text:
Support Against Oxidative Elements*
In stockview our return policy
Chelation Support™ is designed to help the body rid itself of damaging oxidative elements. It features specialized ingredients, such as EDTA, Himalayan shilajit extract (50% fulvic acid), chlorella, and antioxidant-stimulating nutrients. These ingredients perform in concert to support your health when your body is challenged by environmental toxins, such as heavy metals.*
Suggested Use: Take two to four capsules daily or as directed by your healthcare practitioner.
Consult your healthcare practitioner prior to use. Individuals taking blood thinners, insulin, or other medication should discuss potential interactions with their healthcare practitioner. Do not take if you are pregnant or lactating. Do not use if tamper seal is damaged.
Bottle Contains: 120 vegetarian capsules
Ingredients: Himalayan Shilajit Extract (Asphaltum punjabinum) (mineral extract), Calcium Disodium EDTA, Chlorella (Chlorella vulgaris), N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine, Alpha-Lipoic Acid, Allicin (from garlic extract)(Allium sativum)(bulb)
Other Ingredients: Capsule (hypromellose and water), microcrystalline cellulose, stearic acid, magnesium stearate, and silica.
Does Not Contain: Wheat, gluten, yeast, soy, animal or dairy products, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, ingredients derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs), artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, or artificial preservatives.
Chelation is the process of removing heavy metals from the bloodstream by means of a chelate: a food or nutritional agent that attaches and removes heavy metals from the body. I recommend doing an oral chelation regimen once per year for one month. This can be performed with Chelation Support. Whenever using herbal chelators, always supplement with a highly absorbable mineral supplement to ensure mineral replenishment, as any chelator will also pull minerals from the body.
A Hair Analysis Test is an inexpensive way to measure long-term heavy metal accumulation.
Himalayan Shilajit Extract is a purified form of shilajit also known as salajit, shilajatu, mimie, or mummiyo. This naturally occurring phytocomplex is found in high mountain rocks, especially those of the Himalayas and Hindu Kush ranges of the Indian subcontinent. It is formed from decomposed plant material that has been preserved in the dark pressure of rocky crevasses. As the sun warms the rocks and the snow melts, the shilajit seeps out and is scraped from the stone by hand.
LifeSpa’s shilajit is meticulously harvested at high altitudes to ensure the purest product possible. It is then low-temperature dried and tested to be free of pollutants. Shilajit is composed mainly of humic substances, including fulvic acid, plus some oligoelements (minute amounts of trace elements). It has a rich history of use in the Indian Ayurvedic and Siddha systems of medicine, and it is known as a rasayana because of its rejuvenating qualities.*
Modern research suggests that shilajit has powerful antioxidant activity.[1-3] As an example, in an animal model, processed shilajit increased superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities in a dose-dependent manner.
Furthermore, humic substances, as found in shilajit, have been shown to affect the distribution, metabolism, and absorption of heavy metals, such as cadmium and lead.[4-7] One human study showed that the daily consumption of humic acid with bound complex micro-elements for six weeks decreased uptake and increased urinary excretion of cadmium in alkaline battery production workers.*
EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) is a synthetic amino acid compound and perhaps the most well-known and often-used intravenous chelation agent. Oral EDTA is poorly absorbed, but it is thought to support detoxification of metals largely in the gastrointestinal tract.[9,10] More studies are needed to validate oral administration.
It is believed that there is a benefit in combining EDTA with other chelation agents because EDTA acts slowly and could potentially lead to redeposition of metals. Due to EDTA’s metal-binding ability, it is important to replace beneficial minerals, such as zinc, copper, iron, cobalt, and manganese.*
Allicin is the main biologically active component of garlic clove extracts and has promising effects on toxic metal accumulation in experimental research. In animal and in vitro models, garlic was able to reduce cellular exposure to, or accumulation of, lead, cadmium, and mercury.[15-20] Furthermore, various extracts and forms of garlic have demonstrated garlic’s ability to positively affect detoxification pathways.*
Chlorella is a naturally occurring micro-algae and an excellent source of chlorophyll—a detoxifying substance that is also thought to bind toxic metals. The positive effect of chlorella supplementation on toxic metals, including methylmercury, cadmium, and lead, is supported by animal research.[21,22] For example, testing its metal chelating ability, researchers observed a dramatic 66.03% reduction in blood lead levels in mice receiving chlorella extract (50 mg/kg/day) concurrent with lead exposure compared to lead-exposed, non-treated mice.*
N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) and Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA) are well-known for their antioxidant activity. Exposure to heavy metals increases free radical production and oxidative stress. Research suggests that there is a beneficial role for free radical scavengers in reducing the oxidative stress that is common with toxic metal exposure.
NAC has the ability to interact with reactive oxygen species (ROS) and stimulate the body to produce glutathione. This can enhance cell survival after exposure to heavy metals or toxins. In addition, ALA may directly chelate or reduce the oxidative capacity of metals, such as copper, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury.*[26-29]
Keep closed in a cool, dry place out of reach of children.
2. Mittal P, Kaushik D, Gupta V. Therapeutic potentials of “shilajit rasayana”: a review. Int J Pharm Clin Res. 2009;1(2):47-49. http://www.rudramani.com/research/shilajit-as-a-medicine-forgeneral-physical-strengthening-anti-aging-and-much-more.pdf. Accessed August 1, 2014.
3. Bhattacharya SK, Sen AP, Ghosal S. Effects of shilajit on biogenic free radicals. Phyto Res. 1995 Feb;9(1):56-59. doi:10.1002/ptr.2650090113.
8. Hudák A, Náray M, Nagy I, et al. Effect of the consumption of humic acid with bound complex micro elements in cases of occupational cadmium exposure. National Institute of Occupational Health, Budapest, Hungary. http://www.omfi.hu/cejoem/Volume3/Vol3No3/ce973-2.HTM. Accessed July 31, 2014.
|Dimensions||2.5 × 2.5 × 5 in|
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text:
Here is my Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt Top Finished. At least it's pieced anyway. I don't really think they are done until I have them Quilted. But that may be awhile. I have too many projects on my To-do list first. I'm very pleased with it. And I have my ideas on how I will quilt it. But first I will Stitch in Every Single Seam! There are a bunch of Seams.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
I've been busy making a Table Topper for the Ag Venture Fund Raiser in Tulare. My friend Rachel Smith asked me if I had a Small Quilt I would donate for the Silent Auction. I didn't have anything made up. But I had this cute pattern for a Table Topper I bought on Craftsy. I decided to name it Bunnie Tails.
Here is a close-up view of my Quilting.
I have asked Rachel to put a Minimum Bid of $75.00. If know one bids on it, I would be happy to take it back. I hope someone else likes it though.

domain: artistic


Top Prominent Players in the Automotive Chrome Accessories Market Are HELLA Kgaa Hueck & Co., Oakmore Pty Ltd., Thule Group AB, and Covercraft Industries LLC
United States, Rockville MD, July 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A market research and competitive intelligence provider called Fact.MR says that the global Automotive chrome accessories market would get valued at US$ 8.7 Billion in 2022 and clock a slender CAGR of 2.8% between 2022 and 2032. Fact.MR states that with customization of vehicles on the anvil, the global automotive chrome accessories market is projected to be worth US$ 11.5 Billion by the year 2032.
Automotive chrome accessories are known for improving the aesthetics of the vehicles on the whole. This, in turn, does give an explicit shine and also offer resistance to tarnishing. The accessories do impart style as well as luxury to vehicles, that too, with affordability.
For Critical Insights on Automotive Chrome Accessories Market, Request a Sample Report
Consumers in developing economies, which are production and sales hubs, are opting for vehicle premiumization. Growing Asian and Latin American economies are fuelling constant demand for automotive chrome accessories.
Thus, this is estimated to drive market demand for external and internal automotive accessories, and support market growth by 1.2X over the forecast years.
Which Automotive Chrome Accessories Account for Highest Sales?
“Door Handles & Body Side Moulding Accessories Most Demanded”
Automotive chrome accessories are available under different product types, such as grille covers, mirror covers, door handles, body side molding, head lamps, tail light covers, etc.
Amongst them, door handles and body side moulding hold approximately 17.8% and 14.7% market share, respectively. The door handles and body side molding segments are projected to expand at CAGRs of 3.5% and 3.3% through 2032.
Higher growth of these segments is attributed to the regular replacement rate witnessed, coupled with higher costs of automotive chrome accessories. Additionally, these accessories are also replaced due to minor accidents of the vehicles. Thus, this is expected to fuel market growth over the coming years.
To learn more about Automotive Chrome Accessories Market, you can get in touch with our Analyst at https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=141
Key Segments Covered in the Automotive Chrome Accessories Industry Survey
The key participants are engaged in mergers, partnerships, acquisitions, new product launch, and joint ventures to sustain themselves amidst fierce competition.
Faurecia partnered with HELLA KGaA Hueck & Co. in the year 2021 for expanding in the key growth areas like automated driving, vehicle interior design, and electric mobility.
The year 2021 saw Audax Private Equity announcing investment in Covercraft Industries LLC to expand the product portfolio.
Get Customization on Automotive Chrome Accessories Market Report for Specific Research Solutions
Key players in Automotive Chrome Accessories Market
Key Takeaways from Automotive Chrome Accessories Market Study
Europe holds close to 25% of the market share.
Chrome trim products are expected to witness exponential sales in the forecast period.
Customization of vehicles would be the future of automotive chrome accessories market.
Affordable plating materials like nickel to be used as a substitute in automotive chrome accessories market.
About the Automotive Division at Fact.MR
Expert analysis, actionable insights, and strategic recommendations of the highly seasoned automobile team at Fact.MR helps clients from across the globe with their unique business intelligence needs. With a repertoire of over thousand reports and 1 million-plus data points, the team has analyzed the automotive industry across 50+ countries for over a decade. The team provides unmatched end-to-end research and consulting services. Reach out to explore how we can help.
Check out more studies related to Automotive Industry, conducted by Fact.MR:
Automotive Actuators Market– The global automotive actuators market is estimated at USD 20.1 Billion in 2022 and is forecast to reach USD 38.3 Billion by 2032, growing with a CAGR of 6.6% during 2022-2032.
Automotive Fuel Tank Market– The automotive fuel tank market has garnered a market value of US$ 30 Bn in 2022, anticipated to register a positive CAGR of 6% in the forecast period 2022-2032 and reach a value of US$ 53.8 Bn.
Exhaust System Market– The exhaust system market is expected to garner a market value of US$ 57.5 Bn in 2022, anticipated to register a positive CAGR of 5.9% in the forecast period 2022-2032 and reach a value of US$ 102 Bn.
Fleet Management Market– Global demand for fleet management was valued at US$ 39.1 Million in 2021 and is projected to reach US$ 48 Bn by 2022-end. From 2022 to 2032, the fleet management market is forecast to flourish at a 17.4% CAGR.
Automotive Coatings Market– Sales of automotive coatings amounted to US$ 16.3 Billion in FY 2021, and is forecast to experience a year-over-year expansion rate of 4.3% in 2022, reaching US$ 17 Billion.
Europe Hybrid Electric Vehicles Market– Sales of hybrid electric vehicles in Europe are projected to increase at an impressive CAGR of 14.2% to reach a market valuation of US$ 15.7 billion by the end of 2032. As such, the Europe hybrid electric vehicles market is poised to generate an absolute dollar opportunity worth US$ 11.6 billion over the next ten years.
U.S. Hybrid Electric Vehicles Market– Sales of hybrid electric vehicles in the U.S. reached a market valuation of US$ 15.2 billion in 2021. Projections are that the U.S. hybrid electric vehicles market will expand rapidly at 13.8% CAGR to top US$ 55.5 billion by the end of 2032.
Europe Electric Vehicle Battery Market– Sales of electric vehicle batteries in Europe are valued at US$ 5.8 billion in 2022. The Europe electric vehicle battery market is predicted to rise at 5.9% CAGR to exceed a valuation of US$ 10.3 billion by end of 2032.
U.S. Electric Vehicle Battery Market– The United States electric vehicle battery market is forecasted to exceed a valuation of US$ 9.2 billion by 2032-end, up from US$ 5.4 billion in 2022, expanding at 5.4% CAGR during the assessment years (2022-2032).
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Gary Nabhan: The Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area can bring us together
Arizona Daily Star
Gary Paul Nabhan
March 24, 2019
By the time Tucson itself became the first City of Food Cultures in the U.S. to be designated by UNESCO in 2015, hadn’t the National Heritage designation for the Santa Cruz died on the vine, or become like a river suddenly drying up in the sand?
Not really. Like most desert rivers, its energy just went “underground” for a while.

