Advaita : Some Basic Explanations - 8

hbdave hbd at DDIT.ERNET.IN
Thu Feb 28 02:15:28 CST 2002

Dear List Members,

Here is posting no. 8.

As I am posting this, riots are going on in major cities of Gujarat
like Ahmedabad, Baroda, Surat, even in my own town (which generally
keeps out of trouble) Nadiad. These are due to burning of more than
55 inocent people - majority of them women and children trapped
in Sabarmati Express yesterday morning. You might have read/heard
about it.

Only fault of those burned down was that they were returning after
a Darshan of Rama Mandir at Ayodhya.

What can one do in such situation? Where is humanity going?
What is the use of Religion if it does not teach us to live like
brothers and sisters, all children  of the One and only Father/Mother?

I simply put down a shloka as a Shantipath :

vande "sriimadraama.m  sadgurumati"saantisiitayaa .a.a "sli.s.tam |
kaamaadiraak.sasaari.m bhavajaladhau tatvabodhasetukaram ||

I pray  to Shri Rama, co-joined with Sita who is nothing but extreme
Shanti (in Nirvikalpa Samadhi), enemy of Raksasas like Kama, Krodha,
etc., builder of a bridge in form of Tatvabodha in the ocean of Samsara,

who is decorated by the beauty of Brahmavidya.

-- Himanshu

Advaita : Some Basic Explanations - 8 (Maya, Avidya)
                                                -- Himanshu
Doubt : you have said something like  : {\skt anirvacaniiya} is
different from both {\skt sat} and {\skt asat}. This seems to be
wrong, because what is not Sat must be Asat and vice versa.

Reply : A thing whose baadha (suspension) can not be done in past,
present or future, is called {\skt sat}. A thing whose baadha can
take place is different from {\skt sat}.
Similarly, for a thing which can not exist even as an idea is called
{\skt asat}, e.g. "son of a barren woman", "horn of a hare". There is
a logical fallacy in description of such a thing.

Now, if a thing exists, i.e it is not {\skt asat}, but can be suspended
under certain circumstances, i.e. its baadha does take place, is not
{\skt sat} also. It is a third type called {\skt anirvacaniiya} -
phenomenal, e.g. a rainbow.

We introduce here another technical word {\skt avidyaa} - nescience,
error or short-fall in knowledge. It is a kind of obstruction to proper

Let us take an example from possibly more familiar field : the universal
constant  pi has a value
        pi = 3.141592653589793
to 15 decimal places. I have seen a book entitled
"The value of pi to 3 million digits"
and even those 3 million digits do not give the correct value of pi, only
an approximate. Suppose I write
        pi = 3.14159
I have an error :
        pi = 3.14159 ... ... ... ...  ---> to unending number of digits
                     \_________ error or avidyaa _____________________/
We can talk about pi as an abstract number, use it in expressions, but
as soon as we try to actualize it, the Avidya, which is inherent in all
such numbers, will come into play.
This Avidya gives rise to different values of pi (like 22/7, 355/113)
all derived from, but only an approximation to, the real pi.

We are concerned with obstruction to Realization of the Ultimate. In order
to explain the idea of Avidya, we use another technical word {\skt prak.rti}
(source of creation, primordial substance, creatrix). It is considered the
original cause. It is not a product of brahman, nor a separate entity apart
from brahman, nor is it an attribute of brahman.
As Gaudapada says in his Ma.ndukya Karika :
        devasya svabhaava.h ... ... ...
{it is the very nature of brahman}

It is brahman itself desiring to create. It is Being or Being-becoming,
apparently differentiating itself into the three, constituents in
apparent process of materialization.

The three are - {\skt sattva}, {\skt rajas}  and {\skt tamas}.
These three words are used in many different ways and purposes, but here
we shall interprete them as :

{\skt tamas} - materialization in form of "concrete" materials, what we
        normally call "matter" and "energy" (which is result of motion);

{\skt rajas} - materialization in form of "information", states of and
        relationships between matter and energy resulting from Tamas;

{\skt sattva} - materialization as consciousness - chetana.

{Some people interprete Rajas as "motion", but that is wrong. Matter,
motion and energy are at same level, Tamas, manifestations.}

These characterize the apparent manifestation of reality.

When the prak.rti manifests as a pure Sattva, then it is called
Maya {\skt maayaa}.

When the prak.rti manifests in impure form, as Sattva, mixed up
with Rajas and Tamas, then it is called Avidya {\skt avidyaa}.

Brahman reflected or apparently materialized as Maya, is called
the omniscient Ishvara (God). Ishvara also "controls" Maya,
because Maya is part of Ishvara.

Thus Ishvara is that consciousness which is in process of Creation,
Becoming. It is not other than Maya.

Brahman reflected in (or apparently manifested as) Avidya, is called
jiiva and is subject to Avidya (i.e. Avidya controls it.)

Because of "impurity" in form of Rajas and Tamas gu,na, jiiva has a
class different from Ishvara.

Avidya is the "causal body", "sarira, and is perishable.

Jiiva is called {\skt praaj~na}. Its "sarira is Avidya and is under
control of Avidya.

The superimposition, Adhyasa, due to which jiiva can not discriminate
(Aviveka) is known as "promary nescience {\skt muulaa avidyaa}.

This Avidya has two functions - Avarana {\skt} (power to conceal)
and Vikshepa {\skt vik.sepa} (power to project}.

Avarana produces ideas such as "Kutastha does not exist."

Note well that Avidya does not prevent one from obtaining ordinary,
day-to-day, knowledge. In fact it is the cause of that knowledge.
This ordinary knowldge is an aid and not a hindrance, if used properly,
to gain final Knowledge. For example, .rshi Dirghatamas say in RigVeda
[I-164-43] :
"sakamaya.m dhuumamaaraadapa"sya.m ... ... ...
{I see the nearby smoke of cowdung and from that conclude about the
distant cause (fire) ... ... ...}

The word "Self" denotes Kutastha and vice-versa, we have already seen this.

Doubt : Self excludes idea of another thing.

Reply : This exclusion of others is the meaning of Self or Kutastha.

Doubt : Does it not mean that when I say Self, I am excluding you ?

Reply : No. "Others" means chidaabhaasa, manas,  etc. i.e., ideas which
arise out of Avidya. It excludes "you" as a separate entity.

Doubt : Expressions such as "the pot itself does not know." are sometimes
used. Here the word Self is applied to an inanimate object - a pot.

Reply : Atman is the basis of inanimate objects also. Difference between
animate (live) and inanimate is not due to Kutastha or Atman. It is due
to jiiva - reflection of Kutastha on intellect.

Shall we stop here?

Best wishes to all.
-- Himanshu

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Hidden Blue Paint Found in Ancient Mummy Portraits
Egyptian mummy portraits from the second century show no apparent blue in visible light, but do indeed have Egyptian blue pigment, according to scientific analyses.

A stash of 1,900-year-old Egyptian mummy paintings that sat mostly undisturbed for 100 years is helping researchers understand how ancient artists used a fashionable pigment called Egyptian blue.

Researchers previously thought that ancient painters reserved Egyptian blue for eminent occasions because, as the first man-made blue pigment, it took effort to make it. But in an analysis of 15 paintings, scientists found five contained the pigment.

Intriguingly, the blue pigment was used for preliminary sketches and color modulation, meaning it was hidden beneath other colors used later during the painting process. [Research as Art: A Gallery of Scientific Beauty]

"This defies our expectations for how Egyptian blue would be used," study co-author Marc Walton, a research associate professor of materials science and engineering at Northwestern University in Illinois and an expert on the color blue, said in a statement. "The discovery changes our understanding of how this particular pigment was used by artists in the second century A.D. I suspect we will start to find unusual uses of this colorant in a lot of different works of art, such as wall paintings and sculpture."

Researchers uncovered the paintings in 1899 and 1900 during excavations at the archaeological site of Tebtunis (modern-day Umm el-Breigat), located about 92 miles (148 kilometers) southwest of Cairo.

Today, the paintings are housed at the University of California, Berkeley, and comprise one of the largest groupings of Roman Egyptian mummy portraits and paintings to survive intact since their excavation, the researchers wrote in the study. The research was published online Aug. 14 in the journal Applied Physics A.

