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Finding work with purpose is trending these days. I spend most of my time thinking about those who want it in their encore careers, but it’s exactly what young people want, and they don’t want to wait to find it. They are determined to grab it from the very start of their working lives. Which is why I’m so jazzed about University of Wisconsin professor Christine Whelan’s new book, The Big Picture: A Guide to Finding Your Purpose in Life. It’s the perfect gift for a new graduate — or for any young person stuck on the slow-moving escalator of the early working years.
I’ve been following Whelan’s work, including her books and research on marriage trends, for years. So I was thrilled to discover that she is now firmly entrenched in the research around purpose-oriented work.
Below is an edited and condensed version of my conversation with Whelan about the relationship between purpose and happiness and the particular role olders can play in helping youngers find their own version of purpose. (“Olders” and “youngers” aren’t typos; they’re my new favorite terms for talking about who we are, coined by author Ashton Applewhite.)
Marci: Purpose is a buzzword in discussions of work today, and often it’s shorthand for ‘whatever makes you happy.’ Your book focuses on what researchers call ‘prosocial’ purpose. Can you explain what that means, and how prosocial purpose shapes how we feel about our lives?
Christine: Prosocial behavior is defined as activity that benefits other people or society as a whole. If you are building friendships, helping family members, doing something to benefit your community or your peers, you are engaging in prosocial behavior.
Research has repeatedly shown that the real sources of happiness aren’t material goods or job titles but positive social relationships, positive mental health and living in alignment with one’s values.
The Big Picture asks young adults to consider these big questions of purpose as a way to find real happiness — thriving, meaningful happiness — from the start of their careers, and to do so with the mentorship of older adults in their lives who may be exploring those questions, too. (If you want to get a head start in the mentoring process, take a few minutes to respond to the life and career questions here; the Templeton Foundation, Whelan’s publisher, is gathering and sharing the answers.)
Still, putting these principles into action can get complicated, in part because we’re not great at judging what will actually make us happy. In the moment, buying that latte (or that new dress, or those fancy headphones) seems like just the ticket to happiness, but Nobel-prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman of Princeton calls this the focusing illusion: We exaggerate the importance of the things we happen to be thinking about, simply because we are thinking about them, instead of the factors that actually matter to happiness. As he puts it, “Nothing in life is quite as important as you think it is while you’re thinking about it.”
Marci: What has your research shown about young people and purpose?
Christine: Graduates nationwide are seeking direction and purpose. In fact, in a recent national survey we conducted, 18-to-24-year-olds report that purpose is crucial to their sense of being an adult — but they don’t feel like they have it.
More than 86 percent of young adults say that making decisions in line with their purpose makes them an adult, but only 43 percent say they have a clear picture of what they want in life . . . and only 30 percent know why they are here.
This isn’t good news: The majority of young adults who don’t have a clear picture of what they want in life say they are existing, not thriving, while those with purpose are more likely to say they are thriving.
Young adults want to honor their purpose and passions, but they often haven’t figured out exactly what those are just yet: Only 36 percent of 18–24 year olds say that their career path aligns with their life purpose.
My research finds that young people prioritize meaning over salary. As they head into the job market, 69 percent of young adults say that they would be willing to earn less to focus on more meaningful work.
Marci: What opportunities do you see for young people to collaborate with older people who are seeking to do good in the world?
Christine: Purpose is a choice — and it’s a choice that we can make now, regardless of our age or bank balance. For the last few decades, the “purpose conversation” has focused on midlife adults who are reimagining their lives and embracing encore careers. For The Big Picture, I “translated” dozens of purpose guides geared at older adults and, with the help of my students, into applicable exercises for 20-somethings.
According to my research, the number-one piece of advice older adults would share with their 20-year-old selves is to know your purpose before making big decisions. The Big Picture devotes a chapter to finding mentors, and provides questions, exercises and suggestions to facilitate honest, purposeful conversations.
Marci: In many conversations about meaningful work, there is an assumption that doing good means forgoing a good income. It’s why many baby boomers tabled their idealism to pay the bills once kids and mortgages showed up. Do young people today share this attitude?
Christine: This might be the biggest purpose myth out there! Living purposefully does not mean forgoing a good income. Purpose is a choice. The Big Picture is a small-steps guide to support young people who make that choice from the start.
There’s wonderful research on job-crafting for more purposeful interactions at work, and if that doesn’t work, there’s no reason that you can’t live your purpose outside of your paid work: Community involvement, civic leadership, family ties and religious organizations all encourage prosocial, other-centered, meaningful activities.
Marci: Many people hit midlife and still don’t know what they are “meant” to do. It strikes me that many millennials are grappling with exactly the same questions as their boomer parents, and in some cases even their grandparents. What’s your advice to young people who want to do good, but have no idea (yet) of their bigger purpose or career ambitions?
Christine: First of all, they should buy my book!
Take the time to reflect in a systematic way — ask questions about your strengths and passions, identify core values and brainstorm your vision for change in the world. This may sound daunting, but if you break it up into fun, bite-sized exercises, you will boost your self-efficacy and sense of personal accomplishment as you hone in on what matters most to you.
For those with young-adult children, this journey can be taken in tandem. I created a free program to guide parents and their emerging-adult children in purposeful conversations about what’s next in life for them both. As a general rule, it’s best to ask open-ended questions that invite new thoughts (and dialogue) and avoid overly directive inquiries (read this, do that, follow up on one more thing) and resist comparing one young adult’s trajectory to another’s — or to your own life experience.
This article originally appeared on MidcenturyModern.
Published: June 2, 2016

domain: sociology


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Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has said the state government paid one million naira to the Olukere of Ikere-Ekiti, Ganiyu Obasoyin, for the relocation of shrines on the site of the dualised Ado-Ikere Road.
Speaking on Tuesday night in an interview programme on the state radio and television, Fayose said it was unfortunate that some community leaders and youths were trying to frustrate government’s efforts at developing the town in order to make life better for the people.
”It is my pleasure that we progress and our society becoming better. In my first term, I started the dualisation and the project stopped where I left it and we started again when I came back to office. We decided to do the project in three phases and we are on the third phase. When we started, we met the Ogoga of Ikere, Oba Jimi Adu Alagbado, who said there were shrines along the project site for us to handle.
”Later, the Olukere came into the scene and said the affected area is his domain and that the issue of relocating the shrines did not concern Ogoga. I told him that we might not be able to bend the road. Prominent Ikere indigenes such as former Governor of the old Ondo State, Chief Bamidele Olumilua, were at the meeting.
“To help in performing the necessary rituals to relocate the shrines, the Olukere was given one million naira on January 11, 2017 to relocate the deities and shrines. He collected the money at the Government House, Ado-Ekiti and the vouchers he signed are still available. In as much as we have respect for traditional institutions, it was a surprise to see the Olukere leading irate youths to stop contractors from doing their job. I want to appeal to the Olukere to allow peace to reign,” he said.
Commenting on the refusal of his predecessor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, to appear before a Commission of Enquiry probing the financial transactions of the state during his tenure, Fayose said it was strange.
”The law that the House of Assembly relied on to mandate the state government to set up the panel was signed by Fayemi himself and he has gone to court to challenge the same when he has been asked to give account of his stewardship. During my inauguration speech, I gave details of the debt profile of the state. Fayemi took N25 billion bond and N31 billion commercial loans. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) were the facilitators and they wrote to me to ask if the projects, for which the loans taken, were executed and I said no.
“Since 2012, Ekiti loses N1.1 billion intervention fund from UBEC yearly because we were suspended due to the diversion of N860 million by the same government. In Osun State, Governor Aregbesola set up a panel on Oyinlola and the latter appeared before the panel. Fayemi signed the law and why is he afraid? They say you should come and give an account of your stewardship and you are running to court, for what?,” the governor asked.
On the expected Paris Club Refund, Fayose noted that the Federal Government was blackmailing the states, saying the refund was because the FG initially over-deducted monies from the state and local governments’ allocations.
He added that going by feelers from Abuja, state and local governments would be paid half of what they got from the first tranche.
“That would mean that in Ekiti, both state and local governments would get about N4.4 billion and going by the sharing formula, the state would get about N2.7 billion and the 16 local government areas sharing N1.7 billion. That is still not enough for a month’s wage bill at both state and local government levels,” he stated.
On the crisis in Ikun-Ekiti where some masquerades entered a mosque and beat up worshippers, the governor said the matter was being investigated and the culprits would be duly punished.
On the recent face-off between the state government and fuel marketers, he thanked the people of the state for standing by his administration’s stance on the matter.
He also commended Governor Aregbesola and others for mediating in the matter.
He warned that nobody would be allowed to conduct business in a way that would be injurious to the welfare of the people of the state.
He urged the people of the state to continue to support his administration and allow for continuity by voting somebody from the Fayose political family to office next year.


