anti-Israel rant" to 150 students.
According to Stotsky, all the members of the Newton School Committee were sent copies of the CAMERA monograph weeks ago, and were asked to respond. Stotsky has been met with silence.
Ruth Goldman, the chair of the Newton School Committee—one of whose roles she said is "transparent communication with parents"—said all of the committee members received the CAMERA monograph and that a few had skimmed through it.
"You have to understand, we receive a lot of materials, and we can't look through everything. We proactively seek out things that are agenda items for the committee. We don't take up every thing that comes across our email," said Goldman.
Goldman also said she couldn't speak to the details of the case because "all that happened before my time on the committee." She has served as the committee chair since 2013, a year before the FOIA was first submitted.
"It really had all been taken care of by the time I got here. It's an old subject at this point," Goldman said. "We communicate regularly with parents. We have a transparent process at the school committee."
She wouldn't speak to specific school curriculum, but said the district adheres to state guidelines and that "history is a tricky subject" taught in a "narrative and critical framework."
Other school committee members told the Washington Free Beacon that they had not received the monograph and were not familiar with the case.
The mayor of Newton, who also sits on the school committee, was "too busy" to comment.
The superintendent did not respond to the Free Beacon‘s inquiry.
Some leaders in Brooklyn’s Jewish community say bias attacks are happening more frequently.
The most recent incident left a man badly bruised. It was captured on camera and now police are searching for the attacker.
Police are keeping watch at the scene of the latest attack on Rutland Road near Schenectady Avenue.
Many Jewish leaders say this is happening too frequently to be a coincidence, CBS2’s Janelle Burrell reported.
“People are very, very nervous about what is going on,” said Assemblyman Dov Hikind.
Jewish leaders including Hikind told Burrell they believe the recent attacks in Brooklyn aren’t isolated.
“They’re not anomalies?” Burrell asked.
“No, not at all. In between these two incidents, there are so many others. Many of them don’t get reported,” Hikind said.
The latest victim is a 52-year-old orthodox Jewish man who asked that CBS2 not share his name.
Police are looking for the man who went after him Saturday afternoon as he was walking home from synagogue.
The assault went on for five minutes before two people walking by pulled the man off and held him down. The 52-year-old was left with a black eye, broken rib and scratches.
A week earlier, police said a 42-year-old man, identified as Ari Ellis, was attacked on Eastern Parkway, punched in the face repeatedly. He suffered a broken nose and broken ribs.
“I don’t know if there’s a connection, but there’s a lot of concern there has been tremendous growth of anti-Semitism,” said Hikind.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, last year there were 11 anti-Semitic assaults in New York state. Seven of them were in Brooklyn.
Leaders of New York’s Jewish Leadership Council have written to the NYPD, questioning the timing of the attacks. Both happened on the Jewish sabbath – when there are fewer Jewish volunteer safety officers on patrol.
“Unfortunately there are people out there who want to kill us for one reason: Because we are a Jew,” the victim’s wife said.
The ADL is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to a conviction.
The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts recently apologized for spreading false atrocity stories about the Jewish state at the denomination’s convention in July.
Bishop Gayle Harris alleged that she was on the scene when Israeli soldiers shot a Palestinian teenager 10 times in the back. She also claimed that she was on the Temple Mount when Israeli soldiers tried to handcuff a 3-year-old boy for letting his toy ball “roll over” the Western Wall.
Harris apparently made the comments to win congregational approval for an anti-Israel resolution.
Dexter Van Zile from the watchdog group CAMERA proved that neither claim was true, and that the bishop could not have been a witness to the non-existent atrocities.
“She made it sound like she was an eyewitness to two terrible acts of villainy by Israeli soldiers that never happened,” Van Zile said.
“I was ill-advised to repeat the stories without verification, and I apologize for doing so,” she added.
Van Zile said he hopes the apology causes the denomination to reflect on its sources of information.
What is truly on the ballot for the November midterm elections? Socialism is what’s on the ballot this November. The Democrat Party has taken a very hard turn to the Left, with many of the major candidates like Andrew Gillum and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez being **** Progressives and Democratic Socialists. Wanna know the worst thing about all that besides the obvious? They hate Israel and the Jewish people with a passion.
Recently, the Democratic Socialists of America, the largest Socialist group in the United States, voted to join a movement dedicated to the financial ruin of the state of Israel, that they hope will lead to it’s complete and total collapse. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, or BDS, is dedicated to the establishment of a Palestinian state by destroying the Jewish state. Think about that when voting on November 6th.
FROM BREAKING ISRAELI NEWS: The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) conveniently held its convention on the Jewish Sabbath, when no observant Jews would be able to appear or protest.
BDS aims at crippling Israel’s economy as political protest against the “oppressive” state. It has been very successful in destroying employment opportunities for thousands of Palestinians who worked for Israeli companies that BDS targeted.
The slogan calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, where Israel currently sits, suggesting that the Jewish state will vanish from the map and be replaced entirely by “Palestine.” It is commonly heard at left-wing anti-Israel campus protests.
“Democratic Socialists of America declares itself in solidarity with Palestinian civil society’s nonviolent struggle against apartheid, colonialism, military occupation and for equality, human rights, and self-determination,” reads the BDS motion.
What a Palestinian “nonviolent struggle” might look like is not made quite clear by the DSA.
The DSA claims to be the largest socialist organization in the US, with 25,000 dues-paying members. As the organization admits that America is “unlikely to see an immediate end to capitalism tomorrow”, it does its best to fight the capitalist system by working to achieve “equitable distribution of resources…a healthy environment…gender and racial equality, and non-oppressive relationships”, among other goals.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the likely next Speaker of the House, is trying to reassure Jewish groups after several newly-elected Democrats have vowed openly to support “boycott, divestment, and sanctions” (BDS) against Israel.
However, Pelosi’s task will be difficult, given the increasingly anti-Israel drift of her party as a whole. Not a single Democrat — herself included — traveled to Israel to attend the opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem in May, nor the Israeli embassy’s party to celebrate that event in Washington, DC.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday refused to reaffirm American support for a Palestinian state after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to extend Israeli sovereignty over West Bank settlements. “Ultimately, the Israelis and Palestinians will decide how to resolve this,” Pompeo replied. | 2019-04-25T00:22:00Z | http://endtimesandcurrentevents.freesmfhosting.com/index.php?topic=9837.msg70830;topicseen |
This news release contains forward-looking statements. For a description of the related risk factors and assumptions please see the section entitled "Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements" later in this release.
MONTRÉAL, Feb. 4, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - BCE Inc. (TSX: BCE) (NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company, today reported results for the fourth quarter (Q4) and full year 2015, provided financial guidance targets for 2016, and announced a $0.13 per share increase in the BCE annual common share dividend to $2.73.
"The Bell team's exceptional performance in Q4 and throughout 2015 underscores the enduring strength of our strategy to lead Canada's broadband revolution with unmatched innovation in the growth services of communications: Wireless, TV, Internet and Media. Gaining 204,000 new broadband TV, Internet and wireless postpaid customers in Q4, Bell delivered the strong financial performance that enables both continued investment in Canada's broadband future and growing returns to BCE shareholders, including our latest dividend increase announced today," said George Cope, President and CEO of BCE and Bell Canada. "We saw strong performance across our business segments in a highly competitive fourth quarter. With a mobile LTE network acknowledged as Canada's best, Bell Wireless continued to deliver strong growth in smartphone customer additions, mobile data usage, revenue and adjusted EBITDA. Our wireline business grew adjusted EBITDA, reducing costs while continuing to outperform the market with strong Fibe TV and Internet customer additions throughout 2015. Despite growing content costs, Bell Media supported BCE's free cash flow generation with increased revenue, while securing exclusive Canadian rights to all of HBO's premium content. Backed by the fastest networks, the most innovative communications products and a clear lead in content across all screens, the Bell team is delivering for both customers and shareholders."
Bell is focused on achieving a clear goal – to be recognized by customers as Canada's leading communications company – through the execution of 6 Strategic Imperatives: Invest in Broadband Networks & Services, Accelerate Wireless, Leverage Wireline Momentum, Expand Media Leadership, Improve Customer Service, and Achieve a Competitive Cost Structure. This strategy of broadband leadership has delivered continued strong performance across Wireless, TV, Internet and Media growth services; 41 consecutive quarters of uninterrupted year-over-year adjusted EBITDA growth; and 12 increases to the BCE common share dividend in the last 7 years – a total increase of 87%.
"Having achieved all financial targets in 2015, with substantial growth in adjusted net earnings and free cash flow driven by healthy year-over-year increases in revenue and adjusted EBITDA, Bell's operating momentum and financial foundation going into 2016 are very strong," said Glen LeBlanc, Chief Financial Officer of BCE and Bell Canada. "Our 2016 financial targets reflect continued projected wireless profitability, a second consecutive year of positive wireline adjusted EBITDA growth, an improving financial profile for Bell Media, and an attractive balance sheet supported by good liquidity and an investment-grade credit profile."
"We expect to drive growth in underlying adjusted net earnings and a healthy year-over-year increase in free cash flow, underpinned by marketplace momentum in growth services and an operating cost structure significantly tightened in 2015, which included the difficult decisions required in implementing staffing reductions. BCE is focused on ensuring we have the financial capacity required to support both ongoing capital investment in Canada's broadband wireline and wireless infrastructure, and consistent and sustainable returns to the shareholders who have invested in BCE's growth strategy," said Mr. LeBlanc.
BCE operating revenue increased 1.4% in Q4 to $5,603 million, led by strong top-line results at Bell Wireless and Bell Media that drove service revenue growth of 1.6%. This was partly offset by a 1.5% year-over-year decline at Bell Wireline, due to the impact of continued slow economic growth and competitive pricing pressures on service and product revenues in Bell Business Markets. For the full year 2015, BCE operating revenue increased in line with our guidance target to $21,514 million on growth in service revenue and product revenue of 2.2% and 2.9% respectively.
BCE's adjusted EBITDA(1) in Q4 grew 2.5% to $2,073 million, driven by increases of 6.8% at Bell Wireless and 1.5% at Bell Wireline. Bell Media adjusted EBITDA declined 4.2% due to higher content costs. Higher wireless adjusted EBITDA, the result of profitable postpaid growth and strong service revenue flow-through, and lower wireline operating costs contributed to a 0.4 percentage-point improvement in BCE's consolidated adjusted EBITDA margin(1)to 37.0%, up from 36.6% in Q4 2014. Consistent with our 2015 guidance target range of 2% to 4% growth for the year, BCE's adjusted EBITDA increased 3.0% to $8,551 million from $8,303 million in 2014.
BCE's net earnings attributable to common shareholders were $496 million, or $0.58 per share, this quarter, down 8.5% and 9.4% respectively, from $542 million, or $0.64 per share, in Q4 2014. The year-over-year decrease was due to higher severance, acquisition and other costs, which totalled $152 million in Q4 2015, of which $120 million related mainly to workforce restructuring initiatives. Higher other expense, reflecting mark-to-market losses on equity derivative contracts entered into to economically hedge future payments under our share-based compensation plans, also contributed to the year-over-year decline. This was partly offset by higher adjusted EBITDA; lower asset impairment charges related to Bell Media's properties, which totalled $38 million in the quarter; and lower income taxes. Excluding the impact of severance, acquisition and other costs, net losses on investments, and early debt redemption costs, adjusted net earnings(2) increased 0.8% to $615 million, while adjusted earnings per share (EPS) were unchanged at $0.72.
For the full year 2015, net earnings attributable to common shareholders were $2,526 million, or $2.98 per share, compared with $2,363 million, or $2.98 per share, in 2014. The increase was the result of solid growth in adjusted EBITDA, lower non-controlling interest from the privatization of Bell Aliant, lower depreciation and amortization expense due to an increase in the useful life of application software, and reduced interest expense on various Bell Canada debt instruments. This was partly offset by higher severance, acquisition and other costs and higher other expense. Adjusted net earnings of $2,845 million and adjusted EPS of $3.36 in 2015 were up 12.7% and 5.7% respectively compared to 2014, reflecting higher adjusted EBITDA driven by the increased contribution of Bell's growth services.
BCE invested $958 million in new capital in Q4, bringing total capital expenditures for 2015 to $3,626 million. This represents a capital intensity ratio (capital expenditures as a percentage of total revenue) for 2015 of 16.9%, in line with our guidance target of approximately 17%. Capital spending was focused on connecting more homes and businesses directly to our broadband fibre network, including the buildout of Gigabit Fibe infrastructure in Toronto and other urban locations; the continued expansion of our LTE wireless network; and increased wireless and Internet network capacity to support higher speeds and growing data usage.
BCE's cash flows from operating activities were $1,510 million, compared to $1,527 million in Q4 2014. Free cash flow(3) generated was $916 million, a 10.0% increase from $833 million the year before, driven by higher adjusted EBITDA, lower capital expenditures, and the favourable impact of the privatization of Bell Aliant, partly offset by a decrease in cash flow from working capital changes. For full-year 2015, BCE's cash flows from operating activities increased to $6,274 million from $6,241 million in 2014, while free cash flow was up 9.3% to $2,999 million. Free cash flow per share(3) was $1.07 in Q4 and $3.54 for the full year 2015, representing increases of 5.9% and 2.3%, respectively, from $1.01 and $3.46 in 2014.
In Q4 2015, BCE gained 91,308 net new wireless postpaid customers and reported a net loss of 28,844 prepaid subscribers; 74,092 net new Fibe TV customers and a net loss of 36,306 Satellite TV customers; and the addition of 38,908 new high-speed Internet customers. NAS line net losses totalled 106,910. At the end of 2015, BCE served a total of 8,245,831 wireless customers, up 1.6% from Q4 2014 (including 7,375,416 postpaid customers, an increase of 3.7%); total TV subscribers of 2,738,496, up 3.6% (including 1,182,791 Fibe TV customers, an increase of 26.7%); total high-speed Internet subscribers of 3,413,147, up 3.5%; and total NAS lines of 6,688,666, a decrease of 6.2%.
Thomas C. O'Neill will retire as Chair of the Board at the BCE Annual General Shareholder Meeting scheduled for April 28, 2016 in Montréal. The Board plans to nominate BCE Director Gordon M. Nixon as Chair contingent upon his re-election as a Director by BCE shareholders at the April 28 annual meeting.
As a BCE Director since 2003 and Chair since February 2009, Mr. O'Neill's guidance has been essential to Bell's transformation into the leader in Canadian broadband communications services while delivering outstanding returns to BCE shareholders. BCE has won numerous accolades for outstanding corporate governance under Mr. O'Neill's leadership. A Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors, Mr. O'Neill is Chair of The Bank of Nova Scotia, a Director of Adecco S.A. and of Loblaw Companies Limited, and Chair of the Board of Trustees of Toronto's St. Michael's Hospital.
A Director of BCE since November 2014. Gordon Nixon was President and CEO of the Royal Bank of Canada from 2001 until 2014, and CEO of RBC Dominion Securities from 1999 to 2001. A member of the Order of Canada, Mr. Nixon is a Director of George Weston Limited and of BlackRock Inc. He also serves as Chair of scientific research and collaboration centre MaRS and of the Queen's University Capital Campaign.
The BCE annualized common share dividend will increase 5.0%, or 13 cents per share, from $2.60 to $2.73 effective with BCE's Q1 2016 dividend payable on April 15, 2016, to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 15, 2016. BCE maintains the dividend payout ratio(4) within its target policy range of 65% to 75% of free cash flow. The higher dividend for 2016 is fully supported by higher expected free cash flow generation driven by continued execution of Bell's 6 Strategic Imperatives and growing financial contributions from all Bell business segments. Including today's dividend increase announcement, BCE has increased its annual common share dividend 12 times in the past 7 years, representing an 87% increase.
The signature annual event in Bell's national mental health initiative, Bell Let's Talk Day on January 27 grew the conversation about Canada's mental health like never before. Led by Bell Let's Talk national spokesperson Clara Hughes, Canadians and people worldwide sent a record 125,915,295 texts, calls, tweets and Facebook shares in support of mental health on Bell Let's Talk Day. With a Bell donation of 5 cents per interaction, this $6,295,764.75 in new funding increases Bell's commitment to Canadian mental health to $79,919,178.55. The #BellLetsTalk hashtag was the top Twitter trend in Canada and the most-used in the world on January 27 with 6,826,114 total tweets and retweets – 43% more than last year. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
In January, Bell's 4G LTE network was ranked #1 nationally in a new report from independent UK analyst firm OpenSignal, following a similar top ranking by PCMag in September 2015. OpenSignal found that Bell delivered the fastest wireless 4G network download speeds in Canada, averaging 19.9 megabits per second (Mbps), far above the global average of 12.6 Mbps. To learn more, please see OpenSignal's State of Mobile Networks: Canada (Jan 2016).
As Canada's largest TV provider and #1 multimedia company, Bell continues to set the pace in Canadian television. With the January 20 Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics NBA game, TSN became the first broadcaster to produce a live 4K Ultra HD broadcast in North America. Bell TV also announced in January the availability of the Fibe 4K Whole Home PVR for Fibe TV customers in Toronto, Montréal, Ottawa and Québec City. Far superior to basic cable 4K set top boxes lacking recording and other PVR capabilities, the Fibe 4K Whole Home PVR is also ready for the next step in broadcasting: high dynamic range (HDR). In February, Bell will extend availability of the 4K Whole Home PVR to Bell Fibe TV customers in Ontario and Québec and Bell Aliant FibreOP TV customers in Atlantic Canada. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/4K.
In November 2015, Bell Media signed a long-term agreement with HBO to exclusively deliver in Canada all current, past and library HBO programming across linear, on-demand and OTT platforms, along with a new original co-production partnership. In January 2015, Bell Media concluded a similar agreement with CBS Corporation to exclusively bring SHOWTIME programming to Canada. As sole operator of HBO Canada, Bell Media announced The Movie Network (TMN) would become a national pay TV service in 2016 as Corus Entertainment winds down operations of its Movie Central and Encore Avenue pay TV services in Western and Northern Canada. In January, CraveTV became available to all Canadians with Internet service for $7.99 per month, offering access to Canada's best video streaming service and its thousands of hours of premium television entertainment from HBO, SHOWTIME and other premium content providers.
BCE launched a bought deal common share offering on November 23, 2015, the first by the company since 2002. The base equity offering of $750 million, and the exercise of the 15% over-allotment option that resulted in the sale of 15,111,000 common shares at the offering price of $57.10 per share, generated total gross proceeds of $862,838,100. These proceeds support debt reduction and maintenance of a healthy balance sheet.
Bell Canada made a $250 million voluntary pension plan contribution in December 2015 to further reinforce the strong solvency position of its defined benefit pension plans and reduce the amount of BCE's future pension obligations, effectively removing the use of letters of credit to fund Bell Canada's deficit contribution. The voluntary contribution was funded from cash on hand at the end of 2015. Accelerating the funding of Bell Canada's future obligation is an efficient use of cash given the market's general expectation of a sustained low interest rate environment.
Bell was named one of Canada's Top 100 Employers for 2016 in November, recognized for our leadership in workplace mental health initiatives, next-generation talent development, and a healthy workplace environment, and today was named a top employer in our headquarters city of Montréal. Bell team members Nathalie Cook, Bell Media's VP Brand Partnerships, and Joanne MacDonald, VP CTV News, were named to Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women 2015 by WXN in November. Also recognized was Sophie Brochu, CEO of Gaz Métro and a BCE director. Bell WXN recipients include Hall of Fame inductees Mary Ann Turcke, President of Bell Media; Martine Turcotte, Vice Chair, Québec; and Karen Sheriff, formerly CEO of Bell Aliant and now CEO of Bell partner Q9 Networks.
Bell Wireless continued to deliver healthy financial and operating results in Q4. Service revenue grew 6.3% to $1,588 million, reflecting a more favourable postpaid subscriber mix and a 23% increase in data revenue that drove strong year-over-year growth in blended ARPU(4). Data revenue growth was supported by a higher proportion of postpaid subscribers using smartphones and greater usage of our leading 4G LTE mobile network. Product revenue increased 2.4% to $171 million due to a higher number of customer upgrades and postpaid gross additions compared to the previous year.
Wireless adjusted EBITDA increased 6.8% to $641 million, delivering a 0.2 percentage-point expansion in service margin to 40.4%. This was achieved even with a $48 million year-over-year increase in combined total retention spending and subscriber acquisition costs in the quarter. Bell Wireless strongly contributed to consolidated free cash flow generation in Q4 with growth in adjusted EBITDA less capital expenditures of 17.3% to $448 million.
For full-year 2015, Bell Wireless operating revenues increased 8.7% to $6,876 million with service revenue growing 7.6% to $6,246 million, and product revenue up 22.2% to $590 million. Adjusted EBITDA grew 7.8% to $2,828 million as strong service revenue flow-through from an expanding base of postpaid subscribers. Higher ARPU more than offset higher retention and subscriber acquisition costs, driving a modest increase in service margin to 45.3% .
Postpaid gross additions totalled 387,696 in Q4, up 1.4% over the year before, reflecting increased market activity driven by aggressive holiday promotions and an increased number of off-contract customers. For full-year 2015, postpaid gross additions totalled 1,338,141, up 3.6% from 1,291,207 in 2014.
Postpaid net additions were 91,308 in Q4, down from 118,120 the year before, the result of increased customer churn(4) attributable to the seasonally high level of promotional activity combined with a greater number of off-contract postpaid subscribers. Similarly, full-year 2015 postpaid net additions were 265,369 compared to 311,954 in 2014. Postpaid customer churn in Q4 and full-year 2015 increased 0.09 and 0.06 percentage points respectively over 2014 to 1.38% and 1.28%.
Bell Wireless postpaid customers totalled 7,375,416 at the end of 2015, a 3.7% increase over 2014. Total Bell Wireless customers grew 1.6% to 8,245,831.
The percentage of postpaid subscribers with smartphones increased to 78%, compared to 76% at the end of 2014. The proportion of postpaid subscribers on the LTE network reached 68% at the end 2015, up from 47% a year earlier.
Blended ARPU increased 4.4% to $63.67 in Q4, driven by a higher percentage of customers on 2-year contracts, increased data usage on the LTE network, and a greater mix of postpaid customers in the total subscriber base. For full-year 2015, blended ARPU increased 5.3% to $63.09.
Cost of acquisition (COA)(4) was up 6.1% to $525 per subscriber in Q4, due mainly to a higher postpaid customer mix and richer handset offers. For full-year 2015, COA increased 5.9% to $467.
Retention spending increased to 14.3% of wireless service revenues from 13.5% in 2014, reflecting more customer upgrades, driven by an increased number of customer contract expirations as a result of the double cohort, and a higher mix of premium smartphones. Retention spending for full-year 2015 was 12.6% of wireless service revenues.
Bell increased population coverage of its national 4G LTE mobile network, reaching 96% of Canadians at the end of 2015 and offering data speeds ranging from 75 Mbps to 150 Mbps (average 12 to 40 Mbps). Bell also continued with the rollout of its Dual-band LTE Advanced (LTE-A) wireless network, now providing service to 48% of the Canadian population in Atlantic Canada, Ontario, Alberta and BC at data speeds up to 260 Mbps (average 18 to 74 Mbps), with plans to cover 75% by the end of 2016. This is complemented by a Tri-band LTE-A wireless service, delivering mobile data speeds of up to 335 megabits per second (expected average download speeds of 25 to 100 Mbps) in Halifax, Fredericton, Moncton, Toronto, Hamilton and Oakville.
On November 12, 2015, Bell Mobility launched a roaming feature called "Roam Better" that gives customers access to specialized roaming rates while traveling. The first country launched was the US, where customers who opt in to this feature enjoy unlimited voice and text messages across the US and back to Canada as well as 100 Mb of data usage for $5 per day. Additional countries will be added in 2016.
Wireline operating revenue decreased 1.5% to $3,161 million in Q4, impacted by the lapping of 2014 price increases on Bell's residential services, higher sales of international long distance minutes in Q4 2014, and a reduction in spending by business customers on business service solutions and data product equipment, as a result of continued slow economic growth. This was moderated by the performance of Bell's Residential Services unit, which delivered a ninth consecutive quarter of year-over-year revenue growth, driven by 5.3% higher combined Internet and TV revenues.
Wireline adjusted EBITDA increased 1.5% in Q4 to $1,248 million, with margin improving 1.2 percentage points to an industry-best 39.5%, supported by a 3.4% reduction in operation costs that reflected integration synergies with Bell Aliant and other operating efficiencies related to further improvements in customer service and deployment of fibre.
For full-year 2015, wireline operating revenue decreased 0.5% to $12,258 million, while operating costs improved 1.6% to $7,258 million. This resulted in a 1.1% increase in wireline adjusted EBITDA to $5,000 million, with a 0.7 percentage-point improvement in margin to 40.8%. Bell Wireline strongly contributed to consolidated free cash flow with growth in adjusted EBITDA less capital expenditures of 6.8% to $2,191 million. Notably, 2015 marks the first full year of positive adjusted EBITDA and cash flow growth for Bell Wireline since 2005 when cable telephony was launched in major Canadian markets.
Bell TV added 74,092 net new Fibe TV customers in Q4, compared to 76,074 in 2014, reflecting less new footprint expansion in 2015. Similarly, full-year 2015 Fibe TV net additions were 253,329 compared to 276,034 in 2014. At the end of 2015, BCE served 1,182,791 Fibe TV subscribers, up 26.7% over the previous year.
Satellite TV net customer losses increased to 36,306 in Q4 from 33,884 the year before, due mainly to the net loss of wholesale subscribers attributable to the rollout of IPTV service by a competing TV provider in Western Canada. For full-year 2015, Satellite TV net customer losses were 145,949 compared to 122,674 in 2014.
BCE was the fastest growing broadband TV provider in Canada in 2015 with a combined total of 2,738,496 subscribers, up 3.6% from 2,642,608 at the end of 2014.
High-speed Internet net additions totalled 38,908 this quarter, compared to 52,010 in Q4 2014. Despite 12% higher retail residential additions in Q4, reflecting stronger growth in Québec and Ontario, total Internet net additions were down compared to a year earlier, the result of lower wholesale net customer additions. With full-year 2015 Internet net additions of 155,052 compared to 160,390 in the previous year, BCE continued to build on its position as the leading Internet service provider in Canada with a high-speed Internet subscriber base of 3,413,147 at the end of 2015, up 3.5% over 2014.
Wireline data revenues were up 1.6% to $1,862 million, driven by combined Internet and TV service revenue growth of 5.3% and 1.8% higher IP broadband connectivity revenues. This was moderated by reduced spending on business service solutions and data products by our large enterprise customers. Similarly, full-year 2015 wireline data revenues increased 2.7% to $7,163 million.
Residential NAS net losses in Q4 were essentially unchanged at 58,081, compared to 57,232 in Q4 2014, even with sustained aggressive competitor promotions, service bundle discounts and ongoing wireless and Internet-based technology substitution for local services. For full-year 2015, residential NAS net losses improved 9.0% to 278,124 from 305,729 in 2014, benefitting from the pull-through impact of Fibe TV service bundle offers and greater penetration of 3-product households.
Business NAS net losses in Q4 were 48,829 compared to 35,773 the year before. The increase was due to higher deactivations attributable to cost efficiency initiatives by our large enterprise customers and disconnections resulting from the end of the federal election. For full-year 2015, business NAS net losses were relatively stable at 160,310 compared to 158,988 in 2014.
Total NAS access lines at the end of 2015 totalled 6,688,666, a 6.2% decline compared to the previous year, resulting in a 4.3% decrease in local and access revenues to $802 million. Long distance revenue was down 12.8% to $204 million as a result of the flow-through of a reduction in NAS access lines and lower sales of international long distance minutes compared to Q4 2014.
Bell Media reported revenues of $816 million in Q4, 3.4% higher than the year before. Advertising revenues increased compared to Q4 2014 on conventional TV growth driven by the federal election and strong performance of Bell Media's new primetime shows for the Fall season. Growth at Astral Out of Home, attributable to new contract wins and acquisitions over the past year, also contributed to higher total advertising revenues.
Subscriber revenues this quarter were up over the year before, reflecting steady growth from CraveTV and our broad suite of TV Everywhere GO products, as well as favourable rate adjustments with a number of TV broadcast distributors.
Media adjusted EBITDA fell 4.2% in Q4 to $184 million from $192 million the year before, the result of a 5.9% increase in operating costs that reflected higher costs for sports broadcast rights, content investments for CraveTV, and a return to normalized spending for Canadian programming expenditures following a one-time benefit in Q4 2014.
For full-year 2015, Bell Media revenues were up 1.3% to $2,974 million, while adjusted EBITDA decreased 1.5% to $723 million on 2.2% higher operating costs. Bell Media supported BCE's consolidated free cash flow growth in 2015 with adjusted EBITDA less capital expenditures of $622 million, up 4.2% over 2014.
Bell Media's specialty and pay TV properties reached 82% of all Canadian English specialty and pay TV viewers in the average week during Q4 2015. Bell Media led in primetime with the top entertainment specialty station (Discovery) for viewers aged 25 to 54, while Space, Comedy and Bravo all ranked in the Top 10.
Bell Media maintained its leadership position in Québec's French-language market with audiences for specialty TV reaching 83% of all TV viewers in the average week. Four out of the Top 5 Specialty channels among the key viewers aged 25 to 54 were Bell Media properties: RDS, Canal D, Super Écran and Canal Vie.
Bell Media digital properties led all Canadian broadcast competitors in average monthly unique visitors (17.4 million), total page views (551 million), visits (128 million), video viewers (2.8 million), and videos served (33 million).
Bell Media remained Canada's top radio broadcaster in Q4 reaching 16.9 million listeners who spent in excess of 81 million hours tuned in each week.
BCE's Board of Directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.6825 per common share, payable on April 15, 2016 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 15, 2016.
BCE's 2016 guidance targets are underpinned by a favourable financial profile for all three Bell operating segments, with adjusted EPS and free cash flow providing a strong and stable foundation for the 5.0% increase in BCE's common share dividend for 2016 as well as significant capital re-investment to support future growth. These targets also reflect the confidence we have in continuing to successfully manage our wireless, wireline and media businesses within the context of a highly competitive and dynamic market.
Our 2016 outlook builds on the healthy financial results achieved in 2015 and reflects continued strong projected wireless profitability, a second consecutive year of positive wireline adjusted EBITDA growth, and improved year-over-year Media financial performance.
As of November 1, 2014, BCE's free cash flow includes 100% of Bell Aliant's free cash flow rather than cash dividends received from Bell Aliant.
BCE will hold a conference call for financial analysts to discuss Q4 2015 results on Thursday, February 4 at 8:00 am (Eastern). Media are welcome to participate on a listen-only basis. Please dial toll-free 1-866-225-0198 or (416) 340-2218. A replay will be available for one week by dialing 1-800-408-3053 or (905) 694-9451 and entering pass code 8400379#.
A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available on BCE's website at: BCE Q4-2015 conference call. The mp3 file will be available for download on this page later in the day.
The information contained in this news release is unaudited.
The terms adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin do not have any standardized meaning under IFRS. Therefore, they are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. We define adjusted EBITDA as operating revenues less operating costs, as shown in BCE's consolidated income statements. Adjusted EBITDA for BCE's segments is the same as segment profit as reported in BCE's consolidated financial statements. We define adjusted EBITDA margin as adjusted EBITDA divided by operating revenues. We use adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin to evaluate the performance of our businesses as they reflect their ongoing profitability. We believe that certain investors and analysts use adjusted EBITDA to measure a company's ability to service debt and to meet other payment obligations or as a common measurement to value companies in the telecommunications industry. We believe that certain investors and analysts also use adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin to evaluate the performance of our businesses. Adjusted EBITDA is also one component in the determination of short-term incentive compensation for all management employees. Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin have no directly comparable IFRS financial measure. Alternatively, the following table provides a reconciliation of net earnings to adjusted EBITDA.
The terms adjusted net earnings and adjusted EPS do not have any standardized meaning under IFRS. Therefore, they are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. We define adjusted net earnings as net earnings attributable to common shareholders before severance, acquisition and other costs, net (gains) losses on investments, and early debt redemption costs. We define adjusted EPS as adjusted net earnings per BCE common share. We use adjusted net earnings and adjusted EPS, and we believe that certain investors and analysts use these measures, among other ones, to assess the performance of our businesses without the effects of severance, acquisition and other costs, net (gains) losses on investments, and early debt redemption costs, net of tax and NCI. We exclude these items because they affect the comparability of our financial results and could potentially distort the analysis of trends in business performance. Excluding these items does not imply they are non-recurring. The most comparable IFRS financial measures are net earnings attributable to common shareholders and EPS. The following table is a reconciliation of net earnings attributable to common shareholders and EPS to adjusted net earnings on a consolidated basis and per BCE common share (adjusted EPS), respectively.
The terms free cash flow and free cash flow per share do not have any standardized meaning under IFRS. Therefore, they are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. As of November 1, 2014, BCE's free cash flow includes 100% of Bell Aliant's free cash flow rather than cash dividends received from Bell Aliant. We define free cash flow as cash flows from operating activities, excluding acquisition and other costs paid, which include significant litigation costs, and voluntary pension funding, less capital expenditures, preferred share dividends and dividends paid by subsidiaries to NCI. Prior to November 1, 2014, free cash flow was defined as cash flows from operating activities, excluding acquisition and other costs paid, which include significant litigation costs, and voluntary pension funding, plus dividends received from Bell Aliant, less capital expenditures, preferred share dividends, dividends paid by subsidiaries to NCI and Bell Aliant free cash flow. We define free cash flow per share as free cash flow divided by the average number of common shares outstanding. We consider free cash flow and free cash flow per share to be important indicators of the financial strength and performance of our businesses because they show how much cash is available to pay dividends, repay debt and reinvest in our company. We believe that certain investors and analysts use free cash flow to value a business and its underlying assets. We believe that certain investors and analysts also use free cash flow and free cash flow per share to evaluate the financial strength and performance of our businesses. The most comparable IFRS financial measure is cash flows from operating activities. The following table is a reconciliation of cash flows from operating activities to free cash flow on a consolidated basis.
We use ARPU, churn, COA, capital intensity and dividend payout to measure the success of our strategic imperatives. These key performance indicators are not accounting measures and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. See section 8.2, Non-GAAP financial measures and key performance indicators (KPIs) in BCE's Q3 2015 MD&A for a definition of such KPIs.
Certain statements made in this news release are forward-looking statements. These statements include, without limitation, statements relating to our 2016 financial guidance (including revenues, adjusted EBITDA, capital intensity, adjusted EPS and free cash flow), BCE's 2016 annualized common share dividend and common share dividend policy, our network deployment plans, our business outlook, objectives, plans and strategic priorities, and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the words assumption, goal, guidance, objective, outlook, project, strategy, target and other similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as aim, anticipate, believe, could, expect, intend, may, plan, seek, should, strive and will. All such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the 'safe harbour' provisions of applicable Canadian securities laws and of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Forward-looking statements, by their very nature, are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties and are based on several assumptions, both general and specific, which give rise to the possibility that actual results or events could differ materially from our expectations expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements and that our business outlook, objectives, plans and strategic priorities may not be achieved. As a result, we cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize and we caution you against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release describe our expectations as of February 4, 2016 and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. Except as may be required by Canadian securities laws, we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this news release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Except as otherwise indicated by BCE, forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any special items or of any dispositions, monetizations, mergers, acquisitions, other business combinations or other transactions that may be announced or that may occur after February 4, 2016. The financial impact of these transactions and special items can be complex and depends on the facts particular to each of them. We therefore cannot describe the expected impact in a meaningful way or in the same way we present known risks affecting our business. Forward-looking statements are presented in this news release for the purpose of assisting investors and others in understanding certain key elements of our expected 2016 financial results, as well as our objectives, strategic priorities and business outlook for 2016, and in obtaining a better understanding of our anticipated operating environment. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes.
The foregoing assumptions, although considered reasonable by BCE on February 4, 2016, may prove to be inaccurate. Accordingly, our actual results could differ materially from our expectations as set forth in this news release.
We caution that the foregoing list of risk factors is not exhaustive and other factors could also adversely affect our results. We encourage investors to also read BCE's Safe Harbour Notice Concerning Forward-Looking Statements dated February 4, 2016, for additional information with respect to certain of these and other assumptions and risks, filed by BCE with the Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities (available at Sedar.com) and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (available at SEC.gov). This document is also available at BCE.ca.
BCE's Safe Harbour Notice Concerning Forward-Looking Statements dated February 4, 2016 is incorporated by reference into this news release.
For additional information, please refer to the February 4, 2016 presentation entitled "Q4 2015 Results and 2016 Financial Guidance Call" available on BCE's website.
Canada's largest communications company, BCE provides a comprehensive and innovative suite of broadband communication services to residential and business customers from Bell Canada and Bell Aliant. Bell Media is Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, out of home and digital media, including CTV, Canada's #1 television network, and the country's most-watched specialty channels. To learn more, please visit BCE.ca.
The Bell Let's Talk initiative promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns, like Clara's Big Ride for Bell Let's Talk and Bell Let's Talk Day, and significant Bell funding of community care and access, research, and workplace initiatives. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk. | 2019-04-26T08:41:26Z | https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/bce-reports-2015-q4-and-full-year-results-announces-2016-financial-targets---common-share-dividend-increased-50-to-273-per-year-567637911.html |
A design application generates feasible engineering designs that satisfy criteria associated with a particular engineering problem. The design application receives input that outlines a specific engineering problem to be solved, and then synthesizes a problem specification based on this input. The design application then searches a database to identify different classes of approaches to solving the design problem set forth in the problem specification. The design application then selects one or more such classes of approaches, and generates a spectrum of potential design solutions for each such approach. The generated solutions may then be evaluated to determine the degree to which the problems specification has been met.
1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate a spectrum of design solutions, by performing the steps of: synthesizing a problem specification based on input associated with a design problem, wherein the problem specification indicates at least one design criterion; identifying within a database at least a first approach for solving the design problem, wherein each approach for solving the design problem included in the database comprises a different process for generating three-dimensional geometry; and generating a spectrum of design solutions for the first approach, wherein each design solution in the spectrum of design solutions represents a different instance of three-dimensional geometry that satisfies the at least one design criterion.
2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising: determining a classification for the problem specification, wherein searching the database to identify the first approach comprises identifying different approaches for solving the design problem that are included in the database and are associated with the classification of the problem specification.
3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein generating the spectrum of design solutions for the first approach comprises: executing the first approach with a first set of input parameters to generate a first design solution to include in the spectrum of design solutions; and executing the first approach with a second set of input parameters to generate a second design solution to include in the spectrum of design solutions.
4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising: evaluating a first design solution included in the spectrum of design solutions to generate first evaluation results; evaluating a second design solution included in the spectrum of design solutions to generate second evaluation results; and generating a graphical user interface (GUI) that displays a comparison between the first evaluation results and the second evaluation results.
5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein evaluating the first design solution comprises evaluating manufacturability of the first design solution, evaluating the second design solution comprises evaluating manufacturability of the second design solution.
6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the comparison between the first evaluation results and the second evaluation results indicates relative manufacturability of the first design solution and the second design solution.
7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first approach comprises a parametric modeling tool.
8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first approach comprises procedural design synthesis methodology.
9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first approach comprises a topology optimization algorithm.
10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first approach comprises a truss optimization algorithm.
11. A computer-implemented method for generating a spectrum of design solutions, the method comprising: synthesizing a problem specification based on input associated with a design problem, wherein the problem specification indicates at least one design criterion; identifying within a database at least a first approach for solving the design problem, wherein each approach for solving the design problem included in the database comprises a different process for generating three-dimensional geometry; and generating a spectrum of design solutions for the first approach, wherein each design solution in the spectrum of design solutions represents a different instance of three-dimensional geometry that satisfies the at least one design criterion.
12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising: determining a classification for the problem specification, wherein searching the database to identify the first approach comprises identifying different approaches for solving the design problem that are included in the database and are associated with the classification of the problem specification.
13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein generating the spectrum of design solutions for the first approach comprises: executing the first approach with a first set of input parameters to generate a first design solution to include in the spectrum of design solutions; and executing the first approach with a second set of input parameters to generate a second design solution to include in the spectrum of design solutions.
14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising: evaluating a first design solution included in the spectrum of design solutions to generate first evaluation results; evaluating a second design solution included in the spectrum of design solutions to generate second evaluation results; and generating a graphical user interface (GUI) that displays a comparison between the first evaluation results and the second evaluation results.
15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein evaluating the first design solution comprises evaluating manufacturability of the first design solution, evaluating the second design solution comprises evaluating manufacturability of the second design solution, and wherein the comparison between the first evaluation results and the second evaluation results indicates relative manufacturability of the first design solution and the second design solution.
16. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the first approach comprises a parametric modeling tool.
17. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the first approach comprises procedural design synthesis methodology.
18. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the first approach comprises a topology optimization algorithm.
19. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the first approach comprises a truss optimization algorithm.
20. A system for generating a spectrum of design solutions, comprising: a memory storing a design application; and a processor that, in conjunction with executing the design application: synthesizes a problem specification based on input associated with a design problem, wherein the problem specification indicates at least one design criterion; identifies within a database at least a first approach for solving the design problem, wherein each approach for solving the design problem included in the database comprises a different process for generating three-dimensional geometry; and generates a spectrum of design solutions for the first approach, wherein each design solution in the spectrum of design solutions represents a different instance of three-dimensional geometry that satisfies the at least one design criterion.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application titled "Dreamcatcher: Approaches for Design Variation," filed on Nov. 25th, 2014 and having Ser. No. 62/084,490. The subject matter of this related application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to engineering design and, more specifically, to techniques for generating a spectrum of feasible design solutions.
In a conventional engineering workflow, an engineer uses a computer-aided design (CAD) tool to design and draft physical parts. In doing so, the engineer typically makes design choices in accordance with a set of design objectives and/or design constraints. For example, in the design of a mechanical beam, one design objective could be that the beam must support at least a minimum amount of weight. One design constraint could be that the beam must not be subjected to greater than a maximum amount of stress in a given direction. Collectively, the various design objectives and design constraints constitute overall design criteria.
Conventional CAD tools provide engineers with simulation environments for testing designed parts. More particularly, once the engineer finishes designing a given part, the engineer may then simulate the part under different conditions in order to determine whether the part meets the design criteria. If the part does not meet the design criteria, then the engineer must begin the design process anew.
One drawback of the above approach is that conventional CAD tools allow engineers to consider only one design option at a time. However, for a given set of design criteria, thousands upon thousands of design options can potentially exist, most of which are never considered. This limitation exists for two reasons. First, conventional CAD tools cannot evaluate multiple design options simultaneously. Second, the human brain is not equipped to consider all possible outcomes to all design choices associated with a given part and a given set of design criteria.
As the foregoing illustrates, what is needed in the art is a more effective approach to exploring the range of design solutions that meet design criteria.
Various embodiments of the present invention sets forth a non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate a spectrum of design solutions, by performing the steps of synthesizing a problem specification based on input associated with a design problem, where the problem specification indicates at least one design criterion, identifying within a database at least a first approach for solving the design problem, where each approach for solving the design problem included in the database comprises a different process for generating three-dimensional geometry, and generating a spectrum of design solutions for the first approach, where each design solution in the spectrum of design solutions represents a different instance of three-dimensional geometry that satisfies the at least one design criterion.
At least one advantage of this approach is that the end-user need not attempt to consider all possible approaches to solving the design problem. Instead, the design application identifies potentially promising approaches, and then generates actual designs based on those approaches, thereby alleviating the burden of generating designs from the end-user.
FIG. 1 illustrates a system configured to implement one or more aspects of the present invention.
FIG. 6 illustrates a graphical user interface (GUI) for evaluating the spectra of feasible design alternatives of FIG. 5, according to various embodiments of the present invention.
In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one of skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without one or more of these specific details.
FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100 configured to implement one or more aspects of the present invention. As shown, system 100 includes a client 110 coupled via a network 130 to a server 150. Client 110 may be any technically feasible variety of client computing device, including a desktop computer, laptop computer, mobile device, and so forth. Network 150 may be any technically feasible set of interconnected communication links, including a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), the World Wide Web, or the Internet, among others. Server 150 may be any technically feasible type of server computing device, including a remote virtualized instance of a computing device, one or more physical cloud-based computing devices, a mixture of the two, a portion of a datacenter, and so forth.
Client 110 includes processor 112, input/output (I/O) devices 114, and memory 116, coupled together. Processor 112 may be any technically feasible form of processing device configured process data and execute program code. Processor 112 could be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and so forth. I/O devices 114 may include devices configured to receive input, including, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, and so forth. I/O devices 114 may also include devices configured to provide output, including, for example, a display device, a speaker, and so forth. I/O devices 114 may further include devices configured to both receive and provide input and output, respectively, including, for example, a touchscreen, a universal serial bus (USB) port, and so forth.
Memory 116 may be any technically feasible storage medium configured to store data and software applications. Memory 116 could be, for example, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM) module, a read-only memory (ROM), and so forth. Memory 116 includes client-side design application 120-0 and client-side database 122-0. Client-side design application 120-0 is a software application that, when executed by processor 112, causes processor 112 to generate a collection of design solutions that meet design criteria associated with a problem specification. In doing so, client-side design application 120-0 may access client-side database 122-0. Client-side design application 122-0 may also interoperate with a corresponding design application that resides within server 150 and access a database that also resides on server 150, as described in greater detail below.
Server 150 includes processor 152, I/O devices 154, and memory 156, coupled together. Processor 152 may be any technically feasible form of processing device configured to process data and execute program code, including a CPU, a GPU, an ASIC, an FPGA, and so forth. I/O devices 114 may include devices configured to receive input, devices configured to provide output, and devices configured to both receive and provide input and output, respectively.
Memory 156 may be any technically feasible storage medium configured to store data and software applications, including a hard disk, a RAM module, a ROM, and so forth. Memory 156 includes server-side design application 120-1 and server-side database 122-1. Server-side design application 120-1 is a software application that, when executed by processor 156, causes processor 152 to generate a collection of design solutions that meet design criteria associated with a problem specification. In doing so, server-side design application 120-1 may access server-side database 122-1. Server-side design application 122-1 may also interoperate with client-side design application 120-0 and access client-side database 122-0.
In operation, client-side design application 120-0 and server-side design application 120-1 cooperate to implement any and all of the inventive functionality described herein. In doing so, either one or both of client-side design application 120-0 and server-side design application 120-1 may access either one or both of client-side database 122-0 and server-side database 122-1. Generally, client-side design application 120-0 and server-side design application 120-1 represent different portions of single distributed software entity. Thus, for simplicity, client-side design application 122-0 and server-side design application 122-1 will be collectively referred to herein as design application 120. Similarly, client-side database 122-0 and server-side database 122-1 represent different portions of a single distributed storage entity. Therefore, for simplicity, client-side database 122-0 and server-side database 122-1 will be collectively referred to herein as database 122.
As described in greater detail below in conjunction with FIG. 2, design application 120 is configured to interact with an end-user in order to generate feasible engineering design solutions that satisfy criteria associated with a particular engineering problem. Design application 120 receives input from the end-user that outlines the specific engineering problem to be solved. Design application 120 then synthesizes a problem specification based on this input. Design application 120 searches database 122 to identify different approaches to solving the design problem outlined by the problem specification. Design application 120 then selects one or more such approaches. Based on the selected approaches, design application 120 generates a spectrum of potential design solutions for each such approach. Design application 120 then evaluates the generated designs, and presents that evaluation to the end-user.
One of the advantages of this technique is that the end-user need not attempt to consider all possible approaches to solving the design problem. Instead, design application 120 identifies potentially promising approaches. Further, design application 120 also generates actual designs based on those approaches, thereby alleviating the burden of generating designs from the end-user. FIG. 2 sets forth a more detailed description of the functionality discussed briefly above.
FIG. 2 is a more detailed illustration of the design application and database of FIG. 1, according to various embodiments of the present invention. As shown, design application 120 is coupled to database 122. Design application 120 includes various data and processing stages implemental in performing the inventive techniques described herein. Specifically, design application 120 includes user input 202, problem specification 204, approach identification module 206, solution generation module 208, solutions 210-0 through 210-2, solution evaluation module 212, and evaluation results 214. Database 122 includes data that is processed by design application 120 when performing the inventive techniques. In particular, database 122 includes solution approaches 220. As described in greater detail below, a "solution approach" is a particular process, procedure, algorithm, function, or system for generating 3D geometry that satisfies specific design criteria.
In operation, design application 120 is configured to receive user input 202 via interactions with an end-user. User input 202 generally reflects a set of design objectives, design constraints, and other criteria associated with specific engineering problem to be solved. User input 202 may also reflect particular geometrical or environmental objectives, constraints, and other criteria to be satisfied by a successful design. Generally, user input 202 includes input provided by the end-user via one or more input devices, such as a keyboard or a mouse, that corresponds to the above-described design criteria.
Design application 120 receives user input 202 and, based on that input, synthesizes problem specification 204. Problem specification 204 is a data structure that embodies all of the design criteria set forth in user input 202. For example, problem specification 204 could reflect a 3D environment that includes specific locations where certain forces are to be supported, within precise volumetric constraints, under particular weight limitations. An example of problem specification 204 is set forth below in conjunction with FIG. 4. In one embodiment, the end-user directly generates problem specification 204, via interaction with design application 120.
Based on problem specification 204, design application 120 invokes approach identification module 206 to search database 122 for a subset of solution approaches 220 applicable to problem specification 204. Solution approaches 220 may include a wide variety of different methodologies for solving engineering problems. Thus, each solution approach 220 may be defined in a number of different ways. One example of a solution approach 220 would be a parametric modeling tool that outlines a parametric function for creating a 3D object. Alternatively, a procedural design synthesis technique, such as topology optimization or truss optimization, could define a solution approach 220. Each solution approach 220 may also reflect a particular manufacturing process that could potentially be used to manufacture a design. Generally, each different solution approach 220 may be associated with a different design condition.
Approach identification module 206 searches solution approaches 220 within database 122 and identifies solution approaches 220-0, 220-1, and 220-2 that may be applicable to problem specification 204. For example, suppose problem specification 204 called for a spring-loaded lever arm capable of supplying a particular force at a given deflection. Approach identification module 206, upon determining that a spring-type design may be relevant, could identify solution approaches 220-0, 220-1, and 220-2 that indicate engineering procedures relevant to the design and manufacture of springs.
In one embodiment, approach identification module 206 identifies relevant solution approaches 220 by classifying problem specification 204, and then retrieving solution approaches 220 associated with that class of problem specification 204. In doing so, approach identification module 208 may rely on artificial neural networks (ANNs), machine learning techniques, or other types of technically feasible classifiers.
Upon identifying one or more relevant solution approaches 220, approach identification module 206 provides the identified solution approaches to solution generation module 208. Solution generation module 208 then generates solutions 210-0, 210-1, and 210-2 based on solution approaches 220-0, 220-1, and 220-2, respectively. Each one of solutions 210 reflects a spectrum of different feasible designs, each generated using the same engineering procedure outlined in the corresponding solution approach 220. For example, suppose solution approach 220-0 specific a topology optimization algorithm. Solution generation module 208 could apply that optimization algorithm, with the particular design objectives, design constraints, and other relevant inputs derived from problem specification 204, to generate each one of solutions 210-0. In doing so, solution generation module 208 may vary certain input parameters in order to arrive at a spectrum of related solutions 210-0. FIG. 5, discussed below, illustrates exemplary spectra of solutions to an engineering problem.
Once solution generation module 208 generates a collection of different solutions 210, solution evaluation module 212 evaluates the different solutions to generate evaluation results 214. Evaluation module 212 may perform any technically feasible form of engineering analysis in order to evaluate solutions 210, including analyses of how closely each design solution fits problem specification 204, as well as analyses of the design tradeoffs associated with each design.
In one embodiment, solution generation module 208 and solution evaluation module 212 may interoperate in an iterative fashion to generate and evaluate solutions 210. In particular, solution evaluation module 212 may provide evaluation results 214 to solution generation module 208 along a feedback pathway (not shown). Based on those results, solution generation module 208 repeat the solution generation procedure, based on the identified solution approaches, with input parameters varied according to evaluation results 214. In this manner, solution generation module 208 and solution evaluation module 212 may perform any number of different iterations until converging upon a collection of solutions 210 that meet the criteria set forth in design specification 204, or meet that criteria to a threshold degree.
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of method steps for generating a set of feasible design alternatives, according to various embodiments of the present invention. Although the method steps are described in conjunction with the systems of FIGS. 1-2, persons skilled in the art will understand that any system configured to perform the method steps, in any order, is within the scope of the present invention.
As shown, a method 300 begins at step 302, where design application 120 receives user input 202 associated with a particular engineering design problem via interaction with the end-user. The received user input 202 generally reflects design objectives, design constraints, and other criteria associated with the design problem at hand.
At step 304, design application 120 synthesizes problem specification 204 based on user input 202 received at step 302. Problem specification 204 is a data structure that encapsulates all relevant information associated with the design problem in question, including design objectives, design constraints, and other engineering criteria. In one embodiment, design application 120 includes a synthesis module that generates problem specification 204 based on user input 202.
At step 306, approach identification module 206 searches solution approaches 220 within database 122 based on problems specification 204, to identify a set of solution approaches relevant to problem specification 204. In the context of this disclosure, a solution approach may be considered "relevant" to a given problem specification 204 if that solution approach is capable of generating a design that meets the criteria set forth in problem specification 204. Approach identification module 206 may determine relevance in a wide variety of different ways, although generally, approach identification module 206 determines a particular classification for problem specification 204 and then retrieves solution approaches 220 associated with that classification, as discussed in conjunction with FIG. 2.
At step 308, solution generation module 208 generates solutions 210, based on the various solution approaches 220 identified at step 306, that meet the criteria set forth in design specification 204. In doing so, solution generation module 208 may apply one or more procedures outlined in each such approach, with varying input parameters, to arrive at a spectrum of solutions. Upon performing this process for each different solution approach identified at step 306, Solution generation module 208 generates different sets of solutions 210, each of which derives from a different one of the identified solution approaches, as also discussed above in conjunction with FIG. 2.
At step 310, solution evaluation engine 212 evaluates and compares the generated solutions to generate results data 214. Results data 214 may reflect any form of data generated via any technically feasible form of engineering analysis, including tradeoff analysis and other analytical or comparative techniques, as described above in conjunction with FIG. 2.
At step 312, solution evaluation engine 212 provides evaluation results 214 to the end user. To that effect, solution engine 212 generates an interactive GUI that allows the end-user to compare and contrast the various solutions generated by solution generation module 208. In one embodiment, evaluation results 214 may reflect the manufacturability of each design solution, and the interactive GUI generated by solution engine 212 may compare the manufacturability of each design solution to illustrate relative manufacturability between designs.
Generally, the techniques described herein relate to mechanical engineering design problems, although persons skilled in the art will understand that the disclosed techniques may also be applied to other branches of engineering, including electrical engineering, materials engineering, civil engineering, and so forth. An exemplary application of the techniques disclosed above provided in the context of mechanical engineering appears below in FIGS. 4-6.
FIG. 4 is an exemplary depiction of a problem specification, according to various embodiments of the invention. As shown, problem specification 400 includes a collection of different ports 410 arranged according to a specific 3D geometry. Each port 410 represents a location where one or more forces are to be supported. Ports 410-0, 410-1, 410-2, and 410-3 all reside within the same horizontal plane, while port 410-4 is positioned above that plane.
Problem specification 400 sets forth specific design objectives. For example, problem specification 400 indicates that all forces associated with a given port 410 are balanced. Thus, a successful design that meets this design objective will describe a 3D structure that balances those forces. Problem specification 400 also sets forth specific design constraints. For example, problem specification 400 indicates that the successful design includes just five attachment points corresponding to ports 410-0 through 410-4, respectively. Thus, a successful design will have exactly five attachment points to a surrounding environment or structure.
Approach identification module 306 is configured to search solution approaches 220 within database 122, based on problem specification 400, to identify solution approaches that outline procedures capable of generating designs that meet the objectives and constraints associated with problems specification 400. Then, solution generation module 308 generates a spectrum of design solutions for each such solution approach, as described in exemplary fashion below in conjunction with FIG. 5.
FIG. 5 illustrates exemplary spectra of feasible design alternatives generated according to the problem specification of FIG. 4, according to various embodiments of the present invention. As shown spectrum 500 includes various solid designs 502-0 through 502-4. Solid designs 502 could be generated, for example, based on a solution approach that describes a topology optimization algorithm. With such an approach, solution generation module 308 could place material at particular locations within a 3D space to arrive at each solid design 502. By varying input parameters to that solution approach, solution generation module 308 would generate the different solid designs shown in spectrum 500.
As also shown, spectrum 510 includes various truss designs 512-0 through 512-4. Truss designs 512 could be generated, for example, based on a solution approach that describes a truss optimization procedure. With such an approach, solution generation module 308 could arrange and connect struts at specific locations within a 3D space to arrive at each truss design 512. By varying input parameters to that solution approach, solution generation module 308 would generate the different truss designs shown in spectrum 510. Based on the different designs generated in this manner, solution evaluation engine 312 generates an interactive GUI that presents various engineering analyses performed with the different designs, as described in greater detail below in conjunction with FIG. 6.
FIG. 6 illustrates a graphical user interface (GUI) for evaluating the spectra of feasible design alternatives of FIG. 5, according to various embodiments of the present invention. As shown, a plot 600 includes an X-axis 610 and a Y-axis 612. Various groups 602 and 604 of design solutions reside on graph 600. Each design solution is positioned at a particular X-Y location based on the values of different parameters. X-axis 610 corresponds to parameter 0, and Y-axis 620 corresponds to parameter 1. Thus, each design solution may be positioned at an X-Y location on plot 600 based on the respective values of parameters 0 and 1.
In the example discussed herein, parameter 0 could represent weight, while parameter 1 could represent maximum load. Group 604 could represent spectrum 510 of design solutions, while group 602 could represent spectrum 500 of design solutions. Since the truss-type solutions associated with spectrum 510 are lighter and potentially less strong than the solid-type solutions associated with spectrum 500, group 604 resides closer to the origin of plot 600, indicating lower weight and lower maximum load. Conversely, since the solid-type solutions associated with spectrum 500 are heavier and potentially stronger than the truss-type solutions associate with spectrum 510, group 602 resides further from the origin of plot 600 in both the X and Y directions.
Persons skilled in the art will understand that FIGS. 4-6 are provided for exemplary purposes only and not meant to limit the scope of the claimed embodiments. As a general matter, design application 120 may be implemented to solve a wide range of engineering design problems and to arrive at a wealth of different feasible design solutions. Further, database 122 may include a potentially vast collection of solution approaches that represent widely ranging techniques to engineering design problems.
In sum, a design application generates feasible engineering designs that satisfy criteria associated with a particular engineering problem. The design application receives input that outlines a specific engineering problem to be solved, and then synthesizes a problem specification based on this input. The design application then searches a database to identify different approaches to solving the design problem set forth in the problem specification. The design application then selects one or more such approaches, and generates a spectrum of potential designs for each such approach. The generated designs may then be evaluated to determine the degree to which the problems specification has been met.
At least one advantage of the approach discussed herein is that the end-user need not attempt to consider all possible approaches to solving the design problem. Instead, the design application identifies potentially promising approaches, and then generates actual designs based on those approaches, thereby alleviating the burden of generating designs from the end-user.
The descriptions of the various embodiments have been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments.
Aspects of the present embodiments may be embodied as a system, method or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a "circuit," "module" or "system." Furthermore, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable medium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon.
Aspects of the present disclosure are described above with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the disclosure. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, enable the implementation of the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. Such processors may be, without limitation, general purpose processors, special-purpose processors, application-specific processors, or field-programmable processors or gate arrays.
While the preceding is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow. | 2019-04-23T18:10:53Z | http://www.patentsencyclopedia.com/app/20160147911 |
For providing a method for polishing in which it is possible to polish a substance uniformly over a whole surface of a wafer without observing the polished surface of the wafer halfway through polishing, a wafer with current detective patterns formed of conductors directly contacted with a semiconductor substrate, and an insulating film covering the current detective patterns is held by a wafer holder with conductivity, and the insulating film is polished by a polisher in which a supporting plate with conductivity is exposed in openings through a polishing cloth while supplying a polishing slurry containing ions.
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 08/131,949, filed Oct. 8, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,529.
The present invention relates to an apparatus polishing and a method for polishing, and particularly to an apparatus and a method for uniformly polishing a wafer to planarize a surface of the wafer having interconnection layers and an insulating film covering the interconnection layers.
An apparatus for polishing according to the related art will be described with reference to FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 1(b). It is introduced in the document of J. Electrochem. Soc., Vol.138, No.11, November 1991 by F. B. Kaufman et al.
In FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 1(b), reference numeral 1 indicates a polisher having a disk-like supporting board 2 which is capable of turning on a shaft 1a, and a polishing cloth 3 stuck on the supporting board 2. Reference numeral 4 indicates a disk-like wafer holder for holding and fixing on a wafer holding surface a wafer 6 having an interconnection layer and an insulating film covering the interconnection layer. A wafer holding surface is on the side opposed to the polishing cloth 3. The diameter of the wafer holder 4 is smaller than that of the polisher 1. The wafer holder 4 is turned on a shaft 4a in the same direction as the turning direction of the polisher 1. Reference numeral 5 indicates a nozzle for supplying a polishing slurry 13 containing colloidal silica.
Next, a method for polishing using the above apparatus for polishing will be described with reference to FIG. 2(A) to FIG. 2(c).
FIG. 2(a) is a sectional view of a wafer showing the state after an interlayer insulating film covering the interconnection layer is formed and before the interlayer insulating film is polished. In this figure, reference numeral 7 indicates a semiconductor substrate; 8 is a backing insulating film; 9 is a lower interconnection layer formed on the backing insulating film 8; 10a and 10b are cylindrical conductive layers for connecting the lower interconnection layer 9 to upper interconnection layers formed later, which are formed at two points on the lower interconnection layer 9; and 11 is an interlayer insulating film covering the lower interconnection layer 9 and the conductive layers 10a and 10b.
In such a state, first, the wafer 6 is held and fixed on the wafer holder 4 as shown in FIG. 1(a). Subsequently, the surface of the wafer 6 is in parallel to the surface of the polishing cloth 3. Then, the wafer holder 4 and the polisher 1 are turned in the same direction, and the wafer holder 4 is moved downward to bring the wafer 6 in contact with the polishing cloth 3. At the same time, a polishing slurry is dropped on the polishing cloth 3 through a nozzle 5.
While the wafer 6 is suitably moved on the polishing cloth 3 in such a state as to be pressed on the polishing cloth 3, the interlayer insulating film 11 on the wafer 6 is polished until the conductive layers 10a and 10b are exposed. After an elapse of a specified time, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the polishing of the interlayer insulating film 11 is completed and the surface of the wafer 6 is planarized, and concurrently the conductive layers 10a and 10b are exposed.
After that, as shown in FIG. 2(c), the upper interconnection layers 12a and 12b are formed in such a manner as to be respectively connected to the exposed conductive layers 10a and 10b, and thereby the lower interconnection layer 9 is connected to the upper interconnection layers 12a and 12b.
According to the above method for polishing of the related art, however, it is difficult to continue applying a uniform pressure over a whole surface of the wafer 6 through the wafer holder 4 while polishing. Such an unbalanced pressure results in an uneven thickness of the residual interlayer insulating film 11 through an unevenness of polishing volume over an entire surface of the wafer 6.
Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, there might arise a part where a thickness of the remaining interlayer insulating film 11 becomes thinner, as a result when forming an upper interconnection layer there is a risk that a dielectric strength lowers between the upper interconnection layer and the lower interconnection layer, or in the worst case, the upper interconnection layer and the lower interconnection layer short-circuit.
In order to avoid such a risk, the polishing surface of the wafer 6 can be observed midway through polishing. This results, however, in declination of throughput through some added processes including the observation by a microscope and the cleaning process of the wafer 6.
An object of the present invention is to provided an apparatus and a method for polishing in which it is possible to polish a substance uniformly over a whole surface of a wafer without observing the polished surface of the wafer halfway through polishing.
In an apparatus and a method for polishing of the present invention, a wafer having current detective patterns of conductors directly contacted with a semiconductor substrate, and an insulating film covering the current detective patterns is held by a wafer holder with conductivity and the insulating film is polished by a polisher in which a supporting plate with conductivity is exposed in openings through a polishing cloth while supplying a polishing slurry containing ions. Accordingly, when any of the current detective patterns on the wafer has been exposed by polishing the insulating film, a current is allowed to flow between the polisher and the wafer holder by way of the current detective pattern and the semiconductor substrate by the interposition of ions in the abrasive entering in the openings through the polishing cloth. On the other hand, the current is not allowed to flow to the portion in which the remaining insulating film is thicker than the specified film thickness and covers the current detective patterns. Accordingly, by polishing while monitoring the current, it is possible to specify the thicker portion than the specified film thickness and to enlarge the polished volume by increasing the pressure applied to this portion.
In particular, by taking the current-flowing area of a reference current detective pattern as x and taking the current flowing areas of the other current detective patterns as Xn (x≧2, n is an integer), different values of total current can be necessarily obtained even if any of current detective patterns are allowed to be conductive. For example, the relationship that X=2, and n=0, 1, 2, 3, 4. . . is preferable. Because it makes Xn =1, 2, 4, 8, 16. . . Thus, it is possible to specify any of the current detective patterns through which a current flows.
Since the polished volume can be partially adjusted by monitoring of the current, it is possible to eliminate the observation of the polishing surface of the wafer midway through polishing, which has been performed in the related art. Thus, the processes are simplified and the uniformity in polishing is improved.
Secondarily, a wafer with conductive layers and an insulating film covering the conductive layers is contacted with a polisher, which has a plurality of through-holes for allowing the passing of the abrasive containing ions and a pair of electrodes provided in the through-holes, and the insulating film is polished.
Accordingly, when the conductive layers are exposed on the surface of the wafer through polishing the insulating film, a current is allowed to flow by way of the one electrode, the conductive layer and the other electrode by the interposition of ions contained in the abrasive. Consequently, by monitoring of the current, it is possible to securely remove the insulating film on the conductive layers to expose the conductive layers, and to securely leave the insulating film with a specified film thickness.
Thus, it is possible to adjust the polished volume while monitoring the current, and hence to eliminate the observation of the polishing surface of the wafer through polishing. This makes it possible to simplify the processes and to improve the uniformity in polishing. Further, in the apparatus for polishing, there is provided a turnable wafer holder supported by a shaft and a polishing cloth with an asymmetric area. Additionally, the larger area portion of the polishing cloth is disposed near the shaft while the smaller area portion of the polishing cloth is disposed apart from the shaft. The polishing speed is generally increased in proportion to the relative speed between the polishing cloth and a substance to be polished. Further, when the wafer holder is turned, the polishing speed per unit area is larger at the outer peripheral portion than at the inner peripheral portion.
Accordingly, when the wafer is turned, the area in the surface of the wafer with which the polishing cloth contacts per unit time is approximately constant both on the inner side and on the outer side. Consequently, since the unevenness of the polished volume within the contact surface of the polishing cloth becomes less, by combination with the current detecting means, it is possible to further uniformly polish the insulating film on the wafer. Further, only by moving the polisher in the direction perpendicular to the turning direction of the wafer holder, it is possible to uniformly polish the whole surface of the wafer.
By rotating both the wafer holder and the polisher with same angular speed in the same direction, it is possible to equalize the relative speed between the wafer holder and the polisher over the surface of the wafer. Accordingly, by combination with the current detecting means, it is possible to uniformly polish the insulating film on the wafer.
Further, by decreasing the turning speeds of the wafer holder and the polisher when the detected current is large, and by increasing the turning speeds of the wafer holder and the polisher when the detected current is small, it is possible to further equalize the polished volume over the surface of the wafer. This is because, the higher the turning speed is, the larger the polishing speed is, and the lower the turning speed is, the smaller the polishing speed is.
Additionally, by reducing the pressure to the polisher when the detected current is large, and by enlarging the pressure to the polisher when the detected current is small, it is possible to further equalize the polished volume over the surface of the wafer. This is because, the larger the pressure is, the larger the polishing speed is, and the smaller the pressure is, the smaller the polishing speed is.
FIG. 10(a) and FIG. 10(b) are detail construction views of a polisher of an apparatus for polishing used in a method for polishing according to a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 10(a) is a bottom view and FIG. 10(b) is a side view.
FIG. 16 is an explanatory view for the examination result of confirming the effect of a method for polishing according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
The apparatus for polishing according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 4(a) and FIG. 4(b).
In FIG. 4(a) and FIG. 4(b), reference numeral 21 is a polisher having a disk-like supporting plate 22 which is capable of turning on an shaft 24 perpendicular to a polishing surface. A first conductive film 22a is formed on the polishing surface of the supporting plate 22, and a polishing cloth 23 is stuck on the first conductive film 22a. Further, a plurality of openings 23a are formed through the polishing cloth 23, and the first conductive film 22a is exposed on the bottom portions of the openings 23a.
Reference numeral 25 indicates a disk-like wafer holder for holding and fixing a wafer 33 with a lower interconnection layer and an interlayer insulating film covering the lower interconnection layer. The diameter of the wafer 33 is smaller than that of the wafer holder 25. The wafer holder 25 turns on a shaft 27 perpendicular to a wafer holding surface. Further, a second conductive film 26a is formed on a wafer holding surface of a supporting plate 26. Additionally, a plurality of pressure adjusting screws 28 are screwed from the rear surface of the supporting plate 26. The necessary pressure adjusting screw 28 is loosened or fastened to apply a pressure to a necessary portion of a wafer 33 from the rear surface.
Reference numeral 29 indicates a nozzle (abrasive supply means) for supplying a polishing slurry 40 containing colloidal silica. The abrasive 40 contains ions such as Na ion and K ion.
Reference numeral 30 indicates a current detecting means, which includes a power supply 31 for supplying a voltage and an ammeter 32. The current detecting means 30 is connected between the first conductive film 22a of the polisher 21 and the second conductive film 26a of the wafer holder 25.
As described above, according to the apparatus for polishing, the first conductive film 22a is stuck on the polishing surface of the polisher 21, and the second conductive film 26a is stuck on the wafer holding surface of the wafer holder 25. Further, the openings 23a are formed through the polishing cloth 23 on the first conductive film 22a of the polisher 21. Additionally, the nozzle 29 for supplying the abrasive 40 containing ions is provided.
With this construction, in the case of holding on the wafer holder 25 the wafer 33 with the interlayer insulating film 37 covering the current detective patterns 36a to 36d and the lower interconnection layer, and polishing the interlayer insulating film 37 in a state of contacting the wafer 33 with the polishing cloth 23 and pressing the wafer 33 to the polishing cloth 23, when any of the current detective patterns 36a to 36d is has been exposed by polishing the interlayer insulating film 37, a current is allowed to flow between the polisher 21 and the wafer holder 25 through the first conductive film 22a, the exposed current detective patterns 36a to 36d, a semiconductor substrate 34 and the second conductive film 26a by the interposition of the ions in the abrasive 40 entering in the openings 23a.
Accordingly, since the polishing surface of the wafer 33 is confirmed by monitoring of the current, it is possible to eliminate the observation of the polishing surface of the wafer 33 midway through polishing. This simplifies the processes and improves the uniformity in polishing.
A semiconductor device used in the method for polishing according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 5(a) and FIG. 5(b).
In FIG. 5(a) and FIG. 5(b), reference numeral 34 indicates a semiconductor substrate, for example of silicon; 35 is a backing insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate 34; 36a to 36e are current detective patterns, each being formed of a cylindrical tungsten (W) film, which are formed on the central portion of the wafer 33 by one point (C) and on the peripheral portion by four points (A, B, D, E). The current detective patterns 36a to 36e are directly connected to the semiconductor substrate 34 through openings of the backing insulating film 35. The current flowing areas of the current detective patterns 36a to 36e are specified as follows: assuming that the current flowing area of the current detective pattern 36a at the portion A is taken as 1, those of the current detective patterns 36b to 36e at the portions B, C, D and E become 2, 4, 8, 16, respectively. The reason why the current flowing areas are taken as 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 is that the current detective patterns are specified such that even if a plurality of arbitrary current detective patterns are allowed to be conductive, the values of total current obtained are necessarily different from each other.
Next, the method for polishing according to the first embodiment of the present invention using the above apparatus for polishing and the semiconductor device will be described with reference to FIG. 6(a), FIG. 6(b), FIG. 7(a) to FIG. 7(c), FIG. 4(a), FIG. 4(b), FIG. 5(a), and FIG. 5(b).
FIG. 7(a) shows the state where a lower interconnection layer and an interlayer insulating film are formed but the polishing is not performed. In this figure, reference numeral 34 indicates a semiconductor substrate made from silicon; 35 is a backing insulating film formed of a silicon oxide film on the semiconductor substrate 34; 38 is a lower interconnection layer of aluminum on the backing insulating film 35; 39a and 39b are conductive layers formed of cylindrical aluminum for connecting an upper interconnection layer formed later to the lower interconnection layer 38, which are formed at two points on the lower interconnection layer; and 37 is an interlayer insulating film (insulating film) of a silicon oxide film covering the lower interconnection layer 38 and the conductive layers 39a and 39b.
In such a state, first, the wafer 33 is held and fixed on the wafer holder 25 as shown in FIG. 4(a) such that the surface of the wafer 33 formed with the interlayer insulating film 37 is directed to the front side. Subsequently, the surface of the wafer 33 is opposed to the surface of the polishing cloth 23 in parallel to each other. After that, both the wafer holder 25 and the polisher 21 are turned in the same direction, and concurrently the wafer holder 25 is moved downward or the polisher 21 is moved upward, to thus bring the wafer 33 in contact with the polishing cloth 23. At the same time, the abrasive 40 is dropped on the polishing cloth 23 through the nozzle 29.
The wafer 33 is suitably moved on the polishing cloth 23 in such state as to be pressed thereon, and the interlayer insulating film 37 is polished. At this time, the ammeter 32 is monitored. When the polishing proceeds somewhat and one current detective pattern 36b is exposed, as shown in FIG. 6(a), a current corresponding to the current flowing area 2 is allowed to flow, which is detected by the ammeter 32. Accordingly, the portions other than the portion B is relatively strongly pressed.
When the polishing proceeds and the current detective pattern 36e is exposed, as shown in FIG. 6 (a), a current corresponding to the current flowing areas (2+16) is allowed to flow, which is detected by the ammeter 32. Accordingly, the portions other than the portions B and E are relatively strongly pressed.
When the polishing further proceeds and the current detective pattern 36a is newly exposed, as shown in FIG. 6(a), a current corresponding to the current flowing areas (2+16+1) is allowed to flow, which is detected by the ammeter 32. Accordingly, the portions other than the portions B, E and A are relatively strongly pressed. When the polishing proceeds and the current detective pattern 36c is next exposed, as shown in FIG. 6(a), a current corresponding to the current flowing areas (2+16+1+4) is allowed to flow, which is detected by the ammeter 32. Accordingly, the periphery of the portion D other than the portions B, E, A and C is relatively strongly pressed.
When the polishing further proceeds and the current detective pattern 36d is next exposed, as shown in FIG. 6(a), a current corresponding to the current flowing areas (2+16+1+4+8) is allowed to flow, which is detected by the ammeter 32. Thus, it is judged that the current detective patterns 36a to 36e are all allowed to be conductive and the specified polishing volume is achieved, thus completing the polishing.
In addition, in the case of FIG. 6(b), differently from the case described above, first, the current detective pattern 36b at the portion B is allowed to be conductive, after which the current detective patterns 36a, and 36c to 36e are concurrently allowed to be conductive.
Thus, the interlayer insulating film 37 in a specified amount is uniformly polished over a whole surface of the wafer 33, so that the surface of the wafer 33 is planarized. And, as shown in FIG. 7(b) and FIG. 8, the conductive layers 39a to 39d are exposed on the whole surface of the wafer 33.
After that, as shown in FIG. 7(c), upper interconnection layers 40a and 40b are formed so as to be respectively connected to the exposed conductive layers 39a and 39b, and thereby the lower interconnection layer 38 is connected to the upper interconnection layers 40a and 40b through the conductive layers 39a and 39b.
As for the interlayer insulating film 37a remaining after polishing in the manner as described above, the unevenness of the film thickness within the wafer 33 and the average film thickness between the wafers 33 were examined, which gave the results as shown in FIG. 9(a) and FIG. 9 (b).
According to the above examination results, the unevenness of the film thickness within the wafer 33 and the average film thickness between the wafers were significantly improved as compared with the related art.
As described above, according to the method for polishing according to the first embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to check the polished volume at the specified portion within the wafer 33 while monitoring the ammeter 32, and hence to equalize the polished volume by adjustment of the pressure applied on the necessary portion.
Thus, as for the interlayer insulating film 37a remaining after polishing, the unevenness of the film thickness of the wafer 33 and the average film thickness between the wafers are significantly improved as compared with the related art. Further, the observation of the wafer 33 midway through polishing is eliminated, thereby simplifying the processes.
Additionally, in the first embodiment, the pressure adjusting screws 28 are provided to manually adjust a pressure; however, by providing the pressure adjusting means capable of automatically adjusting a pressure and by interlocking the current detecting means 30 with the pressure adjusting means, it is possible to automatically adjust a pressure while continuing the polishing.
The apparatus for polishing according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 10(a), FIG. 10(b) and FIG. 11.
In FIG. 10(a) and FIG. 10(b), reference numeral 41 indicates a polisher having a disk-like supporting plate which is capable of turning on a shaft perpendicular to a polishing surface. On the surface of the polisher 41, a polishing cloth 43 is formed and two through-holes 44a and 44b for allowing the passing of a polishing slurry such as colloidal silica containing Na ion and K ion are formed. In addition, meshed electrodes 45a and 45b are provided in the through-holes 44a and 44b, respectively. A power supply 47 and an ammeter 48 which constitute a current detecting means 46 are connected in series to a pair of the electrodes 45a and 45b.
In FIG. 11, reference numeral 49 indicates a rotating shaft of the polisher 41; 50 is a disk-like wafer holder for holding and fixing a wafer 50 with an interlayer insulating film as a substance to be polished on a wafer holding surface opposed to the polishing cloth 43 of the polisher 41. The diameter of the wafer holder 50 is larger than that of the polisher 41. The wafer holder 50 is turned on a shaft 52 perpendicular to a wafer holding surface. Further, a vacuum chuck for fixing the wafer 53 is formed on the wafer holding surface.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 13(a), the wafer 53 has a backing insulating film 55 formed of a silicon oxide film on a semiconductor substrate 54, a lower interconnection layer 56 of aluminum on the backing insulating film 55, conductive layers 57a and 57b of cylindrical aluminum which are formed at two points on the lower interconnection layer 56 to connect upper inter connection layers formed later to the lower interconnection layer 56, and an interlayer insulating film (insulating film) 58 formed of a silicon oxide film covering the lower interconnection layer 56 and the conductive layers 57a and 57b. The semiconductor substrate 54 and the backing insulating film 55 constitute a substrate.
As described above, according to the apparatus for polishing, the two through-holes 44a and 44b for supplying the abrasive 60 are formed in the polisher 41, and the meshed electrodes 45a and 45b are respectively provided in the through-holes 44a and 44b. The power supply 47 and the ammeter 48 are connected in series to a pair of the electrodes 45a and 45b. Further, the abrasive 60 contains ions.
Thus, when the conductive layers 57a and 57b are exposed on the surface of the wafer 55 through polishing the interlayer insulating film 58, a current is allowed to flow to the ammeter 48 by way of the one electrode 45b, the conductive layer 57b, the lower interconnection layer 56 and the conductive layer 57a and the other electrode 45a by the interposition of ions contained in the abrasive 60.
This makes it possible to adjust the polished volume by monitoring the current, and hence to eliminate the observation of the polishing surface of the wafer 53 midway through polishing, which has been performed in the related art. Consequently, the process is simplified and the uniformity in polishing is improved whereby the interlayer insulating film 58a with a specified film thickness certainly remains.
In addition, in the above embodiment, the two through-holes 44a and 44b are provided; however, three or more through-holes may be provided. In this case, one electrode provided in the specified through-hole is connected to a positive or negative terminal of the power supply 47, and the electrodes provided in the other through-holes are all connected to the negative or positive terminals of the power supply 47. Alternatively, a plurality of the electrodes in one group are connected to positive or negative terminals of the power supply 47 and a plurality of the electrodes in the other group are connected to negative or positive terminals.
An apparatus for polishing according to a second example of the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 12(a) and FIG. 12(b).
In FIG. 12(a) and FIG. 12(b), reference numeral 41a indicates a polisher formed with a polishing cloth 43a on a polishing surface and having a disk-like supporting plate which is capable of turning on a shaft perpendicular to a polishing surface. Further, the polisher 41a has a plurality of through-holes (not shown) for allowing the passing of a polishing slurry such as colloidal silica containing Na ion and K ion. Meshed electrodes are provided in the through-holes. A power supply 47 and an ammeter 48 (current detecting means 46) are connected in series to a pair of the electrodes. The above construction is substantially similar to that in the first example.
The second example is different from the first example in that the polishing cloth is asymmetrically formed, and over the wafer holder 50, the portion of the polishing cloth 43a with a larger area is disposed near the central portion of the wafer holder 50 while the portion of the polishing cloth 43a with a smaller area is disposed apart from the central portion of the wafer holder 50.
As for the other reference numerals, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 11 designate the same parts as those in FIG. 11.
In the apparatus for polishing according to the second example of the present invention, the polishing cloth 43a is asymmetrically formed, and over the wafer holder 50, the portion of the polishing cloth 43a with a larger area is disposed near the central portion of the wafer holder 50 while the portion of the polishing cloth 43a with a smaller area is disposed apart from the central portion of the wafer holder 50. The polishing speed is generally increased in proportion to the relative speed between the polishing cloth and a substance to be polished. Further, as the wafer holder 47a is turned, the polishing speed per unit area is larger at the outer peripheral portion than at the inner peripheral portion.
Accordingly, in the apparatus for polishing of the second example, during the wafer 53 is turned, the area in the surface of the wafer 53 with which of the polishing cloth 43a contacts per unit time becomes approximately constant both on the inner side and the outer side. The polished volume of a substance to be polished during the polishing cloth 43a is moved along the circumference of the wafer 53 becomes approximately constant both on the inner side and the outer side of the polishing cloth 43a, so that it is possible to reduce the unevenness of the polished volume within the wafer 53. Consequently, in combination with the current detecting means, it is possible to further uniformly polish the substance to be polished on the wafer 53.
In addition, by only moving the polisher 41a in the direction perpendicular to the turning direction of the wafer holder 50, it is possible to uniformly polish the whole surface of the wafer 53.
Thus, it is possible to adjust the polished volume by monitoring of the current, and hence to eliminate the observation for the surface of the wafer 53 midway through polishing, which has been performed in the related art. Accordingly, the processes are simplified and the uniformity in polishing is improved.
The method for polishing using the above apparatus for polishing according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 13(a) to FIG. 13(c), FIG. 14, FIG. 10(a), FIG. 10(b) and FIG. 11.
FIG. 13 (a) is a sectional view showing the state where a lower interconnection layer and an interlayer insulating film are formed but the polishing is not performed. In this figure, reference numeral 54 indicates a semiconductor substrate of silicon; 55 is a backing insulating film formed of a silicon oxide film on the semiconductor substrate 54; 56 is a lower interconnection layer of aluminum on the backing insulating film 55; 57a and 57b are conductive layers formed of column aluminum for connecting upper interconnection layers formed later to the lower interconnection layer 56, which are formed at two points on the lower interconnection layer 56; and 58 is an interlayer insulating layer (insulating film) formed of a silicon oxide film covering the lower interconnection layer 56 and the conductive layers 57a and 57b.
In such a state, first, as shown in FIG. 11, the wafer 53 is held and fixed by vacuum chuck on the wafer holder 50 in such a manner that the surface of the wafer having the interlayer insulating film 58 is directed to the front side. Subsequently, the wafer 53 is opposed to the polishing cloth 43 in such a manner that the surface of the interlayer insulating film 58 is in parallel to the surface of the polishing cloth 43. After that, the wafer holder 50 and the polisher 41 are turned with an equal angular speed in the same direction, and concurrently the wafer 53 is contacted with the polishing cloth 43 by moving upward the wafer holder 50 or moving downward the polisher 41. At the same time, a polishing slurry 60 is discharged on the wafer 53 through the through-holes 44a and 44b of the polisher 41.
As shown in FIG. 13(b), the polisher 41 polishes the interlayer insulating film 56 on the wafer 53 while being suitably moved on the wafer 53 in such a state as to be pressed on the wafer 53. At this time, since the wafer holder 50 and the polisher 41 are turned with an equal angular speed in the same direction, they are equal to each other in its relative speed, which enables uniform polishing irrespective of the location to be polished. Further, through polishing, the ammeter 48 is monitored. When the polishing proceeds somewhat, and the conductive layers 57a and 57b are exposed, a current is allowed to flow by way of the one electrode 45b, the conductive layer 57b, the lower conductive layer 56, the conductive layer 57a and the other electrode 45a by the interposition of ions contained in the abrasive 60, and the current is detected by the ammeter 48. Thus, the polishing of the contact portion by the polisher 41 is completed.
Subsequently, the polisher 41 is moved to the adjacent region, and the interlayer insulating film 58 is similarly polished, thus completing the polishing over the whole surface of the wafer 53.
As shown in FIG. 14, the interlayer insulating film 58a with a specified amount is thus polished over the whole surface of the wafer 53, and the surface of the wafer 53 is planarized. Consequently, the conductive layers 57a and 57b are exposed on the whole surface of the wafer 53.
After that, as shown in FIG. 13(c), when upper interconnection layers 59a and 59b are formed so as to be respectively connected with the exposed conductive layers 57a and 57b, the lower interconnection layer 57 is connected to the upper interconnection layers 59a and 59b through the conductive layers 57a and 57b.
As described above, according to the method for polishing of the second embodiment of the present invention, in the case that the wafer 53 is held by the wafer holder 50 and the interlayer insulating film 58 covering the lower interconnection layer 56 and the conductive layers 57a and 57b is polished, when the conductor layers 57a and 57b are exposed on the surface of the wafer through polishing, a current is allowed to flow to the ammeter 48 by way of the one electrode 45b, the conductive layer 57b, the lower interconnection layer 56, the conductive layer 57a and the other electrode 45a by the interposition of ions contained in the abrasive 60.
Accordingly, by monitoring of the current, the interlayer insulating film 58 on the conductive layers 57a and 57b can be certainly removed to expose the conductive layers 57a and 57b, and the interlayer insulating film 58 with a specified film thickness can be certainly left.
Further, since the polishing is performed while the wafer holder 50 and the polisher 41 are turned with an equal angular speed in the same direction, the wafer holder 50 is similar in the relative speed to the polisher 53 over the whole surface of the wafer 53, which enables the uniform polishing irrespective of the location to be polished.
This makes it possible to eliminate the observation for the wafer through polishing, and hence to simplify the processes, and further to improve the uniformity in polishing.
Additionally, in the above second embodiment, the turning speeds of the wafer holder 50 and the polisher 41 are made constant through polishing; however, the turning speeds thereof may be adjusted as follows: namely, in the case that the detected current is larger, the turning speed of the wafer holder 50 or the polisher 41 is made slow, and in the case that the detected current is small, it is made high. Thus, by adjustment of the turning speed, it is possible to control the polished volume with the same radius distance, and hence to further equalize the polished volume within the surface of the wafer 53. The reason for this is that, the higher the turning speed becomes, the larger the polishing speed becomes; and the lower the turning speed becomes, the smaller the polishing speed becomes.
To quantitatively evaluate the method for polishing of the present invention, the following comparative evaluation experiment was performed.
As shown in FIG. 15(a) and FIG. 15 (b), cylindrical studs (conductive layers) 61, 61a and 61b, each being formed of an aluminum material with a diameter of 2 μm and a height of 0.5 μm, were formed on a wafer 53a with a diameter of 150 mm at intervals of 10 mm in a dotted manner. The studs (conductive layers) 61, 61a and 61b were formed in such a manner as to be directly contacted with a semiconductor substrate 54a. After that, a silicon oxide film (insulating film) 62 was formed in a thickness of 1 μm by a CVD method.
After the silicon oxide film 62 on the studs 61 in the peripheral portion with a diameter less than 15 mm was all removed, the number of the studs 61 not removed or the studs 61 with a remaining height of 0.2 μm or more was counted. The results of the examination for 10 lots are shown in FIG. 16.
As is apparent from the examination results described above, as for the remaining silicon oxide film 62, the unevenness of the film thickness within the wafer 53a and the average film thickness between the wafers are significantly improved as compared with the related art.
The method for polishing according to the third embodiment of the present invention using the apparatus for polishing of the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 12(a), FIG. 12(b), and FIG. 13(a) and FIG. 13(b).
First, a wafer 53 as shown in FIG. 13(a) is held and fixed by vacuum chuck on the wafer holder 50.
The wafer holder 50 is opposed to a polisher 41a in such a manner that an interlayer insulating film 58 on the wafer 53 is in parallel to a polishing cloth 43a. After that, as shown in FIG. 12(b), the wafer holder 50 is turned, and concurrently the wafer holder 50 is moved upward or the polisher 41a is moved downward so that the wafer is contacted with the polishing cloth 43a. At the same time, a polishing slurry 60 containing ions are discharged on the wafer 53 through a through-hole of the polisher 41a. In addition, as shown in FIG. 12(a), the polisher 41a is disposed such that the larger area portion of the asymmetric polishing cloth 43a is near the central portion of the wafer holder 50 and the smaller area portion of the polishing cloth 43a is apart from the central portion of the polishing cloth 43a.
Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 13(b), the polisher 41a is pressed on the surface of the wafer 53, to polish the interlayer insulating film 58 on the wafer 53. At this time, an ammeter 48 is monitored. When the polishing proceeds somewhat, and conductive layers 57a and 57b are exposed, a current is allowed to flow by way of the one electrode 45b, the conductive layer 57b, a lower interconnection layer 56, the conductive layer 57b and the other electrode 45a, which is detected by the ammeter 48. Thus, the polishing of the interlayer insulating film 58 is completed.
Next, the polisher 41a is moved to an region adjacent to the region in which the polishing is completed in the direction perpendicular to the direction of rotating the wafer holder 50. Subsequently, the interlayer insulating film 58 is similarly polished. Thus, the polishing is sequentially performed, to complete the polishing over the whole surface of the wafer 53.
As shown in FIG. 14, the interlayer insulating film 58 with a specified amount is uniformly polished over the whole surface of the wafer 53, to planarize the surface of the wafer 53, thus exposing the conductive layers 57a to 57d over the whole surface of the wafer 53.
After that, as shown in FIG. 13(c), upper interconnection layers 59a and 59b are formed so as to be respectively connected to the exposed conductive layers 57a and 57b, and thereby the upper interconnection layers 59a and 59b are connected to the lower interconnection layer 56 through the conductive layers 57a and 57b, respectively.
As described above, according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the turnable wafer holder 50 and the asymmetric polishing cloth 43a are provided, and the polisher 41a is disposed in such a manner that the larger area portion of the polishing cloth 43a is disposed near the central portion of wafer holder 50 and the smaller area portion is disposed apart from the central portion of the wafer holder 50.
Accordingly, as described in the second example of the second embodiment, the polished volume of a substance to be polished during the polishing cloth 43a is moved along the circumference of the wafer becomes constant both on the inner side and outer side of the polishing cloth 43a, so that it is possible to reduce the unevenness of the polished volume within the wafer 53. Consequently, in combination with the current detecting means 46, it is possible to uniformly polish the substance to be polished on the wafer 53.
Further, only by moving the polisher 41a in the direction perpendicular to the turning direction of the wafer holder 50 on the wafer 53, it is possible to uniformly polish the whole surface of the wafer 53. Additionally, in the above third embodiment, the pressure to the polisher 41a is made constant through polishing; however, in the case that the detected current is larger, the pressure to the polisher may be reduced, and in the case that the detected current is smaller, it may be enlarged. Thus, by adjustment of a pressure, it is possible to control the polished volume with the same radius distance, and to further equalize the polished volume within the surface of the wafer. This is because, the larger the pressure becomes, the larger the polishing speed becomes; and the smaller the pressure becomes, the smaller the polishing speed becomes.
a current detecting means connected to a pair of said electrodes for detecting the magnitude of a current flowing by way of said one electrode, said conductive layers, and the other electrode by the interposition of said abrasive.
2. An apparatus for polishing according to claim 1, wherein at least any of said polisher and said wafer holder turns on a shaft perpendicular to said wafer holding surface.
monitoring a current flowing between a pair of said electrodes through said conductive layers by the interposition of said abrasive, and in the case that a specified current has been detected, polishing said insulating film on the other portion of said substrate.
4. A method for polishing according to claim 3, wherein said polishing cloth is asymmetrically formed, and on said substrate, a large area portion of said polishing cloth is disposed near said shaft and a smaller area portion of said polishing cloth is disposed apart from said shaft.
5. A method for polishing according to claim 3, wherein the turning speed of said wafer holder or said polisher is increased when said current value is small, and the turning speed of said wafer holder or said polisher is decreased when said current value is large.
6. A method for polishing according to claim 3, wherein said wafer holder and said polisher are turned with the same angular speed in the same direction.
7. A method for polishing according to claim 3, wherein said polisher is moved on said substrate in the direction perpendicular to the turning direction of said wafer holder.
8. A method for polishing according to claim 7, wherein the pressure applied to said substrate is increased when said current value is small; the pressure applied to said wafer is decreased when the current value is large; and when a specified current has been detected, the insulating film on the other portion on said wafer is polished. | 2019-04-21T22:27:18Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/US5624300A/en |
§ 35-6 Deputy Township Clerk.
§ 35-7 Chief Financial Officer.
§ 35-8 Assistant Chief Financial Officer.
§ 35-11 Deputy Tax Collector.
§ 35-13 Deputy Tax Assessor.
§ 35-13.1 Assistant Tax Assessor.
§ 35-14 Public Works Superintendent and Foreman.
§ 35-15 Assistant Public Works Superintendent and Foreman.
§ 35-17 Deputy Zoning Officer.
§ 35-18 Confidential Secretary to the Mayor.
§ 35-19 Confidential Secretary to the Administrator.
§ 35-23 Supervisor of Recreation Programming.
§ 35-25 Confidential Secretary to the Chief of Police.
§ 35-26 Code Enforcement Officer.
§ 35-27 Deputy Code Enforcement Officer.
§ 35-28 Secretary for Environmental Commission.
§ 35-29 Deputy Tax Search Officer.
§ 35-30 Secretary for Historic Preservation Commission.
§ 35-31 Secretary for Juvenile Conference Committee.
§ 35-33 Adult School Crossing Guard.
§ 35-34 Computer Network Administrator.
§ 35-36 Program Director of Municipal Alliance Committee.
§ 35-37 Construction Code Official.
§ 35-38 Building Subcode Official.
§ 35-39 Plumbing Subcode Official.
§ 35-40 Electrical Subcode Official.
§ 35-41 Fire Prevention Subcode Official.
§ 35-42 Confidential Administrative Assistant to Mayor.
§ 35-43 Confidential Administrative Assistant to Administrator.
§ 35-44 Municipal Court Attendant.
§ 35-47 Chief Animal Control Officer.
§ 35-48 Animal Control Officer.
§ 35-49 Assistant Animal Control Officer.
§ 35-50 Animal Cruelty Investigator.
§ 35-51 Affordable Housing Coordinator.
§ 35-52 Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Coordinator.
§ 35-55 Deputy Director of Community Development.
§ 35-56 Assistant Computer Network Administrator.
Boards and commissions — See Ch. 10.
Committees — See Ch. 17.
Defense and indemnification — See Ch. 20.
Personnel — See Ch. 39.
Salaries and compensation — See Ch. 44.
Special law enforcement officers — See Ch. 46.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Township Attorney.
Appointment and term of office. The Township Attorney shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council, and shall serve a term of office of one year commencing on January 1 of the year of appointment and ending on December 31, or until a successor shall be appointed and qualified.
Qualifications. The Township Attorney shall be a duly licensed attorney at law of the State of New Jersey.
The Township Attorney shall represent the Township in all legal matters and shall advise and assist the Mayor, the Council and the various department and division directors as may be required. He shall attend meetings of the Council, draft ordinances and resolutions and give opinions and rulings on questions of law which may arise at Council meetings. He shall prepare or approve all legal instruments relating to the business of the Township and shall represent the Township in any litigation and conduct trials, appeals and other proceedings in which the Township is interested as he may, in his discretion, determine to be necessary or desirable, or as directed by the Mayor or Council.
The Township Attorney shall have the power to enter into any agreement, compromise or settlement of any litigation in which the Township is involved, subject to the approval of the Council.
Whenever he or she deems it to be in the best interest of the Township, the Township Attorney may recommend the appointment of special counsel. Said appointment may be made by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Township Council, to assist him or her in the handling of any legal matter. If the Township Attorney should be disqualified with respect to any matter, the Mayor may, with the advice and consent of the Township Council, appoint special legal counsel to represent the Township with regard to such matter.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Township Engineer.
Appointment and term of office. The Township Engineer shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council, and shall serve a term of office of three years commencing on January 1 of the year of appointment and ending on December 31 of the third year, or until a successor shall be appointed and qualified.
Qualifications. The Township Engineer shall be a duly licensed professional engineer of the State of New Jersey.
Duties. The Township Engineer shall have full charge of matters pertaining to engineering in relation to any public improvement or other public work. In addition, he shall perform all duties required by statute or ordinance of the Township Engineer and shall perform such engineering assignments and other services, including attendance at meetings of the Township Council, as may be required by the Mayor and Council.
Position. The Township Auditor shall not be a municipal officer but shall serve as a consultant under contract to the municipality.
Appointment. The Township Auditor shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
Qualifications. The Township Auditor shall be a registered municipal accountant.
Duties. The Township Auditor shall perform such duties as are set forth in the Local Fiscal Affairs Law, as well as such other services as may be requested by the Mayor or Township Council.
Position created. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:9-136, there is hereby created the position of Township Administrator.
Appointment and term of office. The Township Administrator shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:9-137. The term of office of the Township Administrator shall be at the pleasure of the governing body.
Removal from office. The Township Administrator may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the governing body. The resolution of removal shall become effective three months after its adoption by the governing body. In accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:9-138, the governing body may provide that the resolution of removal shall have immediate effect; provided, however, that the governing body shall cause to be paid to the Administrator forthwith any unpaid balance of his salary and his salary for the next three calendar months following adoption of the resolution.
Qualifications. The Township Administrator shall be chosen on the basis of his executive and administrative abilities and qualifications, with special regard as to education, training and experience in governmental affairs.
Vacancy. Any vacancy in the position of Township Administrator shall be filled by appointment by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
To serve as the chief administrative officer of the Township on a daily basis representing the Mayor and Township Council.
To supervise the administration of all departments and offices on a daily basis.
To represent the Township in its relation to the federal, state and county governments and to other municipalities and to evaluate the Township's interest in contracts, franchises and other business transactions as assigned by the Mayor and Township Council.
To keep the Mayor and Township Council informed of the financial condition of the Township and to make such reports thereon as required and to prepare, annually, a comprehensive report on the financial condition of the Township.
To study the administrative and other operations of the Township and make recommendations for plans and programs to meet the changing needs of the Township.
To receive and reply to inquiries and complaints concerning Township business and to provide information and assistance in respect thereto.
To attend all meetings of the Township Council as required.
To establish and maintain sound personnel practices and maintain appropriate records of all employees. Also, the Administrator shall have the authority to recommend to the Mayor and Township Council the initial hiring of employees. In addition, the Administrator shall have the authority to take disciplinary action against employees as necessary. The Administrator shall report all such disciplinary action in writing to the Mayor with a copy to the Township Council prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting of the governing body.
To recommend the nature, location and extent of public improvements and to coordinate the execution of the same when authorized by the Mayor and Township Council.
To implement and enforce the policies of the Mayor and Township Council with respect to the compiling and release of public information.
To receive from each department, office and board their annual budge requests and to review and transmit the same, along with his comments and recommendations, to the Mayor and Township Council.
To consult with the Mayor and Township Council on the preparation of the tentative budget, recording changes, additions and deletions thereto and to submit final recommendations in the form required by law, together with an analysis of the various items of expenditure and revenue and such explanatory comments as may be required.
To maintain a continuing review and analysis of budget operations, work progress and the costs of municipal services.
To supervise the disbursement of all Township funds and to approve all vouchers and bills before submitting the same to the Township Council for final approval, as directed by the Township Council.
To supervise and continually review the Township's insurance program.
To assist the Township Council in negotiating contracts for the Township, as authorized by and subject to the approval of the Township Council.
To act as a liaison on behalf of the Township with all utility companies serving any portion of the Township to be sure that such utilities are providing adequately for the needs of the residents of the Township.
To assure that the provisions of all franchises, leases, permits and privileges granted by the Township are complied with.
To require each department to maintain adequate inventory records of all equipment and materials owned and used by the Township and to arrange for the disposal of all inadequate or obsolete materials when directed to do so by the Township Council.
To assign responsibilities for departmental duties and coordinate interdepartmental operations, as authorized by the Township Council.
To assist the residents of the Township in matters within his jurisdiction, to maintain a record of complaints submitted to him for his attention and to take proper steps to remedy the causes for such complaints.
To keep the Township Council currently informed of all matters within his jurisdiction by such reports, verbally or in writing, as he deems advisable or as may be requested by the Township Council and to submit an annual written report of his work accomplished, at the request of the Township Council, for the benefit of the public.
To perform such other duties as may be assigned to him from time to time by the Mayor and/or Township Council.
Position to be full time. The Township Administrator shall devote full time to the interests of the Township. The Township Council reserves the right at any time to set specific hours for the Administrator by resolution.
Construal of provisions. Nothing in this section shall derogate from or authorize the Township Administrator to exercise the powers and duties of the elected and appointed officials of the Township.
Office created. There is hereby created the office of Township Clerk for the Township of Stafford.
Appointment and term of office. The Township Clerk shall be appointed by the Township Council and shall serve a term of three years as provided by N.J.S.A. 40A:9-133.
Duties. The Township Clerk shall serve as the Clerk of the Council, perform such functions as may be required by law and shall maintain the records and minutes of the Council.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Deputy Township Clerk for the Township of Stafford.
Appointment. The Deputy Township Clerk shall be appointed by the Township Council.
Duties. The Deputy Township Clerk shall have all the powers and perform all the duties of the Township Clerk during such times and for such specific periods as the Township Clerk is absent, disabled or otherwise unable to perform his duties. The Deputy Township Clerk shall assist the Township Clerk in the performance of the duties of the Township Clerk's office.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Chief Financial Officer for the Township of Stafford.
Appointment and term of office. The Chief Financial Officer shall be appointed by the Township Council of the Township of Stafford. The Chief Financial Officer shall serve a term of office of one year, commencing on January 1 of the year of appointment and ending on December 31, or until a successor shall be appointed and qualified.
Qualifications. To be appointed to the position of Chief Financial Officer an individual must meet the qualifications established under N.J.S.A. 40A:9-140.1 et seq., as amended.
Duties. The Chief Financial Officer shall have the duties set forth in N.J.S.A. 40:69A-129, shall assist the Mayor in the preparation of the annual budget and shall ensure that the municipality complies with all requirements of the Division of Local Government Services concerning municipal finances.
There is hereby created the position of Assistant Chief Financial Officer for the Township of Stafford.
Appointment. The Assistant Chief Financial Officer shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
Two years of college education with a major course of study in business or accounting; or possess a municipal finance officer's certificate; or possess at least two years' experience in the position of Purchasing Agent for a municipality of the State of New Jersey; or possess five years' experience in the municipal finance office for a municipality of the State of New Jersey.
Two years of varied accounting experience and work involving the installation, operation and keeping of large scale systems of accounts or possess a municipal finance officer's certificate.
Thorough knowledge of the principles, methods and procedures used in modern accounting and auditing, of the laws, rules and regulations governing the installation, operation and keeping of accounts and their application to specific situations and of the preparation of involved and detailed accounting and other financial reports containing findings, conclusions and recommendations.
The ability to analyze complex financial problems, to give suitable assignments and instructions, to prepare suitable reports and to direct the establishment and maintenance of extensive financial and related records and files.
Good health and freedom from disabling physical and mental defects.
Assist the Treasurer in supervising and performing the work involved in the disbursement, accounting and auditing of funds received and disbursed by the Township and assist in the negotiation of loans and the sale of bonds for the Township.
Perform all related work as required by the Treasurer.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Purchasing Agent for the Township of Stafford.
Appointment and term of office. The Purchasing Agent shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council, and shall serve a term of office of three years commencing on January 1 of the year of appointment and ending on December 31 of the third year, or until a successor shall be appointed and qualified.
The ability to read, write, speak and understand the English language sufficiently to perform the duties of this position.
Two years of experience in work involving receiving, checking and distributing of supplies, materials and equipment.
Considerable knowledge of the problems, procedures and practices involved in ensuring that supplies, materials and equipment are shipped by vendor on the promised shipping date and in arranging for proper distribution as required.
The ability to perform expediting work under a variety of circumstances, to be courteous at all times and to perform the clerical work involved in this kind of function.
The ability to maintain effective relationships with vendors, suppliers, supervisors, department heads, employees and the general public.
Completed the purchasing and administration courses offered by Rutgers University or the equivalent in experience and demonstrated training and knowledge.
Be responsible for the development, coordination, implementation and supervision of the complete municipal purchasing program.
Perform all necessary purchasing functions, including requests for bid submission, inventory control, inventory distribution and inventory receiving; and perform necessary overseeing for security functions as it relates to purchasing inventory protection.
Perform other assignments as assigned at the discretion of the employee's immediate supervisor on an as-needed basis as determined by the immediate supervisor. The Township Administrator shall be the immediate supervisor for the Purchasing Agent.
Office created. There is hereby created the office of Tax Collector of the Township of Stafford pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:9-141.
Appointment and term of office. The Tax Collector shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council, and shall serve a term of office of four years commencing on January, 1 of the year of appointment and ending on December 31 of the fourth year, or until a successor shall be appointed and qualified. A vacancy in the office of Tax Collector, other than due to expiration of term, shall be filled by appointment for the unexpired term.
Duties. The duties of the Tax Collector shall be as prescribed by law. The Tax Collector shall perform such other duties which are related to her work as are prescribed by the Mayor and Township Council.
Office created. There is hereby created the office of Deputy Tax Collector of the Township of Stafford.
Appointment. The Deputy Tax Collector shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
Duties. The Deputy Tax Collector shall work in conjunction with and under the direction of the Tax Collector. The Deputy Tax Collector shall perform all duties and functions as directed by the Tax Collector, and in the absence of the Tax Collector, shall perform all of the duties of the office of Tax Collector.
Office created. There is hereby created the office of Tax Assessor pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:9-146.
Appointment and term of office. The Tax Assessor shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council, for a term of four years commencing on July 1 next following the appointment.
Qualifications. To be appointed to the office of Tax Assessor for the Township of Stafford, a person must hold a certified tax assessor's certificate from the State of New Jersey.
Duties. The duties of the Tax Assessor shall be as prescribed by law. The Tax Assessor shall perform such other duties which are related to her work as are prescribed by the Mayor and Township Council.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Deputy Tax Assessor for the Township of Stafford.
Appointment. The Deputy Tax Assessor shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
Qualifications. To be appointed to the position of Deputy Tax Assessor for the Township of Stafford, an individual must hold a certified tax assessor's certificate from the State of New Jersey.
Duties. The duties of the Deputy Tax Assessor are to assist the Tax Assessor of the Township in assessing the real properties in the Township of Stafford in accordance with the appropriate state statutes and regulations in regard thereto. The Deputy Tax Assessor shall do all work as is required of him by the Township Tax Assessor in regard to the assessing of real properties and all various other work as is required from time to time by the Tax Assessor.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Assistant Tax Assessor.
Report directly to the Tax Assessor, or in his or her absence, the Deputy Tax Assessor.
Assist in determining all real property assessments within the Township.
Assist in conducting field investigations of real property, including measuring properties and preparing diagrams and sketches to obtain essential information for each property so as to assure appropriate property valuations.
Assist in the preparation of tax appeals.
Respond to questions and complaints from the citizens.
Assist in the review and analysis of property sales to determine suitability and utility in sales ratio studies and equalization programs.
Assist in the preparation of reports, as directed, pertaining to property valuation and assessment processes.
Assist in analyzing and establishing real estate market trends as delineated by neighborhood.
Assist in the analysis and preparation of reports through utilization of the Marshall and Swift Commercial Estimator Program.
Assist in the maintenance property assessments on an on-going basis through authorized or approved reassessments and/or approved assessment compliance plans.
Assist in the updating of a property record files as required.
Perform any and all other duties as assigned by the Tax Assessor or Deputy Tax Assessor.
Valid certified tax assessor's certificate from the State of New Jersey.
Minimum of five years' work experience in mass appraisal industry.
Extensive work related and personal knowledge of the Vital Computer Appraisal (CAMA) Package and the Marshall and Swift Commercial Estimator Program.
State and municipal laws, rules, regulations, policies and procedures applying to assessment for tax purposes.
Ability to prepare the appropriate and necessary reports in a timely manner as requested.
Ability to work harmoniously with citizens and others.
General working knowledge of computers and tax assessment computer software programs.
Possess the ability to read, write, speak, understand and communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undo hardship, such person may not be eligible.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Public Works Superintendent and Foreman.
Appointment and term of office. The Public Works Superintendent and Foreman shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council, and shall serve a term of office of two years commencing on January 1 of the year of appointment and ending on December 31 of the second year, or until a successor shall be appointed and qualified.
Read, write, speak and understand the English language sufficiently to perform the duties of the position.
Possess the ability to prepare and execute work orders and supervise and direct employees of the Public Works Department to ensure proper and efficient performance of duties.
Possess good health and freedom from disabling physical and mental defects which would impair the proper performance of the required duties or which might endanger the health and safety of himself or others.
Duties. The Public Works Superintendent and Foreman shall organize and develop suitable work programs for the varied functions of public works; give suitable assignments and instructions to individuals and groups and supervise their work; supervise the cleaning and repair of streets and sewers, the paving of streets, the maintenance of piers, the maintenance and care of the garbage dumps, the cleaning, maintenance and repair of public buildings and the making of improvements; make investigations of complaints dealing with public works and take proper action to see that needed repairs are made with a minimum of delay; prepare suitable reports; obtain, store, safeguard and supervise the proper use of needed equipment, materials and supplies; and keep needed records and files and perform such other related tasks as are required by the Mayor and Township Council.
In accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:9-154.6, an individual holding the position of full-time Superintendent of Public Works continuously for five years shall have tenure of office for the position of Superintendent of Public Works.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Assistant Public Works Superintendent and Foreman.
Appointment. The Assistant Public Works Superintendent and Foreman shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
Duties. The Assistant Public Works Superintendent and Foreman shall assist the Public Works Superintendent and Foreman by performing varied supervisory and administrative tasks and other related work as required. In addition to these duties, the Assistant Public Works Superintendent and Foreman shall assist in the organization and development of suitable work programs for the varied functions of public works; give suitable assignments and instructions to individuals and groups and supervise their work; assist in the supervision of the cleaning and repair of streets and sewers, the paving of streets, the maintenance of piers, the maintenance and care of the garbage dumps, the cleaning, maintenance and repair of public buildings and the making of improvements; make investigations of complaints dealing with public works and take proper action to see that needed repairs are made with a minimum of delay; prepare suitable reports; obtain, store, safeguard and supervise the proper use of needed equipment, materials and supplies; and keep needed records and files.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Zoning Officer of the Township of Stafford.
Appointment. The Zoning Officer shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
To enforce the zoning ordinances of the Township of Stafford.
To issue flood hazard letters in writing when requested.
To answer all inquiries with regard to zoning.
To keep a record of all applications for permits and of all permits and certificates issued, with a notation of all special conditions involved.
To file and safely keep copies of all plans submitted.
To collect and record fees for zoning permits and flood letters.
To prepare a monthly report for the Township Council summarizing all activity of the previous months concerning the duties of the Zoning Officer.
The Zoning Officer shall be deemed to be the administrative officer as defined in N.J.S.A. 40:55D-3 and shall also issue certifications on behalf of the Township of Stafford certifying whether or not a subdivision has been approved by the Stafford Township Planning Board, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40:55D-56 and, in general, shall coordinate the efforts of the Planning Board of the Township of Stafford and have such other duties or responsibilities as may, from time to time, be imposed with regard to the Planning Board.
The Zoning Officer shall conduct field inspections and special investigations to ensure compliance with various municipal ordinances, initiate and enforce rules and regulations in relation to enforcement of ordinances, initiate necessary legal action against violators of various municipal ordinances, prepare needed reports, establish and maintain the records and files and may assist in the promulgation of municipal ordinances.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Deputy Zoning Officer.
Appointment. The Deputy Zoning Officer shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
To assist the Zoning Officer to enforce the zoning ordinances of the Township of Stafford.
To perform all of the duties of the Zoning Officer at his direction or in his absence.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Confidential Secretary to the Mayor.
Appointment. The Confidential Secretary to the Mayor shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
Possess some knowledge of modern office methods, practices and equipment, of performing routine, repetitive and noncomplex typing work from varied types of copy and of taking and transcribing dictation of limited complexity.
Possess the ability to understand, remember and carry out oral and written directions.
To perform all those secretarial and clerical duties of a varied nature and related work as directed by the Mayor.
To perform those clerical duties assigned to her by the Mayor concerning the preparation of the budget.
To perform those clerical duties directed by the Mayor in processing disciplinary and/or grievance matters.
To perform whatever clerical duties are necessary pertaining to matters of a confidential nature between the Mayor and any other elected officials, appointed officers or employees.
Any other clerical duties as directed by the Mayor.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Confidential Secretary to the Administrator.
Appointment. The Confidential Secretary to the Administrator shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
To perform all those secretarial and clerical duties of a varied nature and related work as directed by the Administrator.
To perform those clerical duties assigned to her by the Administrator concerning the preparation of the budget.
To perform those clerical duties directed by the Administrator in processing disciplinary and/or grievance matters.
To perform whatever clerical duties are necessary pertaining to matters of a confidential nature between the Administrator and any other elected officials, appointed officers or employees.
Any other clerical duties as directed by the Administrator.
Editor's Note: Former § 35-20, Assistant Welfare Director, was repealed 4-17-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-21.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Recreation Director of the Township of Stafford.
Appointment. The Recreation Director shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
Have the ability to organize, develop and coordinate a recreation program, the ability to give suitable assignments and instructions to subordinates and to supervise their work.
Duties. Under the direction of the Councilman in charge of recreation, the Recreation Director shall be responsible for the planning, promotion, development and supervision of a community-wide program of recreation activities for various age groups in the Township. The Recreation Director shall be required to do related work as directed by the Councilman in charge of recreation. The Recreation Director plans, initiates, organizes and supervises an extensive program of recreation activities for the entire community. She supervises, trains, evaluates, and advises assigned recreation personnel. She recommends, demonstrates and applies techniques, procedures, materials, equipment and supplies for use in special activities and assists in the interpretation of the recreation program to the general public through the use of press releases and other related techniques involving news media, as well as through participation in public and organization meetings.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Recreation Assistant to the Township of Stafford.
Appointment. The Recreation Assistant shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
Duties. Under the direction of the Recreation Supervisor, the Recreation Assistant shall be responsible for the planning, promotion, development and supervision of a community-wide program of recreation activities for various age groups in the Township. The Recreation Assistant shall be required to do related work as directed.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Supervisor of Recreation Programming.
Appointment. The Supervisor of Recreation Programming shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
Have the ability to plan, promote, develop, supervise and monitor a community-wide program of recreation activities for the Township residents.
Possess a bachelor's degree in a field of study reflecting planning and implementation of recreational programming.
Possess practical knowledge and experience in working with children in planning, conducting and evaluating programs for recreation.
Have transportation to and from work.
Duties. Under the direction of the Recreation Supervisor, the Supervisor of Recreation Programming shall be responsible for the planning, promotion, development, supervision and monitoring of a community-wide program of recreation activities for the Township residents. The Supervisor of Recreation Programming shall also be able to disseminate information to the general public on recreation programs, prepare necessary correspondence, answer inquiries from the public regarding recreation programs and other duties as assigned by the Recreation Supervisor.
Editor's Note: Former § 35-23, Animal Control Officer, was redesignated § 35-47, Chief Animal Control Officer, 8-15-1995 by Ord. No. 95-70.
Editor's Note: Former § 35-24, Construction Official, was repealed 4-17-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-21.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Confidential Secretary to the Chief of Police.
Appointment. The Confidential Secretary to the Chief of Police shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
To read, write, speak and understand the English language sufficiently to perform the duties of the position.
To possess some knowledge of modern office methods, practices and equipment, of performing routine, repetitive and noncomplex typing work from varied types of copy and of taking and transcribing dictation of limited complexity.
To possess the ability to understand, remember and carry out oral and written directions.
To possess good health and freedom from disabling physical and mental defects which would impair the proper performance of the required duties or which might endanger the health and safety of oneself or others.
To perform all those secretarial and clerical duties of a varied nature and related work as directed by the Chief of Police.
To perform whatever clerical duties are necessary in preparing the Police Department budget at the direction of and under the supervision of the Chief of Police.
To perform whatever clerical duties are necessary in processing disciplinary and/or grievance matters at the direction of and under the supervision of the Chief of Police.
To perform whatever clerical duties are necessary pertaining to matters of a confidential nature between the Chief of Police and the Administrator, the Mayor and Township Council as directed by the Chief of Police.
Any other clerical duties as directed by the Chief of Police.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Code Enforcement Officer for the Township of Stafford.
Appointment. The Code Enforcement Officer shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
To conduct field inspections and special investigations to ensure compliance with various municipal ordinances, enforce rules and regulations in relation to enforcement of ordinances, prepare needed reports, assist in the establishment and maintenance of the records and files and assist in the promulgation of municipal ordinances.
To assist the Zoning Officer in the enforcement of the zoning ordinances of the Township of Stafford.
To perform such duties as are directed by the Mayor, Administrator, Director of the Department of Community Development, the Zoning Officer or the Deputy Zoning Officer.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Deputy Code Enforcement Officer for the Township of Stafford.
Appointment. The Deputy Code Enforcement Officer shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
To assist the Code Enforcement Officer to enforce the ordinances of the Township of Stafford.
To perform all of the duties of the Code Enforcement Officer at his direction or in his absence.
To perform such duties as are directed by the Mayor, Director of the Department of Community Development, the Zoning Officer or the Deputy Zoning Officer.
Position created. There is hereby established the position of Secretary for the Stafford Township Environmental Commission.
Appointment. The Secretary for the Environmental Commission shall be appointed by the Environmental Commission.
Duties. The Secretary shall perform such secretarial and clerical duties as assigned by the Environmental Commission.
Salary. The salary for the Secretary shall be established by the Township Council in its Salary Ordinance.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Deputy Tax Search Officer for the Township of Stafford.
Appointment. The Deputy Tax Search Officer shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
To assist the Tax Search Officer to perform the necessary examination of the records of the Township and issue a tax search certificate.
To perform all of the duties of the Tax Search Officer at the direction of the Tax Search Officer or in the absence of the Tax Search Officer.
Position created. There is hereby established the position of Secretary for the Stafford Township Historic Preservation Commission.
Appointment. The Secretary for the Historic Preservation Commission shall be appointed by the Historic Preservation Commission.
Duties. The Secretary shall perform such secretarial and clerical duties as assigned by the Historic Preservation Commission.
Position created. There is hereby established the position of Secretary for the Juvenile Conference Committee.
Appointment. The Secretary for the Juvenile Conference Committee shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the consent of the Township Council.
Duties. The Secretary shall perform such secretarial and clerical duties as assigned by the Juvenile Conference Committee.
Editor's Note: Former § 35-32, Clean Communities Supervisor, added 11-22-1988 by Ord. No. 88-87, was repealed 4-17-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-21.
Position created. There is hereby established the position of Adult School Crossing Guard for the Township of Stafford.
Appointment and term of office. Adult School Crossing Guards shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Township Council. Adult School Crossing Guards shall serve for a term of one year, commencing on January 1 of the year of appointment and ending on December 31. An appointment of an individual as an Adult School Crossing Guard can be revoked in accordance with the requirements of N.J.S.A. 40A:9-154.1.
Direct street traffic at school crosswalks.
Direct and assist children in crossing street.
Supervise the safe crossing of children and other pedestrians by controlling traffic flow.
Perform related work as required by the Chief of Police.
Meet the requirements of N.J.S.A. 40A:9-154.1.
Possess knowledge of proper procedures for directing traffic and possess the ability to handle traffic conditions properly and professionally.
Possess the ability to recognize conditions which require administrative action or attention.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Computer Network Administrator.
Appointment and term of office. The Computer Network Administrator shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council. The term of office of the Computer Network Administrator shall be at the pleasure of the governing body.
Possess an undergraduate degree in computer science or related field from an accredited institution of higher learning. Work experience may be substituted for an undergraduate degree if the actual work experience meets the work experience requirements of the job as stated herein.
Computer Network Engineer (CNE) or Computer Network Administrator (CNA) certification required.
Possess at least three years of work experience as a network administrator, or in a similar position, including three years of experience in diagnosing and correcting computer hardware and software problems.
Extensive experience with Novell network systems required.
Possess the ability to communicate effectively in verbal and written form and to interact effectively on a daily basis in a work setting with employees and vendors (software and hardware).
Possess extensive experience with both Novell and Microsoft networks. Possess experience with software, including GroupWise, Outlook, Microsoft Office, Windows and 2003 Server.
Possess the ability to prepare reports in a timely manner.
Possess the ability to read, write, speak or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of the position.
Possess good health and freedom from disabling physical and mental defects which would impair the proper performance of the required duties, or which might endanger the health and safety of oneself or others. Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible, as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship such person may not be eligible.
To design and administer all changes, alterations and enhancements to the local access network (LAN) which includes all Township departments.
To determine the need and to formulate the specifications for the purchase/lease of computer hardware or software for use by the Township departments. This will entail a review of equipment and software available in the private sector and/or under state contract with the Township's purchasing agent.
To identify and correct computer software and hardware problems for any and all Township-owned computer equipment.
To review the equipment and to write recommendations to the administration for the purchase of any computer hardware or software by any department and to prepare annual written recommendations to the Township Administrator of equipment and software necessary to address the Township's computer needs.
To perform such other duties as assigned by the Township Administrator.
Editor's Note: Former § 35-34, Assistant Animal Control Officer, was redesignated as § 35-49, 8-15-1995 by Ord. No. 95-70.
Editor's Note: Former § 35-35, Secretary for Economic Advisory Board, added 2-20-1990 by Ord. No. 90-16, was repealed 4-17-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-21.
Position created. There is hereby established the position of Program Director of the Municipal Alliance Committee.
Appointment. The Program Director of the Municipal Alliance Committee shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
Duties. The Program Director of the Municipal Alliance Committee shall be responsible for the implementation and supervision of the programs adopted by the Municipal Alliance Committee.
Salary. The salary for the Program Director of the Municipal Alliance Committee shall be established by the Township Council in its Salary Ordinance.
Editor's Note: See Ch. 44, Salaries and Compensation.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Construction Code Official for the Township of Stafford.
Appointment and term of office. The Construction Code Official shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council, and shall serve a term of four years, commencing on January 1 of the year of appointment and ending on December 31 of the fourth year, or until a successor shall be appointed and qualified.
Possess good health and freedom from disabling physical and mental defects which would impair the proper performance of the required duties or which might endanger the health and safety of oneself or others. Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such person may not be eligible.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Building Subcode Official for the Township of Stafford.
Appointment and term of office. The Building Subcode Official shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council, and shall serve a term of four years, commencing on January 1 of the year of appointment and ending on December 31 of the fourth year, or until a successor shall be appointed and qualified.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Plumbing Subcode Official for the Township of Stafford.
Appointment and term of office. The Plumbing Subcode Official shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council, and shall serve a term of four years, commencing on January 1 of the year of appointment and ending on December 31 of the fourth year, or until a successor shall be appointed and qualified.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Electrical Subcode Official for the Township of Stafford.
Appointment and term of office. The Electrical Subcode Official shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council, and shall serve a term of four years, commencing on January 1 of the year of appointment and ending on December 31 of the fourth year, or until a successor shall be appointed and qualified.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Fire Prevention Subcode Official for the Township of Stafford.
Appointment and term of office. The Fire Prevention Subcode Official shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council, and shall serve a term of four years, commencing on January 1 of the year of appointment and ending on December 31 of the fourth year, or until a successor shall be appointed and qualified.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Confidential Administrative Assistant to the Mayor for the Township of Stafford.
Appointment. The Confidential Administrative Assistant to the Mayor shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Confidential Administrative Assistant to the Administrator for the Township of Stafford.
Appointment. The Confidential Administrative Assistant to the Administrator shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
Position created. There is hereby established the position of Municipal Court Attendant.
Perform related work as required by the Municipal Court Judge.
Editor's Note: Former § 35-45, Neighborhood Preservation Coordinator, added 7-6-1993 by Ord. No. 93-43, was repealed 4-17-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-21.
Editor's Note: Former § 35-46, Senior Citizen Safe Housing Coordinator, added 9-6-1994 by Ord. No. 94-83, was repealed 4-17-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-21.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Chief Animal Control Officer.
Appointment. The Chief Animal Control Officer shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Township Council. The Chief Animal Control Officer shall be reappointed unless, in the determination of the Township Administrator, there is good cause not to reappoint.
Heading the Animal Control Department and reporting to and being directly responsible to the Township Administrator.
Enforcing the provisions of the Township animal control ordinances and the state statutes, including the taking into custody, impounding, adoption, etc., of animals.
Administering and enforcing rules and regulations and special emergency directives for the disposition and discipline of the department and its officers and personnel.
Implementing, exercising and discharging the functions, powers and duties of the Department.
Delegating duties and assignments of all subordinates and other personnel of the department.
Overseeing the administration of the Animal Control Department, including but not limited to the keeping of needed records and files.
Reporting annually, or as needed, to the Township Administrator on the operations of the department.
Performing such other related tasks as are required by the Mayor and Township Council.
Hold a certified animal control officer's certificate from the State of New Jersey.
Have three years of animal control experience involving the enforcement of ordinances and/or statutes, including the taking into custody, impounding, adoption, etc., of animals.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Animal Control Officer.
Appointment. The Animal Control Officer shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Township Council. The Animal Control Officer shall be reappointed unless, in the determination of the Township Administrator, there is good cause not to reappoint.
Reporting directly to the Chief Animal Control Officer.
Enforcing the provisions of the Township animal control ordinances and the state statues, including the taking into custody, impounding, adoption, etc., of animals.
Assuming and performing all duties and responsibilities of the Chief Animal Control Officer in his absence.
Assisting the Chief Animal Control Officer in formulating and implementing policy, regulations, goals and objectives of the Animal Control Department.
Overseeing personnel and equipment to ensure that both meet department standards and safety requirements.
Overseeing the supervision of the Assistant Animal Control Officers.
Performing such duties as directed by the Mayor and Township Council.
Have one year of animal control experience involving the enforcement of ordinances and/or statutes, including the taking into custody, impounding, adoption, etc., of animals. A person must hold a certified animal control officer's certificate from the State of New Jersey.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Assistant Animal Control Officer.
Appointment. The Assistant Animal Control Officer shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
Assisting the Chief Animal Control Officer and Animal Control Officer in the enforcement of the provisions of the Township animal control ordinances and the state statutes, including the taking into custody, impounding, adoption, etc., of animals.
Performing all of the duties which are assigned to him by his supervisor.
Qualifications. To be appointed to the position of Assistant Animal Control Officer, a person must hold a certified animal control officer's certificate from the State of New Jersey. The Township may consider the appointment of a noncertified individual; however, in such an event, that individual must become certified within his first year of appointment.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Animal Cruelty Investigator.
Appointment. The Animal Cruelty Investigator shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
Enforce all laws and ordinances enacted for the protection of animals, including but not limited to, animal control, animal welfare and animal cruelty laws of the state and local ordinances.
Conduct investigations and initiate and prosecute complaints and/or violations of animal control, animal welfare or animal cruelty laws of the State of New Jersey, as well as local ordinances.
Engage in the apprehension and arrest and detection of offenders who have violated animal control, animal welfare and animal cruelty laws of the state as well as local ordinances.
Working in consultation and cooperation with the Stafford Police Department, the Chief Animal Control Officer and other animal cruelty investigators under the direction of the Chief Animal Control Officer as well as the Business Administrator, when applicable, and when necessary cooperatively determining whether probable cause exists for the application and issuance of a search or arrest warrant and implementing same.
Qualifications. To be appointed to the position of Animal Cruelty Investigator, a person must hold a certified animal control officer certificate from the State of New Jersey and have and maintain the New Jersey State Animal Cruelty Investigators Certification pursuant to N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.16a.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Affordable Housing Coordinator. The Affordable Housing Coordinator shall also be known as the “Municipal Housing Liaison” for COAH purposes.
Appointment and term of office. The Affordable Housing Coordinator or Municipal Housing Liaison shall be a part-time position and shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council. Said appointment shall be made by resolution and a copy of same shall be forwarded to COAH upon its execution.
Reporting directly to the Township Administrator.
Coordinating all aspects of the Township’s affordable housing program in conjunction with the Township’s professional consultant. This includes data collection, preparation of reports, responding to inquiries, and attendance at the meetings in order to facilitate the implementation of the Township’s affordable housing program.
Meeting with developers, members of the public, and officials in order to design and implement the various components of the Township’s affordable housing program, including housing rehabilitation, inclusionary development sites, accessory apartments, existing units (for credits), senior citizen housing, and regional contribution agreements (if applicable).
Preparing reports as necessary in accordance with any requirements of the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) or any court of competent jurisdiction.
Monitoring the status of all restricted units in the Stafford Township's Fair Share Plan.
Preparing any proposed Township ordinance changes as necessary for the implementation of the affordable housing program.
Advising the Township Administrator on matters impacting the Township’s affordable housing program.
Meeting all COAH requirements for qualifications, including initial and periodic training. Attending continuing education opportunities on affordability controls, compliance monitoring and affirmative marketing as offered or approved by COAH.
Performing other duties as assigned by the Township Administrator.
Possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher learning, or five years of work experience may be substituted for a bachelor’s degree if the actual work experience meets the work experience requirements of the job as stated herein.
Possess the ability to assign and supervise work performance of assigned employees.
Possess the ability to maintain financial records.
Possess the ability to obtain, store, record, distribute and supervise the use of needed equipment, materials and supplies.
Possess the ability to develop public good will, inform the public, and maintain good public relations.
Possess the ability to manage personnel.
Posses the ability to read and understand blueprints and possess applicable mathematical skills.
Possess the ability to interpret financial reports and to formulate budget recommendations.
Conformance with the Township of Stafford dress code and other personnel policies as adopted by the Township.
Possess the ability to pass preemployment physical exam, including a drug screening analysis, subsequent to offer.
Possess the ability to work harmoniously with citizens and others.
Have five years of experience working with or for a municipality, or related experiences in a similar field.
Possess the knowledge of affordable housing issues and the ability to monitor changes in COAH procedures.
State and municipal laws, ordinances, rules, regulations and procedures relating to the operations of the affordable housing program.
Preparation of clear, sound, accurate, and informative reports.
Establishment and maintenance of necessary records and files.
New Jersey Municipal Land Use law and regulations and zoning.
Computers and computer software programs.
Possess a driver’s license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Coordinator.
Appointment and term of office. The Geographic Information Coordinator shall be a part-time position and shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
Coordinating, implementing, installing, and administrating of the Township’s Geographic Information System program which will include specified Township Departments.
Determining need and formulation of specifications, if necessary, for purchase/lease of computer hardware or software for the Township’s geographic information system program for use by specified Township departments. This will entail a review of equipment and software available in the private sector and/or under state contract with the Township’s purchasing agent.
Identifying and correcting computer software and hardware problems for Township-owned/leased computer equipment associated with the Township’s geographic information system program for use by specified Township departments.
Coordinating of all aspects of the GIS program with the Township’s GIS consultant.
Performing other related duties as assigned by the Township Administrator.
Possess an undergraduate degree in computer science or a related field from an accredited institution of higher learning. Work experience may be substituted for an undergraduate degree if actual work experience meets the work experience requirements of the job as stated herein.
Possess CNE (computer network engineer) or CNA (computer network administrator) certification.
Possess at least three years of work experience as a network administrator or similar position, including three years of experience in diagnosing and correcting computer hardware and software problems. In addition, some experience with GIS programs is required.
Possess experience with geographic information systems technology, including hardware and software alternatives.
Possess familiarity with public sector software programs in New Jersey is also desirable.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Safety Coordinator.
Appointment and term of office. The Safety Coordinator shall be a part-time position and shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
Scheduling and conducting Safety Committee meetings as required by the Ocean County Joint Insurance Fund and the Municipal Excess Liability Joint Insurance Fund regulations.
Compiling all workers' compensation claims on a monthly basis and reviewing the claims with the Township Administrator, including any recommendations for follow-up action on any claims.
Making recommendations to the Township Administrator on safety issues impacting Township operations and/or Township personnel.
Conducting safety inspections on at least an annual basis to determine the need for any improvements and/or changes to any Township operation, work site, or Township property.
Serving as the Township's representative and liaison to the Ocean County Joint Insurance Fund and the Municipal Excess Liability Joint Insurance Fund Safety Committees.
Preparing and filing all required safety incentive program documentation with the Ocean County Joint Insurance Fund and the Municipal Excess Liability Joint Insurance Fund as necessary on a timely basis for the Township.
Scheduling of safety training for Township employees, including the MEL Safety Institute (MSI) and other training programs offered by either the Ocean County Joint Insurance Fund or the Municipal Excess Liability Joint Insurance Fund.
Meeting with department heads as required to discuss safety issues impacting their departments.
Review of annual loss reports from the OJIF and the MEL and submittal of any recommendations to the Township Administrator.
Possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher learning, or five years of work experience may be substituted for a bachelor's degree if the actual work experience meets the work experience requirements of the job as stated herein.
Possess the knowledge of safety-related issues and safety management and extensive knowledge of the Ocean County Joint Insurance Fund and NJ Municipal Excess Liability Joint Insurance Fund safety programs and safety requirements.
Possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Census Coordinator.
Appointment and term of office. The Census Coordinator shall be a part-time position and shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
Serving as Stafford Township's official liaison to the United States Census Bureau and any other federal or state departments and/or agencies charged with the responsibility of assisting with the completion of the decennial census.
Coordination of all aspects of the Township's participation in the census including attendance at meetings, training sessions, dissemination of information to the public, and filing of all reports.
Submittal of periodic reports to the Township Administrator and the Mayor concerning the census and any requirements that need to be met by the Township.
Qualifications. To be appointed to the position of Census Coordinator, an individual must meet the following requirements: background, training and experience sufficient to perform the duties of the position with a favorable recommendation from the Township Administrator.
Position created. There is hereby created the position of Deputy Director of Community Development.
Appointment and term of office. The Deputy Director of Community Development shall be a part-time position and shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
Reporting directly to the Director of Community Development or in the absence of the Director, directly to the Township Administrator.
In the absence of the Director of Community Development, assuming the duties of the Director of Community Development as outlined in § 18-3 of the Stafford Township Code.
Qualifications. To be appointed to the position of Deputy Director of Community Development, an individual must meet the following requirements: background, training and experience sufficient to perform the duties of the position with a favorable recommendation from the Township Administrator.
Position created. There shall be created the position of Assistant Computer Network Administrator.
Appointment and term of office. The Assistant Computer Network Administrator shall be a full-time position and shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Township Council.
Assist in the design and administration of changes, alterations, and enhancements to Stafford Township's local area network (LAN), which includes all Township departments.
Assist the Network Administrator in the determination of the need and formulation of specifications for purchase/lease of computer hardware or software for use by Township departments. This will entail a review of equipment and software available in the private sector and/or under state contract with the Township's Purchasing Agent.
Editor's Note: See § 35-34, Computer Network Administrator.
Editor's Note: See § 35-9, Purchasing Agent.
Identify and correct computer software and hardware problems for Township-owned computer equipment.
Review equipment, as well as written recommendations made to the Network Administrator, as directed, prior to the purchase of any computer hardware or software by any department.
Assist with the design and daily administration of the Township's telephone systems, including cellular phones.
Assist the Network Administrator in the daily administration of the Township's local access channel and information scroll.
Assist the Network Administrator in the design and administration of the Township's Web page.
Review and implement training required for system users for new and existing applications and/or hardware.
Other related duties as assigned by the Computer Network Administrator or the Township Administrator.
Editor's Note: See § 35-4, Township Administrator.
Possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher learning in computer science or a related field. Work experience may be substituted for an undergraduate degree if the actual work experience meets the work experience requirements of the job as stated herein.
Computer Network Engineer (CNE) or Computer Network Administrator (CNA) certification is required.
At least three years' work experience as a network administrator, or similar position, including three years experience in diagnosing and correcting computer hardware and software problems.
Extensive experience with both Novell and Microsoft networks is required.
Possess the ability to communicate effectively in both verbal and written form and to interact effectively on a daily basis in a work setting with employees and software and hardware vendors.
Possess software experience including GroupWise, Outlook, Microsoft Office, Windows and 2003 Server.
Possess experience with Avaya PBX and voice telecommunications systems.
Good health and freedom from disabling physical and mental defects which would impair the proper performance of required duties or which might endanger the health and safety of oneself or others. Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodations have been made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such person may not be eligible. | 2019-04-19T18:37:15Z | https://ecode360.com/11372222 |
Personalisation is seen as one of the hottest trends in the events industry as attendees increasingly expect both the communication of the event and the live experience to be tailored to them in some way. At the same time, data capture tools like registration systems and apps are helping events collect valuable information on attendees to create more powerful and customised event experiences. But as good as it all sounds, is personalisation something we should all be doing? How effective is it really? And how can we get the right balance between providing value and protecting attendee privacy?
Eventsforce recently debated the topic with Carla Jones, Head of Event Operations & Client Services at Haymarket Events and Caroline Hills, Head of Digital Global Delivery at British Council at the Event Tech Live show in London. The session (available on video here) looked at what kind of tailored activities work, how effective they are in engaging attendees, as well as what impact the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will have on personalisation at events.
Can you please give us a quick background on the kind of events your organisations run?
Carla Jones (Haymarket): Haymarket Media Group is one of the largest media and publishing companies in the UK – we run more than 120 events each year that gather over 20,000 attendees – from award ceremonies and gala dinners through to breakfast briefings and large-scale conferences.
Caroline Hills (British Council): The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. With operations in over 100 countries, we host hundreds of events across the world, including the Going Global annual conference and the finals of the FameLab international science competition.
A recent study on the ROI of Event Personalisation found that 73% of event planners see data-driven marketing as a top priority for their events, with 96% using personalisation to tailor their attendees’ experiences. How important is personalisation for your organisation and how do you use it around your events?
Carla Jones (Haymarket): I think basic personalisation is a given now – we do things like using personal names in invites, confirmation emails and so on. We also ask specific questions for people who hold certain job titles and tailor content for them. We personalise event agendas – we look at why type of people have registered and use that information to create an agenda that we know would be of interest to them. When we’re bringing in speakers, we talk to them about who has registered and see if we can tailor the content of their presentations to the needs of the audience.
At Haymarket, we have a single customer view and this is very important for us. We run events as a marketing vehicle for our publishing brands – so we gather all the data we collect on an individual who engages with all our different brands and events in one place. This means at any given time, we know if someone is a valued conference customer but maybe not a subscriber to one of our publications – and we are able to personalise our activities accordingly.
Caroline Hills (British Council): The majority of events we run at the British Council globally are educational in some way, from large international conferences down to small workshops that help students prep for an exam. Personalisation in the form of multilingual event websites, registration forms and email communications (our systems currently support over 60 languages) is very important for us as it allows us to attract as many attendees as we can by offering them the ability to register in their own language.
Going Global is one of the most high-profile events we run annually – with more than eight different attendee categories each year. So we do things like personalise the registration journey for each attendee category. We use networking tools to allow attendees to set up their own meetings prior to the event. We also use an app to give attendees a more tailored experience of the event – they can see their personal agendas, arrange meetings with other attendees and receive material from sessions they’ve attended directly into their app.
What challenges do you face with personalisation and how do you address these challenges?
Carla Jones (Haymarket): Lack of time and resources is definitely an issue. I think the bigger issue, however, is that it’s difficult to see what kind of return you’re getting from doing personalisation – which is probably why the majority of event planners stick to basic personalisation. For example, we don’t see the value of apps for our events – personalised push notifications and fully integrated apps simply don’t offer value for money. I also think it’s difficult finding that balance that’s going to benefit both you as an organisation and the attendee.
Caroline Hills (British Council): We find it very difficult to measure the ROI of personalisation, even when you’re personalising down to the level of using event apps – so we use these very sparingly at a handful of conferences a year as they are expensive. We try to measure the return of some of our personalisation efforts by looking at how efficient the registration journey has been using various methods. Analytics can be very helpful to pinpoint drop off points. For Going Global, we sent one of our User Experience colleagues to the event with a big tub of chocolate which he used to incentivise attendees to answer a small number of questions about the registration journey. That helped us a lot and we made a number of changes to the journey the following year!
Registration systems are seen by 84% of events planners as the most effective data collection tool for the purpose of personalisation. In light of that, how do you decide what personalisation data you need to collect in registration forms? How do you get the balance right in a way that brings value to both attendees and the organisation hosting the event?
Carla Jones (Haymarket): I think you always have to put yourself in the place of the attendee. Remember that too much personalisation can be invasive and doesn’t necessarily bring any value to the event experience. I attended one event recently where each time I attended a seminar, my badge was scanned and consequently was sent lots of stuff that I wasn’t interested in. You really have to be careful not to take it too far. Instead of that warm fuzzy feeling that shows we care about you – you’re being bombarded with info. This isn’t personalisation – it’s boxed as personalisation but it’s not. It’s actually tailored marketing. You have to think about your end user. What is your attendee going to get out of it? What is the impact? If you don’t get balance right, you’re going to annoy them. Remember that people are happy to give you their information if they see value in doing so.
With our events, we agree beforehand what data we need to collect and for what purpose – so if we know we’re going to tailor content according to job titles, then this is something we take into consideration when deciding on questions in registration forms. I also think to get the balance right, you need to be aware what questions should be mandatory and what shouldn’t. Mandatory questions should be there only for the purpose of getting them to the event – anything else should not be mandatory. Also, if you ask lots of questions and make it all mandatory, then you’ll get a lot of people just filling in the forms with rubbish. Where is your quality of data? You don’t want data that is useless.
Caroline Hills (British Council): Yes, I think it’s really key to ask only those questions that you need the answers for to successfully register someone and get them to your event. Always ask yourself what you need to know and then figure out how to ask for that information in as few questions as possible. If you want to ask additional questions for the purpose of personalisation where the answers are nice to have but not essential, then yes, make them optional so attendees don’t have to answer them if they don’t want to.
It’s also key to think about how you’re asking for that information. Don’t ask for their data of birth, for example, if you only need to know if they are over 18. Don’t ask for passport numbers if you want to make sure they have a valid passport – ask if they have a valid passport instead. By doing this you’re reducing the amount of sensitive data you’re collecting to a minimum, which will make potential attendees more comfortable parting with their information. This also reduces your data protection risk level, which will become even more important when GDPR comes into force this year.
The issue of data protection is a big one when it comes to personalisation. What impact you do you think the EU GDPR will have on personalisation efforts around events?
Carla Jones (Haymarket): With GDPR, you won’t be able to have registration forms anymore with pages and pages asking for sensitive demographic information – there’s been a general attitude that if people are coming to an event (especially when it’s free) then take advantage and ask as much as possible. But GDPR will flip this. Event planners will need to think about things a lot more carefully. You’ll need to get the right kind of detailed consent to use this data. You will need to think about how you’re going to keep this data safe – as the more data you hold, the higher the risk of breach. So, it’s not worth collecting ‘personalisation’ data if you’re not going to end up using it. GDPR will force event planners to be a lot more careful about how much data they’re collecting from attendees and for what purpose.
Are your events ready for GDPR? Get your FREE eBook: ‘The Event Planner’s Guide to GDPR Compliance’, and learn what impact Europe’s new data protection regulation will have on event marketing, data management and event technology – as well as what steps event planners need to take now to get ready for the May 2018 deadline.
Caroline Hills (British Council): The biggest impact of GDPR on the events industry will mostly be around consent and permissions, and the biggest challenge around this for us will be educating people about the dos and don’ts so that we stay compliant with GDPR. Our small central team can’t audit every single event and say you can’t ask this and you can’t ask that, it’s not practical for organisations like ours. You also have the challenge of new people coming in all the time, so you have to have a continual programme of training running. We’ll probably end up having more basic registration forms to control this better globally and it might limit how much personalisation we actually do as our priority will be making sure we are compliant, rather than looking at how we can improve personalisation, as the consequences of not being compliant are potentially enormous fines.
Read: Ask the Experts – How BIG an impact will GDPR have on meetings and events?
Make it clear to attendees that the information they provide will bring value to their experience and that you’re looking after their data and privacy – especially with the upcoming GDPR.
Those organisations that can personalise event experiences but show they they’re dealing with data privacy in the right way will be the ones people choose to deal with in the future.
You can watch the full video of the discussion on event personalisation between Eventsforce, The British Council and Haymarket at Event Tech Live 2017 here.
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Tech is always pushing the boundaries of how we plan and run events – and 2017 was certainly no exception. Almost every week, we’ve come across a new start-up, solution or gadget that promises to make planning easier and events more exciting. And yet despite all this innovation, many are finding it hard to keep up – a recent industry poll by Eventsforce found that 65% of event planners find it difficult to stay up to date with the constantly evolving world of event tech. And yet, not keeping up is no longer an option.
We launched the EventTech Talk blog a couple of years ago and have since seen a tremendous growth in a community of tech-savvy event planners who want to learn more about the latest technology development shaping the industry today. With regular polls and research studies, we’ve also been able to get good insight on uptake and trends, as well as varying opinions from well-known event experts on issues like data management, GDPR and AI-enabled technology.
GDPR is coming into effect in May 2018 and will apply to ANY event collecting and processing the personal information of European attendees – regardless of location. This article explains what the new regulation actually means for our industry and how non-compliance, compared to current data protection regulation,s can bring serious financial consequences to event organisations worldwide. Read here.
This past year was definitely an interesting one in the fast-evolving world of event technology with the arrival of AI-enabled chatbots, new data analytics tools and some practical developments in AR and VR technology. EventTech Talk spoke to some of the industry’s top tech experts to find out what stood out in 2017 and what tech trends we should expect for the next year. Read here.
Websites are still one of the most powerful marketing tools for events today. But if your website has too much information, doesn’t look appealing and more importantly, doesn’t create a sense of excitement around your event, then chances are people are going to go elsewhere. EventTech Talk had a chat with web designer, Dan Auty, who has worked on event websites for companies like Peugeot, BP and The Law Society, to discuss some of the latest trends in web design and look at some of the key things organisers need to think about when building websites for their events. Read here.
Knowing exactly who turned up at your event and what sessions they attended is something that every event planner wants to know. The information helps us figure out popular topics and sessions. It helps us profile attendees. It is also one of the many ways we measure event success. Yet having this information at the end of the event is a bit of a lost opportunity. Find out how using on-site apps can improve your attendees’ event experience and bring you important insight on the day of your event. Read here.
Event tech systems help organisations collect important data around their events (registration forms, surveys, apps) and create all sorts of reports that help in measuring event success. The problem, however, is that the amount of data generated around an event is often overwhelming and figuring out what tools you need to measure the data that matters is not as simple as one would hope. Have a look at this list of some of the most effective event data collection tools based on feedback from more than 120 event organisers. Read here.
From the humble ice-breaker through to complex team-building activities, gamification solutions such as quizzes and scavenger hunts have gained considerable popularity around events over the past year. And yet, one of the biggest complaints or criticisms around gamification is that people don’t engage and the return is low. EventTech Talk spoke to Callum Gill, head of insight and innovation at leading creative experience agency, drp Group, to see what steps organisers need to take to put together a successful gamification strategy around their events. Read here.
Regardless of whether you’re hosting a meeting, a networking event or a multi-day conference, we all know the importance of the event invite. It sets the tone of your event and is one of the first opportunities to make a good impression with potential attendees. It is also what convinces most people to take action and sign up. But what are the latest trends around managing event invitations and how are event planners measuring success? Read here.
Email still remains as the top most effective marketing tools for events today. Unlike websites or event apps, the email you send to attendees is a controlled experience where you can decide exactly what it looks like, what time it shows up, what call to action to use and what kind of personalised content it should include. And best of all, it’s measurable. But with more than 20 percent of legitimate marketing emails never reaching a recipient’s inbox, what steps should event planners take to ensure the successful delivery of their email campaigns? Read here.
Personalisation is seen as one of the hottest trends in the events industry as attendees increasingly expect both the communication of the event and the live experience to be tailored to them in some way. But is personalisation actually worth the time and effort? Are we doing anything useful with all the personalisation data we’re gathering from attendees or are we collecting too much? Are there any data collection tools that are more effective than others? Take a look at the results of the latest research study from Eventsforce on the ROI of personalisation. Read here.
The ability to record live videos using nothing more than a Smartphone is opening up all sorts of opportunities for the events industry – from improving engagement with attendees to reaching out to new audiences all over the world. But as with anything live, things can always go wrong. The feed might cut off. Your speaker might mess up or some crisis might unfold…and the whole thing gets broadcasted on the Internet. So, needless to say, it helps being prepared. Have a look at some of the most common mistakes you need to avoid when using live-streaming apps like Facebook Live at events. Read here.
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The annual Event Tech Live show took place in London this month, and once again, it didn’t disappoint. As Europe’s only dedicated exhibition and conference for event professionals interested in event technology, it attracts more than 1,600 attendees and 100-plus exhibitors from the event tech industry. The show had a generous display of new technology innovations and solutions, including a launchpad pitch competition which gave a good insight on what’s coming next. More interestingly, the conference brought together a number of experts from technology vendors to event organisers to discuss and debate the latest technology trends and issues shaping our industry today.
In case you missed it…GDPR is coming!
If there was one topic that kept popping up time and time again across most of the sessions at the show, it was the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the impact it will have on the events industry. And yet surprisingly, an audience poll conducted by a panel of experts from Glisser, SpotMe and Krowdthink revealed that MOST event planners had actually very little understanding about the new regulation – which is quite alarming, given the implications.
GDPR is coming into effect in May 2018 and will apply to ANY event collecting and processing the personal information of European attendees – regardless of location. For event planners, the new regulation presents a change in the way they decide what data needs to be collected from attendees and how that data is used for things like marketing campaigns. It will change the way attendee data is shared with other third-party organisations like venues, sponsors and tech providers. It will also change attitudes to data security and what measures need to be in place to keep attendee data safe. And let’s not forget about the fines. Compared to current data protection regulations, non-compliance to GDPR can lead to some very serious financial consequences – and lawsuits.
But it’s not all bad news. GDPR will bring about some big opportunities for our industry too. In fact, one of the main take-aways from the panel was that GDPR is a big chance for event planners to advance their careers. How? By taking ownership of GDPR. By ensuring that events are dealing with personal data in a transparent and secure way – and always in the individual’s best interest. And by getting their event tech ready too. If you’re interested in finding out more, have a look at this free eBook ‘The Event Planner’s Guide to GDPR Compliance’ which explains why the events industry has to start taking responsibility for GDPR, its impact on event marketing, data management and event technology and what steps event planners need to take now to get ready for the May 2018 deadline.
The popularity around event apps has evolved so much over the last few years – most people attending any kind of event expect an app and it seems most event planners want one too. But are apps starting to get a bad reputation? How effective are they really in engaging audiences? And will other emerging technologies like NFC and chatbots replace the need for event apps all together? These questions were addressed in a very interesting discussion by panellists from Sciensio, Beeem, NoodleLive and CrowdComms exploring the future of event apps.
In the always-connected world of smartphones, social media and information-on-demand, it seems that the attention span of our attendees is getting shorter and shorter. And this is something that event planners need to address if they want their attendees to interact more with their apps. People don’t want to waste their time browsing through irrelevant content on an app just to find out the location of their next session. They want the technology to add value to their event experience and they want the interaction with the technology as easy as possible. And this is where chatbots come in. They don’t require attendees to download anything. They apply easy text-based messaging t technology that most people are comfortable in using and more importantly, they provide that instant personalised information service that attendees are looking for at an event. Though we firmly believe that native apps still have a firm place in the events industry – perhaps we will start seeing more people move towards what chatbots can offer over the coming few years.
All the panellists agreed that pushing more personalised content on people’s smartphones will be a key trend over the coming years. Websites can already send personal push notifications on people’s phones through Google Chrome (coming soon on Safari). Google is also driving a big push towards progressive web apps – which basically allows you to run apps on a web browser. The technology will bridge the gap between apps and websites by offering the functionality of both, with more offline capabilities, improved speed and better performance. Watch this space.
How Important is Event Personalisation?
Personalisation was another hot topic at the event and we can understand why. More and more attendees are starting to expect both the communication of an event and the live experience to be tailored to them in some way. At the same time, the abundant use of sophisticated data capture tools – from registration systems and apps to surveys, social media, networking and on-site tracking solutions – are helping event planners collect and analyse valuable attendee information to create more powerful and customised event experiences. But as good as it all sounds, is it something we should all do? And how do we decide how much personalisation we should actually do?
This was the basis of one panel discussion between Eventsforce, Haymarket Media and the British Council which unveiled the results of a new research study on event personalisation. It seems that despite it being a growing priority for 73% of event planners, more than 50% struggle to see how effective their personalisation efforts are in engaging attendees and building brand loyalty. The study also revealed that more than half don’t end up using all the data they collect for personalisation and another 44% find it difficult to determine how much personalisation they should actually do.
So what was the advice? Decide what data you’re going to collect, why you’re collecting it and agree across your organisation on how it’s going to be used before collecting it for the purpose of personalisation. Don’t ask your attendees any unnecessary questions as this will have a negative effect on their event experience. And finally, explain clearly how the information they provide will bring value to their experience and that you’re looking after their data and privacy – especially with the upcoming GDPR. Click here to watch the full session.
Event Technology – What’s Next in Innovation?
This year’s show also saw the return of the Launchpad, a dedicated area for start-ups and providers of new event technology solutions – except this year, they also ran a pitch competition where providers had to battle it out in front of a panel of judges. There were some very interesting applications of event tech, all designed to save time and enhance the attendee’s event experience in one way or another. The winner was a web-based solution from Zenus which uses facial recognition technology to cut waiting lines and speed up the check-in process of attendees at events. When an attendee approaches a kiosk, their profile will pop up and a scanner can print their badges on the spot. Alternatively, you can place a tablet facing the line of people and attendees will be automatically checked-in as they walk.
Another noteworthy winner was Sciensio’s Concierge Eventbot solution which offers attendees an alternative to apps through a range of text messaging services, including agendas, directions, floor plans, surveys, polls and more. We also saw a great staffing solution from Liveforce which promises to scrap the need for Excel spreadsheets when recruiting, scheduling, booking and paying temporary staff around events. Worth checking out.
You can watch all the pitch presentations of the ETL2017 Launchpad competition here.
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Personalisation is seen as one of the hottest trends in the events industry as attendees increasingly expect both the communication of the event and the live experience to be tailored to them in some way. At the same time, data capture tools like registration systems and event apps are helping events collect valuable information on attendees to create more powerful and customised event experiences.
But is personalisation worth the time and effort? Are we doing anything useful with all the data we’re gathering from attendees or are we collecting too much? Are there any data collection tools that are more effective than others? And what impact will Europe’s new data protection regulation have on event personalisation from May 2018?
A new Eventsforce research study – titled ‘The ROI of Event Personalisation’- has revealed that despite it being a growing priority for 73% of event planners, more than 50% are struggling to see how effective their personalisation efforts are in engaging attendees and building brand loyalty. Of the 150 senior event planners surveyed, 56% don’t end up using all the data they collect for the purpose of personalisation and another 44% find it difficult to determine how much personalisation they should actually do.
Eventsforce will be debating the topic of personalisation, privacy and GDPR with senior event planners from Haymarket Publishing and the British Council at the annual Event Tech Live show in London on 9th November 2017. The session titled, ‘Event Personalisation – Finding the Balance Between Value & Privacy’ will discuss the findings of the study and provide an opportunity for the speakers to share their experiences around personalisation and finding that balance.
Those interested in attending can register for the event at http://www.eventtechlive.com or visit Eventsforce at stand 216 in the exhibition hall.
In this month’s round-up of the latest and most interesting event tech stories, we come across video beacons, Twitter’s hashtag emojis and an app that can help create projection-mapping experiences at events. We also look at how WhatsApp is taking on Snapchat with its own content consumption platform, a new online community connecting event planners and freelancers, as well as a very interesting case study on the role of AI in event personalisation.
Great summary piece from BizBash here – a quick looks at some of the latest apps, software and interactive technology for events and experiential marketing. It includes the audience engagement system, Glisser, which allows event presentations to become instantly interactive and shareable. Presenters can use the system to instantly send polls to audiences and display the results, while members can submit questions anonymously and vote on the questions that have been asked. Another tool is the Estimote Mirror – a video-enabled beacon which not only communicates with nearby smartphones and apps but also takes content from those apps and displays it on nearby digital screens. For example, the system can be used to show personalised content on digital signs around a venue as visitors pass by or to show product information at an exhibit booth that’s based on the attendee’s interests, needs and previous buying habits.
Also included in the list is Air Events Global, an online marketplace for event planners looking to hire freelancers, and the $4.99 Project Mapper app that allows you to quickly create projection-mapping experiences for your events.
As an event planner, you probably use Whatsapp to communicate back and forth with your team members, especially on the day of your event. The company, however, has just announced that it’s turning the app into a content consumption platform – similar to the way people scroll through their Facebook or Instagram newsfeeds. If this sounds familiar, that’s because it’s exactly like Snapchat’s hugely successful Stories feature but the twist is that it’s -end-to-end encrypted like WhatsApp messaging (great for data security). The new ‘status’ feature will let users share and watch updates from friends and reply privately, shoot and adorn their imagery with drawings and captions and send their creations to chosen contacts with a persistent privacy setting. See full story here.
Similar to Snapchat’s stories, the feature opens the door to new advertising and marketing opportunities for businesses and events. At South by Southwest last year, for example, Mashable used Snapchat as an interactive way to connect with attendees. MTC also uses Snapchat’s stories to complement events the network hosts and add an editorial element to the other large-scale events it covers. WhatsApp currently has 1.2 billion monthly users that send 60 billion messages per day, including 3.3 billion photos, 760 million videos and 8- million GIFs. Its market is huge and if the status feature takes off as the company hopes, it could be a very interesting development for user-generated social content platforms.
A new infographic from Adweek, illustrates the difference in online behavior between boomers and millennials – which can be useful for planning content marketing activities around your events. Boomers, for example, like branded content that focuses on the product or service, while millennials like branded content that focuses on experiences. Both demographics like photos, but boomers are more likely to prefer written content or video. And when boomers share content online, they’re going to Facebook instead of Instagram. Take a look at the infographic here for a full picture.
This month’s Sanremo music festival in Italy has seen a social media first: a brand sponsor’s logo, in emoji form, attached to an event hashtag. The custom emoji accompanied every tweet mentioning the #Sanremo2017 hashtag – which meant every time anyone used the hashtag, they were putting the sponsor’s logo right into the timelines of their followers.
Although this form of advertising can seem somewhat brazen to some at the moment, don’t be surprised if it soon becomes the norm. According to this story from Event MB, hashtags have been helping us facilitate and organise event-related engagement for some time now. This simple addition of a company logo in emoji form could make the hashtag/emoji ad combination an extremely valuable sponsorship opportunity for events of the future.
BizBash: What Was IBM’s Watson Doing at a San Francisco Dance Party?
Want a glimpse of what personalised events will look like in the future? Daybreaker hosts about 15 events in San Francisco each year, and last month, it hosted what it called the ‘world’s first cognitive dance party’ powered by Watson – IBM’s cognitive platform. The company used Watson to analyse attendees’ Twitter profiles and personality quizzes to create three tracks that would determine the colours guests were encouraged to wear at the event (purple for conscientious, red for outgoing and yellow for expressiveness). The tracks also determined pre-party lists, a pre-dance fitness class suggestion, Chef Watson-designed breakfast menus and original Watson Beat music during the event. As party goers bounced around the venue, a swirling storm of lights illuminated the interactive LED dance floor – with patterns powered by the ‘energy’ (the social feeds) in the room. A custom-built LED sun also rose at the front of the room, which reflected the guests’ personalities. You can read more about it here.
What kind of impact will tools like Watson have on the events industry? Can Artificial Intelligence (AI) truly personalise experiences? According to an article by Event Tech Brief, attendees these days want tailor-made information, connections and experiences and current event technologies have set the stage for hyper-personalised attendee experiences – but we’re not quite there yet. AI has the potential to take event tech to the next level – from AI-enabled concierge event bots to personalised attendee matchmaking tools like Grip.
This past year was certainly an interesting one in the world of technology and events. We saw some very impressive use of pyrotechnics, lighting and 3D projection at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. We saw how video has become a very important marketing tool for event planners with new live streaming tools like Instagram and Facebook Live making their mark in the industry. We also saw the use of new kinds of engagement tools that are radically changing the way people experience events – not to forget some much-anticipated applications of AR and VR technology.
But what really stood out in 2016? Which event technology made a difference? And what should we expect for 2017?
EventTech Talk spoke to some of the industry’s well known event tech experts to find out what they felt was important in 2016 and what they think will be the next big thing over the coming year.
Most of the technology that I have observed over this past year represented incremental changes to existing apps and platforms or the use of existing and familiar technology to address new markets. There was clearly one exception: chatbots.
For those who are unfamiliar with conversational bots, picture Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa, both machine interfaces with which to carry on a dialogue, make requests, or ask for information.
A chatbot works on the same principle, but instead of speaking to a device, the user texts commands and questions to the bot using a smartphone. The bot replies with answers, menus, or links to information.
The technology stood out for me because of how it works and what it represents. There is virtually no learning curve. It is as easy as picking up a smartphone and texting the word hello. After that, an attendee can begin asking questions like, where is the session on human anatomy? How do I get validation for parking? Are there vegetarian options on the lunch buffet? These are all simple inquiries that cannot be addressed as quickly or at all by the mobile event app.
In the absence of a bot, attendees have to walk to registration, call or email show management, and/or waste a considerable amount of precious time getting a response.
Chatbots allude to the next big thing for 2017 – personalisation. The accumulation of data will intersect with a number of technologies, including chatbots, beacons, and networking applications. For example, chatbots powered by artificial intelligence and supported by cloud storage can learn attendee preferences and begin to anticipate their needs.
Beacon receivers can detect wearable technology and cause devices to react to them (digital signage with a personalised welcome message). Networking applications and devices can bring two specific attendees together (at their mutual request) based on their profiles, stated preferences, and proximity.
Overall, 2016 was an evolutionary year, rather than a revolutionary year. A lot of the technologies simply evolved, rather than anything really jumping out and being new and exciting. That being said, we’re finally, after decades of promises, seeing VR and AR solutions that actually make sense in events.
From promotional materials, to 360-degree site visits, to product launches and game stations, VR is coming of age, and AR will be right behind it. Audi has been investing heavily in VR, creating dynamic group experiences at their events, so it’s not all about going into your own little world anymore.
I think 2017 is the year to re-evaluate your tech. For those who’ve been waiting to incorporate technology, now’s the time. Event apps, audience response systems, registration and event management software, livestreaming and hybrid events – all these technologies are mature and ready for you to implement.
For those of you who’ve been on the leading edge and are ready for the next big thing? Time to start moving forward with attendee-tracking and interaction technology using beacons and smart floors, augmented reality and virtual reality. “AI” and “IOT” will be the buzzwords of tech in 2017, and we’re already starting to see them being attached to the latest #EventTech startups!
Finally, keep a close eye on security. “Soft targets” – hotels, convention centres, festivals and the like – are going to be the favoured targets of the malicious, both physical and digital. So once again, it’s time to re-evaluate your security and protect your attendees/guests!
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What really stood out and I saw proof of in 2016 was working with Konduko at Event Tech Live (ETL) to outfit each exhibitor with touch-to-collect points. This turned lead generation into a two-way street between exhibitors and visitors. It also allowed us to capture data for speakers, which has been invaluable to them.
Around 66% of leads generated from ETL came from the interaction between visitors and exhibitors using Konduko – this is a real game changer for expos. And as deployment costs come down, I can see this filtering in as a standard to all types of events, both big and small.
Looking at event tech trends for 2017, it is hard to say for sure as there is so much “industry” technology being developed as well as external technology which can then be used for events. I think we will see the Internet of Things (IOT) take a larger role in the delivery of content at events, based specifically on the attendee.
An example of this would be digital screens that we already see at most events and shows turning into more “connected” screens, which can display content that’s relevant to each attendee. This can be based on time, sessions they have attended, their network of other attendees and even their preferences on food, music etc.
Poken was our biggest event tech win for 2016. It’s an innovative platform of tech tools for event professionals to use to organise and manage their events and create unique, engaging experiences. It allowed our attendees to check-in, network and collect information all in a fun, gamification-style format that our attendees loved. It truly is a complete event engagement experience.
With today’s attendees needing to feel engaged more than ever, event tech solutions like Slido will really take flight in 2017. Slido lets you crowdsource the best questions from your audience and keep your guests engaged with live polls. We’re excited to see the level of audience interaction skyrocket and what new event attendee opportunities will be introduced.
As the significance of events continues to grow for organisations, so does the importance of managing the data around these events. We’ve seen event planners doing some great things by integrating their data with check-in systems, payment gateways and event apps. However, this same concept of data sharing is now being applied with big back-end business systems, like CRMs and finance solutions.
In fact, we’ve seen a 40% increase in the number of customers working on integration projects over the last year and we expect this trend to grow significantly as event planners try to automate processes and make better use of their event data. If this is something you’re considering, have a look at this industry ebook that gives a good introduction on the topic and whether or not it’s something that makes sense for your events.
More time, less work and better data sharing around your events? Find out how by getting your FREE guide to data integration here.
We’re also seeing some interesting trends around event apps. The concept of having a fancy-looking event app is slowly dying. Event planners want mobile apps but only if it benefits their attendees. Attendees want apps but only if the features really help them achieve their attendance goals. When they do, native event apps are very popular and successful.
However, planners no longer want to spend thousands on designing apps and re-keying data. Either the app works well with their existing data or its considered an expensive luxury. Event programs change. Sponsors change, agendas change. Event apps that are not integrated with other event systems don’t reflect the latest information and are obsolete to attendees.
Aside from data integration, I think custom packages will be another focus area for event tech in 2017. Offering attendees a selection of pre-defined package options for your event is a lot like a restaurant offering customers a selection of set menus. Both are easy to set up. Both offer the same set of choices to everyone.
Yet registration software has the ability to help attendees personalise their own packages. In the same way that a restaurant can offer both a set menu and an a-la-carte option, event planners are going to increasingly use their registration systems to offer attendees the option to pick and choose what they want to ‘consume’ when registering for an event.
Take any multi-day conference today and chances are it will offer attendees a choice of registration packages. Some will give attendees a choice of dates at different rates, others will bundle things like meals, accommodation or entertainment into the price. This concept of ‘packages’ first became popular when organisations used paper-based registration forms and needed a simple way of managing payments around their events. All attendees had to do was pick a package, submit their form and send the necessary cheque to the organisers.
Over the years, the advance of technology has made this process of managing payments a whole lot simpler. Online registration systems provide automatic calculations at the check-out stage of the attendee’s registration journey – regardless of the number of items purchased along the way. So the need for simplification no longer exists. In fact, ‘digital’ registration pages can do a lot more for attendee packages. They can give attendees the ability to tailor their own custom packages around these events.
1. Trouble Counting Totals – Knowing exactly who is coming on each day should be the kind of information that needs to be available to an event planner at the touch of a button. Yet looking at our example, if you want to get the total number of attendees at your event on the Monday, you will have to add up the number of people who selected packages 1, 2 and 4. This number will reflect all the people coming on the Monday but it will also include the ones who have registered for the Tuesday and Wednesday sessions too. Also, it may include people who have no intention of attending the event on Monday but chose package 2 as they wanted to attend the sessions on the Tuesday and Wednesday.
2. No Transparency on Event Requirements – Knowing the exact number of people that are expected to attend on any given day is important for managing things like delegate communications, catering requirements and health and safety regulations. It is pure guess work to assume that people who have chosen package 2 will be attending your buffet lunch on the Monday, for example. Or that they’re interested in receiving content on topics that will be discussed in sessions on that day.
3. Limited Choice for Attendees – Options that are not listed usually end up with the attendee picking up the phone and calling your team to ask if they can attend ‘Tuesday only’, for example. This increases your workload, delays registration and could affect cash flow. Your attendee may also feel he’s not getting a good return on his investment as he’s made to pay for a 3-day event when he’s only interested in attending one particular date or session.
Offering your attendees a selection of package options for your event is a lot like a restaurant offering its customers a selection of set menus. Both are easy to set up. Both offer the same set of choices to everyone. Yet registration software can help attendees personalise their own packages around your multi-day events. In the same way that a restaurant offers customers the choice to order whatever they want using an a-la-carte menu, event planners can use their online registration forms to offer attendees the option to pick and choose what they want to ‘consume’ when registering for the event.
So instead of giving attendees a list of packages to choose from, registration forms can ask attendees which dates they would like to attend. Or you can break it down further and ask them what sessions they would like to attend. Upon selection, attendees can then be given a set of questions that allows them to choose individually priced items such as meals, meeting rooms, entertainment activities, transport and accommodation. They won’t need to do the mental arithmetic as the system will do it for them and they can focus on what they actually want to get out of the event.
Some may argue that breaking down prices like this will only complicate the registration process. That simplified package options provide a better experience for attendees. Yet the reality is that these packages are taking the choice away from attendees. And your attendees want that choice. They want the ability to decide that they will attend your conference for the first two days, spend one night in the hotel (as they’ve made other arrangements for the other two) and attend the networking drinks on the third night. They are used to making these choices in many aspects of their lives. They do it when buying add-ons for their flights such as meals, extra leg room or baggage allowance. They do it when ordering their meals in a restaurant. And there is no reason why they can’t do this around your events.
Increased ROI for Attendees – Providing attendees with the ability to pick and choose bookable items around your events gives them a clearer understanding on the value of their purchase. A subconscious connection is made with the content of each day, rather than simply the package fee. This provides the event planner with the opportunity to present additional value in context rather than just a price on a page.
Personalised Event Communications – Knowing exactly which days your attendees will be attending can help you personalise all your email communications in the run up to your event. It makes more sense to send your attendee information about the sessions of the day they’re attending than have one generic email that goes to everyone on your list.
Better Speaker Content – By having a more accurate picture of who will be attending the sessions on each day, event planners can break down attendee lists by company type, interests and goals and share it with speakers beforehand. They can then use this information to tweak the content of their presentations or personalise it with content or examples that are more relevant to the audience.
Clearer Insight on On-Site Requirements – Knowing exactly who will be attending on each day of the event provides the event planner with a more accurate picture on what catering arrangements need to be made. So if you know that people are leaving early on the last day of your event, you may decide to offer them a packed lunch instead of the buffet you had initially planned. This can reduce your catering costs and reduce unnecessary food wastage. This kind of information will also help with emergency evacuations and other health and safety requirements.
Alternative Source of Income – Asking your delegates specific questions on the kind of things they’re interested in purchasing around your event can also maximize your opportunity to make money. How about offering them to rent out that extra meeting room you have available on that specific day you know they will be at your event? Or offer them the choice to buy WiFi connectivity in their hotel rooms?
For some other ideas on how online registration systems like Eventsforce can help you personalise your attendee event experiences, have a look here. | 2019-04-20T16:36:59Z | https://www.eventsforce.com/tag/personalisation/ |
ABSTRACT - Stem families have received very little attention in consumer research, though they constitute one of the fastest growing household types. A phenomenological study of stem families was undertaken, with the following themes being found: increased importance of kinship networks (including in-laws) in socialization and family processes; increased influence of offspring in decision processes as they are given "adult status" earlier; and a sense of family both in trying to maintain continuity with the original nuclear family and in developing a new identity for the stem family.
Myra Jo Bates and James W. Gentry (1994) ,"Keeping the Family Together: How We Survived the Divorce", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 21, eds. Chris T. Allen and Deborah Roedder John, Provo, UT : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 30-34.
Stem families have received very little attention in consumer research, though they constitute one of the fastest growing household types. A phenomenological study of stem families was undertaken, with the following themes being found: increased importance of kinship networks (including in-laws) in socialization and family processes; increased influence of offspring in decision processes as they are given "adult status" earlier; and a sense of family both in trying to maintain continuity with the original nuclear family and in developing a new identity for the stem family.
Consumer research has focused little attention on single-parent households; Ajhuba and Stinson (1993) found five Marketing studies on the subject, indicating a gap in the literature. The growing number of single-parent households in the U.S. suggests a need for exploration of this topic. The purpose of this paper is to examine the themes discovered in a study of divorced mothers and to describe consumption-oriented ways in which they maintained a feeling of belongingness (family connectedness) with their children during the separation and divorce process. Factors relevant from a consumer behavior viewpoint include changes in consumption patterns, changes in consumer decision processes linked to the divorce process, family member role transformations, and altered standards of living.
The U.S. divorce rate is creating stem family households at an unprecedented pace. [We will use "stem family" in lieu of single-parent family reflecting the fact that, while there may be only one parent in the household, there is another who may influence the child(ren).] In 1992, nearly 1.2 million couples divorced. Of ever-married Americans, approximately 26% have divorced at some time, and about one-third of the civil cases in the U.S. Court System deal with family relations (DeWitt 1992). It is estimated that two-thirds of first marriages will end in divorce (Martin and Bumpass 1989). From 1960 to 1990, the proportion of children, at any given time, living in stem families rose from 9% to 25%; thus a majority of all children will spend some part of their childhood with an absent parent.
The percentage of single-parent households (the Census Bureau term) increased from 5.5% in 1970 to 9.3% in 1990. Divorce is a process affecting all family members (Bohannan 1970), and the presence of children may well complicate the parental transition from being married to being single. During the divorce process, custodial parents need to emphasize a feeling of family for their children as they make the transition from nuclear family to stem family.
The work of McAlexander, Schouten, and Roberts (1993) is very insightful in terms of consumption and de-acquisition processes associated with divorce, but it focuses on the divorcing couple and omits the children. With an average of one child per divorcing couple (London and Wilson 1988), we assert that the McAlexander, Schouten, and Roberts (1993) study comprises only part of the phenomenon as actually observed in our society.
Previous divorce research shows the importance of qualitative methods for discovering the intricacies of the divorce process (Buehler 1987; Kitson, Babri, and Roach 1985; Kitson and Raschke 1981; McAlexander, Schouten, and Roberts 1993). In order to identify themes used by parents to aid children in coping with divorce, we organized a phenomenological study of divorce and how parents reassure and help their children realize that they still are a family, albeit a changed family. Use of the phenomenological method has been successful in past studies for eliciting ideas relevant to the subject of interest (Thompson, Locander, and Pollio 1990).
The Sample: Fourteen divorced, custodial mothers, were interviewed. These interviewees, located through the personal networks of the authors, reside in three medium-sized Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa cities. A diverse set of respondents was used to obtain as wide a range of circumstances as possible, resulting in a wide age range for the mothers and their children. Of the 14 mothers, 11 have been married and divorced once; two are currently remarried and 12 are still divorced; one has had three marriages, and another has had two marriages, both resulting in divorce. Two mothers are graduate students; one is of retirement age and has never worked outside the home; 13 are in the workforce; three are grandmothers. The children's ages range from four to 42. Marriage duration was from six to 44 years, with the modal range being nine and 16 years.
The common factor qualifying a respondent was custody of the children. The incidence of divorcing fathers gaining custody of their children is increasing as, in 1990, 14% of fathers and custody, up from 10% in 1980 (Bernstein 1992). The study was not intended to be limited to women only; an attempt to use fathers fitting the parameters failed as none were found. Thus, because of circumstances, this study focused on divorced mothers.
Data Collection: Data were collected during informal sessions in which respondents talked freely about their experiences. These interviews were conducted at the respondent's home, her place of work, or a neutral site agreed upon by both parties. Due to the exploratory nature of this study, it was felt that a single interview with each respondent would be sufficient for the discovery of parental themes. The interviewing author has been divorced and could empathize with respondents and identify with some of the issues presented. Early interviews were less structured than the later ones, and were intended to pinpoint themes used by parents in maintaining a feeling of family as the children progressed through the divorce process. Interviews later in the process were also loosely structured, while at the same time the interviewer was more aware of the nature of individual themes. This helped the interviewer remain focused while allowing respondents freedom to express their own ideas. No respondent was asked to reveal anything that would make her uncomfortable and what was discussed was freely given. Near the end of all interviews, each respondent was asked if she could think of anything of importance that was not dealt with during the session. All dialogues were taped for later transcription and analysis. To ascertain accuracy, copies of the paper in progress were distributed to interviewees for their comments and suggestions which were then incorporated into the final version of the study.
Data Evaluation: Input from colleagues not involved in data gathering has proven valuable in previous ethnographic research (Hill 1991; Mick and Buhl 1992). The interviewing author provided the co-author with partial transcripts and comprehensive notes of each interview for separate evaluation and analysis. If necessary, the co-author could listen to the taped recording of each interview. Written and verbal feedback was given the interviewer for evaluation and was used in subsequent interviews. The authors also communicated on a regular basis concerning the contents of the interviews, and ideas were exchanged throughout the process. This exchange occurred after each interview and was especially beneficial in the identification of themes. At all times, the respondents were given the liberty to express themselves freely. Questions addressed to respondents were very general in nature at the beginning of the interview, gradually becoming more specific. For example, the mothers were asked about people who helped them cope with the divorce process and, after the sources were identified, the mothers were then asked how specific people helped.
The fundamental purpose of the interviews was to uncover themes in family belongingness. After several interviews, the basis for some of the themes began appearing, and gradually these themes became apparent to the interviewer. When no new themes were forthcoming, the interviewing process was stopped. These themes represent increased levels of interaction between the stem family and their kinship networks, an age-related role transformation on the part of the children, and "sense of family" notions (activities involving parent and child with special attention to holidays and rituals). These themes will be discussed in the following section of this paper.
Each respondent used different activities to maintain a feeling of family belongingness for her children. These activities, while individualized along family lines, were quite similar thematically across the diversified sample. The ages of the children did not appear to be related to the general behavior of the mothers. At one time the nuclear family had been the source of togetherness and now the stem family had to become that source. The stem family replaced the nuclear family as the basic unit of togetherness in the child's life.
In this study, the mother's kinship networks are the people with whom she has regular or semi-regular contact. The network includes relatives, ex-in-laws, friends, and co-workers who become important in helping the mother and children cope with the divorce process. The children's kinship network includes the same people as the mother's network but also adds the father as a member.
Mother's Parents: For divorced mothers, the role of intergenerational influence tends to increase with the breakdown of the nuclear family. Women are under greater time pressures (Weiss 1975), being responsible for all aspects of maintaining a home, raising children, and, often, the family's sole financial support (Weitzman 1985). Child care appears to be the dominant consumer domain where kinship networks enter. The provision of babysitting, minding sick children, and checking on latch-key kids by others allows mothers to cope with their numerous responsibilities. Increased network interaction also provides opportunity for socialization in the extended family.
The women studied here used kinship networks to help with children as they progressed through the divorce process. For some, the mother's parents are prominent, frequently increasing their role in their daughters' lives after divorce. Janice [Names of respondents have been changed to preserve their privacy.], whose parents helped "a lot," noted that her parents stayed close in case she or her daughters needed anything. They waited three years after her divorce before taking their first vacation, and even then, they telephoned her at least twice a week. Barbara, divorced over 20 years, stated "My mother has been my pal. She's not just a mother, she's my buddy." She and her mother live in the same neighborhood. Deanna reported that her parents minded her children when they were too sick for day care or school.
Mother's Siblings: Siblings of the divorced mothers also assisted. Peggy told of the relationship between her bachelor brother and her teenage son. "He (the brother) would take him to basketball games . . . They would always go out to Denny's after the games." Jane's sister brought her children over so the cousins could play together.
Non-Family: Non-related people also provide support. A neighbor, new to the area, helped Lori, who stated, "for some reason we just clicked." Co-workers and other friends assisted. Janice received "a lot of support from the people I work with." Much non-family help was in the form of moral supportCanother adult to whom the mother could turn for conversation and time out from the children. Others gave more tangible aid. Jeri described two friends as "family . . . Somebody extra to call." She left her children in the care of these friends rather than with their father when she went on business trips.
Ex-In-Laws: The role of in-laws was not uniform. In some cases, they were distant from the original nuclear family and maintained this distance after the divorce. "His family never chose to become involved or have contact while we were married" (Jane). Her children are not close to their grandparents, so the divorce was not disruptive of any established interactions between them. Peggy noted that "they were not the Grandmotherly and Grandfatherly type" and she remarked that the grandparent/grandchild relationship "hasn't changed" since her divorce.
In Donna's family, the in-laws were connected to the mother only through the child's father. "I talk to them occasionally." This father sees his parents rarely, usually when taking his daughter on holiday visits, thus limiting the child's contact with her grandparents.
In contrast, some stem families had extensive contact with their in-laws. Cheryl's ex-mother-in-law was instrumental in helping to give her family a feeling of continuity through her divorce, as she included Cheryl and her sons in family get togethers. She, Cheryl, and the children regularly attended church together and, even now, since Cheryl has remarried, they continue to share coffee on Saturday mornings. Kelly talked of her daughter's relationship with her ex-in-laws, stating that "She is very close to them, and I am too . . . I don't call her `ex-mother-in-law'." Long-term ties with an ex-husband's family were also noted. Paula, divorced from her son's father for nearly 20 years, stated, "I am still friends with them. . . I still see them two times a year." Paula's son is also close to his father's parents and visits with them at least once a month. In these cases, the in-laws are clearly a part of the kinship network.
The Father: The father's role in the kinship network varies. Some fathers, who had good relationships with their children before the divorce, maintained this relationship afterwards. Jeri and her ex-husband had a joint custody arrangement, so both parents remained active in their children's lives. Kelly's daughter regularly sees her father and her half-siblings from his previous marriage. As noted above, Kelly remains close to her ex-in-laws and this closeness may help explain some of the father's close relationship with his daughter.
Some fathers had a minimal role in their children's lives prior to the divorce but the divorce acted as a catalyst in changing this role. Mindy's daughters received telephone calls from their father after going away to college. He had shown little interest in them before they moved away from their home. Erica described her ex-husband as a "workaholic" who had little time for his children during the marriage. He has since re-established contact with the three oldest children. The youngest is still "very, very bitter."
For some families, the father disappeared totally from the lives of the stem family. Barbara has not seen nor heard from her ex-husband in over 20 years. Her youngest daughter has no memory at all of her father.
In summary, expanded kinship networks appear to be the rule in the case of stem families. Clearly, the study of household decision making becomes more complicated when members of the extended family play a greater role than that found in nuclear families. The presence of children in the family of divorce creates a greater likelihood of continued contact with one's ex-in-laws. Several mothers noted the roles of in-laws in the socialization of their children. Some parental control or influence about consumer choices could be transferred to kinship members who may hold different views from the mother. The McAlexander, Schouten, and Roberts (1993) study spoke little on the subject of ex-in-laws other than noting that some divorced people did get help from their ex-spouse's family. On the surface, one might assume that the study of stem families would be simplified due to the elimination of one adult from the household; instead, it appears that a thorough understanding of the consumer decision processes of stem families will be much more difficult to obtain due to the expanded kinship network associated with divorce. The stem mother may feel obligated to accept or accede to the advice and information given to her by kinship members about specific products or services. In the decision making process, the role of the ex-husband may be fulfilled by extended family members or friends adding a dimension not previously present before the divorce.
Frequently, with the death of a parent, children are told that they are expected to fill the vacated role (most commonly, a young man or boy is told that he is now "the man of the family"). We find such role impositions to be less prominent in the case of divorce, no doubt due to the existence of the estranged spouse. However, we do find a tendency to elevate the status of older (teenage or adolescent) children to that of friend and peer.
For mothers of younger children, the transformation of the child into a more adult-like person was not an issue. Donna thinks that her relationship with her ten year old daughter, Becky, would not be any different if she were still married to Becky's father. "Her father didn't ever have enough to do with her, so from the time she was a baby, I was the one who raised her. . . Maybe we've grown closer." Becky is still quite young and Donna considers herself to be a mother more than a friend. The transition for Deanna's two boys also has not occurred because she thinks they are still too young (eight and four). Kelly feels that the divorce may have slowed this process for her daughter. "I'd say she's been slower . . . She's not in a hurry."
The mothers with grown or nearly grown children speak of them as friends. Margaret's youngest son is now her "very best friend," the transition occurring when she started listening to what he had to say. "The clue is you listen. Even if you don't agree or you don't understand what he's talking about, you listen." For Erica, "This process was accelerated by the divorce . . . We did become more friends," and the process was fastest with her youngest son, the child most affected by the divorce.
As children mature, they gradually acquire adult status. This happens in all families, but our belief is that this process is more rapid in stem families than in nuclear families. [We have no comparable information on nuclear families, so our belief is somewhat inferential in nature.] We found that single parents seek adult companionship and may fill the void left by a spouse with relationships with older offspring (teenagers and adolescents, as opposed to adult children). Mindy and her children chat informally and talk about anything and everything. She doesn't think that this would be happening if she were still married; she would chat with her husband instead. In her mind, these sessions are an adult way of communicating and getting in touch with her children.
The subtle encouragement of children to become more peer-like may operate in the form of a self-fulfilling prophecy, resulting in the adult-like behaviors being observable earlier in children of stem families. Of her twin sons, now 10, Lori notes, "The thing that has really changed is that they are on their own so much that they have to be responsible for themselves . . . If they don't want hot lunch, they have to pack their own lunch." She thinks that they are more mature from being on their own so much and responsible for their behavior. She expects more out of them as far as chores, etc. as they grow older. "I've never talked down to them, even when they were two."
Just as divorce may result in more reliance on kinship networks, there appears to be greater reliance on offspring in consumer decision making in the stem family. While family decision-making research has paid some attention to intergenerational influence (Berey and Pollay 1968; Childers and Rao 1992), and reverse socialization processes (Ekstrom, Tansuhaj, and Foxman 1987), the standard perception of household decision making (based on nuclear families) is one dominated by fathers and mothers. As attention shifts to stem families, awareness of more joint parent-child decision making is critical (Roberts, Voli, and Johnson 1992). Attempts to market solely to the parent may well result in opportunities missed.
The third theme to emerge from this study was sense of family. The mothers endeavored to give their children a feeling that, no matter what had happened to the parents' marriage, the children still belonged to a family. Their particular family may have a different structure, but it is a family nonetheless.
Sense of family appeared in three ways. First, there was an attempt to hold on to vestiges of the past and preserve family structure. Second was a need to go forward and seek a new family identity. Finally, holidays provided a bridge between the past and the future.
Holding On To The Past: There were different ways in which the mothers held on to the past and maintained family structure. Continuing some of the nuclear family rituals helped bridge the transition to stem family. In general, some everyday activities were not changed drastically. Peggy continued sharing evening prayers with her son. Kelly stated that family rituals between her and her daughter are the same as when she was married.
The mothers felt that it was important for the family to get together sometime during the day. Eating meals together was very common. "We always have dinner together . . . There's been a few occasions when that hasn't happened and my children say, `What, we're not having dinner together?'" (Jane). She feels that sharing mealtime is important for a cohesive environment and nothing is allowed to intrude (TV, etc.) during dinner. It is family sharing time. For Erica, eating together was also important, but in her case it became eating out. "Oddly, one of the things we started doing was eating out." For Jeri the family meal was breakfast, as this was the best time of the day for the family to gather.
The mother's religious beliefs were important in maintaining a sense of family. Cheryl, as reported above, continued in the same church, attending with her ex-mother-in-law. Barbara would make "adventurous trips out of walking to church." Six mothers noted that regular attendance in church was important to them and they tried to instill this same feeling into their children with mixed results. Those with older children (Barbara and Mindy) reported that their children's attendance dropped as they approached and reached adulthood.
Pets have become part of that which is sacred (Belk, Wallendorf, and Sherry 1989; Tuan 1984), and can be linked to the past. Kelly's daughter "always had an animal wherever we moved," not necessarily the traditional dog or cat, but a bird, a mouse, or some other animal. Deanna and her sons kept the family dog and she associated this animal with the divorce. Erica added a dog after her divorce.
For some, living in the same house is important. Mindy is distressed because she must sell her home once monetary child support ceases. This house is where her children grew up and, now that they are almost grown, she can no longer afford to remain there. Conversely, Margaret is looking forward to selling her home. She finances her youngest son's college education, with no aid from his father, and upon his graduation, she plans to travel and tend to her own needs.
In cases where the family had to move, the mother provided some type of continuity for the children. Peggy sees to it that her son has a basketball hoop wherever they live. She also enrolls him in parochial school so "no matter where we lived he always, at least, went to the same school. I always felt that that was one plus." She felt that the same school, the same car pool, and the same set of friends give him a sense of security. When Donna changed homes, she set up her daughter's room right away with many of the same furnishings, except for a new bedspread and a more "grown up" dresser. The important thing for her was to establish the child's private space.
Going Forward: Building a new family identity was also accomplished in different ways. Erica's account of eating out is an example. She maintained the old sense of family through eating together, but in a different setting. Donna had a portrait of her and her daughter taken shortly after the divorce which she hung in her home telling her daughter, "That's our family now."
Trips and vacations are another way to cement a new family identity. Day trips are common for the stem families. Donna noted, "During the summer we go out to Chalco Hills Lake and . . . she usually rides her bike and I walk." Cheryl and Mindy rented cabins at a state park for summer retreats with their children. Deanna vacationed with her sons to prove that they could manage a long trip on their own. "Against everybody's suggestions, I took the kids on a vacation to Colorado Springs . . . We had a ball. It was fun." She would repeat the experience if finances allowed. Janice takes her daughters west where they try always to attend a rodeo, ride horses, and sit for a family portrait posing, in costume, as characters of the Old West. "I decided that maybe what we needed was to completely get away and just really be on our own, so that's what we did . . . We discovered it really pulled us together a lot more."
Being the most visible parent, these mothers interact a great deal with their children. They play Nintendo together (Kelly and Donna); they shop together (Kelly); they attend children's functions (Barbara, Kelly, Paula, Peggy, Janice, and Jane); they share quiet conversation (Mindy); and they have bedtime sharing (Peggy). Time together helped both mother and child make the transition from nuclear family to stem family.
Holidays: Rook (1985) called attention to the role of ritual(s) in consumer behavior. From a marketing perspective, holidays are a period of ritual consumption, from a Christmas tree, to special menus (Wallendorf and Arnould 1990), to birthday cards and gifts. For the stem families, holidays acted as a bridge between holding on to the past and going forward to develop new family identities. Children generally have contact with both parents, individually, thus reminding them of their "old" family. Stem mothers may incorporate both old and new rituals during a holiday season, giving the children a chance to look forward.
Peggy emphasized both Christmas and Thanksgiving. "We always went and cut a live Christmas tree . . . always made Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners even though I thought at the time it would be easier to go out to eat." Paula and her son, too, made a special trip to get a Christmas tree. "He and I would always go get the Christmas tree." Upon bringing it home, they would decorate it together. Janice stated, "I always take the girls' picture in the fall for the Christmas cards." Cheryl celebrates Christmas with her family a week early and then observes the actual holidays with her ex-mother-in-law and her family. Margaret did not remember any holiday not associated with her ex-mother-in-law. "Holidays and birthdays were almost a mandatory family attendance." One result of this is, now that her children are grown, they do not "make so much of birthdays."
Mindy keeps only a few presents under her tree and hides the rest. Every year before attending Christmas Eve services, she excuses herself, returns to the house, and places the rest of the gifts under the tree, making it look as if someone had delivered more while the family was out. One year she did not "have to go to the bathroom" and her kids kept asking if she had something to do inside. Arranging for a neighbor to bring out the presents was her way of "keeping ahead of them." Mindy's children are all high school age and above, and this incident, occurring with older children, demonstrates an enduring aspect of some rituals. Even as old as the children were, Mindy perceived their discomfort when she deviated from expected behavior.
Jeri describes Christmas as time for her family to gather, but "that can take several forms." She is flexible timewise, and the holiday schedule varies from year to year. Donna has difficulty in establishing holiday rituals because her daughter's visitation schedule changes yearly. Lori has never planned a holiday celebration. "Holidays have always been a mess because I work holidays."
Birthdays followed Christmas and Thanksgiving as the most celebrated time. In Jane's family the birthday person chooses the dinner menu "within reason," and they share the birthday dinner. "We always share birthdays together. No one makes any plans for birthdays." Mindy's family celebrates for two days. "We open a present the night before . . . A couple of years ago, it was my birthday and the day before when I got home from work in the garage door they had put streamers that said Happy Birthday." For her children, Mindy's birthday is as important as their own. Barbara's family extended birthday celebrations to include two parish priests. They made homemade gifts for these men and had a birthday picnic in their backyard. Barbara described the priests as part of the family and "the kids thought that was just great."
Holidays logically fall under the "sense of family" category. Menus (Margaret, Jane, Patsy), gift giving (Barbara, Mindy), and rituals (Mindy, Paula, Patsy, Jane) serve as a bridge between the nuclear family and the stem family. In this study, more attempts to hold on to the past during the holiday season were found than trying to create a new identity. This result differs somewhat from the findings of McAlexander, Schouten, and Roberts (1993), who found more evidence for the disposition to break free and for development of new individual identities. The presence of children in the stem families seemed to place more emphasis on the maintenance of family continuity, though in a reconstituted manner.
This study does not attempt to identify all themes or processes experienced by the stem family as it re-establishes itself as a family unit with a new structure, but it does provide some ideas as to how single mothers proceed through the process. The interviews revealed that mothers from different backgrounds appear to have common themes used to maintain a sense of family for their children.
This paper is an exploration into the behavior of stem families. It is an attempt to identify themes that can be examined from a marketing perspective. The 14 interviews provide a first step in developing a body of knowledge applicable to this segment of the population. The themes identified provide a foundation on which to base future study.
Future research is needed in the area of consumer decision making in the stem family. Two areas may be of particular interest. First, the process itself is affected by all the people involved. The extent of the influence of the kinship system needs to be examined. In appearance the stem mother may be solely responsible for the family, but for practical purposes some of this responsibility may be shifted to her kinship network. Second, product categories of stem family purchases are of interest to marketers. Stem family trips, eating out more often, and changes in residence indicate consumption patterns which may have different meanings for the stem family as opposed to the nuclear family.
This study was limited to mother-headed families, but as more fathers are granted custody of their children as a result of divorce, they too should be examined. There is also a need for intrafamily data gathering to gain insight into shared experience (Mick and Buhl 1992). As the number of stem families increases, marketers need to understand the behavior of this segment of the population. Some of this understanding may come with increased comparison to nuclear families.
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A steam turbine is a device which extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam and uses it to do mechanical work on a rotating output shaft. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884.
The modern steam turbine was invented in 1884 by Sir Charles Parsons, whose first model was connected to a dynamo that generated 7.5 kW (10 hp) of electricity. The invention of Parsons' steam turbine made cheap and plentiful electricity possible and revolutionized marine transport and naval warfare. Parsons' design was a reaction type. His patent was licensed and the turbine scaled-up shortly after by an American, George Westinghouse. The Parsons turbine also turned out to be easy to scale up. Parsons had the satisfaction of seeing his invention adopted for all major world power stations, and the size of generators had increased from his first 7.5 kW set up to units of 50,000 kW capacity. Within Parson's lifetime, the generating capacity of a unit was scaled up by about 10,000 times, and the total output from turbo-generators constructed by his firm C. A. Parsons and Company and by their licensees, for land purposes alone, had exceeded thirty million horse-power.
A number of other variations of turbines have been developed that work effectively with steam. The de Laval turbine (invented by Gustaf de Laval) accelerated the steam to full speed before running it against a turbine blade. De Laval's impulse turbine is simpler, less expensive and does not need to be pressure-proof. It can operate with any pressure of steam, but is considerably less efficient. fr:Auguste Rateau developed a pressure compounded impulse turbine using the de Laval principle as early as 1896, obtained a US patent in 1903, and applied the turbine to a French torpedo boat in 1904. He taught at the École des mines de Saint-Étienne for a decade until 1897, and later founded a successful company that was incorporated into the Alstom firm after his death. One of the founders of the modern theory of steam and gas turbines was Aurel Stodola, a Slovak physicist and engineer and professor at the Swiss Polytechnical Institute (now ETH) in Zurich. His work Die Dampfturbinen und ihre Aussichten als Wärmekraftmaschinen (English: The Steam Turbine and its prospective use as a Mechanical Engine) was published in Berlin in 1903. A further book Dampf und Gas-Turbinen (English: Steam and Gas Turbines) was published in 1922.
The Brown-Curtis turbine, an impulse type, which had been originally developed and patented by the U.S. company International Curtis Marine Turbine Company, was developed in the 1900s in conjunction with John Brown & Company. It was used in John Brown-engined merchant ships and warships, including liners and Royal Navy warships.
The manufacturing industry for steam turbines is dominated by Chinese power equipment makers. Harbin Electric, Shanghai Electric, and Dongfang Electric, the top three power equipment makers in China collectively hold a majority stake in the worldwide market share for steam turbines in 2009-10 according to Platts. Other manufacturers with minor market share include Bhel, Siemens, Alstom, GE, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Toshiba. The consulting firm Frost & Sullivan projects that manufacturing of steam turbines will become more consolidated by 2020 as Chinese power manufacturers win increasing business outside of China.
Steam turbines are made in a variety of sizes ranging from small <0.75 kW (<1 hp) units (rare) used as mechanical drives for pumps, compressors and other shaft driven equipment, to 1 500 000 kW (1.5 GW; 2 000 000 hp) turbines used to generate electricity. There are several classifications for modern steam turbines.
Turbine blades are of two basic types, blades and nozzles. Blades move entirely due to the impact of steam on them and their profiles do not converge. This results in a steam velocity drop and essentially no pressure drop as steam moves through the blades. A turbine composed of blades alternating with fixed nozzles is called an impulse turbine, Curtis turbine, Rateau turbine, or Brown-Curtis turbine. Nozzles appear similar to blades, but their profiles converge near the exit. This results in a steam pressure drop and velocity increase as steam moves through the nozzles. Nozzles move due to both the impact of steam on them and the reaction due to the high-velocity steam at the exit. A turbine composed of moving nozzles alternating with fixed nozzles is called a reaction turbine or Parsons turbine.
Except for low-power applications, turbine blades are arranged in multiple stages in series, called compounding, which greatly improves efficiency at low speeds. A reaction stage is a row of fixed nozzles followed by a row of moving nozzles. Multiple reaction stages divide the pressure drop between the steam inlet and exhaust into numerous small drops, resulting in a pressure-compounded turbine. Impulse stages may be either pressure-compounded, velocity-compounded, or pressure-velocity compounded. A pressure-compounded impulse stage is a row of fixed nozzles followed by a row of moving blades, with multiple stages for compounding. This is also known as a Rateau turbine, after its inventor. A velocity-compounded impulse stage (invented by Curtis and also called a "Curtis wheel") is a row of fixed nozzles followed by two or more rows of moving blades alternating with rows of fixed blades. This divides the velocity drop across the stage into several smaller drops. A series of velocity-compounded impulse stages is called a pressure-velocity compounded turbine.
By 1905, when steam turbines were coming into use on fast ships (such as HMS Dreadnought) and in land-based power applications, it had been determined that it was desirable to use one or more Curtis wheels at the beginning of a multi-stage turbine (where the steam pressure is highest), followed by reaction stages. This was more efficient with high-pressure steam due to reduced leakage between the turbine rotor and the casing. This is illustrated in the drawing of the German 1905 AEG marine steam turbine. The steam from the boilers enters from the right at high pressure through a throttle, controlled manually by an operator (in this case a sailor known as the throttleman). It passes through five Curtis wheels and numerous reaction stages (the small blades at the edges of the two large rotors in the middle) before exiting at low pressure, almost certainly to a condenser. The condenser provides a vacuum that maximizes the energy extracted from the steam, and condenses the steam into feedwater to be returned to the boilers. On the left are several additional reaction stages (on two large rotors) that rotate the turbine in reverse for astern operation, with steam admitted by a separate throttle. Since ships are rarely operated in reverse, efficiency is not a priority in astern turbines, so only a few stages are used to save cost.
A major challenge facing turbine design is reducing the creep experienced by the blades. Because of the high temperatures and high stresses of operation, steam turbine materials become damaged through these mechanisms. As temperatures are increased in an effort to improve turbine efficiency, creep becomes more significant. To limit creep, thermal coatings and superalloys with solid-solution strengthening and grain boundary strengthening are used in blade designs.
Protective coatings are used to reduce the thermal damage and to limit oxidation. These coatings are often stabilized zirconium dioxide-based ceramics. Using a thermal protective coating limits the temperature exposure of the nickel superalloy. This reduces the creep mechanisms experienced in the blade. Oxidation coatings limit efficiency losses caused by a buildup on the outside of the blades, which is especially important in the high-temperature environment.
The nickel-based blades are alloyed with aluminum and titanium to improve strength and creep resistance. The microstructure of these alloys is composed of different regions of composition. A uniform dispersion of the gamma-prime phase – a combination of nickel, aluminum, and titanium – promotes the strength and creep resistance of the blade due to the microstructure.
Refractory elements such as rhenium and ruthenium can be added to the alloy to improve creep strength. The addition of these elements reduces the diffusion of the gamma prime phase, thus preserving the fatigue resistance, strength, and creep resistance.
These types include condensing, non-condensing, reheat, extraction and induction.
Condensing turbines are most commonly found in electrical power plants. These turbines receive steam from a boiler and exhaust it to a condenser. The exhausted steam is at a pressure well below atmospheric, and is in a partially condensed state, typically of a quality near 90%.
Non-condensing or back pressure turbines are most widely used for process steam applications. The exhaust pressure is controlled by a regulating valve to suit the needs of the process steam pressure. These are commonly found at refineries, district heating units, pulp and paper plants, and desalination facilities where large amounts of low pressure process steam are needed.
Reheat turbines are also used almost exclusively in electrical power plants. In a reheat turbine, steam flow exits from a high pressure section of the turbine and is returned to the boiler where additional superheat is added. The steam then goes back into an intermediate pressure section of the turbine and continues its expansion. Using reheat in a cycle increases the work output from the turbine and also the expansion reaches conclusion before the steam condenses, thereby minimizing the erosion of the blades in last rows. In most of the cases, maximum number of reheats employed in a cycle is 2 as the cost of super-heating the steam negates the increase in the work output from turbine.
Extracting type turbines are common in all applications. In an extracting type turbine, steam is released from various stages of the turbine, and used for industrial process needs or sent to boiler feedwater heaters to improve overall cycle efficiency. Extraction flows may be controlled with a valve, or left uncontrolled.
Induction turbines introduce low pressure steam at an intermediate stage to produce additional power.
These arrangements include single casing, tandem compound and cross compound turbines. Single casing units are the most basic style where a single casing and shaft are coupled to a generator. Tandem compound are used where two or more casings are directly coupled together to drive a single generator. A cross compound turbine arrangement features two or more shafts not in line driving two or more generators that often operate at different speeds. A cross compound turbine is typically used for many large applications.
A two-flow turbine rotor. The steam enters in the middle of the shaft, and exits at each end, balancing the axial force.
The moving steam imparts both a tangential and axial thrust on the turbine shaft, but the axial thrust in a simple turbine is unopposed. To maintain the correct rotor position and balancing, this force must be counteracted by an opposing force. Thrust bearings can be used for the shaft bearings, the rotor can use dummy pistons, it can be double flow- the steam enters in the middle of the shaft and exits at both ends, or a combination of any of these. In a double flow rotor, the blades in each half face opposite ways, so that the axial forces negate each other but the tangential forces act together. This design of rotor is also called two-flow, double-axial-flow, or double-exhaust. This arrangement is common in low-pressure casings of a compound turbine.
A simple turbine schematic of the Parsons type: rotating and fixed stators alternate and steam pressure drops by a fraction of the total across each pair. The stators grow larger as pressure drops.
An ideal steam turbine is considered to be an isentropic process, or constant entropy process, in which the entropy of the steam entering the turbine is equal to the entropy of the steam leaving the turbine. No steam turbine is truly isentropic, however, with typical isentropic efficiencies ranging from 20–90% based on the application of the turbine. The interior of a turbine comprises several sets of blades or buckets. One set of stationary blades is connected to the casing and one set of rotating blades is connected to the shaft. The sets intermesh with certain minimum clearances, with the size and configuration of sets varying to efficiently exploit the expansion of steam at each stage.
To maximize turbine efficiency the steam is expanded, doing work, in a number of stages. These stages are characterized by how the energy is extracted from them and are known as either impulse or reaction turbines. Most steam turbines use a mixture of the reaction and impulse designs: each stage behaves as either one or the other, but the overall turbine uses both. Typically, higher pressure sections are reaction type and lower pressure stages are impulse type.
An impulse turbine has fixed nozzles that orient the steam flow into high speed jets. These jets contain significant kinetic energy, which is converted into shaft rotation by the bucket-like shaped rotor blades, as the steam jet changes direction. A pressure drop occurs across only the stationary blades, with a net increase in steam velocity across the stage. As the steam flows through the nozzle its pressure falls from inlet pressure to the exit pressure (atmospheric pressure, or more usually, the condenser vacuum). Due to this high ratio of expansion of steam, the steam leaves the nozzle with a very high velocity. The steam leaving the moving blades has a large portion of the maximum velocity of the steam when leaving the nozzle. The loss of energy due to this higher exit velocity is commonly called the carry over velocity or leaving loss.
The law of moment of momentum states that the sum of the moments of external forces acting on a fluid which is temporarily occupying the control volume is equal to the net time change of angular momentum flux through the control volume.
The swirling fluid enters the control volume at radius with tangential velocity and leaves at radius with tangential velocity .
and are the absolute velocities at the inlet and outlet respectively.
and are the flow velocities at the inlet and outlet respectively.
and are the swirl velocities at the inlet and outlet respectively.
and are the relative velocities at the inlet and outlet respectively.
and are the velocities of the blade at the inlet and outlet respectively.
is the guide vane angle and is the blade angle.
For an impulse steam turbine: . Therefore, the tangential force on the blades is . The work done per unit time or power developed: .
When ω is the angular velocity of the turbine, then the blade speed is . The power developed is then .
A stage of an impulse turbine consists of a nozzle set and a moving wheel. The stage efficiency defines a relationship between enthalpy drop in the nozzle and work done in the stage.
Where is the specific enthalpy drop of steam in the nozzle.
Nozzle efficiency is given by = , where the enthalpy (in J/Kg) of steam at the entrance of the nozzle is and the enthalpy of steam at the exit of the nozzle is .
The ratio of the cosines of the blade angles at the outlet and inlet can be taken and denoted . The ratio of steam velocities relative to the rotor speed at the outlet to the inlet of the blade is defined by the friction coefficient .
and depicts the loss in the relative velocity due to friction as the steam flows around the blades ( for smooth blades).
For equiangular blades, , therefore , and we get . If the friction due to the blade surface is neglected then .
1. For a given steam velocity work done per kg of steam would be maximum when or .
2. As increases, the work done on the blades reduces, but at the same time surface area of the blade reduces, therefore there are less frictional losses.
In the reaction turbine, the rotor blades themselves are arranged to form convergent nozzles. This type of turbine makes use of the reaction force produced as the steam accelerates through the nozzles formed by the rotor. Steam is directed onto the rotor by the fixed vanes of the stator. It leaves the stator as a jet that fills the entire circumference of the rotor. The steam then changes direction and increases its speed relative to the speed of the blades. A pressure drop occurs across both the stator and the rotor, with steam accelerating through the stator and decelerating through the rotor, with no net change in steam velocity across the stage but with a decrease in both pressure and temperature, reflecting the work performed in the driving of the rotor.
is equal to the kinetic energy supplied to the fixed blades (f) + the kinetic energy supplied to the moving blades (m).
Or, = enthalpy drop over the fixed blades, + enthalpy drop over the moving blades, .
The effect of expansion of steam over the moving blades is to increase the relative velocity at the exit. Therefore, the relative velocity at the exit is always greater than the relative velocity at the inlet .
Because of the high pressures used in the steam circuits and the materials used, steam turbines and their casings have high thermal inertia. When warming up a steam turbine for use, the main steam stop valves (after the boiler) have a bypass line to allow superheated steam to slowly bypass the valve and proceed to heat up the lines in the system along with the steam turbine. Also, a turning gear is engaged when there is no steam to slowly rotate the turbine to ensure even heating to prevent uneven expansion. After first rotating the turbine by the turning gear, allowing time for the rotor to assume a straight plane (no bowing), then the turning gear is disengaged and steam is admitted to the turbine, first to the astern blades then to the ahead blades slowly rotating the turbine at 10–15 RPM (0.17–0.25 Hz) to slowly warm the turbine. The warm up procedure for large steam turbines may exceed ten hours.
During normal operation, rotor imbalance can lead to vibration, which, because of the high rotation velocities, could lead to a blade breaking away from the rotor and through the casing. To reduce this risk, considerable efforts are spent to balance the turbine. Also, turbines are run with high quality steam: either superheated (dry) steam, or saturated steam with a high dryness fraction. This prevents the rapid impingement and erosion of the blades which occurs when condensed water is blasted onto the blades (moisture carry over). Also, liquid water entering the blades may damage the thrust bearings for the turbine shaft. To prevent this, along with controls and baffles in the boilers to ensure high quality steam, condensate drains are installed in the steam piping leading to the turbine.
Maintenance requirements of modern steam turbines are simple and incur low costs (typically around $0.005 per kWh); their operational life often exceeds 50 years.
The control of a turbine with a governor is essential, as turbines need to be run up slowly to prevent damage and some applications (such as the generation of alternating current electricity) require precise speed control. Uncontrolled acceleration of the turbine rotor can lead to an overspeed trip, which causes the nozzle valves that control the flow of steam to the turbine to close. If this fails then the turbine may continue accelerating until it breaks apart, often catastrophically. Turbines are expensive to make, requiring precision manufacture and special quality materials.
During normal operation in synchronization with the electricity network, power plants are governed with a five percent droop speed control. This means the full load speed is 100% and the no-load speed is 105%. This is required for the stable operation of the network without hunting and drop-outs of power plants. Normally the changes in speed are minor. Adjustments in power output are made by slowly raising the droop curve by increasing the spring pressure on a centrifugal governor. Generally this is a basic system requirement for all power plants because the older and newer plants have to be compatible in response to the instantaneous changes in frequency without depending on outside communication.
To measure how well a turbine is performing we can look at its isentropic efficiency. This compares the actual performance of the turbine with the performance that would be achieved by an ideal, isentropic, turbine. When calculating this efficiency, heat lost to the surroundings is assumed to be zero. The starting pressure and temperature is the same for both the actual and the ideal turbines, but at turbine exit the energy content ('specific enthalpy') for the actual turbine is greater than that for the ideal turbine because of irreversibility in the actual turbine. The specific enthalpy is evaluated at the same pressure for the actual and ideal turbines in order to give a good comparison between the two.
The isentropic efficiency is found by dividing the actual work by the ideal work.
