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Monitoring heron populations in Italy, 1972-2010
In this paper, we describe a 39-year long monitoring of heronries in Italy, providing an informative case history for such a long term monitoring program. Initiated in 1972, the program is still running covering 57,600 km2 in NW Italy. The survey area is one in which colonial Ardeids are particularly abundant due to large areas of rice cultivation. The censuses were performed by teams of collaborators operating under centralized coordination, using the technique best suited to the condition of each heronry. The techniques used were: ground count of all nests; post-nesting ground count; aerial count; and perimeter count. An annual population index and index trend were computed using the TRIM index. All the 7 species underwent large but gradual changes in population size during the 39 years of monitoring. In pace with population increase, the number of heronries increased from 40 in 1972 to 175 in 2010. Heron populations increased from 1980 to 2000, after which Grey Herons, Little Egrets, and possibly Squacco Herons leveled off with population levels 3 to 20 times higher than their initial levels. Black-crowned Night Herons initially increased like the other species but later reversed its trend. These heron populations appear to have been sensitive to environmental and climatic changes, temporal variation in human disturbance, and changes in foraging habitats, with these elements differing in importance for each heron species. Reduced human-induced mortality likely is the main cause triggering the increases. We evaluate the critical features of our monitoring program, including its casual onset and later developments, opportunity to witness significant population changes, goal definition, limitations in sampling procedures, factors affecting population change, and cost effectiveness. Our experiences may be used to inform the development of long-term monitoring programs elsewhere.
Key words: Ardea; Ardeola; climate change; conservation; Egretta; hunting mortality; long-term monitoring; Nycticorax; population trends; rice fields.
We conducted a large-scale, long-term monitoring program of the breeding colonial Ardeids throughout Northwestern Italy from 1972 to present. From a conservation perspective, monitoring of these populations was critical as the region holds heron populations of continental importance, including up to 15% of the European total for Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta) and Black-crowned Night Herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) (Fasola and Ruiz 1996a, 1996b). Grey Herons (Ardea cinerea), Purple Herons (A. purpurea), Little Egrets, Squacco Herons (Ardeola ralloides), and Black-crowned Night Herons bred throughout the entire monitoring period, whereas Cattle Egrets (Ardea ibis) and the Great White Egrets (Ardea alba) started breeding during the monitoring period.
During our monitoring period, the Ardeid populations underwent notable changes and a general increase. These increases are attributable to several factors, as discussed elsewhere for the period 1972-2006 (Fasola et al. 2010). Here, we update the description of the population trends, and we discuss the the monitoring program, including both achievements and shortcomings, as a case history to inform similar long term monitoring programs.
The censuses were performed initially by a small team, but after 1981 when the number of heronries started to increase, they were performed by teams of ornithologists, students, park wardens. A centralized database was maintained at the Dipartimento di Biologia Animale, Pavia University. Standardized instructions were provided to the collaborators, and training sessions in the fields were held annually in order to homogenize the counts. Although we could not evaluate the differences in nest counts of our collaborators, whose accuracy could have been low (Graham et al. 1996), the censuses were performed by the same teams for several years and for the whole study period in some case. Therefore we are confident the censuses were reasonably precise, i.e. repeatable over the years, and therefore suitable for the calculation of population trends. All the techniques for censusing colonial waterbirds have insurmountable shortcomings (Kushlan 1992). Different techniques provide estimates with large confidence intervals (>20%, Dodd and Murphy 1995). Accuracy is weakened by incomplete synchrony of breeding (Frederick et al. 2006), and by short nest persistence (Piazza and Wright 2004), so that no practicable technique can count all the nests that existed throughout an entire breeding season. Despite all our efforts to standardize the techniques adopted for our monitoring, the counts can only be interpreted as indicators of nest numbers at peak breeding. Within these limits, however, we believe that the number of nest recorded during our counts, albeit of unknown accuracy, can provide a sufficiently precise index of the long-term temporal changes in the abundance of breeders.
Our collaborators were asked to visit each heronry at least two times during the breeding season, and to provide an estimate of the total number of nests at the peak of colony occupation, using the technique best suited to the condition of each particular heronry. Counters used one of the following techniques (Dodd and Murphy 1995):
1) Ground count of all the nests. This technique was used for 66.4% of the heronries throughout our monitoring, and particularly to the easily accessible, small and monospecific heronries, where birds were not severely disturbed by observers.
2) Post-nesting ground count. This is a technique advocated by Gibbs et al. (1988). During breeding, the proportion of each species was estimated on a sample of >50 nests during >2 visits. These proportions were then extrapolated to the total number of nests, counted during the next winter on leafless trees. Grey Heron nests, which were large, were readily distinguished during post- breeding counts. The number of nests at winter count was multiplied by a conversion factor (1.12 for the Grey Heron, and 1.06 for the other species) to account for the average number of nests that disappear from breeding to winter. These conversion factors had been estimated as the average ratio between total counts performed twice, during breeding and during the subsequent fall, at 20 sample heronries (M. Fasola, unpublished data). Post-breeding nest counts were used at 32.6% of the heronries, particularly for large, mixed colonies, and when disturbance of a complete count during breeding was not advisable. Even in these heronries, however, the scarce species, such as Purple and Squacco herons, Cattle and Great White egrets, were counted individually during breeding, because their estimated proportion would be far less accurate than for the abundant species.
3) Aerial count. This technique is a count of nests on low-altitude photos, used particularly for the few cases (0.4%) of purple heron colonies in reed beds. 4) Perimeter count. This technique is based on expert estimates of visible nests and foraging flights, observed from the colony edge. It was used in only a few cases (0.6%) for small and inaccessible heronries, where other techniques could not be applied.
A single census technique was usually used year after year for the same colony. The few nests that may have remained in abandoned portions of the heronry from previous years were identified during breeding season and not counted. Within the active portion of the heronry, on the other hand, we did not ascertain whether a nest had been used during the present breeding season, because observations of large samples of marked nests (Fasola 1998), showed that in active heronries, unguarded nests disappear in a few days because neighbor breeders rapidly remove their twigs.
The counts were performed from late April to early June at the peak of the breeding season, usually synchronized among species, with the exception of Grey Herons that bred earlier and were counted in April. Until 1980, an average of 34.3% of the heronries were censused each year, while since 1982 a larger sample was censused (66.3%), and complete censuses were performed in 1981, 1986 and 2002. For the heronries not censused in a given year, breeding was confirmed for each species, thus providing the information necessary for the calculation of a population index.
Incomplete counts such as our monitoring, are typical of large-scale censuses of colonial birds (e.g., the Grey Heron in the UK; Marchant et al. 2004), and require the use of population indexes rather than raw counts. We computed the annual population of ardeids using the index implemented by the TRIM software (Pannekoek and van Strien 2001), based on a loglinear Poisson regression method. This index is expressed as ratio between the population in each given year and that of 2000, assumed as base year. The TRIM software, specifically developed to analyze monitoring data from incomplete counts, which is commonplace in ecological surveys, accounts for overdispersion and temporal autocorrelation of such data (van Strien et al. 2004). We used the general habitat as TRIM categorical covariate (factor that group individual sites on the basis of a feature hypothesized to affect populations) in three categories (Fig. 1): “rice fields” (heronries located in lowlands with abundant rice fields, where all the species bred since the seventies), “rivers” (heronries located in lowlands along rivers, where an increasing number of herons appeared only after 1980), and “upland” (heronries located in areas of higher elevation, from 250 to 650 m above sea level that were colonized only after 1990.