Based on the artistic style, researchers dated all of the portraits to the second century, when Roman Egyptians painted portraits of the dead on wood panels, and tied this artwork to the deceased's face during mummification.

During that time, Roman-period painters tried to emulate Greek painters, who were considered masters of the art world. Before the Greek era, painters used the lapis-inspired Egyptian blue throughout the Mediterranean, including on frescoes, temples, pottery and Egyptian funerary masks. But the Greeks tended to avoid blue pigments, instead relying almost exclusively on yellow, white, black and red.

"When you look at the Tebtunis portraits we studied, that's all you see, those four colors," Walton said. "But when we started doing our analysis, all of a sudden we started to see strange occurrences of this blue pigment, which luminesces. We concluded that although the painters were trying hard not to show they were using this color, they were definitely using blue."

Pigment scrutiny

In the study, the researchers studied 11 mummy portraits and four painting fragments from Tebtunis. The investigators examined the artwork with a routine battery of tools, such as X-ray fluorescence (a method that bombards material with high-energy X-rays and examines the type of fluorescent X-rays emitted), X-ray diffraction (a technique that identifies crystalline material) and a scanning electron microscope (an instrument that gives a magnified view of paint particles).

The analyses showed that four portraits and one panel had unusual amounts of Egyptian blue, the researchers found. [In Photos: Ancient Egyptian Coffin with 'Odd' Art]

"Our findings confirm the distinction between the visual and physical natures of artifacts — expect the unexpected when you begin to analyze an artwork," said study co-author Jane Williams, a conservator at Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology at UC Berkeley. "We see how these artists manipulated a small palette of pigments, including this unusual use of Egyptian blue, to create a much broader spectrum of hues."

The ancient painters used blue for preliminary sketches, to modify white pigment on clothing and on gray backgrounds, the researchers found.

"We are speculating that the blue has a shiny quality to it, that it glistens a little when the light hits the pigment in certain ways," Walton said. "The artists could be exploiting these other properties of the blue color that might not necessarily be intuitive to us at first glance."

It's surprising that artists used Egyptian blue for sketches, especially because drawing drafts could be made with cheaper pigments, such as carbon black (a black pigment) or chalk, the researchers said.

"The use of Egyptian blue as under-drawing [preliminary sketch] pigment introduces questions about the wide availability of Egyptian blue during the Roman period, suggesting it was so abundant that it could be a substitute for carbon black or chalk," the researchers wrote.


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The Rift by Nina Allan

The Rift by Nina Allan
Book Name: The Rift
Author: Nina Allan
Publisher(s): Titan Books
Formatt: Paperback / Ebook
Genre(s): Science Fiction / Literary Fiction
Release Date: July 11, 2017

“Remember when we were small, Selena, the worlds we made? I was happy then, at home in the world in a way I’ve never been since. Perhaps it was my dis-ease with the world that lost me my place in it.”

“No book is completely true or completely a lie. A famous philosopher at the Lyceum once said that the written word has closer relationship to memory than with the literal truth, that all truths are questionable, even the larger ones.”

Over the course of four short story collections, a handful of novellas and her debut novel The Race (2014), Nina Allan has established herself as one of the finest writers in the field, her writing combining exquisite prose and an inventive approach to genre. The Race used its bold fractured narrative structure to ask questions about perception and our relationship to reality.

Allan’s second novel, The Rift (2017), is somehow an even more accomplished exploration of the themes of perception, memory and identity that have haunted her work. Allan’s work has always straddled the literary and the genre worlds, for the betterment of both. The Rift demonstrates how the tools and tropes of genre fiction can be used to give literary fiction a more vital, immediate and relevant focus, and how the quality of prose and depth of characters from literary fiction can be used to make genre fiction even more strange and unsettling.

The Rift tells the story of Selena Rouane, whose sister Julie disappeared when she was seventeen. The police were never able to find anything, and she was declared a missing person. Selena grew up witnessing the disintegration of her family around this traumatic event. Now, twenty years later, a woman turns up claiming to be Julie, saying that she has spent the intervening time on the planet of Tristane, in the Sour System of the Aww Galaxy. Is Julie who she says she is? What really happened to her? Selena has to decide how much of her sister’s story she is able to believe.

The trope of a person being abducted by aliens, or spirited away by fairies, is familiar in both science fiction and fantasy. Part of what makes The Rift special is the sheer range of emotions and ideas Allan rings from the subject. The novel is split between the narrative voices of the two sisters. Selena’s story, as the sister who is left behind, is grounded in realistic and nuanced emotion. Bringing the same raw emotional honesty and empathy displayed in her exploration of caring for a parent with dementia in her novelette “The Art of Space Travel” (2016), Allan movingly and unflinchingly portrays the Rouane family’s collapse following Julie’s disappearance.

Grief affects us all differently. A series of flashbacks show us how the sisters’ mother and father react to the disappearance of their daughter, the trauma developing into an irreconcilable rift between them. Allan’s portrayal of their father’s decline in physical and mental health is both wise and sad, a profound and moving exploration of loss. The book also explores Selena’s survivor’s guilt; her life has been profoundly shaped by the loss of Julie, and by the loss of safety and security her disappearance represents. Hers is a life of quietly getting by, avoiding the opportunities for love or adventure she might otherwise have been tempted to try. This is subtly shown through Selena’s interaction with the world around her.

Julie’s story of alien abduction and her other life on Tristane is more obviously science fictional. The interesting thing is how this does, or doesn’t, link up to the more straightforwardly realistic parts of the book. One of the suspects in Julie’s case was Steven Jimson, a convicted murderer and rapist. In Julie’s story, she escapes from Jimson and then passes out and wakes up on Tristane as the result of falling through a rift in space-time. However she tells the story in reverse, beginning with her life on Tristane and circling back to the trauma of her abduction by Jimson. Is her story about life on another planet a delusion she has created to cope with the trauma of her abduction?

Julie certainly seems to believe entirely in Tristane and her life there. Also, her description of Tristane is incredibly detailed. It is a planet with a fully realised geography and history, with different climate zones and economically competing city states. Rather than a simple two dimensional dream world, Allan has created a believable and compelling alien world for Julie to be spirited away to.

Cally and Noah, the brother and sister couple that Julie stays with in Tristane, are well developed and believable characters. They know Julie from her life on Tristane before; they are convinced that she has always lived and belonged there with them. Julie is caught between the life she finds herself in and the memories of the person she thinks she is. Whether on Tristane, unable to square her memories of Selena and the Rouanes with the world apparent before her, or back on earth with memories of a world no one else will believe in, she is unable to align who she thinks she is with who she is meant to be.

It is this sense of doubt and uncertainty that Allan explores with aplomb. There are echoes of the shifting realities and perspectives of The Race, but in a much more subtle and insidious way. As Selena points out, why do the aliens in Julie’s story look human and speak English? Julie pretended to like Marillion whilst in Steven Jimson’s van, is this the source of Cally’s name, pronounced ‘Kayleigh’, and the planet’s only ocean, Marrillienseet? Why does Julie recognise Cally from walking past her on the street on the way back from her teacher’s house? How did Julie come into possession of the pendant which genuinely appears to be made on another planet if she was never on Tristane? Whether or not Tristane is a mere reflection of our own world conjured up as a safety mechanism by Julie for the trauma she’s experienced on Earth, or vice versa, becomes increasingly complicated to unpick. The book is full of references that help reframe or shift the argument.

Julie’s school essays from before her disappearance reveal a fascination with disappearances and assumed identities. She writes about Peter Weir’s film of Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), about the one girl who returns from a group of vanished schoolgirls with no memory of what happened to her or her friends, and Franziska Czenstkowaska, a Prussian peasant girl who claimed to be Anastasia, the daughter of Tsar Nicholas rescued from execution by loyal soldiers. After establishing them as a metaphor for hidden secrets, climactic scenes in the book intersperse zoological notes on catfish of Earth with equally realistic sounding notes on catfish of Tristane.

Allan names Julie’s section of the novel after A Voyage to Arcturus (1920) by David Lindsay, an early fantasy novel that sends its protagonist on a psychic journey to a distant planet which reveals to him the true nature of the universe through a series of richly symbolic encounters. In the end, Allan is more interested in what the spaces between the different unresolved possibilities can tell us than any closure that might be gained from a pat ending.

