|Publication number||US5325185 A|
|Application number||US 07/920,414|
|Publication date||Jun 28, 1994|
|Filing date||Jul 27, 1992|
|Priority date||Jul 31, 1991|
|Publication number||07920414, 920414, US 5325185 A, US 5325185A, US-A-5325185, US5325185 A, US5325185A|
|Original Assignee||Sony Corporation|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (17), Non-Patent Citations (2), Referenced by (7), Classifications (10), Legal Events (6)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to video cameras. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for white balancing a color video camera.
2. Background of the Invention
When white balance is not correctly adjusted in a color video camera, the image taken by the color video camera may have reddish or bluish hue. Therefore, adjustment of white balance is very important.
There are several ways to obtain white balance data necessary to perform a white balancing process. In a first technique, the video signal is integrated over one whole image. In a second technique, the image is divided into plural regions and the video signal in each region is respectively integrated. In a third technique, the brightest portion (presumed to be a white object) in an image is detected. Adjustment of white balance is done based on the data obtained by the above described methods.
However, under the first method, when an image includes a large colored object like a uniformly green lawn, the adjustment of white balance includes adjustment error due to the effects of the large colored object. Under the second method, if there are no white objects in the regions, adjustment error can occur. Under the third method, if the image includes a TV screen, outdoor light from a window or bright sunlight at sunset, error can also be introduced into the white balance adjustment. When an image includes both bright sunlight and shade at the same time, the blue of shade is emphasized too much because the adjustment tends to make the bright sunlight portion white.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved white balance in a color video camera.
It is a feature that the present invention to provides accurate white balance over a wide range of image conditions.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following description of the invention.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a white balance adjustment apparatus for a color video camera includes an image pick-up picks up a video image and producing first, second and third video signals. A first amplifier amplifies the first video signal, a second amplifier amplifies the second video signal and a third amplifier for amplifies the third video signal. A first detector detects levels of the first, second and third video signals respectively. A second detector detects the illuminance level of the video image. A controller controls relative gains of the first, second and third amplifiers according to the first and second detector.
In a method of the present invention, a method for establishing white balance for an image in a color video camera, includes the steps of: measuring a value of illuminance of the image; determining that the image is an outdoor image if the illuminance is more than approximately 800 lux; determining that the image is an indoor image if the illuminance is less than approximately 500 lux; determining that the image is the same as a previous image if the illuminance is between the indoor threshold and the outdoor threshold; computing a first white balance value for a high illuminance portion of the image and for computing a second white balance value for a low illuminance portion of the image; selecting the one of the first and second white balance values which is closest to a current white balance value if the image is determined to be an indoor image; selecting the one of the first and second white balance values which is closest to a preset outdoor white balance value if the image is determined to be an outdoor image and if both of the first and second white balance values are either lower or higher than the preset outdoor white balance value; selecting the one of the first and second white balance values which is closest to a preset outdoor white balance value if the image is determined to be an outdoor image and if one of the first and second white balance values is lower and one is higher than the preset outdoor white balance value; and selecting the one of the first and second white balance values which is closest to a preset outdoor white balance value if the image is determined to be an outdoor image and if both of the first and second white balance values are sufficiently close to the preset outdoor white balance value.
Another method for establishing white balance for an image in a color video camera, includes the steps of: measuring a value of illuminance of the image; determining that the image is an outdoor image if the illuminance is more than a predetermined outdoor threshold; determining that the image is an indoor image if the illuminance is less than a predetermined indoor threshold; and determining that the image is the same as a previous image if the illuminance is between the indoor threshold and the outdoor threshold.
In a white balance adjustment circuit according to the present invention, Red, green and blue signals are passed through red, green and blue amplifiers. A first detector detects levels of the red, green and blue video signals respectively. A second detector detects the illuminance level of the video image. A controller controls the relative gains of the red, green and blue amplifiers according to said first and second detector.
The features of the invention believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3 is an illustration of the slice levels used in the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the white balance method of the present invention.
Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a block diagram of a white balance circuit of a color video camera. In this embodiment, 1 is a lens for receiving an optical image from an object. Two is a iris controlled by a signal level detector described hereinafter for varying exposure of an optical image from the lens 1. Three is an image pick-up device such as a CCD (charge coupled device.) Four is an automatic gain control circuit (AGC) controlled by a signal level detector 10 described hereinafter for amplifying output signals from the image pick-up device. Five is a matrix circuit for separating an output of the AGC 4 into R (red), G (green) and B (blue) color signals. Six, seven and eight are white balance amplifiers supplied with the R, G and B color signals, respectively. The gain of the white balance amplifier 7, supplied with the color signal G, is maintained at a predetermined level.
The gain of the white balance amplifiers 6 and 8 are controlled by a microprocessor based controller 12 described hereinafter. Nine is a signal processing circuit for generating a video signal. The signal level detector 10 described above includes a wave detector. The signal level detector 10 integrates each amplitude level of the color signals R, G, B when an amplitude level of the color signal G is within a predetermined range. In this case, a luminance signal can be used instead of the color signal G. Color difference signals can be used instead of color signals R and B. The predetermined range of the amplitude of color signal G is set up by the microprocessor 12. Eleven is a sensor for detecting position of the iris 2 and for outputting position data to the micro processor 12.
The position data is used by the microprocessor 12 to represent how much light can pass through the iris 2. As position sensor 11, a hall effect device may be used, for example. Other position sensing mechanisms may equally well be used. Twelve is a microprocessor for calculating the most suitable white balance control data in accordance with the output of the signal level detector and the position data of the iris 2.
Referring to FIG. 3, a calculating method for white balance data in microprocessor is described hereinafter. FIG. 3 represents the color signal G within a duration of one horizontal scanning period. SH and SL are upper and lower slice levels of a limiter (not shown) set up by the microprocessor 12, respectively. For example, the limiter is established in the signal level detector 10. When the amplitude level of the color signal G is more than SH or less than SL, the microprocessor 12 controls the signal level detector 10 to inhibit each integrating operation of the amplitude levels of the color signals R, G, B.
Namely, integration is inhibited in the marked areas 1 and 2 in FIG. 3. When the amplitude level of the color signal G is between SL and SH, the microprocessor 12 controls the signal level detector 10 to carry out each integrating operation of the amplitude levels of the color signals R, G, B. Referring to FIG. 3, the areas shaded with oblique lines are integrated. Then, the amplitude level of each color signal is integrated in the signal level detector 10, and integrating data is output to the microprocessor 12. The microprocessor 12 changes the upper and lower limits of the slice levels SH, SL respectively, to generate two sets of integrating data which are described hereinafter.
The upper limit SH is set up to eliminate a saturated part of the output of the image pick up device. This is because accurate color information is not included in the saturated part of the outputs of the image pick up device.
The lower limit SL is set up at about 5% to 10% of the integral value of one whole image where SL is zero. As explained above, the integral value for the high luminance portion is based on the integral calculation of the color signals where the color signals are between the upper and lower limits, SH and SL.
The upper limit SHM is set up to the lower level SL which is set up in high luminance portion. The lower limit SLM is set up to zero. Namely, except for the high luminance portions described above (SH ˜SL), the signal level detector 10 integrates the amplitude level of each color signal R, G, B so as to obtain a integrated value of middle luminance portions.
According to this embodiment, a method for obtaining the most suitable white balance data is described as follows. The microprocessor 12 generates the most suitable white balance control data DH and DM in accordance with the integrated values of the high luminance portion and middle luminance portion of the color signals R, G and B respectively. Moreover, the microprocessor 12 sets up white balance data DS corresponding to the previous color temperature of outdoors. The white balance data DS are compared to white balance data DH, DM. For example, the white balance data DS is set at a color temperature of about 5800±500 K.
Microprocessor 12 determines whether it is outdoors or indoors, based upon the position information of the iris which corresponds to the surrounding illuminance. This process is illustrated in FIG. 4. For example, microprocessor 12 inspects the position of the iris to determine an illumination value at step 20. It determines that it is an outdoor image at step 22 when the illuminance is more than a particular threshold, e.g., 800 lux. It determines, at step 24, that it is an indoor image when the illuminance value is less than a second threshold, e.g., 500 lux. It determines that it is same as before (outdoor or indoor) at step 26 when in between these values.
If the image is determined by the above process to be an outdoor image, that is an image illuminated by sunlight, microprocessor 12 carries out the following process. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the order of the steps below may be interchanged without departing from the invention.
1. When white balance control data DH and/or DM is near the color temperature 5800 K at step 30, the process chooses the white balance control data which is closer to the color temperature at step 34. 5800 K is used because the color temperature 5800 K is the center of color temperature outdoors. If the data obtained is near the color temperature 5800 K, it is very probable that the image is an outdoor image.
2. When white balance control data DH and DM are at both sides of the color temperature 5800 K (except when condition 1 is satisfied) at step 36, it is highly probable that the video camera is shooting a mixed scene. For example, the scene could include bright sunlight having low color temperature and shade having high color temperature (for example, at sunset on a fine day) or a mixture scene of blue sky and red ground. Therefore, if one of white balance control data DH and DM is selected and used, the resulting image will be too red or too blue. To avoid this result, an average of DH and DM is used as white balance data at step 40.
3. When both white balance control data DH and DM are on the same side of the color temperature 5800 K at step 36, the video camera is very likely to be shooting either a shade scene or bright sunlight scene having low color temperature. In this case, the one of the white balance control data DH and DM which is closer to the color temperature 5800 K is selected as a white balance data at step 42.
On the other hand, if the microprocessor 12 determines that it is an indoor scene based upon the illuminance values according to the process above at step 24, it selects one of white balance control data DH and DM which is closer to the present white balance data at step 44.
In the above described system, white balance data are obtained based on the shot image. Therefore, if the image includes a large colored object or very bright object with color temperature different from the surrounding one (like a TV screen), the camera is not adversely affected. Even if bright sunlight and shade co-exist in one image, optimum white balance can be obtained.
FIG. 2 shows another embodiment according to the present invention. In this second embodiment, the present invention is applied to a digital video camera. In FIG. 2, elements common to FIG. 1 have same reference numbers and explanation of those elements will be omitted.
In FIG. 2, an image of an object passes through lens 1 and iris 2 for controlling exposure and is focused on a surface of an image sensor 3. The output of image sensor 3 is amplified by automatic gain control amplifier 4 and then converted to a digital signal by analog-to-digital converter 13. The output of analog-to-digital converter 13 is supplied to a signal processing circuit 9 which produces a video signal in a desired form. The output of analog-to-digital converter 13 is also sent to a signal level detector 10 which integrates each color video signal R, G and B respectively. This integration calculation is controlled by a microprocessor 12. The calculation is done based on the luminance level as done in the first embodiment. The integral values of each color video signal are then sent to microprocessor 12.
Sensor 11 sends position information of iris 2 to microprocessor 12. Microprocessor 12 calculates the optimum white balance data according to the integral values of each color video signal and the position information of iris 2. This calculation of the optimum white balance data is the same as shown in the first embodiment. Finally, microprocessor 12 controls signal processing circuit 9 according to the optimum white balance data so that proper white balance is achieved by signal processing circuit 9.
A variety of modifications are possible to which the present invention, and thus the invention is not limited to these particular embodiments shown in this specification.
|Cited Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US4638350 *||Nov 2, 1983||Jan 20, 1987||Canon Kabushiki Kaisha||Color image sensing device|
|US4646161 *||Sep 10, 1985||Feb 24, 1987||Sony Corporation||Automatic white balance control circuit|
|US4667224 *||May 21, 1985||May 19, 1987||Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.||White balance correcting device|
|US4682210 *||Mar 31, 1986||Jul 21, 1987||Victor Company Of Japan, Ltd.||Automatic white balance adjusting circuit for image pickup device|
|US4727413 *||Jul 23, 1985||Feb 23, 1988||Canon Kabushiki Kaisha||Image sensing apparatus|
|US4736241 *||Dec 3, 1986||Apr 5, 1988||Hitachi, Ltd.||White balance adjusting device of color video camera|
|US4739392 *||Jan 2, 1987||Apr 19, 1988||Victor Company Of Japan, Ltd.||White balance adjusting apparatus having a plurality of standard color references automatically selected by the detected color temperature|
|US4774564 *||Sep 8, 1987||Sep 27, 1988||Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.||Electronic still camera for compensating color temperature dependency of color video signals|
|US4827331 *||Sep 25, 1987||May 2, 1989||Sony Corporation||Color TV camera with circuit for adjusting the white balance of red, green, and blue signals generated from a narrow-band luminance signal and line-sequential color-difference signals|
|US4883360 *||Aug 12, 1988||Nov 28, 1989||Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.||Method and apparatus for automatically adjusting white balance|
|US4911552 *||Sep 26, 1988||Mar 27, 1990||Sony Corp.||Digital signal processing circuit for digital camera|
|US4998162 *||Aug 15, 1989||Mar 5, 1991||Sony Corporation||Video camera|
|US5016093 *||Mar 22, 1989||May 14, 1991||Sony Corporation||Video camera system with white balance adjustment|
|US5019894 *||Oct 3, 1990||May 28, 1991||Canon Kabushiki Kaisha||White balance adjusting circuit|
|US5038205 *||May 21, 1990||Aug 6, 1991||Sony Corporation||Automatic white balance control circuit which operates on successive fields of video data|
|US5045928 *||Apr 11, 1989||Sep 3, 1991||Canon Kabushiki Kaisha||White balance control with choice of control dependent on brightness|
|US5093716 *||Feb 1, 1991||Mar 3, 1992||Sony Corporation||Digital color video camera with auto-focus, auto-exposure and auto-white balance, and an auto exposure system therefor which compensates for abnormal lighting|
|1||"Auto White Balance", Part V, Camcorder '89, JEI, Dempa Publ., Inc. pp. 50-51, Tokyo, Japan.|
|2||*||Auto White Balance , Part V, Camcorder 89, JEI, Dempa Publ., Inc. pp. 50 51, Tokyo, Japan.|
|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US5438363 *||Jun 2, 1994||Aug 1, 1995||Nikon Corporation||Camera capable of adjusting white balance during underwater photography|
|US5528373 *||May 4, 1995||Jun 18, 1996||Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha||Automatic white balance regulating device having interchangeable systems|
|US6147707 *||Jan 31, 1997||Nov 14, 2000||Canon Kabushiki Kaisha||Method and apparatus for gain adjustment of an image sensor|
|US6411331 *||Feb 28, 1997||Jun 25, 2002||Hewlett-Packard Company||Automatic white balance detection and correction of an image captured in a digital camera|
|US6952233 *||Apr 29, 1997||Oct 4, 2005||Canon Kabushiki Kaisha||Video camera having a material element for controlling light transmission|
|US20080303922 *||Jun 8, 2007||Dec 11, 2008||Imran Chaudhri||Image capture|
|EP1615451A2||Jul 7, 2005||Jan 11, 2006||Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.||Digital video camera with automatic white balance and a method thereof|
|U.S. Classification||348/223.1, 348/E09.052, 348/655, 348/207.99, 348/224.1|
|International Classification||H04N9/73, H04N9/793, H04N9/04|
|Sep 14, 1992||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: SONY CORPORATION, JAPAN
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:TSUCHIVA, SATOSHI;REEL/FRAME:006265/0972
Effective date: 19920902
|Jan 19, 1993||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: SONY CORPORATION, JAPAN
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:TSUCHIYA, SATOSHI;REEL/FRAME:006393/0755
Effective date: 19921221
|Sep 30, 1997||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|Dec 27, 2001||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 8
|Jan 22, 2002||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|Dec 28, 2005||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 12


