Science Enabled by Specimen Data
Calvente, A., A. P. Alves da Silva, D. Edler, F. A. Carvalho, M. R. Fantinati, A. Zizka, and A. Antonelli. 2023. Spiny but photogenic: amateur sightings complement herbarium specimens to reveal the bioregions of cacti. American Journal of Botany. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.16235
Premise: Cacti are characteristic elements of the Neotropical flora and of major interest for biogeographic, evolutionary, and ecological studies. Here we test global biogeographic boundaries for Neotropical Cactaceae using specimen‐based occurrences coupled with data from visual observations, as a means to tackle the known collection biases in the family.MethodsSpecies richness and record density were assessed for preserved specimens and human observations and a bioregional scheme tailored to Cactaceae was produced using the interactive web application Infomap Bioregions based on data from 261,272 point records cleaned through automated and manual steps.Key ResultsWe find that areas in Mexico and southwestern USA, Eastern Brazil and along the Andean region have the greatest density of records and the highest species richness. Human observations complement information from preserved specimens substantially, especially along the Andes. We propose 24 cacti bioregions, among which the most species‐rich are: northern Mexico/southwestern USA, central Mexico, southern central Mexico, Central America, Mexican Pacific coast, central and southern Andes, northwestern Mexico/extreme southwestern USA, southwestern Bolivia, northeastern Brazil, Mexico/Baja California.ConclusionsThe bioregionalization proposed shows biogeographical boundaries specific to cacti, and can thereby aid further evolutionary, biogeographic, and ecological studies by providing a validated framework for further analyses. This classification builds upon, and is distinctive from, other expert‐derived regionalization schemes for other taxa. Our results showcase how observation data, including citizen‐science records, can complement traditional specimen‐based data for biogeographic research, particularly for taxa with specific specimen collection and preservation challenges and those that are threatened or internationally protected.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Rosas, M. R., R. A. Segovia, and P. C. Guerrero. 2023. Climatic Niche Dynamics of the Astereae Lineage and Haplopappus Species Distribution following Amphitropical Long-Distance Dispersal. Plants 12: 2721. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12142721
The tribe Astereae (Asteraceae) displays an American Amphitropical Disjunction. To understand the eco-evolutionary dynamics associated with a long-distance dispersal event and subsequent colonization of extratropical South America, we compared the climatic and geographic distributions of South American species with their closest North American relatives, focusing on the diverse South American Astereae genus, Haplopappus. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that two South American genera are closely related to seven North American genera. The climatic niche overlap (D = 0.5) between South and North America exhibits high stability (0.89), low expansion (0.12), and very low unfilling (0.04). The distribution of the North American species predicted the climatic and geographic space occupied by the South American species. In central Chile, Haplopappus showed a non-random latitudinal gradient in species richness, with Mediterranean climate variables mainly explaining the variation. Altitudinal patterns indicated peak richness at 600 m, declining at lower and higher elevations. These findings support climatic niche conservatism in shaping Haplopappus species distribution and diversity. Two major endemism zones were identified in central Chile and the southern region, with a transitional zone between Mediterranean and Temperate macro-bioclimates. Our results indicate strong niche conservatism following long-distance dispersal and slight niche expansion due to unique climatic variables in each hemisphere.
Graham, C. D. K., E. J. Forrestel, A. L. Schilmiller, A. T. Zemenick, and M. G. Weber. 2023. Evolutionary signatures of a trade-off in direct and indirect defenses across the wild grape genus Vitis. Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1093/evolut/qpad140
Evolutionary correlations between chemical defense and protection by mutualist bodyguards have been long predicted, but tests of these pattern remain rare. We use a phylogenetic framework to test for evolutionary correlations indicative of trade-offs or synergisms between direct defense in the form of plant secondary metabolism, and indirect defense in the form of leaf domatia, across 33 species in the wild grape genus, Vitis. We also performed a bioassay with a generalist herbivore to associate our chemical phenotypes with herbivore palatability. Finally, we tested whether defensive traits correlate with the average abiotic characteristics of each species’ contemporary range and whether these correlations were consistent with plant defense theory. We found a negative evolutionary correlation between domatia size and the diversity of secondary metabolites in Vitis leaf tissue across the genus, and also that leaves with a higher diversity and richness of secondary metabolites were less palatable to a generalist herbivore, consistent with a trade-off in chemical and mutualistic defense investment. Predictions from plant defense theory were not supported by associations between investment in defense phenotypes and abiotic variables. Our work demonstrates an evolutionary pattern indicative of a trade-off between indirect and direct defense strategies across the Vitis genus.
Shen, F., S. Xu, Q. Shen, C. Bi, and M. A. Lysak. 2023. The allotetraploid horseradish genome provides insights into subgenome diversification and formation of critical traits. Nature Communications 14. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39800-y
Polyploidization can provide a wealth of genetic variation for adaptive evolution and speciation, but understanding the mechanisms of subgenome evolution as well as its dynamics and ultimate consequences remains elusive. Here, we report the telomere-to-telomere (T2T) gap-free reference genome of allotetraploid horseradish ( Armoracia rusticana ) sequenced using a comprehensive strategy. The (epi)genomic architecture and 3D chromatin structure of the A and B subgenomes differ significantly, suggesting that both the dynamics of the dominant long terminal repeat retrotransposons and DNA methylation have played critical roles in subgenome diversification. Investigation of the genetic basis of biosynthesis of glucosinolates (GSLs) and horseradish peroxidases reveals both the important role of polyploidization and subgenome differentiation in shaping the key traits. Continuous duplication and divergence of essential genes of GSL biosynthesis (e.g., FMO GS-OX , IGMT , and GH1 gene family) contribute to the broad GSL profile in horseradish. Overall, the T2T assembly of the allotetraploid horseradish genome expands our understanding of polyploid genome evolution and provides a fundamental genetic resource for breeding and genetic improvement of horseradish. Horseradish is a spicy root vegetable and it also produces horseradish peroxidase, an enzyme widely used in biochemistry applications. Here, the authors report its telomere-to-telomere reference genome, reveal subgenome diversification and the effect on the biosynthesis of glucosinolates and horseradish peroxidases.
Babin, C. H., and C. D. Bell. 2023. The effects of climate change on cytotype distributions of endemic genera in the North American Coastal Plain. Plant Ecology & Diversity. https://doi.org/10.1080/17550874.2023.2239244
Background Approximately 33% of plant species face extinction due to climate change. Polyploidisation, a process resulting in more than two complete sets of chromosomes, may be promoted by periods of climate fluctuations. Ecological niche modelling (ENM) using occurrences of endemic plants in the North American Coastal Plain (NACP) biodiversity hotspot could be used to evaluate the potential effects of climate change on cytotype distributions. Aims We used known diploid and polyploid taxa endemic to the NACP to test hypotheses that diploids and polyploids differed in habitat preferences, considerable overlap existed between cytotypes, and polyploid distributions would increase under climate change projections. Methods We examined niche identity and overlap of 28 congeneric ploidy level pairs and performed ENM to evaluate how climate change could affect these groups. Results Congeneric ploidy level pairs differed significantly in niche identity, and overlap varied across genera. Eleven genera showed greater than 100% increases in habitat suitability and six genera showed almost no remaining suitable habitat in at least one future climate scenario. Conclusions With 70% of the species that showed substantial declines in projected suitable habitat being of conservation concern, we propose that future studies of these genera should be a primary focus in the NACP.
Hill, A., M. F. T. Jiménez, N. Chazot, C. Cássia‐Silva, S. Faurby, L. Herrera‐Alsina, and C. D. Bacon. 2023. Apparent effect of range size and fruit colour on palm diversification may be spurious. Journal of Biogeography. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14683
Aim Fruit selection by animal dispersers with different mobility directly impacts plant geographical range size, which, in turn, may impact plant diversification. Here, we examine the interaction between fruit colour, range size and diversification rate in palms by testing two hypotheses: (1) species with fruit colours attractive to birds have larger range sizes due to high dispersal ability and (2) disperser mobility affects whether small or large range size has higher diversification, and intermediate range size is expected to lead to the highest diversification rate regardless of disperser. Location Global. Time Period Contemporary (or present). Major Taxa Studied Palms (Arecaceae). Methods Palm species were grouped based on likely animal disperser group for given fruit colours. Range sizes were estimated by constructing alpha convex hull polygons from distribution data. We examined disperser group, range size or an interaction of both as possible drivers of change in diversification rate over time in a likelihood dynamic model (Several Examined State-dependent Speciation and Extinction [SecSSE]). Models were fitted, rate estimates were retrieved and likelihoods were compared to those of appropriate null models. Results Species with fruit colours associated with mammal dispersal had larger ranges than those with colours associated with bird dispersal. The best fitting SecSSE models indicated that the examined traits were not the primary driver of the heterogeneity in diversification rates in the model. Extinction rate complexity had a marked impact on model performance and on diversification rates. Main Conclusions Two traits related to dispersal mobility, range size and fruit colour, were not identified as the main drivers of diversification in palms. Increased model extinction rate complexity led to better performing models, which indicates that net diversification should be estimated rather than speciation alone. However, increased complexity may lead to incorrect SecSSE model conclusions without careful consideration. Finally, we find palms with more mobile dispersers do not have larger range sizes, meaning other factors are more important determinants of range size.
Benson, C. W., M. R. Sheltra, P. J. Maughan, E. N. Jellen, M. D. Robbins, B. S. Bushman, E. L. Patterson, et al. 2023. Homoeologous evolution of the allotetraploid genome of Poa annua L. BMC Genomics 24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-023-09456-5
Background Poa annua (annual bluegrass) is an allotetraploid turfgrass, an agronomically significant weed, and one of the most widely dispersed plant species on earth. Here, we report the chromosome-scale genome assemblies of P. annua’s diploid progenitors, P. infirma and P. supina, and use multi-omic analyses spanning all three species to better understand P. annua’s evolutionary novelty. Results We find that the diploids diverged from their common ancestor 5.5 – 6.3 million years ago and hybridized to form P. annua ≤ 50,000 years ago. The diploid genomes are similar in chromosome structure and most notably distinguished by the divergent evolutionary histories of their transposable elements, leading to a 1.7 × difference in genome size. In allotetraploid P. annua, we find biased movement of retrotransposons from the larger (A) subgenome to the smaller (B) subgenome. We show that P. annua’s B subgenome is preferentially accumulating genes and that its genes are more highly expressed. Whole-genome resequencing of several additional P. annua accessions revealed large-scale chromosomal rearrangements characterized by extensive TE-downsizing and evidence to support the Genome Balance Hypothesis. Conclusions The divergent evolutions of the diploid progenitors played a central role in conferring onto P. annua its remarkable phenotypic plasticity. We find that plant genes (guided by selection and drift) and transposable elements (mostly guided by host immunity) each respond to polyploidy in unique ways and that P. annua uses whole-genome duplication to purge highly parasitized heterochromatic sequences. The findings and genomic resources presented here will enable the development of homoeolog-specific markers for accelerated weed science and turfgrass breeding .
Cousins-Westerberg, R., N. Dakin, L. Schat, G. Kadereit, and A. M. Humphreys. 2023. Evolution of cold tolerance in the highly stress-tolerant samphires and relatives (Salicornieae: Amaranthaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. https://doi.org/10.1093/botlinnean/boad009
Low temperature constitutes one of the main barriers to plant distributions, confining many clades to their ancestrally tropical biome. However, recent evidence suggests that transitions from tropical to temperate biomes may be more frequent than previously thought. Here, we study the evolution of cold and frost tolerance in the globally distributed and highly stress-tolerant Salicornieae (Salicornioideae, Amaranthaceae s.l.). We first generate a phylogenetic tree comprising almost all known species (85-90%), using newly generated (n = 106) and published nuclear-ribosomal and plastid sequences. Next, we use geographical occurrence data to document in which clades and geographical regions cold-tolerant species occur and reconstruct how cold tolerance evolved. Finally, we test for correlated evolution between frost tolerance and the annual life form. We find that frost tolerance has evolved independently in up to four Northern Hemisphere lineages but that annuals are no more likely to evolve frost tolerance than perennials, indicating the presence of different strategies for adapting to cold environments. Our findings add to mounting evidence for multiple independent out-of-the-tropics transitions among close relatives of flowering plants and raise new questions about the ecological and physiological mechanism(s) of adaptation to low temperatures in Salicornieae.
Wang, Y., J. Wang, T. A. Garran, H. Liu, H. Lin, J. Luo, Q. Yuan, et al. 2023. Genetic diversity and population divergence of Leonurus japonicus and its distribution dynamic changes from the last interglacial to the present in China. BMC Plant Biology 23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-023-04284-x
Background Leonurus japonicus , a significant medicinal plant known for its therapeutic effects on gynecological and cardiovascular diseases, has genetic diversity that forms the basis for germplasm preservation and utilization in medicine. Despite its economic value, limited research has focused on its genetic diversity and divergence. Results The avg. nucleotide diversity of 59 accessions from China were 0.00029 and hotspot regions in petN-psbM and rpl32-trnL (UAG) spacers, which can be used for genotype discrimination. These accessions divided into four clades with significant divergence. The four subclades, which split at approximately 7.36 Ma, were likely influenced by the Hengduan Mountains uplift and global temperature drop. The initial divergence gave rise to Clade D, with a crown age estimated at 4.27 Ma, followed by Clade C, with a crown age estimated at 3.39 Ma. The four clades were not showed a clear spatial distribution. Suitable climatic conditions for the species were identified, including warmest quarter precipitation 433.20 mm ~ 1,524.07 mm, driest month precipitation > 12.06 mm, and coldest month min temp > -4.34 °C. The high suitability distribution showed contraction in LIG to LGM, followed by expansion from LGM to present. The Hengduan Mountains acted as a glacial refuge for the species during climate changes. Conclusions Our findings reflected a clear phylogenetic relationships and divergence within species L. japonicus and the identified hotspot regions could facilitate the genotype discrimination. The divergence time estimation and suitable area simulation revealed evolution dynamics of this species and may propose conservation suggestions and exploitation approaches in the future.
Medzihorský, V., J. Trombik, R. Mally, M. Turčáni, and A. M. Liebhold. 2023. Insect invasions track a tree invasion: Global distribution of black locust herbivores. Journal of Biogeography. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14625
Aim Many invasive plant species benefit from enemy release resulting from the absence of insect herbivores in their invaded range. However, over time, specialized herbivores may ‘catch up’ with such invasive plants. Black locust is a tree species with a relatively limited native range in North America but has invaded large areas in virtually every temperate continent including North America. We hypothesize that both intra- and intercontinental spread of black locust leads to a parallel, though delayed pattern of intra- and intercontinental spread of insect herbivores. Location Global. Taxon Black locust, Robinia pseudoacacia, and its insect herbivores. Methods We compiled historical records of the occurrence of insect herbivore species associated with R. pseudoacacia from all world regions. Based on this list, we describe taxonomic patterns and investigate associations between environmental features and numbers of non-native specialist herbivores in the portion of North America invaded by R. pseudoacacia. Results A total of 454 herbivorous species are recorded feeding on R. pseudoacacia across the world, with 23 of these being specialized on Robinia. From this group, seven species have successfully expanded their range beyond North America. Within North America, the richness of specialists is explained by a combination of road density, R. pseudoacacia density, distance from the R. pseudoacacia native range, and climate. Main Conclusion Non-native herbivore species have accumulated on invasive R. pseudoacacia in both North America and in other continents. The steady build-up of invasions likely has diminished the enemy release that this invasive tree species has benefited from – a trend that will likely continue in the future. These findings support the hypothesis that invasive plants promote parallel though delayed invasions of specialist insect herbivores.