Electrical power stations use large steam turbines driving electric generators to produce most (about 80%) of the world's electricity. The advent of large steam turbines made central-station electricity generation practical, since reciprocating steam engines of large rating became very bulky, and operated at slow speeds. Most central stations are fossil fuel power plants and nuclear power plants; some installations use geothermal steam, or use concentrated solar power (CSP) to create the steam. Steam turbines can also be used directly to drive large centrifugal pumps, such as feedwater pumps at a thermal power plant.
The turbines used for electric power generation are most often directly coupled to their generators. As the generators must rotate at constant synchronous speeds according to the frequency of the electric power system, the most common speeds are 3,000 RPM for 50 Hz systems, and 3,600 RPM for 60 Hz systems. Since nuclear reactors have lower temperature limits than fossil-fired plants, with lower steam quality, the turbine generator sets may be arranged to operate at half these speeds, but with four-pole generators, to reduce erosion of turbine blades.
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High and low pressure turbines for SS Maui.
Parsons turbine from the 1928 Polish destroyer Wicher.
In steamships, advantages of steam turbines over reciprocating engines are smaller size, lower maintenance, lighter weight, and lower vibration. A steam turbine is only efficient when operating in the thousands of RPM, while the most effective propeller designs are for speeds less than 300 RPM; consequently, precise (thus expensive) reduction gears are usually required, although numerous early ships through World War I, such as Turbinia, had direct drive from the steam turbines to the propeller shafts. Another alternative is turbo-electric transmission, in which an electrical generator run by the high-speed turbine is used to run one or more slow-speed electric motors connected to the propeller shafts; precision gear cutting may be a production bottleneck during wartime. Turbo-electric drive was most used in large US warships designed during World War I and in some fast liners, and was used in some troop transports and mass-production destroyer escorts in World War II.
The higher cost of turbines and the associated gears or generator/motor sets is offset by lower maintenance requirements and the smaller size of a turbine when compared to a reciprocating engine having an equivalent power, although the fuel costs are higher than a diesel engine because steam turbines have lower thermal efficiency. To reduce fuel costs the thermal efficiency of both types of engine have been improved over the years. Today, propulsion steam turbine cycle efficiencies have yet to break 50%, yet diesel engines routinely exceed 50%, especially in marine applications. Diesel power plants also have lower operating costs since fewer operators are required. Thus, conventional steam power is used in very few new ships. An exception is LNG carriers which often find it more economical to use boil-off gas with a steam turbine than to re-liquify it.
Nuclear-powered ships and submarines use a nuclear reactor to create steam for turbines. Nuclear power is often chosen where diesel power would be impractical (as in submarine applications) or the logistics of refuelling pose significant problems (for example, icebreakers). It has been estimated that the reactor fuel for the Royal Navy's Vanguard-class submarines is sufficient to last 40 circumnavigations of the globe – potentially sufficient for the vessel's entire service life. Nuclear propulsion has only been applied to a very few commercial vessels due to the expense of maintenance and the regulatory controls required on nuclear systems and fuel cycles.
The development of steam turbine marine propulsion from 1894-1935 was dominated by the need to reconcile the high efficient speed of the turbine with the low efficient speed (less than 300 rpm) of the ship's propeller at an overall cost competitive with reciprocating engines. In 1894, efficient reduction gears were not available for the high powers required by ships, so direct drive was necessary. In Turbinia, which has direct drive to each propeller shaft, the efficient speed of the turbine was reduced after initial trials by directing the steam flow through all three direct drive turbines (one on each shaft) in series, probably totaling around 200 turbine stages operating in series. Also, there were three propellers on each shaft for operation at high speeds. The high shaft speeds of the era are represented by one of the first US turbine-powered destroyers, USS Smith, launched in 1909, which had direct drive turbines and whose three shafts turned at 724 rpm at 28.35 knots. The use of turbines in several casings exhausting steam to each other in series became standard in most subsequent marine propulsion applications, and is a form of cross-compounding. The first turbine was called the high pressure (HP) turbine, the last turbine was the low pressure (LP) turbine, and any turbine in between was an intermediate pressure (IP) turbine. A much later arrangement than Turbinia can be seen on RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, launched in 1934, in which each shaft is powered by four turbines in series connected to the ends of the two input shafts of a single-reduction gearbox. They are the HP, 1st IP, 2nd IP, and LP turbines.
The quest for economy was even more important when cruising speeds were considered. Cruising speed is roughly 50% of a warship's maximum speed and 20-25% of its maximum power level. This would be a speed used on long voyages when fuel economy is desired. Although this brought the propeller speeds down to an efficient range, turbine efficiency was greatly reduced, and early turbine ships had poor cruising ranges. A solution that proved useful through most of the steam turbine propulsion era was the cruising turbine. This was an extra turbine to add even more stages, at first attached directly to one or more shafts, exhausting to a stage partway along the HP turbine, and not used at high speeds. As reduction gears became available around 1911, some ships, notably the battleship USS Nevada, had them on cruising turbines while retaining direct drive main turbines. Reduction gears allowed turbines to operate in their efficient range at a much higher speed than the shaft, but were expensive to manufacture.
Cruising turbines competed at first with reciprocating engines for fuel economy. An example of the retention of reciprocating engines on fast ships was the famous RMS Titanic of 1911, which along with her sisters RMS Olympic and HMHS Britannic had triple-expansion engines on the two outboard shafts, both exhausting to an LP turbine on the center shaft. After adopting turbines with the Delaware-class battleships launched in 1909, the United States Navy reverted to reciprocating machinery on the New York-class battleships of 1912, then went back to turbines on Nevada in 1914. The lingering fondness for reciprocating machinery was because the US Navy had no plans for capital ships exceeding 21 knots until after World War I, so top speed was less important than economical cruising. The United States had acquired the Philippines and Hawaii as territories in 1898, and lacked the British Royal Navy's worldwide network of coaling stations. Thus, the US Navy in 1900-1940 had the greatest need of any nation for fuel economy, especially as the prospect of war with Japan arose following World War I. This need was compounded by the US not launching any cruisers 1908-1920, so destroyers were required to perform long-range missions usually assigned to cruisers. So, various cruising solutions were fitted on US destroyers launched 1908-1916. These included small reciprocating engines and geared or ungeared cruising turbines on one or two shafts. However, once fully geared turbines proved economical in initial cost and fuel they were rapidly adopted, with cruising turbines also included on most ships. Beginning in 1915 all new Royal Navy destroyers had fully geared turbines, and the United States followed in 1917.
In the Royal Navy, speed was a priority until the Battle of Jutland in mid-1916 showed that in the battlecruisers too much armour had been sacrificed in its pursuit. The British used exclusively turbine-powered warships from 1906. Because they recognized that a significant cruising range would be desirable given their world-wide empire, some warships, notably the Queen Elizabeth-class battleships, were fitted with cruising turbines from 1912 onwards following earlier experimental installations.
In the US Navy, the Mahan-class destroyers, launched 1935-36, introduced double-reduction gearing. This further increased the turbine speed above the shaft speed, allowing smaller turbines than single-reduction gearing. Steam pressures and temperatures were also increasing progressively, from 300 psi/425 F (2.07 MPa/218 C)(saturation temperature) on the World War I-era Wickes class to 615 psi/850 F (4.25 MPa/454 C) superheated steam on some World War II Fletcher-class destroyers and later ships. A standard configuration emerged of an axial-flow high pressure turbine (sometimes with a cruising turbine attached) and a double-axial-flow low pressure turbine connected to a double-reduction gearbox. This arrangement continued throughout the steam era in the US Navy and was also used in some Royal Navy designs. Machinery of this configuration can be seen on many preserved World War II-era warships in several countries. When US Navy warship construction resumed in the early 1950s, most surface combatants and aircraft carriers used 1,200 psi/950 F (8.28 MPa/510 C) steam. This continued until the end of the US Navy steam-powered warship era with the Knox-class frigates of the early 1970s. Amphibious and auxiliary ships continued to use 600 psi (4.14 MPa) steam post-World War II, with USS Iwo Jima, launched in 2001, possibly the last non-nuclear steam-powered ship built for the US Navy.
Turbo-electric drive was introduced on the battleship USS New Mexico, launched in 1917. Over the next eight years the US Navy launched five additional turbo-electric-powered battleships and two aircraft carriers (initially ordered as Lexington-class battlecruisers). Ten more turbo-electric capital ships were planned, but cancelled due to the limits imposed by the Washington Naval Treaty. Although New Mexico was refitted with geared turbines in a 1931-33 refit, the remaining turbo-electric ships retained the system throughout their careers. This system used two large steam turbine generators to drive an electric motor on each of four shafts. The system was less costly initially than reduction gears and made the ships more maneuverable in port, with the shafts able to reverse rapidly and deliver more reverse power than with most geared systems. Some ocean liners were also built with turbo-electric drive, as were some troop transports and mass-production destroyer escorts in World War II. However, when the US designed the "treaty cruisers", beginning with USS Pensacola launched in 1927, geared turbines were used for all fast steam-powered ships thereafter.
Since the 1980s, steam turbines have been replaced by gas turbines on fast ships and by diesel engines on other ships; exceptions are nuclear-powered ships and submarines and LNG carriers. In the U.S. Navy, the conventionally powered steam turbine is still in use on all but one of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ships. The U.S. Navy also operates steam turbines on their nuclear powered Nimitz-class and Ford-class aircraft carriers along with all of their nuclear submarines (Ohio-,Los Angeles-, Seawolf-, and Virginia-classes). The Royal Navy decommissioned its last conventional steam-powered Leander-class frigate in 1993, also converting its sole Type 82 destroyer, HMS Bristol, into a training ship that same year. In 2013, the French Navy ended its steam era with the decommissioning of its last Tourville-class frigate.
Of the remaining blue-water navies, the Russian and Chinese navies currently operate steam-powered Kuznetsov-class aircraft carriers and Sovremenny-class destroyers, with China also operating steam-powered Luda-class destroyers. The Indian Navy currently operates two conventional steam-powered carriers, INS Viraat, a former British Centaur-class aircraft carrier (to be decommissioned in 2016), and INS Vikramaditya, a modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier; it also operates three Brahmaputra-class frigates commissioned in the early 2000s and two Godavari-class frigates currently in the process of being decommissioned. The JDS Kurama, the last steam-powered JMSDF Shirane-class destroyer, will be decommissioned and replaced in 2017. Most other naval forces either retired or re-engined their steam-powered warships by 2010; as of 2015, the Brazilian Navy operates São Paulo, a former French Clemenceau-class aircraft carrier, while the Mexican Navy currently operates four former U.S. Knox-class frigates and two former U.S. Bronstein-class frigates. The Peruvian Navy currently operates the former Dutch De Zeven Provinciën-class cruiser BAP Almirante Grau; the Ecuadorian Navy currently operates two modified Leander-class frigates.
A steam turbine locomotive engine is a steam locomotive driven by a steam turbine.
The main advantages of a steam turbine locomotive are better rotational balance and reduced hammer blow on the track. However, a disadvantage is less flexible output power so that turbine locomotives were best suited for long-haul operations at a constant output power.
The first steam turbine rail locomotive was built in 1908 for the Officine Meccaniche Miani Silvestri Grodona Comi, Milan, Italy. In 1924 Krupp built the steam turbine locomotive T18 001, operational in 1929, for Deutsche Reichsbahn.
British, German, other national and international test codes are used to standardize the procedures and definitions used to test steam turbines. Selection of the test code to be used is an agreement between the purchaser and the manufacturer, and has some significance to the design of the turbine and associated systems. In the United States, ASME has produced several performance test codes on steam turbines. These include ASME PTC 6-2004, Steam Turbines, ASME PTC 6.2-2011, Steam Turbines in Combined Cycles, PTC 6S-1988, Procedures for Routine Performance Test of Steam Turbines. These ASME performance test codes have gained international recognition and acceptance for testing steam turbines. The single most important and differentiating characteristic of ASME performance test codes, including PTC 6, is that the test uncertainty of the measurement indicates the quality of the test and is not to be used as a commercial tolerance.
↑ A Stodola (1927) Steam and Gas Trubines. McGraw-Hill.
↑ Friedman, Norman, "US Destroyers, an Illustrated Design History, Revised Edition, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis: 2004, p. 23-24.
↑ Bowie, David, "Cruising Turbines of the Y-100 Naval Propulsion Machinery"
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This page was last modified on 9 January 2016, at 16:06. | 2019-04-19T06:25:12Z | http://www.infogalactic.com/info/Steam_turbine |
It has been a journey of sorts ever since - undertaken to rediscover the self, redeem faith, redefine music, recreate every beat and most important of all, to rebel. The significance of being a traveller here isthat one ends up being a bohemian as well, "It isn't following but making and even breaking one’s own ideologies, trends, rules, conventions…just the way doing rap in Punjabi helps me establish the meaning of being bohemian. It goes far beyond the literal meaning," asserts Bohemia, the renowned Punjabi rap star from California as he spells out the reason behind his name. He is in town to promote his latest album, Da Rap Star.
If Bohemia's name was the topic of discussion for some time, even his rap partner J Hind's was. With tattoos of Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose and Shaheed Bhagat Singh on his arm and a name like that, we guessed the strong patriotic streak in him, which he affirms, "Just like any Indian, I love my country too." J Hind feels in the USA, this all helps him to prove how great is India, "These symbols make me feel as the representative of my country, and its history and culture."
Every decision of his life till now proves him to be one, "Choosing Punjabi for the lyrics of my songs helped me express my views better. And choosing rap, a music genre devoid of melody, of any layers that can hide shortcomings in a singer's talent or compositions, helped me be honest and perform my best."
For him definition of rap music is, "A music without pretense, where all that matters is voice and lyrics. A music which is bohemian and, in all senses, is me." Now that's Bohemia!
With this perception, it was natural for him to compose music and pen down lyrics himself. But there was another reason too, "It made me stick to my culture. I don't deny being 'Americanised' but I inherit a background that I cannot forget. Singing desi rap connects me and even people from this subcontinent to their roots." The popularity of his albums, Vich Pardesan De and Paisa Nasha Pyar bears a testimony to the fact.
Of late, among thousands of fans across the world, he found one in Akshay Kumar and vice versa, "He is a great actor and a person for he is the one making efforts to rope in international stars and take Bollywood to people in the West. I was awed by his humility when he requested me to sing for his movie". However, the flicks’ failing at the box office hasn't changed his opinion, "Akshay doesn't believe in adhering to the tested success formulae. He keeps on experimenting with his movies and every experiment does not end up in an invention. With time, things will eventually work out." Having sung rap songs for Akshay's film Chandni Chowk to China, 8X10 Tasveer and a rap number in Priyadarshan's upcoming flick, De Dana Dan, he is all set to do more Bollywood projects.
His life history too reflects a rebel's streak in him, "While in tenth standard when my brother and friends used to play out, I preferred to listen to Kishore Kumar, Mohammed Rafi, learn harmonium and read poetry by Mirza Ghalib", he goes on to recite his favourite couplet, Hazaron khawishen aisi….
Born in Pakistan as David Roger, he moved to the USA when he was 12, thus it was natural for him to get influenced by the western and eastern music genres, "I loved listening to the old Indian music and liked the style of rap music. That formed the genesis of my becoming a music lover." And then the amalgamation happened.
After having achieved a lot, he still aims to remain focused on his ultimate goal, "I will always strive to be original just the way Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was at sufi, Gurdas Mann and Malkit Singh are in Punjabi, Jagjit Singh in ghazals, Lata Mangeshkar in Hindi music and Eminem is in rapping. Wish Bohemia would be the original in desi rap!"
A round of rallies, padyatras and press conferences are not enough for politicians. They need someone who can polish up their image and sell it 'smartly,' such that it is bought by all and sundry. Enter, the public relations (PR) professionals, experts in packaging and marketing.
This time, the politicians have taken a new route to image- building---PR professionals, who can source them with innovative ideas for campaigning, equip them with the facts, spruce up their lifestyle (for a given period) and market them as the most trusted brand. The tricity has a number of PR professionals doing the needful for their netas.
Says P.K. Khurana, who works in coordination with Kehar Singh Koundel, Davesh Moudgil and Dheeraj Jain to give a positive spin to Satya Pal Jain's image. From framing press releases, organising press conferences, to guiding them on what to say, what not to say, what issues to focus on, these people take care of the 'political branding' of the leader.
"In earlier days, a marriage in the family would keep all members on their toes. Now, people hire caterers to facilitate marriage preparations. In the same way, PROs help to make the politicians' work easier, so that they can concentrate on important issues, rather than drafting releases or taking calls," he says.
Now, what does this strategy planning encompass. "It includes a complete media training programme, sending SMSes, direct mails, working on jingles, video and audio CDs, advising them on issues, guiding them on what they should wear, how they need to carry themselves in public and at press conferences," offers Khurana. He explains further, "We have regular brainstorming sessions, where we come up with ideas and then unanimously decide on the feasible ones. This time, we have come up with a slogan: Dil ki suniye, Bhajpa chuniye. In addition to this, we have companies who send regular SMSes on behalf of the party candidate, giving information on anything new on the blog, or sending greetings on a festive occasion."
Of the numerous things that they need to work on, improving the brand image is their main task. Vineet and Navnit Joshi from Trivani Media, who are working for a good number of SAD-BJP candidates, say, "Our work can be defined as a third-party endorsement programme, wherein we take care of umpteen things, in order to promote the positive image of the leader and the party," offers the duo.
They focus and work on the word 'innovation.' We come up with wacky, out-of -the box ways to woo the voters. For instance, we will send a message through kite flying and parachute, wherein leaders will appeal to the public through these props. The two also feel that the role of PR professionals in political brand building is growing. "A well-drafted publicity campaign can do a lot of benefit to the leader," remarks Navnit.
There is no way that politicians can ignore the role of their image builders, for everyone wants to sell an absolutely neat image.
Priyanka, who looks after RJD candidate Haffiz Anwar-Ul-Haq's PR, defines it as a confidence-building exercise. "My job is to work on the strengths of my client, such that the voters take a liking to him," says Priyanka. At the same time, she also feels that the major challenge is to beat old, repetitive ideas. " I have to think differently from the rest, as this will reflect on my leader's image.
What challenges do these professionals face? Narvijay Yadav of Specttrum PR, who is working for the BSP candidate, Harmohan Dhawan, finds getting the 'right media coverage' a challenge.
Bollywood doesn't shy away from experimenting and filmmakers are always game to bring about changes in the industry to yield better results. After multi-starrers and director duos, hiring multiple composers for one movie is the latest trend in filmdom.
Recent releases like Firaaq, Aloo Chaat, Aa Dekhen Zara, Raaz - The Mystery Continues, Golmaal Returns, 8x10 Tasveer and Sikandar among others had multiple composers for their soundtrack.
"There are different situations in a film and each situation demands a different genre of music. The composers today are not as dynamic as yesteryears music directors like Shanker-Jaikishan, S.D. Burman and R.D. Burman. So in order to have different melodies for diverse scenes, different composers are roped in," Mukesh Bhatt, producer of Raaz..., said.
"More composers add different flavours to the album," added Bhatt, who roped in Raju Singh, Sharib Sabri, Toshi Sabri, Gourov Dasgupta and Pranay M. Rijia to create music for his hit thriller.
But Piyush Jha, director of Sikandar, said that bringing in more than one music director for a project doesn't mean that a filmmaker doubts any composer's capability.
"It's not that a composer is not capable of giving good music and that's why you sign more music directors. It is just that like one lyricist has a different thought process and approach from the other, similarly all composers have particular styles as their forte," said Jha, who has earlier made films like The King of Bollywood and Chalo America.
"Also there is no harm to try various composers for your film. Different people bring different inspirations to a film, like all actors bring varied energies to the project. Its a good trend that adds freshness," he added.
While filmmakers rope in more than one composer to give their movie and added flavour, some composers too feel that working with others for the same soundtrack helps in churning out a healthy cocktail of songs.
"Working with other composers for a film definitely helps since everyone gives their ideas and their inputs towards the music of the film. This helps make the soundtrack better," said Uday of composer duo Justin-Uday.
In such an arrangement, is their scope for creative freedom?
"There is no confinement. Everyone knows what to do and works according to that. There is no overlapping," said Sharib, one of the composers of Raaz 2.
Uday also said there was no problem working with other composers. "When you work with others on a film, you get ample creative freedom and breathing space. This is never a problem as such. As long as you are getting the credit of what you have done, there is no problem," he said.
But there are some who don't believe in this concept at all.
"We don't do multiple-composer films. We are willing to be part of only OST (original soundtrack) compilations, where we retain full ownership of our songs," said Vishal Dadlani of composer duo Vishal-Shekhar.
She may no longer be the face of brands like Coca-Cola and Nakshatra diamond jewellery in India, but Aishwarya Rai is still riding high on successful and long-standing international endorsements.
Aishwarya has completed nearly a decade of endorsing Swiss luxury watch brand Longines and international soap Lux. She has also been the brand ambassador of global haircare brand L'Oreal since 2003.
Noted ad-man Prahlad Kakkar says Aishwarya is sought by well-known brands because she is more than just an actor and is often perceived as an ambassador of India.
"Aishwarya was never a big or major endorser of Indian products. She has an impressive list of international brands to her name and that's because she is not just an actor who can be judged on hits and flops, but the fact that she is a representative of the Indian woman and is an ambassador of the country," Kakkar, who made her famous as Sanju in a 1993 TV commercial for Pepsi, told said.
Even representatives of the brands that Aishwarya endorses feel she adds a new dimension to their products.
"Aishwarya has been associated with us since 1999 and it is a big help. Not only in this country but also globally," Charles Villoz, vice president (sales) of Longines International, had earlier said.
"People across the world love Bollywood films and they go housefull. Wherever we have travelled (with Aishwarya) the response has been overwhelming. She is a global face and we would like to continue this association as long as possible," Villoz said.
For Aishwarya, who has made her presence felt internationally through English language films like Bride and Prejudice, Mistress of Spices, Provoked and Pink Panther 2, signing films and endorsements has been a very selective affair.
When she was approached to promote L'Oreal's skin whitening cream, the beauty queen-turned-actor refused as she didn't want to endorse such a product especially in India, where one's skin colour is an issue, said a source close to Aishwarya.
"Whether it is films or endorsements, I am - and have been - very selective about my work. I take up work which suits me and fits in my schedule," Aishwarya had said earlier.
"I don't take projects that I cannot handle because I believe in totally fulfilling the commitments made by me," she added.
Bollywood actor Mallika Sherawat joined the league of Hollywood celebs including Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, Victoris Beckham, David Beckham and Paris Hilton, after a Hollywood milkshake was named after her. Mallika, who visited Millions of Milkshakes in West Hollywood, has been honored with her very own milkshake called the Mallika shake, reports Contactmusic.
The Mallika shake includes blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and chocolate sauce.
To make the shake more appealing, it has been topped with whipped cream.
Actor-director Rohit Roy is all set to step into Amitabh Bachchan's shoes for the Bengali adaptation of 1973 hit film Abhimaan, best remembered for its songs like Teri bindiya re and superlative performances by the Big B and Jaya Bachchan.
"I'm doing a major project called Pa Ma Ga Re Sa, which is a modern musical love story. It will be my first Bengali film and it is special because it is based on Abhimaan. It is basically an adaptation of the film," Rohit said.
"The film has Gauri Karnik, who was seen in Sur before. And former Miss India (Earth) Reshmi Ghosh will be seen as the other woman. It is being directed by Surajit Dhar," he added.
The first schedule of the film has already been shot and Rohit, who has recently stepped in as the host of the third season of TV dance reality show Jhalak Dikkhla Jaa, will soon head to Kolkata to shoot a few more scenes of it.
Rohit has joined Jhalak... midway and is co-hosting the show with TV actor Shweta Tiwari.
"This show is very close to my heart. I watched the first season, hosted the second and now I'm hosting the third mid-way. I think even the producers have grown to like me and I'm really excited to be back on the host's seat," he said.
On the Bollywood front, the actor has a bouquet of films like Mittal Vs Mittal, Apartment and Alibaug in his kitty. And the actor, who had made his first stint with the arclights with popular TV show Swabhimaan, is excited about essaying different roles in each of these movies.
In 'Mittal Vs Mittal, I'm playing an abusive husband to Rituparna Sengupta, in Jagmohan Mundra's Apartment, I'm playing a very jovial, guy-next-door sort of a role and in Alibaug, my role is of a doctor who cheats on his wife. As an actor, I can't draw a line and decide a set kind of roles that I want to do, I have to be diverse and I am enjoying doing it," said Rohit, who also featured in hit film Shootout At Lokhandwala.
Besides this, he is also toying with the idea of scripting his next directorial venture, which will be a remake of Basu Chatterjee's 1981 classic Shaukeen.
Chatterjee's film, about the adventures of three old men in Goa, starred Ashok Kumar, Utpal Dutt and A.K. Hangal, but Rohit's "grand wish list" for the cast of his "glamorous" version of the film includes Rishi Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah and Boman Irani.
"We are trying to finish the scripting of this mad comedy. Though the idea of the film will be based on Shaukeen, the reason for their adventures would change and the setting would be more glamorous - maybe they would go to Las Vegas instead of Goa.
The only tryst with anything remotely close to 'farming' or need we say 'planting', Gaurav Sahai ever hadwas potted plants at his home. As we know, sooner or later, things you have your heart in, do come to your corner of the world. For Gaurav, it came in the form of a 'satisfying and experimental happening', and he named it Sattva. Before he digs into his 'heart’s calling', he cheerfully gives a low down on the process behind it, in a fast forward mode. "I have lived with this guilt of using too much paper and wood for our lifestyle," says Gaurav, who has enjoyed his share of swanky offices, travel, time- pressed living of the corporate world (He's done his business management from US).
In the series on incidents happening in his life, he happened to read how Mahatma Gandhi managed to provide a self-contained set up through two farms, where people lived in equilibrium with the nature. "Bang on, something I wanted to do," Gaurav puts in.
And without getting into the ifs and buts of the this self- proposition, farming, Gaurav went ahead to plant community trees for a park in Panchkula. From here he graduated to planting just about everything 'organically' on one of his friends farm in Landara. "Now, I know this where my heart was," he flashes a contended smile.
Gaurav and his wife Vandana Babbar grow almost all kinds of seasonal vegetables, winter and summer, pulses, fruits, exotic veggies such as broccoli, cherry tomatoes, celery on the farm. The produce is free from the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Sounds healthy? But, the behind the scene, it was a story of challenges, tough grind, uncertainty and skepticism. "The first season was a beautiful disaster," smiles Gaurav. "What made it so was unskilled labour, absence of good organic produce, pests, weeds, getting a good produce with the minimum use of machines, no labour for home delivery, little information on organic farming on Internet … loads of other things." "I don't peep too much in the future," he offers, "we are still taking each day as it comes." Presently Gaurav, grows the organic stuff on 2 acres of land, which can feed 30 families.
On Sattva? "It's a community of people who want to eat healthy. Anyone who wants to fall in this league can be part of Sattva through [email protected]. Here, we will provide an assortment of organic veggies, fruits, pulses at your doorstep as per your demand and choice, explains Gaurav, who also feels that mandi's do not give the true of the produce to both farmers and buyers. "I can also sell the produce at mandis, but I don't want to do so, because, I want people to know who is growing the organic produce for them. I will also want to know where the stuff is going. And for this, we ask our members and others to come to the farm, see what we are doing, plant seeds, having a good time with kids and go back thinking healthy."
When some heavy-duty medical jargon; epidermis, stratum germinatum trans epidermal water, stratum corneum, microbes, glands etc etc enter the lecture dais, don't automatically believe it's anatomy! Neither a class on immunology nor a thesis presentation on tissue culture. The hospitality industry aspirants at Flying Cats-8, are out to study the basics of grooming-skin and hair care.
"They need to be taught the technical aspect also, like how the formation of skin takes place to help them know better," clears out Esther Kinder, Keune expert, Holland based academy. While the physiotherapist by profession is busy telling students the finer nuances of skin, there's just enough time to catch up with Wasim Ahmed, technical educator, here for the one-day session too. "I'll be teaching them what hairstyles to follow, the problems, how to take care on a regular basis, maintain them, of course followed by the practical," he says. A lot actually goes into deciding that perfect hairstyle, beyond the obvious eyes, ears and aesthetics of the face. "While deciding hairstyle for a person we keep in mind the profession, the personality, over all structure," he says while agreeing, the grooming is not a one-day affair. "Whatever we'll be teaching them, needs to be incorporated. There's a difference between tips and practice, the earlier can be given in a few hours while the latter needs to be continual process," he signs off not before busting 'the myth' amongst Indian women. "Too much of henna is not good, it dries your hair, it's a fixation in this country and not one stop solution to all the problems."
Meanwhile, the students in the adjoining hall are just as they were left- all eyes and ears. This time, they've reached the circular motion in which products need be applied on face. Boys in tow too, with creams on their faces! "When it comes to hair, simplest of shampooing and conditioning is the key to best looking hair," advises Esther. "Have you ever seen a painter at work? He doesn't straightaway start painting, without first working on the base and making the surface ready for coat." The tried tested since granny's era formula of cleansing, toning and moisturising is still going strong. "They are essential and astonishing, apart from this apply rose water twice a day, once in morning and see the difference." Let's see.
Panorama '09, an event at the Government Art Gallery and Museum-10 was all about children with special needs. An initiative to explore and enhance their potential the event consisted of a mélange of events that helped the children to exhibit their creativity and innovation.
An event with a difference, it catered to a special audience and set out to provide a unique experience to the special children, which included the visually impaired, deaf, mute and the underprivileged.
Da Milano, the luxury brand, has launched its luggage collection 2009. Crafted from the finest Italian leather, the luggage collection comprises of leather strolleys, overnight bags, travel handbags, passport cases and toilet bags. An essential wardrobe accessory; this collection of sophisticated travel accessories convey polish, finesse and subtle luxury.
Da Milano's collection of travel luggage and strolleys is immaculately designed and detailed to perfection. The luggage is crafted from smooth textured Italian leather that has a subtle sheen. Fashionable, functional and sturdy, the travel gear is designed with multiple pockets and compartments to store all you're essentials. This enviable collection is a must have for all those who want to flaunt their luggage this holiday season! So whether on a luxury vacation at your favorite ski resort or cruising down the Mediterranean, the collection is an ideal travel companion.
Versatile and unisex, the collection is designed for fashionable men and woman. The collection showcases vibrant spring-summer colours ranging from burgundy, mustard, olive, royal blue, white, grey, beige, black to brown.
Make up moves towards a natural look. The dewy look is in for the younger lot, light tinted moisturizers finding favour, rather than foundation, both for day and night, with less shine for the night. Heavy foundations and shine on the face are definitely out. Look for a matte finish on the skin, if you want to be in. The aim is to project a sheer skin texture.
Eye make-up trends favour less mascara and coloured eye pencils for lining the eyes, like browns, burgundy and purple, with a smudged and smoky look. No harsh lines. Or go for colourful shadow at the lash line. For eye-shadow too, purple tones are becoming popular - like lilac, mauve and purple itself. Full, brushed up eyebrows find favour. Eye make-up is heavier. Eye liner is thicker on upper eye lids and extended outwards and slightly upwards. The eyeliner is thicker in the middle of the eye, like the 70s look. For the lower eyelids, a lighter effect is in, using eyeliner and then smudging it with a little shadow.
Frosted sheen, gloss, or shimmer, stay popular for the lips. Lip liners match the lipstick -no obvious darker outline around lips, as in the past. In other words, the "lip-lined" look is out. Red and shades of red have made a comeback and will stay in vogue in lipsticks. Shades of red, like cherry, rose, plum and red itself are in fashion for the night. Lilac, mauve, soft pinks and rose find favour for the day. Orange is out. For the night, specially gala nights, bright metallic colours and glamorous lips are in. As for nails, pinks will be out and dark colours will be in, like burgundy and chocolate brown.
Mineral make-up has been in during recent times. It is based on loose powder, which does not contain perfume, alcohol, mineral oil, dyes, etc. The texture of mineral make-up is lighter, so it gives the skin a translucent quality, instead of a heavily made up look. The ingredients in mineral make-up are said to have sun-protective benefits too, apart from nourishing the skin. We have used 24 Carat pure gold in our Pot of Gold Foundation, which gives the skin a natural golden glow. Many of the minerals used in mineral make-up, like zinc oxide, are said to have healing benefits too. Gold, for instance, rejuvenates the skin and protects from oxidation damage.
The main trend that is influencing beauty is the view that looking beautiful is not just a matter of make-up, hairstyle or trendy clothes; fitness too plays an important role. Beauty care in coming years will strive for a radiance that comes from sheer good health, with energy, vitality, a slim and supple body and self-confidence. The key to beauty will be "feeling good and looking great."
No flowery words, no jingles, jazzy introduction, impressive preface, catch lines, attention-grabbing gimmicks, nothing doing. When you write for causes, words fall short, inapt, perhaps this anecdote pulled out from the website of one of the NGOs itself might help.
A man, once walking by the beach, sees starfish washed ashore. Fearing they'd die on being exposed to first rays of sunlight, he picks them all up and starts throwing them back into the sea. Another man passing by asks the logic behind his endeavour, 'What difference does it make? There are millions of starfish, how many would you save?' The previous man picks up yet another, takes two steps, flungs the star fish back into the sea and says, 'It makes a difference to this one'.
If you thought that was all we had, here's a dose on the other active social groups that are making a statement with their cause camaraderie. Mitra, a social group from UIET, actively came out to support the recent Earth Hour celebrations. It has been around for long and well, managed funds through a rather fun-way, like tambola games and organising cultural events.
Their name spells it! And puts their purpose and nature beyond obvious. Anyways, Youth United, a student NGO formed in 2006, already brags of 50 active members, 100 volunteers, two chapters; Chandigarh, Delhi with one in Patiala soon to be opened. They don't come without their share of problems, "Frankly speaking, funds are a problem. We have a very hand to mouth existence, but for each event we somehow manage," says Saloni Bajaj, vice president Youth United. Their latest effort, Smiling Future, focuses on kids from underprivileged background.
"In one of the events, we had thousand forms filled from houses in Colony no. 5, talking of several problems. Drugs and education came out to be the biggest one." She adds, "Right now we are focusing on the NGO part of the organisation." Focusing also includes picking up stumbling blocks spread in the way. "Apart from the paucity of funds, there's not much support from the administration. But yes, Chandigarh Police has been very supportive." Why don't you go; add to their list of supporters?
BIMAD- it isn't just some fancy nomenclature for a group of idealistic youngsters. Every alphabet counts; 'because I make a difference' came into being for exactly the same reasons and of course the madness to route out wrong. "We were a group of vella college people, would discuss flaws in society. While everybody wants change, how many themselves be the change," questions Garima Bhayana of U.I.E.T. The student initiative of 8-10 founder members is the newest on the block; registered as late as May last. The non-profit, self funded registered as a Society organisation's not limited to a single cause. "We work on diverse issues, it could be eve-teasing, environment, not wasting water…" she clears the air.
No wonder, the projects take them to schools, colleges, wherever, but the 1800 strong volunteer team's not been a smooth sailing. "Funds are a problem, at the end of the day you need fuel to run your car. We do not have dearth of ideas, but even after running there's been no sponsors," apprises Jaskaran Singh Arora, 3rd year U.I.E.T student, founder member, and the mind who came up with the name. He recalls, "Once we had to put stickers, 'Please switch off the tap, it doesn't take long' above taps at public places, but we did not get permission from the MC on the grounds of defacement."
In the meantime, the guys have things in place to ensure continuity, "When we got together, we made sure a lot of first year people joined us, so by the time we pass out and they get to take the reins." Live long!
Not that there weren't tree plantations drive, 'don't waste water' kinda campaigns happening earlier, but the need to improve environment with a 360 degree approach catalyzed the dawn of Environment Saviors. "We wanted to do something about the environment, same time not restrict our activities and take a holistic approach to problems," says Brhamesh Alipuria, from UIET. "We took up Earth Hour project wherein we publicised on the net, spread awareness about the issue, involved media." The eight-member organisation though has not been formally launched but is open to volunteers. "Our exams are on, so our next project's going to be on paper management," he adds.
Here's a student initiative that started on the concept of think global, act local and giving a meaning to it. AIESEC, an entirely student managed organisation, has amalgamated corporate and social responsibility into one. "We have diversified our work into three core areas- corporate development, public development and education," says Akkriti Bhatt, vice president, communications and information management. Their burning issues? "We have undertaken various projects like Genesis and ASK in HIV AIDS programme, Footprints for child rights, Pragati in rural and community development, Project Conserve on environmental issues. Our corporate projects include Eureka and Pheonix," she adds. To fight global issues, they send volunteers to work with NGO's in various countries through our exchange programme. The age of the organisation almost similar to age of its current oldest member, say 23, it cashes on the most powerful resource ever- youth. Like most of them, money doesn't look like a problem. "We partner over 3000 organisations globally that includes names like UNESCO, WHO, ABN AMRO. We send interns and volunteers through our exchange programme to work with corporates, NGO's and schools across 91 countries," says Akkriti. Joining them are the inspired young souls with a passion for serving from 850 universities around the globe. The local chapter has around 60 people in Chandigarh and 14 local committees across India. From street activities to organising auction dinners, these guys sure know how to brand their cause. And it's not all work and no play. The general body meetings over coffee or a cool resort in Shimla mean fun too. "It's important to keep our youthful energies inspired," says our young comrade.
Started in 2007, this organisation is more or less one-man army. The goal was to associate young people with the idea of democracy, "We want them to know that they have an option when it comes to running the country and that option is them," says Anurag Chauhan, professional advocate and the founder member of the organisation. The core work highlights the loopholes in the system, be it then Panjab University, remember last year's illegal felling of trees in PU, this man went to jail in protest, or the creating a political awareness. "People should first know their rights and then demand their fulfillment," he says. He describes the Indian mindset through these words, "We want a Bhagat Singh to be born again, but in our neighbour's house and not ours," he says. "We have no right to criticize policies when we ourselves are not doing anything about them. "It's not easy to wake people up, though," he adds. "It needs a lot of inspiration, time and manpower and money too." so just like the inspiration and the spirit, money too is self generated, through events and campaigns. "The day we stop escaping from issues, I would think we have broken the ice." His has a straight funda of believing in one's effort and not depending on others to change the world for you. "People think you are mad, and one wants to get mad with you, so they don't want to be a part of the process. But the day we start escaping form issues, we will break the ice between us and the change," he says. His future plans include a 24/7 public helpline that will bail you out from the red tapist culture. Amen!
We know them as the determined bunch that changed the face of Student Center, the heart of all the campus activity. Their weapon, a broomstick, and their passion to 'clean up' things and the society, inspired many and made a breakthrough by changing mindsets. But just when things looked inspired enough, Sankalp suddenly made the disappearing act. Wonder why? "Well, when we started three years back, we were a group of freshers, hoping to make a difference. But then for while now our studies have taken priority," says Nitin, founder member of Sankalp. But their hibernation doesn't mean that social service has taken a backseat. " We are planning to get back together once our academic pressure gets over," he adds.
Have a heart, got the will.
Think and take your pick.
Security and night food street (once again in news for all the wrong reasons) don't seem to gel very well. But this while, it was a parking clash amongst the gang of guys. We ask city youngsters, do they feel secure at the night food street? What can be done to prevent any untoward incident?
I've been there only twice and it was a good experience. About this particular clash I'm not aware. But yes, the place does not come without its share of problems. It's very congested and they should make it more open. All the clashes and security problems mainly arise because there are a lot of drunkards loitering about the place. It should be banned for those sloshed out.
I’ve been to food street, but never been there after seven or eight at night. When it comes to safety and security, nothing is safe, one needs to be careful themselves, moreover it all depends on the situation. The fact, that a lot of young college goers who are out merry making and at times, out of control is a major factor. Besides there should be cameras, PCR vans moving about to keep mischievous elements at bay.
Shagun Sharma, Political science student, Panjab University.
It's more of student crowd at the night food street, from the university and the nearby DAV College. Moreover, around night there are drunkards dotting the area. The nature and location of the place are such that one should expect troubles. We all know, it’s not the decent demure sorts who are likely to be found there, the straight simple crowd tucks up in the bed by nine. The reveller gang goes out of control, many a times. There ought to be more PCR vans or an active beat box nearby. | 2019-04-22T22:46:05Z | https://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090422/ttlife1.htm |
From the Illustrated London News, May 28, 1887.
Two Atlantic steam-ships of the White Star Line, the Celtic and the Britannic, came into collision off New York, on Thursday week. Both were damaged; but got into New York harbour. Six or seven passengers of the Britannic were killed, and nearly twenty injured.
From the Illustrated London News, June 11, 1887.
A disaster which occurred at sea on the 19th ult., off the American coast, was briefly mentioned a fortnight ago. Two mail steam-ships of the White Star Line, the Celtic and the Britannic, came into collision three hundred miles east of Sandy Hook. The Britannic was struck on the port side aft. The boats were at once lowered, and were filled with the women and children from the cabin and steerage, though several men forced themselves into the boats. Meanwhile, an examination of the ship proved that, though badly damaged, she was not likely to founder. Such boats as were within hail were therefore recalled, and their occupants taken back on board. Those in the other boats had gone on board the Celtic. A pad was made to cover the hole in the Britannic's side, in order to stop the leak and enable the vessel to return to New York. Accounts of the disaster state that as soon as the collision occurred a panic commenced on board, and an indiscriminate rush was made for the boats. The captain of the Britannic, however, interposed with a pistol in his hand, preventing the men preceding the women and children, and order was restored. After the Britannic's boats had been recalled to the ship, and the passengers again taken on board, the Celtic and Britannic agreed to keep together during the night, showing electric lights, and firing minute-guns, so as not to lose one another. Early next morning, the Wilson line steamer Marengo and the Inman steamer British Queen hove in sight, and all four vessels proceeded in company to Sandy Hook, at the entrance to New York Harbour. A fog prevailed at the time of the collision which occurred at about six in the evening. A roll-call showed that four of the Britannic's steerage passengers were killed, and thirteen injured mostly on deck. It appears that the Celtic struck once, then rebounded and struck again. No one from either steamer was drowned. The dead were sewn up in sacking and buried at sea. A passenger on board the Britannic, Mr. George Allen Rudd, who is an American artist, has arrived in England by the Arizona, going on a professional tour to Meran, in the Tyrol. He has furnished the sketches from which our Illustrations of the steam-ship disaster are obtained.
A collision between the great steamers the Britannic and the Celtic, both of the White Star Line, occurred about 350 miles east of Sandy Hook in a thick fog Thursday afternoon about 5:25 o'clock. The Celtic was coming to New-York and the Britannic was on the second day of her journey to Liverpool. The Celtic struck the Britannic three times on the side, cutting a big hole in her beneath the water line and inflicting other serious damage to both vessels. Probably six steerage passengers on the Britannic were killed instantly by the falling bars and plates of iron. Others are known to have been swept overboard and drowned. Careful investigation shows that certainly 12 lives, perhaps more, were lost, and that 20 or more persons were injured.
The company's officers have not given accurate and full information. Purser Musgrove, of the Britannic, the only officer of either vessel in the city last evening, made an indefinite statement. Some of the Britannic's passengers were transferred to the Celtic after the collision, while it was thought that the Britannic would founder. The two vessels lay to until midnight on Thursday, and then came on to the bar, escorted by the Marengo and the British Queen. They anchored there at 1 o'clock yesterday morning. At 9 o'clock the Britannic's passengers were brought back to New-York by the Fletcher. They arrived at noon. Those of the Britannic who had been transferred to the Celtic were brought to the city by the Fletcher late last evening. The Celtic will remain down in the Bay until the weather will permit her to come up or her passengers to be transferred.
The Celtic had about 870 cabin and steerage passengers on board. The Britannic carried some 450 passengers. The weather was foggy at the time and the sea calm. The Britannic's fog bell had been kept ringing all the afternoon, but her speed had been kept at a high rate. The Celtic was not sighted until the moment before the collision, although her bell had been heard. The Britannic, under command of Capt. Hamilton Perry, was kept straight on in her course. The Celtic appeared on the port side of the Britannic and when she saw her, reversed her engines, but it was too late.
Approaching in an oblique direction the Celtic struck the Britannic a slanting blow, almost at right angles, a few feet further aft. The prow of the Celtic crashed through the railing, breaking into the cabin and cutting a hole in the Britannic below the water line. Her nose entered the Britannic's side fully 10 feet. The steerage passengers were gathered there, and six of them were killed outright by the crash of the Celtic's prow and by falling pieces of iron. Twelve were seriously injured.
The Britannic was still moving, and, as she drew off from the Celtic, the Celtic was shunted to one side, only to advance a third time on the Britannic, a few feet further on, and ripping open her side for a distance of 20. Then the Celtic shot behind the Britannic and stopped about 80 rods off on her port side.
Every one thought the Britannic was sinking, and Capt. Perry ordered the boats lowered. Some of the men tried to enter the lifeboats, and a party of 15 firemen got in a launch and started for the Celtic. The Captain drew his pistol and threatened to shoot any of the crew who would repeat the act. Some of the women and children were then transferred to the Celtic, and when it was discovered that there was no immediate danger, the panic was allayed and the vessels lay to. The Captains of the two steamers consulted together, and, lying motionless about five hours, the weather cleared a little, and in company the two disabled steamers journeyed slowly toward New-York.
Before the sun rose the next morning the solemn service fo the burial of the dead at sea was read, and the six killed passengers were dropped overboard to their graves at the bottom of the ocean. The steamships Marengo, of the Wilson Line, and the British Queen, both bound for this port, overtook the Celtic and Britannic Friday, the day after the accident, and accompanied them toward Sandy Hook. The passengers were in consternation all the time, and went about with life preservers bound fast to their bodies.
The Etruria sighted the slow-going steamers on her way to New-York Saturday, and hurried into port with news that the Celtic was disabled and that the Britannic was towing her into port. J. [letter blank]ruce Ismay, agent of the White Star Line, started with a tug about midnight Saturday to send the Britannic back on her journey to Liverpool and bring the Celtic to New-York with the tug. When he learned the truth he hastened back to the city and sent the tug Fletcher down to the bar, where the injured steamships arrived about 1 o'clock yesterday morning. She brought to New-York all the passengers that had been left on the Britannic. They arrived with their baggage at the White Star docks, at the foot of West Tenth-street, yesterday about noon. The injured were taken to hospitals and the rest of the travelers went to various hotels. The Fletcher went down again at 2:30 P.M. from quarantine to bring off the Celtic's passengers and those from the Britannic who were on board of her. When she got to West Bank the fog was so dense and the sea so heavy that it was deemed best to return to Quarantine and wait until the weather was clearer. Another trip was made later and the remainder of the Britannic's passengers were landed here about 9 o'clock last evening.
Deputy Health Officer Smith, who went down to the Celtic last night, examined the cabin passengers and immigrants, and gave Capt. Irving permission to bring the vessel up to the city without stopping at Quarantine. The Celtic will probably cross the bar at high tide this morning.
The steamships British Queen and Marengo, which stood by the disabled steamers after the collision, both reached Quarantine last evening. The Marengo arrived in time to pass the Health Officer, but the British Queen anchored in the Narrows.
"On Thursday, 19th May, 1887, at 5:25 P.M., weather calm, sea smooth, fog at intervals, the steamship Celtic collided with the steamship Britannic, striking her on the port side aft, and doing considerable damage. The boats were lowered and filled with women and children from cabin and steerage in a very orderly and expeditious manner. It is to their shame that several men forced themselves into the boats. Meanwhile an examination was made and the damage to the ship ascertained, and finding that the ship was not likely to founder, an order was given recalling such boats as were within hail and the occupants received back on board the Britannic. The others had boarded the Celtic. We made a pad and covered the hole in the ship's side to stop the leak and returned toward New-York, having arranged with the Celtic to keep company.
"The saddest and most deplorable phase is that several steerage passengers, who were lying about aft, were killed and several others injured. Both vessels, accompanied by the steamships Marengo and British Queen, arrived at the Bar at 1 A.M., 22d inst., Sunday."
"The Britannic left her wharf in New-York at exactly her scheduled time Wednesday, and passed Sandy Hook at about 4 P.M. She had made at noon of the following day a distance of 280 miles. All went well, notwithstanding the prevalence of a fog of considerable density from 11 P.M. of Wednesday, making the use of the fog horn necessary during the whole time. The rate of speed and this state of things generally continued until 5:45 on Thursday, when suddenly the fog lifted a little, revealing the steamship Celtic at a distance of possibly an eighth of a mile coming from the north-northeast toward us on her return trip from Liverpool. The danger signals were instantly sounded by both ships.
"But on came the Celtic, bearing down upon and apparently threatening to strike us amidships and at nearly right angles to our course like a great ship of war determined to run down and sink her enemy. There was a screech of the steamers' whistles, a cry of horror from the witnessing passengers, a sharp crsh, and two great iron consort ships of the White Star Line were in partial wreck, with the screams of agony from dying and wounded and of horror from the imperiled crowds of passengers. Words are powerless to describe the sceen. Fortunately for all concerned, the blow, instead of being perpendicular to the line of the Britannic was at an angle of about 25, thus not cutting the vessel in two, and instead of being amidships the crash began on a line in the rear of the engine and wheel house. Thus the instantaneous and utter disabling and sinking of the tow ships was avoided, as also the wholesale loss of life incident thereto. As it was the loss of life and property were small in comparison with the alarming peril.
"After personal inquiry made on both of the succeeding days in the steerage department, wehre all the casualties occurred, I believe the list of death embraces not more than 12 persons, including two children, and the list of wounded less than 20, and most of the wounds were not severe. The two children and one woman were horribly mangled, and must have died instantly. Several men were knocked into the water, one of whom was rescued, and six were said to be still missing yesterday afternoon, and were believed by their associates in the steerage to have been drowned. Among the few severely wounded was an old man who lost both legs, a woman who lost a limb, and a man an eye. All the casualties were confined to the Britannic.
"The Celtic lost the main part of her bow, her anchor, and her forward compartment. On the Britannic the wreck began on the port side, aft the engine room, making a great hole in the side, thus freely admitting the water into the next compartment, the one containing the baggage of the steerage passengers, and extended a distance aft of about 180 feet, embracing the side works, boats, and other fixtures of that side above the hull, until the extreme rear end of the ship was reached. The heavy iron plates, rails, beams, posts, bolts, and other fixtures had been bent, broken, torn asunder, and massed in piles or scattered as the bow of the Celtic crashed into us. Indeed the whole side of the vessel above the hull along the track of the wreck was a complete ruin.
"Although the opinion was nearly, if not quite, universal that the Britannic would soon go down, and great excitement and panic instantly prevailed, the behavior of the passengers generally was considerate and most commendable. The officers soon sent proper persons to investigate the ship's condition; others to lower the seven unwrecked boats and convey the passengers as rapidly as possible to the already loaded Celtic, which appeared to have sustained no other injuries than those I have just mentioned, and which, since the collision, had laid by not far distant in order to render any assistance possible. By the time five boatloads were safely transferred Capt. Perry, of the Britannic, found there was no immediate danger to the remaining passengers, and ordered their transfer to the other ship to stop. Conference was held with the Captain of the Celtic and the conclusion was reached that, while both vessels were seriously injured, neither was wholly disabled, and that, under all the circumstances, it would be best to head both for New-York, obtaining such assistance as might be possible from such passing vessels as might be met. Both Captains promised to keep within short hailing distance. The great opening in the hull of the Britannic was closed by barricades of mattresses and canvas coverings let down from the ship and held in place by immense chains and ropes, so drawn as to protect and strengthen the portions of the vessels exposed by the collision. Temporary provision was made for the wounded and for passengers driven from their quarters by the disaster. It was nearly midnight before the vessels were able to start for New-York.
"Early Friday forenoon the British steamship Marengo, plying as a freight boat between Hull and New-York, hove in sight to the southward, and was hailed by the Britannic with signals of distress. She immediately came up, and her Captain agreed to stand by us. Soon afterward the British Queen, of the Inman Line, came up and also consented to accompany us. These arrangements were made because, while our ship was in no danger of sinking in a quiet sea, if a gale were to arise the peril would be very great. The Captain informed us while we were assembled in the saloon that there was no further danger if the sea remained quiet, and in case of a storm he could transfer us to the other vessels in two hours, while our ship would not sink under four hours. The four steamers, therefore, steamed along in company toward New-York at the rate of about six or seven miles an hour, arriving off Sandy Hook a little after midnight. When the Britannic's Captain ordered the men to lower the boats," Dr. Depuy said, "several of the firemen left their posts and jumped into one of the boats, crowding out the ladies who wee waiting to be lowered. They rowed hurriedly to the Celtic, but later on, when they found that the Britannic was not going to sink at once, they returned. As they crept up the side of the Britannic, with same showing in their faces, the Captain greeted them with the simple comment, "Shame on your!" and they disappeared in the engine room. When the first orders to lower the boats were given there was some confusion among the crew. This was probably caused by the loss of some of the boats, which broke up the regular assignments of men to each boat. The disorder was, however, speedily corrected, although the Captain had to flourish his largest revolver in the faces of a lot of the steerage passengers, who had made a rush for the boats, and some of whom had already got into them.
"One young steerage passenger, who was on his way to Ireland to bring back a bride, seized one of the lines dangling over the side of the ship. Before he could reach the boat the rope was cut by one of the petty officers, and the bridegroom-elect dropped into the sea. He was fished out by passengers and the steerage cook."
"We left New-York Wednesday about 2:30 P.M. The weather was fair up to dark, and next morning came clear and bright. The Britannic made a good run until noon Thursday, when the fog came down upon us. Our bell was started ringing, and well it might be kept going, because you could not distinguish a ship at times tow furlongs off, and even some moments a single furlong off. The fog grew thicker as the day wore on. We heard the bell of some passing steamer on our left, but did not learn who she was. When 5 o'clock came we were about 370 miles from New-York City and still going at what seemed full speed. I was standing on the larboard side, midway, on the upper deck, looking forward. The other cabin passengers were grouped mostly on the upper deck forward. The 250 steerage people were aft.
"It was just a little before dinner time and presently, as we were all lounging easily about, we heard the sound of an approaching vessel. I heard its horn or bell and hurried over to the port side, where it appeared to come from. I leaned over the rail but saw nothing. A minute passed and then, looming up in the fog, rose the prow of a big ship. It was the Celtic, and it seemed as if she would strike us right on the engine rooms and break the steamer in two. But I think she reversed her engines, for she did not seem to be coming on as fast as we were going ahead. Her course was such that, if she had been going faster, she might have crossed our prow and we would have just scraped her stern. If she had been six seconds slower or faster the collision might have been escaped. If she had been going just a second faster she would have hit us in the engine rooms and that would have been destruction.
"When the Celtic came right up to us she seemed to swerve a little and the first blow was received right behind the engine rooms. There was a severe shock felt and a scene of tremendous excitement followed. The women shrieked and some fainted. The children clung to their mothers with blanched faces and the men trembled with fear. I think the Celtic hit us just two feet behind the engine rooms, and immediately after the blow the Celtic recoiled and instantly came on us again. We passed on, and as the Celtic came upon the Britannic the second time she advanced more bluntly, and, indeed, almost so as to make a very obtuse angle. Her prow ran into the Britannic fully 10 feet it seemed, breaking the railing into bits and reaching over into the cabin. Besides, a big hole was stove into our vessel below her water line and immediately the sea rushed in and then the ship sank, so that she was two feet lower in her after portion than she was before.
"A panic seized the passengers. The noise of the collision, the snapping of iron bars and bolts and the crushing of woodwork was appalling, and then above the sounds of wreck and out of the fearful mist rose hoarse commands and curses, and far worse than all the piercing shrieks of the dying and the moans of the injured. It was an awful thing to see and a terrible thing to hear. There was confusing and dismay.
"A moment passed and again we were struck. Not a soul on board at that minute could seem to dare to hope for life. The Celtic seemed worse than a ship simply running into us. Twice her immense weight had been launched on us, and now a third time, like a fighting torpedo ram, she pushed her iron nose right on to our stern. There was a sound of ripping and the Britannic's side far back to the stern was stripped of its plates for fully 20 feet. It was a time to think of one's past and to count the moments before eternity. Soon the Britannic seemed still once more, and off to our larboard we could distinguish the dim outline of the Celtic, who had gone around by our stern and passed off to the other side. She seemed to stop there, and we too lay quite a little distance off.
"Capt. Perry, I understand, gave orders to leave the Britannic. At any rate, the boats that hadn't been damaged-for three of the life launches had been smashed in the second collision-were lowered. The passengers watched them eagerly. All had fastened life preservers around their waists and some of the men pushed themselves forward madly to the front. Some of the men-though they are not worthy of the name-piled down into the first boats launched. A lot of firemen, (I think there were 20, though perhaps there were not more than 15,) jumped into a boat and pulled off to the Celtic. The Captain saw them and was angry. He whipped out his pistol and, pointing it in a menacing way, declared that the women and the children must have the first chance and that he would shoot the first man who would be brutal enough to get in a boat ahead of the women.
"Five boat loads of passengers wee shipped to the Celtic. Another, the last that reached the Celtic, was seen to turn back. Then we wee frightened again, for we at once imagined that the Celtic had begin to sink and that they were going to send the people over to us. But our fear turned into slight rejoicing when we learned that an examination had been made that there were good grounds to believe that the Britannic would not sink. But we could not be sure really of anything, because the pumps wee going and we knew that one compartment was all filled. Still the engines wee not injured, and the Captain and the crew seemed to know what they were about and appeared extremely anxious to look out for the people in their care. In all the helter skelter they behaved remarkably well, so far as I was able to see. The cowardly firemen, I learned afterward, who crowded into one boat and went to the Celtic did not belong to the Britannic's regular crew.
"Well, after the heat of the confusion had passed-and it was a pretty hot time for an hour I can assure you-we had some chance to learn about still further horrors. It was not a comforting thing to learn that some of the steerage passengers who had been lounging about the deck abaft midships had been killed by the second crash. We did not get then, or at any subsequent time, any official statement about the loss of life, but it was pretty well understood all around that at least six persons were knocked out of life and that 12 were injured. I believe that three men, one woman, and one little girl were killed almost instantly. Besides these the leg of a child was found, and no one of the injured has been discovered to whom the leg belongs and no body has been picked up yet which the leg will fit. So thee are six dead at least. The injured included one man who had two legs broken, a woman with her hip smashed, and some children who were hurt in various ways. They and the dead all had passage in the steerage. The deaths and injuries were caused by the falling pieces of iron and the flying bolts and splinters of wood.
"We lay still after the collision. What was taking place on the Celtic, and what had occurred there, and how the Celtic had fared were things that we knew nothing about. Outside of mere curiosity and suspense, our feelings, of course, were intensely painful, and in addition, some of the passengers taken to the Celtic-some 60 in all-had friends or relatives aboard the Britannic. This intensified the anguish of those on the Britannic, and it is not strange that emotion overcame many of the women, and that the men felt queer. But there were some who went about calming the fears of the faint hearted, and a slight feeling of confidence came to those on board as the night came on. Still the slightest noise would startle the nervous, and on the whole it was exciting and awful.
"About 7 o'clock the Captain of the Celtic came on board and conferred with Capt. Perry. They talked the whole thing over and concluded that there was no immediate danger, and that the best thing to do would be to remain near one another and, if possible, return later to New-York. About 12 o'clock Thursday night, some seven hours after the accident, we put our engines going slowly, with our prows turned toward Sandy Hook. Our speed was not greater than six or seven knots an hour. We kept well together, and though the fact that the vessels could move relieved the passengers a little, still there were not many who slept well on the Britannic that night.
"After most of the people had gone to their cabins and before morning came the officers decided to bury the dead. It was a grim and solemn ceremony. Few of the passengers were on deck. Something of a service was held, but it was not long, and one by one the five bodies and the unknown leg were lifted over the rail and dropped with a solemn splash into the ocean. A burial at sea is impressive at all times, but this burial, after what had taken place and under the circumstances, was deeply and intensely impressive.
"About 7 o'clock Friday morning the Marengo, of the Wilson Line, overtook us. The day had dawned almost gloriously it seemed, and we who had 12 hours before felt that we had seen the sun for the last time, thanked heaven that once more our eyes looked upon the sky. The Marengo was sighted by our ship perhaps before she saw us, and by flag signals our condition was explained to her. When she came up and said that she was bound for New-York and would go along with us a great load was lifted from the hearts of all on board. It inspired confidence, and as the ship's watches were rung it seemed after all as if we could call our lives our own and that we had much to be thankful for. That afternoon we saw what we thought was a German vessel, but she refused to help us or answer our signals satisfactorily. In the evening-Friday-about 6 o'clock, we hailed another passing ship. It was the British Queen, and she, too, was bound for New-York. She slowed up and came on with us. All this made us feel better, and that night we got some sleep. Still there were few who did not have life preservers about them. Several other vessels passed us, but we did not need their services. A pilot in a sailboat came up, too, to take us in the harbor.
"The Eturia passed us, too, Saturday and brought on in advance to New-York the story of the mishap, or, at any rate, a part of it. I wasn't up at the time the White Star agent came on board from New-York, but I imagine he got here some time early Sunday morning before daylight. At any rate he went away and ordered a tug sent down to take off the Britannic's people. We were informed of her coming and there were many who felt mighty glad when they knew there was going to be a chance to leave the injured ship. We reached the bar about 1 o'clock Sunday morning and remained there. The Fletcher came alongside about 8 o'clock, and it took about an hour to fill her up with our baggage and then get on board. At 9 o'clock we started, and about noon we got to the White Star dock. Of course the 60 or so of our passengers who were transferred to the Celtic did not come up with us on the Fletcher. There was a great deal of grumbling among the passengers on account of the accident and the delay it will cause them. So far no arrangement has been made with us as to any compensation for our damages or as to how we shall get passage to Liverpool. But I suppose the company will do what is proper.
"The Britannic is rather badly damaged, on the whole. The débris, when it was cleared off, showed that the shocks were indeed terrific. The big hole that was made in the Britannic's side would have let in enough water to sink us if the ship had not been built in compartments. When it was possible to get at it, they stuffed mattresses and sails into it and tried to pad it so as to stop the leaking, but it didn't seem to do much good. Some of the passengers carried off broken nuts and twisted pieces of bolts that had been broken like reeds. They took them as mementoes of the accident."
"As the Celtic closely approached the Britannic the passengers began to cheer and wave handkerchiefs. Suddenly the cry was heard that she would strike us, and men, women, and children, mostly steerage passengers, made a rush to get away and many were thrown down. A terrible crash followed, the Celtic scooping away boats and bulwarks from the quarter deck right up to the stern, iron two inches thick being torn as if of paper, and even one of the wrought iron davits, four inches in diameter, was riven in twain as if of wood. Many of the passengers had not time to get away, and when the mischief was done several bodies, some of them terribly mutilated, lay among the wreckage. Several passengers were seen with bleeding heads, and others were limping about. Women and children were screeching, and one woman was crying out to be released from the weight of iron framework which held her down. I assisted to get her out. She was badly bruised, but no bones were broken.
"The Captain of the Britannic immediately gave orders for the boast to be lowered, and the Celtic, with part of her prow carried away, was standing by and was also sending off boats to our assistance. The boast at the stern of the Brittannic[sic] were difficult to launch, some woodwork upon which one of them rested having to be knocked away before she could be released. One of the life rafts had been injured in the collision, but an attempt was made to get the other free. An axe had to be used in this case also to cut away obstructions. Meanwhile, and after about 150 passengers had been transferred to the Celtic, it was considered by the officers of the Britannic that there was in immediate danger, the doors of the water-tight compartments having been closed.
"A hole, however, about three feet in diameter had been made in the side of the Britannic a few feet aft the engine room and partly below the water line. This hole allowed the water to get into the compartment occupied by the steerage passengers, and which also contained their baggage. This large space was soon filled with water up level with the second deck, and the poor passengers, not having time to secure anything, suffered great inconvenience. A large quantity of water appeared also to have penetrated hold No. 5, causing the ship's stern to sink six or eight feet. The assurance that there was no danger put the passengers in better spirits. Still the unfortunate male steerage passengers, who had been 'drowned out,' had literally no where to lay their heads. Some of them at last went into the married men's quarters and slept on seats or on the floor, and others, with life belts for pillows, stretched themselves on the deck, and thus spent three nights. I should mention here that there was great difficulty in getting the life belts at the time of the collision, none of the passengers appearing to know where they were kept. Eventually they were directed to the steerage, and here, behind the single women's berths, and right at the stern the life belts were stowed away.
"The passengers on board the Britannic wee remarkably self-possessed. The men not only assisted in lowering the boats, but attended to the wounded. Among the wounded was a man named Fowler, who was going to Ireland, and he begged not to be left on board to be drowned. He had a broken thigh. A man named Burke, a miner from Scranton, Penn., received serious injuries to his side and had his body badly bruised. Another man had his head badly cut, and many had contusions or cuts. One of those most seriously hurt was young Robinson, whose little sister was killed. The mother was taking these two children from their home at Fall River to Stockport, England, for a couple of months, and she had a return ticket. Just before the collision the little girl went on deck to look for her brother, and there was caught in the wreckage. The mother was horrified at seeing the mutilated remains of the child, but had the presence of mind to drag from under a mass of wreckage her little boy. He was dreadfully cut about the face, and his body was much bruised. One of the men who was killed was called Tremberth. His wife could not realize that he was dead. She moaned and cried continually. She had no money, and a steerage passenger made a collection for her among the saloon passengers, getting about $26.
"While we were being transferred to the city on the William Fletcher one incident almost caused a panic. Her engines were suddenly stopped and the fog whistle sounded vigorously and prolonged. The cause of this was the appearance of a big steamer, which appeared to be steering directly down upon us. With great promptitude and coolness the wheelman of the Fletcher avoided a disaster, and the passengers, who were rushing to one side of the boat, were soon assured of their safety."
"I am afraid that I can only give you a very tame account of it. Yet it is an experience that I will not forget. I think it was about 5 o'clock last Thursday. My wife and I were in our stateroom-the Captain's room on the hurricane deck-when I noticed several of the passengers rush past our door, talking in an excited manner. I told my wife that something unusual was going on, and went out on deck. In the meantime, and, indeed, for some time past, our whistles had been blowing-no, not blowing, but shrieking, and making to my ears a terrific noise. I noticed off our bows a big steamer coming toward and at right angles to us. I warned my wife that there might be a collision and went aft. The Captain gave (as I afterward learned) orders to put on all steam.
"I was standing about amidships. The Celtic came swiftly on and, swerving a little toward our bows, struck us with fearful force a short distance back from the engine room. That was a terrible moment. A big hole was made in the side. Our rail was torn and sliced as neatly as could be. It curled up forward, and in its path killed four men and wounded others. One of our water compartments immediately filled. For a while there was great excitement. Then the order was given to lower the boats. Some men lost their heads and started to crowd the boats. Then came the stern order to let the women and children first get in. All the officers of the Britannic were remarkably cool and at their posts."
"Yes," added Mrs. Huntington, "and all the women on board acted bravely, and not one of them fainted."
"Well," continued Mr. Huntington, "after a while something like quiet was restored. The débris was cleared away and the dead and wounded were looked after. Many passengers were transferred to the Celtic. The next day we met and signaled an outgoing Hamburg Line steamer, but she passed on. We signaled a Wilson Line steamer, which came to our assistance, and later the British Queen joined us. On Saturday the Etruria was sighted. I could see her with the naked eye. We showed distress signals, but they were either not seen or else disregarded, for she, too, passed on. At last we reached home and were landed.
"I must not finish, however, without complimenting the officers of the Britannic for their coolness and excellent behavior. I think that when I return to Europe I will go on the Britannic. As to which ship was responsible for the accident I cannot say. Both had been blowing their whistles for some time before the collision. The ship that deserves the blame, however, it is safe to say, is the one that was out of her course."
The Story From The Celtic.
The Celtic, Capt. Irving, left Queenstown May 12, with 104 cabin and 765 steerage passengers. The afternoon of Thursday, May 19, she was 350 miles east of Sandy Hook and was picking her way through a dense fog. The fog whistle was kept sounding constantly, and the steamer was going at half speed. Through the mist came the blasts of another steamer's whistle, and at 5:20 P.M., as the Celtic shot out of a bank of fog, the Britannic loomed up, pursuing a course that would take her across the bows of the west bound steamer.
The Celtic's engines were reversed, but the vessels were too close together before they saw one another to avoid the collision. The Celtic, with her speed somewhat diminished, struck her sister ship just aft of the mizzenmast, on the port side, and ground and bumped her way along the Britannic's side. It was a glancing blow, but it tore away the Celtic's stem. No one was upon her forward whale back at the time and no one on board of the vessel was injured. The shock was not very great, but for a few minutes the scene on board the big steamer was such as would naturally follow any accident at sea. Men and women had but one thought-to save their lives. A panic was ready to break out, but it did not, for the efforts of Capt. Irving and his officers, who worked nobly, and the fact that the steamer seemed in no likelihood of sinking, were effective. It was a very pale crowd of passengers on the decks, but it was not one that seemed likely to lose its head and make a mad dash for the boats. The forward bulkhead seemed to be in no danger of yielding and everybody's spirits rose as the minutes passed. At all events, the Celtic was in no immediate peril of going to the bottom. They were recovering from their alarm when the transfer of the passengers from the Britannic began. The first and most important question for those on the Celtic was, Would the forward bulkhead withstand the strain put upon it! But it held, and the Celtic soon forged ahead in safety.
"I found," said one of the Britannic's passengers who trusted his fate to the Celtic and reached the city late last night, "that the collision had produced a good deal of havoc forward on the Celtic. The blow had knocked in 10 or 12 feet of the plates to the water line. Some of the plates had been bent short across-that is, into a right angle by the force of the collision. They formed a sort of fence across the hole in the bow, and for some reason or other the fact was a consolation to us, for it seemed as though even the broken plates were doing their best to keep us from harm."
Mrs. B.B. Reath, of Philadelphia, was another of the transferred passengers. She said last night that she had found the people on the Celtic pretty well out of their panic by the time she reached their ship. Mr. Worth, another passenger, said that the shock of the collision was not very great on board the Celtic. For a time there was something of a panic, but it was quickly stopped. Nobody being injured the people were more easily reassured.
Of the Britannic's representatives on the Celtic more than 40 were steerage passengers. The cabin passengers were taken care of as well as could be expected under the circumstances, but the steerage contingent had to get along as best it could. There was nothing to do but take what was given them, however, and that by no means came up to their ideas of what was necessary. They complain that they were not given a sufficiency of food and that they had to sleep on beds which were mere planks. But they all lived through it.
The Celtic reached the Bar at 12:45 A.M. yesterday. A tug visited her and took off her mails early in the day. The Fletcher went down the bay in the afternoon to take off her passengers, but it was not until 6 o'clock that she got alongside. There was a fog at the time and enough sea on to render the work of disembarking the passengers difficult. As a result, the Celtic's people elected to stay by her for the night.
The cabin passengers of the Celtic are the following: A.E. Alderson, G.B. Bernard, E.S. Barker, Mr. and Mrs. W.L. Bishop, Miss J.C. Chapman, the Rev. W.E. Clarke and family, William A. Cadbury, R.M. Clark, James Chapman, W.A. Deakin, Hugh England, Henry Goodman, Dr. Guerin, A.D. Hill, Mrs. A.S. Hill, T. Harwood, L. Iveson, F.B.S. Jarvis, William Jones, Mr. and Mrs. G.J. Jones, Miss M. Marriage, J.T. McCollam, J.B. Manby, R.S. McPhail, William McLaren, Mr. and Mrs. W.N. Potter, Norman Rayner, C.E. Reay, J.A. Richardson, John Smith, Miss V.F. Sands, H. Altman, Mr. Shearman, Mrs. Spring, Miss G. Spring, John Temple and family, Miss S. Tumley, A.W. Turner, Miss Waterbury, Wallace Whitlock, the Rev. J. Williams, and I. Hamilton.
How many lives were lost cannot be accurately stated until the roster is called for both ships. The Rev. Dr. Depuy, on careful investigation, is certain that 12 were killed and that 20 were injured. Purser Musgrove, in his official statement, covers the number with the word "several." A physician who made a close search thinks that seven bodies wee buried, and feels sure that others were drowned and lost int eh confusion.
ROBINSON, _____, a girl, aged 13, of Fall River, Mass., bound for Stockport, England.
TRENHIRTH, John G., a miner, from Morris County, N.J., bound for Ireland, with his wife.
LAWLER, William, aged 65, single, from St. Louis, dislocated hip.
BURKE, Patrick, aged 47, married, from Wilkesbarre, Penn., fracture of one rib and right leg.
ROBINSON, George, boy, 14 years old, and brother of the girl who was killed, was sitting near her when the collision occurred. Both were at work cleaning some vegetables. Young Robinson suffered a compound fracture of the right arm and a scalp would. He was with his mother at a West-street hotel last night.
HOLLAND, Mark, of Youngstown, Ohio, had a finger cut off by a broken plate. He was thrown down and bruised and his clothes torn.
VAUGN, Annie, New-York, suffering from shock and exposure.
WILLAMS, Jane, of Fall River, arm bruised and sprained badly.
NOONEY, Rose, of New-York, hurt about the face and back.
At all the lodging houses were people more or less bruised, but they did not count their hurts as serious in the joy of getting back on land.
There were three Sisters of the Order of St. John the Baptist on board the Britannic. When the collision was imminent they remained on deck cool and collected. As soon as the crashes came they moved about among the frightened people, and, by assuring word and smiling countenance, kept them from plunging overboard in their paroxysm of fear. When the trembling steerage passengers saw the dismembered bodies of some of their own number staining the deck with blood they descended into the steerage, and while others of the cabin people were scurrying to and fro to gather portable baggage and embark in the boats, these women of the church, forgetful of their own safety, heroically addressed the inmates of the steerage and calmed their excitement.
An Englishman who stood about 20 feet from the point where the Celtic cut into the Britannic was very cool. He looked at the prow of the attacking steamer and calmly said: "She will evidently give us a deuce of a dig, but I cannot say just where." His face was as unruffled as if he were telling some one the time of day.
There were some amusing incidents among the many scenes of terror and despair. A young man approached Capt. Perry, of the Britannic, as the Captain was about to send word to the Celtic to have some of his passengers returned to the Britannic. He said: "Captain, my wife's over there, and we haven't been married a week, either." The Captain arranged for their reunion.
An emigrant weighing about 250 pounds, who had been refused admission to one of the boats, made a jump for it just as it was shoving off. He struck the water a few feet from the stern of the launch, and a line was thrown him there and he was drawn alongside. Two brawny sailors reached for him and tried to life him into the boat, but his garments weren't strong, and they parted, and in his struggles they were almost all torn off. All efforts to get him on board failed until a rope was fastened around a belt the fellow had around his waist under his clothes, and with a rope tied to that the Britannic's sailors towed him around the stern to one side.
Among the cabin passengers of the Britannic wee José M. Miyares and his wife, of Cuba. The Señor tried his utmost to induce his wife to take the last place in one of the boats. She stubbornly refused and threw herself into her husband's arms exclaiming: "No, I will die here with you, if needs be."
Resolved, That we would record our deep sense of gratitude to Almighty God for the merciful deliverance vouchsafed to us in our late circumstances of extreme peril. We are pleased to have this opportunity of testifying our entire confidence in Capt. Irving, the commander of the Celtic, believing that he did all that was possible to prevent the collision, and, after this had occurred, by his able seamanship and presence of mind he saved his steamer and the lives of all on board. Captain Irving's courage and coolness in time of danger had the effect of at once allaying fears and stopping any panic which might have arisen among the thousand people on the ship.
We would therefore ask Capt. Irving to accept this expression of our appreciation of his noble conduct and of his unvarying courtesy and attention to both his own passengers and those from the Britannic.
To the chief engineer, Mr. Hugh Currie, and his staff our tanks are especially due for their skillful and successful efforts to protect the broken stem of the Celtic, to erect a temporary bulkhead, and also to secure the watertight compartments; to Mr. Clarke and the other officers of the ship for so ably seconding Capt. Irving, and to the purser, Mr. Durbridge; Dr. Fenwick, and Chief Steward May for their unremitting attention and care of the large accession to the passengers.
We feel greater confidence in the White Star Line when we know that after such a terrific collision both the Celtic and Britannic are able to steam to New-York, as, unless the vessels had been of enormous strength and their compartments and watertight doors thoroughly efficient, the consequences might have been much more serious. The commodore of the line, Capt. Perry, also deserves our thanks for keeping the steamers British Queen and Marengo, and thus doing everything possible to secure safety and inspire the passengers with confidence. | 2019-04-24T19:45:28Z | http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/Wrecks/brit&celtic.shtml |
King Philip's War, sometimes called the First Indian War, Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–78. The war is named after the main leader of the Native American side, Metacomet, known to the English as "King Philip". Major Benjamin Church emerged as the Puritan hero of the war; it was his company of Puritan rangers and Native American allies that finally hunted down and killed King Philip on August 12, 1676. The war continued in northern New England (primarily in Maine at the New England and Acadia border) until a treaty was signed at Casco Bay in April 1678.
The war was the single greatest calamity to occur in seventeenth-century Puritan New England. In the space of little more than a year, twelve of the region's towns were destroyed and many more damaged, the colony's economy was all but ruined, and much of its population was killed, including one-tenth of all men available for military service. More than half of New England's towns were attacked by Native American warriors.
Plymouth, Massachusetts, was established in 1620 with significant early help from local Native Americans, particularly Squanto and Massasoit, chief of the Wampanoag tribe. Subsequent colonists founded Salem, Boston, and many small towns around Massachusetts Bay between 1628 and 1640, at a time of increased English immigration. With a wave of immigration, and their building of towns such as Windsor, Connecticut (est. 1633), Hartford, Connecticut (est. 1636), Springfield, Massachusetts (est. 1636), Northampton, Massachusetts (est. 1654) and Providence, Rhode Island (est. 1636), the colonists progressively encroached on the traditional territories of the several Algonquian-speaking tribes in the region. Prior to King Philip's War, tensions fluctuated between tribes of Native Americans and the colonists, but relations were generally peaceful.
Twenty thousand colonists settled in New England during the Great Migration. Colonial officials of the Rhode Island, Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay, Connecticut and the New Haven colonies each developed separate relations with the Wampanoag, Nipmuck, Narragansett, Mohegan, Pequot, and other tribes of New England, whose territories historically had differing boundaries. Many of the neighboring tribes had been traditional competitors and enemies. As the colonial population increased, the New Englanders expanded their settlements along the region's coastal plain and up the Connecticut River valley. By 1675 they had established a few small towns in the interior between Boston and the Connecticut River settlements.
Throughout the Northeast, the Native Americans had suffered severe population losses as a result of pandemics of smallpox, spotted fever, typhoid, and measles, infectious diseases carried by European fishermen, starting in about 1618, two years before the first colony at Plymouth had been settled. Shifting alliances among the different Algonquian peoples, represented by leaders such as Massasoit, Sassacus, Uncas and Ninigret, and the colonial polities negotiated a troubled peace for several decades.
For almost half a century after the colonists' arrival, Massasoit of the Wampanoag had maintained an uneasy alliance with the English to benefit from their trade goods and as a counter-weight to his tribe's traditional enemies, the Pequot, Narragansett, and the Mohegan. Massasoit had to accept colonial incursion into Wampanoag territory as well as English political interference with his tribe. Maintaining good relations with the English became increasingly difficult, as the English colonists continued pressuring the Indians to sell land.
Metacomet, called "King Philip" by the English, became sachem of the Pokanoket and Grand Sachem of the Wampanoag Confederacy after the death in 1662 of his older brother, the Grand Sachem Wamsutta (called "Alexander" by the English). The latter had succeeded their father Massasoit (d. 1661) as chief. Well known to the English before his ascension as paramount chief to the Wampanoag, Metacomet distrusted the colonists. Wamsutta had been visiting the Marshfield home of Josiah Winslow, the governor of the Plymouth Colony, for peaceful negotiations, and became ill after being given a "portion of working physic" by a Doctor Fuller.
The colonists had put in place laws making it illegal to do commerce with the Wampanoags. When the Plymouth colonists found out that Wamsutta had sold a parcel of land to Roger Williams, Josiah Winslow, the governor of the Plymouth Colony, had Wamsutta arrested even though Wampanoags that lived outside of colonist jurisdiction were not accountable to Plymouth Colony laws. Wamsutta's wife, Weetamoe, attempted to bring the chief back to Pokanoket. However, on the Taunton River the party saw that the end was near, and after beaching their canoes, Alexander died under an oak tree within viewing distance of Mount Hope.
Metacomet began negotiating with the other Algonquian tribes against the Plymouth Colony soon after the deaths of his father Massasoit and his brother Wamsutta. His action was a reaction to the colonists' refusal to stop buying land and establishment of new settlements, combined with Wamsutta / Alexander's suspicious death.
The white population of New England totaled about 80,000 people. They lived in 110 towns, of which 64 were in the Massachusetts Colony, which then included the southwestern portion of the present state of Maine. The towns had about 16,000 men of military age who were almost all part of the militia—universal training was prevalent in all colonial New England towns. Many towns had built strong garrison houses for defense, and others had stockades enclosing most of the houses. All of these were strengthened as the war progressed. Some poorly populated towns without enough men to defend them were abandoned. Each town had local militias, based on all eligible men, who had to supply their own arms. Only those who were too old, too young, disabled, or clergy were excused from military service. The militias were usually only minimally trained and initially did relatively poorly against the warring Indians until more effective training and tactics could be devised. Joint forces of militia volunteers and volunteer Indian allies were found to be the most effective. The officers were usually elected by popular vote of the militia members. The Indian allies of the colonists—the Mohegans and Praying Indians—numbered about 1,000, with about 200 warriors.
By 1676, the regional Native American population had decreased to about 10,000 Indians (exact numbers are unavailable), largely because of epidemics. These included about 4,000 Narragansett of western Rhode Island and eastern Connecticut; 2,400 Nipmuck of central and western Massachusetts; and 2,400 combined in the Massachusett and Pawtucket tribes, living about Massachusetts Bay and extending northwest to Maine. The Wampanoag and Pokanoket of Plymouth and eastern Rhode Island are thought to have numbered fewer than 1,000. About one in four were considered to be warriors. By then the Indians had almost universally adopted steel knives, tomahawks, and flintlock muskets as their weapons of choice. The various tribes had no common government. They had distinct cultures and often warred among themselves. Despite different cultures they each spoke a version of the Algonquian language family.
John Sassamon, a Native American Christian convert ("Praying Indian") and early Harvard graduate, translator, and adviser to Metacomet, was a figure in the outbreak of the war. He told the governor of Plymouth Colony that Metacomet was intending to gather allies for Native American attacks on widely dispersed colonial settlements.
King Philip was brought before a public court to answer to the rumors, and after the court officials admitted they had no proof, they warned him that any other rumors—baseless or otherwise—would result in their confiscating Wampanoag land and guns. Not long after, Sassamon was murdered and his body was found in the ice-covered Assawompset Pond. Historians disagree on the reasons for his death, and Jill Lepore notes that most relate to his role as "cultural mediator," negotiating with both sides and no longer belonging to either.
On the testimony of a Native American, the Plymouth Colony officials arrested three Wampanoag, who included one of Metacomet's counselors. A jury, among whom were six Indian elders, convicted the men of Sassamon's murder. The men were executed by hanging on June 8, 1675 (O.S.), at Plymouth. Some Wampanoag believed that both the trial and the court's sentence infringed on Wampanoag sovereignty.
In response to the trial and executions, on June 20, 1675 (O.S.) a band of Pokanoket, possibly without Metacomet's approval, attacked several isolated homesteads in the small Plymouth colony settlement of Swansea. Laying siege to the town, they destroyed it five days later and killed several people. On June 27, 1675 (O.S.) (July 7, 1675 New style date; See Old Style and New Style dates), a full eclipse of the moon occurred in the New England area. Various tribes in New England looked at it as a good omen for attacking the colonists. Officials from the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colonies responded quickly to the attacks on Swansea; on June 28 they sent a punitive military expedition that destroyed the Wampanoag town at Mount Hope (modern Bristol, Rhode Island).
The war quickly spread, and soon involved the Podunk and Nipmuck tribes. During the summer of 1675, the Native Americans attacked at Middleborough and Dartmouth (July 8), Mendon (July 14), Brookfield (August 2), and Lancaster (August 9). In early September they attacked Deerfield, Hadley, and Northfield (possibly giving rise to the Angel of Hadley legend).
The New England Confederation, comprising the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth Colony, New Haven Colony and Connecticut Colony, declared war on the Native Americans on September 9, 1675. The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, settled mostly by Puritan dissidents, tried to remain mostly neutral, but like the Narragansett they were dragged inexorably into the conflict. The next colonial expedition was to recover crops from abandoned fields along the Connecticut River for the coming winter and included almost 100 farmers/militia plus teamsters to drive the wagons. They were ambushed, with about 50 colonists being killed, in the Battle of Bloody Brook (near Hadley, Massachusetts) on September 18, 1675.
The next attack was organized on October 5, 1675, on the Connecticut River's largest settlement at the time, Springfield, Massachusetts. During the attack, nearly all of Springfield's buildings were burned to the ground, including the town's grist mill. Most of the Springfielders who escaped unharmed took cover at the house of Miles Morgan, a resident who had constructed one of Springfield's few fortified blockhouses. An Indian servant who worked for Morgan managed to escape and later alerted the Massachusetts Bay troops under the command of Major Samuel Appleton, who broke through to Springfield and drove off the attackers. Morgan's sons were famous Indian fighters in the territory. The Indians in battle killed his son, Peletiah, in 1675. Springfielders later honored Miles Morgan with a large statue in Court Square.
On November 2, Plymouth Colony governor Josiah Winslow led a combined force of colonial militia against the Narragansett tribe. The Narragansett had not been directly involved in the war, but they had sheltered many of the Wampanoag women and children. Several of their warriors were reported in several Indian raiding parties. The colonists distrusted the tribe and did not understand the various alliances. As the colonial forces went through Rhode Island, they found and burned several Indian towns which had been abandoned by the Narragansett, who had retreated to a massive fort in a frozen swamp. The cold weather in December froze the swamp so it was relatively easy to traverse. Led by an Indian guide, on a very cold December 16, 1675, the colonial force found the Narragansett fort near present-day South Kingstown, Rhode Island. A combined force of Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Connecticut militia numbering about 1,000 men, including about 150 Pequots and Mohican Indian allies, attacked the Indian fort. The fierce battle that followed is known as the Great Swamp Fight. It is believed that the militia killed about 300 Narragansett (exact figures are unavailable). The militia burned the fort (occupying over 5 acres (20,000 m2) of land) and destroyed most of the tribe's winter stores.
Most of the Narragansett warriors and their families escaped into the frozen swamp. Facing a winter with little food and shelter, the entire surviving Narragansett tribe was forced out of quasi-neutrality and joined the fight. The colonists lost many of their officers in this assault: about 70 of their men were killed and nearly 150 more wounded. Lacking supplies for an extended campaign the rest of the colonial assembled forces returned to their homes. The nearby towns in Rhode Island provided care for the wounded until they could return to their homes.
Throughout the winter of 1675–76, Native Americans attacked and destroyed more frontier settlements in their effort to expel the English colonists. Attacks were made at Andover, Bridgewater, Chelmsford, Groton, Lancaster, Marlborough, Medfield, Medford, Millis, Portland, Providence, Rehoboth, Scituate, Seekonk, Simsbury, Sudbury, Suffield, Warwick, Weymouth, and Wrentham, including what is modern-day Plainville. The famous account written and published by Mary Rowlandson after the war gives a colonial captive's perspective on the conflict.
The spring of 1676 marked the high point for the combined tribes when, on March 12, they attacked Plymouth Plantation. Though the town withstood the assault, the natives had demonstrated their ability to penetrate deep into colonial territory. They attacked three more settlements: Longmeadow (near Springfield), Marlborough, and Simsbury were attacked two weeks later. They killed Captain Pierce and a company of Massachusetts soldiers between Pawtucket and the Blackstone's settlement. Several colonial men were allegedly tortured and buried at Nine Men's Misery in $4, as part of the Native Americans' ritual treatment of enemies. The natives burned the abandoned capital of Providence to the ground on March 29. At the same time, a small band of Native Americans infiltrated and burned part of Springfield while the militia was away.
The tide of war slowly began to turn in the colonists' favor later in the spring of 1676, as it became a war of attrition; both sides were determined to eliminate the other. The Native Americans had succeeded in driving the colonists back into their larger towns, but the Indians' supplies, particularly in powder and lead, nearly always sufficient for only a season or so, were running out. The few hundred colonists of Rhode Island became an island colony for a time as their capital at Providence was sacked and burned and the colonists were driven back to Newport and Portsmouth on Aquidneck Island. The Connecticut River towns with their thousands of acres of cultivated crop land, known as the bread basket of New England, had to manage their crops by limiting their crop lands and working in large armed groups for self-protection.:20 Towns such as Springfield, Hatfield, Hadley and Northampton, Massachusetts, fortified their towns, reinforced their militias and held their ground, though attacked several times. The small towns of Northfield and Deerfield, Massachusetts, and several other small towns, were abandoned as the surviving settlers retreated to the larger towns. The towns of the Connecticut colony escaped largely unharmed in the war, although more than 100 Connecticut militia died in their support of the other colonies.
The New England colonists used their own or adjacent towns' supplies and were re-supplied by sea from wherever they could buy additional supplies. The Indians had no such resources. The English government was headed then by Charles II (1630–1685), who had been restored to power as the English king (under Parliamentary oversight) after the Restoration of 1660. His father, Charles I, had been captured and executed in the English Civil War (1642–1651) by the Puritan-led Parliamentarian government of Oliver Cromwell. King Charles II had little interest in supporting the Puritans of New England and did not. The potential supporters in the Colony of Virginia were involved in Bacon's Rebellion (1676) and could not (or would not) help the New England settlers. The settlers in New York had just permanently taken the cities and territory there from the Dutch in the Third Anglo-Dutch War (1674) and were in the process of setting up an English settlement controlled by an anti-Puritan government. They offered no support for the mostly Puritan New Englanders. The New France government of this period were Catholic and rabidly anti-English, and were sponsoring on and off support for Indian tribes attacking the English settlements.
The war ultimately cost the New England colonists over £100,000—a significant amount of money at a time when most families earned less than £20 per year. Self-imposed taxes were raised to cover its costs. Over 600 colonial men, women and children were killed, and twelve towns were totally destroyed with many more damaged. Despite this, the New England colonists eventually emerged victorious. The Native Americans lost many more people—mostly to disease. They died, dispersed out of New England or were put on a form of early reservations. Some of them slowly integrated into colonial society. They never recovered their former power in New England. The hope of many colonists to integrate Indian and colonial societies was largely abandoned, as the war and its excesses bred bitter resentment on both sides.
The Wampanoag and Narragansett hopes for supplies of powder and lead from the French in Canada were not met, except for some small amounts of ammunition obtained from the French in Maine. The colonists allied themselves with the Mohegan and Pequot tribes in Connecticut as well as several Indian groups that had mostly converted to Christianity, the Praying Indians, in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. King Philip and his Indian allies found their forces continually harassed by combined groups of colonists and their Indian allies. In January 1675/76 (see Old Style and New Style dates for dating then), Philip traveled westward to Mohawk territory in what is now New York, seeking, but failing to secure, an alliance with the Iroquois. Reportedly, Philip's supporters attacked a group of Mohawks and tried to get the blame put on the colonists—Indians and colonists used virtually the same weapons then. Unfortunately for Philip, one of the attacked group survived and the Mohawks were infuriated. The New York Mohawks—an Iroquois tribe, traditional enemies of many of the warring tribes—proceeded to raid isolated groups of Native Americans in Massachusetts, scattering and killing many. Traditional Indian crop-growing areas and fishing places in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut were continually attacked by roving New England patrols of combined Colonials and their Native American allies. When found, any Indian crops were destroyed. The Indian tribes had poor luck finding any place to grow enough food or harvest enough migrating fish for the coming winter. Many of the warring Native American tribes drifted north into Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Canada. Some drifted west into New York and points farther west to avoid their traditional enemies, the Iroquois.
By April 1676 the Narragansett were defeated and their chief, Canonchet, was killed. On May 18, 1676, Captain William Turner of the Massachusetts Militia and a group of about 150 militia volunteers (mostly minimally trained farmers) attacked a large fishing camp of Native Americans at Peskeopscut on the Connecticut River (now called Turners Falls, Massachusetts). The colonists claimed they killed 100–200 Native Americans in retaliation for earlier Indian attacks against Deerfield and other colonist settlements and the colonial losses in the Battle of Bloody Brook. Turner and nearly 40 of the militia were killed during the return from the falls. With the help of their long-time allies the Mohegans, the colonists defeated an attack at Hadley on June 12, 1676, and scattered most of the Indian survivors into New Hampshire and points farther north. Later that month, a force of 250 Native Americans was routed near Marlborough, Massachusetts. Other forces, often a combined force of colonial volunteers and their Indian allies, continued to attack, kill, capture or disperse bands of Narragansett, Nipmuc, Wampanough, etc. as they tried to plant crops or return to their traditional locations. The colonists granted amnesty to Native Americans from the tribes who surrendered or were captured and showed they had not participated in the conflict. The captured Indian participants whom they knew had participated in attacks on the many settlements were hanged or shipped off to slavery in Bermuda.
Philip's allies began to desert him. By early July, over 400 had surrendered to the colonists, and Philip took refuge in the Assowamset Swamp, below Providence, close to where the war had started. The colonists formed raiding parties of Native Americans and militia. They were allowed to keep the possessions of warring Indians and received a bounty on all captives. Philip was ultimately killed by one of these teams when he was tracked down by colony-allied Native Americans led by Captain Benjamin Church and Captain Josiah Standish of the Plymouth Colony militia at Mt. Hope, Rhode Island. Philip was shot and killed by an Indian named John Alderman on August 12, 1676. Philip was beheaded, then drawn and quartered (a traditional treatment of criminals in this era). His head was displayed in Plymouth for twenty years. The war was nearly over except for a few attacks in Maine that lasted until 1677.
The war in the south largely ended with Metacomet's death. Over 600 colonists and 3,000 Native Americans had died, including several hundred native captives who were tried and executed; others were enslaved and sold in Bermuda. The majority of the fatalities for both Native Americans and the New England colonials resulted from disease, which was typical of all wars in this era. Native Americans enslaved and transported to Bermuda included Metacom's son (and, according to Bermudian tradition, his wife). Numerous Bermudians today claim ancestry from the Native American exiles. Members of the sachem's extended family were placed for safekeeping among colonists in Rhode Island and eastern Connecticut. Other survivors joined western and northern tribes and refugee communities as captives or tribal members. On occasion, some of the Indian refugees returned to southern New England. The Narragansett, Wampanoag, Podunk, Nipmuck, and several smaller bands were virtually eliminated as organized bands, while even the Mohegan were greatly weakened.
Sir Edmund Andros, appointed by James II as governor of New York, negotiated a treaty with some of the northern Indian bands in Maine on April 12, 1678, as he tried to establish his New York-based royal power structure in Maine's fishing industry. Andros was arrested and sent back to England at the start of the Glorious Revolution in 1689. In this revolution, James II (1633–1701, reigning 1685-1688), a Catholic and younger brother to Charles II, and a strong believer in the Divine right of kings, was forced to flee to France in 1688 by the Protestant Parliamentarian forces. James II's appointments to the various colonial governors were replaced.
King Philip's Pennacook ally early made a separate peace with the colonists as the result of battles that are sometimes identified as part of King Philip's War. Native families were granted one peck of corn annually as compensation for lost lands. They fled north. This did not necessarily spare them from the ravages of war and the tribe lost members and eventually its identity as the result of the ensuing war.
For a time, King Philip's War seriously damaged the mostly second- and third-generation English colonists' prospects in New England. But with their successful governments and towns, low death rate, and their extraordinary population growth rate of about 3% a year (doubling every 25 years), they repaired all the damage, replaced their losses, rebuilt the destroyed towns, and continued to establish new towns within a few years.
The colonists' successful defense of New England with their own resources brought them to the attention of the British royal government. Before King Philip's War, the colonies had been generally ignored, considered uninteresting and poor English outposts. The English authorities soon tried to exploit the colonies and their resources for the authorities' own gain—beginning with the revocation of the charter of Massachusetts Bay in 1684 (enforced 1686). At the same time, an Anglican church was established in Boston in 1686, ending the Puritan monopoly on religion in Massachusetts. The legend of Connecticut's Charter Oak stems from the belief that a cavity within the tree was used in late 1687 as a hiding place for the colony's charter as Andros tried unsuccessfully to revoke its charter and take over the militia. In 1690, Plymouth's charter was not renewed; its residents were forced to join the Massachusetts government. The equally small colony of Rhode Island, with its largely Puritan dissident settlers, maintained its charter—mainly as a counterweight and irritant to Massachusetts. The Massachusetts General Court (the main elected legislative and judicial body in Massachusetts) was brought under nominal British government control, but all members except the Royal Governor and a few of his deputies continued to be elected in the various towns, as was their practice over the prior 40 years. The "top" of the government was nominally under British government control, but the vast majority in the government continued on as before with elected local and representative legislative and judicial bodies. Only land-owning males could vote for most officials, but their suffrage was both wider and more universal than in nearly all other countries of this era.
Nearly all layers of government and church life (except in Rhode Island) remained "Puritan", and only a few of the so-called "upper crust" joined the British government-sponsored Anglican church. Most New Englanders continued to live in self-governing and mostly self-sufficient towns, and attended the "Puritan" Congregational or dissident churches that they had already set up by 1690. As the population increased, new towns, complete with their own churches, militias, etc. were nearly all established by the sons and daughters of the original settlers; they were in nearly all cases modeled after the original settlements. Few people lived outside of an established town. The many trials and tribulations between the British crown and British Parliament for the next 100 years made self-government not only desirable but relatively easy to continue in New England. The squabbles that the New Englanders had with the British government would eventually lead to Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill by 1775, a century and four generations later. When the British were forced to evacuate Boston in 1776, only a few thousand of the more than 700,000 New Englanders of the time went with them.
King Philip's War joined the Powhatan wars of 1610–14, 1622–32 and 1644–46 in Virginia, the Pequot War of 1637 in Connecticut, the Dutch-Indian war of 1643 along the Hudson River and the Iroquois Beaver Wars of 1650 in a list of ongoing uprisings and conflicts between various Native American tribes and the French, Dutch, and English colonial settlements of Canada, New York, and New England.
The military defeat of the Native Americans meant that most of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island land was nearly completely open to colonial settlement. Localized conflict continued for decades in Maine, New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts. In response to King Philip's War, which stemmed from New England expansion onto native land, the five Indian tribes in the region of Acadia created the Wabanaki Confederacy to form a political and military alliance with New France to stop the New England expansion. During the next 74 years, six colonial wars between New France and New England, along with their respective native allies, took place, starting with King William's War in 1689. (See the French and Indian Wars, Father Rale's War and Father Le Loutre's War.) The conflict was over the border between New England and Acadia, which New France defined as the Kennebec River in southern Maine. In response to King Philip's War and King William's War (1689–97), many colonists from northeastern Maine and Massachusetts temporarily relocated to larger towns in Massachusetts and New Hampshire to avoid Wabanaki Indian raids.
In the fourteen months of King Philip's War in 1675-1676, Plymouth Colony lost close to eight percent of its English adult male population to Indian warfare or other causes associated with the war. Indian losses were much greater, with about 2,000 men killed or who died of injuries in the war, more than 3,000 dying of sickness or starvation, and another 1,000 Indians sold into slavery and transported to other areas, such as the Caribbean. About 2,000 Indians escaped to other tribes to the north or west; they joined continued Indian attacks from those bases well into the next century. Historians estimate that, as a result of King Philip's War, the Indian population of southern New England was reduced by about 60 to 80 percent.
The war escalated from a local conflict to involve most of southern New England and reached to other east coast areas as well. The war killed nearly as high a percentage of the Indian population as the plagues of 1616-19, which had decimated the area and turned whole villages into places of death and desolation.
The colonists won in King Philip's War not by greater military power, but due to their ability to outlast the Native Americans. The English suffered many military defeats and lost thousands of men, but in the end they won due to material support for the war from England.
Descendants of the Mayflower Pilgrims and later emigrants called upon the might of Britain to not only help defeat the native peoples of New England, but to work to rid the land of its aboriginal people. Before the war, the native peoples of New England made up almost 30 percent of the regional population, but by 1680, five years after the war began, the native population had dropped to less than 15 percent.
But, in the end, the English also lost much financially. The settlers incurred an enormous tax burden to mostly repay Britain for war assistance; it held back the economy of the entire region for many years to come.
Despite the losses for Native Americans, the English colonists were unable to stop forever the threat of Indian attacks. By causing such high losses, they unbalanced relations between colonists and Indians in New England. In the past, English colonists living on the still-wild frontier of the northeast could depend on local Indian friends to help them against enemies, but after the war, the colonists had only enemies among the Indians. Well into the next century, settlers throughout the region were at risk for Indian attacks. Hundreds more colonial men, women and children were killed in such raids.
Eventually the Puritan colonies found they could no longer defend themselves against continuing Indian violence, which the French particularly used in their conflicts with England. The colonists asked for military and governmental assistance from Britain. Within twenty years of King Philip's War, King James II had appointed a royal governor for the New England colonies and in 1692, Plymouth Colony became a part of Massachusetts Bay Colony.
↑ America’s Guardian Myths, op-ed by Susan Faludi, September 7, 2007. New York Times. Accessed September 6, 2007.
↑ Lepore, Jill. The Name of War: King Philip's War and the Origins of American Identity, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1998. Note: King Philip "was also known as Metacom, or Pometacom. King Philip may well have been a name that he adopted, as it was common for Natives to take other names. King Philip had on several occasions signed as such and has been referred to by other natives by that name."
↑ Philip Gould. "Reinventing Benjamin Church: Virtue, Citizenship and the History of King Philip's War in Early National America." Journal of the Early Republic, No. 16, Winter 1996. p. 647.
↑ Schultz, Eric B.; Michael J. Touglas (2000). King Philip's War: The History and Legacy of America's Forgotten Conflict. W.W. Norton and Co.. Note: According to a combined estimate of loss of life, based on sources from the Department of Defense, the Bureau of Census, and the work of colonial historian Francis Jennings, 600 out of the about 80,000 English colonists (1.5%) and 3,000 out of 10,000 Native Americans (30%) lost their lives due to the war.
↑ "Epidemics and Pandemics in the U.S."
↑ Exact numbers of Indian allies are unavailable but about 200 warriors are mentioned in different dispatches implying a total population of about 800-1,000.
↑ Philbrick, Nathaniel (2006 title=Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War). New York: Penguin. p. 221.
↑ Lepore, Jill (1998). The Name of War: King Philip's War and the Origins of American Identity. New York: Alfred Knopf. pp. 10. http://books.google.com/books/about/The_name_of_war.html?id=NcJ6PXii2y0C.
↑ Phelps, Noah Amherst (1845). History of Simsbury, Granby, and Canton; from 1642 To 1845. Hartford: Press of Case, Tiffany and Burnham.
↑ "Worlds rejoined". Cape Cod online. http://www.capecodonline.com/special/tribeslink/worldsrejoined13.htm. .
↑ Spady, James O'Neil. "As if in a Great Darkness: Native American Refugees of the Middle Connecticut River Valley in the Aftermath of King Phillip's War: 1677–1697," Historical Journal of Massachusetts, Vol. 23, no. 2 (Summer, 1995), 183–97.
↑ Swope, Cynthia, "Chief Opechancanough of the Powhatan Confederacy"
Eliot, John, ”Indian Dialogues”: A Study in Cultural Interaction eds. James P. Rhonda and Henry W. Bowden (Greenwood Press, 1980).
______. Relation of the Troubles Which Have Happened in New England by Reason of the Indians There, from the Year 1614 to the Year 1675 (Kessinger Publishing, 2003).
______. The History of King Philip's War by the Rev. Increase Mather, D.D.; also, a history of the same war, by the Rev. Cotton Mather, D.D.; to which are added an introduction and notes, by Samuel G. Drake(Boston: Samuel G. Drake, 1862).
______. "Diary", March 1675–December 1676: Together with extracts from another diary by him, 1674–1687 /With introductions and notes, by Samuel A. Green (Cambridge, MA: J. Wilson, [1675–76] 1900).
Belmonte, Laura. "Edward Randolph, the Causes and Results of King Philip's War (1675)"
Cogley, Richard A. John Eliot's Mission to the Indians before King Philip's War (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1999).
Schultz, Eric B. and Michael J. Touglas, King Philip's War: The History and Legacy of America's Forgotten Conflict.' New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 2000.
"Edward Randolph on the Causes of the King Philip's War (1685)", rootsweb.com. | 2019-04-24T15:59:20Z | https://military.wikia.org/wiki/King_Philip%27s_War |
Fix Can't open 22 on Linksys router??
Can't open 22 on Linksys router??
Preferred Solution: Can't open 22 on Linksys router??
Answer: Can't open 22 on Linksys router??
I presently have a Linksys WRT54G2 V1. I've been looking at the WRT160N to purchase & use as my main router. I'd like to wirelessly bridge the WRT160N to the WRT54G2 & have that as a repeater so that my signal is boosted, and my parents laptop wireless connection doesn't go all low & dragging when they're at the other end of the house. Is it possible & if so, can someone point me in the right direction as to procedure & configuration? Thank you.
I don't believe you will be able to do this "out of the box", look at third party firmware like dd-wrt. Never used it myself but I've read it works fine.
It may be easier to run a cable to the second router and set them up with the same SSID and security.
You won't get "true" roaming but when one signal is dropped the wireless unit will pick up the other automatically.... or one could simply manually change from one to the other depending where they are in the house and which signal is stronger.
Question: Connect linksys router to another linksys router over wifi?
I've got a wrt54g wireless router that my modem is connected to, as well as my computers. I also have another wireless linksys router, wrt350n, which has draft N. I want this second router to connect to the first router over wifi, and have the ability to send out internet via the 4 ethernet ports on the back. letting me connect wired ethernet devices on the other end of the house. i don't know if its a wireless access point, access point, bridge that I'm trying to go for?
would this guide do the job?
Hating this so far -- I'm going to be calling Linksys to see if I can get a replacement for the card assuming I don't get an answer here.
The connection quality of the WMP600N is horrible. My laptop gets a full 54MBps G link from the same room with its internal Intel WiFi link. So does my fiancee's Lenovo S10 netbook. The 600N gets 1, maybe 2 bars, and the resulting link is both slow and unreliable. It drops regularly, and when it doesn't drop there are lag spikes.
What is going on here? I've tried N at the 2.4Ghz, 5Ghz, and mixed bands (with no G clients), tried putting the G clients on their own radio and leaving the 600N on the 5Ghz radio. Nothing. Connection quality, reliability, and speed all remain horrible.
I've read reviews (after buying the card -- very unlike me) and they're all terrible. Is this just dreadful hardware? It's their top, top end consumer wireless card. The only consumer dual-band card they offer, so far as I know. What's going on here?
I had one for a while and it gave me good signal quality and decent connection rate but the throughput was still super low. My laptop could achieve over 800 MBps over wireless (intel 5100 AGN), while the card could only do 200Mbps.
It perplexes me to this day and I haven't had the time to really figure it out yet.
I need some serious help. I have computer A hard wired to LInksys WRT54G router and computer B hard wired to Linksys WAP54G access point. Computer B uses Win 7 as its operating system. I cannot figure out for the life of me how to get the access point to find the network. Can anyone please advise? Thanks.
Question: Linksys N-Router/Linksys Wireless-G PCI Adapter incompatibility?
I have tried everything. I recently moved out of the parents house and into my new house and upgraded to an N-Router from a G-Router. Now before my PC even starts up it crashes with the blue screen of death. I've isolated the problem to have something to do with the compatibility between my Linksys WRT160N Wireless-N router and my Linksys WMP54G Wireless-G PCI adapter. When I take the computer back to my parents house it works and connects fine to the old network. If I unplug the antenna from the PCI adapter the PC works (no internet.) If I disconnect the power supply from N-Router the PC works fine (no internet.) But if I put the antenna back in or plug the N-router back in it immediately goes from being fine to the blue screen of death. Can anyone help?
Answer:Linksys N-Router/Linksys Wireless-G PCI Adapter incompatibility?
I should mention that I can use the internet fine with my laptop and iPod touch.
I also bought the Linksys Range Plus Network usb Adapter. I ran the cd on my new computer and got lost when it stated to input my ssid and webkey. I now stopped and have no clue.
Also-this may be a stupid question...but does that little brown usb thing go to my old computer? I also don't want to hook it all up unsecure. I am getting confused. I'm no computer wizard. Just an old broad still thinkin' she can do pull through this nonense.
Question: Linksys router with non-Linksys wireless card?
Will a Linksys WRT54G router transmit to a Sceptre 802.11b PCMCIA card?
I know it supports both 802.11g and 802.11b... but what about a different brand? To two cards at the same time?
Answer:Linksys router with non-Linksys wireless card?
If the card it truely 802.11b compliant, then brand does not matter.
Two cards at the same time? You mean have two+ people using one access point? If so, yes.
Question: Linksys 4-port router + Linksys 4-port wireless router = work together?
Customer has a Linksys 4-port router, loaded full. Customer buys laptop. Customer wants laptop to be wireless.
Being that the customer already has his 4-port router full, I'd like to get him an access point that has wired ports on it as well. So my question is, can I use 2 routers on the same network? I'd assuem there's be all kinds of headaches with the addressing.
Also, we have DHCP turned off, as I have each computer assigning it's own IP address.
If anyone knows of an 8-port wired with wireless, please let me know.
Answer:Linksys 4-port router + Linksys 4-port wireless router = work together?
You can buy another 4 port router with wireless, and just configure it to by an access point only.
I have one of the early Linksys 802.11b routers. I have used it for many years now, and it works great. Recently I purchased a Linksys WRT54G or whatever the Linksys 802.11g router is. The 802.11g router was better for some stuff (802.11b would drop xbox live connections if two xbox 360s were online at the same time. The 802.11g allows both xbox 360s to play online at the same time). However, the internet access (i.e. browsing web sites on my network's computers) was excruciatingly slow. The 802.11b would immediately load pages (as it should...). The 802.11g would take 5-10 seconds longer to actually request the page it appears. In other words, once the page was coming in, it was fast. However, when you click on a link or open a new site in a browser, it would take a minimum of 5-10 seconds longer to start bringing up the page. Sometimes it would take what seems 20-30 seconds longer to start bringing up the page. What is really confusing is this is with the hard-wired Cat 5e network... This occured when I was connected to the wired network.
Any ideas why this was the case? It didn't seem the router was defective, since it worked fine for xbox live and browsing... it was just reeeallly slow for opening pages.
So I have AT&T DSL. I bought a Netgear N300 ADSL2+ Modem/WiFi Router that is compatible with my service.
Previously with this Modem/Router it would constantly drop the wireless connection for the Wii I have that was used to stream Netflix.
So recently I bought a Linksys E2500 Router so I could be able to use the Wii, along with 3 other desktops, 1 laptop, and 3 phones.
I recently got qwest DSL and I configured my Wireless to work and accept my wireless MAC Address, but when I plug it into the WAN slot in the Linksys router it doesn't work. I went to linksys site and did their configuration which is changing the router LAN IP to 192.168.0.1, then power cycling, but this doesn't help. I cannot access the internet still. Both the modem/router and the router are operating DHCP, but if I disable the modem/router, I cannot access the wireless function, and if I disable the DHCP on my Linksys router, I cannot obtain an IP from the modem router via the linksys router.
I just got a Zonet Broadband Switch Router (product model ZSR0104C).
I can ping the router but nothing else.
No errata on installation or any pertinent info.
Looked up Qwest specifications for Router set up... nothing helpful there.
Question: How can I hook Netgear router to linksys router to booster on the roof?
I own a business that offers free Wi-Fi to customers. Originally I had the blue linksys wireless G router hooked up to the booster on the roof. At another location, I just got a Netgear wireless N router, and that worked way better than the linksys. So I got another Netgear router, and installed it in the first location- but I'd like to hook it up to the booster. The guy at Fry's said that the Netgear router will not hookup to the booster- I'd have to hook the Netgear to the linksys, disable something on the linksys, and then the linksys to the booster.
So, my question is, how do I do that?
I want the Actiontec router to do all the DHCP/DNS/NAT and have the Linksys router to simply relay all the communications wirelessly between it and the Actiontec. I'm working my way through Networking for Dummies but this specific setup isn't expressly covered in the book or in the manuals for these devices. Any help is much appreciated.
I don't think that will work with the standard software. There is a site www.dd-wrt.com that has a project to load a linux os into the Linksys box to make it a repeater. It may be worth checking out.
My new home has is pre-wired and uses a UStec TP-IPR8 Router (<http://www.ustecnet.com/tech/tpipr8.html>) to share my broadband connection with every room in the house and provide a home networking environment.
I want to add my Linksys WAP54G Wireless Router (<http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=35&prid=575>) onto the network so that I can connect wirelessly too.
Can anyone help me out with the appropriate settings for the Linksys and/or the TP-IPR8 so that I can accomplish my goal??? They don't seem to want to cooperate for me!
First Step: Plug a computer to the Wireless Router, change the IP address of the wireless router so that it's in the same subnet as the main Router (the one that is connected to the Internet Modem); give it an IP that doesn�t conflict with the main router's base IP address, or the DHCP server range. This will ensure that you can reach the admin server of the old router from any LAN machine, and that the Wireless Clients IPs are assigned correctly.
Second Step: Switch Off the DHCP on the Wireless Cable/DSL Router.
Plug the Wireless Router to the main Router. Regular Port to Regular Port, using crossover cable (or straight patch if one port is an Uplink or auto-sensing).
The WAN input of the Wireless Router should stay open, do not connect any thing to the WAN input of the secondary router.
My network needs to connect to 6 wired PCs and 1 wireless PC.
Right now the Linksys 4 port router connects to the ADSL modem and 4 PCs -and I want to add a new Belkin wireless router to provide a wireless LAN access and have 2 add'l LAN ports.
Therefore, can I, and how do I configure the devices, so that the ADSL modem would go into the Linksys router; the Linksys would provide LAN connection to 3 PCs and the 4th port would go to the input of the Belkin router, which in term would provide wireless access and 3 more LAN ports?
XP wired connection to a just installed Linksys Wireless WRT54GS. As witnessed by this plea, the wired connection works. Try to add a wireless device and the Linksys EasyLink Advisor (LELA) tells me I need to establish a wired connection to the router. It can't find the router. God this makes me mad. My first attempt at a wireless setup at home and here we are. Anyway, how can I make this work? Just bought a Dell laptop that has wireless capability but this dumb thing won't let me set it up. What's the solution? E-Mail and web work fine through the wired connection. Thanks.
Hi I'm looking to buy a router, and i'm torn between the following Two routers. Linksys WAG54G Wireless 4-Port ADSL Router Netgear DG834GT 108Mbps ADSL router I've read quite a few reviews for and against these two routers so i'd be grateful any advice in making the right choice. It will be for Two pc's connected to NTL 1mb broadband. Thanks to all that reply.
although if I had to choose one over the other I would probably opt for the Netgear - it looks nicer, if nothing else.
HiI'm looking to buy a router, and i'm torn between the following Two routers.Linksys WAG54G Wireless 4-Port ADSL RouterNetgear DG834GT 108Mbps ADSL routerI've read quite a few reviews for and against these two routers so i'd be grateful any advice in making the right choice.It will be for Two pc's connected to NTL 1mb broadband.Thanks to all that reply.
Hi, this would probably be better answered in the Network Forum - above.Cheers.
My home network use to consist of 3 comps all running XP Pro and a Vonage router. With the addition of a 4th comp, I have had to use a port on the back of the RTP 300 for one comp. The four others ( 3 comps and the Vonage router )are connected to my Linksys WRT54GL. and I have no problems sharing files and printers. The one comp connected to the Vonage router will not allow file sharing or show up in Network Connections although it has no trouble accessing the net. Is there a setting in the Linksys router that I have to change to allow this one comp to share? I can't access the RTP 300 to make changes as it is locked. I have made sure all the comps are using the same work group and all file and printer settings are set the same on all comps. Any help would be appreciated.
Question: What to buy Linksys Router (E4200-CA) or D-Link Router (DIR-825)?
I'm looking for some opinions on Linksys Max Performance Wireless N Dual Band Router (E4200-CA) and D-Link Xtreme Wireless N Router (DIR-825).
These are the 2 I've narrowed it down to, I just don't know which one to get.
I'll be mostly using it for wireless online gaming on 3 pc/laptop simultaneously. but it will all so be use for wifi on about 3 other small devices, wired on 1 pc and 1 xbox.
any help or opinion on either one would be appreciated.
I can't ping from the 192.168.50.0/24 network on Cisco Router 1. The router is connected with network 192.168.1.0 to a linksys router.
I also can't ping from the linksys router to a IP address that is connected to the cisco router.
Who are you sharing RIP traffic with on .50-.54? Because you're not sharing any route information with your Linksys router?
Do you have a static route from the Linksys router pointing to the Cisco router at 192.168.1.2 to reach networks .50 to .54?
We just had DSL brought to the house. We have three computers to use with the internet. We had satelite with the Linksys (WRT54G) wireless router. Now we have the DSL. The problem I am having is getting the wireless router to work with the DSL router. The DSL router is a Siemens SpeedStream 5890 (Bridge Router). I believe it is also the modem. The phone line goes directly to the router. I can get intenet if I plug into one of the ports on the back (there are 4 (5) of them).
One of the computers is directly hooked up to the 5890. My laptop is currently hooked up too, although, I would like to be able to use the wireless so I can get on the internet anywhere in the house.
When I hook up the Linksys to the 5890, the internet light comes on, on the front of the Linksys, but when I try to use the internet through the Linksys, I get nothing. My laptop and the another computer see the wireless and can even connect to it, but there is no internet.
If the Linksys's WAN had any configuration other than "dynamic connection" to work with your previous service, you will need to change that.
c. configure the Linksys as a switch and wireless access point.
JohnWill's procedure for configuring a secondary router as a switch and, optionally, wireless access point follows.
We ordered a Westell wireless modem/router, 20 port switch and a static IP from our provider. I setup everything in the network closet and I can connect to the wireless signal as long as I am in range. Unfortunately our conference rooms are not in range of the network closet.
My boss suggested we use a spare Linksys wireless router to boost the range of the wireless signal. So i activiated a jack in one of the conference rooms that is centrally located. When I plug into this jack I can connect to the internet etc etc. As soon as I connect the Linksys router I can no longer connect.
I am not sure how to setup the Linksys to work with this connection. Is this even possible? Is it a problem to have two routers on the same connection? Can the Linksys act as a wireless access point?
Question: 2wire modem/router to a Linksys router?
i recently received a 2wire 2701HG-B Gateway Modem/Wireless Router from a friend to replace my old AT&T modem for my DSL, but i found that the wireless connectivity and set up was a little off. (dmz not properly working, lose of signal at times) i want to use the modem portion of the 2wire for the internet but i want to use my Linksys WRT54GS v.5 Wireless Router for my wireless/LAN needs.
is this possible? if so any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.
Answer:2wire modem/router to a Linksys router?
2nd Router, 3rd Router, etc... : All Linksys Routers (Trying to set-up).
I have cable internet and currently Netgear is connected with the cable modem and is supplying internet perfectly. However, I purchased additional Linksys routers and would like to configure them to work with Netgear Router, I have a static IP from the ISP.
BTW: All Routers are wireless as well. Awaiting your reply.
a. "Bridge" the modem/router to make it operate as a modem only. If you have (A)DSL this will probably mean that you have to configure the WAN section of the Linksys for PPPoE and your account/password.
b. Change the IP subset for the LAN on one router (e.g., to 192.168.3.x).
c. JohnWill's procedure (Aug. 30, 2008) for configuring a secondary router as a switch and, optionally, wireless access point follows.
I am trying to network my router with the installed apartment network at my school.
I am in a 4 bedroom apartment with access to internet. The landlord has internet coming in and then connecting to a Etherfast� Cable/DSL Router BEFSR8 behind a locked box which i have admin access too. My 4 bedroom apartment has various ethernet jacks in all the rooms.In my room I have my WRT54GL router connected to a jack.
Do I need my WRT54GL in Router or Gateway operating mode?
Attached is a diagram of my network.
I've been hijacked from this IP. I do not use Linksys as my ISP. Here is the link to this setup http://ui.linksys.com/BEFSX41/1.52.... I cannot make any changes. Please help ?
Not quite sure I follow your post, what you mean...Your link doesn't work.Have you reset your router (usually effected by inserting a paper clip into a wee hole on the back plate, and pressing for a few sconds. This resets mostrouters to as delivered, so you have to reconfigure it agresh.Ideally leave your router off for a few hours as well - before ressting it. Hopefully this will stimulate your isp servers to delegate a new/different ip address to your account which may also help.Also run a few cleaner apps; malwarebytes, adwcleaner, JRT (Junkware Removal Tool) - which installs to the desktop from where you run it). These are all free and safe to use. Install them using manual/custom option NOT automatic; and uncheck any prechecked boxes other than the one for utility itself - thus avoiding all manner of uneanted stuff that will otherwise be installed as well (a lot of it a true PIA to eradicate).
Question: Using Linksys Router with a Netgear router?
I have a new VoIP service, and because of that, I use a Linksys Broadband RT31P2 router, included with the service. The computer which is connected to this router works perfectly fine, and so does the phone. Everything works fine, but I now want that router (Linksys) to provide wireless access to a laptop.
The problem is that the laptop is not picking up a signal from the router, and the router configuration page has no option to "send" a signal for wireless connection. I am starting to think that the Linksys Broadband RT31P2 router is not meant for wireless access, or it would have this option, and make a mention of wireless access.
I also have a Netgear WGR614v4 router, and wondering if there's something I should do with this router. I thought of connecting the Netgear router to Linksys using an Ethernet cable. Therefore, the Linksys router would be the main router, and I'd use the Netgear router as some sort of a secondary router that would give a wireless signal to the laptop. I also tried it the other way around, having the Linksys router connect to the Netgear router.
Answer:Using Linksys Router with a Netgear router?
That linksys router isn't a wireless router. I've never tried hooking up two routers in serial so I can't help you there, but linksys does have a wireless router that supports VoIP that would eliminate the two router problem. The linksys model number is WRT54GP2.
Question: $60 WRT54G linksys router to $600 router, Anybody tried?
Answer:$60 WRT54G linksys router to $600 router, Anybody tried?
Well I don't know where the hell the $600 comes from, but I've done it. There are plenty of great third-party firmwares for the wrt54g.
I have a wireless network setup and I was going to use the WEP security but I can't figure out how to use it.
I set my Passphrase: to "senna" and then selected "generate" and it gave me 4 different keys. I clicked save changes.
Now I can't connect wirelessly. When I scan for an available network it sees it but it will not let me connect to it. I thought it would prompt me to enter a password or somehting but it didn't. How do I get this to work?
I'm having a bit of trouble with a Linksys router I recently purchased. It's a WRT54G. According to the software that came with the router, my laptop can access the router, but not the internet. But the computer I have that connects to the internet via Ethernet (through the same router) can access the internet.
How can I configure the router so my laptop can access the Internet via the router too?
Just turn on the laptop and make sure the wireless card is enabled and on then let it find your router. Also make sure the router's wireless transmitter is on. There is a setting on the router's setup page to turn it on or off.
I recently bought a laptop and a linksys g router for a family member. I am dissappointed in the range of the router. I bought the longer antennae's for the router to possibly extend the range but cannot figure out how to remove the small antennae's that are on the router. I had a b router before and was able to just unscrew the old ones and screw the larger ones on without a problem. Any ideas are appreciated. I still have the b router with the longer antennaes. Could I just plug this in about 50 feet away from the g router and have it pick up the r router's signal so the laptop can pick up a signal farther away from the router? Just wondering.
Well, if the antennas are removable, they'll have a place to grip to unscrew them, it's fairly obvious. Some routers don't have removable antennas. Have you tried changing channels on the router? I doubt the 802.11b router is going to help in that scenario. Exactly how far are you trying to go, and what kind of obstructions do you have? If you're considering the second router at 50 feet, it sounds like you're going quite a distance.
I recently bought a Netgear(WG111T) 108mbps wireless usb 2.0 adapter and a linksys wireless-G 54mbps broadband router(WRT54G) for my desktop computer and laptop so both can go wireless at the same time via cable modem. They both cannot connect to the internet when hooked up to the router I tryed configuring it but it still does not work. Sometimes the desktop works and the laptop does not and vice versa. They both show connected to the router but not to the internet.
Just to add to this:When I have the PC hardwired to the router I get a decent IP address with my wireless connection. When I don't have it hardwired and I only have wireless enabled, the IP for the wireless connection is not available, ie. all 0's.Food for thought?
I am trying to repair a network connection through a wireless linksys router. It will not fully repair the connection because it canot "clear the DNS cache"
Does anyone know what this means or how to fix it?
Let us know if it helps....the HOSTS file itself could be your problem. It's fixable.
I have 2 computers, networked and connected to ntl cable via a linksys router. It all works superbly and I am really pleased with my setup.One thing puzzles me though....How do I know that the hardware firewall is working?With the zone alarm software one, it is possible to check, either by constant alerts, or by looking at the log, just how many possible incursions have been thwarted. How can I tell if my routers firewall is doing the job for which Im paying it?Itis definitely enabled in the setup utility.Thanks for any advice.
Have installed a linksys router. My laptop is working ok, but for some reason I cannot get a INTERNET connection on my PC. I am running on windows xp. It appears to connect to the wrong IP address.
You haven't mentioned how the PC connects to the router - "wirelessly" or by network cable?The connection to the router should get its IP address automatically by DHCP from the router, but with a WiFi adapter this will only happen once you have "connected" to the wireless network. If the adapter cannot access the router to get its IP address, Windows will allocate an address in the "169.254.x.x" range which won't let you connect the LAN or the internet.
I just got the Linksys BEFSR41 and got everything set up. I thought everything was working fine until i tried to play some online games. Whenever I play UT2K4 or couterstrike or i am assuming anything online, I get major lag. In ut2k4 it will seem to loose my connection for about 10 seconds and I wont be able to shoot my weapon and everything will look like it's running in place and then it will skip ahead and everything will be fine again. It happens about every 5 minutes or so. In cs i will actually lose my connection but in ut2k4 it will just seem like i have an outrageous ping for about 5-10 seconds and then will recover back to normal. I can surf the web and talk online without any problems. From a web browser/aim standpoint it seems everything is fine, until i try playing games online. Any ideas as to what my problem might be or what a first step is that I could try to fix the problem.
Try flashing the newest firmware. Strange, I use a WRT54g with nothing special set and none of my game experience those problems. Could also be a faulty unit as you don't need to forward any ports to connect to a server, only if your hosting.
i hjave a question about my Linksys router wireless-g broadband 2.4GHz speedbooster here the question how far do they work up to. Like can i take it to my friends house and will the internet still work. So how far will this router work up too.
Hello guys. I'm in desperate need of help or I'll be forced to buy a new router. I have the Linksys BEFSR41 ver.4.3 encase you need it. Anyways. I was messing around with the port forwarding and other **** for my router because I've been trying to hook it up for my 360. However after I saved the settings my router doesn't work anymore. It says something about not being able to obtain a IP address. I tried holding the button down for 30 seconds and nothing happened. I heard a orange light would come on telling me the router was resetting. No orange light after 60 seconds. So now I can't get access to the internet when my router is hooked up.
I have to run the cord from my cable modem to the back of my PC directly. And when my router is hooked up it wont even let me access my router page to restore factory settings that way! I'm in dire need of help guys. I don't know what to do. Any help would DEFINITELY be appreciated. Thanks.
I just bought my first laptop (Toshiba A665-S6095, 16", Core i5). I have Comcast HSI, so only have a cable modem, no router. My daughter has a 6-yr.-old Linksys W11S4PC11 router that she is willing to give me, but I'm hesitant about using it because of its age -- would probably be very slow. I notice that it is still sold on Amazon and probably other places, but only supports 801.11B wireless speeds. I know very little about wireless specs, but understand the max speed of that protocol is only 11Mbps. I'm getting 21Mbps from my current Motorola Surfboard modem, so my guess is I'd be very disappointed with the speed of this old router. Am I right or wrong?
Question: Linksys Router...still need help!!!!!!!!!!!!
I still can't get any security for the Wireless connection on this Router. I have tried everything...set up is o.k. Internet connections o.k. Wireless o.k. on Laptop but not security enabled...Just don't have any more ideas of where to go next. I have typed the i.p. address in as told but just getting an error page..i.p. 192.168.1.1. this gives me nothing. Even been on the Linksys Help Web pages but still no joy.Until I can get a security padlock on the wireless connection I am unwilling to log in on the laptop.Anyone any more suggestions as to what I can do.Chrisann..
Yesterday we changed from Cable tv and cable modem to dish network and wireless broadband. My router worked just fine prior to the installation but now only one computer can be online at a time.
I have called tech support and of course it's the router problem according to them. They are telling me that some numbers in the router need to be changed but nobody can explain to me how to do that. We went to the Linksys website and their live support feature and this guy was talking greek and both hubby and myself were totally confused when he finished what he was positive was going to fix the problem.
We have even unplugged the router, turned off both computers, waited five minutes then turned the router back on and then booted up the computers which is supposed to reset the router and may have done so but it didn't fix the net access problem for us.
I would appreciate any help at all with this problem.
My problem is that my wireless router Linksys 2.4 ghz BEFW11S4 has stopped working. I swapped out a cable modem from Comcast, and now the router will not allow my computer online. It comes up as working in the bottom righthand corner with excellent reception, but it will not allow me on the internet.
I called Tech Support and they wanted to charge me 30 dollars to reset the router to the modem. I have tried their online help, but the internet stops working on the second step, modem to router to computer. Please let me know if there is anything I can do.
I'm having trouble conecting my second computer to the internet through my linksys wireless router. I have it wirelessly connected to my laptop but i want to connect it to my second computer usinging a phone line through one of the extra ports in the back. On my second computer it says it's connected with it but i cant get onto the internet, it's the same old "this page cannot be displayed" message. Please tell me what i'm doing wrong i've tried everything i can think of but nothing works.
You can't use a phone line!!! It may look similar, but it's not the same at all. You need an RJ-45 CAT5 ethernet cable. You can get them at any computer store, Wal-Mart,l Radio Shack, etc. That will help you solve your problem.
I am struggling with connecting a Linksys Wireless-G router, model WRT54GS, with an AOL high speed cable modem. I have tried using the Linksys set-up CD and the on-line instructions neither of which will allow the modem to talk to the router. I am running a windows XP system. If I try to connect to AOL I get a cannot find internet error message. The router appears to be working but it will not talk to the modem.
Based on this article - http://www.winplanet.com/article/2331-.htm - you have two choices: get a decent ISP, or a different router.
I still can't connect to the server(desktop) from my notebook (viewer).. but I can do it the opposite way.. server(notebook) to desktop (viewer).
I have an old school linksys router. Works fine. So here's my new problem. I use the router in one room and I have a direct connection to a desk top from the router.
Well, I need to use another desk top in the next room. I bought a RangePlus Wireless Network USB to try to connect the desktop wirelessly. It works but I only get a 11.0 Mbps connection.
Crazy thing is that I get a faster connection on my Wii thats further away! I turn it off when I try to connect wirelessly on the desk top but to no avail.
Am I doing something wrong? Is there anything I can buy (besides a new desktop) to improve my connection speed?
What model of Linksys router and wireless card do you have?
I have an etherfast wirelass access cable router with 4 port switch, and an on q 1x11 basic telecom module (HUB). Now the problem inherently lies in which port of the hub to plug the uplink wire into, which comes from the router. The choices are: wide are network (in and out ports (2 ports)) and network bridge (1 port). Now im not a professional at all i just happen to know a good bit about computers, not networks. So anyway i have the linksys router set up with the cable to that i can receive a signal but in the computer, i put an ethernet cable from the local jack in the room and put it in the network port of the computer and nothing. so any info or any directions to find info would be appreciated. linksys and onq have not ben much help by the way.
Re-explain your setup 'cause I'm not following you and it is very confusing.
I'm gathering that you have a Linksys Wireless Router with a integrated four port switch, a cable modem and a "1x11 basic telecom module (HUB)". Is that right? Before we go any further, what is the "1x11 basic telecom module (HUB)" and why do you need it?
Explain this and then we can go further.
Question: Please help me with my Linksys router!!!!
I bought a router today at circuit city and I am having trouble installing it. I have everything plugged in correctly, but the router is not recognizing the connection between the computer and the router. The LED will not light up in port 1, where I have the ethernet cord plugged into.
I have also tried connection and reconnecting in about every combination possible. Any help is appreciated.
Hello everyone, I have a big question regarding a LInksys router (BEFSR41).
I bought the router a couple of weeks ago. I also download the Logview from linksys. Well today I notice that I had a tone of ip address hitting port 80.
Well I type in the Ip address that they were trying to get into. Well I found out it was my IP address.
Right when I entered the ip address in my browser it asked me for a user name and password. I also notice it had my model number of the linksys router plus some other ones.
Well I entered my password that I assign it. Well it was my config setting for my router.
How do I hide this or shut it down so no one on the net can get to this? I'm afraid that someone might run some kind of script or a brut force to get into my rounter.
Any kind of help would be good.
Were these addresses in the outbound or the inbound window of LogView?
I bought a Wii Lan adaptor to use with my Linksys BEFSR41 wired router. I followed instructions but when I try to get into the settings menu I get an error screen "You tried to access the address marc:EU/EU/ENG/index01.html which is currently unavailable.It gives this message even when the Lan adaptor is not connected.Any ideas what is happening. I am a Wii novice!!
I have the linksys cable dsl router with 4 port switch model # BEFSR41 and i need to know how to port foward 4000.
24 hour, free tech support. they will walk you right through it.
I have a linksys router The model number is WRT160N. I recently got highspeed throught centrylink. I try to pull up the linksys router but it wont come up I tried 191.168.1.1 Nothing comes up. I have tried all I can think of everything linksys sites has to offer, Now I can pull up the centrylink modem. But I need to get into the linksys. My internet speeds are slow at times like on dial up. I have Win XP. Please help me!
Question: Help with linksys router.
I have a linksys router model # BEFW11S4V4. The problem I have is that it locks up. But here is the weird part it only locks up when I try to stream video. And not just any video only wmv and realplayer. Sometimes it doesn't lock up though and other times it locks up after the streaming is complete. This started happing when I updated my routers firmware to the latest version. I am all out of ideas and any help would be greatly appreciated.
I'm having the exact same problem! I too have a Linksys BEFW11S4 Ver 4. I'm running Firmware Version 1.52.02.
Question: anyone know how to put a fan on a linksys router?
anyone ever done this mod? if ever you have some pics can you pls post it.
Does anyone know how to find the passkey for a linksys router model, wrt160n v3.
this is starting to piss me off now, but I would like to know what is happening with my router. I run Azureus almost 24/7 and sometimes, the router will just crash/stop working, and I will get no connection. the activity lights stay on saying there is activity, and my modem lights stay on, but all the computers on the router have all their IPs changed from their local IP (normally 192.168.1.***) to an internet IP.
And the only way I seem to be able to fix this is having to reset the router, I mean a real good reset.
Any Ideas on what is happening? getting too hot from too much activity? a timeout? a general crash? stop error?
Any Ideas on how to fix this? any help would be appreaciated on this subject.
Now, here is something else that is very different, sometimes when I am running Azureus, and my PC goes into Hibernation, and I bring it out of it, NO CONNECTION. what so ever. the only thing I can connect to is my router to configure stuff. I mess around with my connection on my PC, I try to renew my IP, which switches from local IP to internet, and it wont renew, as though it has stopped responding to the internet. I know the usuals on getting a broken connection to work.
Just on the router problem, I would say cooling is the number one problem. The linksys 54g router I have works like a champ for the most part, but does bog down sometimes. Try keeping it well ventilated and see if that helps.
Not sure about the hibernation problem.
Oh, and BitComet has treated me wonderfully. Give it a try.
a while back, and never really got around to setting it up.
I just recently purchased a new pc and with it a BEFSR41 V.3 Linksys router. I successfully hooked up all hardware and ran the router configurator and everything seems to work O.K. eg. I can share files between the 2 PC's and they can both access the internet at the same time, etc. etc. However, I am new to using a router, so when we tried to play one of our games together we were unsuccessful. With every game we tried to! Both computers are running Windows XP, they are quite similar in specs. We could not connect when we chose to play LAN, Internet or ZoneMatch on one game in particular(which gives the message on the second pc that it can not connect to server).The main computer can create games but can not join any and the second pc can not do either. Heroes of Might and Magic for eg. - when you try to create it gives the message "DirectPlay failed when attempting to open a listening connection." and when you try to join the message is "Host enumeration failed You need to install the selected protocol"
I am a student working on my A+ certification. I have no networking experience so I am a little lost and trying to figure out how to set up my little home network. I collected the parts as I could so I realize what I am trying to attempt may not be the optimum configuration but money being tight I would like to see if I can make what I have work. It would be good practice for me in my studies.
Here's what I have and what I want to accomplish. I have 1 desktop and 1 laptop. Both run XP. My laptop has a netgear wireless card as well as a integrated network card. I have a satellite connection to the internet via Wildblue. Between the PCs and the satellite modem is a Linksys wired router with a four port switch part number BEFSR41 ver. 4.3. I also have Linksys wireless access point part number WAP11.
I have the desktop and laptop connected to the router via cat5 cables and it works great. But I don't have the mobility around my house that I want. So I want to install the WAP11 so that I can connect to my network from anywhere in my house without dragging a cable around. I also have a frequent house guest to my house who has a wireless card in his notebook to be able to access my network when he comes to visit.
You have the right idea. In order to configure the WAP you will need a USB Male A to Male B to configure it. Also check the link below on Linksys website for a Manual.
Note: You will need to select the version of the router you are using.
I recently moved to a new location with a dsl modem and transferred my macbook and lynksis router E1000 v2. I would appreciate any tips regarding configuration to the new isp. Thanks.
make and model of the modem - is it a router modem ?
Okay - I am replacing my simple home wireless router Linksys WRT54G to a wired only Cisco 2500 series router.
I need to get ready for CCNA and feel that having and setting up my own LAN with this router can't hurt.
Where in the Linksys config would I tell the router to just work as an AP and not a router? If this is even possible?
You can sorta follow this using the two routers. It might take you a bit of work.
Question: How do I setup a WRT54G behind another WRT54G?
During this article, the two routers will be referred to as the First router (the main router), and the Second router (the router that you are connecting to the first). The information assumes that both routers are Linksys WRT54G routers both with default factory settings to start; however, if you are familiar with the steps, they can apply to other routers and other manufacturer routers as well. Please contact the appropriate manufacturer for assistance.
Note: Having a “Dual Router Network” can potentially cause unexpected problems during the troubleshooting process if you were to ever have a problem. Be sure to record any settings that are changed during this setup process. Settings that are changed are summarized at the end of this article.
With the Second Router powered on, and nothing plugged into any of its network ports, hold in the Reset button on the unit for about 30 seconds.
Connect a computer (it does not matter which one) into one of the numbered ports on the back of the Second Router, then restart or turn on that computer.
Do you have Cable or DSL internet service?
Are you getting an IP address from the router?
C-If DSL internet service, youll have to enter the DSL username and PW into the router config pages.
i have recently been having some bandwidth issues and it came to be that my old Linksys BEFSR41 router is getting spotty. So i went out a bought a new BEFSR41 v4 router. My speeds were flying and i was almost happy till i see that my connection keeps dropping. It reconnects fairly quickly but i keep getting breaks in my transfers and general connection. Can't have this like this... I've had the router in place for all of one day and its already driving me nuts!
I think i need to return this piece of sheite and pick up something better.
I am considering getting the D-Link DGL-4100 which is $130 at compusa and $109 at newegg.
Have you explored the possibility that the modem is the item that may be causing issues?
If you provided us with a model...might be able to help you better.
have older router that software supports up to XP but trying to get it to work with vista.
Disk with router will not run on vista computer.
Is there any way to get this working or do I need new router?
I have a Linksys Router. I need to adjust it so that I can invite friends and host games on Battle.net in Warcraft. The Linksys site has the answer but the link isn't working that they tell you to go to. I think it is called Head-to-Head configuration. Please help! It is basically a problem connecting to other computers over a game server I think.
You need to find out what ports the game runs on, then find out how to enable port forwarding on your router. You need to know the internal address of the computer hosting, usually 192.168.1.101 or something and forward the needed port ranges to that IP address.
I'm not certain if the router is my problem but for last yr. or more I was able to access a shop online site with no problem. Over the weekend we had to change from our old Linksys router to the new wireless Linksys 4 port router and since I cannot access that website.
I am still able to access everything else except that site. I have checked with our Internet provider and they see no reason for my problem, I have called the site's Customer Service desk and they state they are still getting orders from my city, Las Vegas but I cannot get online.
As I said I am able to get into my bank online site, our very secure Military sites and other shopping sites I have dealt with just not this one site.
Any help or direction you can give me would be so appreciated.
Cleared your browser cache (deleted Temporary Internet Files in IE) recently? Try that first.
Okay, everything works fine until I try and set up port forwarding. When I do this, I get an intermittent connection.
Linksys tech support has no clue how to fix this, so I'm hoping someone here does.
It's got to be the new firmware, because I had an older model of this same exact router and I was able to do it no problem.
I have a Linksys Wireless G Gateway router model WAG 200G, which has developed an intermittent problem whereby it drops the DSL connection, I understand that this is a problem with this particular router, which is now discontinued.I am looking at replacing it with another Linksys Wireless G Gateway router model WAG 54GS.Has anyone any comments wich may help me make my mind up. My ISP is Virgin.net (not cable).
I had a Linksys for about 3 years - had a few problems and now use a Belkin N+ that (I think) has a life guarantee.
I have a Linksys router with two computers hook to it directly. I would like to set up limit for bandwidth. I have charter for my internet provider.
You need to buy a lot more expensive router if you want bandwidth limiting. There are software solutions, give http://www.netlimiter.com/ a look and see if it'll do the job for you.
I have a Linksys WRT120N Router that is pretty new. Recently everything has been fine except about once everyday i lose wireless connection on my laptop, Xbox 360, and iPod touch. The two computers that are connected via Ethernet do not lose internet connection however. The only way i have found to get the connection back is to unplug the router and wait a little while then plug it back in. Is there anything i can do to fix this because i am tired of unplugging my router everyday.
Please do not duplicate your Post, you will get assistance here in Networking Forums.
My linksys BEFW11S4 wont let me access any thing except AOL. The parental controls are disabled should hey be enabled. I cant update windows or go on winmx.
What model wireless router ?(is G 4 the model?).
Did you get an install CD with it?
Have you visited the manufacturer's website and downloaded a manual, if you don't already have one?
How far are you from your ISP? What Broadband plan? ADSL, ADSL 2+, Cable?
Be careful with expressing speeds. Some say KB/s, kB/s, kbps. I guess you are trying to indicate KB/s. 30KB/s (=30 kB/s) is seriously slow as you know.
Check out the manual and CD, and maybe re-install again.
Come back if things don't improve and I will post some Broadband test sites.
The " Internet " light on my 802.11b router won't come on. Get a signal on laptop, but can't get on the net. Guess it died huh?
Question: Linksys Router Need Help!
Hello, I have a Linksys BEFSR41v2 reouter, I been having problem with it. I have two computers connected with it. Usually after 10 hours it will loss connection, so I have to replug again but still have the same problem. | 2019-04-21T23:02:40Z | http://postthreads.org/support/3015035/Can-t-open-22-on-Linksys-router.html |
Discussion in 'General Issues and Discussion Forum' started by NewsBot, Jul 14, 2007.
Supervised exercise therapy for intermittent claudication in a community-based setting is as effective as clinic-based.
J Vasc Surg. 2007 Jun;45(6):1192-6.
Bendermacher BL, Willigendael EM, Nicolaï SP, Kruidenier LM, Welten RJ, Hendriks E, Prins MH, Teijink JA, de Bie RA.
OBJECTIVE: This cohort study was conducted to determine the effect on walking distances of supervised exercise therapy provided in a community-based setting.
METHODS: The study included all consecutive patients presenting at the vascular outpatient clinic with intermittent claudication, diagnosed by a resting ankle brachial index<0.9, who had no previous peripheral vascular intervention for peripheral arterial disease, no major amputation, and sufficient command of the Dutch language. The exclusion criterion was the inability to walk the baseline treadmill test for a minimum of 10 m. The intervention was a supervised exercise therapy in a community-based setting. A progressive treadmill test at baseline and at 1, 3, and 6 months of follow-up measured initial claudication distance and absolute claudication distance. Changes were calculated using the mean percentages of change.
RESULTS: From January through October 2005, 93 consecutive patients with claudication were eligible. Overall, 37 patients discontinued the supervised exercise therapy program. Eleven stopped because of intercurrent diseases, whereas for 10, supervised exercise therapy did not lead to adequate improvement and they underwent a vascular intervention. Three patients quit the program, stating that they were satisfied with the regained walking distance and did not require further supervised exercise therapy. Ten patients were not motivated sufficiently to continue the program, and in three patients, a lack of adequate insurance coverage was the reason for dropping out. Data for 56 patients were used and showed a mean percentage increase in initial claudication distance of 187% after 3 months and 240% after 6 months. The mean percentage of the absolute claudication distance increased 142% after 3 months and 191% after 6 months.
CONCLUSION: Supervised exercise therapy in a community-based setting is a promising approach to providing conservative treatment for patients with intermittent claudication.
An exercise regimen can help with this because collateral circulation is formed.
Exercise performance in patients with peripheral arterial disease who have different types of exertional leg pain.
Gardner AW, Montgomery PS, Afaq A.
J Vasc Surg. 2007 Jul;46(1):79-86.
OBJECTIVE: This study compared the exercise performance of patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) who have different types of exertional leg pain.
METHODS: Patients with PAD were classified into one of four groups according to the San Diego Claudication Questionnaire: intermittent claudication (n = 406), atypical exertional leg pain causing patients to stop (n = 125), atypical exertional leg pain in which patients were able to continue walking (n = 81), and leg pain on exertion and rest (n = 103). Patients were assessed on the primary outcome measures of ankle-brachial index (ABI), treadmill exercise measures, and ischemic window.
RESULTS: All patients experienced leg pain consistent with intermittent claudication during a standardized treadmill test. The mean (+/- SD) initial claudication distance (ICD) was similar (P = .642) among patients with intermittent claudication (168 +/- 160 meters), atypical exertional leg pain causing patients to stop (157 +/- 130 meters), atypical exertional leg pain in which patients were able to continue walking (180 +/- 149 meters), and leg pain on exertion and rest (151 +/- 136 meters). The absolute claudication distance (ACD) was similar (P = .648) in the four respective groups (382 +/- 232, 378 +/- 237, 400 +/- 245, and 369 +/- 236 meters). Similarly, the ischemic window, expressed as the area under the curve (AUC) after treadmill exercise, was similar (P = .863) in these groups (189 +/- 137, 208 +/- 183, 193 +/- 143, and 199 +/- 119 AUC).
CONCLUSION: PAD patients with different types of exertional leg pain, all limited by intermittent claudication during a standardized treadmill test, were remarkably similar in ICD, ACD, and ischemic window. Thus, the presence of ambulatory symptoms should be of primary clinical concern in evaluating PAD patients regardless of whether they are consistent with classic intermittent claudication.
Supervised exercise training for intermittent claudication: lasting benefit at three years.
Ratliff DA, Puttick M, Libertiny G, Hicks RC, Earby LE, Richards T.
Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg. 2007 Sep;34(3):322-6.
OBJECTIVES: To assess the long-term outcome of supervised exercise training for intermittent claudication.
METHODS: A prospective study was undertaken of all patients referred to a single centre with intermittent claudication (>46 m). Patients underwent supervised exercise training twice weekly for 10 weeks, with regular follow-up to 3 years. Actual Claudication Distance (ACD), Maximum Walking Distance (MWD) and ankle-brachial pressure indices (ABPI) were measured.
RESULTS: In 202 patients the initial median ACD and MWD were 112 m and 197 m. Following exercise therapy both the median ACD and MWD increased to 266 m and 477 m at three months, increases of 237% and 242% respectively (p<0.001). At three years the median ACD and MWD were 250 m and 372 m, increases of 223% and 188% respectively (p<0.001). There was no significant change in ACD or MWD at 3 months compared to 1, 2 or 3 years. ABPI remained unchanged throughout.
CONCLUSIONS: Supervised exercise training has long term benefit in patients with intermittent claudication. Results seen at 12 weeks are sustained at three years.
Effects of a long-term exercise program on lower limb mobility, physiological responses, walking performance, and physical activity levels in patients with peripheral arterial disease.
Crowther RG, Spinks WL, Leicht AS, Sangla K, Quigley F, Golledge J.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of a 12-month exercise program on lower limb mobility (temporal-spatial gait parameters and gait kinematics), walking performance, peak physiological responses, and physical activity levels in individuals with symptoms of intermittent claudication due to peripheral arterial disease (PAD-IC).
METHODS: Participants (n = 21) with an appropriate history of PAD-IC, ankle-brachial pressure index (ABI) <0.9 in at least one leg and a positive Edinburgh claudication questionnaire response were prospectively recruited. Participants were randomly allocated to either a control PAD-IC group (CPAD-IC) (n = 11) that received standard medical therapy and a treatment PAD-IC group (TPAD-IC) (n = 10), which also took part in a 12-month supervised exercise program. A further group of participants (n = 11) free of PAD (ABI >0.9) and who were non-regular exercisers were recruited from the community to act as age and mass matched controls (CON). Lower limb mobility was determined via two-dimensional video motion analysis. A graded treadmill test was used to assess walking performance and peak physiological responses to exercise. Physical activity levels were measured via a 7-day pedometer recording. Differences between groups were analyzed via repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA).
RESULTS: The 12-month supervised exercise program had no significant effect on lower limb mobility, peak physiological responses, or physical activity levels in TPAD-IC compared with CPAD-IC participants. However, the TPAD-IC participants demonstrated significantly greater walking performance (171% improvement in pain free walking time and 120% improvement in maximal walking time compared with baseline).
CONCLUSION: The results of this study confirm that a 12-month supervised exercise program will result in improved walking performance, but does not have an impact on lower limb mobility, peak physiological responses, or physical activity levels of PAD-IC patients.
Claudication secondary to peripheral arterial disease leads to reduced mobility, limited physical functioning, and poor health outcomes. Disease severity can be assessed with quantitative clinical methods and qualitative self-perceived measures of quality of life. Limited data exist to document the degree to which quantitative and qualitative measures correlate. The current study provides data on the relationship between quantitative and qualitative measures of symptomatic peripheral arterial disease.
This descriptive case series was set in an academic vascular surgery unit and biomechanics laboratory. The subjects were symptomatic patients with peripheral arterial disease patients presenting with claudication. The quantitative evaluation outcome measures included measurement of ankle-brachial index, initial claudication distance, absolute claudication distance, and self-selected treadmill pace. Qualitative measurements included the Walking Impairment Questionnaire (WIQ) and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey. Spearman rank correlations were performed to determine the relationship between each quantitative and qualitative measure and also between the WIQ and SF-36.
Included were 48 patients (age, 62 ± 9.6 years; weight, 83.0 ± 15.4 kg) with claudication (ABI, 0.50 ± 0.20). Of the four WIQ subscales, the ankle-brachial index correlated with distance (r = 0.29) and speed (r = 0.32); and initial claudication distance and absolute claudication distance correlated with pain (r = 0.40 and 0.43, respectively), distance (r = 0.35 and 0.41, respectively), and speed (r = 0.39 and 0.39 respectively). Of the eight SF-36 subscales, no correlation was found for the ankle-brachial index, initial claudication distance correlated with Bodily Pain (r = 0.46) and Social Functioning (r = 0.30), and absolute claudication time correlated with Physical Function (r = 0.31) and Energy (r = 0.30). The results of both questionnaires showed reduced functional status in claudicating patients.
Initial and absolute claudication distances and WIQ pain, speed, and distance subscales are the measures that correlated the best with the ambulatory limitation of patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease. These results suggest the WIQ is the most specific questionnaire for documenting the qualitative deficits of the patient with claudication while providing strong relationships with the quantitative measures of arterial disease. Future studies of claudication patients should include both quantitative and qualitative assessments to adequately assess disease severity and functional status in peripheral arterial disease patients.
Watson L, Ellis B, Leng GC.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008 Oct 8;(4):CD000990.
BACKGROUND: Exercise programmes are a relatively inexpensive, low-risk option compared with other more invasive therapies for leg pain on walking (intermittent claudication (IC)).
OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects of exercise programmes on IC, particularly in respect of reduction of symptoms on walking and improvement in quality of life.
SEARCH STRATEGY: The Cochrane Peripheral Vascular Diseases Group searched their Specialised Register (last search February 2008) and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in The Cochrane Library 2008, Issue 1.
SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials of exercise regimens in people with IC due to peripheral arterial disease.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors independently extracted data and assessed trial quality.
MAIN RESULTS: Twenty-two trials met the inclusion criteria involving a total of 1200 participants with stable leg pain. Follow-up period was from two weeks to two years. There was some variation in the exercise regimens used, all recommended at least two sessions weekly of mostly supervised exercise. All trials used a treadmill walking test for one of the outcome measures. Quality of the included trials was good, though the majority of trials were small with 20 to 49 participants. Fourteen trials compared exercise with usual care or placebo; patients with various medical conditions or other pre-existing limitations to their exercise capacity were generally excluded.Compared with usual care or placebo, exercise significantly improved maximal walking time: mean difference (MD) 5.12 minutes (95% confidence interval (CI) 4.51 to 5.72 with an overall improvement in walking ability of approximately 50% to 200%; exercise did not affect the ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) (MD -0.01, 95% CI -0.05 to 0.04). Walking distances were also significantly improved: pain-free walking distance MD 82.19 metres (95% CI 71.73 to 92.65) and maximum walking distance MD 113.20 metres (95% CI 94.96 to 131.43). Improvements were seen for up to two years. The effect of exercise compared with placebo or usual care was inconclusive on mortality, amputation and peak exercise calf blood flow due to limited data.Evidence was generally limited for exercise compared with surgical intervention, angioplasty, antiplatelet therapy, pentoxifylline, iloprost and pneumatic foot and calf compression due to small numbers of trials and participants. Angioplasty may produce greater improvements than exercise in the short term but this effect may not be sustained.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Exercise programmes were of significant benefit compared with placebo or usual care in improving walking time and distance in selected patients with leg pain from IC.
I have to ask " is it worth the effort"? statistically significant but is it realy clinically significant?
All the cited studies show improvement in walking distance post supervised exercise for a period of time. statistical percentages of 120% - 190% improvement are quoted, which didn't include those who dropped out fo various reasons. These figures appear significant but are they?
If the the average distance of painfree walking or distance to point where the subject had to stop and rest was say 500 metres then 20% improvement only = 600mtrs. a 90% improvement = 950mtrs. However most of these studies seem to indicate a much lower baseline than 500mtrs and overal improvement appear to be around the 100mtr mark ie 100mtrs further then 12 months ago.
Would thid be a significant improvement to the patient after 12 months of painful therapy?
J Physiol 2008 586: 5983-5998.
This study evaluated whether -adrenergic activation contributes to collateral circuit vascular resistance in the hindlimb following acute unilateral occlusion of the femoral artery in rats. Blood pressures (BPs) were measured above (caudal artery) and below (distal femoral artery) the collateral circuit. Arterial BPs were reduced (15–35 mmHg) with individual (prazosin, rauwolscine) or combined (phentolamine) -receptor inhibition. Blood flows (BFs) were measured using microspheres before and after inhibition during the same treadmill speed. 1 inhibition increased blood flow by 40% to active muscles that were not affected by femoral occlusion, whereas collateral-dependent BFs to the calf muscles were reduced by 29 ± 8.4% (P < 0.05), due to a decrease in muscle conductance with no change in collateral circuit conductance. 2 inhibition decreased both collateral circuit (39 ± 6.0%; P < 0.05) and calf muscle conductance (36 ± 7.3%; P < 0.05), probably due to residual 1 activation, since renal BF was markedly reduced with rauwolscine. Most importantly, inhibiting 2 receptors in the presence of 1 inhibition increased (43 ± 12%; P < 0.05) collateral circuit conductance. Similarly, non-selective inhibition with phentolamine increased collateral conductance (242 ± 59%; P < 0.05). We interpret these findings to indicate that both 1- and 2-receptor activation can influence collateral circuit resistance in vivo during the high flow demands caused by exercise. Furthermore, we observed a reduced maximal conductances of active muscles that were ischaemic. Our findings imply that in the presence of excessive sympathetic activation, which can occur in the condition of intermittent claudication during exertion, an exaggerated vasoconstriction of the existing collateral circuit and active muscle will occur.
You probably know that poor diet and lack of exercise can lead to dangerous deposits of fatty plaques in arteries. But it is not just the heart that is affected – blood flow can be blocked to the legs too, leading to pain when walking, immobility and even in extreme cases, amputation.
Approximately 20% of us will suffer from this peripheral artery disease (PAD) once we are 65 or over, and with risk factors including smoking, diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure it is on the rise. Surgical intervention can sometimes help, but the prognosis is not good.
Encouragingly, new research by Ronald Terjung et al. published in The Journal of Physiology shows that regular, moderate exercise can go a long way to relieving the symptoms of PAD, and by some unexpected mechanisms.
When a major artery in the leg becomes blocked, the body naturally seeks another route for the blood to pass through by expanding and multiplying the surrounding smaller blood vessels in the area, called collateral blood flow.
The researchers studied rats with a blocked femoral artery and found that collateral blood flow was much more effective in restoring normal muscle function in rats that were put on regular exercise training.
The collateral vessels themselves were larger and less prone to constriction – a problem exacerbated with PAD – than in sedentary animals. Surprisingly, the function of blood vessels ‘downstream’ of the blockage also changed, making them more efficient.
The authors predict that a suitable exercise programme would delay the onset of pain and increase mobility for people suffering with PAD.
“Our findings raise the potential that new collateral vessels, that can develop in patients with PAD who are physically active, will function effectively to help minimize the consequences of the original vascular obstruction.” commented Dr Terjung.
Plantar flexion: an effective training for peripheral arterial disease.
Wang E, Hoff J, Loe H, Kaehler N, Helgerud J.
Eur J Appl Physiol. 2008 Nov;104(4):749-56.
This study examined whether a training intervention likely to elicit adaptations in the leg could result in reduced leg pain and increased whole body physical capacity. Twenty-seven peripheral arterial disease (PAD) patients were randomized to either an individual leg plantar flexion training group (TG) training 4 x 4 min intervals at 80% of maximal work rate three times per week for 8 weeks or a control group. The TG significantly increased plantar flexion peak oxygen uptake and power output by 23.5 and 43.9%, respectively. Treadmill peak oxygen uptake (VO(2peak)) significantly increased 12.3% in the TG and was associated with a significant increased time to exhaustion of 20.0% when treadmill walking. Eleven of 14 patients no longer reported leg pain limitations at VO(2peak). No differences in cardiac output measured at VO(2peak), or walking economy were observed. Plantar flexion training was effective in increasing VO(2peak) and walking performance, and may be a useful strategy in treatment of PAD.
Effects of exercise training on calf tissue oxygenation in men with intermittent claudication.
Figoni SF, Kunkel CF, Scremin AM, Asher A, Banks NL, Rivera A, Tin JK, Cohen B.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of exercise training on calf tissue oxygenation in men with peripheral arterial disease and intermittent calf claudication.
DESIGN: This pilot study was prospective and longitudinal and used a one-group, pretest-posttest design. SETTING: Tertiary care medical center for veterans. PARTICIPANTS: Fifteen male veterans (mean age 69 years) with Fontaine stage IIa peripheral arterial disease and classic intermittent claudication. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Before and after intervention, participants performed graded treadmill exercise tests while medial calf tissue oxygenation (StO(2), % oxyhemoglobin saturation) was monitored continuously with near-infrared spectroscopy. INTERVENTION: The intervention consisted of a 3-month exercise training program involving 3 sessions per week at the clinic (treadmill walking, calf ergometry) and 2 sessions per week at home (free walking, standing heel raises).
RESULTS: After completion of the intervention, participants significantly increased their maximal treadmill exercise time from 7.19 to 11.27 minutes. Mean exercise StO(2) decreased from 29% to 19% saturation, StO(2) x time area increased from 421%.min to 730%.min StO(2) nadir, and StO(2) recovery time did not change significantly.
Strength training increases walking tolerance in intermittent claudication patients: randomized trial.
Ritti-Dias RM, Wolosker N, de Moraes Forjaz CL, Carvalho CR, Cucato GG, Leão PP, de Fátima Nunes Marucci M.
J Vasc Surg. 2010 Jan;51(1):89-95.
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effects of strength training (ST) in walking capacity in patients with intermittent claudication (IC) compared with walking training (WT) effects.
METHODS: Thirty patients with IC were randomized into ST and WT. Both groups trained twice a week for 12 weeks at the same rate of perceived exertion. ST consisted of three sets of 10 repetitions of whole body exercises. WT consisted of 15 bouts of 2-minute walking. Before and after the training program walking capacity, peak VO(2), VO(2) at the first stage of treadmill test, ankle brachial index, ischemic window, and knee extension strength were measured.
RESULTS: ST improved initial claudication distance (358 +/- 224 vs 504 +/- 276 meters; P < .01), total walking distance (618 +/- 282 to 775 +/- 334 meters; P < .01), VO(2) at the first stage of treadmill test (9.7 +/- 2.6 vs 8.1 +/- 1.7 mL.kg(-1).minute; P < .01), ischemic window (0.81 +/- 1.16 vs 0.43 +/- 0.47 mm Hg minute meters(-1); P = .04), and knee extension strength (19 +/- 9 vs 21 +/- 8 kg and 21 +/- 9 vs 23 +/- 9; P < .01). Strength increases correlated with the increase in initial claudication distance (r = 0.64; P = .01) and with the decrease in VO(2) measured at the first stage of the treadmill test (r = -0.52; P = .04 and r = -0.55; P = .03). Adaptations following ST were similar to the ones observed after WT; however, patients reported lower pain during ST than WT (P < .01).
A systematic review of randomized controlled trials: Walking versus alternative exercise prescription as treatment for intermittent claudication.
Parmenter BJ, Raymond J, Dinnen P, Singh MA.
There is a subset of older adults with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) who are unable to complete current walking exercise therapy guidelines due to the severity of claudication, presence of foot pathology, arthritis and/or other co-morbidities. Our aim was to therefore systematically review the evidence for the effectiveness of all forms of exercise on claudication in PAD, and subsequently compare walking to alternative modes.
An electronic search of the literature was performed from earliest record until March 2011 using a variety of electronic databases. To be included trials must have been a randomized controlled trial of an exercise intervention for adults with intermittent claudication and have reported at least one claudication parameter such as initial (ICT/D) and/or absolute claudication time or distance (ACT/D) measured via a treadmill protocol. Assessment of study quality was performed using a modified version of the Physiotherapy Evidence Database Scale (PEDro). Mean difference and relative effect sizes (ESs) were calculated and adjusted via Hedges' bias-corrected for small sample sizes.
Thirty-six trials reported on walking distance in PAD: 32 aerobic (including 20 walking); 4 progressive resistance training (PRT) or graduated weight lifting exercise. In total 1644 subjects (73% male) were studied (1183 underwent exercise training); with few over 75. Most modes and intensities of exercise, irrespective of pain level, significantly improved walking capability (ACD/T Relative ES range 0.5-3.53). However, overall quality of the trials was only modest with on average 6 of the 11 PEDro quality criteria being present (mean 5.8±1.3), and on average sample sizes were small (mean 44±51).
Modes of aerobic exercise other than walking appear equally beneficial for claudication and the benefits of PRT and upper body exercise appear promising, but little data are published on these modalities. Additional studies of high quality are required to validate these alternative prescriptions and their efficacy relative to walking.
iT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS THAT EXERCISE BENEFITS THOSE WITH iNTERMITTENT CLAUDICATION. THE REAL QUESTION IS HOW TO MOTIVATE PEOPLE WITH im TO DO MORE EXERCISE????
Though being physically active has associated with a healthier ankle-brachial index (ABI) in observational studies, ABI usually does not change with exercise training in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Less is known about the effect of exercise training on ABI in patients without PAD but at high risk due to the presence of type 2 diabetes (T2DM).
Participants (n=140) with uncomplicated T2DM, and without known cardiovascular disease or PAD, aged 40-65 years, were randomized to supervised aerobic and resistance training 3 times per week for 6 months or to a usual care control group. ABI was measured before and after the intervention.
Baseline ABI was 1.02±0.02 in exercisers and 1.03±0.01 in controls (p=0.57). At 6 months, exercisers vs. controls improved ABI by 0.04±0.02 vs. -0.03±0.02 (p=0.001). This change was driven by an increase in ankle pressures (p<0.01) with no change in brachial pressures (p=0.747). In subgroup analysis, ABI increased in exercisers vs. controls among those with baseline ABI<1.0 (0.14±0.03 vs. 0.02±0.02, p=0.004), but not in those with a baseline ABI≥1.0 (p=0.085). The prevalence of ABI between 1.0-1.3 increased from 63% to 78% in exercisers and decreased from 62% to 53% in controls. Increased ABI correlated with decreased HbA1c, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, but the effect of exercise on ABI change remained significant after adjustment for these changes (β=0.061, p=0.004).
These data suggest a possible role for exercise training in the prevention or delay of PAD in T2DM, particularly among those starting with an ABI <1.0.
For millions of Americans, simply walking to the mailbox can cause unbearable leg pain as muscles scream for more blood and oxygen.
It's called peripheral arterial disease and, ironically, one of the best ways to alleviate it is by regularly walking to that point of pain. However, researchers hope a noninvasive measure of oxygen levels in leg muscles will put patients on the road to improvement without the severe discomfort.
The idea is to push to the point of often intolerable pain then rest so the blood requirements of the muscles decrease, said Dr. Jonathan Murrow, cardiologist and faculty member at the Georgia Regents University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership in Athens.
"It's been shown that if you do this over and over again three times a week for an hour per session, that by the end of 12 weeks you will be able to walk twice as far as you did when you started," said Murrow, who also is a partner in the Athens Cardiology Group. "However, if you just tell somebody to do that, many simply won't."
He's principal investigator on a new American Heart Association-funded study to determine if a sophisticated light sensor that distinguishes which red blood cells are carrying oxygen and which aren't, can also signal when patients have pushed far enough before pain hits.
"We want to find a better way to use exercise as medicine for these patients," said Murrow, who is working with colleagues at UGA and Emory University to directly compare results from the old and new approaches in about 100 patients. "We want to help them to continue to enjoy what they like to do. If that's going grocery shopping without a motorized cart, that is what we want them to do."
They also want to understand more about why their approach does – or doesn't – help, so over the 12-week course will measure blood levels of progenitor cells as well as vascular endothelial growth factor that can aid growth of new blood vessels with exercise. New vessels don't cure the disease but typically give patients greater pain-free exercise tolerance.
They also are looking at the function and number of mitochondria, a sort of cell powerhouse that converts oxygen into cell fuel. "Mitochondrial function is not normal in people who have arterial disease, and we want to know if it gets better with a training program," Murrow said.
"We know arterial disease is a problem with the supply, and we are trying to see whether increasing the number of working mitochondria in the muscle helps improve the supply-demand mismatch," he said.
If the new light measure method works, the scientists want to determine if it can be used easily in a physician's office without all the research support. They'd also like to develop an app that could work anywhere.
Methods using the light sensor were developed by Dr. Kevin K. McCully, a physiologist in UGA's Department of Kinesiology, to measure oxygen levels in the exercising muscles as well as the number of working mitochondria. It's similar to the red glowing pulse oximeter placed on hospital patients' fingertips to measure oxygen saturation but McCully's system uses more powerful spectroscopy light that can permeate denser tissue like a leg muscle.
About 8 million Americans have peripheral arterial disease, according to the American Heart Association. It shares risk factors with other major cardiovascular problems such as heart disease and stroke, including diabetes, smoking, age, inactivity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Surgical and pharmacological treatments produce mixed results and have side effects, Murrow said.
Lane R, Ellis B, Watson L, Leng GC.
Exercise programmes are a relatively inexpensive, low-risk option compared with other more invasive therapies for leg pain on walking (intermittent claudication (IC)). This is an update of a review first published in 1998.
The prime objective of this review was to determine whether an exercise programme in people with intermittent claudication was effective in alleviating symptoms and increasing walking treadmill distances and walking times. Secondary objectives were to determine whether exercise was effective in preventing deterioration of underlying disease, reducing cardiovascular events and improving quality of life.
For this update the Cochrane Peripheral Vascular Diseases Group Trials Search Co-ordinator searched the Specialised Register (last searched September 2013) and CENTRAL (2013, Issue 8).
Randomised controlled trials of an exercise regimen versus control or versus medical therapy in people with IC due to peripheral arterial disease. Any exercise programme or regimen used in the treatment of intermittent claudication was included, such as walking, skipping and running. Inclusion of trials was not affected by the duration, frequency or intensity of the exercise programme. Outcome measures collected included treadmill walking distance (time to onset of pain or pain-free walking distance and maximum walking time or maximal walking distance), ankle brachial index (ABI), quality of life, morbidity or amputation; if none of these were reported the trial was not included in this review.
Two review authors independently extracted data and assessed trial quality.
Eleven additional studies were included in this update making a total of 30 trials which met the inclusion criteria, involving a total of 1816 participants with stable leg pain. The follow-up period ranged from two weeks to two years. The types of exercise varied from strength training to polestriding and upper or lower limb exercises; generally supervised sessions were at least twice a week. Most trials used a treadmill walking test for one of the outcome measures. Quality of the included trials was moderate, mainly due to an absence of relevant information. The majority of trials were small with 20 to 49 participants. Twenty trials compared exercise with usual care or placebo, the remainder of the trials compared exercise to medication (pentoxifylline, iloprost, antiplatelet agents and vitamin E) or pneumatic calf compression; people with various medical conditions or other pre-existing limitations to their exercise capacity were generally excluded.Overall, when taking the first time point reported in each of the studies, exercise significantly improved maximal walking time when compared with usual care or placebo: mean difference (MD) 4.51 minutes (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.11 to 5.92) with an overall improvement in walking ability of approximately 50% to 200%. Walking distances were also significantly improved: pain-free walking distance MD 82.29 metres (95% CI 71.86 to 92.72) and maximum walking distance MD 108.99 metres (95% CI 38.20 to 179.78). Improvements were seen for up to two years, and subgroup analyses were performed at three, six and 12 months where possible. Exercise did not improve the ABI (MD 0.05, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.09). The effect of exercise, when compared with placebo or usual care, was inconclusive on mortality, amputation and peak exercise calf blood flow due to limited data. No data were given on non-fatal cardiovascular events.Quality of life measured using the Short Form (SF)-36 was reported at three and six months. At three months, physical function, vitality and role physical all significantly improved with exercise, however this was a limited finding as this measure was only reported in two trials. At six months five trials reported outcomes of a significantly improved physical summary score and mental summary score secondary to exercise. Only two trials reported improvements in other domains, physical function and general health.Evidence was generally limited for exercise compared with antiplatelet therapy, pentoxifylline, iloprost, vitamin E and pneumatic foot and calf compression due to small numbers of trials and participants.
Exercise programmes are of significant benefit compared with placebo or usual care in improving walking time and distance in people with leg pain from IC who were considered to be fit for exercise intervention.
Background: Research has highlighted that sedentary behaviour is independently related to indicators of chronic disease. It has been suggested that breaking up sedentary time can be beneficial in offsetting the damage caused by prolonged sitting. Patients with Stage II Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) experience leg pain when walking. This can be alleviated by rest and so they are more likely to engage in long sitting periods.
Methods: Observational analysis of a case and control group was performed using 19 PAD patients (84% male, aged 62.9±8.8 years) from a vascular outpatient clinic and 22 controls with no history of vascular disease (77% male, aged 62.3±9.3 years) from the surrounding area. Data were collected for 7 days using a motion sensor (ActivPAL), daily activity diary, and a questionnaire. Functional ability was assessed using a 6-minute walk test and 30 second chair stand test. Vascular health was measured using Ankle Brachial Index and health status was recorded using a Peripheral Artery Questionnaire.
Results: ActivPAL mean daily activity time (1.46±.43 vs. 1.92±1.59 h; p=0.007) and mean number of steps/day (6801±2518 vs. 9357±3452; p=0.009) were significantly lower among cases than controls. ActivPAL mean daily sedentary time (9.59±1.74 vs. 9.51±1.77 h) was similar across cases and controls. Self-reported sedentary time via questionnaire was significantly lower among cases than controls (5.01±2.62 vs. 8.78±4.28 h; p=0.029). Sedentary patterns were similar, with the exception of morning time patterns which were longer in duration among cases. Mean number of breaks in sedentary time per day were lower (51.7±12.6 vs. 54.6±15) and the average duration of breaks were shorter (7.83±2.86 vs. 8.32±4.35 min) among cases than controls, but differences between the groups were not statistically significant. Mean scores from both functional ability tests (chair repetitions and walking test) were significantly lower among PAD patients (cases) than controls (p=0.003 and p=0.000, respectively).
Conclusion: Lower activity time among cases may be due to reduced functional ability as a result of their condition. Objectively measured sedentary time was not different between groups but subjective data suggested higher sedentary time in the control group.
Establish a govt funded thingy that they have to sign in to a gym to get $ for going a certain amount of times per week, to the gym.
The govt could save $ by motivating ppl to go to the gym.
•True cadence and step accumulation outcomes are not the same.
•Stepping was spread across the same number of mins/d for those with IC as controls.
•People with intermittent claudication (IC) take fewer high cadences steps than matched controls.
•To avoid ambiguity, ‘cadence’ must be reserved for ‘true cadence’: stepping rate during stepping.
•‘Step accumulation’ should be used to describe discontinuous stepping within set time periods.
‘True cadence’ is the rate of stepping during the period of stepping. ‘Step accumulation’ is the steps within an epoch of time (e.g. 1 min). These terms have been used interchangeably in the literature. These outcomes are compared within a population with intermittent claudication (IC). Multiday, 24hr stepping activity of those with IC (30) and controls (30) was measured objectively using the activPAL physical activity monitor. ‘True cadence’ and ‘step accumulation’ outcomes were calculated. Those with IC took fewer steps/d 6,531 ± 2,712 than controls 8692 ± 2945 (P = 0.003). However, these steps were taken within approximately the same number of minute epochs (IC 301 ± 100mins/d; controls 300 ± 70mins/d, P = 0.894) with only slightly lower true cadence (IC 69(IQ 66,72)steps/min; controls 72(IQ 68,76)steps/min, P = 0.026), giving substantially lower step accumulation (IC 22(IQ 19,24)steps/min; controls 30(IQ 23,34)steps/min) (P < 0.001). However, the true cadence of stepping within the blocks of the 1, 5, 20, 30 and 60 minutes with the maximum number of steps accumulated was lower for those with IC than controls (P < 0.05). Those with IC took 1300 steps fewer per day above a true cadence of 90steps/min. True cadence and step accumulation outcomes were radically different for the outcomes examined. ‘True cadence’ and ‘step accumulation’ were not equivalent in those with IC or controls. The measurement of true cadence in the population of people with IC provides information about their stepping rate during the time they are stepping. True cadence should be used to correctly describe the rate of stepping as performed.
Improved Walking Claudication Distance with Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation: An Old Treatment with a New Indication in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease.
Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether 45 mins of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation before exercise could delay pain onset and increase walking distance in peripheral artery disease patients.
Design: After a baseline assessment of the walking velocity that led to pain after 300 m, 15 peripheral artery disease patients underwent four exercise sessions in a random order. The patients had a 45-min transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation session with different experimental conditions: 80 Hz, 10 Hz, sham (presence of electrodes without stimulation), or control with no electrodes, immediately followed by five walking bouts on a treadmill until pain occurred. The patients were allowed to rest for 10 mins between each bout and had no feedback concerning the walking distance achieved.
Results: Total walking distance was significantly different between T10, T80, sham, and control (P < 0.0003). No difference was observed between T10 and T80, but T10 was different from sham and control. Sham, T10, and T80 were all different from control (P < 0.001). There was no difference between each condition for heart rate and blood pressure.
Conclusions: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation immediately before walking can delay pain onset and increase walking distance in patients with class II peripheral artery disease, with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation of 10 Hz being the most effective.
Intensive Walking Exercise for Lower Extremity Peripheral Arterial Disease: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Lyu X, Li S, Peng S, Cai H, Liu G, Ran X.
Supervised treadmill exercise is the recommended therapy for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) patients with intermittent claudication (IC). However, most PAD patients do not exhibit the typical symptom of IC. The objective of the current study was to explore the efficacy and safety of intensive walking exercise in PAD patients with and without IC.
Databases of Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane Library were systematically searched. Randomized controlled trials comparing the effect ofintensive walking exercise with usual care control in patients with PAD were included for systematic review and meta-analysis.
Eighteen trials with 1200 patients were eligible for this analysis. Compared with usual care control, intensive walking exercise couldsignificantly improve the maximal walking distance ( MWD ), pain-free walking distance (PFWD) and 6-minute walking distance (6-MWD) in patients with PAD (P < 0.00001 for all). Subgroup analyses indicated that lesserimprovement of MWD was observed in subgroup with more diabetes patients, and subgroup with better baseline walking ability was associated with greater improvement in walking performance. In addition, similar improvement in walking performance was observed between different exercise length and modality. No significant difference was found in adverse events between the two groups (RR = 0.84, 95%CI = [0.51, 1.39], P = 0.50).
Regardless of exercise length and modality, regularly intensive walking exercise improves walking ability in PAD patients more than usual care control. Presence of diabetes may attenuate the improvement of walking performance in patients with PAD following exercise.
Prevalence of peripheral arterial disease is equal in men and women. However, women seem to suffer more from the burden of disease. Current studies on gender-related outcomes following supervised exercise therapy (SET) for intermittent claudication (IC) yield conflicting results.
A follow-up analysis was performed on data from the 2010 Exercise Therapy in Peripheral Arterial Disease (EXITPAD) study, a multicenter randomized controlled trial including IC patients receiving SET or a walking advice. The SET program was supervised by physiotherapists and included interval-based treadmill walking approximating maximal pain combined with activities such as cycling and rowing. Patients usually started with three 30-minute sessions a week. Training frequency was adapted during the following year on the basis of individual needs. The primary outcome was gender differences regarding the change in absolute claudication distance (ACD) after SET. ACD was defined as the number of meters that a patient had covered just before he or she was forced to stop walking because of intolerable pain. Secondary outcomes were gender differences in change of functional walking distance, quality of life, and walking (dis)ability after SET. Walking distances were obtained by standardized treadmill testing according to the Gardner-Skinner protocol. Quality of life was measured by the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, and walking (dis)ability was determined by the Walking Impairment Questionnaire (WIQ). Measurements were performed at baseline and after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Only patients who met the 12-month follow-up measure were included in the analysis.
A total of 113 men and 56 women were available for analysis. At baseline, groups were similar in terms of clinical characteristics and ACD walking distances (men, 250 meters; women, 270 meters; P = .45). ACD improved for both sexes. However, ACD increase was significantly lower for women than for men during the first 3 months of SET (Δ 280 meters for men vs Δ 220 meters for women; P = .04). Moreover, absolute walking distance was significantly shorter for women compared with men after 1 year (565 meters vs 660 meters; P = .032). Women also reported less on several WIQ subdomains, although total WIQ score was similar (0.69 for men vs 0.61 for women; P = .592). No differences in quality of life after SET were observed.
Women with IC benefit less during the first 3 months of SET and have lower absolute walking distances after 12 months of follow-up compared with men. More research is needed to determine whether gender-based IC treatment strategies are required.
Objectives: The extent to which gastrocnemius muscle and Achilles tendon properties contribute to the impaired walking endurance of claudicants is not known.
Methods: Ultrasound images quantified muscle architecture of the lateral and medial gastrocnemius (GL and GM) and were combined with dynamometry during plantarflexor contractions to calculate tendon stress, strain, stiffness, the Young modulus, and hysteresis. Key parameters were entered into multiple regression models to explain walking endurance.
Results: Worse disease severity was significantly associated with longer fascicle: tendon length ratios (GL R = -0.789 and GM R = -0.828) and increased tendon hysteresis (R = -0.740). Walking endurance could be explained by GL and GM pennation angle, maximum tendon force, tendon hysteresis, and disease severity (R2 = ∼0.6).
Conclusions: Peripheral arterial disease was associated with functionally important changes in muscle and tendon properties, including the utilization of stored elastic energy. Interventions known to target these characteristics should be adopted as a means to improve walking endurance.
A PhD student from our School of Health Sciences is looking for volunteers to take part in a new research study that aims to help people who suffer from poor blood circulation to walk without pain.
The walking distance for people with poor blood circulation, termed peripheral arterial disease, in their legs can be limited because of aching pains felt around the calf muscles, and occasionally thighs. This is caused by a low supply of blood and oxygen to certain muscles, intermitted claudication.
This study aims to better understand why an act as simple as walking can become so painful for those affected. The results of this study will be incorporated in the design of a new rocker sole shoe that specifically reduces this pain. A rocker sole shoe is a type of footwear used to take on part of the work normally carried out by a person’s calf muscles, making this an appropriate style of shoe to use.
The study itself will include examining the differences between those who experience pain whilst walking and those who don’t and investigating how modified shoes could help ease the pain. It is hoped the new shoe will help people with poor blood circulation to walk further distances, improve blood supply to the legs and feet, and help to reduce the risk of future pain.
PHD student Effy Evangelopoulou, who will be leading the study, says: “This research study hopes to improve the uncomfortable experience many people, suffering from poor blood circulation, currently endure when walking short or long distances.
Lane R, Harwood A, Watson L, Leng GC.
Exercise programmes are a relatively inexpensive, low-risk option compared with other, more invasive therapies for treatment of leg pain on walking (intermittent claudication (IC)). This is the fourth update of a review first published in 1998.
Our goal was to determine whether an exercise programme was effective in alleviating symptoms and increasing walking treadmill distances and walking times in people with intermittent claudication. Secondary objectives were to determine whether exercise was effective in preventing deterioration of underlying disease, reducing cardiovascular events, and improving quality of life.
For this update, the Cochrane Vascular Information Specialist searched the Specialised Register (last searched 15 November 2016) and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2016, Issue 10) via the Cochrane Register of Studies Online, along with trials registries.
Randomised controlled trials of an exercise regimen versus control or versus medical therapy for people with IC due to peripheral arterial disease (PAD). We included any exercise programme or regimen used for treatment of IC, such as walking, skipping, and running. Inclusion of trials was not affected by duration, frequency, or intensity of the exercise programme. Outcome measures collected included treadmill walking distance (time to onset of pain or pain-free walking distance and maximum walking time or maximum walking distance), ankle brachial index (ABI), quality of life, morbidity, or amputation; if none of these was reported, we did not include the trial in this review.
For this update (2017), RAL and AH selected trials and extracted data independently. We assessed study quality by using the Cochrane 'Risk of bias' tool. We analysed continuous data by determining mean differences (MDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and dichotomous data by determining risk ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs. We pooled data using a fixed-effect model unless we identified significant heterogeneity, in which case we used a random-effects model. We used the GRADE approach to assess the overall quality of evidence supporting the outcomes assessed in this review.
We included two new studies in this update and identified additional publications for previously included studies, bringing the total number of studies meeting the inclusion criteria to 32, and involving a total of 1835 participants with stable leg pain. The follow-up period ranged from two weeks to two years. Types of exercise varied from strength training to polestriding and upper or lower limb exercises; supervised sessions were generally held at least twice a week. Most trials used a treadmill walking test for one of the primary outcome measures. The methodological quality of included trials was moderate, mainly owing to absence of relevant information. Most trials were small and included 20 to 49 participants. Twenty-seven trials compared exercise versus usual care or placebo, and the five remaining trials compared exercise versus medication (pentoxifylline, iloprost, antiplatelet agents, and vitamin E) or pneumatic calf compression; we generally excluded people with various medical conditions or other pre-existing limitations to their exercise capacity.Meta-analysis from nine studies with 391 participants showed overall improvement in pain-free walking distance in the exercise group compared with the no exercise group (MD 82.11 m, 95% CI 71.73 to 92.48, P < 0.00001, high-quality evidence). Data also showed benefit from exercise in improved maximum walking distance (MD 120.36 m, 95% CI 50.79 to 189.92, P < 0.0007, high-quality evidence), as revealed by pooling data from 10 studies with 500 participants. Improvements were seen for up to two years.Exercise did not improve the ABI (MD 0.04, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.08, 13 trials, 570 participants, moderate-quality evidence). Limited data were available for the outcomes of mortality and amputation; trials provided no evidence of an effect of exercise, when compared with placebo or usual care, on mortality (RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.39 to 2.17, 5 trials, 540 participants, moderate-quality evidence) or amputation (RR 0.20, 95% CI 0.01 to 4.15, 1 trial, 177 participants, low-quality evidence).Researchers measured quality of life using Short Form (SF)-36 at three and six months. At three months, the domains 'physical function', 'vitality', and 'role physical' improved with exercise; however this was a limited finding, as it was reported by only two trials. At six months, meta-analysis showed improvement in 'physical summary score' (MD 2.15, 95% CI 1.26 to 3.04, P = 0.02, 5 trials, 429 participants, moderate-quality evidence) and in 'mental summary score' (MD 3.76, 95% CI 2.70 to 4.82, P < 0.01, 4 trials, 343 participants, moderate-quality evidence) secondary to exercise. Two trials reported the remaining domains of the SF-36. Data showed improvements secondary to exercise in 'physical function' and 'general health'. The other domains - 'role physical', 'bodily pain', 'vitality', 'social', 'role emotional', and 'mental health' - did not show improvement at six months.Evidence was generally limited in trials comparing exercise versus antiplatelet therapy, pentoxifylline, iloprost, vitamin E, and pneumatic foot and calf compression owing to small numbers of trials and participants.Review authors used GRADE to assess the evidence presented in this review and determined that quality was moderate to high. Although results showed significant heterogeneity between trials, populations and outcomes were comparable overall, with findings relevant to the claudicant population. Results were pooled for large sample sizes - over 300 participants for most outcomes - using reproducible methods.
High-quality evidence shows that exercise programmes provided important benefit compared with placebo or usual care in improving both pain-free and maximum walking distance in people with leg pain from IC who were considered to be fit for exercise intervention. Exercise did not improve ABI, and we found no evidence of an effect of exercise on amputation or mortality. Exercise may improve quality of life when compared with placebo or usual care. As time has progressed, the trials undertaken have begun to include exercise versus exercise or other modalities; therefore we can include fewer of the new trials in this update.
The role of psychopathology in perceiving, reporting and treating intermittent claudication. A systematic review.
To review the association between mental health and intermittent claudication (IC) perception, reporting and treatment in subjects with peripheral artery disease (PAD).Literature searches of experimental and observational studies published up until 1.02.2016 were conducted using the following electronic databases: Medline/PubMed and Embase. The selection criteria for the studies included a population of patients diagnosed with peripheral artery disease who reported symptoms of intermittent claudication and were assessed for any psychopathological states (depression, anxiety, mood and personality disorders), which in turn were analysed with regard to the following: IC severity, symptom perception and reporting, patients' quality of life, treatment compliance and its effectiveness. The risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane Collaboration's tool and the Newcastle Ottawa Scales. The strength of recommendations was graded according to GRADE system.The literature search identified 1598 citations, of which 13 studies with varying risk of bias were included in the review. Depression, anxiety, and personality types were described in more than 800 patients with peripheral arterial disease who suffered from intermittent claudication. With regard to IC perception and reporting, individuals with higher levels of depression had lower levels of pain acceptance, were more dissatisfied with their function and control over function and had a poorer quality of life. In the case of the type D personality, the results were not consistent. Studies assessing the influence of psychopathology on IC severity and treatment also showed discrepant results. Some studies indicated no differences between type D and non-type D patients with regard to the ankle brachial index (ABI) as well as pain free (PFWD) and maximal walking distances (MWD). On the other hand, others revealed that type D and depressed patients terminated 6MWT prematurely due to the onset of symptoms and experienced a greater annual decline in 6-minute walk distance, fast walking velocity and short physical performance battery. With regard to treatment adherence, patients with no mental problems made the best recoveries. Hostility, aggressiveness and affect-liability were the greatest obstacles to compliance.Mental disorders might influence the way in which the symptoms of the disease are reported, coped with, and treated. However, the results of the review preclude recommending a routine psychological examination as one of basic diagnostic procedures in patients with peripheral artery disease suffering from IC.
Objective Resistance training (RT) improves walking ability in persons with peripheral artery disease. We conducted a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effect of RT on peripheral artery disease (as measured by walking ability).
Design We included RCTs that investigated the effect of RT on treadmill and/or 6 min walk (6-MWT) distances. RT intensity was assessed according to the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines by 1 repetition maximum or rating of perceived exertion. Standardised mean (SMD) and mean differences (MD) were calculated using a random-effects inverse variance model. Heterogeneity and bias were assessed using RevMan V.5.3. Meta-regression and meta-analysis of variance were performed as moderator analyses.
Data sources Databases (Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Cinahl and Google Scholar) were searched until July 2018.
Results Fifteen trials isolated RT; 7 trials compared RT with aerobic exercise. We analysed 826 patients (n=363 completing RT), with a mean age of 67.1±3.8 years. Training ranged from low-high intensity, 2–7 times per week for 17±7 weeks, with a mix of upper, lower or whole body training. Overall RT significantly improved constant load treadmill claudication onset (COD) (SMD 0.66 [0.40, 0.93], p<0.00001) and total walking distance (WD) (SMD 0.51 [0.23, 0.79], p=0.0003), progressive treadmill COD (SMD 0.56 [0.00, 1.13], p=0.05) and total WD (SMD 0.45 [0.08, 0.83], p=0.02), and 6-MWT COD (MD 82.23 m [40.91, 123.54], p<0.0001). Intensity played a role in improvement, with high-intensity training yielding the greatest improvement (p=0.02).
Conclusions RT clinically improved treadmill and flat ground walking ability in persons with peripheral artery disease. Higher intensity training was associated with better outcomes. Our study makes a case for clinicians to include high-intensity lower body RT in the treatment of peripheral artery disease. | 2019-04-24T16:08:58Z | http://podiatryarena.com/index.php?threads/exercise-for-intermittent-claudication.4169/ |
Main The Handbook of Technical Analysis + Test Bank: The Practitioner’s Comprehensive Guide to Technical..
Technical analysis is a fascinating field of study. It is as much science as it is art. Its main strength is that a lot of it is visual, giving practitioners a better feel of the underlying dynamics of the markets. We shall also be looking at the various challenges to technical analysis, their resolution, and how technical analysis affects trading in general. The classification of technical approaches, market participants, and various markets will also be discussed in detail.
It is generally accepted that human beings are born with certain instincts, tempered and molded by evolution via the passing of time. Every human being strives and seeks to fulfill these powerful instinctive forces.
This powerful instinct to survive is the main driving force in life for striving to make a profit. But in order to make a profit to ensure continued survival, there must be a positive change in the actual or perceived value of something that we own. This change in value of some variable may be anything that will allow us to profit from change. One very popular and convenient variable of change is price. We can participate in this price change by satisfying a very simple mechanical rule that will ensure profitability every single time, which is to always buy when prices are low and sell when they are higher, popularly referred to as the buy low, sell high principle. See Figure 1.1.
Figure 1.1 The Mechanics of Profiting from a Change.
Unfortunately, in order to satisfy this simple rule of guaranteed profitability, we need to be able to do more of one thing, which is to be able to determine the direction of price ahead of time in order to know exactly when to buy low and subsequently sell higher. Hence, it is not only the mechanical action of buying low and selling high that counts, but also the timing of the action itself that is critical. This introduces an element of chance or probability into an otherwise fairly straightforward mechanical venture. Profitability therefore requires effective and efficient action in two dimensions, that is, price and time. Traders and analysts keep track of this action using a two-dimensional visualization tool, that is, a price-time chart, which tracks price on the vertical axis and time on horizontal axis.
In short, the ability to forecast or predict price or market action in a reasonably accurate fashion represents one of the skills that may be critical for longer-term success as a professional trader or analyst.
For Identification: It identifies and describes past and present price action. It serves as a historical record of what has transpired in the markets. It provides a descriptive representation of market action. This allows the market practitioner to observe how the market has performed in the past, which includes its average volatility over a specified period; its highest and lowest historical price extremes; the common areas of consolidation, average duration, and price excursion of trends; the amount of liquidity and participation in the markets; the average degree and frequency of price gapping; the impact of various monetary economic announcements on price, and so on. This information is especially critical prior to any investment or trading decision.
For Forecasting: Once a particular price or market action is identified, the practitioner may now use this information to interpret what the data actually means before inferring future price action. This inference about potential price action is wholly based on the assumption that price patterns are repetitive to some reasonable degree and therefore may be used as a basis for price predictions.
Figure 1.2 Three Approaches to Price Forecasting.
One way to gauge the potential price of a stock is by analyzing the company’s performance via its financial statements and accounts in order to determine its intrinsic value or the worth of the security in light of all its holdings, debt, earnings, dividends, income and balance sheet activity, cash flow, and so on. This accounting information is normally represented in ratio form, as in price to earnings (P/E), price to earnings growth (PEG), price to book, price to sales, and debt to equity ratios, to name but a few.
The logic is that a strongly performing company should continue to perform well into the future and garner more demand from investors excited to participate in the expected capital gains derived from the stock’s price and appreciating dividend yields. The price of a stock is expected to rise if there are sufficient buyers, signifying a demand for it. Conversely, the price of a stock is expected to decline if there are sufficient sellers, signifying an oversupply in the stock. Demand is potentially generated if the current stock price is below its estimated intrinsic value, that is, it is currently undervalued or underpriced, whereas supply is created if the current stock price is above its estimated intrinsic value, that is, it is currently overvalued or overpriced. See Figures 1.3 and 1.4 for illustrations of using intrinsic value to forecast potential stock price movements.
Figure 1.3 Price Forecasting Based on Intrinsic Value of a Stock.
Figure 1.4 Price Forecasting Based on Intrinsic Value of a Stock.
There are various ways to determine the degree of over- or undervaluation in a stock, some of which include comparing P/E and earnings per share (EPS) ratios or investigating to what extent a stock is trading at a premium or discount in relation to its net current asset value, debt, and other fundamentals. Fundamental analysis helps provide indications as to which stocks to buy based on prior company performance, that is, over the last accounting period. Some investors resort to more active asset-allocation methods to try to time the market for a suitable stock to buy into or get out of, rather than just relying on the traditional buy-and-hold strategy. They resort to studying broad market factors and sector-rotation models in order to buy into the best fundamentally performing stocks within a strengthening industry or sector. This method is popularly termed the top-down approach to investing. A bottom-up approach relies more on a specific company’s fundamental performance. A buy-and-hold strategy in today’s volatile markets may not represent the most effective way of maximizing returns while minimizing potential risks. As a result, many fundamentalists frequently look to various asset pricing and modern portfolio models like the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) to try to achieve the best balance between risk and expected returns over a risk-free rate (along what is called the efficient frontier).
One of the problems with fundamental analysis is the credibility, reliability, and accuracy of the accounting practices and financial reporting, which is susceptible to manipulation and false or fraudulent reporting. There are various unscrupulous ways to dress up a poorly performing company or financial institution. A simple Internet search will reveal numerous past and ongoing investigations related to such practices. The other problem is the delay in the financial reporting of a company’s current financial state in the market. By the time the next audited report is completed and published, the information is already outdated. It does not furnish timely information to act upon, especially in volatile market environments, and, as a result, does not directly account or adjust for current or sudden developments in the market environment. Nevertheless, fundamental analysis does give valuable information about specific securities and their performances. Its main weakness is its inability to provide clear and specific short-term price levels for traders to act on. Therefore, fundamental information is better suited to longer-term investment decisions, as opposed to short-term market participation, where short-term price fluctuations and precise market timing may be of lesser importance.
Fundamental data, on a broader scale, accounts for the overall underlying economic performance of the markets. Supply and demand reacts to the economic data released at regular intervals, which include interest rate announcements and central bank monetary policy and intervention. One example of how supply and demand in the markets are affected by such factors is the Swiss National Bank’s (SNB) decision to maintain a 1.2000 ceiling on the foreign exchanges rate of the EURCHF, with respect to the Swiss Franc. This creates a technical demand for the Euro (and a corresponding supply in the CHF) around the 1.2000 exchange-rate level. Many traders have acted and are still acting on this policy decision to their advantage, buying every time the rate approaches 1.2000, with stops placed at a reasonable distance below this threshold. The integrity of this artificial ceiling remains intact as long as the SNB stands steadfast by their policy decision to uphold the ceiling at all costs. See Figure 1.5.
Figure 1.5 SNB Policy Impacting on the Value of the CHF.
It behooves the analyst and investor to examine the actual decision-making process involved with investing in a stock based on intrinsic value. While it does provide an indication, with all else being equal, of the integrity of a certain stock relative to the universe of stocks available, there is a disruptive behavioral component that affects this process. It is not just the calculated or estimated intrinsic value that is an important element but also the general perception or future expectation of this value that plays an arguably greater and more significant role in determining the actual share price of a stock. This may explain why shares prices do not always reflect the actual value of a stock. This disagreement between price and value is the result of divergence between the actual intrinsic value and perceived or projected value.
Generally, information may be gleaned from various public sources such as newspaper reports, magazines, online bulletins, and so on, upon which market participants may then formulate an opinion about the market, making their own predictions about potential market action. Unfortunately, such publicly available information usually has little merit when used for forecasting purposes, as those more privy to non-public material information would have already moved the markets substantially, leaving only an inconsequential amount of action for latecomers to profit from, at the very most. This is where technical analysts have the unfair advantage of observing the markets moving on the charts and immediately taking action, regardless of the cause or reasons why such action exists. They are only interested in the effects such activity has on price. Technical analysts typically do not wait for news to be public knowledge prior to taking action or making a forecast based on a significant price breakout.
The use of non-public material information potentially affords insiders substantial financial gain from such knowledge, as the release of critical or highly sensitive company information may cause a substantial change in the company’s stock price. Hence it is no great feat to be able to forecast potential market direction based on such prior knowledge, especially if the non-public material information is highly significant or headline worthy. Needless to say, insider trading is illegal in the equity markets. But the possibility will always exist that it can occur and in fact has on many occasions. Unfortunately, in unregulated over-the-counter (OTC) markets, nothing stops brokers from front running large client orders, which is just another form of insider trading.
Technical analysis is essentially the identification and forecasting of potential market behavior based largely on the action and dynamics of the market itself. The action and dynamics of the market is best captured via price, volume, and open interest action. The charts provide a visual description of what has transpired in the markets and technical analysts use this past information to infer potential future price action, based on the assumption that price patterns tend to repeat or behave in a reasonably reliable and predictable manner. Let us turn our attention to some popular definitions of technical analysis.
The following definition of technical analysis tells us that charting is the main tool used to forecast potential future price action.
Technical analysis is the study of market action, primarily through the use of charts, for the purpose of forecasting future price trends.
The next definition of technical analysis tells us that the charting of past information is used to forecast future price action.
Technical analysis is the science of recording, usually in graphic form, the actual history of trading . . . then deducing from that pictured history the probable future trend.
Notice that the last two definitions specifically refer to the forecasting of trend action.
It is interesting at this point to draw a parallel here with information used in fundamental analysis. Technical analysis is often criticized for the use of past information as a basis for forecasting future price action, relying on the notion that certain price behaviors tend to repeat. Unfortunately virtually all forms of forecasting are based on the use of prior or past information, which certainly includes statistical-, fundamental-, and behavior-based forecasting. Companies employ accounting data from the most recent and even past quarters as a basis for gauging the current value of a stock. In statistics, regression-line analysis requires the sampling of past data in order to predict probable future values. Even in behavioral finance, the quantitative measure of the market participant’s past actions form the basis for predicting future behavior.
The following definition of technical analysis tells us that it is the study of pure market action and not the fundamentals of the instrument itself.
It refers to the study of the action of the market itself as opposed to the study of the goods in which the market deals.
This next definition of technical analysis tells us that it is a form of art, and its purpose is to identify a trend reversal as early as possible.
The art of technical analysis, for it is an art, is to identify a trend reversal at a relatively early stage and ride on that trend until the weight of the evidence shows or proves that the trend has reversed.
The following definition is most relevant in the formulation of trading strategies. It reminds the market participants that nothing is certain and we must weigh our risk and returns.
Technical analysis deals in probabilities, never in certainties.
The next statement gives a behavioral reason as to why technical analysis works.
Technical analysis is based on the assumption that people will continue to make the same mistakes they have made in the past.
This definition by Pring stresses and underscores the point that there is a real reason and explanation as to why past price patterns tend to repeat. The tendency of price to repeat past patterns is mainly attributed to market participants repeating the same behavior. Although it is not impossible with sufficient and continuous conscious effort and strength of will, human beings rarely change their basic behavior, temperament, and deep-rooted biases, especially in relation to their emotional response to fear, greed, hope, anger, and regret when participating in the markets.
The following statement about technical analysis explains its effectiveness in timing early entries and exits.
Market price tends to lead the known fundamentals. . . . Market price acts as a leading indicator of the fundamentals.
This definition by Murphy highlights a very important assumption in technical analysis, which is that price is a reflection of all known information acted upon in the markets. It is the sum of all market participants’ trading and investment actions and decisions, including current and future expectations of market action. It also reflects the overall psychology, biases, and beliefs of all market participants. Therefore, the technical analysts believe that the charts tell the whole story and that everything that can or is expected to impact price has already been discounted. This assumption forms the very basis of technical analysis, and without it, technical analysis would be rendered completely pointless.
Listed below are the some of the strengths of each approach with respect to timing the markets.
Of all the data that technical analysts employ, price is the most important, followed closely by volume action. Price itself is comprised of an opening, high, low, and closing price, normally referred to as OHLC data. OHLC data normally refers to the daily opening, high, low, and closing prices, but it may be used to denote the OHLC of any bar interval, from 1-minute bars right up to the monthly and yearly bars.
Technical analysis may be categorized into four distinct branches, that is, classical, statistical, sentiment, and behavioral analysis. Regardless of which branch is employed, all analysis is eventually interpreted via the various behavioral traits, filters, and biases unique to each analyst. Behavioral traits include both the psychological and emotional elements. See Figure 1.6.
Figure 1.6 The Four Branches of Technical Analysis.
Classical technical analysis involves the use of the conventional bar, chart, and Japanese candlestick patterns, oscillator and overlay indicators, as well as market breadth, relative strength, and cycle analysis. Statistical analysis is more quantitative, as opposed to the more qualitative nature of classical technical analysis. It studies the dispersion, central tendencies, skewness, volatility, regression analysis, hypothesis testing, correlation, covariance, and so on. Sentiment analysis is concerned with the psychology of market participants, which includes their emotions and level of optimism or pessimism in the markets. It studies professional and public opinion via polls and questionnaires, trading and investment decisions via flow of funds in the markets, as well as the positions taken by large institutions and hedgers. Finally, behavioral analysis studies the way market participants react to news, profit and losses, the actions of other market participants, and with their own psychological and emotional biases, preferences, and expectations.
The type of technical studies employed also depends on the approach taken by traders and analysts with respect to their personal preferences and biases regarding the action of price in the markets. Basically, traders either adopt a contrarian or a momentum-seeking type approach. Being more contrarian in their approach implies that they do not usually expect the price to traverse large distances. In fact they are constantly on the lookout for impending reversals in the markets. In essence, they expect price to be more mean reverting, returning to an average price or balance between supply and demand. Those that adopt the mean-reverting approach prefer to employ technical studies that help pinpoint levels of overbought and oversold activity, which includes divergence analysis, regression analysis, moving average bands, and Bollinger bands. They prefer to trade consolidations rather than trend action. They normally buy at support and short at resistance. Limit entry orders are their preferred mode of order entry. Conversely, being more momentum seeking in their approach implies that they usually expect the price to traverse large distances and for trends to continue to remain intact. They are constantly on the lookout for continuation type breakouts in the markets. In short, they expect price to be more non–mean reverting, where demand creates further demand and supply creates further supply, both driven by a powerful positive-feedback cycle. Those that adopt the non–mean reverting approach prefer to employ technical studies that help pinpoint breakout or trend continuation activity, which includes chart pattern breakouts, moving average breakouts, Darvas Box breakouts, and Donchian channel breakouts. They prefer to trade trends rather than ranging action. They normally short at the breach of support and long at breach of resistance. Stop entry orders are their preferred mode of entry into the markets. See Figure 1.7.
Figure 1.7 Mean Reverting versus Non–Mean Reverting Approaches.
It is applicable across all markets, instruments, and timeframes, where price patterns, oscillators, and overlay indicators are all treated in exactly the same manner. No new learning is required in order to trade new markets or timeframes, unlike in fundamental analysis where the analyst must be conversant with the specifics of each stock or market.
There is no need to study the fundamentals of the markets traded or analyzed in order to apply technical analysis, since technical analysts believe that all information that impacts or potentially may impact the stock or market is already reflected in the price on the charts.
Technical analysis provides a clear visual representation of the behavior of the markets, unlike in fundamental analysis where most of the data is in numerical form.
It provides timely and precise entry and exit price levels, preceded by technical signals indicating potential bullishness or bearishness. It has the ability to also pinpoint potential time of entry via time projection techniques not available to fundamentalists. Fundamental analysis does not provide the exact price or time of entry.
It makes the gauging of market risk much easier to visualize. Volatility is more obvious on the charts than it is in numerical form.
The concerted effort of market participants acting on significantly clear and obvious price triggers in the markets helps create the reaction required for a more reliable trade. This is the consequence of the self-fulfilling prophecy.
It is subjective in its interpretation. A certain price pattern may be perceived in numerous ways. Since every bullish interpretation has an equal and opposite bearish interpretation, all analysis is susceptible to the possibility of interpretational ambiguity. Unfortunately, all manners of interpretation, regardless of the underlying analysis employed—be it fundamental, statistical, or behavioral—are equally subjective in content and form.
A basic assumption of technical analysis is that price behavior tends to repeat, making it possible to forecast potential future price action. Unfortunately this tendency to repeat may be disrupted by unexpected volatility in the markets caused by geopolitical, economic, or other factors. Popular price patterns may also be distorted by new forms of trade execution that may impact market action, like automated, algorithmic, or high-frequency program trading where trades are initiated in the markets based on non-classical patterns. This interferes with the repeatability of classic chart patterns.
Charts provide a historical record of price action. It takes practice and experience to be able to identify classical patterns in price. Though this skill can be mastered with enough practice, the art of inferring or forecasting future price action based on past prices is much more difficult to master. The practitioner needs to be intimately familiar with the behavior of price at various timeframes and in different markets. Although classical patterns may be applied equally across all markets and timeframes equally, there is still an element of uniqueness associated with each market action and timeframe.
It is argued that all market action is essentially a random walk process, and as such applying technical analysis is pointless as all chart patterns arise out of pure chance and are of no significance in the markets. One must remember that if this is the case, then all forms of analysis are ineffective, whether fundamental, statistical, or behavioral. Since the market is primarily driven by perception, we know that the random-walk process is not a true representation of market action, since market participants react in very specific and predictable ways. Though there is always some element of randomness in the markets caused by the uncoordinated actions of a large number of market participants, one can always observe the uncanny accuracy with which price tests and reacts at a psychologically significant barriers or prices. It is hard to believe that price action is the result of random acts of buying and selling by market participants where the participants are totally unencumbered by cost, biases, psychology, or emotion.
The strong form of the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) argues that since the markets discount all information, price would have already adjusted to the new information and any attempt to profit from such information would be futile. This would render the technical analysis of price action pointless, with the only form of market participation being passive investment. But such efficiency would require that all market participants react instantaneously to all new information in a rational manner. This in itself presents an insurmountable challenge to EMH. The truth is that no system comprising disparate parts in physical reality reacts instantaneously with perfect coordination. Hence it is fairly safe to assume that although absolute market efficiency is not attainable, the market does continually adjust to new information, but at a much lower and less-efficient rate of data discounting. Therefore, technical analysis remains a valid form of market investigation until the markets attain a state of absolute and perfect efficiency.
Another argument against technical analysis is the idea of the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy (SFP). Proponents of the concept contend that prices react to technical signals not because the signals themselves are important or significant, but rather because of the concerted effort of market participants acting on those signals that make it work. This may in fact be advantageous to the market participants. The trick is in knowing which technical signals would be supported by a large concerted action. The logical answer would be to select only the most significantly clear and obvious technical signals and triggers. Of course, one can further argue that such signals, if they appear to be reliable indicators of support and resistance, would begin to attract an increasing number of traders as time passes. This would eventually lead to traders vying with each other for the best and most cost-effective fills. What seems initially like the concerted action of all market participants now turns into competition with each other. Getting late fills would be costly as well as reduce or wipe out any potential for profit. This naturally results in traders attempting to preempt each other for the best fills. Traders start vying for progressively earlier entries as price approaches the targeted entry levels, leading finally to entries that are too distant from the original entry levels, increasing risk and reducing any potential profits. This disruptive feedback cycle eventually erodes the reliability of the signals, as price fails to react at the expected technical levels. Price finally begins to react reliably again at the expected technical levels as traders stop preempting each other and abandon or disregard the strategy that produced the signals. The process repeats. Therefore, SFP may result in technical signals evolving in a kind of six-stage duty cycle, where the effects of SFP may be advantageous and desirable to traders in the early stages but eventually result in forcing traders into untenable positions. See Figure 1.8.
Figure 1.8 The Idealized Six-Stage Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Cycle.
As with most forms of analysis, technical analysis has both objective and subjective aspects associated with its application. It is objective insofar as the charts represent a historical record of price and market action. But it is subjective when the technical analyst attempts to analyze the data.
Analyzing price and market action is ultimately subjective because all analysis is interpreted through various behavioral traits, filters, and biases unique to each analyst or observer. Behavioral traits include both the psychological and emotional elements. As a consequence, each analyst will possess a slightly different perception of the market and its possible future behavior.
What is the most appropriate form of technical analysis that should be applied to a particular chart?
What is the most appropriate choice of indicators to apply to a particular chart?
These are the usual questions that plague novices. The following charts depict the various popular forms of analysis that can be applied to a basic chart of price action. The following examples are by no means exhaustive. Figure 1.9 starts off with a plain chart devoid of any form of analysis.
Figure 1.9 A Simple Price Chart.
The next chart, Figure 1.10, shows the application of basic trendline analysis on the same chart, tracking the flow of price action in the market.
Figure 1.10 Trendline Analysis on the Same Chart.
In Figure 1.11, moving average analysis is now employed to track the same flow of price action and to provide potential points of entry as the market rises and falls.
Figure 1.11 Moving Average Analysis on the Same Chart.
Figure 1.12 depicts the application of chart pattern analysis to track and forecast the shorter-term bullish and bearish movements in price.
Figure 1.12 Chart Pattern Analysis on the Same Chart.
Figure 1.13 is an example of applying two forms of technical analysis, that is, linear regression analysis and divergence analysis to track and forecast potential market tops and bottoms. Notice that the market top coincided perfectly with the upper band of the linear regression line, with an early bearish signal seen in the form of standard bearish divergence on the commodity channel index (CCI) indicator.
Figure 1.13 Linear Regression and Divergence Analysis on the Same Chart.
Figure 1.14 is an example of applying a couple of additional forms of analysis to the basic linear regression band. In this chart, price action analysis is used in conjunction with volume analysis to forecast a potential top in the market, evidenced by the preceding parabolic move in price that is coupled by a blow-off.
Figure 1.14 Linear Regression and Volume Analysis on the Same Chart.
In Figure 1.15, volatility band, volume, and overextension analysis are all employed to seek out potential reversals in the market. We observe that price exceeds the upper volatility band, which may potentially be an early indication of price exhaustion, especially since it is accompanied by a significant volume spike. The moving average convergence-divergence (MACD) indicator is also seen to be residing at historically overbought levels, which is another potentially bearish indication.
Figure 1.15 Volatility Band, Volume, and Overextension Analysis on the Same Chart.