text:
XOCHI and POPOCA: An Aztec Legend
Every culture has a Romeo and Juliet love story, even the pre-Hispanic cultures.Popoca and Xochi are the Aztec Romeo and Juliet who were denied their love while alive, but destined to spend eternity together. Now, as two snow covered volcanoes that set the backdrop for Mexico City, Popoca And Xochi, as they are affectionately called, are the symbol of love everlasting.
ACDT Junior company and students of the New Studio of Dance in collaboration with JenBen Media bring this colorful Aztec legend to life with music and dance. Look for fantastic sets and costumes as well as refreshing innovative choreography beautifully performed by children as well as young adults. Appropriate for all ages.
When: May 26, 27, 28 and June 2, 3, 4 at 7PM / May 29 and June 5 at 2PM
Where: BeBe Theatre
Info and tickets: www.etix.com/ticket/p/3254634/xochi-popoca-asheville-bebe-theatre
Inside, Not Out
WATCH: Inside; Not Out is on Gumroad watch for $12. https://acdt.gumroad.com/l/xkMUf
PREVIEW – Youtube trailer: https://youtu.be/hkX1GskHB4o
Who: Asheville Contemporary Dance Theatre/ ACDT & The BeBe Theatre
What: “Inside, Not Out”- A Re-Opening of the BeBe Theatre and in person Modern Dance
Where: BeBe Theatre- 20 Commerce St. Asheville, NC 28801
When: August 27th, 28th, and 29th at 7:30pm
How Much: $20- General Admission; $18 to Students and Seniors purchased online at https://www.etix.com/ticket/o/8820/ACDT or call at 855-222-2849
Masks as well as proof of vaccination or negative Covid test is needed to enter the theatre.
Asheville Contemporary Dance Theatre has been busy during the Covid 19 Pandemic! Dancing together, but separately in creeks, rainfall, parking decks, parks, factories, forests and just about anywhere there was an open space available for four to eight dance artists. Now ACDT is ready to greet a live audience to share some its newest and most innovative choreography created by Sharon Cooper, Melissa Wilhoit, and Susan Collard in their favorite black box theatre- the “BeBe”. The intimate, little theatre has been closed for almost a year and a half. Now with limited seating of 27 seats per performance and multiple high quality air filters, the theatre is ready…. set… go!
This collaboratory event will include not only high quality modern dance but an opportunity to meet the dancers and choreographers who have been developing their artistic skills for this exciting event. Each piece is unique in its content addressing social issues through movement and music.
Giles Collard, John Crutchfeild, Edwin Salas, Raj Bowers-Racine, and Sky McDowell will perform “Boys Toys”- a humorous look at adult men at play; which will be a highlight to the program.
ACDT has been performing locally and abroad for 42 years with a history of innovative, fine-tuned choreography.
Now see ‘Inside, Not Out’- ACDT’s newest work in the beloved BeBe theatre; safe and socially distant- tickets on sale August, 1st 2021! Limited Seating. Masks as well as proof of vaccination or negative Covid test is needed to enter our theatre.
https://www.etix.com/ticket/o/8820/ACDT (TuTu Tix)
Based on a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen performed by the students of New Studio of Dance and ACDT.
Directed by: Susan and Giles Collard
Asheville Contemporary Dance Theatre (ACDT) is a non-profit professional dance company created in 1979. As western North Carolina’s first professional modern dance company, they believe that everything everywhere is dance and everyone is a dancer. ACDT is devoted to local and international work, forging collaborations and partnerships between Asheville artists and dance artists from around the world.

