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25:36 Listen to the cries of anguish of the leaders. Listen to the wails of the shepherds of the flocks. They are wailing because the Lord is about to destroy their lands. 1 by the fierce anger of the Lord. 3 So their lands will certainly 5 be laid waste by the warfare of the oppressive nation 6 and by the fierce anger of the Lord.” 1 tn Heb “their pastures,” i.e., the place where they “shepherd” their “flocks.” The verb tenses in this section are not as clear as in the preceding. The participle in this verse is followed by a vav consecutive perfect like the imperatives in v. 34. The verbs in v. 38 are perfects but they can be and probably should be understood as prophetic like the perfect in v. 31 (נְתָנָם, nÿtanam) which is surrounded by imperfects, participles, and vav consecutive perfects. sn Jer 25:36-38 shifts to the future as though the action were already accomplished or going on. It is the sound that Jeremiah hears in his “prophetic ears” of something that has begun (v. 29) but will find its culmination in the future (vv. 13, 16, 27, 30-35). 3 tn Heb “because of the burning anger of the 4 tn Heb “Like a lion he has left his lair.” sn The text returns to the metaphor alluded to in v. 30. The bracketing of speeches with repeated words or motifs is a common rhetorical device in ancient literature. 6 tc Heb “by the sword of the oppressors.” The reading here follows a number of Hebrew sn The connection between “war” (Heb “the sword”) and the wrath or anger of the

Independent Vancouver artist Norine Braun releases a new single, Ninety Nine Percent. The gritty, progressive sound of 99% has edge, sonics and is full of adult alternative hooks that AAA audiences understand. Braun recruited a killer collection of local roots rock, soul and blues players for the single and upcoming album including: Juno nominated producer/guitarist, Adam Popowitz, drummer/percussionist Elliot Polsky, blues harpist Andrew “Huggybear” Huggard and pianist Alice Fraser. Using 99% as a muse, Norine is currently writing the material for the next album due out in 2013. Following on the heels of last year’s release No.8, Braun intensifies the moxie with 99% giving more than a nod to alternative feels and urban blues, a la Black Keys, Kings of Leon and The Pretenders. The song pays tribute to the unifying slogan of how the 99% are paying the price for the mistakes of a small minority. Braun has pledged 1% of the net profits of 99% to be donated to a non-profit organization dedicated to saving the planet. Hard working DIY indie artist Norine Braun has an impressive and prolific catalogue of 8 albums. The recipient of awards like Songs Inspired By Literature international songwriting competition and the prestigious ‘Female Singer-Songwriter of the Year’ at the Independent L.A. Music Awards, Braun, even as a newcomer, has dazzled her critics as “a rare find,” according to The Best Female Musicians Magazine.

Astoria, OR: The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded the Astoria Oregon Public Library Foundation a $500,000 grant to go toward the Astoria Public Library Renovation The Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grant requires a 3-to-1 match over a 5 year period. The grant will go toward a transformation that will enhance the humanities in the community through archives spaces, meeting and conference rooms, a gallery, and a media lab. “This significant federal award toward the transformation of our 52 year old library into a highly functional space is a huge step forward,” said Astoria Mayor, Bruce Jones. “The federal investment in our community validates our plan to provide Astorians a state of the art library that will meet the community’s needs for another 50 years.” The Astoria Oregon Public Library Foundation is working with the City of Astoria as an independent, tax-exempt organization led by volunteers to raise resources for and awareness for the renovation of the public library. The current estimated cost for the renovation is $7 million. “We’re thrilled,” said David Oser, Foundation secretary and treasurer. “This is a major milestone in our fundraising efforts and validates the tremendous support we’ve received from the community and from the City.” The Foundation and City staff will be working together to identify and raise the matching funds within the time frame and within the terms required by the NEH. Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at: www.neh.gov. For more information contact the Astoria Oregon Public Library Foundation President, Arline LaMear at 503-338-6883 or Secretary/Treasurer, David Oser at 847-687-1887. Contact the Astoria City Manager’s Office at 503-325-5824. * * *

“You can never regret anything you do in life. You kind of have to learn the lesson from whatever the experience is and take it with you on your journey forward.” – Aubrey O’Day This month marks my 25 years in association management. I’ve been thinking about it the past few months – how the time has flown and moved slowly at the same time. Moments of success and failure that have culminated into a career that I am proud of. And I haven’t thrown in the towel yet – I’ve got some good years in me still. Today one of our new interns interviewed me on my career for her class project. Her questions made me hone in and reflect on lessons learned. She asked for advice that I would give to someone starting out in their career. So here goes, the lessons I’ve learned, relearned and keep learning even after 25 years: Stay positive and never let negative people make you stray off course. It’s only noise to distract, tune it out. Be patient and let time do its job. Work hard and be focused. Play hard so you can keep working hard. When you are at work, be at work. When you are at home, be at home. Laugh early and often, especially at yourself. Intensity is good at times, but not all of the time. Lighten up. Trust yourself. Listen. Don’t let others criticism or praise define who you are – you only need to account for what you’ve contributed to this world while you are here so keep your eyes on your own paper. Take ownership for your professional and personal development. There will never be “free time” that suddenly opens up for learning. You need carve it out of your schedule each day and make it a priority. Be curious and ask questions. Always do your best – it develops character, strength and results. Make time for art, music and literature to spark a continual flow of creativity which every profession can benefit from. True leadership is a quiet endeavor that always shines a light outward, not to self. Help others grow and you will grow yourself in the process. Enjoy the journey, it goes fast. Create, foster and build relationships – those are what will be remembered long after we pass by and through. As in all lessons, I wish I would have learned them quicker than I did. The good news is that I am still a willing student ready to learn even more as the journey continues.

Humanitites and Languages University of Westminister The project will provide the opportunity to: - develop key language initiatives to facilitate HE sector’s contribution towards making Britain, in the UK Government’s words, “a generous host” and “a cultural inspiration” for the 2012 Olympics, and for other international events in London and across the UK; - widen participation and interest in languages for both personal development and participation at a moment of increasing internationalisation, when learning languages and understanding cultures is strategically important to the UK and its citizens politically, socially and economically; - contribute to a wider national multilingual policy for public and private sectors with long-term national benefits. (work currently being done, but in piecemeal fashion; HE sector well-placed to work with other professional bodies and organisations (such as Regional Language Networks) on this; - contribute to the body of experience and history that constitute the heritage of the Modern Olympics, and the place of languages in it; - deliver knowledge transfer more generally between HE language departments and civic and business communities, producing mutual benefits and raising HE languages’ profile amongst the broader public. Aims, outputs and outcomes: Desk research (printed and online resources) and interviews / questionnaires (on-line/telephone/video conferencing) For HE Departments and Language Planning for previous Olympics - a qualitative study and analysis of the experience of HE departments in countries which have hosted major events such as the Olympics with emphasis on contribution to planning, on developing broader civic goals associated with such events, and on embedding language and cultural awareness legacies as outlined in the Project Description (Call for Bids) through literature review and interviewing, with the objective of making a series of recommendations for the role of HE Language Department in the planning, delivery and legacy of the 2012 Games; - advance copy of Games Talk. Language Planning for Sydney 2000 – a legacy to the Olympic movement, already obtained and analysed; the proposal for Case Study 3 below is based on knowledge obtained from this preliminary research; - continuation of research into the literature available on previous games (Official Reports from Seoul (1988); Barcelona (1992); Atlanta (1996), Sydney 2000 building on Lo Bianco’s work; Athens 2004), and into information available on language planning for Beijing (see below for current involvement in language training for the Games there which will help access to this) - follow-up interviews/questionnaires with key language planners for previous Games (on-line/telephone/video conferencing) and for Beijing 2008 (in London and Beijing). Final report: Languages and International Events The views expressed in the report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Routes into Languages or its members. To order a print hard copy of the abridged report please email [email protected]

An Australian woman who was told she may never fall pregnant has given birth to twins conceived 10 days apart. Kate Hill was receiving hormone treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition that left her unable to ovulate. She conceived twins at different times despite only once having unprotected sex during that period. A rare condition known as superfetation makes it possible to conceive for a second time when pregnant. The twin girls, Charlotte and Olivia, were born 10 months ago with different size, weight and gestational development. ‘We actually did not realise how special that was until they were born,’ Hill told Australia's Seven Network. Pregnancy normally stops the monthly cycle of ovulation but superfetation allows it to continue. It is believed only 10 cases of the phenomenon have been documented across the world. Speaking about the rare conception, Hill's husband Peter joked: ‘Hole in one, maybe.’ The couple's obstetrician Brad Armstrong said the condition was so rare he was forced to search for it online. ‘I could not find any literature in the medical review websites at all,’ he said. Want stories like this in your inbox? Sign up to exclusive daily email More Stories from Adults’ health

"Playing with Anxiety" is a companion publication to "Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous & Independent Children Anxiety has the power to stop kids in their tracks, preventing them from exploring and growing into independent teens and young adults. Casey, the fourteen year old narrator of Playing with Anxiety, knows all too well how worry can interrupt fun, ruin school, and take control of a family. In this companion book to Reid Wilson and Lynn Lyons’ parenting book, Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous & Independent Children (HCI Books, 2013), Casey shares her own experiences and those of her friends to teach kids and teens the strategies to handle the normal worries of growing as well as the more powerful tricks of anxiety. With pluck and humor, Casey tells stories, offers exercises, and describes her “solving the puzzle” approach that kids and their parents can use to address all types of worries and fears. Reid Wilson, PhD, is Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. He is author of Don’t Panic: Taking Control of Anxiety Attacks and the coauthor of Stop Obsessing! How to Overcome Your Obsessions and Compulsions. Lynn Lyons, LICSW, is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist in private practice and a sought-after speaker and consultant. She specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders in adults and children, including generalized anxiety, phobias, social anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and performance anxiety. A very practical and straight forward approach to helping children learn to identify and deal with their anxiety. It has given me the tools I need to help my students and my own children. I tried out the strategies the very next day in my classroom, with great success. The kids loved naming their anxiety and even drawing a picture of it. This helped them to externalize their anxiety and take control of it. Simply brilliant and very doable! Beth Lamb-Hamilton, Teacher I have found the strategies very easy to implement in the moment. Most recently I was even able to apply them on a three-way phone call with a child that was struggling at school. Labeling the anxiety and externalizing it helped not only the child, but also the parent and school staff to not get sucked into the specifics. It was amazing how simple it was and how well it worked! Michelle Whalen, BA. Child and Youth Work, Child and Family Counselor The strategies of not focusing on the content of the worry have helped immensely with my 12 year old son who has a generalized anxiety disorder. I have used the line "Is that your worry talking?" a number of times since learning this approach. Now when I say it, he looks at me and smiles, knowing exactly what I mean. Having him recognize the anxiety for what it is has enabled us to focus on how to deal with worry in general rather than frustrating ourselves with explanations and rationalizations about the specific contents of a worry. Susan Doble, Parent I implemented the seven steps with my daughter, who suffers from separation anxiety from her father, since his mother passed away last August. My husband and I had reached a point where we were going to arrange for counseling for my daughter. As a "last resort" I reviewed the Seven Strategies and began to implement them. I informed my husband about what I was doing and why, so that we would be consistent in our approach to responding to our daughter's anxiety. I am pleased and proud to say that as a family, we developed a plan on how we were going to manage my daughter's separation anxiety and we stuck to the plan. I think the most important skill we learned was managing the worry instead of focusing on the reason for the worry. DeAnna Renn, R.N., Mother and Public Health Nurse Lynn Lyons and Reid Wilson's program is a simple yet very effective way to teach children and parents what anxiety is and how it works. It gives the family a common vocabulary when addressing anxiety that allows for better communication, better understanding, less frustration and, consequently, much success in empowering both the child and the parents in their pursuit to stop anxiety in its tracks. One of the best programs available! Manon Porelle, M.A.Ps., Clinical Child Psychologist, Canada My son has difficulty staying overnight at people's houses. He even gets himself so worked up he ends up vomiting and thus the late night phone call to go and pick him up. By applying the principles, we decided to have a wake-over instead of a sleepover. So, I sent him with flashlights, books, crayons, etc... with the goal of staying up all night. The other parent even made a bet of who could stay awake the longest. My son won! He stayed up until 3 am and had his first successful sleepover at a friend’s house!! Thanks Lynn & Reid. Lisa Clarke, Mother After learning from Lynn and Reid about the principles for dealing with anxiety, I felt empowered to immediately begin applying them with students in my second grade classroom. Although I still consider anxiety a serious issue, it no longer seems that complicated or overwhelming to address. I was so excited and knew the principles were working when one of my students remarked, "My Worry is not as loud today!" Tracy Bulthuis, Teacher As a parent that suffers from anxiety, I am fearful of raising anxious children. I read this book to understand anxiety from a child's perspective and to learn tactics to raise courageous children that know how to handle anxiety. What I really like is that the book is written for children in a playful manner that they can relate to, yet at the same time it helps parents too. What better way to approach a child's anxiety than for parents and children to use and understand the same strategies? I have young children and am glad to have read this book at this point in their lives...so many of the skills I learned will help if my children ever begin to exhibit anxious behavior. I highly recommend it - anxious or not. Helping children understand their anxiety and explicitly how to heal is the gift of this wonderful book. The authors' use of metaphor and analogy is elegant and brilliant. It is a much needed addition to the field that has too long relied on drugs with serious potential side-effects and analytic talk therapies that have proven to be largely ineffective with children. Giving anxious children the gift of being able to take action themselves that will quickly and significantly produce results produces an immediate sense of relief for them and their parents. I have used these methods with children and adolescents and experienced what seemed like miraculous results. Thank you Reid and Lynn! Alan Konell, therapist As a middle school-level tutor, I'm constantly meeting children and teens who suffer with anxiety -- and I now have the perfect book to recommend to kids and their parents. Kids often feel that adults are talking 'at' them, so I love that the book is written from Casey's 14-year-old point of view. Plus it's light, humorous, FREEing, at times downright silly. My students would love to hear that they can talk TO their worry and that it's ok and perfectly natural to feel uncomfortable in class or to worry about a midterm. And parents need this most of all... to know what the healthy approach is... to know if their tactics are helping or hindering their child's progress. "Just stop worrying!" is not the answer. I could see my 14-year-old self picking this up and getting sucked in with Casey's adventures. If I could get away with assigning this as homework, I absolutely would. This book is an excellent contribution to the available literature on anxiety and worry for youth. The book is artfully written using a teenage narrator, Casey. Through the use of storytelling, metaphor and humor, Casey will keep young readers engaged and interested. Young people with anxiety will not feel as alone, and the book "normalizes" a lot of experiences that most people can relate to. Casey educates the reader on what anxiety is and where it comes from in a way that is easy to understand. Wilson and Lyons' organized the book around solving the worry puzzle, with each piece summarizing an important reminder of how to live with anxiety. Readers will learn how to stop avoiding and start living. As a psychotherapist that specializes in treating anxiety, I will be recommending this book to my clients. Although written for youth, families and adults with anxiety could benefit greatly from this book. Kim Rockwell-Evans, PhD This is a wonderful book, and I wish it had been available to me when I was first trying to cope with my own anxieties. Even more, I wish this book had been available when I was raising my own worried children. Wilson and Lyons provide innovative and leading edge information about taming overwhelming worries. They manage to provide a comprehensive overview of contemporary anxiety treatment, including genetics, environment, the role of avoidance and paradoxical intention, and methods for motivation--all in a fun, well-written and child-friendly prose. I’m also impressed that the authors are essentially giving this book away, (although it is meant to be a companion to Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents--but can stand alone as well), so that the information can be available without regard to costs. I believe one of the greatest gifts we can give our children is the ability to feel more comfortable with uncertainty. This book makes a huge contribution towards that end. Martin Seif, PhD I love this book. I've treated anxiety disorders for over 35 years and never found a book that anxious kids would enjoy reading...until now. In Playing with Anxiety, Lynn Lyons and Reid Wilson have provided the treatment community and their clients with a book that is destined to become a classic in the treatment of anxiety in children. The authors have creatively built a framework in which kids and parents work together to apply novel strategies for controlling anxiety and overcoming the avoidance behavior it creates. It’s for all those kids suffering from debilitating anxiety and their parents who are desperately trying to find a way to ease their pain. It is written in a language that will engage kids and their parents as well. Every therapist who treats anxious kids should have a copy and it should be number one on their required reading list. Jim Wilson, MA, LPC Reid Wilson and Lynn Lyons are outstanding clinicians with excellent track records in both treatment and teaching. Now, at last, they have given the treatment community, and more importantly, youth suffering from anxiety, a practical guide to confronting and managing their anxiety symptoms. This book is written in an engaging and informative style that communicates important ideas about anxiety in a readable and enjoyable way. This book fills a critical void - thank you both for your successful work. My young anxiety patients will thank you too!!!!! W. Michael Munion, MA, LPC What a fabulous gift from Dr. Reid Wilson and Ms. Lynn Lyons to parents, teachers, and therapists everywhere! Thank you is simply not enough to express adequate appreciation. I am a PhD Psychologist, treating an adult population, of often anxious and obsessive patients. Many of my adult "children" have seen themselves in this fun and easy-to-read e-book with its seven puzzle pieces to conquering worries and fears. Playing with Anxiety has helped these adult patients face everything from general anxieties to very specific "scary" obsessive thoughts. The companion to this e-book, Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous and Independent Children provides clear direction to parents, and even to therapists, how to help children (and actually anyone) trapped in the grips of the anxious mind. Many caregivers mistakenly make things worse, by doing what any empathic person is naturally inclined to do, which is to provide reassurance and protection. Both of these books make it abundantly clear that avoiding the anxiety, protecting others from their fears, and providing reassurance are all behaviors that may provide immediate relief, but unfortunately only lead to worsened symptoms in the long haul. Dr. Wilson and Ms. Lyons provide a fail proof, albeit counterintuitive, protocol of seven simple self-help steps (the puzzle pieces) to overcoming anxiety. As a Psychologist and psychotherapist, I am tremendously grateful for this transformative and effective approach to overcoming anxieties and fears! Cynthia Hardwick, PhD

Motivational interviewing uses the common human problem of ambivalence about change to help clients shape their own solutions. Motivational interviewing is a way of being with a client, not just a set of techniques for doing counseling. Miller and Rollnick, 1991 The Spirit of Motivational Interviewing is based on these 4 key elements: collaboration, evocation, autonomy, and compassion. The 5 Primary Principles of Motivational Interviewing: 1. Express Empathy. Using empathy creates a safe and open environment building rapport and eliciting personal reasons and methods for change. Foundational to MI is understanding each client's unique perspective, feelings, and values. The technique is most successful when a trusting relationship is established between you and your client. 2. Develop Discrepancy. Motivation for change is enhanced when clients perceive discrepancies between their current situation and their hopes for the future. Your task is to help focus attention on how current behavior differs from ideal or desired behavior. 3. Avoid Argument. You may occasionally be tempted to argue with a client who is unsure about changing or unwilling to change. Trying to convince a client that a problem exists or that change is needed may create more resistance. Progress is made when the client, not you, voices arguments for change. Walk, don't drag. 4. Roll with Resistance. Resistance is always a legitimate concern because it is predictive of poor treatment outcomes and lack of involvement in the therapeutic process. Rather than viewing the behavior as defiance, it can be more helpful see it as a signal for you to change direction or listen more carefully. Motivational interviewing (MI), first described by William R. Miller, PhD, in 1983, is a form of collaborative counseling that elicits, explores, and engages a client's own motivation for change. Foundational to the method is the common human problem of ambivalence about change; that ambivalence can be used to support a behavioral shift that is congruent with a client's own values and concerns. The MI literature is vast. Following is a very small taste of MI theory, followed by additional resources.

Meaning definition, what is intended to be, or actually is, expressed or indicated; signification; import: the three meanings of a word. English and Rhetoric Professor. Paperback. Artaud did not believe that conventional theatre of the time would allow the audience to have a cathartic experience and help heal the wounds of World War II. An example of a farce includes William Shakespeare's play The Comedy of Errors, or Mark Twain's play Is He Dead?. How to use literature in a sentence. Dramatic literature, the texts of plays that can be read, as distinct from being seen and heard in performance. This work focused upon the play of school age children through the United Kingdom with an emphasis upon England, Scotland, and Wales. An example of a comedy would be William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream, or for a more modern example the skits from Saturday Night Live.. Moreover, we are all regularly exposed to a barrage of more or less overtly playful language, often accompanied by no less playful images and music. Dr. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks. Read this book using Google Play Books app on your PC, android, iOS devices. However, since restoration comedy dealt with unspoken aspects of relationships, it created a type of connection between audience and performance that was more informal and private. Book Condition: New. Comedies were one of the two original play types of Ancient Greece, along with tragedies. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read Creating Meaning Through Literature and the Arts: Arts Integration for Classroom Teachers, Edition 5. Read Book : Series in Philology and Literature, Vol. Above all, Artaud did not trust language as a means of communication. Often the protagonist of the play has a tragic flaw, a trait which leads to their downfall. Tamil literature has a rich and long literary tradition spanning more than five thousand years. These plays can be divided into four types: Tragedies – these plays focus on a tragic hero (or couple, as in Romeo and Juliet) whose downfall is brought about through weakness or misfortune of some kind. Spenser, Sidney, Marlowe and Shakespeare are noteworthy writers from this era of English literature. How to use drama in a sentence. It is commonly agreed that restoration comedy has origins in Molière’s theories of comedy, but differs in intention and tone. By the 1990s, there were very few original Broadway musicals, as many were recreations of movies or novels. Tamil literature (Tamil: தமிழ் இலக்கியம்) refers to the literature in the Tamil language. NAME-PLAY; II. The play-within-a-play structure keeps us at a frustrating distance from the definite truth of … As the play begins, Antigone vows to bury her brother Polynices‘ body in defiance of Creon‘s edict, although her sister Ismene refuses to help her, fearing the death penalty. noun. Some examples of tragedies include William Shakespeare's Hamlet, and also John Webster's play The Duchess of Malfi. What makes a piece of literature remembered for centuries, is typically something more than just words. In fact, in a narrowly instrumental, purely informational sense most language use is no use at all. There were 18 students involved in the research. Division of a novel into chapters, the division of a play into various acts and scenes are also examples of the form in literature. and in the whole line of rhetoricians, from Aristotle and Quintilian, through the neo-classical textbooks that Shakespeare read perforce at school, to the English writers such as Puttenham whom he read later for his own advantage as a poet."(M. This may give clues as to why, despite its original success, restoration comedy did not last long in the seventeenth century. Narrator as a Character in the Personal Essay “[In a personal essay], the writer needs to build herself into a character. the Use of Single Words in a Double Meaning (Classic Reprint) (Paperback) LSMVTVBBZMDH Created Date: 20161010144057Z 1, No. This made his work much more personal and individualized, which he believed would increase the effectiveness of portraying suffering.. About This Game Hi, Monika here! It was great Norwegian dramatist Ibsen, who, for the first time, introduced the minute stage-directions into the one-act play. Sometimes the term "straight play" is used in contrast to "musical", which refers to a play based on music, dance, and songs sung by the play's characters. Each scene is set at one specified location, indicated in the script at the start of the scene (e.g., "Scene 1. A sea captain talking about Sebastian during shipwreck says this to Viola, “ There, like Arion in the Greek myth, who escaped from murder on the back of a dolphin, I saw him ride the waves as long as I could keep him in sight. In his essay, Derrida speaks of a philosophical "event" that has occurred to the historic foundation of structure.Before the "event", man was the center of all things. 229 x 152 mm. However, this article will highlight upon the Essentials of meaning interpretation in literature. 229 x 152 mm. The term dramatic literature implies a contradiction in that literature originally meant something written and drama meant something performed. The term "play" can be either a general term, or more specifically refer to a non-musical play. "(Rob Pope, The English Studies Book: An Introduction to Language, Literature and Culture, 2nd ed. Satire plays are generally one of the most popular forms of comedy, and often considered to be their own genre entirely. Paperback. For musical theatre, this meant that composers gained the right to create every song in the play, and these new plays were held to more specific conventions, such as thirty-two-bar songs. Take down the words which you find for the first time. ", "I have a sin of fear, that when I have spun. Artaud wanted his plays to have an effect and accomplish something. play - be received or accepted or interpreted in a specific way; "This speech didn't play well with the American public"; "His remarks played to the suspicions of the committee" 23. play - behave carelessly or indifferently; "Play about with a young girl's affection" ‘He makes great play of his non-establishment (meaning non-public school, and non-Oxbridge) background.’ ‘He even makes great play of the fact that he used to be right-wing.’ ‘For all their perceived monetary difficulties, Hibs continue to make great play of plans to build two football academy-type centres, though both proposals are proceeding slowly.’ Our belief relates to these four research-grounded statements about word play: - Word play is motivating and an important component of the word-rich classroom. I have no idea how the problem was resolved, but the confused attempt struck me as a little poem, an ode to the challenges of our written language. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include oral literature, much of which has been transcribed. Classic works of literature are full of pun examples, as writers across the ages have played with the sounds and meanings of the English language to achieve interesting effects.You can find puns in literary works from the Bible to Shakespeare, to modern poetry. Before the cell of Prospero."). In reciting the strophe, the chorus moves from the right of the stage to the left. Famous playwrights within this genre include Beckett, Sartre, Ionesco, Adamov, and Genet.. Obviously, some unknown traveler--drunk, stoned, or simply Spell-Check deprived--had been penning a postcard or letter when he or she ran headlong into Dr. Sax's marvelous instrument. 2; 2012 ISSN 1927-5250 E-ISSN 1927-5269 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education 15 Play, Imagination, and Creativity: A Brief Literature Review Kuan Chen Tsai1 1 Dreeben School of Education, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, USA Correspondence: Kuan Chen Tsai, Dreeben School of Education, University of the … Literature definition is - writings in prose or verse; especially : writings having excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest. The play – Aminata (1988) by Francis Imbuga is divided into parts and scenes, all of which equally contribute to the overall meaning realised in the play. A generally nonsensical genre of play, farces are often acted and often involve humor. The origin of the one-act play may be traced to the very beginning of drama —- in ancient Greece, Cyclops, a play on the forest God , by Euripides, is an early example. Black color meaning in Gothic literature– Black, on the other hand, is used in Gothic literature to symbolize evil, death, power, formality, elegance, mystery and fear. Experts agree that the device is generally used to highlight important themes or ideas of the main play. In this paper, we are going to focus on the two basic literary devices used by the author which contribute to the in-depth understanding of the themes and motives of the play. But it is also possible to regard a large part of all language use as a form of play. Word play is verbal wit: the manipulation of language (in particular, the sounds and meanings of words) with the intent to amuse. When English literature solely refers to literature from the British Isles, the literature definition is said to begin around the year 1450. Examples of musical productions include Wicked and Fiddler on the Roof. . Literature is a very broad term that encompasses so many various written works. And he came fifth and lost the job. ‘He makes great play of his non-establishment (meaning non-public school, and non-Oxbridge) background.’ ‘He even makes great play of the fact that he used to be right-wing.’ ‘For all their perceived monetary difficulties, Hibs continue to make great play of plans to build two football academy-type centres, though both proposals are proceeding slowly.’ Name-Play; II. Routledge, 1968). Play Therapy Themes & Meanings. In literature, the compromise that Freud insisted must be made by civilized man is achieved: the instincts become a basis for communication, not an … Routledge, 2002). This kind of play ends with the death of the central character but also involves the death of a number of other characters. A satire play takes a comic look at current events, while at the same time attempting to make a political or social statement, for example pointing out corruption. The problem play is a genre of drama that emerged amid the nineteenth century as a major aspect of the more extensive development of realism in human expressions. Certain comedies are geared toward different age groups. of University College Cork, Ireland, in 2015. Vocabulary-Literature. We never see Claudius kill Hamlet; we never see the crime on which the tragedy centres. They are symbols, such as twinned lambs, bear, Hermione’s statue and Pertida’s flowers; and allusions to the pagan rituals, English Church, ancient Greece gods and his own works (Othello). Its aim is to provide information about the value of free play in early childhood. The speaker of this poem, who is mourning a lost love, is visited in the night by a raven who speaks a single word: "Nevermore." His plays dealt with heavy issues such as patients in psych wards, and Nazi Germany. The first musical of American origin was premiered in Philadelphia in 1767, and was called “The Disappointment”, however, this play never made it to production. The themes are the overarching ideas that the child’s play is trying to tell us. An example of a satire would be Nikolai Gogol's The Government Inspector and Aristophanes' Lysistrata. In literature, the form refers to the style and structure of a literary work whereas the content refers to the plot ... ballad, epic, elegy or sonnet. Shakespeare's first audience would have found a noble climax in the conclusion of Mark Antony's lament over Caesar: just as they would have relished the earnest pun of Hamlet's reproach to Gertrude: To Elizabethan ways of thinking, there was plenty of authority for these eloquent devices. Free play (French: jeu libre) is a literary concept from Jacques Derrida's 1966 essay, "Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences". Pastoral literature, class of literature that presents the society of shepherds as free from the complexity and corruption of city life. The final play to be discussed is Macbeth. A play is a work of drama, usually consisting mostly of dialogue between characters and intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading.The writer of a play is a playwright.. 2 of 7: Studies in the Word-Play in Plautus; I. , Comedies are plays which are designed to be humorous. However, in recent years, it has become a topic of interest for theatre theorists, who have been looking into theatre styles that have their own conventions of performance. Share Flipboard Email Print Hero Images/Getty Images English . 2 OF 7: STUDIES IN THE 2 of 7: Studies in the Word-Play in Plautus; I. the Name-Play; II. Symbolism in lit… How to use literature in a sentence. Language: English . Journal of Education and Learning; Vol. Play is defined as to engage in activity for fun. Do you remember the scene from The Wizard of Ozwhere Dorothy emerges from her gray farmhouse into the brightly colored world of Munchkinland? Language: English . Content For This Game Browse all . They can be tragedies or comedies, but are often neither of these. An Irish-English Dictionary ... - Ebook written by Edward O'Reilly. Oftentimes, the dialogue between characters will directly oppose their actions. . Restoration comedy is a genre that explored relationships between men and women, and was considered risqué in its time. Antanaclasis "Your argument is sound, nothing but sound." Most of the “evil” events that happen occur in the night, such as … , These plays focus on actual historical events. Tragedy was one of the two original play types of Ancient Greece. All definitions of literature agree that English literature includes literary works like novels, stories, poems, nonfiction and plays composed in English. It was to be found in Scripture (Tu es Petrus . An example of play is building a house with blocks. 1. The prologue, Greek prologos (meaning: before word), is an opening of a story that establishes the setting and gives background details. Literature comes from the Latin word "litera" which means "acquainted with letters." Let us analyze a few climax examples in literature: Example #1: Romeo and Juliet (By William Shakespeare) In William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, the story reaches its climax in Act 3.In the first scene of the act, Romeo challenges Tybalt to a … Creating Meaning Through Literature and the Arts: Arts Integration for Classroom Teachers, Edition 5 - Ebook written by Claudia E. Cornett. "We believe the evidence base supports using word play in the classroom. For this reason, he moved towards radio-based theatre, in which the audience could use their imagination to connect the words they were hearing to their body. An example of play is a performance of Shakespeare's Macbeth. Image by Eli Digital Creative from Pixabay. They are usually accompanied by dancing. Brand New Book ***** Print on Demand *****.Excerpt from Series in Philology and Literature, Vol. History as a separate genre was popularized by William Shakespeare. A play is a work of drama, usually consisting mostly of dialogue between characters and intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. It explains what’s the text is about. But these are difficult to interpret. "Wordplay was a game the Elizabethans played seriously. See more. Knocking them all up out of their graves. It may be classified according to a variety of systems, including language and genre. Examples of historical plays include Friedrich Schiller's Demetrius and Shakespeare's King John.. Instead of discussing these issues, however, theatre of the absurd is a demonstration of them. English literature means different things in different contexts. by James F. Baumann and Edward J. Kameenui. The strophe -- meaning "turn" -- is the first stanza of an ode and is essentially the first half of a debate or argument presented by the chorus. Around the 1920s, theatre styles were beginning to be defined more clearly. Guilford, 2004). Play Doki Doki Literature Club! A game that's really messed up. Theatre of the absurd denies rationality, and embraces the inevitability of falling into the abyss of the human condition. It was a telling scene of the difference between her routine, even boring, farm life and the magical journey through interesting lands with unique characters she was about to embark on. Literature, a body of written works. Light and dark were very prominent symbols. . And it certainly doesn’t take a lunatic to do it! Plays are performed at a variety of levels, from London's West … June 11, 2018 conversationscreatechange Leave a comment. A play-within-a-play is a literary device in which an additional play is performed during the performance of the main play. The name has traditionally been applied to those imaginative works of poetry and prose distinguished by the intentions of their authors and the perceived aesthetic excellence of their execution. And I use the word character much the same way the fiction writer does. E.M. Forster, in ‘Aspects of a Novel,’ drew a famous … Opie and Opie’s (1969) classic work on children’s street and playground games is exemplary. You can use play to describe how someone behaves, when they are deliberately behaving in a certain way or like a certain type of person. Literature broadly is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. Book Condition: New. Also known as logology and verbal play. Some of the most well-known examples are found in Shakespeare's plays. Follow these 8 easy steps to analyze symbolism in literature. "[Exeunt Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo.]" The allusion is a literary device that is used to refer to something from other literature or history and brings its meaning to the current context. , These plays contain darker themes such as death and disaster. Plays within the genre of theatre of cruelty are abstract in convention and content. Tempest as work of art and the overall play and its meaning-Tempest as a play belongs to theatre and literature, primarily written for theatrical performance written by William Shakespeare during the 1600[ CITATION Hop18 \l 1033 ].This was the last play of Shakespeare. The inconsistency between restoration comedy’s morals and the morals of the era is something that often arises during the study of this genre. Acts are subdivided into scenes. Oral literature, the standard forms (or genres) of literature found in societies without writing. Changing locations usually requires changing the scenery, which takes time – even if merely a painted backdrop – and can only be done between scenes. Examples of Climax in Literature. One of the main aspects of theatre of the absurd is the physical contradiction to language. For example, to play the innocent , means to pretend to be innocent, and to play deaf means to pretend not to hear something. (Rob Pope, The English Studies Book: An Introduction to Language, Literature and Culture, 2nd ed. A similar situation occurred during the 1960s, when composers were scarce and musicals lacked vibrancy and entertainment value. Hence the perennial attraction (and distraction) of everything from advertising and pop songs to newspapers, panel games, quizzes, comedy shows, crosswords, Scrabble and graffiti. Come forth, Lazarus! Among the writers who have used the pastoral convention Definition of mystery play. Content is basically what a text says. Acts are numbered, and so are scenes; the scene numbering starts again at 1 for each next act, so Act 4, Scene 3 may be followed by Act 5, Scene 1. Often it is the deeper meaning tangled skilfully in those classy words. Creon , with the support of the Chorus of elders, repeats his edict regarding the disposal of Polynices ‘ body, but a fearful sentry enters to report that Antigone has in fact buried her brother’s body. - playing on the dual Although the play is now considered one of the great plays of ancient Greece, the Athenian audience did not react so favourably at the time, and awarded it only third place prize (out of three) at the Dionysia festival of 431 BCE, adding another disappointment to Euripides‘ career. That last day idea. Read this book using Google Play Books app on your PC, android, iOS devices. Routledge, 2002) Word Play in the Classroom "We believe the evidence base supports using word play in the classroom. Characters featured in restoration comedy included stereotypes of all kinds, and these same stereotypes were found in most plays of this genre, so much so that most plays were very similar in message and content. The term "play" can refer to both the written texts of playwrights and to their complete theatrical performance. The oldest extant works show signs of maturity indicating an even longer period of evolution. THE USE OF SINGLE WORDS IN A DOUBLE MEANING (CLASSIC REPRINT) Forgotten Books, United States, 2015. • Diary…A book in which the events of each day are recorded • Dictionary…A book containing the words of a language with their definitions in an alphabetical order See more. Plays are performed at a variety of levels, from London's West End and Broadway in New York City – which are the highest level of commercial theatre in the English-speaking world – to regional theatre, to community theatre, as well as university or school productions. The Tudors and the Elizabethan era brought humanism, renaissance and foreign influence such as the Italian sonnet. "A few years ago I was sitting at a battered desk in my room in the funky old wing of the Pioneer Inn, Lahaina, Maui, when I discovered the following rhapsody scratched with ballpoint pen into the soft wooden bottom of the desk drawer. Start your 48-hour free trial to unlock this Food in Literature study guide. There are themes and then there are meanings. through which children experience the emotional charge and power of their own words to overturn the status quo and to explore boundaries ("Young Children and Playful Language" in Teaching Young Children, 1999), "Jokes and witty remarks (including puns and figurative language) are obvious instances of word-play in which most of us routinely engage. NAME-PLAY; II. For a musical play (opera, light opera, or musical) the term "libretto" is commonly used, instead of "script". Read this article to know about the meaning and development of Problem Play in English Literature, problem play characteristics, problem play literary term. Our belief relates to these four research-grounded statements about word play: (Camille L. Z. Blachowicz and Peter Fisher, "Keeping the 'Fun' in Fundamental: Encouraging Word Awareness and Incidental Word Learning in the Classroom Through Word Play." : a medieval drama based on scriptural incidents (such as the creation of the world, the Flood, or the life, death, and resurrection of Christ) — compare miracle play. M. Mahood, Shakespeare's Wordplay. Shakespeare wrote nearly 40 plays during his life. Don't be fooled by the cute exterior For a short play, the term "playlet" is sometimes used. Welcome to the Literature Club! When characters in a play perform on stage the action of another play, often with other characters forming an "audience", the audience in the theatre sometimes loses its privileged, omniscient position because it is suddenly not clear who is in the play and who is in the play within. The term oral literature is also used to describe the tradition in written civilizations in which certain genres are transmitted by word of mouth or are confined to the so-called folk (i.e., those who ", "Once you are dead you are dead. They represent good and evil, respectively. In the left column list the characteristics of modernism in literature - in the middle column find specific passages; in the right column write an analysis of the passage. Tragic plays convey all emotions and have very dramatic conflicts. When the Great Depression came, many people left Broadway for Hollywood, and the atmosphere of Broadway musicals changed significantly. Play Summary Among the group are Mrs. Eynsford-Hill and her daughter, Clara, who are waiting for the son, Freddy, to return with a cab. literature definition: 1. written artistic works, especially those with a high and lasting artistic value: 2. all the…. Musical productions have songs to help explain the story and move the ideas of the play along. "(Tom Robbins, "Send Us a Souvenir From the Road." Another play – The Successor, by the same author is divided into Acts and scenes, which are purposefully intended by … Learn more. Literature definition: Novels, plays, and poetry are referred to as literature , especially when they are... | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples Drama definition is - a composition in verse or prose intended to portray life or character or to tell a story usually involving conflicts and emotions through action and dialogue and typically designed for theatrical performance : play. English Grammar An Introduction to Punctuation Writing By. Much of the time speech and writing are not primarily concerned with the instrumental conveying of information at all, but with the social interplay embodied in the activity itself. The following article is based on a piece of qualitative research on the use of role-play in a literature module in the Modern Irish Dept. Musicals can be very elaborate in settings and actor performances. Modern Western musical theatre emerged in the Victorian era, with many structural elements established by the works of Gilbert and Sullivan in Britain and those of Harrigan and Hart in America. Brand New Book ***** Print on Demand *****.Excerpt from Series in Philology and Literature, Vol. Read the full text here. In some part of the play, the witches were referred to as darkness. Richard Nordquist. Play definition, a dramatic composition or piece; drama. Definition and Examples of Productivity in Language, Grammar Crackers: Jokes, Riddles, and Word Play, Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia, M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester, B.A., English, State University of New York, "Champagne for my real friends and real pain for my sham friends. (Exeunt is the Latin plural of exit, meaning "[they] leave".) Early works on the relationship between children’s play and culture concentrated on compiling descriptions and classifying children’s free time activities. The Meaning of Fences in Wilson’s Play Fences Essay September 29, 2020 by Essay Writer In his play Fences, the playwright August Wilson presents audiences with a family at the cusp between complete segregation and the civil rights movement, and between demoralization and stability. The Tempest is a play about enchantment, selling out, adoration and absolution. How to Find Deeper Meaning in Literature: 11 Steps (with Pictures) This post is part of the series: Literary Movements. Play means activity for fun or a dramatic performance. Many of the idylls written in its name are far remote from the realities of any life, rustic or urban. Most of … Theatre of the Absurd: This genre generally includes metaphysical representations of existential qualms and questions. The text is rich in descriptive detail and provides the reader with rhymes, chants, and folk terms that accompany th… The most common type is for the entering and exiting of actors, e.g. Next to the text to be spoken by the actors, a script contains "stage directions" (not to be confused with the use of that term in blocking, the staging of actors with specified movements across the stage). Explored relationships between men and women, and Wales s street and games. Have very dramatic conflicts `` play '' can be very elaborate in settings and actor performances words in a meaning! 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By Leo Carnevale Translated by Cleiton Echeveste Gabriela Romeu – Journalist, documentary filmmaker and writer, specialized in cultural production for children, with twenty years of experience in projects that address children’s themes and developed on different platforms, such as books, documentaries, websites and exhibitions. Leo Carnevale – Actor and clown, member of the Board of Directors of CBTIJ/ASSITEJ Brasil. Q – First, we want to thank you for your willingness to give this interview to CBTIJ. As an entity that has a look at childhood and youth and that brings together theater professionals who work for this segment, it is a pleasure to be able to maintain this dialogue with you. We hope that this enriches our members and expands the range of information and reflections on children and young people. Let’s talk about childhood and youth, with a special look at ECA – Statute of Children and Adolescents. A – I appreciate the invitation to speak about an important milestone in the history of childhood in the country. I arrived at the Folha de São Paulo newspaper newsroom in the late 1990s, and since then I have been able to follow how society has been impacted by the creation of ECA. Q – ECA is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Its Title I – PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS, Art. 4 says that “It is the duty of the family, the community, society in general and the government to ensure, with absolute priority, the enforcement of the rights to life, health, food, education, sport, leisure, professionalization, culture, dignity, respect, freedom and family and community coexistence”, during this time, can you observe an advance for the children’s universe, based on the regulations of the Statute regarding these “assured” rights? A – Yes, since the 1990s, we have come a long way from the debate on children’s rights in the country. ECA emerged in the midst of the 1988 Constitution and the strong role of militancy in the area, important movements such as the National Movement of Street Boys and Girls and the emergence of several third sector institutions dedicated to the causes of childhood. Andi, for example, appeared in the period and was very important to support journalists in the newsrooms with the aim of expanding the agenda and the debate on several issues involving children and adolescents. Andi also analyzed press coverage and pointed out deficiencies, developed publications that helped improve reporters’ understanding in areas such as health and education. With ECA and all this movement that propelled it, a great circle was created to take care of children across the country. Q – The words Culture and Education appear 11 times each in ECA in the “Titles”, “Chapters”, “Sections” and “Articles” that compose it, in an 82-page text. In your understanding, are these two segments, fundamental in the formation of human beings, well represented in ECA? Are these rights well secured? A – To better answer this question, I would need to have a more technical reading of the Statute, and I don’t. But what I can say, as a journalist dedicated to childhood for more than two decades and having shared the reading of important experts in reading the Statute, is that it has international recognition, we have a good Statute. The discussion year after year – and especially on their “anniversaries” – was how to implement it, strengthening the entire network of actors around the child and adolescent. Despite the advances in recent years, in many segments, from the universalization of education to the fall in infant mortality rates (which alarmingly rose again…), children still suffer from the most diverse vulnerabilities and many dropouts, in different social classes. But, yes, black children and adolescents, from the peripheries, are atrocious victims of structural racism, of a country of many forms of violence and of the colonialism of the adult world in childhood. Today, with all the anti-democratic and fascist threats that we are experiencing, we have taken a step back, which is scary. What we need is to ensure that the ECA itself exists and to avoid losses and setbacks in the law itself. Q – The expressions Play and Have Fun only appear in ECA once each one of them in Chapter II that speaks OF THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM, RESPECT AND DIGNITY in Art. 15. Children and adolescents have the right to freedom, respect and dignity as human persons in the process of development and as subjects of civil, human and social rights guaranteed in the Constitution and in the laws. Being specified by Art. 16. The right to freedom comprises the following aspects: IV – playing, playing sports and having fun; with your extensive research on the world of children’s games with the creation of the award-winning “Mapa do Brincar” and the “Projeto Infâncias”, how do you see this particularity? Is this right well guaranteed, even though it is so little mentioned? A – The right to play is under constant threat in contemporary childhoods, especially in large urban centers, where people live in tiny spaces, with fragmented daily lives, involved in technical education. I always say that the child, however, has a brilliantly transgressive spirit and plays in every time and place, because playing is his way of being, communicating and learning the world. She finds a way to play, transgresses the dryness imposed many times by the adult world. What does not take away from us adults the responsibility of ensuring legal mechanisms to guarantee this essential right to a full childhood. It is essential to guarantee the time and space for the child to play – and spontaneous, authorial and autonomous play, of course, unlike the pedagogical play that plagues many school spaces. The school, the place where children commonly meet, live and play (and that despite all the deficiencies they cover, we know), is very important for the development of culture among peers, that is, for the exchange of that children’s own knowledge. It is also worth mentioning that the current health crisis we face, among so many other evils, affects the important corporal expansion of children, who, despite not being at risk, are totally vulnerable and affected by all this confinement (necessary to save lives, it is obvious). Q – In Art. 4 we spoke above and says that “It is the duty of the family, the community, society in general and the public authorities to ensure, with absolute priority, the realization of the rights relating to life, health, food, education, sport, leisure, professionalization, culture, dignity, respect, freedom and family and community coexistenc.”, how do you see the performance of public authorities in fulfilling and developing these “absolute priorities”? What about the other “actors” in this “community”, the “family” and the “school”? A – We have laws that ensure children and adolescents as a subject of rights, who must receive full protection and with absolute priority. And yes, this is shared by the State, families and society. Thus, we are all constitutionally and morally responsible for all children, whether they are my children and the children of others, whether they are children who are unaware of fatherhood and motherhood. But law and reality do not go hand in hand, unfortunately. And there is a lot of ignorance about all this. According to Instituto Alana’s Absolute Priority program, 40% of the Brazilian population knows little or nothing about the rights of the child. That is, to be applied, the ECA needs to be known, disseminated, discussed … Although ECA is completing 30 years in 2020, it is a mature statute, I feel that society often sees childhood and adolescence with “lessened” or “minored” eyes, in order to dialogue with the old Code of Minors, which dealt with abandoned, juvenile offenders, vulnerable social classes, as if other children were smaller. The child is always that other, sometimes the other who is not “my child” (s/he is the “abandoned child”), sometimes the other who has no voice and is only liable to the commanding voice of adults. It is still challenging to see the child as a subject of rights. In this context, with an ingrained conception of childhood marked by negativity (the child is defined by what s/he does not know, does not do, does not speak), it takes a lot of work for society to understand this “absolute priority”. And, maybe even before that, until we face our wound – living in a country with such a great social abyss, that is, without equity and social justice – so much more difficult will it be to discuss the priorities of childhood. Q – In Chapter IV, which deals with THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION, CULTURE, SPORTS AND LEISURE, Articles 58 and 59 speak respectively: “In the educational process, cultural, artistic and historical values specific to the social context of children and adolescente are to be respected, guaranteeing them freedom of creation and access to cultural sources.” and “The municipalities, with support from the states and the Union, will encourage and facilitate the allocation of resources and spaces for cultural, sports and leisure programs aimed at children and youth.” What have you seen with regard to these articles, since the research you carry out spans the country? A – I walk more in Brazil’s backyards and much less in schools. But, wherever I go and a lot from what I see, the social and cultural context of children and adolescents are often not respected, unfortunately, in the educational process. And I can say this only from my travels and from the dialogue with some realities in the country, so I just stick to it, it is worth mentioning. The singularities of childhood are not considered from the very architecture of the schools. I’ll give you an example. Imagine what it is like to live in the Pantanal region, on the banks of the Paraguay River, amid a pungent nature and the master of many knowledges. How many stimuli and learnings just in the surroundings, no? Then you arrive at the school, a box with almost no windows, stuffy, with its back to the river that has its natural air conditioning. In other words, if the school does not even speak to the place, how does it dialogue with the people and children of the place? Then we enter the classroom and pinned to the walls we see these letters and drawings of an alphabet. There we see the traditional “h” for home (a generic house…), “d” for dice, “e” for elephant… Where is Freirian (*) literacy (just to mention one of our masters) that starts from reality, the life stories of students and students? I also realize that the school, in urban and rural areas, is still little open today to the culture of childhood. The school has a lot to learn from the backyard, a space for the full exercise of childhood. It is necessary to “backyard” the school, to consider the knowledge of the backyards exercised by the children – I spoke more of this in this text here (https://projetoinfancias.com.br/site/projetos/artigos/artigo-2/). Q – In Chapter II, within the topic of SPECIAL PREVENTION, Section I, INFORMATION, CULTURE, LEISURE, SPORTS, FUN AND SHOWS Art. 76 says: “Radio and television stations will only show, at the recommended time for children and young people , programs with educational, artistic, cultural and informational purposes.” Do you see these criteria being met? What is your assessment of the audiovisual content made available to children and young people in Brazil? A – In recent years, there has been an important movement to protect children from the broadcast of violent consumption on open TVs, but there has been no parallel to this defense of children’s programming in the same spaces, ensuring quality programs for children. Advertisers are gone, the schedule grid, too. The children were helpless in the face of the “open sea” program, exposed most of the time to content that needs mediation (which we know is a deficiency in Brazilian families, who still have TV as a nanny and often as the only entertainment). And, yes, it is also important to consider that the great playground of many contemporary childhoods is the internet, which allows greater diversity of content, but also requires mediation and protection strategies. Returning to television, the context, of course, is different in pay TVs (far from being a scenario without challenges), with access much more restricted socially and economically. In paid TVs, new channels emerged and programming grew, including the promotion of audiovisual via the Sectorial Fund, which propelled the increase of national quality productions aimed at children and youth audiences, many of them created after careful development. Again, it is alarming that all of this is threatened by the degrading dismantling of culture today, affected, butchered by a cultural war full of backward concepts. Cultural productions (and here I expand to different languages, including theater, literature, cinema, music, visual arts …) build our symbolic house, constitute us as subjects, from the foundation and since childhood. And so it continues to constitute us throughout our lives. It is necessary to ensure that children have access to cultural production, the arts and the many cultural manifestations throughout Brazil. (*) Paulo Freire (1921-1997), Brazilian educator and philosopher who was a leading advocate of critical pedagogy. He is best known for his influential work Pedagogy of the Oppressed, which is generally considered one of the foundational texts of the critical pedagogy movement. (Wikipedia)

At Red Carter, we encourage women to look good and feel good, but what inspires us most are women who do good. Women who are beautiful on the inside and out are truly awe-inspiring. A woman who empowers herself and others radiates true beauty. Perfectly coiffed hair is always more appealing on top of a highly developed brain. These modern, successful women combine intelligence, compassion and fearlessness with an amazing sense of style. Gal Gadot: A Real-Life Wonder Woman In 2004, Gal Gadot was named Miss Israel. Two years later, she was a combat instructor in the Israel Defense Force. A beauty queen turned soldier sounds like a great plot for a movie. But it was the story of Wonder Woman which propelled Gal Gadot into the spotlight, making her a super hero to little girls worldwide. (Gadot was pregnant during the filming of Wonder Woman, adding to her badass image.) Off-screen, Gadot has helped raise money for childhood education and pediatric cancer. Emma Watson: Working Her Magic at the UN Many childhood actors find transitioning into adulthood to be a difficult journey. Emma Watson, however, didn’t let early fame define her. She has since grown into an accomplished woman during her post-Harry Potter life. Although, Watson made tens of millions of dollars portraying Hermione Granger, she was determined to continue her education after the series ended. In 2014, Watson received a degree in English literature from Brown University. That same year, she was appointed as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador. Watson’s support of the UN’s HeForShe campaign encourages men to advocate for female equality. Watson was also selected as having the Best British Style at the British Fashion Awards. Meghan Markle: From Suits to a Tiara Like Grace Kelly before her, Meghan Markle will leave Hollywood to marry her Prince Charming. After seven seasons on the USA Network series, Suits, Markle became engaged to Princess Diana’s youngest son, Harry. Not only is Markle a US citizen, but she is also half African-American making the engagement to a British royal both controversial and historic. The royal wedding, which will take place on May 19, 2018, will no doubt influence bridal style for years to come. Markle was also a humanitarian prior to meeting Prince Harry. She has traveled the world talking about gender equality, clean water and modern-day slavery. As a member of the royal family, Markle will use her newfound platform to bring international attention to problems facing women. Saoirse Ronan: Hollywood’s Golden Lass Saoirse Ronan may seem like an overnight success with her Golden Globe win for 2017’s Lady Bird. But Ronan has already been nominated twice for Academy Awards. As a teenager, she received a Best Supporting Actress nod for Atonement. A few years later, she was included in the Best Actress category for Brooklyn. The actress—who was born to Irish parents in America but raised on the Emerald Isle—continues to make Ireland her home. Ronan was an outspoken supporter of Ireland’s vote to change the constitution to allow same-sex marriage. She also is involved with the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Natalie Portman: The Vegan with Meat on Her Resume When Academy Award winner, Natalie Portman, took a break from acting to attend Harvard, she wasn’t worried her studies would ruin her career. Portman said in an interview, “I’d rather be smart than a movie star.” Portman, who continues to be smart and a movie star, has co-authored research papers in scientific journals while co-starring in sci-fi movies. (Portman is best known for her role as Padme Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.) Natalie Portman is a well-known animal right activist who produces a line of vegan footwear. She is also an active environmentalist. She has traveled on behalf of FINCA International which provides micro loans to female entrepreneurs in third world countries. Portman also helps promote better education and living conditions for kids through the organization Free the Children. She has partnered with Christian Dior to raise money for the charity.

Some biomedical research should be permitted in US prisons if the benefits to the prisoners themselves clearly outweigh the risks, recommends the US Institute of Medicine (IoM). But drug trials in this setting should be confined to Phase III studies, with the ratio of prisoner to non-prisoner subjects not exceeding 50%, the IoM says. The recommendations come in a report on Ethical Considerations for Research Involving Prisoners commissioned by the US Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) Office for Human Research Protections. The IoM was asked to consider whether the present rules governing scientific research on prisoners needed updating. Given the existing restrictions on biomedical research involving prisoners in the Code of Federal Regulations (Title 1, Article 46, Subpart C), the IoM’s review has prompted concerns that conditions for drug trials in prisons are being eased to satisfy the huge increase in demand for clinical study participants. While the Institute’s recommendations would provide some relief from the strong federal restraints on biomedical research in prisons, they also stress that any such research should be “severely limited” because of the risks involved and the particular vulnerability of the prison population. Moreover, they call for uniform standards and a national system of oversight for all research programmes enrolling prisoners, as well as a detailed public database to track these studies. Under the current patchwork approach to protecting prisoners involved in research, the IoM notes, most studies occur outside the scope of federal regulations and often without the scrutiny of institutional review boards. According to the report, 15 US states already permit therapeutic biomedical research on prisoners, while three allow “biomedical studies of a non-therapeutic nature." Very few of these trials, however, appear in the published literature The possibility of regulatory endorsement for more extensive use of prisons as trial sites has raised the spectre of past abuses that saw anything from acne treatments to syphilis vaccines and hallucinogenics tested on prisoners – often without informed consent or proper understanding of the risk/benefit equation. According to testimony by the Alliance for Human Research Protection (AHRP) before the IoM committee reviewing research on prisoners in July 2005 – a “very low-profile” public meeting at which, the AHRP claimed, 12 out of 14 invited presenters favoured “rolling back” existing federal restrictions – in 1976 the president of the US pharmaceutical industry association estimated that 85% of Phase I trials were conducted on prisoners. Revelations of research abuses in and outside US prisons led to the introduction of legislation to protect human participants in the late 1970s, including the Subpart C provisions mentioned above. These limit biomedical or behavioural research conducted or supported by the DHHS to areas such as the causes and effects of incarceration – providing there is “minimal risk” to the prisoners – and practices “which have the intent and reasonable probability of improving the health or well-being of the subject." Also permitted is research on “conditions particularly affecting prisoners as a class”, such as hepatitis vaccine trials, subject to expert consultation and a published notice of the planned study in the Federal Register. The IoM found these categories to be poorly defined, arguing instead for a system where all proposals for research enrolling prisoners were reviewed based on the risks and benefits for individual subjects. It also pointed to the more than four-fold increase in the US prison population over the last 30 years, aggravating the vulnerability of prisoners whose privations – restrictions on liberty or autonomy, limited privacy or inadequate healthcare – were barriers to fundamental research ethics, such as voluntary informed consent. In this context Phase I and II clinical studies, in which lack clarity on safety and effectiveness would tip the balance towards risk over benefit, were out of the question, the IoM felt. Even at Phase III the proposed ‘50% rule’ should apply, to “minimise the possibility of using prisoners as human subjects because they are a more convenient or accessible population."

Integration of heterogeneous medical supplies and computerized medical maintenance management (CMMS) databases and decision support systems. This paper discusses an ongoing medical informatics and business process reengineering research project. The Joint Medical Asset Repository (JMAR) is a relational database system created to integrate very diverse medical supply and medical maintenance management information from the US military services existing hetrogeneous database systems. JMAR was originally envisioned to correct medical supply and drug distribution problems that occurred during Operation Desert Storm, and it received additional strong impetus and urgency from the September 1 lth terrorist attacks (TechMaui, 2002). JMAR also is a critical component of the Joint Vision 2010 and 2020 concepts, plans to provide seamless clinical and medical supply information from the front lines to the home-based forces and their families (Stratton and Dick, 2002). The Joint Vision 2020 plan is an aggressive and all encompassing one, and it seems well be ahead of civilian efforts found in the literature to date. |Main Author:||Sloane, Elliot B.| |Other Authors:||Rosow, Eric., Adam, Joseph.|

- Open Access Oxidative stress induction in woodworkers occupationally exposed to wood dust and formaldehyde Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology volume 16, Article number: 4 (2021) Many workers are exposed to wood dust (WD) and formaldehyde (FA), whose carcinogenic activity is supposed to be oxidative stress-mediated. This study aims to assess to what extent the occupational exposure to WD and FA, albeit within regulatory limits, could result in OS induction in a woodworkers’ population. The sample population consisted of 127 woodworkers from 4 factories and 111 unexposed controls. Individual exposure was assessed by personal air-samplers. Each participant enrolled in the study filled out a questionnaire and provided a urinary sample to quantify OS biomarkers, namely 15-F2t-IsoProstane (15-F2t-IsoP) and 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dGuo). The main confounding factor for OS, i.e. tobacco smoking exposure, was assessed by measuring cotinine in urine samples. Woodworkers were exposed to significantly higher amounts of WD and FA as compared to controls (p < 0.001). Among OS biomarkers, 15-F2t-IsoP showed statistically significant higher values in woodworkers compared to controls (p = 0.004). A significant, positive correlation was observed between 15-F2t-IsoP and 8-oxo-dGuo (p = 0.005), cotinine (p = 0.05), FA (p < 0.001) and WD (p = 0.01); 8-oxo-dGuo was significantly correlated with cotinine (p = 0.001) and WD (p = 0.004). In addition, WD and FA were significantly correlated each other (p < 0.001). The study confirms that WD and FA may induce OS in woodworkers, and highlights that even the compliance with occupational exposure limits can result in measurable biological outcomes. Wood dust (WD) is a complex mixture of cellulose (40–50%), polyose and lignin with a variable number of polar, non-polar and water-soluble compounds, but its exact formula depends on the species of tree processed [1, 2]. Over decades WD has become one of the most common occupational exposure scenarios, with millions of workers exposed worldwide [2, 3] and it has been associated with various adverse health impairments, such as dermatitis, allergic and non-allergic respiratory effects and cancer . Thus, as early as 1995, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified WD as “carcinogenic to humans (Group 1)”, considering the increasing risk in subjects exposed to WD in developing cancers of the nasal cavities and paranasal sinuses . Nevertheless, non-malignant respiratory effects could also occur, including, among the others, upper and lower respiratory tract symptoms and inflammation and occupational asthma . In vitro exposure to fine particulate matter may lead to the increased production of Radical Oxygen Species (ROS) . Oxidative Stress (OS), i.e. the imbalance between generation of oxidant compounds and of antioxidant defences induced by ROS , seems a likely fundamental mechanism involved in WD toxicity in airway cells. Particularly, the short-term exposure to pine, birch and oak dusts was found to induce a significant increase in the production of ROS in human bronchial epithelial cells with a subsequent increase of the caspase-3 activity . Wood industry intensively uses also chemicals, such as formaldehyde-based resins, which are used in wood-based panels and dyes ; as a result, high concentrations of formaldehyde (FA) have been measured in these workplaces . The last update by IARC confirmed FA as “carcinogenic to humans (Group 1)” because it may promote the nasopharyngeal cancer and leukaemia, whereas evidence for association with sinonasal cancer was limited . FA is a potent trigger of inflammation in the lower airways, and exposure to this chemical may increase the production of ROS, leading to the respiratory system damaging and promoting structural and enzymatic changes in target organs . Exposure over an extended period of time to toxic environmental pollutants could lead to significant toxic insults, even at low concentrations . OS may be thus one of the plausible biological mechanisms behind WD and FA toxicity [3, 13] possibly involved in the inflammation processes, which have been associated to cancer progression . In fact, inflammation and OS are closely related pathophysiological events : OS can trigger redox-sensitive pathways and lead to different biological processes like inflammation and cell death . Among OS biomarkers, 15-F2t-IsoProstane (15-F2t-IsoP) is a prostaglandin-like molecule generated by the free radical-induced peroxidation of arachidonic acid . It is ubiquitous in the body, chemically stable in biological fluids and widely considered a reliable, sensitive and specific non-invasive biomarker of in vivo systemic OS [17, 18]. Recently it has been speculated that 15-F2t-IsoP excretion is associated with 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dGuo or 8-oxo-dG) [19, 20], a guanine modification induced by free radicals and adopted as a non-invasive biomarker of OS . The accumulation of such damages can lead to genetic information changes, and, consequently, to mutagenesis and cells apoptosis . The urinary concentration of this biomarker reflects the equilibrium between its production and repair in both DNA and the nucleotide pool . Wultsch et al. found elevated concentrations of biomarkers indicative for inflammation and OS such as C-reactive proteins and MDA in woodworkers, with MDA levels significantly higher than those measured in the control group and exceeding the levels found in a reference healthy population . In a recent study, Bono et al. found an increase in urinary 15-F2t-IsoP levels in woodworkers compared to a control group . In this work we want to further explore the relationship between the exposure scenario distinctive of wood factories and the potential increase of OS in woodworkers. We decided to use a more detailed approach, recruiting exposed workers in companies performing different types of industrial processes, by measuring both the personal exposure to aspecific WD and FA and OS biomarkers (15-F2t-IsoP and 8-oxo-dGuo), which reflect the result of different metabolic pathways. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to clarify to what extent the occupational exposure to WD and FA, albeit in compliance with regulatory limits, could result in OS, namely the urinary levels of 15-F2t-IsoP and 8-oxo-dG, in a woodworkers’ population. The assumption is that the everyday occupational exposure to WD and FA, even at low doses, could lead to an increase in OS. Materials and methods The study population consisted of 238 volunteers, including 127 exposed and 111 unexposed controls. The exposure group included woodworkers recruited in 4 factories located in Piedmont (Italy), operating in different sectors of the wood industry. Two plywood factories (A-B) were specialised in the production of panels employed in different sectors, such as furniture and marine industry. The wood veneers employed in these factories are mainly softwood and poplar and the manufacturing processes include the processing of raw material, veneer cutting, drying, gluing, composition, pressing, squaring and sanding. Factories C and D were a company specialised in door production (C) and a furniture factory, respectively. In these facilities, many wood veneers were employed, mainly softwood, and the woodwork can be outlined in milling, carving, shaping and sanding and painting. Workers were in compliance with the use of the personal and environmental protective equipment (including respiratory protective equipments, when necessary), according to the regulations in force. However, given that our aim was to highlight the induction of OS in wood workers exposed also to FA as co-determinant, the different quality of the exposures of wood workers was useful for the achievement of biological purpose. The control group involved workers of secondary and tertiary sectors not occupationally exposed to WD. Sampling was carried out over the period between 2016 and 2017. Every participant filled out a questionnaire, provided a urinary sample and wore two personal environmental samplers, a passive one for FA and an active one for WD. The study was approved by the University of Turin ethics committee and the study is in line with ethical standards reported in The Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki, 2013). Every participant filled out a questionnaire providing information about personal data including height (expressed in m) and weight (expressed in kg), used for calculating Body Mass Index (B.M.I.) (kg/m2). Additional details on working conditions (years of working, presence of ventilation system, annual check of ventilatory flow test, employment of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), medical status (with a specific focus on respiratory disorders and allergies) and lifestyle were provided. The inhalable fraction of dust was collected by SKC Button Aerosol sampler equipped with PVC fiber filters (0.5 μm, Ø 25 mm, Whatman) and a pump (Gilian 5000, Sensidyne, USA) operating with a flow rate of 4 l/minute. The active personal samplers were worn by participants with the size selector clipped near the breathing zone during an 8 h-working shift. The WD concentration was determined by gravimetric analysis. Before and after each sampling, filters were dehydrated in a sealed bell with silica gel at 180 °C and kept in the dark for at least 72 h. Then clean filters were stored at 4 °C until sampling, as well as the dusty ones until the second dehydration. The weighing was performed by an analytical scale with a 0.00001 g sensitivity. Every filter was weighed 3 times and we considered the average value. A control filter (not used in samplings) was included in every dehydration treatment, in order to allow constant monitoring of the cooling-weighing system. The formula used to quantify the WD [mg] is WD = C/(L/1000), where C is the difference between the average value of dusty filter weight [mg] and clean filter weight [mg] and L are the litres sampled by the pump. Individual exposure to indoor FA was collected during an 8-h working shift using radial diffusive passive samplers (Radiello®) clipped near the breathing zone of each subjects. Samplers were equipped with a specific cartridge filled with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (2,4-DNPH) coated (Florisil®). The 2,4-DNPH reacts with FA yielding 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone, which can be subsequently extracted with acetonitrile and analysed by reverse phase HPLC and UV detection, according to manufacturer’s instructions. The analyses were performed in the laboratories of Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri (Padua, Italy). Four urine aliquots were collected from each participant to quantify the concentration of creatinine (crea), 15-F2t-IsoP, 8-oxo-dGuo and cotinine. Urine spot samples were collected at the beginning of the third working day shift of the week, as representatives of the week exposure. Aliquots were stored at − 80 °C prior to analysing. Urinary creatinine was determined by the kinetic Jaffé procedure to normalise the urinary excretion rate of 15-F2t-IsoP, 8-oxo-dGuo and cotinine. The urinary 15-F2t-IsoP concentration was measured by a competitive enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) performed with a specific microplate kit (Oxford, MI, USA), according to manufacturer’s instructions. The 15-F2t-IsoP concentrations were normalised to the individual creatinine levels . The urinary 8-oxo-dGuo was determined by Acquity UPLC system coupled with a triple quadrupole Waters TQD mass spectrometer (Waters, Milford, MA, USA). The method was validated according to EMEA bioanalytical method guideline (EMEA 2011). Briefly, after thawing, internal standard ([15 N5]8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine) is spiked to urine samples (1.0 ml); after mixing and centrifugation, samples were diluted in 100 mM formic acid solution (1:4), filtered using 0.2 μm Acrodisc Syringe Filter and injected onto UPLC system. Chromatographic separation was performed on a UPLC BEH C18 column (2.1 × 100 mm, 1.7 μm) maintained at 40 °C and by gradient elution with a mixture containing variable proportions of 20 mM formic acid solution and methanol; flow rate was delivered at 0.5 ml/min, retention time of 8-oxo-dGuo and its internal standard was 1.8 ± 0.01 min. Injection volume was 7.5 μl. For the mass spectrometer detection, electrospray was operated in positive ion mode and the acquisition was performed in MRM (Multi Reaction Monitor); in particular, for 8-oxo-dGuo: m/z 284.0 → 167.9 for quantification (CV 18, CE 15) and m/z 284.0 → 116.9 for confirmation (CV 18, CE 19); for 15 N5 8-oxo-dGuo: m/z 289.0 → 173.0 (CV 18, CE 15). The method is accurate and precise, and provides a broad linear concentration range of 3–100 nM using Sigma synthetic urine. LLOQ was 1.5 nM (Guideline on bioanalytical method validation. 21 July 2011; EMEA/CHMP/EWP/192217/2009 Rev. 1 Corr. 2**; Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP)). The 8-oxo-dGuo concentrations were normalized to the creatinine levels. The analyses were performed in the laboratories of “Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri” (Padua, Italy). The urinary cotinine concentration was measured using the cotinine ELISA kit (KA0930 Abnova, Taiwan), according to manufacturer’s instructions, as previously described . The declared limit of detection is 1 ng/ml. The cotinine concentrations were normalized to the creatinine levels . Differences among groups were tested using Chi-square (Χ2) test for categorical variables (residence, smoking, working years, wheezing, asthma-like symptoms, allergies and eczema) and Wilcoxon test for continue variables (age, B.M.I. and cotinine), as appropriate. The Shapiro-Wilk test was performed to assess the normality of the distribution. For variables with a non-normal distribution a logarithmic transformation was performed. Non-parametric correlations were assessed by Spearman’s test to investigate the correlation between OS biomarkers (15-F2t-IsoP and 8-oxo-dG), tobacco smoking exposure (cotinine) and environmental variables (WD and FA concentrations). Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) models were used to evaluate the association between environmental variables (WD and FA), tobacco smoke exposure and OS biomarkers (15-F2t-IsoP and 8-oxo-dGuo). The MLR analyses were adjusted for cotinine, exposure to WD, ventilation, formaldehyde, residence, and age. Non-parametric comparisons of biological and environmental variables between exposed and control groups were assessed by Mann-Whitney U test. The Kruskal-Wallis test was performed to compare data concerning the different types of exposures found in the 4 factories and the control group. Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS Statistics 25 (IBM SPSS Statistics, New York, NY) and RStudio (RStudio Desktop 1.2.5042, RStudio Inc.). Table 1 shows the demographic characteristics of the sample population grouped by exposure to WD. In the study population (n = 238), 67.6% were males. Table 2 reports the median values of biological and environmental parameters, in exposed subjects, according to the four factories where woodworkers were enrolled and in the control group. The Kruskal-Wallis test performed to compare data concerning the different types of exposures found in the 4 factories and the control group revealed significant differences in WD and FA concentrations and in 15-F2t-IsoP levels, while no difference was found in the amount of urinary 8-oxo-dGuo. We performed non-parametric correlations (Spearman) on the whole sample, founding a significant correlation between WD and FA concentrations (Spearman’s rho = 0.35, p < 0.001) and between 15-F2t-IsoP and FA (rho = 0.63, p < 0.001), WD (rho = 0.16, p = 0.01), cotinine (rho = 0.13, p = 0.05), and 8-oxo-dGuo (rho = 0.18, p = 0.005). Conversely, 8-oxo-dGuo was positively and significantly correlated only with cotinine (rho = 0.223, p = 0.001) and WD (rho = 0.19, p = 0.004). Non-parametric analyses (Mann-Whitney U test) between woodworkers and controls confirmed a higher exposure to WD and FA (p < 0.001) in woodworkers (p < 0.001). Among OS biomarkers, only 15-F2t-IsoP was higher in exposed workers as compared to controls (p = 0.004) (Fig. 1). We further tested the same hypotheses by grouping the exposed subjects according to the four sampling sites. As expected, controls were exposed to lower WD concentrations than workers from all considered companies (KW test, p < 0.001) and, among the four companies, A and B showed significantly higher concentration levels than C (pairwise comparison, p = 0.004 and p = 0.029, respectively) (Fig. 2a). Concerning FA exposure, controls had lower levels than workers (KW test p < 0.001; pairwise comparison was significant between controls and A, B and C companies (p < 0.001 for all tested differences). FA concentrations measured in C and D were lower than those measured in A (p < 0.001 for both) and in B (p = 0.017 and p = 0.001, respectively) (Fig. 2b). Concerning OS biomarkers, instead, only workers employed in companies A and C turned out to have 15-F2t-IsoP levels higher than the control group (KW test p < 0.001; p = 0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively) (Fig. 2c). MLR models with ln-transformed dependent variables, as described in Table 3, revealed that both 15-F2t-IsoP and 8-oxo-dGuo levels were positively influenced in a significant way by cotinine and FA concentration. In addition, the 8-oxo-dGuo level was influenced also by the exposure to WD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible effect of the combined exposure to WD and FA, both carcinogenic compounds, on OS biomarkers in woodworkers employed in different types of industrial processes. Although the harmful effects of the exposure to WD and FA have been known for a long time, only a few studies in literature focused on oxidative status alterations in woodworkers. We investigated the molecular outcomes of this distinctive kind of exposure, because OS may be one of the mechanisms through which both these compounds could express their activity. Since OS is a complex phenomenon that can reveal itself through multiple pathways , we analysed the outcomes of two different biomarkers: 15-F2t-IsoP, a measure of lipid peroxidation, and 8-oxo-dGuo, a biomarker of DNA repair following oxidative damage. Such a biomarker-based approach has been used to evaluate the environmental and occupational exposure to xenobiotics: the rate of DNA and lipid oxidation is known to be influenced, indeed, mainly by environmental factors . This study has been carried out in woodworkers because this is a population known to be exposed to relevant amounts of WD and FA. FA is a quite common pollutant in wood industries, since it is a constituent of both plant organisms and glues, resins and paints employed in the production of manufactures. This consideration could explain also the positive correlation observed between the two main agents under investigation. WD and FA concentrations detected in this study, however, were nearby, and generally lower than both occupational exposure limits adopted by EU. In particular, the WD average exposure measured in woodworkers was 0.41 mg/m3, lower than the threshold limit in force at the time of sampling. Indeed, the Italian law recommended a threshold exposure limit for WD of 5 mg/m3 (Legislative Decree No 81/2008) until 2020, when, in accordance with the European Directive Decree No 2017/2398, a new transitory limit of 3 mg/m3 has entered into force until 17 January 2023. The limit will drop further to 2 mg/m3 thereafter. Also for FA, we found an average exposure level (76 μg/m3) much lower than the “Time Weighted Average” (average concentration for 8-h working day to which almost all workers can be exposed, repeatedly without suffering harmful effects on health) TLV-TWA of 0.1 ppm (i.e. 0.12 mg/m3) recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) . Nevertheless, our study reveals an alteration in the woodworker’s oxidative status: we found a significant increase in 15-F2t-IsoP, in accordance with a recent study performed in wood industries in Tuscany Region (Italy) , and a positive correlation between this biomarker level and the concentration of both WD and FA. On the contrary, we did not find any relevant differences concerning 8-oxo-dGuo. Our results can be explained considering the different pathophysiological meaning of the two biomarkers and the different effects they reflect. 15-F2t-IsoP, unlike 8-oxo-dGuo, is not a marker of immediate effect, but it reflects the exposure to pollutants that occurred at least 3–4 weeks before sampling . The possible explanation may be that the damage of lipids is not repaired, rather the lesions accumulated allowing the detection of longer exposures before sampling, while for genomic injuries the DNA repair mechanisms remove the damage to DNA shortly after it occurs . Moreover, Bono et al. reported that M1dG, a major endogenous peroxidation-derived DNA adduct , can be detected as a result of FA exposures higher than 66 μg/m3 : the low FA concentrations found in the current study, may not be enough to induce a measurable DNA oxidative damage, explaining, thus, the absence of correlation between FA and 8-oxo-dGuo. Our data confirmed, once more, the role of tobacco smoking in OS induction as a positive correlation between urinary cotinine concentration and both 15-F2t-IsoP and 8-oxo-dGuo levels was highlighted, in accordance with previous reports [20, 39, 40]. In the MLR models, cotinine and FA were significant predictors of the variation of both 15-F2t-IsoP and 8-oxo-dGuo, straightening the role of both environmental exposure and tobacco smoking in OS induction. In this context, we have to point out that in Italy the smoking ban is in force in every workplace since 2008 (D.Lgs. 81/08), and not only where there is a risk of fire. Therefore, it is very unlikely that there could have been any kind of formaldehyde contamination due to second-hand smoke during the formaldehyde personal sampling. The comparison among various types of wood industries allowed highlighting different exposure scenarios. All the companies showed a significantly higher WD concentration in comparison with the control group and the highest mean value was found in the furniture factory, even though a high variability was observed. Plywood industries workers resulted to be exposed to high concentration of both WD and FA, while the lowest mean dust level was detected in the doors factory. These differences could be explained considering different tasks performed by workers in the industries belonging to the wood sector. The different processes are known to produce particles with different size: smaller particles are associated with sanding, while larger particles with planning and shaping processes . Concerning FA, the lower mean concentrations were found in the furniture industry and in the doors factory, among which no significant differences were found. The furniture manufacture turned out to be the only one where the measured FA level is not significantly different from that of the control group. In that context, the difference of processes might explain the variability among companies. In a FA exposure evaluation of Italian workplaces, the male workers potentially exposed to FA in wood-related mansions at higher risk were in the sector of “manufacture of veneer sheets, plywood, lamin-board, particle board, other panels and boards” . The biological outcome seems to reflect the differences in exposure scenarios, even though the interpretation should be conducted carefully. The higher values were found in the two plywood industries and the lowest in the furniture manufactory. Nevertheless, the 15-F2t-IsoP levels found in the control group turned out to be significantly lower than the concentrations found in one of the plywood industries and in the doors factory. These data suggest that OS is the result of the exposure to a wide range of environmental and lifestyle factors, as well as of physio-pathological processes and aging, not investigated in this study. The main weaknesses of the current study are the cross-sectional design, which prevents the possibility of causal inferences, and the fact that we did not consider all the possible confounding factors, which could also modulate in varying degrees these non-specific biomarkers, focusing only on key exposures of woodworkers. Moreover, in the wood sector several times companies work on commission: this element may affect the type of wood processed and, in turn, create variability in workers’ exposure. The heterogeneity of the WD produced in the different selected factories, but also in the same company, in different moments could affect the biological responses and thus, this issue still needs to be investigated. Longitudinal studies should be performed in order to confirm the relationships observed between the environmental exposure and the biological outcome in the wood sector. The main strength, instead, consist in the quantification of two different OS biomarkers in order to deepen the wide outcome range that could be related to WD and FA exposure. The main novelty of this research lies in the evaluation of biological data based on personal exposure measurement to WD and FA: the measurement of these two environmental factors with personal sampler allowed relating the oxidative status alteration with the pollutant concentration that could be found in the workers’ breathing zone. The study confirms that exposure to WD and FA can increase the level of endogenous metabolites reflecting OS, even though at exposure level below the currently adopted OELs. Hence, the importance not only of the compliance with safety standards but also of the regular updating of these regulations based on the latest knowledge in order to protect the workers’ health. Not least, this study confirms the fundamental role of the preventive measures in order to protect the workers’ health, since even very low exposure levels turn out to be able to induce measurable biological alterations. These findings deserve further investigations to assess the relevance of different sources of FA in OS induction. Availability of data and materials The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. 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Consent for publication The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. About this article Cite this article Ghelli, F., Bellisario, V., Squillacioti, G. et al. Oxidative stress induction in woodworkers occupationally exposed to wood dust and formaldehyde. J Occup Med Toxicol 16, 4 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-021-00293-4 - Occupational hygiene - Wood dust

A enterprise by definition sells a product or a service. Summary phrases consult with concepts or ideas. Now take a look at the definition once more. Definition of images in layman's phrases. Emc 2 E 8618kg300 10 8 ms 2 E 776 10. The benefits of such a distributed ledger are apparent. What blockchain is in laymans phrases. Cease proper right here and reread that definition. In laymans phrases hallucinations contain listening to seeing feeling smelling and even tasting issues that aren’t actual. The phrase ultimate items is talked about there. Inflation is the rise in costs of goodsservices which we purchase and devour on a regular basis. The symbolism and imagery that’s used could also be interpreted as literal or symbolic or a mix of each. This repetition of sounds brings consideration to the traces during which it’s used and creates extra aural rhythmIn poems alliteration also can consult with repeated consonant sound within the burdened syllables of a line. Similar applies to greens garments white items tuition charges touring value and so forth. Most fashionable motion movies embody no less than some CGI for particular results whereas different motion pictures resembling a Pixar animated movies are constructed fully from pc generated graphics. For instance in case you search the web for Government Operate listed here are among the complicated definitions youll discover. First one should ask what’s strategic intelligence and why. To make the that means of this summary language clearer we want some examples. Within the pc graphics world CGI usually refers to Pc Generated Imagery. Alliteration is the repetition of the identical consonant sounds firstly of phrases which are in shut proximity to one another. Sum up – in laymans phrases The techniques reliability – merely be certain that the service is on-line and serving prospects. Now that Im in the best unit of measure for mass we will plug the values into the equation and see simply what we get. Suppose we have an interest some attribute of a inhabitants. Utilizing these techniques we outline alerts – for instance. This sort of CGI refers to 3D graphics utilized in movie TV and different forms of visible media. The primary e-book I encountered after deciding I wished to study Einsteins idea of relativity was Bertrand Russells ABC of Relativity a supposedly layman introduction to the conceptI should be stupider than the layman as a result of I had extreme bother greedy the ideas Russell was attempting to clarify. A layman is a person who just isn’t skilled certified or skilled in a specific topic. Even in case you discover it attention-grabbing it might be arduous to pin down the that means. The calculation for GDP is a little more difficult. Communication is the method by which data is exchanged between people by way of a standard system of articulation. So 1 Josh 8618kg. Suppose a farmer produces wheat price Rs 100000 in a specific 12 months. For instance the typical top h of all grownup males within the US. Auditory hallucinations which contain listening to voices or different sounds that don’t have any bodily supply are the commonest sort. Being it value and danger discount knowledge safety or transactions transparency firms from most industries can absolutely profit from this new know-how. Many readers will discover it each obscure and boring. Layman definition an individual who just isn’t a member of the clergy. One of many laity. And calculating the typical top H within the sampleThis is named some extent estimate of hIf the pattern is giant H might be a superb estimate of h however by itself it doesn’t. Historicists maintain that the occasions described within the textual content are. Laymans phrases definition is – easy language that anybody can perceive. Develop the infrastructure as wanted whereas protecting issues on the price range. This text will give attention to changing dental phrases and situations utilizing layman phrases to make sure affected person understanding and thus higher communication. Futurists may additionally argue that the symbolism is an try by the creator to explain photos and occasions that can’t be described in recognized vocabulary. The way to use laymans phrases in a sentence. They don’t have any bodily referents. So blockchain is by definition unbiased clear and safe. The Dal costs that had been at 4050 two 12 months again are actually above 100 that’s inflation. Which means pronunciation translations and examples. Sadly a lot of the literature on Government Operate just isn’t in laymans phrases thus making it difficult for fogeys and educators to study. We will estimate h by drawing a random pattern of grownup males within the US. Strategic Intelligence performs a significant position in our countrys nationwide safety and is a valued position to our determination and coverage makers. It’s not simply the added sum of manufacturing of all of the industries in a given monetary 12 months. Picture by SpaceX-Imagery from Pixabay. 2 Pc Generated Imagery. Offering a clearer image of the prognosis therapy or suggestions will enable clinicians to bridge the hole. Reply by A Quora admin. Laymans Phrases New Phrase Suggestion To place one thing in laymans phrases is to explain a posh or technical assertion utilizing phrases and phrases that somebody not specialised in a selected discipline can perceive.

Wind, Light, and the Twenty-Year-Old-Me Wind, Light, and the Twenty-Year-Old-Me (Abridged) © All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of Maplopo. Having been expelled from school and needing to repeat a grade, I was twenty years old when I graduated from high school. Two years prior, my old man died and after discovering all he left for us was debt, we moved into a different house. People surrounding me said it would be nonsense for a person like me who hates studying to go to university. And, even though they weren’t really telling me not to go to university, it made sense. So, I decided to work instead. I became a substitute teacher. By nature, I give myself license to do things at whim. With my natural disposition, it’s impossible for me to obey the orders of others. I had developed a taste for skipping classes ever since I was a kindergartener, and during my middle and high school years, I was absent for easily half my classes. I would leave all my textbooks at my school desk, and when I went to school, carried nothing with me. On those occasions when I skipped school, I would end up lying on the sand dune along the shore, surrounded by pine trees… gazing idly at the ocean and the sky. I didn’t read novels or anything like that, nor did I go to movies or to any other fun places… I was entirely squandering time—my fate throughout life. Back when I was in middle school, I was expelled from the countryside school in my home town of Niigata and transferred to a school in Tokyo where there was a fair number of delinquent boys. Even there I was still the king of absences, and still rarely went to the movies or anywhere else. I could often be found lying in the cemetery behind the school, or nearby in the prisoner’s cemetery, a meadow of 990 square meters surrounded by trees that laid just beyond yet another graveyard, the Zoshigaya Cemetery. After I enrolled as a student at this school filled with delinquents, I developed this vague aspiration for religion. A person like me who cannot obey the orders of others may perhaps find pleasure in obeying his own restrictive commands. But, my yearning was fundamentally ambiguous, and more like a nostalgic longing for strict ascetic practice. It might sound strange for a former delinquent unable to follow school rules to become an elementary school substitute teacher, but as an impressionable youngster I had hopes and aspirations common for that age. Besides, I was much more mature back then than I am now. These days, I have become the sort of person who cannot even engage in obligatory social rounds, but when I was young, I possessed moderation and manners, and would speak and put on airs with parents as if some kind of respected educator. As a substitute teacher, I was in charge of the fifth grade—the oldest group at the branch school in what used to be known as Ebara-gun, now Shimokitazawa, Setagaya Town. It was a mixture of both male and female students, seventy in total. I wouldn’t be surprised if they pushed all the ones that were just too much to handle from the main campus to this branch school. Because, out of those seventy students, only about as many as twenty could manage to barely write their names in katakana. Other than that, they couldn’t even write one simple konnichiwa. A good twenty of them! That group was always fighting in the classroom, and there was this one kid, who if he heard soldiers passing by singing a war song outside the building, would leap from the classroom window and go watch the soldiers. That kid was ferocious and abnormal. He was the child of a clam selling family. When cholera was prevalent and their clams could not be sold anymore, he said, “Hell, no! My clams cannot be beaten by damn cholera!” and ate the clams. Each member of his family was infected with cholera. The kid would vomit white stuff that looked like rice soup on the way to school. Luckily, though, everyone in his family narrowly escaped death. Truly adorable kids exist among the ones that are considered bad. Children are all adorable, of course, but beautiful souls reside within the naughty ones. The naughty ones have warm hearts and an appreciation for the nostalgic. These kids should not be forced to study subjects which give them a headache. Instead, we should nurture character traits that allow them to be warm-hearted and nostalgic—traits they can rely on to live strong. Having those principles, I did not care if they were not able to write words in hiragana or katakana. There was a milk house boy called Tanaka. He milked the cows both day and night, and delivered milk on his own. At some point in the past, he had apparently failed to advance to the next grade, so he was a year older than the other students in his class. When I first arrived at the school as a substitute, the head teacher told me to keep a particular eye on him because he was strong and bullied other children. True as that may have been, he was, however, a very nice kid. Whenever I visited his house asking if I could see him milk the cows, he came out jumping, overjoyed. Sometimes he did bully other children, but offered a hand with physically strenuous jobs such as cleaning up the ditches or carrying stuff, and did everything on his own without fooling around. He would beg adorably, “Teacher, I can’t write words, but please don’t scold me. Instead, I’ll do any sort of labor work.” I can’t comprehend why an adorable child like him is notoriously labeled as a bad student. Under no circumstances should a child be reprimanded solely because he’s unable to write letters. It’s a child’s soul that matters most. It’s outrageous to flunk a student because the child cannot write. Upon starting my teaching job, I moved to the second floor of a house owned by the branch school’s head teacher. It was located in Daitabashi, about four kilometers away from the school. One of the head teacher’s side jobs was to have a teacher board with him. The person who boarded with him before me was another substitute teacher, a Mr. Nagaoka, who was later moved to the main school. He was an avid reader of Russian literature and quite an oddball. He had a peculiar disease called frog epileptic seizure, and whenever he saw a frog he went into convulsions. One year prior, when my class was in the fourth grade and taught by Mr. Nagaoka, one of the students hid a frog in his chalk box. Upon discovering this during class, Mr. Nagaoka apparently toppled over and foam began bubbling from his mouth. The milk house boy was the one who recounted this story to me. He said, “I was so startled when that happened.” I thought perhaps it could have been him. I asked, “Wasn’t it you who did it?” He said, “No, not me—,” with a cute, meaningful smirk. The head teacher I boarded with was sixty years old when I was there. He was 140 centimeters tall—unusually short—with unbounded energy. He had a wide, muscular build, and a harelip hidden beneath his mustache. He had a fiery temper and damned those around him left and right, perhaps a result of some underlying cowardice. He leaned especially hard on the janitor and students, but when it came to school board members or influential people in the village, he went right into brown-nosing them. Whenever he lost patience with his role as a teacher or the students, he would push the responsibility of teaching class to the old teacher in charge of the first graders, venturing off instead to some influential person’s house to chit-chat over tea. Regardless, for us teachers, we were more pleased not to have him at school anyways, so we did not complain about having his responsibilities imposed on us in this way. On those occasions when he did get fiery mad, he walloped and kicked his wife hard. On top of all that, he would charge out of his house, and into a grove of mixed trees or a bamboo forest, and recklessly hit the trunks of trees or bamboo with his walking stick. That was plain insanity. I wondered if his hands did not hurt using such tremendous power, but he totally immersed himself in the hitting for five minutes or so, shouting “Ei! Ei! Ei! Yah! Yah! Yah!” The head teacher often disdainfully referred to young people as, “These youngsters… Greenhorns… etc., etc….” But I was not, in the slightest, affected by these slurs. Those days, I held myself entirely aloof from worldly stuff, emotionally distancing myself from feelings of anger, sadness, hatred or joy. Like a cloud drifting in the sky or water floating with the tide, I tried to live life letting nature take its course and not fussing over anything. Although overall each of us was a victim of his scorn, he often excluded me from his damning because he was afraid that if he got mad at me, I would move out and he would not be able to collect rent. He was cunning like that. Including me and the head teacher, there were a total of five teachers. The first grade male teacher, old Yamakado, the second grade female teacher, Fukuhara, and the third grade female teacher, Ishige. Mr. Yamakado was sixty-five years old and a bit of a recluse like me. He actually walked all the way from Asabu to school wearing straw sandals. He had a daughter too, whom he coerced into working as a teacher within the city. Apparently, she wanted to get married at some point in the near future, but no-no, Mr. Yamakado would not allow that. He needed her to help with the family finances a bit longer. He argued with her every day about it, and told us about it repeatedly: “Oh my, that young one has awakened to sex or something. She sure is itching to be married. Ah, ha, ha, ha!” He’s got ten children which caused his household to be in dire straits, so he entrusted his entire well-being to a little 180 milliliter flask of sake that he got to drink each night. The head teacher did not drink. There is a strange inversion to the moral sense of elementary school teachers. That is, they believe educators are mentors people should look up to, and thus, in order to avoid receiving criticism from others, strive to live life constantly refraining from vulgar behavior. They presume average people, indifferent to this standard, carelessly indulge in all manner of behavior even if considered wicked. Consequently, teachers grant themselves permission to share in a little bit of this vice, and a little bit of that vice. They assume: “Other people’s conduct is far worse than mine. What I’m doing is not that big a deal.” In reality, however, they commit far more crooked acts than what others would ever consider doing. The same tendency goes for those in rural villages. People in a rural area think: “City dwellers are bad, and always up to wrongdoings. So, we should be allowed a certain degree of misdeeds.” And yet, their conduct too ends up being much worse. The same goes for religionists. I think it’s inherently wrong to reflect upon any single person or group’s way of thinking and course of procedure, instead of acting upon one’s own initiative. But what’s worse is their reflection overall is a delusion. It used to surprise me that the teachers went overboard in imagining and interpreting human society as being so evil and vulgar. The first time I visited the main school after having received official notification of my appointment, a female teacher there let me know I’d be working at the branch school, and because she lived in the area, offered to escort me to the building. She was stunningly beautiful. I had never seen such a beautiful woman until that very moment, and for the first time realized there existed a kind of beauty that could snap one completely straight. She was twenty-seven, single, and I heard through the grapevine that she intended to remain single for life. She seemed to have a sturdy conviction which made her appear incredibly noble and modest, and was kind too. Noticeably feminine, she was different from that commonly “neutral” female teacher type. I secretly held deep admiration for her. There was very little contact between the main campus and the branch school, however, so that was it. We had no real chance of conversing after that. Still, for the next few years, I embraced an impression of her as something noble. There was an influential wealthy man in our village, and though he was quite old, he wanted to marry this teacher and make her his second wife, his first wife having died. He asked the head teacher for a favor in this matter. If successful, the promised reward was said to be a few hundred, or a few thousand yen. The head teacher, then, was something to watch: he was running around everywhere like a chicken with its head cut off, often leaving his class unattended to. But it was fruitless because the person at the heart of the matter, the female teacher, had no intention whatsoever of being married. So, every day for a month or two, the head teacher took his frustration out on everyone. It was simply too much to handle how rough, or rather frenzied, his temper was. When I heard of the head teacher’s maneuvering, I was very anxious thinking my vision of the beautiful woman could be crushed by such an offensive marriage. I was not particularly planning to, nor wanting to, confess my love to the female teacher, or get married to her for that matter. Rather, I was happy to hold the dear memory of her in my mind. After all, my motto at the time was “let nature take its course and don’t be attached to anything.” But being aware of the head teacher’s angling made me come to secretly despise him regardless of my façade of letting nature take its course. One of my other colleagues, Ms. Ishige, was the wife of a military police sergeant major, or something like that, a really cold, neutral-type of person. Another colleague of mine, Ms. Fukuhara, on the other hand, was a nice aunty-type. She was probably thirty-five or six, and her devotion to her students always came first. She gave no care to her appearance. Her nature, too, was more like that of a kindergarten teacher than a middle school teacher. Despite being single, and unlike many a neutral woman, she did not have a mean bone in her body. Although she did not have any lofty ideals or anything, she was indeed a nice person. For me it was a pleasant fact that she was the noble teacher’s best friend and had a worshipful kind of respect toward her while others were jealous. When I was quitting my teaching job, she said, “It is hard and sad to see you leave, but it is a good thing. You really should not remain a teacher and end your life being just that.” She congratulated me, made a bounty of food, and held a farewell feast for me. I was, however, feeling sad about my ambition which made it impossible for me to settle for a teaching job. Why could I not dedicate myself to being a teacher? I used to enjoy lingering in the staff room by myself after school. With all the students gone and the teachers no longer there, it was just me sitting absorbed in thought. There was only the sound of the wall clock. The fact that the hustle and bustle of the schoolyard turned to complete emptiness—no sounds, no people—mysteriously made the stillness come to the fore. It was oddly hollow, and in this state of absent-mindedness, it was as though I too had disappeared to somewhere else. In the midst of being absorbed by this vacant feeling, I came to imagine an apparition of myself sticking out its neck from the shadow of the clock on the wall and saying hello. I suddenly caught myself seeing myself, and I felt like my apparition was standing next to me and speaking to me, “Hey, what’s going on?” Although I liked having my mind in a dull haze, sometimes my apparition would unexpectedly appear next to me like this and nag: “Hey, you! Don’t be so satisfied,” he’d say, glaringly. “I can’t be satisfied?” I asked. “Of course not. You must suffer. You must make yourself suffer as much as you can.” “You suffer, and only through that suffering will you be shown the answer. The nobility of a person lies in having oneself suffer. Everybody prefers being satisfied, even a beast.” Is that true? Despite the possible veracity of what my apparition was saying, I certainly did indulge in satisfaction. Truly, I was coming close to becoming like a Zen monk, allowing nature to take its course and living without attachments. Instances where I’d become angry, happy, or sad came about less and less. I seemed to have much more composure, maturity and comprehension of things than did fifty- and sixty-year-old teachers despite being merely twenty. Generally, I did not have a desire for possessions. I did not wish for my soul to be limited. In summer or winter, I wore the same clothes throughout the year. I gave away books once I finished reading them. A few changes of clothes—shirts and fundoshi (loincloth)—were my only surplus possessions. A parent who visited me one day spread a funny narrative that I hung my fundoshi on the wall just like any other article of clothing. “Oh really?” I thought, “This habit is only mine?” I was rather taken aback. Hanging my fundoshi was purely my way of keeping tidy. There was no concept of storage in my spirit, so of course no closet was needed. The only thing I stored as my possession was a vision of the noble female teacher. The reason I was reading the Bible around that time was because I was pleasantly associating the image of her with the Virgin Mary. Admittedly, I admired this female teacher. However, I was not in love with her. I did not in the slightest have the feeling of losing my balance over her as if I was in love. All I wished for was the chance to at least sit next to her while working in the staff room at school. Today, I no longer own the image of her in my heart. I cannot even recall her face, nor do I remember her name. Those days, I felt as though there was a life force in the sun and I saw boundless effervescence and waves of æther in the rays it cast. A mere glance upward to the blue sky to soak up its light left me content. Being carefree, and having the wind and light sweep through the wheat fields, gave me the utmost pleasure. I could gaze at life so dear within every single drop of rain on a rainy day and within the sound of the madly screaming wind on a stormy day. I continued feeling this precious life in the leaves of trees, birds, insects, and those clouds that drifted above—always chatting with my heart. Since there was nothing at all prompting me to drink alcohol, I never considered enjoying it. I was satisfied with the mere vision of that graceful female teacher, so I did not need the flesh of a woman. At night, I was tired, and so I slept well. The distance between nature and myself gradually narrowed, and my senses bathed with satisfaction in nature’s touch and life force. Experiencing this wasn’t directly triggering any anxiety for me, but sure enough, when feeling content, walking along the crest of a wheat field, or through a thick, dark, primeval forest, I again began to encounter, out of the blue, an apparition of myself. I’d see it speaking to me from the inner part of the woods, the top of a thicket, or the surface of a hill. My apparitions were always still, and their words delivered amicably with composure. They always spoke to me like this: “Hey you, you need to be unhappy. Very unhappy, okay? And you need to experience suffering, because unhappiness and suffering are home to the human soul.” But, I had no idea what I should take up to make myself feel suffering. I had little sex drive, so not being with a woman wouldn’t cause me to suffer. What part of me, exactly, should do the suffering? So, I tried to imagine what it would be like to be unhappy: Poverty. Illness. A broken heart. Failing in ambition. Old age. Ignorance. Being in a feud. Despair. I had none of these things—I was completely satisfied. I groped for unhappiness, and yet I could not even grasp the shadow of it. Even my memory of being a naughty child afraid of reprimand and entirely disconsolate, was something that provided me with more of a nostalgic feeling than any sense of past suffering. What exactly is unhappiness? Nonetheless, the intermittent appearance of those shadows of myself gradually weighed heavily on me. I thought of going to a house of ill-repute with a chance of catching the filthiest and the most horrible sexually transmitted disease. Could it help, I wondered? These days, I have come to think that every man experiences his greatest level of maturity during the period when he changes from young man to adult. There are two young men who have been coming to visit me lately on occasion. Both are twenty-two, hard-boiled ultranationalists with a history of belonging to right-wing organizations. But they now seem to have found a truer way for a man to live his life. Although they can somehow feel that my Discourse on Decadence and Discourse on Fall are words of truth, because of their extreme nature, the logic of these discourses remain out of reach. These young men value moderation more than anything. There is another pair of young men, both former soldiers, one a poet, and the other an editor who used to belong to a suicide squad during the war. They occasionally stay over my house for a few nights and cook me meals making clankety-clank sounds along the way. These two men carry shadows of the battlefield, and brim with a rough, untamed, wild nature gained from having been in war. However, they own a surprising moderate quality in their souls. That is to say, they too hold dear a trace of their own graceful female teacher. Like the other two men, these young men are also twenty-two. They have not begun a life of true lust yet. They have not reached that period of growth where they mentally suffer from lust itself. Yet, each of these young men is more mature at their current age than men of forty or fifty. Their moderate nature comes naturally to them and is not fabricated, forced, or twisted like that of an older man. For a certain period in their life, I think, every man is an optimist, like Voltaire’s Candide. Then they fall and become decadent. But, I assume most lose purity in their souls as their bodies become more decadent. While I was a teacher, I did not experience the common pain of navigating life as a staff member: no clashing with bosses, being bullied, or subject to the friction of cliques. There were only five of us. And there was no way we could have possibly had a clique, even if we wanted to. It was a branch school, and because the head teacher was not the principal, he did not have much sense of responsibility. He was, in fact, very irresponsible to begin with and had no passion for education whatsoever. He clearly had no problem neglecting his class to run around playing matchmaker for that wealthy, influential man. So, he could hardly lecture anyone about teaching—not a single word. Even though I used a slightly slanted curriculum that lacked music, and an abacus-focused math class (because I was horrible in both subjects), he did not complain. The only thing he did was, once in a blue moon, he’d pull me aside and hint that I must take very good care of the children of influential families. Since I loved all my students equally, I did not get hung up on those things nor did I feel any further need to act on the head teacher’s hint. The child the head teacher told me to give special attention to was Ogiwara. His father was a landowner and school board member. A good kid by nature, though he was sometimes mischievous. I’d sometimes have to scold him for his mischief, but he knew well why he was being reprimanded, and seemed rather secure and calm when I’d forgive him afterward. One day, he started crying. “You only scold me, none of the others!” he said in tears. He was just acting out, being so used to having everything his own way, and in reality wanting to be pampered by me as well. “Oh, is that so?” I said. “Do I really single you out for scolding?” I started laughing. Then he stopped crying at once, and started laughing as well. The head teacher failed to recognize this kind of connection between me and my students. Children are sly creatures just like adults. Take the milk house boy, for example, who flunked and had to repeat the same grade. He was sly alright, but at the same time, there was right courage residing within him, and he’d acceptingly sacrifice himself for others. It’s this worthy distinction in right courage that separates children from adults. It’s greater in children than in adults. Children can’t help being sly. Slyness is not a vice, and it coexists with right courage. When the proper amount of right courage no longer exists in harmony with slyness, that is a problem. One day after school, the students and teachers had all left and I was by myself in the staff room, vacantly absorbed in all sorts of thought. I heard someone knocking on the glass window from outside. It was the head teacher. Earlier, he had stopped by the Ogiwaras on his way home, and witnessed the Ogiwara boy’s tear-filled return from school. The boy told his father and the head teacher he’d been scolded by me. “It’s all your fault, father! Because you’re throwing your weight around being a school board member. That’s why my teacher hates me! Father, it’s your fault. You fool!” “That child is out of control, acting unruly,” the head teacher told me. “Why on earth did you scold him?” Little did he know, I didn’t…. Children act out because they’re sad. Invariably, there is meaning behind their actions, therefore, we should never judge a child’s actions by what we see on the surface. “I see…,” I told the head teacher. “It was not extremely bad behavior, but I had to teach him a lesson or two, so I did what I needed to do.” “Alright, then,” the head teacher smiled obsequiously. “Why don’t you take a quick trip to the Ogiwaras now and explain what really happened? As we say: If you can’t beat them, join them. Conformity brings about a better consequence. We cannot help it, right? Hehe.” The head teacher was a man who often ended his words with this chuckling, “hehe.” “I don’t need to go. Would you please tell the boy, and only the boy, to come here on your way back home?” “Alright. But hey, you cannot scold your students too much.” “Yes, I know… but they are my students, so please leave them up to me.” “Alright. But please make sure you adjust your tone of reprimand. Especially with the children of influential families.” The head teacher was probably in good spirits, so he took my words more readily than expected and hopped away. I had forgotten until today that he had this way of walking with his butt sticking out sideways and hopping because he was a bit lame. However those feet were awfully fast. The boy arrived before long showing his embarrassed smile, and calling my name from outside the window, hiding himself behind it. Although I scolded him often, he was my favorite kid, and he well understood my deep affection for him. “Why did you give your father trouble?” “Because I was very irritated.” “Tell me the truth. You engaged in mischief on the way home from school, didn’t you?” The troubles and agony children lock in their hearts are persistent and serious just as with adults—perhaps even more so with children. Just because the reasons for their troubles are childish, we cannot conclude the depth of their agony is infantile. The degree of self-reproach and anguish is the same for everyone regardless of age—whether a boy of seven or a man of forty. The boy started crying. Apparently, from the outside display table of the stationary store next to the school, he had lifted a pencil. The milk house boy, Tanaka, had threatened him and made him do it. Perhaps Tanaka had a secret that made Ogiwara vulnerable and he took advantage of it. Nevertheless, I did not need to meddle and ask all the details between the two. In any case, Ogiwara reluctantly stole the pencil. I told him not to worry, and promised to pay for it without revealing his name. He went home pleased. A few days later, carefully checking nobody except me was present, he slid into the staff room, came up to me, bringing out twenty or thirty sen, and asked me, “Teacher, did you already pay?” As for the milk house boy, every time he sensed he was going to be scolded after his bad conduct came to light, he would start working with extreme diligence. He’d volunteer to be in charge of cleaning duty. He’d busily wipe the window glass, even. Or, he’d say: “Teacher, the toilet seems full now. So, I’ll go and draw the waste.” “You can do that?” “I can do anything that requires manual labor!” “Alright. But where are you going to bring the waste?” “I’ll dump it into the river behind the school.” “Don’t be ridiculous.” Generally, that was how it would go. I found it extremely comical, since he did not fail to start his routine of diligence just as I expected. Then, I walked toward him. He edged back at once. “Teacher…! No, please, don’t scold me!” He covered his ears with all his might and closed his eyes. “No, I won’t scold you.” “Will you forgive me?” “Yes, I will forgive you. Now, you cannot put your friend up to stealing stuff anymore. If you really want to do bad things, do not use your friend. Do it yourself. Good things or bad things, you’ve got to do them by yourself.” Nodding his head, Tanaka listened intensely. If one considered what we preached to young children as life’s precepts worth following, he would find the occupation of teaching hollow, and the idea of continuing with it, impossible. When young, however, I was confident about myself. I couldn’t possibly imagine preaching to children like that now in a million years. In those days, however, I was senselessly absorbed in how it was that nature made me feel, and from within my soul, something like a hymn to the sun forever poured and played. I somehow remained completely and unblushingly void of desire—ignorant to the true emptiness that comes from being in that state. Staying there was entirely possible. When I quit my teaching job, I was irresolute. Why must I quit? I had decided to study Buddhism and become a monk because there was this enlightenment I longed for, and a sense of nostalgia for the discipline required to attain enlightenment. Eventually I realized, though, that this same disciplined quality could be pursued and used in life as a teacher, and I came to understand fame was what I truly desired, not enlightenment. I lamented over this self-seeking lowly desire. I was devoid of hope. The fruition of my aspiration for discipline and enlightenment rested upon a need to renounce the world, and yet, deep down in my heart, I feared this idea. My sense of remorse, despair, and anxiety continued, and came from the knowledge that I was abandoning right hope. “What I was doing must not have been enough. I need to discard anything and everything. And, only after that, might I be able to grasp a way out.” I was observant of myself being single-mindedly impatient with discarding. I was like a desperate madman: discard, discard, discard—discard everything no matter what it may be. Just like committing suicide is one means of desire to live, my desperate orientation toward discarding was actually nothing more than the green spring of my youth going pitter-patter behind me. That I knew as well. You see, I had wanted to become a novelist since I was a young boy. But I convinced myself I did not possess the talent. This deeply entrenched belief that had me give up right hope altogether could be what fundamentally drove me to madness and desperation. Looking back and examining my history during my year as a teacher, strangely and completely satisfied, I feel as though that person was someone else. And every time I think about it, it feels like a lie—an inexplicably transparent falsehood. 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- Open Access Ongoing downplaying of the carcinogenicity of chrysotile asbestos by vested interests Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology volume 16, Article number: 6 (2021) Industries that mine, manufacture and sell asbestos or asbestos-containing products have a long tradition of promoting the use of asbestos, while placing the burden of economic and health costs on workers and society. This has been successfully done in recent years and decades in spite of the overwhelming evidence that all asbestos types are carcinogenic and cause asbestosis. In doing so, the asbestos industry has undermined the WHO campaign to reach a worldwide ban of asbestos and to eliminate asbestos-related diseases. Even worse, in recent years they succeeded in continuing asbestos mining and consuming in the range of about 1.3 million tons annually. Nowadays, production takes place predominantly in Russia, Kazakhstan and China. Chrysotile is the only asbestos type still sold and represents 95% of asbestos traded over the last century. The asbestos industry, especially its PR agency, the International Chrysotile Association, ICA, financed by asbestos mining companies in Russia, Kazakhstan and Zimbabwe and asbestos industrialists in India and Mexico, continues to be extremely active by using slogans such as chrysotile can be used safely. Another approach of the asbestos industry and of some of its insurance agencies is to broadly defeat liability claims of asbestos victims. In doing so they systematically use inappropriate science produced by their own and/or by industry-affiliated researchers. Some of the latter were also engaged in producing defense material for other industries including the tobacco industry. Frequent examples of distributing such disinformation include questioning or denying established scientific knowledge about adverse health effects of asbestos. False evidence continues to be published in scientific journals and books. The persisting strong influence of vested asbestos-related interests in workers and public health issues including regulations and compensation necessitate ongoing alertness, corrections and appropriate reactions in scientific as well as public media and policy advisory bodies. The ongoing promotion of chrysotile asbestos combined with downplaying its adverse health effects in paying compensation continues to be the driven by commercial interests of the asbestos industry and its insurance systems which apply unsound restrictive compensation practices. This paper refers to publications from these vested interests which appeared in recent years in international journals and a book, respectively. The objective is to document false assumptions and predications from these entities using scientific evidence-based facts. Questioning of facts, misinterpreting well-established and generally accepted data, manipulating science and unsound changes of diagnostic definitions Promoting chrysotile to the detriment of workers and society with support by affiliated researchers For decades, the chrysotile asbestos industry has hired scientists for to create the propaganda that chrysotile is safer than amphibole asbestos types and can be used safely [1, 2]. Some of these scientists were also engaged in producing defense material for other industries including the tobacco industry [3, 4]. Egilman et al. , by evaluating the published and unpublished studies funded by the Quebec Asbestos Mining Association, including those from researchers at McGill University, identified that data were manipulated and unsound sampling and analysis techniques were used to back up the contention that chrysotile was “essentially innocuous”. As opposed to the overwhelming scientific evidence, affiliated researchers put forth several myths to suggest that chrysotile was harmless, and contended that the contamination of chrysotile with oils, tremolite, or crocidolite was the source of occupational health risk . Even today, several affiliated scientists minimize or even deny the carcinogenicity potency of chrysotile fibers, especially its potency to cause mesothelioma, for example in mechanics servicing car brakes [6, 7]. Some of these publications were used even by the Canadian government to promote the marketing and sale of asbestos, and have had a substantial effect in inhibiting occupational health protection and compensation. The Asbestos International Association (AIA) and today, its successor, the International Chrysotile Association (ICA), now dominated by the Russian chrysotile industry, is promoting chrysotile especially in developing countries [1, 2]. Downplaying chrysotile health hazards even in national studies and in scientific publications Similarly to asbestos industry-financed work by some researchers [8, 9] with frequently undisclosed ties [10,11,12] also state-sponsored and/or national studies, e.g. from the UK, postulate that chrysotile does not or only rarely cause mesothelioma and other disorders implying that it can be used safely . This is of special concern in developing countries where safety equipment, training, and oversight are mostly lacking. Gilham and colleagues exclusively rely on asbestos fiber counts measured in lung tissue and use this data as an indicator of asbestos dose decades after exposures although chrysotile has almost disappeared due to its low biopersistence. They did not, however, measure fibers in the pleura, where many fibers translocate. These researchers conclude that there is a linear dose–response relationship between the identified remaining lung asbestos burden (of which 98% consisted of amphiboles) and the development of mesothelioma, and that the lung burden should be considered a reliable tool to predict future mesothelioma rates in participants born since 1965. However, only 2% of the fibers identified in the lung were chrysotile, while chrysotile represented as much as 90% of the asbestos used in the UK. As opposed to this interpretation there is well established evidence that chrysotile is able to initiate carcinogenic effects before it disappears from the lung [15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23]. It is also worth mentioning that the carcinogenic potency is not related to the remaining asbestos load in the lung after an interim and latency periods of decades [16, 19, 24,25,26,27]. Correspondingly, by use of lung fiber analysis and mesothelioma mortality data from the UK, questioning the carcinogenicity of chrysotile was already done by McCormack et al. . These authors estimated the asbestos-related lung cancer risk by relying on incomplete and/or outdated data and also ignoring the translocation and low lung biopersistence of chrysotile; they made the unfounded and disproved conclusion that mesotheliomas in chrysotile-exposed cohorts are due to other asbestos types. For the severe shortcomings and data misinterpretation in this publication see comment published by Lemen et al. . Our major concern refers to an article issued in a scientific pathology journal and very similarly in an etiology section of a well-established and acknowledged book published by the IARC/WHO, i.e. in chapter 2 where chrysotile carcinogenicity is questioned by selective references such as by quotes from Hodgson & Darnton and Berman & Crump [33, 34] which exhibit significant misclassification of exposure. See especially page 156 in the WHO/IARC book with highly selected citations: “Some argue that the mesothelial carcinogenicity of chrysotile depends on the level of amphibole fibre tremolite, and that pure chrysotile may not be mesotheliogenic in humans.” This has been refuted . Specifically, in this etiology section of chapter 2 of the WHO/IARC (page 156), Attanoos et al. reference publications by Berman & Crump and Hodgson & Darnton for the premise that “Mathematical modeling suggest that mesothelioma incidents is a linear function of amphibole asbestos dose, and a power function of time since first exposure (Hodgson and Darnton (2000), Berman and Crump,(2008), Peto et al. (1982 [32, 34, 36]. There are marked differences in the potency of different fiber types in inducing mesothelioma: commercial amphibole asbestos (amosite and crocidolite) is 2–3 orders of magnitude more carcinogenic than chrysotile (Hodgson and Darnton 2000, Berman and Crump 2003 [32, 33] … ..) … ..However in sufficiently high doses, chrysotile appears to cause lung cancer and very high doses causes mesothelioma in experimental animals”. However, animal studies by Wagner et al. and others showed more or comparable figures of cancers from Canadian and other chrysotile sources then from crocidolite. A related example is “Exposure response coefficients have been estimated for asbestos from approximately 20 epidemiology studies for which adequate exposure-response data exist. Such coefficients vary widely, however, and the observed variation has not been reconciled. for asbestos exposure” among the cited twenty cohort studies Berman & Crump homogenized” (Berman & Crump, Final Draft: Technical Support Document for Protocol to assess asbestos-related risk, at page 1.2) . Correspondingly, Roggli and colleagues from the Duke University Hospital , also engaged in Roggli’s Private Diagnostic Clinic [PDC, Durham NC 27710; which is not mentioned in the publication], although noting that nearly all of their 325 studied mesothelioma cases with informative data had some asbestos exposure [70% household contact, 12% industrial/occupational exposure, 3% building, and 1% environmental exposure] stated that in those 43% where they diagnosed no “objective markers of asbestos exposure” in lungs, that “many of these cases are idiopathic”. Roggli et al. again ignored that even low and short time exposure to asbestos causes mesothelioma [40,41,42,43,44], that there is clearly no threshold in causing this disease, and that chrysotile has a low biopersistence. These authors did not measure asbestos fibers in plural tissue and were not able to detect fibers shorter than five micrometres, although there is strong evidence that the latter are also harmful and are carcinogenic [45,46,47]. The mentioned assumptions of the authors of the aforementioned WHO/IARC book section and the other publication and of Berman and Crumb are not only based on use of selective and outdated data, in addition, inaccurate, unreliable information about the differences in potency of the different types of asbestos fibers are presented. As given in detail in the next paragraph, mesothelioma risk is not only related to initial, rather also to subsequent asbestos exposures; furthermore, several important studies rebut the assumption of major differences between the various asbestos types. Declining compensation of asbestos victims Another aspect of disinformation is to broadly defeat liability claims of asbestos victims. A prominent approach for this is systematically denying mesothelioma causation in chrysotile miners and car mechanics repairing brakes and chrysotile miners by Roggli et al. [6, 48,49,50,51,52,53]. Similarly, insurance affiliated pathologists of the so-called Mesotheliom-Register in Germany have routinely quantified asbestos bodies or asbestos fibers in lung tissue falsely assuming that chrysotile is biopersistent [54, 55]; low chrysotile amounts or its absence in the lung has been broadly interpreted as evidence for a non-asbestos disorder such as idiopathic lung fibrosis in thousands of cases. There is severe criticism on the latter obviously erroneous findings and false interpretations [56,57,58,59,60,61]. This Mesotheliom-Register, owned and paid for, respectively, by the German statutory accident insurance institutions, has annually given about one thousand expert opinions on the basis of their monopolistic lung pathohistology and fiber examinations on behalf of the statutory accident insurance institutions; they have used for interpreting their findings the unsound restrictive histological and fiber-count-based asbestosis definition by Roggli et al. which Roggli succeeded in introducing into the Helsinki Criteria . For details of this modification of the CAP/NIOSH asbestosis definition and Roggli’s severe conflicts of interest due to his well-paid support by the asbestos industry see [11, 64,65,66,67,68,69]. Roggli changed early asbestos-induced lesions of grade 1 asbestosis as defined by CAP/NIOSH, to grade 0. Furthermore, and most importantly, without any scientific evidence, Roggli calls for the presence of a certain number of asbestos fibres and/or asbestos bodies in lung tissue as a pathohistological precondition for asbestosis and asbestos-related lung cancer [56, 68]. This latter requirement is especially inappropriate for chrysotile, which comprised about 95% of asbestos used in most Western countries, because of its short half-life in the lung and its limited ability to form asbestos bodies. Subsequently, in Germany the number of accepted lung cancer cases has plateaued at approximately 800 per year for nearly two decades despite the strong linear increase in physician-reported cases amounting to some 5000 annually. Recently published work by Feder et al. is based on asbestos fiber burden in human lungs and on Roggli’s diagnostic modifications; it fits very well with the studies casting doubt on the well-documented adverse health effects of chrysotile. Their non-substantiated claim that chrysotile fibers are persistent in human lung is contradicted by the collective experience of many experienced research groups [17, 18, 20,21,22,23, 70] including the Institute for Occupational and Social Medicine at the Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Germany. In the latter institute lung specimens of more than 350 patients with and 150 without occupational asbestos exposure were analyzed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy and results were interpreted in combination with a detailed clinical and occupational history [71, 72]. Most striking were very low or even missing fibers after a latency period of more than 25 years. In contrast to this well-funded experience noted earlier, Feder et al. reported SEM or TEM fiber analysis based on only six patients at autopsies. Feder et al.’s publication shows several severe shortcomings. It is not clear from which analytical method fiber data was employed and then presented in the supplementary material. The same is true for asbestosis grading, since the authors mention that they followed different heterogeneous definitions. It is important to note that restrictive, unsubstantiated, modified asbestosis grading according to Roggli et al. in combination with unsound high asbestos body or asbestos fiber threshold concentrations has frequently led to denying well-substantiated compensation claims of asbestos victims . Rather than tissue burden, the Helsinki criteria states a history of exposure should be used. Another approach of German insurance affiliated pathologists was acceptance of low biopersistence of chrysotile, but falsely interpreting its low concentrations or absence in lung tissue in previously exposed workers as having no relevant pathophysiological effects of disappeared fibers by ignoring likely initial disease-initiating effects [16, 73]. It is well known that retained lung asbestos does not predict either lung tumor or mesothelioma risk , as also noted above. A publication by La Vecchia and Boffetta was of special relevance for asbestos compensation issues mainly due to chrysotile exposure in Italy. Industry driven, this publication stated that mesothelioma was caused by initial asbestos exposure (frequently occurring in companies that no longer exist) whereas subsequent exposures were of minor or no causative relevance. This wrong assumption was refuted in several letters and commentaries [43, 75,76,77]. Asbestos does not only act as an initiator, but has been called a promotor as well, and therefore all exposures matter. Unsound science and policy influence An important dimension of science and policy malfeasance has arisen with the infiltration by vested interests of governmental decision-making bodies and regulatory processes for assessing hazards, risks and the need for preventive actions. Examples of such conduct include not only asbestos, but also tobacco, pesticides, climate change and many other issues of commercial interest. All these activities have been part of the industries’ campaign to promote their version of ‘sound science’ and ‘good epidemiology’ [78,79,80]. In so doing, corporate interests frequently have inhibited or even blocked legislative solutions ensuring that public-policy is not based on true sound science [81,82,83]. There are well-studied examples of corporate manipulation and malfeasance by the asbestos industry, which have influenced the results of scientific findings, delayed important knowledge about the asbestos-cancer relationship, and thereby influenced law and public policy to serve their own interests rather than the interests of workers and public health. Supposedly scientifically credible consultants were engaged to cast doubt on adverse health effects, diagnostic criteria and compensation issues; nowadays, the asbestos industry continues this influence [5, 58, 60, 79, 84,85,86] by promoting the unrealistic “safe use” of chrysotile asbestos. Their strategy has successfully prevented its banning in various countries and its listing in the Rotterdam Convention declaration . The asbestos industry has published many “product defense” articles, primarily in industry-orientated toxicology journals, mostly written by scientific consultants and consulting firms, or even by ghostwriters; the practice is very similar to the one previously applied by the tobacco, car, food and other industries. Failure to disclose potential conflicts of interests is common for such papers. An example described by the New York Supreme Court Division is the following: Georgia Pacific (GP; which funded a serious of articles, orchestrated and controlled by lawyers, in an effort to create a product defense together with other companies making and selling asbestos-containing joint compounds), misused these studies in its defense of asbestos-related lawsuits. GP entered into a special employment relationship with its director of the Toxicology and Chemical Management to perform expert consulting services under the auspices of its in-house counsel, who also was significantly involved in the pre-publication review-process . Despite this extensive participation, none of the articles disclosed that GP’s in-house counsel had reviewed the manuscripts before they were submitted for publication. Two articles falsely stated that “GP did not participate in the design of the study, analysis of the data or preparation of the manuscript”. As the court remarked, it is of concern that GP’s in-house counsel would be so intimately involved in supposedly objective scientific studies, especially in light of GP’s disclosure denying such participation. The New York court described the consultants’ work, mainly published by Bernstein D.M., Berman D.W. and colleagues as “seeding of the scientific literature with GP-funded studies”. For more details of this practice including ghostwriting see also [4, 10, 11]. To further the myth regarding the “apparent safety” of asbestos, and related products, large scale corruption and distortion of scientific literature took place [88,89,90]. As described in detail by Egilman et al. [89, 90] and by Michaels , asbestos companies have successfully repressed and/or modified the state of the art to cover up the hazards of asbestos. Egilman et al. [78, 79] particularly addressed the issue of how the asbestos industry and asbestos insurance entities (Metropolitan Life insurance company; MetLife) have influenced compensation laws in numerous states and concocting an arbitrary “protective” standard to monitor asbestos exposure . As stated by Egilman, “MetLife established itself as a public authority in industrial health in the early part of the 20th century, gaining the trust of the public. They were able to use this trust and authority to avoid financial loss, including the firing of sick workers, and avoid legal liability by organizing a network of experts to testify on their behalf in silica- and asbestos-related damage suits. They further manipulated the results of scientific findings from major research institutions, delaying important knowledge about the asbestos-cancer relationship” . The above-mentioned publications of corporate affiliates put forth unreliable illness estimates and conclusions by omitting well established scientific facts, relying on incomplete and or outdated data, or omitting critiques of data sets relied upon, and drawing false conclusions due to use of data sets that are not adequately controlled for latency and/or exposure. There is also the Vanderbilt talc issue-contaminated with asbestos - where a company official boasted to workers of having a “US Senator in our back pocket”. As mentioned, there is absolutely no doubt among independent scientists that all asbestos types are carcinogenic and cause many diseases including mesothelioma. This was also IARC’s conclusion upon evaluation of the available literature as well as of other scientific organisations and societies [11, 93,94,95,96,97]. Furthermore, exposure to chrysotile is also associated with the other typical asbestos-caused disorders - asbestosis and plural fibrosis [3, 93,94,95,96, 98, 99]. The difference between diseases RRs (risk ratios) of chrysotile versus amphiboles has been debated and is considered by some to be a legitimate but unsettled issue. Some, but not all studies, provide evidence of differences of the various asbestos fiber types. In this connection recent publications by Lenters, Burdorf et al. [100, 101] are worth mentioning. These authors had a closer look at the quality of asbestos exposure assessment; they came to the conclusion that differences between risks of chrysotile and amphiboles are mainly due to shortcomings in exposure assessment than in fiber types. By summarizing the literature, Lemen , Frank and Egilman demonstrate that chrysotile meets all of Hill’s nine proposed criteria of causation, i.e. of malignant mesothelioma. The same is true for the other asbestos-related cancers and for asbestosis. As for other asbestos types, no threshold could be demonstrated below which adverse health effects do not occur. As mentioned, the counter argument that amphiboles frequently present in very low amounts in chrysotile products are responsible for the disorders found in exposed workers is not likely because the mostly very low or even absent amphibole contamination does not correlate with diseases. Studies in cohorts only exposed to chrysotile fibers such as from specific mines, textile industries, brake repairing, but not to amphiboles, exhibit the typical asbestos-related diseases, especially mesothelioma [27, 104,105,106,107,108,109]; see also overviews by Lemen at al . and by Lemen 2004 . Frank et al. analyzed Canadian UICC chrysotile B which is free of tremolite by electron microscopy; they found that chrysotile was the only fibrous asbestos component. Very similar results were reported in miners and millers from Balangero, Italy, , China or Zimbabwe exposed to amphibole-free chrysotile. In the former East Germany Republic DDR where much Russian chrysotile was used [said to be amphibole free], and sometimes only chrysotile was applied, hundreds of pleural and peritoneal mesotheliomas were recorded and written about . These findings correspond to chrysotile-induced pathology in animal studies which do not support an explanation based on the so-called “amphibole hypothesis”. The animal experiments showed that pure chrysotile is carcinogenic [37, 38, 112,113,114,115,116,117,118,119]. Also in-vitro toxicological studies provided corresponding findings . The aforementioned well-founded outcomes of human and animal studies on adverse health effects of chrysotile as published by the IARC , the Collegium Ramazzini , and other authors [27, 35, 53, 99, 101, 102, 115, 121,122,123,124,125,126] were all not cited in recent publications questioning these facts [8, 30, 31, 127]. It has also been ignored that chrysotile, especially its short fibers, move to the pleura where high concentrations can be found in exposed subjects and animals, often with no presence of amphiboles [21, 117, 128,129,130,131]. With regard to causative asbestos exposure, it is important that the level of exposure necessary to induce mesothelioma is well below the level necessary to induce asbestosis or other non-malignant asbestos-associated diseases . So it is not surprising that mesotheliomas have been documented not only in occupational settings but also in para-occupational settings such as those occurring among family members exposed to asbestos fibers introduced into the household through the clothes of the worker, and in the vicinity of asbestos manufacturing plants where fiber concentrations are much lower [40, 132,133,134]. However, it should be mentioned that none of the efforts to use statistical models to characterize relative cancer potencies for asbestos fiber types and sizes have been able to overcome limitations of the exposure data. Quantification of the risk is not reliable because accurate exposure information is lacking for the epidemiological studies used such as Hodgson & Darnton and Berman & Crump [33, 34]. Hodgson & Darnton explained that they relied on “guesstimate(s)” for a number of missing data points . By only referring to studies of earlier potency estimates reported by Hodgson and Darnton . The significantly revised later estimates lowering the potency differences between chrysotile and amphibole asbestos by these same authors (Hodgson and Darnton have been repeatedly ignored as already pointed out by (Lemen, Frank et al. . Resulting uncertainties have been so great that estimates should not be used to drive occupational and environmental health policy. The EPA rejected and discontinued work on its proposed methods for estimating potency factors. For more details see the EPA Report on the Peer Consultation Workshop to Discuss a Proposed Protocol to Assess Asbestos-Related Risk, at pages 3--14.: “The risk coefficients (for mesothelioma) were largely derived from data sets with inadequate exposure--response information for mesothelioma, and assumptions had to be made to determine critical inputs to the mesothelioma model (e.g., average exposure, duration of exposure)”. Correspondingly, according to Silverstein, et al. , an EPA Peer Consultation Workshop convened to review the 2003 version of the Berman & Crump approach yielded the following criticisms: “The 2003 report repeated earlier cautions that grossly imperfect exposure characterization in the epidemiology studies creates substantial uncertainties in the estimation of potency factors, including both random and systematic biases. Among the specific data flaws mentioned were unrepresentative sampling strategies, use of surrogate measures in the absence of actual asbestos measure . The ongoing promotion of chrysotile combined with unjustified downplaying of its adverse health effects, especially of its carcinogenicity, is driven by commercial interests and is not supported by scientific evidence, see e.g. websites of ICA and its predecessor the Chrysotile Institute [137, 138] and a related commentary . The same is true for widespread restrictive compensation practices based upon lung fiber counts or inadequate risk models [139,140,141]. As an example, the aforementioned statement of predominantly non-asbestos causation of mesothelioma in women in a chapter in the WHO/IARC book accompanied by similarly distorted statements made by the same or other sponsored or affiliated authors in various journals, lacks scientific evidence and is not true. A related example is the “amphibole hypothesis” originating from the Quebec industry-sponsored studies. Correspondingly, McCormack et al. and Gilham et al. [13, 142] published that figures showing mesotheliomas related to chrysotile asbestos exposure may be erroneously overestimated, and that mesothelioma in chrysotile-exposed cohorts is due to other asbestos types. As mentioned, the literature shows the opposite [35, 37, 92, 143]. The relative lack of chrysotile biopersistence in the lung combined with its translocation to the pleura and also to the peritoneum and pericardium where the mesothelioma develops has to be taken into consideration when interpreting fiber data in tissue and pathogenicity [24, 128, 131, 144]. The aforementioned influence of vested asbestos-related interests in workers and public health issues including regulations and compensation necessitate ongoing alertness, corrections and appropriate reactions in scientific as well as public media and policy advisory bodies. It should be mentioned that in general sophisticated mineralogical analysis of lung tissue is a useful method for determining the lung fiber burden when the occupational history does not allow a reliable exposure assessment. However, it has to be taken into consideration that there is considerable interlaboratory variation and it is essential that each laboratory establishes its own reference values . 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ALF regularly testifies in asbestos litigations, primarily for plaintiffs. The authors declare that they have no other competing interests. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations . About this article Cite this article Baur, X., Frank, A.L. Ongoing downplaying of the carcinogenicity of chrysotile asbestos by vested interests. J Occup Med Toxicol 16, 6 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-021-00295-2 - Asbestos-related diseases - Conflict of interests - Public health policy - Vested interests