As we can see from just a few forms of analysis presented in the preceding charts, there are many ways to view the action of the markets, depending on the context of the analysis employed. For example, if the analyst is more interested in viewing and understanding the action of price within the context of over-reaction or price exhaustion in the markets, he or she may opt to apply technical studies that track levels or areas of potential over-reaction or price exhaustion. Technical studies that tract such behavior include linear regression bands, Bollinger bands, moving average percentage bands, Keltner and Starc bands, areas of prior support and resistance, and so on. Alternatively, if the analyst is more interested in viewing and understanding the action of price within the context of market momentum, he or she may instead opt to apply breakout analysis of chart patterns, trendlines, moving averages, and so on. As long as the reason for using a particular form of analysis is clear, there should be no confusion as to what the studies are indicating.
The mathematical construction of each oscillator or indicator is different.
Each oscillator or indicator tracks a different time horizon.
Two identical oscillators may issue inconsistent readings due to missing data on one of the charting platforms.
Two identical oscillators may also issue inconsistent readings due to variations in the accuracy, quality, and type of data available on different charting platforms.
For example, applying an oscillator that uses price, volume, and open interest as part of its calculation will yield inconsistent readings should one of the data be unavailable on the charting platform. The analysts may not be aware of the missing data and struggle to make sense of the inconsistency. The accuracy of the data is also of paramount importance for effective analysis of price and market action. Dropouts in the data as well as the inclusion or exclusion of non-trading days will cause inconsistent readings between charting platforms. There may also be variations in the oscillator readings should volume be replaced with tick volume, sometime also referred to as transaction volume. Tick volume tracks the number of transactions over a specified time interval, irrespective of the size of the transactions.
It is also important to note that conflicting signals may not always be in fact conflicting. As pointed out, the time horizons over which each signal is applied may be different. In Figure 1.16 we observe that the CCI readings over the range of prices are markedly different. The 20-period CCI indicates a slightly overbought market whereas the 100-period CCI suggests that prices are slightly oversold. There is in fact no real conflict between the two apparently opposing signals. The indicators are merely pointing out that prices are slightly overbought or overextended in the short term, but over the longer term, prices are in fact slightly oversold, that is, relatively cheap. Therefore, instead of viewing the signals as opposing or contradictory, the astute trader immediately realizes that the most advantageous point for initiating a long entry would be when prices are cheap both in the long and short term. This is easily identified on the charts by looking for oversold readings on both the 20- and 100-period CCI within the area of consolidation, as indicated at Point 1. Therefore, the trader may decide to go long once price penetrates the high of the candlestick indicated on the chart. In this example, we see conflicting signals actually complementing each other and affording the trader an advantageous entry at relatively low prices.
Figure 1.16 Conflicting Signals on the Daily Alcoa Inc Chart.
The important point to remember is that any form of analysis may be employed, as long as the analyst is intimately familiar with the peculiarities associated with each form of analysis. It is better to be conversant with one form of analysis than to employ a slew of technical approaches without fully grasping the intricacies of each approach. This leads to confusion and ineffective analysis. It must be noted that combining technical studies will frequently result in both confirmatory and contradictory signals as we have seen, with many of the signals being also complementary as well. Only add studies once the first form of analysis is fully mastered. The practitioner must always remember that no form of analysis is always perfectly representative of the market, and it is inevitable that different forms of analysis will many times lead to conflicting signals.
As mentioned, interpretation and inference of potential future price action based on historical price behavior is essentially an exercise in subjectivity. Each analyst will interpret and infer future price action according to his or her own experience, knowledge, objectives, beliefs, expectations, predilections, emotional makeup, psychological biases, and interests.
The identification of price patterns may also present some challenge to the novice practitioner. Occasionally, the markets will conveniently trace out various price patterns that may cause some confusion. Refer to Figure 1.17.
Figure 1.17 Conflicting Chart Pattern Signals.
In this example, we see two chart patterns indicating potentially contradictory signals. The ascending triangle is regarded as a bullish indication, while the complex head and shoulders formation is potentially bearish. Therefore, as price starts to contract, forming a symmetrical triangle, an analyst may be somewhat perplexed at the conflicting signals, being unable to provide or issue a clear forecast as to whether the market is indeed potentially bullish or bearish.
One way to resolve this apparent conflict is to first identify the size of each pattern. The sentiment associated with larger patterns or formations will take precedence over that of smaller formations. These larger formations are more representative of the longer-term sentiment whereas the smaller formations are more indicative of short-term sentiment. Hence in our example, the bullish sentiment associated with the ascending triangle takes precedence over the bearish sentiment associated with the complex head and shoulders formation. Therefore, until price breaches the complex head and shoulders neckline, the entire formation may be regarded as a potentially bullish pattern. Following this simple rule helps reduce some of the subjectivity involved in reading price and chart formations.
Figure 1.18 depicts an idealized scenario where all the chart formations are potentially bearish.
Figure 1.18 Chart Pattern with Complementary Signals.
There is no conflict in sentiment between these formations as they are all in perfect agreement. The smaller formations act as additional evidence and add to the overall bearish sentiment. There is also a lesser amount of subjectivity involved when reading the sentiment associated with formations that are in perfect agreement. Nevertheless, it should be noted that although such formations may appear somewhat more straightforward with respect to inferring potential future price direction, any upside breakout of the larger descending triangle may well precipitate a vigorous and rapid rally in prices due to the unexpected nature of such a move. Traders must exercise caution especially when shorting such a formation as prices can quickly explode to the upside, caused by an avalanche of short covering.
This element of subjectivity with respect to interpretation and inference is not merely confined to applications in technical analysis. In fact, every form of analysis involves a certain amount of subjectivity and arbitrariness when it comes to its interpretation. For example, let us assume that the price of oil has risen significantly. This event in itself can be interpreted in two different ways. One fundamentalist may strongly believe that this rise in oil prices will impact the markets adversely as it will raise the underlying cost of commodities, whereas another fundamentalist may strongly believe that the rise in oil prices is a direct result of market demand, a bullish scenario indicating a healthy and growing economy. In another example, a technical analyst may strongly believe that an overbought oscillator reading is a clear indication that the trend is strong with further continuation expected in price, whereas another technical analyst may strongly believe that the overbought signal is a clear indication that the market may be already overextended and therefore expects a reversal in trend. The beginner quickly realizes, after some reflection, that for every bullish interpretation, there exists an equal and opposite bearish interpretation. This is one of the main reasons why forecasting is regarded as largely subjective.
Human bias is another factor that adds to the degree of subjectivity when attempting to interpret technical signals. Chartists will many times ignore signals that conflict with their preconceived ideas of where the markets ought to be at any one time. They only select oscillators and indicator signals that support their analysis of the market. For example, a chartist uses three oscillators, the MACD, relative strength index (RSI), and stochastics. The chartist has a bullish view of the markets and believes that it is about to break to the upside. All of the oscillators have bullish readings except for stochastics. The chartist ignores the stochastics signal because it does not agree with his or her view of the markets. On a subsequent occasion, it is MACD that is not in agreement with the chartist’s view, and only the signals from the other two oscillators are heeded. This is known as selective perception. See Figure 1.19.
Figure 1.19 Selective Perception and Conflicting Oscillator Signals.
Selective perception adds to the subjectivity of the forecast, as there is no fixed point of reference or basis for making decisions based on evidence. Choosing only signals that agree with one’s view will lead to biased and erroneous interpretations and unfounded forecasts. In fact, it is when there are discrepancies in the signals that the chartist gains the most information from the markets, as it may be an indication that there could well be some form of underlying weakness in the markets.
Identifying, interpreting, and inferring market action are not the only areas where subjectivity plays a significant role. The determination of the exact points of entry to and exit from the market is also subjective at the most fundamental level of observation. What appears to be essentially objective is also built on a foundation of subjectivity. An example will help illustrate the point. Refer to Figure 1.20.
Figure 1.20 Example of Subjective Objectivity.
Assume that a chartist is interested in identifying a market top via a trendline penetration. The chartist locates two significant troughs in an existing uptrend and draws a line connecting the two troughs, projecting that line into the future. Price eventually makes a top in the market and subsequently declines and penetrates the uptrend line, signifying the formation of a market top. This seems to be a totally objective exercise since the uptrend line and the point of penetration were clearly marked and recorded on the charts. Unfortunately, the objectivity ends here. Although each act of identifying the trend reversal was purely objective, the variables upon which the process of identification is based is determined subjectively by each chartist, according to their goals, biases, experience, and preferences. Another chartist could well have drawn a steeper trendline and declared that the penetration of this new trendline marks the true point of reversal in the market. As you can see, although each act of identifying the exact point of reversal is strictly objective in itself, the existence of alternative trendlines introduces an element of subjectivity as to which trendline penetration is the definitive indicator or signifier of the trend reversal. We can find another example of this subjective objectivity. Automated or program trading is usually regarded as a purely objective mode of trading where all the rules of engagement with the market are fully codified and mechanically executed. This removes all subjectivity with respect to the entries and exits. Just as in our previous example, the point of penetration of each trendline was also purely objective. However, should the automated trading software allow for some parameter adjustments, this instantly introduces an element of subjectivity as to which parameter adjustments are the definitive settings for a profitable trading campaign. Therefore, no matter how objective each individual act is, once the possibility of alternative acts exists, the issue of subjectivity arises. In a sense, each determination is individually objective, but collectively subjective.
At which point after the breakout do I initiate an entry into the market?
What is a reasonable amount of price penetration required before an entry is initiated?
Do I wait for the penetration bar to close first or do I initiate an entry at some arbitrary point during an intraday violation of the trendline?
What if the penetration bar closes too far away from the original trendline breach?
How would I know if the violation is merely a false breakout?
Should I allow for a larger penetration before initiating an entry in order to filter out potential false breakouts? If so, how much larger a penetration is required to filter out such breakouts?
The answers to all of these questions really depend on the objectives of the trader and what he or she is attempting to achieve. There are essentially two ways of initiating an entry at the breakout of some price barrier. The first is to initiate an entry at some arbitrary point just after a breakout. The other is to initiate a trade based on some fixed rules of entry and exits. See Figure 1.21.
Figure 1.21 Subjectivity in the Rules of Engagement.
Subjectivity arises not because the rules of engagement are unclear, but rather because of the number of choices available. Hence, each trader will select the rules of entry and exit that suit their personality, risk capacity, or familiarity with a certain mode of engagement. A trader could initiate a trade once price moves a certain distance away from the breakout, or once the penetration bar closes. Traders may even choose to enter the market after a certain amount of time has elapsed from a breakout. Figure 1.21 lists three main types of filters that traders frequently use to initiate an entry. Price, time, and algorithmic filters will be discussed in more detail in Chapter 5.
Summarizing, even if the rules for identification, interpretation, and inference are rigidly codified, the very fact that we have choice renders the entire analysis subjective from the ground up. Hence the argument that technical analysis is subjective in fact represents a general comment on all forms of analysis. It is not unique to technical analysis!
Here is a little exercise in subjectivity associated with pattern recognition. See Figure 1.22. Without looking at Figure 1.23, try to see if you can figure out the trend changes by drawing simple trendlines. After you have finished, refer to Figure 1.23 to see if you have drawn the same trendlines as indicated on the chart.
Figure 1.22 A Basic 4-Hourly Bar Chart of USDCAD.
Figure 1.23 Trendline Analysis on the 4-Hourly USDCAD Bar Chart.
There will most likely be a difference in the points chosen in drawing the trendlines. The very fact that you can draw alternate trendlines introduces an element of subjectivity in identification, interpretation, and forecasting.
Now go back to Figure 1.22 and try to identify some chart patterns (if you know some). After you have finished, turn to Figure 1.24 to see if you have drawn the same patterns.
Figure 1.24 Chart Pattern Analysis on the 4-Hourly USDCAD Bar Chart.
Were there differences in the chart patterns drawn? Do not worry if there are differences. It is merely a consequence of subjectivity.
Here is another example based on the same USDCAD chart. Were you aware of the subtle angular symmetries in the USDCAD? See Figure 1.25. Analysts also pay attention to the angles of ascent and descent in the markets. A novice may not be able to clearly identify chart patterns, trendlines, or angular patterns at the very beginning. But with enough practice, the pattern-recognition abilities will gradually improve, becoming more obvious as the skill in reading charts improves. As a consequence, the amount of subjectivity associated with identifying patterns will gradually diminish.
Figure 1.25 Angular Symmetries on the 4-Hourly USDCAD Bar Chart.
Refer to Figure 1.26. Here is the same chart of the USDCAD again. But this time, we see the underlying beauty and symmetry of price, tempered and forged by the expectation, psychology, biases, and emotions of all market participants. To a trained eye, a simple chart of price action is as beautiful as any work of art. For technical analysis is, in itself, an art.
Figure 1.26 Underlying Market Symmetry on the 4-Hourly USDCAD Bar Chart.
Technical analysis is based on a few fundamental assumptions. The first assumption is that market action, which includes price action, reflects all known information in the markets. The market discounts everything except acts of God.
Market action is representative of the collective trading and investment decisions of all market participants, which directs the flow of supply and demand in the markets.
This implies that the technical analyst need only refer to the charting of market action, since all known information and expectation about such information has already been discounted by the markets. The actual cause or underlying reason driving demand or supply is irrelevant, as it is only the effect of such action that really matters, that is, prices rising or falling.
Some detractors of technical analysis contend that the assumption that all information is absorbed or discounted by the market is flawed. They argue that, with the exception of illegal insider trading, price cannot possibly discount an unexpectedly large block purchase of shares in the market before it occurs. The detractors are in fact perfectly correct in their contention, except for the fact that the markets do not actually discount unknown information or unexpected events. The market can only react to what is known or expected, which includes insider activity. It does not react to what is unknown or unexpected. Although insider information is nonpublic, it is still considered to be known information, since the action of insider buying and selling impacts market action and as such represents information in the markets.
It may be more realistic to think of the market as in a continuous process of assimilating and adjusting to new market information, rather than an unrealistic full-blown discounting of all information instantaneously.
What Are the Markets Really Discounting?
In reality, the market discounts all of the above. Regardless of what the markets are discounting, be it quantifiable or otherwise, the end result is that price and markets action will ultimately reflect the collective expectation of all participants.
Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) states that for a market to efficiently discount and reflect all information perfectly, all of its participants must act on all information in the same rational manner instantaneously. Does this definition of EMH also apply the basic assumption in technical analysis that the market discounts everything?
Detractors of EMH contend that the act of discounting everything is not realistic or is largely impossible. They argue that the problem lies in the action taken by the participants. Not all participants will react to the same event or information in the same way, and in fact, some participants may act on it in a contrary fashion, that is, shorting the market rather than going long. They also argue that not all of the participants will react at the same time. Some will take preemptive action or act in anticipation of the event while other participants will act during the actual receipt of the information. There will also be participants who may react long after the information is released. Hence, trying to achieve a certain level of coordinated action for efficient discounting will be virtually impossible.
The detractors of EMH also contend that for the markets to discount all information effectively, all participants must have access to that information and must act on it. The market will otherwise be unable to discount or reflect all information effectively. This requirement itself presents a difficult challenge. They argue that it is virtually impossible to get all of its participants to act on all of the information. It is also unrealistic to expect all participants to have access to that information, and even if they do, we cannot expect the participants to be standing by at all times in readiness to act on such information. They further argue that information is never free. It is unrealistic to expect that all participants are able to afford the information, let alone all information.
There is a very subtle difference between efficient discounting in EMH and basic market discounting in technical analysis. As far as market discounting in technical analysis is concerned, there is no requirement of perfect efficiency except for the requirement that it discounts everything that becomes known to it, which includes the sum total of all actions taken by its participants, be it in a timely or untimely, rational or irrational fashion. Market action itself represents the ultimate truth and is a direct consequence of the market discounting all information known to it, regardless of whether the information is perfectly efficient or otherwise. The market continues to discount all information and expectations of such information as and when it unfolds and becomes known to the market. The term efficiency therefore, as far it applies to the basic assumption in technical analysis, refers to very act of discounting all information as it becomes known to the market, regardless of the type, quality, or speed at which it receives the information. For the technical analyst, price is (always) king and represents the ultimate truth in the market. The markets are never wrong. All market action is considered perfect and efficient under the basic premises of technical analysis. Hence, we see that the term efficient does not carry the same meaning or implications as in the case of EMH. In EMH, efficient has a very specific meaning.
EMH requires new information in order for prices to change. Bullish news will cause prices to rise and bearish news will drive prices down. Acting rationally means that all participants will make the same logical decision based on the new information received. Instantaneously means acting or responding immediately to new information. Therefore, for the market to efficiently discount or reflect all information, all of its participants must act on all of the information in the same manner instantaneously. See Figure 1.27.
Figure 1.27 Efficient Market Adjusting to New Information.
EMH contends that since the markets are efficient, there is no point in employing technical analysis, as prices would have already adjusted to the new information and the analyst would have no way of forecasting future action without such information. The reality is that there is discounting in the markets, but it is in no way perfectly efficient. In other words, the markets are at best semi efficient. This is because it is impossible to have all market participants acting instantaneously and rationally. It is a physical and logistical impossibility in the physical world. A simple “handclap” test will prove the point. If a large group of participants was asked to clap in response to a specific single event like the ring of a bell, we would find that there is little chance of observing a perfectly coordinated handclap across the group once such an event occurred.
Even if the market participants were to act rationally and all make the same logical decisions based on the new information, they may not be able to act on the information instantaneously. They may have received delayed information or were not standing by in readiness to act on the information when it arrived. They may also find it physically impossible to act on all information, especially when information streams in continuously in very quick succession. They may also be unable to afford the cost of such information. As such, the discounting of new information will take place at a slower rate, with a semi-efficient market adjusting gradually to the new information as market participants compete with each other for the best fills. See Figure 1.28.
Figure 1.28 A Semi-Efficient Market Gradually Adjusting to New Information.
Figure 1.29 is a 5-min chart of the EURUSD depicting the markets adjusting to new information, in this case the nonfarm payroll and unemployment report. Notice how prices swing back and forth as traders compete with each other in light of the new information. Price finally makes a top at the 61.8 percent Fibonacci projection (projecting AB from Point C) level and begins consolidating.
Figure 1.29 A Semi-Efficient Market Gradually Adjusting to New Information.
The Weak Form: The weak form of EMH suggests that all current prices have already been fully discounted and, as such, reflect all past price information. Therefore, they cannot impact future prices. The application of technical analysis is therefore pointless and meaningless.
The Semi-Strong Form: The semi-strong form of EMH suggests that all information, once public, is of little use as price would have already adjusted to the new information making the use of such information unprofitable and pointless. Market participants would have little opportunity to take advantage of such information. This implies that even fundamental analysis is pointless and meaningless.
The Strong Form: The strong form of EMH suggests that all information, regardless of whether public or private, would have been already fully reflected in the current price. Consequently, all forms of analysis and forecasting are pointless and meaningless.
All information is already incorporated into the current price. This would mean that there is no way whatsoever to forecast future action, and prices are as likely to go up as they are to go down. This renders all form of analysis and forecasting pointless and meaningless. Random walk is in a way related to EMH, insofar as current price represents the current state of all information. In random walk, prices do not adjust to any new information, unlike in EMH. Its motion is purely random or stochastic.
So, are the markets following a random walk? As we already know, the markets are driven by perception and expectation and not by random acts of buying and selling. It is totally inconceivable that all participants invest in the markets in a purely random fashion, completely unencumbered by cost, emotions, psychology, and biases. As we already know, market participants tend to react in a highly predictable manner time and time again. It is the author’s opinion that random walk is simply not a true representation of everyday market action. See Figure 1.30.
Figure 1.30 Random Walk, EMH, and Their Implications.
In the real world, markets overreact and there is insider activity. With insiders buying and selling, prices adjust to reflect this information. See Figure 1.31. Once the new bullish or bearish information is released, the insiders would in fact be liquidating positions in profit, selling off the shares to the public.
Figure 1.31 Insider Activity Impacting Market Action.
Figure 1.32 shows the market overreacting to new information. We see the insiders accumulating shares prior to the release of the new information. The public joins in after the information is published. Public participation begins to increase as more participants join in the now obvious rally in prices. This contributes to the herding behavior that finally causes the market to overreact to the new information. This is exactly what the insiders are hoping for, in order to extract the greatest amount of profit. Eventually a top is formed as the market runs out of buyers and/or money to invest. The activity subsides only to repeat again.
Figure 1.32 Markets Overreacting to New Information.
One interesting question that many novices ask is whether the market is discounting price or value. In fact, a more fundamental question to ask would be whether price represents value. If it does, then how do we explain a stock valued at $10 rising to a price of $30 in the absence of any significant changes in its fundamentals?
In reality, market action is merely the collective expectations of all its participants. What we are really trading is expectation. It has not very much to do with absolute intrinsic value, but rather its expected value. In short, current price is the result of expectations about future price and value.
The second assumption or premise of technical analysis is that market behavior has a tendency to repeat itself. This means that past price and chart patterns will provide a reasonable basis for forecasting potential future behavior. The underlying explanation for the repeatability of price and market behavior lies in the fact that market behavior is driven by human psychology, which seldom changes over time. The uses of past patterns to predict futures moves are grounded in the reliability and consistency of human behavior.
Ironically, most equity valuation modeling and standard economic statistical indicators are based on past or historical information as well. How else are we able to make an intelligent assessment of future outcome without reference to past data? It is human nature to try to infer, extrapolate, generalize, and predict potentially probable future outcomes.
The reason for the popularity of classical price and chart patterns lies in the fact that they are essentially visual in nature. Human beings have an innate tendency for pattern recognition and as such there is a natural inclination to gravitate toward such forms of analysis. The reliability of pattern analysis tends to improve as more market participants start to employ such patterns in their day-to-day trading and forecasting.
The preempting effect will slowly erode the reliability of historical patterns as traders start to outbid or outsell each other in anticipation of the approaching technical trigger levels. Preempting is a direct result of the self-fulfilling prophecy.
The effect of widespread program trading will affect the reliability of historical pattern trading as programs are able to trade in ways not easily replicated by manual or human trading.
The ever-changing influx of new participants into the markets will slowly affect the reliability of chart and price patterns unfolding in the expected manner. Although human psychology remains largely predictable over the longer-term horizon, short-term patterns are sometimes impacted by new participants who have a slightly different approach than the usual participants in that market.
Lastly, from the definitions given of technical analysis, it is generally accepted that the market has a tendency to move in trends. This explains the popularity of trend-based methodologies. Of course, it is not hard to understand the basis for the popularity of trend trading, since trend action affords market participants the greatest profit over the shortest possible duration in the markets.
But if we analyze this statement more closely, we understand that the term trend is inconclusive. What is actually is a trend? When is a trend a trend and when does it cease to be one? There have been many attempts to define what a trend is objectively. Successively higher or lower peaks and troughs is one widely accepted method, and is by far the preferred mode of identifying a trend. But then this begs the next question, which is: what constitutes a peak or a trough? Significant containment of price below or above a trendline or sloping moving average may also be deemed a valid way of defining a trend. We shall delve into the specifics of defining trends, consolidations, and other formations in Chapter 5.
Finally, it is important to note that a trend in one timeframe may be a sideways market in another.
Price behavior is expected to persist until there is evidence to the contrary.
For every bullish indication or interpretation, there exists an equal and opposite bearish indication or interpretation for the same price behavior or phenomena.
Extreme bullishness is potentially bearish (and extreme bearishness is potentially bullish).
A technical tool or indicator has no real significance except for that attributed to it by market participants.
The first premise is about preserving the status quo. It should be noted that most technical analysis is based on a set of assumptions. Most assumptions derive from one grand underlying premise, that being the preservation the prevailing price behavior. For example, a trend is expected to persist until there is evidence to the contrary. Hence a state of persistence is assumed to be the status quo. If a cycle is identified, it is assumed to persist until cyclic failure is clear and obvious. If the market is in consolidation, it is expected to continue to range until a breakout is identified.
The second premise is also a fairly obvious, not only in relation to technical analysis but also with much of life. For example, an analyst may make a case for rising oil prices as the reason for a rise in the Dow Jones index since it is indicative of increasing demand, representing evidence of a recovering economy. The same analyst may also make a case for rising oil prices as the reason for a decline in the Dow Jones index due to the widely held perception of increasing cost, and hence bearish for the economy in general. Another example would be to find the stochastics at an oversold level and conclude that the current uptrend is strong since it is potentially or implicitly bullish. Alternatively, the stochastics could be at an overbought level, leading to the conclusion that the current uptrend is strong since an overbought level is regarded as explicitly bullish.
The third premise above is obvious when using oscillators such as stochastics, RSI, and MACD. A reading of 100 percent on the stochastics is extremely and explicitly bullish but it is also regarded as a potentially or implicitly bearish condition since it is at a level where price may generally be regarded as being overextended or exhausted. There is an underlying expectation or assumption that a reversion to the means would eventually take place (note that this may not always be true, for example, in the case of cumulative type indicators). A breakout above a rising channel is also explicitly bullish but it is also regarded as implicitly bearish since it also represents a state of overextension or exhaustion in price, with respect to the rising channel formation.
The fourth premise is specifically about the effects of the self-fulfilling prophecy. It is easy to understand why a largely concerted wave of buying or selling at various points on a price chart may cause a significant reaction in price. This concerted wave of buying or selling will generally be more pronounced if these points are significantly clear and obvious to most market participants using technical analysis. Hence we generally notice a larger than average penetration bar during trendline breakouts, especially if the trendline is significantly clear and obvious to most traders. This also implies that should an indicator be essentially faulty or illogical in its design, if enough participants risk actual capital based on its signals, it would begin to exhibit a greater level of reliability.
Technical analysis generally works more efficiently at timeframes where there are fewer forms of analyses available. For example, on higher timeframes like the daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly charts, fundamental analysis plays a very important role in helping to forecast potential market action. But at very low timeframes like the one-minute charts, fundamental analysis may not be as useful, especially if the stopsize is very small. In essence, the smaller the stopsize, the more important will be the role of applying technical analysis when trying to forecast very short term movements in price. This is the main reason why technical analysis is generally more reliable at lower timeframes.
But there are many other ways of categorizing market participants. We can categorize them by the amount of time they spend in the markets or by the methodology that they employ when trading or investing in the markets. Figure 1.33 lists the five main groups of market participants by the amount of time they spend in the markets.
Figure 1.33 Market Participants by Way of Time Spent in the Markets.
Figure 1.34 lists the same five groups of market participants by way of the methodology that they employ when trading or investing in the markets.
Figure 1.34 Market Participants by Way of Trading and Investing Methodology.
See Figure 1.35 for a visual summary of popular markets and their derivatives.
Figure 1.35 Popular Markets and Instruments.
Technical analysis is the study of market action. It is an extremely popular approach in gauging potential market moves as well as identifying past activity in terms of patterns, proportions, and time. It involves the study of price action, volume and open interest action, market breadth, sentiment data, and the flow of funds. It attempts to identify potentially repetitive patterns in the form of chart and bar formations, price cycles, and seasonality, based on the assumption that there is some reliable degree of repeatability associated with these technical formations.
We shall delve more deeply into these aspects of technical analysis over the rest of this handbook.
What are the challenges to technical analysis?
A basic assumption in technical analysis is that the market discounts everything. EMH also requires the discounting of all information. In what ways are they different?
Describe how an analyst may resolve conflicting signals or chart patterns.
Explain why identifying a trend change is largely a subjective exercise.
Is random walk a true reflection of the markets?
Describe the three levels of discounting new information under EMH.
What is a good definition of technical analysis?
List as many advantages and disadvantages of using technical analysis as you can.
Edwards, Robert D., and John Magee. 2007. Technical Analysis of Stock Trends. New York: AMACOM).
Kirkpatrick, Charles, and Julie Dahlquist. 2007. Technical Analysis: The Complete Resource for Financial Market Technicians. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.
Murphy, John. 1999. Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets. (New York: New York Institute of Finance (NYIF).
Pring, Martin J. 2002. Technical Analysis Explained: The Successful Investor’s Guide to Spotting Investment Trends and Turning Points. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Market Profile is essentially the charting of the balance between supply and demand, in terms of the level of agreement between price and its perceived value. It is an extremely useful way of viewing market action in terms of whether the participants believe prices are fair or unfair, disadvantageous or advantageous, with respect to their shorter- or longer-term outlook. And unlike conventional charting, trends are determined with respect to the previous day’s perception of fair value. This makes Market Profile an indispensable form of analysis to the serious practitioner of technical analysis.
The price discovery mechanism unfolds in response to the overall market participants’ belief as to whether prices represent a fair reflection of value. If market participants do not perceive value around the current prices, they will react accordingly by buying or selling the market, causing markets to move or trend toward an area where they believe prices are a true reflection of value. This agreement between price and value is wholly dependent on the perceptions of market participants.
Markets do not trend all the time. Once prices start to find agreement with value, market participants will have potentially less cause or reason to initiate any further activity until either new information enters the market or a bullish or bearish technical signal invites further participatory activity. It is during the period of balance between price and value that price starts to form a distribution as it oscillates and fluctuates around the new area of balance. This distribution of prices tends to form a bell-curve-like appearance, with the greatest agreement between price and value being found around the fairest price, as perceived by the majority of the market participants. Prices will rise and fall within this area of general agreement, trading back to the fairest price should prices appear unfairly high or low. See Figure 17.1.
Figure 17.1 Area of Balance Between Price and Value.
This distribution, resulting from the behavioral responses of market participants, is not unlike those obtained from the sampling of other empirical data. For example, if we sampled the IQ of one thousand students, we would find that most of the IQs would fall around an average value, with fewer IQs lying at the upper and lower ends of the scale. We would also obtain the same bell-shaped distribution if we sampled the heights, weights, or the number coins that each student had in their pocket. If we plotted the distribution of IQs, it would look something similar to the plot seen in Figure 17.2.
Figure 17.2 Frequency Distribution of IQ Test Scores Approximating a Bell-Shaped Curve.
Hence we see most IQ test scores gathering around a central value, normally represented by the mode, which in many cases is typically close to the average IQ value. This distribution may also be illustrated by turning it 90-degrees clockwise, as seen in Figure 17.3.
Figure 17.3 Frequency Distribution of IQ Test Scores Displayed Sideways.
In the same manner, we may also represent price as a function of its activity at each price level, that is, the number of times it revisited a particular price level within a specified duration. By representing price in this manner, we can easily observe its activity across various price levels, identifying the areas of balance between price and value simply by the degree and shape of the resulting distribution. See Figure 17.4. Note that the vertical axis tracks the direction of price, whereas the horizontal axis tracks the frequency of price activity at each price level. This cannot be easily observed on conventional bar or candlestick charting since they do not provide a clear graphic record of price frequency distribution.
Figure 17.4 Representing Price as Frequency Distribution Displayed Sideways.
So, how can we devise a chart that will enable us to see this distribution of price activity and hence identify areas of potential balance between price and value?
We can do this easily if we first record price activity over a specified period and subsequently collapse each separate segment of price activity into a composite profile of its price activity as time elapses. See Figure 17.5.
Figure 17.5 Representing Price Activity as a Bell-Shaped Distribution.
Referring to Figure 17.5, let us denote price movements within each half-hour period by a letter. Let us assign each successive half-hour period the letters A, B, C, D, and so on. We observe prices moving between $100 and $125 within the first half hour. In the second half hour, prices moves between $90 and $115. We continue assigning a new letter to all half-hour price movements for each successive period. In the illustration, we tracked exactly two-and-one-half hours worth of price activity, that is, A to E. We now collapse all the letters to the left-hand side, filling up all empty spaces to the left, and we end up with a bell-shaped distribution of price activity. It is now obvious that the prices with the most activity over the two-and-one-half hours are $105 and $110. This represents the prices with the greatest agreement with value. This distribution represents the profile of market action.
Note that not all distributions are perfectly distributed in the real markets. Nevertheless, prices are assumed to form a fairly symmetrical and balanced bell-shaped distribution over time. Therefore any skew to the lower or upper ends in the distribution is expected to gradually re-balance toward a more symmetrical profile as time passes. Prices are expected to eventually revert to the mean or average value of the distribution, which represents the fairest price.
This bell-shaped distribution of price activity occurs frequently and naturally in the markets as price searches for value. It is therefore not surprising and rather useful that it may be assumed to approximate a normal distribution, where its properties are very well known. As such, 68 percent of all activity is expected to lie within one standard deviation of the mean price of the distribution. This area of balance between price and value is called the value area. It represents the area where there is the greatest agreement between price and value. The further price is away from the mean, the greater the disagreement between price and value, that is, becoming more overvalued or undervalued with respect to the market. As prices continue to revert to fair price, such activity helps to balance the profile toward a more symmetrical distribution of prices. See Figure 17.6.
Figure 17.6 Representing Price Activity as a Bell-Shaped Distribution.
In Market Profile, each half hour period is assigned or designated a letter and is called the Time Price Opportunity (TPO). It represents the time or period over which the market looks for an opportunity in price. The part of the distribution that lies closest to the middle of the distribution’s range and contains the most letters, or TPOs, is called the Point of Control (POC). Should there be two equal lines of TPOs that appear close to the middle of the distribution, the lower line of TPOs will be the POC.
To calculate the value area, we need to first locate the POC. To find the POC, find the range of the distribution and locate the middle of it. The range of a distribution is simply the difference between the highest- and lowest-priced TPOs. Finally, identify the longest line of TPOs that is closest to the middle of the range. That will represent the POC. See Figure 17.7.
Figure 17.7 Finding the Point of Control (POC).
In Figure 17.7, the range is $24 and the middle of the range is $84. The longest line of TPOs closest to the middle price is $84. Therefore, the POC is located at $84 and it comprises nine TPOs. Sometimes the opening price is denoted by the letter O, as seen at $88. If each period of lettering represents a half hour, the total duration of the entire distribution, assuming that M is the last price, is simply 13 × ½ hour = 6 ½ hours long (since M represents the thirteenth letter).
Figure 17.8 Finding the Value Area via the TPO Count.
Therefore, the area containing approximately 68 percent of all TPOs represents the value area. See Figure 17.9.
Figure 17.9 Finding the Value Area via the TPO Count.
We can also calculate the value area with respect to volume. It is calculated in a similar fashion to the TPO-based value area, with the only difference being the use of the price with highest volume instead of the POC as the central value for comparing volumes two prices above and below it. See Figure 17.10 for the calculations of volume-based value area.
Figure 17.10 Finding the Volume-Based Value Area.
Therefore, the area containing 68 percent of all volume represents the volume-based value area. See Figure 17.11.
Figure 17.11 Finding the Volume-Based Value Area.
In Market Profile, each half hour is assigned a letter ranging from capital A to X for the initial 12 hours and then followed by a to x for the remaining 12 hours, accounting for a full day’s worth of trading activity. Many markets do not trade for 24 hours a day, and therefore not all of the letters are used. The practitioner may of course assign a different time period to the TPOs instead of the conventional half-hour period in order to view the profile across a longer or shorter time horizon.
It is important to also realize that price gapping is not visually accounted for in the profile’s graphic within each set of lettering. In a series of As for example, any gaps in price during that period of As is not visually displayed in the profile. But gaps in price are visually displayed if they exist between the new day’s opening price and yesterday’s value area, closing price, range extreme, and so on. They are not visually identifiable on an intraday basis.
There are various chart elements that are unique to Market Profile. Refer to Figure 17.12.
Figure 17.12 Elements of the Market Profile Graphic.
In Figure 17.12, the range of TPOs indicated at 1 represents the initial balance of the profile’s graphic. The initial balance represents the first hour of trading in the market (since it consists of letters A and B, each designated to one half-hour period). Trading within the initial balance is usually populated by the shorter-term participants, which includes the locals, day traders, and so on. Any move beyond the initial balance represents participation by the longer-term participants. Although the shorter-term participants perceive prices as being a fair reflection of value within the initial balance, the longer-term participants may perceive current prices as being undervalued and start driving prices higher, beyond the initial balance. Conversely, the longer-term participants may perceive current prices as being overvalued and start driving prices lower, below the initial balance. Hence all price movements or trends beyond the initial balance are generally regarded as activity by the longer-term participants who are not usually concerned whether prices are fair or otherwise across shorter time horizons. Prices that seem expensive or unfair to the shorter-term or daily traders may in fact be regarded as cheap by the longer-term participants, if they believe that value will increase in the future. Similarly, prices that seem cheap to the shorter-term or daily traders may in fact be regarded as expensive by the longer-term participants if they believe that value will decrease in the future.
The range of TPOs indicated at 4 represents the range extension, that is, prices that exceed the initial balance. Range extension is regarded as evidence of activity by the longer-term participants.
The two uppermost extreme TPOs indicated at 2 represent the single print selling tail, whereas the lowermost TPOs indicated at 3 represent the single print buying tail. Tails must consist of at least two or three TPOs in order to be significant. Longer tails indicate greater conviction by the market participants. These extremes in price within the distribution range indicate very vigorous buying and selling behavior and reflect greater divergence between price and value. The range of prices indicated at 5 represents the value area based on the TPO count. Finally, the range of the distribution is indicated at 6, which is just the difference between the highest- and lowest-priced TPOs.
If prices are at the upper extremes of the initial balance or value area, the daily or shorter-term participants may perceive prices as expensive, unfair, and totally unreflective of current value, inviting them to respond by selling, thereby returning prices to a fairer expression of value. Similarly, if prices are at the lower extremes of the initial balance or value area, the daily or shorter-term participants may perceive prices as being cheap and totally unreflective of current value, inviting them to respond by buying. We call this responsive buying and selling. They are responding to what they perceive as expensive or cheap prices.
On the other hand, even if prices exceed the value area or the upper extremes of the initial balance, the longer-term participants may still perceive prices as cheap and totally unreflective of future value, inviting them to initiate a new upside move or trend by buying, driving prices away from the current initial balance or value area. Similarly, if prices exceed the lower extremes of the initial balance or value area, the longer-term participants may perceive prices as being too expensive and totally unreflective of future value, inviting them to initiate a new downside move or trend by selling. We call this initiative buying and selling. They are initiating a new move in the markets against what they perceive as cheaper or more expensive prices with respect to future value.
Therefore, the main difference is that initiative action is driven by the expectation of future values over the longer term, whereas responsive action is driven by the belief that prices are currently too expensive or cheap and should return or revert back to fair value, over the short term. Unfortunately the value area and range may be continuously changing throughout the day and this makes the absolute and final determination of initiative and responsive action with respect to the value area and range extremities less consistent. The determination of initiative and responsive action with respect to the initial balance is not affected, as it does not change after the first hour, being fully defined.
Initiative Buying: Initiative buying occurs above the previous day’s value area. The participants buy if they believe that prices are going higher in a rising market and that the market is currently undervalued. Initiative buying drives prices away from the previous day’s value area and in the process gives rise to uptrends in the markets. | 2019-04-21T15:04:10Z | https://b-ok.org/book/3603738/5b128d |
I believe God created the heavens, the earth, and every living thing. But I think Christians should reject the idea that God created the universe from absolutely nothing.
Theologians typically use the Latin label, “creatio ex nihilo,” to identify the idea that God created the universe from absolutely nothing. While a few have said that the nothing of “nihilo” refers to chaos, the vast majority of theologians have insisted on the literal meaning of nothing. God began with absolutely nothing when creating our universe.
I find few Christians who seriously consider the assets and liabilities of creatio ex nihilo. Few study the biblical, historical, theological, and scientific dimensions of the doctrine. This is in many ways understandable. Until we have some reason to question traditional assumptions, we tend to accept what we’re told.
I first became suspicious of creatio ex nihilo in the mid 1990s. At first, my worry was what the doctrine implied about God’s power and the problem of evil. If God had the power to create something from absolutely nothing, God would have the power to prevent genuine evil unilaterally. Genuine evils exist that a loving God would want to prevent. So I began to entertain the idea that creatio ex nihilo may not be worth affirming.
Over the years, I’ve realized that the doctrine has many other significant problems. I list nine below. For most of the nine, I add a brief sentence giving support or justification.
The Bible plays a central role in my theology. But I list the biblical problem with creatio ex nihilo last, so I can supplement it with a few quotes from biblical scholars.
Theoretical problem: absolute nothingness cannot be conceived.
Historical problem: Creatio ex nihilo was first proposed by Gnostics – Basilides and Valentinus – who assumed that creation was inherently evil and that God does not act in history. It was adopted by early Christian theologians to affirm the kind of absolute divine power that many Christians – especially Wesleyans – now reject.
Creation at an instant problem: We have no evidence in the history of the universe after the big bang that entities can emerge instantaneously from absolute nothingness. Out of nothing comes nothing (ex nihil, nihil fit).
Solitary power problem: Creatio ex nihilo assumes that a powerful God once acted alone. But power is a social concept only meaningful in relation to others.
Errant revelation problem: The God with the capacity to create something from absolutely nothing would apparently have the power to guarantee an unambiguous and inerrant message of salvation (e.g, inerrant Bible). An unambiguously clear and inerrant divine revelation does not exist.
Evil problem: If God once had the power to create from absolutely nothing, God essentially retains that power. But a God of love with this capacity is culpable for failing to use it periodically to prevent genuine evil.
Empire Problem: The kind of divine power implied in creatio ex nihilo supports a theology of empire, which is based upon unilateral force and control of others.
Biblical problem: Scripture – in Genesis, 2 Peter, and elsewhere – suggests creation from something (water, deep, chaos, invisible things, etc.), not creation from absolutely nothing.
The only significant thing creatio ex nihilo has going for it is that so many Christians through the ages have supported it. The earliest Christians, however, embraced the idea God created the world out of something.
For instance, Philo postulated a pre-existent matter alongside God. Justin, Athenagoras, Hermogenes, and Clement of Alexandria spoke about the creation of the world. Origen of Alexandria and, later, John Scotus Erigena argued that God is essentially creative.
But the majority of later Christian theologians affirmed creatio ex nihilo. There’s no getting around this. And because Christian tradition is important to me, I do not take lightly the idea that I oppose the majority.
In my mind, however, the nine problems I have listed above are so strong that opposing the majority of the Christian tradition seems the sensible thing to do. Besides, the tradition does not jibe with the biblical witness on this issue. I typically opt for the Bible over tradition.
I happen to think that pointing out problems in the existing theory is not enough. A constructive Christian theologian like me should suggest a replacement. I will propose an alternative theory of creation in a subsequent essay. I call it creatio ex creare en amore — God creating out of creation in love.
Thanks for the post. I would love a follow-up post that engages theologians like Aquinas and Augustine on the topic of creatio ex nihilo. Since the tradition/Bible distinction didn’t really get going until the Reformation, I worry when this distinction is hauled out against the long consensus of pre-Reformation theologians. Augustine and Aquinas certainly never thought they were doing anything other than interpreting Scripture. And Lord knows Augustine knew his Scripture! I doubt there’s ever been a text more suffused with biblical citations and allusions than his Confessions, and who else comes to mind who preached five huge volumes of sermons on the Psalms alone? To put the concern differently, I doubt very seriously that one can both affirm that the doctrine has tradition on its side and deny that the doctrine has any strong basis in Scripture.
Also, it would be interesting to see you reflect on the work of particular contemporary interpreters of the doctrine. I have in mind first and foremost the late Dominican theologian Herbert McCabe (see esp. his “God Matters”, and there esp. part one), but also Rowan Williams (see scattered reflections in “On Christian Theology”). In these contemporary theologians’ work, I think you’ll find a position that evades many, perhaps all, of the difficulties you enumerated in your post.
1. What do you do with the possibility that, while beyond our conception, absolute nothingness may have actually been? Our conception doesn’t limit historical reality, does it?
2. You’re committing the genetic fallacy: rejecting an idea on the basis of its origin, rather than on its merits alone.
3. To the contrary: there’s plenty of evidence, even if much of it is theoretical and philosophical. Scientists and theologians agree that the universe had a beginning…so, prior to it existing, it had to not exist.
4. First, what kind of evidence would you expect to find if something WERE created out of nothing? Second, you’re not answering the question, but pushing it further back. Is the universe eternal, or did it come to be at some point?
5. Power is the ability to do work. There’s no implication in the word that a social component is required…it appears you’re imposing your own meaning on the word.
6. Let’s turn this around for clarity: you seem to be saying that because clear revelation doesn’t exist (your words, not mine), God lacks the ability to create from nothing? Non sequitur.
7. I agree with the general principle that a powerful God would be responsible for not preventing evil (if culpable, I’m not sure to whom He would report)…but your presumption is that God would not allow evil at all. Without more evidence, I’m not sure we can draw such a conclusion. Non sequitur.
8. On what basis do you reject this idea…is it because you don’t like it, or because you have evidence that it’s incorrect?
9. On this we agree.
I’d like to add another point of contention. Let’s suppose for a moment that God DID indeed simply order the existing chaos at the beginning of our universe. You seem to be suggesting that this is evidence that God COULD NOT create from nothing. It’s not. If I take a vacation to Seattle, that doesn’t mean that I couldn’t have just as easily gone to Phoenix…does it? What God DID is not necessarily an indication of the extent of His ABILITY.
I look forward to your forthcoming essay. You may address my concern in it, so feel free to say “just wait”, but if we say God created out of something doesn’t that require that something to be eternal as He is eternal? What are you willing to say is eternal with Him other than Himself?
My main question, then, is more a theological one, Tom: Was there a time when all there was was God? Some Jewish commentaries of Gen. 1:1 understand it to be something like this: “Before there was anything else, there was God; then God spoke.” This, of course, is an “ex nihilo” account. However, what about the ancient creedal statements regarding “before there was anything, there was God.” I believe one can affirm the idea of a God who precedes all other things without a specific ex nihilo reading of Gen. 1; however, I don’t see you addressing that question, and I’d like your take on it.
Tom, as usual your thoughts are cogent and worth pondering.
-Chaos seems to become the default reality. Chaos is the natural state of all things. This seems to suggest that we are not ultimately the creation of God but are God’s ordering of a chaotic primordial state or substance. We are, most basically, chaos given order.
-This also seems to smack of dualism. If God is in an eternal “battle” with chaos, how is this different from other forms of dualism in which God eternally battles evil in one form or another?
-While I think the problem of evil’s origin may be solved with creation out of chaos… the problem of evil’s exodus is glaring!
I wont offer my underdeveloped theory here but I think there is a third way in which we can see God as creator in the fullest sense and yet still affirm that chaos is a necessary element of the creation.
Let’s say after 10 years your starting to win me over on this one.
God is by nature both relational and creative.
where i get lost is humanity and as we know it is relatively young even by the longest estimates.
My current understanding of God’s nature is so relational that i have trouble with the notion that God would have created over and over again with out also creating community/love capable live prior to us.
then my mind starts really spinning could heaven already be populated?
If not creation ex nihilo, then creation from what? If ordering of chaos, from whence cometh the chaos?
Also, regarding the power of God over against the power of evil, you seem to imply that God must not be able to overcome the power of evil—otherwise, God is culpable for not doing such. Are you suggesting that there is some other—some power—outside of God that limit’s God’s power?
Please forgive my spelling everyone.
I only recently started following the blog and I’m lovin’ it! Thank You.
That being said, in order to cling to my passion for theology I need it to translate into action and real life so here’s my question.
What does all this do for Meth Addicts?
I tell our people everyday that by fully submitting to God’s loving strength they can conquer Meth, which tends to be just one particularly nasty bit of chaos in their lives. Sadly, more often than not they fail that battle.
Are we saying God is limited in dealing with chaos in general, or is he only limited when dealing with pre-creation chaos? If those limits exist at all are they self-imposed by God, which would seemingly only make him stronger, or is he unable to fully remove chaos?
Sorry if I stepped outside of the scope of the post. Thanks again.
Tom, I think we are so trapped in our limited, finite, physical thinking that we do not/cannot understand God. He is spiritual. He exists in a different state of being. We have no way of understanding Him outside of His explanations of of Himself expressed in our finite language, with our physical terms, and concepts. That is one reason why Jesus is so important to us.
I think it is absurd for us to make speculations about the spiritual realm unless we can form them from what He has told us. The word “nothing” has no meaning in the spiritual. What was created just did not exist before. It is that simple. Romans 4:17, and Hebrew 11:3 gives us a little insight to God’s perspective.
The whole world has a physical picture of God, including the old philosophers, which we seem to revere, but the spiritual and physical are completely different states of being. Contemporary Christian theology has not corrected that either. God is just the big man upstairs. The spiritual is beyond our comprehension. We need to understand that part, at least, and let His word help us understand Him and His heart toward His creation.
The position that “before there was anything, there was God”, reminds me of the mystical Jewish concept (picked up by Moltmann) called zimsum. This is the idea before there was anything, there was God, which means that in order for something non-God (something finite) to exist, God would have to withdrawn unto God’s self, making room for the finite. While this is a very sophisticated position, it does not help us with two key issues: theodicy, and “out of nothing comes nothing” (ex nihil, nihil fit).
I appreciate your questions – “If ordering of chaos, from whence cometh the chaos?” In response to your question, I pose a parallel question “If creation/ordering by God, from whence cometh God?” In both cases, God and chaos have no beginnings. The same logic/faith that is applied to a God with no beginning, is the same logic/faith that is applied to a chaos with no beginning.
I enjoyed reading this blog. The idea of creatio ex nihilo raises questions in my mind as to why, if God is all powerful and did create the universe from nothing did he create evil and other negative factors? Does God allow calamity to grow perseverance? Also, where did God come from if nothing was there? In my personal faith I strongly believe that God is all powerful and all knowing, but I now question in a sense creation, because of the arguments posted.
Good stuff! I eagerly await your alternative.
As theists, problem one seems to remain an insurmountable problem. If we accept the idea of an eternal/infinite God then absolute nothingness is very much impossible to conceive.
Reguarding the question of creation out of what, that many have already raised, I am guessing that we may see an alternative that proposes that God has created out of Himself, maybe God created out His nature, will, desire, or even His Love.
Thanks for your helpful comments! I’m posting my follow-up blog, which has my alternative theory. Your comments helped me fine-tune my arguments. Thanks!
I responded to and linked to your post on creation ex nihilo. You brought up some very good points.
To believe that God created the heavens, the earth, and every living thing is an act of faith. We have no proof that God created it, we only know that it exists. Whether God created this world from absolutely nothing or by organizing chaos is of little consequence. But to accept the idea that God created the universe yet limit our belief in His creating ability to what we can explain or understand is absurd. How can you so easily accept the notion that God can create all the intricacies of this world only if it is prefaced with the idea that it was created out of something? Christians should not reject the idea that God created the universe from absolutely nothing…unless His Word rejects the idea. But this would seem to place the authority of God’s Word above man’s wisdom. Can we do that? Well, Proverbs 3:5 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” It would seem that God wants us to trust Him, by trusting in His Word.
Now we are getting to the crux of all the questions being raised. Can we trust a God who allows evil in this world when He could have created a world without evil? Or was He just powerful enough to set this world in motion but is powerless to control it? The implication seems to be that God is either responsible for evil or not powerful enough to stop it. Maybe it is because He gave us all free choice to either choose Him or allow the consequences of sin to be carried out. If He created us to glorify Him, to honor, love and serve Him it would mean very little to Him if we couldn’t choose an alternative. That alternative is separation from God, sin, evil, and it has consequences. If we ignore the law of gravity and get hurt should we blame God? Maybe He should have made us with bodies that can’t be broken, not susceptible to disease and able to live forever. Oh, yea, He does have a plan for that…for those who trust in Him and His Word.
How do we know if any part of God’s Word is true? Considering the assets and liabilities of a Biblical concept is the wrong approach. Truth is not proven on the basis of its assets and liabilities. It is not based on what feels right or what the majority considers to be Truth. What is True is True even if not one person believes it to be True. What about all those miracles? Should we consider the assets and liabilities of them to decide if they were real or fictitious? How could we prove them?
The real problem is how we view God’s Word. Once you start doubting God’s Word and deny that it is inerrant, where do you draw the line? Do you draw the line at the “creation story”, the “virgin birth”, the “miracles”, or maybe the “resurrection”? Once you decide that you can not trust God’s Word is in fact God’s words, you end up with man trying to dissect and prove each and every aspect of the Bible through man’s infinite wisdom and deciding what to keep and what to throw out. Oh, but then you would have to throw out that whole Proverbs verse above. I am not that smart so I tend to just believe God’s Word is His Word and it is inerrant. Now I can learn about God by reading His Word. I don’t have to guess which parts to believe, I can safely believe it all. If it says God created…then He did, period.
But doesn’t scriptures say that God spoke and then there was his creation? Doesn’t that imply that there was nothing before God spoke?
Also, I don’t quite see how your 9 reasons are so solid that you don’t have any more evidence for it. I would be interested to see more support for the statements.
Genesis 1:1 tells us what God did. The rest of the chapter gives some details on the order in which He did it. The text does not tell us that God created the primordial waters. The narrative begins with the Spirit of God hovering over them. God then begins His acts of creation, or bringing order out of chaos. Creation ex nihilo may be true, but that’s not what this story is about. In any case, the essay above could open the door to somewhat of a panentheistic view of God—i.e., the cosmos is IN God, even if that means the “energies” as opposed to the essence of God(to borrow from the Eastern fathers). Thus, the primordial waters are not so much the waters of chaos as a metaphor for the divine energies from which an ordered cosmos evolved.
The fundamental fallacy above, is that you assume that being exists beyond God. This has the consequence of making God a part of the natural order as opposed to above and outside of the natural order.
If you conceive of God as being ontologically beyond nature, then your issues are solved.
Lovely, catalytic piece, Thomas Jay Oord. Thanks for it. Have you ever done the promised follow-up post? If so what is its title?
But Thomas, you are missing so many other aspects that derive from the same point.
If God was alone… then there was no such thing as “good” because good has no meaning unless compared to “evil”. God was not “holy” because there was no such thing as “unholy”. There is no such thing as mercy, because there was nobody to be merciful to.
In a way, you can argue that God (in this scenario) was not God.
Furthermore, God would have no reason to create in the Ex Nihilo scenario, because existence was perfect. Simply by creating … God “downgraded” existence.
I reject that. I believe that God IMPROVES on existence by creating/organizing chaos or creating from some kind of infinite potential that is outside and apart from God.
1. Pose ANY alternative to ex nihilo, and carry it out to it’s logical end. You’ll see that alternative is ultimately nonsensical and illogical.
2. Don’t subject the Father God Himself to material, naturalistic attributes and confines – Scripture doesn’t allow for it.
For example, God is not merely “older than we are” – God is the very source of the physical property known as time, He crafted it and rules outside and over time itself.
God is Spirit, and is not what we call “complex”(as if he were made of smaller materials and systems), He is the originating principal behind matter and complexity itself.
“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:3” – All things. “pre-existing material” would still be a thing, so it’s just deferring your problem.
1)There will never be an answer to the Ex-Nihilo scenario..simply because the finite cannot conceive of the infinite.We simply have no way to get to “nothing”. We have no concept or reference point for it.
2)Science and Theology both point to the same thing – All scientific evidence points to the fact that the Universe/Multiverse (the science based “worldview”s name for GOD)have a starting point..an impetus..a T-MINUS 0.00. moment…. What is that? what was that impetus?..what is the causality?
3).If you are taking the “naturalist” worldview (and without parsing words – that is the only real alternative here)In what other state do you find order out of chaos when there is no design to the ordering mechanism? Where do we see in the naturalist view a repeatable,consistent model of order from random chaos without the benefit of an intelligent or at the very least a coherent set of principals?
I so much want to learn more about this subject but my mind will not allow me to have a discussion when so much of what I hear from science seems to want to “move the goalpost” or change the meaning of words. To me, there is a very large difference between the word “empty’ and the word “nothing”. Science seems to want me to accept “empty” as meaning “nothing” and I simply cannot accept that. When I drink all the water that is in this bottle beside me – The bottle will be “empty”.. that is far different than there being “nothing” in the bottle.
The idea that there was “something” for God to work with somehow makes sense. Even as I read the first few verses of Genesis, I find I agree with the theory of creating from something rather than nothing. For example, the ESV uses words that describe substances such as, deep, waters, and hovering over. Then God speaks, and “creation” begins. But, the argument for this could be in that verse one said, “God created the heavens and the earth,” thereby creating first, the substances that His Spirit hovered over, with the next phase being to form it all.
Finally, from your introduction to the book, I have a thought in regards to the idea of God creating out of God’s own self. I think this brings up the problem of sin. Divine, in the sense of God’s divinity or perfection, could not include sin. If creation was out of God’s own self, God set Himself up to allow sin as part of God. This in my mind makes God way less then a perfect sinless God who hates sin. But, how does this fit in with your understanding of God being culpable? To who whom would God be answerable, creation?
I have to admit that the arguments for one theory or the other is convincing. Thus, I am not ready to commit to either. I also have to think of all of this in terms of salvation and how it fits into my personal transformation and walk with Christ. Does Creatio Ex Nihilo matter? I suppose it does in terms of divinity and reason for creation.
Prof Oord,Thank you for this opportunity to think deeply about my Faith.
#4. Is it necessary for there to be subsequent events of the same nature in order for there to be evidence of an original event? We have no evidence in the history of the Universe of a virgin birth, should we reject that concept in light of the fact that this had not happened before or after the Jesus event? Should we limit God to the proof of science and evidence? Because God may have chosen to do something in one particular way does not mean that He is limited only to that way. Does He have to repeat an experience for it to be believable? Is it possible that our Universe is the point of its existence and not a point to prove God’s power? My house exists to shelter my family not to provide me with data about the builder.
I would also inject a comment about our ability to understand matter. We are currently, as a species, dealing with the issues of quantum mechanics, and even on to string theory where the existence of matter is being reduced to information.
If there is any merit to these ideas then we should be searching more in the are of idea, thought. This will lead us back to the inherent presence of the great I AM in whom resides from forever past the fact, or reality of existence.
This was an interesting read. I will admit, this is the first time I have pondered creatio ex nihilo. My initial reaction was not necessarily for or against your view. I simply have more questions. For example, if God created the universe out of something, where did this “something” come from?
Also, why do you think the idea of creatio ex nihilo gained so much popularity? Was it simply an easy answer? Or is there some merit to the idea?
In regard to problem number one, why does the fact that something is hard to conceive rule it out as a possibility? Was everything created or acted out with our comprehension abilities in mind? This is then a problem because not all humans have the same levels of comprehensibility.
Your list of problems was quite interesting. Thanks for sharing.
I appreciate the essay for the way it wades into unpopular waters. Understanding and strengthening our faith requires that we continuously analyze (and adjust if necessary) our presuppositions. I struggle with the thoughts presented in this essay, however. Of course, I hold to the popular view that God created ex nihilo, yet, I approached this essay with an open mind, willing to listen to the evidence that existed for a different perspective. Much of the evidence, however, seemed to only point toward the fact that there is a lack of evidence regarding creatio ex nihilo. For me, depending on a lack of evidence to prove something proves little at all. Too many questions still remain.
I also struggle with ascribing human logic to all of God’s attributes and abilities. Certainly, God provides principles, laws and other means of order as boundaries for God’s creation, but does that mean that God must also function within those boundaries? In particular, does the finite human need to be able to conceive all that God was, is or ever will be in order for God and God’s ways to be legitimate? Absolute nothingness may be inconceivable for the human, but one can argue that incarnation, resurrection and ascension is also inconceivable. Is there anything that is impossible with God?
In relationship to your first point of absolute nothingness not being able to be conceived do you think we can understand absolute perfection? It seems as though these two points are similar when in your introduction you mentioned genuine evil existing.
One thought I had through your nine points been the idea of that which existed along with God or God was the only entity to exist. If something existed alongside of God would it have the power or authority in which is often attributed to God?
Another thought I have with this thought is if we think of God as all powerful then why is the thought of Him being able to do something which is unconceivable for us be out of the question? I appreciate your points as the idea of thinking against creation ex nihilo is not one I have entertained before.
I was particularly struck by point number five or the solitary power problem. I haven’t ever thought about power being a social component. In this case, God does have power over someone else thus, there seems to be something already existing rather than nothing. I am also really intrigued to read your alternative, as stated in the conclusion, because as we venture down this road it seems necessary to ‘wonder’ about the possibilities.
Thinking about creation and the first book of Genesis has me wondering what other parts of the Bible have I skimmed, read, or interpreted without trying to examine the whole picture. Once again I return to the idea that I am not always going to understand God, nor, truly conceive His ways, so some things are just better left uncovered.
I found this article very appealing. This brought deep thought pertaining to “did God create from nothing”. Scripture tells us that God is eternal (Deut 33:27); that He is the first and the last (Rev 22:13) and that He is, was and always will be (Hebrews 13:8 & Rev 1:8). Therefore, if God created from something, then since He is eternal, He made that something too. I have to admit, I have not formulated an opinion on this subject, yet I find it very perplexing. If we concede and agree that God created from something, then are we saying that there are other things that are more eternal then God? This article states that the early Christians (about 200 AD and earlier) believed that God created from something. This thought derived from Gnostic s who had a bent view of God. However, to say God created from something does pose its own problems as I mentioned above.
This is a very complex discussion in the way we look at God and how he operates. So if I do not know the “MInd of God” how can I assume anything except that God is the source? If God has always existed and will continue to exist. The God breathed inspiration of the Genesis account give a sequence that does have order.
God has already placed earth in a position to recreate in an orderly manner. This gives room for wide speculation.
I guess the dinosaurs and artists early picture of man look somewhat like a “Planet of the Apes” movie. I have always wondered what Adam and Eve really looked like. Always the perfect couple in the minds of artists.
We as humans need to see something we can grasp in order to understand. The vastness of God and his universe is quite overwhelming to get my mind around.
I do not think that it is all that important that God did or did not create this earth from nothing or from something already here.
God spoke the world into existence. Whether he had already a preexisting framework or decided to make it happen right then does not appear to me to be a subject I wonder about.
Are we not going to believe in God the creator because we do not know for sure when he created and how he created this earth?
We know the word “chaos” is a word that means without much organization and could possible mean evil was rampant. Either way God has overruled evil in the world to make some semblance of rhythm and organization.
We enjoy living in the world God created. Time and environmental changes have made life difficult for many who live in places where natural disasters have happened. This is still a fallen world because of Adam’s sin. I see both side of this debate and will continue to listen to more evidence for future discussions.
Tom, the problem I have with this post is that I do not find your arguments entirely convincing. I know that you are the doctor and I am the student, but I don’t find your arguments against Creatio Ex Nihilo to hold a lot of water.
For instance your first premise that since one cannot conceive of “nothing” there was therefore never “nothing” is laden with error. I cannot conceive of heaven, does heaven not exist (Jesus seemed to speak of heaven as a real place)? I cannot conceive eternity, does/will eternity not exist (The Bible seems to speak of eternity)? I cannot truly conceive of a billion dollars, does that mean it doesn’t exist?
The solitary power problem only exists if you do not believe in a Triune God. If God is Triune, as in three-in-one, God cannot, by definition, act alone. God exists in community and therefore always has, does, and always will, act in community.
These are, I think the two biggest problems I have with these arguments.
I’m open to the possibility that Creatio Ex Nihilo is incorrect. But I have not yet heard a sufficient argument for a different argument. Just because it was not brought up until later in Christian history doesn’t mean that it is untrue. Just because the Bible doesn’t explicitly say “Creatio Ex Nihilo” doesn’t mean it isn’t true (The Bible doesn’t say Trinity either).
What a wonderful topic! This topic encouraged an interesting conversation in my home, thank you for that. I want to start with the thought of this “something” that was present during the creation of the Earth. We could go all day long trying to figure out who created the “something” and why, but what interests me the most is the relationship God had with the “something”. It is apparent that God has power over the “something” and created, out of love, for His children an Earth. Let’s examine the thought that the “something” is chaos and among the chaos is not only God but also evil. We know that God did not create evil and He does have power over evil, but if God created something beautiful out of chaos, created man with free will, it would make sense that evil, or chaos could have already been present at the time of creation.
I absolutely loved this topic and can’t wait to research it further.
The controversy between the creation out of nothing and the creation out of something is an issue that has been ongoing. Many Bible scholars point to meaningful scripture that they believe points to a creation that was made out of nothing, and other scholars simply can’t find written evidence in the scriptures to base a claim that the world was ever “nothing” because even the word chaos is something. I can’t wrap my head around the idea of where the chaos came from? Is the chaos self-created? And if not, then wasn’t it created from God out of nothing. I’m sure that there are much smarter people than me who can figure this out quite easily, but it seems to me that it is a mystery.
I do very much agree that creation is a co-creator as far as playing a part in being a sustainer of the world. God uses people to continue His work in the world: through other people, resources, etc. Without people, by the grace of God, continuing to create in this world, it would be potentially empty at some point.
The “ex nihilo” debate brings many questions. Scripture does not require an ex nihilo perspective, but neither does it disprove this view. We can consider how theology has developed over time as we also consider the moral and ethical considerations that come from a God who can create from nothing. We can also consider what physics, both Newtonian and Quantum have to add to the conversation through the Laws of Thermodynamics and the Big Bang Theory. Whichever way you take it, we are left with the many pieces of a complex puzzle and no box lid to guide our progress.
I agree with the difficulties of a God who could create from nothing and what that has to say about the presence of evil and sin in the world. I also wonder how we would even begin to consider matter as co-eternal with God, even if it had no form. I am very interested in exploring these questions, but I wonder how we could ever hope to solve these riddles.
This essay was very thought provoking for me, but also very troubling for me in certain ways as well. Although I appreciate the perspective on creatio ex nihilio, I tend to disagree with what is stated in the article. One of the issues is not being able to conceive nothingness. If God is God, and we are not, then when are we ever supposed to be able to completely understand or conceive what God can? Just because we cannot conceive something does not mean that it cannot exist or God cannot do it. Also, I may be misunderstanding the connection between the 7th and 8th point in the essay, but it would seem that God having the power to create makes him controlling as mentioned in the 8th point, and yet the argument is made that God is not controlling because evil still exists as mentioned in point 7? My understanding is and always has been the idea that God has the power to control, yet chooses to allow free will, and therefore evil exists by choice, not by lack of control.
I respect the article and the perspective although I must disagree and sometimes I wonder if by trying too hard to understand God that we actually confuse ourselves even more. As mentioned above, if God is truly God, then maybe we are not capable, or even meant to fully understand Him or His ways, that is where faith takes over.
I suppose much of this depends on how you define evil. As I understand evil, it is the resulting brokenness of the world from the fall. Sin entered the world God created through an act of disobedience made possible by the blessing of free will, which also enables creation to experience an actual relationship with God. The hard part for me to get past is that your statement seems to grant evil so much power. If God were to restore the evil, or the brokenness, outside the actions of God’s creation God then suppresses, if not takes away, the free will he so willing gave to us for the sake of having relationship. This does not necessarily affirm creation ex nihilo, but it shows that God’s love is deeper than simply not allowing his creation to experience the brokenness of the world that we are a part of. God’s love longs for relationship that is mutual in choice.
I really do not know what to think or how to comment regarding this topic. I honestly am going to have to “digest” not only your argument, but also some of the comments and theories of those who have posted to the site. Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” This would suggest that God always was, and chose to create something good. The Scripture refers to the Spirit of God” hovering over the waters as he continues to create, again (at least in my mind) suggesting God always was, is, and will be, the Alpha and Omega, beginning and end. I am looking forward to your future comments on this fascinating subject.
Thanks for the post. This is really interesting. The way I have always reasoned through the odd impliciture of Ex Nihilo concerning evil (I always put it up as the two necessary assertions that 1. God didn’t have to create (because he was already in a perfect state) 2. He must have known evil would arise 3. He did create 4. He permitted evil. Some people would like to draw the conclusion here that 5. God caused evil (because in this context allowing implies causing due to assumption 1), but that of course would be a contradiction so we would have to say 6. That God doesn’t exist. Being a Theist though, I’m not to fond of formulations that say God doesn’t exist. The error in 5 an 6 is to assume that God would have no reason to permit evil that was not nefarious. I sound classical here I’m sure, but the way I conceive of this is that A. Evil is temporary/contingent B. Goodness is not (Plato or the redeeming work of Christ, take your pick, but I find no problems in accepting B by either justification). Therefore evil cannot undo the value of any good. Add in a theology of an eternity without any evil and its easy to see why God, though he be infinitely good in of himself, would go through all the trouble of creating/maintaining the finite good of creation. And that is preciously the kind of God we read about in Israel’s story. (Deuteronomy 7:6-8ish “The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the LORD loved you…”). That of course, is post creation, and thus outside the lines of this argument, but it shows I’m not just making philosophy up to maintain a belief.
This is a theological issue that I have never thoughtfully considered, but it apparently was something in the back of my mind as the argument being presented was not at all contratry to my beliefs. While reading this essay, I found myself generally agreeing with the “problems” of Creatio Ex Nihilo, aside from the first point given, just because it is beyond humanities ability to conceive the possibility does not mean it is beyond God’s ability, there are still many things in this world that our human minds have not been able to full reconcile. That being said scripture does point to an ordering of something into the creation we enjoy today. In the Book of Revelation, “the new heaven and new Earth” also seem to be a restoration of something into a new distinct creation. Though I cannot truly “wrap my mind” around the possibility of the “something” that existed and was used in the creation process of God, my mind is open that this is indeed a plausible possibility.
I can find myself in the idea that God didn’t create out of nothing. As the argument provided states the Bible doesn’t mention anything about it. Passages point to something, like chaos. Personally, I prefer the chaos idea. I believe it was Scott Daniels talking about how God created saying that He cleaned up the mess, separated the different elements (like sea and land) and then filled what He had separated. On the last day He blessed it all. And sometimes the chaos just breaks out over us because of sin as the story of Noah illustrates.
My point is this, there was something and it was a mess. But God took it and made it into something beautiful. And we’ve got responsibility to manage that which will go back to its original state of chaos if we don’t learn to take care of it appropriately. I believe God picked up the pieces.
One of the things I see in play with the discussion of creation is that many will use the creation of the world and the creation of the universe interchangeably, when the reality is that these are two separate events. Most scientific theories would argue that the universe proper was created first and later the planets and stars out of the ever expanding universe. If we hold this theory to be true, could it not be possible that the universe was created out of nothing but then later the earth (and other planets) created out of something, thus satisfying both theories and also explaining why the Bible does not explicitly talk about the creation of the world out of nothing?
Given that regardless of how far we trace creation back, there would have to be a beginning point. At the beginning point, God would have had to create something out of nothing to begin the process. The only way around this would be to assume that there has always been something and never a time when there was nothing. However, even this is a circular argument because it begs the question of where did the something come from?
I came to consider God’s role in creation because of the same reason — the problem of evil. Part of me would like to be very agnostic about the whole concept. In the long run, does it even matter whether God used something already in existence or if he created something out of nothing.
Every time i I think that is the way to go, something bad — evil — occurs. God could have done better. Uh oh.. we are back at the way God created the world. Several responses are about taking everything by faith. That feels naive. Worse it seems to minimize the suffering of people. Wave of the hand , have faith.
The Scripture and experience have to balance out. Creatio ex nihilo does not fit experience. So we need to look at how we are reading Scripture.
In reading this blog I will have to admit that I am one of those who have just always gone along with tradition. The arguments that Tom offers does bring one to think of other possibilities, and it is not hard to see that God is still in the creating process. But when the argument of God being culpable for evil if God created from nothing is an area that I do not necessarily agree with, and would love to hear more on how this conclusion is drawn. I do not see evil as a substance as one would see the universe or even earth on its own or anything that has matter. If one ascribes to free will and I do, I see evil, as actions taken against the way God intended, but because God is love God does not keep humanity from expressing its free will even when it means they do evil. I do not see that if God created from nothing or whether God created order out of chaos matters when evil is the subject. This once again does not mean I fully understand and this does push me to take a closer look into our subject of creation, especially as it can or cannot be proven by the Scriptures, which is most important.
I’m no biblical scholar (I don’t even play one on TV), but I took a crack at addressing this subject in “Something and Nothing,” one of the conversations in God Explains It All. My approach is intentionally couched in simple, humorous vernacular and everyday images, to make it more accessible to people who don’t have any particular expertise in theology or biblical studies. Much of it isn’t necessarily drawn from scripture, but I do try to take the big ideas and themes in the Bible seriously. It is an attempt to use speculative fiction to encourage reflection on God and Creation.
Like the CB radio. I get it. But you figured out something, obviously, because we’re here, and I don’t think we’re part of you. So what did you do?
I withdrew. . . . I limited myself. I withdrew my Being in order to create a space where I wasn’t. . . . I created an ontological location where I wasn’t, and when I did, the most amazing thing happened.
Don’t tell me. Let me guess. The universe sprang into existence.
“creatio ex nihilo” as a theological and philosophical position but on the other hand the reality of “creatio ex continua” can be considered as a plausible scientific position.
Whether it be carbon atoms or nebulous gases, it came through God. Was it part of God? Like using God’s DNA to produce something? Probably not. I think it was more a part of the nature of a Tribune God. Through us…through our will…through our nature….through our relationship with each other….we will create something that is dependent on relationship. As we interact, let us create a world that interacts. And maybe the interaction was a few molecules colliding or just a high five between Father and Son that produced a big loud bang, but creation came, not from nothing, but from the essence and nature of God.
Maybe I’m knocking on the door of creatio ex creare en amore. I’ll be interested to see….
Tom, you mentioned Rolf P. Knierim’s quote. It would make sense the categories through which Israel understood its inception- “oppression”/“liberation”- would, then, be the same categories through which they would use to articulate their own understanding of how the world was created- “choas”/“order.” Since Exodus was so instrumental in Israel’s identity, some camp of scholars suggest that this paradigm of “choas”/“order” found in Exodus should be the lens through which we read the Old Testament.
The major implication of this, then, is that if Exodus is the lens through which we are to view the creation account in Genesis, then it does not lend itself to an ex nihilo understaning. In the same way that chaos existed in the form of oppression in the life of Israel, so chaos existed in the beginning of which God would use to create the world.
This makes sense to me. I have not worked out all of the implications of this yet. One question I do have, however, is how are these categories of chaos/order shaped by Christ and the work that was accomplished through Him? If Exodus is the great identity event in the history of the Israelites, then what is that event for Christians? If that event is resurrection, then does chaos/order fit within the lens of resurrection? If so, how?
Creating out of something is a very interesting view but yet I cannot agree with it. Looking at the premises of creating out of chaos a chaos that has always existed kind of makes me feel that both God and Chaos are coeternal. That is both good and evil have always existed together in the same realm. Now the author also says that there is the problem with the existence of God creating out of nothing and the issue of evil being in the word, but we can also have a problem with a God of love would take something of chaos which has evil within it and use it to make that which He says is good. So if evil came out of the very thing in which was used by God to form everything than a knowing God used that which had evil in it to create everything from. Instead I view that God created from nothing. I see that out of that initial creation everything came into existence and then God created human beings with the freedom to choose.
The line “I typically opt for the Bible over tradition” feels so wonderfully irreverent and yet almost passive aggressive. The origin (pun intended) of the theory of creatio ex nihilo coming from outside of orthodoxy was striking to me. What do we do when Scripture does not clearly prove or draw a simple conclusion about a topic? As this post clearly points out, Scripture cannot be used to clearly prove any one idea about creation. How do we act towards God, ourselves, our neighbors, or the rest of creation despite not having a concrete answer as to the origin of all things?
The concept of time draws me in, both in regards to God’s relation to it for the act of creating, and our relationship with it as the creation. We have been invited to create alongside the Creator. As for the alternative ideas (out of God, out of “something,” or even “creatio ex creare en amore”), if God IS love, then God cannot do anything outside of love, and so whatever style of creation we are going to attribute to God has to be out of, or in, love. We are invited to create the same way. If every action creates a reaction, then with every action we can participate in creating/inviting the Kingdom of Heaven to earth, or we participate in a system of death, hurt, and destruction. I believe this is why Jesus speaks so clearly about forgiveness. The past is simply stories we are telling ourselves that shape our current moment. Our interaction with these concepts of origin and development, be it the of the world or our own origin, only matter as they shape the ways we interact with each other now.
I have always appreciated your ability to look deeper into an issue and endeavor to think critically about the implications of any position. You are also gracious, rather than dogmatic, even concerning the things with which you have a problem. I guess that is why you have been, in my mind, one of the best teachers I’ve had at NNU, although I am quite sure we do not agree in some key areas connected to this topic. Personally I have never delved too deeply into the ex nihilo debate, so I read with curiosity the issues you regard as problems. I can’t say though that I found them to be such that necessarily merits challenging traditional Christian thinking. I think there are alternative ways of thinking about, or looking at, most of them that negate the crisis point here. Yet, perhaps I have not thought deeply enough.
In touching the last problem, I take the point of the verses that indicate creation from something have to be considered. Indeed a proper biblical hermeneutic must weigh everything scripture says on the topic. Yet to use the example (as biblical proof) of a tree bearing fruit and reproducing the same type of tree, or cattle giving birth to other cattle, as a point for creation out of something, while indicating ex nihilo is perhaps only suggested or implied, is I believe an injustice to John and Paul. John 1:3 (ASV) says, “All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made”. I Cor 8:6 (NIV) “yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came…”. Col 1:16 (KJV) “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible Even the unknown Hebrew writer gets in on it. Heb 11:3 (WEB) “By faith, we understand that the universe has been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made out of things which are visible.” It is my opinion that just as a proper biblical hermeneutic must account for Gen 2, it must also take into account the verses that do indicate that God created “all things”. I just don’t think these examples are on the same level, and I can’t see that we can put an asterisk beside “all things” and say with the exception of the chaos that came before God. The whole concept of causation, as it relates to philosophy, ends up with God as the natural first cause, since he would not be God if something came before him that could cause him.
That may not explain the chaos, yet the empirical point (3) is also just as applicable the other way. In fact it is typically the burden of the plaintiff to provide proof. You are undoubtedly aware of the theories that attempt to explain the chaos, and the “something” that God apparently works with as we understand the biblical account. This does not mean to indicate that there is a Gap in Gen. 1:1, or that in the fall of Satan, as he was cast out of heaven, God’s initial creation was subjected to chaos. This is all speculation (#3), but the point is that there are alternative explanations. I think that more of your points can be debated, but others in this thread have done so I believe I will stop here. In all of this I desire a carefulness. I do not wish to remain a traditionalist just because I don’t want to think critically (and I do not consider myself to be closeminded), yet neither do I wish to jump on the bandwagon of contemporary discussion just because I don’t want to think critically about the issues.
If we are to truly consider that God did not create everything out of nothing, then where did the chaos that existed come from? Are we suggesting that it always existed? If that is true, then are we suggesting that God’s “always-ness” is minimized?
I can understand giving Genesis 1-2 the interpretation that God took the chaos and formed the heavens and the earth out of it. Do we want to not give Him credit for the chaos that existed before that? Does the problem of evil really become a determining factor for not believing that HE did?
If I am to allow the notion that the “all creating” God would be culpable for evil’s existence, then I have to ask myself the question “is that really a problem?” Had HE not given the opportunity for some level of failure, then there would have not been any opportunity to truly choose Him.
This post is very challenging as it contrary to what I viewed as creation. To say that God created the universe from absolutely nothing can be the most logically answer to creation, as one can then suggest that evolution makes sense as well. However, if this argument is true does it not change our concept of God. Do we not question the sovereignty of God; I some how think we suggest that God does not exist out of time , space and matter. If God does not exist out of time, space and matter; the next logical question is who created God.
The one point that carries much weight is the fact of evil. If God did create everything from nothing, then God should have the power to remove evil unilaterally and without much effort.
Tom, in considering your thoughts on the topic of creating something out of nothing, I will admit I have never considered this fully. Most people, if they are honest with themselves, have sit and wondered “where did God come from,” “how was the earth formed, etc.?” Like many others, I have sit and wondered and thought on questions and issues such as these. I have thought and considered them but have never really dived into it to research it and consider it, etc.
I will agree with your statement that there is no “evidence” of God creating something out of nothing. Actually, it is not stated in Scripture whether creation was from something or nothing. The book of Genesis does say that the “earth was without shape or form” when God began to create the heavens and the earth. (Common English Bible 2012) I believe this shows there was “something” there when God formed the earth. The question is if there was always something there. If so, where did it come from? I am willing to consider your thoughts and be open to digging deeper with you but wonder where any “substance” came from unless God first made it.
You mention the issue of evil and God’s failure or lack of action to prevent it. My understanding of evil is it comes from the free will each of us has and acts upon. If this is the case, would it not change free will to predestination or something similar if God did “intervene” in order to stop whatever evil act or action was occurring? I believe it would be “limiting” God to say the evil could not be stopped, yet I believe free will would be challenged with some interventions. It is difficult to wrap my mind around this fully to be honest. One thing that really makes me struggle with this thought is the depth of the fathers of our faith and church, who believe creation came from nothing. These were some very deep and well educated and grounded individuals. I am sure they did not take this topic very lightly either. This is a very deep topic. I can see how one could continue to wrestle with these questions and issues for some time.
Common English Bible. Nashville: Common English Bible, 2012.
I know this is an older post (original comments are from 2010), but it was recently shared on facebook so, viola, I came here from something.
I resonate with this post, and I resonate as well with Kevin Juliano’s post above. Even as an undergrad religion major, these types of thoughts were occuring to me in around 2004 or so, when I was 24 years old. It was actually an intro to philosophy class at a Naz University that opened me up to my own thoughts and beliefs that were pretty contrary to what many other of my fellow undergrads believed and confessed at the time. With Tom’s work, and my being exposed to it the past few years, I’ve realized that I’ve long been an open and relational theist, but never knew how to name it. So thanks Tom. I may not agree with everything because I’m continually learning and shaping my own theological thoughts, but much of open theology simply “makes sense” to me. It seems natural to me. I agree with the nine points, but I also concur that some valid counterpoints have been made that I really appreciate so my thinking and theology can be further formed.
The thing that I find most interesting among the criticisms of creation out of nothing is that the Biblical witness does not affirm such a doctrine and in fact affirms something totally separate from the notion. While I understand the appeal to Biblical scholarship that disallows the introduction of the Genesis myth to be used for the doctrine of ex nihilo, I find it troubling to presume that the vast majority of Christian theological figures who affirmed the doctrine also somehow missed this fact or glossed it over, especially when we appeal to their work on a host of other topics. I’m interested to see how a full Biblical deconstruction of ex nihilo works out in favor of an argument that supports eternal matter.
While not posted here on the site, I remain troubled by the notion that we can simply dismiss time as a metaphysical notion when discussing God. Removing time from the discussion, as with the topics of power and empire that Tom raises in this post, seems to be more of a semantic game when raised as a critical point of ex nihilo, especially when we consider that the passage of “something” is what fuels the breakdown of materials in the universe. I also am troubled, as I’m sure many are, about the idea that some other “stuff” is eternal, because while the notion that God retains creative relationship with that stuff is acceptable, it raises the question of the kind of “stuff” which composes the person of God and which empowers God to be over it. This seems to be a question that lacks a clear answer when we discuss the eternality of matter, but I am eager to dive into this topic to find answers to some of these questions.
The reason from the nine that stood out to me the most was #8, The Empire problem. Considering that different ways of understanding God’s power would play out in how those who claim to walk in God’s Name would live, unilateral force of ‘ex nihilo’ creation is a worrisome thing. If there is a nothing from which things come, would that mean things worn out head back to that nothing? Contrast that to the idea that God remakes and renews and reinvents with freshness from brokenness or chaos, there are a lot more helpful and hopeful branches of practical application. Obviously the provability of a one time event would be difficult, but the livability of God’s love demonstrates the kind of life transforming power that is witnessed to through Scripture and history.
You have brought up some interesting points regarding creation. When we think of the beginning of the universe, we need to decide if we believe that an actual infinity can exist. Do we think that there is a defined beginning? Also on the other end, do we see a defined end to the universe and its existence? Then comes the issue of time and God’s interaction with it. Granted, I am putting human perspective in this, but was there time before creation assuming there was chaos or something else instead of nothing. How long was it like this? There are so many questions and so many theories with each one creating more questions. When I think of the ethical dilemmas of the power of God, I find myself thinking about the nature of free will. By acting on the existence of evil, does God remove our free will? Regardless of what position we take, I do not think that we will ever find a definite answer unless God gives us one. When we think of creation and whether or not it was created out of something, nothing, or whatever we find that here is a good opportunity to apply and marry science with theology.
First of all I can say that I could easily be lumped in with a group that did not spend a great deal of time thinking about the implications of thinking that God created everything out of nothing, that said I have and do give a great deal of thought into creation. I simply never asked the question, I did assume that the thinking that he started with nothing was sound and not one I needed to question. I will also admit to giving up on pondering such questions when they became to complicated and used the terrible excuse that there are simply things I cannot fully understand because I am not God. Reading through the list of “problems” I was shocked by the second. Gnostics? Am I really holding on to a thought or tradition that began with a group of people who denied the deity of Christ? So with the question now present and with all effort not to give up on this question what can I reason? I am still able to “picture” so to speak, that God started with nothing, then created everything. I can also wrap my brain around a God who is not confined by my understanding of time and eternity. Like most people I do end up in the same place of wondering where God came from, where he was if there was nothing. Is there no start, no end? I have also found myself shaking my head as I find that I have trusted a lesson taught to me without really testing it against scripture. Genesis does not give an inventory of what existed before God created the heavens and the earth, but that does not mean that there was nothing there.
This article poses some great points to understanding creation. While I think the strongest and most difficult part of creation is that of evil and its existence in the world. I would have to question in this topic this. If God formed the world out of preexisting matter, where did that matter come from? To me, God had to create all things out of nothing in order for God to be God. If an infinite, all knowing, all powerful being is who God is, He would have had to create out of nothing. When I look at evil, something that comes to my mind is the absence of good. In the human heart we see the ability to choose. To love God and know that He is the author of our soul and salvation, or to choose to reject Him. Evil is simply the absence of God in the situation, and in a free will environment, in which we must choose to love God or love something else, evil will exist.
After reading this blog post, I am eager to read your suggested replacement theory for creatio ex nihilo. I would affirm that it is not enough for theologians to stand back and critique various understandings and doctrines without contributing an alternative opinion. Critique alone isn’t helpful.
It was fascinating to learn that Gnostics proposed creatio ex nihilo. That alone carries plenty of questions to keep us busy. If the demiurge had the power to be the creator of the material world, which was viewed as evil, what kind of power did the Supreme being have? It’s also curious why many early Christian theologians affirmed this doctrine. Were they eager to affirm it because of the implications it had concerning the type of power their God had? And the implications that could have for their relationship to the empire of the day?
The biblical witness seems to indicate that God created out of something. Would our understanding of that something need to be the same as our understanding of God? God and the “chaos” always were. Should that lift our view of creation? If creation is the work of a creative God, creating out of the chaos, is the chaos somehow divine because it’s always been?
The debate over how the earth was created is one that I figured we wouldn’t know until we met God in heaven and asked Him. But since I now get to play with the various ideas: Aren’t all the ideas theories? Is there really more evidence for one idea over another? The idea that we are all made from dust material of stars (in a different article) was new to me and could be correct. That same idea could come to help explain the creation of people (dust of the earth) which came later in the process. Was the first step of the creation process out of “nothing” and the rest out of “something” because God had already created something with the first step? If there was “something” first, what was it and was the Big Bang really part of the process? When we use the word “evidence” what do we mean? How are we defining “power”? Could it also mean ability or authority? Does power have to be social concept? Oh, so many questions!
How can anyone know what truly happened when there was no one there? Genesis 1: 14-19 is when God created the sun and the moon how is He creating this if there was something already there? Also if there was something already there then doesn’t that eliminate the concept at the beginning of Genesis? God created the Heavens and the Earth…if God took that time to create the Heavens then later on created the stars, moon and sun how can one say that He didn’t create the Universe? I know there are many things in our life that help us understand the Bible and its writings better but I wonder if the Creation story is one that we get to sit on God’s knee and know the truth when we are in Heaven.
I was pondering what possibilities the definition of “nothing” in the ex nihilo view might entertain. If it means the absence of our definition of matter, that is one thing. If it means the absence of all spiritual existence outside of God, that is still another. Another possibility is that it might mean the absence of a human perception of reality (i.e. there is an eternal reality which we cannot fully perceive or understand). A related thought would be to consider that God created what we know as scientific reality as part of the process of creation. Or, to pose it as a question: did God exist outside the constraints of mathematics and physics prior to creation and then provide these lenses of perception through the creative process as a reality in which we could exist and perceive? Perhaps it’s all just semantics, but it’s something to ponder.
‘chaos’ or ‘nothing’? Perspectives can never be blank, fully objective, so claiming an unfathomable beginning helps little in understanding the nature of God or why God would create or choose to redeem creation. Can we be part of a creative process when we have ‘nothing’ to offer God? We know our own chaos and that we perceive around us, but does this knowledge enhance our awareness and appreciation for God’s creation? Does the Spirit of God still hover over the waters, bringing cause to the chaos? Can we be part of the Spirit’s movement, bringing something beautiful from what might be dismissed as nothing?
I am very interested in your replacement theory for creatio ex nihilo. I have never question the ability of God having the ability to Create the universe, or something out of nothing. I have never thought that it is well within God’s ability to create and do everything and for us never to question it, or find ways to question His abilities, skill sets, or motives.
I do agree with the “Evil Problem”. Why would God create Evil, allow truly evil things to happen? If God is the creator of all things, this would mean that He is the author of sin and evil, which puzzle me just as much as thinking that God did not create the universe, or create it from nothing (which could be within His realm, because all things are possible through God).
One thing that I need more time to pray about is the aspect brought up on God and ordering the already excising matter. Terrence Fretheim thinks about “God’s creating in Genesis 1…includes ordering that which already exists…. God works creatively with already existing reality to bring about newness.” This sounds very close to what is believed to be the same creational doctrine held by the Mormon faith and there are significant issues that are prevalent if we start to go down that theology.
All this is to say that I look forward to diving into a deeper perspective on the theories of creation, Gods role in it, and how we can learn from all views. I look forward to seeing a new perspective and gaining clarity that on the creation of the universe.
The questions concerning creation are countless, where I have had questions concerning the creation of the world. The varying views on creation are still on – going, with Christians being in agreement with “Creatio Ex Nihilio.” After reading the article, I have several questions concerning creation; the questions are “If God did not create the world out of nothing, how did the earth and all that is in it come into being”? “Why do most Christians agree with theistic version of creation”? What does “creation out of nothing truly mean”? “If God is the creator of the universe, why doesn’t the Bible support this question”?
The 9 reasons leave me in a great deal of confusion, to the point where the scriptures in general leave a great deal of room for speculation of its being valid, concerning the creation of the world. The article states that Christians over the years have supported “Creatio Ex Nihlio,” where early Christians embraced the idea that God created the world for something.
I am trying to be open-minded about this idea in order to have a good dialogue and to learn. However, I have a very hard time with the idea of something existing alongside God. How did that “something” come into existence? Why is that “something” not God as well if it is also eternal and uncreated?
I found a couple of the nine arguments compelling (the historical and biblical problems), a few I have no understanding about why they even matter to the discussion (like having empirical evidence—perhaps we just do not yet have the evidence), and a couple on which I would like to comment here.
Neither can we conceive of eternity, especially eternity with no beginning. Neither can we truly understand God. My lack of comprehension does not make me believe something is not true. Why should my little human brain be able to comprehend the eternal God? Even Einstein said that it was incomprehensible that our universe is comprehensible. Why should God be comprehensible in God’s fullness?
What about free will? I know the discussion of why evil exists is a huge topic, but God gave humans free will, and we disobeyed. People continue to exercise their free will in evil ways. Should God take away our free will in order to remove evil? God did do something about evil—He came into our world as a human in order to defeat it forever. I guess I do not really see why the problem of evil means God did not create from nothing.
I think the theories about creation will always be up for debate and discussion. I believe this to be the case because no one person ( human) knows everything about the creation of the world. We may have an understanding of such things as an empire or that evil exist but ultimately, we do not know everything and we must ask ourselves, ” Are we believing that God exist out of just our knowledge?” Do we create explanations about such things as creation to fit into a certain academic group or religious group? It is possible to to make a statement that rejects or accepts Creatio Ex Nihilo but we must take into consideration what it says in Isaiah 55, God’s thoughts are above our thoughts. Therefore, we should trust that one day we will know.
I guess, Christianity will always contain topics with different viewpoints and perspectives. I know that I am now looking at this topic from different perspectives and will continue to look at it and do some more thinking.
This has made my head spin a little bit but I’m gonna give it my best go. First off, I find the notion to reject creatio ex nihilo and interesting one. Mainly because I have never been presented with an idea like this. Much like you spoke of Tom, I was fed by the numerous Christians the idea of creatio ex nihilo. I struggle with the notion that something pre-existed alongside God. It would seem to imply that said matter is also divine as you said but then that implies pantheism.
I understand the problem with evil in the creatio ex nihilo. If God could withhold evil, why wouldn’t he? But is it possible that in creating free will in love, evil was just the flip side of the coin? It would be a necessary component in order to have free will. But what does that say about God? Either he is A.) Willing to allow evil to exist in the world or B). He was so focused on creating good that he didn’t think about the flipside. But a God who doesn’t plan that out does not seem consistent with who God is. I think though that these are topics and questions that are too often overlooked or not engaged at all. It is definitely easier to just affirm tradition and move on but I think at least having these conversations is healthy.
Tom – I found this blog quite interesting. As I did not grow up in the church, I have the benefit of not (or even desiring to) make a lot of assumptions. Did God create the universe out of “nothing” or was there something there from which to create? I agree with you that something was there. God was there. The Genesis account simply states “In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth” (Gen. 1:1). We don’t fully know how it all began. Certain scientists would describe the sudden appearance of “hot dense spot” from which came everything that exists. From whence did that spot come from? God created the heavens and the earth by speaking it into existence (Psalm 33:6). Spoken into existence from something or nothing?
This takes us to your second point about the implied power of God, when assuming God created the heaven and earth from nothing. If God is that powerful why doesn’t God stop abject evil? Evil came into the world because God granted humanity free-will. God is love. The only way we really understand the full breadth and meaning of that love, is through seeing world is like without it. God did not design robots. God designed humanity for relationship with God. People don’t like to take responsibility for their actions. We don’t have all of the answers as to why God sometimes intervenes, and other times does not. I do know that God does prevent things from being a lot worse than they are.
I have for a long time been struck by this passage wondering how this could have been the beginning if there was water and why was there water? My thoughts on this passage have also turned to other planets that have been discovered as of late which contain water. Is there life on other planets? Did God create other worlds besides our own? I really do not understand how God creating something from nothing has to do with evil being prevented. I believe that God has the power to prevent evil but does not always do so because His thoughts are greater than our thoughts and His ways are greater than our own. I can’t pretend understand everything about God but I know enough to know that He loves me and you and everyone else on this planet we call earth enough that even when we deny Him through our actions or our words or even our lifestyle, He still loves us. The passage in Genesis that I brought up earlier has caused some confusion for me because wouldn’t there have to be a “true” beginning on earth? If God is all powerful, why does it appear as if God holding all the power bothers you ( Dr. Oord) ?
I know that words like the Trinity and ex nihilo are not in Scripture, but I think that they are part of traditional Christian orthodox belief. Wayne Grudem says this about ex nihilo: “if matter existed apart from God, then what inherent right would God have to rule over it and use it for his glory? And what confidence could we have that every aspect of the universe will ultimately fulfill God’s purposes, if some parts are not created by him?” (Grudem 1994, 264). Dr. Oord, I don’t like the implications of your position. When you said, “If God had the power to create something from absolutely nothing, God would have the power to prevent genuine evil unilaterally. Genuine evil exists that a loving God would want to prevent”. I believe that your position comes from necessity because of your belief in free-will. I would almost say that this is an idolatrous view because you are uncomfortable with the idea that if God loves us how could he allow evil.
Addressing another one of the issues, I think that Scripture affirms ex nihilo in Hebrews 11:3 “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible”. I don’t believe that this is a salvific issue, but I don’t like how it changes the character and attributes of God. I don’t think that God created out of preexisting matter, but out of nothing and by His word.
Thank you for this very interesting conversation and one that may never have a finite answer. I find your argument to be a very valid one that Creatio ex nihilo does not have enough scriptural support and perhaps the influence of the Gnostics may have influenced early Christians in their thinking. Humanity itself is given as a ‘creation’ of God and yes it can be said that we were also created from “existing” dust of the earth. Yet after being recreated from dust mankind again became “ruined and chaotic” through sin and needed another renewal in the image of Christ or to be “born again” or be made anew in the image of Christ. Meaning how many creative and recreations processes existed? Also supposedly God through Lucifer and the rebellious angels out from the presence of God and the question is where were they thrown? Were they thrown in the prior earth and did they become the cause of darkness and chaos upon the face of the earth. I think you make a good argument that God does recreate from existing creative material which speaks powerfully to His grace and power to renew and restore what has been ruined by sin. Yet this does not also negate the possibility that God retains the power and authority to create out of nothing or Creatio ex nihil and may have done so prior to the world as we know it.
One of the ideas of creatio ex nihilo that I have enjoyed reading about is the idea that suggests God created out of nothing because nothing else could have existed before God. I think we are still far away from understanding how the universe and creation came into being but I am still interested in the varying ideas from scientists and theologians that dream up and research how God created, initially. One of the advantages for agreeing with Dr. Oord’s assessment on the issues with believing in creatio ex nihilo is that I am not a fundamentalist, so I don’t take issue with the idea that, “An unambiguously clear and inerrant divine revelation does not exist” but I am sure that there are many that don’t agree with statement. I also understand where Dr. Oord is coming from in his theoretical problem that, “absolute nothingness cannot be conceived.” However, many atheists use the same argument to say that an absolutely perfect, loving, omniscient, omnipresent being, called God, cannot be conceived, so I wonder if this isn’t necessarily a problem that needs addressed.
There is much about this post that I struggle with, so I would like to focus on only two of them. The first is not looking at all of what the Scriptures have to say about God and just selecting a few to try and prove a point or belief. To begin it is stated that there will not be much if any biblical backing to what is being said about God creating out of nothing, but there are a few verses that we are lead to believe mean that there was matter present before God. It is a slippery slope when we try to read things into verses to support our beliefs and do not explain other verses throughout the Bible. How are we to make sense of verses like John 1:1-3? “In the beginning was the Word… Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” This passage does not say in the beginning was the Word and evil; and I believe that if evil existed before God our outside of God’s created things that is worthy of some mentioning somewhere throughout Scripture. It goes on to say that through him ALL things are made that have been made. So if evil exists, then at some point it would have needed to be created or made which would conclude that evil was made through God.
neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” If we were able to comprehend and explain everything about God, God would cease to be God. We are not able to conceive certain things about God, but I think that in that mystery of the unknown we can appreciate the magnitude of God.
This was an interesting read for me as I tried to be open minded about about your blog but still struggled. In the last paragraph you mentioned, “A constructive Christian theologian like me should suggest a replacement. I will propose an alternative theory of creation in a subsequent essay. I call it creatio ex creare en amore — God creating out of creation in love.” At first I thought I could accept this but then ventured with the thought of “What is love?” Is it a verb? A state of being? A feeling? Physically it would still be nothing . It is the actions that we see or the outcome of this thing called love. I thought of comparing it to the wind but even the wind can be felt physically, sort of like a hug from another person because they are in love, but this is still an action so it would not work. Apparently I am still struggling with this theory, but trust that maybe God will bless me with the answer. | 2019-04-22T05:04:35Z | http://thomasjayoord.com/index.php/blog/archives/creatio_ex_nihilo_the_problem |
(Chapter 163 of the 1996 Revised Edition).
1. This Act may be cited as the Arbitration Act 2001 and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.
(4) Where any provision in this Act refers to a claim, it shall also apply to a cross- claim or counter-claim, and where such provision refers to a defence, it shall also apply to a defence to such cross-claim or counter-claim.
4. (1) In this Act, "arbitration agreement" means an agreement by the parties to submit to arbitration all or certain disputes which have arisen or which may arise between them whether contractual or not.
(b) an exchange of letters, telex, telefacsimile or other means of communication which provide a record of the agreement.
(4) Where in any arbitral or legal proceedings, a party asserts the existence of an arbitration agreement in a pleading, statement of case or any other document in circumstances in which the assertion calls for a reply and the assertion is not denied, there shall be deemed to be an effective arbitration agreement as between the parties to the proceedings.
(5) A reference in a bill of lading to a charterparty or other document containing an arbitration clause shall constitute an arbitration agreement if the reference is such as to make that clause part of the bill of lading.
5. (1) An arbitration agreement shall not be discharged by the death of any party to the agreement but shall continue to be enforceable by or against the personal representative of the deceased party.
(2) The authority of an arbitrator shall not be revoked by the death of any party by whom he was appointed.
(3) Nothing in this section shall be taken to affect the operation of any written law or rule of law by virtue of which any right of action is extinguished by the death of a person.
6. (1) Where any party to an arbitration agreement institutes any proceedings in any court against any other party to the agreement in respect of any matter which is the subject of the agreement, any party to the agreement may, at any time after appearance and before delivering any pleading or taking any other step in the proceedings, apply to that court to stay the proceedings so far as the proceedings relate to that matter.
make an order, upon such terms as the court thinks fit, staying the proceedings so far as the proceedings relate to that matter.
(3) Where a court makes an order under subsection (2), the court may, for the purpose of preserving the rights of parties, make such interim or supplementary orders as the court thinks fit in relation to any property which is or forms part of the subject of the dispute to which the order under that subsection relates.
(4) Where no party to the proceedings has taken any further step in the proceedings for a period of not less than 2 years after an order staying the proceedings has been made, the court may, on its own motion, make an order discontinuing the proceedings without prejudice to the right of any of the parties to apply for the discontinued proceedings to be reinstated.
(5) For the purposes of this section and section 8, a reference to a party includes a reference to any person claiming through or under such party.
(b) the stay be conditional on the provision of equivalent security for the satisfaction of any such award.
(2) Subject to the Rules of Court and to any necessary modification, the same law and practice shall apply in relation to property retained in pursuance of an order under this section as would apply if it were held for the purposes of proceedings in the court which made the order.
8. Where in proceedings before any court relief by way of interpleader is granted and any issue between the claimants is one in respect of which there is an arbitration agreement between them, the court granting the relief may direct the issue between the claimants to be determined in accordance with the agreement.
9. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, the arbitration proceedings in respect of a particular dispute shall commence on the date on which a request for that dispute to be referred to arbitration is received by the respondent.
such terms as the Court thinks fit.
(c) shall not affect the operation of section 9 or 11 or any other written law relating to the limitation of actions.
11. (1) The Limitation Act (Cap. 163) shall apply to arbitration proceedings as it applies to proceedings before any court and a reference in that Act to the commencement of any action shall be construed as a reference to the commencement of arbitration proceedings.
the period between the commencement of the arbitration and the date of the order referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) shall be excluded.
(3) Notwithstanding any term in an arbitration agreement to the effect that no cause of action shall accrue in respect of any matter required by the agreement to be referred until an award is made under the agreement, the cause of action shall, for the purpose of the Limitation Act, be deemed to have accrued in respect of any such matter at the time when it would have accrued but for that term in the agreement.
12. (1) The parties are free to determine the number of arbitrators.
(2) Failing such determination, there shall be a single arbitrator.
13. (1) Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, no person shall be precluded by reason of his nationality from acting as an arbitrator.
(2) The parties are free to agree on a procedure for appointing the arbitrator or arbitrators.
(b) in an arbitration with a sole arbitrator, if the parties are unable to agree on the arbitrator, the arbitrator shall be appointed, upon the request of a party, by the appointing authority.
the appointment shall be made, upon the request of a party, by the appointing authority.
any party may apply to the appointing authority to take the necessary measure unless the agreement on the appointment procedure provides other means for securing the appointment.
(f) such considerations as are likely to secure the appointment of an independent and impartial arbitrator.
(7) No appointment by the appointing authority shall be challenged except in accordance with this Act.
(8) For the purposes of this Act, the appointing authority shall be the Chairman of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre.
(9) The Chief Justice may, if he thinks fit, by notification published in the Gazette, appoint any other person to exercise the powers of the appointing authority under this section.
14. (1) Where any person is approached in connection with his possible appointment as an arbitrator, he shall disclose any circumstance likely to give rise to justifiable doubts as to his impartiality or independence.
(2) An arbitrator shall, from the time of his appointment and throughout the arbitration proceedings, without delay disclose any such circumstance as is referred to in subsection (1) to the parties unless they have already been so informed by him.
(4) A party who has appointed or participated in the appointment of any arbitrator may challenge such arbitrator only if he becomes aware of any of the grounds of challenge set out in subsection (3) as may be applicable to the arbitrator after the arbitrator has been appointed.
15. (1) Subject to subsection (3), the parties are free to agree on a procedure for challenging an arbitrator.
send a written statement of the grounds for the challenge to the arbitral tribunal.
(3) The arbitral tribunal shall, unless the challenged arbitrator withdraws from his office or the other party agrees to the challenge, decide on the challenge.
(4) If a challenge before the arbitral tribunal is unsuccessful, the aggrieved party may, within 30 days after receiving notice of the decision rejecting the challenge, apply to the Court to decide on the challenge and the Court may make such order as it thinks fit.
(5) No appeal shall lie against the decision of the Court under subsection (4).
(6) While an application to the Court under subsection (4) is pending, the arbitral tribunal, including the challenged arbitrator, may continue the arbitration proceedings and make an award.
and where substantial injustice has been or will be caused to that party.
(2) If there is an arbitral or other institution or person vested by the parties with power to remove an arbitrator, the Court shall not exercise its power of removal unless it is satisfied that the applicant has first exhausted any available recourse to that institution or person.
(3) While an application to the Court under this section is pending, the arbitral tribunal, including the arbitrator concerned may continue the arbitration proceedings and make an award.
(4) Where the Court removes an arbitrator, the Court may make such order as it thinks fit with respect to his entitlement, if any, to fees or expenses, or the repayment of any fees or expenses already paid.
(5) The arbitrator concerned is entitled to appear and be heard by the Court before it makes any order under this section.
(6) No appeal shall lie against the decision of the Court made under subsection (4).
17. (1) The authority of an arbitrator shall cease upon his death.
(d) the parties agree on the termination of his mandate.
(3) The withdrawal of an arbitrator or the termination of an arbitrator's mandate by the parties shall not imply acceptance of the validity of any ground referred to in section 14 (3) or 16 (1).
(c) what effect (if any) his ceasing to hold office has on any appointment made by him (alone or jointly).
(2) If or to the extent that there is no such agreement, the following subsections shall apply.
(3) Section 13 (appointment of arbitrators) shall apply in relation to the filling of the vacancy as in relation to an original appointment.
(4) The arbitral tribunal (when reconstituted) shall determine whether and if so to what extent the previous proceedings should stand.
(5) The reconstitution of the arbitral tribunal shall not affect any right of a party to challenge the previous proceedings on any ground which had arisen before the arbitrator ceased to hold office.
(6) The ceasing to hold office by the arbitrator shall not affect any appointment by him (alone or jointly) of another arbitrator, in particular any appointment of a presiding arbitrator.
19. (1) In arbitration proceedings with more than one arbitrator, any decision of the arbitral tribunal shall be made, unless otherwise agreed by the parties, by all or a majority of all its members.
(2) Any question of procedure may be decided by a presiding arbitrator if so authorised by the parties or all members of the arbitral tribunal.
(b) any mistake of law, fact or procedure made in the course of arbitration proceedings or in the making of an arbitral award.
21. (1) The arbitral tribunal may rule on its own jurisdiction, including any objections to the existence or validity of the arbitration agreement.
(2) For the purpose of subsection (1), an arbitration clause which forms part of a contract shall be treated as an agreement independent of the other terms of the contract.
(3) A decision by the arbitral tribunal that the contract is null and void shall not entail ipso jure (as a matter of law) the invalidity of the arbitration clause.
(4) A plea that the arbitral tribunal does not have jurisdiction shall be raised not later than the submission of the statement of defence.
(5) A party shall not be precluded from raising the plea that the arbitral tribunal does not have jurisdiction by the fact that he has appointed, or participated in the appointment of, an arbitrator.
(6) A plea that the arbitral tribunal is exceeding the scope of its authority shall be raised as soon as the matter alleged to be beyond the scope of its authority is raised during the arbitration proceedings.
(7) Notwithstanding any delay in raising a plea referred to in subsection (4) or (6), the arbitral tribunal may admit such plea if it considers the delay to be justified in the circumstances.
(8) The arbitral tribunal may rule on a plea referred to in this section either as a preliminary question or in an award on the merits.
(9) If the arbitral tribunal rules on a plea as a preliminary question that it has jurisdiction, any party may, within 30 days after having received notice of that ruling, apply to the Court to decide the matter.
(10) The leave of the Court is required for any appeal from a decision of the Court under this section.
(11) While an application under subsection (9) is pending, the arbitral tribunal may continue the arbitration proceedings and make an award.
22. The arbitral tribunal shall act fairly and impartially and shall give each party a reasonable opportunity of presenting his case.
23. (1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the parties are free to agree on the procedure to be followed by the arbitral tribunal in conducting the proceedings.
(2) Failing such agreement, the arbitral tribunal may, subject to the provisions of this Act, conduct the arbitration in such manner as it considers appropriate.
(3) The power conferred on the arbitral tribunal under subsection (2) includes the power to determine the admissibility, relevance, materiality and weight of any evidence.
and the respondent shall state his defence in respect of the particulars set out in this subsection, unless the parties have otherwise agreed to the required elements of such statements.
(2) The parties may submit to the arbitral tribunal with their statements, all documents they consider to be relevant or other documents which refer to such documents, or other evidence.
(3) Except as otherwise agreed by the parties, either party may amend or supplement his claim or defence during the course of the arbitration proceedings, unless the arbitral tribunal considers it inappropriate to allow such amendment, having regard to the delay in making the amendment.
25. (1) Subject to any contrary agreement by the parties, the arbitral tribunal shall determine if proceedings are to be conducted by oral hearing for the presentation of evidence or oral argument or on the basis of documents and other materials.
(2) Unless the parties have agreed that no hearings shall be held, the arbitral tribunal shall, upon the request of a party, hold such hearings at an appropriate stage of the proceedings.
(3) The parties shall be given sufficient notice in advance of any hearing and of any meeting of the arbitral tribunal for the purposes of inspection of goods, other property or documents.
(4) All statements, documents or other information supplied to the arbitral tribunal by one party shall be communicated to the other party.
(5) Any expert report or evidentiary document on which the arbitral tribunal may rely in making its decision shall be communicated to the parties.
on such terms as may be agreed.
(2) Unless the parties agree to confer such power on the arbitral tribunal, the tribunal has no power to order consolidation of arbitration proceedings or concurrent hearings.
(2) Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, if a party so requests or if the arbitral tribunal considers it necessary, the expert shall, after delivery of his written or oral report, participate in a hearing where the parties have the opportunity to put questions to him and to present other expert witnesses in order to testify on the points at issue.
28. (1) The parties may agree on the powers which may be exercised by the arbitral tribunal for the purposes of and in relation to the arbitration proceedings.
(g) the preservation, interim custody or sale of any property which is or forms part of the subject-matter of the dispute.
(b) a corporation or an association incorporated or formed under the law of a country outside Singapore, or whose central management and control is exercised outside Singapore.
(4) All orders or directions made or given by an arbitral tribunal in the course of an arbitration shall, by leave of the Court, be enforceable in the same manner as if they were orders made by the Court and, where leave is so given, judgment may be entered in terms of the order or direction.
29. (1) The parties may agree on the powers which may be exercised by the arbitral tribunal in the case of a party's failure to take any necessary action for the proper and expeditious conduct of the proceedings.
the tribunal may make an award dismissing the claim.
30. (1) Any party to an arbitration agreement may take out a writ of subpoena ad testificandum (writ to compel witness to attend and give evidence) or a writ of subpoena duces tecum (writ to compel witness to attend and give evidence and produce specified documents).
(2) The Court may order that a writ of subpoena ad testificandum or a writ of subpoena duces tecum shall be issued to compel the attendance before an arbitral tribunal of a witness wherever he may be within Singapore.
(3) The Court may also issue an order under section 38 of the Prisons Act (Cap. 247) to bring up a prisoner for examination before an arbitral tribunal.
(4) No person shall be compelled under any such writ to produce any document which he could not be compelled to produce on the trial of an action.
(d) an interim injunction or any other interim measure.
(2) An order of the Court under this section shall cease to have effect in whole or in part if the arbitral tribunal or any such arbitral or other institution or person having power to act in relation to the subject-matter of the order makes an order to which the order of the Court relates.
in respect of the same issue.
(4) Provision may be made by Rules of Court for conferring on the Registrar of the Supreme Court (within the meaning of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act (Cap. 322)) or other officer of the Court all or any of the jurisdiction conferred by this Act on the Court.
32. (1) The arbitral tribunal shall decide the dispute in accordance with the law chosen by the parties as applicable to the substance of the dispute.
(2) If or to the extent that the parties have not chosen the law applicable to the substance of their dispute, the arbitral tribunal shall apply the law determined by the conflict of laws rules.
(3) The arbitral tribunal may decide the dispute, if the parties so agree, in accordance with such other considerations as are agreed by them or determined by the tribunal.
33. (1) Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, the arbitral tribunal may make more than one award at different points in time during the proceedings on different aspects of the matters to be determined.
(b) a part only of the claim, counter-claim or cross-claim, which is submitted to the tribunal for decision.
(3) If the arbitral tribunal makes an award under this section, it shall specify in its award, the issue, or claim or part of a claim, which is the subject-matter of the award.
34. (1) The parties may agree on the powers exercisable by the arbitral tribunal as regards remedies.
(2) Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, the arbitral tribunal may award any remedy or relief that could have been ordered by the Court if the dispute had been the subject of civil proceedings in that Court.
for the whole or any part of the period up to the date of the award or payment, whichever is applicable.
(2) A sum directed to be paid by an award shall, unless the award otherwise directs, carry interest as from the date of the award and at the same rate as a judgment debt.
36. (1) Where the time for making an award is limited by the arbitration agreement, the Court may by order, unless otherwise agreed by the parties, extend that time.
(b) upon notice to the arbitral tribunal and the other parties, by any party to the proceedings.
(3) An application under this section shall not be made unless all available tribunal processes for application of extension of time have been exhausted.
(4) The Court shall not make an order under this section unless it is satisfied that substantial injustice would otherwise be done.
(5) The Court may extend the time for such period and on such terms as it thinks fit, and may do so whether or not the time previously fixed by or under the arbitration agreement or by a previous order has expired.
(6) The leave of the Court shall be required for any appeal from a decision of the Court under this section.
37. (1) If, during arbitration proceedings, the parties settle the dispute, the arbitral tribunal shall terminate the proceedings and, if requested by the parties and not objected to by the arbitral tribunal, record the settlement in the form of an arbitral award on agreed terms.
(c) shall have the same status and effect as any other award on the merits of the case.
(3) An award on agreed terms may, with the leave of the Court, be enforced in the same manner as a judgment or order to the same effect, and where leave is so given, judgment may be entered in terms of the award.
(b) in the case of 2 or more arbitrators, by all the arbitrators or the majority of the arbitrators provided that the reason for any omitted signature of any arbitrator is stated.
(2) The award shall state the reasons upon which it is based, unless the parties have agreed that no grounds are to be stated or the award is an award on agreed terms under section 37.
(3) The date of the award and place of arbitration shall be stated in the award.
(4) The award shall be deemed to have been made at the place of arbitration.
(5) After the award is made, a copy of the award signed by the arbitrators in accordance with subsection (1) shall be delivered to each party.
39. (1) Any costs directed by an award to be paid shall, unless the award otherwise directs, be taxed by the Registrar of the Supreme Court within the meaning of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act (Cap. 322).
(2) Subject to subsection (3), any provision in an arbitration agreement to the effect that the parties or any party shall in any event pay their or his own costs of the reference or award or any part thereof shall be void; and this Act shall, in the case of an arbitration agreement containing any such provision, have effect as if there were no such provision.
(3) Subsection (2) shall not apply where a provision in an arbitration agreement to the effect that the parties or any party shall in any event pay their or his own costs is part of an agreement to submit to arbitration a dispute which has arisen before the making of such agreement.
(4) If no provision is made by an award with respect to the costs of the reference, any party to the reference may, within 14 days of the delivery of the award or such further time as the arbitral tribunal may allow, apply to the arbitral tribunal for an order directing by and to whom such costs shall be paid.
(5) The arbitral tribunal shall, after giving the parties a reasonable opportunity to be heard, amend its award by adding thereto such directions as it thinks fit with respect to the payment of the costs of the reference.
40. (1) The parties are jointly and severally liable to pay to the arbitrators such reasonable fees and expenses as are appropriate in the circumstances.
(2) Unless the fees of the arbitral tribunal have been fixed by written agreement or such agreement has provided for determination of the fees by a person or institution agreed to by the parties, any party to the arbitration may require that such fees be taxed by the Registrar of the Supreme Court within the meaning of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act (Cap. 322).
41. (1) The arbitral tribunal may refuse to deliver an award to the parties if the parties have not made full payment of the fees and expenses of the arbitrators.
(c) out of the money paid into Court, the arbitral tribunal shall be paid such fees and expenses as may be found to be properly payable and the balance of such money (if any) shall be paid out to the applicant.
(3) A taxation of fees under this section shall be reviewed in the same manner as a taxation of costs.
(4) The arbitrator shall be entitled to appear and be heard on any taxation or review of taxation under this section.
(5) For the purpose of this section, the amount of fees and expenses properly payable is the amount the applicant is liable to pay under section 40 or under any agreement relating to the payment of fees and expenses of the arbitrators.
(6) No application to the Court may be made unless the Court is satisfied that the applicant has first exhausted any available arbitral process for appeal or review of the amount of the fees or expenses demanded by the arbitrators.
including the fees and expenses of that institution or person.
(8) The leave of the Court shall be required for any appeal from a decision of the Court under this section.
42. Section 117 of the Legal Profession Act (Cap. 161) (which empowers a Court in which a solicitor has been employed in any proceeding to charge property recovered or preserved in the proceeding with the payment of his costs) shall apply as if an arbitration were a proceeding in the Court, and the Court may make declarations and orders accordingly.
(b) upon notice to the other parties, request the arbitral tribunal to give an interpretation of a specific point or part of the award, if such request is also agreed to by the other parties.
(2) If the arbitral tribunal considers the request in subsection (1) to be justified, the tribunal shall make such correction or give such interpretation within 30 days of the receipt of the request and such interpretation shall form part of the award.
(3) The arbitral tribunal may correct any error of the type referred to in subsection (1)(a) or give an interpretation referred to in subsection (1)(b), on its own initiative, within 30 days of the date of the award.
but omitted from the award.
(5) If the arbitral tribunal considers the request in subsection (4) to be justified, the tribunal shall make the additional award within 60 days of the receipt of such request.
(6) The arbitral tribunal may, if necessary, extend the period of time within which it shall make a correction, interpretation or an additional award under this section.
(7) Section 38 shall apply to an award in respect of which a correction or interpretation has been made under this section and to an additional award.
44. (1) An award made by the arbitral tribunal pursuant to an arbitration agreement shall be final and binding on the parties and on any person claiming through or under them and may be relied upon by any of the parties by way of defence, set-off or otherwise in any proceedings in any court of competent jurisdiction.
(2) Except as provided in section 43, upon an award being made, including an award made in accordance with section 33, the arbitral tribunal shall not vary, amend, correct, review, add to or revoke the award.
(3) For the purposes of subsection (2), an award is made when it has been signed and delivered in accordance with section 38.
(4) This section shall not affect the right of a person to challenge the award by any available arbitral process of appeal or review or in accordance with the provisions of this Act.
45. (1) Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, the Court may, on the application of a party to the arbitration proceedings who has given notice to the other parties, determine any question of law arising in the course of the proceedings which the Court is satisfied substantially affects the rights of one or more of the parties.
(ii) the application is made without delay.
(3) The application shall identify the question of law to be determined and, except where made with the agreement of all parties to the proceedings, shall state the grounds on which it is said that the question should be decided by the Court.
(4) Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, the arbitral tribunal may continue the arbitral proceedings and make an award while an application to the Court under this section is pending.
(5) Except with the leave of the Court, no appeal shall lie from a decision of the Court on whether the conditions in subsection (2) are met.
(6) The decision of the Court on a question of law shall be a judgment of the Court for the purposes of an appeal to the Court of Appeal.
(7) The Court may give leave to appeal against the decision of the Court in subsection (6) only if the question of law before it is one of general importance, or is one which for some other special reason should be considered by the Court of Appeal.
46. (1) An award made by the arbitral tribunal pursuant to an arbitration agreement may, with leave of the Court, be enforced in the same manner as a judgment or order of the Court to the same effect.
(2) Where leave of the Court is so granted, judgment may be entered in the terms of the award.
47. The Court shall not have jurisdiction to confirm, vary, set aside or remit an award on an arbitration agreement except where so provided in this Act.
(ii) the award is contrary to public policy.
(2) An application for setting aside an award may not be made after the expiry of 3 months from the date on which the party making the application had received the award, or if a request has been made under section 43, from the date on which that request had been disposed of by the arbitral tribunal.
(3) When a party applies to the Court to set aside an award under this section, the Court may, where appropriate and so requested by a party, suspend the proceedings for setting aside an award, for such period of time as it may determine, to allow the arbitral tribunal to resume the arbitration proceedings or take such other action as may eliminate the grounds for setting aside an award.
49. (1) A party to arbitration proceedings may (upon notice to the other parties and to the arbitral tribunal) appeal to the Court on a question of law arising out of an award made in the proceedings.
(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), the parties may agree to exclude the jurisdiction of the Court under this section and an agreement to dispense with reasons for the arbitral tribunal's award shall be treated as an agreement to exclude the jurisdiction of the Court under this section.
(b) with the leave of the Court.
(4) The right to appeal under this section shall be subject to the restrictions in section 50.
(d) despite the agreement of the parties to resolve the matter by arbitration, it is just and proper in all the circumstances for the Court to determine the question.
(6) An application for leave to appeal under this section shall identify the question of law to be determined and state the grounds on which it is alleged that leave to appeal should be granted.
(7) The leave of the Court shall be required for any appeal from a decision of the Court under this section to grant or refuse leave to appeal.
(d) set aside the award in whole or in part.
(9) The Court shall not exercise its power to set aside an award, in whole or in part, unless it is satisfied that it would be inappropriate to remit the matters in question to the arbitral tribunal for reconsideration.
(10) The decision of the Court on an appeal under this section shall be treated as a judgment of the Court for the purposes of an appeal to the Court of Appeal.
(11) The Court may give leave to appeal against the decision of the Court in subsection (10) only if the question of law before it is one of general importance, or one which for some other special reason should be considered by the Court of Appeal.
50. (1) This section shall apply to an application or appeal under section 45, 48 or 49.
(b) any available recourse under section 43 (correction or interpretation of award and additional award).
(3) Any application or appeal shall be brought within 28 days of the date of the award or, if there has been any arbitral process of appeal or review, of the date when the applicant or appellant was notified of the result of that process.
the Court may order the arbitral tribunal to state the reasons for its award in sufficient detail for that purpose.
(5) Where the Court makes an order under subsection (4), it may make such further order as it thinks fit with respect to any additional costs of the arbitration resulting from its order.
(6) The Court may order the applicant or appellant to provide security for the costs of the application or appeal, and may direct that the application or appeal be dismissed if the order is not complied with.
(b) a corporation or association incorporated or formed under the law of a country outside Singapore or whose central management and control is exercised outside Singapore.
(8) The Court may order that any money payable under the award shall be brought into Court or otherwise secured pending the determination of the application or appeal, and may direct that the application or appeal be dismissed if the order is not complied with.
(9) The Court may grant leave to appeal subject to conditions to the same or similar effect as an order under subsection (6) or (8) and this shall not affect the general discretion of the Court to grant leave subject to conditions.
51. (1) Where the Court makes an order under section 45, 48 or 49 with respect to an award, subsections (2), (3) and (4) shall apply.
(2) Where the award is varied by the Court, the variation shall have effect as part of the arbitral tribunal's award.
shorter period as the Court may direct.
(4) Where the award is set aside or declared to be of no effect, in whole or in part, the Court may also order that any provision that an award is a condition precedent to the bringing of legal proceedings in respect of a matter to which the arbitration agreement applies, shall be of no effect as regards the subject-matter of the award or, as the case may be, the relevant part of the award.
52. (1) An application for the leave of the Court to appeal or make an application referred to in section 21 (10), 36 (6) or 49 (3) (b) or (6) shall be made in such manner as may be prescribed in the Rules of Court.
(2) The Court shall determine an application for leave to appeal without a hearing unless it appears to the Court that a hearing is required.
(b) the Court of Appeal shall have the like powers and jurisdiction on the hearing of such applications as the High Court or any Judge in Chambers has on the hearing of such applications.
53. (1) References in this Act to an application, appeal or other step in relation to legal proceedings being taken upon notice to the other parties to the arbitration proceedings, or to the arbitral tribunal, are references to such notice of the originating process as is required by the Rules of Court.
(b) if the arbitral tribunal is not fully constituted, as a requirement to give notice to any arbitrator who has been appointed.
(3) References in this Act to making an application or appeal to the Court within a specified period are references to the issue within that period of the appropriate originating process in accordance with the Rules of Court.
(4) Where any provision of this Act requires an application or appeal to be made to the Court within a specified time, the Rules of Court relating to the reckoning of periods, the extending or abridging of periods, and the consequences of not taking a step within the period prescribed by the Rules, shall apply in relation to that requirement.
(c) so as to keep any provision made by this Act in relation to legal proceedings in step with the corresponding provision of the Rules of Court applying generally in relation to proceedings in the Court.
(6) Nothing in this section shall affect the generality of the power to make Rules of Court.
54. Provision may be made by Rules of Court for conferring on the Registrar of the Supreme Court or other officer of the Court all or any of the jurisdiction conferred by this Act on the Court.
55. The Rules Committee constituted under section 80 of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act (Cap. 322) may make Rules of Court regulating the practice and procedure of any court in respect of any matter under this Act.
56. Proceedings under this Act in any court shall, on the application of any party to the proceedings, be heard otherwise than in open court.
57. (1) This section shall apply to proceedings under this Act in any court heard otherwise than in open court.
(2) A court hearing any proceedings to which this section applies shall, on the application of any party to the proceedings, give directions as to whether any and, if so, what information relating to the proceedings may be published.
(b) if it considers that a report published in accordance with directions given under paragraph (a) would be likely to reveal that matter, direct that no report shall be published until after the end of such period, not exceeding 10 years, as it considers appropriate.
58. This Act shall apply in relation to every arbitration under any other written law (other than the International Arbitration Act (Cap. 143A)), as if the arbitration were commenced pursuant to an arbitration agreement, except in so far as this Act is inconsistent with that other written law.
59. (1) The appointing authority, or an arbitral or other institution or person designated or requested by the parties to appoint or nominate an arbitrator, shall not be liable for anything done or omitted in the discharge or purported discharge of that function unless the act or omission is shown to have been in bad faith.
(2) The appointing authority, or an arbitral or other institution or person by whom an arbitrator is appointed or nominated, shall not be liable, by reason only of having appointed or nominated him, for anything done or omitted by the arbitrator, his employees or agents in the discharge or purported discharge of his functions as arbitrator.
(3) This section shall apply to an employee or agent of the appointing authority or of an arbitral or other institution or person as it applies to the appointing authority, institution or person himself.
60. (1) The parties are free to agree on the manner of service of any notice or other document required or authorised to be given or served in pursuance of the arbitration agreement or for the purposes of the arbitration proceedings.
(2) If or to the extent that there is no such agreement as is referred to in subsection (1), subsections (3) and (4) shall apply.
(3) A notice or other document may be served on a person by any effective means.
it shall be treated as effectively served.
(5) This section shall not apply to the service of documents for the purposes of legal proceedings, for which provision is made by Rules of Court.
(6) References in this Part to a notice or other document include any form of communication in writing and references to giving or serving a notice or other document shall be construed accordingly.
(b) any provision of this Act having effect in default of such agreement.
(2) If or to the extent that the parties have not agreed on the method of reckoning time, periods of time shall be reckoned in accordance with this section.
(3) Where the act is required to be done within a specified period after or from a specified date, the period shall begin immediately after that date.
(4) Where an act is required to be done within or not less than a specified period before a specified date, the period shall end immediately before that date.
(5) Where the act is required to be done, a specified number of clear days after a specified date, at least that number of days shall intervene between the day on which the act is done and that date.
(6) Where the period in question being a period of 7 days or less would include a Saturday, Sunday or a public holiday, that day shall be excluded.
62. (1) In any case where an agreement provides for the appointment of a mediator by a person who is not one of the parties and that person refuses to make the appointment or does not make the appointment within the time specified in the agreement or, if no time is so specified, within a reasonable time of being requested by any party to the agreement to make the appointment, the Chairman of the Singapore Mediation Centre may, on the application of any party to the agreement, appoint a mediator who shall have the like powers to act in the mediation proceedings as if he had been appointed in accordance with the terms of the agreement.
(2) The Chief Justice may, if he thinks fit, by notification published in the Gazette, appoint any other person to exercise the powers of the Chairman of the Singapore Mediation Centre under subsection (1).
(b) if such person declines to act as an arbitrator, any other person appointed as an arbitrator shall not be required first to act as a mediator unless a contrary intention appears in the arbitration agreement.
(4) Unless a contrary intention appears therein, an agreement which provides for the appointment of a mediator shall be deemed to contain a provision that in the event of the mediation proceedings failing to produce a settlement acceptable to the parties within 4 months, or such longer period as the parties may agree to, of the date of the appointment of the mediator or, where he is appointed by name in the agreement, of the receipt by him of written notification of the existence of a dispute, the mediation proceedings shall thereupon terminate.
63. (1) If all parties to any arbitral proceedings consent in writing and for so long as no party has withdrawn his consent in writing, an arbitrator may act as a mediator.
(b) shall treat information obtained by him from a party to the arbitration proceedings as confidential, unless that party otherwise agrees or unless subsection (3) applies.
arbitrator shall before resuming the arbitration proceedings disclose to all other parties to the arbitration proceedings as much of that information as he considers material to the arbitration proceedings.
(4) No objection shall be taken to the conduct of arbitration proceedings by a person solely on the ground that that person had acted previously as a mediator in accordance with this section.
(b) any reference to mediation proceedings shall include a reference to conciliation proceedings.
64. This Act shall bind the Government.
65. (1) The Arbitration Act (Cap. 10) is repealed.
(2) This Act shall apply to arbitration proceedings commenced on or after the appointed day but the parties may in writing agree that this Act shall apply to arbitration proceedings commenced before the appointed day.
(3) Notwithstanding subsection (1), where the arbitration proceedings were commenced before the appointed day, the law governing the arbitration agreement and the arbitration shall be the law which would have applied if this Act had not been enacted.
(4) Where an arbitration agreement made or entered into before the appointed day provides for the appointment of an umpire or an arbitral tribunal comprising 2 arbitrators, the law to the extent that it governs the appointment, role and function of the umpire shall be the law which would have applied if this Act had not been enacted.
(5) For the purposes of this section, arbitration proceedings are to be taken as having commenced on the date of the receipt by the respondent of a request for the dispute to be referred to arbitration, or, where the parties have agreed in writing that any other date is to be taken as the date of commencement of the arbitration proceedings, then on that date.
(6) For the purposes of this section, "appointed day" means the date of commencement of this Act.
148A. (1) This section shall apply where a bankrupt had become party to a contract containing an arbitration agreement before the commencement of his bankruptcy.
(2) If the Official Assignee adopts the contract, the arbitration agreement shall be enforceable by or against the Official Assignee in relation to matters arising from or connected with the contract.
(b) any other party to the agreement, may apply to the court which may, if it thinks fit in all the circumstances of the case, order that the matter be referred to arbitration in accordance with the arbitration agreement.
(4) In this section, "court" means the court which has jurisdiction in the bankruptcy proceedings.
67. (1) Section 30 of the Limitation Act (Cap. 163) is repealed.
(2) Nothing in this section shall affect the application of section 30 of the Limitation Act in respect of arbitration proceedings under the repealed Arbitration Act (Cap. 10) or the International Arbitration Act (Cap. 143A), as the case may be, commenced before the date of commencement of this Act. | 2019-04-21T10:51:44Z | https://www.jus.uio.no/lm/singapore.arbitration.act.2001/doc.html |
The Aedes aegypti mosquito is the vector for dengue fever, yellow fever, chikungunya, and zika viruses. Inadequate vector control has contributed to persistence and increase of these diseases. This review assesses the evidence of effectiveness of different control measures in reducing Aedes aegypti proliferation, using standard entomological indices.
A systematic search of Medline, Ovid, BVS, LILACS, ARTEMISA, IMBIOMED and MEDIGRAPHIC databases identified cluster randomised controlled trials (CRCTs) of interventions to control Aedes aegypti published between January 2003 and October 2016. Eligible studies were CRCTs of chemical or biological control measures, or community mobilization, with entomological indices as an endpoint. A meta-analysis of eligible studies, using a random effects model, assessed the impact on household index (HI), container index (CI), and Breteau index (BI).
From 848 papers identified by the search, eighteen met the inclusion criteria: eight for chemical control, one for biological control and nine for community mobilisation. Seven of the nine CRCTs of community mobilisation reported significantly lower entomological indices in intervention than control clusters; findings from the eight CRCTs of chemical control were more mixed. The CRCT of biological control reported a significant impact on the pupae per person index only. Ten papers provided enough detail for meta-analysis. Community mobilisation (four studies) was consistently effective, with an overall intervention effectiveness estimate of −0.10 (95%CI -0.20 – 0.00) for HI, −0.03 (95%CI -0.05 – -0.01) for CI, and −0.13 (95%CI -0.22 – -0.05) for BI. The single CRCT of biological control had effectiveness of −0.02 (95%CI -0.07– 0.03) for HI, −0.02 (95%CI -0.04– -0.01) for CI and −0.08 (95%CI -0.15– -0.01) for BI. The five studies of chemical control did not show a significant impact on indices: the overall effectiveness was −0.01 (95%CI -0.05– 0.03) for HI, 0.01 (95% CI -0.01– 0.02) for CI, and 0.01 (95%CI -0.03 – 0.05) for BI.
Governments that rely on chemical control of Aedes aegypti should consider adding community mobilization to their prevention efforts. More well-conducted CRCTs of complex interventions, including those with biological control, are needed to provide evidence of real life impact. Trials of all interventions should measure impact on dengue risk.
In 2013, Bhatt and colleagues estimated 390 million dengue infections worldwide each year, with 96 million of these producing some clinical manifestation . They estimated that Asia accounts for 70% of these infections, India alone accounting for 34%; 14% occur in the Americas, more than half of which occur in Brazil and Mexico; 16% occur in Africa, and only 0.2% in Oceania . Since publication of the articles in this review, a new dengue vaccine has been approved for use in Mexico , the Philippines and Brazil . Notwithstanding the new vaccine, vector control probably will remain an important element of dengue prevention and dengue prevention research [5, 6]. A World Health Organisation (WHO) meeting of experts in March 2016 noted, however, that there was no evidence that recent vector-control efforts such as massive use of insecticides have a significant effect on dengue transmission .
Aedes aegypti is an important vector for dengue virus infection. Apart from dengue virus, Aedes aegypti is also the vector for transmission of other viruses presenting serious public health threats: chikungunya [8, 9], zika and yellow fever . There is currently no vaccine available for chikungunya or zika. Following a big outbreak of zika in Brazil, including cases of microcephaly among babies born to infected mothers, WHO declared zika a public health emergency of international concern and issued a response framework and operations plan for tackling zika worldwide . There is a huge shortfall in funding for the WHO response programme ; with limited funding there is an urgent need to identify the most effective interventions for Aedes aegypti vector control.
Summarised in Table 1, 12 systematic reviews synthesized evidence of the effectiveness of chemical, biological and community participation interventions for control of the Aedes aegypti vector and dengue infection [14–25]. These covered 278 studies with considerable overlap, including 26 cluster randomised controlled trials (CRCTs). The most common study design was a non-randomised controlled trial (110 studies), and before-after analysis (88 studies). Some reviews had a broad focus, covering multiple interventions [15, 17, 24, 25], others covered more specific community-based interventions [14, 19] or outbreak control . Some were limited to single specific interventions, such as peridomestic spraying of insecticide , use of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis , temephos , larvivorous fish or copepods .
Interventions and outcomes varied. Six studies combined community participation programmes with dengue control tools. Only 2 papers reported confidence intervals; 5 reported p-values; none were cluster randomized. Weak evidence that community-based programmes alone or in combination can enhance dengue control.
Effect of different dengue control methods on entomological indices in developing countries.
Integrated vector management most effective method to reduce CI, HI and BI. Environmental management alone relatively low effectiveness. Biological control targeted small numbers; IVM targeted larger populations. Most effective is a community-based, integrated approach, tailored and combined with educational programmes.
Combined interventions of vector control (community involvement & use of insecticides), training of medical personnel, plus laboratory support, helped control outbreaks. Spatial spraying of insecticides alone ineffective and its usefulness with other interventions is doubtful.
Evidence of efficacy lacking: poor study designs and lack of congruent entomologic indices. Need more cluster randomized controlled trials.
Few studies of effectiveness of peri-domestic space spraying. Best applied as part of IVM. Need to measure impact of spraying on adult and immature mosquitoes and disease transmission.
Important impact of educational messages in a community-based approach on larval indices. Very heterogeneous effect size with different study designs; interpretation of pooled results difficult.
Bti can reduce the number of immature Aedes in the short term, but very limited evidence that Bti alone can reduce dengue morbidity. Need to measure impact of Bti in combination with other strategies to control dengue vectors.
Temephos alone suppressed entomological indices; did not do so when combined with other interventions. No evidence that temephos use is associated with reduced dengue transmission.
Limited evidence of impact of cyclopoid copepods as a single intervention. Very few studies; more needed in other communities and environments.
The most effective control method was IVM, starting with community empowerment as active agents of vector control.
Lack of reliable evidence on the effectiveness of any dengue vector control method. High quality studies (such as CRCTs) are needed, with measurement of effect on dengue transmission as well as vector indices.
Several reviews concluded that some form of integrated vector management (IVM), including chemical control, community involvement, and co-operation between services was the best approach to reduce entomological indices of Aedes aegypti infestation or control outbreaks of dengue [15, 16, 24]. WHO recommends IVM for control of vector borne diseases, including dengue [26, 27].
The authors of many of the previous reviews noted that their conclusions were limited by the poor quality of the available evidence. Existing evidence studied impact mostly on vector indices rather than on dengue infection or disease incidence. While reviews suggested effectiveness of community involvement and mobilisation, the weak study designs and poor quality of reporting made interpretation difficult [14, 19]. Reviews focusing on specific biological control methods were largely unable to conclude about effectiveness because the relatively few published studies generally had weak designs [20, 22, 23]. Reviews of specific chemical interventions were also limited in their conclusions. A review of 15 studies of peridomestic insecticide spraying included only one CRCT, the remainder using before-after analyses . A review of 27 studies of the effectiveness of temephos for dengue control included only three CRCTs; the authors concluded there was evidence that temephos alone, although not in combination, suppressed entomological indices, but noted there was no evidence that temephos use was associated with decreased dengue transmission . Authors of a 2009 review including multiple approaches for dengue control complained of the problems of poor study design and non-comparable entomological endpoints , and a recent review of the effects of multiple dengue prevention approaches noted a lack of reliable evidence of effectiveness, particularly on the endpoint of dengue incidence .
Review authors have repeatedly called for more cluster randomised controlled trials of single and combined interventions for dengue prevention, with measurement of their impact on dengue transmission as well as on vector indices [17, 22, 25]. The aim of the present study is to review the effectiveness of interventions for dengue vector control, specifically as measured in CRCTs. This limits the number of eligible studies, but means that the findings of those that are included are likely to be more reliable.
In 2013 we carried out a systematic search for articles published between January 2003 and June 2013 assessing the impact of chemical control, biological control and/or community mobilization as strategies for Aedes aegypti vector control. We searched the Medline, Ovid, BVS, LILACS, ARTEMISA, IMBIOMED and MEDIGRAPHIC databases. The search terms we used were “dengue”, “Aedes aegypti”, “chemical control”, “biological control”, “community-based”, “community mobilisation”, “social mobilisation”, “community empowerment”, “effectiveness” and “vector control”, and their Spanish and Portuguese equivalents. We updated the search in November 2016 to cover articles published up to the end of October 2016. We also reviewed the references listed in identified publications and included additional studies found in these lists, limiting our search to publications in English, Spanish or Portuguese.
Figure 1 is a flow chart of the studies identified and finally included in the systematic review and meta analysis. The first search in 2013 produced a list of 588 articles. In 2015, we added a further 27 studies and in 2016 we added a further 233 studies identified by a new electronic search and a manual search (total 848 articles). Two reviewers (VA and LA), working independently, reviewed the title and abstract of these articles. They excluded 749 articles: 590 because they clearly did not meet the inclusion criteria, and 159 because they were further publications of the same studies.
studies that provided information about at least one of the three standard Aedes aegypti indices: house index (HI) -- households with larvae or pupae as a proportion of households examined; container index (CI) -- containers with larvae or pupae as a proportion of containers examined; and Breteau index (BI) -- containers with larvae or pupae as a proportion of households examined.
The reviewers read the full text of the remaining 99 candidate articles and excluded 81 of them as not meeting the inclusion criteria. Five of the excluded studies did not measure impact on entomological indices, and 76 were not CRCTs. This systematic review includes all 18 remaining articles; 10 of these had the necessary information for calculation of the entomological indices to allow us to include them in the meta-analysis.
We extracted data from the 18 articles using a format developed by consensus among study team members. Two reviewers extracted the data independently and then resolved discrepancies by consensus. We assessed methodological validity of the studies using the Cochrane approach for assessing the risk of bias . This includes an assessment of how the studies handled and reported: random sequence generation, blinding of participants and personnel, blinding of outcome assessment, handling of incomplete data, and selectiveness of reporting. We graded each paper for each domain as having low, unclear or high risk of bias, and then calculated an overall risk of bias.
We defined intervention effectiveness for each of the entomological indices (HI, CI and BI) as the difference between the intervention group and the control group at the last point of measurement. For each type of intervention (chemical control, biological control, community mobilisation) we performed a meta-analysis using a random effects model to estimate global intervention effectiveness for each entomological index (HI, CI, BI), estimating the combined overall Risk Difference (RD) and its 95% CI. The model took into account inter- and intra-study variability by weighting . We carried out the analysis using the open-source software CIETmap and the “meta” package of the statistical language R .
We performed the DerSimonian and Laird Q test to assess the level of heterogeneity, with the null hypothesis of non-heterogeneity. We derived p-values for this test by comparing the Q statistic with the α-percentile of a χ2 distribution with k-1 degrees of freedom (where k is the number of studies).
For each type of intervention, we measured each study’s influence on the overall estimated intervention effectiveness by replicating the meta-analysis for each of the three entomological indices, eliminating one of the included studies from the analysis at each step. We then quantified the differences in the overall results [29, 33].
We assessed publication bias using a funnel plot, which shows the sample size of each study next to the detected effect size. We used the Begg and Egger statistical test [34, 35] and considered p < 0.10 to be a statistically significant indicator of publication bias.
Table 2 shows details of the 18 CRCTs that met our inclusion criteria for the review [36–53]. Published between January 2003 and December 2015, these studies all implemented interventions and measured impact at the cluster level. The 18 studies covered 246 intervention clusters (48,131 intervention households) and 288 control clusters (69,430 control households) in 13 countries: India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cuba, Haiti, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador and Colombia. Of the 18 CRCTs, we categorised eight as trials of chemical control interventions, one as a trial of a biological control method, and nine as trials of community mobilisation for dengue prevention.
1% temephos applied to HH water containers 3 monthly.
Community removal of “removable” water containers.
BI and CI slightly lower in control cluster than intervention cluster at most time points. Both BI and CI were related to rainfall.
Not clear why temephos was not effective.
HI, CI, BI, PPI measured at baseline, 4w, 4 m & 12 m (Mexico) 9 m (Venezuela).
At last measurement in Mexico and Venezuela, no significant difference in entomological indices between intervention and control clusters; but indices in all clusters significantly lower than at baseline. No such fall in nearby “external control” sites.
BI, HI, CI, PPI measured at baseline, 1 m, 5 m and 12 m.
At 1 m, all indices fell in the ITN sites. By 5 m, indices had also fallen in control sites and were now lower than in ITN sites. Control HH near to ITN sites had lower indices.
At 12 m all sites had significantly lower indices and fewer IgM positives than at baseline.
Lack of difference between ITN and control sites due to spill-over. ITNs can reduce vector indices and potentially dengue transmission.
No difference between intervention clusters and the control cluster in any indices.
Control cluster indices not different from indices from all clusters measured in previous year, but those in all three intervention clusters combined were lower than those in the previous year.
Lack of difference between intervention and control clusters suggests initial education and repeated visits were as effective as the interventions. Small sample size was an issue.
Window & door nets treated with deltamethrin and water container covers treated with deltamethrin (wrong size so not used).
Govt programme treated water with 1% temephos in 3 intervention and 3 control clusters.
After 17 months, nets replaced as needed and “productive” containers treated with temephos or discarded.
At baseline, 6w after first intervention and 6w after second intervention measured total pupae, PPI, HI, BI and CI.
6w after first intervention, indices higher in all clusters than baseline. Total pupae and PPI increased more in control clusters but difference not significant.
6w after second intervention, indices were lower overall. Total pupae reduced significantly more in intervention clusters, borderline difference for PPI. HI reduced significantly more in intervention clusters, borderline difference for BI and no significant difference for CI.
The combination of insecticide treated curtains and targeting productive container types (with temephos and discarding containers) can reduce the dengue vector population.
Window and door nets treated with long-lasting deltamethrin formulation.
Max 5 nets/HH. Insecticide supposed to last two years.
Routine government vector control including temephos available to HH and deltamethrin spraying if case of dengue detected.
BI, HI, CI and PPI measured at baseline, 6 m & 18 m.
At 6 m, BI was significantly lower in intervention clusters. HI, CI and PPI were also lower in intervention clusters. At 18 m, BI was no longer lower in intervention clusters, and nor were HI, CI and PPI. At 6 m, 71% of HH used the nets, but only 33% used them at 18 m.
Insecticide treated window and door nets can reduce vector breeding. The effect is coverage dependent.
Immediate: Window and door nets treated with deltamethrin in all 10 clusters.
After 8 m in 4 clusters: Water container covers treated with deltamethrin.
Routine government vector control activities continued.
Routine government vector control activities: temephos in water containers, health education, occasional malathion space spraying.
At first follow up indices fell more (cf baseline) in intervention clusters than control clusters; I-C difference significant for BI only. PPI increased in intervention clusters.
At second follow up all indices including PPI decreased more in intervention clusters; significant by t-test but not by non-parametric test.
The intervention package can reduce dengue vector density. Needs behaviour change for sustained effect.
Door and window screens treated with alpha-cypermethrin. After 14 m, productive containers also treated with spinosad every 2 m.
Routine government vector control continued.
Routine government vector control: temephos in water containers, space spraying with chloropyrifos and propoxur.
Measured BI, CI, HI & PPI at baseline and at 5, 12, 18 and 24 m Also measured adult mosquitoes.
Only adult mosquitoes less in intervention HH after the treated screens. At 18 m (after treatment of productive containers), BI, CI, HI and PPI significantly lower in the intervention clusters. At 24 m, only PPI significantly lower.
HI, CI, BI & PPI measured at baseline, 2 m, 4 m and 6 m.
Baseline and 6 m. Measured BI, CI, HI and positive containers/HH (C+/H).
Reduced from baseline to 6 m in Education only cluster, but not in Chemical or Control clusters. In the Education & chemical cluster, reduction from baseline was less marked.
Education intervention was effective but Chemical intervention was not. The Chemical intervention reduced the effect of the Education intervention, perhaps by false sense of security.
>Harmonisation with local vector control plan.
Government routine vector control programme continued.
The HI, BI and PPI were not different between intervention and control clusters at baseline. At 15 m, HI, BI and PPI were all significantly lower in intervention clusters compared with control clusters.
A community based environmental management strategy on top of routine programme reduced dengue vector indices.
>Communities distributed locally-made container covers and educational materials.
At 10 m there were significant reductions in the HI, BI, CI and PPI in the intervention vs control clusters.
A community-based approach involving multiple stakeholders to implement control actions reduced dengue vector indices.
No significant differences between intervention and control clusters for HI, CI. BI significantly lower at 15 m. PPI significantly reduced in intervention clusters.
Household and community involvement helped reduce solid waste containers which are major site of dengue breeding.
BI measured monthly from government surveillance figures before and during intervention from mid 2005 to Dec 2007.
Over the intervention period, the BI remained significantly lower in the intervention clusters than in the control clusters; the difference was bigger after the CWGs began their activities.
The empowerment strategy increased community involvement and added effectiveness to routine vector control.
Routine government vector control programme.
All indices significantly lower in the intervention clusters at 6 m.
Social participation and environmental management is feasible and significantly reduced vector indices.
PPI was significantly reduced in intervention clusters vs the control clusters (now with Bti) but only when clusters without full implementation were excluded.
Complicated by change in government programme midway through trial period. Need to explore integration of biolarvicide with the IIS approach.
Campaign with community members & health institutions for removal of water containers around households (bags with containers collected). Engagement of community opinion makers, leaflets, & press conference.
The increase in indices from dry to wet season was less in the intervention communities but the difference was not statistically significant.
Low vector densities meant sample size did not have sufficient power to detect differences as significant.
Community discussions of baseline evidence on vector breeding sites & infection in children. Community groups planned actions: HH visits by community brigades, school activities, & community clean-up activities and events.
Government dengue control programme: temephos in HH water containers & peridomestic space spraying.
All vector indices significantly lower in intervention than control clusters in follow up survey.
Dengue infection rates in children aged 3–9 years (paired saliva samples) and self-reported dengue cases significantly lower in intervention than control sites.
Evidence based community mobilization effective for dengue vector control. Tailored implementation for individual sites gives local customization & strong community engagement.
Table 3 shows the risk of bias assessments for the 18 studies. We assessed eight studies as having a low risk of bias overall, the remaining 10 having an unclear risk of bias mainly because they did not provide enough information to assess some elements of the risk of bias.
1 = Low risk of bias; 2 = Unclear risk of bias; 3 = High risk of bias.
Among the eight CRCTs categorised as chemical control interventions, five tested the effect of insecticide-treated window and door screens or curtains: one as a single intervention , two combined with insecticide-treated water container covers [37, 42], and two combined with temephos or spinosad treatment of productive water containers [40, 43]. One trial tested the impact of insecticide-treated bed nets as a single intervention and one tested the impact of temephos applied to water containers as a single intervention . Ocampo et al. reported on a trial of lethal ovitraps and Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) briquettes, alone or in combination, together with an initial education and clean-up campaign and regular household visits. Since education/clean-up and visits alone was also the ‘control’ condition, we categorised this as a chemical intervention of the deltamethrin lethal ovitraps . Three trials had a staged intervention: in Guatemala deltamethrin-treated window and door nets were replenished and supplemented with temephos treatment of productive containers after 17 months ; in Colombia, deltamethrin treated container covers supplemented deltamethrin treated window and door nets after eight months in about half the clusters ; and in Mexico, researchers added spinosad treatment of productive water containers to cypermethrin treated door and window screens after 14 months.
The number of clusters randomised to intervention and control status varied widely, from just one very large intervention and one very large control cluster in Brazil to 22 intervention and 66 small control clusters in Thailand . The largest number of households to receive the intervention was also in Thailand, although the researchers only measured entomological indices in half of these . The duration of follow up varied from six weeks to 18 months after the start of an intervention. In the three studies with two-staged interventions, the last measurements of entomological indices were at six weeks [40, 42] to 10 months after the second intervention. For interventions beginning at single time point, the last measurements were at between four months and 18 months .
Measured impacts of the interventions varied considerably. The temephos trial found no effect; the BI and CI were slightly lower in control than intervention clusters at most time points . In the trials concerned with insecticide-treated window and door screens or curtains, three found an impact on pupal densities and other indices mainly after addition of the second intervention of treating productive containers [40, 43] or of adding treated container covers . The trial of treated door and window nets alone found that the impact on BI at six months, when 71% of households used the nets, was not maintained at 18 months, when only a third of households used the nets . In the report of the trial of treated window and door nets in Mexico and Venezuela, with added treated container covers in Venezuela only, the authors found a reduction in entomological indices in all clusters, not different between intervention and control clusters, and attributed this to a spill-over into the nearby control clusters. The authors of the Haiti treated bed nets trial also attributed the fall in indices in all clusters, with no difference between intervention and control clusters, to a spill-over effect. The trial of deltamethrin lethal ovitraps and Bti, alone and in combination, with education and household visits as the control condition, found no difference in entomological indices between the intervention clusters and the control cluster. The authors postulated this could be because the initial education and clean-up followed by repeated visits were in themselves an intervention as effective as the interventions being tested .
Only two of the CRCTs measured the impact of chemical interventions on dengue infection as well as on entomological indices, with inconclusive findings. In the trial of deltamethrin treated window curtains and container covers in Venezuela, Kroeger et al. reported that positive adult dengue IgM serology at eight months was lower in intervention than control clusters, with borderline statistical significance . In the trial of treated bed nets in Haiti, in all clusters there were fewer individuals positive for dengue IgM at 12 months; the authors considered the lack of difference between intervention and control clusters reflected a spill-over effect.
Only one study of a biological control cluster trial met the inclusion criteria. Kittayapong et al. in Thailand of using either copepods or Bti (the households had a choice) in household water containers to control breeding of the dengue vector . The intervention also included community mobilisation meetings and recruitment of eco-health volunteers (EHVs) from among existing community health volunteers. The EHVs visited households to deliver the biological control materials and educated household members on elimination of vector breeding sites. Public services cleaned up communal spaces in the communities. Although there was also an element of community mobilisation, we categorised this trial as primarily of the biological control methods. The study compared 10 intervention clusters with 10 control clusters, with measurements of vector indices up to six months. The HI, CI and BI were significantly lower at follow up than at baseline in all clusters, but not so in control compared with intervention clusters. The PPI was significantly lower in intervention than control clusters at all time points after the baseline.
We categorised nine CRCTs as primarily trials of community mobilisation and participation, seven from Central and South America [45, 46, 49–53] and two from Asia [47, 48]. One trial from Mexico measured the impact of an educational intervention at household and community level and a chemical intervention (space spraying with malathion and temephos applied to household water containers), alone or in combination, compared with a control cluster with neither intervention . Common features of the complex interventions included: engagement of local stakeholders in discussions of the problems and planning of activities; involvement of community members in prevention and dissemination activities; household visits to support their efforts to reduce dengue breeding sites; educational programmes at household and community levels; partnerships with local services; and efforts to improve local services such as garbage collection. Four trials involved schools and schoolchildren [47, 50, 51, 53] or elders . Two noted the importance of involving women [47, 53]. Specific activities included: distribution of locally made covers for water containers , promoting composting of biodegradable waste , and collecting small waste items from around houses .
In all trials, the routine government dengue control activities continued in the intervention as well as control clusters, so the measured impact was of the community mobilisation in addition to the routine prevention activities. In the trial from Ecuador , the analysis was complicated by a change in the government programme midway through the intervention: from a programme based on temephos in water and insecticide space spraying to use of a biolarvicide (Bti) and education for source reduction.
The included CRCTs varied in size, from a very small study in Mexico with three intervention clusters and one control cluster and a total of 187 households , and a small study in Sri Lanka with four intervention and four control clusters and 1593 households , to a study in Cuba with 16 intervention and 16 control clusters and a total of 19,170 households , and a trial in Nicaragua and Mexico with 75 intervention and 75 control clusters and a total of 18,838 households . Length of follow up varied from five months [45, 50, 52] to 24 months . Some trials reported only measurements at baseline and follow up [45, 50–52], while others made one or more measurements in between [46–48, 53]. One trial in Cuba relied on monthly measurements by the government vector control programme .
The reported impacts of the CRCTs varied but were broadly positive, with a significant impact on at least one entomological index. Four studies found all the measured indices were significantly lower in the intervention than control clusters at the last follow up [46, 47, 50, 53]. The trial from Sri Lanka with a focus on solid waste management found a significant impact on BI at 15 months and on PPI at all time points . The trial in Cuba that used figures from the routine government surveillance found significantly lower BI in intervention clusters at all time points . The Ecuador trial of the elementary school education programme and the clean patio safe container programme detected a significant impact on PPI only at 12 months, but only when clusters without full implementation were excluded. This trial was complicated by the change (probably improvement) in the government programme in the control sites midway through the intervention . The Uruguay trial reported a non-significant difference between intervention and control cluster in favour of the intervention; low vector densities in the sites reduced the power of the study to detect significant differences . The small complicated trial from Mexico compared an educational intervention, with or without malathion spraying, with a control cluster. It found a significant impact of the education programme only on a specific index (positive containers per household); this impact was less marked when the education intervention was combined with malathion space spraying .
Only one CRCT of community mobilisation measured the impact on dengue infection. The trial in Nicaragua and Mexico found a significant impact on childhood dengue infection (assessed by dengue antibodies in paired saliva samples) and on self-reported dengue cases in households .
We assessed six studies in the meta-analysis as having a “low risk of bias” and four as having an “unclear risk of bias”, because they did not report some of the information needed to assess elements of the risk of bias (Table 3).
Eight of ten articles in the meta-analysis provided the necessary data to calculate the combined effectiveness for all three entomological indices (HI, CI and BI). One study provided information for only two indices (HI and BI) and one provided information only for the HI. Table 4 summarizes the data for the Aedes aegypti indices in the last measurement for each study’s intervention and control groups, with calculated intervention effectiveness estimates (RD and 95% CI). In every trial of community participation, the estimated intervention effectiveness was positive, showing a decrease in the HI, CI and BI; the higher 95% CI limit for these estimations is 0.03 (for the HI and BI), from the study by Basso et al. in Uruguay .
The overall intervention impact assessments for the Household Index were −0.01 (95% CI -0.05 to 0.03) for chemical control, and −0.10 (95% CI -0.20 to 0.00) for community participation (Fig. 2). None of the confidence intervals for impact on HI from the studies of community participation interventions included unity, reflecting a consistently significant impact on this index. The single CRCT of biological control reported an impact of −0.02 (95% CI -0.07 to 0.03) on the HI.
For the Container Index, community participation interventions again showed the most consistent impact. The overall intervention impact assessments for CI were 0.01 (95%CI -0.01 to 0.02) for chemical control interventions, and −0.03 (95%CI -0.05 to −0.01) for community participation interventions (Fig. 3). The single CRCT of biological intervention reported an impact of −0.02 (95%CI -0.04 to −0.01) on the CI.
The estimated combined intervention impact of chemical control on the Breteau Index was 0.01 (95% CI -0.03 to 0.05), while that of community participation was −0.13 (95% CI -0.22 to −0.05) (Fig. 4). The impact on BI of the single biological control trial was −0.08 (95% CI -0.15 to −0.01).
We found significant heterogeneity (p -value <0.001) between the included studies for each of the entomological indices (HI, CI, BI) for both chemical control CRCTs and community mobilisation CRCTs. For both chemical control studies and community mobilisation studies, sensitivity analysis showed that no study, when it was excluded from the meta- analysis, substantially changed the overall outcome for any of the indices. We found no statistical evidence of publication bias; all the p values obtained from the Begg and Egger test were 0.10 or greater, and nearly all were greater than 0.18.
This systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 CRCTs published between 2002 and 2015 suggests that community mobilisation programmes are an effective intervention to reduce Aedes aegypti entomological indices.
An earlier systematic review by Erlanger and colleagues included multiple types interventions (chemical, biological, and community-based), concluding that integrated interventions including community involvement were the most effective . Ballenger-Browning and Elder concluded that the evidence base was not good enough to draw conclusions . Our findings are similar to those reported by Bowman in 2016, where community based interventions for dengue vector control showed higher impact than those using insecticide-treated curtains . The four CRCTs of community participation in our review reported continuation of government vector control (usually temephos application and area fumigation) in both intervention and control sites [46, 47, 52, 53]. The observed decreases in the HI, CI and BI represent added effectiveness from community mobilisation.
Only one CRCT of a biological control intervention met our inclusion criteria. The Thailand trial of copepods or Bti, together with some community activation, reported no significant difference in entomological indices between intervention and control communities at six months . Biological control is attractive as it avoids chemical contamination to the environment, but it may have operational limitations for large scale application. Erlanger noted that biological control has only been tested on a small scale and Bowman noted the clear need for adequately sized CRCTs of biological control interventions for dengue prevention .
Unlike earlier systematic reviews [14–25], our review only included CRCTs. Our meta-analysis required data for calculating classic Aedes aegypti entomological indices. This limited the number of studies eligible to be included but it meant that the quality of the included studies was relatively good. None of the 18 studies included in our systematic review was considered to have a high risk of bias, although 10 had an “unclear” risk of bias, mostly due to lack of information in the reports. Other limitations of our meta-analysis are the heterogeneity of intervention duration, the small number of clusters in some of the studies, and the variable cluster size, all of which could affect the intervention effectiveness estimates. The sensitivity analysis, however, showed stability of the global effectiveness estimates.
The grouping of different kinds of interventions together into the broad categories of chemical interventions, biological interventions, and community mobilisation interventions in the meta-analysis could lead to the effectiveness of a particular intervention being under-estimated because it is over-shadowed by poor performance of other interventions in the same broad group. We do not believe this is likely in our study. The four community mobilisation studies all showed positive impacts, albeit of varying magnitude. And among the five chemical intervention trials, three were of treated window and door curtains or nets, and one was of treated bednets, with only one being a different type of intervention (lethal ovitraps).
We were not able to include the main chemical control methods used in government Aedes aegypti control programmes – temephos in domestic water containers and peri-domestic insecticide spraying – in our meta-analysis because we did not identify any CRCTs with details of impact on entomological indicators. In the descriptive review, we included one CRCT of temephos use, with no significant impact on entomological indices , and a CRCT that studied both and education programme and ultra-low volume malathion spraying and temephos application, and found that the ULV spraying reduced the effectiveness of the educational intervention .
Table 3 and Figs. 2- 4 are based on the last measurement point comparing intervention and control sites in each trial. It is possible that this missed some useful impact for some of the interventions. In the trials reported by Lenhart et al. and Vanlerberghe et al. the difference between intervention and control clusters was greater in earlier measurements than later measurements; the authors attributed this to spill-over effects or reduced coverage of the treated materials over time.
Cluster trials, assessing community effectiveness, unlike household or container based trials, take account of community level dynamics. In this real life setting, our review shows chemical control was less effective than community mobilisation, for all three entomological indices.
Depositing temephos in water storage containers is the mainstay of most centrally managed Aedes aegypti control programmes in Latin America and elsewhere . A recent systematic review of the effectiveness of temephos for dengue vector control concluded there was evidence of impact on entomological indices of Aedes aegypti when temephos use was evaluated as a single intervention; effectiveness varied considerably depending on factors such as frequency and method of application and usually did not persist for more than three months. The effect of temephos was less in studies where temephos was part of a combined intervention, as it is almost everywhere in Aedes aegypti control programmes . Most of the studies in the temephos review by George et al. were not CRCTs . The single CRCT of the use of temephos alone included in our systematic review reported no impact of temephos on entomological indices . In Guatemala, the use of temephos together with deltamethrin treated window and door nets had an impact on some, but not all, entomological indices .
Outside the research context, Aedes aegypti control almost everywhere implies complex interventions and cluster dynamics. Community mobilisation implies changes in human attitudes and behaviour, which in turn has multiple effects: people might be motivated to control breeding sites and to cover water containers, to work together on communal vector breeding sites like cemeteries, and they might also be motivated to remove pesticide from water containers. From a centrally managed programme, it would be difficult to foresee the exact mix of interventions to suit every community. Centrally managed awareness and education programmes are thus a weak basis to achieve community commitment to and ownership of interventions. Sustainable community engagement includes local evaluation of evidence and co-designing interventions that best suit their local conditions and culture . This community authorship, rather than interventions being imposed or advised from outside, seems to underwrite the success of the Camino Verde intervention in Mexico and Nicaragua .
The cost implications of multi-faceted programmes for vector control need further study. Countries using temephos and insecticide spraying as key elements of national vector control programmes already carry the expense of centralised programming and logistical structures, and the vertical management and huge numbers of local personnel required to achieve monthly or bimonthly household visits. These countries are paying for vector control that, judging by the relentless increase in dengue risk and recent explosive zika and chikungunya epidemics, does not work very well. A central concern in adding community engagement efforts is how much this would add to effectiveness and acceptability, in relation to the added cost. The cost of adding community engagement might also be offset if it helped to support uptake of a dengue vaccine as that becomes a real public health option.
The implications of our review for dengue vector control are clear. The most consistently effective intervention was community mobilization. Governments that rely on chemical control of Aedes aegypti should consider adding community mobilization to their prevention efforts.
More well-conducted CRCTs of complex interventions, including those with biological control, are needed to provide evidence of real life impact. Future trials of interventions of all kinds should include measurement of impact on dengue infection as well as on entomological indices.
We are grateful to Francisco Laucirica who translated the original Spanish manuscript into English.
The UBS Optimus Foundation Funding provided funding for publication of this manuscript.
VA and EN conceived and designed the review. VA, SP, EN, AM and NB interpreted the data and wrote the manuscript. In addition, VA and LA devised the search strategy, screened titles, abstracts and full texts, applied inclusion and exclusion criteria, performed data extraction, quality appraisal and checked data extraction. VA undertook the statistical analysis. NA provided technical oversight and contributed to the final manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Uppsala University, Medicinska vetenskapsområdet, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Oncology, Radiology and Clinical Immunology, Oncology.
Tollenaar, R. A. E. M.
van den Ouweland, Ans M. W.
BACKGROUND: The purpose of these studies was to compare efficacy and toxicity of docetaxel alone with the combination of gemcitabine and docetaxel for treatment of metastatic esophageal carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: These studies enrolled patients with histopathologically verified squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma of the esophagus or cardia. Between March 1997 and June 1999, 52 patients were enrolled in the initial Phase II study (Study 1). They were scheduled for treatment with docetaxel 100 mg/m2 every third week as a 1-h infusion. The second Phase II study between September 2000 and March 2003 included 65 patients (Study II). They were given docetaxel 30 mg/m2, administered as a 30-min i.v. infusion weekly for four times, followed by 2 weeks of rest, and gemcitabine starting with a dose of 750 mg/m2 (if well-tolerated 1,000 mg/m2) on days 1 and 15, followed by 3 weeks of rest. A new cycle began on day 36. Patients were premedicated with betamethasone 8 mg p.o. on the evening before, and 8 mg i.v. 30-60 min before the docetaxel infusion. Response was confirmed by computed tomography and assessed at 12 and 24 weeks. Toxicity was assessed according to WHO scales. RESULTS: In study I, 38 out of the 52 enrolled patients were valuable. Two patients experienced complete remission (CR) (5%), 10 patients partial remission (PR) (26%), nine patients stable disease (SD) (24%), and 17 patients showed progressive disease (PD) (45%). Toxicity mainly involved leukopenia, which in some cases required hospitalization and treatment with antibiotics. In Study II, 46 out of the 65 enrolled patients (70%) were assessable. Out of these, three patients (7%) had CR, eight patients (17%) had PR, 10 patients (22%) had SD, and 25 (54%) PD. Overall response was 24% while an additional 22% showed stable disease. Toxicity mainly consisted of leucopenia and pain. CONCLUSION: Docetaxel as a single agent is active in esophageal cancer, both in treatment naive and in previously treated patients with recurrent disease. The overall response rate was 31%, with a good-safety profile. The addition of gemcitabine is well tolerated, but adds no efficacy. Weekly administration of docetaxel may be less effective. It demonstrates moderate efficacy and the doses used provide an acceptable safety profile.
Purpose Minimal residual disease (MRD) is predictive of clinical progression in mantle-cell lymphoma (MCL). According to the Nordic MCL-2 protocol we prospectively analyzed the efficacy of pre-emptive treatment using rituximab to MCL patients in molecular relapse after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Patients and Materials MCL patients enrolled onto the study, who had polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detectable molecular markers and underwent ASCT, were followed with serial PCR assessments of MRD in consecutive bone marrow and peripheral blood samples after ASCT. In case of molecular relapse with increasing MRD levels, patients were offered pre-emptive treatment with rituximab 375 mg/m(2) weekly for 4 weeks. Results Of 160 MCL patients enrolled, 145 underwent ASCT, of whom 78 had a molecular marker. Of these, 74 were in complete remission (CR) and four had progressive disease after ASCT. Of the CR patients, 36 underwent a molecular relapse up to 6 years (mean, 18.5 months) after ASCT. Ten patients did not receive pre-emptive treatment mainly due to a simultaneous molecular and clinical relapse, while 26 patients underwent pre-emptive treatment leading to reinduction of molecular remission in 92%. Median molecular and clinical relapse-free survival after pre-emptive treatment were 1.5 and 3.7 years, respectively. Of the 38 patients who remain in molecular remission for now for a median of 3.3 years (range, 0.4 to 6.6 years), 33 are still in clinical CR. Conclusion Molecular relapse may occur many years after ASCT in MCL, and PCR based pre-emptive treatment using rituximab is feasible, reinduce molecular remission, and may prevent clinical relapse.
This study estimated the risk of second primary malignancies after Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) in relation to family history of cancer, age at diagnosis and latency, among 6946 patients treated for HL in Sweden in 1965-1995 identified through the Swedish Cancer Register (SCR). First-degree relatives (FDRs) to the HL patients and their malignancies were then ascertained together with their malignancies through the Multi-Generation Registry and SCR. The HL patient cohort was stratified on the number of FDRs with cancer, and standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) of developing SM were analysed. In the HL cohort, 781 SM were observed 1 year or longer after HL diagnosis. The risk for developing SM increased with the number of FDRs with cancer, SIRs being 2.26, 3.01, and 3.45 with 0, 1, or >or=2 FDRs with cancer, respectively. Hodgkin's lymphoma long-term survivors treated at a young age with a family history of cancer carry an increased risk for developing SM and may represent a subgroup where standardised screening for the most common cancer sites could be offered in a stringent surveillance programme.
Previous studies have shown increased cardiovascular mortality as late side effects in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients. This study identifies stratifying risk factors for surveillance and defines concepts for a clinical feasible and noninvasive prospective protocol for intervention of cardiovascular side effects. HL patients diagnosed between 1965 and 1995 (n = 6.946) and their first-degree relatives (FDR) were identified through the Swedish Cancer Registry and the Swedish Multigeneration Registry. For the HL and FDR cohort, in-patient care for cardiovascular disease (CVD) was registered through the Hospital Discharge Registry, Sweden. Standard incidence ratios of developing CVD for the HL cohort were calculated. A markedly increased risk for in-patient care of CVD was observed in HL patients with HL diagnosed at age 40 years or younger and with more than 10 years follow-up. In the HL survivors, a family history of congestive heart failure (CHF) and coronary artery disease (CAD) increased the risk for these diseases. The Swedish Hodgkin Intervention and Prevention study started in 2007. In the pilot feasibility study for prospective intervention (47 patients), about 25% of the cases had side effects and laboratory abnormalities. These patients were referred to a cardiologist or general practitioner. In the prospective cohort, a positive family history for CHF or CAD could be a stratifying risk factor when setting up a surveillance model. The prospective on-going study presents an intervention model that screens and treats for comorbidity factors. This article also presents an overview of the study concept.
The MRE11, RAD50, and NBS1 genes encode proteins of the MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 (MRN) complex critical for proper maintenance of genomic integrity and tumour suppression; however, the extent and impact of their cancer-predisposing defects, and potential clinical value remain to be determined. Here, we report that among a large series of approximately 1000 breast carcinomas, around 3%, 7% and 10% tumours showed aberrantly reduced protein expression for RAD50, MRE11 and NBS1, respectively. Such defects were more frequent among the ER/PR/ERBB2 triple-negative and higher-grade tumours, among familial (especially BRCA1/BRCA2-associated) rather than sporadic cases, and the NBS1 defects correlated with shorter patients' survival. The BRCA1-associated and ER/PR/ERBB2 triple-negative tumours also showed high incidence of constitutively active DNA damage signalling (gamma H2AX) and p53 aberrations. Sequencing the RAD50, MRE11 and NBS1 genes of 8 patients from non-BRCA1/2 breast cancer families whose tumours showed concomitant reduction/loss of all three MRN-complex proteins revealed two germline mutations in MRE11: a missense mutation R202G and a truncating mutation R633STOP (R633X). Gene transfer and protein analysis of cell culture models with mutant MRE11 implicated various destabilization patterns among the MRN complex proteins including NBS1, the abundance of which was restored by re-expression of wild-type MRE11. We propose that germline mutations qualify MRE11 as a novel candidate breast cancer susceptibility gene in a subset of non-BRCA1/2 families. Our data have implications for the concept of the DNA damage response as an intrinsic anti-cancer barrier, various components of which become inactivated during cancer progression and also represent the bulk of breast cancer susceptibility genes discovered to date.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In a retrospective study using stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in medically inoperable patients with stage I NSCLC we previously reported a local control rate of 88% utilizing a median dose of 15Gyx3. This report records the toxicity encountered in a prospective phase II trial, and its relation to coexisting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cardio vascular disease (CVD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty patients were entered in the study between August 2003 and September 2005. Fifty-seven patients (T1 65%, T2 35%) with a median age of 75 years (59-87 years) were evaluable. The baseline mean FEV1% was 64% and median Karnofsky index was 80. A total dose of 45Gy was delivered in three fractions at the 67% isodose of the PTV. Clinical, pulmonary and radiological evaluations were made at 6 weeks, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 36 months post-SBRT. Toxicity was graded according to CTC v2.0 and performance status was graded according to the Karnofsky scale. RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 23 months, 2 patients had relapsed locally. No grade 4 or 5 toxicity was reported. Grade 3 toxicity was seen in 12 patients (21%). There was no significant decline of FEV1% during follow-up. Low grade pneumonitis developed to the same extent in the CVD 3/17 (18%) and COPD 7/40 (18%) groups. The incidence of fibrosis was 9/17 (53%) and pleural effusions was 8/17 (47%) in the CVD group compared with 13/40 (33%) and 5/40 (13%) in the COPD group. CONCLUSION: SBRT for stage I NSCLC patients who are medically inoperable because of COPD and CVD results in a favourable local control rate with a low incidence of grade 3 and no grade 4 or 5 toxicity.
Objectives To examine possible associations between socioeconomic status, management and survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods In a population-based cohort study, information was retrieved from the Regional Lung Cancer Register in central Sweden, the Cause of Death Register and a social database. ORs and HRs were compared to assess associations between educational level and management and survival. Results 3370 eligible patients with an NSCLC diagnosis between 1996 and 2004 were identified. There were no differences in stage at diagnosis between educational groups. A higher diagnostic intensity was observed in patients with high compared with low education. There were also social gradients in time between referral and diagnosis in early stage disease ( median time: low, 32 days; high, 17 days). Social differences in treatment remained following adjustment for prognostic factors ( surgery in early stage disease, high vs low OR 2.84; CI 1.40 to 5.79). Following adjustment for prognostic factors and treatment, the risk of death in early stage disease was lower in women with a high education ( high vs low HR 0.33; CI 0.14 to 0.77). Conclusion The results of this study indicate that socioeconomically disadvantaged groups with NSCLC receive less intensive care. Low education remained an independent predictor of poor survival only in women with early stage disease. The exact underlying mechanisms of these social inequalities are unknown, but differences in access to care, co-morbidity and lifestyle factors may all contribute.
Lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of neoplasias originating from B- or T-lymphocytes. In this thesis, we determined the genetic and immunophenotypic characterization of DLBCL and their prognostic impact. Moreover, genomic alterations associated with the transformation to DLBCL from Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and follicular lymphoma (FL) were elucidated.
In order to outline the impact of cytogenetic as well as immunophenotypic prognostic markers in DLBCL, we firstly studied a series of 54 DLBCL tumors using comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) and we identified several frequently occurring chromosomal imbalances. Loss of 22q was more often found in the diagnostic tumors with a more advanced clinical stage, while gain of 18q21 was more commonly identified in relapses. Secondly, we correlated the expression patterns of CD10, bcl-6, IRF-4 and bcl-2 with clinical parameters in a series of 173 de novo DLBCL patients. Patients with a germinal center (GC) phenotype displayed a better survival than the non-GC group. Expression of bcl-6 and CD10 was correlated with a better survival while bcl-2 expression was associated with a poor prognosis.
In approaching the HL transformation, two novel B-cell lines (U-2932 and U-2940), derived from patients with DLBCL following HL, were characterized. Interestingly, a translocation with materials from 2q and 7q as well as loss of material on 6q was found in both cell lines. For FL transformation, we assessed chromosomal alterations in a panel of 28 DLBCL patients with a previous history of FL. The DLBCL tumors displayed more chromosomal imbalances compared to FL tumors. Loss of 6q16-21 and gain of 7pter-q22 were more commonly found in the DLBCL counterparts, suggesting the chromosomal location of putative genes that may be involved in the transformation process.
In Sweden approximately 2800 new lung cancer patients are diagnosed every year. Radiotherapy is used with curative intention in certain groups of patients. The aim of this thesis is to study the basis of differences in radioresistance and the possibility to predict response to radiotherapy.
In the first study we investigated, using the comet assay, four lung cancer cell lines with different sensitivity towards radiation. A clear dose-response relationship for radiation-induced DNA single strand and double strand breaks were found. All cell lines showed a remarkably efficient repair of both the DNA single strand and double strand breaks one hour after irradiation. However, further studies in one radioresistant and one radiosensitive cell line demonstrated that repair during the first 15 min had the best accordance with radiosensitivity measured as surviving fraction.
In the second and third study, sequencing studies of the p53 gene were performed on cell lines as well as on tumour material. Cell lines that were expressing a mutation in exon 7 were associated with increased radiosensitivity compared with tumor cell lines with mutations in other exons. In the clinical study, 10 patients were found to be mutated in the p53 gene whereas the other 10 patients were not. No correlation to clinical parameters could be drawn.
In the fourth study, serum from 67 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer was investigated for the presence of p53 antibodies. P53 antibodies in sera, taken prior to radiation treatment, were associated with increased survival.
The summary of this thesis indicates that the p53 gene has an impact on the effect of radiotherapy in lung cancer. The presence of p53 antibodies might be of clinical interest for predicting survival after radiotherapy. Further studies on the importance of the p53 gene on early repair are of interest.
Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Oncology, Radiology and Clinical Immunology, Oncology. Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, Endocrine Tumor Biology.
For a PET agent to be successful as a biomarker in early clinical trials of new anticancer agents, some conditions need to be fulfilled: the selected tracer should show a response that is related to the antitumoral effects, the quantitative value of this response should be interpretable to the antitumoral action, and the timing of the PET scan should be optimized to action of the drug. These conditions are not necessarily known at the start of a drug-development program and need to be explored. We proposed a translational imaging activity in which experiments in spheroids and later in xenografts are coupled to modeling of growth inhibition and to the related changes in the kinetics of PET tracers and other biomarkers. In addition, we demonstrated how this information can be used for planning clinical trials. Methods: The first part of this concept is illustrated in a spheroid model with BT474 breast cancer cells treated with the heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitor NVP-AUY922. The growth-inhibitory effect after a pulse treatment with the drug was measured with digital image analysis to determine effects on volume with high accuracy. The growth-inhibitory effect was described mathematically by a combined E-max and time course model fitted to the data. The model was then used to simulate a once-per-week treatment, in these experiments the uptake of the PET tracers F-18-FDG and 3'-deoxy-3'-F-18-fluorothymidine (F-18-FLT) was determined at different doses and different time points. Results: A drug exposure of 2 h followed by washout of the drug from the culture medium generated growth inhibition that was maximal at the earliest time point of 1 d and decreased exponentially with time during 10-12 d. The uptake of F-18-FDG per viable tumor volume was minimally affected by the treatment, whereas the F-18-FLT uptake decreased in correlation with the growth inhibition. Conclusion: The study suggests a prolonged action of the Hsp90 inhibitor that supports a once-per-week schedule. F-18-FLT is a suitable tracer for the monitoring of effect, and the F-18-FLT PET study might be performed within 3 d after dosing.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of coincidence PET imaging as compared with dedicated PET/CT in cancer staging. Patients and Methods: Sixteen patients with thoracic malignancies referred to a PET/CT examination accepted to repeat the acquisition with a coincidence PET system. One experienced nuclear medicine physician compiled a report from the PET/CT examinations and the coincidence PET images. The reports were compared and evaluated according to the degree of agreement: no agreement, unsatisfactory, acceptable or satisfying agreement. Results: Satisfying or acceptable agreement between the PET/CT and the coincidence PET examination was found in 14 out of 16 patients (88%). The main issue for the examining physician was to anatomically locate the FDG uptake in the mediastinum in The coincidence PET images. Conclusion: The data from this small study imply that the staging results obtained with coincidence PET are in most cases concordant with those obtained with dedicated PET/CT.
BACKGROUND: To investigate the prognostic value of quality of life (QOL) relative to tumour marker carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9, and the role of CA 19-9 in estimating palliation in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer receiving chemotherapy. METHODS: CA 19-9 serum concentration was measured at baseline and every 3 weeks in a phase III trial (SAKK 44/00-CECOG/PAN.1.3.001). Patients scored QOL indicators at baseline, and before each administration of chemotherapy (weekly or bi-weekly) for 24 weeks or until progression. Prognostic factors were investigated by Cox models, QOL during chemotherapy by mixed-effect models. RESULTS: Patient-rated pain (P<0.02) and tiredness (P<0.03) were independent predictors for survival, although less prognostic than CA 19-9 (P<0.001). Baseline CA 19-9 did not predict QOL during chemotherapy, except for a marginal effect on pain (P<0.05). Mean changes in physical domains across the whole observation period were marginally correlated with the maximum CA 19-9 decrease. Patients in a better health status reported the most improvement in QOL within 20 days before maximum CA 19-9 decrease. They indicated substantially less pain and better physical well-being, already, early on during chemotherapy with a maximum CA 19-9 decrease of >= 50% vs <50%. CONCLUSION: In advanced pancreatic cancer, pain and tiredness are independent prognostic factors for survival, although less prognostic than CA 19-9. Quality of life improves before best CA 19-9 response but the maximum CA 19-9 decrease has no impact on subsequent QOL. To estimate palliation by chemotherapy, patient's perception needs to be taken into account.
The purpose was to analyze survival of patients with colorectal cancer and a positive family history for colorectal cancer in first degree relatives compared with those with no such family history and to determine whether differences in survival could be explained by known clinico-pathological factors. During 2000-2003, 318 consecutive patients with colorectal cancer answered a written questionnaire about their family history for colorectal cancer. During a 6-year follow-up, recurrences and survival were registered. Thirty-one (10%) patients had a first-degree relative with colorectal cancer, moreover two patients fulfilled the criteria of hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer and were excluded. Patients with a first-degree relative with colorectal cancer had better survival and lower risk for recurrences compared to those with no relatives with colorectal cancer. In a multivariate analysis including age, gender, stage of disease, tumor differentiation, vascular invasion and family history, patients with first-degree relatives with colorectal cancer had lower risks for death (RR 0.37; 95% CI 0.17-0.78) and death from cancer (RR 0.25; 95% CI 0.08-0.80), compared to those with a no relative with colorectal cancer. The differences were seen in patients with colon cancer but not rectal cancer. Family history for colorectal cancer in a first-degree relative is an individual prognostic factor in patients with colon cancer and could not be explained by known clinico-pathological factors. The value of family history taking in patients with colon cancer is therefore not only to identify families with hereditary colorectal cancer, but also to add information to the prognosis of the patients.
Background: Previous studies have suggested plasma tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) as a stage independent prognostic marker in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. The aim was to validate plasma TIMP-1 and serum carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) levels as prognostic indicators in an independent population-based cohort of patients with CRC. Patients and methods: During 2000-2003, plasma and serum were collected preoperatively from 322 patients treated for primary CRC. TIMP-1 and CEA levels were determined by validated ELISA platforms. Results: High TIMP-1 and CEA levels each associated with poor overall survival (OS); TIMP-1 (hazard ratio (HR) 2.1; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6-2.7) and CEA (HR 1.2; 95% CI 1.1-1.3), and disease-free survival (DFS); TIMP-1 (HR 2.0; 95% CI: 1.5-2.6) and CEA (HR 1.2; 95% CI: 1.1-1.4) in univariate analyses. In stratified analyses of stages II and III, TIMP-1 levels associated significantly with OS and DFS in stages II and III, associations were not found for CEA. Multivariate analysis for OS, including TIMP-1 and CEA levels and clinico-pathological baseline variables, revealed significant association of TIMP-1 (HR 1.8; 95% CI 1.3-2.4) but not CEA levels. Conclusions: This independent prospective validation study confirms the significant association between preoperative plasma TIMP-1 levels and survival of CRC patients: TIMP-1 provided stronger prognostic information than CEA. Thus, this study brings plasma TIMP-1 to the next level of evidence for its clinical use as a prognostic marker in CRC patients.
BACKGROUND: Secondary central nervous system (CNS) involvement by aggressive lymphoma is a well-known and dreadful clinical complication. The incidence and risk factors for CNS manifestation were studied in a large cohort of elderly (>60 years) patients with aggressive lymphoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In all, 444 previously untreated patients were randomized to receive 3-weekly combination chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone or cyclophosphamide, mitoxantrone, vincristine and prednisone (CNOP) (doxorubicin substituted by mitoxantrone) chemotherapy with or without filgrastim. Prophylactic intrathecal methotrexate was given to patients with lymphoma involvement of bone marrow, testis and CNS near sites. RESULTS: In all 29 of 444 (6.5%) developed CNS disease after a median observation time of 115 months. CNS was the only site of progression/relapse in 13 patients while part of a systemic disease manifestation in 16 patients. In univariate risk factor analysis, CNS occurrence was associated with extranodal involvement of testis (P = 0.002), advanced clinical stage (P = 0.005) and increased age-adjusted International Prognostic Index score (aaIPI; P = 0.035). In multivariate analysis, initial involvement of testis remained significant and clinical stage was of borderline significance. The median survival time was 2 months after presentation of CNS disease. CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of elderly patients with advanced aggressive lymphoma will develop CNS disease. CNS occurrence is related to testis involvement, advanced clinical stage and high aaIPI and the prognosis is dismal.
Because of the failure so far to find effective treatment for patients with advanced stages of melanoma, increasing efforts have been made to find prognostic factors identifying patients in the risk zone for development of metastasis.
This thesis investigates the prognostic powers of a few selected serological and immunohistochemical biomarkers.
In the first and second study, patients operated on for localized malignant melanoma were investigated regarding the prognostic impact of angiogenic serological markers and circulating levels of S100. We concluded that the S100 assays, especially S100BB, are potential biomarkers in patients with malignant melanoma, correlated to both survival and disease free survival. However, no such conclusion could be drawn from the first study, where we found no correlation to survival and investigated angiogenic markers.
In the third and fourth study four new potential immunohistochemical biomarkers where investigated in collaboration with the Swedish Human Protein Atlas Program, and those where TRP-1, galectin-1, DLG5 and syntaxin-7.
We found that TRP-1 correlated inversely with tumor stage and galectin-1 correlated to Ki-67.
DLG5 showed a significant inverse correlation to Ki67 and the expression of STX7 was inversely correlated to tumor stage, suggesting that decreased expression is associated with more aggressive tumors.
None of the investigated markers in study III and IV correlated with disease free survival or overall survival.
In the fifth and last study, we examined the expression of SOX10, a transcription factor, in different melanocytic lesions. Also, a proliferation assay was carried out in a human melanoma cell line. The results reveal the presence of SOX10 in different melanocytic lesions, with a weak inverse correlation to survival and a significant inverse correlation to T-stage. A significant decrease in proliferation rate for SOX10 silenced cells was found and our data also suggests an increased migratory response in SOX10 silenced cells.
BACKGROUND: Patients with metastazing malignant melanoma have a poor outcome and determination of thickness of the primary tumor remains as the most important prognostic predictor. The aim of this study was to use an antibody-based proteomics strategy to search for new molecular markers associated with melanoma progression. Two proteins, TRP-1 and galectin-1, were identified as proteins with enhanced expression in cells from the melanocytic lineage. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Protein profiling of TRP-1 and galectin-1 together with proliferation marker Ki-67 and melanocyte marker Melan-A was performed in normal tissues from 144 individuals and in 216 different tumors using tissue microarrays and immunohistochemistry. The protein expression pattern was further analyzed in a defined cohort of 157 patients diagnosed with invasive cutaneous malignant melanoma. RESULTS: Both TRP-1 and galectin-1 were highly expressed in normal melanocytes and melanoma. The expression of TRP-1 was inversely correlated with tumor stage (p=0.002, (R=-0.28)). Neither TRP-1 or galectin-1 was associated with overall or disease free survival (p>0.14, p>0.46 respectively). Ki-67 was associated with tumor stage and survival (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: TRP-1 and galectin-1 protein expression patterns were determined in normal and cancer tissues and both proteins were expressed in the majority of the malignant melanomas. There was no correlation between TRP-1 or galectin-1 expression and survival.
PURPOSE: Preoperative chemoradiotherapy is considered standard treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer, although the scientific evidence for the chemotherapy addition is limited. This trial investigated whether chemotherapy as part of a multidisciplinary treatment approach would improve downstaging, survival, and relapse rate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The randomized study included 207 patients with locally nonresectable T4 primary rectal carcinoma or local recurrence from rectal carcinoma in the period 1996 to 2003. The patients received either chemotherapy (fluorouracil/leucovorin) administered concurrently with radiotherapy (50 Gy) and adjuvant for 16 weeks after surgery (CRT group, n = 98) or radiotherapy alone (50 Gy; RT group, n = 109). RESULTS: The two groups were well balanced according to pretreatment characteristics. An R0 resection was performed in 82 patients (84%) in the CRT group and in 74 patients (68%) in the RT group (P = .009). Pathologic complete response was seen in 16% and 7%, respectively. After an R0 + R1 resection, local recurrence was found in 5% and 7%, and distant metastases in 26% and 39%, respectively. Local control (82% v 67% at 5 years; log-rank P = .03), time to treatment failure (63% v 44%; P = .003), cancer-specific survival (72% v 55%; P = .02), and overall survival (66% v 53%; P = .09) all favored the CRT group. Grade 3 or 4 toxicity, mainly GI, was seen in 28 (29%) of 98 and six (6%) of 109, respectively (P = .001). There was no difference in late toxicity. CONCLUSION: CRT improved local control, time to treatment failure, and cancer-specific survival compared with RT alone in patients with nonresectable rectal cancer. The treatments were well tolerated.
This thesis investigated the predictive and the prognostic powers of angiogenesis related markers in both operable and inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.
In the first and second study, we investigated the serological fractions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in 2 cohorts of patients with either operable or inoperable NSCLC.
Regarding operable NSCLC, we demonstrated significant correlations between VEGF and tumour volume and overall survival. Regarding bFGF, significant correlations with recurrent disease and survival were demonstrated. VEGF and bFGF correlated to each other and with platelet counts. In multivariate analysis, bFGF proved to be a significantly independent prognostic factor.
Regarding inoperable NSCLC, we demonstrated that patients with elevated bFGF levels before any treatment and during chemotherapy had a significantly poorer survival. During chemotherapy, each rise of one unit of bFGF (ng/L) corresponded to a 4 times increased risk of death. Regarding VEGF, elevated levels after radiotherapy corresponded with better survival. All prognostic information demonstrated in this study concerned patients with a, co-sampled, normal platelet count.
In the third study, three putative markers, HER-2, EGFR and COX-2, suitable for targeted therapies in resected NSCLC were investigated in a panel of 53 tumours and further investigated for a possible correlation with microvessel density. We demonstrated that HER-2 and COX-2 were mainly expressed in adenocarcinomas, whereas EGFR was only expressed in squamous cell carcinomas. COX-2 showed a trend towards a correlation with microvesssel density. The expression profile, HER-2+/EGFR-, was significantly correlated to poorer survival.
In the fourth study, a predictive model for recurrences consisting of p53, CD34 and CD105, and circulating serum fractions of VEGF and bFGF, was investigated. The two endothelial markers correlated with each other. CD105 expression correlated with p53 expression. No other significant correlations between markers could be demonstrated. A significant correlation between p53 overexpression and recurrent disease was demonstrated. The mutational status could not confirm the immunohistochemical correlation between p53 and recurrences.
In conclusion, the present thesis demonstrates that the angiogenic factors VEGF and bFGF analysed in sera have both predictive and prognostic information when measured in operable and inoperable NSCLC. Since HER-2 is overexpressed in NSCLC and linked with prognostic information, this marker might be a suitable target for therapy in NSCLC. Furthermore, in patients with operable NSCLC, p53 expression status was linked with recurrent disease and mean MVD. | 2019-04-24T08:40:54Z | http://uu.diva-portal.org/smash/resultList.jsf?searchType=ORGANISATION&language=en&onlyFullText=false&af=%5B%5D&aq=%5B%5B%7B%22organisationId%22%3A%221400%22%7D%5D%5D |
Apr. 23 5:51 PM PT6:51 PM MT7:51 PM CT8:51 PM ET0:51 GMT8:51 5:51 PM MST6:51 PM CST7:51 PM EST4:51 UAE (+1)02:5120:51 ET7:51 PM CT23:51 - Danny Green scored six points Tuesday on 2-of-5 shooting as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Orlando Magic 115-96. Green grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists, tallying a plus-minus of +28 in his 28:22 on the floor. He tacked on two steals. Green went 2 of 5 from 3-point range.
Apr. 21 5:55 PM PT6:55 PM MT7:55 PM CT8:55 PM ET0:55 GMT8:55 5:55 PM MST6:55 PM CST7:55 PM EST4:55 UAE (+1)02:5520:55 ET7:55 PM CT23:55 - Danny Green scored eight points Sunday on 3-of-8 shooting as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Orlando Magic 107-85. Green grabbed two rebounds and had two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +10 in his 26:01 of playing time. He tacked on two steals. Green went 2 of 6 from 3-point range.
Apr. 19 5:51 PM PT6:51 PM MT7:51 PM CT8:51 PM ET0:51 GMT8:51 5:51 PM MST6:51 PM CST7:51 PM EST4:51 UAE (+1)02:5120:51 ET7:51 PM CT23:51 - Danny Green scored 13 points Friday on 5-of-11 shooting as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Orlando Magic 98-93. Green grabbed one rebound and had two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +10 in his 33:07 on the floor. He added one block and one steal. Green went 3 of 7 from 3-point range.
Apr. 16 6:53 PM PT7:53 PM MT8:53 PM CT9:53 PM ET1:53 GMT9:53 6:53 PM MST7:53 PM CST8:53 PM EST5:53 UAE (+1)03:5321:53 ET8:53 PM CT0:53 - Danny Green did not score Tuesday, going 0 of 4 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors topped the Orlando Magic 111-82. Green pulled down six rebounds and had two assists, tallying a plus-minus of +23 in his 22:21 on the floor. He added one block.
Apr. 13 3:59 PM PT4:59 PM MT5:59 PM CT6:59 PM ET22:59 GMT6:59 3:59 PM MST4:59 PM CST5:59 PM EST2:59 UAE (+1)00:5918:59 ET5:59 PM CT21:59 - Danny Green scored 13 points Saturday, going 4 of 9 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors fell to the Orlando Magic 104-101. Green grabbed three rebounds and added an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -8 in his 33:35 on the floor. He added one block and one steal. Green went 3 of 7 from behind the arc.
Apr. 9 6:45 PM PT7:45 PM MT8:45 PM CT9:45 PM ET1:45 GMT9:45 6:45 PM MST7:45 PM CST8:45 PM EST5:45 UAE (+1)03:4521:45 ET8:45 PM CT0:45 - Danny Green scored seven points Tuesday on 2-of-5 shooting as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-100. Green pulled down two rebounds and dished out four assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +10 in his 23:51 on the floor. He added one block and one steal. Green went 1 of 3 from 3-point range.
Apr. 7 10:48 AM PT11:48 AM MT12:48 PM CT1:48 PM ET17:48 GMT1:48 10:48 AM MST11:48 AM CST12:48 PM EST21:48 UAE19:4813:48 ET12:48 PM CT16:48 - Danny Green scored 21 points Sunday on 7-of-13 shooting as the Toronto Raptors topped the Miami Heat 117-109 in overtime. Green grabbed three rebounds and had two assists, tallying a plus-minus of +18 in his 35:24 on the floor. He added two blocks. Green went 5 of 9 from behind the arc.
Apr. 5 5:45 PM PT6:45 PM MT7:45 PM CT8:45 PM ET0:45 GMT8:45 5:45 PM MST6:45 PM CST7:45 PM EST4:45 UAE (+1)02:4520:45 ET7:45 PM CT23:45 - Danny Green scored eight points Friday on 3-of-6 shooting as the Toronto Raptors fell to the Charlotte Hornets 113-111. Green grabbed three rebounds and did not have an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of -7 in his 18:55 of playing time. He added one steal. Green went 2 of 3 from behind the arc.
Apr. 3 6:00 PM PT7:00 PM MT8:00 PM CT9:00 PM ET1:00 GMT9:00 6:00 PM MST7:00 PM CST8:00 PM EST5:00 UAE (+1)03:0021:00 ET8:00 PM CT0:00 - Danny Green scored two points Wednesday, going 1 of 5 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Brooklyn Nets 115-105. Green grabbed two rebounds and had three assists, tallying a plus-minus of +8 in his 24:56 of playing time. He added one block and three steals.
Apr. 1 6:12 PM PT7:12 PM MT8:12 PM CT9:12 PM ET1:12 GMT9:12 6:12 PM MST7:12 PM CST8:12 PM EST5:12 UAE (+1)03:1221:12 ET8:12 PM CT0:12 - Danny Green scored 29 points Monday on 11-of-15 shooting as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Orlando Magic 121-109. Green grabbed five rebounds and added an assist, tallying a plus-minus of +19 in his 27:58 on the floor. He added three blocks and two steals. Green went 7 of 10 from behind the arc.
Mar. 30 6:23 PM PT7:23 PM MT8:23 PM CT9:23 PM ET1:23 GMT9:23 6:23 PM MST7:23 PM CST8:23 PM EST5:23 UAE (+1)02:2321:23 ET7:23 PM CT0:23 - Danny Green scored eight points Saturday, going 3 of 5 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Chicago Bulls 124-101. Green pulled down three rebounds and dished out two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +10 in his 19:07 of playing time. He tacked on one steal. Green went 2 of 2 from behind the arc.
Mar. 28 6:18 PM PT7:18 PM MT8:18 PM CT9:18 PM ET1:18 GMT9:18 6:18 PM MST7:18 PM CST8:18 PM EST5:18 UAE (+1)02:1821:18 ET7:18 PM CT0:18 - Danny Green scored 15 points Thursday on 5-of-9 shooting as the Toronto Raptors topped the New York Knicks 117-92. Green pulled down four rebounds and had two assists, tallying a plus-minus of +24 in his 20:22 of playing time. He added one steal. Green went 5 of 8 from 3-point range.
Mar. 26 5:56 PM PT6:56 PM MT7:56 PM CT8:56 PM ET0:56 GMT8:56 5:56 PM MST6:56 PM CST7:56 PM EST4:56 UAE (+1)01:5620:56 ET6:56 PM CT23:56 - Danny Green scored eight points Tuesday on 3-of-4 shooting as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Chicago Bulls 112-103. Green pulled down two rebounds and dished out two assists, tallying a plus-minus of +10 in his 14:36 on the floor. He tacked on one steal. Green went 2 of 3 from behind the arc.
Mar. 24 4:38 PM PT5:38 PM MT6:38 PM CT7:38 PM ET23:38 GMT7:38 4:38 PM MST5:38 PM CST6:38 PM EST3:38 UAE (+1)00:3819:38 ET5:38 PM CT22:38 - Danny Green scored two points Sunday on 1-of-5 shooting as the Toronto Raptors fell to the Charlotte Hornets 115-114. Green pulled down four rebounds and dished out two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +16 in his 26:57 of playing time. He added two blocks and one steal.
Mar. 22 6:19 PM PT7:19 PM MT8:19 PM CT9:19 PM ET1:19 GMT9:19 6:19 PM MST7:19 PM CST8:19 PM EST5:19 UAE (+1)02:1921:19 ET7:19 PM CT0:19 - Danny Green scored 19 points Friday on 6-of-11 shooting as the Toronto Raptors lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-109. Green grabbed seven rebounds and added an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of -1 in his 35:19 of playing time. Green went 6 of 11 from behind the arc.
Mar. 20 8:35 PM PT9:35 PM MT10:35 PM CT11:35 PM ET3:35 GMT11:35 8:35 PM MST9:35 PM CST10:35 PM EST7:35 UAE (+1)04:3523:35 ET9:35 PM CT2:35 - Danny Green scored 17 points Wednesday, going 6 of 10 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors topped the Oklahoma City Thunder 123-114 in overtime. Green pulled down five rebounds and had six assists, tallying a plus-minus of -5 in his 35:59 of playing time. He added two steals. Green went 5 of 9 from behind the arc.
Mar. 18 6:26 PM PT7:26 PM MT8:26 PM CT9:26 PM ET1:26 GMT9:26 6:26 PM MST7:26 PM CST8:26 PM EST5:26 UAE (+1)02:2621:26 ET7:26 PM CT0:26 - Danny Green scored 13 points Monday, going 4 of 6 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors topped the New York Knicks 128-92. Green pulled down four rebounds and added an assist, tallying a plus-minus of +32 in his 21:52 of playing time. Green went 3 of 4 from behind the arc.
Mar. 17 2:41 PM PT3:41 PM MT4:41 PM CT5:41 PM ET21:41 GMT5:41 2:41 PM MST3:41 PM CST4:41 PM EST1:41 UAE (+1)22:4117:41 ET3:41 PM CT20:41 - Danny Green scored 12 points Sunday on 4-of-9 shooting as the Toronto Raptors lost to the Detroit Pistons 110-107. Green pulled down three rebounds and had four assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +8 in his 30:12 of playing time. Green went 4 of 8 from 3-point range.
Mar. 16 8:22 AM PT9:22 AM MT10:22 AM CT11:22 AM ET15:22 GMT23:22 8:22 AM MST9:22 AM CST10:22 AM EST19:22 UAE16:2211:22 ET9:22 AM CT14:22 - Green (undisclosed) has been taken off the injury report for Sunday, according to The Athletic.
Analysis: Green has totaled just eight points in his last two games.
Mar. 14 9:12 AM PT10:12 AM MT11:12 AM CT12:12 PM ET16:12 GMT0:12 9:12 AM MST10:12 AM CST11:12 AM EST20:12 UAE17:1212:12 ET10:12 AM CT15:12 - Green missed Wednesday's practice with a sore ankle but will play in Thursday's game against the Lakers.
Analysis: The veteran guard has been shooting very well of late, connecting on 52.2 percent (36-of-69) of his 3-point attempts in 12 games since Feb. 9.
Mar. 14 6:58 PM PT7:58 PM MT8:58 PM CT9:58 PM ET1:58 GMT9:58 6:58 PM MST7:58 PM CST8:58 PM EST5:58 UAE (+1)02:5821:58 ET7:58 PM CT0:58 - Danny Green scored three points Thursday, going 1 of 3 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors topped the Los Angeles Lakers 111-98. Green grabbed four rebounds and dished out two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +9 in his 19:10 on the floor. He added two steals. Green went 1 of 3 from behind the arc.
Mar. 11 5:29 PM PT6:29 PM MT7:29 PM CT8:29 PM ET0:29 GMT8:29 5:29 PM MST6:29 PM CST7:29 PM EST4:29 UAE (+1)01:2920:29 ET6:29 PM CT23:29 - Danny Green scored five points Monday on 2-of-5 shooting as the Toronto Raptors lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers 126-101. Green pulled down one rebound and did not have an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of -12 in his 19:48 on the floor. Green went 1 of 3 from 3-point range.
Mar. 10 2:17 PM PT3:17 PM MT4:17 PM CT5:17 PM ET21:17 GMT5:17 2:17 PM MST3:17 PM CST4:17 PM EST1:17 UAE (+1)22:1717:17 ET3:17 PM CT20:17 - Danny Green scored 15 points Sunday, going 5 of 9 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors topped the Miami Heat 125-104. Green grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +15 in his 26:09 on the floor. He tacked on one steal. Green went 5 of 8 from behind the arc.
Mar. 8 6:25 PM PT7:25 PM MT8:25 PM CT9:25 PM ET2:25 GMT10:25 7:25 PM MST8:25 PM CST9:25 PM EST6:25 UAE (+1)03:2521:25 ET8:25 PM CT1:25 - Danny Green scored 13 points Friday, going 5 of 8 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 127-104. Green grabbed three rebounds and had two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +12 in his 23:47 of playing time. He added one block and one steal. Green went 3 of 4 from behind the arc.
Mar. 5 6:51 PM PT7:51 PM MT8:51 PM CT9:51 PM ET2:51 GMT10:51 7:51 PM MST8:51 PM CST9:51 PM EST6:51 UAE (+1)03:5121:51 ET8:51 PM CT1:51 - Danny Green scored 14 points Tuesday on 4-of-13 shooting as the Toronto Raptors lost to the Houston Rockets 107-95. Green pulled down five rebounds and added an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of +19 in his 31:39 on the floor. Green went 4 of 13 from 3-point range.
Mar. 3 5:01 PM PT6:01 PM MT7:01 PM CT8:01 PM ET1:01 GMT9:01 6:01 PM MST7:01 PM CST8:01 PM EST5:01 UAE (+1)02:0120:01 ET7:01 PM CT0:01 - Danny Green scored six points Sunday, going 2 of 6 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors fell to the Detroit Pistons 112-107 in overtime. Green grabbed two rebounds and added an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -4 in his 29:14 on the floor. He added three steals. Green went 2 of 4 from behind the arc.
Mar. 1 6:52 PM PT7:52 PM MT8:52 PM CT9:52 PM ET2:52 GMT10:52 7:52 PM MST8:52 PM CST9:52 PM EST6:52 UAE (+1)03:5221:52 ET8:52 PM CT1:52 - Danny Green scored 11 points Friday, going 4 of 5 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 119-117. Green grabbed one rebound and added an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of +13 in his 23:39 of playing time. Green went 3 of 4 from behind the arc.
Feb. 26 6:42 PM PT7:42 PM MT8:42 PM CT9:42 PM ET2:42 GMT10:42 7:42 PM MST8:42 PM CST9:42 PM EST6:42 UAE (+1)03:4221:42 ET8:42 PM CT1:42 - Danny Green scored six points Tuesday on 2-of-7 shooting as the Toronto Raptors topped the Boston Celtics 118-95. Green pulled down three rebounds and dished out two assists, tallying a plus-minus of +8 in his 13:42 on the floor. He added one steal. Green went 2 of 4 from behind the arc.
Feb. 24 2:02 PM PT3:02 PM MT4:02 PM CT5:02 PM ET22:02 GMT6:02 3:02 PM MST4:02 PM CST5:02 PM EST2:02 UAE (+1)23:0217:02 ET4:02 PM CT21:02 - Danny Green scored 10 points Sunday, going 4 of 9 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors fell to the Orlando Magic 113-98. Green grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +3 in his 27:17 of playing time. Green went 2 of 4 from 3-point range.
Feb. 22 6:02 PM PT7:02 PM MT8:02 PM CT9:02 PM ET2:02 GMT10:02 7:02 PM MST8:02 PM CST9:02 PM EST6:02 UAE (+1)03:0221:02 ET8:02 PM CT1:02 - Danny Green scored 17 points Friday, going 6 of 9 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors defeated the San Antonio Spurs 120-117. Green pulled down four rebounds and did not have an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of +3 in his 28:59 of playing time. He tacked on one steal. Green went 5 of 7 from behind the arc.
Feb. 13 6:38 PM PT7:38 PM MT8:38 PM CT9:38 PM ET2:38 GMT10:38 7:38 PM MST8:38 PM CST9:38 PM EST6:38 UAE (+1)03:3821:38 ET8:38 PM CT0:38 - Danny Green scored 10 points Wednesday on 3-of-6 shooting as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Washington Wizards 129-120. Green pulled down four rebounds and did not have an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -4 in his 27:30 of playing time. Green went 2 of 4 from behind the arc.
Feb. 11 5:59 PM PT6:59 PM MT7:59 PM CT8:59 PM ET1:59 GMT9:59 6:59 PM MST7:59 PM CST8:59 PM EST5:59 UAE (+1)02:5920:59 ET7:59 PM CT23:59 - Danny Green scored nine points Monday, going 3 of 8 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors topped the Brooklyn Nets 127-125. Green pulled down four rebounds and had five assists, tallying a plus-minus of +9 in his 32:54 of playing time. He added three steals. Green went 3 of 8 from 3-point range.
Feb. 9 6:09 PM PT7:09 PM MT8:09 PM CT9:09 PM ET2:09 GMT10:09 7:09 PM MST8:09 PM CST9:09 PM EST6:09 UAE (+1)03:0921:09 ET8:09 PM CT0:09 - Danny Green scored 14 points Saturday, going 5 of 9 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors defeated the New York Knicks 104-99. Green grabbed four rebounds and did not have an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of +8 in his 29:38 on the floor. He added one block. Green went 4 of 6 from behind the arc.
Feb. 7 6:19 PM PT7:19 PM MT8:19 PM CT9:19 PM ET2:19 GMT10:19 7:19 PM MST8:19 PM CST9:19 PM EST6:19 UAE (+1)03:1921:19 ET8:19 PM CT0:19 - Danny Green scored 12 points Thursday, going 4 of 7 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Atlanta Hawks 119-101. Green grabbed four rebounds and did not have an assist, tallying a plus-minus of +3 in his 27:28 of playing time. He added one steal. Green went 1 of 4 from behind the arc.
Feb. 5 7:25 PM PT8:25 PM MT9:25 PM CT10:25 PM ET3:25 GMT11:25 8:25 PM MST9:25 PM CST10:25 PM EST7:25 UAE (+1)04:2522:25 ET9:25 PM CT1:25 - Danny Green scored two points Tuesday on 1-of-2 shooting as the Toronto Raptors topped the Philadelphia 76ers 119-107. Green grabbed two rebounds and had four assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +6 in his 21:19 of playing time. He tacked on one steal.
Feb. 3 1:39 PM PT2:39 PM MT3:39 PM CT4:39 PM ET21:39 GMT5:39 2:39 PM MST3:39 PM CST4:39 PM EST1:39 UAE (+1)22:3916:39 ET3:39 PM CT19:39 - Danny Green scored four points Sunday on 2-of-4 shooting as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 121-103. Green grabbed three rebounds and had four assists, tallying a plus-minus of +8 in his 20:20 on the floor.
Jan. 31 6:24 PM PT7:24 PM MT8:24 PM CT9:24 PM ET2:24 GMT10:24 7:24 PM MST8:24 PM CST9:24 PM EST6:24 UAE (+1)03:2421:24 ET8:24 PM CT0:24 - Danny Green went scoreless Thursday, going 0 of 4 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors fell to the Milwaukee Bucks 105-92. Green pulled down four rebounds and did not have an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of -14 in his 12:43 of playing time. He added one block.
Jan. 27 6:14 PM PT7:14 PM MT8:14 PM CT9:14 PM ET2:14 GMT10:14 7:14 PM MST8:14 PM CST9:14 PM EST6:14 UAE (+1)03:1421:14 ET8:14 PM CT0:14 - Danny Green scored 10 points Sunday, going 4 of 6 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Dallas Mavericks 123-120. Green pulled down seven rebounds and added an assist, tallying a plus-minus of +8 in his 31:03 of playing time. He added two steals. Green went 2 of 3 from 3-point range.
Jan. 26 12:00 PM PT1:00 PM MT2:00 PM CT3:00 PM ET20:00 GMT4:00 1:00 PM MST2:00 PM CST3:00 PM EST0:00 UAE (+1)21:0015:00 ET2:00 PM CT18:00 - Green injured his left hand during Friday's game but will play Sunday at Dallas.