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Crochet this beautiful bobble stitch baby blanket by following this step by step tutorial with a free pattern for beginners and beyond. All the information provided should be just enough to get the job done.
And make sure to don’t miss out on a free pattern which will help to achieve the results easily.
Don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest to surf threw the free patterns, crochet tutorials, stitches and so much more.
Make sure to save this pin to your board to share it with your friends or just for later:
Crochet Bobble Stitch Baby Blanket
- Video Tutorial: No
- Free Pattern: Yes
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Once again: This crochet technique is amazing and useful for so many things you might want to crochet in the future!
Have fun and don’t forget to explore Crochetaholic for other amazing findings like free patterns, video tutorials etc.!
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domain: design


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I built Tappy Tally for my personal use. I had recently begun learning to build iOS apps with Swift when I was asked to count attendance at worship services (200+ attendees).
I had seen others count attendance using an app on their phone so I searched the App Store for a tally app. All I could find was poorly designed or overpriced apps, at least they were more than I was willing to pay.
I decided to try my hand at building my first iOS app. After a couple weeks, I released Tappy Tally (formerly Tappy Count — tally with a tap) in July 2015.
This post signals the release of an update and a rebranding to Tappy Tally.
To learn more about Tappy Tally, click here!

domain: hobby


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21 Jul Having the Courage to Express Our Vulnerability
Sometimes what we’re missing is the courage to express our vulnerability. We’re unwilling to be vulnerable. Sometimes we’re hell bent on powering through things, needing to prove things, or needing to assert certain things in certain situations. At some point we have to embrace vulnerability, especially as empathic sensitive beings. This can be scary because you’ve put yourself out there before and you’ve articulated your fears and concerns only to be shut down or not be embraced or not be heard. And so I get that vulnerability is really hard. However, I’ve discovered that it’s the only way to truly make it.
The more you begin to embrace vulnerability, the more your energy, frequency and your gifts expand. This takes being willing to be honest about how you’re doing it. Be willing to be honest about what you’re going through. The more you can be honest about what you’re dealing with and what you’re going through, the less of an issue it is.
Some of you are in this fixed idea that parts of you shouldn’t exist. This isn’t true because all you are is love. When you continue to invalidate yourself because of certain behaviors, certain emotions, then you deny your receiving. It’s okay to be angry and sad. It’s okay for you to have stuff going on in your body or what’s happening in your life, it’s okay. It doesn’t mean anything about you. It is not a commentary on who you really are. It is a temporary experience.
The disconnect is that you don’t value yourself enough to communicate in words what you need to say. It’s the difference between giving feedback and whining or complaining. Because in giving feedback, you’re in real time letting everybody know in your life how you feel, not that they did something wrong, it’s not about them. It’s not that it’s their fault. You’re just communicating how you feel.
Allow every energy that is trapped in your heart, in your chest to be expressed fully and completely, no longer making yourself wrong for how you communicate. Just be grateful for the fact that you are no longer afraid of the messy nature of your communication.
Once you’ve mastered the art of communication on a personal level, something greater begins to communicate through you. It’s time to advocate on behalf of yourself in a way that you never could as a child.
Resting in the awareness of your breath, transforms your life into a living meditation.

domain: literature


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A study in Maryland has shone a spotlight on injuries among jockeys during four years of Thoroughbred racing in the American state.
Dr Kelly Ryan and her fellow researchers set out to characterise jockey injuries at Maryland tracks using medical records gathered by sports medicine physicians who are onsite for all Thoroughbred racing activities in the state.
Maryland racetracks operate year-round, with about 160 race days a year, averaging 200 riders annually. Usually, between 20 to 35 jockeys are riding each race day throughout the state. Maryland races on only one track in the state at any given time.
There were 670 participating jockeys during the four years. There were 590 race days with 5611 races and 45,284 mounts across the three Maryland racetracks from September 12, 2015, to May 5, 2019.
During that time, there were 131 falls, 184 incidents and 204 injuries.
It was found that 80% of injuries affected soft tissue, while 4% were concussions.
Most injuries involved the lower extremities (31%) or upper extremity (26%), and typically resulted from a fall.
Among all incidents, 79.3% resulted in an injury, while 76.3% of falls resulted in an injury.
The study team, reporting in the journal BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, identified a significant proportion of injuries (41%) in and around the starting gate.
“Over a quarter of incidents resulting in injury required further medical care in hospital or other medical facility, while surgery was required in 2.5% of injuries.”
They reported that the jockeys sustained 4.5 injuries per 1000 mounts, 36.4 injuries per 1000 races and 345.8 injuries per 1000 race days.
The rate of fractures in the study (145 per 1000 falls) was significantly higher than reported elsewhere.
The study team said the ease of access to a consistent group of medical providers facilitated improved reporting, especially of minor injuries.
Sports medicine clinicians and racing tracks/jurisdictions should coordinate care and work to improve injury data collection to benefit riders’ health and safety internationally, they said.
“A quarter of injuries required additional care beyond the racetrack necessitating a coordination of care between emergent care, imaging, rehabilitation services and specialty care,” the authors noted.
They continued: “Our hope is that more sports medicine clinicians coordinate care with local racetracks in the USA and that racing jurisdictions around the world, such as the British Horseracing Association, Irish Turf Club, the Palio di Siena, Australian Racing Board, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, the National Horseracing Authority of Southern Africa, and others will improve injury data collection to benefit riders’ health and safety internationally.”
The study team comprised Ryan, Gabrielle Garruppo, Kezia Alexander, Christine Hluchan and Andrew Lincoln, who are affiliated with a range of Maryland institutions.
Ryan K, Garruppo G, Alexander K, et alInjuries among Maryland jockeys during thoroughbred racing: 2015–2019 BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine 2020;6:e000926. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2020-000926

domain: sports


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Hawaii golfers appear to miss cut at LPGA tournament on Oahu
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Wie finished the second round 2 over par after following Wednesday’s 2-under-par round of 70 with a 4-over-par 76 on Thursday.
Kono carded rounds of 73 and 77 to finish at 6 over par.
The cut line appeared to be at even par, with several golfers still on the course as of 3 p.m. Hawaii time.
Defending champion Ai Miyazato was leading the field at 9 under par after two rounds, shooting 67 on Wednesday and 68 on Thursday. However, Suzann Pettersen was only a stroke back with 11 holes yet to play.
The four-round, 72-hole tournament ends Saturday.
Mark Abramson covers transportation, military contracting and sports marketing for Pacific Business News.
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domain: news


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Giuseppe Latanza (author), Francesco Matteuzzi (illustrator)
Katsushika Hokusai is well known in the Western world for one single image: The Great Wave off Kanagawa. However, you might know that this was definitely not his one and only work of art.
Starting with his apprenticeship at young age, this graphic novel will introduce you to his life and his works, and will serve as a glimpse of the fascinating historical context of Edo-era Japan. You will also learn to spot the differences between Ukiyo-e and Yamato-e, which evolved alongside Hokusai’s work.
First, Hokusai was not his real name. Traditionally, an apprentice would take a part of the name of his master when he began signing approved works. From his block carving days to his explorations of ink and giant works, Hokusai always kept pushing himself, and he changed his names accordingly. As Wikipedia says:
Hokusai was known by at least thirty names during his lifetime. While the use of multiple names was a common practice of Japanese artists of the time, his number of pseudonyms exceeds that of any other major Japanese artist. His name changes are so frequent, and so often related to changes in his artistic production and style, that they are used for breaking his life up into periods.
This book is heavily researched and has to unpack a lot of information, because Hokusai lived a long and fruitful life, full of artistic exploration. It can work as an introduction to the artist and it will display some iconic images in a new form, following the other graphic biographies in the series, such as Kusama’s or Pollock’s.
Francesco Matteuzzi is a journalist, screenwriter, editor, and author of children’s books. His graphic books include a biography of Anna Politkovskaja. Giuseppe Latanza is a cartoonist and illustrator, who has been a professor at Graphite-School of Graphics and Comics since 2012.
Publication Date: April 6, 2021
Graphic Lives Series
Format: Hardcover, 400 illustrations.
Genre: Biography, Adult
Featured image by Francesco Matteuzzi, all images belong to Laurence King Publishing