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The word on the street is that Virat Kohli wakes up every day, pours himself a cup of coffee, sits under a scarlet tree, and broods over the question, ‘What must I do differently for myself?’ Every day he returns dolorously, with no answer by his side, for it is the one question that obscures his judgment, like making friends is to Sheldon Cooper, growing up is to Jake Peralta. Yet, when the chants of the 2021 IPL chimed mellifluously, the gluttonous child in Kohli had found his automated ice-cream machine. Twitter exclaimed that he was shuffling early. Twitter described that he was plonking his front foot early. Peak Kohli of 2016 would not need a reluctantly concocted totter to activate his lower body, but age has caught up with the man’s ever-burdened eyes and muscles, which now need the artificial prod of a shuffle. So, true to his words before the England T20Is that the Indian top-order stars would strive to ‘play more freely’, Kohli wiped his slate clean and chalked out an early trigger movement that settled his left leg across the right an instant early; and thus was littered his power base. And although the runs made hardly the hubbub of his superlative self, like a mechanical engineer in a sportswriting job, Kohli showed that he could adapt with the needs of the day, while lending the outside world a transient squint into the ethereal deserts of the power-game. The ECB are at the center of the white-ball revolution in cricket. Since the 2015 World Cup, run-scoring in the one-day format has happened at a rate 12.8% faster than previously; take England out and this number falls to 12.6%. Such has been the commitment to fast scoring that home wickets between the 2015 and 2019 World Cups yielded 0.60 rpo more than the previous four-year period between tournaments, emblematic of a conscious attempt to be the trendsetters of the new age, caprioling around a cricket ball more bonnily than anybody else, like the most unflagging wanderers in the town. But before the first scents of the revolution permeated the air and silky champagne suffused victory’s sweet tang, not only was Moeen Ali already on TV disintegrating his power stance, the ECB lab was also jostling with footsteps. Stance-specific information is skimpy in the ECB’s 2018 research program but the study is amongst the most educating scientific inquiries made in cricket. Headed by Loughborough University alumnus Chris Peploe, a sports biomechanics consultant working closely with the ECB, this squad of four undertook a first-of-its-kind investigation in cricket aimed at understanding the science of range-hitting and to “see what they’re (participants) currently capable of doing in terms of the kinds of ball and bat speeds they generate and the techniques they use to do that.” A digression here: while monumental progress has been made in other sports in the same topic, cricket remains relatively retrograde, partly because of the pubescence of T20 and partly because of an implicit bygone fascination. Some of the few references their paper makes itself are to independent research done by Peploe himself, such as the relationship between contact location of bat on ball and launch. The working method of the team was simple: use an 18-camera motion analysis system, twenty male batters from various levels (including three internationals), and plot the paths travelled by each system of markers. The results obtained were published online. The paper also borrows discussion on an interesting aspect from golf. “A large angular separation between the pelvis and upper thorax in the transverse plane (often referred to as the X-factor; Mclean, 1992) at the top of the backswing and during the downswing has been strongly linked to increased clubhead speed,” it says. Multitudinous studies exist in golf that point to the same direction. A high X-factor increases the power of the swing by utilising what is known as the “stretch shortening cycle”, the rapid change from an eccentric contraction of a muscle to a concentric contraction. Existing research in cricket had also shown that the X-factor at the end of upswing is of greater value in male hitters than females, consistent with findings in other sports, so it was a valid idea to extrapolate from alien sport and explore. Not surprisingly, Peploe and his men showed that the pelvis-thorax separation angle of a batter at the commencement of the downswing was the best individual predictor of bat speed, accounting for as much as “28% of observed variation in cricketers”: the higher the X-factor the greater the bat speed at contact. But that was not all. They also wrote about lead elbow extension – the difference in the minimum value of the top-elbow angle at beginning of downswing and its maximum angle at point of contact – and wrist-uncocking angle – the difference between the minimum and maximum angles of top-hand wrist position at the beginning of downswing and bat-ball contact – which when added to the X-factor explained 77.7% of the variation. Increased elbow extension and wrist uncocking not only enhanced bat velocity at contact; it also increased the length of the “bat-arm system”, enabling it to act like long levers, as commentators like to call it. The science uncovered was inadvertently prominent in our daily lingo. The team said: “Research in other sports has shown that higher skilled baseball players exhibit a longer stride phase and that higher skilled golfers exhibit a greater and faster weight shift between feet. Such lower body technique aspects may still play a role in successful range hitting in cricket, but are of lesser importance than the upper body parameters included in the regression model.” Rishabh Pant was a fast bowler’s existential problem. With no slits in his rugged wheels, his arms and feet came sprinting heartlessly at you, no matter if you are Bhuvneshwar Kumar of Andre Russell. Against right arm pacers in T20 cricket, he scores 23% faster than all other batters, while attacking virtually the amount. In the IPL, barring AB de Villiers, no batter strikes the ball harder than him against seamers at the death. Only two men averaged more against high pace in Test cricket: Steve Smith and Babar Azam. If you pitched it up, he warped his burly trunk over the ball’s line to unleash the fierce swing of the bat that the cricket world had so quickly embraced. If you pulled your length back, he collapsed his front knee, withdrew his body, and swivelled across the line to squeeze the ball over fine leg. He was a master puppeteer dancing his marionette to the fascinated squeaks of seven-year-old children watching an airplane fly for the first time. Then one sudden day, he stopped hitting. His strike-rate crashed through the roof, to an inextricable 116.3, and nearly every second ball he faced was a dot. His boundary percentage dipped, as did his Impact and Attack ratings in CricViz charts. Bowlers targeted him outside off-stump, and his pull shots no more exuded the same vigour they did a year back. A modern-day maverick-cum-messiah-cum-elite had been whittled into an anchoring specimen under the disparaging eyes of a system not grown-up enough for him, like towel snaps in cartoons. Three thousand miles away, twenty-seven years ago, four researchers working inside an indoor biomechanics facility had uncovered the malaise that would come to Pant and many others. Christian Welch was a biomechanical engineer. Frank Cook and Scott Banks were orthopaedists. Pete Draovitch was an athletic performance specialist. Together, they made the perfect team. Welch, Cook, Banks and Draovitch set out to unravel the erstwhile undocumented needs of baseball’s hitting athlete, the batter. Ever since the writings of Earnshaw Cook in the mid-twentieth century, statistics has captured baseball, but the sport has not been limited to it. With skilled faculty, state-of-the-art facility and enthusiastic patronage, science has revolutionised baseball and beyond. When Michael Lewis published the game-changing Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, sports literature all around the world readily adopted the name, each waiting for its own ‘Moneyball’ moment. Yet, within the fortresses of baseball, significantly less effort had gone into understanding the kinematics of the batter’s swing when compared to the act of pitching. Welch and his team decided to turn that around. Equipped with six 200-fps multi-angular cameras, reflective markers and thirty-nine professional baseball players, Welch’s team instructed athletes to hit a number of baseballs off a standard batting tee, utilising the experiment to plot the corresponding kinetic and kinematic info. Every smash was recorded, and the three-dimensional intelligence data processed. Of the many curious nuggets of enlightenment this exercise contributed was the following: by the instant of ball contact, the hitter’s trunk moved through an average angle of 30 degrees in the median plane and 26 degrees in the frontal plane, to give a “vertical and horizontal lateral flexion” to the body – cricket’s very own X-factor. This is a significant range of bending. While the kinematics of baseball and cricket can be occasionally dissimilar – the angle of propagation of a baseball for maximum range is said to be between 30 to 35 degrees while for cricket it is 42 degrees – the size and weight of the balls used are somewhat similar, so it would hold that the derivations made from these values are similar to a reasonable degree of accuracy. While Peploe’s ECB study gave a coarse, rudimentary understanding of the relationship between maximum range and X-factor, Welch and his team numerated it three decades ago, in a different sport. Similar research exists in golf also: elite players are known to maximise the magnitude of difference between pelvis and torso rotations, and this they do during the early part of their downswing when the pelvis “begins rotating towards the target before the torso.” That is, rapidly stretching the muscles of both the trunk and the pelvis during the backswing, followed immediately by concentric contractions of these same muscles, can enhance power production during the downswing. Then, if a batter’s core moves through a solid angle anywhere as near as estimated by Welch and his team and the multitudinous research done thereafter in vindication of it, disdainfully hoicking a full-pitched delivery over the bowler’s head or waltzing down the pitch to pull a short ball off the hip, is much a function of the core in as much as it is any other part’s. While it is not possible to cardinally interpret the flesh around Rishabh Pant’s bones without being too gross about it, quantitatively, it is possible to say with ample certainty that the man who went into quarantine a muscular youngster came out a flabby coyote. T20 cricket has role specifications that go beyond traditional characterisations. No longer are teams conceited with the long-format concept of invoking their batters by the constricted christenings of opener, middle-order player, and finisher; they are anchors, hitters, and a bit of both. As an anchor, you can either adopt to play in the Virat Kohli style or the Shai Hope way: making up for scant scoring rate in the first many overs by going bazooka in the last the few times you stay past your inflexion point, or bat through the innings holding one end up insuring against a collapse without a sizable flux in scoring rate. Barring timely contradictions, it has been largely agreed upon that the anchor offers circumstantial utility, not least on bowler-friendly wickets. In ten years’ time, the anchor may have gone out of significance, or stayed. Or they may dither in and out of T20 argot, flickering uncontrollably with extrinsic factors. But is it possible to select a player at a young age in order to be groomed as an anchor? Think about it. Rarely has a player metamorphosed mid-career from being a full-time stabiliser to a firecracker. Approaches may be more or less psychological than skill-based, but the Manish Pandeys stay Manish Pandeys; the Andre Russells the Andre Russells. Granted, it has barely been much time since such terminology came into popular usage but if any cross-over has ever been observed, it has seen has-been hitters retract into being anchors like KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant, not vice-versa. Can players specialise to be contextual anchors or kamikaze hitters from youth, with the demands of T20 in mind? If so, what skillsets earmark a young player as either? Putting is the light stroke made on the green course to place a golf ball into the hole. Intrinsically, putting equates to 40% of the shots played by a golfer in a round. It’s also a popular warm-up technique. Researchers in Australia subjected athletes to forty minutes of putting practice on a golf course to study its effects on swing kinematics. It was expected that the task would affect pelvis and torso movement, and reduce hand speed during the swing. But this was not all: the Body Mass Indices (BMI) of golfers was also recorded. Curiously enough, the difference in kinematic markers, before and after performing the putting task, was found to be greater in golfers having low and medium BMI. Make no mistake, the high BMI subgroup was found to display less pelvis-torso separation and other power-enhancing markers already prior to putting. But it was interesting to the researchers that expectedly fitter athletes from the first subgroup were afflicted more by the resultant fatigue of the putting task. “The fact that the greatest post-intervention adjustments were made by the leanest golfers suggests that the golfers in this group are the most vulnerable to the effects of fatigue,” they postulate, “One possibility is that the additional body mass of golfers with higher BMI not only provides them with a buffer against the repeated spinal rotational stresses generated during the swing but that the inertia of the additional mass acting during the swing also mitigates the effects of fatigue. Extending this view, it may be that it is the additional effort made by golfers with low BMI to maintain their swing characteristics when fatigued that increases their vulnerability.” Cricket’s most famed anchor is Virat Kohli. He is also rumoured to be the fittest. His BMI is 22.06, comfortably placing him amongst the medium BMI subgroup. The muscles utilised in the golfer’s errand of putting and dabbing a cricket ball to short midwicket for one may be different, but there is significant use of the back in each. Possibly, the trunk’s. When fitter batters choose to bat through the innings – a trope borrowed from the physically enervating needs of Test cricket – the cost they face may be greater muscle fatigue, and resultantly impeded X-factors as they look to attack in the latter parts of their innings. Alternately, there could be pertinence in a proposition to develop young batters with naturally high BMI as designated anchors. Of course, the counter-argument is that T20-specialist anchors are hard to come by – but in a future in which slam-bang promises to be the future of the game, if the anchor’s role is still feasible in a decade’s time, it might just be economically profitable. This is no conclusive cause for fitter batters to attack sooner. But it is one more. Yet, all twenty-nine of the golfers studied in the research facility at Australia depicted a decrease in hitting capabilities in the post-putting session, with no exception. This is all the more reason to decry the act of anchoring in T20, or more narrowly, “getting in.” If unlike in other sports a preathelic warm-up activity does not acclimatise a hitter to the rigourous demands of the game, how much of this is psychological? Anecdotal it may be, but I put out a sham Twitter questionnaire (shown below) about whether batters find it easier to start against a bowling machine than against a bowler, and a prevalent view was that such was indeed the case. Besides, how much of this praxis is perpetuated by the near-anachronous, senescent belief inculcated from long-format cricket where play is more a function of the pitch that in the shorter formats that the game respects and rewards habituation with the pitch? There have been many studies verifying that feet movt, downswing and upswing initiation, bat speed etc are all impeded while facing a bowling machine. This is one:https://t.co/Rh4nG74tcD — Harigovind S (@HolyCricket_513) May 6, 2021 Then, T20 cricket has only made surfaces more homogenous – be they for financial, logistic, or entertainment purposes – and there is little reason to believe that going forward with new geographies to conquer, new competitions to penetrate, the status quo will change. And if an initial “feel of the ball” is what a potential power-hitter needs to maximise scoring from ball one, listen to Jarrod Kimber, and invest in batting cages: as the man himself defines, “fully enclosed batting net(s) on the boundary edge.” Consider a hypothetical batter, facing a hypothetical bowler, in a hypothetical land. The bowler is bad. The batter is a bolshie new-age muscle-sack. It is plain as a pikestaff judging from the field and the historical pattern of the bowler that an attempted yorker is coming. Based on the bowler’s quality and the position of his own stance, it is known that the ball in effect will be a full toss or a half volley. These are the given. Why should the batter take his stance like a cricketer, now? Of course, there is the possibility of the bowler hitting the blockhole accurately with the flawless precision of a rifle shooter. But when 12 runs are required off 3 balls and there is batting depth to come, the cost is slight and the benefit astronomic, why not take stance like a baseball hitter with the bat angled away from the perpendicular? There are analyses that confirm that the lateral backlift technique is the most common in cricket, with three-quarters of South African male international batters using it over the straight counterpart. The baseball backlift is neither. It is laterally poised, but opposite in direction to the LBBT in cricket. Yet, it is also in similarity with the observed final upswing orientation of every batter, meaning it cuts by half the time required to perpetuate a shot. The downside of course is that a yorker could floor you and you are committed to the aerial shot from the beginning, but this choice is dictated by circumstance. Such questions abound at the drop of a feather. We know that sweetspot contact is the single most effective ingredient for long range. Which batters consistently initiate that? Is there a technical quality idiosyncratic to such batters? Is it possible to identify such batters at a young age and saddle them with the heavy mantle of hitting in T20 cricket? By the same token, are there benefits to using a golf stance in death overs? One of the great observations of Christian Welch’s 1995 paper was that once the movement of the front foot of a player towards the ball was complete and the stride was fully established, her left foot was closed by 61 degrees from the vertical. When combined with the clearing of the front leg that is not a feature of the American game, this busts the long-standing myth in cricket that the straighter your feet are, the greater your range on the legside. We have no such existing proof in our game, but anecdotally, a few players and more watchers might concur. This beautiful paper also bespoke another amazing observation, which may be of extrapolation to cricket. When these thirty-nine highly skilled marker-pressed camera-observed athletes swung their bats, a putative pattern of bat trajectory materialised, which could be mapped, documented, and used as an indefinite primer for unskilled players, starting training at the lowermost levels under the lowermost coaches. It started with the phase of initiation: the clockwise rotation of the upper body with weight shifting towards the back leg, as the upswing sets off; followed by the stride, where the front foot lifted off the surface and the weight on the back leg increased by 2% empowering the arms, right leg, shoulder and hips to rotate clockwise in descending order of magnitude. As the foot made contact, force imparted on the ground had increased by a factor of 23%, with a mean stride length that was 3.8 times their hip widths. This opened the door to the third event – the point of contact – where 84% of body weight was concentrated on the back leg with the front leg acting as no more than a “block”, accompanies by a fulsome follow-through. The dominant shank had gone from being the right, to left, and back to right leg for right-handers. Cricket’s Moneyball moment has been a long-awaited event – so long-awaited that it borders on sociological cliché. The supply chain is limited, the broadcast audience stagnant, and existing research complex for decentralised utilisation. In a format that runs for five days and houses 2,700 events, the monster can indeed be “too hard to tame.” But when the moment arrives however – and it shall, gloriously – we aficionados of the game will see in it a pulchritudinous thing of beauty, which if too colossal and immeasurable and grotesque is also immeasurably cherishable, when viewed from the nether end, like the mountains. When that day ultimately comes, the sport will be richer at every echelon, and so would be its viewers.

My students walk into our school and library every day full of life and ready to learn. They are busy, eager and excited. I teach at a Title I school in Nevada where more than 70 percent of our students receive free breakfast and lunch. Many of my students receive backpack food on the weekend because their families struggle financially. Despite so many hardships, my students are eager to learn and do their best. They want to be in school because they want to learn all they can so they can be successful one day. Their families want the same for them. The Keva planks will be an important part of the Maker Space in our library. We will use them for science and engineering challenges, often with a literacy focus. These planks are so open-ended that we can use them in an infinite number of ways. I will use them to challenge students to design and build creations, solving problems along the way. I will use these planks to give my students challenges that incorporate literature and encourage problem solving and collaboration among my students. Creativity, critical thinking, the ability to solve problems, and collaboration skills are critical to my students' future success. These planks will help me develop these skills in my students. If you donated to this project, you can sign in to leave a comment for Mrs. Groenlykke. DonorsChoose is the #1 classroom funding site for teachers. As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Groenlykke and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team. DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a classroom in need. Public school teachers from every corner of America create classroom project requests, and you can give any amount to the project that inspires you.

- Open Access Medical unfitness for work at sea: causes and incidence rate over a 12-year period in France Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology volume 16, Article number: 3 (2021) The purposes of the study were first to determine the incidence rate of medical unfitness for work at sea among French seafarers, second to identify the conditions (diseases or accidents) causing such incapacity so as to set up prevention measures where possible and third to ascertain whether there were any overrepresentations of diseases according to category of unfit seafarers (fishers, merchant seafarers, shellfish farmers and professional sailors). An exhaustive, observational, descriptive, retrospective epidemiological and nosological study was carried out based on the medical coding of files stored in the Aesculapius® national database, which registers all medical data regarding seafarers presenting at the French seafarers’ health services. The increasing rate of permanent medical unfitness for work at sea was calculated in relation to the annual number of registered seafarers. A 12-year span was chosen in an attempt to ascertain the different sociodemographic categories associated with incapacity. In all, 2392 seafarers were declared unfit for work at sea. This represents a permanent medical unfitness for work at sea incidence rate of below 1% for all French seafarers examined for medical fitness between 2005 and 2016. The average age of the population of unfit seafarers was 48. The average time spent at sea before being declared unfit for work at sea was 15.5 years. Sixty-seven percent of the seafarers declared unfit had been working in the fishing sector. The main reasons for deciding permanent unfitness for work at sea were: rheumatological conditions associated specifically with the spine; injuries relating to accidents or other external causes, mostly affecting the upper limbs; mental and behavioural disorders, including mood disorders and particularly addictions; and diseases of the circulatory system, namely coronopathies. The incidence rate of medical unfitness for work at sea was seen to increase between 2005 and 2016, but a decrease due to the dilution effect was noted in 2015. Permanent unfitness seldom occurs among French professional seafarers. Prevention measures must be focused on musculoskeletal disorders, psychiatric affections and coronary conditions as well as on combatting maritime accidents, especially in the professional fishing sector, where such affections and accidents are overrepresented. In France, as in other littoral countries such as the UK, Poland, the Netherlands, Benin and the Scandinavian countries, any individual working as a professional civilian seafarer must pass a medical fitness examination. Three types of medical examination are obligatory in France: a pre-employment, a return-to-work (after sick leave) and a periodic medical examination (every one to two years depending on the specific case). The Service de Santé des Gens de Mer (SSGM [France’s national seafarers’ health service]) is the government body responsible for determining applicants’ medical fitness for work at sea. During this medical fitness examination, seafarers’ doctors (SDs) (who belong to the SSGM) make their decision based on two fundamental criteria. The first is an assessment of the professional’s health status. The second is an appraisal of their health status in relation to the requirements of their onboard workspace, taking into account the fact that the sea is a hostile environment for humans and that seafarers are (sometimes extremely) remote from land-based health facilities . To summarise, professional seafarers are declared medically unfit for work at sea when their work risks a deterioration in their health status or when their health status puts a strain on onboard community life to the point of endangering the rest of the crew. In France, the SDs are general practitioners or occupational health practitioners who have been certified by the French government. Success in the Diplôme Universitaire de Médecine Maritime (the French University Diploma of Maritime Medicine) is required to obtain this certification. The SDs consult the law to guide their assessments. The most recent law passed was the decree of 3 August 2017 on the health and medical fitness requirements for civilian seafarers for work at sea. This derived from the decree of 16 April 1986 amended by the decrees of 27 April 1990, 11 January 1991 and 6 July 2000 . As is the case in other countries, workstations on board French boats vary depending on the category of the vessel. The captain is the boat’s highest-ranking officer and represents the first crew member employed at sea. The rest of the crew may be composed of, for example, engineering officers, mates, fishers and head cooks. French seafarers can be employed on container ships, tanker ships, bulk carriers, passenger ships, offshore vessels, fishing vessels, sailboats and speciality vessels, that is to say civilian ships. Depending on the category of the vessel, work at sea can involve operations anywhere from the territorial seas to the high seas. Deciding that a seafarer is medically unfit for work at sea has serious consequences for the applicant because they will no longer be able to practise their profession and will be forced to retrain. This is therefore a difficult decision for a SD to make. Every SD decision of unfitness or fitness with restrictions is referred on appeal to a medical committee (which, at the time of the study, was called the CMRA, or Commission Médicale Régionale d’Aptitude [regional committee for assessing medical fitness for work at sea] but which is now called medical college, in French collège médical maritime), which rules on the finality of the SD’s decision. The four CMRAs in France were each made up of a SD who had not taken part in the initial medical decision, a director and a group of medical experts. While there are a relatively large number of descriptive studies in the literature on the reasons for medical unfitness in land-based occupational health, there has been no French study conducted to date on the causes of medical unfitness among professional civilian seafarers or on the epidemiology of this population. In almost all non-maritime sectors [3,4,5], the primary causes of permanent medical unfitness for work are Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) with psychological disorders ranking second. At international level, there have been very few nosological studies conducted on medical unfitness in the professional maritime environment. In 2014, Zevallos and coll found that approximately 1% of the total seafarer fitness to work assessments conducted in the Netherlands over one year resulted in an unfitness decision. Similarly, in 2019, Ayelo and coll investigated the heath status of a sample of Beninian seafarers presenting for the medical examination for fitness for work at sea and found only a very small proportion of seafarers had been declared unfit for work at sea . Other studies have focused on either case reports [8, 9] or nosological groups, such as cardiovascular diseases [10, 11] and metabolic disorders . However, there has been no study dealing with the main affections at the origin of unfitness decisions and the incidence rate of permanent unfitness for work at sea. The low number of studies generally on medical unfitness among professional seafarers can largely be explained by the difficulty of obtaining large-scale or exhaustive quantitative data, not only on the diseases encountered during this type of medical examination but also on large workforce populations. The maritime sector often employs only a minority of a country’s professionally active population (in France, it employs approximately 0.1% of the total number of workers). We should also add that not all professional seafarers worldwide are subject to standardised medical monitoring that can lead to a decision on fitness or unfitness [13, 14]. This therefore minimises the likelihood of ever seeing epidemiological studies on the nosology of unfitness in this type of population . Nevertheless, this population is associated with medical issues that need to be explored. Working at sea is a difficult job that is associated with a high accident rate (in Japan, the accident rate for seafarers is 5 times higher than for any other industrial sector) . Many individuals working in these professions do not have the capacity to return to work due to work-related accidents, occupational affections and common diseases . Moreover, lifestyle habits and pathologic behaviours, such as alcohol consumption and tobacco smoking, that can lead to harmful diseases are more frequent in the seafarer population than in onshore populations . Our study consequently looked both at the main causes of medical unfitness for work at sea among professional civilian seafarers and at the nosological distribution of these causes in an attempt to determine any specificity according to type of professional maritime practice (fishing, merchant shipping, shellfish farming or professional sailboating). In regards to avoidable disabling diseases that could emerge in our study we also aimed to recommend preventive measures where possible. In order to be as exhaustive as possible and to calculate an incidence rate of permanent unfitness for work at sea, the study was conducted on the entire population of French seafarers over more than a ten-year period. This was a register study. In a retrospective approach, we conducted an investigation involving, on the one hand, an incidence study of all permanent medical unfitness for work at sea decisions taken in France over a given period and, on the other, an incidence study of the main reasons cited for these decisions. In addition to this nosological study, we carried out a sociodemographic study comprising a demographic description plus an account of the professional seafarer’s sector before they had become unfit. Thus the purposes of the study were first to determine the incidence rate of medical unfitness for work at sea among French seafarers, second to identify the conditions (diseases or accidents) causing such incapacity so as to set up prevention measures where possible and third to ascertain whether there were any overrepresentations of diseases according to category of unfit seafarers (fishers, merchant seafarers, shellfish farmers and professional sailors). Information was collected from the computerised medical records of professional seafarers listed in the Aesculapius® database. Only SDs and the doctors at Toulouse’s Centre de Consultation Médicale Maritime (which is France’s TMAS (Telemedical Assistance Service) centre) had access to this database. The database listed all the French seafarers who had been seen by French SDs and, more importantly, all those referred to one of the four CMRAs between 2005 and 2016. It was housed in the Centre Administratif des Affaires Maritimes (administrative centre for maritime affairs) in Saint-Malo. There were 4978 files recorded in this database by the different CMRAs for the period in question. The CMRAs’ decisions concerning fitness for work at sea for each case (which were categorised as fit without restriction, fit with restrictions, temporarily unfit or permanently unfit) were also accessible. In addition, some of the decisions delivered by the different CMRAs involved in an appeal from the same seafarer were also described. Decisions concerning first registrations were also listed. The following data were collected: a unique identifier for the seafarer (which was not the seafarer’s registration number, thus ensuring anonymity) corresponding to their order of appearance in the CMRA files year of birth year in which the decision of permanent unfitness was taken by the CMRA total time spent at sea and total time spent sea fishing, working on merchant ships, shellfish farming or professional sailboating prior to being declared unfit (this data can be found in the administrative section of the Aesculapius® database) ICD-10 coding of the main affection or the symptoms causing the unfitness. This ICD-10 coding activity was done by the SDs and entered in the seafarer’s medical file at the time of the medical examination and then transmitted to the CMRA. The reference population was the entire population of French active seafarers/year. This annual number of French seafarers is available at the statistics department of the state-run social welfare institution for French seafarers: the Etablissement National des Invalides de la Marine (ENIM). In fact any achievement of a professional activity in the French maritime sector by a French seafarer is declared at ENIM. A national report is done every year by this welfare institution describing the total number of French seafarers who were registered (declared). They are classified by professional sectors (fishing, merchant shipping, professional sailboating and shellfish farming) as well. The study population comprised all French professional civilian seafarers whose cases had been referred to the CMRA and who had received a final decision of permanently unfit for work at sea. The inclusion period was from 2005 to 2016 and concerned the entire French territory. No distinction was made between the types of examinations (pre-employment, periodic, on request, return-to-work) initially carried out by the SD in relation to subsequent appeals to the CMRA. In cases where several CMRAs had ruled for the same seafarer, only the final decision of medical unfitness was retained. Some applicants, when they disagreed with the final decision, had appealed to the National Medical College (Le collège médical maritime national), which had then requested a further assessment from yet another CMRA, meaning the same individual could be referred to a different CMRA several times. The following data were excluded: data from CMRAs prior to 2005 and after 2016 (collection stopped in 2017). We excluded data before 2005 because the information recorded prior to this was not sufficient for analysis. We chose 2016 as the cut-off point because the list of diseases included in the legislation changed in 2017. Hence, the same law references were used for the whole period of the study data from CMRAs declaring temporary fitness without restriction, temporary fitness with restrictions or temporary medical unfitness for work at sea data on professional seafarers placed on extended sick leave and for whom the decision on their fitness was therefore pending CMRAs’ decisions on applications to enter one of the seafaring professions. Some of these applicants appealed against a decision of unfitness for work at sea even though they had never boarded a boat before data concerning foreign seafarers data concerning naval seafarers, who belonged to a different governmental body. Between 2005 and 2016, 4978 professional seafarers’ files were referred to the CMRA. Of these 4978 cases, 2392 resulted in a decision of permanent medical unfitness for work at sea (Fig. 1). Main variables of interest The main variables of interest were the number and age of seafarers per year who were declared unfit for work at sea in France. The different diseases or symptoms linked to the unfitness decisions (ICD-10 coding) was the secondary variable of interest. If two or more affections were potentially contributing to the cause of medical unfitness, only the main reason was retained, that is the affection entered first by the SD in the Aesculapius® database. Because of the large number of diseases and symptoms identified, the causes were grouped together by chapter of diseases as set out in the ICD-10. There are twenty-two (XXII) chapters in this 10th version of the ICD, but only fifteen of these were necessary to rank the diseases of the seafarers in our study. They were as follows: Neoplasms (chapter II) Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (chapter IV) Mental and behavioural disorders (chapter V) Diseases of the nervous system (chapter VI) Diseases of the eye and adnexa (chapter VII) Diseases of the ear and mastoid process (chapter VIII) Diseases of the circulatory system (chapter IX) Diseases of the respiratory system (chapter X) Diseases of the digestive system (chapter XI) Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (chapter XII) Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (chapter XIII), where many MSDs can be ranked Diseases of the genitourinary system (chapter XIV) Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (chapter XVIII) Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (chapter XIX). Under this heading, we found polytrauma, burns, poisonings and all kinds of consequences of direct or indirect trauma suffered by professional seafarers. It should be noted that accidental injuries could affect the musculoskeletal system as well as other organs such as eye and brain injuries. When it was relevant we also ranked diseases found as very numerous in ICD 10th sub-chapters. It thus permitted to compare some nosological groups of diseases leading to permanent unfitness for work at sea by categories of seafarers. In all, we found 378 different diseases, injuries or symptoms cited for permanent medical unfitness for work at sea during the study period, which we ranked according to these fifteen chapters and according to four most frequent nosological groups (that is to say four ICD 10th sub-chapters). Four different professional seafaring sectors were listed to cover every seafarer in France, that is to say fishing, merchant shipping, shellfish farming and professional sailboating. As we mentioned previously, the annual number of active seafarers was available in the national reports published by the ENIM. We read all the annual national reports published during the study period to find out the distribution of seafarers across each professional sector. We then combined these data with the data in the Aesculapius® database to categorise the professional sector of each unfit seafarer and to calculate the proportion of unfit seafarers among all seafarers for each sector. It was sometimes difficult to categorise the seafarers into one single professional sector. In these cases, we chose to classify them according to the sector (fishing, merchant shipping, shellfish farming or professional sailboating) that accounted for more than 50% of their career. This allowed us to determine whether any of the sectors had been more subject to unfitness decisions than others. We also wanted to find out if there was an overrepresentation of certain diseases in the different sectors. Concerning the age of a French seafarer at the time of permanent unfitness for work at sea decision we ranked four major categories: − 21 to 30 years old, − 31 to 40 years old, − 41 to 50 years old and − 51 to 60 years old. Then every age category has been split in two 5 year-period when it appeared to point out overrepresentation of cases. In addition, total time spent at sea and total time spent sea fishing, working on merchant ships, shellfish farming or professional sailboating prior to be declared unfit were expressed in years. In order to carry out the quantitative analysis of the data, we extracted the required information from the Aesculapius® database and transferred the coded elements into Excel® software. The incidence rate was calculated by dividing the annual number of cases concluded as permanently unfit for work at sea by the CMRAs by the annual number of registered active seafarers. We consequently calculated annual incidence rates of permanent unfitness for work at sea. Where data comparisons were necessary, we ran a Student’s t-test using the Statgraph® data analysis software. The significance threshold was set at p < 0.05. The null hypothesis assumed that no difference existed between the annual rates of unfitness for work at sea decisions concerning a particular disease. The sample size for establishing statistical significance was calculated at 30 subjects or more. Among the four professional sectors of unfit seafarers (fishing, merchant shipping, shellfish farming or professional sailboating), we selected only those comprising more than 30 individuals for the purposes of statistical comparison. Two groups of seafarers were thus represented: fishers and merchant seafarers. The alternative hypothesis assumed that there was a difference between those two groups. The 4 most frequent nosological groups at the origin of permanent unfitness were compared. The annual incidence rates for these 4 most frequent nosological groups were calculated by dividing the annual number of unfit fishers or merchant seafarers with the annual number of fishers or merchant seafarers registered nationally. We also represented the total number of diseases, symptoms or injuries leading to permanent unfitness for work at sea at every age and age categories of our studied population. Both sexes were analysed together in our representation of diseases. The average age of the professional seafarers whose cases were concluded as medically unfit for work at sea by the French CMRAs between 2005 and 2016 was 48 ± 9 [15–81], with the most represented age group being 50–55 years (Fig. 2). More than 95% of those declared unfit were male. An analysis of these cases showed an average time spent working at sea prior to unfitness of 186 months, or 15.5 years. The majority (56.6%) of the seafarers in the study had spent more than 15 years at sea before becoming unfit. The seafarers were often engaged in a combination of two or more of the four professional sectors. Professional sailboating and shellfish farming represented only a small proportion, however, of the population’s activities, with those spending more than 50% of their time either professional sailboating or shellfish farming accounting for only 1% each (17 and 27, respectively). The fishing sector was clearly predominant among the professional seafarers declared permanently medically unfit for work at sea. We thus identified that our population was mainly composed of fishers and that these made up 67% of the total number of seafarers declared unfit, followed by merchant seafarers (31%) (Table 1). Incidence of permanent medical unfitness for work at sea between 2005 and 2016 There was an overall increase from 0.25 to 0.58% in the incidence of permanent medical unfitness for work at sea across all French seafarers presenting at a medical fitness for work at sea examination between 2005 and 2016, with a drop in the rate of applicants being declared permanently medically unfit in 2015. Causes of permanent medical unfitness between 2005 and 2016 by ICD-10 chapters of diseases and affections The causes of permanent medical unfitness for work at sea listed according to chapters of the ICD-10 are shown in Table 3. MSDs, which principally comprised chronic spinal injuries or diseases (in more than half of the cases) followed by lower limb and then upper limb affections, were clearly in the majority over the study period in question in terms of causing medical unfitness for work at sea. Moreover, accidental injuries (the second cause of unfitness) were found to have frequently affected the musculoskeletal system, although other organs were also affected, including eye and brain injuries. The top 3 anatomical regions affected by these trauma were the upper limb (29% of the cases), the lower limb (27%) and the rachis (22%). The affections were categorised as unknown in 267 of the CMRAs’ records (11.16%). Ten of the diseases, injuries or symptoms causing medical unfitness in professional seafarers were preponderant. They were as follows: other intervertebral disc disorders M51 (n = 156), depressive episode F32 (n = 88), dorsalgia M54 (n = 60), recurrent depressive disorder F33 (n = 59), sprains and strains of the lumbar rachis and pelvis S33 (n = 52), mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol (n = 52), acute myocardial infarction I21 (n = 49), shoulder lesions M75 (n = 47), epilepsy G40 (n = 47) and gonarthrosis M17 (n = 45). The four most frequent affections leading to unfitness (given in decreasing order) according to age category were: − 21 to 30 years old: accidental injuries, MSD, epilepsy and mental disorders. − 31 to 40 years old: accidental injuries, MSD, mental disorders and Type I diabetes. − 41 to 50 years old: MSD, accidental injuries, mental disorders and diseases of the circulatory system. − 51 to 60 years old: MSD, accidental injuries, diseases of the circulatory system and mental disorders. Comparison of the incidences among fishers and merchant seafarers of medical unfitness for work at sea for the 4 most frequent nosological groups Between 2005 and 2016, the incidence of medical unfitness linked to dorsopathies, that is to say M40 to M54 in the ICD-10 version (intervertebral disc injuries, dorsalgia, spondylarthrosis, cervical disc injuries, other dorsopathies, spondylopathies, ankylosing spondylitis, dorsopathies with deformities, symptomatic scoliosis, inflammatory spondylopathies), in the fishing sector was higher than that in the commercial sector (the difference was, however, only significant for the years 2009 to 2014 (p = 0.04)). In addition, there was a decrease in this incidence among fishers from 2013 onwards (Fig. 6). Between 2005 and 2016, the incidence of permanent unfitness linked to the consequences of injuries to the shoulder and upper arm (S40 to S49) in the fishing sector was higher than that in the commercial sector (p = 0.04 for the years 2009 to 2014) (Fig. 7). Between 2005 and 2013, the incidences of mood disorders (F30 to F39) leading to unfitness were very similar in the fishing and merchant shipping sectors. However, from 2014 onwards, the incidence of mood disorders was higher among merchant mariners (p = 0.03) (Fig. 8). Between 2005 and 2015, the incidences of ischaemic heart diseases I20 to I25 (leading to medical incapacity for work at sea) were very similar in the fishing and merchant shipping sectors. From 2015 to 2016, however, there was a significant difference (p = 0.03) between the two, with a high incidence leading to unfitness among fishers and a low incidence among merchant mariners (Fig. 9). In France, the incidence of permanent medical unfitness for work at sea in the population of professional seafarers as ruled by the CMRAs was found to have varied very little over the years. It remained at lower than 1% of the whole population of French seafarers presenting for a fitness for work at sea assessment. In other words, more than 99% of French seafarers were declared fit for work at sea. The incidence rate of unfitness tended to increase overall between 2005 and 2016, with a peak in 2012 and a drop in 2015. Of the diseases and injuries found to lead to permanent unfitness for work at sea in France listed in the fifteen chapters, MSDs, which principally comprised chronic spinal injuries or diseases followed by lower limb and then upper limb affections, were predominant. The second most common were the consequences of different traumatisms, injuries or poisonings. The third most frequent cause was mental and behavioural disorders, including mood disorders and addictions, particularly alcoholism. Diseases of the circulatory system, namely coronaropathies, followed by diseases of the nervous system, primarily epilepsy, were also found to be common reasons for unfitness for work at sea. Neoplasms and endocrinal, nutritional and metabolic diseases, namely Type I diabetes, were less frequent. All the other diseases cited by the CMRAs (digestive, ENT, respiratory, ophthalmologic, dermatologic and genitourinary) were rare. French fishers aged over 50 and with a 15-year career represented a high risk of unfitness. By contrast, young professional sailors and young shellfish farmers were very seldom declared unfit, but these were also very scarce in the population of French seafarers as a whole. In the two younger age categories (21–40 years), unfitness was in many cases linked to diseases acquired in youth or young adulthood, such as epilepsy or Type I diabetes, whereas in the oldest age categories (41–60 years), these reasons tended to disappear and were replaced by degenerative diseases or illnesses linked to cumulative risk factors that induce disabling diseases, such as cardiovascular affections. The incidence rate of permanent unfitness for work at sea varied little during the study period, remaining under 1%. A drop in the rate occurred in 2015. This was mainly due to a dilution effect caused by the entry in 2015 of 10,000 new professionally active seafarers (mainly in the fishing sector), almost all of whom were passed as medically fit without restriction for work at sea when they were recruited. Many of the seafarers (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) who were declared permanently medically unfit for work at sea had only been at sea for a very short time (a few months). This finding could be explained by an accidental injury that occurred at the beginning of their career and resulted in permanent medical unfitness for work at sea. As previously mentioned, it is difficult to compare this incidence rate with other incidence or prevalence surveys on maritime worker populations because the data collection methodologies, medical unfitness criteria and definitions of maritime activity, medical fitness and professional seafarer status differ from one country to the next . MSDs were the predominant cause of permanent medical unfitness. This could be attributed to their disabling nature not just in everyday life but also in the performance of onboard tasks. Any functional loss of mobility leading to problems with standing, walking, gripping or balancing represents a hindrance to the seafarer because they risk falls or accidents caused by the vessel’s movements (rolling, pitching) or when using ladders, steps or onboard equipment [1, 17, 18]. By way of comparison, MSDs are the primary causes of permanent medical unfitness for work in almost all non-maritime sectors [3,4,5]. For example, in a study carried out on 6750 employees (in agriculture, construction, commerce, etc.) in the Loire region in 2004, MSDs were responsible for 44% of unfitness cases compared with 24% in our study. In another study conducted in Brittany in 2009, MSDs accounted for 60% of unfitness decisions . Decisions of medical unfitness for work at sea also concerned upper limb disabilities, especially the hands, with fishers being the largest group affected. This finding can be linked to data on the prevalence of maritime workplace trauma accidents involving hands among fishers in France and worldwide [16,17,18]. The professional prognosis of these accidents is therefore serious. Corroborating these notions is the fact that there were more injuries leading to medical unfitness among professional seafarers than among private-sector employees. In a comparable study carried out in the field of land-based occupational health, the rate of injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes of unfitness was substantially lower at only 2% than the 16% in our study. This also appears paradoxical, however, because this same maritime work was to a large extent responsible for the affections that forced seafarers to give up their professional activities [22,23,24,25]. Chronic illnesses such as mental and behavioural disorders and diseases of the circulatory system were recorded as only the third and fourth most common causes of permanent medical unfitness for work at sea. However, we had expected these to be top of the list because not only are mental disorders and ischaemic heart diseases frequent among professional seafarers but they are sometimes very difficult to treat at sea at the time of their decompensation . Nevertheless our figures are consistent with studies conducted on land-based occupational health, where mental and behavioural disorders are cited in 21% of unfitness decisions, half of which are due to a mood disorder [19, 20]. Onboard working conditions and professional tasks are known to put a strain on the circulatory system. Indeed, SDs had to take this factor into account along with remoteness from land-based care in the event of decompensation on board in their decisions on cases of ischaemic heart diseases. A seafarer would not receive the same essential effective, monitored treatments at sea that they would in hospital [10, 11, 18, 26]. It is therefore specified in the decree of 3 August 2017 that affections of the circulatory system are not compatible with working at sea. As a comparison, diseases of the circulatory system are responsible for 5 to 7% of land-based permanent unfitness to work in France (although this proportion rises to 13% for occupations in the construction and driving sectors [19, 20]) versus 11% in our study. Occupational health studies conducted in non-maritime sectors have found similar age averages for permanent medical unfitness for work. For example, a study of 1052 unfitness cases in Brittany in 2009 showed an average age of 46 . Further, a study conducted in the Pays de Loire between 2002 and 2004 reported an average age of 45 with a peak in unfitness decisions for those aged between 55 and 59 . According to both these studies, professional wear and tear and the demographic characteristics of the populations studied were the main risk factors of medical unfitness. It is possible that 15 years of professional activity in the maritime sector involves sufficiently harsh working conditions to lead to affections that are disabling as far as working at sea is concerned. In France, seafarers have their own retirement organisation and can apply for different pensions linked to the period they have spent working as a seafarer. One of the most important eligibility conditions for an early retirement pension is the requirement of 15 years of service. This figure was confirmed by the SSGM’s regional study of total permanent unfitness for work at sea decisions conducted between 2009 and 2010 . It found that the 15-year mark effectively corresponded to a frequent trigger point for unfitness decisions. However, we were not able to identify many cases of medical unfitness among older seafarers. It could be that those with health problems who were close to retirement age may have chosen to end their careers in a different way from being declared unfit. Professional seafarers nearing the end of their careers who could potentially have been declared permanently medically unfit for work at sea may have found it more socially advantageous to take early retirement. Professional seafarers with less than 15 years of service may also have accumulated multiple sick leaves and waited for retirement rather than initiating the unfitness test process with the SD. The regional study cited above identified approximately the same distributions of professional seafarers declared unfit for work at sea, that is to say 65.26% in the fishing sector, 21.6% in merchant shipping and 5.79% in shellfish farming . This predominance of the fishing sector could be explained by the fact that the greatest number of professional seafarers worked in this sector. The low incidence of medical unfitness within the shellfish farming sector was undoubtedly due to the specificity of this activity and the low number of people working in the sector. We understand that there were fewer cases of permanent medical unfitness for work at sea in shellfish farming, where working in the open sea is rare and remoteness from land is therefore minimal, because redeployment is easier within this sector than it is in the fishing sector. Our study had some limitations. First, the collection of information was incomplete because 11% of causes were unknown or potentially misclassified. In addition, the fact that the disease codes had been entered by different SDs, who had no protocol and who based their decisions solely on the ICD-10’s dictionary of specialised terms, meant there was an inherent risk of potentially different interpretations. This could without doubt have influenced the results by over- or under-representing one particular affection. One major bias resulted from the fact that that an individual’s health status was limited to one code. There was thus an interpretation bias in the data because some affections were closely related. For example, the consequences of chronic alcohol poisoning could be coded under F10 ‘Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol’, F32 ‘Depressive episode’, F33 ‘Recurrent depressive disorder’, K70 ‘Alcoholic liver disease’, K74 ‘Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver’, and so on. Hence, the SDs’ choices were inevitably arbitrary. It was also difficult to clearly define the seafarers’ role and type of activity. Professions can evolve over the course of a career, with different positions and different activities taken up. For example, a deckhand in the fishing sector might become a mate, skipper and then owner. Since crews are kept to a minimum for economic reasons, skippers may also undertake watchkeeping duties (even though they are theoretically exempt) and owners may work on board as deckhands. In addition, decisions of permanent unfitness for work at sea affected mainly professional seafarers over the age of 50. If professional careers in this sector were to be extended, it is highly likely this would result in an increasing number of unfitness decisions in the future, which is in line with the increase observed in this respect between 2004 and 2016. Nevertheless we did not realised an age adjusted analysis that could highlight the evolution of diseases by age categories in the French seafarers population. We can only suppose that some degenerative diseases (most of all degenerative MSD) occur earlier in our studied population than in others working population. Therefore the role of maritime work factors in the appearance of such diseases needs to be assessed in further studies. Finally, while the system of collecting medical information using the Aesculapius® database meant a large amount of data could be gathered, the healthy worker effect and the self-selection effect were highly likely. Seafarers with disabling affections may have ended their maritime activity of their own volition without going through the medical unfitness process. In this case, the population would therefore comprise a large majority of ‘healthy’ people. While unfitness decisions remain rare across the whole population of French professional seafarers, the medical and social prognosis of these incapacities is poor [1, 2, 6,7,8,9,10]. However, in many cases, it seems that the health problems at the origin of these medical unfitness decisions can be subject to primary and secondary prevention measures. First, the high incidence of MSDs should prompt initiatives to combat all the risk factors that generate them. These could include biomechanical, psychosocial and individual constraints, such as sedentary lifestyles, obesity and Type II diabetes, which are still very frequent among seafarers [22,23,24,25]. Because onboard biomechanical and psychosocial demands are high, targeted ergonomic and organisational measures must be put in place to facilitate handling, porting loads and the movement and transfer done by crew members. In addition, reducing psychosocial constraints by promoting work arrangements that incorporate a high degree of decision-making latitude, social support, sympathetic management and a listening and communication protocol for everyone on board can have an impact not just on MSDs but on anxiety and depressive syndromes, which unfortunately account for a large proportion of unfitness decisions [6, 18]. Continued onboard safety improvements will also help to reduce maritime accidents at work [16,17,18, 22] and, given the prominence of the sequelae of trauma figuring among the reasons for unfitness, also therefore the incidence of unfitness due to accidents. Finally, an ongoing promotion of a healthy lifestyle among seafarers (e.g. by reducing addiction [27, 28] and encouraging regular physical activity and a diet containing less fat, salt and sugar) would help to reduce the high proportion of metabolic disorders and in particular cardiovascular diseases [11, 26], which are still very common among the illnesses causing unfitness. A decision of permanent medical unfitness for work at sea results either from the seafarer’s inability to continue working on board without the risk of a deterioration in their state of health or from a medically observed mismatch between the seafarer’s physical and/or psychological health and their own or their crew’s safety on board. Fortunately, the incidence rate of permanent unfitness for work at sea was low (less than 1% of French seafarers were subject to this decision). The average age of the professional seafarers whose cases were concluded as medically unfit for work at sea was 48 ± 9 [15–81], with the most represented age group being 50–55 years. More than 95% of those declared unfit were male. The majority (56.6%) of the seafarers had spent more than 15 years at sea before becoming unfit. The fishing sector was clearly predominant among the professional seafarers declared permanently medically unfit for work at sea. The main causes of unfitness, namely MSDs, injuries involving the rachis or limbs, mental disorders and diseases of the circulatory system, are all non-communicable diseases with prevention opportunities. Measures targeted at personal habits, for example diet and drug or alcohol consumption, and at ensuring safety in onboard physical activities and working conditions could improve prevention and limit the main causes of medical unfitness. The social and financial impact of these actions could be felt in just a few years. Further studies on the effectiveness of such campaigns with regard to the health status of seafarers and the incidence of medical unfitness could be relevant for all stakeholders and for identifying best practice. Finally, there is very little difference between the professionally active French sea-based and land-based populations. The affections responsible for unfitness for work were approximately the same in both contexts, however the distributions were different, with a higher incidence of medical unfitness decisions related to injuries, addictions and ischaemic heart diseases in sea-based than in land-based work environments. Further studies are also needed to determine precisely if, as we suppose, most of the MSDs, accidents, injuries and mood disorders at the origin of unfitness for work at sea decisions are indeed work-related. Availability of data and materials All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article. 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Hence, no funding was necessary to collect the different data for this study. Ethics approval and consent to participate Consent for publication The authors declare no competing interests. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. About this article Cite this article Loddé, B., Megard, MF., Le Goff, N. et al. Medical unfitness for work at sea: causes and incidence rate over a 12-year period in France. J Occup Med Toxicol 16, 3 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-021-00291-6 - Musculoskeletal disorder

In January 1924, a young Irish woman arrived in Denmark to take up her position as a lecturer in the International People’s College in Elsinore. Born into a wealthy farming background in Co. Roscommon, she could have opted for a leisurely life. However, her dynamic spirit and determined personality set her on a diverse and exciting path. She had an ambition: to learn about the Danish Folk High-School system and to establish a similar one in Ireland.Read More Kathryn Laing has a career-long research expertise in women’s writing and Irish women’s writing in particular. Her wide-ranging publications focus on the works of Hannah Lynch, Rebecca West, Virginia Woolf, and Edna O’Brien. Together with Faith Binckes, she’s co-written the study Hannah Lynch, 1859-1904: Irish writer, Cosmopolitan, New Woman (2019), and, with Sinéad Mooney co-edited Irish Women Writers at the Turn of the Twentieth Century: Alternative Histories, New Narratives (2020). You can read the introduction to that volume here. Her service to the field most recently bore fruit in the co-founding of the Irish Women Writers Network 1880-1920 that has the ambitious aims of bringing together scholars with common research interests, providing a virtual platform that offers research and teaching resources, and making the latest research findings accessible to students in the form of a new network-associated series of full-length works issued through EER publishing.Read More Sadbh Kellett, University of St. Andrews The Irish writer Katharine Tynan was remarkable in her personal and literary embodiment of the ‘New Woman’. An educated member of Dublin’s Catholic middle-class, Tynan’s formidable literary career resulted in her financial independence, which she maintained alongside her nationalist political activism, all the while playing the part of dedicated wife and mother. As Aurelia L.S. Annat suggests:Read More Elke D’hoker, University of Leuven This is Rockmahon[i], one of the original nineteenth-century properties along Castle Road in Blackrock, Cork. Built around 1820, the house is adjacent to the river Lee. It faces north towards the docks and the Tivoli hills and east towards Blackrock Castle. From 1894 to 1905, Rockmahon was the home of the writer Ethel Colburn Mayne, whose literary career took off in 1895 when a story of hers was accepted in The Yellow Book. Although Mayne is little known today, she went on to build an impressive and versatile career as a novelist, short fiction writer, biographer, reviewer and translator.Read More Alexis Easley, University of St. Thomas From its founding in 1832, Chambers’s Edinburgh Journal strove to reach a national audience. This meant employing a corps of writers who could speak to both national and regional concerns. As David Masson noted in 1851, the Chambers brothers employed ‘Englishmen and Englishwomen, Irishmen and Irishwomen, as well as countrymen and countrywomen of their own, writers of the highest celebrity as well as aspirants whom they have helped to encourage’ (186). As I have shown elsewhere, this list of ‘aspirants’ included a large number of women writers between 1839 and 1855. The firm’s ledgers from this period reveal the identities of 136 women who contributed some 1,048 essays, stories, and poems to the journal. A disproportionately large number of these women – about 21% – were Irish.Read More Christine Kinealy, Director of Ireland’s Great Hunger Institute at Quinnipiac University This is an extract from Professor Christine Kinealy’s article ‘Hope and Hunger in a Stricken Land: the Wilde Family and the Great Hunger’ in Reading Ireland, issue 12, edited by Adrienne Leavy. Speranza (Jane Elgee) and William Wilde, affluent members of the Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland, were both champions of the poor during the Great Hunger. Following their marriage in 1851, they achieved a celebrity status in their native country and an enviable life-style. William, a brilliant eye and ear doctor, was named as Oculist-in-Ordinary to Queen Victoria and, in 1864, was knighted for his services to the Empire, particularly for his work on various Irish censuses. Jane and William, who resided in the prestigious Merrion Square, attended many vice regal functions at Dublin Castle, the symbol of British rule in Ireland. Yet this privileged couple, in multiple ways, advocated for the Irish poor and they provided some of the most searing criticisms of the British government’s response to the Famine. Their second son, Oscar, would later use his own skills to challenge British rule in Ireland.Read More Orlaith Darling, Trinity College Dublin In the U.S. post-script to The Demon Lover and Other Stories (1945), Elizabeth Bowen expresses the human yearning for security-in-placement: The search for indestructible landmarks in a destructible world led many down strange paths […] The violent destruction of solid things, the explosion of the illusion that prestige, power and permanence attached to bulk and weight, left us all, equally, heavy and disembodied. Revisiting this quotation, I am struck by its relevance to the times we inhabit. While Bowen wrote the above amid the devastation of the London Blitz, the same sentiment applies to the dystopian shape of our pandemic-wracked globe. Indeed, for many of us, as for Bowen, the home has become a singular place of refuge – confined to our four walls, the importance of the home as a locus of safety (from disease or destruction) has never been more apparent than now.Read More Dr Sarah O’Brien, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick In October, a woman uploaded a photo to her social media account. Taken that morning, it showed her at the edge of a hospital bed, head held in her hands. Her body, partly exposed by a drooping towel, was doubled over in grief. She had just suffered, or was in the process of suffering, a miscarriage. Behind her, a female medic stood at a computer monitor, facing away from the camera. Against the contorted shock on the face of the patient, the medic’s gaze seemed composed, mysteriously impassive. Clinical indifference was not in question here. Rather, what the image captured was the disorientating paradox of miscarriage: its devastation and its ubiquity.Read More Dr Dawn Miranda Sherratt-Bado (Queen’s University Belfast) Elizabeth Bowen (7 June 1899 – 22 February 1973) Elizabeth Bowen had a thing for haunted houses. They appear frequently in her oeuvre, and especially in her short stories. One such tale, the comically grotesque ‘Her Table Spread,’ from her fourth short story collection The Cat Jumps (1934), is set in a mysterious, unnamed ‘Castle,’ whose mistress hosts a dinner party which takes an extraordinarily strange turn.[i] Valeria Cuffe is an Anglo-Irish heiress in need of a husband and child to secure the future of her Castle and her line, and in this Gothic story Bowen explores the dark fantasy of Anglo-Irish ‘rule’. It is much-anthologised; for not only is it one of her best pieces of short fiction, it is also one of her handful of ‘Irish stories’. Of the eighty or so stories that Bowen published, less than a dozen are set in Ireland. Although the majority of critics have described ‘Her Table Spread’ as a haunted house tale, they have only discussed the spooky Castle in question as a generic symbol for the Anglo-Irish Big House. While the Castle does function on this level in the story, I would posit that its symbolism is far more layered and complex than critics have theorised previously.Read More Tina O’Toole has been recognised as a leading scholar in Irish women’s studies since her first full-length published work, the Dictionary of Munster Women Writers, emerged in 2005 and added important names to the growing list of Irish women writers who had long been overlooked and/or understudied. O’Toole continued her excavation of under-represented Irish authors in her monograph The Irish New Woman (2013), and brought together a range of commentators on the confluence of women, writing and conflict in her co-edited volume Women Writing War: Ireland 1880-1922 (2016). Alongside a lengthy catalogue of her other published works, these texts combine to consistently question the masculine bias of Irish historiography in general and the Irish literary canon more specifically. Throughout her career, O’Toole has continued to make important feminist interventions in and correctives to the assumed landscape of Irish literature. In doing so, she has challenged perceived ideas about Irish gendered and sexual identities and has engaged in the process of introducing or reintroducing marginalised voices to national debates about these issues.Read More

- Open Access Creating a measure to operationalize engaged well-being at work Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology volume 16, Article number: 9 (2021) Mental well-being and work engagement are both desirable, positive states of mind that help employees to better function in the workplace. While occupational researchers have argued in favor of considering both states concurrently, it is less clear how this might be translated to provide an instrument characterizing the workforce accordingly. The present study describes empirical efforts to operationalize a construct called engaged well-being. We used employee-level data (n = 13,538) from three waves of the German linked personnel panel (LPP; 2012–2017). Exploratory factor analysis and a combination of hierarchical and non-hierarchical cluster analyses linked with within-sum-of-squares statistics were used to identify distinct profiles describing mental well-being and work engagement concurrently. These profiles were then used as the basis to identify cut-offs to create replicable categories of engaged well-being. Using the longitudinal data from a subgroup providing data across more than one wave, we observed whether the newly constructed indicator changed over time. The exploratory factor analysis suggested that both states were two distinct factors. Cluster analysis linked with within-sum-of-squares statistics suggested a four-cluster solution: engaged well-being (46.9%), disengaged well-being (27.5%), engaged strain (8.8%), and disengaged strain (16.8%). One cut-off for each state was identified to replicate the cluster solution. Across observation periods, we could observe changes in engaged well-being. Our measure of engaged well-being can be used to simultaneously characterize a workforce’s mental well-being and work engagement. Changes in this measure over time suggest its potential utility in organizational interventions. Future studies are needed to further explore both the antecedents, correlates, and potential effects of engaged well-being. Occupational research has traditionally focused on reducing factors that cause stress and might lead to disease and infirmity, but an increasing emphasis on positive organizational behavior has shifted attention to individuals’ strengths and healthy functioning and the workplace conditions that facilitate them [1,2,3]. Mental well-being and work engagement are two desirable, positive states of mind that help individuals to better function in the workplace . Both mental well-being and work engagement have individually received much attention. Based on a definition from the World Health Organization (WHO), an individual in a state of mental well-being “realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community” . Mental well-being is widely considered to have both hedonic (i.e., feeling good) and eudaimonic components (i.e., functioning well) [6, 7]. Employees with low mental well-being, for example, are more likely to be less productive and have more days of sick leave . Moreover, in Germany mental disorders have been identified as one of the most common reasons for days of sick leave (16.6%) and the most common health-related reason for early retirement (43%) . Work engagement, on the other hand, is commonly defined as a work-related state of mind that is positive and fulfilling and not focused on a single object, event, or person . It encompasses vigor (e.g., having high levels of energy, mental resilience, persistence), dedication (e.g., having a sense of significance, enthusiasm, inspiration, pride, challenge), and absorption (e.g., being fully concentrated and deeply engrossed, feeling time flies by, having difficulty to detach from work) . Work engagement is associated with greater life satisfaction [12, 13], happiness , and better health outcomes [13, 15]. Other studies identify associations between work engagement and greater job satisfaction, better in-role and extra-role job performance, and lower absenteeism [13, 16,17,18,19]. Additionally, a meta-analysis has found that work engagement is related to better business outcomes such as customer satisfaction, productivity, profit, employee turnover, and accidents . Occupational researchers have argued in favor of considering both states concurrently [1, 21, 22]. Even though the research listed above indicates that both states are relevant for both employees and employers, mental well-being is a state that focuses on life as a whole and is therefore thought to be particularly important for employees, while the work-related nature of work engagement makes it also especially relevant to employers . Combining the employee perspective on well-being and health with the employer perspective on productivity has the potential to offer mutual benefit . For example, conceptual work suggests that an indicator characterizing both mental well-being and work engagement might be a better predictor for the success of organizational interventions (e.g., coaching) than monetary outcomes such as return of investments . Grant (2012) reasons that when both states are considered simultaneously, they offer a more direct and holistic view of what most interventions intend to address – that is, improvements in the behaviour or state of employees that should in the long run lead to several organizational benefits. Other work suggests that a narrow focus on only one of these factors in organizational interventions as an intermediate outcome measure will limit the more distal organizational benefits of said interventions . Indeed, their cross-sectional study indicates that mental well-being and work engagement are related states that simultaneously better explain variations in a common outcome of interest in organizational research: employee productivity . In general, previous literature and established models such as the job-demands resources model suggest that in the workplace both health-related and motivational processes operate to influence not only employees but also organizational performance indicators [23,24,25]. Mental well-being and work engagement are positively associated with one another [26, 27], however, studies that address both states empirically are relatively sparse . Even fewer studies have argued, how a concurrent consideration can be transformed to provide a single indicator that characterizes the workforce based on their mental well-being and their work engagement. Robertson and colleagues, for example, call for the addition of mental well-being to work engagement to obtain “full engagement” [4, 21, 29]. They argue that while many engagement scales already include items describing well-being, they are not comprehensive enough to sufficiently capture mental well-being and therefore require a separate indicator of mental well-being. Full engagement is therefore a combination of being engaged and experiencing high mental well-being . However, while the authors establish that both states are moderately correlated, they do not demonstrate that they are distinct, even though both show independent associations with productivity . Previous work such as the “well-being and engagement framework”, conceptualizes the presence of a conjoint construct but, to our knowledge, has resulted in no empirically defined measurements for the proposed categories . This framework, for example, suggests that mental well-being and work engagement form a two-dimensional space in which the employees can be divided into four meaningful subgroups (flourishing, acquiescent, distressed but functional, distressed and disengaged). These subgroups characterize a workforce based on what combinations of high or low levels of mental health and work engagement employees are reporting [22, 30, 31]. To the best of our knowledge, the extent to which this two-dimensional room can be separated into four or, indeed, any finite number of categories has not yet been demonstrated using empirical data. A further knowledge gap is the absence of evidence that any operational measure for this construct demonstrates change over time: such evidence would be needed to justify its use as an intermediate outcome in interventions studies. The present study describes empirical efforts to operationalize a construct characterizing a workforce’s mental well-being and work engagement, which we will refer to as “engaged well-being”. These efforts will address three aims. First, based on previous research , we quantify the extent to which mental well-being and work engagement are correlated and confirm that they are distinct states that can be used as two separate factors for further analysis. Second, assuming that these states are distinct, we test whether they can be divided into meaningful subgroups with distinct profiles. Although previous conceptual work hints at four subgroups, we will develop a categorization scheme that best fits data from a large database of employees. For this we use multiple statistical techniques and corresponding validation procedures to develop a robust taxonomy that identifies subgroups within a large sample that vary in potentially important ways with respect to the construct. Finally, we will use longitudinal data to test whether the newly constructed indicator can change over time. This study used the three waves of the Linked Personnel Panel (LPP; wave 1213, 1415, and 1617, DOI: https://doi.org/10.5164/IAB.LPP1617.de.en.v1), a longitudinal panel initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS) and administered at the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) [32,33,34,35]. The LPP links information on both the employer (e.g., human resources culture, management instruments) and employee (e.g., work characteristics, health status, sociodemographic characteristics). It is considered representative of private, moderate- to large-sized (> 50 employees) German companies in the manufacturing and service sectors . The LPP was sampled from the Institute for Employment Research Establishment Panel, which is an annual representative survey of 16,000 German companies representing all industries and sizes nationwide [36, 37]. Companies from the business sectors of agriculture, forestry and fishery, as well as civil service and charity organizations or with less than 50 employees were excluded. The sample was stratified according to region, sector, and size [34, 36]. Data access to the LPP was provided via on-site use at the Research Data Centre (FDZ) of the German Federal Employment Agency (BA) at the IAB and subsequent remote data access. Overall, the LPP contains data from 7508 employees and 1219 companies in the first wave (2012/2013), 7282 employees and 771 companies in the second wave (2014/2015), and 6779 employees and 846 companies in the third wave (2016/2017). Inclusion criteria for the present study were no missing values on the two indicators for mental well-being and work engagement, and working in a company with 50 or more employees (13,538 employees with 20,170 observations; 96.7% of all respondents). The analytic sample was limited to the first observation for each employee (n = 13,538), ensuring an equal weight for each individual both for the first and second aim. For the third aim, we needed longitudinal data and therefore we used the subgroup of individuals that were observed in at least two successive waves (n = 2891 between 2012 and 2014; n = 3528 between 2014 and 2016). Participants provided informed consent and the Ethics Committee of the Medical Faculty of the University of Heidelberg approved the use of the LPP for secondary data analysis (2018-514 N-MA). Mental well-being was measured using the WHO-5 Well-Being Questionnaire (version 1998), a commonly used and validated instrument [38, 39]. This instrument consists of five items with responses rated on a 6-point Likert scale (0 ‘at no time’; 5 ‘all of the time’). Items assessed whether during the last 2 weeks employees felt ‘cheerful and in good spirits’, ‘calm and relaxed’, ‘active and vigorous’, ‘fresh and rested’, and whether their daily life was filled with things that interested them. In addition to using responses to individual items in our factor analysis (see below), we calculated an overall mental well-being index as the sum of the five items multiplied by four (range 0–100) for the remaining analyses. Higher values indicate a better assessment of one’s well-being with a value of ≥51.0 considered indicative of good mental well-being . Work engagement was measured using a validated short-version of the nine-item Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) [11, 40, 41]. The UWES-9 measures responses on a Likert scale from 1 ‘never’ to 5 ‘daily’ to the following: ‘At my work, I feel bursting with energy’, ‘At my job, I feel strong and vigorous’, ‘When I get up in the morning, I feel like going to work’, ‘I am enthusiastic about my job’, ‘My job inspires me’, ‘I am proud of the work that I do’, ‘I am immersed in my work’, ‘I feel happy when I am working intensely’, and ‘I get carried away when I’m working’. In addition to using responses to individual items in our factor analysis (see below), a mean score (range 1–5) across all nine items was calculated, a higher score indicating greater work engagement. It must be noted, that the original UWES ranges on a scale from 0 to 6, however, other research indicates that the overall and all three sub-indices using the shortened scale show a similar internal consistency as the original work . In line with the mental well-being scale, responses to individual items were used for the exploratory factor analysis and the overall score was used for all remaining analyses. Descriptive sample characteristics Individual characteristics used to describe the analytical sample were gender (male; female), age (in years), white-collar/blue-collar status (self-report), and full-time/part-time work. Sample description was presented as the absolute (n) and relative (%) distribution of categorical variables, as well as mean values and standard deviations (S.D.) of all metric measures. We conducted our analyses using the statistical software package STATA, version 14 . Aim 1: distinctiveness and correlation Before operationalizing an indicator characterizing both mental well-being and work engagement, we first performed an exploratory factor analysis using a maximum likelihood estimation method with varimax rotation to assess whether items intended to reflect mental well-being and work engagement resulted in separate factors indicating two distinct states. We defined the number of factors using the Kaiser criterion (Eigenvalue of ≥1.0) and a factor loading of ≥ .3 was considered sufficient for assigning an item to a factor. We used Cronbach’s alpha to evaluate the internal reliability of the scales and Pearson’s correlation coefficients to assess the extent to which the overall scores of mental well-being and work engagement were correlated with each other. Aim 2: defining meaningful subgroups We used cluster analysis to assess the optimal number of categories and the respective cut-offs for engaged well-being in our dataset. A cluster analysis groups the analytical sample into several distinct clusters that include observations with similar profiles (i.e., similar combinations of levels of mental well-being and work engagement). An established clustering procedure was applied [43, 44]. The overall scores for mental well-being and work engagement were used as the two dimensions to define the profiles generated by cluster analysis. Because cluster analysis requires all indicators to have equal scales, both indicators were transformed to z-scores. As we made no assumptions on the number of categories a priori, we examined the possibility of multiple cluster solutions (k = 2, 3, …, 9). To guide identification of the cluster solution best fitting our data, we followed several steps. First, Ward’s hierarchical clustering was applied and these results were then used as the cluster centers for non-hierarchical k-means clustering. This two-step procedure is recommended because hierarchical models can lead to nonoptimal solutions . That is, hierarchical models start with n clusters including one observation each. The two clusters with the smallest Euclidean distance are then combined in a stepwise procedure, thus reducing the number of clusters to n-1, n-2, …, n-(n-1) and increasing their size. However, once fused, individual observations or smaller clusters are not reassigned even if in later steps other cluster centers would present a better fit. The non-hierarchical procedure thus improves the clustering by (re-)assigning every observation to the cluster center that is most similar to the individual observation. Similarity was defined by the smallest Euclidean distance between individual values and the cluster centers provided by the Ward’s hierarchical clustering procedure. New cluster centers were then computed. Appendix A describes further analyses to test the agreement between the two clustering steps (Cohen’s κ) as well as an established double-cross validation procedure, that aimed to test the replicability (stability) of our k cluster solutions and to identify the best solution . We applied a previously reported procedure to define the optimal k-means cluster solution (for more details see ). For each cluster solution, we calculated the within-sum-of-squares (WSSk), its natural logarithm [log (WSSk)], the eta-squared (η2k = 1-WSSk/TSS) coefficient, and the proportional reduction of error coefficient [PREk = (WSSk-1-WSSk)/WSSk-1]. The η2-coefficient is an indicator for the proportional reduction of the WSS for a specific cluster solution compared to the total sum of squares (TSS), while the PRE-coefficient measures the proportional reduction of the WSS for a specific k-cluster solution compared with the next smaller cluster solution (k-1). These statistics indicate how the variance explained increases with the number of clusters. If the improvement of variance explained after a specific cluster solution levels off, larger cluster solutions should not be chosen . To assure the reproducibility of our measurement for engaged well-being with the objective to address the third aim and for the sake of its utility in future studies, we used the results of the cluster analysis to define general cut-offs for the metric scores of the mental well-being and work engagement dimensions. These cut-offs are needed to divide the two-dimensional space created by the dimensions of mental well-being and work engagement into subgroups that reflect the results of the cluster analysis as closely as possible. Depending on the cluster solution (see below), we explored a series of different cut-offs. Our choices for cut-offs were primarily guided by A) the use of established cut-offs that can assign meaningful content to the clusters and B) the use of deciles to identify cut-offs with an approach that balances the precision of the cut-offs and the complexity and extent of the analysis. We create several indicators comprising the categories (i.e., subgroups) based on these cut-offs and test them against the cluster solution. Cohen’s κ as well as the proportion of agreement between each newly generated indicator and the cluster solution were used to identify the indicator with the highest agreement in comparison with the cluster solution. To compare the categories of the indicator of engaged well-being with the results of the cluster solution, we provided a description of their profiles (means of mental well-being and work engagement), cross-tabulation and chi2-testing, as well as Cohen’s κ. This indicator was chosen for further subgroup analysis (see below). Aim 3: changes over time Using the newly defined indicator for engaged well-being and its cut-offs, we assigned the categories of engaged well-being for the 2nd and 3rd observation of the subgroup of employees that participated in at least two successive waves. Using this longitudinal information (wide format), we described whether and how employees changed categories across time. Changes are presented as the migration between categories from one observation point to the next (%). Description of analytical sample Table 1 provides descriptive statistics of the analytical sample. Mental well-being was on average rated as good (62.25, ±20.83) and the average reported work engagement is located in the upper third of the total scale (3.73, ±0.81). The sample had a mean age of 45.96 years (±10.87), was primarily male (71.28%), consisted predominantly of white-collar workers (62.53%) and of employees working in full-time positions (86.74%). Aim 1: distinctiveness and correlation The EFA using all items for mental well-being and work engagement provided a two-factor solution showing that they were distinguishable constructs with all items of the WHO-5 scale having a higher loading (≥ .3) on one factor and all items of the UWES-9 having a higher loading (≥ .3) on the other factor. No cross-loadings were present and therefore each item can be attributed to one single factor. Cronbach’s alpha for mental well-being and work engagement were .851 and .909, respectively, indicating very good internal consistencies. Both constructs correlated moderately (Pearson’s r = .398; P < 0.001). Aim 2: defining meaningful subgroups Table 2 presents the results of the within-sum-of-squares statistics. The larger the number of clusters, the smaller the WSS and therefore the greater the variance explained. The decreases in WSS are, however, much weaker after the four-cluster solution. Additionally, the PRE-coefficients indicate that the percentage improvement in WSS indicators is much lower after the four-cluster solution (15% improvement between the four- and five-cluster solution compared to 25% improvement between the three- and four-cluster solution) and levels off afterwards. A similar drop in improvement can be found after the 2-cluster solution, however, here the reduction of the WSS with an η2-coefficient of 46% is comparatively small. The double-cross validation presented in Appendix A indicates that the 2- and 4-cluster solutions were most replicable (stable). We therefore defined cut-offs for categories comprising engaged well-being using the four-cluster solution. Figure 1a presents the description of the cluster profiles using values of mental well-being and work engagement that were transformed to z-scores. The first cluster exhibits on average both higher mental well-being and work engagement. The last cluster, on the other hand, has both lower well-being and work engagement. The other clusters exhibit either high mental well-being and low work engagement or low mental well-being but high work engagement. Each cluster thus occupies one corner of the two-dimensional space that mental well-being and work engagement form. Based on this distribution, we identified one cut-off for each dimension to create categories that closely matched the cluster solution. Because mental well-being measured by the WHO-5 already has an established cut-off indicating good mental well-being (≥ 51.0), we test this cut-off for the first dimension. As for the second dimension – work engagement – no cut-offs exist, so we chose to use values corresponding to each of the nine deciles. We then generated nine different indicators of engaged well-being, each including four categories based on the established cut-off for mental well-being and one of the nine cut-offs for work engagement. Appendix B Table 1 presents the agreement between several indicators of engaged well-being, based on different cut-offs, and the four-cluster solution. With an overlap of 80.74% and a Cohen’s κ of .728 the indicator using the 4th decile of the work engagement distribution and the established cut-off for mental well-being provided numerical values that most closely corresponded to the solution identified by cluster analysis. Figure 1b provides a description of the indicator of engaged well-being that had the highest agreement with the cluster solution. We labelled the first category ‘engaged well-being’ as it exhibits on average both higher mental well-being and work engagement. The last category, with both lower well-being and work engagement was labelled ‘disengaged strain’. The remaining clusters were labelled ‘disengaged well-being’ (high mental well-being and low work engagement) and ‘engaged strain’ (low mental well-being but high work engagement). Further comparison of the distribution of both engaged well-being and the results of the cluster analysis also revealed a good fit (Table 3). Clusters 1, 2, and 4 are largely assigned to a single category of engaged well-being: engaged well-being (96.88%), disengaged well-being (92.90%), disengaged strain (86.78%), respectively. Cluster 3, best resembles the category engaged strain (40.18%). The comparison shows a highly significant association (P < 0.001) between the cluster solution and the engaged well-being categories. Table 4 illustrates the categories of engaged well-being. Aim 3: changes over time Figure 2a and b present individual changes in engaged well-being over time (2012 to 2014; 2014 to 2016) when applying the cut-offs to the 2nd and 3rd observation of the longitudinal data. Both tables show similar changes. Most employees in the category engaged well-being also reported this category in the next year (70.82% / 69.88%). Employees that reported to be disengaged strained in the first year, mostly reported the same in the second year (45.93% / 47.74%) or reported a change into the category “disengaged well-being (36.70% / 33.09%). On the other hand, employees that reported to be engaged but strained in the first year, most often reported engaged well-being in the second year (46.22% / 47.30%). About half of the employees that belong to the category disengaged well-being in one observation, also report this category in the next observation (54.07% / 50.19%). However, most of the employees that changed between two observation, changed either to disengaged strain (18.77% / 23.34%) or engaged well-being (23.88% / 22.49%). Previous literature has proposed a simultaneous consideration of both mental well-being and work engagement and various studies indicate that both states separately are associated with desirable outcomes for employees and employers. Using a large sample of employees, the present study added to previous research and considerations in three ways. First, additional support was provided that mental well-being and work engagement are moderately correlated. We have added to these correlations by providing evidence that both states are distinct. Second, it was tested whether these states can be divided into distinct subgroups by identifying profiles varying with respect to their average mental well-being and work engagement. The resulting subgroups can be described as 1) high mental well-being and high work engagement (engaged well-being), 2) high mental well-being and low work engagement (disengaged well-being), 3) low mental well-being and high work engagement (engaged distress), and 4) low mental well-being and low work engagement (disengaged distress). Replicability of the subgroups (or categories) was ensured by identifying and testing empirical cut-offs. The final construct is referred to as engaged well-being. Finally, we used longitudinal data to show that engaged well-being can change over time, indicating its potential use for intervention. Our analyses mirror several conceptual considerations and previous empirical observations. First, in line with previous literature, we found that both mental well-being and work engagement are moderately and positively correlated [4, 46]. The positive correlation between both constructs was to be expected as a) the work engagement scale includes items that describe well-being at work, such as “I feel happy when I’m working” and that b) previous studies have found significant positive associations both cross-sectionally and longitudinally [26, 27]. Additionally, we have shown that both states are distinct, which supports a previous analysis showing that mental well-being and work engagement have distinct associations with productivity . Our findings additionally correspond with ideas formulated in the ‘engagement and well-being framework’, arguing that the dimensions mental well-being and work engagement can be comprised into four different categories occupying every corner of this two-dimensional space [22, 31]. However, we did not predefine the number of categories for engaged well-being and instead chose established, data-driven approaches testing multiple cluster solutions. Still, the best solution provided in our analysis was the four-cluster solution. In line with the ‘engagement and well-being framework’, the resulting clusters or categories combine either higher or lower levels of mental well-being and work engagement. A notable distinction to the framework is that it defines the mental well-being dimension as a combination of mental well-being and mental illness . Our study uses the WHO-5, a generic scale with only positively formulated items that reflect mental well-being and not mental illness . The established cut-off is often used for screening in clinical depression trials, however, the WHO-5 itself has no diagnostic specificity . In line with ideas from the positive psychology approach, which argues that the good is more than the absence of the bad , and based on previous literature that has shown that mental health and mental illness , as well as positive and negative affect cannot be measured on a single dimension, we decided against a combination of both positive and negative health-related states in the mental-well-being dimension. Measuring mental illness separately or possibly as another dimension in engaged well-being could be valuable, especially because positive organizational psychology studies indicate that positive and negative phenomena explain unique variance of organizational outcomes . We do believe that engaged well-being could be an instrument used within the mental well-being and engagement framework. Engaged well-being combines interests of employees and employers . While the motivational processes associated with work engagement are often the main focus for employers, taking employee health into account is not only part of the corporate social responsibility but also of business interests, as healthy employees are more productive and the image of an organization that takes care of its employees is likely to increase . One study proposes that, due to the positive association with productivity, organizations need to apply more holistic and multipronged approaches to improve work engagement and physical health by creating motivational work environments and providing health and wellness programs . Positive psychology interventions seem to be promising for enhancing both employee well-being and performance . While the present study is the first step in corroborating a simultaneous consideration of mental well-being and work engagement in the form of engaged well-being, we are aware that more work is needed to strengthen the construct and to establish it in organizational settings, especially in interventions. In the following section, we therefore discuss the application and further testing of engaged well-being. Future research and application in organizational settings Our operationalization of engaged well-being is easily replicable and can change over time, giving it potential to be applicable in workplace interventions. The approach we have described in measuring engaged well-being could be used in organizations to observe the distribution of employees across the different categories as well as the changes of this distribution over time. However, we still need to test, what antecedents lead to these changes. As proposed in the job-demands resources model, there are two pathways through which job characteristics influence employees – the health-impairment and the motivational pathway . The model assumes, that while job resources are thought to be predominantly positively associated with work engagement through the motivational process, job demands are mainly negatively associated with mental well-being through the health-impairment process. Several empirical studies have found support for the assumptions of this model (for reviews see [23, 25, 51]). Based on these pathways, we assume different needs for changes between different engaged well-being categories. For example, employees in the category engaged strain might be more likely to change into the category engaged well-being if job demands (e.g., physical demands, time pressure, mobbing) are reduced, as this should increase their mental well-being (health-impairment process). Employees in the category disengaged well-being, on the other hand, might be more likely to change into the category engaged well-being if job resources (e.g., supportive leadership, organizational justice, decision-making autonomy) are increased, as this should increase their work engagement (motivational process). These assumptions also imply that not all employees within an organization would need the same type of support, depending on their engaged well-being, therefore implying multi-component interventions. However, while the direct associations described above have been shown in previous research, multiple studies using the job-demands resources model have also shown interaction effects between demands and resources [23, 25, 49]. It is assumed that job resources do not only affect work engagement through the motivational process, but that employees with increased job resources are additionally better able to cope with the strain caused by job demands, therefore reducing their negative impact on health [23, 25]. A more distinctive analysis of such interactions regarding engaged well-being is important to better understand the antecedents and processes that influence this new construct. Workplace interventions can be used to test whether and how changes in job demands or resources can influence engaged well-being. By improving work conditions (e.g., increasing supervisory support or decreasing time-pressure), employers should be able to observe a shift away from disengaged strain towards engaged well-being. It is, however, important to note, that while the overall conceptual thoughts of the ‘engagement and well-being framework’ might be translated to both the employee and the organizational level [22, 30], the use of engaged well-being within workplace interventions should be limited to observing changes within the overall workforce of an organization rather than within an employee, as the engaged well-being categories are rather broad and therefore not able to provide detailed information on changes within individuals. Within such workplace interventions, a deeper understanding of the two categories of engaged strain and disengaged well-being needs to be developed. Why do people report being engaged while they are strained? One conclusion might be that these employees could be addicted to their work and thus risking their own mental well-being. However, work engagement has been defined as a positive state of mind and studies indicate that work engagement and workaholism are two different constructs [13, 52]. Additionally, our results indicate that only every fifth employee that had been engaged strained in one observation reported the same in the next, and every second reported an improved change to engaged well-being, indicating that it might not be the higher levels of work engagement that result in strain. In contrast, the category disengaged well-being was more stable. Are these employees that do not care for their work and search for validation outside of the work environment? How can changes to engaged well-being still be encouraged (e.g., through better supervision)? Additionally, a better understanding of the consequences of engaged well-being makes the indicator more attractive for use in praxis. As argued by Grant (2012) , indicators that capture employee level engagement and well-being might be better indicators of organizational success than monetary business outcomes. In the short run monetary outcomes could be quickly improved by worsening working conditions (e.g., high pressure work environments). In the long run, engaged well-being should lead to more organizational success, as employees should have better resources to reach organizational goals and are less likely to ‘burn out’. Previous studies have found positive and distinct associations of mental well-being and engagement with productivity cross-sectionally or longitudinally using a physical instead of a mental health indicator . Future studies should test this assumption by analysing the long-term effects of engaged well-being on productivity and other indicators of organizational success. We furthermore need to discuss the interpretation of the categories of engaged well-being in relation to one another. It can be assumed that it is the least desirable to have many employees in the category disengaged strain that has on average the lowest ratings of mental well-being or work engagement, while engaged well-being should be the most desirable category. Whether the category disengaged well-being or engaged strain is “preferable” cannot be clearly defined. An ordinal or metric interpretation is therefore not possible. However, because we assume that changes in different antecedents (i.e., work characteristics) have different consequences depending on the category of engaged well-being employees find themselves in, this distinction between disengaged well-being and engaged strain is necessary for employers to make informed decisions. Strengths and limitations A strength of the present study is its use of established and validated indicators of mental well-being and work engagement [39, 41]. However, the generalization of our work using the UWES-9 for work engagement is somewhat limited due to the data including a shortened scale compared to that of the original work. Future work needs to test, whether similar findings can be found using the original scaling. The use of established clustering procedures that are accompanied by several sensitivity analyses (e.g., double-cross validation, within-sum-of-squares statistics) is another strength. Because our complete case analysis was based on only two indices, we were able to include 96.7% of all respondents in our cross-sectional analyses and we can assume that the selection bias due to missing data is rather small . The bias might be larger for the longitudinal analysis, as we face sample attrition (e.g., due to a healthy worker bias ). Additionally, while on the employer level the LPP is representative for private, moderate- to large-sized German companies in the manufacturing and service sectors and employees from a wide variety of sectors and business sizes are included, the employee sample itself is primarily male, older, and working full-time, and results should therefore be interpreted carefully as they might not be representative for certain working populations. Future studies should therefore test our cut-offs using study populations with different sociodemographic characteristics. A bias due to common method variance cannot be excluded, as all items were measured subjectively and based on self-reports . Therefore, we propose to further test engaged well-being against objective indicators, such as biomarkers that are associated with stress or objective indicators for productivity. Our measure of engaged well-being can be used to simultaneously characterize a workforce’s mental well-being and work engagement. Change in this measure over time suggests its potential utility in organizational interventions. Future studies are needed to further explore both the antecedents, correlates and potential effects of engaged well-being. Availability of data and materials The data that support the findings of this study are available from the Research Data Centre (FDZ) of the German Federal Employment Agency (BA) at the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) but restrictions apply to the availability of these data, which were used under license for the current study, and so are not publicly available. Data access can be requested from the Research Data Centre (FDZ) of the German Federal Employment Agency (BA) at the Institute for Employment Research (IAB). Bakker AB, Schaufeli WB. Positive organizational behavior: engaged employees in flourishing organizations. J Org Behav. 2008;29(2):147–54. Bakker AB, van Woerkom M. Strengths use in organizations: a positive approach of occupational health. 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Wiss. 2019;73:119–30. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41449-018-0100-4. Schaufeli WB, Taris TW, Van Rhenen W. Workaholism, burnout, and work engagement: three of a kind or three different kinds of employee well-being? Appl Psychol. 2008;57(2):173–203. Hernán MA, Hernández-Díaz S, Robins JM. A structural approach to selection bias. Epidemiology. 2004;15(5):615–25. Podsakoff PM, MacKenzie SB, Lee J-Y, Podsakoff NP. Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. J Appl Psychol. 2003;88(5):879. This study uses the Linked Personnel Panel (LPP), waves 1 and 2. Data access was provided via on-site use at the Research Data Centre (FDZ) of the German Federal Employment Agency (BA) at the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) and subsequently remote data access. This work was supported by a grant from the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. We also want to thank Dr. David Litaker (from the Mannheim Institute of Public Health) for his valuable recommendations throughout the writing process. This work was supported by a grant from the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. The funders had no role in the analyses, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. Ethics approval and consent to participate Participants provided informed consent and the Ethics Committee of the Medical Faculty of the University of Heidelberg approved the use of the LPP for secondary data analysis (2018-514 N-MA). Consent for publication J.E.F. has received royalties for lectures regarding occupational health from various companies and public agents. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. About this article Cite this article Bosle, C., Fischer, J.E. & Herr, R.M. Creating a measure to operationalize engaged well-being at work. J Occup Med Toxicol 16, 9 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-021-00297-0 - Mental well-being - Work engagement - Cluster analysis

Canfield offers an academic focus based on the team concept. High academic standards and student expectations are the basis of our quality education program. We work to create diligent, enthusiastic learners who enjoy the educational process. Eighth Grade Core Classes The focus in 8th grade language arts is on literature appreciation and comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, grammar, writing, independent reading, reading fluency, and listening/ speaking/viewing skills. In addition to Regular 8th grade Language Arts, Canfield offers ALP Arts. Students may also be enrolled in BOOST Language Arts if they are struggling in their Regular Language Arts course. Students who are reading below grade level are required to take a reading enrichment class. Students are placed in this reading class based on their ISAT reading scores. In this class, students work on the following objectives: word meaning, literary comprehension, interpretive comprehension, evaluative comprehension, and fluency. Students in 8th grade have the opportunity to enroll in ALP or Regular Mathematics. Students may also be enrolled in BOOST math if they are struggling in their Regular Math course. The following units are taught in this course: estimation, add/subtract/multiply/divide decimals, percents, and fractions, exponentiation, word problems, standard and metric measurement, simple and multi-step equations, using formulas, Algebraic expression, volume, polygons, lines, angles, graphing, right triangles, graphing, and ratio/proportion. Algebra is offered to those students in the accelerated program. Focus in this course is on add/subtract/multiply/divide percents, word problems, simple and multi-step equations, using formulas, Algebraic fractions and expression, factoring, radicals, volume, lines, graphing, and right triangles. The following units are taught in 8th grade Science: time, plate tectonics, tectonic processes, physical processes, climate, astronomy, water, and fossil fuels. Early US History The following units are taught in 8th grade US History: 13 colonies, Revolutionary War, the Constitution, New Nation, Industrial Revolution, and the Civil War. Note-taking skills are important for success on quizzes and tests. Group activities, projects, and historical simulations are used for a deeper understanding of the concepts.