text:
Worldwide mobile data traffic doubled between the fourth quarter of 2011 and the fourth quarter of 2012, and is expected to continue growing at a similar rate due to an upsurge in smartphone sales and increasing video traffic, according to new research from Ericsson.
The network vendor, which has collected data from networks around the world for some years, said that the growth path steepened between the third and fourth quarters of 2012, growing by 28 per cent. Of particular interest, the research found that mobile broadband subscribers expanding by 125 million in the fourth quarter of 2012 to 1.5 billion, reflecting a 50 per cent year-on-year increase.
Ericsson also claims that mobile penetration in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and North America is now more than 100 per cent, with Central and Eastern Europe leading the way with penetration rates of 133 per cent.
China, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region (excluding China and India) posted the fastest growth in mobile subscriptions, according to the study.
However, a similar report from Cisco Systems claimed that global mobile data traffic grew only 70 per cent in 2012. The company said that global mobile data traffic reached 885 petabytes per month at the end of 2012, up from 520 petabytes per month at the end of 2011.
The Cisco study highlighted that, although LTE currently represents only 0.9 per cent of mobile connections, it already accounts for 14 per cent of mobile data traffic.
Mallinson: Mobile broadband - thrice as much at half the price
Cisco: Mobile data traffic to jump 13-fold by 2017
Report: Mobile challengers needed to drive down data prices in EU
Report: Pan-European telcos play down pan-European network idea
France Telecom admits to network sharing talks with rivals

domain: geography


text:
HGH has become one of the most questionable of all cutting edge disclosures numerous people don’t have the foggiest idea how to manage it. Since the chemical shows up normally in the body, it has extraordinary advantages when it is available. Tragically a few youngsters need it so there development and improvement is hindered and they need an intercession. When we are arriving at 30 years old, the degree of creation of HGH by the pituitary organ tumbles to low levels, and in light of the fact that it controls body digestion in grown-ups, the indications of maturing show up before long. This is the explanation HGH treatment is utilized by the two youngsters and grown-ups.
What are a portion hygetropin dosage advantages?
HGH Controls Corpulence
Human development chemical is known to normally consume fat cells to deliver energy in ordinary conditions. At the point when the levels go down there is a development of ft cells and a deficiency of bulk in the body. So a presentation of the right measurement of HGH will advance consuming of the fat that is developing particularly around the abdomen. Since abundance weight accompanies other serious wellbeing challenges, then something you want to consider is HGH Treatment to supplant what your body isn’t delivering normally. You will lessen your possibilities getting type – 2 diabetes.
Bringing down of pulse
One more likely advantage of HG treatment is the improvement of the cardiovascular and lung capabilities and these two joined can attempt to lessen circulatory strain. The alternate way HGH does this is by invigorating an individual the muscle practice for a somewhat longer period subsequently giving a general body wellness. The twofold advantages of weight reduction and a decent activity program are notable in their relationship to circulatory strain.
A few results of HGH
There are likewise secondary effects that can be similarly terrifying particularly after you think about the many advantages that accompany HG treatment. You simply have to gauge the advantages against the aftereffects so you decide on the off chance that you will be utilizing it.
A portion of the symptoms of human development chemical treatment incorporate joint torment, liquid maintenance, strange bone and ligament development, and an irreversible insulin opposition. Insulin and HGH generally check so they can’t endure each other in a similar body. Along term maltreatment of HGH treatment particularly like occurs with competitors has been reported to prompt a few lethal and at times deadly circumstances. A few difficulties will incorporate sporadic heart beat, expansion of the inward organs like the liver, kidneys and the heart, joint and facial distortions and a total closure of the pituitary organ.
So how would we find the harmony between the couple of advantages we referenced and the secondary effects and dangers that go with this magnificent enhancement? Clearly any presentation of an unfamiliar body in your framework will set off both positive or potentially regrettable variables. The most effective way to go about it is by all accounts a decent exploration for anybody prior to taking human development hormonetreatment of any sort, and in the event that you should, you take for simply such a long time.