The heronries were monitored throughout an area of 57,600 km2 in NW Italy (Fig. 1) where colonies are particularly abundant owing to the presence of the largest extension of rice cultivation within Europe, 2,143 km2 in 2006 (http://www.enterisi.it/servizi/notizie/notizie_homepage.aspx). The heronries are located in small wetlands, with alder woods, bushy willows, and reed beds, or dry mature woodlands, false acacia groves, and poplar plantations among the cultivated and urbanized landscape, and sometimes in wooded parks (Fasola et al. 2007). We defined as one colony each group of nests distant enough from neighbor groups so that birds of the distinct groups did not interact behaviorally, usually at distances >1 km (Buckley and Buckley 1979). Most heron colonies have remained at the same site for long, and some had been recorded at the beginning of the Twentieth century by Moltoni (1936). Other colony sites became inactive during the monitoring period owing to habitat destruction, human disturbance, or unknown causes. Many new heron colonies appeared, in pace with population increase; and they expanded on parts of the study area that had not been occupied previously including rivers and uplands, which likely were less optimal than the traditionally occupied rice fields (Fasola and Brangi 2010). The total number of heron colonies active in each year increased from 40 in 1972 to 175 in 2010. From 1972 to 2010, we recorded 283 heron colonies. Of these, 22 were occupied only temporarily (for <3 years and with <5 nests). The re-occupation of traditional colony sites and the repeated, independent discovery of the same heronries, suggested that all the colonies within the study area had been identified. If nesting was overlooked, they were few and isolated nests.
Results and Discussion
Population trends over four decades.
All the seven heron species underwent large changes during the 39 years of monitoring (Fig. 2). A notably regular trend was shown by Grey Herons, and a lower regularity by some other species. The annual changes by Squacco Herons were the most variable, possibly due to occasional biases in the counts of this less abundant species. All species exhibited directional trends and all overall, except the Black-crowned Night Heron, exhibited a strong increase. Grey Herons increased regularly since 1984 and after 1998 leveled off at about 20 times the mean number in 1976-1978. Little Egrets increased to about four times their 1976-1978 mean. These trends are well described by logistic models (Fasola et al. 2010). Purple Herons and Squacco Herons seem still to be increasing. Black-crowned Night Herons showed a different pattern. During the initial part of monitoring, they increased but after peaking in 1989, they decreased that after 2004 remained apparently stable. The two new colonizers, Cattle and Great White egrets, appeared around 1990 and showed trends that seem to fit the initial phase of a logistic expansion, a pattern typical for species expanding into a new region (Kushlan and Hancock 2005).
In summary, the trends in population change during the past 39 years were strikingly smooth and directional. A period of strong increase lasted from 1980 to 2000, after which Grey Herons, Little Egrets, and possibly Squacco Herons leveled off with population levels 3 to 20 times higher than the initial level. The Black-crowned Night Heron initially increased like the other species, but later reversed its trend.
The factors that may have affected such large population changes have been assessed using Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models (Fasola et al. 2010). Among several candidate ecological factors, significant effects on Grey Herons were the decreased human-induced mortality, as quantified by an index of hunting pressure, and by increasing winter temperatures. Significant effects on Little Egrets were increased extent of rice fields. Significant effects on Squacco Herons were increased rainfall in their African wintering range. Black-crowned Night Herons were positively affected by increasing African rainfall during 1972-1988. The decrease of Night Herons, which contrasts sharply with the trend of all the other species, may be related to competition with other, increasing, herons. The hypothesis that Black-crowned Night Herons could have been limited by the strong increase of the larger and competitively superior Grey Heron, is somewhat suggested by their niche overlap. Black-crowned Night and Grey herons overlap in prey type and size and in foraging habitats, more than any of the other species of the Italian herons and egrets (Fasola 1986, 1994). But the peculiar trend of Black-crowned Night Herons could also depend on other, poorly known factors, such as the climate in the overwintering areas that could partially differ from the areas of the other migratory herons.
The heronry sites of NW Italy enjoy a satisfactory level of protection owing to the enforcement of site-specific conservation actions for several of the colony sites (Fasola and Alieri 1992). The improved protection of colony sites within special reserves was also considered as a factor affecting populations (Fasola et al. 2010), but it was found unlikely as primary trigger of the observed increase, although obviously important for the long- term population persistence.
The heron populations in NW Italy are sensitive to environmental and climatic changes, as well as to temporal variation in human disturbance and changes in foraging habitats, with differing importance of each factors for each heron or egret species. The decreased human-induced mortality could have been the main cause triggering the increases. In the early 20th century, several European heron populations were at a minimum, due to persecution as pests for freshwater fisheries and as game species, but many subsequently recovered (Marion 1997; Kushlan and Hafner 2000; Kushlan and Hancock 2005).
Critical features of the monitoring program.
Long-term studies, i.e. those lasting more than the longevity of the study species and thus including some generation turnover, are the indispensable tool to resolve population phenomena (Cody and Smallwood 1996). For large birds, such as herons with the long generation time, such studies have to encompass decades, and in this case, accurate planning and cost-effectiveness are of great concern (Goldsmith 1991, Thompson et al. 1998). Our study is a case history in such a monitoring program, but one that may have value in informing the development of long term programs. Several important considerations were as follows.
Casual onset and later developments. The program was unplanned. The monitoring program of heronries in Italy started as individual under-graduate research when colony location was sought as information necessary for further studies on reproductive biology. It then expanded into regional survey of all the heronries, and eventually continued as coordinated monitoring.
Opportunity to witness significant population changes. This monitoring program, albeit not prompted by any expectation of population change, was fortunate enough to include a period of notable and directional change in population size of all species and was able to document this change.
Goal definition. Despite a lack of explicit initial goal, this program accomplished several ends by providing: basic information needed for further studies on foraging and breeding biology; initial information for the creation of nature reserves that conserve the heronries themselves and with them also the wetland biotopes within the urbanized landscape of Northern Italy; information crucial for the planning and management of the nature reserves; and a data base for population analysis.
Limitations in sampling procedures. As a consequence of the casual start, this program could not be designed from the beginning, therefore there were shortcomings, especially during the first years, in the techniques (e.g. lack of tests for inter-observer differences in the counts), and in the collection of information on variables critical for the interpretation of population changes (among which, on foraging ecology, reproductive rate).
Factors affecting population change. After the first years of heronry monitoring, hypotheses surged among the participants and others on the factors driving the observed changes, and collateral studies were initiated on such factors, including colony site availability (Fasola and Alieri 1992), foraging ecology and prey density in rice fields (Fasola 1986, 1994), reproductive success (Fasola 1998), and pesticide residues (Fasola et al. 1998). These factors however were surveyed in a sample of a few years when funding was available, but could not be assessed at regular intervals, and have not been studied after 2000. Such missing information is the main shortcoming of our program, because population dynamics cannot be fully explained unless the underlying demographic mechanisms are known. Any monitoring program concerned with the factors driving population variations, should include records of productivity, survival, and proportion of breeders, all of which are essential for the understanding of population regulation of birds (Newton 1998).
Costs. Monitoring can entail large costs when repeated over long time and a large area. This program on heronries in Italy is carried out mainly through voluntary collaboration, with minimal costs for the census of the heronries non covered by any collaborator, for coordination and for data management, and can be considered highly cost-effective. Thus it seems that monitoring need not be expensive.