Analysis: The veteran sharpshooter has been on fire lately, hitting 18 of 36 3-point shots over a four-game stretch in which he's had outings of 24 and 22 points.
Jan. 25 6:59 PM PT7:59 PM MT8:59 PM CT9:59 PM ET2:59 GMT10:59 7:59 PM MST8:59 PM CST9:59 PM EST6:59 UAE (+1)03:5921:59 ET8:59 PM CT0:59 - Danny Green scored 22 points Friday on 8-of-14 shooting as the Toronto Raptors fell to the Houston Rockets 121-119. Green pulled down one rebound and added an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of +12 in his 31:01 on the floor. He added one block. Green went 6 of 10 from behind the arc.
Jan. 23 6:01 PM PT7:01 PM MT8:01 PM CT9:01 PM ET2:01 GMT10:01 7:01 PM MST8:01 PM CST9:01 PM EST6:01 UAE (+1)03:0121:01 ET8:01 PM CT0:01 - Danny Green scored 10 points Wednesday, going 3 of 9 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors fell to the Indiana Pacers 110-106. Green pulled down five rebounds and dished out three assists, tallying a plus-minus of -5 in his 26:52 of playing time. Green went 2 of 8 from 3-point range.
Jan. 22 5:35 PM PT6:35 PM MT7:35 PM CT8:35 PM ET1:35 GMT9:35 6:35 PM MST7:35 PM CST8:35 PM EST5:35 UAE (+1)02:3520:35 ET7:35 PM CT23:35 - Danny Green scored six points Tuesday, going 2 of 8 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Sacramento Kings 120-105. Green grabbed two rebounds and added an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -6 in his 22:43 on the floor. He added one block and one steal. Green went 2 of 6 from behind the arc.
Jan. 19 6:09 PM PT7:09 PM MT8:09 PM CT9:09 PM ET2:09 GMT10:09 7:09 PM MST8:09 PM CST9:09 PM EST6:09 UAE (+1)03:0921:09 ET8:09 PM CT0:09 - Danny Green scored 24 points Saturday on 8-of-13 shooting as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 119-90. Green grabbed seven rebounds and dished out three assists, tallying a plus-minus of +22 in his 22:41 of playing time. He added one block and two steals. Green went 8 of 12 from 3-point range.
Jan. 17 6:22 PM PT7:22 PM MT8:22 PM CT9:22 PM ET2:22 GMT10:22 7:22 PM MST8:22 PM CST9:22 PM EST6:22 UAE (+1)03:2221:22 ET8:22 PM CT0:22 - Danny Green scored nine points Thursday on 3-of-6 shooting as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Phoenix Suns 111-109. Green pulled down one rebound and added an assist, tallying a plus-minus of +3 in his 26:12 on the floor. He tacked on one steal. Green went 1 of 3 from behind the arc.
Jan. 16 6:49 PM PT7:49 PM MT8:49 PM CT9:49 PM ET2:49 GMT10:49 7:49 PM MST8:49 PM CST9:49 PM EST6:49 UAE (+1)03:4921:49 ET8:49 PM CT0:49 - Danny Green scored 15 points Wednesday on 6-of-15 shooting as the Toronto Raptors fell to the Boston Celtics 117-108. Green grabbed six rebounds and added an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of -7 in his 30:50 of playing time. He added one block. Green went 3 of 8 from 3-point range.
Jan. 13 12:26 PM PT1:26 PM MT2:26 PM CT3:26 PM ET20:26 GMT4:26 1:26 PM MST2:26 PM CST3:26 PM EST0:26 UAE (+1)21:2615:26 ET2:26 PM CT18:26 - Danny Green scored 16 points Sunday, going 5 of 12 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors topped the Washington Wizards 140-138 in double overtime. Green grabbed eight rebounds and did not have an assist, tallying a plus-minus of +3 in his 41:44 on the floor. He added two blocks and two steals. Green went 3 of 8 from behind the arc.
Jan. 11 6:01 PM PT7:01 PM MT8:01 PM CT9:01 PM ET2:01 GMT10:01 7:01 PM MST8:01 PM CST9:01 PM EST6:01 UAE (+1)03:0121:01 ET8:01 PM CT0:01 - Danny Green scored eight points Friday on 2-of-4 shooting as the Toronto Raptors topped the Brooklyn Nets 122-105. Green pulled down two rebounds and dished out four assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +13 in his 25:26 of playing time. He added two blocks and three steals. Green went 2 of 3 from behind the arc.
Jan. 8 1:55 PM PT2:55 PM MT3:55 PM CT4:55 PM ET21:55 GMT5:55 2:55 PM MST3:55 PM CST4:55 PM EST1:55 UAE (+1)22:5516:55 ET3:55 PM CT19:55 - Green (rest) will not play Tuesday against the Hawks.
Jan. 6 5:53 PM PT6:53 PM MT7:53 PM CT8:53 PM ET1:53 GMT9:53 6:53 PM MST7:53 PM CST8:53 PM EST5:53 UAE (+1)02:5320:53 ET7:53 PM CT23:53 - Danny Green scored 15 points Sunday, going 5 of 9 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Indiana Pacers 121-105. Green did not grab a rebound but had an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of +6 in his 19:23 on the floor. He tacked on one steal. Green went 5 of 8 from 3-point range.
Jan. 5 7:17 PM PT8:17 PM MT9:17 PM CT10:17 PM ET3:17 GMT11:17 8:17 PM MST9:17 PM CST10:17 PM EST7:17 UAE (+1)04:1722:17 ET9:17 PM CT1:17 - Danny Green scored 12 points Saturday on 5-of-7 shooting as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 123-116. Green pulled down nine rebounds and did not have an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of +17 in his 40:26 on the floor. He added one block and one steal. Green went 2 of 3 from 3-point range.
Jan. 3 6:52 PM PT7:52 PM MT8:52 PM CT9:52 PM ET2:52 GMT10:52 7:52 PM MST8:52 PM CST9:52 PM EST6:52 UAE (+1)03:5221:52 ET8:52 PM CT0:52 - Danny Green went scoreless Thursday, going 0 of 7 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors fell to the San Antonio Spurs 125-107. Green pulled down four rebounds and added an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -26 in his 25:58 of playing time. He added one block. Green struggled from behind the arc, missing all six of his attempts.
Jan. 1 6:09 PM PT7:09 PM MT8:09 PM CT9:09 PM ET2:09 GMT10:09 7:09 PM MST8:09 PM CST9:09 PM EST6:09 UAE (+1)03:0921:09 ET8:09 PM CT0:09 - Danny Green scored two points Tuesday on 1-of-4 shooting as the Toronto Raptors topped the Utah Jazz 122-116. Green pulled down four rebounds and added an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of +16 in his 30:39 on the floor. He added one block.
Dec. 30 4:30 PM PT5:30 PM MT6:30 PM CT7:30 PM ET0:30 GMT8:30 5:30 PM MST6:30 PM CST7:30 PM EST4:30 UAE (+1)01:3019:30 ET6:30 PM CT22:30 - Danny Green scored 10 points Sunday on 4-of-8 shooting as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Chicago Bulls 95-89. Green grabbed four rebounds and did not have an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of +5 in his 29:04 of playing time. He added two blocks and two steals. Green went 2 of 5 from behind the arc.
Dec. 28 5:38 PM PT6:38 PM MT7:38 PM CT8:38 PM ET1:38 GMT9:38 6:38 PM MST7:38 PM CST8:38 PM EST5:38 UAE (+1)02:3820:38 ET7:38 PM CT23:38 - Danny Green scored two points Friday on 1-of-6 shooting as the Toronto Raptors lost to the Orlando Magic 116-87. Green grabbed four rebounds and had two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -9 in his 18:25 of playing time. He added one block.
Dec. 26 6:10 PM PT7:10 PM MT8:10 PM CT9:10 PM ET2:10 GMT10:10 7:10 PM MST8:10 PM CST9:10 PM EST6:10 UAE (+1)03:1021:10 ET8:10 PM CT0:10 - Danny Green scored 18 points Wednesday, going 7 of 10 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Miami Heat 106-104. Green grabbed six rebounds and had two assists, tallying a plus-minus of +5 in his 33:56 on the floor. He added one steal. Green went 4 of 7 from behind the arc.
Dec. 22 6:12 PM PT7:12 PM MT8:12 PM CT9:12 PM ET2:12 GMT10:12 7:12 PM MST8:12 PM CST9:12 PM EST6:12 UAE (+1)03:1221:12 ET8:12 PM CT0:12 - Danny Green scored nine points Saturday on 3-of-12 shooting as the Toronto Raptors lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 126-101. Green pulled down three rebounds and did not have an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of -7 in his 24:37 of playing time. Green went 1 of 5 from behind the arc.
Dec. 21 2:08 PM PT3:08 PM MT4:08 PM CT5:08 PM ET22:08 GMT6:08 3:08 PM MST4:08 PM CST5:08 PM EST2:08 UAE (+1)23:0817:08 ET4:08 PM CT20:08 - Green (left knee bruise) will play Saturday in Philadelphia after he sat out Friday against Cleveland.
Analysis: Green had been the only Toronto player to appear in all 33 games this season. He's averaging 9.7 points and 4.2 rebounds while ranking in the top 15 in the NBA with 75 made 3-pointers.
Dec. 19 6:10 PM PT7:10 PM MT8:10 PM CT9:10 PM ET2:10 GMT10:10 7:10 PM MST8:10 PM CST9:10 PM EST6:10 UAE (+1)03:1021:10 ET8:10 PM CT0:10 - Danny Green scored seven points Wednesday, going 2 of 8 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Indiana Pacers 99-96. Green pulled down two rebounds and added an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of +6 in his 28:00 of playing time. He added one block and two steals. Green went 1 of 6 from 3-point range.
Dec. 16 6:31 PM PT7:31 PM MT8:31 PM CT9:31 PM ET2:31 GMT10:31 7:31 PM MST8:31 PM CST9:31 PM EST6:31 UAE (+1)03:3121:31 ET8:31 PM CT0:31 - Danny Green scored seven points Sunday on 3-of-9 shooting as the Toronto Raptors lost to the Denver Nuggets 95-86. Green grabbed five rebounds and did not have an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of -2 in his 38:10 of playing time. He added one steal. Green went 1 of 4 from 3-point range.
Dec. 14 8:46 PM PT9:46 PM MT10:46 PM CT11:46 PM ET4:46 GMT12:46 9:46 PM MST10:46 PM CST11:46 PM EST8:46 UAE05:4623:46 ET10:46 PM CT2:46 - Danny Green scored 19 points Friday, going 6 of 9 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors fell to the Portland Trail Blazers 128-122. Green grabbed 11 rebounds and did not have an assist, tallying a plus-minus of +2 in his 35:57 on the floor. He added two blocks. Green went 5 of 7 from 3-point range.
Dec. 13 9:18 PM PT10:18 PM MT11:18 PM CT12:18 AM ET5:18 GMT13:18 10:18 PM MST11:18 PM CST12:18 AM EST9:18 UAE06:180:18 ET11:18 PM CT3:18 - Danny Green scored 15 points Wednesday on 6-of-11 shooting as the Toronto Raptors topped the Golden State Warriors 113-93. Green grabbed four rebounds and had five assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +12 in his 31:29 on the floor. Green went 1 of 5 from 3-point range.
Dec. 11 8:52 PM PT9:52 PM MT10:52 PM CT11:52 PM ET4:52 GMT12:52 9:52 PM MST10:52 PM CST11:52 PM EST8:52 UAE05:5223:52 ET10:52 PM CT2:52 - Danny Green scored nine points Tuesday, going 4 of 7 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors topped the Los Angeles Clippers 123-99. Green pulled down five rebounds and did not have an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of +34 in his 27:45 on the floor. He added one block.
Dec. 9 4:39 PM PT5:39 PM MT6:39 PM CT7:39 PM ET0:39 GMT8:39 5:39 PM MST6:39 PM CST7:39 PM EST4:39 UAE (+1)01:3919:39 ET6:39 PM CT22:39 - Danny Green scored eight points Sunday on 3-of-7 shooting as the Toronto Raptors fell to the Milwaukee Bucks 104-99. Green grabbed five rebounds and had four assists, tallying a plus-minus of +7 in his 33:55 on the floor. He added three blocks and one steal. Green went 2 of 4 from 3-point range.
Dec. 7 6:52 PM PT7:52 PM MT8:52 PM CT9:52 PM ET2:52 GMT10:52 7:52 PM MST8:52 PM CST9:52 PM EST6:52 UAE (+1)03:5221:52 ET8:52 PM CT0:52 - Danny Green scored two points Friday, going 1 of 2 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors fell to the Brooklyn Nets 106-105 in overtime. Green grabbed four rebounds and dished out two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +8 in his 34:03 of playing time.
Dec. 5 7:18 PM PT8:18 PM MT9:18 PM CT10:18 PM ET3:18 GMT11:18 8:18 PM MST9:18 PM CST10:18 PM EST7:18 UAE (+1)04:1822:18 ET9:18 PM CT1:18 - Danny Green scored five points Wednesday on 2-of-9 shooting as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 113-102. Green grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +5 in his 32:05 of playing time. He added one block. Green went 1 of 6 from behind the arc.
Dec. 4 10:31 AM PT11:31 AM MT12:31 PM CT1:31 PM ET18:31 GMT2:31 11:31 AM MST12:31 PM CST1:31 PM EST22:31 UAE19:3113:31 ET12:31 PM CT16:31 - Danny Green scored nine points Monday on 3-of-9 shooting as the Toronto Raptors fell to the Denver Nuggets 106-103. Green grabbed three rebounds and did not have an assist, tallying a plus-minus of +5 in his 31:10 of playing time. He tacked on two steals. Green went 3 of 7 from behind the arc.
Dec. 1 6:37 PM PT7:37 PM MT8:37 PM CT9:37 PM ET2:37 GMT10:37 7:37 PM MST8:37 PM CST9:37 PM EST6:37 UAE (+1)03:3721:37 ET8:37 PM CT0:37 - Danny Green scored 15 points Saturday, going 6 of 9 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors topped the Cleveland Cavaliers 106-95. Green grabbed seven rebounds and did not have an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of +24 in his 31:37 on the floor. He added two blocks. Green went 3 of 5 from 3-point range.
Nov. 29 7:14 PM PT8:14 PM MT9:14 PM CT10:14 PM ET3:14 GMT11:14 8:14 PM MST9:14 PM CST10:14 PM EST7:14 UAE (+1)04:1422:14 ET9:14 PM CT1:14 - Danny Green scored 13 points Thursday, going 5 of 10 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors topped the Golden State Warriors 131-128 in overtime. Green grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists, tallying a plus-minus of +16 in his 38:31 on the floor. He added two blocks and one steal. Green went 3 of 6 from behind the arc.
Nov. 27 6:37 PM PT7:37 PM MT8:37 PM CT9:37 PM ET2:37 GMT10:37 7:37 PM MST8:37 PM CST9:37 PM EST6:37 UAE (+1)03:3721:37 ET8:37 PM CT0:37 - Danny Green scored 14 points Tuesday on 5-of-9 shooting as the Toronto Raptors topped the Memphis Grizzlies 122-114. Green pulled down four rebounds and did not have an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of +6 in his 27:45 of playing time. He added one block. Green went 4 of 8 from 3-point range.
Nov. 25 4:35 PM PT5:35 PM MT6:35 PM CT7:35 PM ET0:35 GMT8:35 5:35 PM MST6:35 PM CST7:35 PM EST4:35 UAE (+1)01:3519:35 ET6:35 PM CT22:35 - Danny Green scored four points Sunday, going 2 of 6 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors topped the Miami Heat 125-115. Green grabbed one rebound and added an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of +19 in his 29:13 of playing time.
Nov. 23 6:06 PM PT7:06 PM MT8:06 PM CT9:06 PM ET2:06 GMT10:06 7:06 PM MST8:06 PM CST9:06 PM EST6:06 UAE (+1)03:0621:06 ET8:06 PM CT0:06 - Danny Green scored nine points Friday, going 3 of 7 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Washington Wizards 125-107. Green pulled down three rebounds and had two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +15 in his 24:42 on the floor. Green went 3 of 7 from 3-point range.
Nov. 21 6:13 PM PT7:13 PM MT8:13 PM CT9:13 PM ET2:13 GMT10:13 7:13 PM MST8:13 PM CST9:13 PM EST6:13 UAE (+1)03:1321:13 ET8:13 PM CT0:13 - Danny Green scored six points Wednesday, going 2 of 10 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Atlanta Hawks 124-108. Green grabbed three rebounds and added an assist, tallying a plus-minus of +15 in his 31:53 on the floor. He tacked on two steals. Green went 2 of 7 from behind the arc.
Nov. 20 5:41 PM PT6:41 PM MT7:41 PM CT8:41 PM ET1:41 GMT9:41 6:41 PM MST7:41 PM CST8:41 PM EST5:41 UAE (+1)02:4120:41 ET7:41 PM CT23:41 - Danny Green scored 13 points Tuesday, going 5 of 13 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Orlando Magic 93-91. Green grabbed three rebounds and did not have an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of -4 in his 33:40 on the floor. He added one block and one steal. Green went 3 of 9 from behind the arc.
Nov. 17 6:32 PM PT7:32 PM MT8:32 PM CT9:32 PM ET2:32 GMT10:32 7:32 PM MST8:32 PM CST9:32 PM EST6:32 UAE (+1)03:3221:32 ET8:32 PM CT0:32 - Danny Green scored 17 points Saturday, going 7 of 7 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors topped the Chicago Bulls 122-83. Green grabbed four rebounds and dished out three assists, tallying a plus-minus of +35 in his 25:57 on the floor. He tacked on one steal. Green went 3 of 3 from behind the arc.
Nov. 16 6:02 PM PT7:02 PM MT8:02 PM CT9:02 PM ET2:02 GMT10:02 7:02 PM MST8:02 PM CST9:02 PM EST6:02 UAE (+1)03:0221:02 ET8:02 PM CT0:02 - Danny Green scored 11 points Friday on 4-of-10 shooting as the Toronto Raptors fell to the Boston Celtics 123-116 in overtime. Green pulled down five rebounds and did not have an assist, tallying a plus-minus of +18 in his 30:07 on the floor before fouling out. He added one block and one steal. Green went 3 of 7 from behind the arc.
Nov. 14 6:51 PM PT7:51 PM MT8:51 PM CT9:51 PM ET2:51 GMT10:51 7:51 PM MST8:51 PM CST9:51 PM EST6:51 UAE (+1)03:5121:51 ET8:51 PM CT0:51 - Green will play in Friday's game after he was removed Wednesday against Detroit in the third quarter with a sore lower back.
Analysis: Green has averaged 9.2 points and 3.9 rebounds this season.
Nov. 12 6:08 PM PT7:08 PM MT8:08 PM CT9:08 PM ET2:08 GMT10:08 7:08 PM MST8:08 PM CST9:08 PM EST6:08 UAE (+1)03:0821:08 ET8:08 PM CT0:08 - Danny Green scored three points Monday on 1-of-4 shooting as the Toronto Raptors fell to the New Orleans Pelicans 126-110. Green grabbed three rebounds and did not have an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -2 in his 22:44 of playing time. He added one steal. Green went 1 of 4 from behind the arc.
Nov. 10 1:49 PM PT2:49 PM MT3:49 PM CT4:49 PM ET21:49 GMT5:49 2:49 PM MST3:49 PM CST4:49 PM EST1:49 UAE (+1)22:4916:49 ET3:49 PM CT19:49 - Danny Green scored nine points Saturday on 3-of-7 shooting as the Toronto Raptors defeated the New York Knicks 128-112. Green pulled down three rebounds and did not have an assist, tallying a plus-minus of +2 in his 21:07 on the floor. He tacked on three steals. Green went 3 of 7 from 3-point range.
Nov. 7 8:49 PM PT9:49 PM MT10:49 PM CT11:49 PM ET4:49 GMT12:49 9:49 PM MST10:49 PM CST11:49 PM EST8:49 UAE05:4923:49 ET10:49 PM CT2:49 - Danny Green scored six points Wednesday, going 2 of 10 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Sacramento Kings 114-105. Green grabbed five rebounds and dished out two assists, tallying a plus-minus of +11 in his 31:07 of playing time. He tacked on one steal. Green went 2 of 8 from 3-point range.
Nov. 5 7:50 PM PT8:50 PM MT9:50 PM CT10:50 PM ET3:50 GMT11:50 8:50 PM MST9:50 PM CST10:50 PM EST7:50 UAE (+1)04:5022:50 ET9:50 PM CT1:50 - Danny Green scored seven points Monday on 3-of-5 shooting as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Utah Jazz 124-111. Green grabbed two rebounds and did not have an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of +6 in his 22:04 on the floor. He added one block and three steals. Green went 1 of 3 from 3-point range.
Nov. 4 8:04 PM PT9:04 PM MT10:04 PM CT11:04 PM ET4:04 GMT12:04 9:04 PM MST10:04 PM CST11:04 PM EST8:04 UAE05:0423:04 ET10:04 PM CT3:04 - Danny Green scored 15 points Sunday, going 5 of 8 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 121-107. Green grabbed three rebounds and had three assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +22 in his 25:57 on the floor. He added two blocks. Green went 5 of 8 from 3-point range.
Nov. 2 8:43 PM PT9:43 PM MT10:43 PM CT11:43 PM ET3:43 GMT11:43 8:43 PM MST9:43 PM CST10:43 PM EST7:43 UAE (+1)04:4323:43 ET9:43 PM CT2:43 - Danny Green scored eight points Friday, going 3 of 8 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Phoenix Suns 107-98. Green pulled down two rebounds and did not have an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -2 in his 25:51 on the floor. He added one block and one steal. Green went 2 of 5 from 3-point range.
Oct. 30 6:18 PM PT7:18 PM MT8:18 PM CT9:18 PM ET1:18 GMT9:18 6:18 PM MST7:18 PM CST8:18 PM EST5:18 UAE (+1)02:1821:18 ET7:18 PM CT0:18 - Danny Green scored 10 points Tuesday, going 4 of 9 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors topped the Philadelphia 76ers 129-112. Green grabbed two rebounds and had four assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +20 in his 34:58 of playing time. He added one block and two steals. Green went 2 of 4 from behind the arc.
Oct. 29 6:52 PM PT7:52 PM MT8:52 PM CT9:52 PM ET1:52 GMT9:52 6:52 PM MST7:52 PM CST8:52 PM EST5:52 UAE (+1)02:5221:52 ET7:52 PM CT0:52 - Danny Green scored eight points Monday on 3-of-6 shooting as the Toronto Raptors lost to the Milwaukee Bucks 124-109. Green grabbed five rebounds and added an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of -6 in his 29:42 of playing time. He added one steal. Green went 2 of 3 from behind the arc.
Oct. 26 6:07 PM PT7:07 PM MT8:07 PM CT9:07 PM ET1:07 GMT9:07 6:07 PM MST7:07 PM CST8:07 PM EST5:07 UAE (+1)03:0721:07 ET8:07 PM CT0:07 - Danny Green scored 15 points Friday on 4-of-8 shooting as the Toronto Raptors topped the Dallas Mavericks 116-107. Green grabbed eight rebounds and did not have an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of +4 in his 30:18 on the floor. He added one block and one steal. Green went 4 of 7 from behind the arc.
Oct. 24 6:12 PM PT7:12 PM MT8:12 PM CT9:12 PM ET1:12 GMT9:12 6:12 PM MST7:12 PM CST8:12 PM EST5:12 UAE (+1)03:1221:12 ET8:12 PM CT0:12 - Danny Green scored six points Wednesday on 2-of-8 shooting as the Toronto Raptors topped the Minnesota Timberwolves 112-105. Green pulled down four rebounds and had three assists, tallying a plus-minus of +17 in his 31:27 of playing time. He added one block. Green went 2 of 5 from 3-point range.
Oct. 22 6:00 PM PT7:00 PM MT8:00 PM CT9:00 PM ET1:00 GMT9:00 6:00 PM MST7:00 PM CST8:00 PM EST5:00 UAE (+1)03:0021:00 ET8:00 PM CT0:00 - Danny Green scored 16 points Monday on 6-of-8 shooting as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Charlotte Hornets 127-106. Green grabbed six rebounds and dished out two assists, tallying a plus-minus of +18 in his 26:24 of playing time. He added two blocks and one steal. Green went 4 of 6 from behind the arc.
Oct. 20 6:08 PM PT7:08 PM MT8:08 PM CT9:08 PM ET1:08 GMT9:08 6:08 PM MST7:08 PM CST8:08 PM EST5:08 UAE (+1)03:0821:08 ET8:08 PM CT0:08 - Danny Green scored five points Saturday, going 1 of 9 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Washington Wizards 117-113. Green grabbed three rebounds and did not have an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of +2 in his 30:56 of playing time. He tacked on one steal. Green went 1 of 8 from 3-point range.
Oct. 19 6:41 PM PT7:41 PM MT8:41 PM CT9:41 PM ET1:41 GMT9:41 6:41 PM MST7:41 PM CST8:41 PM EST5:41 UAE (+1)03:4121:41 ET8:41 PM CT0:41 - Danny Green scored 14 points Friday, going 5 of 8 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Boston Celtics 113-101. Green grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +25 in his 32:28 of playing time. He added one block and one steal. Green went 4 of 7 from 3-point range.
Oct. 17 6:35 PM PT7:35 PM MT8:35 PM CT9:35 PM ET1:35 GMT9:35 6:35 PM MST7:35 PM CST8:35 PM EST5:35 UAE (+1)03:3521:35 ET8:35 PM CT0:35 - Danny Green scored 11 points Wednesday, going 4 of 9 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors topped the Cleveland Cavaliers 116-104. Green grabbed five rebounds and did not have an assist, tallying a plus-minus of +15 in his 32:45 of playing time. He added two blocks and two steals. Green went 3 of 7 from 3-point range.
Oct. 11 9:26 PM PT10:26 PM MT11:26 PM CT12:26 AM ET4:26 GMT12:26 9:26 PM MST10:26 PM CST11:26 PM EST8:26 UAE06:260:26 ET11:26 PM CT3:26 - Danny Green scored 22 points Wednesday, going 7 of 9 from the field, as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Brooklyn Nets 118-91. Green grabbed four rebounds and had two assists, tallying a plus-minus of +9 in his 20:59 on the floor. He added five steals. Green went 6 of 7 from behind the arc.
Oct. 2 7:50 PM PT8:50 PM MT9:50 PM CT10:50 PM ET2:50 GMT10:50 7:50 PM MST8:50 PM CST9:50 PM EST6:50 UAE (+1)04:5022:50 ET9:50 PM CT1:50 - Danny Green scored five points Tuesday on 2-of-4 shooting as the Toronto Raptors fell to the Utah Jazz 105-90. Green grabbed three rebounds and added an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of +2 in his 18:48 of playing time. He tacked on one steal. Green went 1 of 3 from 3-point range.
Sep. 29 6:47 PM PT7:47 PM MT8:47 PM CT9:47 PM ET1:47 GMT9:47 6:47 PM MST7:47 PM CST8:47 PM EST5:47 UAE (+1)03:4721:47 ET8:47 PM CT0:47 - Danny Green scored five points Saturday on 1-of-6 shooting as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 122-104. Green pulled down three rebounds and did not have an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of +14 in his 20:19 on the floor. Green went 1 of 5 from 3-point range.
July 18 7:02 AM PT8:02 AM MT9:02 AM CT10:02 AM ET14:02 GMT22:02 7:02 AM MST8:02 AM CST9:02 AM EST18:02 UAE16:0210:02 ET9:02 AM CT13:02 - Green is also headed to Toronto in the blockbuster trade that will also send Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors and DeMar DeRozan to the Spurs.
Analysis: The nine-year veteran isn't coming off a great season, but he's a better outside shooter than DeRozan and a solid defender who could step right in as Toronto's starting two guard. Green has shot 39.5 percent from beyond the arc for his career while averaging 8.8 points over 540 NBA games. | 2019-04-24T21:02:23Z | http://sports.arkansasmatters.com/nba/playerstats.asp?id=4651&team=28 |
moved that Bill C-236, an act to repeal the Firearms Act and to make certain amendments to the Criminal Code, be read the second time and referred to a committee.
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour today to debate Bill C-236, an act to repeal the Firearms Act and to make certain amendments to the Criminal Code.
Today I will direct my remarks first to the people who are concerned about their own safety from criminals, especially criminals who misuse firearms.
Hon. members can imagine what it must be like for senior citizens to suffer home invasion at the hands of criminals with firearms. That is becoming a common crime in our bigger cities. It is one that is starting to make everybody sit up and pay attention. It was bad enough when somebody's mother or grandmother was afraid to go out at night and walk to the corner store to buy a little milk for her tea. Now those folks are afraid inside their own homes. Where is this going to stop?
The government and the media like to claim that crime is decreasing. But people I talk to tell me that crime is so heavy where they live that police do not even show up to investigate a break and enter unless somebody has been injured. The police are just too busy.
A big part of the reason for such crime is the lack of teeth in the Young Offenders Act. That is another part of the crime story. It is a fact that no single change is going to make Canadian society safe again. It is going to take hard work by politicians to make Canada a safe place again for our citizens.
We need a new young offenders act. We need a victims bill of rights. We need, as my bill provides, tough penalties for the criminal misuse of firearms. Instead of enacting these useful measures, which would produce measurable results, the government chose to require law-abiding owners of rifles and shotguns to file papers, jump through hoops and pay fees in another Liberal tax grab.
My private member's bill would repeal Bill C-68 and replace it with real protection against criminals and the misuse of firearms by enacting minimum jail terms that cannot be plea bargained away.
My bill states that using, having or claiming to have a firearm during the commission of or the attempt to commit a crime or in flight after committing a crime would require a judge to impose a minimum of five years' imprisonment or not more than 14 years.
My bill also states that if a firearm is actually discharged, not just waved around or pointed at victims of crime, the penalty will increase to a minimum of 10 years or a maximum of 14 years and that these sentences will be served consecutively, that is, after or in addition to other sentences.
Some people argue that five or 10 years is too harsh and too long a time for the poor criminal to spend in jail. The way many of our prisons are run today it is really like a trip to the country club, not serious punishment. But that is another matter not directly addressed today. Prison reform is one more piece of the puzzle that the government could have enacted to achieve measurable results in the fight against crime, but it abandoned that responsibility and instead decided to target law-abiding citizens.
If my bill were passed at least convicted offenders would be deprived of their liberty and kept where they could not do more harm to society in general. If some people object to this as being too harsh, I remind them to look at the victims of crime. Depending on the seriousness of the crime, it sometimes takes a victim many years, sometimes a lifetime, to recover from the ill effects.
Let us remember the parents all across Canada who have lost a child through the criminal misuse of firearms. Or let us think of those who got shot themselves, sustaining such injuries as loss of sight or even paralysis. Think of the many fine police officers who have been shot in the line of duty. When the criminal gets out of jail their victim or victims will still be serving their sentences.
Even what passes as a small offence today, like the waving around of a shotgun during the commission of a crime, may lead victims to have to change jobs or take medication or even get counselling because they cannot cope with the endless nightmares which result from being threatened with a firearm in the course of their supposedly normal working day.
When we let people out of jail after they have committed crimes like this we send a message if the sentence has not been harsh enough.
In some countries the use of a firearm in the commission of a crime is treated as a terrorist act, punishable by death.
Perhaps we in North America have seen too many crime shows on television and tend to take such things for granted. That is unfortunate. The North American society would be much better off if we considered the use of a firearm in the commission of a crime as the terrorist act it really is. It strikes a blow against the very foundation of our law-abiding society when criminals armed with firearms can prey on law-abiding citizens and be released with little or no time in jail.
Society must take a much more serious attitude toward the use of firearms in the commission of a crime. The best way to demonstrate that serious attitude is to demand that significant penalties be imposed on the criminal. That would send a message strong enough to shrink the demand for illegal firearms and to help dry up smuggling. It would be much easier to reduce smuggling if the smuggled items were not in demand. Criminals would soon learn that they cannot use many aspects of the law and loopholes such as using young people in the commission of crimes because those young people are dealt with by the Young Offenders Act.
Enacting serious penalties for the criminal misuse of firearms is a key component of Bill C-236.
Another key component of my private member's bill is the repeal of Bill C-68. Today some of my colleagues will focus on reasons to repeal Bill C-68. For example, it will do absolutely nothing to stop crime with firearms. Its cost is much higher than the government promised. The stats used to support its passage have since been shown to be grossly inaccurate. The funds could be much better used. It gives cabinet excessive powers. It infringes on the fundamental rights of citizens to enjoy private property without government interference. It crosses the line into provincial jurisdiction. It provides police with the excessive powers of search and seizure. And it can hand criminals a computerized list of the homes that have firearms for them to steal.
All of those points are serious and deserving of many hours of debate in the House. However, I will talk about one aspect of Bill C-68 which may be more serious than any of the others. That point is based on the fact that normally law-abiding citizens have not consented to register their firearms and shotguns. When I talk to them most of them tell me that they will not do so. As with the legislation to enact the GST, Bill C-68 will have the rare distinction of turning literally millions of normally law-abiding Canadian citizens into criminals.
When the general public not only does not agree with legislation but believes it to be wrong, that lack of agreement creates a climate which broadly tolerates what some people might describe as civil disobedience. Firearms owners generally view Bill C-68 as bad legislation. I certainly agree with them, as do many of my colleagues, not only this side of the House but also on the other side of the House. I know many people in rural Canada and nearly everyone assures me that they will not comply with the requirement to register their rifles and shotguns.
We are already well aware that millions of Canadians have lost faith in our governmental process to such an extent that they do not even vote. Their parents or grandparents may have shed blood on foreign soil to defend our democratic rights. Nevertheless, millions are ignoring their right to vote because they have lost faith in government.
In addition to the falling percentage of voters, millions of Canadians see themselves as being so overtaxed that they cannot get ahead no matter how hard they work. There is a widespread trend of people doing anything they can to avoid paying taxes, especially the GST. We even have a name for it. We now call it the underground economy.
When I was a child the only underground economy was mining. Those were the days when the average Canadian regarded the responsibility to vote as a primary concern and no law was lightly broken. Average Canadians cared about their country and their government because they believed this country and its government cared about them.
Instead today a broad cross-section of Canadians believe we are politicians who only care about ourselves, not statesmen acting in the best interest of the country. That sad fact has become the source of many jokes. One of the most feared sentences today in Canada is: “Hello, I am from the government and I am here to help you”.
Due to the passage of Bill C-68 soon we will have buried rifles and shotguns in backyards all across Canada. Some people, especially those who suffered under totalitarian regimes in other lands, view their firearms as the last defence against tyranny. Others who learned to hunt with their fathers and grandfathers see firearms as a basic element in their family traditions.
Ranchers, trappers and farmers as well as sport shooters and collectors do not look at firearms as weapons for criminals to use. They look at them as tools and an essential part of their everyday lives. It is not only the first nations people who see Bill C-68 as a threat to their culture. For many, Bill C-68 is the latest example of the urban lifestyle and urban values being crammed down the throats of the people living in rural areas today.
Together with the majority of people who live in my riding of Okanagan—Shuswap I see Bill C-68 as a sharp axe being used to hack at the base of the tree of our Canadian lifestyle. It is a solemn obligation of elected members of government to nourish that tree.
Instead we passed Bill C-68 which is helping to kill some of the most treasured aspects of our Canadian lifestyle. I believe every responsible member of parliament should work hard to repeal Bill C-68 to restore the Criminal Code to what it was before legislation was enacted and to pass tough new penalties for the criminal misuse of firearms.
As I mentioned, there are many other reasons parliament should repeal the act respecting firearms and other weapons, which is the formal title of Bill C-68 and which would happen by passing Bill C-236. First it was presented in parliament under false pretences. It was supposedly to reduce accidents by encouraging safer storage, but the fact is safe storage was already required by earlier legislation.
We determined that our statistics showed that there were 73 firearms involved in violent crime compared to the Department of Justice's findings of 623 firearms involved in violent crime.
Apparently some police forces consider a firearm to have been involved in a violent crime if a drug dealer happens to have firearms and ammunition stashed in his basement when he is arrested. Members of the House did not have such an interpretation in mind when they fell for the government's flawed arguments in support of Bill C-68. I will end on that note and hope everybody considers very carefully where Bill C-68 will take the country.
Mr. Speaker, in Canada we acknowledge and respect that there are legitimate uses of firearms by responsible and law-abiding Canadians. That is not at question at all.
Responsible law-abiding firearms owners have nothing to fear besides the fearmongering on the other side from the new Firearms Act. Canadians do not want to live in a country in which people feel they want or need to possess a firearm for protection. Further, if we in Canada want to retain our safe and peaceful character as a country—and it is the best country in the world to live in for the fifth time in a row—we should signal in every possible way that we will not tolerate and we will severely punish the use of firearms in the commission of crimes.
It is unfortunate the hon. member of Okanagan—Shuswap did not recognized that Canadians understand the Firearms Act and that the amendments to the Criminal Code of Canada which comprise Bill C-68 are an investment in crime prevention which will help build upon the culture of safety practised by responsible law-abiding firearms owners in Canada.
It might be a surprise for the opposition that 82% of all Canadians support the registration of all firearms, a majority in every province.
Of course they find this very funny. Seventy-two per cent of rural Canadians approve of registration. There is strong support for the universal registration of firearms across Canada. Bill C-68 establishes a framework to achieve a number of goals that relate directly to the safety of Canadians in their homes and on the streets.
It creates stiff sentences for those who use firearms in the commission of a crime. It creates systems and sanctions to deal with the smuggling of guns into Canada. It provides that all firearms in Canada must be registered, a cornerstone measure that will help police fight smuggling and do their job more effectively. It does all these things within a framework that respects the rights of responsible law-abiding gun owners.
Let us review for a moment the background of how the legislation came to be. The opposition keeps forgetting how many times we have debated the issue in the House. We were elected on the second mandate because of that piece of legislation. It was introduced into the House of Commons on February 14, 1995 through successive debates including an extensive list of amendments brought to the bill by committee and debated at third reading.
On and on we have debated the issue in the House of Commons. It has gone to committee. Canadians have had a chance to bring forth their opinions. Two major sets of regulations have been processed, the first being tabled in November 1996 and the second set being tabled in October 1997.
The standing committee reviewing the first set of regulations made 39 recommendations, 30 of which were accepted in whole or in part. The government accepted more than 93% of the justice committee's recommendations following extensive hearings on these regulations.
My point in this brief review is to ask the opposition why, in view of the extensive parliamentary involvement in both the legislation and the regulations and in view of the number of changes in accommodations which were made as the legislation passed through the House, we would even consider repealing Bill C-68, legislation that enjoys the support of 82% of Canadians.
Bill C-236 would have us believe that parliament's legislation does nothing to address the criminal misuse of firearms. Opposition members may wish to consult the Criminal Code in this respect. A significant number of offences in the code were modified to carry a minimum punishment of imprisonment for four years.
A significant number of offences in the code were modified to carry a minimum sentence of four years' imprisonment. These Criminal Code offences are found under the headings of causing death by criminal negligence, manslaughter, attempt to commit murder, causing bodily harm with intent, sexual assault with a weapon, aggravated sexual assault, kidnapping, hostage taking, robbery and extortion.
Other offences are found for a variety of criminal offences including activities such as weapons trafficking, possession for the purpose of weapons trafficking, manufacture of automatic firearms, automatic firearms importing and exporting when knowing it is unauthorized, and tampering with the serial number of a firearm.
We were very attentive to criminal activities in formulating the offence provisions of Bill C-68. Increasing the minimum terms, as the bill proposes, would add nothing useful to the general approach approved by parliament when it passed Bill C-68.
If the supporters of Bill C-236 really took the time to study the issue, they would also find that there have been a number of appeals of the four year minimum sentences over the past two years. All of them have been upheld on appeal as appropriate sentencing, expressing the will of parliament. They also express the will of the Canadian people, 82% of whom support this legislation, as I mentioned.
The licensing of firearms users is one of the central features of this legislation. Under Bill C-68, only people who are responsible and have not within the past five years been convicted of Criminal Code offences, of an offence involving violence against a person or the threat of such violence, of an offence involving criminal activity or of the contravention of the Food and Drugs Act or the Narcotic Control Act are eligible for licensing.
Registration is an important component of the act. Let me remind proponents of Bill C-236 that this aspect of the legislation was recently validated by the Alberta court of appeal. People who sell guns should know to whom they are selling. If the person buying the gun has a licence, there is some reasonable assurance that the person is a law-abiding, responsible person.
Safety is an essential component, and this is why persons with licences will have completed and passed the Canadian firearm safety course and will have at least the basics in respect of the safe handling and use of firearms.
Many of the lost or stolen firearms eventually come to the attention of the police. A system of registration will assist the police in returning these firearms to their rightful owners.
Since licensed users will have shown they were not involved in criminal activity and are otherwise responsible, and since guns will be registered, the police will have an invaluable tool to assist them in their fight against crime.
Opponents of the legislation contend that criminals will not register guns. However, the licensing and registration provisions will assist the police by providing them with additional tools to charge criminals and to fight organized crime.
Many guns come to Canada from the United States. The attitude in the United States with respect to guns is significantly different from that in Canada. The illegal movement of firearms into Canada is a problem of considerable magnitude and we recognize that. The registration system will register guns coming into and leaving Canada and the movement of those guns within the country.
Illegal shipments will be easier to stop. Customs officers will be able to identify shipments against the registration database.
Obviously the opposition finds this very funny. This is not a funny subject as far as we are concerned.
It will be possible to track down any firearm imported into and sold in Canada. Contraband reduction is an important tool through which the Firearms Act can contribute to crime reduction.
The Firearms Act allows honest and law-abiding sportsmen to continue to practice their sport. It is possible to buy and sell firearms, to hunt with a gun, to target shoot, to collect firearms, to display them in a museum and to practice all sorts of other sound activities favoured by gun owners.
To counter criminal activities in the country, the Department of Justice is attending to a wide range of criminal justice issues such as our crime prevention program, our efforts to improve youth justice, our intentions to address organized crime issues, which we have done, and our approach to firearms control.
In short, Bill C-236 seeks to return the system of gun control to the status it held before Bill C-68. In so doing it ignores the benefits of better licensing screening. It ignores the benefits of registration. It ignores the cherry picking that members opposite are suggesting in terms of the legislation. It is simply regressive legislation. Above all it is not responsive to Canadian people.
I said before, and I will close on this point, that there is strong support across Canada for the direction we are taking. We were re-elected on that point. We are implementing a reasonable system that respects and encourages responsible firearm owners in the safe practice of their sport.
Our legislation, which was ruled upheld by the Alberta Court of Appeal, respects the rights of responsible law-abiding gun owners at the same time as building a culture of safety in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, today we have the opportunity to discuss Bill C-236, an act to repeal the Firearms Act and to make certain amendments to the Criminal Code.
This bill, sponsored by a Reform member, proposes the total repeal of the Firearms Act, nothing more and nothing less. Unfortunately, the hon. member seems unaware that there is a very strong consensus that a certain degree of firearms control is desired by the people of Canada and of Quebec.
Thus, in stating that the Firearms Act does not meet any real need, and consequently does nothing except unduly infringe upon the property rights of honest citizens, the hon. member is engaging in a debate that is pointless, to say the least.
—something the Reform members clearly lack this morning—in order to clearly grasp the issue as a whole.
It must be recognized that in proposing the repeal of the Firearms Act the hon. member appears to wish to defend a legitimate right, the right to unrestricted right of ownership. The importance of that right cannot be overemphasized. Enjoyment of property is a fundamental right, and one that is protected by a number of important legal instruments.
In Quebec, for example, section 8 of the charter of rights and freedoms recognizes the following: “No one may enter upon the property of another or take anything therefrom without his express or implied consent”. The protection of right of ownership is nothing new.
There is a common law principle four centuries old and well entrenched in law, which states “a man's home is his castle”. Therefore, one cannot intrude on someone else's property with impunity, without incurring the anger of his fellow men. However, it would be against good citizenship to contend that our rights can be exercized irrespective of the common good.
Gun use cannot be viewed from a strictly personal point of view. Any argument solely based on individual property rights would just not fly. Living in a community necessitates compromises and, sadly perhaps, gun registration is one of these compromises, these reasonable measures to ensure our collective safety.
Living in society requires limitations on the exercise of our rights. These limitations are justified when public interest is at stake. Combating crime is certainly a collective concern. Rights may legitimately be limited when the safety of our fellow citizens is the basis for the proposed measures. On the face of it, the firearms legislation met that criterion.
As lawmakers, we could legitimately pass legislation for greater firearms control. We had to do it to ensure the safety of our children and the people around us.
Let us not fool ourselves: firearms are not like any other property, firearms can kill. In many cases, firearms are manufactured for a specific purpose: to harm or even to kill. That is not insignificant. Few if any people will argue with the fact that, even in the hands of conscientious individuals like police officers or hunters, firearms have all the makings of dangerous and potentially lethal weapons.
Out of respect for the victims of the misuse of firearms, we had to do what was necessary. As legislators, we had to approach this issue responsibly.
I have no doubt that, deep down, the Reform Party member is, as I am, very concerned about the safety of his fellow citizens. But suggesting that the Firearms Act be repealed is taking this concern much too far. There is no denying—and I am choosing my words carefully here—that the legislation has a number of flaws, but this does not mean it should be repealed.
One flaw is undoubtedly the fact that the Liberal government is moving much too quickly, criminalizing something that should not be criminalized, in order to look good or cover up its failure to give the public what it wants.
The government's bill is poorly drafted, costly and unenforceable, and the government has failed to build a consensus among the main groups of firearms users, particularly hunters and suppliers, who are fiercely opposed to it.
Nonetheless, it is very important to remember that a gun control bill is primarily intended to reduce crime and bring about a drop in the number of accidents caused by the mishandling of firearms. It is thus possible to be in favour of gun control but to question certain important aspects of the legislation, the unfortunate effects of which could have been avoided. That is the position in which I find myself.
However, the Reform Party member questions the very legitimacy of the Firearms Act, and that is where he loses me. Repeal is not the same as improvement.
By suggesting that this legislation simply be scrapped, the member is closing the door to any constructive discussion that might lead to a workable consensus benefiting everyone.
In the circumstances, it will come as no surprise to anyone that I have great difficulty supporting such a bill.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak to my colleague's private member's bill which I support fully. Before going directly to the bill I think we should pass out some warnings.
On December 1 Bill C-68 will come into effect. We want to send a warning to all smugglers. Bill C-68 is coming in, so all smugglers beware. As of December 1 they can no longer smuggle guns as Bill C-68 will be in effect. But wait a minute. I thought smuggling was against the law long before Bill C-68 came in. This is what is so hilarious about this government. Suddenly it has come up with a bill that is probably going to cost $1 billion to implement. It is going to stop such things as smuggling.
We should send a warning out that effective December 1 all smuggling will cease. Mind you, we do not have any officers at the borders to prevent a lot of the smuggling from happening. We do not have money for that. We cannot supply any more police officers to enforce this because they are going to be very busy with the paperwork. They have to register all these guns that are causing such a problem. And according to their statistics that was totally false. The head of the chiefs of police was quite concerned that they supported this bill on false information put out by this government. He has been quoted from his letters to the justice minister as stating his disappointment about this false information being presented.
The idea that smuggling is going to be stopped because of Bill C-68 is just another farce. I imagine smugglers are having a good time laughing about that one. At no time has this Liberal government taken any initiative to put a stop to smuggling.
Standing on the bridge at Port Erie I watched the traffic coming and going across the border. I watched boats going across the river. I asked how they knew what was on the boats as no one was checking them. They said “We watch from the bridge. If they are like this, it is probably cigarettes; if it is like this, it could be booze; if it is like this, it is probably guns; and if it is like this, it is probably people. So if it is like this, maybe we will go after it”. They do not have any manpower. I asked what was on a truck that was going through the line and they said they did not know. I ask if there was somebody in pursuit and they said no, they did not have the manpower for that.
The government comes out with this huge document giving Canada's justice minister all kinds of power and authority through order in council to change things, that it will make a difference.
Two people were shot with shotguns in my riding. The people who did that are really going to be in trouble. They are going to face the Liberal law. They will probably get a life sentence, although wait a minute, they will be paroled in 25 years. I think that is mandatory. But who knows, even with Liberal justice, under section 745 of the Criminal Code, they could be out in 15 years. Yet we are getting tough with Bill C-68. Under Bill C-68 they will still get life and will have to be paroled in 25 years and they will still have the opportunity for a section 745 hearing. That is Liberal justice. And they wonder why people laugh.
In 1993 this government was elected and it was going to do something with the Young Offenders Act. It is almost 1999 and nothing has happened. The attorneys general across Canada are asking the Minister of Justice “When are you going to do something with that act?” Of course she is having a difficult time doing anything about it. I understand her caucus is not in agreement with it, but then I think she is glad they are balking about changing the Young Offenders Act. After all, it is a wonderful old Liberal document. It was enacted in 1984. Since then youth crime has escalated like we would not believe and it still is going up.
There are cries all across Canada. There is a member yapping off on the other side of the House. People in his riding are saying do something about youth crime. Since 1993 the Liberals have done absolutely nothing. But we have Bill C-68. According to the auditor general it is going to cost probably $1 billion to bring it into force. That is the auditor general's figure. We have already spent several hundreds of millions of dollars.
Let us look at another thing. In 1993 the government announced that there were over a million young people starving and in poverty in this country. Guess what it will announce in 1999. There are a million young people still living in poverty. Why does the government not take the money it is wasting on such things as Bill C-68 and do something for the needy? Why does it not take hundreds of millions of dollars and do something for them, instead of wasting its money on a document that will not have any effect?
Going back to those two people who were shot by shotguns in my riding, the next sometime somebody shoots somebody with a shotgun it will be registered. That will make the victims feel much better. I am sure a husband or a wife will be very glad that their spouse was shot with a registered shotgun. And the government wonders why people laugh at what it says. Liberal justice is a joke and people laugh at jokes.
There was an incident in Saskatchewan. Mrs. Lorraine Dewetter's husband was out in the field and his half-ton pick-up got stuck. He died in the field from a heart attack. The police discovered the fellow had a .410 gauge shotgun in the pickup. They picked the shotgun up and rightfully so. They went to the house to inform Mrs. Dewetter that her husband had died from a heart attack in the field. While they were there, they searched the house and confiscated three more weapons: a .22, another shotgun, and I do not know what else, all because of such things as Bill C-68. That is what those things bring in.
If we want to look at the history of registration it is not too difficult. Look at it. The main purpose of registration, regardless of what the Liberals say, is confiscation. That is the final result. That is the purpose of it.
When the Minister of Justice is given the authority by order in council to declare which things are illegal and which are not, it is pretty easy to do. Just start snapping fingers and they will make things illegal as they go along. And then we are doing a great job of attacking the wrong people, the law-abiding people of Canada.
All the criminals must think this is funny. Sixty years of registration of handguns and we do not see much change. In fact it has gotten worse. It did not solve any problems. Then we heard from the parliamentary secretary. I remember. She had a great statement. It is really important to get these registrations done because if we find a stolen gun, then we know to whom to return it. That is worth a million or so. It is worth spending lots of money on documents and using up a lot of police time to make sure that happens.
I do not know what kind of a world the Liberals live in when they talk about justice. People across this land are not happy at all with Canada's justice system. They want it changed. If, as I just heard, somebody would say to hang them, I would certainly believe there are those who probably would do just that. Maybe we should ask the 11 or 12 families of the victims of Clifford Olson whether or not that should be the penalty. Maybe we should take a little more seriously how people feel about the justice system, but the Liberals do not.
The government came up with Bill C-68 which will not change anything. I have carefully gone through the present Criminal Code. We have a safe storage law. We have laws against the criminal use of firearms in the commission of a crime. All those things are covered. The only thing that is not covered is registration, and the government had to write a huge document full of gobbledegook which does not change anything except the registration of firearms. It spent over a billion dollars, according to the auditor general.
When children are still facing poverty, when we have poverty on Indian reserves and on city streets it is a shame that we are spending money for things that will not be effective.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to take part in the debate today.
The bill brought forward by the hon. member from the Reform Party is consistent with a long held position of the Conservative Party that the registry system under Bill C-68 is ill conceived and is in fact a reactionary piece of legislation that will not accomplish the goals it was set up to achieve.
Although the well intentioned persons who support the legislation have bought in the idea that somehow registering a shotgun will be an effective way for the government to respond to organized crime and violent crime, the sad reality is that this is not the case. Millions and millions of dollars are being spent by the government as a ruse to somehow hold itself up as being in favour of tougher legislation when it comes to the criminal use of firearms.
The reality is that the legislation focuses on law-abiding citizens. We have heard many members of the opposition and government members discuss who it will affect most. It will affect most farmers, fishermen, sportsmen, hunters, collectors, and individuals presently engaged in an activity which under the current law they are lawfully entitled to do. The legislation is now criminalizing with sanctions something that individuals participate in by their own free will, of their own volition.
In all reality one has to question the priorities of the government in the area of justice when it has decided to target law-abiding citizens as opposed to those who have been referred to on this side of the House as being the true criminals, those individuals who make the conscious decision to pick up a firearm and use it for an illegal purpose and not those individuals engaged in lawful activities which they are entitled to enjoy.
Let us get down to the root of Bill C-68. It is a tax on a law-abiding activity. The cost of that bill has become somewhat prohibitive in the minds of Canadians when a person looks at what it will eventually attach as a price tag. The initial assessment of the Minister of Justice who first dreamed up the piece of legislation was to be in the range of $85 million. Within months of its passage and movement in the direction of the gun registry it became clear this was not possible.
By September, the opening session of this year, 1998, the tab had run up to $133.1 million. As we approach the start-up date of December 1, one can only assume that it is in the range of $200 million. As the hon. member for Wild Rose mentioned there are estimates in the range of $500 million to $1 billion, to which he received a lot of heckling and acrimony from the government side.
How much does it cost in human life? Not one iota of evidence suggests that the legislation will save lives. Not one bit of linkage, statistical or otherwise, shows that registering shotguns will somehow save lives. That is simply not the case.
The police reaction to Bill C-68 is quite interesting. There have been statistics from the Canadian Police Association. The Canadian Chiefs of Police have spoken in favour of it. However, frontline police officers, those who are tasked with administering and enforcing the legislation, will tell us very quickly that they would far rather spend their time and efforts fighting real crime, not going with warrants to individual houses based on some premise that they might have a gun stored there illegally or that they might have an unregistered gun. They would far rather spend their time and efforts fighting real crime, not going with warrants to individual houses based on some premise that they might have a gun stored there illegally or that they might have, more important, to tie it to the legislation, an unregistered gun. It will become an overbureaucratic, time consuming exercise. Police officers admit they could spend their time in a far more effective and worthwhile effort helping to keep Canadian streets free from crime.
One questions the priorities. One questions the emphasis the government has placed on Bill C-68. Let us talk about how the bill was originally sold to the general public. There were tremendous statistics showing that the criminal use of shotguns and long guns was impacting on a rise in violent crime. The assistant commissioner of the RCMP wrote to the government and said “Wait a minute. These statistics are wrong. This is not true”.
These statistics were spun to effectively support the government's position that these guns had to be registered. These statistics were wrong. They were grossly exaggerated 10 or 100 times. The same statistics were used in the Supreme Court of Alberta in arguing a case which favoured the government by a slim three to two majority. It has now been appealed further to the Supreme Court of Canada. It begs the question why the government is to go ahead with the registry on December 1 knowing that it is before the courts?
It is always possible when a case goes before the court that judges in their wisdom decide legislation is unconstitutional. It appears that more and more of the provinces and the territories are joining in this effort, this court action, to somehow question the government priority on the issue. If that happens, why would we spend more money? It is another blatant waste of money by the government, throwing bad money after bad to somehow preempt the court. One has to question why the government is choosing to do this, knowing that a court challenge is pending.
It is interesting to note the absence of members of the NDP from this debate. They have been all over the board when it comes to gun registry. It would have been interesting to hear their remarks with respect to this bill.
The spin doctoring that has taken place is something of note. It is increasingly discouraging for Canadians to hear the government misquote statistics and their wishes in the Chamber and outside the Chamber when it comes to gun registry. One can always find statistics to support a position. That is not a difficult thing to do. However when one goes into the court of public opinion, one hears a completely different version of what Canadians want with respect to gun registry.
I want to be very clear in stating that the Progressive Conservative Party is very much in favour of gun control and gun registry, for that matter, when it comes to pistols, the weapon of choice, but registering long guns is simply asinine. It is going in the wrong direction when it comes to trying to fight crime, organized crime or otherwise.
Efforts should be put into shoring up our borders, into putting more money into policing budgets which we know have been drastically cut, and into better legislation aimed at organized crime or more sanctions for the criminal use of firearms. I am sure Canadians would applaud the government for those efforts if it were moving in that direction, but that is not the case.
The spin doctoring that has gone on is remarkable. The government has become very good at it. It has high priced individuals who spin its positions and tell Canadians effectively what it wants Canadians to believe. This is incredibly irresponsible on the part of the government.
The benefits of Bill C-68 are very negligible. One only has to look again at the government's use of statistics. Where are the statistics the government is relying on to say that it will save lives? They are completely absent from the debate because they do not exist. Is that not what it is all about? Should criminal justice not be about protecting people and saving lives?
Bill C-68 does not measure up. It does not meet those requirements. That is why we are supporting the private member's bill that has been brought forward. Let us end it now. Let us stop spending money and throwing bad money after bad to try to register long arms and shotguns that are not weapons of choice when it comes to crime.
The cost is only one aspect of the legislation, the cost and the use the government has made of these statistics. Thousands and thousands of Canadians appeared on Parliament Hill at the beginning of this session to express their outrage as to what would happen with this tax, this burdensome bureaucracy that will be put in place.
Bill C-68 is not indicative of what Canadians want. If anything, Canadians are crying out for a system that is simpler, more direct and delivers what it is supposed to deliver to Canadians.
Bill C-68 certainly does not deliver justice. It creates a false expectation for police and citizens. Police officers are already labouring under a CPIC system that they cannot rely on to be accurate. To suggest that we will have a national gun registry which will prevent a police officer from going to a house and knocking on the door, knowing there is or is not a gun behind that door, is completely asinine. It will not give the confidence police officers need to carry out their task.
Those are the reasons I put forward to support this private member's bill and I urge other members, particularly my colleagues in the NDP, to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to take part in the debate although I must say that was not my intention when I arrived here a few minutes ago.
For six weeks all parties on this side of the House have been engaged in directing questions toward the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and solicitor general about what he did or did not say on October 1 on that now infamous airplane ride.
Frankly a lot of us, certainly in our caucus and in I suspect in other opposition caucuses, would have preferred to talk about other things than whether the solicitor general would stay in his post.
A farm crisis is going on in Saskatchewan. There is the employment insurance issue which my colleague from Acadie—Bathurst is trying to raise. What should we do with budget surpluses? There are any number of questions, but because of the intransigence of the government we have been stuck dealing with the future of the solicitor general.
Here we have a private member's bill which talks about something that will not be decided by the House of Commons until the Supreme Court of Canada rules some time down the road. The Alberta Court of Appeal ruled after September 21. The Reform opposition party members could not wait. Never mind uniting the right. They were busily concerned about uniting themselves by having the motion on firearms.
The case is going to the Supreme Court of Canada. It will not be decided here. It was decided here between 1993 and 1997 when Bill C-68 passed the House of Commons. I was not in the House at that time. I do not know whether it is a good bill or a bad bill, but I know that it will not come back to the House at least until the Supreme Court rules against it. Why are we wasting the time of the House of Commons and of the people of Canada talking about something that is totally irrelevant?
Mr. Speaker, it is no surprise to me that the NDP member who spoke to bill has not even read it. That is quite typical.
Bill C-68 was sold to the Canadian public and the House under extreme false pretences. We like to talk about the Alberta court and what happened there. Need I remind the House that four of the five judges said that it was an infringement on provincial jurisdiction. Due to the government saying that it was a criminal act they decided three to two that the federal government had that right to infringe on provincial jurisdiction under a criminal act. Even that was sold as a guise to the Canadian public.
We will be spending hundreds of millions of dollars to enact legislation that most law abiding citizens who own firearms will probably not comply with in the first place. While we are doing this I remind the government of its responsibility. The government's foremost responsibility is to the safety and well-being of its law abiding citizens.
What did the government do when it was at fault in terms of the legislation to compensate all hep C victims who contacted hep C through the tainted blood system? It said that we had no funds. It said it could not afford to pay them, but it can afford to put hundreds of millions of dollars into firearms registration while those with tainted blood are dying. I have to ask where the government's priorities are.
For years navy merchant marines have been fighting to be duly compensated for their war efforts. These people have suffered, been left maimed and some have died in acts of war in order to feed our troops, yet this government has stated time after time that there are not enough funds to pay these people but it can spend hundreds and millions of dollars on a useless act causing total disagreement across the country.
I have to wonder where the government's priorities are. Government members will say anything to be re-elected, in order to come back to the House, but they think nothing at all of the true victims. Instead they would impose another tax or levy on law abiding citizens of Canada, which is shameful. I hope those people on the other side can sleep at night when they enforce this act after they read the letters of those suffering from hep C. It is a disgrace.
The time provided for the consideration of Private Members' Business has now expired and the order is dropped from the order paper.
That in relation to Bill C-53, an act to increase the availability of financing for the establishment, expansion, modernization and improvement of small businesses, not more than one further sitting day shall be allotted to the consideration of the report stage of the bill and one sitting day shall be allotted to the third reading stage of the said bill and, fifteen minutes before the expiry of the time provided for government business on the day allotted to the consideration of the report stage and on the day allotted to the third reading stage of the said bill, any proceedings before the House shall be interpreted if required for the purpose of this order, and in turn every question necessary for the disposal of the stage of the bill then under consideration shall be put forthwith and successively without further debate or amendment. | 2019-04-21T00:41:54Z | https://openparliament.ca/debates/1998/11/23/claude-drouin-1/?page=1 |
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How Reverse Mortgages Work How Does A Reverse Mortgage Work | An Example to Explain How It. – Learn How a Reverse Mortgage Works. A Reverse Mortgage is a Loan Made by a Lender to a Homeowner Using the Home as Security or Collateral.
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Debt Equity Ratio : Formula, Analysis, How to Calculate, Examples – How to Calculate the Debt to Equity Ratio. To calculate the debt to equity ratio, simply divide total debt by total equity. In this calculation, the debt figure should include the residual obligation amount of all leases.
What Is A Good Credit Score For A Home Loan What Credit Score Do You Need To Buy A House? | LendingTree – Good news: Your credit score is not the only factor when it comes to buying a house Although everyone places a lot of emphasis on the almighty credit score, it’s only one piece of the puzzle as lenders consider you for a mortgage approval.
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Second Mortgages Explained | The Truth About Mortgage – Once you’ve got a second mortgage, it will be increasingly difficult to get any additional financing, such as a third mortgage. While it’s probably not common that a homeowner should require a third mortgage, emergencies do happen, and you may mind yourself trapped if you need more funds for any other reason.
What Is The Current Mortgage Interest Rate Today Mortgage rates taper off for Thursday – Several closely watched mortgage rates tapered off today. The average rates on. at 4.57 percent. At the current average rate, you’ll pay a combined $496.05 per month in principal and interest for.
What to consider before buying a second home for investment – Since the couple knows where they plan to settle down, they can get everything set up in advance and have the home’s mortgage covered by renting it out. If you’re purchasing a second home as..
Student loans and mortgages duke it out for debt supremacy – A home mortgage used to be the biggest debt you might ever take on. Yet student loans, as they get bigger, are starting to elbow mortgages. or even surpass – their mortgages. "Most people do not.
Removing (Stripping) a Second Mortgage in Bankruptcy | AllLaw – Find out how you can get rid of a second (or third) mortgage in bankruptcy.
Fha Loan Second Time Home Buyer How Do I Apply for an FHA First Time Home Buyer’s Loan. – Applying for a first-time home loan through the federal housing administration federally backed program requires completion of the uniform residential loan application, Form 1003. Lenders have a.
How the Fed rate hike could affect your wallet – If the Fed continues to move slowly, as it has been, it may be a while before you see a change in mortgages. Reserve hikes interest rates for second time in a decade] Trying to guess exactly what.
What you don't know about second mortgages – Which Mortgage. – It is not the second term of your current mortgage, or the mortgage on a second property that you own. A second mortgage is named as such because it is second in priority after your initial mortgage. With a second mortgage, you could get up to 90 per cent of the property value/equity of your home Why do people get a second mortgage? People get.
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When Will Mortgage Interest Rates Go Up Mortgage rates highest in 4 years, ominous sign for. – CNBC – Mortgage rates jump to highest in 4 years, an ominous sign for spring housing Mortgage rates are surging due to the jump in U.S. bond yields. "Some lenders will be at 4.5 percent," says Matthew.
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Home remodeling activity smashes records. Here’s what to know before you take on a big project – From there, average renovation spending spikes to nearly $7,500 using a cash-out refinance and to $9,300 to pay for projects with a home equity loan or line of credit, the Joint Center found. While.
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How to Refinance for Remodeling a House | Finance – Zacks – But if you have equity in your home, you can pay for the remodeling by completing a cash-out refinance. In this type of transaction, you refinance for more than what you owe on your mortgage loan.
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Refinancing Home To Remodel – United Credit Union – You’ve remodeled, redecorated, settled in and made it a home. refinancing, which allows you to tap into your home’s equity by taking an additional loan against the portion of your house you’ve alre. But if you have equity in your home, you can pay for the remodeling by completing a cash-out refinance.
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Best SONYMA Mortgage Lenders of 2019 – Working with local lenders, SONYMA offers reduced interest rates, lower down payments and. to consumers who are actively shopping for the best mortgage. The six key areas we evaluated include the.
Average Closing Cost To Refinance Pre Approval fha loan fha mortgage Qualification Calculator | FHA Eligibility. – Use our FHA Mortgage Qualification Calculator to determine the loan you qualify for and what price home you can afford with a low down payment fha mortgage.. e.g. autodialing, text and pre-recorded messaging) about financial services or other credit related offers via telephone,Typical Closing Costs For Refinance Mortgage Do I Qualify For A Construction Loan Keystart | Home Loans – Metro Home Loans. The Keystart Low deposit’ home loan is a variable interest rate loan which can be used by owner-occupiers to buy an established home or build a new house.It is available to both first and non-first home buyers and we lend across the State of Western Australia. Find out more Do I qualify ?FHA Closing Costs : Negotiate a Low Cost Streamline Refinance – Typical closing costs on an FHA streamline refinance range between $1,500 and $4,000. Closing costs can vary widely depending on the lender and loan amount. The good news is that you don’t always have to pay costs out of pocket.What Is the Average Closing Cost to Refinance? | Sapling.com – Average Closing Costs On the Rise. In 2014, a $200,000 mortgage for a single-family home with a healthy loan-to-value of 80 percent and excellent borrower credit resulted in a national average of $2,539. The cost estimates in the survey were for loans in each state’s largest city and didn’t account for title and prepaid charges.
How to Get the Best Interest Rate on a Mortgage – Debt.org – How to Get the Best Interest Rate on a Mortgage.. Lenders are happy to oblige with shorter-term fixed-rate loans, as well as mortgages with variable rates. Which one works for you depends, again, on your circumstances and what you hope to achieve.
Mortgage rates on 30-year home loan hit 5 percent, a nearly 8-year high – Rates on the most common mortgage topped 5 percent for the first time. That’s $444 extra every year and $13,129 more in interest over the life of the loan.
Home Loans For Fair Credit Scores New House Construction Loan Getting Approved For A Construction Loan Bank OZK loans $81M to build Wynwood office building – The developers of 545wyn, the largest new office building in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood, obtained a $81 million construction loan. arkansas-based bank ozk (NASDAQ: OZK) awarded the mortgage to 545 W.Poor Credit Home Loans, Bad Credit Mortgages – Poor credit home loans.. talk to lenders today that make home loans for people with low credit scores. There are no application fees or obligation.. Homeowners with fair and bad credit scores have found qualifying for sub-prime loans nearly impossible, so they are turning to FHA and VA.
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Are Liberals ready to take on the risk of shared equity mortgages? – They made a vow: they would try to take some action, but they would certainly not do anything that would make matters. it more difficult for homebuyers to qualify for a mortgage. And mortgage rates.
Average Mortgage Insurance Calculator Consider an ARM with a good mortgage rate plus perks – That’s exactly what the average 5-year ARM cost in our most recent weekly. You can use our adjustable-rate mortgage calculator to determine the monthly payments for the exact terms you are consider.
Education | C&F Mortgage – Loan Verification. Your ability to make the regular payments on the mortgage and to afford the costs associated with owning a home are primary considerations during the loan approval process.
What Does Reverse Mortgage Mean What is a reverse mortgage? | Yahoo Answers – A reverse mortgage is a loan, and a lien is placed against the property. He does not lose the house when he gets a reverse mortgage; he still has full title to it.
Mortgage Rates Slide To 13-Month Low | Bankrate.com – Mortgage rates this week The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 4.41 percent from 4.26 percent. The 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgage rose to 4.42 percent from 4.35 percent. The 30-year fixed-rate jumbo mortgage rose to 4.95 percent from 4.82 percent.
Where Are Homeownership Rates Going? – The average rate. access mortgage credit, and the number of homes that are for sale. At the macro level, demographics can probably work as a force of challenge to economic growth and business.
What actions can policymakers take to avert the brewing national housing crisis? – Higher mortgage rates also have conflated with the robust house price growth. The first thing most people do when they plan to purchase a home is determine the largest monthly payment they can.
What Bank Finances Mobile Homes Cheapest Closing Costs Mortgage mortgage rates drop, Making Homebuying Less Costly – At 4.31 percent, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is at its lowest since February of last year. Borrowers may still pay closing costs which are not included in the survey.Vanderbilt Mobile Home Loans & Financing | Vanderbilt. – Vanderbilt offers a variety of programs for financing a manufactured home or financing a mobile home. We have a financing solution for you, whether you are a first-time homebuyer, have perfect credit, or have less than perfect credit. All loan programs are subject to credit approval.
Mortgage Rates Fast Approaching 5%, a Fresh Blow to Housing. – mortgage rates hit their highest level in more than seven years this week.. and bless their heart for doing it-that's what I've been preaching,”.
Mortgage Rates and an Improving Economy: How It Impacts You – How many times will the Fed raise rates this year? Should I lock in a mortgage rate now? How is the job market doing? Are housing prices.
Borrowing From Your 401K For A Home Get Pre Approved For A Mobile Home Loan Average Mortgage Insurance Calculator Mortgage Payment Calculator | CNNMoney – money.cnn.com – This mortgage calculator from LendingTree is an estimate only and is not intended to be interpreted as a firm offer to lend funds. Please contact LendingTree to find a lender to give a loan quote.Instant and Anonymous Mobile Home Loan Pre-Qualification – Get a totally anonymous, free, instant manufactured home loan analysis BEFORE you fill out an application. You don’t have to give your name, no personal information, no email address, no phone contact info, no social security number, no credit pulls, nothing.Read this before you borrow from your 401(k) to buy a home – The pitfalls of using 401 (k) money to buy a home. When you borrow from a 401 (k) to purchase a home, then, one of the only ways to "beat the market" is to keep your job through the period of the loan, and hope that the stock market loses massive value throughout the 5-year term of your loan.
Tantrums And Tapers, TBAs And Mortgage Rates – By early 2014, Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC), the nation’s largest mortgage lender, had laid off about 12% of its workforce in that financial space.The trigger was supposedly interest rates, according to.
Kingston Mortgages & Brokers, Low Mortgage Rates | The. – Why Choose The Mortgage Professionals as your mortgage broker? Kingston’s The Mortgage Professionals is the largest mortgage brokerage in Eastern Ontario.
How Are Mortgage Rates Determined? | The Truth About Mortgage – So just because the 10-year bond yield rises 20 basis points (0.20%) doesn’t mean mortgage rates will do the same. In fact, mortgage rates could rise 25 basis points, or just 10 bps, depending on other market factors.
What are the Qualifications for a Mortgage Loan? – It includes bill payment history and the number of outstanding debts in comparison to the borrower’s income. The higher the borrower’s credit score, the easier it is to obtain a loan or to pre-qualify for a mortgage. If the borrower routinely pays bills late, then a lower credit score is expected.
Guide to FHA Loan Types & Requirements – MagnifyMoney – With their flexible requirements and low barriers to approval, FHA loans are some of the easiest loans to qualify for. Here’s a look at FHA loan requirements.
FHA Loan Qualifications, Qualify for FHA, Mortgage Qualification – Both programs have the same loan to value requirements as home buying requires a 3.5% down-payment or a 96.5% loan to value and FHA refinancing needs 3.5% worth of equity to qualify. Find out if you are eligible for a FHA loan with bad credit.
What Is a Loan Contingency? – Contracts for purchasing a home commonly include a loan contingency clause. after pre-approval can jeopardize your chances of getting the mortgage. The house must also meet certain requirements.
How To Get A Mortgage For A Second Home What to Know About Getting a Mortgage on a Second Home. – While the process is very similar, getting a mortgage on a second home can be a little different than financing a primary residence. In this article.
How mortgage recasting works and how it can save you money – mortgage recasting offers two attractive benefits for homeowners with some extra cash in their pocket: lower monthly payments and less interest paid over the life of the loan. First, borrowers must.
Average Closing Cost To Refinance Average Cost of a Mortgage Refinance: Closing Costs and. – Average Cost of a Cash-Out Refinance. We found that by refinancing the remaining balance today of $142,500 and cashing out $17,500 for a combined $160,000 in new proceeds, we increase the overall interest expense for the new loan to $92,300 from $89,600, notwithstanding closing costs.Low Interest Mortgage Refinance How To Get A Mortgage For A Second Home Homebase Mortgages: Second Mortgages | Home Equity Loan. – We are Toronto’s leading mortgage broker for hard to place Second Mortgages, Home Equity Loans, Home Equity Lines of Credit (HELOC) and Private Mortgages.We also help Toronto homeowners with Mortgage Refinancing, Debt Consolidation and more.. Having a tough time getting approved by a bank on a loan or having difficulties with high credit card payments?goodbye refi: rising interest rates all but erase refinance demand – According to Ellie Mae’s report, refis made up 45% of all originations back in January, when mortgage rates were in the low 4% range. Since then, refis have dropped as interest rates have risen as.
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What's the Average Down Payment on a House? | The Lenders Network – 6 minute read. The first thing people think about when they think of a mortgage is the down payment. But how much do you really need to put down on a house. We’re going to look into the typical down payment homebuyers can expect.
What Down Payment is Required? – Yeah, it’s scary. Coming up with enough cash to put down when buying a house is the single biggest roadblock for most hopeful home buyers. But how much do you really need? A down payment is the cash.
How Much Money Should You Put Down on a House? – This article/post contains references to products or services from one or more of our advertisers or partners. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products or services. Not.
How to keep your Inner Strength in times of great uncertainty: – She was defensive and would shut down the conversation altogether. It made the whole forgiveness factor so much harder. Almost impossible. I have my own suspicions that she was likely abused.
How Reverse Mortgages Work What Is a Reverse Mortgage? | DaveRamsey.com – But when you get a reverse mortgage, you don't make payments-you take. While all reverse mortgages basically work the same way, there are three main.
How Much Deposit Do You Need to Buy a House? | Pocketsense – A down payment is the amount of your mortgage that you must immediately pay when purchasing the house. It represents both a deposit on the loan and an act of good faith–in countries like Australia and the UK, it is often referred simply as a deposit instead of a down payment.
10 Percent Down Payment Mortgage 5 Low or No Down Payment Mortgage Loans | The Lenders Network – Another option tucked between rock-bottom zero- or low-down-payment plans and the straightforward conventional mortgage is a unique loan with a 10 percent down payment as part of its makeup: the "Piggyback Loan."Calculate Home Equity Payment CALCULATE A HOME EQUITY LOAN PAYMENT | Summit Credit Union – Receive useful tips and articles right in your inbox, and be the first to know about new promotions, events and products at Summit.What Does Reverse Mortgage Mean Minimum Credit For Home Loan Home Equity Loan vs Home Equity Line of Credit | U.S. Bank – Uses for a home equity loan vs. a home equity line of credit A home equity installment loan is ideal if you want a large lump sum of cash for a one-time expense, such.FHA Reverse Mortgage – The FHA reverse mortgage has a variety ways the borrower can receive the money including monthly payments, a line of credit, or combinations of payments and credit. The borrower does not pay on these loans until the house is sold.How To Get A Mortgage For A Second Home U.S. Bank |Second Mortgage vs. Home Equity Loan – The mortgage interest may be deductible, and these second mortgages allow you to use the equity in your home to pay for major expenses. Contact a banker or come into one of our many U.S. Bank locations for more information so they can work to understand your needs and provide options.
Rising interest rates cause a 2.6% pullback in weekly mortgage applications – such as the 15-year fixed and the FHA rate, were at their highest levels since 2011 and 2013, respectively. The jump in the fha rate caused a 7 percent drop in government purchase loans and a 13.
Where Is The Best Place To Get A Mortgage Loan How do I find the best loan available when I'm shopping for a. – Shopping around for a mortgage loan will help you get the best deal. Start with an internet search, or contact banks, credit unions, and other lenders and brokers in your area. The internet is a good place to start your search.
Mortgage rates tumble but may be headed back up – Mortgage rates fell for the third week in a row, but their downward trend may be short-lived. According to the latest data released Thursday by Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate average. [For.
Fixed Mortgage Rates Creep Toward Record Lows – The average rate for conforming 30-year fixed-rate mortgages fell by another four. HSH.com conducts a survey of mortgage rate data for a wide range of consumer mortgage products including ARMs, FHA.
FHA 203(k) Loan Definition – An FHA 203(k) loan is a type of government-insured mortgage that. The program allows an individual to buy a home and renovate it under one fixed- or adjustable-rate mortgage. The amount that is.
Current Interest Rates For Fha Home Loans – BRM Mortgages – FHA mortgage rates hew closely to the mortgage rates on traditional home loans. If the average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage stands at 5.4 percent, you can figure that the average FHA mortgage rate is nearly the same.
Fixed Rate Home Loan | BECU – At BECU you don’t pay an origination fee on conventional fixed-rate or adjustable-rate mortgage home loans for purchase and refinance transactions**. (FHA, VA) loans. Loans are subject to credit approval and other underwriting criteria, and not everybody will qualify.
Retired and looking for an interest-only mortgage? L&G and. – Retired and looking for an interest-only mortgage? More home loans for pensioners imminent as L&G launches deals – and others are on the way. Retirement interest-only mortgages are landing in the.
New Home Equity Tapping Tools Not Seen as Threat to Reverse Mortgages – Alternative home equity tapping products are largely seen by reverse mortgage originators and an industry observer. (HELOC), which has little to no closing costs and requires interest-only payments.
Mortgage Interest Rates Today | Home Loans | Schwab Bank – Explore competitive mortgage interest rates for conforming loans and jumbo loans.. Interest-only payment option: 3.925: 4.618: 0.0: Details : 15-Yr.. negotiate or originate any mortgage loan products and is neither a licensed mortgage broker nor a licensed mortgage lender. Home lending is.
Gateway Mortgage CEO: ‘We are actively pursuing opportunities to accelerate our growth’ – Start a digital subscription for only $0.99. Sign up now at tulsaworld.com/subscribe. My most immediate priorities are Gateway’s conversion from a mortgage company to a. Those experiences sparked.
How To Buy A Home With Low Income Buy a House in 2018 with these Low Income Home Loans – Miami: 2% of the home price for low- and moderate-income families; North Dakota: Just $500 out of pocket to buy. First-time home buyers who meet income requirements are eligible. Connecticut: Full down payment covered (typically 3-3.5%) via a low-interest loan.
What is an "interest-only" loan? – Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – An interest-only mortgage is a loan with scheduled payments that require you to pay only the interest for a specified amount of time.
Interest-Only Home Loans | The Truth About Mortgage – The interest-only period typically only lasts for the first 5-10 years of the loan, at which point your monthly mortgage payments can jump to possibly unmanageable levels. You actually get hit twice . | 2019-04-26T06:05:36Z | https://www.h-townrunners.com/mortgage-loans/ |
Now with Added Layer of Memory Foam for Premium Comfort!
The new and improved Contoured bed wedge now comes with a 2cm layer of memory foam on top of the product to give an even more superior comfort feel. This memory foam layer is removeable if you are prefer firmer support. This added adjustable option gives another comfort option to ensure that maximum comfort and effectiveness are achieved.
Scalloped top surface provides a safer sleeping position for those who want or need to sleep or rest in an elevated position.
Adjustments enable angle to be from 15° to 10°.
Can be used on the bed, couch or floor.
Available in Quilted or Waterproof versions.
The wedge pillow for acid reflux & heartburn.
4 different height options available - measured from middle of product.
- 25cm with both the memory foam layer and with the foam insert left in the product.
- 23cm with the memory foam layer removed and with the foam insert left in the product.
- 17cm with both the memory foam layer and the foam insert removed from the product.
Steri-Plus (waterproof) Version - suitable for hospitals, assisted care, when product is being shared or when incontinence may be a factor.
Our Contoured Bed Wedge is proudly made in Australia by us, an Australian owned company, utilising the world class manufacturing and health and safety standards that Australia upholds.
Minimise pressure: The angle and surface contour minimises pressure on lower back and buttocks.
Secure: Contoured scalloped surface moulds to body's contours giving the user a secure feeling.
Designed to be used with a low pillow.
Adjustable: Height and angle can be changed by removing an internal wedge to lower the bed wedge.
Eases breathing difficulties - comfort of people who suffer from CHF (congestive heart failure) and other and congestive heart conditions, who have shortness of breath and coughing when lying flat.
Helps relieve respiratory discomfort and ease breathing problems due emphysema, asthma, chest congestion, bronchial, GERD or other breathing constraints.
Alleviates back pain due to load bearing on the lower back while sleeping, convalescing periods or in hospital.
Encourages correct spinal alignment and provides body hugging support, thus helping relieve back conditions which cause pain and stress.
'Bed Wedge - Relaxer Recliner' is ideal for those persons suffering medical conditions requiring an angled sleeping position.
It's angle was arrived at after consultation with health specialists to find the most appropriate slope and contours.
Very good for the treatment of GERD and other disorders.
The 'Bed Wedge - Relaxer Recliner' is designed for use with a low pillow to ensure the neck is in line with the spine's natural curvature. Eliminates the need for a bed riser.
Watch TV in bed and be supported:Convalescents and accident victims find it impossible to watch TV from a flat position.
With the Contoured Bed Wedge you are immediately in the perfect position to read or to watch television in bed.
Elevates and supports the upper body, allows easier breathing and digestion. Perfect for reading in bed, sleeping, or simply relaxing in an elevated position. Predominantly designed for back sleeping. Very useful for the prevention of GERD.
Please note the Bed Wedge Support does not come with pillow. Model with pillow is for illustration purposes only.
The best wedge pillow for acid reflux & heartburn.
Contoured Bed Wedge elevates your head and supports your upper torso when sleeping or resting in bed to reduce or eliminate the symptoms of acid reflux, heartburn or gastric reflux (GERD - Gastroesoplhageal Reflux Disease) and other medical problems such as asthma, bronchial or breathing constraints, hiatus hernia, and heart conditions.
The elevation achieved through the use of the contoured bedwedge has also been found to be very useful in the treatment of Barrett's oesophagus or Barrett's condition as well as GERD.
Ideal for home, nursing homes and hospitals for people needing to sleep in an elevated or angled sleeping position.
Elevates and supports the head, neck, back and shoulders to support your body while sleeping, reading, or resting.
An very well received pillow for heartburn, pillow for GERD and pillow for Reflux.
Inner: Do not immerse in water. Dab clean with a solution of warm water and mild detergent. Do not machine wash. Do not tumble dry.Dry flat away from direct sunlight.
Quilted Cover: Not designed for repeated washing. (To avoid damage to the foam from constant removal of cover, leave cover permanently and cover with tailored overslip. Hand wash warm water mild detergent. Do not bleach. Do not machine wash. Do not tumble dry. Line dry, warm iron. Dry cleanable.
Steri-Plus Cover: It resists moisture, and is easily cleaned by wiping down with mild detergent warm water, and hung to dry. Wipe stains using a non-phenolic disinfectant in a diluted solution. Do not bleach. Do not machine wash. Do not tumble dry. Line dry. Do not iron.
Optional tailored over slip: Normal wash and Dry. Do not use chlorine bleach.
Service rating : Best ever pillow! Assists people with GERD and sinus problems. Alleviates systems because the wedge pillow elevates the upper torso.
This is my second wedge pillow. Excellent quality.
Product : Best quality pillow for people with sinus or digestive issues.
Service rating : Was very happy with service . Found the pillow comfortable.
Service rating : Pillow is very good quality and is aiding my husband at night as he often wakes up coughing wearing sleep apnoea mask, now he sleeps through as he is slightly elevated.
Product : Package was well wrapped and purchase was efficiently handled online.
Service rating : Online purchase process was efficient.
Product : It just doesn't work, too big a jump from the bed to the lowest part of the pillow leading to back ache. The smell from the foam material was overpowering and nauseous . The adjustment options weren't effective.
Service rating : Prompt and efficient service. Detailed product descriptions made choosing the right product easy.
Product : Comfortable for resting and reading and enabled better night sleep due to relieving dizziness symptoms.
Service rating : Great fast service. Would definetly purchase products again.
Product : Suffering from acid reflux I have tried using several pillows at night but it did not work as it affected my back and/or neck.
The Contoured Bed Wedge is great. Relief from acid reflux without discomfort in back and neck.
Service rating : PIllow - as expected. We've had one before and replaced it with same as we were very happy with it.
Ordering and checkout was great. No issues whatsoever.
Delivery was not so good. Fastway Australia was delivering. The pillow was delivered to the wrong address. I called Fastway and initially were quite rude and tried to convince me that it wasn't the case. After many attempts to explain to them they finally realised their error and promised to rectify "within the next 2-3 business days". Having not heard from them at all after that I picked up the item myself from the wrong address (fortunately the people at the other address were kind enough to keep pillow packed and safe). There was no signature required on delivery and Fastway (on their tracking record) automatically had "authority to leave".
Product : This thing is great. This is out second one and it is as good as our first one which lasted more than 5 years. Buy this with confidence.
Service rating : So very comfortable. Wish it is not so expensive, would like to buy another one. Love the delivery tracking notifications and my parcel arrived within 7days.
Product : Just what I needed. So very comfy. Exactly what the spec details said it would be like.
Service rating : Not at all uncomfortable and just what I needed. A good alternative to spending a fortune on an adjustable bed.
Product : Fantastic alternative to spending a fortune on an adjustable bed.
Service rating : Ordering was very easy, delivery very prompt and the product excellent quality.
Product : It is comfortable and easy to sleep on.
Product : This was purchased for my elderly Mother. Mum has had much better sleeps since using the pillow.
Service rating : Delivery was speedy and efficient.
Service rating : It was a completely no hassle order and arrived within the stipulated time.
Product : What I said above was meant for the wedge pillow and cover.
Service rating : Very comfortable and it suit its purpose.
Product : Quick and easy to do. Quick delivery to my door.
Service rating : An easy purchase of a good product with quick delivery.
My purchase was delivered promptly and safely.
Service rating : The whole process of ordering, communication with the buyer and delivery was seamless.
Product : After a recent diagnosis of GERD, and trying to sleep on three pillows and sometimes four it was not a satisfactory situation which resulted in a sore neck and back. After purchasing the Contoured Bed Wedge, recommended by a colleague, I now have undisturbed sleep and comfort. Thank you!
Product : The wedge is extremely comfortable - I love it. Has I proved asthma and reflux. Only little thing is I slide down the wedge a little when sleeping.
Service rating : It has helped my post nasal drop and has cut down my night coughing.
Product : Turn up as I expected, no complaining.
Service rating : Ordering online was straight forward, and there were no problems with delivery.
Product : Purchased the Angled Sleeping Wedge Pillow for my husband, to assist with sleep disturbance due to reflux. The product has been very effective in assisting with this problem. It's also very comfortable as a prop for reading or resting.
Service rating : After having surgery, the use of this pillow ensured I had a comfortable night every night and could sleep well.
Product : It fits and is comfortable.
Service rating : Comfortable. Effective against acid reflux. Delivery was quick!! I received the item within 3 days!
Service rating : Product is excellent.
Communication regarding purchase and delivery poor.
Product : Very pleased with the pillow, and wished I'd invested in one years ago ????
Service rating : well informed web site, ease of transaction and prompt delivery , all made you guys a great company to deal with, will be shopping again soon!
Product : My wife is so thankful for its support and design, thanks so much!
Service rating : Delivered promptly and website and service very good.
Product : Absolutely love, love, love this product. Wish I had bought it years ago.
Service rating : It would be ideal to have pillow cases available for the bed wedges.
Product : This product has made a huge difference with sleeping with severe nerve pain at least now I can get a good night's sleep and wake refreshed. Thank you.
Service rating : Great service arrived promptly also for acid reflux great relief best sleep for a long time.
Service rating : Robyn was excellent in solving a shipping problem not associated with your company!
Product : Pillow wedge was the perfect solution to elevate my significant other to help with her congestive heart failure symptoms during sleep! Ordered a second wedge for her Mother, the removable wedge insert is a great idea, allowed her Mother's wedge to be adjusted to a lesser angle.
Service rating : This Australian made pillow was delivered from Australia to New Zealand in less than a week.
Thank you for outstanding product and customer service.
The design and comfort is superb.
Great advantage in being able to adjust the height.
Service rating : I ordered online so had no interaction verbally. The response was efficient and prompt.
Product : The pillow has been a lifesaver for me - I can sleep again!
i bought this for my mum and she finds it very comfortable and I think does help her with her reflux issues. Just one thing the insert wedge which makes it higher was torn when I took it out as it was still attached at the seam and so very flimsy at the thin side that when I removed it it just tore a small section off the thin edge. Fortunately we don't use it with the wedge as it was too high for mum to be comfortable.
Service rating : Delivery occurred the next day.
Service rating : This is a decent company with great products. I would highly recommend them to people that need better support and/or positioning aides. I brought 3 items for a family member who is very ill and they have provided a lot of relief for them whilst resting in bed - which they often are due to their illness. The prices are expensive, but it is worth it to provide relief for the person suffering. I would definitely buy again. Only issue I had was finding a cover as the ones you can buy from this website have previously been noted to be of poor quality, which my family member also found, but, its better than nothing.
But still think it would be a really great idea for this company to create a variety of colored pillow covers for the pillows and positioning aides as they are unusual shapes and sizes and its difficult to find someone to make a cover for you and get the sizing perfect. If the company takes this on, it would fantastic if you could make the covers in a high thread count with quality stitching, as well as a flannelette option for colder months for people who use the positioning aides every day. As for colors, I would love to see in both a high thread count cotton sheet and the flannelette a white, cream, beige, blue to start with, and if they prove popular maybe you could do custom ordered colors?
Product : I brought this as a gift for a family member with severe chronic reflux to the point a peg feed is being discussed as the valve to hold food down doesn't work properly so when they lean forward or bend down for too long the food just comes out, they also have a number of other illness's causing them severe chronic pain. This contoured bed wedge has been a fantastic help to them, the amount of vomiting has decreased over 60% and they no longer wake up at night with the sudden urge to vomit. They also had difficulty keeping medication down in the morning as they would take the meds and lie down as their pain is often more severe in the morning, but then gravity and that malfunctioning valve would allow the water and meds to flow up and they would vomit them up, but now this also has been reduced by at least 90%. If you have reflux anything similar to this, I urge you to buy this, you wont be disappointed. They also stated the cushion is comfortable for their back, because prior if they were in bed in pain it would be a painful mission to sit up and drink something at times, but now they have to lean up much less to have a drink causing them less pain. I really thank you for this cushion, it has made a significant positive impact for my family member.
I would definitely buy again. Only issue I had was finding a cover as the ones you can buy from this website have previously been noted to be of poor quality, which my family member also found, but, its better than nothing. But still think it would be a really great idea for this company to create a variety of colored pillow covers for the pillows and positioning aides as they are unusual shapes and sizes and its difficult to find someone to make a cover for you and get the sizing perfect. If the company takes this on, it would fantastic if you could make the covers in a high thread count with quality stitching, as well as a flannelette option for colder months for people who use the positioning aides every day. As for colors, I would love to see in both a high thread count cotton sheet and the flannelette option in a white, cream, beige, blue to start with and if they prove popular maybe you could do custom ordered colors?
Service rating : Delivery was very quick, and the packaging was good.
Product : It's good, but I keep sliding off and waking with my head and pillow resting on the bottom edge. I'm trying to work out a way of staying up. Any suggestions? I don't think I can velcro myself on.
Service rating : the postage was bit too expensive; service was good!
Product : Wedge pillow is excellent, it helps a lot to my reflux, i definitely sleep better with it.
Service rating : I cannot find anywhere to rate your service. However, the service was 100%.
Product : I purchased the wedge pillow because I have acid reflux. However, a wonderful additional benefit is that I have 70% less pain with arthritis in my neck, shoulders and parts of my back, when sleeping. Before using the pillow I was in pain most of the night.
Product : Excellent, premium quality product! My apnea events have been reduced: This product, allows nasal sinuses to drain more efficiently (great for the cold & flu season). Also, In raising the head position, this product also minimizes throat collapse & tongue roll-back. So impressed, that I have already purchased another for my 6-year-old. Will be purchasing another (2) units soon!
Service rating : Prompt service, even a phone call to find out where to leave the parcel.
Product : It seems to work very well.
Good service. Delivery was on time.
I now get a great sleep every night. Oh and apparently the snoring has stopped.
Product : Well made. sits on bed well . Much cheaper than purchasing a bed with adjustable headrest a la hospital version. Wide enough to hold head in place.
Service rating : Easy ordering and fast delivery.
Product : Love the product. I have a sliding hiatus hernia so having my upper body elevated helps to get a good nights sleep.
Service rating : I thought the service from this company was excellent.
Product : I think this product is good but it seems very expensive for what it actually is... ie a carefully cut piece of foam!
Service rating : Website easy to use and prompt service.
Product : Description matched product recieved. Exacrly what we were looking for.
Service rating : Easy ordering and fast delivery to New Zealand. Excellent service.
Product : Happy with the product - good size and comfortable to lie on. As a side sleeper I found the full height wedge too high for comfort, but am managing much better since I removed the small foam insert. Pillow probably works best for back sleepers.
Service rating : A high price, but an excellent product supplied without undue fuss.
Product : An excellent wedge with a well-made cover.
Service rating : Excellent! Excellent quality products, kind service, and speedy delivery. I had placed a large order online, and found the Steri-plus cover on the bed wedge to not suit my hubby's needs as well as the quilted cover might have. I called and explained, and instead of charging me for an additional order of a quilted cover, I was sent one for free as a replacement to the Steri-plus cover. THAT is true quality--and most generous and compassionate--service! Thank you so much!!
Product : Excellent product. The bed wedge is perfect for reflux sufferers or for those with throat, esophagus, or stomach cancer who need to sleep at a slant or in a semi-upright position. I found that the Steri-plus cover was a bit too slippery (even with the overslip over it) and did not seem to "breathe" well. The quilted cover proved to be perfect for my hubby's needs.
Service rating : The items I ordered were delivered very quickly.
Product : The bed wedge has helped my health problem however the contour is too deep for me and I have had to place a rolled up towel underneath the wedge.
Service rating : Excellent service!!
Product : Absolutely worth every cent!! It has helped greatly in eliminating the symptoms I experience suffering with Barrett's oesophagus. This pillow holds it's shape well yet is soft enough to get a good nights sleep. I'd recommend this pillow to anyone suffering from reflux related conditions.
Service rating : Easy ordering process and prompt delivery.
Product : Purchased for my mother and it helps her breathing.
Product : excellent product. Super comfy. VERY large, takes up 1/2!the width of king sizeed bed. Fosm could have been a bit firmer/denser as it started to "flatten & squash within a week.
Service rating : Purchased the pillow + bed wedge for myself. Gastric Reflux + positional vertigo disappeared and not returned. Brilliant products.
Product : Purchased the bed wedge for husband as suffers sleep apnoea - noisy snoring for years. He now sleeps all night without snoring. He was very sceptical about the wedge but now a very happy chappy.
Service rating : Delivered quickly!
Product : A jersey or flannelette pillow case would make it more luxurious.
Product : I found it uncomfortable and a little too hard for me. I am also a side sleeper which is not ideal on that pillow, but that is my problem!
I'm very happy with the pillow, as I can now enjoy a rest full nights sleep as I suffer from sleep apnea and needed to find a solution for my problem.
Service rating : Delivery was very fast and instructions on where to deliver the pillow were followed. My experience with deliveries from other companies has not been the same.
Product : It has made a big difference to reflux during the night. Nice and wide. I do need to pop in a small pillow just to support my lower back/tailbone as I have a sway back.
Service rating : Very efficient and delivery was very quick.
Product : It worked beyond expectations, best night sleeps since using it.
Service rating : Good prompt service.
Product : It's pretty hard to get used to bid certainly makes a difference to my gastric condition.
Service rating : Very prompt.
Product : Met my needs perfectly.
Service rating : expensive (compared to same product from the US), but arrived quickly and without complications. good web site.
Product : A brace is needed so as not to slide down the bed.
Service rating : Delivery was prompt.
Product : Although the product is useful for reading in bed I am finding it difficult to sleep on. I like to sleep on my side which is hard to do with the wedge. I also find that I am sliding down the wedge when I am asleep.
Product : Works well when have bronchial breathing problems. Does what it was made for.
Service rating : Excellent service. Very responsive. Order processed and delivered very quickly.
Product : Have had one of these pillows before. Very comfortable and a good quality product.
Product : Happy with the cover though think it better if the cover goes entirely around the pillow with zip for example - but generally satisfied with cover.
Still getting used to it. Reflux problem reduced.
Service rating : Service was excellent. The person who took the order was helpful and answered all my questions, and delivery was prompt.
Product : My husband who is 81 and has a few health problems including sleep apnoea, is again enjoying a good night's rest on the Bed Wedge and the Leg Wedge. After Christmas I intend to purchase a Leg Wedge for myself.
Service rating : Excellent, fast, efficient service.
Product : This is an excellent wedge that provides support for participants on our retreats who need to lie down.
Service rating : Very good service from ordering to delivery.
Product : Very comfortable many thanks.
Service rating : Excellent operators sorted out my troubled attempt to make an order via the internet. I am very appreciative.
I was impressed by the message in your internet advertisement. I looked at it several times. Thank you.
Product : Could not be any better. Husband has chronic heart failure and is often short of breath. Used the pillow on the afternoon it arrived and he was a happy man - I was a very happy woman and we both have had better sleep since the pillow arrived last week. I am very , very grateful.
Service rating : Quick postage, quality products.
Product : Comfortable wedge with a nice quality cover. As with the leg relaxer though, I'm taking a point off for the strong chemical odour of the foam. I had to unzip the cover and leave the foam out for almost a week but it's fine now.
Service rating : The pillow was the best thing that I have purchased for my 86 year old mother. She is now very comfortable.
Service rating : Speedy despatch, very efficient.
Product : Very happy with this product. Would not hesitate to recommend the bed wedge to anyone who suffers from gastric reflux.
Service rating : Your phone service was good but as I said below, I would have like to have been warned that the foam would off-gas with a strong chemical smell. i get asthma & ezcema so I can't use the leg relaxer, without getting sick.
Product : the wedge also had the same strong odour, but having washed cover twice & whether it is because it is not encased in sheets, it now doesn't smell, so I can use it. I think the wedge is a good product & I'm glad I've bought it, but the products are expensive, so I'm very disappointed with the leg relaxer. also I think the covers should be finished better, as they will possibly fall apart after a few washes.
I have swallowing problems because of a brain injury. For two years I struggled to sleep without intense pain in my neck/swallowing. I wish I got this pillow ages ago - I have been sleeping pain free and almost feel human again! That is priceless.
Service rating : Fast delivery!!
Service rating : The service was excellent. I was able to track the whereabouts of the parcel at all times.
Product : Love it. It is beautifully contoured and is very comfortable to sleep on. Very happy with the service and product.
Service rating : Very prompt service, which I appreciated greatly.
Product : It does the job with reflux, though I can't use it every night, as lying on your side whilst using it is bad for the hips... but if you suffer bad reflux, even the occasional use can help get a good night's sleep.
Pros: Does the job. Gets you to sleep.
Product : Very helpful - we're slipping down a bit which means not getting full benefit of being raised, - we might need a foot stop too.
Service rating : I was very impressed that I had my order within 4 working days of ordering online.
Product : This my second wedge pillow - have used it for about 5 years because of my reflux. Take it everywhere with me literally can't sleep without it.
Very prompt service on delivery.
Service rating : The process was simple and the delivery time was excellent. Well done.
Product : It is excellent in terms of looks and make - it is taking a little bit of time getting used to sleeping like this but this is not about the product but being propped up. I would have no hesitation in recommending your products!
Product : Foam is a bit warm to sleep on and would be a little more comfortable with a memory foam layer on top.
Service rating : Not clear on your website what the difference in pillow covers is. I ordered wrong sort and had to order another one to get the right one for me. Pillow took over a week to be delivered, I thought it would have been quicker considering you use a courier. Most couriers offer next day delivery.
Product : Pillow wedge is good. However the second pillow case I ordered is flimsy and not nearly worth the $29.90 you charge for it. I would suggest you use thicker material.
Product : I was disappointed because all the photos show the wedge and the pillow on top thought I was getting both for that price.
Pillow has definitely allowed both the patient (my husband) and I get a good nights sleep. No waking up to vomit.
Service rating : Very helpful website & description of products. Fast & efficient delivery.
Product : Fantastic sleeping position while recovering from back problems over several weeks. Still use it, cut to half height under mattress to raise head a little - greatly reduces morning face puffiness & sinus problems.
Product : Thanks for your fabulous product. It has really reduced my reflux problem.
Service rating : As I said, the service was excellent.
Product : Would have liked to be able to vary the height a little more. Would also have liked it to be wider.
Product : Great. Exactly what I am looking for.
Product : Fast service, great product. I sleep in peace at last !!!
Service rating : I find that the service and delivery of my Therapeutic products is very fast and efficient.
Product : My Bed Wedge is GREAT! It enables me to get up out of bed very easily,where as before I was having trouble getting out. It has also taken the pressure away from my lower back and I am now on 3 weekly visits to my Chiropractor instead of twice weekly with rotated hips. I also find that when I wake up in the morning, I am still in the same position as when I went to bed, which is fantastic, as my spine is in a much better position all night. In all.................Thank you Therapeutic!!!!!!!!!
Products were dispatched & received extremely fast which was excellent.
Service rating : service excellent information and brochure included in packaging also very good.
Service rating : Your product was sent very promptly .
Product : The wedge is extremely comfortable and enables me to have the best nights sleep that I have had in months. Thank you so much.
Product : see above for our comments.
Service rating : The product is well made and very comfortable. The only problem is that it's easy to slide down the wedge during the sleep cycle, reducing the height of the head and chest.
Product : Both work well together and are effective.
Service rating : All equipment came quickly and was easy to choose from the web site.
Product : It helped my husband when he had lung cancer to sleep at a good angle but towards the end of his life, the wedge at the base of the pillow was too rigid for him.
Can you explain your wedge?
The adjustable Contoured Bed Wedge is popular because it allows you to rest or sleep at an angle of around It also features a sleeve which you can delete to lower the angle for personal comfort and medical requirement.
Why is the Contoured Bed Wedge pillow better than other wedges on the market?
The Contoured Bed Wedge pillow is longer than most wedges available and supports the head, chest and shoulders. Simply raising the head on pillow causes the body to bend in the middle and actually makes reflux worse. When not sleeping on your Contoured Bed Wedge, lean against it for reading or watching TV. It will slide easily under most beds. The bed wedge has a built in scallop shape to help keep you in position and is also adjustable for two different sleeping angles.
Do I have to sleep on my back to get the benefits of the Contoured Bed Wedge pillow?
No, you may sleep on your side or on your back and you will still get a better night's sleep.
How do I cover my Contoured Bed Wedge pillow?
The Contoured Bed Wedge pillow comes in a removable quilted or waterproof cover. These covers are not designed for regular washing. It is preferable to use a tailor made poly cotton covers on the wedge.
Can I still use my own pillow when sleeping on the Contoured Bed Wedge pillow?
Yes. Most people sleep comfortably when placing their own pillow on the Contoured Bed Wedge pillow. Try sleeping with and without your pillow and see what is more comfortable for you.
Yes. Water beds do not give as much support as regular mattresses, but the Contoured Bed Wedge pillow will still be effective.
Who can benefit from sleeping on Contoured Bed Wedge?
People with GERD, reflux, hiatus hernias, asthma, respiratory diseases, snoring problems, heart patients, pregnant women, or anyone who will sleep better elevated.
Does it take time to get used to sleeping on Contoured Bed Wedge?
It may take a night or two to get used to the benefits of your new sleeping position. Most people find it only takes one night to love their Contoured Bed Wedge.
Is Contoured Bed Wedge returnable?
Health regulations prohibit the return of pillows. Contoured Bed Wedge pillows and pillow covers are guaranteed against defects.
Does the Bed Wedge help with snoring?
We have had some pretty good feedback with the bed wedge helping snoring but i think getting of ones back will have a better result and get on ones side so i usually suggest of a contour pillow of some description used along with a side sleeper which will help to stay on ones side. If this doesn't work then often the bed wedge is a good option to try down the track. Hope this info helps.
In February this year I was diagnosed with secondary liver cancer after earlier having had major surgery for a very rare bowel cancer. I have really struggled to sleep since that time due to the chemo drugs and their effects and pain. The past two nights I have used the pyramid pillow and for the first time since February have actually been able to have more than an hours sleep at a time and I am not getting up feeling like my back and neck have been broken as I struggled with several pillows. The pillow is extremely comfortable for sitting and reading in bed. When I lie down to sleep I move the pyramid pillow down a bit and use a very soft pillow on top………bliss. I can’t thank you enough.
Usually when people have a heart condition of some description they are recommended to use a product that puts their heart above the rest of their body - which takes pressure off it - by encouraging gravity to help with the pumping of blood. In this case our main recommendation would be the bed wedge support. It will elevate the body and be on such an angle that there is relief for the heart but it is also comfortable enough to sleep. The snoring aspect is a more difficult one and normally this is result of weight and back sleeping as well as other factors. If your Dad were to get a pillow he was comfortable to side sleep on then this should help his snoring. The complete sleeper original is one of our most popular pillows and usually a good recommendation for those hoping to reduce snoring. It gets some pretty good feedback from most users. The bedwedge can be used for side sleeping either at its normal angle or with the reduced angle with the insert removed but it might take a little getting used to for your Dad. Please let me know what else we can assist with at any time.
My doctor told me to purchase a wedge pillow because of my acid reflux. What type should I by. Do I also need to buy a special pillow?
The pillow i would recommend for you is the Bed Wedge in Quilted cover (and cotton slip). It is a really well received product that works very well for GERD and ACID Reflux. The quilted cover is the more popular version but if you require a waterproof cover for any reason the Sterri-plus might be worth considering. Please call on 03 8585 6685 if we can be of more assistance.
Hi, just looking at your contoured bed wedge - angled sleeping wedge. Does this include the item in the photos for the legs also?
The bedwedge does just come as a wedge on its own. It does however come with the option of a memory foam insert to go on the top for added comfort. You will need to call us on 03 8585 6685 to have the memory foam segment added for you complimentary. The other product is the leg relaxer leg support and the pillow used in the images is naturelle low pillow.
How can I tell that this is the right size and slope for me?
We do have a removeable insert in the product so the angle can be slightly lowered if need be to 15 degrees which might suit a little if you find the Bed wedge too high initially. We do at 18 degrees the product with insert because we found this to be the highest angle where one can really comfortably sleep. If higher is required for the resting then people have found by placing two pillow across the base of the bedwedge they can again raise the angle but also keep the product stable. Please call if we can be of further assistance.
We have very good success with our clients using the contoured bed wedge to help with their acid reflux conditions. This would definitely the product i would recommend. It can be adjusted to be used at a lower angle but in truth i think most people find it most suitable as it is.
Basically we always recommend the quilted version as it is more comfortable. The only time we recommend the sterri plus version is if you require a water proof product or if product is being used by a number of different users. Please call if i can be of further assistance.
Hi, I have sleep apnea and acid reflux problem. This means I have to have my head elevated when I sleep. Otherwise I constantly cough and clear my throat. I have been trying to use 3 ordinary pillows to prop me up, but this has been unsuccessful. Can you recommend a product for my situation.
The pillow we have the most amount of success with is the contoured bed wedge which is purposefully designed to put you on an elevated angle and help with you acid reflux. It is quite comfortable to sleep on and we get very good reviews overall. Happy to chat further if you require but here is the link to the product and i think you will find it very helpful.
The bed wedge will help with comfort in regards to sitting in bed and being on an angle but i cant say how it will help with your back pain as there are so many different reasons for back pain. If the pain is being caused by lying down horizontally then being on an angle might help. We can put a layer of memory foam in with the bed wedge also which will help with pressure relief but again it really depends on where the pressure is. Happy to chat further if you would like to call us on 03 8585 6685.
The bed wedge does just come in the one size and tends to fit all but the tallest people (ie over 6 foot 6). The contours are vertical and not very noticeable. You can remove segment inside teh wedge should you find angle to high. Also the bed wedges now come with a memory foam layer on top to add another comfort option.
It seems that this bed wedge would be suitable for sinusitis/ear infection problems as it should allow the sinuses to drain better with head elevated. Could you comment on this please?
I would imagine that anything that elevates your head should help with drainage for both ears and sinus. We usually have very good response to this product so hopefully you would find it of benefit. Please contact us if we can help with more questions or anything else that you might need.
The Bed Wedge is primarily designed for back sleeping but many users find it very beneficial on their sides and will usually take the middle section out to drop the angle a little bit for better comfort on their side.
Hi Tracey, Sorry i am really not sure what to recommend. Has your doctor or surgeon made any recommendations for a sitting or lying position in bed? We have some products that may be helpful but def best to consult your surgeon on what might be beneficial for you. Warm regards, BRett.
I'm looking for a pillow that will allow a lady with right and left shoulder injuries to sleep in bed semi-inclined with her arms supported. Currently she is sleeping on a recliner chair because she cannot get comfortable.
Thanks for you contact and i am sure we can help. I would perhaps recommend the contoured bed wedge support to give her the elevation that she requires in bed and then perhaps this product (or we can purpose make a different design to better suit) to give her arms some higher support if that is what is required). Can i ask you to please give me a call to discuss further on 03 8585 6685 and can make sure that we are on the right track together.
Would the contoured Bed Wedge plus the Leg Relaxer mimic the effects of a zero gravity bed? I had spinal surgery in January but still get Bursitis and Ciatica (spelling??) pain from time to time.
Hi Shan, The seating position is very similar to the zero gravity chair with the exception that the zero gravity chairs move around depending on where you have your body weight positioned. The products can be used either together or seperately depending on what your requirements are. I would have thought they would be of some benefit for the sciatica and perhaps the bursitis depending on where you are suffering. Happy to chat further if you have some more questions. Warm regards, Brett.
Do you have heart pillows which assist in recovery for open heart surgery?
The short answer is that it can and many people have put bed wedge under mattress. However it is more specifically designed to go on top of the mattress as the extra weight from the mattress may cause the bed wedge to have a lesser lifespan in that it may squash down more quickly. Please give us a call to discuss if you have any questions.
Is this wedge pillow memory foam? also is there any chemical odour at all? I ask as i purchased one from another Aust. manufacturer which did & it caused a severe asthma attack..I have been looking for another one preferably Aust made so i'm hoping yours will be suitable, thanks.
Our trad and memory foam products are all Aussie made and shouldnt have an odour though new foams usually have a new foam smell. The wedge is not memory foam as that would not give enough support but a memory foam insert can be added so as to give the feel of memory foam. Please contact office 0n 03 8585 6685 shoud you have any further questions at all. Warm regards Brett.
Hi Kath, Dimensions of the pillow are 68 cm wide x 75 cm long x 25 cm high x 4 cm at lowest end in middle (7cm on lowest end on side). There is also an additional memory foam sleeve that can be inserted into the top of the bed wedge pillow to give it a little extra comfort. This is a new item and if you would like to order please contact your nearest stockist. Regards, Brett.
We dont at present have a wedge to go under the mattress. We have found that given a lot of beds are quite rigid (ie inner spring) the dont tend to bend at the right angle for a wedge like this to work. We find that the contoured bed wedge works very well and is quite easy to move around also. I have looked into the under mattress option and will see if we can get something that may work in a similar fashion. If you would like to view our wedge for your convenience please let me know and i can recommend a nearby stockist. Please call 03 8585 6685 and we can assist your questions.
The Bedwedge does not come with the pillow featured in the picture. That pillow is the naturelle low pillow. As most people will be resting on their back while using the bed wedge the naturelle low pillow is a great option and very well received when being used with the bed wedge.
Can I still use the bed wedge send sleep on my side, I have Scleroderma and am a restless sleeper.
Hi Tracy, While more specifically designed for back sleepers the bed wedge is often used for side sleeping. Most users will take out the wedge in the middle of the product to decrease the angle marginally for more comfort when sleeping on your side. I don't know how it will help exactly for scleroderma but sufferers of many conditions including GERD, Reflux, Bronchial infections, Fluid on the lungs and many other back related conditions do find the product to be of good benefit.
I have been suffering from GERD for over 15 years, I was diaognised with Barrett's esophagus 12 months ago. I have been using 2 pillows to sleep, but still wake up with the heart burn. Will this wedge pillow really help? And what exactly should I get, the list of things on the drop down list is confusing.
We have really good feedback regarding the use of our bedwege as a sleeping age for those that suffer Gerd and i have discussed the product with those who have Barretts oesopahagus in the past who have purchased the products in relation to the Bed Wedge in helping with the condition. I havent heard back the feedback with regards to the Barretts but normally if a product does not have any positive benefits we will hear back from a client for something else that may. There is also a memory foam layer that is now available to go on top of the bedwedge to give you a memory foam bed wedge feel but still provide good support. Please contact us on 03 8585 6685 and we can help you regarding any questions on GERD and perhaps you can let us know what might help you with your Barretts esophagus. Regards, Brett.
While not coming as a full memory foam wedge which would not be supportive enough we do supply memory foam top layer which can be either added to the product for a little bit more extra comfort and that memory foam feel if you require. Please call us if you would like to have this added with your order. Warm regards, Brett Parnham.
I have used your bed wedge and pillows with great success. I am seeking a "wedge" suitable for keeping sheets/blankets off my feet. The one I have been using for 25 years is actually disintegrating and having trouble sourcing another. Do you stock this product?
Yes we do stock this product at all times and we can send out to you if you would like. Please give us a call on 03 8585 6685. Warm regards. Brett.
Do you have a showroom for your wedge support cushion? And how is the sleeper stopped from slipping down the wedge?
Yes we have places where the products can be viewed all over Australia. Please contact our head office on 03 8585 6685 and we will be able to advise of a showroom nearby to you. Sliding down the wedge is not usually an issue. If it is you can either lower the angle of the product by removing the insert or simply use a sheet that is not too slippery and pyjama bottoms that are not to slipper so that you are less likely to slip. The bed seat and also the leg relaxer are often used alongside the products to prevent going further down the bed.
I need to find a wedge support for my mum. She suffers from Rotator Cuff Tears, Massive Cuff Tears, Subscapularis Tendon Tears all of them are partial. I need good soft support for her to be able to sleep at night. She is always in pain during her sleep.
I would recommend the bedwedge with an extra layer of memory foam. Please call us and we can discuss the needs of your mother in more detail on 03 8585 6685.
Will this wedge help reduce Reflux from hiatus hernia?
The feedback we get regarding the bed wedge suggests that it helps with most reflux though i cant comment specifically on hiatus hernia. The angle is comfortable enough to continue to sleep but also enough to provide relief. The angle can be changed by removing the insert if a lower angle is preferred. Please give us a call on 03 8585 6685 and happy to help further with all of your questions. Warm regards, Brett.
Looking for the best options for sleep with gord, hiatus hernia and Barrett's esophagus .
This product gets very good reviews for both Gord and Barretts esophagus. I am not sure about the hiatus hernia but from my brief reading i cant see any downside to using the product. The product can also be adjusted to lower the angle if that is your preference also. Please call us on 03 8585 6685 and we can help with any questions that you may have. Warm regards, Brett.
Re reviews, Is there still odours with the product.? Is slipping down really a problem?
I haven't heard of their ever being an issue with odour on the product to be honest. The bed wedge is an open cell foam and is completely inert after foaming has been completed. It uses a CO2 as a blowing agent (which gives the foam its buyoncy) so there shouldnt be any odour at all. Please give us a call if you have any further questions at all. (03) 8585 6685.
Hi Debbie, The height of the back of the bed wedge is 26cm on the sides and then approx 24cm in the middle of the back of the wedge where there is a slight concave. Hope this information is helpful. Warm regards, Brett.
Hi John, I think the bedwedge should work really well for your wife. You can adjust the angle though i think she would probably most like to have the insert in to keep on a decent angle. Please feel welcome to give us a call on 03 8585 6685 and happy to discuss at any time. Warm regards, Brett.
I am looking for a pillow wedge which will provide a 30 degree head elevation. What would you recommends? Kind regards, Ceridwen.
Are there any comfort advantages with the quilted contoured bed wedge?
Is there two heights available. I need one wedge to sit up, thus it needs to be at least 30 - 40 cm. One wedge for sleeping, at least 20cm.
what is the difference between quilted cover vs Steri-plus cover?
The sterri plus is waterproof cover and we only recommend that if product is being shared among users or if incontinence is an issue. For all others we recommend the quilted version. Warm regards, Brett.
what is a sterri-plus ????
May I know if you have a retail shop in Adelaide that we can have a look at the product before we purchase?
All these products can I see them in Cheltemham, do you have store there or is it just HO. Opening hours??
What does " give permission to leave " mean?
I have the mild Sleep Apnoea, do you have anything that will help me?
Hi K, Dimensions for bedwedge can be seen below. Size 68 cm wide x 75 cm long x 25 cm high x 4 cm at lowest end in middle (7cm on lowest end on side). Quilted Cover Cotton with polyester wadding Inner All-new 100% open cell 'breathing' urethane foam. Steri-Plus Outer Cover Moisture and bacteria-resistant polyurethane ply bonded to a knitted polyester backing. Optional tailored over slip Polycotton Manufactured Made in Australia Please let me know if you have any further requirements that we can help with. Warm regards, Brett.
can we have a free trial? my husband needs something to stop reflux after surgery.
Do you have a product suitable for side sleepers which would assist with GERD?
Where can I shop to see this pillow in Melbourne area and buy if suitable.I have a hiatus hernia. I leave in Essendon area.
Please let us know how we can assist. Thanks. Brett.
Is it possible to sleep on the side with this pillow?
I have chronic sinisitus and have to sleep with head fairly high up or I can't breathe. Am suffering bad buttock pain through sleeping with several pillows under my head - any suggestions?
Hello, Please contact our one of our distributors at qld rehab - Coast Showroom and they will have plenty of stock. 7 Dover Drive Burleigh Heads Qld 4220 | [email protected] | Tel: 1300 894 142 | Fax: 1300 802 710 Anything else please let me know and happy to help on 03 8585 6685. Warm regrds, Brett.
Can the head support be removed from the contoured bed wedge?
Hi There. I have some questions on your product "Contoured Bed Wedge - Angled Sleeping Wedge with Memory Foam Comfort"
could you tell me the degrees the bed wedge is please?
Hello, do you sell your products in Sydney?
what is the cost of the contoured bed wedge- angled sleeping wedge with memory foam comfort? Is that the two pieces to support legs and upper back?
Is the pillow range available for sale in shops in Adelaide Sth Aust so that i can work out if it's suitable for me?
Yes it is available throughout Adelaide. Please give our SA agent a call on 0412 808 830 and they will be able to recommend a nearby stockist of the products for you. warm regards, Brett.
Hello I am looking for product for Gastroesophageal reflux disease. Any recommendation? Thank you.
Hi there. I was just wondering how you justify the price of this item when compared with other apparently similar products on the market ranging between $40-100? Please could you explain why you think your product is superior and therefore worth the higher price. Thank you.
I have bought a wedge but am wondering if it's designed to be used with the pillow as shown in the picture (if so what type of pillow is that) or just by itself or with any pillow? Thanks.
Hi Paul, The bed wedge will be approx 20cm with the inner insert removed and if the memory foam layer is removed then it will probably be about 18cm high. Please give us a call if we can help with further questions at anytime. Warm regards, Brett.
Do you have a supplier in Brisbane that we could pick up from?
Thanks for your enquiry. Sleep specialists can recommend using slight elevation to assist with sleep issues. If you are located around Cheltenham, Melbourne you are welcome to visit our showroom and try either the Bed wedge or Adjusta Wedge product.
May I ask how long is the delivery time to where I live in Darwin postcode 0810? Just recently suffering from acid reflux from pregnancy and wish to have it sooner than later. Is it standard charge for postage or more for express and what are the delivery time for those? Many thanks.
If I purchase the quilted version, can I remove the cover and wash it or do I need to purchase with the cotton overslip?
Hi, do you ship to Singapore. How much will shipping cost be? Thank you. | 2019-04-24T00:07:46Z | https://www.the-pillow.com.au/circulation-support/bed_wedge_more |
1941_01. “Széchenyi igy gondolta.” [Such was Széchenyi’s view.] Sziv [Heart] (1 December 1941), p. 1.
1951_01. “Protestáns visszhang - Katolikus válasz.” [Protestant Echo - Catholic Reply.] Katolikus Szemle [“Catholic Review,” published in Rome in Hungarian.] 3 (1951), pp. 32-34 in 4°.
1952_01. “Új törekvések as Egyház hivő megértésére.” [New Trends toward a Spiritual Understanding of the Church.] Katolikus Szemle 4 (1952), pp. 19-22 in 4°.
1953_01. “Stockholmtól Lundig: Az ekuménikus mozgalom iránya és szelleme.” [From Stockholm to Lund: The Direction and Spirit of the Ecumenical Movement.] Katolikus Szemle 5 (1953), pp. 16-19 in 4°.
1954_01. “Ekuménikus Kongresszus Evanstonban.” [Ecumenical Congress in Evanston.] Katolikus Szemle 6 (1954), pp. 103-107 in 4°.
1954_02. “Szent Pál - Krisztus harsonája.” [Saint Paul: Christ’s Trumpet.] A Délamerikai Magyar Hirlap Évkönyve [Yearbook of the South-American Hungarian News.] São Paolo: Délamerikai Magyar Hirlap, 1954, pp. 19-23.
1954_03. “In His Image.” Image (mimeographed Literary Bulletin of Saint Vincent Seminary, Latrobe, PA) 1/2 (May 1954), pp. 3-6.
1954_04. “Istenhez láncolva.” [Chained to God.] Délamerikai Magyar Hirlap (21 March 1954).
1954_05. “Krisztus mint regényhös.” [Christ as novel-hero.] Délamerikai Magyar Hirlap (28 March, 4 April and 11 April 1954).
1954_06. “Három R és ami utána következik.” [The Three R’s and Their Consequences.] Délamerikai Magyar Hirlap (25 April 1954).
1954_07. “Az éhezö emberiség.” [Mankind in the Grip of Hunger.] Délamerikai Magyar Hirlap (2 May 1954).
1954_08. “Kereszténység és irodalom.” [Christianity and Literature.] Délamerikai Magyar Hirlap (9 May and 16 May 1954).
1954_09. “Ismét a három R.” [The Three R’s Again.] Délamerikai Magyar Hirlap (23 May 1954).
1954_10. “Washington magyar ezredese.” [Washington’s Hungarian Colonel.] Délamerikai Magyar Hirlap (6 June 1954).
1954_11. “Magyar fiataloknak: Gettysburgtól a Don Kanyarig.” [To Young Hungarians: From Gettysburg to the Don’s Bend.] Délamerikai Magyar Hirlap (13 June 1954).
1954_12. “McCarthy és a macartizmus.” [McCarthy and McCarthyism.] Délamerikai Magyar Hirlap (4 July 1954).
1954_13. “Az én rögeszmém.” [My Fixed Idea.] Délamerikai Magyar Hirlap (4 July 1954).
1956_01. “Chance and Evolution.” Civitas Dei: A Magyar Katolikus Tudományos és Müvészeti Akadémia Káldi György Társasága Tudományos Évkönyve [Scientific Yearbook of the Káldi György Society of the Hungarian Catholic Academy of Arts and Sciences, Saint Norbert College, West De Pere, WI] 1 (1956), pp. 46-67.
1957_01. Les tendances nouvelles de l’ecclésiologie. [New Trends in Ecclesiology.] (Rome: Casa Editrice Herder, 1957), 274pp. Doctoral Dissertation for STD [Sacrae Theologiae Doctoratus], Pontificio Ateneo S. Anselmo, Rome, 1950.
1958_01. “A Study of the Distribution of Radon, Thoron, and Their Decay Products above and below the Ground.” Jointly with Victor F. Hess. Journal of Geophysical Research 63 (1958), pp. 373-390.
1958_02. “A csillagászat új utjai.” [The New Paths of Astronomy.] Katolikus Szemle 10 (1958), pp. 26-32.
1958_03. “A világegyetem kialakulása.” [The Evolution of the Universe.] Katolikus Szemle 10 (1958), pp. 71-78.
1958_04. “Az élet eredete.” [The Origin of Life.] Katolikus Szemle 10 (1958), pp. 123-129.
1958_05. “Van-e élet más égitesteken?” [Is There Life on Other Celestial Bodies?] Katolikus Szemle 10 (1958), pp. 169-176.
1959_01. “The Ecclesiology of Abbot Vonier.” The American Benedictine Review 10 (1959), pp. 163-175.
1959_02. “Relativitás és abszolutum.” [Relativity and the Absolute.] Katolikus Szemle 11 (1959), pp. 41-54.
1959_03. “A világűr küszöbén: A Nemzetközi Geofizikai év eredményei.” [On the Threshold of Outer Space: The Results of the International Geophysical Year.] Katolikus Szemle 11 (1959), pp. 123-134.
1959_04. “Hit és tudomány Newton müveiben.” [Faith and Science in Newton’s Works.] Katolikus Szemle 11 (1959), pp. 210-220.
1960_01. “A titokzatos anyag.” [The Mysterious Matter.] Katolikus Szemle 12 (1960), pp. 132-136, 203-211.
1961_01. “A klasszikus fizika utja.” [The Road of Classical Physics.] Katolikus Szemle 13 (1961), pp. 42-53.
1961_02. “A titokzatos gravitáció.” [The Mysterious Gravitation.] Katolikus Szemle 13 (1961), pp. 125-136.
1961_03. “Rádiócsillagászat.” [Radioastronomy.] Katolikus Szemle 13 (1961), pp. 210-219.
1961_04. “A természettudomány születése.” [The Birth of Natural Science.] Katolikus Szemle 13 (1961), pp. 282-293.
1961_05. “Rádiócsillagászat.” Délamerikai Magyar Hirlap, 17-24-31 December 1961, 7-14-21 January 1962. Reprint in six installments of 1961_03.
1962_01. “A modern tudomány kezdetei.” [The Beginnings of Modern Science.] Katolikus Szemle 14 (1962), pp. 134-144.
1963_01. Les tendances nouvelles de l’ecclésiologie. Reprint edition of 1957_01.
1965_01. “Új fejezet a csillagászatban?” [A New Chapter in Astronomy?] Katolikus Szemle 17 (1965), pp. 77-79.
1965_02. “Van-e élet más égitesteken?” [Is There Life on Other Celestial Bodies?] Katolikus Szemle 17 (1965), pp. 362-365. Revised reprint of 1958_05.
1966_01. The Relevance of Physics. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1966), 604pp.
1967_01. “Recent Orthodox Ecclesiology.” Diakonia 2 (1967), pp. 250-265. English translation by J.M. Desjardins of pp. 99-105 of 1957_01.
1967_02. “The Role of Faith in Physics.” Zygon 2 (1967), pp. 187-202.
1967_03. “Olbers’, Halley’s, or Whose Paradox?” American Journal of Physics 35 (1967), pp. 200-210.
1969_01. Brain, Mind and Computers. (New York: Herder and Herder, 1969), 267pp.
1969_02. The Paradox of Olbers’ Paradox: A Case History of Scientific Thought. (New York: Herder and Herder, 1969), 269pp.
1969_03. “Goethe and the Physicists.” American Journal of Physics 37 (1969), pp. 195-203.
1969_04. “Introductory Essay” to: Pierre Duhem. To Save the Phenomena: An Essay on the Idea of Physical Theory from Plato to Galileo. Trans. E. Doland and C. Maschler. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1969), pp. ix-xxvi.
1970_01. Festrede am Jubiläumstage der Olbers-Gesellschaft [Official speech for the Jubilee of the Olbers Society]. (Bremen: Olbers-Gesellschaft, 1970), 15pp. The English version can be found in 1991_03.
1970_02. “Olbers als Kosmologe” [Olbers as Cosmologist]. Nachrichten der Olbers-Gesellschaft 79 (October 1970), pp. 5-13 in 4°. The English version can be found in 1991_03.
1970_03. “Drei kosmologische Vorträge von Wilhelm Olbers” [Three Cosmological Essays by Wilhelm Olbers]. Nachrichten der Olbers-Gesellschaft 79 (October 1970), pp. 14-28. The English version can be found in 1991_03.
1970_04. “New Light on Olbers’ Dependence on Chéseaux.” Journal for the History of Astronomy 1 (1970), pp. 53-55.
1970_05. “Re: ‘Jaki and Goethe’.” American Journal of Physics 38 (1970), p. 546.
1970_06. The Relevance of Physics. Reprint of 1966_01.
1971_01. “The Milky Way before Galileo.” Journal for the History of Astronomy 2 (1971), pp. 161-167.
1971_02. “Le Prix Lecomte du Nouy: Discours de remerciements. Rev. Stanley Jaki, Lauréat du Prix américain Lecomte du Nouy.” Cahiers de l’Association Lecomte du Nouy 3 (Spring 1971), pp. 9-15.
1972_01. The Milky Way: An Elusive Road for Science. (New York: Science History Publications; Newton Abbot: David and Charles, 1972), xi + 352pp.
1972_02. Address given on accepting the Lecomte du Nouy Prize for 1970. Cahier Bilingue de l’Association Lecomte du Nouy N° 2 (Spring 1972), pp. 48-54. English translation of 1971_02.
1972_03. “The Original Formulation of the Titius-Bode Law.” Journal for the History of Astronomy 3 (1972), pp. 136-138.
1972_04. “The Milky Way from Galileo to Wright.” Journal for the History of Astronomy 3 (1972), pp. 199-204.
1972_05. “Das Titius-Bodesche Gesetz im Licht der Originaltexte.” Nachrichten der Olbers-Gesellschaft 86 (October 1972), pp. 1-8.
1972_06. “The Early History of the Titius-Bode Law.” American Journal of Physics 40 (1972), pp. 1014-1023.
1972_07. “Brain, Mind and Computers.” Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation 24/1 (1972), pp. 12-17.
1972_08. “No Other Options.” Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation 24/3 (1972), p. 127. Letter to the Editor, regarding a critique to 1972_07.
1972_09. “The Titius-Bode Law: A Strange Bicentenary.” Sky and Telescope 43 (1972), pp. 280-281.
1972_10. Review of: P.A.T. Gunter (ed. and trans.). Bergson and the Evolution of Physics. (Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 1969). Zygon 7 (1972), pp. 138-139.
1973_01. “God and Creation: A Biblical-Scientific Reflection.” Theology Today 30 (1973), pp. 111-120.
1973_02. “Science morale et éthique scientifique.” Cahier Bilingue de l’Association Lecomte du Nouy N° 4 (Spring 1973), pp. 15-30.
1973_03. “Ethical Science and Scientific Ethics.” Cahier Bilingue de l’Association Lecomte du Nouy N° 4 (Spring 1973), pp. 47-61. English version of 1973_02.
1973_04. “The Last Century of Science: Progress, Problems and Prospects.” Proceedings of the Second International Humanistic Symposium. Athens: Hellenic Society for Humanistic Studies, 1973; pp. 248-264.
1973_05. Review of: M.N. Richter. Science as a Cultural Process. (Cambridge, MA: Schenken Publishing Company, 1972). Isis 64 (1973), p. 544.
1973_06. Review of: L.S. Swenson, Jr. The Ethereal Aether: A History of the Michelson-Morley-Miller Aether-Drift Experiments 1880-1930. (Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 1972). American Scientist (January-February 1973), p. 104.
1973_07. Articles in The McGraw-Hill Encyclopaedia of World Biography. 12 vols. (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1973). On the following scientists: Ampère 1:164-165, Becquerel 1:453-454, Bohr 2:44-47, Boltzmann 2:52-54, Born 2:82-83, Bothe 2:100-101, Brahe 2:140-141, Carnot, S. 2:380-381, Chadwick 2:459-460, Clausius 3:25-26, Cockcroft 3:61-62, Copernicus 3:61-62, Curie, M. 3:213-215, Debye 3:213-215, Dirac 3:389-390, Fizeau 4:131, Fourier 4:173, Fraunhofer 4:207-208, Fresnel 4:233-234, Galileo 4:289-292, Hamilton 5:62-64, Helmholtz 5:177-179, Hertz 5:243-244, Joliot-Curie 6:50, Kepler 6:176-179, Kirchhoff 6:214-215, Lorentz 6:568-569, Napier 8:61-62, Oersted 8:183-185, Ohm 8:191-192, Regiomontanus 9:133-134, Roentgen 9:247-249, Vesalius 11:132-133, Waals, van der 11:197-198, Wigner 11:357-358, Wilson, C. 11:397-398.
1974_01. Science and Creation: From Eternal Cycles to an Oscillating Universe. (New York: Science History Publications; Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1974), 367pp.
1974_02. “Scientific Ethics and Ethical Science.” Philosophy and Humanistic Literature: Three Scientific Communications. (Athens: Hellenic Society for Humanistic Studies, 1974), pp. 39-53.
1974_03. “The Better Part of Kohoutek.” Hallmark News (South Orange, NJ: Seton Hall University) 5/2 (Spring 1974), pp. 4-5.
1975_01. Translation from the Italian, with an Introduction and notes, of: Giordano Bruno. The Ash Wednesday Supper. (The Hague/Paris: Mouton, 1975), 174pp.
1975_02. The Milky Way: An Elusive Road for Science. (New York: Science History Publications, 1975). Paperback reprint of 1972_01.
1975_03. “A Hundred Years of Two Cultures.” The University of Windsor Review 11 (1975), pp. 55-59.
1975_04. “Knowledge in an Age of Science.” The University of Windsor Review 11 (1975), pp. 80-103.
1975_05. Culture and Science. (Windsor, Canada: University of Windsor Press, 1975), 52pp. Reprint with new pagination of 1975_03 and 1975_04.
1975_06. “The Edge of Precision.” In: John F. Hanahan (ed.). The Ascent of Man: Sources and Interpretations. (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1975), pp. 257-262. Reprint of 1966_01, pp. 273-279.
1975_07. Review of: N.R. Hanson. Constellations and Conjectures. W.C. Humphreys, Jr. (ed.). (Dordrecht: D. Reidel, 1973). Isis 66 (1975), pp. 110-112.
1976_01. Translation from the German, with an Introduction and notes, of: J.H. Lambert. Cosmological Letters on the Arrangement of the World-Edifice. (New York: Science History Publications; Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1976), vii + 245pp.
1976_02. “Theological Aspects of Creative Science.” In: W.A. McKinney (ed.) Creation, Christ and Culture: Studies in Honour of T.F. Torrance. (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1976), pp. 149-166.
1976_03. “Von subjektiven Wissenschaftlern zur objektiven Wissenschaft.” In: W. Becker and K. Hübner (eds.). Objectivität in den Naturwissenschaften. (Hamburg: Hoffman and Campe, 1976), pp. 154-168. German translation of 1977_01.
1976_04. “The Five Forms of Laplace’s Cosmogony.” American Journal of Physics 44 (1976), pp. 4-11.
1976_05. Review of: F. Ferré. Shaping the Future: Resources of the Post Modern World. (New York: Harper and Row, 1976). Theology Today 33 (1976), pp. 315-317.
1977_01. “From Subjective Scientists to Objective Science.” In: Proceedings of the Third International Humanistic Symposium. (Athens: Hellenic Society for Humanistic Studies, 1977), pp. 314-336.
1977_02. “Lambert: Self-taught Physicist.” Physics Today 30 (September 1977), pp. 25-32.
1977_03. “Dunkle Regenten als Vorläufer schwarzer Löcher.” Nachrichten der Olbers-Gesellschaft 107 (December 1977), pp. 3-10.
1977_04. “The History of Science and the Idea of an Oscillating Universe.” In: W. Yourgrau and A.D. Breck (eds.). Cosmology, History and Theology. (New York: Plenum Press, 1977), pp. 233-251.
1977_05. “An English translation of the Third Part of Kant’s Universal Natural History and Theory of the Heavens.” In: W. Yourgrau and A.D. Breck (eds.). Cosmology, History and Theology. (New York: Plenum Press, 1977), pp. 387-403.
1978_01. Planets and Planetarians: A History of Theories of the Origin of Planetary Systems. (Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press; New York: The Halstead Press of John Wiley Inc., 1978), vi + 266pp., with 42 illustrations.
1978_02. The Road of Science and the Ways to God: The Gifford Lectures, Edinburgh, 1974-1975 and 1975-1976. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press; Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1978), 478pp.
1978_03. Brain, Mind and Computers. (South Bend, IN: Regnery Gateway, 1978), 267pp. Second paperback edition with a new Preface of 1969_01.
1978_04. And on This Rock: The Witness of One Land and Two Covenants. (Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, 1978), 128pp.
1978_05. The Origin of Science and the Science of its Origin: The Fremantle Lectures. (Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press; South Bend, IN: Regnery Gateway, 1978), viii + 160pp.
1978_06. “Decision-Making in Business: Amoral?” In: Trends in Business Ethics. Nijenrode Studies in Business 3. (Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff, 1978), pp. 1-10.
1978_07. “Ethics and the Science of Decision-Making in Business: A Specification of Perspectives.” In: Trends in Business Ethics. Nijenrode Studies in Business 3. (Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff, 1978), pp. 141-156.
1978_08. “Paradoxes in Cosmology.” Cahiers Fundamenta Scientiae (Strasbourg) 82 (1978), pp. 33-36.
1978_09. “A Forgotten Bicentenary: Johann Georg von Soldner.” Sky and Telescope 6 (June 1978), pp. 460-461.
1978_10. “Johann Georg von Soldner and the Gravitational Bending of Light. With an English translation of his Essay on it published in 1801.” Foundations of Physics 8 (1978), pp. 927-950.
1978_11. “Lambert and the Watershed of Cosmology.” Scientia (Milan) 113 (1978), pp. 75-95.
1978_12. “Lambert e lo spartiacque della cosmologia.” Scientia (Milan) 113 (1978), pp. 97-114. Italian translation of 1978_11.
1978_13. “The Metaphysics of Discovery and the Rediscovery of Metaphysics.” Proceedings of the American Catholic Philosophical Association 52 (1978), pp. 188-196.
1978_14. Review of: H. Schwarz. Our Cosmic Journey: Christian Anthropology in the Light of Current Trends in the Sciences, Philosophy, and Theology. (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg, 1977). Theology Today 35 (1978), pp. 360-362.
1979_01. “Das Gravitations-Paradoxon des unendlichen Universums.” Südhoffs Archiv 63 (1979), pp. 105-122. German version of 1990_24.
1979_02. “The Reality Beneath: The World View of Rutherford.” In: M. Bunge and W.R. Shea (eds.). Rutherford and Physics at the Turn of the Century. (New York: Dawson and Science History Publications, 1979), pp. 110-123.
1979_03. “The Forces and Powers of Nature.” Theology Today 36 (1979), pp. 87-91.
1979_04. “Sur l’édition et la réédition de la traduction française des Cosmologische Briefe de Lambert.” Revue d’Histoire des Sciences 32 (1979), pp. 305-314.
1979_05. “The Cosmological Letters of Lambert and His Cosmology.” Colloque International Jean-Henri Lambert (1728-1777). (Paris: Editions Ophrys, 1979), pp. 291-300.
1979_06. “‘And on This Rock...’ Divine Origin of the Papacy.” The Wanderer (13 December 1979), pp. 1 and 6.
1979_07. “Science and Christian Theism: A Mutual Witness.” Scottish Journal of Theology 32 (1979), pp. 563-570.
1979_08. “Reichenbach’s Writings.” Review of: H. Reichenbach. Selected Writings, 1909-1953. M. Reichenbach and R.S. Cohen (eds.). 2 vols. (Dordrecht: Reidel, 1979). Nature 282/5734 (1 November 1979), pp. 114-115.
1979_09. Review of: E.M. Klaaren. Religious Origins of Modern Science: Belief in Creation in Seventeenth-Century Thought. (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1977). Theology Today 35 (1979), pp. 496-497.
1979_10. Review of: R. Jaquel. Le savant mulhousien Jean-Henri Lambert (1728-1777): Etudes critiques et documentaires. (Paris: Editions Ophrys, 1977). Isis 70 (1979), p. 178.
1979_11. “The Chaos of Scientific Cosmology.” In: D. Huff and O. Prewett (eds.). The Nature of the Physical Universe: 1976 Nobel Conference. (New York: John Wiley, 1979), pp. 83-112. Text of a speech given at the Conference on 7 October 1976, in Saint Peter, MN.
1980_01. Cosmos and Creator. (Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1980), xii + 168pp.
1980_02. The Road of Science and the Ways to God. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press; Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1980), vii + 478pp. Phoenix Paperback reprint of 1978_02.
1980_03. “Re-opening the Case for Natural Theology.” Review of: A.R. Peacocke. Creation and the World of Science: The Bampton Lectures 1978. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1979). Nature 284/5758 (24 April 1980), pp. 667-668.
1980_04. Review of: G. Tauber, Man’s View of the Universe. A Pictorial History: Evolving Concepts of the Universe from Ancient Times to Today’s Space Probes. (New York: Crown Publishers, 1979). Isis 71 (1980), p. 668.
1980_05. “‘And on This Rock...’ Divine Origin of the Papacy.” Reprint, by the Wanderer Press, in brochure form with new Foreword, of 1979_06.
1980_06. “A Brief Reminiscence.” In: Henry Francis Regnery, 1945-1979, In Memoriam. (Three Oaks, MI: 1980), p. 91.
1981_01. Translation from the German, with an Introduction and Notes, of: Immanuel Kant. Universal Natural History and Theory of the Heavens. (Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1981), 302pp.
1981_02. Cosmos and Creator. American edition of 1980_01. (Chicago: Regnery Gateway, 1981).
1981_03. “Chance or Reality: Interaction in Nature versus Measurement in Physics.” Philosophia (Athens) 10-11 (1980-1981), pp. 303-322. Also in: Science and Theology Seminar Papers, n. 2 (1986), pp. 86-102 (Oxford: Farmington Institute for Christian Studies, 1986).
1981_04. “De la science-fiction à la philosophie.” In: Science et antiscience. Collection: Recherches et débats. (Paris: Centurion, 1981), pp. 37-51. Lecture given at the Colloque organized by the Sécretariat international des questions scientifiques (SIQS) of the Mouvement International des Intellectuels Catholiques (a branch of Pax Romana), (Chantilly, 31 October-1 November 1979). French shorter version of 1990_18. The French title has been decided by the publisher, not by the author.
1981_05. “Lo absoluto bajo lo relativo: Unas reflexiones sobre las teorias de Einstein.” Anuario Filósofico (Pamplona: Universidad de Navarra) 14, n.1 (1981), pp. 41-62. Spanish original of 1985_03.
1981_06. “Religion and Science: The Cosmic Connection.” In: J.A. Howard (ed.). Belief, Faith and Reason. (Belfast: Christian Journals, 1981), pp. 11-28.
1981_07. “The Business of Christianity and the Christianity of Business.” Conference on World Religions and Business Behavior. Documents. (Nijenrode, The Netherlands: The Netherlands School of Business, 1981), pp. 206-229.
1981_08. Author’s Abstract of The Road of Science and the Ways to God (1978_02). The Monist 64 (1981), p. 126.
1981_09. Author’s Abstract of Cosmos and Creator (1980_01 and 1981_02). The Monist 64 (1981), p. 420.
1981_10. “Il caos della cosmologia scientifica.” In: D. Huff and O. Prewett (eds.). La natura dell’universo fisico. (Torino: P. Boringhieri, 1981), pp. 88-114. Italian translation of 1979_11.
1982_01. “The University and the Universe.” In: J.R. Wilburn (ed.). Freedom, Order and the University. (Malibu, CA: Pepperdine University Press, 1982), pp. 43-68.
1982_02. “Il caso o la realtà.” Il Nuovo Areopago 1/2 (1982), pp. 28-48. Italian translation of 1981_03.
1982_03. “Zufall oder Realität.” Philosophia naturalis 19 (1982), pp. 498-518. German translation of 1981_03.
1982_04. “From Scientific Cosmology to a Created Universe.” Irish Astronomical Journal 15 (1982), pp. 253-262.
1982_05. Author’s Abstract of Universal Natural History (1981_01). The Monist 65 (1982), p. 281.
1983_01. Et sur ce Roc: Témoignage d’une terre et de deux testaments. (Paris: Téqui, 1983), 111pp. French translation of 1978_04.
1983_02. Angels, Apes and Men. (La Salle, IL: Sherwood Sugden and Company, 1983), 128pp.
1983_03. “The Wronging of Wright.” In: A. Van der Merwe (ed.). Old and New Questions in Physics, Cosmology, Philosophy and Theoretical Biology. Essays in Honor of Wolfgang Yourgrau. (New York: Plenum, 1983), pp. 593-605.
1983_04. “E su questa pietra ....” Il Nuovo Areopago 2/4 (1983), pp. 197-214. Italian translation of pp. 45-52 and 93-102 of 1978_04.
1983_05. “The Greeks of Old and the Novelty of Science.” Arete Mneme: Konst Vourveris. Vourveris Festschrift. (Athens: Hellenic Humanistic Society, 1983), pp. 263-277.
1983_06. “The Physics of Impetus and the Impetus of the Kuran.” International Conference on Science in Islamic Polity - Its Past, Present and Future: Abstract of Papers, 19-24 November 1983, Islamabad. (Islamabad: Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of Pakistan and Organization of Islamic Conference, 1983), pp. 36-37. For full text, see 1985_07.
1983_07. “Cosmology as Philosophy.” 16. Weltkongress für Philosophie 1978. (Frankfurt am Main/Bern/New York: Peter Lang, 1983), pp. 149-154.
1984_01. Uneasy Genius: The Life and Work of Pierre Duhem. (Dordrecht/Boston/Lancaster: Martinus Nijhoff, 1984), xii + 472pp.
1984_02. “Maritain and Science.” The New Scholasticism 58 (1984), pp. 267-292.
1984_03. “Chesterton’s Landmark Year: The Blatchford-Chesterton Debate of 1903-1904.” The Chesterton Review 10 (1984), pp. 409-423.
1984_04. “God and Man’s Science: A View of Creation.” In: L. Morris (ed.). The Christian Vision: Man in Society. (Hillsdale, MI: Hillsdale College Press, 1984), pp. 35-49.
1984_05. “The Creator’s Coming.” Homiletic and Pastoral Review 85/3 (December 1984), pp. 10-15.
1984_06. Introduction to: E. Gilson. From Aristotle to Darwin and Back Again. Trans. J. Lyon. (Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1984), pp. xii-xviii.
1984_07. “From Scientific Cosmology to a Created Universe.” In: R.A. Varghese (ed.). The Intellectuals Speak Out About God. (Chicago: Regnery Gateway, 1984), pp. 61-78. Reprint of 1982_04.
1984_08. “An Author’s Reflections.” The Dawson Newsletter 3/2 (Summer 1984), pp. 6-8.
1984_09. “The History of Science and the Idea of an Oscillating Universe.” The Center Journal 4 (1984), pp. 131-165. Reprint of 1977_04 with a new postscript.
1984_10. Review of: P. Redondi. Epistemologia e storia della scienza. Le svolte teoriche da Duhem a Bachelard. (Milan: Feltrinelli, 1978). Revue d’Histoire des Sciences 37 (1984), pp. 85-87.
1984_11. Review of: A.R. Peacocke (ed.). The Sciences and Theology. (Stocksfield: Oriel Press, 1984). The Heythrop Journal 25 (1984), pp. 391-393.
1984_12. Review of: L. Bouyer. Cosmos. Le monde et la gloire de Dieu. (Paris: Cerf, 1982). Downside Review 102 (1984), pp. 301-307.
1984_13. “Back to the Origin.” Review of: P. Bowler. The Eclipse of Darwinism: Anti Darwinian Theories in the Decades around 1900. (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Press, 1983). The Tablet 238, 7492 (11 February 1984), pp. 135-136.
1984_14. “Scientists on Science and God.” Review of: F. Hoyle, The Intelligent Universe (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1984), Sir John Eccles and D. Robinson, The Wonder of Being Human: Our Brain and Our Mind (New York: The Free Press, 1984), P. Davies, Superforce: The Search for a Grand Unified Theory of Nature (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1984). Reflections (The Wanderer Review of Literature, Culture and the Arts) 3/4 (Fall 1984), p. 9.
1984_15. “Showdown?” Review of: V. Long. Upon This Rock. (Chicago: Franciscan Herald Press, 1983). Reflections 4/1 (Winter 1984), p. 20.
1985_01. Angels, Apes and Men. (La Salle, IL: Sherwood Sugden and Company, 1985), 128pp. Reprint of 1983_02.
1985_02. Introductory Essay to: Pierre Duhem. To Save the Phenomena. Paperback reprint of 1969_04.
1985_03. “The Absolute Beneath the Relative: Reflections on Einstein’s Theories.” Intercollegiate Review 20/3 (Spring/Summer 1985), pp. 29-38. English version of 1981_05.
1985_04. “Christ, Catholics and Abortion.” Homiletic and Pastoral Review 85/6 (March 1985), pp. 7-15.
1985_05. “The Creator’s Coming.” Faith Magazine 17/3 (1985), pp. 10-14. Reprint of 1984_05.
1985_06. “On Whose Side is History?” National Review (23 August 1985), pp. 41-47.
1985_07. “The Physics of Impetus and the Impetus of the Koran.” Modern Age 29 (1985), pp. 153-160. Full text of 1983_06.
1985_08. “Chance or Reality.” Freiheit und Notwendigkeit in der Europäischen Zivilisation: Perspektiven des modernen Bewusstseins. Referate und Texte des 5. Internationalen Humanistischen Symposiums 1981. (Athens: Hellenic Humanistic Society, 1985), pp. 303-322. Reprint of 1981_03.
1985_09. “Christian Culture and Duhem’s Work.” Downside Review 103 (April 1985), pp. 137-143. Reprint of 1984_08.
1985_10. “Worlds Fragmented.” Review of: J. Polkinghorne. The Way the World Is. (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1984). National Review (22 March 1985), pp. 53-55.
1985_11. Review of: P.B. Medawar. The Limits of Science. (New York: Harper and Row, 1984). Reflections 5/1 (Winter 1985), p. 9.
1985_12. “Creation and Monastic Creativity.” Monastic Studies (Toronto) 16 (Christmas 1985), pp. 79-92.
1985_13. “The Teacher: Dr. Victor Hess. The Student: Rev. Stanley Jaki.” Fordham (New York) (Fall 1985), pp. 10-11.
1985_14. Foreword to: P. Duhem. Medieval Cosmology: Theories of Infinity, Place, Time, Void and the Plurality of Worlds. R. Ariew (ed. and trans.). (Chicago: University Press, 1985), pp. xi-xviii.
1985_15. “Science and Hope.” The Hillsdale Review 7/2 (1985), pp. 3-16.
1985_16. “Dawson and the New Age.” Review of: C. Dawson. Christianity and the New Age. Reprinted with an Introduction by John J. Mulloy. (Manchester, NH: Sophia Institute Press, 1985). The Hillsdale Review 7/3 (1985), pp. 57-60.
1986_01. Science and Creation: From Eternal Cycles to an Oscillating Universe. (Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1986), viii + 377pp. Reprint with a postscript of 1974_01.
1986_02. Lord Gifford and His Lectures: A Centenary Retrospect. (Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press; Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Press, 1986), 138pp.
1986_03. The Keys of the Kingdom: A Tool’s Witness to Truth. (Chicago: The Franciscan Herald Press, 1986), iv + 226pp.
1986_04. Chesterton: A Seer of Science. (Urbana/Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1986), x + 164pp.
1986_05. Chance or Reality and Other Essays. (Lanham, MD/London: University Press of America; Bryn Mawr, PA: Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 1986), viii + 250pp. Reprint in one volume, with a Preface, of: 1967_02, 1969_03, 1975_03, 1975_04, 1976_02, 1977_01, 1981_03, 1982_01, 1983_05, 1984_02, 1984_03, 1985_06, 1985_09.
1986_06. “Order in Nature and Society: Open or Specific.” In: G.W. Carey (ed.). Order, Freedom and the Polity (Critical Essays on the Open Society). (Lanham, MD/London: University Press of America; Bryn Mawr, PA: Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 1986), pp. 91-111.
1986_07. “Man of One Wife or Celibacy.” Homiletic and Pastoral Review 86/4 (January 1986), pp. 18-25.
1986_08. “Un siècle de Gifford Lectures.” Archives de Philosophie 49 (1986), pp. 3-49. French translation of Chapter 1 of 1986_02.
1986_09. “The Case for Galileo’s Rehabilitation.” Fidelity 5/4 (March 1986), pp. 37-41.
1986_10. “A Most Holy Night.” Review of: R. Laurentin. The Truth of Christmas Beyond the Myths: The Infancy Narratives of Christ. (Petersham, MA: St. Bede’s Publications, 1986). Reflections 5/3 (Summer 1986), pp. 1, 21.
1986_11. “Cosmic Stakes.” Review of: J.D. Barrow and F.J. Tipler, The Anthropic Cosmological Principle (New York: Oxford University Press, 1986), J.D. Barrow and J. Silk, The Left Hand of Creation: The Origin and Evolution of the Expanding Universe (New York: Basic Books, 1983), and H.R. Pagels, Perfect Symmetry: The Search for the Beginning of Time (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1985). Reflections 5/3 (Summer 1986), p. 8.
1986_12. “Monkeys and Machine-Guns: Evolution, Darwinism and Christianity.” Chronicles 10/8 (August 1986), pp. 15-18.
1986_13. “The Intelligent Christian’s Guide to Scientific Cosmology” or “Intelligence and Cosmology.” Faith and Reason 12/2 (1986), pp. 124-136.
1986_14. “Science and Censorship: Hélène Duhem and the Publication of the Système du Monde.” Intercollegiate Review 21/2 (Winter 1985-1986), pp. 41-49.
1986_15. “The Impasse of Planck’s Epistemology.” Philosophia 15-16 (Athens) 1985-1986, pp. 467-488.
1986_16. “Science for Catholics.” The Dawson Newsletter 5/4 (Winter 1986-1987), pp. 5-11.
1986_17. “Das Weltall als Zufall - ein Mythos von kosmischer Irrationalität.” In: H. Lenk et al. (eds.). Zur Kritik der Wissenschaftlichen Rationalität. (Freiburg/München: Karl Alber, 1986), pp. 487-503. German version of 1990_14.
1986_18. “G.K.C. as R.C.” Faith and Reason. 12/3-4 (1986), pp. 211-228.
1987_01. And on This Rock: The Witness of One Land and Two Covenants. (Manassas, VA: Trinity Communications, 1987), 128pp. Second Edition, revised and extended of 1978_04.
1987_02. Uneasy Genius: The Life and Work of Pierre Duhem. Second paperback edition of 1984_01.
1987_03. Premices Philosophiques. Edition with introduction in English of Pierre Duhem’s early essays on the history and philosophy of physics. (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1987), xiii + 239pp.
1987_04. “Address on receiving the Templeton Prize.” In: Templeton. 1987 Templeton Prize. (Nassau, Bahamas: Lismore Press, 1987), pp. 10-11, 14-17. Also in: Occasional Papers, n. 24 (1987), (Oxford: Farmington Institute for Christian Studies, 1987), pp. 1-4 Also in: The Wanderer (22 October 1987), p. 8.
1987_05. “Miracles and Physics.” The Asbury Theological Journal 42/1 (Spring 1987), pp. 5-42.
1987_06. “Teaching of Transcendence in Physics.” American Journal of Physics 55/10 (October 1987), pp. 884-888.
1987_07. “Science and Religion.” In: M. Eliade (ed.). Encyclopedia of Religion. (New York: MacMillan, 1987). Volume 13, pp. 121-133.
1987_08. “A Theologian and Scientist Talks about Creator and Church.” Interview by M.L. Mudde in: The Wanderer (13 August 1987), p. 3.
1987_09. “Newman’s Logic and the Logic of the Papacy.” Faith and Reason 13/3 (1987), pp. 241-265.
1987_10. “Scienza, Dio, Progresso.” In: R. Barbieri (ed.). Uomini e Tempo Moderno. (Milan: Jaca Book, 1987), pp. 181-183.
1987_11. “Maritain and Science.” In: D.W. Hudson and M.J. Mancini (eds.). Understanding Maritain: Philosopher and Friend. (Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 1987), pp. 183-200. Reprint of 1984_02.
1987_12. “Le physicien et le métaphysicien. La correspondance entre Pierre Duhem et Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange.” Actes de l’Académie Nationale des Sciences, Belles-Lettres et Arts de Bordeaux 12 (1987), pp. 93-116. French original of 1989_06.
1987_13. “The Modernity of the Middle Ages.” Modern Age 31 (Summer/Fall 1987), pp. 207-214.
1987_14. “Normalcy as Terror. The Naturalization of AIDS.” Crisis 5/6 (1987), pp. 21-23.
1987_15. “Science: From the Womb of Religion.” The Christian Century (7 October 1987), pp. 851-854. Reprint of 1987_04.
1987_16. “Hit, Tudomány, Haladás.” Vigilia (Budapest) 52/8 (1987), pp. 620-624. Hungarian translation of 1987_04.
1987_17. “El hambre basica de la humanidad.” Nuestro Tiempo (Madrid) 71 (October 1987), pp. 48-61; Spanish translation of 1987_04.
1987_18. “The Absolute Beneath the Relative: Reflections on Einstein’s Theories.” In: D.P. Ryan (ed.). Einstein and the Humanities. (New York: Greenwood Press, 1987), pp. 5-18. Reprint of 1985_03.
1987_19. Angels, Apes and Men. Second printing of 1983_02.
1987_20. “Pierre Duhem et la philosophie des sciences au XXe siècle.” Communio (Paris) XII, 2 (March-April 1987), pp. 80-100. Text of a conference given at the University of Bordeaux, 29 November 1984.
1987_21. Text of the homily given in occasion of the marriage of Thomas Packer Willingham and Maria Reneé di Liberti, 14 November 1987, in Birmingham, Alabama, 4pp.
1987_22. “Blindness in The Blind Watchmaker.” Review of: R. Dawkins, The Blind Watchmaker (New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 1986), Reflections 6/2-3 (Spring/Summer 1987), p. 6.
1988_01. The Savior of Science. (Washington, DC: Regnery Gateway, 1988), 268pp.
1988_02. The Absolute Beneath the Relative and Other Essays. (Lanham, MD/London: University Press of America; Bryn Mawr, PA: Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 1988), viii + 233pp. Reprint in one volume, with a Preface, of: 1972_07, 1973_04, 1974_02, 1978_13, 1984_04, 1985_03, 1985_07, 1985_15, 1986_06, 1986_12, 1986_14, 1986_15. First publication of: 1988_17 and 1988_18.
1988_03. The Physicist As Artist: The Landscapes of Pierre Duhem. (Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1988), vi + 188pp. in 4° (Introduction with 235 illustrations in half tone and ten color plates).
1988_04. La strada della scienza e le vie verso Dio. Italian translation of 1978_02. (Milan: Jaca Book, 1988), 482pp.
1988_05. “Bible, Science, Church.” Review of: C.A. Russell, Cross-Currents: Interactions between Science and Faith. (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1985). Reflections 7/1 (Winter 1988), p. 2.
1988_06. “The Universe in the Bible and in Modern Science.” In: VV. AA. Ex Auditu. An International Journal of Theological Interpretation of Scripture Volume III. (Pittsburgh, PA: Pickwick Publications, 1988), pp. 137-147.
1988_07. “The Three Faces of Technology: Idol, Nemesis, Marvel.” Intercollegiate Review 23/2 (Spring 1988), pp. 37-46.
1988_08. “Physics and the Ultimate.” Ultimate Reality and Meaning 11/1 (March 1988), pp. 61-73.
1988_09. “Evicting the Creator.” Review of: S.W. Hawking, A Brief History of Time. From the Big Bang to Black Holes. (New York: Bantam Books, 1988). Reflections 7/2 (Spring 1988), pp. 1, 20, 22.
1988_10. “Big Bang di errori.” Review of: S.W. Hawking, Dal Big Bang ai buchi neri. Breve storia del tempo. (Milan: Rizzoli, 1988). Il Sabato (15-21 October 1988), pp. 33-34. Abbreviated Italian version of 1988_09.
1988_11. “Language, Logic, Logos.” The Asbury Theological Journal 43/2 (Fall 1988), pp. 95-136.
1988_12. “La science: enjeu idéologique.” Interview in: L’Homme Nouveau (Paris) (7-21 August 1988), p. 4.
1988_13. “The Only Chaos.” This World 22 (Summer 1988), pp. 99-109.
1988_15. “Moños y metralletas: evolución, darwinismo y cristianismo.” Nuestro Tiempo 75 (May 1988), pp. 116-123. Spanish translation of 1986_12.
1988_17. “The Role of Physics in Psychology: The Prospects in Retrospect.” In: 1988_02, pp. 85-101.
1988_18. “The Demythologization of Science.” In: 1988_02, pp. 198-213.
1988_19. “Sì. Si sbagliano tanti goal.” Interview by M. Gargantini in: Il Sabato (Milan) (10-16 September 1988), p. 27.
1989_01. God and the Cosmologists. (Washington, DC: Regnery Gateway; Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1989), vii + 286pp. Farmington Institute Lectures, Oxford, 1988.
1989_02. Miracles and Physics. (Front Royal, VA: Christendom Press, 1989), 114pp. Reprint with an Introduction and minor changes of 1987_05.
1989_03. Brain, Mind and Computers. (Washington, DC: Regnery Gateway, 1989), 316pp. Third edition with a new Foreword of 1969_01, and the addition of 1988_11.
1989_04. “Science: Revolutionary or Conservative?” Intercollegiate Review 24/2 (Spring 1989), pp. 13-22.
1989_05. Introduction to: P. Duhem. Au pays des Gorilles. (Paris: Beauchesne, 1989), pp. iii-xi.
1989_06. “The Physicist and the Metaphysician.” The New Scholasticism 63 (1989), pp. 183-205. English version of 1987_12.
1989_07. “Meditations on Newman’s Grammar of Assent.” Faith and Reason 15 (1989), pp. 19-34.
1989_08. Contributions at the 1988 Meeting per l’amicizia fra i popoli. In: VV. AA. Il libro del Meeting ‘88. Cercatori di Infinito. Costruttori di Storia. (Rimini: Meeting per l’amicizia fra i popoli, 1989), pp. 55-57, 62-63, 203-204.
1989_09. Introduction to: S.L. Jaki (ed.). Newman Today. (The Proceedings of the Wethersfield Institute, Volume 1, 1988). (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1989), pp. 7-16.
1989_10. “Newman’s Assent to Reality, Natural and Supernatural.” In: S.L. Jaki (ed.). Newman Today. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1989), pp. 189-220.
1989_11. “L’assoluto al di là del relativo: riflessioni sulle teorie di Einstein.” Communio 103 (Jan-Feb 1989), pp. 103-119. Italian translation of 1985_03.
1989_12. “Thomas and the Universe.” The Thomist 53 (1989), pp. 545-572.
1989_13. “The Virgin Birth and the Birth of Science.” Downside Review 107 (October 1989), pp. 255-273. With five illustrations.
1989_14. “Evicting the Creator.” Review of: S.W. Hawking, A Brief History of Time. From the Big Bang to Black Holes. (New York: Bantam Books, 1988). Reviews in Science and Religion 14 (May 1989), pp. 5-16. Reprint of 1988_09.
1989_15. “Cosmologia e religione.” Synesis 6/4 (1989), pp. 89-100. Italian translation of 1990_26.
1990_01. The Purpose of It All. (Washington, DC: Regnery Gateway; Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1990), xi + 294pp. Farmington Institute Lectures, Oxford, 1989.
1990_02. The Only Chaos and Other Essays (Lanham, MD: University Press of America; Bryn Mawr, PA: Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 1990), 288pp. Reprint in one volume, with a Preface, of: 1988_13, 1987_13, 1984_09, 1989_04, 1988_07, 1987_14, 1988_09, 1987_06, 1988_08, 1988_06, 1987_04. First publication of: 1990_14, 1990_15, 1990_16, 1990_17, 1990_18, 1990_19.
1990_03. Catholic Essays (Front Royal, VA: Christendom Press, 1990). Reprint, with an Introduction, of: 1986_16, 1986_09, 1984_05, 1986_10, 1985_04, 1986_07, 1986_18, 1981_07, 1986_13. First publication of: 1990_20.
1990_04. Cosmos in Transition. Essays in the History of Cosmology (Tucson, AZ: Pachart Publishing House, 1990). Reprint, with an Introduction, of: 1971_01, 1972_04, 1978_11, 1983_03, 1976_04, 1972_06, 1978_10, 1990_24, 1979_11.
1990_05. The Savior of Science. (Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1990). UK edition of 1988_01.
1990_06. A Tudomány Megváltója. (Budapest: Ecclesia, 1990), 278pp. Hungarian translation by K. Scholtz of 1988_01.
1990_07. Science and Creation: From Eternal Cycles to an Oscillating Universe. (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1990), viii + 377pp. American edition of 1986_01.
1990_08. Ciencia, Fe, Cultura. (Madrid: Ediciones Palabra, 1990), 208pp. Spanish translation by A. Artigas of: 1975_03, 1975_04, 1977_01, 1967_02, 1976_02, 1974_02, 1988_15, with an introductory essay (“La Obra de Stanley L. Jaki”) by M. Artigas.
1990_09. “Socrates, or the Baby and the Bathwater.” Faith and Reason 16 (1990), pp. 63-79.
1990_10. “Determinism and Reality.” In: The Great Ideas Today 1990. (Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, 1990), pp. 277-302.
1990_11. “Science and the Future of Religion.” Modern Age 33 (Summer 1990), pp. 142-150.
1990_12. “Christology and the Birth of Science.” The Asbury Theological Journal 45/2 (Fall 1990), pp. 61-72.
1990_13. “Cosmology and Religion.” Philosophy in Science, Volume 4 (1990), pp. 47-81.
1990_14. “The Cosmic Myth of Chance.” In: 1990_02, pp. 17-30. English original of 1986_17.
1990_15. “The Transformation of Cosmology in the Renaissance.” In: 1990_02, pp. 46-62.
1990_16. “Extra-terrestrials and Scientific Progress.” In: 1990_02, pp. 92-103.
1990_17. “Physics or Physicalism: A Cultural Dilemma.” In: 1990_02, pp. 162-178.
1990_18. “Science and Antiscience.” In: 1990_02, pp. 179-200. Revised English original of 1981_04.
1990_19. “The Hymn of the Universe.” In: 1990_02, pp. 233-245.
1990_20. “Commencement.” In: 1990_03, pp. 167-176. Address at the graduation of the Class of 1989, Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, PA.
1990_21. “Pierre Duhem: Physicien et paysagiste.” In: Colloque Pierre Duhem (1861-1916). Scientifique, Ancien Elève de Stanislas. Samedi 3 Décembre - Dimanche 4 Décembre 1988. Actes du Colloque (Paris: Stanislas. Classes Préparatoires, 1990), pp. 47-54.
1990_22. “Katolikus Tudomány.” Vigilia (Budapest) 55 (March 1990), pp. 168-174. Hungarian translation of 1986_16.
1990_23. “Krisztológia as a modern tudomány születése.” Jel [Sign] (Budapest) 2/5 (1990), pp. 7-12. Hungarian translation of 1990_12.
1990_24. “The Gravitational Paradox of an Infinite Universe.” In: 1990_04, pp. 189-212. English original of 1979_01.
1990_25. The Virgin Birth and the Birth of Science. (Front Royal, VA: Christendom Press, 1990), 32pp. Reprint in booklet form of 1989_13. With five color illustrations.
1990_26. “Cosmology and Religion.” Athéisme et Foi (Vatican City) 25/3 (1990), pp. 252-265. English original of 1989_15.
1990_27. “Newman and Science.” Downside Review 108 (October 1990), pp. 282-294.
1990_28. “Science: Western or What?” Intercollegiate Review 26/1 (Fall 1990), pp. 3-12.
1990_29. Review of: D.L. Sepper. Goethe contra Newton: Polemics and the Project for a New Science (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1988). American Historical Review 95 (1990), pp. 1492-1493.
1990_30. Introduction to: E. Gilson. Methodical Realism. (Front Royal, VA: Christendom Press, 1990), pp. 7-15.
1990_31. “A modern tudományos kozmologia és a kozmologiai istenérv.” Jel 2/6 (1990), pp. 9-17. Hungarian translation of 1990_13.
1990_32. “La cristologia e l’origine della scienza moderna.” Annales theologici 4/2 (1990), pp. 334-348. Italian translation of 1990_12.
1990_33. “Sushchestvnet li Sozdatel?” [Does a Creator Exist?] In: Obshchestvennye nauki Akademiia nauk SSSR 6 (1990), pp. 170-180. Russian translation of a lecture delivered in English in Moscow, 22 June 1989.
1990_34. “La fisica alla ricerca di una realtà ultima.” Cultura e Libri (May-June 1990), pp. 21-41. Italian translation of 1988_08.
1990_35. “Energétisme.” In: Encyclopédie philosophique universelle. II. Les notions philosophiques. Tome I. Philosophie occidentale: A-L. (Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1990), pp. 784-785.
1990_36. Angels, Apes and Men. (La Salle, IL: Sherwood Sugden and Company, 1990), 128pp. Third printing of 1983_02.
1990_37. “¿Hay un diálogo de sordos entre teólogos y científicos?” Interview in: Palabra (Madrid) 308 (XII-1990), pp. 36-38.
1991_01. Scientist and Catholic: Pierre Duhem. (Front Royal, VA: Christendom Press, 1991), 278pp.
1991_02. Pierre Duhem: Homme de science et de foi. (Paris: Beauchesne, 1991), 275pp. French translation by F. Raymondaud of 1991_01.
1991_03. Olbers Studies. With Three Unpublished Manuscripts by Olbers (Tucson, AZ: Pachart Publishing House, 1991), 96pp. Collection of essays with an Introduction. English version of 1970_01, 1970_02, 1970_03 and reprint of 1970_04.
1991_04. Erre a sziklára. (Budapest: Ecclesia, 1991), 156pp. Hungarian translation by Z. Jáki and C. Schilly of 1987_01.
1991_05. Dio e i cosmologi. (Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1991), 237pp. Italian translation by M.L. Gozzi of 1989_01.
1991_06. “The Mind: Its Physics or Physiognomy.” Review of: R. Penrose, The Emperor’s New Mind: Concerning Computers, Minds, and the Laws of Physics (New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989), xiv + 466pp. Reflections 10/2 (1991), pp. 1, 14-15. Also in: Reviews in Science and Religion (February 1991), pp. 9-16.
1991_07. “Newman and Evolution.” Downside Review 109 (January 1991), pp. 16-34.
1991_08. “Física y religión en perspectiva: Los científicos y la filosofía.” Interview by M. Baldwin and P. Pintado Mascareño in: Atlántida (Madrid) (January-March 1991), pp. 76-82.
1991_09. “An Interview with Dr. Stanley Jaki.” The Observer of Boston College 9 (April-May 1991), pp. 12-13, 17 in 4°. English original of 1991_08.
1991_10. “Undeceivably Infallible.” The Wanderer (25 July 1991), pp. 4, 6.
1991_11. Commencement Address. Christendom College, 12 May 1991. (Front Royal, VA: Christendom Press). Brochure of 16pp. Also in: Faith and Reason 17/2 (1991), pp. 123-135.
1991_12. “Beyond the Tools of Production.” In: Reflections on the 100th Anniversary of Rerum Novarum. Wanderer Supplement (16 May 1991), pp. 5-7 in 4°.
1991_13. Preface to: P. Duhem, The Origins of Statics (Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1991), pp. vii-xv.
1991_14. “A teremtés és a monasztikus kreativitás.” In: Corona fratrum, (Pannonhalma: Pannonhalmi Foapátság, 1991), pp. 77-90. Hungarian translation by Z. Jáki of 1985_12.
1991_15. “A teremtő kilakoltatása.” Jel 3/1 (1991), pp. 5-7. Hungarian translation of 1988_09.
1991_16. “Krisztus, a katolikusok és az abortusz.” Jel 3/3 (1991), pp. 70-74. Hungarian translation of 1985_04.
1991_17. “A meg nem csalható csalatkozhatatlanság (Infallibilitás és kollegialitás).” Jel 3/4 (1991), pp. 99-104. Hungarian translation of 1991_10.
1991_18. “Jogosult-e Galileit rehabilitációia?” Jel 3/5 (1991), pp. 135-140. Hungarian translation of 1986_09 with some additions.
1991_20. “Expulsar al Creador.” In: VV. AA. Física y religión en perspectiva. (Madrid: RIALP, 1991), pp. 145-158. Spanish translation by J.A. Gonzalo of 1988_09.
1991_21. “Física y Religion en perspective: Coloquio.” In: VV. AA. Física y religión en perspectiva. (Madrid: RIALP, 1991), pp. 176-187. Spanish translation by F. del Olmo of the English part of the speeches.
1991_22. Introduction to: P. Duhem. German Science. Trans. J. Lyon. (La Salle, IL: Open Court Publishing Co., 1991), pp. xiii-xxv.
1992_01. Reluctant Heroine: The Life and Work of Hélène Duhem. (Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1992), xii + 335pp. With illustrations.
1992_02. Genesis 1 Through the Ages. (London: Thomas More Press; New York: Wethersfield Institute, 1992), xii + 317pp. With illustrations.
1992_03. Universe and Creed. The Père Marquette Lecture in Theology 1992. (Milwaukee, WI: Marquette University Press, 1992), 86pp.
1992_04. “A Seminar with Father Stanley Jaki.” In: R.A. Brungs, M. Postiglione (eds.). Proceedings of ITEST Workshop, 18-20 October 1991. (St. Louis, MI: ITEST Faith/Science Press, 1992), pp. 63-159.
1992_05. The Relevance of Physics. (Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1992), xii + 604pp. Paperback reprint of 1966_01 with a Preface to the new edition.
1992_06. Il Salvatore della scienza. (Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1992), 228pp. Italian translation by B. Bosacchi of 1988_01.
1992_07. Spacitel nauki. (Moscow: Greko-latinskii kabinet, 1992), 315pp. Russian translation by I. Lupandin of 1988_01. With a preface by the translator.
1992_08. Az ország kulcsai: Egy eszköz tanuságtétele. (Budapest: Ecclesia, 1992). Hungarian translation of 1986_03.
1992_09. Isten és a kozmológusok. (Budapest: Ecclesia, 1992), 291pp. Hungarian translation of 1989_01.
1992_10. Krisztus, Egyház, tudomány [Christ, Church, Science.] (Budapest: Jel, 1992), 174pp. Reprint, with an Introduction of: 1987_16, 1992_19, 1990_23, 1991_15, 1992_21, 1991_14, 1990_22, 1991_18, 1991_16, 1991_17, 1992_20.
1992_11. Csodák és fizika. (Budapest: Ecclesia, 1992), 91pp. Hungarian translation of 1989_02.
1992_12. “Telltale Remarks and a Tale Untold.” In: C. Wybrow (ed.). Creation, Nature, and Political Order in the Philosophy of Michael Foster (1903-1959). (Lewiston, NY: The Edwin Mellen Press, 1992), pp. 269-296.
1992_13. “Christ and Science.” Downside Review 110 (April 1992), pp. 110-130.
1992_14. “Creation Once and for All.” In: Proceedings of the 24th Annual National Wanderer Forum, 18-19 October 1991. (St. Paul, MN: Wanderer Forum Foundation, 1992), pp. 6-11 in 4°.
1992_15. “The Nonsense and Sense of Science.” In: H. Owens (ed.). A Warning is Given. (Woodstock, MD: Apostolatus Uniti, 1992), pp. 43-46.
1992_16. “Universe and Creed.” Introduction to the Père Marquette Lecture. The Wanderer (14 May 1992), p. 7.
1992_17. “L’evidenza scientifica della finalità.” In: Cultura e libri 80 (August-September 1992), pp. 13-18. Italian translation of pp. 170-174 of 1990_01.
1992_18. “Cristo, los catolicos y el aborto.” (Madrid: Premio Fundacion Adevida, 1992), 15pp. Spanish translation of 1985_04.
1992_19. “Krisztus és a természettudomány.” 16pp. Hungarian translation by M. Sághy of 1992_13.
1992_20. “Egynejű vagy nőtlen papság.” Jel 4/1 (1992). Hungarian translation of 1986_07.
1992_21. “Az elme fizikája vagy fiziognómiája.” Jel 4/2 (1992), pp. 40-43. Hungarian translation by M. Sághy of 1991_06.
1992_22. “Lehet-e keresztény szintézis?” [Is a Christian Synthesis Possible?] Jel 4/4 (1992), pp. 105-108.
1992_23. “Genezis 1. fejezet: A kozmosz keletkezése?” Jel 4/6 (1992), pp. 167-172. Hungarian translation of 1993_10.
1992_24. “Christology and the Birth of Modern Science.” In: Church and Theology: Festschrift for Dr. Jong Sung Rhee’s Seventieth Birthday. (Seoul: Christian Literature Society, 1992), pp. 769-785. Reprint of 1990_12.
1992_25. “L’absolu au delà du relatif. Réflexions sur Einstein.” Communio 17/4 (1992), pp. 135-149. French translation of 1985_03.
1992_26. “Duhem, Pierre.” In: Encyclopédie philosophique universelle. Vol. III. Les oeuvres philosophiques. Dictionnaire. Tome I. (Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1992), pp. 2376-2378.
1992_27. Newman oggi. (Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1992), 229pp. Italian translation by S.I. Voicu of 1989_09 and 1989_10.
1992_28. Interview in: The Houston Clarion, Houston, 2/4 (March 1992), pp. 7, 16.
1993_01. Is There a Universe? (New York: Wethersfield Institute; Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 1993), viii + 137pp. The Forwood Lectures for 1992.
1993_02. Bog i kozmologi. (Moscow: Allegro Press, 1993), 321pp. Russian translation by I. Lupandin of 1989_01.
1993_03. Mi az egész értelme? (Budapest: Ecclesia, 1993), 280pp. Hungarian translation of 1990_01.
1993_04. Világegyetem és hitvallás. (Budapest: Ecclesia, 1993), 85pp. Hungarian translation of 1992_03.
1993_05. “Medieval Christianity: Its Inventiveness in Technology and Science.” In: A.M. Melzer, J. Weinberger, M.R. Zinman (eds.). Technology in the Western Political Tradition. (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1993), pp. 46-68.
1993_06. “Gilson and Science.” In: J. Lehrberger (ed.). Saints, Sovereigns, and Scholars: Studies in Honor of Frederick D. Wilhelmsen. (New York: Peter Lang, 1993), pp. 31-47.
1993_07. “The Last Word in Physics.” Philosophy in Science 5 (1993), pp. 9-32.
1993_08. “History as Science and Science in History.” Intercollegiate Review 29/1 (Fall 1993), pp. 31-41.
1993_09. “Patterns versus Principles: The Pseudo-scientific Roots of Law’s Debacle.” The American Journal of Jurisprudence, 38 (Fall 1993), pp. 135-157.
1993_10. “Genesis 1: A Cosmogenesis?” Homiletic and Pastoral Review 94/3 (August-September 1993), pp. 28-32, 61-64.
1993_11. “The Purpose of Healing.” The Linacre Quarterly 60/1 (February 1993), pp. 5-15.
1993_12. “Az ember igazi eredete.” [The True Origin of Man.] Jel 5/1 (1993), pp. 3-6 in 4°. Lecture given at the Hungarian World Congress on Bioethics, Budapest, 6-8 June 1992. The English version can be found in 2001_02.
1993_13. “A hála értelme.” [The Meaning of Gratitude.] Jel 5/2 (1993), pp. 80-81 in 4°.
1993_14. “Bioetika és keresztény következetesség.” Jel 5/4 (1993), pp. 105-108 in 4°. Hungarian version of 1994_09. Lecture given at the International Congress of Christian Bioethics, Budapest, 16 June 1993.
1993_15. “Az élet kettös védelme: természeti és természetfeletti.” Jel 5/5 (October 1993), pp. 135-140 in 4°. Hungarian translation of 1994_08.
1993_16. “A természettudomány eredete.” (Győr: Keresztény Ertelmiek Szövetsége, 1993), 15pp. Discourse on the dedication of the Jedlik Ányos auditorium. Széchenyi István Technical University, Győr, 25 November 1991. Available also in a pro manuscripto version.
1993_17. “Adam Lord Gifford.” In: Dictionary of Scottish Theology (Edinburgh: R. & R. Clark, 1993), p. 358.
1993_18. The Background of Humanae Vitae Peter’s Chair: a Professorial Chair? (Gaithersburg, MD: Human Life International, 1993), 16pp. Lecture given at the International Congress of Human Life International, Houston, 17 April 1993.
1993_19. “The Relationship between Theology and Science.” Our Sunday Visitor (Huntington, IN) (14 February 1993), pp. 8-9. Interview on the Galileo affair.
1993_20. Narodziny z Maryi panny a narodziny nauki. (Wroclaw: TWE, 1993), 36pp. Polish translation of 1990_25.
1993_21. “La realtà dell’universo.” [The Reality of the Universe]. In: M. Sánchez Sorondo (ed.). Physica, Cosmologia, Naturphilosophie: Nuovi approcci. (Rome: Herder and Università Lateranense, 1993), pp. 327-341.
1993_22. “A gyógyítás célja.” Jel 5/6 (1993), pp. 167-172 in 4°. Hungarian translation of 1993_11.
1994_01. Presentation, introduction and notes to: Lettres de Pierre Duhem à sa fille Hélène. (Paris: Beauchesne, 1994), 237 pp.
1994_02. Lo scopo di tutto. (Milan: Ares, 1994), 283pp. Italian translation by M.L. Gozzi of 1990_01.
1994_03. Zbawca nauki. (Poznań: W drodze, 1994), 211pp. Polish translation of 1988_01.
1994_04. Introduction to: J.H. Newman. Anglican Difficulties. (Certain Difficulties Felt by Anglicans in Catholic Teaching.) (1850; Fraser, MI: Real View Books, 1994), pp. v-xlii, and “Notes on Anglican theologians mentioned by Newman,” pp. 277-283.
1994_05. Introduction to: A. Carrel. The Voyage to Lourdes. (Fraser, MI: Real View Books, 1994), pp. 5-36.
1994_06. “Ecology or Ecologism.” In: G.B. Marini-Bettolo (ed.). Man and His Environment. Tropical Forests and the Conservation of Species. (Vatican City: Pontifical Academy of Sciences, 1994), pp. 271-293. Contribution given during the Study Week promoted by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, 14-18 May 1990.
1994_07. “Liberalism and Theology.” Faith and Reason 20 (Winter 1994), pp. 347-368.
1994_08. “Life’s Defense: Natural and Supernatural.” The Linacre Quarterly 61/1 (February 1994), pp. 22-31. Reprint of 1993_18.
1994_09. “Consistent Bioethics and Christian Consistency.” The Linacre Quarterly 61/3 (August 1994), pp. 87-92. English version of 1993_14.
1994_10. “Genesis 1: A Cosmogenesis?” Faith (London) 1994. Reprint of 1993_10.
1994_11. “Teológia és liberalizmus.” Jel 6 (September 1994), pp. 201-207. Hungarian version of 1994_07.
1994_12. A Szüzi szülés és a tudomány születése. (Budapest: Ecclesia, 1994), 35pp. Hungarian translation of 1990_25.
1994_13. “Szent Péter széke: egy professzori katedra?” Jel 6 (January-February 1994), pp. 4-7, 39-40. Hungarian translation of 1993_18.
1994_14. “Computers: Lovable but Unloving.” Downside Review 112 (July 1994), pp. 185-200.
1994_15. “Authoritatively No-Authority to Ordain Women.” The Wanderer (30 June 1994), pp. 4, 8.
1994_16. “Two Miracles and a Nobel Prize: The semicentennial anniversary of the death of Alexis Carrel.” Catholic World Report (November 1994), pp. 60-63.
1994_17. Kozmogenezis-e a Genezis 1? [Genesis 1, a Cosmogenesis?]. (Budapest: JEL, 1994), 24pp. Hungarian translation by Z. Jáki of an extended version, with notes, of 1993_10.
1994_18. “A bioetika etikai megalapozá.” Jel 6/8 (October 1994), pp. 237-242. Hungarian version of 1995_12.
1995_01. Patterns or Principles and Other Essays. (Bryn Mawr, PA: Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 1995), viii + 235pp. Reprint in one volume, with an Introduction, of: 1993_09, 1994_06, 1990_09, 1993_05, 1992_12, 1990_10, 1993_08, 1990_28, 1993_06, 1992_15, 1991_06, 1993_07.
1995_02. Lord Gifford and His Lectures: A Centenary Retrospect. (Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1995), viii + 168pp. Second Edition, revised and extended of 1986_02.
1995_03. Bóg i kosmologowie (Raciborz: RAF i Scriba; Wroclaw: TWE, 1995), 215pp. Polish translation by P. Bołtuć of 1989_01.
1995_04. Postscript to the reprint of: J.H. de Groot. The Shakespeares and “the Old Faith.” (Fraser, MI: Real View Books, 1995), pp. 258-276.
1995_05. Introductory Essay to the reprint of: K.A. Kneller. Christianity and the Leaders of Modern Science: A Contribution to the History of Culture during the Nineteenth Century. (Fraser, MI: Real View Books, 1995), pp. vii-xxviii.
1995_06. Introductory Essay to the reprint of: A. Barruel. Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism. (Fraser, MI: Real View Books, 1995), pp. xi-xxxvii.
1995_07. “Cosmology: An Empirical Science?” Philosophy in Science 6 (1995), pp. 47-75.
1995_08. “To Awaken from a Dream, Finally!” Review of: S. Weinberg. Dreams of a Final Theory. (New York: Pantheon, 1993). Philosophy in Science 6 (1995), pp. 159-173.
1995_09. “Angels, Brutes and the Light of Faith.” Crisis (January 1995), pp. 18-22.
1995_10. “The Sabbath-Rest of the Maker of All.” The Asbury Theological Journal 50/1 (Spring 1995), pp. 37-49.
1995_11. “Beyond Science.” In: W.A. Rusher (ed.). The Ambiguous Legacy of the Enlightenment. (Lanham, MD: University Press of America; Claremont, CA: Claremont Institute, 1995), pp. 208-213.
1995_12. “The Ethical Foundations of Bioethics.” The Linacre Quarterly 62/4 (November 1995), pp. 74-85.
1995_13. Introduction to: P. Duhem. Wi Li Li Lun Ti Mu Ti Yü Chieh Kou. (Beijing: State Publishing House, 1995), pp. 1-11. Chinese translation by Zhang Lai-ju of Pierre Duhem. La Théorie physique: son objet - sa structure.
1995_14. “Két csoda és egy Nobel-dij.” Jel 7 (February 1995), pp. 45-47. Hungarian translation of 1994_16.
1995_15. “Kényszerzubbony viselése nélkül.” [Without wearing a straitjacket.] Interview in: Magyar Nemzet (Budapest) (15 April 1995), p. 18 in 4°.
1995_16. “Cosmologia: ¿Una ciencia empirica?” In: J.A. Gonzalo et al. (eds.). Cosmologia astrofísica: Cuestiones fronterizas. (Madrid: Alianza Universidad, 1995), pp. 248-270. Spanish version of 1995_07.
1995_17. “Fede e ragione fra scienza e scientismo.” Interview in: Cristianità 239 (March 1995), pp. 15-20.
1995_18. “A Győri Bencés Gimnázium Jedlik termének felavatása.” [Dedication of the Jedlik room of the Benedictine Gymnasium in Győr]. A Czuczor Gergely Bencés Gimnázium Évkönyve 1994-1995. (Győr: 1995), pp. 17-23.
1995_19. “Angyalok, állatak és a hit fénye.” Communio (Christmas 1995), pp. 32-42. Hungarian translation of 1995_10.
1995_20. Introduction to: A. Carrel. Utazás Lourdes-ba. (Budapest: Kairosz Kiadó, 1995), pp. 5-48. Hungarian translation by M. Sághy of 1994_05.
1996_01. Bible and Science. (Front Royal, VA: Christendom Press, 1996), vi + 218pp.
1996_02. L’origine de la science et la science de son origine. (Paris: ESKA, 1996), 144pp. French translation by M. Bouin-Naudin of 1978_05.
1996_03. A fizika látóhatára. (Budapest: Abigél, 1996), 612pp. Hungarian translation of 1966_01.
1996_04. Ciencia y Fe: Pierre Duhem. (Madrid: Ediciones Encuentros, 1996), 259pp. Spanish translation of 1991_01.
1996_05. Van-e Univerzum? (Budapest: Abigél, 1996), 143pp. Hungarian translation of 1993_01.
1996_06. Introductory Essay to: H.E. Manning. The True Story of the Vatican Council. (Fraser, MI: Real View Books, 1996), pp. vii-xxxii.
1996_07. Introductory Essay to: Saint John Fisher. The Defence of the Priesthood. (Fraser, MI: Real View Books, 1996), pp. vii-xxix.
1996_08. Introductory Essay to: J.-F. Stoffel, Pierre Duhem et ses doctorands: Bibliographie de la littérature primaire et secondaire. (Louvain-la-Neuve: Université catholique de Louvain, 1996), pp. 9-19.
1996_09. “A Gentleman [Newman] and Original Sin.” Downside Review 114 (July 1996), pp. 192-214.
1996_10. “Catholic Church and Astronomy.” In: History of Astronomy. An Encyclopedia. (New York: Garland Publishing Company, 1996), pp. 127-131.
1996_11. “The Inspiration and Counter-Inspiration of Astronomy.” The Asbury Theological Journal 51/2 (Fall 1996), pp. 71-87.
1996_12. “Words: Blocks, Amoebas, or Patches of Fog? Artificial Intelligence and the Conceptual Foundations of Fuzzy Logic.” In: B. Bosacchi, J.C. Bezdek (eds.). Applications of Fuzzy Logic Technology III, vol. 2761. (Bellingham, WA: SPIE, 1996), pp. 138-143. Proceedings of the Conference of the International Society for Optical Engineering, Orlando, FL, 10-12 April 1996.
1996_13. “A Telltale Meteor.” The Wanderer (22 August 1996), p. 6 in 4°.
1996_14. “What Would the Darwinists Say?” The Wanderer (28 November 1996), p. 9, in 4°.
1996_15. “Egy árulkodó meteorit.” Jel 8 (November 1996), pp. 3-4. Hungarian translation of 1996_13.
1996_16. “Van-e utolsó szó a fizikában?” Fizikai Szemle (Budapest) 46/8 (August 1996), pp. 274-280. Hungarian translation of 1993_07.
1996_17. “Jedlik Ányos: Az utols-mágus.” In: Magyar Villamos Művek (Budapest: Közleményei, 1-2/1996), pp. 77-78, in 4°. Discourse for the centenary of Jedlik Ányos at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, 12 December 1995. Also in: Jedlik Ányos emlékezete (Budapest: Uniprint Nyomda KFT, 1996), pp. 10-18.
1996_18. Extract of 1996_17. Elektrotechnika (April 1996), pp. 180-181 in 4°.
1996_19. “Még sok a megoldatlan kérdés a fejlödéstanban.” Magyar Nemzet (5 November 1996), p. 12.
1996_20. “Le sabbat du Créateur de l’univers.” Revue des Questions Scientifiques 167 (1996), pp. 355-373. French translation of 1995_10.
1996_21. “A Közepkori keresztényseg találékonysága a tudomában és a tudomániban.” In: Országos Műszaki Múzeum Evkönyve. (Budapest: 1996), pp. 11-32. Hungarian translation of 1993_05.
1996_22. “Amit Isten mértékkel teremtett, csak mérésekkel igazolató.” Interview in: Természet Világa (Budapest), 1996/8, pp. 361-363.
1996_23. “Shectodniev: Kozmogenezis.” Philosophskii poick 3 (1997), (Minsk: Propilei), pp. 63-74. Russian translation of 1993_10.
1996_24. “Simplicity before Complexity” or “Second General Commentary.” Lecture given at the Plenary Session of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, 27-31 October 1992, and printed in: B. Pullman (ed.). The Emergence of Complexity in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (Vatican City: Pontifical Academy of Sciences, 1996), pp. 423-431.
1996_25. “Jedlik Ányos emlékezete.” Interview in: Jel 8/3 (March 1996), pp. 92-94.
1996_26. “A Tudomány és a hit nem allithato szembe egymassal.” [Science and faith cannot be in conflict.] Interview in: Új Ember (Budapest) (24 November 1996), p. 6.
1997_01. Theology of Priestly Celibacy. (Front Royal, VA: Christendom Press, 1997), 223pp.
1997_02. And on This Rock: The Witness of One Land and Two Covenants. (Front Royal, VA: Christendom Press, 1997), viii + 169pp. Third enlarged edition of 1978_04.
1997_03. Világ és Vallás. [World and Religion.] (Budapest: Abigél, 1997), 163pp. Reprint, with a Preface, of the following essays already published in Hungarian: 1993_12, 1993_15, 1993_22, 1993_14, 1992_22, 1994_13, 1994_11, 1995_19, 1996_15, 1996_19, 1995_15, 1995_14, 1995_18, 1996_17, 1993_13; and of the first chapter of: P. Haffner. Creation and Scientific Creativity: A Study in the Thought of S.L. Jaki. (Front Royal, VA: Christendom Press, 1991).
1997_04. Biblia és Tudomány. (Budapest: Abigél, 1997), 240pp. Hungarian translation of 1996_01.
1997_05. “Did the Pope Surrender to Evolutionary Theory?” The Wanderer (30 January 1997), p. 4 in 4°.
1997_06. “I limiti di una scienza senza limiti.” In: F. Barone, G. Basti, C. Testi (eds.). Il Fare della scienza: I fondamenti e le palafitte. (Padua: Il Poligrafo, 1997), pp. 13-30. Italian translation of 1999_07.
1997_07. Introductory Essay to: J.-B. Bossuet. History of the Variations of the Protestant Churches. (Fraser, MI: Real View Books, 1997), pp. vii-xxxv.
1997_08. Introductory Essay to: C. Hollis. Erasmus. (Fraser, MI: Real View Books, 1997), pp. vii-xxxii.
1997_09. “Newman and Miracles.” Downside Review 115 (July 1997), pp. 193-214.
1997_10. “Natural Reason and Supernatural Revelation.” Fellowship of Catholic Scholars Quarterly 20/4 (Fall 1997), pp. 22-29.
1997_11. “The Biblical Basis of Western Science.” Crisis (October 1997), pp. 17-20. Text of a lecture given on 26 April 1997 at The Philadelphia Society, Philadelphia.
1997_12. “The Origin of the Earth-Moon System and the Rise of Scientific Intelligence.” In: Commentarii IV/3. Plenary session on the beginning and early evolution of life, 22-26 October 1996. Part I. (Vatican City: Pontifical Academy of Sciences, 1997), pp. 321-331.
1997_13. “Klónozás és érvelés.” Magyar Bioetikai Szemle (1997/3), pp. 1-9. Also in: Communio (Budapest) (1997/3), pp. 48-60. Hungarian version of 1998_08.
1997_14. “Ordenadores: Maquinas Amables pero incapaces de amar.” In: Tecnología. Hombre y Ciencia (Madrid: Associacion Juve, 1997), pp. 183-193. Spanish translation of 1994_14.
1997_15. “Los limites de una ciencia ilimitada.” In: Tecnología. Hombre y Ciencia. (Madrid: Associacion Juve, 1997), pp. 242-256. Spanish translation of 1999_07.
1997_16. “Jáki Szaniszló Széchenyi díjas.” Jel 9 (October 1997), pp. 252-253.
1997_17. “Science, Culture, and Cult.” In: G.B. Marini Bettolo, P. Poupard (eds.). Science in the Context of Human Culture II, Acts of the Conference on Culture and Religion, 30 September-4 October 1991. (Vatican City: Pontifical Academy of Sciences, 1997), pp. 93-118.
1997_18. “A Föld-Hold rendszer és a tudomány megjelenése.” A Czuczor Gergely Bencés gimnázium Évkönyve 1996-1997. (Győr: 1997), pp. 16-26. Hungarian translation of 1997_12.
1997_19. “Következetes bioetika és keresztény következetesség.” Magyar Bioetikai Szemle (1997/1-2), pp. 1-5. Reprint of 1993_14.
1997_20. “Alistair Cameron Crombie (4-11-1915, † 9-2-1996).” In: Commentarii IV/3. Plenary session on the beginning and early evolution of life, 22-26 October 1996. Part I. (Vatican City: Pontifical Academy of Sciences, 1997), pp. 57-60. Commemoration of a deceased Pontifical Academician.
1998_01. God and the Cosmologists. (Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press; Fraser, MI: Real View Books, 1998), xii + 286pp. Second, revised, and entirely reset edition, enlarged with a Postscript, of 1989_01.
1998_02. Genesis 1 Through the Ages. (Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press; Royal Oak, MI: Real View Books, 1998), x + 301pp. Second enlarged edition of 1992_02.
1998_03. The Virgin Birth and the Birth of Science. (Fraser, MI: Real View Books, 1998), 32pp. Revised and reset edition of 1990_25.
1998_04. Tudomány és Világnézet. (Science and Philosophy) (Budapest: Lexica, 1998), 268pp. Collection of essays in Hungarian, including the translation of 1997_06, 1996_11, 1997_05, 1996_12, 1994_06, 1997_11, 1998_06, and the reprinting of 1996_21, 1997_17, 1997_10, 1998_14, 1997_13.
1998_05. A papi cölibátus teológiája. (Budapest: Agapé/Ecclesia, 1998), 256pp. Hungarian translation by E. Kovács of 1997_01.
1998_06. “Pluralism in Education and Education in Pluralism.” Journal of Education 180 (3, 1998), pp. 67-84.
1998_07. “Cosmic Rays and Water Spiders.” In: J.M. Templeton - K.S. Giniger (eds.). Spiritual Evolution: Scientists Discuss Their Beliefs. (Philadelphia, London: Templeton Foundation Press, 1998), pp. 67-97.
1998_08. “Cloning and Arguing.” The Linacre Quarterly 65/1 (February 1998), pp. 5-18.
1998_09. “Newman: A Mystic?” Downside Review 116 (April 1998), pp. 143-145.
1998_10. “Newman and his Converts: An Existential Ecclesiology.” Catholic Dossier 4/1 (January-February 1998), pp. 17-28.
1998_11. The One True Fold: Newman and his Converts. (Royal Oak, MI: Real View Books, 1998), 32pp. Brochure reprint of 1998_10.
1998_12. “Believe in Extraterrestrials? You’d be better Moonstruck.” National Catholic Register (15-21 February 1998), p. 9 in 4°.
1998_13. “A lényeg lényegtelenítése.” [The Dilution of Essence] Magyar Bioetikai Szemle 4 1998, pp. 15-21.
1998_14. “Más világok üzengetnek? Vagy inkább figyeljünk a Holdra?” [Do other worlds beckon? Or should we rather watch the Moon?] Jel 9/8 (September 1998), pp. 3-4. Hungarian translation of 1998_12.
1998_15. “Eutanázia, Bioetika és Társadalom.” (Euthanasia, Bioethics, and Society.) Jel 10/2 (February 1998), pp. 42-46.
1998_16. “A Változás paradoxona.” Jel 10 (December 1998), pp. 291-293. Hungarian translation of 2000_30.
1998_17. “Science and Religion in Identity Crisis.” Faith and Reason 23/3-4 (1997-98), pp. 201-223.
1998_18. “Two Miracles and a Nobel laureate.” Bulletin n. 60E of the Secretariat for Scientific Questions (Pax Romana), pp. 7-12.
1998_19. Universe and Creed. The Père Marquette Lecture in Theology 1992. (Milwaukee, WI: Marquette University Press, 1998), 86pp. Paperback reprint of 1992_03.
1999_01. Means to Message: A Treatise on Truth. (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1999), 233pp.
1999_02. God and the Sun at Fatima. (Fraser, MI: Real View Books, 1999), ix + 381pp.
1999_03. Miracles and Physics. (Front Royal, VA: Christendom Press, 1999), viii + 99pp. Revised and reset edition of 1989_02.
1999_04. The Creator’s Sabbath Rest: a Clue to Genesis 1. (Royal Oak, MI: Real View Books, 1999), 32pp.
1999_05. Ádvent és Tudomány. [Advent and Science] (Budapest: Ecclesia, 1999), 73pp. Four lectures given in Budapest at the end of November 1999.
1999_06. To Rebuild or not to Try? [The Temple of Jerusalem] (Royal Oak, MI: Real View Books, 1999), 32pp.
1999_07. “The Limits of a Limitless Science.” The Asbury Theological Journal 54/1 (Spring 1999), pp. 23-39. English original of 1997_06.
1999_08. “Two Lourdes Miracles and a Nobel Laureate: What Really Happened?” The Linacre Quarterly 66/1 (February 1999), pp. 65-73. Text of the Joseph M. Gambescia lecture given at the conclusion of the 19th World Congress of FIAMC (International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations), New York, 13 September 1998.
1999_09. Retroscena della Humanae vitae. Il seggio di Pietro: Un seggio cattedratico? (Rome: Vita Umana Internazionale, 1999[2000*]), 17pp. Italian translation of 1993_18. * The date on the booklet is 1999, but the actual publication was delayed.
1999_10. “Mit is JEL-ent KÉSZ-nek lenni?” [What does it mean to be Ready?] Jel 11 (September 1999), pp. 195-199.
1999_11. “A jövő bioetikája és a lélek jövője.” [The Future of Bioethics and the Soul’s Future.] Magyar Bioetikai Szemle 4 (1999), pp. 1-7.
1999_12. “Newman és az evolúció.” Communio (Budapest) 7/2 (1999), pp. 43-70. Hungarian translation of 1990_27.
1999_13. “A Tudomány nem képes felismerni a világegyetem létét.” [Science cannot demonstrate the existence of the universe.] Interview in: Új (Budapest) (28 November 1999), p. 6.
1999_14. “A Szentirás más, mint fizikakönyv.” [Holy Scriptures are not a physics textbook.] Interview in: Magyar Nemzet (1 December 1999), p. 12.
1999_15. Bible and Science. (Front Royal, VA: Christendom Press, 1999), vi + 218pp. Reprint of 1996_01.
2000_01. Newman’s Challenge. (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2000), viii + 321pp. Reprint in one volume, with a Foreword, of: 1996_09, 1997_09, 1995_09, 1994_04, 1987_09, 1989_10, 1989_07, 1990_27, 1991_07, 1998_09, and pp. 159-170 from 1997_01. First publication of: 2000_26, 2000_27, 2000_31.
2000_02. The Limits of a Limitless Science and Other Essays. (Wilmington, DE: Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 2000), ix + 246pp. Reprint in one volume, with an Introduction, of: 1999_07, 1998_12, 1994_14, 1997_11, 1996_11, 1996_12, 1995_11, 1996_13, 1995_07, 1995_08, 1997_17, 1998_07. First publication of: 2000_28, 2000_29, 2000_30.
2000_03. Praying the Psalms. (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2000), v + 237pp.
2000_04. Christ and Science. (Royal Oak, MI: Real View Books, 2000), 32pp.
2000_05. Giordano Bruno: A Martyr of Science? (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2000), 32pp.
2000_06. Maybe Alone in the Universe, after All. (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2000), 32pp.
2000_07. The Sun’s Miracle or of Something Else? (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2000), 32pp.
2000_08. Advent and Science. (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2000), 92pp. English version of 1999_05.
2000_09. The Savior of Science. (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2000), vi + 253pp. Revised second edition of 1988_01.
2000_10. The Paradox of Olbers’ Paradox: A Case History of Scientific Thought. (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2000), viii + 325pp. Revised and extended second edition of 1969_02.
2000_11. “The Origin of the Earth-Moon System and the Rise of Scientific Intelligence.” Reprint of: 1997_12 in: Anales de fisica (Madrid) 95 (2000), pp. 197-202.
2000_12. Isten és a nap Fatimában. (Budapest: Ecclesia, 2000), 340pp. Hungarian translation by G. Somogyi of 1999_02.
2000_13. “Numbers Decide: or Planck’s Constant and Some Constants of Philosophy.” In: J.A. Gonzalo (ed.). Planck’s Constant 1900-2000. An Academic Session at UAM. 11 April 2000. (Madrid: UEA Ediciones, 2000), pp. 108-134.
2000_14. “God, Nature, and Science.” In: Gary Ferngren (ed.). The History of Science and Religion in the Western Tradition: An Encyclopedia. (New York: Garland Publishing, 2000), pp. 52-60.
2000_15. “The Catholic Intellectual.” Catholic Dossier 6/1 (2000), pp. 8-16.
2000_16. “Faith, Reason and Science.” Fellowship of Catholic Scholars Quarterly 23/2 (Spring 2000), pp. 8-15.
2000_17. “The Immaculate Conception and a Conscience Immaculate.” Catholic Dossier 6/4, pp. 4-11.
2000_18. Introduction to: K. Stern. The Pillar of Fire. (New Hope, KY: Urbi et Orbi/Remnant of Israel, 2000), pp. vii-xxviii.
2000_19. Miért él a kérdés: Van-e Isten? [Why the question: Is there a God?] (Budapest: Igazságért Alapítvány, 2000), 75pp.
2000_20. Preface to the reprint of: V. Ferenczy. Jedlik Ányos élete és alkotásai (Life and Work of Jedlik Ányos). (Győr: Bencés Gimnázium, 2000), pp. ix-xi.
2000_21. “Bioetika és kulturháboru.” (Bioethics and Culture War). Magyar Bioetikai Szemle 4 (2000), pp. 12-19.
2000_22. “A számok döntenek: a Planck állandó és a filozófia állandói.” (Budapest: Igazságért Alapítvány, 2000), 39pp. Hungarian version of 2000_13.
2000_23. “Egy város, egy Jedlik, egy egyetem.” (Győr: City Council, 2000), 15pp. Discourse given on 22 February 2000 at the City Hall of Győr at the presentation of 2000_12.
2000_24. “Katolikus értelmiségi.” Communio (Budapest) 8/3 (Christmas 2000), pp. 49-70. Hungarian translation by L. Szabó of 2000_15.
2000_25. Review of: R. Taton, C. Wilson (eds.). Planetary Astronomy from the Renaissance to the Rise of Astrophysics. Part B. The Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries. General History of Astronomy 2. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995). Isis 91 (June 2000), pp. 329-331.
2000_26. “Always Challenged and Forever Challenging.” In: 2000_01; pp. 1-19.
2000_27. “Faith and Church History.” In: 2000_01; pp. 179-196.
2000_28. “Science and Religion in Identity Crisis.” In: 2000_02; pp. 161-179. Text of a lecture given on 2 April 1991 at the University of Kentucky, Lexington.
2000_29. “The Reality of the Universe.” In: 2000_02; pp. 105-117. English version of 1993_21.
2000_30. “The Paradox of Change.” In: 2000_02; pp. 203-212. Text of a Baccalaureate address given on 22 May 1998 at Drew University, Madison, NJ.
2000_31. “Convert and Converts: An Existential Ecclesiology.” In: 2000_01; pp. 79-106.
2000_32. “Giordano Bruno ‘martire della scienza’?” Interview in: Cristianità 299 (May-June 2000), pp. 13-16.
2001_01. Newman to Converts: An Existential Ecclesiology. (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2001), xii + 529pp.
2001_02. The Gist of Catholicism and Other Essays. (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2001), vii + 253pp. Reprint in one volume, with a Foreword, of: 2001_13, 2000_15, 2000_16, 2000_17, 1994_07, 1991_10, 1993_18, 1994_15, 1993_11, 1994_08, 1994_09, 1995_12, 1996_10, 1998_18, 1992_14, 1991_12 and the English version of 1993_12, 1998_13, 1999_11.
2001_03. The Keys of the Kingdom: A Tool’s Witness to Truth. (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2001), vii + 228pp. Second revised edition of 1986_03.
2001_04. Fourteen Stations. (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2001), 33pp. Meditations on the Way of the Cross, with illustrations by Judith B. Kopp.
2001_05. Galileo Lessons. (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2001), 32pp.
2001_06. Jesus, Islam, Science. (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2001), 32pp.
2001_07. Why the Question: Is there a God? (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2001), vii + 71pp. English version of 2000_19.
2001_08. Chesterton: A Seer of Science. (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2001), xvi + 164pp. Reprint with a Foreword to the New Edition of 1986_04.
2001_09. Földöntúliak a világegyetemben? A Holdunk válasza. (Budapest: ValóVilág, 2001), 60pp. Hungarian translation of 2000_06.
2001_10. A Keresztút tizennégy állomása. (Budapest: ValóVilág, 2001), 34pp. Hungarian version of 2001_04 with illustrations by Peggy Peplow Gummere.
2001_11. Miért él a kérdés: van-e lélek? (Budapest: ValóVilág, 2001), 83pp. Hungarian version of 2001_06.
2001_12. “A Thousand Years from Now.” Modern Age (Winter 2001), pp. 6-15.
2001_13. “The Gist of Catholicism.” Catholic Dossier 7 (January-February 2000), pp. 17-28.
2001_14. Introduction to: H. Wilberforce. Why I Became A Catholic. (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2001), pp. 1-10.
2001_15. “The Christological Origins of Newton’s First Law.” In: Science and the Future of Mankind (Vatican City: Pontifical Academy of Sciences, 2001), pp. 393-407. Lecture given at the Jubilee Plenary Session of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, 10-13 November 2000.
2001_16. “Newman: Myths and Facts.” New Oxford Review (November 2001), pp. 19-24.
2001_17. “The Power and Poverty of Science.” The Asbury Theological Journal 56 (Fall 2001), pp. 49-66.
2001_18. “The Logic of Resurrection.” Sensus Communis 2/4 (2001), pp. 367-386.
2001_19. “A Feltámadás logikája.” Jel 13/5 (May 2001), pp. 3-6; 13/6 (June 2001), pp. 3-7. Hungarian version of 2001_18.
2001_20. “Jákob létrájától a kánai menyegzőig és vissza.” [From Jacob’s ladder to the Wedding in Cana.] Jel 13 (October 2001), pp. 5-7. Text of the homily given in occasion of the marriage of Maria Raunio and Gergely Bogányi, at Zebegény (Hungary), on 23 June 2001.
2001_21. “John Henry Newman, a XIX. század bíborossá vált konvertitája” (“Newman: Mitoszok és tények.”) Jel 13 (December 2001), pp. 15-16. Hungarian version of 2001_16.
2001_22. “Los Mensajes de Génesis 1.” [The messages of Genesis 1.] In: S.L. Jaki, R. Estartus. Una Mirada al cielo: Ciencia y Catolicismo. (Piura, Perú: Publicaciones Universida de Piura, 2001), pp. 1-40. A text still unpublished in English and translated by W. González.
