Paper mulberry has been used for thousands of years in Asia and Oceania for making paper and bark-cloth, respectively. Museums around the world hold valuable collections of Polynesian bark-cloth. Genetic analysis of the plant fibers from which the textiles were made may answer a number of questions of interest related to provenance, authenticity or species used in the manufacture of these textiles. Recovery of nucleic acids from paper mulberry bark-cloth has not been reported before.
We describe a simple method for the extraction of PCR-amplifiable DNA from small samples of contemporary Polynesian bark-cloth (tapa) using two types of nuclear markers. We report the amplification of about 300 bp sequences of the ITS1 region and of a microsatellite marker.
Sufficient DNA was retrieved from all bark-cloth samples to permit successful PCR amplification. This method shows a means of obtaining useful genetic information from modern bark-cloth samples and opens perspectives for the analyses of small fragments derived from ethnographic materials.
Citation: Moncada X, Payacán C, Arriaza F, Lobos S, Seelenfreund D, et al. (2013) DNA Extraction and Amplification from Contemporary Polynesian Bark-Cloth. PLoS ONE 8(2): e56549. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0056549
Editor: M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Denmark
Received: November 24, 2012; Accepted: January 10, 2013; Published: February 21, 2013
Copyright: © 2013 Moncada et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Funding: FONDECYT grant 1120175 from the Government of Chile (CONICYT) (http://www.conicyt.cl/fondecyt/). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Broussonetia papyrifera L (Vent) family Moraceae (paper mulberry) grows naturally in East Asia (China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan) and Mainland Southeast Asia . This tree species is one of the earliest plants to have been cultivated in SE Asia as a major raw material for making textiles and paper . It is a widespread crop species in the Pacific islands introduced by Austronesian speaking peoples , , , as suggested by linguistic evidence . B. papyrifera was one of the most important cultivated plants in both Near and Remote Oceania, associated with many economic, political and ritual uses, as still evident today on some islands, particularly in Western Polynesia. The use of plant fibers for the manufacture of textiles has been documented archaeologically for the Upper Paleolithic on the Eurasian continent and particularly the making of bark-cloth in many parts of the world precedes the use of looms. The ancient practice of making bark-cloth and bark paper likely began in Asia, where other species of Broussonetia are also known. In China its main use was for the manufacture of paper. From here it spread to Japan in AD 610 and developed into an industry of high quality paper products .
Distribution and Dispersal of B. papyrifera
The native distribution of the plant is Eastern Asia, China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea, where it grows in forest margins and mixed deciduous evergreen woodlands up to 2300 meters above sea level . It is a tree that can reach up to 20 meters in height, although in the Pacific it rarely grows above 3–5 meters and is kept as a shrub.
Paper mulberry was taken purposely to all islands in Remote Oceania by Polynesian settlers during the colonization voyages, as far as Hawaii, New Zealand and Easter Island, since it was a basic and necessary item for cultural reproduction. Oral tradition of Easter Island mentions paper mulberry as part of the basic supplies that were taken along . We must assume that it was an important item in Pacific cultures to explain the vast dispersal of the plant to all islands where people settled. Today the plant is still grown on many Polynesian islands, but has disappeared on several, particularly in East Polynesia .
The present study is part of a larger project which sets forth to contribute to our understanding of the complex human history in the Pacific, using paper mulberry as a proxy of human migration. In an earlier paper  we discussed the recent extinction of the plant on several islands, which limits our understanding of its dispersal history and genetic diversity. A potential approach to surmount the absence of extant plants is to explore the possibility of extracting DNA from the finished products made out of paper mulberry bark. Therefore a key question that arises is if DNA survives the manufacturing process of bark-cloth production; hence the problem of DNA survival is not simply of academic interest, but has practical benefits, as in many situations researchers may not have access to fresh materials .