The monitoring program described in this paper provided substantive information on the changes in heron populations in a region of Italy. That it began unplanned and counting techniques varied yet documented critical information on population changes is encouraging. It is hoped that the experiences and lessons learned in this program can be of value in the development of heron monitoring programs elsewhere.
We are deeply indebted to all the collaborators of the research group Garzaie Italia who performed the censuses at the colonies, recently Gianfranco Alessandria, Marco Baietto, Marco Bandini, Angelo Battaglia, Giovanni Bazzano, Luigi Beraudo Franco Bernini, Giovanni Boano, Anna Bonardi, Gian Abele Bonicelli, Piero Bonvicini, Alberto Boto, Anna Brangi, Sandra Buzio, Monica Carabella, Franco Carpegna, Pietro Cassone, Bruno Caula, Francesco Cecere, Mauro Della Toffola, Flavio Ferlini, Diego Ferri, Alessandra Gagliardi, Arturo Gargioni, Claudio Gioda, Laura Gola, Nunzio Grattini, Walter Guenzani, Franco Lavezzi, Daniele Longhi, Violetta Longoni, Lorenzo Maffezzoli, Edoardo Manfredini, Valentina Mangini, Cesare Martignoni, Fabrizio Nobili, Giuliana Pirotta, Cristina Poma, Ivan Provini, Daniele Reteuna, Alessandro Re, Bassano Riboni, Ettore Rigamonti, Domenico Rosselli, Walter Sassi, Fabrizio Scelsi, Alberto Tamietti, Eugenio Tiso, Andrea Viganò, Enrico Viganò, Alfredo Zambelli, and many others for the past years. The Regione Lombardia supported the program. Nicola Gilio helped with the maps. Our remembrance goes to the late friends Heinz Hafner and Francesco Barbieri with whom we shared so many years of fieldwork and discussion.
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At Koala, we love collaboration because it gives us a chance to explore, enjoy and discover new experiences. Recently, we worked together with the French Embassy to host the famous brand Elle & Vire.
Founded in Normandy, Elle & Vire has been in the dairy business since 1945. Specializing in cheese, butter, cream and so much more, Elle & Vire is present on 5 continents in over 120 countries. We had a chance to taste some their delicious creations through the event “A French Touch Around the World.”
In action was chef Ludovic Chesnay, an international culinary advisor who has been in the business for over two decades and has worked in Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Dubai and more. Some of the delightful desserts on display was the Mogador Ganache – a passion-fruit cake pop dipped in dark chocolate – the shortbread pastry – a buttery, wholesome treat – and orange rich shortcrust dough – a zesty, creamy snack.
It may be hard to believe that so many hearty and rich treats can be made with dairy but chef Ludovic showed that all it takes is a little creativity and imagination.To bring some adventure to your kitchen, we’ll share some of the wonderful recipes we had the joy of tasting.
1. Mogador ganache
50g passion fruit puree
90g inverted sugar
70g dark chocolate
17g Elle & Vire Professionnel Gourmet Butter Unsalted
Bring the fruit puree/inverted sugar to the boil and gradually pour onto the chopped chocolate. Make sure the temperature of the mixture does not exceed 40 Celsius. Add the chopped butter. Pour into 2cm diameter flexipan moulds and chill in a freezer.
24g Elle & Vire Professionnel Extra Dry Butter
Fine grain salt
6g ground almonds
47g bread flour
Combine all the ingredients and refrigerate. Roll the dough out to a thickness of 2.5 mm then cut out using a 3.5 mm diameter pastry cutter. Bake in the oven at 150/160 Celsius for 12 mm.
3.Orange rich shortcrust dough
100g sieved flour
40g icing sugar
55g Elle & Vire Professionnel Gourmet Butter Unsalted
10g orange zest
Combine the softened butter and icing sugar. Add an egg and mix in well. Put the flour and orange zest in. Make the dough. Keep in the fridge for 2 hours before rolling out to 2.5 mm thickness. Cut out using a no.6 cutter. Oven bake on a baking mat for 15 mins at 145 Celsius.
If you want to try your hands at some of these recipes, Koala offers numerous Elle & Vire products. Just swing by, pick up what you need and let the cooking begin. Bon appetit!
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - As an oil tanker that struck a San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge tower was deemed safe to leave port on Friday, the Coast Guard was calling for reconsideration of rules that allow large ships to sail in fog near the span.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Health officials say California is seeing more cases of the flu, but the increase is not unexpected.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - After years of difficult budget cuts, Gov. Jerry Brown is offering more money to California's public colleges and universities. In return, he wants them to hold down costs, expand online learning and stop raising tuition, which has increased sharply in recent years.
TAFT (AP) - Morgan Alldredge had just finished her oceanography test when a classmate she knows well suddenly walked in the open door to her science class with a shotgun.
SACRAMENTO (AP) - Regulators in Oregon and California have quietly directed some health insurance companies to stop denying coverage for transgender patients because of their gender identity.
FACEBOOK TESTS $100 CHARGE TO MESSAGE ZUCKERBERG: MENLO PARK (AP) - Would you pay $100 to message Mark Zuckerberg? Facebook says it's testing some "extreme price points" to let users pay to have their messages seen by people who are not their friends.
VALLEJO (AP) - Languishing on Death Row for a series of brutal rapes culminating in the 1966 killing of two teen girls he picked up hitchhiking, Dennis Stanworth pleaded with California's highest court to get on with his execution.
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ATLANTA (AP) - The evangelical pastor chosen to give the benediction at President Barack Obama's inauguration withdrew from the ceremony Thursday after remarks surfaced that he made two decades ago condemning the gay rights movement.
SACRAMENTO (AP) - Former state assemblyman Jim Nielsen has been sworn in as the new state senator representing a broad swath of rural Northern California.
VALLEJO, Calif. (AP) - A California man once sentenced to death for killing two people in the 1960s was under arrest Thursday after police said he led officers to the body of his 89-year-old mother.
SACRAMENTO (AP) - Health officials say there have been two flu deaths in the Sacramento area and influenza cases are increasing throughout the region.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Certain earthquake fault segments long thought to be stable may rupture and cause a mega-quake, suggests a new study that could have implications for California's mighty San Andreas.
SACRAMENTO (AP) - Riding a wave of new tax revenue, California's spending plan for the coming fiscal year will rise by nearly $5 billion, a powerful indication that the state that came to symbolize fiscal mismanagement during the heart of the recession is emerging into brighter days.
1. BUDGET DEFICIT GONE
OLD SACRAMENTO - Gold Rush Days return to Old Sacramento over the extended Labor Day Weekend -Friday, Sept. 4, through Monday, Sept. 7.
TUOLUMNE – Nine-time Grammy Award-winning band Asleep at the Wheel will be performing at Black Oak Casino Resort on Thursday, Aug. 20.
LINDEN - This summer Community Theatre of Linden is staging their most ambitious musical yet, "Footloose the Musical", that opens Friday, July 31.
STOCKTON – The Gleason Park Electric Violin Ensemble returns to The Haggin Museum on Saturday, Aug. 1, at 2 p.m.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Some federal and state prisoners could soon be eligible for federal student aid to take college courses while behind bars.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Twitter failed to add users at a quick enough pace for investors in the second quarter even as revenue grew sharply, feeding ...
SAN JOSE (AP) - Chipmakers Intel and Micron Technologies say they've made a major breakthrough by creating a new kind of memory chip that's ...
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Motorola is refreshing its Android smartphones with better cameras and other improvements as it seeks to lure customers who want lower-cost alternatives ...
SANTA CRUZ (AP) - The mother of a missing 8-year-old girl pleaded for her safe return Monday as search efforts grew to include federal authorities.
LODI -The Bokisch Vineyards team's passion for making great wines was recognized at the 2015 California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A federal appeals court Monday upheld a California law banning the sale, distribution and possession of shark fins.
SACRAMENTO (AP) - The cost of private individual health plans on California's state-run market will increase about 4 percent for the second straight year, evidence ...
FRESNO (AP) - More wildfires have torn across California so far this year compared with the same period of 2014, but firefighters said Monday that efforts ...
LOS ANGELES (AP) - On weekday evenings, carpenters and longshoremen, working mothers and young professionals hailing from Latin America and living in Los Angeles and throughout ...
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A judge has ruled that control of a landmark project on Alzheimer's disease belongs to the University of California, San Diego ...

