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Edinburgh Centre for Medical Anthropology: SoMA: Students of Medical Anthropology

Worlds Beyond Us: SoMA Symposium on the Human & Non-Human in Medical Anthropology

soma symposium poster

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Welcome:  10.00 - 10.20 am

Professor Ian Harper (Director of Edinburgh Centre for Medical Anthropology)

Ritti Soncco (Representative of Students of Medical Anthropology and Symposium organiser)

Group 1:  Practises of Care Beyond Personhood (10.20 - 11.20 am)

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Material objects and art & design-based methodologies for research with people with dementia - by Valeria Lembo (Edinburgh Centre for Research on the Experience of Dementia, University of Edinburgh)

In recent years there has been a growing interest in arts and design for dementia care. This attention has been also manifested in a growing body of studies that have used innovative research methods in order to understand more effectively the experiential dimension of living with dementia (Bellass 2019). Dementia studies are increasingly looking at innovative visual, kinaesthetic and sensory approaches to methodology; some examples include: ‘walking interviews’; poetry, drama, participatory film-making, journaling (Bellas 2019); ‘wardrobe interviews’ and usage of material objects during one-to-one discussions, focus and reminiscence groups, including: photograph albums; prompt cards; visual images; fabric; clothing and accessories (Buse, Twigg 2014). Outside the specific field of dementia studies, social scientists Goopy and Assan (2019) have proposed an arts-based engagement ethnography (ABEE) for research with underrepresented communities. In their work, they have shown how the use of ‘cultural probes’ can relocate traditional power hierarchies between researcher and research participants and foster a collaborative process in which participants’ own hierarchies of importance can emerge and shape research. By examining these novel methodological trends, I intend to reflect on the potential of including material objects and ‘cultural probes’ within my PhD research design on arts and dementia care in Scotland. I further intend to reflect on the following questions: How can the research process within the social sciences be more inclusive towards people with dementia and let emerge their own questions? Can art-based/design-based methodologies be useful not only for ‘gathering data’, but also for creating meaningful research communities?

General Practice Receptionists: undervalued guardians of care? - by Niamh Woodier (University of Edinburgh)

There are few people who do not interact with a general practice receptionist. Receptionists make decisions everyday about who can see a GP, and when. In the everyday lives of patients these are significant decisions that cost time and sometimes upset. Yet for a figure that apparently has a controlling influence on the population, there is a paucity of literature that studies their work and larger role in delivering care services. Key literature surmises that, ‘the relational practice of receptionists seemed to me in some way inappropriate’ (Hewitt 2006, 279), and portrays receptionists as unable to handle ‘high-level procedural operations’(Spencer 2018, 2). This negative image in academic literature is compounded by their negative public image, and their unspoken role as a scape-goat for structural problems in primary healthcare. This paper attempts to reflect on some of the literature from personal experience in the work place. The paper reviews the role, knowledge and training and receptionists, and contemplates if the informal power of receptionists impacts the quality of care.

Niamh Woodier

Generational differences in perceptions of medical student experiences of clinical attachments in surgery - by Debbie Aitken (University of Cambridge)

In the UK, medical students spend a large proportion of their training in the medical workplace; learning clinical skills, being enculturated into the profession and having the opportunity to see, hear and experience expert behaviour. These clinical experiences (known as clinical attachments or placements in the UK) provide students with the opportunity to learn in a ‘real world’ workplace environment with real patients. Studies have shown that students’ experiences can have an impact on what specialties they choose as careers, and in busy and high-pressure specialties such as surgery, negative experiences on clinical attachments have been linked to recruitment crises in these specialties. It is therefore imperative that we understand what the key players in clinical attachments (students and teachers) think contribute to students’ negative (and positive) experiences. Gauging this can be quite challenging, and as a result, changes or improvements are often made based on surveys of medical students’ opinions, or sometimes based on no evidence at all. It is important to go beyond surveys to explore the cultural issues that may exist in surgery. This study will use an ethnographic approach in order to explore generational differences and similarities between what medical students and their teachers (consultant surgeons) think about clinical attachment experiences. Preliminary results of the ethnographic study will be presented at the symposium.

Entangled stories: Emergence of personhood in dementia care during Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) - by Cristina Douglas (University of Aberdeen)

Medical and public health narratives of dementia are dominated by ideas of erosion and loss of personhood, cognitive abilities, self-awareness and agency. People with dementia are portrayed as living in liminal zones between living and dying (Kaufman 2006; 2015), challenging the differentiation between life/death, body/mind, person/non-person. In this debate, personhood, though occupying a central role, remains heavily associated with human exceptionalism. I propose an exploration of sociality in both dementia and human-animal relations, by looking at the entanglements of what it means to be alive at these margins. I propose a discussion of: ethical/legal aspects; Western normative definitions and narratives of personhood of both people with dementia and animals and their consequences (political and economic); and the imperative of challenging and potentially reframing these current definitions by taking into account the point of view of the body and senses involved on both sides, human and non-human therapy animals, in Animal-Assisted Therapy. Further, I explore what subject/self/person types emerge, shaped by new opportunities of being and becoming with each other. Finally, I explore how a multi-species moral community might alter knowledge about dementia and redefine the status that non-human animals play in the wider medical, public health and social community, targeting ‘marginal’ relations as potentially challenging hegemonic assumptions about what it means to be alive, human or animal.

Coffee Break:  11.20 - 11.40 am

Group 2:  Life and Work With Non-Humans (11.40am - 12.30 pm)

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Beyond Resistance: Microbial worlds, military metaphors and the post-antibiotic era - by Iona Walker (BEYOND RESISTANCE Network)

Microbes are here to stay. Antimicrobial resistance is recognised as an “urgent global threat” (Hancock 2019) centred in militaristic metaphors and approaches. Yet as conventional therapies to ‘kill bugs’ decline in effectiveness, research increasingly asserts the integral role of microbiome in human health. I argue that this tension offers a unique opportunity to interrogate human-microbe relationships at a critical juncture, asking: what is the impact of the military metaphor on this relationship and how might it be imagined differently? Fisher states that “Freud’s unheimlich is about the strange within familiar” and that being in the presence of the ‘weird’ often means we are encountering the new and must adjust accordingly. The return of the microbe we cannot control I suggest, invokes this. To reimagine our relationship with the microbial world (the majority of which are either directly beneficial or neutral towards humans) we must confront this. Art has dealt with similar questions of the body through the abject, which reveals tangibly the ‘uncanny’ truths about the ecological nature of the ‘human’ body (such as the revulsion we may feel seeing cultures of bacteria sampled from human bodies). Combining art with multispecies ethnography to investigate human and non-human ecologies, what does it mean to be microbially entangled?

Iona Walker

Experimenting on Animals: Taking animals seriously in social science ethics - by Cormac Cleary (University of Edinburgh)

There is a significant body of work across the social sciences which includes the nonhuman in its definition of the social. However little has been done to take seriously the challenges this kind of work presents to the practice of the discipline as a whole. Rather the nonhuman turn is generally acknowledged to have theoretical potential but on a practical level it is given essentially meaningless lip service. For example, the Association of Social Anthropologists’ Ethical Guidelines mention animals twice. The preamble states that the guidelines “apply to anthropological work whether studying ‘up’ and/or ‘down,’ with persons and/or animals.” Substantively, the document’s only piece of practical advice that mentions nonhumans advises against “economic exploitation of individual informants, translators, groups, animals and research participants.” The rest of the code focuses on generally accepted ethical principles for social scientific research, e.g. informed consent, few of which (with the exception of anticipating harm), are particularly relevant to nonhuman research subjects. In the natural sciences, on the other hand, it is common practice to incorporate nonhuman bodies in experiments, and there are well-developed ethics codes governing the interspecies encounter between researcher and subject. By examining the points of tension and confluence between social science ethical guidelines and natural science ethics codes about the use of animals in experimentation, I will explore the potential practical implications of nonhuman research subjects for research ethics codes in the social sciences.

Cormac Cleary

Kibbles of love and chicken: an interspecies story about dog food - by Maythe Han (University of Edinburgh)

This auto-ethnography tells the story of how I came to choose the ‘best’ food for Frank, my 4-year-old rescue border collie, who has been an integral part of my family since April 2017. With the premise that responsible dog ownership requires commitment not only of emotional and physical labour but also of economic capital, this essay explores the themes of love and care through examining the materiality of the kibbles that I feed Frank, and by contemplating the role that food plays in the maintenance of my more-than-human family. I show that dog food is a material site of interaction between and overlap of the emotional, physical, and economic elements involved in caring for a dog – that dog food is where the translation of the immaterial (love and care) into the material (kibbles) happens. In turn, I argue that the concept of materiality itself is quite multifaceted and fluid.

LUNCH BREAK:  12.20 - 1.30pm

Group 3:  Follow, Enter, Unravel the Thing (1.30 - 2.20 pm)

panel discussion

The social life of abortion pills in Britain and Ireland - by Leah Eades (University of Edinburgh)

A growing number of British and Irish women are using mifepristone and misoprostol, commonly referred to as “abortion pills”, to terminate their pregnancies through early medical abortion (EMA). In this paper, I present an overview of the licit and illicit social life of abortion pills in Britain and Ireland – specifically, as they move within and between England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and the Isle of Man. In this region, differing laws and healthcare delivery systems have resulted in diverse and highly interconnected distribution and consumption practices, with pregnant people accessing EMA legally through regulated health services in countries where it is available and illegally via unregulated online distributors. This range of official and unofficial distribution channels contributes to the mobility of bodies, medications, and information within and between countries. I conclude by reflecting on some of the strengths and limitations of employing a biographical approach to explore the ways in which these pharmaceuticals intersect with borders and bodies in the context of this rapidly changing regulatory landscape.