2002_01. A Mind’s Matter: An Intellectual Autobiography. (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2002), xiv + 309pp. Contains a list of the author’s publications, up to the first months of the year 2002, at pp. 259-309. Two additional chapters have been printed: “Five Years Later” (2006_11) and “Three More Years” (2011_04).
2002_02. Why the Question: Is There a Soul? (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2002), vii + 68pp.
2002_03. Why Believe in the Church? (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2002), vii + 74pp.
2002_04. Why Believe in Jesus? (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2002), viii + 79pp.
2002_05. Fifteen Mysteries. (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2002), vi + 81pp. Meditations on the Rosary. With 15 illustrations by Hank Tucker.
2002_06. Eszközadta üzenet. (Budapest: Jel Kiadó, 2002), 360pp. Hungarian translation by M. Sághy of 1999_01.
2002_07. Edition with introduction and notes of: J.H. Newman. Conscience and Papacy. [Letter to the Duke of Norfolk.] (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2002), lxxix + 188pp. With Two Appendixes.
2002_08. The Litany of Saint Joseph. (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2002), x + 117pp. With four illustrations by Hank Tucker.
2002_09. “The Malines Conversations and What Was Malign There?” New Oxford Review (July-August 2002), pp. 25-33.
2002_10. “Newman’s Idea of the University and the Supernatural.” Sensus Communis 3/1-2, (January-June 2002), pp. 59-74.
2002_11. “The Relevance of Materials Science.” Ferroelectrics 267 (2002), pp. 77-89. Invited address for the Tenth World Congress on Ferroelectricity, Madrid, 3-6 September 2001.
2002_12. “Cosmology in Science and Theology: Some Perennial Differences.” In: E. Martikainen (ed.). Infinity, Causality and Determinism. (Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 2002), pp. 193-204.
2002_13. “The Science of Education and Education in Science.” In: The Challenges for Science: Education for the Twenty-First Century. (Vatican City: Pontifical Academy of Sciences, 2002), pp. 56-72. Lecture given at the Working Group of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Rome, 19-21 November 2001.
2002_14. “Myopia about Islam with an Eye on Chesterbelloc.” The Chesterton Review 28/4 (Winter 2002), pp. 485-502.
2002_15. “Mennyiségek és minden más.” [Quantities and everything else.] In: Sz. Vizi et al. (eds.). Agy és Tudat. (Budapest: BIP, 2002), pp. 95-101. Invited address for the Symposium of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, 18 April 2001. Hungarian original of 2003_26.
2002_16. “Az egészséges házasfél és a házasság egészsége.” [The healthy marriage partner and the health of marriage.] Magyar Bioetikai Szemle 8/1 (2002), pp. 1-7.
2002_17. ldquo;A szó elsöbbsége: A hit és tudomány közös alapja.” [The primacy of the word and the common ground of faith and science.] Jel 14/4 (April 2002), pp. 99-102.
2002_18. Jézus, iszlám, tudomany. (Budapest: ValóVilág, 2002), 82pp. Hungarian translation of 2001_06.
2002_19. “Islam, Scienza e Cristianesimo.” Nuntium (Rome) 6/18 (2002), pp. 123-132. Italian shorter version translated by B. Scolart of 2003_22.
2002_20. Miért higgyünk az Egyházban? (Budapest: ValóVilág, 2002), 91pp. Hungarian translation of 2002_03.
2002_21. “Nem-darwini darwinizmus.” Jel 14 (November 2002), pp. 263-266. Hungarian original of 2003_25.
2002_22. “Newman és az angyalok.” [Newman and the Angels.] Jel 14 (December 2002), pp. 294-298. Hungarian translation of 1995_09.
2002_23. Miért higgyünk Jézusban? (Budapest: ValóVilág, 2002), 94pp. Hungarian translation of 2002_04.
2003_01. Numbers Decide and Other Essays. (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2003), viii + 267pp. Reprint in one volume, with an Introduction, of: 2000_13, 2001_17, 1998_06, 2002_13, 2002_14, 1997_12, 1998_08, 2002_12, 2002_11, 2001_12. First publication of: 2003_16, 2003_22, 2003_23, 2003_25, 2003_26.
2003_02. Why the Mass? (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2003), viii + 76pp.
2003_03. Original Sin? (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2003), viii + 77pp.
2003_04. Confidence in God? (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2003), viii + 76pp.
2003_05. Twenty Mysteries. (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2003), viii + 103pp. Meditations on the Rosary. With 20 illustrations by Hank Tucker. Enlarged edition of 2002_05.
2003_06. Szent József litániája. (Budapest: ValóVilág, 2003), 117pp. Hungarian translation of 2002_08.
2003_07. Miért van szentmise? (Budapest: ValóVilág, 2003), 88pp. Hungarian translation of 2003_02.
2003_08. Newman kihivása. (Budapest: Jel Könyvkiadó, 2003), 380pp. Hungarian translation by D. Kerényi of 2000_01.
2003_09. A zsoltárok Imádkozása. (Budapest: Jel Könyvkiadó, 2003), 308pp. Hungarian translation by Z. Jáki of 2000_03.
2003_10. A Rózsafüzér húsz titka. (Budapest: ValóVilág, 2003), 103pp. Hungarian translation of 2003_05.
2003_11. Edition with introduction and notes of: J.H. Newman. The Mother of God. [A Letter Addressed to the Rev. E.B. Pusey, D.D. on his recent Eirenicon.] (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2003), lxxxi + 151pp.
2003_12. Edition with introduction and notes of: J.H. Newman. An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine. (1845; Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2003), cxviii + 433pp.
2003_13. Evolution for Believers. (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2003), 32pp.
2003_14. “A Non-Thomist Thomism.” Sensus communis 4/1 (January-March 2003), pp. 75-88.
2003_15. “Myopia with Lynx-Eyes about a Text of Aristotle.” Sensus Communis 4 (April-September 2003), pp. 145-163.
2003_16. “From World Views to Science and Back.” In: The Cultural Values of Science. Proceedings of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. (Vatican City: Pontifical Academy of Sciences, 2003), pp. 124-139. Lecture given at the Plenary Session of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Rome, 8-11 November 2002.
2003_17. “Newman, an ‘Apostate’?” Review of: F. Turner. John Henry Newman. The Challenge to Evangelical Religion. (London: Yale University Press, 2002). New Oxford Review (May 2003), pp. 37-46.
2003_18. “A parazita társadalom és élösködö családjai.” [The Parasitical Society and its Parasitic Families.] Magyar Bioetikai Szemle 9/1 (2003), pp. 2-8.
2003_19. “Kézművesek példaképe.” [Model of workers.] Jel 15 (May 2003), pp. 150-151. Text from chapter 16 of 2003_06.
2003_20. “Amit Isten szétválasztott . . . Megjegyzések a tudományról és vallásról.” [What God has separated... Reflections on science and religion.] Jel 15 (September 2003), pp. 205-208.
2003_21. Egy elme világa - Szellemi önéletrajz hitről és tudományról. (Budapest: Kairosz Kiadó, 2003), 440pp. Hungarian translation by Boldizsár Fejérvári of 2002_01.
2003_22. “Islam and Science with the Eyes of a Muslim Physicist.” In: 2003_01; pp. 121-142. Text of a speech given on 24 April 2002 at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.
2003_23. “Giordano Bruno’s Place in the History of Science.” In: 2003_01; pp. 213-246. Text of a speech given on 17 February 2000 at the Giordano Bruno Conference, held at the Università “La Sapienza” in Rome.
2003_24. “Az ötödik dicsőséges titok.” [The fifth glorious mystery.] Jel 15/8 (October 2003), p. 34.
2003_25. “Non Darwinian Darwinism.” In: 2003_01; pp. 57-66. Text of a speech given on 23 April 2002 at the International Congress on Evolution, held at the Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum in Rome. English version of 2002_21.
2003_26. “Quantities and Everything Else.” In: 2003_01; pp. 191-196. English version of 2002_15.
2004_01. The Church of England as Viewed by Newman. (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2004), viii + 361pp.
2004_02. Questions on Science and Religion. (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2004), viii + 201pp.
2004_03. Thy Kingdom Come? (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2004), viii + 76pp.
2004_04. Resurrection? (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2004), viii + 79pp.
2004_05. Death? (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2004), viii + 75pp.
2004_06. Eredeti bün? (Budapest: ValóVilág, 2004), viii + 92pp. Hungarian translation of 2003_03.
2004_07. Bizzunk Istenben? (Budapest: ValóVilág, 2004), viii + 93pp. Hungarian translation of 2003_04.
2004_08. Feltámadás? (Budapest: ValóVilág, 2004), viii + 91pp. Hungarian translation of 2004_04.
2004_09. “A Late Awakening to Gödel in Physics.” Sensus communis 5 (2004), pp. 153-162.
2004_10. “The Metamorphoses of Human Dignity.” Aquinas (Rome) 57 (2004), pp. 284-291.
2004_11. The Brain-Mind Unity: The Strangest Difference. (Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2004), 32pp.
2004_12. Science and Religion: A Primer. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2004), 32pp.
2004_13. Eastern Orthodoxy’s Witness to Papal Primacy. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2004), 32pp.
2004_14. “Az emberi méltóság metamorfózisai.” Magyar Bioetikai Szemle 10/1 (2004), pp. 1-8. Hungarian translation of 2004_10.
2004_15. Review of: E. Norman, Anglican Difficulties: A New Syllabus of Errors. (London: Morehouse Publishing, 2004). Fellowship of Catholic Scholars Quarterly 27/3 (Fall 2004), pp. 52-55.
2004_16. “Beszéd a Magyar Tudományos Akadémia Székházában, 2003 november 19.-én.” [Speech at the Hungarian Academy of Science, 19 November 2003.] Jel 16 (2004). Text of a speech on the occasion of the presentation of 2003_21.
2004_17. “Egy megkésett ébredés Gödel a fizikában.” Fizikai Szemle (Budapest) 54/10 (October 2004), pp. 338-343. Hungarian translation by Z. Hetesi of 2004_09.
2004_18. Extended Introduction to the reprint of 1994_04: J.H. Newman. Anglican Difficulties. (Certain Difficulties Felt by Anglicans in Catholic Teaching.) (1850; Pinckney, MI: Real View Books, 2004), pp. v-xlii.
2004_19. Un miracolo del sole, o di qualcos’altro? (Rome: Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum, 2004), 43pp. Italian translation of 2000_07.
2004_20. “Il teorema di Gödel: Un tardivo risveglio dei fisici.” Emmeciquadro (Milan) 22 (December 2004), pp. 12-22. Italian translation of 2004_09.
2004_21. Miért él a kérdés: Van-e Isten? [Why the question: Is there a God?] (Budapest: ValóVilág, 2004), 75pp. New edition of 2000_19.
2004_22. Bible and Science. (Front Royal, VA: Christendom Press, 2004), vi + 218pp. Reprint of 1996_01.
2004_23. Theology of Priestly Celibacy. (Front Royal, VA: Christendom Press, 2004), 223pp. Reprint of 1997_01.
2004_24. Miracles and Physics. (Front Royal, VA: Christendom Press, 2004), viii + 99pp. Reprint of 1989_02.
2005_01. Apologetics as Meant by Newman. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2005), xv + 419pp.
2005_02. Themes of Psalms. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2005), viii + 93pp.
2005_03. The Purpose of It All. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2005), vii + 261pp. Revised reprint of 1990_01.
2005_04. The Road of Science and the Ways to God. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2005), x + 478pp. Reprint with a new Foreword of 1978_02.
2005_05. The Drama of Quantities. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2005), viii + 76pp.
2005_06. The Litany of Loreto. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2005), vii + 224pp.
2005_07. Evolution for Believers. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2005), 32pp.
2005_08. Science and Religion: A Primer. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2005), 32pp.
2005_09. Intelligent Design? (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2005), 32pp.
2005_10. A fizika látóhatára. (Budapest: Kairosz Kiadó, 2005), 576pp. Revised edition of 1996_03.
2005_11. Isten és a nap Fatimában. (Budapest: Kairosz Kiadó, 2005), 340pp. Reprint of 2000_12.
2005_12. Halál? (Budapest: ValóVilág, 2005), viii + 93pp. Hungarian translation of 2004_05.
2005_13. A Mennyiségek drámája. (Budapest: ValóVilág, 2005), viii + 93pp. Hungarian translation of 2005_05.
2005_14. A tudomány és vallás kapcsolatának ábécéje. (Budapest: Kairosz Kiadó, 2005), 97pp. Hungarian translation by D. Kerényi of 2004_12.
2005_15. “Relativity and Religion.” Fellowship of Catholic Scholars Quarterly 28/3 (Fall 2005), pp. 17-21.
2005_16. “Teremtés, Krisztus, Tudomány.” Jel 17/7 (September 2005), pp. 197-202. Hungarian translation of 2006_18.
2005_17. Ciencia, teologia y torres gemelas: cuestiones candentes sobre islam y cristianesimo. (Madrid: Vozdepapel, 2005), 106pp. Spanish translation of 2001_06, 2000_04, 2004_09.
2005_18. “Christianity: From a Corner into Many Others, and yet not Cornered.” Fellowship of Catholic Scholars Quarterly 28/4 (Winter 2005), pp. 6-12.
2005_19. “Non-Darwinian Darwinism.” In: R. Pascual (ed.). L’evoluzione: Crocevia di scienza, filosofia e teologia. (Rome: Edizioni Studium, 2005), pp. 40-52. Reprint of 2003_25.
2005_20. “Sarokból sarokba lökve, mégsem sarokba szorítva.” Jel 17 (December 2005), pp. 291-296. Hungarian translation by K. Dénes of 2005_18.
2005_21. “Quello che Dio ha separato... Riflessioni sulla scienza e la religione.” 21mo Secolo Scienza e Tecnologia (February 2005), pp. 39-43. Italian translation of 2003_20.
2005_22. Un miracolo del sole, o di qualcos’altro? (Rome: Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum, 2005), 43pp. Revised reprint of 2004_19.
2005_23. “Una tardiva presa di coscienza di Gödel in fisica.” 21mo Secolo Scienza e Tecnologia (November 2005), pp. 29-33. Italian translation by G. Formica of 2004_09.
2005_24 Fundamentos Éticos de la Bioética. (Madrid: Ciencia y Cultura, 2005), 112pp. Spanish translation by P. Cervera, with an Introduction, of: 1993_12, 1993_11, 1994_08, 1994_09, 1995_12, 1998_13, 1999_11, 2004_10, 2003_18, 2006_20.
2006_01. A Late Awakening and Other Essays. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2006), viii + 261pp. Reprint in one volume, with an Introduction, of: 2004_09, 2003_15, the English version of 2003_20, 2005_15, 2004_10, 2003_18, a longer version of 2000_18, 2003_14, 1989_12. First publication of: 2006_08, 2006_09, 2006_15, 2006_16, 2006_17, 2006_18, 2006_19, 2006_20.
2006_02. Angels, Apes and Men. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2006), ix + 132pp. Completely revised edition of 1983_02.
2006_03. “On a Discovery of Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorem.” In: Paths of Discovery. Plenary Session, 5-8 November 2004. (Vatican City: Pontifical Academy of Sciences, 2006), pp. 49-60.
2006_04. Darwin’s Designs. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2006), 16pp.
2006_05. Fundamentos Éticos de la Bioética. (Madrid: Ciencia y Cultura, 2006), x + 108pp. Second reset edition of 2005_24. Spanish translation by L. Guerra Menéndez.
2006_06. Neo-Arianism as Foreseen by Newman. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2006), vi + 255pp.
2006_07. Archipelago Church. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2006), viii + 77 pp.
2006_08. “Chesterton a Seer of Science.” In: 2006_01; pp. 191-202. Text of a lecture given at the Chesterton Society (Minneapolis, MN), 18 June 2004.
2006_09. “Heretics and Dogmatists: or The Gist of Chesterton’s Heretics.” In: 2006_01; pp. 203-216. Text of a lecture given at the Chesterton Society (Minneapolis, MN), 16 June 2005.
2006_10. “Relativitás és vallás.” Jel 18 (January 2006). Hungarian translation of 2005_15.
2006_11. “Five Years Later.” First additional chapter to: A Mind’s Matter: An Intellectual Autobiography (2002_01), 16pp. The second additional chapter is: 2011_04.
2006_12. Le Litanie di San Giuseppe. (Rome: Aracne Editrice, 2006), 125pp. Italian translation by A. Colombo of 2002_08.
2006_13. Cristo e la scienza. (Verona: Fede & Cultura, 2006), 46pp. Italian translation by M. Rivatelli and A. Colombo of 2000_04.
2006_14. Introduction to: J. Beaumont. Converts to Rome: A Guide to Notable Converts from Britain and Ireland during the Twentieth Century. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2006), pp. 1-6.
2006_15. “Pierre Duhem: Uneasy Genius.” In: 2006_01; pp. 33-48. Expanded form of the text of a lecture given at the University of Lisbon, 12 October 2002.
2006_16. “Christ and the History of Science.” In: 2006_01; pp. 49-62. Expanded form of the text of a lecture given at the University of Lisbon, 13 October 2002.
2006_17. “Christ, Creation, and Science.” In: 2006_01; pp. 79-92. Text of a lecture given at the University of Navarra, 26 April 2005, and at the Catholic Forum of the Cathedral of Lancaster, 4 May 2005.
2006_18. “Christ, Extraterrestrials and the Devil.” In: 2006_01; pp. 93-106. Text of a lecture given at the Catholic Forum of the Cathedral of Lancaster, 22 July 2005.
2006_19. “Purpose Redux.” In: 2006_01; pp. 117-136. Text of a lecture given at the Catholic University of America (Washington, DC), 24 January 2003.
2006_20. “A Dire Need and Vain Hopes. Bioethics at the Third Millennium.” In: 2006_01; pp. 157-170. English text of a lecture given at the Hungarian Society of Bioethics (Budapest), 8 September 2004.
2006_21. Introductory note to: Sigrid Undset. Through Moral Crises to Catholicism. [Reply to a Parish Priest.]. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2006), pp. 2-5.
2006_22. The Litany of the Sacred Heart. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2006), viii + 152pp.
2006_23. The Savior of Science. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Boos, 2006), vi + 253pp. Reprint of 2000_09.
2007_01. Justification as Argued by Newman. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2007), viii + 286pp.
2007_02. Sigrid Undset’s Quest for Truth. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2007), viii + 296pp.
2007_03. Mary’s Magnificat. (Port Huron: MI: Real View Books, 2007), 46pp.
2007_04. Fifty Years of Learning. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2007), 16pp. A special booklet for the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Woodside Priory School, Portola Valley, California (2007).
2007_05. Introduction to: J. Beaumont. Jewish Converts. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2007), pp. 1-2.
2007_06. The Ethical Foundations of Bioethics. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2007), viii + 136pp. Reprint in one volume, with a Foreword, of: 1993_12, 1993_11, 1994_08, 1994_09, 1995_12, 1998_13, 1999_11, 2004_10, 2003_18, 2006_20, 1985_04.
2007_07. Il Messaggio e il suo Mezzo. Un Trattato sulla Verità. (Verona: Fede & Cultura, 2007), 259pp. Italian translation by B. Danese of 1999_01.
2007_08. L’Héroine malgré elle: La vie et l’oeuvre d’Hélène Duhem. (Paris: L’Harmattan, 2007), 321pp. With 16 pages of illustrations. French translation by A. Bresson of 1992_01.
2007_09. Disegno intelligente? (Verona: Fede & Cultura, 2007), 46pp. Italian translation by A. Colombo of 2005_09.
2007_10. La Unidad cerebro-mente: Una differencia muy extrana. (Port Huron, MI: Real View Books, 2007), 36pp. Spanish translation by M. Bedolla of 2004_11.
2007_12. The Litany of The Holy Name. (Port Huron: MI: Real View Books, 2007), vii + 141pp.
2007_13. Evolúció hívőknek. (Budapest: Kairosz Kiadó, 2007), 98pp. Hungarian translation by D. Kerényi of 2003_13.
2007_14. “Stanley Jaki: la disfida dei darwinisti.” Interview by L. Fazzini in: Avvenire (22 May 2007), p. 31.
2008_01. Zechariah’s Canticle and Ours. (New Hope, KY: Real View Books, 2008), viii + 64pp.
2008_02. Impassable Divide, or the Separation between Science and Religion. (New Hope, KY: Real View Books, 2008), vii + 108pp.
2008_03. Domande su scienza e religione. (Rome: Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum, 2008), 199pp. Italian translation by A. Colombo of 2004_02.
2008_04. “Science as Prediction and the Unpredictability of Science.” In: W. Arber, N. Cabibbo, M. Sánchez Sorondo (eds.). Predictability in Science: Accuracy and Limitations 3-6 November 2006. (Vatican City: Pontifical Academy of Sciences, 2008), pp. 194-202.
2008_05. The Perennial Novelty of Jesus. (New Hope, KY: Real View Books, 2008), viii + 83pp.
2008_06. The Apostles’ Creed: A Commentary. (New Hope, KY: Real View Books, 2008), viii + 100pp.
2008_07. Arcipelago Chiesa: A quarant’anni dal Concilio. (Verona: Fede & Cultura, 2008), 76pp. Italian translation by A. Colombo of 2006_07.
2008_08. Ours a Dearest Father: Thoughts on the Lord’s Prayer. (New Hope, KY: Real View Books, 2008), x + 81pp.
2008_09. “Relatività e Religione.” 21mo Secolo Scienza e Tecnologia (May 2008), pp. 33-37. Italian translation by A. Colombo of 2005_15.
2008_10. Hail Mary, full of grace: A Commentary. (New Hope, KY: Real View Books, 2008), x + 84pp.
2008_11. Introduction to: J. Beaumont. Converts from Britain and Ireland in the 19th Century. (New Hope, KY: Real View Books, 2008), pp. vii-viii.
2008_12. “A message to the Third World?” InFORM, a Catholic Review (Taizhong, Taiwan) (Winter 2008), pp. 10-15.
2008_13. The Parable of the Good Samaritan. (New Hope, KY: Real View Books, 2008), 32pp.
2009_01. The Eight Beatitudes: A Commentary. (New Hope, KY: Real View Books, 2009), viii + 82pp.
2009_02. The Garden of Eden: Why, Where, When, How Long? (New Hope, KY: Real View Books, 2009), 32pp.
2009_03. Gesù, Islam, Scienza. (Verona: Fede & Cultura, 2009), 48pp. Italian translation by E. Canetta and A. Colombo of 2001_06.
2009_04. The Drama of Guadalupe. (New Hope, KY: Real View Books, 2009), 36pp.
2009_05. A Galilei ügy tanulságai. (Budapest: Kairosz Kiadó, 2009), 80pp. Hungarian translation of 2001_05.
2009_06. El Drama de las Cantidades. (Madrid, Ciencia y Cultura, 2009), 101pp. Spanish translation by J.G. González and L. Guerra Menéndez of 2005_05.
2009_07. What is the Mass? (New Hope, KY: Real View Books, 2009), 32pp.
2009_08. “Evolution as Science and Ideology.” In: W. Arber, N. Cabibbo, M. Sánchez Sorondo (eds.). Scientific Insights into the Evolution of the Universe and of Life. The Proceedings of the Plenary Session 31 October - 4 November 2008. (Vatican City: Pontifical Academy of Sciences, 2009), pp. 517-526. A short discussion follows at pages 527-529.
2010_01. Le ravin infranchissable entre science et religion. (Paris: ESKA, 2010), 105pp. French translation by J. Vauthier of 2008_02.
2010_02. Il confine invalicabile o la separazione fra scienza e religione. (Rome: Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum, 2010), 117pp. Italian translation by A. Colombo of 2008_02.
2010_03. The Litany of the Most Precious Blood. (New Hope, KY: Real View Books, 2010), viii + 110pp.
2010_04. Introduction to: J. Beaumont. Early Converts (2008). In: J. Beaumont. Roads to Rome. (South Bend, IN: St. Augustine’s Press, 2010), pp. 482-483 (Appendix Three). Also included are a reprint of 2006_14 at pp. 473-476 (Appendix One), and of 2008_11 at pp. 477-481 (Appendix Two).
2010_05. A teremtő megpihent a hetedik napon. (Budapest: Kairosz Kiadó, 2010), 70pp. Hungarian translation of 1999_04.
2011_01. Lectures in the Vatican Gardens. (New Hope, KY: Real View Books, 2011), xvi + 201pp. A collection of all the lectures given at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. Reprint in one volume, with a new Introduction of: 1994_06, 1996_24, 1997_17, 1997_12, 2001_15, 2002_13, 2003_16, 2006_03, 2008_04, 2009_08. First publication of: 2011_02.
2011_02. “The Demarcation Line between Science and Religion.” In: 2011_01, pp. 183-196. Text of a speech given at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) on 13 March 2008, in Rome.
2011_03. Dieu et les astrophysiciens. (Paris: ESKA, 2011), 252pp. French translation by J. Vauthier of 1989_01.
2011_04. “Three More Years.” Second additional chapter to: A Mind’s Matter: An Intellectual Autobiography (2002_01), 22pp. The first additional chapter is: 2006_11.
2011_05. The Mirage of Conflict between Science and Religion. (New Hope, KY: Real View Books, 2011), viii + 87pp.
2011_06. Az agy, az elme és a számítógépek. (Budapest: Kairosz Kiadó, 2011), 336pp. Hungarian translation of 1989_03.
2012_01. Perché credere in Gesù? (Rome: Nova Millennium Romae, 2012), 119pp. Italian translation by A. Perlasca and A. Colombo of 2002_04.
2012_02. Perché credere nella Chiesa? (Rome: Nova Millennium Romae, 2012), 119pp. Italian translation by A. Perlasca and A. Colombo of 2002_03.
2012_03. I fondamenti etici della bioetica. (Verona: Fede & Cultura, 2012), 143pp. Italian translation by A. Colombo of 2007_06.
2012_04. Des anges, des singes et les hommes. (Paris: ESKA, 2012), 124pp. French translation by J. Vauthier of 1983_02.
2013_01. Universo e Credo: La Père Marquette Lecture in teologia del 1992. (Rome: Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum, 2013), 65pp. Italian translation of 1992_03. Translation of the Introduction written by Earl Muller, SJ (and revision of the translation) by A. Colombo.
2014_01. Il miraggio del conflitto tra scienza e religione. (Rome: Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum - IF Press, 2014), 93pp. Italian translation by A. Giostra of 2011_05.
2014_02. Uncodified Conspiracy and Other Essays. (New Hope, KY: Real View Books, 2014), x + 309pp. Reprint in one volume, with an Introduction, of: 1995_06, 2006_03, 2008_04, 2005_15, 1979_02, 2011_02, 2005_18, the English version of 2003_20, 1996_11, 2002_11, 2007_04. First publication of: 2014_03, 2014_04, 2014_05, 2014_06, 2014_07, 2014_08, 2014_09, 2014_10, 2014_11, 2014_12, 2014_13.
2014_03. “Dickens, Darwin, and Chesterton.” Invited lecture given at the 25th Annual Conference of the American Chesterton Society, St. Paul, Minnesota, on June 16, 2006, under the title, “Dickens and Darwin: Two giants who never met, not even in the mind of the giant called Chesterton.” In: 2014_02, pp. 37-47.
2014_04. “Darwin’s Designs.” Invited lecture given in Shrewsbury in February 2005 as part of the annual celebration of Darwin’s birthday. The lecture had for its subtitle: “From the Origin of Species to Erewhon (nowhere) and back to somewhere.” In: 2014_02, pp. 49-64.
2014_05. “The Blessing and Bane of Quantities.” Address delivered at the annual academic convocation at Ave Maria University, Naples, Florida, on February 15, 2005. In: 2014_02, pp. 65-76.
2014_06. “Knowledge, Personal and Impersonal: Reflections on Polanyi’s Thought.” This essay was invited by the American Polanyi Society for its meeting (June 14, 2008) on the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Polanyi’s Personal Knowledge, but actually not presented. In: 2014_02, pp. 129-140.
2014_07. “From a Chain of Instant Nows to an Eternal NOW.” This essay with the subtitle, “Reflections on the brain-mind relationship and its bearing on spirituality,” was presented in Spanish at the “Segundo Encuentro Mundial SER,” Monterrey, Mexico, September 27, 2007. In: 2014_02, pp. 153-166.
2014_08. “Hail Mary: A Legal Dilemma.” A lecture given at Ave Maria Law School, Naples, Florida, on Monday, September 12, 2005, when the Senate Judicial Committee began its three-day hearing in the matter of Judge Roberts’ nomination as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. In: 2014_02, pp. 181-194.
2014_09. “Pragmatism Then and Now: From Tacit Amorality to Public Immorality.” Invited lecture given at the Metanexus Conference, Madrid, July 14, 2008, co-authored with Lucía Guerra Menéndez. In: 2014_02, pp. 211-216.
2014_10. “Priestly Celibacy.” Article written in July 2006 for a Hungarian Protestant theological periodical, but not published. In: 2014_02, pp. 217-232.
2014_11. “Newman: An Anti-Liberal or Much More?” Text of a speech given in 2006. In: 2014_02, pp. 233-242.
2014_12. “The Mind and Its Now.” Essay first read at the Metanexus Conference, Madrid, July 15, 2008. In: 2014_02, pp. 243-249.
2014_13. “The Christian Spark for Exact Science.” Lecture given on April 4, 2008, at Lubbock Christian University, Lubbock, Texas. In: 2014_02, pp. 251-258.
2014_14. Lezioni da Galileo (Rome: Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum, 2014), 50pp. Italian translation by A. Giostra of 2001_05.
2014_15. Le cerveau, l’intelligence, et l’ordinateur (Paris: ESKA, 2014), 189pp. French translation by J. Vauthier of 1989_03.
2015_01. Reprint of the Introductory Essay 1996_07 to the new, entirely reset, edition of: Saint John Fisher. The Defense of the Priesthood. (New Hope, KY: Real View Books, 2015), pp. vii-xxxiv.
2015_02. Bibbia e scienza: All’origine di un rapporto inscindibile. (Verona: Fede & Cultura, 2015), 253pp. Italian translation by A. Colombo of 1996_01.
2015_03. Angely, obezyany i lyudi. Russian translation by I. Lupandin of 1983_02. With a preface by the translator. Available on the site: http://www.proza.ru/2009/10/07/694. * The copyright date on the site is 2009, but the actual publication was completed in 2015.
2016_01. Science and Creation: From Eternal Cycles to an Oscillating Universe. (New Hope, KY: Real View Books, 2016), xiv + 375pp. A new, revised, and entirely reset reprint, with a new Foreword by P.J. Floriani, of 1986_01.
2017_01. Domande su scienza e religione. (Rome: Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum, 2017), 211pp. A second and revised edition, with an Index of Names, of the Italian translation by A. Colombo of 2004_02. The first edition is 2008_03.
2017_02. La nascita verginale e la nascita della scienza. (Rome: Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum, 2017), 34pp. Italian translation by A. Giostra and A. Colombo of 1998_03.
2018_01. Il Dramma di Guadalupe. (Rome: Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum, 2018), 48pp. Italian translation by A. Colombo of 2009_04.
2018_02. Miracles and Physics. (New Hope, KY: Real View Books, 2018), viii + 99pp. Third revised edition of 1989_02.
2018_03. Myths and Facts about Newman. (New Hope, KY: Real View Books, 2018), x + 95pp. Reprint in one volume, with a Foreword by J. Beaumont, of: 2001_16, 2003_17, 2002_10, 2002_09, 2004_15. First publication of: 2018_04, 2018_05.
2018_04. “Newman in His Letters on the Development of Doctrine.” A lecture given to a group of graduated students in theology at the Catholic University of America on October 14, 2003. In: 2018_03, pp. 59-69.
2018_05. “Newman’s Search for the Church.” Address given at St. Mary’s Priory, New Haven (CT), on May 2, 2003. In: 2018_03, pp. 71-83.
2019_01. Tsel’ vsego sushchestvuyushchego. Russian translation by I. Lupandin of the first four Chapters of 1990_01. Available on the site: http://www.proza.ru/2018/04/13/698. | 2019-04-22T12:07:46Z | http://sljaki.com/publications.html |
Orthostatic intolerance just got a bit more complex. That was actually good news. Hopefully chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) will soon get more complex in the same way.
Usually when we think of problems standing or orthostatic intolerance (OI) we think about postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which is characterized by a greatly increased heart rate upon standing. There’s also, less commonly, orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure upon standing).
Several types of orthostatic intolerance had been identified but at least one was still missing.
Both disorders produce similar symptoms (lightheadedness, dizziness, headache, nausea, fatigue, shortness of breath) upon standing that are relieved by lying down. Both also feature sympathetic nervous system hyperactivity and reduced blood flow to the brain (cerebral hypoperfusion).
But neither condition describes everyone. Dr. Peter Novak, Chief of the Autonomic Neurology Division within the Department of Neurology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston knew there was more to the OI story than was meeting the eye. He had plenty of patients with orthostatic intolerance (problems standing without having symptoms), which didn’t fit into either of those categories. He decided to dig deeper, and when he did, he uncovered what appears to be a new kind of OI.
Novak found this group by putting patients with orthostatic intolerance but without POTS or blood pressure problems (or ME/CFS or fibromyalgia for that matter) through tilt table tests while measuring their CO2 levels and blood flow to the brain.
He discovered that these mystery patients had something called hypocapnic cerebral hypoperfusion; i.e., upon being tilted they were emitting abnormally low levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and had disturbingly low blood flow to the brain.
Hypocapnia or low CO2 levels are not new to orthostatic intolerance; low CO2 levels appear to be common in POTS, for instance, but no one had uncovered a group of OI patients who only had hypocapnia.
Low CO2 levels are often associated with deep breathing or hyperventilation syndrome – a tricky diagnosis. Hyperventilation is divided into two types – secondary (caused by physiological factors) or primary (caused by psychological factors such as anxiety). The MERCK Manual focuses almost entirely on primary hyperventilation.
The new group had low levels of CO2 and low blood flows to the brain but no increases in heart rate or drops in blood pressure.
Novak did everything he could to knock out the physiological factors group by preventing anyone with a disorder/problem that could cause hyperventilation (lung disorders, low blood pressure, severe metabolic abnormalities, central nervous system disorders (FM, ME/CFS), drugs and high amounts of pain) from participating in the study.
That would seem to leave anxiety as the only remaining cause of OI for this group, but that wasn’t the case. The field is so unexplored that Novak couldn’t come to any conclusions about what caused the low CO2 levels he’d seen.
This group of patients, which appears to be fairly common, has apparently gone under the radar for years. Novak noted that more than 80% of the patients in this study had been referred to him as suspected POTS patients. Most doctors would have likely given them a tilt table test, found no evidence of POTS, and sent them on their way.
If you experience problems standing – and don’t have POTS or OH – you may have HCH.
Novak reminds me of his colleague, pulmonologist David Systrom, who, while working at the same hospital, gave patients with idiopathic (i.e. unexplained) exercise intolerance (including people with ME/CFS, POTS) a deeper look. These people, also not uncommon, had passed fruitlessly through the medical system for years. Systrom decided to use his invasive cardiopulmonary testing to examine them in detail, and uncovered a fascinating group of patients.
Next, Novak will try to differentiate these groups further and determine if hypocapnic cerebral hypoperfusion is commonly found in POTS, and whether it is an entirely different disease or exists on a spectrum of orthostatic intolerance disorders.
The central takeaway from this study is that if you have problems standing, and have been tested for OI and been found wanting because you didn’t display a high heart rate or a drop in blood pressure, an end-tidal CO2 test might be the test for you.
If that’s so, you should tell your doctor that low CO2 levels have been linked to low blood flow to the brain in OI. Low CO2 levels have been found in ME/CFS and FM dating back to 2007 and 2010. In fact, ME/CFS and FM were two of the three diseases that Novak reported exhibited hypocapnic hypoperfusion in his paper.
Novak noted that the “spectrum of orthostatic intolerance is broad, complicated, and includes several overlapping presentations”, but one factor, thus far, links them together. So far, every form of OI, including hypocapnic cerebral hypoperfusion, has had one thing in common – a decrease in blood flow to the brain while standing. Problems getting proper blood flow to the brain may be the core feature of all these forms of orthostatic intolerance.
That, interestingly, was the same conclusion Dr. David Bell came to almost twenty years ago in chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).
Almost twenty years ago Dr. Bell concluded that people with ME/CFS were having trouble getting blood to the brain. He explained his thinking in a vivid example, republished on Health Rising as “When Panic Isn’t: Dr. Bell on Maggie’s ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia Story“.
Maggie had been doggedly looking for an answer to health problems for ten years when she met up with Dr. Bell. She’d repeatedly been diagnosed with panic disorder, but the exhaustion she felt, her cognitive problems, her leaden feeling legs, etc. didn’t signal panic to him at all. They signaled ME/CFS.
Twenty years ago Dr. Bell asserted problems getting blood to the brain was a key feature in ME/CFS.
Blood volume and standing tests revealed real physiological abnormalities. Maggie was fine until about the ten-minute mark of her standing test when she began experiencing fatigue, pain, lightheadedness and a feeling of panic. At that point her heart rate, blood pressure and epinephrine (adrenaline) levels shot up. She was diagnosed with hyperadrenergic POTS, low blood volume, orthostatic diastolic hypertension, as well as ME/CFS and FM.
We don’t know if Maggie also had hypocapnia, but it doesn’t matter. Her panicked feeling was probably the result of her epinephrine levels going bananas in an attempt to get more blood to her brain. In the end, Bell felt that some form of panic or agitation was a core part of ME/CFS, but it was not a psychological problem – it was the result of low brain blood levels – the same core problem Novak found in his hypocapnic patients who did not have ME/CFS or FM.
A fascinating study also suggested that reduced blood flows to the brain is perhaps the key issue for one group of ME/CFS patients. When researchers were able to temporarily fix that issue their symptoms completely disappeared.
This group of younger ME/CFS patients looked quite normal lying down, but tilting them up sent their systems haywire. Relative to the healthy controls, their heart and breathing rates increased by about 50%, their CO2 levels dropped by 25%, and they experienced a 50% drop in blood flow to the brain. Not surprisingly, their cognitive performance also dropped dramatically.
Remarkably, phenylephrine, a blood vessel constrictor, returned brain blood flows to normal and removed the symptoms of one group of ME/CFS patients.
Remarkably, all those symptoms were reversed with the administration of phenylephrine. The ME/CFS patients’ cardiovascular and cognitive test results normalized leaving them looking like healthy controls. The authors believed phenylephrine fixed the central problem in this group of patients – reduced blood flow to the brain.
Phenylephrine causes the blood vessels, interestingly, to narrow (vasoconstrict). Its success suggested that either not enough blood was flowing to the brain and/or inflammation was dilating the blood vessels. Either way the pressure needed to move their blood into smaller blood vessels was missing.
Phenylephrine, interestingly, is often used in hospitals to increase blood pressure and reduce the vasodilating (blood vessel opening) effects of systemic inflammation and sepsis. That’s an interesting finding, given the possibility that ME/CFS may be an atypical form of sepsis – something Dr. David Bell also suggested years ago.
Novak’s identification of new kind of orthostatic intolerance suggests that the deeper researchers dig the more there is to find. They also, suggest, though, that all kinds of OI may link back to one central problem – the inability to get sufficient amounts of blood to the brain. Stewart’s study suggests that the same core problem is afflicting at least one subset of ME/CFS patients.
They also suggest that some of the problems found in ME/CFS/FM are not unique to it. Novak’s experience was similar to David Systrom who found that a whole raft of patients (ME/CFS, FM, POTS and others) had problems with preload or mitochondrial functioning which impaired their ability to exercise.
Interestingly, by reducing blood flows to the heart, the preload problems Systrom found could conceivably affect blood flows to the brain. Dr. Shungu’s brain lactate findings, the reduced blood volume in ME/CFS, and Ron Davis’s red blood cell studies are adding other blood flow elements into the picture.
Since those studies have not been done in Novak’s or Systrom’s patients, we don’t know if those findings apply to them, but it’s looking more and more like some of the core issues involving blood flows and blood vessels occurring in ME/CFS are probably occurring in other diseases. Given how terribly debilitating ME/CFS, in particular, can be, it makes sense that it’s impacting very basic physiological processes. Ron Davis has repeatedly stated that he believes understanding ME/CFS will accelerate our understanding of other diseases.
So did Dr. Bell almost twenty years ago.
CFS, and the patients who suffer from it, have a great deal to teach those of us who have made medicine our life. Once researchers unravel the physiologic mechanisms of this illness, the discoveries will help unravel basic mechanisms of unnumbered other diseases.
Does it make sense in regards to these findings that a CFS/FM sufferer feels significantly better during pregnancy because of increased blood flow?
I have the same Experience. I was Able to Walk on High heels when pregnant, which wasn’t possible for many years before.
I felt better when I was pregnant also. I also got pregnant with alarming ease. I had no idea how others might have felt during these times. It looks more and more like it’s been a life-long set-up that has now devolved into a lot of suffering.
Is it possible that an extreme episode of reduced brain blood flow may result in loss of memory for well practiced info such as one’s phone number or address? Similar to effects of a stroke but with no damage to blood vessels.
At worst I sometimes forgot my own name and couldn’t remember it even when I tried for five minutes before giving up.
After a crash I also lost basic knowledge on how to stand up from a chair when seated at a table or how to walk around my bed taking 90 degrees turns. I just had no clue on how to coordinate movements for both and had to actively relearn them.
So memory loss is definitely part of a bad spell of ME. Both temporary and more permanent with ability to relearn.
So far I believed it was due to the conditions the brain experiences when having ME can differ so much compared to the conditions when you learned the knowledge or skill that it fails to recall it. A bit like some people only can play darts when drunk but not when sober because they only play when drunk.
Nice to hear good doctors find new types of OI. I often state I have some form of OI but no POTS.
“With hyperventilation therapy, patients experienced a mean decrease in PaCO, from 35 ± 5 to 27 ± 5 mm Hg and in ICP from 20 ± II to 13 ± 8 mm Hg (p A whooping average of 35% drop in Intra Cranial Pressure should be a God-send gift for most patients with ME and or FM. Many recent blogs Cort posted deal with the strong association between too high ICP and ME/FM.
=> Reversed, if there were not an average drop in ICP by 35% or ICP going from 1x to 0.7x, not hyperventilating would increase ICP from 0.7x to 1x or an increase of 43% in ICP!
=> If indeed too high an ICP would be an important part in our diseases and higher ICP would correlate with more severe disease then increasing the already far too high ICP by another 43% by NOT hyperventilating would be an utterly debilitating and outright dangerous thing to do very likely to be far worse then the strong problems caused by poor blood flow to the brain.
=> Maybe we have here a main reason as to why we continuously hyperventilate and live with constant hypocapnia?
As to why hyperventilation would reduce ICP, this makes sense too.
* Blood from hart outlet has 100 units C02 per volume of blood.
=> arteries are more dilated then veins making blood easier to flow back to hart.
* Blood from hart outlet has 75 units C02 per volume of blood.
BUT: in the hyperventilation case ratios change. Numbers strongly suggest that in the hyperventilation the hypocapnia will hamper blood flow towards the brain more then it will hamper blood flow from the hart to the brain.
* The nightmares are extremely vivid, full color, plenty of different types of action… and this seems to be a *very* strange thing for the brain to do as it should require plenty and plenty of energy to “produce” them. That is not something we would expect happens in a ME patient and certainly not in the moment of highest trouble.
IF the hypothesis is wright the totally weird, counterproductive and absurd would further improve reduction of blood pooling in the brain. The absurd would become the unlikely desired!
And it goes together with (part) of my “strange” nightly routine. One of the things that helps quite well is getting out of bed and just sit on a chair for 15 minutes. I thought since quite some time it was for “helping flow blood that pools in the brain back to the hart”. In the context of this and previous comment this totally makes sense.
Many people may think lying down improves blood flow to the brain due to gravity. It does: TO the brain, not away FROM the brain. That’s the reverse due to lack of help of gravity. As the night passes, pooling gets worse until it gets very problematic late at night / early morning.
Pre-constricting blood vessels body-wide by having low NO production should help too. It will restrict blood flow for sure, but it will improve the removal of blood versus the inflow of blood. It seems this is another mechanism not causing blood to pool but rather helping reducing blood pooling at the cost of poor body-wide blood flow. As such it resembles a lot an anti inflammatory measure produced by the body.
For those who might ask, I’ll write about my nightly ritual in the forum. I’m gradually building up to it in the “Me current improvement series”. Please have a little bit more patience if interested.
You are genial !That makes total sense to me. I will experiment sitting up in a chair for a bit when I awake early in the morning and my legs hurt and my adrenaline is throbbing .
I’m mainly a good observer who has decided to look into some of those “totally impossible things” that happen over and over and over again. That’s likely unexplored territory where there is much to gain ;-).
Just moving a little bit the legs around when sitting helps too. Both legs and head seem to be zones of trouble in this sort of OI kinda thing. A few slow moves (while remaining sitting) up or forward go a long way.
It works both late midnight and early morning. I learned to do it most times when I wake up. In the beginning that meant I had barely any sleep left as it was chopped into pieces, but still I felt better. Now I wake far less often then before while having better health. Sometimes I’m a bit lax and just turn around and go and sleep again ;-). No need for perfection, just improvement. I skip a bit more in the morning as I often have a hard time to fall asleep again (in the morning, mid-late nights I just fall asleep asap). In the morning I just go to the toilet and back and fall often asleep again.
Please make observations while trying this out. Also take a look at symptoms as rapid or irregular hart beat, fast breathing, light headiness, chest pain in the morning… and please feel free to report any positives or negatives. I’d be very happy to learn more. When this topic would have died out, I’m also mail-able via Healthrising forum under the name dejurgen.
dejurgen : Read : The Downside of Upright Posture by Michael Flanagan, DC – a chiropractor with training in Neurology and physical anthropology – skull structure and how mammals, like whales and elephant seals, compensate for pressure changes. Yes, drainage from the brain is extremely important – and he discusses this. Sadly, Dr. Flanagan died in 2016.
=> Reversed, if there were not an average drop in ICP by 35% or ICP going from 1x to 0.65x, not hyperventilating would increase ICP from 0.65x to 1x or an increase of 54% in ICP!
On your “nocturnal moving around” hypothesis: throughout my gradual reversal of FM, I have been hyper-hydrating, involving drinking a lot of water and taking a lot of magnesium. I have tolerated higher frequency of urination as a side effect, as the benefits are clear. This includes getting up to urinate 2-3 times per night. I have long suspected that this enforced movement during the night, is also of beneficial effect.
I am convinced that “lack of movement” is when the worst fascial adhesions occur. The morning after some unusually high intensity exercise was always an ordeal, with stiffness, elevated pain, “muscle tissue tearing” sensations on movement, and extreme proneness to cramps on certain movements (eg flexing the ankles).
I hypothesize that the toxins produced by anaerobic exercise in particular, catalyse an increased adhesiveness of the fascia via the composition of the interstitial fluid, and adhesions occur during the next period of immobility.
On the other hand, I believe that “exercise avoiders” spiral down into debilitation from ever-greater encroachment of adhesions throughout their muscular system, even if they are not provoking this with anaerobic exertion. But deconditioning results in more and more mild forms of exertion becoming anaerobic, and the victim spirals ever-downwards in a vicious circle of effects. Even going shopping or taking a shower, followed by a return of inactivity, is deadly.
I have experienced massive benefit from increasing my aerobic threshold, as a by-product of avoiding anaerobic exertion but doing large amounts of low-intensity exercise. I can now do a lot while remaining aerobic (and not triggering relapses), that in the past would have required anaerobic exertion and would have triggered a relapse overnight.
I don’t say that getting up and moving around several times a night was “the” important self-help factor, only that it is one of many things that all help break out of a vicious circle for which there are many contributing factors. If one thinks in terms of interstitial adhesiveness, many things fall into place.
A lot of these new findings still don’t contradict my hypothesis about FM. I’ve beem saying for years that the stiffening, adhesions, and clumping of muscle fascia at crucial points around the body where there are complex intersections of both muscles and blood vessels, literally constricts blood flows in certain positions. The constrictions are “physical”, like slightly crushed copper pipes in a car’s engine coolant system.
This is not the same as vasoconstriction, which applies to the entire blood vessel. It is constrictions from external pressure at specific locations. Arguably, systemic vasoconstriction may increase systemic pressure to allow more flow through the externally squeezed points.
The other thing we know far too little about is what is going on in the “interstitial” spaces. The adhesiveness of fascia relates very much to the health of the interstitial fluids. The health benefits of Yoga and other movement routines is not “superstition”, it is straight-out medical biology, if you think of it in terms of mobilisation of interstitial fluids, preventing stagnation, local infection, and adhesiveness.
But there may be a lot more going on in “The Interstitium” than merely some kind of “inert” lubricant fluid movement – there may be actual vital biochemistry occurring that we know nothing about. Eastern medicine that refers to “energy flows” independent of blood vessels (and lymph vessels) may be vindicated yet.
I agree. I think the blood flow problem is system-wide. My painful muscles which sure feel like fascia problems to me – would agree as well.
If the small blood vessels are not working – then they must be impacting the fascia I would think.
I am a physiatrist (MD) that specializes in physical modalities for FM and ME/CFS. I was an ND prior. My most central modalities are Thai/Yoga therapy with myofascial techniques and teaching a host of controlled breathing techniques to raise or lower HR/BP. My clinical experience is that these work and work well.
According to Devin Starlanyl in her book on fascia pain, research has already identified a range of toxins that are present in what she and a network of researchers centred on Travell and Simons call “trigger points” (but she also calls them “nodules” of “contractured” fascia tissue, which is far more correct). Calling these “trigger points” immediately causes confusion with the common use of this term, which is not synonymous with lumps of stuck fascia tissue at all. This leads to otherwise very helpful scholarship being dismissed as a product of a confused mind, by “experts” vested in the mind / CNS / drugs racket.
@Neilly Buckalew: thanks for doing so much needed work for FM/ME patients and thanks for taking interest in patients thoughts and concerns!
* Do fascia stick/glue to each other; if so, what is their “glueing” power and how does it compare to other sort of glue?
* Do fascia stick to other tissue? Same questions.
* What shape and size are individual cells once they are released from the strain of surrounding cells? How does it compare to cells of healthy people and cells of FM patients outside these lumps?
* Are these cells elongated? How does their volume compare to that of healthy cells (could indicate leak or overstretching by weak cell walls)? Are they bend (could indicate asymmetric change in material properties/composition/accumulation of toxins/asymmetric damage in cell wall)?
* Are they contracted e.g. shorter and wider e.g. more round shape?
I took out the latter as it demonstrates the importance of asking such questions. IF they were noticeably more round shaped for equal volume compared to healthy cells then a very identical process could be at work that makes RBC in ME patients round: strong oxidative stress damaging the cell wall.
1) cell surface area would reduce, reducing exposure to oxidative stress external to the cell (ROS in the liquid the fascia are bathing in).
2) reduced cell surface area equals to a thicker cell wall (because the same mass used for the cell wall is spread over less surface area), better protecting the cell from ROS.
1) If this effect took place on a fairly large scale it would shorten fascia, making muscle/fascia more tense and reducing range of motion.
2) As this mechanism would very likely be not homogeneous, it would cause a lot of local bending the fascia into irregular structures. Hard to predict how that would look, but knotty would be possible.
3) If I recall correct, fascia are more open type of structures. Having more round cells would reduces the amount of open space (filled with liquid) and make the fascia more dry as you mention.
Think about 1) and 3) like having all the iron beams in the Eifel tower replaced by beams half as long but twice the cross section area. Smaller tower, less open space between iron beams.
For 2) Think about the above but do not shorten all beams by a factor of two. Shrink each of them with an individual random factor between 1.9 and 2.1 (and change cross section area to maintain constant volume).
=> the result of doing the latter would be a very much shortened tower that is very bend in all kind of directions and has extremely strong local tension points making it nearly snap apart.
The above is just one of many possible outcomes of studying material properties IMO.
I have taken a class in blood vessel manipulation to relieve these kinks that you talk about. The most dramatic result for me came from a release of a neck/shoulder blood vessel restriction. One should be able to find practitioners in many metropolitan areas. Google should be able to help you out.
That was a really important one for me too.
* Did it cause a remarkable and fairly rapid drop in pain levels?
* Where you hypothermia before and if so did that change with this treatment too?
I saw dr Novak for a number of years. Was 28 at the time went from great shape healthy to horribly ill. Had the low blood to the brain diagnosed by transcarnial Doppler. Pots tilt table. Turned out I had undiagnosed Lyme disease after many months of treatment and over a year of recovery time things have pretty much normalized.
Congratulations. So Lyme disease can cause this as well! Fascinating..I wonder what the bug is doing to cause the low blood flows to the brain? That is really interesting.I wonder if its neuroinflammation resulting in dilated blood vessels in the brain?
The treatment I guess was antibiotics?
I was one of the patients who Dr Stewart gave phenylephrine. It did “cure” my symtpoms for the day. Though things wore off. Clearly I creasing CBf helped me a lot.
Ha! Thanks for sharing that. I wonder how many people this applies to. Do you have POTS?
The oral version of phenylephrine works fine. It just has poor oral bioavailability.
My experience with Alpha-Adrenergic blockers Hytrin (terazosin). After rising and walking a short distance without any faintness I came to on the floor so weak could not move for several minutes,this happened three times, very scary. After research stopped the med no more problems.
wondering if that is why the “Meyers Cocktail” infusions work so well for a short while, not necessarily the micro-nutrients in them, but the extra fluid in the blood increasing blood volume and blood flow?
This hypothesis is a bit complicated for me to understand, but I’m going to try taking a phenylephrine tablet this morning and see if it seems to help my OI. Thanks so much, Cort, for this research review. Your work on our behalf is invaluable.
Sarah R, I’m heading to the drug store today!!! And hear, hear to Cort… three cheers ?
Cognitive problems prevent me from completely understanding all of this info but I guess I don’t have to because I’m seeing Dr Chheda at Center for Complex Diseases. I have used 1-2 liters a day of IV saline for over a year. I can tell when I need it because of increase in cognitive problems, i.e. understanding people, finding words, the start of a headache, the need to lay down and completely remove myself from stimulation. I know some of this may not relate to OI but it’s interesting that I feel better after having saline. The Meyers Cocktail I tried 15 yrs ago lasted for about 1/2 hour. B12 shots and B supplements did nothing. But I just found out I have the MTHFR gene so that was the cause of the B vitamins not being metabolized, I think.
Dr, Cheney found low blood volume. This would cause not enough blood getting to the brain. But what causes low blood volume? Maybe eating extra salt helps??
As to the tilt table test – they may not be having the patient stand long enough. I passed out with no blood pressure at 28 minutes. I don’t think the docs know to test that long.
Lyme? Yes, but then why do some never recover on antibiotics? MAYBE some have an ongoing autoimmune response.
Yes, they may not be doing the tilt table test right. Low blood pressure often takes quite a while to show up.
It’s kind of amazing to me that no one had gone deeper into the causes of low blood volume.
My problems keep having me circle back to some kind of sleep disorder. But my home overnight pulse oximeter records a reasonable 90-99% O2 sat with a few apnea events yet I feel ill upon awakening. The one thing I’ve seen is many heart rate events where my heart rate sky rockets many times during the night with NO apnea or other visible or audible signs. I’ve used my home surveillance system to record audio and video and watched and listened during heart rate and apnea events. I see nothing to alert me.
I now see where I have no way of monitoring CO2 and hypocapnia while sleeping. It could be happening due hyperventilation or something else resulting in resulting in cerebral vasoconstriction. I asked multiple doctors why sleeping with supplemental O2 sometimes made a big difference but showed no “significant” O2 sat improvement. They said O2 sat said I was ok. One said my description sounded like a a shift in the oxygen–hemoglobin dissociation curve but that wasn’t possible. I investigated what might cause this including abnormal mitochondria and inadequate O2 tissue delivery at the cellular level.
Now I see it could actually be as simple as excess CO2 elimination and resulting effect on my brain blood O2 delivery.I have seen my Anion Gap varies wildly and is mostly high. Blood CO2 or bicarbonate levels (an anion) are adjusted by various mechanisms to offset cations.
But the CO2 or Bicarbonate is mostly provided by respiration. So respiration issues that reduce CO2 can show up in the Anion Gap.
Has anyone seen a reasonable home CO2 monitor that would allow breathing levels to be monitoring during wake and sleep to look for hyperventilation or other causes that might be causing hypocapnia and its resulting effects?
I’m not familiar with measurements taken at home, but have you read any of the research on upper airway resistance syndrome? In particular, studies Stanford University and Dr. Steven Park describe this in detail and connect it to orthostatic intolerance. I’ve listened to a recent podcast Dr. Park produced proving that arousals are just as important as apnea events but aren’t routinely reported on standard sleep studies. This makes sense in my case. I have mild sleep apnea and feel faint on standing, etc. if my mandibular advancement device isn’t adjusted correctly. That tells me that my airway size definitely correlated with how I feel…definitely not cured but tremendously better.
Am I right that this links to the Hummingbird device? If I remember correctly, this increases blood flow. Would this help here?
I think it’s possible. If the Hummingbird can increase blood flows in the lower body it might be able to increase preload and thus blood flows to the brain. Low blood flows to the brain may be the key issue for all kinds of orthostatic intolerance..
I wonder if vasodilation explains the alcohol intolerance. Or is there a known explanation for that?
Has anyone tried botox injections into the trapezious muscle to relax it and increase blood flow to the head and neck area?
That was supposed to be trapezius muscle.
I’m too wasted to follow everyone’s in depth comments right now. Do I understand correctly that there is no medical treatment available even if you are diagnosed with this new form OI? In other words, is it worth it to take my limited energy to go back to my OI cardiologist at this time?
Another great article Cort, well done!
Do we have a scientific citation validating the test we could show a doctor in the event one scores positive?
Stand up straight for 8 minutes.
If you start to feel ill stop and rest for a while.
Unfortunately I don’t know that there is. It’s been quite a while but if there was a citation I hope I would have put it in.
I have a lot of untangling and re-reading this to do— SO much of this spoke to my experience, not fitting with many traditional POTS symptoms, but definitely having parasympathetic misfiring. The sorts of things that are listed in the ‘POTS may also cause…’ lists that seem to include any symptom you can imagine.
I have a strange pattern when in a hard crash. There’s other signs, but I noticed (b/c was on IVIG and got a blood O2 monitor)—when I’m really sick, my blood O2 is 99 or 100. It’s normally 97. It’s not a huge difference, but it’s extremely consistent. I don’t know if I’m hyperventilating (I try very hard to control my breathing) or if the O2 in my blood is not being used properly, and then shows higher blood O2 levels. I’m not sure if the analogy fits, but I know I have testosterone that is being produced but other indicators show it’s not being used/taken up in my system. | 2019-04-20T16:49:04Z | https://www.healthrising.org/blog/2019/02/01/hypocapnic-cerebral-hypoperfusion-orthostatic-intolerance-chronic-fatigue-syndrome/ |
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When it involves high availability on the IBM i platform, there are two leading options: rational replication and PowerHA SystemMirror for i. whereas the structure and advantages of rational replication solutions are smartly-based and time-honored, PowerHA remains slightly of a mystery for a lot of. they will are attempting to shine some gentle on how PowerHA works, and even if it is the commandeer choice for you.
there has been a surge in activity round HA so far in 2017, but many IBM i stores remain perplexed in regards to the a considerable number of alternate options. in the first article in this HA collection, they took a wide examine every unique of the options on the table. in this article, we’re drilling down into one of the crucial perplexing alternate options of all: PowerHA.
The origins of PowerHA SystemMirror for IBM i stretch over decades, every unique of the route lower back to the 1999 introduction of aboriginal clustering with OS/400 V4R4. while clustering didn’t entangle off as IBM had hoped, massive Blue saved chipping away at the know-how stack and enforcing core constructing blocks that could repay down the road, including i5/OS V5R1’s introduction of independent auxiliary storage swimming pools (iASPs), which is the coronary heart of PowerHA these days.
in the early 2000s, IBM Lab features in Rochester, Minnesota, every unique started offering the device i replica features toolkit, which used technologies dote GlobalMirror, MetroMirror, and FlashCopy to duplicate the contents of iASPs running on external disks, namely the TotalStorage DS8000 line of high-end storage area networks (SANs). at last, IBM productized the providing with the introduction of a switched-disks, dubbed depart website mirroring (XSM), that worked with the DS8000.
This XSM product, which was loosely in response to the high Availability Cluster Multi Processing (HACMP) know-how that IBM supported on RS/6000, pSeries, and system p Unix servers, finally morphed into high Availability options supervisor (HASM) with the launch of IBM i 6.1 in 2008. At some factor, before the launch of IBM i 7.1, HASM changed into reborn as PowerHA SystemMirror for i.
building didn’t discontinue there. In 2013, IBM bolstered PowerHA by using including support for LUN-degree switching on Storwize V7000 and SAN quantity Controller (SVC) arrays, moreover the great DS8000s. In 2014, it brought assist for HyperSwap. And prior this year, it officially rolled out a further PowerHA alternative called Geographically Dispersed Resiliency.
PowerHA these days provides shoppers with a reach of storage and replication alternatives in aid of numerous extreme availability and catastrophe restoration architectural topologies (see image above). This moreover enables clients to entangle handicap of the advantages of synchronous and asynchronous connectivity, which basically permit high availability and catastrophe insurance policy, respectively.
customers can expend it dote a straight-up switched-disk solution – with every unique information resident on a unique SAN linked to numerous utility servers and switched by route of LUNs – as it turned into at first designed. This provides high availability against outages on the IBM i processing node, but not catastrophe coverage.
Secondly, they can expend Metro or world reflect to duplicate the production SAN information to a secondary local SAN, and switched on and off with LUN-degree switching. This setup would expend synchronous replication to earn certain no facts loss in the event of a SAN outage, but doesn’t proffer protection to towards a site disaster.
A two-SAN setup might simply expend international mirror to asynchronously replicate statistics to a faraway SAN, which would proffer protection to against a site outage however would no longer give HA. Or it may expend LUN-level switching on the simple SAN (providing HA protection from IBM i server outages) with world reflect used to replicate statistics to a second far flung SAN, thereby featuring ample geographic distance to give protection to in opposition t a web site catastrophe.
a 3-SAN setup across two websites can be installation this fashion: The primary SAN replicates facts by means of Metro replicate to a 2nd SAN (presenting HA). The 2d SAN in gyrate sends data asynchronously by route of international reflect to a faraway third SAN (providing DR).
ultimately, shoppers can maintain PowerHA restrained to inner disk, and the expend of the IBM i-based mostly geographic mirroring protocol to replicate facts to a 2d IBM i server.
PowerHA traditional edition: Designed primarily for internal disk implementations (however can be used with SAN or direct-connected arrays). makes expend of the IP-primarily based geographic mirroring protocol to copy iASP data from one server to another. PowerHA workloads race on the IBM i server, not the SAN. basically used by retail outlets with less than four TB of construction statistics. When used with a SAN, helps FlashCopy to create superfast tape backups.
PowerHA commercial enterprise edition: includes everything in fair edition. Designed for SAN-primarily based replication; PowerHA workloads race on the SAN, not the IBM i server. In a campus environment, synchronous Metro replicate replicating can provide a restoration factor purpose (RPO) of zero, whereas asynchronous replication over global reflect gives support for 3 geographically dispersed websites.
PowerHA categorical edition: provides aid for HyperSwap, a mainframe technology that makes expend of Metro replicate’s peer to peer remote replica (PPRC) protocol to copy facts among SANs and provide for an almost instantaneous duty swap.
while there are lots of flavors and alternate options, the core underlying fundamental and core enabling technology of PowerHA continues to be the identical: iASP. At its coronary heart, the competence of a server to swap from iASP to another iASP is what powers the various resiliency offerings that IBM sells below the PowerHA banner.
each piece of facts that goes into the basic iASP gets replicated to a secondary iASP, which could entangle a seat on a SAN, on an instantaneous-attached storage array, or on inside disk. different vital items, dote person profiles, continue to be in *SYSBAS and are managed in the admin area. in the event of unplanned outage, PowerHA’s heartbeat monitor will realize a problem, and initiate a failover. every unique of this can moreover be managed from a unique parade in PowerHA.
because PowerHA is sending much greater statistics over the community in comparison to rational replication, it requires a much bigger community – about 4 times the dimension, based on Matt Staddler, who sells and implements PowerHA and Maxava‘s rational replication reply at IT options group.
whereas the network costs could be better, the personnel fees will usually be lessen for PowerHA. That’s a facet repercussion of having really every exiguous thing within the IBM i ambiance circulate throughout the pipe. With rational replication, the HA utility should be configured to duplicate a new file that’s been added to the database, whereas that’s now not fundamental with PowerHA. Out-of-synch conditions, a bugaboo within the rational replication ambiance, aren’t regular in PowerHA.
to expend PowerHA, a customer’s IBM i applications exigency to be iASP enabled. this is a sticking point for some valued clientele. SAP and Oracle gain performed a advantageous job assisting iASPs with their IBM i-primarily based ERP methods, according to Staddler. but some applications are not iASP enabled, including Infor, whose ERP XA (MAPICS) application is having main issue applying PTFs in an iASP atmosphere, and for this intuition should no longer be used there, in accordance with Staddler.
There’s yet another great caveat to geographic mirroring in PowerHA that gain to be outlined: replication has to cease throughout a backup. So if the all system backup to tape lasts five hours, a consumer is probably exposing 5 hours’ charge of facts. This situation is alleviated in PowerHA traffic version thanks to the FlashCopy characteristic.
while PowerHA has a popularity for being a SAN-best HA solution, that’s in reality fallacious. definitely, the stout majority of PowerHA installs conducted via IT Jungle‘s Doug Bidwell’s Southern California consulting company, DLB systems friends, hold inside disk and geographic mirroring.
enterprise-grade PowerHA elements dote HyperSwap, GDR, and LUN-stage switching may well be used via the Fortune 500, however most clients don’t expend those facets. for many IBM i stores, geographic mirroring of iASPs working in direct-connect disks has gyrate into a existent alternative to rational replication. This looks to be the setup this is fueling PowerHA’s increase.
while PowerHA has a long legacy and 2,000 installations through 2013, it really wasn’t until 2015 that the product became rock-solid enough for frequent expend within the IBM i Put in base, Finnes told IT Jungle ultimately month’s measure reveal.
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for only the second time for the intuition that massive Blue entered the Unix market for True in February 1990 with the launch of the RS/6000 line of workstations and servers, the enterprise is letting customers who expend its power-primarily based servers entangle a future AIX unencumber for a learn at various drive in an open beta program.
The AIX 7 open beta, which launches today, gives customers a down load of the binaries in a DVD ISO image that they could burn onto media and installation on the ultimate several generations of vigour machines.
The leading component, says Jay Kruemcke, AIX marketing supervisor within IBM's vigour programs division, is that valued clientele cannot race the code in production environments - truly, the download settlement prohibits this, exiguous doubt to absolve IBM of any responsibility in case someone makes expend of AIX 7 in creation.
moreover letting vigour programs customers find their arms on the AIX 7 code, IBM let slack one of the details on the long race AIX above and beyond what El Reg has already told you concerning the unencumber, which is moreover known as AIX 7.1 just to be puzzling. AIX 7 will support a unique gadget image that spans 256 cores and 1,024 threads and maybe as lots as eight TB of main memory, which is 4 instances the iron that became supported by means of the current AIX 6.1 unencumber.
IBM says that AIX 7 can be binary suitable with the prior AIX 5.1 and 5.2 releases (which are at the flash off help) and the AIX 5.3 and 6.1 releases that are nevertheless supported by route of stout Blue.
One challenging thing in regards to the future AIX 7 is that it has a tweaked edition of IBM's Workload Partitions (WPARs for brief, in IBMspeak) with a view to enable for AIX 5.2 to race inner the partitions. WPARs are equivalent to digital deepest server partitions dote Solaris containers and BSD jails, which gain a unique working system kernel and file system that exhibit to be diverse operating methods, comprehensive with their personal protection and tuning, for applications to be remoted in.
WPARs are diverse from rational partitions, or LPARs, applied by the PowerVM hypervisor, which abstracts the vigour iron and enables replete AIX, i, or Linux operating methods - with their personal kernels and file systems - to race facet by means of facet and in a more thoroughly isolated style. With AIX 7, consumers can entangle a rational partition working AIX 5.2 and restore it onto an AIX WPAR; here is valuable as a result of IBM's live migration within the AIX atmosphere best works on WPARs, now not LPARs.
during the beta, IBM is enabling this AIX 5.2 LPAR to WPAR migration to be tested on prior vigour systems, but when AIX 7 does depart into creation later this 12 months - in every unique probability in September or October, according to the newest roadmaps from IBM, but truly conditional on how the beta goes - this potential will best be enabled on Power7-based machines running AIX 7.
AIX 7 will moreover entangle replete abilities of every unique the punch management and virtualization aspects in Power7 methods, but given the fantastically few Power7 machines in the container, IBM isn't expecting this code to find the identical variety of eyeballs on it as different AIX 7 facets.
an additional WPAR enhancement is to allow Fibre Channel adapters to be pegged at once to and be owned via a specific WPAR, which IBM says helps simplify the administration of storage on AIX programs that gain been virtualized. There is some complaining in the AIX and i consumer bases in regards to the AIX virtual I/O Server it really is used to virtualize storage and networking for LPARs operating on the PowerVM hypervisor, and presumably letting WPARs own their personal I/O now not most effective simplifies configuration, but boosts efficiency.
IBM moreover says that AIX 7 will involve constructed-in high availability clustering for AIX-based techniques, however didn't elaborate. IBM sells PowerHA SystemMirror clustering application for AIX boxes, previously referred to as HACMP and which has been accessible when you deem that 1991.
PowerHA SystemMirror makes it practicable for as much as 32 AIX boxes to be clustered in conjunction with shared storage, enabling bins to back each different up within the event of a crash. It may well be that IBM is going to bundle the primary PowerHA clustering software in AIX enterprise edition, its excessive-end variant of AIX with every unique the bells and whistles.
different AIX 7 enhancements encompass domain attend within the role-based entry control safety modules of the operating equipment, so that they can attend internet hosting corporations with several tenants to avert access to volume organizations, file techniques, and devices across multiple domains. AIX skinny servers (which can be diskless and dataless AIX pictures booted from storage over NFS) should be more desirable to attend NFS v4 and IPv6.
IBM will even be tweaking the EtherChannel Ethernet hyperlink aggregation characteristic of its TCP/IP stack (used at the side of catalyst switches from Cisco systems) to attend some new features of the IEEE 802.3ad common.
With the AIX 6.1 beta program, which turned into launched in July 2007 concurrently with the first rollouts of machines in response to the dual-core Power6 processors, over 1,000 corporations participated within the beta program, says Kruemcke. IBM had in no route achieved a beta application before, and didn't understand exactly what to predict, however these numbers gain been better than massive Blue expected.
even if they pale in comparison to the variety of agencies that entangle piece in home windows or Linux betas, every unique Unix shops, dote mainframe and proprietary midrange shops, are extremely conservative and enact not continually gain lots of fallow RISC, Itanium, or proprietary iron laying round, given its high charge.
but unbiased utility providers who peddle AIX items enact gain iron to construct and examine their code, and that they want to find their functions as much as snuff on the brand new free up. About 30 per cent of the organizations that tested AIX 6.1 three years ago were ISVs who, for whatever thing intent, did not depart through the fair channels to profit entry to the approaching Unix release to find begun on porting and testing their code.
The web repercussion of this, says Kruemcke, is that ISVs had been primed for the actual AIX 6.1 unencumber, and many extra functions gain been ready within the wake of the start of the operating device than IBM would gain otherwise been capable of count number on. it is within your means that the AIX 7 beta will find ISVs moving once again.
Some users are additionally considering moving ahead, says Kruemcke. "a stout number of customers are on AIX 5.3, and a lot of of them are looking very severely about jumping straight to AIX 7."
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High Availability Cluster Multi-Processing for AIX® 5L, v5.2 (HACMP v5.2) monitors pSeries® servers and performs application failover. With Web-based configuration and control facility, HACMP Extended Distance feature provides real-time data mirroring and catastrophe recovery for captious traffic needs, while HACMP Smart Assist for WebSphere® feature promotes availability within end-user application environments.
Better protect your captious traffic applications from failures with the world-spanning capabilities of IBM high Availability Cluster Multi-Processing for AIX® 5L, V5.2 (HACMP V5.2).
For over a decade, IBM HACMP has provided trustworthy high availability services, monitoring customers' pSeries® servers and dependably performing application failover to backup servers. The HACMP Extended Distance (HACMP/XD) feature provides real-time data mirroring and catastrophe recovery for captious traffic needs. The HACMP Smart Assist for WebSphere® feature brings additional high availability to end-user application environments.
Now you gain a single, world-class source of protection for your mission-critical applications.
HACMP V5.2 offers streamlined, simplified, and automated features to better support your on exact business.
HACMP V5.2: Simpler. Faster. Goes the distance.
· Two-node configuration wizard for common installations· Cluster Test Tool· Enhanced security mechanisms· Web-based configuration and control facility for cluster management· Optional feature HACMP Smart Assist for WebSphere Faster event processing to quicken application recovery· Improved policy-based cluster manager provides streamlined resource movement and faster failover.· Up to 40% improvement in basic cluster failover time helps minimize application downtime.· competence to define resource group interdependencies facilitates efficient failovers.
· AIX rational Volume Manager (LVM) split mirroring for catastrophe recovery in SAN environments.
· Optional HACMP/XD feature that supports unlimited-distance geographic clustering and data mirroring options to enhance catastrophe recovery.
· New support for Enterprise Remote Copy Management Facility (eRCMF) with HACMP/XD for Enterprise Storage Subsystem (ESS) PPRC expands HACMP/XD's capabilities.
Software withdrawal and service discontinuance: IBM HACMP V5.1 effective March 31, 2005, IBM will withdraw from marketing the HACMP V5.1 program licensed under the IBM International Program License Agreement. effective September 1, 2006, IBM will discontinue service.
HACMP(TM) 5.2 offers robust high availability and catastrophe recovery, with streamlined configuration, improved ease-of-use, reduced cost of administration, greater flexibility of event handling, faster failover, and a new Web-based configuration and control facility for pSeries customers with mission-critical applications.
The optional features HACMP Extended Distance (HACMP/XD) and HACMP Smart Assist for WebSphere provide complete high availability catastrophe recovery solutions for your business.
Three leading Unix operating systems gain recent upgrades for clustering and security.
Sun Solaris 9 embeds Sun Microsystems' SunOne application server for Java2 Enterprise Edition. Solaris 9's enhanced Network File System improves database performance, said Anil Gadre, vice president and general manager for Solaris. The OS incorporates a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol server and an enterprise firewall.
IBM Corp. has tweaked AIX 5L to ameliorate handling of great chunks of data. And SGI's Irix 6.5 and a higher-security variant, Trusted Irix 6.5, gain received certifications under the Common Criteria Evaluation and Validation Scheme of the National Information Assurance Partnership.
An integrated volume manager gives Solaris 9 a new capability for soft-disk partitioning, Gadre said. Another feature called Containers can earmark processors and remembrance among multiple tasks. Solaris 9 runs on up to 128 processors in a unique system and on up to 576 CPUs in a cluster.
The upgrades to IBM AIX 5L exploit the IBM Power4 processor architecture introduced in the pSeries server line, said Mike Carroll, AIX marketing manager.
A new Technical great Page feature transfers 16M chunks of data between applications and main memory, Carroll said. It works with the Scheduling great Affinity function, which restricts workloads to a subset of CPUs within a multiprocessor system, and the remembrance Affinity feature, which preferentially allocates remembrance closest to the processors handling the workload.
That assists bandwidth-intensive applications such as biochemical simulations and traffic intelligence systems, Carroll said.
IBM moreover offers a free toolbox for linking pSeries AIX platforms into a grid. The toolkit consists of open-source software developed by the Globus Project, a joint endeavor of Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Southern California.
"The grid is a route of harnessing distributed computing power," Carroll said.
SGI's measure Irix 6.5.13 meets the Controlled Access Protection Profile of the Common Criteria program. CAPP corresponds to the B1 security flat from the former faith Technology Assessment Program's Orange reserve standard, said Casey Schaufler, SGI's manager of trusted technology.
Trusted Irix 6.5.13 conforms to the more stringent Labeled Security Protection Profile, consistent with the Orange Book's C2 standard, Schaufler said.
The Navy's Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography heart in Monterey, Calif., has been using Trusted Irix for about a year, said Mike Clancy, the center's chief scientist and deputy technical director.
IBM Tuesday unveiled the latest incarnation of AIX 5L v5.2. This release of the operating system for the pSeries eServer line features two major additions: dynamic rational partitioning and Capacity Upgrade on Demand.
IBM Tuesday unveiled the latest incarnation of AIX 5L v5.2, which features two major additions: dynamic rational partitioning and Capacity Upgrade on Demand.
Static rational partitioning has been available on the pSeries for some time now, Mike Harrell, IBM eServer Unix manager told ServerWatch. Dynamic partitioning, already available on IBM mainframes, enables system administrators to earmark system resources and create virtual servers on the fly.
Because the rational partitioning is done on the operating system and firmware level, it can be taken to a flat as granular as a unique processor and 250 MB of memory. This is far smaller than the virtual servers created at the hardware or application level, Harrell said. Sun Microsystems' partitioning, he noted, can depart only as wee as two processors and 2,048 MB of memory.
Administrators can partition the pSeries systems into many smaller virtual servers concurrently running AIX 5L v5.2, AIX 5L v5.1, and Linux.
Big Blue is staking claim to being the only major vendor to proffer servers capable of simultaneously running Linux and Unix on the same box.
Capacity Upgrade on exact (CUoD) is the other key addition to AIX 5L. With CUoD enterprises install systems with more processors than are initially required. Those resources are kept in reserve until traffic needs require their activation. This enables system administrators to change workloads and rapid growth without taking down the server. For example, when using CUoD and the dynamic partitioning capabilities together, if a pSeries system has a failing processor, a new processor can be automatically brought online at no additional imbue to the customer and with no interruption in service or performance degradation.
In addition, with CUoD enterprises can seamlessly add new processors in pairs to meet increased workloads without interrupting operations. Thus, by its nature CUoD brings with it increased granularity. Previously, enterprises had to add eight processors at a time; now they can buy processing power as needed or gain excess capacity available for future growth.
IBM at this time moreover announced a new server offering for managing mixed Linux and Unix clusters.
Clustered Systems Management (CSM) Version 1.3 is the first software package capable of managing mixed clusters.
CSM provides a unique point-of-control for installing, configuring, maintaining, and updating IBM eServer xSeries servers running Linux and IBM eServer pSeries servers (or their rational partitions) running AIX.
Enterprises with both Unix and Linux applications can consolidate them on a unique CSM-managed cluster.
The IBM eServer Cluster 1600 has been expanded to support as many as 128 specified IBM eServer pSeries servers running AIX 5L, and the IBM eServer Cluster 1350 has been expanded to support up to 512 managed IBM eServer xSeries systems running Linux. A mixed environment supports up to 128 systems.
Both cluster offerings are pre-tested, pre-configured and delivered ready-to-run.
CSM on the IBM eServer Cluster 1600 is scheduled for October 25. Planned availability for scalability to 256 systems on IBM eServer Cluster 1350 is moreover set for this time. support for up to 128 servers or 128 operating system images on IBM eServer Cluster 1600 is planned for December 13, as is support for mixed AIX 5L v5.2 and Linux clusters. | 2019-04-26T06:17:06Z | http://morganstudioonline.com/brain-dumps.php?pdf=000-237 |
This bill was previously introduced in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session.
This enactment requires the Minister of Health to initiate discussions with the provincial and territorial ministers responsible for health or health promotion for the purpose of developing a national strategy for the health care of persons afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia-related diseases.
May 6, 2015 Failed That the Bill be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Health.
May 5th, 2015 / 5:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to participate in the debate on Bill C-356, an act respecting a national strategy for dementia.
I want to begin by commending my hon. colleague, the member for Nickel Belt, for bringing this important issue before the House. The member has spoken about his family's personal connection to Alzheimer's, and we can all acknowledge the good work he has done to bring attention to what is a very pressing health issue for many Canadians.
Dementia is not a normal part of aging. It knows no social, economic, ethnic, or geographical boundaries. The effects of dementia are wide-reaching, affecting those diagnosed with it, their families, friends, and all of our communities.
While evidence about the causes of dementia is limited, we are learning that risks may be reduced through early diagnosis and by promoting healthy living. Research has pointed to possible risk factors, such as physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, environmental, genetic and gender factors, as well as traumatic brain injury. Some of these possible risk factors are things we can change in our lifestyles, such as physical inactivity and unhealthy eating. This is one of the reasons that our government has been so focused on encouraging healthy, active lifestyles.
No family should have to lose a parent or another loved one to a terrible disease like Alzheimer's, so it is important we are working to raise awareness of these things as the research continues to evolve. That said, we know that we cannot be focused on prevention alone. We must also consider those who have already received the devastating diagnosis of dementia. We must prepare for the future while also providing support for those currently living with this disease.
Over the past year and a half, we have seen unprecedented international attention focused on dementia. Last fall, the Government of Canada co-hosted the Canada-France Global Dementia Legacy Event. This event was built upon the momentum that began with our Minister of Health's participation in the 2013 G8 dementia summit. The focus of the legacy event was on developing new approaches to research, working with both the public and private sectors to bring all efforts together.
It was at this event that the Minister of Health announced work under way with the Alzheimer Society of Canada to implement a program called dementia friends Canada across our country. I would like to provide some further details on this program as it is an international model that is proving to be very successful and is highly supported by key stakeholders.
This unique program was originally launched in Japan as Dementia Supporters and more recently in the United Kingdom as Dementia Friends.
The idea behind the program is a community-based awareness and training program that would help to build dementia-friendly communities.
For individuals living with dementia, simple routine tasks such as shopping for groceries or paying bills become increasingly challenging over time. These individuals need understanding and patience. People living with dementia want to carry on with their daily lives and feel included in their communities, but they may need a bit of help and sometimes may not know how to ask. They also need support so they can continue to be engaged in their communities comfortably and confidently.
We believe that dementia friends Canada would help individuals, communities, and businesses better understand the needs of those living with dementia in order to take action and make a difference in their quality of life. It would empower communities, large and small, to create a positive change.
Through this program, the government would support those living with dementia today by removing the stigma surrounding this devastating disease and creating a culture of understanding, tolerance, and patience.
I am sure we can all agree that supporting these attributes is essential in helping those living with dementia stay connected to their communities.
Members may be interested to know that when the United Kingdom launched its Dementia Friends program just one year ago, it set a goal of one million dementia friends. Becoming a dementia friend is not as simple as a Facebook click. These one million residents of the U.K. have taken training to better understand the needs of people living with dementia and have committed to supporting them in the community.
The U.K. program is working to go even beyond one million registered participants and has now set a new goal of three million dementia friends by 2020. I know that Canadians will be just as excited to make a real difference for those here at home when we are able to bring this program to Canada.
Through a partnership with the Alzheimer Society of Canada, our government is adapting the United Kingdom's successful initiative to the Canadian context, and we would implement our dementia friends Canada program nationally. As part of this program, we are developing a national website which would provide information on dementia, suggest simple ways people can help someone living with dementia, and encourage Canadians to sign up to become dementia friends.
Canadians of all ages would be able to turn their new understanding into action. By learning a bit more about what it would be like to live with dementia and what they can do to help, Canadians would be able to better support those living with the disease.
Dementia champions are another important component to this program. These volunteers would be trained and equipped with resources to answer people's questions about dementia, suggest sources for further information, and support and provide training to dementia friends.
We have heard today about the alarming rate at which dementia is affecting Canadians and we know that sadly over time that rate will increase. It can make a huge difference to the people living with this disease if the people around them know what dementia is and how it may be affecting them. While we remain committed to research on prevention and a cure so that fewer Canadians ever have to struggle with this disease in the long run, I am proud we are also taking real action to make a difference for those who need our help here and now. I believe that dementia friends Canada would complement the significant investments our government is making in research.
I hope that my remarks today demonstrate the commitment of our government in taking action to make a difference for Canadians and their families. As I am sure members are already well aware, our government is already committed to developing a national dementia plan. In fact, it was included in this year's economic action plan, and we will continue to work with the provinces and territories to do exactly that.
When it comes to research, we have been taking undeniable leadership through our participation in G8 and World Health Organization efforts. We have been supporting Canadian expertise focused ultimately on finding a cure, and would also be taking real action to better support those who are living with the disease.
Importantly, all of these activities have been done while respecting provincial and territorial jurisdiction over health care. As I said at the beginning of my remarks, I know that the member for Nickel Belt is well intentioned with this bill, but unfortunately, it does infringe on provincial jurisdiction in a number of areas. I think it would be unfortunate to have federal legislation interfere in an area where we already have such strong co-operation.
Members have also mentioned a motion which was brought forward by my colleague, the member for Huron—Bruce. I look forward to debate on that motion, as it calls on the government to take strong action while respecting the jurisdiction of the provinces over health care delivery.
It is clear that Canadians living with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia need our support. Our government recognizes this and has taken a number of steps already. We are committed to doing even more through the dementia friends program and our co-operative work with the provinces on a national plan. We will get the job done, working within our federal role.
May 5th, 2015 / 5:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to rise today in support of Bill C-356, An Act respecting a National Strategy for Dementia.
The Liberals have long called for federal leadership in establishing a pan-Canadian dementia strategy and we believe the federal government must work with the provinces to establish such a strategy.
Families throughout our country are having to deal with loved ones who have dementia and they need our help and our support. They need that national strategy so they can cope, and this private member's bill aims to do that.
According to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, in 2011, 747,000 Canadians were living with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. That means, 14.9% of Canadians 65 and older were living with cognitive impairment. Without intervention, the society projects that figure will increase to 1.4 million Canadians by 2031.
The demographic population of Newfoundland and Labrador is aging at a faster rate than the rest of Canada, which means this increase will hit my home province particularly hard. In 2011, 16% of the population was 65 years or older, a number expected to increase to 20% by 2016. Unfortunately, as the age of the population increases, research has shown that the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia does as well.
Given the terrible toll that dementia currently takes on Canadians and their health care, and given the certainty that this toll will grow more severe in coming decades, the CMA believes that it is vital for Canada to develop a focused strategy to address it.
Clearly this is a pressing problem requiring urgent action. Yet, despite pledging in 2013 to find a cure or treatment for Alzheimer's by 2025, we remain one of the only G7 countries without a strategy. Australia, Norway, the Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom all have national strategies to address this growing problem, but Canada does not. This is unacceptable, especially given our aging population.
Alzheimer's disease puts enormous emotional stress on millions of families in Canada. One in five Canadians 45 and older provide some sort of care to seniors living with long-term health problems. In 2011, that amounted to 444 million unpaid hours spent by family caregivers looking after someone with cognitive impairment such as dementia.
From an economic perspective, this amounts to $11 billion in lost income and a loss of 227,760 full-time equivalent employees in the Canadian workforce. The impact to the Canadian economy is matched only by the enormous strain on those family members who provide care for their loved ones.
The emotional stress caregivers face was highlighted in a recent report by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, as well as a report from the World Health Organization, which stated that between 15% and 32% of caregivers would experience depression and up to 75% would develop psychological illnesses as a result of caring for others. These family members are doing what they can, but they need our help.
A comprehensive strategy that supports caregivers is essential for the well-being of both the patient and the caregiver. A truly comprehensive pan-Canadian dementia strategy would not only have a positive impact on patients and their families, but delaying onset of Alzheimer's by two years could save our health care system $219 billion over a 30 year period.
Patients with dementia often occupy acute care hospital beds, while waiting for placement at long-term care facilities. This only serves to exacerbate the problem of waiting lists and increased health care costs. Without action, this problem will continue to grow.
During the 2011 federal election, the Liberal Party of Canada laid out a clear, comprehensive dementia strategy, including support for research, families, patients and communities. The plan called for increased funding for research to target new treatments and therapy, and to accelerate our progress in understanding, treating and preventing brain diseases.
It called for increased awareness, education and prevention programs to support families and combat the social stigma of dementia. It also called for stronger support for home and long-term care, as well as protection of income security for families struggling to cope with the cost of caring for a loved one with dementia.
Another key element of that strategy was the introduction of legislation that would prohibit denial of life, mortgage and disability insurance, and rejected employment based on genetic testing that showed risk of future illnesses.
Canada is the only G7 country without legal restrictions on access to genetic test results. This forces many Canadians to make an impossible choice: obtain genetic testing results for illnesses, including Alzheimer's, and face discrimination, or avoid testing and taking steps that could prevent or mitigate illness in the hope of obtaining things like life insurance.
This regulatory void perversely promotes the avoidance of potentially life-saving tests. Action is needed urgently, yet despite pledging action in the 2013 throne speech, the only action the Conservative government has taken is to block efforts on this front in the Senate.
Despite government inaction, individual Canadians are working together to develop treatment and prevention protocols and to improve the lives of patients and their families.
This year, volunteers across Newfoundland and Labrador will be participating in seven “Walks for Alzheimer's” to raise money for support programs and services for those living with dementia in their communities.
Families are also helping other families by participating in province-wide family support groups, accessible by phone and Skype, reducing isolation and providing much-needed support to caregivers in remote communities like those in my riding of Random—Burin—St. George's. This is one way of ensuring that families are able to cope. We need to ensure more of that happens.
The things is that it needs to be part of a national strategy so it is not left to those who are caregivers to do things to help those who they and others love who are hit with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.
I take pleasure in raising awareness of the important work being done on dementia treatment and prevention in my home province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Dr. Anne Sclater, professor of medicine at Memorial University, has done incredible work on the development of provincial strategies on healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease, as well as on the prevention of elder abuse.
Elders with dementia have the highest incident of mistreatment and abuse in long term care, and the prevention of this sort of terrible abuse is a topic on which Dr. Roger Butler, associate professor of family medicine at Memorial University of Newfoundland, has worked extensively. He is also currently engaged in a new project using telegerontology as a novel approach to optimize health and safety among people with dementia in Newfoundland and Labrador. For his work as a teacher, family physician and on behalf of the Alzheimer's Society, he was recognized by the College of Family Physicians of Canada as Newfoundland and Labrador's family physician for the year in 2013.
Drs. Sclater and Butler, along with some of their colleagues throughout the country, are making incredible progress on this important and increasingly prevalent issue. Imagine what they could do with more resources and support.
What we need is coordinated support from the top. Federal leadership is needed to develop a truly pan-Canadian dementia strategy to support the important work of these individual researchers.
May 5th, 2015 / 5:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am extremely pleased to speak to the bill introduced by my colleague from Nickel Belt, which seeks to establish a national strategy for dementia. This is particularly important for me as a nurse. I believe that this bill reflects a reality that we will have to face.
In order to understand how vitally important it is to have a national strategy for dementia, we need to understand that the population is aging. The number of Canadians with dementia is growing in tandem with the growing number of seniors. Although there is such a thing as early onset dementia, this disease mainly affects the elderly.
Right now in Canada, 740,000 people have Alzheimer's or a dementia-related disease. However, by 2031, this figure is expected to double to 1.4 million Canadians. In my region of Abitibi-Témiscamingue, 15.8% of the population was 65 or older in 2013. In 2031, 28.8% of the population will fall into that age category. Obviously, Alzheimer's and other types of dementia will be more widespread in a region like mine. It is therefore vital that we combine our efforts to develop a strategy to address this phenomenon, since it will take up a large share of regional health budgets and will become a growing concern for regional authorities.
Furthermore, it is important to better recognize the importance of prevention in order to identify early symptoms and intervene quickly. A strategy for dementia should be based on maintaining brain health and on preventing the illness among those who are particularly susceptible to it. Many studies have shown that some memory exercises can slow the disease's progression. However, if we wait too long to intervene such measures are not as effective.
The health system currently does not have the resources required to address this phenomenon. The problem could become overwhelming if we do not change our approach and if the federal government continues to neglect provincial transfers.
Direct and indirect medical expenses, such as the loss of income, currently total $33 billion a year. This could rise to $293 billion a year. We must create an integrated health system where we implement best practices to ensure that we treat these illnesses and provide community support.
The phenomenon of dementia is unique because those who suffer from this disease are primarily looked after by family caregivers. In 2011, family caregivers spent 444 million unpaid working hours providing care. This translates to $11 billion in lost income, or the equivalent of 227,760 full-time employees. It is therefore vital, when considering a national dementia strategy, to consider the circumstances of family caregivers. In many cases, dementia is an illness that develops slowly. People remain in their surrounding environment for a very long time.
The person's family members end up having to spend more and more time keeping him or her healthy and safe in his or her environment. This is extremely exhausting. Spouses can easily spend 10 to 15 years caring for a sick loved one, and regularly do, before health problems get too serious for them to handle. We need to make sure that family caregivers can keep doing this job and that they get support from their community to help their loved ones.
What people need when they are trying to help their loved ones, and what they often lack, is access to respite services. Caregivers often get worn out. Having someone who can take over every now and then for a day or a weekend enables caregivers to keep doing their amazing work caring for people with dementia.
The strategy must include mechanisms to ensure that staff have the necessary knowledge about the disease and the skills to deal with it. This means that people have to share information. The purpose of a national strategy is to share information. People should not be working in isolation. We have to find a way to make sure that everything we learn, everything that might be useful, such as best practices, is communicated to people struggling with the same problems. It is essential for people to have ways to talk to each other. The goal is not to step in for the provinces but to ensure that communication channels remain open and people work together. Real collaboration needs to happen so that people can share best practices. We have to make sure that nursing staff, doctors and other professionals have the right knowledge and skills to work with people with dementia and provide them with quality care that is appropriate for their situation.
They are often forgotten, but the volunteers who work in this field need to be able to understand the reality of a person living with dementia. It is not always an easy thing to do. There are certain situations that are very difficult to go through on a daily basis and it is hard to know how to intervene. The volunteers who work at these centres must have access to the knowledge and skills they need to properly understand the reality of the field they have chosen to work in.
As far as research is concerned, we have extraordinary Canadian researchers, but we could also form international partnerships to further our knowledge. In my opinion, the quality of daily life for people with dementia is an essential area of research. Lately, a lot of research has been done on daily life. In Quebec at least, there has been a shift from a very medically based approach to one focusing on the daily experience of dementia sufferers. The goal is for the transfer to long-term care centres to go as smoothly as possible. For that to happen, the person with dementia needs to create reference points. A lot of advances have been made because of these various approaches that focus on the quality of life and ways of providing care and intervention. Not only is this helping those living with dementia to live much more happily, but it is also enabling the families to be an integral part of the care process.
There is a lot to do. With the challenges this will present in the coming years, it is essential to share information in order to adopt an effective national strategy for dementia.
May 5th, 2015 / 6 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak to the subject of dementia and the private member's bill from the hon. member for Nickel Belt. We can all acknowledge that the member has been doing good work to raise awareness of the important issues faced by Canadians with Alzheimer's or other dementias.
Dementia poses a significant challenge to the health of Canadians. We probably all have a personal story about the impact and burden dementia can have on the individuals and families who are affected by it. Therefore, I want to start by sharing some of what we know about this disease.
Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia can affect many aspects of an individual's life. Most often, symptoms include loss of memory, impaired judgment and reasoning, changes in mood and behaviour, and impaired ability to communicate. Over time, individuals living with these conditions become unable to perform the activities of daily living that so many of us take for granted. Although medications can sometimes slow down or delay dementia, there is no cure. There is also a limited understanding of the causes of dementia. However, early research is pointing to possible risk factors such as physical inactivity; unhealthy diets; environmental, genetic, and gender factors; and traumatic brain injury.
I would also like to update the House on a number of the activities that our government has been taking since we had the first hour of debate. In March, the government participated in the World Health Organization's Ministerial Conference on Global Action Against Dementia in Geneva, Switzerland. This conference followed the 2013 G8 summit on dementia, where Canada also participated and where ministers made a number of commitments to address the challenges of dementia. This included a commitment to working toward identifying a cure for dementia by 2025. At the most recent conference in Geneva, these commitments were reinforced and Canada was among 80 countries that adopted a call to action to advance efforts on dementia and maintain it as a priority issue on national and international agendas. Discussions are currently under way on how to build on and sustain the momentum that has been generated over the past year and a half to meet the challenges of dementia.
Within Canada, there have been several investments to address dementia at the national level. As members will know, a primary federal role in regard to Alzheimer's disease and other dementias is supporting research. Economic action plan 2015 would do exactly that. Our government would provide up to $42 million over five years, starting in 2015-2016, to Baycrest Health Sciences to support the establishment of the Canadian centre for aging and brain health innovation. Funding for the centre includes $32 million in support from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, and it will support new research and the development of products and services to support brain health and aging. This is the latest in a series of government investments in dementia-related research.
Also, the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging was launched in September 2014. This initiative is working on transformative research ideas to improve the lives of Canadians living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. It is supported with government funding of $22.6 million, with an additional $9.9 million over five years from a group of external public and private partners. Research is also being conducted at the international level.
As a global leader, our government is working with international partners on global dementia efforts through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The research goals are to prevent or delay the onset and progression of the disease, improve the quality of life for those afflicted and their caregivers, improve access to quality care, and enable the care system to deal effectively with the rising number of affected individuals.
Our government is also supporting projects to make sure our experts have the latest information on how this disease is affecting Canadians. A national population study was just completed last year so that we have up-to-date monitoring of who is affected and what care they require.
There are a lot of activities already under way at the federal level in terms of research, surveillance, and international leadership toward a cure. However, when we get into a discussion about health care, we always need to remain mindful of our partners, as laid out by the Constitution. The provinces and territories are responsible for the delivery of health care, and we need to ensure we are working with them in a co-operative way.
When it comes to this kind of co-operation, our government has been driving the agenda. At the last meeting of federal, provincial, and territorial ministers of health, our federal minister began a discussion with all of her counterparts regarding a national dementia plan. In fact, she was able to secure an agreement to begin working on a pan-Canadian dementia strategy. Since that meeting, the government has worked with its partners to continue making progress. The provinces and territories have expressed their support for federal research to advance policy development on dementia, while they are leading work on assessing best practices through the Council of the Federation. An update on these efforts will be presented to the health ministers for consideration and further direction at their next meetings.
As much as I know that the member for Nickel Belt was well intentioned in bringing forward this bill, to a large extent it has been overtaken by events. The key accomplishment of it is to establish a national strategy for dementia, and our government has already begun to work on doing exactly that. In fact, this commitment is also included in economic action plan 2015. There is no planning document more important than the budget, so Canadians can be confident that we are working to get this done.
I also think it is important to point out the realities of private members' legislation at the stage in this calendar. As I am sure the member knows well, private members' bills have quite a long process to undergo before they make it through royal assent and become law. This bill would still have to be reviewed at committee, be scheduled for third reading in the House, and then be referred to the other place so its members can go through the entire process again from first to third reading. Most members in the House would agree that this is quite a lot of hurdles for a bill, with only a few sitting weeks remaining.
That is why I was happy to see the hon. member for Huron—Bruce bring forward a motion of his own, Motion No. 575, which also calls on the government to take strong actions to tackle the issues of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. I know that the government is carefully reviewing this motion, and I look forward to seeing it debated in this place. As we all know, motions can be passed much more quickly than bills. Motion No. 575 is one way that Parliament could take real action and call on the government to bring about changes that would work to improve the lives of Canadians with dementia. At the end of the day, our constituents want real results and real action to address this important issue.
I am pleased that our government has accomplished so much already, and I know we will continue working hard for all Canadians who have been affected by dementia.
May 5th, 2015 / 6:05 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I stand today to support Bill C-356, an act respecting a national strategy for dementia, introduced by the member of Parliament for Nickel Belt.
This is proof that the NDP is standing for our future. Right now, the increased cases of dementia among older Canadians is having a huge impact in Canada. Our current system needs support if it is going to grapple with the social, health and economic impacts of dementia, which affect patients, their caregivers and their communities.
We know this is a growing crisis because if we do not develop a comprehensive set of supports to address this issue now, it will then be 10 times worse as the baby boomer generation enters the senior years.
I remember being a delegate at the 2012 NDP convention, and our delegates passed a resolution calling for a national dementia strategy. We found strong support among organized labour, seniors and our NDP members in electoral districts across the country.
Their interest is personal, coming from knowing someone who is living with the disease or a caregiver who is caring for a loved one with the disease. We introduced Bill C-356 in late 2011. Since then, over 75 petitions supporting this idea have been tabled here in Parliament. Over 300 municipalities have passed supporting resolutions.
There is strong support from seniors, heath care, labour, faith and many other networks. A national dementia strategy also links well to the NDP seniors strategy. Our seniors need our support, especially when dementia makes them vulnerable and disoriented, and in need of care.
According to the benchmark study, Rising Tide by the Alzheimer Society of Canada, the number of Canadians living with Alzheimer's disease and other dementia now stands at 747,000 and will double to 1.5 million by 2031.
Canada's health care system is ill equipped to deal with the staggering costs. The combined direct medical and indirect lost earnings costs of dementia total $33 billion per year. By 2040, this figure will skyrocket to $293 billion per year. Pressures on family caregivers continue to mount.
In 2011, family caregivers spent 444 million unpaid hours per year looking after someone with dementia, representing $11 billion in lost income and 227,760 full-time equivalent employees in the work force. By 2040, they will be devoting a staggering 1.2 billion unpaid hours per year. Lost in those numbers, perhaps, is the real human face of the disease, the moms, dads, brothers, sisters, friends, neighbours and work colleagues. While an elderly face typifies most people living and dealing with dementia, 15% of all who are living with Alzheimer's or related dementia diseases are actually under 60 years old. Dementia cuts across every demographic in our communities.
I want to share an example. Matt Dineen, who is 44, is a Catholic high school teacher in Ottawa whose wife, Lisa, 45, is already in secure long-term care with frontal-temporal dementia. Matt is helped by grandparents and siblings in looking after the three children he has with Lisa.
We need increased support for informal caregivers. Caregivers need to be recognized as individuals with rights to their own services and supports. This could take several forms. On financial support, the non-refundable family caregiver tax credit of up to $300 a year introduced in 2011 is really not enough. This does not adequately reimburse the cost of a caregiver's time, which studies have shown is much higher.
Programs are needed to relieve the stress experienced by caregivers. This can include education and skill-building, and the provision of respite care and other support services for the caregivers.
I want to read an account from Tanya Levesque, who lives here in Ottawa, which reflects the experience of many caregivers in Canada. Ms. Levesque states, “We need a national dementia plan to help caregivers. Following is a list of financial barriers I have experienced during my journey as my mother's caregiver: Unable to access my El benefits; I've been unable to qualify for social assistance; unable to claim the caregiver amount on my income tax, since my mother's net income is a few thousand more than what is listed; lack of subsidies for expenses which keep increasing (i.e. property tax, parking fees at hospitals for appointments, gas for travelling to appointments, hydro, water and sewage fees ... etc); I've changed my eating habits to save money, due to the increased cost of food, so my mother can eat well; and because of a lack of future job security, my retirement security is in question, I can't save, because I've chosen to care for my mother, who took care of me. Other difficulties I've encountered: No one-stop shop for information; lack of education of front line emergency room workers regarding the difficulty of long waiting times for a person with dementia; lack of funding for organizations that provide Day Program services .i.e. not being able to provide various activities to clients due to associated costs (i.e. pet therapy). I not only provide love, a peaceful environment, stability and familiarity to my mother - who has now stabilized with her disease - I also provide the government with health care cost savings.
She is clearly doing a lot for our community by helping her mother.
Supporting a national condition-specific strategy is something I think that we should look into for dementia. It is not a new thing. It is not a new idea for the federal government. It is just an an idea that the Conservative government is actually really dragging its feet on.
The Canadian diabetes strategy, for example, supports collaborating and developing community models to raise awareness, invest in tools and share information.
The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, in 2011, received a renewal of funding totalling $250 million over five years. CPAC is implementing a coordinated, comprehensive approach to managing cancer care in Canada.
Using the Canadian heart health strategy and action plan as a guide, Canada is addressing cardiovascular disease through investments in health promotion and disease prevention.
Clearly, we know how to do this. It has been established. Dementia should be a disease, a condition for which we can have a specific strategy nationally.
In 2007, the Government of Canada established the Mental Health Commission by providing $130 million over 10 years, with a mandate to facilitate the development of a national mental health strategy.
Instead of a national strategy, what we are seeing is that the Conservative government has proposed research.
As important as research is, it is not the same as the comprehensive approach that the bill would promote: help for patients, caregivers, the dementia workforce; early diagnoses and prevention; and a continuum of care for people in their homes, in the community and in formal care.
The national dementia strategy proposed by my colleague from Nickel Belt, in Bill C-356, would provide leadership from Parliament that would work with and respect the lead jurisdiction for health care delivery for the provinces and territories; increase funding for research into all aspects of dementia; promote earlier diagnosis and intervention; strengthen the integration of primary, home and community care; enhance skills and training of the dementia workforce; and recognize the need and improve support for caregivers.
We respect that provinces and territories have jurisdiction over health care delivery; however, municipalities, patients and caregivers are calling upon Ottawa to show some leadership. Ottawa needs to take the lead on a pan-Canadian dementia strategy that could immediately help millions of Canadians affected by Alzheimer's and related dementia diseases: the patients, families, caregivers and the dementia workforce. This would free scarce acute-care beds in hospitals and help caregivers, who often must give up their work in order to care for loved ones.
I shared the example of Ms. Levesque with members earlier.
In a recent Nanos survey, 83% of Canadians reported they believe Canada needs a national dementia plan. As our population ages, Canadians will be at an increased risk of developing dementia or caring for someone with it. Everyone owns this disease.
The approach we're proposing has worked for the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and the Mental Health Commission of Canada. It can work for dementia and ensure that we get the best return on investment and available resources.
The Canadian Association of Retired Persons, CARP, and the Canadian Medical Association both echo the sentiment of Ms. Lowi-Young.
In conclusion, instead of putting forward a non-binding motion, Motion No. 575, the government brought forward that would not lead to a study in committee and support research when our country is actually calling out for a plan, a real plan, a strategy, the government needs to really take action to build a national strategy for dementia and and support Bill C-356 proposed by my colleague from Nickel Belt.
May 5th, 2015 / 6:15 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to participate in this discussion, but I find it unfortunate that I have so little time to speak about such an important issue.
Obviously there are many issues where partisanship should be set aside so that a broad consensus can be reached. Clearly, one of those issues is dementia and treatment for those who are living with one form or another of this disease. For that reason, I am proud to be part of this discussion and to support Bill C-356, which was introduced by my colleague from Nickel Belt.
I wanted to provide some background and statistics to show how serious this situation is, but since I already know that I will not have enough time, I would like to instead focus on something extraordinary that was achieved in my riding of Trois-Rivières and that has now spread outside the riding, outside Quebec and even outside Canada. The knowledge and skills developed by Maison Carpe Diem, under the direction of Nicole Poirier, have made this organization an international source of expertise. Clearly, the national strategy that my colleague wants to establish with his bill could help Maison Carpe Diem and this organization could use its expertise to help with this strategy.
This organization, known as Carpe Diem, comprises a home and a foundation. My colleagues probably remember the well-known film Dead Poets Society, which popularized this expression. Carpe diem is usually translated as “seize the day”, in other words, seize the present moment and make the best of it. With its home and its foundation, the organization is a perfect example of the efforts that the Trois-Rivières community has already devoted to supporting and helping people living with Alzheimer's.
Maison Carpe Diem's mission is to provide services and resources tailored to the specific needs of people with Alzheimer's disease and their loved ones. Maison Carpe Diem has decided to take a bold, innovative approach. The organization realizes that research results are rarely conclusive. That is not to take anything away from the importance of research and the need for investments in research, but simply to say that from the moment a study begins until conclusive results are reached, it is important to find ways to make life bearable for those living with this disease. With that in mind, members and administrators at Maison Carpe Diem decided to focus their approach on supporting patients and their families during these difficult times.
The approach taken by Maison Carpe Diem is so effective because of its perspective on those living with this disease. More specifically, the staff uses language in such a way as to ensure that residents there do not feel like simple patients. Instead of defining them as patients or clients, the staff creates an environment in which people living with this disease are able to feel comfortable and feel at home. This approach is original in that Maison Carpe Diem views and addresses this disease from a social perspective. Internationally renowned neurologists have validated the methods used by this organization.
On February 12, 2015, a conference focusing on supporting people with Alzheimer's was held at the Trois-Rivières conference centre. More than 400 people attended, including foreign scientists who are interested in the approach taken by the staff at Maison Carpe Diem. The founder of this organization, Nicole Poirier, drew the interest of participants because of her novel approach to the disease. The organization takes an overall perspective that helps staff identify the different aspects of Alzheimer's and that focuses on both the disease and the person living with it. This organization and its approach are now seen as a model, both within the grassroots movement and in the public health network.
What I want to say is that by being part of a national strategy, this organization could easily share its best practices and more effectively assist those suffering from dementia and their family members. My hope is that a national strategy will lead to an increase in the number of organizations like the one in my riding across the country and around the world. Furthermore, public health networks could further benefit from this expertise and share what they learn with their partners.
I was going to cite some statistics, but it seems to me that 100% is the most convincing one.
In my opinion, at some point, when we cannot remember an expression we want to use, 100% of us will wonder if that is the onset of Alzheimer's. Even though we often joke about it, these words are always on our lips.
If Alzheimer's is marked by forgetfulness, the discussion around it often forgets about those most concerned, the people suffering from it.
May 5th, 2015 / 6:25 p.m.
As Canadian delegates left for the G8 Summit on Dementia in England in late 2013, I made the following comment concerning our country’s lack of a national dementia plan: “We must act. A national dementia strategy is imperative for Lisa, Justin, Rebecca, Peter and so many others,” (The Hill Times, Dec. 9, 2013). A little over a year later, as my 46-year old wife’s frontotemporal dementia condition continues to advance, my message has become far more urgent for her, our children, and millions of Canadians.
Three weeks ago, the Conservative government announced it opposes Bill C-356, a bill for a national dementia strategy introduced by NDP MP [for Nickel Belt]. It is concrete legislation that, if passed, will mandate action for a national plan. Largely ignored in the mainstream media, this government decision is bound to harm aging Canadians and their caregivers unless enough Conservative MPs do the right thing and support this private member’s bill.
I remain hopeful this can happen.
On March 13, [the MP for Nickel Belt] noted in second reading debate that an agreement was in place to pass the bill with Conservative support, given the NDP had accepted in discussions the government’s proposed amendments.
Just to clarify, every amendment that the Minister of Health wanted added to the bill was added, and every article that she wanted removed from the bill was removed, and we are not infringing on provincial matters.
Sadly, the Conservatives backed away, introducing instead a motion by MP [from Bruce—Huron], which captures the government’s work on dementia and uses language and issues named in C-356....But what the Conservatives call their national dementia strategy is in fact a research strategy alone, a plan that does not immediately help patients, caregivers, and the dementia workforce. As important as research is, it does not help keep our loved ones with Alzheimer’s or related dementia diseases in the home.
A “feel good” motion might get unanimous approval in Parliament with no referral to committee, no hearing from stakeholders, [doctors, caregivers and, most important, the person with dementia] and especially no binding law to enforce the plan.
A motion doesn’t help our caregivers.
It goes without saying that the issue of dementia should be non-partisan....I believe individual MPs looking at the evidence and hearing from constituents will do the right thing.
We are a group of people living with dementia in Ontario. Our group was formed in the fall of 2014 with the purpose of influencing policies, practices, and people to ensure that we, people living with dementia, are included in every decision that affects our lives.
Our vision is for people living with dementia in Ontario to be directly involved as experts and at the centre of our own care. Our first of three goals is to be involved in the development and implementation of public policy that will affect people living with dementia across Ontario....When you have dementia, you worry about the time. How much time do you have before you get worse, are moved into a long-term care facility and die.
In closing, I urge all MPs to support this bill. It is too late for my mom, but it may not be too late for their parents, their brothers, their sisters, their spouse, their children and for the person sitting beside them today. However, most important, it is not too late for the members themselves. It is also not too late for them to do the right thing for many Canadians living with dementia.
I thank all of the people who supported and helped me to bring dementia to the forefront and on the minds of many Canadians. Matthew Dineen, Fran Linton, Lorraine Leblanc from the Alzheimer Society of Sudbury, Manitoulin, the Alzheimer Society of BC, the Alzheimer Society of Ontario, Alzheimer Society of Canada, my assistant Rick Prashaw and many more. I thank them very much.
March 13th, 2015 / 1:15 p.m.
moved that Bill C-356, An Act respecting a National Strategy for Dementia, be read the second time and referred to a committee.
Mr. Speaker, I have been waiting a long time for this. I count it a privilege to stand in the House today to speak on my bill, an act respecting a national strategy for dementia.
I am aware of the millions of Canadians who are directly caught up in the web of Alzheimer's or dementia. I have also become aware of many Canadians and groups who, like me, want a national dementia plan.
It was over three years ago that I stood to introduce this legislation. I shared how this bill came to be by telling the story of my mother's seven-year battle with Alzheimer's, from 1997 until her death in 2003.
The Sudbury Star had profiled my family's experience and had in the headline the following comment: “I didn't know enough”. Truer words have never been spoken. Many others who have caregiving responsibilities thrust on them tell me that those words ring true.
In the past three years, I have learned plenty. First was the staggering statistic on how many people are affected, which is reflected in the “Rising Tide” report by the Alzheimer Society of Canada. There are 740,000 people with the disease. This number will double in a generation. The health care cost of $33 billion will soar to $293 billion in 2040.
Providing millions of hours of unpaid caregiving has forced people to cut back or leave work altogether, which harms them and our economy. I want to talk about that this afternoon.
I learned from the Canadian Medical Association that 15% of scarce acute care beds are occupied by people who could be placed elsewhere, and half of those are dementia patients. Beyond those important statistics, I have learned the real face of the problem.
I am writing in the hope that what I present to you will enable people to see the person with dementia and their family as real people and not just statistics and numbers. We hear the staggering statistics of how many people in Canada have dementia and we hear that dollars are being invested in research. What needs to be heard is the daily impact of being a person living with dementia and those supporting the person with dementia. Our Canadian government needs to hear the reality of their world.
I have met these real people from coast to coast to coast in our communities. They are struggling with this enormous challenge.
I have learned that the real face of dementia is not just older people. Matt Dineen is one of the biggest champions for this bill and an actual plan. He could not be here today, but he is listening in. He is a 44-year-old high school teacher here in Ottawa. He and his relatives are now forced to raise three young children as his wife and their mom, Lisa, at 45 years old, is already in secure long-term care with frontotemporal dementia. Matt has met the Minister of Health.
I learned that 15% of dementia patients are under 60 years old. I have learned that we have a health care crisis and a social and economic crisis that we must address.
My legislation calls for leadership from Ottawa, working with the provinces and territories, which, of course, have primary jurisdiction duties for health care delivery.
I want this leadership from Ottawa to tackle five main elements: early diagnosis and prevention; research; a continuum of care for people and families in the home, the community, and institutions; real help for caregivers; and training for the dementia workforce.
On that last point, help for the dementia workforce, Michael Alexander shared with me the horrific story of his father's death in a nursing home at the hands of another Alzheimer patient. CTV, in a special report, said that there have been 60 such deaths in 12 years, a figure that is growing. Michael Alexander and his family want a real and national dementia plan.
I said I wanted to speak about the challenges caregivers face. Tanya Levesque is a woman in Ottawa looking after her mom. Here are some of the life and financial issues she has met with as a caregiver.
To take care of her mom, Ms. Levesque first had to take leave without pay so she could care for her at home. She will only have the option of leave without pay for five years. Money gets tighter and tighter as they try to keep her in her home and care for her. They draw on savings that were meant for later years.
Ms. Levesque, her mom, and others are watching today. Let us pass a real dementia plan as law to help those overwhelmed caregivers.
As I said, I introduced this bill over three years ago. I want to recognize the progress made by Canada since then, through the government working with a G8 initiative and also with our provinces and territories. Many would like that progress to be quicker, but it does deserve recognition.
Canada had come to the G8 summit called for by the U.K. prime minister without a national dementia plan. Several allies from leading economic nations had national plans. Canada has made several significant announcements on research that we support. Research will be the key part of any plan or response to this health care crisis.
Even though research can have an impact on other parts of the dementia challenge, research alone cannot help those with the disease, their caregivers, or the workforce. That is why our party has been insistent on a full, comprehensive strategy.
Canada needs a national strategy for dementia that comes from Ottawa, but one that respects provincial and territorial jurisdiction over health. One strategy tailored to the needs of each province or territory will be far better than 13 separate strategies implemented in isolation of one another. We want a national strategy that goes beyond research, to also help those now living with the disease, their caregivers, and the dementia workforce.
The Canadian Medical Association estimates that patients who should be elsewhere occupy about 15% of the acute care hospital beds across Canada, and one third of them are suffering from dementia. Lost in those numbers perhaps is the real human face of the disease—the moms, dads, brothers, sisters, friends, neighbours and work colleagues.
While an elderly face typifies most people dealing with dementia, 15% of those living with Alzheimer's or related dementia diseases are under 60. At every meeting we had on this bill, we found people who know someone directly affected as a patient or caregiver. It is a health challenge. It is a health care challenge. Given the current lack of money and resources for health care, it is a big problem for us to solve.
I have noted the work that the government is doing with the provinces and territories through the Council of the Federation.
In the past year, I have enjoyed several conversations with the current Minister of Health. I have respected her work on this file. I have been communicating with the minister and her department over the past month and have discussed possible amendments to the bill in committee to work collaboratively on changes that all parties could support. We have identified a way to have this legislation passed.
I look forward to hearing the government's position regarding possible support for a national dementia plan. I know she and all MPs have been hearing loud and clear from so many Canadians who want this to happen. We now have over 300 municipalities passing resolutions in favour of the bill. We have over 90 petitions tabled in the House of Commons in support of it.
There are so many people who say it makes sense. There is support from seniors, health care professionals, labour, and faith communities. Yes, the faith communities are very responsive to the bill, and they are very interested in seeing it pass.
In talks across the country, I have often talked about the non-partisan nature of this disease, how it strikes our loved ones, our mums, dads, siblings, grandparents, friends, neighbours, and work colleagues. Everyone, on all sides of the House, knows the story. I am astonished that wherever I go, everyone knows someone with Alzheimer's or dementia-related disease, or someone caring for them.
Let us do this for them. Let us do this for our country. Let us make history.
March 13th, 2015 / 1:25 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I will be brief because I know that a number of members would like to ask questions.
My mother succumbed to Alzheimer's. Therefore, I really get this bill. I also understand the families of people suffering from this disease and its consequences. In 10 years, an affected person can lose their intellectual independence and the ability to get around, feed themselves, even bathe themselves.
Is my colleague aware of the progress being made in research—even though it is not enough—to delay the illness? What more must be done?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her excellent question.
The government has invested in dementia research. However, as I mentioned in my speech, it is going to take more than just research. Everyone is aware that, without research, we cannot solve the problem. Nevertheless, there are other things. We have to look after the caregivers, because home care is needed.
We have to keep our fathers and mothers at home for as long as possible because it has been proven that Alzheimer's progresses more quickly once patients leave their own homes.
March 13th, 2015 / 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech and for sharing his story.
We are dealing with a disease that is a type of dementia, as my colleague pointed out. Mothers, children and spouses inevitably end up being responsible for caring for a loved one, so family caregivers play a very important role.
Could my colleague tell us how we could improve the work done by family caregivers and how the government can have a positive impact on these family caregivers who do incredible work?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member for Nickel Belt, not only for his eloquence but for his personal courage in dealing with the crisis of which this bill speaks. For the House, I should also thank him for his patience.
In that light, I wonder if the member might enlighten the House on the extent to which he may have had opportunity to work with the other parties in this House and the government. He talked about it being a non-partisan issue; if ever there were one, it surely is this. I wonder if the member could enlighten us on whether there has been any progress in that regard.
I thank my colleague for that excellent question.
This bill was supposed to be presented in the House three weeks ago. The Minister of Health asked me to delay it until today so we could negotiate. We have negotiated, and I have here seven pages of amendments that were agreed to. All of the amendments that the Minister of Health wanted have been agreed to.
I am going to talk about one amendment. The Conservatives wanted to change the name of the bill, “an act respecting a national strategy for dementia”, to “an act respecting a pan-Canadian strategy for dementia”.
I do not care what they call it; I do not think the patients care what they call it, nor do the doctors or the caregivers. They can call it whatever they want, but do something.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity to speak to Bill C-356, an act respecting a national strategy for dementia. This bill speaks to the important issue of dementia, which not only affects Canadians living with dementia, but their families, friends, and caregivers.
We can all agree that the member for Nickel Belt is well-intentioned with this bill. He has done great work raising awareness of the challenges faced by all Canadians with dementia, and indeed in his very heartfelt speech that clearly articulated personal stories, and personal stories of families who have been impacted.
I want to highlight some of the areas where we have been taking action along the lines called for by this bill, before getting into consideration of what I think are some technical issues within it.
As we all know, Alzheimer's disease and related dementia most commonly affect seniors. However, dementia can also affect younger individuals. Younger people in their forties and fifties have been diagnosed with the early-onset form of the disease.
Our government recognizes the devastating impact that this disease has on Canadian families and the help they need to be able to care for their loved ones. By supporting research and data gathering, we are improving our understanding of Alzheimer's disease and related forms of dementia and how they are affecting Canadians.
Many countries around the world are facing similar issues, and we certainly are committed to working internationally to address the health and economic challenges of dementia and how to reduce the burden of this condition. That is why we have joined our G7 partners in addressing this growing challenge.
Together, at the 2013 summit on dementia in London, Minister Ambrose worked with international leaders to coordinate efforts with the aim of finding a cure by 2025.
Mr. Speaker, can you imagine a cure for this terrible affliction?
The momentum of the G8 dementia summit has been incredible, and we are investing in ongoing efforts to accomplish our goals. Canada participated in a series of international follow-up legacy events, and co-hosted one of these events here in Ottawa last September.
Beyond this international leadership, we have also been taking strong action here at home. While our federal focus on dementia is on research, data gathering, and awareness training, we have always tried to recognize the key role of co-operation with the provinces and territories, which are the primary providers of health care.
March 13th, 2015 / 1:35 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I apologize. I have been here in the chamber long enough to recognize that this should not be done.
The provincial ministers have begun planning a pan-Canadian dementia strategy. From a federal perspective, the initial focus of this collaboration will be on the coordination of research to advance the collective knowledge base on dementia. The provinces and territories will continue their own work on identifying best practices and on stakeholder engagement. An update on the strategy will be presented to Canada's health ministers for consideration and further direction at their next meeting.
This is truly important work. The crux of this bill is to require discussions with the provinces to set up a national strategy. Our government has already successfully negotiated with the provinces to begin working on exactly that. The work is under way, and we will continue to make progress.
The spirit and intent of this bill is also supported by current federal investments and activities on Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Many of the specific elements proposed in Bill C-356 that are within the federal role are currently being addressed. Research is needed to learn more about what causes dementia and the most effective ways to prevent, identify, treat, and ultimately, by 2025, cure it.
Since 2006, the government has invested over $220 million in research related to dementia, including $37.8 million last year. Our economic action plan announced ongoing investments of $15 million for the Canadian Institute of Health Research, CIHR, for the creation of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging and other health research priorities. Launched in 2014, the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging is the national component of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research dementia research strategy. It is a prime example of how we are encouraging greater investment in dementia research and the accelerated discovery of treatments and solutions. Through the consortium, more than 300 researchers from across the country will forge ahead with their work to improve our understanding of dementia, how we can prevent it, and how we can improve the quality of life of Canadians living with dementia, and their caregivers.
Another significant piece of work is the national population health study of neurological conditions. In 2009, our government invested $15 million over four years in this study to better understand Alzheimer's disease and other conditions and their impact on Canadians and their families. Findings from the study were released in September 2014. This groundbreaking work fills gaps in information concerning the burden of neurological conditions, their impact on Canadians, risk factors, and the use of health care services.
Research on dementia and other neurological conditions is also being funded through the Canada brain research fund.
However, research for the future is not enough. We are also working to improve the lives of Canadians living with this disease now. In September 2014, the minister announced our intention to work with the Alzheimer Society Canada to establish a new program called Dementia Friends, which will be launched this year. It is an exciting program, and I think it will make an enormous difference. It was originally launched in Japan and the U.K. It will provide education and training to help Canadians learn the facts about Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and how these diseases affect the people who live with them.
As members can see, we are making substantial investments to address the issue of dementia. While many are federal initiatives, there are also many examples of collaboration with the provinces and territories, not to mention the fantastic work being done at the international level. It is apparent that the federal government has addressed many of the themes in Bill C-356 and even some of the specific elements.
As I mentioned earlier, the minister has already secured an agreement with the provinces and territories on beginning to plan for a pan-Canadian dementia strategy that would guide our collective efforts. As I said at the beginning, I think we can all agree that this bill is very well intentioned. We have been taking action in a number of the areas laid out in it. However, with the provinces having already agreed to begin work on a strategy, many of our actions have progressed beyond what is called for in the bill, making some areas redundant.
There are also a number of technical issues with the bill. The Speaker has indicated that it would require a royal recommendation. As all members in the House know, those are extremely, if rarely, ever provided. In addition, some clauses in this bill needlessly infringe on provincial jurisdiction in areas such as health human resources and diagnostic capacity. From my understanding, conversations have not resolved all our concerns with these issues.
For these reasons and in order to respect the agreement the minister was able to secure in a co-operative fashion with the provinces, the government will not support the bill. Bringing in federal legislation to control discussions that have already happened in such a collaborative fashion is not respectful of the good work already being done.
Our government remains committed to taking strong action that will improve the lives of Canadians living with dementia, but we will do so in a way that respects provincial jurisdiction and continues to work on a pan-Canadian strategy to which they have agreed.
With that in mind, I would also like to note that my friend and chair of the health committee, the member for Huron—Bruce, has recently introduced a motion calling on the government to take continued action on dementia. This motion is yet another sign of how seriously our government takes the issue, and I look forward to debate on that motion. We will have to wait for the debate to occur, but I know my colleague fully respects the role of the provinces when it comes to health care. Perhaps it would be an opportunity for Parliament to make some further progress on this issue.
I know we are talking about something that is incredibly important to Canadians. We are talking about something with which the international community, the federal government and the provinces are grappling. I know there was a lot of conversation back and forth, but my understanding is the unresolved issues were too much of a challenge in terms of continuing at this time. | 2019-04-25T17:55:52Z | https://openparliament.ca/bills/41-2/C-356/ |
Community development seems a common concern for instructors in online writing courses, so one might assume that those of use concerned with community share the same goals; however, when embarking on an exploration of whether an assignment sequence or pedagogical tool has been successful in develop community in an online course, it’s prudent to explore what we mean when we reference “community.” What do we hope to achieve when we aim for community development? How do we best accomplish it? According to Jeremy Brent, community is actually an undefinable term because it is “moving, divided and incomplete” (219). What we long for when we talk about community is “the continually reproduced desire to overcome the adversity of social life” (Brent 221). Indeed, desire to overcome or achieve a purpose is a central component of other attempts to articulate community. Garrison and Vaughan describe community, or the “community of inquiry” “as the ideal and heart of a higher education experience” (14). They claim that the driving force behind community development is “purposeful, open, and disciplined critical discourse and reflection” (Garrison and Vaughan 14). While Garrison and Vaughan suggest that community is disciplined and purposefully created, Trena M. Paulus suggests that off-topic discussions have a hand in the development of an academic community “in the absence of a physical co-location” (228). For Paulus, community building requires the development of connections and the establishment of common ground. Off-topic discussions help students engage in “grounding,” the establishment of common ground or the “‘mutual understanding, knowledge, beliefs, assumptions, pre-suppositions, and so on’ (Baker et al. 1999, p. 3) that exist among people communicating together” (Paulus 228). Grounding goes hand-in-hand with connecting, which involves “affinity (small talk and humor), commitment (a sense of presence) and attention (negotiating availability for conversation)” (Paulus 229). Paulus explains that “connection is about interpersonal relationships, whereas common ground is about information exchange” (230). We can conclude then, that the development of an academic community in an online writing class requires both informal socializing with those whom we have established common ground as well as purposeful discussion and collaborative action to achieve academic goals.
Old Dominion University’s English 724/824, entitled “Online Writing Instruction,” has given us an opportunity to examine the way in which community is created, or not, via the use of blogs. Students were required to post five successive blog entries reviewing scholarly articles on some aspect of online writing pedagogy. No two students were allowed to review the same article. My analysis of the community of learners in this course as well as the blog entries leads me to conclude that blogs are not the most effective tool for the development of community in an online course, though I do conceded that they may have some role to play. A review of blog entries for the course reveals that only about half of the students in the course engaged in commenting in any significant way. In fact, it seems that five of eleven students did not comment on others’ blog entries. Comments seemed to be based around several themes: seeking clarification about the article, expressing interest, agreeing with the article, or expressing disagreement with some aspect of the article. Of the approximately 57 comments posted in response to blogs, around 42% of those comments were posted by two very active commentators. Another student who posted nearly 16% of the comments on the blogs did so two days before the blog analysis was due. Some students responded to the blogs posted on their webpages, while others did not. One interesting thing to note is that there seemed to be a correlation between length of time in the Ph.D. program and lack of engagement with the blogs. Only about 22% of the blog comments were posted by Ph.D. students who entered the program during or before the fall of 2012 despite the fact that they make up 45% of the course enrollment.
Students were not required to comment on each other’s blogs, but even if they had been required to do so, engagement with each other’s blogs would not be the most effective community building activity this course has afforded. Garrison and Vaughan say that communities of inquiry are open, and Paulus suggests that negotiation and the personal are important aspects of community building. Lori E. Amy claims that “the discussion lists and bulletin boards we ask students to use mimic virtual social spaces, such as the internet chatrooms in which many students ‘hang out’” (115). She claims that “Dissensus and healthy conflict are crucial arts of the contact zone, and we do need to structure spaces in which we engage one another in open, honest exchanges that engender ‘active, engaged discussion’ capable of sustaining passionate disagreement through which we can educate one another” (Amy 119). I agree with Amy on this point; however, I disagree with the notion that discussions and blogs that are posted for a grade mimic informal, online social hangouts. In discussing Blackboard, Gillam and Wooden develop a critique that is relevant to blogs. They say that Blackboard “positions the writer primarily as the isolated recipient of information, who contributes his or her thinking in discrete little bullets to the discussion forum or via various assessment instruments” (27). Blogs, like Blackboard discussion forums, encourage students to write in solitude, particularly when, as in the case with English 724/824, students are not allowed to write over the same subject.
Interestingly, accidental violations of the assignment rules had the potential to engage students more deeply, since the shared knowledge of the articles gave them a common ground, an element vital to community, according to Paulus. Gillam and Wooden state that “we must encourage them [students] to see their complex ecological makeup and that of their collaborators, to mindfully participate in the formation of a new ecological community with their peer group, and to become cognizant of the ways in which those complex ecologies influence knowledge formation and communication” (28). The few occasions in which students accidentally reviewed the same article provide strong evidence that we are the product of our ecological makeup. For instance, Kelly Cutchin and I both reviewed Gillam and Wooden yet our summaries and reviews highlighted different aspects of the article and different applications of the theories discussed. Despite the fact that I had unintentionally violated the assignment guidelines, I found it exciting that someone else had read the same article I had and I purposefully sought out that review. This was the one instance in which I found myself hoping that my fellow student would respond to my comment and checking to see whether she had done so.
To increase the chances of establishing common ground, blogs from the assigned readings could be required, but this changes the purpose and intended outcome of the assignment from resource compiling, writing in the disciplines, and reflection to simply an assignment focused in writing in the disciplines and reflection. Even if that were the case, there still might be potential issues with the community building, as blogs assigned for a grade are reflections of power differentials in the course and may not allow for truly open and honest exchanges. Try as we may, we students are keenly aware that the blogs will be graded. It’s possible that students may take that into consideration when responding to each others’ blogs. DePew and Lettner-Rust explain that “the power to survey and assess gives instructors sole authority in the class” (178). We students are aware of that authority when we engage with others’ work. True community development through the forging of connections must be facilitated in other ways that allow for collaboration, negotiation, and shared experience.
One of the most interesting aspects of the blog engagement or lack thereof in ENGL 724/824 was that most of the Ph.D. students who engaged with blogs were newer students, while students who have been in the program for several semesters did not engage to a significant extent. There may be numerous reasons for this, but I feel that this resulted in part from a pre-existing idea that we are already members of a strong academic community. Even though the stated goal of the blog assignment was not to build community, the community analysis assignment suggests that it is an intrinsic goal. I would argue that the Facebook backchannel and group assignments have built community more effectively. Both have been places to discuss assignment expectations, to negotiate, to support, and to collaborate. Both have allowed for the forming of informal connections in an open manner while sharing information and working toward a goal with a purpose. Smaller group projects have required negotiation, information sharing, and connections, while the backchannel has served to make navigating the course akin to a larger group project. While students need to develop the backchannel themselves, they can be encouraged to do so. Kelly shared a 34 page document of our June 17 WebEx chat with the backchannel to support discussions of community. Daniel shared a Wordle that he created from the text. A backchannel chat from before, during, and after the course meeting in June 17 was 112 pages in length. Navigating the course itself seems to create more community than the blogs have done because rather than solely replacing the instructor as the knowledgeable informer, we have created knowledge socially and equally via the backchannel and group projects.
Amy, Lori. “Rhetorical Violence and the Problematics of Power.” Role Play: Distance Learning and the Teaching of Writing (2006): 111.
Brent, Jeremy. “The Desire for Community: Illusion, Confusion and Paradox.” Community Development Journal 39.3 (2004): 213-223.
DePew, Kevin Eric, and Heather Lettner-Rust. “Mediating power: Distance Learning Interfaces, Classroom Epistemology, and the Gaze.” Computers and Composition 26.3 (2009): 174-189.
Garrison, D. R., and Norman D. Vaughan. Blended Learning in Higher Education: Framework, Principles, and Guidelines. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.
Gillam, Ken, and Shannon R. Wooden. “Re-Embodying Online Composition: Ecologies of Writing in Unreal Time and Space.” Computers and Composition 30. Writing on the Frontlines (2013): 24-36. ScienceDirect. Web. 28 May 2014.
Paulus, Trena M. “Online but Off-Topic: Negotiating Common Ground in Small Learning Groups.” Instructional Science 37.3 (2009): 227-245.
Community is having a sense of belonging to a group. Several key concepts are embedded in this simplified definition, the first being the idea that community is sensed or felt on an emotional level. This intangible quality is also suggested in definitions that position community as “a phenomenon” that “does not appear to have a concrete existence” (Brent 214). Phenomena by their nature are not wholly quantifiable, but scholars can work descriptively to identify reoccurring aspects of community.
A second key concept is that of group, which are based on common bonds; the commonality may be being part of the same course, program of study, or organization. Common bonds lead to having shared experiences. Communal experiences strengthen the group dynamic, creating shared history and increasing understanding; students feel closer when they have gone through the same challenges and successes. This also leads to a mutually constructed culture; the community establishes norms and expected/acceptable behaviors.
Another key concept from that initial definition is belonging. Members of community feel that their some aspect of their identity is reflected by a specific group. However, self-identification alone does not lead to community inclusiveness. The individual must also be accepted by the existing group members. Therefore, a community both reflects and reinforces individual characteristics.
Meaningful communities must emerge organically. For example, in any of the groups listed above, there will be certain interactions that are established: class meetings, discussion board assignments, or an organization’s event. These interactions may dictate participation in a group, but without that phenomenological feeling, this is not a community. Communities do not “exist in every place, and the differences between places are not necessarily based on the differences between them as communities” (Brent 217). In other words, a community may develop in one class and not in another, even if the conditions set by the instructor—the place— are identical. Camaraderie can be invited by the group interactions, but whether a sense of community emerges seems to rely on the unique chemistry and psychology of the group’s individuals.
Public blogs are often assigned in online writing courses, with students interacting in posts and responses, but whether this interaction is a community or simply the surface appearance of one is debatable. On the one hand, “even if an illusion,” community “has very real effects” (Brent 216). Junco et al’s study suggests that requiring students to interact using Twitter did lead to greater student engagement and academic achievement by clarifying content and providing emotional support. Even if the students did not feel they belonged to a community, the participation had real effects as Brent suggests. Therefore, even if assigning blog writing and responding does not establish a meaningful community, it will encourage interaction that in and of itself has benefits.
The assignment to write blogs in this course supports this argument because peer comments leads to affective relationships between classmates. I know that for me, when I saw that Carol, Laurie, Margie, and Daniel had left comments on my posts, I felt a greater sense of belonging and respect as a community member because I knew they took the time to read and respond. These relationships are then strengthened as I appreciated their efforts and reciprocated my feelings of respect.
However, there is also the argument that embedded within all communities is “conflict and division” (Brent 214). Cliques will be present in an online setting because virtual “communities mirror inequity” in society (Amy 117). Students are bound to be offended, remain silent, and not participate at all (Amy 117). As a result, the interactive blog assignment could potentially result in the kind of power inequities and rhetorical violence that devastate community-building efforts.
While violence did not occur in our class assignment, I can see how there was division. With the exception of Laurie, I have had previous classes with each of the aforementioned commentators. This suggests that within a community, previous experiences will impact how we interact. Others may feel excluded or not as well respected by some peers if they are not receiving the same level of interaction. Even if the selective interactions were a product of comfort rather than intentional exclusion, as Brent argues, effects can be very real.
Another issue is that blogs are not “informal rap sessions with close friends,” they are performances in a class for grades (Amy 122). For example, in the responses I had to my first blog post, I responded to Laurie’s post directly, but when she responded it was to the thread of discussion started by Carol’s response. Then Margie started yet a new direction for the conversations. This shows that although students may be reading and commenting, this work is not necessarily integrated in a way that develops deep communication and community. Responses may only be “performing” interaction for the instructor audience where the performance is satisfied by the existence of a post without sustained involvement.
Interaction has benefits even if that it does not result in a sense of community, so requiring commenting on blogs is worth noting as a design element. However, it is possible use assignment design to also encourage community in an online course if the right intangible mix of students exists—primarily with synchronous activities that can serve “the needs of writers in terms of forming community” (Breuch 151). Breuch notes that “speech patterns and behaviors become lost because of the disruptions of time and space that occur in virtual environments” (144). For example, when Margie left her comment on the first blog entry, I had already posted the last review and I did not respond to her directly. Online students can read and respond to one another at any time, but this can result in responses being posted after the writer has moved on to other assignments and concepts. If we responded to one another in real time, like we did with the tool review, it could overcome any time-related irrelevancy. Maybe adding break out groups, as afforded by Adobe Connect, would help students to engage with the reviews and build conversation that eliminates the effects of time separation. These groups could also help “students have the opportunity to get to know one another,” fostering new relationships and mediating the potentially divisive pre-existing relationships (Breuch 148).
As many of my peers will probably discuss, our community lives vivaciously outside of the blogs in our Facebook class group. I started this closed group before our first class meeting, and was inspired to do so after having the experience of being invited to a group for previous classes. I wanted to repeat the positive experiences of support, humor, and clarification of content, which seems to align with Brent’s argument that “the concept of community always seems to contain nostalgia, the idea of an imagined past” (220). We also use this space to build community because it mimics the informal conversation and interaction that occurs in informal physical spaces like student lounges. Through sharing emotional experiences and challenges, we engage in the history-making, culture construction, and norm setting that builds community. Carol has even noted that she was not much of a Facebook user before the class, but engages there more and more. This is because even though a “community may lack tangible substance…it possesses a gravitational pull, a magnetic existence that creates real effects - at its best, social relationships of mutual care and responsibility” (Brent 221). We create these outside communities because we “desire to overcome the adversity of social life” (Brent 221). The adversity of graduate school is very real, and we all express feeling insecure about our abilities and our right to belong to the larger PhD program. We create community to feel accepted as we are, to find “connectedness in all [our] imperfections” (Brent 222). While the instructor may not be able to do more than set conditions for community to grow, not standing in the way of these informal connections is an important step in facilitating community. Past experiences and indirect instructor support are two powerful reasons why interaction outside the course assignments will occur and foster community.
Educational communities have enormous benefits to students. They often provide support and assistance both for personal and academic challenges. For groups facing especially difficult academic expectations, this support system function of community can help people enter “the maelstrom rather than succumb to it” (Brent 216). This support system can often be the difference between discontinued or sustained academic participation, and should therefore be encouraged at every level of the institution.
Amy, Lori E.. “Rhetorical Violence and the Problematics of Power: A Notion for the Digital Age Classroom.” Role Play: Distance Learning and the Teaching of Writing. Eds. Jonathan Alexander and Marcia Dickson. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, 2006. 111-132. Print.
Journal 39.3 (2004). 213-223. Web. 17 Jun. 2014.
Breuch, Lee-Ann Kastman. “Enhancing Online Collaboration: Virtual Peer Review in the Writing Classroom.” Online Education: Global Questions, Local Answers. Eds. Kelly Cargile Cook and Keith Grant-Davie. Farmingdale, NY: Baywood, 2005. 141-156. Print.
Junco, Reynal, C. Michael Elavsky, and Greg Heiberger. “Putting Twitter to the Test: Assessing Outcomes for Student Collaboration, Engagement and Success.” British Journal of Educational Technology 44.2 (2013): 273-287. EBSCO. Web. 26 May 2014.
When I set out to do a review of a pedagogical tool to facilitate student-centered learning by fostering engagement in either a hybrid or online-only course, I intended to focus on the a variety of tools embedded within Desire2Learn (D2L) that could be used for just such a purpose, but the uniqueness and complexity of Wiggio, a productivity platform used to facilitate group meetings and collaboration, necessitated an in-depth look at this particular tool. The capabilities offered by Wiggio are not new, but what Wiggio does that many platforms do not is offer a combination of capabilities that is usually achieved through the use of multiple platforms or programs, and while Wiggio is embedded in D2L, those who do not use the D2L learning platform can still benefit from Wiggio.
Wiggio, which is marketed primarily to academic communities, offers a host of productivity and collaborative tools ranging from a convenient method of setting up a face-to-face meeting to holding group meetings in video chat while synchronously working within a word-processing program. The FAQ section gives a quick run-down of the offerings: “mass messaging (emails, text messages, voicemails), scheduling, file sharing and editing, polling, conference calling, video conferencing, and project management” (Wiggio.com). The program is entirely web-based and requires no software downloads. Users can access a free version of the platform by making an account through Wiggio’s website, but there is a premium version available, such as that embedded in D2L. Wiggio can be used to set up a group by first defining asynchronous group communications such as listserv email exchanges, receipt of short messages by SMS and longer messages via email, receipt of a daily summary of communications, or discussion boards with no mailed message. Once a group has been established, group members are invited. Text-based or video messages can be sent by group members to other group members from within the platform. Rather than having to upload a video message, the program includes an embedded video recorder. Without changing navigating to a new webpage on the Wiggio site, group members can share files, share links, launch a meeting via teleconference or video conference, create a to-do list, create a poll, send a message, or schedule an event or meeting on a group calendar. Sub-groups can be created within established groups. The meeting platform allows users to chat via text, share files, share a desktop, share video and audio, use a whiteboard, and synchronously edit a shared document. This combination of capabilities is akin to adding Google Docs to WebEx in an interface that also allows for file sharing, emailing, text messaging, video messaging, surveying, and calendar scheduling. Wiggio has a bit of a minimalist feel, and there may be fewer bells and whistles in the combined interface than may be found in systems that offer similar capabilities separately, but Wiggio’s developers argue that the features that are left out aren’t necessary for productivity and collaboration. This argument is convincing because it’s likely that Wiggio users will feel that the convenience of a one-stop-shop for group communication and productivity outweighs the loss of a few features that they could do without anyway.
A survey of the capabilities offered by Wiggio clearly suggests that the platform can be used to encourage student engagement in an online or hybrid course, but the question of how the platform can be used specifically to support best practices in online writing pedagogy remains. Perhaps one of the first places we should look for guidance on the value of Wiggio in online writing instruction would be the “Position Statement of Principles and Example Effective Practices for Online Writing Instruction” published by the Conference on College Composition and Communication. Principle 11 states that, “Online writing teachers and their institutions should develop personalized and interpersonal online communities to foster student success” (Oswal). In the rationale for the development of this principle, the authors explain that a feeling of connectedness to each other and the instructor helps students be more successful. While encouraging student engagement with the goal of student success in mind is a worthy goal, best practices in writing pedagogy call for strong student engagement because it encourages students to grapple with theoretical concepts it helps them to understand writing as a social activity. In “Mediating Power: Distance Learning Interfaces, Classroom Epistemology, and the Gaze,” Kevin Eric Depew and Heather Lettner-Rust apply Paulo Friere’s advocacy of “problem-posing education” to composition pedagogy by claiming that a participatory and liberatory approach to composition, much preferable to an instructor-centered approach, can be facilitated “through experiential and participatory activities, such as open dialogue, collaboratively designing or modifying assignments and allowing for student interest to alter the direction of the syllabus as a means of creating an egalitarian dynamic among students and instructor” (177). Such a participatory and liberatory approach requires a class design that allows for such open dialogue to take place. InBlended Learning in Higher Education: Framework, Principles, and Guidelines, D.R. Garrison and Norman D. Vaughan advocate for the development of a Community of Inquiry which requires that students have the opportunity to express themselves openly, that they have opportunities for reflective and interactive learning, and that students are guided by a teacher who provides “students with a highly interactive succession of learning experiences that lead to the resolution of an issue or problem” (25). Common distance education tools, such as discussion threads and blogs, do allow for some dialogue to occur, but participatory and interactive activities are often difficult to facilitate within learning management systems, and often the conversations that take place within discussion boards (the most common tool for facilitating group communication) are aimed at satisfying the instructor rather than being an organic and student-driven exchange of ideas. As a solution, many instructors have turned to the use of multiple supplemental tools (such as Google Docs) to achieve pedagogical goals. By offering several tools for facilitating collaboration, Wiggio allows for the development of this kind of participatory class environment. In “A MOOC with a View: How MOOCs Encourage Us to Reexamine Pedagogical Doxa,” Halasek et al., describe how a MOOC that they created challenges the notion that MOOCs cannot support effective pedagogical approaches to the teaching of writing. Halasek et al., found that the large enrollment in the course prevented them from taking what they call the “Teacher Knows Best” role (the teacher provides the instruction and feedback) and required students to take a larger role than the “Attentive Student” role (the student listens to content and follows directions; in fact, the roles seemed to have reversed here (157). Halasek et al. found that “no longer solely (or even largely) responsible for the shape of the course, the direction it took, or how the participants engaged the material” (160). Though the CCCC recommends an enrollment of no more than 20 students in online writing courses and the MOOC that Halasek et al. created had an enrollment of tens of thousands, we may be able to learn something from the way in which the MOOC encouraged student-centered learning. Perhaps the multiple ways in which students can interact in Wiggio and the participatory activities it allows could facilitate this type of role-reversal in online composition courses.
If we can use Wiggio to challenge the “banking concept of education,” what strategies might we use in order to do so? Ken Gillam and Shannon R. Wooden suggest an ecological approach to the teaching of composition designed to help students understand writing as part an ecological act done within a community and for a specific purpose. The assignment sequence incorporates distribution, emergence, embodiment, and enaction. The ideal online course incorporating these principles, according to Gillam and Wooden, would include scaffolded assignments beginning with group negotiation of a topic of exploration, data collection via a group constructed survey, multimodal presentation of findings, a collaborative annotated bibliography, and an individual final project (a problem/solution paper accompanied by a reflection paragraph). Another example of a collaborative assignment sequence is described by DePew. In order to facilitate students’ development of rhetorical literacy and a sense of audience awareness, he suggests students use literacy narratives to develop a literacy survey, the results of which they will use to compose a corroborative report. How might Wiggio be used to facilitate these assignment sequences described by Gilliam and Wooden and DePew? Wiggio can be used to facilitate group communications in a variety of modes (email, text, teleconference, video conference, video messaging, and video conferencing). Surveys can be created within the Wiggio interface. Without leaving the interface, students can collaborate synchronously on projects and easily provide their peers with feedback. While it’s very possible for students to conduct such collaborative projects with other technological tools, Wiggio offers all of necessary tools in one interface.
CCCC. “A Position Statement of Principles and Example Effective Practices for Online Writing Instruction (OWI).” http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Groups/CCCC/OWIPrinciples.pdf (2013): 1-35.
DePew, Kevin Eric. “Preparing Instructors and Students for the Rhetoricity of OWI Technologies.” N.d. M.S.
“Frequently Asked Questions.” Wiggio.com. 2001. Web. 16 June 2014.
Halasek, Kay, et al. “A MOOC With a View: How MOOCs Encourage Us to Reexamine Pedagogical Doxa.” Invasion of the MOOCs: 156.
As resident advisor (1992-1993), head resident (1994-1997) and director (1998-2000) of the Virginia Summer Residential Governor’s Schools for Humanities and Visual & Performing Arts, I worked with a team of student life staff to develop the community of learners among our faculty, staff, and 400 high school students. We did this in a number of successful ways, including icebreakers, name tags, hall meetings, living arrangements, and the like. We called ourselves a community of learners, and all of us — faculty, staff, and students alike — lived in dorms on campus and called each other by first name. This experience informs my idea of “community” in several different ways.
Community is never entirely “built,” despite the use of the term “community building.” In an educational setting, community must continually be “being built”; intentional activities, communications, and rhetorical choices (like the use of first names or the common language of living in the same dorm) must be made throughout the entire experience to ensure that a sense of community remains. Brent (2004) affirms this concept of community as continually built: “Here incompletion is a dynamic concept – the dynamism which community has which no definable entity could possibly possess” (p. 219).
Community focuses members and potential/incoming members in a common goal. In Governor’s School, our community of learners sought to expand knowledge and understanding of the interrelationships among disciplines through guided inquiry. Teachers facilitated inquiry and participated with students in growing their understandings of concepts like body image, politics, economics, social structures, and more. All aspects of the experience — intellectual, interdisciplinary, and social-emotional; curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular — focused on growing knowledge and identity. Common, structured, facilitated inquiry shaped our community and represented Harrison & Vaughan’s (2007) interpretation of a community of inquiry consisting of cognitive, social, and teaching presence.
Community is ideally an egalitarian function of participants working toward a common purpose. I include the modifier “ideally” because Amy (2006) recognizes the reality of power politics within rhetorical communities, and because the teaching presence in a community of inquiry necessarily invokes a hierarchical power structure between student and teacher. However, to the extent possible, community is a function of equals working together. In the classroom, a focus on students working toward a common purpose is an important aspect of community building.
Given this concept of community, blogs can be useful tools for community development, especially when implemented in combination with other distance learning tools to continually maintain the sense of community. I would hesitate to privilege blogs over other writing spaces and online interactive tools, despite their potential interactivity, because other tools may help foster a sense of community more directly.
As our own class use of the interactivity of the blogs reflects, blogs don’t necessarily encourage ongoing conversation. Few writers responded, either directly or indirectly, to comments on their blogs. We tried to post comments to several classmates’ blogs, but few posts or comments generated any kind of give-and-take among writers and/or respondents. Since Blogger does not afford any sense of threaded conversation using visual design or verbal cues, respondents had to include explicit textual clues (e.g. “In response to your idea…”) in order to “respond” to one another. A comment can’t be addressed specifically to another comment, only generally attributed to the blog. The result is a flat list of comments that offers no hierarchy, more like a chat transcript than a threaded discussion forum. In terms of community building, blogs do little to help writers and commenters work together in a community of inquiry, and this is especially true of Blogger. Blog posts “talk” at other bloggers, but offer little to afford conversation, dialogue, or rhetorical listening among participants. For this reason I consider WordPress, which provides clues that afford limited threading in comments, a more successful blogging tool for enabling conversations.
Building a Better Blogging Community?
For blogs to be successful at encouraging conversation among writers and respondents, instructors need to provide clear guidelines and structure for posts and responses. Carefully constructed, scaffolded assignments accompanied by clear expectations for interaction enable students to respond with agency within the limits of those guidelines. While instructor-provided frameworks may be seen as opposing social constructivist learning and pedagogy, OWI requires a level of structured interactivity that f2f classes can allow to occur more organically. DePew & Lettner-Rust (2009), DePew (forthcoming), Danowski (2006), and Breuch (2005), to greater or lesser extents, all encourage OWI teachers to recognize this power structure while developing scaffolded, structured activities that encourage agency and ongoing conversations. These conversations engage students in communities of inquiry, and these communities of inquiry, as conversations engaging students and teachers, help maintain ongoing community building.
As a result, this assignment might have more successfully built a sense of community as a specific framework of scaffolded assignments. While a series of initial posts could remain focused on instructional tool reviews, each student could be required to comment on a number of reviews (perhaps 2 or 3), then write a full-length post that summarizes those three reviews, links to the initial posts, and reflects on one or more aspects of the initial review. Ping backs from those links could function to notify students that others have linked to their posts; the guidelines for responding could require the writer of the original review to respond to the summary post. Guidelines and requirements would have to be carefully detailed and written, but the result would be ongoing conversations about the effectiveness of instructional tools. As Breuch (2005) notes in relation to virtual peer review, assignments should “encourage students to think of virtual peer review in terms of concrete goals” (p. 149). In this case, the concrete goal might be to draft a final blog post that requires students to select three favorite instructional tools from among those reviewed, reflect on the conversations that surrounded that tool among all the commentators, and make a recommendation, with rationale, for one tool the student might recommend to other instructors in an OWI setting.
My experience of this class, and the other two classes I’ve taken so far in the PhD program, is that community really forms in various informal channels of communication. While scaffolded blog postings and responses and discussion forum posts and responses contribute toward a community of inquiry, stronger bonds form around informal channels like the ODU PhD and individual course Facebook groups, email and Facebook communications outside of class with classmates, and through the Webex chat (which I’ll refer to as a “front channel” to differentiate it from a Facebook group “back channel”).
As equals (students) working toward a common goal (success in individual courses, success in individual class sessions), informal community is continually formed and reformed around various struggles, activities, and challenges. For example, our class members united around the challenge of being unable to access readings in what we considered a timely fashion. We asked one another whether anyone had emailed the instructor, discussed whether texts might be available in open-source formats online, and generally bonded over our frustration. In Amy’s (2006) terms we recognized and capitalized on power differentials in our contact zone: a reference librarian held the cultural capital of quick access to open-source texts and shared that capital in our common goal of seeking resources; other members of the class held the cultural capital of temerity, willingly emailing the instructor to achieve the common goal of requesting access to readings in Blackboard.
Throughout the semester, community was continually built, refined, and reshaped (Brent, 2004), often the result of working through tensions in different contact zones (Amy, 2006). Two specific examples occurred when shifting out of Webex, first into Google Hangouts and again into Adobe Connect. In each of these instances, the backchannel took the forefront in alleviating anxiety as we wondered how or if we’d be reconnected to our assigned groups. Those with more experience held social capital and shared assurances with those with less experience; in my group, my own familiarity with Google Hangouts helped me assure others in my group and in other groups that all would work out, while Kristina’s familiarity with Adobe Connect provided assurance and instruction to those of us who had not used the tool. In both cases, our bonds of community were strengthened through tension and power differentials among ourselves — power differentials used to achieve common goals rather than forming around us-them rhetorical violence.
Does community happen in the face-to-face video sessions via Jabber and Webex? Sure, but those experience are built around the instructor. Student community is built through informal communications that are outside the structured activities of the class. As a future OWI teacher, I need to remember my own experience with community development and understand the power of multiple communication channels.
Amy, L. E. (2006). Rhetorical violence and the problematics of power: A notion of community for the digital age classroom. In J. Alexander & M. Dickson (eds.), Role play: Distance learning and the teaching of writing (pp. 111-132). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Breuch, L. K. (2005). Enhancing online collaboration: Virtual peer review in the writing classroom. In K. C. Cook & K. Grant-Davie (eds.), Online education: Global questions, local answers (pp. 141-156). Farmingdale, NY: Baywood.
Danowski, D. (2006). Anyone? Anyone? Anyone? Leading discussions in cyberspace: e-Journals and interactivity in asynchronous environments. In J. Alexander & M. Dickson (eds.), Role Play: Distance Learning and the Teaching of Writing (pp. 97-108). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Garrison, D. R., & Vaughan, N. D. (2007). Blended learning in higher education: Framework, principles, and guidelines. San Fransisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Wach, Howard, Laura Broughton, and Stephen Powers. “Blending in the Bronx: The Dimensions of Hybrid Course Development at Bronx Community College.” Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks 1 (2011): 87. Academic OneFile. Web. 12 June 2014.
In this article, Wach, Broughton, and Powers describe a faculty development program at Bronx Community College (BCC) in which faculty members are trained in hybrid course delivery over a six month period (June to January). BCC, a branch of City University of New York (CUNY) is very supportive of a move toward hybrid course delivery as it helps use an online environment to build an active, collaborative learning environment in blended versions of high-enrollment courses. Wach, Broughton, and Powers explain the faculty training program that requires a six month program beginning with a face-to-face workshop (on topics such as pedagogy, best practices, content presentation, disability accommodations, instructor presence, facilitation of communication, collaboration, and assessment) lead by experienced online instructors. After the initial workshop, course-developers (instructors in training) spend several months developing an online hybrid course with the oversight of peer mentors and student technological assistants who help faculty and students with technical assistance, tutor student peers on content-related issues, and assist faculty with content presentation. The development and assessment of hybrid courses is guided by the use of several types of documents: a contract created by the new instructor outlining how the course will be developed, a teaching guide that outlines best practices and expectations for instructors, a learning unit planning guide emphasizing engagement, collaboration, and improvement of student learning generally, and an online course development checklist that new course-developers use for self-evaluation through the development process. In November, following course development, mentors, guided by a rubric, perform an evaluation of the newly developed course and make suggestions for revision. Revisions are made in preparation for the course to be launched the January following the beginning of the program.
I chose to review this article because of its relevance to my own project of creating an effective hybrid course and then creating a workshop describing how such a course could effectively be created. That BCC has such a streamlined, formal process for the training of new hybrid instructors is very impressive, but without such strong institutional support for such faculty development, similar lengthy training programs would be difficult to undertake, particularly since those involved receive incentives from the institution to teach hybrid courses and act as peer mentors. While not all institutions have the same goals, interests, or resources, the program at BCC seems to be a good model for making a concerted effort toward increasing the number of hybrid courses as well as the quality, so anyone interested in faculty development and departmental or institutional moves toward increasing hybrid offerings would have in interest in examining this model. One thing that I felt was missing was a deeper discussion of the theory or ideology driving BCC’s and CUNY’s move toward hybrid courses, as such justification for course development could be useful to others.
Watch the video below for a tour of Penzu and discussion of how it could facilitate the use of journals in an online writing course (complete with audio appearances by John and Francesca...).
For online writing instructors looking to incorporate an interactive journal component into their courses, Penzu is web-based diary that could easily facilitate such an educational purpose. Basic journal accounts on Penzu are free with a valid email address. Penzu emphasizes personal privacy and boasts of military-grade encryption, which together with the distinguishes this service from public blogs or websites. The interface has the appearance of a paper notebook with the current date and the option to title the entry. Text is entered in the body of the page. A tool bar at the top of the pad allows for numerous format and font changes, insertion of images, and sharing a link to the individual entry via email. One fun feature is the inspiration light bulb that will display a quote or question at the top of the entry that writers can respond to if searching for a topic.
Easy to use, intuitive interface that mimics a notebook page.
Automatic prompts can help the reluctant writer find a topic.
Individuals with whom the entry link has been shared will receive email notification, and can easily add comments by simply responding to the email. Users will receive an email notification that a comment has been left and will see an alert upon logging in. Comments can be viewed at the top of the entry, but do not interact with the entry itself. At anytime, the user can choose to “unshare” an entry and link becomes invalid.
Users can share single entries, but not the entire journal, selectively by email. They can choose to have the entry appear in the email, or just provide a link. The latter affords greater student control as the instructor will not have an archive of the text.
Instructor comments appear at the top of the entry, but do not interact with the entry itself, keeping the integrity of the student work in tact as opposed to inline commenting that can make students feel self-conscious.
Work is automatically saved to the cloud as typing occurs, to more closely mimic the experience of writing on paper and more readily preserve the entry. From a table of contents list, there is a search function that allows users to enter keywords to find related entries. Users can also request to be sent reminders to create entries at regular intervals. The content is completely controlled by the user and can be deleted entirely at any time.
Table of contents and search feature allow for retrieval of entries for potential use in formal writing.
Students can set reminders in accordance with assignment requirements.
Penzu also has free mobile apps for iPhone and Android, so users can add entries on these devices as well. Accounts can be started on the website www.penzu.com, or the apps can be downloaded from iTunes or Google Play as well as from the website. Although the audience for the free accounts is primarily the general public, but they do offer a classroom version with greater functionality for a $49.00 annual fee. Some of the educationally-aimed features of that service are the option to provide inline comments, a grade book, assignment creation, and centralized management of all student work.
A list of the added functionality of the classroom version, notably centralized management of student submissions and letting students create entries by email for easier access.
Overall, Penzu is a quick and easy close-approximation of the paper journal, with additional affordances and enhanced privacy. This tool would best be adopted in composition courses by instructors wanting to add a dialogue journal component to their courses. Dialogue journals are an ongoing conversation between the instructor and individual students that foster positive rapport, engagement, and academic achievement (Holmberg qtd. in Danowski 100). Students can be given writing prompts that may or may not be related to course content, but both types help students improve writing skills and develop stronger relationships with the instructor, an important determinant of student success and satisfaction. This type of written exchange is highly interactive, which is “vital is successful pedagogy” (Danowski 99). It is important to consider how to develop interaction like this so as to mediate students’ feelings of social isolation as noted by Mann, Varey, and Button and Huws (qtd. in Hantula and Pawlowicz 150).
This kind of low-stakes writing also reduces student anxiety and provides a comfortable space for exploration outside of the public sphere. Although discussion boards can promote a sense of community through student-to-student interaction, students can sometimes be reluctant to expose their ideas and display their skills in such a setting. However, online composition instructors should strongly consider incorporating journals since learners in communities of inquiry must have the “freedom to explore ideas, question, and construct meaning,” which journals can provide (Brabazon 15).
Private journals can offer the benefits of low-stakes writing without the pressure of the larger peer audience and have been a staple of FYW programs, but have been difficult to simulate in an online setting. Yet we should strive to find ways to incorporate time-tested pedagogical practices into online courses rather than abandon them in favor of activities using new technologies, remembering that successful online education “e-learning ‘is marked by a juxtaposition of new technology and old pedagogy’” merging “the best of traditional and Web-based learning experiences” (Brabazon 7-8). And journals are certainly one such traditional pedagogy, credited with aiding prewriting, generating and organizing ideas, promoting creativity, providing a pleasurable experience with writing, and encouraging critical thinking (Danowski 103). It is also encouraged that instructors begin with “pedagogical assumptions” that de-emphasize “the search for technological solutions,” to start designing online courses around pedagogy and not around the affordances of a particular technology (Cook 59). The free, basic version of Penzu provides instructors this kind of blended approach honoring the tradition of journal benefits with the needs of teaching and learning online. It is an easy to use system for encouraging private student writing that can be selectively shared and features a comment function to facilitate dialogue.
In addition to the relational and educational benefits of dialogue journals, they also afford greater student agency over their own writing, a significant difference from similar types of writing assignments facilitated by traditional course managements systems like Blackboard. Penzu shifts the ownership of the work from the course to the student. With this program, students have their own space to write outside of the course, and they choose which entries they share with the instructor. They can also use the “unshare” feature to revert an entry to private, and they can choose to deactivate the account entirely upon the completion of the course. While it is unclear what entities might have access to entries at Penzu, the student is at least not conceding ownership to the school. Nevertheless, this ownership is something “administrators and instructor[s] need to understand the implications of” when “selecting OWI technologies” (DePew). Students control their own archives, which is an ethical position in the conversation of technology-mediated composition. This autonomy mirrors the shift toward independence in technologically mediated learning and future working environments (Hantula and Pawlowicz 153).
The student-centered focus continues with the features of mobility and accessibility that favor their lifestyles. Blackboard can be cumbersome to navigate on phones and tablets, with numerous log-in screens and multiple pages to click through before accessing the discussion board. Often these devices are not fully supported by the system and do not display full functionality. However, these are the preferred devices for students, and Penzu’s simple interface, cloud storage, and mobile apps afford additional, direct access to the journal without the obstacles of Blackboard. They can also write an entry wherever and whenever they have time with their phones, which accommodates their often busy lifestyles - a student could write an entry as quickly as a text message when on a work break or riding a bus.
One of the other benefits is that Penzu is free, which is important to both students and budget-conscious departments when considering new services. It is also much simpler technology to learn because it approximates the familiar notebook, which is an advantage—especially for non-traditional students who are often enrolled in online courses for lifestyle reasons— over other blogs that have far more functions that can distract from the kind of freewriting that make journals successful and have more complex interfaces that may even require basic html knowledge. Unlike simply assigning and responding to freewrites though, Penzu keeps student writing collected and the search function allows for the retrieval of what often amounts to prewriting for formal assignments. These benefits in particular fulfill the CCCC OWI Principle 1, which emphasizes financial accessibility, flexible access, and simple, intuitive use for all users regardless of technological proficiency (Hewett 6).
Responding to dialogue journals is time-consuming, which can be a challenge for online writing instructors who are already investing more time than for face-to-face classes. However, the investment builds strong rapport, which facilitates motivation, effort, achievement, satisfaction, and retention. The benefit of dialogue journals is what often encourages instructors to use them despite the increased workload, but Penzu may help make the work faster. When the student shares the entry, the instructor can both read it and respond to it in their email. The instructor is then also freed of the cumbersome interface and navigation of the course management system and can respond to students as easily as they can create entries, anywhere and on anything that allows email access. While this may potentially clog already overburdened email accounts, the instructor could create a dedicated email address for journaling or consider upgrading to the classroom version. Warnock suggests several methods for journaling online, but none (blogs, emails, Word documents, or message board threads) offer the agency, privacy, or accessibility of Penzu (103). Overall, this program should be tested in a classroom setting for broader use in dialogue journals in an OWI course.
Brabazon, Tara. Digital Hemlock: Internet Education and the Poisoning of Teaching. Kennington, NSW: University of New South Wales Press, 2002. Print.
Cook, Kelli Cargile. “An Argument for Pedagogy-Driven Education.” Online Education: Global Questions, Local Answers. Eds. Kelli Cargile Cook and Keith Grant-Davie. Farmingdale, NY: Baywood, 2005. 49-66. Print.
Danowski, Debbie. “Anyone? Anyone? Anyone? Leading Discussions in Cyberspace.” Role Play: Distance Learning and the Teaching of Writing. Eds. Jonathan Alexander and Marcia Dickson. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, 2006. 97-108. Print.
DePew, Kevin. “Chapter 14: Preparing Instructors and Students for the Rhetoricity of OWI Technologies.” unpublished manuscript from Foundational Practices of Online Writing Instruction. Eds. Beth Hewett and Kevin Eric DePew.
Hantula, Donald A. and Darleen M. Pawlowicz. “Chapter Six: Education Mirrors Industry: On the Not-So Surprising Rise of Internet Distance Education.” The Distance Education Evolution: Issues and Case Studies. Eds. Dominique Monolescu, Catherine Schifter, Linda Greenwood. Hershey, PA: Science Publishing, 2004. 142-162. Print.
Hewett, Beth. “Chapter 1: Foundational Principles that Ground OWI.” unpublished manuscript from Foundational Practices of Online Writing Instruction. Eds. Beth Hewett and Kevin Eric DePew. 1-48.
Warnock, Scott. Teaching Writing Online: How and Why. Urbana, IL: NCTE, 2009. Print.
Google Apps for Education is a suite of cloud-based applications provided free of charge to educational institutions for their students and faculty. Among the applications are Gmail (email), Docs (word processing), Drive (cloud-based storage), Site (web pages), Slides (presentations), Sheets (spreadsheets), and Calendar (Google, ca. 2014a). This review addresses the individual and collaborative composing affordances of Google Docs and the group sharing affordances of folders in Google Drive. While Google Docs and Google Drive are free-standing applications available to anyone with a Google account, this review focuses specifically on the tools as part of Google Apps for Education.
Google and campus IT departments collaborate to install Google Apps for Education to become students’ (and optionally, faculty’s) default email and file-sharing applications. The Google Apps for Education benefits page insists that, when installed, “Your data belongs to you” (Google, ca. 2014a.) Closer reading of the Google Apps for Education Agreement indicates that data are stored on Google servers that are not necessarily on U.S. territory, and that location of the storage facility itself is not determined by the campus IT department (Google, ca. 2014b). Campus decisions to implement Google Apps for Education are fraught with competing issues of price (free) and convenience (very) pitted against data access, location, and institutional control.
Campuses that elect to install Google Apps for Education make available the free suite of applications to their students. Email addresses are tied to the campus student information system (e.g. Banner or PeopleSoft) and used as Google Accounts to provide access to the applications. File sharing services that may originally have been handled by on-site servers (like a shared drive) transition to cloud-based Google Drive, with free accounts providing gigabytes of data storage per account.
As Google’s cloud-based word processor, Google Docs is deeply integrated into Google Drive; Google Docs is among native applications available in Google Drive when creating a new file (other applications include Presentation, Spreadsheet, Form, and Drawing; see Figure 1).
Figure 1: Native applications available in Google Drive. Screen capture of ODU Google Drive interface.
As a word processing application, Google Docs uses a relatively familiar interface that resembles locally-installed applications like Microsoft Word or Office.org. Familiar menu items and icons represent standard functions, and the on-screen layout represents the printable surface of the document, complete with margins and page borders (see Figure 2).
Figure 2: Google Docs interface resembles standard application interfaces. Screen capture of an untitled document in ODU Google Docs.
Google Docs’ print output features don’t match those of stand-alone applications like Microsoft Word. Such limitations are well documented (Jesdanun, 2013; Leonard, 2014); among them are limited header and footer formatting (important for academic assignments), limited table of contents, and limited pagination options. Since Google Docs is web-based, its functions are limited to standard or proprietary HTML affordances.
Beyond print output constraints, Google Docs is a capable, easy-to-use, free word processor. It affords standard functions like copy, cut, and paste, font styling, list numbering, tab defining, and much more. It functions as a drag-and-drop application: images, videos, and other media files are easily added to the Google Doc either by selecting a file or by dragging it into the document. Because its interface resembles most stand-alone application interfaces, newcomers to Google Docs can quickly start creating documents.
Google Docs excels in sharing and collaboration. Files are easily shared from within the document using the upper-right “Share” button (see Figure 2) with the public, with members of the institution, or with specific individuals using an email address. Since a free Google Account can be tied to any email address, anyone with an email address can access a Google Doc. Google Drive affords customized group and individual sharing and permissions at the folder and file levels, so entire folders of Google Docs (and other files within a folder) can both inherit parent folder permissions or have custom permissions set.
Sharing a Google Doc means that those given appropriate permissions may access and edit the file simultaneously. Simultaneous access and editing gives Google Docs a clear advantage over other word processors. Microsoft Word, for example, can share files and track changes, but only a single user may access the file at a given time. Google Docs tracks every change made by every user, and every change can be undone by rolling the file back to any previous state. The document is saved automatically after every change as long as stable internet access is available, so there is little concern about losing data as a result of unsaved changes.
Google Docs affords unlimited commentary on highlighted text passages, and comments can be threaded to at least one level in subsequent responses. Comments can also be marked as resolved, an action that clears the on-screen comment thread but saves the entire comment text for access as needed. Users can respond to comments asynchronously or in real time during a composing session. In addition, synchronous in-document chat is available, meaning users can “text” one another as they work together on a document. The combination of collaborative tools makes Google Docs and Google Drive a versatile tool that affords group composing activities in synchronous and asynchronous contexts.
As noted earlier, an institution’s decision to enter into an agreement to offer Google Apps for Education is fraught with questions of participant agency and data ownership. Even before a teacher makes decisions about using Google Docs for collaboration and composing, institutional administrators should recognize confluences that require cross-disciplinary and cross-departmental discourses involving IT departments, curriculum specialists, teachers, administrators, and students. All of these stakeholders in a distributed learning implementation should be encouraged to contribute to an ongoing conversation about best practices and lessons learned via implementation (Neff & Whithaus, 2008). And once the institution implements Google Apps for Education, the implications to students in the context of the class should be considered and communicated in the syllabus.
Google is a for-profit multinational corporation whose ultimate goal is to generate profits for its stockholders. Entering into a business relationship with Google has costs that may not appear in institutional accounting spreadsheets, but will emerge in terms of power relationships between Google and the institution regarding data ownership, location, and access. More directly, as DePew and Lettner-Rust (2009) point out, asking students to use any technology inherently “shapes the power relationship between instructors and students[;] interfaces cannot be perceived as neutral or innocent” (p. 175). The goal of the decision to bind one’s institution to Google for its services and one’s students to Google Docs for its affordances should be one and the same: to empower end-users to make pedagogy-driven decisions about course content that are complemented by affordances of the technology tool (Hewett, forthcoming; Cook, 2005; Hantula & Pawlowicz, 2004).
The decision to use Google Docs in the classroom should support the learning outcomes of the course. For online writing teachers, those outcomes include creating communities of inquiry that integrate cognitive, social, and teaching presence (Garrison & Vaughan, 2007); providing low-stakes student-centered composing opportunities and engaging student and instructor feedback (Warnock, 2009); reinforcing “critical and liberatory pedagogies” (Reilly & Williams, 2006, p. 59); and teaching and exemplifying meta cognitive reflection on the technologies themselves as applied rhetoric (DePew, forthcoming). Google Docs and Google Drive, as applications in Google Apps for Education, support these outcomes.
Sharing folders and files supports the creation of a composing community focused on a common subject or object of inquiry. The teacher can create the shared environment using shared folders and a scaffolded writing assignment that requires file sharing among groups and associated feedback written work.
The comments feature in Google Docs affords rich commentary and meta-commentary from students and teachers alike throughout the composing process, from low-stakes feedback in invention, drafting, peer review, and revision, to formal assessment from the instructor. Comments afford multi-way conversations that empower students to respond to peer and teacher feedback.
Teachers can use Google Docs to reflect on the affordances and constraints of the technologies. By using the very technology they are assigned to critique, rich conversations about power politics, accessibility, availability, and other critical approaches can emerge and be facilitated by a trained, engaged teacher. More directly, Google Docs, like any other ICT in OWI, is both an object of critical analysis and a functional technology. As such, it affords opportunities to encourage students and teachers alike to practice applied rhetoric. And with the backing of the corporate behemoth that is Google, Google Docs provides a remarkably rich object of critical analysis and represents DePew’s (forthcoming) “pivot point where function and rhetoric merge” (n.p.).
As a result, I recommend that teachers in both OWI and f2f environments consider incorporating Google Docs in their classes as a free and capable word processor and a highly collaborative, student-focused composing tool that functions as both medium for collaboration and assessment and object of rhetorical study.
Garrison, D. R., & Vaughan, N. D. (2007). Blended learning in higher education: Framework, principles, and guidelines, (3-30). San Fransisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Hantula, D. A., & Pawlowicz, D. M. (2004). Education mirrors industry: On the not-so surprising rise of internet distance learning. In D. Monolescu, C. Schifter, & L. Greenwood (eds.), The distance education evolution: Issues and case studies (142-162). Hershey, PA: Information Science Pub.
Neff, J. M., & Whithaus, C. (2008). Writing across distances & disciplines: Research and pedagogy in distributed learning. New York, NY: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Warnock, S. (2009). Teaching writing online: How & why. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.
In this article, Gillam and Wooden utilize ecological theory to describe the way in which writing courses should operate as learning communities as interconnected and collaborative. The central problem with online writing courses is that the current tendency in online writing pedagogy is to plan courses in a way that emphasizes the cognitive-process model, valuing the writer as a solitary individual who works alone, while more recent scholarship and best practices in composition studies place more emphasis on collaboration in a community of inquiry. One problem with online education is that the way in which course set-up tends to value and privilege strong writing and communication skills, the very skills that students should be developing in the course. Referring to Garrison and Vaughan, Gillam and Wooden explain that online courses encourage both personal but also purposeful relationships. They issue a call to action to their readers: bring the personal back into the class through collaborative group projects that make community a “content-oriented” goal of the course benefitting from the interconnectedness and collaborative nature of these activities. Gillam and Wooden advocate an online course that incorporates the principles of distribution (that learning is situated and negotiated between a variety of sources), emergence (the adaption and coordination in the process of creating knowledge), embodiment (through recognition that student embodiment impacts the process of learning and writing even in online classes), and enaction (the final product). In order to satisfy these principles, Gillam and Shannon describe an online course containing scaffolded assignments beginning with group negotiation of a topic of exploration, data collection via a group constructed survey (the design of which requires emergence and enaction), multimodal presentation of findings, a collaborative annotated bibliography, and an individual final project (a problem/solution paper accompanied by a reflection paragraph). The assignment helps students understand writing as ecological, writing for a community, and writing for a purpose instead of presenting writing as a solitary act done by an independent writer (35).
While I am focused on hybrid course design, I felt that this article was beneficial for me to examine because of the focus on writing as enaction of the ecological. The notion that writing is the result of engagement in an ecology makes community-building in the writing course seems not only desirable but necessary. The writing that students do in their future careers will be ecological in nature-steeped as it will be in the conventions and purposes of specific discourse communities-so one could argue that writing instructors have an impetus to teach writing as ecological enactment. Another reason that I found this article very useful is that I was drawn to Garrison and Vaughan’s notion of “communities of inquiry” and part of the aim of my project will be to build such as community. After reading Garrison and Vaughan I still wasn’t quite certain how one might facilitate the building of such communities. Gillam and Wooden put the notion of “community of inquiry” into action in the course design that they discuss in this article.
Mandernach, Jean B., Amber Dailey-Herbert, and Emily Donnelli-Sallee. “Frequency and Time Investment of Instructors’ Participation in Threaded Discussions in the Online Classroom.” Journal of Interactive Online Learning 6.1 (2007). 1-9. Google Scholar. Web. 9 Jun. 2014.
The authors of this study acknowledge the significant investment of time initially required to prepare a course for online delivery; however, they are interested in the time demands on faculty in facilitating an established online course. This study aims to establish some “empirical information to guide the frequency and nature” of faculty involvement in asynchronous discussions; evidence-supported information the authors note as underrepresented in the literature (2). They argue that with students’ increased expectations for instructor availability, greater quantitative data about the investment of time is needed. This quantitative study evaluated a random sample of ten undergraduate courses that students rated as highly effective in promoting understanding of course material. The authors analyzed the course management archives for each course. The results indicate that faculty time spent facilitating discussions is highly variable: each week faculty responses ranged from 0-22 posts, their time logged in ranged from 22-450 minutes, and they logged in on 4-6.8 days. The authors conclude that facilitating discussions in “online courses may not take any more time than facilitating discussion in face-to-face courses, but that “the time investment is distributed differently throughout the week” with greater time spent working on the weekends being “one of the biggest shifts in online faculty workloads” (6). The authors caution that the study is limited in that it does not measure other means of facilitation that cumulatively require greater time demands. I find this study helpful in that it begins to measure the amount of time needed to complete the various functions of the online instructor. Anecdotally, teachers in online courses report that they are making a significant investment of time, but studies like this can provide the kind of administratively valued quantitative data needed when arguing for limiting online class size or reduction of teaching loads. As courses are encouraged to be moved online, considerations must be made for the workload inequity between online and face-to-face courses. The collation of previous studies of the increased demands on time and the value of discussion threads in the literature review are especially useful for building an evidence-based case for reasonable online faculty course loads and class sizes and for the pedagogical value of incorporating discussion when designing courses. I think that although the authors are not willing to suggest guidelines based on this study, it is useful as a starting point for new instructors wondering how much time to spend responding to students. The mean time spent in discussion boards was 187 minutes per week over a mean of five days each week. I think this is valuable because the students reported that these courses were highly effective, and with this in mind, instructors can remind themselves that daily, extensive involvement in discussion boards is not necessary: a little more than three hours over five days can be enough. This is obviously not the only responsibility of the online instructor, and more time will be spent in other ways, but it can help to find at least one boundary.
Higher Colleges of Technology Google+ profile image. From the HCT Google+ page.
This article reports early results of a higher education iPad® initiative implemented in a pre-Bachelor’s Foundation English Language Learning (ELL) program designed to prepare students for instruction delivered in English at 17 campuses of the Higher College of Technology in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The objective of the study was to “identify faculty perceptions about the effectiveness of early implementation of the iPad, specifically as it related to enhancing the student-centered learning experience” (p. 46). The purpose of the federally-funded iPad initiative was to advance “active learning methods” in face-to-face classes in order to “provide students with the skills and experiences needed in flexible work environments” (p. 46).
Faculty were trained in iPad implementation by Apple World Education leaders. The training and implementation program sought to “build excitement about the iPad implementation and camaraderie among the federal universities” using faculty champions and a teaching and learning conference focused on “ways to implement the iPad and engage students in active learning” (p. 46). Faculty spent the summer prior to fall implementation “playing” with the iPads to explore ways to engage with students. iPad 3 devices were provided free of charge to every student in each class with a combination of pre-installed free and paid apps.
Using a combination of faculty case studies, faculty self-reporting survey results, and feedback from initial faculty champions, researchers organized and reported findings using a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) framework. In each of the three areas (case study, survey, and feedback), researchers noted that “weaknesses and limitations were much lower in frequency and magnitude than expected for a first-of-its kind program” (p. 56). Faculty responded positively to the technology, pedagogy, and content in the first month of implementation. They reported that campus administrators and technologists “actively supported” their implementation efforts and that “the most frequent uses of iPads were for student-centered and interactive applications” (p. 56). They close the study with this endorsement: for institutions considering requiring incoming freshmen to use iPads, their results “indicate a favorable environment for success” (p. 56).
The UAE government’s willingness to launch and fund a large-scale technology initiative is laudable, likely made possible by the UAE’s size. The state launched the initiative with extensive faculty training and engagement, a model grounded in theory and apparently effective, at least through the early stages of the initiative.
Missing from the study was a focus on specific active learning methods implemented in classrooms. While the objective of the study focused on faculty perceptions, the goal of the iPad initiative to increase active-learning activities in the classroom begs examples and case studies of successful activities that met those goals. As a result, I recommend the study to administrators and grant funders seeking faculty buy-in for large-scale mobile device initiatives, not to teachers seeking examples of effective active learning activities.
Essay in Inside Higher Education by Mary Flanagan, distinguished professor of digital humanities at Dartmouth College and a fellow of The OpEd Project.
We need a culture change to manage our use of technology, to connect when we want to and not because we psychologically depend on it. Enough is enough. We need strategies for unplugging when appropriate to create a culture of listening and of dialogue. Otherwise, $20,000 to $60,000 a year is a hefty entrance fee to an arcade.
While this conclusion resonates with me, as a technophile and college composition teacher I’d like a more nuanced approach to the encroachment of technology on the classroom environment. Sometimes students don’t recognize their reliance on the technology to alleviate boredom, to stay connected and “in the know,” or simply to distract themselves.
I assigned an in-class collaborative writing activity in a networked computer classroom with a student population of working professionals. We used a shared Google Doc as our creative canvas, but I encouraged students in the written and oral instructions to use all affordances offered by the classroom.
The result was absolute silence, less the tapping of keyboard keys.
Rather than using the immediately-available affordance of face-to-face collaboration, students remained entirely engrossed in their technology-mediated collaborative space. I ended up reminding them that the classroom offered additional collaborative opportunities and tools, which prompted several of them to say a metaphorical Homer Simpson “Doh!” when they realized they could have simply talked to one another about the assignment.
While this reinforces Flanagan’s conclusion that students need to unplug from their technologies and they need to understand how and when to unplug, I think students probably also need to understand and recognize their reliance on technology as an issue. This kind of education — that eliminates the need to whisper in a student’s ear that his or her technology use is inappropriate in that context — is an important part of our responsibility as technophiles in the classroom.
Arms, Valarie M. “Hybrids, Multi-Modalities and Engaged Learners: A Composition Program for the Twenty-First Century.” Rocky Mountain Review 2 (2012): 219. Project MUSE. Web. 28 May 2014.
1. Use sound research, such as that into the connection between technology and students’ improving communication skills, as a foundation.
2. Information technology specialists can be helpful in finding innovative ways to use technology.
3. Pilot program teachers should be allowed and encouraged to take risks and share their successes and problems they faced.
4. Courses should use rubrics based on course learning outcomes, particularly for multimodal projects.
5. Allow student to be “agents of change” and take ownership through inclusion in program assessments.
6. Used mixed methods to evaluate the new pedagogies.
7. Submit proposals to administration at every level to solicit support and potentially grant money.
8. Once the pilot is concluded, disseminate the results to a broad community for feedback.
She concludes by arguing that the program encouraged students and teachers to be creative, innovative, and motivated, and that it served as a reminder that “learning does not stop at the doorway to a classroom” (209).
This particular article differs a great deal from previous articles I examined because the program is based on the idea that an entire generation of students (digital natives) are very proficient in the use of technology. While that may be the case with some students, certainly issues of access and skill result in an uneven distribution of technological skill and know-how that Arms does not really acknowledge. In contrast, Stine acknowledged these barriers while also arguing strongly for hybrid education. While Arms’ suggestions are helpful to someone developing such a program, those opposed to the idea of online education could easily argue that Arms is too optimistic about students’ technological skills and that issues developmental students face in particular are being ignored. The article would likely be of interest to those wanting to find innovative ways to approach WAC/WID. Also, the article was valuable to my own project, as it is helpful to see a detailed case study, rationale, and an explanation of how the results might be communicated to colleagues. | 2019-04-19T15:07:44Z | http://engl894s14.courses.digitalodu.com/?m=201406 |
José Saramago’s The Cave (Caverna) is a realistic portrayal of life in the contemporary world of advanced capitalist post-modernity that bears alarmingly close resemblance to the life of the chained prisoners in Plato’s allegory, to which the title alludes. The allusion is not only figurative ; it is literal as well. Underground excavations of a modern high-rise housing and commercial complex actually uncover a number of human corpses chained to a stone bench and facing a wall – a clear representation of Plato’s cave allegory. But the figurative allusion connects the contemporary world of capitalism to the world of the Platonic allegory more directly. The prisoners’ false understanding of the false world in which they were held captive is echoed in the false self-understanding of the inhuman world of globalised capitalism. This same self-misunderstanding of capitalism and of its integrated agents is metaphorically captured in the capitalist destiny of the newly excavated corpses. Governed wholly by the mercantilist laws of value, the capitalist world remains oblivious that it is a mere reflection of the cave and sees no irony in the commercial appropriation of the excavated Platonic cave as a lucrative tourist-site venture.
Saramago’s snapshot of life in contemporary capitalist modernity highlights the artificiality of life in spatially constricted and constraining high-rise apartment dwelling, of the vicarious emptiness of electronic simulations of hi-tech amusement parks, of the toxicity of the chemicalised world of inorganic production and consumption and of the increasingly cruel and exclusionary effects of the laws of the capitalist market. The severance of life from its natural, organic habitat of sentiment and sensibility is not new. Such a course was set by capitalist modernity with absolute determination from its earliest beginnings. Now the process is nearly complete. Assimilated into the logic of advanced capitalism, life now loses all vestiges of human feeling. It is as inauthentic and inert as the lifeless inorganic gadgetry that engulfs it. Such is the horrifying but realistic portrait of life in the Center, a high-rise residential and commercial complex in the heart of a city. The choice of the generic term ‘Center’ as the name of the place in which the cave is discovered and in which part of the action of Saramago’s novel takes place is hardly an arbitrary one ; it captures the commonality of forces characteristic of all high-rise complexes in all urban centres irrespective of their location on the globe. For the same reason, global homogeneity, the city in which the Center is located remains nameless.
The protagonist of the novel is not of the Center ; he is from a rural area the Center has not yet directly invaded. He, Cipriano Algor, is a widower who lives with his daughter and son-in-law in the village homestead and carries on the family tradition of pottery making as a means of livelihood. He is assisted by his daughter, Marta – also a potter – in making crockery for the Center. This commercial connection takes Cipriano to the Center regularly. He delivers his crockery and in the process drives his son-in-law, Marçal Gacho, to and from the Center. Marçal is employed as security guard by the Center under conditions that require that he remain on the premises ten successive days, when Cipriano picks him up to drive him back home to Marta for forty hours of freedom.
This is the background of the narrative, which begins as Cipriano drives Marçal, in the early hours of dawn, to the Center – a drive that Saramago seizes upon to paint a grim panorama of the unnatural, grey space through which they pass. The picture is horrifying only because its landscape is an accurate rendering of the assaulted state of contemporary topography. They drive through a so-called Agricultural Belt where “the only landscape the eyes can see on either side of the road, covering many thousands of apparently uninterrupted hectares are vast, rectangular, flat-roofed structures made of neutral-colored plastic which time and dust have gradually turned grey or brown. Beneath them where the eyes of passersby cannot reach, plants are growing” (p. 2). Crawling along in the dense, heavy traffic, they eventually reach the Industrial Belt of “factory buildings of every size, shape, and type, but also fuel tanks, both spherical and cylindrical, electricity substations, networks of pipes, air ducts, suspension bridges, tubes of every thickness, some red, some black, chimneys belching out pillars of toxic fumes into the atmosphere, long-armed cranes, chemical laboratories, oil refineries, fetid, bitter, sickly odors, the strident noise of drilling, the buzz of mechanical saws, the brutal thud of steam hammers and very occasionally, a zone of silence, where no one knows exactly what is being produced” (p. 3). Having passed through the Industrial Belt they reach the shantytown of “chaotic conglomerations of shacks made by their ill-housed inhabitants out of whatever mostly flimsy materials might help to keep out the elements, especially the rain and the cold … [and where] … in the name of the classical axiom which says that necessity knows no law, a truck laden with food is held up and emptied of its contents before you can say knife” (p. 4). Once in the city proper and after navigating the countless winding streets that would make any head spin, they reach the avenue where the Center is located and where Cipriano delivers his cargo and Marçal reports in for guard duty.
The plot begins to unfold at this juncture. Upon arrival at the delivery station and after hours of waiting his turn to unload his cargo, in a long line of truckers with the identical goal, Cipriano Algor is told that the Center will henceforth accept only a half-order of crockery since sales of such earthenware have dropped dramatically. Consumers now prefer plastics, which are cheaper and have the added feature of resisting breakage. He is instructed to take away all unsold crockery in the course of the following two weeks.
It is a devastating blow to Cipriano, since pottery – specifically crockery – is not only his livelihood but an essential part of his identity. He has been a potter all his life, as were his father and grandfather before him, and has drawn satisfaction from the recognition granted him as member of a noble and worthy profession. But times have changed. Indeed, shortly after this first blow, the Center cancels his crockery contract altogether. He feels humiliated and degraded by the indignity of dismissal by an unapologetic, unfeeling world as if he were less than one of the disposable pieces of plastic now replacing him. He feels the injustice of the unilateral ways of this world. From the beginning of his commercial association with the Center the rules of doing business were determined solely by the Center : Algor Pottery is prohibited from selling its crockery outside the Center, while the Center reserves the right to alter the contract at a moment’s notice or cancel it altogether without the slightest compensation.
This is the ethic of power of the contemporary world of globalised capital. Saramago’s fictional account of the injustice is conveyed in a literary form perfectly suited to the content. He juxtaposes characters of opposing values, which are worlds apart in their sense of right and wrong. He brings them face to face – as did the realist novelists of disillusionment of the nineteenth century – to accentuate and amplify the character of each side. The vulnerability and sensitivity of Cipriano is highlighted against the inhumanity of the agent of the Center’s compulsive mercantilism and unsparing bureaucracy. Under the pen of a less talented writer, such black and white opposition would have the jarring effect of exaggeration and simplification. But in Saramago’s masterful writing such opposition paves the way for the self-affirmative power of human dignity and of ethical freedom. Indeed, The Cave is a twenty-first-century Bildungsroman that portrays the infinite power of the human spirit to break through the false chains of enslavement. It is a portrayal of the undying force of freedom not merely to resist imprisonment but to create a truly human course. The novel’s main characters achieve self-understanding and together, as a community, leave oppression and exploitation behind to build a meaningful life elsewhere. Saramago’s characters take the road to freedom, but not before they experience the full extent of the darkness and the void of the world they now inhabit – the very world that they attempt to service creatively and one that, ironically, has no use for any real creativity.
Marta, Cipriano’s daughter, responds resourcefully to the Center’s disinterest in crockery. She proposes shifting away from production of crockery to a new production of figurines as a means of resuscitating Algor Pottery. Over two-thirds of the novel focuses on the new activity of creating figurines. But this narrative is no mere description of a technical process. To be sure, it does portray an activity as much dependent on knowledge of natural matter – its behaviour under varying and specific conditions – as on the will to create form. But more than that, it is a narrative that matches the depth of insight of the most rigorous philosophical treatise on form and matter, on their dialectical relation, on creative synthesis and human freedom. But the poetic language of gentle simplicity is of immeasurable beauty. The following passage is a concise re-statement of Aristotelian metaphysics of form and matter in a poetic language that would delight and charm even Aristotle. It combines the elements of matter – earth, water, fire and – with a Hegelian touch – modernises air and aether in the creativity of the rational idea that the character’s goal brings to fruition : creation of figurines of human likeness in the figures of jester, clown, mandarin, Eskimo, nurse and bearded Assyrian. I shall recite the passage in its entirety.
“It is said that a long time ago a god decided to make man out of the clay from the earth that he had previously created, and then, in order that the man should have breath and life, he blew into his nostrils. The whisper put around by certain stubborn, negative spirits, when they do not dare to say so out loud, is that after this supreme act of creation, the god never again practiced the arts of pottery, a roundabout way of denouncing him, for quite simply having downed tools. Given its evident importance, this is too serious a matter to be treated in simplistic terms, it requires thought, complete impartiality and a great deal of objectivity. It is a historical fact that from that day onward, the work of modeling clay ceased to be the exclusive attribute of the creator and passed to the incipient skills of his creatures, who, needless to say, are not equipped with sufficient life-giving puff. As a result, fire was given responsibility for all the subsidiary operations that can, through color, sheen or even sound, endow whatever emerges from the kilns with a reasonable semblance of life. However, this would be to judge by appearances. Fire can do a great deal, as no one can deny, but it cannot do everything, it has serious limitations and even some great defects, for example, a form of insatiable bulimia which causes it to reduce to ashes everything it finds in its path. Returning, however, to the matter at hand, to the pottery and its workings, we all know that if you put wet clay in the kiln it will have exploded in less time than it takes to say so. Fire lays down one irrevocable condition if we want it to do what we expect of it, the clay must be as dry as possible when it is placed in the kiln. And this is where we humbly return to that business about breathing into nostrils, and here we have to recognise how unjust and imprudent we were to take up as our own the heretical idea that the said god coldly turned his back on his own work. Yes, it is true, that no one ever saw him again, but he left us what was perhaps the best part of himself, the breath, the puff of air, the breeze, the soft wind, the zephyr, the very things that are now gently entering the nostrils of the six clay dolls that Cipriano Algor and his daughter have, with great care, just placed on one of the drying shelves” (pp. 155-56). It is clear from this pivotal passage that the activity of pottery making is a metaphor for the creativity of the human spirit and its organic connection with nature. It stands in stark opposition to the false, inorganic base and unreal processes of a virtual hi-tech world.
A basic principle of a work of art – literary or otherwise – is coherence as unity of form and content. If Rembrandt had chosen an even slightly lighter palette for The Night Watch, or if Murillo had placed his young Beggar’s head at an angle the slightest bit higher or lower, either work could well have retreated into the heap of historical curiosities instead of shining forth timelessly as a magnificent work of art. If Shakespeare had added one more word to Macbeth’s meditation on the meaning of life and of time or had deleted a single phrase from it, or if Pablo Neruda had added one more verse on material poverty to La Pobreza before introducing the theme of the wealth and dignity of the human spirit, neither would be the literary masterpiece it is. The principle of coherence bars the arbitrary, the unintended and the purely accidental from entering a work of art. This principle is not outdated, as postmodernism claims. Coherence is not wholly tied to proportion, symmetry and harmony characteristic of classical art. The dynamic character of form can readily appeal to disproportion and dissonance when its content requires it, as in the work of Samuel Beckett or that of Schoenberg. Meaning is integral to a work of art even when that meaning is the meaning of meaninglessness. Saramago has permitted nothing of the arbitrary to enter The Cave. The choice to produce dolls of human likeness is not arbitrary – as opposed to, say, a variety of dogs or birds or such animals – nor is the choice of types of dolls : Eskimo, bearded Assyrian, nurse, mandarin, jester and clown.
Cipriano and Marta make their selection on the basis of relative facility of production, but Saramago’s reasons go far deeper. Each one – bearded Assyrian, mandarin, Eskimo, clown, jester, nurse – resonates with the novel’s themes of transcendence of the falsehood of illusion, of organic unity, of spiritual and natural continuity. The bearded Assyrian represents a culture of literary creativity recorded on clay tablets in a unity of the spiritual and the natural ; the mandarin, a culture of poetry, literature and a philosophy whose basic tenet is the singularity of vital breath uniting all forms of life ; the Eskimo, a culture of unity between spirit and nature ; the clown, a transcendence of social conventions and taboos by mockingly showing their absurdity ; the jester, the defiant and transparent human wit whose freedom and frankness strikes down any illusion ; the nurse, the universal culture of nurturing and caring. These authentic and grounded figures of humanity stand in stark opposition to the modern banker, the marketing consultant, the Internet service provider. Indeed, the chosen figures – the nurse, the Eskimo, the clown, the jester, the bearded Assyrian, the mandarin – are hardly selected at random. Nor is anything arbitrary about Saramago’s constant rotation of the order in which the figurines appear in each successive reference. Rearranging is an effective device for counteracting the hierarchy of ordering – even ‘neutral’ alphabetical ordering freezes into hierarchy – and affirming the dignity of equality.
The writing style of The Cave is perfectly suited to its content. It is a paratactical, horizontal style of minimal punctuation. Saramago dispenses with a number of traditional stylistic conventions, including quotation marks for direct speech of characters, line change for change of speaker, the semi-colon for parallel phrases, the colon for ordering, the dash for subordinate phrases. The period is used sparingly but the comma extensively. It is a style that resonates with the themes of unity of spirit and nature, of organic community, of free flow of vital energy. The comma between the speech of one character and the next provides the airy space through which energy flows from one speaker to the other, eliminating the divisive distance created by the finality of the static period. The very shape and figure of the comma evokes the image of a flowing stream, or gentle breeze, which connects rather than divides. The shift in dialogue between distinct speakers is indicated only by a capitalised first word of the new speaker, securing his or her identity while eliminating any possible jarring effect of confusion. Saramago’s writing style re-creates the purity of ancient tablet writing – both stone and clay – free of punctuation and flowing in continuous horizontal line after line.
This stylistic aspect of Saramago’s distinct paratactical writing facilitates the flow of thought from one character to the other, from one subjectivity to the other. It affords a momentary pause in the interior world of feelings, yearnings, wishes, so intimate to the character and yet so universal. When Saramago takes the reader into the inner world of Cipriano or of Marta, he is taking her into a human world of sensitivity, of vulnerability, of unassuming nobility. He also takes her into the inner world of Found, the stray dog – a world of feelings of dependence and of quiet but loving acknowledgement of the acceptance that Cipriano and Marta spontaneously have granted him. Found happened to take refuge in the Algor outdoor kennel on a cold and rainy night and has quickly become a beloved and loving member of the family. He is portrayed as a distinct personality with feelings and independent judgements, whose relationship to Cipriano and Marta echoes Saramago’s philosophical themes of the singularity of life’s vital force and of the goodness of organic togetherness.
The authentic qualities and human sensibilities of the two principal characters, Cipriano and Marta, are portrayed in one of the most truly human relationships between father and daughter in the literary repertoire. Saramago bases the relationship on the principles of respectful caring and nurturing. Father and daughter have the virtues of sensitivity to the other’s feelings and of self-restraint from intruding into the other’s emotional world when it is felt unwanted. This is no traditional relation of paternal authority and filial piety. Marta and Cipriano are, above all, friends. They honour and respect each other. Their deep mutual affection has no need for ostentatious expression of sentiment. They know and feel the place they occupy in each other’s heart.
Saramago adds a tale of sentimentality to Cipriano’s life in a way that rounds out this central character, highlighting his sensibility and all-too-human vulnerability. A widower in his mid-sixties, he habitually visits the grave of his beloved late wife. On one of these visits he meets a younger widow, Isaura Estudiosa, at the cemetery when she, too, is visiting her late spouse’s grave. Being of the same village, they have a passing acquaintance with one another and indeed, their respective visits to the cemetery have, on occasion, coincided. But this time, after a brief conversation about Isaura’s Algor Pottery water jug whose handle had broken off and Cipriano’s promise to provide a new jug, Cipriano begins to feel a strong attraction to Isaura, which he is hardly prepared to acknowledge even to himself. Such feelings may be natural and appropriate for a younger man but, in his mind, not for someone of his sixty-four years. His struggle with age-appropriate feelings leads to his misinterpreting Marta’s motivation for keeping from him news of an important development in her life. As they discuss various aspects of the production of the figurines – a matter totally unrelated to Isaura or to Cipriano’s feelings for her – Marta inadvertently confesses that she, Marta, is pregnant and that she has known of the pregnancy for three days but, for the time being, decided against announcing the news to her father. He thinks she wanted to spare him the embarrassment of a soon-to-be grandfather who dares have amorous feelings at this late stage in his life, whereas she merely wanted to avoid adding to his worries in the present circumstances of economic insecurity.
In a passage that is arguably the most poignant of the entire novel, Saramago probes the meaning of the universal subjective relation of the self to the object of its labour – that identity relation in which the self invests itself in the process and finality of labour. It is the passage of the disposal of the crockery now rejected by the Center : the countless plates, cups, saucers, mugs, teapots, casseroles, serving platters. It is one in which Saramago’s poetic genius shines to its fullest as much by what is said as by what is not said. Saramago has no need to spell out to the reader that the crockery represents – for Cipriano – hours and hours of toil and effort, of fatigue, of painful limbs and joints, of the occasional momentary relief and ultimately of satisfaction with the finished product. Saramago has no need to tell the reader that Cipriano could never bring himself to break them into pieces and toss them out as garbage. The reader knows that breaking them would be like breaking his own limbs or a part of his soul. A description of where and how Cipriano selects to stow them suffices.
In the countryside at the foot of a cliff by the river there is a cave that Cipriano has known since his childhood. He parks his van loaded with crockery at the top of the cliff and carries armful after armful of plates and platters, of cups and saucers, of teapots and casseroles, down the cliff tirelessly, round after round. He places them on the cave floor in neat piles side by side, like upon like, with such care that not a single plate or cup is broken nor “a single teapot … deprived of its spout. The regular lines of the piled-up pottery fill one chosen corner of the hollow, they encircle the trunks of the trees, snake about among the low vegetation as if it had been written in some great book that they should remain like that until the end of time and until the unlikely resurrection of their remains” (p. 139). And when he has so stowed them, he places twigs, branches and leaves in the entrance to camouflage the opening and so to shelter and protect his creations lying inside. How different the atmosphere of the interior of this cave, Cipriano’s cave, from that of the Center’s newly discovered cave with its human corpses chained to a bench.
The plot has the two potters, Cipriano and Marta, proceeding with boundless energy and enthusiasm to prepare a business report for the Center’s consideration. They hold on to the hope for a bright future of figurine production. In three days’ time, Cipriano would be returning to the Center to drive Marçal back home and he could submit the proposal at that time. They work intensely and tirelessly discussing, reading, selecting, sketching, experimenting, modelling and remodelling, moulding and remoulding, painting and repainting. This is a wholly new area of activity for the Algors, requiring extensive research and much experimentation to develop new ways and techniques for creating new shapes and forms with familiar and unfamiliar material. Moments of exasperation when the clay does not comply with expectation are interspersed with moments of elation when perfection and beauty emerge from the creative impulse.
They spontaneously settle into a harmonious division of labour, with Marta sketching, designing and painting and Cipriano kneading, shaping and forming the clay and bringing the dolls to a sculpted life. An organic community is at work, consisting not only of Marta and Cipriano and their ancestors similarly engaged in the activity of making pottery, but of the natural clay itself as it responds to the gentle prodding of Cipriano’s expert hands and purposeful will. Form and matter are perfectly attuned to one another as they engage in the partnership of achieving a common goal. As Cipriano kneads and moulds the clay, the clay softens and swells ; as he imparts the form of distinct figurine to each respective piece of clay, the clay – with the heat of the kiln – becomes a beautiful and distinct work of art. Even Found shares the happy excitement of the creative activity.
There are as many brilliant flashes of wit and poetic beauty in Saramago’s account of figurine production as there are sparkles of light in a fast-flowing river on a sunny afternoon. At times in the voice of the protagonist, at times in the auctorial voice – clearly the voice of José Saramago the person, not just the author – universal themes of life are brought under new light. He speculates with astounding clarity and immeasurable depth on such age-old questions as the origin and meaning of life, the sense of time, the creative force of language, the sense or non-sense of conventional wisdom. With incomparable poetic gusto, Saramago reassesses expressions of common language showing them to be sorely wanting in good, common sense. “Authoritarian, paralyzing, circular, occasionally elliptical stock phrases, also jocularly referred to as nuggets of wisdom, are a malignant plague, one of the very worst ever to ravage the earth. We say to the confused, Know thyself, as if knowing yourself was not the fifth and most difficult of human arithmetic operations, we say to the apathetic, Where there’s a will, there’s a way, as if the brute realities of the world did not amuse themselves each day by turning that phrase on its head, we say to the indecisive, Begin at the beginning, as if beginning were the clearly visible point of a loosely wound thread and all we had to do was to keep pulling until we reach the other end, and as if between the former and the latter, we had held in our hands a smooth, continuous thread with no knots to untie, no snarls to untangle, a complete impossibility in the life of a skein, or indeed, if we may be permitted one more stock phrase, in the skein of life” (p. 56).
Cipriano’s and Marta’s efforts to produce the figurines initially bear fruit. The head of the Center’s buying department orders twelve hundred figurines – two hundred of each of the six different dolls presented in the business proposal:jk nurse, jester, clown, bearded Assyrian, mandarin and Eskimo. When three hundred figurines have been completed, Cipriano prepares their delivery, wrapping each doll carefully one by one. He is pleased with the excellence of their quality. He and Marta have inspected each one individually to assure that not even the slightest imperfection remains in any one of them.
But a cruel reception awaits Cipriano at the Center. He is informed – contrary to the original understanding – that the three hundred figurines will serve as samples in a marketing survey designed to assess the market prospects for such a product and the result will determine whether the remaining nine hundred dolls are to be produced or whether production is to cease completely. The result will indicate whether Algor Pottery is to continue servicing the Center or whether all commercial ties are to be severed definitively. The Center’s agent has not the slightest inkling that these unilateral mid-way changes to the original agreement are profoundly unjust. To him, they are the ethic of business, pure and simple. He is not at all aware he is dealing a crushing blow to Cipriano by taking away the guarantee of what was formerly called one’s ‘word of honour’ to respect agreements. To Cipriano – who has long ceased to have any confidence in the Center – the new development is a presentiment of negative survey results. And so it comes to pass. Commerce between Algor Pottery and the Center are brought to an end.
Saramago could not have drawn a sharper contrast between the activity of creation of figurines and the sterility of surveying devices of the market. He could have drawn no better opposition between the authenticity, warmth and serenity of Cipriano’s and Marta’s world and the falseness, callousness and cruelty of the Center. This poetic contrast between the two worlds reveals the frightful truth about the contemporary, unreal, virtual civilization, its aversion to organic creativity and its penchant for humiliation and destruction.
Dispirited and aware of his reduced options for the future, Cipriano agrees to leave the homestead and live in an apartment in the Center with his daughter and son-in-law. Marçal has received his promotion to resident security guard and is now entitled to occupy – along with his family – a very small thirty-fourth-floor apartment. And it is here, at the Center, that asphyxiation and vertigo enter Cipriano’s life. The only alternative to the stifling air and cramped space of his stamp-sized bedroom – first mistaken for the closet – is to enter the dizzying space of commercial, social and hi-tech entertainment of the infinite universe of the Center.
If the sights and sounds of the landscape between the village and the Center are horrific in their realism, the Center’s interior sights and sounds are eerie in the reality of their ‘unrealism’. The accuracy of depiction of the ugliness and devastation of contemporary topography is alarming, as is the unnaturalness and falseness of contemporary hi-tech virtual life. Saramago’s account of the ghastly landscape through which Cipriano drives to arrive at the Center – the Green Belt of plastic-covered, grey constructs, hiding geometrically arranged and genetically modified plants ; the Industrial Belt of black soot and deafening metallic clanging ; the shantytown of human impoverishment ; the city of ever-increasing congestion – is no more than a documentary of the contemporary urban world, as is his account of the virtual space of the Center where reality is replaced by the electronic virtuality of contemporary civilization. Saramago paints the Center’s interior of “new arcades, shops, escalators, meeting points, cafés, and restaurants, many other equally interesting and varied installations, for example, a carousel of horses, a carousel of space rockets, a center for toddlers, a center for the Third Age, a tunnel of love, a suspension bridge, a ghost train, an astrologer’s tent, a betting shop. A rifle range, a golf course, a luxury hospital, another slightly less luxurious hospital, a bowling alley, a billiard hall, a battery of table football games, a giant map, a secret door, another door with a notice on it saying experience natural sensations, rain, wind, and snow on demand, a wall of china, a taj mahal, an egyptian pyramid, a temple of karnak, a real aqueduct, a mafra monastery, a clerics’ tower, a fjord, a summer sky with fluffy clouds, a lake, a real palm tree, the skeleton of a tyrannosaurus, another one apparently alive, himalayas complete with everest, an amazon river complete with Indians, a stone raft, a Corcovado Christ, a Trojan horse, an electric chair, a firing squad, an angel playing a trumpet, a communications satellite, a comet, a galaxy, a large dwarf, a small giant, a list of prodigies so long that not even eighty years of leisure time would be enough to take them all in, even if you had been born in the Center and had never left it for the outside world” (pp. 269-70). Saramago has no need to resort to the device of exaggeration characteristic of satire or of parody to express the ironic tragedy of contemporary capitalist culture. He need only describe this culture, as in the above passage of factual realism. The unreality of this civilization, its virtual decadence speaks for itself, though, ironically, in a self-styled language of progress.
The climax of the novel is a self-transformative moment of epiphany for the main characters, and in this sense the novel sustains a direct connection with the Bildungsroman of the eighteenth century. Shortly after moving to the Center, Cipriano becomes curious about clanging noises emanating from the underground area. He sets out to trace the noise to its source and this takes him to a secret underground excavation site where he comes face to face with excavated human corpses chained to a bench facing a wall. Cipriano does not know that the scene evokes the allegory of Plato’s cave but he intuitively and spontaneously understands the meaning of the scene. He foresees, in the chained corpses, the significance and destiny of this false contemporary civilization. He flees not only the immediate scene of decomposing chained prisoners but life in the Center altogether. Such a moment of epiphany is also experienced by Marçal and Marta, who also take flight from the Center, cutting all ties to it – only days after Cipriano’s hasty departure. They meet in the family homestead and together with the neighbouring widow, Isaura, to whom Cipriano has expressed his love, decide to leave home and the village and to build a new life far away from the prison of the Center and all the insanity that it represents. The moment of epiphany is a moment of awareness of the universal human capacity to escape imprisonment and to achieve freedom, the essential characteristic of the Bildungsroman. The novel ends as Cipriano, Marta, Marçal, Isaura and Found board the van after closing the family house and the kiln, and drive away.