1909 Class Annalist’s Letter Harrison C. Thomas Delivered: June 1959 It will be 54 years next September since the Class of 1909 first met together here in the Chapel. We were a disreputable looking crowd, dressed in old clothes daubed with paint, excited and a little scared by the new life we were starting, sleepy from having been up most of the night for paint night. We sat quietly while Prex read the scripture, said a brief prayer, and led the choir in the hymn. Then as Bill Purdy struck up the recessional on the organ we rose and stood while the faculty and the upper classes filed out. First the seniors, the Class of 1906, great athletes and fine fellows whom we stared at in awe as the ideals of all that we hoped to become. And then the juniors, only 35 of them, but making up in quality what they lacked in quantity. Then the cocky sophomores, looking us over with insolent glances. And finally the Class of 1909, pausing a minute in the lobby for a word of encouragement to each other, and then dashing into the arms of 1908 for our first row. I don’t remember much about the row, even who won, or about the wrestling matches and the tug of war that followed, except that I wrestled Tad Weeks, and then we went to our first class, beginning our formal education at Hamilton College. We were, on that September day, an unsophisticated group. We were young. Eight of us were not yet 17 and another eight or ten were barely 17. Practically all of us came from public high schools and more than half of us from small village high schools — Sauquoit, Red Creek, Hancock, Lodi, Delta, Richfield Springs and Clayville. There were a couple of city slickers, Alex Osborn and Hawley Truax from New York City and Dutch Getman from Kansas City. What about the faculty that was to work in this raw material? Counting Prex, Uncle John Crossley, and the ghost who presided over the library, there were 19 men, about the same ratio of teachers to students as there is today. It was a fine faculty. I’ve seen a lot of teachers in the past 50 years, but never an abler or more devoted group. First of all there was Prex, Melancthon Woolsey Stryker. What a man! He did all the administrative work for the College, without a secretary, without a telephone, writing all letters in long hand. Mr. Stanton, the bursar, came over from Rome once a term to collect the term bills and, I suppose, kept track of the finances. Babcock was a clerk of the faculty and Bill Squires a part-time Dean. Mr. DeRegt was Superintendent of Buildings, but aside from this help, Prex did all the rest. As near as I can figure there are now 12 men and 20 women doing Prexy’s work. I’m not criticizing, of course the College has more than quadrupled and much more is done for students than formerly — and Parkinson’s law is in effect. In addition to these duties Prex was pastor of the College church, did most of the preaching, presided over daily Chapel, trained and led the choir — and frequently drowned it out with his falsetto tenor, wrote hymns, edited the hymnal, wrote the College Catalogue, taught freshman Bible — do you remember? “To the twelve tribes which are of the Dispersion, greeting” — and at least one other term of Bible and taught the Seniors Ethics and Christian Evidences, and did all this with vigor and enthusiasm. Prex was no pussyfooter. He had opinions on every subject and expressed them vociferously. For a long generation Prexy Stryker developed the policies, set the standards, and gave the tone to Hamilton College. Our class was the last class to have the privilege of having Square Root in freshman Math. I think, and I know most of you agree, that that little dried-up old man, in failing health, stone deaf, almost blind, was the greatest teacher we ever had. The other member of the faculty — Little Greek, Schnitz, Bill Shep, Bugs Morrill, the two Saunders, Pills and Stink, Woody, Davy, Wardie, Bill Squires, Hank White — one and all they were scholars and gentlemen. But more than that, they were men, they were individuals. We have forgotten most all the subject matter they tried to teach us but we still bear the marks of their influence in our thinking and out actions. What about the curriculum in our day? We certainly got a dose of foreign language. Four years of Latin and three of Greek were required for entrance for the classical course, four years of Latin, two of German and one of French for the Latin Scientific. The classical course candidates were required to continue Latin and Greek through first term Sophomore and to begin both French and German in Freshman year. The Latin Scientifics were required to continue all three languages through first term Sophomore. According to some critics of present-day education all we need to win the Cold War and live happily ever after is to require more foreign languages. According to this we should have been supermen. The “Purpose of the College” was stated in the College Catalogue: Hamilton urges the direct values of mental and moral discipline and such, and does not retire from the claim that language and mathematics are the best formative instruments toward exactness and readiness and breadth. As the science of necessary conclusion, mathematics education is precision, method and sureness. As a record and the implement of personality, language is a prime means toward human realization in the actual world. These disciplines of logic and life are not exclusive, but they are indispensable to a well-formed mind. Pointedly, this College insists that these preparations are basilar — teaching to think straight and to think broadly, and offers herself to such as desire as she would give. Independently she rejoices herself to be a Classical College, neither seeking nor pretending to be a university or technical school, and not intending to deal with unprepared cossets. She has not compromised with the epidemic, now happily lyterian, toward mere free and easy options. [For those of you who haven’t your dictionaries hand, a cosset is a lamb brought up by hand, hence a pet of any kind, a spoiled child. Lyterian is a medical term meaning ‘indicative of the termination of a violent disease.’] Her courses are not a miscellany. They seek to train men to be true and wise and brave, thus competent, and they emphasize that Science of Man which holds that the soul is a responsible entity and not a physiological function. With such an undiverted purpose, this College joins laboratory and lexicon and library and devotion, and would surround all this with that personal element of influence, life upon life, which is the teacher’s highest vindication. Squarely denying that ‘all subjects are equally valuable’ to produce mental skill, not assuming to teach every man everything, claiming to do well her chosen work, Hamilton is more concerned for the quality than they quantity of her ore receipt and mental output, and in the relative ratio of practical results she flinches from no comparison. This is pure Prex. I don’t believe that any reputable psychologist today believes in mental discipline, although many people act as if they did. If I were inclined to be critical of our curriculum I would say that we might have had a little more English literature and a little less Latin, but we did learn to work and I believe “to think straight and to think broadly.” Certainly we felt that “personal element of influence, life upon life.” Although we have long since forgotten most everything we learned in the classrooms, what we learned from each other and from our contemporaries, from our close life together here on the Hill we will never forget. It helped us develop a sense of second values, a philosophy of life. Probably the outstanding thing about our four years was our excellent scholarship record. Forty-nine graduated, the largest since 1884 in the history of the College up to our time. The scholastic average was 8.4. We had seven with high honors, twelve with honor and twelve with credit. In spite of this fine record I don’t think that we could be really called intellectuals. We did our work because it was the thing to do, but we weren’t much excited about the substance of what we were studying. Many of our families were making a real sacrifice to send us to college and we felt that learning our lessons well was the least we could do. Those years 1905-1909 were exciting ones. Teddy Roosevelt was in the White House, starting his conservation program, busting trusts, settling the coal strike, mediating in the Russo Japanese War and waving the big stick in foreign affairs, sending the fleet around the world. But we took Teddy pretty much as a matter of course, although as good Republicans we thought he was pretty radical. We weren’t much interested in politics. I do recall going to a Republican rally at the Majestic Theatre in Utica in the fall of 1906 when Hughes was running against Hearst for Governor, and hearing Elihu Root accuse Hearst of being responsible for McKinley’s assassination because of his attacks on McKinley’s administration. It was the time of the muckrakers. In The American and McCall’s, Ida Tarbell, Lincoln Steddans, Ray Stannard Baker, Upton Sinclair and Sam Adams were exposing corruption in our state and city governments and digging into some of the less savory aspects of economic and social life. But we weren’t much interested in these things, or in art or literature, or religion, or philosophy. In our long bull sessions — that term wasn’t invented then — but we had them — we talked about things that I imagine college boys have always talked about, and still do — girls, athletics and college gossip. Perhaps this opinion is a reflection on the company that I kept. It may be that some of our classmates had much deeper intellectual interests than I realized. I’m sure some of them did but it’s significant that one group that was definitely interested in literature, the group we called the sorority, we thought had to be a little queer. As we looked ahead that September of 1905 the four years we were to spend here seemed almost a lifetime. But four lovely falls turned into long cold winters, four winters turned into muddy springs, and four springs turned into green drenched Junes, and before we knew it we were here in the Chapel again listening to, and pretending to understand, Paul Baum’s Salutatory, and hearing Birmy and Mickey McLean and Mark Rifenbark give their prize orations. Finally came Hauley’s valedictory, and then the degrees, and we were “out in the cold, cold world.” As a matter of fact it didn’t seem so cold. Compared with the world that the Class of 1959 is going out into, it was a warm, secure and confident world. Teddy had got the jovial 350-pound Taft nominated, elected, and inaugurated, with our own Jim Sherman as Vice President. The budget of the national government was under $700,000,000, the national debt was just over $1 billion. We didn’t have to worry about communism, although we had been warned about the “Roosians,” about income taxes, the atomic bomb, loyalty oaths, the Oedipus complex, or a place to park. In Europe the war clouds were gathering, but no one was seriously concerned about them. If we thought about them at all we were confident as Prex said in his Baccalaureate sermon: No blowzy lawlessness, no insurrection of a part, will be allowed long to menace the writ of the whole people. ‘The courts are open’ and men must arbitrate there and not with poison and bomb. So might the world be, and so shall it be. A federation shall come from which none shall secede. Attila must go. How different from what we expected these 50 years have been. No half-century in the history of the world has seen such momentous events, such revolutionary changes, two world wars, the greatest depression in history, the New Deal. We have seen revolutionary progress in transportation and communication. Men of science have transformed our technology, lengthened our lives, and expanded our universe into the infinite greatness of outer space and the infinite smallness of an atom. We have seen the age-old dream of a league of nations come into being and wither into futility against the forces of nationalism. We are seeing a United Nations frozen into immobility by the icy blasts of the Cold War. We have seen the rise and fall of dictatorship, fanatically dedicated to the dogmas that the end justifies the means and might makes right rise in Russia, spread over Eastern Europe and the vast areas of China, and stretch its tentacles all over Asia and Africa. It challenges not only the spread of democracy, but the fundamental principles on which democracy, and indeed civilization itself is based. Attila is still with us. Bill Love has saved me the task of telling of the part played by the Class in 1909 in these chaotic years. In this document which you have in your hands you will find recorded the story of our activities and accomplishments, our projects and our progeny. It is truly a tremendous job but “Love will find a way.” From his magnum opus you will see that none of us has been elected to Congress or to high state office; on the other had none of us has been in jail, or at least admits it. We can boast of a county treasurer, a town supervisor, a village president and the chairman of a city park and recreation commission. Several members of the class have distinguished themselves in the ministry, teaching, law and business. One thing that stands out in this class record is the amount of community service performed by different individuals. We have been members and chairmen of Boards of Education, of governing boards of Y.M.C.A.s, Boy Scouts, Red Cross, Community Chests, and a host of wartime service agencies and service clubs, to say nothing of professional and business organizations. All this indicates a high degree of social responsibility, which is one of the things we learned at Hamilton College. Today as we get together for our 50th reunion, 32 of the 49 who graduated in 1909 are still alive, which must be some sort of a record. Our joy in being here is dimmed only by memories of those who have failed to survive these hectic years since we left. We miss especially our two permanent class officers, who served us so long and so efficiently, George Wallace and Fritz Willoughby. George and Fritz were quite different in personality but alike in their high ethical standards and in their devotion to Hamilton College, and the Class of 1909. Shortly after our last reunion we have lost Hi Blodgett, whose quiet humor made all our reunions more pleasant. Another who was here 10 years ago but now gone is Dutch Getman, whom everyone loved. We think of others who died earlier: Alex Woollcott, without doubt the most famous member of our class and the one who did more than any other to make Hamilton nationally known; Clare Leavenworth, a fine mind, a good athlete, a grand person; Tex Day; Conk; Dot and Griff; Phil Welch, the athlete that Prex brought from Yale; rosy-cheeked Krummy — we miss them all. As we survivors look each other over, we find changes. Some of us creak a little at the joints, what hair we have left is white or turning white; but it is surprising how little we have changed in appearance, and how even less we have changed in personality. Spence is as hearty and straightforward as when we elected him sophomore President. Dale Appleton is the same dignified studious gentleman, John Butler is still a walking illustration of what the well-dressed man will wear. Dominic is still tolerant of his younger contemporaries. Wordy is still businesslike and efficient. Hap is just the same as he was on class day in 1909 when we elected him as the squarest man in the class. The campus has many new buildings, beautiful and functional, the latest the new Dunham dormitory. But the essential loveliness of this spot is undiminished, the clean classic lines of this Chapel, the dappled shade of the broad lawns, the breathtaking vista down across the Oriskany Valley. The faculty has grown and changed. It seems hard to believe that our own Bob Rudd is now an emeritus, not to mention a young squirt like Bill Marsh. We are impressed with the degrees and academic attainments of the new men, but we can’t quite believe they are as good as the old timers. The curriculum has been broadened and deepened, and I think we’ll admit, improved. I’m impressed with the two somewhat peripheral changes; one is the library. In our days the library, presided over by Babcock, had a good collection of books but its usefulness was limited by its lack of lighting. It closed at 4:30 p.m. on December afternoons. Now the library with its fine building, its expanded collection of well-catalogued books and periodicals, its inviting browsing room, and its professionally-trained staff of seven plays an important part in the education of Hamilton men. The physical education department is now a recognized academic department with a full-time staff of six regularly appointed members of the faculty. The new gym, the Sage building, the golf course and the all-weather tennis courts make possible an athletic program, intercollegiate, intramural and individual which is one of the best, if not the best, in the country. When we hear of a football season without a loss we begin to wonder, but I’m assured that the teams are still amateur. In our day we had Uncle John. He was listed in the College Catalogue as master of gymnastics. Where he got this degree no one knew; it was generally believed that he had been a tumbler in Barnum and Bailey’s Circus. Uncle John led us in calisthenics twice a week and theoretically acted as trainer for all the teams. Coaches for each intercollegiate sport were hired by the season. Under this system we got some excellent football coaches and occasionally, by chance, a good coach in other sports, but some of them were beauts — do you remember Murph? Well, so much for the past and the present, what of the future? It would take a much braver man than I to predict what the world will be like 50 years from now and what will going to happen to the small private college like this. The only thing that we can be sure of is that there will be great changes, greater changes than anyone can imagine. It may be that a hydrogen bomb will have solved all our troubles long before another half century rolls by. We may be living under a Chinese despot with all humans or whatever kinds of sub-humans are left, bred in test tubes, and educated with subliminal techniques. However, I am optimistic enough, or stubborn enough, or stupid enough to think that we will, somehow or other, be able to mobilize what intelligence and good will there is in the world and muddle through to some sort of viable arrangement in which men can live in peace, using the great discoveries of science for a better life for everyone, instead of for destruction, in which men and women will enjoy the fundamental liberties that give meaning to life and control their own destinies. If there is such a world there will be a place in it, I am sure, for a small college such as this where young men can learn to use the brains they have to help them live as well as make a living, where they can develop the attitudes, standards and ideals that are essential to the good life in any human society. Our fondest hope is that when the members of the Class of 2009 assemble to receive their diplomas, they can look back on four such happy and fruitful years as the Class of 1909 did and still does. Harrison C. Thomas, Class of 1909 Harrison Cook Thomas was born in nearby Frankfort, N.Y. While at Hamilton, he was a member of Psi Upsilon and earned Phi Beta Kappa honors. He went on to teach in the Philadelphia school system before joining the New York City school system in 1913, and received his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1919. During a leave of absence from teaching in New York City, he served as a visiting professor of political science at Hamilton. As a volunteer during World War II, Dr. Thomas headed the Farm Cadet Victory Corps in the New York area, recruiting thousands of students to work on farms during summer vacations, replacing men who had joined the Army. He retired from the New York City school system in 1956 as assistant superintendent for high schools.

Studies on the structure of economic systems are, most frequently, carried out by the methods of informational statistics. These methods, often accompanied by a broad range of indicators (Shannon entropy, Balassa coefficient, Herfindahl specialty index, Gini coefficient, Theil index, etc.) around which a wide literature has been created over time, have a major disadvantage. Their weakness is related to the imposition of the system condition, which indicates the need to know all of the components of the system (as absolute values or as weights). This restriction is difficult to accomplish in some situations, while in others this knowledge may be irrelevant, especially when there is an interest in structural changes only in some of the components of the economic system (either we refer to the typology of economic activities—NACE, or of territorial units—Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics (NUTS)). This article presents a procedure for characterizing the structure of a system and for comparing its evolution over time, in the case of incomplete information, thus eliminating the restriction existent in the classical methods. The proposed methodological alternative uses a parametric distribution, with sub-unit values for the variable. The application refers to Gross Domestic Product values for five of the 28 European Union countries, with annual values of over 1000 billion Euros (Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and United Kingdom) for the years 2003 and 2015. A form of the Wald sequential test is applied to measure changes in the structure of this group of countries, between the years compared. The results of this application validate the proposed method. 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

Dirt on Don Stapley, a 15-year member of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, began flowing in spring 2008 from County Attorney Andrew Thomas' office. A paper trail of Maricopa County Sheriff's Office documents reveals the genesis of the case, though with potentially telling details omitted. Records state that the criminal investigation of Stapley began on May 14, 2008, with three of Thomas' liaisons holding a meeting at Sheriff Joe Arpaio's downtown offices. Lisa Aubuchon, a deputy county attorney assigned to politically sensitive cases, and two investigators from County Attorney Andrew Thomas' office met with a couple of Arpaio's top men. The subject: a tip about possible crimes committed by Stapley, a popular East Valley politician and one of the most powerful men in the county. The group sat down in a suite on the 18th floor of the Wells Fargo building, where Arpaio maintains his headquarters. New Times Feature By then, the Board of Supervisors and Thomas had been waging a Cold War for more than a couple of years. They'd been held back from suing each other only by a détente (a legal memorandum of understanding regarding the handling of lawsuits) signed in June 2006. Thomas' tip to the Sheriff's Office about alleged criminal acts by Stapley — the only one of four Republican supervisors to have criticized Thomas publicly at the time — was like a match to a fuse. It would soon touch off an expensive, all-out war between Thomas and Arpaio on one side and the Board of Supervisors on the other. Aubuchon's team told the sheriff's commanders about eight properties owned by Stapley that, she said, were improperly listed on several financial-disclosure forms he had filed with the county since 2004. While that information is interesting and the alleged infractions appear to be illegal, it's also fascinating what Aubuchon didn't share with the Sheriff's Office. Aubuchon didn't say where the tip came from, and the report doesn't state whether the deputies even asked about its origin. Aubuchon brought up another tip about Stapley to the Sheriff's Office a few months later — this one about supposed kickbacks from land he owned. The second tip came on February 12, not long after New Times published an article theorizing that the first one came from Thomas' private lawyer. When Aubuchon again attributed her information to an anonymous source, records show, an MCSO sergeant had the gumption to ask who had tipped off Thomas. Aubuchon refused to tell him. Now, it's easy to see that in some criminal cases, an investigator with a prosecutor's office might want to stay as tight-lipped as possible — for instance, because the mob might kill someone if the information got out. In this situation, though, when there's one elected official dishing dirt on another, the hit to the informant wouldn't be physical. Just political. Or financial. David Hendershott, Arpaio's chief deputy, tells New Times it's no big deal that Thomas' office did not share the identity of the tipster, or tipsters. He says it doesn't matter because Stapley crossed a line. He says the County Attorney's Office is a credible source for a tip and says "it's a heck of a stretch" to assume any shenanigans from Aubuchon's refusal to name her source. Besides, he says, it's hardly uncommon for a tipster to have an ax to grind. "Everybody who calls in a tip hates the guy they're calling in the tip on," Hendershott says. Yet this astonishing lack of transparency between the lead investigative agency and the prosecutor's office leaves room for speculation. Thomas obviously has something to hide in this politically charged case — even from his most important ally, Sheriff Joe Arpaio. There are a couple of other things that Aubuchon didn't tell Arpaio's men during last year's meeting, according to the paper trail. She didn't mention that Thomas might have a conflict of interest — or at least the appearance of a conflict — in the case. As Stapley's attorneys would later show, the supervisor had sought advice from Thomas' office in 2006 concerning properties connected to Conley Wolfswinkel, a longtime friend and business associate of Stapley's and a convicted felon. Perhaps most egregiously, Aubuchon didn't tell the sheriff's men that the financial disclosure forms of their boss, Arpaio, contained inaccuracies as well. As can be seen from public records, Arpaio failed in certain years to disclose some properties he owned — just as Stapley failed to disclose some of his properties in some years. Sure, Aubuchon may not have known these things, just as she either had no knowledge (or thought her office could get away with ignoring — that the Board of Supervisors hadn't made the county's rules on filling out financial-disclosure forms official) a troublesome detail that would cause Thomas' first case against Stapley to come undone in September. But the most likely possibility is that nobody in Thomas' office cared whether Stapley was the only official who had failed to fill out the forms correctly. Because the point was to get Stapley. The riveting question is, why would Thomas attack Stapley, a fellow conservative Republican? The county attorney certainly did nothing after New Times wrote about ally Joe Arpaio's problems with financial-disclosure forms, even after the newspaper notified his office that Arpaio was in the same situation as the supervisor. There are several possible reasons: • In early 2008, Thomas and Arpaio needed a high-profile target for the MACE (Maricopa Anti-Corruption Effort) task force they had begun the year before. The high-profile prosecution of former Republican county Schools Superintendent Sandra Dowling, which began just before MACE started, had fallen to pieces. State Attorney General Terry Goddard handled the case following an 11-month investigation by Arpaios office, but passed it off later to the U.S. Attorneys Office, which dropped all but one misdemeanor charge against Dowling. • Thomas, who started his first term in 2005, was considering a run for governor or state attorney general. (After winning re-election in 2008, he's been officially exploring a run for AG). Hanging Stapley's scalp on his belt could benefit his political future by making him appear to be a corruption fighter. • Thomas and Arpaio want to prosecute Mary Rose Wilcox, a Hispanic Democrat and their most vocal critic on the Board of Supervisors. Moving against this board member first would have looked like a blatant political hit, even to Republicans. They needed to put the squeeze on a high-profile Republican supervisor. • Stapley spoke out against Thomas publicly. In 2007, he essentially called Thomas corrupt, telling a reporter with the Arizona Republic that the county attorney used the hiring of outside attorneys as a "political lever." Stapley slammed Thomas again in early 2008 when he complained to reporters about the county attorney's apparent misuse of funds in creating a crime-prevention pamphlet that looked more like campaign literature. • Stapley openly questioned the war on illegal immigrants waged by Thomas and Arpaio. Stapley deemed the criminalization of undocumented immigrants wrongheaded and unholy in a June 6, 2006 article about the differing views of Mormons on immigration issues. Stapley said Thomas and Arpaio were "not necessarily headed in the right direction." • After an East Valley Tribune series of stories last year slamming Arpaio, Stapley was the only Republican on the board to ask the Sheriff's Office about the reported problems. Stapley later told the Tribune that he was satisfied the MCSO's efforts against illegal immigration hadn't hampered its other work. But he added that he was opposed to Arpaio's tactics and was working to undermine them: "I don't want to debate [Arpaio] publicly. It doesn't help the relationship. I can do more, be more effective, behind the scenes." • As an official with NACo, the National Association of Counties, Stapley pushed to advance the organization's goal of comprehensive immigration reform — code for amnesty among right-wingers. • Though he backed Arpaio for many years, Stapley falls in the more moderate camp of local conservatives. He partnered with Democratic state Attorney General Terry Goddard to divert millions of dollars into slick ads for the Arizona Meth Project. Months before Thomas' allegations against Stapley were made public, an anonymous article in the Sonoran Alliance, a right-wing blog heavily supportive of Thomas, called Stapley a RINO (Republican in Name Only). • Stapley was vulnerable to attack. He was known to be shady, having been investigated by the state Real Estate Commission a decade earlier. He has a business relationship with the wily Wolfswinkel. Thomas probably figured that even New Times would back him up on this one because the newspaper had skewered Stapley previously over his financial practices. And then there's this reason, the one Arpaio and Thomas would have us believe: • Thomas' office passed an ethically pure tip to the Sheriff's Office, a professional, unbiased law enforcement agency that doesn't have a history of investigating political enemies. Thomas has no personal beef with Stapley or the Board of Supervisors and is simply trying to uproot corruption. Given Arpaio and Thomas' history, the latter reason is absurd. Their conflicts of interest and ethical breaches, along with their reputation as seekers of revenge against real and perceived enemies, are legendary. To find out what Arpaio has against Stapley, New Times looked at hundreds of pages of documents and conducted interviews with local officials, their supporters, legal experts, and political insiders. Some sources would talk only on condition of anonymity. Stapley refused to comment for this article. Ultimately, this case makes both the accused and the accusers look bad. But it's Thomas and Arpaio who come off looking worse — because of the frightening ways they appear to have abused their power. The Sheriff's Office gave New Times access to Stapley's case files for this article, files that Stapley's lawyer, Paul Charlton, has not yet seen. Charlton calls the paper's access to the files "outrageous" because Stapley has not been formally charged with new allegations of fraud and theft contained in the file. Arpaio wouldn't talk to New Times, but Hendershott unfailingly returned our every call. His assistance might seem amazing, except that Hendershott mainly provided answers that would benefit the MCSO's case against Stapley. New Times has struggled for years to get public records from Arpaio's office, resorting to three lawsuits to force the agency to comply with state public-records laws. The newspaper is still engaged in a civil rights lawsuit with the Sheriff's Office stemming from the October 2007 arrests, on trumped-up charges, of New Times executives Michael Lacey and Jim Larkin. The chief deputy, who's the brains behind Arpaio's operation, figured that when New Times looked at the case file, evidence of Stapley's wrongdoing would be compelling. Given what was shown in the case file, he was right. Arpaio's forces moved with a vengeance once Andrew Thomas' representatives had tipped them off. With these particular lawmen (Thomas and Arpaio) behind the case — and with an angered Board of Supervisors taking Stapley's side — the investigation and attempted prosecution quickly became a farce. As mentioned, Thomas and the Board of Supervisors had previously agreed to play nice. The official détente expired on December 1, 2008. The next day, Stapley was indicted on 118 misdemeanor and felony counts related to his disclosure forms. In a joint news conference that evening, Thomas and Arpaio accused Stapley of lying to creditors, perjuring himself on official documents, and hiding land deals with Wolfswinkel. And they hinted that a broader inquiry would turn up evidence that Stapley had used his office for financial benefit. Thomas wanted Stapley arrested and booked into jail, but a judge nixed the idea, saying it was unnecessary. The other four board members saw the indictment as a call to arms and held a special meeting three days later to talk about their concerns. Thomas, who had shown disdain for the supervisors for years, didn't show up. Led by Chairman Andrew Kunasek, the board — sans Stapley, who recused himself — grilled Thomas' special assistant, Barnett Lotstein, about the apparent conflict of interest in having Thomas be both the board's lawyer and its grand inquisitor. Lotstein told the board how, in the 1980s, the state Supreme Court had approved an investigation by former Attorney General Bob Corbin into possible crimes by former Governor Evan Mecham. In other words, the board was wrong: There was no conflict. "Chairman Kunasek stated this response did not alleviate his concerns that the Board of Supervisors was under siege by the County Attorney's Office," according to minutes of the meeting. Thomas blazed ahead as the board mulled its options. But his stars were not aligned. Presiding Superior Court Judge Barbara Mundell — herself under investigation by the Sheriff's Office for supposed antics related to a new, planned court building — appointed retired Judge Kenneth Fields to handle the criminal case, though Fields had criticized Thomas in the press. Thomas balked and tried unsuccessfully to have Fields replaced. Then, just before Christmas of last year, the supervisors fired Thomas as their attorney and hired Thomas Irvine, another target of the court-tower investigation, to represent them. Thomas sued. The board took the offensive even further, stripping him of his duty to handle the county's lawsuits and creating its own civil-litigation department. Again, Thomas balked. But months later, the board's move was deemed legal by a Superior Court that Thomas believes is biased against him. It's not surprising that he thinks this, of course, because battling the judiciary has been part of his shtick since taking office. Yet if the courts are the enemy, they are also the battlefield. As the months wore on, more than a million dollars in legal fees were spent on six lawsuits between the Board of Supervisors on one side and Thomas and Arpaio on the other. With their taxpayer-hired lawyers, the foes fought over money, control of a computer system, and access to county records. In a records request, Arpaio sought information on Judge Mundell and nearly three-dozen county employees, including all five county supervisors. Many of the employees were questioned at home by deputies. Some told New Times they lost sleep over the investigations, wondering whether a midnight raid of their homes was next. Paranoid county leaders authorized $14,000 in public funds to have their offices swept twice for electronic-listening devices they suspected Arpaio's people of planting (no bugs were found). Meanwhile, in the hunt for more dirt on Stapley, detectives fanned out across the Valley in what seemed equal parts investigation, fishing expedition, and gossip-spreading campaign. They poked around at the state Land Department for evidence of kickbacks on property Stapley owned. (They found none.) They interviewed current and former city council members in Mesa, Chandler, Apache Junction, and Gilbert, asking whether anyone had heard that Stapley was involved in a bribery scheme related to the planned extension of the Loop 202 freeway. (Council members said they hadn't heard a thing.) They hired an accounting expert to figure out whether Stapley's business deals were legit. (The expert only raised more questions.) They tried to question every donor to a legal defense fund set up by Stapley's friends. Deputies also served subpoenas for information on Stapley's bank accounts and loan history. They raided Stapley's county office and the office of Conley Wolfswinkel. Based on new information deputies say they discovered in the raids and through the subpoenas, another criminal investigation on Stapley was launched — this one involving allegations of tax fraud, unscrupulous business deals, and theft of money Stapley had raised while campaigning to be an elected officer of the National Association of Counties. To keep it all organized, the new investigation was called "Stapley Two," while the financial-disclosure case was now referred to as "Stapley One." Charlton, Stapley's lawyer, filed a motion in February to dismiss "Stapley One" because Stapley disclosed his connection with Wolfswinkel in a 2006 conflict-of-interest letter to the supervisors — and because Thomas' office had helped Stapley prepare the letter. Another pending motion accused Thomas of "selective enforcement" and cited the problems with Arpaio's own disclosure forms. In the first week of April, before the judge could rule on the motions, Thomas transferred the case to the Yavapai County Attorney's Office. He claimed he was offering an "olive branch" to the county. But the breaking point for Thomas must have been the court decision on March 31 by Judge Gary Donahoe in a related case. Weeks earlier, the supervisors had sued Thomas over the court-tower investigation, arguing that the County Attorney's Office had been consulted on many occasions as the $347 million tower was planned. Donahoe ruled in the board's favor and kicked Thomas off the case, stating that Thomas' desired role as both lawyer and adversary had the "appearance of evil." After Thomas moved the court-tower and Stapley cases to Yavapai, the court determined Thomas' alleged bias against Stapley was irrelevant because he was no longer the prosecutor. But it doesn't seem irrelevant at all. Thomas' office had launched the investigation with an anonymous tip, after all. The damage was done, in that the initial — and petty — paperwork violations were pursued for prosecutions and had spawned a larger probe that was, perhaps, starting to bear fruit. Nevertheless, Yavapai assigned the case to a special prosecutor, former Navajo County Attorney Mel Bowers. Thomas claimed his hands were clean, now that he no longer had even the appearance of a conflict. And Stapley looked like toast; all the paperwork violations appeared clear-cut. But Stapley did not skimp when it came to hiring a defense attorney. He hired Tom Henze and Charlton, the former U.S. Attorney for Arizona. It wasnt long before the team discovered a sandy legal foundation under the Stapley prosecution. Henze filed a motion claiming that county supervisors never put into practice a state law forcing counties to require elected officials to complete financial-disclosure forms. In response to the motion, Judge Fields tossed 51 of the 117 remaining charges against Stapley in August. (One of the 118 already had been dropped.) With the law now in question, the special prosecutor dropped the remaining charges on Friday, September 18, to focus on launching an appeal of Fields' August decision. That Monday, Arpaio's deputies followed Stapley from his Mesa home to the county parking garage at Third Avenue and Jefferson Street. When Stapley stepped out of his white Honda Civic, he was arrested. "I'm sure all the cameras will be there," Stapley told the deputies, according to records. "I know how you guys work." "I hope not," a deputy replied. He was either lying or naïve. They handcuffed Stapley, took him to jail, perp-walked him in front of the news media, and accused him of 100 new criminal counts. Most were felonies: fraud, theft, and misusing his public office. It was a rapid reversal of fortune for Stapley, though the whole MCSO operation was bizarre. There was no legitimate need to arrest Stapley. The political icon of the East Valley could hardly be expected to run off to Brazil. Even weirder, it turned out that Yavapai County prosecutors had been reviewing the "Stapley Two" charges but hadn't made a decision on whether to pursue the case. They and Maricopa county prosecutors denied prior knowledge that Arpaio would arrest Stapley. A judge had blocked Thomas from having Stapley booked into jail in the first go-around. With this second push for prosecution, Arpaio and Hendershott took matters into their own hands, with Thomas supposedly out of the loop. No judge had knowledge of what was about to transpire, so no judge could get in the way. Of course, the arrest mocked the notion of checks and balances in the legal system. The typical course of action, according to experts, would've been for the MCSO to discuss the plan for arrest with both the prosecutor's office and the judge in Stapley's first criminal case. The supervisor was booked, fingerprinted, and photographed — but no prosecutor picked up the case. After 48 hours, it was dropped from the court system. If a prosecutor's office decides to file charges, Stapley will either be rearrested or served with a court summons. In fact, he should have been served with a summons in September, says former U.S. Attorney for Arizona Mel McDonald. That's what would happen in "99.99 percent of cases" like Stapley's, McDonald says. The former federal attorney now in private practice didn't want to speculate on why Arpaio's office was so heavy-handed with Stapley but says he "didn't like" what the sheriff did. For his part, Hendershott claims there was no "urgency" to arrest Stapley. Rather, he says, his men finished up work on the case on September 11, and it was decided to make the arrest 10 days later. The timing of the collar — almost immediately after Yavapai County dropped the older charges — makes Hendershott's explanation tough to swallow. Don Stapley is descended from the Valley's earliest Mormon pioneers; his family is why Mesa has a major street called Stapley Drive. The graduate of Westwood High School and Utah's Brigham Young University has been active in community affairs since he was a teenager. Last November, Stapley was elected to a fourth term on the Board of Supervisors and still appears to have strong support — particularly among fellow Mormons — despite the ongoing investigation by Thomas and Arpaio. Stapley is a pillar of the community, but he is no role model. His personal financial dealings during his tenure on the Board of Supervisors raise plenty of questions. Most troubling are the lucrative and ethically dubious deals he set up with companies run by the family of his friend Conley Wolfswinkel. After a 1993 conviction for land fraud, Wolfswinkel was sentenced to perform community service instead of serve prison time. He's not allowed to practice real estate, so he acts as a consultant for the family business, which owns 70,000 acres of land between Phoenix and Tucson. Even Stapley's former bookkeeper believed that doing any kind of business with Wolfwinkel was a bad idea, a Sheriff's Office interview transcript shows. "Why do you wanna get in a partnership with Wolfswinkel?" Joan Stoops is said to have told deputies she asked Stapley in 2002. "That's not too good for your reputation, I would think. He said, 'Joanie, this is a good deal.'" Stoops was talking about a land deal with Wolfswinkel-connected companies in which Stapley swapped land he owned in Mesa for two Pinal County properties totaling 150 acres. In a bizarre arrangement, Wolfswinkel paid Stapley up to $26,000 a month just for the option to be the first to buy back the properties someday. Stapley had fashioned himself into something of a mid-size real estate player in the 2000s, owning $6.3 million in business holdings and property, as of 2006. But he fudged big-time when it came to proper accounting procedures, routinely blending his business and personal accounts, the Sheriff's Office records allege. In one instance, business expenses listed on his 2005 tax form showed up as income on an application for a $5 million loan. That led to two of the 100 alleged crimes in the Sheriff's Office's latest accusation — cheating on his taxes and fraud. Prosecutable or not, Stapley's brand of money management smacks of impropriety. As a story by former New Times writer John Dougherty shows, Stapley's penchant for digging himself into hokey real estate transactions goes back many years. Dougherty's article reported, in part, that the state Real Estate Commission busted Stapley for failing to disclose he had once been a partner in a land deal that had gone bankrupt. He agreed to attend six hours of real estate classes and pay $1,000 to keep his real estate broker's license. Stapley appears to have hurt himself again on the same matter: He didn't acknowledge that same 1991 bankruptcy when he applied a for $4.8 million loan in 2006. It's unseemly — at best — when a county supervisor collects hundreds of thousands of dollars from a convicted felon in an unusual land deal and seems to hoodwink the IRS and banks with faulty paperwork. But if Stapley's payments from Wolfswinkel's companies began in 2002, before the first legal documents affirming the deal were drawn up, they would look like secret payoffs to a powerful county official. Depending on the timing of the payments, the Sheriff's Office argues, the deal could have been a bribe. Stapley's bookkeeper, in her January interview, seemed certain the deal was struck in 2002. But in April, Stoops recanted her statement, saying it had been 2003. Stapley's personal and business bank accounts back the later version. Bank records provided to New Times by the Sheriff's Office show a substantial revenue source starting in September 2003, with deposits of $19,485 monthly. In late 2007, the monthly payments had grown to $25,881. Arpaio's office nurtured the bribery angle for months, but it was dealt a serious blow by Stoops' change of recollection. (The setback was probably another reason the Stapley case went to Yavapai County, since Thomas offered his "olive branch" a few days later.) Still, the Sheriff's Office had another major avenue to explore: Stapley's campaign for second vice president of the National Association of Counties, a lobbying organization and policy think tank based in Washington, D.C. The supervisor had paid visits to dozens of businesspeople, starting in late 2004. Looking for big donations, Stapley showed up in offices around the Valley with a slick brochure and fundraising letter. NACo elects officers who travel around the country and the world to spread the group's messages. Typically, a nominated candidate begins by running for the position of second vice president. Once entrenched, the officer advances automatically through the ranks, reaching the positions of president and "immediate past president," Stapley's current NACo title. Stapley hit up entities such as the Arizona Homebuilders Association and Cox Communications that might someday need the friendly ear of a county supervisor. In some cases, MCSO detectives say, donors admitted that is exactly why they gave money to Stapley. Deputies say William Levine, owner of the Pistol Pete's Pizza franchise, told them in an interview that he wasn't familiar with NACo. He thought Stapley was seeking a county position of some sort. They say Levine, who owns a chunk of the old General Motors Proving Ground on county land, told them he gave $10,000 because, among other reasons, Stapley is a friend. The money poured in, according to the MCSO report. By December 2005, the supervisor had collected $135,000 for his "Stapley for NACo" bank account. Then, deputies say, he proceeded to spend the money over the next three years. By the end of 2008, they say, Stapley had drained the account and still had more than $1,000 owing on a "Stapley for NACo" credit card. Yet Stapley never faced an opponent for his NACo position. The Sheriff's Office estimates that about a third of the money was spent on personal items. Airfare and other travel expenses were assumed to be for NACo functions, but that left many questionable transactions involving the campaign money, according to the MCSO records, including: More than $16,000 spent for electronics and furniture; thousands of dollars spent at local stores, from Nordstrom to an antique shop; funds spent for pet grooming, car washes, and groceries; a bill of $1,300 to Tony Martingilio, a hair-replacement specialist; and bills totaling about $400 for spa treatments. The Sheriff's Office wants Stapley charged with 48 counts of misusing public office, 45 counts of theft, and one count of fraud in the NACo fundraising scheme. Add that to the alleged tax and loan-fraud felonies, plus four other supposed felonies related to Stapley's county supervisor campaign forms, and you get to the 100 recommended charges. None of the charges have been made formal by a prosecutor's office, and a conviction of Stapley won't be a cakewalk. It's a safe bet that his high-powered legal team will argue that every purchase made with the NACo campaign money related somehow to his position as a NACo officer. Also complicating the prosecution effort: The NACo "victims" don't necessarily feel like victims. Detectives tried to contact 41 of the donors. Some wouldn't answer questions. Twenty-three reportedly said their money shouldn't have been used for personal expenses. But interview transcripts show the detectives steered the conversations toward desired conclusions, sometimes cooking up phony scenarios to make their points. When Connie Wilhelm, president of the Homebuilders Association, was asked what she would think if she knew some of her $25,000 contribution was spent on personal things, she said it would depend on what was being called "personal." She added that the Homebuilders Association she heads did not dictate to Stapley how to spend the money it contributed. "Right," answers a detective , according to the interview transcript. "Um, but by buying your daughter a $25,000 — and I'm just using that number because that's the donation — Ford Mustang [as] a graduation gift?" Wilhem finally concedes the scenario would not be acceptable. Stapley never bought his daughter a car with contributed money. When detectives interviewed Rusty Bowers, a longtime Stapley friend who made a $5,000 donation on behalf of the Arizona Rock Products Association, they threw out the idea that Stapley had bought a TV set for a friend with some of the money. No clear evidence of such a purchase was recorded in the Sheriff's Office records. Though Bowers replied during the interview that he wouldn't be "content" if the money were used like that, he tells New Times he does not feel "victimized" in the slightest. "I felt I was being led [by sheriff's investigators] to feel that [Stapley] was up to mischief," Bowers says. Local attorney Brian Kaven gave the strongest negative statement to detectives, saying he would be "very, very, very unhappy" if he knew his donation had been used for personal expenses. But, like some of the other people interviewed, Kaven was skeptical of the investigation itself. Thomas had transferred the Stapley case to Yavapai County, so why, Kaven asked the deputies, was Maricopa County even still working it? "That means there's still that 'conflict of interest' between the Sheriff's Office and maybe our County Attorney and the Board Supervisors," Kaven said to the deputies. "Oh, boy." A few weeks before Stapley's arrest, County Elections Director Karen Osborne sent the County Attorney's Office a letter about possible campaign-finance violations she wanted Thomas to take action on. Call this a tip, too. Thomas was informed that one or more people had made contributions in the name of another — a felony or felonies. Corporations had donated money in an attempt to influence the 2008 election, and the money may have been illegally earmarked to go toward a specific candidate, she alleged. She noted that nothing about the case barred a criminal prosecution. The state Attorney General's Office had begun its own investigation into the case "and may have access to additional materials," Osborne wrote. Unlike with Stapley, Thomas did not have Lisa Aubuchon take the tip to the Sheriff's Office. Thomas hasn't even referred Osborne's case to the AG, which would be the obvious and easy thing to do, since Osborne had told him about the AG's investigation. Thomas isn't interested because the case involves the highest levels of the Sheriff's Office and state Republican Party. Top MCSO commanders — including Hendershott — and a few wealthy donors raised money in a secret slush fund starting in 2006 for the apparent benefit of Sheriff Arpaio. Then, weeks before the 2008 election, $105,000 from the fund was given to the Republican Party under the mysterious acronym "SCA," which the public later learned stands for "Sheriff's Command Association." The state GOP eventually returned the illegal contribution to the SCA's frontman, MCSO Captain Joel Fox. But by that time, the party had used the money to fund TV ads that smeared Arpaio and Thomas' political opponents. New Times has asked Thomas' office repeatedly what it intends to do about Osborne's notice. The answer is always: The case is "under review." In other words, Thomas is stalling one possible public corruption case involving himself and his political ally while pulling out all the stops in a public corruption case involving a political enemy. On the sheriff's side, the double standard is worse: Hendershott, one of the county's self-made anti-corruption cops, is directly implicated in the alleged financial-disclosure-related crimes because he was a key SCA donor. Neither he nor Arpaio will comment about the group and its dealings. By itself, the SCA case demonstrates that Thomas and Arpaio have no business leading a moral crusade against a fellow politician. And the SCA matter is just one of example of their unscrupulous activities. Had the tables been turned in the Stapley case, and the investigators were investigated with the same rigor, Arpaio also would be facing charges. The Stapley case began with a hard look at financial-disclosure forms, which led to subpoenas that uprooted more apparently damning documents. As New Times revealed, the sheriff has committed similar infractions to Stapley's. For instance, Arpaio bought a condo in Fountain Hills in 2000 for $77,000. But he didn't list it on his disclosure form for that year — he listed it a year and a half later. He sold a Phoenix rental property in 1996 for $68,000 that never showed up on a disclosure form. And he bought two commercial properties for $250,000 that he did not disclose. A motion filed by Stapley's lawyer, Charlton, included a few other examples dating back to 1992, such as Arpaio's alleged failure to list his family trust on his 1994 disclosure form. Not all of Arpaio's investment properties can be cross-referenced with his disclosure forms, though, because the sheriff blocks public access to information about them based on a law that was designed to hide the home addresses of police officers. Arpaio's disclosure-form discrepancies pose a huge conflict of interest. Simply put, there's nothing fair about one politician with legal problems having the power (and using it) to investigate another politician with the same problems. Thomas' legitimacy is further compromised by his office's refusal to divulge where the tips about Stapley came from. It turned out that the information about Stapley's properties relayed in the first tip to the MCSO was suspiciously similar to that uncovered last year during a court case against Stapley's longtime friend and business ally Conley Wolfswinkel. Thomas' private lawyer, Leo Beus, and lawyers working with Beus had claimed in court filings that Stapley had blown the Wolfswinkel case for them — robbing them of a $171 million judgment — because Stapley had influenced the judge by randomly showing up in court one day. Not long after the verdict, Aubuchon passed along Thomas' tip to the Sheriff's Office. Beus has denied that he tipped Thomas' office to alleged wrongdoing by Stapley, but the coincidence begs for more scrutiny. In the end, the Stapley case looks like the latest in a long string of vendettas by Arpaio and Thomas. They teamed up to smear AG Terry Goddard, keeping an investigative file open on him for more than two years, even though a possible bribery charge against him appears baseless. They attacked New Times after repeated criticisms by the newspaper and had its chief executives arrested and jailed on trumped-up charges ("Who's Sorry Now?" October 24, 2007). The list of enemies Arpaio has ordered his investigators to target is extensive: Dan Saban, who ran for sheriff against Arpaio in 2004 and 2008; Dan Pochoda, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union; Superior Court Presiding Judge Barbara Mundell; County Manager David Smith; County Supervisor Wilcox; former Arpaio campaign opponent Tom Bearup; Bearup's former campaign aide Jim Cozzolino; Republican activist Lee Watkins; Nick Tarr, an actor hired by a public-relations group to advocate against a ballot proposition that was supported by Arpaio; the city of Mesa, following repeated criticism by the city's former police chief, George Gascón; Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, who spoke out against Arpaio's immigration sweeps; and Democratic legislative candidate Jackie Thrasher. ("Enemies List," November 27, 2007, and "Below the Belt," September 19, 2007). As New Times reported recently, the Sheriff's Office is even investigating Governor Jan Brewer for possible misdeeds stemming from her time on the Board of Supervisors, from 1996 to 2002. The politically motivated assault on Dan Saban was particularly egregious. After Saban kicked off his 2004 campaign, his mentally compromised stepmother, Ruby Norman, contacted Hendershott and claimed Saban had raped her three decades ago, when he was 15 years old. Suspiciously, Hendershott erased a tape he had made of the phone interview. Hendershott assigned members of the Sheriff's Office "threat squad" to drive to her home and take down her story. There was no evidence that the allegation was true, and even if it were, the statute of limitations on it had expired many years earlier. Still, the written report of the deputies' interview with Norman was handed off to a reporter from Channel 15 (KNXV-TV), who had been told about the claim even before the deputies arrived at Norman's house. The Channel 15 report broadsided Saban's campaign and contributed to him losing the race. The allegations would surface again in 2008 — this time in the form of the mud-slinging, prime-time TV ad paid for by the Sheriff's Command Association. Viewers found the SCA ad so tasteless that TV stations pulled it the next day. But, as before, the damage to Saban's second run for county sheriff was severe. Arpaio won a fifth term — ensuring that Hendershott, Joel Fox, and other high-ranking commanders would keep their jobs. The hypocrisy in the Stapley case is most evident in Thomas and Arpaio's continued attempts to control the prosecution effort. When Yavapai County moved too slowly on the new allegations, Thomas took the case back and tried to assign it to two expensive, high-profile lawyers from Washington, Joseph diGenova and his wife, Victoria Toensing. Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk tells New Times she made it clear to Thomas that her office was more than willing to handle the second case, as long as Maricopa paid the bill for a special prosecutor, as it had in the first Stapley case. It was Thomas' call to pull the case from Yavapai, Polk insists. A source close to the investigation says Hendershott pressured Thomas to take back the case. The Sheriff's Office "felt [it was] taking it in the shorts in the media" after the first case fell apart, the source tells New Times. Once the case was back in Maricopa County, it immediately got bogged down in the ongoing county chaos. In a clever move, the Board of Supervisors — under a recommendation from County Manager David Smith — refused to even consider hiring the special prosecutors from D.C. The planned hires didn't conform to the "county-procurement process," county lawyers argued. And besides, they pointed out, the law requires special prosecutors to live in the state. An outraged Thomas now threatens to prosecute the new case in his own office. Barnett Lotstein tells New Times that no conflict of interest exists, as Thomas has claimed all along. That position sounds no more credible now than it did last December. At press time for this article, Stapley still hadn't been formally charged with the new allegations, and his victory in the older case is on appeal. The attempted takedown of Stapley keeps producing new headlines. And other investigations by Thomas and Arpaio look to be heating up. Wilcox is sure to be the next target on the Board of Supervisors. The Sheriff's Office is also continuing its behemoth investigation into what it claims is fraud in the planned construction of the court tower. At the same time, Arpaio is facing some heat from federal investigations. Channel 5 news (KPHO-TV) reported this month that the FBI was probing Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office for allegedly using police powers to conduct political vendettas. New Times received word recently that the FBI was making inquiries into the latest news about the MCSO investigation of Governor Brewer. As for the Stapley investigation, Pete Rios, a Pinal County Supervisor and former Democratic state legislator, says, "The appearance of what's going on in Maricopa County is that Sheriff Joe Arpaio and the county attorney have not gotten their way with the Board of Supervisors. As a result, it appears they are trying to make it as hard as possible on the board — especially [on] Don Stapley and Mary Rose Wilcox." Yes, Stapley appears to have violated certain financial regulations. But the case against him started with paperwork infractions that he and Arpaio appear guilty of committing. In addition — with their history of power plays, political vendettas, conflicts of interest, and shocking heavy-handedness — Arpaio and Andrew Thomas' underhanded reputations precede them. Even a shady county supervisor can't make these lawmen look righteous. Keep Phoenix New Times Free... Since we started Phoenix New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Phoenix with no paywalls.

The Piggydb Way: #2 Tags as First-Class ComponentsPosted: October 20, 2012 Most of you who happen to stumble upon piggydb.net are sure to know what you want, I imagine. You are looking for a tool (in the categories like wiki, outliner, personal database, etc) that helps you organize your information in a more effective way as an alternative to, for example, Evernote or Springpad. Then suddenly, I began to talk about the ‘reversal process’ instead of explaining the basic organizing functionality. You might be confused or think you didn’t need it because you knew what kind of information you were going to organize and how to organize it, and you just needed a tool to support it. Well, okay, but is that really the case? Are you really sure you know what you want? When you are about to collect information and organize it, quite naturally, you know what kind of information you are going to organize, and anticipate the result. It may be information about your project, daily routines, a travel plan, or it may be a diary. You have already prepared the container in which you are going to just place pieces of information one by one. It would be quite straightforward, you think. However, once you begin it, something in you will be stimulated by what you are doing, and sooner or later, you will unconsciously step into the area of Knowledge Creation even with a most primitive container you use, such as a piece of paper. Let’s suppose that you keep a record of things you have done in your daily life in a plain old paper notebook. You do so because you want to use these information later on when you need to know what you did and when you did it. And then, one day, after a while since it became a daily routine, you reflect on the record. In that reflection, you happen to find an interesting pattern in the log. You underline these places with a red pen and write an explanation of the concept common to them in your own way. This discovery is totally what you didn’t expect when you started this habit. I’m sure many of you have experienced something like this before if you have a note-taking habit. Let’s call this kind of practice ‘Weighting Information‘ (selecting a certain part of information and putting some meaning into it). So you acquired a new point of view as a result of weighting information. Information weighting appears whenever you deal with information. For example, if you are reading this article on a web browser (I believe most of you are), it must have a bookmarking function. Bookmark allows you to save addresses of websites that you want to revisit later, and it can be regarded as a way of information weighting. You select a small bit of the vast sea of the Web and attach the concept of ‘bookmark’ to it. As you may have noticed in the example of recording things done, there are two steps in information weighting. The first one is the discovery of an interesting commonality across random things and the second one is putting a label on it. In this process, the mechanism of the discovery is especially interesting and mysterious. One of the most interesting things about it is that you can’t expect the outcome in advance, in other words, you can’t plan what kind of thing you are going to discover. The other day, I came across an interesting column on innovation titled “The Idea Idea” by Peter J. Denning (http://cs.gmu.edu/cne/pjd/PUBS/CACMcols/cacmMar12.pdf). Denning brought skepticism to the popular belief that an innovation is the result of adopting a good idea. He proposed a hypothesis that “practices rather than ideas are the main source of innovation” and “many ideas are therefore afterthoughts to explain innovations that have already happened“. The term ‘idea‘ here can be replaced by ‘concept‘ that we are discussing about. In the above example of information weighting, the concept discovery was not expected or planned but happened in the course of the practice of recording things done in daily life. Stephen King, a world-renowned novelist, once wrote about his style of writing novels. He wrote in his memoir “On Writing” as follows: “I distrust plot for two reasons: first, because our lives are largely plotless, even when you add in all our reasonable precautions and careful planning; and second, because I believe plotting and the spontaneity of real creation aren’t compatible.” The ‘plot‘ mentioned in the quote would correspond to the ‘idea‘ in Denning’s column. As Denning said practices are the main source of innovations and ideas are afterthoughts to explain innovations that have already happened, King said stories pretty much make themselves in the course of writing and progress to theme. And King’s figurative expression for his creative process is really impressive: “stories are found things, like fossils in the ground“. Although I don’t know of many novelists, I imagine there are not a few novelists who take this type of approach. Haruki Murakami, who reportedly leads race for Nobel prize for literature as of writing this article (the winner turned out to be Mo Yan who happens to have the same family name as my wife), is one of them. This spontaneity would be essential for creative process and I think that human beings instinctively know it because, as King wrote, “stories are relics, part of an undiscovered preexisting world” After discovering a concept, you need to put a label on it so that it can be a part of your knowledge. And through this label, you can view the world around you in a fresh-new viewpoint. This kind of concept-oriented knowledge building is the main focus of the Knowledge Creation in Piggydb. The most important feature of Piggydb in terms of concept-oriented knowledge building is Tag-Fragments. A tag-fragment, which is the kind of a knowledge fragment whose ‘as-a-tag’ attribute is enabled, can be used to represent a concept that you have discovered as in the above episode or selected as a theme in advance for your study or investigation. Originally, classic tags have played an assistant role in the Web 2.0 systems providing a lightweight way of organizing information. And, of course, you can use these tags to represent found concepts other than familiar categories. However, this means just grouping elements by concepts, which does not contain any structure for the concepts. As you might know already, the labels of concepts themselves do not solely hold the value of your knowledge. They are just labels. The value resides in the context behind concepts, the context in which you have come to discover and build the concepts (the Internet is filled with fruitless communication triggered by responding to keywords without considering their contexts). Therefore, the important factor deciding the value of your concepts is how you structure this context information, and that’s why Piggydb introduces Tag-Fragment that supports two-layer structure allowing you to evolve found concepts into more rich and structured knowledge. While classic tags is no more than collective keywords for indexing, Piggydb’s tags can be treated as the same as the first-class information components (knowledge fragments) in a database, which means they can have their description and relationships to other components. [To be continued]

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Jan Miense Molenaer possessed the remarkable ability to create works that were as expressive as they were diverse. Taking inspiration from proverbs, poems, and the Bible, he painted merry companies, tavern groups, biblical scenes, and portraiture with brushwork that ranged from precise and refined to loose and free. Musical themes were a particular favorite of the artist and his wife, the painter Judith Leyster (1609–1660), whom he married in 1636. Self-Portrait as a Lute Player, which Molenaer painted a few years after his marriage, is one of his most engaging works with a musical theme. Unlike his wife, who depicted herself painting, as seen in the Gallery’s wonderful Self-Portrait from around the same time, Molenaer painted himself quietly tuning his lute. The activity was symbolically linked in 17th-century literature to conducting one’s life in a balanced and harmonious manner. Because the dulcet tones of the instrument were difficult to maintain, tuning was a careful and time-intensive act, requiring a patient and steady hand. Molenaer’s forthright gaze and calm demeanor underscore these notions of stability and constancy; significantly, he pays no attention to the nearby array of sumptuous foods, drinking vessels, and smoking implements—items commonly associated with the transitory nature of sensual pleasures. Self-Portrait as a Lute Player is not only an appealing image; it is also in excellent condition. Part of the painting’s charm, moreover, is the extraordinary naturalism Molenaer was able to convey through his deftly handled brush. He modeled fabrics and metals with carefully blended colors and dabbed quick highlights at curves and contours to give each texture form and substance. In one of the painting’s most stunning passages, he even used the blunt end of his paintbrush to scrape away paint to indicate the individual curls of hair. In this finely wrought self-portrait, Jan Miense Molenaer sits with a lute balanced high on his left thigh, adjusting a tuning peg with one hand and thumbing a string with the other. His furrowed brow and fixed gaze convey the level of concentration needed to coax just the right note from the instrument. A still-life ensemble of food, instruments, and smoking paraphernalia lies beside him: walnuts cracked on a plate, a small violin known as a pochette resting atop a recorder, and coals in a brazier burning low. Together with the soft lighting, the scene exudes a sense of calm and quiet. Much of the painting’s charm comes from the extraordinary naturalism that Molenaer conveyed through his exquisite attention to detail and deftly handled brush. He modelled his fabrics and metals with carefully blended colors, applying quick highlights at curves and contours to give his materials form and substance, as is evident in his creamy gray ensemble with a broad white collar. Molenaer may have even used the blunt end of his brush to scrape away paint to indicate the individual curls of his moustache and leonine mane. Molenaer’s identity as the sitter is confirmed by comparisons with other known self-portraits. One sees the same curly hair, broadly set eyes, bulbous nose, and cleft chin in The Duet, the double-portrait he painted of himself and his wife, the artist According to Dennis P. Weller in personal communication with the author, Sept. 16, 2015, other self-portraits may possibly appear in Artist in His Studio with an Old Woman, c. 1632–1633, oil on panel, Private Collection; Man with a Pipe, c. 1632–1634, oil on panel, Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt am Main, inv. no. 221; and in the background of Woman Playing a Virginal, c. 1635, oil on panel, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, on loan from the City of Amsterdam, inv. no. SK-C-140. The painting has previously been dated to 1635 in Gemälde Alter Meister, auction catalog, Galerie Sanct Lucas, Vienna, Autumn 1996, no. 32; and Dennis P. Weller, “Self-Portrait as a Lute Player” in Jan Miense Molenaer: Painter of the Dutch Golden Age, ed. Dennis P. Weller (Raleigh, 2002), 130–132. Dennis P. Weller, “Jan Miense Molenaer: Painter of the Dutch Golden Age” in Jan Miense Molenaer: Painter of the Dutch Golden Age, ed. Dennis P. Weller (Raleigh, 2002), 17–24. Dennis P. Weller, personal communication with the author, May 14, 2016. See Technical Summary. The sensitivity with which Molenaer treated the details of playing versus tuning the lute make it likely that the instrument was a real part of his life. Lutes were an integral component of musical culture in the Dutch Golden Age, and the inventory of the artist’s possessions made after his death lists a number of instruments, including a violin, two transverse flutes, and three “cyters,” which may refer either to cithers or lutes. For the complete inventory of Molenaer’s possessions recorded on Oct. 10, 1668, see Frima Fox Hofrichter, Judith Leyster: A Woman Painter in Holland’s Golden Age (Doornspijk, 1989), 85–103. For a discussion of lute music and manuals, see especially Jan W. J. Burgers, The Lute in the Dutch Golden Age: Musical Culture in the Netherlands 1580–1670 (Amsterdam, 2013), 89–140; Burgers also discusses the celebrity of lutenists in The Lute in the Dutch Golden Age: Musical Culture in the Netherlands 1580–1670 (Amsterdam, 2013), 51–64. Vallet’s music and playing instructions are discussed in Louis Peter Grijp, “The Ensemble Music of Nicolaes Vallet,” in Proceedings of the International Lute Symposium Utrecht 1986, ed. Louis Peter Grijp and Willem Mook (Utrecht, 1988), 64–85; Louis Peter Grijp, ed., The Complete Works of Nicolaes Vallet, vol. 3, Secretum Musarum I (Amsterdam, 1615; repr., Utrecht, 1992), xxx; and Jan W. J. Burgers, The Lute in the Dutch Golden Age: Musical Culture in the Netherlands 1580–1670 (Amsterdam, 2013), 140–144. Apart from demonstrating his familiarity and facility with the instrument, Molenaer may also have chosen to portray himself as a lute player because of music’s many symbolic associations, among which was intellectual activity. As one of the liberal arts, music was highly regarded as an art form in the early modern period and considered an essential component of high education. For painters keen to exalt their craft, music and musical instruments became an important touchstone for comparison between the two art forms. See Ivan Gaskell, “Gerrit Dou, His Patrons, and the Art of Painting,” The Oxford Journal 3 (1980): 15–23; Ignacio Lamarque Moreno, “Music and Its Symbolism in Seventeenth-Century Dutch Painting” (PhD diss., University of Maryland, College Park, 1990), 53–54. Notable self-portraits that follow such a model include Gerrit Dou, Self-Portrait, c. 1665, Private Collection, Boston; Jan Steen, Self-Portrait, c. 1663–1665, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid; and Frans van Mieris, Self-Portrait of the Artist Holding a Small Painting, c. 1677, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. For the Dou self-portrait, see Ronni Baer, “Self-Portrait,” in Gerrit Dou, 1613–1675, ed. Ronni Baer (New Haven, 2000), 122, no. 29. Musical instruments are also a staple of images of artist studios. See, for example, Jan Miense Molenaer, The Artist’s Studio, 1631, Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin; Quiringh van Brekelenkam, The Artist in His Studio, c. 1659, State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg; Frans van Mieris, A Connoisseur in the Artist’s Studio, c. 1655–1657, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden; Gabriel Metsu, Artist Painting a Woman Playing a Cello, whereabouts unknown; Jan Steen, The Drawing Lesson, c. 1665, Getty Museum, Los Angeles; and Johannes Vermeer, The Art of Painting, c. 1666, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. For the Metsu self-portrait, see Franklin W. Robinson, Gabriel Mestu (1629–1667) (New York, 1974), fig. 42. Along with intelligence, inspiration, and imagination, music, and particularly the lute, was naturally also associated with harmony. The Haarlem printmaker Gillis van Breen (c. 1560–after 1602) articulated the harmonious relationship between men and women through lute imagery in an engraving made circa 1600 after Cornelis Ysbrantsz Cussens’s Allegory of Marriage (Rijksprentenkabinet, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam) that shows a man playing a lute beside a woman playing a violin. Van Breen added an inscription to the image that likens a strong marital relationship to a successful musical duet: “Just as the slenderest string reverberates around the male string, and the melodious strings of the heavy-voice lyre follow, so you, harmonious strings, must accord to the tone of marriage, in which as the consort accepts the commands of her lord.” Quoted in Dennis P. Weller, “The Duet,” in Jan Miense Molenaer: Painter of the Dutch Golden Age, ed. Dennis P. Weller (Raleigh, 2002), 137. Shortly before Molenaer painted Self-Portrait as a Lute Player he had become a member of the Haarlem painter’s guild and had also married Judith Leyster. Molenaer became a member of the Guild of St. Luke in 1634, though he had been signing and dating works since 1629. He and Leyster posted their wedding bans in Haarlem on May 11, 1636, and were married three weeks later on June 1. For Molenaer’s biography, see Dennis P. Weller, “Jan Miense Molenaer: Painter of the Dutch Golden Age,” in Jan Miense Molenaer: Painter of the Dutch Golden Age, ed. Dennis P. Weller (Raleigh, 2002), 9–25. Molenaer had also used the musical motif to suggest a concordant and balanced existence before. In The Duet Molenaer pictures himself and Judith Leyster seated together in a well-appointed interior playing string instruments—he a lute and she a cittern (fig. 1). Dressed in their finest attire with a lap dog curled up at their feet, they gaze out at the viewer as they strum their instruments in unison. In Self-Portrait with Family Members, his brothers and sisters engage in a musical performance that includes voice, cittern, lute, violin, and cello. The group performs in the shadow of two large portraits hanging on the back wall that depict the deceased patriarch and matriarch of the family, Molenaer’s parents, Jan Mientsen and Grietgen Adrianes (fig. 2). The message in both paintings is clear: music expresses the harmonious bond that unites family. May 7, 2019 Private collection; (sale, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, 11 July 1980, no. 112); exported to Switzerland; (Galerie Sanct Lucas, Vienna), by 1981; private collection; (Galerie Sanct Lucas, Vienna); purchased 1996 by Philip and Lizanne Cunningham, Alexandria, Virginia; (Christie's, New York); purchased 2015 by NGA. - Gemälde Alter Meister, Galerie Sanct Lucas, Vienna, 1996, no. 13, repro. - Loan to display with permanent collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2001-2015. - Jan Miense Molenaer: Painter of the Dutch Golden Age, North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh; Indianapolis Museum of Art; Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, New Hampshire, 2002-2003, no. 22, repro. - Judith Leyster 1609-1660, National Gallery of Art, Washington; Frans Halsmuseum, Haarlem, 2009-2010, unnumbered NGA brochure, fig. 12 (shown only in Washington). The support is a single oak (estimated) panel with vertical grain. The right side is more tangential than the left, but the panel remains quite flat. Restoration materials cover much of the panel edges. However, most of the growth rings appear to be oriented approximately 45 degrees to the panel surface, except near the right edge where the board becomes more tangential. This shift on the right can be seen in the x-radiograph of the painting. The ground layer is off-white, and under magnification, blue shard-like pigments can be seen scattered throughout the layer. An underdrawing is not visible with infrared reflectography (IRR). However, when painting the background, the artist appears to have left parts of the central compositional elements in reserve, including the sitter’s face and hat, and the central part of the lute. Infrared reflectography images were captured using the following: a Santa Barbara Focalplane InSb camera with J filter (1.1–1.4 microns), a Si CCD with 55 mm Nikon macro lens and a spectral band of .85–1.0 microns, and a Xenics 640 × 512 InGaAs camera with 55 mm Nikon macro lens and J filter (1.1–1.4 microns). The artist depicted some details by scratching through upper paint layers with a thin tool, which in most instances reveals the ground layer. These elements include the sitter’s hair and moustache, a lute-string loop, the lute tuning pegs, a line on the red plate at the left of the table, and the signature. A few letters of the signature are visible under normal light, including the “J” and “ӔR” but there are small islands of a darker nonoriginal material, possibly overpaint or old discolored varnish residue, within the lines of the characters. This embedded material is more transparent than the surrounding paint, but also appears to be composed of fine particles, making the signature difficult to distinguish. With IRR, the complete signature is visible. Some pentimenti are just visible under normal light. The most noticeable is that of the proper right hand, where the artist changed the positioning of the sitter’s fingers. Examination with IRR reveals that the hand was first painted much like the lute player’s hand in Molenaer’s The Duet (Private Collection), with the little finger extended and the other fingers more curved. See Entry, fig. 1. The panel and paint layers are in good condition. There are minor indentations in the wood and there is a crack at the upper left that has been retouched. There is also scattered retouching, particularly within the background and tablecloth. The natural resin (estimated) varnish saturates the paints and is fairly even. May 7, 2019 - Welu, James A., and Pieter Biesboer. Judith Leyster: A Dutch Master and Her World. Exh. cat. Frans Halsmuseum, Haarlem; Worcester Art Museum. Haarlem, 1993: 306-307, fig. 33e. - Burgers, Jan W.J. The Lute in the Dutch Golden Age: Musical Culture in the Netherlands 1580-1670. Amsterdam, 2013: 12, pl. 5. - Libby, Alexandra. "Jan Miense Molenaer, Self-Portrait as a Lute Player." National Gallery of Art Bulletin, no. 53 (Fall 2015): 38, repro.

Since crude oil makes up nearly 70 percent of the pump price of regular gasoline, it makes sense that gas prices would follow a similar pattern as oil prices. However, the pass-through (or the effect of changes in oil prices on gas prices) is not symmetric. In the most recent issue of the St. Louis Fed’s The Regional Economist, Assistant Vice President and Economist Michael Owyang and former Senior Research Associate E. Katarina Vermann examined how the pass-through varies across different sets of circumstances. In reviewing previous academic work measuring pass-through, Owyang and Vermann noted that economists generally found that gasoline prices adjust faster when they are low relative to oil prices than when they are high relative to oil prices. Owyang and Vermann estimated that a $10 rise in the price of a barrel of oil is correlated with an approximately 25-cent increase in the price of a gallon of gasoline adjusted for taxes and markups. They measured the asymmetric response of gas prices to fluctuations in the pass-through by considering separately the months in which the adjusted average national retail gas price to oil price ratio was either above or below 25 cents to $10. They noted, “Consistent with much of the literature, we found a small difference in the speed at which gasoline prices were attracted to the long-run ratio depending on whether prices were above or below this ratio.” Gas prices also vary according to season. Between 1995 and 2014, retail gas prices rose, on average, 0.4 percent during the two weeks prior to Memorial Day and 1.6 percent during the two weeks prior to Labor Day before retreating in the fall. One reason is the rise in demand during summer months stemming from increased summer driving. Another reason is the change in the cost of production due to changes in composition. Some areas allow ingredients in the winter that are cheaper to produce, making winter gas less expensive. In the summer, some warmer areas require additives that reduce the vapor pressure and make gas less volatile. Because summer gas is more costly to produce, the prices during the spring and summer will naturally be higher. Owyang and Vermann split their sample into summer and winter months and found more evidence of asymmetry: “During the winter, the rate at which gas prices are pulled down by oil prices appeared to be higher than it was during the summer. Moreover, splitting the sample by season appeared to amplify the asymmetry, which appeared to be higher during the high-demand summer season and when the cost of gasoline production was higher.” Several reasons exist for gas prices to vary between cities, including: Owyang and Vermann calculated pass-through across 162 cities using weekly pretax retail gas prices and the Brent oil price over the period 2005-2013 and found two main differences. First, the long-run relationship between gas and oil could vary across cities. Second, the effect of changes in oil prices on gas could vary across cities. Owyang and Vermann noted, “The market for gasoline is local, with variations in market concentration, demand, regulation and taxation. Thus, it may not be surprising that we found more asymmetry at the local level than at the national level.”

The 10th Beyond Humanism Conference 18-21st July 2018 in Wroclaw, Poland Faculty of Social Sciences and Journalism, University of Lower Silesia Programme : BHC10-schedule Cultures of the Posthuman CFP(Call for Papers) We invite English abstracts up to 500 words, to be sent in MS Word and PDF format to: [email protected] Files should be named and submitted in the following manner: Submission: First Name Last name. docx (or .doc) / .pdf Example: “Submission: MaryAndy.docx” Abstracts should be received by the 1st of April 2018. Acceptance notifications will be sent out by the end of April 2018. All those accepted will receive information on the venue(s), local attractions, accommodations, restaurants, and planned receptions and events for participants. Presentations should be no longer than 20 minutes. Each presenter will be given 10 additional minutes for questions and discussions with the audience, for a total of 30 minutes. Organising Committee/Beyond Humanism Network: • Stefan Lorenz Sorgner, John Cabot University, Rome • Sangkyu Shin, Ewha Woman’s University, Seoul • Evi Sampanikou, University of the Aegean • Francesca Ferrando, NYU, New York • Jaime del Val, Reverso-Metabody, Madrid • Jan Stasienko, University of Lower Silesia, Wroclaw • Maciej Czerniakowski, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin Trans- and posthumanist reflections—as well as their meta-versions—seem to significantly undermine established definitions of culture and question a traditional division into culture and nature. These divisions are difficult to defend in the context of contemporary biotechnology, gene therapy, and easy genome modification available thanks to technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9 system, technological and pharmacological expansions of human cognitive capacities, or overcoming physical and cognitive disabilities. The extent of technological interference in Stelarc’s “obsolete body” is currently so large that it is difficult to talk about it in terms of nature. It is more of a non-dualist hybrid which is in the process of permanent self-overcoming. Bioart appears to paradigmatically illustrate this mixture of nature and culture as well as its conscious undermining of this division, which is part of the various beyond humanism movements. Secondly, what is also worth noting is formation of new cultures and societies which consist of non-human subjects mingling with humans or forming their own, separate and previously unseen worlds. Contemporary reflections upon fauna and flora allow insightful investigations of plant and animal cultures and social interrelations of their representatives (bacterial cultures, swarms and colonies of insects, social life of trees, communication between intelligent animals). Material objects, in turn, are often perceived as agents and actors. More questions arise here: To what extent can artificial intelligence be regarded as a cultural and social entity? On what grounds can non-human subjects be accepted in a social sphere? When and how will robots become ethical subjects, etc.? Thirdly, the division into nature and culture is undermined by thinking about contemporary technologized ecologies. Cultivation of climate (climate engineering), landscape architecture, geological approaches to media and technology (technofossils), new animism and spirituality of Gaianism are only a few trends connected by questions about culture in the time of the Anthropocene which seems to head towards the algoricene or singularity. During the 10th conference of the Beyond Humanism Conference series, we will have to summarise the achievements of previous sessions from the vantage point of places occupied by posthuman communities, and historical pedigrees towards post-/ trans-/ metahumanist philosophies and their cultural manifestations. We will also discuss major indicators of post-/ trans-/ metahumanist cultures and their vision for the future. During the 10th conference of the Beyond Humanism series, we will have to summarise the achievements of previous sessions from the vantage point of places occupied by posthuman communities, historical ways followed by post-/ trans-/ metahumanist thought and its cultural manifestations. We will also discuss major indicators of post-/ trans-/ metahumanist culture and its vision for the future. • Cultures of trans-/post-/metahumanism (biohackers, vegetarians, nootropic users) • Culture as post-nature • Cultures of posthuman acceleration or deceleration • Bio-art, AI art and robotic art • Non-human cultures and communities (plants, animals, robots, things, AI) • Ethics of robotics and AI • Religious contexts of trans-/post-/metahumanism • Culture of radical life extensions • Ecologies of Anthropocene • Disabilities studies and trans-/post-/metahumanism • Cultural depictions of trans-/post-/metahumanism in art, literature, movies, games. • A Pedagogical Culture of Posthuman Studies

Skip to comments.Great news: Both Islamists and fanatic Islamists overperforming so far in Egyptian election Posted on 12/01/2011 7:02:45 AM PST by SeekAndFind Official results from the first round of voting won’t be known until tomorrow but you know the pessimist motto: It’s never too early to panic. There’s no doubt the Muslim Brotherhood will win a plurality of the seats. The only doubt is whether they can grab an honest-to-goodness majority, which will maximize their leverage against the military and their influence over the drafting of the new constitution, or whether they’ll have to share power with one or more other parties to form a governing coalition. The good news? We might be headed towards a coalition. The bad news? Their likely coalition partners are even nuttier than they are. Both the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), which is backed by the Muslim Brotherhood, and its rivals agreed that it was leading the count in the first tranche of nine out of Egypt’s 27 governorates, including its two most important cities, Cairo and Alexandria. More unexpected was the apparent success of the FJP’s radical rival, Nour, which represents a movement of Salafis inspired by the puritanical political Islam of Saudi Arabia. Its lack of previous involvement in political campaigning had been viewed as a handicap. But it may have won as much as ten per cent of the vote, according to some estimates, challenging the main liberal coalition for second place… The Nour party … says it would impose strict Sharia, exempting only non-Muslims in the privacy of their homes. Some estimates have the Brotherhood winning 40 percent of the vote; one of the Brotherhood’s own spokesmen says it’s more like 50 percent. But as I say, that’s sort of expected. What wasn’t expected, per that last link, is the Nour Party possibly getting more than 20 percent in the Nile delta region of Kafr el-Sheikh. That was one of the provinces singled out yesterday as a bellwether by Samuel Tadros in this must-read election preview for NRO. If the Salafists did well there, he argued, they’d do well elsewhere — and since this first round of voting (there are two more to come over the next month) is focused on metropolitan areas like Cairo, you can expect the Brotherhood and the Salafists to do even better once the voting spreads to less educated, less liberal areas of Egypt. How are they doing it? Partly by waving the Koran, of course, but also partly through dynamite organization. Eric Trager at TNR marvels at what he’s seen in Cairo: Indeed, everywhere I went, the Brotherhood operation was in full swing. In the working class neighborhood of Sayida Zeinab, Freedom and Justice volunteers manned four laptops right in front of the polling station, while other Brotherhood members monitored the long line of voters. On the Nile island of Manial, Freedom and Justice youths managed two computers and handed out campaign literature, while additional female volunteers were on hand to assist religious women voters who might feel uncomfortable dealing with men. Im here to help my party, Jehan Darwish, one of the female volunteers told me. But this conflicted with the Brotherhoods official line, and the kiosks manager quickly intervened. Its a community service for voters to tell them where to vote, interjected Mohamed Mansour. Its a free service for those who vote for us and those who dont. To be sure, the Brotherhood wasnt the only group that had organized effectively for the elections. In Heliopolis, a few independent candidates had also set up stations, and in many areas the ubiquity of Freedom and Justice banners was matched by that of the Salafist Nour party, which is reportedly making an especially strong showing in lower income neighborhoods. But what makes the Brotherhoods showing so remarkable is how consistent it is: they are, simply put, everywhere. And given that they are pushing an Islamist message that holds visceral appeal for the religious Muslim public of Egypt, they may have devised a formula for victory. One Egyptian told Reuters, “I wanted to vote for the youth, but no one is organized enough. That’s why I voted for the Brotherhood. I don’t want an Islamist party, I just want some organization. Enough chaos.” The Brotherhood, at least for the moment, is styling itself after Erdogan’s party in Turkey, which will simultaneously ingratiate it to the Turks and make the west more comfortable with the new reality in Egypt. The new regime might not like us but they sure like our money and the Erdogan approach makes it more likely that it’ll keep flowing. But lest you think they’re pitching some sort of new, cuddly form of Islamism, read Trager’s piece to see what answer he got when he asked a Brotherhood member — a neurologist — whether gays should be stoned to death. Remember, even with the eyes of the world upon them, these cretins are still holding “death to the Jews” rallies. And they’re not even the most radical party on the ballot. Then again, we’re talking about a country where even the comparatively enlightened secularist leaders are Truthers and Holocaust deniers. The only hope here of derailing an Islamist parliament is the run-off process for candidates who fail to get 50 percent in this round of voting: In theory the secularists and Copts could line up against the Brotherhood’s candidates in the run-off to help form an anti-Islamist majority, but … what happens if the run-offs are between the Brotherhood and the hardcore Salafist nuts, which seems likely given the stupid way Egypt organized this election? No wonder some Egyptian liberals are reportedly warming to the idea of military rule. Note to Israel: When, not if, Egypt launches a new war, keep the Sinai next time. It surely paid to pour billions of our tax dollars into that cesspool all these years, didn’t it. Now the Muslim crazies will have better weapons to kill us. Freedom, baby! /s Well, we’ve lost Egypt, and will likely lose more countries to militant anti-Western Islamism. Another great victory for Bush-Obama foreign policy doctrine. Meanwhile headlines are literally talking about the “extinction” of remaining Christians in the Middle East. And people complain about the foreign policy approach of Ron Paul?? The Islamists are likely to win 60 to 70% of the seats in the new Parliament. If they win at the upper range, they can write the new constitution themselves without a nod to secular parties. And they will reshape Egyptian society in their own image. Yes, people can vote to enslave themselves and doom themselves to generations of tyranny and further suffering. Arab nationalism is spent but the Islamists have just come into their own in the Middle East - probably for a generation, perhaps several more. You cant seriously put those two in the same category on foreign policy This going to be bad. This is from article written in February of this year What the Egyptian revolt means for nuclear proliferation Even more dangerously, unlike Iraq, Syria, and Libyaall of which have been caught attempting to develop a nuclear weapons optionEgypt has the technological capability to separate weapons-usable plutonium from spent reactor fuel, and it operates a research reactor large enough to make a bombs worth of plutonium each year. Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypts largest political party clamoring for a say in Cairos future, is on record demanding that Egypt develop nuclear weapons to balance those of Israel. We can only hope that most Egyptians ignore this group. If, however, Egypt goes radical or remains politically unstable, the countrys nuclearization would be a major danger. One of Europes leading nuclear experts projects that if this were to happen, Algeriawhich also has the technology to extract nuclear-weaponsusable plutonium and a reactor making nearly a bombs worth of the stuff each yearwould be politically compelled to match Egypt bomb for bomb. And such a nuclear domino effect could easily occur in the context of popular revolutions spreading throughout the Middle East Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

When you own a business, you need to understand the idea of financial management for beginning. Financial management has to do with your hard earned dollars, the money of the clients plus the money of your business. If you manage these three categories well, after that peonynroot.com your company is in danger of not making it. That’s why it is a must to recognize the right way of managing the resources and balancing the books. Naturally , hiring the proper managers pertaining to the job is a good idea. So , how can you get started with the task of financial supervision for international? You need to be mindful of the basic principles and rules that govern every factor of business. You should make sure that these kinds of principles happen to be understood. To aid you, there are some catalogs available online that could guide you through this matter. These ebooks are more helpful than any other source of data. First and foremost, you need to have some know-how about accounting. You could start off with learning about money accounting, that involves compiling information about the economic records in addition to the transactions regarding cash flow. You should be competent to make basic accounting is effective. You may want to have a book that teaches you these types of basics. The next best choice would be for you to get an e-book that goes in depth on the subject. Apart from literature, you may want to have a course or perhaps hire a specialist to train you in financial managing for medical. This is good idea if you think really adventurous. However , keep in mind that you will end up spending money on a higher price just for this. Before you go ahead and have any fiscal management with regards to startup, ensure that you have some basic skills and qualifications. Can not just get any individual to teach you anything, you should learn details yourself first. There are lots of over the internet sources you could refer to in order to know more about monetary management to get startup. You may either purchase e-books, pay money for online guides or even show up at seminars around the matter. If you possible could afford that, taking a monetary management designed for startup program could be a good idea. You can get all the relevant schooling material internet. However , do feel that just because the course can be online, the caliber of the material is definitely okay. Once you start taking fiscal management for the purpose of startup classes or when you begin going to workshops for schooling, there are a great number of things to consider. For starters, you need to figure out the company that may be teaching the training is reliable and trustworthy. Something else to consider is the experience in financial management for startup. Discuss with, read assessments and check out testimonies from ex – students. It is simple to find these on firm websites. When you are done together with your chosen training, you should know how you can properly operate the financial tools that you have recently been taught. In financial management to get startup, you’re going to be given gain access to to financial calculators. These calculators can help you figure out how much funds you have to spend every month. You also need to understand how all the economic numbers you get from the financial managing for itc calculator works. You should always ensure that you read and understand every one of the instructions. Monetary management for startup business may appear to be an easy task to complete, but you have to remember that this is a new project for you. Make sure you ask virtually any questions that you have got. It is also better if you choose a reputable company to show you how to use the financial management with regards to startup tools. This will ensure that you will have complete use of the tool. As soon as you are done with financial supervision for startup, you can then learn to use it to grow your business.

Mesoporous and Microporous Titania Membranes Promotion Date: 29 October 2004 Membrane technology is of course one of the specialities of this institute, but titania (Titanium Oxyde) is a new material for membranes, which is in certain areas a definite improvement. Generally for all membranes the applications are gas separation, nano-filtration (liquid filtration) or pervaporation to separate vapour mixtures. What was your thesis about? Membrane technology is of course one of the specialities of this institute, but titania (Titanium Oxyde) is a new material for membranes, which is in certain areas a definite improvement. It is highly chemically stable in almost all environments and has a pretty good separation performance. Could you tell something about possible applications? Generally for all membranes the applications are gas separation, nano-filtration (liquid filtration) or pervaporation to separate vapour mixtures. My membrane is suitable for nano filtration and pervaporation. It is not suitable for gas separation, the pores are a bit too large. What gave you the idea to try titania? We are always trying to improve the existing membranes, material they are made of, separation characteristics, etc. But, studying literature, I realized if you really want to improve membrane chemical stability, titania would be the best option. I persisted and proved my point. So you succeeded? Yes. There is a lot of room for improvement, like always: permeability and stability at very high temperatures could be better. Are you the first one to apply titania? No, not the very first one, but among the first. There is a German group and a Belgian group working on it as well. All the work is of course highly confidential and done separately. That was also a point I had to consider in doing this PHD. I did not want to be a competitor in a race, I wanted to do science, e.g. establish the material and characterize it. What if you and your colleagues in the other groups arrive at exactly the same results? That would be very remarkable indeed, but usually when two scientists individually work on more or less the same subject, they have their own individual approach, their own skills. Also, the factor luck influences the outcome. Were are you from and how did you come to Twente University? I am from Serbia-Montenegro. My boyfriend, now husband, got an offer from this university and after a year I decided that I also wanted to do a PHD, which I did not want when I just graduated. He confirmed Twente University is an excellent place for science, so I applied. At first I got a research fellow position and after six months a PHD position. What are your plans? My husband now works at the research centre of Akzo Nobel, so we will stay in this country. I will look for a job. I would like to stay in research as much as I can, a research position in industry perhaps, but I do have a preference for a postdoc at a university. Have you travelled a lot during your PHD? I have been to some conferences, and also to the project meetings of the European Union. (Jelena’s project was financed by the EU). I did not go to all of them, only when I had something to show. But it was stimulating all the same and I also enjoyed the conferences as well. I have been to Toulouse, Sidney, and in St Petersburg. What did you enjoy most about your PHD? I enjoyed almost everything. The challenge - which is the main reason why I am doing what I am doing, and working in a really international group really was a joy. What didn’t you like? Well, sometimes I felt a lot of pressure. But that is mostly me, it’s a part of my personality. And sometimes in science, when it starts going wrong, everything seems to go wrong. In the second year I had a period of about six to eight months in which about nothing worked. In spite of all the psychological support I got from the group, I hated that. But with consistency and a slight change in scientific approach all went well, up to the very end.

Hosted by Harris Gardner, and Lucy Holstedt ZOOM CLOUD RECORDING: Friday April 16, 2021 06:19 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/pQA25hnrLuvnKW0Ot1-7o4FF5-e4XPMKmdk3Wp3zSKVEvcuybCzcEmctyTM0vr7b.iZ2CS5tArB992ac6 Passcode: !B5VlQ+$ 6:20 Zoom opens, Greetings 6:30 Rhina P. Espaillat 6:50 Alfred Nicol 7:10 Q & A with the poets 7:25 music by Claire Mulvaney 7:40 Ed Meek 8:00 Doug Holder 8:20 Q & A with the poets 8:35 wrap up Dominican-born Rhina P. Espaillat has published 12 books, 4 chapbooks and a monograph. Her work, widely published in journals and anthologies, includes poetry, essays, and short stories in both English and her native Spanish, and tranlations from and into both languages. Her most recent publications are a poetry collection in English titled The Field, and a poetry collaboration with fellow Powow River Poet Alfred Nicol, Brief Accident of Light: Poems of Newburyport. Alfred Nicol collaborated with Rhina Espaillat and illustrator Kate Sullivan to create the chapbook Brief Accident of Light: Poems of Newburyport (Kelsay Books, 2019). Nicol’s most recent full-length collection of poetry, Animal Psalms, was published in 2016 by Able Muse Press. He has published two other collections, Elegy for Everyone (2010), and Winter Light, which received the 2004 Richard Wilbur Award. MUSIC: Claire Mulvaney is a singer-songwriter and producer from Cleveland, Ohio. She graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2019 with a degree in Professional Music and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Music Production from Berklee Online. She also has an Associate's of the Arts in Jazz Studies from Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, OH. In addition to writing and producing, Claire teaches lessons on guitar, cello, piano, and voice at Jammin’ With You in Boston; she also teaches songwriting at the Aurora School of Music in Cleveland,. Ed Meek has had poems recently in Constellations, What Rough Beast, Poetry Superhighway, North of Oxford, The American Poetry Journal, The Valley Review, Aurorean. He has poems coming out in World Literature and the Arts, Valiant Scribe, Your Daily Poem. His new book, High Tide, is available at Aubadepublishing.com. Doug Holder is the founder of the Ibbetson Street Press. His poetry and prose have appeared in The Worcester Review, Rattle, The Cafe Review, Schuykill Valley Journal, The Boston Globe and elsewhere. The "Doug Holder Papers Collection" is housed at the University at Buffalo. Holder received a citation from the State House of Representatives for his work as a professor, editor, publisher, and poet in (2015). For over 30 years Holder ran poetry for psychiatric patients at McLean Hospital.

Dr. Jerrid Goebel Dr. Jerrid Goebel was born and raised in Gettysburg, SD. He attended South Dakota State University for his undergraduate studies and Northwestern Health Sciences University for his Chiropractic and Acupunture studies. Dr. Goebel started Sturgis Chiropractic over 20 years ago and has been treating patients in Sturgis and Northern Hills communites. His treatment goals are to provide the best treatment in a quick and effective manner that best fits the patient's goals. Dr. Goebel uses a 'whole person approach'. This approach to wellness means looking for underlying causes of any disturbance or disruption (which may or may not be causing symptoms at the time) and make whatever interventions and lifestyle adjustments that would optimize the conditions for normal function. Using this unique approach, Dr. Goebel is able to help you to accelerate and/or maintain your journey to good health. Dr. Goebel served on the Govenor appointed South Dakota Board of Chiropracitc Examiners for 9 years and is a member of the South Dakota Chiropractic Association. Dr Goebel enoys mountain biking, boating , hiking, snow skiing along with most sports and other outdoor activites. He lives in Sturgis with his wife Cami and twins Kenna and Zoey. He has a grown daughter Ciarra and grandson Kru. Thank you for your interest in Sturgis Chiropractic for your chiropractic and acupunture needs. I look forward to helping you acheive your health goals. Dr. Stuart Johnson was raised on a ranch near Buffalo, SD. He completed his Bachelor's degree in Pre-Professional Biology at Dickinson State University. While there, he competed in football, track and was on the Dean's list for his academic accomplishments. He graduated from Northwestern Health Sciences University receiving his Doctorate of Chiropractic degree in 2007. While at NWHSU he was President of Motion Palpation Adjusting Technique Club. Dr. Johnson has done extra study in Gonstead Technique and takes x-rays of his patients, allowing him to deliver specific, chiropractic care. He also utilizes the Insight Nerve Scan technology to assess the nervous system function. Dr. Johnson was introduced to chiropractic care after back and neck injuries in high school and college football. He went to multiple chiropractic clinics and finally found one that looked at the big picture, the body as a whole. The human body was designed to be healthy and not sick. Through regular chiropractic adjustments, proper nutrition and daily activity we can achieve optimal wellness! There is 100% life in your brain and that life flows through your spine and nervous system. You should be checked by a chiropractor to make sure there is no interference to that system (subluxation), so you can express your full potential! Dr. Al Gunderson Dr. Al Gunderson was born and attended High School in Sturgis, South Dakota. Dr. Gunderson is a graduate of National University of Health Sciences (NUHS), where he excelled in the areas of adjusting technique, rehabilitation and soft tissue. Dr. Gunderson did over 300 hours of post-graduate seminars/classes beyond his school curriculum into functional rehabilitation, nutrition, clinical orthopedics, McKenzie therapy, Motion Palpation Institute, IASTM (Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization). Dr. Gunderson continues to learn, frequently attending seminars and keeping up with the latest research literature. Before attending chiropractic school Dr. Gunderson worked as an Exercise Physiologist in Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, personal training and sports conditioning. Dr. Gunderson’s background in exercise physiology and corrective exercise has helped him achieve great results with his patients. In his free time Dr. Gunderson enjoys spending time with his family and friends, staying active, and taking advantage of all the wonderful things South Dakota has to offer. Dr. Gunderson is at our Sturgis and Central City locations to serve all of your health care needs.

