Recag/C4_43 · Datasets at Hugging Face

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A Star Wars: The Last Jedi fan edit of Leia's infamous 'Mary Poppins' scene makes the Resistance leader the most powerful Jedi ever.
Last Jedi director Rian Johnson is among those rallying against the Star Wars trolls harassing Kelly Marie Tran, forcing her to leave Instagram.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi star Kelly Marie Tran erased all of her Instagram posts over the weekend, although her social media account remains intact.
Between Solo under-performing and The Last Jedi sparking fan outrage, it’s good that the Star Wars franchise is now more divisive than ever.
All the best movies and series coming to Netflix this June, including GLOW, Luke Cage, The Departed, In Bruges, He Named Me Malala and more.
Admiral Ackbar fans can get the send-off they desired for him in a new comic for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which reveals his last words.
Disney's underperforming Han Solo prequel film makes Rian Johnson's controversial The Last Jedi look even more like the way forward for Star Wars.
The novelization for The Last Jedi teased a major plot twist for the Millennium Falcon in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Here are the clues.
GOP legislators say questions about oversight remain.
The two highest-profile public officials on the U.S. Bank Stadium oversight commission stepped down Thursday amid growing legislative and public pressure over their use of two luxury suites to host friends, family and political allies at games and concerts.
Michele Kelm-Helgen, chairwoman of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA), announced her resignation early in the day, saying the decision was her own. By early afternoon, Executive Director Ted Mondale resigned rather than face an impending vote to remove him.
The departures came as state legislators move to overhaul the MSFA’s structure, claiming lax management and oversight by the pair. Gov. Mark Dayton, who had been supportive of the two, said their resignations would “enable the authority to move ahead and, hopefully, allow everyone to regain perspective” on the stadium.
The DFL governor praised Mondale and Kelm-Helgen for “commendable” and “exceptional” work and pledged to work with legislators on the future of the MSFA.
“Everybody’s still kind of taking stock of what’s occurred” in the past 24 hours, Dayton said.
Mondale and Kelm-Helgen faced cascading criticism and scrutiny since the Star Tribune reported in November that they and other MSFA commissioners hosted friends, family and well-connected DFLers at two 18-person luxury suites at the stadium during Vikings games and at several concerts. The two said the state-owned suites were needed to market the building, but an investigation by Legislative Auditor James Nobles revealed the suites were used mostly for entertainment by the MSFA commissioners and staff.
Ted Mondale and Michele Kelm-Helgen responded after Minnesota Legislative Auditor James Nobles delivered a scathing report to the House and Senate State Government Finance committee on Feb. 7.
At a four-hour joint hearing on the release of Nobles’ report last week, Mondale and Kelm-Helgen faced hours of blunt questions from Republicans who didn’t buy their explanations.
Dayton said he didn’t ask for either resignation. But supporting them grew politically difficult after a House committee voted 17-1 to support a bill to reshape the MSFA, with all but one DFL lawmaker joining Republicans in support.
Kelm-Helgen was appointed by Dayton, so he had the authority to remove her. Mondale, however, could have been fired by a vote of the four remaining MSFA commissioners — and a movement was afoot to do so.
Former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz, appointed in January to the MSFA, said she spoke with fellow board members Thursday and the plan was to vote to remove Mondale as soon as possible.
The other three commissioners have been in place for at least a year, and also used the suites themselves for friends and family. They are Tony Sertich, Bill McCarthy and Barbara Butts Williams.
Three Republican legislators were leading a push to retool the MSFA’s composition. One of them, Rep. Sarah Anderson of Plymouth, argued a clean sweep was necessary. “I don’t know why you would want to continue with an operation where there’s a culture of not doing things right,” Anderson said.
Their proposal would overhaul the structure of the MSFA, and eliminate the paid position Kelm-Helgen had been occupying. It would also slash the executive director’s salary. The board would grow to seven members from five, and would be appointed by legislative leaders from both parties as well as the governor and the Minneapolis mayor.
Anderson also repeatedly said the suites were just the “tip of the iceberg” in terms of questionable management of the stadium. She charged that the board had illegally given Kelm-Helgen and Mondale authority to enter contracts above $200,000 without board approval.
The statement said Anderson falsely claimed the MSFA wasn’t aware of changes made by Mondale and Kelm-Helgen. The votes are on the board’s website and board members were briefed on all actions between monthly meetings, Hathaway wrote.
Nobles’ 100-page report faulted Kelm-Helgen and Mondale’s leadership of the MSFA, saying they had violated a core ethical principle by using public office for personal gain, by handing out free tickets, VIP parking, food and drink to friends and allies.
Combined, the two made nearly $300,000 in taxpayer-funded salaries. They oversaw construction of the $1.1 billion stadium, which was funded in part with a $498 million public subsidy.
Even before the suite usage blew up, an unclear division of duties between Mondale and Kelm-Helgen became an issue. Former authority members Duane Benson and John Griffith had questioned the need for two taxpayer-funded executives in similar roles. They also raised concerns about Kelm-Helgen’s lack of collaboration.