domain: medical


text:
Shocking video of Angelina Jolie, the drug addict
Her image in the public eye has been admirable recently especially with her efforts to help the victims of sex trafficking.
But a shocking new video has come out of the woodwork exposing the "drugged up" side of US actress, Angelina Jolie, in her distant past.
The video features a sickeningly thin and distressed version of the mother-of-six from 15 years ago.
Jolie is seen slurring on the phone to her father discussing issues involving her mother, brother, a mortgage and finances.
Convicted drug dealer Franklin Meyer claims to be the man behind the footage recently obtained by The National Enquirer.
Jolie's former drug lord reportedly said that the video, which was reposted by Mail Online, was taken with the Maleficient actress' consent in 1999 after she invited him to her Manhattan home to re-supply her with heroin and cocaine.
He told the The National Enquirer: "One day she called me up and wanted me to drop by her place. That was her way of telling me she wanted me to bring her drugs."
He later added that "Angie (had been) a client of mine for several years" and that he "sold her heroin and cocaine."
There has been no response yet from Jolie.
Sources: The National Enquirer and Mail Online

domain: news


text:
I'll be in Spain for 2 weeks leaving on June 14th.
Part of my trip has me traveling from Cordoba to Ronda on the 25th. While searching the train schedule I see that there's only 1 time available to make a reservation which is 17:15.Am I stuck with that time or can I just use the pass for a non reservation on an earlier train?
I'm hoping that I'll be able to catch a much earlier travel time. I planned on 2 days in Ronda and Sentinel de las bodegas and hope that my plans don't go awry because of scheduling.
Best answer by rvdborgtView original
For Spain, www.raileurope.com is quite usable. The DB website too, currently. The RENFE website is cr*p. It basically only shows direct trains; only when RENFE feels like it, it will show a journey with a change.
There seems to be only one direct train per day and 2 other connections with 1 change.
Hi, please when you only checked on the Eurail website or app, also take a look at the website of RENFE, the train company. The problem is that they do not give all timetables of the train to the European timetable center from where Interrail/Eurail gets the timetable.

domain: travel


More Stations By Location
SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
$10K A DAY BILL PAY Is On! Ten Chances To Win $1,000 Every Weekday
Rihanna Goes Wild, Drops "Where Have You Been" Video
Rihanna puts animal magnetism on full display for her new video. After weeks of building anticipation for her "Where Have You Been" clip, the singer finally allows a look into her wild kingdom.
More From 96.5 TIC FM – Hartford’s Best Variety
Win Cash Ten Times A Day!
Win a Trip To SPF
Nick Fradiani Could Perform At Your School!


text:
Paper Plate Giraffe
Giraffes are a funny and gangly wild animal that intrigues all young children. Add this delightful critter to your paper plate zoo collection.
Imagine a paper plate to be the animal's head. What do you need to decorate the paper plate with to make it more look like the animal you have in mind?
Make the ears and other special parts
The next step involves cutting out head parts that need to be painted the same color as the head. For most animals, this will involve cutting out a pair of ears out of construction paper or cardboard.
Attach the ears.
With the paper plate's right side up, glue the pair of ears on either side of the plate. Allow the glue to dry.
If your animal has other parts that need to be glued on, flip the paper plate over so that the bottom side is facing up, before gluing head parts.
Paint the animal
Remember to position the paper plate bottom side up with the ears glued at the back. Paint the animal with any water-based paint.
Paint on some stripes if your animal has these patterns. You can finger paint or use a paint brush. If you want to try something new, you can make your own potato stamps or fruit and vegetable stamps to make the animal patterns. After you're done painting, allow the paint to dry completely.
When the paint has dried, you can add the remaining facial features. To make the eyes, you can glue on wiggle eyes, buttons or paper cut-outs.
Make the nose and mouth
For a lot of animals, you can simply draw or paint on the nose and mouth.
Some animals like this giraffe, have snouts. To make a snout, cut out an oval shape from construction paper and draw the animal's nostrils and mouth on it. You can use crayons, oil pastels, colored pencils or markers for drawing.
Glue the snout onto to the paper plate head. To make the animal's head a little less round, position the snout so that it protrudes a little bit along the bottom of the plate. You can do this with long-faced animals such as giraffes, horses, cows or goats.
You can add additional details if you like. This giraffe needs a pair of horns and I made them by cutting a craft stick in half and gluing them at the back of the paper plate. The craft sticks can be colored or painted before gluing on circles out of construction paper at the tips of the horns.
A free resource for fun and educational kids' crafts, the site features a step-by-step guide for each craft project and includes printable templates, art recipes, and environment-friendly tips for crafting.

domain: hobby


The owner of a purported Goya painting claimed that she had inherited the work from her grandfather. She showed a certificate and an appraisal that valued the small-format work at €1.5 to €1.8 million ($1.6 million to $1.9 million). She tried to sell it through an auction. The woman was arrested, released and investigated for the crimes of forgery and fraud. The painting, a scene from the War of Independence, is one of five works of art that are considered to be forgeries and were recently seized in Spain by the Valencian Police’s Patrimony Unit.
The forged pieces include Goya’s The Portrait of the Baron of Alcalalí, an Ecce Homo by Juan de Juanes (the pseudonym of Vicente Juan Macip), a Renoir and a Miró. All of the pieces had documentation attesting to their alleged authenticity and value. The estimated market value of the first three is over €2 million ($2.15 million), while the value of the other two is yet to be determined. But in reality, the forgeries are only worth a few hundred euros.
Four other owners are also under police investigation for fraud. This particular police unit rarely receives complaints and primarily acts by investigating commercial transactions, such as auctions. “The owner of a forged work does not report it; s/he wants to sell it, to get rid of it. It’s like the person who has a counterfeit bill,” explained Antonio López, of the Spanish National Police unit affiliated with Valencia’s police force, at a press conference presenting the seized works.
In the cases of the Miró and Renoir forgeries, the art dealer freely presented them to the Historical Patrimony group before marketing them in order to check if they appeared as stolen in the databases, as well as to check their authenticity and avoid committing a criminal offence. That is not the usual procedure, given that museums like the Prado do not certify authenticity or appraise artwork for private individuals. The owners of the portrait attributed to Goya were not art connoisseurs and said that they had acquired it in 1999 for €228,384.70 (around $245,000) as an investment, thinking it was an original work.
The profile of the buyer and seller varies, as does the quality of the forgery. In this sense, the low price of the seized Renoir is striking, as López himself noted. It is equally unusual that Juan de Juanes’s Ecce homo was done on canvas glued to a board, given that the originals on display at the Museum of Fine Arts in Valencia and in the Prado Museum were done directly on a board. Who pays a large amount of money to buy a work of art outside the safest channels for doing so, without all the guarantees that come with it? “It’s a swindle aided by a seal. Supported by false documentation, the seller can be very persuasive and can ultimately make you believe that it’s a bargain, if that’s what you want to believe... There is a lot of greed too,” López points out. There’s also a lot of money to launder and one of the ways to accomplish that is through the purchase of artworks, the policeman adds.
There are cases of buyers who have amassed a fortune but lack basic art knowledge and fall prey to their desire to have a piece by Pablo Picasso or Joaquín Sorolla (this year marks the centennial of the latter’s death) in their homes, López says. Thus, they acquire a work and when things go wrong they decide to sell it. Then the owner discovers that it is a fake and instead of filing a complaint, they attempt to sell the work as authentic.
López posed as a buyer in an operation in which police seized five Picassos, valued at €160 million ($171 million) a few years ago. “They were sold as Picassos, but they were Pikachus,” the policeman says with a smile. In 2014, López was working on his master’s degree in art when the Valencian unit was set up, and he was assigned to it. He recalls how the forgery of an impeccable-looking Modigliani was discovered after detecting that titanium white had been used after the Italian artist’s death in 1920.
Once a work is confiscated, the police turn to the experts, heirs and foundations that monitor an artist’s legacy to verify a piece’s authenticity and confirm their suspicions. “But judges and experts decide whether a work is a forgery or not, not us,” said Marisol Conde, Valencia’s Police Commissioner.
Conde joined councilwoman Elisa Núñez at a press conference that paid tribute to the policework. The event took place at the Museo Valenciano de la Ilustración y la Modernidad (Valencia’s Museum of Art and Modernity; MuVIM) on the occasion of the exhibition False: The Art of Deception or the Deception of Art?, which displays 112 works seized by the Valencian Police. Since 2014, this unit focused on patrimony has confiscated 6,143 art and cultural objects, of which 3,803 are archaeological pieces, 1,364 coins, 684 paintings and 157 sculptures, among other items.
Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition


Is there a way to provide access to DAS on a Linux host via Fibre Channel? In other words, if I have a Linux server with DAS and an FC HBA, can I offer access to this storage via FC?
If what you are trying to do is to offer access to direct-attached storage on a Linux server to other servers via
, the answer would be no. However using
, or some other file- and storage-sharing software, you could provide access to local (DAS) storage via an IP-based network. In order to make the storage available via the
, the DAS storage would have to be disconnected from the server and attached to the SAN using some type of storage router or gateway. Keep in mind that simply SAN-attaching the storage would only provide storage sharing of different
s. You would still need some form of data sharing software, such as NAS (NFS or CIFS) or a shared SAN file system.
Dig deeper on SAN management
Using solid-state in the cloud can boost performance, but first be sure you look past cost per gigabyte and are aware of any constraints from ...continue reading
The difference between cloud backup and cloud storage comes down to application and access rather than architecture, says analyst Greg Schulz.continue reading
Have a question for an expert?
Please add a title for your question
Get answers from a TechTarget expert on whatever's puzzling you.