On Tristane, The Mind-Robbers of Pakwa by Linus Quinn is considered either a factual account of the final shuttle to return from its sister planet Dea or a work of science fiction. In it he describes his friends being devoured from within by a giant isopod parasite called the creef. This strikes me as being a deeply pertinent metaphor in Allan’s exploration of identity and memory. Infection with the creef causes madness and eventual death, as the adult isopod emerges from your empty husk. Identity and personality are malleable and impermanent; none of us are the same person that we were five years ago. Our consciousness provides us with the illusion of continuity, but for better and worse, more or less convincingly, it remains an illusion. Memories are the link we form with previous versions of ourselves, yet memories can be forgotten, distorted and altered, and the most powerful tool we have for doing this is the stories we tell about ourselves.

Is Julie the same person as the girl who disappeared twenty years ago? The only answer that makes sense in the end is perhaps is: as much as Selena is the same girl whose sister went missing twenty years ago.

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Message par Melinelia le Sam 9 Nov - 10:14

schéma lien entre les metier

Tailor, Blacksmith, Craftman
These are producers, they make Weapons/Clothes/Jewelry for others
Basically, you take materials (gather them yourself or buy from market) then create pieces to sell.
If you like staying in town, buying/selling and making stuffs, pick one from here
Point to Note:
- Craftman produce Lace, Hasp, Handles for Smith and Tailor
- Tailor produces Guazhou and other cloth used by Craftman
- Jobs are linked, so you cannot simply survive alone.
Herbalist, Poisoner
These are roaming traveling type, primarily, they require going out to hunt for herbs or poison.
If you like roaming around, moving to different places, this is for you
Point to Note:
- Herbalist needs Tailor friend/s for stuffs to make upgrading materials
- Poisoner needs Craftman friend/s to make Poison stones and other stuffs

Everyone needs food.... almost, but nobody is going to pay a leg, not even a toe, for food.
Being self-sufficient is easy, but making lots of money is hard.
Selling cheap things that move fast, that is chef, I like it, but am not sure about you.
Point to Note:
- You are self-sufficient, you don't need friends, only need customers
- Easiest to do, Most profitable
- Herbalist need Chinese Yam, Garlic
- Tailor need Silkworms, Hemp, Ramie
- Chef need all sorts of funny stuffs.... I usually plant my own, so no comments

- Most mined products are in demand.... Iron, Copper, Lead, Silver
- Even funny things you get from Mining sells, Dendrite, Moire Stones, Obsidian

- Tailors need Skins (Goat Skin, Dog Skin, Monkey Skin... etc)
- I buy smashed meat from boars

- Fish Scales sells

Wood Cutting:
- Craftman uses these to make handles
- Blacksmith, Some weapons use wood

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Do you manage all the artists listed on your roster?
No. Black Royal Entertainment does not claim to represent itself as the management or the exclusive agent/representative to every artist on this website. Rather, we take pride in bringing you and the requested artist together and negotiating contracts in the best interest of both parties.

Where can I find a list of all the artists on your roster?
Our full artist roster can be sent upon request. Just email us at BlackRoyalEnt@gmail.com

How is an artist's price determined?

Artist booking fees are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. Such factors include: artist schedule, supply and demand, length of performance/presentation, location of event, venue capacity and other factors. For the most current fee, please contact your representative.

I only want the artist to make an appearance. Will the artist fee significantly come down in price?
In most cases, no. An artists who can command $30K for a full performance, typically will not forego $20K to take a $10K "appearance only" offer. An exception would be in the event that the artist is already performing in or near your city. In such a case, it may be possible to "piggy-back" your show on top of an already established gig. Newer artists are also an exception to this rule.

Why can't you give me an exact price quote?
There are several factors that prevent us from quoting an exact price. In many cases, artists will have different fees for local events (some will discount their fee), or may have different requirements for events located on the east coast vs. the west coast or international gigs. Also, some artists may charge different fees depending on whether it is “in-season” or during their off-season (i.e. celebrity hosts that star in television programming, athletes who currently play for a national team, or a music artist who is currently in production of a new project). Moreover, like any business, artist fees will fluctuate based on supply and demand. For example, if the artist or celebrity has a book on The New York Times Best Sellers list, launches a new television show, wins an Olympic Gold Medal or is involved in a major news worthy event, it is not unusual for their fees to change (sometimes dramatically) without notice due to increased demand and limited availability. Although we strive to maintain the most accurate and updated fee information, artist fees frequently change without notice. Please contact us with all of your event details and requirements and we will get you the most accurate fee directly from the artist or celebrity within 24 hours.

Will an artist accept a lower-priced fee if I offer a percentage of what I collect in ticket sales?
Typically no. Only in very rare cases, or in the event that you are booking rising talent, will this scenario ever play out. 99% of our contracts require pre-show secured financial commitments, and cannot be based on contingent ticket sales or fund raising.

If I submit an offer, how long will it take before you get back to me?

Once your offer/request has been received a booking agent will respond within 24 hours via email.

How does the artist booking process work?
After an offer has been submitted, an agent may provide you an "estimated" asking price of the artist or speaker requested. Should you be able to meet the minimum required financial commitments, an Artist Booking Retainer will be drafted for your review. Because we work directly with management, we will not be able to determine actual pricing, availability or interest in your offer until you: 1) Comply with our Offer Policy; 2) Sign and return our "Agency of Record Agreement; and 3) "Remit a 10% "Good Faith Binder" (these steps are further explained in our artist booking packet and are required for your request to be considered serious and that it has the required funding). Once a retainer has been signed and executed, Black Royal Entertainment will officially begin negotiations with management on your behalf. Should your offer be accepted, a contract will be generated between you and the artist requested. If your offer is denied, you may authorize Black Royal Entertainment to revise the offer, resubmit the offer to another artist, or issue a binder refund.

Why do I have to submit a binder just to receive pricing information?

Much like you, our agents do not work free. We receive hundreds of artist booking requests each day and it is necessary for us to differentiate serious buyers from those just seeking preliminary or pricing information. Because artist fees are so dynamic and can literally change from day to day, Black Royal Entertainment expends time and reputation to determine if the requested artist is interested in and available for your event or engagement. Thus, we require a 10% Good Faith Binder to determine actual fees, availability and interest level.

Is my binder refundable?
Yes. In the event that the requested artist is unavailable or your offer is not accepted by management, your binder is returned to you. However, Black Royal Entertainment reserves the right to charge a minimum 25% (50% for international offers) USD "Research and Negotiations" fee for each offer submitted on your behalf.

How long will it take for my binder to be returned to me?
Domestic binders are typically refunded within 5-7 business days of submission. International binders are typically refunded within 10-15 business days.


For while you have reasons to be anxious

No matter what kind of business you’re running , a strong emphasis on risk management is vital in ensuring the safety of your reputation and the longevity of your business. If you’re hoping to improve your business’s productivity and minimize risks, consider sending your team to risk management classes from Certified Information Security.

The first step in reaching maximum efficiency and minimizing risks is to prepare carefully. Work with your project managers to make a detailed plan and outline potential setbacks and risks. Just identifying potential roadblocks is a huge step in the right direction, and thinking ahead can prevent a loss of productivity. For example, if you have an IoT business, think about the importance of information security and take the necessary steps to protect against data leaks. If you need help reaching these preparation goals , browse the list of conferences, workshops, and certificates available from Certified Information Security.

Evaluate Likelihood

Once your project and security managers have identified a set of potential risks, it’s time to evaluate the likelihood or probability that these risks will occur. Prioritize from most likely to occur to least likely to occur, and make every effort to plan for each risk. Simple steps might need to be taken , but if a complex strategy needs to be developed, consider enrolling your employees in coursework available from Certified Information Security.