domain: library


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COVID-19 Cases: Contained in America, Surging in Europe
It continues to look as if new cases may have peaked almost to the day that the Donald finally told Americans to wear a mask.
The 7-day average number of daily new cases in America has declined by 37.6% since peaking on 22 July, while the 7-day average number of daily deaths is down 19.7% from the recent high reached on 1 August.
US Covid-19 7-day Average Daily New Cases and Deaths
As for Europe, cases have surged with the opening of borders and the summer holiday season.
But the encouraging point is how little deaths have risen.
The 7-day average number of daily new cases in Europe, excluding the UK, has risen by 522% since 8 July.
While the 7-day average number of daily deaths rose from 34 on 2 August to 101 on 21 August but has since declined to 45, and it remains 99% below the April peak.
Europe ex-UK Covid-19 7-day Average Daily New cases and Deaths
It is also worth highlighting that deaths have all but collapsed in herd-immunity Sweden.
The 7-day average number of daily new cases in Sweden has declined by 89% since peaking in mid-June, while the 7-day average number of daily deaths is down 99% from the peak reached in mid-April.
Sweden Covid-19 7-day Average Daily New Cases and Deaths
US Economic Data Remains Resilient, Especially the Housing Market
Meanwhile, in America, the latest economic data remains remarkably resilient given the failure of Congress to agree a new fiscal package before going into recess on 13 August.
Perhaps the best example of resilience is the strength of the US housing market as reflected in the surge in lumber prices.
Lumber prices have risen by 264% from a low of US$251.5 in early April to a record closing high of US$915.5 on 28 August.
US new home sales and the pending home sales index of existing homes rose by 36.3% YoY and 15.5% YoY respectively in July, while the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index is up 4.3% YoY in June.
US New Home Sales and Pending Home Sales Index of Existing Homes
Reduction in Emergency Unemployment Insurance will be offset by Stimulus Cheques in the Mail
As for the fiscal package, the failure to agree has meant that the extra US$600 per week emergency unemployment insurance expired on 31 July.
Republicans do not want to extend this in full because of the obvious disincentive caused by paying an unemployment benefit much higher than what many could hope to earn working.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated in June that, if the US$600/week additional benefit is extended by six months to 31 January 2021, five out of every six recipients of such benefits would receive more in benefits than they would in wages, and employment later this year would probably be lower (see CBO report: “Economic Effects of Additional Unemployment Benefits of $600 per Week”, 4 June 2020).
Still, the executive order signed by Donald Trump on 8 August means that an extra unemployment benefit of at least US$300/week will continue to be paid, albeit with a lag.
Most of the unemployed are now only getting US$333 a week and will probably have to wait another two to three weeks before receiving the increased benefit.
This will lead to a total weekly payment of US$633, down from US$933 before the end of July but still well above the pre-Covid level of US$385. So far, only six states have started paying out the money.
Still, the cut in the emergency unemployment benefit means an immediate hit to household income.
In this context, US nominal disposable income rose by 17% YoY in April and 9.5% YoY in July, compared with 2% YoY in March.
US Nominal Disposable Income Growth
Meanwhile, if a new fiscal package is eventually agreed, as should still be the case, it will also likely include another so-called stimulus cheque since both Republicans and Democrats agree on this point.
Previously under the Cares Act passed in late March, each household got US$1,200 per adult and US$500 per child under 17, with the cut-off for full payment being households earning US$75,000 a year or US$150,000 if married.
Under the Republicans’ proposal, the second round of stimulus cheques will have the same amount and phase-out limits.
The other explanation for the relative resilience of the American economy is the increase in the personal savings rate as a result of lockdowns and the increased benefits.
The US personal savings rate rose from 7.6% of disposable income in January to 33.7% in April and was 17.8% in July.
US Personal Savings as % of Disposable Income
Meanwhile, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is likely to be given more funding in the anticipated fiscal package.
The Republican proposal is for another US$190bn to go to the programme.
Under the bill, small businesses can apply for a second PPP loan if they meet the Small Business Administration (SBA) revenue size standard, have no more than 300 employees and can show at least a 50% reduction in gross revenues.
The total size of the current PPP scheme is US$659bn.
This program is significant because it creates an incentive for companies to rehire temporarily laid off labour.
Unemployed persons on temporary layoffs, measured as those who have been offered to return to work or are expected to be recalled to their job within six months, surged from 801,000 in February to 18.1m in April.
That number has since declined to 9.2m in July and now accounts for 56% of the total 16.3m who are unemployed, though down from 78% of the 23.1m unemployed in April.
If the number of such temporary laid-off workers declines further to the pre-Covid level of 801,000, the unemployment rate would fall to only 5%, compared with the reported 10.2% in July and a peak of 14.7% in April.
US unemployment Breakdown
All of the above highlights both the importance of the bridge financing provided to cushion the impact of the lockdowns and the difficulties of weaning economies off such support.
This point applies not only to America but all other economies which implemented generalized lockdowns.
Big Tech Winning During Lockdown, Regulation Remains the Medium-Term Risk
Meanwhile, one reason there has not been that great a pressure on the politicians to agree a new fiscal package has been because the American stock market has kept rallying, driven primarily by the Big Tech companies whose business models have benefitted from the lockdowns.
There is no doubting the narrow nature of the Wall Street rally.
But this may not be as extreme as it looks when a premium is put on the quality of the tech giants’ earnings. On this point, Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Alphabet (Google), Netflix and Microsoft account for a combined 25.6% of S&P500 total market cap and 17% of S&P500 2020 consensus forecast earnings.
Big Tech Stocks’ Share of S&P500 Market Cap
Perhaps the biggest medium-term risk for investors in these companies is if there is targeted taxation and regulation of Big Tech.
Targeted regulation and taxation of Big Tech is one of those issues on which the socialist left and the free-market right agree in the same way that both wanted to nationalise the bailed out banks in 2008.
This means that such policies can potentially be implemented whoever wins in November.
What could the policies look like? On the taxation front, it could be as simple as a windfall profit tax.
On this point, Amazon paid US$162m in federal income tax last year while Walmart, its largest competitor, paid US$2.76bn.
On the regulatory front, a long-overdue reform is to make social media platforms responsible for their content in the same way as media companies have always been responsible for content.
Another long-overdue reform is anti-trust action by, for example, forcing divestment of WhatsApp and Instagram in the case of Facebook or YouTube in the case of Google.
Students of American history will know that there is a long and proud history of anti-trust activism.
This has been suppressed in recent decades on the view that nothing matters so long as the end-consumer is getting a cheaper deal.
Such a view no longer makes sense under the lucrative model of surveillance capitalism where users are not paid for their data.
In a world where Facebook and Google have an estimated 61% share of digital ad spending in America, and Google has a 71% share of search advertising, action is again long overdue, though the lobbying power of these companies is formidable.
The virtual appearance in late July of the heads of Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google in front of the antitrust subcommittee of the House of Representatives committee on the Judiciary may be a prelude to what is coming.
Still on this particular occasion, the questioning by Congressmen was not as narrowly focused on the anti-trust issue as it could have been. This, and the proximity of the presidential election, is why nothing is going to happen in the short term.
The views expressed in Chris Wood’s column on Grizzle reflect Chris Wood’s personal opinion only, and they have not been reviewed or endorsed by Jefferies. The information in the column has not been reviewed or verified by Jefferies. None of Jefferies, its affiliates or employees, directors or officers shall have any liability whatsoever in connection with the content published on this website.
The opinions provided in this article are those of the author and do not constitute investment advice. Readers should assume that the author and/or employees of Grizzle hold positions in the company or companies mentioned in the article. For more information, please see our Content Disclaimer.


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Cannes Film Festival
LAST UPDATED : May 19, 2019, 01:18 PM IST
- Check out Ranveer Singh's hilarious comments on Deepika Padukone's latest post
Deepika took to Instagram to share this art and captioned it as "now this truly is the icing on the cake...or more like butter on toast!(with a cherry on top)🤪" but what grabbed our attention was Ranveer's comments on the post.
- Photo: Farhan Akhtar preps hard for his upcoming film 'Toofan'
Versatile actor Farhan Akhtar is well known for getting into the skin of his character and he has proved it time and again on the silver screen. The actor who has wrapped up Shonali Bose's 'The Sky Is Pink' is now concentrating on his upcoming film 'Toofan'.
- ‘Malaal’: Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film starring Sharmin Sehgal and Meezaan Jaaferi postponed to this date
Ace filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali is all set to introduce new faces in Bollywood in his next productional venture titled as ‘Malaal’. The film will mark the debut of Bhansali's niece Sharmin Sehgal and Javed Jaaferi’s son Meezaan Jaaferi in Bollywood.

