text:
In addition to regular office hours, I maintain a semi-open-door policy: you should feel to stop by to ask questions, or just say hello, whenever my door is open (which it generally will be unless I am out of the office, in a meeting, or deep in thought). If the door is partially ajar, feel free to interrupt if you have a pressing concern. If the door is closed, please do not knock unless it is a genuine emergency. (Also, I'm not that great at remembering names, so please don't be offended if I ask you several times to re-introduce yourself!) I will also make a concerted effort to answer e-mail within 24 hours (or on Monday for email sent over the weekend).
There will be assigned reading for each class from the course textbook, as well as additional articles and excerpts. Students will be expected to contribute to an online class reading journal in which students reflect on (and discuss) the assigned reading, class discussions, and course topics.
Class participation in discussions and lectures is expected and will be a significant part of the grade. Your grade in this area will be based on attendance, attentiveness, preparedness, and contributions to the in-class discussions.
There will be several computer-based and written exercises,
some of which will use the NetLogo
system. Students will also write a term paper (8-10 pages, 2000-2500
words) on complex systems in natural or artificial systems, in an
area of their choice (e.g., fractal systems, environmental science,
economics, sociology, neurology...) Students will be required
to give two short in-class presentations: one on a NetLogo
project and one on their term paper. In addition, students
must complete a peer review of two other students' term
papers. There will also be a midterm
examination, covering the basic mathematical and conceptual principles
of complexity.
Course grades will be based on the following weighting.
|Class participation
|Online reading journal
|Midterm exam
|Computer-based and written exercises
|In-class presentations
|Term paper and peer reviews
Students in CMSC 491 will be assigned additional exercises in the problem sets, will take a somewhat different (more mathematically challenging) midterm, and will have different (higher) project requirements. In conjunction with the term paper, CMSC 491 students will also be expected to implement and experiment with a NetLogo model of their chosen system.
Although this is not a writing class, success in any discipline requires the ability to effectively communicate one's thoughts. If you have difficulty writing, whether because English is not your first language, or because you haven't taken many writing classes in your undergraduate program, I highly suggest that you take advantage of UMBC's writing center, in the main library. (Phone: 410-455-3126. URL: http://www.umbc.edu/lrc/writing center.htm. Hours: Monday-Wednesday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.) This is a free tutoring service that will help you prepare essays and papers for any course.
In an effort to encourage good time management, I will generally grant one one-week extension per student, over the course of the semester, if requested in advance and with a clear explanation (other projects due, work-related travel, outside commitments). Last-minute requests for extensions will generally be denied, since the purpose of the extensions is to plan ahead for "crunch times." Extensions will not be granted for work that is to be peer-reviewed.
Other than the case of an approved extension, the late penalty will apply unless there are extraordinary circumstances---such as an extended illness or death in the family (these cases must be documented and cleared with the instructor).
The implementation of the computer-based assignments must be your own work. If you are stumped on a particular error, you may consult with someone else; however, if you consult with someone other than the instructor, you must explicitly indicate the nature of this assistance in your submission. Reasonable help will not affect your grade; failure to cite your sources is academically dishonest, and will be dealt with severely.
Written answers, including your contributions to the online reading journal, your research paper and all drafts, all written assignments, and the midterm exam, must be your own work. If you wish to quote a source (including the course textbook or other assigned readings), you must do so explicitly at the point of the quotation, with proper citation. Plagiarism of any source, including another student's work, is not acceptable.
Providing another student with answers, or helping them to cheat, is an equally serious violation of the principles of academic honesty. A student who commits such an offense is subject to the same penalties as the student who cheated.
Any violation of the academic honesty policy will result in a minimum penalty of a zero grade for that assignment. In addition, in order to pass the course, the student will be required to recomplete the assignment honestly. Consequences for more serious infractions of this policy, or for second offenses, may include, but are not limited to, receiving a failing grade in the course or being suspended or expelled from the university.


text:
Our dear forum leader Caitlin Williams passed away last week. She loved Pearl-Guide, our members, and especially enjoyed attending the annual Pearl Guide Ruckus - a kind of sleepover party for pearl lovers.
Caitlin was incredibly special. Smart, funny, irreverent, talented and best of all, loveable. Here are some photos of Caitlin from Ruckuses past.
(This photo was from the last ruckus in 2016)
The first Ruckus, or "International Consequential Pearl Guide Convention", ICPGC, was held in 2009. Caitlin responded to it this way:
"It was great to meet you all! You my homies! I can't remember a group ever, ever, ever, that felt so much like home. I love you all! My sisters, brothers, cousins, daughters, sons, nieces and nephews. It felt like being a Hawaiian Auntie and..... we got to talk pearl to our hearts content!"
Waiting for drinks
Our first Scotch tasting. We wiped out Jeremy Shepherd's personal collection!
Perusing Pearl Paradise pearls
Meeting up with attendees at the second ruckus with member Mikeyy
Mingling before Friday night dinner
More mingling
A gift for all her hard work, assisted by daughter Kether
Getting ready to take the limo to the Pearl Paradise office party.
Notice member Douglas on the upper left. Caitlin especially enjoyed the drive with Douglas:
"Douglas, Kether and I drove over from Tucson. An 8 hour drive in which we had Douglas all to ourselves. An incomparable experience. He is so kind and was willing to participate in the 8 hour long discussion with us (mostly me). He answered a lot of questions and expanded my knowledge on every subject we discussed. It was a fabulous experience, the fastest car ride to LA, ever!"
The Saturday night office party was amazing. They completely transformed it and spoiled us with a Sushi Chef!
Chris Uhde gives an official Scotch tasting
Caitlin modeled for us.
Caitlin was very grateful and said what we all were thinking:
"Jeremy, Hisano, and all you dears who make Pearl Paradise so special,
What a splendid occasion! I can't remember having more fun with a more wonderful group of people. So much work and love went into this weekend, I can only say, it was one of the highlights of my life. I truly appreciate the lengths you went to make sure we were all pampered to the max. Your largesse should be legendary!"
Everyone agrees that Jeremy, Hisano and Pearl Paradise, along with occasional sponsors, have been very generous in hosting each ruckus.
Group photo
Pearly Headgear contest
Modeling Tiara and Hat
Having tea
Visiting Pearl Paradise
Receiving Admin recognition
On the right, you can see her irresistible mischievous smile
My dear friend with me
And with fearless leader Jeremy
She had more style than a body has a right to...
And knew how to flaunt it!
Enjoying the crowd
Getting recognized as a leader
Relaxing with husband Reggie - a beautiful way to remember Caitlin.
We may have to say goodbye, but we will never forget!
(Names and photo credits were omitted so the author could complete the article more easily, which was emotionally difficult.)
Blaire Beavers
Managing Editor
Pearl Guide News

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Apple Goes Back to School With E-Textbook Apps
Jan 19, 2012 1:54 PM PT
Apple entered the textbook world on Thursday with free apps for creating and managing e-textbooks. Apple SVP of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller took the stage at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City to present iBooks 2 for iPad, a product that manages digital textbooks, and iBooks Author, a tool designed to help authors produce textbooks for the iPad.
Apple has forged a relationship with the major textbook producers, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw-Hill and Pearson. The three publishers, which represent a dominant chunk of the textbook market in North America, will produce textbooks for the iPad, with most priced at US$14.99 or less.
Both the iBooks 2 for iPad and iBooks Author became available immediately.
Apple did not respond to our request for further details.
Good Move for Apple
The e-textbook market could be very profitable, especially if the model catches on at the college textbook level.
"I think textbooks right now are niche market, but it has the potential to be a huge market," Zeus Kerravala, principal analyst with ZK Research, told MacNewsWorld. "I can see a day when all students carry only a tablet and have access to all of their textbooks through it."
The educational field isn't new to Apple -- in the 1980s, Macs were prevalent in schools.
"This certainly seems like a good move for Apple," said Kerravala. "Considering the popularity of the iPad and the potential market for textbooks, this could become a significant contributor to Apple's business."
Apple has dominant share in the tablet space, and an audience that wants to do more with them, observed Kerravala. "E-books have been very popular to date with the younger generation leading the way. I expect Apple to be successful with textbooks."
iBooks 2 for iPad
While Amazon sold the Kindle Fire at a loss to prompt content sales, Apple may be giving away book software in order to drive iPad sales.
"Apple wants to sell devices first and foremost, but the company certainly understands that hardware alone is not enough," Allen Nogee, principal analyst for wireless technology at In-Stat, told MacNewsWorld. "You need the ecosystem, and it's that ecosystem that sustains the hardware purchases over time."
Apple has a long history in the education market, Nogee noted, and the iPad has fit very nicely into the classroom.
"It completely makes sense that Apple would want to grab the textbook market as much as possible and as early as possible," he said.
iBooks Author
With iBooks Author, it would seem Apple is toying with publishing -- but since it is giving away the software, its intention is likely to spur iPad sales.
"If a college professor could easily produce an iBook and sell it to his students for cheaper than a conventional college textbook, I think many professors would, and this would sell more iPads," said Nogee. "The iPad could pay for itself in just one semester, considering how expensive textbooks have become."
Professors would likely also produce a greater number of textbooks if the process were easy, Nogee suggested.
Knocking on Amazon's Door
The company that Apple seems to have in its crosshairs with these e-textbook offerings is Amazon. If Apple can get students to depend on iPads, it may be able to beat back the Kindle onslaught.
"Apple is clearly looking to compete directly with Amazon while becoming more vertically integrated than Amazon," Neil Shah, analyst for wireless devices strategies at Strategy Analytics, told MacNewsWorld. "Apple is trying to gain control here by taking digitization of books to the next level."
Apple is propelling its e-textbook offering by changing the very nature of the textbook.
"Apple is making books more interactive and leveraging its iOS SDK platform to grow the iOS user installed base," said Shah.
This strategy not only generates additional revenues, he said, but also locks the current and prospective iOS users into the Apple ecosystem with content that can be consumed only on Apple products.