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I made a controller with 3 syringes where 2 are used as inputs. There are 2 pressure sensors connected to an Arduino. The 3rd syringe serves as an output where a servo motor triggers the syringe
left mouseclick to push the left pusher. right mouseclick to push the right pusher.
Unity3D Blender procreate (ios)


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After a long hiatus, here is the much deserved return of Hulu Recommendation Friday. This week's offering is very near and dear to my heart. I have thoroughly enjoyed the NBC sit com "Community" from its pilot episode, but now that it has fused itself with another of my loves the show has my undying loyalty. If NBC execs try to cancel the show...I'll have them performing Otto's Irresistible Dance.
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To those of us who saw "Role Models," it's no surprise that Ken Jeong knocks the ball out of the park in this episode.

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|A patient receiving fire cupping therapy|
Cupping therapy is an ancient Chinese form of alternative medicine in which a local suction is created on the skin; practitioners believe this mobilizes blood flow in order to promote healing. Suction is created using heat (fire) or mechanical devices (hand or electrical pumps). It is known in local languages as baguan/baguar, badkesh, banki, bahnkes, bekam, buhang, bentusa, kyukaku, gak hoi, Hijamah, kavaa (ކަވާ), mihceme, and singhi among others.
A partial vacuum is created in cups placed on the skin either by means of heat or suction. According to the American Cancer Society, "[a]vailable scientific evidence does not support cupping as a cure for cancer or any other disease". It can leave temporary bruised painful marks on the skin and there is also a small risk of burns.
There is reason to believe the practice dates from as early as 3000 B.C.; the earliest record of cupping is in the Ebers Papyrus, one of the oldest medical textbooks in the world, describes in 1550 B.C. Egyptians used cupping. Archaeologists have found evidence in China of cupping dating back to 1000 B.C. In ancient Greece, Hippocrates (c. 400 B.C.) used cupping for internal disease and structural problems. This method in multiple forms spread into medicine throughout Asian and European civilizations.
Broadly speaking there are two types of cupping: dry cupping and bleeding or wet cupping (controlled bleeding) with wet cupping being more common. The British Cupping Society (BCS), an organisation promoting the practice, teaches both. As a general rule, wet cupping provides a more "curative-treatment approach" to patient management whereas dry cupping appeals more to a "therapeutic and relaxation approach". Preference varies with practitioners and cultures.
Dry cupping
The cupping procedure commonly involves creating a small area of low air pressure next to the skin. However, there is variety in the tools used, the method of creating the low pressure, and the procedures followed during the treatment.
The cups can be various shapes including balls or bells, and may range in size from 1 to 3 inches (25 to 76 mm) across the opening. Plastic and glass are the most common materials used today, replacing the horn, pottery, bronze and bamboo cups used in earlier times. The low air pressure required may be created by heating the cup or the air inside it with an open flame or a bath in hot scented oils, then placing it against the skin. As the air inside the cup cools, it contracts and draws the skin slightly inside. More recently, vacuum can be created with a mechanical suction pump acting through a valve located at the top of the cup. Rubber cups are also available that squeeze the air out and adapt to uneven or bony surfaces.
In practice, cups are normally used only on softer tissue that can form a good seal with the edge of the cup. They may be used singly or with many to cover a larger area. They may be used by themselves or placed over an acupuncture needle. Skin may be lubricated, allowing the cup to move across the skin slowly.
Depending on the specific treatment, skin marking is common after the cups are removed. This may be a simple red ring that disappears quickly, the discolouration left by the cups is normally from bruising especially if dragging the cups while suctioned from one place to another to break down muscle fiber. Usually treatments are not painful, but treatment is discontinued if the subject experiences more than minor discomfort.
Fire cupping
Fire cupping is a treatment where a cotton ball dipped in 50% or greater alcohol is lit and the cotton ball is then introduced inside of the cup for a brief second. The cup is then placed on the patient. As a small vacuum has been created by the cooling of the hot air and gases inside the cup, the skin is drawn up into the cup creating a seal. If oil has been applied, the cups can be moved around the patient's body along the "meridians" and at specific points to allegedly help with immune boosting and other "modalities".
Wet cupping (Al-Hijamah or medicinal bleeding)
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While the history of wet cupping may date back thousands of years, the first documented uses are found in the teachings of the Islamic prophet Muhammad . According to Muhammad al-Bukhari, Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj Nishapuri and Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Muhammad approved of the Hijama (cupping) treatment.
A number of hadith support its recommendation and use by Muhammad. As a result, the practice of cupping therapy has survived in Muslim countries. Today, wet cupping is a popular remedy practiced in many parts of the Muslim world .
Alternatively, mild suction is created using a cup and a pump (or heat suction) on the selected area and left for about three minutes. The cup is then removed and small superficial skin incisions are made using a cupping scalpel. A second suction is used to carefully draw out a small quantity of blood. The procedure was piloted and developed by Ullah et al 2005 and has been endorsed by the British Cupping Society which aims to promote, protect and develop professional standards in cupping therapy.
In Finland, wet cupping has been done at least since the 15th century, and it is done traditionally in saunas. The cupping cups were made of cow's horns with a valve mechanism in it to create an underpressure on them by sucking the air out. Cupping is still used in Finland as an alternative medicine.
Wet-cupping has been shown to be effective in the nonspecific low back pain. It has also been shown to possibly decrease the frequency of headaches.[unreliable medical source?] Studies have also shown some evidence that it may be effective in the treatment of post-herpetic neuralgia.
Traditional Chinese medicine cupping
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) cupping is a method of applying acupressure by creating a vacuum on the patient's skin to dispel stagnation — stagnant blood and lymph, thereby improving qi flow — to treat respiratory diseases such as the common cold, pneumonia and bronchitis. Cupping also is used on back, neck, shoulder and other musculoskeletal conditions. Its advocates say it has other applications, as well. Cupping is not advised over skin ulcers or to the abdominal or sacral regions of pregnant women.
Limited bruising cupping massage
New silicone cupping therapy massage cups are available, an innovation for cupping therapy and its wider acceptance. "Medical silicone" cups are claimed to alleviate deep bruising associated with traditional cupping. The cups allow for added new massage techniques because they are simple to use and are pliable, unlike glass or plastic. It is also highly recommended to drink plenty of water after cupping to help move the blood and other fluids through the area affected, general massage is able to help reduce the blood bruising immediately after the cupping.
Cupping is claimed to treat a broad range of medical conditions such as; blood disorders (anaemia, haemophilia), rheumatic diseases (arthritic joint and muscular conditions), fertility and gynaecological disorders, and skin problems (eczema, acne), and is claimed by proponents to help general physical and psychological well-being.
Only one controlled trial of cupping has been conducted, and it did not demonstrate any effectiveness for pain relief. A recent book by Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst claims that no evidence exists of any beneficial effects of cupping for any medical condition.
See also
- "British Cupping Society". Retrieved 2008.
- Kaya SO, Karatepe M, Tok T, Onem G, Dursunoglu N, Goksin, I (September 2009). "Were pneumothorax and its management known in 15th-century anatolia?". Texas Heart Institute Journal 36 (2): 152–153. PMID 19436812.
- "ACS :: Cupping". 2007-05-23. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
- Cui Jin and Zhang Guangqi, "A survey of thirty years’ clinical application of cupping", Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 1989; 9(3): 151–154
- Andrew Rippin and Jan Knappert, Textual Sources for the Study of Islam, Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1986; Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1990. 78.
- Sunan Abu Dawood, 11:2097, 28:3848, Sahih Muslim, 26:5467, 10:3830
- Observations of the popularity and religious significance of blood-cupping (al-ḥijāma) as an Islamic medicine, Ahmed El-Wakil, Contemporary Islamic Studies, Vol. 2011, 2
- State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Advanced Textbook on Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacology, Volume IV, 1997 New World Press, Beijing
- Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion (Revised Edition), Xingnong, Foreign Languages Press, Beijing, China, 1987, p370.
- Singh, Simon; Ernst, Edzard (2008). Trick or Treatment. Transworld Publishers. p. 368. ISBN 9780552157629.
Further reading
- CUPPING by Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon
- Cupping Directory
- The efficacy of wet-cupping in the treatment of tension and migraine headache.
- Traditional Cupping Film
- British Cupping Society website
- Cupping online journal

domain: medical


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It is alleged Rwandans are stealthily buying land in Uganda at night despite the tension between the two neighbouring countries.
According to Uganda based paper, The Observer, information from Katuna town council, Rubaya and Butanda sub counties in Ndorwa West County in Kabale district, indicates that Rwandan nationals are stealthily crossing into Uganda to buy land for construction so they can permanently relocate.
Bernard Nturanabo, a resident of Kahungye in Butanda Sub County, says he has personally seen various Rwandan nationals crossing into Uganda through the porous borders looking for land for purchase.
He says Rwandans don’t mind about the fertility of the land but all they need is land for construction.
Geresome Mafuuni, the Murandamo village LC 1 chairman in Bigaga parish says most Rwandans cross to his village at night to buy land because of fear of being arrested by Rwandan border security. Mafuuni says some Rwandan nationals have already started preparing land to construct houses, saying they want to relocate to Uganda.
Butanda sub county LC Five Councillor, Eric Kigunzu Tumwesigye, says that he has already notified security about the Rwandan nationals crossing to his sub county to buy land.
Gad Rugaaju Ahimbisibwe, Kabale Deputy Resident District Commissioner says their records show that more than 60 Rwandan nationals have bought land in Butanda with intentions of constructing houses.
He faults LC 1 chairpersons and Ugandan nationals for consenting to the sale of land to illegal immigrants.
“People cross to Uganda and connive with Ugandans and buy land. And when they buy land, they settle and don’t go through the process. Legally they are not Ugandans; you don’t become Ugandan by how many years you have stayed in Uganda. You’re Ugandan by citizenship or by birth. So when you come here you’re supposed to register, you go through the legal process…over 56 people crossed to Uganda, they bought land and they are beginning to develop it.” Rugaaju told The Observer
“That is illegal and land must be returned back to Ugandans and these Rwandans must follow the right process of how to acquire land in another country.” He added
However, Rwandans have been advised not to go in Uganda for their safety is not guaranteed.