domain: artistic


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Eggs, once known as "rocket eggs" because of soaring prices, have fallen all the way down this year. Since the Spring Festival, the retail price of eggs has been running at a low level, and many regions have entered the era of "2 yuan". On April 13, the wholesale price of eggs in the new market was 2.24 yuan per kilogram, down more than 20% from the same period last year, the lowest price in the same period in nearly nine years. According to the Ministry of Agriculture's fixed-point monitoring of 500 markets in China, the average price of eggs in 10 major producing provinces, such as Hebei and Liaoning, fell 21.9% at the end of March compared with the same period last year. Since October 2016, the price of eggs in China has fallen for six consecutive months, with a cumulative decline of 32%.
"At present, there is a general loss in laying hen farming." In addition to selling eggs, Yang Yuan, an egg broker in Beijing Xindi Market, has contracted a chicken farm. He felt that the main reason for the continued decline in egg prices was the excessive stock of eggs. "In the past few years, the profit of raising chickens was high and the market was good. Many farmers followed suit and raised their stocks." Along with the egg price innovation low and falling below the cost price, the operating pressure of farmers is also increasing, and the loss is more serious. According to him, the cost per kilogram of eggs is about 2.7 yuan at present, while the ex-factory price of eggs is only 2.3 yuan per kilogram, which is significantly lower than the cost price.
At the same time, the decrease of feed prices such as corn also reduced the cost of raising chickens, thus forming the low price of eggs. To some extent, eggs are transformed products of feed protein. Usually, about 1 kg of eggs can be produced per 2.3 kg of feed. Although feed cost is not the determinant of egg price, it affects the production cost of eggs to a great extent, and the change of feed cost also affects the medium and long-term trend of egg price. Since last year, influenced by the reform of the national grain storage policy, the price of corn, as the main feed material, has fallen sharply, which promotes the production cost of eggs to continue to explore, and provides a certain space for the price of eggs to fall.
Similar to Yang Yuan's, the storehouse of Huiyuan Chicken Farm in Luquan District, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province is also full of eggs. "The specifications of eggs are 45 kilograms per basket, and the price is hovering around 100 yuan, far below the cost of 110 yuan per basket. Because of the pressure of market competition, inventory is increasing now. Xie Zhenzhong, head of the chicken farm, said that in order to reduce losses, the chicken farm accelerated the elimination of laying hens, and the original more than 600 days to the elimination period of laying hens were eliminated in advance. In two months, the original stock of more than 60,000 laying hens was only 35,000.
Liu Tong, head of the Statistics Department of the new market, said that the sales situation of eggs in the new market showed that due to the recent depressed prices, the consumption of households was driven and the speed of egg sales was accelerated, which was good news for chicken farms. However, as the production of eggs is still sufficient, the price will not rise or fall too much in the later period, "So, the current choice of chicken farms is to keep a close eye on the elimination of laying hens'production capacity, neither overweening nor abandoning it halfway."
"Despite recent losses in laying hen farming, the H7N9 epidemic in some areas has slowed down the outbreak of eliminating chickens and the stock of laying hens is adequate. As the weather gets warmer in spring, the laying hen's productivity rises and the egg production is adequate. According to the analysis of market early warning expert group of Ministry of Agriculture, the current temperature is suitable for eggs storage, and the price of eggs is lower than the cost price, which leads to the phenomenon of low prices and sells at a low price. There is a certain backlog of eggs, and the situation of loose market supply will continue in the future. In the absence of stimulating factors of festival consumption demand, limited support of catering market, and flat consumption of migrant workers and college groups, the motive force of egg price rise is insufficient, and the price of eggs will oscillate at a low level in the short term.
The new type layer chicken equipment is your best choice.