domain: artistic


text:
Associate special bonuses and raised salaries this year are expected to have an uneven impact on law firm profitability across the Am Law 200, depending on a firm’s financial structure. And making the right choice on whether to match, or not, could serve to further that profitability divide.
For the elite firms that have leapt into the latest round of associate salary increases, even after issuing special bonuses earlier this year, it’s a no-brainer. Many posted record profits in 2020, and surging deal work this year places them in a position where these added expenses will likely have little to no impact on their profitability in 2021.
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domain: news


text:
COMMISSIONS - Aga Koch
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2016 - 2015
2014 - 2011
WORK ON PAPER
I’m very pleased to welcome you to this page, and invite you for an incredible and fun journey, which is commissioning an artwork.
TOGETHER IN THE ART-MAKING PROCESS
Throughout the process I will
the composition, palette, pattern etc..
We will also open up a dialogue for critical feedback in case anything needs a quick fix ;)
I love this kind of collaboration because it broadens my subject matter and pushes me to try new things while still remaining true to my artistic integrity and vision.
would love to discuss your commission
So please don't hesitate to contact me through
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December 09, 2013
Matatus and Mass Transit: ITDP Studies Transit Patterns in Nairobi, Kenya
The wheels are in motion for a big change in Nairobi’s transportation network. Currently, despite only 15 percent of the city’s 3 million residents driving to work, chronic congestion paralyzes the city every day, causing commute times over an hour for many residents. The most popular mass transit option, the matatu minibuses, aren’t enough to address the city’s growing demand. In response to increasing concerns of congestion and pollution, the Kenya National Highways Authority will be building a BRT corridor as part of the World Bank funded reconstruction of the Uhuru Highway. To support the design of the BRT, last month ITDP worked with international planners and a local university to gather detailed data on transit ridership in Nairobi.
The ubiquitous matatu minibuses are the transportation mode of choice for roughly 29% of Nairobi’s commuters. Carrying 8-14 people each, the matatu minibuses offer greater coverage and accessibility than the city’s few larger buses, and travel in adaptable (if at times unpredictable) routes. Yet despite their advantages, the matatu network is not enough to address the city’s transport concerns. The minibuses are too expensive for the city’s poorest residents, leaving 47% of the population to walk to work; a success in some cases, but often forcing low income residents to walk more than 20km a day. Furthermore, the network is highly informal, leading to irregular schedules, routes, and fare prices. In this context, Nairobi is developing plans for a BRT system, which will greatly reduce commute times, congestion, and pollution as the city continues to grow.
In preparation for Nairobi’s BRT, still in the design phase, ITDP staffers Chris Van Eyken, Jacob Mason, and Xianyuan Zhu spent last month collecting data on transit patterns in Nairobi. The study primarily evaluated ridership patterns on matatus to inform the station location and design, intersection design, and other factors in BRT corridor planning. As part of the study, ITDP is building on the standard General Transit Feed Specifications (GTFS) file type, supplementing it with survey data to model the demand network for Nairobi. This technique allows the model to more accurately reflect transit realities in developing cities, where networks tend to be more informal and less consistent. The data has been collected and coded by a team of professors and graduate students from the University of Nairobi, Colombia University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Their GTFS data will allow ITDP to create a transit model that will be used to test BRT services.
The team spent several weeks in Nairobi gathering data. With the support of 56 students from the University of Nairobi, ITDP tracked ridership on matatu routes along the Uhuru highway and surrounding areas. The data will inform a report recommending locations and station designs for the Nairobi BRT, to be presented in mid-December to UN-HABITAT and the Kenya National Highways Authority. Plans for the BRT design are expected to be finalized in 2014, with construction set to begin soon after.
Cover photo: Chris and Jacob train students from University of Nairobi to collect survey data on Matatu routes. Credit: ITDP


text:
Videomaker – Learn video production and editing, camera reviews › Forums › General › Video and Film Discussion › Equipments Store › compusolver and video mani
compusolver and video maniac
don’t discuss because of me.
That’s the reason I’ve sent a private message.
I knew this kind of commentary will bring several and differents ideas.
I just wanna know if can exist this kind of argument, because I’ve never put my hands on this camera and maybe this camera could be bigger than I thought and decid to ask for a person works with this camera to learn with his experience.

domain: hobby


text:
Your wax sculpture is made by dipping your hand in our warm melted wax several times. The casting is cooled and removed from your hand. We then add your choice of colors to the cast to create a truly unique sculpture. a variety of props and items are available which can be held while dipping to add to your creation. This is a very unique and creative Novelty for most any occasion.
Space requirements (in ft.): 6 x 10