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The show Peaky Blinders that has been awarded the Best Drama Series award is all set to come out with a new season, now that its fan base is expanding exponentially.
What’s Going To Be The Plot For Peaky Blinders Season 6?
Steven Knight has peppered the early seasons of Peaky Blinders with clues and easter eggs for season 6 very cleverly. The show’s theme explores the rise of fascism, nationalism, and racism in the Thirtiesis which also very relevant to the current world scenario.
The Cast and Guest Stars
Season 5 finale suffered a gloomy ending which served to its fans the descending of Tommy Shelby into madness, all set to kill his own self. This disappointment comes after he fails to execute Oswald Mosley (Sam Claflin) – who has been confirmed to return in season six by Byrne. Season 6 will most probably pick up where Season 5 left it off, with Cillian Murphy back as Tommy Shelby, Helen McCrory as Polly Gray, Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby.
Finn Cole and Sophie Rundle will appear as Michael Gray and Ada Thorne respectively. Interestingly, a score of characters is also all set to return from the dead.
Stephen Graham is said to make an appearance too, and even Julia Roberts is rumored to be in the running for a role as well in the form of a guest star.
Peaky Blinders Season 6 Release Date
Like all other shows, COVID-19 has delayed the production on Peaky Blinders season 6. A post on the show’s official Instagram page broke the news where they announced that the entire production of Peaky Blinders Season 6 has been postponed. show-makers thanked the cast and crew for making it all happen but cannot help the delay due to the pandemic and current world scenario.
Previous seasons suggest that the popular series might have been broadcasted around the end of 2020, or early 2021 if things had gone down well. It is a shame that the season had to be delayed after cameras, locations, scripts, and everything else had been finalized. Director Anthony Byrne has already revealed the title of the first episode as Roll on ‘Black Day.’
Peaky Blinders Season 7 possibility
It’s been expected that the series will get a seventh season after this season, according to Steven Knight. He had already hinted previously that there would be at least two new seasons and that he is working on the same.


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I’ve got a really crooked front tooth and am wondering what my options are. I’ve heard everything from braces are my only option, which at my age (45) seems ridiculous, to having the tooth pulled and putting a fake one in. What do you recommend?
Paul B.- Chicago
Because it is a front tooth, you want to be very esthetically aware. You have lots of options though. First, straightening your tooth. You don’t have to wear traditional braces. Invisalign works very well with adult teeth. No one would even know you are getting your teeth straightened.
Your second option is to get porcelain veneers. This could fix your front tooth in just two appointments. Here is where I’m meaning to be esthetically aware. You would be getting it on your front tooth, which is very visible. You want to make sure you go to a highly qualified cosmetic dentist. Ask to see samples of similar work that he has done. Plus, if he or she is AACD accredited than they are exceptionally qualified. That is a very difficult process to get through. Another way to find a great cosmetic dentist is by looking on the mynewsmile.com site. They recommend cosmetic dentists by state, but only after examining the quality of their work.
As far as having your tooth pulled, I would not recommend an extraction on a healthy tooth. Keeping your natural teeth is by far the best option. However, if the tooth has major decay, then you could pull the tooth and have a beautifully done dental implant.
This blog is brought to you by Boston Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Burba.


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domain: game


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Crystal structure of LeuA from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a key enzyme in leucine biosynthesisKoon, N., Squire, C.J., Baker, E.N.
(2004) Proc.Natl.Acad.Sci.USA 101: 8295-8300
- PubMed: 15159544
- DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0400820101
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
- PubMed Abstract:
The leucine biosynthetic pathway is essential for the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is a potential target for the design of new anti-tuberculosis drugs. The crystal structure of alpha-isopropylmalate synthase, which catalyzes the first com ...
The leucine biosynthetic pathway is essential for the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is a potential target for the design of new anti-tuberculosis drugs. The crystal structure of alpha-isopropylmalate synthase, which catalyzes the first committed step in this pathway, has been determined by multiwavelength anomalous dispersion methods and refined at 2.0-A resolution in complex with its substrate alpha-ketoisovalerate. The structure reveals a tightly associated, domain-swapped dimer in which each monomer comprises an (alpha/beta)(8) TIM barrel catalytic domain, a helical linker domain, and a regulatory domain of novel fold. Mutational and crystallographic data indicate the latter as the site for leucine feedback inhibition of activity. Domain swapping enables the linker domain of one monomer to sit over the catalytic domain of the other, inserting residues into the active site that may be important in catalysis. The alpha-ketoisovalerate substrate binds to an active site zinc ion, adjacent to a cavity that can accommodate acetyl-CoA. Sequence and structural similarities point to a catalytic mechanism similar to that of malate synthase and an evolutionary relationship with an aldolase that catalyzes the reverse reaction on a similar substrate.
Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, School of Biological Sciences, and Department of Chemistry, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