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN …PETITIONER UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS …RESPONDENT DATE OF JUDGMENT: 18/10/2000 BENCH: B. N. KIRPAL , DR. A. S. ANAND J U D G M E N T Narmada is the fifth largest river in India and largest West flowing river of the Indian Peninsula. Its annual flow approximates to the combined flow of the rivers Sutlej, Beas and Ravi. Originating from the Maikala ranges at Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh, it flows Westwards over a length of about 1312 km. before draining into the Gulf of Cambay, 50 km. West of Bharuch City. The first 1077 km. stretch is in Madhya Pradesh and the next 35 km. stretch of the river forms the boundary between the States of Madhya Pradesh and Maharasthra. Again, the next 39 km. forms the boundary between Maharasthra and Gujarat and the last stretch of 161 km. lies in Gujarat. The Basin area of this river is about 1 lac sq. km. The utilisation of this river basin, however, is hardly about 4%. Most of the water of this peninsula river goes into the sea. Inspite of the huge potential, there was hardly any development of the Narmada water resources prior to In 1946, the then Government of Central Provinces and Berar and the then Government of Bombay requested the Central Waterways, Irrigation and Navigation Commission (CWINC) to take up investigations on the Narmada river system for basin-wise development of the river with flood control, irrigation, power and extension of navigation as the objectives in view. The study commenced in 1947 and most of the sites were inspected by engineers and geologists who recommended detailed investigation for seven projects. Thereafter in 1948, the Central Ministry of Works, Mines & Power appointed an Ad-hoc Committee headed by Shri A.N. Khosla, Chairman, CWINC to study the projects and to recommend the priorities. This Ad-hoc Committee recommended as an initial step detailed investigations for the following projects keeping in view the availability of men, materials and resources: Tawa Project near Hoshangabad Punasa Project and Based on the recommendations of the aforesaid Ad-hoc Committee, estimates for investigations of the Bargi, Tawa, Punasa (Narmadasagar) and Broach Projects were sanctioned by the Government of India in March, 1949. The Central Water & Power Commission carried out a study of the hydroelectric potential of the Narmada basin in the year 1955. After the investigations were carried out by the Central Water & Power Commission, the Navagam site was finally decided upon in consultation with the erstwhile Government of Bombay for the construction of the dam. The Central Water & Power Commission forwarded its recommendations to the then Government of Bombay. At that time the implementation was contemplated in two stages. In Stage-I, the Full Reservoir Level (hereinafter referred to as FRL) was restricted to 160 ft. with provision for wider foundations to enable raising of the dam to FRL 300 ft. in Stage-II. A high level canal was envisaged in Stage-II. The erstwhile Bombay Government suggested two modifications, first the FRL of the dam be raised from 300 to 320 ft. in Stage-II and second the provision of a power house in the river bed and a power house at the head of the low level canal be also made. This project was then reviewed by a panel of Consultants appointed by the Ministry of Irrigation & Power who in a report in 1960 suggested that the two stages of the Navagam dam as proposed should be combined into one and the dam be constructed to its final FRL 320 ft. in one stage only. The Consultants also stated that there was scope for extending irrigation from the high level canal towards the Rann of Kutch. With the formation of the State of Gujarat on 1st May, 1960, the Narmada Project stood transferred to that State. Accordingly, the Government of Gujarat gave an administrative approval to Stage-I of the Narmada Project in February, 1961. The Project was then inaugurated by late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on 5th April, 1961. The preliminary works such as approach roads & bridges, colonies, staff buildings and remaining investigations for dam foundations were soon taken up. The Gujarat Government undertook surveys for the high level canal in 1961. The submergence area survey of the reservoir enabled assessment of the storage capability of the Navagam reservoir, if its height should be raised beyond FRL 320 ft. The studies indicated that a reservoir with FRL + 460 ft. would enable realisation of optimum benefits from the river by utilising the untapped flow below Punasa dam and would make it possible to extend irrigation to a further area of over 20 lakh acres. Accordingly, explorations for locating a more suitable site in the narrower gorge portion were taken in hand and finally in November, 1963, site No. 3 was found to be most suitable on the basis of the recommendations of the Geological Survey of India and also on the basis of exploration and investigations with regard to the foundation as well as construction materials available in the vicinity of the dam site. In November, 1963, the Union Minister of Irrigation & Power held a meeting with the Chief Ministers of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh at Bhopal. As a result of the discussions and exchange of views, an agreement (Bhopal Agreement) was arrived at. The salient features of the said Agreement were: That the Navagam Dam should be built to FRL 425 by the Government of Gujarat and its entire benefits were to be enjoyed by the State of Gujarat. Punasa dam (Madhya Pradesh) should be built to FRL 850. The costs and power benefits of Punasa Power Project shall be shared in the ratio 1:2 between the Governments of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Out of the power available to Madhya Pradesh half of the quantum was to be given to the State of Maharashtra for a period of 25 years for which the State of Maharashtra was to provide a loan to the extent of one-third the cost of Punasa Dam. The loan to be given by the State of Maharashtra was to be returned within a period of 25 years. Bargi Project was to be implemented by the State of Madhya Pradesh, Bargi Dam was to be built to FRL 1365 in Stage I and FRL 1390 in Stage II and the Governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra were to give a total loan assistance of Rs. 10 crores for the same. In pursuance of the Bhopal Agreement, the Government of Gujarat prepared a brief project report envisaging the Navagam Dam FRL 425 ft. and submitted the same to the Central Water and Power Commission under Gujarat Governments letter dated 14th February, 1964. Madhya Pradesh, however, did not ratify the Bhopal Agreement. In order to overcome the stalemate following the rejection of the Bhopal Agreement by Madhya Pradesh, a High Level Committee of eminent engineers headed by Dr. A.N. Khosla, the then Governor of Orissa, was constituted on 5th September, 1964 by the Government of India. The terms of reference of this Committee were decided by the Government of India in consultation with the States of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. The same read as under: Drawing up of a Master Plan for the optimum and integrated development of the Narmada water resources. The phasing of its implementation for maximum development of the resources and other benefits. The examination, in particular, of Navagam and alternative projects, if any, and determining the optimum reservoir level or levels. Making recommendations of any other ancillary matters. The Khosla Committee submitted the unanimous report to the Government of India in September, 1965 and recommended a Master Plan of the Narmada water development. In Chapter XI of the said Report, the Khosla Committee outlined its approach to the plan of Narmada development. An extract from this Chapter is reproduced below: 11.1 In their meeting from 14th to 18th December, 1964 at which the State representatives were also present, the Committee laid down the following basic guidelines in drawing up the Master Plan for the optimum and integrated development of the Narmada water National interest should have over-riding priority. The plan should, therefore, provide for maximum benefits in respect of irrigation, power generation, flood control, navigation etc. irrespective of State boundaries; Rights and interests of State concerned should be fully safeguarded subject to (1) above; Requirements of irrigation should have priority over those of power; Subject to the provision that suitable apportionment of water between irrigation and power may have to be considered, should it be found that with full development of irrigation, power production is unduly affected; Irrigation should be extended to the maximum area within physical limits of command, irrespective of State boundaries, subject to availability of water; and in particular, to the arid areas along the international border with Pakistan both in Gujarat and Rajasthan to encourage sturdy peasants to settle in these border areas (later events have confirmed the imperative need for this); and All available water should be utilised to the maximum extent possible for irrigation and power generation and, when no irrigation is possible, for power generation. The quantity going waste to the sea without doing irrigation or generating power should be kept to the un-avoidable minimum. The Master Plan recommended by the Khosla Committee envisaged 12 major projects to be taken up in Madhya Pradesh and one, viz., Navagam in Gujarat. As far as Navagam Dam was concerned, the Committee recommended as follows:- The terminal dam should be located at Navagam. The optimum FRL of the Navagam worked out to RL 500 ft.. The FSL (Full Supply Level ) of the Navagam canal at off-take should be RL 300 ft.. The installed capacity at the river bed power station and canal power station should be 1000 mw and 240 mw respectively with one stand-by unit in each power station (in other words the total installed capacity at Navagam would be 1400 mw). The benefits of the Navagam Dam as assessed by the Khosla Committee were as follows:- Irrigation of 15.80 lakh hectares (39.4 lakh acres) in Gujarat and 0.4 lakh hectares (1.00 lakh acres) in Rajasthan. In addition, the Narmada waters when fed into the existing Mahi Canal system would release Mahi water to be diverted on higher contours enabling additional irrigation of 1.6 to 2.0 lakh hectares (4 to 5 lakh acres) approximately in Gujarat and 3.04 lakh hectares (7.5 lakh acres) in Rajasthan. Hydro-power generation of 951 MW at 60% LF in the mean year of development and 511 MW on ultimate development of irrigation in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The Khosla Committee stressed an important point in favour of high Navagam Dam, namely, additional storage. They emphasized that this additional storage will permit greater carryover capacity, increased power production and assured optimum irrigation and flood control and would minimise the wastage of water to the sea. The Khosla Committee also observed that instead of higher Navagam Dam as proposed, if Harinphal or Jalsindhi dams were raised to the same FRL as at Navagam, the submergence would continue to remain about the same because the cultivated and inhabited areas lie mostly above Harinphal while in the intervening 113 km (70 mile) gorge between Harinphal and Navagam, there was very little habitation or cultivated areas. The Khosla Committee report could not be implemented on account of disagreement among the States. On 6th July, 1968 the State of Gujarat made a complaint to the Government of India under Section 3 of the Inter- State Water Disputes Act, 1956 stating that a water dispute had arisen between the State of Gujarat and the Respondent States of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra over the use, distribution and control of the waters of the Inter-State River Narmada. The substance of the allegation was that executive action had been taken by Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh which had prejudicially affected the State of Gujarat and its inhabitants. The State of Gujarat objected to the proposal of the State of Madhya Pradesh to construct Maheshwar and Harinphal Dams over the river Narmada in its lower reach and also to the agreement reached between the States of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra to jointly construct the Jalsindhi Dam over Narmada in its course between the two States. The main reason for the objection was that if these projects were implemented, the same would prejudicially affect the rights and interests of Gujarat State by compelling it to restrict the height of the dam at Navagam to FRL 210 ft. or less. Reducing the height of the dam would mean the permanent detriment of irrigation and power benefits that would be available to the inhabitants of Gujarat and this would also make it impossible for Gujarat to re-claim the desert area in the Ranns of Kutch. According to the State of Gujarat, the principal matters in disputes were as under: The right of the State of Gujarat to control and use the waters of the Narmada river on well-accepted principles applicable to the use of waters of inter-State rivers; the right of the State of Gujarat to object to the arrangement between the State of Madhya Pradesh and the State of Maharashtra for the development of Jalsindhi dam; the right of the State of Gujarat to raise the Navagam dam to an optimum height commensurate with the efficient use of Narmada waters including its control for providing requisite cushion for flood control; and the consequential right of submergence of area in the States of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra and areas in the Gujarat State. Acting under Section 4 of the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956, the Government of India constituted a Tribunal headed by Honble Mr. Justice V. Ramaswamy, a retired Judge of this Court. On the same day, the Government made a reference of the water dispute to the Tribunal. The Reference being in the following terms: In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of Section 5 of the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956 (33 of 1956), the Central Government hereby refers to the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal for adjudication of the water dispute regarding the inter-State river, Narmada, and the river-valley thereof, emerging from letter No. MIP-5565/C-10527-K dated the 6th July, 1968, from the Government of Gujarat. On 16th October, 1969, the Government of India made another reference of certain issues raised by the State of Rajasthan to the said Tribunal. The State of Madhya Pradesh filed a Demurrer before the Tribunal stating that the constitution of the Tribunal and reference to it were ultra vires of the Act. The Tribunal framed 24 issues which included the issues relating to the Gujarat having a right to construct a high dam with FRL 530 feet and a canal with FSL 300 feet or thereabouts. Issues 1(a), 1(b), 1(A), 2,3, and 19 were tried as preliminary issues of law and by its decision dated 23rd February, 1972, the said issues were decided against the respondents herein. It was held that the Notification of the Central Government dated 16th October, 1969 referring the matters raised by the State of Rajasthan by its complaint was ultra vires of the Act but constitution of the Tribunal and making a reference of the water dispute regarding the Inter-State river Narmada was not ultra vires of the Act and the Tribunal had jurisdiction to decide the dispute referred to it at the instance of State of Gujarat. It further held that the proposed construction of the Navagam project involving consequent submergence of portions of the territories of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh could form the subject matter of a water dispute within the meaning of Section 2(c) of the 1956 Act. It also held that it had the jurisdiction to give appropriate direction to Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra to take steps by way of acquisition or otherwise for making submerged land available to Gujarat in order to enable it to execute the Navagam Project and the Tribunal had the jurisdiction to give consequent directions to Gujarat and other party States regarding payment of compensation to Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, for giving them a share in the beneficial use of Navagam dam, and for rehabilitation of displaced persons. Against the aforesaid judgment of the Tribunal on the preliminary issues, the States of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan filed appeals by special leave to this Court and obtained a stay of the proceedings before the Tribunal to a limited extent. This Court directed that the proceedings before the Tribunal should be stayed but discovery, inspection and other miscellaneous proceedings before the Tribunal may go on. The State of Rajasthan was directed to participate in these interlocutory proceedings. It appears that on 31.7.1972, the Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Maharasthra, Gujarat and Rajasthan had entered into an agreement to compromise the matters in dispute with the assistance of Prime Minister of India. This led to a formal agreement dated 12th July, 1974 being arrived at between the Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra & Rajasthan and the Advisor to the Governor of Gujarat on a number of issues which the Tribunal otherwise would have had to go into. The main features of the Agreement, as far as this case is concerned, were that the quantity of water in Narmada available for 75% of the year was to be assessed at 28 million acre feet and the Tribunal in determining the disputes referred to it was to proceed on the basis of this assessment. The net available quantity of water for use in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat was to be regarded as 27.25 million acre feet which was to be allocated between the States. The height of the Navagam Dam was to be fixed by the Tribunal after taking into consideration various contentions and submissions of the parties and it was agreed that the appeals filed in this Court by the States of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan would be withdrawn. It was also noted in this agreement that development of Narmada should no longer be delayed in the best regional and national interests. After the withdrawal of the appeals by the States of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the Tribunal proceeded to decide the remaining issues between the parties. On 16th August, 1978, the Tribunal declared its Award under Section 5(2) read with Section 5(4) of the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956. Thereafter, reference numbers 1,2,3,4 & 5 of 1978 were filed by the Union of India and the States of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan respectively under Section 5(3) of the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956. These references were heard by the Tribunal, which on 7th December, 1979, gave its final order. The same was published in the extraordinary Gazette by the Government of India on 12th December, 1979. In arriving at its final decision, the issues regarding allocation, height of dam, hydrology and other related issues came to be subjected to comprehensive and thorough examination by the Tribunal. Extensive studies were done by the Irrigation Commission and Drought Research Unit of India, Meteorological Department in matters of catchment area of Narmada Basin, major tributaries of Narmada Basin, drainage area of Narmada Basin, climate, rainfall, variability of rainfall, arid and semi-arid zones and scarcity area of Gujarat. The perusal of the report shows that the Tribunal also took into consideration various technical literature before giving its Award. AWARD OF THE TRIBUNAL The main parameters of the decision of the Tribunal were as under: A) DETERMINATION OF THE HEIGHT OF SARDAR SAROVAR DAM The height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam was determined at FRL 455 ft.. The Tribunal was of the view that the FRL +436 ft. was required for irrigation use alone. In order to generate power throughout the year, it would be necessary to provide all the live storage above MDDL for which an FRL +453 ft. with MDDL + 362 ft. would obtain gross capacity of 7.44 MAF. Therefore, the Tribunal was of the view that FRL of the Sardar Sarovar Dam should be + 455 ft. providing gross storage of 7.70 MAF. It directed the State of Gujarat to took up and complete the construction of the dam. Geological and Seismological aspects of the dam site. The Tribunal accepted the recommendations of the Standing Committee under Central Water & Power Commission that there should be seismic co-efficient of 0.10 g for the dam. RELIEF AND REHABILITAION: The final Award contained directions regarding submergence, land acquisition and rehabilitation of displaced persons. The award defined the meaning of the land, oustee and family. The Gujarat Government was to pay to Madhya Pradesh and Maharasthra all costs including compensation, charges, expenses incurred by them for and in respect of compulsory acquisition of land. Further, the Tribunal had provided for rehabilitation of oustees and civic amenities to be provided to the oustees. The award also provided that if the State of Gujarat was unable to re-settle the oustees or the oustees being unwilling to occupy the area offered by the States, then the oustees will be re-settled by home State and all expenses for this were to be borne by Gujarat. An important mandatory provision regarding rehabilitation was the one contained in Clause XI sub- clause IV(6)(ii) which stated that no submergence of any area would take place unless the oustees were rehabilitated. ALLOCATION OF THE NARMADA WATERS: The Tribunal determined the utilizable quantum of water of the Narmada at Sardar Sarovar Dam site on the basis of 75% dependability at 28 MAF. It further ordered that out of the utilizable quantum of Narmada water, the allocation between the States should be as under: Madhya Pradesh : 18.25 MAF Gujarat : 9.00 MAF Rajasthan : 0.50 MAF Maharasthra : 0.25 MAF PERIOD OF NON REVIEWABILITY OF CERTAIN AWARD TERMS: The Award provided for the period of operation of certain clauses of the final order and decision of the Tribunal as being subject to review only after a period of 45 years from the date of the publication of the decision of the Tribunal in the official gazette. What is important to note however is that the Tribunals decision contained in clause II relating to determination of 75% dependable flow as 28 MAF was non-reviewable. The Tribunal decision of the determination of the utilizable quantum of Narmada water at Sardar Sarovar Dam site on the basis of 75% dependability at 28 MAF is not a clause which is included as a clause whose terms can be reviewed after a period of The Tribunal in its Award directed for the constitution of an inter- State Administrative Authority i.e. Narmada Control Authority for the purpose of securing compliance with and implementation of the decision and directions of the Tribunal. The Tribunal also directed for constitution of a Review Committee consisting of the Union Minister for Irrigation (now substituted by Union Minister for Water Resources) as its Chairperson and the Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan as its members. The Review Committee might review the decisions of the Narmada Control Authority and the Sardar Sarovar Construction Advisory Committee. The Sardar Sarovar Construction Advisory Committee headed by the Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources as its Chairperson was directed to be constituted for ensuring efficient, economical and early execution of the project . Narmada Control Authority is a high powered committee having the Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India as its Chairperson, Secretaries in the Ministry of Power, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Ministry of Welfare, Chief Secretaries of the concerned four States as Members. In addition thereto, there are number of technical persons like Chief Engineers as the members. Narmada Control Authority was empowered to constitute one or more sub-committees and assign to them such of the functions and delegate such of its powers as it thought fit. Accordingly, the Narmada Control Authority constituted the following discipline based sub-groups: Resettlement and Rehabilitation sub-group under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Welfare; Rehabilitation Committee under Secretary, Minister of Welfare to supervise the rehabilitation process by undertaking visits to R&R sites and submergence villages. Environment Sub-group under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests; Hydromet Sub-group under the Chairmanship of Member (Civil), Narmada Control Authority; Power Sub-group under the Chairmanship of Member (Power) Narmada Control Authority; Narmada main Canal Sub-committee under the chairmanship of Executive Member, Narmada Conrol Authority. The Award allocated the available water resources of the Narmada river between the four States. Based on this allocation, an overall plan for their utilisation and development had been made by the States. Madhya Pradesh was the major sharer of the water. As per the water resources development plan for the basin it envisaged in all 30 major dams, 135 medium dam projects and more than 3000 minor dams. The major terminal dam at Sardar Sarovar was in Gujarat, the remaining 29 being in Madhya Pradesh. Down the main course of the river, the four major dams were the Narmada Sagar (now renamed as Indira Sagar), Omkareshwar and Maheshwar all in Madhya Pradesh and Sardar Sarovar in Gujarat. Rajasthan was to construct a canal in its territory to utilize its share of 0.5 MAF. Relavant Details of the Sardar Sarovar Dam: As a result of the Award of the Tribunal, the Sardar Sarovar Dam and related constructions, broadly speaking, are to comprise of the following: Main dam across the flow of the river with gates above the crest level to regulate the flow of water into the Narmada Main Canal. An underground River Bed Power through which a portion of the water is diverted to generate power (1200 MW). This water joins the main channel of the Narmada river downstream of the dam. A saddle dam located by the side of main reservoir through which water to the main canal system flows. A Canal Head Power House located at the toe of the saddle dam, through which the water flowing to the main canal system is to be used to generate power (250 MW). The main canal system known as Narmada main canal 458 KM. long which is to carry away the water meant for irrigation and drinking purposes to the canal systems of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Expected benefits from the project: The benefits expected to flow from the implementation of the Sardar Sarovar Project had been estimated as follows: Irrigation: 17.92 lac hectare of land spread over 12 districts, 62 talukas and 3393 villages (75% of which is drought-prone areas) in Gujarat and 73000 hectares in the arid areas of Barmer and Jallore districts of Rajasthan. Drinking Water facilities to 8215 villages and 135 urban centers in Gujarat both within and outside command. These include 5825 villages and 100 urban centers of Saurashtra and Kachchh which are outside the command. In addition, 881 villages affected due to high contents of fluoride will get potable water. Power Generation: 1450 Megawatt. Annual Employment Potential: 7 lac man-years during construction 6 lac man-years in post construction. Protection against advancement of little Rann of Kutch and Rajasthan desert. Flood protection to riverine reaches measuring 30,000 hac, 210 villages including Bharuch city and 7.5 lac population. Dhumkhal Sloth Bear Sanctuary. Wild Ass Sanctuary in Little Rann of Kachchh Black Buck Sanctuary at Velavadar. Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary in Kachchh Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary. Development of fisheries: Deepening of all village tanks of command which will increase their capacities, conserve water, will recharge ground water, save acquisition of costly lands for getting earth required for constructing canal banks and will reduce health hazard. Facilities of sophisticated communication system in the entire command. Increase in additional annual production on account of Domestic water supply POST AWARD CLEARANCES: In order to meet the financial obligations, consultations had started in 1978 with the World Bank for obtaining a loan. The World Bank sent its Reconnaissance Mission to visit the project site and carried out the necessary inspection. In May, 1985, the Narmada Dam and Power Project and Narmada Water Delivery and Drainage Project were sanctioned by the World Bank under International Development Agency, credit No. 1552. Agreement in this respect was signed with the Bank on 10.5.1985 and credit was to be made available from 6th January, 1986. With regard to the giving environmental clearance, a lot of discussion took place at different levels between the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Environment. Ultimately on 24th June, 1987 the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India accorded clearance subject to certain conditions. The said Office Memorandum containing the environmental clearance reads as follows: Subject : Approval of Narmada Sagar Project, Madhya Pradesh and Sardar Sarovar Project, Gujarat from environmental angle. The Narmada Sagar Project, Madhya Pradesh and Sardar Sarovar Project Gujarat have referred to this Department for environmental clearance. 2. On the basis of examination of details on these projects by the Environmental Appraisal Committee for River Valley Projects and discussions with the Central and State authorities the following details were sought from the project authorities: Rehabilitation Master Plan Phased Catchment Area Treatment Scheme Compensatory Afforestation Plan Command Area Development Survey of Flora and Fauna Carrying capacity of surrounding area. Field surveys are yet to be completed. The first set of information hash been made available and complete details have been assured to be furnished in 1989. The NCA has been examined and its terms of reference have been amplified to ensure that environmental safeguard measures are planned and implemented in depth and in its pace of implementation pari passu with the progress of work on the projects. After taking into account all relevant facts the Narmada Sagar Project, Madhya Pradesh and the Sardar Sarovar Project, Gujarat State are hereby accorded environmental clearance subject to the following conditions. The Narmada Control Authority (NCA)will ensure that environmental safeguard measures are planned and implemented pari passu with progress of work on project. The detailed surveys/studies assured will be carried out as per the schedule proposed and details made available to the Department for assessment. The Catchment Area treatment programme and the Rehabilitation plans be so drawn as to be completed ahead of reservoir filling. The Department should be kept informed of progress on various works periodically. Approval under Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 for diversion of forest land will be obtained separately. No work should be initiated on forest area prior to this approval. Approval from environmental and forestry angles for any other irrigation, power or development projects in the Narmada Basin should be obtained separately. In November, 1987 for monitoring and implementation of various environmental activities effectively, an independent machinery of Environment Sub-Group was created by Narmada Control Authority. This Sub-Group was appointed with a view to ensure that the environmental safeguards were properly planned and implemented. This Sub-Group is headed by the Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, as its Chairperson and various other independent experts in various fields relating to environment as its members. After the clearance was given by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Planning Commission, on 5th October, 1988, approved investment for an estimated cost of Rs. 6406/- crores with the direction to comply with the conditions laid down in the environment clearance accorded on 24th June, 1987. According to the State of Gujarat and Union of India, the studies as required to be done by the O.M. dated 24th June, 1987, whereby environmental clearance was accorded, have been undertaken and the requisite work carried out. The construction of the dam had commenced in 1987. In November, 1990 one Dr. B.D. Sharma wrote a letter to this Court for setting up of National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes including proper rehabilitation of oustees of Sardar Sarovar Dam. This letter was entertained and treated as a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution being Writ Petition No. 1201 of 1990. On 20th September, 1991, this Court in the said Writ Petition bearing No. 1201 of 1990 gave a direction to constitute the Committee headed by Secretary (Welfare) to monitor the rehabilitation aspects of Sardar Sarovar Project. The Narmada Bachao Andolan, the petitioner herein, had been in the forefront of agitation against the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam. Apparently because of this, the Government of India, Ministry of Water Resources vide Office Memorandum dated 3rd August, 1993 constituted a Five Member Group to be headed by Dr. Jayant Patil, Member, Planning Commission and Dr. Vasant Gowarikar, Mr. Ramaswamy R. Iyer, Mr. L.C. Jain and Dr. V.C. Kulandaiswamy as its members to continue discussions with the Narmada Bachao Andolan on issues relating to the Sardar Sarovar Project. Three months time was given to this Group to submit its report. During this time, the construction of the dam continued and on 22nd February, 1994 the Ministry of Water Resources conveyed its decision regarding closure of the construction sluices. This decision was given effect to and on 23rd February, 1994 closure of ten construction sluices was effected. In April, 1994 the petitioner filed the present writ petition inter alia praying that the Union of India and other respondents should be restrained from proceeding with the construction of the dam and they should be ordered to open the aforesaid sluices. It appears that the Gujarat High Court had passed an order staying the publication of the report of the Five Member Group established by the Ministry of Water Resources. On 15th November, 1994, this Court called for the report of the Five Member Group and the Government of India was also directed to give its response to the said report. By order dated 13th December, 1994, this Court directed that the report of the Five Member Group be made public and responses to the same were required to be filed by the States and the report was to be considered by the Narmada Control Authority. This Report was discussed by the Narmada Control Authority on 2nd January, 1995 wherein disagreement was expressed by the State of Madhya Pradesh on the issues of height and hydrology. Separate responses were filed in this Court to the said Five Member Group Report by the Government of India and the Governments of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. On 24th January, 1995, orders were issued by this Court to the Five Member Group for submitting detailed further report on the issues of: Resettlement and Rehabilitation and environmental matters. Dr. Patil who had headed the Five Member Group expressed his unwillingness to continue on the ground of ill-health and on 9th February, 1995, this Court directed the remaining four members to submit their report on the aforesaid issues. On 17th April, 1985 the Four Member Group submitted its report. The said report was not unanimous, unlike the previous one, and the Members were equally divided. With regard to hydrology, Professor V.C. Kulandaiswamy and Dr. Vasant Gowariker were for adoption of 75% dependable flow of 27 MAF for the design purpose, on the basis of which the Tribunals Award had proceeded. On the other hand, Shri Ramaswamy R. Iyer and Shri L.C. Jain were of the opinion that for planning purposes, it would be appropriate to opt for the estimate of 23 MAF. With regard to the question relating to the height of the dam, the views of Dr. Gowariker were that the Tribunal had decided FRL 455 ft. after going into exhaustive details including social, financial and technical aspects of the project and that it was not practicable at the stage when an expenditure of Rs. 4000 crores had been incurred and an additional contract amounting to Rs. 2000 crores entered into and the various parameters and features of the project having been designed with respect to FRL 455 ft. that there should be a reduction of the height of the dam. The other three Members proceeded to answer this question by first observing as follows: We must now draw conclusions from the foregoing analysis, but a preliminary point needs to be made. The SSP is now in an advanced stage of construction, with the central portion of the dam already raised to 80 m.; the canal constructed upto a length of 140 Kms. ; and most of the equipment for various components of the project ordered and some of it already wholly or partly manufactured. An expenditure of over Rs. 3800 crores is said to have been already incurred on the project; significant social costs have also been incurred in terms of displacement and rehabilitation. The benefits for which these costs have been and are being incurred have not materialised yet. In that situation, any one with a concern for keeping project costs under check and for ensuring the early commencement of benefits would generally like to accelerate rather than retard the completion of the project as planned. If any suggestion for major changes in the features of the project at this juncture is to be entertained at all, there will have to be the most compelling reasons for doing so. It then addressed itself to the question whether there were any compelling reasons. The answer, they felt, depended upon the view they took on the displacement and rehabilitation problem. The two views which, it examined, were, firstly whether the problem of displacement and rehabilitation was manageable and, if it was, then there would be no case of reduction in the height. On the other hand, if relief and rehabilitation was beset with serious and persistent problems then they might be led to the conclusion that there should be an examination of the possibility of reducing submergence and displacement to a more manageable size. These three Members then considered the question of the magnitude of the relief and rehabilitation problem. After taking into consideration the views of the States of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, the three Members observed as follows: We find that the Government of Indias idea of phased construction outlined earlier offers a practical solution; it does not prevent the FRL from being raised to 455 in due course if the necessary conditions are satisfied; and it enables the Government of Madhya Pradesh to take stock of the position at 436 and call a halt if necessary. We would, however, reiterate the presumption expressed in paragraph 3.9.2. above namely that no delinking of construction from R&R is intended and that by phased construction the Government of India do not mean merely tiered construction which facilitates controlled submergence in phases. We recommend phased construction in a literal sense, that is to say, that at each phase it must be ensured that the condition of advance completion of R&R has been fulfilled before proceeding to the next phase (i.e. the installation of the next tier of the gates). This would apply even to the installation of the first tier. Judicious operation of the gates (while necessary) cannot be a substitute for the aforesaid condition. The possibility of further construction when the FRL 436 ft. was reached or a stoppage at that stage was left open by the Members. With regard to the environment it observed that this subject had been by and large covered in the first FMG report. On behalf of the petitioners, the arguments of Sh. Shanti Bhushan, learned senior counsel, were divided into four different heads, namely, general issues, issues regarding environment, issues regarding relief and rehabilitation and issues regarding review of Tribunals Award. The petitioners have sought to contend that it is necessary for some independent judicial authority to review the entire project, examine the current best estimates of all costs (social, environmental, financial), benefits and alternatives in order to determine whether the project is required in its present form in the national interest or whether it needs to be re- structured/modified. It is further the case of the petitioners that no work should proceed till environment impact assessment has been fully done and its implications for the projects viability being assessed in a transparent and participatory manner. This can best be done, it is submitted, as a part of the comprehensive review of the project. While strongly championing the cause of environment and of the tribals who are to be ousted as a result of the submergence, it was submitted that the environmental clearance which was granted in 1987 was without any or proper application of mind as complete studies in that behalf were not available and till this is done the project should not be allowed to proceed further. With regard to relief and rehabilitation a number of contentions were raised with a view to persuade this Court that further submergence should not take place and the height of the dam, if at all it is to be allowed to be constructed, should be considerably reduced as it is not possible to have satisfactory relief and rehabilitation of the oustees as per the Tribunals Award as a result of which their fundamental rights under Article 21 would be violated. While the State of Madhya Pradesh has partly supported the petitioners inasmuch as it has also pleaded for reduction in the height of the dam so as to reduce the extent of submergence and the consequent displacement, the other States and the Union of India have refuted the contentions of the petitioners and of the State of Madhya Pradesh. While accepting that initially the relief and rehabilitation measures had lagged behind but now adequate steps have been taken to ensure proper implementation of relief and rehabilitation at least as per the Award. The respondents have, while refuting other allegations, also questioned the bona fides of the petitioners in filing this petition. It is contended that the cause of the tribals and environment is being taken up by the petitioners not with a view to benefit the tribals but the real reason for filing this petition is to see that a high dam is not erected per se. It was also submitted that at this late stage this Court should not adjudicate on the various issues raised specially those which have been decided by the Tribunals Award. We first propose to deal with some legal issues before considering the various submissions made by Sh. Shanti Bhushan regarding environment, relief and rehabilitation, alleged violation of rights of the tribals and the need for review of the project. As far as the petitioner is concerned, it is an anti-dam organisation and is opposed to the construction of the high dam. It has been in existence since 1986 but has chosen to challenge the clearance given in 1987 by filing a writ petition in 1994. It has sought to contend that there was lack of study available regarding the environmental aspects and also because of the seismicity, the clearance should not have been granted. The rehabilitation packages are dissimilar and there has been no independent study or survey done before decision to undertake the project was taken and construction started. The project, in principle, was cleared more than 25 years ago when the foundation stone was laid by late Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. Thereafter, there was an agreement of the four Chief Ministers in 1974, namely, the Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan for the project to be undertaken. Then dispute arose with regard to the height of the dam which was settled with the award of the Tribunal being given in 1978. For a number of years, thereafter, final clearance was still not given. In the meantime some environmental studies were conducted. The final clearance was not given because of the environmental concern which is quite evident. Even though complete data with regard to the environment was not available, the Government did in 1987 finally give environmental clearance. It is thereafter that the construction of the dam was undertaken and hundreds of crores have been invested before the petitioner chose to file a writ petition in 1994 challenging the decision to construct the dam and the clearance as was given. In our opinion, the petitioner which had been agitating against the dam since 1986 is guilty of latches in not approaching the Court at an earlier point of time. When such projects are undertaken and hundreds of crores of public money is spent, individual or organisations in the garb of PIL cannot be permitted to challenge the policy decision taken after a lapse of time. It is against the national interest and contrary to the established principles of law that decisions to undertake developmental projects are permitted to be challenged after a number of years during which period public money has been spent in the execution of the project. The petitioner has been agitating against the construction of the dam since 1986, before environmental clearance was given and construction started. It has, over the years, chosen different paths to oppose the dam. At its instance a Five Member Group was constituted, but its report could not result in the stoppage of construction pari passu with relief and rehabilitation measures. Having failed in its attempt to stall the project the petitioner has resorted to court proceedings by filing this writ petition long after the environmental clearance was given and construction started. The pleas relating to height of the dam and the extent of submergence, environment studies and clearance, hydrology, seismicity and other issues, except implementation of relief and rehabilitation, cannot be permitted to be raised at this belated stage. This Court has entertained this petition with a view to satisfy itself that there is proper implementation of the relief and rehabilitation measurers at least to the extent they have been ordered by the Tribunals Award. In short it was only the concern of this Court for the protection of the fundamental rights of the oustees under Article 21 of the Constitution of India which led to the entertaining of this petition. It is the Relief and Rehabilitation measures that this Court is really concerned with and the petition in regard to the other issues raised is highly belated. Though it is, therefore, not necessary to do so, we however presently propose to deal with some of the other issues raised. AWARD-BINDING ON THE STATES It has been the effort on the part of the petitioners to persuade this Court to decide that in view of the difficulties in effectively implementing the Award with regard to relief and rehabilitation and because of the alleged adverse impact the construction of the dam will have on the environment, further construction of the dam should not be permitted. The petitioners support the contention on behalf of the State of Madhya Pradesh to the effect that the height of the dam should be reduced in order to decrease the number of oustees. In this case, the petitioners also submit that with regard to hydrology, the adoption of the figure 27 MAF is not correct and the correct figure is 23 MAF and in view thereof the height of the dam need not be 455 feet. The Tribunal in this Award has decided a number of issues which have been summarised hereinabove. The question which arises is as to whether it is open to the petitioners to directly or indirectly challenge the correctness of the said decision. Briefly stated the Tribunal had in no uncertain terms come to the conclusion that the height of the dam should be 455 ft. It had rejected the contention of the State of Madhya Pradesh for fixing the height at a lower level. At the same time in arriving at this figure, it had considered the relief and rehabilitation problems and had issued directions in respect thereof. Any issue which has been decided by the Tribunal would, in law, be binding on the respective states. That this is so has been recently decided by a Constitution Bench of this Court in The State of Karnataka Vs. State of Andhra Pradesh and others, 2000(3) Scale 505. That was a case relating to a water dispute regarding inter-State river Krishna between the three riparian States and in respect of which the Tribunal constituted under the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956 had given an Award. Dealing with the Article 262 and the scheme of the Inter- State Water Disputes Act, this Court at page 572 observed as follows: The inter-State Water Disputes Act having been framed by the Parliament under Article 262 of the Constitution in a complete Act by itself and the nature and character of a decision made thereunder has to be understood in the light of the provisions of the very Act itself. A dispute or difference between two or more State Governments having arisen which is a water dispute under Section 2(C) of the Act and complaint to that effect being made to the Union Government under Section 3 of the said Act the Central Government constitutes a Water Disputes Tribunal for the adjudication of the dispute in question, once it forms the opinion that the dispute cannot be settled by negotiations. The Tribunal thus constituted, is required to investigate the matters referred to it and then forward to the Central Government a report setting out the facts as found by him and giving its decision on it as provided under sub-Section (2) of Section 5 of the Act. On consideration of such decision of the Tribunal if the Central Government or any State Government is of the opinion that the decision in question requires explanation or that guidance is needed upon any point not originally referred to the Tribunal then within three months from the date of the decision, reference can be made to the Tribunal for further consideration and the said Tribunal then forwards to the Central Government a further report giving such explanation or guidance as it deems fit. Thereby the original decision of the Tribunal is modified to the extent indicated in the further decision as provided under Section 5(3) of the Act. Under Section 6 of the Act the Central Government is duty bound to publish the decision of the Tribunal in the Official Gazette whereafter the said decision becomes final and binding on the parties to the dispute and hash to be given effect to, by them. The language of the provisions of Section 6 is clear and unambiguous and unequivocally indicates that it is only the decision of the Tribunal which is required to be published in the Official Gazette and on such publication that decision becomes final and binding on the parties. Once the Award is binding on the States, it will not be open to a third party like the petitioners to challenge the correctness thereof. In terms of the Award, the State of Gujarat has a right to construct a dam upto the height of 455 ft. and, at the same time, the oustees have a right to demand relief and re-settlement as directed in the Award. We, therefore, do not propose to deal with any contention which, in fact, seems to challenge the correctness of an issue decided by the Tribunal. GENERAL ISSUSES RELATING TO DIS-PLACEMENT OF TRIBALS AND ALLEGED VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS UNDER ARTICLE 21 OF THE CONSTITUION: The submission of Sh. Shanti Bhushan, learned senior counsel for the petitioners was that the forcible displacement of tribals and other marginal farmers from their land and other sources of livelihood for a project which was not in the national or public interest was a violation of their fundamental rights under Article 21 of the Constitution of India read with ILO Convention 107 to which India is a signatory. Elaborating this contention, it was submitted that this Court had held in a large number of cases that international treaties and covenants could be read into the domestic law of the country and could be used by the courts to elucidate the interpretation of fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Reliance in support of this contention was placed on Gramaphone Co. of India Ltd. Vs. B.B. Pandey, 1984(2) SCC 534, PUCL Vs. Union of India, 1997(3) SCC 433 and CERC Vs. Union of India, 1995(3) SCC 42. In this connection, our attention was drawn to the ILO Convention 107 which stipulated that tribal populations shall not be removed from their lands without their free consent from their habitual territories except in accordance with national laws and regulations for reasons relating to national security or in the interest of national economic development. It was further stated that the said Convention provided that in such cases where removal of this population is necessary as an exceptional measure, they shall be provided with lands of quality at least equal to that of lands previously occupied by them, suitable to provide for their present needs and future development. Sh. Shanti Bhushan further contended that while Sardar Sarovar Project will displace and have an impact on thousands of tribal families it had not been proven that this displacement was required as an exceptional measure. He further submitted that given the seriously flawed assumptions of the project and the serious problems with the rehabilitation and environmental mitigation, it could not be said that the project was in the best national interest. It was also submitted that the question arose whether the Sardar Sarovar project could be said to be in the national and public interest in view of its current best estimates of cost, benefits and evaluation of alternatives and specially in view of the large displacement of tribals and other marginal farmers involved in the project. Elaborating this contention, it was contended that serious doubts had been raised about the benefits of the project – the very rationale which was sought to justify the huge displacement and the massive environmental impacts etc. It was contended on behalf of the petitioners that a project which was sought to be justified on the grounds of providing a permanent solution to water problems of the drought prone areas of Gujarat would touch only the fringes of these areas, namely, Saurashtra and Kutch and even this water, which was allocated on paper, would not really accrue due to host of reasons. It was contended that inspite of concentrating on small scale decentralized measures which were undertaken on a large scale could address the water problem of these drought prone areas. Huge portions of the State resources were being diverted to the Sardar Sarovar Project and as a result the small projects were ignored and the water problem in these areas persists. It was submitted that the Sardar Sarovar Project could be restructured to minimise the displacement. Refuting the aforesaid arguments, it has been submitted on behalf of the Union of India and the State of Gujarat that the petitioners have given a highly exaggerated picture of the submergence and other impacts of this project. It was also submitted that the petitioners assertion that there was large-scale re-location and uprooting of tribals was not factually correct. According to the respondents, the project would affect only 245 villages in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh due to pondage and backwater effect corresponding to 1 in 100 year flood. The State-wise break up of affected villages and the number of project affected families (PAFs) shows that only four villages would be fully affected (three in Gujarat and one in Madhya Pradesh) and 241 would be partially affected (16 in Gujarat, 33 in Maharasthra and 192 in Madhya Pradesh). The total project affected families who would be affected were 40827. The extent of the submergence was minimum in the State of Madhya Pradesh. The picture of this submergence as per the Government of Madhya Pradesh Action Plan of 1993 is as follows: Abadi will be fully submerged in 39 villages and partially in 116 villages, agricultural land will be affected upto 10% in 82 villages, 11 to 25% in 32 villages, 26 to 50% in 30 villages, 51 to 75% in 14 villages, 76 to 90% in 4 villages and 100% in only 1 village. In 21 villages, only abadi will be affected and Government land only in 9 villages. Thus, in most of the villages, submergence is only partial. The submergence area of the SSP can be divided into two areas: i) Fully tribal, hilly area covering the initial reach of about 105 villages with mainly subsistence economy. It includes 33 villages of Maharasthra, 19 of Gujarat and about 53 of (ii) Mixed population area in the plains of Nimad, with a well developed economy and connected to the mainstream. This area includes about 140 villages in Madhya Pradesh. These two areas have quite different topographic and habitation features which result in totally different types of submergence impacts. The state of the hilly area to be affected by its submergence and where most of the tribal population exists is described by the Government of Madhya Pradesh Action Plan, 1993 as follows: The Narmada flows in hilly gorge from the origin to the Arabian Sea. The undulating hilly terrain in the lower submergence area of Sardar Sarovar Project exhibit naked hills and depleted forests. Even small forest animals area very rarely seen because of lack of forest cover and water. The oft quoted symbiotic living with forests is a misnomer in this area because the depleted forests have nothing to offer but fuel wood. Soil is very poor mostly disintegrated, granite and irrigation is almost nil due to undulating and hilly land. Anybody visiting this area finds the people desperately sowing even in the hills with steep gradient. Only one rain fed crop of mostly maize is sown and so there is no surplus economy. PAPs inhabiting these interior areas find generous rehabilitation and resettlement packages as a means to assimilate in the mainstream in the valley. In 193 villages of Madhya Pradesh to be affected by the project, a very high proportion of the houses would be affected whereas the land submergence was only 14.1%. The reason for this is that the river bed is a deep gorge for about 116 km. upstream of the dam and as a result the reservoir will be long (214 km), narrow (average width of 1.77 km) and deep. The result of this is that as one goes further upstream, the houses on the river banks are largely affected while agricultural land which is at a distance from the river banks is spared. A majority of 33014 families of Madhya Pradesh (which would include 15018 major sons) would lose only their houses and not agricultural lands would be required to be resettled in Madhya Pradesh by constructing new houses in the new abadi. According to the Award, agricultural land was to be allotted only if the project affected families lost 25% or more of agricultural land and on this basis as per the Government of Madhya Pradesh, only 830 project affected families of Madhya Pradesh were required to be allotted agricultural land in Madhya Pradesh. According to the Government of Gujarat the tribals constituted bulk of project affected families who would be affected by the dam in Gujarat and Maharasthra, namely, 97% and 100% respectively. Out of the oustees of project affected families of Madhya Pradesh, tribals constituted only 30% while 70% were non-tribals. The total number of tribal project affected families were 17725 and out of these, 9546 are already re-settled. It was further the case of the respondents that in Madhya Pradesh the agricultural land of the tribal villages was affected on an average to the extent of 28% whereas in the upper reaches i.e. Nimad where the agriculture was advanced, the extent of submergence, on an average, was only 8.5%. The surveys conducted by HMS Gour University (Sagar), the Monitoring and Evaluation Agency set up by the Government of Madhya Pradesh, reveal that the major resistance to relocation was from the richer, non-tribal families of Nimad who feared shortage of agriculture labour if the landless labourers from the areas accepted re-settlement. In the Bi-Annual report, 1996 of HMS Gour University, Sagar, it was observed as follows: The pre-settlement study of submerging villages has revealed many startling realities. Anti-dam protagonists presents a picture that tribals and backward people are the worst sufferers of this kind of development project. This statement is at least not true in case of the people of these five affected villages. Though, these villages comprise a significant population of tribals and people of weaker sections, but majority of them will not be a victim of displacement. Instead, they will gain from shifting. The present policy of compensation is most beneficial for the lot of weaker section. These people are living either as labourers or marginal farmers. The status of oustee will make them the owner of two hectares of land and a house. In fact, it is the land-owning class which is opposing the construction of dam by playing the card of tribals and weaker sections. The land-owners are presently enjoying the benefit of cheap labour in this part of the region. Availability of cheap labour is boon for agricultural activities. This makes them to get higher return with less inputs. It is apparent that the tribal population affected by the submergence would have to move but the rehabilitation package was such that the living condition would be much better than what it was before there. Further more though 140 villages of Madhya Pradesh would be affected in the plains of Nimad, only 8.5% of the agricultural land of these villages shall come under submergence due to SSP and as such the said project shall have only a marginal impact on the agricultural productivity of the area. While accepting the legal proposition that International Treaties and Covenants can be read into the domestic laws of the country the submission of the respondents was that Article 12 of the ILO Convention No. 107 stipulates that the populations concerned shall not be removed without their free consent from their habitual territories except in accordance with national laws and regulations relating to national security, or in the interest of national economic development or of the health of the said populations. The said Article clearly suggested that when the removal of the tribal population is necessary as an exceptional measure, they shall be provided with land of quality atleast equal to that of the land previously occupied by them and they shall be fully compensated for any resulting loss or injury. The rehabilitation package contained in the Award of the Tribunal as improved further by the State of Gujarat and the other States prima facie shows that the land required to be allotted to the tribals is likely to be equal, if not better, than what they had owned. The allegation that the said project was not in the national or public interest is not correct seeing to the need of water for burgeoning population which is most critical and important. The population of India, which is now one billion, is expected to reach a figure between 1.5 billion and 1.8 billion in the year 2050, would necessitate the need of 2788 billion cubic meter of water annually in India to be above water stress zone and 1650 billion cubic metre to avoid being water scarce country. The main source of water in India is rainfall which occurs in about 4 months in a year and the temporal distribution of rainfall is so uneven that the annual averages have very little significance for all practical purposes. According to the Union of India, one third of the country is always under threat of drought not necessarily due to deficient rainfall but many times due to its uneven occurrence. To feed the increasing population, more food grain is required and effort has to be made to provide safe drinking water, which, at present, is a distant reality for most of the population specially in the rural areas. Keeping in view the need to augment water supply, it is necessary that water storage capacities have to be increased adequately in order to ward off the difficulties in the event of monsoon failure as well as to meet the demand during dry season. It is estimated that by the year 2050 the country needs to create storage of at least 600 billion cubic meter against the existing storage of 174 billion cubic meter. Dams play a vital role in providing irrigation for food security, domestic and industrial water supply, hydroelectric power and keeping flood waters back. On full development, the Narmada has a potential of irrigating over 6 million hectares of land and generating 3000 mw of power. The present stage of development is very low with only 3 to 4 Maf of waters being used by the party States for irrigation and drinking water against 28 Maf availability of water at 75% dependability as fixed by NWDT and about 100 MW power developed. 85% of the waters are estimated as flowing waste to sea. The project will provide safe and clean drinking water to 8215 villages and 135 towns in Gujarat and 131 villages in desert areas of Jalore district of Rajasthan, though against these only 241 villages are getting submerged partially and only 4 villages fully due to the project. The cost and benefit of the project were examined by the World Bank in 1990 and the following passage speaks for itself: The argument in favour of the Sardar Sarovar Project is that the benefits are so large that they substantially outweigh the costs of the immediate human and environmental disruption. Without the dam, the long term costs for people would be much greater and lack of an income source for future generations would put increasing pressure on the environment. If the waters of the Narmada river continue to flow to the sea unused there appears to be no alternative to escalating human deprivation, particularly in the dry areas of Gujarat. The project has the potential to feed as many as 20 million people, provide domestic and industrial water for about 30 million, employ about 1 million, and provide valuable peak electric power in an area with high unmet power demand (farm pumps often get only a few hours power per day). In addition, recent research shows substantial economic multiplier effects (investment and employment triggered by development) from irrigation development. Set against the futures of about 70,000 project affected people, even without the multiplier effect, the ratio of beneficiaries to affected persons is well over 100:1. There is merit in the contention of the respondents that there would be a positive impact on preservation of ecology as a result from the project. The SSP would be making positive contribution for preservation of environment in several ways. The project by taking water to drought-prone and arid parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan would effectively arrest ecological degradation which was returning to make these areas inhabitable due to salinity ingress, advancement of desert, ground water depletion, fluoride and nitrite affected water and vanishing green cover. The ecology of water scarcity areas is under stress and transfer of Narmada water to these areas will lead to sustainable agriculture and spread of green cover. There will also be improvement of fodder availability which will reduce pressure on biodiversity and vegetation. The SSP by generating clean eco-friendly hydropower will save the air pollution which would otherwise take place by thermal generation power of similar capacity. The displacement of the tribals and other persons would not per se result in the violation of their fundamental or other rights. The effect is to see that on their rehabilitation at new locations they are better off than what they were. At the rehabilitation sites they will have more and better amenities than which they enjoyed in their tribal hamlets. The gradual assimilation in the main stream of the society will lead to betterment and progress. The four issues raised under this head by Sh. Shanti Bhushan are as Whether the execution of a large project, having diverse and far reaching environmental impact, without the proper study and understanding of its environmental impact and without proper planning of mitigative measures is a violation of fundamental rights of the affected people guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India ? Whether the diverse environmental impacts of the Sardar Sarovar Project have been properly studied and understood ? Whether any independent authority has examined the environmental costs and mitigative measures to be undertaken in order to decide whether the environmental costs are acceptable and mitigative measures practical ? Whether the environmental conditions imposed by the Ministry of Environment have been violated and if so, what is the legal effect of the violations ? It was submitted by Sh. Shanti Bhushan that a large project having diverse and far reaching environmental impacts in the concerned States would require a proper study and understanding of the environmental impacts. He contended that the study and planning with regard to environmental impacts must precede construction. According to Sh. Shanti Bhushan, when the environmental clearance was given in 1987, proper study and analysis of the environmental impacts and mitigative measures, which were required to be taken, were not available and, therefore, this clearance was not valid. The decision to construct the dam was stated to be political one and was not a considered decision after taking into account the environmental impacts of the project. The execution of SSP without a comprehensive assessment and evaluation of its environmental impacts and a decision regarding its acceptability was alleged to be a violation of the rights of the affected people under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. It was further submitted that no independent authority has examined vehemently the environmental costs and mitigative measurers to be undertaken in order to decide whether the environmental costs are acceptable and mitigative measures practical. With regard to the environmental clearance given in June, 1987, the submission of Sh. Shanti Bhushan was that this was the conditional clearance and the conditions imposed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests had been violated. The letter granting clearance, it was submitted, disclosed that even the basic minimum studies and plans required for the environmental impact assessment had not been done. Further more it was contended that in the year 1990, as the deadline for completion of the studies was not met, the Ministry of Environment and Forests had declared that the clearance had lapsed. The Secretary of the said Ministry had requested the Ministry of Water Resources to seek extension of the clearance but ultimately no extension was sought or given and the studies and action plans continued to lag to the extent that there was no comprehensive environmental impact assessment of the project, proper mitigation plans were absent and the costs of the environmental measures were neither fully assessed nor included in the project costs. In support of his contentions, Sh. Shanti Bhushan relied upon the report of a Commission called the Independent Review or the Morse Commission. The said Commission had been set up by the World Bank and it submitted its report in June, 1992. In its report, the Commission had adversely commented on practically all aspects of the project and in relation to environment, it was stated as under: Important assumptions upon which the projects are based are now questionable or are known to be unfounded. Environmental and social trade-off have been made, and continue to be made, without a full understanding of the consequences. As a result, benefits tend to be over-stated, while social and environmental costs are frequently understated. Assertions have been substituted for analysis. We think that the Sardar Sarovar Projects as they stand are flawed, that resettlement and rehabilitation of all those displaced by the projects is not possible under the prevailing circumstances, and that the environmental impacts of the projects have not been properly considered or adequately addressed. The history of environmental aspects of Sardar Sarovar is a history of non-compliance. There is no comprehensive impact statement. The nature and magnitude of environmental problems and solutions remain elusive. Sh. Shanti Bhushan submitted that it had become necessary for some independent judicial authority to review the entire project, examine the current best estimates of all costs (social, environmental, financial), benefits and alternatives in order to determine whether the project is required in its present form in the national interest, or whether it needs to be restructured/modified. Sh. Shanti Bhushan further submitted that environmental impacts of the projects were going to be massive and full assessment of these impacts had not been done. According to him the latest available studies show that studies and action plans had not been completed and even now they were lagging behind pari passu. It was also contended that mere listing of the studies does not imply that everything is taken care of. Some of the studies were of poor quality and based on improper data and no independent body had subjected these to critical evaluation. RE: ENVIRONMENTAL CLERANCE: As considerable stress was laid by Sh. Shanti Bhushan challenging the validity of the environmental clearance granted in 1987 inter alia on the ground that it was not preceded by adequate studies and it was not a considered opinion and there was non-application of mind while clearing the project, we first propose to deal with the contention. The events after the Award and upto the environmental clearance granted by the Government vide its letter dated 24th June, 1987 would clearly show that some studies, though incomplete, had been made with regard to different aspects of the environment. Learned counsel for the respondents stated that in fact on the examination of the situation, the claim made with regard to the satisfactory progress was not correct. In order to carry out the directions in the Award about the setting up of an authority, the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956 was amended and Section 6-A was inserted to set out how a statutory body could be constituted under the Act. On 10th September, 1980 in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 6- A of the Act the Central Government framed a scheme, constituted the Narmada Control Authority to give effect to the decision of the Award. In January, 1980, the Government of Gujarat submitted to the Central Water Commission a detailed project report in 14 volumes. This was an elaborate report and dealt with various aspects like engineering details, canal systems, geology of area, coverage of command area etc. On 15th February, 1980 the Central Water Commission referred SSP to the then Department of Environment in Department of Science & Technology. At that point of time, environmental clearance was only an administrative requirement. An environmental checklist was forwarded to Government of Gujarat on 27th February, 1980 which sought to elucidate information including following ecological aspects: Excessive sedimentation of the reservoir Increase in salinity of the ground water Ground water recharge Health hazard-water borne diseases, industrial pollution etc. Submergence of important minerals Submergence of monuments Fish culture and aquatic life Life of migratory birds National Park and Sanctuaries Seismicity due to filling of reservoir The Government of Gujarat accordingly submitted information from September, 1980 till March, 1983. The information was also submitted on physio-social and economic studies for Narmada Command Area covering cropping pattern, health aspects, water requirement etc. A note of influence of Navagam dam on fish yield including impact on downstream fisheries was also submitted. The techno-economic appraisal of the project was undertaken by the Central Water Commission which examined water availability, command area development, construction etc. The project was considered in the 22nd meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee on Irrigation, Flood Control and Multi-purpose projects held on 6.1.1983 and found it acceptable subject to environmental clearance. At this point of time, the matter was handled by the Department of Science and Technology which also had a Department dealing with Environment. Environmental Appraisal Committee of the Department of Environment, then headed by a Joint Secretary, had in its meeting held on 12.4.1983 approved the project, in principle, and required that further data be collected. This Environmental Appraisal Committee dealt with the project on two other occasions, namely, on 29.3.1985 when it deferred meeting to await report of Dewan Committee on soil conservation and thereafter on 6.12.1985 when it deferred the meeting to await comments from the Forest Department. As stated hereafter, subsequently the Secretary of newly constituted Ministry of Environment and Forests took up further consideration of this project along with other higher officials. After the project was approved, in principle, studies and collections of data were continuing. In May, 1983 the Narmada Planning Group, Government of Gujarat after completion of preliminary surveys submitted work plans for various activities such as cropping pattern, health aspects, water requirements, distribution system, lay out and operation, development plan of the command, drainage and ground water development. In July, 1983, a study report on Ecology and Environmental Impact of Sardar Sarovar Dam and its Environs prepared by MS University was also submitted by Government of Gujarat, covering the issues as mentioned below: *Forest and Wildlife, Aquatic Vegetation *Water Regime (Salinity, Tidal movements etc.) A review meeting was convened by the Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources in January, 1984 which was attended by a representative of the Department of Environment. During this meeting, it was emphasized that the issues regarding catchment area treatment, impact on wildlife, health, water logging etc. should be studied in depth for assessment. The issue of charging of cost of catchment area treatment to the project was also discussed. To sort out this matter, a meeting was subsequently convened by the Member, Planning Commission on 23rd May, 1984 in which the Ministry of Environment & Forests took a stand that there was a need for an integrated approach to basin development covering the catchment and command area. A project report, therefore, should be prepared to cover these aspects. Since the catchment area for Narmada Sagar and Sardar Sarovar was very vast, it was decided that an Inter-Departmental Committee should be set up by the Ministry of Agriculture under the Chairmanship of Dr. M.L. Dewan. This group could submit its report only in August, 1985 covering areas of catchment of Narmada and Sardar Sarovar and recommended that at least 25-30% of the area might require treatment for these projects. The consideration of the project in the Ministry, therefore, got deferred for this report on catchment area treatment. During this time, Government of Madhya Pradesh entrusted the studies on flora for Narmada Valley Project to Botanical Survey of India and other related surveys were being carried out. Even though there was a request on 10th June, 1985 from the Chief Minister of Gujarat to the Minister of State for Environment and Forests for delinking of catchment area treatment works on clearance of the project, but this request was not agreed. By this time the approval of SSP was being considered by the Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests who invited other high officials in a review meeting which was held on 31st December, 1985 under his chairmanship. In this meeting, detailed presentations were made by the State officials of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharasthra as well as the experts who were involved in preparation of plans. The Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests assessed and reviewed readiness on various environmental aspects like Catchment Area Treatment, Compensatory Afforesation, Rehabilitation, Command area Development, Labour force and health issues, aquatic species, seismicity etc. and discussed the available reports in detail in the presence of the officers of the Central/State Governments, Botanical Survey of India, senior officers of Forest Department, Planning Commission, Agriculture Department, Additional. Inspector of Forests, Government of India, Deputy Inspector General, Assistant Inspector General of Forest, Government of India, senior officers of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Secretary, Irrigation. As a follow up, the Government of Maharashtra submitted environmental data regarding affected areas in Maharashtra. This included: *Impact assessment on wild life *Impact assessment on genetics, specifically identifying the plant types which are likely to be lost as a result of submergence. *Socio anthropological studies on tribals *The suitability of alternative land suggested for compensatory afforestation for growing. *Data regarding alternate land in large blocks. *Arrangements made for exploitation of mineral resources going under submergence. *Alternative fuels to the labourers. *Arrangements made for treatment of catchment area including swoil conservation afforestation. *Steps taken for preserving archaeological and historical monuments. *Proper land use *Actions taken by Government of Maharashtra in pursuance of Dewan Committee Report. *Arrangements for monitoring for environmental impact for the project. *Data related to rehabilitation of project affected persons. The Government of Gujarat also forwarded to the Government of India work plans on the following: Forests and Wildlife Fish and Fisheries Health aspects The work plan on forests and wildlife incorporated actions to be taken on the recommendations of the Inter-Departmental Committee headed by Dr. Dewan on soil conservation and afforestation works in the catchment area. In March, 1986, a meeting was convened by the Ministry of Water Resources in order to discuss the issues of fisheries, flora/fauna, health, archaeology with the officers of the Botanical Survey of India, Zoological Survey of India, Archaeological Survey of India and the officers of the various departments of the State and Centre to gear up the preparation of the environmental work plans. The next meeting was held on 11th April, 1986. The Secretary, Ministry of Environmental and Forests, who chaired the meeting of senior officials, representatives of States and other agencies, sought additional information to be made available by 30th April, 1986 before assessment and management decision. In October, 1986, the Ministry of Water Resources prepared and forwarded to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, a note on environmental aspects of the two projects and noted the urgency of the decision. It also considered the importance of the project, should the project be taken at all, environmental aspects of the project and ultimately rehabilitation, compensatory afforestation, fauna and flora, catchment area treatment, public health aspect, prevention of water logging. It then considered what remained to be done and enumerated the same with time schedule as follows: Madhya Pradesh to complete the detailed survey of population likely to be affected in all phases of N.S.P. Maharashtra to prepare a detailed rehabilitation plan for 33 villages under phase 1 of SSP Madhya Pradesh to identify degraded forest lands twice the forest area to be submerged for compensatory afforestation. Survey of flora in Narmada valley assigned to Botanical Survey of India. Survey of Wildlife by Zoological Survey of India. Aerial photographs and satellite imagery to be analysed by All India Soil and Land Use Survey Organisation and National Remote Sensing Agency and critically degraded areas in catchment. Field Surveys Three years. Pilot studies to determine measures for CAT In 25000 ha. Three years after Aerial survey. In this note two options were considered – one to postpone the clearance and the other was to clear it with certain conditions with appropriate monitoring authorities to ensure that the action is taken within the time bound programme. It was concluded that in the light of the position set out, it was necessary that the project should be cleared from the environmental angle, subject to conditions and stipulations outlined. The Department of Environment and Forests made its own assessment through a note of the Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests. It took the view that following surveys/studies as set out therein might take at least 2-3 years. It noted in this regard that: The estimate of Ministry of Water Resources on analysis of aerial photographs and satellite imageries as 2-3 years. Catchment area treatment programme can be formulated by three years thereafter; Wildlife census by Zoological Survey of India would take at least three years; Survey by Botanical Survey of India would take three years. It further took the view that it was essential that there should be a strong management authority. It finally concluded that if the Government should decide to go ahead with the project it should be done with provision of environmental management authority with adequate powers and teeth to ensure that environment management plan is implemented pari passu with engineering and other works. It concluded that effective implementation of the engineering and environmental measures simultaneously will go a long way and that such a project could be implemented by harmonizing environmental conservation needs with the developmental effort. The Ministry of Environment and Forests had not given environmental clearance of Narmada Sagar and Sardar Sarovar Dam despite all discussions which had taken place. The documents filed along with the affidavit of Shri P.K. Roy, Under Secretary, Prime Ministers Office dated 27th April, 2000 indicate that there was difference of opinion with regard to the grant of environmental clearance between the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Environment & Forests. This led to the matter being referred to the Prime Ministers Secretariat for clearance at the highest level. A note dated 20th November, 1986 prepared by the Ministry of Water Resources was forwarded to the Prime Minister Secretariat as well as to the Ministry of Environment and Forests after dealing with the environmental aspects relating to rehabilitation, catchment area treatment, command area development, compensatory afforestation, flora and fauna. This note indicated that there were two options with regard to the clearance of the said project. One was to await for two to three years for the completion of the operational plans and other detailed studies and the second option was that the project should be given the necessary clearance subject to the stipulation with regard to the action to be taken in connection with various environmental aspects and appropriate monitoring arrangements to ensure that the actions were taken in a time bound manner. The Ministry of Water Resources recommended that it should be possible to give environmental clearance of the project and ensure that the conditions are properly met through a process of clear assignment of responsibility and frequent monitoring. The modus operandi for instituting a monitoring system could be discussed at the meeting. On 26th November, 1986, a meeting took place which was attended, inter alia, by the Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, Secretary, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Additional Secretary, Prime Minister Secretariat and representatives of the Governments of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat regarding the environmental aspects of the Narmada Sagar and Sardar Sarovar Project. The minutes of the meeting, inter alia, disclosed it was decided that the Government of Gujarat would identify lands for allocation to the project affected persons of Madhya Pradesh within a specified period of time. The meeting also envisaged the arrangement of a Monitoring and Enforcement Authority to monitor the project and to ensure that the actions on the environmental aspects proceed according to the schedule and pari passu with the rest of the project. This Authority was not to be mainly a advisory one but was to be given executive powers of enforcement including the power to order stoppage of construction activity in the event of its being of the opinion that there was lack of progress in action on the environmental front. On 19th December, 1986, the Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests sent to the Secretary to the Prime Minister a combined note on the environmental aspects of both the projects, namely, Narmada Sagar and Sardar Sarovar Project. In this note, it was, inter alia, stated that there was absence and inadequacy on some important environmental aspects even though the Sardar Sarovar Project was in a fairly advance stage of preparedness. The note also recommended the establishment of the Narmada Management Authority with adequate powers and teeth to ensure that the Environmental Management Plan did not remain only on paper but was implemented; and implemented pari passu with engineering and other works. In the end, in the note, it was stated as follows: If, despite the meagre availability of data and the state of readiness on NSP, the Government should decide to go ahead with the project it is submitted that it should do so only on the basis of providing a Management Authority as outlined above with the hope that the public opposition, not just by vested interests but by credible professional environmentalists, can be overcome. Effective implementation of the engineering and environmental measurers simultaneously would go a long way to prove that even such a project can be implemented by harmonising environmental conservation needs with the development effort. The choice is difficult but a choice has to be made. Along with this note was the statement showing the cost and the benefits of the Narmada Sagar and the Sardar Sarovar dam. The same reads as COSTS NARMADASAGAR SARDAR SAROVAR Dam construction Rs. 1400 crores Rs. 4240 crores (1981 price level ) (1982 price level) Loss of forest Rs. 320 crores Environmental cost of loss of forests Rs. 30923 crores + – Rs. 8190 crore Catchment Area development Rs. 300 crores Not available Command area development Rs. 243.7 crores Rs. 604.0 crores Rs. 300.0 crores Loss of Mineral Reserves —- —- Diversion of 42 km Railway line —– —- Population affected 129396 (1981 census) 86572 (Excluding population with land submerged for short period every year) Land submerged 91348 ha 39134 ha Area irrigated 123000 ha 1792000 ha Net culturable land 140960 ha 212000 Power Generations 223.5 MW(firm power) 300 MW 1000 MV (Installed capacity) 1450 (Installed 118.3 MW in 2023 A.D. After a series of meetings held between the Secretary to Prime Ministers office as well as the Ministry of Water Resources, a detailed note dated 15th January, 1987 was prepared by Mrs. Otima Bordia, Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister. The notes opened by saying that Narmada Sagar and Sardar Sarovar multipurpose projects have been pending approval of the Government of India for a considerable amount of time. The States of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat have been particularly concerned and have been pressing for their clearance. The main issues of environmental concern related to the rehabilitation of the affected population, compensatory afforestation, treatment of the catchment area, command area development, pertaining particularly to drainage, water logging and salinity. The said note mentioned that the Department of Environment and Forests had sent a note with the approval of the Minister for Environment and Forests and had recommended conditional approval to the Narmada Sagar and Sardar Sarovar Projects subject to three conditions: Review of design parameters to examine the feasibility of modifying the height of the dam; Preparation in due time, detailed and satisfactory plans for rehabilitation, catchment area treatment, compensatory afforestation and command area development; Setting up of Narmada Management Authority with adequate powers and teeth to ensure that environmental management plans are implemented pari passu with engineering and other works. It is further stated in the note that the Ministry of Water Resources and the State Governments had no difficulty in accepting conditions (ii) and (iii). With regard to review of design parameters and dam height, the Ministry of Water Resources had examined the same after taking into consideration the comments of the Central Water Commission and concluded that the reduction of the FRL of the Narmada Sagar project would not be worthwhile. The Secretary to the Prime Minister had discussed the matter with the Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources and Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests and it was agreed that the recommendation of the Minister of Environment and Forests of giving clearance on the condition that items (ii) and (iii) referred to hereinabove be accepted. The note also stated that in view of the technical report, reduction in the dam height did not appear to be feasible. This note of Mrs. Otima Bordia recommended that the Prime Ministers approval was sought on giving conditional clearance. On this note, Mrs. Serla Grewal, Secretary to the Prime Minister noted as follows: Proposal at para 17 may kindly be approved. This project has been pending clearance for the last 7 years and both the C.Ms. of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are keenly awaiting the clearance of the same. The agency, which is proposed to be set up to monitor the implementation of this project, will fully take care of the environmental degradation about which P.M. was concerned. The Ministry of Environment and Forests have recommended clearance of this project subject to conditions which will take care of P.Ms apprehensions. I shall request Secretary, Water Resources, who will be Chairman of the Monitoring Agency, to see that no violation of any sort takes place and P.Ms office will be kept informed of the progress of this project every quarter. The matter is urgent as last week C.M. Gujarat had requested for green signal to be given to him before 20th January. P.M. may kindly approve. The Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi, instead of giving the approval, made the following note: Perhaps this is a good time to try for a River Valley Authority. Discuss It appears that the Ministry of Environment and Forests gave its clearance to the setting up of Inter-Ministerial Committee and on 8th April, 1987, following note was prepared and forwarded to the Prime Minister. This case has got unduly delayed. P.M. was anxious that speedy action should be taken. As such, since the Ministry of Environment have given its clearance subject to setting up of an Inter-Ministerial Committee as indicated at A above, we may give the necessary clearance. The three Chief Ministers may be requested to come over early next week to give their clearance in principle for the setting up of a River Valley Authority so that simultaneous action can be initiated for giving practical shape to this concept. The clearance of the project, however, should be communicated within two weeks as I have been informed by Shri Shiv Shanker and Shri Bhajan Lal that interested parties are likely to start an agitation and it is better if clearance is communicated before mischief is done by the interested parties. Along with another affidavit of Shri P.K Roy, Under Secretary, Prime Ministers Office dated 2nd May, 2000, some correspondence exchanged between Legislature and the Prime Minister has also been placed on record relating to the granting of the environmental clearance by the Prime Minister. On 31st March, 1987, Shri Shanker Sing Vaghela, the then Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha had written a letter to the Prime Minister in which it was, inter alia, stated that the foundation stone for the Narmada Project had been laid 25 years ago by the late Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru and that after the Tribunals Award, Mrs. Indira Gandhi had cleared the project in 1978, but still the environmental clearance had not so far been given. It was also stated in his letter that the project was now being delayed on account of so-called environmental problems. It was further stated in his letter that the Sardar Sarovar Project, when completed, will solve more of the pressing problems of environment than creating them. To this letter of Shri Vaghela, the Prime Minister sent a reply dated 8th April, 1987 stating as follows: I have seen your letter of 31st March regarding the Narmada Project. All aspects have to be carefully considered before decisions are taken on a project of this size. This is being done. The environment and ecological factors cannot be dis- regarded. We cannot also dismiss the needs of our tribal people. Safeguards are required to ensure that rehabilitation plans are effective. All these aspects are being examined and a decision will be taken soon. On 30th April, 1987, a press note was released by the Government of India, in which it was stated that in a meeting presided over by the Prime Minister, it was agreed by the Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat and representatives of the Maharashtra Government that a high level River Valley Authority would be set up for the control and development of the river basin. This press note also stated that the Narmada Sagar and the Sardar Sarovar Project on the river Narmada had been cleared. Soon, thereafter Shri Ahmad Patel, Member of Parliament from Gujarat wrote a letter dated 14th April, 1987 to Shri Rajiv Gandhi expressing his gratitude for according clearance to the Narmada multi-purpose project. This letter was replied to on 22nd April, 1987 by Shri Rajiv Gandhi who thanked Shri Patel for writing his letter dated 14th April, 1987 regarding the Narmada project. On 20th April, 1987, Shri Shanker Singh Vaghela wrote another letter to the Prime Minister. While thanking him for clearing the project, it was stated that there was apprehension about the environment and ecological factors and also about the needs of the tribal people. The Prime Minister was requested to clarify to the people of Gujarat whether or not these aspects have finally been cleared or not and all the doubts on this front have been finally set at rest or not. On 4th May, 1987 the Prime Minister replied to this letter in which it was stated as follows: There should be no grounds for any misunderstanding in this regard. The Narmada Project has been cleared while at the same time ensuring that environmental safeguards will be enforced and effective measures taken for the rehabilitation of the tribals. You could ask the Ministry of Water Resources or the State Government for details. Lastly, we need make reference to a letter dated 10th June, 1987 written by Smt. Chandraben Sureshbhai Shrimali, an M.L.A. of Gujarat and the reply of the Prime Minister thereto. In the said letter dated 10th June, 1987, Smt. Shrimali thanked the Prime Minister for clearing the Narmada project and it was stated that the dry land of Gujarat and Saurashtra would be fertilised through Narmada Yojna. To this, reply dated 30th June, 1987 of the Prime Minister was as follows: Thank you for your letter of 10th June. The visit to Surendranagar was useful and educative. We are all looking forward to the early implementation of the Sardar Sarovar project. The question of environmental protection also needs serious attention. I wish you and the people of Surendranagar a good monsoon. From the documents and the letters referred to hereinabove, it is more than evident that the Government of India was deeply concerned with the environmental aspects of the Narmada Sagar and Sardar Sarovar Project. Inasmuch as there was some difference of opinion between the Ministries of Water Resources and Environment & Forests with regard to the grant of environmental clearance, the matter was referred to the Prime Minister. Thereafter, series of discussions took place in the Prime Ministers Secretariat and the concern of the Prime Minister with regard to the environment and desire to safeguard the interest of the tribals resulted in some time being taken. The Prime Minister gave environmental clearance on 13th April, 1987 and formal letter was issued thereafter on 24th June, 1987. It is not possible, in view of the aforesaid state of affairs, for this Court to accept the contention of the petitioner that the environmental clearance of the project was given without application of mind. It is evident, and in fact this was the grievance made by Shri Vaghela, that the environmental clearance of the project was unduly delayed. The Government was aware of the fact that number of studies and data had to be collected relating to environment. Keeping this in mind, a conscious decision was taken to grant environmental clearance and in order to ensure that environmental management plans are implemented pari passu with engineering and other works, the Narmada Management Authority was directed to be constituted. This is also reflected from the letter dated 24th June, 1987 of Shri Mudgal giving formal clearance to the project. Re: OTHER ISSUES RELATING TO ENVIRONMENT Prior to the grant of the environmental clearance on 24th June, 1987, sufficient studies were made with regard to different aspects of environment on the basis of which conditional clearance was granted on 24th June, 1987, one of the condition of clearance being that the balance studies should be completed within a stipulated time frame. According to the Government of Gujarat, the conditions imposed in the environmental clearance granted on June 24, 1987 were: The NCA would ensure that the environmental safeguard measures are planned and implemented pari passu with the progress of work on the project. The detailed survey/studies assured will be carried out as per the schedule proposed and details made available to the department for assessment. The catchment area treatment programe and rehabilitation plans be so drawn so as to be completed ahead of reservoir filling. The department should be informed of progress on various works periodically. It was further submitted by the Government of Gujarat that none of these conditions were linked to any concrete time frame. The first condition casts a responsibility on the NCA to ensure that the environmental aspects are always kept in view. The best way to attain the first and the fourth condition was to create an environmental sub-group headed by the Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Forest. The second condition the conducting of surveys by its very nature could not be made time bound. The surveys related to various activities to undo any damage or threat to the environment not only by the execution of the project but in the long term. Therefore, any delay in the conduct of surveys was not critical. Besides, a perusal of the latest status report on environment shows that a large number of surveys were carried out right from 1983 and also after 1987. The third condition has already stood fully complied with as observed by Environment Sub-Group. The fourth condition again involved keeping the department informed. It was submitted that the concept of lapsing is alien to such conditions. In other words, formal environmental and forest clearances granted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India are not lapsed and are very much alive and subsisting. With regard to the lapsing of the clearance granted in 1987, it was contended by Mr. Harish Salve that a letter dated 25th May, 1992 was written by the Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India to the Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources stating, inter alia, that the conditions of clearance of the project were not yet met and, therefore, a formal request for extension of environmental clearance, as directed by Review Committee of Narmada Control Authority, may be made and failing which, a formal notification may be issued revoking the earlier clearance. It is, however, an admitted position that no formal notification has ever been issued revoking and/or cancelling the aforesaid two clearances at any point of time by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. The Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests has continued to hold and chair the meetings of Environment Sub-Group, Narmada Control Authority closely monitoring the execution of SSP for ensuring that environmental safeguard measures are implemented pari passu with the progress of work. On 11th August, 1992, a letter was written by Narmada Control Authority to the Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests sending action plan and status in respect of environmental safeguard measures taken and also stating amongst other details, the following: A number of letters were exchanged between the MOWR and MOEF and a great deal of discussion took place both in the Environment Sub-Group and NCA as to whether an application for extension of time as above is at all necessary. After a detailed discussion in the last NCA meeting on 25th July, 1992, it has been decided that NCA should clearly indicate the additional time required for the completion of the remaining studies like flora and fauna and some aspects of fisheries and a revised action plan based thereon be also sent expeditiously. Keeping in view the fact and circumstances mentioned above, I request you to kindly agree to the schedule of the studies and the follow up actions as presented here. A brief account of the action plan together with bar charts are enclosed, presenting a pictorial view. On 15th December, 1992, a letter was written to the Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, more particularly stating as under, amongst other things: The Narmada Control Authority has already prepared an action plan and status on the environmental measures of Sardar Sarovar Project and submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Forests vide their letter No. NCA/EM/683 dated 11.8.1992 for concurrence. As may be seen from their report on action, so far there is no safeguard measures. During field season of every year this will be closely reviewed to attain pari passu objectives so that the submergence during monsoon is taken care of. The above actions are scheduled to be completed by June, 1993. No doubt, action in Maharashtra is lagging. The matter was taken up with the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra. A copy of his reply dated 7.11.1992 is enclosed. You will observe that the reasons for the lag are largely due to the un-cooperative and agitational approach adopted by some people. Taking all these into account, you will appreciate that the action plans are adequate. The Minister for Water Resources, Government of India wrote a letter on 27th January, 1993 to the Minister of State for Environment and Forests stating that there had been no violation of environmental safeguard measurers. On 7th July, 1993, the Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India wrote a letter to the Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, more particularly stating as under: Progress of all the environmental works is summarised in the sheet enclosed herewith. I share your concern for initial delay in some of the studies but now it seems that the work has started in full swing. However, there is a need to keep a close watch and I am advising the NCA for the same. By letter dated 17lth September, 1993, the Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Government of India wrote to the Minister for Water Resources, Government of India appreciating the efforts made by the concerned State Governments in making the environmental plans. The exchange of the aforesaid correspondence and the conduct of various meetings of the Environment Sub-group from time to time under the Chairmanship of the Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, disspells the doubt of the environment clearance having been lapsed. In other words, there could not have been any question of the environmental clearance granted to SSP being lapsed more particularly when the Environment Sub-group had been consistently monitoring the progress of various environmental works and had been observing in its minutes of various meetings held from time to time, about its analysis of the works done by the respective States in the matter of the status of studies, surveys and environmental action plans in relation with: phased catchment area treatment; command area development; survey of flora, fauna etc. archeological and anthropological survey; seismicity and rim stability of reservoir health aspects and fisheries development of SSP and NSP reservoirs. Sh. Shanti Bhushan in the course of his submissions referred to the report of the Morse Committee in support of his contentions that the project was flawed in more ways than one. The Morse Committee was constituted, as already noted, by the World Bank. Its recommendations were forwarded to the World Bank. Apart from the Criticism of this report from other quarters, the World Bank itself, did not accept this report as is evident from its press release dated 22nd June, 1992 where it was, inter alia, stated as follows: The Morse Commission provided a draft of its report to the Bank for management comments several weeks prior to the final release of the document. About two weeks before this release, the commission provided a draft of its findings and recommendations. The final version of the report is the sole responsibility of its authors; the report was not cleared by the World Bank. On resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R), Bank management agrees with the description of the R&R situation in each of the three states and with the reports conclusions about the shortcomings in the preparation and appraisal of the projects R&R aspects. We also agree that work should have been done earlier on the issue of people affected by the canal in Gujarat. However, we do not share the view that resettlement would be virtually impossible even if Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh adopted the liberal resettlement package provided for displaced people by the State of Gujarat. Given the experience so far, and the fact that most of the impact of submergence on people will not occur until 1997, there is still time to develop meaningful R&R packages and programs in consultation with the affected peoples. Efforts are being intensified to achieve this. On environment, bank management agrees with the independent review on the need for a more effective central management in the Narmada Basin on environment impact studies and mitigation programms. Management also agrees on the need to accelerate work on estuary studies and health maters in Gujarat. However, management does not share the reviews conclusions about the environmental severity of the study delays. Command area issues are being addressed, including issues of water logging and salinity. On water availability (hydrology), Bank Management disagrees with the finding that there is insufficient impoundment of water upstream of the Sardar Sarovar Dam site to make the irrigation system work as designed. The Government of India vide its letter dated 7th August, 1992 from the Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests did not accept the report and commented adversely on it. In view of the above, we do not propose, while considering the petitioners contentions, to place any reliance on the report of Morse Committee. It was submitted on behalf of the petitioners that the command area development was an important aspect as the benefits of the project depended on this and if proper studies and plans were not done and not implemented, the very areas that were supposed to benefit will end up being rendered unfit for cultivation and the water logging and salinisation could refer vast areas of the command unproductive. It was also submitted that still there was no integrated command area environmental impact assessment. After referring to the status reports and studies regarding the command area development, it was submitted that there was need for some independent agency to examine the various studies, action plans and the experience and to see whether there was ground to believe that the proposed measures will work or not. It was contended that master plan for drainage and command area development was still not in place and even the full studies had not been done. While refuting the aforesaid contentions it was argued on behalf of learned counsel for the respondents that the SSP will provide irrigation water for a cultivable command area of 1.9 million hectares in Gujarat and 75,000 hectares in Rajasthan. The introduction of fresh water to the drought-prone areas of Gujarat will create obvious benefits for the farming communities. In order to safeguard these benefits, control and monitoring was suggested by the Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests and Chairman of the Environment Sub-group in the following areas from time to time: drainage, water logging and soil salinity; potential impact on flora and fauna; effects on public health; Pursuant thereto fifty in-depth studies had been carried out by the State Governments of Gujarat and Rajasthan and some of the studies were still in progress. One of the main objectives of carrying out these studies was to prevent excessive use of ground water and water-logging. There is no reason whatsoever as to why independent experts should be required to examine the quality, accuracy, recommendations and implementation of the studies carried out. The Narmada Control Authority and the Environmental Sub-group in particular have the advantage of having with them the studies which had been carried out and there is no reason to believe that they would not be able to handle any problem, if and when, it arises or to doubt the correctness of the studies made. It was submitted by Sh. Shanti Bhushan that the catchment area treatment programme was not to be done pari passu but was required to be completed before the impoundment. This contention was based on the terms of the letter dated 24th June, 1987 wherein conditional environmental clearance was granted, inter alia, on the condition that the catchment area treatment programme and rehabilitation plans be drawn so as to be completed ahead of reservoir filling. Admittedly, the impounding began in 1994 and the submission of Sh. Shanti Bhushan was that catchment area treatment programme had not been completed by them and, therefore, this very important condition had been grossly violated. Reference was also made to the Minutes of the Environmental Sub-group meetings to show that there had been slippage in catchment area treatment work. The clearance of June, 1987 required the work to be done pari passu with the construction of the dams and the filling of the reservoir. The area wherein the rainfall water is collected and drained into the river or reservoir is called catchment area and the catchment area treatment was essentially aimed at checking of soil erosion and minimising the silting in the reservoir within the immediate vicinity of the reservoir in the catchment area. The respondents had proceeded on the basis that the requirement in the letter of June, 1987 that catchment area treatment programme and rehabilitation plans be drawn up and completed ahead of reservoir filling would imply that the work was to be done pari passu, as far as catchment area treatment programme is concerned, with the filling of reservoir. Even though the filling of the reservoir started in 1994, the impoundment Award was much less than the catchment area treatment which had been affected. The status of compliance with respect to pari passu conditions indicated that in the year 1999, the reservoir level was 88.0 meter, the impoundment area was 6881 hectares (19%) and the area where catchment treatment had been carried out was 128230 hectares being 71.56% of the total work required to be done. The Minutes of the Environmental Sub-group as on 28th September, 1999 stated that catchment area treatment works were nearing completion in the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. Though, there was some slippage in Madhya Pradesh, however, overall works by and large were on schedule. This clearly showed that the monitoring of the catchment treatment plan was being done by the Environmental Sub-group quite effectively. With regard to compensatory afforestation it was contended by Sh. Shanti Bhushan that it was being carried out outside the project impact area. Further, it was submitted that the practice of using waste land or lesser quality land for compensatory afforestation means that the forest will be of lesser quality. Both of these together defeated the spirit of the compensatory afforestation. It was contended that the whole compensatory afforestation programme was needed to be looked at by independent While granting approval in 1987 to the submergence of forest land and/or diversion thereof for the SSP, the Ministry of Environment and Forests had laid down a condition that for every hectare of forest land submerged or diverted for construction of the project, there should be compensatory afforestation on one hectare of non-forest land plus reforestation on two hectare of degraded forest. According to the State of Gujarat, it had fully complied with the condition by raising afforestation in 4650 hectares of non-forest areas and 9300 hectares in degraded forest areas before 1995-96 against the impoundment area of 19%. The pari passu achievement of afforestation in Gujarat was stated to be 99.62%. If afforestation was taking place on waste land or lesser quality land, it did not necessarily follow, as was contended by the petitioners, that the forests would be of lesser quality or quantity. It was also contended on behalf of the petitioners that downstream impacts of the project would include not only destruction of downstream fisheries, one of the most important ones in Gujarat on which thousands of people are dependent but will also result in salt water ingress. The project, it was contended, will have grave impacts on the Narmada Estuary and unless the possible impacts were properly studied and made public and mitigation plans demonstrated with the requisite budget, one could not accept the claim that these matters were being looked into. The need to assess the problem was stated to be urgent as according to the petitioners rich fisheries downstream of the dam, including the famed Hilsa would be almost completely destroyed. The salinity ingress threatened the water supply and irrigation use of over 210 villages and towns and Bharuch city. All these would not only have serious economic and other impacts but would also directly destroy the livelihoods of at least 10000 fisher families. Again all these contentions were based on the Morse Committee Report which the World Bank and the Union of India had already rejected. That apart, according to the respondents, in 1992 Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited issued an approach paper on environmental impact assessment for the river reach downstream. This provided technical understanding of the likely hydrological changes and possible impact in relation thereto. It was further submitted by learned counsel for the respondents that the potential for environmental changes in the lower river and estuary had to be seen in the context of the long term development of the basin. The current stage was clearly beneficial. The three stages could be identified as follows: Stage 1 covers the period roughly from the completion of Sardar Sarovar Dam to the year 2015. Events occurring during this stage include (a) SSP Canal Command will have reached full development and requires diversion of some water, (b) the upstream demand will reach about 8 MAF and (c) the Narmada Sagar Dam will have been built and placed in operation. Stage 2 covers the period from 2015 and 2030 during which the demands upstream of SSP continue to grow and will reach about 12 MAF still below the volume of 18 MAF that Madhya Pradesh can take in a 75% year. Stage 3 covers the period upto and beyond full basin development. The report given by M/s. H.R. Wallingford in March, 1993 in respect of the down stream impacts of Sardar Sarovar Dam observes, inter alia, as under: The overall conclusion of the team undertaking the assessment described in this report is that there are no down steam impacts whose magnitude and effect are such as to cause doubts to be cast over the wisdom of proceeding with the Sardar Sarovar Projects provided that appropriate monitoring and mitigation measurers are applied. Much of this work is already in progress under the auspices of the NPG, SSNNL and NCA. The recommendations in this report are intended to provide a synthesis of their work and suggestions as to whether it might be modified to enhance its usefulness. The said M/s. H.R. Wallingford in the findings of 1995 stated as under: It is thought unlikely that any significant negative environmental impacts will occur over the next 30 years as a result of the project. Some possible adverse effects have been identified the main one being the effect of flood attenuation on Hilsa migration. These needs to be monitored and more studies undertaken to better understand the conditions which trigger spawning. Beneficial impacts in this period include reduced flooding and more reliable dry season flows as well as an overall improvement of the health and well being of the people to the reliable domestic water supply, improved nutrition and enhanced economic activity. The above report clearly demonstrates that the construction of dam would result into more regulated and perennial flow into the river with an overall beneficial impact. It is also evident that until all the dams are constructed upstream and the entire flow of river is harnessed, which is not likely in the foreseeable future, there is no question of adverse impact including the fishing activity and the petitioners assertions in this regard are ill-conceived. The area of submergence was stated to be rich in archaeological remains but it still remained to be studied. It was contended that there was danger of rich historical legacy being lost and even a small increase in the dam height would threaten to submerge many of the sites listed in the report of the Archaeological Survey of India. There were stated to be five monuments which would be affected at the dam height of 90 meter or above and no work was stated to have commenced to protect any of the five monuments. According to the State of Gujarat, the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 charged the Central and/or State Department of Archaeology with responsibility for the protection of important cultural sites. Under the Act, sites were classified into three categories as follows: Type 1: Monuments of national importance which are protected by the Central Government; Type 2 : monuments of religious or cultural importance which are protected by the State Government; and Type 3 : monuments which are neither Centrally nor State protected, but which are considered to be an important part of cultural heritage. Under the same law, authorities charged with the protection of the monuments are permitted to take suitable measures to ensure the preservation of any protected site under threat from decay, misuse or economic activity. In the case of Sardar Sarovar, where several sites may be submerged, the NDWT award stipulated that the entire cost of relocation and protection should be chargeable to Gujarat. Relocation work was to be supervised by the Department of Archaeology under the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. The three State Governments carried out a complete survey of cultural and religious sites within the submergence zone. The principle of these surveys was to list all Archaeological sites, identify and name any site under state protection and further identify sites of religious or cultural significance which, although not protected under national law, were of sufficient value to merit relocation. So far as the State of Gujarat is concerned the Department of Archaeology surveyed archeological sites in nineteen villages of submergence zone in Gujarat under the title of Archaeological Survey of Nineteen Villages in Gujarat submerged by Sardar Sarovar Reservoir, 1989. In addition to baseline studies on archaeological aspects, work had been carried out on the anthropological heritage of Narmada Basin, including examination of evidence of ancient dwellings and cultural artifacts. The principal studies in this behalf are described below: Anthropological Survey of India: Narmada Salvage Plan: The Narmada Salvage Plan contains detailed background data on palaeoanthropological, human ecological and other aspects of the Narmada Valley. By May, 1992, surface scanning of 17 sample villages coming under the submergence had been carried out and 424 specimens including ancient tools etc. had been collected. Anthropological Survey of India. Peoples of India: This project entailed a complete survey of 33 tribes of India including those of Narmada Basin. The study covered all aspects of tribal culture in India and was published in 61 volumes in 1992. Summary of current situation and progress, Government of Gujarat Survey of villages in submergence zone Complete for all items in the State Identification of cultural sites Complete for all items in the State Collection of data and documentation of sites Complete Selection of appropriate sites Complete Action Plan Complete It was further submitted on behalf of respondents that no centrally or state protected cultural sites were located in the submergence area of the project. In Gujarat, the Department of Archaeology concluded that the temples of Shoolpaneshwar and Hampheshwar were important monuments and should be moved to a higher level. Sites were selected for constructing new Shoolpaneshwar and Hampheshwar temples in consultation with temple trustees. Shoolpaneshwar had been relocated and reconstructured near Gora, about 15 Km downstream from the present location. Hampheshwar was also constructed at higher ground in consultation with the temple trustees and pranpratistha was also planned on 22nd to 24th April, 2000 i.e. before the temple was submerged. In relation to flora and fauna studies, it was contended by the petitioners that the studies had finished only recently and the action plans were awaited in many cases. In the meanwhile, extensive deforestation of the submergence zone had taken place, as also part of the area had been submerged, even as the studies have been on. It was also contended that the impact on some of these Wild Ass Sanctuary in Kutch would be very severe. The guidelines of the Ministry of Environment and Forests required that while seeking environmental clearance for the hydropower projects, surveys should be conducted so that the status of the flora and fauna present could be assessed. A condition of environmental clearance of 1987 as far as it related to flora and fauna was that the Narmada Control Authority would ensure in-depth studies on flora and fauna needed for implementation of environmental safeguard measurers. It is the case of the respondents that number of studies were carried out and reports submitted. It was observed that the submergence area and catchment area on the right bank of the proposed reservoir exhibited a highly degraded ecosystem which was in contract to the left bank area where there was fairly good forest cover which formed part of Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. With regard to the study of fauna, the said report indicated that a well-balanced and viable eco-system existed in the Shoolpaneshwar Sanctuary. Moreover, with the construction of dam, water availability and soil moisture will increase and support varieties of plants and animals. It was also contended on behalf of petitioners that the whole project will have serious impacts on health, both around the submergence area and in the command. The preventive aspects had not been given attention. There was no linkage between the studies and work. On behalf of State of Gujarat, it was contended that large number of studies had been carried out on the health profile of villagers including studies on water related diseases in SSP command area including the area downstream of the dam. The study of M.S. University in 1983 and other studies concluded that the most common diseases in the basin were Malaria, Scabies, Dysentery and Diarrhoea. Of these only a threat to Malaria needed to be of concern. The study concluded that the incidence of hygiene related diseases other than Malaria could be reduced by better water availability. The Gujarat Work Plan covered villages within 10 KMs radius of the reservoir including re-settled population and made provision for the monitoring, surveillance and control of Malaria. The principal features of the Gujarat Work Plan included establishment of a hospital at Kevadia near the dam site, strengthening of laboratory facility including establishment of mobile unit residual insecticidal spraying operations etc. This showed that the area of public health was in no way being neglected. The petitioner was also critical of the functioning of the Environmental Sub-group as it was contended that the claims of the studies and progress report were accepted at the face value and without verification. It was also contended that the Ministry of Environment and Forests had grossly abdicated its responsibility. This submission was based on the premise that clearance, which had been granted, had lapsed and the Ministry of Environment and Forests did not insist on the Ministry of Water Resources for its renewal and further more the Ministry of Environment and Forests had not taken any cognizance of the criticism about environmental aspects contained in the Morse Committee Report. Lastly the Five Member Group in its first report was critical in many respects and pointed out studies which had remained incomplete but no cognizance was taken by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The repeated abdication, it was submitted, of the responsibility by the Ministry of Environment and Forests indicated that it was not taking the whole issue with the seriousness it deserved. On behalf of the State of Gujarat, it was contended that various alleged dangers relating to environment as shown by the petitioners were mostly based on the recommendations of the Morse Committee Report and Five Member Group. While the report of Morse Committee does not require our attention, the same not having been accepted either by the World Bank or the Government of India. Para 4.5.2 of the report of Five Member Group which relates to creation of the Environment Sub-group commends its establishment, its observation about its powers is as follows: 4.5.2. It must be noted that the Environmental Sub-group is not a body which merely observes and reports, but watchdog body which can recommend even the stoppage of work if it feels dissatisfied with the progress on the environment front. The recommendations of the Environmental Sub-Group will have to be considered by the NCA, and if there is any difference of opinion at that level, it will have to be referred to the Review Committee, which has the Minister of Water and Environment and Forests as a member. It seems doubtful whether any more effective mechanism could have been devised or made to work within the framework of our existing political and administrative structures, particularly in the context of a federal system. Secretary (Environment & Forests) has, in fact, been given a special position in the NCA inasmuch as he can insist on matters being referred to the Review Committee and at the Review Committee the Minister of Environment and Forests forcefully plead the environmental cause; he can also make the environmental point of view heard at the highest level. If in spite of all these arrangements, the environmental point of view fails to be heard adequately, and if project construction tends to take an over-riding precedence, that is a reflection of the relative political importance of these two points of view in our system. This can be remedied only in the long term through perusation and education, and not immediately through institutional arrangements which run counter to the system. (Emphasis added) Apart from the fact that we are not convinced that construction of the dam will result in there being an adverse ecological impact there is no reason to conclude that the Environmental Sub-group is not functioning effectively. The group which is headed by the Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests is a high powered body whose work cannot be belittled merely on the basis of conjectures or surmises. Sh. Shanti Bhushan, learned Senior Counsel while relying upon A.P. Pollution Control Board Vs. Professor M.V. Mayadu (1999) 2 SCC 718 submitted that in cases pertaining to environment, the onus of proof is on the person who wants to change the status quo and, therefore, it is for the respondents to satisfy the Court that there will be no environmental degradation. In A.P. Pollution Control Boards case this Court was dealing with the case where an application was submitted by a company to the Pollution Control Board for permission to set up an industry for production of BSS Castor Oil Derivatives. Though later on a letter of intent had been received by the said company, the Pollution Control Board did not give its no- objection certificate to the location of the industry at the site proposed by it. The Pollution Control Board, while rejecting the application for consent, inter alia, stated that the unit was a polluting industry which fell under the red category of polluting industry and it would not be desirable to locate such an industry in the catchment area of Himayat Sagar, a lake in Andhra Pradesh. The appeal filed by the company against the decision of the Pollution Board was accepted by the appellate authority. A writ petition was filed in the nature of public interest litigation and also by the Gram Panchayat challenging the order of the appellate authority but the same was dismissed by the High Court. On the other hand, the writ petition filed by the company was allowed and the High Court directed the Pollution Board to grant consent subject to such conditions as may be imposed by it. It is this decision which was the subject-matter of challenge in this Court. After referring to the different concepts in relation to environmental cases like the precautionary principle and the polluter-pays principle, this Court relied upon the earlier decision of this Court in Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum Vs. Union of India (1996) 5 SCC 647 and observed that there was a new concept which places the burden of proof on the developer or industrialist who is proposing to alter the status quo and has become part of our environmental law. It was noticed that inadequacies of science had led to the precautionary principle and the said precautionary principle in its turn had led to the special principle of burden of proof in environmental cases where burden as to the absence of injurious effect of the actions proposed is placed on those who want to change the status quo. At page 735, this Court, while relying upon a report of the International Law Commission, observed as follows: The precautionary principle suggests that where there is an identifiable risk of serious or irreversible harm, including, for example, extinction of species, widespread toxic pollution is major threats to essential ecological processes, it may be appropriate to place the burden of proof on the person or entity proposing the activity that is potentially harmful to the environment. It appears to us that the precautionary principle and the corresponding burden of proof on the person who wants to change the status quo will ordinarily apply in a case of pulluting or other project or industry where the extent of damage likely to be inflicted is not known. When there is a state of uncertainty due to lack of data or material about the extent of damage or pollution likely to be caused then, in order to maintain the ecology balance, the burden of proof that the said balance will be maintained must necessarily be on the industry or the unit which is likely to cause pollution. On the other hand where the effect on ecology or environment of setting up of an industry is known, what has to be seen is that if the environment is likely to suffer, then what mitigative steps can be taken to off set the same. Merely because there will be a change is no reason to presume that there will be ecological disaster. It is when the effect of the project is known then the principle of sustainable development would come into play which will ensure that mitigative steps are and can be taken to preserve the ecological balance. Sustainable development means what type or extent of development can take place which can be sustained by nature/ecology with or without mitigation. In the present case we are not concerned with the polluting industry which is being established. What is being constructed is a large dam. The dam is neither a nuclear establishment nor a polluting industry. The construction of a dam undoubtedly would result in the change of environment but it will not be correct to presume that the construction of a large dam like the Sardar Sarovar will result in ecological disaster. India has an experience of over 40 years in the construction of dams. The experience does not show that construction of a large dam is not cost effective or leads to ecological or environmental degradation. On the contrary there has been ecological upgradation with the construction of large dams. What is the impact on environment with the construction of a dam is well-known in India and, therefore, the decision in A.P. Pollution Control Boards case (supra) will have no application in the present case. Reference was made by Sh. Shanti Bhushan to the decision of the United States District Court in the case of Sierra Club et. V. Robert F. Froehlke [350bF.Supp.1280(1973)]. In that case work had begun on Wallisville Project which, inter alia, consisted of a construction of a low dam. It was the case of the plaintiff that the construction of the project would destroy hundreds of thousands of trees and enormous grain, fish and other wild life will lose their habitat and perish. It was contended that the defendants were proceeding in violation of law by not complying with the requirements of National Environmental Policy Act, 1969, [NEPA]. Plaintiff, inter alia, sought an injunction for restraining the undertaking of the project in violation of the said Act. The District Court held that notwithstanding the substantial amount of work had already been done in connection with the project but the failure to satisfy full disclosure requirement of NEPA injunction would be issued to halt any further construction until requirements of NEPA had been complied with, that even though there was no Act like NEPA in India at the time when environmental clearance was granted in 1987, nevertheless by virtue of Stockholm Convention and Article 21 of the Constitution the principles of Sierra Club decision should be applied. In India notification had been issued under Section 3 of the Environmental Act regarding prior environmental clearance in the case of undertaking of projects and setting up of industries including Inter-State River Project. This notification has been made effective from 1994. There was, at the time when the environmental clearance was granted in 1987, no obligation to obtain any statutory clearance. The environmental clearance which was granted in 1987 was essentially administrative in nature, having regard and concern of the environment in the region. Change in environment does not per se violate any right under Article 21 of the Constitution of India especially when ameliorative steps are taken not only to preserve but to improve ecology and environment and in case of displacement, prior relief and rehabilitation measures take place pari passu with the construction of the dam. At the time when the environmental clearance was granted by the Prime Minister whatever studies were available were taken into consideration. It was known that the construction of the dam would result in submergence and the consequent effect which the reservoir will have on the ecology of the surrounding areas was also known. Various studies relating to environmental impact, some of which have been referred to earlier in this judgment, had been carried out. There are different facets of environment and if in respect of a few of them adequate data was not available it does not mean that the decision taken to grant environmental clearance was in any way vitiated. The clearance required further studies to be undertaken and we are satisfied that this has been and is being done. Care for environment is an on going process and the system in place would ensure that ameliorative steps are taken to counter the adverse effect, if any, on the environment with the construction of the dam. Our attention was also drawn to the case of Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hiram G. Hill [437 US 153, 57 L Ed 2d 117, 98 S Ct 2279] where the Tennessee Valley Authority had begun construction of the Tellico Dam and reservoir project on a stretch of Little Tennessee River. While major portion of the dam had been constructed the Endangered Species Act 1973 was enacted wherein a small fish popularly known as the Snail darter was declared an endangered species. Environmental groups brought an action in the United States District Court for restraining impounding of the reservoir on the ground that such an action would violate the Endangered Species Act by causing the snail darter extinction. The District Court refused injunction but the same was granted by the United States Court of Appeal. On further appeal the US Supreme Court held that the Endangered Species Act prohibited the authority for further impounding the river. The said decision has no application in the present case because there is no such act like the Endangered Species Act in India or a declaration similar to the one which was issued by the Secretary of the Interior under that Act. What is, however, more important is that it has not been shown that any endangered species exists in the area of impoundment. In Tennessee Valley Authority case it was an accepted position that the continued existence of snail darter which was an endangered species would be completely jeopardised. Two other decisions were referred to by Sh. Shanti Bhushan Arlington Coalition on Transportation v. John A. Volpe [458 F.2d 1323 (1972)] and Environmental Defense Fund, Inc. v Corps of Engineers of United States Army [325 F.Supp.749 (1971)]. In both these decisions it was decided that the NEPA would be applicable even in case of a project which had commenced prior to the coming into force of the said Act but which had not been completed. In such cases there was a requirement to comply with the provisions of NEPA as already noticed earlier. The notification under Section 3 of the Environment Protection Act cannot be regarded as having any retrospective effect. The said notification dated 27th January 1994, inter alia, provides as follows: Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) and clause (v) of sub- section (2) of Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986) read with clause (d) of sub-rule (3) of rule 5 of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, the Central Government hereby directs that on and from the date of publication of this notification in the Official Gazette expansion or modernization of any activity (if pollution load is to exceed the existing one) or a new project listed in Schedule I to this notification, shall not be undertaken in any part of India unless it has been accorded environmental clearance by the Central Government in accordance with the procedure hereinafter specified in this notification. This notification is clearly prospective and inter alia prohibits the undertaking of a new project listed in Schedule I without prior environmental clearance of the Central Government in accordance with the procedure now specified. In the present case clearance was given by the Central Government in 1987 and at that time no procedure was prescribed by any statute, rule or regulation. The procedure now provided in 1994 for getting prior clearance cannot apply retrospectively to the project whose construction commenced nearly eight years prior thereto. RELIEF AND REHABILITATION It is contended by the petitioner that as a result of construction of dam over 41,000 families will be affected in three States spread over 245 villages. The number of families have increased from 7000 families assessed by the Tribunal. It was further contended that the submergence area can be broadly divided into two areas, fully tribal area which covers the initial reach of about 100 or so villages which are almost 100 % tribal and hilly. These include all the 33 villages of Maharashtra, all 19 of Gujarat and many of the Madhya Pradesh. The second part of the submergence area is the mixed population area on the Nimad plains with a very well developed economy that is well connected to the mainstream. While the tribal areas are stated to be having a rich and diverse resource base and the self sufficient economy, the lack of so-called modern amenities like roads, hospitals and schools are far more a reflection of the neglect and disregard by the Government over the last fifty years than on anything else. Of the 193 villages stated to be affected by Sardar Savorar submergence 140 lie in the Nimad plains. The population of these villages are a mixture of caste and tribal and these villages have all the facilities like schools, post offices, bus service etc. It was contended that whereas the project authorities talk only about the families affected by submergence, none of the other families affected by the project are considered as PAFs nor has any rehabilitation package been designed for them. These non-recognised categories for whom no rehabilitation package is given are stated to be those persons living in submergence area who are not farmers but are engaged in other occupation like petty traders, village shop-keepers who are to be affected by submergence; colony affected people whose lands were taken in 1960 to build the project colony, warehouses etc.; canal affected people who would be losing 25 per cent of their holdings because of the construction of the canals; drainage affected people whose lands will be acquired for drainage; 10,000 fishing families living downstream whose livelihood will be affected; lands of the tribals whose catchment treatment area has been carried out; persons who are going to be affected by the expansion Shoolopaneshwar Sanctuary; persons going to be affected by Narmada Sagar Project and Garudeshwar Weir. It was contended that there was an urgent need to assess comprehensively the totality of the impact and prepare category specific rehabilitation policies for all of them. It was also submitted that the total number of affected families in all the three States as per the Master Plan prepared by the Narmada Control Authority is 40727. According to the petitioner, however, this figure is an under-estimate and the estimate of the land required for these PAFs is also on a much lower side. The basis for making this submission is: 1] In each village there are many persons left out of the Government list of declared PAFs. These are joint holders [non recognised as landed oustees or PAFs] and the adult sons. 2] Incorrect surveys have been conducted and the affected persons have serious apprehensions about the validity of the surveys since at many places the level markings are suspect, in many cases the people affected at higher levels have been given notices for lower levels, many others at the same levels have been left out and so on. It is also alleged that there have been short-comings in the policies and if they are corrected many more oustees will be entitled to PAFs status. Further more the cut off date for PAFs in Madhya Pradesh including adult son is linked to the date of issuance of notification. Since land acquisition process is still incomplete the number of adult sons entitled to land would increase with the issuance of fresh Section 4 Notification. From the aforesaid it was contended that the total impact in terms of number of oustees as well as land entitlement will be much larger than what is considered in the Master Plan. It is also submitted that there was major lacunae in the said policy like the three States having dissimilar policy for R&R. This difference in rehabilitation packages of different States, with the package of Gujarat being more favourable, is leading to a situation where the oustees are forced to shift to Gujarat. The other lacunae which are stated to have many serious problems are alleged to be non provision for fuelwood and grazing land with fodder. No provision for rehabilitation of people involved in non- agricultural occupation. According to the petitioner the number of affected people even by submergence have been underestimated. The policy regime governing them has many serious lacunae. The increase in the numbers is due to lack of proper surveys and planning and the provision of just and due entitlements to the PAFs. Since this process of providing just entitlements is still incomplete, and the policies need a thorough review, the numbers and entitlements are likely to go up further. Even the magnitude of the task of R&R cannot be assessed properly till the above are considered and proper policies introduced. It is also contended that before embarking on the Sardar Sarovar Project it was necessary that the Master Plan for rehabilitation of the families to be affected is completed. According to the petitioner the Master Plan which was submitted in the Court cannot be regarded as an acceptable Master Plan inasmuch as it has no mention of people affected by Sardar Sarovar project other than those affected by submergence and it has no estimate of resource base of the oustees in their original village. Further the plan makes no estimation of the forest land, grazing land and resources being used by the oustees. The Master Plan persists with the discriminatory and differential policies which are less than just to the oustees. There is also no planning for community resettlement even though the Award of the Narmada Tribunal made detailed provision regarding rehabilitation of the oustees which required that there should be village wise community rehabilitation. In support of this contention reliance is placed on the following stipulation for rehabilitation contained in the Award of the Narmada Tribunal That Gujarat shall establish rehabilitation villages in Gujarat in the irrigation command of the SSP on the norms hereafter mentioned for rehabilitation of the families who are willing to migrate to Gujarat. The submission is that no specific rehabilitation village, as envisaged by the Tribunals Award, has been established in Gujarat. The issue of community re-settlement is stated to be not merely an issue of community facility but is a more fundamental issue. The issue is really one of preserving social fabric and community relation of the oustees which, it is alleged, is being destroyed due to dispersal of the community who are being resettled at different sites. Dealing with the situation of those oustees who have been resettled in Gujarat it is submitted by the petitioner that there are large number of grievances of the said outstees in 35 re-settlement sites. With the passage of time the number of problems overall would become much more, is the contention. The petitioner finds fault with the quality of land which has been given in Gujarat to the oustees contending that large number of oustees have been given land outside the command area of irrigation and in some re-settlement sites there is a serious water-logging problem. It also contends that though some amenities have been provided but they are not adequate. It is also the case of the petitioner that sufficient land for re- settlement of the oustees from Madhya Pradesh is not available in Gujarat despite the claim of the State of Gujarat to the contrary. With regard to Maharashtra it is contended by the petitioner that the official figure of the total number of PAFs affected in Maharashtra is not correct and the number is likely to be more than 3113 PAFs estimated by the State of Maharashtra. Further-more adequate land of desired quality has not been made available for resettlement till 90 mtr. and even thereafter. Reference is made to the affidavit of the State of Maharashtra in which it is stated that it proposes to ask for the release of 1500 hectares of forest land for re-settlement and the submission on behalf of the petitioner is that release of such land shall be in violation of Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and is not in public interest for forest cover will be further depleted. With regard to the State of Madhya Pradesh it is submitted that as per the award the PAFs have a right to choose whether to go to Gujarat or to stay in the home State. The State of Madhya Pradesh is stated to have planned the whole re-settlement based on the assumption that overwhelming proportion of oustees entitled to land will go to Gujarat yet even for the limited number of oustees who are likely to stay in Madhya pradesh the submission is that no land is available. The petitioner also disputes the averment of the State of Madhya Pradesh that the oustees have been given a choice as to whether they would like to go to Gujarat or stay in the home State. According to the petitioner the majority of the oustees would prefer to stay in the home State that is Madhya Pradesh but sufficient land for their resettlement in Madhya Pradesh is not available. According to the petitioner the State of Madhya Pradesh has stated that it does not have land for any PAFs above 830 and even for 830 PAFs the land is not available. It is also submitted that the Madhya Pradesh Government cannot wriggle out of its responsibility to provide land for the oustees by offering them cash compensation. The petitioner finds fault with the effort of the State of Madhya Pradesh to push the oustees to Gujarat whose rehabilitation scheme is more attractive and beneficial than that of Madhya Pradesh. The petitioner further contends that one of the fundamental principle laid down is that all the arrangements and resettlement of the oustees should be made one year in advance of submersion. In B.D. Sharma Vs. Union of Indias case this Court has held that resettlement and rehabilitation has to be done at least six months in advance of submersion, complete in all respects. It is, therefore, contended that since offers to the Madhya Pradesh oustees affected at 90 mtr. to be settled in Madhya Pradesh has not been made, there cannot be any question of further construction till one year after the resettlement of these PAFs at 90 mtr. The petitioner is also critical of the functioning of the R&R Sub-group and it is contended that the said Sub-group has not taken any cognizance of the various issues and problems enumerated by the petitioner. It is submitted that in assuring that the relief and rehabilitation arrangements are being done the said R&R Sub-group merely accepts the assertions of the Government rather than verifying the claims independently. There is also a complaint regarding the manner in which the R&R Committee takes decision on the spot when it makes frequent visits. It is contended that the decisions which are taken in an effort to solve the grievances of the oustees is done in the most insensitive way. The R&R Sub-group, it is contended, is an official agency of the Government itself being a Sub-group of the NCA, which is pushing the project ahead and the question raised by the petitioner is as to how can the same body which is building a project and executing the R&R be also monitoring it. It is a case of the petitioners that there is a need for independent monitoring agency in the three States who should be asked to monitor the R&R of the oustees and see to the compliance with the NDWT award. No construction should be permitted to be undertaken without clearance from this authority. Lastly it is contended that large number of grievances are persisting even after twenty years and the pace of resettlement has been slow. The petitioner seems to have contended that the relief and rehabilitation can be manageable only if the height of the dam is significantly lessened which will reduce submersion and displacement of In order to consider the challenge to the execution of the project with reference to Relief and Rehabilitation it is essential to see as to what is the extent and the nature of submergence. The Sardar Sarovar Reservoir level at 455 ft. would affect 193 villages in Madhya Pradesh, 33 villages in Maharashtra and 19 villages in Gujarat. The submergence villages are situated on the banks of river Narmada having gentle to steep slopes of the Satpura hills. A village is considered affected even when the water level touches the farm/hut at lowest level. It may be noted that only 4 villages (3 villages in Gujarat and 1 village in Madhya Pradesh) are getting submerged fully and the rest 241 villages are getting affected partially. The state-wise land coming under submergence (category-wise) is given below: (In(In Hectares) S Type of land GUJARAT MAHARASHTRA MADHYA PRADESH TOTAL Forest Land 4166 Other land including river bed Total land 7112 The aforesaid table shows that as much as 12869 hectares of the affected land is other than agricultural and forest and includes the river bed area. When compared to other similar major projects, the Sardar Sarovar Project has the least ratio of submergence to the area benefited (1.97% only). The ratio of some of the existing schemes is as much as 25% as can be seen from the table below: No. Name of Project State Benefite d Area (in ha) Subme rgence Area (in ha) Irrigation benefit per ha. Submergence Percentag e of area submerge d to area irrigated 1 Hirakud Orissa 251150 Shriram- sagar Andhra Gandhisa gar Madhya Pradesh 503200 Paithan Maharasht ra Tungbha dra Karnataka 372000 Pench Maharasht ra -sagar Andhra Pradesh 895000 Bhakra Himachal Pradesh 676000 Sardar Sarovar Gujarat 1903500 Countering the assertion that the construction of the dam would result in large scale relocation and uprooting of tribals, the factual position seems to be that the tribals constitute bulk of PAFs in Gujarat and Maharasthra, namely, 97% and 100% respectively. In the case of Madhya Pradesh, the tribals PAFs are only 30% while 70% are non-tribals. The tribals who are affected are in indigent circumstances and who have been deprived of modern fruits of development such as tap water, education, road, electricity, convenient medical facilities etc. The majority of the project affected families are involved in rain-fed agricultural activities for their own sustenance. There is partial employment in forestry sector. Since the area is hilly with difficult terrain, they are wholly dependent on vagaries of monsoon and normally only a single crop is raised by them. Out of the PAFs of Madhya Pradesh who have re-settled in Gujarat, more than 70% are tribal families. Majority of the total tribal PAFs are stated to have already been re-settled in Gujarat after having exercised their option. It is the contention of the State of Gujarat that the tribals in large number have responded positively to the re-settlement package offered by that state. In Madhya Pradesh, the agricultural lands of the tribal villages are affected on an average to the extent of 28% whereas in the upper reaches i.e. Nimad where the agriculture is advanced, the extent of submergence, on an average, is only 8.5%. The surveys conducted by HMS Gour University (Sagar) the Monitoring and Evaluation Agency, set up by Government of Madhya Pradesh, reveals that the major resistance to relocation is from the richer, non-tribal families of Nimad who fear shortage of agricultural labour if the landless labourers from the areas accept re- settlement. The displacement of the people due to major river valley projects has occurred in both developed and developing countries. In the past, there was no definite policy for rehabilitation of displaced persons associated with the river valley projects in India. There were certain project specific programmes for implementation on temporary basis. For the land acquired, compensation under the provisions of Land Acquisition Act, 1894 used to be given to the project affected families. This payment in cash did not result in satisfactory resettlement of the displaced families. Realising the difficulties of displaced persons, the requirement of relief and rehabilitation of PAFs in the case of Sardar Sarovr Project was considered by the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal and the decision and final order of the Tribunal given in 1979 contains detailed directions in regard to acquisition of land and properties, provision for land, house plots and civic amenities for the re- settlement and rehabilitation of the affected families. The re-settlement policy has thus emerged and developed along with Sardar Sarovar Project. The Award provides that every displaced family, whose more than 25% of agricultural land holding is acquired, shall be entitled to and be allotted irrigable land of its choice to the extent of land acquired subject to the prescribed ceiling of the State concerned with a minimum of two hectares land. Apart from this land based rehabilitation policy, the Award further provides that each project affected persons will be allotted a house plot free of cost and re-settlement and rehabilitation grant. The civic amenities required by the Award to be provided at places of re-settlement include one primary school for every 100 families, one Panchayat Ghar, one dispensary, one seed store, one childrens park, one village pond and one religious place of worship for every 500 families, one drinking water well with trough and one tree platform for very 50 families; approach road linking each colony to main road; electrification; water supply, sanitary arrangement etc. The State Governments have liberalised the policies with regard to re-settlement and have offered packages more than what was provided for in the Award e.g the Governments of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat have extended the R&R benefits through their liberalised policies even to the encroachers, landless/displaced persons, joint holders, Tapu land (Island) holders and major sons (18 years old) of all categories of affected persons. The Government of Maharasthra has decided to allot one hectare of agricultural land free of cost even to unmarried major daughters of all categories of PAFs. In the environmental clearance granted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests vide its letter dated 24th June, 1987, one of the conditions stipulated therein was for information from the project authorities on various action plans including Rehabilitation Master Plan of 1989. It is the contention of the petitioners that the failure to prepare a Master Plan constitutes non-compliance with the requirement of the Tribunals Award as well as environmental clearance. The Tribunals Award does not use the expression Master Plan but as per clause XI Sub- clause IV(2)(iii), what is required, is as under: The three States by mutual consultation shall determine within two years of the decision of the Tribunal, the number and general location of rehabilitation villages required to be established by Gujarat in its own territory. It is with regard to this clause in the Award that, presumably, the aforesaid letter of 24th June, 1987 granting environmental clearance required the preparation of the new Master Plan. In 1988 when the project was first cleared by the Planning Commission from investment angle, it was estimated that 12180 families would be affected in three States. Based on these numbers, the State Governments independently prepared their action plans and announced their R&R policy based on Tribunals Award. On the basis of the said action plans the Narmada Control Authority submitted Rehabilitation Master Plan to the Ministry of Environment and Forests along with its letter dated ¾.5.1989. Out of the total population, which is affected by the submergence, large number are tribals and hence attention was paid by the State Governments to liberalise their policies for protecting the socio- economic and cultural milieu and to extend the R&R benefits even to other categories of persons who were not covered by the Tribunals Award. This led to the liberalisation of the R&R packages by the three States which packages have been referred to hereinabove. As a result of the liberalisation of the packages, the number of PAFs as estimated in 1992 by the State Governments were 30144. Based on the material available, the three State Governments prepared individual action plans in 1993 but those action plans were integrated by the Narmada Control Authority first in 1993 and again in 1995 as an integrated Master Plan to present a holistic picture of the R&R programme. The Master Plan deals with socio-economic and cultural milieu of PAFs, the legal framework, R&R policy and procedures, implementation machinery, organisation for R&R, monitoring and evaluation, empowerment of women and youth, special care for vulnerable groups, financial plans for R&R etc. As per the 1990 Master Plan the total PAFs have increased to 40227 from 30144 due to addition of 100 more genuine PAFs in Maharashtra. This Master Plan includes village-wise, category-wise PAFs and their preference in R&R to settle in home State or in Gujarat. The reason for increase in number of PAFs has been explained in the Master Plan and the reasons given, inter alia, are: After CWC prepared backwater level data, the number of PAFs in Madhya Pradesh (MP) increased by 12000 PAFs as their houses are affected in a 1 in 100 years flood. Government of Gujarat (GOG) included major sons of the dyke villages as PAFs. Cut off date for major sons was extended by GOG and Government of Maharashtra (GOM). PAFs affected in MP, have increased due to delay in publication of Section 4 notification under the Land Acquisition Act. Persons socially or physically cut off due to impounding of water in reservoir, are also considered as PAFs by all the three States. All the three States decided to consider encroachers as PAFs. Major unmarried daughters in Maharashtra are considered as a separate family by Government of Maharashtra. Some genuine PAFs were earlier left out (as many stayed in remote areas or used to undertake seasonal migration to towns and developed areas in search of casual work). As far as the State of Gujarat is concerned, its contention is that the task of R&R is not impossible as recognised by the FMG-I in its 1994 report and according to the State, it is fully ready and prepared to re-settle in Gujarat all the PAFs upto FRL 455 ft. On 13th November, 1996, a meeting of the Review Committee of the Narmada Control Authority chaired by the Union Minister of Water Resources was held. This meeting was attended by the Chief Ministers of all the States including Rajasthan and representatives of Ministry of Environment and Forests, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. In the meeting it was unanimously decided that the reviews of the implementation of re-settlement and rehabilitation measures will be undertaken for every five meter height of the dam jointly by the concerned R&R Sub-group and Environmental Sub-group so that work could progress pari passu with the implementation measurers. In its meeting held on 6th January, 1999, R&R Sub-Group of Narmada Control Authority observed that arrangements made by the States for R&R of the balance families pertaining to the dam height EL 90 meter were adequate and a meeting of the party States should be convened shortly to finalise the action plan. Pursuant thereto a special Inter-State Meeting was convened under the chairmanship of the Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on 21st January, 1999 at New Delhi and action plan for re-settlement and rehabilitation for balanced families of dam height EL 90 meter was finalised for implementation by the States. It is the case of the State of Gujarat that it had issued notices and made offers in January, 1998 to PAFs affected at RL 90 meter in connection with the selection of land and their re-settlement in Gujarat. According to it, even in respect of PAFs affected at RL 95 meter, notices were issued in January, 1999 and to the PAFs included in the subsequent list, notices were issued in September 1999. The process of land selection by PAFs who had opted to resettle in Gujarat at RL 95 meter was already started. According to the Union of India, the Master Plan was under implementation and the progress of R&R at various elevations of dam viz. EL 90 meter, EL 95 meter, EL 110 meter and FRL 138.68 meter has been made. The measures which have been implemented for sustainable development with regard to preserving the socio-cultural environment of the displaced persons in the States of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are stated to be as follows: ? Three choices to the people for the selection of relocation sites. ? Integration of the displaced person with the neighbouring villages by organising medical check-up camps, animal husbandry camps, festivals, eye camps, rural development seminar for village ? Establishment of rehabilitation committees at different levels. ? Respect of traditional beliefs, rituals and rights at the starting of house construction, the day and time of leaving the old house and village and the day and time of occupying the new house etc. ? The sacred places at the native villages are being recreated along with their settlements at new sites. ? Installation of all the religious deities with the due consultation of religious heads. ? Promotion of cultural milieu viz. Social festivals, religious rights, rights of passage, presence of priests, shaman, kinsmen, ? Special consideration for the preservation of holistic nature of the culture. ? Proper use of built-in-mechanism of cultural heritage of the displaced persons. ? Launching of culturally appropriate development plan. ? Genuine representation of the traditional leader. The Tribunal had already made provision of various civic amenities which were further liberalised by the State Governments during implementation. The existing development programmes were strengthened for ensuring sustainable development at the rehabilitation sites. These were Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) for agriculture, business and village industries; Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) for nutrition, health and education; Jawahar Rojgar Yojna (JRY); aids for improved seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, animal husbandry; Training Rural Youth for self-employment (TRYSEM); Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS), Social Assistance; Industrial Training Institute (ITI); Tribal Development Programme (TDP), financial benefits to the backward classes, economically weaker sections, tribals and other backward classes (OBC), eye camps, subsidies to farmers (seed, tractorisation, fertilizsers, diesel, etc.) agricultural prices support subsidy etc. Other benefits which were extended for improving the quality of life of the re-settled PAFs included fodder farm, mobile sale, shop of fodder, seeds cultivation training, initial help in land preparation for agricultural activities, better seeds and fertilizers, access to finance, special programme for women in the traditional skills enterpreneurship development, employment skill formation, different plantation programmes, special emphasis for pasture management, environment awareness and education programme, programmes for bio-gas/smokeless chulhas, safe drinking water supply, electricity, lift irrigation, fertilizers kit distribution, gypsum treatment of soil etc. The project authorities in these three States of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra represented that comprehensive health care was available in tribal areas where the displaced families had been re-settled. It was contended that extensive preventive health measures like mass immunization, anti-malaria programme, family welfare programmes, child development schemes etc. had been undertaken. What is important is that primary health centres were established at relocation sites for all necessary health facilities to the PAFs. The submission on behalf of Union of India was that there was a well- established mechanism of Government of India for coordination and monitoring of Re-settlement & Rehabilitation (R&R) programmes in case of Sardar Sarovar Project. The R&R Sub-group and Rehabilitation Committee of Narmada Control Authority are responsible for applying its independent mind on R&R. The Sub-group convenes its meeting regularly to monitor and review the progress of R&R while Rehabilitation Committee visits the submergence areas/relocation sites to see whether the rehabilitation is taking place physically and to hear the individual problems of the PAPs. The R&R group, keeping in view the progress of relief and rehabilitation, has not permitted the height to be raised, until and unless it is satisfied that adequate satisfactory progress has been made with regard to R&R. Whereas at an earlier point of time in 1994, the construction schedule had required the minimum block level to be raised to 85 meters, the R&R Sub- group had permitted the same to be raised to EL 69 meter only during that period to match the R&R activity. It was in the meeting of R&R Sub-group on 6th January, 1999 after the R&R Sub-group had reviewed the progress and had satisfied itself that the land for re-settlement in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, which were available, was more than required for the re-settlement of the balanced PAFs that it cleared the construction upto the dam height EL 90 meters. The action plan for the same had been approved and is under implementation by the States concerned. The petitioners had contended that no proper surveys were carried out to determine the different categories of affected persons as the total number of affected persons had been shown at a much lower side and that many had been denied PAF status. From what is being stated hereinabove, it is clear that each State has drawn detailed action plan and it is after requisite study had been made that the number of PAFs have been identified. The number has substantially increased from what was estimated in the Tribunals Award. The reason for the same, as already noticed, is the liberalisation of the R&R packages by the State Governments. Except for a bald assertion, there appears to be no material on which this Court can come to the conclusion that no proper surveys had been carried out for determining the number of PAFs who would be adversely affected by the construction of the dam. Re-settlement and rehabilitation packages in the three States were different due to different geographical, local and economic conditions and availability of land in the States. The liberal packages available to the Sardar Sarovar Project oustees in Gujarat are not even available to the project affected people of other projects in Gujarat. It is incorrect to say that the difference in R&R packages, the package of Gujarat being the most liberal, amounts to restricting the choice of the oustees. Each State has its own package and the oustees have an option to select the one which was most attractive to them. A project affected family may, for instance, chose to leave its home State of Madhya Pradesh in order to avail the benefits of more generous package of the State of Gujarat while other PAFs similarly situated may opt to remain at home and take advantage of the less liberal package of the State of Madhya Pradesh. There is no requirement that the liberalisation of the packages by three States should be to the same extent and at the same time, the States cannot be faulted if the package which is offered, though not identical with each other, is more liberal than the one envisaged in the Tribunals Award. Dealing with the contention of the petitioners that there were large number of persons who were living in the submergence area and were not farmers and would lose their livelihood due to loss of the community and/or loss of the river and were not being properly rehabilitated, Mr. Harish Salve, learned Senior Counsel contended that this averment was not true. According to him, all the families in the 105 hilly tribal villages were agriculturists, cultivating either their own land or Government land and all of whom would be eligible for alternative agricultural land in Gujarat. Only a small number of non-agriculturists, mainly petty shopkeepers were found in these villages of tribal areas. In Gujarat there were 20 such non- agriculturists families out of a total of 4600 affected families and all of these had been re-settled as per their choice so that they could restart their business. In Maharashtra out of 3213 affected families, not a single family was stated to fall under this category. Amongst the affected families of Madhya Pradesh, the figure of such non-agriculturists family was also stated to be not more than couple of 100. In our opinion it is neither possible nor necessary to decide regarding the number of people likely to be so affected because all those who are entitled to be rehabilitated as per the Award will be provided with benefits of the package offered and chosen. With regard to the colony affected people whose 1380 acres of land was acquired in six villages for the construction of a colony, most of the landholders had continued to stay in their original houses and about 381 persons were stated to have been provided permanent employment in the project works. At the time, the land was acquired in 1962-63, compensation was paid and in addition thereto, the Government of Gujarat devised a special package in August, 1992 providing ex-gratia payment upto Rs. 36000.00 to the land losers for purchase of productive assets or land for those who had not received employment in the project. Dealing with the contention of the petitioners that there will be 23500 canal affected families and they should be treated at par to that of oustees in the submergence area, the respondents have broadly submitted that there is a basic difference in the impacts of the projects in the upstream submergence area and its impacts in the beneficiary zone of the command area. While people, who were oustees from the submergence zone, required re-settlement and rehabilitation, on the other hand, most of the people falling under the command area were in fact beneficiaries of the projects and their remaining land would now get relocated with the construction of the canal leading to greater agricultural output. We agree with this view and that is why, in the Award of the Tribunal, the State of Gujarat was not required to give to the canal affected people the same relief which was required to be given to the oustees of the submergence area. Dealing with the contention of the petitioners that the oustees were not offered a chance to re-settle in Gujarat as a community and that there was a clear requirement of village-wise communication rehabilitation which had not been complied with, the contention of the respondents was that no provision of Tribunals Award had been shown which caused any such obligation on the Government of Gujarat. What the Award of the Tribunal required is re-settlement of the PAFs in Gujarat at places where civic amenities like dispensary, schools, as already been referred to hereinabove, are available. Subsequent to the Tribunals Award, on the recommendation of the World Bank, the Government of Gujarat adopted the principle of re- settlement that the oustees shall be relocated as village units, village sections or families in accordance with the outstees preference. The oustees choice has actively guided the re-settlement process. The requirement in the Tribunals Award was that the Gujarat shall establish rehabilitation villages in Gujarat in the irrigation command of the Sardar Sarovar Project on the norms mentioned for rehabilitation of the families who were willing to migrate to Gujarat. This provision could not be interpreted to mean that the oustees families should be resettled as a homogeneous group in a village exclusively set up for each such group. The concept of community wise re-settlement, therefore, cannot derive support from the above quoted stipulation. Besides, the norms referred to in the stipulation relate to provisions for civic amenities. They vary as regards each civic amenity vis-à -vis the number of oustees families. Thus, one panchayat ghar, one dispensary, one childrens park, one seed store and one village pond is the norm for 500 families, one primary school (3 rooms ) for 100 families and a drinking water well with trough and one platform for every 50 families. The number of families to which the civic amenities were to be provided was thus not uniform and it was not possible to derive therefrom a standardised pattern for the establishment of a site which had nexus with the number of oustees families of a particular community or group to be resettled. These were not indicators envisaging re-settlement of the oustees families on the basis of tribes, sub-tribes, groups or sub-groups. While re-settlement as a group in accordance with the oustees preference was an important principle/objective, the other objectives were that the oustees should have improved or regained the standard of living that they were enjoying prior to their displacement and they should have been fully integrated in the community in which they were re-settled. These objectives were easily achievable if they were re-settled in the command area where the land was twice as productive as the affected land and where large chunks of land were readily available. This was what the Tribunals Award stipulated and one objective could not be seen in isolation of the other objectives. The Master Plan, 1995 of Narmada Control Authority also pointed out that “the Bhils, who are individualistic people building their houses away from one another, are getting socialised; they are learning to live together”. Looking to the preferences of the affected people to live as a community, the Government of Gujarat had basically relied on the affected families decision as to where they would like to relocate, instead of forcing them to relocate as per a fixed plan. The underlined principle in forming the R&R policy was not merely of providing land for PAFs but there was a conscious effort to improve the living conditions of the PAFs and to bring them into the mainstream. If one compares the living conditions of the PAFs in their submerging villages with the rehabilitation packages first provided by the Tribunals Award and then liberalised by the States, it is obvious that the PAFs had gained substantially after their re-settlement. It is for this reason that in the Action Plan of 1993 of the Government of Madhya Pradesh it was stated before this Court that therefore, the re-settlement and rehabilitation of people whose habitat and environment makes living difficult does not pose any problems and so the rehabilitation and re-settlement does not pose a threat to environment. In the affidavit of Dr. Asha Singh, Additional Director (Socio & CP), NVDA, as produced by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in respect of visit to R&R sites in Gujarat during 21st to 23rd February, 2000 for ascertaining the status relating to grievances and problems of Madhya Pradesh PAFs resettled in Gujarat, it was, inter alia, mentioned that the PAFs had informed that the land allotted to them is of good quality and they take the crops of Cotton, Jowar and Tuwar. They also stated that their status has improved from the time they had come to Gujarat but they want that water should start flowing in the canals as soon as possible and in that case they will be able to take three crops in one year as their land is in the command area. Whereas the conditions in the hamlets, where the tribals lived, were not good enough the rehabilitation package ensured more basic facilities and civic amenities to the re-settled oustees. Their children would have schools and childrens park, primary health centre would take care of their health and, of course, they would have electricity which was not a common feature in the tribal villages. Dealing with the contention of the petitioners that there was no provision for grazing land and fuel wood for the PAFs, it is rightly contended by the State of Gujarat that grazing land was not mandated or provided for in the Tribunals Award but nevertheless, the grazing land of six villages was available for use of PAFs. It may be that the grazing land was inadequate but this problem will be faced by the entire State of Gujarat and not making such land available for them does not in any way violate any of the provisions of the Award. With regard to providing irrigation facilities, most of the re-settlement of the project affected families were provided irrigation facilities in the Sardar Sarovar Project command area or in the command areas of other irrigation projects. In many of the out of command sites, irrigated lands were purchased. In cases where the irrigation facilities were not functioning, the Government of Gujarat had undertaken the work of digging tubewells in order to avoid any difficulty with regard to irrigation in respect of those oustees who did not have adequate irrigation facilities. It was contended that because of the delay in the construction of the project, the cut off date of 1stJanuary, 1987 for extending R&R facilities to major sons were not provided. The Tribunals Award had provided for land for major sons as on 16.8.1978. The Government of Gujarat, however, extended this benefit and offered rehabilitation package by fixing the cut off date of 1.1.1987 for granting benefits to major sons. According to the Tribunals Award, the sons who had become major one year prior to the issuance of the Notification for land acquisition were entitled to be allotted land. The Land Acquisition Notification had been issued in 1981-82 and as per the Award, it was only those sons who had become major one year prior to that date who would have become eligible for allotment of land. But in order to benefit those major sons who had attained majority later, the Government of Gujarat made a relaxation so as to cover all those who became major upto 1.1.1987. The Government of Gujarat was under no obligation to do this and would have been quite within its right merely to comply with the provisions of the Tribunals Award. This being so, relaxation of cut off date so as to give extra benefit to those sons who attained age of majority at a later date, cannot be faulted or criticised. Dealing with the contention of the petitioners that there is a need for a review of the project and that an independent agency should monitor the R&R of the oustees and that no construction should be permitted to be undertaken without the clearance of such an authority, the respondents are right in submitting that there is no warrant for such a contention. The Tribunals Award is final and binding on the States. The machinery of Narmada Control Authority has been envisaged and constituted under the Award itself. It is not possible to accept that Narmada Control Authority is not to be regarded as an independent authority. Of course some of the members are Government officials but apart from the Union of India, the other States are also represented in this Authority. The project is being undertaken by the Government and it is for the Governmental authorities to execute the same. With the establishment of the R&R Sub-group and constitution of the Grievances Redressal Authorities by the States of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, there is a system in force which will ensure satisfactory re-settlement and rehabilitation of the oustees. There is no basis for contending that some outside agency or National Human Rights Commission should see to the compliance of the Tribunal Award. MONITORING OF REHABILITATION PROGRAMME The Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India is the Nodal Ministry for the Sardar Sarovar Project and other Union Ministries involved are the Ministries of Environment and Forests and Social Justice and Empowerment. As a consequence of the Tribunals Award, Narmada Control Authority was created to co-ordinate and oversee the overall work of the project and to monitor the R&R activities including environmental safeguard measures. The Review Committee of the Narmada Control Authority consists of the Union Minister of Water Resources as its Chairman, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and the Chief Ministers of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan as Members. This Review Committee may suo moto or on the application of any party State or the Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests review any decision of the Narmada Control Authority. In the Narmada Control Authority, Re-settlement & Rehabilitation (R&R) Sub-group has been created for closely monitoring the R&R progress. This Sub-group is headed by the Secretary, Government of India, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and is represented by Members/Invitees of participating States, academic institutions having expertise in R&R, independent socio- anthropological experts and non-Governmental Organisations. The functions of this Sub-group are as follows: To monitor the progress of land acquisition in respect of submergence land of Sardar Sarovar Project and Indira (Narmada) Sagar Project (ISP). To monitor the progress of implementation of the action plan of rehabilitation of project affected families in the affected villages of SSP and ISP in concerned states. To review the R&R action plan from time to time in the light of results of the implementation. To review the reports of the agencies entrusted by each of the State in respect of monitoring and evaluation of the progress in the matter of re-settlement and rehabilitation. To monitor and review implementation of re-settlement and rehabilitation programmes pari passu with the raising of the dam height, keeping in view the clearance granted to ISP and SSP from environmental angle by the Government of India and the Ministry of Environment and Forests. To coordinate states/agencies involved in the R&R programmes of SSP and ISP. To undertake any or all activities in the matter of re-settlement and rehabilitation pertaining to SSP and ISP. This Court vide order dated 9.8.1991 in B.D.Sharma Vs. Union of India and others 1992 Suppl.(3) SCC 93 directed the formation of a Committee under the chairmanship of the Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India to visit the submergence areas/re-settlement sites and furnish the report of development and progress made in the matter of rehabilitation. The Rehabilitation Committee headed by the Secretary, Government of India, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and having representatives of the three State Governments as its members had been constituted. It is the case of the Union of India that this Committee visited regularly the various R&R sites and submergence villages in the three States and submitted reports to this Court from time to time. By order dated 24th October, 1994, this Court in the aforesaid case of B.D.Sharma (supra) observed that all the directions issued by the Court from time to time have been complied with and nothing more be done in the petition and the petition was disposed off. Most of the recommendations/observations as made by this Committee are stated to have been complied fairly by the States concerned. In addition to the above, the officials of the Narmada Control Authority are also stated to be monitoring the progress of R&R regularly by making field visits. The individual complaints of the PAFs are attended and brought to the notice of the respective Governments. GRIEVANCES REDRESSAL MECHANISM The appeal mechanism has been established in the policy statements by all the three State Governments for the redressal of grievances of the PAFs. According to this mechanism, if a displaced person is aggrieved by the decision of the Rehabilitation Officers in respect of any R&R process, he may appeal to the concerned agency/officers. Vide Resolution dated February 17, 1999, the Government of Gujarat set up a high-level authority called Grievance Redressal Authority (GRA) before whom the oustees already re-settled and to be re-settled in Gujarat could ventilate their grievances for redressal after their re-settlement till the process of re-settlement and re-habilitation is fully completed. The said Grievances Redressal Authority has Mr. Justice P.D. Desai, retired Chief Justice as its Chairman. This machinery had been established to: create an Authority before whom oustees who have re-settled in the State of Gujarat can ventilate their grievances relating to the R&R measures taken by the State of Gujarat; ensure that the oustees already settled and the oustees settled hereinafter in the R&R sites created for re-settlement and rehabilitation of the oustees from the States of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra receive all the benefits and amenities in accordance with the Award and the various Government resolutions made from time to time; ensure that Gujarat oustees re-settled in Gujarat have received all the benefits and amenities due to them. The Gujarat Rehabilitation Authority has installed a permanent in- house Grievances Redressal Cell (GRC) within Sardar Sarovar Punarvasavat Agency. The Grievances Redressal Cell deals with the grievances of the PAFs and the grievances redressal is undertaken by it in the following three ways. Grievances Redressal Cell deals grievances in the regular course on the basis of applications i.e. by holding enquiries and implementing decisions taken pursuant thereto. Grievances redressal on the spot though mechanism of Tatkal Fariyad Nivaran Samiti. Grievances redressal under the mechanism of Single Window Clearance System. Grievances Redressal Authority has surveyed sites in which PAFs have been re-settled and has submitted reports to this Court from time to time which disclose substantial compliance with the terms of the Award and the rehabilitation package. In its Fourth Report dated 15.11.1999, the Grievances Redressal Authority observed pursuant to the grievances redressal measures taken by GRC, whose approach is positive and grievance redressal oriented, a considerable number of grievances have been resolved by extensive land improvement work done on agricultural land at different sites within a period of six months i.e. April-September, 1999. The R&R Sub-group in its 20th field visit of the R&R sites in Gujarat on 12/13.1.2000 has noted as follows: The Committee after the visit and from interaction with the PAFs, concluded that there is vast improvement in the conditions of PAFs at these R&R sites as compared to the grievances reported for the same sites during previous visits by the Committee/NCA officers. Assessing the perception of PAFs the Committee observed that the majority of PAFs are happy and joining mainstream of countrys development. The Grievances Redressal Cell has dealt with and decided a total of over 6500 grievances. At the instance of Grievances Redressal Authority, an Agricultural Cell is set up in Sardar Sarovar Punarvasavat Agency with effect from 1st July, 1999. This was done with an objective of enhancing the productivity of agricultural land allotted to PAFs by adopting of suitable farm management practices and in assisting in resolving land related grievances. Similarly, w.e.f. 1.5.1999, Medical Cells have been set up in Sardar Sarovar Punarvasavat Agency for ensuring effective functioning of medical infrastructure and providing organised system of supervising and monitoring and also for conducting health survey-cum-medical check up activities. The Grievance Redressal Authority has become an effective monitoring and implementing agency with regard to relief and rehabilitation of the PAFs in Gujarat. Apart from resolving independent grievances of PAFs and enforcing the compliance of the provisions of the Award through its exhaustive machinery and mechanism, it is also trying to guide in respect of various other issues not covered by the provisions of the Award such as Vocational training of the oustees; Review of Narmada oustees employment opportunity rules; Issue relating to Kevadia Colony; Issue relating to tapu land; Development of Kevadia as a tourist centre etc. In Maharashtra, a local committee was constituted comprising of Additional Collector (SS), Divisional Forest Officer, Re-settlement Officer and two representatives of the oustees nominated by the local Panchayat Samities from among the elected members of the village panchayats in the project affected villages/taluka. This Committee is required to examine the claims of the PAFs and give directions within a time frame and an appeal from its decision lies to the Commissioner. In addition thereto, vide notification dated 17th April, 2000 the Government of Maharasthra has set up a Grievances Redressal Authority in lines established by the State of Gujarat and Mr. Justice S.P. Kurdukar, retired Judge of this Court, has been appointed as its Chairman. This Authority is expected to be analogous to the Grievances Redressal Authority of Gujarat. In Madhya Pradesh, the grievances of the PAFs have first to be made by a claim which will be verified by the patwari and then scrutinised by the Tehsildar. PAFs may file an appeal against the decision of R&R official before the District Collector who is required to dispose off the same within a period of three months. In the case of Madhya Pradesh also by Notification dated 30th March, 2000 the Government of Madhya Pradesh has constituted a Grievances Redressal Authority similar to the one in Gujarat with Mr. Justice Sohni, retired Chief Justice of Patna High Court as its Chairman. INDEPENDENT MONITORING & EVALUATION AGENCIES The Monitoring and Evaluation of the rehabilitation programme is also being carried out by the independent socio-anthropological agencies appointed by the State Governments of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat as well as Narmada Control Authority. These agencies, which are professional and academic institutes, conduct surveys and in-depth studies relating to PAFs in the submergence and rehabilitation villages. The main object of the monitoring is oriented towards enabling the management to assess the progress, identify the difficulties, ascertaining problem areas, provide early warning and thus call for corrections needed immediately. The Center for Social Studies, Surat is the monitoring agency for the Government of Gujarat. This Institute has prepared 24 six monthly progress reports in relation to the re-settlement of PAFs of submergence villages of Gujarat. Similarly for the project affected families of Madhya Pradesh/Maharashtra who have re-settled in Gujarat, the Government of Gujarat has appointed the Gujarat Institute of Development Research, Ahmedabad as the independent Monitoring and Evaluation Agency for monitoring R&R programmes. In Madhya Pradesh the monitoring and evaluation had been carried out by Dr. H.S.Gaur University, Sagar and the same has been dis-engaged now and a new agency is being appointed. The findings of Dr. H.S. Guar University, Sagar indicated that displaced families in Madhya Pradesh are, by and large, happy with the new re-settlement in Gujarat and one of the main reason behind their happiness was that the shifting from hamlets had changed their socio-economic status. In Maharashtra the monitoring and evaluation was earlier being done by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. This agency had reported that overall literacy rate among project affected persons above six years of age is about 97%, while illiteracy in submergence villages was rampant. Further more the report showed that in the submergence villages, the tribals mostly relied on traditional healers for their ailments. Now the current scenario is that at R&R sites, health centres and sub-centres have been established. It is thus seen that there is in place an elaborate network of authorities which have to see to the execution and implementation of the project in terms of the Award. All aspects of the project are supervised and there is a Review Committee which can review any decision of the Narmada Control Authority and each of the three rehabilitating States have set up an independent Grievances Redressal Authority to take care that the relief and rehabilitation measures are properly implemented and the grievances, if any, of the oustees are redressed. On 9th May, 2000, this Court directed the State Governments of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra to file affidavits disclosing the latest status of re-settlement and rehabilitation work for the existing as well as prospective oustees likely to be affected by raising the height of the dam. Pursuant to the said direction affidavits on behalf of the three States have been filed and, in response thereto, the petitioners have also filed an affidavit. On behalf of the State of Gujarat the affidavit of Sh. V.K. Babbar, Commissioner (Rehabilitation) and Chief Executive Officer, Sardar Sarovar Punavasvat Agency [SSPA] has been filed, according to which at FRL 138.68 m. the status with regard to PAFs to be re-settled is stated to be as follows: State Total number of PAFs resettled/allotted agricultural land in Gujarat Balance PAFs to be resettled in Gujarat Gujarat Madhya Pradesh 3280 It is the case of State of Gujarat that 8565 PAFs have been accommodated in 182 R&R sites fully equipped with the requisite civic amenities as provided by the Tribunals award. The agricultural land allotted to these PAFs is 16973 hectares. Dealing specifically with the status of PAFs at RL 90 mtr., 95 mtr. and 110 mtr. it is averred in the said affidavit that all the PAFs of Gujarat at RL 90 mtr. have been re-settled and the balance PAFs of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra affected at RL 90 mtr. have already been offered R&R package in Gujarat. The process of re-settlement is continuing and reliance is placed on the observation of the GRA which has stated in its Fourth Report dated 15th November, 1999 that There is substantial compliance of the Re-settlement and Rehabilitation measures as mandated by the Final Report of NWDT, including provision of civic amenities, and also of all the inter-linked provisions of the Government of Gujarat and that, therefore, PAFs from the States of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra affected upto the height of RL 90 mtr. can be accommodated as per their choice at these selected 35 sites in Gujarat. With respect to the PAFs affected at RL 95 mtr. the affidavit states that the PAFs of Gujarat have already been settled and while the affected PAFs of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have been offered R&R package in Gujarat in January 1999, September 1999 and January 2000. The RL 95 mtr. Action Plan for these PAFs has also been prepared by the Government of Gujarat in consultation with the Governments of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra and has been sent to the NCA. The case of the State of Gujarat, therefore, is that all the PAFs wanting to be re-settled in Gujarat have been offered the package but consent of all the PAFs has not so far been received but the Government of Gujarat has sufficient land readily available which can be allotted to the said PAFs as soon as they come and select the same. With regard to the status of PAFs at RL 110 mtr. all the PAFs of Gujarat have been re-settled and 2761 PAFs [2642 of Madhya Pradesh and 119 of Maharashtra] remain to be re-settled in Gujarat and R&R package will be offered to them before November 2000. The land which is required to be allotted to them is stated to be around 6074 hectares and the State of Gujarat has in its possession 8146 hectares. The civic amenities in 40 new R&R sites are scheduled to be completed by December 2000 and these sites would serve to accommodate not only PAFs between RL 95 mtr. and RL 110 mtr. but would also serve to accommodate PAFs from submergence villages which would be getting affected at levels above RL 110 mtr. The Action Plan giving the village-wise details is said to have been sent to NCA in June 2000 for its approval. According to the said affidavit the balance number of PAFs remaining to be re-settled at Gujarat at FRL 138.68 mtr. is 10765. Taking into account that an additional area of 10% towards house plot and common civic amenities would be required in addition to the allotment of minimum 2 hectares of agricultural land, the total land requirement per PAF would be approximately 2.2 hectares. For planning purposes in respect of 10765 PAFs the land requirement would be about 23700 hectares. As against this requirement the status of land, as per the said affidavit, under different categories with the Government of Gujarat is stated to be as under: Land [In ha] 1. Land identified (offers received in respect of private land and Government land) Land available (private land for which price is approved by Expert Committee and offer/counter offer conveyed and acceptance of land holder obtained. 480 ha. 3. Land in possession of SSPA/GOG in 12 districts 8416 ha. Total 24612 ha. It is averred that between March and 21st June 2000 the land in possession as well as the land identified has increased considerably. It has also been explained in the said affidavit that the Government of Gujarat has a well-established practice of procuring land for R&R at realistic market prices for willing sellers. Officers hold discussions with prospective sellers, verify the suitability of land and after the prices is settled the same is procured through legal process of Land Acquisition Act and consent awards are passed so that the PAPs are assured of undisputed legal title free from all encumbrances. This process of negotiated purchase has been streamlined. At the instance of the GRA, a retired judge of the High Court is now appointed as Chairman of the Expert Committee with retired senior Government Secretaries as its members. This Expert Committee oversees the exercise of purchase of suitable land at the market price. At the instance of the GRA, PAPs are being issued Sanads for the land allotted to them which will ensure provision of a proper legal document in their favour. Dealing with the term of the Award to the effect that Gujarat shall acquire and make available a year in advance of the submergence before each successive stage, land and house sites for rehabilitation of the oustees families from Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra who are willing to migrate to Gujarat, the affidavit states that the Gujarat Government has already identified sufficient land for accommodating the balance PAFs remaining to be re-settled in Gujarat at FRL 138.68 mtr. In respect of PAFs upto RL 110 mtr. Gujarat has sufficient land available to meet the R&R requirements but for the PAFs above RL 110 mtr. suitable land has already been identified and the same would be acquired and made available one year in advance of the submergence before each successive stage. The affidavit gives reason as to why it is not advisable for the State, at this stage, to acquire the total requirement of land for FRL in one go. What is stated in the affidavit is as follows: Since at present GOG has sufficient land to meet R&R requirement to accommodate PAFs upto RL 110 m, it would not be necessary to acquire further land immediately, especially when the additional land would be required only after the R&R Sub-group and Environment Sub-group give approval for RL 95 m. to RL 110 m. after examining the preparedness at different stages. This would ensure that public money is not unnecessarily blocked for a long period. By acquiring land much before it would be required, problems of illegal trespass are likely to arise. The excess land would, by and large, remain fallow and no agricultural production would take place. If the land remains fallow for long the overall productivity of the land would be adversely affected. All the time of allotment, the State Government would again have to spend a sizeable amount to remove weeds, bushes, small trees etc. The State Government would have to incur a sizeable amount to prevent tampering with the boundary marks, prevent neighbouring farmers removing the top soil or from diverting natural drains passing through their fields towards the land purchased for R&R etc. The affidavit also gives facts and figures showing that all requisite civic amenities have been developed and made available at the R&R sites. Some of the salient features which are highlighted in this behalf are as under: ? A three-room primary school is provided in all MP/MH sites irrespective of the number of families resettled. ? A dispensary with examination room, medical equipment, medicines is provided in all MP/MH sites irrespective of the number of resettled families. ? 3439 PAFs (86%) out of the total MP/MH PAFs resettled in Gujarat have availed of the Rs.45,000 financial assistance and built pucca core houses. ? Overhead tanks for drinking water are provided in large R&R sites. ? At the instance of GRA, toilets are being provided in the houses of PAFs with the help of NGOs. The total cost incurred so far by the Government of Gujarat in providing the land and civic amenities upto May 2000 is stated to be 194 crores. The Grievances Redressal Cell is stated to have redressed large number of grievances of the PAFs whether they were related to land, grant of civic amenities or others. The salient features of working of the Grievance Redressal Cell is stated to be as follows: ? At present 2 senior IAS officers with supporting staff are working exclusively for redressal of grievances. ? A reasoned reply is given to the applicants. The applicant is also informed that if he is aggrieved with the decision he may prefer an appeal to GRA within thirty days. ? The Single Window Clearance Systems main objective is to proactively resolve grievances and to avoid delays in inter-departmental co-ordination. ? Tatkal Fariyad Nivaran Samitis are held in the R&R sites to resolve grievance of the PAFs in an open forum. ? The PAFs are being involved at every stage of grievance redressal. The works have been carried out in most cases by the PAFs. ? The Agriculture Officers of the Agricultural Cell are actively helping, guiding the PAFs in their agricultural operations and upgrading their skills. With a view to effectively rehabilitate and assimilate the PAPs Vasahat Samitis have been constituted in 165 R&R sites, consisting of 5 PAPs, one of whom is a female. This ensures the participation of the PAPs in the process of development and these Samitis are vested with the responsibility to sort out minor problems. With a view to ensure more effective participation in Panchayat affairs and better integration of PAPs an Order under Section 98 of the Gujarat Panchayats Act, 1993 has been issued by the Government of Gujarat providing that there shall be upto two invitees from amongst the PAPs depending upon the number of PAPs at the sites in the village Panchayat within whose jurisdiction the R&R are situated. Pursuant to this 196 PAPs have been inducted as invitees to then Village Panchayats. The salient features of the rehabilitation programme of the PAPs are as follows: ? PAFs are given productive assets in kind (7000/PAFs) to purchase bullocks, bullock carts, oil engines etc. ? PAFs are given subsistence allowance (Rs.4500/PAF) in cash to meet contingency needs in the initial period. ? Vocational training is provided to PAFs for improving their income levels, priority being given to those dependents who are not entitled to be declared as PAFs on their own rights. Tool kits are supplied either free or with 50% subsidy. ? NGOs are actively involved in all the rehabilitation activities such as conducting training classes. ? PAFs are being covered by the ongoing developmental schemes of the Government (DRDA, Tribal Sub Plan etc.) ? An Extension (Agriculture) officers has been appointed for approximately every 150 families to guide them in agriculture operation and assist them in day to day problems (getting ration cards, khedut khatavahis etc.) ? In recent years focus is on empowering the PAFs and making them self dependent. Medical cell has been set up for providing services and treatment to PAPs free of cost. The cell is headed by Deputy Director (Medical) and is having a nucleus of medical experts consisting of a physician, a pediatrician, a gynecologist, 21 MBBS doctors, pharmacists etc. The salient features of the medical help programme for the benefit of PAPs is stated to be as follows: ? The Medical Officers and paramedic staff are making house-to-house visits to motivate the PAPs to come forward to avail of the medical services. ? In all dispensaries, a full time multipurpose health worker (female) is available. ? Multi-specialization diagnostic/treatment camps are organised fortnightly, where advance investigations are diagnostic facilities like ECG, X-ray ultrasound are available. ? Patients requiring further services are brought to Government hospitals or any other specialty hospital and necessary treatment given free of cost. ? GOG has placed an order for a mobile medical hospital equipped with diagnostic and treatment equipments. ? A comprehensive health survey and medical check up covering 29423 PAPs has been completed. A special record system of family health folder and health profile of each PAP is prepared. ? Nutrition supplements are given to children (upto 6 years), expectant and lactating mothers through the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS). ? Special food supplement in the form of Hyderabad Mix is given to malnourished children and vulnerable target groups. ? School going children are covered under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme. ? Under TB Control, all chest symptomatic persons are screened by special examinations like sputum microscopy, X-ray, blood tests and persons found positive for TB are given domiciliary treatment under direct observation of doctors or paramedics. In 77 cases, treatment is completed and patients are cured. ? Under preventive health care, health education material is distributed and Health and Cleanliness Shibirs are organized. ? A special survey covering physically handicapped and mentally retarded persons has been organized and social welfare benefits given. ? Other National Health Programmes (maternal child health, immunization, school health check up, family welfare etc.) are regularly conducted. An Agricultural Cell has been set up in the SSPA which assists the Grievances Redressal Machinery in resolving the problem relating to the agricultural land. The salient features of this cell are as follows: ? The Agriculture Cell is involved in purchasing land, supervision of land improvement works and processing land related grievances of the PAFs. ? Agriculture training classes are organized for PAFs in the training institutes of the State Government. ? Assistance is given for availing crop-loan credit from banks and extension education is imparted in matters of marketing, cropping pattern, use of improved seeds, insecticides and latest equipments. ? Afforestation was carried out in 33 R&R sites during 1999- 2000 by planting 3500 saplings which are protected by bamboo tree-guards. Plantation is done along the roadside, common plots, school premises etc. In the remaining sites plantation work is undertaken by NGOs. At the instance of GRA an educational cell has been set up in the SSPA. The main function of which is to improve the quality of education imparted and to improve the school enrolment. The salient features of this cell are as under: ? School enrolment which was 4110 in 1998-99, increased to 4670 in 1999-2000. Out of the 4670 students enrolled, 2126 were girls (46.3%). ? The number of schools is 170 and the number of teachers in 384. In the last academic year, 66 schools were upgraded by increasing the number of classes. ? SSPA is regularly sending the teachers for in-service training. So far 120 teachers have been imparted training. ? Every year during the period of June to August, a special drive is taken to increase the school enrolment. ? In the current year 150 adult education classes have been started in the R&R sites with the help of NGOs. ? An advisory committee has been created to make recommendations on how to improve the education being imparted. Members include faculty of MS University, officers of Education Department, Principal of Teacher Training Centre. It is further averred in this affidavit that at the instance of GRA a large number of measures have been taken to improve the organisational structure of SSPA so as to effectively meet the challenge of R&R and make the R&R staff accountable. The salient features of this are stated to be as follows: ? A strategic policy decision has been taken to create three separate divisions in SSPA for Rehabilitation, Re- settlement and Planning. Each division is in charge of a senior level officer of the rank of Additional/Joint Commissioner. ? Staff strength in SSPA has been considerably augmented especially at the field level. ? To review the structural and functional aspects of SSPA services of a management consultancy agency (M/s TCS) has been engaged and draft report has been received and is being examined. ? A demographic survey is to be conducted to comprehensively document information regarding the PAPs with special reference to their family composition, marriage, births, deaths, life expectancy, literacy, customs, culture, social integration etc. ? Staff is being trained to sensitize them especially with regard to rehabilitation and second-generation issues. Senior level officers have been sent for R&R training at Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad. From the aforesaid affidavit it is more than clear that the GRA, of which Mr. Justice P.D. Desai, is the Chairman, has seen to the establishment of different cells and have taken innovative steps with a view to making R&R effective and meaningful. The steps which are being taken and the assistance given is much more than what is required under the Tribunals Award. There now seems to be a commitment on the part of the Government of Gujarat to see that there is no laxity in the R&R of the PAPs. It appears that the State of Gujarat has realised that without effective R&R facilities no further construction of the dam would be permitted by the NCA and under the guidance and directions of the GRA meaningful steps are being undertaken in this behalf. In this connection we may take note of the fact that along with the said affidavit Sh. V.K. Babbar, again under the directions of the GRA, has given an undertaking to this Court, which reads as follows:- As per this undertaking, inter alia, in respect of scattered pieces or parcels of lands in possession of the SSPA for R&R which do not add upto a contiguous block of 7 hectares by themselves or in conjunction with other lands steps will be taken to purchase or acquire contiguous lands so that the said small pieces of land become a part of continuous block of 6 hectares or more. This exercise will be undertaken and completed on or before 31st December, 2000. In case it is not possible to have a contiguous block of minimum of 6 hectares further directions will be sought from GRA or such piece or parcel of land will be put to use for other public purposes relating to R&R but which may not have been provided for in the NWDT award. Henceforth, the land which is acquired or purchased for R&R purposes shall be contiguous to each other so as to constitute a compact block of 6 hectares. Henceforth land to be purchased for R&R will be within a radius of 3 kms. from an existing or proposed new site and if there is a departure from this policy prior approval of the GRA will be obtained. Demarcation of boundary of 5211 hectares of land whose survey has been undertaken by the GRA and carving out individual plots of 2 hectares for allotment to PAFs will be undertaken and completed on or before 31st December, 2000. The other undertakings relate to soil testing and/or ensuring that suitable land is made available to the PAFs after the quality of land is cleared by the agriculture experts of the Gujarat Agriculture University. With regard to the lands in possession of the SSPA which are low lying and vulnerable to water logging during monsoon, an undertaking has been given that the land has been deleted from the inventory of lands available for R&R unless such lands are examined by the Agricultural Cell of SSPA and it is certified that the access to these lands is clear and unimpeded and that they are suitable for R&R. Compliance report in this regard is to be submitted to the GRA on or before 31st December, 2000. In addition to the aforesaid undertaking of Sh. V.K. Babbar, undertakings of the Collectors of Khedr, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Narmada, Panchmahal and Bharuch Districts have also been filed. Apart from reiterating what is contained in the undertaking of Sh. V.K. Babbar, in these undertakings of the Collectors, it is stated that necessary mutation entries regarding entering the name of SSPA/SSNNL in the village records of right in respect of the land in possession for R&R or PAFs likely to be re-settled in Gujarat have been made but the certification of these entries will be completed and the matter reported to the GRA before 31st August, 2000. If this is not done the land is to be deleted from the inventory of land available for R&R. Necessary mutation entries in the village records or rights regarding removal of encumbrances of original landholders shall also be completed by that date. From what is noticed hereinabove, this Court is satisfied that more than adequate steps are being taken by the State of Gujarat not only to implement the Award of the Tribunal to the extent it grants relief to the oustees but the effort is to substantially improve thereon and, therefore, continued monitoring by this Court may not be necessary. On behalf of the State of Madhya Pradesh, in response to this Courts order dated 9th May, 2000, an affidavit of Sh. H.N. Tiwari, Director (TW), Narmada Valley Development Authority has been filed. It is stated therein that with a view to arrange re-settlement of the PAFs to be affected at different levels detailed instructions to the Field Officers of the submergence area were issued by Sh. Tiwari vide letter dated 20th May, 2000 in respect of all the aspects of resettlement of the PAFs. This is related to identification of land, processing of land acquisition cases and passing of the Award, taking of PAFs to Gujarat for selection of land, allotment of land to the PAFs who decide to remain in Madhya Pradesh and development of sites. There are 92 sites for re-settlement of the PAFs which are required to be established and out of these 18 are stated to be fully developed, development in 23 sites is in progress, 18 sites are such where location has been determined and land identified but development work has not started and 33 sites are such where location of land for the development is to be decided by the task force constituted for this purpose. Dealing specifically with the states of PAFs to be affected at different levels this affidavit, inter alia, states that with regard to PAFs to be affected at EL 85 mtr. those of whom who have opted to go to Gujarat land has been offered to them by the Government of Gujarat, those PAFs who have changed their mind and now want to remain in Madhya Pradesh land is being shown to them in Madhya Pradesh. It has not been categorically stated whether the PAFs who are so affected have been properly resettled or not. On the contrary, it is stated that no Awards in land acquisition cases have been passed in respect of six villages and it is only after the Awards are passed that house plots will be allotted and compensation paid. The provision for financial assistance for purchase of productive assets will be released when the PAFs shift and start construction of the houses. The reason for not making the payment in advance rightly is that if the grants are paid to the oustees before they shift they may possibly squander the grant and the State Government may be required to pay again to establish them on some self employment venture. For the re-settlement of PAFs in Madhya Pradesh out of ten relocation sites mentioned in the affidavit only five have been fully developed. It is also stated that 163 PAFs are resisting from shifting to Gujarat under the influence of anti dam activists, though they have been given notices containing offer of the land and house plots by the Government of Gujarat. In addition thereto 323 PAFs who were earlier resisting have now been persuaded and arrangements for selection of land for them in Gujarat has been initiated. With regard to the R&R status of PAFs to be affected at EL 95 mtr. it is, inter alia, stated that those losing 25 per cent of their holdings are entitled to be allotted cultivable land and notices were given to them to identify the land which can be allotted. In the said notice it was stated that the development process will be undertaken with regard to the said land only after it is selected by the PAFs. There is also a mention in the affidavit filed in the name of Narmada Bachao Andolan, the petitioner herein, not allowing the State Government to conduct survey for demarcation of the submergence area and identification of the PAFs to be affected at EL 132.86 mtrs. [436 ft.]. Six out of twenty five relocation sites required to be developed have been fully developed. Affidavit on behalf of the State of Madhya Pradesh draws a picture of rehabilitation which is quite different from that of Gujarat. There seems to be no hurry in taking steps to effectively rehabilitate the Madhya Pradesh PAFs in their home State. It is indeed surprising that even awards in respect of six villages out of 33 villages likely to be affected at 90 mtr. dam height have not been passed. The impression which one gets after reading the affidavit on behalf of the State of Madhya Pradesh clearly is that the main effort of the said State is to try and convince the PAFs that they should go to Gujarat whose rehabilitation package and effort is far superior to that of the State of Madhya Pradesh. It is, therefore, not surprising that vast majority of the PAFs of Madhya Pradesh have opted to be re-settled in Gujarat but that does not by itself absolve the State of Madhya Pradesh of its responsibility to take prompt steps so as to comply at least with the provisions of the Tribunals Award relating to relief and rehabilitation. The State of Madhya Pradesh has been contending that the height of the dam should be lowered to 436 ft. so that lesser number of people are dislocated but we find that even with regard to the rehabilitation of the oustees at 436 ft. the R&R programme of the State is no where implemented. The State is under an obligation to effectively resettle those oustees whose choice is not to go to Gujarat. Appropriate directions may, therefore, have to be given to ensure that the speed in implementing the R&R picks up. Even the interim report of Mr. Justice Soni, the GRA for the State of Madhya Pradesh, indicates lack of commitment on the States part in looking to the welfare of its own people who are going to be under the threat of ouster and who have to be rehabilitated. Perhaps the lack of urgency could be because of lack of resources, but then the rehabilitation even in the Madhya Pradesh is to be at the expense of Gujarat. A more likely reason could be that, apart from electricity, the main benefit of the construction of the dam is to be of Gujarat and to a lesser extent to Maharashtra and Rajasthan. In a federal set up like India whenever any such Inter-State project is approved and work undertaken the States involved have a responsibility to co-operate with each other. There is a method of settling the differences which may arise amongst there like, for example, in the case of Inter-State water dispute the reference of the same to a Tribunal. The Award of the Tribunal being binding the States concerned are duty bound to comply with the terms thereof. On behalf of the State of Maharashtra affidavit in response to this Courts order dated 9th May, 2000, the position regarding the availability of land for distribution to the PAFs was stated to be as follows: i] Total land made available by the Forest Department 4191.86 Hectares ii] Land which could not be allotted at present to PAF Gaothan land [used residential purposes} 209.60 hectares land occupied by river/ nallah/hills 795.62 hectares Land under encroachment by third parties 434.13 hectares Therefore, the net land available At present for allotment was 4191.86 (-) 1439.35 2752.51 hectares Total area of land allotted To 1600 PAFs 2434.01 hectares Remaining cultivable land Available with the State 2752 2434.01 318.50 hectares It is further stated in this affidavit that out of 795.62 hectares of forest land which was reported to be uncultivable the State has undertaken a survey for ascertaining whether any of these lands can be made available for cultivation and distribution by resorting to measures like bunding, terracing and levelling. It is estimated that 30 to 40 hectares of land would become available. In addition thereto the affidavit states that the Government of Maharashtra has decided to purchase private land in nearby villages for re- settlement of PAFs and further that GRA has been established and Justice S.P. Kurdukar, a retired judge of this Court has been appointed as its Chairman. It is categorically stated in this affidavit that the State Government would be in a position to make these land available to all the concerned project affected families. Water is one element without which life cannot sustain. Therefore, it is to be regarded as one of the primary duties of the Government to ensure availability of water to the people. There are only three sources of water. They are rainfall, ground water or from river. A river itself gets water either by the melting of the snow or from the rainfall while the ground water is again dependent on the rainfall or from the river. In most parts of India, rainfall takes place during a period of about 3 to 4 months known as the Monsoon Season. Even at the time when the monsoon is regarded as normal, the amount of rainfall varies from region to region. For example, North-Eastern States of India receive much more rainfall than some of other States like Punjab, Haryana or Rajasthan. Dams are constructed not only to provide water whenever required but they also help in flood control by storing extra water. Excess of rainfall causes floods while deficiency thereof results in drought. Studies show that 75% of the monsoon water drains into the sea after flooding a large land area due to absence of the storage capacity. According to a study conducted by the Central Water Commission in 1998, surface water resources were estimated at 1869 cu km and rechargeable groundwater resources at 432 cu km. It is believed that only 690 cu km of surface water resources (out of 1869 cu km) can be utilised by storage. At present the storage capacity of all dams in India is 174 cu km. which is incidentally less than the capacity of Kariba Dam in Zambia/Zimbabwe (180.6 cu km) and only 12 cu km more than Aswan High Dam of Egypt. While the reservoir of a dam stores water and is usually situated at a place where it can receive a lot of rainfall, the canals take water from this reservoir to distant places where water is a scare commodity. It was, of course, contended on behalf of the petitioner that if the practice of water harvesting is resorted to and some check dams are constructed, there would really be no need for a high dam like Sardar Sarovar. The answer to this given by the respondent is that water harvesting serves a useful purpose but it cannot ensure adequate supply to meet all the requirements of the people. Water harvesting means to collect, preserve and use the rain water. The problem of the area in question is that there is deficient rainfall and small scale water harvesting projects may not be adequate. During the non rainy days, one of the essential ingredients of water harvesting is the storing of water. It will not be wrong to say that the biggest dams to the smallest percolating tanks meant to tap the rain water are nothing but water harvesting structures to function by receiving water from the common Dam serves a number of purposes. It stores water, generates electricity and releases water throughout the year and at times of scarcity. Its storage capacity is meant to control floods and the canal system which emanates therefrom is meant to convey and provide water for drinking, agriculture and industry. In addition thereto, it can also be a source of generating hydro-power. Dam has, therefore, necessarily to be regarded as an infrastructural project. There are three stages with regard to the undertaking of an infrastructural project. One is conception or planning, second is decision to undertake the project and the third is the execution of the project. The conception and the decision to undertake a project is to be regarded as a policy decision. While there is always a need for such projects not being unduly delayed, it is at the same time expected that as thorough a study as is possible will be undertaken before a decision is taken to start a project. Once such a considered decision is taken, the proper execution of the same should be taken expeditiously. It is for the Government to decide how to do its job. When it has put a system in place for the execution of a project and such a system cannot be said to be arbitrary, then the only role which a Court may have to play is to see that the system works in the manner it was envisaged. A project may be executed departmentally or by an outside agency. The choice has to be of the Government. When it undertakes the execution itself, with or without the help of another organisation, it will be expected to undertake the exercise according to some procedure or principles. The NCA was constituted to give effect to the Award, various sub-groups have been established under the NCA and to look after the grievances of the resettled oustees and each State has set up a Grievance Redressal Machinery. Over and above the NCA is the Review Committee. There is no reason now to assume that these authorities will not function properly. In our opinion the Court should have no role to play. It is now well-settled that the courts, in the exercise of their jurisdiction, will not transgress into the field of policy decision. Whether to have an infrastructural project or not and what is the type of project to be undertaken and how it has to be executed, are part of policy making process and the Courts are ill equipped to adjudicate on a policy decision so undertaken. The Court, no doubt, has a duty to see that in the undertaking of a decision, no law is violated and peoples fundamental rights are not transgressed upon except to the extent permissible under the Constitution. Even then any challenge to such a policy decision must be before the execution of the project is undertaken. Any delay in the execution of the project means over run in costs and the decision to undertake a project, if challenged after its execution has commenced, should be thrown out at the very threshold on the ground of latches if the petitioner had the knowledge of such a decision and could have approached the Court at that time. Just because a petition is termed as a PIL does not mean that ordinary principles applicable to litigation will not apply. Latches is one of them. Public Interest Litigation [PIL] was an innovation essentially to safeguard and protect the human rights of those people who were unable to protect themselves. With the passage of time the PIL jurisdiction has been ballooning so as to encompass within its ambit subjects such as probity in public life, granting of largess in the form of licences, protecting environment and the like. But the balloon should not be inflated so much that it bursts. Public Interest Litigation should not be allowed to degenerate to becoming Publicity Interest Litigation or Private Inquisitiveness Litigation. While exercising jurisdiction in PIL cases Court has not forsaken its duty and role as a Court of law dispensing justice in accordance with law. It is only where there has been a failure on the part of any authority in acting according to law or in non-action or acting in violation of the law that the Court has stepped in. No directions are issued which are in conflict with any legal provisions. Directions have, in appropriate cases, been given where the law is silent and inaction would result in violation of the Fundamental Rights or other Legal provisions. While protecting the rights of the people from being violated in any manner utmost care has to be taken that the Court does not transgress its jurisdiction. There is in our Constitutional frame-work a fairly clear demarcation of powers. The Court has come down heavily whenever the executive has sought to impinge upon the Courts jurisdiction. At the same time, in exercise of its enormous power the Court should not be called upon or undertake governmental duties or functions. The Courts cannot run the Government nor the administration indulge in abuse or non-use of power and get away with it. The essence of judicial review is a constitutional fundamental. The role of the higher judiciary under the constitution casts on it a great obligation as the sentinel to defend the values of the constitution and rights of Indians. The courts must, therefore, act within their judicially permissible limitations to uphold the rule of law and harness their power in public interest. It is precisely for this reason that it has been consistently held by this Court that in matters of policy the Court will not interfere. When there is a valid law requiring the Government to act in a particular manner the Court ought not to, without striking down the law, give any direction which is not in accordance with law. In other words the Court itself is not above the law. In respect of public projects and policies which are initiated by the Government the Courts should not become an approval authority. Normally such decisions are taken by the Government after due care and consideration. In a democracy welfare of the people at large, and not merely of a small section of the society, has to be the concern of a responsible Government. If a considered policy decision has been taken, which is not in conflict with any law or is not mala fide, it will not be in Public Interest to require the Court to go into and investigate those areas which are the function of the executive. For any project which is approved after due deliberation the Court should refrain from being asked to review the decision just because a petitioner in filing a PIL alleges that such a decision should not have been taken because an opposite view against the undertaking of the project, which view may have been considered by the Government, is possible. When two or more options or views are possible and after considering them the Government takes a policy decision it is then not the function of the Court to go into the matter afresh and, in a way, sit in appeal over such a policy decision. What the petitioner wants the Court to do in this case is precisely that. The facts enumerated hereinabove clearly indicate that the Central Government had taken a decision to construct the Dam as that was the only solution available to it for providing water to water scare areas. It was known at that time that people will be displaced and will have to be rehabilitated. There is no material to enable this Court to come to the conclusion that the decision was mala fide. A hard decision need not necessarily be a bad decision. Furthermore environment concern has not only to be of the area which is going to be submerged and its surrounding area. The impact on environment should be seen in relation to the project as a whole. While an area of land will submerge but the construction of the Dam will result in multifold improvement in the environment of the areas where the canal waters will reach. Apart from bringing drinking water within easy reach the supply of water to Rajasthan will also help in checking the advancement of the Thar Desert. Human habitation will increase there which, in turn, will help in protecting the so far porous border with Pakistan. While considering Gujarats demand for water, the Government had reports that with the construction of a high dam on the river Narmada, water could not only be taken to the scarcity areas of Northern Gujarat, Saurashtra and parts of Kutch but some water could also be supplied to Rajasthan. Conflicting rights had to be considered. If for one set of people namely those of Gujarat, there was only one solution, namely, construction of a dam, the same would have an adverse effect on another set of people whose houses and agricultural land would be submerged in water. It is because of this conflicting interest that considerable time was taken before the project was finally cleared in 1987. Perhaps the need for giving the green signal was that while for the people of Gujarat, there was no other solution but to provide them with water from Narmada, the hardships of oustees from Madhya Pradesh could be mitigated by providing them with alternative lands, sites and compensation. In governance of the State, such decisions have to be taken where there are conflicting interests. When a decision is taken by the Government after due consideration and full application of mind, the Court is not to sit in appeal over such decision. ‘ Since long the people of India have been deriving the benefits of the river valley projects. At the time of independence, food-grain was being imported into India but with the passage of time and the construction of more dams, the position has been reversed. The large-scale river valley projects per se all over the country have made India more than self- sufficient in food. Famines which used to occur have now become a thing of the past. Considering the benefits which have been reaped by the people all over India with the construction of the dams, the Government cannot be faulted with deciding to construct the high dam on the river Narmada with a view to provide water not only to the scarcity areas of Gujarat but also to the small areas of the State of Rajasthan where the shortage of water has been there since the time immemorial. In the case of projects of national importance where Union of India and/or more than one State(s) are involved and the project would benefit a large section of the society and there is evidence to show that the said project had been contemplated and considered over a period of time at the highest level of the States and the Union of India and more so when the project is evaluated and approval granted by the Planning Commission, then there should be no occasion for any Court carrying out any review of the same or directing its review by any outside or independent agency or body. In a democratic set up, it is for the elected Government to decide what project should be undertaken for the benefit of the people. Once such a decision had been taken that unless and until it can be proved or shown that there is a blatant illegality in the undertaking of the project or in its execution, the Court ought not to interfere with the execution of the project. Displacement of people living on the proposed project sites and the areas to be submerged is an important issue. Most of the hydrology projects are located in remote and in-accessible areas, where local population is, like in the present case, either illiterate or having marginal means of employment and the per capita income of the families is low. It is a fact that people are displaced by projects from their ancestral homes. Displacement of these people would undoubtedly disconnect them from their past, culture, custom and traditions, but then it becomes necessary to harvest a river for larger good. A natural river is not only meant for the people close by but it should be for the benefit of those who can make use of it, being away from it or near by. Realising the fact that displacement of these people would disconnect them from their past, culture, custom and traditions, the moment any village is earmarked for take over for dam or any other developmental activity, the project implementing authorities have to implement R&R programmes. The R&R plans are required to be specially drafted and implemented to mitigate problems whatsoever relating to all, whether rich or poor, land owner or encroacher, farmer or tenant, employee or employer, tribal or non-tribal. A properly drafted R&R plan would improve living standards of displaced persons after displacement. For example residents of villages around Bhakra Nangal Dam, Nagarjun Sagar Dam, Tehri, Bhillai Steel Plant, Bokaro and Bala Iron and Steel Plant and numerous other developmental sites are better off than people living in villages in whose vicinity no development project came in. It is not fair that tribals and the people in un-developed villages should continue in the same condition without ever enjoying the fruits of science and technology for better health and have a higher quality of life style. Should they not be encouraged to seek greener pastures elsewhere, if they can have access to it, either through their own efforts due to information exchange or due to outside compulsions. It is with this object in view that the R&R plans which are developed are meant to ensure that those who move must be better off in the new locations at Government cost. In the present case, the R&R packages of the States, specially of Gujarat, are such that the living conditions of the oustees will be much better than what they had in their tribal hamlets. Loss of forest because of any activity is undoubtedly harmful. Without going into the question as to whether the loss of forest due to river valley project because of submergence is negligible, compared to de- forestation due to other reasons like cutting of trees for fuel, it is true that large dams cause submergence leading to loss of forest areas. But it cannot be ignored and it is important to note that these large dams also cause conversion of waste land into agricultural land and making the area greener. Large dams can also become instruments in improving the environment, as has been the case in the Western Rajasthan, which transformed into a green area because of Indira Gandhi Canal, which draws water from Bhakhra Nangal Dam. This project not only allows the farmers to grow crops in deserts but also checks the spread of Thar desert in adjoining areas of Punjab and Haryana. Environmental and ecological consideration must, of course, be given due consideration but with proper channellisation of developmental activities ecology and environment can be enhanced. For example, Periyar Dam Reservoir has become an elephant sanctuary with thick green forests all round while at the same time wiped out famines that used to haunt the district of Madurai in Tamil Nadu before its construction. Similarly Krishnarajasagar Dam which has turned the Mandya district which was once covered with shrub forests with wild beasts into a prosperous one with green paddy and sugarcane fields all round. So far a number of such river valley projects have been undertaken in all parts of India. The petitioner has not been able to point out a single instance where the construction of a Dam has, on the whole, had an adverse environmental impact. On the contrary the environment has improved. That being so there is no reason to suspect, with all the experience gained so far, that the position here will be any different and there will not be overall improvement and prosperity. It should not be forgotten that poverty is regarded as one of the causes of degradation of environment. With improved irrigation system the people will prosper. The construction of Bhakra Dam is a shining example for all to see how the backward area of erstwhile undivided Punjab has now become the granary of India with improved environment than what was there before the completion of the Bhakra Nangal project. The Award of the Tribunal is binding on the States concerned. The said Award also envisages the relief and rehabilitation measures which are to be undertaken. If for any reason, any of the State Governments involved lag behind in providing adequate relief and rehabilitation then the proper course, for a Court to take, would be to direct the Awards implementation and not to stop the execution of the project. This Court, as a Federal Court of the country specially in a case of inter-State river dispute where an Award had been made, has to ensure that the binding Award is implemented. In this regard, the Court would have the jurisdiction to issue necessary directions to the State which, though bound, chooses not to carry out its obligations under the Award. Just as an ordinary litigant is bound by the decree, similarly a State is bound by the Award. Just as the execution of a decree can be ordered, similarly, the implementation of the Award can be directed. If there is a short fall in carrying out the R&R measures, a time bound direction can and should be given in order to ensure the implementation of the Award. Putting the project on hold is no solution. It only encourages recalcitrant State to flout and not implement the award with impunity. This certainly cannot be permitted. Nor is it desirable in the national interest that where fundamental right to life of the people who continue to suffer due to shortage of water to such an extent that even the drinking water becomes scarce, non-cooperation of a State results in the stagnation of the project. The clamour for the early completion of the project and for the water to flow in the canal is not by Gujarat but is also raised by Rajasthan. As per Clause 3 of the final decision of the Tribunal published in the Gazette notification of India dated 12th December, 1979, the State of Rajasthan has been allocated 0.5 MAF of Narmada water in national interest from Sardar Sarovar Dam. This was allocated to the State of Rajasthan to utilise the same for irrigation and drinking purposes in the arid and drought-prone areas of Jalore and Barmer districts of Rajasthan situated on the international border with Pakistan, which have no other available source of water. Water is the basic need for the survival of human beings and is part of right of life and human rights as enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution of India and can be served only by providing source of water where there is none. The Resolution of the U.N.O. in 1977 to which India is a signatory, during the United Nations Water Conference resolved unanimously inter alia All people, whatever their stage of development and their social and economic conditions, have the right to have access to drinking water in quantum and of a quality equal to their basic needs. Water is being made available by the State of Rajasthan through tankers to the civilians of these areas once in four days during summer season in quantity, which is just sufficient for their survival. The districts of Barmer and Jalore are part of Thar Desert and on account of scarcity of water the desert area is increasing every year. It is a matter of great concern that even after half a century of freedom, water is not available to all citizens even for their basic drinking necessity violating the human right resolution of U.N.O. and Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Water in the rivers of India has great potentiality to change the miserable condition of the arid, drought-prone and border areas of India. The availability of drinking water will benefit about 1.91 lac of people residing in 124 villages in arid and drought-prone border areas of Jalore and Barmer districts of Rajasthan who have no other source of water and are suffering grave hardship. As already seen, the State of Madhya Pradesh is keen for the reduction of the dams height to 436 ft. Apart from Gujarat and Rajasthan the State of Maharashtra also is not agreeable to this. The only benefit from the project which Rajasthan get is its share of hydel power from the project. The lowering of the height from 455 ft. to 436 ft. will take away this benefit even though 9399 hectares of its land will be submerged. With the reduction of height to 436 ft. not only will there be loss of power generation but it would also render the generation of power seasonal and not throughout the year. One of the indicators of the living standard of people is the per capita consumption of electricity. There is, however, perennial shortage of power in India and, therefore, it is necessary that the generation increases. The world over, countries having rich water and river systems have effectively exploited these for hydel power generation. In India, the share of hydel power in the total power generated was as high as 50% in the year 1962-63 but the share of hydel power started declining rapidly after 1980. There is more reliance now on thermal power projects. But these thermal power projects use fossil fuels, which are not only depleting fast but also contribute towards environmental pollution. Global warming due to the greenhouse effect has become a major cause of concern. One of the various factors responsible for this is the burning of fossil fuel in thermal power plants. There is, therefore, international concern for reduction of greenhouse gases which is shared by the World Bank resulting in the restriction of sanction of funds for thermal power projects. On the other hand, the hydel powers contribution in the greenhouse effect is negligible and it can be termed ecology friendly. Not only this but the cost of generation of electricity in hydel projects is significantly less. The Award of the Tribunal has taken all these factors into consideration while determining the height of the dam at 455 ft. Giving the option of generating eco-friendly electricity and substituting it by thermal power may not, therefore, be the best option. Perhaps the setting up of a thermal plant may not displace as many families as a hydel project may but at the same time the pollution caused by the thermal plant and the adverse affect on the neighbourhood could be far greater than the inconvenience caused in shifting and rehabilitating the oustees of a reservoir. There is and has been in the recent past protests and agitations not only against hydel projects but also against the setting up of nuclear or thermal power plants. In each case reasons are put forth against the execution of the proposed project either as being dangerous (in case of nuclear) or causing pollution and ecological degradation (in the case of thermal) or rendering people homeless and posses adverse environment impacts as has been argued in the present case. But then electricity has to be generated and one or more of these options exercised. What option to exercise, in our Constitutional framework, is for the Government to decide keeping various factors in mind. In the present case, a considered decision has been taken and an Award made whereby a high dam having an FRL of 455 ft. with capability of developing hydel power to be constructed. In the facts and circumstances enumerated hereinabove, even if this Court could go into the question, the decision so taken cannot be faulted. DIRECTIONS While issuing directions and disposing of this case, two conditions have to be kept in mind, (i) the completion of project at the earliest and (ii) ensuring compliance with conditions on which clearance of the project was given including completion of relief and rehabilitation work and taking of ameliorative and compensatory measures for environmental protection in compliance with the scheme framed by the Government thereby protecting the rights under Article 21 of the Constitution. Keeping these principles in view, we issue the following directions. Construction of the dam will continue as per the Award of the Tribunal. As the Relief and Rehabilitation Sub-group has cleared the construction up to 90 meters, the same can be undertaken immediately. Further raising of the height will be only pari passu with the implementation of the relief and rehabilitation and on the clearance by the Relief and Rehabilitation Sub-group. The Relief and Rehabilitation Sub-Group will give clearance of further construction after consulting the three Grievances Redressal Authorities. The Environment Sub-group under the Secretary, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India will consider and give, at each stage of the construction of the dam, environment clearance before further construction beyond 90 meters can be undertaken. The permission to raise the dam height beyond 90 meters will be given by the Narmada Control Authority, from time to time, after it obtains the above-mentioned clearances from the Relief and Rehabilitation Sub-group and the Environment Sub-group. The reports of the Grievances Redressal Authorities, and of Madhya Pradesh in particular, shows that there is a considerable slackness in the work of identification of land, acquisition of suitable land and the consequent steps necessary to be taken to rehabilitate the project oustees. We direct the States of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat to implement the Award and give relief and rehabilitation to the oustees in terms of the packages offered by them and these States shall comply with any direction in this regard which is given either by the NCA or the Review Committee or the Grievances Redressal Authorities. Even though there has been substantial compliance with the conditions imposed under the environment clearance the NCA and the Environment Sub-group will continue to monitor and ensure that all steps are taken not only to protect but to restore and improve the environment. The NCA will within four weeks from today draw up an Action Plan in relation to further construction and the relief and rehabilitation work to be undertaken. Such an Action Plan will fix a time frame so as to ensure relief and rehabilitation pari passu with the increase in the height of the dam. Each State shall abide by the terms of the action plan so prepared by the NCA and in the event of any dispute or difficulty arising, representation may be made to the Review Committee. However, each State shall be bound to comply with the directions of the NCA with regard to the acquisition of land for the purpose of relief and rehabilitation to the extent and within the period specified by the NCA. The Review Committee shall meet whenever required to do so in the event of there being any un-resolved dispute on an issue which is before the NCA. In any event the Review Committee shall meet at least once in three months so as to oversee the progress of construction of the dam and implementation of the R&R If for any reason serious differences in implementation of the Award arise and the same cannot be resolved in the Review Committee, the Committee may refer the same to the Prime Minister whose decision, in respect thereof, shall be final and binding on all concerned. The Grievances Redressal Authorities will be at liberty, in case the need arises, to issue appropriate directions to the respective States for due implementation of the R&R programmes and in case of non- implementation of its directions, the GRAs will be at liberty to approach the Review Committee for appropriate orders. Every endeavour shall be made to see that the project is completed as expeditiously as possible.