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People, Products and Power: Constructing the Moral Economy between Self and Product in Boycott Campaigns - by Sophia Celeste Hoffinger (University of Edinburgh)

This paper seeks to investigate the moral economy of the relationship between people and products in boycott movements by tracing how products have been made complicit in systems of oppression by humans and more-than-human institutions alike. Boycott movements take on a specific role in “the production, circulation, and use of values and sentiments” (Fassin 2012: 441) of products, companies and their position in the world. They mobilise an affective narrative that traces the connections between personal consumption, the state, the corporation with systems of oppression and marginalised groups. Thus, boycott campaigns move between the domestic, the national, and the international; between people, products, and companies. While situating boycott campaigns historically, this paper will focus on the moral economy of the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction (BDS) movement. This moral economy, I argue, is accentuated and revitalised by the production of ‘Brand Israel’, a national rebranding campaign initiated and co-designed by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2006. This talk thus explores some of the contingencies between BDS-led boycott mobilisations and Brand Israel.

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A Geography of Tolerance: The Making or Unmaking of the Lyme Disease Epidemic in the Scottish Highlands - by Ritti Soncco (University of Edinburgh)

This paper discusses the role that historical and modern-day social constructions of Scottish landscapes play in making Lyme disease invisible as it becomes endemic to the country. Lyme disease is notoriously difficult to identity and diagnose in patients - yet beyond the human, this problem has extended to landscape bodies. My focus is on the Scottish Highlands, whose glens, crags, and cairns are both a habitat for ticks carrying Lyme disease and a geography of loss, healing, memory and tourist performances of beauty. I offer a brief historical excursion to the 18th century, when the Highland Clearances saw the expulsion of thousands of Highlanders from their lands and the systematic dismantling of a way of life, and the introduction of sheep and deer, as well as their romanticisation and construction of authenticity in poetry, novels, films, and the tourist industry. What were once historically violent landscapes are today performed by tourists, residents and hillwalkers as safe and peaceful spaces, with British children brought up under the mantra: “nothing here can kill you”. Offering my theory of ‘geographies of tolerance’, I discuss how constructions of landscapes as authentically remote, safe spaces has played on transforming humans into undesirable Others, and the space this construction leaves for a growing epidemic such as Lyme disease, giving both the tick and the bacteria multiple hiding spaces in the folds of historical healing, non-human kinship, and peaceful countryside.

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white image


The Mariana Trench is the deepest point on Earth

Pygmy City is the strangest tourist place in the world

Kingdom of Pygmies
A new kind of tourism has emerged in southwest China's Yunnan Province where a generation of pygmies has established a real city in Kunming with a population of only 130 cm.
The city has all the facilities and services available in regular cities such as shops, infrastructure public relations department and the Ministry of Health. Small houses are also designed in the form of mushrooms.

The city is a small kingdom, where a dwarf king was installed with dwarf guards guarding his security and security of the city.
In the Pygmy Kingdom, the tourist feels that he is a giant man in a world filled with fairy tales. The city founded by a generation of pygmies is located in Kunming Yunnan Province. The kingdom has about 100 Chinese dwarfs who are required to join the private community not to exceed 130 cm From 18 to 40 years old.
The reason is that a group of pygmies in the Asian continent to escape the racism of human beings in general and away from the psychological problems resulting from the unacceptability of their form to escape from it all by building their own kingdom through which they can practice all aspects of their own life.

Just as what gives the city the character of fantasy and myth is the pygmies keenness to wear the clothes of the famous mythological heroes.
The Pygmies claim that the idea of creating the city came to stop the discrimination they witness in their daily lives by Giants" or ordinary people, but the reports revealed a tourist plan drawn up by major tour operators.

A resident of Kunming, Fu Tian says the dwarfs used to get orders from the "giants.Here, there's nobody else and all we do is just us.

More than 100 dwarfs live in Kunming, most of them engaged in entertainment, such as dancing, singing and living a normal life where they marry and have children.

The King is keen to attend all the entertainment offers to tourists and shake hands with the masses welcome them.


Jade, Pounamu and Greenstone. What is the difference?

Greenstone / Pounamu / Jade are often the same thing from different angles.

Pounamu is the Maori word for Jade but Tangiwai (Bowenite – a translucent Serpentine) is also Pounamu. Tangiwai is another translucent green stone we have in New Zealand and is very similar to Jade though more fragile. I would use Pounamu to describe New Zealand Jade or Tangiwai.

“Greenstone” is the term Captain Cook used to describe Maori Jade carvings. It’s a term that is only used in New Zealand/Australia and is confusing in nature as we have a lot of “green” stones. I don’t normally use the term greenstone.

Jade is the common word for nephrite. It is used worldwide and is specific. Internationally the term Jade is used for two different stones – Nephrite and Jadeite. In New Zealand all our Jade is Nephrite but overseas the term Jade could be used for either depending on where you are.

Jadeite is a semi precious stone. It is harder than Nephrite so takes longer to carve and finish.  It comes in a range of colours a little different than Nephrite. Along with white and green, jadeite comes in reds, lavenders and yellows.

– I would use Pounamu to describe NZ Jade (Nephrite) + some high quality Serpentine’s.

– I don’t normally use the term Greenstone but it should mean the same as Pounamu.

Jade could refer to Pounamu or other jades from overseas (Nephrite and Jadeite).

More articles on jade carving

Can Pounamu only be gifted, is it ok to buy a piece for yourself?
Cloud fractures or cracks, what’s the difference?
Jade carving, who do you work for?
Hand shaped jade beads

greenstone pounamu jade
Inanga Pounamu Ruru (Jade, Nephrite, Greenstone)
jadeite jade dolphins
Guatemalan Jadeite Dolphins (Jadeite, Jade)
pounamu greenstone jade
Pounamu Rolled Leaf (Jade, Nephrite, Greenstone)
brown jade beads
Siberian Jade beads (Jade, Nephrite)
jade beads insect
Jade insect necklace (17 different jades – both nephrite and jadeite from around the world)


Collaborating Authors

AMD sees another six months of video game chip shortages

The world's hunger for graphics chips for PCs and gaming consoles means there will be short supply in many markets through the first half of this year, according to chip titan Advanced Micro Devices. "We did have some supply constraints as we ended the year," said CEO Lisa Su on a conference call with analysts Tuesday evening following the company's report of stronger-than-expected Q4 results. Shortages of supply "were primarily, I would say, in the PC market, the low end of the PC market and in the gaming markets," said Su. "That being said, I think we're getting great support from our manufacturing partners. The industry does need to increase the overall capacity levels. And so we do see some tightness through the first half of the year." AMD's Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics card, introduced last quarter.

Gesturing with your hands can make your words more memorable, new research suggests

Daily Mail - Science & tech

Searching for a way to make your point? Then look no further than your hands. Gestures such as slicing the air or waving can make what we are saying more memorable, according to scientists. It may explain politicians' annoying habit of making chopping motions to emphasise words in their speeches – and why people in some countries such as Italy tend to gesticulate when they speak. The research shows gestures can affect the sounds people hear, for example making vowels seem longer.

Ticker: Amazon adds jobs in Boston; Lottery sales, profits rising during pandemic

Boston Herald

Amazon's 2020 hiring spree does not appear to be slowing in the new year with the company announcing 3,000 new jobs in the city in coming years. The hires announced Tuesday will double the workforce in Amazon's Boston tech hub, with new jobs spread across Alexa, Amazon Web Services, Amazon Robotics and Amazon Pharmacy. In its most recent quarter which ended in September, Amazon hired more than 250,000 permanent full-time and part-time workers, Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky said during a conference call with industry analysts. In October, the start of this quarter, it hired another 100,000. The jobs announced Tuesday in Boston include technology positions in software development, artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as new jobs in product management, human relations, finance and other areas.

Tesla's dominant autonomous EV leadership, ride-hailing services, and the Boring Company

ARK Invest focuses solely on offering investment solutions to capture disruptive innovation in the public equity markets. ARK believes that the world is rapidly changing and passive investment strategies are counterproductive. ARK also believes that innovation is causing disruption and the risks associated with the traditional world order are rising. Therefore ARK invests at the pace of innovation. ARK's analysts are organized by a cross-sector innovation theme to capitalize on technological convergence across markets and industries.

I recreated 'Phasmophobia' in 'The Sims 4' with the game's new paranormal pack

Washington Post - Technology News

With each séance, things got spookier. The ghosts became angrier, soon transforming from green to red blobs that spewed fire from their mouths; they can set fire to homes and sims, making hauntings potentially lethal. My sims quickly became total wrecks, often exhausted from lack of sleep due to strange sounds and flickering lights, reminiscent of the terrors in "Phasmophobia." They weren't eating properly or showering, because all they could think about was fear. While scared, sims hide under covers, take "a panicked poop" in the bathroom and scream incoherently to one another.

Smart displays are stealing the show from smart speakers

Resembling a sawed-off section of stovepipe in black or PVC in white, the original Amazon Echo was the anti-smartphone. It operated tethered to an outlet, it was communal. And it was pre-pandemically touch-free if you didn't care about muting its microphone. Unbound by a display, it inspired voice-driven variants that ranged in size from tiny rings to giant rigs. We've hand-picked 11 smart displays that will satisfy a range of wants and needs.

Researchers built an AI that plays chess like a person, not a super computer

We mere mortals haven't truly been competitive against artificial intelligence in chess in a long time. It's been 15 years since a human has conquered a computer in a chess tournament. However, a team of researchers have developed an AI chess engine that doesn't set out to crush us puny humans -- it tries to play like us. The Maia engine doesn't necessarily play the best available move. Instead, it tries to replicate what a human would do.