domain: geography


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From the liberty file: Hot tea and warm guns
Who brings a gun to a tea party? Lots of attendees at a Tea Party on Saturday in Alamagordo, N.M., for example.
Notes on the event from the New Mexico Independent:
About 300 people attended an anti-Obama rally in Alamogordo Saturday, and many of the protesters showed up at the rally armed with holstered hand-guns and loaded assault rifles.
Protesters cited a number of issues for the event, including the health care reform in Congress, taxes, gun rights, allegations that Obama is not an American citizen. One attendee cited his displeasure with what was described as an international police organization that will take control away from local police departments as a result of a recent Obama secret directive.
Those gathered to protest said they brought their guns because they wanted to draw more attention to the event, because they wanted to exercise their Constitutional Rights, to show responsible gun ownership. One protester threatened armed insurrection if steps are not taken to restore “Constitutional” governance.
And the video:
Got a tip? Freelance story pitch? Send us an e-mail. Follow The Colorado Independent on Twitter.
Like this story? Steal it! Feel free to republish it in part or in full, just please give credit to The Colorado Independent and add a link to the original.
Juggling Colorado’s already stretched water resources is going to get even tougher in the decades ahead.Read More
The Colorado Independent and Beacon Reader have joined forces to help bring Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist Mike Keefe’s work back to Colorado readers on a weekly basis.Read More
Mike Keefe has been a Colorado editorial cartoonist for three decades. He left the downsizing Denver Post in 2011, the year after he won a Pulitzer prize, and now he’s working with the Colorado Independent. Join our virtual event.Read More

domain: politics


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Made with premium Valrhona chocolates from France.
Our Choco Delight Cake is handcrafted with layers of chocolate sponge with a confection of chocolate ganache, crunchy feuilletine, and chocolate mousse. Finishing with an elegant chocolate glaze decorated with a gold flake on top.
It’s smooth, velvety, and extraordinarily decadent. Great for gifting and special occasions.

domain: food


text:
On Wednesday night, Professor Bill Savage of Northwestern University lectured to an eager crowd at the Blackstone Public Library in Kenwood. His topic was the new edition of “Chicago: City on the Make,” of which he is co-annotator. Savage teaches the 1951 Nelson Algren essay to his students as part of a class on Chicago writers. As he gave his talk on the author’s life and literary work, he made it clear that this essay is the perfect tool to teach Chicagoans that areas of the city which might not look pretty are still worth exploring.
Savage decided to annotate this classic piece after his frustrating experience teaching it. Algren skillfully mixes together a litany of topical references, including the names of crooked politicians, minor league baseball players, and TV personalities. Savage found that he spent more time explaining these obscure references than talking about anything else in the dense work. When a student of his found an early online annotation, he contacted Schmittgens and suggested he produce an annotated edition for the book’s fiftieth anniversary. It was subsequently published by the University of Chicago Press. At the library on Wednesday, Savage’s talk was promoting the sixtieth anniversary edition, which features new pictures in addition to the annotations.
The current reprint of the annotated edition is the last in a series of radical transformations of Algren’s work. Originally published in a tourist’s guide edition of the travel magazine Holiday, and subsequently reprinted as a Christmas gift book, the book fell out of popularity during the 50’s. Because of Algren’s overtly political message, his work began to be published by smaller presses and publicized as a sensationalist urban exposÃ©, complete with scantily clad women on its paperback cover.
Savage, however, insists that Algren was not a sensationalist. While he certainly wasn’t afraid to explore Chicago’s seedier side, Savage feels that he expresses a healthy love for all parts of the city. This is a love Savage wants readers of the text, particularly his students, to share. He himself doesn’t own a car, and instead rides his bike through different neighborhoods in order to fill in his mental map of the city. Students in his class are required to do the same.Â At Blackstone, he reminds the audience that Chicagoans must “love the boulevards and the alleys” of the city, because both are part of the colorful and diverse city they call home.


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Client & Project
Tracline – Brand Identity & Web Development
Branding, Web Design, Web Development, Illustration, Radio, Art Direction, Copywriting
Tracline is a quality purveyor of tractor parts in a culture-rich part of the Western and Northern Cape. We understand what it takes to start and stock a new business. With this in mind, we created a corporate identity, ads and website – true to the character of the brand and the market they serve.
Based in Vredenburg, which is almost exclusively Afrikaans speaking, Tracline decided to grab the farmers’ attention with a continuation of the old Oom Kaspaas stories. We introduced Tracline via the characters Altoos Baanbreker and Boeta – a farmer and his friend having trouble with their tractors or farming equipment.
The stories are typical experiences you have to take with more than a pinch of West Coast salt, the characters typical of the farming community – as is the language used.
Tracline does not talk big, they help. Hulle sal sewe sakke sout saam met jou boerdery eet.


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Online slots tactics
Slot machine strategies that you can use to play slot games online ; including tips and other information designed to help you win while playing slots. Slots in online casinos - Get the best odds - gamble more successfully. Discover our 4 dirty secrets on how to win on online slots with our top winning strategies that REALLY works!Slots Secret #1. The · Slots Secret #2. Connect · Slots Secret #3. Stop. Roulette may not be the first game slot players think of when they go to try out something new — but it should be. You never gain any advantage if you play max coins, whether on the straight slot or the multiplier. Heck, even just having the card will often get you a percent-off discount at a casino restaurant or bar. It might not be like the real thing but having a grasp of how bets work will help you in the future. Are they slots that have straight reels? Check out the video and get over to one of Read more…. Some slots have slick animation, interactive graphics and expensive intro sequences that wouldn't look out of place in a modern computer game. Whether the roulett regeln 0 is on land or eins live chat the Internet, there needs to be an outside unbiased party that is regulating the book of ra gewinnbilder where you are going to play. Let us know how wimbledon frauen went: This calculator shows your average loss playing slots vs. That means there are a https://www.news.at/a/traunsee-mord-anton-sch of people coming home with empty pockets after visiting the casinos. Casinos rarely disclose http://www.werhilftwie-tirol.at/frontend/search?b=0&q=Suchthilfe paybacks on their reaktionstest spiel. When players select anything above payline 1, payline 2 and payline 3, they will discover that there are a lot of variations of different configurations that can produce a win. The odds are so overwhelmingly bad, all they have to do is put the machine on the floor and rake in the money. They wouldn't just leave a game on the floor that was losing money for them. Then you've come to the right place If you work hard for your money, you might as well keep as much of it as you can. We really hope that the information provided by our website answers all your questions about Slots. I hope other casinos will eventually start treating their visitors like human beings rather than walking wallets, but until they do, there's Bovada. Maybe this week, the payout is 6 coins and then next week, the payout is 7. And in case you think of craps high5 casino a long-odds proposition, understand that lots of bets on the craps spielsalon give the house pac xon edge lower even than video poker. Just put sunmaker leiter all your coins no, actually, just put in SOME coinspull the lever or in the case of online slot games, push the button and slot casino app As we said at the top of this page, slot machines are awful games, in at least one important way. Slots Strategy 4 stargaes Payout Percentages Every slot machine is programmed with something called a 'Random Number Generator' RNG. Jan June 11, From the adventurous Indiana Jones to the suspense-creating Jaws, slot games, based on cruise ship casino jobs movies, can really be extremely interesting. Mr Green Casino 20 Free Spins email activation. The answer is YES, there is. If you dont know what these software providers are, dont worry just follow along, you will pick it up. These are slot games that use in-game credit rather than real money. Free High or Low. This is where the basic skills of building bankroll come in.

domain: entertainment


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Title: Bethlehem Mine Track Equipment 1935 (Booklet 71)
Binding: card cover
Book Condition: Good-plus
Publisher: Bethlehem, PA Bethlehem Steel Company 1935
Seller ID: 0340
Nice red, black, and silver graphic design on front cover. Spiral bound catalog designed to lie flat. Measures 6-1/2"x9" and features 135 pages of products, all of which are illustrated and described. Designed for coal and ore mines, quarries, and industrial applications. Only faults are toning to blank pages at front and back and some flat creasing to heavy card covers. Contents also include technical drawings of track and pages of technical charts and data, as well as several full page real photographs in black and white, including a great one of the Switch Shop at Bethlehem's Steelton, PA plant.

domain: hobby


On the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Evidence Convention, the Permanent Bureau (PB) is pleased to announce the publication of the 4th Edition of the Practical Handbook on the Operation of the Evidence Convention.
This commemorative edition of the Practical Handbook includes light updates on the latest developments in domestic and international legal instruments and case law. It outlines in detail the functioning of the Evidence Convention, indicates helpful resources and provides an overview of good practices. It is an indispensable, practical tool for the users of the Convention.
The Practical Handbook is complemented by the Guide to Good Practice on the Use of Video-Link under the 1970 Evidence Convention, which was published on 16 April 2020.
Hard copies of the 4th Edition can be purchased by the general public via the Publications Page of the HCCH website. More information on the Evidence Convention is available on the Evidence Section of the HCCH website.