The Cave is a contemporary Bildungsroman of emerging self-consciousness of freedom in the course of experiences of the changing constellation of current historical forces. Self-consciousness is achieved by the protagonist, a man of many human qualities. He comes to understand the meaning of life and the dignity of freedom of action and engagement as a result of his resistance to the powerful and dehumanizing forces with which he is forced to do commerce. These are the forces that the scene of the cave puts into clear focus. At no time did he actually have illusions about the Center. He saw and deplored its power-wielding mode of operation and understood its crippling effect on people’s lives. His strong aversion to the lifestyle it represents has not changed. He combines wisdom and good judgement with sentiment and compassion. He is able to assess the destructive social and environmental effects of capitalist reality and he comes to understand the innate power of reason to resist assimilation to it and to seek a new, truly human course. He understands the self-affirmative essence of freedom to defy integration into a false world. His self-understanding had, from the start, little illusion to overcome. The distance between the pre-cave Cipriano and the Cipriano of true insight and self-understanding is not great. It is otherwise with Marçal, Cipriano’s son-in-law.
Marçal is a secondary character. He is first introduced as a young man from a village adjacent to Cipriano’s who is married to Marta and employed as security guard by the Center. His goal is to live in the Center. He dreams of being promoted to resident security guard and of living permanently in an apartment of the Center’s high-rise building complex with access to all the amenities of modern living and the convenience of working on the same premises. Indeed, Marçal’s wish for career promotion to resident security guard is tied to his dream of residing in the Center.
To the agents of capitalism who are constantly seeking out new profitable ventures, the cave is a windfall. Tourists would be prepared to pay a handsome fee to view the rare scene. Indeed, advertisements for viewing the site have already been posted at the novel’s closing. Marçal relates to Cipriano, Marta and Isaura that when he left the Center just days earlier, he noticed “a poster, one of the really big ones”, fixed to the exterior of the building promoting public viewing of the cave in big, bold letters : “COMING SOON, PUBLIC OPENING OF PLATO’S CAVE, AN EXCLUSIVE ATTRACTION, UNIQUE IN THE WORLD, BUY YOUR TICKET NOW” (p. 307). And so ends the novel ; and so continues the irony of capitalist self-misunderstanding.
Saramago’s prose is as much a philosophical, political and ecological treatise as it is a work of literary art. Humanity, for Saramago, is not destined for imprisonment, however natural, real or seductive imprisonment is made to appear. The strongest shackles are no match for the ingenuity of the human sprit to break away and achieve its essential freedom and dignity. Infinite creativity is its singular attribute. But hope for such humanity is placed not in the integrated centre of the contemporary world of exclusionary capitalism and of digital and virtual culture. It is placed at the periphery. With this claim Saramago joins a long list of eminent critics who put their hope for humanity’s freedom in the marginalised and excluded, in the exploited and victimised. Hope is placed in these human beings not only because they are marginalised and excluded nor only because they feel and know the indignity of injustice and the falsehood of illusion, but also and especially because they have not broken the essential unity of spirit and nature. Theirs is the power to transcend the false and to create the real and the true.
Translated from the Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa, Harcourt Books, London, 2000. Page references are from this publication. | 2019-04-18T23:01:33Z | https://www.raison-publique.fr/article485.html |
Liver metabolism is altered after systemic injuries such as burns and trauma. These changes have been elucidated in rat models of experimental burn injury where the liver was isolated and perfused ex vivo. Because these studies were performed in fasted animals to deplete glycogen stores, thus simplifying quantification of gluconeogenesis, these observations reflect the combined impact of fasting and injury on liver metabolism. Herein we asked whether the metabolic response to experimental burn injury is different in fed vs. fasted animals. Rats were subjected to a cutaneous burn covering 20% of the total body surface area, or to similar procedures without administering the burn, hence a sham-burn. Half of the animals in the burn and sham-burn groups were fasted starting on postburn day 3, and the others allowed to continue ad libitum. On postburn day 4, livers were isolated and perfused for 1 hour in physiological medium supplemented with 10% hematocrit red blood cells. The uptake/release rates of major carbon and nitrogen sources, oxygen, and carbon dioxide were measured during the perfusion and the data fed into a mass balance model to estimate intracellular fluxes. The data show that in fed animals, injury increased glucose output mainly from glycogen breakdown and minimally impacted amino acid metabolism. In fasted animals, injury did not increase glucose output but increased urea production and the uptake of several amino acids, namely glutamine, arginine, glycine, and methionine. Furthermore, sham-burn animals responded to fasting by triggering gluconeogenesis from lactate; however, in burned animals the preferred gluconeogenic substrate was amino acids. Taken together, these results suggest that the fed state prevents the burn-induced increase in hepatic amino acid utilization for gluconeogenesis. The role of glycogen stores and means to increase and/or maintain internal sources of glucose to prevent increased hepatic amino acid utilization warrant further studies.
Copyright: © 2013 Orman et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Funding: The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from National Institutes of Health grant GM082974. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
The liver has many complex physiological functions including detoxification, lipid, protein, and carbohydrate metabolism, as well as bile and urea production. It also plays a major role in the onset and maintenance of aberrant “hypermetabolic” patterns associated with various disease states, such as cutaneous burns, infections and major trauma, which are characterized by an accelerated breakdown of skeletal muscle protein, increased resting energy expenditure, and a negative nitrogen balance , , . There is significant prior work describing the effect of experimental burn injury on liver metabolism in a rat model using the isolated perfused liver approach , , , , , , as well as in rats and rabbits using stable labeling approaches in whole animals , . These studies showed that the hepatic response to burn injury is generally characterized by an up-regulation of glucose, fatty acid and amino acid turnover as well as increased gene expression levels of enzymes involved in the urea cycle, gluconeogenesis, and the metabolism of several amino acids.
A major goal of these studies was to determine the effect of systemic injury on gluconeogenesis; therefore, in order to eliminate the confounding effect of glycogen breakdown to the observed hepatic glucose output, animals were fasted overnight to deplete glycogen stores prior to perfusion analysis, thus simplifying measurement of de novo gluconeogenesis. Furthermore, the data were fitted to a mass balance model to estimate internal fluxes through the hepatic metabolic network where it was assumed that all strictly glycolytic reactions were inhibited thus reducing the number of unknowns as well as eliminating potential futile metabolic cycles that would be difficult to resolve , , , . Clearly, a limitation of these studies is that the metabolic responses to burn injury involve many of the same pathways that are affected by fasting – in fact most of the pathways involved in central carbon and nitrogen metabolism – therefore the reported effect of burn injury could have been altered by the fasting response. Since burn victims are not fasted, and in fact the nutritional regimen is very important to their recovery , , it is important to better understand the effect of fasting and lack thereof on the hepatic response to burn injury. Therefore, the objective of this study is to determine the effect of fasting on the hepatic response to burn injury, and as a corollary, the effect of burn injury on the fasting response of the liver.
For this purpose, we used a standard rat burn injury model and isolated liver perfusion system that we have previously used , . In addition, we used an extended mass balance model to include reactions that are active in a fed state (e.g. glycolysis, lipid synthesis, and glycogen synthesis), thermodynamic constraints to reduce the solution space, and an objective function-based optimization to reach a unique solution . The results show that in fed animals, burn injury increased glucose and urea production but minimally impacted amino acids. On the other hand, in fasted animals, injury did not increase glucose output, further enhanced urea production, and increased amino acid utilization. The data also show that in normal rats, lactate is the main substrate used for fasting-induced gluconeogenesis; however, in burned rats, amino acids are preferentially used.
Male Sprague-Dawley rats (Charles River Labs, Wilmington, MA) weighing between 150 and 200 g were used. The animals were housed in a temperature-controlled environment (25°C) with a 12-hour light-dark cycle and provided water and standard chow ad libitum. All experimental procedures were carried out in accordance with National Research Council guidelines and approved by the Rutgers University Animal Care and Facilities Committee. The rats were first randomized into two groups of equal size. The first group received scald burn injury (described further below) and the second group received a sham burn injury. Three days post injury, food was removed from half of the animals in each group to initiate fasting. One day later (four days post injury), animals underwent isolated liver perfusion (also described further below). Thus, totally four groups were investigated: Sham+Fed (n = 4), Sham+Fasted (n = 3), Burn+Fed (n = 4), Burn+Fasted (n = 4). A total of 15 rats were used in this study.
A full-thickness burn on the dorsal skin corresponding to 20% of the total body surface area (TBSA) was performed as described previously , , and based on earlier studies , . This model was chosen because it has nearly 100% long-term survival, no evidence of systemic hypoperfusion, and no significant effect on the feeding pattern . Briefly, rats were anesthetized by intraperitoneal injection of 80 to 100 mg/kg ketamine +12 to 10 mg/kg xylazine. All hair was removed from the dorsal abdominal area using electric clippers. The animal’s back was immersed in water at 100°C for 10 s to produce a full-thickness scald injury over 20% TBSA. Immediately after burns, the animals were resuscitated with 50 mL/kg of saline injected intraperitoneally. Sham burn controls consisted of animals treated identically but immersed in lukewarm water. Rats were single caged after burn or sham burn and given standard rat chow and water ad libitum. No post-burn analgesics were administered, consistent with other studies since the nerve endings in the skin in full thickness burn model are destroyed and the skin becomes insensate . Furthermore, after the animals woke up, they ate, drank, moved freely about the cage, responded to external stimuli, and did not show clinical signs of pain or distress. Rats were single caged after burn and standard bedding was used. Animals were checked every 12 h for signs of pain or distress (trembling, ruffled fur, hunched posture, inability to ambulate, lethargy or lack of adequate response when attempts are made to pick up the animal) until time of sacrifice (by ex vivo perfusion as described below), which was 4 days postburn. None of the animals studied here exhibited such signs and therefore all animals were sacrificed 4 days postburn as planned. All burn and sham-burn procedures were carried out in the 8 am –10 am time window period to insure that all animals were at the same stage in their circadian cycle , , .
Three days post injury, food was removed from half of the animals in the sham burn and burn groups to initiate fasting. One day later (four days post injury), animals underwent isolated liver perfusion following a modification of Mortimore’s methods , and described in greater detail in a recent publication . Briefly, the perfusion system consisted of a medium reservoir, heat exchanger, oxygenator, bubble trap, and liver perfusion chamber in a closed loop. Perfusate medium recirculation by a peristaltic pump was initiated and maintained to stabilize the system prior to rat liver preparation. The rats were anesthetized with an intraperitoneal injection of ketamine (80 to 100 mg/kg) and xylazine (12 to 10 mg/kg). The abdominal cavity was opened and heparin (1000 U/kg) was injected by transphrenic cardiac puncture, and then the liver was cannulated in situ via the portal vein and immediately perfused with perfusate solution. The hepatic artery and the suprarenal vena cava were ligated, and the liver outflow from the hepatic vein collected through a catheter inserted into the inferior vena cava via the right atrium. After blood was washed out from the liver by flushing with perfusate for 10 minutes, the end of the tube connecting to the outflow catheter was placed into the perfusate reservoir to initiate the recirculating perfusion. Death of the animal (as evidenced by irreversible respiratory arrest) occurred in the first few seconds of perfusion due to exsanguination. The perfusate composition is provided in Table S1, with pH adjusted to 7.4, supplemented with washed bovine red blood cells (RBCs) (Lampire, Pipersville, PA) at 10% hematocrit and oxygenated by passing through 3 m of silicone tubing in contact with a 95% O2/5% CO2 gas mixture . The perfusion pressure was kept below 15cm H2O and the flow rate was set to 3.0 ml/min/g liver. Total initial perfusate volume was 500 ml. The temperature of the heating fluid in the heat exchanger was set to 50°C to account for incomplete heat transfer and heat losses between the heat exchanger and the liver inlet in order to maintain the liver at physiological temperature (37.0±0.5°C), as measured by inserting a thermocouple between the lobes.
Detailed explanations regarding the measurements of metabolite concentrations in the perfusate can be found elsewhere , , . Briefly, the dissolved O2 and total hemoglobin concentrations were immediately measured using a blood gas analyzer (Bayer Rapidlab 855, Diamond Diagnostics, MA). Several metabolites were measured using commercial assay kits (urea and β-hydroxybutyrate: Stanbio Laboratory, Boerne, TX; glucose and glutamine: Sigma Chemical; lactate: Trinity Biotech, Berkeley Heights, NJ). Individual amino acid concentrations in the perfusate samples were quantified by an automated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system which consisted of a Waters 2690 Separations Module and Waters 474 Scanning Fluorescence Detector (Waters Co., Milford, MA) set at an excitation of 250 nm and an emission of 395 nm.
Cell lysis was assessed based on the release of intracellular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) into the perfusate. LDH activity measurements from perfusate samples were carried out using a cytotoxicity detection kit (Roche, Indianapolis, IN). To estimate the number of cells lysed based on measured LDH activity, values were compared to LDH activity measured from a known number of freshly isolated rat hepatocytes. Note that in separate control experiments where perfusions were carried out without livers in the circuit, no significant changes in metabolite levels in the perfusate were noted (data not shown), suggesting that the contribution of RBCs to the metabolite concentration changes observed with the livers were negligible.
Multiple comparisons among the groups were performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s studentized range test. The criterion for statistical significance used was P<0.05.
Table 1. Hepatic Network Model* #.
When two metabolic pathways in opposite directions form a futile cycle, it is assumed that only one of the two directions is active and the other is inactive (in other words the forward and reverse pathways cannot be active at the same time). In general, reciprocal control between the enzymes involved in such pathways exists to minimize the formation of futile cycles, and this constraint was applied using a mixed integer binary formulation as described further below.
Mass balances were performed around 50 intracellular metabolites (full list in Table S4), thus applying the same number of mass balance constraints. Note that cofactors including ATP and NADPH were not balanced because several reactions using these were not quantified. However, NADH was balanced because most of the reactions involved with this metabolite are included in the model , , , , . In addition, we included thermodynamic constraints whereby pathway direction must be thermodynamically feasible and an exergonic reaction can be a “driving-force” for an endergonic reaction if these two reactions are coupled in the same pathway, as described in previous reports , , and also summarized below.
The mathematical formulation used in this study to calculate the intracellular fluxes has been already described in great detail in our previous study . Given the fact that every flux vector v in a metabolic network can be expressed as a linear combination of elementary modes; (where wi is the weight of pathway i; Pji corresponds to the relative flux level of reaction j in pathway i; and np is the total number of pathways), a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) was used to calculate the intracellular fluxes as given in Figure 1. Skj is the stoichiometric coefficient of metabolite k in reaction j; vj is the flux of reaction j; nm and nr are the total number of metabolites, and total number of reactions, respectively. Mass balance constraints and other constraints based on experimental measurements are described by elementary modes with their corresponding weight values as shown in Figure 1. The Gibbs free energy of the pathway i, , is the summation of the Gibbs free energies of reactions involved in that pathway which should be less than or equal to zero. The condition implies that the pathway i can be active (wi≥0) if its Gibbs free energy is less than zero , otherwise it is not active (wi = 0). Using the maximum and minimum values of concentrations of hepatic metabolites , we can identify a range of values for the Gibbs free energy of each pathway, and . Since wi is a positive variable, any wi satisfying the inequality also satisfies and . Thus, the constraint described by which is nonlinear is replaced by that further tightens the solution space. The indices A and B represent any two reactions forming a futile cycle. This constraint describes the reciprocal control between two reactions (such as the reaction of glucokinase and the reaction of glucose-6-phosphatase) forming a futile cycle. It allows the two reactions ( and ) to inhibit each other and prevent the formation of the cycle. y is a binary variable, and β is a very large number which forces y to be 0 (thus vB is zero) if the reaction vA is active. If the reaction vA is zero, then vB can take any value.
Figure 1. Mathematical model utilized to calculate the flux ranges.
See text for detailed explanations.
The minimum and maximum experimental values of measured fluxes used in the model (Figure 1) are listed in Table S3. Intracellular flux ranges were calculated by minimizing or maximizing each intracellular reaction rate shown in Figure 1. This formulation provides the maximum and minimum values that a flux can take: (where corresponds to error, and is the mean value of and ). Comparisons among fluxes of the four groups were performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s studentized range test considering the minimum, maximum and mean values of each flux which were calculated. The criterion for statistical significance was chosen as P<0.05. For the optimization routine, the upper and lower limits of each unknown flux was assumed to be ±500 µmol/g liver/h based on a survey of a large set of prior perfused liver studies in burned rats , , , . The elementary modes were calculated using a MATLAB package, CellNetAnalyzer , and the mixed integer linear programming problem was solved using GAMS/CPLEX.
Determining unique solutions for intracellular fluxes.
Because the above framework leads to an underdetermined system, in order to obtain a single solution for each condition, we applied an optimization criterion which states that the activity of short pathways is maximized , and which is based on a prior analysis of liver perfusion studies showing that short pathways tend to involve many liver-specific pathways which have higher weights . The objective function of this problem was stated as: (1)which forces shorter pathways to take larger weight values. The length (l) of any pathway is equal to the number of reactions involved in that pathway and is calculated using the binary matrix of elementary modes, F, where Fji is equal to 1 if Pji is different than zero, otherwise Fji is zero (Figure 1). The thermodynamic, experimental, and futile cycle-related constraints were also applied as shown in Figure 1. This assumption is consistent with other studies suggesting that the activity of short pathways is relatively high and that these pathways tend to be organism-specific , . Solving this problem involves mixed integer quadratic programming (MIQP), which was done using GAMS/CPLEX.
We investigated the metabolic response of liver to fasting and/or burn systemic injury in rats. Totally, four different animal groups, Sham+Fed, Sham+Fasted, Burn+Fed, Burn+Fasted, were compared. The average uptake and release rates of major metabolites, including glucose, urea, lactate, β-hydroxybutyrate, oxygen, and amino acids were measured from perfused livers isolated 4 days post injury. For fasted groups, fasting was applied 24 h prior to perfusion. The complete set of data is provided in Tables S2 and S3. Below we focus on the most interesting individual metabolite findings and results from system-wide metabolic flux analyses.
Figure 2 shows glucose, lactate, urea and β-hydroxybutyrate production or utilization rates in the four different groups. Following fasting, glucose production rates were significantly decreased in both the burn and sham-burn groups. Interestingly, glucose production increased as a result of burn injury in the fed groups (Burn+Fed vs. Sham+Fed), while no significant effect, and even a trend in the opposite direction (i.e. glucose production decreased as a result of burn injury) was observed in the fasted groups (Burn+Fasted vs. Sham+Fasted). The uptake of lactate, a major substrate for the gluconeogenic pathway, was increased over 5 fold by fasting in the sham groups, but not in the burned groups. As expected, burn injury significantly increased urea production when evaluated in both fed and fasted conditions. Of note is that the magnitude of the increase was less than 2 fold in the fed groups, but more than 3.5 fold in the fasted groups. In addition, fasting reduced urea production in the sham groups but increased it in the burned animals. Beta-hydroxybutyrate production was significantly – albeit slightly – increased by fasting in the sham groups, but not in the burned goups. In addition, beta-hydroxybutyrate production in the Burn+Fed and Burn+Fasted groups was at the same elevated level seen in the Sham+Fasted group.
Figure 2. Average glucose, lactate, urea and β-hydroxybutyrate fluxes in perfused livers.
Bars above and below indicate net production and uptake, respectively. Data shown were obtained from the slope of linear fits of measured perfusate concentrations vs. time normalized to liver mass. Bars labeled with different letters are statistically significantly different (ANOVA, P<0.05; N≥3) from each other. For example, lactate secretion rates in Sham+Fed group (a), Burn+Fed group (a) and Burn+Fasted group (a) are not significantly different from each other, whereas Sham+Fasted (b) is significantly different from the other groups. Data shown are means±SD.
Among the amino acids, the uptake/release rates of glutamine, ornithine, arginine, glycine and methionine showed significant variations among the groups (Figure 3). Glutamate production rates were higher in the burned groups when compared to the Sham+Fed group; however, there was no significant effect of fasting in the sham-burned groups or in the burned groups. Glutamine, arginine, and methionine utilization rates and ornithine production rate were significantly higher in the Burn+Fasted group than the other groups, whereas no significant differences were observed among the other groups.
Figure 3. Average fluxes for the main amino acids in perfused livers.
Bars above and below indicate net production and uptake, respectively. Data shown were obtained from the slope of linear fits of measured perfusate concentrations vs. time normalized to liver mass. Bars labeled with different letters are statistically significantly different (ANOVA, P<0.05; N≥3) from each other. Data shown are means±SD.
Oxygen consumption rates were slightly (about 15–20%) but significantly elevated in response to burn injury when comparing all the burn groups to all the sham groups (Figure 4). Several other metabolites were measured as well, but their rates were not significantly affected by burn and/or fasting; the specific values are provided in Table S2.
Figure 4. Average oxygen utilization rates in perfused livers.
Data shown were obtained from the measured decrease in oxygen tension and hemoglobin saturation between the outlet and inlet of each perfused liver. Bars labeled with different letters are statistically significantly different (ANOVA, P<0.05; N≥3) from each other. Data shown are means±SD.
To assess tissue damage, we monitored the release of intracellular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) during the perfusion (Figure 5). All groups showed an increase in LDH activity as a function of time. By the end of the 1 h perfusion, LDH accumulation was approximately twice in the burn groups compared to the sham groups. These results indicate that prior burn injury results in greater tissue damage during perfusion. Note that based on absorbance values obtained from lysed hepatocytes isolated from normal rat livers, we can estimate the extent of damage to about 10% of the liver mass in the burned groups at 60 min, and 5% in the sham-burned groups. These values were deemed too small to take into account in the flux model.
Figure 5. Accumulation of lactate dehydrogenase activity in perfusate as a function of time during the perfusion.
N≥3 for each group. * indicates significantly higher activity in the burned groups compared to the sham-burned groups (ANOVA, P<0.05). Data shown are means±SD.
The uncertainty of each intracellular flux was determined by calculating the minimum and maximum values that each intracellular flux can take by using experimentally determined extracellular fluxes, thermodynamic and futile cycle constraints (see Materials and Methods and Figure 1). Mean values of fluxes with their ranges are given in Table 1. Bold flux values indicate that mean values of the four different groups were found to be significantly different from each other (using ANOVA, P<0.05).
Consistent with experimental results (Figure 2), the rate of generation of glucose from glucose-6-P (reaction 1) was generally higher in the fed groups compared to the fasted groups, and was highest in the Burn+Fasted group (Table 1). Glucose production from glucose-6-P is dependent upon fluxes through the gluconeogenic reactions (reactions 1–6) as well as glycogen breakdown (reaction 50). However, we cannot ascribe the observed differences to a particular reaction due to the significant overlap in the flux ranges among the groups for the gluconeogenic and glycogenolytic fluxes. The uncertainty at this particular branch point reflects the lack of a direct measurement of glycogen breakdown rate. A different methodology is used further below to uniquely determine the flux distributions.
The influx of lactate and pyruvate into oxaloacetate (reaction 12) was significantly upregulated in the Sham+Fasted group (Table 1). Interestingly, the glycolytic reaction where pyruvate is produced from PEP by pyruvate kinase (reaction 10) was found to be inactive in all groups (Table 1). Consistent with experimental observations summarized in Figures 2 and 3 as well as Table 1, intracellular fluxes related to urea production (reaction 20), amino acid metabolism including alanine (reaction 23), glycine (reactions 26 and 27), glutamine & glutamate (reactions 31–34), histidine (reaction 35) and methionine (reaction 36), as well as β-hydroxybutyrate production (reaction 48), were found to be statistically significantly different among the groups and significantly up-regulated in the Burn+Fasted group.
Unique solutions for intracellular fluxes.
Mass balance analysis alone did not yield a unique solution since the number of experimentally measured parameters was insufficient to fully determine the intracellular fluxes, and for this reason we reported flux ranges in Figure 1. To obtain a unique solution, we implemented an objective function which chooses an optimum point (a single solution) in the steady state flux cone defined by experimentally measured fluxes and thermodynamic constraints . In addition, we used an objective function that maximizes the activity of short pathways . This assumption is consistent with other studies suggesting that the activity of short pathways is relatively high , . The calculated fluxes for all four groups are summarized in Figure 6 (numerical values are given in Table S5). This overall picture shows variations among groups in most aspects of metabolism, except for a few reactions in glycolysis and amino acid metabolism. Fluxes exhibiting significant differences among the groups are described in further detail in Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 shows a detailed picture of fluxes in the glycolytic and gluconeogenic pathways. Applying the model to the experimental data, we found that glycolytic reactions (reactions 8, 9, and 10), glycogenesis (reaction 49), and lipid synthesis (reaction 45) were inactive, thus eliminating all possible futile cycles in the network.
Figure 6. Calculated internal fluxes of perfused livers.
An objective function maximizing the activity of shorter pathways was used to calculate the fluxes.
Figure 7. Detailed flux distribution map in the glycolysis, gluconeogenesis and lipid metabolism pathways.
Note that several reaction pairs (Rxn 1 vs. Rxn 10; Rxn 3 vs. Rxn 9; Rxn 6 vs. Rxn 8; Rxn 49 vs. Rxn 50; and Rxn 44 vs. Rxn 45) form futile cycles. Thick black lines indicate active (or dominant) reactions whereas gray lines represent inactive (i.e. flux = 0) reactions. Dashed lines depict reactions not shown in detail. Positive flux values for reversible reactions which are in the gluconeogenic pathway in the figure indicate that gluconeogenesis is active. Fluxes of irreversible reactions should be equal or greater than zero. Directions of reactions are given in Table 1. Flux units are µmol/g liver/h. A: Sham+Fed group; B: Sham+Fasted group; C: Burn+Fed group; D: Burn+Fasted group.
Figure 8. Detailed flux distribution map in the TCA and urea cycles.
Thick black lines indicate active (or dominant) reactions. Dashed lines depict reactions not shown in detail. Positive flux values of reversible reactions indicate a net oxaloacetate production from citrate (for TCA cycle reactions), arginine and urea production from ornithine and citrulline (for urea cycle), and α-ketoglutarate production from glutamate. Fluxes of irreversible reactions should be equal or greater than zero. Directions of reactions are given in Table 1. Flux units are µmol/g liver/h. A: Sham+Fed group; B: Sham+Fasted group; C: Burn+Fed group; D: Burn+Fasted group.
The rate of generation of glucose from glucose-6-P (reaction 1) was approximately 3 times the rate of generation of glucose-6-P from fructose-6-P (reaction 2) in the fed groups (groups A&C), and the difference was mainly due to the contribution of glycogen breakdown (reaction 50). Fasting decreased the glucose production (reaction 1) flux by 2–3 fold in the sham and burn groups (groups B&D vs. A&C), and this was largely due to a concomitant >10 fold decrease in glycogen breakdown (reaction 50). In the fasted groups, glucose-6-phosphatase (reaction 1) fluxes were approximately 10% less than phosphoglucose isomerase (reaction 2) fluxes due to increased removal of glucose 6-P towards the PPP (reaction 11) in fasted animals compared to fed animals. Fasting slightly increased internal gluconeogenic fluxes (reactions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) in both the burn (group D vs. C) and the sham (group B vs. A) groups, while the burn effect on these fluxes was minimal.
The influx of lactate and pyruvate into oxaloacetate (reactions 7 and 12), a well-known gluconeogenic route, were upregulated by fasting in the sham groups (group B vs. A) while the opposite was observed in the burn groups (group D vs. C). These findings parallel the fasting-induced changes in lactate uptake previously shown in Figure 2. In the sham groups, fasting increased the flux from oxaloacetate to PEP (reaction 6) as well as the supply of oxaloacetate from pyruvate (reaction 7); in the burn groups, fasting also increased the flux from oxaloacetate to PEP (reaction 6) but decreased the supply of oxaloacetate from pyruvate (reaction 7); therefore, to maintain steady state, the supply of oxaloacetate must have come from other sources, and more specifically from the TCA cycle, as described further below.
Fatty acid oxidation (reaction 44) was found to be active by the model in all groups while the opposing fatty acid synthesis (reaction 45) was found to be inactive. Fatty acid oxidation was generally higher in the fed groups (groups A and C) than the fasted groups (groups B and D). In addition, burn injury increased fatty oxidation flux minimally in the fed groups (groups A vs. C) and more significantly in the fasted groups (groups B vs. D).
Figure 8 provides a detailed picture of the flux changes around the TCA and urea cycles. α-ketoglutarate generation from oxaloacetate (reactions 14 and 15) was increased in the Sham+Fasted group (group B) compared to other groups. Oxaloacetate production from α-ketoglutarate represented by reactions 16–19 fluxes was higher in both fasted groups (groups B and D) compared to the fed groups (groups A and C). Comparing α-ketoglutarate generation from citrate (reaction 15) and succinyl-CoA production from α-ketoglutarate (reaction 16) show little difference with the notable exception of the Burn+Fasted group (group D), where there is a significant jump in flux 16 relative to flux 15 (the ratios of flux 16 to flux 15 are 1.07, 0.98, 1.06, and 2.24 in groups A, B, C, and D, respectively) due to the increased contribution of glutamate and glutamine to α-ketoglutarate production (reactions 31 and 32) in that group. Taken together, these data show that in the sham groups, fasting increased TCA cycle (reactions 14–19) fluxes, which likely reflects the increased flux of pyruvate to oxaloacetate as a result of increased lactate uptake rate (reaction 12 in Figure 7) in the Sham+Fasted (group B) vs. the Sham+Fed (group A) groups. Conversely, in the burn groups, fasting increased oxaloacetate production from α-ketoglutarate (TCA cycle reactions 16–19), but not α-ketoglutarate generation from oxaloacetate (TCA cycle reactions 14–15), because in this case the additional carbon was supplied via the anaplerotic route represented where α-ketoglutarate was produced from glutamine and glutamate (reactions 31 and 32) in the Burn+Fasted group (group D). The rate of urea production from arginine (reaction 20), was also higher in the Burn+Fasted group (group D), consistent with the measured increase in urea output (Figure 3). Electron chain reactions (reactions 51 and 52 in Figure 6) were increased in the burn groups (groups C and D), which correlates with the increased TCA fluxes in Burn+Fasted group and increased fatty acid oxidation (reactions 46 and 47 in Figure 6) in the Burn+Fed group. In spite of the increased TCA fluxes in the Sham+Fasted (group B) group, the electron chain reactions were not elevated compared to the other groups, which might be the result of decreased fatty acid oxidation in that particular group.
Since a weight for each pathway was assigned while solving the optimization problem, this can be used to quantitatively determine the contribution of major substrates to glucose production as shown in Figure 9. In the Sham+Fed and Burn+Fed groups (groups A and C), glycogen breakdown contributed the largest amounts (59.14 µmol/g liver/h and 100.2 µmol/g liver/h, respectively), to glucose production. The next major contributor to glucose production was lactate (30.29 µmol/g liver/h and 34.19 µmol/g liver/h, respectively), while other sources – and in particular amino acids - were very small. In the fasted groups (groups B and D), glycogen contributions became very small as would be expected since the fasting protocol would be expected to deplete glycogen stores by the time livers are examined by perfusion , , . In the Sham+Fasted group (group B), 57.44 µmol/g liver/h lactate (∼65% of total lactate uptake) were utilized for glucose production, and this value decreased to 17.49 µmol/g liver/h in the Burn+Fasted group (group D). Conversely, the usage of glutamine substrate for glucose production increased from 7.61 µmol/g liver/h glutamine in the Sham+Fasted group (group B), to 20.0 µmol/g liver/h glutamine (∼50% of total glutamine uptake) in the Burn+Fasted group (group D). The other major carbon source included arginine, which had no contribution in the sham groups (groups A and B), but some contribution in the burn groups (groups C and D). In the Burn+Fasted group (group D), 6.64 µmol/g liver/h arginine (∼20% of total arginine uptake) contributed to glucose production.
Figure 9. Detailed flux map showing elementary mode pathways for major potential gluconeogenic substrates.
Flux values are expressed in terms of µmol/g liver/h. For example, in the Sham+Fasted group, 57.44 µmol/g liver/h lactate were utilized to produce glucose. A: Sham+Fed group; B: Sham+Fasted group; C: Burn+Fed group; D: Burn+Fasted group.
The objective of this study was to determine the effect of fasting on the hepatic response to burn injury in a rat model. Flux analysis determined that gluconeogenesis, glycogenolysis and fatty acid oxidation were active in all conditions, while the reverse pathways glycolysis, glycogen synthesis, and fatty acid synthesis were inhibited, even in the fed animals. While burn injury upregulated urea cycle fluxes in both fed and fasted groups, the impact on amino acid utilization was minimal in the fed group, but dramatic in the fasted group, with a significant increase in glycine, glutamine, arginine, and methionine uptake, with concomitant increase in ornithine release. The data also show the effect of burn injury on the fasting response of the liver, which was clearly different in sham-burned vs. burned animals. Overall, the main substrate for fasting-induced gluconeogenesis switched from lactate in sham-burned animals to amino acids (and more specifically glutamine and arginine) in burned animals. Taken together, these results suggest that the fed state prevents the burn-induced increase in hepatic amino acid utilization for gluconeogenesis. A major difference between fed and fasted states is the presence of glycogen stores in the former case and lack thereof in the latter. Thus, strategies that increase and/or maintain internal sources of glucose should be investigated to see if they can prevent increased hepatic amino acid utilization after burn injury.
The external fluxes which are experimentally determined correspond to the rates of metabolites that are secreted or taken up by the liver. How these rates are related to each other is a function of the internal metabolic network (which we represented by a stoichiometric model), which can reveal several contributions to a particular product. For example, urea and glutamate production (experimentally determined) were higher in the Burn+Fed group compared to the Sham+Fed group while glutamine, ornithine, and arginine fluxes were the same (Figures 2 and 3). Our model maximizing the activity of short pathways determined that production of glutamate from various amino acids such as glutamine, ornithine, proline and histidine (reactions 32–35) was higher in the Burn+Fed group compared to the Sham+Fed group (Table S5). Similarly, intracellular production of aspartate from oxaloacetate was higher in the Burn+Fed group compared to the Sham+Fed group (reaction 38, Table S5). Aspartate together with ammonium is one of the major sources for the arginine and urea production.
Several prior studies have reported on the response of isolated perfused livers (albeit in the absence of oxygen carriers) to a systemic burn injury similar to that applied in the current study evaluated under fasted conditions , , , . The experimental data for fasted animals herein are largely consistent with those studies. Notably, oxygen and glutamine uptake, as well as urea production increased while net glucose output did not change. In a prior study where metabolites fluxes were measured in vivo in rats subjected to 20% and 40% TBSA burns , many of the changes mentioned above were seen in the larger burn group (40% TBSA) but not in the smaller burn (20% TBSA), even though the latter is a more similar injury model to that used herein. Possible explanations for the discrepancies include the fact that the perfused livers were not exposed to circulating factors (e.g. insulin, glucagon and other hormones) as well as substrate concentrations changes that occur in vivo. Therefore, further studies to examine the effect of these relevant stimuli are warranted. When considering the data obtained from fed animals, it is somewhat surprising that those animals did not show increased amino acid utilization after burns, when considering clinical evidence from burn patients, who are maintained in a fed state, suggesting the contrary. It is noteworthy that this study was limited to comparing “fasted” to “fed” using a particular feeding approach. It is possible that not all fed states are equal as the feeding strategy is likely to be important. The impact of feeding on the burn response could be further studied by using a diet that is more similar to the current parenteral feeding strategies that are used on patients.
The underlying mechanism for the increased reliance on amino acids for gluconeogenesis in the burned condition is unknown. The normal (i.e. in the absence of injury) response to fasting involves the breakdown of liver and skeletal muscle glycogen stores to release glucose into the circulation, as well as the use of lactate from the Cori cycle, in which case the utilization of other carbon sources is very limited . On the other hand, the typical response to severe burn injury involves skeletal muscle protein breakdown and increased hepatic usage of liberated amino acids . An analysis of hepatic fluxes measured in vivo in fasted burned rats concluded that livers extract amino acids more avidly than sham controls . Consistent with these notions, it appears that the liver is actively switching from lactate to amino acids as substrate for fasting-induced gluconeogenesis. Among the amino acids found to be significantly affected in this study are glutamine and arginine, both of which have been reported to be either beneficial or “conditionally essential” after burn injury , , . This is also consistent with prior findings of burn injury-induced increases in the expression of amino acid transporters for glutamine and arginine in the liver , , . Glycine and methionine were also upregulated, and therefore may be potential candidates to further examine as nutritional supplements. Various nutritional options could be tested on animals using the procedures as described herein, where the liver metabolic responses from animals given different feeds (in terms of composition, dose, timing, and route of administration) could be compared.
In summary, we analyzed the effect of burn injury on the metabolism of livers isolated 4 days after burn injury in both fed and fasted animals. In fed animals, injury increased glucose output mainly from glycogen breakdown and minimally impacted amino acid metabolism. In fasted animals, injury did not increase glucose output but increased urea production and the uptake of several amino acids, namely glutamine, arginine, glycine, and methionine. Furthermore, sham-burn animals responded to fasting by triggering gluconeogenesis from lactate; however, in burned animals the preferred gluconeogenic substrate was amino acids. Taken together, these results suggest that the fed state prevents the burn-induced increase in hepatic amino acid utilization for gluconeogenesis. The possible role of glycogen stores and means to increase and/or maintain internal sources of glucose to prevent increased hepatic amino acid utilization warrant further study.
Substrate levels in fresh perfusate.
Measured release rates of extracellular metabolites.
The maximum and minimum values of measured extracellular fluxes used in metabolic model.
Metabolites subject to mass balances.
Calculated internal fluxes based on the assumption that short pathways tend to gain higher weight values.
The authors would like to thank Aina Andrianarijaona for providing freshly isolated hepatocytes to benchmark LDH activities of perfused livers.
Conceived and designed the experiments: MAO MGI IPA FB. Performed the experiments: MAO. Analyzed the data: MAO MGI IPA FB. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: MGI IPA FB. Wrote the paper: MAO MGI IPA FB.
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36. Biolo G, Toigo G, Ciocchi B, Situlin R, Iscra F, et al. (1997) Metabolic response to injury and sepsis: changes in protein metabolism. Nutrition 13: 52–57.
37. Wilmore DW (2001) The effect of glutamine supplementation in patients following elective surgery and accidental injury. J Nutr 131: 2543S–2549S; discussion 2550S–2541S.
38. Yu YM, Ryan CM, Castillo L, Lu XM, Beaumier L, et al. (2001) Arginine and ornithine kinetics in severely burned patients: increased rate of arginine disposal. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 280: E509–517.
39. Vemula M, Berthiaume F, Jayaraman A, Yarmush ML (2004) Expression profiling analysis of the metabolic and inflammatory changes following burn injury in rats. Physiological Genomics 18: 87–98.
40. Lohmann R, Souba WW, Bode BP (1999) Rat liver endothelial cell glutamine transporter and glutaminase expression contrast with parenchymal cells. Am J Physiol 276: G743–G750.
Is the Subject Area "Glutamine" applicable to this article? | 2019-04-21T13:31:41Z | https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0054825 |
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Second, we'll be editing Live Photos.
And third, we'll be talking about how to extend Core Image in a new way using CIImageProcessor nodes.
So first, so a very brief introduction to Core Image.
The reason for Core Image is that it provides a very simple, high-performance API to apply filters to images.
The basic idea is you start with an input image that may come from a JPEG or a file or memory, and you can choose to apply a filter to it and the result is an output image, and it's very, very easy to do this in your code.
All you do is you take your image, call applyingFilter, and specify the name of the filter and any parameters that are appropriate for that filter.
And, of course, you can do much more complex things.
You can chain together multiple filters in either sequences or graphs and get very complex effects.
One of the great features of Core Image is it provides automatic color management, and this is very important these days.
We now have a variety of devices that support wide gamut input and wide gamut output.
And what Core Image will do is it will automatically insert the appropriate nodes into the render graph so that it will match your input image to the Core Image working space, and when it comes time to display, it will match from the working space to the display space.
And this is something you should be very much aware of because wide color images and wide color displays are common now and many open source libraries for doing image processing don't handle this automatically.
So this is a great feature of Core Image because it takes care of all that for you in a very easy to use way.
Another thing to be aware of is that each filter actually has a little bit of code associated with it, a small subroutine called a kernel.
And all of our built-in filters have these kernels and one of the great features is if you chain together a sequence of filters, Core Image will automatically concatenate these subroutines into a single program.
The idea behind this is to improve performance by reducing the and quality, by reducing the number of intermediate buffers.
Core Image has over 180 built-in filters.
They are the exact same filters on all of our platforms; macOS, tvOS and iOS.
We have a few new ones this year which I'd like to talk about.
One is a new filter for generating hue saturation and value gradient.
It creates a gradient in hue and saturation, and then you can specify, as a parameter, the brightness of the image and also specify the color space that the wheel is in.
And as you might guess, this filter is now used on macOS as the basis of the color picker, which is now aware of the different types of display color spaces.
Another new filter we have is CINinePartStretched and NinePartTiled.
This filter is very easy to use.
You provide an input image and you provide four breakpoints, two horizontal and two vertical.
Once you've specified those points, you can specify the size you want it to stretch to.
The third new filter is something that's also quite interesting.
The idea is to start with a small input image.
In this case it's an image containing color data, but it can also contain parametric data.
So imagine you have a small set of colors or parameters and maybe it's only 6 by 7 pixels and you want to upsample that to the full size of an image.
The idea is to upsample the color image, the small color image, but respect the edges in the guide image.
Now, if you weren't to respect the guide images, if you were just to stretch the small image up to the same size as the full image, you'd just get a blend of colors, but with this filter you can get more.
You can actually get something that preserves the edges while also respecting the colors.
And this is actually a useful feature for a lot of other types of algorithms.
In fact, in the new version of Photos app we use this to improve the behavior of the light adjustment sliders.
I look forward to seeing how you can use that in your application.
We also have some new performance controls this year and do things that improve performance in Core Image this year.
One is we have Metal turned on by default.
So if you use any of our built-in 180 filters or your own custom kernels, all of those kernels will be converted to Metal on the fly for you.
It's a great way of leveraging the power of Metal with very little effort on your part.
We've also made some great improvements to a critical API, which is creating a UIImage from a CIImage, and this now produces much better performance than it has in the past.
So you can actually use this very efficiently to animate an image in a UIImage view.
Also another new feature is that Core Image now supports a feature that's new to Core Graphics, which is that Core Graphics supports half-floats.
Let me just talk for a second about pixel formats because this brings up an interesting point.
We're all familiar with the conventional pixel format of RGBA8 and it takes just 4 bytes per pixel to store and has 8 bits of depth, and can encode values in the range of 0 to 1.
However, this format is not great for representing wide-colored data because it only has 8 bits and it's limited to the values in the range 0 to 1.
So in the past the alternative has been to use RGBAfloat, which takes 16 bytes per pixel, so four times as much memory, but gives you all the depth and range you could ever hope for.
Another feature of the fact that it's using floats is that what quantization there is, it's distributed logarithmically, which is a good fit for the way the human eye perceives color.
Well, there's a new format which Core Image has supported and now Core Graphics does as well, which I refer to as the Goldilocks pixel format, which is RGBAh, and this allows you to, in just 8 bytes per pixel, store data that is 10 bits of depth and allows values in the range of minus 65,000 to positive 65,000.
And again, those values are quantized logarithmically, so it's great to store linear data in a way that won't be perceived as quantized.
So I highly recommend this pixel format.
So now I'd like to actually talk about the next major subject of our discussion today, which is adjusting RAW images with Core Image, and I'm really excited to talk about this today.
It's been a lot of hard work and I'm really excited about the fact that we've brought this to iOS.
In talking about this, I'd like to discuss what is a RAW file, how to use the CIRAWFilter API, some notes on supporting wide-gamut output, and also tips for managing memory.
So first, what is a RAW file?
Well, the way most cameras work is that they have two key parts; a color filter array and a sensor array.
And the idea is light from the scene enters from the scene through the color filter array and it's counted by the sensor array.
And this data is actually part of a much larger image, of course, but in order to turn this data into a usable image, a lot of image processing is needed in order to produce a pleasing image for the user.
But the main idea here is that if you take the data that was captured by the sensor, that is a RAW file.
If you take the data that was captured after the image processing, that's a TIFF or a JPEG.
RAW files store the unprocessed scene data, and JPEG files store the processed output image.
Another way to think of it is that the RAW file stores the ingredients from which you can make an image; whereas, a JPEG stores the results of the ingredients after they've been baked into a beautiful cake.
Also, we need to decode the RAW data from the sensor.
We need to demosaic the image to reconstruct the full color image from the data that was captured with only one RGB value per pixel location.
We need to apply geometric distortions for lens correction.
Noise reduction, which is a huge piece of the processing.
And then we need to do things like adjust exposure and temperature and tint.
And lastly, but very importantly, add sharpening, contrast and saturation to make an image look pleasing.
That's a lot of stages.
What are some of the advantages of RAW?
Well, one of the great things is that the RAW file contains linear and deep pixel data, which is what enables great editability.
Another feature is that RAW image processing gets better every year.
So with the RAW you have the promise that an image you took yesterday might have better quality when you process it next year.
Also, RAW files are color space agnostic.
Also, a user can choose to use different software to interpret the RAW file.
Just like giving the same ingredient to two different chefs, you can get two different results, and some users might prefer one chef over another.
That said, there are some great advantages to JPEG as well.
First of all, because the processing has been applied, they are fast to load and display.
They contain colors and adjustments that target a specific output, which can be useful.
And that also gives predictable results.
Also, it's worth mentioning that cameras do a great job today of producing JPEG images, and our iOS cameras are an especially good example of that.
So on the subject of RAW, let me talk a little bit about how our platforms support RAW.
So the great news is that now we fully support RAW on iOS and upcoming seed on tvOS as well.
This means we support over 400 unique camera models from 16 different vendors.
And also, we support DNG files such as those captured by our own iOS devices.
The iOS devices include the iPhone 6S, 6S Plus, SE, and also the iPad Pro 9.7.
I recommend you all go back, if you haven't already, and watch the Advances in iOS Photography, which talks about the new APIs that are available to capture RAW on these devices.
Another great thing is that we now have the same high performance RAW pipeline on iOS as we do on macOS, and this is actually quite an achievement.
I counted the other day and looked at our pipeline and it involves over 4,500 lines of CIKernel code and this all works very efficiently and it's a great testament to our ability and the abilities of Core Image to be able to handle complex rendering situations.
Our pipeline on iOS requires A8 devices or later, and you can test for this in your application by looking for the iOS GPU Family 2.
Another note on platform support.
New cameras are added in future software updates.
And also, we improve our pipeline periodically as well.
And our pipelines are versions, so you can either use our latest version or go back and use previous versions if you desire.
So without further ado, I want to give a demonstration of how this looks in action.
So what I have here is some sample code.
There's an early version of that that's available for download, and it's called RAWExposed, and this is both an application and this latest version is also a photo editing extension.
So what we can do is we can go into Photos and actually use this sample code.
We have three RAW images here that are 24 megapixels each that were taken with a Canon 5D Mark III.
So now, since we're editing this as a RAW file, we can actually make adjustments [inaudible].
We can adjust the exposure up and down.
You can see we can pan across all the 24 megapixels and we get great results.
Once I'm happy with the image, this looks much better than it did before, I can hit Done and it will generate a new full resolution image of that, and now it is actually available to see in the Photos application.
One of the other things that's great in RAW files is that you can make great adjustments on white balance in an image.
Again, on this image the image is fine, but it may be a little crooked, but also the white balance is off.
So I'm going to go in here and adjust the white balance just a little bit and I can make a much more pleasant image.
And again, we can zoom in and see the results.
And we can adjust these results live.
So we hit Done and save that.
Another image I want to show is this image here, which is actually a very noisy image.
I want to show you a little bit about our noise reduction algorithms.
Over half of our 4,500 lines of kernel code relate to noise reduction.
So if I go in here and edit this one, you can see that there's some hopefully at least in the front rows, you can see the grain that's in this image.
One of the features we expose in our API is the ability to turn off our noise reduction algorithm, and then you can actually see the colorful nature of the noise that's actually present in the RAW file.
And it's this very challenging task of doing the noise reduction to make an image that doesn't have those colorful speckles but still preserves nice color edges that are intended in the image.
So I'll save that as well.
Lastly, I want to demonstrate an image we took earlier this week out in the lobby, which was taken with this iPad.
Yes, I was one of those people taking a picture with an iPad.
And here I want to show you, you know, this is an image that's challenging in its own way because it's got some areas that are dark and some areas that are overexposed.
One thing I could do here is I could bring down the exposure well, I have a highlight slider which can allow me to bring the highlights in a bit.
I can also bring down the exposure.
And now I can really see what's going on outside the windows.
But now the shadows are too dark, so I can then increase those.
So this gives you an idea of the kind of adjustments you can do on RAW files, and this is the benefit of having deeper precision on your pixel data that you get in a RAW file.
So I'll hit Done on that.
So that's our demo of RAW in iOS.
And a huge thanks to the team for making this possible.
So let me talk about the API, because it's not just enough to provide a demo application.
We want to enable your applications to be able to do this in your apps as well.
So we have an API that's referred to as the CIRAWFilter API, and it gives your application some critical things.
It gives your application a CIImage with wide-gamut, extended range, half-float precision math behind it.
It also provides fast interactive performance using the GPU on all our devices.
The API is actually very simple.
You start with an input, which is either a file URL or data, or even in our next seed we'll have an API that works using CVPixelBuffer.
We're then going to create an instance of a CIRAWFilter from that input.
At the time that filter is instantiated it will have default values for all the user adjustable parameters that you might want to present to your user.
Once you have the CIRAWFilter, you can then ask it for a CIImage, and you can do lots of things from there.
Let me just show you the code and how simple it is just to do this.
All we need to do is give it a URL.
We're going to create an instance of the CIFilter given that URL.
Then, for example, if we want to get the value of the current noise reduction amount, we can just access the value for key kCIInput ImageNoiseReductionAmount.
If we want to alter that, it's equally easy.
We just set a new value for that key.
When we're done making changes, we ask for the outputImage and we're done.
Of course, you might want to display this image, so typically you'll take that image and display it either in a UIImage view or in a MetalKit view or other type of view system.
In this case the user might suggest though that, well, maybe this image is a little underexposed, so in your UI you can have adjustable sliders for exposure and then the user can make that adjustment.
You can then pass that in as a new value to the CIRAWFilter.
Then you can ask for a CIImage from that, and then you can then display that new image with the exposure slightly brighter.
And this is very easy as well.
You also might want to take your CIImage at times, let's say, you want to export your image in the background to produce a full-size image, or you may be exporting several images in the background.
So you might want to, in those cases, either create a CGImage for passing to other APIs, or go directly to a JPEG or a TIFF, and we have some easy to use APIs for that now.
If you're going to be doing background processing of large files like RAWs, we recommend you create a CIContext explicitly for that purpose.
Specifically, you want to specify a context that is saved in a singleton variable, so there's no need to create a new context for every image.
This allows CI to cache the compilation of all the kernels that are involved.
However, because we're going to be rendering an image only once, we don't need Core Image to be able to cache intermediates, so you can specify false there, and that will help reduce the memory requirements in this situation.
Also, there's a setting to say that you want to use a low priority GPU render.
The idea behind this, if you're doing a background save, you don't want the GPU usages required for that background operation to slow down the performance of your foreground UI, either if that's done in Core Image or Core Animation.
So this is great for background processing.
And a great new thing we're announcing this year is that this option is also available on macOS, too.
Once you have your context, then it's very simple.
You get to decide what color space you want to render to.
For example, the DisplayP3 colorSpace.
And then we have a new convenience API for taking a CIImage and writing it to a JPEG.
You specify the CIImage, the destination URL, and the colorSpace.
This is also a good time to specify what compression quality you want for the JPEG.
Now, in this case this will produce an image that is a JPEG that has been tagged with a P3 space, which is a great way of producing a wide-gamut image that will display correctly on any platform that supports ICC-based color management.
So this is a great feature as well.
Another thing is if you want to actually create a CGImage from a CIImage, we have a new API for that as well with some new options.
We have this convenience API which allows you to specify what the colorSpace and the pixel format that you want to render to is.
You may choose, however, now you to create a CGImage that has the format of RGBAh, the Goldilocks pixel format I was talking about earlier.
And in that case you might also choose to use a special color space, which is the extendedLinearSRGB space.
Because the pixel format supports values outside of the range 0 to 1, you want your color space to as well.
Another option that we have that's new is being able to specify whether the act of creating the CGImage does the work in a deferred or immediate fashion.
If you specify deferred, then the work that's involved in rendering the CIImage into a CGImage takes place when the CGImage is drawn.
This is a great way of minimizing memory, especially if you're only going to be drawing part of that CGImage later, or if you're only going to be drawing that CGImage once.
However, if you're going to be rendering that image multiple times, you can specify deferred false, and in that case Core Image will do the work of rendering into the CGImage at the time this function is called.
So this is a great new, flexible API that we have for your applications.
Another advanced feature of this Core Image filter API that I'd like to talk about today is this.
As I mentioned before, there's a long stage of pipeline in processing RAW files, and a lot of people ask me, well, how can I add my own processing to that pipeline.
Well, one common place where developers will want to add processing to the RAW pipeline is somewhere in the middle; after the demosaic has occurred, but before all the nonlinear operations like sharpening and contrast and color boosting has occurred.
So we have an API just for this.
It's a property on the CIRAWFilter which allows you to specify a filter that gets inserted into the middle of our graph.
So I look forward to seeing what you guys can imagine and think of and what can go into this location.
Some notes on wide-gamut output that I mentioned before.
The CIKernel language supports float precision as a language.
However, whenever a CIFilter needs to render to an intermediate buffer, we will use the working format of the current CIContext.
On macOS the default working format is RGBA, our Goldilocks format.
On iOS and tvOS our default format is still BGRA8, which is good for performance, but if you're rendering extended range data, that may not be what you want.
Our RAW pipeline, with this in mind, all of the kernels in our pipeline force the usage of RGBA half-float precision, which is critical for RAW files.
But as you might guess, if you are concerned about wide-gamut input and output and preserving that data throughout a rendered graph, you should modify your CIContext when you create it to specify that you want a working format that is RGBAh.
I should also mention again that Core Image supports a wide variety of wide-gamut output spaces.
For example, you can render to extendedLinearSRGB or Adobe RGB or DisplayP3, whatever format you wish.
Now, as I mentioned before, I was demonstrating a 24-megapixel image.
RAW files can be a lot larger than you might think.
RAW files can be large and they also require several intermediate buffers to render all the stages of the pipeline.
And so it's important that in order to reduce the high water memory mark of your application that you use some of these APIs that I've talked about today, such as turning off caching intermediates in cases where you don't need it, or using the new write JPEG representation of image, which is very efficient, or specifying the deferred rendering when creating a CGImage.
Some notes on limits of RAW files.
On iOS devices with 2 gigabytes of memory or more, we support RAW files up to 120 megapixels.
So we're really proud to be able to pull that off.
And this also holds true for photo editing extensions, which run in a lesser amount of memory.
So that's our discussion of RAW.
Again, I'm super proud to be able to demonstrate this today.
I would like to hand the stage over to Etienne who will be talking about another great new image format and how you can edit those in your application, Live Photos.
I'm really excited to be here today to talk to you about how you can edit Live Photos in your application.
So first, we're going to go over a quick introduction of what are Live Photos, then we see what you can edit, and then we'll go step-by-step into the code and see how you can get a Live Photo for editing, how you can then set up a Live Photo Editing context, how you can apply Core Image filters to your Live Photo, and how you can preview your Live Photo in your application, and finally, how you can save an edited Live Photo back into the Photo Library, and we'll finish with a quick demo.
And Live Photos can be captured on the new devices such as iPhone 6S, 6S Plus, iPhone SE and iPod Pro.
In fact, Live Photo is actually a default capture mode on those devices, so you can expect your users to already have plenty of Live Photos in their Photo Library.
So what's new this year about Live Photos?
So first, users can now fully edit their Live Photos in Photos.
They can apply all the adjustment that they would to a regular photo they can apply to a Live Photo.
Next we have a new API to capture Live Photos in your application and for that, for more information about that, I strongly recommend that you watch this Advances in iOS Photography session that took place earlier this week.
It also includes a lot of information about Live Photos from the capturer point of view.
And finally, we have a new API to edit Live Photos, and that's why I'm here to talk about today.
So what can be edited exactly?
Right. So first, of course, you can edit the content of the photo, but you can also edit all of the video frames as well.
You can also address the audio volume, and you can change the dimensions of the Live Photo.
Things you can't do though is that you can't change the duration or the timing of the Live Photo.
So in order to get a Live Photo for editing, the first thing to do is to actually get a Live Photo out of the Photo Library.
In the case of a photo editing extension you need to start first by opting in to Live Photo editing by adding the LivePhoto string in your array of supported media types for your extension.
And next, in your implementation of startContentEditing, that's called automatically, you can expect the content editing input that you receive and you can check the media type and the media subtypes to make sure that this is a Live Photo.
Okay. On the other hand, if you're building a PhotoKit application, you have to request the contentEditingInput yourself from a PHAsset, and then you can check the media type and media subtypes in the same way.
So the next step would be to set up a LivePhotoEditingContext.
A LivePhotoEditingContext includes all the resources that are needed to edit Live Photos.
You can adjust the audio volume as well.
You can ask the LivePhotoEditingContext to prepare a Live Photo for playback, and you can ask the LivePhotoEditingContext to save and process a Live Photo for saving back to the Photo Library.
Creating a LivePhotoEditingContext is really easy.
All you need to do is institute a new one from a LivePhotoEditingInput for a Live Photo.
So now let's take a look at how to use the frame processor I mentioned earlier.
So the frame of a Live Photo I'll describe by a PHLivePhotoFrame object that contains an input image, which is a CIImage for that frame.
Type, which is whether it's a video frame or a photo frame.
And the time of the frame in the Live Photo, as well as the resolution at which that frame is being rendered.
In order to implement a frame processor you would set the frame processor property on the LivePhotoEditingContext to be a block that takes a frame as parameter and returns an image or an error.
And here we just simply return the input image of the frame, so that's just necessarily a node frame processor.
So now let's take a look at the real case.
This is a Live Photo, as you can see in Photos, and I can play it right there.
And so let's say we want to apply a simple basic adjustment to the Live Photo.
That's start with a simple square crop.
In the implementation of your frame processor you want to start with the input image for the frame.
Then you compute your crop rect.
That's all it takes to actually edit and crop the Live Photo.
I can place side photo, you can see the photo is cropped, but the video is also cropped as I play it.
So that's an example of a very basic static adjustment.
So you can do that, too.
So here let's build up on that crop example and implement the dynamic crop.
So first we need to capture a couple of information about the timing of the Live Photo, such as the exact time of the photo because we want the effect to stay the same and have your crop rect really centered on the Live Photo.
Next we take it so we capture the duration of the Live Photo.
And here's what the result.
So you can see the Live Photo is cropped the same way, the photo is the same, but when I play it, you can see that the crop rect now moves from bottom to top.
So that's an example of a time-based adjustment.
Now let's take a look at something else.
This effect is interesting because it's a resolution-dependent effect.
So here if I play it, you can see that the video the effect is applied to the video the same way it's applied to the photos.
So let's see how to do that correctly.
So in your frame processor you want to pay attention to this renderScale property on the frame.
This will give you the resolution of the current frame compared to the one-to-one full-size still image in the Live Photo.
So keep in mind that the video frames and the photo are different size as well.
Right. Usually the video is way smaller than the photo is.
So you want to make sure to apply that correctly.
In order to do that, you can use the scale here to scale down that width parameter so that at one-to-one on the full-size photo the parameter will be 50, but it will be smaller on the smaller resolution.
I actually use the midpoint of the image and that's granted to also scale [inaudible].
One more edit on that image.
You can notice that I did a logo here that might be familiar, and when I play it, you see that the logo actually disappears from the video.
So this is how you would apply an adjustment just to the photo and not to the video, and here's how to do it.
In your implementation of your frame processor you want to look at the frame type, and here we just check if it's a photo, then we composite the still logo into the image, but not on the video.
So that's as easy as that.
And you may have, you know, some adjustments that are local advertisement or single ad that you don't want to apply or you can't apply to the video, and so that's a good way to do it.
Now that we have an edited Live Photo, let's see how we can preview it in our app.
So in order to preview a Live Photo you want to work with the PHLivePhotoView.
So this view is readily available on iOS and is new this year on macOS.
So in order to preview Live Photo you need to ask the LivePhotoEditingContext to prepare a Live Photo for playback and you pass in the target size, which is typically the size of your view in pixels, and then you get called back asynchronously on the main thread with a rendered Live Photo.
And then all you need to do is set the Live Photo property of the LivePhotoView so that your users can now interact with their Live Photo and get an idea of what the edited Live Photo will look like.
Now, the final set will be to save back to the Photo Library.
And that, again, depends whether you're building a photo editing extension or a PhotoKit application.
In the case of a photo editing extension you will implement finishContentEditing.
And the first step is to create a new contentEditingOutput from that contentEditingInput that you received earlier.
And next you will ask your LivePhotoEditingContext to save the Live Photo to that output.
And again, that will process the full resolution Live Photo asynchronously and call you back on the main thread with success or error.
And in the case everything goes fine, make sure you save also your adjustment data along with your edits and that will allow your users to go back to your app or extension later and continue editing there.
If you're building a PhotoKit application, the steps are really similar.
The only difference really that you have to make your they are from the changes [inaudible] yourself using a PHAssetChangeRequest.
So now I'd like to show you a quick demo.
So I've built a simple demo Live Photo extension that I'd like to show you today.
So here I am in Photos and I can see a couple Live Photos here, can pick to see the contents.
I can swipe and see them animate.
That's the one I want to edit today.
So I can go to edit.
And as I mentioned earlier, I can actually edit the Live Photo right there in Photos.
I'd like to apply this new light slider that David mentioned earlier.
So here in Photos I can just play that.
Right. Of course, I could stop here, but I actually want to apply my sample edits as well.
So I'm going to pick my extension here.
And, yes, we actually apply the same adjustment that we went through for the slides.
And you can see this is really a simple extension, but it shows a LivePhotoView, so I can interact with this and I can actually press to play it, like this, right in my extension.
And the next step is to actually save by hitting Done here.
And this is going to process a full resolution Live Photo and send it back to the Photo Library.
And there it is, right there in Photos.
So that was for the quick demo.
So here's a quick summary of what we've learned so far today.
So we've learned how to get a Live Photo out of the Photo Library and how to use and set up a LivePhotoEditingContext, how to use a frame processor to edit the contents of the Live Photo.
We've seen how to preview a Live Photo in your app using the LivePhotoView.
And we've seen how to save a Live Photo back into the Photo Library.
Now I can't wait to see what you will do with this new API.
Otherwise, you'll get a still image instead of a Live Photo.
And as I said, make sure you always save adjustment data as well so that your users can go back to your app and continue the edit nondestructively.
Finally, I think if you already have an image editing application, adopting Live Photo and adding support for LivePhotoEditing should be really easy with this new API, especially if your app is using Core Image already.
And if not, there's actually a new API in Core Image to let you integrate your own custom processing into Core Image.
And to tell you all about it, I'd like to invite Alex on stage.
So my name is Alexandre Naaman, and today I'm going to talk to you about some new functionality we have inside of Core Image to do additional effects that weren't possible previously, and that's going to be using a new API called CIImageProcessor.
As David mentioned earlier, there's a lot you can do inside of Core Image using our existing built-in 180 filters, and you can extend that even further by writing your own custom kernels.
Now with CIImageProcessor we can do even more, and we can insert a new node inside of our render graph that can do basically anything we want and will fit in perfectly with the existing graph.
So we can write our own custom CPU code or custom Metal code.
So there are some analogies when using CIImageProcessor with writing general kernels.
So in the past you would write a general kernel, specify some string, and then override the output image method on your CIFilter and provide the extent, which is the output image size that you're going to be creating, and an roiCallback, and then finally whatever arguments you need to pass to your kernel.
Instead we refer you to Session 515 from our WWDC talk from 2014.
So if you want to create CIImageProcessors, we strongly suggest you go and look back at that talk because we talked about how to deal with the extent and ROI parameters in great length.
So now let's look at what the API for creating a CIImage Processor looks like, and this may change a little bit in future seeds, but this is what it looks like right now.
So the similarities are there.
We need to provide the extent, which is the output image size we're going to be producing, give it an input image, and the ROI.
There are a bunch of additional parameters we need to provide, however, such as, for example, the description of the node that we'll be creating.
We then need to provide a digest with some sort of hash of all our input parameters.
And this is really important for Core Image because this is how Core Image determines whether or not we can cache the values or not, and whether or not we need to rerender.
So you need to make sure that every time your parameter changes, that you update the hash.
The next thing we can specify is an input format.
In this case here we've used BGRA8, but you can also specify zero, which means you'll get the working format for the context as an input image format.
You can specify the output format as well.
In this case we're using RGBAf because the example that we're going to be going over in more detail needs a lot of precision, so we'll need full flow here.
And then finally we get to our processor block, which is where we have exactly two parameters; our CIImageProcessorInput and CIImageProcessorOutput, and it's inside of here that we can do all the work we need to do.
So let's take a look at how we can do this, and why you would want to do this.
So CIImageProcessor is particularly useful for when you have some algorithm or you want to use a library that implements something outside of Core Image and something that isn't suitable for the CIKernel language.
A really good example of this is what we call an integral image.
And this is a very good example of the kind of thing that can't be done in a data parallel-type shader, which is the kind of shader that you write when you're writing CIKernels.
So let's take a look at what an integral image is in a little bit more detail.
The same goes for this other pixel; 45 corresponds to the sum of all those other pixels above it and to the left, plus itself.
So now let's take a look at what you would do inside of the image processor block if you were writing a CPU code, and you could also use V Image or any number of other libraries that we have on the system.
We're going to get some pointers back to our input data.
So from the CIImageProcessorInput we'll get the base address, and we'll make sure that we use 8-bit data, so UInt8.
And then we'll get our outputPointer, which is where we're going to write all of our results as float, because we specified that we wanted to write to RGBAf.
The next thing we do is we make sure to deal with the relative offsets of our input and output image.
It's highly likely that Core Image will provide you with an input image that is going to be larger, or at least not equivalent to your output image, so you have to take care of whatever offset might be in play when you're creating your output image and doing your four loops.
And in this case, once we have figured out whatever offsets we need, we can then go and execute our four-loop to calculate the output values at location i, j by using the input at location i, j, plus whatever offset we had.
Now that we've seen how to do this with a custom CPU loop, let's take a look at how this can be done using Metal.
In this case we're going to be using Metal Performance Shaders.
And this is how we can use Metal very simply inside of an existing CIFilter graph.
So now let's take a look at what we can actually do with this integral image now that we have it.
So let's say we start with an image like this.
Our goal is going to be to produce a new image where we have a per pixel variable box blur.
So each pixel in that image can have a different amount of blur applied to it, and we can do this really quickly using an integral image.
So, as I was saying, box blurs are very useful for doing very fast box sums.
So if we start right off with this input image and we wanted to get the sum of those nine pixels, traditionally speaking, this would require nine reads, which means it's an n squared problem.
That's obviously not going to be very fast.
If you were a little more smart about it, you could probably do this as a multipass approach and do it in two n reads, but that still means you're looking at six reads, and obviously that doesn't scale very well.
With an integral image, however, we can just if we want to get the sum of those nine pixels, we just have to read at a few locations.
We will read at the lower right corner and then we can read from just one pixel off to the left, the sum of all the values, and subtract that from the first value we just read.
And then we read at a pixel right above where we need to be and subtract the row which corresponds to the sum of all the pixels up to that stage.
But now you can see we've highlighted the upper left corner with a 1 because we've subtracted that value twice, so we need to add it back in.
So what this means is we can create an arbitrarily-sized box blur with just four reads.
So 2 plus 4 plus 6, et cetera, is equal to the exact same thing as 66 minus 10 minus 13 plus 1.
Now let's jump back into Core Image kernel language and see how we can use our integral image that we've computed either with a CPU code or using the Metal Performance Shader primitives and continue doing the work of actually creating the box blur effect.
So the first thing we're going to do is we're going to compute our lower left corner and upper right corner from our image.
Those will tell us where we need to subtract and add from.
We're then going to compute a few additional values and they're going to help us determine what the alpha value should be, so how transparent the pixel that we're currently trying to produce is.
We take our four samples, the four corners, and then finally we do our additions and subtractions and multiply by what we've decided is the appropriate amount of transparency for this output pixel.
Now, this particular kernel takes a single parameter as an input radius, which would mean that if you were to call this on an image, you would get that same radius applied to the entire image, but we can very simply go and create a variable box blur by passing in a mask image, and we can use this mask image to determine how large the radius should be on a per pixel basis.
So we just pass in an additional parameter, mask image.
We take a look at what's in the red channel, say, or it could be from any channel, and we then multiply our radius by that.
So if we had a radius of 15 and at that current pixel location we had .5, it would give us a radius of 7.5.
We can then take those values and pass it into the box blur kernel that we just wrote.
And this is how we can very simply create a variable box blur using Metal Performance Shaders and the CIImageProcessor nodes.
One additional thing we haven't mentioned so far today is that we now have some attributes you can specify on your CIKernels when you write them and, in fact, we have this just one right now, which is the output format.
In this case we're asking for RGBAf, which is not really necessarily useful, but the key thing here is that you can say that you'd like to write only single-channel or two-channel data.
As some people have noticed, this is a great way to reduce your memory usage, and it's also a way to specify that you want a certain precision for a specific kernel in your graph that may not correspond to the rest of the graph, which is also what we do when we're processing RAW images on iOS.
All of our kernels are tagged with RGBAh.
So one or more thing we need to do to create this effect is to provide some sort of mask image.
We can do this very simply by calling CIFilter(name, and then ask for a CIRadialGradient with a few parameters, which are going to determine how large the mask will be and where it will be located.
And then we're going to be interpolating between 0 and 1, which is going to be black and white.
And then we ask for the output image from the CIFilter and we have a perfectly usable mask.
If we start with our input image and then look at our mask, we can move it around.
Change the radius, even make it go negative.
And then if we apply this mask image and use it inside of our variable box blur kernel code, we then get this type of result.
And it's very interactive because the integral image only needs to be computed once, and Core Image caches those results for you.
So it literally, everything you're seeing right now, is just involving four reads.
Similarly, on the way out, if you would like the data in a different color space, you can call CIImage.byColorMatching ColorSpace(toWorking, and then give it a color space.
Now that we've seen how to create the CIImageProcessor and how to use it, let's take a look at what happens when we use the environment variable CI PRINT TREE, which we use to get an idea of what the actual graph that we're trying to render looks like.
And this is read from bottom to top.
And it can be quite verbose.
It starts off with our input radialGradient that we created.
We then have our input image which gets matched to the workingspace.
And then here's our processor node that gets called, and that hex value is the digest that we've computed.
And then both the processor and the color kernel result from the radialGradient get fed into the variableBoxBlur.
And finally we do the color matching to our output display.
So this is the original recipe that we use to specify this effect, but it's not what actually gets rendered.
We still, once again, have our processor node, which lives on a line on its own, which means that it does require the need of an intermediate buffer, which is why the CIImageProcessors are great, but you should only use them when the kind of things the effect that you're trying to produce, the algorithms that you have cannot be expressed inside of the CIKernel language.
As you can see, the rest of the processing all gets concatenated.
So we have our variableBoxBlur with the rest of the color matching, and the clamptoalpha all happening in a single pass.
So this is why there are always tradeoffs in between these APIs.
And if you can write something inside the CIKernel language, you should.
That may be a little difficult to read.
So we have an additional option now that you can specify when you're using CI PRINT TREE, which is graphviz.
In this case we're using CI PRINT TREE=8, along with the graphviz option, and we can see our processor node and how it fits in perfectly with the rest of the graph.
And we can also see that we've asked for RGBAf output.
So let's do a little recap of what we learned today.
We saw, David showed us how to edit RAW images on iOS.
Then Etienne spoke to us about how you can edit Live Photos using Core Image.
And then finally, we got to see how to use this new API on CIImage called CIImageProcessor, as well as how to specify an output format on your kernels to help reduce the memory usage.
For additional information please visit developer.apple.com.
There are a few related sessions that may be of interest to you, especially if you're planning on doing RAW processing on iOS.
There's Advances in iOS Photography that Etienne mentioned as well.
There's also a talk later on today, Working with Wide Color, that's taking place right here.
And on that note, I would like to thank you all for coming. | 2019-04-22T20:36:17Z | https://asciiwwdc.com/2016/sessions/505?q=accessibility |
I’ve seen more scientific matches, and we really should have blown SPAL right out of Euganeo tonight, but I’ll take this result.
Again tonight, the crowd was small. At least it didn’t rain. Only 2,804 were present but they saw us do pretty much what we wanted, when we wanted against our lower-ranked opposition. Except win, I guess, but you can’t have everything.
At least, after the first eight minutes had passed. As banged-up as we have been of late, it was still a shock to see SPAL’s Bruno Cazarine stroll right up Route One to take a perfectly-weighted lead ball into the area. It was more of a shock to see him slot past a surprised Cano to give them an away goal within the first ten minutes.
It was even more shocking to me that the goal wasn’t disallowed for offside. It surely looked to me like the player was a stride clear of Faísca in the center of our defense as the last man when the ball was played to him.
In short, the main thing I didn’t want to happen had not only happened, it had happened quickly. So, I stood in my technical area, hands on my hips, glaring at all and sundry while our erstwhile rivals celebrated around us.
They were in with a shout and suddenly our margin for error was razor thin. Our having three away goals in the bag still meant they had to score twice more to beat us, but I would have much preferred it not be even this close so early in the second leg.
However, that was SPAL’s high water mark. We soon regained the ascendancy with some very fine work on and off the ball, growing in confidence even as our patchwork squad got used to playing together. The systems work I’ve been drilling into these players has started to pay off and we closed Route One to our opponents for the rest of the night as quickly as it had opened.
For me, the key was getting onto the board and our lone true striker did just that shortly after SPAL’s opener. Di Nardo did the business for us, picking up a huge goal on a very fine feed from Rabito on seventeen minutes, finishing with a powerful header nodded down off the ground and into the roof of the net.
That was his third goal of this tie, and his profligacy in front of goal is a real reason to smile. We had our two-goal lead back and even though they still needed two goals, they now needed three to defeat us outright.
Instead of being worried about their attackers, however, we then remembered that the best defense is a good offense. We swarmed SPAL’s goal for the rest of the first half and only a series of wonderful saves by Matheus in their goal stopped us turning the match into a rout.
Still, I was well satisfied at halftime and figured it was only a matter of time until we broke through in the second half to win the home leg of the tie as well. The side was holding together quite well with the exception of the brain lock that had led to their goal, and I honestly didn’t think they’d hurt us much in the second half either.
It turned out I was half right. They wound up with four shots on target compared to our fifteen – but Matheus turned heroic in goal for them and we didn’t score again. We peppered him with 24 attempts in the ninety minutes and at the end they were on the ropes to be sure, but in the end the 1-1 result on the night didn’t reflect our dominance.
Two bad things were still to come, though: first, Guglielmi was carded in the second half and reached his limit, so he will miss the next Cup match through suspension; and the second was what happened to Rabito.
Trying to play after hurting his hamstring on Sunday, he put forth a brave effort but badly twisted his ankle on another 50-50 challenge midway through the second half. He had to be stretchered off and he’s going to be lost to us for awhile.
As painful as this injury was, I knew right away it wasn’t as bad as DiVenanzio’s had been at the start of the season. Rabito was hurting badly but he had flexibility in the ankle when moving it. He’ll be lost for awhile but hopefully not long enough to really hurt us.
In the final analysis, we took our chances better on the road, but played a much better overall match at home in this tie. You have to be able to grind out the results, of course, and as we left the pitch happy to have moved on, I was left to reflect on the way the match had gone.
I gathered my squad around me in the changing room and gave them the honest truth.
The media asked whether I thought Cazarine’s goal was offside.
We’ve also learned our next opponent in this competition, and again we will play lower-ranked opposition.
Teramo, the tenth-placed side in Serie C2B, is up for us next. We will again be fancied and we welcome the challenge.
With the holiday season approaching, I’m starting to make plans to go home.
Not permanently, unless someone doesn’t want me to come back here, but I’d really love the opportunity to spend the holidays with my family. There’s no reason for me to stay here now, and frankly I would prefer not to be depressed as the holidays pass.
We’ll be taking a three-week break over that time and it will be welcome. I don’t plan to be too far away, though – we’ll be in negotiation with players over that time so even as I asked my chairman for permission to go home for the holidays we both knew I’m only an e-mail away if I’m needed.
The club also got some good financial news today. Both our matches on either side of the Christmas holiday will be televised.
Our home match against Monza on December 17, which is the start of the Novena here, is on television. So is our derby matchup at Venezia on January 7, which is the day after Epiphany on January 6.
My plan is to go home right after the Monza match and return New Year’s Eve to prepare for the Venezia match. Injured players will get a chance to heal, and Masolini has agreed to take training for a few days prior to my return for those players who need the conditioning help.
I’m looking forward to getting away. I could use a break.
Foggia is a club right on the edges of the promotion race, so they’ll have all to play for when we visit them Sunday. They are seventh in the table, with five wins and five draws in their fourteen starts.
It’s also going to be a long trip, one of our longer drives of the season. It’s every bit of four hours by coach, so we’ll be leaving tomorrow.
I’ll have most of my first-choice side to bring with me to Pino Zaccheria, and I’m hoping to take advantage of the other big match happening on Sunday.
Sassuolo travels to Pierluigi Penzo to play Venezia and I’m actually hoping for a draw. I wouldn’t mind seeing the leaders finally lose, but if we can get a road result we can really shake up the top of the table. With the break coming up, and our next match at home to Monza on the 17th, we can head off for the holidays on a high note.
Today, though, we talked about our opposition with media for their previews.
Their captain, Antonio Cardinale, is quite an inspirational leader but the player who worries me is Gianvito Plasmati, a talented striker who is due for a good game.
Foggia has the quality to give us a tussle on Sunday and my concern today was to help the players realize that even though we ourselves are twelve matches unbeaten in the league, we aren’t top yet and won’t be top without help from someone else.
If we start believing what may well be written about us if we go a few more matches without losing, we might well lose everything – more than football matches, to be sure. We can’t let that happen.
So today’s training was all about staying focused and all about being mentally tough when we’re a long, long way from home.
Today’s trip was fairly uneventful and spent, at least on my end, asleep.
I haven’t done a whole lot of relaxing on travel days but we seem to be in a decent rhythm of late so I was able to close my eyes for a little bit of our lovely drive down the Adriatic coast.
When I woke up, my shoelaces were tied together and I had shaving cream in my hair, but at least I had a nice nap. I think that’s a reasonably good thing in terms of the squad coming together, but I guess it came at a price!
I didn’t even have rotten dreams, which seem to have been plaguing me lately.
The McGuire/Patty dream I mentioned earlier is now a recurring theme, and that annoys me to no end. I get tired of having the same dream over and over again, especially when the end result of it is for me to wake up angry.
The bottom line, though, is that I don’t get enough sleep at night. That’s one reason I was dead to the world on the coach this afternoon and one reason the squad was able to abuse the manager in such a fashion.
Some would have viewed that as gross disrespect. I viewed it as my players trying to help me get my mind off a bad situation. In that, they entirely succeeded.
As I elbowed my way past them to the coach’s back room and sink to wash out my hair, I looked around for laughing faces. I didn’t see any, but if I had, retribution would have been swift and hopefully fairly humorous.
The players are trying to bring me back to the land of the living. I appreciate that, even as I continue to struggle with how all the bad things happened. I understand there’s a time for grieving – but you don’t wear black forever. Not in this business.
I do think we learned something about ourselves this afternoon on a day where we did not play well.
We hung in there and managed to get a point on a day where we were decidedly second best. I’m proud of that, even as I’m a bit less than impressed with our general play today.
So my glass is half full. We have extended our unbeaten streak to thirteen in the league, but in the best Scandinavian tradition, there’s bad news to go with the good. In so doing, we dropped a spot in the table.
Sassuolo finally lost today, but it was 1-0 to Venezia, which means we only gain one point on them while losing two to our local rivals. They are now co-leaders on 32 points while our record of eight wins, six draws and one defeat trails both of them by two points.
Still, it could have been worse – we could easily have lost and were it not for a rather shocking miss late in the game, we would have.
Part of our woe was due to still another injury, this one to Muzzi.
The last match he missed through injury was the Sassuolo road match and we all know what happened to us that day. Hopefully, there will be no repeat a week from tomorrow against Monza.
We started brightly, scoring our goal within the first fifteen minutes. As has already happened so often this season, Baú was the provider, putting a world-class move on Cardinale to get to the byline on the right. He then pulled the ball back into the box for who else but Varricchio.
Massimiliano had no trouble hitting the yawning net to put us ahead in the early going – but then we just stopped producing. I couldn’t understand it as I watched the first half go by, but we just went to sleep.
Part of that was due to Muzzi’s injury. Roberto took a nasty cut to the forehead while going up for a header. He came down hard after an accidental elbow to the mush.
He had to go off due to the bleeding, and it took another few minutes for me to get the word that it was a jagged cut that would need additional repairs. Rather than play with ten for so long on the road, I took Roberto off since we had the lead.
I‘m not sure, in retrospect, that this was the correct decision. I think that cost us a bit of our spark and we did miss Roberto’s veteran presence up front. Suddenly we were searching for offensive identity and even though Paponi is a terrific talent up front, he’s still learning and struggled to work as well with Varricchio as Muzzi does.
Foggia then started to assert themselves, with Orlandoni standing tall between the sticks to keep us in the lead.
He made a magnificent double save on Plasmati, who worked his way between Sacchetti and Faísca to get a fifteen-yard bullet away that the keeper shoved right back to him for a second bite of the cherry. Orlandoni tipped that shot over the bar with a terrific reflex save and earned a fine ovation from the home fans in response.
Yet, even he couldn’t stop the hosts from equalizing in first half injury time. Cardinale, who had been beaten so comprehensively by Baú in the buildup to our first goal, redeemed himself in fine fashion just before the break.
He took a good linking ball from the defense and made a very nice pass to his right to Ivan Tisci. The midfielder took one step and ripped a 25-yard wonder strike over Orlandoni and into the top right corner of the goal, giving Foggia a richly deserved draw at the break.
There was just no stopping that shot, and even though it changed my halftime team talk the basic message was the same: we’re getting outplayed. The difference was now that I could point to the scoreboard to show a chink in our armor.
While working on a way to keep their midfielders out of the play I soon realized they were getting the better of the 4-1-3-2.
So I changed out of it, into a 4-4-2 with a counter option for the second half. I would have preferred a little more of the possession as the ultimate way to stop their midfield dominance but if I couldn’t have that, I wanted to at least take advantage of our passing ability to get back at them in a different fashion.
Yet as the second half wore on, it became increasingly obvious that we weren’t going to get the possession edge I wanted to see. After that it became a matter of survival as Foggia moved into total control of the match.
Orlandoni held us in the match, though, and we made it to injury time still with the draw. Then my heart went into my throat as substitute Antonio Esposito put the ball right into the right hand channel three minutes into injury time – and the back four seemed to part like the Red Sea.
Plasmati latched onto it and cut sharply to the middle, with only Orlandoni to beat. He actually had time to settle himself and looked for the lower left corner as he shot. And he put it wide.
Their bench reacted incredulously, and I looked on with a blank expression at having been spared a very long ride home with no points. It was a sitter, and Plasmati had flat out missed it.
Moments later, we got the full time whistle and hastily found our way to the changing room before someone took the point away from us. We were very, very lucky.
I actually had a smile on my face, though, as I faced the team.
I had no problem agreeing with the press after the game, as well. They told me I was second best and there was no sense denying it.
There’s another, more pressing issue to deal with next week. Baú picked up his fourth yellow card of the season during the match. He’s suspended for the next match and with Rabito injured and Muzzi out for 1-2 weeks, that means I have exactly zero right-sided midfielders for the Monza match.
Today we also had our first managerial casualty of the Serie C season.
Citadella got off to a great start this season but are now winless in four and have dropped three on the spin after falling 3-0 to Novara. That cost manager Claudio Foscarini his job.
I’d hate to think that there would be a situation where my own job could be in jeopardy after that stretch of results but there are places where it’s true. I’ve got expectations from my own board and if we fall out of the playoff places I suppose I could be under similar pressure.
We’re about to face another manager who is under similar pressure, Monza’s Giuliano Sonzogni. After Monza’s quick start he has now lost three out of four and the last two without a goal – including today’s 1-0 loss at tail-end Lecco, the home team’s first win in eleven matches.
Yet, after a match where we deserved to lose, we didn’t. We dropped a spot in the table but are comfortably in the playoff places. And as the coach moved back north toward home, I feel pretty good about that.
If the late Claude Rains had read our papers today he might have said the articles about yesterday’s match were written by “the usual suspects”.
I chose the odd analogy for today’s entry for two reasons. First, the road draw at Foggia and our corresponding drop in the table has the voices of concern out for us again. That’s annoying.
It’s also not terribly surprising, since the same people seem to ride our bandwagon when we win and walk alongside it when we don’t. Yet here’s what bothers me the most – being unbeaten for nearly half the Serie C1 season, I still haven’t won over a significant part of the local press.
In such a circumstance, I wonder when, or if, it will happen at all. That is profoundly disturbing to me, since it will hinder my ability to do my job.
Second, I was able to escape this evening with perhaps my favorite movie of all time. I watched Casablanca on a DVD in my living room for a little dramatic renewal of purpose.
As an American, there is no movie character I enjoy more than Rick Blaine, played by the great Humphrey Bogart. And after watching the movie, I feel a little better about my own situation.
It’s a bit sad that I seem to need a movie to cheer me up, but the thing I like best about Rick is that the character isn’t afraid to say exactly what’s on his mind. After losing Ilsa in Paris, she of course comes to him in Casablanca. She is trying to flee to America with her husband, Victor Laszlo.
Rick always knew that Ilsa would come back to him, and in the scene I was watching she finally does. Ilsa finds Rick stupendously inebriated after closing time. Unlike me, he has the opportunity to let out his hurt and he does so in quite a direct fashion.
Why did you have to come to Casablanca? There are other places.
I wouldn't have come if I'd known that you were here. Believe me, Rick. It's true. I didn't know.
Please, don't. Don't, Rick! I can understand how you feel.
Huh! You understand how I feel. How long was it we had, honey?
I didn't count the days.
Well, I did. Every one of them. Mostly, I remember the last one. The ‘wow’ finish. A guy standing on a station platform in the rain with a comical look on his face, because his insides had been kicked out.
Can I tell you a story, Rick?
Does it got a ‘wow’ finish?
I don't know the finish yet.
Go on and tell it. Maybe one will come to you as you go along.
Rick’s morbid sense of anger was a bit over the top but I suspect it’s how a lot of men who have loved and lost have felt – and women too, I suppose.
I raised my own glass to the screen and thought of Patty.
My flight reservations for the States are confirmed. I’m flying out right after the match – perhaps a bit ironically, from Venice.
My flight will take me from Marco Polo International Airport to London Heathrow and from thence to New York City. Flying west will be tiring but I’ll get home at mid-morning on Monday.
After taking yesterday off to recover from the travel, the senior squad was back at work today to prepare for the crunch clash with Monza.
Our mood was good. We are disappointed not to have played better but let’s face it – we’re getting something out of every match of late and we think that will eventually lead to good things.
We do have a significant issue on the right side of midfield, though. Andrea Bovo is up from the reserves and will see his first senior action of the season on Sunday. Players do need to be ready for these types of things and he knows he is getting a long awaited chance.
However, he has been behind Baú, Rabito and Muzzi on the depth chart all season and hasn’t been able to break through.
Now, with Baú suspended and Muzzi and Rabito both injured, his chance has arrived. If he takes it with both hands he may stick around for awhile.
We have the late match this week – everyone else in the league is playing Sunday so when we face Monza we’ll have either opportunity or added pressure.
Venezia is at Lecco, and my hope is that the tail-end side in the league is able to duplicate the form that led to their win over Monza last round. Sassuolo is at home to Manfredonia. Even though the visitors are improving I still look at them as the club against which my offensively challenged lads scored five times without reply.
Cremonese has been hanging around as well, and they are also in action Saturday. If all the top teams win on Saturday we will enter Sunday’s play fourth in the table. I’m hoping we don’t have to worry about that.
However, the journos are quite worried about that, and quizzed me hard after today’s training.
“Are you feeling pressure?” I was asked.
I think the only thing that might have made today worse from a purely personal point of view would have been if it were Friday the 13th instead of Thursday.
First off, it rained, meaning the outdoor training session was short.
We don’t have the facilities of the biggest clubs so that put a cramp in our style. The rest of training was cardio-vascular in nature as a result, which is a bit of a pity since the squad is in match fitness for the most part and what we need are drills to help us finish better.
Yet as the saying goes, a change is as good as a holiday and the players didn’t seem to mind all that much.
One month to the day after the fiasco in Venice, Kate called.
I know her heart was in the right place but it’s just something I don’t need right now.
I sat at my desk at work, watching Monza’s match at Lecco on our scouting DVD for the third time, when the phone rang. Christina Angelotti was on the other end of the line.
“Rob, Kate McGuire is on the phone hoping you will speak with her,” she said, and the correct response would have been to deny the call.
But, for some reason that I think had to do with wanting something positive to think about in my life, I elected to take the call. I am a glutton for punishment.
Her news didn’t surprise me at all. I’m also beyond being hurt by hearing it.
The English have a word that I find marvelously useful in circumstances such as the one in which I now found myself. I was “gobsmacked”.
“Does it got a ‘wow’ finish?” I asked, out of impulse.
She told me she wanted my permission to try and approach Patty on my behalf. I told her she didn’t need my permission, and reminded her that unwanted approaches from her husband – both to Patty and to me – had started the problem in the first place. Still, I discouraged her from trying.
Suddenly, I grew tired of the conversation.
Insanely good as usual, 10-3. Looking forward to more climbing. This is very interesting because FM08 was the first FM game I ever played.
Thanks so much ... FM08 has a special appeal to me as well. This is a really fun save and part of me loves the 'dots with feet' of this game!
Quietly, we have begun negotiations with the agents of several key players on expiring contracts. For the most part, I have been quite pleased with the answers I’ve received, with one notable exception.
We offered one-year contract extensions to Varricchio, Faísca, Sacchetti, Paz, Cano and Muzzi today with the first five on the list indicating they would accept less money to stay. That was about the best news I could have hoped for.
However, club policy calls for automatic 25 percent in the event of promotion, so the wage bill would be roughly the same in Serie B if we are fortunate enough to get promoted next season. However, if all the players agree, we will get relief from our current wage bill and help our bottom line in a big way.
The only player who wasn’t receptive was Muzzi, who does not appear to wish to stay next season. That’s football, but at his salary level of €625,000 per year I could probably find a couple of decent players to replace him.
Also, we are talking with the board about making a bid for defender Angelo Antonazzo, who is available for €50,000. He’s not Anderson Silva, but he does play a mean right back position, which would allow me to slot Paz into the holding role if he comes here. If Antonazzo arrives, he’d be my record signing and he would be under pressure to play well immediately.
Hellas Verona is interested in the player as well, and I wouldn’t mind pipping our regional rival for a good player who is comparatively young (26) and talented. I don’t see us making any other moves in January, with Caputo also on his way in from Juve Stabia.
The business side of the game doesn’t really appeal to me. I’d rather manage. But crunching numbers is part and parcel of being a manager nowadays, especially at a smaller club.
After a morning of Serie C1 finance lessons, I took afternoon training with the club and felt a lot better. The plan is in place for Monza and I would rather worry about that than about budgets and agents and contract extensions.
Now my mind is set on something else I’d prefer it not be on – Kate’s call of yesterday.
I am convinced that there are some people in this world who simply can’t leave a bad thing alone.
I’ve gone from flattered that she called to angry that she did what she did to incredulous that she would think she could somehow sort everything out by getting a hold of a person whose whereabouts are completely unknown to me.
Patty was born in Chicago and still has family there, but I have no idea if she’s at home now or what her plans might be. Lord knows she hasn’t contacted me to let me know.
I do think the best thing for me is to forget about Patty. That won’t be easy because deep down I do love her, but the pain trying to find a full-time relationship has caused is more than I can bear at the moment.
It’s Christmas, I’m alone, and people keep popping into my life at the worst possible times. If my apartment contained a hole big enough for me to slide into, I’d be in it right now. I would simply like to be left alone.
With the squad away from training today, we had a very big day at the bargaining table.
All the players to whom we offered contracts have agreed terms. That’s a big thing for me – I know I can depend on these players and all of them can hang in Serie B if that’s where we wind up next season.
The only player who may be an exception is Cano, who has been second choice to Orlandoni all season. Yet I need him as veteran cover for Jeremy Busarello, who may wind up going out on loan in January for first-team experience.
Muzzi, as expected, rejected our offer of a new contract and I am wondering when he’ll start negotiating with other clubs.
His intentions seem to be pretty plain. If I were him, I’d want one more good-sized contract as well. Too, since he’s the same age I am, I’m not going to tell him he shouldn’t look for one.
We’ll have big news for the Sunday editions tomorrow, and that will be a positive thing for the club.
We can now afford to show a little ambition in the January window as well, and that will hopefully position us better both on the pitch and in the pressrooms around the region. We are quite close to growth that will really mean something to this club and it’s an exciting time.
I’d love to be able to bring back players like Orlandoni, Baú, Gotti and Paponi next season as well, but of course all depends on their loaning clubs. If we’re promoted we’d be playing against Baú and Spezia next season, and I don’t see Udinese letting us keep Gotti for very long. Paponi is another player I’d love to bring back and as a Serie B club we might even get him.
The main goal is this, though: a Serie B club might get better loan players from its Serie A parent club, which of course is Lazio for us. If the budgets remain tight, a parent club willing to loan us useful players might prove all important. The parent club usually pays the salary of the player, which helps us in more ways than one.
But I hope that’s for the future. If we don’t win matches first, I won’t have to worry about it at all.
It’s as I feared heading into tomorrow’s match. All the teams around us won, so we are five points adrift with a match in hand as we prepare to play.
Venezia won 1-0 at Lecco, who put up a brave fight but still succumbed to Emanule Pesoli’s 23rd minute strike. Even though Manfredonia has put up better results of late, they still fell 2-0 at Sassuolo, meaning the leaders are right back on the winning track after stumbling last week.
Novara won as well, so they moved above us too, on overall goal difference. It makes tomorrow’s match quite important indeed.
I spent my morning working with the television broadcasters for tomorrow’s match, who arrived at Euganeo today for their walk-through.
When a match is to be televised, especially from a venue not usually home to television, production crews arrive at midweek to begin setting up, making needed electrical connections and doing pre-game work that will show up on the air.
Part of that work involves meeting with the managers. I had time with the match broadcasters this afternoon and after Monza arrived, with Sonzogni as well. I passed him in the hallway and we exchanged a brief greeting and exchange of good wishes.
He knows full well that if we take his team down on Monday, he may lose his job. So as we exchanged pleasantries, I know he is under pressure.
It’s rather unfair that a road victory against a top-five side should be required for a manager to keep his position, but that’s where Sonzogni finds himself. It’s no fun, it’s nerve-wracking, and it’s absolutely cutthroat.
Football is a hard game that way. You develop friends, you sometimes develop lifelong enmities, and when all is said and done the guy who loses winds up looking for something else. Beating friends on the touchline is no fun. Yet, it’s either done, or you become friends out of football.
So as Sonzogni headed off for his interview time with the television crew I wondered if he’d leave tomorrow still in a job.
Then I realized that with 30 points, I’m now fourth in the table and my board expects promotion. I have problems of my own.
Yet tonight, as I reached my apartment, I had a moment that reminded me there are things more important than this game.
The Novena began this evening -- the start of the Christmas season in Italy. And as part of the celebration, children will go door to door singing and reading pastorals. Most of the time the recitations involve the journey of the shepherds to the manger.
I arrived home at sundown and met a group of young children, escorted by parents, in the hallway by my apartment door.
They recognized me and we shared greetings. Finally, the children spoke.
It was a beautiful moment. Clean scrubbed faces spoke with a child’s faith through bright, hopeful eyes, reminding me of what is truly important in life.
I smiled down at the children as they finished their story. I invited them all inside for a glass of juice and spent a few moments sharing the joy of the season.
They left and I looked around my apartment. There was no tree, no indication of the season, and precious little holiday spirit. Yet, the children had taken care of all that for me.
We broke for the holidays after winning under no small amount of pressure this evening at Euganeo. And as I write I am winging my way westward toward home.
It was an odd day in a lot of respects. I woke up thinking about Kate, and that annoyed me. I felt much like a used child’s toy must feel – fondly remembered but all squeezed out nonetheless.
I shook that thought out of my mind and looked at the suitcases packed and in the corner of my living room for the trip home. That cheered me up a bit and I rose to face the day now focusing rapidly on the challenge of our visitors.
As I walked to the ground this morning I threw on my mp3 player and Bose headphones, wishing they had stadium music in Italy like they do in the States.
I listened to ace sax man Eric Darius whaling away to “Slick”, one of my very favorite tunes, and as usual I was in a better mood when the song was done.
My eye clear and my head focused, I arrived at 10:00 to start my day.
One of my favorite things to do as a player was to arrive very early on a match day and watch the stadium wake up. This was especially true when I played at Ibrox, which seems to have history in the air.
Euganeo is a little different, but the place still has its charms. As a relatively new stadium, it is a pleasant place to gather and watch a match, even though the longtime supporters detest the athletics track that surrounds the pitch.
I spent my morning in my office watching the Monday morning recap shows and a replay of Reading’s EPL home victory over Fulham. Amazingly, they remain top of the table by two points over Liverpool, though I wonder how long that will last once the heavy holiday fixture list hits. I’m sure Berkshire is going wild over the club’s success and I couldn’t be happier for them.
It was fun to watch one of my old clubs, but more importantly it was fun to simply watch a match as a neutral again.
My trips have already taken me all over Italy in my short tenure here so it’s fun to sit back and watch someone else play without worrying about how to stop them the next week.
I did my traditional pre-match workout earlier this time, so I was ready for a relaxing afternoon after lunch. I went over the team sheet again, reviewed my Monza notes, and waited for the senior squad to arrive for the match.
It was a very pleasant day indeed. The players made the evening even better.
Sacchetti is becoming a bit of an offensive revelation for us. After a fairly technical and tactical first half, he opened the scoring for us on his second goal for the club.
Again, we did it from a set piece, with his header finding the range four minutes before halftime – and fourth-choice Andrea Bovo was the provider from the corner.
If you had asked me – or better yet, asked our punters – what the odds were that Sacchetti would score the first goal or that Bovo would be involved in it, I wouldn’t have known what to say. I surely wouldn’t have given odds, and anyone making book on it was probably tearing out their hair by the roots at the thought of paying out.
Still, that’s the beauty of management. I don’t have to care how they go in the net, as long as they go in.
Statistically, the half was about even but we had the lead at the break so that shaped my team talk.
I was pleased to note that our intensity didn’t drop in the second half and as a result, the chances our visitors got were of poor quality. They had six shots on target for the match, the same as we got, but ours were from much better positions.
Such as the penalty spot, where Varricchio found himself in the 76th minute. He was felled like so much tall timber while striding toward goal with the ball at his feet and the spot kick was given. With Baú suspended and Muzzi hurt, Massimiliano smiled at the chance to take the penalty.
He dispatched the spot kick with ease, perhaps giving me something else to think about down the road, and the 2-0 lead was more than enough for us to hold.
Despite the relative ease with which we kept them away from goal, it was a gritty match. Strong challenges abounded, and it was clear to me that the Monza players were trying to save their manager’s job. They played with passion but fortunately for us, without sufficient application to really cause trouble.
That will happen to a side struggling to score goals. They can huff and puff all they want but when it comes time to make something happen in front of goal, the flesh is too often weak.
The full time whistle blew, we celebrated our victory, and as I shook hands with Sonzogni I wondered if we had just gotten him sacked.
I had good words for Bovo in the changing room after the match. He had come up from the reserves, without a senior game all season, and had held us on the right side of midfield for the full 90 minutes.
I know he wants to play and the look of self-satisfaction he gave me showed he thinks he deserves greater consideration. I don’t blame him a scrap for that. I’d think the same thing too.
But he also knows he has to show me he deserves to stay when the club returns to training. Poor training was one reason he didn’t stick with the senior squad.
In that respect, the game comes at the worst possible time for him – with three weeks between games, I’m sure he can’t wait to get back out there. Yet, the facts are plain.
Baú will no longer be suspended and Muzzi’s face will have healed to allow him to play as well. It will be difficult for Andrea. He’ll have to earn it.
I had a flight to catch.
Word was hitting the news wires of our signings for next season, and I was also told as I headed out of Euganeo that Sonzogni had indeed been sacked by Monza chairman Gianbattista Begnini.
Monza was picked to finish third by the media in pre-season, but today’s loss was their fourth in five matches while scoring only one goal. Our match was the third on the spin where they hadn’t scored.
Managing is a difficult life, no doubt about it. Personally, I think Monza’s season-long record and the fact that half the season still remains should be enough to keep the wolves from his door, but not every chairman has that kind of patience.
I sent Sonzogni a message of condolence – really, I wasn’t certain what I should do and I thought it would at least be polite to let him know I respected the job he did – and headed to Venice and the Marco Polo airport.
I arrived at 10:00, 90 minutes before the last flight of the night.
Three hours later, I was in Heathrow. An hour after that I was sitting in something of a zombified state as my connecting flight headed west across the Atlantic Ocean toward home.
I finally dozed off fitfully as the American East Coast loomed large under the plane’s wings. I woke to a flight attendant’s hand on my shoulder, gently shaking me awake.
“Sir, you need to fasten your seat belt,” she said, and my head snapped up with a start. I saw her name tag – naturally, it read Patty – and had a momentary out-of-body experience as I tried to figure out where I was.
“I miss you,” I mumbled, half-awake and adjusting to my surroundings.
“Excuse me, sir?” she asked.
Spending a week off at home has been very good for me. I’ve managed to reconnect with my family, a process which was helped by the Italian gifts I brought them being opened tonight under the family Christmas tree.
I even relaxed a bit.
I’ve been in daily contact with the club by e-mail and it was very nice not to have to worry about day-to-day matters for a little while. Even when in Rome earlier this season I still had matters of business to attend to but this was a genuine week away.
However, today’s message was a bit different. Sestaro e-mailed me, asking if I wanted to leave. I e-mailed him back and asked why.
He sent me an e-mail link to a story saying that the New England Revolution have fired manager Steve Nicol and manager Rob Ridgway will be approached “if his current club, Serie C1 contenders Padova, will let him leave”.
I didn’t bother to think about correcting the article to correctly lay out Serie C1A and C1B, because I had other things to worry about.
Marcello’s meaning was pretty plain. If I want to leave, he’ll allow the approach. Suddenly I wished my office was somewhat closer than 2,000 miles away. The conversation I needed to have was better held in person.
So I did the next best thing. I placed an international phone call, and soon was talking directly with my chairman.
That seemed reasonable, and I repeated myself.
I thanked him, hung up the phone, and took a deep breath. Sometimes this job leaves me wondering why I got into it in the first place.
To my way of thinking, flying east isn’t a whole lot more fun than flying west.
As I write, it’s 5:30 in the morning, I’m not the least bit tired, and I’m sitting back in my apartment in Padua wondering how long it will take my body to adjust to its surroundings again.
I had my last day off today to try to get my body clock back on something approaching a realistic schedule. I know, I know, good luck with that.
In a way it’s very nice to be back. In another way, I feel a little wistful.
I like living in Europe and I enjoy being able to ply my trade overseas, with all the challenges the job entails. Yet I’m not sure I’m ready. I was due for a holiday and I’m glad I took one. Yet as I look at the job I still have to do, it seems like a long way.
I watched the EPL yesterday as the clubs battled it out on Boxing Day. Reading fell out of first place in the league as I watched them crash 3-0 at Stamford Bridge to Chelsea. Liverpool, which hasn’t won a title since the Premier League was created, now leads the pack by a single point.
There will be those who’ll say Reading’s fall was inevitable, but I know it probably wasn’t inevitable to Steve Coppell. He’s done a tremendous job there and since I can safely assume he manages like he played, no one in his organization is happy at the moment.
My senior squad has been back since yesterday, with Masolini taking training the last two days while I recover from my trip. I get to go back tomorrow and resume my responsibilities.
We also got some news that is welcome today from a player standpoint.
Angelo Antonazzo chose us over Hellas Verona – the second time we’ve pipped our regional rival for a quality player this season – and will arrive from Modena next week. He’ll arrive with Massimiliano Caputo, the other player who chose us over Verona.
He gives me another badly needed body at right back and allows me to make the move with Paz in midfield that I have been itching to make for some time.
It has been an active two weeks on the player front for us. I am looking forward to the new players’ arrival and to seeing what they can add to the squad.
There’s nothing like arriving back at the office to complaints. It gives me a warm feeling inside.
I had barely greeted Masolini in the changing room before reserve defender Alessandro Mastronicola approached with a written transfer request.
“I would like to play,” he said simply.
I can’t blame him. He hasn’t been able to break through and Antonazzo’s signing will cast Mastronicola’s second-team status in cement.
Alessandro accepted the word with good grace. Obviously, he wanted to stay here, but if I can’t play him, I owe it to the player to be honest. Right now, unless pestilence was to strike my backline, I can’t play him.
So we’ll see who offers, and I will wish him well. In the meantime, I have work to do.
Calendar year 2008 has started with a couple of new arrivals.
Antonazzo was here for the morning training session and had his kit sorted out by 8:30 this morning. He was followed ten minutes later by former Juve Stabia captain Caputo. The two players represent €74,000 worth of our transfer budget.
Their arrivals also give me something approaching the size of squad I feel is necessary. With Caputo’s arrival, players like Mazzocco and even Vedin Music are going to find themselves squeezed for playing time.
As good as Vedin was earlier in the season, his form has fallen off and one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make at this club is deciding to limit his playing time.
Yet Vedin’s dip in form has coincided with a couple of alarming trends: a bit of a dropoff in his pace and a decided dropoff in his ability to strike the ball. Frankly, that’s alarming to me and in a close race such as this one, I can’t allow past form to completely guide my decisions.
I’m going to give him every opportunity to earn his place back, but right now he’s going to slot in behind the new arrival, Caputo. I don’t have much choice.
The new players had energetic training sessions today, especially Caputo, who looks like he really wants to be here. Both he and Antonazzo are relatively young (26) and appear to be able to adapt to the tactic I have employed.
Unless both players drop off dramatically between now and Sunday, they will both go straight into the side for Venezia. I like Caputo’s energy and ability to get the ball into places it needs to go and Antonazzo looks like a shutdown right full back. I’m excited to see what they can do.
Changes are on the way too, in the form of departures. Paz’s movement to midfield has made Anaclerio expendable and he is now on the transfer list. Mastronicola lasted about 24 hours on the transfer list before I had six offers for him.
He is headed to Serie C2 side Olbia for €6,000. That doesn’t sound like much but it is actually twice the club’s total prize money for reaching the second round of the Serie C Cup. Again, in this game, it’s all relative.
The media war has started before Sunday’s match on another big day for us in terms of player transfer news.
Andrea Bovo, who we co-own, is on the transfer list as well and his sale would help replenish the coffers. His listed value is €70,000, as determined by his co-owners.
Now, I wasn’t the best math student in the world, but I do think that means our share of his sale price would be €35,000, and that would more than pay for Caputo’s transfer in.
Andrea’s name on the transfer list resulted in a flood of offers –no less than twenty clubs expressed interest in him by noon today, and it’s not surprising that the player wishes to leave. For us, it’s a choice of accepting the best offer and then letting the player agree terms.
The news isn’t quite so good concerning Anaclerio, who doesn’t mind seeking a new club.
Unfortunately for him, though, he broke his collarbone in training today after an awkward fall. That will cost him 6-8 weeks of lost time and will probably cost the club about €20,000 in his transfer value. Today’s training session didn’t seem to work out well for either the player or his club.
He is out of contract in the spring and is not a player I would tender anyway. Still, if another club offers money for a player it is obviously my preference to take it rather than lose him for nothing in the summer.
The board also put a smile on my face today, by authorizing one more transfer in the January window. However, the player we’re getting may not show up in the senior squad for a couple of years yet.
Robert Trznadel, a 17-year old attacking midfielder with bags of potential and huge amounts of pace, will join us in the spring. He will come to us from Gornik Zabrze for €5,000 and if he lives up to half his potential the fee will be a steal for us.
I saw video of him just before leaving for the States and read scout reports that absolutely raved about the young man.
I like his first name, naturally, but more importantly I can’t wait to get him in our colors. It’s a signing of the type I have really wanted to see since I came here – it will do nothing but help us grow.
We’re also trying to see what we can do to get Muzzi back with us for next season. So far, his answer is still ‘no’.
Paolo Favaretto has had a poke at me in the media today as well. I suppose that is a good thing – in order for someone to play a mind game with you they first have to recognize that you exist. That’s a step in the right direction.
He told the papers in Venice that he knows his side has the quality to beat us and he doesn’t know how well we’ll be able to handle the pressure of a prolonged promotion challenge. He stopped just short of guaranteeing a result.
So, the newsies dutifully ran off to Euganeo to get the Yankee’s reaction to things. When I was told of Paolo’s comments I just smiled.
The profound looks of disappointment I received in reply told me my hunch was correct. I don’t need a war of words before this match – we’re coming back from a long layoff and our concentration needs to be fully on the match.
That’s where mine will be and I’ll let our opponents do the big talking. I want to do my big talking on the pitch.
The reaction to my non-reaction of yesterday was rather interesting.
That was a hit below the belt. I did a long, slow burn today at training and the thought of going back to that city after all I’ve been through appeals to me only in the sense that I’d love to get three points out of Pierluigi Penzo in 48 hours.
Any problems I might have had with focus are now completely gone. Patty is somewhere in the United States, Kate’s back in England and Venice now means a rival. And that’s all.
The senior squad had today off to rest for tomorrow’s match and I did my pre-match work with television this afternoon since tomorrow’s clash is going nationwide.
As I did my interview, I kept one eye on the score from Salerno, where Sassuolo was playing Cavese.
I was asked a wide range of questions and enjoyed the interview experience. It’s nice to have people ask you about what you know instead of why you don’t know something they think is important.
And while I worked with the broadcasters, Sassuolo went top of the table, ahead of Venezia, thanks to a goalless draw.
The door is open for us – we trail Sassuolo by three points and Venezia by two. We have a chance to pass our rivals on their pitch – but if we lose, we’re down five points to them and would lose the all-important tiebreaker for the time being.
Our last match of the league schedule is at home to Venezia, so it is quite possible that the final round of the year may decide everything. The scene for that match will be set tomorrow. | 2019-04-25T22:24:25Z | https://www.fmscout.com/q-14825-FM08-American-Calcio.html?d=10 |
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trant at Spreydon School this month. The school is one of 48 across the city taking part in the Christchurch Stands Tall project. They will paint and decorate a 1.3m giraffe sculpture this month, which will be placed in See public parks and streets over Inside: the summer. The sculptures will then be auctioned, and most of the money they raise will go to charities. Spreydon School’s giraffe has been named Patch – short for People Attached to Christchurch. Over the school holidays, pupils at the school have been collecting favourite pictures of Christchurch, both past and present, which will be used to collage the giraffe. Deputy principal Andrea Stewart said the whole school was taking part. “We’ve already painted his base colour, which is matched to the school uniform colour – so he is wearing the uniform.” The sculpture will be finished and ready to be picked up at the end of the month.
TALL ORDER: Spreydon School pupils Xariah Tauamiti and Henry Jones with Patch the giraffe. Pupils at the school are painting and decorating the sculpture as part of the Christchurch Stands Tall project.
Classifieds Ph 03 379 1100 General ManaGer editor steve McCaughan Barry Clarke Ph 364 7460 Ph 364 7422 steve.mccaughan@ barry.clarke@ christchurchstar.co.nz christchurchstar.co.nz advertisinG ManaGer CirCulation Peter Hampton Mark Coulthard Ph: 021 367 761 Ph: 364 7453 peter.hampton@ mark.coulthard@ christchurchstar.co.nz christchurchstar.co.nz southern view is delivered to 16,879 homes every Monday and is the best read local newspaper in its area.
animal-themed arts trails in 25 other cities across the world. This will be the first in New Zealand. As well as the schools’ sculptures, there are also 46 giraffes being created, which are sponsored by businesses and decorated by Christchurch artists. The trail will close in February next year, and 75 per cent of the proceeds will be donated to the Child Cancer Foundation and Life Education Trust.
Hill run-off big issue • From page 1 He said that issue would need to be addressed by the city council, but there were also small issues raised which could be fixed through an email or phone call. The next community clinic will be held in Addington on November 18. Board members also plan to attend events in the area to talk with residents about issues they would like to see addressed in the city council long-term plan. Those include the Cracroft Garage Sale Trail and the Hoon Hay Fiesta.
A Cashmere occupational therapist has won a national award for her work. WorkRehab vocational rehabilitation specialist Tricia McGuinness won the Occupational Therapy New Zealand Hazel Skilton Founder’s Award. She was described as a “trail blazer” in the field, and acknowledged for the influence she had on people she had worked with.
A Spring River Walk will be held next week to learn about the history of the Heathcote River and measures to improve and enhance it. The walk will be held on November 1 from 9am. There are only 30 places. To book a place phone Katie Nimmo on 389 0115.
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SEA MEETS LAND: South Brighton artist and graphic designer Marie Ockleford with the mural she designed in the New Brighton mall.
Brighton Mall. City council urban design regeneration unit manager Carolyn Ingles said just over $30,000 was paid to the contractor for the materials and installation of the mural. She said the community board was updated on the progress of the plans in July and September, and gave positive feedback.
Three men were caught while trying to burgle a house in Cracroft, thanks to the quick actions of a neighbour. The neighbour noticed people acting suspiciously at the property next door on Tuesday afternoon, and phoned the police. The police went to the house and caught three men, two inside the property and one in a vehicle parked in the driveway. The house appeared to have been ransacked, and a large amount of property was stacked up near the doorway. “Without the neighbour’s input the men may not have been caught as quickly as they were,” Detective Senior Sergeant Scott Anderson said. “It’s really good to see members of the community looking out for each other and taking quick positive action by alerting police to anything that is out of the ordinary or suspicious.” Cracroft Residents Association secretary Rick Bolch said there was a close knit community in the area, and people looked out for each other. The three men, aged 26, 24 and 23 appeared in the district court last week in relation to the burglary. The investigation into the burglary is still on-going.
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Laura Dekker will be in at the Children’s Bookshop on Friday, November 7th. Contact the shop for more details.
whole place around. Then the fire happened, just as we were coming into summer. The landlord was selling the land so I did look at buying it, but I just can’t. Do you live in Halswell? Yeah, I do at the moment. Have you always lived in Christchurch? Did you grow up here? I was brought up on the mean streets of Aranui. Yeah, I loved it. I went to Aranui High School. I started off at St James Primary School, then Chisnallwood Intermediate then Aranui High School. I see you have some pretty personal motivations for opting into the fight? Yep. I did it for my youngest daughter Courtney, who is 14 now. At the age of two, she was diagnosed with Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome, which is basically a cardio jack of the heart. A normal child’s heartbeat turns at 110 beats per minute and hers was at 280. So she was at very high risk of going into cardiac arrest. At the age of five, she had her first heart surgery at Starship in Auckland. They weren’t able to fix the issue because if they did, she would have had a pacemaker.
prepares for battle We think her life would have been considerably reduced having that at such a young age. So a new procedure was developed and at seven years of age she had her second heart surgery and they fixed it. How does she feel about you stepping into the ring? She doesn’t want me to fight! But she’s excited about raising the funds for Cure Kids. It’s very dear to her own heart as well. So have you done much boxing before? When I was 13 I used to box out at a working men’s club but that was a long, long time ago! I’m guessing you’ve been training pretty hard, what have you had to do to prepare? Well, I’m doing six training sessions a week, as well as now I’ve started to do extra swimming and things like that for fitness. I do three personal training sessions and three two-and-a-half hour boxing circuits of sparring each week. How long have you been training? About two months now. So, Chris, are you nervous? Nope! Nah, look, I’m feeling more and more confident each day. My fitness has improved so much, it’s incredible. I was more than 120kg when I started this journey and I’m down to 108kg now. It’s great – I can actually see my toes now!
weeks. No drinks for me until after the fight. Hopefully I’m going to have that beer with Geoff if he still loves me. Well good luck, Chris, and thanks for speaking with me today.
FIGHT FOR CHRISTCHURCH FACTS n The Fight for Christchurch will take place on Friday November 22, at Horncastle Arena. n One of the top-drawer clashes is expected to be the restaurant war between Geoff Cavell, owner of Winnie Bagoes, and Chris “Ted” Casserly, of Ted’s Bar & Grill. n The duo aims to raise $100,000 for Cure Kids and has raised more than $20,000 already.
n Other fights include Chillingworth Road executive chef and owner Darren Wright facing Ashley Newsome, of MediaWorks. n Other confirmed contenders include: Jono Huntley (Spark), Paul Frewen (Vodafone), Clive Wentworth (Elite Auto Groom), Jono Gallacher (Adgraphix), Lisa Mead (KPMG) and Lana McCarroll (Lane Neave). n Money is being raised for Cure Kids and Ronald McDonald House.
CONFUSED? Been Paid Out? Opting Out? Insurance Repairs? IS YOUR SCOPE OF WORKS CORRECT? If you don’t understand the process? WE DO! Let us deal with it. Free consultation.
Rugby stalwart passes on BY KYLE KNOWLES A life-long player, coach and patron of the Linwood rugby club was farewelled last week. Ken Jane first laced up his boots for Linwood’s senior side in the 1940s and for the next 70 years gave his heart and soul to the club only giving up coaching in 1995. ‘Jano’ to many, passed away peacefully just short of his 93rd birthday on October 9. The funeral was held at the rugby club he gave so much of his time to last Monday. A hearse took Mr Jane for one final lap of the Linfield rugby ground he spent so many cold winters giving to the club and game of rugby itself. He was born in Christchurch and a life member of the club and was patron of the club for around 24 years. Club president Tane Norton said Mr Jane would have watched the most games involving Linwood teams “by miles”. He would be there watching every team right from the juniors in the morning through to colts, division 2 and the senior side in the afternoon. Mr Norton said Mr Jane coached every team at the club and was the coach that gave him his first spot in Linwood’s top side. For more than three decades Mr Norton said every week Mr Jane would go to his house to talk about the weekend’s action.
• Eggs Bennie OR Muesli & Fresh Fruit Salad • Flute of Piper Heidsieck Champagne • 5 piece Jazz Band playing from 9am • Transport to & from Addington • VIP entry back into Cargo Bar with live entertaiment!
It has been 13 years since John Gale took over the Super Cheap Auto Spares shop in Sydenham, and in that time the store, now named Gale’s Super Cheap Auto Spares, has grown from strength to strength.
he retail outlet is continually broadening and extending its already extensive product range to suit its customers’ needs and as John Gale explains, that is part of the philosophy of Gale’s Super Cheap Auto Spares.
“We hate having to say no to our customers, so that means stocking as many different product ranges as we can. Fortunately, we have an expansive space to work with and if there is something we don’t have in stock, we’ll go out of our way to get it in for our customers,” says John. Gale’s Super Cheap Auto Spares is a onestop-shop for all your automotive needs. All the staff are experienced in the automotive retail industry. Their commitment to customer service, combined with the extensive range of products they sell, make for no better place to shop the next time you need to replace your oil and filter, disc pads, wiper blades, antifreeze or just need to pick up general car accessories. John says the range of products at Super Cheap is getting larger and larger. The shop is very competitive with other retailers and you still get the same good service. Gale’s Super Cheap Auto Spares and the rest of the retailers in the shopping complex have banded together to form the Fire Station Shopping Centre, creating a name for themselves that explains exactly where they can be found on the former Sydenham Fire Station site. Gale’s Super Cheap Auto Spares is open seven days.
New + Used Lamps for Cars, Trucks, Vans, 4WD, Motorhomes, Trailers & LED's. We can repair your existing lights including: Headlamp Adjusters, Lens Refurbishment and Plastic Welding.
PROUD: Marian College student Frances Daly, with her awards.
Force Band Adjudicator’s Choice trophy for her performance on piano for the school jazz band. Frances has been committed for many years to her musical craft, and will sit her grade eight piano exams later this year. Frances’ long-term goal is to make music her career, either in New Zealand or overseas.
Have a family member, friend or caregiver drop you off outside the main entrance to the Christchurch Hospital in the designated Drop-off zone.
Volunteers will be at the main entrance to help you. Please remember, there is NO waiting in the Drop-off zone.
Your driver can return to collect you at an agreed time, or they can park at the Metro Sports Facility (the old brewery site) parking on Antigua/St Asaph St and then walk, or catch the free shuttle back to the hospital to accompany you to your appointment.
Starting from 28 October 2014, a free shuttle will leave every 10-15 minutes from the car park for Hagley Outpatients and the main entrance of Christchurch Hospital. The shuttle runs between 7am and 8:30pm, 7 days a week. Collect the shuttle for the return journey to the car park at the designated Shuttle stop. Shuttles not suitable for wheelchairs. Please see cdhb.health.nz/parking for alternatives.
What matters to you is important to us. If there is anything we can do to help make your visit to Christchurch Hospital easier, please let us know.
Car parking is available on the site of the Metro Sports Facility (the old brewery site) on Antigua/St Asaph St. Parking costs $2 per hour or $5 for the day.
purposes and for drivers’ licences, and offer the extra benefits of acupuncture and podiatry. Their focus on education includes family planning advice and asthma and diabetes support. Knowing that their clients feel comfortable at the practice, the team offers minor surgery and biopsies so that patients can undergo procedures in a safe environment. They are supported by the administration team who provides a warm and friendly welcome to all their patients, both old and new. The practice manager, secretary and administrators will do their best to make your visit stress-free and secure. All team members are proud to be part of a health centre that serves its local community and provides continuity of care.
Visit www.cshc.co.nz to find out more about the team and the services available, or telephone (03) 332 0108, 027 357 7065 or 03 980 0419.
GOTCHA: Cashmere High School player Josh Tenebaum gets tagged.
OUTLET: Jacob Budgen throws a pass.
STOPPED: Blake Smythe is tagged by two Lincoln defenders.
RELEASED: Sam Bacon offloads under pressure.
Wow Burger and Pizza @ Ferrymead Golf 50 Ferrymead Park Drive, Chch. Ph: 03 376 5350. www.wowburger.co.nz Hours vary week to week subject to functions and can be found on our website.
he management team at Onyx Homes are arguably unrivaled in the home building sector. With years of experience and having previously built one of NZ’s largest nationwide building companies, at which time had won more Master Build Awards than any other company in the country, home building has become second nature.
with Gold or Silver service with this voucher!
With the client and their best intentions at the forefront of their company philosophy and a driven passion to get it right every-time has been the success of Onyx Homes. From concept design through to handing you the keys of your new home we guarantee you only the best experience. Our sole goal is to deliver a superior product on time with the best price that sets the benchmark for the building industry, and continue to raise the bar.
Onyx Homes managing director Richard Freeman with Placemakers Riccarton owner Grant Close.
Extremely comfortable. Choose from over EMAIL: [email protected] 100 designer tops.
by Judy Garden July 2001 - SeptemNewman, Ultimate Floral 60 ber 2003, 25 issues total, all as SEE WEBSITE FOR OUR FULL RANGE Cross stitch project hardcover new cond $45 the lot or $2 ea, www.pararubber.co.nz ph Rolleston new 03 326-6919 The diesel 03 347-9959 127as Blenheim Rd, PH 343 9820 No rainchecks.
Christchurch to get a foot in the door. People should always go with a Registered Master Builder to ensure they are in good hands and their asset is well protected”.
WoNDer NAilS Our fully trained staff offer the highest quality manicures, pedicures, acrylic or gel nails, backfills, French polishes and nail design.
No NeeD for A loNg flight to toKYo or PAriS! Simply see us for delicious Japanese & European breads, pastries, cakes, filled donuts, gourmet sandwiches and Kiwi style meat pies. Plus melon-pan (cookie bun) curry-pan (curry puff) shu cream (Japanese cream puff) and some of the best coffee in town.
Wednesday and Thursday this week, from 6pm at the Aranui High School hall. The evenings will start with a meal at 6pm, and the shows will start at 7pm. Tickets cost $20 including the cost of the meal, and are available at the door on the nights. For more information or to make a donation, phone AimeeChantelle on 021 0241 5606 or email [email protected].
determine where hearing loss has occurred and what the best treatment options are. Good funding is available in New Zealand for hearing aids. People with a history of occupational noise exposure can apply to ACC for funding. MOH subsidies of over $1000 are available for everyone else (if fitting both ears). Tinnitus is a traumatic condition for some people. An extremely specialised area most effectively treated by Auckland University in the north, and now Hearing Technology in the South since one of their audiologists extended their training at the University of Auckland clinic last year. Although there is no cure for tinnitus, there are extremely effective methods of managing the condition. The Shirley branch has extended opening hours to late night Tuesday and Saturday. Phone 0800 142 132. Take advantage of Hearing Technology’s promotional offers: Free wax removal for a year or 12 months’ free batteries (for patients who are already aided); save up to $3000 off a set of hearing aids if purchased before Christmas. Conditions apply for these offers. Contact Hearing Technology for details.
Because it’s not just your eyes that capture beauty.
To make your savings, mention this advert when you book an appointment at one of our clinics - Shirley, Barrington or Rangiora.
Audiologist Katrin Wendel in the Shirley sound-proof booth with one of her patients.
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With Alan’s training and experience, powerfully significant change can often be achieved in just 1 or 2 sessions.
Prescription! Playing a round of golf this week? Did you know recreational golfers suffer more injuries than professional golfers?
s in most bustling cities, the fastest and freshest food to be found in Bangkok is right on the street. These bustling street cafés are world-famous for delicious yet inexpensive meals cooked right in front of their hungry customers. Tuk Tuk Thai Takeaway in Hei Hei is bringing the concept of Bangkok street food to the heart of Christchurch. Chef Joy learnt her trade in this busy, historic city, running her own street café catering for locals and tourists. Now she is bringing her mouth-watering recipes to her very own restaurant/takeaway in Christchurch. If you ask Joy what she likes about having her own shop, she will tell you she loves to cook for other people. “It makes me happy that other people like the food I cook, I like to see their smiles,” she will tell you. She is a foodie at heart. Her focus is on good quality food prepared with fresh ingredients, resulting in a menu full of favourites, such as curries and dishes cooked in the wok like pad thai, spicy drunken noodles and chilli and basil stir-fry. The quality of the ingredients shows through with the choice of succulent tiger prawns and crunchy chef-selected vegetables.
for all your automotive needs It has been 13 years since John Gale took over the Super Cheap Auto Spares shop in Sydenham, and in that time the store, now named Gale’s Super Cheap Auto Spares, has grown from strength to strength.
Gale’s Super Cheap Auto Spares is a onestop-shop for allvery your automotive needs. All ribs are proving popular with customers the staff are experienced in the automotive wanting a quick meat fix. retail industry. Their commitment Tuk Tuk Thai Takeaway is located at 28to customerAvenue, service, with their the Wycola and combined is proud that extensive rangequality of products sell,locals make brand of high food isthey giving no better place the next time are you afor new approach totoThshop ai food. As they need to replace your oil and fi lter, disc pads, asked daily, they are at pains to point out that wiperare blades, anti-freeze or justthe need to pick they not associated with previous up general car accessories. tenant, Sawadee Thai Takeaway, and new and John says the range of been products at Super returning customers have excited with Cheap is getting larger and larger. Th e shop the changes Joy and her team have made.
is very competitive with other retailers and you still get the same good service. Gale’s Super Cheap Auto Spares and the rest of the retailers in the shopping complex have banded together to form the Fire Contact themCentre, at theircreating Facebook page for Station Shopping a name www.facebook.com/tuktuk.takeaway themselves that explains exactly where they or be visit can found www.tuktuktakeaway.co.nz. on the former Sydenham Fire Bookings telephone ordersAuto can Spares be Station site. and Gale’s Super Cheap made on 03 349 2796. is open seven days.
Open 7 Days Factory Shop - Cnr Carmen & Buchanans Rd, Hornby • Ph 03 336 0547; Barrington - 254 Barrington St • Ph: 03 337 5676 Ferry Rd - Cnr Aldwins & Ferry Rd, Christchurch • 380 5035; Papanui - 101 Main North Road • Ph: 03 352 8335 Riccarton - 221 Blenheim Rd • Ph: 03 343 6041; Upper Riccarton - Cnr Yaldhurst & Racecourse Rd • Ph: 03 342 5048 New Brighton - Plaza Mall, Hawke St • Ph: 03 388 1962; Rangiora - 13d High St • Ph 03 313 1027 While stocks last.
was accepted by the Canterbury Ballet to perform in their Junior Company at the Prague International Dance Festival and Competition in July. They won the Junior Grand Prix prize.
To Cormac Dods, Naia Toalamai-Holden, Jack Skipper and Asha Knox, Jayden Pearce, Andrew Pickering, Kieran Barr, Ari Giltrap, Cameron Harker, Cameron Jacques, Reuben Kelly, Max McKeich, Lochlan McKenzie, Matthew Morrish, Oscar Weston, Ben Hooper, Jacob Wilson and Jacob Davidson for earning a place in various Canterbury Rugby and Canterbury Rugby League teams. Congratulations to Anna Taylor who has just returned from a successful NZAIMS Games that were held recently in Tauranga. Anna, a Year 8 student, was placed first in the Senior Womens’ grade in Rhythmic Gymnastics, competing across 3 apparatus hoop, ball and clubs. Anna said “it was a fantastic opportunity to compete and be around other school kids of the same age that had similar interests”. This has capped off a very successful year for Anna who trains at the Diva Rhythmic Gymnastics Club. Anna represented New Zealand in Melbourne, placing 3rd overall at the Australian Gymnastic Championships in her grade. This year the Games, that are held annually, included 17 sports and were attended by 228 schools and had 7,500 student athletes competing.
Elite Blues have been awarded to Luke Sullivan for Judo and Katie Ranger for Karate this term and an Academic Blue was awarded to Millie Edwards for gaining a Distinction in Science, ICAS and also Thomas Pirker for gaining an Excellence at the Cantamaths Exhibit & Display Awards for his mathematical poster.
Five of our students represented Kirkwood in July at the Robofest Competition where they had to design, build, program and test an autonomous robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS technology. They had a great time working as a team to get their robots to perform a series of missions. In Term 3 Kirkwood hosted ten Chinese students and held a Global Robotic Creative Education Designer and Maker Festival which tied in well with our current Technology Programme.
Ski Day at Mount Hutt Red and Black Kirkwood Congratulations to Room 5 for winning the Update about the Proposed change to the No 81 Red & Black for a Day competition in support bus from Lincoln. Metro Bus Services are proposing to replace the No 81 bus from Lincoln with the No.80 bus which travel down Blenheim Road, Wharenui Road and Riccarton Road. They are proposing two bus stops outside numbers 4 & 5 Wharenui Road to cater for our students. These stops are just round the corner from Kirkwood.
of the Crusaders. They spent an afternoon practising their skills with some of The Crusaders – Rey Lee-Lo, Rob Thompson and Andy Ellis.
French flavours in a new bakery and cafe A slice of Parisian-style, fresh-baked flavour has come to Woolston with the opening of Terra Viva Bake in early September.
Tempting: Delicious cakes and pastries make special treats.
Dedicated: Jeanine Lester, left, Vanessa Bell, Anna Black and Jeremy Jaeger of Terra Viva Bake display a selection of breads and pastries.
Black at work, while the delicious aromas wafting through the café will set tastebuds alight as customers fervently scan the baskets and cabinets to decide what tasty items they will choose. The selection is extensive. It includes a wide range of sourdough breads (made from a culture from France), 15 different slices, cakes, bricoches, croissants, muffins, bagels, cheesecakes, patisserie pastries, gourmet pies and deli items, such as quiche and filled rolls. Everything is handmade on the premises. Hot and cold drinks include herbal teas, supreme coffee, spritzers and juices. Customers can enjoy their selection in the café, which provides a quiet spot away from the bustle of Ferry Rd, or take items home. Front of house manager Jeanine Lester says people are often buying special treats to take away and enjoy at their leisure.
Crusty: Some of the wide selection of breads available at Terra Viva Bake.
The entrance to Terra Viva Bake is located in Catherine Street, with off-street parking available. It opens at 7am, Tuesday to Friday, so is the ideal spot to grab a croissant or pastry and coffee on the way to work. It closes at 3pm, Tuesday to Friday, and is open from 9am to 3pm on Saturday. Terra Viva Bake products are also available to wholesale customers, and enquiries are welcome. Phone 384 8188.
U O Y K N A TH hurch!
Your support of our Colombo Street store opening was overwhelming.
WOW! Solid wood at this unbelievable price! This is the best value we have seen. It looks great and is well made.
1/2 PRICE! *Mattress, base, linen & pillows sold separately.
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T’Sinto beenyour a while we and veges diet.since I always talked the joys of and went along to about the supermarket cooking vegetables, so we helped thought choose the fruittoI have wanted it time a that week made me little bitwhich of a catch-up. Wemore were inclined to eat it. Now it’s just a reminded about it when listening to the of aveges new habit to eat lots ofauthor fruit and book advocating a fruit and every day. ” vegetable diet for two days a Now for another tip on cleaning week as a means to better dentures! J.M.L. from Whangarei health. We think vegetables writes, clean use a from“To your owndentures garden are teaspoon each of citric acid delicious anyway, and oneand does not need toIhave the baking soda. found ifexcuse I mixedof a ‘‘fasting diet’’ them. these together intoa enjoy container Lilley has a favourite recipe they hardened, so I keep them in for using up tough broccoli separate containers. Put will dentures stems in a soup. ‘‘You need: in 1cup, add(diced), citric acid andbroccoli baking onion 1 large stalk (diced), left over soda, then coverany with hot water. broccoli florets, 1 large potato, 1 It will fizz when water is added. vegetable stockwater. cube dissolved Rinse with clean Occasion2 cups water, 1 tsp butter, 1/4 allyin you will need to give dentures cup milk or cream, 1/4 cup a clean with a toothbrush and just cheese (optional), salt and baking soda. ” onion in butter pepper. Saute until clear. Add broccoli Jill from Dannevirke has and a sugpotato. with vegetable gestion forCover the reader who had and simmer for“I30have catstock invasion problems. minutes until very tender. successfully used Jeyes fluid with to Blend and season. Reheat deter cats.milk Sprinkle undiluted on a little or cream. Sprinkle thewith areacheese targeted by the cats, but if you like.’’ be sure to clean the area up first.
Another reader has a favourite lemon butter topping for broccoli. ‘‘Simply add 12 tbsp of lemon juice to 115g of melted butter. Mix in a little DIY: Make salt and pepper to taste. Stir your own fatogether and pour over cooked cial cleanser. broccoli. Serve immediately.’’ What about these tips for green beans with a difference. ‘‘Slice the beans and cook in water. Add a packet of onion soup mix and sliced mushrooms. Delicious!’’ Another great way to cook almost any vegetable is as tempura, which is a classic Japanese dish of deep fried battered vegetables (like until the batter is crisp and things away. I even ‘recycle’ zucchini, onions, eggplants, light golden. Eat immediately citrus peel! I dry the peel on a carrots, green peppers, sweet after cooking, while the batter plate when using the oven. potatoes, string beans, broccoli, is still crispy. With a After it is dry I grate or crush it mushrooms). Vegetables with a garnishing of rock salt, lemon and store the ‘spice’ in an very high water content are or lime juice, or with dips, airtight jar and use it in baking generally not suitable, tempura is a wonderful starter. to add flavour.’’ however, as they tend to release Spring is a vegetables really busy time in and other products too.” You may to repeat a time or It can also be used as a side DB says, ‘‘When water intohave the batter while garden, so please let us know KASW from Waikanae says, becomethe two, but The cats veges hate it.need It also works dish, especially with fish. wilted (carrots, cooking. to be has are a tipwonderful for lettuce, celery,tips you cut to cook if you havebeets, any garden “Baby wipes for broccoli, for thin dogs!enough Jeyes fluid caninbethe hard to Lorraine ‘‘This is a useful etc) trim the stem end slightly same timeI it takes the batter to ” silverbeet. would like to share. removing fly-spots from walls and find, but bought some recently. way to use as little or as much and soak the limp vegetable in become crispy. ceilings.” [Jeyes Fluid is a multi-purpose silverbeet as you like. I use four warm water for an hour or To make the batter you need • You John from Whangarei says he cleaner and disinfectant that is leaves of silverbeet chopped more. You will can findsend the tips and join the 1 cup plain flour, 1 egg, and 1 gotina anumber of great of recycling usedicefor a wide range garden Oilywill Ragbecome mailingfirm list by visitfinely batter mixture 3/4 vegetables cup cold water. Beatofthe egg cuptips flour and his 1 & latest 1/2 tsp baking and fresh for use.’’ in a bowl and stir in thejobs.] iced from gardening and outdoor cleaning ingready www.oilyrag.co.nz – or you powder. Whisk 1 orkeep 2 eggs, water. Add the flour andhas mixthis magazine. “To potadd plants J from Paraparaumu can write to us at Living Off the and baking powder, and of small lightly a wooden watered, punch a column tip for with getting out thespoon last of the flour Smell of an Oily Rag, PO Box milk to thin, then the greens. ■ Frank and Muriel handle or chopstick to avoid holes down the side of a thin cream from containers. “Instead 984,are Whangarei. over mixing (having lumps in Fry in a little hot oil. It’s lovely Newman the authors of bottle. Bury it in the pot LivingFrank of cutting top off a hand or withplastic and Muriel Newman are the batter isthe a hallmark of tomato sauce, which Off the Smell of an withappeal the top above the soil, body cream put it in the should thein authors of Living Off the tempura). Dipcontainer in the vegetables topoking children.’’ Oily Rag NZ. Submit your and deep fryfor in clean Kris a tip for orange oily rag tipsof atan Oily Rag in NZ. and has the holes facing the plant. Fill microwave aboutoil tenatseconds, Smell 180C, ‘‘I bottle don’t like to throw up and it will act like www.oilyrag.co.nz a then turning pour theoccasionally contents into a new peel.the Read our wealth of tips at www.
We think vegetables from your own garden are delicious anyway, and one does not need to have the excuse of a ‘‘fasting diet’’ to enjoy them.
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pepper Directions Cook pasta in plenty of boiling, salted water for five to eight minutes or according to packet instructions until just tender to the bite. Drain well. At the same time, heat a frying pan, add oil, then sear scallops for 1 minute on each side until golden brown. Add chilli (diced with seeds removed), zest of one lemon and juice of two, and rocket leaves to the pan and toss briefly to warm through. Add hot drained pasta to the scallops, season with salt and pepper, toss well and serve in pasta bowls.
to the vegetables and pulse to combine. Place sauce in a small stainless steel bowl, then mix in hazelnuts, remaining olive oil and red wine vinegar. Season to taste with a little salt and pepper, and set aside. Bring a medium-sized pot of water to the boil over a high heat. Add beans and blanch for 40–50 seconds. Remove beans from pot, drain and place in a serving bowl. Roughly tear remaining toasted ciabatta and scatter over beans before topping with romesco sauce. Serve immediately.
passionfruit pulp. Tip: To help turn jellies out, sit ramekins on a warm, wet tea towel for 1 or 2 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of ramekins to loosen.
Volunteers Needed The Red Cross recovery team couldn’t function without wonderful volunteers who give their time to help people in Christchurch.
Cross needs more volunteer drivers and more volunteers to help with community outreach and door-knocking. Red Cross volunteers are a diverse bunch of people who come from a wide range of backgrounds. Before Anthony Seumanutafa was a volunteer on the Cross Town Shuttle, he used the service to help him get across the city. “I find it to be a good way to help and socialise with people, and a way to say thank you to all those for their help – three for the price of one.” This desire to help is what unites volunteers, says Christine Williams, outreach volunteer. “We are able to give time, empathy, a listening ear and often some contact numbers for further assistance to enable the person we visit to continue to move forward.” If you have a little spare time you could give, why not get in touch with New Zealand Red Cross now to find out how you could help make a difference too?
Honey ginger chicken with chickpeas A small salad of garden greens is the perfect side dish for this yummy chicken marinade.
Ingredients 4 Chicken breasts 1 Tbsp Fresh ginger 2 tsp Fresh rosemary 3 Tbsp Honey 1 Tbsp Soy sauce 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar 2 Garlic cloves 1 Tbsp Oil 1 Onion 2 Capsicums 2 tsp Chilli powder 400g Chopped tomatoes 410g Chickpeas ¾ cup Stock Directions Take skinless, boneless chicken breasts and score chicken and put in a dish. Combine grated ginger, rosemary, honey, vinegar, soy sauce and garlic. Pour over chicken. Chill 4 hours. Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Heat the oil in a casserole dish or frying pan over a medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and fry until golden. Set aside. Add the sliced onion, sliced capsicum and chilli to the dish and cook for 5 minutes, then add the leftover marinade and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas (drained and rinsed) and stock (use vegetable or chicken stock). Bring to the boil. Put the chicken on top, cover and cook in the oven for 20 minutes.
Vietnamese kiwifruit relish Makes 1.25 cups Choose kiwifruit that are firm but ripe. Best made just before serving. Ingredients 1 Kaffir lime leaf, finely julienned 1 Kaffir lime, rind finely grated 1 Tbsp Lime juice, use kaffir lime juice or common lime juice if kaffir unavailable 1 Long red chilli, cut into rings 2 Tbsp Fresh coriander, coarsely chopped 4 Mint leaves 4 Vietnamese mint leaves 3 large Kiwifruit, use green kiwifruit, peeled and diced Directions Combine ingredients in a bowl. Great served with poached prawns tossed with chilli sauce and fresh herbs, or with grills or curries.
muscle strength and supports fat reduction. A controlled study has shown chromium picolinate to increase brain activity and activate specific regions of the brain improving learning, recall and memory. In another controlled study, laboratory rats that fed chromium picolinate increased their lifespan by 33 per cent. Some studies have shown chromium picolinate to be more beneficial than other types of chromium. It therefore appears that supplementation with chromium picolinate may be a highly beneficial way to improve our health and possibly even lifespan. For more information, visit Marshall’s Health and Natural Therapy, 110 Seaview Road, New Brighton, or call 388 5757.
hile working as head nurse of Sisters of Providence Hospital in northern Ontario, Rene Caisse was told by a patient how she had cured herself of advanced breast cancer by using a herbal formula given to her by a very old Ojibway Indian medicine man. Rene noted the formula down. A short time later Rene heard her mother’s sister had cancer of the stomach and liver with a maximum of six months to live. Rene made up the herbal formula she had noted down and gave this to her aunt who fully recovered from the cancer and lived for another 21 years. Her aunt’s doctor was so impressed he asked Rene if she could use her herbal remedy with some of his hopeless cancer cases. She did, with some exceptional results reported.
In 1922 at age 33, Rene left the hospital and went to Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada, where she began administering the herbal formula, she now called “Essiac TM” (her surname spelt backwards), to all who needed it. Most of her patients were referred by their physicians certifying they had terminal cancers. In many cases, her patients were at the end stage of cancer and many died, but generally they lived longer than predicted, with much less pain and other symptoms. Many however fully recovered with no reoccurrence of the cancer. After Rene Caisse died in 1978, her formula has become available again. Cancer is a serious condition. Natural herbal and nutrition therapy may be highly beneficial. Further information is available at Marshall’s Health and Natural Therapy. Phone 388 5757.
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Do you have a good garden plan? An attractive garden is a dream which requires proper planning and careful nurturing. To create a beautiful landscape around your dream home you need basic garden plans to begin with. These garden plans are generally provided by a professional garden planner or landscape designer. The garden plans can be of many types. You can plan for more than just beautifying your garden, your garden plans can also be made to decide the theme of the garden. Some of the popular garden plans are: •Garden for full sun •Garden for shade •Corner of grasses •Corner of shrubs •Corner of perennials •Island bed •Privacy garden •Fragrant garden •Vegetable garden Garden plans give an aesthetic dimension to the garden along with its basic theme. Colour schemes, quality and variety of plants, height of the plants, border and flooring are done to give the garden its uniqueness.
nal environment, making the most of the available usable areas. Master planners know that the selection of plants is of equal importance along with their strategic placement on the landscape. Garden plans also include the planning of the garden arborsor gazebo as well as entertaining areas and garden art and furniture. Modular design and a unique frame layout can make a simple garden gazebo. The garden gazebo is the perfect place to relax or to hold family dinners, and other special events. A gazebo in the garden plan ensures a favourite spot to unwind.
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Arborists specialise in the care of individual trees. They are knowledgeable about the needs of trees, and are trained and equipped to provide proper care. Hiring an arborist is a decision that should not be taken lightly. Proper tree care is an investment that can lead to substantial returns. Well cared-for trees are attractive and can add considerable value to your property. Poorly maintained trees can be a significant liability. Pruning or removing trees, especially large trees, can be dangerous work. Tree work should be done only by those trained and equipped to work safely in trees. Services an Arborist can Provide: • Pruning: An arborist can determine the type of pruning necessary to maintain or improve the health, appearance, and safety of trees. • Tree Removal: Although tree removal is a last resort, there are circumstances when it is necessary. An arborist can help decide whether a tree should be removed. • Emergency Tree Care: An arborist can assist in performing emergency tree care in a safe manner, while reducing further risk of damage to property. • Planting: Some arborists plant trees, and most can recommend species that are appropriate for a particular location. • Plant Health Care: Preventive maintenance helps keep trees in good health while reducing any insect, disease, or site problems.
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ow would you like to control your heat pump from anywhere, through your smartphone, tablet or online account? With new innovative technology, this is now available, allowing you to control each unit on the go via an internet connection. We can simply fit a new WiFi controller to your existing heat pump and give you even more flexibility over your home heating. We currently have a special deal offering a free service of your heat pump when fitting a new WiFi controller. Contact us now for further details. If you are rebuilding or repairing your home, Enviro Master can offer you a complete solution to meet your individual heating, cooling and ventilation needs. Many housing companies offer a package deal and therefore may size or position your heat pump incorrectly. It is best to talk to the experts to tailor a solution that will best suit your individual requirements. This can be done from your architectural plans or from a free in home consultation. Heat pumps are known to be one of the most energy efficient forms of heating available. In addition to being able to provide up to 4.9-kilowatt of energy for every one kilowatt used, there are the added benefits of cooling, dehumidifying and air filtration (great for people with allergies or asthma), benefits no other heating appliance can offer.
Ducted and multisystems are becoming increasingly popular, providing climatecontrolled comfort throughout your home or workplace. We are also able to incorporate ventilation into ducted systems. Enviro Master Ltd is your air conditioning and heat pump specialist and has been servicing the Christchurch area for over 12 years now. Enviro Master supplies, installs and services all the leading brands, including Panasonic, Fujitsu, Mitsubishi and Daikin. This means our team can show you which system and brand will best suit your needs in either your workplace or home. We are also able to repair any brand of heat pump. For a free in home consultation, call Enviro Master on 366 0525 or visit our showroom at 41A Shakespeare Road, Waltham, Christchurch.
asport offers a wide range of compliant clean air fires. Why buy a Masport wood fire? Wood fires are energy efficient and designed to heat your whole home. A wood fire has multiple functions. Apart from warming your home, they can be used for water heating and cooking, making it a smart solution if the power goes out. Masport wood fires are made in New Zealand, enabling operational spare parts to be made available for purchase up to 15 years from the last date of manufacture. Wood is cost-effective, making it the cheapest form of heating. As wood is a renewable energy source, it is a sound environmental choice. South Island Hardware has an extensive range of freestanding and built-in wood fire solutions for you, clean air fires that meet the Ministry for the Environment and Environment Canterbury standards, rural fires for properties situated on two hectares or more. Trust South Island Hardware to keep you warm throughout the year. *All new wood burners must meet the emission standards set by the Ministry for the Environment and Environment Canterbury.
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1. Under K.S.A. 2013 Supp. 21-5209, a criminal defendant may present a mental disease or defect defense to establish he or she lacked the culpable mental state required as an element of the charged crime. In turn, K.S.A. 2013 Supp. 21-5202(a) defines the phrase "culpable mental state" as including conduct performed "intentionally, " "knowingly, " or "recklessly." It does not list premeditation as a culpable mental state. Consequently, a district court does not err by omitting any reference to premeditation in a jury instruction regarding the defense of mental disease or defect.
2. Second-degree intentional murder is a lesser included offense of first-degree premeditated murder.
3. Under K.S.A. 2013 Supp. 22-3414, a district court should instruct the jury on a lesser included offense if there is some evidence that would reasonably justify a conviction of the lesser included crime. To determine whether this standard has been met, the district court should consider whether there is some evidence, when viewed in the light most favorable to the defendant, that would allow a rational factfinder to find the defendant guilty of the lesser included offense.
4. A district court does not err by instructing a jury both (1) that its only concern is to determine if the defendant is guilty or not guilty and (2) that a defendant found not guilty solely because of a mental disease or defect will be committed to the state security hospital for safekeeping and treatment until discharged according to law.
5. A district court does not err by refusing to allow a closing argument that a defendant would be fine with a second trial because the remark could be interpreted as encouraging jurors to violate their oath to return a verdict based solely on the evidence and to instead consider the consequences of a divided verdict.
6. A single error will not constitute cumulative error.
7. Under the facts of this case, sufficient evidence was presented of an especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel murder.
8. A district court does not abuse its discretion by declining to define heinous, atrocious, or cruel when instructing the jury.
9. K.S.A. 2013 Supp. 21-6624(f) is not unconstitutionally vague even though it defines an aggravating circumstance allowing for a hard 50 sentence as behavior that is especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel but describes behavior that is merely-rather than especially-heinous, atrocious, or cruel. The statute still provides a standard for heinous, atrocious, or cruel behavior and then indicates that standard must be especially met.
10. A defendant to whom a statute may constitutionally be applied cannot challenge the statute on the ground that it may conceivably be applied unconstitutionally in circumstances not before the court.
11. Under the facts of this case, a district court did not abuse its discretion by denying a defendant's request to be sentenced to a hard 25 life sentence.
12. If a defendant is sentenced under K.S.A. 2013 Supp. 21-6620(d)(6) and K.S.A. 2013 Supp. 21-6623, a district court errs by imposing postrelease supervision rather than parole.
Samuel D. Schirer, of Kansas Appellate Defender Office, argued the cause and was on the brief for appellant.
Charles E. Branson, district attorney, argued the cause, and Kate Duncan Butler, assistant district attorney, and Derek Schmidt, attorney general, were with him on the brief for appellee.
In January 2014, Sarah Gonzales McLinn confessed to law enforcement officers that she killed Hal Sasko. At her trial on a charge of first-degree premeditated murder, McLinn did not deny that she killed Sasko but argued she was not criminally responsible because a mental disease or defect prevented her from forming the culpable mental state necessary to convict her of the charge. The jury nonetheless convicted McLinn of first-degree premeditated murder. Then, during the sentencing proceeding, the jury determined McLinn murdered Sasko in an especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel manner, and the district court ultimately imposed a hard 50 life sentence.
On appeal, McLinn raises numerous arguments which relate to her mental disease or defect defense, including several jury instruction issues. McLinn contends these and other errors require us to reverse her conviction. Although we determine the district court committed one instructional error, we determine the error was harmless and we affirm McLinn's conviction.
McLinn also raises five issues arising from sentencing proceedings. We reject all but one of McLinn's sentencing issues: The district court erred in ordering postrelease supervision rather than parole. To remedy this error, we remand this case to the district court for resentencing.
A police officer discovered Sasko's body inside his Lawrence home on January 17, 2014. Sasko's hands were bound with zip ties. Other zip ties, some used and cut and some unused, were scattered near his feet. The police observed blood patterns and drops throughout the house and a blood smear above Sasko's head. Beer cans were strewn about, and three of them contained residue from a sleeping pill. A toxicology analysis on Sasko's system showed sleeping pills in an intoxicating concentration. A forensic pathologist testified at trial that Sasko died of stab and slicing wounds to his neck and that Sasko had no defensive wounds. The pathologist offered detailed testimony about the gruesome nature of the injury; suffice it to say, here, that McLinn cut through Sasko's neck and cut or sawed through most of the soft tissue surrounding the spine.
Sasko's car was missing, as was McLinn's dog, and when the police discovered McLinn's cell phone on the kitchen counter they became concerned she had been kidnapped. The police immediately began looking for McLinn and issued a nationwide alert for Sasko's car.
The police learned Sasko's car entered the Kansas turnpike early in the morning on January 14, 2014, and exited the turnpike near the Oklahoma border later that morning. Later, McLinn's family alerted the police she had tried to call her grandmother; those phone calls originated from convenience stores along the route from Kansas to Texas. Video surveillance showed it was McLinn, alone, who had made those calls, and the police eventually determined McLinn was a person of interest in the homicide. About a week later, Lawrence police officers learned the National Park Service had taken McLinn into custody near Miami, Florida.
A Lawrence police detective interviewed McLinn in Florida for about three hours on January 26, 2014. At trial, the detective testified McLinn indicated she knew the interview was about Sasko's death, and she told the detective she had killed Sasko because she wanted to see how it felt to kill someone. She elaborated on the preparations she had made in advance of killing Sasko, which included falsely covering her absence from work and gaining time to get out of town by telling her coworkers she had a death in the family. As for the actual murder, McLinn explained she crushed up some sleeping pills and put them in Sasko's beer. Later, Sasko stood up, stumbled, and passed out face-first on the floor. McLinn zip-tied Sasko's ankles and wrists while he was unconscious, but, as she tied Sasko's wrists, he woke up and mumbled something and then passed out again. McLinn told the detective she was having second thoughts at that point, but, according to the detective, she "resigned herself that she was going to kill Mr. Sasko and continued to bind his wrists." McLinn retrieved a hunting knife from her bedroom and knelt near Sasko's head. She felt for Sasko's carotid artery and then "plunged the knife into his neck until it hit something, which she believed was the carpet." Then, using both hands in "a sawing motion, " she "pulled the knife towards her so that it cut his neck." McLinn told the detective she had thoughts of killing someone for two years and "resigned on Mr. Sasko within five days preceding the murder."
After McLinn was charged with premeditated first-degree murder, she raised the defense of mental disease or defect. She alleged she suffered from dissociative identity disorder, or DID, which used to be known as "multiple personality disorder." The defense's expert witness, Dr. Marilyn Hutchinson, introduced the phrase "System of Sarah, " which she explained was "not uncommon nomenclature for people who work with [DID]." Dr. Hutchinson talked to four personalities or identities in McLinn's case- Alyssa, Vanessa, Myla, and No Name. Dr. Hutchinson explained that when she used the phrase "System of Sarah, " she was referring to "all of the personality parts and fragments that reside in the body known as Sarah McLinn."
Dr. Hutchinson testified she had met with McLinn several times over several months, for a total of 17.5 hours. In the beginning, Dr. Hutchinson noticed McLinn had "some unusual language patterns"-she "sometimes referred to herself in the plural, 'we, ' 'us, '"-and there were unusual gaps in her memory. Dr. Hutchinson "began to suspect that there was something other than depression or anxiety." She administered several standardized tests and also performed a clinical interview, which she designed to test for DID by using an interview structure set out in the Diagnostic of Statistical Medicine (DSM-V).
Dr. Hutchinson ultimately diagnosed McLinn with, among other things, DID. Dr. Hutchinson explained that this diagnosis did not describe a person with "this sort of collection of personalities, sort of like this is a family that is all walking around in one body." Instead, "it really is more like the person's identity, who they are, the self, . . . there isn't a one person there, that the self is in fragments. That self is dissociated or split apart into pieces and there is not a whole."
Dr. Hutchinson then explained the criteria for a DID diagnosis, as set forth in the DSM-V. "The major criteria is a disruption of identity characterized by two or more distinct personality states, " she began, and "[i]t involves marked discontinuity in the sense of self and sense of agency." According to Dr. Hutchinson, "The discontinuity and sense of self, the sense of agency, their perception, their cognition or their sensory motor functioning"-"everything"-could be affected by disruption of identity. Dr. Hutchinson also opined McLinn met the two secondary DSM-V criteria for DID: First, she had "recurrent gaps in the recall of everyday events because what one person does, one personality, one piece of the identity does isn't usually known by the others. Sometimes they know, but that clearly isn't always true." Second, she exhibited "clinically significant . . . stress or impairment" caused by the symptoms; Dr. Hutchinson explained "you can't just have [DID]. It has to matter."
Dr. Hutchinson offered extensive testimony about McLinn's mental health history, drug and alcohol use, childhood trauma, family experiences, sexual abuse, her relationship with Sasko, mental health medications, and her performance on diagnostic and mental status tests. Highly summarized, Dr. Hutchinson offered her opinion that McLinn could not form intent. She explained that "forming an intent is a rational thought" and McLinn "did not have the capability of a rational thought because she didn't, at the time of that, have access to all the parts of her that would go into making a rational choice like it works for the rest of us."
Vanessa, who was "quiet, soft-spoken, apologetic, often tearful, horrified at what had happened, scared, " was going to commit suicide to escape her circumstances with Sasko. Myla, who was more confident than Vanessa and whose role "was to be the mother of Vanessa because Vanessa couldn't take care of herself, " communicated Vanessa's suicide plans to the System of Sarah. Alyssa did not want Vanessa to "kill all of us, " and Alyssa's only idea to get out of the situation was to kill Sasko. According to Dr. Hutchinson, "Alyssa . . . perceived the greatest act of love she could do to protect the rest of the System was to kill Mr. Sasko." Dr. Hutchinson explained that Alyssa drugged Sasko and bound him, but it was Vanessa who briefly regained control and cut the ties. Then Alyssa took over, retied Sasko's hands, and killed him.
Dr. Hutchinson also testified that "premeditation has, by definition, malice and aforethought, and without respect for life, and it was my conclusion that Alyssa made the choice that to save the life of the System, she had to take the life of Mr. Sasko." At the State's request, the district court admonished the jury to disregard Dr. Hutchinson's statement about the definition of premeditation, as it would instruct the jury on the law later, "and the definition given [by Dr. Hutchinson] is a bit contrary to the law."
The State had asked Dr. William Logan, a physician and clinical psychiatrist, to evaluate McLinn and give his professional opinion as to whether she was capable of forming the intent to kill Sasko. At trial, Dr. Logan testified he did not find "any mental disorder that rose to the level that it would have prevented her from forming intent." He noted that the DSM-V carried cautionary instructions for its use in forensic settings, notably that a "diagnosis alone doesn't equate to any one particular legal conclusion because diagnoses vary in severity and the diagnosis alone doesn't, by itself, tell you how that individual is able to function in that particular setting or what they are capable of doing."
Dr. Logan, like Dr. Hutchinson, found McLinn's personal history "significant in that she had undergone a number of traumas, " including being molested by a neighbor when she was a young child and dealing with her parents' divorce. He also testified that McLinn's schooling experience was "difficult" because a period of early homeschooling left her "kind of deficient in social interaction" and then she attended numerous different schools over the years, which forced her to make "a number of transitions."
Dr. Logan testified he had reviewed Dr. Hutchinson's report, and "[t]he significant thing about the report, " he explained, was that "she really didn't explain how the [DID diagnosis] went to the issue of whether or not Miss McLinn could form intent"-although he acknowledged the report was later amended. Dr. Logan did not have strong opinions about whether McLinn had DID. "I think certainly it's a possibility, " he stated, and, "I don't know that I could confirm it but I respect Dr. Hutchinson and she spent a great number of hours with [McLinn]." He also stated, "I certainly think at this juncture Miss McLinn believes she has the disorder." In Dr. Logan's opinion, McLinn had a strong history for depression and anxiety, some reported symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder, and "it is possible that she has [DID]." In short, Dr. Logan was "open" to Dr. Hutchinson's diagnosis, but he "didn't think that it reached the level that it prevented her from forming an intent to kill Mr. Sasko." In his opinion, "with a reasonable medical certainty, " McLinn could form intent to kill Sasko on January 14, 2014.
The jury found McLinn guilty of first-degree premeditated murder. The district court then informed the jury there would be a separate penalty phase proceeding, as the State had previously given notice of its intent to seek a hard 50 sentence. The jury thereafter found McLinn committed murder in an especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel manner. The district court ultimately sentenced McLinn to life imprisonment, without possibility of parole for 50 years, followed by lifetime postrelease supervision. McLinn appealed the guilty verdict, the denial of her motion for a new trial, and her sentence.
McLinn raises five guilt phase issues. The first two, both of which object to jury instructions, hinge on "intent"-what intent was needed to establish criminal liability and what evidence of McLinn's intent was demonstrated or supported at trial. McLinn's third argument, also a jury instruction issue, asks whether the jury should have been allowed to consider the disposition of her case-specifically, whether she would be able to get help for her mental illness in prison-in determining her guilt. McLinn then raises an issue of potential error in the closing statements: She argues the district court erred by limiting her counsel from telling the jury she would not mind a second trial. Then, in her final guilt phase issue, she argues cumulative error denied her a fair determination of her guilt.
Guilt Phase Issue 1: The District Court's Mental Disease or Defect Instruction Was Not Clearly Erroneous.
We first address McLinn's argument regarding the jury instruction that addressed her mental disease or defect defense-Instruction 13. To put that instruction and McLinn's argument in perspective, it helps to review a total of six jury instructions. Some of these instructions relate to McLinn's mental disease or defect defense and others to the State's burden of proof.
In the order presented to the jury, the first of these instructions, Instruction 7, informed the jury of the basic contours of McLinn's mental disease or defect defense and discussed burden of proof in the context of the defense. It provided: "The defendant raises mental disease or defect as a defense. Evidence in support of this defense should be considered by you in determining whether the State has met its burden of proving that the defendant is guilty. The State's burden of proof does not shift to the defendant."
"The defendant is charged with murder in the first degree. . . .
"1. The defendant intentionally killed Harold M. Sasko.
"2. The killing was done with premeditation.
"3. This act occurred on or about the 14th day of January, 2014, in Douglas County, Kansas."
Instruction 11 explained the first of these enumerated elements-the State's burden to prove McLinn intentionally killed Sasko: "The State must prove that the defendant committed the crime intentionally. A defendant acts intentionally when it is the defendant's desire or conscious objective to do the act complained about by the State."
Instruction 12 explained the second enumerated element and what was encompassed in the State's burden to prove that the killing was done with premeditation: "Premeditation means to have thought the matter over beforehand, in other words, to have formed the design or intent to kill before the act. Although there is no specific time period required for premeditation, the concept of premeditation requires more than the instantaneous, intentional act of taking another's life."
"Evidence has been presented that the defendant was afflicted by mental disease or defect at the time of the alleged crime. This evidence is to be considered only in determining whether the defendant had the culpable mental state required to commit the crime. The defendant is not criminally responsible for her acts if because of mental disease or defect the defendant lacked the intent to kill Harold M. Sasko.
"A defendant acts intentionally when it is a defendant's desire or conscious objective to do the act complained about by the state."
"not guilty solely because the defendant, at the time of the alleged crime, was suffering from a mental disease or defect which rendered the defendant incapable of possessing the required culpable mental state, then the defendant is committed to the State Security Hospital for safekeeping and treatment until discharged according to law."
McLinn mainly takes issue with the sentence in Instruction 13 that instructed the jury she could not be held "criminally responsible for her acts if because of mental disease or defect [she] lacked the intent to kill Harold M. Sasko." For the first time on appeal, she contends the district court should have included premeditation in this statement, so that the instruction would have provided that McLinn was "not criminally responsible for her acts if because of mental disease or defect [she] lacked the intent to kill Harold M. Sasko or the ability to premeditate the killing, " or some similar variant of the italicized language.
She justifies this proposed wording by arguing "premeditation requires rational thought processes that go beyond an intent to cause a particular result." Given that requirement, she argues the jury could have found that McLinn's "fragmented psyche prevented her from rationally reflecting upon the decision to kill Mr. Sasko"-especially since the System of Sarah "was far from unified" about the desirability of Sasko's death. Stated another way, McLinn primarily argues that premeditation requires rational reflection on the act of killing, and her "mental disease or defect defense called into doubt whether she was capable of such rational thought." If the jury accepted Dr. Hutchinson's testimony about her psyche, she explains, it likely would have found McLinn incapable of forming the rational thought necessary for premeditation. She argues the district court, by using Instruction 13 to limit the reach of her mental disease or defect defense to only the element of intent, prevented the jury from considering whether her mental disease prevented her ability to premeditate.
The State agrees "premeditation is clearly a state of mind." It also acknowledges some defendants, in situations similar to McLinn's, use the mental disease or defect defense to challenge both the premeditation and intent elements. But it argues McLinn cited no cases explicitly or implicitly requiring the district court to include both premeditation and intent in the mental disease or defect instruction. In McLinn's case, the State argues, such an instruction would not have been factually appropriate because at trial both parties primarily focused on whether McLinn could form intent, not premeditation. In any event, however, the State contends that even if Instruction 13 was erroneous McLinn suffered no prejudice.
In essence, McLinn argues that Instruction 13, as given, misled the jury and was not legally or factually appropriate. See State v. Seba, 305 Kan. 185, 192, 380 P.3d 209 (2016).
(3) assessing whether the error requires reversal, i.e., whether the error can be deemed harmless." State v. Williams, 295 Kan. 506, 510, 286 P.3d 195 (2012).
See also, e.g., State v. Johnson, 304 Kan. 924, 931, 376 P.3d 70 (2016) (listing four steps, in which the second step is split into considering two types of errors).
The "first and third step are interrelated in that whether a party has preserved a jury instruction issue will affect [this court's] reversibility inquiry at the third step." State v. Bolze-Sann, 302 Kan. 198, 209, 352 P.3d 511 (2015).
Applying the first step, there is no dispute McLinn did not object to the instruction now at issue. "When a party fails to object to or request a jury instruction at trial, K.S.A. 22-3414(3) limits appellate review to a determination of whether the instruction was clearly erroneous." State v. Knox, 301 Kan. 671, 680, 347 P.3d 656 (2015); see K.S.A. 2013 Supp. 22-3414(3).
At the second step, in determining whether an error actually occurred, we "consider whether the subject instruction was legally and factually appropriate, employing an unlimited review of the entire record." Williams, 295 Kan. 506, Syl. ¶ 4; see State v. Plummer, 295 Kan. 156, 160-63, 283 P.3d 202 (2012).
At the third step, which is our reversibility inquiry when applying the clear error standard, we will only reverse the district court if an error occurred and we are "'firmly convinced that the jury would have reached a different verdict had the instruction error not occurred.'" Knox, 301 Kan. at 680 (quoting Williams, 295 Kan. 506, Syl. ¶ 5); see State v. Tahah, 302 Kan. 783, 793, 358 P.3d 819 (2015) (explaining the clear error standard is in reality a heightened standard of harmlessness, and less of a standard of review). The party claiming a clear error has the burden to demonstrate the necessary prejudice. Knox, 301 Kan. at 680.
We conclude the district court did not error by limiting Instruction 13 to the element of intent. The instruction was appropriate as given and would have been inappropriate if changed to the wording McLinn apparently proposes-"The defendant is not criminally responsible for her acts if because of mental disease or defect the defendant lacked the intent to kill Harold M. Sasko or the ability to premeditate the killing." The State's concession that premeditation is a mental state and, thus, impliedly its concession that the instruction would have been appropriate, although not required, does not bind our review of this legal issue. See Ritchie Paving, Inc. v. City of Deerfield, 275 Kan. 631, 641, 67 P.3d 843 (2003) ("Stipulations as to what the law is are not effective and not controlling on this court.").
McLinn's argument is rooted in the pattern instruction relating to the mental disease or defect defense, which concludes with these words: "if because of mental disease or defect the defendant lacked the [set out the particular mental state which is an element of the crime or crimes charged]." PIK Crim. 4th 52.120. This italicized wording broadly refers to "mental state, " and our caselaw has occasionally referred to premeditation as a mental state-one part of the mental state inquiry. See State v. Jones, 279 Kan. 395, 404, 109 P.3d 1158 (2005) ("While the evidence points to [the defendant] as the perpetrator, legitimate questions exist as to his state of mind at the time of the murder, i.e., whether [the victim] was killed with premeditation or simply with intent, however prolonged."). McLinn thus reasons, after considering the pattern instruction and our precedent, that the jury should have been instructed to consider whether her mental disease or defect prevented her from being able to premeditate killing Sasko.
Despite the broad language in PIK and our caselaw, we conclude the precise question under Kansas' current statutes is not whether premeditation is a "mental state" but whether it is by legal definition a "culpable mental state." The Legislature has provided for this precise and focused inquiry in the current mental disease or defect defense statute, which became effective July 1, 2011 (more than two years before Sasko's murder). That statute, K.S.A. 2013 Supp. 21-5209, states: "It shall be a defense to a prosecution under any statute that the defendant, as a result of mental disease or defect, lacked the culpable mental state required as an element of the crime charged. Mental disease or defect is not otherwise a defense." (Emphasis added.) In turn, K.S.A. 2013 Supp. 21-5202(a) provides that "[a] culpable mental state may be established by proof that the conduct of the accused person was committed 'intentionally, ' 'knowingly' or 'recklessly.'" Premeditation is not listed as a "culpable mental state."
Of these three listed statutory culpable mental states, "intentionally" is the only one used in the statutory elements of first-degree premeditated murder. And, in turn, "intentionally" is the only culpable mental stated used in Instruction 10, which sets out the elements of first-degree premeditated murder as particularized to the facts of this case. See K.S.A. 2013 Supp. 21-5209. The district court's jury instructions incorporated these concepts through Instruction 7 (directing the jury to consider McLinn's defense), Instruction 11 (defining "intent" as McLinn's desire or conscious objective to do the act), and Instruction 13 (instructing the jury that McLinn was "not criminally responsible for her acts if because of mental disease or defect the defendant lacked the intent to kill Harold M. Sasko").
McLinn essentially asks this court to broaden the legislatively enacted definition of "culpable mental state" to include premeditation, but she offers no authority for us to do so. And indeed, as we frequently reiterate, courts "read the language as it appears, without adding or deleting words" to unambiguous statutes. Landrum v. Goering, 306 Kan. 867, 872-73, 397 P.3d 1181 (2017). Applying that rule here, we perceive no ambiguity in the Legislature's limitation of the mental disease or defect defense to culpable mental states, a statutorily defined term. K.S.A. 2013 Supp. 21-5209. Nor is there ambiguity in K.S.A. 2013 Supp. 21-5202(a)'s limitation of the phrase "culpable mental state" to actions made intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly.
Instead of offering authority for expanding the current statutory definition of "culpable mental state, " McLinn focuses on our past decisions involving the mental disease or defect defense, intent, and premeditation. As we previously noted, these decisions occasionally refer to premeditation as part of a "state of mind inquiry" and impliedly or explicitly approve instructions informing the jury that a defendant was not responsible for his or her acts if "'because of mental disease or defect the defendant lacked the premeditation and intent required for first-degree murder.'" (Emphasis added.) State v. White, 279 Kan. 326, 333, 109 P.3d 1199 (2005) (White I); see also State v. White, 284 Kan. 333, 345, 161 P.3d 208 (2007) (White II); State v. Henry, 273 Kan. 608, 619, 44 P.3d 466 (2002). But see State v. Washington, 275 Kan. 644, 675, 68 P.3d 134 (2003) (court instructed "'the defendant is not criminally responsible for his acts if because of mental disease or defect the defendant lacked the necessary element of intent to kill'").
These decisions, however, were decided under the previous version of the mental disease or defect defense statute, K.S.A. 22-3220. Under that version, it was a defense to prosecution "that the defendant, as a result of mental disease or defect, lacked the mental state required as an element of the offense charged." (Emphasis added.) K.S.A. 22-3220 (repealed July 1, 2011). This earlier version did not use the wording "culpable mental state."
Moreover, even under these earlier cases, premeditation is more properly understood as a temporal consideration to the mental state of intent: Premeditation "means to have thought the matter over beforehand, " meaning "to have formed the design or intent to kill before the act." In other words, our premeditation inquiry asks when the intent to kill was formed. State v. Hebert, 277 Kan. 61, 88, 82 P.3d 470 (2004) ("'[T]he concept of premeditation requires more than the instantaneous, intentional act of taking another's life.'" [quoting PIK Crim. 3d 56.04(b)]); see also PIK Crim. 4th 54.110 (requiring the State to prove the defendant "intentionally killed" the victim and the killing "was done with premeditation"); Knox, 301 Kan. at 681 ("'Premeditation means to have thought the matter over beforehand and does not necessarily mean an act is planned, contrived, or schemed beforehand; rather, premeditation indicates a time of reflection or deliberation.'" [quoting State v. Kettler, 299 Kan. 448, 466, 325 P.3d 1075');">325 P.3d 1075 (2014)]).
For example, when we referred to premeditation as a mental state in Jones, one of the cases McLinn cites, we did so in the context of whether Samuel Jones, Jr., formed the intent to kill before he killed his victim by strangulation or whether he merely acted with intent to kill formed at the time of death. See Jones, 279 Kan. at 402 ("We begin by observing that premeditation is the process of thinking about a proposed killing before engaging in the homicidal conduct.").
McLinn counters by pointing to the portion of Jones where this court asserted premeditation "means something more than the instantaneous, intentional act of taking another's life." Jones, 279 Kan. at 402. This "something more" does not refer to a heightened culpable mental state other than "intentionally, " however. Instead, the "something more" means that intent cannot be formed in the instant of the act. See State v. Saleem, 267 Kan. 100, 105, 977 P.2d 921 (1999) (identifying premeditation as a state of mind but describing it as "relating to a person's reasons and motives for acting as he or she did, " not as part of the state of mind requirement); see also State v. Scott, 271 Kan. 103, 108-09, 21 P.3d 516 (2001) (rejecting a defendant's argument that the State failed to prove premeditation because he did not have time to think about killing the victim prior to doing so, as "[p]remeditation is the time of reflection or deliberation").
As the discussions in these cases indicate, premeditation cannot be separated from an intent to kill-premeditation involves forming the intent beforehand. Conceptually, these cases are consistent with the current mental disease or defect defense statute that requires the defendant lack the culpable mental state for the crime charged. The instructions informed the jury that McLinn had to (1) intend to kill Sasko and (2) premeditate the killing, meaning forming the intent to kill before the act. These instructions make it clear that McLinn had to form intent at both temporal points-before the killing and at the time of the killing. See K.S.A. 2013 Supp. 21-5209; K.S.A. 2013 Supp. 21-5202.
McLinn has not established an error in the challenged jury instruction.
Guilt Phase Issue 2: The District Court Did Not Clearly Err In Failing to Sua Sponte Instruct the Jury on Second-Degree Intentional Murder. | 2019-04-18T22:43:45Z | http://ks.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20180126_0000039.KS.htm/qx |
The following stocks were moving the Services sector today.
Jive Software Inc (JIVE): JIVE stock is up 2.5% today.
Textainer Group Holdings (TGH): TGH stock is down 2.42% today. Majesco Entertainmnt (COOL): COOL stock is down 2.4% today. Qumu Corporation (QUMU): QUMU stock is down 2.32% today. Datawatch Cp (DWCH): DWCH stock is down 2.21% today. Twitter Inc (TWTR): TWTR stock is down 2.2% today. Amer Software Inc (AMSWA): AMSWA stock is down 2.17% today. Salesforce.Com Inc (CRM): CRM stock is down 2.14% today. Zix Corp (ZIXI): ZIXI stock is down 2.13% today. Applied Dna Scns Cmn (APDN): APDN stock is down 2.08% today. Meetme Inc (MEET): MEET stock is down 1.96% today.
Shares of AV Homes (NASDAQ:AVHI) have soared today, up by 29% as of 1:40 p.m. EDT, after the company announced it was being acquired. Larger homebuilder Taylor Morrison Home Corporation (NYSE:TMHC) is scooping up AV Homes in a $1 billion deal.
Headlines about AV Homes (NASDAQ:AVHI) have been trending somewhat positive on Saturday, according to Accern Sentiment. The research firm identifies positive and negative news coverage by reviewing more than 20 million blog and news sources. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. AV Homes earned a media sentiment score of 0.06 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned news headlines about the financial services provider an impact score of 44.8950832122121 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the next few days.
ValuEngine lowered shares of Cemex (NYSE:CX) from a sell rating to a strong sell rating in a research report report published on Wednesday.
CX has been the topic of a number of other reports. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Cemex from $11.00 to $10.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 16th. UBS downgraded shares of Cemex from a buy rating to a sell rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $7.62 to $6.50 in a research report on Thursday, February 15th. Bank of America raised shares of Cemex from a neutral rating to a buy rating and increased their price objective for the company from $8.00 to $8.50 in a research report on Monday, April 9th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Longbow Research cut shares of Cemex from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $12.00 target price for the company. in a report on Friday, April 27th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase restated an overweight rating and issued a $10.00 target price (down previously from $10.60) on shares of Cemex in a report on Wednesday, March 14th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $9.34.
Shares of Cemex traded up $0.02, reaching $6.03, during trading on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports. 5,467,715 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 9,993,179. The firm has a market cap of $8.57 billion, a PE ratio of 14.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 1.39. Cemex has a 12-month low of $5.72 and a 12-month high of $10.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a current ratio of 0.73.
Cemex SAB de CV (NYSE: CX) traded down 4% Tuesday and posted a new 52-week low of $6.68 after closing Monday at $6.96. The stock’s 52-week high is $10.37. Volume was around 12.5 million, about 25% above the daily average of around 10.5 million. The company had no specific news.
Cemex (NYSE: CX) is a global building materials company that produces, distributes and sells cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates and related building materials in more than 50 countries. Cemex’s U.S. network includes 11 cement plants, 43 strategically located distribution terminals, 57 aggregate quarries and more than 270 ready-mix concrete plants. Its products are used in bridges, roads, structures, dams and more.
Indexes kept moving up on Monday, adding to their record-setting advance on Friday and sending the S&P 500 to another new high. Progress on the trade front also helped to push the manufacturing sector higher, and that led the Dow Jones Industrial Average to gains of more than 250 points. Market participants were pleased to see stocks hold on to their positive momentum from last week, and more good news from some leading companies helped to keep investors happy. Cemex (NYSE:CX), iQiyi (NASDAQ:IQ), and Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) were among the best performers on the day. Here’s why they did so well.
Cemex SAB de C.V. (NYSE: CX) was up more than 3% Monday morning to $7.24. The building materials giant’s shares have had a $5.72 to $9.54 trading range in the past 52 weeks, and the consensus price target was last seen at $9.37.
Compass Minerals International, Inc. (NYSE:CMP) is often listed as a miner, but the salt and fertilizer it produces are a bit different than what most investors think of when they hear the word “miner.” That makes Compass something of an odd duck and results in it being off of most investors’ radar screens. A tough 2017 is another net negative. That’s a shame, since it currently sports a yield of more than 4.4%, and the business outlook is improving. Here’s what investors are missing out on with this high-yield stock.
Crawford & Company (NYSE:CRD.A) and Erie Indemnity (NASDAQ:ERIE) are both business services companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, risk, earnings, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability and valuation.
Econ Financial Services Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Erie Indemnity (NASDAQ:ERIE) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 24,237 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $3,231,000. Erie Indemnity accounts for 4.9% of Econ Financial Services Corp’s investment portfolio, making the stock its largest position.
No matter your investing style, stocks that no one is paying attention to are often the best deals. Unpopular or lightly followed dividend stocks can become depressed in price, pushing up the yields and creating bargains for eagle-eyed investors. Three of our Motley Fool contributors think Vodafone (NASDAQ:VOD), Hanesbrands (NYSE:HBI), and Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) aren’t getting the attention they deserve. Here’s why these dividend stocks would make a great addition to your portfolio.
Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) issued its earnings results on Monday. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.22 by ($0.01), Fidelity Earnings reports. Kronos Worldwide had a return on equity of 33.77% and a net margin of 12.94%. The company had revenue of $349.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $378.00 million.
Despite continued strength globally for the material, many titanium dioxide producers have seen their share prices drop by double digits since the beginning of the year. For instance, Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) stock has dropped by 19% in 2018 even though the business is cruising along right now. That has pushed its dividend yield to 3.4% — much higher than most peers.
Shares of Kronos Worldwide (NYSE:KRO) plunged on Wednesday after the company announced first-quarter 2018 results. The titanium dioxide manufacturer reported strong growth compared to the year-ago period thanks to the continued surge in selling prices. Revenue was up 16% and net income nearly doubled relative to the first quarter of 2017. How can Wall Street be displeased with that?
Shares of Kronos Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:KRO) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Hold” by the six research firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $25.33.
This entry was posted in Best Stocks and tagged AVHI, CMP, CX, ERIE, KRO on March 23, 2019 by admin.
and Transamerica. More premium hikes, especially to longtime policyholders, are expected.
Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:PBH) – Investment analysts at Gabelli cut their FY2019 earnings estimates for shares of Prestige Brands in a research report issued on Tuesday, July 3rd. Gabelli analyst Z. Bodini now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $3.00 per share for the year, down from their prior forecast of $3.05. Gabelli also issued estimates for Prestige Brands’ FY2020 earnings at $3.35 EPS, FY2021 earnings at $3.75 EPS, FY2022 earnings at $4.20 EPS and FY2023 earnings at $4.65 EPS.
Premium Brands Holdings Corp (TSE:PBH) Director Stephen Sposari sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$117.01, for a total transaction of C$351,030.00.
Premium Brands Holdings Corp (TSE:PBH) has earned an average recommendation of “Buy” from the seven analysts that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is C$132.14.
Northwest Biotherapeutics (OTC:NWBO) presented underwhelming preliminary data from a late-stage study of DCVax-L in brain cancer.
Community Health Systems (NYSE:CYH) amended to extend the “Early Tender Deadline” and the “Expiration Date” for each Exchange Offer announced earlier.
The last time we left Northwest Biotherapeutics (OTC:NWBO), I stated in a fairly cautious article that there are persistent risks associated with an investment in this company. Back in November, I did not feel that the benefits outweighed the risks for this small cap equity.
American Century Companies Inc. decreased its holdings in DXP Enterprises Inc (NASDAQ:DXPE) by 40.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 159,977 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 106,808 shares during the quarter. American Century Companies Inc.’s holdings in DXP Enterprises were worth $6,111,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Press coverage about DXP Enterprises (NASDAQ:DXPE) has been trending somewhat positive on Thursday, Accern Sentiment reports. The research group rates the sentiment of media coverage by analyzing more than 20 million news and blog sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. DXP Enterprises earned a coverage optimism score of 0.22 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media headlines about the industrial products company an impact score of 44.8189875544661 out of 100, indicating that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the next few days.
American Century Companies Inc. decreased its position in DXP Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:DXPE) by 63.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 266,785 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 454,667 shares during the quarter. American Century Companies Inc. owned approximately 1.54% of DXP Enterprises worth $10,391,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
DXP Enterprises (NASDAQ:DXPE) was downgraded by research analysts at BidaskClub from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note issued on Thursday.
News stories about DXP Enterprises (NASDAQ:DXPE) have been trending somewhat positive on Saturday, according to Accern. Accern scores the sentiment of news coverage by reviewing more than twenty million blog and news sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. DXP Enterprises earned a media sentiment score of 0.21 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news headlines about the industrial products company an impact score of 46.1699723331071 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the near future.
Media headlines about Norwood Financial (NASDAQ:NWFL) have trended somewhat negative this week, according to Accern Sentiment Analysis. Accern identifies negative and positive news coverage by reviewing more than twenty million news and blog sources. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Norwood Financial earned a coverage optimism score of -0.01 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned news coverage about the financial services provider an impact score of 46.6420547965898 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the immediate future.
Shares of transplant specialist CareDx (NASDAQ:CDNA) jumped 13.5% on Friday after the company reported solid second-quarter earnings after the bell on Thursday, leading management to raise guidance for the year.
Genomic Health (NASDAQ: GHDX) and CareDx (NASDAQ:CDNA) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability, institutional ownership, valuation and earnings.
CareDx Inc (NASDAQ:CDNA) CFO Michael Brian Bell sold 16,355 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.06, for a total value of $409,856.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 52,238 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,309,084.28. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.
Craig Hallum set a $35.00 target price on CareDx (NASDAQ:CDNA) in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the stock.
In the Lightning Round, Cramer was bullish on Idexx Laboratories (IDXX) , XPO Logistics (XPO) , Diamondback Energy (FANG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW) .
Illinois Tools Works (ITW) shares fell after the company’s earnings report, but Cramer and the AAP team see it as an opportunity to buy more shares. Find out what they’re telling their investment club members and get in on the conversation with a free trial subscription to Action Alerts PLUS.
Jefferies Financial Group Inc began coverage on shares of At Home Group (NYSE:HOME). They issued a buy rating and a $45.00 target price on the stock.
Real Money columnist Robert Lang says that while retail “has certainly had its challenges over the past couple of years, between difficulties in the mall and then the big gorilla in the room, Action Alerts PLUS holding Amazon (AMZN) …there are a handful of names that continue to perform well, one of those is At Home Group (HOME) .
In this segment from Motley Fool Money, host Chris Hill asks analysts Jason Moser, David Kretzmann, and Andy Cross to give us the lowdown on some companies that caught their attention recently. Their picks this week are stun gun and body-cam leader Axon Enterprise (NASDAQ:AAXN), home-improvement retailer Home Depot (NYSE:HD), and Indian online travel agency MakeMyTrip (NASDAQ:MMYT).
MakeMyTrip Limited (NASDAQ:MMYT) hit a new 52-week high and low during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $41.70 and last traded at $40.35, with a volume of 24850 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $39.10.
MakeMyTrip (NASDAQ: MMYT) and Yatra Online (NASDAQ:YTRA) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, earnings and risk.
TheStreet lowered shares of MakeMyTrip (NASDAQ:MMYT) from a c- rating to a d+ rating in a report published on Tuesday.
Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of MakeMyTrip from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $19.80 price target for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 15th. BidaskClub downgraded shares of MakeMyTrip from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 20th. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of MakeMyTrip from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $45.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, June 15th. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of MakeMyTrip from $40.00 to $39.50 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 9th. Finally, ValuEngine downgraded shares of MakeMyTrip from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, September 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $36.36.
Nomura upgraded shares of MakeMyTrip (NASDAQ:MMYT) from a reduce rating to a neutral rating in a report issued on Monday morning, Marketbeat reports.
This entry was posted in Best Stocks and tagged AVHI, CDNA, DXPE, EPU, HOME, ITW, MMYT, NWBO, NWFL, PBH on March 14, 2019 by admin.
Shares of Clean Energy Fuels Corp (NASDAQ:CLNE) were down 15.6% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $3.05 and last traded at $3.13. Approximately 5,742,302 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 232% from the average daily volume of 1,731,432 shares. The stock had previously closed at $3.71.
Several analysts have recently commented on CLNE shares. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Clean Energy Fuels from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $3.25 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, June 15th. BidaskClub upgraded shares of Clean Energy Fuels from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 23rd. ValuEngine upgraded shares of Clean Energy Fuels from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 2nd. Finally, Raymond James lowered shares of Clean Energy Fuels from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Thursday. They noted that the move was a valuation call.
News headlines about BENITEC BIOPHAR/S (NASDAQ:BNTC) have trended somewhat positive on Wednesday, according to Accern Sentiment Analysis. The research group ranks the sentiment of news coverage by reviewing more than 20 million blog and news sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. BENITEC BIOPHAR/S earned a news sentiment score of 0.10 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned headlines about the biotechnology company an impact score of 46.3493613805465 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the immediate future.
NASDAQ STRS traded down $0.25 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $31.10. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 528 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,123. Stratus Properties has a 52 week low of $26.15 and a 52 week high of $32.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74.
Shares of AV Homes (NASDAQ:AVHI) have soared today, up by 29% as of 1:40 p.m. EDT, after the company announcedit was being acquired. Larger homebuilder Taylor Morrison Home Corporation (NYSE:TMHC) is scooping up AV Homes in a $1 billion deal.
The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage loss ahead of the close Tuesday was Viacom, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB) which traded down over 3% at $29.42. The stocks 52-week range is $22.13 to $46.70. Volume was about 6.6 million compared to the daily average volume of 4.4 million.
This morning, President Trump suggested that the United States is considering strong military action in response to recent chemical attacks carried out on civilians by the Syrian government. The president promised to send “nice and new and ‘smart'” missiles to Syria and accused the Russian government of partnering with a “Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!” The president’s remarks are a significant departure from comments made last week, which suggested that the United States would be pulling out of Syria in the coming months. Trump’s threat of war over a recent chemical attack in Syria drove crude oil and gold prices higher. Geopolitical worries often offer a boost to commodity prices due to concerns about supply. Trump’s threat comes at a time that markets are already concerned about a significant military conflict in the Middle East between Saudi Arabia and Iran. WTI crude prices added 0.9% to hit $66.10 per barrel. Brent crude pushed to $71.10 per barrel. Gold price topped $1,350 per ounce and are poised for bigger gains. According to Axios, U.S. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) has privately told friends that he will not seek reelection in the fall. The news comes at a perilous time for Republicans, who are expected to lose the House of Representatives and potentially the Senate. Axios was the first to report the news. The story is also notable because Ryan recently achieved his long-time goal of passing tax reform in late 2017.
The stock posting the largest daily percentage gain in the S&P 500 ahead of the close Thursday was Viacom, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB) which rose about 7% to $32.71. The stocks 52-week range is $22.13 to $46.72. Volume was about 11 million compared to the daily average volume of roughly 5.8 million.
Shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:AUPH) jumped 11% in May, according to data provided byS&P Global Market Intelligence, after the biotech said it plans to test voclosporin, its only drug candidate, for additional diseases.
Clinton Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Coca-Cola European Partners PLC (NYSE:CCE) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 128,976 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,242,000. Coca-Cola European Partners comprises 0.8% of Clinton Group Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding.
Analysts upgraded Coca-Cola European Partners PLC (CCE) to buy on its commitment to deleveraging and capital allocation.
Goldman still rates Monster Beverage Corp. (MNST) as a buy given the global expansion of the energy drink category.
Neuberger Berman Group LLC raised its holdings in Coca-Cola European Partners PLC (NYSE:CCE) by 35.5% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 31,270 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,187 shares during the quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC’s holdings in Coca-Cola European Partners were worth $1,326,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Shares of CCE traded down $0.51 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $37.88. The stock had a trading volume of 705,278 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,496,087. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.79. The company has a market cap of $18.60 billion, a PE ratio of 15.85, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.76. Coca-Cola European Partners has a 1-year low of $36.17 and a 1-year high of $44.75.
Aristotle Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola European Partners PLC (NYSE:CCE) by 9.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 363,371 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 30,783 shares during the period. Aristotle Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.08% of Coca-Cola European Partners worth $15,138,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $1.13 per share on revenue of $120.51 billion.
J. C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE: JCP) is expected to report quarterly loss at $0.2 per share on revenue of $2.63 billion.
Dillard's, Inc. (NYSE: DDS) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $2.77 per share on revenue of $1.46 billion.
The Children's Place, Inc. (NASDAQ: PLCE) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $2.21 per share on revenue of $444.14 million.
Manchester United plc (NYSE: MANU) is expected to report quarterly loss at $1.35 per share on revenue of $193.67 million.
Teekay Corporation (NYSE: TK) is estimated to report quarterly loss at $0.08 per share on revenue of $296.76 million.
KEMET Corporation (NYSE: KEM) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.41 per share on revenue of $306.72 million.
Vascular Biogenics Ltd. (NASDAQ: VBLT) is estimated to report a quarterly loss at $0.21 per share.
Teekay Offshore Partners L.P. (NYSE: TOO) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.04 per share on revenue of $272.04 million.
Albireo Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALBO) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.77 per share on revenue of $31.32 million.
ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: RETO) fell 9.3 percent to $4.50 in pre-market trading.
ProPhase Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRPH) shares fell 8.5 percent to $4.50 in pre-market trading after dropping 3.53 percent on Thursday.
Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN) fell 7.5 percent to $47.10 in pre-market trading. Nordstrom reported upbeat results for its first quarter. Comparable-store sales rose 0.6 percent.
Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU) shares fell 6 percent to $263.00 in pre-market trading. Baidu disclosed that its COO Qi Lu will step down in July 2018.
Riot Blockchain, Inc. (NASDAQ: RIOT) shares fell 5.6 percent to $8.98 in pre-market trading after climbing 11.88 percent on Thursday.
Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) fell 5 percent to $51.30 in pre-market trading. Applied Materials reported stronger-than-expected results for its second quarter, but issued weak sales outlook for the third quarter.
Blink Charging Co. (NASDAQ: BLNK) fell 5 percent to $7.61 in pre-market trading after rising 11.40 percent on Thursday.
Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN) shares fell 4.7 percent to $255.77 in pre-market trading.
Vascular Biogenics Ltd (NASDAQ: VBLT) fell 4.6 percent to $2.10 in pre-market trading after reporting a first-quarter earnings miss.
Campbell Soup Company (NYSE: CPB) fell 3.3 percent to $37.60 in pre-market trading. Campbell Soup reported upbeat Q3 earnings, but sales missed estimates. The company also lowered its FY18 outlook.
First Bank (NASDAQ: FRBA) and Marlin Business Services (NASDAQ:MRLN) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, earnings, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk and dividends.
Headlines about Lazard World Dividend & Income Fund, Inc common stock (NYSE:LOR) have trended somewhat negative this week, Accern reports. The research group identifies positive and negative press coverage by reviewing more than twenty million blog and news sources. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Lazard World Dividend & Income Fund, Inc common stock earned a media sentiment score of -0.03 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave media headlines about the company an impact score of 48.1658217953419 out of 100, indicating that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the next several days.
This entry was posted in Best Stocks and tagged AUPH, AVHI, BNTC, CCE, FOGO, FRBA, LOR, STRS, VBLT, VIAB on July 20, 2018 by admin.
MedMen, a Los Angeles-based chain of marijuana dispensaries, can’t trade on Wall Street because cannabis is illegal in its home country.
So it listed in Canada.
MedMen started trading this week on the Canadian Securities Exchange, or CSE.
They’re not alone. US cannabis companies are heading north to list on stock exchanges in Canada, where there’s no federal ban on marijuana sales. Medical marijuana is legal there, and the country is in the process of legalizing recreational marijuana, too.
It’s a two-way street. Some Canadian cannabis companies have come south to list on Wall Street exchanges, because they’re not subject to the same restrictions that keep US pot growers away.
In the US, medical marijuana is legal in 30 states, and recreational is legal in 10. But US cannabis companies can’t list on US stock exchanges or even get basic financial services, because marijuana is prohibited by the federal government.
“There are no straight roads and there are no clear paths,” said MedMen CEO Adam Bierman.
Nielsen (NYSE:NLSN) was upgraded by Pivotal Research from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, The Fly reports.
ARP Americas LP grew its position in Nielsen Holdings (NYSE:NLSN) by 41.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 14,400 shares of the business services provider’s stock after buying an additional 4,200 shares during the period. ARP Americas LP’s holdings in Nielsen were worth $458,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
But in order to attract advertisers — which along with sponsorships is expected to make up 77% of the esports market this year — there has to be verifiable data about who is watching and for how long. NielsenHoldings’ (NYSE:NLSN) TV ratings are the “currency” of media buyers. Last year, Nielsen announced a new ratings service specifically for esports and has now partnered with Activision to provide verifiable ratings for its top esports ventures, including Overwatch League and Call of Duty World League.
The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage loss ahead of the close Thursday was Nielsen Holdings PLC (NYSE: NLSN) which traded down over 9% at $33.99. The stocks 52-week range is $33.90 to $45.73. Volume was 11.3 million compared to the daily average volume of 3.8 million.
Botty Investors LLC lifted its position in shares of Nielsen Holdings PLC (NYSE:NLSN) by 27.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 19,665 shares of the business services provider’s stock after buying an additional 4,245 shares during the quarter. Botty Investors LLC’s holdings in Nielsen were worth $625,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:ATVI), Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:EA), and Take Two Interactive (NASDAQ:TTWO) have each launched professional esports leagues this year, while advertising and sponsorships are expected to make up three-quarters of the industry’s nearly $1 billion of revenue. And the recent announcement that Nielsen Holdings (NYSE:NLSN) will apply its TV rating expertise to Activision’s esport events could be the catalyst that unleashes a floodgate of media buying.
McGrath RentCorp (NASDAQ: MGRC) and Triton International (NYSE:TRTN) are both finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends, risk, earnings, valuation and institutional ownership.
McGrath RentCorp (NASDAQ:MGRC) VP Kay Dashner sold 1,993 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.30, for a total transaction of $130,142.90. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 4,891 shares in the company, valued at approximately $319,382.30. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.
Chuy’s Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: CHUY) is a Texas-based chain of casual Tex-Mex restaurants.
Arcos Dorados (NYSE: ARCO) and Chuy’s (NASDAQ:CHUY) are both small-cap retail/wholesale companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, risk, institutional ownership, earnings, profitability, valuation and analyst recommendations.
Papa Murphy’s (NASDAQ: FRSH) and Chuy’s (NASDAQ:CHUY) are both small-cap retail/wholesale companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, dividends, risk, earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations and valuation.
ValuEngine upgraded shares of Chuy’s (NASDAQ:CHUY) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Thursday morning.
A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on CHUY. Telsey Advisory Group reissued a market perform rating and set a $29.00 price objective (up from $23.00) on shares of Chuy’s in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. BidaskClub raised Chuy’s from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 6th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded Chuy’s from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 6th. Wedbush reissued a hold rating and set a $25.00 price objective on shares of Chuy’s in a research report on Friday, March 9th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued a hold rating and set a $27.00 price objective (down from $30.00) on shares of Chuy’s in a research report on Friday, March 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. The stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $27.22.
Chemical Financial (NASDAQ: CHFC) and Macatawa Bank (NASDAQ:MCBC) are both finance companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, earnings, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, valuation, profitability and risk.
Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in Chemical Financial Co. (NASDAQ:CHFC) by 60.8% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 16,192 shares of the bank’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,123 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Chemical Financial were worth $884,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Media stories about Chemical Financial (NASDAQ:CHFC) have been trending somewhat positive recently, Accern reports. Accern ranks the sentiment of media coverage by analyzing more than 20 million blog and news sources. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Chemical Financial earned a media sentiment score of 0.09 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned news articles about the bank an impact score of 45.6707430515367 out of 100, meaning that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the next few days.
This entry was posted in Best Stocks and tagged AVHI, CHFC, CHUY, MGRC, NLSN on July 10, 2018 by admin.
Make way for some waves. CVS Health (CVS) and Express Scripts (ESRX) have released their formulary exclusion list for 2017, which details which prescription drugs will not be covered by health plans.
Why do we care? Commercial payors have been showing signs of pushing back against high drugs costs, which is a huge concern for drug companies and their investors. The coverage list determines whether millions of privately insured individuals can easily use an insurance co-payment to buy their prescriptions. If a drug is excluded, it can dramatically hobble sales.
Thus, the formulary exclusion lists can be used as a tool by insurers and PBMs leverage you might say to negotiate with drug makers for better prices. Its also a double edged sword that can cost a PBM customers.
Express Scripts says it will save customers $1.8 billion in 2017 by excluding a list of 85 drugs from its formulary in 2017. It added a handful of new names to the list, including Bristol-Myers Squibb‘s (BMY) arthritis medication Orencia, Eli Lilly‘s (LLY) new psoriasis medication and Valeants (VRX) Zyclara, an actinic keratosis skin cream, while also removing several names, including Pfizer‘s (PFE) arthritis drugs Xeljanz (it is now a preferred alternative follow price negotiations with Express Scripts).
ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) worked hard to turn its business around during the oil market downturn. We saw the first glimpse of its ability to thrive, now that prices are on the upswing, at the end of last year when the U.S. oil giant reported $545 million, or $0.45 per share, of adjusted earnings. That result marked a significant improvement from the loss it had posted in the previous year.
The number of ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) shares short dropped to 17.34 million from the previous level of 18.27 million. Shares were trading at $68.71, within a 52-week range of $42.27 to $71.71.
The number of ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) shares short dropped to 18.27 million from the previous level of 21.33 million. Shares were trading at $70.01 within a 52-week range of $42.27 to $71.71.
Oil prices have been on fire over the past year and recently topped $70 a barrel, which is the highest crude has been since late 2014. That rally in the oil market has helped fuel big-time gains in many oil stocks. Three that stand out are Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE:APC), Hess (NYSE:HES), and ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) because each has risen more than 20% this year. They might still have additional upside from here given that all three plan on spending billions of dollars to buy back more of their stock.
ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) has seized assets from the Venezuelan-owned firm PDVSA in the Caribbean. The company won a court case that will allow it to take over assets owned by the Venezuelan government. The court enabled the seizures as part of a broader plan to allow the firm to recoup roughly $2 billion following the 2007 nationalization of its assets in Venezuela by the huge Castro-led government.
Monday will be a quiet day on the earnings front. Investors are looking to Tuesday’s calendar, when The Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) reports earnings. Tomorrow, Wall Street analysts expect that Home Depot will report earnings per share of $2.07 on top of $25.2 billion in revenue. Investors will be hoping that the company reports strong profits thanks to an improving U.S. economy and the recent tax reform law.
Expect a lot of chatter today about blockchain technology. That’s because ING Bank and HSBC Holdings Plc.(NYSE: HSBC) announced over the weekend that they engaged in their first trade ever using blockchain technology. The two engaged in a trade on behalf of Cargill to finance a shipment of soybeans from Argentina to Malaysia.
Today, look for earnings reports from Agilent Technologies (NYSE: A), Itron Inc.(Nasdaq: ITRI), Vipshop Holdings Ltd.(Nasdaq: VIPS), Amyris Biotechnologies Inc. (Nasdaq: AMRS), Sky Solar Holdings Ltd.(Nasdaq: SKYS), Mazor Robotics Ltd.(Nasdaq: MZOR), China Lodging Group Ltd. (Nasdaq: HTHT), and Mimecast Ltd.(Nasdaq: MIME).
Whittier Trust Co. grew its holdings in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) by 15.8% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 11,978 shares of the energy producer’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,635 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co.’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $710,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Shares of B&M European Value Retail SA (LON:BME) have earned an average recommendation of “Buy” from the sixteen ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is GBX 442.92 ($5.90).
B&M European Value Retail (LON:BME) had its target price boosted by analysts at HSBC from GBX 470 ($6.26) to GBX 500 ($6.66) in a report released on Wednesday. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the stock. HSBC’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 21.54% from the company’s current price.
BrightView Holdings Inc. (NYSE: BV) raised $469 million selling 21.3 million shares at $22, the low end of the expected range. Shares dropped 3% on the first day of trading and closed the week flat.
Below is Renaissance Capital’s list of the second quarter’s 10 largest IPOs ranked by deal size. We’ve also included the stock’s first-day pop (or decline) and its return as of the most recent close. Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE: SPOT) is not included because its IPO was a direct offering that did not raise any new cash. Spotify shares popped nearly 13% on the April offering date, and the return to date is 27%.
Looking ahead to the third quarter, Renaissance Capital notes 65 companies currently in the IPO pipeline looking to raise $11 billion. Real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield is the both the largest potential IPO ($500 million) and the largest based on trailing 12-month sales ($7.23 billion). The pipeline is again heavy on health care offerings (11), industrials (five), financials (five) and, in a bit of a comeback, energy (four).
BrightView Holdings Inc. (NYSE: BV) entered the market quietly in its initial public offering (IPO). The stock initially saw a slight gain compared to the announced pricing but quickly fell flat.
Shares of RXi Pharmaceuticals stock traded down $0.04 on Tuesday, hitting $1.92. The company had a trading volume of 27,600 shares, compared to its average volume of 258,173. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.21 million, a PE ratio of -0.46 and a beta of 1.20. RXi Pharmaceuticals has a 52 week low of $1.90 and a 52 week high of $7.70.
Shares of RXi Pharmaceuticals traded down $0.01, hitting $2.24, on Tuesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. 55,400 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 275,015. The company has a market capitalization of $9.96 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.53 and a beta of 1.15. RXi Pharmaceuticals has a one year low of $1.90 and a one year high of $7.70.
ARMO BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARMO) shares rose 67.5 percent to $49.96 in pre-market trading after Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced plans to acquire ARMO BioSciences for $50 per share.
Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR) rose 62.8 percent to $11.30 in pre-market trading after the company reported Q1 results and raised its FY18 outlook.
vTv Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: VTVT) rose 23.4 percent to $2.11 in pre-market trading following announcement that the company will pre-specify new subgroup with the FDA and report Phase 3 Part B results in June.
Resonant Inc. (NASDAQ: RESN) rose 19.1 percent to $5.00 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results.
RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: RXII) rose 17.7 percent to $2.39 in pre-market trading following Q1 results.
Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE) rose 15.2 percent to $2.20 in pre-market trading after French company Total announced plans to acquire 25 percent stake in Clean Energy Fuels for $83.4 million.
Everspin Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRAM) rose 14.6 percent to $8.50 in pre-market trading after the company reported strong results for its first quarter.
Carvana Co. (NYSE: CVNA) shares rose 11 percent to $27.50 in pre-market trading after reporting upbeat Q1 sales.
Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ: RUN) rose 8.9 percent to $10.70 in pre-market trading following upbeat quarterly earnings.
MediciNova, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNOV) rose 8.1 percent to $11.35 in pre-market trading after the company announced opening of Investigational New Drug Application for MN-166 (ibudilast) in glioblastoma.
New Gold Inc. (NYSE: NGD) shares rose 7.7 percent to $2.65 in pre-market trading after the company reported that its President and CEO Hannes Portmann left the company. The company named Raymond Threlkeld as successor.
Otter Tail Corporation (NASDAQ: OTTR) shares rose 7.4 percent to $46.60 in the pre-market trading session.
This entry was posted in Best Stocks and tagged AVHI, BME, BV, COP, RXII on July 7, 2018 by admin. | 2019-04-19T08:20:22Z | http://www-topstocks.com/stocks/avhi |
Berrios, Carlos G. was born 10 January 1977, is male, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 6490 Sw 23Rd St, Miami, Florida 33155. Florida voter ID number 109609458. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Carlos Gabriel was born 14 October 1963, is male, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 401 Sw 29Th Ter, Ft Lauderdale, Florida 33312. Florida voter ID number 109427415. His telephone number is 1-786-587-4994. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 August 2016 voter list: Carlos Gabriel Berrios, 7720 NW 5Th ST, APT 2 A, Plantation, FL 33324 Florida Democratic Party.
BERRIOS, CARLOS H. was born 26 August 1954, is male, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 1648 8Th St, Orlando, Florida 32820. Florida voter ID number 113372463. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Carlos Ivan was born 14 January 1966, is male, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 1722 Thomas St, Apt 8, Hollywood, Florida 33020. Florida voter ID number 119381706. His telephone number is 1-440-554-3968. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 December 2018 voter list: Carlos Ivan Berrios, 1722 Thomas St, APT 8, Hollywood, FL 330207814 Florida Democratic Party.
30 September 2018 voter list: Carlos Ivan Berrios, 1919 Van Buren ST, APT 407, Hollywood, FL 330207814 Florida Democratic Party.
30 June 2015 voter list: Carlos Ivan Berrios, 1825 N 17th Ct, APT 4, Hollywood, FL 33020 Florida Democratic Party.
BERRIOS, CARLOS JAVIEL was born 12 July 1970, is male, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 1411 Olive Tree Cir, Greenacres, Florida 33413. Florida voter ID number 122772966. The voter lists a mailing address and probably prefers you use it: 281 LITTLE JOHN DR REDFIELD NY 13437. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 October 2017.
BERRIOS, CARLOS JAVIER was born 9 March 1971, is male, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 15330 Treviso St, Orlando, Florida 32828. Florida voter ID number 113049107. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Carlos Jerry was born 15 August 1975, is male, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 175 Ne 203Rd Ter, #4B, Miami Gardens, Florida 33179. Florida voter ID number 114912247. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
BERRIOS, CARLOS JUAN was born 7 August 1978, is male, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 1009 Mckinnon Ave, Oviedo, Florida 32765-7035. Florida voter ID number 107828073. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 30 November 2014.
Berrios, Carlos Juan was born 23 June 1956, is male, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 1048 N Missouri Ave, 1048, Lakeland, Florida 33805. Florida voter ID number 124681049. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
30 April 2018 voter list: Carlos Juan Berrios, 405 Union DR, LOT 24, Lakeland, FL 33805 No Party Affiliation.
Berrios, Carlos Luis was born 16 March 1980, is male, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 8321 Crosswind Rd, Jacksonville, Florida 32244. Florida voter ID number 122017889. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
28 February 2017 voter list: Carlos Luis Berrios, 8321 Crosswind Rd, Jacksonville, FL 322445457 Florida Democratic Party.
31 December 2016 voter list: Carlos Luis Berrios, 10128 ARROWHEAD DR, APT 7, Jacksonville, FL 32257 Florida Democratic Party.
30 June 2015 voter list: Carlos Luis Berrios, 3529 Tiara WAY W, Jacksonville, FL 32223 Florida Democratic Party.
Berrios, Carlos Luis was born 18 December 1967, is male, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 1008 Lagrande Blvd, Sebring, Florida 33870. Florida voter ID number 122214165. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
BERRIOS, CARLOS MANUEL was born 22 April 1975, is male, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 35 Lansdowne Ln, Palm Coast, Florida 32137. Florida voter ID number 124617369. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
BERRIOS, CARLOS MANUEL was born 30 June 1956, is male, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 6169 Metrowest Blvd, #103, Orlando, Florida 32835. Florida voter ID number 112793582. His telephone number is 1-407-300-8681. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 May 2018 voter list: CARLOS M. BERRIOS, 6169 METROWEST BLVD, #103, ORLANDO, FL 32835 Florida Democratic Party.
BERRIOS, CARLOS R. was born 4 April 1956, is male, registered as Republican Party of Florida, residing at 1894 Harbor Island Dr, Fleming Island, Florida 32003-7456. Florida voter ID number 102820059. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Carlos R. was born 31 January 1970, is male, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 500 Ne 161St St, Miami, Florida 33162. Florida voter ID number 110208202. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
BERRIOS, CARLOS S. was born 22 July 1963, is male, registered as Republican Party of Florida, residing at 5929 Lyons St, #B, Orlando, Florida 32807. Florida voter ID number 113315619. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
29 February 2016 voter list: CARLOS S. BERRIOS, 7128 HERSHEY WAY, ORLANDO, FL 32822 Republican Party of Florida.
Berrios, Carlos V. was born 30 July 1953, is male, registered as Republican Party of Florida, residing at 10251 Allenwood Dr, Riverview, Florida 33569. Florida voter ID number 110579354. His telephone number is 1-813-677-9549. The voter lists a mailing address and probably prefers you use it: PO BOX 658 Riverview FL 33568. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
BERRIOS, CARMELO was born 30 March 1963, is male, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 10708 Goldfish Cir, Orlando, Florida 32825. Florida voter ID number 116605628. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
28 February 2017 voter list: CARMELO BERRIOS, 715 ASHFORD OAKS DR, #203, ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, FL 32714 Florida Democratic Party.
31 August 2015 voter list: CARMELO BERRIOS, 3825 DOUBLE EAGLE DR, APT 2931, ORLANDO, FL 32839 Florida Democratic Party.
Berrios, Carmelo was born 23 January 1955, is male, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 671 Pebble Beach Ave Ne, Palm Bay, Florida 32905. Florida voter ID number 125780039. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Carmelo born 6 November 1936, Florida voter ID number 124406666 See Berrios Benitez, Carmelo. CLICK HERE.
Berrios, Carmelo Pinero was born 15 September 1951, is male, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 7331 Bunker Ct, Jacksonville, Florida 32244. Florida voter ID number 120564537. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 May 2013.
BERRIOS, CARMEN was born 4 July 1927, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 219 Ne 12Th Ave, #A, Ocala, Florida 34470. Florida voter ID number 105669955. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 May 2012 voter list: CARMEN BERRIOS, 219 NE 12TH AVE, APT A, OCALA, FL 34470 Florida Democratic Party.
BERRIOS, CARMEN was born 23 July 1960, is female, registered as Republican Party of Florida, residing at 138 Weathersfield Ave N, Altamonte Springs, Florida 32714. Florida voter ID number 124280688. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
30 April 2018 voter list: CARMEN BERRIOS, 610 BRYAN CT, ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, FL 32701 Republican Party of Florida.