UK regulator to write to WhatsApp over Facebook data sharing

The Guardian

The UK's data regulator is writing to WhatsApp to demand that the chat app does not hand user data to Facebook, as millions worldwide continue to sign up for alternatives such as Signal and Telegram to avoid forthcoming changes to its terms of service. Elizabeth Denham, the information commissioner, told a parliamentary committee that in 2017, WhatsApp had committed not to hand any user information over to Facebook until it could prove that doing so respected GDPR. But, she said, that agreement was enforced by the Irish data protection authority until the Brexit transition period ended on 1 January. Now that Britain is fully outside the EU, ensuring that those promises are being kept falls to the Information Commissioner's Office. "The change in the terms of service, and the requirement of users to share information with Facebook, does not apply to UK users or to users in the EU," Denham told the digital, culture, media and sport sub-committee on online harms and disinformation, "and that's because in 2017 my office negotiated with WhatsApp so that they agreed not to share user information and contact information until they could show that they complied with the GDPR."

Google's Future, Artificial Intelligence, Is Now a Management Challenge WSJD - Technology


How Many Minutes A Day Should You Play With Your Cat?

Do cats know when you are playing with them?

Cats will sometimes bring toys to humans as a request.

They are quite capable of understanding the concept of play.

Do cats recognize faces?

Do kittens like to be held?

In addition to being petted, do cats like to be held? Sometimes. Most cats love to snuggle, and they’re typically responsive to being held if you introduce them to it gradually. The best way to approach your cat for a hug is to start with a few soft pets, then carefully pick her up.

How many hours a day should I play with my kitten?

Playing with your pet every day for just 20 minutes not only provides both physical and mental stimulation but can also strengthen the bond between the two of you. Set aside time for at least two good play sessions a day. The best time for kittens is in the early morning or evening.

Do cats know you kiss them?

Do cats forgive abuse?

Should I let my cat sleep with me?

How do you gain a cat’s trust?

How to Build Your Cat’s TrustRespect your cat’s space. … Observe body language. … Let your cat come to you. … Learn your cat’s limits to being touched. … Give your cat choices and respect the choice she ends up making. … Be predictable. … Decide how to make each interaction a positive one for your cat.More items…

What is a cat afraid of?

Do cats know their name?

How do I know if my cat is happy?

A relaxed posture If your kitty is sleeping with their paws tucked under, they are feeling relaxed and at-home. An agitated cat will straighten its legs and erect the hair along the spine, while a cat in a good mood will shrink to appear small and unthreatening.

When should I stop playing with my cat?

“Generally if your cat walks away, is getting agitated, angry, stressed, too intense or becoming too stimulated, you should stop playing,” says Hartstein. “Several shorter play sessions tend to suit many cats better than one longer one.”

Is it okay to play fight with your cat?

Cats don’t wrestle their prey to the ground and they don’t want to be wrestled to the ground by an adult human. It’s not a fair game at that point. Additionally, if you wrestle your cat and have her on her back, she will then be put in the defensive aggressive posture.

Why do cats bite when they are happy?

Repetitive petting can cause your cat to become overly excited, and trigger an arousal-based bite. Commonly, I see static electricity as a reason for cats to bite during petting. … A pleasant scratch can become unpleasant rather quickly for certain cats, and they use their teeth to express their annoyance.

Why does my cat bite me gently?

Do cats get sad when you leave?

What does it mean when your cat stares at you?

What does it mean when your cat sleeps on you?


Torquay acupuncture dry needling

an ancient form of chinese medicine

Acupuncture / Dry Needling

Physiotherapists have been using anatomical acupuncture and dry needling since the 1990s, as an adjunct to other forms of treatment, such as manual therapy, for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. Acupuncture points are selected based on your injury history and the corresponding muscles, joints and nerves affected by the condition.

What to expect?

Acupuncture points (also referred to as ‘acupoints’) are places on the skin that have a lower resistance to the passage of electricity than the surrounding skin and are part of a network of points that were mapped centuries ago by the Chinese. Most are found along ‘meridians’ or ‘channels’ that are believed to be the pathways by which energy or Qi (pronounced ‘Chee’) flows through the body. Acupoints are located either by identifying anatomical landmarks or by the classical method (for example: “the point where the middle finger touches the thigh when standing at attention”).

A dull, heavy, or aching feeling often occurs when the needle is correctly placed. This is referred to as ‘de Qi’ and is considered by some traditional acupuncturists to be necessary for acupuncture to be effective. However, other experienced practitioners believe that relief of pain can often be obtained without provoking the de Qi response. Recent fMRI studies indicate that there is a difference in the response of the brain to needling with and without the de Qi sensation.

The needles are typically left in place for 5-30 minutes, and your physiotherapist may manipulate the needles to strengthen or reduce the flow of Qi. Lifting, twisting, and rotating are some of the needling techniques a practitioner may use.

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Military Review

Rockwell B-1 Lancer Strategic Bomber (2 part)

The formation of a principled position on a promising unobtrusive machine left unresolved only one relatively simple question: what should be an intermediate aircraft. After discussions in December 1980, the concept of a long-range combat aircraft LRCA (Long Range Combat Aircraft) was formulated. The LRCA was supposed to be a carrier of SD SRAM and free-fall bombs, as well as long-range KRs, to have, like B-1, the ability to overcome enemy air defenses, but with the ability to launch missiles at a considerable distance from the target and, in some cases, without entering Air defense of the enemy. The possibility of performing LRCA operations using conventional bombs, sea patrols, and mines was also envisaged.

B-1 B with back deflected wing

B-1 B with wing in forward position

The B-1 project was modified in accordance with this concept in order to increase the flight range and combat load, as well as to reduce the visibility while reducing the maximum speed to a small supersonic one. As an alternative to the B-1 aircraft, upgraded versions of the B-52 and FB-111 bomber (under the designation FB-111H), as well as a wide-body carrier aircraft based on Boeing 747-200, were considered. Compared to them, the B-1 is the only aircraft that possesses the required combination of strategic flight range with high initial (or pre-combat) survival.

The aforementioned principle of the triad of US strategic nuclear forces was developed at the beginning of the 1960s under the leadership of then Secretary of Defense R. Macknamara as a reliable means of guaranteed retaliatory strike. Therefore, for each element of the triad (ICBM, SLBM, and airplanes), ways of surviving in the event of a sudden nuclear missile attack were provided. Including, initially, the requirements for the B-1 aircraft reflected the conditions ensuring its survival at home based airfields with concrete runways. Among them:

the ability to dispersed basing, which is provided by the use, firstly, of engines with afterburner chamber and variable sweep wing with high BOP and, secondly, of tanker trucks, which allow to take off with incomplete refueling and limited mass;

the possibility of a long autonomous maintenance of combat readiness of dispersed aircraft without ground support, which is provided by the CITS central integrated control system;

the ability to quickly leave the airfield at the command of an alarm with the help of an accelerated engine start system (from ground-based energy sources or from the Armed Forces of Ukraine) and an accelerated exhibition system of inertial navigation devices, as well as due to the high thrust-to-weight ratio and minimal aerodynamic resistance of the wing;

high resistance to damaging nuclear factors weapons (light and electromagnetic pulse, radiation and shock wave) of all aircraft systems, as well as the security of its crew.

The B-1 aircraft has unique characteristics of initial survival, surpassing the B-52 by 2-3 times in some parameters. The FB-1 was capable of competing with the B-111 in this regard, which, moreover, could be hidden in a strong protective hangar, but it did not have the required flight range. Thus, as a weapon of retaliation among the American aviation B-1 had no equal systems.

In the construction of the В-1 В wing, the same seals are used as on the Panavia Tornado aircraft. The photo shows the Tornado interceptor FZ

In addition, the choice of basic design solutions (variable swept wing and forced engines) in the B-1 concept was able to consistently agree on the requirements for survival on the ground and in the event of air defense breakthrough. These means make it possible to achieve both high take-off and landing characteristics, as well as a high subsonic speed of a long flight at the ground outside the radio horizon. In terms of ground speed, the B-1 was significantly ahead of the B-52 (up to M = 0,95 instead of M = 0,55). Although the FB-111 has a maximum ground speed near B-1, its extended range FB-111Н was still to be created.

B-1 also had the most mature design: by the end of 29 on April 1981 of the flight tests of four experienced bombers, their total flight time was 1895,2 h in 347 flights (the maximum number M = 2,1 at the height of 15240 m was reached, the longest flight duration was 9 h 40 m), the amount of testing 47 of various models in 17 of various ADTs reached almost 28000 h, the glider of the aircraft passed fatigue tests equivalent to three calculated resources, tests on the use of weapons included a discharge around 45 training bombs B-61 and p Wounds two SD SRAM. In this regard, B-1 was actually out of competition and October 2 1981. US President Reagan announced the decision to build 100 aircraft in an improved version of B-1В (previously built prototype aircraft were designated as B-1А). Simultaneously with the Northrop company, a contract was signed for the development of an unobtrusive ATV bomber, which later became known as the B-2. So B-1 became, in turn, following the FB-111, an intermediate aircraft.

The B-1B has almost the same configuration as the B-1A. The differences are mainly in a significant (at 36 t) increase in the maximum take-off weight and the possibility of placing a combat load not only in the bomb compartments, but also on the external suspension (the external suspension was not implemented by 1994), some reduction in the length of the aircraft, as well as in advanced equipment. The increase in aircraft mass did not lead to significant structural changes (only the chassis and wheel brakes were strengthened), because Rockwell predicted that 99% of all combat missions would be performed at 159-177 t, as in the original B-1A. The task of air defense breakthrough at a low altitude, which places the highest demands on the strength of the structure, should be carried out using weapons in the internal compartments.