Home Tags National Democratic Alliance
Topic: National Democratic Alliance
Opposition party leaders met the Election Commission, demanding a verification of VVPAT slips of randomly-selected polling booths a day before counting of Lok Sabha votes.
The surveys were all conducted between January and April this year and their tone changed from hung verdicts to a wafer-thin majority for the NDA.
Allies work out a seat-sharing deal, Apna Dal gets two Lok Sabha tickets
BJP President Amit Shah has made some strategic moves like stitching an alliance with the AIADMK and getting smaller parties to join NDA.
At a three-day conclave, TDP passes a resolution saying regional parties have an understanding that they will come together to protect interests of the states.
BJP President Amit Shah's deep understanding of India's socio-political dynamics and distinct leadership style is one of the reasons why two-thirds of the country is under BJP/NDA rule.


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- This event has passed.
International Policy Forum on flexible learning pathways in higher education
6 July, 2021 hora: 12:15 pm - 4:00 pm
From 6-8 July 2021, policy-makers from across the globe can join an engaging virtual event on how to respond to pressing questions in higher education with findings from a major research project on flexible learning pathways.
Adapting and responding to societal changes has been a challenge for higher education systems throughout their history. However, no event has had such a rapid and transformative impact on higher education as the current COVID-19 pandemic. The crisis is showing that more flexible higher education systems are better placed to respond to crisis and maintain learning while also supporting equity and lifelong learning.
In addition, the Industrial Revolution 4.0 is also expected to disrupt existing higher education learning and working environments in an increasingly connected, but also diverse world. Higher education systems have to cater to an increasingly varied student population, including learners from lower socio-economic backgrounds, minority populations, part-time or older adults returning to education. How to respond to these challenges – in a sustainable and equitable way – is the key question that national and institutional policy-makers have to address today.
In line with these trends and global commitments, UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP-UNESCO) is convening a three-day online International Policy Forum to disseminate the results of its global project SDG 4: Planning for flexible learning pathways in higher education.
The event will be organized as a series of engaging panel sessions to discuss ways to improve policy implementation on FLPs and ensure their effectiveness. The findings of the panel sessions will be further debated in four interactive workshops in which policy-makers from around the world will discuss existing policies on FLPs in their countries and share best practices and challenges in their implementation.
This initiative is a collaborative effort between IIEP-UNESCO, the Commonwealth Tertiary Education Facility, the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education, the Department of Higher Education (JPT), the Universiti Sains Malaysia, the Malaysian Qualifications Agency, and the Malaysian National Commission for UNESCO.
The presentations will be made in English, with simultaneous interpretation into French and Spanish. The debates after the presentations with be held in English, French and Spanish with simultaneous interpretation.
Schedule: CEST time
|Welcome (10’) 12:15pm 12:30pm
Introduction to the Forum (5’)
|• Paul Coustère, Director a.i. , IIEP-UNESCO • Faisal Rafiq Mahamd Adikan, Vice Chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
Michaela Martin, R&D Team Leader a.i., IIEPUNESCO
|Keynote opening speeches 12:30 – 13:50
|Moderator: Francesc Pedró Director, UNESCO Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean
Keynote speech on national policy perspective Noraini Ahmad, Minister of Higher Education, Malaysia
Guest keynote speech on Micro-credentials Peter van der Hijden, Higher Education Strategy Advisor, Brussels, Belgium

domain: sociology


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zAmya Theater, The Salvation Army’s Harbor Light Center and Hennepin Theatre Trust collaborate in a production for one night only on Friday, March 15
MINNEAPOLIS — Hennepin Theatre Trust announced today a new collaboration with zAmya Theater and The Salvation Army’s Harbor Light Center to present a theater production about homelessness, created and performed by people who have experienced it. STORIES FROM THE BOOK OF HARBOR LIGHT will be presented at 900 Hennepin on Friday, March 15, 2019 at 6 p.m. with a reception at 5:30 p.m. A donation of $20 is recommended. Our goal is to bring together a socially diverse audience. No one will be turned away due to inability to pay.
|Friday||March 15||6 p.m.||Studio 900||Suggested $20 donation|
STORIES FROM THE BOOK OF HARBOR LIGHT is inspired by the true stories behind a large-scale mural on the facade of the Harbor Light administrative building, across from the Harbor Light Center, the largest adult shelter in the five-state area.
In 2017, Hennepin Theatre Trust commissioned artist Bianca Pettis to paint a mural on the Harbor Light facade with help from people who were staying at the shelter. The idea was to give voice to people at the shelter and create a sense of community and belonging. Pettis covered the entire side of the Harbor Light’s administrative building with brightly colored faces and patterns, and words such as “love,” “prosperity” and “hope.”
“This production is really about making the stories behind those powerful words come alive, and we’re honored to present it in our venue at 900 Hennepin, in collaboration with our neighbors,” says Hennepin Theatre Trust CEO and President Mark Nerenhausen. “This space belongs to the community, and we’re looking forward to welcoming an audience with diverse life experiences, including people who have experienced homelessness, housing advocates, downtown leaders and other members of the community to see and hear these inspirational and moving stories.”
STORIES FROM THE BOOK OF HARBOR LIGHT tells real-life stories of people who are currently or have been homeless. The production is being created in workshops with zAmya Theater troupe members, Harbor Light residents, and others who have experienced homelessness. zAmya believes that theater can change how people think about homelessness by creating plays based on the real stories of participants who have experienced homelessness.
“This partnership [between Harbor Light, zAmya and Hennepin Theatre Trust] is brilliant, because it gives our people and anyone who has experienced homelessness an opportunity to speak their truths — and sometimes their truths are hard to hear, but they must be heeded,” says Luke Zenker, a performer and staff member at Harbor Light. “Arts are so important in society towards ending poverty and injustice, because it gives a platform for expression of people’s truths.”
HENNEPIN THEATRE TRUST is a nonprofit organization that creates positive change through the arts. We serve the community through our three historic theatres – the Orpheum, State and Pantages – and our unique arts, culture and education programs. All performances of the Broadway on Hennepin series are supported by Bank of America. All performances of the Living Legend series are supported by BMO Harris Bank. Spotlight Showcase is sponsored by Fredrikson & Byron, Slumberland Furniture and Sun Country Airlines. Learn more at HennepinTheatreTrust.org.
ZAMYA THEATER was founded in 2004 by Minneapolis citizen Lecia Grossman. Lecia wanted to learn about homelessness working “with” people, not “for” them. With support from theater professionals and homeless advocates, she devised a process for bringing homeless and housed together to create theater, learn from one another, and share with the broader community. zAmya is a Sanskrit word that means “aiming at peace.” For zAmya, aiming at peace means aiming toward a community with safe, stable, affordable housing options for all. Through captivating performances and creative collaboration workshops, zAmya builds understanding and connection between citizens who have experienced homelessness and those who have not. Learn more at zamyatheater.org.
THE SALVATION ARMY’S HARBOR LIGHT CENTER at 1010 Currie Ave., Minneapolis, is a safe place for people to stabilize their lives and begin the process of healing. We offer a wide range of basic needs to anyone without discrimination. As Minnesota’s largest homeless adult outreach facility, we meet people at their greatest point of need to inspire hope, instill belief in possibilities, and impart opportunities for a fresh start. Learn more at salvationarmynorth.org/community/harbor-light.