BERRIOS, CARMEN was born 10 December 1931, is female, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 13512 Perry Woods Ct, Orlando, Florida 32824. Florida voter ID number 113319819. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 30 November 2016.
Berrios, Carmen was born 9 January 1921, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 9025 Nw 112Th St, Hialeah Gardens, Florida 33018. Florida voter ID number 109031765. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 May 2012.
Berrios, Carmen was born 9 February 1945, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 3606 Late Morning Cir, Kissimmee, Florida 34744. Florida voter ID number 106187192. Her telephone number is 1-321-369-8017. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Carmen was born 18 October 1958, is female, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 662 Milan Dr, Kissimmee, Florida 34758. Florida voter ID number 120450553. Her telephone number is 1-321-214-4042. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Carmen was born 22 November 1951, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 561 Tacoma Ave, Deltona, Florida 32725-8332. Florida voter ID number 108708105. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Carmen A. was born 26 November 1961, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 12021 Sw 184Th St, Miami, Florida 33177. Florida voter ID number 119660458. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 December 2015 voter list: Carmen A. Berrios, 15261 SW 301St ST, Homestead, FL 33033 Florida Democratic Party.
BERRIOS, CARMEN CRUZ was born 11 August 1920, is female, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 5300 Sw 176Th Ave, Dunnellon, Florida 34432. Florida voter ID number 105731974. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
28 February 2018 voter list: CARMEN C. CRUZ, 5300 SW 176TH AVE, DUNNELLON, FL 34432 No Party Affiliation.
BERRIOS, CARMEN D. was born 9 December 1939, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 283 Torpoint Gate, Longwood, Florida 32779. Florida voter ID number 101621088. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 August 2017 voter list: CARMEN D. BERRIOS, 4302 LAKE TAHOE CIR, WEST PALM BEACH, FL 33409 Florida Democratic Party.
BERRIOS, CARMEN DE LOURDES was born 25 April 1956, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 4209 S Semoran Blvd, Apt 3, Orlando, Florida 32822. Florida voter ID number 116033150. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 30 November 2018.
31 May 2012 voter list: CARMEN DE LOURDES BERRIOS, 5465 CURRY FORD RD, APT B103, ORLANDO, FL 32812 Florida Democratic Party.
Berrios, Carmen Elaine was born 13 September 1975, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 5112 Dancing Bay Ln, Wesley Chapel, Florida 33543. Florida voter ID number 106647095. Her telephone number is 1-813-361-3816. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
BERRIOS, CARMEN ESTHER born 25 August 1952, Florida voter ID number 113328949 See SIMS, CARMEN ESTHER BERRIOS. CLICK HERE.
BERRIOS, CARMEN I. was born 21 November 1963, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 513 Village Pl, Davenport, Florida 33896. Florida voter ID number 115430390. The voter lists a mailing address and probably prefers you use it: 513 VILLAGE PL DAVENPORT FL 33896 USA. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 May 2012.
Berrios, Carmen I. was born 8 July 1951, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 52 Butler Blvd, Haines City, Florida 33844. Florida voter ID number 106168626. Her telephone number is 1-407-414-6748. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
22 October 2014 voter list: Carmen I. Berrios, 3260 Marshfield Preserve Way, Kissimmee, FL 34746 Florida Democratic Party.
31 May 2012 voter list: Carmen I. Berrios, 32 St Andrews Ct, Kissimmee, FL 34759 Florida Democratic Party.
Berrios, Carmen Iris was born 16 September 1957, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 12046 Nw 31St Dr, Coral Springs, Florida 33065. Florida voter ID number 121231117. Her telephone number is 1-919-633-2999. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 January 2016 voter list: Carmen Iris Berrios, 5008 E Lakes Dr, Deerfield Beach, FL 33064 Florida Democratic Party.
Berrios, Carmen L. was born 12 February 1945, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 6404 Gainsboro Dr, Port Richey, Florida 34668. Florida voter ID number 106561855. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 May 2012 voter list: CARMEN L. BERRIOS, 406 WASHINGTON ST, OLDSMAR, FL 34677 Florida Democratic Party.
Berrios, Carmen L. was born 18 September 1943, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 602 Elbridge Dr, Kissimmee, Florida 34758. Florida voter ID number 106279894. Her telephone number is 1-407-433-2471. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 July 2016 voter list: Carmen Lydia Berrios Rivera, 602 ELBRIDGE DR, Kissimmee, FL 34758 Florida Democratic Party.
31 May 2016 voter list: Carmen Lydia Berrios-Rivera, 2903 Fox Squirrel DR, Kissimmee, FL 347413844 Florida Democratic Party.
29 February 2016 voter list: Carmen Lydia Berrios Rivera, 2903 Fox Squirrel DR, Kissimmee, FL 347413844 Florida Democratic Party.
31 January 2015 voter list: Carmen L. Berrios, 2903 Fox Squirrel Dr, Kissimmee, FL 34741 Florida Democratic Party.
Berrios, Carmen Luz was born 24 June 1962, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 4604 Belvedere Cir, Pace, Florida 32571. Florida voter ID number 120044923. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 October 2015 voter list: Carmen Luz Berrios, 4604 BELVEDERE Cir, Pace, FL 325711173 Florida Democratic Party.
31 May 2013 voter list: CARMEN LUZ BERRIOS, 12000 SCENIC HWY, APT 39, PENSACOLA, FL 325148143 Florida Democratic Party.
BERRIOS, CARMEN M. born 14 June 1969, Florida voter ID number 100718417 See DECKER, CARMEN M. CLICK HERE.
BERRIOS, CARMEN M. was born 16 July 1929, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 116 Seville Chase Dr, Winter Springs, Florida 32708. Florida voter ID number 114684645. The voter lists a mailing address and probably prefers you use it: 50 CALLE 8 PH S GUAYNABO PR 00966-1704. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 30 November 2014.
BERRIOS, CARMEN M. was born 5 August 1929, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 702 Palenci Ct, Winter Springs, Florida 32708. Florida voter ID number 116995857. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 March 2015 voter list: CARMEN M. BERRIOS, 116 SEVILLE CHASE DR, WINTER SPRINGS, FL 32708 Florida Democratic Party.
Berrios, Carmen M. was born 10 July 1966, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 541 Juniper Springs Dr, Groveland, Florida 34736. Florida voter ID number 112710237. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 January 2015 voter list: Carmen M. Berrios, 1554 Sarus Ave, Groveland, FL 34736 Florida Democratic Party.
31 May 2012 voter list: Carmen M. Berrios, 621 Skyridge Rd, Clermont, FL 34711 Florida Democratic Party.
BERRIOS, CARMEN MARIA born 5 March 1969, Florida voter ID number 122387034 See TORRES, CARMEN MARIA. CLICK HERE.
BERRIOS, CARMEN MARIA was born 15 March 1967, is female, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 14310 Se 90Th Ct, Summerfield, Florida 34491. Florida voter ID number 119151860. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
BERRIOS, CARMEN MARIA was born 30 September 1965, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 48 President Ln, Palm Coast, Florida 32164. Florida voter ID number 122962289. Her telephone number is 1-787-554-1623. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 July 2018 voter list: CARMEN MARIA BERRIOS, 7 BLAIRMORE PL, PALM COAST, FL 32137 Florida Democratic Party.
30 September 2016 voter list: CARMEN MARIA BERRIOS TIRADO, 7 BLAIRMORE PL, PALM COAST, FL 32137 Florida Democratic Party.
BERRIOS, CARMEN MARIA was born 3 December 1972, is female, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 900 50Th Ave N, St Petersburg, Florida 33703. Florida voter ID number 114847603. The voter lists a mailing address and probably prefers you use it: 900 50TH AVE N ST PETERSBURG FL 33703-0000. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 May 2012.
Berrios, Carmen Milagros was born 14 May 1985, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 351 Red Kite Dr, Groveland, Florida 34736. Florida voter ID number 112955461. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 May 2013 voter list: CARMEN MILAGROS BERRIOS, 8508 VALENCIA VILLAGE LN, APT 106, ORLANDO, FL 32825 Florida Democratic Party.
Berrios, Carmen Nelida was born 12 August 1954, is female, registered as Republican Party of Florida, residing at 9324 Via San Giovani St, Fort Myers, Florida 33905. Florida voter ID number 123217658. Her telephone number is 1-847-370-0363. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Carmen Rosa was born 11 December 1958, is female, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 3206 Silverlake Ct, Plant City, Florida 33566. Florida voter ID number 110718232. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Carmen Santana was born 1 November 1945, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 2700 E Buck Ct, Inverness, Florida 34452. Florida voter ID number 112141370. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 May 2016 voter list: CARMEN A. BERRIOS, 4638 VESPASIAN CT, LAKE WORTH, FL 33463 Florida Democratic Party.
BERRIOS, CARMEN YOLANDA was born 13 September 1956, is female, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 1400 Cricket Club Cir, Apt 205, Orlando, Florida 32828. Florida voter ID number 117449220. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 30 November 2016.
Berrios, Caroline Cristina was born 17 April 1989, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 234 Westview Dr, Crestview, Florida 32536-9254. Florida voter ID number 114994938. Her telephone number is 1-850-612-1050. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
30 June 2018 voter list: Caroline Cristina Berrios, 208 Forrest Pkwy, Crestview, FL 325398584 Florida Democratic Party.
22 October 2014 voter list: Caroline Cristina Berrios, 234 Westview Dr, Crestview, FL 32536 Florida Democratic Party.
Berrios, Carolyn Densie was born 6 February 1962, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 14373 Sw 289Th Ter, Homestead, Florida 33033. Florida voter ID number 109142525. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 May 2012 voter list: Carolyn D. Berrios, 14373 SW 289Th Ter, Homestead, FL 33033 Florida Democratic Party.
Berrios, Casey was born 24 March 1998, is male, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 8321 Crosswind Rd, Jacksonville, Florida 32244-5457. Florida voter ID number 123990725. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 December 2016 voter list: Casey Berrios, 10128 ARROWHEAD DR, APT 7, Jacksonville, FL 32257 No Party Affiliation.
BERRIOS, CASEY R. was born 25 June 1991, is male, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 10960 Winding Creek Ln, Boca Raton, Florida 33428. Florida voter ID number 117655620. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
BERRIOS, CATHERINE was born 23 February 1989, is female, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 13446 Sw 62Nd St, 106, Miami, Florida 33183. Florida voter ID number 115281818. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 December 2014.
BERRIOS, CATHERINE was born 28 April 1955, is female, registered as Republican Party of Florida, residing at 6134 Nw Gaylord Ter, Pt St Lucie, Florida 34986. Florida voter ID number 108178733. Her telephone number is 1-772-626-2723. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Catherine was born 23 February 1989, is female, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 18241 Sw 108Th Pl, Miami, Florida 33157. Florida voter ID number 126425863. Her email address is [email protected]. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 January 2019 voter list: Catherine Berrios, 15025 SW 49Th LN, #C, Miami, FL 33185 No Party Affiliation.
Berrios, Cathy June was born 2 June 1956, is female, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 4733 Jacqueline Dr, New Port Richey, Florida 34652. Florida voter ID number 117564721. Her telephone number is 1-516-984-2012. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 December 2018 voter list: Cathy June Berrios, 4840 Darlington Rd, Holiday, FL 34690 No Party Affiliation.
31 July 2014 voter list: Cathy J. Berrios, 4840 Darlington Rd, Holiday, FL 34690 No Party Affiliation.
31 May 2012 voter list: Cathy J. Berrios, 4321 Plaza DR, APT 107, Holiday, FL 34691 No Party Affiliation.
Berrios, Cecilia was born 10 July 1962, is female, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 3336 Sw 24Th St, Miami, Florida 33145. Florida voter ID number 116425716. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Cecilia Chantell was born 30 July 1999, is female, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 2456 Una Dr, Jacksonville, Florida 32216. Florida voter ID number 123552789. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Celeste was born 28 February 1939, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 14816 Sw 125Th Ct, Miami, Florida 33186-7458. Florida voter ID number 109898307. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
30 June 2017 voter list: Celeste Berrios, 12310 SW 151St ST, Apt 180, Miami, FL 33186 Florida Democratic Party.
30 June 2015 voter list: Celeste Berrios, 12330 SW 151St St, APT 170, Miami, FL 33186 Florida Democratic Party.
Berrios, Celia Maria born 2 July 1932, Florida voter ID number 116425572 See Matos, Celia . CLICK HERE.
Berrios, Cermen L. was born 1 July 1928, is female, registered as Republican Party of Florida, residing at 2506 Lorraine St, Tampa, Florida 33614. Florida voter ID number 110733830. The voter lists a mailing address and probably prefers you use it: 3545 W Palmer St Chicago IL 60647. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 May 2012.
Berrios, Cervando was born 9 September 1978, is male, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 14731 Sw 160Th St, Miami, Florida 33187. Florida voter ID number 118157352. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Cesar A. was born 11 July 1961, is male, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 2618 Okeechobee Ln, Ft Lauderdale, Florida 33312. Florida voter ID number 120360919. His telephone number is 1-954-471-5871. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
30 September 2016 voter list: Cesar A. Berrios, 1409 Saint Gabrielle LN, APT 3405, Weston, FL 333264033 Florida Democratic Party.
30 June 2015 voter list: Cesar A. Berrios, 964 Savannah Falls Dr, Weston, FL 33327 Florida Democratic Party.
BERRIOS, CESAR ANIBAL was born 26 January 1971, is male, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 14 Langdon Dr, Palm Coast, Florida 32137. Florida voter ID number 115222574. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 May 2012 voter list: CESAR ANIBAL BERRIOS, 13 LAMONT LN, PALM COAST, FL 32137 Florida Democratic Party.
BERRIOS, CESAR ANIBAL was born 18 March 2000, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 14 Langdon Dr, Palm Coast, Florida 32137. Florida voter ID number 126334099. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Chico R. was born 18 August 1975, is male, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 11407 N 52Nd St, Apt 2, Temple Terrace, Florida 33617. Florida voter ID number 123691315. His telephone number is 1-863-877-8430. His email address is [email protected]. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Christa Anamelia was born 8 January 1998, is female, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 1984 Kimlyn Cir, Kissimmee, Florida 34758. Florida voter ID number 124022523. Her telephone number is 1-407-744-7855. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
BERRIOS, CHRISTIAN was born 25 January 1981, is male, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 14304 Colonial Grand Blvd, Apt 3001, Orlando, Florida 32837. Florida voter ID number 113028603. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 30 November 2016.
31 May 2012 voter list: Christian Berrios, 14304 Colonial Grand Blvd, Apt 3001, Orlando, FL 328374866 Florida Democratic Party.
Berrios, Christian was born 29 July 1983, is male, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 3500 Washington St, Apt 314, Hollywood, Florida 33021. Florida voter ID number 102481968. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 30 April 2014.
31 May 2012 voter list: Christian Berrios, 2331 N 59th Ter, Hollywood, FL 33021 Florida Democratic Party.
Berrios, Christian was born 29 July 1983, is male, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 602 N University Dr, Plantation, Florida 33324. Florida voter ID number 123796851. His telephone number is 1-954-822-7053. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 October 2017 voter list: Christian Berrios, 2340 N 59th AVE, Hollywood, FL 33021 Florida Democratic Party.
Berrios, Christian was born 11 October 1980, is male, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 689 Alabama Rd S, Lehigh Acres, Florida 33974. Florida voter ID number 124247433. His telephone number is 1-321-520-1777. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
30 April 2018 voter list: Christian Berrios, , , FL No Party Affiliation.
28 February 2018 voter list: Christian Berrios, 689 Alabama RD S, Lehigh Acres, FL 33974 No Party Affiliation.
Berrios, Christian Alfonso was born 8 February 1980, is male, registered as Republican Party of Florida, residing at 17102 Heart Of Palms Dr, Tampa, Florida 33647. Florida voter ID number 125937882. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Christian Antonio born 11 July 1996, Florida voter ID number 121879844 See Villar, Christian Nicholas. CLICK HERE.
Berrios, Christian David was born 13 December 1995, is male, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 2404 Sw 110Th Ave, Miami, Florida 33165. Florida voter ID number 121650747. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 July 2014 voter list: Christian David Berrios, 2704 SW 110Th AVE, Miami, FL 33165 No Party Affiliation.
BERRIOS, CHRISTIAN G. was born 8 September 1994, is male, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 3200 Rosebud Ln, Apt 4204, Winter Park, Florida 32792. Florida voter ID number 123778195. His telephone number is 1-706-341-5255. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Christian Lillyana was born 4 July 1980, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 5207 E 127Th Ave, Temple Terrace, Florida 33617. Florida voter ID number 117596825. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 May 2012 voter list: Christian L. Berrios, 5207 E 127th Ave, Temple Terrace, FL 33617 Florida Democratic Party.
Berrios, Christiann Elizabeth was born 16 April 1974, is female, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 11214 Creekview Dr, Riverview, Florida 33569-5117. Florida voter ID number 110582710. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
BERRIOS, CHRISTINA was born 1 May 1974, is female, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 3952 Valencia Grove Ln, Orlando, Florida 32817. Florida voter ID number 113292617. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
BERRIOS, CHRISTINA was born 30 June 1968, is female, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 118 Woodland Rd, Palm Springs, Florida 33461. Florida voter ID number 112333637. Her telephone number is 433-4802 (no area code listed). This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Christina was born 17 January 1983, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 213 Highland Dr, Deltona, Florida 32738. Florida voter ID number 108670963. The voter lists a mailing address and probably prefers you use it: 100 State St Apt 28 North Haven CT 06473. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2015.
Berrios, Christina was born 25 April 1981, is female, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 6630 Silverbell Dr, New Port Richey, Florida 34653. Florida voter ID number 106515343. Her telephone number is 1-727-847-4325. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 March 2015 voter list: Christina Berrios, 6520 Corbin LN, New Port Richey, FL 34653 No Party Affiliation.
31 January 2014 voter list: Christina Berrios, 6338 Limerick Ave, New Port Richey, FL 34653 No Party Affiliation.
BERRIOS, CHRISTINA MARIE was born 2 January 1989, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 1159 Westmoreland Loop, The Villages, Florida 32162. Florida voter ID number 117933339. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
BERRIOS, CHRISTINE MARIE was born 7 February 1985, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 5037 Quill Ct, Palm Harbor, Florida 34685. Florida voter ID number 110276665. Her telephone number is 1-727-937-6065. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Christopher was born 17 April 1984, is male, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 30331 Sw 155Th Ave, Homestead, Florida 33033-3511. Florida voter ID number 110128778. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 May 2012 voter list: Christopher Berrios, 14341 SW 296Th ST, Homestead, FL 33033 Florida Democratic Party.
BERRIOS, CHRISTOPHER ANTONIO was born 2 June 1965, is male, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 4142 6Th Ct, Lantana, Florida 33462. Florida voter ID number 126466521. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Christopher John was born 12 December 1994, is male, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 580 Nw 43Rd Ave, Miami, Florida 33126. Florida voter ID number 119772115. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
BERRIOS, CHRISTOPHER LEE was born 10 October 1993, is male, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 1505 S Kirkman Rd, Apt 2112, Orlando, Florida 32811. Florida voter ID number 120444626. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
30 September 2018 voter list: CHRISTOPHER LEE BERRIOS, 10515 BASTILLE LN, #PS-106, ORLANDO, FL 32836 Florida Democratic Party.
31 August 2016 voter list: Christopher Lee Berrios, 1 Maplewood Trl, Ormond Beach, FL 32174 Florida Democratic Party.
31 May 2013 voter list: Christopher L. Berrios, 58 Malaga AVE, Ormond Beach, FL 32174 Florida Democratic Party.
BERRIOS, CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL was born 8 March 1987, is male, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 4030 New Broad Cir, #304, Oviedo, Florida 32765. Florida voter ID number 114734268. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Christopher Roy was born 28 September 1994, is male, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 1609 Cedar Dr, Plant City, Florida 33563. Florida voter ID number 119482675. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Cindy was born 12 December 1960, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 671 Pebble Beach Ave Ne, Palm Bay, Florida 32905. Florida voter ID number 125780125. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
Berrios, Cindy Lynn was born 13 June 1987, is female, registered as No Party Affiliation, residing at 336 Nw 153Rd Ave, Pembroke Pines, Florida 33028-1823. Florida voter ID number 102488792. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
31 May 2015 voter list: Cindy Lynn Berrios, 336 NW 153rd Ave, Pembroke Pines, FL 33028 No Party Affiliation.
BERRIOS, CINDY MARIE was born 6 May 1975, is female, registered as Florida Democratic Party, residing at 4015 Kingston Ln, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33418. Florida voter ID number 112432331. Her telephone number is 1-561-429-2917. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
30 June 2014 voter list: CINDY MARIE BERRIOS, 3202 MORNING GLORY CT, APT 212, PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL 33410 Florida Democratic Party.
BERRIOS, CLARA BARBARA was born 6 February 1976, is female, registered as Republican Party of Florida, residing at 6675 83Rd Ave, Pinellas Park, Florida 33781. Florida voter ID number 102443396. Her telephone number is 1-727-417-8322. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
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BERRIOS, CLARIBEL was born 3 January 1984, is female, registered as Republican Party of Florida, residing at 10 Buffalo Plains Ln, Palm Coast, Florida 32137. Florida voter ID number 115690376. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 31 March 2019.
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Immunotherapy aims to assist the natural immune system in achieving control over viral infection. Various immunotherapy formats have been evaluated in either therapy-naive or therapy-experienced HIV-infected patients over the last 20 years. These formats included non-antigen specific strategies such as cytokines that stimulate immunity or suppress the viral replication, as well as antibodies that block negative regulatory pathways. A number of HIV-specific therapeutic vaccinations have also been proposed, using in vivo injection of inactivated virus, plasmid DNA encoding HIV antigens, or recombinant viral vectors containing HIV genes. A specific format of therapeutic vaccines consists of ex vivo loading of autologous dendritic cells with one of the above mentioned antigenic formats or mRNA encoding HIV antigens.
This review provides an extensive overview of the background and rationale of these different therapeutic attempts and discusses the results of trials in the SIV macaque model and in patients. To date success has been limited, which could be explained by insufficient quality or strength of the induced immune responses, incomplete coverage of HIV variability and/or inappropriate immune activation, with ensuing increased susceptibility of target cells.
Future attempts at therapeutic vaccination should ideally be performed under the protection of highly active antiretroviral drugs in patients with a recovered immune system. Risks for immune escape should be limited by a better coverage of the HIV variability, using either conserved or mosaic sequences. Appropriate molecular adjuvants should be included to enhance the quality and strength of the responses, without inducing inappropriate immune activation. Finally, to achieve a long-lasting effect on viral control (i.e. a “functional cure”) it is likely that these immune interventions should be combined with anti-latency drugs and/or gene therapy.
During last year’s International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference (July 2011) the “Rome Statement for an HIV Cure” was issued, pleading for “the development of a functional cure which, without completely eliminating the virus from the body, would permanently suppress its replication and considerably diminish viral reservoirs, possibly leading to the long-term remission of patients, in the absence of antiretroviral drugs” (see http://www.iasociety.org/Default.aspx?pageId=584). More recently (July 2012), the dedicated IAS Working Group organized a well-attended symposium in Washington “Towards an HIV Cure”, accompanied by a “Perspective” paper in Nature Reviews Immunology. Two possibilities for cure were distinguished: “first, the elimination of all HIV-infected cells (a sterilizing cure); and second, the generation of effective host immunity to HIV that would result in lifelong control of the virus in the absence of therapy, despite not achieving the complete eradication of HIV (a functional cure)” . The prototypical example of an HIV cure is the well-known “Berlin patient”, who, after elimination of his own immune system by irradiation in the context of acute myeloid leukemia treatment, was transplanted with hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) from a homozygous CCR5 delta32 donor and subsequently remained virus-free without any antiretroviral treatment for over 5 years at the time of writing . Nevertheless, during the recent symposium, data were presented on some remaining detectable HIV DNA in rectal biopsies, despite having plasma RNA levels below 1 copy and a complete absence of viral DNA, RNA or cultivable virus from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Hence, this much-acclaimed patient is probably an example of a “functional” rather than of a “sterilizing” cure (S Palmer personal communication). As a consequence of this unique success story, several research groups are now attempting to knock out the CCR5 genes in various cell types, including HSC . Results of syngeneic CCR5(−) HSC transfer in humanized mice indicate that, upon infection, HIV-1 viral levels are clearly lower, but not absent . Since it remains uncertain whether this cumbersome genetic therapy will offer a cure for all patients , other strategies need to be considered, including immunotherapy and anti-latency drugs, as proposed by the Working Group (http://www.iasociety.org/Default.aspx?pageId=606).
Several excellent reviews on immune mechanisms of HIV control have recently been published [6–8]. In the earliest phase of infection innate responses, including type-1 interferon (IFN-α/β) and Natural Killer (NK) cells partly control virus replication. Only after a few weeks do HIV-specific CD4 and CD8 T cell responses as well as antibody responses emerge and reduce viral load (VL) to a patient-specific setpoint . For a long time, interleukin-12 (IL-12) has been thought to have an essential immune-regulatory role in the induction of a “Th1-skewed cellular response”, characterized by an optimal interplay between IL-2/IFN-γ producing CD4 helper and CD8 effector T cells, which is crucial for the adaptive phase on anti-viral responses .
Examples of the “naturally occurring” functional cure in HIV infection include the so-called “elite controller” (EC) HIV-1 patients, who are therapy-naïve but nevertheless keep their “viral setpoint” below 50 RNA copies per ml plasma . In addition, rare non-controllers acquire a “secondary” controller status after prolonged “Highly Activate Antiretroviral Therapy” (HAART), initiated either in the acute phase [12, 13] or, even more rarely, in the chronic phase [14, 15].Clearly, this uncommon phenomenon of “post treatment control” (PTC) is seemingly more easily induced if HAART is started in the acute as opposed to the chronic phase, pointing to a contribution of a less damaged immune system and/or a lower proviral reservoir.
Whereas the in-depth study of PTC is just beginning, more data are available on EC. Decreased viral replication capacity and genetic host factors have been identified in a percentage of EC. Unfortunately, these factors are largely impossible to operationalize with the present state-of-the art technology. However, an association has been found between viral control and HIV Gag-specific CD4 and CD8 T cell responses, but not Env-specific T cells or Env-specific neutralizing antibodies, pointing to an important role for HIV-specific T cell immunity towards more conserved structural parts of the virus such as Gag [16, 17].
Effective CD8 T cells, capable of keeping the plasma viral load under control, are characterized by a central and effector-memory phenotype, low levels of aberrant activation and exhaustion markers (e.g. CD38 and programmed death (PD)-1), and preserved costimulatory receptors (e.g. CD28). Effective HIV-specific CD8 T cells produce multiple cytokines and effector molecules; they have preserved proliferative capacity; and their T cell receptors show high avidity and/or cross-reactivity, preferentially recognizing conserved epitopes in Gag, thus leaving little opportunity for immune escape [16, 17]. Importantly, these CD8 T cells also show a high-avidity cytolytic potential against infected cells and have the capacity to suppress viral replication in vitro[19, 20]. These observations provide a rationale to attempt to develop strategies to enhance immune control by “therapeutic vaccination” [11, 21].
In order to induce and maintain this type of effective CD8 T cells, a well-coordinated interaction with dendritic cells (DC) and CD4 T cells is important . HIV-specific CD4 T cells play an important role by producing “helper” cytokines, such as those triggering the “common γ chain receptors” (IL-2, IL-7 and IL-21), as well as by upregulating costimulatory membrane markers such as CD40L as well as CD80 and CD86, which promote CD8 T cell survival, proliferation, cytotoxicity and virus-suppressive capacity [6, 23]. DC can directly activate CD8 T cells, but also induce effective CD4 T cell help to CD8 T cells. Therefore, harnessing the DC function to improve the quality of T cell responses against HIV can be an important mechanism in immunotherapy [24, 25].
Progressive HIV infection is characterized by persistently increased levels of various soluble inflammatory markers, dysregulation of T cell surface markers, and upregulation of receptors for immune suppressor signals such as PD-1 and cytolytic T-lymphocyte antigen (CTLA)-4. This inappropriate immune activation is partly due to a persistent VL, but in addition endotoxins originating from microbial translocation through a “leaky gut” and “hypersensitivity” to type 1 IFN have been implicated (for review see ). A sizeable body of evidence suggests that this persistent “immune activation syndrome” constitutes a bad prognostic sign, independent from CD4 T cell count, plasma VL and cellular proviral load, even under suppressive HAART . Unsurprisingly, inappropriate T cell activation is associated with increased susceptibility of CD4 T cells to infection and decreased T cell responsiveness to antigenic stimulation, including reduced IL-2 production, and increased apoptosis. This activation-induced “T cell exhaustion” conceptually limits the possibilities of immunotherapy and therefore it is important to provide sufficient co-stimulatory signals , without increasing susceptibility of target cells to HIV.
HAART reduces VL and immune activation, and therefore it was hoped that long-term HAART would allow the immune system to recover its capacity to control the virus. A number of “structured treatment interruption” (STI) trials have indicated that while immune responses to HIV were boosted, the VL rebounded to pre-treatment levels in most patients (except for the rare “secondary controllers” or PTC), suggesting that infectious virus is not a good antigen for immune therapy . The fundamental problem to fully eradicate the virus is the persistence of a “latent” reservoir. Neither long-term treatment with classical HAART cocktails (based on reverse transcriptase and protease inhibitors) nor treatment intensification with newer integrase or entry-inhibitors can consistently reduce this reservoir (for review see ).
One proposed strategy for cure is to activate the latent provirus under coverage of HAART: the rescued virus will kill the producer cell, but cannot infect new targets . Many excellent reviews have been dedicated to this complicated challenge [3, 31, 32]. The y-chain cytokine interleukin-7 (discussed below for its immune stimulating potential) is currently under study for its potential to “purge” the latent HIV reservoir (ERAMUNE trial, http://www.clinicaltrials.gov). A number of pharmacological agents, including (combinations of) histone-deacytelase inhibitors, NF-κβ activating agents and others have shown some HIV-rescuing activity in vitro. This has been accompanied, however, by global T cell activation and, until now, no convincing favorable clinical data have been reported . Many pharmaceutical companies are currently screening compound libraries to find novel factors that could more potently and more selectively rescue the latent virus, but this topic is beyond the scope of the present review.
In the context of immunotherapy, however, anti-latency drugs are relevant; even if they were unable to “purge” the reservoir by themselves. In fact, complete latency renders infected cells invisible to the immune system, precluding targeting by therapeutic vaccination. Anti-latency drugs could overcome this hurdle, because they induce expression of viral proteins that would mark the infected cells as targets for immune elimination [33, 34].
In conclusion, several principles can be proposed for immunotherapy. These include a non-specific enhancement of anti-viral immune responses by various immune stimulators, including type-1 IFN, IL-12 and the so-called common γ-chain signaling cytokines, related to IL-2. In addition, blocking antibodies against immune suppressive receptors such as PD-1 and CTLA-4 could also provide beneficial immune stimulation. On the other hand, a range of antigenic formats have been proposed to induce HIV-specific T cell responses, in order to elicit more effective CD8 T cell-mediated immune surveillance.
In the following paragraphs, we will explain the rationale of each strategy and then focus mainly on therapeutic vaccination trials in Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV)-infected macaques and HIV infected patients, critically investigating their potential to complement (and ultimately replace) anti-retroviral drug therapy. Clearly, no definite strategy for a cure has been established yet, but encouraging results are emerging and the concepts are slowly but surely maturing.
An overview is presented in Table1.
Dose related increase in serum IFN-γ levels, NK and CD8 T cell numbers.
sc, multi dose twice weekly for 4 weeks.
Higher CD4 T cell count, lower VL and 43% reduction in risk of disease progression or death.
Temporary effect on CD4 T cells without affecting clinical progression.
Sustained increase in CD4 T cells without affecting viral load.
Delay HAART resumption following treatment interruption. No effect on viral load.
Increased numbers of circulating CD4 and CD8 T cells. Transient increase in VL.
Expansion of naïve CD4 and CD8 T cells.
Counteracts IFN-α induced lymphopenia. Increasing circulating CD4 T cells.
Delayed viral suppression. Failed to enhance antigen-specific CD4 T cell reconstitution at mucosal and lymphoid sites. Upon ATI loss of CD4 T cells more rapidly.
2 iv injections 7 days apart and 3 sc doses 23 days after 2nd vaccination.
Safe and well tolerated. Increased cytotoxic potential of T cells, increased SIV antibody production.
Expansion virus specific CD8 T cells and B cell activation. Reduction in plasma VL and prolonged survival.
Increase CD4 and CD8 T cell responses and drop of viral RNA.
No expansion SIV specific T-cells. Increased activation of T cells and increased viral replication at mucosal sites.
During the acute phase of HIV infection, high levels of serum IFN-α are part of the innate antiviral response, as in vitro results showed that IFN-α indeed reduced HIV replication in both CD4 T cells and monocytes-macrophages. However, the role of type-1 IFN in HIV pathogenesis is rather ambiguous, since in the chronic phase, serum markers of increased IFN activity, such as neopterin and β2-microglobulin have consistently been associated with a bad prognosis .
Based on the first premise (type 1 interferon = anti-viral), in vivo IFN-α treatment was attempted in the era before anti-retroviral drugs were available, but failed to provide benefit in Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) patients; whereas in infected patients with preserved immunity a trend to a better clinical outcome was noted. Later, IFN-α was combined with monotherapy or bi-therapy of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI). A trend for increased antiviral effects was noted, but this benefit was offset by rather serious flu-like side effects . Once efficient HAART tri-therapy became available, combinations with type 1 interferons were abandoned for the indication of HIV infection alone (though they are still in use for selected cases of chronic hepatitis and HIV co-infection).
Since elevated IFN-α levels are suspected to play a role in pathological immune activation, Zagury et al. attempted to immunize HIV patients against this cytokine. The subgroup of patients with a rise in anti-IFN-α antibodies had a significantly lower incidence of HIV-1-related events compared with placebo recipients and vaccinees who failed to develop antibodies .
A different approach was used more recently with the anti-malarial drug chloroquine. Preliminary evidence in vitro and in vivo indicated that chloroquine reduces IFN-α production and decreases the level of immune activation . A randomized double blind placebo-controlled trial in therapy-naïve patients, however, failed to show any favorable effect on immune activation and, unfortunately, did result in a greater decline in CD4 T cell count and increased VL .
A Th1/Th2 imbalance has traditionally been regarded as a hallmark of HIV-related immune dysfunction . IL-12 represents the archetypical Th1 switching agent: it induces type II interferon (IFN-γ) production by T cells and NK cells and increases their cytotoxic capacity against virally infected cells . A number of in vitro studies in PBMC cultures from HIV infected subjects confirmed that IL-12 increased Th1 responses [55, 56]. Before the HAART era, two phase 1 studies of subcutaneous (sc) IL-12 were conducted in medically stable HIV-infected patients. Single doses of sc IL-12 between 30 and 300 ng/kg were reasonably tolerated and induced a dose-related increase of serum IFN-γ, but failed to influence CD4 T counts or VL . In a subsequent placebo-controlled multi-dose trial, IL-12 was tolerated in doses up to 100 ng/kg, but again no effect on CD4 T counts or VL was observed . Apparently, repeated IL-12 administration resulted in “tolerance”, and overdosing could even result in paradoxical immune suppression through activation of NO production [57, 58]. Nowadays, in many experimental immunization schedules with HIV antigens in either plasmid DNA or viral vectors, an expression cassette for IL-12 is being added, thus focusing IL-12 expression at the site of immunization and avoiding systemic side effects.
These cytokines include IL-2, -4, -7, -9, -13, -15 and -21 and bind to receptor complexes that include the so called common γ signaling chain. Among these, IL-4, -9 and -13 skew the immune system towards Th2 responses, considered pathogenic in HIV infection. The other γ chain cytokines have potentially beneficial effects to overcome immune dysfunction [59, 60].
IL-2 enhances both CD4 T cell proliferative and CD8 T cytolytic functions, but may also induce peripheral tolerance by activating regulatory T cells (Treg) . Deficient IL-2 production upon antigenic stimulation has consistently been reported as a hallmark of HIV-related immune dysfunction, from the early 80’s on [62, 63]. Interleukin-7 has been shown to play a crucial role in promoting expansion and maintenance of T cells. IL-7 production is increased during HIV-induced lymphopenia, but this feedback is apparently not sufficient to maintain T cell homeostasis . The primary role of IL-15 is to expand the effector-memory subset of CD8 T cells, which is crucial in immune control, and to promote survival of NK cells. Several studies have shown that IL-15 production is compromised in AIDS patients, and supplementation of IL-15 improves the function of immune cells from these patients in vitro. Finally, IL-21 promotes proliferation and accumulation of antigen-specific CD8 effector T cells, increases their survival and cytolytic potential, especially in synergy with other cytokines, and promotes differentiation of naive CD4 T cells without inducing Treg. IL-21 production is compromised early on during HIV infection and it is only partly restored by HAART .
A number of smaller studies in the 90’s evaluated systemic IL-2 therapy in HIV patients treated with mono- or dual- NRTI drug therapy. A pooled analysis suggested that this type of immunotherapy resulted in higher CD4 T counts, lower VL, as well as fewer opportunistic infections and deaths . In order to confirm the observed effects in fully treated patients, two multicenter placebo controlled trials with IL-2 were initiated. In both the SILCAAT and the ESPRIT trial, “induction” and “maintenance” cycles of sc IL-2 were added to virus-suppressive HAART. In both trials a positive effect on peripheral CD4 T counts was confirmed (temporary in ESPRIT and sustained in SILCAAT). VL was continuously suppressed (by HAART), but the occurrence of opportunistic infections or death was not altered as compared to HAART only . Two smaller ANRS (Agence de Recherche sur le SIDA) studies addressed additional questions. ANRS 119 showed that intermittent IL-2 therapy in HAART-naïve patients with CD4 T counts between 300–500 cells/mm3 could induce a significant and sustained increase in CD4 T cells, though unfortunately without affecting VL, but, based on CD4 T criteria, initiation of HAART could be deferred . The ANRS-NIH ILIADE trial suggested that administration of 3 cycles of IL-2 in HIV-infected patients with high CD4 T cell counts and controlled VL on HAART, could allow a significant delay in HAART resumption following treatment interruption . Taken together, the potential beneficial effects of systemic IL-2 are rather limited; additionally, it is not devoid of side effects, and sc administration is cumbersome. Therefore, adjunctive systemic IL-2 therapy has not been adopted in routine clinical care. This negative appreciation, however, does not preclude a local targeted IL-2 administration in conjunction with therapeutic vaccination.
A single injection of IL-7 in untreated HIV-infected subjects increased the number of circulating CD4 and CD8 T cells, mainly those of the central-memory type, without affecting the frequency of Tregs, but with a slight increase of viral RNA (blip) in half of the patients [41, 42]. A prospective open label trial (EudraCT) investigated the effect of repeated sc IL-7 administration in those patients who remained lymphopenic under fully virus-suppressive HAART. A significant expansion of circulating memory, but also naive, CD4 and CD8 T cells was observed, without tolerability problems and without increases in T cell activation or proviral load. Moreover, IL-7 treatment counteracted IFN-α therapy-induced lymphopenia and stimulated SIV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses in SIV-infected rhesus macaques . Ongoing phase 3 trials should indicate whether IL-7 has a role in correcting lymphopenia in patients who fail to recover CD4 T cell counts under HAART (or in purging the viral reservoir, as discussed above).
Interleukin-15 has several theoretical advantages over IL-2, in that it inhibits apoptosis and enhances expansion of both CD4 and CD8 memory T cells, as well as NK cells . However, systemic IL-15 administration in chronically SIV infected macaques treated with HAART resulted in a delay in viral suppression; and, when HAART was interrupted, IL-15 co-treated animals experienced a more rapid loss of CD4 T cells as compared to HAART-only treated animals . These negative results have discouraged further systemic administration, though IL-15 might still be useful in conjunction with a HIV vaccine .
Interleukin-21 might be the most suitable γ-chain cytokine for immunotherapeutic purposes. IL-21 by itself induced potent antiviral activity in human CD8 T cells and augmented the lytic potential of NK and CD8 T cells from HIV-infected subjects [70–72]. HIV-1 specific IL-21 producing CD4 T cell responses also contributed to durable viral control through the modulation of HIV-specific CD8 T cell function . The in vivo relevance of all these in vitro/ex vivo observations was most recently confirmed in a small trial of systemic IL-21 administration in chronically untreated SIV infected rhesus macaques. IL-21 administration was well tolerated, augmented the cytotoxic potential of both T cells and NK cells, and promoted B cell differentiation with increased SIV antibody production, without an increase in cellular activation or plasma VL . These results encourage further testing of IL-21 in conjunction with HAART and/or a specific therapeutic vaccine.
In an elegant in vitro study, Shankar et al. recently showed that co-culture of HIV-infected DC with naïve T cells induced elevated membrane expression of a broad array of negative costimulatory molecules such as PD-1 and CTLA-4, with a concomitant decreased expression of the effector cytokines . Many of these characteristics of T cell anergy and exhaustion have also been described in T cells from HIV-infected subjects.
High levels of PD-1 were shown on both CD4 and CD8 T cells but particularly on HIV-1 specific cytolytic T cells (CTL), and were correlated with CTL dysfunction and apoptosis. PD-1 expression correlated directly with VL and disease progression and inversely with CD4 T counts. The natural ligand PD-L1 was significantly upregulated on antigen-presenting cells (APC) from HIV-infected individuals. Importantly, antibody-mediated blocking of this interaction improved HIV-specific T cell functions in vitro[75, 76].
CTLA-4 is overexpressed on CD4 T but not on CD8 T cells and more particularly on HIV-specific T cells in all infected subjects, except elite controllers. In vitro blocking of CTLA-4 augmented HIV-specific CD4 T cell proliferation. Additionally, CTLA-4 signaling resulted in high CCR5 expression and enhanced susceptibility to viral infection .
Administration of blocking antibodies to PD-1 during chronic SIV infection in macaques had remarkably positive effects. A rapid expansion of virus-specific CD8 T cells with improved functional quality, as well as B cell activation with increased SIV-specific antibodies was observed. These immune phenomena were associated with significantly reduced plasma VL and prolonged survival . Interestingly, PD1 blocking actually reduced immune hyper-activation, expression of type 1 IFN stimulated genes (ISG) and bacterial translocation, and enhanced immunity to gut-associated pathogens .
The results of CTLA-4 blocking in this primate model were unfortunately less encouraging. Whereas an increase in CD4 and CD8 T responses and a decrease of viral RNA in lymph nodes were noted in an early study , the second trial showed no expansion of SIV-specific CTL, but an increased activation of CD4 T cells and viral replication at mucosal sites . These discrepant results may point to the delicate balance of enhancing beneficial HIV-specific responses and increasing deleterious immune activation.
Clearly, blocking various individual and combined negative receptors should be studied in more detail in SIV-infected animals; additionally, the potential synergy of receptor blocking with therapeutic vaccines and other anti-retroviral therapies should be investigated.
A general overview is presented in Figure1 and Table2.
Schematic overview of HIV-antigen specific therapeutic vaccination strategies.
Increased HIV-specific T cell responses. Positive impact on controlling the virus.
Increasing CD4 and CD8 T cell counts and stable viral load.
Safe and immunogenic. No difference between the three groups after STI on viral rebound.
Increase in HIV specific cellular responses and lower viral rebound in vaccinated animals.
Sustained polyfunctional T cells. One log decrease in VL.
Safe and tolerable. In some persons weak responses. Overall no differences with placebo group.
Poorly immunogenic. No effect on viral rebound after ATI.
Broader and higher HIV specific T-cell responses. No effect on viral rebound after ATI.
Safe and immunogenic. Delay in treatment resumption of ATI.
Lower viral set point after ATI, correlated with HIV specific CD4 T cell responses.
Lower viral rebound after ATI in ALVAC vaccines. IL-2 + vaccine boosted CD4 T cell count but had no influence on VL.
Tendency lower viral rebound after ATI but not significant.
Vaccinated animals had higher CD4 T cell counts, SIV-specific cell-mediated immunity and anti-SIV-neutralizing antibodies. After ATI there was a sustained reduction in VL and increased CD4 T cell responses.
Well tolerated. Induction HIV specific responses. Lower viral rebound.
Increased T cell responses no effect on viral rebound.
Well tolerated and no effect on viral load. HIV specific responses were enhanced.
Well tolerated, discontinuation of HAART after vaccination failed to lower viral set points. CD8 T cell responses induced in 2 out of 4 patients.
SIV-specific CD4 and CD8T cell responses during antiretroviral cover and off treatment. Virus levels were 10-fold lower in immunized animals for 1 year.
Effective and durable SIV-specific cellular and humoral immunity is elicited. At week 34 of the study: 50-fold decrease of SIV DNA and a 1,000-fold decrease of SIV RNA.
Plasma viral load levels were decreased by 80% (median) over the first 112 days following immunization. The suppression of viral load was positively correlated with HIV-1-specific interleukin-2 or IFN-γ expressing CD4 T cells and with HIV-1 gag-specific perforin-expressing CD8 effector cells.
Safe and well tolerated. Partial viral control 24 weeks after ATI .
Feasible, safe and well tolerated. Modest decrease in viral load 24 weeks after first vaccination compared to controls.
Viral load rebounded in both groups no differences in HIV-specific immune responses.
Mild adverse events. Full or partial HIV-specific immune responses in 7/9 subjects.
Vaccine was safe, 69 weeks after STI 6/17 patients remains off therapy.
Vaccine was safe. HIV-specific responses against Gag were broader, higher and polyfunctional after vaccination. CD8 T-cells could inhibit superinfection of CD4 T-cells.
Remune® was derived from a Congolese clade A/G HIV-1, which was gp120 depleted, chemically inactivated, irradiated, and emulsified with incomplete Freund's adjuvant . The first uncontrolled clinical trials all showed that Remune® induced HIV-specific T cell responses . In an open Remune® trial in chronically infected subjects, with suboptimal drug treatment, a significant delay in viral rebound after treatment interruption (TI) was observed . Another open trial in asymptomatic non-treated HIV-infected individuals reported higher CD4 and CD8 T-cell counts and stable VL . However, these beneficial effects were not observed in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with patients, receiving full HAART during acute infection and vaccinated with either placebo, ALVAC (canarypox expressing env, gag, pol and nef - see below) or with ALVAC + Remune®. After analytical treatment interruption (ATI), there was no difference in viral rebound between the three arms .
DNA-based vaccines have the conceptual advantage over other vaccines in that they can express both viral antigens and “molecular adjuvants”, such as cytokines or costimulatory molecules. Moreover, they can be administered repeatedly without inducing anti-vector immunity. DNA vaccines have successfully been used prophylactically in various infectious models in rodents, but they are less efficient in primates. Nevertheless, repeated intramuscular (im) immunization with carefully designed optimized SIVmac239 gag and env plasmids by Pavlakis’ group resulted in strong cellular and humoral responses in naïve Indian rhesus macaques and a significant sustained reduction of VL upon mucosal infection with the related SIVmac251 . This DNA vaccine was further improved by adding a plasmid encoding Nef-Tat-Vif (NTV) fusion protein and applying in vivo electroporation .
The same group of researchers next used this strategy in a therapeutic setting, comparing HAART alone or HAART + 3 DNA vaccinations in chronically SIV-infected animals. A significant increase in cellular responses was noted in the vaccinated animals. Upon ATI, the HAART-only treated animals showed a full-blown viral rebound and gradually progressed to AIDS, whereas only a limited viral rebound was observed in the vaccinated animals and a 10 times lower VL was sustained for 3 years . At that time, the combination of HAART and therapeutic DNA vaccine was repeated in some of the originally vaccinated animals, using an improved strategy with a DNA construct, containing the 5 SIV genes + IL-15 + IL-15 receptor α genes, and using in vivo electroporation. This repeated vaccination resulted in sustained polyfunctional central memory and effector memory CD4 and CD8 T cell responses and, importantly, an additional 1 log reduction in VL load after ATI . These studies therefore provide proof-of-principle for plasmid DNA as a therapeutic vaccine.
However, in HAART-treated HIV-infected subjects the evidence for success of DNA vaccination has not yet been delivered. Repeated im injections of a DNA vaccine, based on CTL epitopes from multiple HIV-1 gene products elicited only weak T cell responses in HAART treated chronic patients . The VRC-HIVDNA 009-00-VP, consisting of 4 plasmids encoding a subtype B Gag-Pol-Nef fusion protein and modified multiclade envelope constructs, was tested in a double blind placebo controlled study on patients treated with HAART during the acute/early phase. Even four im injections remained poorly immunogenic, and there was no effect on viral rebound after ATI . A similar study in chronically treated patients, using DNA plasmids containing genes of several HIV-1 subtypes, apparently resulted in broader and higher HIV-specific T cell responses, but again there was no favorable effect on the viral rebound after ATI . The DermaVir concept, recently reviewed by Lori, features a single plasmid DNA expressing 15 HIV antigens, a nano-particular formulation and a dendritic cell (DC) targeting topical (skin patch) administration. An impressive amount of safety and immunogenicity studies has been accumulated, but no statistically convincing data on VL reduction have been presented yet [115, 116].
In a preventive setting, co-delivery of the genetic information to produce IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-15 or IL-18 has been shown to enhance T cell responses to SIV or HIV DNA constructs in non-infected macaques . A favorable immune enhancement effect of co-delivered IL-12 or IL-15 genetic information was confirmed in a therapeutic setting in SIV-infected macaques as well as in HIV-infected chimpanzees . A strong synergistic effect between IL-12 and in vivo electroporation was also observed in preventive DNA vaccination in macaques . In a human preventive setting, however, co-administration of IL-12 and/or IL-15 plasmids im failed to enhance T cell responses to HIV-1 gag DNA vaccine . In vivo electroporation might be a viable option in humans, as two recent studies in healthy volunteers confirm the afore mentioned macaque data in that the T cell responses to intradermally (id) applied plasmid HIV DNA, followed by in vivo electroporation, are much stronger and more polyfunctional than those induced by regular im injection without electroporation [122, 123].
ALVAC is a recombinant canarypox vaccine, expressing full length env and gag as well as portions of pol and nef. The vCP1521 variant, expressing subtype E gp120 and gp41, gag and protease of subtype B, was used as a prime for AIDSVAX (VaxGen bivalent gp120 subtype B/E), the recombinant glycoprotein boost in the prophylactic RV144 “Thai” trial, which showed a 31.2% protective efficacy against HIV acquisition . The mechanisms of this protection are still under active investigation.
ALVAC vCP1433 and vCP1452, based on subtype B LAI sequences have been used in several therapeutic settings with varying success. The open-label single arm ANRS 094 study used 4 monthly im ALVAC injections, showing safety and immunogenicity . The ANRS 093 trial used 4 im injections of ALVAC and Lipo-6T, a mixture of HIV derived lipopeptides, followed by 3 sc cycles of IL-2 in chronic HIV patients under stable HAART and included a control group under HAART alone. After ATI, a larger proportion of subjects in the vaccine group managed to lower their viral setpoint (24% vs 5%), and this was correlated with an enhanced vaccine-induced CD4 T cell response . A follow-up study in HAART patients (ACTG A5024) included 4 arms, comparing placebo with ALVAC-HIV alone, sc IL-2 + ALVAC placebo, and the combination ALVAC-HIV and IL-2. Viral rebound, assessed 12 weeks after ATI, was 0.5 logs lower in both ALVAC-HIV vaccinated groups, whereas IL-2 increased CD4 T counts but did not diminish VL . These early studies suggest that ALVAC vaccination can partly prevent viral rebound in chronically infected HAART patients.
As mentioned, a double blind placebo controlled trial with ALVAC-HIV or ALVAC-HIV and Remune® in patients already treated in the acute phase (QUEST), confirmed induction of immune responses, but did not result in better virological control 24 weeks after interruption of HAART . A very similar study in chronic patients (CTN173) confirmed that both vaccines were unable to lower the viral setpoint, but nevertheless tended to delay rebound and extend time to restart HAART, which was also marginally correlated with higher IFN-γ and IL-2 responses .
Finally, a rather disappointing result was obtained in the ORVACS study, where 4 and 3 injections of ALVAC vCP1452 were compared with placebo in chronic HAART patients. The vaccines were immunogenic, but both vaccinated groups showed a higher viral rebound and had to resume treatment more rapidly than the placebo group . A lower CD4 nadir and a higher vaccine-induced HIV-specific CD4 T cell cytokine response in Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Spot Assay (ELISPOT) were predictive of this adverse outcome . This result is somehow reminiscent of the prophylactic STEP trail, where vaccine-induced CD4 T cell activation has been invoked to explain apparently enhanced susceptibility to HIV infection .
Clearly, these various ALVAC trials provided rather contradictory results. Nevertheless, they indicate that baseline characteristics of patients (e.g. pre-treatment VL or CD4 T cell nadir) need to be carefully matched, and they confirm the notion that vaccine-induced immune activation can have both beneficial and adverse effects: whereas HIV-specific T cell activation is required to control viral rebound, immune stimulation can also increase the susceptibility of CD4+ target cells to productive infection.
An Australian group compared two recombinant fowl pox vectors: one expressing gag/pol from subtype B only (a so-called partial construct or PC), while the second co-expressed human IFN-γ (full construct or FC), in addition to a placebo (diluent only). Thirty five fully HAART-treated subjects were randomized to the 3 regimens (12 placebo −11 PC −12 FC) and received 3 im injections (week 0, 4 and 12), and were then followed up for 52 weeks under HAART . A subset (7 placebo; 8 PC and 10 FC subjected) underwent ATI for 20 weeks thereafter . The most remarkable observation was a significantly lower mean viral rebound in the FC patients (+ 0.96 log), as compared to placebo (+ 1.80 log) and PC (+ 1.78 log). The T cell responses during the vaccination period were very weak. During ATI the IFN-γ ELISPOT increased in all three groups, but the changes were higher in the placebo as compared to the vaccinated patients. In a post hoc analysis, however, it was found that IgG2 antibodies to HIV p24 were present at 52 weeks (time of ATI start) in 5/9 FC patients and not in the PC or placebo patients. The presence of these antibodies was associated with lower viral rebound . Clearly, the addition of IFN-γ to the vaccine seemed to be beneficial, and IgG2 antibodies were implicated in this protective effect.
Several constructs expressing various HIV or SIV genes in replication-deficient poxvirus have been used as prophylactic vaccines in macaques, preceded by plasmid DNA priming with the same antigens. Partial, but sustained, protection has repeatedly been shown against homologous challenges: in most cases infection could not be prevented, but VL was lower and disease progression delayed or halted [128–130]. Whereas correlations with neutralizing antibodies as well as CD4 and CD8 T cell responses were noted in some cases, a crucial role for CD8 T cells in this protection was strongly suggested by a CD8 depletion approach in the study of Amara .
A few studies addressed the potential therapeutic effect of MVA expressing SIV antigens in infected macaques under antiretroviral treatment. A small trial using MVA gag-pol/MVA env or MVA tat-ref-nef in SIV-infected animals, treated with the NRTI PMPA, showed a tendency towards lower viral rebound after ATI in the vaccinated groups . A regimen with combined Adenovirus constructs (see below) and MVA expressing gag and env in infected and treated macaques provided a more sustained reduction in VL and increase of CD4 T cell counts, correlated with increased anti-SIV cell-mediated and humoral responses .
In HIV-infected subjects under HAART, nef-expressing MVA was shown to induce CD8 and CD4 T cell responses in some patients and there was a relatively lower viral rebound after treatment interruption . An elegant series of studies was carried out in 16 chronically infected patients under HAART, using an MVA construct expressing consensus clade A p24/p17 and multiple CD8 T cell epitopes. The authors showed that both CD4 and CD8 T cell responses were amplified and broadened, and that CD8 T cells acquired the capacity to inhibit HIV-1 replication in vitro[96, 97]. Especially the latter characteristic seems most important for potential therapeutic effect.
Other groups have also developed promising HIV MVA constructs that elicited polyfunctional CD4 and CD8 T cell responses in either healthy or HIV infected subjects [132–134], and more formal testing in therapeutic trials is presumably ongoing.
Two phase IIb studies, STEP and Phambili, evaluated the prophylactic effect of the replication- defective recombinant adenovirus type 5 (rAd5) MRK gag/pol/nef vaccines in healthy volunteers. Clearly, neither trial showed a decrease in HIV acquisition, nor decreased early plasma VL in vaccinees, who were infected. A post-hoc analysis showed even an increased risk of infection in uncircumcised vaccinated men, who were already Ad5 seropositive before vaccination . This deleterious effect was tentatively explained by the observation that Ad5 could induce expansion of memory CD4 T cells with a mucosal homing phenotype, which are readily susceptible to HIV-1. Several studies provided evidence that the untoward effect of pre-existing Adeno immunity by natural infection could have a negative impact on immune responses against HIV and could increase susceptibility towards HIV infection, even if rare Adeno serotypes were being used [126, 136, 137].
Human replication deficient rAd5 and rAd35 vectors, encoding SIV gag, env and nef (with or without IL-15 encoding cassettes), were used in chronically SIVmac251 infected and properly treated macaques, followed by ATI. HIV specific T cells were increased but viral rebound was not influenced .
The AIDS Clinical Trial Group (ACTG) protocol A5197 was a randomized placebo controlled trial to test rAd5 expressing gag in chronically infected patients under stable HAART with 77 persons in the vaccinated and 37 in the placebo group. Interestingly, 16 weeks after ATI, the plasma VL was 0.5 logs lower in the vaccinated group .
Though the therapeutic trial in SIV-infected macaques was not promising, the rather positive result of the ACTG trial in chronic HAART patients raises some hope. There are several recent studies in seronegative controls indicating that a prime-boost regimen with HIV env and gag/pol DNA/Ad5 may enhance antibody titers and T cell responses. Importantly, the T cells showed not only increased poly-functionality, but also a significant HIV-suppressive effect towards several HIV strains, including transmitted/founder viruses in vitro[138, 139]. Another possible way forward is the subsequent vaccination with rAD5 and rMVA, with synergistic activities on effector memory and central memory CD8 T cells .
A number of DC-based therapeutic trials have recently been completed in animals and humans. DC have the capacity to process proteins through both MHC class I and class II pathways for stimulation of CD8 or CD4 T cells respectively. Antigen can be provided to DC in many formats: as peptides, whole proteins or apoptotic cells, and also in a “genetic” format by transfecting DC with antigen-encoding viral vectors in DNA or mRNA format.
The use of antigenic peptides is an efficient loading strategy, but DC can also be pulsed with recombinant HIV proteins . In principle, “exogenous” protein should preferentially induce MHC (HLA)-class II restricted CD4 T cells, whereas peptides could stimulate both CD4 and CD8 T cells, according to their class I or II binding, depending on their length and composition. The first small trial in humans was performed by Kundu and showed that the administration of HIV peptides or protein-pulsed autologous DC was well-tolerated and could enhance the immune response to HIV in therapy-naïve patients with normal CD4 T cell counts . In a second trial, 6 doses of synthetic HIV-1 peptide-pulsed autologous DC were administered to 4 HAART-treated, HLA-A2402 individuals who underwent ATI: no significant changes in VL or CD4 T cells were observed during ATI . Finally, De Rose et al. performed an intriguing trial in pigtail macaques, where blood was exposed ex vivo to overlapping SIV peptides or medium for 1 hour and re-injected. This procedure was repeated 7 times. SIV specific CD4 and CD8 T cell responses were induced; and, remarkably, virus levels were approximately 10-fold lower for 1 year in immunized animals as compared to medium controls . A basic problem with peptides and proteins, however, is that it is difficult to cover HIV variability and HLA polymorphisms at an affordable cost.
Whole inactivated HIV-1 particles have successfully been used in DC vaccination of mice, monkeys and humans. Two prophylactic trials were performed in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice, reconstituted with human PBMC. Yoshida and colleagues used IL-4 DC (i.e. monocytes differentiated into DC in the presence of IL-4 and GM-CSF and matured with IFN-α), whereas Lapenta and colleagues used IFN-DC (i.e. monocytes differentiated into DC in the presence of IFN-α and IL-4). In both trials, autologous DC were pulsed with aldrithiol (AT)-2-inactivated R5 subtype B viruses: HIV-1SF-162 by Lapenta and HIV-1JR-CSF by Yoshida . After vaccination with the pulsed DC, HIV-1 specific CD4 and CD8 T cells were generated in vivo. Moreover, upon infection with homologous virus, there was also evidence for partial protection.
Around the same time, Lu et al. published their paper on therapeutic vaccination in Chinese rhesus macaques . They used AT-2-inactivated SIVmac251-pulsed IL-4 DC, matured with the classical “Jonuleit” cytokine cocktail, consisting of IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6 and Prostaglandin E2. All animals displayed a significant decrease in viral load 10 days after vaccination and an increased CD4 T cell count. Clearly enhanced SIV-specific cellular immunity was also observed.
The same authors vaccinated 18 untreated chronically HIV-infected patients, using IL-4 DC pulsed with autologous AT-2-inactivated virus. This resulted in an effective HIV-1-specific T cell response with sustained viral suppression of over 90% in 8 of 18 subjects . Based on statistical correlations, robust virus-specific CD4 T helper cells were required to induce and maintain virus-specific CD8 T effector cells for virus containment.
In another clinical trial, Garcia used heat-inactivated autologous virus to pulse IL-4 DC: in 12 HIV-1-infected persons under HAART, partial viral control could be achieved 24 weeks after ATI . In contrast to the observations of Lu et al., the HIV-specific cellular immune response was weak and transient in Garcia’s study. The latter author also performed a double blind clinical trial on untreated HIV-1 infected patients with IL4 DC pulsed with heat-inactivated virus . VL in the active group was maintained at a lower level as compared to the placebo group at week 48. However, this result was inversely correlated with HIV-1 specific immune responses.
Clearly, although Lu’s and Garcia’s vaccination strategies both yielded a positive effect on VL, the association between VL and T cell responses was different. Whether this discrepancy is due to the different inactivation procedure (AT2 vs. heat inactivation) or other factors remains to be investigated.
Unfortunately, DC loading with inactivated virus is difficult to standardize due to numerous variables: type and activation state of infected cells, method of virus inactivation, and the amount of antigen in the preparation. Moreover, it requires meticulous quality control testing on the inactivation procedure in order to eliminate any biological risk of infection.
As already discussed, direct vaccination with Canarypox virus vectors carrying HIV-1 genes (ALVAC) yielded discordant results in several studies. Recently a phase I/II clinical trial was performed, comparing direct injection of ALVAC vCP1452 and keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) as adjuvant with injection of autologous IL-4 DC infected ex vivo with ALVAC vCP1452 and treated with KLH. After three injections, subjects underwent a minimum of a 12-week ATI. Viral load rebounded in both groups and there was also no difference in HIV specific responses .
Loading HIV antigens encoded by nucleic acid, either cDNA or mRNA, is easier to standardize, it does not carry infectious risk, and hence seems straightforward for clinical applications. In our hands, transfection of IL-4 DC with cDNA is less attractive than mRNA, as cDNA electroporation resulted in more cell death and expression levels were lower, probably due to the more stringent transformation conditions required to penetrate into the nucleus. Transfection with mRNA encoding antigens requires cytoplasmic penetration only and was very efficient for loading DC and subsequent stimulation of HIV-specific T-cells .
Several clinical trials have already been performed based on DC electroporated with mRNA encoding HIV-1 proteins. In AGS-004, nine HAART-treated individuals were vaccinated with autologous IL-4 DC electroporated with mRNA encoding CD40L and autologous HIV antigens Gag, Vpr, Rev and Nef. Patients received monthly injections in combination with HAART . Seven out of nine patients showed proliferative CD8 T cell responses. This vaccine was further evaluated in a phase II study, resulting in partial viral control . Another recent clinical trial was performed by Allard et al. In this study, 17 HIV infected individuals on HAART received 4 vaccinations with 4 week intervals of autologous IL-4 DC electroporated with mRNA encoding a subtype B TatRevNef fusion protein. Four weeks after the last vaccination, treatment was interrupted . Six out of 17 patients remained off therapy 69 weeks after ATI. However this clinical result was not better than a historic control group undergoing STI, despite the induction and enhancement of CD4 and CD8 T cell responses specific for the vaccine . Around the same time our group also performed a phase I/II clinical trial: 6 HIV-infected individuals who received stable HAART were included. Individuals were vaccinated with autologous IL-4 DC electroporated with mRNA encoding the same TatRevNef fusion protein as in Allard’s study and with IL-4 DC expressing subtype B Gag mRNA. After vaccination, HIV-specific responses to Gag were increased in magnitude, breadth and proliferative capacity. Although no virological parameters could be measured because patients did not undergo ATI, we showed that the CD8 T cells from the vaccines could inhibit superinfection of autologous CD4 T cells with vaccine related IIIB virus in vitro.
Overall, 210 patients (60 therapy naïve and 150 on HAART) have been recruited in clinical trials with DC based vaccines. The safety profile has been excellent and DC therapy clearly elicits HIV-1 specific immunological responses, but only four of these studies reported virological responses to immunization .
Current immunotherapeutic strategies involve the ex vivo manipulation of autologous DC. This vaccination procedure is labor-intensive, logistically complicated, expensive and not useful in developing countries. A possible solution is direct in vivo delivery of suitable antigens and co-stimuli to resident DC. A first attempt in animal models was to apply protein antigens in complex with antibodies to DC-specific membrane molecules such as DC-SIGN or DEC-205 [146, 147]. A future strategy could be the delivery of biodegradable nanoparticles, which will be taken up by endocytic DC in vivo, such as the DermaVir patches .
Early attempts of immunotherapy, during the pre-HAART era, included non-specific (e.g. IFN and IL-2) and HIV-specific (e.g. Remune) immune interventions in patients who were either untreated or received mono- or dual drug therapy. In some cases positive effects have been reported, but these trials were small and usually not well controlled. During the last 10–15 years, the concept of immunotherapy as a supplement to full HAART has been further developed, with the ultimate aim to reduce or even replace drug therapy.
Amongst the non-antigen-specific immune approaches, systemic IL-2 has been exhaustively investigated and was ultimately shown not to provide clinical benefit in addition to HAART. It remains to be seen whether systemic use of other common γ chain cytokines, such as IL-7 or IL-21, could be useful for particular indications (e.g. to counteract lymphopenia). The newer “non-specific” approach is to block negative regulatory pathways, such as PD-1 or CTLA-4 signaling, both over-expressed during HIV infection. Experimental treatment in SIV-infected macaques indicated that PD-1 blocking helped to control viremia and to reduce immune activation. In contrast, CTLA-4 blocking resulted in increased viremia, most probably as a result of an unfavorable balance between too much non-specific and insufficient specific immune activation.
The obvious goal of therapeutic vaccination is to stimulate effective HIV-specific T cell responses, primarily cytolytic/virus suppressive CD8 T cells with supporting CD4 T cell help, while avoiding increased HIV-susceptibility of target cells. To that end, protein or particulate antigen is conceptually not the best option, since it primarily results in CD4 T and B cell activation: antibodies are considered ineffective and CD8 T cells seem essential in immune protection post infection.
Repeated im vaccination with plasmid DNA encoding various HIV antigens, along with cytokines, was successful in lowering VL in macaques, but this has not yet been confirmed in humans, despite repeated attempts. However, the immunogenicity of DNA vaccination is being improved by innovative constructs and enhanced delivery systems . Especially for applications in less sophisticated environments, DNA vaccines have the advantage of being stable and to carrying no infectious risk, but because they are considered “genetic therapy”, the development of DNA vaccines is subjected to strict regulations .
Recombinant viral vectors have been applied rather extensively in therapeutic vaccination trials. In most cases poxviruses (e.g. canary pox, fowl pox and MVA) and occasionally Adenoviruses were used. A fair number of encouraging results were observed in infected/treated macaques and patients in terms of T cell responses, and in some cases also VL reduction after ATI was observed. However, the variable results, obtained with the most extensively used canarypox platform, ALVAC, illustrate that apparently similar trials can have quite discrepant outcomes. Again, this may be the result of a delicate balance between the beneficial enhancement of anti-HIV CD8 T cell immunity and the deleterious effect of non-specific immune activation, inducing increased cellular susceptibility to HIV infection.
DC-based therapy has been developed in a therapeutic context, with various antigenic formats and corresponding loading strategies. Remarkably positive results in terms of viral control have been obtained with autologous inactivated virus loaded DC. DC trials with safer and less cumbersome formats (e.g. RNA) are ongoing, but the first results suggest that there is a need for improvement and further simplification of this methodology.
Collectively, it seems that HIV immunotherapy, although still highly experimental, is a viable option to explore. Although some beneficial effects have been described in untreated individuals, most evidence today argues that more effective immune responses can be induced under HAART coverage. In most trials, potentially favorable T cell responses were induced, while effects on VL have at best been transient. This limited success should not come as a surprise, since in most cases antigens from one particular or a limited number of HIV strains were used as immunogen and even in those trials, where the “autologous” virus or sequences thereof were used, epitopes from which the immune system had already escaped may have been presented.
To overcome these restrictions, new options are available. One is to immunize with a set of the most conserved, subdominant epitopes, mainly in the structural core genes (i.e. Gag) in order to focus and “teach” T cells to effectively react against at least some determinants which the virus cannot possibly escape from without completely losing infectivity. Obviously, this strategy might require repeated immunizations with sufficiently large numbers of different stretches of antigens, in view of the requirement to accommodate the HLA restrictions and to allow T cell receptor “maturation” by gradual somatic mutations. One such approach was proposed by Letourneau et al. . With these antigens, strong immune responses were already induced both in mice and macaques, using HIV conserved alphavirus replicon DNA and electroporation . A similar approach, focusing on different epitopes was proposed more recently by C. Brander . A second alternative is the so-called mosaic gag approach, where a large number of natural HIV sequences are included by in silico recombination (ftp://ftp-t10.lanl.gov/pub/btk/mozaïek) for maximum coverage of potential T cell epitopes of HIV-1 group M, including potential escape variations [153, 154]. This approach has successfully been applied in macaques, using DNA + recombinant vaccinia boost [155–157]. Interestingly, this viral construct also induced broad responses in PBMC from HIV-1 B or C infected subjects .
The next important question to address is how to deliver this improved antigen in vivo. Clearly, genetic constructs, either plasmid DNA, mRNA or recombinant viruses are suitable. All three formats have advantages and drawbacks as explained. Our own preference goes to mRNA, as it is flexible and clean, can include a large number of antigens and variants, and does not carry any infection or insertional risk or risk for vector-related adverse immune reactions . This safety advantage of mRNA-based vaccines as compared to plasmid DNA or viral vectors is reflected in their classification by the authorities (FDA in the USA and Paul Ehrlich Institute in Germany) as no gene therapy approaches. This relaxes the requirements concerning preclinical toxicology studies in animals .
Another feature of mRNA is, however, its biological instability (sensitivity to ubiquitous RNAses); and therefore it has mostly been used to load patient-derived DC ex vivo, a strategy which is not applicable at a larger scale. Recent evidence, however, indicates that mRNA can be chemically stabilized to be injected as “naked” RNA in vivo (e.g. intranodally) and/or formulated with either cationic lipids or positively charged proteins. The latter technologies have been refined over the years, and are now ready for clinical application [158–160].
In addition to the antigen and its format or formulation, further signals may be required to optimize the immune responses. Especially if the format is DNA or RNA, a clearly defined genetic adjuvant is most attractive, as it will restrict the costimulatory effect to the site where the immune response is elicited. Th1-skewing (IL-12, IFN-γ), common γ chain or cytokines, TNF ligand members or Toll-like receptor ligands have been used with some success . From our review two new candidates emerge: IL-21 and PD-1 blocking agents .
The desired clinical outcome of a therapeutic vaccine is to keep the VL under control and restore CD4 T cell counts through CD8 T cell-mediated suppression of viral re-emergence. However, there are no easy correlates for this protective effect while the patient is still on HAART. A straightforward ELISPOT using a standard subtype B set of peptides provides a first indication of immunogenicity, but it does not represent a true correlate for protection. Expanding the breadth of the T cell responses by testing many peptide variants, “potential T cell epitopes” (PTE) , increasing avidity by testing low peptide concentrations or improving the “quality” in terms of lytic capacity of CD8 T cells or poly-functionality as well as expansion of HIV-specific effector-memory or central memory CD4 and CD8 T cells have all been proposed as useful [6, 8], but these tests remain somewhat indirect correlates and require rather delicate and cumbersome experimental approaches. As mentioned, several authors, including ourselves, have proposed to measure the vaccine-induced capacity of the patients’ CD8 T cells to suppress various HIV isolates in vitro, as this function has repeatedly been associated with the “elite controller” status [18–20, 111]. Obviously, this type of functional test is also difficult to standardize, but it has the conceptual advantage of being a direct correlate of the desired protective effect.
Another important parameter to consider is whether immunotherapy or any other intervention aiming at a “functional cure” could reduce the size of the latent reservoir. Several assays have been proposed to measure residual replication-competent virus in purified CD4 T cells, based on (enhanced) viral culture as well as on an array of PCR-based methods quantifying intracellular viral mRNA (unspliced or multiple spliced) or proviral DNA. With regard to the latter, it is important to determine integrated versus non-integrated proviral DNA as well as the precise cell subset of the reservoir (activated versus resting T cells, central-memory versus terminally differentiated, macrophages, dendritic cells etc.). Moreover, the measurement should not be limited to blood, but also consider reservoirs in lymphoid tissues (peripheral or gastro-intestinal-associated lymph nodes) as well as “sanctuary sites” (such as the CNS or the genital tract). While the conceptual importance of these measurements is evident, these assays are presently not standardized and it remains to be determined which ones are most predictive of what we really want to know: will our intervention be able to mitigate or abrogate viral rebound after subsequent interruption of HAART [1, 30]?
Since there is no definite ex vivo/in vitro correlate of protection and since the SIV macaque model does not necessarily predict effects in human trials, one needs to proceed to a human trial with analytical treatment interruption to assess the ultimate clinical effect. In view of the observed variability in trial outcome, there is a clear requirement for a carefully matched and sufficiently large placebo group. Treatment interruption, even when guided by CD4 T cell counts and carefully designed to avoid emergence of drug resistance, is being considered as harmful in the long run since the SMART trial . To address this problem, Routy recently reanalyzed the SMART data for the effects of a limited duration of treatment interruption (e.g. 16 weeks) in patients on stable HIV-suppressive HAART with CD4 T counts > 400/μL, a CD4 T cell nadir of > 200/μL and without concomitant diseases. He concluded that ATI under those conditions is safe and thus acceptable in the context of a well monitored therapeutic trial with timely resumption of HAART in case of rebound and/or CD4 T cell drop .
The authors would like to thank Rafaël Van Den Bergh and Lotte Bracke for carefully correcting and Ciska Maeckelbergh for processing the manuscript. Funding was provided by SOFI (Speciaal Onderzoeksfonds ITG); IAP (Interuniversity Attraction Poles grant no. P6/41) and FWO (Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Vlaanderen grant no. G.0226.10 N).
GVH an EVG conceived and wrote the review together. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript. | 2019-04-22T09:14:29Z | https://retrovirology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1742-4690-9-72 |
Your program's financing goals and objectives and lending partners will help orient and guide you as you work with other partners and stakeholders to design your financing activities. The demand for financing will be influenced by market conditions, structure of your program, and the design of the loan product. In BBNP programs, approximately 15-25% of homeowners utilized a loan product offered by the program, with some programs achieving much higher rates of financing uptake by offering competitive interest rates and efficient loan approvals.
Many programs start by outlining the basic parameters for their financing strategy, then solicit and choose lending partners who can help finalize design decisions (which is the order presented in these handbooks). The steps to develop and deliver loans, however, do not need to be performed in this sequence. Instead, you may choose to work with prospective partners on financing program design but complete all major finance design decisions before entering into a partnership with a lender. Regardless of order, keep in mind that lenders can provide valuable feedback on design decisions that can impact your program’s success.
Your financing design decisions go hand in hand with decisions you make about other program components. For example, financing is often closely coupled with rebates and other non-financial incentives (discussed in Marketing & Outreach-Make Design Decisions). The design decisions you make with your partners will also serve as the initial steps for the development of your financing implementation and evaluation plans.
DOE’s State and Local Solution Center contains information about key financing structures.
EPA’s Clean Energy Financing Programs: A Decision Resource for States and Communities helps state and local governments design the appropriate finance programs for their jurisdiction by describing financing program options, key program components, and factors to consider.
The Energy Efficiency Financing Program Implementation Primer, developed by the State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network, provides an overview of considerations for designing and implementing successful energy efficiency financing programs.
Getting the Biggest Bang for the Buck: Exploring the Rationales and Design Options for Energy Efficiency Financing Programs, developed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, provides an overview of the fundamentals of energy efficiency financing program planning and design and provides tools for deciding the objectives and mechanics of energy efficiency financing initiatives.
Based on the financing needs you identified for your community and the financing goals and objectives you established for your program, it is now time to design your program’s financing activities.
As your program begins to make decisions regarding financing activities, you are likely to encounter many terms that you may not be familiar with. Please refer to the Glossary of Key Financing Terms, developed by DOE, for definitions of some of these terms.
Your market analysis can help identify the shortcomings of existing loan products and financing programs, as well as opportunities for your program to facilitate greater loan uptake.
Improve the loan terms offered to homeowners (e.g., lower interest rates, less restrictive loan eligibility requirements, longer loan repayment periods).
Enabling homeowners to arrange financing through contractors to make the process simpler for them.
Generally, the longer the loan application and approval process, the less likely a homeowner will undertake the energy upgrade.
Your contractors will be a critical ally in your efforts to make the loan process simpler. Most energy efficiency improvements are sold and installed by contractors who have an influential, face-to-face relationship with the homeowner. Homeowners may be actively seeking energy efficiency improvements, but they are rarely in the market for financing. Homeowners are looking to get the best price for the improvements they are making, and tend to be appreciative when contractors can offer financing options to facilitate the sale.
Your market analysis will likely show that contractors can be skeptical about the benefits of financing because it can complicate the sale, slow down payment, and add paperwork to the process. Consequently, your program may find that addressing contractor concerns by facilitating quick loan approvals, limiting the amount of paperwork, and ensuring that contractors receive payment within a few days of completing work can greatly facilitate the uptake of energy efficiency improvements in your community.
The first consideration in program design is to understand the needs of your participating contractors. Residential HVAC and home improvement contractors are generally small businesses with annual sales of less than $5 million. They retain little or no capital in their business, meaning they are unable to loan money directly because they do not have the funds themselves.
Contractors typically require quick payments from customers because they don’t have large lines of credit, and often don’t have people who can help with administrative work. When asked about payment options, the first response, especially among smaller contractors, is that they want their customers to pay cash (including checks and credit cards).
A simple process and ongoing cash flow are critical to contractor success, and these considerations drive their thinking when it comes to customer financing.
High interest rates – homeowners are typically turned off at rates above 9.9%.
Restrictive loan eligibility requirements – underwriting standards that establish minimum credit scores of 660 generally approve 65% of applicants, but as minimum scores increase towards the 700s, approval rates decline to the mid-50% range, which contractors typically find unsatisfactory. (Loan applicants typically don't know their credit score and/or the program's minimum credit score requirements before applying, so the universe of applicants remains the same regardless of program rules. As the minimum score requirement increases, more applicants are rejected for an insufficient score and approval rates decline).
Short loan repayment periods (loan term) – the shorter the loan repayment period, the higher monthly payments are. Longer repayment periods result in lower monthly payments for homeowners, and make it easier for contractors to close deals or add additional energy efficient measures to projects.
To increase access to financing, your program design can focus on offering loans that are more attractive to homeowners.
Better Buildings Neighborhood Program partners found that interest rates in the 4–6% range were often low enough to improve loan volume.
Driving loan volume and contractor participation with a low-rate loan product typically requires a continuous subsidy for two to three years, with no indication that the loan product will be terminated. The lowest market rate for unsecured home energy loans is around 8%, assuming a nonprofit lender (such as a credit union) with a 3% cost of funds, 2% for origination, 2% for servicing, and 1% for losses.
One shortcoming of providing a low interest rate through a credit enhancement is the cost to your program of doing so. Assuming an average loan size of $8,000, reducing the interest rate could require a one-time payment to the financial institution of $200 to $300 for each percentage point reduction (assuming a 1% point reduction reduces interest revenue by $80 per year, each year, for a four-year term). The cost must also be paid as an upfront fee because financial institutions must record the interest rate and other loan details at time of origination.
Consequently, it is much less expensive to choose a lender that has access to low-cost capital (e.g., credit unions have low cost deposits) so your program is reducing an interest rate that is already low.
Michigan Saves is a private, nonprofit entity whose mission is to increase the availability of energy efficiency financing in all market sectors.
During this process, Michigan Saves contacted the Michigan Credit Union League, which identified 13 credit unions that helped Michigan Saves design the financial product and process. A loan loss reserve was used to allow its financial partners to offer interest rates in the range of 4-6%. Six of the original thirteen credit unions participated in the program launch; as of early 2014, there are nine credit unions participating.
Between October 2012 and February 2014, Michigan Saves closed more than 3,400 loans with a total value of more than $27 million. The program approves approximately 80 loans each month. The applicant approval rate is approximately 60%.
To help homeowners finance home energy upgrades, state and local governments can develop and implement residential Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs.
Residential PACE allows homeowners to finance energy efficiency, renewable energy, water conservation, and other home improvements that have a public purpose (as defined in state law) through an assessment collected with their property taxes. Depending on state or municipal law and the PACE program structure, the PACE obligation may be secured by a lien placed on the home, with principal and interest repaid through the local government property tax assessment. If the property is sold, the assessment may be able to stay with the property if the buyer agrees and the new mortgage lender allows.
States establish PACE programs by enacting legislation that authorizes the adoption of PACE assessment districts at the local government level. Local governments authorize PACE in their jurisdictions by enacting an ordinance, resolution, or other policy that authorizes the local government to establish voluntary special assessments for energy, water, and related improvements financed through local government (or special assessment district) property assessment and collection procedures.
Between 2009 and 2016, 31 states passed PACE-enabling legislation, the number of states with active PACE programs (including commercial and/or residential PACE) grew from two to 16, and more than 100,000 homeowners made energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements to their homes through residential PACE programs. By 2016, residential PACE programs allowed homeowners to invest nearly $2 billion in energy efficiency, solar, and other upgrades to their homes.
In November 2016, the U.S. Department of Energy released Best Practice Guidelines for Residential PACE Financing Programs. DOE developed these revisions to the original “Guidelines for Pilot PACE Financing Programs,” initially issued on May 7, 2010, to reflect the evolving structure of the PACE market and incorporate lessons learned from various PACE programs that have been successfully implemented. The DOE guidelines outline best practices that can help state and local governments, PACE program administrators, contractors, and other partners develop and implement programs and improvements that effectively deliver home energy and related upgrades.
Enhanced PACE eligibility criteria, including requirements for review of income, existing debt obligations and credit score; clear and understandable consumer disclosures of all PACE terms, including interest rates and fees, repayment procedures, and lien requirements.
Additional consumer protections for low-income households, including enhanced screening procedures (e.g., verbal confirmation of PACE terms with the homeowner), written disclosures, and recommendations to structure PACE financing to be cost-effective for low-income participants.
Recommendations for quality assurance, contractor management, and enforcement procedures.
Recommendations for access to dispute resolution procedures or other mechanisms if work is performed improperly.
More information on PACE programs is available on the DOE State & Local Solution Center.
Improving existing or creating new forms of energy efficiency financing generally consists of addressing one or more of the three elements key to successful programs: confidence, capital, and convenience (referred to as the “Three Cs”).
Confidence: Do borrowers and contractors know about and trust the lenders that offer the financing?
Convenience: Is the process for obtaining financing simple and quick for both the contractor and the customer?
Capital: Does the program provide access to financing (capital) with attractive rates, minimal fees, and good terms?
Economic support (the “capital” of the three Cs).
Sponsoring an existing loan product or program is a simple, low-cost, low-risk approach to making energy efficiency financing more available and attractive in your community. It requires no capital, it needs little to no staff expertise relative to financing, and your program does not need to assume any credit or regulatory risk. By providing sponsorship and marketing support, you can improve the loan product’s or program’s name recognition and drive loan application volume.
Strengthening existing marketing and outreach of the loan product performed by lenders, contractors, or other programs through activities such as customer outreach (e.g., flyers, web content, advertisements, meetings, etc.) and/or contractor trainings.
When Colorado’s Xcel Energy set out to establish a program to offer financing to the residential market, they decided to partner with lenders and sponsor existing loan products rather than provide a loan loss reserve, on-bill repayment, or other more costly and resource-intense financing option. Xcel first contracted with a finance consultant to evaluate partnership opportunities. The consultant identified two existing residential energy efficiency loans: (1) an unsecured energy efficiency loan offered by Elevations Credit Union and (2) the federally insured PowerSaver second lien product offered by Bank of Colorado and WJ Bradley Mortgage Company.
Xcel chose to sponsor both products and signed letters of “alliance” with all three financial institutions. Under this arrangement, Xcel works with the lenders to present their loan products to contractors and Xcel customers through workshops, their website, and other promotional avenues. In addition, Xcel educates contractors participating in their various demand-side management programs about the loan products so they can offer them to their customers.
Xcel’s name and sponsorship is extremely valuable to the lenders as it gives their product instant name recognition and credibility, which helps them increase loan volume. Xcel benefits from the arrangement by being able to offer financing to their residential market sector without taking on substantial cost or risk.
Administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Fannie Mae, Green Refinance Plus allows owners of existing affordable rental housing properties to refinance into new mortgages that include funding for energy- and water-saving upgrades, along with other needed property renovations.
Every 10-15 years, owners of existing multifamily affordable properties typically refinance their mortgages. In older apartment buildings, however, owners are hard-pressed to find additional financing to maintain or improve the physical condition of their properties, including making energy-efficient upgrades. Green Refinance Plus is intended to refinance the expiring mortgages of Low Income Housing Tax Credit and other affordable housing projects and to lower annual operating costs by reducing energy consumption.
Property improvements that save energy and water costs for owners and tenants, such as energy efficient windows and ENERGY STAR appliances.
Borrowers obtain a "Green Physical Needs Assessment" completed by a qualified provider (e.g., someone who is either: certified to complete energy audits by RESNET or BPI; a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) or state equivalent; a registered architect; a registered professional engineer; a RESNET certified Home Energy Rater; or a BPI Certified Building Analyst). This assessment identifies property improvements that both reduce energy and operating costs and will help borrowers make rehabilitation choices that will give them the greatest energy savings for their investment. Property owners are able to select the energy- efficiency upgrades that make the most economic sense for their properties.
Learn more about Green Refinance Plus and program requirements.
If your program has staff with financing expertise and loan process and/or systems capabilities, you may be able to improve the interactions between lenders, contractors, and customers in a way that streamlines the loan process (e.g., lower-cost, quicker, simpler, easier).
Conduct quality assurance inspections in a timely manner so contractors can be paid more quickly.
Energy efficiency programs have worked with financial partners to streamline the loan approval process. Pennsylvania's Keystone Home Energy Loan Program, in partnership with EnergyWorks Philadelphia, works with multiple financial institutions to provide quick-approval energy efficiency loans, often within two hours of receiving the application. This is accomplished by underwriting based on a minimum credit score and income and employment information “stated” by the borrower, rather than “verified” via the employer.
In partnership with the Green Madison program, Summit Credit Union is developing an online application with "auto-decisioning" features that let a customer know immediately if they qualify for a loan. The program then follows up by checking income levels and employing other safeguards.
To increase the number of homeowners eligible for financing, a number of energy efficiency financing programs are deploying alternative underwriting criteria to identify credit-worthy borrowers that do not meet traditional lending standards.
NYSERDA’s Green Jobs–Green New York (GJGNY) initiative is using a two-tiered underwriting process to expand access to financing for its Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program.
Tier One underwriting uses standard FICO credit score (minimum 640) and debt to income (DTI) (maximum 50%) metrics to evaluate creditworthiness; 43% of applicants are rejected for this financing. NYSERDA is trying to reduce this decline rate with its Tier Two standards, which offer households with low credit scores or high DTIs a second opportunity to qualify for GJGNY financing. For households with credit scores below 640, NYSERDA Tier Two standards increase the maximum DTI to 55% and use utility bill repayment history in lieu of credit score to assess creditworthiness. For households with FICO scores above 680 that were rejected from Tier One because of their DTI ratios, Tier Two standards increase the maximum DTI to 70% and use utility bill repayment history.
Update: As of July 2015, NYSERDA allowed credit scores down to 540 under its loan program. A total of 8,581 Tier 1 loans and 1,312 Tier 2 loans have closed, valued at more than $95 million and $14 million respectively. Loan approval rates are over 75 percent.
Craft3, a participating CDFI lender in Enhabit, also uses utility bill repayment history to evaluate creditworthiness of borrowers. While Craft3’s underwriting process includes a credit score check and review of other debt obligations (e.g., bankruptcies, liens, judgments), instead of analyzing an applicant’s DTI, Craft3 examines utility bill repayment history. Using utility bill repayment history in lieu of DTI significantly reduces loan underwriting expenses. Because more households in many programs are rejected for financing due to high DTI than low credit scores, this strategy may be an effective approach for some households that can effectively manage their finances, and utilize cost savings from efficiency improvements to help offset the cost of the loan. As of December 2013, Craft3 had completed more than 2,600 loans valued at $33.4 million, with an average loan amount of $12,500. While the loans have only been made for a few years, loan default rates have been below industry averages.
Source: Scaling Energy Efficiency in the Heart of the Residential Market: Increasing Middle America's Access to Capital for Energy Improvements, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2012.
If your program is fortunate enough to have financial assets available or can secure such assets (“capital”), you may seek to improve the core elements of a loan product such as the interest rate, terms, fees, applicant approval rates, etc. You can do this by making funds available to lenders to offset their costs related to operations or credit losses, or simply to buy down the interest rate.
There are two primary types of economic support programs often use: credit enhancements and revolving loan funds.
Credit enhancements are a class of tools that reduce lender or investor risk associated with offering loans. Credit enhancements deliver capital providers with a level of protection against losses in the event of borrower default or delinquency. Many home energy upgrade programs include credit enhancements to make loans for home energy upgrades more accessible to a broader target audience.
Credit enhancements can motivate lenders to broaden consumer access to home energy loans, extend the length of time in which a loan is due, and lower interest rates. The terms of credit enhancements can also be used to negotiate favorable loan products and relax loan eligibility requirements.
Loan loss reserves (LLRs). An LLR sets aside a limited pool of funds from which lenders can recover a portion of their losses in the event of borrower defaults. LLRs are one of the most common credit enhancements due to their relative ease of implementation (see call-out box below).
Loan guarantees. A loan guarantee enables lenders to recover all potential losses in the event of borrower default.
Debt service reserve funds (DSRF). A DSRF sets aside a limited pool of funds from which lenders or investors can recover overdue debt service payments on a financial product.
Subordinated capital structures. Program administrators can invest subordinated capital in a loan or pool of loans alongside privately funded senior capital. In the event of customer defaults, the subordinated capital absorbs all losses. The senior capital does not experience any losses until all of the subordinated capital has been exhausted.
The Credit Enhancement Overview Guide, developed by the Financing Solutions Working Group of the State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network, describes the various types of credit enhancements, the trade-offs among them, and what they can be reasonably expected to accomplish to advance energy efficiency goals.
Why Offer Credit Enhancements? - An overview of the program objectives that may warrant deploying credit enhancements.
Credit Enhancement Basics - A description of common credit enhancement tools and their trade-offs.
Additional Resources – A listing of resources on designing and deploying credit enhancements.
Loan loss reserves (LLRs) are the most commonly used credit enhancement, frequently deployed to reduce borrowing costs or extend borrowing terms for program participants that would likely qualify for other, often more expensive loan products.
Under an LLR, funds—typically public or utility—are set aside (“reserved”) as loans are issued (e.g., typically 5% of the total portfolio of loans). In this way, a 5% LLR on a $60 million loan portfolio provides up to $3 million to cover a lender’s losses, should they occur.
The LLR may be specific to a portion of the loss on individual loans. For example, compensation for losses is often limited to 90% of any individual loan, ensuring a natural incentive for lenders to apply appropriate underwriting criteria to all loans.
Under an LLR, funds are placed into an escrow deposit account―either with a separate institution or under their own administration. As loans are made, escrowed funds are transferred to an LLR fund in the amounts specified by the LLR agreement. Projects are then completed and loans are repaid over time according to the loan agreement between the financial partner and the borrower.
Much of the administrative work is done by financial institutions with pre-existing capacity and experience making loans.
Programs can stimulate market transformation and eventually function without government capital, by proving to lenders that home energy loans can be profitable.
Rather than simply lowering interest rates, a few innovative programs are using credit enhancements to incentivize their financial partners to offer energy improvement loans to households that would otherwise not have access to capital.
The city of Indianapolis is using a large LLR—with 50% of losses covered—to households in its target income demographic (low to moderate income households).
The cities of Madison and Milwaukee used part of their DOE Better Buildings grant to structure a $3 million loan loss reserve to expand access to their loan product. Madison’s and Milwaukee’s 5% LLR reduces losses for their financial partner, Summit Credit Union, in the event of loan defaults and supports a loan pool of up to $60 million. It has been structured so that Summit Credit Union can recover more funds from the LLR on each loan default for lower-credit-quality consumers.
A revolving loan fund—which is a source of capital from which loans are made to eligible borrowers—can also be an important component of energy efficiency finance programs.
Loans are issued from the initial capital used to set up the fund, and as loans are repaid, additional loans are made. Often, similarly rated loans are grouped together as an investment and resold to secondary market investors, providing program administrators with an additional replenishing source of capital for new loans.
In 2010, St. Lucie County partnered with local financial institutions and community leaders to establish a community development financial institution (CDFI), which manages the Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF). SELF, a revolving loan fund capitalized with seed money from the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program, provides affordable clean energy financing to low-to-moderate-income homeowners and small businesses.
In 2011, SELF began taking applications for weatherization (i.e., insulation, caulking, window and door replacement), replacement of inefficient air-conditioning systems, and installation of solar thermal and solar photovoltaic systems. The program offers loan amounts from $1,000 to $50,000 with rates ranging from 6.5% to 9% depending on the installed technology. Maximum terms of up to 15 years are available.
The SELF funding goal is to issue $10 million in loans by 2017. As of early 2014, the SELF program has closed 249 loans valued at over $2 million. Cumulative energy savings exceed 1 million kilowatt-hours and the avoidance of 980 metric tons of carbon dioxide. The program has also generated nearly 11,000 labor hours for local contractors.
A revolving loan fund is a particularly effective tool for energy efficiency improvements in the $2,000 to $10,000 range (e.g., time-sensitive replacement of failed equipment, home efficiency upgrades such as attic or wall insulation), because few homeowners have immediate access to this amount of cash and they are reluctant to fund this amount with a credit card, as it will likely approach the card’s credit limit.
On-bill financing, which is a mechanism that allows repayment of loans through a customer’s utility bills.
Revolving loan funds can also leverage program funding from sponsors and mitigate risk for investors, allowing consumers with lower credit scores to receive loans.
Energy efficient mortgages (EEMs) allow borrowers to include the cost of energy efficiency improvements in a mortgage. Lenders offer EEMs through allowing increases in the amount that a borrower can borrow relative to the property value and the debt that the borrower is eligible to carry relative to their income. The Federal Housing Administration and Fannie Mae offer versions of EEMs, including the FHA 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance Program.
DOE developed the Home Energy Score as a low cost and reliable method for estimating the energy use of a home and providing a corresponding “score” to rate the relative energy efficiency of the home based on area location. The Home Energy Score uses a systematic approach to provide a reliable and scientifically-based analysis of a home’s energy characteristics and overall energy efficiency. The Home Energy Score uses a 10-point scale with a “1” applying to homes likely to use a large amount of energy and a “10” corresponding to the most energy efficient homes. An average home in the United States will score a “5” on the scale.
Homes that score a “6” or higher on the Home Energy Score scale can qualify for a higher mortgage. HUD has developed guidance on Home Energy Score and mortgages.
Learn more about on-bill financing and repayment programs.
They are relatively simple to set up compared to other options.
Many cities and states already have revolving loan funds that can be used for energy upgrades, so expert assistance is available.
Funds revolve indefinitely, creating a source of funding that will be available in the long term as long as capital is not exhausted from loan defaults.
Programs can change eligibility requirements of loan applicants over time as market conditions warrant.
More information about revolving loan funds is available through the DOE State and Local Solution Center.
Plan to evaluate each function and determine the functions that (1) your program will perform (those that match your capabilities and that you can perform at a lower cost, quicker, more accurately, etc.) and (2) those that your program partners will perform.
If you haven’t already done so when establishing partnerships with lenders, develop a list of the functions to be performed by your partners and use it as the basis for a scope of services or scope of work document. Include this list as selection criteria during the procurement of partners and subcontractors. The functions should also be documented in your program’s implementation plan.
Ultimately, you will likely be looking to create a sustainable market for home energy loans in your community that doesn’t require support from your program, so keep that in mind as you make design decisions.
Revolving loan funds and credit enhancements can be effective tools to prove to the market that home energy loans can be profitable and that the associated risk is for lenders is manageable, but they are probably not sustainable strategies in the long run.
The graphic below illustrates how the development of an initial revolving loan fund, converting over time to a loan loss reserve, can lead to a well functioning private market.
Collect data to show that home energy loans can be a profitable line of business for lenders, and a useful tool for homeowners to use to pay for energy upgrades. Lenders must perceive home energy lending to be a profitable, creditworthy, and sizable business.
Leverage credit enhancement monies. Home energy lending programs that rely on a credit enhancement can leverage modest amounts of grant capital into much larger amounts of lending capital. Better Building Neighborhood partners all used federal funds to attract private sector investment.
Build and/or access the secondary market. Some lenders will decide to originate loans, assemble portfolios, and then seek to refinance or sell the portfolios to a “secondary market” capital source. A typical target portfolio size for an early-stage secondary market transaction is $20 to $25 million although later transactions may be much larger, in excess of $100 million. Availability of financing from the secondary market can drive development of home energy loans and also lower the costs of capital. However, this approach is only possible if underwriting for all of the loans in the portfolio is consistent. It is also made easier if underwriting is consistent with other loans being issued across the country. DOE is supporting work to develop a standard set of underwriting criteria for the secondary market. These criteria would create a standard loan product that is uniform enough for secondary market investors to understand its risks and consider a purchase of the loan product.
Link clean energy finance programs to other state government development, finance, and financial system support/reform initiatives. State governments throughout the nation are seeking new ways to increase home energy lending as a means to meet sustainability goals and enhance economic development and job creation. Consider linking your home energy finance programs to these initiatives to help turn home energy financing into a leading economic development strategy.
Developing new energy efficiency loan products requires financial expertise and resources that not every program has available or that might not even be necessary. Finding and promoting existing energy efficiency loan products, such as loans that may be offered by a local credit union, your state energy office, or national lenders, or loan products available to contractor networks that meet the needs of your target audience is a simpler, low-cost, low-risk approach to improving access to financing for home energy upgrades. Many programs have partnered with lenders to offer the Federal Housing Administration’s PowerSaver Loans, a trio of national loan products available for home energy efficiency improvements.
EnergyWorks of Philadelphia decided to leverage an established and successful state financing program rather than starting a financing initiative from scratch. This approach enabled the program to offer loans more quickly and leverage existing consumer and contractor acceptance of its loan offerings. The program leveraged the Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (Keystone HELP), Pennsylvania’s award-winning residential financing program with low fixed rates for single measure and whole house improvements. EnergyWorks provided financial support from its Better Buildings Neighborhood Program grant to make Keystone HELP loans available at even lower interest rates to homeowners in the Greater Philadelphia area. By leveraging the existing Keystone HELP loan, and by providing additional consumer and contractor outreach, EnergyWorks was able to help finance over 1,900 upgrades totaling more than $17 million between 2010 and 2013. This represented an annualized increase of close to 40% over pre-EnergyWorks Keystone HELP volume in the Philadelphia region.
In addition to helping to develop new loan products, Efficiency Maine offers and promotes the use of the federally insured FHA unsecured and secured PowerSaver loans. The PowerSaver loan is an energy-related home improvement loan offered under the Federal Housing Administration Title 1 home improvement loan insurance program. PowerSaver provides homeowners with low-cost, long-term funds to make cost-effective energy efficiency improvements to their homes. FHA supports lenders by offering insurance that covers 90% of the loss amount on loans up to $25,000. Between 2010 and October 2013, AFC First—Efficiency Maine’s authorized lender—issued 106 PowerSaver loans with a total loan value of nearly $1.3 million, and average loan amount of $12,000.
When Colorado’s Xcel Energy set out to establish a program to offer financing to the residential market, they decided to partner with lenders and sponsor existing loan products rather than provide a loan loss reserve, on-bill repayment, or other more costly and resource-intense financing option. Xcel first contracted with a finance consultant to evaluate partnership opportunities. The consultant identified two existing residential energy efficiency loans: an unsecured energy efficiency loan offered by Elevations Credit Union, and the federally insured PowerSaver second lien product offered by Bank of Colorado and WJ Bradley Mortgage Company. Xcel chose to sponsor both products and signed letters of alliance with all three financial institutions. Under this arrangement, Xcel works with the lenders to present their loan products to contractors and Xcel customers through workshops, their website, and other promotional avenues.
Complicated loan and program application processes have deterred many potential customers from following through with an upgrade. Delays and overly burdensome requirements raise barriers to participation. Many programs have successfully employed strategies to reduce the number of requirements that homeowners must meet in order to receive a loan, and to speed the processing of loan applications so projects can proceed quickly once a homeowner decides to move forward.
Enhabit, formerly Clean Energy Works Oregon, worked with Craft3, a non-profit community development financing institution (CDFI), to help more homeowners qualify for loans and streamline the loan application process. Their approach was to use utility repayment history as a proxy for credit. Craft3’s underwriting process includes a credit score check and review of other debt obligations (e.g., bankruptcies, liens, judgments); however, Craft3 examines utility bill repayment history in lieu of analyzing an applicant’s debt to income ratio (DTI). This approach significantly reduces loan underwriting expenses for Craft3, helps to simplify the loan application process for homeowners, and allows for quicker approvals. Between March 2011 and December 2013, Craft3 completed more than 2,600 loans valued at $33.4 million, with an average loan amount of $12,500. While the loans have been made for only a few years, loan default rates have been below industry averages.
Pennsylvania's Keystone Home Energy Loan Program, administered by AFC First Financial Corporation in partnership with EnergyWorks Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Treasury Department, worked with multiple lenders to provide quick-approval unsecured energy efficiency loans up to $15,000, often within two hours of receiving the application. This was accomplished by underwriting based on a minimum credit score (640 or higher), 50% debt ratio requirement, and income and employment information (as stated by the borrower, rather than verified via the employer). Approximately 70% of applicants are approved for loans. The combination of minimum credit score, debt ratio and other factors used in underwriting allows AFC First to streamline the application process while minimizing risk of borrowers defaulting on their loans. Between 2010 and 2013, EnergyWorks was able to help finance over 1,900 upgrades, totaling more than $17 million.
Without an incentive, homeowners and contractors may limit themselves to smaller upgrade projects. Programs in search of more energy savings have found that some homeowners already interested in an upgrade are amenable to a bigger upgrade when coupled with better financing terms or larger rebates. To encourage deeper upgrades, many successful programs have offered tiered levels of financing or rebates, with terms and amounts that grow more favorable as more energy savings are pursued.
Maryland’s Be SMART Home program offered two energy loan options to homeowners: the Be SMART Home ENERGY STAR loan (6.99% interest rate for upgraded heating and systems and efficient appliances) and the Be SMART Home Complete loan (4.99% interest rate for comprehensive home energy improvements). The two loan products were created to provide borrowers with options for completing their home energy upgrades. In addition, the products were intended to encourage hesitant borrowers primarily interested in upgrading one system to consider the benefits of a whole house approach. In many cases, the program noted that borrowers entered the Be SMART Home program for the Be SMART Home ENERGY STAR product; however, after discussions with Be SMART staff about the value of a comprehensive home energy upgrade, many of these borrowers completed an energy assessment and converted to the whole house Be SMART Home Complete approach. Between July 2010 and May 2014, more than $1 million was loaned, with a 66% loan approval rate.
EnergyWorks Philadelphia offered two tiers of loan rates, tying the interest rate to the number of energy efficiency measures incorporated into the home. Homeowners who undertook Gold Star projects using a participating contractor were eligible for the lowest possible rate—0.99% fixed for 10 years. Gold Star projects were guided by an energy assessment and consisted of whole home upgrades that addressed multiple components of the home (e.g., envelope, HVAC, water heating, appliances, etc.). With the Silver Star level, homeowners who installed a single energy efficiency measure (e.g., high efficiency furnace replacement) using a participating contractor could qualify for a 4.99% loan, in addition to rebates and tax credits. Between 2010 and 2013, EnergyWorks issued 559 Gold Star loans worth more than $6.4 million and 1,347 Silver Star loans worth more than $11.4 million.
Enhabit, formerly Clean Energy Works Oregon, initially launched its program with aggressive incentives to generate interest in the program. Early adopters were quick to apply. Enhabit based incentives on the level of projected energy savings: $3,200 for savings of 30% or more, $2,200 for savings between 20% and 30%, and $1,500 for savings between 15% and 20%. After an initial 90 days, incentives were lowered to $1,500 for savings of 30% or more, $1,000 for savings between 20% and 30%, and $500 for savings between 15% and 20%. Recognizing that rebate levels were not sustainable, incentives are currently set at $1,250 for savings of 30% or more, $1,000 for savings between 20% and30% and $500 for savings between 10% and 20%. According to Enhabit Executive Director Derek Smith, “Our incentive structure gets customers excited about aiming high and gives contractors a lever to encourage a more comprehensive scope of work.” Approximately 85% of participants reach the 30% projected savings goal. In addition to being able to access incentives, program participants have access to low cost-financing through Enhabit’s network of lending partners to finance the balance of project costs. Between March 2011 and December 2013, Enhabit, through Craft3 (one of Enhabit’s lending partners), completed more than 2,600 loans valued at $33.4 million.
In order to overcome lenders’ concerns over the risk associated with energy efficiency loans, many Better Buildings Neighborhood Program partners offered credit enhancements to lenders (e.g., loan loss reserve funds) to attract lender participation and to mitigate lender losses in the event of loan defaults. Over the long term, however, a thriving market for energy efficiency financing requires that lenders and capital providers operate without credit enhancements. In order for this to happen, lenders and capital providers need to understand that home energy lending can be profitable and that the risks are manageable. Several Better Buildings Neighborhood Program partners were able to prove the viability of energy efficiency lending.
Enhabit, formerly Clean Energy Works Oregon, took a sequential approach to designing for long-term sustainability through successfully engaging lenders in the program with credit enhancements, but removing these over time following evidence of success. In the process, Enhabit has unlocked millions of dollars of private capital while eliminating the need for program-funded lending support. During its program pilot, the City of Portland partnered with Craft3 to provide low-interest, long-term financing with utility on-bill repayment to program participants. Craft3 used bill payment history as a proxy for credit to help more homeowners qualify for loans. Loan defaults proved to be low from the outset, demonstrating the low risk associated with home energy lending. As Enhabit expanded its program throughout Oregon in 2011 and 2012, additional lenders joined the program. While loan fees and loan loss reserves were initially offered to some of these new lenders, Enhabit eliminated payment of all loan fees and loan loss reserves effective January 1, 2013, and still maintains a strong network of lending partners. Enhabit’s strategy to remove credit enhancements over time has worked because program results (e.g., low defaults) demonstrate that home energy lending can be profitable to lenders while also providing them access to new customers from whom they can solicit additional business. In addition, lenders become more comfortable with lending for energy efficiency if measures are properly installed and deliver the promised savings (which helps ensure loans are repaid) so Enhabit’s quality assurance has been an important factor in supporting the lending partners in non-financial ways. Between program launch in March 2011 and December 2013, Enhabit completed nearly 3,200 residential upgrades and 2,600 loans valued at $33.4 million (through its lending partner, Craft3), generating $49 million in local economic activity.
The Maryland Be SMART Multifamily program utilizes a revolving loan fund initially capitalized with $9 million to provide financing for energy efficiency upgrades in affordable multifamily apartment buildings. Leveraging their Better Buildings Neighborhood Program grant, the Be SMART Multifamily program team worked closely with property managers, owners, and developers to promote the value of energy efficiency in the multifamily housing community and succeeded in leveraging significant private and public capital to finance energy efficiency upgrades. The program’s revolving loan fund allowed short-term loans for loan loss reserves for multifamily upgrade projects accompanied by rehabilitation work funded through Low Income Housing Tax Credits. These short-term loans facilitated several energy upgrade projects that would otherwise not have been possible. These loans also provided for a quick revolution of the loan funds, typically resulting in full repayment of the loan loss reserve within 24 to 36 months (with interest rates ranging from 1% to 4%). The short-term loans have been tremendously beneficial to the viability of the Be SMART Multifamily revolving loan fund, and have enabled program activities to continue at similar projected funding levels into calendar years 2014 and 2015. Between July 2010 and September 2013, the program financed nine projects representing 935 multifamily units. Projected annual energy savings from these projects is more than 3,600 Megawatt-hours (MWh) and more than 260,000 therms.
Historically, energy efficiency financing have required two sources of funding: credit enhancement funds to mitigate risk and support attractive financing, and senior capital to fund the majority of the loan principal. Some residential energy efficiency programs have successfully assembled loan portfolios and sold them to secondary market investors as a new way to fund their programs and loan products. Availability of financing from the secondary market can also lower the costs of capital, allowing programs to offer home energy loans with better interest rates.
The Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (Keystone HELP) is Pennsylvania's financing program for energy efficient home improvements. The program is principally supported by the Pennsylvania Treasury Department, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency. Keystone HELP offers low-rate loans to help eligible homeowners make affordable energy efficiency home improvements. Pennsylvania Treasury began Keystone HELP expecting to hold loans to term. Because of the program’s success, however, Treasury would exhaust all the funds it was prepared to make available for energy efficiency upgrade loans much sooner than planned. Without additional capital for new loans, Keystone HELP would need to stop offering financing for energy efficiency improvements. Treasury soon realized that a functioning secondary market would be necessary just to continue its own efforts, let alone scale up energy efficiency lending on a national basis. To meet the capital needs of Keystone HELP (and similar programs around the country), the Warehouse for Energy Efficiency Loans (WHEEL) was designed. WHEEL is a collaboration among the Energy Programs Consortium, the Pennsylvania Treasury, Renewable Funding, and Citigroup Global Markets. It provides low-cost, large-scale private capital to state and local government and utility-sponsored residential energy efficiency loan programs. WHEEL’s goal is to create a secondary market for clean energy loans, which over time will deliver better financing terms with declining reliance on credit enhancements and other subsidies. In March 2013, Treasury sold almost 4,700 Keystone HELP loans, receiving $23 million in cash and $8.3 million in deferred payments for a projected total of $31.3 million.
One of Enhabit's, formerly Clean Energy Works Oregon, goals is to access secondary markets for residential energy efficiency loans to help bring liquidity to the program. To date, Enhabit has successfully engaged lenders in the program, unlocking millions of dollars of private capital while eliminating credit enhancements. The program has been able to access secondary market investors by eliminating credit enhancements and proving the value of home energy lending. Enhabit’s success led its lending partner, Craft3, to pursue the sale of its loan portfolio to both mitigate its own risks and replenish funds for lending. Working with Enhabit, Craft3 closed on its first sale of loan assets to Self-Help Credit Union (based in North Carolina) in December 2013. The purchased portfolio included 1,251 loans with a total outstanding value of $15.7 million. Most loans in the purchased portfolio had 20 year terms and ranged in size from approximately $800 to $30,000 with an average loan size of about $12,500. Enhabit continues to work with its lending partners to pursue secondary market sales.
Homeowners do not benefit from access to financing if they don’t know about or understand options available to them. Contractors are often the primary transaction point for selling upgrades, and many programs have found that ongoing collaboration with contractors through sales training, regular meetings, and requests for feedback can foster greater understanding and sales of program loan products. Some successful programs have staff in a contractor manager role to organize trainings, address questions and concerns, and overall coordinate relationships with participating contractors. Along with simplifying the financing application process, working with contractors to integrate financing into the home performance sales process avoids making financing another complicated decision point for customers.
EnergyWorks of Philadelphia recognized that contractors can have a tremendous influence on homeowner decisions about how to pay for an energy upgrade. The program therefore trained contractors on how to effectively make affordability of energy efficiency a key part of every sales proposal and assessment. Contractors were also trained on how to better utilize special financing and monthly payment plans to increase both their closing rates and market penetration for more energy efficient home improvements. In addition, EnergyWorks provided contractors with program-sponsored technical training for BPI and RESNET certification, if needed, streamlined the energy assessment process and developed a consistent customer report template, and used an integrated software platform to provide maximum efficiency and customer service to contractors during loan/incentive origination, administration, payment, and reporting. Between 2010 and 2013, EnergyWorks helped finance over 1,900 residential upgrade projects, totaling more than $17 million.
Enhabit, formerly Clean Energy Works Oregon, works with its contractors to provide business coaching, peer mentoring, business development classes, business accounting, and sales training. Supporting the development of these skills is a key factor in Enhabit’s success. Trainings include discussion of Enhabit’s loan offerings and eligible lenders, and how financing is a valuable tool to help drive sales. These trainings were well-received by contractors and helped them improve their business processes, making them more profitable. Between program launch in March 2011 and December 2013, Enhabit’s close relationship with its contractor partners resulted in the completion of more than 3,000 upgrades. For more information on how Enhabit partners with their contractors, see the case study Making the Program Work for Contractors.
The Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA) recognized that the best way to drive demand for home energy upgrades was to involve local contractors that worked in homes on a daily basis. To that end, GCEA identified, trained, and mentored contractors who were interested in promoting the benefits of energy efficiency and saw it as a means to expand their business. Through a network of participating contractors, homeowners throughout Greater Cincinnati ultimately purchased energy efficiency upgrades and services totaling almost $19 million. Between program launch in 2011 and November 2013, GCEA issued 127 residential loans, totaling more than $1 million with no losses.
In October 2010, Austin Energy rolled out its single-family residential energy "Best Offer Ever" promotion, a three-month special that combined rebates and no-interest loans for energy upgrades. Austin Energy offered extra contractor training on the financing to drive sales during the promotion. Once draft promotional plans were in place, Austin Energy hosted a breakfast meeting—getting on their Home Performance with ENERGY STAR contractors’ schedules before they were out in the field for the day—to discuss the plans and collect feedback from the contactors. Contractors provided feedback on the launch plans, received sample forms, and were trained on how to use them. The contractors were also candid about their involvement in implementing the offer. Most contractors had not actively marketed financing options before, so Austin Energy walked the group through each party’s role and responsibility in the loan process. Austin Energy also scheduled the promotion during the fall and winter, which is typically a slow season for building contractors in otherwise sunny and hot Texas—increasing the likelihood that projects would be completed in a timely manner while also helping contractors avoid seasonal layoffs. As a result of the promotion, a total of 568 participants received Home Performance with ENERGY STAR upgrades through 47 contractors in six months—more than 10 times Austin Energy's typical participation rate.
As part of the ShopSmart with JEA program, Jax Metro Credit Union (JMCU) worked closely with contractors by holding regular meetings (monthly or quarterly) as well as lunch and learn opportunities to educate contractors on the loan options available. The credit union also did outreach to contractors or contractor associations in the community recognizing that the contractors would play an important role in selling benefits of the loan product. It was a long process, nearly 14 months, before the relationship between the credit union and the contractors was fully developed. From 2010-2012, ShopSmart with JEA completed 206 residential upgrades. JMCU members completed more than $1.2 million worth of energy upgrades on 183 homes in the community, and JEA and JMCU financed nearly 90 percent of completed upgrades.
This case study highlights the Help My House Pilot Program conducted in South Carolina by Central Electric Power Cooperative that included on-bill financing.
This report highlights program and policy attributes that enable successful on-bill programs based on analysis of four program case studies.
Presentation that describes the successful elements of the Massachusetts HEAT loan program, including how it is funded and who is eligible.
Presentation describing AFC First's (a lender's) aggressive underwriting and smart product delivery as part of the Keystone HELP program.
A sample for defining and elaborating on the specifics of a clean energy loan program.
An Excel-based example of a financing program model.
This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on integrating contractors with the loan process.
Presentation on the key programmatic elements of financing initiatives.
This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on innovative financing approaches programs are using to support residential energy efficiency. | 2019-04-19T16:18:07Z | https://rpsc.energy.gov/handbooks/financing-%E2%80%93-make-design-decisions |
For a continueation please go temporary page: COMET TWO.
2014 January 11. Early morning observations of comets Lovejoy & LINEAR, initially in a sky of moderately good transparency and seeing but with considerable cloud cover driven by a strong, cold NE wind.
2014 January 05. Early morning observations of comets Lovejoy and LINEAR, initially in a sky of moderately good transparency and seeing, this time with better conditions in the e sky allowing observations over a period of an hour on both comets.
Artificial Earth satellites (AES) were a significant problem with 1 in 3 frames being “infested”.
Comet’s data for 05h 09m UT.
The two cropped images (dia. 1° approx.) from exposures a little under one hour apart indicate not only the movement of the comet in that period against the stellar background but also the apparent alteration in star colours tending to “redden” at the lower altitude due to the great thickness of the Earth’s atmosphere through which the light path has to travel as well as variation in atmospheric transparency between the two observations.
C2013 R1 (Lovejoy). Imaged 2014 January 06, 04h 47m UT, Nikkor 600mm f/4. A 55 sec. exposure D300 SLR ISO 1200.
C2013 R1 (Lovejoy). Imaged 2014 January 06, 05h 41m UT, Nikkor 600mm f/4. A 55 sec. exposure D300 SLR ISO 1200.
C2012 X1 (LINEAR). This comet requires a longer focal length instrument to show any detail. With limited time, and rapidly changing weather patterns, to change instruments was deemed impracticable. We therefore had to make do with 600mm f.l.!
Early morning observations of comets Lovejoy and LINEAR, initially in a sky of moderately good transparency and seeing, but again clouding over in the S/E by 05h 30m UT.
In other words, another exercise in cloud dodging in which Lovejoy came off well but LINEAR evaded observation in any meaningful sense. As I say, you have to be extremely dedicated or plain mad to pursue this sort of thing from this location, and at this hour of the day!
Despite all the frustration, a series of fine images (considering the low altitude) for Comet Lovejoy were secured with the Nikkor 600mm f/4 and D300 SLR commencing 04h 32m UT and concluding with the image below at 05h 05m UT.
C2013 R1 (Lovejoy). Imaged 2014 January 05, 05h 05m UT, Nikkor 600mm f/4. A 45 sec. exposure D300 SLR ISO 1200. The brightest star in the field (2° x 1°.5) is TYC 1546-208-1, mag. 5.65 spectral class F6V.
One of the best images from a longer exposure was marred by the appearance of an artificial Earth satellite (AES), a risk one always has to take with these longer exposures nowadays since the sky is now cluttered with the damn things: see below.
C2013 R1 (Lovejoy). Imaged 2014 January 05, 05h 05m UT, Nikkor 600mm f/4. A 65 sec. exposure D300 SLR ISO 1200.
Cropped image with AES crossing the field in the lower left-hand corner.
Comet’s data for 05h 05m UT.
2014 Janaury 01. Early morning observations of comets Lovejoy and LINEAR in a sky of moderately good transparency and seeing, clouding over after 05h 30m UT. Wind S: force 4 – 5. The two images below display the comet’s movement against the stellar background over a period of 43 minutes.
C2013 R1 (Lovejoy). Imaged 04h 39m UT, Nikkor 600mm f/4. A 50 sec. exposure D300 SLR ISO 1200.
The brightest star in the field (2° x 1°.5) is TYC 1545-2527-1 mag. 5.52 spectral class B5V.
Comet’s data for 05h 22m UT.
C2012 X1 (LINEAR) imaged 2014 January 01 at 04h 51m UT. Nikkor 600mm f/4. A 45 sec. exposure D800 SLR ISO 1200. Cropped image: the brightest star in the field (65' x 40' approx.) The brightest star in the field (45' x 45' approx.) is TYC 964-337-1 mag. 9.06, spectral class F8.
2013 December 31. 2013: "The Year of The COMET" – the grand finale. Observations of Comet Lovejoy et al for the early morning December 31st 2013.
With a reasonably clear sky at 04h 00m UT, the possibility for a good early morning observing session looked promising. However, sky clarity became steadily plagued by cirrus, leading to poor visibility before work terminated at around 05h 30m UT.
Comet Lovejoy is visibly fading from day to day now, not helped from these latitudes by a steady drop in elevation. To compensate for the diminished apparent angular size, and with a break in the sky of an hour or more, it was decided to use the 600mm f/4 lens with longer exposures (anything above 60 sec. gave sky glow) in addition to the 400mm f/2.8.
A final search using the fast, wide angle 200mm f/2 lens for fragments from Comet ISON, which might be expected at high elevations in the region of Ursa Minor, revealed nothing.
2013 December 31. A "wide" field view using a Nikkor 200mm f/2. A 10 sec. exposure at 05h 32m UT. D800 SLR ISO 1200. The brightest star in the field (6°x4°) is delta Herculis mag. 3.12 spectral class: A3IVv SB. Poor clarity causing “fogging” of images and general background sky illumination at this altitude.
2013 December 31. Nikkor 400mm f/2.8, a 30 sec. exposure at 04h 59m UT. D800 SLR ISO 1200. Field 3°.4 x 2°.4. Falling quality in sky transparency giving rise to background sky illumination at this altitude.
2013 December 31. Nikkor 600mm f/4, a 50 sec. exposure at 05h 19m UT. D800 SLR ISO 1200. Field 2°.0 x 1°.5.
C2012 X1 (LINEAR) imaged 2013 December 31 at 05h 09m UT. Nikkor 600mm f/4. A 50 sec. exposure D800 SLR ISO 1200. Cropped image: the brightest star in the field (65' x 40' approx.) is TYC 967-1559-1 mag. 6.11 spectral class G8III.
Stars to magnitude 16.5 are readily discernable on high resolution images.
The comet would appear to be showing some indication of the extended coma picked up easily in the observations of 2013 November 10.
2013 December 29: Comets Lovejoy & LINEAR.
2013 December 29. Comet Lovejoy imaged at 05h 08m UT. Nikkor 400mm f/2.8. A 30 sec exposure, D800 SLR, ISO 1200. Sky almost completely cloud covered with gentle rain falling!
The brightest star in the field (2°.4 x 1°.8 approx.) is 73 Herculis, mag. 5.70, spectral class: F0IV.
The comet was well seen at 05h 10m UT in 8x30 binoculars before the sky completely clouded over. Impressive in 20x80s.
Note: Comet C2012 X1 (LINEAR) appears to have brightened a little.
C2012 X1 (LINEAR) imaged 2013 December 29 at 05h 02m UT. Nikkor 400mm F/2.8, a 35 sec. exposure D800 SLR ISO 1200. The brightest star in the field (1°.5 x 0°.75 approx. ) is TYC 967-1376-1 mag. 8.11, class K0.
2013 December 26: Comet C/2013 R1 Lovejoy.
The comet continues to image well despite having lost declination making it no longer circumpolar from the latitude of Orkney. The image this evening was taken with some residual twilight and worsening atmospheric clarity. Although visible in the morning sky, the Moon’s presence will deter observations of the comet for a day or so yet.
Comet C/2013 R1 Lovejoy 2013 December 26, imaged 17h29m UT. A 20 sec. exposure, Nikkor 400mm f/2.8. D800 SLR ISO 1200. The brightest star in the field (2°x1° approx.) is delta Herculis mag. 3.12, spectral class: A3IVv SB. Despite residual twilight, stars to mag. 15 are clearly visible.
2013 December 14. Comet Roundup.
The night and early morning of December 13/14 proved to be a mixture of clear intervals between batches of dense cumulus. The Moon was the chief obstacle to securing images of Comet Lovejoy in the early stages. We were also hoping to make an attempt on searching for remnants of Comet ISON as well as the fading Comet Linear, this only being possible after moonset (05h 30m UT) and before twilight set in on the morning of the 14th.
It was decided to use the fast 400mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens coupled to the D300 SLR. Ideally we would have switched later to the 600mm f/4 had conditions permitted but decided, instead, upon extending the focal length of the 400mm to 800mm with a x2 converter for the much “smaller” Comet LINEAR.
We commenced imaging at 04h 40m with shorter exposures due to moonlight. After moonset we were able to extend exposures to 60 secs. (for LINEAR); 25 secs. proved to be the optimum for Lovejoy.
Despite the use of exposures up to 40 secs in the region where remnants of comet ISON might be expected, nothing was found.
LINEAR, on the other hand gave a short tail and a suggestion of an extended coma shell, despite the low altitude of the comet.
The three frames below show clearly the apparent movement of Comet Lovejoy against the star background as it makes towards the star TYC 2581-1822-1 mag. 8.79. The angular movement in this period is 7' 08", or a little under 1/4 of the Moon's apparent diameter.
The Brightest star in all fields (3.4° x 2.4° approx.) is BU 818 mag. 6.87 Spectral class F0III.
Nikkor 400mm f/2.8, D300 SLR ISO 1200. Exposure 25 sec.
There is some evidence of wind shake in the first image which was taken when the Moon was still in evidence and lighting the sky background.
This morning will be the last opportunity to image Lovejoy in a dark sky for some 17days by which time its declination and altitude will have decreased, along with a general fading as aresult of the comet's increasing distance from Earth and the Sun.
2013 December 09: C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy).
The Brightest star in the field (3.4° x 2.4° approx.) is the variable star TZ Coronae Borealis, Maximum mag. 5.69 (Magnitude range: 0.05) Spectral class: F8V.
Comet: Positional information at observation.
Weather poor with thin cloud and sky background light from Moon.
Heavily processed image from the above. Magnitude limit approcimately 16.5.
2013 December 04: C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy).
The bright star in the field is mu1 Bootis, mag. 4.31 Spectral class F0V. Some “fogging” due to thin cloud.
Poor weather with sky overcastting quickly.
2013 December 03: C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy).
Note: this is a good quality image in view of the comet‘s low altitude. An artificial Earth satellite is an unwelcome addition! Just visible to the uanaided eye, fine in 8x40 binoculars.
2013 December 02. Re: Comet ISON.
Readers will know from experience that we generally comment on the actual appearance of an object only after we have made observations of our own. We have no reason to doubt the comet’s demise viewed as a “spectacular”. However, we would hope to secure some images within the coming week/s, weather permitting,. And on that score let it be said that the recent month has been the most disappointing in our observing career: not a twinkle for over three weeks!
2013 November 23: Three Comets Update.
Only Comet Lovejoy is currently observable from the latitude of Orkney with anything approaching ease.
Comet ISON is now out of reach as it closes in on the Sun. We have yet to receive an update on its recent performance. Whether it will survive this close encounter with the Sun remains to be seen.
Comet LINEAR is fading fast but would be observable in small telescopes in a dark, clear sky.
Comet Lovejoy is at present a spectacular photographic object, as may be seen from the image below.
Early morning observations of Comets Lovejoy & LINEAR in twilight and Moon at phase 73.3% in constellation Cancer and just 60° apparent separation from the comet.
Comet LINEAR, close to the brilliant star Arcturus, was imaged but only recorded as a very faint object against a brightly lit sky background from both twilight and the Moon.
Comet LOVEJOY. 2013 November 23, 06h 47m UT. A 6 sec. exposure 150mm f/5 achromatic refractor, D300 ISO 1200. The star closest to the comet is TYC 3020-1723-1, mag. 10.70. (Field 1.4° x 1° approx.) Left click to enlarge.
As will be seen, the comet is circumpolar from the latitude of Orkney and will continue to be so until 16 December. It is also at maximum brilliance at around mag. 5.2, an easy object in small binoculars and just visible to the unaided eye on a clear, dark night.
2013 November 10: Three Comets in the Morning Sky.
The trials and tribulations of the observational astronomer.
A Provisional Account (full data to follow shortly).
Orcadians will not need reminding that the weather recently – in fact for some time – has not been up to much!.
Astronomically, in order to get any observational work done at all, one has either to be totally committed and optimistic or just plain crazy or both! I think I must come into the latter category since now well into my seventies my brain drives my body to painful exertions in the hope of getting a glimpse or two of the celestial sky at night.
Sample the morning of November 10. On the agenda are three comets, two of which (LINEAR & ISON) can only be tracked from these latitudes from around 04h 30m UT. The third, (LOVEJOY), has a good altitude by this time – see below.
Awakening instinctively at 03h 45m before the alarm clock sounds off, one hastens out of bed to the east facing window. Not much to get excited about. Leo paying host to planet Mars spattered with cloud. The north window gives a more encouraging picture and so to the bathroom (cold since the heater has not had time to make any impression), dressed in three minutes. A further layer of clothing to combat the outside cold: boots, and thence to the observing stand in order to set up the equipment.
The sky looks very fine in parts but the cloud forms and disperses before you can say damn, but never the less one presses ahead.
The only portion of sky offering a hope of seeing anything is in the region of constellation Bootes so thence we track in order to attempt a go at Comet LINEAR. The altitude is low and wisps of cloud make the first exposure a compromise; never the less, the comet is “there”. Now cloud forms here and we track back to Comet Lovejoy where the sky is clean, thereby offering a few minutes in which to take a series of images all of which come out well.
Comet ISON is now at –2° declination and not well placed at a low altitude where cloud sits persistently. Shot after shot with the camera reveals a blank screen until, just for a few seconds, we have confirmation that the comet is indeed “there”. Meantime, the sky has improved in the direction NNE, so back to LINEAR. Just time for a “quick one”, and it’s back to ISON where during the course some twenty minutes one waits patiently in order to secure just one image of the comet sandwiched between two banks of cloud.
On a point of technique: ideally one world use set exposures possible between 10 and 30 seconds but owing to the erratic behaviour from cloud it is best to have control of the exposure so as to curtail things on the instant. This requires a “bulb” shutter setting and for one to monitor the sky situation carefully throughout the exposure.
We have been at it now for a little under one-and-half hours and the sky is beginning to light up with the coming of dawn. The sky is now almost totally cloud covered and so we abandon any further attempts to secure good images of LINEAR and ISON.
Stowing the equipment back indoors takes under five minutes. All one has to do now is to take a quick look at the results and then to warm the body up before returning to bed for a few hours sleep – if you are lucky!
2013 November 07: C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy).
2013 November 07: late night observations of C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy). This is the first observations we have been able to make of this comet which has brightened to around mag. 6.5 (a little below unaided-eye visibility) considerably above predicted levels.
The comet is brightening as it hastens east, gaining in declination and brightness up to 25 November (see chart below). The rate of apparent movement of the comet may be gauged by reference to the nearby star in the two images below.
In view of the speed at which the comet is moving against the sidereal rate, we used the fast 400mm f/2.8 lens with exposures between 15 sec. and 30 sec.
A wide field view from a 4 sec. exposure on the Nikkor 105 f/1.8 shows the comet in relation to the “Beehive Cluster” in Cancer. The brightest star in the field (dia, 8° approx.) is delta Cancri mag. 3.93. The comet is shown between the two, vertical white lines.D100 SLR: static camera.
2013 November 07, 22h 24m UT. A 25 sec. exposure: Nikkor 400mm f/2.8 D300 SLR ISO 1600. The brightest star the field (dia, 1.4° approx.) is TYC 1396-794-1 mag. 7.72.
2013 November 07, 23h 17m UT. A 20 sec. exposure: Nikkor 400mm f/2.8 D300 SLR ISO 1600.
The images are reasonable considering the ,low altitude of the comet at the time of observation.
Track of C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy) against stellar background 2013 November 09 to December 09. Left click to enlarge.
Poor conditions with light cloud and rain on and off leading to complete overcastting within 30 minutes of commencement of observations.
spectral class F5. Stars to magnitude 15.5. (Left click to enlarge.
NOTE: Searches for comets C2013 R1 (Lovejoy) and C2012 X1 (LINEAR) gave negative results - CLOUD!
Another very brief period of early morning clear sky lasting a little under 40 minutes. Slack southerly wind, moderate transparency and good seeing. Used the Nikkor 600mm f/4 with a D800 SLR. Exposures above 30 secs. tended to “fog” from sky illumination.
2013 November 02, 05h 08m UT. A 32 sec. exposure Nikkor 600mm f/4 with a D800 SLR ISO 1200. (Cropped image.) Left click to enlarge.
Bightest star in field (dia. 1.0°) is TYC 269-843-1 mag: 8.83. (faintest stars 16 mag.).
Integrated mag. 9.4 (est.); tail: 11 arc-minutes (est.). On high resolution images the tail extends to 31 arc-minutes. The galaxy PGC 34783, mag. 15.1 (size: 44.0"x42.0”), is also clearly discernable.
2013 November 02, 05h 07m UT. A 35 sec. exposure Nikkor 600mm f/4 with a D800 SLR ISO 1200. (Cropped image 50'x50' approx.) Left click to enlarge.
Observations commencing 05h 17m UT. 150mm f/5 . achromatic refractor D800 SLR ISO 1200.
This image, restricted to 30 sec. due to the nearby crescent Moon (phase 12.8%). The comet has increased in apparent brightness to an estimated integrated magnitude of 9.6; tail 14 arc-min.
The brightest star in field (dia. 1.3° ) is TYC 268-468-1, mag: 7.74 spectral class: K2.
2013 October 27 Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON).
mag. 7.60 spectral class K2.
D100 SLR and 24mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens. A 20 sec. exposure (static camera).
Again it was decided to use the fast 150mm f/5 aperture achromat., this time using a D800 SLR configured for near maximum resolution and working at ISO 1600. Five reasonable exposures were made at shutter speeds 25 sec. to 45 sec., after which the sky clouded over entirely.
The cropped, circular image below shows the comet with the spherical galaxy NGC 3121 (mag. 12.9; 1.7'x1.4') close by to the left. The brightest star in the field (dia. 1.6° approx.) is TYC 836-945-1 mag. 8.97, spectral class M0. Stars to mag. 17, and a number of faint galaxies to mag. 16, are to be seen on high resolution, wider field images.
Comet PanSTARRS has left the scene – what next for Comet ISON?
Many readers will know that there has been no shortage of speculation as to how this comet might perform towards the close of 2013. Predictions earlier this year that the comet might become a naked eye object in daylight now appear to be fading – literally.
Ephemeredes from May last year put the comet’s magnitude at 2013 October 5 at around visual magnitude 10 or a little fainter. Our observations from that date (see below) indicate an apparent magnitude closer to 14 which is around 1/40th of the anticipated brightness back then.
ISON is now headed towards the Sun at a distance (at the time of writing) a little under that for planet Mars. As seen in the sky, the two objects appear not far apart. An interesting conjunction with the first magnitude star Regulus occurs on October 15. (See diagram 1 below.) The star and planet will be of around the same apparent brightness but with well contrasting colour, Regulus a white star and Mars appearing orange. Thereafter, the two objects will appear to separate. The position of Mars on 16th November will be close to that occupied by ISON on November the 2nd. The two traces have not been shown on the same diagram (2) to avoid congestion.
As mentioned earlier, circumstances for observing the comet from high latitudes are not favourable even supposing the weather should bless us with early morning, clear skies. A chart showing the course of the comet in the sky up to commencement of the observing “blackout period” [Nov. 16 (morning) to Dec. 10 (morning)] is shown in diagram 2.
Dia. 2. The Track of Comet ISON from October 12th to November 16th 2013. The sky is shown looking east shortly before sunrise in order to accommodate the tracking data. The comet itself rises on October 12th at 00h 63m UT. and at 04h 25m UT on November 16th. (The later rise time is due to the fall in declination as the comet appears to head south.) Left click to enlarge.
Hopeful observers should visit these pages from time to time. We would expect to report on our own observations, indicating when the comet might become visible in binoculars or small telescopes. Maximum brilliance is predicted for November 28th to 30th, but much will depend on how the comet stands up from its close approach to the Sun at that time.
A chart update will be given in November to cover the period from Dec. 10.
Our problem here in the northern hemisphere is that leading up to maximum brilliance the comet is heading south with its declination on September 1st at +22˚ 08' falling to -22˚ 43' by November 28th , around about the time of maximum brilliance. The comet will be moving rapidly at this time and by December 09 will be back in the northern hemisphere but fading all the time. However, it should still be a naked eye object for the first two weeks in December. We shall publish more precise details over the coming weeks.
We are frequently asked to recommend suitable equipment for general astronomical observation and for comets in particular. This is a vast subject in itself for there is no simple answer much depending upon what it is you wish to observe. We shall therefore limit ourselves to comets for the present.
For those seeking to take up the study of comets a little more seriously, then we would recommend the SkyWatcher 150mm f/5 short focus achromatic refractor. The tube assembly can be purchased for around £400 and may be accommodated on an EQ3* mount for about the same price, including a motor drive. The colour correction is not good and we would not recommend this scope as an all-rounder, but for fast photography where fine colour correction is not essential then you will find this telescope gives a brilliant field with good image quality right up to the edges of the field.
*This represents the upper limit for a payload on this mounting. The more expensive EQ5 would be better - it is slightly cheaper than the more sophisticated EQ6, the portable mounting we mostly use here on Rousay.
A slightly better opportunity offered itself this morning with slackening winds (SW force 5 to 6) and longer cloud breaks. However, with the comet relatively low in the eastern sky transparency will always be compromised. Frustrating, to a degree, with an obstinate bank of light cloud “hovering” in front of Leo, but eventually giving way to a period of clarity for half-an hour during which a number of images were obtained using the 150mm achromat.
The comet at the centre of the field (dia. 50') close to the two stars TYC 1410-772-1 mag. 10.06 (top) TYC 1410-221-1 mag. 10.64, may be seen to have a short tail. The brightest star in the field is TYC 1410-11-1 mag. 8.89 spectral class G5.
The faint galaxy GSC 1410-0308 mag. 14.62 may be seen in position 8 ‘o-clock approx. near the edge of the field and seeming to mimic the comet, but without a tail. A number of other fainter galaxies are visible on wider field images where stars to magnitude 17 may be detected.
This is a relatively rich area of sky for galaxies since we are looking well away from the galactic plane into what they call “deep sky” in modern speak!
The first observation of Comet ISON was made from Rousay under extremely exacting conditions at 04h 29m UT. A southerly wind touching gale force at times (force 7 to 8) with considerable cloud giving few breaks for exposures of more than 15 second. Added to this, a growing morning twilight and a nearby crescent Moon (phase 8.8%).
It was decided to use the 150mm aperture f/5 achromatic refractor, despite the force of the wind. (Quick location of comet and focusing were essential and this instrument offers a reasonable compromise over the more refined, large Nikkor telephoto lenses.) As it turned out, the weather deteriorated making it possible for only two very short exposures, the first of which was used in the image below.
The comet appears at the centre of the field (dia. 50') slightly below and to the right of the star GSC 1410-0052 mag. 14.30. Indication of a short tail (4')* at 1’clock may be seen on the original high resolution image. Comet estimated magnitude 14.8. Brightest star in the field is TYC 1410-20-1 mag. 7.95 (spectral class: K0). Some distortion of images due to wind “shake”.
*Note: It would be impossible under the conditions at the time to have secured a detailed image with a larger instrument, requiring longer exposures, demonstrating the usefulness of these high speed lenses.
Forthcoming appearance of Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) in the Northern Hemisphere.
Now that Comet PanSTARRS has faded (literally) into the background, many are asking what of Comet ISON that has been predicted to become one of the brightest comets in recent decades?
At its brightest the comet may rival Venus in apparent magnitude, but this will last for a day or so at most and during this period the comet will be a difficult object from the northern hemisphere.
However, there are a number of interesting positional features respecting ISON that commence in early September and which could form an interesting object for study in the early morning skies. This has to do with the appearance of both ISON and Mars over a period of some two months when the two objects will appear to keep close company as they pass from constellation Cancer into Leo. On October 15, ISON, Mars and Regulus (alpha Leonis) will appear together in a field of a little under 2˚. The comet may well have reached magnitude 9 by this date.
Full details and maps will be given in October 2013.
2013 April 02: A temporary PanSTARRS page has been opened.
Important: The comet passes within less than 2 arc-degrees of the Great Andromeda Galaxy M31 April 2/3. Do not confuse one with the other!
There is a location diagram on the SKY VIEW page showing the path of the comet up to April 19 2013.
Comet PanSTARRS preparing to “bypass” the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) top left.
A number of high quality images were obtained with lenses ranging from 135mm f/2.8 to 600mm f/4. A selection will be featured on site shortly.
Comet C/2011 L4 ( PanSTARRS ) imaged 2013 March 30, 20h 50m UT. 150mm f/5 achromatic refractor: exp. 45 sec. D300 ISO 800.
The star to the left of the comet is TYC 2270-570-1 mag. 6.74. Stars to magnitude 13 are visible. (Field: 75' x 55' approx.) Left click to enlarge.
The appearance of the comet on March 29 was impressive in binoculars (7x50s) but far less so to the unaided eye, naturally.
Update March 27. We have yet to observe the comet from Rousay. Observers elsewhere in the UK have been facing similar problems with weather and so forth.
I have to reiterate my view that this comet was unlikely to be a spectacular event from the northern hemisphere. Unfortunately, the national and international media go hold of it and in their “ignorance” (word used politely but advisedly) raised expectations unnecessarily .
Hopefully, with the Moon soon leaving the scene and with the comet’s increased declination, we should be able to achieve some images within the next week. BUT, we are now approaching the period of long twilight hours in the north and this, coupled with the appalling weather, would substantiate the view that one has to be something of a fanatic to do this job!
"Comet Panstarrs had a bright nucleus, which I'd estimate to have been mag +0. It would definitely be a really easy object if it were a bit higher in the sky. The tail was reasonably prominent - I'd estimate it to be about a degree in length. A really nice comet!"
This comet is not well placed for northern observers.
From about 11 March the comet will start to fade, halving in apparent brightness approximately every five days. It will likely drop below naked eye visibility within the first week of April.
The first clear night (dusk to dawn) for over six weeks and the first “usable” night in 2013. As a result we have missed the best of this comet, which is heading south at a prodigious rate.
Comet C2012 K5 (LINEAR) approaching TYC 75-546-1 (mag.7.63). The comet now below mag. 11, and retrograding at around 115 arc-seconds per hour, was imaged against a background of light from the Moon limiting exposures to around 50 seconds.
A 50 sec. exposure 150mm aperture f/5 achromatic refractor ISO1200.
In astronomy one can divide subjects between the predictable and the un-predictable. For example, tables are issued many years in advance giving the positions for planets and other objects in the Solar System to a high degree of precision. (Unlike planets, comets with, few exceptions, move in highly elliptical and sometimes highly inclined – to the ecliptic – orbits*.) Also within the category of the predictable events are eclipses of the Sun and Moon, the occultation of stars by the Moon and other bodies in the Solar system.
Amongst non-predictable events we have the appearance of the aurora, sunspots, visitations by comets hitherto unknown, the flare-up of stars – novae and super nova – transient phenomena on other planets and so on.
Moreover, in the case of comets, although we may calculate their position as they approach the inner Solar System with some order of accuracy, their physical appearance is impossible to predict. Even our assumptions as to their orbits (or pathways) can sometimes come adrift, as was dramatically demonstrated in 2006 when Comet 73P/Schwassmann–Wachmann broke up into several fragments. Two of the larger portions were indeed recorded by us on Rousay (see fig. 6).
Fig. 1 Comet Hale-bopp 1997 March 28.842: Takumar135mm focal length f/3.5. MJH West Bergholt (film). Exposure: 10 minutes.
Fig. 2 Comet Hale-bopp 1997 April 04.864: 150mm aperture f/4.5 Cooke triplet MJH West Bergholt (film B&W). Exposure: 20 minutes.
It would be difficult for me to position in order of priority and achievement my many and varied interests in the field of astronomy. Fortunately, I learned the hard way. That is to say, with little financial backing (few of us knew much in the way of luxury in the immediate post-WW2 period) I quickly learned economy of effort.
Professionally my work in theoretical physics, celestial mechanics and binary stars in particular, was sufficiently academic for me to turn down an invitation from my old friend Patrick Moore (long before he had become an celebrity, of course) to appear on one of the early Sky at Night programmes. At various stages of my career has Patrick tempted me with exposure to the wider media all of which, for some strange reason, I have not followed up!
Going back some fifty years I would have to give a very different picture for the comet observer compared to today. To record on film some of the fainter comets would require patient manual guiding at the eye-end of the telescope, sometimes spanning two or three hours. Our equipment comprised two Aldis 4 inch aperture f/4.5 cameras attached to the 5.2 inch Cooke refractor. The total weight of this outfit would have been in the region of 150 kilos, excluding the iron column upon which the massive equatorial head was bolted. Such things were only possible with the protection of an observatory (in this case 11ft diameter), revolvable dome.
Contrast the above to our current range of equipment, most of which is portable, albeit at some expenditure of effort. For example, the fast 400mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens coupled to a D300 SLR is useful for a wide range of comets offering 2.3˚ x 3.4˚ field. This may be attached to an EQ6 equatorial mount offering adequate stability and may be set up within two to three minutes. The even faster 200mm f/2 lens is ideal for comets with tails up to 6˚ long.
We have been fortunate in acquiring these fine S/H lenses at a fraction of their original cost since most photographic professionals these days upgrade to the latest automatic versions. Most of our recent comet work has been done with these lenses (fig. 4, also see Comet Garradd page).
Digital techniques have revolutionised astro-photography in all areas not least where comets are concerned when images that would have taken hours to secure on film may now be secured in a few minutes. With the advantage of repeated imaging, where time and conditions permit, the so-called stacking of images using specialist software can reveal detail that would have been unimaginable fifty years back.
Fig. 4 Comet Hartley 2010 October 15 at 22h 03m UT. a 50 sec. exposure 400mm f/2.8. D300 SLR, ISO1200.
However, there are drawbacks to the modern era mainly in the form of pollution from artificial light sources and aircraft condensation trails, Today it is impossible to image most regions of the night sky without encountering trails from artificial Earth satellites. There are literally thousands of bits and pieces up there constituting an inner cosmic dustbin that in the opinion of some is unjustified and irresponsible. For example, commercial space enterprises including a plethora of communications satellites for civilian and military use. The so-called sat-nav systems are superfluous to a good navigator, and I rather resent having our sky images disfigured by streaks of light in order to enable folk to chat by mobile phone from one end of a bus to the other!
Fig. 6 73PSchwassmann-Wachmann 3. 2006 April 27. Nikkor 105mm f/1.8 D100 SLR. A composite image pair showing the two major fragmented portions of the comet: Note: the trail of an artificial Earth satellite passing through the coma of the “fragment” (right). Left click to enlarge.
Number of personally observed comets.
My personal tally of observed comets is in excess of fifty, or a little under one for every year since I commenced serious observational work on these objects in 1957. Most of these have been faint objects well below naked eye visibility, but a few have ranked amongst the finest ever to grace our skies of the many-recorded comets spanning hundreds of years. In fact, that very next year, in 1957, we were blessed with the very fine C/1956 R1 (Arend-Roland).
My log for 1957 April 24 reads verbatim: Observed first with the naked eye the comet Arend-Roland from London at 20h 15m GMT. (37 Lloyd Baker Street, WC1, from where the comet lay almost over St. Pancras Railway Station.) A tail of about 3˚ long was easily seen. With 2 inch binoculars (7x50 Bar & Stroud) the tail was evidently longer but diffuse beyond 4˚ due to heavy artificial illumination of the sky.
Three days later, observing from Brentwood, Essex, in a darker sky, I estimated the magnitude of the coma at 2.0 and the tail 6˚ in length. Movement against the stellar background was evident to the unaided eye over a period of an hour or so.
A notable feature of Arend-Roland was its continually changing appearance. For many days it developed a down-pointing spike, which resulted from debris in its wake.
I am sometimes asked to name the most impressive comet I have ever observed. One has to qualify their choice carefully. There have been some brilliant comets that have put on a grand display over a short period of a few days; recently comets C/2011 W3 (Lovejoy) and McNaught 2007 (C/2006 P1) for example. Others have hung around for several weeks dominating that portion of the sky such as Hale-Bopp C/1995 O1; but the one I would give full-marks to would be Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake).
From the JBAA 1998.108..157: “Unfortunately it was almost totally overcast in the UK at the time of closest approach. One of the few observers to see the comet from Britain was Vetterlein in Orkney. He had clear skies on the early morning of March 25 (1996) and reported a 35˚ tail visible to the naked eye.” Unfortunately, my own image was on film and does not do justice to the comet.
The comet’s coma (or “head”) passed almost through the zenith with the tail stretching away towards the southern horizon. Watching this spectacle alone in the early hours of a clear, late-March morning before twilight, gave me an understanding for how comets earned the reputation as portenders of catastrophe.
As readers will have gathered, comets are very individual “creatures” in appearance, few if any replicate each other nor do those that return (and most do at some time or another) necessarily repeat their previous performances.
One possible exception is Comet 17P/Holmes discovered in 1892 and extensively observed from Rousay 2007/8. (fig. 7a and 7b). Looking like a snowball with no perceptible tail, the comet’s appearance in this latest apparition resembled closely descriptions of its showing in the year of its discovery.
Fig. 7b Comet Holmes showing apparent size compared to the Moon (superimposed top left) 2007 November 26 at 17h 27m UT.
Looking to the future we have the prospect of a brilliant “sun-grazer” comet when in November 2013 Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) approaches perihelion; some are even predicting that for a few hours the comet may be visible with the unaided eye in broad daylight. Unfortunately for we northern observers those in the southern hemisphere should have the best opportunity of seeing this one!
Fig. 8 Michael J Hendrie (right - closest to telescope) and John C Vetterlein at Michael’s Observatory, West Bergholt, Essex: 1993 August 25.
All imkages JCV excepting figs. 1 & 2 (MJH) & 8 (Pat Hendrie).
* See Basics page: “Orbits etc.” coming soon. | 2019-04-24T12:29:38Z | http://www.spanglefish.com/northernskies/index.asp?pageid=386198 |
Cox, Jaime Jay was born in 1981 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 3674 G 4/10 RD, PALISADE, Mesa County, CO. Her voter ID number is 2320040.
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Cox, James D was born in 1947 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 752 W County Road 82E, LIVERMORE, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 1553427.
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Cox, James Edward was born in 1951 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2318 Eagleview CIR, LONGMONT, Boulder County, CO. His voter ID number is 600489417.
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Cox, James L was born in 1959 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2075 Poteae CIR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 262650.
Cox, James L Jr was born in 1946 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1208 S Race ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 2780522.
Cox, James L was born in 1939 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6053 S Sedalia CT, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 791756.
Cox, James Lavern Iii was born in 1980 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3220 Firewater LN, WELLINGTON, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 1588050.
Cox, James Lavern Ii was born in 1952 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 857 Panorama PL, WINDSOR, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 1611182.
Cox, James Lawrence was born in 1946 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 24595 Hwy 96, WETMORE, Custer County, CO. His voter ID number is 3731651.
Cox, James Lee Iii was born in 1987 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1355 S Pennsylvania ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 601817677.
Cox, James Leon Jr was born in 1963 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6457 Dancing Moon WAY, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 601480386.
Cox, James Leopoldo was born in 1993 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 12173 E Ford AVE, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 600739268.
Cox, James Louis was born in 1988 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2121 Delgany ST UNIT 1420, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 601935365.
Cox, James M was born in 1957 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 955 N Eudora ST APT 1004, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 2746765.
Cox, James M was born in 1936 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6922 W Walden PL, LITTLETON, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 4106289.
Cox, James M Jr was born in 1930 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 8143 S Harrison CIR, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 824594.
Cox, James Matthew was born in 1954 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 535 S Venango DR, PUEBLO WEST, Pueblo County, CO. His voter ID number is 200257919.
Cox, James Michael was born in 1975 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 707 W Jefferson ST, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 236462.
Cox, James Michael was born in 1989 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 7617 Windford, PARKER, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 601841632.
Cox, James Michael was born in 1959 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 7425 S Dexter ST, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 799416.
Cox, James Milton was born in 1967 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5662 Clarence DR, WINDSOR, Weld County, CO. His voter ID number is 1477733.
Cox, James Nicholas was born in 1957 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 31213 Kings Valley DR, CONIFER, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 600768788.
Cox, James Oscar Ii was born in 1947 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 83 Idlewild DR, DILLON, Summit County, CO. His voter ID number is 7210983.
Cox, James Patrick was born in 1959 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1114 Harrison AVE, CANON CITY, Fremont County, CO. His voter ID number is 3664788.
Cox, James Patrick was born in 1950 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 16986 E 111Th AVE, COMMERCE CITY, Adams County, CO. His voter ID number is 5842579.
Cox, James Paul was born in 1970 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 9 S Sixteenth ST, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 600809277.
Cox, James Phillip was born in 1984 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1164 S Acoma ST APT 229, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 601565359.
Cox, James R was born in 1940 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 270 Rangely DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 100188.
Cox, James Richard was born in 1968 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3265 Cortina DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 113251.
Cox, James Scott was born in 1960 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1208 Cathedral Rock DR, SEDALIA, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 73764.
Cox, James T was born in 1964 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 12383 W Connecticut DR, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 4266195.
Cox, James Wade was born in 1980 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2504 Greystone DR, GRAND JUNCTION, Mesa County, CO. His voter ID number is 2360286.
Cox, James Wesley was born in 1969 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3303 N Hancock AVE LOT 60, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 601758517.
Cox, James William was born in 1949 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 738 35 8/10 RD, PALISADE, Mesa County, CO. His voter ID number is 2375666.
Cox, James William Jr was born in 1957 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 588 Coronet DR, BLUE RIVER, Summit County, CO. His voter ID number is 4170690.
Cox, James William was born in 1997 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6814 S Detroit CIR, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 601114343.
Cox, James Winford Ii was born in 1982 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2902 Chase ST, WHEAT RIDGE, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 600040711.
Cox, James Zachary was born in 1988 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1964 Dove Creek CIR, LOVELAND, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 600376336.
Cox, Jamie Christine was born in 1983 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2829 Shady DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 123405.
Cox, Jamie F was born in 1976 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 135 Pointer PL, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 467080.
Cox, Jamie L was born in 1966 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 5371 Fossil Butte DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 154689.
Cox, Jamie Nicole was born in 1988 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 6195 Kettle CT, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 78618.
Cox, Jamila Joy was born in 1982 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2902 Chase ST, WHEAT RIDGE, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 200050820.
Cox, Jami Michelle was born in 1978 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1173 S Purcell BLVD, PUEBLO WEST, Pueblo County, CO. Her voter ID number is 200116658.
Cox, Janae Angela was born in 1992 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 7924 S Depew ST # C, LITTLETON, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601334900.
Cox, Jane Ann was born in 1935 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 5056 S Nelson ST # C, LITTLETON, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4149531.
Cox, Jane Bonham was born in 1971 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1145 Bulkey ST, CASTLE ROCK, Douglas County, CO. Her voter ID number is 5640541.
Cox, Janella P was born in 1945 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 212 Galena CT, LAKE CITY, Hinsdale County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4745323.
Cox, Janelle Sue was born in 1987 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 611 Alexander RD, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 200118025.
Cox, Jane M was born in 1941 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 4113 Da Vinci DR, LONGMONT, Boulder County, CO. Her voter ID number is 7980769.
Cox, Jane Marie was born in 1969 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1724 Whitehall DR, LONGMONT, Boulder County, CO. Her voter ID number is 7980770.
Cox, Janet Herold was born in 1951 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 215 S High ST, BRECKENRIDGE, Summit County, CO. Her voter ID number is 7189608.
Cox, Janet L was born in 1954 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 10257 N County Road 17, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. Her voter ID number is 1605362.
Cox, Janet L was born in 1956 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 22500 Enoch RD, CALHAN, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 325872.
Cox, Janet Lucas was born in 1929 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 8101 E Mississippi AVE APT 113, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601240621.
Cox, Janet Nancy was born in 1961 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1524 E 13Th ST, PUEBLO, Pueblo County, CO. Her voter ID number is 3031774.
Cox, Janet R was born in 1952 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 313 S Montecito DR, PUEBLO WEST, Pueblo County, CO. Her voter ID number is 3094881.
Cox, Janet Sue was born in 1959 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2026 Sandhill Crane CIR, LOVELAND, Larimer County, CO. Her voter ID number is 1404452.
Cox, Janice Ann was born in 1946 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 5390 S Fulton CT, GREENWOOD VLG, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 778656.
Cox, Janice Lee was born in 1950 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2000 W 92Nd AVE LOT 215, FEDERAL HGTS, Adams County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4050019.
Cox, Janie Parcus was born in 1944 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2295 N Beeler ST APT 101, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600408079.
Cox, Janis Kay was born in 1942 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 5167 S Shalom Park CIR, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600684578.
Cox, Janis Lou was born in 1962 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 450 Rose ST, CRAIG, Moffat County, CO. Her voter ID number is 5579775.
Cox, Janna Marie was born in 1976 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 3678 S Bahama ST, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 909222.
Cox, Janna R was born in 1964 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1035 S Cody ST, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 3979615.
Cox, Jannelle Kattlynett was born in 1957 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1901 Constitution RD SPACE 146, PUEBLO, Pueblo County, CO. His voter ID number is 600378100.
Cox, Jarad Richard was born in 1983 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2495 Amber DR, LOVELAND, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 601039763.
Cox, Jared Andrew was born in 1985 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3612 Montrose ST, EVANS, Weld County, CO. His voter ID number is 6404649.
Cox, Jared M was born in 1977 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5799 Mesa Mountain WAY, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 600396994.
Cox, Jared Philip was born in 1980 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5035 N Utica ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 7089510.
Cox, Jarred Michael was born in 1986 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2995 S Acoma ST # A, ENGLEWOOD, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 200309110.
Cox, Jarren Neil was born in 1992 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 693 Sand Creek DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 600841150.
Cox, Jarrod Hutchinson was born in 1987 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1560 N Market ST APT 708, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 601602259.
Cox, Jarrod Paul was born in 1989 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1000 N Grant ST APT 701, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 601720591.
Cox, Jasmine Alexus was born in 1999 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 9180 Delwood CT, THORNTON, Adams County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601679276.
Cox, Jasmin Jencine was born in 1990 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1821 Brightwater DR, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600108079.
Cox, Jason Bret was born in 1979 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 837 N Santa Fe DR, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 1608067.
Cox, Jason Brian was born in 1977 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1863 N Vine ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 200369822.
Cox, Jason Clinton was born in 1980 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3073 S Niagara WAY, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 601647690.
Cox, Jason Dean was born in 1971 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3185 Kennedy AVE, GRAND JUNCTION, Mesa County, CO. His voter ID number is 2332484.
Cox, Jason Dee was born in 1972 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 11350 Columbine ST, FIRESTONE, Weld County, CO. His voter ID number is 6422507.
Cox, Jason F was born in 1975 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 20537 E Robins DR, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 2923540.
Cox, Jason Holt was born in 1972 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1784 Steel ST UNIT 2302, LOUISVILLE, Boulder County, CO. His voter ID number is 601525169.
Cox, Jason L was born in 1972 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2698 W 126Th AVE, BROOMFIELD, Broomfield County, CO. His voter ID number is 3909643.
Cox, Jason Michael was born in 1981 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 7515 Stetson Highlands DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 268916.
Cox, Jason Michael was born in 1995 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5640 Timpa RD, CASCADE, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 600980526.
Cox, Jason Patrick was born in 1981 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 380 County Rd 508, FRASER, Grand County, CO. His voter ID number is 8525909.
Cox, Jason Paul was born in 1981 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2614 Norwich AVE, PUEBLO, Pueblo County, CO. His voter ID number is 1446754.
Cox, Jason Paul was born in 1985 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2283 S Jasper WAY # A, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 682889.
Cox, Jason Phillip was born in 1975 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 625 Easy ST, PAGOSA SPRINGS, Archuleta County, CO. His voter ID number is 3963552.
Cox, Jason Richard was born in 1974 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 9877 Buffalo ST, FIRESTONE, Weld County, CO. His voter ID number is 200226604.
Cox, Jason Richard was born in 1978 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 114 W Ramona AVE, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 600413160.
Cox, Jason Stuart was born in 1986 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1665 N Logan ST APT 642, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 4086034.
Cox, Jason T was born in 1983 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5455 Verde RD, PUEBLO, Pueblo County, CO. His voter ID number is 429014.
Cox, Jason Thomas was born in 1980 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 10337 W 55Th PL # 204, ARVADA, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 7056735.
Cox, Jason W was born in 1981 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1260 Lamesa CIR, RANGELY, Rio Blanco County, CO. His voter ID number is 600467051.
Cox, Jason Wade was born in 1969 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1827 Fawn CT, SILT, Garfield County, CO. His voter ID number is 5536947.
Cox, Jathan Hugh was born in 1988 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 984 23 RD, GRAND JUNCTION, Mesa County, CO. His voter ID number is 600156158.
Cox, Jazmine Leigh was born in 1991 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 3484 W 125Th CIR, BROOMFIELD, Broomfield County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601531156.
Cox, J Christopher was born in 1950 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 12749 W Atlantic AVE, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 4005293.
Cox, Jean Ann was born in 1960 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2758 N Prospect ST, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 299292.
Cox, Jeanenne Lennox was born in 1962 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 24595 Hwy 96, WETMORE, Custer County, CO. Her voter ID number is 3732145.
Cox, Jeanette K was born in 1957 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 3096 Teardrop CIR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 245550.
Cox, Jeanette L was born in 1977 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 7344 S Yukon CT, LITTLETON, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 939964.
Cox, Jeanette Lynn was born in 1968 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2986 Westcliff CIR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 427393.
Cox, Jeanette Nash was born in 1951 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1601 Whitehall DR, LONGMONT, Boulder County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601471896.
Cox, Jeanine Ann was born in 1998 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 13004 Lowell CT, BROOMFIELD, Broomfield County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601153956.
Cox, Jean Mary was born in 1956 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 3790 Presidio PT # 101, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 883848.
Cox, Jeanne Emilie was born in 1958 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 931 Atwood ST, LONGMONT, Boulder County, CO. Her voter ID number is 1561778.
Cox, Jeannette Edith was born in 1954 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 6697 Sage AVE, FIRESTONE, Weld County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6384234.
Cox, Jean Suzanne was born in 1950 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 182 Glen Eagle CIR, NEW CASTLE, Garfield County, CO. Her voter ID number is 5518953.
Cox, Jean Victoria was born in 1935 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 15730 E Alameda PKWY # 204, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 688173.
Cox, Jeff Allen was born in 1983 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1209 Creekwood CT, WINDSOR, Weld County, CO. His voter ID number is 200093070.
Cox, Jeff Deane was born in 1980 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 49 Canyon View CT, DILLON, Summit County, CO. His voter ID number is 600457710.
Cox, Jefferie Allan was born in 1968 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6020 Hoyt ST, ARVADA, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 4249334.
Cox, Jefferson Dylan was born in 1973 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 856 S Van Gordon CT # 2-311, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 6873975.
Cox, Jeffery Dean was born in 1979 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 14672 Melco AVE, PARKER, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 600299931.
Cox, Jeff G was born in 1957 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 7684 W Ontario PL, LITTLETON, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 4118101.
Cox, Jeffrey A was born in 1972 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 655 Four Oclock RD # 106, BRECKENRIDGE, Summit County, CO. His voter ID number is 7193639.
Cox, Jeffrey Alan was born in 1974 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 10000 Richfield ST, COMMERCE CITY, Adams County, CO. His voter ID number is 600891084.
Cox, Jeffrey Allan was born in 1967 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 9005 Jellison CT, WESTMINSTER, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 200151330.
Cox, Jeffrey Bruce was born in 1991 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1910 S Columbine ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 600606531.
Cox, Jeffrey Charles was born in 1965 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5503 S Salida ST, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 769227.
Cox, Jeffrey Dean was born in 1975 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 646 Gold Leaf CT, GRAND JUNCTION, Mesa County, CO. His voter ID number is 2364414.
Cox, Jeffrey Edward was born in 1973 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 17092 W 64Th CIR, ARVADA, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 4061055.
Cox, Jeffrey Edward was born in 1994 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 43 Snowflake DR UNIT D8, BRECKENRIDGE, Summit County, CO. His voter ID number is 600785431.
Cox, Jeffrey Hays was born in 1969 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2572 Saddleback CT, CASTLE ROCK, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 5706323.
Cox, Jeffrey John was born in 1978 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 7436 S Kendall BLVD, LITTLETON, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 4217878.
Cox, Jeffrey Lee was born in 1954 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 35970 County Rd X, HOLLY, Prowers County, CO. His voter ID number is 2212136.
Cox, Jeffrey Lynn was born in 1964 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3109 E Mulberry ST # 11, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 200186565.
Cox, Jeffrey M was born in 1961 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5720 Crestbrook DR, MORRISON, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 4098386.
Cox, Jeffrey Neal was born in 1953 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2127 Jordan PL, BOULDER, Boulder County, CO. His voter ID number is 7980780.
Cox, Jeffrey Robert was born in 1971 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 11777 Pleasant View Ridge, LONGMONT, Weld County, CO. His voter ID number is 7980781.
Cox, Jeffrey Thomas was born in 1969 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2646 Cuchara ST, TRINIDAD, Las Animas County, CO. His voter ID number is 3842566.
Cox, Jeffrey Wayne was born in 1970 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 20569 County Rd M.5, KIT CARSON, Cheyenne County, CO. His voter ID number is 2995274.
Cox, Jeffrey Wayne was born in 1963 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5240 Bluestem DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 600390290.
Cox, Jenelle Rae was born in 1976 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 19482 E Navarro DR, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 2594904.
Cox, Jenifer Crestel was born in 1983 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1295 Escalante DR UNIT 32, DURANGO, La Plata County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600208840.
Cox, Jenna Loi was born in 1992 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 834 Darcy Jo LN, FRUITA, Mesa County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600288797.
Cox, Jennie L was born in 1961 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1360 W 6Th AVE, BROOMFIELD, Broomfield County, CO. Her voter ID number is 3925603.
Cox, Jennifer Alayne was born in 1972 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 3090 S Hoyt WAY, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 3995885.
Cox, Jennifer Alyne was born in 1954 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 120 N 49Th Avenue CT, GREELEY, Weld County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6375046.
Cox, Jennifer Ann was born in 1972 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2246 Signal Rock CT, GRAND JUNCTION, Mesa County, CO. Her voter ID number is 2358862.
Cox, Jennifer Ann was born in 1976 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 8923 Prickly Pear CIR, PARKER, Douglas County, CO. Her voter ID number is 5799696.
Cox, Jennifer Anne was born in 1982 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 4901 W 93Rd AVE APT 1133, WESTMINSTER, Adams County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600443497.
Cox, Jennifer Anne was born in 1967 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 254 W Park AVE, SALIDA, Chaffee County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601043494.
Cox, Jennifer E was born in 1981 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 4392 S Hannibal WAY # 252, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 230457.
Cox, Jennifer Elaine was born in 1982 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 7244 Serena DR, CASTLE PINES, Douglas County, CO. Her voter ID number is 1057851.
Cox, Jennifer Elizabeth was born in 1985 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 312 W 22Nd ST, PUEBLO, Pueblo County, CO. Her voter ID number is 200362587.
Cox, Jennifer Elizabeth was born in 1992 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 26960 Hwy 40, KREMMLING, Grand County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600281494.
Cox, Jennifer Jane was born in 1971 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 519 N Corona ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601702143.
Cox, Jennifer Jo was born in 1986 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 729 Rudd AVE, CANON CITY, Fremont County, CO. Her voter ID number is 3690351.
Cox, Jennifer Jolene was born in 1987 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1175 Yank ST, GOLDEN, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600650115.
Cox, Jennifer Kay was born in 1981 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 6025 Castlegate DR W # 2818, CASTLE ROCK, Douglas County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600200588.
Cox, Jennifer L was born in 1963 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2205 Bonfoy AVE, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 292134.
Cox, Jennifer Lee was born in 1973 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 444 17Th ST APT 1006, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 200356164.
Cox, Jennifer Lee was born in 1978 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 11142 Zephyr ST, WESTMINSTER, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 2737167.
Cox, Jennifer Lee was born in 1986 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 225 Hi Country DR # 1316, WINTER PARK, Grand County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600290999.
Cox, Jennifer Leigh was born in 1967 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 8568 E 25Th DR, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 2800640.
Cox, Jennifer Leigh was born in 1986 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 65 Huron CT, BOULDER, Boulder County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601159261.
Cox, Jennifer Lindsay was born in 1983 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2840 Woodland Hills DR APT 209, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601825104.
Cox, Jennifer Lynn was born in 1970 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 11532 Sagewood LN, PARKER, Douglas County, CO. Her voter ID number is 5814687.
Cox, Jennifer Lynn was born in 1984 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 12248 Oneida ST, THORNTON, Adams County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601301587.
Cox, Jennifer Lynne was born in 1980 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 100 Tiarra WAY, CRAIG, Moffat County, CO. Her voter ID number is 5578168.
Cox, Jennifer Marie was born in 1974 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 720 Pierce ST UNIT D, ERIE, Weld County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6388347.
Cox, Jennifer Marie was born in 1981 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 11572 Gilpin ST, NORTHGLENN, Adams County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6391718.
Cox, Jennifer Megan was born in 1991 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 136 S Emerson ST APT 306, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601219874.
Cox, Jennifer Michele was born in 1983 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 9595 Pecos ST LOT 738, THORNTON, Adams County, CO. Her voter ID number is 7166250.
Cox, Jennifer N was born in 1987 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 4623 S Yank ST, MORRISON, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 801183.
Cox, Jennifer Nicole was born in 1987 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 5506 W 118Th AVE, WESTMINSTER, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601198179.
Cox, Jennifer Nicole Charlier was born in 1971 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1420 Tamarisk DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600034733.
Cox, Jennifer R was born in 1974 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 32500 E 137Th WAY, BRIGHTON, Adams County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6934678.
Cox, Jennifer Renee was born in 1984 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 840 E Paseo Dorado DR, PUEBLO WEST, Pueblo County, CO. Her voter ID number is 3662269.
Cox, Jennifer S was born in 1976 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 5585 County Rd 3, MARBLE, Gunnison County, CO. Her voter ID number is 5517917.
Cox, Jennifer Volmer was born in 1990 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 15014 E Crestridge DR, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601365100.
Cox, Jennilee was born in 1983 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 4486 Bramble RD, FREDERICK, Weld County, CO. Her voter ID number is 7073723.
Cox, Jenny Lee was born in 1942 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 114 Oakdale DR, PALMER LAKE, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 95654.
Cox, Jerald L was born in 1938 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 97 Canongate LN, HIGHLANDS RANCH, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 5707621.
Cox, Jeremiah Daniel was born in 1984 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 9665 Bighorn WAY, LITTLETON, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 4270242.
Cox, Jeremiah Paul was born in 1990 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 48509 County Road 19, NUNN, Weld County, CO. His voter ID number is 601677168.
Cox, Jeremie Michael was born in 1988 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 9032 E Eastman PL, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 2959380.
Cox, Jeremy Alan was born in 1974 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3753 S Sebring CT, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 200178594.
Cox, Jeremy B was born in 1970 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1802 Golden Willow CT, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 1473102.
Cox, Jeremy Curtis was born in 1979 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3655 S Verbena ST APT E103, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 4122643.
Cox, Jeremy Douglas was born in 1979 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 20852 E Princeton PL, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 601731290.
Cox, Jeremy Duane was born in 1985 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2467 S Bannock ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 601021110.
Cox, Jeremy Lee was born in 1989 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 837 Park Ave West APT 405, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 600214687.
Cox, Jeremy Lee was born in 1983 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 310 S Mesa ST, MANCOS, Montezuma County, CO. His voter ID number is 600953910.
Cox, Jeremy Martin was born in 1994 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3661 Rebecca LN APT B, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 601763895.
Cox, Jeremy Ryan was born in 1974 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 28610 Douglas Park RD, EVERGREEN, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 600583293.
Cox, Jeremy Scott was born in 1975 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 570 Chaparral DR, GRAND JUNCTION, Mesa County, CO. His voter ID number is 600499791.
Cox, Jerod William was born in 1976 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 522 Rifle WAY, BROOMFIELD, Broomfield County, CO. His voter ID number is 6856772.
Cox, Jerrad Lee was born in 1975 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3650 S Federal BLVD # 100, ENGLEWOOD, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 601410038.
Cox, Jerri Kay was born in 1973 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1401 Rimrock DR, SILT, Garfield County, CO. Her voter ID number is 5515510.
Cox, Jerry Allen was born in 1950 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 801 Juniper ST, GOLDEN, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 4056123.
Cox, Jerry G was born in 1936 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 906 S Baxter AVE, HOLYOKE, Phillips County, CO. His voter ID number is 2200158.
Cox, Jerry L was born in 1963 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1905 W Keota PL, PUEBLO WEST, Pueblo County, CO. His voter ID number is 3075281.
Cox, Jerry L was born in 1955 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1256 S Beeler ST, DENVER, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 674580.
Cox, Jerry Lee was born in 1955 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 522 Rifle WAY, BROOMFIELD, Broomfield County, CO. His voter ID number is 1074440.
Cox, Jerry Lee was born in 1956 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3131 E 5Th AVE, DURANGO, La Plata County, CO. His voter ID number is 4926435.
Cox, Jerry Leroy was born in 1932 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2916 Sierra CT, CANON CITY, Fremont County, CO. His voter ID number is 3648429.
Cox, Jerry R was born in 1981 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 833 Strawberry Patch RD, MEEKER, Rio Blanco County, CO. His voter ID number is 4979587.
Cox, Jesse Duane was born in 1973 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 18659 Serenity CT, DELTA, Delta County, CO. His voter ID number is 3544146.
Cox, Jesse L was born in 1981 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1723 Robb ST # 8, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 871310.
Cox, Jesse Lucas was born in 1980 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 33424 Deep Forest RD, EVERGREEN, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 601562650.
Cox, Jesse Paul was born in 1960 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 512 Canadian PKWY, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 600612136.
Cox, Jesse Philip was born in 1979 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6711 Palace DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 601568265.
Cox, Jesse Ryan was born in 1980 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 563 E Colfax AVE, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 601654989.
Cox, Jesse Vernon was born in 1925 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 485 W Fourth ST, PALISADE, Mesa County, CO. His voter ID number is 2254833.
Cox, Jessica was born in 1982 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 536 Fox Hunt CIR, HIGHLANDS RANCH, Douglas County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601438741.
Cox, Jessica Ann was born in 1992 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 45050 County Rd 1, PARKER, Elbert County, CO. Her voter ID number is 200293419.
Cox, Jessica Ann was born in 1984 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 454 Academy DR, DURANGO, La Plata County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601689463.
Cox, Jessica Diane was born in 1990 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 10198 N Chatfield DR, LITTLETON, Douglas County, CO. Her voter ID number is 200328510.
Cox, Jessica Ilana was born in 1989 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1964 Dove Creek CIR, LOVELAND, Larimer County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600360513.
Cox, Jessica Janine was born in 1983 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 17560 Pond View PL, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 80652.
Cox, Jessica Leanore was born in 1992 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 7190 Constitution Square HTS # 206, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600564289.
Cox, Jessica Lou was born in 1973 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 489 S Pin High DR, PUEBLO WEST, Pueblo County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600299702.
Cox, Jessica Lynn was born in 1949 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 78 Cypress CT, DURANGO, La Plata County, CO. Her voter ID number is 776689.
Cox, Jessica Lynn was born in 1980 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 289 Sloan DR, JOHNSTOWN, Weld County, CO. Her voter ID number is 8146990.
Cox, Jessica Mae was born in 1979 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2962 County Road 25, YUMA, Yuma County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600600116.
Cox, Jessica Rae was born in 1983 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1659 N Quebec ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 1447674.
Cox, Jessica Rae was born in 1991 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 36452 Highway 257, WINDSOR, Weld County, CO. Her voter ID number is 200225477.
Cox, Jessica Starr was born in 2000 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 819 S Grey Eagle CIR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601594002.
Cox, Jessie James was born in 1978 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 289 Sloan DR, JOHNSTOWN, Weld County, CO. His voter ID number is 600110552.
Cox, Jessy James was born in 1995 and registered to vote, giving the address as 2343 S Vaughn WAY # 409, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. Cox voter ID number is 601822049.
Cox, Jill was born in 1967 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 8863 6085 RD, MONTROSE, Montrose County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601599291.
Cox, Jill was born in 1982 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 10052 Oak CT, WESTMINSTER, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601687814.
Cox, Jill Catherine was born in 1982 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1288 Peak View DR, CASTLE ROCK, Douglas County, CO. Her voter ID number is 5884033.
Cox, Jillian Bessolo was born in 1987 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1725 Foliage WAY, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601602042.
Cox, Jill M was born in 1957 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 9032 E Eastman PL, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 2511903.
Cox, Jill S was born in 1978 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 597 Rawlins WAY, LAFAYETTE, Boulder County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600191860.
Cox, Jimmy Charles was born in 1951 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1135 24 RD, GRAND JUNCTION, Mesa County, CO. His voter ID number is 2326418.
Cox, Jimmy H was born in 1943 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 705 Ironton ST, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 663815.
Cox, Jimmy Ray was born in 1960 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 13025 Picketwire RD, TRINIDAD, Las Animas County, CO. His voter ID number is 3991893.
Cox, Joan E was born in 1955 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 24100 E 155Th WAY, BRIGHTON, Adams County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6939780.
Cox, Joan Gregerson was born in 1940 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 149 Miramar DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 434515.
Cox, Joan Ilene was born in 1947 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 800 1St ST TRLR 16, KERSEY, Weld County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6330245.
Cox, Joan Irene was born in 1941 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 3500 35Th AVE # 164, GREELEY, Weld County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601707486.
Cox, Joan Leslie was born in 1956 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 4460 S Ensenada ST, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 706267.
Cox, Joan L Ritz was born in 1967 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2293 N Arriba CIR, GRAND JUNCTION, Mesa County, CO. Her voter ID number is 2291517.
Cox, Joan Marie was born in 1950 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1256 S Beeler ST, DENVER, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 674491.
Cox, Joanna Marie was born in 1976 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1725 S Bryant ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 866659.
Cox, Joanne was born in 1950 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2024 S Oswego WAY # 103, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 667051.
Cox, Joann E was born in 1956 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 15135 E Chenango PL, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 739165.
Cox, Joann Marie was born in 1962 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 10312 El Paso AVE, GRN MTN FLS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 511423.
Cox, Jodi Lee was born in 1973 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1748 Overlook DR, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6425772.
Cox, Jodi Lynne was born in 1979 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2438 Lexington Village LN, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 371734.
Cox, Jodi N was born in 1968 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 6944 Saddleback AVE, FIRESTONE, Weld County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6384466.
Cox, Jody Lynn was born in 1962 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 10294 Charissglen CIR, HIGHLANDS RANCH, Douglas County, CO. Her voter ID number is 5735413.
Cox, Jody Lynn was born in 1957 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 425 Church ST, EAGLE, Eagle County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6683018.
Cox, Joe David was born in 1953 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 188 Centenial CIR, WESTCLIFFE, Custer County, CO. His voter ID number is 200221753.
Cox, Joe H Jr was born in 1952 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 7951 S Bemis CIR, LITTLETON, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 803186.
Cox, Joel Alan was born in 1983 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1601 Quail LN, CASTLE ROCK, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 1069168.
Cox, Joel D was born in 1973 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 135 Pointer PL, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 466160.
Cox, Joel D was born in 1956 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 15135 E Chenango PL, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 739164.
Cox, Joel David was born in 1952 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 232 Hawks Nest WAY, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 1590566.
Cox, Joel Mcdonald was born in 1948 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 27 Meadow CT, AVON, Eagle County, CO. His voter ID number is 600779882.
Cox, Joel Nathaniel was born in 1974 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 489 S Pin High DR, PUEBLO WEST, Pueblo County, CO. His voter ID number is 600304661.
Cox, Joel Reagan was born in 1947 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 21038 County Road 10, HUDSON, Weld County, CO. His voter ID number is 7043333.
Cox, Joe Neal was born in 1953 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3252 11Th AVE APT 1133, EVANS, Weld County, CO. His voter ID number is 600635739.
Cox, Joette Adair was born in 1949 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 4490 S Jebel WAY, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 741498.
Cox, John was born in 1966 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 521 Cardinal WAY, PARACHUTE, Garfield County, CO. His voter ID number is 601904609.
Cox, John A was born in 1942 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5495 Lariat DR, CASTLE ROCK, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 5800386.
Cox, John B was born in 1963 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 9718 Fallen Rock RD, CONIFER, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 4275545.
Cox, John Bryan was born in 1969 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 87 Wagon RD, BRECKENRIDGE, Summit County, CO. His voter ID number is 601230881.
Cox, John Clifford was born in 1968 and registered to vote, giving the address as 930 Evans ST, ROCKVALE, Fremont County, CO. Cox voter ID number is 601915492.
Cox, John David was born in 1931 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 7276 S Dudley CT, LITTLETON, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 700223.
Cox, John Forsythe Jr was born in 1951 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 82000 E Eastman PL, DEER TRAIL, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 728454.
Cox, John Frederick was born in 1968 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2551 Integrity CT, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 279885.
Cox, John Fredrick Jr was born in 1960 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 459 Mesa Lake ST, CLIFTON, Mesa County, CO. His voter ID number is 601195346.
Cox, John Glenwood was born in 1942 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6044 Colony CIR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 3731557.
Cox, John H was born in 1964 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3373 S Niagara WAY, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 2517211.
Cox, John H was born in 1948 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 11 Rawhide RD, EDWARDS, Eagle County, CO. His voter ID number is 6706585.
Cox, John Henry was born in 1962 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3750 N Milwaukee ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 2388837.
Cox, John Howard Ii was born in 1977 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 467 Big Dipper RD, WOLCOTT, Eagle County, CO. His voter ID number is 6695555.
Cox, John Howard was born in 1947 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 819 Teton PL, CANON CITY, Fremont County, CO. His voter ID number is 7980798.
Cox, John I was born in 1946 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 15916 Road 16, CAHONE, Dolores County, CO. His voter ID number is 4777951.
Cox, John Jennings Jr was born in 1948 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3641 E 1/2 RD, PALISADE, Mesa County, CO. His voter ID number is 2268447.
Cox, John Jeremiah was born in 1999 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 907 Pikes Peak LN, LOUISVILLE, Boulder County, CO. His voter ID number is 601325823.
Cox, John Joseph was born in 1962 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3750 W 24Th ST # 4-205, GREELEY, Weld County, CO. His voter ID number is 200266739.
Cox, John Kevin was born in 1959 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2017 Vaquero ST, LONGMONT, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 1586097.
Cox, John Leslie was born in 1968 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3932 Caddoa DR, LOVELAND, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 600720935.
Cox, John Louis was born in 1960 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 127 Bauer AVE, MANCOS, Montezuma County, CO. His voter ID number is 600517355.
Cox, John Marsh was born in 1973 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1412 Onyx CIR, LONGMONT, Boulder County, CO. His voter ID number is 7980799.
Cox, John Martin was born in 1950 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 16909 W 8Th PL, GOLDEN, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 4053985.
Cox, John Michael was born in 1978 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 8705 Forrest DR, HIGHLANDS RANCH, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 279776.
Cox, John Michael was born in 1971 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 16864 Boreas CT, PARKER, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 5698252.
Cox, John Michael was born in 1994 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 8682 Bluegrass CIR, PARKER, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 601359347.
Cox, Johnnie Lee Lewis was born in 1993 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3391 N Leyden ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 600924590.
Cox, John Oneil was born in 1985 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 10915 Birch DR, THORNTON, Adams County, CO. His voter ID number is 3933067.
Cox, John R was born in 1950 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2317 E Van Buren ST, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 292090.
Cox, John Ryan was born in 1985 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 8552 S Everett ST, LITTLETON, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 600719505.
Cox, John Steven Jr was born in 1976 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 947 Martin RD, LONGMONT, Boulder County, CO. His voter ID number is 601169990.
Cox, John Thomas was born in 1994 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6814 S Detroit CIR, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 600490771.
Cox, John Thomas was born in 1970 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2058 Baseline DR, GRAND JUNCTION, Mesa County, CO. His voter ID number is 601534451.
Cox, John W was born in 1943 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 49151 Us Hwy 50, CANON CITY, Fremont County, CO. His voter ID number is 3654465.
Cox, John Wesley was born in 1947 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1417 E Monument ST, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 397390.
Cox, John Will was born in 1934 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 4430 Viewpoint CT, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 1541210.
Cox, John William was born in 1972 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 125 Clubridge PL, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 415168.
Cox, Jon was born in 1990 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1295 Escalante DR # 32, DURANGO, La Plata County, CO. His voter ID number is 601767004.
Cox, Jonah Mclain was born in 1987 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2126 Yearling DR, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 200018269.
Cox, Jonas Braxton was born in 2000 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1802 Golden Willow CT, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 601807129.
Cox, Jonathan Bingham was born in 1965 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 15325 W Evans AVE, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 600134986.
Cox, Jonathan Carter was born in 1970 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 7280 Meadowdale DR, NIWOT, Boulder County, CO. His voter ID number is 601109680.
Cox, Jonathan Curtis was born in 1982 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 335 Franklin AVE, GRAND JUNCTION, Mesa County, CO. His voter ID number is 2367515.
Cox, Jonathan Dantne was born in 1959 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2333 County Road 403, FLORISSANT, Park County, CO. His voter ID number is 6320772.
Cox, Jonathan Edward was born in 1989 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1401 E Girard PL # 3-164, ENGLEWOOD, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 600023003.
Cox, Jonathan Gregory was born in 1988 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 8850 Utah CT, THORNTON, Adams County, CO. His voter ID number is 600367370.
Cox, Jonathan Lee was born in 1982 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 11803 Quam DR, NORTHGLENN, Adams County, CO. His voter ID number is 6960966.
Cox, Jonathan Spencer was born in 1996 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3579 E Easter AVE, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 601723500.
Cox, Jonathan W was born in 1974 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 13839 Legend TRL # 104, BROOMFIELD, Broomfield County, CO. His voter ID number is 3929436.
Cox, Jon Eric Leroy was born in 1965 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3320 N 5Th ST, CANON CITY, Fremont County, CO. His voter ID number is 3689394.
Cox, Jordan Christopher was born in 1998 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1112 Canvasback DR, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 601405009.
Cox, Jordan Christopher was born in 1998 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 5170 Morning Glory PL, HIGHLANDS RANCH, Douglas County, CO. His voter ID number is 601509256.
Cox, Jordan Katherine was born in 1989 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 916 E La Salle ST, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601106574.
Cox, Jordan Rae was born in 1991 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1748 Overlook DR, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600339708.
Cox, Jordan Tracy was born in 1989 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6500 W 13Th AVE # 304, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 601851581.
Cox, Jordyn Rae was born in 1997 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 10454 E 146Th PL, BRIGHTON, Adams County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601784774.
Cox, Jorma Andrew was born in 1970 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1119 Colorado AVE, CARBONDALE, Garfield County, CO. His voter ID number is 2952021.
Cox, Joseph was born in 1995 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2437 S Victor ST # UNKNOWN, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 600860966.
Cox, Joseph Brintane was born in 1988 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 455 Eclipse DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 601755157.
Cox, Joseph Bryant was born in 1999 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3708 S Lisbon WAY, AURORA, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 601082005.
Cox, Joseph Christian was born in 1997 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 914 W Lake ST # 210, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 601933011.
Cox, Joseph Christopher was born in 1983 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 12749 W Atlantic AVE, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 4006046.
Cox, Joseph Daniel was born in 1974 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 16814 Buffalo Valley PATH, MONUMENT, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 601876800.
Cox, Joseph E was born in 1957 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 11415 W Belleview AVE, LITTLETON, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 4155653.
Cox, Joseph Howell was born in 1986 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3051 County Fair LN # 2, FORT COLLINS, Larimer County, CO. His voter ID number is 601685528.
Cox, Josephine Anastasia was born in 1997 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 30353 Chisholm TRL, ELIZABETH, Elbert County, CO. Her voter ID number is 600905852.
Cox, Joseph Lee was born in 1967 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2548 Brenna WAY, GRAND JUNCTION, Mesa County, CO. His voter ID number is 601346358.
Cox, Joseph Mckinley was born in 1974 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2370 Andrew DR, SUPERIOR, Boulder County, CO. His voter ID number is 601837502.
Cox, Joseph Patrick was born in 1968 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6666 Chantilly PL, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 153468.
Cox, Joseph Phifer was born in 1933 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 23546 Pondview PL, GOLDEN, Jefferson County, CO. His voter ID number is 601411487.
Cox, Joseph Reagan was born in 1972 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 14595 County Rd 79, FLEMING, Logan County, CO. His voter ID number is 7105941.
Cox, Joshua Adam was born in 1983 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1359 N Newton ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 601250289.
Cox, Joshua Alan was born in 1987 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 9032 E Eastman PL, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 200187369.
Cox, Joshua Austin was born in 1998 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 6530 Denim DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 601008885.
Cox, Joshua Clayton was born in 1976 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 1634 Grand AVE, WINDSOR, Weld County, CO. His voter ID number is 1414396.
Cox, Joshua Courtland was born in 1999 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 13681 Stuart ST, BROOMFIELD, Broomfield County, CO. His voter ID number is 601274771.
Cox, Joshua Danzel was born in 1996 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 7825 Ladore ST, COMMERCE CITY, Adams County, CO. His voter ID number is 601014584.
Cox, Joshua David was born in 1980 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 175 Glory View DR, GRAND JUNCTION, Mesa County, CO. His voter ID number is 2323422.
Cox, Joshua Devin was born in 1987 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 841 Acero AVE, PUEBLO, Pueblo County, CO. His voter ID number is 3038354.
Cox, Joshua Douglas was born in 1995 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 700 Delbrook DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 600890544.
Cox, Joshua George was born in 1992 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 3579 E Easter AVE, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. His voter ID number is 600783479.
Cox, Joshua Ryan was born in 1984 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2306 Wolff PL, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. His voter ID number is 179172.
Cox, Joshua Thomas was born in 1980 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 8251 Louise DR, DENVER, Adams County, CO. His voter ID number is 200162668.
Cox, Joyce A was born in 1948 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1616 S County Road 29, LOVELAND, Larimer County, CO. Her voter ID number is 1578287.
Cox, Joyce Ann was born in 1938 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 6833 Snowbird TER, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 3689200.
Cox, Joyce Bender was born in 1935 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 3475 American DR APT 108, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 253014.
Cox, Joyce Elaine was born in 1933 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 3623 Carson CT, EVANS, Weld County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6337128.
Cox, Joyce Esther was born in 1956 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 5214 Colter LN, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 229878.
Cox, Joyce L was born in 1960 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 5720 Crestbrook DR, MORRISON, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4098539.
Cox, Joy F was born in 1966 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 32623 Meadow Mountain LN, EVERGREEN, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4288971.
Cox, Judith Ann was born in 1974 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 7761 Niagara ST, COMMERCE CITY, Adams County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601432321.
Cox, Judith Ann was born in 1939 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 6844 E Briarwood DR, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 797709.
Cox, Judith Claire was born in 1941 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1718 Polo WAY, LONGMONT, Boulder County, CO. Her voter ID number is 7980919.
Cox, Judith Dunn was born in 1949 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 6320 Deframe WAY, ARVADA, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 6309987.
Cox, Judith E was born in 1955 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1490 Golden Hills RD, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 103755.
Cox, Judith L was born in 1943 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 22500 Enoch RD, CALHAN, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 403893.
Cox, Judith Roxanne was born in 1952 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2114 44 RD, DEBEQUE, Mesa County, CO. Her voter ID number is 2324145.
Cox, Judy Ann was born in 1961 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 6121 W 112Th PL, WESTMINSTER, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4178638.
Cox, Judy Ann was born in 1954 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 5453 S Jericho WAY, CENTENNIAL, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601789127.
Cox, Judy Gordon was born in 1952 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 768 Hunter Creek RD, ASPEN, Pitkin County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601056885.
Cox, Judy Kay was born in 1951 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1821 N 5Th ST APT 111, CANON CITY, Fremont County, CO. Her voter ID number is 3636499.
Cox, Judy L was born in 1951 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 752 W County Road 82E, LIVERMORE, Larimer County, CO. Her voter ID number is 1551019.
Cox, Judy T was born in 1942 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 35 Emmons RD, MT CRESTED BUTTE, Gunnison County, CO. Her voter ID number is 5959657.
Cox, Julia Anne was born in 1950 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 59050 Spring ST, COLLBRAN, Mesa County, CO. Her voter ID number is 2261033.
Cox, Julia Clare was born in 2000 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 32623 Meadow Mountain LN, EVERGREEN, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601822908.
Cox, Julia Katherine was born in 1990 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 1510 Blake ST APT 210, DENVER, Denver County, CO. Her voter ID number is 200055639.
Cox, Juliana Alyse was born in 1992 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 10555 W Jewell AVE # 19-304, LAKEWOOD, Jefferson County, CO. Her voter ID number is 200315839.
Cox, Julian Edward was born in 1993 and he registered to vote, giving his address as 2553 S Krameria ST, DENVER, Denver County, CO. His voter ID number is 600645427.
Cox, Julianna Christina was born in 1998 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 5486 S Lakeview ST, LITTLETON, Arapahoe County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601487636.
Cox, Julianne was born in 1960 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2860 Avondale DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 239377.
Cox, Julie was born in 1958 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 5662 County Road 22, LONGMONT, Weld County, CO. Her voter ID number is 4261427.
Cox, Julie Ann was born in 1953 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 6940 Cotton DR, COLO SPRINGS, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 158293.
Cox, Julie Ann was born in 1964 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 16870 Lovaca DR, PEYTON, El Paso County, CO. Her voter ID number is 333208.
Cox, Julie Ann was born in 1945 and she registered to vote, giving her address as 2417 Bear Lake DR, MONTROSE, Montrose County, CO. Her voter ID number is 601713628. | 2019-04-24T14:56:26Z | http://coloradovoters.info/by_name/pages/c10545.html |
An International Conference organized by MargHumanities as part of its Global Humanities Initiative, in collaboration with the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library from August 16-18, 2012, at Teen Murti House, New Delhi, India.
**As a part of the Conference, a photography exhibition on The Travelling Tent Cinemas of Maharashtra will be brought to the NMML by Amit Madheshiya and Shirley Abraham, photographers/researchers who work out of Mumbai.
The global economic crisis has made visible many pressures in culture and society that were veiled by the idea of constant progress in the late twentieth century. The European Union, to take one example, was to the major powers a balm for the atrocities of the first and second world wars; to the minor it was legal security against the ambitions of the powerful. The concert between large nations and small can be traced back into the history of empire. Ireland inhabits an exemplary position in this regard. A part of the British Empire it was a hub of the Atlantic world that opened on to the Americas. A colony with a history of famine and dispossession, the island was connected to global pressures of exchange and trade centuries before this latest recession destroyed much of a national identity that had seemed secure since independence. Ireland’s imperial history was buried quickly after 1922. The collapse of the Celtic Tiger, as the boom economy was known, has had the surprising effect of bringing this past back to life. Now that the story of nation has failed the monuments of an old world order have come back into view, not least because we are entering a decade of centenary commemorations of revolutionary events, events that had their influence on other parts of the British Empire, most notably India with regard to Home Rule and mass public protest.
I would like to explore some of the ways in which creative work in the humanities has traced and drawn this global history of Ireland. This history extends to connection with other places including India, that other emerald isle. Using ideas of the sea as a connective metaphor I want to show some of the many ways in which art and literature can illuminate the hidden cost of cultural exchange. James Joyce approached this idea in his reflections in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, which was first published in 1916, the same year of the great rebellion that began the final movement towards independence. In A Portrait Joyce has his character Stephen Dedalus reflect on the word ivory and its consonants in other languages, as ivoire and eborio. This reminds the young man of his Latin schooling: India mittit ebur. If the world economy is made of an exchange of things, things make their world anew in the sequence of their transit. Small in scale, partitioned and caught between competing ideas of nation, empire and union, thinking about Ireland invites reflection on larger questions of culture and economy. With the humanities at sea in a rapidly changing contemporary world I will argue that our current crisis is a familiar mode with a long and complex material history. For, as Joyce put it, by thinking of things you can understand them.
Nicholas Allen is Director of the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts and Franklin professor of English at the University of Georgia. He is writing a cultural history of the year 1916 and has published several books including Broken Landscapes: Selected letters of Ernie O’Malley (Dublin, 2011), Modernism, Ireland and Civil War (Cambridge, 2009), That Other Island (2007), The Proper Word (2007), George Russell and the New Ireland (2003), and The Cities of Belfast (2003). Recent essays have been published in The History of the Irish Book in the Twentieth Century (Oxford, 2011) and Synge and Edwardian Ireland (Oxford, 2011). Allen’s work is located at the intersection between literature, history and visual culture. His interests include the study of modernism, empire and, increasingly, writing about ocean and archipelago. Allen has taught previously at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the National University of Ireland, Galway, where he was academic director of the Moore Institute.
‘Harsh, both in style and tone’ was how Simone de Beauvoir described Sartre’s Critique of Dialectical Reason in a famous set of ‘conversations’ with the philosopher/writer that she published in the mid seventies. But for her, his lifelong companion, the Critique was a visible sign of the real progress Sartre had made in the course of his philosophical career, and she said so. After the war, as Sartre moved rapidly to the left and identified with it in more explicit ways, ‘Philosophy became something political’, she told him, and asked why he had undertaken such a massive labour of thought. ‘I wanted to know where I stood philosophically’, Sartre replied. ‘In your relations with Marxism…’. ‘Superficially yes, but above all with dialectic…I moved from Being and Nothingness to a dialectical idea.’ That this was no afterthought but fundamental to the project as Sartre had conceived this in the late fifties is shown by an interview he gave in 1959 where he describes the work as ‘my present book on the Dialectic’.
The Critique was never finished and Sartre always saw it as an unfinished work. If volume one, the bigger of the two volumes, is complete, it is also abstract, and was always meant only as an introduction or prolegomenon to the second ‘historical’ volume. I shall deal briefly with the content of both volumes of the Critique, summarising what they set out to do, the broad movement through which each constructs the intelligibility of history, the major concepts that are developed at these different levels of intelligibility, and how Sartre illustrates the concepts he develops and the arguments linked to them with fascinating and often powerful studies of objects (ensembles, processes, real praxes) like the state, class struggle, colonialism, and the ‘institutional ensemble’ that was Stalinism. I shall look finally at the way Sartre himself looked back at the work and at Left politics more generally in two crucial interviews he gave in 1969, one to New Left Review, and the other to Il Manifesto.
Jairus Banaji studied Classics, Modern Philosophy and Ancient History at St John’s College, Oxford in 1965–72, and Modern History at JNU in 1972–75. For most of the late seventies and eighties he worked with the unions in Bombay, returning to Oxford in 1986 to start work on a D.Phil. which was later published as Agrarian Change in Late Antiquity: Gold, Labour and Aristocratic Dominance (2001). He is affiliated to the Department of Development Studies, SOAS, University of London. His most recent book is Theory as History: Essays on Modes of Production and Exploitation (Historical Materialism Book Series 25) (Brill, 2010).
Multilinguality is a human condition. In the Indian subcontinent multilingualism forms the basis of exchange in everyday life. If languages—as sound, speech and script; as the site constituting knowledge—form the warp and weft of the Humanities, how do they reflect in our curriculum development, our classroom practices, the regulatory and evaluation templates of research at the MPhil and doctoral level? These questions are posed against the shifting contours of ‘English Studies’ in independent India, particularly the last couple of decades. The paper takes as a historical peg Rabindranath Tagore’s idea/ideal of a world university emerging in the shadow of WWI, in a continuously spiralling trajectory from the impetus of a ‘national education’ deriving from the swadeshi years at the turn of the twentieth century. (An aspiration expressed in the chosen name for his university, the hyphenated Visva-Bharati.) I wish to juxtapose this with the conscious brand-making of ‘authentic’ ‘rustic idioms’, ‘street lingo’, and so on, amongst contemporary producers of self-designated ‘alternative’ popular culture—again, through the sieve of institutional practices that I am aware of. I suggest that the Humanities, particularly, literature in relation to the other arts, to history and philosophy will thrive, if we pay attention to new and older forms of orality—aurality in all the minute and nuanced registers that they still continue to live in everyday speech, in the performing arts, and in the legacy of print.
Rimli Bhattacharya has trained in Comparative Literature from Jadavpur and Brown Universities. Her research and publications are on performance history and actresses, comparative narratology, art practices and film. Her translations into English include autobiographies (Binodini Dasi’s ‘My Story and My Life as an Actress’, 1998) and novels (Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s Aranyak, 2002; Tagore’s Char Adhyay, 2002.) In 1997, she was script consultant and production coordinator for Kumar Shahani’s film based on Tagore’s last and most philosophical novel, Char Adhyay. She has worked in primary education in various states of India for over a decade. From 2005-2008 she was involved in an international collaborative project on “The construction of the subject English in secondary schools in London, Johannesburg and Delhi” with scholars from Universites of London and Witwatersrand. She is currently completing a monograph ‘The Dancing Poet’ on Tagore’s thoughts on education, performance practice at the intersection of modernity. She has taught at JNU, MS University of Baroda and has been the Rama Watumull Distinguished Indian Scholar at University of Hawai’i at Manoa (2000), and ICCR Visiting Chair at the University of Pennsylvania (2008). She currently teaches at the Department of English, University of Delhi.
In a lecture he gave in 1982, published under the title, ‘Education of a Filmmaker’, Satyajit Ray repeated his faith in the perception of everyday life as the source of authentic image making. He started off with underlining the same principles in his earliest published essay in 1949. The aesthetic models to which his cinema adhered may have been left behind by cinematic developments, but it is curious to see how a spontaneous registration of everyday life has come to constitute the basis on which contemporary practices of sound and image, of filmmaking and New Media, develop their aesthetics and, to a large extent, their politics. It is ordinary people, until recently only viewers of the image, who now create that common basis with the help of cheap digital tools. This paper will talk about an experiment where an initiative of neighbourhood documentation has been turned into aesthetic and scholarly resource. It shall explore the axes on which research, documentation and aesthetic production have converged, namely the digital commons and the archive.
After teaching English in a government college for four years, Moinak Biswas joined the newly-launched Department of Film Studies at Jadavpur University, Kolkata, in 1993. The Department was the first of its kind in India, where he took a leading part in setting up programmes and facilities. He initiated the Media Lab, a centre for art and learning through digital forms, at Jadavpur in 2008. Biswas edits the Journal of the Moving Image, and co-edits BioScope, South Asian Screen Studies. He writes on Indian film and culture, and has recently written and co-directed the award-winning feature film Sthaniya Sambaad (Spring in the Colony, 2009).
The word desh means many things in Bengali—space, village, country, nation. In the late nineteenth century and in the wake of the anti-Partition movement in the first decade of the twentieth, the word acquired shades of the Western connotations of community and nation-state. The piecing together of a supposedly lost history of Bengal and the identity of a fragmented nationhood meant that the study of the humanities would be the primary engine of national recovery, and that the discovery of desh, like Gandhi’s trip on a train through India in Attenborough’s film, would be the primary project of the humanities for the colonial academic. This would entail not just the antiquarianism of the humanists inspired by the Asiatic Society, but scientific and business enterprises that fuelled the swadeshi researches of Prafulla Chandra Ray and his students, the tours of initiation for nationalists such as Vivekananda, the recovery of manuscripts from remote areas by textual scholars such as Haraprasad Shastri and Dineshchandra Sen, and the educational reforms of Rabindranath Tagore. Is desh relevant to any project of the humanities after the waning of such cultural archaeology? Does it remain as something more than detritus, waiting for a fresh life beyond the stifling limits of debates on identity? The paper looks for clues to this renewal in the writings of some authors from the time—Akshay Maitreya, Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar, Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay, Bhudeb Mukhopadhyay, Prafulla Chandra Ray, Swami Vivekananda, and Rabindranath Tagore.
Swapan Chakravorty is Director General, National Library, Kolkata, and Secretary and Curator, Victoria Memorial Hall (Additional Charge); he is on lien from the post of Professor of English, Jadavpur University, where he was also Joint Director, School of Cultural Texts and Records. He writes in English and Bengali, in areas spanning European early modernity, nineteenth and twentieth century Bengal, textual studies and publishing and print cultures, and has held visiting assignments at the Universiti Malaya, the University of Alabama and the University of London. His books include Society and Politics in the Plays of Thomas Middleton (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996), Conversations with Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak (with Suzana Milevska and Tani E. Barlow) (London: Seagull, 2007), Bangalir Ingreji Sahityacharcha (Kolkata: Anustup, 2006), and Shakespeare (Kolkata: Papyrus, 1999). His edited book Mudraner Sanskriti o Bangla Boi (Kolkata: Ababhas, 2007) won the Narasingh Das Award of Delhi University in 2009. He has edited three volumes on book history with Abhijit Gupta. He has recently been felicitated by Mitra Mandir, Kolkata, for his contribution to literature and culture.
Instead of simply considering the changing (often adverse) social or official context for the study of the humanities, this paper starts by considering the challenges posed by intrinsic changes in the field, three in particular: new types of interdisciplinarity; the epistemology of postmodernism; the coming of the computer, and the rise of electronic media and communication.
These changes, incrementally linked and interactive, place the student of the humanities within a radically new matrix of knowledge and inquiry. They also call for new practical skills, an unprecedented reliance on technology, and new funding demands. These requirements, in turn, place the humanities in a totally new relation to society, politics and the economy – a relationship markedly at odds with that traditionally ascribed to the discipline.
The paper will look at the depressing results of the encounter, but argue that the solution lies in a more active engagement with the social, political and technological demands of our milieu. This in turn calls for redefining the ethos of humanities scholarship: only thus will the substance of that scholarship find full recognition and realize its active potential.
Sukanta Chaudhuri divided his teaching life between the English Departments of Presidency College, Kolkata and Jadavpur University, and is now Professor Emeritus at Jadavpur. His specializations are European Renaissance Literature and textual studies, in which fields he has published several books and over 50 articles. He has translated widely from Bengali to English, and is General Editor of the Oxford Tagore Translations. He has wide experience of academic planning and administration, including the chair of the UGC panel for English and other Western languages, and of the UGC curriculum development committee in this field. As founder-director of the School of Cultural Texts and Records, Jadavpur University, he has played a part in introducing digital humanities in India. His current projects include charge of Bichitra, a complete online Tagore variorum, as well as editorship of A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Third Arden Shakespeare and a comprehensive anthology of Renaissance pastoral poetry for Manchester University Press.
In the Constituent Assembly debates after 1947, Dr B.R Ambedkar, at a certain point, remarks that the question was not simply to represent the marginalized and excluded sections/castes in the republic. It was as much a question of the habit, among these castes, of participating in those very debates that create newer and greater representations. Thus Ambedkar emphasizes the crossing of earlier rigid threshold such that the excluded castes enter into the zone of a ‘becoming-political’ whose subjective infrastructure consists of a kind of ‘habit’ of politics. The contention with the dominant (Aristotelian?) paradigm of a limited republican politics is that such an absolute widening of the subject of politics is possible. Along this widening of the very constitutive possibility of the subject of politics, at least three questions arise: What sort of ‘habit’ might correspond to a mode of political participation which must come in the wake of a revocation of and absolute break with all past socio-political habits? How to maintain the revocation even while inducing and inventing new political habits and reflexes? Thirdly, how to ground the subject of politics, which is unconditionally republican, when the paradigm of the paradoxical ‘political animal’ which must either prescriptively overcome its animal status (as with Aristotle’s prescription against women and slaves as cathartic ‘animals’) or politicize that very status (as with modern ‘bio-politics’ of the liberal, western type), must necessarily be rejected?
Soumyabrata Choudhury is a Visiting Fellow at CSDS. Recently he completed a manuscript on the limits of politics based on the axiom of sovereignty at IIAS, Shimla. He taught for several years at the School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU.
This paper tries to open up what can be seen as communist art in the Indian context and to see if we can develop a new understanding of political art from the work of Ritwik Ghatak, particularly, his film Ajantrik. We explore a different way of watching the film, where the image is undermined by the sound and the human subject is undercut by the machinic, going against the grain of existing interpretations. The larger aim is to discuss how Ajantrik presents an unusual meditation on the difficult relations of artistic and political practice, creative life and alienated labor, community and capital, framed in the immediate wake of independence. What makes the film our contemporary is, however, Ghatak’s audacious juxtaposition of technology and poetics, which seems unthinkable in mainstream communist politics today. This paper is a reconsideration of that utopian audacity.
After working as a Fellow at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata, Rajarshi Dasgupta is now Assistant Professor, Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He works at the cusp of political theory, social history and cultural production. He is particularly interested in the domains of Marxism, biopolitics and statelessness. He finds it an enduring challenge to consider the political and ethical implications of visual and sonic practices like film, photography and music.
This talks forms part of a larger investigation into the role of critique—or what I prefer to call the hermeneutics of suspicion—in literary and cultural studies. Why is critique so popular and so prestigious? Why is it often perceived as the most rigorous and radical form of thinking? And what kinds of questions does critique foreclose, dismiss, or ignore?
While the spirit of critique is one of endless questioning, this does not automatically imply a denial of the value of literature. Critique values literature, however, only to the extent that it can be shown to mimic the qualities of critique itself—that is, to engage in skeptical or subversive acts of defamiliarizing, denaturalizing, demystifying.
Yet we shortchange the significance of art by focusing on the “de” prefix at the expense of the “re” prefix: a work’s power to remake, reconfigure, or recontextualize perception. Works of art do not only subvert, but convert, they do not only inform, but transform–a transformation that is not just a matter of intellectual readjustment but also of emotional realignment. And here critique, which prides itself on the vigilance of its detachment, proves a poor guide to the richness and complexity of our aesthetic attachments.
What, then, might a postcritical practice of reading look? How do we develop forms of scholarship more attuned to the affective dimensions of reading and more willing to articulate the positive value of literary works for both academic and lay readers? I draw on the recent work of Bruno Latour, Marielle Macé, and Yves Citton to sketch out some possible answers to this question.
Rita Felski is William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of English at the University of Virginia and the editor of New Literary History. After receiving her B.A from Cambridge University and her Ph.D from Monash University in Australia, she moved to the U.S in 1994. She is the author of Beyond Feminist Aesthetics, The Gender of Modernity, Doing Time: Feminist Theory and Postmodern Culture, Literature After Feminism, and the Blackwell Manifesto Uses of Literature, and also the editor of Rethinking Tragedy and co-editor of Comparison: Theories, Approaches, Uses. She has also published essays in such journals as PMLA, Signs, Poetics Today, Cultural Critique, Theory, Culture, and Society, New Formations, and Modernism/Modernity. Honors include the William Riley Parker Prize for best essay in PMLA, an Australian Research Council Major Grant, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Her work has been translated in ten languages. She is currently completing a book on the hermeneutics of suspicion called Schools of Suspicion: Critique and After.
Civilization, after a period of neglect and even of suspicion, has returned as a concept in several disciplines – history, political science, sociology, anthropology, and others. What is its potential for serving as a leading concept in the analysis of cultures and societies across space and time, on a global plane? I want to make the case for this, taking a number of examples of civilizational analysis, and focussing especially on the contribution of Arnold Toynbee in his great work, A Study of History.
Krishan Kumar is University Professor, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor, and Chair, Department of Sociology, University of Virginia. He was formerly Professor of Social and Political Thought at the University of Kent at Canterbury, England. Among his publications are Prophecy and Progress (1978), Utopia and Anti-Utopia in Modern Times (1987), The Making of English National Identity (2003), and From Post-Industrial to Post-Modern Society, 2nd ed (2005). He is currently working on empires.