Bark-cloth (Tapa) in the Pacific
In the Pacific some other trees are also used for making bark-cloth (breadfruit, hibiscus and several fig species), yet in Polynesia, B. papyrifera reigns supreme. It has been known for almost 1,500 years as a plant whose bark can be used to make textiles (bark-cloth), commonly named tapa, of various grades up to the highest quality. The name tapa, currently used for generically designating bark-cloth made out of paper mulberry, came into use during the late 19th century, and was originally a Samoan word referring only to the borders of non-decorated cloth. Tapa is prized and valuable, since it is warm, long lasting, soft, flexible and white. In the past, tapa was used for the elaboration of cloaks, skirts, loin clothes and ritual gifts , , . The making of bark-cloth, its use and role in past Pacific culture cannot be underemphasized.
For the manufacture of bark-cloth, the inner bast of the bark is used. The bast has to be separated from the stem and the outer bark. Clean dry strips of the inner bark are stored rolled up, inner side out, for later use. Once cleaned and scraped the inner bark is soaked in water or seawater to soften it, as in the paper making process. Then the strips of clean and wet bark are beaten on a flat stone or wooden surface with hardwood mallets until they are at least twice the original width. The more the cloth is beaten, the finer it becomes. Sometimes the strips are left to ferment in water before a second beating. Larger strips can be made by overlapping strips of tapa and beating them together . Until relatively recent times tapa was the main source of clothing on many Polynesian islands, until substituted by industrial textiles. Despite this, tapa still holds cultural importance, particularly in Western Polynesia and is having an important cultural comeback in Hawaii. Even today in Samoa, Tonga and other islands tapa is still used for religious purposes and as a symbol of wealth. Tapa is also used in the exchange of gifts and today, although many of the traditional forms of making textiles have been abandoned, their symbolic associations have often been transferred to new industrial fibers. Often as not, traditional and modern textiles share ritual and economic spaces (see for example , ).
There are artifacts made from tapa in different collections around the world, and some of these were collected at the time of first European contacts, which may be amenable to genetic testing. Each of these artifacts is typically unique to particular cultures or geographic regions and can provide insights into the cultural practices of the people who made them. Since bark-cloth is elaborated from biological material, molecular analyses have the potential to contribute significantly to the study of such artifacts. Molecular genetic markers have numerous potential applications if DNA can be isolated from “difficult” biological material, such as processed and unprocessed wood  or feathers . For example, DNA may yield relevant information for identification of endangered tree species , authentication of wood remains and control of wood trade . Other authors  reported the successful amplification of DNA from waterlogged archaeological oak wood from a marine environment. Likewise, Hartnup et al.  were able to determine the geographic provenance of Maori cloak feathers from over a hundred different cloaks. Their data suggest that the eastern region of the North Island of New Zealand was the origin of most feathers from the particular cloak analysed. Similar molecular approaches have the potential to discover a wealth of lost information from cultural artifacts worldwide .
Diverse molecular markers and fingerprinting techniques are rapidly developing for analyses of plant species, and DNA analysis of bark-cloth specimens could be a useful tool in the identification of un-provenanced specimens. In turn, the use of molecular markers could also be useful to analyse historical bark-cloth artifacts of known provenance from locations where the plant is now extinct to address different questions, such as those related to the dispersal of B. papyrifera in the Pacific. Alternatively, molecular markers can reveal the plant species used in the making of the cloth, particularly if different species or a mixture of plants were used in the manufacturing process of these textiles. The basic requirement for this kind of analysis is the isolation of DNA from bark-cloth, and the second requirement is the amplification of this DNA with markers which are informative for the identification of origin of the bark-cloth material. In this paper we report the successful isolation and amplification of DNA from diverse sources of bark-cloth from Remote Oceania.
Materials and Methods
No specific permits were required for the described field studies. We used fresh plant material that came from the private gardens from two of the authors (AS and DS). The bark-cloth material from Easter Island, Hawaii and Marquesas were gifts to AS. The bark-cloth samples from Samoa and Tonga were bought at the local markets. No material was taken from protected land or National Parks. No endangered or protected species were used.