Types of Risks

There are several different types of risks for businesses, and your employees must be aware of all the types. The four main types of risks are intellectual property (IP) risks, physical risks, financial risks , and legal risks. To do well and continue to thrive as a business, you must be prepared for all of these types of risks. If you’ve never dealt with these risks and you’re not sure where to start, attend classes or consult with a professional to develop the skills you need to cope with the multiple risks that are part of running a business. The cost of attending classes, workshops, and seminars are actually much less expensive in the long run than dealing with lawsuits from leaked data or sparring with another company over intellectual property. If you don’t take the necessary steps to protect your business in every way possible , all the hard work that’s been poured into the business could end up wasted if you run out of capital from legal battles or lack of insurance.

Set Aside a Risk Management Budget

If you’re a startup company, it’s likely that you have a limited budget for things deemed nonessential. However, risk management is one of the most important aspects of your business. Without taking proper steps to protect your business and your customers, the business is at extreme risk of being nonviable in the event of legal action or theft of intellectual property. Even if risk management classes and certifications seem too expensive to justify, make it a top priority as soon as possible. Your business will be better off in the long run when the entire team is on board and up to date with the best , current risk management practices. When sport became professionalized athletes began searching for ways to improve their performances. For sports the physical aspect was predominant and athletes sought their way for golden medals at regular doctors. Sport became an industry and the need for specialized physicians grew. This brought a new specialization in medicine; sports medicine. Here after further specialization progressed and sports nutrition became a specialization in sports medicine.

Sport and physical health in general became popular, to practice and also as a form of entertainment. A new and profitable industry was born where many people make there living as does the specialist in sports nutrition. The study of sports nutrition was popular among younger students. The idea of working with famous athletes, or better yet becoming a better athlete themselves was the driving force for and maybe still is the driving force for this study.

The curriculum of this study focuses on understanding how the body functions during exercise and sport. The goal is to maximize the athletic potential and minimizing health risks.

This study provides a scientific background, specific knowledge and skills to address concepts and controversies relating to sports nutrition, sports physiology and to explore the links between nutrition , physiology, performance and health outcomes through the life cycle.

The educational principles integrate nutrition and exercise physiology and application to exercising individuals. The topics that are commonly studied are specific nutrient needs, energy expenditure, hydration, fuel substrate metabolism , ergogenic aids and weight issues for exercising individuals and athletes.

The program also has topics like personal training programs specially designed for the individual client. The focus is on the clients' workout and how to enhance the physical program and to provide the best nutrition plan. The aim is to tailor the program to the specific needs of their body. The program should include proper nutrition, the necessary supplements and beneficial vitamins and minerals.

The curriculum has a lot to offer. Most institutes have similar courses on a college level that don't only educate on sport nutrition but much wider than that. The program consist of courses like basic sports science, sport psychology, human physiology, data analysis , functional anatomy, exercise physiology, nutritional physiology and biochemistry, human nutrition, research methods , biomechanics and much more.

The students of sports nutrition education learn the following:

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Friday, October 1, 2010

EMDR Therapy...

This is what our therapist is doing with us at next week's session!  That day, we see her in the morning, then our new PCP in the afternoon, so my little one will be home all day with me.

EMDR--Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing--Therapy
By Carol Boulware, Ph.D. at
collaboration in which healing can happen effectively.

emotional distress.

trauma is extreme, this process breaks down and REM sleep doesn't bring the usual relief from
distress. This is where EMDR comes in. EMDR is the next step or, you might say, an advanced stage of
the REM processing.

As troubling images and feelings are processed by the brain via the eye movement patterns of EMDR,
resolution of the issues and a more peaceful state are soon at hand.

In the late 80's, psychologist Francine Shapiro, Ph.D., observed that particular eye movements
reduced the intensity of disturbing thoughts in some clients. Dr. Shapiro decided to study this effect
scientifically. In 1989, she published an article in the Journal of Traumatic Stress, describing her
success using a method she called EMDR. Since that time, other therapists around the world have
contributed to its development. EMDR has evolved into a highly effective technique that incorporates
elements from other various treatment modalities.

When disturbing experiences happen, they are stored in the brain with all the sights, sounds, thoughts
traumatic event get "trapped" in the nervous system. Since the brain cannot process these emotions,
the experience and/or their accompanying feelings, are often suppressed from consciousness.
However, the distress lives on in the nervous system where it causes disturbances in the normal
emotional functioning of the person.

The EMDR Technique does two very important things. First, it "unlocks" the negative memories and

images and feelings arise, the client's eye movements are "matched" with the remembered events
rather than feeling powerless over their re-actions. This process can be a complex if there are many
traumatic memories and emotions are relieved.

fraction of the time it previously would have taken with traditional therapy alone. It also enables the
more efficient use of conventional psychotherapies, bringing greater results in much less time. The
positive, long-term results of EMDR therapy affects all levels of the client's well-being -- mental,

Studies to date show a high degree of effectiveness with the following
* trauma
* fears
* anxiety
* childhood trauma
* phobias
* physical abuse
* sexual abuse
* rape
* victims of violent crimes
* post traumatic stress
* depression
* overwhelming fears
* panic attacks
* low self-esteem
* performance and test anxiety

were maintained for at least 15 months.

takes place with EMDR is much faster than with hypnotherapy. Like hypnosis, EMDR seems to work
be experienced again in order to release their energetic hold on the person.

Only practicing, licensed psychotherapists, psychiatrists, social workers and counselors may receive
EMDR training. These are the only mental health professionals qualified to use EMDR therapy with
clients. A clinical background is necessary for proper application of the EMDR technique. This is a
highly specialized method that requires supervised training for therapeutic effectiveness and client
safety. In the words of the attempts to use EMDR.” It may be wise to request the therapist to provide you with their EMDR certificate of training.

Thanks to the on-going success of EMDR therapy for hundreds of thousands of people, it is not difficult
to have high expectations for a therapy program that includes the EMDR technique. The short-term
benefits of EMDR is simple and straightforward--the immediate relief of emotional distress and the
elimination of the debilitating effect of unresolved past trauma. Longer-term benefits of EMDR therapy
brings with it a greater sense of personal power, more rewarding relationships and a more peaceful

No comments:


CONTACT: Kristy Weinshel, 703-684-1008

Better Use of Antibiotics Needed Throughout Healthcare Settings

SHEA partners with CDC on “Get Smart about Antibiotics Week” held Nov. 14-18

ARLINGTON, VA (November 14, 2016) – Everyone, from healthcare providers to patients, have a role to play in reducing antibiotic resistance. Specifically,  in order to halt the alarming trend of antibiotic resistance there is a need for well-documented and properly coordinated strategies like stewardship of antibiotics, expanded surveillance of antibiotic resistance bacteria, and investments in new drug development and diagnostic testing across all healthcare settings. The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) is pleased to join the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other partners in "Get Smart about Antibiotics Week" to raise awareness of strategies and programs to address antibiotic resistance with both healthcare providers and patients.

"All healthcare facilities can improve patient outcomes by addressing antibiotic resistance trends through focused efforts to eliminate unnecessary antibiotic therapies,” said Louise Dembry, MD,MS, MBA, president, SHEA Board of Trustees.  “We must also educate and engage patients in understanding when antibiotics are needed and when they are not.”

SHEA is committed to addressing antibiotic resistance by furthering education and leadership of stewardship programs for healthcare professionals.  Antibiotic stewardship programs and interventions help ensure that patients get the right antibiotics at the right time for the right duration. In addition to improving patient care, there is also cost savings potential.

Visit the SHEA website for more information on the appropriate use and management of antimicrobials in all healthcare settings to help improve patient care:

SHEA is a professional society representing physicians and other healthcare professionals around the world with expertise and passion in healthcare epidemiology, infection prevention, and antimicrobial stewardship. SHEA's mission is to prevent and control healthcare-associated infections, improve the use of antibiotics in healthcare settings, and advance the field of healthcare epidemiology. The society leads this specialty by promoting science and research, advocating for effective policies, providing high-quality education and training, and developing appropriate guidelines and guidance in practice. SHEA upholds the value and critical contributions of healthcare epidemiology and improved antibiotic use to improve patient care and healthcare worker safety in all healthcare settings. Visit SHEA online at, and @SHEA_Epi.