“We were on a board that had an inability to get information,” Benson said, adding that Kelm-Helgen also refused to let the board participate in her job reviews.
Dissolve the butter in a pan and add the flour.
Stir until the mixture forms a smooth paste which leaves the sides and base of pan cleanly.
Cook for a minimum of 2 minutes to cook out the taste of the flour.
Pour in approximately one-fifth of the quantity of your chosen fluid and allow to boil without stirring.
Stir until the mixture blends smoothly, beat vigorously and add the remaining quantity of fluid as described, beating well after each addition.
"We took a deal to the president just last February, less than a year ago -- $25 billion over 10 years in border security done the right way - and the president blew up the deal."
— Tim Kaine on Wednesday, January 9th, 2019 in a TV interview.
By Warren Fiske on Tuesday, January 15th, 2019 at 12:00 a.m.
Sen. Tim Kaine says President Donald Trump was once offered all the money he wanted for Southern border security, and turned it down.
His comments came during a Jan.9 interview on CNN, amid a federal government shutdown over disagreements on funding to expand a security wall on the Southern border. Trump is demanding $5.7 billion for project; congressional Democrats are drawing the line at $1.3 billion.
Kaine said his fellow Democrats have tried in the past to compromise with Trump on border security, but to no avail.
"We took a deal to the president just last February, less than a year ago - $25 billion over 10 years in border security done the right way - and the president blew up the deal," Kaine said.
We wondered whether Kaine’s statement is accurate.
Miryam Lipper, the senator’s spokesperson, referred us to a short-lived bill the senator co-sponsored in February 2018. The Senate was intensely debating immigration. Trump had announced that on March 5, he would begin winding down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program - or DACA - that protects from deportation children who were brought to the U.S. as illegal immigrants. The Senate was seeking a broad compromise with Trump on immigration policies that would save DACA before the March 5 deadline.
Establish a path to citizenship for DACA children, or "dreamers;"
Severely limit family-based immigration - what Trump calls "chain immigration."
Ending the diversity visa lottery and restricting family-based immigration - which the Democrats call "family reunification - were anathema to Democrats. Without bipartisan support, the bill couldn’t reach the 60 votes needed to end debate on it and to advance to a pass-or-fail roll call.
So Democrats and a handful Republicans - on Feb. 14, 2018 - introduced a substitute bill that they hoped would muster enough bipartisan backing to pass the 60-vote cloture rule. The measure called for $25 billion in border spending over 10 years for wall construction and a host of other security measures. The bill, however, did not address Trump’s demands to end the lottery and narrow family-based immigration.
On Feb. 15, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a statement threatening Trump would veto the substitute bill. Trump, in tweets, called the bill "a total catastrophe," that would create "mass amnesty for over 10 million illegal aliens, including criminals."
The Washington Post and The New York Times reported that Trump also objected that the bill would allocate the $25 billion over 10 years, instead of all at once.
Later that day, the bill failed. Although a bipartisan group of 54 senators voted for cloture - a majority - they came short of the 60 votes needed to advance. Minutes later, the Republican bill backed by Trump also died.
Congress failed to reach the March 5 deadline to protect DACA, but the phase-out of the program has put on hold by several courts.
Kaine said, "We took a deal to the president just last February, less than a year ago - $25 billion over 10 years in border security done the right way - and the president blew up the deal."
He’s referring to a 2018 bill backed by Senate Democrats and a few Republicans that would have provided $25 billion over a decade to significantly expand the wall and fund other programs to improve Southern border security.
Trump vehemently opposed the bill and threatened to veto it because it did not contain two immigration reforms he demanded: ending the visa lottery and deeply restricting family-based immigration.
We quibble, however, with Kaine’s use of the term "deal," which suggests everything was guaranteed for passage if the president went along. Republicans lawmakers never made that promise. It was really a proposal.
So we rate Kaine's statement Mostly True.
Published: Tuesday, January 15th, 2019 at 12:00 a.m.
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, CNN interview, Jan. 9, 2019.
Congressional Record, pages S1146-S1147, Feb. 15, 2018.
Vox, "9 questions about the Senate immigration debate you were too embarrassed to ask," Feb. 12, 2018.
President Donald Trump, tweets, Feb. 15, 2018.
Well done to all the walkers who took part in the annual Walk for Wadars along Worthing seafront.
There more than 100 people taking part in the sponsored walk on Sunday morning, and a fair few four-legged friends, too.
Tracy Cadman, Wadars operations manager, said: “We’d like to thank everyone who took part in the walk. We hope to have raised several thousand pounds as a result of it, which will help us to care for even more animals.
The five-mile walk started at Goring Greensward and went along the prom to Worthing Pier and back.
Walk for Wadars is one of a number of events staged in aid of the charity each year. Anyone interested in finding out more should contact Wadars on 01903 247111 or email enquiries@wadars.co.uk for more information.
Sensory neuropathy is a neurological disorder that involves the peripheral nervous system. There are several dozen types of sensory neuropathies. “Ganglionopathy”--literally, a disorder of the ganglia--is a feature of a few of them.