By Andrew Mulenga The promise of a national art gallery has long eluded Zambia, so as the first phase of the Livingstone Art Gallery comes to completion, these are definitely exciting times for the visual arts. The state sponsored structure situated in the former Livingstone show grounds has been under construction for quite a lengthy period owing mostly to a lack of resources and oscillating levels of commitment from different governments of the day. It was almost completed a few days before the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) general assembly last year, perhaps to showcase it as one of Livingstone’s main attractions when Zambia and Zimbabwe co-hosted the international tourism indaba. However, not even hurried construction works could allow the building to be finished on time and an exhibition that was scheduled for the venue was instead moved to the Livingstone National Museum. Once again it appears the construction works are in full throttle to meet a new deadline, this time ahead of the country’s 50th Independence Day celebrations. No doubt a befitting time to launch a gallery of this importance which as earlier alluded will be the nation’s first, seeing the Henry Tayali Gallery ran by the Zambia National Visual Arts Council (VAC) in Lusaka is in a rented space. |Members of VAC Livingstone tour the site| The arts mother body National Arts Council (NAC) is expected to officially handover the building and running of the facility over to the VAC Livingstone at an opening ceremony on a date yet to be announced but possibly in October. While the members of VAC Livingstone are a thoroughly enthusiastic group of individuals who pour themselves into their artistic work, most do not simply have the capacity to run a national gallery, well at least not now. During their tour of the facility early this year -- of which the author was privileged to take part -- the group was still not sure on how they are going to run the facility once it is handed over to them. There were suggestions of turning a large part of it into a commercial restaurant in the prospect of bringing traffic to the gallery others proposed a curio shop or craft market. But reflecting on their suggestions one is tempted to wrestle with a few questions. Who will be running the daily affairs of the gallery? What will be the main activities – apart from the restaurant? Will it house a permanent collection organised in the manner of African Art, Modern Painting and Sculpture, Historical Painting and Sculpture and Contemporary Art? Will it be exhibiting some foreign shows that are perhaps on world tour? Will there be efforts to link it to other galleries on the continent and beyond? Has NAC provided adequate training for VAC members on how a gallery is managed? Zambians are generally not a gallery-going people, what are there any strategies in place to attract them into this new space? Zambia’s first national art gallery will require a full time team as much as the would be custodians are dedicated to run it in their own way, a good number of its members have full time jobs that are equally taxing in the fields of education and museums while they also put in personal time to practice their art making. In any case, there is no telling what NAC has in store for the opening, one hopes it will be given the grandness it deserves. This is no small thing, for five decades there has been a cry for a gallery so now that Zambia is finally getting one let us just hope the organisers do not make a circus of it, as they did with the shambolic UNWTO exhibition at the Livingstone Museum. If it is to be opened with an exhibition, the invitation checklist should be as high profile as possible. NAC must get the president to cut the ribbon and unveil a plaque with his name on it, all the senior government officials and ambassadors too must be invited as this is the only sure chance of getting the event onto all the television and radio stations as well as the front pages of the newspapers. Noise has to be made. NAC should ask itself what it is they want to launch, a gallery of international stature befitting the tourist capital and Zambia’s 50th birthday or a joke. This should also be done bearing in mind that it is easy to have a high profile, government-type launch with all the bells and whistles, but it would be unfortunate for them to hop on to their Sports Utility Vehicles and head back to the capital and leave VAC Livingstone with teething problems that they may not be able to handle. Again if there are to launch it with an exhibition it should be all inclusive, featuring artists from across the country as well as historic works, some of which can be brought out of their storage from the safety of museum vaults in Livingstone as well as Lusaka. If historic works cannot be shown on Zambia’s jubilee when will they be shown? But being the treasures that such works are there is not telling how safe they would be hanging in the new gallery which may not have standard security features if details such as the chicken-run-type roofline are anything to go by. Returning to the running of the gallery, a good model to follow would be that of Zimbabwe, just next door, the sister nation to which Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland lost the opportunity to house the gallery which was eventually built in Salisbury. Today called the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, it: “is a state owned non-profit making organization that was established by an Act of Parliament in 1953 and falls under the Ministry of Education, Sports, Art and Culture, to promote and preserve visual art in the country through continuous acquisition and conservation of artworks in the permanent collection and other various activities”. The gallery has a full-time director as well as curator. The curator oversees the gallery exhibitions while the director is a link between the ministry and the Board of Trustees that also includes the mayor of Harare and if they have been running like this for 55 years, they must be doing something right which has seen the opening of two regional branches The National Gallery in Bulawayo and he National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Mutare just 15 years ago. South Africa too has a flagship institution, the South African National Gallery in central Cape Town under the umbrella of Iziko Museums, an agency of the Department of Arts and Culture but this is complemented by regional galleries - the Durban Art Gallery in KwaZulu-Natal, the Johannesburg Art Gallery in Gauteng, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum formerly the King George VI Gallery in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape which all showcase collections of indigenous, historical and contemporary works from the respective provinces. Zambia can learn a great deal from both the Zimbabwean and South African models but perhaps there are already plans on how this is going to be done in the interim before the much awaited Arts, Cultural and Heritage Commission is set up through the Arts, Cultural and Heritage Bill. In his June newsletter, Ackson Tembo, a Chingola-based theatre personality and arts activist, eager as many to hear what the status quo is reminds us that: “July 2014, marks the twenty second month after the announcement that an Arts, Cultural and Heritage Commission was going to be set up through the Arts, Cultural and Heritage Bill. Can someone please update us on this matter?” The setting up of the bill was announced by the Republican President Michael Sata in a policy statement during his address in Parliament on 28th September 2012.The intention of the Bill is to harmonise all sectors of arts and culture to operate under one body encompassing theatre, digital art, reading, dance, music, literature, and crafts as well as “art collections that will reinforce the identity of the country and national pride through culture.”

|Join Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / New| Stats: 2,691,331 members, 6,341,295 topics. Date: Wednesday, 16 June 2021 at 07:43 AM |European Football (EPL, UEFA, La Liga) / Re: Everton Vs Liverpool (2 - 2) On 17th October 2020 by proxillin(m): 12:55pm On Oct 17, 2020| Liverpool is having a taste of injury now. Vigik is gone, Remain Mane now. Chelsea had 7 players on injury last season. Manu had the same issue. |Politics / Re: Protesters In Borno Demand Reinstatement Of SARS (Pictures) by proxillin(m): 8:03am On Oct 14, 2020| Let normal police take over in Borno. The last time i checked, SARS are members of the police. So nothing spoil. Police is still with them. |Foreign Affairs / Details About Amenia Vs Azerbaijan Upcoming War - Proxillin by proxillin(m): 11:00am On Oct 09, 2020| At the center of this conflic is "Nagorno-Karabakh". Nagorno-Karabakh is a disputed enclave between Amenia and Azerbaijan. Before I reveal anything about Nagorno-Karabakh. Who are Amenians and Azerics. Amenia is a 97 pecent Christian republic. The first country to declare Christianity as a form government ruling. Azerbaijan are 90 pecent shia muslims. In terms of land mass Azerbaijan is larger. Azerbaijan is also more populated. Azerbaijan is rich in oil. But Amenian economy is well organized, resilient exactly like Germans. Nagorno-Karabakh, the displuted land is mainly occupied by Amenians (80pecent amenians) but Azerbaijan lay claim to it. History of the conflict: There have been rounds of confrontation on this land in the past and Amenians always come on top. Military head to head Azerbaijan an islamic country is an oil rich country that have access to Turkish , Israelis and Russians weapons. Their language is very close to Turkish. In fact a Turk will easily communicate with Azeriks. Azerbaijan is rich, but not a well or organized military. Amenia a Russian Orthodox christian country is a diversified economy with well organized military with pact with Russia. Amenians are influencial in Russia. They are hold public offices in Moscow. Amenia-Russia relationship is similar to US-Israeli relationship. Amenians are also stunch supporters of President Trump. They have even held rallies supporting Trump in the past. Why the war again? The number one instigator of the war is Erdogan of Turkey. Lately Erdogan has kickstarted Ottoman empire abandoned global Islamic Jihad. He is seeking to claim mineral resources anywhere possible. He ventured into syria to help dethrone Assad, he was pushed back by Russia and Trump's disinterest in fighting Assad. Meanwhile, Erdogan made a strategic mistake, he wanted to crush Kurds who are USA ally, he therefore made pact with Trump to get America to stop supporting Kurds and remove his forces from Iraq, and in turn, Turkey will eliminate ISIS at his end. Trump read into his flawed strategic move. Trump knew Russia was going to deal with Erdogan anyways. The whole world mocked Trump for retreating from Kurds support. But at the end. Russia/Iran had the upper hand in Syria, Turkey forces where surpressed. Erdogan lost Erdogan saw a defeat in Syria, he switched attention to Libya oil. He sent weapons and troop to help the coalition government in Libya against the rebel. This angered Egypt. Egypt mobilized his military to reinforce the rebels. Russia moved advanced weapons and military personnels to help Libyan rebels, France also moved their weapons to support the rebels. Right now, Erdogan Turkey is overpowered in Libya. Erdogan lost Erdogan then shifted attention to Greece, he started a conflict with Greece by converting Greek monumental church to mosque. He then started oil exporation in a jointly claimed Greece-Turkey sea. This infuriated European union, who were already getting tired of his jihadi extremism. France, Spain and Germany pledged their military support for Greece. France even moved is fighter strike group ships to the disputed sea. Erdogan lost Erdogan is getting hit as all fronts. Turkey currency "Lira" is getting smashed in the market. Turkey economy is nose-diving. What next? He shifted his attention to Azerbaijan, another oil rich region. Using his connections and influence with the current Azerbaijan leaders, he is pushing Azerbaijan for war with Amenians. Its True that Trump is not interested in any war right now. However, US paliament has berrated Turkey for their role in the conflict. This is an indication that USA is aware of who the aggressors are. When a decision is made to engage militarily, Amenians are going to be sided. Trump-Putin bromance is also not in favour of Azerbaijan. Who is Israel supporting. Azerbaijan has been customers to Israeli weapons. The zionists will not be involved directly. But trust me, they won't support Azerbaijan except make money from weapon sales. Instead, Israel will see it as opportunity to smash Erdogan who has been a pain on the neck of Israel by supporting Amenia. China is a Russian ally. Saudi and other sunni Arab states would not want Turkey taking front stage in Jihad. However, Turkey has a worldwide network of Jihadis. As at 7th of October, Turkey is already mobilizing Jihadi volunteers all over the world to Azerbaijan. EU (Germany, France, UK, Spain and others)? They don't like Erdogan either. Who has the upper hand? Who will likely win? Can it lead to major world war? Have your say By Proxillin - A Middle East Business and Political Analyst |Foreign Affairs / Re: Trump-biden Debate Exposed Alot Aabout American Media by proxillin(m): 1:28pm On Oct 08, 2020| You are Zombie. May be we should start worshipping Joe Biden mentor. The KKK master. |Foreign Affairs / Re: Trump-biden Debate Exposed Alot Aabout American Media by proxillin(m): 1:26pm On Oct 08, 2020| O yeah Hunter biden who is not a government official and his father the VP of the USA. lOLZ |Foreign Affairs / Re: Trump-biden Debate Exposed Alot Aabout American Media by proxillin(m): 12:46pm On Oct 08, 2020| It seems you know more than American senate. Here is american senate report: Yes all leeaders should be held[b] accountable[/b] by free press not just Trump alone. People are just sentimental and fanatic with falsism. And trump did not comit any crime on tax. He exploit vulnerability in tax codes. Thats not a criminal offence, thats a moral offence. |Foreign Affairs / Re: Trump-biden Debate Exposed Alot Aabout American Media by proxillin(m): 11:34am On Oct 08, 2020| I dont know why Biden was promoted as saint at the DEBATE. Its so evil and biased. Let the 2 candidates defend themselves. Trump was asked about his "science may not know gaffe", but Biden was not grilled on his racist slurs "you are not black enough" |Foreign Affairs / Trump-biden Debate Exposed Alot Aabout American Media by proxillin(m): 11:13am On Oct 08, 2020| Wallace is reknowned Liberal leaning media personnel at FoxNews. His performance at the debate was nothing to write home about. They decided to pick him, so as to tell the world that he is working with a conservative media house, whereas, he is liberal and an anti-trump to the call. People criticized him for not taking control of the debate. But thats a misplaced criticism. There are darker aspect of the debate people didnt notice. Here are what people did not see at the debate: 1. He help biden fact checked Trump on many occasions when Trump was punching Biden. Its true that Trump is eratic, but Wallace could have stopped trump professionaly instead of taking side. As a moderator, you need to be neutral. 2. He grilled Trump on what is percieved as his scandals, but failed to quiz Biden. E.g He asked Trump about his tax records. But Biden illegal money from Mayor of Mosco and Ukrain borusma deal that senate panel released report on was not touched. Trump was grilled on his white supremacist support, biden was not grilled on BLM and his link with his mentor, a KKK leader. Some of us saw this conspiracies, thats why we don't see Trump as evil they want us to believe it is. Wallace even had the gut to ask trump to declare if he will accept the outcome of the election? Infront of Biden who tricked the supreme court judge to get a fake FISA warrant to spy on Trump campaign? I mean people are really evil. Trump is not perfect. But is being treated unfairly. When the media is praising someone, it means that person should be feared. Lets be intelligent and stop being programmed by these media establishment |Religion / Re: Pope Francis: Donald Trump Is Not A Christian by proxillin(m): 7:39am On Oct 08, 2020| so is pope in a position to determine who is a christian? use ur brain for once na |Religion / Re: Pope Francis: Donald Trump Is Not A Christian by proxillin(m): 7:37am On Oct 08, 2020| is pope a christian too? See pope the god talking |Sports / Re: Kwara United Unveil Ribeiro Alves Lucas by proxillin(m): 8:51am On Oct 06, 2020| what da f |Sports / Re: Arsenal Signs Thomas Partey From Atletico Madrid by proxillin(m): 8:18am On Oct 06, 2020| To shock you bro, Ole in Manu is mile ahead of Lampard too. He is not getting the signing from the board. All these rashford and co are overhyped players. James, Greenwood are overhyped like mount and abraham, Odoi and RLC. Ole is not bad |Sports / Re: Arsenal Signs Thomas Partey From Atletico Madrid by proxillin(m): 8:16am On Oct 06, 2020| We are just debating. I didnt insult you. When you dont have a valid argument, you dont have to insult. I wont reply the rant part. I wont join a pig in the mud |Sports / Re: Arsenal Signs Thomas Partey From Atletico Madrid by proxillin(m): 8:13am On Oct 06, 2020| When did lampard beat Liverpool? Are you living in a hole? You dont watch football? Lies? Facts dont lie Premier league wednesday 15 July 2020: Arsenal 2:1 Liverpool FA August 29: Arsenal beat liverpool win 5-4 on penalties EFL Cup: Arsenal beat liverpool win 5-4 on penalties EPL: 28 OF SEPT - Liverpool 3:1 Arsenal When will lampard even try get a draw with liverpool? I am a chelsea fan, but when we say the truth,lets say it. |Sports / Re: Arsenal Signs Thomas Partey From Atletico Madrid by proxillin(m): 7:48am On Oct 06, 2020| after how many arsenal wins? Liverpool just returned 1. Write it down, with ziyech, pulisic, havertz and werner. That clueless Ole Manunitd will still beat lampard home and away this season. When will lampard even try and beat Klop for once? just once atleast try and beat him for 1 time. |Sports / Re: Arsenal Signs Thomas Partey From Atletico Madrid by proxillin(m): 7:45am On Oct 06, 2020| Jose has used this at chelsea to win the league. Dimatteo used the same tactics to win Champions league. Tactics is tactics, u can demonize it. Call it bus parking. FIFA wont ppunish you for it. Its not an offence? Maybe not arsenal year, maybe i am too overreactive, but I see this arsenal in top 3. |Sports / Re: Manchester United Complete Free Transfer Of Edinson Cavani by proxillin(m): 7:42am On Oct 06, 2020| Yeeeeh..Cavani a good and world class defender is here to fix Manunited defensive problems |Sports / Re: Arsenal Signs Thomas Partey From Atletico Madrid by proxillin(m): 7:36am On Oct 06, 2020| This same arteta beating lampard all the time. can't you see a better coach here? If you buy 1 billion worth of players for lampard, they will still be doing side way passes. Chelsea is currently playing Mikel obi football. Sideways FC. Since when has Liverpool beat this arsenal? Lets stop being sentimental, Chelsea has the best squad in EPL on paper. But they are indisciplined, lack coaching and guidiance, no managerial tactics Chelsea players just enter a match to do sideway passes and wait for opponent to make mistake. What is the worth of this aston villa that gave liverpool thorough beating? Can lampard ever get draw with liverpool talk more of beating? |Sports / Re: 'If Someone Cannot Cry About VAR It Is Man Utd' - Mourinho Has No Sympathy by proxillin(m): 12:29pm On Oct 05, 2020| GGMU is now NGMU. Bet people are you flowing with me? |Politics / Re: Buhari’s Supporters Considering Jonathan For 2023 Presidential Run - THISDAY by proxillin(m): 12:17pm On Oct 05, 2020| He will be a puppet to those cabbals we no want |European Football (EPL, UEFA, La Liga) / Re: Aston Villa Vs Liverpool (7 - 2) On 4th October 2020 by proxillin(m): 8:12pm On Oct 04, 2020| calm down...i remember hudderfields beating everyone at the start of the season before going on relegation |European Football (EPL, UEFA, La Liga) / Re: Aston Villa Vs Liverpool (7 - 2) On 4th October 2020 by proxillin(m): 8:09pm On Oct 04, 2020| donkey like u |European Football (EPL, UEFA, La Liga) / Re: Aston Villa Vs Liverpool (7 - 2) On 4th October 2020 by proxillin(m): 8:07pm On Oct 04, 2020| go and die |European Football (EPL, UEFA, La Liga) / Re: Aston Villa Vs Liverpool (7 - 2) On 4th October 2020 by proxillin(m): 8:04pm On Oct 04, 2020| So chelsea try by drawing westbrom after 3goals down..Lolz Chelsea try by beating crystal palace that flogged manunited. This liverpool only able to score after chelsea got red card. Chelsea will be a powerful force this season. Pulisic is back from injury Ziyech will be back next week Havertz is now understanding the team He go madtz gan |European Football (EPL, UEFA, La Liga) / Re: Aston Villa Vs Liverpool (7 - 2) On 4th October 2020 by proxillin(m): 7:58pm On Oct 04, 2020| what? this same liverpool been wooped beat barca like kids... that proves the point...EPL is no one team league. Its highly competitive. No league comes close |European Football (EPL, UEFA, La Liga) / Re: Manchester United Vs Tottenham Hotspur (1 - 6) On 4th October 2020 by proxillin(m): 5:27pm On Oct 04, 2020| someone said harry maguire is like fridge placed on the pitch.. Manu fans are angry at wood for not getting sancho, will sancho defend for manu? Chelsea signed Silva, they were mocking chelsea.. Lolz, they were busy celebrating chelsea red card vs liverpool..tottenham is already thrashing them, not even liverpool. i expect 3 goals in second half. All manu got to do is bring in extra defenders and pack a double decker bus so the goal tally wont pass 7 |European Football (EPL, UEFA, La Liga) / Re: Manchester United Vs Tottenham Hotspur (1 - 6) On 4th October 2020 by proxillin(m): 5:03pm On Oct 04, 2020| I am a chelsea fan, I hate manunited with passion. But that is not a red card. That should be yellow card for the 2 players. This referee is on weed. WTF. I was enjoying tottenham destroy man united,. and this idiot called referee just brought in controversy. And manu fans will be using that as excuse for loosing... Not a red card. |European Football (EPL, UEFA, La Liga) / Re: Chelsea V Crystal Palace (4 - 0) On 3rd October 2020 by proxillin(m): 2:16pm On Oct 03, 2020| pulisic don come...wahala don come..lolz..he came in and nearly scores |European Football (EPL, UEFA, La Liga) / Re: Chelsea V Crystal Palace (4 - 0) On 3rd October 2020 by proxillin(m): 2:13pm On Oct 03, 2020| dubious penalty like that of penandes? |European Football (EPL, UEFA, La Liga) / Re: Chelsea V Crystal Palace (4 - 0) On 3rd October 2020 by proxillin(m): 2:10pm On Oct 03, 2020| havertz is getting the gist small small..i like it |European Football (EPL, UEFA, La Liga) / Re: Chelsea V Crystal Palace (4 - 0) On 3rd October 2020 by proxillin(m): 1:59pm On Oct 03, 2020| Chilwell and zouma running the show... we dont want to see christensen in that back again. We are more composed without mount. |European Football (EPL, UEFA, La Liga) / Re: Chelsea V Crystal Palace (4 - 0) On 3rd October 2020 by proxillin(m): 1:38pm On Oct 03, 2020| odoi don start again..what a shame |Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health | religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2021 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 153

We are pleased to announce that 150 copies of Issue 38 have now been printed and are ready to make their way into the eager hands of our readers. Huzzah! This issue features the talents of Chris Athorne, Laura R Becherer, Kirsty Dunlop, Martin Cathcart Froden, Emma Guinness, Vivien Jones, David Ross Linklater, Gillean McDougall, Kerrie McKinnel, Sean McLeod, Mairi Murphy, Victoria Shropshire, Maria Sledmere, Sarah Spence, Angie Spoto, and Peter McCune. Here’s a sneak peak of our beautiful cover, designed by Imogen Whiteley. As this is the tenth anniversary of From Glasgow to Saturn, we will be holding two separate launch parties, one in Glasgow and one in Edinburgh. Both are free to attend and will feature around ten different performers. Copies will be on sale for 5 pounds each. The Glasgow launch is from 6PM-8PM at DRAM on Thursday, April 20th. You can reserve a copy of Issue 38 in advance, to pick up at this launch, through our Eventbrite page. Stick around directly afterwards for the Glasgow University Magazine launch party at the same venue! It will be a fabulous and entertaining night of poetry and literature. The Edinburgh launch is from 6PM-7PM on Tuesday, May 9th at the National Library of Scotland. You can reserve your (free) ticket here. Some of our performers will include Alan Bissett, Carly Brown, and Martin Cathcart Froden! If you are unable to attend either of these events, fear not! After our second launch in May, we will continue selling any remaining copies through our Amazon ordering system. These will be available for domestic and international shipping. Lastly we would like to thank Dr Vassiliki Kolocotroni and the English Department at the University of Glasgow for providing us with funding this year to put Issue 38 together and launch it at the National Library in Edinburgh and DRAM in Glasgow. Your generous donation has allowed us to print more hard copies than ever before, attract a wider audience, maintain our website, and donate back copies to the British Library. And to our readers, thank you for all your support in making this issue possible! Your contribution has supported and encouraged the dozens of both new and already established writers and artists featured in this issue, as well as past issues. Looking forward to celebrating with everyone next week, AK Thaysen | Cameo Marlatt | Anthony Daly Liam Quigley | Swara Shukla

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Raymond Carver lives in a large, two-story, wood-shingled house on a quiet street in Syracuse, New York. The front lawn slopes down to the sidewalk. A new Mercedes sits in the driveway. An older VW, the other household car, gets parked on the street. The entrance to the house is through a large, screened-in porch. Inside, the furnishings are almost without character. Everything matches—cream-colored couches, a glass coffee table. Tess Gallagher, the writer with whom Raymond Carver lives, collects peacock feathers and sets them in vases throughout the house—the most noticeable decorative attempt. Our suspicions were confirmed; Carver told us that all the furniture was purchased and delivered in one day. Gallagher has painted a detachable wood No Visitors sign, the lettering surrounded by yellow and orange eyelashes, which hangs on the screen door. Sometimes the phone is unplugged and the sign stays up for days at a time. Carver works in a large room on the top floor. The surface of the long oak desk is clear; his typewriter is set to the side, on an L-shaped wing. There are no knicknacks, charms, or toys of any kind on Carver's desk. He is not a collector or a man prone to mementos and nostalgia. Occasionally, one manila folder lies on the oak desk, containing the story currently in the process of revision. His files are well in order. He can extract a story and all its previous versions at a moment's notice. The walls of the study are painted white like the rest of the house, and, like the rest of the house, they are mostly bare. Through a high rectangular window above Carver's desk, light filters into the room in slanted beams, like light from high church windows. Carver is a large man who wears simple clothes—flannel shirts, khakis or jeans. He seems to live and dress as the characters in his stories live and dress. For someone of his size, he has a remarkably low and indistinct voice; we found ourselves bending closer every few minutes to catch his words and asking the irritating “What, what?” Portions of the interview were conducted through the mail, during 1981–1982. When we met Carver, the No Visitors sign was not up and several Syracuse students dropped by to visit during the course of the interview, including Carver's son, a senior. For lunch, Carver made us sandwiches with salmon he had caught off the coast of Washington. Both he and Gallagher are from Washington state and at the time of the interview, they were having a house built in Port Angeles, where they plan to live part of each year. We asked Carver if that house would feel more like a home to him. He replied, “No, wherever I am is fine. This is fine.” What was your early life like, and what made you want to write? I grew up in a small town in eastern Washington, a place called Yakima. My dad worked at the sawmill there. He was a saw filer and helped take care of the saws that were used to cut and plane the logs. My mother worked as a retail clerk or a waitress or else stayed at home, but she didn't keep any job for very long. I remember talk concerning her “nerves.” In the cabinet under the kitchen sink, she kept a bottle of patent “nerve medicine,” and she'd take a couple of tablespoons of this every morning. My dad's nerve medicine was whiskey. Most often he kept a bottle of it under that same sink, or else outside in the woodshed. I remember sneaking a taste of it once and hating it, and wondering how anybody could drink the stuff. Home was a little two-bedroom house. We moved a lot when I was a kid, but it was always into another little two-bedroom house. The first house I can remember living in, near the fairgrounds in Yakima, had an outdoor toilet. This was in the late 1940s. I was eight or ten years old then. I used to wait at the bus stop for my dad to come home from work. Usually he was as regular as clockwork. But every two weeks or so, he wouldn't be on the bus. I'd stick around then and wait for the next bus, but I already knew he wasn't going to be on that one, either. When this happened, it meant he'd gone drinking with friends of his from the sawmill. I still remember the sense of doom and hopelessness that hung over the supper table when my mother and I and my kid brother sat down to eat. But what made you want to write? The only explanation I can give you is that my dad told me lots of stories about himself when he was a kid, and about his dad and his grandfather. His grandfather had fought in the Civil War. He fought for both sides! He was a turncoat. When the South began losing the war, he crossed over to the North and began fighting for the Union forces. My dad laughed when he told this story. He didn't see anything wrong with it, and I guess I didn't either. Anyway, my dad would tell me stories, anecdotes really, no moral to them, about tramping around in the woods, or else riding the rails and having to look out for railroad bulls. I loved his company and loved to listen to him tell me these stories. Once in a while he'd read something to me from what he was reading. Zane Grey westerns. These were the first real hardback books, outside of grade-school texts, and the Bible, that I'd ever seen. It wouldn't happen very often, but now and again I'd see him lying on the bed of an evening and reading from Zane Grey. It seemed a very private act in a house and family that were not given to privacy. I realized that he had this private side to him, something I didn't understand or know anything about, but something that found expression through this occasional reading. I was interested in that side of him and interested in the act itself. I'd ask him to read me what he was reading, and he'd oblige by just reading from wherever he happened to be in the book. After a while he'd say, “Junior, go do something else now.” Well, there were plenty of things to do. In those days, I went fishing in this creek that was not too far from our house. A little later, I started hunting ducks and geese and upland game. That's what excited me in those days, hunting and fishing. That's what made a dent in my emotional life, and that's what I wanted to write about. My reading fare in those days, aside from an occasional historical novel or Mickey Spillane mystery, consisted of Sports Afield and Outdoor Life, and Field & Stream. I wrote a longish thing about the fish that got away, or the fish I caught, one or the other, and asked my mother if she would type it up for me. She couldn't type, but she did go rent a typewriter, bless her heart, and between the two of us, we typed it up in some terrible fashion and sent it out. I remember there were two addresses on the masthead of the outdoors magazine; so we sent it to the office closest to us, to Boulder, Colorado, the circulation department. The piece came back, finally, but that was fine. It had gone out in the world, that manuscript—it had been places. Somebody had read it besides my mother, or so I hoped anyway. Then I saw an ad in Writer's Digest. It was a photograph of a man, a successful author, obviously, testifying to something called the Palmer Institute of Authorship. That seemed like just the thing for me. There was a monthly payment plan involved. Twenty dollars down, ten or fifteen dollars a month for three years or thirty years, one of those things. There were weekly assignments with personal responses to the assignments. I stayed with it for a few months. Then, maybe I got bored; I stopped doing the work. My folks stopped making the payments. Pretty soon a letter arrived from the Palmer Institute telling me that if I paid them up in full, I could still get the certificate of completion. This seemed more than fair. Somehow I talked my folks into paying the rest of the money, and in due time I got the certificate and hung it up on my bedroom wall. But all through high school it was assumed that I'd graduate and go to work at the sawmill. For a long time I wanted to do the kind of work my dad did. He was going to ask his foreman at the mill to put me on after I graduated. So I worked at the mill for about six months. But I hated the work and knew from the first day I didn't want to do that for the rest of my life. I worked long enough to save the money for a car, buy some clothes, and so I could move out and get married. Somehow, for whatever reasons, you went to college. Was it your wife who wanted you to go on to college? Did she encourage you in this respect? Did she want to go to college and that made you want to go? How old were you at this point? She must have been pretty young, too. I was eighteen. She was sixteen and pregnant and had just graduated from an Episcopalian private school for girls in Walla Walla, Washington. At school she'd learned the right way to hold a teacup; she'd had religious instruction and gym and such, but she also learned about physics and literature and foreign languages. I was terrifically impressed that she knew Latin. Latin! She tried off and on to go to college during those first years, but it was too hard to do that; it was impossible to do that and raise a family and be broke all the time, too. I mean broke. Her family didn't have any money. She was going to that school on a scholarship. Her mother hated me and still does. My wife was supposed to graduate and go on to the University of Washington to study law on a fellowship. Instead, I made her pregnant, and we got married and began our life together. She was seventeen when the first child was born, eighteen when the second was born. What shall I say at this point? We didn't have any youth. We found ourselves in roles we didn't know how to play. But we did the best we could. Better than that, I want to think. She did finish college finally. She got her B.A. degree at San Jose State twelve or fourteen years after we married. Were you writing during these early, difficult years? I worked nights and went to school days. We were always working. She was working and trying to raise the kids and manage a household. She worked for the telephone company. The kids were with a babysitter during the day. Finally, I graduated with the B.A. degree from Humboldt State College and we put everything into the car and in one of those carryalls that fits on top of your car, and we went to Iowa City. A teacher named Dick Day at Humboldt State had told me about the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Day had sent along a story of mine and three or four poems to Don Justice, who was responsible for getting me a five-hundred-dollar grant at Iowa. Five hundred dollars? That's all they had, they said. It seemed like a lot at the time. But I didn't finish at Iowa. They offered me more money to stay on the second year, but we just couldn't do it. I was working in the library for a dollar or two an hour, and my wife was working as a waitress. It was going to take me another year to get a degree, and we just couldn't stick it out. So we moved back to California. This time it was Sacramento. I found work as a night janitor at Mercy Hospital. I kept the job for three years. It was a pretty good job. I only had to work two or three hours a night, but I was paid for eight hours. There was a certain amount of work that had to get done, but once it was done, that was it—I could go home or do anything I wanted. The first year or two I went home every night and would be in bed at a reasonable hour and be able to get up in the morning and write. The kids would be off at the babysitter's and my wife would have gone to her job—a door-to-door sales job. I'd have all day in front of me. This was fine for a while. Then I began getting off work at night and going drinking instead of going home. By this time it was 1967 or 1968.

Written by Grover Furr Let me begin by acknowledging the positive. Keeran correctly identified one error in my book. On page 30 I wrote: Stalin did refer to Trotskyites in very hostile terms. But he did not advocate persecuting them [i.e. Trotskyites]. As Keeran notes, this is wrong. I should have written: Stalin did refer to Trotskyites in very hostile terms. But he did not advocate persecuting former Trotskyites. I’m grateful to Keeran for noting this error. Unfortunately, it is the sole valid criticism in his long review. Keeran has fundamentally misunderstood my book Khrushchev Lied. This is clear from the title of his review: “Khrushchev Lied But What Is the Truth?” Moreover, in many places he utterly distorts what I have written. Keeran expects me not only to prove that Khrushchev lied – he concedes that I do this successfully – but, somehow, to reveal “what really happened.” He writes: The point of studying history is to understand what happened. Disputing Khrushchev’s views does not provide an alternative account of what happened. Furr admits this and says his study cannot satisfy the curiosity about “what really happened.” Keeran has misconceived the subject of my book, which is the 61 “revelations” about Stalin (and Beria) Khrushchev“revealed” in his infamous “Secret Speech” to the 20th Party Congress in 1956. In Chapter 10 of my book in a section titled “Exposing a Lie is Not the Same as Establishing the Truth” (143-145) I state: Analysis of Khrushchev’s prevarications suggests two related but distinct tasks. By far the easier and shorter job is to show that Khrushchev was not telling the truth. This is the subject of the present book. I then anticipate Keeran’s objection: The interested student will naturally want to know more than the mere fact that Khrushchev lied. Once convinced that Khrushchev’s version of reality is false, she or he will want to know the truth – what really happened. But the present study cannot satisfy that curiosity. (143) ALL of Keeran’s criticisms stem from his inability to understand this essential distinction. In spite of this disclaimer, Furr does suggest an alternative to Khrushchev’s view, and his alternative view is not credible. Keeran is wrong. Nowhere in my book do I “suggest an alternative to Khrushchev’s view.” Why? As I explain on the same page: A separate investigation would be necessary in each case – virtually, sixty-one studies for as many falsehoods. (143) Without reference to what I have actually written Keeran repeatedly imputes to me some “interpretation” or other. Then he finds these constructs “not credible” and — blames me! But they are his constructs, not mine! Again and again Keeran falsely asserts that I state things in my book that are simply not there. Yet, by trying to absolve Stalin entirely for the cult around him, Furr strains credibility. This is false. Nowhere in my book do I “absolve Stalin” either partially or entirely for the “cult.” Instead, I cite a great deal of evidence which shows that Stalin opposed the disgusting “cult” around himself. (8) Stalin may have opposed renaming Moscow, but he apparently did not object when scores of other cities, towns, streets, squares, parks, factories and so on were named after him and when his pictures and statues became ubiquitous. Unlike Fidel Castro, Stalin did not do as much as he might have to discourage the cult that developed. Keeran wishes Stalin had fought the “cult” even harder. Don’t we all! But this would be a legitimate criticism of my book only if I had tried to “absolve Stalin” – which I never do. I do, however, make the following remark: Some have argued that Stalin’s opposition to the cult around himself must have been hypocrisy. After all, Stalin was so powerful that if he had really wanted to put a stop to the cult, he could have done so. But this argument assumes what it should prove. To assume that he was that powerful is also to assume that Stalin was in fact what the “cult” absurdly made him out to be: an autocrat with supreme power over everything and everyone in the USSR. (8) The book’s problems start with its title and argument. To call every Khrushchev revelation a lie has dramatic appeal and a figurative truth, but no one in their right mind could buy this as literal truth, because no one in their right mind could imagine Khrushchev or anyone else speaking for hours before a congress of the Communist Party about revelations that contained nothing but falsehoods. Keeran may not “buy” it – but that is exactly what Khrushchev did! In my book I prove that every one of the 61 “revelations” Khrushchev made is false (except for one minor one, which I could not either verify or disprove). Keeran confuses the words “statement” and “revelation” A reader, however, has to wait until page 142 to hear the author acknowledge that “it would, of course, be absurd to say that every one of Khrushchev’s statements is false.” Yet, by not admitting that Khrushchev’s “revelations” artfully mixed truths and lies, this absurdity is precisely what Furr is guilty of. (Emphasis added) This is all wrong. Khrushchev made many “statements”, or assertions, in the Speech that were not “revelations”, i.e. accusations against Stalin (or Beria). It is these 61 “revelations” that are false – not every single statement that Khrushchev made. The “absurdity” is Keeran’s own failure to recognize this elementary distinction. Keeran compounds his confusion by stating: Furr makes no effort to sort out the truth and falsehood of Khrushchev’s speech, but proceeds to focus only on what in Khrushchev’s statements were dubious, even if it means lumping together the trivial, disputable and half lies with the significant, provable and total lies. Once again, Keeran again substitutes the word “statements’ for “revelations”. Then he accuses me of mixing the two up! Concerning my treatment of Khrushchev’s remarks on the murder of Sergei M. Kirov Keeran writes: Furr argues that Khrushchev’s insinuation was baseless and that the opposition leaders convicted were in fact part of a murder conspiracy. Furr is right on the first count but fails to prove the second. This is completely false! Nowhere in this book do I “argue… that the opposition leaders convicted were in fact part of a murder conspiracy.” I do not do so because a lengthy, separate study is required get to the bottom of the Kirov murder. Keeran outlines at some length what he understands of the scholarship on the Kirov assassination. His is not an informed discussion; Keeran really knows very little about this question. But even if Keeran knew much more than he does – so what? It is all irrelevant to a review of my book. I do not discuss the Kirov murder in my book. I discuss what Khrushchev said about the Kirov murder, and I prove that Khrushchev lied about it. In spite of Furr’s claim about “every” Khrushchev revelation being a lie, Furr actually does not dispute much that Khrushchev said about the repression. Of course I do not study, examine, or “dispute” all the statements Khrushchev made in his Speech! Only the 61 so-called “revelations” are the subject of my study. These are the accusations that shook the world; that caused half the world’s communists (outside of the communist countries themselves) to quit their parties; that led directly to the Sino-Soviet split, and later to Gorbachev’s ideological smokescreen by which he justified the return to predatory capitalism and the breakup of the Soviet Union. It is manifestly unfair of Keeran to call my book “deeply flawed” because I stick to proving what I set out to prove, rather than examining other questions that Keeran wishes I had studied instead. That does not mean I accept all of Khrushchev’s other statements as true – far from it! We have more than enough evidence today to prove that Khrushchev lied about many other matters as well. But a study of all of them is far beyond the scope of this one book. … Furr asserts that Khrushchev “seriously distorted” Stalin’s words when he said that Stalin tried to justify mass repression by saying “as we march forward toward socialism class war must allegedly sharpen.” Furr asserts that Stalin actually said, “the further we advance…the greater will be the fury of the remnants of the broken exploiting classes, the sooner they resort to sharper forms of struggle.” Does Furr really believe that the slight variation in words makes any difference in the meaning? Stalin’s words differ from Khrushchev’s paraphrase, but the meaning does not. Keeran has distorted both Khrushchev’s false allegations and what Stalin really said. Here are Khrushchev’s words: Stalin’s report at the February-March Central Committee plenum in 1937, ‘Deficiencies of party work and methods for the liquidation of the Trotskyites and of other two-facers’, contained an attempt at theoretical justification of the mass terror policy under the pretext that as we march forward toward socialism class war must allegedly sharpen. Stalin asserted that both history and Lenin taught him this. On pages 42-3 of my book I quote Stalin’s words and point out that Stalin did not “justify” any “mass terror policy.” On page 274 I quote very similar words by Lenin of May 27, 1919. In order to prove that Stalin was striving to follow Lenin’s example I cite a speech by Stalin in 1929 in which he cites Lenin’s quote. Khrushchev omitted this fact – of course, for it would not help him dishonestly smear Stalin. But why does Keeran not point it out to his readers? Still, Furr seems to hold a version of the repression something like this:… Wrong again! I give no “version of the repressions” in this book (and note that Keeran has to use the words “seems to hold”.) He continues: Though Furr is correct about Stalin’s statements and the First Secretaries’ actions, this hardly proves that Stalin opposed mass repression. Of course I do not prove that – because “mass repression” and Stalin’s role in it, is not the subject of my book. Again Keeran is “criticizing” my book because it is not a different book – one that I never wrote. Granted that authorizing mass executions of persons duly convicted by the courts was not the same as ordering them, still Stalin’s signature showed that he was fully aware and supportive of the most extreme punishment for those convicted of serious crimes against the state. Furr seems loath to acknowledge this. As Keeran admits, I prove Khrushchev lied in saying Stalin “ordered” mass executions. That is all I set out to do. My book is not about “mass repression” or Stalin’s attitude towards it. Concerning the famous “torture telegram” Keeran states: … Furr may be right in questioning the provenance of this wire and whether it was ever sent. Moreover, Furr is certainly right that in quoting the telegram Khrushchev omitted sentences so as to put Stalin in the worst possible light, that is, omitting sentences where Stalin stressed that physical pressure was permissible only “as an exception” and those sentences where Stalin condemned those who had abused these methods. So Keeran admits I am right! But then he raises another “straw man”: Khrushchev’s skullduggery notwithstanding, the telegram clearly showed Stalin’s willingness to condone torture in exceptional cases such as where a convict refused to divulge the existence or whereabouts of co-conspirators still at large. Had Furr acknowledged this … his account would have been forthright and useful rather than a strained effort to argue that every Khrushchev allegation was simply a lie. But I do indeed “acknowledge this”. I wrote (78): The first thing we should note, for our purposes, is what Khrushchev omitted – the entire passage in boldface (see Quotations). This passage does several things: • It qualifies, limits, and restricts the conditions under which “means of physical pressure” are to be used. So Keeran is wrong again. But there is an even greater distortion in Keeran’s words here, for he claims that my study is “a strained effort to argue that every Khrushchev allegation was simply a lie.” This is more than just false. it is what every anticommunist accuses me of — that my research is somehow biased in favor of Stalin; that I am a “Stalinist”. I reject that term. In all my research I strive for objectivity – to discover the truth “and let the chips fall where they may.” Early in my book I write: The most influential speech of the 20th century – if not of all time – a complete fraud? The notion was too monstrous. Who would want to come to grips with the revision of Soviet, Comintern, and even world history that the logic of such a conclusion would demand? It would be infinitely easier for everyone to believe that I had “cooked the books,” shaded the truth – that I was falsifying things, just as I was accusing Khrushchev of doing. Then my work could be safely ignored, and the problem would “go away.” Especially since I am known to have sympathy towards the worldwide communist movement of which Stalin was the recognized leader. When a researcher comes to conclusions that suspiciously appear to support his own preconceived ideas, it is only prudent to suspect him of some lack of objectivity, if not worse. So I would have been much happier if my research had concluded that 25% of Khrushchev’s “revelations” about Stalin and Beria were false. However, since virtually all of those “revelations” that can be checked are, in fact, falsehoods, the onus of evidence lies even more heavily on me as a scholar than would ordinarily be the case. (4) Like it or not, every “revelation” Khrushchev made against Stalin and Beria in the Speech is false (with the one exception previously stated). Not only did I not “strain” to prove this – I was subjectively unhappy that it is so. Evidently Keeran too is unable to accept this astounding fact. No wonder! Over 50 years ago the worldwide communist movement was rebuilt in accordance with Khrushchev’s Speech and the many subsequent lies about Stalin by Khrushchev and his henchmen. To accept the fact that Khrushchev did virtually nothing but lie in this world-altering speech shakes the foundations of the political commitments that a great many people have held for a lifetime. No wonder, then, that many find the truth is unpalatable. But it is the duty of Marxists to look the truth, no matter how disillusioning, squarely in the eye. Though Furr expends many words parsing Khrushchev’s statements in detail and indeed spends a whole chapter categorizing the various kinds of deceptions engaged in by Khrushchev, he makes little effort to sort the truth from the lies. In the end, one is left with two competing versions of the repression. Since Furr is content to act as a defense attorney and merely attack Khrushchev’s credibility without venturing his own interpretations of events, one never knows exactly what he thinks happened. Not one of these statements of Keeran’s is true. There is nothing “narrow” in proving that Khrushchev lied – not just occasionally, not just frequently, but consistently. This, and not anything else, is the subject of my book. Moreover, Keeran cannot decide what he thinks I have done – or failed to do: * First he states his disappointment that I do not “sort the truth from the lies”. That is, he chides me for failing to determine what really did happen. * Then he contradicts himself, complaining that there are “two competing versions of the repression” – evidently, Khrushchev’s and mine. * Whereupon Keeran complains that I do not “venture” my “own interpretations of events” so that “one never knows exactly” what [Furr] thinks happened.” Keeran is determined to criticize me – that much is clear. But he is utterly confused about what to criticize me for! Do I give a “competing version” to Khrushchev’s that is inadequate in some way? Or do I fail to give my “own interpretation of events”? Once again Keeran has it all wrong. I do not state my “version of the repression”. To repeat: my book is an examination of Khrushchev’s 61 “revelations” or accusations. To determine “what really happened” would require many separate and lengthy evidence-based studies. Keeran proceeds to tell us (a) what he thinks I think; then, (b) then, what he, Keeran, thinks. (c) Finally, Keeran “channels” the long-deceased Kaganovich and Molotov to outline what he thinks they may have thought! This is nonsense. Keeran does not know “what I think” about “the repression”. In fact, he does not tell us what he means by “the repression” — what events, during what years, he is referring to. Moreover, what I, or Keeran, or Kaganovich, or Molotov, “think” is irrelevant and misleading. The truth is not constituted by our, or anyone’s, “views”, “thinking”, or opinions, no matter what they are. The only way to arrive at statements that approximate the truth is by the scientific process of research: mastering the secondary literature; identifying the primary source evidence; locating, obtaining, and studying that evidence; drawing correct conclusions, appropriately qualified, from that evidence. To pretend, or to suggest to others, that one can arrive at a truthful account of events by outlining what somebody – anybody — “thinks”, is to substitute idealism for materialism. Keeran’s paragraph beginning Still, Furr seems to hold a version of the repression something like this… is absurdly wrong. Nowhere in my book do I give a “version of the repression”, for reasons that I have already made clear above. Keeran’s summary of Kaganovich’s and Molotov’s “views”, starting with the passage Kaganovich and Molotov viewed Stalin and the repression, differently than Furr does. I would paraphrase their views like this… is just as wrong-headed. To summarize Kaganovich’s and Molotov’s views one would have to (a) collect all the passages in their writings and interviews where they spoke about “the repression”; and (b) arrange them in some logical order. Only then would you be in a position to (c) “paraphrase” their “views.” Keeran does not even attempt to do that. But assuming Keeran had done this, what then would he have? A “true” account of “the repression”? No! because we now have access to a great deal of evidence that Kaganovich and Molotov never had, including much that Khrushchev deliberately kept hidden from them (as Matthew Lenoe has recently proven). “Opinions”, “views”, and “what X thinks” where X is some “expert” — whatever that means — are to be studiously avoided! Remember Sherlock Holmes’ famous dictum: It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. (“A Scandal in Bohemia”) If Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a man who believed in fairies, understood this principle materialists have no excuse for ignoring it! What we are greatly wanting is conclusions solidly founded upon an objective study of all the evidence. Keeran clearly does not know what “the repression” refers to. But whatever he means, Kaganovich and Molotov were only peripherally involved in it. They were more than busy with other important jobs. Later, during Khrushchev’s tenure, they appeared to believe, and certainly went along with, much of Khrushchev’s account of the Stalin years. Both supported the “Secret Speech”. We know that Khrushchev kept hidden from them much of the evidence we now have. A careful, objective researcher today – granted, there are precious few such – can learn much more than Molotov or Kaganovich ever knew about these events. In my book I examine Khrushchev’s claim that a “party commission” – it was in fact the Pospelov Commission – “determined” that many Party leaders executed after 1937 were “innocent.” This commission produced “rehabilitation reports” that were finally published in the late 1990s. In my book I study these reports and determine that they do not do what Khrushchev claimed – they do not prove the innocence of the Party leaders in question. Not even close! Therefore I have proven that Khrushchev lied. On the basis of my study of the primary sources I conclude that the evidence we have today tends to point towards their guilt, not their innocence. But I never claim that any of these persons were guilty. Keeran gets this all wrong. He writes: To support his view, Furr repeatedly makes sweeping references to evidence about the guilt of those punished: “the evidence we know exists,” “all the evidence we presently have,” “all the evidence at our disposal,” “a great deal of documentary evidence,” “a great deal of evidence,” “the vast preponderance of evidence,” etc., but he never actually explains what evidence he is referring to. Apparently, he is simply referring to the well-known confessions and interrogations of the condemned, because he takes pains to argue that just because someone confessed does not mean he/she was innocent. Furr never acknowledges that confessions, particularly when given under duress, are pretty useless as historical evidence. To review Keeran’s errors: * I have no “view” that I am trying to “support.” As we have seen, Keeran sometimes chides me for not expressing my own views. * All the evidence we have does indeed tends towards the defendants’ guilt, not their innocence. That’s a fact, like it or not. Khrushchev had claimed just the opposite and until the late ‘90s no one could actually see the reports Khrushchev was referring to. Now, we can. Conclusion? Khrushchev lied! * I do indeed ‘explain what evidence I am referring to”, and in detail. I devote the whole of Chapter 11 to my study of the “rehabilitation reports.” In Chapter 4 I review the evidence we now have – which Khrushchev also had, of course – concerning the nine Party leaders Khrushchev names who were tried and executed in 1937-1938. The evidence supports their guilt, not their innocence. Yet again: Khrushchev lied! Moreover, Keeran is completely wrong when he says that “confessions, particularly when given under duress, are pretty useless as historical evidence.” For starters, what does “pretty useless” mean? “Less useless” than just plain “useless”? So it is of some use? But what? And just what does “under duress” mean? This mealy-mouthed statement is worse than meaningless – it is an evasion of the serious question of how to approach this important category of evidence. Then Keeran claims: “Furr never acknowledges” that his, Keeran’s, uninformed view on this subject is correct. Well, I certainly do not acknowledge the absurd formulations “under duress” and “pretty useless”! It is obvious that Keeran has never given serious attention to the question of how to use evidence from interrogations. Here’s what I do: I devote a whole section of Chapter 10 to this question: “Torture and the Historical Problems Related To It” (147-150). I recommend it to the reader. A little later, Furr strengthens his claim by asserting that “the vast preponderance of evidence” points to their guilt. Strong words, however, are no substitute for proof. What is Furr’s evidence? Does he just mean the confessions and interrogation reports? He refers to nothing else. One is left with warring assertions: Khrushchev’s baseless claims of innocence and Furr’s baseless claims of guilt. But Keeran cannot quote or cite any place where I make this claim – because I do not make it. To repeat: I do not make any claim that any – much less all — of these Party leaders were “guilty.” Rather, I examine the evidence now available and show that it supports their guilt rather than their innocence. Khrushchev stated that this evidence proved they were innocent. Therefore, Khrushchev was lying. Khrushchev’s men were looking for evidence that the men in question were innocent. Today we have the reports, kept secret until 1999. We have other evidence too, though nowhere near everything. But Khrushchev’s men had access to everything – all the investigative reports and trial transcripts, most of which are still top-secret. We can assume that they included in their reports to Khrushchev any evidence they could find that these men were innocent. Therefore, the fact that they did not include any such evidence of innocence strongly implies that no such evidence exists. Nevertheless, I do not conclude that they were guilty. But Keeran shows no awareness of these considerations and covers this up with empty phrases like “pretty useless” and “under duress.” According to Keeran my book contains “an uncommon amount of speculation, insinuation and overstatement.” So why does he fail to cite even a single example of any of these? Evidently he could not identify any. If Khrushchev’s portrait of Stalin as an all-powerful, megalomaniacal, paranoid and bloodthirsty tyrant was wrong, still what is one to make of the Stalin in Furr’s dodgy portrait? To repeat: no “portrait” of Stalin is to be found in my book. I prove that 60 of the 61 “revelations”, or accusations of wrongdoing alleged in Khrushchev’s Speech against Stalin and Beria, are false, with the majority of them outright, provable lies (See Chapter 10, “A Typology of Prevarication” and the Table on pp. 152-158). My book is not about Stalin; it is about Khrushchev’s Secret Speech. Keeran then characterizes my “view” of Stalin: One can hardly avoid concluding that Furr views Stalin as a leader who was removed from, or even opposed to, the mass repression occurring around him, a leader who sought individual and educational remedies to those who sought to undermine or overthrow him, and who was unfairly blamed for repression committed by others? This Stalin is no more believable than Khrushchev’s. Yet again Keeran composes a fatuous “view” of Stalin; then imputes it to me; and then criticizes me for it! Just as Keeran’s “paraphrase” of Kaganovich’s and Molotov’s “views” is his words, his ideas, not theirs. In discussing my final chapter Keeran admits that my speculation as to the possible reasons for Khrushchev’s massive falsifications are “plausible”. But then he posits an explanation of his own: Nonetheless, I would suggest that Furr neglects yet another reason for Khrushchev’s behavior, namely, a desire to close the door decisively on the period and practice of harsh and widespread political repression. And he did. No, he did not. In September 1936 Nikolai Ezhov replaced Genrikh Iagoda as head (People’s Commissar) of the NKVD. In November 1938 Ezhov was replaced by Lavrentii Beria. According to the widely-publicized “Pavlov report” prepared for Khrushchev in 1953 and widely reprinted the number of persons sentenced to death in 1936-1940 were as follows: 1936 – 1,118 1937 – 353,074 1938 – 328,618 1939 – 2,552 1940 – 1,649 In 1939 death sentences under Beria were less than 1% of those under Ezhov. In 1940 they were less than ½ of 1%. No mass political repression occurred during Stalin’s postwar years. The “Ezhovshchina” (= “bad time of Ezhov”) was never repeated. The conclusion is inescapable: It was not Khrushchev, but Stalin and Beria who ended mass political repression, and they did it in late 1938. Moreover, I show in my book that Khrushchev himself had more blood on his hands than anyone else: the numbers of people executed in Moscow, then in the Ukraine, during the time Khrushchev was First Secretary in those places, exceeded all other areas. After Stalin’s death Lavrentii Beria was illegally arrested, tried and executed or, as many think, simply shot outright on June 26, 1953. That is, one of the leading members of the Soviet government — Beria was both Minister of State Security, the MGB, and of Internal Affairs, the MVD — and of the Party — Beria was a member of the Politburo, renamed the Presidium in October 1952 — was either judicially murdered, or just plain murdered. Stalin never, ever did anything like this! Keeran concludes his review with a total distortion of what I wrote: Furr concludes his account on an utterly false note, namely by proposing that Khrushchev’s ignominious lying can be traced to Lenin, Marx and Engels. … He … suggests a trail of blame worthy of the most hard-bitten Cold War ideologues. I trace Khrushchev’s lies to Lenin, Marx, and Engels? Utter nonsense! Here are the exact words in my book, from Chapter 12, “Conclusion: The Enduring Legacy of Khrushchev’s Deception.” There are historical and ideological roots to Khrushchev’s Speech, and these must also be sought in Soviet history. Stalin tried hard to apply Lenin’s analysis to the conditions he found in Russia and the world communist movement. Lenin, in turn, had tried to apply the insights of Marx and Engels. Lenin had tried to find answers to the critical problems of building socialism in Russia in the works of the founders of modern communism. Stalin, never claiming any innovations for himself, had tried to follow Lenin’s guidelines as closely as he could. Meanwhile Trotsky and Bukharin, as well as other oppositionists, found support for their proposed policies in Lenin’s works too. And Khrushchev, like his epigones up to and including Gorbachev, cited Lenin’s words to justify, and give a Leninist or “left” cover to, every policy he chose. Therefore, something in Lenin’s works, and in those of Lenin’s great teachers Marx and Engels, facilitated the errors that his honest successor Stalin honestly made, and that his dishonest successor Khrushchev was able to use to cover up his own betrayal. But that is a subject for further research and a different book. (216-217) Ever meet a “Cold War ideologue” who says things like this? In a private email to Keeran in October 2011 I tried to put this vital matter another way: I think Stalin et al., like Lenin et al., and like Marx and Engels, were “the best.” None were ever better. In my view Stalin and those who were closely associated with him, plus tens or hundreds of thousands of Soviet communists, were faithful followers of Lenin. They did in fact implement, bring into being, what Lenin wanted — socialism. “Socialism in one country”, in fact. They did not “fail to understand”, or “distort”, etc., Lenin’s ideas. They fulfilled them. Lenin, of course, was striving to embody and fulfill what Marx and Engels had concluded. And I believe he did understand Marx and Engels better than anybody before or since, and did in fact follow their teachings with intelligence and innovation. But you can’t “have it both ways.” If Stalin et al., faithfully followed Lenin, and Lenin et al. (for Lenin wasn’t alone either) did likewise with Marx and Engels, then it follows that there are some fundamental problems — flaws, if you will — in this whole line of thought. Because it ended up right back with capitalism! To put it another way: If WE, or the communists of the future, strive to do what Stalin, Lenin, Marx and Engels advocated, then AT BEST we are going to end up right back with capitalism. But we will not have their excuse. They were the first, the pioneers. Pioneers always make mistakes. In fact, it is inevitable — mistakes are a necessary part of any process. But making the same mistake again is NOT a necessary part of the process. To make the same mistake again is to squander the lessons of both success and of failure that the predecessors in the communist movement have to teach us. We have to learn from their mistakes, as well as their successes. Then we, at best, will make NEW mistakes, creative mistakes, mistakes “on a higher level” (in a Hegelian or dialectical sense). Along with new successes. But, if we pretend that “Marx and Engels had all the answers”, or “Lenin had all the answers” (many Maoists literally believe that “Mao had all the answers”; many Trotskyists, of course, believe that “Trotsky had all the answers”) — if we believe that, then we are guaranteed, AT BEST, to fall far short of what they achieved. Marx said something about “first as tragedy, then as farce.” The tragedy of the international communist movement of the 20th century was that, ultimately, it failed. Unless we figure out where they went wrong — ALL of these figures — then we are doomed to be the “farce.” And that would be a crime — OUR crime. So we have to look with a critical eye at ALL of our legacy. Marx’s favorite saying was: “De omnibus dubitandum” — “Question everthing.” Marx would be the last person in the world to exclude himself from this questioning. I hope these remarks are helpful. They are intended in a friendly spirit, Roger. Please take them as such! I urge readers to study Keeran’s review, then to study this response of mine. Then obtain a copy of my book – from your local library, if they have it (and if they don’t, have them buy a copy) –and study it. Decide for yourselves. All boldface in quotations has been added. “Not credible” is not a legitimate category of analysis anyway. What one person finds “credible” another will not. Materialists deal with evidence and its examination, not with subjective issues like “credibility”. Stalin was not a “dictator” like, for example, Hitler, Mussolini, and Franco were. Stalin sought advice and consensus. Historian Stephen Wheatcroft has called his style of leadership during the 1930s “team Stalin.” Getty and Naumov show that in February 1937 Stalin suggested a far lesser degree of punishment for Bukharin and Rykov than any of the other members of the Plenum Commission that considered it – but was overruled. (411-416) Dmitrii Shepilov, an author that for some reason Keeran likes to cite, noted this too: — Shepilov has told me that it is hard to lead Pravda. Of course it’s hard. I thought, maybe we could appoint two editors? Here everybody began to protest. — No, there’ll be a conflict of powers (dvoevlastie). … It’ll create disorder. … There’ll be nobody to consult with… — Well, I see that the people do not support me. OK, where the people go – there also go I. (Shepilov, Neprimknuvshii. Moscow: Vagrius, 2001, p. 237) I have now completed just such an evidence-based study of the Kirov murder. It is under contract to be published in Russia, in Russian translation, during 2012. In that study I do indeed prove that Kirov’s assassin, Leonid Nikolaev, was indeed the gunman for a clandestine opposition conspiracy. My study took a year to research and write and will be well over 400 pages in length. Keeran is obviously unfamiliar with the “scholars” he claims I should have “refuted or at least disputed.” Neither Pavel Sudoplatov nor Alla Krilina are historians with “strong credentials”, as Keeran claims. Sudoplatov was a former NKVD / MGB agent imprisoned under Khrushchev for 15 years, evidently for failing to fabricate lies against Beria. Kirilina was the longtime head of the Kirov museum in Leningrad / St. Petersburg. Keeran mentions at least four other Cold War, anticommunist historians in this review. Every one of them is an anticommunist falsifier! I sent Keeran some evidence about two of them. Yet he still included their names in the final version of his review. Go figure! For one of many citations of these numbers see Getty and Naumov, The Road to Terror (Yale 1998) 528. An official source for the document, in Russian, may be consulted here: Those who are curious about what the evidence now available shows about the mass executions of the Ezhovshchina of roughly August 1937 to September 1938 should see paragraphs of my essay “Stalin and the Struggle for Democratic Reform: Part One”, published April 2005 in Cultural Logic, from about par. 86 – end: http://clogic.eserver.org/2005/furr.html For a great deal of primary documentation on the Ezhovshchina, see my essay “The Moscow Trials and the “Great Terror” of 1937-1938: What the Evidence Shows” and the many primary sources linked at the bottom of this page: December 7, 2011

Sex and Stigma in the LGBTQ+ Community By Dr Maurice Nagington It is a fact that LGBTQ+ people have higher rates of depression, anxiety and even suicide. This holds true across the societies and cultures willing to measure the mental health of their populous, and allow LGBT+ people to identify as such on these surveys. For some LGBTQ+ people the causes of poor mental seem obvious, such as damaging aversion or conversion therapies, or particularly traumatic and violent reactions from loved ones when coming out. Yet in many other cases finding some sort of explanation requires a more complex account for how LGBT+ individuals navigate a society that is structurally prejudiced towards people who aren’t heterosexual and cis-gendered. Such prejudices can be miniscule, hardly even morally objectionable. Yet they can suffuse the day to day lives of LGBT+ people and those that they face. And face it we must. All those tiny little micro-expression of bafflement and, on occasion, disgust on the face of a stranger when they clock us holding hands, kissing or just generally being a bit queer. We know they don’t look at straight people like that, so these expressions insidiously mark us out as different or other. Faced with these reactions on a daily basis cannot fail to leave a niggling sense of anxiety and depression. Some writers such as Matthew Todd and David Fawcett have termed this as “internalised homophobia”. They suggest that it is at the root cause of all the “expressions” of a troubled (gay) psyche; particularly activities such as bareback sex, and drug and alcohol use. What these arguments do not allow is that these “expressions” can also be engaged with for pleasure, rather than a mechanism to hide some deep insidious pain. The logic then goes that society needs to fully accept gay people so that they fully fit in. Presumably once this happens these “expressions” will disappear. But LGBT people aren’t merely lost individuals wandering lonely in a wilderness waiting to be rescued by a more compassionate hetero-partiarchal cis-gendered society who have learned to benevolently smile. We’ve been busy building community whilst we were (and still are) experiencing violence and prejudice. There are sporting groups, book clubs, yoga retreats, pornography, literature, plays, art clubs, saunas, bar and pubs, choirs, research groups, churches, synagogues, mosques and even humanist meetings. And let’s not to forget the night clubs. There’s a growing and vibrant LGBT culture waiting to greet you, if you’re queer there’s a place for all of your interests and passions to be shared with others just like you. We’ve been building a broad and wonderful solidarity based around our sexuality: and, whilst these can sometimes feel like bubbles, where there’s enough LGBT people located to make such activities viable; and whilst there are positive signs of “Prides” popping up in Oldham, Stockport, Wigan and other smaller regional towns and cities; and whilst yes we’ve been building community and solidarity… we’ve not been building a utopia. Within the LGBTQ+ community there remain horrible and insidious ways of inflicting hurt on one another: racism, sexism, ageism, transphobia, misogyny, classism, slut-shaming etc. Not to mention the prejudice that HIV positive people still experience. If you don’t believe me, or you doubt some of this is true, take a walk down Canal Street. Do you see many older faces? Do you see many non-white faces? No, I don’t either, but I do when I walk just a few blocks away from Canal Street. Then take a look on the dating and hook-up apps, it won’t take you long to find profiles that say “no fats” or “no fems” or even “no blacks or asians”. Nor would it take you long to find someone who has experienced prejudice for being HIV positive and having the audacity to be honest and open about it. It would appear some LGBTQ+ people are more comfortable expressing their own prejudices and fears to complete strangers on a hook-up app, than being kind. So, when we talk about “Pride” and we parade the achievements of the LGBT+ community, maybe we should also parade our shortcomings, and not just project them onto those others who we don’t feel in community with, so that we can maintain a fantasy that being LGBTQ+ is actually just a synonym for being good. Such a parade would require that we as a community recognise our responsibility for the difficulties we experience and propagate (whether they are of our genesis or not). Finally, this must be done on an individual level where one attempts to walk into the lives of others with a modicum of compassion and love that rejects the repetition of the hurt(s) we may have experienced. When individuals aim to walk together in a parade such as this, we may finally be part of the solution rather than the problem and be justified in our sense of pride. Dr Maurice Nagington Dr Maurice Nagington is an academic who specialises in exploring the cultural representations and lived experiences of health and healthcare services. He has particular interests in sexuality, death and dying, HIV, and chemsex. This article was commissioned by Green Carnation Company and published on the 12th October 2018 in conjunction with their production of Alexi Kaye Campbell’s play, ‘The Pride’, and formed part of the project’s extended reach programme.