Mechanization of a wing In-1 B

The bow B-1 B

It would be appropriate to say that the increase in the maximum take-off mass of the B-1В aircraft is practically unrelated to the revision of the concept and the introduction of design changes. As the analysis shows, the main reason for this is that during the technical development of its predecessor, the B-1 aircraft, the design characteristics have deteriorated since the conclusion of the contract so that it ceased to fulfill the requirements of the US Air Force for the main flight profile at 11300 km . Inspection of the project in 1973 showed that the likely increase in the mass of the empty aircraft will be 19%, and the specific fuel consumption of engines in subsonic flight will increase by 5%.

To compensate for the adverse effects of these factors, the company was forced to use a removable fuel tank to accommodate additional fuel and increase the maximum flight weight of the aircraft after refueling in flight along the main profile. Accordingly, the calculated take-off weight also increased.

However, this would not be enough. The final solution to the problem of flight range was facilitated by the modernization of the KS-135A tanker fleet in the KC-135R / E variants, equipped with more economical dual-circuit engines instead of the previously installed single-circuit turbojet engines. This made it possible to increase the removal of the refueling line and the mass of the transferred fuel. The United States Air Force began upgrading its tankers in the 1981-1982, i.e. simultaneously with the work on the B-1B.

One of the main areas of work when creating a B-1V was to ensure its low visibility. Although it was obviously impossible to reach the level of specialized aircraft (B-2, F-117), according to American data, the efforts were crowned with success: it was possible to reduce the effective dispersion surface (ESR) from about 10 and 2 in B-1 to 1- 3 m 2 y B-1B, which is significantly less than the previous bomber B-52 (up to 100 m 2). According to other, more conservative estimates, the ESR of the B-1 is reduced by only four times compared to the B-52, but this can also be considered a useful result. Reducing the EPR is achieved by using radio-absorbing materials (in the design of the front and rear inclined partitions, fixed wing parts, in the interceptor zone, flaps, horizontal tail), changing the design of engine nacelles and shielding their fans, using electromagnetic pads from twisted wire in manhole seals and structural connections, tilt the radar antenna down at an angle of 30 °, metallization of the glazing of the cabin. However, the reduced visibility of the B-1В in combination with low-altitude flight and the use of the EW complex, while increasing the survival rate of the aircraft during the air defense breakthrough, at the same time, according to the Americans themselves, does not guarantee its invulnerability from the new Russian air defense system. For example, in 1987, the then Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force L.Welch said: “I hope that we will not find crews so stupid as to try to fly over SA-10 SA-13” (Russian designation: C-300 PMU).

In 1982, it was reported that Rockwell, together with Lockheed, known for her work on low-profile vehicles (F-117 aircraft), is planning to develop a specialized low-profile variant of the B-1C (“third generation”), which should compete with the B-2 bomber. However, these plans were not implemented in the same way as the idea of creating a long-range interceptor with adjustable air intakes and the maximum number M = 2,2 had no continuation.

The first flight of the modified B-1A aircraft, which was used as a pilot on the B-1В program, took place on 23 in March on 1983. Despite extensive tests of the B-1А aircraft previously conducted, the new test program was not without incident. 29 August 1984. The B-1А N2 crashed due to a crew error committed in manually controlling the centering of the aircraft: the wing consoles were moved from the sweep angle 55 ° to the minimum sweep position and were accompanied by an erroneous setting of the switch for balancing the transfer of fuel back, which led cabling of the aircraft with access to the angle of attack 70 ° and stalling. The crew left the plane in the rescue capsule, but due to the malfunction of the parachute system, the capsule hit the ground with the nose, resulting in the death of the company's chief pilot (who was also the president of the US Test Pilot Society), and two other crew members were seriously injured.

In this photo of the fourth B-1 A, a pronounced dorsal gargroton is clearly visible.

The first production aircraft, B-1B, first flew 18 on October 1984 in October. Deliveries to the strategic aviation command of the US Air Force began on 27 in July 1985 and ended on 30 in April on 1988. (pcs. Texas), Ellsworth (pcs. South Dakota), Grand Forks (ngg.North Dakota) and McConnell (pcs. Kansas). Four aircraft were lost in flight accidents, in 1986-1993. It was supposed to put 1994 out of the remaining 13 airplanes to be conserved in order to be used further as a reserve in case of loss of operating aircraft.

Four contractors (Rockwell, General Electric, Boeing and Eaton), 1 main subcontractors and more 50 suppliers participated in the B-3000В aircraft program. In 1986, when the maximum production rate was reached (four aircraft per month), the number of people employed in the program exceeded 50000 people, including 27000 people. at Rockwell's factories. Approximately 1 working drawings were developed for the production of the B-18000B, spare parts for each aircraft include at least 460500 parts.

July 4 and September 17 1987 on the B-1 B aircraft 36 world records of speed and range were set on flights with a load of 30000 kg on closed routes of the length in the first case 2000 km with an average speed of 1078,2 km / h, and in the second case - 5000 km at an average speed of 1054,2 km / h. In August, 1993, as part of the Global Enterprise exercise (Global Enterprise), two B-1B aircraft made a round-the-world flight with one intermediate landing to train crews on long-haul flights. This is the longest flight of the aircraft B-1B.

The “whiskers” in the nose B-1 B are used to dampen the elastic vibrations of the fuselage in flight.

The first launch of the AGM-69 SRAM from the В-1В aircraft was carried out on 16 on January 1987, however SRAM missiles were not included in the B-1В loading, as they were later removed from the armament due to the expiration of storage periods. The first AGM-86B rocket was launched from B-1B 24 in November 1987, but by 1993, these CRs and advanced AGM-129 CRs were not yet incorporated into the aircraft’s armament.

The technical problems discussed below, as well as the unpreparedness of aircraft for the use of non-nuclear weapons, caused B-1B to not be used during the Gulf war at the beginning of 1991. In this, B-1B reiterated the fate of the first intercontinental bomber Konver V -36, who did not take part in the Korean war 1950-1953. due to lengthy refinement and operational difficulties.

Putting B-1B into operation was accompanied by a number of major problems. Due to the unsatisfactory performance of the flight control system, the take-off weight of the aircraft was initially limited to 145 t. Later, due to the installation of stall prevention systems (SIS) and the increase of stability (SEF), the restrictions were relaxed. In October 1986, the maximum allowable flight weight was 187,3 t, and in September 1987, during record flight, the take-off weight reached 199,6 t. Later, after finalizing the SIS and SEF systems, the actual maximum take-off weight exceeded 200 t, although apparently 1994, it has not yet been brought to the calculated value 216365 kg. Due to various problems (engine failures, cracks in the landing gear design, aircraft icing), the fleet of the B-1В fleet was forbidden by 1992 several times.

But the largest drawback of the aircraft is the unsatisfactory performance of the AN / ALQ-161 defense system. By the fall of 1992, on an 13 aircraft, the EW system had not yet been installed, and on bombers equipped with an EW complex, the radar-radiation warning system was not fully operational under the conditions of the electromagnetic environment (enemy stations), which led to poor crew awareness setting. The most serious problem of this system is the lack of stability of its characteristics, and the individual components of the system worked well in laboratory conditions, but in a complex form, the system was unsuccessful.

To solve problems with the defensive system that threatened the survival of B-1В in combat, the air force G.TTT A in September 1992 decided to carry out a three-stage program for improving the B-10В fleet calculated for 1 years. First of all, it is planned to improve the warning system for PJI exposure, although, according to some estimates, it will not be possible to bring it to the level of TK requirements. It is also planned to improve the characteristics of onboard stations for jamming when flying B-1В at medium and high altitudes (when designing the station, they were optimized for low-altitude flight conditions). The software must be modified to highlight priority objectives in conventional bombing, and, as noted above, it is intended to ensure the use of precision-guided weapons from an aircraft. In general, the main task is to make possible long-term hostilities with strikes in any region of the world when operating the aircraft both from the territory of the United States and from advanced bases.

Pilots В-1 В in flight

In 1990's, B-1B planes are supposed to be used mainly as air defense breakthrough bombers instead of B-52 aircraft, which are redirected to be used as carriers of the Kyrgyz Republic for attacks without entering the enemy’s air defense zone and for performing operations using conventional weapons . With the entry into service of the new bomber breakthrough - B-2 - B-1В planes, in turn, were supposed to be redirected to the tasks of the carrier of the Kyrgyz Republic or a conventional bomber, however due to a sharp decrease in the number of ordered B-2 aircraft and delaying their arrival time the armaments of the B-1B will, apparently, for a long time play the role of main breakthrough bombers.

At the same time, the collapse of the USSR led to the cancellation of the round-the-clock duty of strategic bombers with nuclear weapons and the increasing potential role of B-1В as carriers of conventional weapons. According to the plans of the US Air Force, part of the B-1 and B-52 aircraft will be transferred from regular air forces to the National Guard Air Force and the Air Force reserve. Transferred conventional weapons bombers should be used in crisis situations. In the future, part of the B-1 B bombers are also expected to be transferred to the American wing of rapid deployment. This wing will be able to perform large-scale and deep night operations to isolate the combat area. The structure of the aircraft’s armament will include JDAM and JSOW high-precision adjustable bombs (which are supposed to ensure accuracy of bombing from a great height of no more than 10 m). It is expected that the B-1В with weapons from these bombs will be able to be used in the initial stages of the conflict to fight the enemy’s armored forces, acting in conjunction with the E-8 JSTARS radar reconnaissance aircraft. Thus, despite the difficulties of commissioning, В-1В must find its place in the American aviation, and not only in the strategic forces, where the USA (despite all the troubles stories) heavy bombers have always been assigned a significantly larger role than Russia, but also as part of the operational-tactical forces.

At the same time, the effectiveness of the B-1B with conventional weapons in the early 1990s was no higher than that of the B-52. During the Gunsmoke bombing race in the fall of 1993, during which the B-1B and B-52 competed with each other for the first time, a group of B-52 aircraft won. The conditions of the competition were to drop bombs with a caliber of 227 kg for single targets. Bombing under these conditions was difficult due to the fact that the navigation systems of the aircraft have insufficient accuracy, and radars are unable to detect targets like tanks on a “saturated” landfill. According to the pilots, "dropping one bomb at a time is not the way these bombers are designed for ... it's like a shot at random in the dark."