The sensory ganglia are found on the roots of cranial and spinal nerve cells. They provide connections between the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system (nerves that conduct sensation from the body to the brain, and orders for movement from the brain to the rest of the body).
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, infections can cause nerve damage by “provoking conditions referred to as autoimmune disorders, in which specialized cells and antibodies of the immune system attack the body's own tissues.” In its 2006 conference report, the institute said that ganglionopathies are more likely to be caused by autoimmune disorders.
Ganglionopathy can cause problems with balance, unsteady gait, numbness, tingling or a burning sensation. Symptoms often start in the hands or feet and move toward the trunk and face.
A general physical exam that includes neurological and blood tests to look for underlying disorders may be followed by more specialized tests, including computed tomography or nerve conduction velocity tests.
Any underlying condition is treated first. Other treatment options involve pain medication, mechanical aids such as braces, or surgery to relieve pressure on nerves.
Sheila Murphy has been writing people profiles, health articles and arts scene guides since 1985. She has published articles in “Mpls St. Paul” magazine, “ComputerUser,” and “Lifelines,” the member magazine for Metropolitan Health Plan. A registered nurse and health care quality specialist, Murphy specializes in sexual and behavioral health issues.
Former military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), has said Nigeria would not have been depending on fuel imports if the plans by his administration to build five refineries had succeeded.
Nigeria currently imports most of the refined petroleum products in circulation through crude oil swap deals and falls prey to scarcity of the products from time to time.
The government owns four refineries with a combined installed capacity of 445,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd).
However, they have been operating well below capacity, hitting an all-time low in 2017.
But speaking at the second annual Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN) international conference in Lagos late on Monday, Gowon said three refineries designed for local consumption were built during his rule between 1966 and 1975.
He said one of the export-oriented refineries would have been dedicated to the local market to meet rising demand.
“During our time, we planned to build five export-oriented refineries to be able to deal with exporting of crude oil for refined products,” he said.
“But then, we had the three refineries–Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna–for home consumption.
“Today our consumption has grown more than the three refineries can do, and what would have happened is that we would transfer one of the export-oriented refineries to feed the local market.
The former head of state hoped that the modular refineries coming on stream will reduce the nation’s dependence on petrol imports and bring an end to subsidy.
“With the modular refineries coming up, I hope things will improve and there will be reduction of our dependence on export of our crude oil for refined petroleum products as this has created a lot of problem like subsidy and other challenges,” he said.
First, the Celtics have to play their 82nd and final game on Tuesday in Washington against the lottery-bound Wizards.
BOSTON – They will go through the formality of closing the book on the 2018-19 regular season Tuesday night.
Then, the Celtics will have three or four days of non-stop preparation for their opening-round playoff series, a matchup with the Indiana Pacers.
A Sunday night loss to the Orlando Magic officially ended the Celtics chances to moving up to the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference, so they will be seeded fourth and host the opening two games against the fifth-seeded Pacers.
The two teams have been on a collision course for several weeks, and it was just a matter of which one had the better record for home-court advantage.
Now it is known that the Celtics will play Games 1 and 2 at the TD Garden with the opener most likely on Sunday with the schedule expected to be revealed Thursday morning.
“It’s going to be an extremely tough series,’’ said coach Brad Stevens. “It’s going to be an extremely physical series.
First, the Celtics have to play their 82nd and final game on Tuesday in Washington against the lottery-bound Wizards (7:05 p.m., TV: NBC Sports Boston and TNT; radio: WBZ-98.5 FM).
There is a good chance R.J. Hunter and P.J. Dozier from the Maine Red Claws will be getting a lot of minutes along with Brad Wanamaker, Robert Williams, Semi Ojeleye and Guerschon Yabusele.
This will be a time for the main rotation players to sit and watch while two others, Marcus Smart and Jayson Tatum, recover from injuries that occurred in the regular-season home finale against the Magic.
Aron Baynes, Gordon Hayward, Al Horford, Kyrie Irving, Marcus Morris, Smart and Tatum are all listed as out against the Wizards while Daniel Theis is questionable.
Smart has an oblique muscle bruise and Tatum has a shin contusion, and their status has not been updated. The team is expected to begin practicing for the Pacers series either Wednesday or Thursday.
The Celtics won three out of four games against the Pacers, including two in a recent eight-day span by two at home and 20 points on the road.
The Pacers have dropped nine of their last 12 games, allowing the Celtics to pass them in the standings.
The Celtics had won five of six games before losing to the Magic when they couldn’t hold a 13-point first-half lead, then rallied from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit only to fall short.
It has been an up-and-down season, one that has been disappointing for the Celtics. The preseason favorites to win the Eastern Conference, the Celtics (48-33) are going to fall short of the 50-win mark.