text:
Coordinated behavior within arterioles is necessary for large resistance changes to occur and is reflected as a conduction of dilations/constrictions along arterioles. These responses arise from locally initiated hyper- or depolarizations that propagate via transmembrane channels formed by connexins (gap junctions). Mounting evidence indicates that gap-junctional communication contributes to the control of vascular tone.
Communication between cells within an organ is necessary to coordinate the behavior of individual cells and to ensure proper organ function. An important communication pathway is direct signaling through the transmembrane channels known as gap junctions. They are formed by individual structural units known as connexins and allow transfer of ions and second messengers. By this means signaling between individual cells is established, and additionally a large number of cells can be connected to form a functional unit. Such a signaling pathway may also exist in the vascular system, because endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells express connexin proteins. In principle, gap junctions can provide coupling between endothelial and smooth muscle cells (heterocellular) or among each cell type separately (homocellular). Functionally, two main aspects of signal transfer can be envisioned: a transversal or short-distance and a longitudinal or long-distance communication pathway. Transversal signaling involves communication between endothelium and smooth muscle and is therefore dependent on heterocellular coupling. The endothelium could affect smooth muscle tone by transfer of autacoids, second messengers, or current and thus control vascular diameter via such a pathway. In contrast, longitudinal signal transfer serves to coordinate the cellular behavior within a certain vessel segment. For this purpose, signaling within each cell layer is additionally required and must therefore also involve homocellular coupling. Indeed, experimental evidence exists for gap-junctional involvement in both of these signaling pathways and is the focus of this brief review.
Information travels along the arteriolar wall
Within the microcirculation the arterioles form a complicated network where the arteriolar tree spans a long distance of several millimeters. Due to their length and concomitant small diameters, a large resistance resides within these arterioles, leading to large pressure drops along them. Although this is appropriate at rest, conditions with high metabolic demand (e.g., exercising skeletal muscle) require that resistance decreases substantially by adequate arteriolar dilation to allow high blood flow to the capillaries. This dilation can be achieved in vessels close to the exercising tissue by the diffusion of metabolites released from skeletal muscle fibers, but it is not necessarily the case for vessels located further upstream, because diffusion distances increase considerably and an upstream dilation cannot be accomplished solely by metabolic dilation. Consequently, resistance residing within these upstream vessels becomes proportionally larger with higher flow loads and ultimately limits flow increases. To overcome such a mismatch of resistance distribution along the distance spanned by the arteriolar tree, a coordination is necessary to promote upstream dilation along with distal dilation.
The observation that peripheral metabolic changes within skeletal muscle induce an ascending, remote dilation has been known for decades. It has been attributed to axon reflexes, nerves associated with microvessels, transport of metabolites via venous drainage from capillaries to upstream vessels, or, more recently, flow-induced dilation. However, in the past few years it has become clear that a conducting mechanism residing within the vascular wall, as originally proposed by Hilton (8), exists and may be involved. Such a longitudinal conduction mechanism has been shown by the application of endogenous neurotransmitters at a small, strictly confined area onto isolated microvessels with glass micropipettes. In such experiments, acetylcholine or noradrenaline not only induced a local vasomotor response but also a response of a similar type (dilation, constriction) at distant, remote sites. In a similar fashion, remote responses can be elicited in the microcirculation in vivo (Fig. 1⇓) (1, 4). The remote responses, also termed “conducted responses,” were not due to changes in pressure or flow. The latter stimulus was excluded because the dilation occurred before any increases in wall shear rate were measured (9, 16). Moreover, flow-induced dilation takes ~10–30 s to develop fully; however, the delay at which conducted dilations appear is <1 s. Signaling via nerves could achieve such transmission speeds, but blockade of nerve conduction with tetrodotoxin did not attenuate conducted responses. Therefore, these initial experiments demonstrate that the mechanisms evoking conducted responses are not related to known pathways within the vascular wall.
Conducted responses have been observed in skeletal muscle of hamsters and mice (cremaster muscle, cheek pouch, retractor muscle) and also in kidney, cerebral, and coronary arterioles. In addition to acetylcholine, other endogenous substances such as bradykinin and adenosine also initiate conducted dilations (4, 15). However, other vasodilators (such as NO donors, e.g., sodium nitroprusside, 3-morpholinosydnonimine) only induce a dilation constrained to the site of application (9). This demonstrates that a local dilation per se is not sufficient to elicit a concomitant remote response and raises the question of the nature of the initiating mechanism to elicit a conducted vasomotor response. Considering the high speed of propagation of the diameter change, which is in the range of several millimeters per second, it seems likely that an electrical signal mediates the response. Accordingly, those substances known to induce a conducted dilation also induce a hyperpolarization of smooth muscle and/or endothelial cells. We have shown previously (9) that in the hamster cremaster microcirculation the dilation on acetylcholine application is partially elicited by an endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF), which induces a hyperpolarization via the activation of Ca2+-dependent K+ channels. To determine which site of activation of these channels is necessary, K+ channel blockers (charybdotoxin or iberiotoxin) were applied either at the site of acetylcholine stimulation or at remote sites. When administered at the site of acetylcholine stimulation, the local and the remote responses were attenuated. In contrast, similar application at remote sites did not affect the remote or local dilation (9). This demonstrates that activation of Ca2+-dependent K+ channels, presumably by EDHF, is necessary to initiate a conducted response but is not required at remote sites to mediate the dilation. Similarly, the blockade of the synthesis of NO or prostaglandins did not affect this remote dilation. Analogous observations were made in other tissues: blockade of NO synthase had only a marginal effect on conducted dilations in hamster cheek pouch, but the responses were severely attenuated after blockade of EDHF. These findings suggest that a locally induced change in membrane potential, elicited by the local action of EDHF, spreads along the vascular wall, inducing a dilation at distant sites itself. In fact, a hyperpolarization of endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells on confined stimulation with acetylcholine was not only measured at the local but also at remote sites in isolated arterioles as well as in vivo (6, 20). Thus convincing evidence has been presented that EDHF (or a hyperpolarization by other means) is crucial to initiate a conducted response (Fig. 2⇓). In a similar manner constrictions can be elicited by a depolarization, which also propagates along the vascular wall. The initial depolarization can be experimentally induced by the application of high-K+ solution or by addition of vasoconstrictors, e.g., norepinephrine. If sufficient in amplitude, changes in membrane potential give rise to vasomotor responses at local and remote sites: depolarization resulting in constriction and hyperpolarization leading to vasodilation. Although these signals are opposite in polarity, they both reflect the conduction along the vascular wall that is possible because the cells are interconnected by low-resistance channels, i.e., gap junctions (Fig. 2⇓).
An important issue in this context is how far the signals are transmitted. An electrical signal can spread in a purely electrotonic fashion or might be regenerated by an amplifier. A signal that spreads only electrotonically dissipates with distance, and a length constant can be calculated, usually given as the distance at which the signal has decreased to 37% of its initial value. This length constant is dependent on intercellular resistance (i.e., gap-junctional conductance) and on the loss of charge via the cell membrane (short-circuit current). It will be higher when the intercellular resistance is lower and the cell membrane resistance is higher. From data obtained in vitro, a length constant of 0.7 mm was calculated for changes in membrane potential. However, potential and diameter changes in vivo were found to be only slightly attenuated at distances exceeding 1 mm, especially in the case of hyperpolarizations and concomitant dilations (6). This suggests that a regenerative, amplifying mechanism is involved in vivo that is activated by the initial signal. It may consist of voltage-gated or inward-rectifier K+ channels, which can amplify the initial small hyperpolarization and enhance the local change in membrane potential and thus the concomitant diameter change. In coronary arterioles of the pig, blockade of inward-rectifier K+ channels with barium attenuated remote dilations on adenosine application, suggesting that the distance encompassed by the signal was related to signal amplification by these K+ channels (15).
Signaling pathways in the vessel wall
The spread of de- or hyperpolarizations along the vascular wall requires longitudinally interconnected cells. Because gap junctions are found among endothelial as well as smooth muscle cells, each cell layer may provide a conduction pathway. In experiments in hamster vessels, two independent pathways have been proposed, as elegantly demonstrated by destroying the smooth muscle and/or the endothelial cell layer in a confined region. In these in vivo experiments, destruction of the smooth muscle cell layer prevented the transmission of constrictions through this area. In contrast, conducted dilations were still propagating freely, demonstrating that the endothelial layer sufficed as a signal pathway for dilations. Only additional abolition of the endothelial cell layer prevented the propagation of dilation beyond the injured part of the vessel (1). On the other hand, the sole destruction of the endothelial cell layer did not prevent remote dilations. These experiments show that both the endothelial and smooth muscle cell layer itself can transmit the hyperpolarization initiated by acetylcholine (Fig. 2⇑). Slightly different conclusions were obtained in vessels residing outside the skeletal muscle where, in vitro, the endothelial cell layer was crucial to transmit dilations to conducted sites. In contrast to the in vivo preparation, constrictions did not propagate, suggesting that smooth muscle cells are coupled poorly in feed arteries (6). The reasons for this varying behavior in vessels with different functions may be due to different innervation patterns or differential expression of connexins in the vascular wall (see below). Moreover, the varying behavior might be achieved by regulatory processes interacting with gap-junctional conductivity, which can be affected by the type of preparation studied (e.g., in vivo vs. in vitro or arterioles vs. feed arteries). However, these questions must be addressed in further studies. One of the first tasks to resolve is the expression level of connexins in different vessel types. If differentially expressed, the challenging question will be what governs their expression level. However, it has to be kept in mind that function of gap junctions is important to allow signal propagation and that channel function might vary even with similar expression levels.
Connexins are involved in information transfer
Gap junctional communication requires the assembly of intercellular channels that span the intercellular gap and two plasma membranes (17). Six of the individual structural units known as connexin proteins oligomerize into a connexon, delineating a central pore and building an hemichannel within the membrane of a single cell. It docks with a counterpart in an adjacent cell to establish a functional pore (Fig. 3⇓). Connexins consist of a large family of different members, which are distinguished by their molecular weight and named accordingly. In vascular cells four connexins have been identified, namely Cx43, Cx40, Cx37, and Cx45. A connexon may contain either a single type of connexin (homomeric) or multiple connexins (heteromeric). Additionally, adjacent cells can contribute identically or differentially composed connexins, thus forming homotypic or heterotypic intercellular channels. Although only four different connexins are expressed in the vascular wall, the number of structurally and physiologically distinct channel types is thus large. However, the significance of this molecular diversity is not yet clear. In large conduit arteries, connexin proteins are differentially expressed in different cell types of the vascular wall. Whereas Cx43 is the most abundant within the vascular smooth muscle, Cx40 is mainly found in the endothelium. Cx37 is also mainly expressed in endothelial cells, although quantitatively in a smaller amount than Cx40 (21). Cx45 is present in vascular smooth muscle but is expressed only in small quantities. Whereas the expression of different connexins is relatively easily studied in large arteries, this task is more difficult in the microcirculation. Certainly gap junctions exist in the microcirculation; however, only a few studies have addressed the distribution of different connexins in these vessels. From these studies, it is clear that Cx43, Cx40, and Cx37 are found in the microcirculation (12), although it is unresolved at which locations or in which cells. Moreover, functional data from our laboratory show that specific connexins serve specific functions (4). The lack of Cx40 resulted in an attenuation of the conduction of dilations initiated by endothelium-dependent dilators (acetylcholine, bradykinin). In contrast, the conduction of constrictions induced by K+ depolarization remained unaffected. Recently, an attenuated propagation of a dilation (but not of a constriction) induced by electrical stimulation was confirmed in Cx40-deficient animals by other investigators (7). This divergent effect of the lack of Cx40 and the differential distances that constrictions or dilations propagated along the vascular wall (Fig. 1⇑) suggests that different cell layers serve as distinct conduction pathways. The preferential expression of Cx40 in these cremaster arterioles within the endothelial layer, as demonstrated by a colocalization of Cx40 and an endothelial cell marker in immunohistochemistry studies (4), further corroborates the hypothesis that Cx40 is mainly involved in signaling along the endothelial cell layer (Fig. 2⇑). Despite the fact that other members of the connexin family may be upregulated, as was demonstrated in the aorta for Cx37 in Cx40-deficient animals (10), the function of Cx40 cannot be completely rescued. However, in Cx40-deficient mice a remaining propagation of dilations in response to acetylcholine was also observed. If this remaining response is transmitted via the endothelial cell layer (e.g., by the upregulation of other connexins) or if this reflects the spread along the smooth muscle cell layer remains to be elucidated.
Functional implications of coupling in the vascular wall
The fact that conducted responses can be elicited by certain stimuli does not imply that they are also involved in physiologically important regulatory mechanisms, such as flow increases during high metabolic demand (active hyperemia). However, capillaries could serve as sensors for metabolic needs, because they are located in close contact with the tissue and might transmit this information through cell coupling to upstream vessels. In fact, capillary endothelial cells respond to pharmacological stimulation (as explained above) with changes in membrane potential that lead to changes of tone in upstream arterioles (14). This hypothesis was tested further in the hamster cremaster, in which a group of skeletal muscle fibers can be stimulated electrically and diameter changes of the supplying arterioles along the vascular tree can be measured during and after such an exercise bout. This contraction of muscle fibers induced a graded, frequency-dependent dilatory response in upstream arterioles. Interestingly, the dilations were reduced by local application of inhibitors of gap junctions at a site along the arteriole, such as halothane or a high-molar sucrose solution (3). During direct electrical stimulation of muscle fibers acetylcholine is not released at the neuromuscular junction, and this may have an additional effect. However, it can be released by direct stimulation of the motor nerve. Experiments conducted in this way show a dilation that ascended up to the feed artery independent of skeletal muscle contraction (blocked by a nicotinic receptor antagonist). The dilation was abrogated by the additional blockade of endothelial muscarinic receptors and amplified by the inhibition of acetylcholine breakdown. In addition, a contribution of acetylcholine acting on endothelial receptors to the hyperemic response was confirmed by an attenuation of the dilatory response during unhindered skeletal muscle contraction in the presence of a muscarinic receptor blocker. These experiments suggest that spillover of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine contributes to an ascending dilation (19). In further experiments, the authors could show that the endothelial cell layer transmits the signal to induce feed artery dilation. Thus gap-junctional coupling seems to contribute to hyperemic responses. First, acetylcholine spillover induces ascending dilations, and second, metabolically released mediators might change the membrane potential of capillary endothelial cells. This signal may then propagate upstream and be integrated at the arteriolar level.
Transversal signaling in the vessel wall
A different aspect of gap-junctional communication involves local signal transfer from endothelial cells to their adjacent neighbors the smooth muscle cells or vice versa. Two key questions arise: are the two cell layers indeed functionally coupled, and what is transferred through these gap junctions? In morphological studies, heterocellular junctions between endothelial and smooth muscle cells have been demonstrated and were typically found on projections arising from endothelial cells. Compared with gap junctions within the endothelium, the myoendothelial junctions are very small and not numerous, which explains the difficulty in finding them. They have been identified in selected vascular beds (e.g., mesenteric arteries) but not in others (e.g., femoral arteries). This variability also exists between different vessel sizes and necessitates the need for more functional data.
One functional aspect of heterocellular coupling is charge transfer, which can be assessed by the measurement of membrane potential. In isolated arteries of the hamster, hyperpolarizations induced by acetylcholine were recorded in endothelial and smooth muscle cells, and these recordings were indistinguishable from each other (6). Similarly, in mesenteric arterioles in vitro, current injected into an endothelial cell changed the membrane potential of smooth muscle cells and vice versa, which shows bidirectional current transfer (20). In contrast, in in vivo experiments changes in membrane potential in response to acetylcholine as well as spontaneous fluctuations in membrane potential varied between the two cell layers in the microcirculation, suggesting that potentials are not completely transferred. We have made similar observations in mice in vivo (unpublished observations). Whereas the measurement of membrane potential tests for gap junction conductivity, diffusion of dye after injection into a single cell examines permeability. However, data obtained by this approach are in accordance with potential measurements, because dye coupling between endothelial and smooth muscle cells has been shown in arterioles in isolated tissues (13) but not in vivo. An intact dye coupling would suggest that second messengers or small molecules may diffuse through these heterocellular junctions from endothelium to smooth muscle. This may be specifically important for endothelial cell signals, because the endothelium releases different autacoids such as NO that affect the constriction level of smooth muscle and hence vascular tone. Although NO diffuses easily through membrane barriers, other autacoids such as EDHF may not. It is beyond the scope of this review to discuss the nature of EDHF; however, there are studies showing that gap-junctional communication between endothelium and smooth muscle is crucial to achieve the full dilator potency of this NO- and prostaglandin-independent dilator mechanism. In isolated vessels, the portion of the acetylcholine-induced dilation that is attributed to EDHF was severely reduced by inhibition of gap-junctional communication (2). This suggests that “something” is transferred from the endothelium to smooth muscle through heterocellular gap junction channels, which could be an endothelial dilator substance or pure charge. Together these observations propose that heterocellular coupling varies between vessel types (and is related to function) or that differences are related to the type of preparation studied, i.e., in vivo vs. in vitro. If the latter is true, it is interesting to speculate what modulator of gap-junctional communication prevents heterocellular coupling in vivo.
What can be learned from connexin-deficient animals?
The deletion of connexin proteins has allowed additional insights into their functions in the vasculature. However, not all connexin-deficient mice are viable. Cx43- and Cx45-deficient mice die due to defects in cardiac development, whereas Cx40- and Cx37-deficient animals survive. In Cx37-deficient mice an obvious vascular phenotype was not detected, whereas Cx40-deficient mice exhibit an altered conduction of dilations on endothelial stimulation. Remote dilations to local stimulation with acetylcholine or bradykinin were attenuated. In contrast to dilations, the propagation of locally induced constrictions remained unaffected (4). Because the stimulus targets endothelial cells in the first case and the smooth muscle in the second, we concluded that Cx40 is of functional importance in the conduction of signals along the endothelial layer (Fig. 2⇑). Interestingly, Cx40-deficient mice were hypertensive without a change in heart rate, as observed in anesthetized as well as conscious animals of both genders (Fig. 4⇓) (5). The arterial hypertension was not due to an alteration of NO efficacy or release. In addition, pressure drops on injection of acetylcholine were unaffected, suggesting that the vasodilator potency of endothelial autacoids was intact. However, we observed irregular vasomotion patterns that consisted of spontaneously appearing confined constrictions that propagated to downstream sites and led eventually to complete arteriolar occlusion and intermittent flow stop (5). Although we do not yet know the cause of the observed hypertension, our results highlight the importance of cell coupling within the vasculature, especially within the endothelial cell layer where Cx40 is mainly expressed.
Aside from Cx40, Cx43 is also expressed within the endothelial cell layer. However, in contrast to Cx40, the specific loss of Cx43 in endothelial cells was reportedly associated with a lowered, rather than increased, arterial pressure in mice. Since the hypotension was associated with elevated levels of NO derivates, Liao et al. (11) concluded that enhanced NO release was causing the lowered pressure. However, in other mice with endothelial deletion of Cx43 generated in a similar manner (Cre recombinase under the control of a TIE2 promoter), we did not find alterations in hemodynamics, i.e., arterial pressure and heart rate in these animals were similar to littermate controls (18). The reasons for these discrepancies remain unresolved; however, it is clear that the divergent effects of the lack of Cx40 as opposed to the loss of endothelial Cx43 point to a specific role of the individual members of the connexin family in vascular control. Although transgenic mice have disadvantages such as secondary developmental changes, mouse models of connexin deficiency have been instrumental in revealing an important function of gap junctions within the vascular system.
Conclusions and perspectives
The architecture of the arteriolar network necessitates a coordination of cellular behavior. A dilation of terminal arterioles results only in limited flow increases, because resistance residing in further-upstream vessels impedes stronger augmentations of flow. Only when dilations encompass the entire length of the network can maximal flow increases be achieved. Signals traveling along the vascular wall can accomplish such a coordination. However, considerable distances have to be overcome and coordination would be slow if it relied on diffusion of second messengers. In contrast, electrotonic spread of local membrane potential changes propagate rapidly along the vascular wall and induce remote diameter changes. A substantial amount of data demonstrates that changes in membrane potential give rise to vasomotor responses at local and remote sites: depolarization resulting in constriction and hyperpolarization resulting in dilation. Although these signals are opposite in polarity, they both spread along the vascular wall due to the interconnection of cells via the gap junctions. In principle, both cell types within the vascular wall (endothelial and smooth muscle cells) are able to act as a communicating syncytium. Initial data indicate that such communication contributes to physiological responses such as active hyperemia. The structural units of gap junctions are connexins, and four members of this family have been found in vascular cells (Cx43, Cx40, Cx37, and Cx45). The different connexins have distinct functions, as reflected by their differential expression in the cells of the vascular wall. Cx40 appears to be important in signaling along the endothelial layer, and its loss leads to arterial hypertension. Besides longitudinal signaling, gap junctions may have a role in transversal signaling, i.e., from endothelial cells to the smooth muscle layer. Although substantial differences between vessel types and in vivo vs. in vitro experiments have been reported, a significant role of gap-junctional communication along the vascular wall is becoming ever more clear.
Our work referred to in this article was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (WI 2071/1-1) and the Friedrich-Baur Stiftung.
I apologize to all authors whose work is not acknowledged due to the lack of space.
- © 2004 Int. Union Physiol. Sci./Am.Physiol. Soc.