text:
Amarillo West Rotary club presented Reading Writing Reasoning certificates to three pupils from Olsen Park Elementary for their achievements.
These students are selected by their teachers for improving the most in their class work during the month.
This recognition provides an opportunity for the student to work to achieve their goals, but doesn't depend on grades.
The Amarillo West Rotary club is dedicated to helping with education in the Amarillo Community and this is one way to reconize students. These students and their parents were honored at the regular noon meeting at the Amarillo club in December.
For more information about the other projects of Amarillo West Rotary, contact Dave Kemp, president at firstname.lastname@example.com.
- Submitted by Jelaine Workman, Amarillo West Rotary Club


text:
- Brown rat
"Rattus norvegicus" redirects here. For the album, see Rattus Norvegicus (album).
Brown rat Conservation status Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Family: Muridae Subfamily: Murinae Genus: Rattus Species: R. norvegicus Binomial name Rattus norvegicus
(Berkenhout, 1769)
Brown rat range
The brown rat, common rat, sewer rat, Hanover rat, Norway rat, Brown Norway rat, Norwegian rat, or wharf rat (Rattus norvegicus) is one of the best known and most common rats.
One of the largest muroids, it is a brown or grey rodent with a body up to 25 cm (10 in) long, and a similar tail length; the male weighs on average 350 g (12 oz) and the female 250 g (9 oz). Thought to have originated in northern China, this rodent has now spread to all continents, except Antarctica, and is the dominant rat in Europe and much of North America—making it the most successful mammal on the planet after humans.[2] Indeed, with rare exceptions the brown rat lives wherever humans live, particularly in urban areas.
Selective breeding of Rattus norvegicus has produced the laboratory rat, an important model organism in biological research, as well as pet rats.
- 1 Naming and etymology
- 2 Description
- 3 Biology and behavior
- 4 Distribution and habitat
- 5 Diseases
- 6 In captivity
- 7 References
- 8 External links
Naming and etymology
Originally called the "Hanover rat" by people wishing to link problems in 18th century England with the House of Hanover,[3] it is not known for certain why the brown rat is named Rattus norvegicus (Norwegian rat) as it did not originate from Norway. However, the English naturalist John Berkenhout, author of the 1769 book Outlines of the Natural History of Great Britain, is most likely responsible for popularizing the misnomer. Berkenhout gave the brown rat the binomial name Rattus norvegicus believing that it had migrated to England from Norwegian ships in 1728, although no brown rat had entered Norway at that time.
By the early to middle part of the 19th century, British academics were aware that the brown rat was not native to Norway, hypothesizing (incorrectly) that it may have come from Ireland, Gibraltar or across the English Channel with William the Conqueror.[4] As early as 1850, however, a more correct understanding of the rat's origins was beginning to develop.[5] The British novelist Charles Dickens acknowledged the misnomer in the 2 June 1888 edition of his weekly journal, All the Year Round, writing:
"Now there is a mystery about the native country of the best known species of rat, the common brown rat. It is frequently called, in books and otherwise, the 'Norway rat,' and it is said to have been imported into this country in a ship-load of timber from Norway. Against this hypothesis stands the fact that when the brown rat had become common in this country, it was unknown in Norway, although there was a small animal like a rat, but really a lemming, which made its home there."[6]
Academics began to understand the origins and corrected etymology of the brown rat towards the end of the 19th century, as seen in the 1895 text Natural History by American scholar Alfred Henry Miles:
"The brown rat is the species common in England, and best known throughout the world. It is said to have travelled from Persia to England less than two hundred years ago and to have spread from thence to other countries visited by English ships."[7]
Though the assumptions surrounding this species' origins were not yet entirely accurate, by the 20th century it was established among naturalists that the brown rat did not originate in Norway, rather that the species came from central Asia and (likely) China.[8] Despite this, this species' common name of "Norway rat" is still in use today.
The fur is coarse and usually brown or dark grey, while the underparts are lighter grey or brown. The length can be up to 25 cm (10 in), with the tail a further 25 cm (10 in), the same length as the body. Adult body weight averages 550 g (19 oz) in males and about 350 g (12 oz) in females, but a very large individual can reach 900 g (32 oz). Rats weighing over 1 kg (2.2 lb) are exceptional, and stories of rats as big as cats are exaggerations, or misidentifications of other rodents such as the coypu and muskrat.
Brown rats have acute hearing, are sensitive to ultrasound, and possess a very highly developed olfactory sense. Their average heart rate is 300 to 400 beats per minute, with a respiratory rate of around 100 per minute. The vision of a pigmented rat is poor, around 20/600, while a non-pigmented (albino) with no melanin in its eyes has both around 20/1200 vision and a terrible scattering of light within its vision. Brown rats are dichromates who perceive colours rather like a human with red-green colorblindness, and their colour saturation may be quite faint. Their blue perception, however, also has UV receptors, allowing them to see ultraviolet lights that some species cannot.[9]
Biology and behavior
The brown rat is usually active at night and is a good swimmer, both on the surface and underwater, but unlike the related Black Rat (Rattus rattus) they are poor climbers. Brown rats dig well, and often excavate extensive burrow systems. A 2007 study found brown rats to possess metacognition, a mental ability previously only found in humans and some primates,[10] but further analysis suggested that they may have been following simple operant conditioning principles.[11]
Brown rats are capable of producing ultrasonic vocalizations. As pups, young rats use different types of ultrasonic cries to elicit and direct maternal search behavior,[12] as well as to regulate their mother's movements in the nest.[13] Although pups will produce ultrasounds around any other rats at 7 days old, by 14 days old they significantly reduce ultrasound production around male rats as a defensive response.[14] Adult rats will emit ultrasonic vocalizations in response to predators or perceived danger;[15] the frequency and duration of such cries depending on the sex and reproductive status of the rat.[16][17] The female rat will also emit ultrasonic vocalizations during mating.[18]
Rats may also emit short, high frequency, ultrasonic, socially induced vocalization during rough and tumble play, before receiving morphine, or mating, and when tickled. The vocalization is described as a distinct "chirping", has been likened to laughter, and is interpreted as an expectation of something rewarding.[19] Like most rat vocalizations, the "chirping" is too high in pitch for humans to hear without special equipment. Bat detectors are often used by pet owners for this purpose.
In clinical studies, the chirping is associated with positive emotional feelings, and social bonding occurs with the tickler, resulting in the rats becoming conditioned to seek the tickling. However, as the rats age, there appears to be a decline in the tendency to chirp.[20]
Rat chirp also can be utilized for mosquito control.[citation needed]
Other ultrasonic vocalisations, including a lower-frequency 'boom' or 'whoom' noise can be produced by bucks in a calm state, when grooming or settling down to sleep.[citation needed]
Audible communication
Brown rats also produce communicative noises capable of being heard by humans. The most commonly heard in domestic rats is bruxing, or tooth-grinding, which is most usually triggered by happiness, but can also be 'self-comforting' in stressful situations, such as a visit to the vet. The noise is best described as either a quick clicking or 'burring' sound, varying from animal to animal.
In addition, they commonly squeak along a range of tones from high, abrupt pain squeaks to soft, persistent 'singing' sounds during confrontations.
The brown rat is a true omnivore and will consume almost anything, but cereals form a substantial part of its diet.
Martin Schein, founder of the Animal Behavior Society in 1964, studied the diet of brown rats and came to the conclusion that the most-liked foods of brown rats were (in order) scrambled eggs, macaroni and cheese, and cooked corn kernels. According to Schein, the least-liked foods were raw beets, peaches, and raw celery.[21]
Foraging behavior is often population-specific, and varies by environment and food source.[2] Brown rats living near a hatchery in West Virginia catch fingerling fish.[22] Some colonies along the banks of the Po river in Italy will dive for mollusks,[23][24] a practice demonstrating social learning among members of this species.[25] Rats on the island of Norderoog in the North Sea stalk and kill sparrows and ducks.[26]
Reproduction and life cycle
The brown rat can breed throughout the year if conditions are suitable, a female producing up to five litters a year. The gestation period is only 21 days and litters can number up to fourteen, although seven is common. They reach sexual maturity in about 5 weeks. The maximum life span is up to three years, although most barely manage one. A yearly mortality rate of 95% is estimated, with predators and interspecies conflict as major causes.
When lactating, female rats display a 24 hour rhythm of maternal behavior, and will usually spend more time attending to smaller litters than large ones.[27]
Brown rats live in large hierarchical groups, either in burrows or subsurface places such as sewers and cellars. When food is in short supply, the rats lower in social order are the first to die. If a large fraction of a rat population is exterminated, the remaining rats will increase their reproductive rate, and quickly restore the old population level.[citation needed]
Social behavior
It is common for rats to groom each other and sleep together.[28] As with dogs, rats create a social hierarchy, and each rat has its own place in the pack. Rats are said to establish an order of hierarchy and so one rat will be dominant over another one.[29] Groups of rats tend to "play fight", which can involve any combination of jumping, chasing, tumbling, and boxing. Play fighting involves rats going for each other's necks, while serious fighting involves strikes at the others' back ends.[30]
Rats are known to burrow extensively, both in the wild and in captivity, if given access to a suitable substrate.[31] Rats generally begin a new burrow adjacent to an object or structure, as this provides a sturdy "roof" for the section of the burrow nearest to the ground's surface.[32] Burrows usually develop to eventually include multiple levels of tunnels, as well as a secondary entrance.[31] Older male rats will generally not burrow, while young males and females will burrow vigorously.[31][33]
Burrows provide rats with shelter and food storage as well as safe, thermoregulated nest sites.[31] Rats use their burrows to escape from perceived threats in the surrounding environment—for example, rats will retreat to their burrows following a sudden, loud noise or while fleeing an intruder.[34] Burrowing can therefore be described as a "pre-encounter defensive behavior", as opposed to a "post-encounter defensive behavior", such as flight, freezing, or avoidance of a threatening stimulus.
Distribution and habitat
Likely originating from the plains of Asia, Northern China and Mongolia, the brown rat spread to other parts of the world sometime in the Middle Ages.[35][36][37] The question of when brown rats became commensal with humans remains unsettled, but as a species they have spread and established themselves along routes of human migration and now live almost everywhere humans do.[38]
The brown rat may have been present in Europe as early as 1553, a conclusion drawn from an illustration and description by Swiss naturalist Conrad Gesner in his book Historiae animalium, published 1551-1558.[39] Though Gesner's description could apply to the black rat, his mention of a large percentage of albino specimens—not uncommon among wild populations of brown rats—adds credibility to this conclusion.[40] Reliable reports dating to the 18th century document the presence of the brown rat in England in 1730, France in 1735, Germany in 1750, and Spain in 1800,[40] becoming widespread during the Industrial Revolution.[41] It did not reach North America until around 1750-1755.[39][42]
As it spread from Asia, the brown rat generally displaced the black rat in areas where humans lived. In addition to being larger and more aggressive, the change from wooden structures and thatched roofs to bricked and tiled buildings favored the burrowing brown rats over the arboreal black rats. In addition, brown rats eat a wider variety of foods, and are more resistant to weather extremes.[43]
In the absence of humans, brown rats prefer damp environments such as river banks.[41] However, the great majority are now linked to man-made environments, such as sewage systems.
It is often said that there are as many rats in cities as people, but this varies from area to area depending on climate, living conditions, etc. Brown rats in cities tend not to wander extensively, often staying within 20 m (66 ft) of their nest if a suitable concentrated food supply is available, but they will range more widely where food availability is lower. In New York City there is great debate over the size of the rat population with estimates from almost 100 million rats to as few as 250,000.[44] Experts suggest New York is a particularly attractive place for rats because of its aging infrastructure, high moisture and poverty rates.[44] In addition to sewers, rats are very comfortable living in alleyways and residential buildings, as there is usually a large and continuous food source in those areas.[45]
In the United Kingdom some figures show that the rat population has been rising, with estimations that 81 million rats reside in the UK.[46] Those figures would mean that there are 1.3 rats per person in the country. High rat populations in the UK are often attributed to the mild climate, which allow them higher survival rates during the winter months.
The only brown rat-free zones in the world are the Arctic, the Antarctic, some especially isolated islands, the province of Alberta in Canada,[47] and certain conservation areas in New Zealand[48][49]
Antarctica is almost completely covered by ice and has no permanent human inhabitants, making it uninhabitable by rats. The Arctic has extremely cold winters that rats cannot survive outdoors, and the human population density is extremely low making it difficult for rats to travel from one habitation to another. When the occasional rat infestation is noticed and eliminated, the rats are unable to re-infest it from an adjacent one. Isolated islands are also able to eliminate rat populations because of low human population density and geographic distance from other rat populations.
Rat Island in Alaska was infested with brown rats after a Japanese shipwreck in 1780. They had a devastating effect on the native bird life. An eradication program was started in 2007 and the island was declared rat free in June 2009.
Alberta, Canada
Alberta, Canada, is unusual in that rat infestation was eliminated by aggressive government action. Although it is a major agricultural area, it is far from any seaport and only a portion of its eastern boundary with Saskatchewan provides a favorable entry route for rats. They cannot survive in the boreal forest to the north, the Rocky Mountains to the west, nor the semi-arid High Plains of Montana to the south. The first brown rat did not reach Alberta until 1950, and in 1951 the province launched a rat-control program that included shooting and poisoning rats, and bulldozing, burning down, and blowing up rat-infested buildings. The effort was backed by legislation that required every person and every municipality to destroy and prevent the establishment of designated pests. If they failed, the provincial government could carry out the necessary measures and charge the costs to the landowner or municipality.[50]
In the first year of the program, 64 tonnes (71 short tons) of arsenic trioxide were spread throughout 8,000 buildings on farms along the Saskatchewan border. In 1953 the much less toxic and more effective poison, Warfarin, was introduced. By 1960 the number of rat infestations in Alberta dropped to below 200 per year.[51]
Currently, only zoos, universities, and research institutes are allowed to own caged rats in Alberta, and possession of an unlicensed rat (including pet rats) is punishable by a $5,000 fine or 60 days in jail. The adjacent and similarly landlocked province of Saskatchewan initiated a rat control program in 1972, and has managed to reduce the number of rats in the province substantially, although they have not been eliminated.[52]