B-1B is inferior to its Russian counterpart Tu-160 in a number of characteristics: maximum payload, range, maximum speed (a more detailed comparison of these aircraft is given in the section on Tu-160), but the piloting qualities of both machines are about the same. This is evidenced by the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force, PS Deinekin, who visited the USA in May 1992 in response to a visit to Russia by a representative of the US armed forces in 1991. May 11 Deinekin flew a B-1В bomber. The aircraft took off with a small mass (about 150 t) and after refueling in the air, taking place through 4 m after takeoff, headed to the landfill zone (Nevada) to work out a strike on a tactical target, which was a model of an airfield. The flight to a target at a distance of about 800 km took place at an altitude of 90 m in an automatic mode following the terrain with a top flight and bypass in the horizontal plane of ground obstacles, the height of which reached 1500 m. The plane struck a tactical bombing strike on the target and performed an anti-foam maneuver, after which control of the aircraft was transferred to Deinekin.

Dashboard pilots B-1 B

The honored military pilot Deinekin, before being appointed to the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force, was commander of long-range aviation and was well acquainted with heavy bombers. He has extensive experience in piloting the Tu-22M bomber, on which he flew at altitudes up to 1976-45 m (50 m on the instrument) in 100, he also performed several flights on Tu-160 even before this aircraft was put into service. Therefore, piloting the aircraft B-1V for him was not a problem. He tested the aircraft in several modes and at the end dropped to a height of 65 m, and then 50 m. The American pilots were “pleasantly surprised” and emotionally stated that “our generals do not fly like that”.

According to Deinekin, expressed in an interview with the authors of the book, the B-1В has approximately the same handling characteristics as the Russian Tu-160, but the practical methods of control of the B-1В and Tu-160 are very different due to different piloting techniques adopted in USA and Russia. For example, when piloting Russian heavy planes, stronger restrictions on overload are imposed; when landing, the plane goes not in a box, but is turned into a “pancake”. The American pilots fly boldly over the banks, overloads, the range of heights and "piloting the strategic B-1В as a front bomber." For example, immediately after takeoff, the American pilot laid a U-turn with a large (up to 60 °) roll. After refueling in the air that occurred at an altitude of 6000 m (he scored this altitude for 4 m due to a high climb rate), the output to the automatic mode of following the terrain at an altitude of 90 m was made with a steep dive. Before landing, the B-1B flew in a box with steep turns (roll 30-45 °) and dropped sharply (“fell like an iron”) for landing. Of the other advantages of the American car, Deinekin noted good ergonomics and high quality of instruments in the B-1В cockpit (the indicator screen has a nice bottle color, the artificial horizon tracks the slightest heels).

The cost of the B-1В aircraft program was limited by the US Congress to 20,5 billion dollars at the 1982 exchange rate (28 billion dollars at the 1988 exchange rate), including the cost of serial production of 12,3 billion dollars. The price of one aircraft, taking into account all the costs of the program was 237,2 million dollars for the first 52 aircraft and 168,9 million dollars - for the remaining 48. The ten-year aircraft modernization program discussed above will cost 1,9 billion more.

The ending should ...

Articles from this series:
Rockwell B-1 Lancer Strategic Bomber (1 part)
Rockwell B-1 Lancer Strategic Bomber (2 part)
Rockwell B-1 Lancer Strategic Bomber (3 part)

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  1. Gemar
    Gemar 23 March 2013 10: 01
    The inscription in the cockpit smiled: "Do not place anything behind the seat and under the seat!" And where to put a box of popcorn ??? belay Not on your knees !!! request
    But seriously, I think in the cockpit of the Tu-160 a similar inscription also exists.
  2. vadson
    vadson 23 March 2013 13: 23
    one horseradish carcass is better!
  3. saturn.mmm
    saturn.mmm 23 March 2013 13: 41
    Wonderful bomber B-1B and in the near future all aircraft in the arsenal of the United States will undergo modernization of avionics.

    And our planes unfortunately ...... it is surprising that not all.
    NAPOLEON 23 March 2013 14: 07
    will fly about two hundred years.
  5. Chicot 1
    Chicot 1 23 March 2013 16: 12
    In terms of technical, the Tu-160 in comparison with the B1 looks more solid. But the US Air Force has an undeniable advantage over ours in terms of strategic aviation. And this is not only a larger number of aircraft currently in service, but also their greater development (if I may say so). Americans fly more often. It is a fact. For us, alas, not joyful ...

    В1 "Lancer" (general line-up)
  6. Iraclius
    Iraclius 23 March 2013 16: 24
    Strategic bombers bring a lot of problems to the Americans. In fact, as of today, B-1В has not become a full-fledged strategist with the given characteristics. So the Americans still have to work and work. yes
    1. Nayhas
      Nayhas 24 March 2013 00: 22
      B-1B in its current form is difficult to call a strategist, because he does not carry strategic KR, and the Americans are not trying to puzzle him with such functions, they have enough B-52 and B-2. In its current form, the B-1B supersonic arsenal fits perfectly with the theory of network-centric warfare, or rather it will become so in the B-1R variant.
  7. Ascetic
    Ascetic 23 March 2013 16: 51
    According to the certificate of the honored military pilot of Russia P.S. Deinekin, the B-1B is inferior to our Tu-160 in a number of characteristics. maximum carrying capacity and speed, range, but the aerobatic qualities of both machines are approximately the same. The general also noted the advantages of the American machine on which he himself flew: these are the bomber’s great capabilities for overload, roll, altitude range, good ergonomics, and high quality instruments in the cockpit.
    1. Iraclius
      Iraclius 23 March 2013 17: 29
      Ascetic, I already posted quotes from Deinekin’s memoirs yesterday. smile

      In fairness, I am pleased to note that the B-1 appeared earlier than our aircraft and, again, the concept of its application was developed literally at the stages of R&D. The throwing of Americans between ballistic missiles and strategic aviation affected. The article shows a characteristic moment - the competition in the bombing of B-52 and B-1, which once again characterizes the current level of B-1. what
      1. Nayhas
        Nayhas 24 March 2013 00: 04
        I repeat. Deinekin flew the B-1B in the old configuration. If the flight characteristics have not changed much, then the board has changed significantly.
  8. castle
    castle 23 March 2013 19: 07
    Good day to all. As I understand it, PAK YES was asked by Tupolev Design Bureau. The result, despite the statements of Mr. Rogozin, will be expected. If you look at the Tu-4, this is a converted American B-29, the Tu-160 is an American B-1, but taking into account the fact that you learned from American mistakes and the experience of their operation, well, PAK YES, there will most likely be a converted American B-2. In 2011, I talked with the guys (designers and academics) at the MAKS in Zhukovsky, they said that in order to please Tupolev Design Bureau (not to please the Americans) they killed several interesting projects of Sukhoi and Myasishchev.
  9. Iraclius
    Iraclius 23 March 2013 20: 39
    What to do. Tupolev was a man comfortable for political leadership. He didn’t climb on the rampage. And who is without sin? The main thing is that cars fly and perform the task.
  10. barbiturate
    barbiturate 23 March 2013 20: 50
    well, the machine, who will use it wherever it is, is not better or worse, the amers of low altitude will not be technologically inferior, at least ours, high-altitude workers, visibility and light aug, etc., high reaction rate + excellent kinetics of the rockets. They have different tasks, just the laws of aerodynamics have not been canceled)
    1. Nayhas
      Nayhas 24 March 2013 22: 11
      In the current state, the B-1B is better than the Tu-160, by 1991. Yes, ours was better, but then the B-1B developed, and the Tu-160 remained in the 20th century.
  11. super-vitek
    super-vitek 23 March 2013 23: 23
    One of the most beautiful bombers. Very beautiful contours. [Media = http: //] [media = http:
    //†. Besides ours, of course !!!
  12. Bad_gr
    Bad_gr 24 March 2013 11: 54

    Interestingly, there are similar photos (above the water) with our airplanes?
    1. spanchbob
      spanchbob 24 March 2013 12: 16
      Well, why so immediately and on the spot!
      1. Bad_gr
        Bad_gr 24 March 2013 13: 35
        Quote: spanchbob
        Well, why so immediately and on the spot!

        smile With fighter jets, there are not bad shots, but over land, and, just look, this is not a strategic bomber.
        1. Iraclius
          Iraclius 24 March 2013 13: 44
          In give! belay And if the breeze blows and belly flops?
          Damn, I carefully handled my equipment in the park, otherwise the commander would take action quickly. lol
  13. Odysseus
    Odysseus 25 March 2013 05: 15
    The main advantage of the B-1B is its ability to long-term flight at low altitudes with transonic speed. This, along with a wide range of weapons, a powerful electronic warfare system and low EPR from a 1/4 perspective, makes it a very serious opponent.


Currently, containing “marked” genomes. The marks don’t alter

Currently, the worst prognosis
of cancer is breast cancer that has spread or metastasized into other sites
during diagnosis16.  To
prevent this metastasis (a spread of cancer to different body parts of where it
had started), millions of lives would be saved. However, the actual progress on
this front means to think about ways in which the metastasis inhibitors are
tested within the clinical trials (S58)16. There are approximately
1.3 million women in the world that are being diagnosed every year with breast
cancer16. This makes it the second common cancer behind lung cancer16.
The emergence of the robust awareness-raising efforts, e.g., “the pink
ribbon campaign” has caused a rise in the public profile of breast cancer16.
Estrogen is the primary hormone in stimulating growth and the development of
breast cancer7.