BEAST Software
BEAST Single Act Sequences
The sequencing of behavior can have particular power to analyze changes in behavior. Routines that include graphical functions include change-point analysis and log-survivorship interval analysis.
A search over the observation period for abrupt changes in behavior can avoid confounding your results by lumping data from dissimilar causes.
"Profile" graphs show the distribution of acts over time. This graph shows the intervals between player 1's "choice of "weapons" in a Rock-Paper-Scissors game.
Statistical testing for a Change Point indicates that only event 4, 1_Scissors, had a barely significant change (p<0.05) at 67 seconds. There is no reason to suspect that the others were not randomly distributed. this could be the first step in feeling justified in lumping all events from the entire session.
Log survivorship studies of the distributions of bout and interval lengths are well known in the behavioral sciences.
BEAST can test the fit for a single line that is expected if the interval lengths are randomly distributed. It can also fit a 2-part Piecewise Constant Hazard Rate model that assumes that 2 different processes are responsible for the distribution of interval lengths. For a full explanation you should download the BEAST Help file. Suffice it to say that, in the above left curve, except for the one longest interval found, the above curve fitting attempt supports the hypothesis that interval lengths were randomly distributed.


Speaker: Samin Aref
Affiliation: Department of Computer Science
Title: Measuring Partial Balance in Signed Networks
Date: Tuesday, 29 Sep 2015
Time: 5:00 pm
Location: CAG15/114-G15 (Commerce A)

Is the enemy of an enemy necessarily a friend, or is a friend of a friend a friend? If not, to what extent does this tend to hold? Such questions were formulated in terms of signed (social) networks and necessary and sufficient conditions for a network to be “balanced” were obtained around 1960. Since then the idea that signed networks tend over time to become more balanced has been widely used in several application areas, such as international relations. However investigation of this hypothesis has been complicated by the lack of a standard measure of partial balance, since complete balance is almost never achieved in practice.

We formalise the concept of a measure of partial balance, compare several known measures on real-world and synthetic datasets, as well as investigating their axiomatic properties. We use both well-known datasets from the sociology literature, such as Read’s New Guinean tribes, and much more recent ones involving senate bill co-sponsorship. The synthetic data involves both Erdős-Rényi and Barabási-Albert graphs.

We find that under all our measures, real-world networks are more balanced than random networks. We also show that some measures behave better than others in terms of axioms. We make some recommendations for measures to be used in future work.

Everyone welcome!


Eidon Ionic Minerals

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Eidon Ionic Minerals
Liquid ionic minerals

Individual Minerals

    Thyroid hormones control proper body metabolism that can influence energy production and body temperature.  Thyroid function influences the adrenal glands, reproduction, nerve and muscle function, cellular oxygen use, the health of hair, skin, and bones and the breakdown of fats and proteins.

  • Copper - From Good State Minerals - 2mg per 10 drops.

  • Silica - Of all the minerals important for good health, silica is by far the most underrated and misunderstood mineral of all. It is the seventh most prevalent element in human tissue after calcium.  Research done in the 1970's by Dr. Edith Carlisle at the UCLA School of Public Health affirmed without any doubt the extreme importance of silica. Her research, performed at the UCLA School of Public Health, showed silica to be essential in collagen formation and connective tissue strength. Collagen is the tough fibrous material which holds us together and is the major component of everything from our bones to our skin. Supplementation with this essential element may improve or alleviates or improves many of the following diverse symptoms:

  1. Calcium deposits on bone, in joints, and in soft tissues (calcium mismanagement).
  2. Teeth and gum disease, and structural failure.
  3. Gastrointestinal problems such as acid indigestion, acid reflux, and Crohn's disease.
  4. Arthritis symptoms primarily associated with osteoarthritis.
  5. Osteoporosis - silica helps the body deposit calcium into bone rather than into areas it shouldn't be.  More importantly, silica helps maintain proper bone collagen levels; giving bones greater flexibility.
  6. Arteriosclerosis - studies have shown that hardened arteries are high in calcium and low in silica. Healthy, flexible arteries are high in silica and low in calcium.
  7. Skin, hair and nail disorders.
  8. Vertigo

This is a diverse list, yet there is a common thread running through them all — proper collagen production. Eidon manufactures and distributes the finest liquid silica available anywhere.

    Sulfur is also known for its ability to help with digestive disorders, such as heartburn, indigestion, and gastritis. Sulfur is also important for proper metabolism of carbohydrates and adequate uptake of sugar molecules necessary for energy. Sulfur can restore normal blood sugar levels as cells become permeable and helps restore pancreas functions to normal as the cells absorb blood sugar. The body is in a constant state of repair so if we don't get enough of the required nutrients the end product is going to be less than perfect. This is reflected in the aging process.

  • Zinc - Zinc is essential for the maintenance of immune system strength and gland health. It can be rapidly depleted when the body is fighting an illness such as cold and flu. Zinc is the tenth most abundant element in the human body. Zinc is found in all organs, tissues and cells, and is involved in the function and activation of over 200 enzymes. Enzymes are the unique essential proteins that make the human body function properly.
    Its vital role in maintaining proper immune system function and detoxification abilities has earned zinc its reputation as a cold and flu remedy. Zinc promotes immune system health by activating the production of white blood cells. These white blood cells form the basis of the immune system and destroy both damaged cells and invaders when antibodies recognize a specific antigen or foreign pathogen, such as a virus.
    Zinc activates the production of numerous hormones necessary for growth and development. Like enzymes, hormones are proteins essential to the body's health. These proteins are produced in specific organs in the body, passed into the bloodstream and carried to distant cells and organs to stimulate numerous biological processes.
    Zinc has been shown to play an integral role in combating stress, regulating appetite, useful in treating myopia (nearsightedness), and enhancing the senses of taste and smell. Most people suffering from alcoholism are found to be deficient in zinc. In addition, zinc protects the liver from damage. Alcohol is one of the most prevalent causes of liver malfunction, causing cirrhosis and fatty liver. Zinc has actually been shown to help reverse cirrhosis. Arsenic, cadmium, and lead are a few of the toxic elements that zinc helps to eliminate from the body. Inflammatory bowel disease, parasites and other intestinal problems can damage the intestines.

Comprehensive Formulas

Bone Support

  1. Boron - Recent studies have reported possible improvements in bone mineral density in women who supplemented with boron. Boron’s role in bone metabolism appears to be associated with its interactions with other minerals such as calcium and magnesium.
  2. Calcium - 98% of the body's calcium is stored in our bones. Its purpose in bone is to create rigidity (giving us our distinctive shape) and as a storehouse for the body’s metabolic needs for calcium such as nerve transmission, blood clotting and wound healing.

Immune Support

  1. ZINC - Activates the enzymes of our immune system.
  2. SELENIUM - Inhibits viral mutation.
  3. SULFUR - Calms the body's inflammatory response.
  4. SILVER -  Provides a natural defense against bacteria.

Joint Support

Eidon Liquid Ionic Minerals - 2 oz

Serving Size: 15 drops
Servings per Container: 30

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*Your results may vary from those listed above.


Gran Tierra understands and shares the Colombian people’s desire to protect their country’s rivers, lakes and other water resources. With that in mind, GTE is implementing stringent water protection and remediation policies, many of which exceed regulatory requirements.

Water Collection

GTE has concentrated its efforts on protecting and preserving water sources that supply the water needs of the different oil fields. In addition to the environmental education processes and efforts to optimize the use of the resource, GTE has developed a program to purchase strategic areas located on the banks of the supply sources of water. This voluntary activity has allowed the company to conserve more than 450 hectares in Putumayo.

A voluntary rainwater collection program at GTE’s Middle Magdalena Valley Basin Camp is an example of the company’s desire to exceed its legal obligations to protect the environment.

While there is enough groundwater to easily supply the camp, collecting rainwater for this is less impactful to the environment than drawing it from underground supplies. For 10 months of the year rain usually falls at the camp three times a week, allowing 90% of its non-drinking water needs to be met by collecting the rainwater in two large tanks during this period, minimizing the use of groundwater. The collected rainwater is then treated using a series of filters and processes to remove impurities before it is ready for use.

Water Processing and Monitoring

Gran Tierra carefully manages its wastewater, much of which is generated in the form of “produced water.” GTE’s Environmental Management Plan lays out the company’s plan to avoid potential impacts to surface water sources.