A Star Wars: The Last Jedi fan edit of Leia's infamous 'Mary Poppins' scene makes the Resistance leader the most powerful Jedi ever.

Last Jedi director Rian Johnson is among those rallying against the Star Wars trolls harassing Kelly Marie Tran, forcing her to leave Instagram.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi star Kelly Marie Tran erased all of her Instagram posts over the weekend, although her social media account remains intact.

Between Solo under-performing and The Last Jedi sparking fan outrage, it’s good that the Star Wars franchise is now more divisive than ever.

All the best movies and series coming to Netflix this June, including GLOW, Luke Cage, The Departed, In Bruges, He Named Me Malala and more.

Admiral Ackbar fans can get the send-off they desired for him in a new comic for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which reveals his last words.

Disney's underperforming Han Solo prequel film makes Rian Johnson's controversial The Last Jedi look even more like the way forward for Star Wars.

The novelization for The Last Jedi teased a major plot twist for the Millennium Falcon in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Here are the clues.

GOP legislators say questions about oversight remain.

The two highest-profile public officials on the U.S. Bank Stadium oversight commission stepped down Thursday amid growing legislative and public pressure over their use of two luxury suites to host friends, family and political allies at games and concerts.

Michele Kelm-Helgen, chairwoman of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA), announced her resignation early in the day, saying the decision was her own. By early afternoon, Executive Director Ted Mondale resigned rather than face an impending vote to remove him.

The departures came as state legislators move to overhaul the MSFA’s structure, claiming lax management and oversight by the pair. Gov. Mark Dayton, who had been supportive of the two, said their resignations would “enable the authority to move ahead and, hopefully, allow everyone to regain perspective” on the stadium.

The DFL governor praised Mondale and Kelm-Helgen for “commendable” and “exceptional” work and pledged to work with legislators on the future of the MSFA.

“Everybody’s still kind of taking stock of what’s occurred” in the past 24 hours, Dayton said.