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White Bathroom at Kerferd Road House (Source: Clare Cousins Architects;
Apartment For A Guy And Even Two Of Them by Metaforma "Location: Poznań, Poland" 2016
Modern monochrome bathroom with black fittings
Tire puffs- reuse old tires without having the actual tire showing! Genius when you don't like wasting things but don't like the look of tire stools
11 Creative and Clever Space Saving Ideas ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Make more space in the kitchen without remodeling or adding more cabinets. Learn how with these easy, attractive solutions to common kitchen organization problems.
Love this idea for a pallet sofa! DIY, pallet furniture, outdoor furniture, projects with pallets, DIY furniture
Wood Profits - Tuto DIY fabriquer sa table basse (encore plus didées en cliquant sur le lien) Discover How You Can Start A Woodworking Business From Home Easily in 7 Days With NO Capital Needed!
17 Easy DIY Home Decor Craft Projects That Don't Look Cheap Check out the tutorial: X-Shaped Magazine Holder
Reclaimed Wood Couch Arm Table by Reclaimed PA on Scoutmob Shoppe. This reclaimed wood couch arm wrap allows you to rest your drinks, remote, book or laptop on the arm of your sofa. I love the idea of this. So simple.
DIY your photo charms, compatible with Pandora bracelets. Make your gifts special. Make your life special! Laptops to Lullabies: Easy DIY sofa tables

domain: design


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Cipro escherichia coli
Paperity: the 1st multidisciplinary aggregator of Open Access journals & papers. Free fulltext PDF articles from hundreds of disciplines, all in one place.
Titre du document / Document title Re-evaluation of antibiotic and mercury resistance in Escherichia coli populations isolated in 1978 from Amazonian rubber tree.Antibiotics harm bacteria and stress them. Trimethoprim, an antibiotic, inhibits the growth of the bacterium Escherichia coli and induces a stress response.
Urinary pharmacodynamics of low-dose ciprofloxacin and. against urinary isolates that were moderately resistant to ciprofloxacin (Escherichia coli, MIC = 4.Rapid bacterial antibiotic. 4Escherichia coli - Infectious Disease and Antimicrobial AgentsIn 1885 Theodor von Escherich described E. coli and named.Titre du document / Document title Isolation and characterisation of two novel coliphages with high potential to control antibiotic-resistant pathogenic Escherichia.Titre du document / Document title Prevalence of fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli in agricultural and municipal waste streams Auteur(s) / Author(s).Ciprofloxacin Dosage Guide with Precautions. Skin and Skin Structure Infections caused by Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae,. Cipro (Ciprofloxacin).High diversity and abundance of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli isolated from humans and farm animal hosts in Jeonnam Province, South Korea.
Search: Mechanisms replication fork restart Escherichia coli.Titre du document / Document title Serogroups, toxins and antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli strains isolated from diarrhoeic lambs in Spain.Titre du document / Document title Low occurrence of antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli and staphylococci isolated from blood cultures in two Norwegian.
Risk Factors for Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia coli Carriage in Young Children in Peru: Community-Based Cross-Sectional Prevalence Study. The American Journal of.For E coli mixed acid fermentation,. ©The Escherichia coli Student Portal. This project acknowledges support from: Peter Karp and coworkers at EcoCyc.org.
Faecal carriage of antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli in asymptomatic children and associations with primary care antibiotic prescribing: a systematic review and.This study was aimed at determining the prevalence of faecal carriage of fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli. Hospital, Antibiotic, Escherichia coli.Titre du document / Document title Salicylate induction of antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli: activation of the mar operon and a mar-independent pathway.Titre du document / Document title Antibiotic susceptibility of unselected uropathogenic Escherichia coli from female Dutch general practice patients: a comparison of.
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli in Iran: Serogroup distributions, virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance properties.
Titre du document / Document title Prevalence and antibiotic resistance profiles of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in beef products from retail outlets in Gaborone, Botswana.Preferred Label: Infecciones por Escherichia coli; DeCS synonym: Infecciones por Escherichia coli.
Infections with bacteria of the species ESCHERICHIA COLI. - escherichia coli infections -.Association between Fluoroquinolone Resistance and Mortality in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae Infections: The Role of Inadequate Empirical Antimicrobial.Carriage of ESBL/AmpC-producing or ciprofloxacin non-susceptible Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. in healthy people in Norway. Antimicrobial Resistance and.

domain: biology


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ISSN 印刷: 1050-6934
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Journal of Long-Term Effects of Medical Implants
Syneture™ Stainless STEEL Suture. A Collective Review of Its Performance in Surgical Wound Closure
Legacy Verified Level I Shock Trauma Center Pediatrics and Adults, Legacy Emanual Hospital; and Plastic Surgery, Biomedical Engineering and Emergency Medicine, University of Virginia Health System, USA
David B. Drake
Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery & Orthopedic Surgery. University of Virginia Health System PO Box 800376 Charlottesville VA 22908-0376, USA
George T. Rodeheaver
Plastic Surgery Research Program, Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA, USA
Kathryne L. Winters
Website Manager and Information Specialist, Trauma Specialists, LLP, Legacy Emanuel Hospital, Portland, Oregon, 1917 NE 97th St. Vancouver WA 98665, USA
Jill Amanda Greene
Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, USA
William B. Long III
Trauma Specialists LLP, Legacy Verified Level I Shock Trauma Center for Pediatrics and Adults, Legacy Emmanuel Hospital Portland, OR, USA
L. D. Britt
Chairman, Brickhouse Professor of Surgery. Department of General Surgery, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Hofheimer Hall, 825 Fairfax Avenue, Norfolk VA 235001, USA
Samuel P. Winters
Research Assistant, Vancouver, Washington, USA
Christine C. Scott
Information Specialist, Vancouver, Washington, USA
Kant Y. Lin
Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA, USA
Syneture™ (division of U.S. Surgical, division of Tyco Healthcare, Norwalk, Connecticut, USA) STEEL sutures are monofilament stainless steel sutures composed of 316L stainless steel conforming to ASTM Standard F138 grade 2 (" Stainless steel bar and wire for surgical implant"). STEEL sutures meet all requirements established by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) for nonabsorbable surgical sutures. Steel sutures are for use in abdominal wound closure, intestinal anastomosis, hernia repair, sternal closure, and skin closure. They are attached to the following types of surgical needles: Roto-Grip™ Needles and SCC Needle. The sutures and needles are packaged in a Mylar™/Tyvek™ outer envelope.
The purposes of this clinical review are two fold. First, we will report the performance of the Syneture™ STEEL suture product in the largest studies of suture performance ever reported in the literature. In addition, we will provide comprehensive information from the surgical literature that highlights the unique benefits of stainless steel sutures for the following wound closure techniques: sternal fixation, abdominal wound repair, inguinal hernia repair, and skin wound closure.
Consorta Inc. (Rolling Meadows, Illinois), a leading healthcare resource management group purchasing organization, and Syneture™, jointly with a clinician task force, designed a reproducible surgical evaluation program for needles and sutures in a large cooperative of healthcare systems. Because of the subjective nature of the more commonly used suture selection techniques, a nonexperimental observational study approach was designed to replace perception of performance characteristics with actual clinical experience. In a report involving 19 Consorta shareholder hospitals, they discussed the preliminary part (Phase I) of a large nonexperimental observational study of the clinical performance of surgical needles and sutures.
Performance characteristics of the sutures and needles produced by Syneture™ that were evaluated in 3407 surgical procedures included packaging/ease of opening, needle strength and sharpness, tissue drag, knot security, tensile strength, clinically acceptable determinations, and clinically unacceptable determinations. In this preliminary study, the surgeons concluded that the needles and sutures were clinically acceptable in 98.1% of the evaluations. Armed with this favorable experience, we wanted to expand this observational study to an entirely new group of shareholder hospitals that had a larger number of participating hospitals (Phase I, 19 hospitals; Phase II, 42 hospitals). This more than doubling of hospital observational base dramatically increased the number of patients and performance evaluations. In the Phase II expanded program involving 42 hospitals, the number of patients (8939) and the number of evaluations (25,545) were more than twofold the preliminary study.
In the phase I multicentric evaluation of Syneture™ surgical sutures, the performance of 9266 sutures was evaluated. Of these performance evaluations, 130 evaluations focused on Syneture™ STEEL sutures. The surgeons were especially pleased by the performance of this suture product, with 129 Syneture™ STEEL products being judged as clinically acceptable in their performance. Only one Syneture™ STEEL suture was judged to be unacceptable in its performance, resulting in a 99.2% acceptability rating.
In the expanded phase II evaluation of Syneture™ suture products, the performance evaluation involved 25,545 surgical suture evaluations. The performance of Syneture™ STEEL sutures was judged in 215 cases. Of these product performance evaluations, 207 were judged to be clinically acceptable in their performance (96.3%). It is important to emphasize that the phase I and phase II observational studies evaluated the performance of other sutures besides monofilament steel sutures. These comprehensive suture and needle performance evaluations included the following additional sutures: Plain Gut, Mild Chromic Gut, Chromic Gut, DEXON™ II, DEXON™ S, MAXON™, BIOSYN™, SOFSILK™, SURGILON™, BRALON™, MONOSOF™, DERMALON™, SURGIDAC™, POLY-SORB™, TI·CRON™, SURGIPRO™, SURGIPRO™ II, NOVAFIL™, VASCUFIL™, and FLEXON™.
Finally, we provide a collective review of the literature that shows the reliable performance of monofilament stainless steel sutures in the following wound closure techniques: sternal fixation, abdominal wound closure, inguinal hernia repair, and skin wound closure.

domain: medical


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This luxurious villa will be constructed in a very quiet street of the prestigious Mijas Golf Urbanization on a plot of 925 m2.
Panoramic golf views can be enjoyed out of all the corners of this villa.
A professional team of designers and technicians combined their forces to offer you the highest grade of construction, creating the perfect Paradise to enjoy the highest quality in harmony with the surrounding nature.
This luxurious single-family villa summarise your tastes and needs, supported by the lastest technologies in a smooth harmony with their impressive avant-garde designs.
The villa disposes of a big living room where the light and sun shines in through thewindows opening in one big space that brings you to the cozy terrace with a hangig infinity swimming pool.
All extras as floor heatening, domotics aso are foreseen.
The parking space is in the big basement.
Living area including outdoor terrace and covered porch: 430,46 m2
The villa still has to be constructed. You can personalise the villa and choose colours and materials aso. The delivery of the house is scheduled for 18 months.
16 min from the beach of Fuengirola with plenty of bars, restaurants and supermarkets.
30 min from the international Airport of Málaga.
35 min from Marbella and Puerto Banus. 2 min from Mijas Golf Club with two high level 18 holes courses.