Produced water, which was generated as a byproduct of the process of extracting crude from the Los Angeles field in Colombia’s Middle Magdalena Valley, is treated using an allnatural process which relies on microorganisms to remove impurities. Depending on the need, the water is aerated which increases the supply of oxygen, causing the microorganisms to work faster, and allows greater volumes to be processed. Before it can be released, the treated water is regularly tested to ensure that it meets rigorous standards for purity.

Reinjecting produced and domestic wastewater is a practice used in multiple fields operated by GTE. During reinjection, the wastewater is treated to a standard that would allow reintroduction to surface water sources but is instead strategically pumped thousands of meters deep underground, well below subsurface water sources like aquifers, into oil producing formations that supply the company’s wells. In addition to minimizing any impact to water sources, this practice of safely discharging wastewater aids production from existing wells by increasing subsurface pressure. GTE maintains a network of piezometer monitors to ensure there is no impact to the quality of groundwater in the area. In accordance with GTE’s EMP, the company plans to design new projects in a manner to avoid any discharge into surface water courses.

GTE’s Environmental Management Plan requires visual and equipment-assisted inspections (e.g., turbidity monitors), to regularly check the water quality in the receiving rivers and lakes affected by construction activity, such as increased turbidity, smells or color changes. Inspections also include sampling of wastewater discharges and receiving water bodies adjacent to construction sites and construction camps.


Javascript - parseInt() function

The parseInt() function examines the string much more closely to see if it matches a number pattern.

Leading white space in the string is ignored until the first non-white space character is found.

If this first character isn't a number, the minus sign, or the plus sign, parseInt() always returns NaN, which means the empty string returns NaN.

If the first character is a number, plus, or minus, then the conversion goes on to the second character and continues on until either the end of the string is reached or a nonnumeric character is found.

For instance, "1234asdf" is converted to 1234 because "asdf" is completely ignored.

"22.5" will be converted to 22 because the decimal is not a valid integer character.

The parseInt() function recognizes the various integer formats:decimal, octal, and hexadecimal.

When the string begins with "0x", it is interpreted as a hexadecimal integer; if it begins with "0" followed by a number, it is interpreted as an octal value.

Here are some conversion examples to better illustrate what happens:

var num1 = parseInt("1234asdf");    //1234
var num2 = parseInt("");            //NaN
var num3 = parseInt("0xA");         //10 - hexadecimal
var num4 = parseInt(12.5);          //12
var num5 = parseInt("70");          //70 - decimal
var num6 = parseInt("0xf");         //15 - hexadecimal

parseInt() provides a second argument: the radix (number of digits) to use.

If you know that the value you're parsing is in hexadecimal format, you can pass in the radix 16 as a second argument and ensure that the correct parsing will occur, as shown here:

var num = parseInt("0xAF", 16);       //175

In fact, by providing the hexadecimal radix, you can leave off the leading "0x" and the conversion will work as follows:

var num1 = parseInt("AF", 16);        //175
var num2 = parseInt("AF");            //NaN

Passing in a radix can greatly change the outcome of the conversion. Consider the following:

var num1 = parseInt("10", 2);         //2 - parsed as binary
var num2 = parseInt("10", 8);         //8 - parsed as octal
var num3 = parseInt("10", 10);        //10 - parsed as decimal
var num4 = parseInt("10", 16);        //16 - parsed as hexadecimal


Science » Technologies and discoveries
Author`s name Ольга Савка

The Earth is dead

The dangers confronting us in this century have never been greater
We still have time until the Earth is dead, but in the New Year 2006, peace and happiness will go to the deserving people who are not in competition to consume the last life-giving resources from the face the Earth. The economic dependency of modern industrial countries for scarce natural resources has become a major economical and political risk for the whole World, and it's not just about oil. The dangers confronting us in this century have never been greater.drought
The essential natural resources, like food, minerals and fuel, which are needed for the survival of high consumption nations is an issue of national security, which will require governments and businesses, who are at risk of supply disruptions, to use their agents and secret contacts to manipulate, control and dominate the weak people and weak governments of key trading nations around the World. The ensuing greedy competition for scarce resources by nations and multi-national businesses, can lead to conflicts of interests, corruption, clashes of cultures, and revaluation of assets and currencies, which invariably leads to protests, wars, economic chaos, riots and other catastrophic consequences. The age of limitless resources is nearing an end, including the cultures that are unable to adapt to the coming changes.
Patriotism to consumption and monetary growth are not patriotic principles worth dying for, even if they represent a national way of life. Patriotic values must be reassessed with moral questions: How many soldiers must die, trees cut down, animals killed, rivers poisoned, ocean fish depleted, fresh water disappear, plants with pharmaceutical value go undiscovered, and basic human needs go neglected, so that we can buy a big car, big house, and hold onto a hyper-space style of life?
All people have a personal responsibility for protecting the Earth's resources, even when traditional politicians create mass media guided policies to placate people's opposition to change. People tell me that the World environmental problems are too overwhelming for them to solve; they tell me that it's God's Will; or, politicians are elected for this difficult job.  Environmental responsibility is the purest form of democracy and everyone votes through his or her lifestyle.
Futuristic nations, having visionary leaders, will lead their nations on a course of environmental responsibility by educating their citizens in schools, with heavy use of mass media to convey "hope" instead of "fear", and by encouraging its citizens to participate in organisations, which promote environmental policies, which will make the Earth a better place for people to live on, including businesses and the diversity of life we share this planet with.
“The Earth is not Dead”, because we still have time to save it.  I am always meeting people, who say, “What can I do, I am only one person?” My answer is, “Plant a tree in 2006 and tell your neighbours why you did it.”
Donald Norell


Pole barns are large enclosed agricultural buildings, used as shelter for animals as well as storage for hay, tack & tractors. We custom build our barns to each customer’s specifications. To schedule a FREE estimate, please contact us with your specific needs.

Our buildings are made of ALL WOOD construction.

We do NOT sell/install pre-fabricated kits.

Will I need a building permit?

Different counties have different requirements. You will need to check with your local regional building department for their requirements. Pole barns in El Paso county DO NOT require a permit because they are agricultural buildings.

What is the average time it takes to build a pole barn?

10-14 days, weather permitting.

Excluding neglect, improper maintenance & acts of nature that include, but are not limited to lightning, fire, flood, extreme winds, etc.

Interim Payment:

REQUIRED upon installation of the trusses, half of the balance will be due.

Final Payments:

REQUIRED immediately upon completion of the project, the final half of the balance will be due. If you are unable to provide payment in person on the day your project is scheduled to be completed, we request that your payment be available for pickup somewhere on the job site OR mailed directly to us, to be received by the date of completion.

Forms of payment accepted:

Cash or check


Our mission is to provide local contacts and information to all who desire it

All are welcome. This is a place to gather or leave information about the events surrounding the anniversary. No money needed. Check the board/wall here for comments, updates, etc. Class of '99, please notice information specifically for you.

1. Kiki Leyba

2. Alise Steiner


Introduction: PC IN a DESK!!!

after 6 months of hard graft between January 2012 and June 2012 the desk was finally born.
on the 16th of august the desk reached the local paper.
the desk is made almost all from recycled materials.

the screen will eventually rise up out of the desk(once i have sourced some lead weights)
the computer witch is on the right  of the desk is under a glass screen and iv put some old PCB's on the left side.

the computer is built on top of a aluminium plate for grounding

on the left and right of the desk are 4 plugs and 4 USB ports  2 on each side

intel core  i5 -3470 3.2GHz
gigabyte z77-ds3h motherboard
8gb of ram
60gb ssd sata iii
500w psu
netgear wg311t wifi card

enjoy looking at this instructable and please leave a comment

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    4 Discussions

    You don't need lead weights. Go down to your local auto parts store (autozone, oreilies, pepboys, etc.) and ask them about the actuators used to hold the rear doors of SUVs up. These have a nice solid and smooth action, and are more than capable of holding your monitor up.

    OK, thanks for the information. I was trying to picture that in my head, but didn't know what you were aiming for. Good luck with the rest of it!

    This is really cool. What an awesome project to do at school! The only potential issue I can think of with enclosing the computer in a desk like this is ventilation and heat dissipation. Some (but definitely not all) computer cases are designed with a specific path for airflow in mind. That's why many computers actually perform much worse when people take the side panel off. The air is not getting pulled across the boards as designed.