 The epigenome exists as a group of chemical
compounds which inform the genomes what to do18.  Human genomes exist as whole assemblies of
the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acids) approximately compromising of 3 billion base
pairs making each of the individuals unique18. The DNA preserves
instructions for the building of proteins which then carry a range of functions
within the cell. Epigenomic compounds usually are secured to the DNA and can
change the functions containing “marked” genomes. The marks don’t
alter sequences of DNA. Though, they adjust ways the cells use instructions of DNA18.
Marks are normally passed from cell to cell when cell division taking place18.
Also passing from a generation to next generation18.

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 Epigenetics is referred as the heritable
changes in the gene expressions, occurring without changes in the nucleotide sequence5.
Changes include the chemical modifications of DNA by DNA methylation or the
changes of proteins, which closely link with the DNA, for example, histones,
which bind and compact the DNA in chromatin packages5. Epigenetic
modifications are enzymatic also capable of being reversed/controlled by
epigenetic inhibitors3. The epigenome is epigenetic state of a cell.
It usually is transmitted from the parent to the daughter cell which maintain
the precise epigenotype in the cell lineage15. Gene inactivation or
gene silencing of a tumor suppressor gene can not only be achieved through
mutations. It can be due to a result of inhibition or the translocation of
components of the transcription machinery15. A mechanism which leads
to the inhibition of transcription is gene silencing via epigenetic changes,
e.g., acquisition of promoter methylation which introduces alterations within
the chromatin structure15.

 The alterations of epigenetics are an
essential factor in the development of cancers1. Changes in DNA
methylation are a factor in the early events of the progress in tumors. They emerged
of a hallmark of many cancer categories including breast cancer2. These
are also involved in the development of cancer and have a role in its
development and its progression, as exemplified by breast cancer4. Environmental
factors and also lifestyle can cause a change within epigenomes. These include
lifestyle factors and also the environmental which include diet, smoking even
the infectious diseases capable of exposing to an individual to pressures which
prompt the response of chemicals18. Most cancers are due to the
changes within genomes or epigenomes but can be due to both of these.
Alterations within epigenomes are capable of switching genes on or off
involving the cell growth or immune responses. Changes of these can cause the
uncontrolled growth, hallmarks of the cancers or the failure of the immune
system in destroying the tumours18.

 Chromatin is a highly ordered structure
containing nucleosomal repeats linked through linker DNA14. The
chromatin complex comprises of histones, DNA, and also the non-histone proteins
that are condensed in the nucleoprotein complex14. There are two
different conformational organizations chromatin normally acquire. These
include the heterochromatin (densely compact and transcription remains inactive),
and the euchromatin (decondensed and the transcription remains active)14.
Histones are small proteins that consist of a glomerular domain. They also have
a charged NH2 terminus (N-terminal tail) that is flexible and
protrudes from the nucleosomes14. Mechanisms for regulating the
transcription of genes is crucial for the cell differentiation, cell survival,
and cell proliferation. When deregulated, this process can lead to malignancy
development14. The main determinants of the chromatin structure are
the histone acetylation and the DNA methylation. The chromatin structure is the
main regulator of gene transcription10.  Within the nucleus, double-stranded DNA is
compacted and then organized in chromosomes3. DNA normally is
wrapped around the histone protein-complexes to form a large nucleosomal
structure order3. The structure of chromatin is shown in figure 1.

The methylation of DNA happens
within the compact chromatin, influenced by a range of changes within the
histone structures15. The chromatin is the nucleoprotein complex
which compromises of the repeated units as nucleosomes. The single nucleosome
consists of two turns. The first one is the

 DNA wrapped around the core histone octamer
which consists of the H1A, H2B, H3 and the H4 histones15. The second
is when genes are involved in DNA repair, cell cycle control, apoptosis
(programmed cell death), angiogenesis and cell-to-cell interaction that are
usually influenced by the hypermethylation of CpG-island promoters15.
These are also involved in the development of cancer15.

Figure 1 | The Structures of
Chromatin adapted from 17. Nucleosomes,
the essential subunits of the chromatin, compromising of the octameric core histones
including the two H2A-H2B dimers and also the H3-H4 tetramer, wrapped on the
two superhelical turns of the DNA leading to the protein having a DNA ratio of

 A rise in the acetylation of histones promotes
chromatin structures to open more which is linked to gene activation. The
histone methyltransferases (HMTs) mediate histone methylation8.
Histone methylation events lead to changes in chromatin, alteration of
epigenetic control of gene expressions, e.g. activation or repression of the
genes involved in DNA repair, cell cycle and cancer progression8. The
mechanisms which play a role in altering breast cancer include DNA
hypermethylation, the DNA hypomethylation, the histone hyperacetylation, the
histone demethylation also the histone methylation7. The three DNA
methyltransferases that are active include DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase 1
(cytosine-5)-methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3a), and DNA (cytosine-5-)-methyltransferase
(DNMT3b). Expression of DNMT1 and DNMTb is often upregulated in breast cancer
cells8. The DNMTs interact directly with the histone deacetylases
(HDACs) and with proteins of the methyl-CpG binding domain (MBD) family (a
family of proteins located close to the promoter region to form the repressive
transcription complexes)8. Histone modification and chromatin
structure are affected by the molecular interplay between histone
acetyltransferases (HAT) and the Histone deacetylases (HDAC)8.

 The methylation of DNA is usually linked to
normal development and growth. An alteration in the pattern of the DNA
methylation is linked to the development of breast cancer, the metastasis, and
the progression3. Breast cancer is linked to hypermethylation of
tumor suppressor genes and the hypomethylation of oncogenes (genes involved in
causing cancer)3. The epigenetic changes within cancers include the
histone modification, the DNA methylation, and assays. Histones have a role in
shape maintenance of the chromatin structure11.  A range of post-translation changes can occur
at the N-terminal tail of histone proteins, leading to a change in conformation
within the chromatin, affecting the transcription of vital genes including
tumor suppressors11.
Transcriptional events can be affected by acetylation, methylation or
phosphorylation of target proteins11. HDACs are a member of the
protein complex which is responsible for recruiting transcription factors to
the promoter region of the genes, including tumor suppressor genes11.
The regulation acetylation status is the specific cell cycle regulatory
proteins11. The higher order structure is defined as the assembly of
nucleosomes which assume the reproducibility conformation within the 3D space.
The common chromatin structure is mitotic/meiotic chromosome where DNA is
compacted in 10,000 to 20,000 fold. The metaphase chromosome compromises of the
shapes, the banding patterns and also the locations of the particular genes1.

 Transcription factors (TFs) are the main
proteins that are involved in regulating gene transcription. They bind
specifically at the cis-regulatory region of DNA. In breast cancer, the three
main TFs are ER?, FOXA1, and GATA3. TFs contribute to regulating gene
expressions that are linked to estrogen dependent tumor growth2.
Within breast tumors, activated fibroblasts (Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts) are
predominantly of stromal cell type. CAFs also express myofibroblasts9.
CAFs include; ?-smooth muscle actin, vimentin, neuron-glial antigen-2 also
fibroblast specific protein 1, which can be used as markers. A range of growth
factors is then secreted9.

 DNA methylation is described as gene silencing
that happens due to DNA methylation at a promoter region of the gene11.
Four bases; adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine are the building blocks of
the genetic makeup. A methyl group (–CH3) is added to the pyrimidine
ring of a cytosine, by DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), to form the
methylcytosine (DNA methylation).  These
have a vital role in hyper-methylation of tumor suppressor genes11.  DNA methylation processes occur only at the
cytosines preceding guanine within DNA sequences known as CpG dinucleotides11.  CpG dinucleotides, existing in the genome,
can be profoundly methylated impeding the gene transcription.   When many CpG dinucleotides are found in the
region of gene promoters, these are referred to as CpG islands11.   A normal tissue of CpG islands is
unmethylated, for gene transcription to occur. Within cancer, there is abnormal
DNA methylation of CpG islands that obstructs the transcription of vital genes
such as tumor suppressor genes11. The role of DNA methylation in
breast cancer has been well characterized by its epigenetic implications.  These usually occur within the cancer cell8.
The hypermethylated CpG dinucleotides that are in the promoter region have a
vital role regulating the individual genes which promote carcinogenesis8.
The mediation of DNA methylation takes place through the action of DNA
methyltransferases (DNMTs). The DNA methylation takes place at a cytosine base
located at the 5′ to guanosine, in a sequence known as the CpG dinucleotide5.  The regions of CpG are shown in cancer and
normal cells
figure 2.

Figure 2 | Diagram shows the
DNA methylation within cancer and healthy cells (adapted from 13 l The CpG
islands indicated as “c” within the promoter region are actively
transcribed within normal cells and are un-methylated, permitting transcription
activities (indicated by green arrow).
 The CpG islands elsewhere in the genes
and the intergenic space are methylated (indicated as “M”). The red arrow
(deleted with an “X”) indicates transcription which is repressed. However,
within cancer cells, the reverse holds true13.

 Epigenetics field is thrilling and evolves areas
of investigation within the cancer research and also therapeutics11.
Possibilities of HDAC inhibitors to overcome the resistance of hormonal therapy
in patients with advanced breast cancer is highlighted currently. However, a
confirmatory trial is required before information can be used within clinics11.
We can identify the robust biomarkers by forecasting response to HDAC
inhibitors. However, confirmation is necessary for clinical trials in the


Anti-vax vs Pro-vax vs Inteligentsia

As I was driving around doing erands last week, I stumbled on Cross Country Check up on CBC. Rex Murphy was checking up on Canada, and had as his guest, Dr. Michael Gardam.

It was a pleasure to hear Dr. Gardam speak on CBC, and
I’ve decided that Rex Murphy is definitely a ‘pro-vaxer’, I waffle, and Dr. Gardam is the intelligentsia (only the forward moving type.)