The paper engages the trans-national circumstances of higher education at the present time, taking as its focus the social geography of university life. It proposes a theoretical and historical framework within which the university is approached as a site of newly competing agencies and agendas, which change the terms of academic exchange but which often remain invisible and un-theorized. The regulatory procedures for review and evaluation, the material spectacle of academic architecture, the cultural tensions between modernity and postmodernity, the transactions between the individual and the mass, the phenomenology of the teacher-student relation – these are the inciting and intersections questions of the paper. At its center is a return to Virginia Woolf and her reflections in the opening chapter of Three Guineas. Here Woolf makes a radical demand for a transformed university, which she describes as the “poor college” of the future; in so doing, she places the question of the “human” – of deep character, desire, instinct and ideal – at the foundation of academic life. Three Guineas raises questions of theory and practice that bear closely on our own moment; it also generates a problem in the definition of personhood that becomes decisive in the later philosophy of Wittgenstein. The machine-body relationship in Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations provides the crux in the final stage of discussion, which reconsiders the status of the human within the practice and prospects of the humanities.
Michael Levenson is William B. Christian Professor of English at the University of Virginia and author of A Genealogy of Modernism (Cambridge University Press 1984), Modernism and the Fate of Individuality (Cambridge University Press 1990), The Spectacle of Intimacy (Princeton University Press, co-author Karen Chase 2000),and Modernism from Yale University Press (2011). He is also the editor of the Cambridge Companion to Modernism (2000, 2nd edition 2011). Professor Levenson has been chair of the English Department and is the founding director of the Institute of Humanities at the University of Virginia. He has received grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Mellon Foundation and currently serves as a Fulbright Senior Specialist. He has published widely, with essays in such journals as ELH, Novel, Modernism/Modernity, The New Republic, Wilson Quarterly, Raritan; among his public lectures are those at Harvard, Yale, University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins, Berkeley, and Oxford University.
Digital Humanities, formerly New Media Studies, is fast becoming a popular addition to the Humanities curricula. The way it is often conceived of is as a means of creating e-texts and online variorum editions. While in itself a noble goal, this, however, is a very limited understanding of how digital technologies intervene in the Humanities today and is a case of missing the forest for the trees. Rather, one could take Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari’s (1987) concept of the ‘assemblage’ as a useful framework for describing the very multiple nature of the Digital Humanities. The various aspects of digital culture ‘plug in’, as it were, into the digital assemblage. For example, videogames that tell stories do so in a way that challenges traditional conceptions of narrative; similarly, they address deeper philosophical and sociological questions such as identity-formation, agency and involvement. Videogames raise questions about the level of free will that the player can exercise; the natureof the involvement of the player; and point towards how identity itself is experienced as unfixed (Galloway 2006) and as a ‘fold’. As Katherine Hayles (2002) states, in the above concerns digital media are not ‘new’, rather they provide a fresh focus on key concerns of the Humanities and the human. As opposed to earlier formulations, this analysis aims to reassess existing definitions and methodologies of the Digital Humanities and to engage afresh with how the Humanities per se need to be rethought especially from the point of view of technicity, identity and culture. This is especially relevant in the Indian context where despite a significantly prevalent IT presence not much has been done to examine how digital cultures have developed and how they constantly affect quotidian sociocultural processes.
Souvik Mukherjee has been researching videogames as an emerging storytelling medium since 2002 and has completed his PhD on the subject from Nottingham Trent University in 2009. His research examines their relationship to canonical ideas of narrative and also how these games inform and challenge current conceptions of technicity, identity and culture, in general. His current interests involve the analysis of paratexts of videogames such as walkthroughs and after-action reports as well as the concept of time and telos in videogames. He has published and presented in academic journals and conferences on a range of topics in Game Studies as well as on Renaissance and Romantic Literature.Souvik currently teaches English Literature at Presidency University and is interested in the development of Digital Humanities in India. More details about his research, publications and thoughts on the subject can be found on his blog ‘Ludus ex Machina’.
This presentation will reflect on the varied experiences of simultaneously perceiving, performing and representing the conflictual in the urban contemporary, through encounters and engagements with the timeless, the universal, the local and the specific in political and cultural contexts and histories. It will draw upon knowledge gathered and gleaned from being continually writing, acting, directing and editing performances on screen and on stage that are based in Kolkata and its suburbs but are travelling across and beyond one city and its idiosyncrasies through art even while, often, questioning many paradigms of the arts as we receive and respond to them.
Suman Mukhopadhyay is now working on his 5th feature film Shesher Kobita, while Kangal Malsat, his 4th, is in post-production. Mahanagar @ Kolkata (2009), Chaturanga (2008) and Herbert (2005) are his previous films. Chaturanga was selected for 50 film festivals around the globe including the Montreal World Film Festival, La Rochelle International Film Festival, San Francisco International Film Festival, Sao Paulo International Film Festival, International Film Festival of India (Goa), Kolkata Film Festival and the Seattle International Film Festival. His first feature film, Herbert, got the National Award. The film has been screened at a number of national and international film festivals including Florence, Bangkok, Osian Cinefan, Zanzibar, Mumbai, Pune and Kerala. Herbert was officially released in the USA at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Mukhopadhyay has done his film training from the New York Film Academy, and has done theatre productions ranging from European drama to major adaptations of Bengali masterpieces and productions of Indian plays, which include Raja Lear, Bisarjan, Teesta Paarer Brittanto, Mephisto, Raktakarabi, Little Clay Cart, Nagamandala, Man of the Heart and Fireface. He was a British Academy Fellow and invited to the Barbican Centre, London with the play Man of the Heart.
At present, History is often taken by those in other humanities disciplines to be a sort of useful tool, a field of study that provides background or “context” for the more vital business of interpreting texts, works of art, rituals, or social relations. Historians have done much themselves to encourage this sentiment. What I plan to advocate in this talk is a new understanding of the work of the historian in which he or she uses historical evidence to weigh in on the biggest kinds of questions—about the meaning of life, of thought, of emotion, of truth—and in so doing makes illuminating the specificity of single moments and spaces in the world a step in the process rather than the end game. I call this kind of long-range, spatially unbounded, engage-in-the present history that I am proposing “philosophical history.” My plan is, first, to introduce this approach by reference to the work of Hannah Arendt and, second, to suggest its potential for creating conversations that cut across the humanities—not to mention the sciences and social sciences—as a whole. The central thesis here is that philosophy should not be left to philosophers alone. It is only by engaging in conversations about meaning that we, in different humanities fields, can talk to each other and make the humanities central to our culture, locally and globally.
Sophia Rosenfeld is Professor of History at the University of Virginia. She is the author of numerous scholarly articles on 18th-century culture, politics, and ideas, as well as A Revolution in Language: The Problem of Signs in Late Eighteenth-Century France (Stanford, 2001) and, most recently, Common Sense: A Political History (Harvard, 2011), which won the 2012 Mark Lynton History Prize and is forthcoming in Korean and French translations. Her writing has also appeared in the New York Times, the Daily Beast, the Nation, and the Washington Post. She received her BA from Princeton and her PhD from Harvard, and she has also been a visiting faculty member at the Remarque Institute at NYU, the École des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (Paris), and the University of Virginia School of Law. Currently she is director of a multidisciplinary seminar program in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Virginia that she hopes is a good model for the future of humanities teaching.
Quite early on, Gandhi takes to describing satyagraha as a dayadharma. If he is so drawn to the term daya, that is because, following his relinquishment of the universalism and civility involved in republican democracy or ‘modern civilization’, daya comes to name the other civility and universalism which is also the other of the metaphysical universalism he relinquishes. This other of universalism is organized around two-ness, and the multiplicity proper to two. This paper explores his enagagement with the term daya on three registers.
It argues, first, that it is quite inadequate to understand daya and relatedly ahimsa as a weaker force than liberal tolerance—as an attempt to be more inclusive still by only setting examples for others rather than forcing them to do something. Ahimsa is thus for him a force greater than violence. This is one of the reasons that he opposes the renunciatory ahimsa he associates with some Jain and Hindu traditions. Second, for him daya becomes, as for the Jain thinker Shrimad Rajchandra who influences him so much, a way of affirming simultaneously the oneness and equality of all life. This attempt to hold together a radical unity (oneness) and ineradicable difference (equality of all life) leads him to question the idea of a ‘kinglike God’—a god modeled on the human sovereign. Third, the essay explores how this attempt leads to his distinctive thinking of advaita, as also to his argument that ahimsa is marked by a constitutive notness of being.
Ajay Skaria is a historian at the University of Minnesota. He is interested in questions of intellectual history and political theory, and is currently finishing a book on Gandhi, tentatively titled Immeasurable Equality: Gandhi, Religion and Politics.
One of the ways in which advocates for the Humanities attempt to express their value is by making comparative claims about how their work differs from that of the Sciences and Social Sciences. Arguments that seek to establish distinct objects and methods of study for the three major organizational divisions of the university have, historically, often gone further and sought to describe deep ‘cultural’ and characterological differences. In the main, ‘two’ and (more recently) ‘three culture’ debates have possessed a rhetorical attraction out of keeping with their very limited persuasiveness—and yet it is obviously desirable that any claim for the value of the Humanities should be more specific than the general claims one might make for any higher education. This paper will examine the grounds for asserting a distinctive value to higher scholarship in the Humanities, allowing for differentiation from the work of the Sciences and Social Sciences without traducing all three fields.
Helen Small is Professor of English Literature at the University of Oxford, and a Fellow of Pembroke College. Her books include The Long Life (OUP, 2007; winner of the Truman Capote Prize for Literary Criticism, 2008), and (ed.), The Public Intellectual (Blackwell, 2002). She is currently completing a study of the defences of the Humanities that have been most influential in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and still exert some persuasive power. Her aim is to provide a taxonomical and historical account of the arguments, and to test their validity for the present day.
This presentation explores the implications of Plotinus’s interpretation of Plato for the account of Aristotle and Plato that we have received from Heidegger. If there is a strong undercurrent of praxis-fetishism in Heidegger, and if there is a similar strain in our own modern reworkings of karmayoga (Tilak, Shukla, Gandhi), how can we seek to understand time not as a holding-back or keeping-in-reserve, but as a primary surplus (‘pleonos’)? What implications does this have for our notions of death, the afterlife, and finally for the individuation of the subject? In closing I would like to suggest how it is possible for us reread Hegel with these concerns in view.
Milind Wakankar‘s doctoral work, and his subsequent book entitled Subalternity and Religion, were on the relation between Kabir and the Marathi bhakti tradition, understood from both a modern and premodern point of view. This recourse to the pastness of the past, one not accessible to history, has now taken him back to late antiquity and beyond–his current work is on the Bhagawata Purana. He is a Fellow at CSCS, Bangalore, where he has taught courses bringing together the texts of Hegel, Schelling and Heidegger.
Mahesh Rangarajan is Director, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi and Professor of History, University of Delhi.
Sukanta Chaudhuri is Emeritus Professor of English, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.
Nandini Chandra is Assistant Professor of English, University of Delhi.
sustained through sheer ingenuity and enterprise, for more than six decades now. And yet, they are still to find place in mainstream academic and popular accounts of the evolution of cinema in India. The project attempts to ‘historicise’ the history of these cinemas, as well as to ‘provincialise’ it, by focusing on modalities which deliver the experience of cinema away from sophisticated theatres in the city.
documents the touring cinemas by means of still images, interviews, participatory observation and archival research.
(Tokyo), Edge Gallery (Hong Kong), Gallery Caprice Horn (Berlin), National Center for Performing Arts( Mumbai), Center for Asian Studies (Boulder), Annexe Gallery (Kuala Lumpur), Art and Architecture collaborative Beam (Wakefield), Bradford Mela and Play House (Bradford), Jnan Pravah (Mumbai) and Dakshinachitra Gallery (Chennai). For his work on the tent cinemas series, Amit has won the World Press Photo (2011), the Sony World Photography award (2011 and 2009) and the Grand Prize at the Humanity Photo Awards (2009).
Shirley and Amit received a fellowship from Tasveer Ghar/House of Pictures: A Digital Network of South Asian Popular Visual Culture, for a project studying dynamics of a unique public visual language, installing images of gods on tiles in street corners, employing them as sentinels against defilement of public spaces. In 2010, they also received a short-term fellowship from the Cluster of Excellence- Asia and Europe in a Global Context, Transcultural Image Database Project “Satellite of Networks”, for their project exploring devotional visual culture at the shrine of Sailani Baba in Maharashtra.
this is a good effort! how can i participate?
just be there on the first day. and register for free.
Is there any possibility that someone could also upload videos of the conference presentations and discussions for those who cannot attend or miss some sessions (especially for those of us who are not in Delhi during that time)?? This is just a request. | 2019-04-21T06:18:37Z | http://humanitiesunderground.org/the-humanities-in-ferment-strategizing-for-our-times-august-16-18-margh-collaborates-with-nmml/ |
Had OR Tambo been alive, today we would have gathered in happy gatherings throughout our country to wish him a very happy centenary birthday!
However as we meet today, to mark this centenary, we still wish to convey a heartfelt happy birthday message to Oliver Tambo, our beloved OR and esteemed leader, certain that he will hear our message wherever he is.
Accordingly, today, October 27, 2017 our people, joined by the peoples of the rest of Africa and the world, stand up and say in unison – happy birthday our dear and respected Oliver Tambo, our beloved OR!
However, at the same time as we celebrate a hundredth birthday, we have gathered here today at a time of great stress for OR’s movement, the ANC, and his country, South Africa.
The comments we will make about Oliver Tambo as we celebrate the centenary of his birth will emphasise two matters.
One of these is that periodically the ANC has had to confront and respond to threats which challenged its very existence.
Another is that these threats and the ANC responses have also been related to the development of our country.
This describes what has been somewhat of an umbilical cord between the development of the ANC and the evolution of South Africa.
In this regard I would like to argue that for half-a-century Oliver Tambo stood out as a defining player in terms of the construction of the relationship described by the respective evolutions of the ANC and South Africa.
I have just referred to what I described as threats which challenged the very existence of the ANC.
I am certain that this phenomenon has not been sufficiently canvassed in the public discourse correctly to explain and implant in the public consciousness our historical evolution as a country and people.
I will now mention three of these threats and elaborate on them later in my comments.
By 1940 the ANC was faced with the threat of withering away out of existence, that is, of ceasing to exist, because of neglect by a leadership which was too preoccupied with the pursuit of its individual professional interests.
The new President of the ANC, Dr A.B. Xuma together with his Secretary General, Rev James Calata, worked successfully during the 1940s to resurrect the ANC.
Oliver Tambo played a central role in this process, including as the first Secretary General of the ANC Youth League and later the Secretary General and Deputy President of the ANC.
The ANC resurrected in the 1940s became such a threat to our country’s white minority regime that it was banned in 1960.
As all of us know, there followed a period of extreme repression imposed on our country by the apartheid regime, starting in the 1960s, such that towards the end of that decade the ANC was virtually wiped out as an organised revolutionary formation inside South Africa.
Again as we all know, exactly at the time of the banning of the ANC, its leadership sent its then Deputy President, Oliver Tambo, out of the country, to establish and lead what was described as the External Mission of the ANC.
In the end, as had happened during the 1940s, Oliver Tambo had to play a central role, this time as the leader, to help resurrect an ANC which, again, had almost died, as had been the case in 1940.
The threat to the very existence of the ANC in 1940 had been caused by gross negligence on the part of its leadership. This occurred during a period when broadly this ANC leadership felt that there had been no fundamental change in terms of the character of the reality which had dictated the formation of the ANC in 1912.
The threat to the very existence of the ANC from 1960 emanated from extreme repression by the apartheid regime.
As I have said, Oliver Tambo led the successful process to defeat this new and extremely serious threat to the very existence of the ANC and helped to rebuild the ANC which then proceeded to lead the campaign which led to the democratic victory of 1994.
I argue that we must pay heartfelt tribute to Oliver Tambo for the central contribution he made during the 1940s to help resurrect the ANC from its death bed and position it such that by 1960 it had mobilised the masses of our people to stand out as the strategic and practical opponent which threatened to overthrow the apartheid regime.
Further, I am arguing that we must pay heartfelt tribute to Oliver Tambo for his leadership of the ANC and the rest of the broad liberation movement, such that this movement as a whole recovered from the near destruction brought about by the extreme repression which followed that banning of the ANC in 1960 to lead the process which led to our liberation in 1994.
The ANC is now, during the year of the Centenary of the birth of Oliver Tambo, confronted by yet another threat of destruction.
As all of us know, the ANC is now 105 years old. During the years of its existence it has faced many challenges to its place as the preeminent and historic representative of the oppressed.
These include the challenges posed by the All African Convention in the 1930s, the formation of the PAC in 1959, the birth of such formations within the ANC as the “Gang of Eight” during the 1970s, and the formation of the Black Consciousness Movement again during the 1970s.
The historical reality is that none of these developments succeeded to displace the ANC as what I have described as the preeminent and historic representative of the oppressed.
This is why accordingly, this evening I am not discussing any of these developments, not because I am trying to downplay their significance. Rather, I am trying to focus on the strategic and historic challenges which have threatened the very existence of the ANC during the 105 years of its existence.
In the context of everything I have said, I would now like to make the firm and unequivocal observation that the ANC is now facing the third most serious threat to its very existence of 105 years.
By 1940 the ANC faced the threat of destruction. Members of the ANC successfully intervened to address this threat.
By 1960 the ANC faced yet another threat of destruction. Members of the ANC successfully intervened to address this threat.
By 2017, today, the ANC faces yet another and third historic threat of destruction.
The immense and historic challenge we face is to answer the question – does the ANC have the required members who will successfully intervene to address this new threat to the very survival of the ANC?
The ANC faces this third strategic threat during a period when unfortunately we no longer have Oliver Tambo among us, and therefore the eminent leader who played a decisive role in helping our Movement successfully to defeat the earlier threats which challenged its very survival.
In this regard I would like to argue that the fact of this third threat, and the absolute imperative to defeat it, imposes an obligation on all those who claim to be admirers and supporters of Oliver Tambo practically to act in a manner which lives up to the example which OR set.
Thus would we give practical expression to what is said as a matter of routine at funerals, that the nation must honour the example set by the departed, consistent with the call – long live the spirit of the heroes and heroines who have left us!
In his Oration as the nation laid the mortal remains of Oliver Reginald Tambo to rest, just over 24 years ago on May 2, 1993, Nelson Mandela made a commitment which I believe is binding on all of us.
“Let all of us who live say that while we live, Oliver Tambo will not die!
“May he, for his part, rest in peace.
“Go well, my brother and farewell, dear friend.
“As you directed, we will bring freedom to the oppressed and liberation to the oppressor.
“As you strived, we will restore the dignity of the dehumanised.
“As you commanded, we will defend the option of a peaceful resolution of our problems.
“As you prayed, we will respond to the cries of the wretched of the earth.
“As you loved them, we will, always, stretch out a hand of endearment to those who are your flesh and blood.
I have made the assertion that this commitment by Nelson Mandela is binding on all of us, that “In all this we will not fail you”. Madiba could make this genuine commitment not as a rhetorical flourish but as an affirmation of the very close bond of comradeship and friendship that existed between himself and Oliver Tambo.
Accordingly Nelson Mandela made the commitments he announced during the Oration at OR Tambo’s funeral seriously to convey a solemn message to the nation.
I say this because Nelson Mandela spoke these words because what Oliver Tambo had done during half-a-century of struggle had helped to define the destiny of a better life for all the generations which lived on after he had passed on, without exception.
All this is because Oliver Tambo’s life constitutes both a journey through many phases of the development of South Africa, and the attendant liberation struggle, from the 1940s to the 1990s, and the promise of liberation and the positive benefits this would bring.
Thus Oliver Tambo was among those in the 1940s who, as leaders and members of the ANC Youth League, stood up to say that the then central task of the ANC, as the leader of our national liberation movement, was to activate the masses of our people to engage in mass action to secure their own liberation.
Oliver Tambo served among the leaders and activists who helped to ensure that this vision of mass struggle was actually implemented.
Oliver Tambo served among the leaders and activists who helped our broad movement for national liberation to elaborate and adopt that seminal document, the Freedom Charter, which defined the strategic tasks of the national democratic revolution.
Oliver Tambo served among the leaders and activists who had to ensure the continuation and intensification of the struggle despite the banning of the ANC and the implementation by the apartheid regime of its campaign of extreme repression.
This included the successful inclusion of armed struggle into the strategy of the ANC, which meant ending a period of half-a-century of commitment to non-violent struggle.
Oliver Tambo served among the leaders and activists who foresaw that the all-round liberation struggle for national liberation would oblige the apartheid regime finally to concede to the long-standing demand of the ANC and the rest of the liberation movement for a negotiated end to apartheid and white minority rule, and therefore ensured that the movement prepares for this eventuality.
What all this means is that Oliver Tambo was present, as one of our leaders, at all seminal moments in the evolution of the ANC and our struggle during the fifty years from the 1940s to the 1990s.
Accordingly as we mark the Centenary of his birth we must celebrate the enormous contribution which Oliver Tambo made to the victory of the Democratic Revolution in 1994.
The truth is that when Dr Xuma acceded to the position of President of the ANC in 1940, the organisation was to all intents and purposes dormant and moribund.
As I have said, Dr Xuma then worked very hard, together with Secretary General Rev James Calata, to reconstitute and reactivate the ANC effectively to discharge its responsibility as the voice of the African majority, and made important progress in this regard. It was in this context that Dr Xuma called on the delegates at the 1941 ANC Conference to “pick up the gauntlet” and to “pull our weight”.
In the same 1941 Presidential Address Dr Xuma correctly detailed some of the burning issues which faced the African people at the time.
He then went on to say that “Congress must take steps for representations to be made to the Right Honourable the Prime Minister, Minister of Defence-Field Marshal J. C. Smuts and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Native Affairs-Colonel Deneys Reitz” on the various burning issues he had identified.
This short history of the ANC I have mentioned is directly related to the vitally important contribution Oliver Tambo made which I have said led to the victory of the Democratic Revolution in 1994.
The successful establishment of the ANC Youth League in 1944 was an important part of the historic process led by the then President and Secretary General of the ANC to resurrect and reactivate the organisation.
It is in this context that the involvement of the then young people in the establishment of the ANC Youth League, among whom was its first Secretary General, Oliver Tambo, assumes its importance.
That importance derives from the fact that it seems obvious that the historic process to resurrect and reactivate the ANC would have been seriously compromised if it had not included the initiative to establish the Youth League as an organ of the ANC charged with the task to mobilise the youth into the struggle.
In this regard I must also mention the important fact that it was also under the Xuma-Calata leadership, in 1948, that the ANC Women’s League was established, to take the place of the Bantu Women’s League which had been established in 1918, led by Charlotte Maxeke.
It is also worth noting that it was only through a decision taken at its 1943 Conference that the ANC allowed women to join it as members!
The importance of the posture adopted by the Youth League concerning the conduct of the struggle was underlined by the conflict which arose later between Dr Xuma and the leadership of the Youth League which was ultimately resolved through the adoption of the 1949 Programme of Action.
As all of us know that conflict centred on the matter of what the resurrected and reactivated ANC should do to achieve the liberation of the oppressed.
Consistent with previous ANC policy and practice, in his 1941 Presidential Address Dr Xuma expressly said that the ANC would petition the then Prime Minister, Jan Smuts, and Minister of Native Affairs, Deneys Reitz, with regard to the demands of the black oppressed.
To the contrary, the Youth League was of the firm view that that those demands could only be achieved through struggle against the oppressor rather than through petitions submitted to that oppressor.
A vitally important part of the position taken by the Youth League was that the posture of struggle on which it insisted would mean and did mean that the resurrected and reactivated ANC would be transformed into a mass organisation capable of mobilising the millions of our people into struggle.
Given the strategic role the mass struggle played in the Democratic Victory and the leading role of the ANC with regard to the achievement of that victory, it is not difficult to understand and appreciate the historic importance of the changes to the ANC which were made in the 1940s.
I refer here to the changes which both resurrected and reactivated the ANC and radically reoriented its approach with regard to the methods it would use to achieve the liberation of the oppressed.
These laid the firm basis in terms of which in the end it was possible to mount a multi-pronged and sustained strategic offensive to defeat the apartheid regime, with the ANC serving as the universally accepted leader of that offensive.
I would now like to mention a few bare biographical facts about Oliver Tambo to highlight his important place among the leadership of the ANC over the half-century I have mentioned.
As I have said, OR was elected as the first Secretary General of the ANC Youth League in 1944. He was then 27 years old.
Three years later, in 1947, aged 30, he became a Member of the National Executive Committee of the ANC.
Six years later, in 1953, he was elected Secretary General of the ANC to replace Walter Sisulu who had been banned.
And five years later, in 1958, when he was only 41 years old, OR was elected Deputy President to our outstanding leader, Nkosi Albert Luthuli.
The ANC sent him, its Deputy President, out of the country in 1960, to head what was then called the External Mission of the Movement. The ANC Conference held in Lobatse, Bechuanaland in 1962 confirmed this decision which had earlier been taken by the NEC.
Unfortunately we lost ANC President Nkosi A.J. Luthuli in 1967, who died in suspect circumstances. OR, then 50 years old, became Acting President of the ANC while continuing as Head of the External Mission.
He was elected President of the ANC at the 1985 ANC Consultative Conference held in Kabwe, Zambia.
Regrettably OR suffered from a stroke in 1989 which severely limited his capacity to continue fully to play his leadership role.
He handed over the Presidency of the ANC to Nelson Mandela when the latter was elected to this position at the 1991 National Conference of the ANC.
That same Conference elected OR to the position of National Chairperson of the ANC, a position he held until he unfortunately passed away in 1993.
Before I started mentioning this short political biography of Oliver Tambo I had said that the changes effected during the 1940s by the ANC leadership, which included OR, ultimately created the possibility for the liberation movement to mount a multi-pronged and sustained strategic offensive to defeat the apartheid regime, with the ANC serving as the universally accepted leader of that offensive.
As all of us know, the ANC identified the prongs, what it described as the four pillars of that strategy as mass struggle, the international isolation of the apartheid system, ANC underground work and the armed struggle.
All these were important parts of the sustained general offensive which resulted in the ultimate defeat of the apartheid regime.
Each of the pillars I have mentioned constituted a complex process with regard both to identifying the specific tasks that had to be implemented, which had to change as circumstances changed, and ensuring the actual implementation of these evolving tasks.
Oliver Tambo played a central role with regard to the development of each and all these pillars, all of which rested on the strategic base established by the changes to the ANC effected in the 1940s in whose elaboration and implementation, as I have said, OR was a central actor.
As we all know, the ANC leadership took what proved to be a critically important decision when, as we said earlier, it sent its then Deputy President, Oliver Tambo, out of the country to head the External Mission.
This was at the beginning of a period of extreme repression which after some time, and for some time, virtually decimated the structures of the ANC within our country and made it impossible for it fully to discharge its responsibilities within the country as a direct leader of the liberation movement.
This period included the arrest, assassination and imprisonment of virtually the entirety of the most significant echelons of the leadership of the ANC and related formations.
This elevated the importance of what had been intended to serve only as the External Mission of the ANC, placing an obligation on the External Mission in fact to serve as the Headquarters and guiding body of the ANC as a whole.
Effectively this positioned OR as the leader of the ANC, the primus inter pares, for more than a quarter-of-a-century which proved to be the then most difficult period in the history of the ANC.
He ultimately came to enjoy the unqualified respect of all sections of the ANC at home and abroad, and the related Mass Democratic Movement.
At the same time, the overwhelming majority in the rest of the world, starting from the rest of Africa, recognised him as a legitimate representative and spokesperson of the oppressed majority in our country.
I am saying that as we mark the Centenary of Oliver Tambo’s birth, we must pay unreserved tribute to him for his vital contribution to the benchmark achievements of the ANC and the broad liberation movement over many decades.
- the preparations the ANC undertook to ensure that it was properly equipped to engage in a new field of struggle – that is, negotiations with the apartheid regime!
I am insisting that with regard to all these strategic interventions, which made the 1994 Democratic Victory possible, we had Oliver Tambo as a decisive, leading and defining player.
For this reason, today, as we mark the Centenary of ORs birth, I have no hesitation to convey my heartfelt view that it is to Oliver Tambo, OR, that we should bestow the title – Father of South Africa’s Democracy!
It was not possible that Oliver Tambo could achieve what he did as a leader of the ANC, as I have tried to indicate, unless he had the personal capacity and attributes in this regard.
I was very fortunate that for almost two decades I was privileged to work quite closely with Oliver Tambo within the structures of the ANC. This gave me some understanding of the character of this eminent patriot and leader of our people.
I am honoured to use this understanding to help us properly to celebrate the Centenary of the birthday of Oliver Tambo, and therefore pay tribute to him as one of our most eminent heroes and peoples’ representative.
I cite these remarks by A.B. Xuma because as we mark the Centenary of the birth of Oliver Tambo I believe that all our people should understand that OR became the leader of the South African oppressed, and more, accepted by all, at home and abroad, because of particular attributes.
Never would he depart from any action which would violate these two principles – that is loyalty to the ANC and its values and commitment to pursue the genuine interests of the people.
This makes the correct point that Oliver Tambo was a principled person.
Accordingly all of us knew that in all our interactions with OR, we had to honour the principles and practices always to tell the truth, to respect the principle of honesty, to exercise our right to state our views, to behave according to the agreed rules in terms of our membership of the ANC, and never to promote whatever might be our personal interests by telling lies or engaging in subterfuge.
In addition to all this we also knew that OR had other personal attributes which made all of us very happy that he had surrendered himself to serve our Movement, the ANC, the struggle, and the people as a whole.
This related to the fact that he had a very sharp intellect!
As he grew up he had demonstrated outstanding competence in the natural sciences, including mathematics, physics and chemistry, and taught these subjects.
Nevertheless, he also had the necessary knowledge to engage in debates which discussed issues relevant to social science.
He also acquired the necessary qualifications to practice as a lawyer who could and would appear in our Courts especially to defend our people against the ravages of the apartheid system.
As a leader of the External Mission of the ANC, among others he demonstrated his leadership as an activist for the development of the arts, in all their forms, including as expressed in the music in which he was especially interested.
The sharp intellect he showed made him a great strategist and master tactician in terms of the conduct of the liberation struggle over the many decades I have mentioned.
He demonstrated that immense capacity in matters of strategy for instance when he persuaded our Movement to prepare for negotiations and defining the democratic South Africa through these negotiations even as he led the same Movement in its efforts to intensify its offensive to overthrow the oppressor regime.
To put this matter more generally, OR understood that the very advances we achieved through struggle would result in producing a qualitatively new situation presenting us with the task to have to respond to the challenges posed by our own victories.
All this means that at all times OR did everything to ensure that our Movement never lost sight of the strategic goals it had to achieve at all stages of our struggle.
I would also suggest that for us to gain an excellent grasp of OR’s capacity as a master tactician of our struggle everybody should study the January 8th ANC Anniversary Statements he presented during the years 1979 – 1989.
We would see that the comments and proposals in these Statements constitute a virtual catalogue of the evolution of our struggle in all its four pillars, demonstrating the capacity properly to understand the objective situation and respond to that situation correctly and on time.
It is a matter of common cause that OR succeeded to lead the ANC both to recover from the heavy blows it suffered during the post-1960 period of extreme repression and to resume its legal existence from 1990 as a united organisation.
- a shared commitment among all members of the Movement to work with one another as Comrades, fully understanding that the realisation of the common goal of achieving national liberation and building a democratic, non-racial and non-sexist South Africa required that these Comrades must act together as one united Movement.
What also contributed greatly to that unity was the manner in which OR conducted the internal discussions within the ANC. He would always listen to and respect all opinions expressed and then state his own view in a manner which would assure all participants that their views had been taken into account. This helped enormously to inspire a spirit of inclusivity among the members and a sense of common ownership of everything to do with the Movement and the struggle.
I must also mention that OR was a convinced Pan-Africanist. This helped further to entrench this outlook throughout the ranks of the ANC and contributed in no small measure to the development of the attitude among millions throughout our Continent that the struggle to defeat the apartheid system was as much ours as it was theirs.
It is in this context that I am certain that the important matter of the renaissance of our Continent must occupy significant space on our agenda.
Earlier I said that the ANC now faces the third threat of destruction since its foundation almost 106 years ago. This time that threat emanates from acts of commission originating from within the ANC itself.
As we all know, the ANC gained access to state power from 1994 onwards. It was inevitable that this would happen because of the place which the ANC occupied in the hearts and minds of the majority of our people as their true representative.
However the challenge which arose with this access to state power was and is that it could be abused, was and is being abused for purposes of self-enrichment. This means that the ANC contains within its ranks people who are absolutely contemptuous of the most fundamental values of the ANC, at whose centre is a commitment selflessly to serve the people.
These are people who only see the ANC as a step-ladder to enable them to access state power for the express purpose of using that access for self-enrichment.
By definition these are people who are card-carrying members of the ANC, our national governing party since 1994, but who have completely repudiated the value system which inspired Oliver Tambo throughout his life.
Part of the national tragedy in this regard is that the ANC recognised the emergence of this immensely negative phenomenon quite early after 1994.
“One of these negative features is the emergence of careerism within our ranks. Many among our members see their membership of the ANC as a means to advance their personal ambitions to attain positions of power and access to resources for their own individual gratification.
“During this period, we have also been faced with various instances of corruption involving our own members, including those who occupy positions of authority by virtue of the victory of the democratic revolution.
The fact of the matter is that during the last two decades the ANC has failed to do the two things which Nelson Mandela mentioned in 1997 – to purge itself of the mercenaries who had joined its ranks and to make it difficult for such elements to join the Movement.
This failure surely means that inevitably the negative situation which Nelson Mandela decried would get worse, as was attested to by ANC Secretary General Mantashe in July.
The numbers of those who see the ANC as but a mere tool to access political power and corruptly acquired wealth would increase. In the end it was inevitable that this would result in the transformation of quantity into quality, in this way.
What was and was seen to be abnormal twenty years ago, in 1997, would become the norm by 2017, hence the observation made by Secretary General Mantashe concerning ‘fights for deployment among ANC members, as if there is no tomorrow’.
This means that the historic value system of the ANC has become so corrupted that its replacement, that is unprincipled access to political power and the related corrupt self-enrichment has in fact become the norm within the organisation.
It is this reality which has led to the universal scramble for deployment, ‘as if there is no tomorrow’, and indeed the repugnant phenomenon of the murders of and among municipal councillors so prevalent but not only in KwaZulu-Natal, a matter which is currently being investigated in that Province by the Moerane Commission.
Necessarily and logically the qualitative change I have mentioned, arising from the failure to defeat the process of the increase in the numbers of those who remained in the ranks of the ANC for selfish and corrupt reasons as described by Nelson Mandela, would in the end also affect the composition and quality of the very leadership of the Movement.
It is therefore perfectly obvious that what has happened is that there has been an institutional ascendance to a position of dominance or major influence at all levels of leadership in the ANC of exactly the negative elements whom Nelson Mandela urged the ANC to defeat.
I am therefore arguing that the transformation of quantity into quality has resulted in the entrenchment within the ANC of a rapacious and predatory value system and the ascendance to positions of authority or major influence in the leadership structures of the ANC of people who are both the product and expression of that rapacious and predatory value system.
I will now cite just one example to illustrate the qualitative change I have been talking about.
The 1997 Mahikeng ANC National Conference took an important decision that those who are elected to leadership positions in the ANC should be ready to discharge their responsibilities in that regard, with no expectation that their positions in the ANC entitled them to positions in government.
It was therefore decided that ANC candidates for the position of Provincial Premier should be selected in the same manner as the National Ministers with no requirement that the Provincial Chair of the ANC would necessarily become the Premier.
In the run-up to the 2007 Polokwane ANC national Conference, a spurious argument emerged within the ANC about a non-existent problem of ‘two centres of power’, so-called.
As a result of this the Polokwane Conference took the diametrically opposed position to the Mahikeng Conference. It now said, instead, that any person elected as President of the ANC would be the ANC candidate for the position of President of the Republic.
This also meant that the Provincial Chair of the ANC would be the Provincial Premier.
This unfortunate decision meant that formally the ANC took the decision that occupation of senior positions in the ANC was the guaranteed route of access to state power, exactly the kind of understanding which the Movement had sought to discourage among the membership as a whole.
The negative situation I have sought to describe, according to which the ANC, particularly as a governing party, allows itself to behave according to a rapacious value system of conscious abuse of state power for corrupt self-enrichment and permits itself to be influenced by a leadership informed by that value system, necessarily produces certain systemic consequences.
- virtual abandonment of the historic Pan-Africanist perspective of the ANC.
To emphasise how dangerous these inevitable outcomes are, I can well imagine how much those are now rejoicing who were the diehards who belong to the apartheid system and who never fully accepted that ours should become a non-racial democracy.
I have sought to suggest that the negative situation currently affecting and characterising the ANC will, unless it is addressed correctly and immediately, sooner rather than later result in the destruction of the ANC.
It would therefore seem that those who remain genuine members of the ANC, honestly committed to its historic value system centred on selfless service to the people, should take the necessary steps to change the self-destructive course on which the Movement has embarked, which, among others, has lost the ANC much support as demonstrated in the successive national, provincial and local government elections since 2009 to date.
As the first step these members of the ANC must genuinely accept that the Movement is immersed in a deep crisis and then proceed to characterise the source and nature of the problem, as Oliver Tambo did, which twice saved the ANC from destruction, understanding that without a correct diagnosis, there can be no effective and successful cure.
In this regard I believe that the ANC policy document, “Through the Eye of a Needle”, the ANC Oath which is in its Constitution, the values stated by A.B. Xuma and accepted and implemented by Oliver Tambo and the others since the 1940s, and the conduct of lifestyle audits would help to determine exactly who is a genuine member of the ANC.
I would also suggest that these members should conduct an open and honest assessment of the damage that has been done as the ANC allowed itself to fall under the influence of the rapacious value system and leadership I have mentioned, and decide on measures that must be taken to address this damage.
In this context the ANC members to whom I have referred must come back to the matter of redefining or restating the current strategic goals it faces, which I am certain would include the eradication of poverty, the eradication of inequality, the strengthening of the democratic state and African renewal.
Here I am not talking about drawing up some wish list and pretend that this is the kind of programme that is required.
I am talking about the setting of strategic goals and indicating the realistic measures which would be adopted to achieve the set objectives, following on the footsteps of what I said about OR uniting the Movement around agreed and clear goals.
I am making all these suggestions about what genuine members of the ANC should do out of respect for the fact that OR never merely sought to interpret our situation but always worked to change it.
As all of us have sought to celebrate the Centenary of his birth, we have shouted slogans such as – Long live the spirit of Oliver Tambo! Some among us, again out of respect for OR, have even gone so far as to claim that they know how he would respond to some specific current situation or event.
- reasserting in practical ways the principle and practice that we share a common destiny with our fellow Africans, including those in the African Diaspora.
I am convinced that if especially the generations currently in the ANC did all this, walking in the footsteps of Oliver Tambo, they help to achieve the historic goal of rescuing the ANC from destruction, as did Oliver Tambo in his day.
History will answer the question unequivocally whether we had the courage to live up to the extraordinary legacy which Oliver Tambo left behind! | 2019-04-19T06:25:30Z | http://politicsweb.co.za/documents/the-anc-has-become-wholly-corrupted--thabo-mbeki |
Methods and apparatuses for calibrating out static timing offsets across multiple outputs of a transmitting device are provided. In accordance with at least one embodiment, a signal is selected as the master reference signal, and a closed-loop feedback system is provided to align one or more outputs of the transmitting device to a master reference signal. The master reference signal can be one of the signals being output by the transmitting device, an internal signal that is representative of the desired placement of the edges, or an external signal received by the transmitting device. The signal from the transmitting device is received by a receiver, and a calibration control block is used to generate a control signal to adjust the operation of the transmitting device.
The invention relates generally to transmission of electrical signals using multiple outputs and more particularly to temporal alignment of signals across multiple outputs.
Output drivers in transmitting devices have edge placement inaccuracies due to static timing offsets and dynamic timing errors. Static timing offsets are caused, for example, by transistor mismatches, skew in the clock distribution tree, unequal parasitics, slew rate variation between pull-up and pull-down circuits, packaging differences, etc. Dynamic timing errors are caused, for example, by intersymbol interference (ISI), simultaneous switching output (SSO) noise, clock jitter, etc. Due to the above effects, transmitting devices with multiple outputs have pin-to-pin skew. This skew or misalignment in the outputs significantly contributes to the overall timing inaccuracy of a system utilizing the outputs and therefore reduces the maximum frequency at which the interconnection can operate. This pin-to-pin skew also limits the production yield of the transmitting device, as devices having excessive skew may be unacceptable for use. Thus, a method and apparatus for reducing the pin-to-pin skew is needed to allow increased performance, including operation at higher frequencies, and increased production yields.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram illustrating an apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3 is a detailed block diagram illustrating an apparatus providing a capability of separate calibration for positive transitions and negative transitions in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus configured to accommodate multiple outputs in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Methods and apparatuses for reducing static timing offsets across multiple outputs of a transmitting device are provided. In a preferred embodiment, the static timing offsets are minimized and differences between the static timing offsets are eliminated. In accordance with at least one embodiment, a signal is selected as the master reference signal, and a closed-loop feedback system is provided to align one or more outputs of the transmitting device to a master reference signal. The master reference signal can be one of the signals being output by the transmitting device, an internal signal that is representative of the desired placement of the edges, or an external signal received by the transmitting device. All or a plurality of the outputs may share a common master reference signal, or one or more outputs may have one or more different master reference signals.
The transmitting device is designed to have one or more receivers such that the signals being transmitted are simultaneously being received by the transmitting device. For example, if the transmitting device is coupled to a conductor intended for bi-directional operation (e.g., both transmission and reception), then the transmitting device is already provided with a receiver associated with each output. As another example, if the transmitting device is not already provided with a receiver associated with each outputs, such receivers can readily be added. The signal detected by the receiver is input to a circuit, such as a flip-flop, capable of detecting the phase of the detected signal relative to the master reference signal. In the example of a transmitting device coupled to a conductor intended for bi-directional operation, the phase-detecting circuit may be configured to selectively detect the phase of the detected signal relative to the master reference signal or to a receive clock signal.
The output of the flip-flop, over time, will provide a series of bits. If the transmitted signal, over time, includes an equal number of 1's and 0's and is aligned with the master reference signal, then the output of the flip-flop will contain an equal number of 1's and 0's. This phenomenon can occur, for example, because dynamic errors will cause the output to jitter around some nominal place. If the transmitted signal is systematically mis-aligned with the master reference, then the output of the flip-flop will have unequal numbers of 1's and 0's. The output of the flip-flop is low-pass filtered (using an up/down counter, for example) and then fed back to the output driver.
The output driver is designed such that this “error” signal from the low-pass filter will adjust some characteristic of the driver in order to minimize the error signal. The error signal may change the drive strength of the output driver, the slew rate of the output signal, a variable delay circuit in the path of the output signal, or some other similar mechanism.
If the output driver uses a push-pull arrangement, then the output of the flip-flop can be sent to one of the two low-pass filters depending on whether the edge is rising or falling. The output of the flip-flop associated with the rising edges can be used to adjust some characteristic of the pull-up circuit, and the output of the flip-flop associated with the falling edges can be used to adjust some characteristic of the pull-down circuit.
Since static timing offsets change slowly with respect to time, a transmitting device may be designed to periodically or intermittently go into an auto-calibration mode for a pre-determined period of time and provide calibration of the static timing offsets. Such an approach can be used to minimize power consumed to perform such calibration. As another example, calibration can be performed during normal operation, avoiding the need for dedicated calibration cycles or operations.
By providing reduction of pin-to-pin skew of a transmitting device, both the production yield and the maximum operating frequency of the transmitting device can be increased. By providing reduction of pin-to-pin skew with a minimal amount of additional circuitry, cost and complexity can be minimized.
As one example, at least one embodiment may be practiced with a receiver having multiple voltage thresholds and/or a voltage-based control signal may be used to control the operation of one or more output drivers. When the device is transmitting, the receivers are enabled so that the device may monitor its transmitted output. The receiver has two voltage thresholds, VIL and VIH. If the transmitted output is below VIL, it is recognized as a logic low state and if the transmitted output is above VIH, it is recognized as a logic high state. The outputs of the receivers are connected to flip-flops which are clocked by either a receive clock signal (used during normal receive operation) or the master reference signal (used during transmit operation).
In some cases, such as the case where the output driver is an open-drain buffer, it may be the case that it is easier to control the timing of the falling edges than the timing of the rising edges or the timing of the rising edges rather than the timing of the falling edges. For example, it is possible that the output driver has a static timing offset that makes it consistently late compared to the master reference. The output driver also has dynamic timing errors that make the falling edges jitter around a midpoint time. This jitter may be assumed to occur as a normal probability distribution centered on the midpoint time.
If the receiver were an idealized receiver having zero propagation delay and if the output were to be perfectly aligned with the master reference (on a static or relatively long-term basis), it would be at the center of its swing (between VIL and VIH) every time the receiver flip-flop samples the receiver output using the master reference as the clock. If the receiver has a finite propagation delay, then an amount of static timing offset equal to that propagation delay will be added to each output. Optionally, the timing of the master reference signal can be adjusted to reduce or eliminate this added static timing offset. The dynamic timing error will cause the transmitted output to jitter around its nominal position. Thus, an equal number of logic 1's (logic high states) and logic 0's (logic low states) will be detected by the receiver and the receive flip-flop. This stream of 1's and 0's, when passed through a low pass filter, can be used to produce a DC or low frequency voltage signal, which may be referred to as VMID, which may vary in response to the timing errors detected.
If the transmitted output was always late compared to the master reference signal due to static timing offsets, the receiver will detect more 1's than 0's on the edges of the master reference. Consequently, the output of the low pass filter will be more than VMID. If the transmitted output was always early compared to the master reference signal due to static timing offsets, the receive flip-flop would clock in more 0's than 1's, and the output of the low pass filter would be less than VMID.
The output of the low pass filter is a control signal that indicates the sign (early or late) and the magnitude of the static timing offset associated with an output driver compared to the master reference signal. This control signal can then be used to adjust the characteristics of the output driver such that a closed loop exists that acts to make the timing error represented by the control signal go to zero. As one example, the adjustment of the output driver may involve changing a variable delay between the transmit flip-flop and the output driver. As another example, the adjustment of the output driver may involve changing the slew rate of the output driver. As another example, the adjustment of the output driver may involve changing a drive strength (e.g., adding or subtracting current) of the output driver.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The apparatus comprises an output driver 101, a receiver 102, and a calibration control block 103. Data to be transmitted are provided to input 104 of output driver 101. Output driver 101 provides an output signal at output 105, which is coupled to conductor 106, which may, for example, be a wire or individual conductor of a bus, such as a bus that carries signals from the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 to a circuit located elsewhere that is intended to receive the signal transmitted by output driver 101. Input 107 of receiver 102 is coupled to conductor 106. Thus, while the signal transmitted by output driver 101 is intended for reception at a remote receiver of the circuit located elsewhere, and while receiver 102 is capable of and intended for receiving an incoming signal from a circuit located elsewhere, receiver 102 is nonetheless capable of receiving the signal transmitted by output driver 101.
Receiver 102 provides a received signal at output 108, which is coupled to input 109 of calibration control block 103. Calibration control block 103 receives a master reference signal at master reference input 151. Calibration control block 103 outputs a control signal at control output 110 to output driver 101.
By sampling the received signal with reference to the master reference signal, the calibration control block 103 can assess the temporal accuracy of the output signal generated by output driver 101 relative to the master reference signal. Based on such an assessment, the calibration control block 103 provides the control signal to output driver 101, causing output driver 101 to adjust its output signal to more closely conform to the optimal timing for the output signal.
FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram illustrating an apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The apparatus of FIG. 2 comprises transmit flip-flop 211, output driver 201, receiver 202, multiplexer 212, receive flip-flop 213, and low pass filter 214. Transmit flip-flop 211 receives an input signal from input 215. Transmit flip-flop 211 receives a transmit clock signal at transmit clock input 216 and uses it to clock data through to input 204, where it provides a transmit signal to output driver 201. Output driver 201 receives the transmit signal from input 204 and provides an output signal at output 205, which is coupled to conductor 206. Conductor 206 may, for example, be a wire or an individual conductor of a bus. An input 207 of receiver 202 is coupled to conductor 206 and receives the output signal from output driver 201. A reference voltage may be provided to receiver 202 at reference input 224 for receiver 202 to use in receiving the output signal.
Receiver 202 provides a received signal at output 217. Receive flip-flop 213 receives the received signal at output 217. Multiplexer 212 receives a receive clock signal at receive clock input 218 and a master reference signal at master reference input 219. A selection signal is applied to a selection input of multiplexer 212 to select among the receive clock signal and the master reference signal and to provide a selected clock signal at clock output 220. For example, the receive clock signal may be selected when receiver 202 is receiving a signal from an external output driver, such as an output driver of another circuit to which conductor 206 is connected, while the master reference signal may be selected when the receiver 202 is receiving an output signal from output driver 201.
Receive flip-flop 213 receives the selected clock signal and uses it to clock data through to its output 223, which is coupled to input 221 of optional transition detection circuit 224. Optional transition detection circuit 224 provides detection of transitions, such as rising edges (e.g., low-to-high transitions) or falling edges (e.g., high-to-low transitions), present at input 221. Optional transition detection circuit 224 also preferably includes an input 225 obtained from output 217. As an example, optional transition detection circuit may be implemented so as to compare logic levels at input 221 and/or input 225 to each other or to logic level references (e.g., a fixed high level logic reference and a fixed low level logic reference) to distinguish the types of transitions. While optional transition detection circuit 224 may be present in certain embodiments of the invention, it may be omitted from certain other embodiments, for example, if rising edges or falling edges can be uniquely identified and processed in another manner or if numbers of 1's and 0's occurring over time are known to be equal or close to equal. If optional transition detection circuit 224 is provided, it provides an output signal to input 226 of low pass filter 214. If not, low pass filter 214 may be provided with an input obtained, for example, from output 223. Low pass filter 214 provides a control signal to output driver 201 at control output 222. Low pass filter 214 need not be what is usually considered to be a low pass filter, but may be a device capable of averaging or integrating signals it receives or otherwise canceling out immediate variations to observe longer term trends. For example, low pass filter 214 may be implemented using a counter that is incremented for one binary value, such as a binary 1 value, and decremented for another binary value, such as a binary 0 value. The value of the counter can be used to generate the control signal provided to output driver 201.
The low pass filter may be implemented with other types of devices, for example, a device that outputs a signal, such as a voltage or current, that varies with a ratio of the numbers of samples received at input 221 having different values. Thus, when receive flip-flop 213 is being clocked using the master reference signal, if low pass filter 214 indicates an excessive relative number of binary 0 values, low pass filter 214 can adjust the control signal at control output 222 to adjust the output timing of output driver 201 to correct timing inaccuracies. Likewise, if low pass filter 214 indicates an excessive relative number of binary 1 values, low pass filter 214 can adjust the control signal at control output 222 to adjust the output timing of output driver 201 to correct timing inaccuracies.
As another example of an apparatus to accurately assess the timing of signals representing data having unequal numbers of different logic states (e.g., binary 0 values and binary 1 values) or ratios of numbers of different logic states that might skew their comparison in low pass filter 214, a comparison can be performed between samples of the received data clocked according to the master reference signal and a known specimen of the data being transmitted, which may, for example, be obtained from the transmit signal at input 204. As another example, such a known specimen of the data being transmitted may be obtained by providing another receive flip-flop clocked with the master reference signal while receive flip-flop 213 is clocked with the receive clock signal. In that case, low pass filter 214 can compare the outputs of the two receive flip-flops that are clocked differently so as determine whether transitions in the output signal on conductor 206 are occurring early or late with respect to the master reference signal. As yet another example, signals representing data having unequal numbers of different logic states or ratios of numbers of different logic states may be encoded using an encoding scheme, such as Manchester encoding, bipolar 8 zero substitution (B8ZS), high density bipolar 3 (HDB3), or zero code suppression (ZCS), to ensure the presence of a certain number of transitions regardless of the actual data represented by the signals. Alternatively, a high-transition-density pattern, for example, a test pattern in addition to the data intended to be transmitted, may be explicitly transmitted to facilitate timing offset calibration. Such a test pattern may be transmitted as part of an initialization routine before the data intended to be transmitted is transmitted or may be transmitted occasionally between transmissions of the data intended to be transmitted.
To prevent misidentification of signals representing data having unequal numbers of different logic states or ratios of numbers of different logic states with systematic temporal misalignment of those signals with a master reference signal, low pass filter 214 can be provided with indications of occurrences of rising edges and falling edges. For example, inputs and outputs of a transmit flip-flop or a receive flip-flop may be compared (e.g., using an AND gate with an inverter on one of its inputs or other combinational logic) to detect the occurrence of a rising edge or falling edge and provide such an indication. Alternatively, an analog circuit, such as differentiator circuit, may be used to identify such transitions and provide such an indication.
FIG. 3 is a detailed block diagram illustrating an apparatus providing a capability of separate calibration for positive transitions and negative transitions in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. For example, such an apparatus is useful for independently adjust the pull-up section and the pull-down section of an output buffer that uses a push-pull (or totem-pole) arrangement and may also minimize static timing offsets due to the mismatches in the p-channel metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) and n-channel metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) transistors in the output driver. The apparatus of FIG. 3 comprises transmit flip-flop 311, output driver 301, receiver 302, multiplexer 312, receive flip-flop 313, selection logic 335, demultiplexer 336, low pass filter 329, and low pass filter 330. Transmit flip-flop 311 receives an input signal from input 315. Transmit flip-flop 311 receives a transmit clock signal at transmit clock input 316 and uses it to clock data through to input 304, where it provides a transmit signal to output driver 301. Output driver 301 receives the transmit signal from input 304 and provides an output signal at output 305, which is coupled to conductor 306. Conductor 306 may, for example, be a wire or an individual conductor of a bus. An input 307 of receiver 302 is coupled to conductor 306 and receives the output signal from output driver 301. A reference voltage may be provided to receiver 302 at reference input 324 for receiver 302 to use in receiving the output signal.
Receiver 302 provides a received signal at output 317. Receive flip-flop 313 receives the received signal at output 317. Multiplexer 312 receives a receive clock signal at receive clock input 318 and a master reference signal at master reference input 319. A selection signal is applied to a selection input of multiplexer 312 to select among the receive clock signal and the master reference signal and to provide a selected clock signal at clock output 320. For example, the receive clock signal may be selected when receiver 302 is receiving a signal from an external output driver, such as an output driver of another circuit to which conductor 306 is connected, while the master reference signal may be selected when the receiver 302 is receiving an output signal from output driver 301.
Receive flip-flop 313 receives the selected clock signal and uses it to clock data through to its output 325, which is coupled to demultiplexer 336. Input 315 is coupled to input 333 of selection logic 335. Input 304 is coupled to input 334 of selection logic 335. Thus, selection logic 335 is preferably aware of the current bit transmitted and the next bit to be transmitted. Based on these inputs, selection logic 335 is able to determine if a rising edge or a falling edge will be transmitted in the next bit time. Selection logic 335 provides a selection signal to demultiplexer 336 via selection input 326. This selection signal may, for example, indicate whether a rising edge or a falling edge will be present in the transmitted signal. Based on the selection signal, demultiplexer 336 provides an output to input 327 of low pass filter 329 or input 328 of low pass filter 330. If selection logic 335 detects that the current bit transmitted and the next bit to be transmitted are of the same logic level, it can disable the output of demultiplexer 336. This feature can be used to ensure that only transitions are used to measure and calibrate the static timing offsets. Thus, low pass filters 329 and 330 can be used to separately provide correction for different types of timing inaccuracies.
For example, low pass filter 329 can be used to provide correction for timing inaccuracies relating to rising edges, while low pass filter 330 can be used to provide correction for timing inaccuracies relating to falling edges. Low pass filter 329 provides a control signal to output driver 301 at control output 331. Low pass filter 330 provides a control signal to output driver 301 at control output 332. Thus, low pass filters 329 and 330 can adjust the control signals at control outputs 331 and 332 to adjust the output timing of output driver 301 to correct timing inaccuracies for rising edges and falling edges, respectively. The control output of the low pass filter associated with rising edges is used to adjust some characteristic of the pull-up section of the output driver. The control output of the low pass filter associated with falling edges is used to adjust some characteristic of the pull-down section of the output driver. Thus, timing inaccuracies that affect rising and falling edges differently, for example, timing inaccuracies arising from differences in the properties of NMOS and PMOS transistors, can be corrected.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus configured to accommodate multiple outputs in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The apparatus of FIG. 4 comprises output drivers 401, 411, 421, and 431, receivers 402, 412, 422, and 432, and calibration control blocks 403, 413, 423, and 433. Output drivers 401, 411, 421, and 431, receive data to be transmitted at inputs 404, 414, 424, and 434 to produce output signals at outputs 405, 415, 425, 435, respectively. Outputs 405, 415, 425, and 435 are coupled to conductors 406, 416, 426, and 436, respectively. Conductors 406, 416, 426, and 436 are coupled to inputs 417, 427, 437, and 447 of receivers 402, 412, 422, and 432, respectively. Receivers 402, 412, 422, and 432 produce outputs 408, 418, 428, and 438, which are coupled to inputs 409, 419, 429, and 439 of calibration control blocks 403, 413, 423, and 433, respectively. Each of calibration control blocks 403, 413, 423, and 433 receives a master reference signal at master reference input 451. In a preferred embodiment, master reference input 451 is configured such that the times of arrival of a single master reference signal at each of calibration control blocks 403, 413, 423, and 433 are closely aligned. Calibration control blocks 403, 413, 423, and 433 provide control signals to output drivers 401, 411, 421, and 431 via control outputs 410, 420, 430, and 440, respectively.
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The method begins in step 501, where a first output signal having a first transition is generated. Step 501 may include step 502. In step 502, the first output signal is sampled at a nominal transition time. From step 501, the method continues in step 503.
In step 503, a second output signal having a second transition is generated. Step 503 may include step 504. In step 504, the second output signal is sampled at a nominal transition time. From step 504, the method continues in step 505. In step 505, a first temporal relationship of the first transition to the nominal transition time is determined. From step 505, the method continues in step 506. In step 506, a second temporal relationship of the second transition to the nominal transition time is determined. From step 506, the method continues in step 507.
In step 507, temporal noise indicative of receiver uncertainty is filtered to obtain an adjustment indication. Step 507 may include steps 508 and 509. In step 508, temporal noise relating to the first output signal is filtered. In step 509, temporal noise relating to the second output signal is filtered. From step 507, the method continues in step 510. In step 510, a first parameter is adjusted such that a first subsequent transition of the first output signal occurs in closer temporal proximity to a subsequent nominal transition time. Step 510 may include step 511. In step 511, the first parameter is adjusted as a function of the adjustment indication. From step 511, the method continues at step 512. In step 512, a second parameter is adjusted such that a second subsequent transition of the second output signal occurs in closer temporal proximity to the subsequent nominal transition time. Step 512 may include step 513. In step 513, the second parameter is adjusted as a function of the adjustment indication.
FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The method begins in step 601. In step 601, a first output signal having a first transition is generated. Step 601 may include step 602. In step 602, the first output signal having a first positive transition and a first negative transition is generated. From step 602, the method continues in step 603.
In step 603, a first temporal relationship of the first transition to a nominal transition time is determined. Step 603 may include steps 604 and 605. In step 604, a first positive transition temporal relationship of the first positive transition to a first nominal positive transition time is determined. In step 605, a first negative transition temporal relationship of the first negative transition to a first nominal negative transition time is determined.
From step 603, the method continues in step 606. In step 606, a first parameter is adjusted such that a first subsequent transition of the first output signal occurs in closer temporal proximity to a subsequent nominal transition time. Step 606 may include steps 607 and 608. In step 607, a first positive transition parameter is adjusted such that a first subsequent positive transition of the first output signal occurs in closer temporal proximity to a first subsequent nominal positive transition time. In step 608, a first negative transition parameter is adjusted such that a first subsequent negative transition of the first output signal occurs in closer temporal proximity to a first subsequent nominal negative transition time.
The term “closer” as used above refers to temporal proximity as compared with the temporal relationships previously determined. For example, in step 606, the first subsequent transition of the first output signal occurs in closer temporal proximity to the subsequent nominal transition time than the first temporal relationship of the first transition to the nominal transition time of step 603.
By calibrating out only the static timing offsets, the calibration need not be adjusted for every transmit operation. Rather, the calibration method may be performed or the calibration apparatus enabled intermittently or periodically for brief periods of time in order to calibrate out static timing offsets that may change, for example, with process, voltage, and temperature. As another example, the method or apparatus may perform the calibration only once during a power-up or reboot initialization sequence. As yet another example, the method or apparatus may perform the calibration on a regular or continuous basis during operation.
Various embodiments of the present invention may be applied to a variety of systems wherein data are transmitted from one device to another device. For example, memory systems communicate data between memory devices and a device connected to the memory devices, such as a memory controller. Embodiments of the invention may be practiced within either or both of the memory devices and the memory controller. As another example, other integrated circuits often communicate data with each other. To illustrate this, a central processing unit (CPU) typically has a bus, such as a front-side bus, to communicate with other integrated circuits. Embodiments of the invention may be practiced within a CPU or within other integrated circuits. As yet another example, network interface circuits, such as ethernet circuits often communicate data in a manner to which embodiments of the present invention may be applied. As a further example, a very high-speed serializer-deserializer (serdes) could benefit from the application of embodiments of the present invention.
While certain aspects described above have been expressed in terms of particular semiconductor technologies, such as NMOS or PMOS, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to specific semiconductor technologies, but may be practiced with any type of semiconductor technology, for example, complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, bipolar semiconductor technology, or other semiconductor technologies.
Accordingly, a method and apparatus for calibrating static timing offsets across multiple outputs has been described. It should be understood that the implementation of other variations and modifications of the invention in its various aspects will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and that the invention is not limited by the specific embodiments described. It is therefore contemplated to cover by the present invention, any and all modifications, variations, or equivalents that fall within the spirit and scope of the basic underlying principles disclosed and claimed herein.
wherein the steps of adjusting the first parameter and adjusting the second parameter reduce a temporal skew between the first subsequent transition of the first output signal and the second subsequent transition of the second output signal.
filtering temporal noise indicative of receiver uncertainty to obtain an adjustment indication.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of adjusting a first parameter is performed as a function of the adjustment indication.
adjusting a first negative transition parameter such that a first subsequent negative transition of the first output signal occurs in closer temporal proximity to a first subsequent reference negative transition time.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a first temporal relationship of the first transition to a reference transition time comprises determining a time difference between the first transition and the reference transition time.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting a first parameter such that a first subsequent transition of the first output signal occurs in closer temporal proximity to a subsequent reference transition time comprises adjusting the first parameter such that the first subsequent transition of the first output signal occurs closer in time to a subsequent reference transition time.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first parameter comprises a variable delay between a transmit flip-flop and an output driver.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first parameter comprises a slew rate of an output driver.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first parameter comprises a drive strength of an output driver.
a second calibration control block coupled to the second receiver and to the second output driver, the second calibration control block for determining a second temporal relationship of the second transition to the nominal transition time and for providing a second adjustment signal to adjust a second timing offset of the second output driver based on the second temporal relationship.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the first calibration control block and the second calibration control block adjust the first timing offset and the second timing offset, respectively, so as to reduce a temporal skew between subsequent transitions of the first output signal and the second output signal.
a sampling circuit for sampling the first signal at the nominal transition time.
a filtering circuit for filtering temporal noise indicative of sampling uncertainty of the sampling circuit.
a first negative transition filtering circuit for filtering negative transition temporal noise indicative of the sampling uncertainty of the sampling circuit related to sampling of negative transitions.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the first adjustment signal is a first positive transition adjustment signal to adjust a first positive transition timing offset of the first output driver and the first calibration control block further provides a first negative transition adjustment signal to adjust a first negative transition timing offset of the first output driver.
16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the nominal transition time comprises a reference transition time.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first calibration control block determines a first temporal relationship of the first transition to a nominal transition time by determining a time difference between the first transition and the reference transition time.
18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first adjustment signal is provided to adjust a variable delay between a transmit flip-flop and the first output driver.
19. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first adjustment signal is provided to adjust a slew rate of the first output driver.
20. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first adjustment signal is provided to adjust a drive strength of the first output driver.
adjusting a first parameter associated with generating the first output signal, based at least in part upon the first temporal relationship, such that a first subsequent transition of the first output signal occurs in closer temporal proximity to a subsequent reference transition time.
adjusting a second parameter, based at least in part upon the second temporal relationship, such that a second subsequent transition of the second output signal occurs in closer temporal proximity to the subsequent reference transition time.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein the steps of adjusting the first parameter and adjusting the second parameter reduce a temporal skew between the first subsequent transition of the first output signal and the second subsequent transition of the second output signal.
24. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of adjusting a first parameter is performed as a function of the adjustment indication.
26. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of determining a first temporal relationship of the first transition to a reference transition time comprises determining a time difference between the first transition and the reference transition time.
27. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of adjusting a first parameter such that a first subsequent transition of the first output signal occurs in closer temporal proximity to a subsequent reference transition time comprises adjusting the first parameter such that the first subsequent transition of the first output signal occurs closer in time to a subsequent reference transition time.
28. The method of claim 21, wherein the first parameter comprises a variable delay between a transmit flip-flop and an output driver.
29. The method of claim 21, wherein the first parameter comprises a slew rate of an output driver.
30. The method of claim 21, wherein the first parameter comprises a drive strength of an output driver.
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I should take a moment to nod to Plato and Socrates. To understand where Lewis was trying to take us with his argument from desire -- we long for perfect justice, thus there must be perfect justice somewhere, though perhaps not in this life -- we need to understand something Socrates said in Apologia when he was on trial for his life. He told a story of a man who had been chained in a cave so that he could only see one wall of the cave. There were many prisoners like him. There was a powerful fire behind them, and their captor would sometimes carry shapes past the fire. The prisoners would point to the shadows and say to each other, "Oh, look: A tree. A dog. A house." and so forth. They thought that these shadows were really trees and dogs and houses.
The man somehow escaped his chains and ran out of the cave, where he saw for the first time real trees, real dogs, real houses. He was re-captured, and put back among the prisoners. He tried to explain to them that the things they saw were merely shadows, and that there were real things in the real world. So the prisoners fell on him and tore him apart with their own hands.
This is Plato's "Myth of the Cave" and belief in a more real world outside this one is called "Platonism." Lewis was of a school of thought called "Neo-Platonism," which believes that there is a more real world outside us, and it is where God is.
GP: If God exists, then life has an objective meaning.
GP: If life has meaning, then God exists.
C: Life has no meaning.
C: Therefore God does not exist.
A = A. X = X. 0 = 0.
Another digression here: Please excuse the break in the narrative.
Tolstoy, in _My Confession_, Ch. V., wrote: My question - that which at the age of fifty brought me to the verge of suicide - was the simplest of questions, lying in the soul of every man from the foolish child to the wisest elder: it was a question without an answer to which one cannot live, as I had found by experience. It was: "What will come of what I am doing today or shall do tomorrow? What will come of my whole life?"
Differently expressed, the question is: "Why should I live, why wish for anything, or do anything?" It can also be expressed thus: "Is there any meaning in my life that the inevitable death awaiting me does not destroy?"
Tolstoy also talks of waking up in the middle of the night to ask himself, "Is there something you are supposed to be doing (or to accomplish) in this life? If so, what?"
These things, that Tolstoy kept being asked in his internal dialog, are collectively the Question of the Meaning of Life. In science, if we wish to follow the Scientific method, the first step is to define the question. This is the question: "Why am I here? What is the point of my being here? What, if anything, am I expected to accomplish?"
Tolstoy, continuing, wrote: To this one question, variously expressed, I sought an answer in science. And I found that in relation to that question all human knowledge is divided as it were into two opposite hemispheres at the ends of which are two poles: the one a negative and the other a positive; but that neither at the one nor the other pole is there an answer to life's questions.
The one series of sciences seems not to recognize the question, but replies clearly and exactly to its own independent questions: that is the series of experimental sciences, and at the extreme end of it stands mathematics. The other series of sciences recognizes the question, but does not answer it; that is the series of abstract sciences, and at the extreme end of it stands metaphysics.
"Sciences" here includes the hard sciences at one end of his scale, and the "soft" sciences, such as psychology, sociology, and anthropology, at the other end. Neither end has an answer to the Question of the Meaning of Life.
I am nowhere near as smart as Tolstoy. I am fortunate that translators are merciful when conveying his meanings in English. I tried once to translate this book from the French version that his daughter translated from Russian, but I came to grief long before I reached this point.
Still, somehow, by some means, not yet having read Tolstoy's confession, I came to the same conclusion: That the science I learned in Nuke school was harmless as kittens to the Theology that I learned in Sunday School, and vice versa. I can't claim any great credit in reaching this conclusion; and I found it rather frustrating. I could focus my logic to tear apart a sales pitch without hardly blinking an eye. I could explain why you can't have a perpetual motion machine even before my morning coffee. But I could not place a scratch on the indoctrination of my youth. Words and truths taught to me by people who barely knew more than I did, and then only because they were holding the answer book in front of them, were impregnable against the might of my mind.
It sounds boastful to say "The might of my mind." I was not Tolstoy. I was no chess grandmaster. I was not close to Richard Feynman. But I had a strong mind and I worked it to make it stronger, and I was frustrated by an immovable object. In terms of physical strength, as an analogy: If mental strength were physical strength, I would not be able to go 12 rounds with a prizefighter. But on the hand, if we were in a bar and I told you to get out, you'd put down your drink and leave. Again, not to boast, merely to tell you what I'm working with here.
One part of my mental workout regimen was a game called "There is No Australia." I would attempt to prove to my long-suffering shipmates that there was no such place as Australia using various clever arguments, and defying them to argue me out of my position by using logic and reason. I never once lost. This game originally arose as a joke, when we had twice gone on a voyage in which we were supposed to stop in Perth, and each time circumstances diverted us. So we started to think that there was no such place as Australia. To this day, I find it useful as a tool to demonstrate principles of logic and of faith.
I can tell you some of the books I read at that time, but not all of them. I remember reading a few passages from the Koran. Richard Carrier, in one of the passages SEG quoted at me, mentioned finding a Taoist text that made perfect sense to him in a way that the Bible never did. I had the opposite experience with reading passages from the Koran. They were meaningless pseudo-religious babbling. Granted, I did not read those passages in the Original Arabic, but what I read was without the form or structure that I have spoken of in the Bible. I found nothing of substance, no grist for the mill. Since then I've studied more about the Koran, and I have come to the conclusion that as a source of truth, it's no better than the local car trader magazine. But that's another story.
I don't remember all of who or what I read. I know that it was much later in my life when a friend challenged me to read _Why I Am Not A Christian_ by Bertrand Russell. Frankly, don't waste your time on it; for a man who was so logical in everything else to be so sloppy when thinking about religion is utterly appalling. As a challenge, please explain his fig tree argument to me in a syllogism. Anyone. Please.
I do remember that I tried to cheat by finding arguments that other people had against God. In those days we didn't have the internet, so I had to go to the San Diego Public Library and find books in bookstores. I found in general that even cheating didn't help. Atheists I found were merely angry against God, like the atheists of whom Chesterton wrote in _Orthodoxy_. They were spoiled Christians, neither close enough to see the function of Christianity nor far enough from it to see it's design and beauty. I had not read Orthodoxy at that time; reading it later was another confirmation that I had made the right choice, as was reading Russell many years later. But I could not find any atheists who had grist for my mill; logical arguments for me to use in my attempt to break down the indoctrination of my youth.
So I remembered a rhetorical technique that one of my brothers used to use against me. When we argued, he would simply ask me a few questions to keep me on the defensive, explaining and explaining and explaining until finally I would say something -- usually quite peripheral and mostly unrelated to the original dispute -- that he could leap onto and hammer me with. In retrospect, it was good training; I've gotten quite good at defending ideas. But I resolved to do this with religion: I would read Christian writers until I found a problem with what they wrote.
Now, those of you who have been down this road will laugh at me. Earlier I tried to dissolve my religion in science, and now I was going to pick my religion apart until I found some piece that could be dissolved in science. But science did not change: It still was not a suitable solvent, no matter what I tried to make of the solute. I read writers like my old friend "Jack," that is, C.S. Lewis. Like Tolstoy, or even Russell, he was a mental giant compared to me. In a mental prize fight, I could make hash of an average man, but Jack could make applesauce out of me.
I read _Mere Christianity_ again. And it still made sense. I read _God in the Dock_ where Lewis put God on trial and brought charges against him -- and I could not fault him even once in bringing the charges to naught. If you think I was too soft on Old Jack, have a go at it yourself. Read _God in the Dock_ and tell me where he went wrong. Please, tell me. I read _Surprised by Joy; The Shape of my Early Life._ You'll never read a more frank and honest biography. In that book, Lewis gives his story, from his childhood and education to the day he abandoned the CoE and became an atheist, his reasoning and his relief at having no God to judge him. He reasoned, and please take note of this, that Hamlet can never speak to Shakespeare because they live in different worlds. Different universes, even. From this he concluded that he could never speak to God, nor God to Him; God was as fictional to Lewis as Hamlet.
In such a state of mind he went to war, near the end of WW1, and returned to Oxford, where he lectured on medieval literature. There he met J.R.R. Tolkein, of _Hobbit_ fame, and his son, Christopher. Both of them were Roman Catholics, but Lewis did not hold that against them. Still, he found himself surrounded by Christians, such as Owen Barfield and Walter Hooper. In time, he saw a problem with his prior reasoning about Hamlet: It might actually be possible for Hamlet to speak to Shakespeare, so long as it was Shakespeare's doing. That is, Shakespeare could write himself into the story of Hamlet as a Character, and then he and Hamlet might converse on a level basis.
That thought shook him. It smacked of the Incarnation. It made him fear that perhaps God might actually be out there, stalking him. People suggested to him that such thoughts were merely "Wish-Fulfillment" fantasies; a pop-psych term in vogue in those days. Lewis would stare down such people and ask them, "Why should a mouse wish for a cat?"
1. What color are the inward parts of a man?
(Answer: There is no color where there is no light).
2. By what infallible rule may a copy be distinguished from an original?
3. A man and his enemy ride the same train to the man's home. Neither can escape the other, nor go faster nor slower. There is a bridge the train must cross. The man's wife sends word to him: Shall she tear down the bridge, that the enemy may not cross, or shall she leave the bridge, that the man may cross. What should he say?
Lewis then finds himself in the house of Wisdom, and the remainder of the book, until the climax, involves his investigations of various schools of thought, seeking one that will save him from religion. In the end, the only way to reach the place he desires to be is through the church.
And again, I could find no fault in him. Okay, he was hung up on arguing against some of the ideas prevalent in his day, which are now obsolete and outdated, but his logic was sound. I was not finding a toehold to tear down his logic.
There were smart people on both sides of the aisle, but the Christians were scoring all the points, while the atheists were merely mocking and making faces. I was starting to see a preponderance of evidence in one direction.
4. I think I reasoned out God, but really just confirmed all my biases while deceiving myself.
So at this point, I think we can decide whether the predictions are correct. The things speaks for itself.
1. I was indeed well and thoroughly indoctrinated. But I think that the charge of confirmation bias and of blind assumptions -- Kripkean Dogmatism -- fail utterly. Indeed, if I were merely blindly asserting my belief in defiance of all logic, what would be the point in my having taught you logic? Why would I carefully show you all the tools of reason if my reason were but blind assumptions?
And I have laid bare the path that down which my reason took me. You see above what I read and what I gleaned from that reading. Now there may be some who can find flaws in my thoughts, and I would welcome those. But no one can allege that I did not expend the full power and force of my intellect in pursuit of the raw and unvarnished truth about God.
So Charge 1 fails. Wrong.
Charge 2, sorry, simply wrong.
Charge 3, well, I've been a sinner, and I still am -- Romans 3:10 and 3:23 you know. But it wasn't some moral crisis that brought me back into the fold. Wrong.
Charge 4... Well, I do think I reasoned out God. I think that the path I've explained above is a clear, reasonable and logical progression to the point where I found myself at that time. I can honestly say that I did not deceive myself. So, again, wrong.
The story will continue. There's more to say. But I think we can dispense with the charges that SEG pre-supposed as how I came to be the Christian I am today.
I tell you, and I think you can see, that I am a smart man. And further, I have invested the full force and power of my not-inconsiderable intellect against this problem. From time to time, SEG suggests that I am a gullible fool. I think that we can dispense with that idea as well. You have seen that I consider ideas carefully, and do not blindly accept all that I am told. And you see how my mind works.
So some of you will be left with a conundrum. Here is a smart man, who reasons well (perhaps I flatter myself) and yet he believes in the Christian God. He's not a gullible fool; he seems to be guided by reason. So perhaps the Christian God is a reasonable inference.
You can escape the point.
Perhaps I'm not so smart after all.
Perhaps I'm lying about reading those books, and you should read them yourself to find where I'm bluffing.
Perhaps I'm lying about how logic works.
Perhaps I'm a figment of your fevered imagination.
But suppose you were to take those principles that I set for myself in the early posts -- That a man is obligated to believe what is true, and that a man should not discard an idea until he can tell where it went wrong. Can you find a place where my reason went wrong? Where I'm lying, thinking poorly, being illogical?
Don't kneejerk here and say "Oh God of the Gaps, and you're Assuming God, Begs the Question!" Really, none of those apply. I've told you how I got to the main point of the crisis, so IF you can legitimately, logically, show a place where my reason failed, then by all means, say so.
To finish on Lewis: He eventually made the concession that he should become a Deist. It was reluctant, begrudging, and against his will, but it was where his logic led him. Later, during a motorcycle ride, he got into a sidecar as a deist and got out convinced that Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead. Exactly where and how that happened, he could not say. I urge you to read anything that he wrote. You won't be disappointed.
With those three steps, I hope to have completed a sufficiently thorough testimony, and I shall turn the matter over to the judges.
So where did Lewis and other writers leave me?
I had this one proposition that I could not dispose of, namely, that the religion of my youth was in fact true and correct. Now, I was willing to grant a small degree of severability, based on the fact that I knew the faith and the Bible not to be monoliths. Otherwise, I could simply have scanned until I found a misplaced semi-colon and blown the whistle -- "Look! A semi-colon that should be a colon! Foul!" -- but I was looking for a reasonable inference, and not an excuse to dismiss. An example of this would be in, for example, Genesis 41:49, in which Joseph gathered corn. Corn was not known in Egypt ca. 2000 BC/BCE, thus Joseph could not gather corn.
But Corn is the term used here by the KJV translators of 1611, who knew corn. They should have said "wheat," and elsewhere in the Bible Strong's word H1250 is translated as "Wheat." So while that would seem to be a contradiction, it was not. I was willing to sever errors like that in translation, and still retain the intended meanings. And I believe that this is the reasonable approach, whether we are interpreting ancient texts on the Sunday newspaper.
That proposition --the religion of my youth -- had a certain amount of support, in that there were some very smart writers, such as Lewis, who endorsed it. I could have called Lewis a gullible old fool and thrown out his writings, but honestly, the man was extremely smart, extremely well-read, and extremely logical. It would have been pretty horribly arrogant of me to say that I, a fool on a ship, knew more than the careful reasoning of an Oxford Lecturer and later Cambridge Don -- First Chair of the Cambridge Department of Medieval and Renaissance literature. On the other side of the aisle, however, were very smart men like Bertrand Russell.
But in Russell I found nothing but scoffing and ridicule, and formed a new personal rule: Ridicule is not refutation.
Sign A: Only this sign is true.
Sign B: Both signs are true.
To use the Reductio here to disprove sign B, we would say, "Suppose Ad Argumentum (for the sake of the argument) that Sign B is true. Then that would mean that sign A is also true. But sign A implicitly states that sign B is false. Thus if sign B is true, then it is also false; this is a contradiction, also called an absurdity; therefore sign B is false."
Thus, merely being able to scoff at a thing, or to say that it is silly, is insufficient to prove it wrong. Thus Bertrand Russell, boiled down, really said nothing of relevance.
I hadn't yet read Tolstoy's Confession, only his War and Peace. But I had to agree with him that if Life had meaning, it came from outside. Solomon and Kafka had convinced me that there was no meaning to be found from within this life, and watching Camus struggle with the same question, and having no better explanation for why Mersault shot the Arab five times than to simply say, "C'etait chaud..." Well, if life had meaning, it came from somewhere outside this life.
GP: If life has meaning, then it comes from outside of this life.
I did, and I do, believe that life has an objective meaning. I think that most people believe this, though few can say why. It just seems like there's more to this life than what we see. If there's no objective meaning, then there's no justice; It's just a word we use to fight for more of what we want. If there's no objective meaning then there's no love; it's just a word we use for how we get what we want from other people, using them to trigger our chemical release of endorphins.
Lewis remarked on this in Mere Christianity. He says, "Mankind is the only species afraid of the bones of its own kind." I have had avowed atheists tell me in one breath that there is nothing spiritual and nothing numinous, then in the next breath tell me of their encounter with a ghost. I've had an atheist tell me that he embraced Taoism, and then quickly retreat: Not all the spiritual taproot and yin/yang business, you understand, but only the philosophical aspects. This would be like someone saying that they embraced Christianity, but only the moral teachings, you know, like Jefferson -- If you've read the New Testament, you know what mental gymnastics Jefferson had to undertake to subtract the spiritual teachings from the moral.
So if there is nothing numinous, nothing objective, nothing spiritual, why do we feel that there should be? Lewis compared this to a fish realizing that it was wet. How would a fish know that it was wet unless it also realized that somewhere there is a place where things are dry? And from this Lewis argued for his NeoPlatonist views, which we talked about above.
I was not ready to plunge back into Christianity just because Lewis did. I did find that I had to concede that there was something to this religion thing, because how else would a fish know that he was wet? Why else would men fear the bones of other men? Why else would we find graveyards a bit spooky, or even have a word that means spooky?
So I began to examine religions.
If all religions are the same, then the Amish who live in peace with God, man, and nature, who will not lift a punitive finger against their livestock, are on the same level of spiritual integrity as the Mayans, who ripped the beating hearts of their enemies from their chests. That is an absurdity; a contradiction in terms. Now, there is one way that "All religions can be the same" and that is if they are all false. Then their incompatibilities are meaningless. But if we say that, then we need not mention religion at all: It reduces to atheism.
Since the question under examination is: "If, ad absurdum, a religion is correct, which one is it?" to say "None" was a solution of exclusion; that is, only when all had been examined could that be the answer.
And this did give me an out, logically speaking. If I could assert that no religion was correct, then I had a bar against Lewis' assertion that mankind is afraid of the bones of his own kind. I could claim a draw, or a stalemate, and retreat with honor from the field, having not won but also having not lost. So I examined religions.
GP: If there is a god, then he has been worshiped from ancient times until today.
SP: Many ancient religions have fallen into abeyance.
C: Thus they are wrong.
Now, you can attack the GP here, but the method is solid, and no terms is ambiguous. So I remain confident of this syllogism.
The gods of Egypt, of Greece, of Rome, of Norway, of Syrio-Phoenicia and Carthage (THANK GOD!) all fell by the wayside.
Pantheistic religions, Abrahamic religions, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shinto.
1. Only this religion (x) is true.
2. Both this religion (y) and the one above is true.
Any religion with an exclusivity clause can be placed in the first premise as "x;" any religion that embraces another can be placed in the second as "y;" and we will find ourselves in the same place we were when we talked about Reduction to absurdity, above.
Christianity is exclusive: John 14:6 tells us, in pertinent part, "... No man comes to the Father but by me."
Judaism is exclusive: Isaiah 43:10 tells us, in pertinent part, "... Before Me there was no God formed, / And there will be none after Me."
Islam is exclusive: The Salaat tells us "There is no god but allah, and Muhammad is his prophet."
Shinto tells us that you may be Shinto and another religion, such as Christian.
Hare Krshna tells us that you may use "Christ Consciousness" to achieve "nirvana."
Hinduism and Buddhism teach that what you actually call your religion is not important, so long as it follows the eight-fold path.
To my knowledge, Confucianism and Taoism say nothing with respect to exclusivity.
So pantheism is eliminated, and with it Shinto.
Earlier, I had accepted as a general premise that the meaning of life comes from without this life.
Confucianism and Taoism both involve the acceptance of this life and the flow of energy. They do not acknowledge an external meaning, nor a personal God. In what may be called a pun, I asked myself, "If life has meaning, doesn't that imply that there is someone who means it?" My point here is like that of Socrates, when he answered the charge that he was an atheist: "Can a man believe in horsemanship and not believe in horses?"
I posited that the Confucian and Taoist faiths were like believing in horsemanship without believing in horses, and because of that contradiction, I excluded them.
I was left with the Abrahamic religions.
But there was a second screen in my second sieve. Islam was clear in its exclusivity, and yet, Islam acknowledges Issa (Jesus) and calls him a great prophet. It states that he was the greatest of men, born from a virgin (in the narrowest sense), prophesied while still in the womb, and gave life to clay doves. No one else in Islam is attributed with such qualities; not even Mohammad himself.
C: Religion y, Islam, is false.
But even if we reject that reduction to absurdity, we are faced with another paradox: Islam states that Jesus (Issa) was a prophet and a great man, but merely human. The very big problem with that is this: Jesus was not a great human. Chesterton makes this clear in The Everlasting Man, Lewis in Mere Christianity, and finally McDowell summarizes it in More than a Carpenter. Either Jesus was the most evil of humans, or else He was God incarnate. You can't have it both ways.
So I was left with Judaism and Christianity. Like I would later find in G.K.Chesterton, I was the navigation impaired explorer who traveled thousands of miles, planted a flag on a beach to claim it for God and King, and then discovered that it was Brighton Beach, and that I was not the first, but merely the last to set foot there.
I can explain easily why I rejected Judaism, and why I did so gently.
Christianity is the fulfillment of Judaism. The Maschiah, Coming King, Suffering Servant, Son of Man, Son of God, Son of David, Priest after the Order of Melchizedek -- I already knew Him. I had met Him in my earliest childhood, and had played on the grounds of His house. I had eaten his bread and drank his wine, just like Abraham before me.
The entire book of Hebrews discusses this idea, so I will not confound the words of Barnabas by filtering them through my own keyboard. Suffice it to say that I had come full circle.
Now, I might have rejected the New Testament at this point, but I had already done studies, years before, on the reliability of the scriptures. I had nowhere to run. I was faced by Jesus of Nazareth saying "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life," and "Truly I tell you, before Abraham was, I am" and admitting to the sanhedrin, when forced to speak against the charge, that "As thou sayest, and truly I tell you, that you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the father." I knew what he had done when Peter had called him the Christ, the Son of the Living God. He did not tear his clothes, as blasphemy required; He instead praised Peter, for flesh and blood did not reveal this to him. When Thomas fell to his knees and cried out, "My Lord and My God!" Jesus accepted this title also, and received his worship. When Pilate asked, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "It is as you say, but my Kingdom is not of this world."
Lewis makes it clear in _Mere Christianity_ that there are three things we can believe: That He was a cruel and evil demoniac, That he was as insane as a man who thinks he is a poached egg, or that He was the Son of God.
The first two were excluded for me. I had read the writings of the Wise King. I understood how the eye is the window of the soul, and how by worry a man cannot add one hair to his head. These were not the sayings of a demoniac nor a lunatic.
And so I knelt one night in a dark room near the Fo'c's'l of the ship -- the transverse room just abaft frame 54, if you're familiar with Knox-class. There I recommitted my life to Jesus, the only begotten son of God, who is Lord of All, and has come to Earth in the flesh.
That was the end of my intellectual struggle: Across the seas and back to find myself where I started: In the arms of Mother Kirk.
1 Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no [stately] form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being [fell] upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.
9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
10 But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting [Him] to grief; If He would render Himself [as] a guilt offering, He will see [His] offspring, He will prolong [His] days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.
11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see [it and] be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.
It floored me. Who does the prophet describe, if not Jesus, pierced through for our transgressions, and silent before his accusers, being scourged that we may be healed, numbered with transgressors, but with a rich man in his death, a guilt offering, but he will see his offspring and will prosper -- how if he is dead, except that he be resurrected again.
Now you will say to me: Don't use the Bible to prove the Bible! I am not; I am showing how the Spirit brought this Word to life within me as I read it. I do not expect you to feel as I did on reading this passage, but to me, as I read it, the Spirit said, "See? You were right. You chose well." No audible voice, but the overwhelming feeling of assurance and confidence.
Psa 22:1-19 NASB] 1 For the choir director; upon Aijeleth Hashshahar. A Psalm of David.
My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.
2 O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; And by night, but I have no rest.
3 Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
4 In You our fathers trusted; They trusted and You delivered them.
5 To You they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and were not disappointed.
6 But I am a worm and not a man, A reproach of men and despised by the people.
8 "Commit [yourself] to the LORD; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him."
9 Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb; You made me trust [when] upon my mother's breasts.
10 Upon You I was cast from birth; You have been my God from my mother's womb.
11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near; For there is none to help.
12 Many bulls have surrounded me; Strong [bulls] of Bashan have encircled me.
13 They open wide their mouth at me, As a ravening and a roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And You lay me in the dust of death.
16 For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet.
18 They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots.
19 But You, O LORD, be not far off; O You my help, hasten to my assistance.
This is pretty much a subjective first-person description of crucifixion, and Psalm 22:1 is one of the things Jesus said on the cross: Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani.
Again, I had to stop and ask my friends, "Hey, have you read this?" And again I found myself amazed at the prophetic word. The Bible spoke to me through this passage: I knew beyond knowing that the Spirit was confirming my decision to follow Christ.
Yes, in this post I'm telling you of emotional and subjective personal spiritual evidence, but again,nothing in this post is meant to convince you of anything. I am including it only because it was a part of my spiritual journey, and I want that to be complete.
There was intellectual confirmation as well. A year or two later, when I read Tolstoy's Confession, I said to myself, "Yes, I knew it!" because Tolstoy confirmed what I already knew: There is no meaning without God, the assumption that there is no God is an error because it makes every equation an identity, and there is only one bridge connecting the finite to the infinite: The church. To connect the finite and the infinite, we must have the infinite in our equations.
I read Perelandra, and it made sense to me. I had been carried along by that stream just like the Green Lady, and in reading that book, Maleldil made me older.
Later still I read Till We Have Faces, a book I had started and lost in library of my local college before all of this began. I read Chesterton's The Everlasting Man, and still the Spirit tells me that the words in it are true, even as my mind tests Chesterton's reasoning.
Now, I hesitate to catalog my experiences, but because I said that I would, I will. We are not to cast our pearls before swine, to be trampled into the mud, after all.
Understand, my intellectual journey, above, is sufficient without these. I could leave it there and you would have my testimony: All the essential parts. Also, and let's be clear: I don't expect you to accept what I tell you here. This happened to me, and I read it in this way, and you can argue P-values until we all expire of old age. But these things, along with my intellectual journey, help to confirm it to my mind.
On one occasion I prayed and saw God. It was, for me, a time of spiritual coldness, and I was going through rituals of prayer, not expecting any supernatural confirmation. I knelt at an altar, knowing it to be a wooden frame with fake leather stretched over it at a convenient height to rest one's elbows. I was wide awake, not under the influence of any substance, not sleep-deprived, not hungry, in good health physically and emotionally, and there was nothing to make me think that I was psychotic, delusional, or hallucinating.
And yet when I closed my eyes I was kneeling in the throne room of God, at his feet, afraid to look up at Him. At his right hand stood Jesus Christ. And to my trembling soul there seemed to be a message: "Are you through fooling around?"
I opened my eyes at once and the vision was gone; still I trembled. With a burst of determination, I closed my eyes, and once more transported to the throne-room of Almighty God, I said a prayer of three words -- the shortest I could compose under the circumstances -- then I quickly got up and moved hastily back to my seat. A friend later chided me: "Why did you even go up there? You barely even knelt then you got up and came back!" I had no words.
There was no lost time, no swoon, no dream: The friend confirmed the brevity of the experience. I am sure that the right drugs or the right electromagnetic environment could make me feel that presence and that message in a similar fashion -- but there were no drugs, and no electromagnets.
I don't expect you to be convinced. I expect you to say, "Pfft. Og, you just had a hypnogogic hallucination! Happens all the time." And you are welcome to believe that. But I saw what I saw.
God spoke to me through the radio. It was during my period of depression, and I was driving in my car. It was a Country/Western station, and the announcer stated that the next song was a dedication. I said, as a game, "I'll pretend it's a message for me." I knew it wasn't but I was going to see what if it was, like opening a fortune cookie. The song was "On the Wings of a Dove," a song about God's love for me.
Even though I was walking apart from Him, and even though I wasn't sure I believed in Him, that song broke my heart. I started weeping uncontrollably, and had to park my car until I was able to stop sobbing. It is uncharacteristic for me to be so emotional, but I was literally out of control at that moment.
“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?"
I was teaching Sunday School in those days, for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders (6-8 years old). I opened the teacher book to study the lesson (didn't want one of those tykes to outsmart me, after all) and discovered that the passage we were teaching that week was Matthew 6:25-33. Which includes v.26, and goes on to make the same point several more times. I shook my head and said, "Once is chance, twice is coincidence, three times is conspiracy."
That Friday, I was going to a men's church event, and overnight camp at a nearby lodge. On Friday night, before the speaker started, we were all sitting around, and for no reason whatsoever, a man sitting directly in front of me -- a man named BIRD -- spontaneously remarked: "My favorite verse in the entire Bible is Matthew 6:26, "Behold the BIRDs of the air, that do not sow, neither do they reap, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them." He grinned. "I've always thought that had a personal application for me."
But again, it was a message to me, not to you. Doubt it if you want; you won't hurt my feelings.
And two weeks later I got a job I had applied for. I'd been applying for different jobs for months, from long before I lost my job. It was like dropping rocks into the ocean. But this job came just when I needed it, and just after God had assured me that He had it under control.
There are others. There are times I've prayed and almost as soon as I spoke there was an answer in my mind. There are times someone has spoken to me and it seemed as if certain of their words were aimed at me in a different context. There are times I've read something in a book, and the next day at church someone will come up to me and start talking about that book. There have been times a pastor's sermon was so clearly aimed at me that I started suspecting he'd been reading my mail.
Again, not convincing to you: Not supposed to be. But I have felt the hand of God, and am convinced that He has acted in my life. You may disagree and if you do, you have a right to be wrong. | 2019-04-21T22:34:22Z | http://www.achristianandanatheist.com/PHPBBFORUM/viewtopic.php?t=131&p=5433 |
My desktop PC is old and beginning to become unreliable. It's time for a replacement. I started looking around for a high performance desktop PC. I found several offerings, but they were either too large, too noisy, or too expensive. I have found that in manufactured PCs there is a trade-off between cost and noise. If you spend a bundle, you can get a PC that has high performance and is rather quiet as it is water cooled. If you try to save money, the PC is kept cool with a large number of fans. This makes the PC too loud for my taste. So, I started to research building a PC that would be small, powerful and absolutely quiet. I wanted to see if I could build a PC with no fans and to keep the complexity and cost down with no water cooling. It didn't take long for me to find a website called www.quietpcusa.com.
In researching PCs, I found Maingear's F131 to be very attractive. The case is mid-sized and the orientation of the system board unique in that all of the ports are accessible from the top of the PC. However, a build with a 4th generation Intel i7 would cost close to $3000. In looking on Quiet PCs site, I found a case from NoFan stating, "This unique PC chassis is intended to form the basis of a fanless PC. It is primarily made of aluminium for thermal conductivity, with generous ventilation which promotes natural convection cooling." This case looked identical to Maingear's F131 with additional venting on the side panels. I was unfamiliar with NoFan, but I soon discovered (as their name suggests) that they are a company dedicated to making fanless PCs.
"NOFAN focuses on research and development of new concepts in computer cooling solutions that resolve fan related noise. Our creativity in technology development is supporting the computer hardware industry as one of its guiding lights."
After doing a fair amount of research, I selected a NoFan case, a NoFan CPU cooler, and a NoFan power supply. All of these components, as the name states, have no fans – they all are designed to utilize convection cooling. I was excited about the potential for making a silent PC. But I was concerned that it wouldn't work well. It may be too hot and the power supply too small to support my component selection including a 4th generation i7 processor. But I also know that nothing is gained by simply repeating what has been done in the past. If needed, I could always add in some sort of additional cooling and put in a more powerful power supply. I also decided to not use a high performance GPU in the initial build in an effort to manage heat and power. I wasn't planning to build a gaming rig - rather a high performance general use PC for an aging power user. I went on to select a mATX mother board, slot loading DVD, and low profile RAM as the NoFan cooler is large and may interfere with taller RAM coolers.
The build wasn't very difficult. I found the case to be very well designed and complete with everything that I needed for the build. There was ample space, plenty of places to run wires and easy access to all areas in the case as 3 sides of it can be removed without any screws. I did have a few questions – how to orient the connections for the power switch and lights, and I was a bit confused about the power connectors. I called Quiet PC and was able to talk to Dave immediately. He was very friendly and helpful. As the case is new, he didn't have all of the answers. But he said that he would do his research and get back to me quickly. He is a man of his word and he bent over backwards to be helpful. In this day and age, I was very happy that I did not have to fill out a web form and wait for a reply.
The PC is proving to be excellent. It is absolutely quiet. It is odd to hear no noise at all – not a single whirling fan. The PC sits there running with the only indication that it's powered coming from the power lights and the LAN connection. I am shocked by the low heat output from this PC even when running a 4th generation i7. I almost went with an i5 as I was concerned about heat. The cost between and i5 and i7 is rather small these days, so I decided to take the risk. I'm glad that I did. I took the following thermal readings via my infrared thermometer after using the PC for 1 hour.
I'm very pleased with my build and would recommend the approach to anyone looking to own a very quiet PC.
So, I called Comcast support to see what’s going on. They sent out a tech who never showed up. I called the next morning and was told that the tech said that no one was home. I knew differently as my wife, daughter, and dog were home all day. Comcast always tells me that I'm one of its most important customers. They also have this new guaranty that they will give you a $20 credit if a tech is late for a support call.
Customer service didn't believe me. They said the tech was at the front door and no one answered. I asked to speak with a supervisor who held firm until she read the tech's call note out loud. The tech rang the door bell on a red brick 3 story building. I live in a tan townhouse condo and now have a $20 credit. There goes another 40 minutes of my life to Comcast. I really feel the love. It sent a tech the following morning. He showed up late and replaced my EMTA (cable modem with phone service) with one of it new combination EMTs with wireless by Arris. He said that it probably wouldn't matter as our service tested fine. I now have regrets about not being home for the service call. But I did get another $20.
I thought it may be a cool device until I programmed it. It exposes very few options including DNS and holds onto inaccurate client settings for way too long. Further, its signal was weaker than my wireless router and my connections problems were no better than before.
The more that I played with this unsolved mystery, the more I become convinced that the problem had to be related to DNS – Domain Naming Service – the system that the Internet uses to translate names (like www.google.com) to IP addresses. Without DNS, we’d have to remember strings of numbers to find websites rather than friendly names.
I wasn’t too happy with the results. It was perhaps a slight bit more reliable, but my problem was still present.
Since I couldn’t program DNS into the Arris EMTA and the device told me that my network was just fine, I called Comcast and asked them to replace it with a DOCSIS 3 EMTA without built-in wireless.
When the tech arrived on time, I sat him down on the couch and showed him my findings on my Internet connect HDTV. I first showed him the Arris EMTA reporting that the Comcast network is just fine. Then I showed him that I couldn’t even render www.google.com. I then showed him the settings page on my E4200, added in the newest DNS settings, and showed him www.google.com in a flash. I then removed the DNS settings and showed him a broken network again. Next, I ran SpeedTest. After 4 tries, I got the page to render and the test plotted along on a half-rendered page. The results were very poor. I then put the DNS settings back in and ran SpeedTest. The results were as they should be. I suspected that this was a bit over his head, but I asked politely that he look into this for me.
We switched out the EMTA and I connected my E4200 to it. All was better with the right static DNS. As an Xfinity insider, one of Comcast's most important customers, I now have a working broken network, $40, and less confidence in Comcast than I had before. Go figure.
An examination of the pros and cons of migrating parts of your small business to cloud computing is simple because the pros simply outweigh the cons. The cons are a small set of predictable objections including concerns about data security and vendor viability. The pros are many that do vary from business to business.
A good strategy for migrating to cloud computing for many small businesses is to migrate parts of the business that make sense one at a time. For example, when it’s time to replace an aging server hosting Microsoft Exchange, migrate to a hosted Microsoft Exchange Server. It’s not smart business to try to migrate too many applications at once. Change is good for any organization. But too much change can be overwhelming. This approach remains true for most existing businesses. However, if you are starting a new business, it’s very smart to use the cloud for nearly every business application.
Cloud computing is a game changer. Customers do not need to own as much IT infrastructure as in the past. They can rapidly deploy new applications without up front capital expense and pay as they go. Many cloud application vendors offer new users a free trial period and then either a monthly or annual fee for service typically based on the number of users. New users can often be added through the application’s administrative console.
Cloud computing lowers the cost of using computers in small businesses. Capital expenditures are limited to the devices used to access the applications and the infrastructure to access the Internet. The need for multiple servers, private networks, server and application software licenses, maintenance contracts, software updates, and the support staff needed to maintain the client/server environment simply goes away. Cloud computing enables small businesses to have rapid access to the type of computing power previously only available to large businesses.
Cloud computing enables users to work more effectively. Users are able to access their business systems and data from many locations. All that is needed is an Internet connected device that supports industry standards – PCs, Macs, smartphones, and tablets. Users can work as efficiently from a hotel in London as their home office in Boston. The need for a virtual private network (VPN) or remote control software is gone as well as the complaints about their poor performance and reliability.
Cloud computing is highly reliable. Users of cloud computing share costs and resources amongst many users allowing for efficiencies and cost savings around things like performance, load balancing, and even locations. Data centers can be located in areas with lower real estate costs leveraging very smart employees and state-of-the-art equipment and data centers. These are costs far beyond the IT budgets available to small businesses in a typical client/server model. Cloud computing is thought to affect reliability, security, and scalability in positive ways. In a cloud infrastructure, security and availability typically improves as the vendors comply to industry standards.
Cloud computing makes small business applications much less costly to maintain. Cloud-based applications are being used by an increasingly large audience. Application reliability improves as more users become involved, application updates are automatic and do not require local IT staff involvement, and technical support – when needed – is provided by highly trained staff at no additional cost. Technical support is included as part of the monthly or annual use fee. All costs associated with server and private networks disappear.
A customer of Consider It Fixed has owned 1 restaurant for several years where they use a client/server application to manage their catering business. Due to the high cost of purchasing and installing upgrades, they have been using a very old release of their catering software.
Recently, this customer purchased another restaurant in a different town. They plan to offer catering at this location as well. If they were to employ a traditional approach to integrating both locations into their catering system, they would need to add additional user licenses, a dedicated server, and a private network (including communications hardware/data services) to join the 2 locations together. This is a typical approach, but one that requires a large capital investment and high, ongoing maintenance costs.
I discussed my client’s requirements with their catering software vendor. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the vendor offers a cloud-based solution in addition to their client/server solution. The solution to my client’s expansion became simple. The vendor took my client’s existing data, migrated it to their cloud-based application, and the multi-site catering software was up and running within 2 hours. Now, they can access their catering system from any Internet connected PC at a fraction of the cost typical of client/server solutions.
Consider It Fixed recently migrated a small investment company from a traditional, 5 year old client/server environment to a light weight, cloud-based architecture. Consider It Fixed made many changes to their computing environment and moved their user data from their internal server to the cloud via a very smart application service called Dropbox. The server is now only used for print services and to run an old accounting program that is specific to their industry. Dropbox allows multiple users to access data via the cloud, synchronize file changes, share files, maintain file change history, and automatically back up their data to a state-of-the-art data center.
The other day, I received a call the from the managing partner. He had a problem with a very important Excel spreadsheet. He explained that the problem began a couple of days earlier when he updated the file’s format from .xls to .xlsx.
I reminded him that Dropbox saves 30 days of file change history. He simply needed to log into www.dropbox.com to access an older version of the file that pre-existed the problem. His problem was solved in a couple of minutes. This would not have been possible before their migration to the cloud. Previously, the company backed up its data files infrequently and no one in the company has ever retrieved a file from a backup.
Internet access was provided by each user's home broadband connection and from free Wi-Fi access available in the state capital buildings.
It took the equivalent of one day of consulting to order the equipment, setup the equipment, and setup the applications software and cloud-based applications. I refer to this approach as light weight computing. It is very low in cost, rapidly deployed, and highly reliable. In fact, I have had only two requests for support from this client over this past year totally one hour of work. My client is very happy with the setup and has better access to modern technology than they did before as partners in a large law firm.
I have tried a number of Bluetooth devices in my car. I live in Connecticut, a state that enforces laws that require drivers to use their cell phone hands-free. Complicating my quest for the perfect device is that I’m just a bit hard of hearing. So, I need a device that is loud and clear.
I have tried a number of Bluetooth headsets. My overall problem is that either the people that I’m talking to say that I sound terrible or the device isn’t loud enough for me to hear my callers. So, I find myself pushing the headset into my ear canal to get the most volume possible. This sort of defeats the idea of hands-free.
So, I decided to look at hands-free car kit. I wanted a plug and play kit that would be inexpensive and portable from car to car. I drive a 2005 Land Rover LR3 and use an iPhone 4. My first purchase was the Parrot Minikit Slim. Parrot has a great reputation and has been making Bluetooth solutions probably longer than anyone. So, I figured that they would have a great product.
The Minkit setup easily and synch’d with my address book. It worked fine. The calls were clear and loud. But after sometime, my problems began. Many times, the device would not connect to my iPhone and the only way that I could get it to connect was to reset the Minikit. It happened so often that I stopped using it. I read all of the tech bulletins and updated the firmware, but the problem remained.
My next purchase was IOGEAR’s Solar Bluetooth Hands-Free Car Kit. This device setup easily and connected to my iPhone. The call volume is loud and clear. One of the nicest features of IOGEAR’s device is that it has a built-in solar charger. It come with 2 different mounts – one that attaches to the windshield where is can charge and another that attaches to the visor. I have never had a problem getting the device to connect to my iPhone. This device works as advertised, is inexpensive, and never needs to be attached to a charger. It is widely available for less that $40. At this price, it’s a bargain and I recommend it.
Consider It Fixed has joined with Themis Solutions Inc, the provider of cloud-based legal practice management software offering Clio. Consider It Fixed is a member of the Clio Certified Consultant Program. By doing so, Consider It Fixed is trained on the installation and support of Clio as well has priority access to Clio’s technical and development teams, and will be trained on methods of integrating Clio with other desktop and cloud-based products.
Clio is a comprehensive cloud-based practice management Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) product that is designed for solo practitioners and small law firms using PCs and Macs. It can be accessed from any Internet-enabled computer or mobile device. Secure and easy-to-use, Clio provides case/matter management, time tracking, billing/reporting, client contact and document management, task scheduling, trust accounting, and performance metrics for independent lawyers to benchmark their business goals. In addition, Clio includes ClioConnect, a secure portal for document sharing and collaboration with clients, and Clio Express, an offline time capture application.
At LegalTech in February 2010, Clio accepted a Law Technology News LTN Award for excellence in practice management software, a prestigious honor determined by the votes of LTN’s subscribers. Clio was also selected by TechnoLawyer as “Best in Show” at the ABA TECHSHOW 2010 and ABA TECHSHOW 2009. In addition, more than 95 percent of Clio’s users said they would recommend the software to others according to the company’s latest Customer Satisfaction Survey. Clio’s parent company, Themis Solutions Inc., is based in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Please contact Consider It Fixed you are interested in learning more about how Clio can improve the management of your legal practice.
I was recently diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease. Lucky me – I live in central Connecticut – the epicenter for Lyme disease. My treatment consists of a significant regiment of medications and supplements that I take 3 to 4 times a day. To make matters a bit more complex, these medications and supplements may be changed, added, and subtracted as my treatment progresses. Initially, I was very overwhelmed as I tried to organize and manage my treatment. As a technologist, my predisposition was to find a simple solution to manage this complex task. Simply put, I needed to be reminded of what I need to take at the time that I need to take it.
I live in a world where I have easy access to computers, online calendars, and smart phones. I currently use these tools to manage my personal and business life - much of which centers on my calendar. So, I set out to adapt these same tools to my medication/supplement challenge. I was easily able to create a working solution using my preferred tool: Microsoft Outlook, Apple iCal, Microsoft Exchange Server, and an Apple iPhone. However, this solution can be easily created using many other popular software tools found on PCs, Macs, and the Internet. Several free calendars are available from Google, Yahoo, Windows Live, and others that can readily synchronize with a number of popular smart phones. As well, not everyone needs to use a smartphone. For many, just using an online calendar with reminders will be a significant enough improvement.
While it’s not well known, most calendar programs support the idea of using multiple calendars. For example, you can have a personal calendar, business calendar, and in this case, a medication calendar. Several calendar programs also allow you to have a calendar with others. In a business, this may be useful for booking a meeting room. A family may use a shared calendar to manage everyones' summer schedule. I suggest using a separate calendar from the one that you may already be using for your personal and/or business information. In my case, I added a new calendar in Microsoft Outlook that is called Ian’s Medication Calendar.
Let’s say that you need to take 6 medications in the morning, 4 at noon, 5 at dinner, and 8 before bed. To start, create an appointment in your medication calendar on whatever day is currently is. For the title of the appointment, input the names of your 6 morning medications and their dosages, or as I do, the number of each pill that I take. I list them all separated by commas. Let’s say that you need to take these medications around 8 in the morning. So, set an appointment time at 8am and give the appointment a length of 2 hours. The reason for the 2 hour duration is so you have a large enough appointment block available to show the entire list of medications. Next, set the appointment as reoccurring (or repeating) for as long as you will be taking this mediation. If it’s open ended, simply set the end date for sometime in the future. I typically set mine for around 6 weeks as I see my doctor around every 6 weeks. Most calendar programs have the option to select that days that the appointment repeats on – everyday, every other day, selected days, etc. This is very useful if you need to take one medication on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays rather than every day of the week. The last step is to create a reminder for the appointment so that you will be notified when it’s time to take your medication. The final step is to repeat this process so that all of your medications and schedule times are listed throughout the day and by using repeating settings for as long as you need. You now have a calendar listing all of your medications, the times that they need to be taken, and a reminder system. You can use your computer or simply print out your calendar in a weekly view to have a schedule that you can carry with you. As your medications and supplements change, you can simply change the appointment title and repeating information as needed.
Figure 1 is a screen shot of my medication calendar in Microsoft Outlook.
Figure 2 is a screen shot of my appointment settings for my morning medications in Microsoft Outlook. You can see my medication/supplement list in the Subject field.
Figure 3 is a screen shot of my appointment reoccurrence settings for my morning medications in Microsoft Outlook. Here I can set the length of the appointment so that it displays correctly and I can set the reoccurrence to daily and for 6 weeks long.
If you’re like me, you may be out and about during the day, and need to be reminded to take your medications. If your calendar is based on a calendar on web, it is often easy to add it to your smart phone. I use Microsoft Exchange Server with Microsoft Outlook to do this. As I mentioned earlier, many Internet-based calendars can easily synchronize with popular smart phones. If you don’t know how to setup this part, many Internet calendars provide help and instructions or you may want to contact your smart phone vendor for technical assistance. Since I already had my calendar integrated with my smart phone, my new medication calendar magically showed up on my iPhone as soon as I created it.
Figure 4 shows my 2 calendars on my iPhone.
Figure 5 shows Ian’s Medication Calendar on my iPhone.
Figure 6 shows my business calendar on my iPhone.
Figure 7 shows my Medication Calendar and Business Calendar overlapping on my iPhone.
In closing, I offer to you a simple solution to a somewhat daunting task. My approach is one that uses widely available computer-based tools. You can even take this approach further. As some of you may know, several technology companies are working on tools to help manage our medical information. I'm referring to significant companies like Microsoft and Google. Image if your doctor had access to your medication calendar. During your office visit, your doctor could update your calendar so any changes would be available immediately. By doing this, we could reduce mistakes, create excellent records of medication changes and everyone would benefit.
I enjoy my media center and large high definition TV. Since it is connected to the Internet, I have spent hours combing the web, exploring numerous sites offering movies, videos, TV shows, and other media products. I really got hooked on Internet connected media when I discovered that I could watch all 5 seasons of Lost from beginning to end thanks to Hulu.
My explorations have forced me to learn about and/or install several different media players. You see, there is no standard for this type of Internet-based content. It’s another Wild, Wild, West Internet adventure. Microsoft’s media center is OK for some things, but without significant customization is can’t play several types of media files. Nor, can it easily play content from sites like Hulu and ABC. The story goes on like this for nearly ever product that I tested. They do some things well, but there focus is narrow and self-serving.
“Boxee is the first "social" media center, whose free, open source, downloadable software is changing the way consumers experience media.
According to its website, the idea for Boxee was born when founding friends Avner, Gidon, Idan, Tom, and Roee, came up with the idea for boxee in 2004 when they began using Xbox Media Center, open source software for the original Xbox that allowed people to play digital media on their TVs. They became members of XBMC’s open source community and in 2007 imagined a way to take the platform even further. Since 2007, Mr. Ronen and a team of 11 others have worked to extend the base code for XBMC with online sources like hulu and Netflix as well as social networking in Boxee.
Today, Boxee is available for Windows, OS X, Linux, and Apple TV. In the near future, Boxee will be available on its own dedicated setup top box via a partnership with D-Link and others will follow.
It supports all of the platforms that I use including Windows, Apple and Linux.
It plays nearly every media file type that ask it to. I now longer have to comb the Internet looking for codecs, players, and converter.
It provides a consistent interface to media content from a number of sources. It's open and not married to it’s own content. I think of it as a media aggregator.
It has the best user interface and user experience, bar none, of any media player available. Setup is simple. Basically, you can install it and go. There are some simple options that can be used to customize Boxee. But they are easy to navigate and understand.
It works with a number of media controllers without the need to train, installing additional software and the like. I use it with a Logitech Harmony One remote control and a wireless keyboard. Neither control required any special setup.
Boxee has a great remote control app for the iPhone. I installed it and it worked on the first try.
I can use Boxee to find a wide variety of different media content from a large number of source on the Internet. This is done through its search capabilities and connections to popular social media sites.
More than any other web search site, people flock to www.google.com by the millions daily. However, most google users don’t know about the host of search tools that google provides to its users. Following is a rather exhaustive list of many of the things that you can do on google.
To see the weather for many U.S. and worldwide cities, type "weather" followed by the city and state, U.S. zip code, or city and country.
To see current market data for a given company or fund, type the ticker symbol into the search box. On the results page, you can click the link to see more data from Google Finance.
To see the time in many cities around the world, type in "time" and the name of the city.
To see scores and schedules for sports teams type the team name or league name into the search box. This is enabled for many leagues including the National Basketball Association, National Football League, National Hockey League, and Major League Baseball.
All sports data provided by STATS, Inc.
To use Google's built-in calculator function, simply enter the calculation you'd like done into the search box.
If you’re looking for results from Google Book Search, you can enter the name of the author or book title into the search box and we’ll return any book content we have as part of your normal web results. You can click through on the record to view more detailed info about that author or title.
To see information about recent earthquakes in a specific area type "earthquake" followed by the city and state or U.S. zip code. For recent earthquake activity around the world simply type "earthquake" in the search box.
You can use Google to convert between many different units of measurement of height, weight, and volume among many others. Just enter your desired conversion into the search box and we’ll do the rest.
To see trends for population and unemployment rates of U.S. states and counties, type "population" or "unemployment rate" followed by a state or county. You can click through to a page that lets you compare different locations.
If you're looking for someone you just met or a long-lost friend, enter the name of that person plus some identifying words about him or her to see a list of people with that name.
If you want to search not only for your search term but also for its synonyms, place the tilde sign (~) immediately in front of your search term.
To see a definition for a word or phrase, simply type the word "define" then a space, then the word(s) you want defined. To see a list of different definitions from various online sources, you can type "define:" followed by a word or phrase. Note that the results will define the entire phrase.
Google’s spell checking software automatically checks whether your query uses the most common spelling of a given word. If it thinks you’re likely to generate better results with an alternative spelling, it will ask “Did you mean: (more common spelling)?”. Click the suggested spelling to launch a Google search for that term.
If you’re looking for a store, restaurant, or other local business you can search for the category of business and the location and we’ll return results right on the page, along with a map, reviews, and contact information.
To find reviews and showtimes for movies playing near you, type "movies" or the name of a current film into the Google search box. If you've already saved your location on a previous search, the top search result will display showtimes for nearby theaters for the movie you've chosen.
To see information about a common disease or symptom, enter it into the search box and we'll return the beginning of an expert summary. You can click through to read the entire article in Google Health.
You can quickly find the U.S. poison control hotline (1-800-222-1222) by entering "poison control" or similar phrases into the search box.
"Mr. Yuk" icon courtesy of the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
During flu season, search for "flu" to find tips on how to stay healthy from U.S. Health and Human Services and a flu shot locator which uses Google Maps to show you nearby locations offering seasonal and/or H1N1 flu vaccine.
To see flight status for arriving and departing U.S. flights, type in the name of the airline and the flight number into the search box. You can also see delays at a specific airport by typing in the name of the city or three-letter airport code followed by the word "airport".
To use our built-in currency converter, simply enter the conversion you’d like done into the Google search box and we’ll provide your answer directly on the results page.
Looking for a map? Type in the name or U.S. zip code of a location and the word "map" and we’ll return a map of that location. Clicking on the map will take you to a larger version on Google Maps.
Google ignores common words and characters such as where, the, how, and other digits and letters that slow down your search without improving the results. If a common word is essential to getting the results you want, you can make sure we pay attention to it by putting a "+" sign in front of it.
To search for web pages that have similar content to a given site, type "related:" followed by the website address into the Google search box.
Sometimes the best way to ask a question is to get Google to ‘fill in the blank’ by adding an asterisk (*) at the part of the sentence or question that you want finished into the Google search box.
You can track packages by typing the tracking number for your UPS, Fedex or USPS package directly into the search box. We’ll return results that include quick links to easily track the status of your shipment.
To search for U.S. patents, enter the word "patent" followed by the patent number into the Google search box and hit the Enter key or click the Google Search button.
To see the geographical location for any U.S. telephone area code, just type the three-digit area code into the Google search box and hit the Enter key or click the Google Search button. | 2019-04-23T00:52:39Z | https://www.consideritfixed.com/technology/ |
The American Revolutionary War lasted eight years. And eight years of war ain’t cheap. It took money to buy arms. It took money to buy uniforms. It took money to pay soldiers. And paying for these for eight years required a lot of money. Which the Americans didn’t have. They were at war with Great Britain. Who was their major trading partner. And pretty much their only trading partner. As the Americans were a British colony in the days of mercantilism. Which meant the Americans sent raw materials to the mother country. On British ships. Through British ports. Britain then transformed those raw materials into finished goods. And exported them. On British ships. Through British ports. Throughout the world. And back to America. Before the Revolution, that is.
Thankfully for the Americans there was a nation that hated the British. And had been in a near perpetual state of war with them since about forever. And they had just recently lost their North American territories to the British. Which they wanted back. So the French had other interests than American Independence. But American Independence was a good opportunity to settle the score with their old nemesis. And when the Americans defeated a British Army at Saratoga the French thought that just maybe the Americans could pull this off. And if so they wanted to be in on the spoils of a British defeat.
So the French financed a large part of the American Revolutionary War. But it wasn’t enough. The Continental Army was poorly fed and poorly clothed. Even leaving bloody footprints in the snow as the Continental Congress couldn’t put boots on their feet. Nor could they pay them. So they turned to printing money. Unleashing a brutal inflation. No one wanted the currency. The inflation was so bad that it lost its value before they could spend it. So no one wanted to accept the Continental paper dollar. Giving rise to the expression ‘not worth a Continental’. Everything had two prices. A low price if you paid with hard currency (gold and silver coins). And a very high price if you paid in Continental dollars. They printed so much money that the money became worthless. So the Continental Army just took what they needed from the people to keep their men from starving to death. Leaving the people with an IOU. That Congress would redeem one day. Maybe.
Today hard currency is a thing of the past. It’s pure un-backed paper these days. This paper money has no intrinsic value. And you can’t exchange it for gold or silver that does. But you sure can print it. Well, the government can. And they do. They borrow and print money like there’s no tomorrow. Allowing them to spend money they don’t have easier than ever before. And it’s not just for feeding and clothing our soldiers. But just about everything under the sun. Causing the federal debt to soar.
Think of the growing federal debt like a credit card with a growing balance. And these balances grow fast because each month they charge you interest on your past purchases. And on your past interest charges. Which is why if you let that credit card balance get too high it’ll grow beyond your ability to pay it off. A lot of people who do find themselves filing a personal bankruptcy. Because the interest charges just balloon their monthly payment. With the interest in their credit cards consuming an ever larger portion of their paycheck. As should the interest on the federal debt consume an ever larger portion of federal tax receipts.
Interestingly, the percentage of federal tax receipts going to pay the interest on the debt has in general fallen as the federal debt rose. Odd. The more debt one has the greater the interest one pays. That’s how it works on our credit cards. When the debt was approximately $6.2 trillion in 1991 the percentage of total tax receipts going to pay the interest on the debt was 27.1%. But when the debt soared to $16.1 trillion in 2012 the percentage of tax receipts going to the interest on the debt fell to 15%. The federal debt grew to be 2.6 times what it was in 1991. Yet it appears we are paying less interest in 2012 than in 1991. Something doesn’t seem right.
A couple of things could explain this. And the first thing that comes to mind is tax revenue. The reason why interest on the debt as a percentage of tax receipts has fallen while the federal debt grew is, perhaps, that tax revenues grew even greater. So even though interest on the debt could be soaring along with the soaring federal debt the government could be awash in tax revenue. And if the number you’re dividing by is larger than the number you’re dividing into it than you get a smaller percentage. Simple arithmetic. The driver of the federal debt is the annual deficits. So let’s compare interest on the debt to the deficit. To see if the interest on the debt rises with the deficit.
And it doesn’t. In fact, the interest on the debt almost held constant when the deficit plunged into a surplus. And when the deficit soared to a record high. It seems like there was some other factor involved here. Something actually keeping the interest on the debt down. Even when the deficit soared after 2007. What could do this? Well, there is only one other thing to look at. Interest rates.
And we have our answer. Interest on the debt has not kept pace with the debt because of bad monetary policy. Keynesian economic policies introduced permanent inflation into the economy. The Keynesians in government kept interest rates artificially low to stimulate economic activity. Those low interest rates stimulated so much economic activity in the Nineties that it created a dot-com bubble. And when it burst it created a painful recession in the early 2000s. Also, President Clinton’s Policy Statement on Discrimination in Lending lowered lending standards in the Nineties setting the stage for a great housing bubble that burst into the subprime mortgage crisis in 2007. And the Great Recession.
The Keynesians have been increasing the money supply (i.e., printing money) in a desperate attempt to pull the economy out of recession. Which is why the market yield on a 10-year treasury has fallen as the deficit soared in the early 2000s. And fell even more as the deficit soared even further after 2007. With the yield falling to as low as 1.8% in 2012. Even though the demand for so much borrowing should have raised interest rates. Which would have happened had the government not been increasing the money supply.
And this is why interest on the debt as a percentage of receipts has fallen. Despite record debt. Some may look at this and think it’s a good thing. As it lets the government borrow more money. So they can give us more stuff. But printing money causes inflation. Which has been kept at bay for now thanks in large part to the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis. As investors everywhere are desperate to find a safe harbor for their money during these uncertain times. But that won’t last forever. Eventually those interest rates will rise as the purchasing power of the dollar falls. Raising prices. And the cost of borrowing. A lot. Because of that record debt. And when they start selling new treasuries at higher interest rates than the ones they’re replacing a very large portion of our tax receipts will go to pay the interest on the debt. Just like when people charge too much on their credit cards. Pushing the country closer to bankruptcy. Just like people with overextended credit cards. And like countries in the Eurozone.
We had the sequester. Before that it was the fiscal cliff. Before that it was the debt ceiling debate. We hear these things. But it’s like water off a duck’s back. It doesn’t sink in. We hear but we don’t understand it. In one ear and out the other. In fact people are tired of hearing of how we go from one financial crisis to another. Enough already the people say. Enough. Pity, really. As there are some serious consequences to the decisions our politicians are poorly making.
Part of the problem is that these economic issues are difficult to relate to for average Americans just trying to take care of their families. A trillion dollar deficit? A debt reaching $16 trillion? A lot of people don’t know the difference between the deficit and the debt. Including many of our television news talking heads. And then the sheer magnitude of the word ‘trillion’ is just difficult to fathom. We know it’s big. But no one uses it in their personal lives. We know a $200 utility bill is expensive. An $8,000 property tax bill is expensive. A $40,000 car is expensive. But a trillion dollar deficit? It is hard to make a connection to the size of a trillion dollars.
Compounding the problem are all these Keynesian economists who say there is nothing wrong with running a deficit. Or the growing national debt. Despite the financial debt crisis in the Eurozone. Where running a deficit and growing national debt have caused great problems. But the Keynesians say that can never happen here. Because our economy is so much larger. And the U.S. can still print money. So people don’t know what to believe. The government and their economists sound like they understand this stuff. While a lot of people don’t. So the people who don’t are more inclined to believe those who sound like they understand this stuff. Which makes it easier for the politicians who are making all of these horrible decisions to make even more of them.
So to understand deficits and debt it would be better to bring it down to our level. And once we understand it at our level then we can understand better what’s happening at the national level. So let’s do that. Let’s imagine a person earning $30,000 a year. Or $2,500 monthly. Let’s further assume this person’s earnings are not enough to support their lifestyle. So they turn to their credit card each month for an additional $100 in spending. Which is this person’s deficit. The amount they spend over what they earn. Or money they spend that they don’t have. So they charge it. For this example we’ll assume a credit card with a 24% annual percentage rate. In the following table we crunch these numbers for 120 months. Or ten years.
The columns in the table are fairly self explanatory. Each month we start with $2,500. We start borrowing money in month 1 so there is no interest in the first month. We subtract the interest from the monthly income to arrive at income less the interest charge on the credit card. Our spending budget each month is $2,600. Requiring $100 in credit card purchases in the first month. Each month this increases by the amount of interest charged each month. The last column is a running total of the credit card balance.
Over time the interest charges run up the outstanding balance on the credit card. Because we are paying interest on both our purchases and our interest. So as time goes by this increases our credit card balance at an increasing rate. Soon the interest charges take a larger percentage of our monthly income. So much so that we need to borrow more and more to maintain our current level of spending. The interest charge on the 120th month equals 38% of our monthly income. Chances are that it would never get this bad as we would be unable to make our monthly payment long before the 120th month. And with an outstanding debt approaching our annual income we probably would have filed for bankruptcy protection long ago. For at these interest rates it wouldn’t take long before that debt grew beyond our ability ever to pay it back.
We can see this better if we graph these numbers. We can see the cumulative debt growing at a greater rate over time. Just as does the percentage of our personal income going solely to paying the interest on our debt. Truly wasted money. Spending money for things we purchased long ago. And if we spent it on restaurants and vacations we have nothing tangible to show for this. Nothing we can sell to get our money back. Just interest payments that seem to go on forever and ever. For something that gave us a few hours or days of pleasure. Which is the worst kind of debt to have. As there is no way to pay it down other than with current earnings. Meaning we have to make sacrifices today and tomorrow for spending we did long, long ago.
On the chart we have a horizontal line for monthly income. And one for annual income. We can see that it only takes 21 months for our credit card balance to exceed our monthly income. Not even two years. But only 1.9% of our monthly income is going to pay for interest on the debt. Which doesn’t sound that bad. So we keep charging. Just after three years of doing this we break $100 in interest expense. Requiring 4.2% of our earnings to go to pay the interest on the debt. It only takes another 2 years to break $200 in interest expense (8.4% of earnings). It only takes another year to bring the interest charge to $300 (12.3% of earnings). In 99 months the interest charge breaks $600 (24% of earnings). And the total outstanding credit card debt is now greater than our annual earnings. Making it very unlikely that we’ll ever be able to pay this balance down.
Anyone who charged a little too much on their credit cards knows what this feels like. And what those phone calls from collection agencies are like. Not good. Anyone who charged anywhere near this example no doubt brought great stress into their lives. They might have lost their house. Their retirement savings. Their kids’ college funds. Or had no choice but to file a personal bankruptcy. But when we run our debt up this high there comes a point where we cut up the credit cards. Making a serious cut in our spending. Because that’s all we can do. We can’t just earn a lot more money. And we can’t print money. If we could do either we would not have a debt problem in the first place.
This is where average Americans and the federal government differ. Average people have no choice but to be responsible. While the federal government can allow the problem to grow and grow. For they can arbitrarily raise their income. By raising taxes. And they can print money. Unfortunately for average Americans both of these options make life worse for them. Raising taxes makes us cut our personal spending as if we ran up our credit cards. Forcing us to get by on less. And printing money causes inflation. Raising prices. Which, of course, forces us to get by on less. This is why the deficit and the debt matter. For income is limited. Whether it’s ours. Or the federal government’s. And when you spend more than you have more money goes to paying interest on the debt. Which is money pulled out of the economy and thrown away. The ultimate cost of spending money you don’t have. Money thrown away. And, of course, potential bankruptcy.
Boy, do people like to demonize CEOs. I mean, they really hate them. These chief executive officers. Overpaid and underworked. And then there are all those stock options. Making them bazillionaires. By increasing the value of the company to shareholders. Without a whit of concern for the little guy on the factory floor doing the work. It just isn’t fair. Sitting in their plush offices. Flying in their private planes. Staying in 5-star hotels. Living in mansions while vacationing on some island paradise that they might in fact own. Living champagne and caviar lives. For doing what?
Actually, for doing quite a lot. Mostly thinking. And deciding. Making decisions that will impact every employee of the company. Now. And years into the future. Decisions that will determine if there is even a future. For a corporation is like a ship. It is large. Complex. And has momentum. It can’t turn on a dime. One decision today could steer that ship into open waters for clear sailing. Or into an iceberg.
The world is a changing place. Nothing is static. Including the economy. And consumer spending. For the consumer can be a fickle person. We know what they’re buying today. But no one knows what they’ll be buying tomorrow. And that’s the problem CEOs face. The things they’re making today will sell tomorrow. Or later. In fact, factories they build today will make things that will sell years later. So the decision to build that factory had better been a good one. Based on some good market research. Objective analysis. With no personal prejudices involved. Such as laughing at new innovation. Saying there’s no way it will replace the current industry standard. Such as a phone company not getting in to the cellular business because everyone will always have a landline into their house. In fact, they’ll have a few. One for their phone. One for their fax machine. And one for their dial-up modem. “And what could ever change that?” said the fat-cat phone executive while chomping on a cigar. Shortly before the board of directors fired him.
Moms are lot like CEOs. They, too, have to look long-term. And it starts with choosing a husband. When they are ready to settle down and raise a family. And they’re not going to waste their time with men who don’t want to settle down. Like Beyoncé says, “if you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it” (Single Ladies). It’s no longer about dating for fun. It’s now about finding a life partner. And women will choose carefully. They’re looking for someone with a good job. Someone who is responsible. Someone they can trust. Someone who is healthy and will sire healthy children. Someone who is strong and self-confident. Who can be both a provider and protector. Perhaps someone who goes to church. So they can bring their children up with strong morals. They’ll start choosing their dates based on these criteria. Then love can enter the equation. Which it does. And it’s often a deeper and more long-lasting love. Because attraction is based on all of these things. Not just physical appearance.
This decision is important to be a good mom. Because it will affect the next 20+ years of her life. And it will affect the lives of her children. So she has to weigh a lot of things in making this decision. Like a CEO’s vetting process choosing his or her officers. Because it’s for the long haul. She’ll work 7 days a week. And must be available at all times of the day. Even if she is sick. Like a CEO. Only NOT with pay commensurate with her responsibilities. Unlike a CEO. And those responsibilities include raising her children. And managing the household. While her husband works. Old school. Like Paula Cole says. “I will raise the children if you pay all the bills” (Where have all the Cowboys Gone).
A CEO has a chief financial officer (CFO) to manage the finances. Mom just wear another hat. And manages the finances, too. The husband works. But he gives his wife the paycheck. For although his earnings pay the bills, she writes the checks. And balances the budget. Which often take a little finesse. Because there isn’t a lot of money in the beginning. And raising children and owning a house can be very expensive. So managing cash-flow becomes a fast learned skill. Because groceries, school supplies, clothes, utilities, insurance, mortgage and taxes don’t all come due in pay periods equal to the amount of the paycheck. Which means she has to put a little aside each pay period (like a sinking fund in corporate America) to pay the big things that come due at various times throughout the year. Or tap her line of credit (i.e., credit card), making cuts in the monthly budget to service the new debt and pay down the high-interest loan as quickly as possible. Oh, and she cooks and cleans, too.
Some may belittle the classical housework of being a mom. The cooking and cleaning. But when raising children they can be the most important of her responsibilities. Of all the animal kingdom, human offspring are the most helpless. And they’re helpless for the longest time. It takes 18 years before they leave the nest. And they’re growing that whole time. Fueling that growth with three meals a day. Two if they buy lunch at school during the school year. This is something a CEO doesn’t have to worry about with employees. Being accountable for everything they eat or drink. And not getting them sick in the process for food preparation is a dangerous business. Especially when working with raw chicken. So she’s health inspector. And dietician. Managing their growth with the family doctor. Making sure they eat their vegetables. Drink their milk. Because it all matters. To make sure their bones are strong and healthy. And to have strong immune systems. For the old maxim is true. We are what we eat. Which is a challenge for a mother. Because kids don’t like eating healthy. Or being clean, for that matter.
Yes, it’s true. Mothers want their kids to wear clean underwear. But it’s not just to save them the embarrassment should their child be in an accident where someone may see his or her dirty underwear. (Well, maybe a little.) It’s because poor hygiene kills. And there are few things more unhygienic than pooping. These are some nasty germs. They cause outbreaks of cholera when they contaminate drinking water supplies. And cause E. coli food poisoning when transferred to our food supply (that’s why there are signs in restaurant bathrooms saying that all employees must wash their hands so they don’t kill anyone with their food). Nasty stuff. So mothers are fanatical about bathing their kids. Making sure they wash their hands after using the bathroom. And that they wear clean underwear. Also not to pick up food that fell on the floor (that 5-second rule is a dad rule). Or put things in their mouths that they shouldn’t. And they’ll keep all their cleaning and plumbing supplies locked up and out of reach of their children. Their medicines, too. Because kids like to put things in their mouths. And will eat or drink anything they find that isn’t a vegetable on a plate.
As protective as she may be, her child will most probably get sick. Some other kid may sneeze in her child’s face. Or some other kid may not wash his or her hands after using the bathroom. Or use a door knob when they have a cold. Or pass the measles to her child. Then mother becomes nurse. Carefully administering medicines. Emptying barf buckets. Cleaning her child and the bedding when he or she misses the barf bucket. All the while cooking and cleaning. And managing the household.
And the responsibilities never end. There’re good manners to teach. Honesty. Morality. Good behavior. Inside the home. And when out of the home. The mother instructs constantly. And sets a good example. Dad, too. When the kids are around they’ll watch their language. Because they don’t want their kids to have potty mouths. And Mom and Dad will treat each other with respect. Because they want their children to grow up as ladies and gentlemen. For boys to treat girls with respect. Not to hit them. Or objectify them. And no matter what Mom may have done on spring break when she was in school, she will not do anything now that will set a bad example for her daughter. Or give ideas to her son. Like getting girls drunk so they make bad decisions is okay.
This is something moms share with CEOs. Leading by example. Because perception in the corporate world can make or break a company. That’s why they have zero-tolerance policies for bad behavior. Because a reputation of bad behavior (racist, sexist, hate speech, etc.) will give a corporation bad press that can take years to overcome. Especially if it’s a high-level manager. Or an officer. In fact, it’s worse at that level because of the vetting process. Like choosing a husband, these people are chosen for the long haul. And bad behavior in these people reflects poorly on the CEO. Because he or she chose them. If your CFO is arrested for tax fraud it shows that you are a poor judge of character. And have a poor handle on your business operations. And if you’re CFO is committing tax fraud under your nose, you probably are doing a poor job. And no doubt the board of directors will be looking for a new CEO. As one of the best ways to get over a scandal is by cleaning house.
Being a CEO is hard. So is being a mom. There’s a lot of on the job training. Which is more of just figuring things out as you go along. You learn from your mistakes. All the while being overworked. And underpaid. Working horrible hours. With little sleep. On call 24/7. With no breaks or vacations. Yes, there may be family vacations. But Mom will still be working on those vacations. Same responsibilities. Just a different setting. At least the CEO has a staff to handle things while on vacation. At best a mom gets a quiet bubble bath while the kids are at school. Or a quiet moment on the toilet. Safe behind a closed door. For a few quiet minutes.
Moms and CEOs have their differences. But their responsibilities are the same. A corporation’s success depends on the good decisions of its CEO. Just as the success of a family depends on the good decisions of Mom.
You ever get those checks from your credit card companies? Write yourself a check at 0% interest for 6 months? And then in the fine print they note that if you don’t repay the money within that 6 month period you will be charged interest from the day you cashed that check at something like 30% APR. Compounded monthly. So if you write yourself a $5,000 check and pay it back the day after that 6 month period ends, you’ll find that you’ll have to pay back close to $15,000 for that $5,000 loan. That’s the miracle of compound interest. Working against you.
So, in 6 months time, it will be much harder to balance your books than it would have been before you borrowed that money. This is the worst thing about credit card debt. High interest charges that are rolled into your outstanding principal. This makes the outstanding balance grow faster than a lot of people can pay them off. Car and house payments, on the other hand, have fixed balances and lower interest rates. We usually can pay those off.
People will say that credit card companies are charging usury interest rates. They think that we should have laws to force them to lower their interest rates. If car and house loans can be under 10%, why can credit cards charge interest rates as high as 30%? Well, in a word, collateral. If you fail to pay your house or car payments, the bank will take your house or car. They will then sell them to try and get their money back. Credit card debt is unsecured. It’s pretty hard to take back restaurant dinners and hotel stays and sell them to get your money back. So when people default, the credit card companies get nothing. So they have to charge higher interest rates to cover these losses.
So using credit cards to make up for a spending deficit is not a good thing. Granted, there are emergencies where some have no choice. But a lot of us just seem to spend more than we earn. Or take bigger debt risks. We may like the bigger house better than the more affordable one. We may like a new car better than a good used one. Of course, those things come with bigger monthly payments. And we may have no problem paying for these things. Unless a spouse loses their overtime. Or their job. Or the ARM on your mortgage resets to a higher interest rate. All of a sudden, then, those monthly payments begin to hurt.
But not everyone gets into trouble because of a change in income or interest rates. For some it just happens. Gradually. Money’s good. You take some vacations. Eat out a few times. Buy some nice things for the house. A home theater. A nice patio with a twin BBQ and some nice furniture. Next thing you know you’re living beyond your means. You notice that your credit card balances are growing larger. And your monthly payments are growing smaller. Which in turn makers your balances grow larger. All of a sudden, you have trouble paying your bills. And you can’t understand this because you were making such good money.
Parents are often critical of their children’s spending. Go back some 20-30 years and they were very critical. Those parents who grew up during the Great Depression and went without during World War II know the value of not buying anything until you saved the money for the purchase. A lot of kids got tired of hearing this. “You shouldn’t be spending your money on that. You should be saving it.” But a lot of us wouldn’t listen. Because we wanted things and we didn’t want to wait. So we bought them. Spent our money. Ran up our credit cards. Got ourselves into trouble. And went back to Mom and Dad for help. Why? Because they saved their money. Lived well within their means. Were able to retire comfortably. And can now afford to help bail you out of your troubles.
What’s true for people is true for governments. Earlier governments knew the value of not spending money they didn’t have. Thomas Jefferson slashed the federal budget when he became president. He feared that a perpetual federal debt only empowered a federal government. If the debt became permanent, then so must the government. Alexander Hamilton liked debt for that very reason. Not Jefferson. Hamilton wanted to create an American Empire to give the British Empire a run for her money. Jefferson just wanted people to own and farm land.
So in the beginning, and through the middle, Washington operated on a shoestring budget. Kept its spending manageable. And it’s debt minimal. Lincoln exploded spending to pay for the Civil War. And subsequent presidents did likewise for the two world wars. But things really started to change in the 20th Century. First with Wilson’s Progressives. Then FDR’s New Deal. Then Johnson’s Great Society. Federal spending grew at an alarming rate. Because America came into her own in the later 19th/early 20th century. We became a rich nation. A world leader. And there was a lot of other people’s money to spend.
Thus the era of entitlement spending had begun. Immigration was swelling the U.S. population. We were having lots of kids. All of us were working hard. And paying our taxes. America was like that 2-income couple working lots of overtime and buying lots of things. The good times looked like they would just go on forever. So America was ‘buying’ Social Security for everyone. And Medicare. Medicaid. And lots of other stuff. But then a strange thing happened. Our population stopped growing. We closed Ellis Island. Immigration was down. Birthrates plummeted. Neighborhood families didn’t have 10 and 12 kids in their houses. A Baby Bust followed the Baby Boom. Or, more accurately, a taxpayer bust. For the aging population was growing at a greater rate than the taxpaying population. Which meant fewer and fewer people were paying for more and more people collecting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Are Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid Unfixable?
And this is a problem. And the problem grows greater with every day that goes by. Because with every day that goes by, more seniors start collecting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits. While fewer new people enter the work force to pay for these programs. And despite raising taxes and cutting benefits, costs continue to exceed revenue. So the government takes out its ‘credit card’ to finance this deficit.
Of course, we call these programs ‘third rail’ programs. That is, if a politician threatens to cut any of these programs they can kiss reelection goodbye. So they don’t. They just kick the can down the road. And the problem grows ever more costly to fix. Both monetarily. And politically. Which makes them just want to keep kicking that can down the road to let someone else worry about them.
But like our credit cards, we keep running up our outstanding debt. The debt is so high now that the interest on the debt is a major budget item. We have to fix this problem. We can’t keep kicking it down the road. Greece tried. And look what happened to them. The European Central Bank (ECB) had to bail them out. And Greece is still not out of the woods. Now Greece is a great nation. A lot of history there. But it’s not quite as big as the United States. Being small has its advantages, though. It’s easier for others to bail you out. We don’t have that luxury. There isn’t anyone big enough to bail us out. Except, perhaps, an old enemy. Communist China. Imagine that. One of the last communist nations in the world having to come to the rescue of the most powerful (and once most capitalistic) nation in the world. If that ain’t a fine how do you do.
We should have listened to our Founding Fathers. Because our parents always knew best. Pity we don’t learn that until after we make a mess of things. | 2019-04-21T04:23:03Z | http://pithocrates.com/tag/credit-card/ |
You searched for +publisher:"Stellenbosch University" +contributor:("Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies."). Showing records 1 – 30 of 189 total matches.
1. Hatutale, Sylvia. A study of the organizational complexity of the offering of basics mathematics at a Namibian tertiary institution.
Hatutale, Sylvia. “A study of the organizational complexity of the offering of basics mathematics at a Namibian tertiary institution.” 2018. Thesis, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/103511.
Hatutale, Sylvia. “A study of the organizational complexity of the offering of basics mathematics at a Namibian tertiary institution.” 2018. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Hatutale S. A study of the organizational complexity of the offering of basics mathematics at a Namibian tertiary institution. [Internet] [Thesis]. Stellenbosch University; 2018. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/103511.
2. Maart, Ronel. Aligning the clinical assessment practices with the assessment practices.
▼ ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Removable Prosthetic Dentistry (PRO400) is a fourth year module of the undergraduate dentistry programme which consists of a large clinical component. After reviewing relevant literature and conducting module evaluations, clinical tests were introduced and implemented in 2008 as an additional clinical assessment method. The intention of introducing the clinical tests was an attempt to ensure that students were assessed fairly, that their theoretical knowledge and the ability to apply it clinically were properly assessed, and to provide feedback on their clinical performance. The purpose of this concurrent mixed methods study was to compare the relationship between the students‟ performance in the clinical tests and daily clinical grades with their theoretical performance in the PRO400 module. The second part of the study explored the academic staff s‟ perceptions of the clinical test as clinical assessment tool in the PRO400 module. The case study design enabled the researcher to explore the question at hand in considerable depth. The mixed methods approach was useful to capture the best of both the qualitative and quantitative approaches. For the quantitative data-collection, record reviews of the results of fourth-year dental students‟ who completed the PRO400 module at the end of 2007 were used, and included 110 students. For the qualitative component three full-time lecturers within the Prosthetic department were interviewed. The clinical test marks and clinical session marks of all the students (n=109) in PRO400 were compared to their theory mark of that year. The tests marks were entered into a spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel and the data analysis was done with the assistance of a statistician. The analytical abstraction method was used to assist with the qualitative data analysis; first the basic level of analysis was done in the narrative form, followed by second higher level of data analysis. The basic and higher levels of analysis were discussed under the following themes: clinical tests, student performances, alignment of theory and clinical assessment and personal influence on supervisors‟ assessment practices and attitude. Role-taking and the supervisors‟ perceptions and concerns regarding the students were explored as emergent themes. The quantitative findings were displayed using tables and graphs. Forty five students. clinical marks were 10% higher than their theory mark, while only 8 students. theory marks were 10% higher than their clinical test mark. There appeared to be hardly any relationship between the students. clinical daily grade assessment marks and their theory marks. The average theory mark was 47%, the average clinical test marks were 55% and the average daily clinical grade was 63%. Integration of the data obtained from the different data collection methods was done at the level of data interpretation. The clinical test as an assessment tool is well accepted by the supervisors and they agreed that it is more reliable and accurate than the clinical daily grade… Advisors/Committee Members: Bitzer, Eli, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Maart, Ronel. “Aligning the clinical assessment practices with the assessment practices.” 2011. Thesis, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/17888.
Maart, Ronel. “Aligning the clinical assessment practices with the assessment practices.” 2011. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Maart R. Aligning the clinical assessment practices with the assessment practices. [Internet] [Thesis]. Stellenbosch University; 2011. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/17888.
3. Chiroma, Jane Adhiambo. An evaluation of a professional development programme in environmental education.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis is an interpretive formative evaluation of a Professional Development Programme in Environmental Education. The specific aim of the study was to evaluate the extent to which the programme has enabled professional development of teachers; the degree to which the processes of this specific Professional Development Programme (PDP) has enabled implementation and the nature and the amount of take- up of the PDP processes. The data for this research were generated through semi structured interviews, focus group discussions and observations of teachers‘ projects. Thematic analysis was used as a method of data analysis. Constructivist, formative evaluation informed the epistemology and ontological perspectives that guided data analysis and interpretation and discussions that were made in this research. Data indicate that professional development programmes involving various stakeholders need to be well controlled and co-ordinated. Communication and motivation need to be integrated into the PD programme by the leadership. The Professional Development Programme was done in isolation and lacked a deep epistemological and ontological grounding, showing minimal research in the process therefore, the communication and motivation need to be integrated into the PD programme by the leadership. Department of Education officials indicated that they were not involved in the planning stage and fulfilled more of a management and co-ordination role. They were not able to monitor the process because they were not informed or assisted to develop a monitoring tool and besides their workload prohibited them from doing so. Teachers reflected various dimensions of take-up from the programme but they were not able to realize the action project (except in two schools). Teachers expressed difficulties in implementing the programme because of full schedules and curriculum commitments in school programmes. This research has presented the sentiments of the respondents (participants) in this PDP and has come to the conclusion that this Professional Development Programme has potential and improving aspects of it (see chapter 6) will go a long way towards improving the sustainability of this programme, and improving the quality of teachers that are trained in this kind of programme and even beyond. The PDP has enabled professional development in many ways (See chapter 4 on take-up). However, monitoring and implementation came out clear as those aspects of professional development in the programme that require much attention if the programme is to improve and become more sustainable.
Advisors/Committee Members: Reddy, Chris, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Chiroma, Jane Adhiambo. “An evaluation of a professional development programme in environmental education.” 2011. Thesis, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/17918.
Chiroma, Jane Adhiambo. “An evaluation of a professional development programme in environmental education.” 2011. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Chiroma JA. An evaluation of a professional development programme in environmental education. [Internet] [Thesis]. Stellenbosch University; 2011. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/17918.
4. Rodrigues Losada, Ricardo J. Teachers' perceptions of spreadsheet algebra programs as curriculum materials for high school mathematics in Namibia.
▼ ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) in the form of spreadsheet algebra programmes (SAPs) is important in the professional development of high school mathematics teachers. This is in line with The Namibian government‟s Vision 2030 in which ICT skills and competencies are regarded as core elements of living and participating in the 21st century. ICTs are also considered to be fundamental to the development of a dynamic knowledge-based economy (KBE) through the Education and Training Sector Improvement Program (ETSIP). ETSIP‟s aim is to embed ICT at all levels of the education system. It also aims to integrate the use of ICTs as tools in the delivery of curriculum and learning and in so doing, lead to a marked improvement in the quality of the learning and teaching process across all levels. Education has a key role in achieving Vision 2030. The aim of this research was to investigate mathematics teachers‟ perceptions of SAPs as curriculum materials in selected Namibian secondary (high) schools. This research adopted a qualitative methodology, which in this instance was a case study. The sample population consisted of five teachers from Okamu (pseudonym) secondary school in the Ohangwena Region of Namibia. Four of them had been teaching mathematics at different levels in the mentioned school for a period of four years, and one of them was teaching physical science. Three methods of data collection were used. The first two were semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews based on teachers‟ experiences using SAPs. The third method was an audio taped observation of a lesson taught by one of the teachers,. This research provides evidence about teachers‟ perceptions regarding time concerns and constraints with regards to the SAPs and the use of the SAPs. The teachers showed willingness and enthusiasm to use SAPs on linear and quadratic functions in their teaching. Some of the teachers became more aware of the epistemic dimensions associated with mathematical and algebraic symbols. Interview data reveal that the teachers had not considered these dimensions when teaching with the usual paper-and-pen format. The research also provides evidence of a teacher‟s early vision about the use of spreadsheets as an instrument to teach linear functions. This teacher did not consider any epistemic value for the instrumented spreadsheets techniques, or that they might contribute to a deeper understanding of the linear functions. His concern was focused more on getting the learners to acquire computer skills, such as learning how to use spreadsheets. It is recommended that in-service professional development about ICT integration into mathematics teaching be offered. This might help teachers to learn how their knowledge and skills could be used in the classroom more effectively in order to save time. It is also suggested that professional development programmes be designed to stimulate and promote teachers‟ willingness to develop an understanding of the characteristics of ICTs such… Advisors/Committee Members: Gierdien, Faaiz, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Rodrigues Losada, Ricardo J. “Teachers' perceptions of spreadsheet algebra programs as curriculum materials for high school mathematics in Namibia.” 2012. Thesis, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/71846.
Rodrigues Losada, Ricardo J. “Teachers' perceptions of spreadsheet algebra programs as curriculum materials for high school mathematics in Namibia.” 2012. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Rodrigues Losada RJ. Teachers' perceptions of spreadsheet algebra programs as curriculum materials for high school mathematics in Namibia. [Internet] [Thesis]. Stellenbosch University; 2012. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/71846.
5. Klaasen, Danoven. ’n Poging om my klaskamerpraktyk in beroepsvoorligting by 'n landelike VOO-skool te verbeter : 'n aksienavorsingsbenadering.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this mini-thesis I share the action research that I undertook at the school where I teach. This research was an attempt to improve my practice in career guidance, a sub-division of Life Orientation. The need for a study of this nature was developed out of my experiences with matriculants who appear to be confused about their future careers they intent pursuing. It appeared that they lacked the capacity to do self-planning and did not really comprehend how to plan their future careers. In reflection on career guidance, in general, and my own teaching practice in particular, I came to the conclusion that there is a real problem in terms of the effectiveness of career guidance and that I, in my technicist attitude towards policies of the education department, perhaps unconsciously, became part of the maintenance of a fruitless practice. Although I dutifully carry out the curriculum according to the required education policies, there remain an uncertainty and a concern regarding the practicality surrounding career guidance and more so when it comes to disadvantaged students from rural areas. This compelled me to do some introspection about the way I was teaching and involving the learners in my career guidance classes. This introspection lead me to the realisation that the instrumentalist and technicist way of teaching (‘talk and chalk’ method of teaching) and my endeavour to finish my content and assessment tasks within a certain prescribed timeframe, were at odds with creative career guidance teaching. My classroom practice was trapped in the old methods, and I was caught up in the old traditional ways while teaching a 21st-century learner. In an effort to address the above-mentioned issues of concern, I address the following critical questions, namely: - How can career guidance be used as a tool to improve the life skills of learners from a poor rural school? - How can I improve my classroom practice? In Chapter one I explore my background and provide reasons why I got involved in this project. In my literature review, I suggest that the principles of the National Curriculum Statement Grades R–12 (2012) and the outcomes that the learners have to achieve have certain implications for classroom practice. This is in line with Cuseo’s (1996) view that basic education is guaranteed by not only giving form to the structure of the curriculum, but also to what happens between learners and teachers in the classroom. A detailed description of the two action research projects that were undertaken with Grade eleven learners at my school is given in Chapters four and five. In the final chapter of this thesis, I reflect on the research engaged in the classroom and I also reflect on the future of teachers as researchers. I believe that any attempt to improve the education and conditions of our rural and disadvantaged schools would go a long way in addressing the inequities prevalent in our society.
Advisors/Committee Members: Esau, Omar, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Klaasen, Danoven. “’n Poging om my klaskamerpraktyk in beroepsvoorligting by 'n landelike VOO-skool te verbeter : 'n aksienavorsingsbenadering.” 2013. Thesis, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/80011.
Klaasen, Danoven. “’n Poging om my klaskamerpraktyk in beroepsvoorligting by 'n landelike VOO-skool te verbeter : 'n aksienavorsingsbenadering.” 2013. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Klaasen D. ’n Poging om my klaskamerpraktyk in beroepsvoorligting by 'n landelike VOO-skool te verbeter : 'n aksienavorsingsbenadering. [Internet] [Thesis]. Stellenbosch University; 2013. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/80011.
6. Fair, Andrew George. An evaluation of a model of teacher professional development in a science and mathematics intervention programme for teachers and learners.
▼ ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa is in the midst of a mathematics and science education crisis that challenges all key role-players. The Institute for Mathematics and Science Teaching at the University of Stellenbosch (IMSTUS), was involved in several university-school partnership (systemic intervention) projects that sought to provide continuing professional development to mathematics and science teachers and to help them make a greater impact on the learners that they teach. One of these intervention projects was the Sciences and Mathematics Initiative for Learners and EducatorS (SMILES) that targeted mathematics and science teachers and learners in under-resourced schools in the Western Cape. The effects of an intervention aimed at supporting and enhancing teacher professional development will only be seen in the learners once teachers have accepted and mastered the pedagogies proposed. Professional development that does not “enthuse, support, train and renew, and encourage” will probably fail. When considering this, the question that must be asked is whether the SMILES project was in fact enthusing, supporting, training, renewing and encouraging. The purposes and aims of the SMILES project with specific reference to professional development of science teachers were to enhance teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge and address the critical issues confronting science education of which three are: constructivist teaching, understanding the nature of science, and scientific argumentation. The characteristics of effective professional development, the core features of professional development and the theoretical constructs to evaluate professional development of teachers were used in this study to evaluate the effectiveness of the model used in the SMILES project. A concurrent version of the mixed method approach was adopted for the collection and analysis of the data. Although causality is always difficult to prove in a school setting because of the many variables that affect student performance, improved student achievement is the ultimate litmus test for teacher professional development effectiveness. Analysis of the National Senior Certificate results of the project schools compared with the National and Provincial results indicated that the project schools on the whole fared better than the National results. The project schools outperformed the national and provincial results for Life Sciences in 2011, 2012 and 2013 by at least four percentage points. The highest result achieved was 85,5% in 2011. In 2012 and 2013 these results were 82,7% and 83,0% respectively. In Physical Sciences the project schools started with results below that achieved nationally (34,7%) and then ended up with a pass percentage within half a percentage point of the provincial result (72,1%). The Mathematics results were not as positive. The project schools started by achieving a 63,4% pass rate and ended with a percentage pass rate of 63,3% having initially taking a dip down to 51,3%. At the end of the intervention the Mathematics results… Advisors/Committee Members: Ndlovu, Mdutshekelwa, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Fair, Andrew George. “An evaluation of a model of teacher professional development in a science and mathematics intervention programme for teachers and learners.” 2015. Thesis, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/97135.
Fair, Andrew George. “An evaluation of a model of teacher professional development in a science and mathematics intervention programme for teachers and learners.” 2015. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Fair AG. An evaluation of a model of teacher professional development in a science and mathematics intervention programme for teachers and learners. [Internet] [Thesis]. Stellenbosch University; 2015. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/97135.
7. Daniels, Deidrè Ann. Hoe beïnvloed die implementering van 'n interaktiewe skryfprogram die skryfgedrag en -strategieë van graad twee-leerders?.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie het die invloed van die implementering van `n intervensieprogram ten opsigte van interaktiewe skryf op die skryfgedrag en skryfstrategieë van graad twee-leerders ondersoek. Ek het spesifiek gekyk na interaktiewe skryf as benadering om leerders se skryfvermoë te verbeter. Volgens Wood (1994:117) is die doel van die onderrig van skryf in die Grondslagfase om leerders as skrywers te help ontwikkel met die vermoë om hul gedagtes en idees in skrif te artikuleer asook die vaardighede om dit op `n gepaste manier aan te bied deur gebruik te maak van leesbare skryfstyl, standaardspelling en punktuasie en korrekte sinskonstruksie. Volgens navorsing gedoen deur die Weskaapse Onderwysdepartement met graad drie-leerders in die Wes-Kaap is bewys dat net ses en dertig persent van die leerders wat die taal- en wiskunde-toetsing doen, slaag (WKOD: 2006). Met die analisering van die uitslae het ek bevind dat die graad twee-leerders van ons skool sukkel met skryf. Om hierdie probleem aan te spreek en vir hierdie studie het ek besluit om op interaktiewe skryf te fokus omdat ek van mening is dat dit verskil van tradisionele skryfonderrigmetodes. McCarrier, Pinell & Fountas (2000:4) definieer interaktiewe skryf as `n dinamiese, geïntegreerde aksie waar die leerder aktief besig is om die deur middel van letters, woorde, en frases `n teks te beplan en organiseer. Fountas & Pinnell (2006:440) beskryf interaktiewe skryf as `n benadering waar jonger leerders saam met die onderwyser `n teks skryf en ontwikkel. Die onderwyser dien as fasiliteerder terwyl die leerders die teks ontwerp, skryf en herlees. Die navorsingsgroep bestaan uit ses graad twee-leerders wat aan `n intervensieprogram oor interaktiewe skryf blootgestel is. Die intervensieprogram het bestaan uit `n pretoets, `n hulpverleningsprogram en `n posttoets. Die data-analise het getoon dat die gemiddelde persentasies van die leerders in die posttoets in vergelyking met die pretoets 20% hoër is. Die studie het dus aangetoon dat die skryfintervensie die ses leerders se skryfvaardigheid verbeter het.
Advisors/Committee Members: Nathanson, R., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Daniels, Deidrè Ann. “Hoe beïnvloed die implementering van 'n interaktiewe skryfprogram die skryfgedrag en -strategieë van graad twee-leerders?.” 2015. Masters Thesis, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/98046.
Daniels, Deidrè Ann. “Hoe beïnvloed die implementering van 'n interaktiewe skryfprogram die skryfgedrag en -strategieë van graad twee-leerders?.” 2015. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Daniels DA. Hoe beïnvloed die implementering van 'n interaktiewe skryfprogram die skryfgedrag en -strategieë van graad twee-leerders?. [Internet] [Masters thesis]. Stellenbosch University; 2015. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/98046.
8. Khoza, Lindiwe Mhakamuni. Variables associated with student learning resource preferences in the learning management system at a Faculty of Military Science.
▼ ENGLISH ABSTRACT : The study was undertaken to determine variables associated with students’ learning resource preferences in the Learning Management System (LMS) of the Faculty of Military Science of Stellenbosch University. It aimed to explain why students either engage, disengage or not engage at all with institutional course content either on or off the existing LMS. The study was undertaken against the background of the challenges that the institution faces in taking informed decisions to improve its LMS to facilitate optimal engagement with its respective online courses. Few studies to date employed an integrated approach to understanding how lecturers teach online, firstly, and how students learn online, secondly. In order to gain a deeper understanding of why students either engage or not engage with course content both on and off the institutional LMS, the researcher has adopted an integrated approach to analysing data that reported on activities off the LMS as well as data automatically generated by the LMS. Qualitative data were collected through interviews and open ended questions of the questionnaire. Quantitative data were collected from logs on the LMS, closed questions of the questionnaire, and institutional class lists. Participants in this study were either first year distance education students, or second year residential and distance education students. They were either registered for a particular compulsory first-year module or a particular second-year module. All students were employees, mostly career soldiers of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). Data were first analysed per data source. Both thematic content and critical discourse analysis were used in analysis of qualitative and quantitative data respectively. Findings were interpreted according to the conceptual framework for this study. The study highlighted important aspects in terms of online teaching and learning, key of which is the teaching strategy that the lecturer employed through learning resources which determined the level of engagement intended for students to achieve the expected level of understanding as stated in the learning outcomes. Another important finding highlighted is that students could identify a gap in their knowledge. Limited scaffolding conditions existed for students registered for the compulsory first-year module to achieve the stated learning outcomes. Conversely, adequate scaffolding conditions were created for students registered for the compulsory second-year module to attain the stated learning outcomes for the module. The findings revealed a complex combination of interrelated internal, external and contextual factors that should be considered in designing learning resources, because of the impact they have on students’ level of engagement with course content both in and off the LMS. The study revealed that the institution should capitalize on the best opportunities of both face-to-face and online learning to elicit the intended level of engagement with the LMS content in order to… Advisors/Committee Members: Gierdien, F., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.
Khoza, Lindiwe Mhakamuni. “Variables associated with student learning resource preferences in the learning management system at a Faculty of Military Science.” 2016. Doctoral Dissertation, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/100124.
Khoza, Lindiwe Mhakamuni. “Variables associated with student learning resource preferences in the learning management system at a Faculty of Military Science.” 2016. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Khoza LM. Variables associated with student learning resource preferences in the learning management system at a Faculty of Military Science. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Stellenbosch University; 2016. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/100124.
9. Abdella, Ali Suleman. Lesson study as a support strategy for teacher development : a case study of middle school science teachers in Eritrea.
Contains one part in Tigrigna.
Advisors/Committee Members: Reddy, C. P. S., Carl, A. E., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Abdella, Ali Suleman. “Lesson study as a support strategy for teacher development : a case study of middle school science teachers in Eritrea.” 2015. Doctoral Dissertation, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/97776.
Abdella, Ali Suleman. “Lesson study as a support strategy for teacher development : a case study of middle school science teachers in Eritrea.” 2015. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Abdella AS. Lesson study as a support strategy for teacher development : a case study of middle school science teachers in Eritrea. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Stellenbosch University; 2015. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/97776.
10. Van Zyl, Ann Elizabeth. Exploring the potential theory-practice gap in the teaching methods of nurse educators.
▼ ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The lack of theory-practice integration has a long-standing history in nursing education due to many factors and causes. It is continuously indicated in research studies that there is no easy or perfect solution. The causes for this theory-practice gap seem to be in the theoretical and/or clinical environment. In literature teaching methods are identified as one of the most important causes of the theory-practice gap. In view of the informal feedback received from nurse educators and nursing managers it was necessary to investigate the lack of theory-practice integration. The aim of the study was thus to explore in which respects current teaching methods utilised by nurse educators at a higher education institution comply or do not comply with teaching methods suggested in literature as essential for theory-practice integration. An exploratory descriptive research design was used to investigate the nature of the teaching methods utilised by nurse educators facilitating theoretical learning. Questionnaires were sent to nurse educators and student nurses registered for the Diploma in General Nursing Science programme. The questionnaire that mainly consisted of closed questions was used to collect and analyse the data. The data were generated at four learning sites of a higher education institution. The validity of the results was verified by an observer in the field for which a structured checklist was used. Results indicated that a wide spectrum of teaching methods were utilised by the nurse educators and that the student nurses had limited internet access at the learning centres. Eight (8) teaching methods, complying with teaching methods identified by literature as essential to enhance theorypractice integration, were used. However, it was evident that formal lectures were overused. It raises concerns as this method does not comply with teaching methods essential to enhance theory-practice integration. In fact, it limits the students’ ability to develop critical thinking and is seen as one of the possible causes of the theory-practice gap. Feedback relating to the teaching aids used showed that the data projector with PowerPoint slides, whiteboard and textbooks were the three teaching aids used most frequently. According to literature, the overuse of textbooks is generally viewed as the starting point of the theory-practice gap. The results of this study imply that an increased awareness and training of nurse educators regarding their teaching methods may increase their teaching and facilitation skills. It seems to be the nurse educator’s responsibility to ensure that teaching methods are used that are essential to enhance theory-practice integration and it is the responsibility of management at any higher educational institution to ensure that the necessary educational and information technology resources are available. It is recommended that further studies be conducted to determine whether nurse educators do indeed apply the teaching methods effectively to narrow… Advisors/Committee Members: Bitzer, E. M., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Van Zyl, Ann Elizabeth. “Exploring the potential theory-practice gap in the teaching methods of nurse educators.” 2014. Thesis, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/86609.
Van Zyl, Ann Elizabeth. “Exploring the potential theory-practice gap in the teaching methods of nurse educators.” 2014. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Van Zyl AE. Exploring the potential theory-practice gap in the teaching methods of nurse educators. [Internet] [Thesis]. Stellenbosch University; 2014. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/86609.
11. Newman, Linda Rozetta. Opvoeders se perspektiewe rakende die gebruik van die leesperiode en skoolbiblioteke in geselekteerde skole in die Noord-Kaap.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Reading is an important skill for the 21st century and are one of the cornerstones of learning. Research shows an escalating concern about the reading ability of South African learners. In an attempt to improve the literacy levels of learners, the Northern Cape Department of Education, issued a circular to schools instructing them to implement a daily reading period of 30 minutes. It is required of schools to indicate the reading period on the timetable and reading must be formally instructed. The purpose of the study was to determine the perspectives of teachers regarding the use of the reading period and school libraries. It is hypothesized that teachers do not provide enough exposure to learners regarding reading. Secondly It is hypothesized that teachers do not a create a reading culture or foster a positive attitude towards reading, because they ignore the reading period and do not use the library as a resource. A mixed method approach was followed, where both quantitative and qualitative research designs was used. The study consisted of a literature review and an empirical study. The empirical study was conducted at two high schools in the Namaqua District. The data was collected by means of a questionnaire which was completed by 16 Grade 8 and 9 teachers. Focus group interviews were also conducted with the participating teachers. An analysis of the empirical data showed the following : - According to the results the majority of the teachers are aware of the reading period. - The teachers indicated that the reading period is not implemented at both of the schools. - The teachers did not receive any guidance or support from the Northern Cape Education Department to assist learners with reading problems. - The data showed that both schools do have a school library. - From the responses of the teachers it seems that the library resources are old and insufficient. - The data indicated that the teachers do not use the school library as a resource to promote teaching and learning. - The learners are not exposed to the library to assist them with curriculum assignments. The research confirmed the research hypothesis that the reading period is not implemented and that the school library is not used by the teachers to promote the literacy levels and academic performance of the learners.
Advisors/Committee Members: Le Cordeur, M. L. A., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.
Newman, Linda Rozetta. “Opvoeders se perspektiewe rakende die gebruik van die leesperiode en skoolbiblioteke in geselekteerde skole in die Noord-Kaap.” 2014. Thesis, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/86614.
Newman, Linda Rozetta. “Opvoeders se perspektiewe rakende die gebruik van die leesperiode en skoolbiblioteke in geselekteerde skole in die Noord-Kaap.” 2014. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Newman LR. Opvoeders se perspektiewe rakende die gebruik van die leesperiode en skoolbiblioteke in geselekteerde skole in die Noord-Kaap. [Internet] [Thesis]. Stellenbosch University; 2014. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/86614.
12. Damon, Nolan Brandon. On the feasibility of Moodle use to assist deaf and hard of hearing Grade 9 learners with mathematics problem-solving.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis sets out to examine Moodle use to assist Deaf and Hard of Hearing Grade 9 learners with understanding mathematics problem-solving. The methodology used in this research project is that of formative evaluation. In this qualitative data analysis I worked as a participant-observer with three Deaf and H/H Grade 9 learners from a local school for the Deaf and H/H. These learners engaged in a course constructed in Moodle based on ratio and rate. The course was designed along the lines of a constructivist pedagogical model, different levels of learning as well as including multi representational features. Through the qualitative analysis of the interviews conducted with learners who participated in the research project and observation done by the teacher researcher, three categories emerged i.e. Weaknesses, Potential strengths and Learner suggestions. Although the findings indicate that different factors negatively impact Deaf and H/H learners’ ability to solve mathematics problems, it also highlights the representational features of mathematics content via Moodle, and how it can assist Deaf and H/H learners with the struggle with mathematics problem-solving.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie navorsingsprojek is om te evaluereer of Moodle gebruik deur Dowe en Hardhorende graad 9 leerders hulle kan help met moeilikhede wat hulle ondervind met wiskunde probleem oplossing. Die navorsing is ‘n formatiewe evaluering. Binne hierdie kwalitatiewe data ontleding werk ek as ‘n deelnemer-navorser met 3 Dowe en Hardhorende graad 9 leerders by ‘n plaaslike skool vir Doof en Hardhorende leerders. Hierdie leerders het deelgeneem in leeraktiwiteite wat ontwerp is in Moodle en wat gebasseer is op verhouding en koers. Die leeraktiwiteite is ontwerp inlyn met ‘n konstruktivistiese pedagogiese model, verskillende vlakke van leer en multi voorstellings formate. Drie kategorieë o.a Tekortkominge, Moontlike Sterkpunte en Leerder voorstelle, het onstaan tydens die kwalitatiewe data ontleding waar onderhoude met die deelnemers gevoer asook observasie wat gedoen is deur die deelnemer-navorser. Alhoewel die bevindinge daarop dui dat verskillende faktore negatief inwerk op Dowe en Hardhorende leerders se vermoë om wiskunde problem op te los, wys dit ook uit die vermoë van Moodle om wiskunde probleme voor te stel en hoe hierdie voorstellings Dowe en Hardhorende leerders kan help met wiskunde probleem oplossing.
Advisors/Committee Members: Gierdien, Faaiz, Collair, Lynette, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Damon, Nolan Brandon. “On the feasibility of Moodle use to assist deaf and hard of hearing Grade 9 learners with mathematics problem-solving.” 2015. Thesis, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96768.
Damon, Nolan Brandon. “On the feasibility of Moodle use to assist deaf and hard of hearing Grade 9 learners with mathematics problem-solving.” 2015. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Damon NB. On the feasibility of Moodle use to assist deaf and hard of hearing Grade 9 learners with mathematics problem-solving. [Internet] [Thesis]. Stellenbosch University; 2015. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96768.
13. Anyanwu, Raymond Ndubisi. An assessment of climate change science literacy and climate change pedagogical literacy of geography teachers in the Western Cape.
Advisors/Committee Members: Beets, Peter, Le Grange, Lesley, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Anyanwu, Raymond Ndubisi. “An assessment of climate change science literacy and climate change pedagogical literacy of geography teachers in the Western Cape.” 2015. Doctoral Dissertation, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96831.
Anyanwu, Raymond Ndubisi. “An assessment of climate change science literacy and climate change pedagogical literacy of geography teachers in the Western Cape.” 2015. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Anyanwu RN. An assessment of climate change science literacy and climate change pedagogical literacy of geography teachers in the Western Cape. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Stellenbosch University; 2015. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96831.
14. Booysen, Barry. Toward a cooperative learning process in building social cohesion in a Grade 10 Geography classroom : an action research approach.
▼ ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This mini-thesis documents two action research projects which I conducted as a teacher researcher in my Grade 10 Geography classroom. The research was an attempt to improve my teaching as a Geography teacher and to enhance social cohesion in my classroom. This mini-thesis investigated the following research questions: How can cooperative learning be used in a Geography classroom to build and improve social cohesion amongst students? And how can I improve my own teaching practice? The focus of the study was on cooperative learning as a teaching strategy, while action research was the research methodology. Two action research projects were completed and reflected upon within the action research framework. This mini-thesis, which include two action research projects, is based, underpinned and influenced by the critical theorists such as Darder (2007), Dewey (1938) Freire(1972), Habermas (1972), Giroux (1988), McNiff (2002, 2006, 2010) and Waghid 2011). In reflecting on my practice, I realise that there is a problem in terms of helping students to foster an promote positive social relationships and working together in the classroom. In this mini thesis I contend that cooperative learning holds the potential to improve social cohesion and social relationships amongst students. Cooperative learning emphasises cooperation as integral to students’ success and because of this cooperative learning has been found successful in fostering positive intergroup attitudes in classrooms. South-African teachers in recent years have been compelled to embrace a more learner-centred approach as opposed to a teacher-centred approach. I believe cooperative learning could be instrumental in enhancing learner performance and promoting positive social relationships amongst classmates. I consider my teaching practice to have certain defects and through action research I can investigate and reflect on this with a view of improving my practice. Self-reflection and introspection led me to critically examine my classroom practice. In this research I also tried to encourage students to interact with one another in a positive way. This study uses cooperative learning as a teaching strategy to enhance working together between students in a classroom and enhance social cohesion. At the time of this study the Department of Basic Education introduced Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) as the official curriculum of South Africa. CAPS consequently has an influence on my teaching practice. We adhere to departmental policies and try to comply with curriculum delivery often to the detriment of the needs that learners might experience in the school, such as nation building and maintaining relationships that contribute to the total development of the learner. What further motivated me to address my classroom practice was that my teaching style was still very similar to the way my previous teachers taught me. I was still caught up in the traditional mode of teaching and learning where the “teacher… Advisors/Committee Members: Esau, Omar, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Booysen, Barry. “Toward a cooperative learning process in building social cohesion in a Grade 10 Geography classroom : an action research approach.” 2015. Thesis, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96859.
Booysen, Barry. “Toward a cooperative learning process in building social cohesion in a Grade 10 Geography classroom : an action research approach.” 2015. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Booysen B. Toward a cooperative learning process in building social cohesion in a Grade 10 Geography classroom : an action research approach. [Internet] [Thesis]. Stellenbosch University; 2015. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96859.
15. Meyer, Lelanie. Die persepsies van onderwysers rakende hul eie bevoegdheid ten opsigte van die onderrig van skeppende kunste in die intermediere fase (Graad 4-6).
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study focuses on the perception of Creative Arts educators in the Intermediate Phase with regard to their own competency levels to teach Creative Arts effectively. Creative Arts consists of four art forms, namely Dance, Music, Drama and Visual Arts. The ideal is that all Creative Art educators are competent enough to teach the different art forms effectively. To answer the research question in order to achieve the goal of the study, the researcher made use of a qualitative research design from within an interpretive research paradigm. A case study strategy has also been applied by the researcher in order to obtain data pertaining to the specific aspect of the study, namely Creative Arts educators. Various sources were used to generate the data, namely semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and document analysis. Various precautionary measures were taken to ensure the validity and reliability of the data. During the course of the investigation, ethical issues were in question. However, the researcher followed the necessary guidelines to ensure that all endeavours were ethically acceptable. In the literature study the curriculum review process as well as the inclusion of Arts and Culture and Creative Arts in the curriculum is analysed. The training of Creative Arts educators and the challenges that this subject poses to schools and other mainstream educators are also considered. It was established that mainstream educators are often unable to teach this subject with the required confidence, knowledge and skills. Taking the results of this study into account, it appears that Creative Arts educators are not trained sufficiently in the four art forms, which influences the way in which the subject is taught. Educators who have received training in only one of the art forms tend to emphasise that particular art form only. The results of the study clearly indicate that the educators will only be able to do justice to Creative Arts as a subject if they are trained sufficiently to teach it with the necessary confidence and skill.
Advisors/Committee Members: Carl, A. E., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Meyer, Lelanie. “Die persepsies van onderwysers rakende hul eie bevoegdheid ten opsigte van die onderrig van skeppende kunste in die intermediere fase (Graad 4-6).” 2015. Thesis, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96894.
Meyer, Lelanie. “Die persepsies van onderwysers rakende hul eie bevoegdheid ten opsigte van die onderrig van skeppende kunste in die intermediere fase (Graad 4-6).” 2015. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Meyer L. Die persepsies van onderwysers rakende hul eie bevoegdheid ten opsigte van die onderrig van skeppende kunste in die intermediere fase (Graad 4-6). [Internet] [Thesis]. Stellenbosch University; 2015. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96894.
16. Mkhabela, Lamson Zondiwe. The role of leadership learning in the developmental needs of the senior managers in a rural municipality : a case study in adult education at Bushbuckridge local municipality.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Municipalities are entrusted with the responsibility of providing sustainable social services to local communities. Issues of capacity to facilitate the delivery of such services feature prominently in these municipalities where a number of communities have expressed their frustration and even anger at the slow pace of delivery of services, or the absence of such service delivery. The reported failure by senior municipal managers to facilitate the delivery of the needed services to communities motivated this investigation. In particular, the possible contribution of leadership learning in the developmental needs of senior managers in the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality was focused upon. The main knowledge claim in this study is that the proven lack of competencies and skills of senior municipal managers have much to do with the weak delivery of acceptable services to communities. Consequently, the study indicated the need to identify the developmental needs of senior municipal managers from a leadership learning perspective and to implement developmental interventions to possibly address such needs. The study was conducted in four phases. First, a number of pre-planning leadership learning questions were formulated, which were determined through document analyses and developing theoretical perspectives from review of relevant literature. Next, a needs assessment among senior managers was conducted. This phase was followed by the implementation of a planned intervention based on leadership learning principles. Finally, the potential success of the intervention was evaluated. The study revealed that although the municipality of Bushbuckridge has an acceptable policy framework that supports leadership learning, the leadership competencies and skills required for senior managers to facilitate delivery of municipal services to communities were lacking. The leadership intervention in this study had limited success due to systemic instabilities within the particular municipal system. The study showed that systemic stability appears to be essential for productive leadership development. It also showed that financial investment in leadership development or developmental interventions may contribute less to enhancing the performance of senior managers if a municipality lacks systemic stability. Given the reported large-scale systemic instability within local municipalities countrywide in South Africa, the results of this study indicate that capacity development initiatives are destined for failure if systemic issues are not addressed first.
Advisors/Committee Members: Frick, Beatrice Liezel, Bitzer, Elias Mattys, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.
Mkhabela, Lamson Zondiwe. “The role of leadership learning in the developmental needs of the senior managers in a rural municipality : a case study in adult education at Bushbuckridge local municipality.” 2015. Doctoral Dissertation, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96901.
Mkhabela, Lamson Zondiwe. “The role of leadership learning in the developmental needs of the senior managers in a rural municipality : a case study in adult education at Bushbuckridge local municipality.” 2015. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Mkhabela LZ. The role of leadership learning in the developmental needs of the senior managers in a rural municipality : a case study in adult education at Bushbuckridge local municipality. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Stellenbosch University; 2015. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96901.
17. Theron, Erika. Student engagement as a way of enhancing student success at a private higher education institution.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Relevant literature in higher education indicates that the higher education scene is changing fast and that higher education providers and their educators are at the centre of such change. The changing student body is of particular interest to higher education providers as the changing needs of students result in new inquiries into how current students learn and perform. Student engagement is widely suggested as a means of addressing the changing nature of the current generation of students and enhancing student success. Student engagement may be defined as the time and effort students devote to activities that are empirically linked to the desired higher education outcomes. Student success is no longer considered merely as cognitive competence as there is a greater understanding today of what makes up the entire student and his or her learning needs. This study was aimed at determining to what extent student engagement is being promoted at a private higher education institution in the Western Cape, South Africa. A mixed method research design was applied. Self-constructed questionnaires were distributed to staff members and students at the institution and semi-structured interviews with individual staff members and focus group interviews with students were also conducted. Both quantitative and qualitative data were generated and appropriately analysed. From the findings of this study a number of issues emerged. Firstly, it was revealed that the institution as a private provider in the field of culinary arts and hospitality and its educators recognise the changing nature of their students. Secondly, staff seem committed to the concept of student engagement and related practices to foster student success. Thirdly, students acknowledge engagement in their own learning as a favourable feature, but indicate further engagement opportunities to be created by their lecturing staff and the institution. A number of implications also emerged from the study. It is evident that lecturers at The Private Hotel School may aim to gain a better understanding of the current generation of students and they may also focus on determining more ways to facilitate engagement. Furthermore, it is evident that students at this institution may be made more aware of their role in engaging in their own learning.
Advisors/Committee Members: Bitzer, E. M., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Theron, Erika. “Student engagement as a way of enhancing student success at a private higher education institution.” 2015. Thesis, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96968.
Theron, Erika. “Student engagement as a way of enhancing student success at a private higher education institution.” 2015. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Theron E. Student engagement as a way of enhancing student success at a private higher education institution. [Internet] [Thesis]. Stellenbosch University; 2015. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96968.
18. Ekron, Christelle. Learning to teach : communication skills in teacher education.
▼ ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates the development of the classroom communication behaviours of Foundation Phase student teachers over the course of a B Ed degree programme at a South African university. It challenges the premise of conventional wisdom that classroom communication behaviours will develop through regular exposure to situated learning experiences. Whilst acknowledging that learning to teach is a long and challenging process of which the precise nature is seldom clear-cut and distinct, this study claims to make a humble contribution to teacher education curriculum development. Classroom communication from the perspective of this study involves communication at two levels: firstly, interpersonal communication behaviours, which are influenced by nonverbal immediacy, communication apprehension, willingness to communicate and self-perceived communication skills; and secondly, instructional communication behaviours, more specifically clarity and immediacy behaviours. There seems to be a general perception that effective classroom communication will develop naturally by exposure to situated learning experiences, such as teaching practice sessions. Although the relative importance of these specific classroom communication behaviours for quality teaching and learning is acknowledged, whether and how these develop is seldom explicitly monitored. This was the intention of this study. It utilised a longitudinal mixed methods approach to follow Foundation Phase students over the four years of the degree programme in order to answer the following research question: To what extent do perceptions related to the classroom communication behaviours of Foundation Phase student teachers change over the course of a B Ed degree programme? The quantitative phase collected data using various self-report surveys in order to investigate possible changes in the self-perceptions of Foundation Phase student teachers regarding their communication behaviours over the four-year period. The purpose of the qualitative phase was to investigate possible changes in the perceptions of external evaluators regarding the instructional communication behaviours of student teachers over the degree programme. The qualitative data was obtained from the evaluation reports written by external evaluators on various aspects of the observed lessons. Although some changes occurred during the course of the B Ed degree programme, they were not as substantial as anticipated. From an interpersonal communication perspective, there was one particularly noticeable change: the self-perceived communication competence of the Foundation Phase student teachers improved between the first and second years of the programme, however, thereafter no further changes occurred. From an instructional communication perspective, more noticeable changes occurred: Foundation Phase student teachers improved in some aspects related to clarity, however other aspects still remained challenging. However, there was positive development related to immediacy: the fourth year… Advisors/Committee Members: Van der Walt, C., Evans, R., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Ekron, Christelle. “Learning to teach : communication skills in teacher education.” 2015. Doctoral Dissertation, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96988.
Ekron, Christelle. “Learning to teach : communication skills in teacher education.” 2015. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Ekron C. Learning to teach : communication skills in teacher education. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Stellenbosch University; 2015. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96988.
19. Awases, Cherly Lydia. Secondary school Geography teachers' understanding and implementation learner-centred eof ducation and enquiry-based teaching in Namibia.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates the understanding of and experiences in the implementation of learner-centred education (LCE) and enquiry-based teaching of Grade 10 Geography teachers against the backdrop of curriculum reform in Namibia. The Namibian curriculum is premised on the view that there is a need for the holistic development and preparation of learners for a knowledge-based society. Globally, LCE, with its potential for broadening access to quality education, has been a recurring theme of national reform policies and has been promoted as an innovative way of teaching. The usefulness of the LCE approach and associated enquiry-based teaching is embedded in constructivism and is introduced with the promise that it will enable learners to develop investigative and critical thinking skills that will put them at the centre of learning. This interpretative study employed a case study approach that utilised qualitative methods to gather information on the experiences of the three Geography teachers at the sampled schools as they implement LCE and enquiry-based teaching. The main data-gathering techniques in phases 1 and 2 of the research respectively were semi-structured interviews and classroom observations. The findings revealed that the teachers have different understandings of what LCE and enquiry-based teaching approaches are, although their teaching employs some elements of it. The research also indicated that there is one big factor that impinges on their implementation of LCE and enquiry-based teaching approaches. The teachers admitted that, due to the pressure of learner success in the end-of-year Grade 10 examination, they rather teach to the test. This diverts their teaching from focusing on implementing approaches that actively involve learners in the learning process and nurture enquiry skills when these skills are not formally assessed in examinations. Consequently, teachers fail to implement the syllabus as intended by policy makers and curriculum developers. Even though the findings of this study may be specific to the sampled schools and the participating teachers, it can be assumed that similar situations exist in schools with comparable contexts. It is therefore important that education policy makers and relevant stakeholders strive to allocate sufficient support and resources for teachers to implement LCE and enquiry-based teaching effectively in schools.
Advisors/Committee Members: Beets, Peter, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Awases, Cherly Lydia. “Secondary school Geography teachers' understanding and implementation learner-centred eof ducation and enquiry-based teaching in Namibia.” 2015. Thesis, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/97002.
Awases, Cherly Lydia. “Secondary school Geography teachers' understanding and implementation learner-centred eof ducation and enquiry-based teaching in Namibia.” 2015. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Awases CL. Secondary school Geography teachers' understanding and implementation learner-centred eof ducation and enquiry-based teaching in Namibia. [Internet] [Thesis]. Stellenbosch University; 2015. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/97002.
20. Vandenbergh, Stefanie Josepha Emilie. Towards explaining doctoral success at Stellenbosch University.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Limited research in South Africa has been conducted on factors contributing to doctoral success, particularly on how doctoral candidates and graduates experience their studies and the transformation of candidates that can be associated with doctoral studies. This lack of information pertains to the successful completion of a doctoral study within a minimum period of time. It is difficult to predict who will eventually successfully complete their doctoral studies if the prediction is merely based on the results of previous qualifications. Such previous achievements are often insufficient and inadequate to ensure the successful completion of a doctoral study. Knowledge institutions such as universities seem not to pay adequate attention to the transformation of the person of the doctoral candidate and his or her becoming an independent researcher. Often, a narrow concept of the intellect of doctoral candidates is over-emphasised. Knowing, although limited, is transformative as it can often change who candidates are (or become) as graduates. Such transformation and the idea of a doctoral identity has rarely been the focus in doctoral education, as epistemological gain is regarded as being more important. The aim of this study was to establish a basic understanding of doctoral success at Stellenbosch University, mainly directed at exploring the challenges faced by doctoral candidates and thereby possibly contributing to the future support of doctoral candidates at the institution. By using an interpretive reseach paradigm and narrative analysis, a number of characteristics were identified as being useful by contributing to a clearer theoretical and conceptual understanding of doctoral success at Stellenbosch University. In the study a number of factors that facilitated doctoral success were also identified, and factors contributing to such success as indicated by participants themselves were defined. A conceptual framework of understanding that may underscore and justify strategies and actions promoting doctoral success are suggested in the study.
Advisors/Committee Members: Bitzer, E. M., Frick, B. L., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.
Vandenbergh, Stefanie Josepha Emilie. “Towards explaining doctoral success at Stellenbosch University.” 2013. Thesis, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/85561.
Vandenbergh, Stefanie Josepha Emilie. “Towards explaining doctoral success at Stellenbosch University.” 2013. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Vandenbergh SJE. Towards explaining doctoral success at Stellenbosch University. [Internet] [Thesis]. Stellenbosch University; 2013. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/85561.
21. Jordaan, Phoebe-Marie. Finding creativity : integrating drama teaching techniques in creative writing lessons.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Creative writing forms an essential part of the English language learning area in any curriculum. The expression of knowledge and ideas through writing is an integral part of the communication process; however, some learners struggle to express their thoughts and ideas in creative writing tasks. As such, this thesis strives to discover how creativity can be stimulated in order to assist learners in their written expression. Drama techniques, stimulation activities and other multi-literacy resources have been employed to try and understand the discovering and ‘finding creativity’ process through creative writing, journaling and performance in the drama classroom. The research utilises the action research methodology, employing participant observations, semi-structured interviews and reflective classroom discussions. It also uses the creative writing journals of the learners in an attempt to investigate how drama techniques can stimulate creativity for the creative writing process. The units of analysis in this case study are 13 grade 9 learners at a private school in the Western Cape, South Africa. The analysis of the data collected reveals that by utilising drama techniques, along with other stimuli and resources, in the classroom the process of creative writing become less troublesome and more enjoyable for both learners and teacher-researcher alike. Another finding is that the open, free and flexible atmosphere, which is created in the classroom assists learners not only with the development of their written expression, but also with verbal expression. The learners learn how to express their creative thoughts and ideas, about the world they live in, in a respectful, sensitive and empathetic manner. The creative writing programs have proved to be more than just tools to improve writing competence, but also have equipped learners with the tools to become creative, thinking citizens.
Advisors/Committee Members: Van der Walt, Christa, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Jordaan, Phoebe-Marie. “Finding creativity : integrating drama teaching techniques in creative writing lessons.” 2015. Thesis, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/97125.
Jordaan, Phoebe-Marie. “Finding creativity : integrating drama teaching techniques in creative writing lessons.” 2015. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Jordaan P. Finding creativity : integrating drama teaching techniques in creative writing lessons. [Internet] [Thesis]. Stellenbosch University; 2015. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/97125.
22. Ntsohi, Mamosa M. E. Investigating teaching and learning of Grade 9 Algebra through excel spreadsheets : a mixed-methods case study for Lesotho.
▼ ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The teaching and learning of algebra in the middle school grades in Lesotho is dominated by the mechanistic approach where learners are drilled on procedures for solving certain types of problems in algebra, without making any connection to the experience learners had with arithmetic. This is one of the sources of learners’ difficulties in mathematics. Research indicates that use of spreadsheets such as Excel has a potential of bridging the gap between arithmetic and algebra and thus enhancing the teaching and learning of algebra, making it meaningful to the learners. The study sought to answer the question: How do Grade 9 learners in Lesotho experience teaching and learning of algebra through Excel spreadsheets? The research commenced with a literature review that was followed by the empirical study. The theories of instrumental genesis and instrumental orchestration were identified as the framework for the investigation. Instrumental genesis is the process in which learners develop facility with the artifact as they use it towards achieving lesson objectives; technical (conceptual, mechanical) and personal (attitudes, behavior and preferred learning styles) aspects of learners’ experiences were identified. Instrumental orchestration is the steering of learners’ instrumental genesis by the teacher and the manner in which this process is carried out, depends on the teacher’s Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK). The research was a multi-case study following a mixed-methods approach, where both qualitative and quantitative methods were used. The empirical study was conducted in two schools in Lesotho. In each school, fifteen learners volunteered participation. The investigation was done through classroom teaching by me as the researcher. The focus was on what challenges learners encountered and how they benefited from their “spreadsheets algebra” learning experience. Data were collected through classroom observations where field notes were recorded and an observation schedule was used by the researcher and the Assistant Observer respectively. A questionnaire was also administered to all learner participants after the whole teaching period. Six learners, representative of high, medium and low performances in class, were also interviewed with a goal of finding out their experiences. The Assistant Observer was also interviewed to reduce the bias that may result from to the researcher studying her own practice The study found that learners experiences with learning algebra through spreadsheets, comprised of both challenges and benefits. The challenges encountered by learners could be classified into those that were school-based and those that were instruction-based. The school-based challenges related to inadequate physical structures and lack of well-functioning equipment in the computer laboratories. Instruction-based challenges encountered by learners were both technical and personal. Technical challenges related to the physical manipulation of the artifact and the lack of… Advisors/Committee Members: Gierdien, F. M., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Ntsohi, Mamosa M E. “Investigating teaching and learning of Grade 9 Algebra through excel spreadsheets : a mixed-methods case study for Lesotho.” 2013. Doctoral Dissertation, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/85657.
Ntsohi, Mamosa M E. “Investigating teaching and learning of Grade 9 Algebra through excel spreadsheets : a mixed-methods case study for Lesotho.” 2013. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Ntsohi MME. Investigating teaching and learning of Grade 9 Algebra through excel spreadsheets : a mixed-methods case study for Lesotho. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Stellenbosch University; 2013. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/85657.
23. Mapira, Jemitias. Zimbabwes environmental education programme and its implications for sustainable development.
▼ ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The environmental education (EE)-sustainable development (SD) nexus has generated much research and debate at local, national and global levels (Fien, 1993). Although the term EE is quite old, dating back to 1948 in Paris (Palmer, 1998), during the last three decades, it has regained global currency due to numerous environmental challenges that are confronting our planet Earth, including: climate change, land degradation, desertification, and de-forestation, pollution and ozone depletion. The Rio Earth Summit of 1992 generated a new zeal in the provision of EE throughout the world. Since then, many countries have adopted it as a remedial strategy to address these environmental challenges. In Zimbabwe, EE dates back to 1954 during the colonial era when it was provided in the form of conservation education among farmers and in schools and colleges (Chikunda, 2007). The Natural Resources Board (NRB), a department in the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture (which was established in 1941) played a key role in both research and the dissemination of EE (Whitlow, 1988). However, throughout the colonial era and up to the end of the millennium, the country did not have a written EE policy document. Consequently, various government departments and organisations, which provided EE, did so individually. However, this fragmented approach proved to be ineffective and had to be abandoned through the promulgation of the Environmental Management Act (Chapter 20:27) of 2002. This development led to the establishment of an environmental management agency (EMA), which harmonised the provision of EE at local and national levels. This study based on information that was collected between 2011 and 2014, examines Zimbabwe‟s EE programme and its implications for sustainable development. It employed a mixed methods research design which enabled the researcher to employ both qualitative and quantitative approaches in data collection, interpretation and analysis. Derived from the pragmatic school of thought, this research design allows researchers to triangulate with different methods without provoking epistemological conflicts from other schools of thought. The study shows that nearly 84% of the EE in the country is provided by the formal education sector (which includes schools, colleges and universities) while the remaining 16% is derived from non-formal and informal education sources such as: EMA, some government ministries and departments, and several non-governmental organisations (NGOs). However, the bulk of the EE provided in Zimbabwe is biophysical in nature and is geared at transmitting facts about rather than for the environment (Fien, 1993; Chikunda, 2007 and Mapira, 2012a). Consequently, it does not instil a sense of environmental stewardship among ordinary citizens as reflected by increasing cases of environmental crimes including: land degradation, veldt fire outbreaks, deforestation, and the poaching of elephants, rhinos, and other wildlife resources. Furthermore, most people lack a deep knowledge of basic… Advisors/Committee Members: Le Grange, Lesley, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Mapira, Jemitias. “Zimbabwes environmental education programme and its implications for sustainable development.” 2014. Doctoral Dissertation, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/95968.
Mapira, Jemitias. “Zimbabwes environmental education programme and its implications for sustainable development.” 2014. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Mapira J. Zimbabwes environmental education programme and its implications for sustainable development. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Stellenbosch University; 2014. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/95968.
24. Knott, Axanthe. The process of mathematisation in mathematical modelling of number patterns in secondary school mathematics.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Research has confirmed the educational value of mathematical modelling for learners of all abilities. The development of modelling competencies is essential in the modelling approach. Little research has been done to identify and develop the mathematising modelling competency for specific sections of the mathematics curriculum. The study investigates the development of mathematising competencies during the modelling of number pattern problems. The RME theory has been selected as the theoretical framework for the study because of its focus on mathematisation. Mathematising competencies are identified from current literature and developed into models for horizontal and vertical (complete) mathematisation. The complete mathematising competencies were developed for number patterns and mapped on a continuum. They are internalising, interpreting, structuring, symbolising, adjusting, organising and generalising. The study investigates the formulation of a hypothetical trajectory for algebra and its associated local instruction theory to describe how effectively learning occurs when the mathematising competencies are applied in the learning process. Guided reinvention, didactical phenomenology and emergent modelling are the three RME design heuristics to form an instructional theory and were integrated throughout the study to comply with the design-based research’s outcome: to develop a learning trajectory and the means to support the learning thereof. The results support research findings, that modelling competencies develop when learners partake in mathematical modelling and that a heterogeneous group of learners develop complete mathematising competencies through the learning of the modelling process. Recommendations for additional studies include investigations to measure the influence of mathematical modelling on individualised learning in secondary school mathematics.
Advisors/Committee Members: Wessels, Dirk C. J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Knott, Axanthe. “The process of mathematisation in mathematical modelling of number patterns in secondary school mathematics.” 2014. Thesis, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96027.
Knott, Axanthe. “The process of mathematisation in mathematical modelling of number patterns in secondary school mathematics.” 2014. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Knott A. The process of mathematisation in mathematical modelling of number patterns in secondary school mathematics. [Internet] [Thesis]. Stellenbosch University; 2014. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96027.
25. Truman, Kiru. Perceptions of small business managers on the effects of voucher-training programmes offered by the Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority.
▼ ENGLISH ABSTRACT: According to Van Scheers (2010, p. 1) small businesses constitute 55% of the employment rate in South Africa. The argument that in the future new jobs are more likely to come from a large number of small businesses than from a small number of large businesses (Martin, 2001, p. 189) has challenged the South African government to support the empowerment of small business. The Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority (W&R SETA) was formed as part of the governmental plan to ensure quality-learning provision within the wholesale and retail sector. The training of employees within small businesses in the wholesale and retail sector is not adequate (Mokgata, 2009, p. 4), despite the various methods of training funded by the W&R SETA. The small business unit at the W&R SETA introduced the Voucher-training System. Small levy paying businesses in this sector receive a voucher or vouchers that can be used to access free training opportunities for staff. Providers accredited with the W&R SETA are allowed to offer training programmes that suit the education and training needs of the sector. Companies pay the provider with the free vouchers they are allocated by the SETA. The scope of the Small Business Voucher-training System is to offer short courses that provide skills with immediate effect on the small businesses. The focus of this study grew out of the need to know if the voucher-training programmes meet the needs of small businesses in the wholesale and retail sector. In order to determine whether the voucher-training programmes meet the needs of the small business sector, the small business managers’ perceptions of the voucher-training programme are essential in order to develop insights into the possible improvements and sustainability of the programme. A descriptive research study from an interpretivist perspective is used to understand the perceptions of the small business managers of the voucher programmes. A case study design was used and forms the basis of this study. Interviews were used to elicit qualitative data that provide insights into small business managers’ perceptions of the voucher-training programme. A descriptive research study from an interpretivist perspective is used to understand the perceptions of the small business managers of the voucher programmes. A case study design was used and forms the basis of this study. Interviews were used to elicit qualitative data that provide insights into small business managers’ perceptions of the voucher-training programme. The reasons small business managers gave explaining why they selected specific programmes for employees indicate the influence the training had on employees and their future progression and development within their company. It showed how the company itself benefited from the employees involvement in these programmes and lists the most appropriate programme for these small businesses in the wholesale and retail sector. The small business managers’ reflections on any changes in… Advisors/Committee Members: Frick, B. L., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Truman, Kiru. “Perceptions of small business managers on the effects of voucher-training programmes offered by the Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority.” 2014. Thesis, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/86708.
Truman, Kiru. “Perceptions of small business managers on the effects of voucher-training programmes offered by the Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority.” 2014. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Truman K. Perceptions of small business managers on the effects of voucher-training programmes offered by the Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority. [Internet] [Thesis]. Stellenbosch University; 2014. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/86708.
26. Van Wyk, Jeremy Mark. The post-literacy perceptions of newly literate adult learners at a rural community learning centre.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Literature suggests that post-literacy (PL) is a seriously under-researched field in most African countries including South Africa. From the literature, it also became evident that, if PL is not viewed as a government priority, a gap will continue to exist between what PL programmes offer, and what the newly literate adults may need. Various authors emphasise the importance of PL to prevent relapsing into illiteracy, the applicability of PL in enhancing everyday private and occupational life, as well as the potential contribution of PL to poverty reduction, social, economic and political development and in sustaining communities. The aim of this study was to identify the PL perceptions of newly literate adults in the PL programme at the Simondium Community Learning Centre (SCLC) in the Western Cape of South Africa. A basic qualitative research approach to collect data was undertaken. During the data production ten semi-structured interviews were conducted, with the individual participant as the unit of analysis. All interviews were recorded digitally (using a tape recorder) and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis was done using the HyperQual computer programme to identify, retrieve, isolate and regroup data. The results and conclusions of data based on the literature studied and findings of the study indicate a learner-centred PL programme is required which focuses mainly on non-formal and vocational programmes for sustaining communities and economic development.
Advisors/Committee Members: Frick, B. L., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Van Wyk, Jeremy Mark. “The post-literacy perceptions of newly literate adult learners at a rural community learning centre.” 2012. Thesis, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/20274.
Van Wyk, Jeremy Mark. “The post-literacy perceptions of newly literate adult learners at a rural community learning centre.” 2012. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Van Wyk JM. The post-literacy perceptions of newly literate adult learners at a rural community learning centre. [Internet] [Thesis]. Stellenbosch University; 2012. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/20274.
27. Williams, Anna J M. Die rol van leerstyle in aanvangsleesontwikkeling by graad 2-leerders: 'n gevallestudie.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The main objective of this study was to determine the effects of an intervention programme on the reading levels of ten grade two learners. A case study was used as research method. The research group of five boys and five girls between the ages of 7 and 8 years were Grade 2 learners at a Boland primary school. These learners did not meet the Assessment Standards for reading and looking (LO3: 3, 4) The research process consisted of a pre evaluation phase, the intervention and a post evaluation phase. The learner’s reading levels were determined during the evaluation phases. The observation during the intervention was coded and recorded. The group was taught during a period of 10 weeks, 3 times a week for 30 minutes at a time. Ananlysis of data showed improvement of reading levels with regards to fluency, speed, accuracy analysis and self correction. The study thus shows that the intervention was effective for improving reading levels.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoofdoel van die studie was om die invloed van ‘n intervensie op tien graad 2- leerders se leespeil te bepaal. ‘n Gevallestudie is as navorsingsmetode gebruik. Die navorsingsgroep, bestaande uit vyf seuns en vyf dogters tussen sewe en agt jaar oud, was almal in graad 2 aan ‘n Bolandse laerskool. Die leerders het nie voldoen aan die Nasionale Assesseringstandaarde vir lees en kyk (LU3: 3.4) nie. Die navorsing het uit twee evalueringsfases en ‘n intervensieprogram bestaan. Tydens die evalueringsfases is die leespeil van die leerders voor en na die intervensie bepaal. Tydens die intervensie is waarneming gedoen en met behulp van ‘n koderingstelsel aangeteken. Die navorsingsgroep is oor ‘n periode van tien weke drie keer per week vir 30 minute aan ‘n program blootgestel. Die data-analise het ‘n verbetering getoon ten opsigte van vlotheid, spoed, akkuraatheid, analise en selfkorrigering. Die studie het dus aangetoon dat die intervensie die leespeil van die tien leerders verbeter het.
Advisors/Committee Members: Menkveld, H, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Williams, Anna J M. “Die rol van leerstyle in aanvangsleesontwikkeling by graad 2-leerders: 'n gevallestudie.” 2012. Thesis, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/20315.
Williams, Anna J M. “Die rol van leerstyle in aanvangsleesontwikkeling by graad 2-leerders: 'n gevallestudie.” 2012. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Williams AJM. Die rol van leerstyle in aanvangsleesontwikkeling by graad 2-leerders: 'n gevallestudie. [Internet] [Thesis]. Stellenbosch University; 2012. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/20315.
28. Costandius, Elmarie. Engaging the curriculum in visual communication design : a critical citizenship education perspective.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The importance of global and local change and transformation is emphasised through initiatives such as the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (2012) and the Earth Charter Initiatives (2011) for constructing a just, sustainable and peaceful global society. In South Africa, the need for transformation has been underlined by the South African Department of Education in the Education White Paper of 1997 (DOE 1997). At Stellenbosch University, the Pedagogy of Hope (US) project aims to find concrete ways to reflect on historical influences and current SA society. Tremendous progress has been made in transformation regarding legislative policies, but personal transformation within people is proving to be slow. As a response to these realities, a module called Critical Citizenship was introduced for first-‐ to third-‐year Visual Communication Design students at the Visual Arts Department at Stellenbosch University. The aim of this research project was to explore the perceptions and attitudes of students, learners and lecturers regarding personal transformation through teaching and learning in the Critical Citizenship module. As a framework for the study, I emphasised the importance of giving consideration to the emotional dimensions of learning (Illeris 2007), meaning considering the learning being (Barnett 2009) as a thinking, feeling and acting person (Jarvis 2006). The objectives of the study were to identify such emotional reactions to the Critical Citizenship module and to establish what the emotional reactions revealed about the immediate and broader context of the teaching and learning context in which students, learners and lecturers learn and teach. I followed an interpretative approach and a case study research design that aimed at exploring and providing an in-‐depth investigation of the Critical Citizenship module was used. The themes that surfaced from reflections written by students and learners and from group interviews, comprised feeling unprepared for this type of project; feelings of guilt and shame; resistance to this type of project; asymmetry and assimilation, but also feelings of hope. Other responses, suggesting feelings of empathy, privilege, humility, re-‐ evaluation of priorities and values, sameness and difference, feeling out of a comfort zone and reflecting on blackness and whiteness were also interweaved with the main themes. The results of the research included that taking into consideration the emotional aspects in critical citizenship education is important because we are thinking, feeling and acting beings, but moving beyond emotional reactions toward rational actions is crucial. Critical citizenship cannot be taught in isolation because the context in which it exists plays a vital role and an inclusive critical citizenship curriculum within community interactions for the wider society is suggested.
Advisors/Committee Members: Bitzer, E. M., Troskie-de Bruin, C., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Costandius, Elmarie. “Engaging the curriculum in visual communication design : a critical citizenship education perspective.” 2012. Doctoral Dissertation, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/71660.
Costandius, Elmarie. “Engaging the curriculum in visual communication design : a critical citizenship education perspective.” 2012. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Costandius E. Engaging the curriculum in visual communication design : a critical citizenship education perspective. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Stellenbosch University; 2012. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/71660.
29. Julius, Collen Andrew. 'n Ondersoek na ekonomiese- en bestuurswetenskappe as leerarea in die senior fase van die skoolkurrikulum.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) learning area is part of the current National Curriculum Statement (NCS) and includes learning content from subjects such as Accounting, Business Studies and Economics to prepare learners for the Further Education and Training (FET) phase (Grade 10–12). The learning content is divided into four learning outcomes, namely “The economic cycle”, “Sustainable growth and development”, “Managerial, consumer and financial knowledge and skills” and “Entrepreneurial knowledge and skills”. This study investigates EMS as learning area, and more specifically senior-phase EMS teachers’ experience of teaching this learning area. EMS teachers are expected to provide equal teaching of all four learning outcomes of the current NCS, as well as the three topics of the future Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), namely “The economy”, “Financial literacy” and “Entrepreneurship”. Previous studies have shown that EMS teachers face many challenges, including that not all of them have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the content of the learning area. Apart from these challenges, it was also found that teachers do not strictly comply with the policy prescripts in terms of teaching and assessment, as Accounting is given priority in the EMS classroom. Therefore, this study explores the aforementioned challenges in order to ascertain how EMS teachers experience the teaching of the learning area. The establishment of teacher learning communities for novice EMS teachers was also investigated. The research was undertaken within the methodological paradigm as a qualitative investigation. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews with mainly Grade 9 EMS teachers. The approach is interpretivist and the research design is phenomenological. Five respondents were purposefully selected based on the value that they were able to add in terms of their unique contexts, their qualifications and teaching experience. An important finding of the study was that the experience of EMS teachers was generally positive, given all the challenges they faced, such as the disparity between policy and practice, as well as often having to rely on insufficient, irrelevant and outdated EMS learning and teaching support material (LTSM). The researcher recommends that EMS teachers teach the learning area in consultation with their counterparts elsewhere in order to improve their teaching experience in respect of this learning area.
Advisors/Committee Members: America, Carina Georgina, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Julius, Collen Andrew. “'n Ondersoek na ekonomiese- en bestuurswetenskappe as leerarea in die senior fase van die skoolkurrikulum.” 2012. Thesis, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/71778.
Julius, Collen Andrew. “'n Ondersoek na ekonomiese- en bestuurswetenskappe as leerarea in die senior fase van die skoolkurrikulum.” 2012. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Julius CA. 'n Ondersoek na ekonomiese- en bestuurswetenskappe as leerarea in die senior fase van die skoolkurrikulum. [Internet] [Thesis]. Stellenbosch University; 2012. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/71778.
30. Rutgers, Linda. Coaching foundation phase literacy teachers as leaders in a school in the Western Cape Province : a professional development strategy.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The South African education system needs literacy teachers with the capacity to lead innovative and appropriate literacy instruction in schools. Schools can benefit from suitable continuous professional development strategies that have the potential to build the leadership capacity of literacy teachers to sustain literacy improvement efforts. Coaching has proven to be an effective development strategy in the business sector and in the field of sport. However, the field of coaching in the educational context is under-explored in research in South Africa. Coaching is a situated practice, which is aimed at the learning and development of individuals within a specific context. Coaching is an on-going professional development strategy for teachers and leaders as opposed to traditional one-shot professional development activities such as workshops or training sessions. There is a need for evidence-based research on alternative professional development strategies, such as coaching. In this research study the researcher argued that coaching has the potential to provide a more effective and sustainable capacity-building strategy for the continuous professional development of teacher leaders. It argued further that the recognition of their own capacity as teacher leaders can empower teachers to take ownership of decision-making for on-going literacy improvement in schools. The specific context for coaching in this study was the professional development of literacy teachers as leaders for the improvement of literacy teaching and learning. In the absence of a suitable coaching model, the Integrated Capacity Coaching model and a coaching programme were purposefully designed by the researcher for the development of literacy teachers as leaders in this study. Cognitive coaching, peer coaching and coaching circles were incorporated as coaching methods in the coaching programme. This study was designed to determine what can be learnt from using coaching as a professional development strategy within the formal structures of the school and its current constraints. Findings from the data indicated a number of positive learning insights about coaching as a continuous professional development strategy to build internal leadership capacity for literacy improvement in schools. This study is significant because the outcome of the study extended the existing body of knowledge and evidence-based research on coaching in the educational context. The implementation of these findings could lead to improvements in the nature and characteristics of future continuous professional development of literacy teachers as leaders to sustain literacy improvement in schools. The proposed model shows potential as a capacity-building coaching model for the education sector, but further research is needed to determine the impact of this coaching model and the coaching approach in different school contexts.
Advisors/Committee Members: Carl, A. E., Van der Walt, C., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies..
Rutgers, Linda. “Coaching foundation phase literacy teachers as leaders in a school in the Western Cape Province : a professional development strategy.” 2012. Doctoral Dissertation, Stellenbosch University. Accessed April 21, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/71912.
Rutgers, Linda. “Coaching foundation phase literacy teachers as leaders in a school in the Western Cape Province : a professional development strategy.” 2012. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
Rutgers L. Coaching foundation phase literacy teachers as leaders in a school in the Western Cape Province : a professional development strategy. [Internet] [Doctoral dissertation]. Stellenbosch University; 2012. [cited 2019 Apr 21]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/71912. | 2019-04-21T12:34:18Z | https://oatd.org/oatd/search?q=%2Bpublisher%3A%22Stellenbosch%20University%22%20%2Bcontributor%3A%28%22Stellenbosch%20University.%20Faculty%20of%20Education.%20Dept.%20of%20Curriculum%20Studies.%22%29&pagesize-30 |
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