text:
Government lawyers believe Israel is breaking international law in war with Hamas - but have refused to announce it publicly, top Tory claims at drinks party
Alicia Kearns, chair of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, made the comments at a Tory fundraising event on March 13.
In the leaked recording, she can be heard saying: 'The Foreign Office has received official legal advice that Israel has broken international humanitarian law but the government has not announced it.'
She went on: 'They have not said it, they haven't stopped arms exports.
'They have done a few very small sanctions on Israeli settlers - and everyone internationally is agreed that settlers are illegal, that they shouldn't be doing what they're doing, and the ways in which they have continued and the money that's been put in.'
Any such legal advice would mean that the UK would have to cease all arms sales to Israel immediately because licences cannot be granted if there is a clear risk the weapons could be used in a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
MP Alicia Kearns (pictured) made the comments at a Tory fundraising event on March 13
A view of the destruction after an Israeli airstrike hits tents for displaced people on the grounds of a Gaza hospital
Israeli attacks from the air, sea, and land on the Gaza Strip persist
Israel has come under intense international scrutiny over its treatment of Palestinians during the war against Hamas following the October 7 atrocities.
In response to the leaked recording, Mr Kearns told the Observer: 'I remain convinced the Government has completed its updated assessment on whether Israel is demonstrating a commitment to international humanitarian law, and that it has concluded that Israel is not demonstrating this commitment, which is the legal determination it has to make.
'Transparency at this point is paramount, not least to uphold the international rules-based order.'
A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We keep advice on Israel's adherence to international humanitarian law under review and ministers act in accordance with that advice, for example when considering export licences.
'The content of the Government's advice is confidential.'
Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy has urged Lord Cameron and the Prime Minister to 'come clean' and publish the legal advice they have received.
He said: 'Last week I asked the Government whether or not the Foreign Secretary had received legal advice saying that there is a clear risk that items licensed by the UK might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
Displaced Palestinians gather to break their fast at a communal table set up for them at Taha Hussein school garden
Despite the ongoing Israeli attacks, a mass iftar program was arranged for Palestinian families who were forced to flee their homes due to the Israeli attacks
'I didn't get a clear answer. This raises serious questions about whether the Government is complying with its own law.
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said: 'The UK Government is on the wrong side of history.
'Their failure to call for an immediate ceasefire, and their refusal to end arm sales to Israel, will have future generations looking back in horror.
'The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary owe it to the public and to the high offices they currently hold to be honest about whether they have received advice that Israel has breached international humanitarian law.
'If reports are to be believed, and the UK Government has continued to supply arms and intelligence to Israel whilst knowing they were in breach of international humanitarian law, then the position of both would be untenable.'
A child poses with a wrecked device as Palestinians struggle to live in makeshift shelters among the rubble of houses destroyed by Israeli attacks on Al-Jenine neighborhood
Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron has repeatedly said that Israel, as the 'occupying power' in Gaza, has responsibilities under humanitarian law, including ensuring aid is supplied to civilians.
He has stressed that responsibility has 'consequences', including when the UK assesses whether Israel is compliant with international humanitarian law.
When he appeared in front of Ms Kearns' committee in January, Lord Cameron was repeatedly questioned about the legal advice he has received.
'I cannot recall every single bit of paper that has been put in front of me,' he told Ms Kearns.
'I look at everything. Of course, there are a lot of things that have happened where you think surely that was something that shouldn't have happened.'


text:
fav food? actually i do have lot fav food ( im kinda a carnivora, i reckon :D) but most of all, McD french fries is on number 1.
Why french fries? Actually im a potato lover. i love all kind of food that made from potato, from mashed potato tp perkedel, you say it, i love it all. I even like it more better than rice, my staple food. I dont know why, it just comes that way.
Why McD? well, in my personnaly taste, McD has the best french fries compare than any junk foods, of course i love patat ( potato fries on dutch way ), but McD has a long history on my childhood. I used to go to McD every Sunday ( while McD just started invanded Jakarta) and maybe i just brain washed by my parents who always said to me, " The best french fries is the one that McD has". Well, maybe.
The other fact of me, potato is always my comfort food. I always get it when I upset down, and it could brings me the feeling safe and home that i really need to have.
And writting as well, it helps me a lot to heal my feelings tough. :)
Well, after writting this, i feel hungry. Where's my food?

domain: food


Ukraine Defense Chief’s Removal on Hold Amid Security Risks
(Bloomberg) -- A shakeup involving the replacement of Ukraine’s defense chief may be delayed as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s government braces for a Russian offensive.
Most Read from Bloomberg
Quake Toll Hits 4,000 in Turkey, Syria as Overseas Aid Flows
US Moves to Recover Chinese Balloon While Weighing Retaliation
Chinese Balloons Were Spotted Near US Bases During Trump’s Era
Trump Charges in Georgia Over 2020 Could Lead to Bigger Fed Case
A day after a senior lawmaker in Zelenskiy’s party announced that Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov will be replaced by Ukraine’s head of military intelligence, a parliamentary official said no decisions on staff changes will be made this week.
The delay is due to “risks to the system as a whole” ahead of a key meeting on weapons deliveries this week and military preparations, Mariana Bezuhla, the deputy chair of the Ukrainian parliament’s defense and intelligence committee, said in a statement on Facebook.
The back-and-forth casts uncertainty over the fate of Reznikov, who has been forced to defend his ministry against charges that officials had been skimming funds off military food supplies. The minister and his staff have denied the accusations.
The personnel decision ultimately lies with Zelenskiy, whose office didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
David Arakhamiya, the parliamentary for Zelenskiy’s party, said on Sunday that Reznikov would take on a new post within the cabinet — and followed up with a Telegram post confirming that no decisions would be made this week.
Ukraine has been cracking down on corruption under pressure from allies supporting the country militarily and from a public demanding fairness. Last week authorities carried out raids across the country, a dragnet that included searches of a tycoon once close to Zelenskiy, a top tax official and a former head of military procurement.
A former lawyer appointed to the post in 2021, Reznikov, 56, has been a central architect of Ukraine’s defense against Vladimir Putin’s invasion. The minister has been a leading pitchman for increasingly sophisticated weapons from the US and European allies — and spearheaded Ukraine’s change in fortunes last year as the military pushed back Russian forces in a series of blistering counteroffensives.
Arakhamiya said he would be replaced by Major General Kyrylo Budanov, because “the time and circumstances demand strengthening and regrouping.”
“The enemy is preparing to launch an offensive. We are preparing to defend and to return ours,” Arakhamiya said in his post Sunday evening. “At this stage, law enforcement agencies should be headed not by politicians but by career military.”
Reznikov and his ministry denied accusations that surfaced in a report in January that subordinates had deliberately bought staples for the army at inflated prices for their own profit.
Reznikov will shift to heading the Ministry for Strategic Industries, Arakhamiya said. “It is absolutely logical, taking Reznikov’s experience and need to improve the ministry that must do more,” he said.
--With assistance from Volodymyr Verbyany.
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
That Zoom Meeting Really Could Have Been a Simple Phone Call
Activists Return to Big Attacks With $400 Billion Chase List
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.


text:
6. Model calculation for a protoplanetary disk
6.1. Equations for the disk structure
The calculation of the structure of a protoplanetary accretion disk is based on the semi-analytical model for a thin stationary accretion disk of Duschl et al. (1996) 4. The details of the approximations on which this model is based on are described there. The resulting basic equations for the disk structure are
where s is the radial distance from the protosun in units AU, is the surface density, h the (half) thickness of the disk, M the mass of the protostar in solar masses, the constant accretion rate in units of , and P and T are the pressure and temperature in the midplane of the disk, respectively. is the Rosseland mean mass extinction coefficient and µ the mean molecular weight. The opacity is determined by the opacity of the dust and the gas. The approximation for due to dust used in the model calculation is described below. The opacity of the gas component is calculated from the analytical approximations given by Bell & Lin (1994). The details of the approximation of the gas opacity as used in this model calculation are described in Finocchi et al. (1997). The basic parameters of the disk used for the model calculation are listed in Table 2.
Table 2. Model parameters of the accretion disk used in the computation of disk structure
(see Fig. 1). This corresponds to the characteristic timescale for temperature changes experienced by a dust grain as it spirals inwards with a radial drift velocity component given by (65).
6.2. Absorption by dust grains
The disk structure depends strongly on the mass extinction coefficient of the disk material. Throughout most part of the accretion disk the opacity is dominated by the strong absorption and scattering by the dust grains. As we have seen above, there exist many different kinds of dust species in different parts of the accretion disk, depending on the local pressure and temperature conditions. At least the contribution of the most abundant of the various species to the total opacity has to be considered in a model calculation of the disk structure. The dust mixture used in this calculation is that of the P94 model of Pollack et al. (1994) as specified in Sect. 2and the mixture of aluminium compounds predicted from chemical equilibrium calculations at temperatures where silicate and iron grains are already destroyed.
The composition of the P94 dust mixture does not correspond to the mixture obtained by any thermodynamic equilibrium composition at some pressure P and temperature T. It results from contributions from various sources, stellar and interstellar ones, where it is believed to be formed under extreme non-equilibrium conditions. The mixture will be subject to changes in the relative fraction of its constituents as the inwards drifting disk material gradually becomes warmer. This has to be considered in calculating the dust opacity.
In calculating the opacity of the dust we do not consider the full set of dust components existing in the disk but only the following four species:
In our present model calculation we do not consider the carbon dust component since we have not included the complex chemistry of carbon dust destruction (see Finocchi et al. 1997) in this model calculation. The troilite dust component of the P94 dust mixture is neglected in our calculation of the dust opacity, since this species is only a minor absorber (eg. Pollack et al. 1994). It is simply treated as being iron in the opacity calculation. The SiO2 dust component assumed to be present in the P94 dust mixture is treated in the opacity calculation as being a silicate.
Real iron grains in an accretion disk are not really pure iron particles but their material is a solid solution of iron with an admixture of several percent of nickel and small contents of some other elements. This is not considered in our calculations of the opacity of such grains. Further we do not consider that after annealing of the dirty astronomical silicate the crystalline silicate grains resulting from this may contain tiny inclusions of for instance iron grains or of aluminium-calcium compounds.
The Rosseland mean opacities of these four dust materials was calculated as follows: For a dense grid of particle radii a and frequencies the extinction coefficient was calculated by Mie theory for spherical grains for each a and . The complex index of refraction for the dust materials was chosen as discussed above. The reciprocal 's first are integrated numerically over the paricle size distribution and the result is used to calculate the Rosseland mean opacities by a numerical integration according to the standard definition of . The results are shown in Fig. 14. We assumed in this calculation that the dust grains are distributed in size between and m according to the widely accepted Mathis-Rumpl-Nordsiek (MRN) size distribution (Mathis et al. 1977). This is a reasonable assumption for the silicate dust grains since the MRN radius spectrum is assumed to describe well the size of interstellar grains. Though one expects that grains in the cold outer part of the accretion disk have agglomerated into bigger sized clusters of particles (Stognienko et al. 1995), these agglomerates are bound only by weak van der Waals forces. They are expected to disintegrate again in the warm parts of the accretion disk (T at least several 100 K), in which we are interested in this paper. More recent models for interstellar dust absorption favour a different distribution of grain sizes for the silicate grain component of the dust mixture (Li & Greenberg 1997) or for all components (Mathis 1996). Since the dust grains prior to the onset of planetesimal formation all are small compared to the wavelengths of interest even in the warm parts of the accretion disk, the extinction does not depend on the special choice of the size distribution of grains. In the cold part of the accretion disk, however, the grains are likely to have a porous fluffy structure and the extinction then depends on the size and structure of the dust aggregates (Miyake & Nakagawa 1993, Stognienko et al. 1995).
For the iron and the aluminium dust component the assumption of a MRN distribution is rather arbitrary. It is used in default of any information on the real sizes of such grains.
As can be seen from Fig. 14 the most efficient absorber in the inner parts of the accretion disk is the "dirty astronomical silicate". It dominates the opacity of the disk matter until it is converted into crystalline silicate due to annealing at elevated temperatures (see below). After annealing of the amorphous silicate dust the opacity is dominated by the opacity of the iron grains which are more efficient absorbers than the crystalline silicates. Once the iron grains are vapourised the extinction is dominated by the aluminium compounds until also these grains are destroyed close to the star. The disappearance of certain dust materials with increasing temperature obviously is accompanied at each step by a strong decrease of the extinction coefficient. This has strong implications for the structure of the accretion disk, as we shall see in Sect. 8.
© European Southern Observatory (ESO) 1998
Online publication: March 30, 1998