Mondale and Kelm-Helgen faced cascading criticism and scrutiny since the Star Tribune reported in November that they and other MSFA commissioners hosted friends, family and well-connected DFLers at two 18-person luxury suites at the stadium during Vikings games and at several concerts. The two said the state-owned suites were needed to market the building, but an investigation by Legislative Auditor James Nobles revealed the suites were used mostly for entertainment by the MSFA commissioners and staff.

Ted Mondale and Michele Kelm-Helgen responded after Minnesota Legislative Auditor James Nobles delivered a scathing report to the House and Senate State Government Finance committee on Feb. 7.

At a four-hour joint hearing on the release of Nobles’ report last week, Mondale and Kelm-Helgen faced hours of blunt questions from Republicans who didn’t buy their explanations.

Dayton said he didn’t ask for either resignation. But supporting them grew politically difficult after a House committee voted 17-1 to support a bill to reshape the MSFA, with all but one DFL lawmaker joining Republicans in support.

Kelm-Helgen was appointed by Dayton, so he had the authority to remove her. Mondale, however, could have been fired by a vote of the four remaining MSFA commissioners — and a movement was afoot to do so.

Former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz, appointed in January to the MSFA, said she spoke with fellow board members Thursday and the plan was to vote to remove Mondale as soon as possible.

The other three commissioners have been in place for at least a year, and also used the suites themselves for friends and family. They are Tony Sertich, Bill McCarthy and Barbara Butts Williams.

Three Republican legislators were leading a push to retool the MSFA’s composition. One of them, Rep. Sarah Anderson of Plymouth, argued a clean sweep was necessary. “I don’t know why you would want to continue with an operation where there’s a culture of not doing things right,” Anderson said.

Their proposal would overhaul the structure of the MSFA, and eliminate the paid position Kelm-Helgen had been occupying. It would also slash the executive director’s salary. The board would grow to seven members from five, and would be appointed by legislative leaders from both parties as well as the governor and the Minneapolis mayor.

Anderson also repeatedly said the suites were just the “tip of the iceberg” in terms of questionable management of the stadium. She charged that the board had illegally given Kelm-Helgen and Mondale authority to enter contracts above $200,000 without board approval.

The statement said Anderson falsely claimed the MSFA wasn’t aware of changes made by Mondale and Kelm-Helgen. The votes are on the board’s website and board members were briefed on all actions between monthly meetings, Hathaway wrote.

Nobles’ 100-page report faulted Kelm-Helgen and Mondale’s leadership of the MSFA, saying they had violated a core ethical principle by using public office for personal gain, by handing out free tickets, VIP parking, food and drink to friends and allies.

Combined, the two made nearly $300,000 in taxpayer-funded salaries. They oversaw construction of the $1.1 billion stadium, which was funded in part with a $498 million public subsidy.

Even before the suite usage blew up, an unclear division of duties between Mondale and Kelm-Helgen became an issue. Former authority members Duane Benson and John Griffith had questioned the need for two taxpayer-funded executives in similar roles. They also raised concerns about Kelm-Helgen’s lack of collaboration.

“We were on a board that had an inability to get information,” Benson said, adding that Kelm-Helgen also refused to let the board participate in her job reviews.

Dissolve the butter in a pan and add the flour.

Stir until the mixture forms a smooth paste which leaves the sides and base of pan cleanly.

Cook for a minimum of 2 minutes to cook out the taste of the flour.

Pour in approximately one-fifth of the quantity of your chosen fluid and allow to boil without stirring.

Stir until the mixture blends smoothly, beat vigorously and add the remaining quantity of fluid as described, beating well after each addition.

"We took a deal to the president just last February, less than a year ago -- $25 billion over 10 years in border security done the right way - and the president blew up the deal."

— Tim Kaine on Wednesday, January 9th, 2019 in a TV interview.

By Warren Fiske on Tuesday, January 15th, 2019 at 12:00 a.m.

Sen. Tim Kaine says President Donald Trump was once offered all the money he wanted for Southern border security, and turned it down.

His comments came during a Jan.9 interview on CNN, amid a federal government shutdown over disagreements on funding to expand a security wall on the Southern border. Trump is demanding $5.7 billion for project; congressional Democrats are drawing the line at $1.3 billion.

Kaine said his fellow Democrats have tried in the past to compromise with Trump on border security, but to no avail.