|Year : 2017 | Volume | Issue : 3 | Page : 143-147 A review of ovary torsion Ci Huang1, Mun-Kun Hong2, Dah-Ching Ding2 1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital and Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital and Tzu Chi University; Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan |Date of Submission||29-Mar-2017| |Date of Decision||07-Apr-2017| |Date of Acceptance||02-May-2017| |Date of Web Publication||14-Sep-2017| Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, 707, Section 3, Chung-Yang Road, Hualien Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None Ovarian torsion is a rare but emergency condition in women. Early diagnosis is necessary to preserve the function of the ovaries and tubes and prevent severe morbidity. Ovarian torsion refers to complete or partial rotation of the adnexal supporting organ with ischemia. It can affect females of all ages. Ovarian torsion occurs in around 2%–15% of patients who have surgical treatment of adnexal masses. The main risk in ovarian torsion is an ovarian mass. The most common symptom of ovarian torsion is acute onset of pelvic pain, followed by nausea and vomiting. Pelvic ultrasonography can provide information on ovarian cysts. Once ovarian torsion is suspected, surgery or detorsion is the mainstay of diagnosis and treatment. Keywords: Abdominal pain, Ovarian cyst, Ovarian torsion, Pelvic pain, Ultrasound |How to cite this article:| Huang C, Hong MK, Ding DC. A review of ovary torsion. Tzu Chi Med J 2017;29:143-7 | Introduction|| | Ovarian torsion, which affects females of all ages, is a gynecological emergency ,,. It refers to a complete or partial rotation of the adnexal supporting organ, resulting in ischemic changes in the ovary. Torsions more commonly involve both the ovary and Fallopian tube More Details, and there are fewer cases of isolated torsion involving either one (one in 1.5 million women) ,,. Torsion involving paratubal or paraovarian cysts has also been found ,,. Early diagnosis and surgery are essential to protect ovarian and tubal function and prevent severe morbidity ,. | Infundibulopelvic and Utero-ovarian Ligaments|| | The infundibulopelvic ligaments suspend the movable ovary, allowing the ovary to position laterally or posteriorly to the uterus. The ovarian vessels travel along the infundibulopelvic ligaments which attach to the pelvic sidewall. Because adnexal tissue is not fixed, a big leading point, such as tumorous growth, can induce twisting. The other side of the ovary is connected to the uterus by the utero-ovarian (UO) ligament. The UO ligament is composed of muscular and fibrous tissue. The function of the UO ligament is to connect the ovary to the uterus and support it, and it also supplies blood from the uterine artery to the ovary . | Pathogenesis|| | Ovarian torsion occurs when an ovarian cyst or mass presents and rotates both the infundibulopelvic ligament and the UO ligament. The cyst or mass is usually a benign lesion over 5 cm in diameter ,,,. Torsion can also occur in normal ovaries, however, particularly in premenarchal girls who have elongated infundibulopelvic ligaments ,,. However, the occurrence of ovarian torsion may decrease thereafter because the ligament shortens when premenarchal girls mature to puberty. | Epidemiology|| | A 10-year review of 128 patients with adnexal torsion states that 2.7% of emergency surgery cases involved ovarian torsion . Another 10-year study showed that 15% of 135 patients with surgically treated adnexal masses had torsion . Totally, around 2%–15% of patients who had surgical treatment of adnexal masses had ovarian torsion. Most ovarian torsion occurs in the reproductive age group, and it is less common in premenarchal girls and postmenopausal women (17.2% of cases) . More than 80% patients with ovarian torsion had ovarian masses of 5 cm or larger, indicating that the primary risk in ovarian torsion is an ovarian mass ,,. The sizes of ovarian masses are correlated with the risk of the torsion. Ovarian torsion has been reported to occur with masses from 1 to 30 cm (mean 9.5 cm) , but it can happen with any size mass. Ovulation induction for treatment of infertility may cause multiple large ovarian follicular cysts; the large cysts carry an increased risk of torsion . Benign and malignant tumors in ovarian torsion Ovarian torsion is more likely to occur with a benign tumor than in a malignancy. The incidence of ovarian torsion with ovarian malignancy was <2% in reported case series ,,,. Ovarian torsion in the premenarchal population Compared with older women, premenarchal girls with ovarian torsion are more commonly found to have a normal ovary . More than 50% of patients under 15 years old with torsion have normal ovaries ,. Torsion occurred more in patients with normal adnexa (7/11) than those with abnormal adnexa (4/46) . Ovarian torsion in pregnancy About 10%–22% of ovarian torsion occurred in pregnancy ,,,. The incidence is higher at 10–17 weeks of gestation with ovarian masses larger than 4 cm ,. Pregnant women with adnexal masses 4 cm or greater had a 1%–6% lower incidence of torsion compared with nonpregnant women ,. Summary of epidemiology and risk factors The incidence of ovarian torsion ranges from 2% to 15% in patients who have surgical treatment of adnexal masses. Ovarian tumors larger than 5 cm carry a risk of ovarian torsion. About 10%–22% of ovarian torsion occurs in pregnant women. | Clinical Presentation|| | Ovarian torsion due to an adnexal mass causes various symptoms and signs on clinical presentation. The most common symptom is acute onset of lower abdominal pain, followed by nausea and vomiting ,,,,,. Some patients experience waves of nausea with or without vomiting ,,,. The abdominal pain is usually off and on with a sudden onset. Most reported patients presented for evaluation 1 or more days up as late as 210 days after pain onset ,,,. Premenarchal patients tended to mention diffuse pain because it was difficult for them to localize the pain . The uncomfortable symptoms and signs were considered to be caused by the adnexal torsion. Ovarian torsion without infective disease resulting in a low-grade fever has been found in some patients ,,,. | Evaluation and Diagnosis|| | On clinical presentation, the first approach to a patient is a medical history and physical examination. The medical history should include any recent diagnosis of an adnexal mass, recurrent abdominal pain, and low-grade fever. The physical examination should include a search for a pelvic mass or pain. Laboratory evaluation should include serum human chorionic gonadotropin, a hematocrit, white blood cell count, and electrolyte panel. There is no serum marker for a diagnosis of adnexal torsion. Several serum markers can hint at an adnexal tumor type. Serum human chronic gonadotropin can reveal pregnancy or an ovarian germ cell tumor. CA-125 may indicate a malignant ovary tumor or endometrioma. Some studies have found an association between an increased level of serum interleukin-6 and ovarian torsion ,, although further research such as oxidative stress during ovarian torsion is needed . Imaging studies are the most important when evaluating a pelvic mass . Ultrasonography is the first-line diagnostic assessment. A torsed ovary may be rounded and enlarged compared with the contralateral ovary, because of edema or vascular and lymph engorgement ,. An ultrasound can easily distinguish an ovarian mass by its components, location, density, Doppler flow, and size. There can be decreased or absent Doppler flow in the vessels of a torsed ovary ,,. One prospective study reported that Doppler flow has high sensitivity and specificity ; another retrospective study showed low sensitivity and high specificity in the diagnosis of ovarian torsion . It is not the gold standard for diagnosis, but it is a good tool. Two other studies suggested that a whirlpool sign is highly sensitive for ovary torsion ,. The whirlpool sign shows a twisted vascular pedicle, and a Doppler sonogram reveals circular vessels within the mass. However, further study on the diagnosis of ovarian torsion is necessary to determine the usefulness of this sign in ovary torsion. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is expensive but helpful in diagnosing ovarian torsion if findings on ultrasound are equivocal ,,,,,,. MRI can demonstrate the components of a mass in more detail than an ultrasound. Computed tomography (CT), however, is not typically used in ovary torsion because of radiation and density, but patients with acute abdominal or pelvic pain need to undergo CT to exclude diagnoses such as appendicitis, diverticulitis, and others. Finally, direct visualization is needed for a definitive diagnosis of ovary torsion. Hence, the diagnosis needs to be surgical proven for early rescue of ovary function. | Management|| | The gold standard to treat ovary torsion is surgery, and this is also the only way to confirm the torsion. There are two surgical methods, laparoscopy and laparotomy. A laparoscopic approach has become a popular procedure. However, if cancer of the ovary or fallopian tube is suspected, a laparotomy should be done ,. While performing the surgery, it is necessary to assess ovarian viability and preserve its function. The only way to determine the viability of a torsed ovary during surgery is by gross visual inspection. In the conventional view of point, dark and enlarged ovaries may have vascular and lymphatic congestion, and may seem nonviable. However, multiple studies have suggested that even those black or blue-like ovaries may retain ovarian function following detorsion ,,,,,,,. Postoperative follow-up with ultrasound showed over 80% of patients had normal follicular development after detorsion ,,,. Animal study showed that there may not be total occlusion of the artery in ovarian torsion even with venous and lymphatic congestion . In recent years, the mainstay of the treatment for ovarian torsion has been surgical evaluation and preserving ovarian function. There are many ways to perform the surgery and detorsion and ovarian conservation are almost always recommended now rather than salpingo-oophorectomy . An ovarian cystectomy is often performed for a benign ovarian mass. If malignancy is highly suspected, a salpingo-oophorectomy is needed. According to many observational studies, detorsion is associated with preserved ovarian function ,,,,. The earlier the approach to torsion, the higher is the chance to preserve function. An animal study showed that necrosis might develop after occlusion of ovarian vessels for 36 h or longer . After the symptoms have developed, ovarian conservation reportedly decreases with time ,. No evidence suggests that detorsion increases adverse events postoperatively . Management in pregnant women is similar to that in nonpregnant patients, and laparoscopic surgery is safe for torsion in pregnant women ,,,. Neonates with ovarian torsion often present with irritability and the condition can be treated with laparoscopic surgery ,,. | Prevention of Recurrence|| | There is a risk of recurrence after detorsion, but the incidence and causes are unknown ,,,,. According to recent research, several methods can be used to decrease the risk of recurrence. One method is suppression of ovarian cysts by oral contraceptives ,,,. Another method is an oophoropexy ,,. However, both approaches lack long-term follow-up and systematic study. | Conclusion|| | Although the diagnosis of ovarian torsion is difficult and challenging, careful analysis of presenting symptoms (such as sudden onset of lower abdominal pain) is very critical. Pelvic ultrasonography can provide information on ovarian cysts. Once ovarian torsion is suspected, surgery is the mainstay of diagnosis and treatment. Ovarian cystectomy, oophorectomy, or conservative treatment with detorsion can be the treatment of choice. The authors would like to thank Dr. Jon-Son Kuo for English editing. Financial support and sponsorship Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest. | References|| | McWilliams GD, Hill MJ, Dietrich CS 3rd . Gynecologic emergencies. Surg Clin North Am 2008;88:265-83, vi. Muolokwu E, Sanchez J, Bercaw JL, Sangi-Haghpeykar H, Banszek T, Brandt ML, et al. The incidence and surgical management of paratubal cysts in a pediatric and adolescent population. J Pediatr Surg 2011;46:2161-3. Huchon C, Fauconnier A. Adnexal torsion: A literature review. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2010;150:8-12. Ding DC, Hsu S, Kao SP. Isolated torsion of the hydrosalpinx in a postmenopausal woman. JSLS 2007;11:252-4. Antoniou N, Varras M, Akrivis C, Kitsiou E, Stefanaki S, Salamalekis E, et al. Isolated torsion of the fallopian tube: A case report and review of the literature. Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol 2004;31:235-8. van der Zanden M, Nap A, van Kints M. Isolated torsion of the fallopian tube: A case report and review of the literature. Eur J Pediatr 2011;170:1329-32. Schrager J, Robles G, Platz T. Isolated fallopian tube torsion: A rare entity in a premenarcheal female. Am Surg 2012;78:118-9. Said MR, Bamigboye V. Twisted paraovarian cyst in a young girl. J Obstet Gynaecol 2008;28:549-50. Argenta PA, Yeagley TJ, Ott G, Sondheimer SJ. Torsion of the uterine adnexa. Pathologic correlations and current management trends. J Reprod Med 2000;45:831-6. Robertson JJ, Long B, Koyfman A. Myths in the evaluation and management of ovarian torsion. J Emerg Med 2017;52:449-56. Anne A, Dalley A. Grant's Atlas of Anatomy. 13th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2012. Varras M, Tsikini A, Polyzos D, Samara CH, Hadjopoulos G, Akrivis CH, et al. Uterine adnexal torsion: Pathologic and gray-scale ultrasonographic findings. Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol 2004;31:34-8. Oltmann SC, Fischer A, Barber R, Huang R, Hicks B, Garcia N. Cannot exclude torsion – A 15-year review. J Pediatr Surg 2009;44:1212-6. Pansky M, Smorgick N, Herman A, Schneider D, Halperin R. Torsion of normal adnexa in postmenarchal women and risk of recurrence. Obstet Gynecol 2007;109:355-9. Houry D, Abbott JT. Ovarian torsion: A fifteen-year review. Ann Emerg Med 2001;38:156-9. Celik A, Ergün O, Aldemir H, Ozcan C, Ozok G, Erdener A, et al. Long-term results of conservative management of adnexal torsion in children. J Pediatr Surg 2005;40:704-8. Germain M, Rarick T, Robins E. Management of intermittent ovarian torsion by laparoscopic oophoropexy. Obstet Gynecol 1996;88:715-7. Buss JG, Lee RA. Sequential torsion of the uterine adnexa. Mayo Clin Proc 1987;62:623-5. Hibbard LT. Adnexal torsion. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1985;152:456-61. Bouguizane S, Bibi H, Farhat Y, Dhifallah S, Darraji F, Hidar S, et al. Adnexal torsion: A report of 135 cases. J Gynecol Obstet Biol Reprod (Paris) 2003;32:535-40. Oelsner G, Shashar D. Adnexal torsion. Clin Obstet Gynecol 2006;49:459-63. White M, Stella J. Ovarian torsion: 10-year perspective. Emerg Med Australas 2005;17:231-7. Gorkemli H, Camus M, Clasen K. Adnexal torsion after gonadotrophin ovulation induction for IVF or ICSI and its conservative treatment. Arch Gynecol Obstet 2002;267:4-6. Tsafrir Z, Azem F, Hasson J, Solomon E, Almog B, Nagar H, et al. Risk factors, symptoms, and treatment of ovarian torsion in children: The twelve-year experience of one center. J Minim Invasive Gynecol 2012;19:29-33. Rotoli JM. Abdominal pain in the post-menopausal female: Is ovarian torsion in the differential? J Emerg Med 2017;52:749-52. Bar-On S, Mashiach R, Stockheim D, Soriano D, Goldenberg M, Schiff E, et al. Emergency laparoscopy for suspected ovarian torsion: Are we too hasty to operate? Fertil Steril 2010;93:2012-5. Anders JF, Powell EC. Urgency of evaluation and outcome of acute ovarian torsion in pediatric patients. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2005;159:532-5. Ding DC, Chang YH. Laparoendoscopic single-site surgical cystectomy of a twisted ovarian dermoid cyst during early pregnancy: A case report and literature review. Gynecol Minim Invsive Ther 2016;5:173-7. Johnson TR Jr., Woodruff JD. Surgical emergencies of the uterine adnexae during pregnancy. Int J Gynaecol Obstet 1986;24:331-5. Yen CF, Lin SL, Murk W, Wang CJ, Lee CL, Soong YK, et al. Risk analysis of torsion and malignancy for adnexal masses during pregnancy. Fertil Steril 2009;91:1895-902. Bromley B, Benacerraf B. Adnexal masses during pregnancy: Accuracy of sonographic diagnosis and outcome. J Ultrasound Med 1997;16:447-52. Schmeler KM, Mayo-Smith WW, Peipert JF, Weitzen S, Manuel MD, Gordinier ME, et al. Adnexal masses in pregnancy: Surgery compared with observation. Obstet Gynecol 2005;105:1098-103. Huchon C, Panel P, Kayem G, Schmitz T, Nguyen T, Fauconnier A, et al. Does this woman have adnexal torsion? Hum Reprod 2012;27:2359-64. Karaman E, Beger B, Çetin O, Melek M, Karaman Y. Ovarian torsion in the normal ovary: A diagnostic challenge in postmenarchal adolescent girls in the emergency department. Med Sci Monit 2017;23:1312-6. Rey-Bellet Gasser C, Gehri M, Joseph JM, Pauchard JY. Is it ovarian torsion? A systematic literature review and evaluation of prediction signs. Pediatr Emerg Care 2016;32:256-61. Kirkham YA, Lacy JA, Kives S, Allen L. Characteristics and management of adnexal masses in a canadian pediatric and adolescent population. J Obstet Gynaecol Can 2011;33:935-43. Sasso RA. Intermittent partial adnexal torsion after electrosurgical tubal ligation. J Am Assoc Gynecol Laparosc 1996;3:427-30. Ashwal E, Hiersch L, Krissi H, Eitan R, Less S, Wiznitzer A, et al. Characteristics and management of ovarian torsion in premenarchal compared with postmenarchal patients. Obstet Gynecol 2015;126:514-20. Cohen SB, Wattiez A, Stockheim D, Seidman DS, Lidor AL, Mashiach S, et al. The accuracy of serum interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor as markers for ovarian torsion. Hum Reprod 2001;16:2195-7. Daponte A, Pournaras S, Hadjichristodoulou C, Lialios G, Kallitsaris A, Maniatis AN, et al. Novel serum inflammatory markers in patients with adnexal mass who had surgery for ovarian torsion. Fertil Steril 2006;85:1469-72. Laganà AS, Sofo V, Salmeri FM, Palmara VI, Triolo O, Terzić MM, et al. Oxidative stress during ovarian torsion in pediatric and adolescent patients: Changing the perspective of the disease. Int J Fertil Steril 2016;9:416-23. Dahmoush H, Anupindi SA, Pawel BR, Chauvin NA. Multimodality imaging findings of massive ovarian edema in children. Pediatr Radiol 2017;47:576-83. Anthony EY, Caserta MP, Singh J, Chen MY. Adnexal masses in female pediatric patients. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2012;198:W426-31. Wilkinson C, Sanderson A. Adnexal torsion – A multimodality imaging review. Clin Radiol 2012;67:476-83. Lee EJ, Kwon HC, Joo HJ, Suh JH, Fleischer AC. Diagnosis of ovarian torsion with color doppler sonography: Depiction of twisted vascular pedicle. J Ultrasound Med 1998;17:83-9. Albayram F, Hamper UM. Ovarian and adnexal torsion: Spectrum of sonographic findings with pathologic correlation. J Ultrasound Med 2001;20:1083-9. Servaes S, Zurakowski D, Laufer MR, Feins N, Chow JS. Sonographic findings of ovarian torsion in children. Pediatr Radiol 2007;37:446-51. Nizar K, Deutsch M, Filmer S, Weizman B, Beloosesky R, Weiner Z. Doppler studies of the ovarian venous blood flow in the diagnosis of adnexal torsion. J Clin Ultrasound 2009;37:436-9. Valsky DV, Esh-Broder E, Cohen SM, Lipschuetz M, Yagel S. Added value of the gray-scale whirlpool sign in the diagnosis of adnexal torsion. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2010;36:630-4. Vijayaraghavan SB, Senthil S. Isolated torsion of the fallopian tube: The sonographic whirlpool sign. J Ultrasound Med 2009;28:657-62. Born C, Wirth S, Stäbler A, Reiser M. Diagnosis of adnexal torsion in the third trimester of pregnancy: A case report. Abdom Imaging 2004;29:123-7. Haque TL, Togashi K, Kobayashi H, Fujii S, Konishi J. Adnexal torsion: MR imaging findings of viable ovary. Eur Radiol 2000;10:1954-7. Kawakami K, Murata K, Kawaguchi N, Furukawa A, Morita R, Tenzaki T, et al. Hemorrhagic infarction of the diseased ovary: A common MR finding in two cases. Magn Reson Imaging 1993;11:595-7. Schlaff WD, Lund KJ, McAleese KA, Hurst BS. Diagnosing ovarian torsion with computed tomography. A case report. J Reprod Med 1998;43:827-30. Kimura I, Togashi K, Kawakami S, Takakura K, Mori T, Konishi J. Ovarian torsion: CT and MR imaging appearances. Radiology 1994;190:337-41. Hiller N, Appelbaum L, Simanovsky N, Lev-Sagi A, Aharoni D, Sella T, et al. CT features of adnexal torsion. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2007;189:124-9. Naffaa L, Deshmukh T, Tumu S, Johnson C, Boyd KP, Meyers AB, et al. Imaging of acute pelvic pain in girls: Ovarian torsion and beyond. Curr Probl Diagn Radiol 2017;46:317-29. Oelsner G, Cohen SB, Soriano D, Admon D, Mashiach S, Carp H, et al. Minimal surgery for the twisted ischaemic adnexa can preserve ovarian function. Hum Reprod 2003;18:2599-602. Tsafrir Z, Hasson J, Levin I, Solomon E, Lessing JB, Azem F, et al. Adnexal torsion: Cystectomy and ovarian fixation are equally important in preventing recurrence. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2012;162:203-5. Harkins G. Ovarian torsion treated with untwisting: Second look 36 hours after untwisting. J Minim Invasive Gynecol 2007;14:270. Mashiach S, Bider D, Moran O, Goldenberg M, Ben-Rafael Z. Adnexal torsion of hyperstimulated ovaries in pregnancies after gonadotropin therapy. Fertil Steril 1990;53:76-80. Bider D, Mashiach S, Dulitzky M, Kokia E, Lipitz S, Ben-Rafael Z, et al. Clinical, surgical and pathologic findings of adnexal torsion in pregnant and nonpregnant women. Surg Gynecol Obstet 1991;173:363-6. Oelsner G, Bider D, Goldenberg M, Admon D, Mashiach S. Long-term follow-up of the twisted ischemic adnexa managed by detorsion. Fertil Steril 1993;60:976-9. Dolgin SE, Lublin M, Shlasko E. Maximizing ovarian salvage when treating idiopathic adnexal torsion. J Pediatr Surg 2000;35:624-6. Aziz D, Davis V, Allen L, Langer JC. Ovarian torsion in children: Is oophorectomy necessary? J Pediatr Surg 2004;39:750-3. Wang JH, Wu DH, Jin H, Wu YZ. Predominant etiology of adnexal torsion and ovarian outcome after detorsion in premenarchal girls. Eur J Pediatr Surg 2010;20:298-301. Shalev J, Goldenberg M, Oelsner G, Ben-Rafael Z, Bider D, Blankstein J, et al. Treatment of twisted ischemic adnexa by simple detorsion. N Engl J Med 1989;321:546. Taskin O, Birincioglu M, Aydin A, Buhur A, Burak F, Yilmaz I, et al. The effects of twisted ischaemic adnexa managed by detorsion on ovarian viability and histology: An ischaemia-reperfusion rodent model. Hum Reprod 1998;13:2823-7. Hubner N, Langer JC, Kives S, Allen LM. Evolution in the management of pediatric and adolescent ovarian torsion as a result of quality improvement measures. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol 2017;30:132-37. Zweizig S, Perron J, Grubb D, Mishell DR Jr. Conservative management of adnexal torsion. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1993;168(6 Pt 1):1791-5. Mathevet P, Nessah K, Dargent D, Mellier G. Laparoscopic management of adnexal masses in pregnancy: A case series. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2003;108:217-22. Djavadian D, Braendle W, Jaenicke F. Laparoscopic oophoropexy for the treatment of recurrent torsion of the adnexa in pregnancy: Case report and review. Fertil Steril 2004;82:933-6. Bisharah M, Tulandi T. Laparoscopic surgery in pregnancy. Clin Obstet Gynecol 2003;46:92-7. Crombleholme TM, Craigo SD, Garmel S, D'Alton ME. Fetal ovarian cyst decompression to prevent torsion. J Pediatr Surg 1997;32:1447-9. Alrabeeah A, Galliani CA, Giacomantonio M, Heifetz SA, Lau H. Neonatal ovarian torsion: Report of three cases and review of the literature. Pediatr Pathol 1988;8:143-9. Bryant AE, Laufer MR. Fetal ovarian cysts: Incidence, diagnosis and management. J Reprod Med 2004;49:329-37. Crouch NS, Gyampoh B, Cutner AS, Creighton SM. Ovarian torsion: To pex or not to pex? Case report and review of the literature. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol 2003;16:381-4. Ozcan C, Celik A, Ozok G, Erdener A, Balik E. Adnexal torsion in children may have a catastrophic sequel: Asynchronous bilateral torsion. J Pediatr Surg 2002;37:1617-20. Grunewald B, Keating J, Brown S. Asynchronous ovarian torsion – The case for prophylactic oophoropexy. Postgrad Med J 1993;69:318-9. Functional ovarian cysts and oral contraceptives. negative association confirmed surgically. A cooperative study. JAMA 1974;228:68-9. Caillouette JC, Koehler AL. Phasic contraceptive pills and functional ovarian cysts. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1987;156:1538-42. Grimes DA, Godwin AJ, Rubin A, Smith JA, Lacarra M. Ovulation and follicular development associated with three low-dose oral contraceptives: A randomized controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol 1994;83:29-34. Mishell DR Jr. Noncontraceptive benefits of oral contraceptives. J Reprod Med 1993;38 (12 Suppl):1021S-9S. Kaleli B, Aktan E, Gezer S, Kirkali G. Reperfusion injury after detorsion of unilateral ovarian torsion in rabbits. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2003;110:99-101. Dolgin SE. Acute ovarian torsion in children. Am J Surg 2002;183:95-6. |This article has been cited by| ||The role of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and mean platelet volume in diagnosis of ovarian torsion | ||Aysegül ÖKSÜZOGLU | | ||Jinekoloji-Obstetrik ve Neonatoloji Tip Dergisi. 2021; | |[Pubmed] | [DOI]| | ||Arthur J. Pesch,Nicole M. 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Our Alley’s UMC Sunday School Teacher, Robert E. McConnell, has started a new Sunday School teaching tactic. He uses a crossword puzzle to assist him in his teachings. He supplies the across and down crossword hints and then we study extra hard to supply the answers. He allows us to use any and all of our resources @ our disposal to find his answers. Our resources are to use any bible translations, GOOGLE and any Biblical Commentaries .eg The Matthew Henry Commentary. He hardcopies (Prints) his crossword puzzles and gives them to each of his Sunday School Students one week in advance to their due date. He uses a Crossword builder website by suppling the site with both the answer hints as well as the answers then the website organizes them into a crossword puzzle for his use. We know the Biblical scripture readings from Sunday School Literature, therefore I will supply for you the topical biblical scriptures that goes to each puzzle. Robert suggested that I should incorporate his crosswords into our website. I will have to publish each puzzle into an Acrobat Reader format then you must print the file in order to work the puzzle. We sure do hope that you get more and more learnings from the bible. So here goes! 11/11/2018 Jacob’s Deception Here’s the biblical scriptures that pertain to this crossword puzzle .pdf link. Genesis 27:5-10, 18, 19, 21-29. Alley’s Chapel UMC, c/o Jessica Kaarlela Steele, 5171 Walker Mountain Rd, Bristol, VA. 24202

From USA Today bestselling author Jillian Dodd comes the second book in a sizzling series filled with action and adventure. Fans of The Selection and The Hunger Games will discover a heart-pounding thrill ride of espionage and suspense set in glittering high society. The world’s most deadly assassin, a man known only as The Priest, has come back from the dead to take a series of high profile hits. When the assassin completes his first task—shooting an important world leader, the global community goes into collective shock and his government vows retaliation. With her cover firmly cemented as Huntley Von Allister, Spy Girl’s vacation on the Royal Yacht is cut short when she’s called home for her next mission—and, this time, it’s personal. Can Huntley accomplish her mission before the next hit takes place? And what will happen when she finally comes face-to-face with the man who killed her mother? With a kickass heroine and intrigue, this page turner will have you spellbound and drooling over your new book boyfriend. - H.M Ward, New York Times Bestselling Author. The Spy Girl series is an intrigue filled, exciting ride through a world you’ll wish you were part of and want to know more about! - J. Sterling, New York Times Bestselling Author. Romance, Contemporary Romance, Conspiracy of the Rich, Trillion Dollar Conspiracy, Teen Romance, New Adult, Save the World, Upper Class, Spy Teen, Evil Spy School, An American Spy, America Spies, Royal Romance, Spy Training, Young Adult Romance Novels, Crown Conspiracy, Women Spies, Teen Spy, Female Spies, Conspiracy World, Strong Female Lead, A Privileged Life, International Espionage, Teen and Young Adult, Conspiracies and Secret Societies, Conspiracies of the Ruling Class, Secret Societies, Spy School Books, Spy School Secret Service, Spy School, A Royal Romance, Jillian Dodd Spy Girl, Romance Princess, Romance Royalty, Spy Series, Spy X Series, Prince Romance, New Nobility, Rose to Nobility, Romance Prince, Wealthy Romance, The American Spy, Broken Prince, Mystery and Thrillers, Literature and Fiction, Action and Adventure, Spies and Politics, Teen Girl Spy, Wealthy, Spy Mission, Espionage, Covert Agent, Prince, Princess, Royalty, European Royalty, Spy High Society, Action Adventure, Assassin, Conspiracy, Aristocrat, New Adult, Female Protagonist, Rich, Wealthy, Suspense, Young Adult Fiction Books, Secret, Series, USA Today, USA Today Bestseller, Romance Series, Romance Books, Hot Guy, Love, Love Books, Kissing Books, Long Series, Long Romance Series, Swoon, Loyalty, Rich, Serial, Story, Stories, Love Story, Romance Love About the author Jillian Dodd is a romance author who started out as a textiles, clothing and design major in college. She became a buyer for housewares, women's clothing and gifts. She worked many retail jobs from sales associate to management. When she started her family she decided to stay home and began her writing career. It was then that she wrote, That Boy. Her other title's include: Girl Off the Grid, Sex, Aiden, and Unscripted.

NABTEB GCE Nov/Dec Timetable And Exam Date 2020/2021: The National Business and Technical Examinations Board ( NABTEB GCE Nov/Dec Timetable And Exam Date 2020/2021: The National Business and Technical Examinations Board ( NABTEB November/December 2020 Online Registration Closes on 30th September, 2020. Ensure to apply before the deadline. Registration PINs/Slots for the above named examinations for private candidates are available for purchase at: a. NABTEB Zonal Offices in Abuja, Kaduna, Yola, Osogbo, Enugu and Benin City, b. NABTEB Liaison Office in Abuja, c. NABTEB Area Office in Lagos, d. NABTEB State offices Nationwide and e. NABTEB National Headquarters, Ikpoba Hill, Benin City. Approved NABTEB centres are free to enter candidates for the examinations but they should obtain Registration PINs/Slots for each candidate from the designated selling points. - 1 Price For NABTEB GCE Form 2020 - 2 NABTEB GCE Nov/Dec Timetable 2020 Price For NABTEB GCE Form 2020 - The registration for: - Nov/Dec NBC/NTC/General Education is N10,500 per candidate - Nov/Dec ANBC/ANTC is N12,250 per candidate. - The registration fees cover examination fee, result checking, biometric registration, e-learning and information VCD. - Late registration will attract a penalty of N5,000.00 per candidate. NABTEB Timetable and registration deadline shall be updated soon. NABTEB GCE Nov/Dec Timetable 2020 Below are the recent Nabteb GCE Nov/Dec Timetable for all subjects and every Neccesay details you’ll need: |Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Works||Paper II Practical||Monday 04/11/19||9:00a.m-12noon| |Computer Craft Studies||Paper II Practical||Monday 04/11/19||9:00a.m-12noon| |Advanced Footwear Manufacture (Leather Trade)||Paper II Practical||Monday 04/11/19||9.00a.m-3.00p.m| |Auto Electrical Works||Paper II Practical||Monday 04/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Agricultural Equipment and Mechanics Works (Intro. to Agric Science, implements and Machines)||Paper II Practical||Monday 04/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Instrument Mechanics Works||Paper II Practical||Monday 04/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Motor Vehicle Mechanics Works||Paper II Practical||Monday 04/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Appliance Maintenance and Repairs (Electrical/ Medical Appliances and Projectors’ Maintenance)||Paper II Practical||Monday 04/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Advanced Agric. Equip. & Imple. Mech. Works||Paper II Practical||Monday 04/11/19||9.00a.m-11.30a.m| |Advanced Elect. Inst. and Maint. Works.||Paper II Practical||Monday 04/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Advanced Elect.Works||Paper II Practical||Monday 04/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Advanced Fisheries||Paper II Alternative to Practical||Monday 04/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Electrical Installation and Maintenance Works||Paper II Practical||Monday 04/11/19||9:00a.m-12noon| |Draughtsmanship Craft Practice||Paper II Alternative to Practical||Monday 04/11/19||9:00a.m-12noon| |Animal Husbandry||Paper II Alternative to Practical||Monday 04/11/19||9.00a.m -11.30a.m| |Fisheries||Paper II Alternative to Practical||Monday 04/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Marine Engineering Craft||Paper II Practical||Monday 04/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Electronics Works||Paper II Practical||Monday 04/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Machine Wood Working||Paper II Practical||Tuesday 05/11/19||9.00a.m-1.00p.m| |Shorthand (80 W. P. M.)||Passages||Tuesday 05/11/19||9.00a.m-10.40a.m| |Ship Building Craft practice||Paper II Practical||Tuesday 05/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Appliance Maintenance and Repairs (Domestic and Office Machines Maintenance)||Paper II Practical||Tuesday 05/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Advanced Leather Goods Manufacture(Leather Trades)||Paper II Practical||Tuesday 05/11/19||9.00a.m-3.00p.m| |Advanced Fabric Production (Leather Trades)||Paper II Practical||Tuesday 05/11/19||To be arranged| |Ladies Garment Making (Garment Construction and Finishing)||Paper II Practical||Tuesday 05/11/19||9:00a.m-3:00p.m| |Plumbing and Pipe Fitting||Paper II Practical||Tuesday 05/11/19||9.00a.m-3:00p.m| |Cosmetology||Paper II Practical||Tuesday 05/11/19||9.00a.m-3.00p.m| |Carpentry and Joinery||Paper II Practical||Tuesday 05/11/19||9:00a.m-3:00p.m| |Bricklaying, Blocklaying and Concreting||Paper II Practical||Tuesday 05/11/19||9.00a.m-3:30p.m| |Men’s Garment Making (Garment Construction and Finishing)||Paper II Practical||Tuesday 05/11/19||9.00a.m-3:00p.m| |Furniture Making||Paper II Practical||Tuesday 05/11/19||9.00a.m-3:30pm| |Leather Goods Manufacture (Leather Trades)||Paper II Practical||Tuesday 05/11/19||9:00a.m-3.00pm| |Spinning (Textile Trades)||Paper II Practical||Tuesday 05/11/19||9.00a.m-3.00pm| |Graphic Design (Graphic Arts)||Paper II Practical||Tuesday 05/11/19||9.00a.m-4.00p.m| |Agricultural Science||Paper II Practical||Wednesday 06/11/19||9.00am-11.00am| |Advanced Surface Design & Printing of Textile (Textile Trades)||Paper II Practical||Wednesday 06/11/19||To be arranged| |Photographic Practice||Paper II Practical||Wednesday 06/11/19||12:00noon-3:00pm| |Weaving (Textile Trades)||Paper II Practical||Wednesday 06/11/19||12:00noon-6:00pm| |Mechanical Engineering Craft Practice||Paper II Practical||Wednesday 06/11/19||To be arranged| |Foundry Craft Practice||Paper II Practical||Wednesday 06/11/19||To be arranged| |Fabrication and Welding||Paper II Practical||Wednesday 06/11/19||To be arranged| |Leather Tanning (Leather Trades)||Paper II Practical||Wednesday 06/11/19||12:00noon-6:00pm| |Vehicle Body Building||Paper II Practical||Thursday 07/11/19||9:00a.m-1:00p.m| |Light Vehicle Body Repair Works||Paper II Practical||Thursday 07/11/19||9:00a.m-1:00p.m| |General Wood Work||Paper II Practical||Thursday 07/11/19||9:00a.m-1:00p.m| |Agricultural Equipment and Implement Mechanics Works (Tractor System)||Paper II Practical||Thursday 07/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Typewriting (35 W.P.M)||Practical||Thursday 07/11/19||9.00a.m-11.40a.m| |Advanced Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Works||Paper II Practical||Thursday 07/11/19||9:00a.m-3:00p.m| |Advanced Vehicle Body Building||Paper II Practical||Thursday 07/11/19||9:00a.m-3:00p.m| |Advanced Animal Husbandry||Paper II Alternative to Practical||Thursday 07/11/19||9:00a.m-12noon| |Advanced Carpentry and Joinery||Paper II Practical||Thursday 07/11/19||9:00a.m-4:00p.m| |Footwear Manufacture (Leather Trades)||Paper II Practical||Thursday 07/11/19||9:00a.m-3:00p.m| |Printing Craft Practice||Paper II Practical||Thursday 07/11/19||9:00a.m-3:00p.m| |Basic Electricity||Paper II Practical||Friday 08/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Advanced Shorthand (140 W.P. M.)||Passages||Friday 08/11/19||9:00a.m-11:00a.m| |Animal Science||Paper II Alternative to Practical||Friday 08/11/19||3:00p.m-5:00p.m| |Advanced Mechanical Engineering Craft Practice||Paper II Practical||Saturday 09/11/19||To be arranged| |Advanced Photographic Practice||Paper II Practical||Saturday 09/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Advanced Bricklaying/Blocklaying and Concreting||Paper II Practical||Saturday 09/11/19||9:00a.m-3:30p.m| |Surface Design & Textile Printing (Textile Trades)||Paper II Practical||Saturday 09/11/19||9:00a.m-3:00p.m| |Ceramics (Ceramics and Design)||Paper II Practical||Saturday 09/11/19||9:00a.m-1:00p.m| |General Metal Work||Paper II Practical||Saturday 09/11/19||9:00a.m-3:00p.m| |Painting and Decorating||Paper II Practical||Saturday 09/11/19||9:00a.m-3:00p.m| |Catering Craft Practice||Paper II Practical||Saturday 09/11/19||9:00a.m-4:00p.m| |Biology||Paper II Alternative to Practical||Tuesday 12/11/19||9:00a.m-11:00a.m| |Advanced Men’s Garment Making||Paper II Practical||Tuesday 12/11/19||9:00a.m-3:00p.m| |Bleaching, Dyeing & Finishing (Textile Trades)||Paper II Practical||Tuesday 12/11/19||12:00noon-6:00p.m| |Advanced Marine Engineering Craft||Paper II Practical||Tuesday 12/11/19||9:00a.m-12noon| |Advanced Computer Craft Studies||Paper II Practical||Tuesday 12/11/19||9:00a.m-12noon| |Advanced Shorthand (120 W.P.M.)||Passages||Wednesday 13/11/19||9:00a.m-11:00a.m| |Advanced Leather Tanning (Leather Trades )||Paper II Practical||Wednesday 13/11/19||9:00a.m-3:00p.m| |Advanced Yarn Production (Textile Trades)||Paper II Practical||Wednesday 13/11/19||9:00a.m-12noon| |Advanced Graphic Design (Graphic Arts)||Paper II Practical||Wednesday 13/11/19||9:00a.m-3:00p.m| |Advanced Ceramics and Design||Paper II Practical||Wednesday 13/11/19||9:00a.m-1:00p.m| |Advanced Motor Vehicle Mechanic Works||Paper II Practical||Wednesday 13/11/19||9.00a.m-1:00p.m| |Advanced Fabrication and Welding||Paper II Practical||Wednesday 13/11/19||9.00a.m-1:00p.m| |Chemistry||Paper II Alternative to Practical||Wednesday 13/11/19||9.00a.m-11:00a.m| |Geography||Paper II (Phy & Practical Geo)||Wednesday 13/11/19||12.00noon-2.00p.m| |Advanced Foundry Craft Practice||Paper II Practical||Thursday 14/11/19||To be arranged| |Advanced Furniture Making||Paper II Practical||Thursday 14/11/19||To be arranged| |Advanced Machine Wood Working||Paper II Practical||Thursday 14/11/19||9:00a.m-3:00p.m| |Advanced Painting and Decorating||Paper II Practical||Thursday 14/11/19||9:00a.m-3:00p.m| |Advanced Plumbing and Pipe Fitting||Paper II Practical||Thursday 14/11/19||9:00a.m-3:00p.m| |Advanced Ladies Garment Making||Paper II Practical||Thursday 14/11/19||9:00a.m-3:00p.m| |Advanced Catering Craft Practice (Food, Beverages and Confectionery Practice)||Paper II Practical||Thursday 14/11/19||9.00a.m-4.00p.m| |Advanced Printing Craft||Paper II Practical||Thursday 14/11/19||9.00a.m-4.00p.m| |Information and Commmunications Technology (ICT)||Paper II Practical||Thursday 14/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Building/Engineering Drawing||Paper II Practical||Thursday 14/11/19||1.00p.m – 4.00p.m| |Advanced Mechanical Engineering Science||Paper II Alternative to Practical (to be taken by 01A, 02A,05A,06A,08A, 09A,13A,24A and 37A candidates)||Friday 15/11/19||9:00a.m-11:30a.m| |Advanced Typewriting (50 W.P.M)||Practical (Take either 416 or 429)||Friday 15/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Advanced Typewriting (60 W.P.M)||Practical (Take either 416 or 429)||Friday 15/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Physics||Paper II Alternative to Practical||Friday 15/11/19||9:00a.m-11:45a.m| |Motor Vehicle Mechanics Works||Paper I Objective & Essay||Monday 25/11/19||9:00a.m-11:40a.m| |Advanced Motor Vehicle Mechanics Works||Paper 1 Short Structured & Essay||Monday 25/11/19||9:00a.m-1:00p.m| |Automobile Electrical Works||Paper I Objective & Essay||Monday 25/11/19||9:00a.m-11:40a.m| |Furniture Making||Paper I Objective & Essay||Monday 25/11/19||9:00a.m-11:40a.m| |Advanced Furniture Making||Paper 1 Short Structured & Essay||Monday 25/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Commerce||Objective & Essay||Monday 25/11/19||9:00a.m-12:20p.m| |Advanced Commerce||Short Structured & Essay||Monday 25/11/19||9.00a.m-12:30p.m| |Cosmetology||Paper I Objective & Essay||Monday 25/11/19||9:00a.m-11:40a.m| |Light Vehicle Body Repair Works||Paper I Objective & Essay||Monday 25/11/19||9:00a.m-11:40a.m| |Foundry Craft Practice||Paper I Objectice & Essay||Monday 25/11/19||9:00a.m-11:40a.m| |Advanced Foundry Craft Practice||Paper 1 Short Structured & Essay||Monday 25/11/19||9.00a.m-12.30p.m| |Ladies Garment Making (Garment Construction and Finishing)||Paper I Objective & Essay||Monday 25/11/19||9:00a.m-11:40a.m| |Advanced Ladies Garment Making||Paper 1 Short Structured & Essay||Monday 25/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Appliance Maintenance and Repairs (Domestic and Office Machines Maintenance)||Paper I Objective & Essay||Monday 25/11/19||9:00a.m-11:40a.m| |Introduction to Building Construction||Objective & Essay (To be taken by Trade code 22O,25O,26O,21O and 27O candidates)||Monday 25/11/19||9:00a.m-11:20a.m| |Machine Wood Working||Paper I Objective & Essay||Monday 25/11/19||9:00a.m-11:40a.m| |Advanced Machine Wood Working||Paper I Short Structured & Essay||Monday 25/11/19||9:00a.m-12:00noon| |Geography||Paper I Objective & Essay||Monday 25/11/19||2.00p.m – 5.00p.m| |Business/Construction Management||Short Structured and Essay||Monday 25/11/19||2.00p.m – 5.00p.m| |Building/ Engineering Drawing||Paper I Objective||Monday 25/11/19||5:00p.m -5:40p.m| |Engineering Drawing and Design||Short Structured & Essay||Tuesday 26/11/19||9.00a.m-1.00p.m| |Biology||Paper I Objective & Essay||Tuesday 26/11/19||9.00am-11:20am| |Literature in English||Paper I Objective & Prose||Tuesday 26/11/19||12.30p.m -2.30p.m| |Appliance Maintenance and Repairs (Electrical/Medical Appliances and Projectors Maintenance)||Paper I Objective & Essay||Tuesday 26/11/19||3:00p.m-5:40p.m| |Electronics Works||Paper I Objective & Essay||Tuesday 26/11/19||3:00p.m-5:40p.m| |Vehicle Body Building||Paper I Objective & Essay||Tuesday 26/11/19||3.00p.m-5.40p.m| |Advanced Vehicle Body Building||Paper I Short Structured & Essay||Tuesday 26/11/19||3.00p.m-5.40p.m| |Ship Building Craft Practice||Paper I Objective & Essay||Tuesday 26/11/19||3.00p.m-5.40p.m| |Bleaching, Dyeing & Finishing (Textile Trades)||Paper I Objective & Essay||Tuesday 26/11/19||3.00p.m-5.40p.m| |Catering Craft Practice||Paper I Objective & Essay||Wednesday 27/11/19||9:00a.m-11:40a.m| |Advanced Catering Craft Practice (Food, Beverages & Confectionery Practice)||Paper 1 Short Structured & Essay||Wednesday 27/11/19||9:00a.m-12:00noon| |Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Works||Paper I Objective & Essay||Wednesday 27/11/19||9.00a.m-11.40a.m| |Advanced Refri. & Air Cond. Works||Paper 1 Short Structured & Essay||Wednesday 27/11/19||9.00a.m-12.30p.m| |Instrument Mechanics Works||Paper I Objective & Essay||Wednesday 27/11/19||9:00a.m-11:40a.m| |Advanced Electronics Work||Paper 1 Short Structured & Essay||Wednesday 27/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Computer Craft Studies||Paper I Objective & Essay||Wednesday 27/11/19||9.00a.m-11.40a.m| |Advanced Computer Craft Studies||Paper I Short Structured & Essay||Wednesday 27/11/19||9:00a.m-12:30p.m| |Financial Accounting||Objective & Essay||Wednesday 27/11/19||9.00a.m-12:30p.m| |Advanced Financial Accounting||Short Structured & Essay||Wednesday 27/11/19||9.00a.m-12:30p.m| |Agricultural Equipment and Implement Mechanics Works (Introduction to Agric Science, Implement and Machines)||Paper I Objective & Essay||Wednesday 27/11/19||9.00a.m-12:10p.m| |Advanced Agricultural Equipment and Implement Mechanic Works||Paper 1 Short Structured & Essay||Wednesday 27/11/19||9.00a.m-12.30p.m| |Fabrication and Welding||Paper I Objective & Essay||Wednesday 27/11/19||9.00a.m-12:10p.m| |Advanced Fabrication and Welding||Paper I Short Structured & Essay||Wednesday 27/11/19||9.00a.m-12:30p.m| |Electrical Installation and Maintenance Works||Paper I Objective & Essay||Wednesday 27/11/19||9.00a.m-11.40a.m| |Advanced Electrical Installation and Maintenance||Paper I Short Structured & Essay||Wednesday 27/11/19||9.00a.m-12:30p.m| |Animal Science||Paper I Objective & Essay||Wednesday 27/11/19||2:00p.m -4:30p.m| |Chemistry||Paper I Objective & Essay||Thursday 28/11/19||9.00a.m-11:30a.m| |Mechanical Engineering Science||Paper 1 Short Structured & Essay (to be taken by trades codes 01A, 02A, 05A, 06A, 08A, 09A, 13A, 24A, and 37A, candidates)||Thursday 28/11/19||9.00a.m-11:30a.m| |Photographic Practice||Paper I Objective & Essay||Thursday 28/11/19||12.00noon -2.40p.m| |Advanced Photographic Practice||Paper 1 Short Structured & Essay||Thursday 28/11/19||1.00p.m – 4.30p.m| |Draughtsmanship Craft Practice||Paper I Objective & Essay||Thursday 28/11/19||12.00noon -2.40p.m| |Advanced Draughtsmanship Craft Practice||Short Structured & Practical||Thursday 28/11/19||1.00p.m – 5.00p.m| |Bricklaying/Blocklaying and Concreting||Paper I Objective & Essay||Thursday 28/11/19||12.00noon -2.40p.m| |Advanced Bricklaying/Blocklaying and Concreting||Paper 1 Short Structured & Essay||Thursday 28/11/19||1.00p.m – 4.00p.m| |Leather Tanning (Leather Trades)||Paper I Objective & Essay||Thursday 28/11/19||1.00p.m – 3.40p.m| |Advanced Leather Tanning (Leather Trades)||Paper 1 Short Structured & Essay||Thursday 28/11/19||12.00noon -2.40p.m| |Carpentry & Joinery||Paper I Objective & Essay||Thursday 28/11/19||12.00noon -2.40p.m| |Advanced Carpentry and Joinery||Paper 1 Short Structured & Essay||Thursday 28/11/19||1.00p.m – 4.00p.m| |Painting & Decorating||Paper I Objective & Essay||Thursday 28/11/19||12.00noon -2.40p.m| |Advanced Painting and Decorating||Paper 1 Short Structured & Essay||Thursday 28/11/19||1.00p.m – 4.00p.m| |Weaving (Textile Trades)||Paper I Objective & Essay||Thursday 28/11/19||12.00noon -2.40p.m| |Advanced Fabric Production (Textile Trades)||Paper 1 Short Structured & Essay||Thursday 28/11/19||1.00p.m – 4.00p.m| |Agric Equip & Instrument Mech Works (Tractor System)||Paper I Objective & Essay||Thursday 28/11/19||12.00noon -3.10p.m| |Men’s Garment Making (Garment Construction and Finishing)||Paper I Objective & Essay||Thursday 28/11/19||12.00noon -2.40p.m| |Advanced Men’s Garment Making||Paper I Short Structured & Essay||Thursday 28/11/19||1.00p.m – 4.00p.m| |Salesmanship||Objective & Essay||Thursday 28/11/19||12.00noon -3.20p.m| |Advanced Salesmanship||Short Structured & Essay||Thursday 28/11/19||1.00p.m – 4.30p.m| |Physics||Paper I Objective & Essay||Friday 29/11/19||9.00a.m-11:45a.m| |Plumbling & Pipe Fitting||Paper I Objective & Essay||Friday 29/11/19||3.30pm-6.10p.m| |Advanced Plumbing and Pipe Fitting||Paper I Short Structured & Essay||Friday 29/11/19||3.30pm-6.30p.m| |Spinning (Textile Trades)||Paper I Objective & Essay||Friday 29/11/19||3.30pm-6.10p.m| |Advanced Yarn Production (Textile Trades)||Paper I Short Structured & Essay||Friday 29/11/19||3.30pm-6.30p.m| |Footwear Manufacture (Leather Trades)||Paper I Objective & Essay||Friday 29/11/19||3.30pm-6.10p.m| |Advanced Footwear Manufacture (Leather Trades)||Paper I Short Structured & Essay||Friday 29/11/19||3.30pm-6.30p.m| |Printing Craft Practice||Paper I Objective & Essay||Friday 29/11/19||3.30pm-6.10p.m| |Advanced Printing Craft Practice||Paper I Short Structured & Essay||Friday 29/11/19||3.30pm-6.30p.m| |Marine Engineering Craft||Paper I Objective & Essay||Friday 29/11/19||3.30pm-6.10p.m| |Advanced Marine Engineering Craft||Paper I Short Structured & Essay||Friday 29/11/19||3.30pm-6.30p.m| |General Wood Work||Paper I Objective & Essay||Friday 29/11/19||3.30pm-6.10p.m| |Mechanical Engineering Craft Practice||Paper I Objective & Essay||Saturday 30/11/19||9:00a.m-11:40a.m| |Advanced Mechanical Engineering Craft Practice||Paper I Short Structured & Essay||Saturday 30/11/19||9:00a.m-12:30p.m| |Leather Goods Manufacture (Leather Trades)||Paper I Objective & Essay||Saturday 30/11/19||9:00a.m-11:40a.m| |Advanced Leather Goods Manufacture (Leather Trades)||Paper 1 Short Structured & Essay||Saturday 30/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Surface Design & Textile Printing (Textile Trades )||Paper I Objective & Essay||Saturday 30/11/19||9.00.a.m-11.40a.m| |Advanced Surface Design and Printing of Textile (Textile Trades)||Paper 1 Short Structured & Essay||Saturday 30/11/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Graphic Arts (Graphic Design)||Paper I Objective & Essay||Saturday 30/11/19||9:00a.m-11:10a.m| |Advanced Graphic Design (Graphic Arts)||Paper 1 Short Structured & Essay||Saturday 30/11/19||9.00a.m-12.00noon| |Tourism||Objective & Essay||Saturday 30/11/19||9:00a.m-11:40a.m| |Advanced Tourism||Short Structured & Essay||Saturday 30/11/19||9:00a.m-12:30p.m| |Animal Husbandry||Paper I Objective & Essay||Saturday 30/11/19||9:00a.m-11:40a.m| |Advanced Animal Husbandry||Paper 1 Short Structured & Essay||Saturday 30/11/19||9:00a.m-12:30p.m| |Fisheries||Paper I Objective & Essay||Saturday 30/11/19||9:00a.m-11:40a.m| |Advanced Fisheries||Paper 1 Short Structured & Essay||Saturday 30/11/19||9:00a.m-12:30p.m| |Ceramics (Ceramics and Design)||Paper I Objective & Essay||Saturday 30/11/19||9:00a.m-11:20a.m| |Advanced Ceramics and Design||Paper 1 Short Structured & Essay||Saturday 30/11/19||9.00a.m-12.00noon| |Office Practice||Objective & Essay||Saturday 30/11/19||9:00a.m-12:20p.m| |Advanced Secretarial Studies||Short Structured & Essay||Saturday 30/11/19||9.00a.m-12.30p.m| |Office Management||Short Structured & Essay||Saturday 30/11/19||9:00a.m-12:30p.m| |Basic Electricity||Paper I Objective & Essay||Saturday 30/11/19||2:00p.m -4:40p.m| |Mathematics||Paper I Objective and Paper II Essay||Monday 02/12/19||9:00a.m-10:30a.m 10:30am-1:00p.m| |Advanced Mathematics||Essay||Monday 02/12/19||9:00am-12:00noon| |Information and Commmunications Technology (ICT)||Paper I Objective & Essay||Monday 02/12/19||2.00p.m -4.40p.m| |English Language||Paper I Objective/Test of Orals; Paper II Essay Writing, Comprehension & Summary||Tuesday 03/12/19||9.00a.m-10.40a.m 10:40am-1.10p.m| |Advanced English Language||Essay Writing, Comprehension & Summary||Tuesday 03/12/19||9:00am-12:00noon| |General Metal Work||Paper I Objective & Essay||Tuesday 03/12/19||2.00pm-4.40pm| |Economics||Objective & Essay||Wednesday 04/12/19||9.00a.m-12:20p.m| |Advanced Economics||Short Structured & Essay||Wednesday 04/12/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Agricultural Science||Paper I Objective & Essay||Wednesday 04/12/19||1.00pm-3:30p.m| |Advanced Building Drawing||Short Structured & Essay||Wednesday 04/12/19||1.00pm-5.00pm| |Government||Objective & Essay||Thursday 05/12/19||9:00a.m-12:00noon| |Further Mathematics||Paper I Objective and Paper II Essay||Thursday 05/12/19||12:00noon-1:45p.m 1:45p.m-4:15p.m| |Lit-In-English||Paper II Drama & Poetry||Thursday 05/12/19||4.15p.m – 6.15p.m| |Building Science||Short Structured & Essay||Friday 06/12/19||9.00a.m-12noon| |Civic Education||Objective & Essay||Friday 06/12/19||9:00a.m-11:30a.m| |Christian Religious Studies||Objective & Essay||Friday 06/12/19||3:30p.m-6:00p.m| |Islamic Studies||Objective & Essay||Friday 06/12/19||3:30p.m-6:00p.m| IMPORTANT NOTICE TO CANDIDATES a. Entries that do not conform with the Board’s regulations would be rejected. b. The Board will ensure that examinations take place as provided on the Timetable at various centres. However, changes if any, will be communicated to candidates through the mass media or through their centres. Candidates are strongly advised to check for such vital information at their centres/NABTEB web-site at least three (3) days before the commencement of the examinations. c. The Board reserves the right to cancel or withhold the results of any candidate in whole or in part for reasons connected with examination malpractice and irregularities. d. The Board, its employees or agents shall be relieved from all responsibilities, for any injury, delay, loss or damage however caused and of whatever kind, arising/resulting directly or indirectly from any action, neglect or default on their part while acting in the course of or connection with the Board’s e. The Board may reject the scripts of any candidate in any paper for which the candidate has not been duly registered. f. Only three (3) changes would be allowed for trades/subjects after registration. However, no change would be allowed for Bio-data entries. MATERIALS ALLOWED FOR THE EXAMINATIONS a. All candidates are required to supply their own pen, pencil, eraser, ink, ruler, and mathematical set. b. Drawing Materials: Candidates are required to provide their own drawing board, Tee-square, metric scale ruler and other drawing instruments. They are also allowed to use slide rules during the examination if the need arises. c. The use of simple, non-programmable, noiseless and cordless calculator is allowed. d. Candidates are not allowed to enter the examination Hall with GSM hand-set and other electronic gadgets. DATE AND TIME OF EXAMINATION a. It is imperative for candidates to check the date and the time of commencement of their papers from examination Time-table and their examination centre or from the Board’s web-site. Generally, morning papers commence at 9.00 a.m., and candidates are to arrive at their examination centres at least half an hour before the commencement of each paper. b. No candidate is allowed to leave the hall, unless on confirmed health ground, until 30 minutes to full time for a 3-hour paper or 10 minutes to full time for an objective paper. Where a health problem is confirmed, the centre supervisor is under instruction to ensure that question paper and other worked materials are not taken out of the examination hall. Similarly, no candidate is allowed into an examination hall 30 minutes after the commencement of a paper. Also Read; Latest Neco Time table For 2021/2022 COMMENCEMENT OF EXAMINATION All practical/oral tests are expected to commence at 9.00 a.m. as indicated on the Time-table. Candidates must report at the centres where they are expected to write their practical/oral examination at the scheduled time on the Time-table. 7. Candidates are required to produce their Admission print out each time they report for a paper. CONDUCT WITHIN EXAMINATION HALL Candidates are expected to conduct themselves properly while in the examination hall. Candidates found guilty of disorderly behaviour in the examination hall would be expelled from the centre. COMPLETION OF EXAMINATION MATERIALS AND HANDLING OF FACILITIES All Candidates must write their names, centre numbers, candidates’ numbers and paper codes, on answer booklets, objective answer sheets, graph sheets, drawing sheets, and continuation sheets, etc in all their papers. Candidates are advised not to use office pins to secure their papers. Twine would be supplied by the supervisor or invigilator on request. Candidates should exercise great care in the use of furniture and equipment during the examination. They are reminded that the cost of repairs or replacement of any damaged property would be borne by those responsible for such damages. NABTEB EXAMINATION RULES a. Examination Malpractice Act No. 33 of 1999: The attention of candidates is hereby drawn to the provisions of Examination Malpractice Act No. 33 of 1999 which provide stiff penalties for examination malpractice. Candidates are therefore warned to desist from actions that would breach the provisions of the Act. b. Candidates are not allowed to bring textbooks, scripts or plain sheets of paper into the hall, except materials which they have been specifically told to bring for the examination. c. Candidates must not communicate with each other during the examinations. Candidates wishing to ask questions should draw the attention of the supervisor/invigilator by raising their hands. d. The Board does not accept responsibility for the loss of books, bags, or other property which candidates bring to the examination centre. e. A candidate who disobeys any of these instructions may be asked to discontinue his or her work, by the supervisor who is under instruction to report such disobedience to the Board. f. Where examination officials or school authorities are involved in Examination malpractice or irregularities, candidates may report directly to the Board with proof. NABTEB COMPLAINTS/ APPEALS Candidates are allowed to make formal complaints/appeals with regard to specific examinations and other sundry matters based on the following guidelines. a. Complaints/appeals relating to registration and related matters must be received before the close of registration. b. All complaints on results and related matters must be received not later than six (6) months after the release of results. c. Complaints received after this period will not be entertained. d. Letters of complaints/appeals should be addressed to Registrar/Chief Executive, NABTEB, Benin – City indicating full name, registration and Centre name/number, type and year of examination, current location/postal address, GSM number, e-mail (if available) and other relevant information. NABTEB 2020 PRACTICAL EXAMINATIONS Candidates for practical examinations are required to provide their own tools. In the case of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), candidates may be allowed to provide their own computers/laptops. Candidates are expected to exercise great care in the handling and use of the machines and tools provided by their centres. Cutting list for practical papers would be sent to centres and candidates are to make individual arrangement with the principals/properietors of their centres for the procurement of materials for their practical papers for which they are to pay. The cost of the material(s) needed for each practical paper will be calculated by the Board and sent to centres. Candidates are free to demand for this from the Principals/Proprietors of their centres who are under instruction to make them available to candidates who may wish to make private arrangement to get the materials for practical papers. Candidates are therefore strictly advised to go to their centres at least one week before the commencement of their papers in order to make proper arrangement for the procurement of materials for practicals. No results would be issued to candidates who sit for papers for which they have not been registered. However, if you register for a paper and your name does not appear on the Marks and Attendance Sheet, report to the supervisor, who has been authorized to take appropriate action. If you have been entered for the wrong paper(s) or your name is mis-spelt, you must let the supervisor know immediately to effect correction. Multiple/double Registration (registering for two or more trades at the same time) would be invalidated. NABTEB PASSPORT PHOTOGRAPH Scan and upload your coloured passport photograph with red background and with a dimension of 2cm x 1.5cm. Use of Webcam passport is not allowed. ADMISSION NOTICE FORM Candidates must download the admission print out and bring same to the examination hall for all the papers registered for. NABTEB PERSONAL DATA You are required to supply your personal information which includes: First Name, Middle Name and Surname e.g. “Muyiwa Emeka Yakubu, Address, Date of Birth and Gender information. A candidate is expected to enrol for only one trade. Multiple Entries would be invalidated. TRADE, TRADE-RELATED AND TRADE COMPONENTS a. Examination centres must not register candidates for trades for which their centres were not approved. Colleges/schools which do not adhere strictly to this would have their entries invalidated in the affected subjects. b. Except for candidates enroling for General Education all other candidates can only enrol for any of the subjects listed against their trades. a. The registration for: i. Nov/Dec NBC/NTC/General Education is N10,500 per candidate ii. Nov/Dec ANBC/ANTC is N12,250 per candidate. b. The registration fees cover examination fee, result checking, biometric registration, e-learning and information VCD. c. Late registration will attract a penalty of N5,000.00 per candidate. CORRESPONDENCE AFTER SUBMISSION OF ENTRY In all correspondences, the candidate must state: a. His/her full name b. Examination number c. Year of examination/series d. Examination centre e. Trade/subject name/code. f. Contact address/phone number and e-mail address if available Visually-challenged candidates would also register on-line but must clearly state the nature of their challenges. Privilege should be given to all Albinos who will be writing the Examinations: For Objective – Extra 10 Minutes. For Practical – Extra 20 Minutes. (i) Candidates are strongly advised to make use of standard cybercafé for their entries. (ii) Biometric registration is compulsory for all candidates NABTEB staff must not have physical contact with NABTEB money. Finally, no candidate is expected or required to pay to an Examination Centre for “logistics”, “practicals”, etc. Refuse to pay, and contact NABTEB through any means available, including at [email protected] If you think this post can be helpful to somebody else, please share it on Twitter, Facebook, G+, Whatsapp or Email it to friends. There are buttons below for this (easy to use too)!

Professor Joshua Katz’s “A Declaration of Independence by a Princeton Professor” has provoked impassioned debate — but not about the subject of his article. Katz, whom I was fortunate to have as a teacher, mentor, and advisor while at Princeton, pushes back against faculty demands, which he thinks “would lead to civil war on campus and erode even further public confidence in how elite institutions of higher education operate.” Furor and condemnation have ensued, not for these objections but for his characterization of a defunct student group, the Black Justice League, as “a small local terrorist organization that made life miserable for the many (including the many black students) who did not agree with its members’ demands.” You may think that “terrorist” is insensitive (I do). What disturbs me is that the responses to Katz’s article seize on this and a few other phrases to smear Katz as a racist, ignoring most of his letter’s substance. Latest News and Commentary: Princeton Princeton classics professor Joshua Katz faces not just criticism for a controversial op-ed he wrote — but formal calls for the Ivy League university to punish him for it. Troublingly, while Princeton makes strong promises of free speech and academic freedom, the university’s public statements on the matter have suggested it may indeed be investigating or planning to punish Katz. To reassure faculty that they can express their views without fear of retribution, Princeton must immediately clarify that Katz’s views are wholly protected by institutional policy, and will not expose him to punishment. I spent the majority of my childhood and young adulthood in China. China’s contemporary political history is of extraordinary relevance to our current moment because it is a lesson in historical revisionism. It lays bare the dangers of censorship and the importance of preserving an academy that studies history in its entirety, not just its dominant narratives. It is concerning to witness the frequency and frivolity with which calls for anti-racism by Princeton students and faculty are met with charges of censorship that seek to equate progressive activism with the tactics and intent of the Maoist “struggle sessions” that took place during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. This false equivalence has been posited by Professor Katz in his recent Quillette article. In a similar spirit, the POCC compared anti-racist training to “re-education camps.” White supremacy is literally wrong, a set of falsehoods about the inherent worth of Black people and other communities of color. It is a gross and willful misunderstanding of human history and culture. It is violent. It is deadly. When white supremacy masquerades as research and scholarship, it looks like eugenics, like phrenology, like the Tuskegee Study, like intelligence tests, like the Bell Curve, like the Troublesome Inheritance, like any number of white-washing histories of civilization, philosophy, religion, and literature that falsify arguments to the detriment of nonwhites. When these false premises are used to support or justify the discrimination against, or withholding of opportunities from, nonwhites, they become elements of a system of active injustice. Yet time and again whenever white supremacy is challenged, or whenever white privilege (which is a subtler form of white supremacy) is questioned, people suddenly start talking about academic freedom. Take the university where I teach, Princeton. The campus—or at least the online campus, in the age of the coronavirus—has been in uproar since early July over a letter of demands to the administration signed by hundreds of my faculty colleagues, and especially over my response to that letter. I was immediately denounced on social media and condemned publicly by my department and the university president. At the same time, the university spokesman announced ominously that the administration would be “looking into the matter further.” It is therefore gratifying to report that Princeton’s leadership has done the right thing. I learned recently that I am not under investigation. Powerful protests for racial justice and political change have taken our nation by storm. After many years of hard work and slow change, our world has shifted decades’ worth in days. Though the direction of this change is positive, with it comes a dangerous rise in illiberal attitudes, which has become apparent in the practice of smear-mongering. Last month, Civics Analytics dismissed former Obama campaign analyst David Shor, who had tweeted a paper written by Princeton politics professor Omar Wasow. In his research, Wasow found that violent protest had not electorally benefited the Democratic Party. By retweeting Wasow’s work, Shor was criticized for “using your anxiety and ‘intellect’ as a vehicle for anti-blackness.” Considering that the University sits at the heart of academia, the prospect of being denounced for sharing an academic paper should concern all of us. When a Princeton classics professor wrote an article for the Quillette website taking issue with recent faculty demands over race, a storm of criticism descended. This was an opening for President Christopher Eisgruber and other university leaders to remind people that Princeton is a place where speech and debate are cherished. Instead, Princeton is demonstrating how a lack of leadership enables the cancel culture. The professor is Joshua Katz. [He]took issue with a petition sent to President Eisgruber signed by more than 350 faculty members. The faculty letter began with the statement “Anti-Blackness is foundational to America.” Mr. Katz’s capital offense was his description of the university’s Black Justice League as a “local terrorist organization.” This hyperbole has given critics an excuse to denounce Mr. Katz without addressing his argument. Five days after its publication, President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 joined a growing chorus of faculty, students, and alumni in publicly condemning professor Joshua Katz for a column in which he characterized the Black Justice League (BJL), a student activist group, as a “terrorist organization.” “While free speech permits students and faculty to make arguments that are bold, provocative, or even offensive, we all have an obligation to exercise that right responsibly,” Eisgruber said in a statement to The Daily Princetonian. “Joshua Katz has failed to do so, and I object personally and strongly to his false description of a Princeton student group as a ‘local terrorist organization.’ By ignoring the critical distinction between lawful protest and unlawful violence, Dr. Katz has unfairly disparaged members of the Black Justice League, students who neither threatened nor committed any violent acts,” Eisgruber added. In his recent opinion piece, in the wake of years of discourse on the legacy of Woodrow Wilson, Akhil Rajasekar ’21 paints a picture of what he, on behalf of the Princeton Open Campus Coalition (POCC), believes to be the state of free speech on campus. He assures us, however, that with the aid of POCC’s efforts we can achieve what he says we need: a “thoughtful conversation on significant, deeply personal issues like race, identity, and culture.” Unfortunately, Rajasekar both misunderstands the nature of free speech and seeks to marginalize the voices of those who have, through years of effort, carried the campus discourse on race and Wilson’s legacy to its current juncture. At my alma mater, Princeton University, hundreds of faculty, staff, and graduate students have signed a petition demanding the university “take immediate concrete and material steps to openly and publicly acknowledge the way that anti-Black racism, and racism of any stripe, continue to thrive on its campus.” The petition includes a long list of “demands,” several of which stand in direct opposition to Princeton students’ and faculty members’ rights to free speech, academic freedom, and freedom of conscience. (Notably, one of them — a demand that faculty of color receive extra pay and sabbatical time compared to white faculty — is simply illegal.) Princeton’s leadership should categorically reject these illiberal demands.

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Caspar is back for his 5th season with us this year. Originally from the South West, Caspar splits his year between time working in Scotland and Antarctica and climbing around the UK and Alps. Since graduating from the University of Edinburgh he has become dedicated to a life of guiding and climbing and can usually be found heading off somewhere in his van for a route, trip or work. Caspar holds MCI and WMCI qualifications Rock: anything at Gogarth, Chamonix granite, sunny Moroccan new routing. Winter: Crypt Route/Point 5. Alpine: Classics like the Kuffner, Mt Maudit and the South Face of the Meije. Skye – Traverse Days! Cheesy but true. Books – Sadly it’s almost always a climbing guide or climbing related literature. Music – Parov Stelar and London Grammar at the moment. Food – Mainly avocados Drink – Gin

The ministry of Herald of His Coming is blessed to send revival and salvation literature free of charge to all who ask. This is possible only because of the generosity of Herald friends who give so that others might freely receive. Therefore, every gift to the Herald ministry is very important and very much appreciated. If you are able to offer financial support, we encourage you to give carefully and prayerfully as the Lord may lead. To view our online donation page click on the link below. If you are giving in a currency other than US Dollars, you can visit this Currency Conversion Site to see the US Dollar equivalent to your gift amount. Online Donations Can Be Made Using PayPal, Debit Card or Credit Card: you may send an offering to one of the local offices listed below or to the U.S. office at this address: Herald of His Coming, P.O. Box 279, Seelyville IN 47878 USA HERALD INTERNATIONAL ADDRESSES: ETHIOPIA (Amharic): Herald International, Almaz Asaye, P.O. Box 8986, Addis Ababa FINLAND: Airut, PL 18, Lempäälä 37501, Finland GERMANY: Herold Seines Kommens, Postfach 1162, 35634 Leun GREECE: Greek Herald International, Xenia Procopiou, P.O. Box 90, 19011 Avlonas INDIA: (English), D.S. Spurgeon, 925 Green St., Nagercoil 629 001 MYANMAR (Burmese, Hakha Chin): Myanmar Herald International, PO Box 1349, Yangon NEPAL: Nepal Christian Herald, G.P.O. Box 8975 E.P.C. 5600, Kathmandu NETHERLANDS: De Stem in de Woestijn, c/o Postfach 1162, 35634 Leun, Germany NIGERIA: Herald International, No. 1 Child Evangelism Dr. Iwo Rd., P.O. Box 7830 Secretariat P.O., Ibadan PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: Tagalog Herald International, c/o Zenaida A. Sarmiento, 65 No. 3 Santiago Circle, Gate 2, St. Anthony Subv., Taytay Rizal 1920 PORTUGUESE: O Arauto da Sua Vinda, Rua Tamoio, 226, Santa Catarina, 13466-250 Americana, SP, Brazil ROMANIA: Asociatia Salom Ministries, P.O. Box 84, O.P. 1, Constanta SOUTH AFRICA: Herald International, c/o Heart Cry SA, P.O. Box 90262, Garsfontein 0042 SPANISH: Heraldo de Su Venida, P.O. Box 279, Seelyville IN 47878, U.S.A. SRI LANKA (Sinhalese): Herald International, 30/7A Charles Place, Rawatawatta, Moratuwa TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Herald International, 46, Wittet Drive, Central Park, Balmain, Couva UNITED KINGDOM: Herald International, BM Box 5265, London, WC1N 3XX. Make any cheques payable to “Herald International”. ZIMBABWE (Shona): Herald International, c/o Godfrey Ndiriwenyu, 1257 Emganwini, c/o Emganwini Church Of Christ, P.O. Nkulumane, Bulawayo

Part III: What Works in Dropout Intervention? Sample Dropout Intervention Program NINTH GRADE DROPOUT PREVENTION PROGRAM (NGP) Background: The Ninth Grade Dropout Prevention Program (NGP) was first used in six high schools in the Pasco County School District in Florida during the 1987-88 school year. Ninth grade was selected based on literature indicating that most students who ultimately drop out of school do so during their first two years of high school. Intervention Description: As the name indicates, NGP focuses on preventing school dropout. Fundamental goals of the program include meeting students’ academic needs, creating a caring atmosphere for students, and providing relevant and challenging curriculum. Strategies for meeting these goals are carried out mainly by teachers, but also with the help of administrators and peer tutors. Each school designs an intervention plan to achieve the goals of the program. A summary of services offered across the district showed plans focused on academics, study skills, socialization, and attendance, and offered an orientation component. Creating a positive school climate and promoting feelings of belonging to the school environment via positive relationships with teachers and peers are key foundational constructs. To promote academics, several strategies such as tutorial services (e.g., homework hotline, teacher assistance, peer tutoring program), teaming/cooperative planning (e.g., establishing ninth-grade teams, regular team meetings, paraprofessionals used to assist teams), and staff development (e.g., teacher in-service on NGP and dropout research, regular faculty meetings) are utilized. Other academic components may include adjustment for classroom characteristics (e.g., ability grouping, smaller class sizes, freshmen-only classes), program monitoring (e.g., feedback from students, teachers, and teams to program administrator; morning parent conferences; surveys of parents, teachers, and students), administrative support (e.g., program monitoring by assistant principal), and facilities support (e.g., common locker locations for freshmen, phone available for parent contact). The orientation program component of the model includes services for students (e.g., NGP information during registration, buddy system, freshmen class meeting at the beginning of the year), parents (e.g., letters and phone calls describing NGP, quarterly newsletters), and staff (e.g., overview of NGP program before the start of the school year). Teachers and administrators are expected to attend these events to help with the promotion of positive teacher and staff relationships with students. Study skills are emphasized through the use of a reading specialist (e.g., emphasis on reading skills in each course, assistance for ninth graders to prepare for academic contests), peer involvement (e.g., peer teachers available before and after school, NGP newsletter with study skills hints), and team involvement (e.g., writing enhancement programs). Socialization is addressed by attending to student concerns (e.g., teachers as advisors, awards for academic success and appropriate behavior, club and/or newsletter, regular freshmen class meetings) and parent concerns (e.g., NGP newsletter, open house and conference night). Finally, attendance is emphasized in a variety of ways and may include teaming/cooperative planning (e.g., early identification of potential dropouts, referral to social worker, motivation posters and films, awards for good attendance) and parental involvement (e.g., automated calling for attendance, parent letters sent for student absences). School staff are expected to react quickly to indications of poor attendance, and parents are notified when students are truant. Participants & Setting: The program is specifically intended for students entering ninth grade. Students are selected for participation through a random drawing from the school population. Those students who are already in programs such as Compensatory Education or Exceptional Student Education have typically been excluded from participation in the program. NGP has been implemented in a rural district in Florida. Implementation Considerations: Teachers are the primary staff for the program. Teachers are organized into ninth-grade teams to plan lessons and discuss intervention strategies. These teams are also expected to meet with the assistant principal of the school to discuss how the program is functioning. An in-service session on NGP and dropout research is provided; teachers participating in the program are expected to attend. The assistant principal of the school monitors program implementation and works with the teachers, as well as obtains feedback from students and parents about how well the program is functioning. Peer tutors and mentors are also utilized in this program. Cost: No information was identified in the available material. Evidence of Effectiveness: The original purpose of this program was to prevent school dropout and promote academic success. One study that examined the effectiveness of NGP was conducted, and results indicated a significant increase in student attendance across three years of implementation. The effect of NGP was strongest on student attendance. Students who participated in the program had an increase in attendance from 89.6% in the baseline year to 95.6% in the third year of the program. Results also showed the proportion of students who continued in school increased over three years, while the proportion of students who dropped out significantly decreased. The rate of dropout was significantly less among program participants as compared to data for nonparticipants. Manual or Training Available: No information was identified in the available material. Pearson, L. C., & Banerji, M. (1993). Effects of a ninth-grade dropout prevention program on student academic achievement, school attendance, and dropout rate. Journal of Experimental Education, 61(3), 247-256. 1.19MB, 84 pages Acrobat Reader required Citation: Lehr, C. A., Johnson, D. R., Bremer, C. D., Cosio, A., & Thompson, M. (2004). Essential tools: Increasing rates of school completion: Moving from policy and research to practice. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration, National Center on Secondary Education and Transition. This document was published by the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET). NCSET is supported through a cooperative agreement #H326J000005 with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of the U.S. Department of Education Programs, and no official endorsement should be inferred. The University of Minnesota, the U.S. Department of Education, and the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition are equal opportunity employers and educators.

In January, when the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a meta-analysis of 100 studies that probed the relationship between body mass index and mortality — studies that found slightly overweight people have lower all-cause mortality than normal weight and underweight people — media around the globe trumpeted the news.Many suggested that scientists had failed to understand something crucial about health, and questioned whether carrying extra weight might be healthier than being slim.“When I read the article I was somewhat taken aback. I wondered if I should send a ‘never mind’ note to all the people I’d taught about the risks of excess fat,” said Jeffrey S. Flier, dean of the Faculty of Medicine, at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and an authority on the biology of obesity and diabetes.He wasn’t alone. Many others were perplexed by the findings gathered by Centers for Disease Control (CDC) epidemiologist Katharine Flegal, which contradict a preponderance of research indicating that there is a direct correlation between the risk of mortality and being overweight once factors such as lower weight from cigarette smoking, chronic disease, and wasting from frailty in the elderly are taken into account.To clear up the confusion, Flier worked with Julio Frenk, dean of the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), to convene a panel of experts at HSPH on Feb. 20 to discuss the findings with the HMS and HSPH communities. Flegal, a senior scientist at the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, was invited to the event, but did not attend.Information in context“We live in an era of near-ubiquitous access to information,” Frenk said, “but the University has an important role to play in providing context and analysis to help people judge the value of information they are consuming, especially when there are equivocal or controversial findings.”The panelists evaluated Flegal’s findings and pointed out a number of methodological errors in the study that they said resulted in the artificial appearance of a protective benefit in being overweight or mildly obese.“When something sounds too good to be true, it’s usually not true,” said Frank Hu, HSPH professor of nutrition and epidemiology and HMS professor of medicine.Methodological errorsThe selection criteria that Flegal used for her meta-analysis ruled out high-quality studies of 6 million people (more than twice as many as were represented in her analysis), said Hu. These studies, in aggregate, show that the highest survival rates are in normal weight people, not the overweight, Hu said.The studies that Flegal did use included many samples of people who were chronically ill, current smokers and elderly, according to Hu. These factors are associated with weight loss and increased mortality.In other words, people are not dying because they are slim, he said. They are slim because they are dying—of cancer or old age, for example. By doing a meta-analysis of studies that did not properly control for this bias, Flegal amplified the error in the original studies.There is also no known biological basis for any protective effect from being overweight, the panelists said, citing studies that show a clear connection between being overweight and conditions such as hypertension and insulin resistance, which are risk factors for coronary heart disease, stroke and several cancers.“Even as you get near the upper reaches of the normal weight range, you begin to see increases in chronic diseases,” said JoAnn Manson, chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, HMS Michael and Lee Bell Professor of Women’s Health, and HSPH professor of epidemiology. “It’s a clear gradient of increase. There is no evidence here of any global protective factor for being overweight.”Flegal responded in an email to the criticisms by saying that she stands by her findings, which she noted had withstood review by the CDC, the National Institutes of Health and the editors and four of five reviewers at JAMA. She said that her team looked at 7,000 articles already in the medical literature.“We explicitly included studies that were prospective studies of adults that looked at all-cause mortality with BMI measured or reported at baseline and that used the standard international categories of BMI … used by the World Health Organization and the U.S. government,” Flegal said.Credibility of sciencePanelists, however, expressed concern that much of the popular journalism and commentary about Flegal’s research could undermine the credibility of science, citing articles that show studies wavering between alternating conclusions, and opinion pieces suggesting that researchers have some conspiratorial interest in making people feel bad about their weight or lifestyle choices.Translating the nuances of these and other critically important findings to the public, practitioners and policy makers is part of the core mission of a university, Frenk said.“The role of the university is not to shy away from controversy but to embrace it. Protecting the credibility of science becomes very important,” Frenk said.Steven Heymsfield, the George A. Bray Jr. Endowed Super Chair in Nutrition and executive director of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, who co-authored a JAMA editorial that accompanied Flegal’s findings, noted that BMI alone could not provide a definitive assessment of the health of any given individual.He said, “Misleading data on BMI and mortality conveys an erroneous message to the public and practitioners that being overweight does not have major consequences.”Walter Willett, the Fredrick John Stare Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition and chair of the Department of Nutrition at HSPH, and HMS professor of medicine, said it is important for people to have correct information about the relationship between health and body weight.“If you don’t have the right goal you are very unlikely to end up in the right place,” Willet said.The panel was presented by the HSPH Department of Nutrition. This article first appeared on the Harvard Medical School news website on Feb. 22. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension is presenting chainsaw trainings designed to educate Georgia’s landscape and tree care workers on the safe use of chainsaws. The trainings will be offered between September and December at locations across the state. “A chainsaw is the most dangerous implement that you can buy in a store that does not require any training or a license. You don’t even need to read the manual to operate it,” said Ellen Bauske, public service associate with the UGA Center for Urban Agriculture. “(These) trainings are for people working in the tree care and landscape industry. Tree care workers are often dangerously comfortable with chainsaws. The landscape worker usually doesn’t use a chainsaw. Invariably, they’re inexperienced when they have to. These trainings are designed to get rid of bad habits and establish safe practices. ” The trainings are taught by North American Training Solutions, one of a handful of companies specializing in chainsaw safety training. The classes are approved by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and funded through their Susan Harwood Training Program. There are four different trainings, each tailored to a different skill set when handling a chainsaw. “A surprising number of people cut down trees from ladders, which is extremely dangerous because you can’t get away from the tree or branch when it falls. We have a chainsaw and ladder safety training,” Bauske said. “We have chainsaw safety and working in the right-of-way. If you’re felling a tree in an urban area, you are invariably felling them around electrical wires. Electrocution is the No. 2 cause of death among tree care workers.” Other trainings focus on aerial lift operations and tree felling. The trainings are free, and lunch will be provided for a small fee. The next training is slated for Aug. 11 in Douglas County. It will focus on technical tree cutting and small tree felling. Other trainings include one in Chatham County, Sept. 1-2; in Brunswick on Sept. 3; in Troup and Spalding County, Sept. 24; in Fulton County, Sept. 30; in DeKalb County, Oct. 8; in Douglas County, Oct. 13; in Gwinnett County, Nov. 12 and Dec. 9 and Lowndes County (Dec. 10). “We are working on more trainings, so call your county agent to find out about the trainings near you.,” Bauske said. To find your local UGA Extension office visit. extension.uga.edu. Authors: Experts/Sources: Clint Thompson is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences based in Tifton. Clint Thompson Ellen M. Bauske Tweet 49 Views no discussions Share Sharing is caring! LocalNews Make Real Mas 2012 safe and violent free by: – December 20, 2011 Benoit Bardouille.Chairman of the Discover Dominica Authority and a Cultural Officer has made a special appeal to carnival lovers and revelers to make “The Real Mas” 2012 a violent free carnival season.The Real Mas 2012 was officially launched here last week with six contestants signing their contracts ahead of the February 18th, 2012 show.It was also revealed by the Events Director of the Dominica Festivals Committee, who announced the schedule of activities that a Mr. Dominica show carded for 10th of February, 2012 will be an added feature in the 2012 carnival season.Chairman of the Discover Dominica Authority Benoit, the supervisory board of the Dominica Festivals Committee, Benoit Bardouille in describing Dominica’s carnival urged revelers to make “The Real Mas” 2012 a “safe and violent free one”.“We must ensure that Dominica’s carnival, the Real Mas, shows up every year in all it splendor, pageantry, revelry, history, originality and last but not least we want to make sure that we have a safe and violence free carnival.”Gregory RabessCultural Officer, Gregory Rabess who represented the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Mrs Justina Charles, noted that a violent free carnival will assist the island in promoting its tourism product.“Let’s keep that carnival clean and violence free, let us have clean fun and as we endeavor to promote our carnival as a visitor attraction there is absolutely no place for anti-social behaviour.”Meantime Minister with responsibility for Tourism and Legal Affairs Ian Douglas made a special call to carnival lovers to unite in an effort to make carnival 2012 the best mas ever.“Eliminate all the rancor, all the bitterness, all the politics, the ill will and let’s truly unite to make Dominica’s carnival one of the greatest not only in the Caribbean but in the world.”Hon. Ian Douglas.The opening Carnival parade 2012 is set for the 29th of January, 2011 in Roseau will include a parade through the streets with Miss Dominica 2011 Jacintha Fagan, Calypso Monarch 2011 Tasha P, Miss Teenage pageant Nicole Rodriguez of the Isaiah Thomas Secondary School, reigning Carnival Princess Takenya Merrifield of the Grand Bay Primary as well the contestants for Miss Dominica Pageant 2012 among others.Portsmouth carnival opening is scheduled for the 5th of February, 2012. Dominica Vibes News Share Share Michael Ray Pennington of Port Orange, FL and formerly of Brookville was born in Batesville, Indiana on February 10, 1957, a son to Ralph Pennington Sr. and Ruby Bishop Pennington. Michael spent his career painting and providing general maintenance. On Friday, April 19, 2019 at the age of 62, he passed away at Halifax Health Hospice of Port Orange, FL.Those surviving who will cherish Michael’s memory include his mother, Ruby Bolin and Step-father, Donald Bolin both of Mims, FL, Brother Ralph Pennington Jr. of Port Orange, FL, Daughter, Juanita Pennington of Laurel, and numerous aunts, uncles, and other relatives.Friends may visit with family on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 from 12 noon until time of service at 2 p.m. at Cook Rosenberger Funeral Home, 929 Main Street, Brookville. Pastor Tom Marshal of the Family Worship Center in Blooming Grove, IN will officiate the service. Burial will follow immediately after service in Maple Grove Cemetery.Memorial Contributions can be directed to the donor’s choice. To sign the online guestbook or to leave personal memories please visit www.cookrosenberger.com. The staff of Cook Rosenberger Funeral Home is honored to care for the family of Michael Pennington. Neighbors for Waterfront Preservation will appeal thissubdivision approval and in so doing, hopes set an important precedent forfuture developments. As a community, wehave a choice. Will we allow newdevelopments in flood zones, thereby endangering existing residents in theneighborhood? Or, will we preserve theseareas for open space, public access, and a buffer for rising seas? Some members of the planning board felt otherwise, however: twomembers voted no and one abstained. Unfortunately, approval required only asimple majority, and now the developer has cleared his first hurdle. This decision undermines efforts by thecommunity to preserve some or all of this property as open space, especially onthe waterfront, and it risks contributing to over-development on the JerseyShore. Now the fate of this unique property will be decided by the NJ DEP, thecourts, and, potentially, the Borough Council. The Two River Times recently reported the Atlantic Highlands Planning Board approved a large subdivision plan for luxury waterfront homes on the 7-acre waterfront McConnell Property. The developer, Steven Denholtz, and his attorney John Giunco, argued that the development was “variance and waiver free,” and that the hands of the Planning Board were tied, making approval fait accompli. But apparently the developer has a shorter memory than therest of us. Mr. Denholtz’s professionals said that this waiver did not apply tohis application because the waterfront was already “developed.” While it is true that the property onceserved as an oil transfer station with minimal infrastructure built toaccommodate the now defunct business, it was never subdivided or “developed”for residential use as the zone requires. The Borough Council’s obvious intent was to prevent new development inflood-prone areas, not to stop existing homeowners from rebuilding their flood-damaged homes. This stretch of waterfront has been abandoned for decades, andthe sea is taking back the old wooden bulkhead. Clearly, the developer should have requested a waiver to subdivide andbuild homes on this site. The Boroughengineer neglected to address this issue in his original review letter, but inthe end sided with Denholtz, setting the stage for this potentially disastrous decision. Local residents have numerous concerns about this project, including:the toxic legacy of the property; the failure of the developer and the planningboard to provide public access; the disregard for the historical significanceof the site; and the exclusion of the objector’s legal counsel in the planningprocess. One of the most substantial and immediate questions posed by thisdecision is: should new developments be allowed in flood zones? This letter was first published in the Commentary section of the May 23-29, 2019 print edition of The Two River Times. Contributed by Benson Chiles, Neighbors for Waterfront Preservation A year after Super Storm Sandy when the borough sufferedmillions of dollars in damage to homes and property, the Atlantic HighlandsBorough Council updated its zoning ordinance design standards to require thatall new subdivision plans preserve all areas in the flood zone as openspace. This action was a logical andmeaningful response to a devastating storm that no one in the Two River area issoon to forget. MOR SPIRIT: A better-than-looked 1 ½ length winner of the Grade III, 1 1/16 miles Robert B. Lewis Stakes here Feb. 6, he took the Grade I Los Alamitos Futurity at the same distance on Dec. 19. Although he’s proven a bit reluctant on occasion in the mornings, the Pennsylvania-bred ridgling by Eskendereya is progressing nicely for Baffert who won last year’s San Felipe with Dortmund, who provided him with his record fifth San Felipe win. Owned by Michael L. Petersen, Mor Spirit has been ridden to all three of his career wins by Gary Stevens, who’s back aboard on Saturday. – UNCLE LINO: A sharp second in his first route try to Mor Spirit in the 1 1/16 miles Robert B. Lewis, this improving son of Uncle Mo will try to establish himself as a top tier Derby hopeful for trainer Gary Sherlock. Ridden in all four of his starts by Fernando Perez, Uncle Lino pressed a solid pace in the Lewis and finished well. Owned by Tom Mansor, Purple Shamrock Racing or Sherlock, Uncle Lino will get an “acid test” in the San Felipe. EXAGGERATOR: A big second to undefeated Eclipse Champion Nyquist in Santa Anita’s Grade II, seven furlong San Vicente Stakes Feb. 15, this Kentucky-bred colt by Curlin figures to improve with the added distance and a recent race under his belt. Owned by Big Chief Racing, LLC, Head of Plains, LLC, Rocker O Ranch LLC and Keith Desormeaux, he’s proven to be a versatile sort who can press the pace or stalk. With a pair of graded stakes wins to his credit, he has three overall wins and two seconds from seven starts, good for career earnings of $1,023,120. He’ll again be ridden by Desormeaux’s Hall of Fame brother, Kent. UNBEATEN CAL-BRED SMOKEY IMAGE, UNCLE LINO & DANZING CANDY ALL HAVE BIG CHANCES IN FINAL PREP TO $1 MILLION SANTA ANITA DERBY WITH 85 KY. DERBY QUALIFYING POINTS AT STAKE SMOKEY IMAGE: Much like California Chrome in 2014, undefeated California-bred Smokey Image will be trying graded stakes completion for the first time following a massive 8 ½ length win versus statebreds in the California Cup Derby at 1 1/16 miles on Jan. 30. Untouched in six starts, his last three versus Cal-breds, the chestnut colt by Southern Image tried two turns for the first time in the California Cup Derby Jan. 30, winning by 8 ½ lengths in gate to wire fashion. Trained by Carla Gaines, he’ll be ridden by California Chrome’s regular pilot, Victor Espinoza. Smokey Image is owned by Irvin Racing Stable and he’s banked $435,100. DANZING CANDY: Trained by Cliff Sise, Danzing Candy has been ultra impressive in a pair of allowance wins at the current Winter Meet, his most recent a 5 ¾ length gate to wire romp going a flat mile here on Feb. 4. Lightly raced, this Kentucky-bred colt by Twirling Candy will make his stakes debut in the San Felipe, which will be his fourth career start and second around two turns. Bred by Ted Aroney’s Halo Farms and owned by Halo Farms, Bashor or Bashor, Danzing Candy has trained forwardly out of his most recent win and will be ridden for the third time in a row by Mike Smith.THE SAN FELIPE STAKES FIELD IN POST POSITION ORDERRace 7 Approximate post time, 3:05 p.m. PTUncle – Lino Fernando Perez – 120Danzing Candy – Mike Smith – 120Mor Spirit – Gary Stevens – 124Cupid – Martin Garcia – 120I Will Score – Rafael Bejarano – 120Smokey Image – Victor Espinoza – 120Exaggerator – Kent Desormeaux – 122 The San Felipe Stakes, final major steppingstone to the Grade I, $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 9, will award the winner 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. The second, third and fourth place San Felipe finishers will earn 20, 10 and 5 points respectively. ARCADIA, Calif. (March 9, 2016)–Keith Desormeaux’s Exaggerator and Bob Baffert’s Mor Spirit headline a talented group of seven three-year-olds in Saturday’s Grade II, $400,000 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. In addition to the top two, unbeaten California-bred Smokey Image and rapidly improving sophomores Uncle Lino and Danzing Candy all rate big chances with a total of 85 Kentucky Derby qualifying points at stake. GlentiesGlenties has declared itself a ‘poster-free’ zone for the forthcoming general election.Members if the town’s Community Development Group are asking each candidate not to erect posters in the town i.e within the 50kph speed limits of the town.The group says Glenties has a proud tradition as a tidy town and each year countless hours of hard work and endeavour, not to mention a lot of money, goes into keeping the town looking in the best possible condition all year round. The committee says they feel that the erecting of election posters is an unsightly practice particularly in a town such as Glenties with its ornate street fixings and floral displays.“In previous elections we have regrettably noticed that posters have not been taken down within the allotted time and some left to fall down and lie in ditches whilst the eternal problem of discarded cable ties meant lots of sweeping for the towns hard working volunteers.“We feel that this is a reasonable request given the hard work that goes into keeping Glenties looking as wonderful as it does all through the year.“We trust that you will respect our request and again we wish you all every success and look forward to working with you all for the betterment of Glenties and its environs in the near future,” said Richard Quigley, secretary of the GCDG. Residents in Dungloe have also declared their town a sported-free zone for the elections. GLENTIES DECLARES ITSELF A ‘POSTER-FREE’ ZONE FOR GENERAL ELECTION was last modified: February 6th, 2016 by StephenShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Tags:donegalelectionGlentiesposters A’s offer Macha a deal: The Oakland Athletics offered a new contract to manager Ken Macha, though it’s still unclear whether he will return for a fourth season in 2006. Dave Hudgens won’t return as the Athletics’ hitting coach next season, the club said Monday. No Spin zone in Pittsburgh: Pitching coach Spin Williams is out as Pittsburgh’s pitching coach after being told he would not be part of the Pirates’ major-league staff next season. The other coaches – bench coach Pete Mackanin, hitting coach Gerald Perry, first base coach Rusty Kuntz, third base coach John Russell, bullpen coach Bruce Tanner and infield instructor Alvaro Espinoza – were told the team’s new manager will be allowed to hire his own coaches. Surgical proceedings: Mets closer Braden Looper had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder and is expected to be recovered by spring training. … Minnesota reliever Juan Rincon had surgery to clean up a bone spur in his right elbow. Roster moves: Left-hander John Halama, right-hander Antonio Osuna and catcher Keith Osik were released by Washington, which added three minor-league prospects – infielder Kory Casto, outfielder Frank Diaz and right-hander Armando Galarraga – to their 40-man roster. were promoted. … Infielder Aaron Holbert refused an outright assignment to the minors, choosing instead to leave Cincinnati and become a free agent. 160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! “I am driven to move quickly because I think there could be a lot of interest in Jim Leyland,” said Dombrowski, adding his search could end as soon as today. Trammell was fired after three seasons in which he failed to turn around a franchise without a winning record since 1993. Soon after Alan Trammell was fired Monday morning as manager of the Detroit Tigers, Jim Leyland was en route to the Motor City as the leading candidate to replace him. Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski planned to have interviewed Juan Samuel and Bruce Fields – both from Trammell’s staff – before discussing the opening with Leyland about 24 hours after the regular season ended. AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREThe top 10 theme park moments of 2019 The Tigers were 186-300 in three seasons under Trammell. Dombrowski wouldn’t give details when pressed by reporters for reasons he made the decision to fire Trammell. “I did to him, I don’t think I owe it to you,” he said. Leyland, a former Florida, Pittsburgh and Colorado manager, told the Associated Press that the Tigers called him Monday morning to set up an interview with him that evening. “It’s well known that I interviewed with Philadelphia last winter, and I’d like to manage again,” the 60-year-old Leyland said last month. Rangers push Rogers away: Kenny Rogers will not return to the Texas Rangers, who are cutting their ties with the pitcher best remembered this year for throwing a tantrum and shoving two television cameramen. The team said in a statement Monday that the 40-year-old lefty will not be offered a contract for 2006. He will become a free agent. Astronomers using adaptive optics at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Paranal, Chile took spectra of a galaxy at red-shift 2.38 described as an “early young galaxy” that must have, according to current theory, formed very rapidly, because it looks like the Milky Way. The observations by Genzel et al., published in Nature,1 were described by Robert C. Kennicutt (editor of Astrophysical Journal) in the same issue of Nature2 this way:On page 786 of this issue1, Genzel et al. present remarkable observations of what appears to be a newly formed spiral galaxy, observed when the Universe was just a fifth of its current age. The result is doubly significant: first, it provides the most detailed glimpse so far of the formation of a galaxy similar to our own Milky Way; second, it demonstrates the power of a new generation of high-resolution instruments that use adaptive optics to study the information and evolution of far-off galaxies.Though Kennicutt claims that our growing catalog of deep-space observations have given rise to “a self-consistent picture of the evolution of galaxies,” he did find it remarkable that such a distant galaxy would look so familiar:The authors’ observations of BzK-15504 reveal it to be a giant spiral galaxy, with a size and mass similar to that of the Milky Way, but observed just 3 billion years after the Big Bang. It shows many similarities to present-day spiral galaxies, with rotational properties that, again, are nearly identical to those of the Milky Way. These similarities are notable because they imply that at least some large disk galaxies were broadly in place even at these early cosmic epochs.He says that the spectra imply a rapid burst of star formation in this galaxy 50 times greater than that assumed in our own. The authors of the paper, after stating the “framework” of galaxy evolution, admitted to some anomalies in the picture:It remains unclear, however, over what timescales galaxies were assembled and when and how bulges and disks—the primary components of present-day galaxies—were formed. It is also puzzling that the most massive galaxies were more abundant and were forming stars more rapidly at early epochs than expected from models.Everyone thought large spiral galaxies formed late in the evolution of the cosmos. Kennicut said, “large spiral galaxies with well-developed disks similar to the Milky Way are conspicuously absent in both observations and models of the early Universe. These large spirals are expected to form rather late, so one would not expect to find many of them at early times,” he added. But why there are any galaxies this large and mature at such an early age? “Both these and other results from the same programme are challenging theorists to account for the existence of such massive and well-formed galaxies at such early cosmic epochs, he added, changing the subject to the promise of adaptive optics to answer that question.1Genzel et al., “The rapid formation of a large rotating disk galaxy three billion years after the Big Bang,” Nature 442, 786-789(17 August 2006) | doi:10.1038/nature05052; Received 25 April 2006; Accepted 6 July 2006.2Robert C. Kennicutt, Jr., “Astronomy: Young spirals get older,” Nature 442, 753-754(17 August 2006) | doi:10.1038/442753a; Published online 16 August 2006.The juxtaposition of cockiness about their models and head-scratching about the particulars is what is puzzling. To keep the model together, they have to have this galaxy, which is surely representative of billions more, forming stars and evolving so rapidly that it looks mature at one-fifth the assumed age of the universe. This pattern of early maturity is the Cambrian Explosion of cosmology, also known as the Lumpiness Problem. The early universe shows much more structure (lumpiness) than expected from a nearly homogeneous expansion of an initially uniform particle soup (uniform, that is, to within one part in a hundred thousandth of a degree temperature of the cosmic background radiation). Astronomers seem to take their lumps in stride. Sometimes, however, discretion is the better part of valor.(Visited 9 times, 1 visits today)FacebookTwitterPinterestSave分享0 Finally, the monkey is off the back of the Indian contingent with Gagan Narang winning a bronze medal in the 10m air rifle event.The fact that Narang fired 10.7 with his last shot in the close final to finish third proved that he is a champion.Narang’s medal should come as a boost for the rest of the Indian athletes who would be pumped up in the coming days.Coming to tennis, the mixed doubles draw is out and Paes and Sania Mirza will have their task cut out as they face Serbian Ana Ivanovic and Nenad Zimonjic.Zimonjic is a good doubles player but lacks consistency and the Indians would hope that he has a bad day.It was heartening to see that both our doubles combinations (Mahesh Bhupathi-Rohan Bopanna and Leander Paes-Vishnu Vardhan) won their first round matches.Bhupathi and Bopanna were up against a strong pair from Belarus – Maxi Mirnyi, who is ranked no.1, and Alexander Bury.There were no breaks of serve until the 13th game of the deciding set when Bhupathi made two impressive returns. Bopanna then did well to serve out the match.However, it was disappointing to see them go down in straight sets to Frenchmen Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet in the second round.It was also an impressive performance by Paes and Vishnu considering that the latter was playing his first match at this level. They were up against the scratch Dutch combination of Robin Haase and Jean-Julien Rojer, who came together for the Olympics.advertisementVishnu lost in the singles, but that experience helped him prepare for the doubles encounter. He could get used to the conditions, the surface and the crowd which would have taken care of the nervous energy of playing in his maiden Olympics.They have a tough prequarter-final against Frenchmen Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Michael Llodra, both of whom are accomplished doubles players.(The writer is the Fed Cup coach and former player)

The Bluest Eye turns 50 MIT Professor Sandy Alexandre on Toni Morrison's debut novel Toni Morrison; photo via Creative Commons "Morrison’s exquisite language has always given her readers a variety of ways, routes, and turns of phrase to understand the world, so perhaps it’s no surprise that she has rendered something like 'structural racism' comprehensible." 9 December 2020 Author’s Note: I was hired as a dramaturg for Awoye Timpo’s stage production of Toni Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eye (1970), which was scheduled to run April 24-May 24, 2020 at The Huntington Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts. Needless to say, the show was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic. I was also asked to write some program notes for the play, which, due the play's cancellation were never published. The publication of the notes in 2020 was to have been my way of commemorating the 50th anniversary of the publication of The Bluest Eye. I don’t want 2020 to pass without celebrating that literary milestone. As a huge fan of Morrison’s writing as well as someone who is teaching a Spring 2021 seminar on her work, I want to do that as publicly as possible. — Sandy Alexandre, Associate Professor of Literature at MIT • • • Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye | First things first So much wonderful work has been written about Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye (1970) within the North American context of White beauty’s supremacy, the Black family, the Black Power Movement, the Civil Rights Movement, and Black girlhood studies. Rather than rehearse those analyses here, I want to talk about what the recurring theme of planted seeds in Morrison’s first novel might suggest first novels are essentially good for. Besides referencing how the main protagonist came to be impregnated, recurring seed-planting language suggests that first novels might be good for meditations on foundational things such as laying groundwork; literacy primers; a person’s place of birth; where, how, and by whom you were raised; structural racism; the history behind your current social and political status; and even literal foundations like the very soil that we rely on for our food. As an educator, I believe in the power of analogies to effect eureka moments and epiphanies. Sometimes you have to understand what a thing is like or might be like before you can actually understand the thing itself. These lines from an Emily Dickinson poem, for example, make the point: “Tell all the truth but tell it slant – / Success in Circuit lies […]”). Indeed, we can typically count on works of literature, with their startling similes and vivid metaphors, to provide us analogies for social concepts that might otherwise be difficult to understand. Literature is like a thesaurus of real life, giving us relatable and alternative language to make sense of it. "Sowing," by William H. Johnson; screenprint, created between 1939-40; public domain "The Bluest Eye points to how racism is in the very air we breathe, the very ground we tread, and even implicated in the passage of time. It is embedded in the bedrock on which our social institutions lay their very foundations. To make a complicated concept like this make sense requires at least one example of it, and the one that Morrison proffers from the very beginning of the novel is the bad soil of an 'unyielding' earth.'" Visualizing systemic racism | The ground we tread One such difficult but omnipresent concept, these days, is the so-called “institutional,” “systemic,” or “structural” nature of social problems such as inequality and racism. While these terms are certainly accurate descriptors, they are not so easy to visualize. Thankfully, the generosity of Toni Morrison’s exquisite gift in the art of language composition has always given her readers a variety of ways, routes, and turns of phrase to understand the world, so perhaps it’s no surprise that she has rendered something like structural racism comprehensible. Because The Bluest Eye demonstrates how the complex system of racism — coupled with oppressive dictates of a White beauty standard — pelts down on little Black girls in particular, stunting their growth and mentally impairing them, the novel makes that system at once detectable, nameable, and palpable. Of this so-called fact of White beauty and (as a corollary) the implication of Black ugliness, Tressie McMillan Cottom writes: “They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that ugly is as ugly does. Both are lies. Ugly is everything done to you in the name of beauty.” To help us identify such ugly impacts and ugly forces, The Bluest Eye points to how racism is everywhere built into our environment. It’s in the very air we breathe, the very ground we tread, and even implicated in the passage of time. It is embedded in the bedrock on which our social institutions lay their very foundations. According to the Aspen Institute Roundtable on Community Change (2004), structural racism is: "A system in which public policies, institutional practices, cultural representations, and other norms work in various, often reinforcing ways to perpetuate racial group inequity. It identifies dimensions of our history and culture that have allowed privileges associated with 'whiteness' and disadvantages associated with “color” to endure and adapt over time." To make a complicated concept like this make sense requires at least one example of it, and the one that Morrison proffers from the very beginning of the novel is the bad soil of an “unyielding” earth. Detail, the Pollinators mural in Lawrence, Kansas; created to honor painter Aaron Douglas and six other African American artists from Kansas: Gwendolyn Brooks, Coleman Hawkins, Langston Hughes, Hattie McDaniel, Oscar Micheaux, and Gordon Parks; mural designed by Dave Loewenstein, painted by local artists; public domain In the beginning of the novel, Claudia, the young narrator, blames herself that no marigolds bloomed that year: 'For years I thought … it was my fault. I had planted them too far down in the earth.' By the novel’s end, she is not only older but also wiser: 'And now … I even think...[t]his soil is bad for certain kinds of flowers. Certain seeds it will not nurture, certain fruit it will not bear.'" The very ground beneath our feet Even as a black girl growing up in the decidedly urban environment of 1980s Brooklyn, New York, I was exposed to the basics of soil science in public school. Morrison knows that soil language belongs as much to children who are learning to plant seeds for the first time as it does to veteran soil scientists. In a novel whose pages immediately bring us simultaneously into the elementary school classroom and into a family’s house via the Dick-and-Jane primer, Morrison wants us to consider the various and often typical places that our basic foundations of knowledge and self-awareness come from. And besides home and school, what place could possibly be more foundational than the very ground beneath our feet? [I dare say soil is the structure of all structures, after all.] If in the beginning of the novel, Claudia, the young narrator, blames herself that no marigolds bloomed that year: “For years I thought […] it was my fault. I had planted them too far down in the earth.” By the novel’s end, she is not only older but also wiser: “And now […] I talk about how I did not plant the seeds too deeply, how it was the fault of the earth, the land, of our town. I even think that the land of the entire country was hostile to marigolds that year. This soil is bad for certain kinds of flowers. Certain seeds it will not nurture, certain fruit it will not bear […]” To wise up is to stop blaming oneself, the victim, and one another for floral inequality or anti-marigold floral discrimination. To wise up is to start pointing fingers at the real culprit instead: a system, which in this case is represented by the literal bedrock of our existence. To wise up is finally to be able to fathom the possibility that the vexing problem of our lives lies in something a finger can’t really just point at, because the problem is neither a person nor a discrete entity with clearly discernable contours. In a carefully crafted whodunit, in which the characters get a chance to narrate their side of the story, Morrison ultimately makes a convincing case against an unlikely culprit: the soil — a system and a structure “hostile to marigolds.” Living on hostile land In Sula, the novel Morrison publishes after The Bluest Eye, and whose different front covers continue to riff on the theme of Black girls and flowers, she again points to soil as a graspable metaphor for structural racism. According to the legend of “the Bottom” — the part of town where Black people lived — a White farmer conned a Black person into accepting “hilly land, where planting was backbreaking, where the soil slid down and washed away the seeds, and where the wind lingered all through the winter.” The very land itself is hostile to the possibility of Black people thriving on it. Morrison helps us to visualize what it means to locate racism’s workings in a structure — soil structure in this particular case, but a visible and tangible foundation that results in Black people being disadvantaged nevertheless. While Black people are burdened and even slighted by soil, White people not only live on the fertile “rich valley floor,” but by the novel’s end they also move into and gentrify the Bottom where “White people were building towers for television stations” and possibly a golf course too. As much as this system disproportionately benefits White people it also disproportionately disadvantages Black people — and all at the same time each and every different time. Children in a classroom garden; iStock photo "When you can diagnose a tenacious social problem as originating in the very soil of that society itself and if that diagnosis triggers memories of even just rudimentary lessons about the soil science that you learned in elementary school, then you know that you have the intellectual wherewithal at least to begin asking the right questions toward possibly solving that problem." Systems not people On various occasions, Toni Morrison has discussed the origins of her idea for The Bluest Eye. When she was in elementary school, a fellow Black girl classmate told her that she wanted blue eyes. Morrison read that desire as a self-loathing and wanted, as a consequence, to understand “the workings of self-loathing.” What The Bluest Eye demonstrates is that those workings actually begin from a place entirely external to the self and often unbeknownst to us. One does not self-loathe spontaneously or in a vacuum. How (and for whom) a society is structured creates the circumstances that enable either self-loathing or self-regard. One’s self-loathing or self-regard is prompted and sustained by a society already steeped in loathing or love for you and your kind, respectively. The Bluest Eye teaches us how to (and that we can!) point fingers at systems and not people, even when we don’t know how to challenge or change that system. Something is rotten in and about the soil. Asking the right questions | The structure of soil and society When you can diagnose a tenacious social problem as originating in the very soil of that society itself and if that diagnosis triggers memories of even just rudimentary lessons about the soil science that you learned in elementary school, then you know that you have the intellectual wherewithal at least to begin asking the right questions toward possibly solving that problem: How do we find fresh soil, and how should we change nutrient-poor soil so that it is life-giving and nutritious for all flowers? How often should we change the soil to keep it conducive to all of its flowers’ flourishing? How could we have ever possibly blamed any of this on the flowers, for cryin’ out loud? How do we gather enough people to do this hard but necessary work? Lo and behold, we’ve been knowing how to do things with and ask things of foundations and substructures since elementary school. Lest we forget our early-cultivated and foundational forms of knowledge, Morrison reminds us that asking questions about systems, substructures, groundwork, and soil is something that we’ve done before even as children; asking those questions can feel familiar, like riding a bike, even if actually addressing the problem is not. She asks us to trust that we know something about social structures, instead of defaulting to claiming we know nothing at all. (For some answers to the questions I’ve posed here, please see Leah Penniman’s deeply informative and inspiring book Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land. The chapter titled “Restoring Degraded Land,” begins with a relevant Ghanaian proverb that pairs perfectly with The Bluest Eye: “If the yam does not grow well, do not blame the yam. It is because of the soil.”) Seedlings; iStock photo "How do we find fresh soil, and how should we change nutrient-poor soil so that it is life-giving and nutritious for all flowers? How often should we change the soil to keep it conducive to all of its flowers’ flourishing? How could we have ever possibly blamed any of this on the flowers, for cryin’ out loud?" In the age of climate change As yet another example of how external factors inform and structure our lives, Morrison divides the novel into discrete sections corresponding to the four seasons. But I would argue that the fiftieth-year anniversary celebration of The Bluest Eye in the age of climate change is a reminder to us all that something so presumably unwieldy and beyond our mere mortal control as time’s passage (as weather conditions) is, in fact, very much within our power to transform. Because if the scientific consensus is that climate change is mostly created by humankind, then human activity has the capacity to restructure anew to change the trajectory. It’s up to us to redirect the earth’s course toward our collective thriving instead of dying. And we can do that, as Christina Sharpe suggests, if we continue — as enslaved Black people did before us — to “produce [our] own ecologies out of the weather.” And there are at least two ways to read that rallying cry: First, to be out of the weather is effectively to be out of this world. And what a fantastic and imaginative-rich vantage point that could be! (It’s certainly better than being under the weather, for example.) Second, to make something out of the weather is to assume a power you might not even know you had — the power to recycle and reimagine it anew. Or, as Morrison reminds us via the story she tells in her 1993 Nobel Prize acceptance speech: “it is in your hands.” Whether it’s working the soil or working the weather, Morrison knows that freedom from anti-Black soil and weather will require many hands, will take a lot of manual labor. Sandy Alexandre; photo by Jon Sachs, MIT SHASS Communications 3Q with MIT literature professor Sandy Alexandre On the literary roots of many technological innovations Essay, Copyright ©2020 Sandy Alexandre Prepared for publication by MIT SHASS Communications Editorial and Design Director: Emily Hiestand Office of Dean Melissa Nobles

Static and Dynamic Magnetism in Underdoped Superconductor BaFeCoAs We report neutron scattering measurements on single crystals of BaFeCoAs. The magnetic Bragg peak intensity is reduced by 6 upon cooling through T. The spin dynamics exhibit a gap of 8 meV with anisotropic three-dimensional (3d) interactions. Below T additional intensity appears at an energy of 4.5(0.5) meV similar to previous observations of a spin resonance in other Fe-based superconductors. No further gapping of the spin excitations is observed below T for energies down to 2 meV. These observations suggest the redistribution of spectral weight from the magnetic Bragg position to a spin resonance demonstrating the direct competition between static magnetic order and superconductivity. pacs:74.70.-b, 78.70.Nx, 74.20.Mn Despite intense experimental and theoretical efforts directed towards understanding the recently discovered Fe-based superconductorsLaOFFeAsdis ; SmOFFeAsdis ; CeOFFeAsdis ; HPdis ; Rotter ; Wang ; Yeh , the mechanism behind superconductivity remains unclear (e.g. singhlda ; cvetkovic ; bang ; chen_theory ; chubukov_review ; mazin_review ). However, one common feature is the presence of magnetism in large regions of the phase diagrams for these materials (e.g. cruz_lafeaso ; mcquire_big ; Huang ; lynn_review ). As such, there have been many suggestions that the pairing mechanism originates from the spin fluctuations. The observation of a resonance, strongly coupled to T, in the spin dynamics of BaFeAs doped with potassiumchristianson2 , cobaltlumsden_co , and nickelchi_ni supports this contention and emphasizes the need for a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental magnetic behavior of these materials. Consequently, numerous studies have been initiated to probe the magnetic behavior of the Fe-based superconductors. In AFeAs (A=Ba,Sr,Ca) studies of the static magnetic properties have revealed spin density wave order with magnetic moments aligned along the a-axis of the low temperature orthorhombic structurelynn_review . The spin excitations of these compounds are the subject of intense scrutiny as means of establishing the degree to which the magnetic behavior originates with localized or itinerant Fe 3d-electronslynn_review . As noted above the spin dynamics in superconducting samples have been studied in several members of optimally doped BaFeAs christianson2 ; lumsden_co ; chi_ni where both the tetragonal-orthorhombic structural distortion and long range magnetic order have been suppressed. In particular, for doping levels where static magnetism coexists with superconductivity (either microscopically or as separate phases) the nature of the magnetic excitations has yet to be established in detail. BaFeCoAsSefat3 has emerged as one of the most important systems in large part due to the availability of large homogenous single crystals. The phase diagram Ning ; chu_cophase ; pratt for these materials shows that in the underdoped regime, there is both a structural phase transition and a magnetic ordering transition, as in the parent compound. For the range of concentrations, 0.06 0.12, samples exhibit both magnetic order and superconductivity. The topic of this letter is a neutron scattering study of single crystal samples of underdoped BaFeCoAs with T=58 K and =11 K. We observe a 6 reduction of the magnetic Bragg peak intensity on cooling through T. The reduction in intensity is not due to a change in the magnetic structure and hence represents either a reduction in the ordered moment or a decrease in the fraction of the sample exhibiting long range magnetic order. On the other hand, the spin dynamics associated with the magnetic ordering is gapped above T while below T additional intensity appears at an energy of 4.5(0.5) meV consistent with the observation of a spin resonance in other Fe-based superconductors. Thus, a loss in spectral weight in the magnetic Bragg peaks appears to be compensated by the appearance of a spin resonance highlighting the competition between magnetic order and superconductivity. The intensity of the resonance observed for x=0.08 depends on Q both in-plane and along the c-axis in stark contrast to the two-dimensional resonance observed in the optimally doped sample lumsden_co . We note that the neutron scattering data presented here does not allow for differentiation between microscopic coexistence and phase separation of superconductivity and magnetism. Single crystals of BaFeCoAs were grown using FeAs flux as described in lumsden_co . Magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements show that T=11 K. Although at low temperature the crystal structure is strictly orthorhombicchu_cophase ; pratt , the measurements reported here have insufficient resolution to observe the consequences of the structural distortion. For this reason and for consistency with previous inelastic measurements on superconducting samples christianson2 ; lumsden_co we use tetragonal notation exclusively. For reference (1 0 L), the antiferromagnetic ordering wave vector in orthorhombic notation, is indexed as (1/2 1/2 L) in tetragonal notation. Further discussion of the various notations employed in the literature may be found in lumsden_co ; mazin . Neutron diffraction data was collected on a 0.2 g crystal. For the inelastic neutron scattering measurements, four single crystals of BaFeCoAs with a total mass of 2 g were co-aligned in the (HHL) plane. The data in Fig. 1(b) was collected using the HB1A triple-axis spectrometer (TAS) at the HFIR configured with collimations of 48-40-40-136. The remainder of the data presented here was collected with the HB-3 TAS at the HFIR configured with collimations of 48-60-80-120 with a fixed final energy of 14.7 meV using pyrolitic graphite monochromator and analyzer crystals. Preliminary inelastic neutron scattering data (not shown) was collected on the HB1 TAS at the HFIR. Fig. 1 shows neutron diffraction data as a function of temperature for BaFeCoAs. Fig. 1(a) Shows the temperature dependence of the (1/2 1/2 3) magnetic Bragg peak. Fits to a power law over a limited range of temperatures (30 K T 80 K) yield an ordering temperature, T=58(0.6) K. Figure 1(b) indicates a significant reduction in intensity below T for both (1/2 1/2 1) and (1/2 1/2 3). The intensity at 1.6 K is reduced by 6 relative to that of the maximum intensity found at T. The change in intensity of both peaks occurs in the same manner so that the effect cannot be explained by change in magnetic structure or a spin reorientation. Transverse and longitudinal scans were made through (1/2 1/2 1) and (1/2 1/2 3) to ensure that that the observed change is due to a reduction in the integrated intensity rather than a change in peak position or line width. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) and peak positions extracted from fits to the (1/2 1/2 3) peak are shown in fig. 1(c) and (d). A Gaussian lineshape was used for the longitudinal and a Lorentzian squared line shape was used for the transverse scans. Together these graphs show neither the FWHM nor the peak position changes significantly through T. Measurements at (1/2 1/2 2.7) (not shown) indicate no change in the background through T. Thus, there is either a reduction in the ordered magnetic moment or a reduction in the fraction of the sample that is magnetically ordered that is coincident with the onset of superconductivity in BaFeCoAs. A somewhat larger reduction in magnetic Bragg peak intensity has also been seen by Pratt, et al.pratt for a sample with a slightly higher Co-doping and consequently a higher T and lower T. Together these results show that competition between magnetism and superconductivity is robust in the underdoped region of these materials in samples with different T and synthesized by different groups. Naturally the question arises: What happens to the spectral weight associated with the reduced Bragg peak intensity below T? As we discuss below, the spin excitations may provide the answer. Fig. 2(a) shows a constant Q scan at the (1/2 1/2 -1) wave vector at 1.6 () and 20 K (). For comparison, we show the background estimated from combining constant-E scans with the constant-Q scan at (0.65 0.65 -1). This scattering has only negligible temperature dependence suggesting that the background is predominately instrumental in origin. The data at 1.6 K show an additional intensity at an energy of 5 meV. Figures 2(c) and (d) show the in-plane and out-of-plane wave vector dependence of the spin excitations above and below T near (1/2 1/2 -1). Unlike optimally doped sampleslumsden_co the intensity is strongly peaked both in-plane and out-of-plane indicating 3d spin correlations. Figure 2(b) shows the evolution of the extra intensity as a function of temperature. A powerlaw fit yields a T of 11(1) K in agreement with the bulk measurements on these samples demonstrating a strong coupling between the appearance of the resonance and superconductivity. In the optimally doped samples, the intensity gained at the resonance energy for TT is compensated by the opening of a spin gap at lower energy christianson2 ; lumsden_co ; chi_ni . To search for such a gap in this case, thermal population effects must be removed. To this end, the dynamic susceptibility ((Q,) has been derived from the data in Fig. 2(a) by removing the background scattering, correcting for thermal population, and applying a correction for higher order contamination in the beam monitor. The resulting (Q, at 1.6 and 20 K is shown in fig. 3(a). This shows that a spin gap is already present at 20 K and that an additional gap does not open below T for energies as low as 2 meV. In this case, a likely origin for the additional spectral weight required for the change in (Q, is the loss of spectral weight at the magnetic Bragg peak positions. This data appears to be in contrast to the conclusions of pratt which claim gapless spin excitations below T with a gap opening below T. This difference could be attributed to the slightly different Co-doping. However, we note that our measurements extend over a wider energy range and were performed with fixed E which allows for determination of S(Q,) with fewer corrections to the data. Figure 3(b) shows the difference between the dynamic susceptibility, (Q=(1/2 1/2 -1),) at 1.6 and 20 K. This emphasizes the appearance of the resonant intensity appearing below T with a maximum at E=4.5(0.5) meV or 4.7 kT. This is consistent with the energy of the spin resonance observed for other Fe-based superconductorschristianson2 ; lumsden_co ; chi_ni indicating universality across the phase diagram. In contrast to the data reported for an optimally Co-doped sample lumsden_co , the spin resonance intensity varies strongly with L and is only observed for L near the antiferromagnetic zone center as shown in Fig. 2(c). To explore the spin excitations in more detail, a series of constant-E scans along (H H -1) and (1/2 1/2 L) are shown in Fig. 4. These measurements show data peaked in both H and L for energies up to 11 meV indicating anisotropic 3d interactions as in the parent compound matan . To quantitatively analyze the spin wave dispersion, we consider a Heisenberg model with in-plane near-neighbor coupling constants and , next near-neighbor coupling constant , a c-axis coupling constant, and anisotropy, D as described previously ewings ; matan ; popnote . The dispersion for this Hamiltonian is where , . To analyze the data, we convolved the following S(Q,) (e.g. ewings ) with the instrumental resolution function: Fits were performed to constant-E scans measured at 1.6 K except for E=5 meV where data taken from 20 K was analyzed to prevent the inclusion of resonance intensity. Excluding the 5 meV data from the fits does not significantly alter the results. The data was corrected for the Bose factor and the contamination of the beam monitor by higher order scattering from the monochromator. The model describes the data well with the inclusion of a large damping parameter, =6.2 meV. Similar broad scattering was observed in measurements on BaFeAs matan . To properly describe a heavily damped spin excitation a damped harmonic oscillator, as opposed to a Lorentzian, is essential to prevent divergence of at small energies. The solid lines shown in Fig. 4 as well as the solid line through the 20 K constant-Q scan in Fig. 3(a) are the results of the fits with a common amplitude. Measurements in the (HHL) scattering plane at these energies are insensitive to and only depend on and via +2. This was confirmed by sconsidering multiple values of J and ratios of J/2J all yielding identical results. The best fit values are =32 meV, =0.34 meV, and =0.25 meV yielding a gap energy of 8 meV. For comparison with previous measurements on parent compounds, we can use these values to calculate the spin wave velocities resulting in values of =180 meVÅ and =43 meVÅ yielding an anisotropy ratio of 4.2. This value is consistent with measurements on BaFeAs matan indicating no change in anisotropy. This is in contrast with the optimally doped measurements where the excitations were found to be much more two-dimensional lumsden_co . This suggests that the presence of the structural phase transition may be responsible for the three dimensionality in these systems, a conclusion which is consistent with recent ARPES measurements arpes . In summary, neutron scattering measurements on single crystals of BaFeCoAs indicate spin waves which exhibit a gap of 8 meV and anisotropic 3d interactions. On cooling below T, a reduction in the magnetic Bragg peak intensity of 6 is observed with the simultaneous appearance of a resonance at the same wave vector with a characteristic energy of 4.5 kT. In addition, there is no evidence of an additional spin gap developing below T. Taken together these conclusions support a picture where spectral weight is transferred from ordered magnetic moments to spin fluctuations in BaFeCoAs in contrast to optimally doped samples christianson2 ; lumsden_co ; chi_ni with no long range magnetic order where a gap in the excitation spectrum opens contributing the spectral weight required to produce a resonance. We acknowledge useful discussions with A. Zheludev, D. Singh, H. Mook, T. Egami, T. Maier, and D. Scalapino. 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The year 2017 will be off to a cracking start when the new season of Sherlock premieres on Jan. 1. At long last, the world's first (and only) consulting detective is back to solve crimes and hand out withering insults. It's been nearly three years since Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and John Watson (Martin Freeman) had a full season of cases, and a one-off special last January did little to satiate the cravings of the show's ardent fan base. The first episode of Season 4 airs at 9:00 p.m. ET this Sunday and is titled "The Six Thatchers." Cumberbatch's Holmes is Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous character plus unlimited texting, so is "The Six Thatchers" based on an original Sherlock story? Season 1's "A Study In Pink" is a play on Conan Doyle's "A Study In Scarlet." And Season 2's "The Hound Of Baskervilles" inserts a top-secret military testing facility into a classic Holmes case. In fact, most of the show's episodes are loosely based on or modernize elements of Conan Doyle's famous detective stories. The Season 4 premiere follows that tradition. "The Six Thatchers" appears to be based on "The Adventure Of The Six Napoleons," a story published in The Strand Magazine in 1904. In "The Adventure Of The Six Napoleons," Inspector Lestrade solicits Holmes' help with a very confusing and apparently symbolic case. Several busts of Napoleon have been smashed in both public and private spaces. Each one comes from the same mold. Is the culprit a disgruntled history student? Do they have a vendetta against the memory of the famous French military strategist? The Sherlock Holmes canon is in the public domain. So, if you like, you can read the "The Adventures Of The Six Napoleons" online right now for free. As its title suggests, the Sherlock take on this set of circumstances swaps out the political celebrity under attack. The BBC's synopsis of the episode asks why someone would be "destroying images of the late Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher," and hints that the the answer may be tied in some way to new mom Mary Watson's former life as a professional assassin. During an interview promoting the show's upcoming new episodes at San Diego Comic-Con this past July, Cumberbatch cited the show's relationship to its source material as his "joy" in playing the character. He told Collider: It’s great because there is a very strong reference point for any detail and keeping yourself in check with the canon. I go back to the books for specific references and for evolutions, which are there in the literature. It just comes across in every aspect of the writing, from how dark it gets to how funny it is to how rich the characterizations and relationships are." This episode won't be the first time this case has been updated by the Sherlock team. A version of it previously appeared on John Watson's blog, an official site that supplements the show's canon with more of Holmes and Watson's adventures. So, with "The Six Thatchers," Sherlock adapts a rather obscure Conan Doyle story into what Sherlockians hope will be television magic.