domain: chemistry


text:
Leicester City has been “charged with being in breach of the maximum” $132M spending lossesGetty Images
English Football League club Leicester City is “considering legal action” after being charged by the Premier League with two breaches of financial rules that “could land them with a points deduction next season if they return to the top flight,” according to Martyn Ziegler of the London TIMES. Ziegler noted the Premier League says that clubs “must still submit accounts for the previous three seasons even if they are relegated.” Leicester City, who went down to the EFL last season, has been “charged with being in breach of the maximum” $132M spending losses and for "failing to submit audited accounts." If proved, that could mean a “sanction similar to Everton’s six-point deduction.” The case is the “fourth in the past year” of a club being charged by the Premier League with breaching its Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR), with two charges against Everton and one against Nottingham Forest, who was docked four points earlier this week. The Leicester City case is the “most complex so far, however, and is likely to drag on well into next season.” Leicester City is in the second automatic promotion spot with nine matches left (London TIMES, 3/21).

domain: sports


Among all the equipment in your vehicle, belts and hoses have the shortest lifespan. These components often crack, leak, or fray due to their constant exposure to heat, vibration, and other harmful chemicals. If not promptly replaced and maintained, it could spell disaster for your vehicle’s performance.
Belt and hose evaluations based solely on their appearance are not enough. Boswells Auto Repair Shop, we recommend diligent inspection, and are here to do it. After the inspection, our ASE-certified technicians will let know you if you need a belts and hoses replacement.
The engine drives some of your vehicle’s accessories. Instead of being supplied by electric power, these accessories rely on a series of pulleys and belts to operate. Some of these accessories include:
If you think of hoses as your vehicle’s circulatory system, then you’ll have an appropriate representation of their importance. Hoses are composed of two rubber layers with fabric in between. Types of hoses vary on make and model, but typically include:
Boswell's Auto Repair Shop wants to give a simple reminder to get your vehicle’s belts and hoses inspected on a regular basis because damaged pieces can seriously harm your vehicle. Research shows that although most people get regular oil changes, they neglect to get the condition of their belts and hoses checked. Keep in mind that a leaking hose or a cracked belt will cause you more trouble than an overdue oil change ever will.
Don't overlook the importance of maintaining your vehicle's belts and hoses. Trust the professionals at Boswells Auto Repair for top-notch automotive belt & hose inspection and replacement services. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or to learn more about how we can help you keep your vehicle running smoothly.


text:
This April, I was fortunate enough to get to go back to Iceland to film Stephanie and Bruno’s gorgeous elopement in the southern part of the country. These two decided to forego tradition and spend their wedding day exploring a new country together – just the two of them. And it was beautiful. The day before their wedding ceremony we drove to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and spent a few hours looking at the coast and doing their engagement shoot. It was brutally windy and cold, but Bruno and Stephanie braved it anyway. We just huddled under coats and ran back to the car to get warm in between locations.
The next morning we all met Stephanie and Bruno at their hotel in Reykjavic, where they chose to get ready together. Then, we drove two hours to a little town near Iceland’s south coast to meet their wedding officiant. Soon, we were standing in front of a lovely waterfall a bit off the beaten path. Stephanie and Bruno said their vows to one another underneath it, the roar of the water so loud that only they could hear the promises they made. A few curious hikers stopped to watch the ceremony and offer congratulations, and one of them even ended up signing the marriage certificate as a witness!
After the ceremony, we drove along the South Coast to Vik, where we explored the black sand beaches and caves along the coast. The whole day was rainy (I don’t think my lens was fully dry from the time we stepped outside until checking into our AirBnB that night!). We stood on cliffs and watched the waves crashing, and just as the sun was setting we were suddenly surrounded by dozens of puffins. Watching them nestle into the grassy cliff-side while the sky darkened was the perfect end to an amazing day.
Thanks to Stephanie and Bruno for having me there to document this! And big thanks to G. Riggieri Photography, who was a dream to work alongside and travel with.
I never get tired of going to Iceland, so if you’re eloping there (or anywhere else) and you’re looking for videography, get in touch! We can’t wait to meet you.
Join our email list and download our free guide to whatever you can offer your clients of value!!


text:
It should come as no surprise to me that Salisir would lie, but I feel like a fool for buying it. He had already asked Fodafa for permission to leave a few days ago, slipping into the city while we were busy speaking with Wudan’s grandmother. He left us surreptitiously last night to get our pass, and was back before we were up to move.
We truly are untrustworthy children.
What’s worse is that Hembila has chosen to be our escort from Fodafa’s territory. He made it clear that he wasn’t just there to protect us, he was there to keep our “corruption” from ruining their land. Again we do not know his full strength, though by the end of the day we guessed there were perhaps thirty men traveling with us. They treat us with a hostility that was not present in our trip to Motasta. They all watch Dionus.
My friend has withdrawn into himself, keeping his eyes lowered and his lips sealed. His rage remains kindled by these men that surround us. I can sense the Atmosphere respond to his anger, something I continue to try and bring to his attention. Balthandar and I spent the day walking on either side of him. Guard up.
Salisir says that Hembila’s men will leave us within the month. If they don’t alter their posturing, they may not live so long.
Along with Inifra and Timber, Wudan has come with us. He did not want to stay in Banditown, and though his mother and grandmother protested at first, I think they were proud to see him off with us. They believe Wudan will be a great man, and the only way to become great is to do great things. Let us hope the great things we lead him to are not terror and sudden death in the depths of the Nanten.
To keep his mind off our escort, I started asking Dionus questions about Wudan. The potential applications of his ability to suppress or amplify the Atmosphere around him are a fascinating thing upon which to ponder. We cannot sense him use them at all until they are in full force. It makes sense, then, that the Daedra wouldn’t have found him before.
After thinking upon it, Dionus’ prevailing theory is that the Daedra were coming for us. Perhaps they had followed us into the city from the jungle, but in any case we are not so good at hiding our trail as we should like. Wudan knew we were there, and though he seems especially attuned to the Atmosphere we can only assume that there are others who can sense us as well. His kidnappers clearly sensed us coming before they would have seen us in the street.
Dionus thinks that they only diverted to Wudan because they could feel him reaching out to find us and realized what he was. Not only would he be easier prey, I imagine he would be more useful to them than we would. What concerns me most, then, is how certain I am that there were others we never saw. It means the Daedra are fully aware of Wudan’s existence now. They will try to take him again.
Timber doesn’t fully appreciate having Wudan along yet, but I think it will be good for her to have another child around. She’s made it clear that she expects her lessons with her blade to continue as we travel. It’s becoming one of my favorite parts of the day.
Salisir has said that he needs to mobilize Yatusu in the northeast, a feat that sounds impossible to hear him describe it. Yatusu and the Sondu aren’t natural enemies so to speak, but they are complete opposites in how they lead their people and what they hope for the future. The Sondu are obviously a strict monarchy, and hold to the claim their lineage places upon the Oaken Throne. The people of Yatusu, however, believe in a form of meritocracy. Their leader, Oroun, leads because his people deem him the most worthy to do so.
The Sondu and, by extension, the people of Motasta believe in noble hierarchy. The people of Yatusu do not. Neither nation much respects the other’s way of life.
The danger I see in the Sondu is that they are rigid. Though I can see differences in them, Fodafa and Hembila share this pride. As I watch Hembila struggle with this duty he has chosen for himself, to escort us from his home, I fear that if he cannot learn to bend, he will break.