"We took a deal to the president just last February, less than a year ago - $25 billion over 10 years in border security done the right way - and the president blew up the deal," Kaine said.

We wondered whether Kaine’s statement is accurate.

Miryam Lipper, the senator’s spokesperson, referred us to a short-lived bill the senator co-sponsored in February 2018. The Senate was intensely debating immigration. Trump had announced that on March 5, he would begin winding down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program - or DACA - that protects from deportation children who were brought to the U.S. as illegal immigrants. The Senate was seeking a broad compromise with Trump on immigration policies that would save DACA before the March 5 deadline.

Establish a path to citizenship for DACA children, or "dreamers;"

Severely limit family-based immigration - what Trump calls "chain immigration."

Ending the diversity visa lottery and restricting family-based immigration - which the Democrats call "family reunification - were anathema to Democrats. Without bipartisan support, the bill couldn’t reach the 60 votes needed to end debate on it and to advance to a pass-or-fail roll call.

So Democrats and a handful Republicans - on Feb. 14, 2018 - introduced a substitute bill that they hoped would muster enough bipartisan backing to pass the 60-vote cloture rule. The measure called for $25 billion in border spending over 10 years for wall construction and a host of other security measures. The bill, however, did not address Trump’s demands to end the lottery and narrow family-based immigration.

On Feb. 15, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a statement threatening Trump would veto the substitute bill. Trump, in tweets, called the bill "a total catastrophe," that would create "mass amnesty for over 10 million illegal aliens, including criminals."

The Washington Post and The New York Times reported that Trump also objected that the bill would allocate the $25 billion over 10 years, instead of all at once.

Later that day, the bill failed. Although a bipartisan group of 54 senators voted for cloture - a majority - they came short of the 60 votes needed to advance. Minutes later, the Republican bill backed by Trump also died.

Congress failed to reach the March 5 deadline to protect DACA, but the phase-out of the program has put on hold by several courts.

Kaine said, "We took a deal to the president just last February, less than a year ago - $25 billion over 10 years in border security done the right way - and the president blew up the deal."

He’s referring to a 2018 bill backed by Senate Democrats and a few Republicans that would have provided $25 billion over a decade to significantly expand the wall and fund other programs to improve Southern border security.

Trump vehemently opposed the bill and threatened to veto it because it did not contain two immigration reforms he demanded: ending the visa lottery and deeply restricting family-based immigration.

We quibble, however, with Kaine’s use of the term "deal," which suggests everything was guaranteed for passage if the president went along. Republicans lawmakers never made that promise. It was really a proposal.

So we rate Kaine's statement Mostly True.

Published: Tuesday, January 15th, 2019 at 12:00 a.m.

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, CNN interview, Jan. 9, 2019.

Congressional Record, pages S1146-S1147, Feb. 15, 2018.

Vox, "9 questions about the Senate immigration debate you were too embarrassed to ask," Feb. 12, 2018.

President Donald Trump, tweets, Feb. 15, 2018.

Well done to all the walkers who took part in the annual Walk for Wadars along Worthing seafront.

There more than 100 people taking part in the sponsored walk on Sunday morning, and a fair few four-legged friends, too.

Tracy Cadman, Wadars operations manager, said: “We’d like to thank everyone who took part in the walk. We hope to have raised several thousand pounds as a result of it, which will help us to care for even more animals.

The five-mile walk started at Goring Greensward and went along the prom to Worthing Pier and back.

Walk for Wadars is one of a number of events staged in aid of the charity each year. Anyone interested in finding out more should contact Wadars on 01903 247111 or email enquiries@wadars.co.uk for more information.

Sensory neuropathy is a neurological disorder that involves the peripheral nervous system. There are several dozen types of sensory neuropathies. “Ganglionopathy”--literally, a disorder of the ganglia--is a feature of a few of them.

The sensory ganglia are found on the roots of cranial and spinal nerve cells. They provide connections between the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system (nerves that conduct sensation from the body to the brain, and orders for movement from the brain to the rest of the body).

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, infections can cause nerve damage by “provoking conditions referred to as autoimmune disorders, in which specialized cells and antibodies of the immune system attack the body's own tissues.” In its 2006 conference report, the institute said that ganglionopathies are more likely to be caused by autoimmune disorders.