domain: agronomy


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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of motor imagery on spinal segmental excitability by recording the reflex responses to externally applied stretch of the extrinsic finger flexors and extensors during the performance of an imaginary task. Nine young healthy subjects performed a series of imagined flexion-extension movements of the fingers. Muscle stretch was imposed concurrently by applying rotations of the metacarpophalangeal joints at 100, 300, or 500°/sec. Three of the nine tested subjects also generated 0.2 Newton meter voluntary flexion torque in preloading tasks before stretch.
At 300°/sec stretch, electromyogram (EMG) and torque reflex responses, which were observed in the finger flexors in four of nine subjects during motor imagery, were activated at a short latency (38.6 ± 10.6 msec). This latency was similar to that recorded during a stretch of preactivated flexor muscles (34.4 ± 3.6 msec), in which motoneurons are already suprathreshold and in which monosynaptic effects of muscle afferents are likely to be discernable. In a similar manner, for stretches imposed at 500°/sec, responses to stretch of the flexors were observed in all five tested subjects in imaginary flexion tasks at very short latencies (26.4 ± 3.7 msec), again similar to those induced by tendon taps (22.8 ± 1.2 msec). No EMG response was observed at rest during stretches.
These observations support the view that effects must have been mediated by imagery-related subthreshold activation of spinal motoneurons and/or interneurons, rather than by long-latency transcortical reflex responses. We conclude that motor imagery has a potent effect on the excitability of spinal reflex pathways.
A general feature of motor imagery is that subjects feel they are performing a certain movement without executing it (Jeannerod, 1995; Decety, 1996a; Facchini et al., 2002). Extensive evidence in the literature shows that motor imagery shares a number of neural substrates with those neural centers involved in the actual movement (Decety, 1996a; Crammond, 1997; Abbruzzese et al., 1999). Imaginary movements share additional features with actual movements such as kinematic constraints (Sirigu et al., 1995), temporal properties (Decety et al., 1989; Sirigu et al., 1995), and the effects on motor performance (Yue and Cole, 1992). Furthermore, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies have demonstrated an increased excitability in primary motor cortex (M1) and corticospinal pathways during motor imagery when compared with the resting state, as evidenced by a decrease in motor threshold and an increase in size of the motor evoked potentials (MEPs) (Kasai et al., 1997; Kiers et al., 1997; Fadiga et al., 1999; Yahagi and Kasai, 1999; Facchini et al., 2002, Li et al., 2004). However, the MEPs do not provide information about the level of the corticospinal pathway at which these effects arise (Petersen et al., 2003). Contributions to the increased amplitude of the MEPs may arise from the spinal motoneurons (Morita et al., 2000) or from spinal interneurons (INs), which receive direct inputs from M1 or linked premotor areas (Dum and Strick, 1991; He et al., 1995).
Controversy exists in the literature regarding the relative contributions of supraspinal and spinal changes in excitability to the observed increase in the MEP amplitudes. Both H-reflex and F-wave techniques, in combination with TMS stimulation over M1, have been used to explore these contributions. Some researchers have found no effect of motor imagery on H-reflex amplitude [extensor carpi radialis (Kasai et al., 1997; Hashimoto and Rothwell, 1999) and flexor digitorum superficialis (Abbruzzese et al., 1996)], whereas others have found a facilitatory effect (flexor carpi radialis) in half of their subjects, resulting in a statistically significant difference (Kiers et al., 1997). Rossini et al. (1999) reported specific facilitation of the F waves recorded from intrinsic hand muscles (abductor digiti minimi, first dorsal interosseous) during motor imagery. In the soleus muscles, Bonnet et al. (1997) reported a similar increase in excitability (based on H-reflexes and tendon reflexes) during motor imagery. Facilitation of these reflexes suggests subthreshold excitation of the spinal motoneuron pool of the target muscle during motor imagery.
In contrast, there was no change in the F waves in another motor imagery study, also recorded from intrinsic hand muscles (Facchini et al., 2002). One limitation of the F-wave technique is that modulation of F waves may not be representative of the change of the entire α motoneuron pool (Mercuri et al., 1996). Thus, the effect of motor imagery at the spinal level remains unclear.
Stretch reflexes rely on both monosynaptic and polysynaptic connections within the spinal cord and may also involve a transcortical loop (Abbruzzese et al., 1985; Goodin et al., 1990; Capaday et al., 1991), reflecting the excitability of the spinal interneurons as well as motoneurons. Examination of the effects of motor imagery on the stretch reflex response may help determine whether motor imagery has discernable effects on spinal excitability.
In the present study, we hypothesized that motor imagery effects on modulation of corticospinal excitability could also be recorded at the segmental level. We examined this effect by comparing reflex responses [electromyogram (EMG) or joint torque] to externally imposed stretches of finger flexors and extensors at rest with those recorded during motor imagery. We found that the earliest effects of motor imagery were usually discernable at relatively short latencies (average, 26.4 ± 3.7 msec), a time too short to allow significant participation of long-loop pathways. Furthermore, examination of the trial-to-trial variation in response showed patterns of EMG response that were more likely to reflect changes in baseline motoneuronal and/or interneuronal excitability than changes in long-loop pathways.
Materials and Methods
Subjects. Nine healthy volunteers, all males, participated in the experiments. All of them were right-handed according to their preferential use of the right-hand during writing and eating. The mean age of the subjects was 30 ± 4.9 (mean ± SD) years. Their weight was 67 ± 10.5 kg, and their height was 1.72 ± 0.04 m. The left arm of each subject was used for testing. All subjects gave informed consent before the experiment according to the procedures approved by the Institutional Review Board at Northwestern University.
Apparatus and recordings. Stretches were provided by a servomotor (1.4 horsepower; PMI Motion Technologies, Radford, VA) as described previously (Kamper and Rymer, 2000). Briefly, the subject was positioned on an adjustable chair such that the shoulder was abducted ∼50° and the elbow was flexed ∼90°. The forearm and wrist were placed in a fiberglass cast and secured in the neutral position to a clamp attached to the table to which the motor was secured. This arrangement prevented translation and rotation of the arm. The motor shaft extended vertically above the table. The metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints were aligned with the shaft such that rotation of the shaft produced an equivalent angular rotation of the MCP joints. An aluminum channel was connected to the shaft and to a U-shaped piece into which the fingers were placed. A bead-filled bladder surrounding the fingers was attached to the inner surface of the U-shaped piece. Evacuation of the bladder with a vacuum pump provided a rigid coupling between the fingers and the U-shaped piece and, thus, the motor shaft. A strap kept the thumb extended and abducted from the palm so it did not interfere with finger flexion.
Differential surface EMG electrodes (DelSys, Boston, MA) were mounted above the muscle bellies of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and the extensor digitorum communis (EDC) of the left arm to record muscle activity. The EMG signals were amplified and low-pass filtered at 225 Hz. The signals from the left forearm (both FDS and EDC) were displayed on-line on an oscilloscope ∼1.5 m in front of the subject. EMG signals were set at a high gain (25 μV per division) to ensure complete EMG silence during motor imagery.
Angular position, rotational velocity, and torque were measured throughout the trials with a position encoder (138647; PMI Motion Technologies), tachometer (PMI Motion Technologies), and torque transducer (TRT-200; Transducer Techniques, Temecula, CA), respectively. All signals were sampled at 500 Hz using customized software, and the data were saved for off-line analysis.
Procedures. Two experimental conditions were investigated in all nine subjects: rest (the absence of imagery) and motor imagery. As shown in Figure 1, there were four different motor imagery tasks: ImFlex-EXT, ImExt-EXT, ImFlex-FLEX, and ImExt-FLEX, where ImFlex/Ext stands for the direction of imagery and EXT/FLEX for the direction of stretches imposed by the MCP rotator. Subjects were instructed to keep their muscles relaxed before the stretch. Stretches were performed at 300 or 100°/sec, with a rise time equal to 10% of the total movement time. The range of stretch was from 0 to 30° of flexion of the MCP joints for the FLEX stretch, whereas it was from 30° of flexion to 0° for the EXT stretch. The ranges were selected such that the flexors and extensors were equally stretched with respect to the neutral position of MCP joints. There are no existing data on the respective reflex thresholds of FDS and EDC, but because both muscles are near optimal fiber length for these postures (Kamper et al., 2001), we expected that the effects on the muscles would be similar. In addition, two tasks were also tested in five of nine subjects, ImFlex-EXT and at rest using fast stretches (500°/sec), at which the MCP joints were rotated from 20° of flexion to 0°, resulting in a movement time of 40 msec.
A “ramp-hold- ramp” stretch was used (Fig. 2). In tasks at rest, the EXT stretch was imposed during the first half of the trial, whereas the FLEX stretch was applied during the second half of the trial.
The instruction for motor imagery was to mentally extend-flex the secured left fingers against the U-shaped piece as hard as possible and to maintain the imagined contraction until the end of the actual stretch. The stretch was initiated unexpectedly within 3-5 sec after the verbal command to begin the imagery. Subjects were asked to practice the mental tasks for a few minutes before testing to ensure that they were able to keep the EMG silent during motor imagery. EMG silence was defined as the absence of any background activity at the sensitivity of 25 μV per division. During motor imagery, the subject was also instructed to keep the whole body still, including the other hand.
The order of conditions was randomized. Five trials were recorded for each task. The interval between two consecutive trials was ∼20 sec. The experimenter discarded a motor imagery trial if EMG activities were detected visually during the experiment and a repeat trial was performed.
Three of nine tested subjects were randomly selected to perform additional preloading tasks in an effort to gauge the magnitude of the imagery effect. In the preloading tasks, subjects generated 0.2 Newton meter (Nm) of flexion torque against the motor (∼1.5% MVC). Under the preloading condition, the subject received a “do not intervene voluntarily” instruction (Crago et al., 1976) (i.e., the subject attempted to maintain the same level of voluntary activation as required to attain 0.2 Nm of flexion torque before the stretch).
To estimate the latency of monosynaptic pathways to motoneurons innervating finger flexors, tendon tap tests were performed in three randomly selected subjects. The left forearm was supported on the table in a supinated position with the elbow placed at ∼90° of flexion. The subjects were asked to relax with their fingers naturally curved. A sharp tap on the FDS tendons, medial to the tendon of palmaris longus at ∼1 cm proximal to the wrist joint, was applied using a customized tapper equipped with a Kistler (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada) force sensor. The tapper allowed measurement of the onset and impact force of the tendon tap.
Data analysis. Two main parameters, magnitude of torque-EMG responses and latency of reflex EMG responses, were calculated. Magnitudes of torque and EMG responses were calculated to evaluate the global effects of motor imagery, whereas the onset latencies of stretch reflexes were used to examine origins of the effects (i.e., transcortical or spinal).
Magnitude of torque/EMG response. Torque, angle, and angular velocity data were digitally low-pass filtered at 25 Hz using a second-order, zero-lag Butterworth filter. The EMG signals were rectified, and the resulting signals were low-pass filtered at 25 Hz to create envelopes used to quantify muscle activity.
First, the onset (t0) and the end (t1) of stretch were determined by the time when the velocity reached or returned to 10% of its maximum value (500, 300, or 100°/sec). The background torque (TBG) and the background EMG (EMGBG) were defined as the mean values calculated from t0 - 100 msec to t0. The torque responses were defined as the difference between the peak torque during the stretch and TBG. The peak torque was calculated as the torque averaged over a 25 msec window, centered about the instance of the maximal torque during the stretch period (from t0 to t1). For tasks at rest, the torque responses were calculated for the two halves separately (Fig. 2) and used as a baseline for imagery tasks with EXT (ImFlex-EXT, ImExt-EXT) and FLEX (ImFlex-FLEX, ImExt-FLEX) stretches, respectively. Similarly, the peak EMG magnitude (EMGPK) was obtained from the rectified, low-pass filtered EMG signals during the stretch period. The magnitude of EMG response was defined as the difference between the peak EMG value and EMGBG (EMGPK - EMGBG).
The onset latency of stretch reflex. To avoid the potential prolongation of the latency by signal processing, only rectified, but unfiltered, signals of raw EMG data were used. A reflex EMG response was considered to have occurred when the peak EMG magnitude (EMGPK) during the stretch exceeded three SDs of the EMGBG. The latency of the stretch reflex was computed as the time interval from the movement onset (t0) to the moment when the EMG magnitude exceeded two SDs of the baseline. EMG responses were analyzed for extensors (EDC) and flexors (FDS) separately. Similarly, the latency for the tendon tap tests was calculated as the interval between the onset of the tap (t0) and the EMG onset. The EMG response was also visually inspected trial by trial.
Statistics. The data here are presented as means, whereas the figures show means and SE bars. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used with factors IMAG (three levels: None (rest), ImFlex, and ImExt) and STRE (two levels: flexion and extension). Whenever necessary, post hoc Tukey's honest significant difference tests were used to compare the various levels of a factor. Paired Student's t tests were used to test resting conditions.
In the present study, we focused on motor imagery tasks that were accompanied by finger stretches applied at several different velocities. At 300°/sec, the duration of the imposed movement was ∼100 msec, a time span less than the minimum required for a voluntary reaction time movement, thereby allowing us to focus on reflex rather than voluntary reaction-time responses. Trials at 100°/sec were also analyzed and revealed a similar pattern of torque and EMG responses. Background EMG and torque values were analyzed and showed no difference across different conditions of imagery tasks and rest within the same subjects, indicating that comparisons of EMG responses across trials were legitimate. High-speed stretches (500°/sec) were used to investigate the effect of stretch velocity on reflex latency during motor imagery.
Effects of motor imagery on reflex EMG responses in forearm muscles
Pattern of reflex EMG responses
In general, reflex EMG responses were recorded during most imagery tasks, whereas no response was recorded at rest in any of the subjects across different stretch velocities (Fig. 2). Furthermore, the EMG responses showed a novel pattern during motor imagery tasks in that the responses were much more evident during the FLEX stretches than during the EXT stretches.
As summarized in Table 1, reflex EMG responses (peak EMG magnitude more than three SDs of background EMG) from EDC occurred in all nine subjects during the ImExt-FLEX tasks and in seven of nine subjects during the ImFlex-FLEX tasks. In these tasks (FLEX stretches), reflex EMG responses were present when EDC was stretched, regardless of the direction of imagined movements. In contrast, reflex EMG responses from FDS were observed in four of nine subjects during the ImFlex-EXT tasks in which this muscle was the putative primary mover in the imaginary movement and was stretched (EXT) by the actuator. No reflex responses were observed in the ImExt-EXT tasks where FDS was stretched when EDC was the putative primary mover of the imagined movement.