domain: biology


In the BlueDragon interview, I-Novae said that they were looking at using missiles to help deter jousting combat.
To that end, I wonder if a really simple change would make the missiles work extremely effecting against Newtonian Jousting:
Give all missiles a Proportional Navigation guidance algorithm.
The standard guidance for missiles in video games is tail-chase, the missile thrusts to point at the current vector connecting the missile to the target. This algorithm has a very standard appearance for video games but it is extremely inefficient. Virtually every air-to-air missile uses PN for interceptions. That is because PN requires no guidance inputs when neither the missile nor the target is accelerating.
In jousting combat, the two ships thrust towards each other, then switch to a Newtonian flight mode and angle the ship onto the target. (Another word to describe this is turreting.) If missiles have a tail-chase algorithm, the missile is constantly thrusting to hit the target. But, if missiles have PN, the missile accelerates to interception speed then holds constant velocity and velocity vector as long as the target is not accelerating.
The challenge for this guidance is that it requires each missile retain a history of the target’s position, so that the missile can compute a rate-of-change of target angle. This may pose network constraints on the missiles which are too high for the game.
The assumption that “jousting” is a bad thing aside, why do you think that missiles on intercept would force this to change any more than missiles on a more tradional (as far as video games go anyways) path? If missiles go on proper intercept, people will very quickly find them nearly impossible to avoid through manuvering, the options left become flares/countermeasures or straight up shooting them down, neither of which changes your flight path at all. Or slow the missiles and their turning down enough to where they are defeated by a simple direction reverse (like a joust) On the other hand, missiles with lesser turning ability that don’t follow intercept courses and have long enough lifetimes can be dodged using circular movement. If your goal is less jousting, and for missiles to “pin down” targets, then isn’t this the more desired outcome?
To be honest, I doubt missiles would be an effective deterrent to jousting given collisions happen so quickly it is virtually impossible to fire before colliding. Of course if it is really slow intentional collisions then sure but that is rarely the case.
Jousting is really just a side-effect of trying to deal with a newtonian flight model. People are basically just flying straight towards their opponent and they inevitably overshoot each other, leaving them to have to turn around and fly back towards each other.
It takes a bit more thought and patience to intercept and stick with another player like this, some of which may entail anticipating what the other player is currently doing. Are they flying straight for you? In which case, you may just want to wait for them to fly by you so you can boost at them to get in behind and get some close range shots off. Or, perhaps, they’re figuring you’re going to fly past them and they are just waiting there themselves.
If missiles become as adept at intercepting players as they are at intercepting planes in real life, then they will become the weapon of choice. Not because it deters jousting, but because its that much easier to damage other players with them. People will default to what works, and jousting currently leads to long drawn-out fights with a plethora of missed shots (of course some people may enjoy this over other games where you die in seconds)
Back in the ICP, overshooting was typical for new players, experienced ones would start orbiting around each other and zigzag around. The max speed cap was a lot lower though. But still, i think the extreme overshooting will not always be the main movement style in space combat. In atmosphere, the overshooting is not a result of the speed but of the reduced ability to do controlled turns, dont have an idea how that will develope in the long run.
Missiles are always hard to do in a fun way. The most boring version is click to auto hit with homing missile and click for auto save through flares. In newtonian combat, inheriting the velocity of the shooter could and should play a mayor role in effective missile useage.
Imho, having different weapons that are better in free space / in atmosphere will also provide great variety and tradeoffs. E.g. energy weapons losing damage in atmosphere and airodynamic missiles pushing themselves faster through the atmosphere than the non-airodynamic ships can.
Pushing themselves faster through the atmosphere, and producing shock waves. Explosives don’t produce shock waves in space, so it would be nice for explosive weapons to have greatly reduced damage outside of an atmosphere.
It would be interesting to see how people try to lure enemy into a fight in preferable medium.
After some testing of the prototype, i really did miss a button for toggle between atmospheric flight and space flight (one that would just swap yaw and roll axis when toggled) since it is lot more effective to roll into a turn when in atmo.
Not to press and hold (like it is now by default) but toggle.
I’m not saying it won’t still hold true, but you’re making a critical mistake in this line of thinking. Current aircraft turn faster when rolling and pitching into a turn due to the way control surfaces work on aircraft (ailerons, elevator, rudder). AFAIK, not only do ships in infinity not have control surfaces, there is not much reason to have any one axis have preferential maneuvering thrust, except for the forward vector. This means atmospheric agility should be based more on resistance, which is roughly based on profile. Ships wider than they are tall should actually maneuver best by yawing, using this logic.
Given the lack of lift generated by the ships, ships that are wider than they are tall should actually maneuver best by pitching, since they’ll have a lower moment of inertia around their left-right axis than around their up-down axis.
p.s. A game where you had to turn everything upside down in order to turn best would be hilarious.
The only reason I would disagree is that to me, a proper design of thrust and maneuvering nozzles would result in identical rotational and linear accelerations in all but the forward vector. After all, in space (with unlimited fuel) you just want to get pointed the right way as quickly as possible, rather than having to make multiple maneuvers for optimal speed (yaw vs. pitch + roll).
Also, should you lose thrusters for one direction or the other, it could be compensated for with the aforementioned multiple maneuvers, and you would not have to adjust your expectations of responsiveness significantly.
EDIT: I guess the simpler way of saying it is that I would expect, in the ship design of being wider than taller, the yaw thrusters would be larger/more powerful than the pitch thrusters. The result might be that linear acceleration differs, though I would consider the equality of linear thrust lesser than the equality of rotational.
But, I’m not a pilot, nor an astronaut, nor do I have a ship with unlimited fuel.
I think jousting is a symptom of objectiveless combat. In the full game the nature of combat will be quite different because it’ll have a proper context. There’s a huge difference between a few dudes deciding they wanna shoot each other and a battle/skirmish that involves multiple teams with various different craft trying to complete specific objectives. I myself hope for a lot of high speed chases at low altitude
I don’t see that as an issue. If you want to gun the guy you’re chasing, you’ve got to close with him, and that means dropping to his altitude. Either you race ahead of him and try to ambush him as he flashes past or you get into a canyon chase.
The general idea is that if you want to maneuver with an enemy, you need to get into the same control regime.
Unless you have missiles that can cross the control regimes for you. Which is one reason I don’t like missiles.
“Oh, look, a guy in a canyon. I can either get into a dramatic chase involving elite flying and gunnery skills or I can fly in the open, picking a spot of my choosing above the canyons and shoot one missile and laugh as he tries to evade and slams into a wall.”
missiles are not that bad, you just can carry a few of them and they can’t turn too fast due to aerodinamics, and they have to move in a spiral in order to follow a target, worst if they are used on open space, they won’t be able to use aerodinamics to make turns, which means more expensive missiles with auxiliar propulsion, that will probably last a few seconds chasing your enemy’s tail.
That and IRL they are no good in not open areas, so if you are not really close to your enemy, you will just waste a missile, wich is something since you just can carry a few, unless Inovae decide to make the weapon part like arcade games where you carry 100 missiles in 2 wings (?)
I think missiles should be specifically designed balancing wise in consideration to the other weapons instead of putting them in another class. They would be guns with different stats and effects. I think with that mentality it’s easier to make missiles less strong and ask oneself at every step of adding a feature like guidance if balancing would be influenced by it.
Some of the missiles I would love to see. Because I imagine them to be fun:
Rockets / Unguided, high spray, low damage Comparable to Kinetic Weapons
Itano Circus / Guided, high speed, low damage, easy to evade, chaotic flight pattern Comparable to Gatling Guns
Missiles / Guided, medium damage, little harder to evade then Italo, flies straight and sprais little Comparable to Blasters
Anti Capital Torpedoes / Slow, High damage, easy to evade Comparable to Heavy Blasters
Bombs / unguided, unpowered Comparable to … suicide attack?
None of them should have any guidance system that can’t be evaded in 5 seconds max and would only be needed to evade them if the shooter fired them at the right time in the right direction.
With a plethoa of fun missile types I think I and probably others could accept not having the traditional Sidewinder or AIM style missiles.
I find balancing them with weight and ammo restriction really annoying, boring and frankly not a lot of fun. Even in the Infinity Combat Prototype. Missiles had most of the negative tendencies JB mentioned. And them being expensive and the low amount you could carry didn’t really make them fun either.
FOX 3, SPRAY 86
This makes me remember … anyone played:
That game totally eliminated jousting by its use of 3 weapon types. Rockets, Bombs and Mines.
If the opponent was Jousting, Mines would totally wreck them.
In principle Mines in Rockets, Rockets, Rockets are high radius explosive devices that start off with the same momentum when you drop them and then slow down rapidly, if an opponents flies to close to them, they go boom.
This means if an opponent is directly flying towards you he will fly into the mine.
Playing … RRR I noticed how fast it made you stop jousting. Transferring that from a top down 2D world to a first person 3D world could be difficult though, as there’s quite a lot of information that isn’t visible in the 3D first person view.
Low altitude flight is strictly worse than high altitude flight, unless you’re trying to avoid being detected.
In this situation, a group of bombers would fly at low altitude to evade air defense radars. The other team could have fighters on CAP to detect incoming bombers and destroy them. The attacker has a trade-off, risk early detection by flying high or risk easy destruction by flying low.
I don’t see how much work would be required here, other mechanics would balance the situation.


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Investigation of the role of CCR2 and activin A in fibrosis development during experimental autoimmune orchitis
EAO is a mouse model of chronic testicular inflammation and fibrosis, well reflecting pathologies seen in some forms of spermatogenic disturbances in men. This model is characterized by the destruction of testicular morphology, infiltration of the testicular interstitium by leukocytes, elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines/ chemokines such ... as TNF, CCL2 (ligand for CCR2) and activin A, as well as loss of germ cells, all leading to fibrosis and subsequent infertility. TMs constitute the principal immune cell population in the testis and these cells play a critical role in maintaining tissue homeostasis. Increased numbers of TMs during testicular inflammation correlate with a higher incidence and severity of testicular damage. Because resident or macrophages newly recruited to the inflammatory lesions can produce a variety of pro-fibrotic factors including CCL2, TGF-β, TNF, PDGFs, MMPs or TIMPs, they are key players in fibrotic remodeling. CCL2 and CCR2 have a critical role in mediating the trafficking of monocytes, macrophages or bone marrow-derived fibroblasts to the site of injury. In the EAO model, an increase of CCL2 is observed not only in the testicular tissue but also in testicular interstitial fluid and conditioned medium from cultured TMs. Furthermore, activin A, a member of the TGF-β superfamily of cytokines, released mainly by SCs is increased in EAO testis and levels correlate with the severity of disease. Activin A stimulates resting macrophages to produce inflammatory mediators and promotes the expression of fibrosis specific genes in PTCs and NIH 3T3 fibroblasts in vitro. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that activin A in concert with CCR2 influences the development of testicular fibrosis by regulating the properties of macrophages, which in turn are an important source of pro-fibrotic factors in EAO. Therefore, the aims of this study are (1) to investigate the effect of CCR2 on the development of fibrosis during testicular inflammation, and (2) to analyze the influence of activin A on the fibrotic response in macrophages.


Finale in Blood
Dir: Fruit Chan
Scrs: Amy Cheung, Chan Hing-Ka
Cast: Lawrence Cheng, Tao Jun-wei, David Wu,
1993 / Colour / DCP / Cantonese / Chi & Eng Subtitles / 91min
Based on the naamyam (Cantonese narrative singing) classic, the film follows closely to the plot of the lovers' love-and-hate, on-and-off affairs and intents to continue the tradition of narrative singing, as seen in the mesmerizing opening scene of a radio drama broadcast. Out of a misunderstanding popular radio host Cheng (Lawrence Cheng) fell into the sea and is rescued by an umbrella baring the spirit of a ghost (Tao Jun-mei) who is looking for her lover (David Wu) and later started a love triangle involving Cheng. Fruit Chan began his directing career with this film before Made In Hong Kong (1997). Although the film is released a few years after it is made and has not attracted much attention, it is a piece of work that first shows Chan’s talent.
||Cinema, Hong Kong Film Archive
Post-screening talk with Fruit Chan
The contents of the programme do not represent the views of the presenter.
The presenter reserves the right to change the programme should unavoidable circumstances make it necessary.