domain: literature


text:
Postpartum Depression: Killing Moms Softly in America
Over the past two decades, many Americans have encountered numerous tragic and horrific stories on the daily and nightly news, most involving mothers who suffered silently with postpartum depression and ultimately did the unthinkable: took the lives of their children. The most unforgettable story in American history has been that of Andrea Yates, who, like many mothers, suffered with postpartum depression and did not receive proper treatment. Andrea came to a breaking point and drowned all five of her young children in the bathtub. One way that postpartum depression can be defined is as an “abnormal” mental state that involves feelings of “extreme sadness,” worthlessness, and hopelessness after giving birth (Mosby, 2009, p. 531). Another source describes it as a condition in which the mother who has given birth experiences “anxiety, mental confusion, low maternal self-esteem, a limited sense of self-efficacy with regard to parenting, and intense shame and guilt surrounding one’s experience of depression” (Paris, Bolton, and Weinberg, 2009, pp. 309-310). Many moms in the United States suffer from postpartum depression due to hormonal changes and many life stressors. The incidence of postpartum depression in the United States can be reduced by monitoring the mother’s mental health throughout pregnancy, getting the family actively involved during the pregnancy as well as after childbirth, and helping the mother find support groups.
The Existence of Postpartum Depression and Its Causes click here for more information on this paper
The incidence of postpartum depression in the United States is steadily rising. According to Field (2010), 20% to 40% of mothers who were a part of a large study sample reported having postpartum depression. In addition, Tracy (2012) states that “400,000 children are born to depressed mothers every year,” which is an alarming statistic due to the danger that the mothers and the children may face. Fluctuating hormone levels and many life stressors are the main causes for the development of postpartum depression. The development of postpartum depression is due to a combination of “biological vulnerability, psychological factors, and life stressors” (Harvard Medical School, 2011, p. 1). Life stressors include fatigue and lack of support from friends and/or family. There have been many research studies conducted on postpartum depression, and statistical data suggests that postpartum depression tends to be underreported and misdiagnosed. When postpartum depression is not properly treated, it poses a major threat to the life of the child and mother.
Fluctuating Hormone Levels
A woman’s hormone levels tend to fluctuate depending upon the monthly menstrual cycle as well as with pregnancy. Two main reproductive hormones focused on during pregnancy are estrogen and progesterone. According to Harvard Medical School (2011), a dramatic rise in the levels of estrogen and progesterone occurs during pregnancy. Estrogen and progesterone help the uterus expand to allow the baby room to grow, keeping the lining of the uterus intact, and helping to preserve the placenta (Harvard Medical School, 2011). Forty-eight hours after childbirth, estrogen and progesterone levels plunge fairly rapidly (Harvard Medical School, 2011). This can lead to emotional instability in the mother, which can lead to the development of postpartum depression.
The stresses of daily life can take a toll on a person’s health. Too much stress can lead to heart attacks and strokes, and even to the development of postpartum depression. Sometimes unexpected events take place such as the loss of a job or the loss of a loved one. According to Harvard Medical School (2011), when parents experience these types of life stresses, the risk of developing postpartum depression increases.
Taking care of a newborn baby can be exhausting. Sleep deprivation has not yet proven to be a direct cause of postpartum depression; however, it can cause a person to have an altered mental state. Harvard Medical School (2011) reported that one study they reviewed found that sleep disturbances increased a woman’s risk of developing postpartum depression.
Lack of Support
Support from family and friends plays a significant role on a mother’s mental health. If the mother feels as though no one cares about her or the unborn child, it can take a toll on her mental state. In addition, if the mother is experiencing problems in her marriage or relationship with her significant other, this could also increase her risk of developing postpartum depression (Harvard Medical School, 2011).
Criteria for an Effective Solution
A solution must meet certain goals in order to be effective and avoid creating new problems that simply replace the ones it is trying to solve.
To solve the problem of post-partum depression effectively, women must be sufficiently educated about it. In addition, educational materials must be current and accessible to all women across the United States. Many testimonials exist of women who were not given the proper education on postpartum depression. According to Glavin, Smith, Sorum and Ellefsen (2010), one problem with detecting postpartum depression is the lack of knowledge that women have about the condition.
It is no secret that healthcare in the United States is expensive and many U.S. citizens are not able to afford it, especially when it comes to mental health. According to Glavin et al. (2010), economic hardship was reported to be one cause of low treatment rates for women who were at-risk for developing postpartum depression (as reported by Horowitz & Cousins, 2006). Insel (2011) reports that the direct cost of mental health in the United States represents around 6% of overall healthcare costs and of all Americans, 36.2 million paid for mental health services; which totaled $57.5 billion in 2006. This data implies that nowadays, the cost of mental health services is much higher due to inflation and rising costs of healthcare. In order for women to seek help for postpartum depression, mental health services must be affordable, especially for women of low-economic status. In addition, funding is needed for updated printed materials on postpartum depression for every healthcare institution or clinic.
Protection of Patient Rights
In order to avoid violating the rights of the patient, all patient records, including a patient’s medical history, must remain confidential at all times according to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. However, medical information can be shared with other healthcare providers if the patient has signed a release or consent form.
Women who may suffer from postpartum depression must not feel as though they are being judged by others because of how they feel as resulting stigma may prevent women from seeking help for postpartum depression.
The Most Effective Solution to Postpartum Depression
Many research studies conducted on postpartum depression suggest medication as a form of treatment for this condition. However, medicine can have side effects and is often not an ideal solution. If there were other solutions in place to prevent postpartum depression from happening, then medication could be avoided all together. The most effective solutions for reducing the incidence of postpartum depression in the U.S. include monitoring the mother’s mental health throughout the pregnancy, getting the family actively involved during and after the pregnancy, and helping the mother find a support group to join.
Monitoring Mental Health
Monitoring the mother’s mental health throughout her pregnancy can help detect mental disturbances early. One U.S. research study found that having a universal screening tool for postpartum depression led to improved maternal outcomes at 12 months after childbirth (Yawn, Dietrich, Wollan, Bertram, Graham, Huff, Kurland, Madison & Pace, 2012). Monitoring the mother’s mental health during routine prenatal check-ups would involve asking the mother questions about her mood, sleep pattern, and about any stress that she may be experiencing. “Screening and early intervention on perinatal depression have the potential to reduce adverse outcomes for women, infants, and families” (Spooner, Rastle, & Elmore, 2012, p. 1208). In addition, Spooner et al. (2012) also mention that the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is the most common screening tool used to detect postpartum depression. Therefore, it is essential for all prenatal and postnatal care physicians to use this tool to screen for depression.
Getting the family actively involved during the pregnancy and after child birth is another effective solution. According to the American Psychological Association (2013), one successful strategy to prevent postpartum depression is to ensure friends and relatives will be supportive to the mother. Patel and Wisner (2012) found that women prefer psychiatric therapy with support from family and friends in addition to mental health specialists and more accessible treatments.
Helping at-risk mothers find support groups is another effective solution to reducing the incidence of postpartum depression. According to Glavin et al. (2011), one study found that a group of women who received support from their peers (other women who had given birth) were less likely to develop postpartum depression than those who did not. In fact, receiving support from their peers decreased their chances of developing postpartum depression by half (Galvin et al, 2011). Another research article stated, “Peers have been suggested as a potentially more cost-effective and acceptable source of support for mothers with postpartum depression” (Letourneau, Stewart, Dennis, Hegadoren, Duffet-Leger, & Watson, 2011, p. 346). In addition, women who had more support from peers had lower scores on the postpartum depression scale (Letourneau et al, 2011). Furthermore, the study found that mothers prefer to receive support from other mothers who have experienced postpartum depression because they are able to share their experiences with one another openly (Letourneau et al, 2011).
Implementing Solutions to Postpartum Depression
In order to implement the solution of monitoring the mother’s mental health during pregnancy, the obstetrician must first establish a good relationship with the patient. Most patients tend to be less trustworthy of a physician who does not take the time out to ask about their mood and how they have been feeling. The obstetrician should be linked with a psychiatrist specializing in women’s health. However, for this to occur, the physician or healthcare facility must have the appropriate funding. So, it will be necessary for them to seek out funding from the government or other resources. Funding will ensure physicians have necessary materials and equipment to detect depression early and minimize the mother’s risk of developing postpartum depression.
Sometimes getting family and friends actively involved during the pregnancy is difficult, especially if there are strained relationships in the mix. In order to implement this solution, it is essential for the obstetrician and the mother to sit down with the family and discuss what the mother may need emotionally and physically during the pregnancy. It is important for the family to make sure they remain positive and refrain from speaking negatively in order to ensure that the mother keeps a positive mindset during her pregnancy. Support from family and friends after the birth of the child is also important. They should not center everything around the baby, but include the mother also. The physician should also be the one to suggest the mother find a local support groups beyond the family.
Clearly, postpartum depression has become a major problem in the United States. Postpartum depression can take many moms to a cold and dark place in their lives and when they fail to seek help, mostly out of fear of being judged, it can endanger the lives of the children and the mothers. No woman wants to admit that she is hostile toward her newborn child or that she has no desire to care for the child, but speaking out and getting help is best when those feelings start to surface. However, postpartum depression can be prevented by the monitoring of the mother’s mental health throughout the pregnancy, getting the family actively involved during and after the pregnancy, and helping the mother find support groups to join. Postpartum depression no longer has to be kept a secret. It is time that there is some light shed on this dark issue in America in order to save the lives of many women and children across the nation.