domain: literature


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- The Lacking Organization
- July 7, 2020
Well into their third decade, G. Love and Special Sauce still sound like they are in no particular hurry to get there.
Michelle Wilson braved the elements for a set with the ’70s legends.
Big Dogz (Eagle Records). Review by Christopher Long.
Last Train Home (Foghat Records). Review by Matt Parish.
Live at the Blues Warehouse (Varese Sarabande Records). Review by Matt Parish.
Matt Parish looks into the eyes of soul at a recent Leon Russell show.
Foghat Live 2 (Foghat). Review by Matt Parish.
No one will contest the importance of John Lee Hooker in the development of rock music. Bob Cliffordson explains why another DVD of material is still essential.
John Lee Hooker, Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Ry Cooder, Bonnie Raitt, Van Morrisson, Foghat,John Lee Hooker – Come and See About Me: The Definitive DVD (2004,directed by ,starring John Lee Hooker,Eric Iaerace,John Lee Hooker – Come and See About Me: The Definitive DVD (2004,directed by ,starring John Lee Hooker,Bob Cliffordson

domain: entertainment


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Seeing as how Adobe dominates the animation industry, and you can no longer purchase Adobe software outright, I figure this might be of use to some of you out there. Right now until June 3rd you can get 40% off a subscription to the Adobe Cloud. Click here for more info.
You’re welcome! 😉


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CD Review: Starboy by The Weekend
As soon as I heard the singles off this album, I was hyped. Sure, the Weeknd had adopted a new, pop-friendly sound, but new Weeknd is still good Weeknd. Or so I thought. Outside of the singles, the majority of the album sounds pretty generic and plain. Lyrics have never been a strong point for Abel, and it shows on this project. There are no memorable lines on anything, making the entire project that much worse. “Sidewalks” and “Party Monster” are the highlights of the album, while other tracks like “Rockin” sound like something they would play too loud inside of an Abercrombie & Fitch. Overall, The Weeknd tried too hard to change his sound on this album to match the mainstream rather than his hardcore fans. This album is really forgettable and probably won’t stay in my rotation for much longer.
— Bigoa Machar