New Zealand
First arriving before 1800 (perhaps on James Cook's vessels),[53] brown rats have posed a serious threat to many of New Zealand's native animals. Rat eradication programmes within New Zealand have led to rat-free zones on offshore islands and even on fenced "ecological islands" on the mainland. Before an eradication effort was launched in 2001, the sub-Antarctic Campbell Island had the highest population density of brown rats in the world.[54]
Similar to other rodents, brown rats may carry a number of pathogens[55] which can result in disease, including Weil's disease, rat bite fever, cryptosporidiosis, Viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF), Q fever and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. In the United Kingdom, brown rats are an important reservoir for Coxiella burnetii, the bacteria that cause Q fever, with seroprevalence for the bacteria found to be as high as 53% in some wild populations.[56]
This species can also serve as a reservoir for Toxoplasma gondii, the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, though the disease usually spreads from rats to humans when domestic cats feed on infected brown rats.[57] The parasite has a long history with the brown rat, and there are indications that the parasite has evolved to alter an infected rat's perception to cat predation, making it more susceptible to predation and increasing the likelihood of transmission.[58]
Surveys and specimens of brown rat populations throughout the world have shown that this species is often associated with outbreaks of trichinosis,[59][60] but the extent to which the brown rat is responsible in transmitting Trichinella larvae to humans and other synanthropic animals is at least somewhat debatable.[61] Trichinella pseudospiralis, a parasite previously not considered to be a potential pathogen in humans or domestic animals, has been found to be pathogenic in humans and carried by brown rats.[62]
Brown rats are sometimes mistakenly thought to be a major reservoir of bubonic plague, a possible cause of The Black Death. However, the bacterium responsible, Yersinia pestis, is commonly endemic in only a few rodent species and is usually transmitted zoonotically by rat fleas—common carrier rodents today include ground squirrels and wood rats. However, brown rats may suffer from plague, as can many non-rodent species including dogs, cats, and humans.[63] The original carrier for the plague-infected fleas thought to be responsible for the Black Death was the black rat, and it has been hypothesized that the displacement of black rats by brown rats led to the decline of bubonic plague.[64] This theory has, however, been deprecated, as the dates of these displacements do not match the increases and decreases in plague outbreaks.[65]
In captivity
Uses in scienceMain article: Laboratory rat
Selective breeding of albino brown rats rescued from being killed in a now-outlawed sport called rat-baiting has produced the albino laboratory rat.[66] Like mice, these rats are frequently subjects of medical, psychological and other biological experiments and constitute an important model organism. This is because they grow quickly to sexual maturity and are easy to keep and to breed in captivity. When modern biologists refer to "rats", they almost always mean Rattus norvegicus.
As petsMain article: Fancy rat
The brown rat is kept as a pet in many parts of the world. Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States are just a few of the countries that have formed fancy rat associations similar in nature to the American Kennel Club, establishing standards, orchestrating events, and promoting responsible pet ownership.
There are many different types of domesticated brown rats. These include variations in coat patterns as well as the style of the coat, such as Hairless or Rex, and more recently developed variations in body size and structure including dwarf and tailless fancy rats.
- ^ "Rattus norvegicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.1. International Union for Conservation of Nature. 2008. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/19353. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
- ^ a b Fragaszy, Dorothy Munkenbeck; Perry, Susan (2003). The Biology of Traditions: Models and Evidence. Cambridge University Press. p. 165. ISBN 0521815975.
- ^ Donaldson, Henry Herbert. (1915) The Rat. pp. 13.
- ^ Friends' Intelligencer. (1858) Volume 14. William W. Moore, publisher. pp. 398.
- ^ Chambers, William and Robert Chambers. (1850) Chambers's Edinburgh Journal. pp. 132.
- ^ Dickens, Charles. (1888) All the Year Round. New Series. Volume XLII, Number 1018. pp. 517.
- ^ Miles, Alfred Henry. (1895) Natural History. Dodd, Mead & Company. pp. 227
- ^ Cornish, Charles John. (1908) The Standard Library of Natural History. The University Society, Inc. Volume 1, Chapter 9. pp. 159
- ^ Hanson, Anne (2007-03-14). "What Do Rats See?". Rat Behavior and Biology. ratbehavior.org. http://www.ratbehavior.org/RatVision.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-01.
- ^ "Rats Capable Of Reflecting On Mental Processes". Science Daily — sourced from university of Georgia. March 9, 2007. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070308121856.htm. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
- ^ ^ Smith, J. David; Beran, M. J., Couchman, J. J., & Coutinho, M. V. C. (2008). "The Comparative Study of Metacognition: Sharper Paradigms, Safer Inferences". Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 15 (4): 679–691. http://pbr.psychonomic-journals.org/content/15/4/679.full.pdf+html.
- ^ Brunelli Susan A., Shair Harry N., Hofer Myron A. (1994). "Hypothermic vocalizations of rat pups (Rattus norvegicus) elicit and direct maternal search behavior". Journal of Comparative Psychology. 108 (3): 298–303. doi:10.1037/0735-7036.108.3.298.
- ^ White N, Adox R, Reddy A, Barfield R (1992). "Regulation of rat maternal behavior by broadband pup vocalizations". Behavioral and Neural Biology. 58 (2): 131–137. doi:10.1016/0163-1047(92)90363-9.
- ^ Takahashi, L. K. (1992). "Developmental expression of defensive responses during exposure to conspecific adults in preweanling rats (Rattus norvegicus)". Journal of Comparative Psychology 106 (1): 69–77. doi:10.1037/0735-7036.106.1.69. PMID 1313347.
- ^ Brudzynski, Stefan M. (2005). "Principles of Rat Communication: Quantitative Parameters of Ultrasonic Calls in Rats". Behavior Genetics. 35 (1): 85–92. doi:10.1007/s10519-004-0858-3.
- ^ Blanchard RJ, Agullana R, McGee L, Weiss S, Blanchard DC (1992). "Sex differences in the incidence and sonographic characteristics of antipredator ultrasonic cries in the laboratory rat (Rattus norvegicus)". Journal of Comparative Psychology 106 (3): 270–277. doi:10.1037/0735-7036.106.3.270. PMID 1395496.
- ^ Haney, M.; Miczek, K.A. (1993). "Ultrasounds during agonistic interactions between female rats (Rattus norvegicus)". Journal of Comparative Psychology 107 (4): 373–379. doi:10.1037/0735-7036.107.4.373. PMID 8112049.
- ^ Thomas, D. A.; Barfield, R. J. (1985). "Ultrasonic vocalization of the female rat (Rattus norvegicus) during mating". Animal Behaviour. 33 (3): 720–725. doi:10.1016/S0003-3472(85)80002-6.
- ^ Science News 2001
- ^ Panksepp, J; Burgdorf, J (2003). ""Laughing" rats and the evolutionary antecedents of human joy?" (PDF). Physiology & behavior 79 (3): 533–47. doi:10.1016/S0031-9384(03)00159-8. PMID 12954448. http://www.psych.umn.edu/courses/fall06/macdonalda/psy4960/Readings/PankseppRatLaugh_P&B03.pdf.
- ^ Schein, Martin W.; Holmes Orgain (November 1, 1953). "A Preliminary Analysis of Garbage as Food for the Norway Rat". Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 2 (6): 1117–30. PMID 13104820. http://www.ajtmh.org/cgi/content/abstract/2/6/1117. Retrieved 2007-04-04.
- ^ Cottam, C.; Stickel, W. H.; Stickel, L. F.; Coleman, R. H.; Mickey, A. B.; Schellbach, L.; Schorger, A. W.; Negus, N. C. et al. (1948). "Aquatic habits of the Norway rat". Journal of Mammalogy 29 (3): 299. JSTOR 1375396.
- ^ Gandolfi, G.; Parisi, V. (1972). "Predazione su Unio Pictorum L. da parte del ratto, Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout)". Acta Naturalia 8: 1–27.
- ^ Parisi, V.; Gandolfi, G. (1974). "Further aspects of the predation by rats on various mollusc species". Bollettino di Zoologia 41: 87–106. doi:10.1080/11250007409430096.
- ^ Galef, Jr.; Bennett, G. (1980). "Diving for Food: Analysis of a Possible Case of Social Learning in Wild Rats (Rattus norvegicus)" (PDF). Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology 94 (3): 416–425. doi:10.1037/h0077678. http://sociallearning.info/home/pdf/comp%20psych%2094(3),%20416-425.pdf.
- ^ Steiniger, Fritz (1950). "Beitrage zur Sociologie und sonstigen Biologie der Wanderratte". Zeitschrift fur Tierpsychologie 7: 356–79. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.1950.tb01630.x.
- ^ Grota, L. J.; Ader, R. (1969). "Continuous recording of maternal behaviour in Rattus norvegicus". Animal Behaviour 17 (4): 722–29. doi:10.1016/S0003-3472(69)80019-9.
- ^ Social behaviour of fancy rat
- ^ Rats: Fancy Rat Behaviour
- ^ Norway Rat Behavior Repertoire
- ^ a b c d Boice, R. (1977). "Burrows of Wild and Albino Rats: Effects of Domestication, Outdoor Raising, Age, Experience, and Maternal State". Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology 91 (3): 649–661. doi:10.1037/h0077338. PMID 559696.
- ^ Calhoun, J. B. (1962) Bethesda, MD: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
- ^ Price, A. O. (1977). "Burrowing in Wild and Domestic Norway Rats". Journal of Mammology 58 (2): 239–240. doi:10.2307/1379585. JSTOR 1379585.
- ^ Kitaoka, A. (1994). "Defensive aspects of burrowing behavior in rats (Rattus norvegicus): A descriptive and correlational study". Behavioural Processes 31: 13–28. doi:10.1016/0376-6357(94)90034-5.
- ^ Tate, G.H.H. (1936). "Some muridae of the Indo-Australian region". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 72: 501–728. hdl:2246/834.
- ^ Silver, J. (1941). "The house rat". Wildlife Circ. 6: 1–18.
- ^ Southern, H.N. (1964). The Handbook of the British Mammals. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific. http://books.google.com/books?id=1akyAAAAMAAJ.
- ^ Yoshida, T.H. (1980). Cytogenetics of the Black Rat: Karyotype Evolution and Species Differentiation. University of Tokyo Press. ISBN 0839141319.
- ^ a b Freye, H.A., and Thenius, E. (1968) Die Nagetiere. Grzimeks Tierleben. (B. Grzimek, ed.) Volume 11. Kindler, Zurich. pp. 204-211.
- ^ a b Suckow et al. (2006) The Laboratory Rat, 2nd ed. Academic Press. pp. 74. ISBN 0-12-074903-3
- ^ a b Amori, G. & Cristaldi, M. (1999). Mitchell-Jones, Anthony J.. ed. The Atlas of European Mammals. London: Academic Press. pp. 278–279. ISBN 0-85661-130-1.
- ^ Nowak, Robert M. (1999) Walker's Mammals of the World. JHU Press. pp. 1521. ISBN 0-8018-5789-9
- ^ Teisha Rowland. "Ancient Origins of Pet Rats", Santa Barbara Independent, December 4, 2009.
- ^ a b "New Yorkers vs. the Rat". http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/issueoftheweek/20071126/200/2356. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
- ^ Sullivan, Robert (2003). Rats: observations on the history and habitat of the city's most unwanted inhabitants. New York: Bloomsbury,. ISBN 1582343853.
- ^ Spanton, Tim (2008-02-04). "Britain plagued by 80 m rats". The Sun (London). http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article757835.ece. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
- ^ Handwerk, Brian (March 31, 2003). "Canada Province Rat-Free for 50 Years". National Geographic News (National Geographic Society). http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/03/0331_030331_rats.html. Retrieved 2007-11-30.
- ^ http://www.beehive.govt.nz/node/16920
- ^ Perrow, Martin and A. J. Davy. (2002) Handbook of Ecological Restoration. Cambridge University Press. pp. 362-363. ISBN 0-521-79128-6
- ^ Bourne, John (2002-10-01). "The History of Rat Control In Alberta". Agriculture and Food. Alberta Department of Agriculture. http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex3441. Retrieved 2007-12-01.
- ^ "Keep Alberta Rat-free for another 50 years". Alberta Department of Agriculture. http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/prm3266. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
- ^ "Rat Control in Saskatchewan" (PDF). Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization. 2003-10-01. http://www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/Default.aspx?DN=27cf4285-0e33-47b4-88c0-9de3c729eca7. Retrieved 2007-12-01.
- ^ Atkinson, I.A.E. (1973). "Spread of the Ship Rat (Rattus r. rattus L.) in New Zealand". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 2 (3): 457–472.
- ^ "NZ routs island rats". BBC News. 26 May 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2938612.stm. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
- ^ Meerburg BG, Singleton GR, Kijlstra A (2009). "Rodent-borne diseases and their risks for public health". Crit Rev Microbiol 35 (3): 221–70. doi:10.1080/10408410902989837. PMID 19548807. http://www.informahealthcare.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10408410902989837.
- ^ Webster JP, Lloyd G, Macdonald DW. (1995). "Q fever (Coxiella burnetii) reservoir in wild brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) populations in the UK.". Parasitology 110: 31–55. doi:10.1017/S0031182000081014.
- ^ Dubeya, J. P.; Frenkel, J. K. (1998). "Toxoplasmosis of rats: a review, with considerations of their value as an animal model and their possible role in epidemiology". Veterinary Parasitology. 77 (1): 1–32. doi:10.1016/S0304-4017(97)00227-6.
- ^ Berdoy, M; Webster, JP; MacDonald, DW (2000). "Fatal attraction in rats infected with Toxoplasma gondii." (PDF). Proceedings of the Royal Society of London: Biological Sciences 267 (1452): 1591–1594. doi:10.1098/rspb.2000.1182. JSTOR 2665707. PMC 1690701. PMID 11007336. http://journals.royalsociety.org/content/f2hh7806ddltrrqc/fulltext.pdf.
- ^ Samuel et al. (2001) Parasitic Diseases of Wild Mammals. Blackwell Publishing. pp. 380-393. ISBN 0-8138-2978-X.
- ^ Leiby D. A., Duffy C. H., Darwin Murrell K., Schad G. A. (1990). "Trichinella spiralis in an Agricultural Ecosystem: Transmission in the Rat Population". The Journal of Parasitology. 76 (3): 360–364. doi:10.2307/3282667. JSTOR 3282667.
- ^ Stojcevic D, Zivicnjak T, Marinculic A, Marucci G, Andelko G, Brstilo M, Pavo L, Pozio E (2004). "The Epidemiological Investigation of Trichinella Infection in Brown Rats (Rattus norvegicus) and Domestic Pigs in Croatia Suggests That Rats are not a Reservoir at the Farm Level". Journal of Parasitology 90 (3): 666–670. doi:10.1645/GE-158R. PMID 15270124.
- ^ Ranque, S; Faugère, B; Pozio, E; La Rosa, G; Tamburrini, A; Pellissier, JF; Brouqui, P (2000). "Trichinella pseudospiralis outbreak in France.". Emerging infectious diseases 6 (5): 543–547. doi:10.3201/eid0605.000517. PMC 2627956. PMID 10998388. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol6no5/pdf/ranque.pdf.
- ^ "Merck Veterinary Manual". http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/51900.htm. Retrieved 2010-01-11.
- ^ See e.g.,
- John M. Last. "Black Death", Encyclopedia of Public Health, eNotes website. Accessed December 31, 2010.
- Ethne Barnes. Diseases and Human Evolution, University of New Mexico Press, 2007, ISBN 9780826330666, p. 247.
- ^ See e.g.:
- Alfred J. Bollet. Plagues & Poxes: The Impact of Human History on Epidemic Disease, Demos Medical Publishing, 2004, ISBN 9781888799798, p. 23.
- Tracy Hamler Carrick, Nancy Carrick, Lawrence Finsen. The Persuasive Pen: An Integrated Approach to Reasoning and Writing, Jones and Bartlett Learning, 1997, ISBN 9780763702342, p. 162.
- J. N. Hays. Epidemics and Pandemics: Their Impacts on Human History, ABC-CLIO, 2005, ISBN 9781851096589, p. 64.
- ^ Baker, Henry J.; Lindsey, J. Russel; Weisbroth, Steven H. (1979). The laboratory rat: volume I - biology and diseases. Orlando, FL: Academic Press. http://books.google.com/books?id=zSimPgAACAAJ.
External links
- Rat behaviour and biology A detailed set of pages by biologist Anne Hanson.
- Fact sheet on brown rats including information on habits, habitat, threats and prevention tips
- Rattus norvegicus The University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
- Life cycle data sheet for Rattus Norvegicus Written by biologist João Pedro de Magalhães
- Rats and Mice: Overview Online version of the Merck veterinary manual.
- ARKive Still photos. Videos.
- Wild Rats The world's first website and forum (English interface is available) about wild rats. The website is the home of a unique interactive JavaScript rat. The English version is expected to be available in 2010.
- Brown Rat information page from the EX-PEST website
Rattus norvegicus genome & use as model animal
Major model organisms in geneticsSheep · Lambda phage · E. coli · Chlamydomonas · Tetrahymena · Budding yeast · Fission yeast · Neurospora · Maize · Arabidopsis · Medicago truncatula · C. elegans · Drosophila · Xenopus · Zebrafish · Rat · Mouse