domain: sociology


text:
A couple of posts back, I mentioned that Catl would be playing some release shows later in January to celebrate the release of their debut LP, "¿Adónde vas? A ningún lado" - the artwork for which was done by none other than rising comics star Jeff Lemire.
Without further ado then, here is that new Catl artwork --
Mr. Lemire, as you'll recall, also did the viciously awesome cover art for No No Zero's "Rough Stuff" record (a nice fat scan of which appears in this recent post). But what else has Jeff done?
Primarily, Lemire is known for his work in the graphic novel form, and it was his debut in this medium, 2005's Lost Dogs, which first made his name, winning him a Xeric in the process.
His follow-up was ambitious and has won him unambiguous accolades: a trilogy of graphic novels spanning nearly a century in the part of Ontario Lemire hails from, Essex County (which gives the trilogy its name).
The first two books - Tales From The Farm and Ghost Stories - were released in 2007, and the final installment The Country Nurse in 2008 - just listed as one of New York Magazine's Top Ten Graphic Novels for 2008, in fact. All three books (already nominated for a couple of Eisners) will be issued in one ginormous compilation edition later this year, with the addition of some 40 bonus pages. Wow.
So 2009 is shaping up to be the year of Lemire. Not only is a compiled Essex County Trilogy sure to have media milling to praise his skills, but he will also be releasing a new graphic novel for DC/Vertigo entitled The Nobody. There are some pages available online from this latest work in progress, and I must say it promises to be great stuff, decidedly different in tone from Essex County and more of a traditional 'superhero book' by the looks of things.
If superheroes are your bag, be sure to drop by Lemire's blog, where he regularly posts watercolour superhero pics and his own unique spin on any number of cult favourites, as well as a goodly number of his own links and suggestions to Jeff's faves.
Comic art collectors may wish to note that the Catl LP is limited to a vinyl run of only 300 copies, and those LP release shows are coming up shortly: January 23rd at the Silver Dollar in Toronto, and January 24th at Isabella's in Oshawa.
I close with some more examples of Jeff Lemire's art, which I have pilfered from his blog.

domain: artistic


We had hoped to see the new Ricoh Z75 at PRINTING United, but we got the second best, namely Mike Herold, Director of Global Marketing, AND some stunning print samples. In this film, we talk about the market. Though Herold doesn’t say anything directly about this, I believe the quality of the range of substrates the Z75 can print on is a B2 format toner-based killer – or at least a very interesting consideration. Even though the quality is very high and with high densities, the operational cost of an inkjet machine is considered lower than a toner-based one. For the printers, of course, very good news! Looking forward to getting a chance to see the machine in action with a PSP. I like this interview, so dig in!


text:
PSAatSAN4Ever wrote:Congratulations to EZE and Edelweiss Air! And HB-JMG, which was my plane flying ZRH-SAN last year...
Isn't it funny that a few years ago the A340 seemed to be on its way out (the A330 was SO much more efficient!)? I had actually written the type off on my "bucket list" of types, but the LH groups is really finding markets for them!!
PatrickZ80 wrote:Seems like a lot of European airlines are starting Buenos Aires lately. KLM, Norwegian, Alitalia, Level and now Edelweiss and I'm sure I've forgotten some. I wonder who's going to pull out first as the market between Europe and Buenos Aires seems to be heavily overserved.
cedars747 wrote:I wish them good luck especially in the current economic crisis in Argentina.
cedars747 wrote:The airline business relies on feed on both ends of a route. If travel drops at one end due to currency fluctuations (devaluations) it means it has become cheaper for the other end. So, it evens out.
This is the problem, Europe has its things too. In Norway for example the dollar went to the clouds.
geoshina wrote:The only drawback seems to be with Air Canada so far.
Let's hope once they get more 787 they can return to daily separate SCL and EZE flights.
To consider also is the rather poor timing of the northbound flight, that is a daytime one and arriving at YYZ too late for connections to Europe or Asia. Traditionally, AC (and CP before) did very good business with those Asia bound passengers. Clearly something went amiss with separating both destinations.
upperdeckfan wrote:To consider also is the rather poor timing of the northbound flight, that is a daytime one and arriving at YYZ too late for connections to Europe or Asia. Traditionally, AC (and CP before) did very good business with those Asia bound passengers. Clearly something went amiss with separating both destinations.
AC will have to rely on Canada-Argentina O&D, these days Argentina-Asia traffic is being funneled through EK & QR and hard to see many flying EZE-YYZ-Europe with every major capital in Europe is connected non stop to EZE
Military Aircraft Every type from fighters to helicopters from air forces around the globe
Classic Airliners Props and jets from the good old days
Flight Decks Views from inside the cockpit
Aircraft Cabins Passenger cabin shots showing seat arrangements as well as cargo aircraft interior
Cargo Aircraft Pictures of great freighter aircraft
Government Aircraft Aircraft flying government officials
Helicopters Our large helicopter section. Both military and civil versions
Blimps / Airships Everything from the Goodyear blimp to the Zeppelin
Night Photos Beautiful shots taken while the sun is below the horizon
Accidents Accident, incident and crash related photos
Air to Air Photos taken by airborne photographers of airborne aircraft
Special Paint Schemes Aircraft painted in beautiful and original liveries
Airport Overviews Airport overviews from the air or ground
Tails and Winglets Tail and Winglet closeups with beautiful airline logos


text:
Since 2012, from late February to early March, the Quartz - Scène Nationale of Brest, in collaboration with different cultural organisations from Brest, organises a one-week Festival entirely dedicated to dance. Thus, the Quartz and the Centre National des Arts de la Rue le Fourneau jointly invite companies to perform in the public space of Brest during one week.
More info Read further >>
Since 2008, The National Centre for Street Arts le Fourneau and its birthplace town, le Relecq-Kerhuon, have been working together to develop a common area to experiment and create street theatre.
All year round, le Fourneau and the Town Council jointly organise events with a particular twist involving companies in residence who wish to get audience feedback on their performances, and by proposing regular artistic gatherings such as Les Pique-Niques Kerhorres. Local residents and visitors (...) Read further >>
The community breath of Le Mai des Arts du Pays de Morlaix finds a continuation in the FAR, International Festival of Street Theatre in Brittany, gathering thus a whole territory around a common culture : the Street Theatre.
The Pays de Morlaix will again be the theatre of surprising artistic discoveries, creations fed by the everyday life, improbable reveries and craziest desires, always with this will to cultivate an artistic presence as close as possible to inhabitants, to generate (...) Read further >>
Initiated by Morlaix Communauté and the National Centre for Street Arts le Fourneau, le Mai des Arts du Pays de Morlaix is a journey in the heart of the 28 councils of the community. Shows creation and artists residencies as close to inhabitants, times for meetings and conviviality are, since 2001, the ingredients of le Mai des Arts success.
In France, and now accross the Channel, thanks to the European network ZEPA, le Mai des Arts is often quoted as an example of performing arts’ (...) Read further >>
« Nevez amzer ar ribinou » is an artistic journey in 13 episodes which began in spring 2009 thanks to the complicity of the Communauté de Communes and of the National Centre for Street Arts Le Fourneau. Each spring, the communities of the 13 councils of Le Pays des Abers and elsewhere are invited to play with space and time, to share artistic feelings in a friendly way through Le Pays des Abers’ areas. Four days of discovery of the multiple facets of Street Theatre nowadays, from spectacular to (...) Read further >>
After 10 years in la Garenne, The National Centre for Street Arts le Fourneau moved in 2010 to a new 3000 m2 space entirely dedicated to street artists: Le Verger, a result of a partnership with the association Les Vieilles Charrues. To discover what hides behind this Garden of Curiosity, the audience has to go through a huge gate, an original piece of work from Gérard Burattini, a “free comedian-artist” as he likes to introduce himself. We venture then into a timeless space where curiosity, (...) Read further >>
Since 2010, the National Centre for Street Arts le Fourneau and Les Vieilles Charrues have worked together to offer to the community living in the centre of Brittany a free artistic event in spring, in anticipation of a big summer event: les Vieilles Charrues.
More information on le Fourneau website. Read further >>


Nestled along Highway 231, 52 miles Northwest of Spokane, is an unincorporated area called Ford. With plenty of trees and open areas, it makes for a secluded camping spot or a peaceful place to call home. That is exactly what drew Paul and Marlene Coffman to the area, when they were searching for a property of their own in 2016. When they stumbled upon the 22 acre parcel, now known as Happy Meadows, they knew it was for them. Despite being strewn with garbage and building refuse, Marlene could feel the peace that surpassed the chaos of the impending clean up. It took two years, and daily trips to the dump as they traveled to their jobs in Spokane, but it eventually became a haven for them and their friends to relax and enjoy nature.
They began hosting events on their property in 2018, and since then, they have seen many friendly and familiar faces return. Paul began offering event managers their land for rent to host gatherings of all kinds from weddings to family camping weekends to their most recent event, GlowFest. They have established a natural outdoor amphitheater that works beautifully for drum circles, a separate stage for performances or live music, and at the center of Happy Meadows, a permanent tent kitchen, which is run by friend Levi, of Harrington, WA. Along the perimeter of the acreage are campsites for campers and vendors. Vendors of all varieties return a few times each year to enjoy the serenity that Happy Meadows offers, no matter what type of event is being hosted. Marlene is very proud of the “family” that they have become through hosting at her property.
Paul spoke with excitement as he shared his plans to expand Happy Meadows as a business venture. He is looking forward with anticipation to next year, when Happy Meadows will be the official event host, rather than just the property host. Paul and Marlene are busy planning all the details to make their property an event center, taking the pressure off the production companies to secure the behind-the-scenes workings to run an event. They will use their connections with friends and neighbors to build business relationships, which only adds impetus to their end goals. The feeling of community is truly what makes Happy Meadows special. From returning vendors, to traveling campers who frequent the events at the site, and former event hosts, they have truly built a wonderful village of loving support.
Their friend, SafeT has built a “Tree of Life” from recycled materials with the help of Paul and a few others. They have used resources from both Paul’s land as well as neighboring areas, and they invite their guests and friends to hand handmade wrapped ornaments from the tree to commemorate their visits to Happy Meadows. It was wonderful to be able to visit and be welcomed with open arms into the “family” and to be serenaded with a drum circle of happy drummers and encouraged to visit again at future events. SafeT will be hosting “SafeT Stock” in August, which will be a 50th anniversary commemoration of Woodstock, and will be an unplugged event with the goal of promoting peace and harmony with each other and the world.