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“Life without ballet….would be pointeless”
Ballet develops the foundations of excellent dance techniques, improving posture, core strength, flexibility and style.
Ballet transforms pupils into dancers and inspires them musically.
We follow the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance (ISTD) syllabus which is a worldwide examining board providing a structured foundation for our classes.
ISTD examinations give the children the opportunity to show an examiner what they have been working towards in class, giving them a sense of achievement and pride. The higher grade examinations count towards UCAS points and are recognised as a sign of commitment and dedication. Examinations are not compulsory.
PRELIM ROSETTE – For children starting full time school
This is a fun fusion of basic ballet technique combined with modern dance, incorporating lively music and exciting exercises to improve musicality and rhythm. The class builds the bridge between Twinkle Toes and Primary Ballet. Each week children receive a sticker to add to their very own Prelim Rosette Sticker Chart. Children receive a special rosette when they complete their time in this class – a special keepsake to remind them of their achievement.
PRIMARY BALLET – School Years 1 & 2
This is our first ISTD syllabus level within ballet and the children work towards their first special primary class examination. We now work to improve technique, poise and dance quality, nurturing our little stars and teaching them the love of dance.
We continue to help the children to master the skills of ballet, as they progress through the ISTD examination grades 1-6. Ballet is a highly disciplined art form and we pride ourselves on teaching to an exceptional level achieving an 100% pass rate in our exams. This requires dedication and will instil confidence for all aspects of life.
These classes are for students with excellent technique and dance ability working towards vocational examinations. Pointe work is introduced from Grade 6.


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|April 15, 2009 @ 2:41 pm|
Wow, I can’t believe it’s been a year already since I’ve started spinning! In that time, I have created 60 skeins of yarn, about 18,000 yards of handspun. Wow…that is a lot! I am a true spinner, don’t want to knit anything anymore. How crazy is that?! Of course, I do have some babies to knit for soon (my sister is due to pop any day now and have I knit anything yet…??? ummm…yeah, working on it!). Here are a few highlights of my spinning year.
Here is a picture of my very sad, sad first yarn, totally overspun and plied and feels so stringy rather than soft, even though it is merino. I will forever treasure this yarn because it was the beginning of my whole spinning obsession:
Here is my 5th or so skein of yarn and when I really felt like I was getting the hang of spinning. It was still over-plied, but it was knittable!
After 2 weeks of spinning almost non-stop, I decided I just HAD to get a wheel, so I ordered up my Kromski Minstrel, who is named Seamus. He has been a real work horse…gone through 3 drive bands, had one of his whorls damaged (and not yet replaced) and still going strong.
My first Navajo ply. It was waaaay too tight and very stringy. But the colors are so pretty! After this skein, I was so scared to do N-plies for a long long time!
Then in September, I learned Bowerbird Knits 2 step Navajo ply method and it has really made a big change in my spinning. It has made me into a N-ply convert and now I mostly do N-plies! Here is the first one of those skeins.
I have spun with merino, extra fine merino, superwash merino, merino/bamboo, merino/alpaca, merino/tencel, merino/seacell, merino/silk, bamboo, falkland, silk, BFL, superwash BFL and soysilk. I think my favorite is still superwash merino, for it’s softness/bounce and right amount of slickness. But of course I will spin pretty much anything! :)
And last but not least, here is the last skein that I finished up yesterday. The fiber is from All Spun Up in the January 2009 Spin-A-Long colorway. If I had to pick a “perfect” colorway, I think this would be it! A fitting end to a wonderful year of spinning!
Comment by Monika
Made on Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 @ 4:10 pm
I’m in love with your last handspun yarn. The colorway is just gorgeous! I can’t believe you don’t want to knit anymore!
Comment by Sarah
Made on Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 @ 5:03 pm
Thank you for inspiring me with your spinning for the past year! I think we both got on the wagon at about the same time, but you’ve been so much more prolific. I can’t wait to see what you’ll spin in the future!
Comment by Chery
Made on Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 @ 7:03 pm
WOW!! I’m speechless. Love your spinning.
Comment by Jamie
Made on Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 @ 7:32 pm
You are an inspiration for sure! I am so easily discouraged, and your spinning is a powerful testament to the importance of persistence!
Comment by Dave
Made on Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 @ 7:53 pm
Only one year?!?!? OMG. I knew you were setting the bar pretty high, but I didn’t realize it was THAT high. :-)
I’ve done something similar to the first two, hoping to eventually get something like that gorgeous ASU. I think it’ll take me more than a year, tho.
Comment by Loopykd
Made on Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 @ 9:28 pm
Holy cow if you can do that in a year I can’t wait to see what you do in another one! Beautiful work for you to be very proud of. Congratulations.
Comment by Elemmaciltur
Made on Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 @ 10:23 pm
Congrats on a year of spinning! And your Navajo-Ply has come a long way! ;-) Love the last skein!
Comment by Micki
Made on Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 @ 11:17 pm
I love seeing the progression! Even your first yarns were pretty damn good. :)
Comment by Jennifer
Made on Thursday, April 16th, 2009 @ 12:13 am
Echo Micki. That last one is perfect.
Comment by Schrodinger
Made on Thursday, April 16th, 2009 @ 4:03 am
Such beautiful work, and in the space of a short year, totally impressive!!!
Comment by jen
Made on Thursday, April 16th, 2009 @ 6:57 am
Lovely spinning story.
Comment by stacey
Made on Thursday, April 16th, 2009 @ 1:46 pm
You are a spinner indeed! Great work in a year – and don’t forget how many you have gotten to “drink the kool-aid”?:)
Comment by ami
Made on Thursday, April 16th, 2009 @ 6:08 pm
Happy Spin-a-versary! I’ve always felt like you were my spinning soul sister :)
Comment by Robin
Made on Thursday, April 16th, 2009 @ 10:29 pm
Kris, your spinning is wonderful! The last skein — that brown is so rich looking. Happy Spinning!
Comment by Zonda
Made on Friday, April 17th, 2009 @ 6:18 am
Just gorgeous!!! Congratulations on 1 year of spinning! Your Navajo ply yarn is amazing, as are all the others!
Comment by Tanja
Made on Friday, April 17th, 2009 @ 10:50 am
Ich finde sie alle wunderschÃ¶n, Kris, aber der allerschÃ¶nste ist wirklich der braune Strang ganz unten!!
Viele liebe GrÃ¼ÃŸe!
Comment by WiscJennyAnn
Made on Saturday, April 18th, 2009 @ 6:04 pm
What a lovely post! It was so neat to see an overview of your progress. And it’s been wonderful to what you learn and grow as a spinner. I’ve gotten a lot of inspiration from your work over the year. Thank you for sharing the process with us and congratulations!
Comment by Jennie
Made on Monday, April 27th, 2009 @ 5:38 am
Wow, can’t believe its been a year. :)
Comment by knottynaomi
Made on Friday, May 8th, 2009 @ 12:56 am
oooh wow just a year? you are a natural!
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Democrats have been taking black votes for granted for far too long. Only conservative policies will improve the economic lot of African Americans and maybe start to save the black family. Not that the white family doesn’t increasingly need saving too.
I hope Kanye sticks to his guns. He’s going to be savagely attacked. But you know what? I’ll bet while the elite goes after him, most of the black community is not going to abandon him. There the ones who have to live with the fruits of the welfare state.
I’m sorry, did I use a couple of firearms metaphors somewhere above?
I hope Kanye is ready for all the incoming.
Kanye West has performed a great service to the Black Community – Big things are happening and eyes are being opened for the first time in Decades – Legacy Stuff! Thank you also to Chance and Dr. Darrell Scott, they really get it (lowest Black & Hispanic unemployment in history).
Democrats have a lock of the black vote. They know they can’t afford any leaks in this ship, because if just a few African American voters start to move over into the Republican column, Democrats could lose a lot of races.
Rapper Kanye West is now unequivocally supporting President Trump. And that could influence a lot of people, and liberals know it.
You don’t have to agree with trump but the mob can’t make me not love him. We are both dragon energy. He is my brother. I love everyone. I don’t agree with everything anyone does. That’s what makes us individuals. And we have the right to independent thought.
He’s damn right about the mob. That’s what emerges when you say something that sounds conservative around the wrong crowd.
Liberals are trying to say that West is unhinged. How very Sovietesque of them. Kanye’s wife Kim Kardashian West makes a great point in defending her husband.
He’s a free thinker, is that not allowed in America? Because some of his ideas differ from yours you have to throw in the mental health card? That’s just not fair. He’s actually out of the sunken place when he’s being himself which is very expressive
No, you are not allowed to be a free thinker in America anymore. You are not allowed to question liberal orthodoxy. You are not allowed to make jokes that might offend someone. You ARE allowed to agree with any crazy thing Bernie Sanders or Maxine Waters say.
Maybe African Americans will start voting to free themselves from the tyranny of liberal efforts to “help.” Republicans will have to reach out and show how blacks must become untethered from the welfare state and ditch African American leaders who preach only victimization.
Sadly, the GOP is run mostly by upper middle class and rich whites who don’t seem particularly interested in the plight of black people. I don’t hear much talk about it among Washington Republicans. Maybe if more African Americans become Republican and GOP leaders actually have contact with black people – and have the incentive to get black votes – that will change.
Oh boy. I mean, this is Rep. Joe Crowley of New York, a member of the House Democratic leadership, not some lunatic back-bencher. Someone has to take a stand against these kinds of attacks, which are ultimately demeaning toward women. If criticizing a woman is, ipso facto, sexist, then you are essentially saying that women… Continue Reading
So what’s her point, exactly? We freely elect officials, there’s not a quota system for it in the Constitution that I’m aware of. Mrs. Obama spoke at the Pennsylvania Conference for Women: At the State of the Union address . . . when you are in the room what you can see is this real dichotomy.… Continue Reading
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said ESPN sportcaster Jemele Hill should be fired for calling President Trump a white supremacist. “I think that’s one of the more outrageous comments that anyone could make, and certainly something that I think is a fireable offense by ESPN,” Sanders said. Hill had tweeted: “Donald Trump is a… Continue Reading
“CBS This Morning” Thursday broadcast an excerpt of its upcoming interview with former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon in which Bannon says that if National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn, whose policies Bannon ardently opposes, didn’t like what President Trump said after Charlottesville, that he should have resigned. You know, Cohn, not Trump. After… Continue Reading
If you were wondering what President Trump meant when he blamed “both sides’ for violence in Charlottesville earlier this month, here’s what he meant. Those attacked were not white supremacists. They were merely Trump supporters. This is pretty chilling. From reports by the Associated Press and the Washington Post: Their faces hidden behind black bandannas… Continue Reading
In a contemptible sin of omission, President Trump Saturday failed to single out the hatred of white supremacists who descended on Charlottesville, Virginia this weekend in a rally that ended up in violence that left three people dead, including one who died in an act of domestic terrorism when a car rolled into a crowd… Continue Reading
President Trump Monday announced that he would light the White House blue in honor of our men and women who devote their lives to law enforcement. From a presidential proclamation that today is Police Offiers Memorial Day and the beginning of Police Week: In humble appreciation of our hard-working law enforcement officers, Melania and I… Continue Reading