Supplementary MaterialsFigure S1. Violin plots for expression of genes enriched in Schwann cells relative to their expression in other cell types. Gene specific to this population are associated with a neural progenitor role. Figure S5. Testing for structured variation in cell population using PCA, Related to figure 5. (A) PCA for each cell type. (B) PCA for alpha cells with total transcript count indicated by color, and correlation betweenPC2 and total transcript count. (C) PCA for ductal cells with total transcript count indicated by color. (D) Histogram of the PCA loadings of the ductal cells with the 85 genes indicated. Figure S6. Subpopulation of the ductal cells in the human pancreas, Related to figure 5. Heatmaps showing genes that are differentially expressed across PC1 for each of three donors including all the genes names. Figure S7. Subpopulation of the ductal cells in the mouse pancreas, Related to figure 5. Heatmaps showing genes that are differentially Y-27632 expressed across PC1. Figure S8. Heterogeneity of beta cells reveals unfolded protein response, Related to figure 6. Heatmaps showing genes that are differentially expressed across PC1 including all the genes names. Figure S9. Properties of BSeq-SC deconvolution, Related to figure 7. (A) Pancreatic cell types are not equal with respect to their transcriptomic activity. The average number of transcript in a given cell (y-axis) varies significantly depending across cell types (x-axis). (B) Deconvolution basis matrix composed of the expression profiles of marker genes. The heatmap shows the deconvolution matrix used to estimate the proportions of alpha, beta, gamma, delta, acinar and ductal cells in bulk samples. The rows were z-score-transformed to highlight the cell type-specificity of each marker. (C) FDR plot from BSeq-SC cell type-specific analysis, revealing up-regulation in alpha cells and down-regulation beta-cells of hyperglycemic patients. The x-axis shows the number of genes called up-regulated (left) and down-regulated (right) at a given FDR cutoff (y-axis). (D) Complete list of genes found to be exclusively dys regulated in either alpha (blue) or beta cells (purple). Barplot shows estimated cell type-specific effect size (x-axis) for each gene (y-axis). Table S1. Ages, BMI, and sex of human donors, Related to figure 1 Table S2. Marker genes used in analysis are indicated for each cell type, Related to figure 1 Table S3. Transcription factor described in Figure 3C whose expression profiles are described cited in the literature, Related to figure 3. NIHMS832023-supplement-supplement_1.pdf (1.5M) GUID:?369CCF30-8559-47F3-9D34-D95A8C9FFE74 Summary Although the function of the mammalian pancreas hinges on complex interactions of distinct cell types, gene expression profiles have primarily been described with bulk mixtures. Here we implemented a droplet-based, single-cell RNA-seq method to determine the transcriptomes of over 12,000 individual pancreatic cells from four human donors and two mouse strains. Cells could be divided into 15 clusters that matched previously characterized cell types: all endocrine cell types, including rare epsilon-cells; exocrine cell types; vascular cells; Schwann cells; quiescent and activated stellate cells; and four types of immune cells. We detected subpopulations of ductal cells with distinct expression profiles and validated their existence with immuno-histochemistry stains. Moreover, among human beta- cells, we detected heterogeneity in the regulation of genes relating to functional maturation and levels of ER stress. Finally, we deconvolved bulk gene expression samples using the single-cell data to detect disease-associated differential expression. Our dataset provides a resource for the discovery of novel cell type-specific transcription factors, Y-27632 signaling receptors, and medically relevant genes. Graphical abstract Single-cell transcriptomics of over 12,000 cells from four human donors and two mouse strains was determined using inDrop. Cells were divided into 15 clusters that matched previously characterized cell types. Detailed analysis of each population separately revealed subpopulations within the ductal population, modes of activation of stellate cells, and heterogeneity in the stress among beta cells. Introduction The pancreas is a vertebrate-specific organ with a central role in energy homeostasis achieved by secreting digestive enzymes IgG2a/IgG2b antibody (FITC/PE) and metabolic hormones (Kimmel and Meyer, 2010). Most of the pancreas (95%) is comprised of two exocrine cell types: acinar and duct cells. Acinar cells produce digestive enzymes, including amylase, lipase, and peptidases (Whitcomb and Lowe, 2007), and duct cells secrete bicarbonate (Steward et al., 2005) and ferry the Y-27632 digestive enzymes to the gastrointestinal tract. Islets, about 5% of the pancreatic mass, are dispersed within the exocrine tissue and ducts and contain endocrine cells that secrete hormones for glucose homeostasis (Drucker, 2007). Islets contain five endocrine cell. Supplementary MaterialsS1 Text message: Helping information. polar pipes of were primarily incubated with rab-PcAb-EhPTP4 TMCB and MAb-EhPTP4 recognized by anti-rabbit Alexa Fluor 594 supplementary antibody (reddish colored) and anti-mouse Alexa Fluor 488 supplementary antibody (green). Blue arrows indicate the labeling from the nuclei of Disease Kinetics in HFF cells. (A) Period dependent disease of in HFF cells, mature spores could possibly be identified beginning at 3 times post-infection. The spore wall structure was stained with Calcofluor White colored (blue), cells had been stained with GelRed (reddish colored). (B) TEM of the microsporidian parasitophorous vacuole (PV) in HFF cells at 6 times post-infection. (C) Period dependent development curve of noticeable PVs in HFF cells.(TIF) ppat.1006341.s007.tif (8.5M) GUID:?07845AB1-3E1B-4926-B34B-AC672F7B81D9 S1 Table: Set of primers found in this study. (DOC) ppat.1006341.s008.doc (29K) GUID:?1987877F-127E-4C9B-8F6E-7F4ACDD2A4B6 Data Availability StatementAll relevant data are inside the paper and its own Supporting Information documents. Abstract Microsporidia have already been defined as pathogens which have essential effects on our health and wellness, food economy and security. A key towards the success of the obligate intracellular pathogens can be their particular invasion organelle, the polar pipe, which provides the nucleus including sporoplasm into sponsor cells during invasion. Because of the size from the polar pipe, the rapidity of polar pipe sporoplasm and release passing, and the lack of genetic approaches for the manipulation of microsporidia, research of the organelle continues to be difficult and there is certainly relatively small known concerning polar pipe formation as well as the function from the TMCB proteins creating this framework. Herein, we’ve characterized polar pipe proteins 4 (PTP4) through the microsporidium and discovered that a monoclonal antibody to PTP4 brands the tip from the polar pipe recommending that PTP4 may be involved in a TMCB primary discussion with sponsor cell protein during invasion. Further analyses utilizing indirect immunofluorescence (IFA), enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) assays verified that PTP4 binds to mammalian cells. The addition of either recombinant PTP4 proteins or anti-PTP4 antibody decreased microsporidian disease of its sponsor cells polar pipe proteins 4 (PTP4) in disease demonstrating that PTP4 can bind towards the sponsor cell surface area via the sponsor transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) proteins. Interfering using the discussion of TfR1 and PTP4 causes a substantial reduction in microsporidian disease of sponsor cells. These data claim that PTP4 features as a significant microsporidian proteins during sponsor cell disease by this pathogen. Intro Since the 1st microsporidium, is situated in human beings and was isolated from corneal biopsies and conjunctival scrapings from individuals with advanced HIV-1 disease with keratoconjunctivitis . Just like additional people from Rabbit Polyclonal to DDX3Y TMCB the grouped family members Encephalitozoonidae, continues to be demonstrated to trigger disseminated disease showing with diarrhea, nephritis, keratitis and/or sinusitis [20C22]. Microsporidia have a very unique, extremely specialized invasion mechanism which involves the polar spore and tube wall . Despite the explanation of the pathogens 150 years back , the system of sponsor cell invasion, the development and framework of both polar pipe disease equipment and invasion synapse, and the part of microsporidian-specific protein through the invasion procedure are not realized. The polar tube is a specialized invasion organelle. Before germination, the polar pipe coils across the sporoplasm in the spore [24, 25]. Upon suitable environmental excitement, the polar pipe will rapidly release from the spore and connect to and pierce a cell membrane offering like a conduit for the nucleus and sporoplasm passing into the sponsor cell (the complete procedure occurring in 2 mere seconds) [26C28]. Because the preliminary description from the polar pipe by Thelohan a century back [24, 25], proteomic and antibody research have resulted in the recognition of five different polar pipe protein (PTP1 through PTP5) in microsporidia [29C33]. Evaluation of proteins glycosylation has exposed that PTP1 consists of many post translational O-linked mannosylation sites and these residues can bind concanavalin A (conA) [34, 35]. Pre-treatment of a bunch cell with mannose continues to be demonstrated to decrease the infectivity of cDNA collection resulted in the identification of the. Supplementary MaterialsSupplementary Figures 41598_2017_4808_MOESM1_ESM. peripheral bloodstream of a matching donor, the cells can engraft in the patients bone marrow and reconstitute healthy hematopoiesis4. The clinical application of HSCs is limited by the fact that the number of patients in need exceeds the number of matching donors. One approach to overcome this gap in supply is the use of HSCs from umbilical cord blood (UCB)5, 6. For promising engraftment and fast hematopoietic recovery, a minimal cell dose of 2.5??107 cells per kilogram bodyweight is required7. The dose of stem cells in one cord blood unit is often too small for successful reconstitution of the hematopoietic system. expansion of HSCs from UCB is therefore an elegant approach to circumvent the shortage of available HSCs8. The current clinical strategy to increase the number of cells is to transplant two partially human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched UCB units7. In order to minimize the risk for the transplanted patients, a similar strategy is used when applying expanded HSC in clinical trials: one unmanipulated unit containing long-term repopulating HSCs is transplanted together with hematopoietic (stem) cells that were expanded from a second unit. Strategies for expansion of HSCs that have been tested in clinical trials phase I/II comprise co-culture with mesenchymal stem/stroma cells (MSCs)9, stimulation of the notch-receptor10 and cultivation in the presence of the copper chelator tetraethylenepentamine (StemEx)11, 12, the small molecule nicotinamide13, 14 or the aryl hydrocarbon receptor antagonist StemRegenin 1 (SR1)15, 16. The challenge of successful expansion of Mc-MMAD HSCs is that the cells need to proliferate whilst preserving their stem cell properties: the ability to differentiate into all blood cell lineages and to undergo self-renewing cell divisions. Typically when cultured in their natural environment HSCs can proliferate and maintain their stem cell phenotype at the same time. This is ensured by a specialized microenvironment in the bone marrow: the stem cell niche18. The concept of a HSC niche which regulates HSC behavior was first published by Schofield in 1978, who also coined the term stem cell niche19. These niches harbor a variety of different factors that allindividually and in concertinfluence HSC behavior. In the niche, HSCs are in close Mc-MMAD vicinity of supporting niche cells including osteoblasts and MSCs20C22. Further signals derive from the extracellular matrix and also the three-dimensional (3D) architecture of the niche impacts HSCs23C29. Artificial reconstruction of all of these niche components in one biomaterial is usually a current approach to simulate the situation of HSCs with the goal to control stem cell behavior in their nichewhere maintenance and differentiation are balanced and tightly regulatedand in state-of-the-art 2D cell culturewhere the self-renewing potential is usually quickly lost in favor of differentiation17. Therefore, standard cell culture is not sufficient to mimic the situation of HSCsneither for targeted proliferation or differentiation of HSCs, nor for assessing the efficacy or toxicity of drugs around the hematopoietic compartment of the bone marrow. To overcome the limitations of 2D cell culture, approaches including sophisticated biomaterials or bioreactors are Mc-MMAD often applied to mimic the natural situation of HSCs more closely. The applied biomaterials can be roughly subdivided according to the used materials and their architecture. Besides Mc-MMAD some inorganic biomaterials such as hydroxyapatite37, mostly hydrogels are used to mimic the HSC niche. These hydrogels are produced from natural (e.g. heparin, matrigel, collagen, silk) or synthetic polymers (including polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polyacrylates). Mc-MMAD The architecture of the hydrogels that were applied to culture HSCs differs strongly and ranges from flat gel pads via microwell substrates aswell as fibrous or porous scaffolds to cell-encapsulating gels27C29, 38C50. Multiple different bioreactor setups have already been utilized to boost HSC culture. Civilizations in rotating wall structure vessel bioreactors and orbital tremble flasks with intermittent shaking both led to an increased multiplication of cells expressing the top marker Compact disc34+that brands hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs)in comparison to static civilizations51, 52. Research NR4A1 on more technical powerful 3D setups including a co-culture of lineage-negative UCB cells with bone tissue marrow stroma cells within a hollow fibre. Supplementary MaterialsAdditional file 1: Desk S1. The contaminated cells had been chosen with 2?g/ml puromycin for yet another 48?h. The shRNA constructs had been bought from Sigma. The clone IDs for ASXL3 are TRCN0000246266 (shvalues significantly less than 0.01 were regarded as differentially expressed (unless otherwise specified). RNA-seq heatmaps next to ChIP-seq heatmaps display log2 (fold change) values of genes corresponding to TSSs nearest to ChIP-seq peaks and were displayed using Java TreeView . GO functional analysis was carried out using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis and Metascape with default parameters . The read counts of RNA-seq data from SCLC cell lines were downloaded from https://portals.broadinstitute.org/ccle/data and analyzed using alpha-Bisabolol DESeq2 . ChIP-seq assay Crosslinking: Cells were harvested and washed twice with ice-cold PBS and then fixed with paraformaldehyde (1% final) for 10?min at RT. Afterwards, the paraformaldehyde answer was quenched with 2.5?M (1/20) glycine, alpha-Bisabolol and then, cell pellets were washed twice with PBS. Sonication: The cell pellets were resuspended with lysis buffer 1 (50?mM HEPES, pH?=?7.5, 140?mM NaCl, 1?mM EDTA, 10% Glycerol, 0.5% NP-40, 0.25% Triton X-100, 1X protease inhibitors) and then incubated on nutator at 4?C for 10?min. Afterwards, cell pellets were centrifuged at 500?g for 5?min and discarded supernatant. Then, cell pellets were washed with lysis buffer 2 (10?mM Tris-HCl, pH?=?8.0, alpha-Bisabolol 200?mM NaCl, 1?mM EDTA, 0.5?mM EGTA, 1 X protease inhibitors) and resuspended with lysis buffer 3 (10?mM Tris-HCl, pH?=?8.0, 1?mM EDTA, 0.1% SDS, 1 X protease inhibitors). The final volume was adjusted to be 10 times the size of each cell pellet with lysis buffer 3. Sonication was performed with 1-ml Covaris tubes which were set to 10% duty factor, 175 peak intensity power, and 200?cycles per burst for 60C1200?s. Ten percent of 10X ChIP dilution buffer (10% Triton x-100, 1?M NaCl, 1% Na-Deoxycholate, 5% N-Lauroylsarcosine, 5?mM EGTA) was added to the lysate, and samples were centrifuged at maximum speed for 15?min at 4?C to pellet debris. Immunoprecipitation: Antibody was added (~?10?g per purified antibody or 40?l of anti-sera) to each sample. After incubation at 4?C on nutator overnight, 100?l Protein A/G Agarose beads were added for each sample for 2?h. The agarose beads were washed 4 occasions with RIPA buffer (50?mM HEPES, pH?=?7.5, 500?mM LiCl, 1?mM EDTA, 1.0% NP-40, 0.7% Na-Deoxycholate), followed by once with ice-cold TE buffer (with 50?mM NaCl). After removing the residual buffer, the DNA for each IP sample was eluted with elution buffer (50?mM Tris-HCl, pH?=?8.0, 10?mM EDTA, 1.0% SDS) and reverse cross-linked at 65?C oven for 6C15?h, followed by protease K digestion at 55?C for 2?h. The genomic DNA fragments were then further purified with Qiagen DNA purification kit (Cat. No. 28104). ChIP-seq analysis For ChIP-seq analysis, all the peaks were called with the MACS v1.4.2 software using default parameters and corresponding input samples. Heatmaps and Metaplots were generated using ngsplot data source to show ChIPseq indicators aligned with ASXL3-particular peaks, which is described by overlapping peaks discovered within both antibodies against ASXL3 using BEDTools . Top annotation, motif evaluation, and very enhancer analysis had been performed with HOMER . Relationship of ASXL3 ChIP-seq was analyzed with deepTools . Both non-TSS and TSS were clustered predicated on the peak annotation from HOMER. Mass spectrometry test preparation Proteins pellet was denatured in 50?L of 8?M Urea/0.4?M Ammonium Bicarbonate accompanied by decrease in 2?L of 100?mM DTT. Proteins was alkylated with 18?mM iodoacetamide Rabbit Polyclonal to EPHB6 for 30?min in room temperature at night. Samples had been diluted with four amounts of water to create urea concentration to at least one 1.8?M. Sequencing-grade trypsin (Promega) was added at 1:100 (enzyme: substrate) and incubated at 37?C overnight. The digests had been acidified to 0.5% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), as well as the peptides were desalted on C18 Sep-Paks (Waters). Peptides had been eluted with 2X 50?L of 80% ACN/0.1% TFA to make sure complete recovery. The pooled ingredients had been dried in vacuum pressure concentrator and resuspended in 30?L of 5% ACN/0.1% FA for LC-MS analysis. LC-MS/MS evaluation Peptides had been analyzed by LC-MS/MS utilizing a Dionex Best 3000 Rapid Parting LC alpha-Bisabolol (RSLC) systems and a linear ion trapOrbitrap cross types Top notch mass spectrometer (Thermo Fisher Scientific. Supplementary MaterialsSupplementary Information 41598_2018_32858_MOESM1_ESM. impact in mice with deletion of 1 or both alleles of in pre-osteoblasts20, heterozygous littermates had Rabbit polyclonal to FOXRED2 been contained in every analyses also. To determine if the loss of impacts the power of osteoblasts to aid haematopoietic advancement, we analysed the regularity of mature haematopoietic lineages in the BM of heterozygous (handles at both 4 and 12 weeks of age group20, the distribution of every lineage was computed as a share of total BM cells to PKI-402 be able to take into account the decreased skeletal size and bone tissue marrow cellularity of handles (Fig.?1A,B). At four weeks old, no factor in Compact disc3+?T-cells was seen in the BM of (CRE), handles, this is not statistically significant (p?=?0.64) when corrected for bodyweight (Fig.?2A). Intriguingly, handles (Fig.?2A). Whilst handles at 12 weeks old, this was not really statistically significant (p?=?0.42 and p?=?0.55 respectively, Fig.?2A). Inside the spleen, the differentiation and proliferation of B-lymphocytes takes place in lymphoid follicles, the major element of the white pulp (Fig.?2B,C). While histological evaluation uncovered no difference in splenic white pulp region in (CRE), (CRE), and in eYFP+ cells (ie. osteoprogenitors, older osteoblasts and osteocytes harbouring Cre-mediated recombination) retrieved in the long bone fragments of 4-week previous and mRNA amounts had been significantly low in had been increased no transformation in transcript amounts, relative to handles, was noticed (Fig.?4A,B). Regardless of the genotype-specific distinctions in transcript amounts a significant decrease in circulating CXCL12 amounts was noticeable in 4- and 12-week previous (CRE), deficient osteoblasts neglect to support HSC differentiation to B-cells insufficiency in osteoblasts, we following examined the power of outrageous type and mice and contaminated using a PKI-402 tamoxifen-inducible self-deleting Cre recombinase (CreERT2). CreERT2-contaminated cells had been after that treated with or without tamoxifen for 8 times to induce deletion (RapKO) or automobile control (WT) MSCs. These WT and RapKO MSCs had been after that cultured under osteoinductive conditions to produce RapKO and WT osteoblasts as previously defined6. When BM LSK cells from outrageous type C57BL/6 mice had been put into these osteoblast monolayers, around 42% from the haematopoietic cells retrieved in the WT osteoblast co-cultures had been B220+ after 10 times compared to just 29% from the cells retrieved PKI-402 from RapKO osteoblast co-cultures (Fig.?5A: mean lower 31.7??1.5%). Significantly, the addition of exogenous IL-7 and CXCL12 to these co-cultures restored the power of RapKO osteoblasts to aid B lymphopoiesis, with 49% and 51% from the haematopoietic cells retrieved from WT and RapKO osteoblast co-cultures discovered to become B220+, respectively (Fig.?5A). Open up in another window Amount 5 lacking osteoblasts cannot support B-lymphopoiesis unless supplemented with exogenous CXCL12 and IL-7. The power of outrageous type (WT) and was analyzed by co-culturing Lin?Sca-1+c-kit+ (LSK) cells in osteoblast monolayers in the existence or lack of exogenous growth elements. (A) The percentage of B220+?cells due to co-culture was examined simply by stream cytometry. Data are portrayed as a share of total haematopoietic cells. *p? ?0.05, ***p? ?0.005, one-way ANOVA with Tukeys post-hoc test. (B) Haematopoietic cells retrieved from WT and RapKO osteoblast co-cultures (in the existence or lack of exogenous development elements) had been stained with antibodies aimed against the B-cell phenotypic markers Compact disc19, Compact disc43, B220 and IgM. The amount of prepro-B cells (B220+IgM?CD19?Compact PKI-402 disc43+), pro-B cells (B220+IgM?Compact disc19+Compact disc43+), pre-B cells (B220+IgM?CD19+CD43?), and immature B-cells (B220+IgM+Compact disc19?CD43?) was analysed using stream cytometry. Data are portrayed as a share of B220+?cells, mean??SEM. *p? ?0.05, **p? ?0.01, ***p? ?0.005, ****p? ?0.001, PKI-402 two-way ANOVA with Tukeys multiple comparisons post-hoc check. Using Compact disc19, IgM and Compact disc43 phenotypic markers, the relative percentage of prepro-B, pro-B, immature and pre-B B-cells inside the B220+ cells isolated in the osteoblast-LSK co-cultures was also examined. As proven in Fig.?5B, in the lack of exogenous elements, the percentage of prepro-B cells was significantly increased in RapKO osteoblast co-cultures in comparison to WT co-cultures (mean boost: 115.47??17%), whereas the percentages of pro-B, immature-B and pre-B cells were reduced. Significantly, the addition of exogenous IL-7 and CXCL12 to these co-cultures restored the power of RapKO osteoblasts to aid LSK differentiation into pre-B and immature B-cells as evidenced with a factor-dependent normalisation of prepro-B cell quantities and a substantial upsurge in the percentage of pro-B, pre-B and immature B cells (Fig.?5B). Debate Stromal cells inside the BM microenvironment, such as for example osteoblasts, endothelial cells, fibroblasts and adipocytes, are necessary for HSC advancement. Beyond its support for HSC precursors, the. Supplementary Materialsvez041_Supplementary_Data. and migration patterns of CRF 2k/1b have remained obscure due to a paucity of available sequences. We put together an alignment which spans the entire coding region of the HCV genome comprising all available 2k/1b sequences (>500 nucleotides; genus of the family. The virus was first acknowledged as a non-A/non-B hepatitis form in 1975 during a transfusion study (Feinstone et?al. 1975), and the 1st genome sequence, encoding a single 9.6?kb polyprotein, was published in 1989 (Choo et?al. 1989). Global anti-HCV seroprevalence is definitely estimated at 2.8 per cent, affecting more than 185 million people between 1990 and 2005 (Mohd Hanafiah et?al. 2013; Petruzziello et?al. 2016), though this value is likely an underestimate (Kauhl et?al. 2015; Webster et?al. 2015; Perez et?al. 2019). HCV is definitely a blood-borne pathogen, primarily transmitted via people who inject medicines (PWID) and unscreened blood products given during transfusions (Lauer and Walker 2001). The disease may be spontaneously cleared during the acute illness phase, though most instances progress to the chronic phase, where the majority of the disease burden lies (Chen and Morgan 2006). Nonetheless, both prognoses are treatable and curable Rocaglamide by pharmacologic therapies (U.S. Food and Drug Administration 2017; Jaeckel et?al. 2001; Webster, et?al. 2015). Unlike hepatitis viruses A and B, no HCV vaccine is definitely available, partially due to high variability between strains and a rapid mutation rate which varies substantially across the genome (Stumpf and Pybus 2002). HCV has been classified into eight genotypes and eighty-six unique subtypes (Simmonds 2004; Smith et?al. 2014; Borgia et?al. 2018). Improper classification of HCV genotypes and recombinants may result in suboptimal treatment regimens (Paolucci et?al. 2017; Susser et?al. 2017) or direct-acting antiviral therapy failure and relapse (Cuypers et?al. 2016). Most studies of HCV variability are based on analyses of solitary sub-genomic Rocaglamide regions, such as Mind or Tails genotyping of Core and NS5B. Using this approach, intra-subtype recombinants should go undetected. Although HCV has a high mutation rate, recombination is rare; recombinants seldom happen and are often nonviable (Giannini et?al. 1999; Viazov et?al. 2000). Of all published HCV sequences, only eight intra-genotype forms (1a/1b, 1a/1c, 1b/1a, 4d/4a, 6a/6o, 6e/6o, 6e/6h, and 6n/6o) and nine inter-genotype forms (2a/1a, 2b/1a, 2b/1b, 2b/6w, 2i/6p, 2k/1b, 2/5, 3a/1a, and 3a/1b) have ever been characterized Rocaglamide (Kalinina et?al. 2002; Colina et?al. 2004; Cristina and Colina 2006; Kageyama et?al. 2006; Noppornpanth et?al. 2006; Legrand-Abravanel et?al. 2007; Moreno et?al. 2009; Lee et?al. 2010; Bhattacharya et?al. 2011; Calado et?al. 2011; Yokoyama et?al. 2011; Raghwani et?al. 2012; Shi et?al. 2012; Hedskog et?al. 2015b; Gaspareto et?al. 2016; Morel et?al. 2016; Gupta et?al. 2017; Kurata et?al. 2018). Further, studies which have actively searched for evidence of recombination in large-scale datasets (Magiorkinis et?al. 2007) and high-risk populations (Viazov et?al. 2010) have consistently failed to detect recombinant HCV. Some of these recombinant forms have been recognized in multiple individuals (e.g., 2b/1a); however, only the HCV recombinant 2k/1b is currently thought to represent a circulating recombinant form (CRF) in which sustained transmission of the same viral strain can be traced back via phylogenetic inference to a single homologous recombination event (Kalinina et?al. 2002; Raghwani et?al. 2012). The 2k/1b Rocaglamide strain was first recognized within a cohort of injection drug users in St Petersburg, Russia in 1999 (Alter 1999), although it was retrospectively recognized in an Estonian individual sample from 1998 (Tallo et?al. 2007). The 2k/1b CRF is definitely often recognized in countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union, typically with relatively low prevalence: Russia (2 per cent), Uzbekistan (1 per cent), Estonia (<1 per cent) (Tallo et?al. 2007; Kurbanov et?al. 2008). The highest prevalence of 2k/1b is observed in countries in the Caucasus mountain region (i.e., Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia), particularly in Georgia where it is associated with 20 per cent of HCV cases (Zakalashvili et?al. 2018). The evolutionary history of 2k/1b was first described by Raghwani et?al. (2012), who performed a joint hierarchical analysis of the gene segments Core/E1 (of 2k origin) and NS5B (of 1b origin) from twenty-seven Tsc2 individuals in the same phylogeny as the corresponding pure 2k and 1b subtypes. They inferred a single recombinant origin event for 2k/1b with a time of most recent common ancestor (TMRCA) around 1946. However, this phylogeographic analysis was constrained by limited sampling, as all individuals in their study likely became infected with HCV in one of four former Soviet countries: Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Russia, and Georgia. Since this study, sequences have been now described from 109 people in sixteen sampling countries, many from outside the former Soviet Union, including France (Ramiere et?al. 2014), the United States, Spain, and the Netherlands (Hedskog et?al. 2015b). Numerous instances of infection with recombinant HCV were. Data CitationsLanger S. of cellular host restriction factors (e.g. IFIT1-3, ISG15) and reduced the expression and launch of IFNs and additional pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g. IL-6, CXCL10) from HIV-1 contaminated cells. As opposed to earlier findings, no evidence was found by us for Vpu-mediated inhibition of IRF3-powered gene expression. Our outcomes rather corroborate the hypothesis that Vpu suppresses antiviral gene manifestation by inhibiting the activation of NF-B.?Mutational analyses?exposed that inhibition of NF-B as well as the immunosuppressive ramifications of Vpu rely with an arginine residue in its first cytoplasmic alpha-helix, while its capability to counteract the sponsor restriction point and innate sensor tetherin can be dispensable. In conclusion, our results offer new insights in to the transcriptional rules of antiviral immune system reactions by HIV-1 and demonstrate how the viral proteins U exerts broader immunosuppressive results than previously known. Outcomes Era of selective Vpu mutants To look for the ramifications of Vpu-mediated tetherin counteraction and?downstream inhibition?of?NF-B signaling on immune system activation, we generated HIV-1 mutants selectively impaired in either of the inhibitory actions (Shape 1A). We chosen the three major viral isolates CH293, CH077, and STCO1 being that they are derived from probably the most common HIV-1 subtypes B and C and represent different phases of disease (sent/creator or chronic infections), different tropisms (R5/X4- or R5-tropic), and various risk elements (homo- or heterosexual) (Shape 1B and Shape 1figure health supplement 1A). To be able to abrogate IB NF-B and stabilization inhibition downstream of tetherin, a previously referred to cytoplasmic arginine residue within Vpu was mutated to lysine (R45K in subtype B, R50K in subtype C) Ombitasvir (ABT-267) (Pickering et al., 2014; Sauter et al., 2015; Yamada et al., 2018). Needlessly to say, a luciferase-based reporter assay demonstrated that HIV-1 constructs missing Vpu or expressing the R/K mutant Vpu induced considerably higher degrees of NF-B activation compared to the particular crazy type (wt) infections (Shape 1C). These results had been 3rd party of tetherin since tetherin isn’t indicated in HEK293T cells found in this experimental set up. Comparison with completely Vpu-deficient mutants (prevent) revealed that loss-of-function in the R/K mutants was complete for CH293 and STCO1, but only partial for CH077. Immunofluorescence microscopy showed that Vpu-mediated suppression of NF-B activity was associated with reduced nuclear translocation of p65 (Figure 1figure supplement 1B). Rabbit Polyclonal to CDKL1 In agreement with published data (Kmiec et al., 2016; Vigan and Neil, 2010), mutations in an alanine interface in the transmembrane domain of Vpu (A15L/A19L in subtype B, A20L/A24L in subtype C) abrogated the ability of all Ombitasvir (ABT-267) three viruses to decrease tetherin surface levels (Figure 1D and Figure 1figure supplement 2A) and to counteract tetherin-mediated restriction of virus release (Figure 1E and Figure 1figure supplement 2B). However, the AA/LL mutations had no effect on tetherin-independent NF-B activation (Figure 1C). Vice versa, the R/K mutations had no significant effect on Vpu-mediated tetherin counteraction (Figure 1D and E and Figure 1figure supplement 2). In agreement with their selective phenotype, the AA/LL and R/K mutants were expressed as efficiently as wild type Vpu (Figure 1F). Thus, the phenotypic properties of these viruses allowed us to examine the relative contribution of tetherin-dependent and -independent inhibition of NF-B activation to Vpu-mediated effects on cellular gene expression and the induction of antiviral immune responses. Open in a separate window Figure 1. Generation of Vpu mutants that fail to inhibit Ombitasvir (ABT-267) NF-B activation or to counteract tetherin.(A) Vpu-mediated inhibition of NF-B activation via two independent mechanisms. Asterisks illustrate mutations in Vpu that were introduced to selectively abrogate tetherin counteraction (orange) or inhibition of NF-B activation downstream of tetherin (blue). (B) Wt and mutant HIV-1 clones used in this study. MSM, man having sex with men; WSM, woman having sex with men. (C) Vpu-mediated inhibition of NF-B activation. HEK293T cells were co-transfected with the indicated proviral constructs, a firefly luciferase-based NF-B reporter vector, a luciferase construct for normalization, and an expression vector for a constitutively active mutant of IKK as NF-B inducer. Two days post-transfection, luciferase activity was determined. Mean values of three to seven independent tests, each performed in triplicate?SEM are shown (*p 0.05; **p 0.01; RM one-way ANOVA with Greenhouse-Geisser modification and Dunnetts multiple assessment check). (D) Vpu-mediated down-modulation of tetherin. Human being PBMCs had been infected using the indicated VSV-G pseudotyped HIV-1 strains. Three times post-infection, tetherin surface area degrees of p24 positive cells had been determined by movement cytometry. Mean ideals of 3 to 5 independent tests??SEM are shown (*p 0.05; **p 0.01; ***p 0.001; RM one-way ANOVA with Greenhouse-Geisser modification and Dunnetts multiple assessment check). (E) Vpu-mediated improvement of infectious pathogen produce. HEK293T cells had been co-transfected using the indicated proviral constructs and raising amounts of a manifestation plasmid for human being tetherin. Two times post-transfection, infectious pathogen. Supplementary MaterialsSupplemental Details. of mero166 was exhibited by in-cell labeling of an UAA to generate a biosensor for the small GTPase Cdc42. In addition, conjugation of mero166 to a small molecule produced a membrane-permeable probe that reported the localization of the DNA methyltransferase G9a in cells. This approach provides a strategy to access biosensors for many targets, and to more practically harness the varied environmental sensitivities Rabbit Polyclonal to C-RAF (phospho-Ser621) of synthetic dyes. Graphical Abstract INTRODUCTION The same protein can be activated at different subcellular locations or with different kinetics to produce very different cell behaviors. To understand how signaling networks are regulated, it is often essential to quantify the spatio-temporal dynamics of protein conformational changes in living cells. This is AZD-5991 S-enantiomer frequently accomplished using biosensors based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between fluorescent proteins; many such biosensors are fully genetically encoded so can be readily expressed in cells.1-8 Another class of biosensor is based on AZD-5991 S-enantiomer covalently attaching environment-sensitive fluorescent dyes to proteins at positions where their fluorescence responds to conformational changes or protein-protein interactions. This approach can be more sensitive than FRET because the fluorophore is usually excited directly (rather than indirectly by the FRET donor) and because one can use dyes that are brighter than fluorescent proteins. The dye is usually either attached directly to the protein of interest, 9-10 or to a protein fragment that binds selectively to one conformation of the targeted protein. In the latter case, the protein-dye affinity reagent produces a unique fluorescence signature when it binds to the activated target.11-16 The ability to interrogate endogenous, unmodified proteins is an important advantage of dye-based biosensors. Despite their advantages, dye-based biosensors are used much less frequently than genetically encoded biosensors because they are difficult to weight into living cells. Delivery has been accomplished using import-transducing peptides that rely on endocytic uptake followed by rupture of internal vesicles,17-19 but this can produce fluorescent vesicles that interfere with imaging. Techniques that pass labeled proteins through holes in the cell membrane (e.g. microinjection, electroporation, scrape loading, bead loading, syringe loading)20-22 are difficult for many cell types to tolerate. Here we develop a membrane-permeant variant of an environment sensitive fluorophore that has confirmed power for biosensor imaging. Attachment of appropriate side chains enabled it to pass effectively through the membrane, and importantly, not stain intracellular compartments. Using unnatural amino acid (UAA) mutagenesis, the dye was site-specifically attached to an expressed protein, effectively assembling a biosensor within cells. Alternately, the dye was attached not to a protein, but to a small molecule with specific binding affinity for the targeted protein. This generated a biosensor that in its entirety could pass through the cell membrane. Intracellular labeling of proteins using unnatural amino acids has been accomplished with bright dyes suitable for intracellular imaging, but they are not environment-sensitive, so statement proteins localization however, not conformation.23-29 To operate within a biosensor that reports protein conformation, the dye must undergo fluorescence changes that may be detected even at low intracellular concentrations where in fact the biosensor will not perturb cell behavior. The capability to detect fluorescence adjustments is certainly a function of both dyes brightness as well as the magnitude from the adjustments. Some little environment-sensitive dyes go through membranes and also have solid environment-sensitivity, however they are as well dim for some biosensor applications.30 We based our dye development on extensively characterized merocyanine fluorophores which have a useful mix of brightness and environment sensitivity and with expanded conjugation for excitation above 550 nm (in order to avoid cellular autofluorescence).6, 11,31-37 AZD-5991 S-enantiomer We sought to confer membrane permeability on these proven dyes, to allow biosensor creation within cells, as well as for generating membrane-permeable little molecule biosensors. Outcomes AND Debate We began with this merocyanine fluorophores which have been optimized for make use of in biosensors and also AZD-5991 S-enantiomer have a proven history of confirming proteins function in live cells.11-12, 15, 31-33 Merocyanine dyes contain electron donor and acceptor elements that are linked through a operational program of conjugation, double bonds usually. This configuration leads to a ground AZD-5991 S-enantiomer condition. Supplementary Materials Figure S1 Former mate vivo contact with GSNO reduces AngII\mediated vasoconstriction from the purchase of administration from the medicines independently. p ideals; *: p 0.05 vs unexposed; $: p 0.05 vs DMSO (Bonferroni post\test). Shape S3. Focus response curves to S\nitrosoglutathione. Focus\response curves, fifty percent maximal effective focus (EC50) and maximal impact (Emax) in response to S\nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) of middle cerebral arteries isolated from Wistar rats. Installing to Hill’s logistic formula was used. Ideals for EC50 (mol/L) and Emax (%) are indicated as means SEM. n = 6 middle cerebral arteries. Shape S4. Effect of S\nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) pretreatment on inner size. Internal diameters of rat middle cerebral arteries had been assessed before (baseline, open up pubs), after 30 min of publicity (full pubs) to GSNO (2.10\7 mol/L, 2.10\6 mol/L or 2.10\5 mol/L) or physiological sodium solution (PSS for settings) and following a on\hour wash\out (gray pubs). *: p 0.05 vs baseline; RGS17 $: p 0.05 vs GSNO (combined Student’s t\test). Colchicine Ideals are indicated as means SEM. Shape S5. Former mate vivo contact with GSNO reduces Angiotensin II\mediated vasoconstriction in middle cerebral arteries from Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats. Vasoconstriction of middle cerebral arteries from Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats or Spontaneous Hypertensive rats (SHR) in response to angiotensin II (AngII, -panel A) and serotonin (5HT, -panel B). Vessels had been unexposed (open up pub) or subjected (full pubs) to S\nitrosoglutathione (GSN0, 2.10\6 mol/L), 30 min accompanied by a 1\hour clean out. Adjustments in internal size (%) are indicated as means SEM. n=4\6 middle cerebral arteries per condition. BPH-176-2049-s001.pdf (135K) GUID:?C46D6121-0B26-4F53-A4BF-E35395DFB036 Abstract History and Purpose Angiotensin II (AngII) no regulate the cerebral circulation. AngII AT1 receptors exert ligand\reliant and ligand\3rd party (myogenic shade [MT]) vasoconstriction of cerebral vessels. NO induces post\translational adjustments of proteins such as for Colchicine example centrifugation for 15?min in 4C, the free of charge thiols in cell lysate supernatants were blocked with 50?mM of on experimental evaluation and style in pharmacology. Blinding from the operator cannot be achieved as the many pretreatments could possibly be quickly distinguishable (color of the perfect solution is for GSNO, effect from the pretreatment on basal MCA size such as for example dilatation induced by SNP or GSNO, or constriction induced by L\NAME). The ideals of ID had been measured automatically without intervention from the operator (except to create the beginning of the documenting), ensuring dependable and Colchicine objective measurements. Statistical evaluation was performed using Graphpad Prism edition 6.00 (RRID:SCR_002798). Vasoactive reactions from the MCA are indicated as percentage adjustments in Identification from the worthiness measured through the washout preceding administration from the medication. This normalization allows control for undesirable sources of variant such as for example anatomical, variations in MCA size. For every MCA experiment, the original test size was recommendations for Style & Analysis, Immunochemistry and Immunoblotting, and Pet Experimentation, so that as suggested by funding firms, publishers and additional organisations involved with supporting study. Supporting information Shape S1 Former mate vivo contact with GSNO reduces AngII\mediated vasoconstriction individually of the purchase of administration from the medicines. Vasoconstriction (% modification in internal size) in response to angiotensin II (AngII, 10\10 mol. L\1, open up pubs) and serotonin (5HT, 3.10\9 mol. L\1, complete pubs) in middle cerebral arteries of Wistar rats which were unexposed (-panel A, n=7) or subjected (-panel B, n=9; -panel C, n=2) to Snitrosoglutathione (GSNO, 2.10\6 mol. L\1, 30 min accompanied by one hour washout). On the other hand with sections A and B, in -panel C 5HT was used before AngII. Email address details are demonstrated as means sem. Shape S2. Aftereffect of DMSO and ODQ on serotonin vasoconstriction. MCA Colchicine had been pretreated or not really with 1H\[1 and GSNO,2,4]Oxadiazolo[4,3\a]quinoxalin\1\one (ODQ, 10\5 mol/L) was added through the entire tests. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, i.e. ODQ solvent, was utilized as control). Adjustments in internal size (%) are indicated as means SEM. Two\method ANOVA (pretreatment, focus) were utilized to calculate p ideals; *: p 0.05 vs unexposed; $: p 0.05 vs DMSO (Bonferroni post\test). Shape S3. Focus response curves to S\nitrosoglutathione. Focus\response curves, fifty percent maximal effective focus (EC50) and maximal impact (Emax) in response to S\nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) of middle cerebral arteries isolated from Wistar rats. Installing to Hill’s logistic formula was used.. Supplementary MaterialsS1 Fig: (TIF) pone. expression as well as the legislation of JNK/ERK pathway. Launch Electron microscopy continues to be used to show Golgi fragmentation (GF) in tumor cells , and we’ve only begun to comprehend the importance of GF in tumor biology just. GF acts simply because a catalyst for the cell signaling pathways that get cancer tumor metastasis and development. However, the causal relationship between GF and cancer pathogenesis remains unexplored generally. For instance, swainsonine, an inhibitor of Golgi alpha-mannosidase II, provides been proven to possess antitumor activity in gastric carcinoma . Another anti-Golgi agent, Brefeldin A, demonstrated antiproliferative inhibition and ramifications of tumor growth . Golgi reassembly and stacking proteins (GRASPs) are Golgi membrane proteins involved with cell migration, department, and apoptosis. Particularly, Knowledge65, a focus on of polo-like kinases (PLK1) and Cdc2 during mitosis [4,5], mediates Golgi morphological adjustments to satisfy physiological features Polymyxin B sulphate [6C8]. Furthermore, the upregulation of Golgi proteins continues to be observed in various kinds of tumors, including ovarian cancers (OC). Golgi phosphoprotein3L (GOLPH3L) was overexpressed in epithelial ovarian cancers (EOC) tissue and cell lines and connected with poor prognosis of sufferers with EOC . GOLPH3 may promote EMT development through the activation of Wnt/-catenin pathway and act as a novel and self-employed prognostic element of EOC . Furthermore, silencing decreased angiogenesis and cell invasion and in a lung malignancy mouse model, suggesting that it may be a potential restorative target Polymyxin B sulphate for lung malignancy . Repair of compact Golgi morphology in advanced prostate malignancy might raise the susceptibility to Galectin-1-induced apoptosis , building up the idea of the oncological Golgi and its own role in cancers metastasis and progression . Therefore, concentrating on the Golgi proteins may be a potential therapeutic intervention for multiple cancers . OC is among the most common gynecological malignancies with high prices of disease and metastasis relapse worldwide. The progression and invasion of OC cells are presumed to be always a multistep process involving multiple genetic changes. Consequently, numerous research have centered on the id of particular molecular markers that may serve as dependable prognostic biomarkers for ovarian cancers. Additionally, the existing standard of treatment treatment for sufferers with Rabbit Polyclonal to GPR124 ovarian cancers is surgery in conjunction with platinum and/or Taxane-based chemotherapy. Some sufferers are attentive to chemotherapy originally, the 5-calendar year survival price of OC sufferers is around 15C30% . As a result, there can be an urgent have to improve the methods useful for early disease recognition, and to recognize effective therapies to boost clinical final results for OC sufferers. Recently, researchers have got turned their focus on natural active substances extracted from therapeutic plants for the treating cancer sufferers . Easiest compounds show cytotoxicity just in cancerous cells and so are therefore potential healing agents for potential clinical advancement . Furthermore, many research have got proven these parts can inhibit tumor development and induce apoptosis [18 considerably,19]. Dihydromyricetin (DHM), a 2,3-dihydroflavonol substance, is the primary bioactive element extracted from and offers attracted considerable interest in tumor research because of its antitumor results [21C23]. DHM offers been shown to become a highly effective anticancer agent in a variety of cancers and can be considered to possess great antitumor prospect of the treating OC . Nevertheless, the mechanism root the antitumor aftereffect of DHM must be looked into. In response to tension, the transcription of Golgi-associated genes could be upregulated to revive homeostasis or induce apoptosis, which offered rise to the word (GSR) [25,26]. The part of GSR and cell apoptosis in chemotherapy could be very complicated and their connection offers produced them an interesting focus on that may improve anti-cancer treatment. Furthermore, morphological research have shown how the Golgi complex can be fragmented during apoptosis , and GF in apoptotic cells may be related to Understanding65 cleavage . Understanding65 can be phosphorylated by Cdc2 and PLK-1 during cell mitosis, which leads to GRASP65 deoligomerization and then Golgi unstacking [5,30]. Additionally, as a potential small molecular inhibitor of PLK-1, DHM may prevent cancer progression by inhibiting PLK-1 enzymes . Consequently, we hypothesized that DHM possesses anti-tumor activity by regulating Understanding65 function. We also looked into the systems and ramifications of DHM on OCs to be able to offer preliminary proof for future medical applications. Components and strategies Reagents Dihydromyricetin (CAS Polymyxin B sulphate No. 27200-12-0, Bellancom) was purchased from Beijing Common Components Co., Ltd. (Beijing, China), with purity 98%, as recognized by powerful water chromatography. DHM was dissolved in 100% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to get ready a 50 mM share remedy and was kept at ?20C. DHM solutions found in cell ethnicities were freshly ready and the ultimate focus of DMSO didn’t exceed 0 daily.1% through the entire research. Apoptotic cells had been quantified using an Annexin V-FITC/PI cell apoptosis.

A review of the literature suggests there are two major aspects of responsiveness. We define the first as "internal responsiveness," which characterizes the ability of a measure to change over a prespecified time frame, and the second as "external responsiveness, " which reflects the extent to which change in a measure relates to corresponding change in a reference measure of clinical or health status. The properties and interpretation of commonly used internal and external responsiveness statistics are examined. It is from the interpretation point of view that external responsiveness statistics are considered particularly attractive. The usefulness of regression models for assessing external responsiveness is also highlighted.

…another re-post from last year while I recuperate, and a great book about an unsuspected side of Hollywood… Chandler Burr has written several books, two on perfume, one on the biological origins of sexuality, and a novel: You or Someone Like You. He also has been involved in a series of interviews on scent that have been featured on WordPress. He speaks candidly and often on the intersection of design and scent, and as the curator of olfactory art at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York he knows and shares a vast amount of knowledge on an emerging, but long abiding, art form that I have been barely exposed to. How did I wedge myself into this conversation? Two of my dear friends are Lanier of SCENTS MEMORY | There is nothing like the smell of a man. and The Dandy of The Perfumed Dandy. | A gentleman all at sea on an ocean of female fragrance — and through Lanier, Mr. Burr got in touch with me after I had re-blogged his first WordPress interview. It came to his attention that I had read his novel, and he wanted my impression of it as he was adapting it into a screenplay. As you know, I’ve been wrapped up in this edit and Sunday I shot off an email to Chandler and I got a response that brought tears to my eyes; not just for its eloquence, or for its perfect description of why we write, but because of its sheer, open, heartfelt beauty. Something I find in his writing, and something I’ve come to recognize in this Internet community almost everyday. Before I descend into complete seclusion – I have to apologize. I wanted to talk to you about your novel after I had immersed myself in it again – but I haven’t had a chance and I don’t think I’ll be done with this edit until the end of October. I haven’t done anything but work on this book since my husband went on location and the Kid went off to study in Antwerp. It’s great to have the time, but it’s also a little hermetic. Okay, I’m going to tell you what I remember about You or Someone Like You and what I loved about it. I loved the alternate take on Hollywood. I loved that the vehicle Anne rode through life was literature. I loved that the concept behind it reflected how books can change and expand cognition, change and expand relationships, and change and expand our ability to empathize. I was so irritated (in a good way) by Howard’s abandonment of his family into a religious retreat from reality (really P.O.’d, quite frankly). I admired the force of Anne’s love and her willingness to make their relationship whole again. I loved Sam. He was a kick. I hope the adaptation of your novel into a screenplay is going well. You know, I don’t even know you, but based on your book alone I have to say: I realize that writers write for many reasons, but the two most fundamental must be money—and there’s nothing wrong with that—and a desire to transmit a deeply important part of ourselves, what we think or hope for or fear or whatever, that we’ve dreamed of expressing and struggled to do so, outward into space and hope that like radar we get back thousands and millions of pings of those conscious of what we’ve written. Even the negative and uncomprehending responses are worth something. But the responses like yours contradict the idea that we’re alone. We are and we aren’t, and if someone understands, in one way or another to one degree or another, this part of me that I put out there, they change my life as well.

Pride and Prejudice Eloquence: The Window To the Soul and the Number One Requirement for a Successful Courtship The world of Pride and Prejudice revolved around the relationships between its men and women. Austen made this theme obvious from the opening sentence. "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife," (3; vI chI). The pages that followed dealt almost exclusively with the problems faced when trying to acquire a wife (or husband). This quest for a spouse was made difficult by the narrow focus of the book's social gatherings. Jane and Bingley could not make their feelings for each other obvious because they were "never for many hours together; and as they always [saw] each other in large mixed parties, it [was] impossible that every moment should be employed in conversing together," (15; vI chVI). This conversing together was the desired result of any gathering, because it was the only way potential suitors and suitees could get to know more about each other. Faced with life devoid of In-N-Out burgers, movie theaters, and frat parties, Jane Austen's characters resorted to attendance at balls and afternoon teas to meet and better acquaint themselves with each other. Their interaction with members of the opposite sex was limited to the... Join Now to View Premium Content GradeSaver provides access to 1622 study guide PDFs and quizzes, 10725 literature essays, 2693 sample college application essays, 625 lesson plans, and ad-free surfing in this premium content, “Members Only” section of the site! Membership includes a 10% discount on all editing orders. Already a member? Log in

So lately I’ve been more active on Instagram than on my blog. I’ll still be posting reviews and longform content here, but you can follow me on Instagram for more frequent life updates and book photos and recommendations: http://www.instagram.com/theshenners Hey everyone! It’s May again, which means it’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. I’m a bit late to announce this here, but the month-long Asian Lit Bingo reading challenge I founded and co-hosted last year in May for APAHM has made a comeback this year. In case you don’t know, the activities my blogger friends and I organized for Asian Lit Bingo last year evolved into a permanent coalition to uplift Asian voices in publishing called Lit Celebrasian, which has its own Twitter and WordPress blog. The Asian Lit Bingo reading challenge information post for this year is on the Lit Celebrasian blog instead of here. While May is almost halfway over, it’s not too late to sign up and participate in Asian Lit Bingo for a chance to win book prizes! In addition, I decided to renew my Taiwanese American Heritage Week author interview series I hosted last year with a fresh set of Taiwanese authors. The interviews will be posted throughout this week, which is Taiwanese American Heritage Week (officially designated as the week following Mother’s Day). If you want to read the interviews with last year’s featured authors, you can find the links to them below: ETA: Rules and point allotments have been updated for the Contests. I am pleased to announce that a bunch of Asian bloggers and I will be hosting a month-long reading challenge during May. This is the master post with all the relevant information for the reading challenge. Inspiration and Purpose: In the U.S., the month of May is Asian American Heritage Month*, so I thought, what better way to celebrate than to do a reading challenge that spotlights books with Asian characters and centers Asian voices? In publishing, there are power dynamics in play that marginalize Asian authors, especially those who write Asian characters and draw from their heritage for their writing. In the context of publishing in countries where white people are the majority/dominant group, diaspora Asians in those countries have a hard time breaking into publishing. In a more global context, Asian writers in Asia have a hard to reaching a wider market beyond regional publishing due to their perceived foreignness, plus a general lack of infrastructure for translations for those that don’t write in English (and many do write in English). There are also double standards in the industry that facilitate publication for white authors writing Asian[-inspired] characters/settings/stories while Asian writers who write from the place of a cultural insider are often told their stories are “too Asian” or “not Asian enough.” For this reason, I feel it is especially important to highlight #ownvoices Asian stories, where the authors share the heritage of the characters they write about. *May is technically designated as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. However, a number of Pasifika activists and friends of mine have stated that lumping together Asian Americans with Pacific Islanders results in the erasure and co-opting of PIs and that they want to have their own spaces to discuss their issues. I am respecting that and keeping the two separate for this challenge. Scope: Aside from the reading challenge, my co-hosts and I have planned a series of blog posts (e.g. discussions, author interviews, author features, etc.) and social media events to complement the challenge and celebrate Asian literature in other ways. I’ll be adding links to these posts and details on the social media events on this master post as they go up. If you are an Asian blogger/vlogger/bookstagrammer/etc. and have your own idea for a post/video you want to make about Asian lit, go for it, and feel free to leave a comment here with the link so I can add it to the list. You can use this template for your blog header if you’d like. Shenwei @ READING (AS)(I)AN (AM)ERICA (#AsianLitBingo Creator) Isabella @ The Book Pandas Glaiza @ Paper Wanderer Janani @ The Shrinkette Wendy @ Written in Wonder CW @ Read, Think, Ponder Sophia @ Bookwyrming Thoughts Mish @ Chasing Faerytales Hazel @ Stay Bookish Sue @ Hollywood News Source Cassidy @ Quartzfeather Stephanie @ Igniting Pages Anisha @ Sprinkled Pages Sinead @ Huntress of Diverse Books Rana @ Words Across Borders Aila @ One Way Or an Author Aentee @ Read at Midnight (Graphic Designer Extraordinaire) Reading Challenge Information The reading challenge is a general challenge and also a contest with prizes! Use the hashtag #AsianLitBingo when posting on Twitter or Instagram about the challenge. Check out what other people are reading and find posts and reviews related to the challenge by searching the hashtag. Similar to the Diversity Bingo 2017 challenge, the Asian Lit Bingo challenge takes the form of a bingo board, a 5 by 5 grid with 25 total prompts for books to read. The baseline goal is to read prompts for a single line, vertically, horizontally, or diagonally on the board, for a total of 5 books. Post your progress on Twitter with the hashtag #AsianLitBingo. - Fiction books should have an Asian main character (can be one of several main characters) and be by an Asian author to qualify. It does not have to be #ownvoices, but reading #ownvoices books is strongly encouraged! - Nonfiction books should be by an Asian author with a focus on Asian people, whether it’s a[n] [auto]biography, history book, essay collection, etc. A nonfiction book can count for prompts other than the nonfiction square provided that it that focuses on a person/group that corresponds to that prompt (e.g. an autobiography of a Asian trans woman could count for either the nonfiction category or the LGBTQIAP+ Asian MC category). - The free space is for any book with an Asian main character by an Asian author. Below is the bingo board, designed by Aentee. You can find the original image file here. Note: “MC” stands for “main character” (though as specified above, it can be a book about a real person). My co-hosts and I compiled a [far from exhaustive] list of book titles that fulfill each prompt. Here’s the link to the list. Reading Challenge Sign-up To sign up for the challenge, simply make a blog post/vlog/etc. with a summary of what the challenge is about, a link to this master post, the bingo board, and your tentative TBR if you put one together (you won’t be penalized for the contest portion if you don’t follow your TBR). You can add any book recommendations as you see fit for other people who are interested in participating in the challenge (optional). You are welcome to use the header image of this post for your post. Once you’ve posted your announcement, add your post to the link-up below: There are two contests associated with this reading challenge, each with a prize. General Rules for Qualifying Books: - Book must have an Asian main character (can be one of several main characters) and be by an Asian author to qualify. It does not have to be #ownvoices, but #ownvoices is strongly encouraged. - Book can be a novel/novella/novelette or comic book/graphic novel. - Book must be read during May 1st through May 31st to qualify. - Review link-up will close end of June 1st at midnight PDT. The extra margin is to give people the opportunity to write up a review for a book they might have finished late May 31st. We’ll follow the honor system assuming you didn’t read the book on June 1st. If you have any questions about whether something qualifies, feel free to message me through Twitter (@theshenners) or my blog contact form. Contest 1 – Equal Opportunity/Participation Contest Every person who participates in the reading challenge and reads at least 3 books for the challenge will have one entry each for this contest. The winner will be randomly drawn. If somehow the winner drawn is the same as the winner of the second contest, I will draw a different winner. - Your choice of one 2017 release by an Asian author. - Signed hardcover of Flowers of Luna by Jennifer Linsky - Signed paperback of Paper Wishes by Spencer Hoshino - Ebook of Songs of Insurrection by J.C. Kang - Ebook of No More Heroes by Michelle Kan - Open to international. Contest 2 – Extra Credit/Merit-Based Contest For the more competitive folks, the competition for the prizes is based on the number and type of books you read and review for the challenge. The person who accumulates the most points wins. Here is the point system: - 1 point per book read - 1 extra points per #ownvoices (ethnicity-wise) book (so 2 points total for an #ownvoices book) - 1 point per review for qualifying books. Please write at least 300 words for the review that are not quotes or copy pasted synopses. - Your choice of one 2017 release by an Asian author - Signed ARC of The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee - Signed paperback of Gates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. Lee - A custom-designed mug with a book quote of your choice by Aentee @ Read At Midnight. - Open to international. Wrap-Up Post Link-Up In order to verify your participation and points for the contests, please make a post/video that lists all of the qualifying books you’ve read (please label whether they’re #ownvoices) and links to reviews for any books you’ve reviewed. This is to keep all the reviews for the challenge in one place for easy access. Please add links to your reviews to the link-up below: Social Media Events Asian Lit Twitter Cha Asian Lit Posts/Videos - Interview with Cindy Pon - Interview with Judy Lin - Interview with Gloria Chao - Interview with Emily X.R. Pan - Interview with Mina Li - Interview with Stacey Lee Credits and Acknowledgements A huge thank-you to Aentee @ Read at Midnight for designing all the gorgeous graphics for this challenge and for donating a custom-designed mug as a prize for the contest. I’d also like to thank each and every one of my co-hosts for their time, labor, dedication, and ideas. You transformed this reading challenge from a little pet project of mine to something so much bigger and better. I am grateful to be working with all of you. ❤

A Brief Affair with Infinity (Little Red Shop & The Arts House) 22nd March 2007 The Arts House By Koh Xin Tian 24 March 2007 Stemming from a personal and arresting short story written by the playwright and solo actress Jocelyn Chua, Little Red Shop’s monologue A Brief Affair with Infinity traces the trajectory of a young student’s love affair with her married Mathematics teacher. The language of geometry and fairytales gracefully sweeps into the girl’s account of the liaison which her schoolgirl crush hurtles into, only to coagulate into the disappointment of reality. Chua is also a former Theatreworks commissioned playwright, a director, award-winning writer, and no stranger to local theatre. Her timing and switches between the childishly cloying speech of the girl and her retrospective voice are smoothly executed, as she convincingly plays the nymphet who extends her wiles to her Humbert, the princess tripping across fairytales who “offered the apple and…also bit into it”, both victim and perpetrator of a fruitless amour. Her obsession is likened to the religiousness which Pythagoras’ disciples attached to mathematics and used to guard his embarrassing discovery of an irrational number, the exasperating square root of two that eludes delineation. Fully aware of the irreconcilability of her positions as her teacher’s student and lover, she eventually refuses this burden of the infinite and offers her lover a passion measurable by the spoonful, in the form of an apple pie with precisely mixed ingredients. His anger when she accidentally knocks over his wife’s Thinker sculpture prompts a Blake poem to come back to her, a reminder of the unreachability and rapaciousness of his nature: “What immortal hand or eye/Could frame thy fearful symmetry?” The spare props, consisting of only a white chair and red scarf, combine effectively with the clear simplicity of Loo Zihan’s lighting as well. Together they convey the presence of the teacher which the girl threads together with idyllic fantasies as she twists and moves the scarf around in a quiet dance, and a path of light beams reveals the distance between the student’s and her lover’s worlds, the disparity between chimerical daydreams and the reality of his final rejection and his wife, which she has to navigate. The turning point: her rendezvous with her teacher at a Chinatown restaurant, with décor and atmosphere catering to Oriental fetishes, where food for expatriate taste buds is served. Every brush of feet and touch of cutlery tantalises (“desire was ready to tuck us in, just as we were ready to tuck into desire”), but the setting places the teacher’s view of her and the reality of their differences in drastic relief. However, such opportunities to evocatively shed light on a girl’s path towards womanhood through their forbidden relationship were skirted in favour of “telling the story of a young mathematics student trying to come to grips with an ‘irrational’ love”, in director Ruby Pan’s words on the message which was more important to Chua. Its enthusiasm inadvertently translates into occasional excess when the girl whimsically indulges in rapture over her lover. This is perhaps a result of the loss in translation of a short story into a play; intensities shift from text to stage, and heady endearments can peter out into triteness. Lines like “I rolled myself into a ball, tossed it into the depths of your well, well of your depths” similarly disclose little beyond the familiar obsession and immediacy of a teenage crush; but does art have a responsibility to reflect political or cultural issues after all? A Brief Affair with Infinity was a refreshing voyage away from overly ruminative and critical productions, and the palpable effervescence in Chua’s prose is an appetiser to future offerings worth looking forward to. – end – Koh Xin Tian is an English Literature undergraduate at NUS, where she writes for student magazine The Ridge and is the publicity executive for the NUS Literary Society.

Literature Essay Novels by Letter: R Essays include research and analysis on themes, characters, and historical context. Critical essays are a source for examples, essay notes, essay prompts, and essay topics. Essays require membership to view. GradeSaver provides access to 1637 study guide PDFs and quizzes, 10738 literature essays, 2693 sample college application essays, 625 lesson plans, and ad-free surfing in this premium content, “Members Only” section of the site! Membership includes a 10% discount on all editing orders.

[BOA] Interactive Listing of American Butterflies Listado Interactivo de la Mariposas Americanas; Butterflies of America e-mail: jshuey at tnc.org; Director of Conservation Science; Indiana Office of The Nature Conservancy; http://www.nature.org [maps] Warning! The maps are automatically generated from the textual information, and the process does not always produce acceptable result; See about maps for more info. Some related literature: Brown & Mielke, 1967 Lepidoptera of the Central Brazil Plateau. I. Preliminary list of Rhopalocera J. Lep. Soc. 21 (2) Descriptions of some new diurnal Lepidoptera, chiefly Hesperiidae Trans. ent. Soc. Lond. 1870 (4) A catalogue of the American Hesperiidae indicating the classification and nomenclature adopted in the British Museum. Part III. Pyrginae Section 2. Cat. amer. Hesp. Brit. Mus. 3: 246pp, pls. 26-53 If you have corrections, comments or information to add into these pages, just send mail to Keep in mind that the taxonomic information is copied from various sources, and may include many inaccuracies. Expert help is welcome.

While I work primarily on the novel and realism (especially in the 19th and 20th centuries and mostly in western European contexts), some of my work and interests have led me into investigations of political aesthetics in drama and poetry, too. Below is a list of publications and ongoing projects. The Aesthetics of Clarity and Confusion: Literature and Engagement since Nietzsche and the Naturalists, for Palgrave Studies in Modern European Literature series (Palgrave, forthcoming 2016) Realism’s Empire: Empiricism and Enchantment in the Nineteenth-Century Novel (Ohio State UP, 2009) See at: Ohio State UP :: Amazon.com Reviewed in: Victorian Studies 53.1; Comparative Literature 64.2; German Quarterly 84.1; Nineteenth-Century French Studies 39.3/4; Choice Feb. 2010. Chapter 6, on Anthony Trollope, “Global London and The Way We Live Now,” reprinted in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism, vol. 274. Gale, 2013. 329-41. Print. Realism’s Others, ed., with Eva Aldea (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2010) Books in Progress: Critique of Judgment: Belief in Evidence in the Nineteenth-Century Novel Articles and Book Chapters: “‘I know the man’: Evidence, Belief, and Character in Victorian Fiction,” special issue of Genre on “Narrative against Data,” co-edited by Adam Grener and Jesse Rosenthal, forthcoming 2017 “Preachers, Gangsters, Pranksters: MC Solaar and Hip-Hop as Overt and Covert Revolt.” The Journal of Popular Culture 44.2 (2011): 233-255. “Making a Spectacle of Ourselves: The Unpolitical Ending of Thomas Mann’s Mario und der Zauberer.” Seminar: A Journal of Germanic Studies 45.4 (2009): 353-68. Reprinted in Short Story Criticism, vol. 172. Gale, 2013. 244-253. Print. “The Limits of Sympathy: J.M. Coetzee’s Evolving Ethics of Engagement.” ARIEL 36.1-2 (2005, special issue on Postcoloniality and Politics): 27-49. “Empiricism and Empire: Orientalist Antiquing in Balzac’s Peau de chagrin.” Yearbook of Comparative and General Literature 51 (2003-04): 167-74. “Pressing Engagement: Sartre’s Littérature, Beauvoir’s Literature, and the Lingering Uncertainty of Literary Activism.” Dalhousie French Studies 63 (2003): 70-85. “Nietzsche, Artaud, and Tragic Politics.” Comparative Literature 55.1 (2003): 1-23. Reprinted in Nietzsche and the Rebirth of the Tragic. Ed. Mary Ann Frese Witt. Madison, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson UP, 2007. 159-85. “Other Capital: Investment, Return, Alterity and The Merchant of Venice.” The Upstart Crow 22 (2002, special issue on “Shakespeare and the Market”): 21-37. “The Predication of Violence, the Violence of Predication: Reconstructing Hiroshima with Duras and Resnais.” Dialectical Anthropology 24:3/4 (1999): 387-406.

The eighteenth-century crowd has received a great deal of attention from historians. Debates focus on the composition of the crowd and its political significance. This seminar will consider the cultural impact of the crowd on British politics. Nicholas Rogers, Crowds, culture and politics in Georgian Britain John Bohstedt, Riots and community politics - C Emsley, ‘Repression, Terror and the rule of law in England during the decade of the French Revolution’, English Historical Review, 1985 - John Plotz, The Crowd: British literature and public politics - Benjamin Heller, 'The "Mene Peuple" and the Polite Spectator : The Individual in the Crowd at Eighteenth-Century London Fairs', Past and Present, 2010 - N Rogers, ‘Crowd and people in the Gordon riots’ in E Hellmuth (ed.), The Transformation of Political Culture - N Rogers, 'Crowds and political festival' in Tim Harris (ed.), Politics of the Excluded - G Rudé, Paris and London in the 18th century: studies in popular protest G Rudé, The crowd in history J Stevenson, Popular Disturbances in England, 1700-1832 - Peter Jones, 'Swing, Speenhamland and rural social relations : the 'moral economy' of the English crowd in the nineteenth century', Social History, 2007 Clare Brand and Susan Whyman, Walking the streets of eighteenth-century London Research the cultural signficance of a particular political crowd. Examples could be: 1688, Excise crisis, Gordon Riots, Peterloo, Queen Caroline etc. Suggestions for sources include ECCO, eighteenth-century newspapers, Bodleian collection of pamphlets and broadsheets, British Museum Prints and Drawings database.

JournalTOCs. Access to Research. Musings about librarianship: 5 things Google Scholar does better than your library discovery service. I have had experience implementing Summon in my previous institution and currently have some experience with EDS and Primo (Primo Central). The main thing that struck me is that while they have differences (eg. Default Primo interface is extremely customizable though requires lots of work to get it into shape, while Summon is pretty much excellent UI wise out of the box but less customizable, EDS is basically Summon but with tons of features already included in the UI), they pretty much have the same strengths and weaknesses via Google Scholar. So far, my experience with faculty here in my new institution is similar to that from my former's, more and more of them are shifting towards Google Scholar and even Google. Though Web scale discovery is our library's current closest attempt at mimicking Google Technology it is still different it is in the differences that Google Scholar shines. Why is Google Scholar, a daring of faculty? It is no surprise a jack of all trades tool comes out behind. Digital past. Dryad Digital Repository - Dryad. 8 Free Mind Map Tools & How to Best Use Them. Advertisement Here’s the good news. Finally, we can be like Leonardo da Vinci’s in one small way. No, we are not getting his polymathic superpowers. His penchant for taking free-flowing notes that filled notebooks with diagrams and scribblings is more achievable. Maybe, he knew that the human brain likes visuals more than words. Today, we call these brain-cell like intertwinings mind maps. It is the most popular brainstorming technique of all. For a student, a mind map is a memory aid to review notes. You can apply a mind map to any office scenario. Forecast revenue.Prepare for a hiring interview.Chart product development and marketing.Fine tune a RFP (Request for Proposal).Organize a trade show.Plan an office party. Pick a Free Mind Map Tool Choosing from the many excellent mind mapping and brainstorming web apps and tools is a matter of nitpicking. Free or paid. We have covered many mindmapping tools here at MakeUseOf. 1. Platforms: Web, Chrome Noteworthy Features: 24 Essential Mind Mapping and Brainstorming Tools. Mind mapping is the process of using visual diagrams to show the relationships between ideas or information. Its popular uses include project planning, collecting and organizing thoughts, brainstorming and presentations — all in order to help solve problems, map out resources and uncover new ideas. It can be more useful than trying to keep track of our ideas by scribbling them on paper, and can aid in manipulating and generating concepts. We've compiled a list of 24 mind mapping tools to help you organize, summarize and visualize information, with both free and paid versions available to suit any budget or requirement. The tools mentioned are either browser- or desktop-based, with a selection of mind mapping mobile apps at the end of the article for use on iOS and Android devices. Is there a particular mind mapping tool you would recommend? 1. MindMeister was built to facilitate collaboration for mind mapping and brainstorming, with an intuitive, easy-to-use interface. 10 Great Tools for Academic Research You Should Know about. 1- Zotero Zotero is the only research tool that automatically senses content, allowing you to add it to your personal library with a single click. Whether you're searching for a preprint on arXiv.org, a journal article from JSTOR, a news story from the New York Times, or a book from your university library catalog, Zotero has you covered with support for thousands of sites. 2- Endnote EndNote gives you the tools you need for searching, organizing and sharing your research. It allows you to easily create bibliographies while writing your next paper with features like Cite While You Write . 3- Mendeley Mendeley is a free reference manager and academic social network that can help you organize your research, collaborate with others online, and discover the latest research. This is a great productivity app that helps you :Coordinate and complete tasks with your teams. 5- Scrivener 6- Camscanner 8- Google drive. Research4LifeFree Digital Tools for Researchers. Could you imagine doing research without internet? Digital tools have made research practices easier for scientists and librarians. Here we have gathered for you some digital resources to help you conduct research more efficiently and creatively. 1. Social media Facebook and Twitter are the most popular social media platforms and can be used to share information and network with colleagues. With Figshare you can connect with other researchers by uploading any file format to be made visualisable in the browser so that your figures, datasets, media, papers, posters, presentations and filesets can be disseminated. Digital tools for researchers. Find out how digital tools can help you: Explore the literature(back to top) Here is a collection of digital tools that are designed to help researchers explore the millions of research articles available to this date. Search engines and curators help you to quickly find the articles you are interested in and stay up to date with the literature. Article visualization tools enhance your reading experience, for instance, by helping you navigate from a paper to another. Search engines and curators Article visualization.

Using Art To Study the Past: Slavery, Freedom, and the White House This lesson plan from The White House Historical Association provides an overview of slavery at the White House from the time of the country's founding to Emancipation. It includes original photographs, artwork, an activity, and additional teacher resources. While most of the resources are best suited for middle and older students, the activity is appropriate for younger children. The Emancipation Proclamation Interactive Slides and Quiz This is a good introduction to the basics of the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation for younger and middle students put together in an interactive series of slides. It's broken down into easy-to-digest factoids with illustrations and quizzes. Children's Literature: "Ben and the Emancipation Proclamation" Benjamin Holmes, an enslaved child who secretly taught himself to read, delivered the news of the Emancipation Proclamation to a group of fellow enslaved peoples. Children can learn about the Emancipation Proclamation and the time period in which it was issued in this illustrated children's book and accompanying lesson plans. Children's Literature: "Hope's Gift" Hope was an enslaved child during the Civil War. When the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, her father fled to join the Union Army, leaving her with a gift of hope for freedom. This children's literature unit is accompanied by online puzzles, games, and activities. Domestic Reactions to the Emancipation Proclamation Students can read reactions to the Emancipation Proclamation from around the county in this comprehensive essay from MrLincolnandFreedom.org. The essay draws from numerous, well-cited primary sources. International Reactions to the Emancipation Proclamation Students can read reactions to the Emancipation Proclamation from around the world in this comprehensive essay from MrLincolnandFreedom.org. The essay draws from numerous, well-cited primary sources. President Lincoln’s Cottage: Emancipation Proclamation Teacher Resources The President Lincoln's Cottage museum has numerous resources and lesson plans for learning about Lincoln and the Civil War. In the Emancipation Proclamation lesson plan, students will compare and contrast different drafts of the document using primary sources. Free but Not Free: Life After the Emancipation Proclamation The Emancipation Proclamation didn't immediately grant freedom to many enslaved peoples. In this lesson from PBS Learning, students will learn about the many challenges facing Black Americans following the Emancipation Proclamation. The lesson plan includes activities, discussion topics, and videos. Freedom: A Documentary History of Emancipation The Freedmen and Southern Society Project from the University of Maryland is an excellent resource for learning about the Emancipation Proclamation. "Freedom: A Documentary History of Emancipation" contains transcriptions of hundreds of letters, testimonies, documents, and other primary sources from the Civil War Era. Emancipation Proclamation: America Responds As part of an exhibition on the Emancipation Proclamation, the Center for Brooklyn History published a series of blog posts featuring the views on the Proclamation from different parts of America. Emancipation Proclamation from the Smithsonian Institute The Smithsonian Institute has a large collection of artwork, illustrations, and political advertisements from the time of the Emancipation Proclamation. Students can learn about different perspectives and the political climate of the time through the artwork that was created. Emancipation Proclamation Coloring Book A pdf booklet from the National Archives Experience Lincoln's Views on the Emancipation Proclamation Abraham Lincoln didn't originally set out to end slavery, but he would eventually come to. Learn about how his views changed over time in this article from History.com. Emancipation Proclamation for Kids This brief overview of the Emancipation Proclamation breaks down the document and Civil War in terms that are suitable for younger audiences. From HistoryForKids.net Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress This collection of primary sources from the Library of Congress includes many of Abraham Lincoln's handwritten notes, letters, draft bills, and the Emancipation Proclamation. PBS Collection of Slavery and Emancipation Resources Large list of resources (including primary sources) relating to abolitionism, slavery and emancipation Background, text and high resolution images of the original copy of the Emancipation Proclamation from the National Archives The Emancipation Proclamation: An Act of Justice What was Abraham Lincoln thinking when he wrote the Emancipation Proclamation? What happened on the days leading up to afterward? This in-depth history and analysis by John Hope Franklin takes a deeper look at the history surrounding the signing of the document. The Emancipation Proclamation: Lesson Plans Lesson plan from EDSITEment with many links and resources The Emancipation Proclamation Through Different Eyes How did different segments of the American population view the Emancipation Proclamation?

October 27th 2002 Interview with Chris Covell Before begining the interview, I believe I should tell the background story of it. It is now known that the e-Reader has a built-in NES emulator. I was thinking about how new e-Card games could be made to take advantage of this hardware feature, and that's when it hit me: There are many homebrew NES programmers out there, and perhaps they'd like to make NES e-Cards. So then I thought about interviewing one of them, just for fun. Chris Covell is well-known for this Solar Wars homebrewed NES game, as well as his advanced knowledge of NES If you want to find out more about Chris Covell, I invite you to check out his home page, at Pix: Please tell us a little bit about yourself... Chris: My name is Chris Covell... I am a Canadian, and I have lived in North Vancouver, B.C. all my life. I am now 24 years old. My favourite videogame system has always been the NES, ever since I was a kid. My hobbies are listening to music, playing games, programming, hiking, biking, and reading. Currently, I am living in Japan teaching English as a second language. That's what I graduated from university with -- a BA in English literature and a certificate to teach ESL English. Pix: When did you get into NES programming? Chris: That would be around 1998 or so. In college, my major was originally computer programming, where I learned C++ and 8086 assembly. I switched over to English 2 years later because I am terrible at math and I In early 1998, I decided on a whim to check out some NES demos because I had gotten into NES emulators. The first demos I downloaded were a couple of small ones by a guy named Mark Knibbs. I read the source code and was able to assemble it because both Mark and I used Amiga computers for programming. Slowly, I modified the demos to see what it did, and then I decided to learn about the NES hardware and 6502 assembly. So, I just read the NES technical docs and memorized the 6502 instructions and that same night I made my "Amiga!" demo... It just shows the Amiga logo on the NES screen. It grew from there. Pix: Do you have any knowledge of GBA programming? Chris: None whatsoever. I read about the GBA hardware specs and architecture just to see what it could do, but I have never done any programming on the GBA or in ARM or Thumb assembly. Pix: Have you tried the e-Reader? What is your general opinion of Chris: No, I haven't. I'm not into card collecting, especially the ones in Japan. Pix: Would you consider porting your NES creations, such as Solar Wars, to e-Cards? Chris: That would be neat to see, but I don't know if the NES emulator of the e-Reader supports CHR bank switching to vary the graphics. Solar Wars uses 4 CHR banks (as opposed to the 1 on most e-Reader NES games). But, a basic, cut-down version of Solar Wars could be made in just 16K PRG + 8K CHR (no sound or extra graphics) which wouldn't take up too many cards. Pix: Hmmm... A game with no sound wouldn't be very appealing to most players. Does sound data take up a lot of memory in the NES ROM? Theoretically speaking, couldn't you at least squeeze a few sound effects in there? Chris: Yes, since there's music and several sound effects. I didn't program the sound code for Solar Wars; other people did it, so I can't begin to make any good sound effects in my game(s). A typical set of soundtracks for an average NES game takes up 4-8k. Some have less (like small games), while some have more than 16K. Pix: Would you be interested in developing new e-Card applications that take advantage of the NES emulator built into the e-Reader? Chris: Just as a "let's-see-if-I-can-do-it" exercise, but not otherwise. There are easier ways of getting NES games onto the GB or GBA. The PocketNES emulator is one example -- it works great for NES games of any size. You need to buy flash card hardware for that, of course; but again, you would need to buy the e-Reader to use e-Reader cards. If I were a gamer who was crazy about playing NES games on the GBA, I'd go the flash card route. Plus, as you mentioned on your site, getting games onto an e-Reader would require a prohibitively expensive industrial printer -- not to mention we don't know the encoding scheme of the strips, do we? Pix: Well, how about letting Nintendo (or another able publisher) do the e-Card encoding and manufacturing? All you'd have to do is the game program itself... (Again, I'm being totally theoretical here.) Chris: Nintendo has always been very unresponsive to homebrew and small programmers, unless you can somehow guarantee lots of money for them. They prefer working with the big companies, not individuals. Pix: Do you think other homebrew NES programmers would be interested in making NES games on e-Cards? Chris: I'm not sure... There are already easier ways to program and test NES games, so I doubt it. But, you can always ask other people. If you go over to nesdev.parodius.com and go onto the messageboards, there are other NES programmers there that you can ask. Pix: Are there any existing homebrewed NES games (from other authors) that you think would make great games on e-Cards? Chris: Well, there was recently a 1k game competition held, and a few guys entered some NES games -- Joey "Memblers" Parsell, for instance. Those would be neat games to put on the e-Reader due simply to their small size. They'd fit on a single card. Pix: Do you have any other thoughts concerning the e-Reader? Chris: It's a neat novelty item -- more promising than the barcode battler was (but it might be consigned to the same fate). But, getting new things onto cards in a homebrew fashion looks a little too difficult. Pix: Thank you for agreeing to this interview. :-) Chris: No problem. I hope I didn't sound too negative. ;-)

DARK CAROUSEL: A Carpathian Novel by Christine Feehan Publication Date: August 2, 2016 Genre: Paranormal Romance In the new Carpathian novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan, a woman falls prey to the seductive allure of the past—and a vampire warrior’s intoxicating embrace… The moment Charlotte Vintage walks into his club, Tariq Asenguard’s blood is set on fire. The ancient Carpathian had given up hope of finding his lifemate, but now he will do anything to make Charlotte his own. What Tariq doesn’t know is that Charlotte is using herself and her best friend as bait—to try to draw out the bloodthirsty killers who have already murdered Charlotte’s brother and mentor. Charlotte is familiar with Tariq. Not only is he one of the richest and most eligible bachelors in the city, but he’s also a renowned collector of old carousel horses, which Charlotte restores. Their shared passion opens Charlotte up to trusting him with her life and with the desire she can no longer control. But it also makes her vulnerable to a centuries-old curse that will unite her and Tariq in a war against the enemies of humans and Carpathians alike… Wow! This is a hot, sexy Carpathian story…did I mention sexy? The story held me riveted to my Kindle, wondering just where the story would lead me next. I do have to mention that it is a rather dark story, mixed with fear, depression and horrible situations. It seemed different than the other books for those reasons, and I can’t stop deciding if I loved it for the darkness or am bothered by it. Even though it wove the design for new heroes and villains, it held true to its Carpathian roots. I loved it and can only imagine where it will go next. *Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review. Kindle | Amazon HBK | B&N | iTunes Read Chapter 1 of Dark Carousel: http://www.christinefeehan.com/dark_carousel/chapter1.php Dark Carousel by Christine Feehan Book Trailer https://youtu.be/TU31o5idyxc via @YouTube #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan has over 40 novels published, including four series. Each of her four series has hit #1 on the NY Times. Her debut novel Dark Prince received 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature for 1999. Since then she has been published by Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards. She is pleased to have made numerous bestseller lists including the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Bookscan, B. Daltons, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, Waldenbooks, Ingrams, Borders, Rhapsody Book Club, Washington Post, and Walmart. She has received numerous honors throughout her career including being a nominee for the RWA’s RITA. She has received a Career Achievement Award from Romantic Times and the Borders 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award. She has been published in multiple languages and in many formats, including large print, palm pilot, e-book, and hardcover. In October of 2007 her first manga comic, Dark Hunger was released in stores. This was the first ever manga comic released by Berkley Publishing and it made #11 on Publisher’s Weekly Bestseller’s List. Her ground-breaking book trailer commercials have been shown on TV and in the movie theaters. She has been featured on local TV, appeared on the The Montel Williams Show, and her book Dark Legend was featured on the cover of Romantic Times Magazine. Christine Feehan has also appeared at numerous writers’ conventions and book signings including: Romantic Times Convention, Get Caught Reading at Sea Cruise, Celebrate Romance Conference, Emerald City Conference, and numerous Romance Writers of America Conferences.

Young Kate by Christopher P. Andersen Download PDF EPUB FB2 Her father, Dr. Thomas Hepburn, was a pioneer in venereal disease prevention. When readers finally meet young Kate halfway through the book, she is a tomboy, as feisty as her suffragette mother. Her older brother's suicide and the agonies of her first college year are experiences about which young adults will Young Kate book with : Christopher P. Andersen. Young Kate book. Read 6 reviews from the world's largest community for readers/5. Kate Young. Home Books About Contact Peach Cove Marygene Brown's Baking Playlist New & Upcoming Books. Plenty of red herrings and a touch of the paranormal add zip to this entertaining cozy. ~ Kirkus. AVAILABLE IN Mass Market Paperback, Ebook, and Audiobook Young Kate book Sass and a. YOUNG KATE (Delta Book) Paperback – January 1, by Christopher Anderson (Author) See all 8 formats and editions Hide other formats and editions. Price New from Used from Hardcover "Please retry" $ $ $ Paperback "Please retry" Author: Christopher Anderson. Sheer delight as Andersen excavates the lives of Katharine Houghton Hepburn's grandparents (the Houghtons) and parents and Kate's early years up to graduation from Bryn Mawr, with the family always in foreground. This is a book that will win many hearts as it lays bare the divine chemistry of the Hepburn family that coalesced in Kate herself. Andersen began by interviewing Kate's younger. Life has always been sweet on Georgia’s Peach Cove Island, but a case of murder has Marygene Brown down in the pits For generations, the women of the Brown family on Peach Cove Island have been known for their Southern sass and sweet homemade desserts at. I've been waiting for this book for a while, ever since I came across Kate Young's work online and, in particular, the moment where she made breakfast rolls as inspired by The School at the Chalet by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer. What more perfect an aim could one wish for then a cookbook inspired by literary foods?/5. Kate Young is an award-winning food writer and cook. A dedicated bookworm, Kate's reading inspires her in the kitchen, and after mastering the treacle tart from Harry Potter, Kate started blogging about her creations. She was named Blogger of the Year in by the Guild of Food Writers. Private is a series of young-adult novels by American author Kate Brian, beginning with 's inaugural entry of the same books chronicle the rise of ambitious teenager Reed Brennan, the series' narrator, as she becomes a member of her new school's elite dorm—composed of a glamorous yet disparate group of teens known as the Billings : Kate Brian. Buy The Little Library Cookbook 01 by Kate Young (ISBN: ) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders/5(50). Food inspired by literature. Cakes. Desserts. Sweets. And Books. Find a new world at your fingertips with our wide selection of books online at Barnes & Noble®. Our online bookstore features the best books, eBooks, and audiobooks from bestselling authors, so you can click through our aisles to browse top titles & genres for adults, teens, and kids. Kate Young. K likes. This is the official Facebook fan page of author, Kate Young, and her books. : K. You can book Kate Young on GlossGenius. You can book Kate Young on GlossGenius. Kate Young. Clear All. Book 0 service. Choose one of my specialties. Select a Category. This is a balayage that also needs a darker (root) color added into hair and blended in/pulled down. Also applies to root retouch covering grays and a balayage. Looking for books by Kate Young. See all books authored by Kate Young, including Southern Sass and Killer Cravings, and Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse, and more on View the profiles of people named Kate Young. Join Facebook to connect with Kate Young and others you may know. Facebook gives people the power to share. Fallen is the first novel in the Fallen series written by Lauren is a young adult, fantasy, paranormal romance published in under Delacorte novel revolves around a young girl named Lucinda Price who is sent to Sword & Cross Reform School in Savannah, Georgia, after she is accused of murdering a boy by starting a the reform school, she meets Daniel, a handsome boy Author: Lauren Kate. The young hero in the first instalment of The Book of Dust has much to lose – Kate Young on a warming dish with all the comforts of home Published: 24 Nov Novel recipes: rice pudding from. Get this from a library. Young Kate. [Christopher P Andersen] -- Andersen excavates the lives of Katharine Houghton Hepburn's grandparents (the Houghtons) and parents and Kate's early years up to graduation from Bryn Mawr, with the family always in foreground. About Lauren Kate: After being raised in the Dallas Texas area and then attending the University of California where she earned a Master’s Degree in Fiction, the young author, Lauren Kate, has quickly become an internationally bestselling author. She writes young adult fiction novels and her books have been translated into over thirty languages. Kate Young writes Southern mystery novels. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Guppy Chapter. Kate lives in a small town in Georgia with her husband, three kids, and Shih Tzu. When she is not writing her own books, she's reading or cooking. Genres: Cozy Mystery. Kate Young cooks and bakes food inspired by her favourite works of fiction. This is her blog, recipes included, as part of the Guardian Books Network. You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Kate Young. Kate Young is an Australian-born, London-based food writer and cook. After moving to the UK inshe started her blog,which now has readers all over the world and is regularly featured in the Guardian. Click through to see 55 photos of Kate Middleton from her pre-royal life, from childhood to a college meeting with her future husband, and much : Jennifer Algoo. The Little Library Year takes you through a full twelve months in award-winning food writer Kate Young's kitchen. Here are frugal January meals enjoyed alone with a classic comfort read, as well as summer feasts to be eaten outdoors with the perfect beach read to hand.5/5(1). Kate DiCamillo is an author whose children's books often confront themes of death and loss. She won a Newbery Medal in for The Tale of Despereaux (). (–)Born: Young Kate. [Christopher P Andersen] Home. WorldCat Home About WorldCat Help. Search. Search for Library Items Search for Lists Search for Contacts Search for a Library. Create # PRO Gotham Book Mart (former owner) (Gotham Book Mart Collection copies 1 & 2). A book for children by Elizabeth Jenner, Kate Wilson & Nia Roberts Consultant: Professor Graham Medley Professor of Infectious Disease Modelling, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Illustrated by Axel Scheffler Nosy Crow made this book quickly, to meet the needs of children and their families. No one involved was paid anything for. Fanfiction archives under section: Books. Come and rediscover your favorite shows with fellow fans. Kate Young Kate Young is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Guppy Chapter. She is married and the mother of three. She lives in a small town in Georgia and when she is not writing her own books, she’s reading or cooking. Kate Williams is the author of the New York Times bestseller Becoming Queen Victoria, which was the inspiration for the Academy Award-winning film The Young Victoria, starring Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. She is also the author of Ambition&Desire, a biography of Josephine : Pegasus Books.Kate DiCamillo has a great talent for presenting some of life s most sensitive questions to young readers. Her characters struggle with tough issues -- abandonment, death in the family, making new friends, forgiveness -- but with a sense of humor and honesty that carries her audience beyond this struggle, and toward inspiration.Arianne Lewin Executive Editor. Arianne Lewin is an Executive Editor at G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group. Since joining Penguin Random House inArianne has acquired and edited the work of the Geisel Award-winning picture book author/illustrator Ethan Long; middle-grade and young adult fiction from New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins; and Rick.

- Poster presentation - Open Access Predicting fluid responsiveness in ICU patients: comparison of different parameters and cutoff limits using pulse power analysis assessment Critical Care volume 19, Article number: P180 (2015) Dynamic parameters are becoming standard for fluid responsiveness assessment. Cutoff values are different in the literature. The aim was to assess the accuracy of different preload parameters to predict fluid responsiveness using pulse power analysis and to compare different levels of hemodynamic response due to passive leg raising (PLR) against the effect of a fluid challenge (FC). A prospective study in a 17-bed mixed ICU. Patients were fully ventilated and CO monitored with LiDCOplus® and underwent a FC due to hypotension and/or hypoperfusion and preload dependence (SVV and/or PPV >10%). PLR was performed before FC. Hemodynamic data were recorded prePLR, postPLR and postFC with 0.5 l crystalloids. We compared different cutoff values of increase in CO and SV (10 to 15%) to assess the ability of PLR, SVV, PPV and CVP to predict the response to FC. Statistical analysis: continuous variables expressed as mean ± SD. Comparison before and after was done using a paired Student's t test, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated by varying the discriminating threshold of each variable. Thirty-one patients were included. Baseline parameters: MAP 70.5 mmHg (SD 13.3) 87% under catecholamine, SV 55.32 ml (SD 20.2), CO 5.2 l (SD 2), SVV 16.8% (SD 12), PPV 19.1% (SD 14), HR 96 bpm (SD 18) and CVP 9.2 mmHg (SD 2.5). In total, 41.9% of patients increased 15% CO after FC (selected as responders), 38.7% after the PLR. Differences in responders versus nonresponder patients were: baseline SVV (23.9 vs. 11.6; P = 0.02) and PPV (28.4 vs. 12.4; P = 0.01). Differences in SV and CO were not statistically significant. The best parameter to predict positive response to FC was PLR with cutoff 12.6% for CO increase: sensitivity 84.6% (95% CI = 65 to 104), specificity 94.4% (95% CI = 84 to 105) and AU ROC 0.94 (95% CI = 0.86 to 1.0). ROC was also good for SVV 0.835 (95% CI = 0.66 to 1.0; P = 0.002) and PPV 0.833 (95% CI = 0.681 to 0.985; P = 0.002) in this cutoff value. In SV increase, PLR, SVV and PPV had P < 0.05, but with worse ROC. In addition, SVV <13% identified patients who will not increase MAP with FC: sensitivity 91.7% (95% CI = 76 to 107.3%), negative predictive value 93.5 (95% CI = 80.7 to 106). CVP failed to distinguish responders from nonresponders. Our results support the idea that a reversible FC (PLR; CO cutoff 12.6%) is best at identifying responder patients to a FC. Dynamic parameters (SVV/PPV) are also effective when appropriate. Beat-tobeat SV and CO using pulse power analysis is a valid tool for these tests. About this article Cite this article Barrasa, H., Maynar, J., Castaño, S. et al. Predicting fluid responsiveness in ICU patients: comparison of different parameters and cutoff limits using pulse power analysis assessment. Crit Care 19, P180 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/cc14260 - Receiver Operating Characteristic - Dynamic Parameter - Hemodynamic Response - Fluid Responsiveness - Baseline Parameter

By D. Frederick Sparks While white atheist characters have been far from a mainstay in popular television and film, the list of fictitious white atheists in television and film include Eleanor Anne Arroway in the movie Contact, Michael Stivic on the celebrated sitcom All in the Family, Gregory House on the medical drama House, Mr. Big on Sex and The City, Brenda Chenowith on Six Feet Under, Tyler Durden in the film Fight Club, and a least a dozen others. Portrayals of black atheists have been even fewer and further between. Carl Dixon, played by venerable actor Moses Gunn, appeared in Season 4 of the popular 70s urban sitcom Good Times, which focused on the Evans family and their struggles in the projects of Chicago. Carl employed Michael Evans, the youngest son of Florida Evans (Esther Rolle), at his repair shop. Florida is shocked when Michael reveals to her that, like Dixon, he does not believe in God. When Florida tells Michael that there is a loving, merciful God, Michael replies “If He’s so merciful why we are still living in the ghetto?” After confronting Dixon and convincing him that an impressionable Michael is probably parroting Dixon’s nonbelief, Dixon tells Michael that he need not be an atheist in order for the two to be friends. In true sitcom fashion, the intelligent Michael’s skepticism automatically evaporates. Dixon, a war veteran and responsible business owner, eventually falls in love with and marries Florida Evans. Rolle left the show after the end of Season 4 over dissatisfaction with the buffoonish portrayal of Jimmie Walker’s character J.J., and the characters of Florida and Carl were referred to as having moved to Arizona. When Rolle returned for the show’s final 6th season, part of her demands were that the Dixon character be written off because Rolle felt it was inconsistent that a woman with such strong Christian convictions as Florida would ever marry an atheist man. Dixon was never referred to again. Ice Cube’s character DoughBoy in John Singleton’s hit 1991 film Boyz in The Hood presents a very different face of black nonbelief. Doughboy’s troubles with the law start as a child and result in his repeated incarceration. He also struggles to gain his mother’s love and affection, who favors his brother Ricky (in part because of her feelings about her sons’ different fathers). While hanging out on Crenshaw with friends, Doughboy asserts his nonbelief based on the Argument from Evil: “There ain't no God. If there was a God, why He be letting motherfuckers get smoked every night?- Babies and little kids, tell me that.” Contrasted with the character of Carl Dixon, it may be easy to dismiss DoughBoy’s atheism as dysfunctional ghetto nihilism. Yet Singleton in his Academy Award nominated screenplay felt that it was important for Doughboy’s views on God to be expressed. Reality television has also featured a few black atheists. Atheist activist, blogger and podcaster Reginald Finley, aka The Infidel Guy, appeared on a 2005 episode of ABC’s Wife Swap, in which his (also) atheist wife Amber traded places with the wife of a pastor. The 23rd season of MTV’s The Real World (DC) featured Ty Ruff, a self described atheist who called religion a crutch and felt that most God believers were narrow minded. Though there are more portrayals of black nonbelievers and skeptics in literature and other art forms, popular film and television (for better or worse) perhaps has a greater potential to shape public consciousness. The increased acceptance of gays and lesbians is no doubt in large part due to personal interactions in everyday life. But portrayals in popular culture which help “normalize” gays and lesbians for viewers who may not have had any exposure also contribute. More frequent portrayals of black atheists, particularly in balanced ways, can serve as part of an iterative process, in which these representations both influence and reflect changes in attitudes towards black non-believers. Black nonbelievers should work to get their representations out there and support others who do. And more black female atheists characters would be nice too. Have I missed any?D. Frederick Sparks is an attorney living in Los Angeles.