Magnitude of EMG response
Magnitudes of responses were quantified by repeated-measure ANOVAs. A 2 × 3 two-way ANOVA (STRE×IMAG) was performed to compare the magnitude of EMG responses (EMGPK - EMGBG) in EDC within the same subject across different conditions (motor imagery, rest). The results showed a significant effect of IMAG (F(2,16) = 4.13; p < 0.05) and a significant interaction of IMAG×STRE (F(2,16 = 4.14; p < 0.05), indicating that EMG responses from EDC were significantly larger during motor imagery in the flexion stretch (ImFlex-FLEX, 0.29 V; ImExt-FLEX, 0.25 V) than in other conditions (ImFlex-EXT, ImExt-EXT, Rest, 0.01 V). The same type of ANOVA was performed for EMG responses from FDS and only showed a significant effect of IMAG (F(2,16) = 3.85; p < 0.05). Tukey's post hoc test revealed that the EMG response in FDS was significantly larger in ImFlex-EXT tasks (0.15 V) than in other tasks (ImExt-EXT, 0.04 V; ImExt-FLEX, ImFlex-FLEX, 0.01 V; Rest, 0.01 V).
When normalized by the EMG response obtained from the voluntary preloaded condition in which the joint was stretched at 300°/sec, the averaged EMG magnitude in three subjects was 48.7% for the ImFlex-EXT tasks. The averaged magnitude of EMG response was 89.5% for the preloading tasks stretched at 100°/sec.
The onset latency of stretch reflex
Latency of EMG onset for stretch reflex was dependent on imagined movement and muscle (Table 1); it was shorter in FDS than in EDC. Furthermore, the reflex responses were seen in both FDS and EDC during imagined flexion, whereas only responses in EDC were observed for imagined extension. For stretches imposed at 300°/sec, the latency of onset for stretch responses ranged from 22 to 72 msec in the finger flexors and from 35 to 83 msec in the finger extensors (Table 1). On average, the EMG latency was 38.6 msec (SD, ±10.6) in the FDS for the ImFlex-EXT tasks, 58.1 msec (±11.5) in the EDC for the ImFlex-FLEX tasks, and 65.4 msec (±9.8) in the EDC for the ImExt-FLEX tasks. The averaged latency was 34.4 msec (±3.6) in the FDS during the preloading tasks, ranging from 25.8 to 50 msec. As shown in Table 1, the latency varied across trials within a subject. The shortest latencies for the ImFlex-EXT tasks in each subject (22 to 34 msec) (Table 1) were comparable with those observed during preloading tasks in which the same muscles were stretched (34.4 ± 3.6 msec). If only the shortest latency was considered for each subject, the average was 29.5 msec.
To assess the effects of stretch velocity on the onset latency, the latencies were compared at different movement velocities. Unlike the responses for 300°/sec stretch, EMG responses in FDS were observed at stretch velocities of 500°/sec in all five tested subjects in the ImFlex-EXT task, whereas no EMG response was observed at rest. Interestingly, in one of the five subjects, EMG response in FDS was elicited during fast stretch (500°/sec) but was not observed in the same ImFlex-EXT task during the stretch at 300°/sec.
Furthermore, the latency decreased substantially below that at 300°/sec, ranging from 21 to 40 msec with an average of 26.4 msec (±3.7). In addition, the onset latency within a subject was less variable under the 500°/sec stretch (Fig. 3). Of particular interest, this latency was very close to that measured from tendon tap reflex tests (average, 22.8 ± 1.2 msec; range, 20-24 msec).
Effects of motor imagery on reflex torque responses
Predictably, the presence of EMG responses was accompanied by changes in torque responses. As shown in the top panel of Figure 4, the torque response averaged across subjects during the stretch period was larger in the ImFlex-EXT tasks (0.26 Nm) than in the ImExt-EXT tasks (0.2 Nm) and at rest (0.2 Nm) (F(2,16) = 6.21; p < 0.01). Note that if the subjects without reflex EMG responses were excluded for the ImFlex-EXT tasks, the averaged peak was even larger (0.36 Nm).
In contrast, no difference in torque responses was observed in motor imagery tasks with FLEX stretches between ImExt-FLEX (0.25 Nm) and ImFlex-FLEX (0.23 Nm) tasks. However, the torque responses during imagery tasks with FLEX stretches were both significantly larger than those at rest (0.15 Nm) during the second half of the tasks (F(2,16) = 7.04; p < 0.006) (Fig. 4, bottom panel). Based on Student's t tests, the torque response at rest was larger in the first half (0.2 Nm) than in the second half (0.15 Nm) of the trial (p < 0.001).
The torque responses observed during motor imagery tasks were small in comparison to those that could be seen during the preloading conditions in three tested subjects. Averaged peak torque responses in three subjects were 0.73 Nm for trials stretched at 100°/sec and 0.92 Nm at 300°/sec.
Effects of motor imagery on the stretch reflex
We focus discussion on the imagery-related modulation of stretch reflex in the finger flexors, because reflex responses in the flexors were compared during motor imagery, muscle activation, and tendon taps. The results obtained from this study show clear-cut modulation of stretch reflex excitability during motor imagery. EMG responses and accompanying torque responses to the muscle stretch during motor imagery were greatly enhanced when compared with the responses collected without imagery (Figs. 2, 3, 4). Additionally, the latency of the response was quite short and similar to that observed during 300°/sec stretch of voluntarily preactivated muscle. This indicates that there was unlikely to be sufficient time for voluntary reaction time responses to influence the EMG response. More importantly, the shortest latencies for the imaginary tasks observed during fast stretches at 500°/sec was similar to those induced by tendon taps, thus providing compelling evidence that imagery-related modulation of stretch reflex occurs at the spinal level. Furthermore, close similarity in reflex responses recorded during tasks performed using preloading, and during motor imagery tasks supports the notion that motor imagery shares many features with actual movements (Decety, 1996a; Crammond, 1997; Abbruzzese et al., 1999).
There is general agreement that the motor cortex increases its excitability to magnetic stimulation during motor imagery (Kasai et al., 1997; Kiers et al., 1997; Fadiga et al., 1999; Yahagi and Kasai, 1999; Facchini et al., 2002). It is likely then that modulation of imagery-induced reflex response originates at a supraspinal level where the motor outflow arises.
However, our observations strongly favor the hypothesis that spinal excitability is increased broadly over the period of imaginary movement and not linked closely to enhanced cortical excitability via a long-loop mechanism. As summarized in Table 1, the EMG latency varied considerably across trials within a subject, in which reflexes were examined using 300°/sec stretches. Furthermore, the shortest response latencies in FDS in the ImFlex-EXT tasks were comparable with those observed in the preloading tasks at the same stretches (300°/sec) to the same muscle (FDS). During stretch of preactivated muscle, motoneurons are already suprathreshold, and monosynaptic effects of muscle afferents are likely to be discernable. Therefore, the results of within-subject variation at 300°/sec stretch could best be explained by hypothesizing that motoneuron and/or interneuron pools of the target muscle are excited to different and potentially time-varying subthreshold levels during motor imagery. Consequently, stretch-induced afferent inputs elicit reflex responses at different latencies in different trials. In contrast, within-subject variations could also be partly attributed to possibility of nonhomogeneous mental performance of the subjects because of the lack of external cueing (e.g., modulated pitch) (cf. Fadiga et al., 1995).
More importantly, the onset latency discerned during 500°/sec provides convincing evidence that the imagery-related modulation of stretch reflex responses most likely occurs at the spinal level. During fast stretches (500°/sec), the earliest discernable onset latencies in FDS (average, 26.4 msec, from 21 to 40 msec) were close to those induced by tendon taps (22.8 msec, from 20 to 24 msec). The difference is presumably attributable to the fact that the angular joint perturbation was not as abrupt as that achieved during tendon tap and to the fact that excitability may vary throughout the imaginary task. Furthermore, short onset latencies (26.4 msec) of EMG responses during fast stretches in the imagery tasks were similar to those for short latency reflexes or so called M1 in other hand and forearm muscles [flexor pollicus longus, 24 ± 2 msec (Marsden et al., 1976); flexor carpi radialis, 17-26 msec (Lewis et al., 2004); 20-40 msec (Lin and Sabbahi, 1998)]. Thus, such latencies appear too short for potential involvement of cortical long-loop pathways [∼55 msec in the wrist flexor (Dick et al., 1987)]. Our results support the hypothesis of subthreshold activation of spinal circuitry during motor imagery. This is also consistent with previous reports of facilitatory effects during motor imagery using F-wave and H-reflex techniques (Bonnet et al., 1997; Kiers et al., 1997; Rossini et al., 1999).
Potential mechanisms for enhanced spinal excitability
There are several potential explanations for this imagery-induced modulation of stretch reflex at the spinal level. First, as indicated above, it could be because of subthreshold activation of motoneurons during motor imagery (cf. Gandevia et al., 1997). Because of the existence of direct corticomotoneuronal connections, especially for finger muscles (Porter and Lemon, 1993), it is possible that the excitability of spinal motoneurons is modulated directly by the motor cortex outflow.
Second, contributions may also arise from analogous modulation of spinal INs. These INs also receive direct inputs from M1 and higher premotor areas (Dum and Strick, 1991; He et al., 1995) as well as from brainstem nuclei under cortical control. Modulation of activities in INs was reported during an instructed delay period (an interval between a transient instruction cue and a subsequently triggered movement) in monkeys (Prut and Fetz, 1999). Specifically, approximately one-third of these INs showed significant delay modulation in the absence of EMG activities, a condition potentially analogous to that occurring during motor imagery tasks. Thus, an increase in the IN activities may occur during motor imagery. Last, a combination of the previous two mechanisms could potentially contribute to the observed effect.
Another possibility is that there is an enhanced excitability of the γ-motor system during motor imagery. Even without changes in the excitability of motoneurons and interneurons, the effect of an external stretch would thus be magnified and could trigger a stretch reflex during motor imagery. However, this is not likely to happen, because Gandevia et al. (1997) reported no change in spindle afferent discharge (and therefore the γ-motor system) during motor imagery. In contrast, their results showed increased motoneuronal activity and reflex excitability.
Besides the above-mentioned possible mechanisms of subthreshold activation, motoneurons could be actively inhibited from discharging through “parallel inhibitory mechanisms” (Takakusaki et al., 2001) despite increased corticospinal input during motor imagery.
Comparison with H-reflex and F-wave responses
Our results are also different from those obtained from H-reflex (Kasai et al., 1997; Hashimoto and Rothwell, 1999) and F-wave (Rossini et al., 1999; Facchini et al., 2002) techniques. The difference may lie in different techniques. The F wave is caused by antidromic activation of the motoneurons by strong electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves. Modulation of F waves may not be representative of the change of the entire α motoneuron pool (Mercuri et al., 1996). H-reflexes are evoked by electrical stimulation of peripheral group Ia afferents and recorded in the EMG from the muscle innervated by the stimulated nerve (Berardelli et al., 1987). They are thought to be mainly monosynaptic in origin and thus reflect the excitability of the spinal motoneurons as well as the transmission over the group Ia synapses on the motoneurons. Stretch reflexes originate primarily from spindle afferents (Ia and II) and also involve input from skin and subcutaneous nerves (Corden et al., 2000). Therefore, it appears that stretch reflexes use both monosynaptic and polysynaptic connections within the spinal cord, and some contributions may even be transcortical in origin (Goodin et al., 1990).
Together, it could be easier to detect changes in mechanically evoked stretch reflexes than electrically evoked H reflexes and F waves during motor imagery. Thus, the experimental paradigm used in this experiment has some advantages over previous approaches to test changes in spinal excitability during motor imagery.
Differential effects on finger flexors and extensors
The observation of different effects of motor imagery on the finger flexors and extensors is also of particular interest. Responses in the EDC were present in almost all cases (both ImFlex-FLEX and ImExt-FLEX) when this muscle was stretched. In contrast, responses in the FDS depended on the direction of the imagined movement: observed only in some subjects in the ImFlex-EXT tasks, not in the ImExt-EXT tasks at all. Differences in EMG responses were also accompanied by differences in torque responses. Furthermore, the onset latency of EMG responses was longer in EDC than in FDS. These differential effects suggest that imagined finger flexion and extension are not symmetrically controlled activities. This is similar to what has been observed during actual voluntary movements (Yue et al., 2000; Nakazawa et al., 2001).
Given general agreement regarding the involvement of primary motor cortex and the resulting enhanced corticospinal excitability in motor imagery tasks, our results of reflex response to stretches at the latency close to that induced by tendon taps provide evidence that motor imagery increases the excitability of spinal reflex pathways in a sustained subthreshold manner. We conclude that motor imagery exerts significant effects on spinal segmental circuitry.
This work was supported by National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research Training Grant H133P990006 (S.L.).
Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Sheng Li, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Montana, Skaggs Building, Room 135, Missoula, MT 59812. E-mail:.
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Sri Lanka have been dealt another major as their star spinner Maheesh Theekshana will not feature in the Asia Cup 2023 final against India to be played at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on 17th September. He suffered the injury while bowling during the rain-curtailed match against Pakistan.
Mahesh Theekshana bowled the allocated quota of 9 overs in the do-or-die match against Pakistan. He struggled after the injury and did a decent job by picking the wicket of Mohammad Nawaz before the rain break. The Sri Lankan spinner bowled discipline line and lengths not allowing the Pakistan batters to score runs freely. He ended with figures of 1 for 42 in his 9 overs.
“The MRI scan is showing a tear – not a big tear,” Professor Arjuna de Silva, chair of the SLC medical committee said. “Clinically Theekshana is okay though. He’s moving around and not feeling too much pain. He’ll be ready for the World Cup. Actually, if we didn’t have a World Cup coming up, we would have somehow tried to get him ready for tomorrow’s match. But we don’t want to take that risk.”
After his injury, Theekshana struggled to bowl full tosses to Ifkthitar Ahmed but was unlucky as Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka did not take a review for LBW dismissing Ahmed. Pakistan posted 252 for 7 in 42 overs thanks to a superb partnership between Ahmed and Rizwan. It was a brilliant batting effort as Kusal Mendis was the top scorer with 91 while Charith Asalanaka finished the job hitting the winning runs to win the match by 2 wickets and 0 balls to spare.
Mahesh Theekshana is the most successful bowler in ODIs for the year 2023 with 31 wickets. It is a major blow for Sri Lanka as they were without their four key players including Chameera, Hasranaga, Madhushanka, and Kumara.
Sri Lanka’s journey in Asia Cup 2023
Sri Lanka had a brilliant journey so far in Asia Cup 2023 so far. They started the tournament with 5 5-wicket win over Bangladesh and then a thrilling 2-run victory over Afghanistan in the Group Stage.
The Super 4 stage saw Sri Lanka register 21 runs victory over Bangladesh. They lost to India despite bowling out them for 213. It was a superb batting effort as they chased down 252 in 42 overs to qualify for the finals.
They have added Sehan Archagige to the squad. Sri Lanka captain Shanaka might bring Dushan Hemantha into the playing XI for tomorrow’s finals against India.