domain: sociology


text:
I was approached by Dan Thurmon to do a promotional piece for his speaking tours. Dan is a motivational speaker and author. We discussed a number of ideas and set out to make a clean yet interesting presentation. We knew it would be an effects heavy project, so we broke it down to sections.
As we discussed the project I discovered several challenges I needed to solve.
- Dan wanted to wanted to juggle and have the balls freeze in mid air, at which point he could walk around them, then have them fall out of the air at any time.
- I would have to not only make an animation of juggling, but it would need to transition smoothly from 1 ball up to 5 balls.
- Later in the piece he wanted to show the correlation between the topics by drawing a line between the balls.
- He wanted the animated balls to come to a complete stop mid talk.
- Lastly Dan also wanted a “Danless” version that he was not in that he could use for live situations.
While talking through the process and tossing around ideas, we developed an idea of image frames that would go behind him. I was worried that the image would be somewhat stark if it were just Dan standing on a surface talking to us without some sort of environment. We needed a vehicle that would be clean, visually interesting, and add to the presentation while not becoming a distraction. So I developed a screen ‘system’ that could be driven from the main comp and switch images and move the screens from expression controls.
I needed juggling patterns that would be able to shift to allow additional balls, and a way to work the hands so they would be in the right place at the right time, they would need to open and close at the right time (considering that the frequency would need to shift dynamically based upon the number of balls. More, Dan is a juggler (and I am not) there was also the potential that the pattern I animated would not be correct (in the eyes of a juggler) so the shape of the pattern might need to shift. If I went at this using hand animated cycles, it could have been a terror as if I needed to move one thing, potentially thousands of keyframes would need to be changed, so I decided to animate both the hands and balls with expressions. This led to several other challenges as well…
- How to add balls to the cycle.
- Where to add them from as they would essentially be juggled by a bodiless entity.
- Once a ball joins the cycle, where that ball would sit in the cycle.
- How to make the balls evenly space when new balls entered.
- How to keep the balls from overlapping once in the cycle as this would be collision which is not cool if one is juggling.
Once all that was sorted out, then I needed to figure out how to have the hands match up with the balls.
How to have the hand know when it was done with one ball, and it was time to head back to catch the next ball.
Once matched up, then it was a matter of how to have the hand open and close to catch the ball. Being that the hand plate was technically behind the balls, I also needed to solve how to make it seem like the hand actually grabs the ball with fingers actually gripping the ball. I shot Dan tossing a ball over and over. I stabilized this footage. This result was a rotoscoped plate of the hand, and one of just the fingers which was parented to the hand. The expressions ended up being a couple pages long and slowed renders down a little, but my earlier fears were realized when Dan saw the original pattern and asked me to adjust the juggling cycle. Once the cycle was reshaped, all the updates were already done as it was all programmed based upon the shape.
Like most heavy projects, there were many things learned. These types of things are not easy, and can keep one awake at night. But they spark innovation, and we find more efficient ways of doing things. This was a seriously fun project and pushed me in many ways.
Dan did a talk on TED in which he used the ‘Danless’ version. You can find that video here…

domain: design


In which case, you'll need patience ? more cars will be here in the new year ? as well as deepish pockets; the first cars will come only with Audi's new 3-litre engine. Apparently a "second engine variant" ? according to the press release ? is being considered for introduction next year.
Audi here is claiming a first for the Australian convertible market segment via the new A4 Cabriolet's multitronic continuously variable transmission.
Dubbed the "emotional spearhead" of the A4 range, the handsome Cabriolet will be on Audi's Sydney Motor Show stand from tomorrow.


Content Delivery Networks (CDN) Scenarios for IPTV Structures
Hospitality IPTV system structures allow for many different approaches to content delivery.
A Central Office CDN may aggregate all content and distribute over private fibre networks to each site, enabling the lightest possible footprint on each site.
Revenue streams from Advertising Insertion may be managed remotely and implemented remotely, or implemented directly on each site for precise audience targeting.
For OTT management and Middleware delivery from the Cloud the content may be aggregated locally on each site.
Where all Middleware is hosted directly on each site along with content aggregation then Hospitality IPTV can provide OTT management and support remotely via the support VPN.


TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Marketers are now starting to implement a data-based marketing strategy parallel to the constant improvements of the internet and mobile gadgets in the Asia Pacific. However, the data ecosystem is still considered to be new in this region compared to Europe and America.
“Digital data has caused confusion, especially among traditional marketers that had freshly entered the industry. Terms such as Big Data are often mentioned at publications and conferences and there are many traditional marketers that are wary of missing out on this new trend,” said Sri Widowati, Country Director Facebook Indonesia on Tuesday, March 12.
Sri Widiowati said the generation born in the digital era has influenced traditional established brands by introducing a marketing strategy that utilizes data from digital media. Such case, she said, is the ability of heavily data-based e-commerce to create offline sales through traditional channels.
“Data creates added value, however, the confusion within the traditional industry caused them to hastily gather and utilize their data which is often done ineffectively or inefficiently,” said Sri.
The Facebook Indonesia's country director adds that data utilization creates a unique challenge for marketers to create plans and execute a data-based campaign which is why it’s considered essential to form a baseline that corresponds to the character of the available data.
MOH KHORY ALFARIZI


text:
About our quality measures
At Goshen Center for Cancer Care, our endless pursuit of excellence is a consistent measure of our commitment to our patients. We promise to do everything possible to treat the whole person, not just the cancer. We hold ourselves to higher standards for treatment options, as well as technology. And we do it all so that each patient receives the most complete physical, emotional and spiritual care possible.
High standards for clinical performance
The National Quality Forum (NQF) and the Commission on Cancer (CoC) endorse performance measures for the care of cancer patients. Goshen Center for Cancer Care is driven by a determination to meet these benchmarks because of our promise to you. These quality measures assess the level of care oncologists provide to their patients, based on recommendations for optimal outcomes. Goshen Center for Cancer Care surpasses state and national averages for each of these benchmarks.
Accreditations and awards
Since 2004, Goshen Center for Cancer Care has received national recognition by the American College of Surgeons CoC for continual accreditation with commendations. In addition, we were given a CoC Outstanding Achievement Award for going above and beyond the recommended standards in providing patients with the best in cancer diagnosis and treatment, the full integration of multiple disciplines and a lifelong program of follow-up care.
In 2008, we received the HOPE Award for Integrated Care, which recognized our unique, integrated approach that combines the best people and the best practices to treat not only the cancer, but the whole patient. This national award, given by Hematology & Oncology News & Issues Magazine, acknowledged Goshen as the “best example of Integration of Care among entries in medium-sized community-based oncology practices.”
Patient satisfaction with quality of care
We know our patients are the ultimate appraisers of our quality at Goshen Center for Cancer Care. In national comparisons over the past four years, our patient satisfaction scores have consistently ranked at or above the 95th percentile, as reported by Press Ganey, a partner to nearly 40 percent of U.S. hospitals and a leader in healthcare improvement. While we take pride in these scores, it doesn’t mean we rest on our laurels. At Goshen Center for Cancer Care, it’s our promise to do everything possible to heal every aspect of every patient with cancer. And we promise to keep doing that in ways that truly exceed your expectations.
Best in patient care
Goshen Hospital, a partner of Goshen Center for Cancer Care, has achieved and sustained superior quality scores that surpass other regional hospitals, benefiting our patients and the community. The scores are based on objective, standardized data as reported by all hospitals to the U.S. government, not subjective measures as sometimes presented by hospitals. By embracing the vision of achieving excellence in everything we do and settling for nothing less, we deliver on our commitment to provide superior patient care and satisfaction.
These comparative data are made public by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to assist you in selecting the best in hospital quality and care. On the Hospital Compare website, you can compare quality of care for hospitals using 25 criteria within the core quality of care measures related to heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical procedures. Hospital Compare is created by the efforts of CMS, the Department of Health and Human Services and other members of the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA).
To find out how we treat cancer like nowhere else, talk with our cancer experts at the Center for Cancer Care, (888) 492-HOPE.