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MANCHESTER — Judge Michael Deasy denied the motion to compel Lorraine Skaltsis to answer questions and stop pleading the Fifth Amendment during her bankruptcy case.
Deasy said that he did not deny the motion out of prejudice, but because the only way the court can compel her to answer is to have specific questions in writing that she must answer.
"Filing bankruptcy does not mean you lose your Fifth Amendment right," he said, adding the court is not granting anyone immunity, but said there is no reason the creditors and their lawyers cannot come back and file another motion with specific questions.
Brian Kenyon, the attorney of the creditors who filed the motion on behalf of Donald Andolina and William DiProfio, said with certainty they will be filing another motion compelling Lorraine Skaltsis to answer specific questions.
Lorraine Skaltsis pleaded the Fifth 90 times in the last meeting for creditors, according to court documents.
Andolina told Foster's earlier the reason why the motion was filed originally was to force Lorraine Skaltsis to answer questions of the creditors, like himself, who invested thousands of dollars with her husband, Nickolas Skaltsis, on properties they believed would be acquired, rehabilitated, and managed in real estate in Strafford County. The proceeds were actually used to operate a Ponzi scheme.
Nicholas Skaltsis was charged with 19 counts in relation to the scheme and is $1.2 million in debt. Lorraine Skaltsis, according to court documents, has nearly $2 million in liabilities.
The next meeting for creditors will be held on Monday, July 1, in Room 702 at 1000 Elm Street in Manchester.
Judge OKs Lorraine Skaltsis' right to plead the `Fifth'
MANCHESTER — Judge Michael Deasy denied the motion to compel Lorraine Skaltsis to answer questions and stop pleading the Fifth Amendment during her bankruptcy case.