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Ravens play-by-play broadcaster Gerry Sandusky has seen some characters in Baltimore, and he is quick to note who holds who accountable.
The Ravens will begin their first voluntary OTA session today, meaning the team takes its first true step toward the 2014 season.
The Ravens have a long history of success with undrafted rookie free agents -- Marlon Brown, Justin Tucker and Jameel McClain are just three of the most recent examples.
Clifton Brown reacts to Ray Rice's address to the media and speculates what the future holds for Rice. Could the league potentially come calling?

domain: sports


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In vivo bone strain data are the most direct evidence of deformation and strain regimes in the vertebrate cranium during feeding and can provide important insights into skull morphology. Strain data have been collected during feeding across a wide range of mammals; in contrast, in vivo cranial bone strain data have been collected from few sauropsid taxa. Here we present bone strain data recorded from the jugal of the herbivorous agamid lizard Uromastyx geyri along with simultaneously recorded bite force. Principal and shear strain magnitudes in Uromastyx geyri were lower than cranial bone strains recorded in Alligator mississippiensis, but higher than those reported from herbivorous mammals. Our results suggest that variations in principal strain orientations in the facial skeleton are largely due to differences in feeding behavior and bite location, whereas food type has little impact on strain orientations. Furthermore, mean principal strain orientations differ between male and female Uromastyx during feeding, potentially because of sexual dimorphism in skull morphology.
In vivo bone strains provide direct evidence of strain regimes (sensu Ross et al., 2011) in skeletal structures during function. Data collected from the skull during feeding reveal strain patterns produced by internal and external loads; specifically, muscle forces and reaction forces at the jaw joints and teeth. Strain orientations are used to reveal the load transfer path and infer the deformation regime of the skull, while variations in strain magnitude highlight areas that are more or less subjected to deformation and thus adapted to resist feeding forces. Comparing strain orientations, magnitudes and distributions in the skulls of different taxa reveals aspects of cranial architecture adapted to particular diets, feeding behaviors or factors other than feeding.
In vivo bone strain data have been recorded from the crania of primates (Hylander and Johnson, 1997; Hylander et al., 1987; Ross, 2001; Ross and Hylander, 1996; Ross et al., 2011), sheep (Thomason et al., 2001), pigs (Herring and Teng, 2000) and hyraxes (Lieberman et al., 2004). These studies reveal significant variation in bone strain magnitudes across the skull during feeding, with higher strains in the facial skeleton and mandible than in the braincase or circumorbital region (Hylander et al., 1991a; Hylander et al., 1991b; Ravosa et al., 2000a; Ravosa et al., 2000b; Ross and Hylander, 1996; Ross and Metzger, 2004). Such highly strained areas of the skull are likely to be better optimized to resist loads generated during feeding, where optimality is defined as maximum strength for minimum material. In contrast, areas of the skull exhibiting low strain magnitudes during feeding instead function to protect the brain or eyes (Heesy, 2005; Hylander and Johnson, 1992; Hylander and Johnson, 1997; Ravosa et al., 2000a; Ross, 1995a), serve as areas for muscle attachment (Ross, 1995b) or provide a rigid framework to keep respiratory pathways open (Ross, 1995b; Ross, 2001; Ross and Metzger, 2004).
In vivo bone strain data have been recorded from the skulls of few non-mammalian taxa. Strain recorded from the cranium (Metzger et al., 2005) and lower jaw (Porro et al., 2013) of Alligator mississippiensis reveal heterogeneity in strain magnitudes in the skull. On average, maximum principal strain (ε1) magnitudes in the A. mississippiensis skull during feeding are high compared with those recorded in mammals: all gage sites on the A. mississippiensis cranium experienced ε1 strains over 1000 microstrain (με, which are equal to 1×10−6 inches inch−1 or mm mm−1) during at least one loading condition (Metzger et al., 2005), while the grand mean across all gage sites in the lower jaw was over 900 με (Porro et al., 2013). ε1 strains measured in the frontal bone of Varanus exanthematicus during feeding ranged from 100 to 600 με, although values as high as 2000 με were recorded (Smith and Hylander, 1985). In contrast, many areas of mammalian crania never experience strain magnitudes over 100 με. Results from these sauropsids suggest that their cranial morphology may be better optimized to resist feeding forces than mammalian crania, possibly because their relatively smaller brains are housed within the bony framework of the skull (Curtis et al., 2011; Curtis et al., 2013).
Lepidosaur skulls exhibit diverse feeding adaptations including clade- and diet-specific differences in skull and tooth morphology, and cranial kinetic potential (Herrel et al., 2001a; Herrel et al., 2001b; Herrel et al., 2004; Herrel et al., 2007; Metzger, 2002; Metzger and Herrel, 2005; Rieppel and Labhardt, 1979; Robinson, 1976; Schwenk, 2000; Stayton, 2005; Stayton, 2006). Uromastyx is a genus of agamid lizards found in northern Africa, the Middle East and south-central Asia. It is primarily herbivorous and, over the past three decades, has become a model for analysis of skull form and function. Uromastyx is characterized by specialized skull morphology and an acrodont dentition in which the teeth are fused to the jaw bones. Teeth are not replaced in adults, resulting in the development of extensive wear facets (Robinson, 1976; Throckmorton, 1979). Unlike most sauropsids, Uromastyx engages in cyclic intra-oral food processing (i.e. chewing), resulting in food being broken into smaller pieces. Chewing is distinct from mastication, a term reserved for mammals, as the latter involves transverse movements of the teeth during the power stroke and precise tooth–tooth occlusion (Throckmorton 1976; Throckmorton, 1980; Ross et al., 2007; Crompton, 1989). Chewing cycles in Uromastyx are longer, slower and less rhythmic than in mammals (Throckmorton, 1980; Ross et al., 2007), involve retraction of the jaw during closure (Throckmorton, 1976), and possible rotation of the lower jaw about its long axis as the teeth come into occlusion (Throckmorton, 1974; Throckmorton, 1980). The cranium of Uromastyx exhibits streptostyly (antero-posterior rotation of the quadrate against the squamosal) (Throckmorton, 1976; Herrel and De Vree, 1999). Previous in vivo experimental work on Uromastyx has included descriptions of lower jaw, tongue and streptostylic movements during feeding (Throckmorton, 1976; Throckmorton, 1980; Herrel and De Vree, 1999), electromyographic analysis of jaw and hyolingual muscle activity (Throckmorton, 1978; Throckmorton, 1980; Herrel and De Vree, 2009), and measurements of bite force (Herrel and De Vree, 2009).
Additionally, Uromastyx has been modeled using both multibody dynamics analysis (MDA), to simulate rigid-body motion under feeding loads, and finite element analysis (FEA), to understand the internal mechanical behavior of the cranium during feeding (Moazen et al., 2008a; Moazen et al., 2008b; Moazen et al., 2009a; Moazen et al., 2009b). Advantages of these methods compared with experimental techniques include measuring strain throughout the entire structure and predicting variables that are difficult or impossible to measure in vivo (such as joint reaction forces). However, model accuracy is dependent on input parameters used in their construction (Gröning et al., 2013). MDA modeling requires kinematic data to drive feeding simulations, while simultaneously recorded electromyographic and bite force data can be used to test model accuracy. Similarly, the accuracy of FEA is improved with detailed knowledge of muscle architecture and activity and bone material properties, while bone strains predicted by FEA can be validated against experimental strain data. Validation studies comparing predictions from finite element model (FEM) skulls with in vivo data have been largely confined to mammals (Verrue et al., 2001; Ross et al., 2005; Ross et al., 2011; Strait et al., 2005), with the cranium and lower jaw of Alligator representing the only non-mammalian FEMs for which in vivo validation studies have been carried out (Metzger et al., 2005; Porro et al., 2013). Until Uromastyx MDA and FEA results are validated against experimental data, it is unclear how well model predictions reflect reality.
In this paper, we present simultaneous bone strains and bite forces obtained during feeding in Uromastyx geyri Müller 1922; these data represent the first measurements of in vivo cranial bone strain obtained for an herbivorous sauropsid. The aims of this study are to: (1) document in vivo bone strains in the U. geyri cranium during feeding; (2) examine variations in strain magnitudes, principal strain orientations and ratios among individuals and with changes in bite location, food type and feeding behavior; (3) compare strain magnitudes in U. geyri with those obtained from other sauropsids and mammals; and (4) examine the relationship between bite force and strain magnitude.
In some cases, gages failed during experiments or movement artifacts rendered data unusable. As a result, different amounts of data are available for each animal and for individual gage sites. The individual Uro1 yielded the largest data set, followed by Uro5 and Uro7.
Observations of feeding behavior
Feeding sequences (defined as the series of behaviors during the ingestion of a single food item) were composed of individual cycles representing eight distinct feeding behaviors. Eighty-nine feeding sequences were recorded from the three subjects. The number of cycles per sequence ranged from two to 40 cycles, with a mean of 14 cycles per sequence; these results are similar to those reported by Throckmorton (Throckmorton, 1980) in U. aegyptius and Herrel and De Vree (Herrel and De Vree, 1999) in U. acanthinurus. Data were recorded during 39 transducer bites in Uro5. In total, data were collected for 1364 individual cycles.
A typical feeding sequence began with tongue flicks, characterized by low gape angles and rapid protrusion and retraction of the tongue; the tip of the tongue either contacted the food directly or the floor in front of the food [referred to as ‘tasting’ by Throckmorton (Throckmorton, 1980); specified as tongue touches by Herrel et al. (Herrel et al., 1998), in which kinematics and electromyography are also described]. Food was acquired during capture cycles: the animal approached the food, the jaws were opened slightly and the tongue protruded with its tip curled ventrally so that the dorsum of the tongue contacted the food (Throckmorton, 1980; Herrel and De Vree, 1999). The tongue, with the food adhered to it, was pulled back into the mouth as the jaws opened quickly and widely and the food was grasped in the anterior jaws. The animals then exhibited a variable number of manipulation cycles: these were characterized by the jaws opening rapidly to a wide gape, sharp lateral and ventral movements of the head as well as rolling of the head about its long axis, followed by rapid jaw closure. The purpose of these manipulation cycles is to shift the food from the front of the jaws to a posterior region of the tooth row more suitable for reduction. Manipulation cycles were followed by chewing: compared with manipulation cycles, chewing involved little or no movement of the head (which was usually held with the palate horizontal), low gape angles, and slower jaw opening and closure. Chewing resulted in the food being broken or folded into smaller pieces. The tongue was used to position food during both manipulation and chewing cycles. Chewing cycles were often interspersed with manipulation cycles as the animal finished reducing a portion of the food (especially larger leaves) and moved new portions to a more posterior position along the tooth row. Swallowing cycles were followed by licking cycles [referred to as ‘cleaning’ by Throckmorton (Throckmorton, 1980)], in which the animal opened the jaws slightly, the tongue protruded just beyond the anterior margins of the jaws and then retracted, and the jaws closed.