domain: medical


Littleton, MA (PRWEB). octoScope today announced Kyrio will use octoScope’s octoBox personal testbeds in its testing services.
“Kyrio works with customers who are dedicated to connecting people, places and devices,” said Mitch Ashley, president and general manager of Kyrio, adding that “…the octoBox personal testbeds help us characterize the performance of wireless devices under different test conditions.”
As an independent and vendor-neutral testing laboratory, Kyrio offers services to support a variety of industries to deliver reliable and interoperable end-user performances. With the addition of the octoBox personal testbeds, Kyrio is now able to help device manufacturers thoroughly and economically refine their products to produce top performances.
“As wireless systems become more and more complex, the amount of testing required to understand the quality of the device grows exponentially,” said Wylie Nelson, vice president of wireless and testing for Kyrio. “The octoBox is both flexible and powerful, so we can simulate multiple different clients or access points and test different types of interference.”
“The octoBox testbed can reduce the time it takes to run through a series of MIMO-OTA throughput and complex mesh tests from days to hours,” said Leigh Chinitz, CTO of octoScope. “In addition to measuring the throughput of the new 802.11ac or 4G MIMO devices, it gives engineers a great deal of flexibility and control over the level of testing they do. Our software interface allows engineers to easily select a test, specify how long they want it to run, set the level of attenuation, and choose the number of data points they want to collect per rotation.”
The octoBox product line includes the STACK-BENCHTOP, STACK-16, and STACK-SNB personal testbeds, which emulate real-life wireless environments and range in size from a desktop/benchtop model to refrigerator-sized testbeds on wheels. The compact size of the octoBox enables wireless test and development engineers to perform fast, comprehensive and repeatable testing without the need for large isolation chambers.
Watch a video of the octoBox personal testbed at Kyrio’s lab.


text:
Marshmallows are the best! When we bought our new house and it already had a fire pit installed in the back, my first purchase was cool, new glow-in-the-dark marshmallow sticks. I was sooo excited to break in that fire pit with some delicious, toasted marshmallows.
Despite my mutual love for marshmallows and clean eating, I only recently discovered that you can pretty easily make healthier homemade marshmallows.
Toasting the Perfect Marshmallow
As far as eating marshmallows go, I have a fail-proof, yet highly controversial, method to toast my mallows to absolute perfection. The key is roasting them until they are perfectly and evenly brown just before scorching them. I let the mallow create its own torch-like blaze until the fire burn itself out leaving the entire outer surface scorched black.
That, my friends, is absolute perfection.
So many yumms! It’s like a thin flexible creme brûlée coat that you can enjoy before the sweet, soft marshmallow cloud interior finishes it off. It is my weakness. Luckily, toasting homemade marshmallows is a little quicker. They are naturally soft so I can just warm them by torching (read… carmalizing aka burning) the outsides a little bit. 😉
An Old Tradition Made Healthier
I’ve been wanting to make a healthier and lower sugar version of homemade marshmallows for a few reasons:
- i prefer to eat a refined-sugar-free diet and reduce processed foods, (hello refined sugar free marshmallows!)
- the store-bought mallows have so much sugar and unsafe ingredients that I can hardly finish one
- after adopting a clean eating lifestyle, store-bought mallows just don’t taste as good as I remember
- making marshmallows felt like something that would be really hard or something that I couldn’t do, and I love a challenge and
- because I hate giving up good fun things like roasting food in open fire pits with friends. I prefer to improve upon things instead of cast them aside.
- These glow-in-the-dark babies. Oh yeah!
So when I found this recipe on Dr. Axes Facebook page, happened to have all the ingredients on hand, and planned a camping trip for the next day… my fate was sealed. While I can’t call this health food or even remotely close to it, it sure beats the store-bought version! These are made with honey as the only sweetener. I also reduced the amount of sugar even further than the original recipe. Other than honey, the ingredients are gelatin, water and salt.
I used to stay clear of gelatin, but there have been recent articles hailing its benefits . So while I prefer to get my glutamine from bone broth and savory soups, I don’t think gelatin will hurt once or twice a year. Especially if it’s not mixed in with corn syrup and 28 grams of sugar!
Making the Homemade Marshmallows
So, here’s my modification to Healthy Holistic Living‘s recipe. The original recipe can be found here. I reduced the honey and therefore the overall sugar content from the original recipe. I also found I didn’t need to whip the mallows for nearly as long, though this might have to do with the altitude in Denver.
It’s tricky to get the correct temperature on the for the sugar and water mixture. She recommends testing for the sugar to form a candy-like ball in cold water to test if the sugar mixture is hot enough.
I cooked mine on medium, without stirring, for almost 9 minutes and used a knife to dribble some of the mixture into cold water to check it. Instead of forming little balls, the honey mixture formed somewhat of a broken sheet and floated on top of the water.
The first time I tried this homemade marshmallows recipe I didn’t use a candy thermometer and didn’t get the honey mixture as hot as described in the original recipe. The second time, I bought a candy thermometer (they’re 5 bucks) for this, but didn’t find it reliable.
The volume is so small that you have to hold the thermometer, which can be hot, and it is easy to skew the reading by accidentally tapping the bottom of the pan. I’d recommend cooking the mixture for the described time (9 minutes) and making sure it forms a small broken crystallized sheet in cold water.
For the final recipe, I only whipped the fluff about 6 minutes, which is half the time indicated in the original recipe. The second time I tried this I whipped the fluff a full 12 minutes. With the extra whipping I found the consistency closer to taffy than marshmallows.
Homemade Marshmallows- as clean as you can get em’
Put 1/4 cup of water into a mixing bowl.
Sprinkle powdered gelatin evenly on top and set aside.
Stir honey, salt, and other 1/4 cup of water in a small saucepan until well combined.
Turn on medium heat and don't stir the mixture again. The honey will boil, just let it roll.
Meanwhile, fill a small bowl with ice water. This is just to test the temperature of the honey mixture.
Heat on medium heat for about 9 minutes, then begin testing if the mixture is hot enough. Since it is a small amount of liquid, double-check it's done by using a knife or spoon to drip a tiny bit of the mixture into prepared ice water. Once a small sheet of crystallized honey forms in the ice water, it's hot enough.
Slowly whisk the honey into the gelatin. The gelatin will have firmed into a disk at the bottom of the bowl. Make sure to evenly mix the honey and fully integrate the gelatin when you first start mixing them together.
After fully mixed, transfer to an electric whisk. I used my kitchen aid. Mix on high until the mixture is thick and fluffy. It should be thick enough to stick to the beaters. This only took about 5-7 minutes.
Pour into parchment lined pans and let sit out to dry, uncovered, for 12 hours until firm.
Cut into any size! I like large squares for roasting and tiny squares for cocoa 🙂
Serve and enjoy!
Serving Size 1
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 21kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Sodium 18mg1%
- Potassium 3mg1%
- Total Carbohydrate 5g2%
- Dietary Fiber 0.01g1%
- Sugars 5g
* This nutrition information does not tell the whole story of food's nutritional value! Make sure to use your gut intuition on what your body needs, eat your veggies and get 30 plants a week for optimal gut health. This nutritional data is calculated based on the above values and standard brands. This information may vary. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today! Mention @EatYourWayClean or tag #EatYourWayClean!
Extra whipping of the mixture can lead to a tough taffy-like texture. Do not over mix.


text:
Going back to Tulsa we always take the Turnpike. Someone always told us, “it’s the safe way, it’s the fastest way, & it’s the most convenient.” Today however, we decided to take the Road Less Traveled.
We went to Rollercoaster Road in wewoka, ok, which wasn’t quite the “rollercoaster” we had in mind, but we went and saw some amazing things by taking the road everyone else avoids. Oklahoma is truly beautiful. Open fields, one of a kind sunsets & the heart of the Bible Belt are just a few reasons why I LOVE OKLAHOMA!
By taking the long way home we saw parts of Oklahoma that we had never seen before. In fact, we got a little taste of Scotland, right here in Castle, Oklahoma!
Such a great experience that would have slipped by us if we were to take the the road that’s comfortable to us. It reminds me of the season of life we are in now. It’s definitely the slow way and may be a little less convenient, however, it’s much sweeter!

domain: geography


Muscat – Ghaniya al Majrafi’s photograph ‘White Desert Butterfly’ has won first place in a butterfly photography competition organised by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT).
It launched the contest in September 2021 to document the sultanate’s butterfly species in cooperation with the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.
The competition had two categories – butterfly photography competition and recording the maximum number of butterfly species.
Ghaniya, a macro photographer from the wilayat of Ibri, Dhahirah, won the first place in the butterfly photography competition and second in recording the maximum number of species.
According to Ghaniya, the ministry’s initiative aimed to educate the community about indigenous butterfly species. “The idea was also to update scientific data on Omani butterfly species, besides promoting tourist destinations in the sultanate.”
About her interest in photography, Ghaniya said she prefers wwildlife photography, especially insects. She is a member of Photographic Society of Oman and International Federation for Photographic Art (FIAP).
Ghaniya informed that photographing insects requires knowledge about their habitat and food habits. She hopes to hold a solo exhibition soon.
The last report on butterfly species in Oman dates back to 1996.