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Enviros say Gov. Jay Inslee, a pioneer of the U.S. clean economy, gives them a shot at blocking NW coal terminals. Is it wishful thinking?
Washington State will have perhaps the nation's greenest governor when Jay Inslee, an early visionary of America's clean energy economy, takes the helm in January.
Inslee, a congressman since 1999, was pushing for policies to spur investment in solar panels, wind turbines and electric car batteries long before it was mainstream.
Now, he will take office as one of the most controversial battles over the nation's energy and environmental future is raging in his backyard—whether to make the Pacific Northwest a hub for exporting coal to Asia.
Companies are angling to build two export facilities in Washington State from which 100 million tons of coal would be shipped to China, Japan and South Korea a year—about the same as what the United States exports now from East Coast and Gulf ports. They've applied for permits and are in the beginning stages of a complex state and federal approval process. In Oregon, three more proposals are underway.
What Inslee might do depends on who you ask.
Environmentalists and other critics say Inslee is their best chance to block the coal ports, even though he has yet to take a position on them. Inslee won't have veto authority, but he could push rigorous environmental reviews that could slow and complicate the permitting process or impose so many conditions that it would be difficult for developers to build the terminals.
Proponents say they aren't worried. Job creation was a tenet of Inslee's campaign in a state where the unemployment rate hovers above the national average. And the projects would create thousands of high-paying construction jobs. "Hopes are still high" for his backing, said Lauri Hennessey, a spokesperson for the Alliance for Northwest Jobs and Exports, which comprises about 40 coal companies, transportation firms, labor unions and regional business councils.
The outcome of the five proposals has implications for the entire U.S. energy economy. Coal production would ramp up as coal-fired plants are being phased out in favor of cheaper natural gas and carbon-free renewable energy. If they're all built, U.S. coal exports would more than double from today's levels, according to developers' projections and federal data.
"We'd be the biggest coal-exporting region in the entire world. We've never exported this much coal," said Eric de Place, a senior researcher at the Sightline Institute, a sustainability think tank in Seattle.
The pro-coal alliance says the five projects would create about 7,000 direct jobs and generate $25 million in tax revenue a year. Opponents say the increase in coal train traffic, air pollution and damage to waterways and other ecosystems would outstrip any economic benefits. They also say the terminals would undermine the nation's greenhouse gas reductions by enabling Asian countries to burn the fossil fuel instead.
Inslee was one of the first U.S. policymakers to publicize the idea that shifting to clean energy and away from fossil fuels would stimulate jobs.
"He was really the first person out there trying to push for comprehensive clean energy legislation from a jobs and economic perspective," said Bracken Hendricks, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a liberal research group.
Hendricks and Inslee co-authored a book in 2007 called "Apollo's Fire: Igniting America's Clean Energy Economy" that told stories of how clean energy was transforming local economies across the country. The book helped catapult the concept of clean economic growth to the national stage and make green jobs a platform in the 2008 presidential race.
In it, Inslee called to "restrain the growth" of coal and pump money into clean-coal technologies. "Coal is powerful, efficient, cheap and abundant. But it's also killing us," the book says.
On the gubernatorial campaign trail, Inslee ran on a clean energy platform. He didn't taken a position on the coal plans in part because the job-creation potential of the projects made them a political hot potato. (His Republican opponent, state Attorney General Rob McKenna, also stayed neutral.) In a June debate with McKenna, Inslee said, "My view is we need to evaluate all of the jobs prospects, both plus or minus, before we make a decision."
Post-election, nothing has changed.
"At this point his involvement is more just making sure that the environmental review is completed," according to Jaime Smith, an Inslee spokesperson. She said Inslee wants to have "all of the facts and figures laid out" so he can make an informed judgment on where he stands.
The $665 million Gateway Pacific Terminal Project in Cherry Point, Wash., a cape south of Vancouver, is furthest along in the permitting process, though it could take up to four years to complete. An Australian coal company is proposing a $643 million facility in Longview, a small town in southwestern Washington.
Both coal export projects require environmental permits from various government agencies. At the state level, the departments of ecology and natural resources are responsible for giving water and air quality permits. At the federal level, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has to issue permits to "dredge or fill materials" into waterways and wetlands and must approve any construction in or over "navigable waters." County officials must also ensure that projects comply with a 40-year-old state law to prevent rampant development of the state's shorelines.
To get each permit, project developers must prove they can reduce or manage environmental and public health impacts of the terminals. If they can't, the permits could be denied or saddled with so many conditions that developers could decide to abandon the projects, according to Ross Macfarlane, a senior adviser at Climate Solutions, a nonprofit based in the Pacific Northwest.
Washington State and Oregon have two of the cleanest energy mixes in the nation, with one coal plant each, both of which are scheduled for retirement in the next decade.
What Could Gov. Inslee Do?
While the governor's office isn't directly involved in permitting—and the projects could move forward no matter what position Inslee takes—he is charged with appointing the director of the state Department of Ecology, who will play a crucial role. Inslee could select a new leader or reappoint Ted Sturdevant, the department's current director, who has called for a rigorous evaluation of the terminals.
Smith said Inslee is just now starting to look at who he will ask to join his administration, which starts on Jan. 14.
Peter Goldmark, the head of the Department of Natural Resources, who was re-elected this month, will also have an important role in the permitting process. He was strongly endorsed by environmental advocates, Macfarlane said.
According to de Place of Sightline, the most effective move Inslee could make from opponents' perspective is to pressure federal officials to undertake an assessment that looks at the cumulative effects of building all five terminals on the region, the country and the world.
So far, the main federal agency involved hasn't given any indication that it will do so—though it hasn't ruled it out either.
In April, during a public comment period on a proposed export terminal in Oregon, the Environmental Protection Agency recommended that the Army Corps of Engineers consider the full range of impacts, from increasing coal mining in Montana and Wyoming to increasing coal-fired generation in Asia. The Army Corps has final word on federal permits.
At that same time, Oregon's Democratic Gov. John Kitzhaber also urged federal officials to assess the regional, national and global impacts of producing, exporting and burning more coal.
Ultimately, the Army Corps opted to lead a limited environmental impact assessment at the Oregon facility. It could later expand the scope of the review.
When asked if Inslee might follow the EPA and Kitzhaber in pressuring federal officials, Smith said "I don't think we've made a decision to do that at this point."
Will Calif. Gov. Brown Weigh In?
Even if Inslee steps up pressure, de Place expressed concern that the two governors alone might not hold enough political clout to sway Washington to conduct strict reviews.
It doesn't help opponents that a coalition of Congressional lawmakers is pushing to hasten review of projects.
Last month, 53 members of Congress—including Washington State's Republican Rep. Doc Hastings—sent a letter to the U.S. Army and the Department of the Interior, which grants leases to mine coal, asking the agencies to "expedite their consideration of permits for coal export facilities."
California's governor, on the other hand, could make a difference.
Although Gov. Jerry Brown isn't involved in decisions on the five proposed coal facilities, he could lend his influence to the debate as governor of the most economically powerful state in the country and the national leader on clean energy and climate policy.
"California brings to bear an entirely different level of resources and clout," de Place said. "It would have an important impact."
Stanley Young, a spokesperson for the governor and the California Air Resources Board, the state's air regulator, said Brown hasn't decided whether to take a position on the terminals.
Young said California is "fighting" to move both the state and the region away from coal. He pointed to the state's recently launched cap-and-trade program, which makes it more expensive for utilities to burn coal. The state also has a five-year-old law banning power companies from importing coal-fired electricity by setting steep carbon emissions standards.
This summer, the California State Assembly and State Senate adopted a joint resolution urging President Barack Obama and Congress to pass laws restricting exports of coal to any country that doesn't regulate greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution at levels required by the United States.
The resolution also calls on Brown to tell the governors of Washington and Oregon about the "significant health risks" that coal terminals and the increase in coal rail traffic could pose to the people of the Pacific Northwest.
In the end, "it would have a positive effect to have [all] the West Coast governors say that [exporting coal] is ... not a responsible climate choice or energy choice," de Place said. "There's every opportunity for regional blocks of leaders to make statements and enact policy in that way."