Plant and Bark-cloth Samples
Six samples of contemporary tapa from five islands were chosen for analysis (Figure 1). We have no particular information or details of the manufacturing process for the samples from Easter Island, Marquesas, Tonga and Samoa. However, we do know that the Hawaiian bark-cloth sample was soaked in seawater for about 3 weeks prior to beating.
Figure 1. Fiber morphology of contemporary bark-cloth samples from different Polynesian islands.
Bark-cloth samples were viewed directly under 10×magnifications. A.-Bark-cloth from Easter Island, Sample 1, B.- Bark-cloth from Easter Island, Sample 2, C.- Bark-cloth from the Marquesas archipelago, D.- Bark-cloth from Samoa, E.- Bark-cloth from Tonga, F.- Bark-cloth from Hawaii.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0056549.g001
Samples of fresh leaves, roots and unbeaten inner bark of an individual paper mulberry plant from Easter Island were included for comparative purposes. Leaves from Morus alba of unknown origin sampled in Santiago, Chile, were used as control. In order to prevent contamination, DNA extractions of bark-cloth samples were performed in a physically separated laboratory not dedicated to research of plant samples. All PCR reactions were set up in a UV-treated PCR cabinet.
Analysis of Fiber Morphology
Fibres were observed under a common binocular lens under 10×magnification and photographed with a digital Tucsen camera 3.0 C (Tucsen Imaging Technology Ltd.).
Preparation of Plant Material and DNA Extraction
Fragments ranging from approximately 3 mg to 62 mg (of approximately 1 cm2), depending of the origin of the bark-cloth sample, were taken from each specimen. Each bark-cloth sample was torn and cut lengthwise with a scalpel on a clean dry glass surface before adding reagents for DNA extraction. Samples of fresh unbeaten inner bark were obtained by peeling young stems and processed with a scalpel as described for bark-cloth. Root samples were finely sliced with a scalpel. Fresh leaves were ground in a small mortar using a porcelain pestle at room temperature.
DNA extractions of bark-cloth samples were performed with and without pretreatment with Trichoderma viride cellulase (Cat. N° 150584, from MP BioMedicals LLC, Solon, Ohio, USA) prepared at 5 mg/ml in sodium acetate 3 M pH 5.0. Treatment consisted in incubation of samples at 40°C for 0, 1, 3, 5 hours or overnight. DNA was extracted from all samples based on the protocol described by Lodhi et al. . Briefly, this protocol consisted of a homogenization of the plant tissue in an extraction buffer containing 2% CTAB, incubation at 60°C, extraction of proteins and impurities with organic solvents (chloroform and isoamyl alcohol) and precipitation of nucleic acids using cold absolute ethanol in the presence of salt. Finally, DNA was treated with RNase and resuspended in distilled water. Modifications of this protocol consisted in avoiding the use of PVP and increasing the β-mercaptoethanol concentration of the extraction buffer to 1%. For each extraction set, negative controls were included which were performed simultaneously. These negative controls contained extraction buffer but lacked the bark-cloth sample and were treated exactly as all samples for the rest of the extraction protocol. Bark-cloth samples were not treated with RNase, as degradation of RNA was assumed. Each set of DNA extractions from bark-cloth was performed on different days. DNA concentration and quality (Absorbance ratio 260 nm/280 nm) were measured using a NanoDrop ND-2000 spectrophotometer (NanoDrop Technologies, Wilmington, DE, USA) according to the user’s manual.
PCR amplification was performed to examine the success of DNA extraction from bark-cloth and plant tissues. Two different kinds of molecular markers, the ITS region and a nuclear microsatellite marker were chosen. In each case, PCR reactions were carried out using 20–30 ng of DNA from Morus leaf samples, 350–550 ng of DNA from B. papyrifera leaves, 30–100 ng of DNA from fresh bark and root samples and 20–900 ng of DNA from bark-cloth samples. All PCR reactions included positive reaction controls (DNA extracted from fresh Morus and B. papyrifera leaves) and a negative PCR reaction control (H2O).