Two additional feeding behaviors were documented. Crushing occurred when the animals ate Mazuri pellets. The animal shifted the pellet to a posterior position of the tooth row (using manipulation cycles), then closed the jaws slowly and powerfully until the pellet failed suddenly, fracturing into several pieces within and outside of the mouth. In rare instances, the animal would brace the lower jaw against the ground during crushing, presumably to allow neck flexor muscles to contribute to the bite force. Crushing described in other agamids involves numerous cyclic movements (Herrel et al., 1997); U. geyri exhibited only one or two crushing cycles during a feeding sequence. Crushing cycles were followed immediately by chewing or swallowing cycles. Tearing resulted when the animal held a food item (usually a leaf) down with a foreleg while using movements of the head and neck to tear pieces from it. This behavior was rare (only five instances were recorded).
Food was always ingested at the front of the jaws and shifted to a posterior position for reduction. In some instances, particularly when feeding on Mazuri pellets, animals shifted food to one side of the head for processing; in these cases, working and balancing sides were clear. In most instances, the food item protruded from both sides of the mouth during reduction. Thus, bite location could be clearly assigned to only 32% of all cycles recorded.
Principal strain magnitudes and ratios
Mean and peak principal strain magnitudes were highest in Uro1, followed by Uro7 and Uro5 (supplementary material Tables S1–S3); the highest recorded principal strain (Uro1) was −1936 με. Working-side bites typically produced higher mean maximum (ε1) and minimum (ε2) principal strains than balancing-side or frontal bites (Fig. 1). Frontal bites produced the lowest mean strains in Uro1 and Uro7; balancing-side bites produced the lowest mean strains in Uro5. Feeding on greens produced higher mean ε1 and ε2 strains in all three individuals, although the highest peak principal strains occurred when feeding on Mazuri pellets. Transducer biting produced the highest mean principal strains in Uro5. In all three animals, tongue flicks, captures, swallows and licks produced low strains; the highest strains were generated during manipulation, crushing and chewing cycles.
Two-way mixed-model ANOVA (supplementary material Table S10) revealed significant effects of feeding behavior on ε1 and ε2 magnitudes at all analyzed gage sites. Individual differences account for significant variation in strain magnitude in the left jugal (48%) but not the right jugal (12%). Additionally, there were significant interaction effects between food type and behavior on ε2 magnitude (both sides) and ε1 magnitude (left jugal only). Food type typically did not significantly impact ε1 magnitude. Post hoc comparisons revealed that, at both gage sites, mean ε1 magnitudes elicited during manipulation and chewing were different from each other, and from those elicited during swallowing and licking; mean ε1 strain magnitudes during the latter two behaviors did not differ from each other. This was true for mean ε2 magnitudes, except that swallowing and licking differed from each other in the right gage. ANOVA testing for differences in principal strain magnitudes due to bite location revealed a significant effect of bite point at both gage sites (supplementary material Table S11).
The grand mean of maximum to minimum principal strain ratios (|ε1/ε2|) for all in vivo experiments was 1.76; within-gage means for all individuals was always >1, suggesting that tension is the predominant loading regime experienced by the U. geyri jugal during feeding (supplementary material Tables S1–S3). This is consistent with FEA of the Uromastyx hardwickii skull, which predicted that the ventral jugal is an area of high tensile strain during biting (Moazen et al., 2008a). The ε1/ε2 ratio was higher during frontal (Uro7, left gage of Uro5) or balancing-side bites (Uro1, right gage of Uro5) than during working-side bites; this is consistent with the expectation that anterior bites would load the jugal in tension while working-side bites would load the jugal in compression. Mean ε1/ε2 was >1 during transducer biting in Uro5, suggesting that tension was the predominant loading regime in the jugal; this is consistent with frontal bites placing the jugal in tension. Patterns in ε1/ε2 ratios were most consistent when data were sorted by feeding behaviors: tongue flicks, chews, licks and swallows nearly always produced ε1/ε2 ratios >1, indicating that the jugals experienced tension during these behaviors. Crushing always produced ε1/ε2 ratios <1, indicating that this behavior (which occurred in the posterior portion of the tooth row) compressed the jugals (supplementary material Tables S1–S3). ε1/ε2 ratios were highly variable during capture, manipulation and tearing cycles, most likely because of large and unpredictable head movements. Two-way ANOVA revealed significant effects of feeding behavior, as well as the interaction between food type and behavior, on ε1/ε2 ratios at both gage sites (supplementary material Table S10). ANOVA testing revealed significant differences in principal strain ratios due to bite location at both gage sites (supplementary material Table S11).
Principal strain orientations
Vector plots of strain orientation (Fig. 2) reveal two distinct strain regimes in the jugals of U. geyri during feeding, suggesting two separate loading regimes. For the three individuals, strain orientations were sorted by bite location, food type and feeding behavior to attempt to separate these loading regimes.
Mean ε1 orientation for all cycles in Uro1 was anteriorly directed in the right jugal and anterodorsally directed in the left jugal (supplementary material Table S2). On both sides, ε1 vectors during working-side bites were rotated counterclockwise compared with strains generated during frontal bites (supplementary material Table S2). The two strain regimes are most apparent when data are sorted by feeding behavior: for both right and left gages in Uro1, mean ε1 was generally directed anteroventrally during tongue flick, capture, lick and swallow cycles, and anterodorsally during manipulation, crushing and chewing (Fig. 2; supplementary material Table S2).
Mean vector length and concentration reveal that ε1 strain orientations were more concentrated during posterior bites than during frontal bites in Uro1 (supplementary material Table S4); additionally, ε1 strain orientations were most concentrated during crushing and licking cycles and most variable during capture cycles (supplementary material Table S6). Mardia–Watson–Wheeler tests demonstrate that ε1 orientations were significantly different with changes in bite location, food type and feeding behavior (supplementary material Tables S7–S9).
In Uro5, mean ε1 orientation for all cycles was anteriorly directed in the left jugal, and changes in ε1 orientations with bite location, food type and feeding behavior resembled trends observed in Uro1 (Fig. 2; supplementary material Table S1). In contrast, mean ε1 in the right jugal of Uro5 was anterodorsally directed and showed little variability with changes in bite location or food type. Mardia–Watson–Wheeler tests demonstrate that ε1 orientations were significantly different with changes in bite point (supplementary material Table S7) and food type (supplementary material Table S8) in the right jugal of Uro5.
Unlike Uro1 and Uro5, mean ε1 orientation in both jugals of Uro7 was anteroventrally directed (supplementary material Table S3). However, changes in ε1 orientation with bite location, food type and feeding behavior were asymmetric between the right and left jugals. In the right jugal, ε1 was rotated clockwise during posterior bites compared with frontal biting; the opposite pattern was observed in the left jugal (supplementary material Table S3). In the right jugal of Uro7, ε1 was rotated counterclockwise during tongue flick, capture and chewing cycles compared with other feeding behaviors; these behaviors caused clockwise rotation of ε1 in the left jugal (supplementary material Table S3).
As in Uro1, mean vector length and concentration reveal that ε1 strain orientations were less variable during posterior bites than during frontal bites on both sides of Uro7 (supplementary material Table S4). Right and left ε1 strain orientations were most concentrated during crushing in Uro7 (supplementary material Table S6). Mardia–Watson–Wheeler tests demonstrate that ε1 orientations were significantly different during feeding on different foods (supplementary material Table S8) and between different feeding behaviors (supplementary material Table S9).
Two-way ANOVA confirms the significant effect of feeding behavior on ε1 orientation at both gage sites in Uro1 and Uro7 (supplementary material Table S12); additionally, it suggests that food type impacted strain orientations in Uro1 and the right jugal of Uro7. There were significant effects of bite location on ε1 orientation in Uro5 and Uro7 but not in Uro1 (supplementary material Table S13).
Within-gage means of shear strain range from 124 to 1013 με, with the grand mean for all gage sites in all three individuals being 382 με. Peak shear strains recorded for each animal were 3195 με (Uro1), 981 με (Uro5) and 1661 με (Uro7). Two-way ANOVA (supplementary material Table S10) revealed significant effects of food type and feeding behavior on shear strain magnitude at right gage sites; at left gage sites, feeding behavior and the interaction between food type and behavior significantly impacted shear strain magnitude. ANOVA testing for differences in shear strain magnitudes due to bite location revealed significant effects at both gage sites (supplementary material Table S11).
The highest bite force produced by Uro5 was 31.4 N; mean bite force over 39 transducer bites was 12.5 N. These values are substantially lower than those reported in the similarly sized U. acanthinurus (59 N) or predicted in MDA models of U. hardwickii (51 N) (Herrel and DeVree, 2009; Moazen et al., 2008b). Most transducer bites occurred at the front of the jaws, although a small number of posterior bites were recorded; mean bite force recorded during posterior bites was higher (18.0 N) than during anterior bites (12.2 N). Bites were not prolonged; in some trials, several bites were delivered in quick succession. When bite force is plotted against simultaneously recorded maximum and minimum principal strains (Fig. 3), there is a positive correlation between bite force and both ε1 and ε2 strain magnitudes for left and right gage sites.
We have presented new in vivo bone strain data from the cranium of U. geyri, the first herbivorous sauropsid and third species of lizard from which such data have been collected. Additionally, bone strain and bite force were recorded simultaneously for one U. geyri individual. These data were collected in order to: document in vivo bone strains during feeding in U. geyri; understand the impact of food type, bite location, feeding behavior and individual variation on bone strains; compare cranial strain magnitudes in U. geyri during feeding with those documented in other taxa; and document bite forces in U. geyri.
Some problems with the data set should be noted. First, only three U. geyri were of sufficient size for the collection of bone strain data (and only one of these was willing to bite on a force transducer), resulting in a small sample size. Second, owing to animal behavior and occasional gage failure, complete data sets are not available for all experiments. Third, bone strains were collected from a single (bilateral) location – the jugal – as this was the only surface large enough to accommodate a gage that was also free of overlying muscle. Despite these drawbacks, our data set presents a substantial advance in our understanding of lizard cranial function during feeding.