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Lincoln Leadership Book
Continued personal development helps in improving the knowledge that you have. You can start off by simply walking or jogging. we make it completely painless to see everything when it comes to lincoln leadership book.Do more than your obligations. The personal development plan can be of help in goals such as developing innate talents It's crucial for your success to develop your social skills at a very high level. You activate your subconscious mind by constantly reminding it that what you are doing is so important.
If we want things within our home business to change There are also personal development tools that are to be used in the realm of thought and imagination. Stick to your new healthy diet in order to be successful in leading a healthier life. Help others Each week Absorbing important lessons and building values and ideals evolve the personal development that leads to career success.
But will also make you more satisfied with yourself. Work on influencing people's emotions positively. Do not forget to thank them for helping you out in your quest for self improvement. Ask yourself the following question: how could i make it better? Think about a tennis match. In reality this is not true and socials skills are just like any other skill: you can learn it Arriving at a level of extreme complacency will lead to being unfulfilled and eventually psychologically and possibly social digression.
As we work on our personal development it becomes easier to connect with other people and suddenly our recruiting numbers start increasing! People will start coming to you and asking you about your home business and what it is that you are doing that has made you so successful. You'll need to include his suggestions in your personal development plan. Keeps you in the direction of your goals By adding a healthy eating plan to your personal development program We must be willing to continue working on and developing our skill sets. These can be learned through reading self help books
All of which are done with the power of the mind. Not only does it lead to your own financial success And success will follow. Be intrinsically motivated to succeed in what you do. With more than 50 million users As you set goals
Information About Internet Marketing
Mindbloom as the name suggest By being more valuable in your chosen niche Personal development and success you will be hard pressed to find one individual that is classified as successful that has not made learning and development a vital part of their lives. And management. Increase your ability to concentrate and be less likely to have health problems. These are the methods that are said to influence physical reality as well as the self.
It is one of the best free resources on the internet for education Setting your sail involves knowing exactly where you want to go and having a specific plan for getting there. It is a website where people watch videos on a variety of different topics. Health this area is about your body. What will you need to learn or do differently? What critical information or skill are you lacking that is preventing you from moving forward? What have you done in the past that can help you get to where you want to be in the future? What skills can you build on? Who will you need to help you in your journey? When do you expect to arrive? How long will it take to achieve the results you desire? How will you get there? What is your plan? Think about the last step you will need to accomplish before you finally reach your destination. He will be able to give you a wealth of information and suggestions for your new good health regimen.
Online Marketing Companies
Like anything you have learned how to do; those skills can continually be fine-tuned. The more valuable you become. Filtering all kinds of stimuli from the environment around you. Ask the help of those around you Under the slogan ideas worth spreading. Whether you realise it or not
Lincoln Leadership Book
Sociability chances are that you need to talk with other people every day. You may be familiar with this concept of creating a vision board and why people do it if you are a big fan of personal development. Just name it and udemy will probably provide a well-structured course on it. I recommend that you constantly work on each of those. Being a good business owner is one thing but being a great one requires effort and discipline. And embrace change.

domain: psychology


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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – It took nine months after Cynthia Silva allegedly drove high and killed another woman for her case to start moving forward. A year after Tannen Pierce was arrested and accused of raping a child, his case still hasn’t gone anywhere.
Those are only two of the thousands of cases in a backlog that seemingly keeps getting bigger in Bernalillo County, meaning many families are still waiting for justice. They aren’t the only ones who are frustrated.
On Monday, a new committee of state legislators and other leaders held its first of four meetings. The purpose of the committee: to discuss potential ways to reform, and speed up, the criminal justice system in New Mexico.
"In a perfect work, people get indicted within three months. They get prosecuted within six to nine months," said New Mexico Rep. Antonio Maestas, one of the bipartisan subcommittee's co-chairs. "We need swift and certain justice, and so up in Santa Fe we can create laws that make it more efficient."
Maestas said that over the course of four scheduled meetings leading up to the start of the next legislative session in early 2018, senators and representatives from both sides of the aisle will look at reform taking place all over the country.
Then, they’ll determine what would work best for New Mexico.
“Drug crimes are nine-year penalties. Violent crimes are three-year penalties. That needs to be restructured,” Maestas said. “But also looking at next month and the coming months when folks get out of prison … 95 percent of people get out of prison. What do we do with them and how do we get them back on their feet so they don’t harm our communities?”
In addition to sentencing timelines, the subcommittee also hopes to discuss funding for the courts, district attorney’s offices and several other agencies.
“If these institutions had proper funding and if APD gets fully manned, then those deadlines can and must be met,” Maestas said.
The subcommittee’s next meeting will take place Sept. 27. It’s open to the public, though a location has yet to be set.
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Submitted by Ricardo Dela Cabeza.
In 1987 my father made a bold and dangerous move. He applied for permission to move to the United States from Cuba. The next day the police came, and he was placed in prison as a warning to the family. Two years later he was released, and we moved to Miami, we left everything behind. From there we moved to Washington state. In Cuba, all are suspects (Black, White, Latino) under a State-controlled police force. When I moved to Tacoma, I was shocked that people of color were at far greater risk of police brutality than Caucasians, much different than Cuba. I was told this as a child in Cuba as part of our scholastic indoctrination.
Little has changed these last 34 years as a U.S. citizen. Black Americans are 2.5 times more likely than whites to be killed by police. I don’t fly a Black Lives Matter (BLM) flag out of fear that both I and my family will be targeted. I have found that many who are willing to publicly support the Black Lives Matter movement are white. I find that comforting and courageous. Racial equality must be the touchstone of both police and elected officials. I recently talked to a state representative about this. I loved his response. He said, “all lives matter”, to the fire department all houses matter, but the one burning matter more.“
The armed, trained, and militarized police are far from endangered, that is not the case within our black communities. Young black men are endangered on so many levels, but nothing is more terrifying to my son or my family than the possibility of him being pulled over by a white police officer. I make sure his tabs are current, he wears a seatbelt, and at least once a week check I make sure taillights work. When he drives away from our home, I always get a pit of fear in my abdomen.
It’s no accident the Blue Lives Matter (BLM) countermovement did not choose Police Lives Matter. Their choice of words is a subtle, veiled insult to the black community. It suggests their movement is more about suppressing minorities than supporting law enforcement. Blue Lives Matter is intentionally or unintentionally supporting a system of discriminatory policing. This flag is often flown by white supremacists while appearing next to Confederate flags. However, they were pervasive on 6 January 2021 on the steps of the Capitol. This flag represents division, not harmony. The firearms Sig Sauer company makes a “thin blue line pistol.” Imagine the political upheaval if they made a Black Lives Matter weapon. Let that sink in.
Yesterday while visiting a friend and driving through Steilacoom I drove past a pickup truck with a huge Blue Lives Matter flag in the rear window, parked next to a police car. It took a little investigation to find out the truck belonged to a Steilacoom police officer who lived there. My fearful thoughts immediately returned to my 17-year-old son and his friends who use Steilacoom beaches and parks.
I have chosen not to name the officer. I would however request the Town of Steilacoom’s elected officials and the chief of police (Tom Yabe) investigate and take immediate, and decisive corrective action. I would hope the officer would have the moral courage to remove it and understand the message that it sends to people of color.
National issues are now at the local level. Elections are coming to Steilacoom. I am asking those who are currently sitting in elected and appointed positions within the town of Steilacoom to have the integrity to speak out, take corrective action, or face the political consequences from their indifference or silence on this issue. City representatives, what say you?

domain: law


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Updated: Apr 6, 2022
So here is our plan. SB and I love to grow things. She studied agriculture in high school and college and I've had a love for garden grown veggies since I was a kid, back when we had a huge garden out in the country. During our time together, we have had several gardens and countless plants.
-Photo taken in a grow house in Colorado
When we first began our friendship, SB was respectful of my newfound sobriety after my heart surgery. I maintained that sobriety for a very long time-giving my heart time to heal. Through medicinal cannabis use, however, I do feel like a better version of myself. I'm able to manage my aches and pains, my ADD, and enjoy a much better quality of life.
SB and I believe in the healing powers of cannabis. From weight loss to epilepsy, cannabis has been shown to improve people's quality of life across the world. Because of this, we have traveled all over the country learning more and hope to one day venture into the cannabis scene full-time. We will bring you along every step of the way!