PCR Amplification Using ITS Markers
The region comprising genes 18S and 26S was amplified by PCR using ITS-4 (5′-GCTTAAACTCAGCGGGTAGC-3′) and ITS-5B (5′-TCGCGAGAAGTCCACTGAA-3′) primers (as kindly suggested by Dr. K.-F. Chung, National Taiwan University, personal communication). The ITS1 region was amplified using primers ITS-A (5′-GGAAGGAGAAGTCGTAACAAGG-3′) and ITS-C (5′-GCAATTCACACCAAGTATCGC-3′) . PCR-reaction mixtures consisted of 2.5 mM MgCl2, 0.625 mM dNTPs, 0.5 mM of each primer and 0.2 U/µl of GoTaqR Flexi DNA Polymerase (Promega, Madison, WI, USA) in a final volume of 20 µl. Blank reactions were performed by adding the appropriate amounts of sterile distilled water to the reaction in all experiments.
The amplification program for both ITS regions consisted of an initial denaturation step at 94°C during 5 min, followed by 32 cycles (18S to 26S region) or 35 cycles (ITS1 region) with a denaturation step at 94°C for 1 min, an annealing stage at 60°C for 1 min, an extension at 72°C for 1 min and a final extension at 72°C for 7 min. Amplicons were analysed by electrophoresis on 1.5% agarose gels, dyed with GelRed Nucleic Acid Gel Stain (Biotium, Inc.) and visualized under UV light. At least 2 independent reactions were performed for each sample.
Samples were purified using the DNA Clean and Concentrator Kit™ from Zymo Research, Irvine, CA, USA) according to the manufacturer’s instructions and sequenced at Macrogen Inc. (Seoul, South Korea). For bioinformatic analysis, polymorphisms were visualized and checked on electropherograms from all sequences using Bio Edit 188.8.131.52 software . ITS sequences were edited manually with the test version of EditSeq (DNAstar Lasergene v7.1.0) and aligned using the Clustal W method with MegAlign from the same software , .
PCR Amplification of Microsatellite Marker
Microsatellite sequences (SSR) were amplified using primers of locus SS05 Fw (5′-TCCAGCAAAGATGTGACAAAAGTT-3′) and SS05 Rv (5′-TTGCCTTCCCGATTATGCTG-3′) designed originally for Morus species . PCR-reaction mixtures consisted of 2.5 mM MgCl2, 0.625 mM dNTPs, 0.20 mM of each primer and 0.2 U/µl of GoTaqR Flexi DNA Polymerase (Promega, Madison, WI, USA) in a final volume of 20 µl. Blank reactions were performed by adding the appropriate amounts of sterile distilled water to the reaction in all experiments. The amplification program consisted of an initial denaturation step of 94°C during 5 min, followed by 35 cycles with a denaturation step at 94°C for 1 min, an annealing stage of 57°C for 1.5 min, an extension step at 72°C for 1.5 min and a final extension at 72°C for 5 min. Amplicons were analyzed by electrophoresis on 1.5% agarose gels, dyed with GelRed Nucleic Acid Gel Stain (Biotium, Inc.) and visualized under UV light. At least 2 independent reactions were performed for each bark-cloth sample. As controls, DNA samples from leaves from M. alba and leaves, root and bark tissues from B. papyrifera were included.
As shown in figure 1 the samples vary in coarseness, density and colour. Bark-cloth samples from Easter Island were dense, coarse and of beige or brown colour. The bast fibers are bound closely together. The bark-cloth samples from the Marquesas archipelago and Samoa were of a thin, porous texture and a creamy white colour. In contrast, the sample from Tonga was relatively dense and presented brown spots over a beige background colour, possibly due to the application of dyes. The finest bark-cloth was from Hawaii, which was flexible and very thin, of paper-like quality and very white. It contained fewer impurities, possibly due to a more complex process of preparation involving several cycles of soaking and beating.