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Theft conviction results in prison
A 29-year-old East Valley man, who said he can't get past the guilt he feels for causing the traffic accident that killed his friend, was sentenced Monday to 34 months in prison.
District Judge Michael Gibbons ordered Jerett McAlister to serve 12 months in Nevada state prison before he is eligible for parole.
The judge sentenced him for attempted grand larceny after McAlister admitted pawning a tablet and laptop worth $1,280 stolen from a friend.
McAlister currently is serving six months in Douglas County Jail for driving under the influence of methamphetamine, a separate offense.
Gibbons ordered the prison sentence concurrent to the jail term, and gave McAlister credit for 49 days in custody on the theft charge.
McAlister was convicted of vehicular manslaughter following the July 2009 fatal traffic accident which killed 22-year-old Christopher Medina. He served six months in jail for that offense.
Prosecutor Karen Dustman pointed out that the attempted theft was McAlister's third felony conviction, and that he has had numerous violations in prior offenses.
McAlister's attorney, Jamie Henry, said her client was "in terrible pain for what he did to his friend (Medina)."
"He is not using that as an excuse," she said. "That seems to be why he is spiraling down. He is really sad about it."
She said McAlister is working 14 hours a day in the jail as a kitchen trusty which she said he enjoys.
"He is a helpful, pro-active person in the jail," she said.
Henry asked that McAlister be reinstated on probation, and said he would live with his father and pursue employment as a cook.
Dustman, requesting a prison sentence, said McAlister had completed regimental discipline and three in-patient treatment programs.
"I think he's been given every opportunity," Dustman said.
Gibbons said he felt sorry for McAlister when he read the defendant's statement, but pointed out "you had a number of offenses long before your friend was killed."
He called the traffic fatality a "terrible tragedy," but said McAlister did not deserve probation.
"I feel bad for you. I feel badly for all the people around you who are being harmed by your substance abuse," Gibbons said.
He ordered McAlister to return to court the first Monday after he is released from prison to work out restitution.


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This is the sale for tickets for the Timbers Army away section 136 at the Dick's Sporting Goods Park on March 2, 2019. Seating within the Away section is general admission. All sales are final and as is.
This is not your match ticket. You will receive your ticket in PDF form by email 3-5 days before the game.
If you have any questions, please email email@example.com. We will respond to your email as soon as possible.


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Junk Removal Dayton
Fast, eco-friendly junk removal and dumpster rental in Dayton
Meet the Owner
Pete McCreary, Dayton, OH
Pete McCreary and his Dayton Ohio crew recently appeared in an episode of Hoarding: Buried Alive. It's not easy cleaning out a hoarder's house, but the Kettering Ohio native, husband, and father of four has been committed to helping others long before he joined the Junk King family. He has volunteered with many non profits organizations throughout his career and is excited to use his new Dayton location as a way to donate useful items to those Dayton agencies that help people in need. "The recycling part of Junk King is the most interesting and fun part of our business. Recycling is a strong part of Junk King's DNA, and Junk King Dayton donates or recycles up to 60% of the junk they haul away."
The company was founded in 2005 by two childhood friends to be fast, green, and full service. Junk King serves both homeowners and businesses to clean up yards, garages, attics and basements, whole houses, businesses (and more.) The clients need only point at the mess–there is no need to haul the items upstairs, downstairs, or to the curb. Junk King picks it up where it lays and hauls it away. The company that started in the Silicon Valley, California gets the highest customer ratings for any service company in the country. With dedicated, responsible, environmentally-minded operators like McCreary at the helm of their local Junk King hauling franchises, the Cincinnati/Dayton area is in good hands. For an appointment, call 1-888-888-5865 (JUNK) or visit the website www.junk-king.com.
Junk King™ provides trusted junk hauling services in the Dayton area. Our professional staff can be in the Dayton area in minutes, and provide junk pickup quickly! You can have piece of mind knowing that your items are disposed of properly since we recycle up to 60% of all items we pick up.


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[Rome, July 9. Image via Getty]
ROME - JULY 09: Italian women ride their scooters on July 9, 2009 in Rome, Italy. With nearly 3000 years of history Rome continues to live up to its motto of The Eternal City being one of the founding cities of Western Civilisation. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)


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The Denpa Men: They Came By Wave
What do you need help on? Cancel X
Radio waves are all around you. However, what you might not know is that, at any and all times, mysterious little creatures float around near these waves. They're called "Denpa" Men. You can't see them normally, but you can find them and catch them with your Nintendo 3DS. This is a role-playing game in which you collect Denpa Men to form a party, and use this party to explore dungeons. Each radio wave territory has its own completely unique Denpa Men, and no two of them are ever the same! Their faces, bodies, and personalities are all different, and some of them even have special skills and strong points. There's a practically infinite number of variations! Sometimes, you'll even find Denpa Men who are exceptionally strong. Try searching in lots of different places to form your own team of these wonderful tiny critters, and take them on an adventure to rescue a certain special someone from the clutches of the King of Evil!
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Hot Pink Anchors Monogrammed Luggage Tag
Hot Pink Anchor Luggage Tags is a great Bag Tag, Backpack tag or Diaper Bag Tag too!
Personalize it with a monogram or name.
Please specify the initials in the comment section in f/L/m format, as well as any information you would like on the back, such as an address and phone number. If no information is specified the same image will be on both sides.
Anchor Bag Tags come wrapped in a clear bag with matching ribbon. 4" diameter.
Made from fiberglass reinforced plastic - very sturdy!
This monogrammed Bag tag is sublimated, not vinyl, letters cannot peel off! Comes with a clear loop for hanging!
Ships USPS with tracking.


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Pro Wrestler Taeler Hendrix has become the favorite to win the championship with National Pro Wrestling League. Taeler Hendrix made an amazing debut with National Pro Wrestling League, taking out Brittany wonder in her debut. Looks to win the championship Sept 22 in Petaluma, California against the winner of Gisele Shaw Vs. Nicole Savoy.
Taeler Hendrix is not a new name in the world of professional wrestling, her millions of fans from around the world celebrated the announcement and celebrated the news with the star on the NPWL social media pages. The fight between Hendrix and Wonder was a fiearce battle, Hendrix has great chances of gaining the upper hand due to her skill, strength, and technique. Understandably, she is the favorite to win in the forthcoming match and fans are gearing up to show their support Sept 22 in Petaluma Califoirna.
The announcement of the Hendrix joining the league was first broken on the NPWL website, after the announcement the fans of the league organzation and Hendrix's fan base was clamoring to purchase tickets and be a part of one of the most exciting wrestling event of the year, where only the best of the best are expected to come head to head.
The spokesperson for NPWL said: "What an exciting turn of events we have had this season, our fans are on the edge of their seat with excitment and anticipation. When the news Taeler Hendrix Signs with NPWL broke on the media, we knew that things would be getting electrifying. Her amazing debut with National Pro Wrestling League, taking out Brittany wonder in her debut has us all rooting for her. She has become a fan favorite to win the championship Sept 22 in Petaluma, California against the winner of Gisele Shaw Vs. Nicole Savoy. "
Right now, Taeler is focusing on training for her upcoming crucial match, she wants to be physically and mentally prepared for the match in which she hopes to come out on top. When Hendrix is not in a match or training intensely for her next fight, she can be seen signing autographs for her fans and connecting with them through her social media.
The National Pro Wrestling League is a professional wrestling event based in the USA. To stay updated with the latest on the league, fights, and tickets, please visit: http://npwleague.com/
Media Contact
Company Name: National Pro Wrestng League
Email: email@example.com
City: Petaluma
State: CA
Country: United States
Website: http://npwleague.com/


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The cable news network announced on Monday that it was adding Joy-Ann Reid permanently to its programming schedule. Reid joins Melissa Harris-Perry, Al Sharpton, Karen Finney, Tamron Hall, Touré, and Craig Melvin as the network's seventh African American host. She's also MSNBC's 12th female anchor.
As quoted in MSNBC's press announcement, Reid brings an impressive resume to this new position:
"Joy Reid has been the managing editor of TheGrio.com and MSNBC contributor since July 2011. She's also been a frequent substitute host on MSNBC during all dayparts. Reid is a political columnist for 'The Miami Herald' and editor of the politics blog The Reid Report. Reid has worked in television and radio news since 1998 and her columns have appeared in a variety of outlets including Salon.com."
Reid, who will take the network's 2 PM time slot, also filled in during the 4 PM hour late last year, after Martin Bashir resigned amid remarks he made about Sarah Palin. Viewers were upset after that slot went permanently to Alex Wagner.
Reid's appointment not only rectifies that controversy, but reflects the network's engagement with AfricanAmerican viewers. As of December 2013, MSNBC prime time ranked first among this demographic in total viewers. In addition, From 6 - 2 AM, 30 percent of MSNBC's 25-54 audience was African American, and 7 percent was Hispanic. NBCUniversal also owns The Grio, and announced a new managing editor for the site after Reid's permanent appointment to MSNBC.