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THE sentencing of 12 people who have admitted public order offences in Brierfield last summer has been adjourned for a second time.
The 11 men and one woman pleaded guilty to the offences at Preston Crown Court last month. The charges arise out of a police investigation into a demonstration by suspected members of the English Defence League.
Bernard Holmes (26), of Bolton Road, admits a charge or racially aggravated fear or provocation of violence and will be sentenced on Monday, June 18th.
Three other defendants who have admitted a similar charge - Leonard Hawley (47), of Worcester Road, Blackburn; David Wilson (47), of Devon Road, Blackburn; and Jason Smith (43), of Torquay Avenue, Burnley - will be sentenced on Monday, June 25th, as will seven defendants who have admitted charges of using threatening behaviour.
They are Leanne Thornton (26), of Oak Avenue, Todmorden; Graham Smith (48), of Drapefield, Chorley; Paul Blundell (45), of Lee Street, Longridge; John English (24), of Shorrock Lane, Blackburn; Martin Connor (31), of Corporation Street, Chorley; Jordan Lonsdale (20), of Ribble Lane, Clitheroe; and Paul Jackson (41), of Spring Bank Terrace, Blackburn.
A 12th defendant, David Garrett (45), of Beckett Street, Darwen, admitted possession of an offensive weapon.


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Deutsche Bank and its subsidiary, Postbank, have reported a data breach. Personal data of an unknown number of customers has been stolen. Both banks have confirmed the breach, which has affected customers who used their account switch service.
A Brief Recap of the Incident
Here’s what we know so far about the data breach:
- Attackers exploited a vulnerability in the software of a third-party service provider. The name of the service provider is currently not disclosed.
- The data breach only affects customers who used the account switch service of both banks in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2020.
- The exact number of affected customers is still unknown.
- Media reports suggest that the stolen data includes customers’ first and last names, as well as their IBANs.
The Possible Threats Ahead
The stolen data might not give criminals direct access to the affected accounts, but there is a risk of unauthorized direct debits. Also, the perpetrators might attempt to obtain more personal information through emails, calls, or messages for phishing or password theft.
Banks are urging their customers to carefully monitor their transactions and account statements for the foreseeable future. If a suspicious debit is detected, the customers are advised to immediately contact their bank.
What Can Affected Customers Do?
In the wake of this breach, Deutsche Bank has issued two key pieces of advice to its customers:
- Review Debits: Check your accounts for any unauthorized direct debits or unusual activities. If found, you can reclaim these unauthorized debits up to 13 months retroactively. The bank will refund the money in such cases. It is also recommended to inform the police about suspicious debits!
- Beware of Scams: Despite having some information, the thieves can’t access customers’ accounts directly. Still, they may try to obtain more information via calls or emails. They might appear more trustworthy, as they have the correct IBAN. So, double caution is advised, whether dealing with emails, callers, or door-knockers. It’s always a good idea to contact your bank directly to verify any unusual activity rather than responding to external contacts.
From a legal standpoint, victims of data breaches are entitled to compensation. German courts are increasingly advocating for compensation in the four-figure range, especially in cases like the Facebook data breach.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has also strengthened the rights of consumers through a landmark data protection ruling, indicating that companies must compensate when privacy violations result in material or immaterial damage.
With the data breach at Deutsche Bank and Postbank, the affected customers have lost control over their sensitive data. They might face negative impacts in the future and have the right to claim against the companies involved.
In such situations, Dr. Stoll & Sauer, one of the leading consumer law firms, offers a free initial consultation through their online check.


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*All Nearly Natural items are artificial* Standing at 30 inches tall, this artificial peony gently bursts over the included black vase. With its numerous large, bold, and vibrant flowers, this arrangement would make a great addition to a home or office decor scheme. The thick, bright leaves on this artificial peony add to this faux plant's volume. Place it alone on your end table, or settle it on a white vanity with a picture frame and scented candle on each side.
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domain: artistic


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Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has said it will be indefinitely delaying the release of PlayStation 3 racing game, Motorstorm Apocalypse in the UK following the devastating earthquake in Japan. The game was originally due for release Friday, March 18.
Motorstorm Apocalypse is set on the earthquake-ravaged United States West Coast, and sees off-road drivers competing in street races across a devastated San Francisco-inspired city. "We are very conscious of the parallels between these [tsunami] events and the underlying theme in MotorStorm and are doing everything we can to be as sensitive as possible to the situation.” Sony said in a statement. "Although the game itself is already in distribution, we are ceasing any further shipments and removing as much of the marketing materials as possible."
"We are shocked and saddened to see the impact of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and our thoughts are with all those affected, including our colleagues within the Sony family, living and working throughout Japan."
Sony has donated 300 million yen and 30, 000 radios to help relief efforts following the disaster. Many publishers in the Japanese video games industry have contributed heavily to aid, including Nintendo, Sega Sammy and Namco Bandai.


Google Glass is the future. Or it’s not. In either case, there exists a serious problem in the head-mounted wearables category that is already causing a stir: Anywhere, at any time, a person wearing Google Glass might be recording you or photographing you without your knowledge.
There is no end in sight for this serious potential invasion of our privacy, but there are solutions that can help in some scenarios. Berlin-based artist Julian Oliver, for example, has created a solution that stops “Glassholes” in their tracks as soon as they walk into a room.
“To say ‘I don’t want to be filmed’ at a restaurant, at a party, or playing with your kids is perfectly OK. But how do you do that when you don’t even know if a device is recording?” Oliver asked Wired in a recent interview.
In order to answer that question, he created a program called program called Glasshole.sh.
Oliver says that Google’s connected eyewear all have a common string in their MAC addresses. As such, he created a program that will monitor for Glass and thwart any attempts to connect to the network.
Going further still, the program will impersonate a Wi-Fi network, connect to Glass, send a “deauthorization” command, cut the eyewear’s Wi-Fi connection and even cause it to emit a beep so others in the area are made aware that a Glass user is in their vicinity.
The solution needs only a Raspberry Pi or Beaglebone mini-computer to work, and it also needs a Wi-Fi antenna.


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After making chocolate chip cookies, I can't figure out how to get the consistency I want, chewy and soft, or even chewy and crunchy. All I get is fluffy, cake-like cookies. What can I do to correct this?
By Maria from Nashville, TN
This website will most likely answer your question.
You are adding too much flour and probably not enough butter/shortneing (don't know which you use). That is what I would change.
Try using smaller eggs or just one egg instead of 2.
Are you adding too much levening? Baking soda or baking powder? Also, make sure you're not beating your eggs so much that you incorporate air into them. Good luck!
I have used the recipe on the can of crisco butter flavored, and they turned out perfect. I found that by baking them an extra few minutes they turned nice and crispy. Just watch them so they don't burn. Good luck.
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Support. Preserve. Share
Ma Té Sai is a social enterprise on a mission to support communities in Laos, through partnerships with artisans - preserving cultural traditions by sharing with the world the beauty of their handcrafted products.
Ma Té Sai was founded in Luang Prabang in 2010 with the knowledge of how income from craft production can improve rural families' education and health. And along side the desire to distribute the tourist dollar further out to these ethnically diverse and culturally rich communities.
Over a decade we have trained women to sew, and supported them with equipment in their homes. By connecting weavers, and sewers we can create unique and desirable homeware, fashion and gifts for the international market. We believe with modern communication village production is the way forward.
Our production partners
include several organisations, the Lao Disabled Women's Development Centre in Vientiane, Sengsavang, a centre for women at risk of trafficking and abuse in Savannakhet, and the Buddhist Heritage Project in Luang Prabang, alongside individual metal, bamboo, and textile artisans.
In 2018 Ma Te Sai was incorporated in Singapore and we are an active member, known as "khaki", at The Green Collective. You can shop our collections and attend events there @thegreencollective.sg.
We are also members of RAISE, a Singapore government initiative to support social enterprises, and the Nest Artisan Guild, a US nonprofit supporting the responsible growth and creative engagement of the artisan & maker economy to build a world of greater gender equity and economic inclusion.

domain: sociology