Variations in principal strain orientations in U. geyri
Mean principal strain orientations were remarkably consistent within individual U. geyri when all cycles were considered. ε1 orientation in the two males (Uro1 and Uro5) was anterodorsally directed in both the right and left jugal, suggesting compression of the postorbital bar along its long axis. In contrast, ε1 was anteroventrally directed in the female U. geyri (Uro7), suggesting anteroposteriorly aligned tension in the ventral jugal and shear in the postorbital bar. This overall intra-individual consistency in principal strain orientations cannot be attributed to local muscle forces as no muscles attach in this area; instead, it may reflect the overall deformation regime of the skull. Inter-individual variation is attributable to variation in gage location, skeletal morphology, bone material properties and feeding behavior.
Nonetheless, closer examination revealed two distinct strain regimes at nearly every gage site. Data were sorted to reveal the factors responsible for the underlying signal. In four of six gage sites, frontal bites generated ε1 strains rotated clockwise compared with posterior bites. This suggests that the postorbital bar is compressed parallel to its long axis during posterior bites, but not anterior bites. In their FEA of the U. hardwickii skull, Moazen et al. (Moazen et al., 2008a) found increased strain in the jugal (along with decreased strain in the skull roof) during posterior bites compared with anterior bites. They suggested that anterior bites induce compression in the bones of the snout and skull roof; in contrast, stress passes through the lateral aspect of the skull, including the jugal, during posterior bites. Our results are consistent with FEM predictions.
The clearest separation of the strain regimes occurred when data were sorted by behavior. ε1 strains were rotated clockwise during tongue flicks and capture cycles (four of six sites) and lick and swallow cycles (five of six sites) compared with manipulation, crushing and chewing cycles.
For Uro1 and Uro7, ε1 orientation was less variable during posterior bites than frontal bites, possibly because of the anterior jaws being used in more unpredictable behaviors. Circular–linear analyses reveal correlations between strain orientation and magnitude in Uro1 and Uro7 (supplementary material Tables S4– S6); such correlations are expected as there can only be one loading/strain regime during maximal contraction of the jaw muscles.
The difference in mean ε1 orientation between male and female U. geyri was consistent for both sides of the head. Comparison of gage locations using CT scans and radiographs rules out the possibility that this was due to subtle differences in gage position. It is possible that variations in bone material properties may be responsible; this suggestion awaits testing. When compared with the smaller male (Uro5), the female (Uro7) exhibits a relatively shorter head, more rounded skull table and more vertical postorbital bar (Fig. 4); these differences are more pronounced when Uro7 is compared with the large male (Uro1). Differences in bite force and diet have been attributed to sexual dimorphism in lizard skulls (Herrel et al., 2001a; Herrel et al., 2001b; Kaliontzopoulou et al., 2012; Lappin et al., 2006), and it is not surprising that dimorphism would lead to differences in loading and strain regimes in males and females of the same species, although this study is the first to document such a difference. Because of the small sample size (two males and one female), further experiments are needed to confirm these results.
Strain magnitudes in U. geyri and comparisons with other taxa
Strain magnitudes (Fig. 1) and results from ANOVAs suggest that inter-individual effects have the greatest impact on principal and shear strain magnitudes in the U. geyri cranium during feeding, followed by feeding behavior, bite location and food type.
Mean strain magnitudes across all three U. geyri were 102 με (ε1), −147 με (ε2) and 382 με (shear), with peak principal strains exceeding ±500 με in Uro5 and Uro7 and approaching −2000 με in Uro1. Peak shear strains approached or exceeded 1000 με in Uro5 and Uro7 and exceeded 3000 με in Uro1. Mean principal strains in the Alligator skull frequently approached 1000 με (Metzger et al., 2005; Porro et al., 2013). Thus, mean principal in the cranium of U. geyri are not as high as those reported in A. mississippiensis; however, the latter is a carnivorous taxon that captures and subdues live, active prey (often with violent shaking or rolling). In contrast, Uromastyx is an herbivore not accustomed to biting defensively (although male Uromastyx do fight vigorously). It is possible that during the course of our experiments we did not elicit behaviors that resulted in near-maximum cranial bone strains. Alternatively, it is possible that Uromastyx crania are normally subjected to lower bone strain magnitudes during feeding. The higher safety factor may serve to protect the cranium against fatigue failure associated with the repetitive loading associated with herbivory. The importance of repetitive loading is also reflected in the fact that Uromastyx jaw elevator muscles contain more slow fibers than insectivorous lizard species (Herrel et al., 1998).
Comparisons with mammals are complicated by differences in skull shape and muscle attachments. Mean principal strains recorded from the maxilla of sheep during feeding were typically less than ±100 με, with peak strains around ±300 με (Thomason et al., 2001). Mean principal strains recorded from the maxilla of pigs during mastication ranged from ±100 to ±300 με, while strains from the zygomatic arch were higher (Herring et al., 2001). Principal strains from the zygomatic arch of the hyrax during feeding rarely exceeded ±300 με (Lieberman et al., 2004), but in individual primates they average greater than 900 με, and can reach over 2000 με (Hylander and Johnson, 1997). However, it should be noted that the zygomatic arch of mammals is the site of origin for the masseter, unlike the jugal of reptiles. Thus, it would appear that the cranium of U. geyri experiences strain magnitudes similar to, if not higher than, those of sampled herbivorous mammals.
Strain variability due to food type
Feeding on greens produced higher mean principal strains whereas feeding on Mazuri pellets resulted in higher peak strains (Fig. 1). Furthermore, at five of six gage sites, mean ε1 orientations are rotated counterclockwise during feeding on greens compared with feeding on Mazuri pellets (supplementary material Tables S1–S3). Differences in feeding behavior can explain these patterns. Although the average total number of cycles in a feeding sequence did not differ with changes in food, animals used a larger number of manipulation cycles when eating greens. In contrast, ingestion of Mazuri pellets involved more licking cycles and only pellets elicited crushing. At four of six gage sites, crushing produced higher strains than manipulation; as a result, pellet feeding sequences exhibited higher peak strains. However, no more than two crushing cycles were used during a feeding sequence, and the large number of low-magnitude licking cycles resulted in lower mean strains. Feeding sequences on greens involved more high-magnitude manipulation cycles, resulting in higher mean strains. Manipulation cycles exhibited ε1 orientations rotated counterclockwise relative to licking cycles at five of six gage sites; again, the different number of manipulation and licking cycles employed while processing different foods explains the mean overall strain orientations of these feeding sequences.
Why do Uromastyx change their feeding behavior with different foods? Manipulation cycles are more frequent during feeding on greens because of the larger size of the food item – as a portion of the leaf is reduced, manipulation cycles are used to bring a ‘fresh’ portion to the posterior tooth row. Fracture of the pellet (into many small fragments) during crushing results in more licking cycles. Crushing is employed to break down pellets (but not leaves) because of differences in their material properties: pellets are substantially harder and more brittle than leaves. Thus, differences in food size and material properties elicit changes in feeding behavior, which in turn result in different strain regimes in the jugal. These findings bolster the suggestion by Ross et al. (Ross et al., 2012) that a better understanding of the relationship between variables (including food properties, behavior and strain patterns) is necessary to elucidate the link between diet and skull morphology.
The results presented here document in vivo bone strain in an herbivorous sauropsid for the first time. In addition to bone strain and bite force, 3D kinematic data, videofluoroscopic recordings and electromyographic data of jaw elevator muscles were obtained during these experiments and from an additional three U. geyri individuals. These results will be presented elsewhere and will be used to develop, refine and validate FEMs and MDA models of this taxon. Furthermore, the experiments described here are part of a larger collaborative study to collect in vivo experimental data from a range of lizard taxa exhibiting diverse skull and dental morphology, diets and feeding strategies (Gröning et al., 2013). The ultimate aim of these experiments and modeling efforts will be to quantitatively link specific variations in skull anatomy to varying functional demands in lepidosaurs.
The data presented here suggest that feeding behavior had greater impact on cranial strain orientation and magnitude than food type, highlighting the importance of sampling a wide range of behaviors to appreciate the stress, strain and loading regimes experienced by vertebrate skulls.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Bone strain data were collected from three adult Saharan Uromastyx geyri housed at the University of Chicago (IL, USA). Subjects included two males, Uro1 [231 g; head length (HL, measured from premaxilla to posterior tip of squamosal) 36 mm] and Uro5 (212 g; HL 35 mm), and one female, Uro7 (202 g; HL 34 mm). Animals were housed individually or in sexed pairs in large (152×60×60 cm) molded plastic cages (Showcase Cages, Lake Elsinore, CA, USA) in a temperature-controlled room set at 21–24°C on a 12 h:12 h light:dark cycle. A basking spot at higher temperature (up to 49°C) was available to the animals. Once daily, animals were provided with leafy greens (lettuce, endive, bok choy, mustard greens) and Mazuri brand tortoise pellets ad libitum. Animals were kept on a substrate of white millet seed that was occasionally ingested intentionally with no ill effects. All husbandry and experimental procedures were in accordance with federal regulations and approved Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee protocols.
Bone strain data were recorded during three separate experiments (Table 1) using either stacked rectangular rosette strain gages (Uro1) (FRA 1-11-1L; Texas Measurements, Inc., College Station, TX, USA) or stacked delta rosette strain gages (Uro5 and Uro7) (SA-06-030WY-120; Vishay Precision Group Micro-Measurements, Raleigh, NC, USA). The gages were wired, insulated and sterilized with hydrogen peroxide gas using methods previously described (Ross, 2001; Ross et al., 2011). The lateral surface of the postorbital bar (formed by the jugal), which is located ventral and posterior to the orbit (Fig. 4), provided the only bone surface large enough for gage placement that was free of overlying jaw muscles. For all three animals, gages were placed on the lower portion of the jugal on both sides of the head. Gage positions and orientations were recorded using photographs, CT scans and radiographs (Fig. 4).