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Considering sourcing from Africa? Look no further than Morocco. This North African nation boasts a strategic location, skilled workforce, and favourable trade agreements, making it a top choice for businesses.
Morocco is a great sourcing destination for several reasons, including its strategic location, its skilled workforce, and its free trade agreements with Europe and the United States. The country also offers several other advantages, such as its low-cost labour and its business-friendly environment.
Background to Morocco as a Sourcing hub
The Kingdom of Morocco is in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by both the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, directly facing Spain across the straits of Gibraltar. A population of over 37million it is the only Monarchy in North Africa.
Morocco’s economy has grown steadily over the past 5 years, averaging 4% annual growth. This growth has been driven by several main export products and services:
- Tourism: Morocco is a popular tourist destination, and tourism has been a major driver of economic growth. In 2021, Morocco received over 13 million tourists, generating $8.6 billion in revenue.
- Foreign direct investment: Morocco has attracted significant foreign direct investment (FDI) in recent years. In 2021, FDI inflows to Morocco totalled $2.3 billion. This FDI has helped to finance new projects in a variety of sectors, including manufacturing, tourism, and infrastructure.
- Exports: Morocco’s exports have also grown steadily in recent years. In 2021, Morocco’s exports totalled $27.5 billion. This growth has been driven by strong demand for Moroccan goods in Europe and the United States.
- Domestic demand: Moroccan consumers have had more disposable income, which has led to increased spending on goods and services.
ET2C International Global Sourcing Specialists
ET2C are a leading UK based Global Sourcing company with over twenty years’ experience working with our clients. Our team of 200 colleagues are based in seven offices in key sourcing markets across Asia.
We work with our clients to make their global sourcing simple, becoming their bridge to their supply partners. Where time zones, language, business communication expectations or QC can become challenging.
Our team of experts can help you build and deliver your sourcing strategy and ensure you are working with the right factory partners. Giving you independent feet on the ground and confidence with fast responses, removing time zone and language challenges. If you would like to explore sourcing opportunities within Morroco or to discuss your future supply chain challenges. Please email@example.com
Government support for business to drive economic growth
The Moroccan government has implemented several reforms to improve the business environment and invested in infrastructure projects and educational reform. Morocco export products are vitally important to economic growth. The reforms and investments made so far to support major exports are proving successful. As a result, Morocco’s economy is expected to continue to grow in the coming years. The IMF projects that Morocco’s economy will grow by 3.5% in 2023 and 4.5% in 2024. Morocco’s economic growth strategy is focused on four main pillars:
- Investment in infrastructure: Morocco has invested heavily in infrastructure in recent years, including roads, railways, ports, and airports. This has helped to improve the country’s connectivity and make it more attractive to foreign investors.
- Diversification of the economy: Morocco is diversifying its economy away from traditional sectors such as agriculture and tourism. The government is promoting the development of new sectors such as manufacturing, IT, and renewable energy.
- Human capital development: Morocco is investing in human capital development by improving the quality of education and training. This is helping to create a more skilled workforce, which is essential for attracting foreign investment and promoting economic growth.
- Regional integration: Morocco is a member of the African Union and the Arab Maghreb Union. The government is promoting regional integration to create a larger market for Moroccan goods and services.
These four pillars are essential for Morocco’s economic growth strategy. By investing in infrastructure, diversifying the economy, developing human capital, and promoting regional integration, Morocco is well-positioned to achieve sustainable economic growth in the years to come.
Export diversification building on strong Agricultural heritage
The diversification of the economy is supporting Morocco’s main export products. Morocco’s focus on expanding its export business has seen the development of manufacturing industry alongside Agriculture as part of Plan Maroc Vert. Morocco’s economic growth strategy has several core elements :
- The Plan Maroc Vert(Green Morocco Plan): This plan is aimed at modernizing Morocco’s agricultural sector and making it more competitive.
- The Tanger Med Special Economic Zone: This zone is designed to attract foreign investment and promote the development of manufacturing and logistics industries.
- The Mohammed VI Polytechnic University: This university is being built to train the skilled workforce that Morocco needs to achieve its economic growth goals.
- Investment in transport infrastructure: As a key enabler to economic growth Morocco has invested in a wide range of infrastructure projects.
The construction of a new high-speed rail line between Tangier and Casablanca. This line is scheduled to be completed in 2023 and will cut the travel time between the two cities from four hours to two hours.
- The expansion of the port of Tanger Med. Tanger Med is Morocco’s largest port and is one of the busiest ports in Africa. The expansion project will increase the port’s capacity by 70%.
- The construction of a new highway between Casablanca and Rabat. This highway is scheduled to be completed in 2022 and will reduce the travel time between the two cities from two hours to one hour.
These investments are expected to boost trade between Morocco and Europe and make Morocco a more attractive destination for foreign investment.
Major Investors in Moroccan Infrastructure-driving export growth
China has become a major investor in Morocco due to its strategic position and free trade agreements with both Europe and United States. Chinese investment has encompassed a range of strategic initiatives.
- Tangier-Med II port:This is a new deep-water port located in Tangier. It is the largest port in Morocco and one of the largest in Africa. The port was built by a Chinese company, China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC), and was financed by the China Development Bank.
- Noor Ouarzazate solar power plant: This is a large solar power plant located in Ouarzazate. It is the largest solar power plant in Africa and one of the largest in the world. The plant was built by a consortium of Chinese and Moroccan companies and was financed by the Export-Import Bank of China.
- Casablanca-Rabat high-speed rail line: This is a new high-speed rail line that connects Casablanca and Rabat. The line is 186 kilometers long and was built by a consortium of Chinese and Moroccan companies. The line was financed by the China Development Bank.
- Kenitra Atlantic port:This is a new port located in Kenitra. The port is being built by a Chinese company, China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), and is financed by the China Development Bank.
Moroccon Main Export Markets: The major sourcing opportunities
Morocco benefits from a strong strategic location for Global Sourcing. It has access to a skilled and cost effective labour force. Free trade agreements with USA and Europe make it an ideal country to use as a sourcing destination. Key export product categories are
Morocco is known for exporting products such as citrus fruits, vegetables, olives, and fish. This diversity of produce allows them to fulfil internal consumption and have enough left over for export. It enjoys a Mediterranean climate, characterized by mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. This climate, along with a network of rivers and groundwater reserves, facilitates irrigation and agricultural production. Additionally, the country has made substantial investments in water management and irrigation systems, enhancing agricultural productivity.
The textile industry in Morocco has a long history which has developed a highly skilled and low labour cost. Close proximity to Europe and Free Trade agreements make Morocco a major exporter of textiles to the world.
The Moroccan government has focused on diversifying its major exports to include engineering and machinery. It has established several industrial parks that specialize in the production of machinery. These parks offer businesses several advantages, such as access to infrastructure, skilled labour, and tax breaks.
The Moroccan government has also provided financial assistance to machinery businesses, such as loans and grants.
Doing business in Morocco: How easy is Global Souring and Exporting
The government is business friendly making it easy to operate a business in Morroco. The significant infrastructure investment is also a crucial enabler to making business simpler.
However, it’s important to note that sourcing from Morocco can also come with challenges. Language barriers, cultural differences, intellectual property protection, and ensuring supply chain transparency are factors that require careful consideration and management.
ET2C the Local Expert Sourcing strategy with Global presence
We are one of Europe’s leading product sourcing agency based in the UK. Cost and margin pressures on many businesses are making Global Sourcing an essential component of any successful business. As the turmoil grows on many shipping routes from traditional Asian markets new territories such as Morocco and Turkey are emerging as critical supply routes for many companies.
To learn more about global sourcing or to start a conversation about strategic sourcing from African or Asian markets please drop us a line at firstname.lastname@example.org