At least three DNA extractions were performed from each sample of bark-cloth using cellulase pretreatments of 0, 1 and 3 hours. Incubations of 5 hours and overnight were discarded as they did not yield amplifiable products and did not seem to be useful in increasing DNA extraction performance (data not shown). Contrary to expectations, cellulase treatment for 3 or more hours did not increase DNA yields; it is not clear if this was due to the effect of a prolonged incubation at 60°C or to the plausible presence of traces of contaminant enzymes from the cellulase purified from T. viride. In the case of Hawaiian bark-cloth, only one DNA extraction was performed in the absence of cellulase treatment.
For comparative purposes, DNA extraction of leaves, roots and fresh bark tissue were also performed from a single individual from Easter Island. The yield and properties of the DNA obtained from these tissues and from bark-cloth samples are summarized in Figure 2, which shows that the yield of DNA extracted from leaves (2.07 µg DNA/mg tissue) was about one order of magnitude larger than that obtained from the other plant tissues, whereas the yield of DNA from bark-cloth (0.08 to 0.18 µg DNA/mg tissue) was similar to that from bark tissue (0.10 to 0.25 µg DNA/mg tissue), according to spectrophotometric measurements.
Figure 2. Comparison of DNA yield extracted from fresh tissues from an individual B. papyrifera plant and from bark-cloth from Easter Island.
Yields obtained from DNA extractions of leaves, root and fresh bark. 1 H: One hour treatment with cellulase; 3 H: 3 hours treatment with cellulase; EI1: Easter Island sample 1; EI2: Easter Island sample 2. Standard deviations from triplicates are indicated.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0056549.g002
Table 1 summarizes the general properties of the analyzed bark-cloth samples. Given the differences in density and homogeneity of the textile fibers, a range of sample weights were obtained for sample sizes of about 1 cm2. Average sample weight ranged from 8.6 mg to 27.7 mg (Marquesas and Hawaii) to the thicker and coarser samples from Easter Island which weighted between 15.9 to 41.7 mg. The spectrophotometric absorption profiles for each DNA extraction showed a maximum at 260 nm for all samples. A representative profile for each kind of sample is presented (Figure 3). The negative control did not display absorption at any wavelength (Figure 3A), while DNA profiles from B. papyrifera leaf and bark (Figures 3B and 3C, respectively), which were both extracted from fresh tissue, displayed the expected maximum absorption at 260 nm. The DNA extracted from bark-cloth samples also showed the characteristic absorption spectrum. Average DNA concentration values ranged from 8.0 to 17.3 ng/µl in the case of the Marquesan bark-cloth, to 125.7 to 314.1 ng/µl from the Tongan bark-cloth sample, which yielded the maximum DNA amount (see Table 1). Negative controls showed average DNA concentration values that are similar to background levels (0.7–4.6 ng/µl). The ratio of 260/280 values corresponded to pure DNA samples, except in the case of Tongan bark-cloth, which presented a minimum ratio of 1.39 and Easter Island 1 bark-cloth, which presented a maximum ratio of 2.55. Values below 1.8 can be explained by the presence of contaminants , whereas a ratio higher than 2.0 nm indicates that the samples could be contaminated with residual chloroform from the extraction procedure . It is difficult to ascribe ratios over 2.0 to the presence of RNA, as has been previously described , since is not very plausible that RNA is still present, especially as single stranded nucleic acid molecules, considering that the bark is subjected to a prolonged and complex treatment during the making of bark-cloth. Bark-cloth DNA extracts from Easter Island sample 1 and the Tongan sample were purified using the Genomic DNA Clean & Concentrator ™ Kit (Zymo Research), however this procedure did not improve DNA concentration, nor the 260/280 absorbance ratio or PCR performance, and therefore was omitted in the remaining samples.
Figure 3. Absorption profiles of DNA extracted from fresh B. papyrifera tissues and bark-cloth samples.