It was very empowering hearing Dr. Gardam’s opinions on vaccines, the hot topic of the day in regards to Measels, and a hot topic with me as the H1N1 flu shot was the trigger, twice, for my incurable and potentially life threatening health issues. I’ve been getting sucked into too many discussions on this polarized vaccine topic, where “you’re either with us or you’re against us” mentality rules the day. This feels like a black and white world, where as soon as you question how things are working, you’re an anti-vaxer, and should probably go shine your aluminum foil hat. This is how I’ve been feeling while listening to the media, sad that we’ve gotten to this point, where opinions are so strong, people are seriously talking about eliminating basic human freedoms. The freedom to choose what we inject into our bodies. It’s absolutely mind blowing.

I don’t jump into these conversations because I want to stop anyone from getting a vaccine, but because I want them to make smart, informed decisions that weigh risk and benefit as it relates to them and their particular health and family history vs the medication or vaccine you’re deciding on. I share my experience in the hopes that the mistakes I made (jumping in pretty blindly, and despite my gut feelings, believing that it is as safe as all the nurses and doctors said it was,) can be spared someone else, as sadly, this is a road of no return.

So it was nice to hear Dr. Gardam speak for the 20 or so minutes I was in the car. Pretty much everything I heard him say was in line with my own thinking, and suddenly I didn’t feel the kook that all the loud pro-vaxers, and their media puppets were trying to make me feel. He said that people should research and truly make informed decisions. Check.  He said that people should be aware of the sources of their info. Check. He said he trusts the old proven vaccines. Check. He said we need to rethink flu and young vaccines. Check.

So it was with great interest that I listened to a caller ask about a number of autoimmune diseases. She stumbled around her words too much though to ask a good question.I wanted to hear Dr. Gardam’s response. Problem is people at large, still don’t get that autoimmune diseases are a laaaarge number of diseases with the same etiology, so she was mumbling a few autoimmune diseases, and then she did it…. she dropped the ‘Autism’ bait. Ughhh. As soon as I heard it I knew I wasn’t getting an answer. Then it became a discussion of the discredited MMR/Autism study. Question gone. Someone else called, and then another person brought up autoimmune disease, I think type 1 Diabetes, maybe MS, but then again, in comes, Autism, and this completely removes the conversation from where it needs to be. I was so hoping to hear him speak on autoimmune disease, but I didn’t get to. Apparently he did, I’ll have to go back and listen to it.

I believe we need to be skeptical and informed. Just because a non human entity has told you that this is safe to inject, doesn’t mean you have to do it. If there is long standing data to support safety and efficacy, by all means protect yourself and your family. But if this vaccine is younger than some of your shoes, maybe you should do some serious self educating and make a truly informed risk-benefit assessment.

When you’re looking at the numbers remember that even if the chances are low, if you’re that person who got the rare negative side effect of the drug/vaccine, suddenly that low risk means nothing, and your life has taken a turn in a different, unpleasant direction.

Perspective Break: Gardisil
A spanky new HPV Vaccine to prevent HPV spread through sexual activity

Approved for human use in 2006.
Vaccine demographic: 10 year old girls across the country
Long term side effects: Unknown (it’s not eve 10 years old)
Cost of one dose: $400-$500
Since June 2006 Merck has globally sold 169 million doses
(you do the math: hint – it’s in the Billions)
Serious Side Effects: Rare – 5 reactions in 11,000 (possibly, probably or definitely related to the injection.)
(here’s the math)
Since June 2006, 76,818 young girls are possibly, probably, or definitely having a shitty go at life because of this vaccine.

Are we really OK with having 76, 818 young girls sick, with serious life altering complications from a vaccine? To prevent sexually transmitted diseases? We don’t think very highly of our young girls. Is that the kind of place my daughter is going to grow up into? This is just one example of a young vaccine. There’s that pesky flu shot, medical boards are trying to convince us is absolutely THE thing to do if you’re a smart citizen.

Couple more points worth noting when you decide where to place your trust.

Russia and Canada are the only two countries in the G8 who do not have a system to support victims of vaccine adverse reactions. Yes, everyone knows there is a risk, and with the numbers we vaccinate, the numbers with adverse reactions will go up as well, but in Canada, our government has chosen to turn a blind eye, as well as protecting pharma companies from litigation when it comes to vaccines.

When you hear Health Canada tell you the vaccine is safe because they have very low reports on adverse reactions, that’s because the system is set up in a way to minimize feedback on vaccines. Whether it’s accidental or intentional is not my business, but it does skew the data and the information we are getting from Health Canada does not paint a true picture. Anyone can check this out. Try to report an adverse side effect from a pharmaceutical drug on Health Canada’s website. Anyone can do it. Now go and try to do the same with a vaccine. Two different worlds. With a vaccine report, you have to get your doctor to fill it in and submit it on your behalf. Several pages. What conscientious patient would do that to their doc? All my docs know that the H1N1 triggered me (it’s also in the drug insert – Vasculitis is a rare but possible adverse reaction to the H1N1 vaccine) but I would never ask them to take time away from their other patients, and to put their reputation on the line so they could write a vaccine report for me, because let’s face it “you’re either with us or against us…” even within the medical community. Why I was so pleased to hear Dr. Gardam speak in the open minded, academic manner he did on this topic. It was truly a breath of fresh air.

So there. I’m the eternal optimist, but my experience has taught me to question, to not bleat on at volume, to not believe with blind faith that a big corporation (that has only it’s stakeholders/shareholders to answer to,) has my best interest in mind.

Measles outbreak and what we should really be talking about

How do we stack up?

Autoimmune Disease has it’s inflamed little fingers into many pots

Today I read an article about Heart Disease and how there is a new line of thinking that links the process that causes most of the problems in patients with Autoimmune Disease to that of clogged arteries. Inflammation.

Read the article here:
If you feel that you need back-up on this line of thinking, here’s another article that isn’t as bold, but goes in the same direction and it’s from the American Heart Association:

Another important connection that nobody seems to talk about is mental health. I don’t understand why we can understand that inflammatory responses can happen anywhere in the body, but completely take the brain, a vital organ, out of that equation. Why do we completely dismiss the brain as being susceptible to an inflammatory response that can run rampant in any other part of the body and cause one of the 140+ autoimmune diseases and disorders. How many lives can we save from endless suffering by connecting autoimmune disease with mental health disorders? Here’s a book that can bring this concept a little closer to home and might save your life if you’re a patient like me who likes to push and challenge the robotic responses that we often get from the overworked medical professionals. This is the story of a patient who almost lost everything until she landed in the care of the RIGHT doctor…. Brain on Fire

We also know that Cancer is very dependent on a faulty immune system in order to progress, and now there is a new line of Cancer research that uses Immunotherapy to try and get answers that continue to elude the cure for Cancer research.

So if we go back to my earlier post looking at the stats and our current research trends ( you can see a serious crack in the system. The disease group where answers dwell for all the others (including ones that are not on the charts like AIDS, Infectious Disease, Transplantation) is the group of disease that has the least amount of attention and research funding.

I think this is wrong. So very, very wrong.

Back in my earlier post that I referred to above, my thought process leads me to a place where I wonder if the answer is just below the surface of a cache we haven’t yet searched.
I’ve been questioning myself lately in my stubborn and unyielding view that if we find the common thread we can find the answer/cure to ALL of the Autoimmune Diseases. I feel like a person with serious delusions of grandeur. Today, instead of checking my big dreams a bit like normal people would, I’ve taken it one step further. One giant, giant step further… what if we find the common thread and the answer leads us to not only find a cure for ALL AI Diseases, but also for Cancer, for Heart Disease, for AIDS, for all of the chronic illnesses.

Now wouldn’t that be something that would change things a bit or what?

We have gone for so long in our own little holes, our own silos, fighting for our own little diseases and not the whole, but the big picture is becoming more and more clear. It dictates that we work together: Be it within the disease group (autoimmune, cancer, mental health) but I believe it would be more positive by working in a multi-disciplinary, multi-disease way. That’s when we’ll get the answers we all so desperately work for in our own groups. Our answer lies in working together.

Only together will we see a difference. We’ve tried the ‘solo’ approach for decades and it’s gotten us nowhere really. Yeah we have some crazy drugs that keep us alive, but at a huge cost not only to the patient and their families, but also to our health care system and society at large.

So snap out of it people, we must let the ego go, and let’s do this. Let’s do it together. Let’s change the world for the better.

You in?


Warriors RP (Idea Thread)

The Basics:
This will be a gamemode, a roleplay gamemode.
This gamemode is based very heavily on stats and randomization, there will be no guns or other humanly objects, the only thing you have is the natural world and yourself.

Stamina - Speed, Endurance life, and Breath length

Dexterity - Leap Length, Jump Height, and Injury compensation

Strength - Claw Strength, Weight Limit, and Health max

Sneak - Uses sneak ability which shades the player transparent, higher the skill the more transparent

Morality - Raises when you are around, heal, and befriend other players, Lowers when you kill, injure, and defriend other players.

Medicine - Skill with medical herbs and such, allows you to mix herbs to create medicine for other cats, the higher it is the more effective it is.

Resistance - Your natural resistance against disease and injury, Raises when you are injured or catch a disease, Lowers when you are treated with medical herbs.

Injuries drain stats until they are healed, then stats regain.
If you sustain enough injuries to 20 HP, stat loss cannot be restored.

When your character is made, you are randomly placed in one of four clans, then you are born.
You do not choose any stats, as you gain them through your kit hood by doing whatever the stat is related too, the only way to gain stats as an adult is to work hard on them.

Kit - What a newborn is called, they are named with “kit” at the end.

Apprentice - A kit that is 6 months old and is under a warrior for training, they have “paw” at the end of their name.

Warrior - A cat that has been accepted into the clan by the leader as a warrior.