Animals were food-deprived for 24 h prior to surgery and anesthetized using an intramuscular injection of ketamine (15 mg kg−1 body mass) and dexmedetomidine (100 μg kg−1 body mass). After anesthesia, <1 cm2 of skin overlying the jugal gage sites was removed, the periosteum elevated to expose the bone, the bone degreased with 100% chloroform, and the gage bonded to the surface of the bone using cyanoacrylate adhesive. To prevent movements of the lead wires causing strain in the gage, wires were glued to the skin for ~1 cm using the same adhesive, gathered together and shallowly sutured to loose skin on the back. Anesthesia was reversed with atipamezole (100 μg kg−1 body mass) and the animals were returned to temporary housing tanks to recover and for the duration of data collection. Data were collected twice daily (for up to 5 days) in sessions lasting no more than 2 h or until the animals stopped feeding.
The animals were fed in a clear Plexiglas tunnel (60×10×10 cm) while strain data were collected. For Uro5, experiments were recorded using a digital video camera; for Uro1 and Uro7, experiments were recorded using videofluoroscopy (General Electric OEC 9600 Series C-Arm, Fairfield, CT, USA). In both cases, strain data could be attributed to food type, bite location and feeding behavior. Voltage changes in the strain gages were conditioned and amplified on Vishay Micro-Measurements 2310A signal conditioning bridge-amplifiers while the animals fed on assorted greens (lettuce, endive and mustard greens) and Mazuri pellets. Food items were placed on the floor of the tunnel in front of the animals using tongs; occasionally, animals began eating while the item was held in the tongs. For Uro5, data were acquired at 2000 Hz and acquisition to PC was controlled by Vicon Nexus 1.6 Software (Vicon, Los Angeles, CA, USA). For Uro1 and Uro7, data were acquired at 5000 Hz through a National Instruments DAQ board run by MiDAS 2.0 Digital Video and Data Capture Software (Xcitex, Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA) and were saved to a PC for subsequent analysis.
Uromastyx geyri are not aggressive biters and bite force was obtained from only one individual (Uro5). In vivo bite forces were measured using a Kistler force transducer (Type 9203, range ±500 N; Kistler, Switzerland) connected to a Kistler charge amplifier (Type 5995) connected to an A-D system producing an output in voltage. Uro5 was manually restrained at the pectoral and pelvic girdles. The head was unrestrained during transducer bites; thus, deformation of the skull is attributed to muscle and bite reaction forces only.
Bone strain data extraction
Strain gage outputs were filtered and processed in IGOR Pro 4.0.4 (WaveMetrics, Inc., Lake Oswego, OR, USA) using custom-written software and calibration files produced during the recording sessions. The strain data (strain being a dimensionless unit, ε, that represents change in length over original length, ΔL/L) were converted to με. The strain tracings (along with simultaneous video/videofluoroscopy and electromyograms) were examined to identify movement artifacts; these sequences were not included in the analysis. The magnitude of the maximum (ε1) and minimum (ε2) principal strains were calculated for every cycle recorded (Hibbeler, 2000); mean and peak principal strains recorded at each gage site in each experiment are recorded in Fig. 1 and supplementary material Tables S1–S3, sorted by bite location, food type and behavior. ε1 is the largest tensile (or occasionally least negative) strain and usually registers as a positive value; ε2 is the largest compressive (or occasionally least tensile) strain and usually registers as a negative value. The orientation of ε1 relative to the A-element of the strain gage was calculated for each cycle (the orientation of ε2 is orthogonal to that of ε1), as was the ratio of maximum to minimum principal strains |ε1/ε2|; values are presented in supplementary material Tables S1–S3. Shear strain (γ), which is equal to ε1–ε2, was also calculated for each cycle.
To facilitate comparisons between gage sites and experiments, strain orientations presented in all tables and figures (and used in statistical analyses) were calculated with the skull in right lateral view (thus, left side strains are seen from ‘below’). Strain orientations were calculated relative to the axes shown in Fig. 4; the reference axis (horizontal) is aligned with the palate in lateral view and is directed anteriorly whereas the vertical axis is perpendicular to this and points dorsally. By convention, positive values are rotated counterclockwise from the reference axis (vectors rotated clockwise from the axis are negative). Custom software within IGOR Pro 4.0 was used to convert strain orientations and magnitudes to vectors within polar coordinates. Vector plots (Fig. 2), in which the orientations and relative magnitudes of ε1 and ε2 during all recorded bites (as well as sorted by bite location, food type and behavior) are displayed, were created using Adobe Illustrator CS 5.1 (Adobe Systems Incorporated, San Jose, CA, USA).
Bite force extraction
The force transducer used in Experiment 220 (Uro5) was calibrated by hanging weights of known mass from the transducer and recording the output voltage. The resulting linear regression (y=38.015x+0.2635; R=0.9964) was used to convert voltage to bite force. Bite force was plotted against simultaneously recorded maximum principal strains (ε1 and ε2) from both right and left gage sites (Fig. 3).
Statistical analyses of bone strain data
To quantify the effects of various factors on strain magnitude and orientation, data from left and right gage sites were sorted by bite location (front, working side or balancing side), food type (greens, Mazuri pellets or force transducer) and feeding behavior. Missing data indicate that no strains were recorded for a particular bite location, food type or behavior.
Principal strain orientations are axial circular data in which an ε1 orientation of 0 deg is equal to 180 deg (and thus 90 deg is not a sensible mean). These data cannot be analyzed using traditional statistics. Quantitative analyses of in vivo principal strain orientations were performed in Oriana 3.13 (Kovach Computing Services, Anglesey, UK). In order to conduct these analyses, all angle data had to be converted to positive values (e.g. −30 deg was converted to 330 deg prior to analysis). Additionally, Oriana converts all axial data to values between 0 and 180 deg. Readers are urged to note these changes when comparing descriptive statistics from supplementary material Tables S1–S3 with circular statistics from supplementary material Tables S4–S6.
Descriptive circular statistics (supplementary material Tables S4–S6) were produced for ε1 orientations at each gage site, with data grouped by bite location, food type and behavior. Groups containing a single data point (see supplementary material Tables S1–S3) were excluded from statistical analyses. The statistics presented here include: the mean angle of the vectors (μ) relative to the reference axis describe above; the length of the mean vector (r) ranging from 0 to 1, which is a measure of angular dispersion with values closer to 1 indicating that individual observations are clustered more closely around the mean (length of mean vector is not the mean magnitude of ε1); the concentration (k), which measures the departure of the distribution from a uniform distribution (or perfect circle) and was calculated using published formulas (Fisher, 1993; Mardia and Jupp, 2000); the circular variance (V), which is calculated as V=1−r, and is equivalent to its linear counterpart; the circular standard deviation (S), calculated as S=[−2×ln(r)]1/2; the standard error of the mean; and the 95% and 99% confidence intervals derived from standard error. Additionally, Rayleigh's test of uniformity and Watson's U2-test were used to determine whether data are derived from a von Mises distribution (continuous probability distribution on a circle, not to be confused with von Mises stress). To determine whether ε1 strain orientations changed as strain magnitude increased, circular–linear correlation coefficients were calculated between ε1 orientation and magnitude (Zar, 1999) (supplementary material Tables S4–S6). To determine whether the distribution of ε1 angles differ significantly with changes in bite location, food type or feeding behavior, ε1 orientations recorded within each gage were compared using a non-parametric Mardia–Watson–Wheeler test or a parametric Watson–Williams F-test (supplementary material Tables S7–S9). (These tests determine whether two or more distributions are identical; significant differences between distributions will lead to a large W test statistic and low probability of distributions being identical.)
Mixed-model ANOVAs were used to investigate the effect of bite location, food type and feeding behavior on principal and shear strain magnitudes, and principal strain orientations in JMP 8 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA) using the restricted maximum likelihood method, with individuals as random effects and food, behavior and their interaction as fixed effects (supplementary material Table S10). Because strain magnitude distribution was skewed, data were log-transformed to normalize them. Separate analyses were run for right and left gages; gage sites and behaviors with few data points were excluded. Because bite location was identified in only a third of all cycles, separate mixed-model ANOVAs were conducted for bite location with individuals as random effects (supplementary material Table S11). Tukey post hoc comparisons of differences in means were carried out. Significance was assessed at α=0.05. Angular data were analyzed using the CircStat (Berens, 2009) toolbox in MATLAB (MathWorks, Natick, MA, USA). Analyses were performed in the same groupings as above; however, because we cannot include individual variation as a random effect, we tested each individual independently. The effect of food type and behavior was analyzed using the Harrison–Kanji test (supplementary material Table S12). Depending on the concentration parameter, κ, two different statistics were used [χ2 and F for large κ; when κ is small, the interaction effect is not reported; see Harrison and Kanji (Harrison and Kanji, 1988)]. To test the effect biting side on strain orientation, we used the Watson–Williams test (supplementary material Table S13).
Michael Alcorn, Kate Fagan, Kathryn Murray, and Sawyer Kisken provided technical support and assisted during experiments. Maggie Bruner, Jennifer McGrath, Marek Niekrasz, Karin Peterson and Elizabeth Theriault assisted with animal husbandry and provided veterinary care. Uromastyx were CT-scanned by Chad Haney.
Funding was provided by joint Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council grants [BB/H011668/1, BB/H011854/1] to M.J.F. and S.E.E. Salary support for L.B.P. was provided by the Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago. Deposited in PMC for immediate release.
The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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On May 29, 2009, the SEC announced the filing of an enforcement action against Thomas Wurzel, the former President of ACL Technologies, Inc. (“ACL”), charging him with violations of the anti-bribery, books and records and internal controls provisions of the FCPA.32 According to the SEC Complaint, between late 2001 and 2002, Wurzel allegedly authorized illicit payments made to an Egypt-based agent, despite knowing or deliberately disregarding the high probability that a portion of the payments made to the agent would be offered or made to Egyptian Air Force officials.33 The payments were allegedly made to secure a contract valued at $5.3 million, which amounted to net profits of $267,571. Without admitting or denying the allegations in the Complaint, Wurzel agreed to the entry of a final judgment permanently enjoining him from future violations of the FCPA and paid a civil penalty of $35,000.
ACL is a former indirect wholly owned subsidiary of United Industrial Corporation (“UIC”), an aerospace and defense contractor. In a related proceeding, UIC agreed to enter into a cease and desist order with the SEC that prohibited it from committing or causing future violations of the FCPA and to pay $337,679.42 in disgorgement of profits and prejudgment interest.34
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