domain: geography


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When a couple get together, they have a tendency to form viewpoints Belarusian Brides: Eastern European Beauties about each other and make assumptions about what they expect from one another. Some may have related expectations of 1 another, nonetheless this isn’t always the case. The feelings that they develop are a expression of their own personal values, and so they may not be the case of their partner. Even though this might result in ecstasy or depression, it could worth observing that the marriage itself is definitely not static.
In the second stage, couples may understand they need their own space, plus the other turns into irritated at perceived demands. Requests from one partner might be seen as invasive and the romantic relationship becomes strained. Inside the third level, partners will certainly decide if to stay collectively or will leave your site and go to a new period. However , these kinds of changes are often temporary and a renewed commitment to the relationship should be used in order to move on.
At the third stage, lovers can make a formal commitment to one another by stepping into marriage or a domestic partnership. In this stage, they begin to accept the differences inside their relationship and work through them. At this time, they likewise have a deep appreciation for starters another, which is important for a proper connection. This is the level where a romance can reach its total potential. The aim of the third stage is to build a relationship that lasts a long time.
The fourth level is the most challenging. The two persons begin to accept each other peoples differences and grow, but are still uneasy with their lover’s habits. Can make the relationship more intense and challenging. Both of them individuals could even start to be tempted to cheat to each other, mainly because they will no longer feel fully determined. The fifthly stage is the most difficult to steer because the two partners are becoming so installed on each other. This can be the stage in which a relationship can reach the full potential.
The 5th stage may be a time any time a relationship has got reached a spot where they are no longer dedicated to each other. At this point, the two people are no longer in love and their relationship is certainly not thriving. Their very own differences have now reached a stage just where they are agreeing that the partner is normally not perfect. At this stage, each people are equally likely to have a lack of commitment to one another. They will not be able to show the same prices, so they need to be ready to accept that they can be different.
The 3rd stage of a romantic relationship is seen as a lack of determination. During this stage, both associates are trying to figure out each other. Primarily, this can result in a loss of closeness and trust. The last stage of a relationship is definitely where you begin to grow separately, but you must remember that both partners are crucial to each other and they need each other. In the last stages, you have to be able to figure out each other better and connect more effectively.
The first level is the most exciting stage. The 2 main people in this stage of a relationship are at the same time of dropping in love. In this period, they are really in shock of one another and are in constant search of methods expressing that. They are unaware of simple fact that they are staying tested. Within a mature romantic relationship, both lovers will be working away at their romantic relationship and determining what is best for each other.
The other stage is the most stable scenario for relationship. With this stage, the couple identifies that both equally partners will vary needs and tend to be able to cope with each other peoples needs. They will carry on and have variances and will gradually work through them to make a solid foundation with regards to relationship. While the couple matures, they will also learn to talk better together. This is a crucial time in a relationship.
The 3rd level is the most fascinating. It is the level of getting to recognize the other person better. There’s nothing more exciting than learning about your partner and their completely unique life experiences. The other person is certainly your source of connection, and you should need to be qualified to remember the little things that make them so great. This is the earliest stage of a marriage. A healthy relationship is a healthy one the place that the two people may discover each other’s abilities and failings.