    I hope you accounted for this in some way by putting in a few extra fans and ventilation holes in the sides of the desk. The computer would still work without it, but not for very long if used under heavy processing loads. I couldn't tell from the pictures if you had done this or not.

    You mentioned getting some weights for your screen to rise from the desk. Two questions about that:

    1) Do you mean the computer monitor or the glass screen covering the computer.

    2) Does this mean you are using a non-motorized mechanical weight and pulley system to accomplish this, or are you planning to use motors and need the weights as a counter balance?

    Again, great job. This looks really nice.

    Everything old is new again - I remember walnut desks with PCs built-in in the early days of personal computers ...


Commercial local anaesthetic solutions have an acidic pH to maximise their water solubility and chemical stability. This increases their shelf-life. Immediately before injection, alkali can be added to raise the pH towards the physiological pH. This is called 'alkalinisation' or 'buffering' of the solution. Anaesthetic activity is dependent on having both the ionised and non-ionised forms of the drug present after injection. Alkalinisation increases the proportion of non-ionised drug and this could be advantageous. Care must be taken, because if too much alkali is added, the local anaesthetic will precipitate. When used for infiltration anaesthesia or block of small nerves, alkalinised solutions of local anaesthetic are less painful when injected. The onset of local anaesthesia may also be slightly quicker. For epidural anaesthesia or block of large nerves the amount of time saved is minimal and so alkalinisation is not practically useful for these procedures.

After the injection of a local anaesthetic solution into the tissues there is a delay until the anaesthetic block is working satisfactorily. One technique that may decrease this delay is referred to as 'alkalinisation' of the local anaesthetic solution.1 This means adding a planned amount of a basic solution (typically sodium bicarbonate) to the local anaesthetic solution before injecting it into the target tissues. This practice may also decrease the pain on injection of the solution.2 Two key questions to be addressed are:

  • What is the basis for this practice?
  • Does it make a practically useful difference?

Local anaesthetic solutions and the pKa-pH relationship

Local anaesthetics are basic drugs which have a pKa (derived from the dissociation constant) close to the normal extracellular pH of 7.4, for example lignocaine has a pKa of 7.9. The drugs exist in two forms in the solution – the uncharged basic form(B) and the charged form (BH + ).

B + H + ↔ BH +

The importance of the pKa-pH relationship is that this knowledge allows the calculation of the relative amounts of these two forms. When the pH is equal to the drug's pKa, 50% of the drug is in the uncharged form, and 50% is in the charged form. In acidic solutions most of the drug will be in the charged form. (The exception to this is the topical anaesthetic agent benzocaine which is noncharged and not used for infiltration anaesthesia.) To be useful when injected the local anaesthetic solution must be present in the tissues in both forms. The reason is that the drug has to diffuse to the site of action across several tissue barriers. The uncharged lipid-soluble form will diffuse across lipid barriers, for example, perineural sheath or cell membrane. The charged water soluble form will diffuse across tissue fluid barriers, for example interstitial fluid.

The site of action of the local anaesthetic molecule is the inner (or cytoplasmic) end of the sodium channel in the cell membrane. The final pathway for all injected local anaesthetics is to diffuse to the cell membrane (in the charged form) then re-equilibrate to form both charged and uncharged forms adjacent to the outside of the nerve cell membrane. The molecules diffuse across the nerve cell membrane in the uncharged form then re-equilibrate in the cytoplasm to have both forms present again. Next the charged form diffuses to and binds to its 'receptor' on the inside of the transmembrane sodium channel. This binding results in a conformational change in the channel protein to block the passage of sodium ions into the cell in response to a subsequent action potential.

When a sufficient length of an unmyelinated nerve is impaired in this way, a nerve action potential in that nerve axon is blocked. For a myelinated nerve, the sodium channels are located primarily at the nodes of Ranvier. The channels in several adjacent nodes in the axon have to be blocked to prevent transmission of an action potential.

Commercial local anaesthetic solutions

The pH of a commercially available local anaesthetic solution has to be acidic to maximise stability in solution and shelf-life. The reasons include:

  • solubility – local anaesthetic solutions are aqueous solutions and if provided at a pH close to 7.4 the lipid soluble uncharged form could precipitate out due to its lower water solubility
  • stability – the uncharged base form is more unstable at physiological pH so degradation is minimised at a low pH where the drug is predominantly in the charged form
  • stability of adrenaline – the adrenaline added to some local anaesthetic solutions is unstable at the physiological pH and more stable at an acidic pH.

Commercially available acidic local anaesthetic solutions have a pH of typically 3.5 to 5.5 and have a shelf-life of three to four years. This pH is so far below the drug's pKa that essentially all the drug is present in the more stable, charged, water-soluble form. Hydrochloric acid is added to lignocaine solutions to achieve this low pH.

Local anaesthetic solutions containing adrenaline are generally at a lower pH than the same solution without adrenaline ('plain solution'). The low pH is often said to be the cause of the pain on injection, but the relationship between this pain and pH is not simple.

Alkalinisation of local anaesthetic solutions

A basic solution can be added to a local anaesthetic solution immediately before injection to raise the pH. Suitable sterile solutions of sodium bicarbonate are readily available and this is the usual basic solution used.

Alkalinisation has potential advantages. Firstly, the higher pH of the solution may result in less stinging pain being experienced by the patient. Secondly, after injection, the pH of the injected solution may more quickly approach that of the normal tissue pH. The faster formation of a mixture with charged and uncharged forms may then result in more rapid drug diffusion and a quicker onset of nerve blocking. This could be particularly useful in body sites with low tissue buffering capacity where there can be a delay in the rise of pH after injection.

The practice of adding a basic solution to the local anaesthetic solution is sometimes referred to as buffering. This terminology is wrong. Alkalinisation is a more accurate term. A buffer is a solution that tends to resist a change in its pH whether an acid or a base is added to it. The aim of adding a basic solution to the local anaesthetic solution is to raise the pH, not to resist the change in pH, so this practice is not buffering. In contrast, after injection of the local anaesthetic solution the tissues function as buffers as they tend to minimise the change in tissue pH which occurs when an acidic local anaesthetic solution is injected.

The basic solution that is added has to be carefully specified and mixed (Table 1). If too much is added then the pH rises too far and the non-charged basic form will precipitate out of solution. This will be detected as a white clouding of the solution.

Provided precipitation does not occur, alkalinisation does not adversely affect the efficacy of the local anaesthetic solution.2 As precipitation increases with time, alkalinised local anaesthetic solutions should generally be freshly prepared and used promptly. They should not be used for infusions.3

Table 1 Alkalinisation of local anaesthetic solutions2
Anaesthetic solution Volume of 8.4% sodium bicarbonate to be added to 20 mL
Lignocaine 1% or 2% 2 mL
Bupivacaine 0.25% or 0.5% 0.1 mL*
Ropivacaine 0.2% 0.1 mL* (must be used within 5–10 minutes)
* The small volume of 8.4% sodium bicarbonate to be added requires great care as adding too much will cause precipitation

Higher concentrations of ropivacaine (for example 0.75%) precipitate at a pH greater than 6 so are not suitable for alkalinisation 6

Reduction of pain on injection

A literature review on whether adding sodium bicarbonate to a local anaesthetic solution reduced the pain of injection found 22 human randomised controlled trials. The evidence was 'overwhelming' that pain on injection was reduced. The reason for this reduction may be the more rapid onset of action of the alkalinised local anaesthetic, rather than the change in pH.2

A systematic review similarly found that the pain of intradermal injection of alkalinised local anaesthetics was decreased as compared to 'unbuffered' local anaesthetics.4

Pain reduction is a worthy goal and painless infiltration may be achievable in some cases. The reduction of this stinging pain due to infiltration anaesthesia and the block of small peripheral nerves is the major advantage of alkalinisation of local anaesthetic solutions.

The reduction of pain of infiltration by alkalinisation of the local anaesthetic solution is significant and so is likely to be useful in general practices and emergency departments where many such blocks are done, and particularly in children. Alternative methods may be a better approach in some situations, for example the use of local anaesthetic cream before intravenous cannulation in children.