Ganglionopathy can cause problems with balance, unsteady gait, numbness, tingling or a burning sensation. Symptoms often start in the hands or feet and move toward the trunk and face.

A general physical exam that includes neurological and blood tests to look for underlying disorders may be followed by more specialized tests, including computed tomography or nerve conduction velocity tests.

Any underlying condition is treated first. Other treatment options involve pain medication, mechanical aids such as braces, or surgery to relieve pressure on nerves.

Sheila Murphy has been writing people profiles, health articles and arts scene guides since 1985. She has published articles in “Mpls St. Paul” magazine, “ComputerUser,” and “Lifelines,” the member magazine for Metropolitan Health Plan. A registered nurse and health care quality specialist, Murphy specializes in sexual and behavioral health issues.

Former military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), has said Nigeria would not have been depending on fuel imports if the plans by his administration to build five refineries had succeeded.

Nigeria currently imports most of the refined petroleum products in circulation through crude oil swap deals and falls prey to scarcity of the products from time to time.

The government owns four refineries with a combined installed capacity of 445,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd).

However, they have been operating well below capacity, hitting an all-time low in 2017.

But speaking at the second annual Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN) international conference in Lagos late on Monday, Gowon said three refineries designed for local consumption were built during his rule between 1966 and 1975.

He said one of the export-oriented refineries would have been dedicated to the local market to meet rising demand.

“During our time, we planned to build five export-oriented refineries to be able to deal with exporting of crude oil for refined products,” he said.

“But then, we had the three refineries–Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna–for home consumption.

“Today our consumption has grown more than the three refineries can do, and what would have happened is that we would transfer one of the export-oriented refineries to feed the local market.

The former head of state hoped that the modular refineries coming on stream will reduce the nation’s dependence on petrol imports and bring an end to subsidy.

“With the modular refineries coming up, I hope things will improve and there will be reduction of our dependence on export of our crude oil for refined petroleum products as this has created a lot of problem like subsidy and other challenges,” he said.

First, the Celtics have to play their 82nd and final game on Tuesday in Washington against the lottery-bound Wizards.

BOSTON – They will go through the formality of closing the book on the 2018-19 regular season Tuesday night.

Then, the Celtics will have three or four days of non-stop preparation for their opening-round playoff series, a matchup with the Indiana Pacers.

A Sunday night loss to the Orlando Magic officially ended the Celtics chances to moving up to the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference, so they will be seeded fourth and host the opening two games against the fifth-seeded Pacers.

The two teams have been on a collision course for several weeks, and it was just a matter of which one had the better record for home-court advantage.

Now it is known that the Celtics will play Games 1 and 2 at the TD Garden with the opener most likely on Sunday with the schedule expected to be revealed Thursday morning.

“It’s going to be an extremely tough series,’’ said coach Brad Stevens. “It’s going to be an extremely physical series.

First, the Celtics have to play their 82nd and final game on Tuesday in Washington against the lottery-bound Wizards (7:05 p.m., TV: NBC Sports Boston and TNT; radio: WBZ-98.5 FM).

There is a good chance R.J. Hunter and P.J. Dozier from the Maine Red Claws will be getting a lot of minutes along with Brad Wanamaker, Robert Williams, Semi Ojeleye and Guerschon Yabusele.

This will be a time for the main rotation players to sit and watch while two others, Marcus Smart and Jayson Tatum, recover from injuries that occurred in the regular-season home finale against the Magic.

Aron Baynes, Gordon Hayward, Al Horford, Kyrie Irving, Marcus Morris, Smart and Tatum are all listed as out against the Wizards while Daniel Theis is questionable.

Smart has an oblique muscle bruise and Tatum has a shin contusion, and their status has not been updated. The team is expected to begin practicing for the Pacers series either Wednesday or Thursday.

The Celtics won three out of four games against the Pacers, including two in a recent eight-day span by two at home and 20 points on the road.

The Pacers have dropped nine of their last 12 games, allowing the Celtics to pass them in the standings.

The Celtics had won five of six games before losing to the Magic when they couldn’t hold a 13-point first-half lead, then rallied from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit only to fall short.

It has been an up-and-down season, one that has been disappointing for the Celtics. The preseason favorites to win the Eastern Conference, the Celtics (48-33) are going to fall short of the 50-win mark.