The Italian Renaissance was a period of great achievement that produced very influential masterworks that directly affects society today. The masterworks created by the genius artists during this time period are all greatly influenced by the philosophy of Humanism. Humanism of the Italian Renaissance was an education reform based off the idea that humans are the primary importance and centered on human’s values, capacities, and worth (Eugenio 534). This theory gives the knowledge necessary for a human being to be successful.This educational reform of Humanism was led by scholars, writers and civic leaders who are today known as humanists (Eugenio 534). Shaped by the philosophy of humanism, masterworks of literature and artwork from the Italian Renaissance demonstrate important practices, those practices of which set the foundation of the successful citizens in society today. Italian Renaissance literature uses two aspects of Humanism that are practiced today in successful citizens: the use of proper grammar and persuasion.Humanist writers not only taught how to master these skills through their writing, but also why they are important. Lorenzo Valla is one of the most important humanist writers from the Italian Renaissance that explained the use of good grammar in his writings (Eugenio 535). His Elegantiae linguae Latinae, was a handbook that explained the importance of word diction and how much more successful one can become just by improving their vocabulary (Eugenio 535).His writings of word diction make an influence on the citizens of today’s society as one can easily observe that individuals with a great vocabulary tend to be sophisticated. Many can easily conclude that those with intelligence have a higher success rate than those who are not intelligent; therefore the use of good grammar is practiced by those interested in obtaining success. Francesco Filelfo is another Italian humanist writer whose literature is very influential as it explains how to use grammar correctly. He explains the importance of this practice through his numerous letters, speeches and satire (Burke).A prime example of one his masterpieces that explains grammar is the well known, History of Italian Literature (Burke). The use of proper grammar stems from Italian Renaissance literature and is practiced by all successful citizens today. It gives one the knowledge to speak and write properly in their everyday lives, which are important concepts that one needs to master in order to become successful. Humanists wanted to create citizens who were able to speak expressively and write well, and thus be capable of participating in the civic life of their communities.Similarly to the proper use of grammar, the use of persuasion originating in literary pieces of the Italian Renaissance is second aspect of humanism that, when used correctly, allows citizens in our society prove a point successfully. Literary pieces using persuasion during the Italian Renaissance was commonly found in poetry. Dante Alighieri is often considered one of the best Italian poets and is best known for his persuasive epic poem “The Divine Comedy” (Dante Alighieri).Like many persuasive poets during this time period, Dante addresses both sides to a controversial topic, and then convinces the reader to consider his point to be right (Dante Alighieri). Fancesco Petarca was another influential persuasive poet of the Italian Renaissance. He is famous for his emotional sonnets to his lady love (Francesco Petrarca). His sonnets were based off of persuasion as they tried to win over his love to be his (Francesco Petrarca). Persuasion is an important practice to a successful citizens because it can be found almost anywhere humans can be found.Parents, students, teachers, politicians, sales persons, and others use persuasion in their everyday lives. For example mass media from magazines, radio, newspaper, and television all thrive on persuasion through their advertisement. Persuasion is a practice of almost all successful careers of citizens, which was originally demonstrated through literary masterworks in the Italian Renaissance. In contrast to literature, artwork of the Italian Renaissance is the other half that set the foundation of successful citizens in our society today through the practice of two values of humanism: individuality and the revelation of real emotion. Renaissance artwork was all about paying attention to these two qualities of human beings. The idea of individuality is shown by artist Michelangelo as he incorporates humanism in his art masterpiece titled “David” (Janson 486). The legend behind Michelangelo’s “David” is that the character David wants to conquer a nine-foot tall giant in order to set himself apart from the rest of the people and show his unique characteristics of pride, strength and rebellion (Janson 486). This sculpture shows a man that is independent and strong as he makes a choice that sets him out to be unique.This piece by Michelangelo demonstrates the success of individuality as David uses his own special talents and skills to accomplish something, in this case defeating a monster. Sandro Botticelli is another artist of the Italian renaissance whose goal was to show individualism in his masterpieces by clearly showing the different personalities of each person in his paintings (Bush). His painting titled “Primavera” shows eight different characters in one painting each with different motives and different personalities (Bush). The uniqueness of each character is stressed in this masterpiece as the main purpose of the painting.Individuality is used all through Italian renaissance art, revealing it as an important quality that makes ones own position in this world unique. Individuality is practiced by successful citizens as they use their special abilities for a certain purpose and to actively participate in making an influence in their community. Along with individuality, the second value of Italian art that influenced successful citizens today is the humanist theory of revealing true emotions. This theory of expressing one’s true emotions is shown through much of the artwork in the Italian renaissance, such as the works of Giotto and Leonardo da Vinci.Giotto is considered the first artist that drew accurately from life (Johnson). His famous painting “Joachim Takes Refuge in the Wilderness” shows characters with real emotions in a realistic setting (Johnson). Although this scene would not be considered happy, he still portrays life realistically. Giotto drew life accurately while demonstrating how expressing true emotion is a positive practice. Those who are fake and hide their sad emotions live in denial and go no where in life, while those who show their true emotions can make positive change as they take others advice.Leonardo da Vinci also incorporates the humanist idea of showing real emotion in his masterpieces. His famous masterpiece titled “The Last Supper” is painting of Jesus at his last supper with people around him, with every person in the painting not smiling besides Jesus (Janson 487). Each person looks anxious or concerned and shows their real emotions instead of pretending to be happy. Leonardo wants to show how real people act and feel through his paintings (Janson 488). Giotto and Leonardo aim to portray the world realistically in a natural state in their artwork, with people showing real emotions.This Italian Renaissance humanist idea of showing true emotions and not hiding how one truly feel is a practiced by successful citizens as they express their real emotions daily and learn from them. Italian artwork exposes true emotions, even if they are not necessarily happy. Success is a product from making necessary changes. Addressing true emotion can lead to positive change; thus building a more successful citizen. Humanism greatly influenced the masterworks of the Italian Renaissance, which centered on the Humanist’s belief that human beings have a high potential for success.Formed by this philosophy, masterworks of literature and artwork from the Italian Renaissance demonstrate important practices followed by individuals, those practices of which set the foundation for the many successful citizens in our society today. The two humanist aspects of proper grammar and use of persuasion, originated in Italian Renaissance literature . The two humanist aspects individuality and expressing real emotions originated in Italian Renaissance artwork. The Italian Renaissance should forever be remembered and recognized as a time period that produced diverse masterworks powerful enough to influence the standards of our society

For the past two years I’ve been reading all the nominations and guessing (correctly) the winner of the NZ Post Children’s Book Awards in the Young Adult category. So this year I thought I would give it another go. This year there seems to be a lot of similarity between the titles with lots of fantasy and science fiction. Guardian of the Dead is set very much in Christchurch pre-quake and what starts off like a school romance story quickly becomes more surreal as the characters become embroiled in Māori mythology that turns out to be a more literal explanation of the world than perhaps one suspected. With witches, monsters, gods, blood-thirsty faerie folk and a somewhat bizarre romance, this is derivative teen fiction with a Māori theme. It is very readable and I would certainly recommend it to teenagers – but after describing our beautiful and gloriously gaudy Peacock fountain as “a monstrosity” it can’t possibly get my vote to win! Maurice Gee’s Limping Man is the third part of the Salt trilogy, the first of which won the award in 2008, I must confess to not getting very far with this. A world with an evil enigmatic powerful villain and heroes with strange supernatural powers sounds thrilling but it all got a bit tedious – it seemed to lack the pace and page turning suspense of a great Young Adult novel. The opposite could be said for Smiling Jack – devoured voraciously in one sitting. A whodunit in a small town with a bizarre religious sect, a mysterious bottomless pit, missing gold bullion and bodies turning up all over town. This had great pace and kept you guessing right til the end. My only quibble was weak and unrealistic characterisation which didn’t really ruin the plot but did make the story less believable. The two other contenders – Ebony Hill and Fierce September, I have blogged about previously – both of these are part two books (I would recommend reading part one of both first) and both excellent reads. However, both are slightly ruined in this competition by their similarity to each other. But of the two I found Fierce September more enjoyable, and probably my favourite of all the nominees. So who will win? I’m really not sure. The Guardian of the Dead has the strongest New Zealand theme which sets it apart from other international literature, something important in a New Zealand-only contest and something the judges may well go for. However, I would really like Fleur Beale’s Fierce September to win – she was also nominated in 2009 and 2010 with excellent titles Juno of Taris and The End of the Alphabet beaten only by an outstanding other entry each time (The 10pm Question and The Crossing). So this time I’ll go with my heart and pick Fierce September, the results will be revealed Wednesday evening. But what do you think? In the world of NZ young adult fiction, there seems to be a bit of a common theme – future dystopias involving girls trapped (and escaping) from islands. This year’s New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards’ young adult finalists include two such titles: Ebony Hill and Fierce September. Both these books are sequels – because I hadn’t read The Sea-Wreak Stranger, I tried it first before reading Ebony Hill – back to back on a rainy Sunday. They are those kind of books – the ones that you can’t put down and merely grunt at your partner when he presents you with a cup of tea. Fierce September the sequel to Juno of Taris – a finalist in the 2009 awards. I read it a while back and is another great book. I will find it hard to choose between it and Ebony Hill. Both books are set in a near future where (mis)use of technology has caused planetary-wide devastation and the feisty non-conforming heroines escape from a small island run by corrupt rulers. In both books they find an outside world also suffering from problems and corruption. Last year The Crossing (where a feisty young heroine in near-future dystopia escapes from a Pacific island) won the award. The sequel, Into The Wilderness, has not been nominated, but the finale – Resurrection is already in the library. This is a far darker trilogy – the horrors of the island are more extreme – but in my opinion an even better read than this year’s nominees. So far I am going to be at a loss to make a choice, but there are three more nominated titles to read: The awards ceremony is on the 18 May and children can vote for their own favourite, the Children’s Choice Award. P.S. Another book with this theme – Exodus – is not a NZ title but possibly my favourite of all. Making a name for yourself as a musician can be difficult in little ol’ New Zealand, and anyone wanting to earn any real money from it usually has to take the tour bus on international roads. However, it’s not all bad news. The Internet is helping spread the word about our diverse Kiwi music scene. New Zealand-made films and television series are always keen to promote New Zealand music too, creating soundtracks brimming with lots of sweet-as local acts. But how much do you hear of New Zealand outside New Zealand? There’s been several instances where I’ve been watching an American film or television series and suddenly recognised a Kiwi song in the soundtrack. It’s one of those moments where my chest swells with pride; my beloved Aotearoa is once again on the map because of its talented citizens. It feels good to know people all over the world get a chance to listen to some great New Zealand tunes. Home-grown music made world-famous by Hollywood - Two songs by Christchurch musicians feature in the American Pie movies – Sway by Bic Runga (American Pie) and Renegade Fighter by Zed (American Pie 2); - Minuit can be heard on two popular TV shows – Aotearoa plays briefly on Bones (Season 6, Episode 12) and I’m Still Dancing was used on Grey’s Anatomy (Season 6, Episode 13); - The soundtrack to the film A Room with a View includes two Italian songs sung by Kiri Te Kanawa; - Evermore’s track It’s Too Late got a lot of airplay once it was featured on The O.C.; - And Crowded House made it onto the Reality Bites soundtrack with their song Locked Out. What other New Zealand artists have you randomly stumbled across while watching a movie or TV show made overseas?

John Maerhofer is an educator and activist based in New York City. He teaches writing studies and literature at Hofstra University. He is involved in prison abolition and migrant labor rights in the greater NYC area. His articles have appeared in Cultural Logic, South Atlantic Quarterly, International Critical Thought, LeftEast, and Monthly Review Online. Among his current projects, he’s working on a book on the long counter-revolution from the 1970’s to the present.

A summary of Michel Foucault’s work on identity, deviance and normality, governmentality, subjectification and technologies of the self, taken from Steph Lawler’s ‘Identity’ (2014) – also includes Nikolas Rose’s development of Foucault’s work. If there’s one central idea in this chapter (IMO) it’s this – ‘In today’s society, we have little choice but to be tied into a project of the self in which the self becomes something to be worked on – and it is in this way that power works through us.’ Becoming ourselves: governing and/ through identities In the contemporary West it is hard to avoid the idea that the self is a project to be worked on. We see this everywhere, but especially in self-help books, therapy, the various experts promising to guide us through different stages of our lives and, of course, in the media: in chat-shows and ‘make-over’ programmes for example. All of this is presented as freeing, as if working on the self involves freeing us of the oppressive influences of others. What Nikolas Rose calls the ‘norm of autonomy’ has become an orthodoxy in many discussions about identity – but we should consider the argument that when we are incited to be ‘free’, we are then the most enmeshed in in the workings of power – the relationship of the self to itself within a contemporary project of self-actualisation, self-awareness and self-improvement has become a norm which ties us to relentless self-scrutiny, in which we watch ourselves for signs of deviancy and wrong doing. We can only perceive such a project of the self as being about autonomy if we perceive power as a repressive and denying force. An alternative perspective, associated with Michel Foucault, envisages power as a force which works positively through our desires and our selves, which sees categories of subject as produced through forms of knowledge. (A legitimate question to ask would be why are we so obsessed with the idea of individual autonomy when we live such complex, interdependent lives.) The Enlightenment view = ‘knowledge is power’ – if we obtain knowledge this will free us from the workings of power. This assumes a true self which lies outside or beyond power and self-knowledge, realised through reason. Foucault – opposes the view that knowledge is power – one of the ways in which power works is through producing ‘truths’ about the world. These truths come to seem obvious, necessary and self-evident, they form part of the coherence of the social world and place the self within it. Foucault argues that there has been a gradual shift in the uses and forms of power in the last 150 years in the West – From juridical, or law-like power – which uses the language of rights and obligations. To forms of normalising, or regulatory power – which uses the language of health, normality and self-fulfilment. Juridical power says ‘obey me or you will be punished’, regulatory power says ‘obey me so that you can be happy’. This is a form of power which doesn’t rely on coercion, but one in which we scrutinise and regulate ourselves, the self comes to act on itself. For Foucault, power is at its most powerful when it is its least repressive – power works not just though denying but through offering ways of being and pleasure. As Tom Inglis puts it – ‘power announces truth’ – its truths are forged on the basis of knowledge, but this refers not to knowledge about a set of facts but rather to what might be termed ways of knowing, or in Foucauldian terms discourse. Discourses define what can be said and thought, and how these things can be said and thought. – they are verbal or non-verbal ways of organising the world, creating ways of conceptualising that are seen as axiomatically obvious – they are epistemological enforcers (Said, 1991). (I guess they’re sort of like paradigms!) An example of a discourse today is to understand present emotional problems as stemming from a troubled childhood, rather than because you’ve been cursed by a witch-doctor – the later would just not be taken seriously, it is outside of the discourse of understanding negative emotions. Discourse differs to the concept of ideology because ideology presupposes a real which is beyond ideology which the ideology obscures – to speak of discourses is to speak of the knowledges which produce the truth. Foucault, in fact talks of the politics of truth. What this line of questioning opens up is the possibility that who we and who other people are is an effect of what we know ourselves and others to be, that it is discourses which have produced categories of person and that this is how we understand ourselves. Making people up A good example of how categories of people are produced can be found in the way many Westerners think about sexuality – many people don’t just think of sex as something they do, they think of sex as something they are. Foucault argues that this way of brining together sexuality and identity is relatively recent. In the 19th century, same-sex relations occurred, but there was no special consideration given to ‘being homosexual’. It was throughout the 20th century, along with the new pseudo-science of Sexology in which people categorised the minutiae of sexual activity, that the category of the homosexual became created as a subject, and thus the identity of the homosexual was produced (or you might say, invented/ constructed). Alongside this, the category of heterosexual also needed to be produced, because homosexuality has no meaning without it. These new categories of knowledge in fact produced what they aimed to describe – categories of person. Foucault wants to challenge the ‘sexual liberation’ discourse – especially the idea that new apparent sexual freedoms bring with them an absence of power and control. With increased interest in sexuality in the 20th century came new forms of scrutiny as more experts emerged – and while the invention of sexual subjects has clearly been liberating for some, it has also become a means whereby we increasingly scrutinise ourselves for signs of abnormality and unhealthiness. This legacy goes beyond sexual identity to extend into every area of our lives and our identities. Technologies of the self One way in which power works is through categorising people in terms through which they come to understand themselves – in this sense subjectivities are created in regimes of knowledge and power. In explaining the relationship of the self to itself, Foucault uses the term subjectification. There are two meanings of the word subject – subject to someone else through control and dependence and tied to one’s own identity by a conscience or self-knowledge. Both meanings suggest a form of power which subjugates and makes subject to, according to Foucault. Through subjectification, people become tied to specific identities, they become subjects, but they also become subject-ed to the rules and norms engendered by a set of knowledges about these identities. We have little choice but to be tied into a project of the self in which the self becomes something to be worked on – and it is in this way that power works through us. We are subjected subjects across many forms of identity – parent, worker, citizen, for example, all of which demand a level of scrutiny to maintain. The way government works today is through establishing normal-abnormal categories along these various dimensions of identity and then people employ technologies of the self in order to stay within the boundaries of normality (usually) – (the struggle is to keep up, or stay ahead, if you like!) Psy knowledge, expertise and authority Psy knowledges includes such disciplines as medicine, psychiatry, psychology and pedagogy, which produce ‘truths’ about the self and its relation to others. These have gained ascendancy in the West, especially since these knowledges have escaped the boundaries of academia and inform a whole of host of professional practices (social work and teaching for example) and our daily lives through such things as chat-shows and gossip magazines. Nikolas Rose argues that it is hard to conceive of person-hood today without reference to ‘psy.’ Psy governs through using regulatory or normalising power – not working in spite of our desires, but through them – and generating specific kinds of desire in the first place. This process started about 150 years ago through the development of ‘technologies of responsibilisation’ – when the home became perceived as the counterweight to the state, new experts in the fields of medicine and education emerged to regulate private life – and these experts govern through making assertions about the way we should act as subjects, which go largely unquestioned. Over the years subjects have come to understand themselves as people who should be morally responsible for their own actions by monitoring the minutiae of daily-life – two examples of how this is achieved in the context of education are the teaching of English literature in schools and more recently circle time – both of which encourage the development of a self-reflecting, moral, responsibilised subject. The norm of autonomy and the scrutiny of the soul Rose argues that we now live in a psychotherapeutic society in which the self is understood as an inner state, to be sought out, understood, and actualised. This doesn’t so much manifest itself as narcissism, but is rather something we are stuck with – most of us can’t imagine attempting to understand ourselves without the discourses of psy. Therapy has now become the norm for many areas of social life – that is reflecting on inner states is seen to be a cure for all sorts of social ills. Rose’s task is show how this therapeutic culture which stresses autonomy actually ties us more closely to the workings of power. Foucault suggested that abnormal and normal manifestations of sex became axes around which people’s behaviour could be judged – Rose has broadened this out – now it is not normality which is the goal, but rather autonomy, and he applies this to much more than the sexual dimension of identities. We live in an era where dependency now means pathology – but the path to autonomy means adhering to the strictures of psy expertise and watching and monitoring ourselves more closely. Rose argues that there are four principle sets of concern around the goal of autonomy: - A subjectification of work – work is understood as significant in terms of identity - A pyschologisation of the mundane – life events such as marriages and births are seen as having a potentially transformative role in life. - A therapeutics of fininitude – chapters in our life ending are now seen as times of potential danger but also possibility for personal growth. - A neurotisation of social intercourse – social ills have come to be understood in terms of problems stemming from the ways we interact with others. Across these four dimensions, we see the production of a particular kind of self – ideally autonomous, self-actualising, exercising choice, and a project to be worked on. For Rose, in a therapeutised culture, social ills become personal problems to be worked on. We are not necessarily free, because we are now obliged to live our lives as projects. The state of the therapeutic States still exercise regulatory, normalising power through the deployment of expertise. This is most notable in expert knowledge surrounding the child. The state takes a special interest in producing the right kind of citizen – citizens who believe themselves to be free and who believe there are equal opportunities. This is primarily done through exploiting the desire of parents to be ‘good parents’, especially mothers. For example: – parents are enjoined to turn learning into play – they should evoke reason and rightness – states employ numerous professionals which subject parenting to scrutiny Parents are encouraged to engender a sense of autonomy in their children, but this autonomy is a myth – the belief that children can do anything will not reduce structural barriers to their achieving certain goals in life. The state also retains its ability to use coercive measures, though these are rarely deployed, such as: – parenting orders – parenting contracts – Those who are subjected to these things fall into the category of ‘failed parent’ (or ‘failed human’) and if people are subject to these things, the failures are understood as their own or their parents’ fault, not because of social ills. The discourses of psy rest on these categories of exclusion. Resisting these discourses is not straightforward – Foucault offers no straightforward method, other than to constantly question the desirability and legitimacy of such categories. Evaluations of this perspective The strength of this perspective lies in highlighting the myth of individual autonomy and the fact that your ‘identity’ isn’t really your own – you are a product of social categories, which in turn are products of power relations. One problem is that this perspective cannot explain why people make such intense investments in their selves. Lawler finishes the chapter by recommending Barry Smart’s ‘Michel Foucault’ (1985) and Michele Barret’s ‘The Politics of Truth: From Marx to Foucault’ (1991) as good introductions to Foucault’s work.

While our grandchildren were here we visited The Book Barn. Grandpa gave Kat his card (it keeps track of how much credit we have for books sold to them) and she found an armful of books in the Book Barn Downtown branch, where the children’s books are now kept. Grandpa carried her in and out of the store and she hobbled around on her own while browsing the stacks. Then we headed up to the main and largest location where Grandpa and Kat sat in the car reading while Grammy and Mommy took Finn out to play and see the goats. I kept thinking the playset needed a good cleaning and a fresh coat of paint. Larisa didn’t think the swing felt safe and I was worried about splinters from the wood. A few days later we learned that the playset had been dismantled after our visit. They’re looking into finding something to replace it. We are saddened to report that we have had to lay to rest our beloved playset. It has served the kiddos well over the years! It’s been a kind and faithful playset to the Book Barn’s tiniest customers. May it be remembered fondly 💗 ~ The Book Barn (Facebook, May 24, 2021) When Katherine was the age Finn is now (2½), I took some pictures of her on one of our visits in North Carolina. It was fun looking back and comparing: into the mist. Kat’s foot is healing. She’s walking on it again, but not fast and no running or jumping yet. Looking forward to our next visit in the near future! 💕😊 Recently we spent a couple of hours at one of our favorite places, a used bookstore named the Book Barn, in the coastal village of Niantic, Connecticut. The Book Barn has three locations within a mile of each other, two are “downtown” and at the main site there is a huge barn full of books on three levels, surrounded by smaller structures which are also full of books. The complex houses about half a million books at any given moment. If one wants to sell books to the store she must take a number at “Ellis Island,” the receiving spot for new additions. We love to browse the endless stacks of books, pet the friendly resident cats, and read all the creative signs found in the gardens and on and around the buildings. As one might expect from book lovers, words are found everywhere: reminders, warnings, directions, suggestions, quips and puns. I feel the need of reading. It is a loss to a man not to have grown up among books… Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new after all. ~ Abraham Lincoln (Abraham Lincoln, a Man of Faith & Courage: Stories of Our Most Admired President) Of course we came home with an armful of interesting books to read! I may love my Kindle but will always have a special place in my heart for paperback and hardcover books!! The following video is a bit long, but the beginning of it offers a good idea about the look and feel of the place… When we have house guests, more often than not we wind up taking them on a little trip to one of our very favorite places, the Book Barn, a huge used bookstore, with two satellite stores, in Niantic, Connecticut. Most of our guests are eager bookworms and they come away impressed and smiling with arms full of books. Even more often we go, just the two of us. Today we made it there early, ahead of the rain, so now we’re back home and happily tucked in for a rainy afternoon. Lately I’ve felt like a dormant bookworm waking up from a long nap, like Rip Van Winkle, discovering that a lot has changed while I was dozing. I can’t believe how many books I’ve read the past couple of months and what sorts of things related to reading can be found on the Internet. Clicking around from blog to blog this past week I was amazed to find that there are more than a few blogs about books, just books, and there is a social network named GoodReads, and site called the Historical Fiction Network. Not to mention many websites devoted to some of my favorite authors. There will probably be a lot about books in the future of this blog, but I’m not going to limit myself to this subject. But for now, to celebrate my reading revival it seemed like a trip to the Book Barn was in order… When we go to the Book Barn we usually go our separate ways, Tim favoring science fiction and I love exploring historical fiction, among other things, like genealogy and consciousness. Greedy thing that I am, when we meet up my pile of books is usually higher than his, no matter how much I set out to come away with fewer books than he does… The store is actually a huge three-story barn and several smaller buildings and makeshift nooks and crannies surrounding it. Cats roam freely inside and outside. One can snuggle up in a chair with a cat if one so desires… Gardens filled with ornaments and baubles line the paths between the buildings. Two goats have an enclosure to themselves. The business even expanded to two “downtown” and “midtown” branches, ¾ and 1 mile away. When I was in ninth grade, many moons ago, I had a few “defining moments” about reading and writing that left an impression on me. My English teacher said that we would be spending a good part of the school year reading the Bible as literature. That kind of excited me because my father was an atheist so I knew nothing about the Bible, except that my maternal grandparents loved reading the same passages of it every night while they were separated and attending different colleges. Seemed very romantic to me! So in class we studied the Hebrew scriptures pretty thoroughly. When it came time to start on the Greek scriptures, to my shock and disbelief, the instructor announced that this part of the Bible was obviously written by delusional people so it wasn’t worth covering. Excuse me?? Our last weeks were spent studying science fiction, at which I turned up my nose. The teacher – don’t even remember her name – told me in no uncertain terms that science fiction was written by very intelligent people and enjoyed by very intelligent people. I was not convinced at that time, equating it with the trashy stuff it seemed my then boyfriend liked to read. Still can’t get into it much, although husband and sons and even daughter have tried to warm me up to it. And yes, they are all very intelligent! 🙂 I also took Creative Writing in ninth grade. Turned in a short story assignment and the teacher – can’t remember his name either – asked me to see him after class. He told me my short story was very well written and that I should consider becoming a writer! Couldn’t believe my ears! He also told me I should read a John Updike novel, because I had a similar writing style. Don’t remember which one I tried to read, but I disliked it. I couldn’t see the similarity in any way, shape, or form! Adults are so hard for confused ninth graders to figure out! When I was in tenth grade, we were living in Greece and I attended an international high school. When we were asked to write a short story, out of laziness, or maybe I really did want a second opinion, I turned in the same short story I wrote in ninth grade. Again it was praised, and this teacher wrote some very helpful comments about why she thought it was good, for which I am grateful, even if I still feel a little guilty about my deception. And the memory losses of middle age are sometimes hard to fathom. When my children were very small I read a James A. Michener novel, and I’ve been trying desperately all day to remember which one it was. None of them ring a bell of recognition. But I did read one and remember being very impressed when I learned how much meticulous research he used to do before writing each book. It was that book that made me realize how much I love the historical fiction genre and how much respect I have for the authors who do the research so thoroughly. Sigrid Undset comes to mind, and a book I couldn’t put down this past week, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, by Lisa See. Surely there are many others. I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions. ~ James A. Michener My darling husband startled me when, out of the blue, he explained to the owner of the Book Barn that I was taking these pictures for my blog. I wanted to crawl under a rock But the owner said, “That’s wonderful! We welcome the exposure!” So if you are ever close enough to make a trip, be sure to stop in! For more pictures, a slide show can be found on the Book Barn website.

Why is everyone so wrong 12 theories of how we became humans and why they are all wrong Man is a work of art! So far, everyone agrees. But what exactly lifts the homo sapiens from other animals, especially from monkeys, and when and how did our ancestors acquire that certain something? A wide variety of theories have emerged on this in the last century. However, some of them reveal more about the time in which they were set up than about human evolution. 1. We make tools: "It is the making of tools that makes us unique," wrote anthropologist Kenneth Oakley in an article in 1944. “Monkeys use found objects as tools,” he explains, “but shaping sticks and stones for specific purposes was the first recognizable human activity.” In the early 1960s, Louis Leakey wrote the beginning of toolmaking, and with it mankind , a species called Homo habilis ("Skillful man") who lived in East Africa around 2.8 million years ago. But researchers like Jane Goodall have now shown that chimpanzees also shape sticks for specific purposes, for example by removing the leaves to poke for insects in the ground. Even crows without hands are very skilled. 2. We are murderers: According to anthropologist Raymond Dart, our ancestors differed from monkeys in that they were known to be killers. Carnivorous creatures who "forcibly seized living victims, beat them to death, tore their destroyed bodies apart, removed limb by limb, quenched their cruel thirst with the warm blood of the victims and greedily devoured the raw flesh." It sounds like lurid junk literature, but after the terrible horrors of World War II, Dart's article on the "killer ape" theory in 1953 was very well received. - How much does WordPress hosting cost - How are statistics good for football? - Prefer Xbox or PlayStation - What are typical sales - What is the difference between China and Taiwan - What makes death eternal but not life - What do you think of Dyson - Why are humans so cruel to cats? - Can The Keto Diet Make You Sick - Should Arsenal sell Mesut Ozil and why - How can I get free hosting - Web development is a dying career - Who discovered the cell? - Who are the best female chess players - Why is Walmart the evil empire - What happens when your child turns 18 - Smart people often question their sanity - Cow's milk takes longer to digest - Sells original Amazon products - Should Donald Trump be charged - Why does my navel smell like poop? - Why are banks closed on federal holidays - What does a forced smile look like - What's more important than love

A lot of writers consider music to be a vital part of their writing process. They have playlists they write to, playlists or theme songs for specific characters, and sound tracks for their novels. I am not one of those writers. I love music, and I’m quite musical myself, but I never seem to be able to make it gel with writing. I do like to listen to music while I write, because I find I can focus best with a mild controllable distraction, but it can be any old music. Normally I just pick a random Spotify playlist or the radio feature. Music and movies I get, and I love a great soundtrack, but with books, I don’t find imagining music to be anywhere near as powerful as physically hearing it. So when I do remember a book that links to music, you know it was a good one because it managed to make an impression on me. So how do writers make music accessible in their books? The book that I think is the best example of music in writing is The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. The Name of the Wind My name is Kvothe. I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep. You may have heard of me. So begins a tale unequalled in fantasy literature—the story of a hero told in his own voice. It is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man’s search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend. In The Name of the Wind, our hero, Kvothe, a poor university student, decides to try his musical talent at a tavern — The Eolian — known for its musical excellence. At this tavern, any musician can pay a fee for a live audition in front of the crowd to win a set of talent pipes. These pipes raise your status as a musician and give you the credibility to perform at taverns all over the city — so Kvothe is interested because this represents a potential source of income. A bearded man of thirty years or so was brought onto the stage by Stanchion and introduced to the audience. He played flute. Played it well. He played two shorter songs that I knew and a third I didn’t. He played for perhaps twenty minutes in all, only making one small mistake that I could hear. After the applause, the flutist remained on stage while Stanchion circulated in the crowd, gathering opinions. A serving boy brought the flutist a glass of water. Eventually Stanchion came back onto the stage. The room was quiet as the owner drew close and solemnly shook the man’s hand. The musician’s expression fell, but he managed a sickly smile and a nod to the audience. When Kvothe finally begins his performance, a song accompanied by lute, his inadequacies and poor background are established in the reader’s mind. We feel the pressure he’s put on himself to perform a difficult piece his parents used to sing, and the tension is sky-high. Consequently, the description of the music carries you along so you can hear it in your mind. This particular piece involves a female member of the audience joining in at a certain point to create harmony, and Kvothe is simply hoping someone in the audience will do so, and this adds another layer of tension. The music came easily out of me, my lute like a second voice. I flicked my fingers and the lute made a third voice as well. I sang in the proud powerful tones of Savien Traliard, greatest of the Amyr. The audience moved under the music like grass against the wind. I sang as Sir Savien, and I felt the audience begin to love and fear me. I was so used to practicing the song alone that I almost forgot to double the third refrain. But I remembered at the last moment in a flash of cold sweat. This time as I sang it I looked out into the audience, hoping at the end I would hear a voice answering my own. I reached the end of the refrain before Aloine’s first stanza. I struck the first chord hard and waited as the sound of it began to fade without drawing a voice from the audience. I looked calmly out to them, waiting. Every second a greater relief vied with a greater disappointment inside me. Then a voice drifted onto stage, gentle as a brushing feather, singing. . . . And finally, just when you think he’s home and dry, a string breaks on the instrument. You can almost hear the metallic ping. But of course, our brave hero used to practice on a lute lacking strings, and so he pulls himself together to triumphantly finish his piece. It was not perfect. No song as complex as “Sir Savien” can be played perfectly on six strings instead of seven. But it was whole, and as I played the audience sighed, stirred, and slowly fell back under the spell that I had made for them. I hardly knew they were there, and after a minute I forgot them entirely. My hands danced, then ran, then blurred across the strings as I fought to keep the lute’s two voices singing with my own. Then, even as I watched them, I forgot them, I forgot everything except finishing the song. The refrain came, and Aloine sang again. To me she was not a person, or even a voice, she was just a part of the song that was burning out of me. And then it was done. Raising my head to look at the room was like breaking the surface of the water for air. I came back into myself, found my hand bleeding and my body covered in sweat. Then the ending of the song struck me like a fist in my chest, as it always does, no matter where or when I listen to it. These few paragraphs probably don’t do the chapters justice, but at the time, the moment swallowed me whole and I felt as if I’d been a member of that tavern audience. Writing music is tricky, but it can be done, and it can be done well. Reading music doesn’t always work for me inside my head, but on this occasion, it was spot on. Did Kvothe win his pipes after that masterful performance? You’ll have to read the book and find out for yourself!

Imaging technology in museums is not just about sublime high-tech artefacts to be admired by the esoteric few. As Bente points out on our Danish parallel blog, one of our most popular imaging artefacts is a shoe-fitting fluoroscope (a “Schucoskop”), on display in our x-ray study collection. The ‘Pedoskop’ as it was called in German was quite common in shoe stores in Europe and North America from the 1920s to the 1960’s. Customers stuck their feet (with shoes on) into the slot below and could then see an x-ray image on a fluoroscent screen from above. Many of our elderly visitors clearly remember having used such pedoscopes in Copenhagen shoe stores in the 1950s and 1960s. A nice evocative object which releases a lot of memories of times past. The text above the left foot says: “With Pedoskop right fitting — enough space”, and over the right foot: “Without Pedoskop wrong fitting — too short”. As the awareness of radiation risks grew (see this paper for a risk evaluation), pedoscopes went out of fashion — in some countries they were outright forbidden. Jackie Duffin and Charles R.R. Hayter have written a nice piece on the rise and fall of the pedoscope (in Isis, 91: 260-82, 2000). From their abstract: One of the most conspicuous nonmedical uses of the x-ray was the shoe-fitting fluoroscope. It allowed visualization of the bones and soft tissues of the foot inside a shoe, purportedly increasing the accuracy of shoe fitting and thereby enhancing sales. From the mid 1920s to the 1950s, shoe-fitting fluoroscopes were a prominent feature of shoe stores in North America and Europe. Despite the widespread distribution and popularity of these machines, few have studied their history. In this essay we trace the origin, technology, applications, and significance of the shoe-fitting fluoroscope in Britain, Canada, and the United States. Our sources include medical and industrial literature, oral and written testimony of shoe retailers, newspapers, magazines, and government reports on the uses and dangers of these machines. The public response to shoe-fitting fluoroscopes changed from initial enthusiasm and trust to suspicion and fear, in conjunction with shifting cultural attitudes to radiation technologies. (the whole article is available on JSTOR).

Each game has a rule about whether the dealer must hit or stand on soft 17, which is generally printed on the table surface. The variation where the dealer must hit soft 17 is abbreviated "H17" in blackjack literature, with "S17" used for the 4-Deck to 8-Deck Blackjack Strategy - Wizard of Odds Stand on hard 13-16 against a dealer 2-6, otherwise hit. Always stand on hard 17 or more. Always hit soft 17 or less. Stand on soft 18 except hit against a dealer 9, 10, or A. Always stand on soft 19 or more. As I've said many times, the above strategy will be Hit Soft 17 - Friend or Foe? - mikeaponte.com Most blackjack players are oblivious to whether the dealer stands or hits on soft 17. Dealer stands on soft 17 was the standard rule in years past, but a growing number of casinos now require the dealer to hit on soft 17 (hands like Ace, 6). Not only do most Blackjack Tips #11 - When To Stand With An Ace & 6 (Soft 17 ... Common Draw Blackjack NetEnt – Live Dealer Blackjack You must remember that blackjack is a mathematical game. It operates on a specific set of mathematical principles that cannot be violated. Even the basic rules of the game dictate specific actions by the dealer. The dealer must always hit on 16 or less and stand on 17 or more. Just as the dealer must follow certain rules, so must you. Basic Strategy, Perfect Strategy in Blackjack Play the Dealer’s draw on 16 and Stand on 17. You can also deal out practice plays like this. You will go through the cards faster, so you can always combine two or more decks. DOWNLOAD PDF: BlackJack - Basic Strategy Perfect Blackjack Strategy. Once you have mastered these simple rules , you will have in place the basis of Basic Strategy. When Should You Hit & Stand in Blackjack? Jun 6, 2013 ... If the dealer's hand equals 16 or less, he has to keep hitting until he gets a 17, a 21, or busts. Most dealers will stand on a soft 17, and all ... The game of blackjack had long been in existence when it was first mathematically analyzed in the 1950s. Why did they choose 17 as the dealer's compulsory standing number? Is it optimal? I would think 15 would be a better standing number because if the dealer draws on 15 there are 7 cards that would bust him and only 6 that would improve his hand. In Blackjack, why must a dealer hit on 16, and stand on 17 ... The casino makes the rules for the dealer hit/stand to maximize their money. Statistics prove this is the best strategy for the dealer (who plays his hand after yours). If you want to learn more about the statistics and strategies of blackjack you should read Beat the Dealer or Ken Uston's book (a little more entertaining). blackjack dealers standing on 17? | Yahoo Answers Dec 18, 2007 · The casino makes the rules for the dealer hit/stand to maximize their money. Statistics prove this is the best strategy for the dealer (who plays his hand after yours). If you want to learn more about the statistics and strategies of blackjack you should read Beat the Dealer or Ken Uston's book (a little more entertaining). Blackjack Basic Strategy Charts - Blackjack Classroom Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart. Very few players realize that basic strategy charts differ depending on the number of decks being played with and the specific rules of the blackjack table. Below you will see a basic strategy chart that is correct for 4-8 decks where the dealer stands on Soft 17. When to Hit and When to Stand in Blackjack "Dealer must draw to 16" - Blackjack and Card Counting Forums 27 Jan 2011 ... This is a long read regarding the 10 most difficult hands in blackjack. ... “Every time I hit my 12 against a dealer's 3, I bust, so I stand instead and .... never, never stand with soft 17 or less regardless of what the dealer shows). 2. PLAYING THE The dealer starts the game. Every player gets two cards ... Dealer Hits Soft 17 // Blackjack 2-deck blackjack, also known as double-deck blackjack, is played with two decks and the dealer hits on a soft 17. The rules of 2-deck blackjack may be slightly different from one casino to the next.

Alternative Name(s): Fighting Top, Tetsudo, Iron-clad Top Wooden and metal fighting top from Japan, donated by Mrs. Masumi Jackson in 1994. It is part of The Australian Children's Folklore Collection, which is unique in Australia, documenting contemporary children's folklore across Australia and in other countries reaching back to the 1870s. The Collection has a strong component of research material relating to Victoria. Top-spinning is an ancient activity. Tops dated at 1200-1400BC were excavated in Egypt, and they are often mentioned in classical literature. They are found throughout the world and used by adults and children, in rituals as well as for games of skill. Japan, China and Korea have a long tradition of making and using tops. The toy has persisted in Japanese culture to the present day, and the variety of tops is astonishing. Some Japanese children, usually boys, are very skilled top-spinners. The variety of tops demonstrates the importance of this toy in Japanese culture. This heavy top is a 'fighting top', used to knock other tops out of the game. Iron-clad tops are only found in Asia, and demonstrate the principle of the flywheel, where greater weight on the perimeter allows the top to spin longer. Heavy Japanese wooden and metal top. Top is natural wood, unpainted and unvarnished, with a thick metal band attached to the perimeter by two screws, and a metal spindle with a rounded point. Base of top is conical in shape, with Japanese script written in black ink. Cultural Gifts Donation from Dr June Factor, 18 May 1999 Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program. Place & Date Made Type of item 6 cm (Length), 6 cm (Width), 6 cm (Height) Height of top when standing upright on its point Exhibition Collection Management 60 mm (Width), 60 mm (Height) width indicates diameter Gould, D.W.; The Top, Universal Toy, Enduring Pastime; Bailey Bros & Swinfen Ltd., Folkestone, England. 1975

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Thank you everyone. I do have a problem with my rooster. He got frostbite on his watddles. I talked to a vet and they told me to put bag balm on them and keep him warm. It's been 4 days and it finally looks like it is less swollen. Thank goodness. I bring him in and put it on and cuddle him to let him know that he's ok. Does anyone have any ideas? Hi Missi, Welcome to Backyard chickens. You may want to coat his comb and wattles with Vaseline when he will be outside . Also you need to be sure your coop is draft free, yet has sufficient ventilation . around the top of the coop so it doesn't blow on the birds themselves. You could put "Frostbite," in the searchbox to learn more and also "coop ventilation." I never use or recommend vaseline because it is a petroleum product, and therefor like all petroleum products, it's carcinogenic. Regular human lip balms are fine, or you could even make your own and freak out your friends by telling them that both you and your chooks use it. There are a lot of recipes on the net for natural lip balm, many are 50 / 50 beeswax and oil such as virgin olive oil. Neither one causes cancer and they are safe to eat (yuk!) you can add a drop of fragrant oil too. I'm not going out on a limb and saying that the eggs you get from the chickens will cause cancer as the vaseline rubs off him onto her or anything like that. I'm not saying that, all I am saying is that there is no iron clad necessity to use petroleum products instead of better natural products which cannot cause cancer. ( Queue hysterical newcomers who will attest that water and air cause cancer and everyone is going to die anyway ) Banned in products in the EU http://www.health-report.co.uk/petroleum_petrolatum_health_concerns.htm http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep/report/impurities.php Breast cancer and impurities. EWG's assessment of product ingredient labels and data on cancer-causing chemicals identified three common impurities in personal care products that are linked to mammary tumors in animal studies — ethylene oxide, PAHs, and 1,3-butadiene. The ingredients for which these impurities are of concern are used in one of every four personal care products on the market. Among girls born today, one in eight is expected to get breast cancer and one in 30 is expected to die from it (NCI 1996, 1997, 2000). A review by scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory shows that as many as one of every five chemical carcinogens causes mammary tumors in laboratory studies, indicating that the breast is more sensitive to carcinogens than almost any other tissue in the body (Gold et al. 1991). EWG's identification of three impurities linked to breast cancer does not represent a full accounting of possible mammary carcinogens in personal care products. Instead, it is a partial accounting based on the National Toxicology Program's assessment of mammary carcinogens (NTP 2000) and other sources in the peer-reviewed literature. Further study would likely identify additional ingredients in personal care products that raise concerns with respect to breast cancer. PAHs. PAHs, or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, are common contaminants in petrolatum, also called petroleum jelly and sold under well-known brand names like Vaseline. Petrolatum is found in one of every 14 products on the market (7.1 percent of the products assessed by EWG), including 15 percent of all lipstick and 40 percent of al baby lotions and oils. FDA restricts petrolatum in food to no more than 10 parts per million, and requires petrolatum used in food packaging or drugs to meet impurity restrictions for PAHs (21 CFR 178, 21 CFR 172.880). But the agency allows any amount of petrolatum of any purity in personal care products, many of which are applied directly to the lips and swallowed. Manufacturers would find no legal impediments to using the same unregulated petrolatum in personal care products as can be used in shoe polish.

Graduation is an exciting day and we’re delighted to share some of our graduates’ other successes. If you have a homeschool graduate, please, send us their story. Brian Quick – He achieved 92% on his C.A.T. and has applied to NSCC for Architectural Drafting. Daniel Quick – attained 90% on his C.A.T. and has applied to NSCC. Adrienne Richey – competed in the National music festival as the Nova Scotia rep in the woodwind class in Montreal in 2010 and in Antigonish 2011 placing 3rd in Canada in 2011. Admitted to McGill university on $5500 entrance scholarship for 2011/2012 year. In February 2013, performed flute in the Mozart flute and harp concerto with Symphony Nova Scotia. Matthew Jackson – RMCC $250 000 scholarship; double major physics & chemistry. Naval Combat Systems Engineer. Zachaeus Jackson – SMU, various scholarships, BA Psychology; Acadia, Masters of Divinity Hannah Grace Jackson – NS Center Arts & Technoogy; photography. Owner/operator Jackson Imaging; Marketing Director, SWAT Real Estate; Lifetouch Photography. Emily Moginot – Mount Allison scholarship; major psychology, minor math. Olafr Moginot – Dalhousie University & Kings College; Journalism (at age 16). Working full time and playing Junior Hockey. Sam Macdonald – NSCC grad; Diploma Mechanical Engineering Technology Ben Macdonald – NSCC grad; Diploma Architectural Drafting Christopher deJager – UNB; Geology Lindsay deJager – UNB Music Zeth deJager – private security Zara (deJager) Moore – wife, mother, homemaker Julie deJager – Dalhousie; Nursing Jennifer deJager – Dalhousie; Nursing Thomas Sitser – NSCC; Heavy Duty Mechanic Repair Emily Sitser – NSCC; Photography Morgan Kay – RCMP Ashley Kay – UNB scholarship; Nursing Melissa Kay – NSCC; Child and Youth Worker (honours) Jason Dillman – Dalhousie scholarship; BSc Computer Science. Software Engineer with EA Games. Lead Programmer for NHL ’14. Scott Dillman – Dalhousie; B Rec Management. Child and outh Program Director, Dartmouth Sportsplex. Carrie Dillman – Acadia scholarship; BKIN (honours), Governor General Medal. Masters Physical Therapy. Registered physical therapist contracting to Centric Health and CBI Healthcare. Daryl Dillman – Dalhousie (scholarship); BSc, Univeristy Medal, CSEP Award. University of Calgary; Medicine. Orthopedic Resident Dalhousie. Luke Dillman – UNB scholarship; BSc (honours) major Kinesiology. Played hockey for QMJHL before attending university. Daniel Faulkner – Sales Manager. Writing his first Novel. University of Victoria; Software Engineering. Alison Faulkner – University of Victoria; Bachelor of Physics. PhD Particle Physics. Geneva Switzerland in a month for a year studying the data collected from the Large Hadron Collider. Amanda Pitre – Records Management & Special Projects Coordinator at Richard McKenster Financial Planning Inc. Sales Associate. NSCC; Web Development. Kevin Pellerin – NSCC IT Campus; Electronic Engineering Technology. Oceaneering Canada Jonas Roberston – McGill scholarship; BMus Technology (honours). Gangwon Provincial Office of Education as Elementary School English Teacher. Korean Proficiency level 4. University of Birmingham, MA TEFL/TESL. Kyle Roberston – self-employed Leah Robertson – NSCC; Boulanger and Baking Arts (honours). Pharmacy Technician. Kelvin Robertson – Canadian Army, Vehicle Technician Robyn (Hall) Jefferson – Shipping Manager, builder Loyalist Arms (produces replicas for movies: including Priates of the Caribbean & Night at the Museum). Re-enactment performer. Wife, mother. … Jefferson – Dalhousie; Mechanical Engineering. Jeremy Hall – Loyalist Arms: builds guns and fits them to be fully functional. Daniel Trainor-McKinnon – Honours Philosophy. Independent films, videos & amateur Theatre; writing, filmaking, music, directing. Clara Halfpenny – Acadia; Liberal Arts, focus English Literature and History. Rebecca Storer – NSCC & Dawson College; LPN Melanie Naugler – NSCC; photography Meghan St-Onge – Dalhousie; Kinesiology Rachel Whalen – St FX & Dalhousie; joint BA Linguistics & Chemistry (honours). Master’s scholarship Europe. McGill; 2nd Masters, Speech Language Pathology. Working at an international school in Norway in the special needs department and also with speech therapy clients. Piano instructor. Jeremy Whalen – RMCC; BSc Engineering. RCAF pilot. Joshua Brown – owner/operator lawn care & snow removal business Tim Brown – pursuing correspondence courses and working at local chocolate factory & super market. Rosanna Brown – Home care for elderly, house cleaning and pursuing some correspondence courses. Nathanael Brown – carpenter apprentice in Texas Elisabeth (Brown) Paisley – wife, mother, homemaker Chris Paisley – plumber

- Open Access The current status of nitrogen fertiliser use efficiency and future research directions for the Australian cotton industry Journal of Cotton Research volume 1, Article number: 15 (2018) Fifty years of sustained investment in research and development has left the Australian cotton industry well placed to manage nitrogen (N) fertiliser. The average production in the Australian cotton industry today is greater than two tonnes of lint per hectare due to improved plant genetics and crop management. However, this average yield is well below the yield that would be expected from the amount of N fertiliser used. It is clear from the recent studies that across all growing regions, conversion of fertiliser N into lint is not uniformly occurring at application rates greater than 200–240 kg·hm− 2 of N. This indicates that factors other than N availability are limiting yield, and that the observed nitrogen fertiliser use efficiency (NFUE) values may be caused by subsoil constraints such as sodicity and compaction. There is a need to investigate the impact of subsoil constraints on yield and NFUE. Gains in NFUE will be made through improved N fertiliser application timing, better targeting the amount of fertiliser applied for the expected yield, and improved soil N management. There is also a need to improve the ability and confidence of growers to estimate the contribution of soil N mineralisation to the crop N budget. Many Australian studies including data that could theoretically be collated in a meta-analysis suggest relative NFUE values as a function of irrigation technique; however, with the extensive list of uncontrolled variables and few studies using non-furrow irrigation, this would be a poor substitute for a single field-based study directly measuring their efficacies. In irrigated cotton, a re-examination of optimal NFUE is due because of the availability of new varieties and the potential management and long-term soil resilience implications of the continued removal of mineralised soil N suggested by high NFUE values. NFUE critical limits still need to be derived for dryland systems. Nitrogen (N) is the main nutrient by mass that limits plant growth if the soil supply is inadequate. The requirement for organic and synthetic amendments to increase yield and facilitate crop growth has long been recognised by farmers. Synthetic N fertiliser produced via the Haber-Bosch process was a key component of the green revolution that increased agricultural productivity and alleviated hunger for many across the globe. Synthetic N fertiliser also underpins fibre and oil productivity in dryland and irrigated cotton systems globally. Over the last 37 years, the average Australian cotton lint yield has increased by 57% to 2 360 kg·hm− 2 (Cotton Australia 2017) due to improved crop genetics, irrigation practice and farm management which includes increased N fertiliser use and improved pest controls. There are concerns about N fertiliser use efficiency (NFUE) in the Australian cotton industry and the potential for off-site impacts (Roth 2010). Over application of fertilisers contributes to global warming due to the emission of nitrous oxide (N2O-N) and nitrogen oxides (NOx-N), and the volatilisation of ammonia (NH3-N), as well as pollution of surface and ground waters, due to run-off and leaching of dissolved organic N (DON-N), urea (CON2H4-N), and nitrate (NO3−-N) (Vitousek et al. 2009). In cotton, over-application of fertiliser N can negatively affect yields by encouraging “rank growth” and fruit shedding, reducing lint production, hampering defoliation, encouraging insects and disease, and delaying plant maturity (Rochester 2001). Over-fertilisation also affects secondary income from cotton crops by reducing cotton seed oil content (Pettigrew and Dowd 2014). The Australian cotton industry has been researching fertiliser N application and productivity over the last 50 years. This paper represents an assessment of the current status of NFUE in the Australian cotton sector, and will identify key areas for future research. Background and methods The Australian cotton industry The Australian cotton industry is split between dryland and irrigated cotton production. The exact aerial extent of each is dependent on water availability - both irrigation water availability and available soil water at sowing - , and thus the planting areas vary on a year to year basis (Fig. 1). In 2017 the industry produced 900 million kg of lint from 4 700 km2, of which 77% was irrigated. Cotton is grown from northern Queensland to southern New South Wales (NSW) in semi-arid through to tropical savanna climates in six different geographic regions (Central Queensland, Darling Downs, Macintyre-Balonne, Northern NSW, Macquarie and Southern NSW). The average lint yield across the whole industry in 2017 was 2.3 t·hm− 2, and the top 20% of growers produced 3.1 t·hm− 2. The industry-wide average revenue was $AU 6 565 hm− 2 of cotton produced, with operating costs of $AU 4 500 hm− 2, of which fertiliser costs were $AU 591 hm− 2, or 13% of the operating costs (Boyce 2017). Calculation of national and regional scale nitrogen fertiliser use efficiency Annual Australian cotton planting area and yield data for irrigated and dryland cropping by region were sourced from the Cotton Yearbook for each year (Anon 2017). The applied fertiliser N as a national average within the industry was sourced from Sparks (2017); note that this fertiliser data were generated from grower surveys and were estimates of the N applied and not the actual amount. Regional fertiliser N data were sourced from Roth Rural (2014), and similarly to the national data, the informations were sourced from grower surveys. NFUE is a simple measure for evaluating efficiency of the conversion of fertiliser N into cotton lint (Eq. 1). Rochester (2014) found that the NFUE benchmark for growing cotton should be between 13 and 18. While seasonal weather conditions will dictate the final yield in any specific year, continual NFUE values < 13 indicate that other production constraints are limiting yield, and that changing rate, placement or timing will not improve N uptake. Essentially, under this scenario the grower is continually over-fertilising for the yield potential of the crop. NFUE values > 18 indicate that soil organic matter mineralisation is an important source of N for the crop and yields may be lifted with an increased application of fertiliser. Regional NFUE data were sourced from Roth Rural (2014) grower surveys. Measured regional data were sourced from the Action on the Ground field trials (Schwenke 2017), CottonInfo on-farm trials (Welsh et al. 2017), CottonInfo nutrition case study of the CottonInfo N rate trials, and the Cotton Seed Distributor (CSD) variety trials across the Australian irrigated cotton sector from 2008 to 2012 (Anon 2013). Results and discussion National and regional scale nitrogen fertiliser use efficiency At the national scale, NFUE is outside the critical limits identified by Rochester (2014) for both dryland and irrigated cotton production (Fig. 2). It must be noted that Rochester’s (2011b) NFUE critical limits were derived from irrigated trials, and that further work is needed to establish its efficacy in dryland systems. It is apparent from Rochester (2011a) that (a) constraints other than N deficiency are limiting yield, and (b) that the applied N fertiliser is not leading to increased lint yields, especially at rates > 290 kg·hm− 2 of N. NFUE in dryland production is higher than that of the irrigated systems, with harvested lint matching optimal NFUE expected yields at fertiliser rates < 75 kg·hm− 2 of N (Kruizinga and Wells 1992). Unfortunately, N application or product data do not exist for every year nationally or regionally within the Australia cotton sector. Regional grower survey data from the 2012/13 season (Roth Rural 2014) revealed that, on average, industry-wide NFUE was below the optimum range of 13–18 across all regions in irrigated systems. This indicates that in irrigated cotton systems, on average more N fertiliser was applied than was required, with the excess N most likely lost through denitrification (Grace et al. 2016; Macdonald et al. 2015). When assessed separately, dryland production NFUE was > 18, confirming that it is possible to grow cotton within the expected NFUE ranges in each district (Fig. 3). Application rates in dryland production rarely exceed 100 kg·hm− 2 of N, with lint production expected to plateaux above 75 kg·hm− 2 of N (Kruizinga and Wells 1992). A re-examination of Kruizinga and Wells (1992) dryland cotton NFUE is warranted due to the availability of new varieties and the potential management and long-term soil resilience implications of the continued removal of mineralised soil N suggested by these high NFUE values. Field trial data Long-term field trial data of Cotton Seed Distributers (CSD) showed that cotton can be grown within a NFUE range of 13–18 at fertiliser rates between 100 and 300 kg·hm− 2 of N (Fig. 4). In some instances, the conversion of applied N to lint was greater than expected (NFUE > 18), which indicates that non-stress conditions occurred during these seasons and that additional N may have been sourced from mineralised soil N or residual N from previous seasons. N rate trials by CottonInfo (Anon 2013) showed no yield response to increased N application (Fig. 4), indicating that N was not the limiting factor in terms of production. Two more recent N studies (Schwenke 2017; Welsh et al. 2017) showed similar results (Fig. 5), demonstrating no increases in yield with increased fertiliser application across different regions. The Action on the Ground (farmers rate and +/− 25% N rate) (Schwenke 2017) and CottonInfo on-farm (Welsh et al. 2017) trials (Fig. 4-5) were both conducted on-farm, the results indicating that there was sufficient N in the soil profile to maximise production at fertiliser rates of 150 ·hm− 2 of N. These lower fertilizer rates may lead to an overall decline in soil N content and potential crop deficiencies, particularly if there is insufficient residual N from the previous season or no legume rotation or addition of organic amendments. Constable and Bange (2015) suggested that the theoretical maximum lint yield is 5 t·hm− 2 of lint, and that according to Rochester (2014) this would require the application of 320–420 kg·hm− 2 of N. N rates above 420 kg·hm− 2 of N theoretically cannot produce any further lint and would be excessive if there are no losses. At rates of 300–440 kg·hm− 2 of N it would be expected that approximately 3.6 to 5.0 t·hm− 2 of lint could be produced, and yet this is not observed in the field. Anecdotal evidence based on cotton picker yield monitoring, however, suggests that lint yields within cotton fields can range between 2.0–3.6 t·hm− 2 of lint. A significant improvement would be the calibration of yield monitoring across the industry. It is clear from recent studies that across all growing regions, conversion of fertiliser N into increased lint production is not uniformly occurring at application rates greater than 200–240 kg·hm− 2 of N. This indicates that factors other than N availability are limiting yield, and that the lower observed NFUE values may be caused by subsoil constraints such as sodicity and compaction (Dodd et al. 2013). There is a need to investigate the impact of subsoil constraints on yield and NFUE. This kind of research will enable growers to manage the causes of their production deficits. Future researches should utilise on-the-go sensing and zonal management to identify, better understand, and target subsoil constraints that are limiting yield. The NFUE data shown in Figs. 4 and 5 indicated that excess N is being applied to the fields in response to a lack of lint production. Unfortunately, the majority of this N is lost via denitrification to the atmosphere, with a portion also lost in surface run-off, transformed and lost as the powerful greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O), or lost to deep drainage, potentially affecting groundwater systems (Macdonald et al. 2016b). These losses further emphasise the importance of improving NFUE across the industry. N Fertiliser decision support tools Australian cotton industry consultants and agronomists use a range of fertiliser decision support platforms that include, but are not limited to, Nutrient advantage advice, Back paddock soil mate and NutriLogic (Todd 2016). Other decision tools used widely in the cotton industry for fertiliser decision making include soil tests, nutrient budgeting, leaf petiole testing, N-TESTER & imagery and seasonal climate forecasts (Todd 2016). Field history, previous experience and standard rates established over a period are also cited in the survey as influencing fertiliser decisions. A comprehensive review of various fertiliser decision support tools and reasons for their adoption or limitations is warranted. Existing fertiliser decision support tools need to be upgraded to assist growers and consultants in improving their NFUE. Decision tools should account for seasonal weather limitations and their impact on split fertiliser applications, and offer alternate solutions to fertiliser management where water-run fertiliser applications need to be skipped to avoid waterlogging. N fertiliser rate At national and regional scales, NFUE is below industry expectations. Over fertilising is a particular problem for irrigated cotton systems, and can lead to delayed maturity, defoliation difficulties, boll drop, increased rates of disease, rank cotton and leaf trash in lint (Marshall et al. 1996). It is clear from the N rate trials at Narrabri and from those conducted in other regions that increasing N rates above 250–300 kg·hm− 2 of N does not result in extra lint (Marshall et al. 1996; Fig. 3, 4 and 5). This indicates that the availability of N is not the key production constraint in these trials, that N losses are occurring from the system, and that the industry needs to identify the yield constraining factors. At the same time, the adoption of existing fertiliser decision support systems that incorporate residual soil fertility, such as Nutrilogic, is limited. A recent crop consultant survey suggests that the use of Nutrilogic for fertiliser decision support is lower than other tools (Todd 2016). A reduction in the application of fertiliser N and the utilisation of myBMP, Nutrilogic and other industry funded guidelines should be adopted. In contrast, the dryland sector may be mining soil N due to low fertiliser inputs that do not match N removal and N losses. Going forward, monitoring and evaluation of the soil resource base are required. Growers who are not practising myBMP, utilising cover crops, legumes and residue retention should be encouraged to modify their practices to maintain soil resilience. Timing of N fertiliser application Growers often apply fertiliser N as early pre-plant applications up to eight months prior to sowing. It has been shown that losses from these pre-plant applications can be significant, with only 20% of the applied fertiliser N being available to the cotton plant at sowing (Humphreys et al. 1990). This study occurred in 1988 and 1989 when April rainfall in both years was approximately 130 mm above average. These conditions would have promoted enhanced denitrification of the fertiliser N which contributed to large losses. In drier conditions, the overall losses would be lower. The potential for losses is minimised when the N fertiliser is applied closer to sowing (August–September) rather than earlier in the year (Constable and Rochester 1992; Humphreys et al. 1990). Significant losses due to denitrification can still occur when the fertiliser is applied nearer to sowing (Humphreys et al. 1990) due to waterlogging from excessive rainfall or irrigation. The only way to lower the risk of denitrification caused by rainfall is to delay the formation of nitrate-N from the applied fertiliser, either chemically through nitrification inhibitors, or physically, through slow-release coatings of polymers etc. If irrigation techniques are the cause of the denitrification, then methods that reduce waterlogging should be investigated. Marshall et al. (1996) found that NFUE increased when N fertiliser was applied in the weeks prior to sowing and by flowering. This corresponds to findings of Humphreys et al. (1990) where most of the N uptake occurred during mid-November to January. Rather than late-season applications, it is more important to obtain a large plant, rich with N, prior to boll production (Crowther 1934), which means full fertilisation should occur before boll production. It is at boll production that soil N up-take by the plant dramatically reduces, and translocation of N from the leaves to bolls occurs (Crowther 1934). The risk of N run-off and leaching loss is greater early in the irrigation season when the crop is small (Macdonald et al. 2017; Macdonald et al. 2016c). Another timing option increasingly practiced by cotton growers is to split N applications between pre-plant and in-crop applications in conjunction with early season irrigation events. This in-crop N should have a better NFUE as N is applied directly as the plant needs it prior to boll production. This strategy should be monitored and evaluated in the field, and modelled under a range of conditions to test whether it is suitable for widespread adoption. The split N application includes a risk factor for growers when high rainfall events coincide with the application timing. Improving N translocation within cotton plants The latest cotton yield survey suggests that the average industry yield for irrigated cotton is 2.3 t·hm− 2, with the top 20% of growers reporting a lint yield of 3.1 t·hm− 2 (Cotton Australia, 2017). These reported yields were well below the maximum possible theoretical yield of 5 t·hm− 2, which would require a dry matter production of 20–30 t·hm− 2 and N uptake of 384 kg·hm− 2 of N to achieve (Constable and Bange 2015). To increase the higher N uptake and improve the harvest index, future researches need to focus on improving our understanding of N translocation within cotton plants. Nitrogen physiological use efficiency (NPUE) as described below (Eq. 2) should also be factored to enhance the NFUE. Variations in irrigation technique are not commonly directly linked with NFUE in the literature, with environmental studies assessing N losses often the best proxies for estimating NFUE. McHugh et al. (2008) compared N runoff losses between furrow and subsurface drip irrigation systems in Queensland cotton, showing losses of 15.1 kg·hm−2 of N and 2.9 kg·hm−2 of N, respectively, under comparable water usage conditions. This difference in NFUE was further pronounced under reduced water usage, where subsurface drip N losses decreased to negligible levels. Bronson et al. (2017) found significant differences in NFUE between surface (flood) and overhead sprinkler irrigation systems in Central Arizona, reporting N recovery efficiencies of 21%–61% for surface irrigation, and 81%–97% for overhead sprinkler irrigation at low N rates (60–76 kg·hm−2 of N). Furthermore, Bronson et al. (2017) estimated deep drainage in the surface irrigation system at 4%–11% of applied irrigation water and rain, with deep drainage NO3−-N losses constituting the most significant N loss pathway. No appreciable deep drainage and associated N loss were reported for the overhead sprinkler irrigation systems, due to a reduction in waterlogging (Bronson et al. 2017). In a qualitative review of N and irrigation techniques, Barakat et al. (2016) postulated that flood and overhead irrigation techniques led to greater denitrification and N loss than subsurface and surface drip irrigation. The mounting evidence indicates that furrow irrigation, which is the most common irrigation technique used in Australian irrigated cotton, results in the lowest NFUE of all common irrigation techniques. Research directly comparing the NFUE of different irrigation methods should be undertaken, building on the work of Bronson et al. (2017), Barakat et al. (2016) and McHugh et al. (2008). Many Australian studies include data that could theoretically be collated in a meta-analysis to suggest relative NFUE values as a function of irrigation technique (furrow irrigation: (Antille et al. 2016a, 2016b; Grace et al. 2016); overhead irrigation:(Scheer et al. 2016); drip irrigation: (McHugh et al. 2008)); however, with the extensive list of uncontrolled variables and few studies using non-furrow irrigation, this would be a poor substitute for a single field-based study directly comparing their efficacies. The NFUE implications of water-running fertilisers as an alternative to solid (banded or broadcast) or gaseous N delivery methods is also poorly understood in the literature. Forty-six percent of Australian irrigated cotton growers used water-run N in the 2015/2016 summer season, with seasonal rates varying from 14 to 220 kg·hm− 2 of N (Sparks 2017). However, beyond the improvements to NFUE derived from splitting the N applications across several events, the NFUE implications of applying N aqueously over other methods are not well characterised. Water-running N also has application uniformity problems, with many growers unsure of its efficacy and hesitant to adopt fertigation practices due to restricted N visibility. Theoretically, water-running N should result in a uniform fertiliser application, and indeed Antille and McCarthy (2014) comment on the uniformity of N application in their water-run study; however, minimal data exist confirming the uniformity and efficacy of water-run N applications, and this should be a focus of future research. Bronson et al. (2017) found no differences in yield between direct drilling of N and fertigation in surface irrigated cotton, but made note of the lack of comparable studies. Recirculation of tail-water is the practice of Australian cotton industry, with moderate concentrations of residual N in supply channels leached from the hills in the fields (Macdonald et al. 2016b). As such, N losses can occur from the irrigation network external to the field regardless of whether intentional fertigation is occurring. Macdonald et al. (2016a) estimated N2O-N gaseous emissions from non-fertigation cotton irrigation networks at < 0.02% of applied N fertiliser to the land surface, with greater N losses as N2 emissions also expected to occur, but not easily measurable. These fugitive emissions may increase significantly in scenarios of fertigation or N over-application, potentially even exponentially in line with field emission estimates by Grace et al. (2016). Historically, most of the cotton grown in Australia has been on cracking clay soils (Constable and Rochester 1992; Hulugalle and Scott 2008), and as such the bulk of Australian cotton nitrogen researches have taken place on these soils (Grace et al. 2016; Macdonald et al. 2016c; Scheer et al. 2016). Key findings like Rochester’s (2014) optimal NFUE window have been determined on these cracking clay soils. As economic and climatic drivers extend the cotton belt further from its historical centres, cotton is increasingly being grown on different soil types. Deviation in soil attributes (fertility, particle size, elemental composition, pH, colour, etc.) from the traditional soils could mean that new cotton-growing regions don’t fit the same optimum NFUE values determined for cracking clays. Research characterising the effects of specific soil attributes on NFUE would provide the industry with valuable tools for predicting which areas are suitable for cotton expansion. Soil processes are also key constraints to production. Bronson et al. (2017) emphasised that soil N mineralisation rates were poorly understood and consistently underestimated in irrigated cotton, resulting in significant over application of N fertilisers. It is recommended that improved N mineralisation characterisation be undertaken using a combination of direct sampling measurements, aerial and remote sensing techniques, and modelling. Improving soil management Over the last 30 years NFUE in the Australian cotton industry has been assessed using 15N and apparent N uptake studies, revealing that only 40%–60% of the N applied prior to sowing is taken up by the plant (Constable and Rochester 1988; Humphreys et al. 1990; Macdonald et al. 2016c; Rochester 2011a, 2012). A common misconception is that the bulk of the fertiliser N not taken up by the plant is immobilised in the soil and will be released in subsequent years. This is not the case, with most studies showing that only 10%–30% of the applied N remains in the soil after the cropping season, stored in macro and micro biota or in the soil’s organic or inorganic pools (Constable and Rochester 1988; Humphreys et al. 1990; Macdonald et al. 6c; Rochester 2011a, 2012). Overall, the soil supplies 30%–50% of the N required by cotton plants during a season (Macdonald et al. 2016c; Rochester 1994), with fertile soils resulting in improved NFUE (Humphreys et al. 1990). This means that management of the soil N budget is critical to achieving higher NFUE (Rochester and Bange 2016). A key aspect of soil management for improved NFUE is to utilise crop rotations with legumes, and to plant cover crops during fallow periods. Soil organic carbon levels are generally declining with cotton monoculture and cotton-wheat rotations due to an insufficient amount of residue returned to the soil (Hulugalle and Scott 2008). However, recent researches on cotton cropping systems that incorporate legumes and cover crops have shown their ability to build up soil organic carbon (Rochester 2011b), and further contribute to crop nutrition by enhancing soil organic N. Overall, growing legumes in traditional fallows improve soil organic matter levels, fertility, and soil N (Marshall et al. 1996), with legume soil N inputs of 120 kg N·hm− 2 possible (Rochester and Peoples 1998). Together, the use of legume winter crops and a non-irrigated covered fallow can regularly produce a 3 t·hm− 2 lint yield using 200–220 kg N·hm− 2 (Rochester 2011a, Rochester and Constable 2015). Including non-legume crops in rotations will also improve soil health and cotton yields, with cotton after wheat showing 30% yield improvements (Rochester and Peoples 1998). Compared with continuous cotton, the profitability of cotton–wheat rotations is also more resilient to fluctuations in the price of cotton lint, fuel and nitrogen fertiliser (Hulugalle and Scott 2008). To further improve soil health, it is recommended that crop stubbles be incorporated and residue burning avoided (Rochester and Peoples 1998). While there are on-farm logistical impediments to the adoptation of cover-cropping and legume rotations, and the opportunity cost of soil water use by the cover crop needs to be considered, the yield and long term soil health benefits of rotational cropping can be significant. Soil compaction is another key management practice that contributes to reduced NFUE. Soil compaction caused through natural (flooding) or management processes (traffic, wet tillage, excessively heavy pickers) can reduce NFUE by promoting denitrification (Constable and Rochester 1992; Rochester 1994) and limiting plant growth through root inhibition (Antille et al. 2016a, 2016b). Soil compaction can reduce cotton yields by 35% (Daniells 1989), and thus may be a key reason for low NFUE values. Soil compaction is not permanent and can be mitigated (Bennett et al. 2015) over time through controlled traffic regimes, rotational cropping, reduced tillage, and by reducing water pooling and flooding. The Australian cotton industry has recently adopted the round-bale module cotton picker, which can weigh in excess of 32 t when fully loaded. While this picker is perceived to be labour and time efficient compared with previous cotton pickers, its impact on soil compaction and any indirect effect on NFUE needs to be evaluated. Changing climate is likely to have a significant effect on cotton yields in Australia and around the world (Broughton et al. 2017; Haim et al. 2008; Reddy et al. 2002; Sankaranarayanan et al. 2010). For the majority of Australia’s cotton growing regions, climate change will bring increased severity and frequency of heatwaves, an increase in drought intensity, and a reduction in rainfall, in addition to a global increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration. Increased ambient temperatures are largely predicted to have a negative effect on cotton production. In controlled experiments, early-season biomass was shown to increase under elevated temperature conditions; however, mid- and late-season growth was restricted, with boll-retention increasingly adversely affected with elevated temperatures (Broughton et al. 2017; Reddy et al. 1997). Furthermore, as ambient temperatures increase, so too do crop water requirements (Broughton et al. 2017). This will likely result in increased irrigation requirements, which will be further exacerbated by the reduced rainfall predicted for much eastern Australia. Conversely, increases in CO2 are largely seen as positive for cotton production, with increases in vegetative biomass and photosynthesis rates observed in experiments (Broughton et al. 2017; Haim et al. 2008; Reddy et al. 2002; Sankaranarayanan et al. 2010). In treatments with elevated CO2 combined with higher temperatures, however, crop yields were affected detrimentally, with reduced productivity from high temperatures outweighing improvements from the elevated CO2. Increases to water use efficiency were also noted under elevated CO2 conditions (Broughton et al. 2017). The cotton plant’s response to elevated temperature and CO2 is not uniform, with significant variation between different species and cultivars. It is recommended that cultivar selection research continue to be pursued with a focus on traits encouraging heat-cold-tolerance, water use efficiency, and performance under elevated CO2 conditions. Despite the potential impact of climate change there are no studies that assess both soil N function and NFUE in cotton cropping systems under future climatic conditions. Conclusions and future NFUE research recommendations There have been significant researches on fertiliser N in the cotton industry over the last 40 years. Despite this investment, NFUE is currently below optimum and there is significant potential for its improvement in the cotton industry. It is apparent that improvements can be made in the time of N fertiliser application strategies, but these cannot improve NFUE until N fertiliser rates are reduced from luxury to optimum levels. Further improved management of the soil N could help improve yields and lower fertiliser use. A key objective of this review was to identify research gaps and suggests future research directions. Suggested future research directions include: Identification of the impacts of different soil attributes on yield and NFUE to help growers identify and manage the causes of reduced yield, and to facilitate industry prediction of suitable regions for cotton expansion. Analysis of the barriers to adoption of the legume-cover-fallow cotton rotation; a baseline NFUE assessment of farms that practice such rotations; a modelling assessment of the impacts of different crop rotations and management practices on soil carbon and nitrogen; an analysis of the barriers to adoption of optimum N fertiliser rates. Assessment of the uniformity of fertiliser distribution in water-run N treatments, specifically differentiating between ‘syphon’ and ‘bankless channel’ flood irrigation arrangements, which are the two most common water-run setups. Further assessment of the relative NFUEs of different irrigation methods, particularly in the context of reducing waterlogging by getting water on, in and off in the minimum time possible. Assessment of the N losses from irrigation networks external to the field in water-run N treatments as fugitive emissions, deep drainage and surface runoff. Examination of integrated automated precision irrigation and fertiliser systems. A comprehensive review of N fertiliser decision support tools and the reason for the adoption or limitation of the existing tools. Increasing the soil organic nitrogen pool and quantifying N mineralisation rates for all cotton soils. Overcoming the logistical challenge of applying N in a timely and / or more precise manner to an irrigated cotton crop, so that supply better matches demand. Cotton Seed Distributors Nitrogen fertiliser use efficiency Nitrogen physiological use efficiency New South Wales Anon. 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Grower survey 2017. 2017. http://www.insidecotton.com/xmlui/handle/1/4541. Accessed 28 Sept 2018. Todd L. Qualitative report on the 2015–2016 cotton season: a survey of consultants. Narrabri: CRDC. 2016. Vitousek PM, Naylor R, Crews T, et al. Nutrient imbalances in agricultural development. Science. 2009;324:1519–20. Welsh J, Smith J, Dickinson S, et al. Cottoninfo on-farm nitrogen trials and nitrogen use practices. Toowoomba; 2017. https://www.cottoninfo.com.au/publications/cottoninfo-nitrogen-trials-report. Accessed 28 Sep 2018. The authors gratefully acknowledge the three reviewers who provided critical feedback on the manuscript. This work was funded by the Australian Government, Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, and the Cotton Research and Development Corporation’s Rural Research and Development for Profit Project “More profit from nitrogen: enhancing the nutrient use efficiency of intensive cropping and pasture systems”. Latimer JO was also funded by the Cotton Research and Development Corporation’s PhD scholarship. Availability of data and materials All data used in this paper were from previously published research papers and reports. Ethics approval and consent to participate Consent for publication The authors declare that they have no competing interests. About this article Cite this article MACDONALD, B.C.T., LATIMER, J.O., SCHWENKE, G.D. et al. The current status of nitrogen fertiliser use efficiency and future research directions for the Australian cotton industry. J Cotton Res 1, 15 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s42397-018-0015-9 - Nitrogen fertiliser - Nitrogen use efficiency

Sometimes your past returns in the strangest of ways, as happened to me when today’s article from TomDispatch regular Rebecca Gordon first crossed my doorstep. As you’ll see, its subject would not be one on which this almost 75-year-old guy would consider himself to have the slightest expertise: women discovering their bodies in complex ways in the 1970s — and mutilating them now. As you know, I almost always write little intros for TomDispatch pieces, but this time, fascinated as I was by Gordon’s account, my heart sank… until, that is, I made my way ever deeper into the piece and discovered something odd and wondrous. I had, however indirectly, been associated with each of the key documents from the late 1960s and early 1970s that she cites as crucial to her growing understanding of herself in those years. In 1969, in the midst of the turbulent anti-Vietnam War movement, I was swept out of graduate school and found myself — I don’t quite remember how — working as a printer at what we then, romantically enough, called an “underground print shop” (though it wasn’t in any way “underground”). It went by the name of the New England Free Press (NEFP) and we spent our time printing up anti-Vietnam War leaflets, strike posters, and all sorts of other subversive creations of that moment. Just in case you doubt my memory, here’s a photo of me (yes, I swear it’s me!), circa 1969, working at that very print shop on an old Chief 22 press. The NEFP became known for its pathbreaking literature program, a remarkable and still-fascinating set of movement writings that we often (but not always) printed up ourselves and sent around widely. Fortunately, some old NEFP staff members have recently begun creating an NEFP website in memory of that long-gone moment and of some of those pamphlets, especially a remarkable catalogue of the women’s liberation materials we then distributed. As it happens, they included the three pieces mentioned by Gordon today as crucial to her own development: the famed Our Bodies, Ourselves (when it was still a pamphlet, not a book), Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English’s Witches, Midwives, and Nurses, and Anne Koedt’s The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm. I certainly can take no credit for the fact that we were distributing such now-classic materials (though I do recognize one article that I did bring to that long list), but I can still take pride in the fact that I was there when it all happened. (The NEFP even distributed the first piece I ever wrote for publication, “Ambush at Kamikaze Pass,” which would, a quarter of a century later, become the basis for my book The End of Victory Culture.) Anyway, enough about me, as they say. Now, consider the remarkable memories of Rebecca Gordon. - From Mowing the Grass to Cutting the Flesh How Young Women Learn to Hate Their Genitals Rebecca Gordon • March 7, 2019 • 2,300 Words

Migration health research and policy in the south and south-east Asia: mapping the gaps and advancing a collaborative agenda Migrant health has been the subject of various international agreements in recent years. In parallel, there has been a growth in academic research in this area. However, this increase in focus at international level has not necessarily strengthened the capacity to drive evidence-informed national policy and action in many low- and middle-income countries. The Migration Health South Asia (MiHSA) network aims to challenge some of the barriers to progress in the region. Examples include the bias towards institutions in high-income countries for research funding and agenda-setting and the overall lack of policy-focused research in the region. MiHSA will engage researchers, funders and policy-makers in collectively identifying the most pressing, yet feasible, research questions that could help strengthen migrant and refugee health relevant to the region’s national contexts. In addition, policies and provisions for different migrant populations in the region will be reviewed from the health and rights perspectives, to identify opportunities to strategically align research agendas with the questions being asked by policy-makers. The convergence of migration policy with other areas such as health and labour at global level has created a growing imperative for policy-makers in the region to engage in cross-sector dialogue to align priorities and coordinate responses. Such responses must go beyond narrow public health interventions and embrace rights-based approaches to address the complex patterns of migration in the region, as well as migrants’ precarity, vulnerabilities and agency. Migration is a global phenomenon. Alongside the significant benefits migration offers to individuals, societies, states and economies, it also presents critical public policy, humanitarian and human rights challenges. The health and well-being of migrants and refugees is a public policy issue and an emergent field of scholarship and advocacy. Migrant health has been the subject of various international consultations and agreements in recent years, such as the Global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration and the Global compact on refugees in 2018. In parallel, there has been a growth in academic research on the health aspects of migration. Despite this increase in focus at international level, the capacity and opportunities to drive evidence-informed national policy and action on migration and health remain limited in many low- and middle-income countries. Clearly, migrant health will need to be more firmly embedded in national agendas if the overarching aims of global initiatives are to be realized, not least the call of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to “leave no one behind”., The need to bring together the migration and health research and policy communities was the catalyst for the establishment of the Migration Health South Asia (MiHSA) network in 2019. MiHSA evolved during a series of consultations, seminars and policy dialogues held during 2018–2019 in Bangladesh, India, Malaysia and Nepal. These consultations brought together local, regional and international institutions to reflect on the current gaps in knowledge on migration and health in south and south-east Asia and to explore pathways for building communities of knowledge and practice. The objectives were twofold: first, to engage academic scholars, nongovernmental organizations and advocacy groups to collectively assess the evidence base and identify the main gaps in knowledge; second, to engage key policy stakeholders to assess the utility of current research outputs and identify their key evidence requirements for improved policy-making. In this paper, we synthesize key lessons learnt to date and identify core values and priorities to advance a collaborative agenda that can shape future research and practice to improve migration, health and rights in south and south-east Asia. What do we know – and what are the gaps? Quantifying the bias in what is researched, and by whom The production and use of knowledge or evidence on migration is entrenched in gross global inequities. Research funding, agenda-setting and practice disproportionately favour institutions in high-income countries. A bibliometric analysis of global migration health research papers published during 2000–2016 in the peer-reviewed literature revealed that the vast majority of articles on migration were authored by research institutions in high-income migrant destination countries. This analysis by Sweileh et al. also showed that the research output on migrant health from Asia was relatively low, despite the region having “the most dense international migration corridors and the largest numbers of international migrants whose country of origin is in Asia”. In addition, analyses limited to the formal research literature largely fail to capture the insights of the civil society organizations that work closely with migrants and displaced populations. These groups have limited access to funding and tend to publish their findings in less formal outlets, such as reports and briefs, that may not be captured by systematic reviews and bibliometric analysis. As noted in the International Organization for Migration’s 2020 annual report, more sustained effort is needed to support research institutions and researchers in low- and middle-income settings, including by confronting some structural impediments to gaining funding and building capacity. Part of MiHSA’s role will be to examine the power inequalities in international knowledge networks and aim to rebalance them by creating and sharing new opportunities through collaborative research, writing and joint webinars for more knowledge generation and leadership situated in south and south-east Asia. Addressing the lack of prioritization in the region Migration health continues to be a relatively underexplored topic within south and south-east Asia, with limited attention given to the health and social care needs of migrants, who are a highly transient, diverse and heterogeneous population group, or to the peculiarities of the geopolitical context of the region. For example, the health of internal migrants in the region is poorly understood, despite their high numbers. The Global report on internal displacement 2020 estimated that south Asia experienced 30% of the world’s internal displacement in 2019, mostly triggered by population exposure to disasters including floods and droughts, as well as to unresolved conflicts and violence. There were 5 million new disaster displacements in India alone in 2019, the highest number in any country in the world, resulting from factors such as increasing hazard intensity, high population exposure to floods, cyclones and violence, and high levels of social and economic vulnerability. An unpublished subset analysis of the global dataset produced by Sweileh et al. by one of the authors (KW) found that migration health research for south and south-east Asia was disproportionately focused on infectious diseases and mental health (by health theme) and on undocumented migrants and refugees (by migrant category). MiHSA is supporting researchers in the region to build on this work using robust bibliometric analysis to more fully understand the gaps in published and unpublished research. In addition, the broader context of migration and the conditions in which migrants work and live shape their health and well-being. Yet insufficient attention has been given to studying the role of structural inequalities in determining low-income migrants’ poor access to health care and vulnerability to ill health. Analysis of vulnerability and agency across different stages of people’s mobility and settlement is critical to inform inclusive and effective policies and institutional responses.,, Research in south and south-east Asia therefore needs to capture not only the factors that place migrants at risk but also those that facilitate thriving and resilience. Such a focus is core to MiHSA’s capacity-building workshops in the region, which provide early-career scholars with the necessary conceptual and methodological skills and insights to undertake research in this field, and which emphasize the intersections of gender and other social inequalities in such research. Unlocking the capacity to identify feasible, impactful research Migration health research globally is characterized by glaring methodological and data gaps, and thus this is also the case for south and south-east Asia. There continues to be a lack of disaggregated baseline information on migrants based on factors such as their gender, livelihood, religion and ethnicity. The omission is particularly striking for internal migrants, as these factors determine different needs of different migrant populations across socioeconomic contexts. This dearth of information hampers effective policy development and may even undermine the impact of any actions taken. With respect to design, research in this area is dominated by cross-sectional studies, which cannot take account of the temporal and spatial dimensions of mobility and the circularity of migration that is characteristic of the south and south-east Asian context. With respect to focus, there is a need for more operational research on neglected topics including remittances and their utilization for nutrition and food security, and portability of social protection, health and welfare schemes. MiHSA recognizes the need for (i) country-level mapping of existing sources of data such as the national Demographic and Health Surveys and sources compiled by non-government initiatives, (ii) identifying gaps in evidence and (iii) more targeted commissioning of research in key priority areas. In parallel, building the capacities of local research institutions to advance more in-depth research on experiences and outcomes is essential. This exercise is currently under way, and involves identifying and defining research priorities using the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative approach to research priority setting. This brings together funders, researchers and policy-makers in deciding the most pressing yet feasible research questions that could help strengthen migrant and refugee health in national contexts in south and south-east Asia. Engaging in researcher–policy-maker collaboration from the outset A stark disconnect exists between the production of knowledge by researchers and its use by policy-makers. On the one hand, the rich information and analysis produced by researchers may not be synthesized in a way that is accessible to policy-makers. Researchers often tend to see policy-makers as a community to engage with after findings are generated and published, rather than as potential collaborators. On the other hand, meaningful engagement and consultation with migration scholars, advocates and practitioners, as well as migrants themselves, is often lacking in the development and implementation of national and subnational policies. Whatever the reasons, the lack of perspective on migrant health in national task forces and policy work results in important omissions. For example, a review of the pandemic influenza preparedness plans in place in 21 countries of the Asia Pacific region in 2016 found that only three countries – Maldives, Papua New Guinea and Thailand – identified at least one migrant group in their national plan. Tackling the knowledge–policy gap prompted intersectoral working being adopted as a core principle in the work and mandate of the MiHSA network, with an emphasis on prioritizing engaging with policy actors at every stage. Rather than taking an instrumental role in linking research and policy, MiHSA seeks to enable researchers, policy-makers and other stakeholders to collaborate on defining the analyses needed to design effective responses. This approach requires researchers to be alert to political and policy opportunities that might arise and to respond with evidence on critical issues. To address health issues and determinants stemming from various migration flows, a whole-of-government approach was adopted by Sri Lanka to advance the National Migration Health Policy and an interministerial action plan. This was guided in large part by the evidence generated through a national research agenda commissioned by the Ministry of Health with technical cooperation from the International Organization for Migration. Health risks and their consequences were identified through rigorous research, and policy was then developed based on the evidence generated. The collaborative approach used by Sri Lanka offers important insights into how health policy-makers, local researchers and civil society can meaningfully work together in driving a research agenda that leads to national policy-making and priority-setting on migration and health. Addressing the broader structural impediments to progress Despite migration being a major issue for many south and south-east Asian countries, migrants are not prioritized in policies and resource allocation. Benefits could accrue from greater cooperation among countries, and states within countries, from improvements in bilateral relations on mobility and from political commitment to universalize health and social care and allow its portability. At global level, the two disciplines of health governance and migration are beginning to converge. However, at national level, policies continue to be developed in silos such as immigration, humanitarian aid, security, labour and public health, which can have distinct and often conflicting goals. A central challenge in developing an integrated agenda for migration and health is that the driver for examining this interface is not migrants’ health needs; rather, it is preservation of population health by containing disease outbreaks that are often associated with migrant populations. Such a focus counters any attempts to redress violations in relation to the health and well-being of migrants that are evident in current health policy initiatives. Despite these challenges, there are certain enablers and emerging local initiatives that could inform integrated national- and regional-level action, such as initiatives to support tribal migrants in certain states in India and, more recently, targeting of social protection measures at migrants in the wake of coronavirus disease 2019. An important planned initiative is for MiHSA to map policies and provisions for different migrant populations in south and south-east Asia and to review them from health and rights perspectives. This analysis should help to identify opportunities to strategically align research agendas with the questions being asked by policy-makers, as well as the intersections at which action to advance an integrated agenda can take place. The convergence of migration policy with other areas such as health and labour at global level has created a growing imperative for policy-makers in south and south-east Asia to engage in cross-sector dialogue to align priorities and coordinate responses to migration. Such responses must go beyond narrow public health interventions and embrace rights-based approaches to address the complexities of circular migration in the region, as well as migrants’ precarity, vulnerabilities and agency. At the heart of this ambitious agenda must lie a vibrant research community of scholars and practitioners who are equipped with appropriate skills and opportunities to engage with diverse communities and voices. Just as policy-makers need to work across sectors, researchers need to bridge the gulf between the two ecosystems of migration research and health policy and systems research. Through developing and supporting these synergies, MiHSA aims to support a transformative agenda for improving migrants’ health and lives. Acknowledgements: Members of the Migration Health South Asia network steering group: M Sivakami, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India; S Irudaya Rajan, Centre for Development Studies, Kerala, India; Shabnum Sarfraz, visiting scientist, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, United States of America; Roomi Aziz, Pathways2Impact, Pakistan; Ekatha John, independent researcher and journalist, India; Pascale Allotey, United Nations University International Institute for Global Health, Malaysia. Some of the authors (Anuj Kapilashrami, Jeevan R Sharma, Ganesh Gurung) are also steering group members. Source of support: The workshops and consultations were held with funding support from the British Council. Conflict of interest: Nima Asgari-Jirhandeh and Anns Issac are employees of the World Health Organization and Kolitha Wickramage of the United Nations Migration Agency. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the International Organization for Migration and the Asia Pacific Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. Authorship: All authors contributed to the discussion and analysis reported in this article and approved the final version of the manuscript. AK conceptualized the paper and wrote the first draft with inputs from KW and JRS. NA-J, AI, AB and GG reviewed and contributed to the paper. AK is founding chair of Migration Health South Asia (https://mihsa.org), JRS and GG are steering group members, and KW is an international advisor to Migration Health South Asia. International Organization for Migration. Global compact for migration (https://www.iom.int/global-compact-migration, accessed 23 July 2020). Back to cited text no. 1 - Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The global compact on refugees (https://www.unhcr.org/uk/the-global-compact-on-refugees.html, accessed 23 July 2020). Back to cited text no. 2 - Wickramage K, Annunziata G. Advancing health in migration governance, and migration in health governance. Lancet. 2018 Dec;392(10164):2528–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32855-1 PMID:30528473 Back to cited text no. 3 - Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. New York: United Nations; 2015 (A/RES/70/1; https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/21252030%20Agenda%20for%20Sustainable%20Development%20web.pdf, accessed 23 July 2020). Back to cited text no. 4 - Health of migrants: resetting the agenda – report of the 2nd Global Consultation, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 21–23 February 2017. Geneva: International Organization for Migration; 2017 (https://www.iom.int/sites/default/files/our_work/DMM/Migration-Health/GC2_SriLanka_Report_2017_FINAL_22.09.2017_Internet.pdf, accessed 31 July 2020). Back to cited text no. 5 - Migration Health South Asia (MiHSA) network (https://mihsa.org/, accessed 29 July 2020). Back to cited text no. 6 - Sweileh WM, Wickramage K, Pottie K, Hui C, Roberts B, Sawalha AF, et al. Bibliometric analysis of global migration health research in peer-reviewed literature (2000–2016). BMC Public Health. 2018 Jun;18(1):777. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5689-x PMID:29925353 Back to cited text no. 7 - World migration report 2020. Geneva: International Organization for Migration; 2020 (https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/wmr_2020.pdf, 28 July 2020). Back to cited text no. 8 - Global report on internal displacement 2020. Geneva: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, Norwegian Refugee Council; 2020 (https://www.internal-displacement.org/sites/default/files/publications/documents/2020-IDMC-GRID.pdf, accessed 31 July 2020). Back to cited text no. 9 - Kusuma YS, Babu BV. Migration and health: a systematic review on health and health care of internal migrants in India. Int J Health Plann Manage. 2018 Oct;33(4):775–93. https://doi.org/10.1002/hpm.2570 PMID:30074640 Back to cited text no. 10 - Kapilashrami A, Hankivsky O. Intersectionality and why it matters to global health. Lancet. 2018 Jun;391(10140):2589–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31431-4 PMID:30070211 Back to cited text no. 11 - Wickramage K, Vearey J, Zwi AB, Robinson C, Knipper M. Migration and health: a global public health research priority. BMC Public Health. 2018 Aug;18(1):987. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5932-5 PMID:30089475 Back to cited text no. 12 - Rudan I, Gibson JL, Ameratunga S, El Arifeen S, Bhutta ZA, Black M, et al.; Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative. Setting priorities in global child health research investments: guidelines for implementation of CHNRI method. Croat Med J. 2008 Dec;49(6):720–33. https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.2008.49.720 PMID:19090596 Back to cited text no. 13 - Wickramage K, Gostin LO, Friedman E, Prakongsai P, Suphanchaimat R, Hui C, et al. Missing: where are the migrants in pandemic influenza preparedness plans? Health Hum Rights. 2018 Jun;20(1):251–8. PMID:30008567 Back to cited text no. 14 - Migration health research to advance evidence based policy and practice in Sri Lanka. Makati City, the Philippines: Migration Health Research Unit, International Organization for Migration; 2017 (https://publications.iom.int/books/migration-health-research-advance-evidence-based-policy-and-practice-sri-lanka, accessed 31 July 2020). Back to cited text no. 15 - Zimmerman C, Kiss L, Hossain M. Migration and health: a framework for 21st century policy-making. PLoS Med. 2011 May;8(5):e1001034. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001034 PMID:21629681 Back to cited text no. 16 - Disha Foundation. New Delhi: Tribal Research Institute, Ministry of Tribal Affairs; 2019 (http://www.dishafoundation.ngo/projects/research-pdf/PolicyBriefReport-TribalMigrationResearch.pdf, accessed 31 July 2020). Back to cited text no. 17

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TABLE OF CONTENTS (a) Characteristics of Greek Philosophy; (b) The Aims of the Book 1. The teachings of the Egyptian Mysteries reached other lands centuries before it reached Athens; 2. The authorship of the individual doctrines is extremely doubtful; 3. The chronology of Greek philosophers is mere speculation; 4. The compilation of the history of Greek philosophy was the plan of Aristotle executed by his school. The period of Greek philosophy (640-322 B.C.) was a period of internal and external wars and was unsuitable for producing philosophers. 1. The Egyptian theory of salvation became the purpose of Greek philosophy; 2. Circumstances of identity between the Egyptian and Greek systems are shown; 3. The abolition of Greek philosophy with the Egyptian Mysteries identifies them; 4. How the African Continent gave its culture to the Western World. 1. The effects of the Persian Conquest; 2. The effects of the Conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great; 3. The Egyptians were the first to civilize the Greeks; 4. Alexander visits the Oracle of Ammon in the Oasis of Siwah. 1. The earlier Ionion philosophers and their doctrines; 2. Pythagoras and his doctrines; 3. The Eleatic philosophers and their doctrines. 4. The later Ionion philosophers and their doctrines; 5. Summary of conclusions concerning the Pre-Socratic philosophers and the history of the Four Qualities and Four Elements. (a) The doctrines of the early Ionic, the Eleatic and the later Ionic philosophers and Pythagoras are traced to their Egyptian origin; (b) The doctrine of the Four Qualities and Four Elements is traced to its Egyptian origin; (c) Plagiarism shown to be a common practice among the Greek philosophers who borrowed from one another but chiefly from Pythagoras who obtained his ideas from the Egyptians; (d) The doctrine of the Atom by Democritus is traced to its Egyptian origin, as well as his large number of books. He taught nothing new. 1. His Life: (a) Date and place of birth; (b) His economic status and personality; (c) His trial and death; (d) Crito's attempt to smuggle him out of prison; (e) Phaedo describes the final scene before his death. 2. Doctrines: The doctrines of (a) The Nous; (b) The Supreme Good; (c) Opposites and harmony; (d) The immortality of the soul and (e) Self knowledge. 3. Summary of Conclusions: (a) The doctrines of Socrates are traced to their Egyptian origin, as he taught nothing new; (b) The importance of the farewell conversation of Socrates with his pupils and friends is set forth. (I) His early life; (II) His travels and academy; (III) His disputed writings; (IV) His doctrines. 1. The theory of ideas and its application to natural phenomena including (a) the real and unreal; (b) the Nous and (c) creation. 2. The ethical doctrines concerning (a) the highest good; (b) definition of virtue and; (c) the cardinal virtues. 3. The doctrine of the Ideal state whose attributes are compared with the attributes of the soul and justice. (V) Summary of Conclusions: (a) The doctrines of Plato are traced to their Egyptian origin, as he taught nothing new; (b) Magic is shown to be the key to the interpretation of ancient religion and philosophy; (c) The authorship of his books is disputed by modern scholars, and ancient historians deny his authorship of the Republic and Timeas; (d) The allegory of the charioteer and winged steeds is traced to its Egyptian origin. (I) (a) His early life and training; (b) His own list of books; (c) Other list of books; (II) Doctrines; (III) Summary of Conclusions. A The doctrines are traced to their Egyptian origin, as he taught nothing new; B (1) The library of Alexandria was the true source of Aristotle's large numbers of books; (2) The lack of uniformity between the list of books points to doubtful authorship; C The discrepancies and doubts in this life. 1. The education of Egyptian Priests according to their Orders; 2. The education of the Egyptian Priests in: (a) The Seven Liberal Arts; (b) Secret systems of languages and mathematical symbolism; (c) Magic. 3. A comparison of the curriculum of the Egyptian Mystery System with the list of books said to be drawn up by Aristotle himself. 1. (a) The history, description and complete text of the Memphite Theology are given and the subject matter is divided into three parts; (b) The text of the first part is followed by the philosophy which the first part teaches; (c) The text of the second part is followed by the philosophy which the second part teaches; (d) The text of the third part is followed by the philosophy which the third part teaches. 2. The Memphite Theology is shown to be the source of modern scientific knowledge; (a) The identity of the creation of the Ennead with the Nebular Hypothesis and; (b) The identity of the Sun God Atom with the atom of Science. 3. The Memphite Theology opens great possibilities for modern scientific research: (a) The Greek concept of the atom is shown to be erroneous; (b) With the new interpretation of the atom the Memphite Theology provides a vast field of scientific secrets yet to be discovered. 1. The knowledge that the African Continent gave civilization the Arts and Sciences, Religion and Philosophy is des- tined to produce a change in the mentality both of the White and Black people. 2. There are three persons in the drama of Greek philosophy: (a) Alexander the Great; (b) Aristotle's School and; (c) The Ancient Roman Government who are responsible for a false tradition about Africa and the social plight of its peoples; (3) Both the White and Black people are common victims of a false tradition about Africa and this fact makes both races partners in the solution of the problem of racial reformation. (4) The methods suggested for racial reformation: (a) Reeducation of both groups by world wide dissemination of Africa's contribution to civilization; (b) The abandonment of the false worship of Greek intellect; (c) Special attention must be given to the re-education of missionaries and a constant demand made for a change in missionary policy. 1. A statement and explanation of the new philosophy of African Redemption are made; 2. Black people must cultivate methods of counteraction against: (a) The false worship of Greek intellect; (b) Missionary literature and exhibition and; (c) must demand a change in missionary policy. Greek Philospohy is Stolen Egyptian Philosophy The Memphite Theology is the Basis of all Important Doctrines of Greek Philosophy Greek Philosophy was Alien to the Greeks Greek Philosophy was the offspring of the Egyptian Mystery System The Egyptians Educated the Greeks The Curriculum of the Egyptian Mystery System The Pre-Socratic Philosophers and the teaching Ascribed to them The Athenian Philosophers

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For example, the girls organizing the book or clothing drive could make their project a Take Action project by holding the drive annually and getting a sponsor to advertise and organize it every year.Mar 13, · Betty Friedman: feminist writer on Girl Scouts' board of directors best remembered for book, The Feminine Mystique, primary founder and first president of the National Organization for Women (NOW), founder of the National Women's Political Caucus, strong opponent of abortion laws, founder of the National Abortion Rights Action league, or Author: Jennifer Hartline.Jan 26, · Smart News Keeping you current How One Page Book Inspired the Creation of the Boy Scouts How a little military textbook evolved into a movement that would captivate generations of .

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Five Books You Could Be Reading Right Now to Reduce Stress According to personal research conducted in my house during my free time, I can confirm that reading books reduces stress, expands your knowledge, and improves focus. I know that reading books reduces stress because I like to take on lots of weekly challenges from studying towards a teaching qualification, keeping my blog updated with fresh material, balancing a full-time job with a part-time job, and nourishing my relationship with both my partner and my closest friends in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, which is probably not comparable to your day dear EziBuy reader (Or maybe it is! Let us know in the comments below!). It can sometimes leave me with a frazzled albeit extremely happy brain and a very busy mind. So, I read. I do love to read a fabulous book. I go to bed with extra knowledge and my focus is steered from daytime to sleep time, and as the calmness is bought over me I begin to doze off, as you might be too while reading this blog. I hope not. So, to help you find your nighttime equilibrium, as you’ve successfully balanced being mother, staff member, volunteer, chef, chauffer, housekeeper, and entertainer for one day, I have successfully compiled a list of the top five books that will take you to places only a great book can take you to. A few choices are related to fashion; women who are inspiring for their originality and dedication to what they love and believe in. The remaining few are of such great literary quality because of their highly acclaimed reputation sustained over the decades, and others who today have in my eyes produced the funniest pieces of literature known to man, or rather just my bookshelf. There is also one read that you might find online listed as ‘self-help’, but I like to think of it as self-improvement, because when you’re already awesome enough what is there to lose. Jean Rhys has successfully given a voice to a woman wrongfully incarcerated in the plot of a literary classic that she didn’t even write. Now that is genius. Antoinette, formally known as Bertha Mason in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, was raised in Jamaica as the Emancipation Act in 1833 for the abolishment of slavery was enforced across the West Indies. Sharing an insightful history into this era you can follow the journey that led Antoinette to the attic of Thornfield Hall, England. In Jane Eyre Antoinette is portrayed arguably as Jane’s alter ego, the repressed Victorian woman, but for Rhys she’s the archetypal portrayal of the intriguing Creole woman that British plantation owners married, moved to England and came to believe that they’re not the domesticated, submissive English wife his household requires. Grace Coddington’s career as American Vogue’s Creative Director at Large spanned longer than I have so far been alive. In my eyes, therefore, she is an icon as I can barely spend longer than an hour sitting in one place (Gen Y problems?). Of course this isn’t the real reason, I hear you question. She has respectably cherished every ounce of her integrity throughout the decades where your mind is no longer relied on for creative inspiration but the apps are on your handheld device. As she points out, she attends every fashion show with her notebook for sketching the information she wants. As her work was slipping into a state of needs must with technology the time was right to leave her position on a high. The most inspiring insight from her book is her love for cats, her humble upbringing in her Welsh family-owned hotel, and her lovers, boyfriends and husband of 30 years, Didier. You might feel like I have just told you everything…I haven’t. There is a lot more. A little bit like Marmite, Miranda Hart is a woman who you could either watch and listen to all day with laughter in your belly, or absolutely not at all. Ever. For me, it is 100% the former. It’s not just because of her openness that so many people can now comfortably admit to the thigh clap, the boob clap, or the accidental fart blame-it-on-the-chair scenario, but her very posh accent, her mockery of the middle-class, and most other social conformities that are, when you think about it, ridiculous. In a manner made famous on her TV sitcom, Miranda, you can hear the words ‘awkward’, ‘that’s rude’, and ‘ooh, naughty’ as clearly as if she’s reading next to you. You can find this book in audio form as well should you actually want to have her read to you before bed and literally hear her say those words. At 95 summers old, Iris Apfel is the world’s wondering art exhibition staging colourful and aesthetically intriguing accessories that she obviously works her clothes around rather than the accessory working around the clothes. She is arguably the inventor of contemporary style, and so it is not hard to believe that Eric Boman chose to take her most extraordinary pieces and photograph them for this book to give us, the inquisitive reader, every ounce of detail we need to know about her often audacious choices. It is not just because of the quality of photography in this book that makes it such an eye pleaser, but Iris herself has written an essay for it encapsulating the wonders of her life using stories to showcase her love for life and vintage photographs from her personal collection. As a British comedian from Essex, she has an outspoken and unafraid contagious manner about her. She is now the unofficial queen of tackling the topics on life’s inequalities that I myself would be scared of saying out loud. Since discovering this insightful read, though, I now feel confident that someone accredited and of a similar age is with me on my train of thought (toot toot) giving me the sisterhood back up should I ever need it. I won’t reveal the exact topics she so controversially discusses, but I will tell you that her chapter headings range from ‘are you a woman?’ to ‘consent’ and ‘bum, boobs and clever old fat’. She abolishes stereotypes, reasons for self-doubt, and uses her personal experiences with men, boys, family, and her younger self to prove some thought provoking points. I have attempted and failed, and succeeded all the same, to lure people into reading this book so they can share my excitement at the prospect of a betterment project guided serenely by my favourite Australasian stationary shop. You are beginning to get a sense of who I am, I can feel it, and you’re questioning if you should trust someone who reads ‘self-help’ books and favors stationery shops. It’s ok. They’re not ‘self-help’ but self-improvement… We all have a better future self who will go for that run next Saturday, because by then we will definitely be the energetic version of our today self. When you awake after reading this book, though, you realise she has taught you that you can indeed be your next Friday self, who will definitely have the desire for that dinner party, today! Or, the self with the writing power to start that novel worthy of the Man Booker Prize you’ve been meaning to write since last year, but have put off because your Wednesday self is better than your Tuesday self. You’re already awesome, I’m sure, but there is no harm in venturing into unknown territories where supposed self-help books are actually an adventure to read. You might now find yourself, after conducting your personal research, less stressed, more focused and in ownership of even more knowledge than you were at the time of first reading this. I hope these books send you to sleep in a positive way, and not because you’ve dozed off out of boredom. Let me know in the comments below if you are reading any good books at the moment.

The period commonly known as the ‘Romantic era’ or the ‘Age of Romanticism’ spans the years between 1780 and 1832 and was a time of transition and transformation. Writers, intellectuals and artists of this period witnessed – and even more importantly – had to cope with such (traumatizing) socio-political upheavals as the American and the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, colonialism and transatlantic slave-trade, and last but not least the effects of the Great Reform Act of 1832. One important objective of this course is to gain a better understanding of both the cultural complexity of this era as well as the profound impact it had on the literature(s) and the arts. Therefore, as the seminar-title has it, we will trace such diverse “Aspects of Romanticism” as ‘aesthetic Romanticism’, ‘gendered Romanticism’, ‘radical Romanticism’, ‘urban Romanticism’ and ‘visual Romanticism’. The selected novels, poems, essays, caricatures and paintings we will look at, include, for example, excerpts from William Godwin’s Caleb Williams (1794) and Mary Wollstonecraft’s Vindication of the Rights of Men (1790), Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) and George Adams’ “Essay on Electricity” (1799), Thomas De Quincey’s Confessions of an English Opium Eater (1822), Lord Byron’s oriental verse tale “The Giaour” (1813) as well as a number of selected shorter poems by William Blake, William Wordsworth, S. T. Coleridge, Mary Robinson and Percy B. Shelley. Furthermore, we will have a look at a selection of Blake’s illuminations, various caricatures, and selected (landscape) paintings by Henry Fuseli, John Constable and J.M.W Turner. By means of comparative and/ or cross-readings of written and visual works, fictional and non-fictional texts, the main aim of this course is to reconstruct – viewed in terms of its poetics, politics and productivity – one of the richest periods in British cultural and literary history. Requirements: active participation, an oral presentation / guided discussion, and a term paper (c. 10-15 pages). Please buy and read: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818); Thomas De Quincey’s Confessions of an English Opium Eater (1822). Please note: all additional material (novel excerpts, poetry, essays and images) will be ready for you on GRIPS by the start of the semester. Following the lead of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, writers as different as Richard Austin Freeman, Dorothy L. Sayers, P.D. James, Colin Cotterill, Benjamin Black (aka John Banville), Simon Beckett and, last but not least, D.E. Meredith, have created a new fictional type of investigator figure: the so called ‘forensic detective’. Looking at both detective stories and novels, the course aims to show that the putative connection between detective fiction and the rise of forensic science not only provides new subject matter, but also helps to engender innovative forms of crime writing. Dealing with a broad range of texts, makes it possible to trace the historical development of the forensic detective in three major phases, mapped out as follows: from Doyle’s Victorian ‘forensic master mind’ Sherlock Holmes, through the transitional period from 1910 to the 1930s with Freeman’s Dr. John Thorndyke, the first full-fledged fictional forensic medical practitioner, and Sayers’ forensic based crime fiction that narratively explores forensic odontology, to the late 20th and early 21st century. At the heart of this long period are, for example, P.D. James Death of an Expert Witness (1977), set in a forensic laboratory, Colin Cotterill’s The Coroner’s Lunch (2004) and his invention of the first postcolonial forensic detective, Dr. Siri Paiboun, a state pathologist in 1970s Laos, Benjamin Black’s (aka John Banville) Christine Falls (2006) with Quirke, a pathologist in 1950s Dublin, Simon Beckett’s Written in Bone (2007), introducing the investigative forensic anthropologist David Hunter and D. E. Meredith’s Devoured (2010) that is set in 19th century London and centred on Prof. Adolphus Hatton and his morgue assistant Albert Roumande. Dealing with the aesthetics of the (post-)modern British novel involves the exploration of the forms and meaning of time. Using Laurence Sterne’s 18th-century classic The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy. Gentleman (1759-67) as an early poetological model text, one major concern of this course is to look at how literary temporality or ‘narrated time’ are self-reflexively dealt with in British (post-)modern writing. Close readings of a broad spectrum of novels, including H.G. Wells’s Time Machine (1895), a chapter from James Joyce’s Ulysses (1922), Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway (1925) Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children (1981), Martin Amis’s Time’s Arrow (1991) and Jeanette Winterson’s The Gap of Time (2015), shall help to develop a better understanding of how the changing experience of ‘social time’ has directly influenced the (post-)modern novel by producing new narrative techniques as, for instance, the ‘stream of consciousness’ or new types of literary (narrator-)figures, such as the ‘time-traveller’ or the ‘postcolonial chronicler’. By analysing the forms and functions of narrated time in relation to plot structure, character conception and the use of space, another important concern of this course will be to trace the ways in which such sets of narrative criteria may help to define the genre of the British (post-)modern ‘time novel’ – a literary history of which is still waiting to be written. To further develop the dialogue between literature on time and the broader cultural discourse on changing time regimes and experiences of temporality during Modernity, our readings will be based on critical and theoretical texts by, for example, Aleida Assmann, Gérard Genette, Reinhart Koselleck, Helga Nowotny and Paul Ricoeur. This seminar takes its cue from a research project designed by the Austrian cultural theorist and philosopher Thomas Macho: ‘The New Visibility of Death’. Using the burgeoning public interest in human death as a starting point, Macho explores the unprecedented popularity of what may called a ‘forensic aesthetic’ evolving around the dead body as a cultural artefact and the post-mortem as a source that helps to engender innovative forms and formats as creative means to represent death both across cultural borders as well as different media. In order to gain a better understanding of how, in particular, contemporary British drama, fiction, film and visual arts engage with and respond to such current ‘cults and cultures of death’, this course aims to show that death, appearing as a new public feature, not only provides new subject matter, but also has a remarkable impact on an emerging collective ‘forensic imaginary’. Dealing with a broad range of material, our textual and visual readings will include two plays pertaining to the so-called ‘In-Yer-Face-Theatre’-movement, namely Sarah Kane’s Blasted (1995) and Phaedra’s Love (1998), followed by two forensic detective novels, Michael Ondaatje’s Anil’s Ghost (2000) and Simon Beckett’s The Chemistry of Death (2006), the British TV series The Body Farm (2011), and, last but not least, selected exhibits from Damien Hirst’s highly provocative ‘Death Project’, such as, for instance, “Trinity – Pharmacology, Physiology, Pathology” (2000) and “Death or Glory” (2001). To further develop the critical dialogue between literary, filmic and visual artistic representations of death and the broader discourse on a ‘cultural thanatology’, our close readings will be based on critical texts by, for example Antonin Artaud, Jan Assmann, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, Thomas Macho, and Aleks Sierz. 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Missing teeth and diabetes: dental exams may be earlier predictor of disease than even blood tests. By Steve Freed, R.Ph., Experts predict that by 2050, one in every 3 Americans will have diabetes. Poor dental health, most commonly identified by the presence of periodontal disease and dental caries, has been suggested to be associated with the presence of diabetes since the 1930s. Diabetes is estimated to increase the risk of periodontitis by 2 to 3 fold and severe periodontitis was shown to be associated with an increased risk of poor glycemic control in a Native American cohort. The literature on diabetes and the risk of caries has shown mixed results and there is a paucity of reports aimed at assessing the presence of caries and the risk of developing diabetes. For this study, they examined the impact of glucose tolerance on dental health in a representative US population. Dental health has been shown to be linked to increased risk for diabetes and prediabetes. The results were presented recently at the ENDO 2018 conference. Lead author Raynald Samoa, M.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism at City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California, stated that the results from the study show that poor dental health may be linked with increased risk for diabetes and could be another way to screen for diabetes. The findings suggest that dental exams may provide a way to identify someone at risk for developing diabetes, earlier then even a blood test. We found a progressive positive relationship between worsening glucose tolerance and the number of missing teeth. “Although a causal relationship cannot be inferred from this cross-sectional study, it demonstrates that poor dental outcome can be observed before the onset of overt diabetes,” Samoa said. The researchers reviewed the records of 9,670 adults 20 years of age and above who were examined by dentists during the 2009-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. They analyzed their reported body mass index (BMI) and glucose tolerance states by fasting plasma glucose, two-hour post challenge plasma glucose, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), established diabetes, and whether the condition was treated with oral agents or insulin. They recorded the numbers of missing teeth due to caries, or cavities, and periodontal disease for individual patients, and they determined the relationship between glucose tolerance and dental condition by considering age, gender, racial and ethnic group, family history of diabetes, smoking status, alcohol consumption, education, and poverty index. The authors found a progressive increase in the number of patients with missing teeth as glucose tolerance declined, from 45.57 percent in the group with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), to 67.61 percent in the group with abnormal glucose tolerance (AGT), to 82.87 percent in the group with diabetes mellitus (DM). Except for gender, all other covariates had significant impact on the number of missing teeth. The differences in the average number of missing teeth among the three glucose tolerance groups were significant: 2.26 in the NGT group, 4.41 in the AGT group, and 6.80 in those with DM. The authors wrote in their abstract that as far back as the 1930s, periodontal disease and dental caries have been suggested to be linked with diabetes, and that that by 2050, one-third of Americans are expected to be affected by diabetes. The results showed a progressive positive relationship between worsening glucose tolerance and number of teeth missing. Since this is a cross-sectional study, the causal relationship cannot be inferred. However, this study demonstrates that the poor dental outcome can be observed before the onset of overt diabetes. I, myself, have a passion to educate all dentists and dental hygienists, that they could have an impact in catching diabetes in its early stages and improving the quality of life for their patients. Studies have been shown that patients not only have lost some teeth, but many of the patients with periodontal disease have elevated blood sugars. So, why not train all dentists, especially periodontists, to provide A1c tests to their patients undergoing tooth removal or any type of surgery, not only to screen for diabetes but also to let them know that those patients with elevated blood sugars need more attention in preventing infections especially after surgery. We need to make dentists part of the DIABETES TEAM! - The authors found a progressive increase in the number of patients with missing teeth as glucose tolerance declined. - The differences in the average number of missing teeth among the three glucose tolerance groups were significant: 2.26 in the NGT group, 4.41 in the AGT group, and 6.80 in those with DM. - Patients with at least 3 or more missing teeth should be tested for diabetes.