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Regardless of the life stage you have arrived at, it is important to receive expert and professional advice on your retirement planning and achieving your goals.
Whether you need to set up or review existing retirement planning strategies, for you or your employees, we have ways to help you make the most of your retirement opportunities.
The value of an investment with St. James's Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds you select and the value can therefore go down as well as up. You may get back less than you invested.


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Items affiliated to "Greenmount College of Agriculture"
Group by: No Grouping | Authors | Refereed | Document Language | EPrint Type
Jump to: Not peer-reviewed
Number of items at this level: 1.
Not peer-reviewed
Alexander, David G. (2002) Developing organic production in Northern Ireland. In: Powell, Jane and et al., (Eds.) Proceedings of the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference, Organic Centre Wales, Institute of Rural Studies, University of Wales Aberystwyth, pp. 121-122.
This list was generated on Thu Nov 26 21:56:05 2020 CET.


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Not an emergency?
Thank you, we will contact you shortly...
Sorry, there was a problem. Please call us on 0800 092 9291.
"Thank you"
Mrs W Grey - Newcastle
24hr Emergency plumbing & drain service No callout charges
0800 092 9291
Commercial customers need good products to use
Drain Doctor Plumbing and Drainage can offer:
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A Bat, A Boy, Some Batting Gloves, And Evan Longoria
The cry from behind the Rays' dugout was not the most common one, but it's not like Evan Longoria had never heard it before.
"Evan!," the young boy bellowed. "Can I have your batting gloves?"
Longoria, out by the batting cage on McKechnie Field in Bradenton, decided to engage. "I need them to hit. What am I supposed to do when I hit?" The boy looked back, startled and without riposte. "Yes. I'm talking to you. About batting gloves. I mean, if I give them to you, what do I use? Can I use your instead?"
Now the boy was back on more familiar ground. "My batting gloves are in my bag in the car." Longoria played peeved, but evidently was, in fact, charmed.
"Maybe I should give you everything I use. Gloves, bat, cap. I just won't hit."
The boy became thoughtful. "No, don't do that."
Seemingly the end of the exchange, and Longoria went ahead and hit. And as soon as he finished, he ambled back to the Rays' dugout without looking at the boy. And he popped back up and slapped a bat on the dugout and, with a big smile, pushed it towards the youngster, and raced off to shag fly balls before the boy or his mother could even say thanks.
Manny Ramirez leads the Rays in humiliating skipping drills that the strength and conditioning staff insists are really some kind of exercise.
The generations mingle during Pitchers' Fielding Practice. If the gentleman on the right is not instantly recognizable, you missed the 50th Anniversary celebrations last October.
6 Comments
Thanks for the updates KO. Last time I was able to get to spring training was about 18 years ago with my Dad. He passed away a month ago and the sights and sounds through your writing ad pics are taking me back to that wonderful trip with my Pop. Thanks TG
Mr.Olbermann, Do you know a Joseph Pelaez? If you do can you please send me an email address so I may tell you what I need to ask you. It has something to do with Message You Liz.
Mr.Olbermann, Do you know a Joseph Pelaez? If you do can you please send me an email address so I may tell you what I need to ask you. It has something to do with baseball. Thank You Liz.
Love the photo-blogging! More, please!
Thanks for the Mazeroski shot. Makes me homesick for my hometown of Pittsburgh and to attend opening day at PNC Park. I guess I'll have to settle for a game at the Ravine. Jan in Santa Clarita
Great post. I like the way you start and then conclude your thoughts. Thanks for this information .I really appreciate your work, keep it upfashion tip


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Toxic Gases Released by Grilled Cheese Shut Down Norwegian Tunnel for Weeks
Nordic countries are known for eating some weird shit — so is it any surprise that one of the region's delicacies managed to shut down an entire tunnel for weeks after burning for days and releasing toxic fumes?
A truck driver was hauling 27 metric tons (~60,000lbs.) of caramelized brown goat cheese — a Norwegian staple known as Brunost — through a two-mile tunnel near the arctic town of Tysfjord when he suddenly noticed that his vehicle was on fire and jumped ship about 1,000 feet from the southern entrance.
The cheese continued to burn for nearly a week before firefighters finally managed to put out the flames.
But local authorities say the tunnel is still unsafe for human travel because of toxic gases released during the fire — and it will have to remain closed for the next several weeks.
A geologist who spoke with Norwegian television said the high levels of fat and sugar found in Brunost, which the Associated Press says "is an essential part of many Norwegians' daily diet," allow it to burn "almost like petrol if it gets hot enough."
He added that the tunnel will need to stay closed "until it's safe."


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D8 Video: Steve Jobs Holds Out Hope That AT&T Can Fix Its iPhone Problem
Sometimes it makes sense to ask a simple, direct question. Like this one, from a D8 attendee to Apple CEO Steve Jobs: When can we start making phone calls with our iPhones?
Jobs's answer is meandering but hopeful: Without blaming AT&T (T) by name, he makes it clear the carrier is to blame for poor call quality, not Apple (AAPL). But he suggests that things may get better within a few months.


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Hello guys
I've been told that It is possible to get Kinekt v2 to work with nevron motion...
Tried what was advised (including downloading and installing the sdk 1.8 from microsoft). The Kinect 2 is installed correctly, shown as working properly in the windows (10) device manager but Nevron can't use It.
Is It impossible to get the v2 working with Neveron or am I missong something?
Thank you