text:
Business match-making event opens its door on Wednesday
By John Liu, The China Post
May 16, 2014, 12:05 am TWN
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- A series of business match-making events tailored for small- and medium-sized enterprises kick-started on Wednesday, and 25 businesses were showcased to match their products with capital, marketing and technology resources available to the public.
The match-making program, sponsored by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), is estimated to create more than NT$100 million in business value.
In his speech at the event yesterday, Vice Economics Minister Cho Shih-chao (卓士昭) said there are nearly 1.3 million small- and medium-sized enterprises in Taiwan, comprising more than 97 percent of all businesses and employing 78 percent of the workforce.
In recognition of their importance to the economy, the MOEA has held similar business match-making events since 2007. The platform aims to increase public exposure for some exceptional businesses and their products.
A total of 25 businesses were showcased at Wednesday's event. Products presented by them fell into three broad categories: information electronics, green energy and conservation as well as mechanics and commodities. About 400 people attended the event yesterday, the MOEA said.
Among participating companies, Wei Ka Information is launching a cloud-based platform to promote products through videos. The company offers to shoot videos to advertise other companies' products for free. Videos are then uploaded to the cloud. If a purchase is made, the company takes a commission. The company has received a patent for its technology.
Linkulife, another e-commerce player, is launching a mobile transaction system that allows consumers to make purchases via their smartphones. In order to make use of the service, consumers have to download an application (app), while merchants need to install the system. The app serves as an e-wallet and allows transactions through credit cards, debit cards, membership cards, value cards, etc. The company is seeking partnership with merchants to expand the payment network.
Jrsys, another cloud-based service provider, offers digital certificates, identification, verification and validation through software and mobile devices. A winner of the APICTA 2013 Security Grand Award, the company has signed a contract or memorandum of cooperation with entities in nearly 50 countries, according to the company's website. Its Cloud Security solutions include All-in-One Secure single sign-on (SSO) and dynamic one-time password (OTP), which provide strong authentication solutions. Database Encrypter and NAS Encrypter also provide strong data encryption solutions.
MOST POPULAR OF THIS SECTION

domain: finance


Hannz Tactiq is one of the most sought after music producers in the country. He met his fan Ingrid Ndera, a student of Hilton High School at his studios in Kabalagala.
Hi Hannz. It’s nice to finally meet you. I thought I would see you last term when you emerged the winner at the annual Hilton High School awards as best producer, but you didn’t show up. How is life?
Life is okay and I’m so privileged to know I was the winner. So who received my award and when should I pick it?
You should come and pick it up next term. It’s with our entertainment prefect. So what is new form Hannz?
A lot is coming up but we just released Navio and Young Mulo’s track titled Omukwomu. It’s a nice song and will surely become a hit.
Do you love what you are doing?
Yes of course. If I didn’t, I would have changed professions a long time ago. It has come from being a hobby, to a profession.
Who is your role model?
I have two. Ryan Resley and Swizz Beatz. They are hard working and have helped many artistes. Ryan is the guy behind artistes like Casey, Fabulous, and Usher among others while Swizz Beatz has worked with Eve, Jay Z and other artistes.
For how long have you been a producer?
I have been a music producer since 2009, making this year my fourth but I have been active in music since I was 11 years old. By then, I used to do scripts for TV and radio adverts and I also played the piano and guitar.
Did your parents accept your decision to join production?
Yes they did, especially my mother because she’s also a producer in the movie industry. She supports me and used to invite me to see her works although at some point she thought I wouldn’t gain so much from the music industry.
How have you been recognised so far?
I have awards including a Buzz Teeniez Award, a Hipipo Music Award and a number of nominations in Pam Awards. Plus the award you’ve just told me I won at Hilton High School.
Back to studio, how much do you charge for an artiste to record a song?
The price is negotiable but it depends on the magnitude of work. We charge basing on the studio time, beat programming, mixing and mastering.The minimum price is Shs500,000.
Do you also re-do songs done by other producers?
Yes. Provided we receive consent from the original producer and the artiste comes with data of the song.
What do you have to say about the piracy in Ugandan entertainment industry?
It’s becoming common and it’s disappointing because we lack originality. Artistes use the same beats, melody and concept. But on the other hand, it helps in promoting the industry because of sharing ideas.
Who is your best artiste among those you’ve worked with?
Every artiste is special in their own way but Mun G is fun to work with. When he is in studio, it’s all about laughter and jokes and before you realise it, the song is done. It’s effortless when working with him.
What are some of the challenges you get being a producer?
Dealing with artistes is not easy because some expect you to figure out what they want, which is irritating.
Please tell me about your family background?
My name is Hannington Muhumuza, the third born in a family of five and born to Mr John Turwomwe (R.I.P) and Ms Linda Reel. I went to Kitante Primary, Makerere College, Namasagali, Taibah College and completed my education at Nkumba University graduating with an IT degree.
What else are you doing besides music production?
My studio is also into making radio and TV jingles. We’ve done jingles for Airtel, Mirinda, Mountain Dew, Uganda Telecom, UBA, Centenary Bank, Finca and Orange among others. We are also planning on opening up a video studio soon.


In July, we saw global tensions rise, particularly between both China and the US and China and the UK. World stock markets have experienced a varied month with some performing surprisingly well and others experiencing a further downturn.
Across the globe there is an expectation that 250m people are set to lose their jobs this year. The effects of Covid-19 look to have a continuing impact on the global economy, accelerating changes that have been coming for some time.
Let’s look at the market news from July…
This past month, Chancellor Rishi Sunak released his Summer Statement regarding the continued economic fight against Covid-19. As the furlough scheme gradually comes to an end, we are seeing continued job losses with around 12,000 jobs being lost over a two day period at the beginning of the month. Current indications are that pubs and restaurants have already lost around £30bn turnover.
The Bank of England suggests that the economy has begun to recover in an ‘uneven’ fashion, but that some sectors will continue to struggle for some time. Among the contributing factors to this, car production in the UK has slumped to its lowest levels since 1954 and there are suggestions that some organisations across sectors have been kept artificially afloat by government funding.
The UK’s FTSE-100 index of leading shares fell in the month. It was the worst performing of all the markets on which we report, dropping 4% in July to end the month at 5,898. That said, with the dollar having its worst month for ten years, the pound rose sharply against it and ended the month up 6%, trading at $1.3098.
Brexit & Trade Deals
With only five months to go until the UK officially leaves the European Union, it looks increasingly likely that there will be no formal deal in place. There are reports that both major trade deals – with the EU and the US – are ‘expected to miss their deadlines and not be concluded by the end of the year.’
On 17th July, European leaders gathered to discuss a post-Covid-19 recovery deal to boost the European economy. Although these talks carried on to a fourth day, objections were eventually overcome and a deal was reached. Despite some seeing this as an opportunity for greater European unity, many suggest that this will contribute to the widening of the rift between northern and southern voices.
The German economy saw its greatest decline on record in the second quarter, falling by 10.1%. In particular, the German car industry saw a stark downturn. German car production has fallen 44% in the first half of the year and approximately 100,000 jobs seem to be at risk.
On the stock markets, it was a very quiet month for the German DAX index which rose just two points in the month to close June at 12,313. The French market fared less well, falling by 3% to end the month at 4,784.
Despite the month starting strongly in the US with record jobs growth in June, second quarter figures overshadowed the impact of this. The US economy suffered its worst ever fall during that quarter, with GDP falling 32.9%
At the end of the month, Republicans in the Senate proposed spending a further $1tn (£769bn) to help fix the ‘hole,’ with proposals including $100bn (£77bn) for schools and a stimulus payment of $1,200 (£923) to most Americans. The US has already spent more than $2.4tn (£1.85tn) in virus relief measures.
In other news, Tesla overtook Toyota to become the world’s most valuable car maker as its shares rose again. The US stock market duly took its lead from Tesla rather than the bad economic news. The Dow Jones index was up 2% in July to 26,428 while the more broadly based S&P500 index rose 6% to 3,271.
In the Far East, July was marked by two companies impacted by the effects of Covid-19 lockdowns. In Japan, car manufacturer Nissan suffered record losses. Sales slumped by 48% during the April to June period. It estimates the yearly loss at £3.5bn with shares falling 10%. Meanwhile, in South Korea, Samsung has seen significant increases in sales with profits up 23% on last year. This upswing has been created by increased demand due to remote working and home schooling.
The Japanese economy has headed into recession. Household spending has seen the sharpest decline since comparable data began in 2001. Similarly, South Korea has also seen its economy move into a recession. There, exports are at their lowest level since 1963.
The tensions surrounding China don’t appear to be reflected in the Shanghai Composite index which rose 11% in the month to close July at 3,310. The South Korean market also defied the bad news, climbing 7% to 2,249. The Hong Kong market posted a more modest 1% rise, closing at 24,595 while Japan’s Nikkei Dow index was down 3% to 21,710.
It was a quiet month for news in the emerging markets we cover in the market commentary. The most noteworthy event occurred in Russia, where Vladimir Putin effectively became ‘President for Life.’
In a referendum – held over seven days because of Covid-19 – nearly 80% of voters apparently backed an amendment to the constitution which will allow Mr Putin to run for two more terms as President. He had been due to stand down in 2024, but will now effectively remain President until 2036, when he will be 83.
July was a good month for Mr Putin and a very good month for the three major emerging markets on which we report. The Indian stock market rose 8% to 37,606 and Brazil’s market was up by the same percentage to 102,912. The Russian stock market rose 6% in the month, ending July at 2,912.
We hope you have a great August, whether that means exploring holiday options or returning to the office. Please get in touch if you have any further questions around this commentary.