Alkalinisation to reduce onset time

For epidural anaesthesia, pain on injection of the local anaesthetic is not a major issue, but time to achieve surgical anaesthesia is important. Onset of epidural anaesthesia is quicker with alkalinised local anaesthetic solutions, but only by a few minutes.5 More time is taken up in preparing the modified solution than is gained by using it. Onset time can be decreased by using a faster acting drug, such as lignocaine, in a suitable concentration rather than a slower onset drug such as bupivacaine.

The onset of spinal anaesthesia is rapid. There is no advantage in using alkalinised solutions.

Alkalinisation of the solution does not provide any practical advantage in plexus blocks,1,7 or intravenous regional anaesthesia.8 With blocks of larger peripheral nerves, onset time is decreased and the quality of the block improved by minimising the diffusion distance by injecting the local anaesthetic solution close to the nerve. This can be achieved by using peripheral nerve stimulation, ultrasound guidance or other techniques to accurately position the needle tip.

In infiltration anaesthesia, the onset of the block is generally rapid so there is minimal time to be gained.

Alkalinisation of local anaesthetics to reduce the onset time of regional anaesthesia or major nerve blocks is not useful.

Alkalinisation of local anaesthetic solutions reduces the pain of infiltration. It also reduces the onset of anaesthesia, but the time saved is small.

  1. Quinlan JJ, Oleksey K, Murphy FL. Alkalinization of epivacaine for axillary block. Anesth Analg 1992;74:371-4.
  2. Davies RJ. Buffering the pain of local anaesthetics: A systematic review. Emerg Med 2003;15:81-8.
  3. Fulling PD, Peterfreund RA. Alkalinization and precipitation characteristics of 0.2% ropivacaine. Reg Anesth Pain Med 2000;25:518-21.
  4. Hanna MN, Elhassan A, Veloso PM, Lesley M, Lissauer J, Richman JM. Efficacy of bicarbonate in decreasing pain on intradermal injection of local anesthetics: a meta-analysis. Reg Anesth Pain Med 2009;34:122-5.
  5. DiFasio CA, Carron H, Grosslight KR, Moscicki JC, Bolding WR. Comparison of pH-adjusted lidocaine solutions for epidural anesthesia. Anesth Analg 986;65:760-4.
  6. Milner QJ, Guard BC, Allen JG. Alkalinization of amide local anaesthetics by addition of 1% sodium bicarbonate solution. Eur J Anaesthesiol 2000;17:38-42 .
  7. Chow MY, Sia AT, Koay CK, Chan YW. Alkalinization of lidocaine does not hasten the onset of axillary brachial plexus block. Anesth Analg 1998;86:566-8.
  8. Benlabed M, Jullien P, Guelmi K, Hamza J, Bonhomme L, Benhamou D. Alkalinization of 0.5% lidocaine for intravenous regional anesthesia. Reg Anesth 1990;15:59-60.


New study settles how social understanding is performed by the brain

In a study to be published in Psychological Science, researchers from Aarhus University and the University of Copenhagen demonstrate that brain cells in what is called the mirror system help people make sense of the actions they see other people perform in everyday life.

Using magnetic stimulation to temporarily disrupt normal processing of the areas of the human brain involved in the production of actions of human participants, it is demonstrated that these areas are also involved in the understanding of actions. The study is the first to demonstrate a clear causal effect, whereas earlier studies primarily have looked at correlations, which are difficult to interpret.

One of the researchers, John Michael, explains the process:

“There has been a great deal of hype about the mirror system, and now we have performed an experiment that finally provides clear and straightforward evidence that the mirror system serves to help people make sense of others’ actions,” says John Michael.

Understanding autism and schizophrenia

The study shows that there are areas of the brain that are involved in the production of actions. And the researchers found evidence that these areas contribute to understanding others’ actions. This means that the same areas are involved in producing actions and understanding others’ actions. This helps us in everyday life, but it also holds great potential when trying to understand why people with autism and schizophrenia have difficulties with social interaction.

“Attaining knowledge of the processes underlying social understanding in people in general is an important part of the process of attaining knowledge of the underlying causes of the difficulties that some people diagnosed with autism and schizophrenia experience in sustaining social understanding. But it is important to emphasise that this is just one piece of the puzzle.”

“The findings may be interesting to therapists and psychiatrists who work with patients with schizophrenia or autism, or even to educational researchers,” adds John Michael.

Facts about the empirical basis

The participants (20 adults) came to the lab three times. They were given brain scans on the first visit. On the second and third, they received stimulation to their motor system and then performed a typical psychological task in which they watched brief videos of actors pantomiming actions (about 250 videos each time). After each video they had to choose a picture of an object that matched the pantomimed video. For example, a hammer was the correct answer for the video of an actor pretending to hammer.

This task was intended to gauge their understanding of the observed actions. The researchers found that the stimulation interfered with their performance of this task.

Innovative method

The researchers used an innovative technique for magnetically stimulating highly specific brain areas in order to temporarily disrupt normal processing in those areas. The reason for using this technique (called continuous theta-burst stimulation) in general is that it makes it possible to determine which brain areas perform which functions. For example, if you stimulate (and thus temporarily impair) area A, and the participants subsequently have difficulty with some specific task (task T), then you can infer that area A usually performs task T. The effect goes away after 20 minutes, so this is a harmless and widely applicable way to identify which tasks are performed by which areas.

With continuous theta-burst stimulation, you can actually determine that the activation of A contributes as a cause to people performing T. This method thus promises to be of great use to neuroscientists in the coming years.

1 Comment

  1. “Settles”? Wow pretty strong language – and then you aren’t going to list the areas they tested and each areas’ apparent role?


Legal Secretary- IP Prosecution

McDermott Will & Emery LLP - Menlo Park, CA (30+ days ago)3.8

The Silicon Valley office is seeking an experienced Legal Secretary to provide administrative and secretarial support for attorneys in our Intellectual Property Practice Group.

As a Patent Prosecution Legal Secretary, you will:
Prepare IP Prosecution specific documents, forms, spreadsheets and presentations including U.S. Patent prosecution filings, reporting letters to clients, documents received from the PTO, draft applications and amendments
Provide legal and non-legal administrative support to attorneys and clients
Request drawings from draftsman for review and revision and obtain copies of patents
Maintain dockets on a regular schedule and send reminders to attorneys as necessary
Process intake of new clients; create client files; search and print reports
Work with assigned billing specialist to prepare invoices, create cover letters, and mail invoices
Coordinate meetings including setting up videoconference/calls, requesting meeting room service, equipment, catering
Organize and maintain files
Organize and maintain contacts and calendar
Manage phones including: incoming calls, messaging, transfers and conference calls
Schedule travel; process expense reports, check requests and business development activity
Enter and release time for timekeepers; print reports as requested

Job Requirements:
Bachelor’s Degree preferred but not required
Minimum 5 years’ experience working as an IP Prosecution legal secretary and 3 years in a professional services environment
Strong knowledge of steps involved in patent prosecution from application filing to issuance of patents
Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office, Outlook, Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Pro, Document Management, time entry systems and IP Prosecution specific databases including Inprotech or CPI
Strong attention to detail
Professional interpersonal communication skills, both verbal and non-verbal
Excellent teamwork and collaboration skills
Self-motivated and able to effectively utilize time and resources
Client service/customer satisfaction oriented


The fund provides opportunities for organisations to try to secure money for projects that they feel would make a difference to communities.  We are delighted to be able to confirm that our project concept for a pop up community cycle centre in Stapleford has made it through the first round of judging and is now in a public voting competition.

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Our charity has lots of experience of helping people through greener and more sustainable transport and we think that our Bikes 4 Life concept of providing a pop up community cycle centre in Stapleford, Nottingham, will make a huge difference to the communities that we will work with.  It’ll mean that young unemployed people will learn valuable lifeskills.  The skills that will be given through our cycle centre means they will have better access to training and employment and will be able to get around without reliance on other forms of transport.  You can read all about it here.

It takes 2 minutes to vote and to share with your coworkers or colleagues who may share your interest in the massive benefits that cycling can have on individuals, communities, congestion and the environment.

We’re really excited about this opportunity. Voting closes on the 18th November, so click now and make your vote count.