Senior Warrior - Not exactly an official rank, but older warriors are often considered this and are trusted more with duties.

Deputy - The clan leaders right hand cat, whenever help is needed or the leader cannot lead, the Deputy will take over.

Clan Leader - The leader of the clan, they have “star” at the end of their name.

Medicine Cat - The cat that is an expert in medical experience.

Naming goes like this

-(Natural thing/color)(body part/feature)-

The Clans:

ThunderClan - +15 to sneak and dexterity, -10 to stamina.

RiverClan - +15 to stamina and strength, -10 to resistance.

WindClan - +15 to stamina and dexterity, -10 to sneak.

ShadowClan - +15 to sneak and strength, -10 to dexterity.

At somewhat rare intervals, sickness will strike.

Names of sicknesses-

Greencough - A serious infection in the lungs, very fatal. (Health decreases by 1 every second, all stats halved until cured. 30% chance of happening)

Whitecough - A mild, non-fatal infection in the lungs.(Health decreases by 1 every 3 seconds, stats decreased by 5 until cured. 60% chance of happening)

Leafbrain - An extremely serious brain infection that will immobilize its victim.(Health decreases by 3 every two seconds, all stats completely removed until cured. 10% chance of happening)

Legdead - Temporary Arthritis. (decreases physical stats by half until cured. 60% chance of happening)

Deadbeat - Extremely serious infection that spreads around the body quickly, death often ensues. (Health decreases by 5 every 2 seconds, all stats gone until cured. 0.1% chance of happening)

Once a disease is contracted, you cannot contract another one for 30 minutes.

Medicine Cats can cure all of these diseases, they just need the right herbs, they spawn randomly around the map.

Catnip - A plant cats cannot resist, helps cure Greencough and Leafbrain, will distract scent completely.

Lavender - A sweet smelling purple plant, helps cure Whitecough and Greencough, will distract scent completely.

Cobweb - A spiders home, helps bandage injuries.

Honey - Sweet golden liquid, helps cure Legdead and Leafbrain.

Poppy Seed - Natural calming agent, helps decrease stat/health loss from injuries and diseases.

Headcrab Bile - Bile recovered from a dead headcrab, helps cure Deadbeat and Legdead.

GoldFlower - Extremely rare plant, completely cures any disease instantly.

**Spottedleaf **- A somewhat rotting leaf, helps cure Whitecough and Deadbeat.

TravelGreen - A herb that completely eliminates hunger for 20 minutes.

All diseases have 3 things to help cure them.

Mouth - You can carry up to 5 things in your mouth, may it be prey or herbs.

Sneak - A bindable command that fades the player based on their skill.

Medicine - Ability in a menu, allowing the mixing of herbs to combine their effects.

Scent - A small box in the top right corner of your screen gives you scent updates, such as “Lavender nearby, West of your position.”
All cats have the scent of their clan on them, if they are near another clan cat their clan scent will brush off of them.

Washing - A simple button that lets you wash yourself, it takes 20 seconds and removes your scent for 5 minutes, making you undetectable scent wise, after these 5 minutes your scent is reset to your clans scent.

Befriending - You can add two other cats to your personal friend list, you can distinguish their scent and tell exactly who it is, you cannot damage each other, and you receive +5 to all stats when near them.

Q - What, cats? Why cats.
A - This gamemode would make no sense with humans, also cats rule.

Q - Lol ur juts a furry nub
A - No You.

Q - How do you plan on getting this script?
A - No idea.
Q - Sounds like it needs a custom map.**
A - Maybe, who knows.

Q - Won’t this get boring?
A - Sure, but this didn’t stop all of the other generic HL2RPs did it?

Q - Sounds like it may need custom models!
A - It most likely will, im in the dark on this one.

Q - If you can’t do anything, why did you make this plan?
A - Massive creativity surge and a want to let my ideas flow.

Q - Are you willing to pay for this work?
A - Yes, but not at an insane price like Kuroscript or something.
Q - If you somehow do get this script, will it be private or public?**
A - Since everyone likes to be a massive faggot these days, it’ll probably be leaked faster than I can release it myself.

Q - Why are you such a pessimist.
A - I’m just speaking the truth man.

Q - [Generic Troll Comment]
A - OK

Err,I could never find what timezone this RP is based in…?

Looks promising,looking forward to it.

Modern Times, the book this is based on had all of this crap going on right next to a town of human beings, living their lives and driving cars and bulldozers encroaching on their territory, but that wouldn’t even contribute to game play or roleplay.

Guyz i can edit darkarpee

(User was banned for this post ("Trolling" - grea$emonkey))

Good Job.

Corny idea, but great concept.

I read those books.

Anyways, sounds alright I guess, could be fun

I think you shoud work on that.

If your talking to me, I can’t do anything.

I can’t model, script, map, etc.

So you basically, You just turning Garrysmod… Into a furry oblivion?

Make the District 9 aliens raid them for there cat nip.

Looks cool’

No, You.

Yeah sure.

Uh, you’re making a furry gamemode where you roleplay in a stats-based environment and kill other furries?

I think.

I still find it funny that this is based off of a book series.


Materials Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB), Methanol, Chloroform, Glycine

Materials and MethodsMaterials and Animals:  Soybean phosphatidylcholine (PC)was purchased from Lipoid, Inc. (Alabaster, AL, US). Cholesterol, Vancomycin hydrochlorid, 2-Iminothiolanehydrochloride (Traut’s reagent), Lysostaphin, L-Cystein, TritonX-100 and Sodium Chloride (NaCl) were purchased from Sigma Aldrich (St Louis, MO, USA). Bloodagar, Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB), Methanol, Chloroform, Glycine and AmmoniumSulfate were obtained from Merck,Germany. 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-maleimide(polyethylene glycol)-2000 (DSPE-PEG(2000) Maleimide) and

” executed “thousands. The exact number is a

” As of now 23 countries use the death penalty. The U.S., ranked fifth, executed 46 prisoners. Iran, ranked second, executed at least 252. China, according to Amnesty International, executed “thousands. The exact number is a state secret but  is estimated to be roughly 5000” (Amnesty international) reports.The Country of China has 55 crimes punishable

ABdurhman think that Aristotle indicates that brave people

ABdurhman ALwafiProf, MarvinPHL319                                                                                Book II of Aristotle’s Nichomachean EthicsThe Book II of Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics has coveredvarious ideas that are interesting based on the meanings that they have. BookII mainly deals with the issue of virtue in multiple forms and understanding.The first idea in Book II that is interesting is the main idea that surroundsthe

The utilized by bacteria to essentially cut viral

The breakthrough of CRISPR-Cas9 has revolutionized the scientific community. Limitless possibilities on what scientists can manipulate within the human genome have become conceivable. But many have hit the brakes on this research, calling for a worldwide debate on the ethics of utilizing this technology, as concerns about the exploitation of this technology arise (Saey 1).

Through gods have no influence on each of

Through all of our readings, Stoicethical doctrines have touched upon harsh criticisms and inspired enthusiastic allies.The Stoics defined the goal of life to be living in agreement with nature. Humans are constituted by nature to develop reasoning as adults, which formstheir understanding of themselves and their own true good and desire. Contraryto Aristotle, the Stoics

Two workplace is the fundamental aspect in reducing

Two main elements in reducing accidents at the workplace are by reducing unsafe conditions and reducing unsafe acts. Safe condition at the workplace is the fundamental aspect in reducing accidents, and it can be achieved with the following steps:Maintain Neat and Clean EnvironmentWhile cleanliness can be attributed to the esthetic condition of a workplace, it

Upon are very receptive to issues that are

Uponcompleting my research, I am warily and surprisingly very proud of Coca-Cola’sactions as a global citizen and as a responsible company. Coca-Cola has hugefootprints all over the world and its global activities are very extensive, yetit also has roots in local communities. One of their current global campaignsis “#CocaColaRenew” where they are attempting to replenish

Several community has continued to revise the principle

Several definition of informed consent had been recognizes. According to LeMone and Burke, informed consent is a legal document required for certain diagnostic procedures or therapeutics measures, including surgeries. (LeMone & Burke, 2004). According to Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, informed consent is a voluntary agreement made by a well-advice and mentally competent patient to be treated

Principles benefits. Participants need to be treated with

Principlesof research ethics Respectfor persons (autonomy)– entails two requirements; firstly, individuals should be treated asautonomous agents, capable of deciding for themselves about important personal matters.Subjects should only be involved in research if they have given their voluntaryconsent and been fully informed about the nature, purpose and consequences of thestudy. Secondly, individuals whose autonomy isdiminished as

Often there are no limits set. 4. There

Often there is confusion between religion and spirituality. Eitherthrough conduct or religion is based on belief or worship of God or Deity. Throughreligion one practices a specific system of belief or worship that includes aset of ethics to be followed. Spirituality does not involve or preach a particularpractice. It is more about a way of

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Halloween, Interesting Stories, Irish Traditions

Irish Fairies and Anti Fairy Measures

‘Away with the fairies’ is an old Irish expression referring to someone whose mind is elsewhere. It originated with the belief in the folklore that mischievous fairies steal souls and carry children off to the underworld, leaving changelings in their place.
A Changeling is a creature thought to be the offspring of a fairy that has been secretly left in the place of a human child. It is thought that fairies often fancy mortals and steal their pretty children. They carry the babies away leaving behind a Changeling, an ailing fairy child, or a log of wood so bewitched that they seems to be a mortal pining away in bewilderment.
They say if you wear your clothing inside out or wear bells you can ward off the malevolent fairies.

Anti-Fairy Measures for Halloween:12047118_10156157606690245_1081658573287531121_n

There is an old Irish folklore that warns of fairies and goblins that try to collect as many souls as they can at Halloween. Folklore says if you through the dust from under your feet at the Fairy then they would be obliged to release any souls that they held captive.