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Natural Standard Monograph, Copyright © 2014 (www.naturalstandard.com). Commercial distribution prohibited. This monograph is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. You should consult with a qualified health care professional before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.
Related Terms
- Active listening, asking, attentional focus, attentional focus and symptom management intervention (AFSMI), body awareness, body experience and coordination, body-state focusing, Carl Rogers, clear space, clearing a space, client centered psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT), cognitive coping strategy, conscious space, coping, Eugene Gendlin, experiencing scale, experiential therapy, felt sense, focusing guide, focusing-oriented psychotherapy, focusing-oriented session report, focusing oriented recovery, focusing-oriented therapy, focusing process, focusing therapy, Grindler body attitudes scale, handle the feeling, high experiencing, in touch listening, interactive focusing therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), knowledge of performance (KP), knowledge of results (KR), low experiencing, post focusing checklist, post focusing questionnaire, psychomotor intervention, psychotherapy, receiving, relaxation response, resolving unfinished business, resonate, Rubenfeld synergy, self-regulation, therapist ratings of client focusing activity, TRCFA.
- Focusing (experiential therapy) is a method of psychotherapy that involves being aware of one's feelings surrounding a particular issue and understanding the meaning behind words or images conveyed by those feelings. The focusing-oriented psychotherapist attributes a central importance to a person's capacity to be aware of the meaning behind his/her words or images, the ability to sense feelings and meanings that are not yet formed. In every situation, humans experience an emotion or feeling. Proponents of focusing claim that the entire human body reacts to that emotion.
- Focusing is similar to other mind/body approaches in that it provokes a relaxation response. It is different from other relaxation techniques in that the person hopes to gain access to the personal meanings they carry in the body, which are usually inaccessible to conscious awareness. Despite theories of how focusing may work, focusing oriented or experiential therapy is purported to work with a level of human process that is still not well understood by all.
- For the past 40 years, focusing has been employed to enhance psychotherapeutic success. In the 1960s, Professor Eugene Gendlin and Carl Rogers researched why psychotherapy was helpful to some but not others by studying hundreds of hours of taped therapy sessions. Success in psychotherapy depended upon the way in which people attended to and verbalized their inner experience. The term 'focusing' was used to describe the method of emotional healing based on attending to and verbalizing an inner experience and body sensation.
- Focusing is now practiced by thousands of people all over the world and has been integrated into many cognitive therapies. There are several studies investigating the practice of focusing among schizophrenics, domestic crime prison inmates, neurotics, cancer patients, those with pain and those with Epstein-Barr virus; however, more research is needed to make any firm recommendations. Focusing is being integrated into nursing, along with active learning, as one of two methods of holistic communication. Focusing can also be used to think creatively, explore what one really feels about something, and make decisions that 'feel right'. Focusing can be done alone, with a guide, or with a therapist.
The below uses are based on tradition or scientific theories. They often have not been thoroughly tested in humans, and safety and effectiveness have not always been proven. Some of these conditions are potentially serious and should be evaluated by a qualified health care professional.
- Many theories of how focusing may work are purported, but they are not all generally well understood or supported by well-designed scientific studies.
- The practice of focusing revolves around three aspects: guidance through the process of focusing, teaching of the process in order to understand focusing, and practicing with others using listening skills, guided instructions, and partnerships. Since focusing is not a set of ideas, but an experiential process, it is thought by some to be best discussed after experiencing it.
- Focusing is learned and practiced in six steps, usually with a qualified focusing practitioner or mental health practitioner.
- The first step is referred to as clearing a space. In this step, the therapist invites the client to notice his/her biggest issues, as major issues are those felt in his or her body. Once the client notes the concerns, he or she is asked to imagine placing them at a distance from him or herself and then to notice what the inner, cleared space feels.
- The second step is accessing the felt sense. A felt sense is thought to form by paying attention to a particular event or feeling and then noticing what is stirred up inside the body.
- Once the sense is felt, the third step is to handle the feeling. Specific words or images may be used to describe the quality of this feeling.
- The fourth step is to compare the felt sense (the experience) with the word (phrase or image) several times to see whether they resonate. This step may play out in various ways until the felt sense and word appear to match together. A felt sense may feel meaningful, but that meaning may be murky and unclear at first. As a person continues to pay attention to it with an attitude of friendly acceptance, its meaning may come into focus. Once in focus, words or images emerge that match the felt sense.
- The fifth step is asking about the whole problem. This step connects the felt sense, the qualitative word, image, or phrase, to the larger problem, or answers the question originally asked in the beginning of the practice. Focusing practitioners usually advise clients to stay with the felt sense until something comes along that causes a shift or release.
- The final step is receiving, which entails staying respectful, friendly, and welcoming towards whatever emerges. A judgmental or critical attitude is thought to stifle the inner voice and close off communication with the deeper self.
- The depth and speed of going into the problem are regulated by the client through the felt sense itself and the other felt senses in the body.
Uses based on scientific evidence
These uses have been tested in humans or animals. Safety and effectiveness have not always been proven. Some of these conditions are potentially serious, and should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional.
In situations that cause anxiety, focusing on body-state has been shown to reduce certain features of anxiety in healthy people. More research is needed to show that focusing may be used as an effective therapeutic treatment for clinical anxiety.
Early evidence suggests focusing may improve the mood and body attitude in cancer patients. Firm recommendations cannot be made until well-designed clinical trials are available.
Chronic pain
Early evidence suggests focusing may improve medical symptoms and activity in individuals with chronic pain. More research is needed before a firm recommendation can be made.
Epstein-Barr virus
Early research showed that increased experiential involvement (an indication of focusing taking place) had no effect on antibody titers to Epstein-Barr virus. More studies in the area of immune function and antibody production are required before a recommendation can be made in this area.
HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy
There is some evidence that certain forms of focusing can help HIV-positive patients to adhere to complicated antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, other forms of therapy may worsen compliance with ART. More research is needed to show what types of focusing may best assist HIV-positive patients in adhering to ART.
Behavioral intervention may improve sleep, especially in those who chronically use medication to treat insomnia. More research is needed to determine whether focusing can effectively treat insomnia, and whether it can ease withdrawal symptoms when chronic users stop medication.
Postpartum depression
There is some evidence that supports using problem-focused interpersonal psychotherapy as a treatment for women with depression after giving birth. Although more research is needed, the principles of focusing may be integrated easily into standard treatments.
Reducing risk of falls in the elderly
It has been suggested that psychomotor intervention may help reduce the risk of falling in elderly individuals. Focusing strategies have not yet been demonstrated to significantly reduce the risk of falling in healthy, physically active older adults. More studies need to examine various focusing strategies in older adults with different levels of physical activity.
Stroke recovery
Focusing strategies may help restore motor function in patients recovering from stroke. However, scientific evidence is currently lacking. More research is needed to demonstrate if focusing can affect motor function. Further research may also determine which focusing strategies are most effective to use during stroke recovery.
When recovering from surgery, breast cancer patients may benefit emotionally and physically from attentional focus. Although there is evidence that focusing may improve general well-being in breast cancer patients, further study is needed to design optimal treatments for different individuals.
*Key to grades:
A: Strong scientific evidence for this use;
B: Good scientific evidence for this use;
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use;
D: Fair scientific evidence against this use (it may not work);
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use (it likely does not work).
For full grading rationale, click here.
Uses based on tradition or theory
The below uses are based on tradition or scientific theories. They often have not been thoroughly tested in humans, and safety and effectiveness have not always been proven. Some of these conditions are potentially serious, and should be evaluated by a qualified health care professional
Aging, immunomodulation, physical illness, psychological disorders, psychosis, quality of life, rehabilitation (prison inmate patients), schizophrenia, stress, weight loss.
Many complementary techniques are practiced by healthcare professionals with formal training, in accordance with the standards of national organizations. However, this is not universally the case, and adverse effects are possible. Due to limited research, in some cases only limited safety information is available.
- Side effect reporting is rare, but patients should consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before making decisions about medical conditions and practices. Individuals with severe emotional difficulties should not abandon proven medical and psychological therapies but rather choose focusing as a possible adjunct.
- This information is based on a professional level monograph edited and peer-reviewed by contributors to the Natural Standard Research Collaboration (www.naturalstandard.com).
Selected References
Natural Standard developed the above evidence-based information based on a systematic review of the available scientific articles. For comprehensive information about alternative and complementary therapies on the professional level, go to www.naturalstandard.com. Selected references are listed below.
- Allard NC. Day surgery for breast cancer: effects of a psychoeducational telephone intervention on functional status and emotional distress. Oncol Nurs Forum 2007 Jan;34(1):133-41.
- Belleville G, Guay C, Guay B, et al. Hypnotic taper with or without self-help treatment of insomnia: a randomized clinical trial. J Consult Clin Psychol 2007 Apr;75(2):325-35.
- Cirstea MC, Levin MF. Improvement of arm movement patterns and endpoint control depends on type of feedback during practice in stroke survivors. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2007 Sep-Oct;21(5):398-411.
- Don NS. Transformation of conscious experience and its EEG correlates. Journal of Altered States of Consciousness 1977; 3(2):147-168.
- Egendorf A, Jacobson L. Teaching the very confused how to make sense: an experiential approach to modular training with psychotics. Psychiatry 1982;45(4):336-350.
- Freiberger E, Menz HB, Abu-Omar K, et al. Preventing falls in physically active community-dwelling older people: a comparison of two intervention techniques. Gerontology 2007;53(5):298-305.
- Grigoriadis S, Ravitz P. An approach to interpersonal psychotherapy for postpartum depression: focusing on interpersonal changes. Can Fam Physician. 2007 Sep;53(9):1469-75.
- Lutgendorf S, Antoni M, Kumar M, et al. Changes in Cognitive Coping Strategies Predict EBV-Antibody Titre Change Following A Stressor Disclosure Induction. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 1994;38(1):63-78.
- Kanter M. Clearing a space with four cancer patients. Focusing Folio1982-3;2(4):23-36.
- Klagsbrun J. Listening and Focusing: Holistic Health Care Tools for Nurses. Nursing Clinics of North America 2001;36(1).
- Missirlian TM, Toukmanian SG, Warwar SH, et al. Emotional arousal, client perceptual processing, and the working alliance in experiential psychotherapy for depression. J Consult Clin Psychol 2005 Oct;73(5):861-71.
- Murakami H, Ohira H. Influence of attention manipulation on emotion and autonomic responses. Percept Mot Skills 2007 Aug;105(1):299-308.
- Nayowith, B. Focusing and Health: Some psychobiological perspectives. The folio: a journal for focusing and experiential therapy 1999; 18(1).
- Pettinati MD. The relative efficacy of various complementary modalities in the lives of patients with chronic pain: A pilot study. The USA Body Psychotherapy Journal 2002;2(1):5-26.
- Vyavaharkar M, Moneyham L, Tavakoli A, et al. Social support, coping, and medication adherence among HIV-positive women with depression living in rural areas of the southeastern United States. AIDS Patient Care STDS 2007 Sep;21(9):667-80.


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NBC says Bill Cosby could be returning to the network with a new comedy as soon as next summer.
The series, described as a "classic, extended-family sitcom" with Cosby as the patriarch, is currently in the writing stage, NBC executives said at Sunday's session of the summer TV critics' tour. It was first announced in January.
Cosby, 77, has a long history with NBC, including his seminal "The Cosby Show," which became a smash hit 30 years ago and helped rescue a network then at the bottom of the ratings. It ran for eight seasons.
After that, Cosby headlined a sitcom at CBS, among other series.
If the new project isn't ready for next summer, it could be a contender for fall 2015, executives said.
Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:42 - GMT 06:42


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Don't open that door
Evil never dies
Prepare for the fright of your life. Capcom's survival horror classic has crept back to PlayStation with a High Definition remaster that will send more than a shiver up your spine.
In 1998 a special forces team is sent to investigate some bizarre murders on the outskirts of Raccoon City. Upon arriving they are attacked by a pack of bloodthirsty dogs and are forced to take cover in a nearby mansion. But the scent of death hangs heavy in the air… and supplies are scarce as they struggle to stay alive.
Whether this is your first experience with Resident Evil or you're coming back for one more scare, expect thrills and chills with every step in this terrifying action adventure.
Get more for your money with Cross-Buy - purchase Resident Evil HD for PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 3 and get the other version at no extra cost.


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Concealed Handgun Permit Firearms Safety Class
The Internet's FIRST online firearms safety class meets Virginia law to qualify you for obtaining a Concealed Handgun Permit, on your schedule and at your convenience. No more waiting for the next class… the next class is just one click away!
The instruction consists of 65 minutes of our time-tested handgun safety class, followed by a 20 question test. Upon completion, for Virginia residents, simply print out your certificate and take it to your local circuit court to proceed with your application. Virginia Non-Resident application packets are available through the Virginia State Police. In Idaho, Iowa, Oregon and Wyoming, take your Certificate of Completion to your state's issuing agency/sheriff's office and apply there.
Our Frequently Asked Questions page has more detailed information, but should you ever need it, live telephone help is always available Monday thru Friday from 9:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Eastern Time.
ATTENTION TEXANS AND OTHER NON-RESIDENTS OF VIRGINIA - It is possible to take our class, obtain a Virginia Non-Resident Permit, and use it for Concealed Carry in your home state, if your state recognizes Virginia's permits (Except Florida, Michigan and South Carolina). To apply, request an application packet from the Virginia State Police. The cost for a 5-year permit is $100.00, and it is necessary to provide fingerprints and passport-sized photographs as part of the application process.


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SHOVA Handicrafts
Shova Handicrafts is an organization of women artisans making wheat straw handicrafts. The women purchase raw materials and coordinate production. The income they earn is important in the day-to-day life of their families.
Shova Handicrafts was established in 1996 by a group of women who separated from Mirpur Wheatstraw Center. With years of experience in creating and administering, these women artisans welcomed the challenges of managing their own business. Ten Thousand Villages has purchased products from Shova since 1997.
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Long chest shielded lead set for PageWriter Touch/Trim, consisting of 3 chest leads, 12 color marked rings, 3 brown rings, 3 banana post adapters, 1 lead separator, and instruction sheet.
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