A: Negative control; B: B. papyrifera (leaf); C: B. papyrifera (bark); D – I: B. papyrifera bark-cloth from D: Easter Island, sample 1; E: Easter Island, sample 2; F: Marquesas; G: Samoa; H: Hawaii; I: Tonga.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0056549.g003
Table 1. Details of the bark-cloth samples used in the study.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0056549.t001
In an attempt to obtain DNA from bark-cloth samples using a non-invasive treatment, we also incubated the same samples overnight in extraction buffer, under three different conditions: 1) 16 hours at room temperature, 2) 16 hours at 60°C and 3) one hour incubation at 60°C followed by 16 hours incubation at room temperature. Samples were then submitted to the extraction protocol described above. These extraction products were also analyzed spectrophotometrically and some samples exhibited a characteristic DNA profile with absorption maxima at 260 nm (data not shown). However, none of these extraction procedures yielded amplifiable DNA using ITS and SS05 microsatellite markers, with either GoTaq DNA Polymerase (Promega) or Herculase Enhanced DNA Polymerase (Agilent Technologies) using the PCR protocol recommended by the supplier.
ITS Amplification and Sequencing
DNA extracts from bark-cloth were assayed for amplification of the complete ITS region, spanning the ITS1-5, 8S-ITS2 sequences, that in B. papyrifera are of approximately 700 bp . The same samples were also subjected to amplification of the ITS1 region of about 300 bp. Results showed that attempts to amplify the complete ITS region were unsuccessful (Figure 4A), confirming that DNA from bark-cloth has suffered degradation during the manufacturing process. Interestingly, expected amplicons of 300 bp were obtained for ITS1 from all bark-cloth samples tested (Figure 4B and 4C).
Figure 4. Amplification of the ITS region using DNA obtained from bark-cloth.
A.- Complete ITS region, lane 1:100 bp DNA Ladder, lane 2: Morus (leaf), lane 3: B. papyrifera 1 (leaf), lane 4: B. papyrifera 2 (leaf), lanes 5 to 9: bark-cloth samples. Lane 5: Easter Island 1, lane 6: Easter Island 2, lane 7: Tonga, lane 8: Marquesas, lane 9: Samoa, lane 10: H2O. B.- ITS1 region, lane 1:100 bp DNA Ladder, lane 2: Morus (leaf), lane 3: B. papyrifera 1 (leaf), lane 4: B. papyrifera 2 (leaf), lanes 5 to 9: bark-cloth samples. Lane 5: Easter Island 1, lane 6: Easter Island 2, lane 7: Tonga, lane 8: Marquesas, lane 9: Samoa, lane 10: Negative control, lane 11: H2O. C.- ITS1 region, lane 1:100 bp DNA Ladder, lane 2: Morus (leaf), lane 3: bark-cloth from Hawaii, lane 4: Negative control, lane 5: H2O.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0056549.g004
The ITS1 sequence information for all bark-cloth samples indicated that they corresponded to B. papyrifera material of Polynesian origin (GenBank accession number HM623778.1), as they displayed the characteristic polymorphism found in samples originating from this region of the Pacific . Negative controls and/or blank controls (water) did not show presence of DNA (Figure 4A, lane 10, Figure 4B, lanes 10 and 11 and Figure 4C, lanes 4 and 5).
As at present there are no published SSR loci for B. papyrifera, we performed amplifications with a microsatellite marker developed for the related genus Morus. We assayed locus SS05, which displays an allele size range of 342–478 bp in mulberry . The chosen marker exhibited transferability to Broussonetia, as DNA from different B. papyrifera tissues could be amplified showing a band or double-band of similar size than Morus (Figure 5, lanes 3 to 6). In the case of DNA extracts from bark-cloth positive PCR amplification was obtained, as shown by Easter Island sample 2 in Figure 5, lane 7. Negative and blank controls (water) did not show evidence of DNA (Figure 5, lanes 8 and 9). Successful amplification was achieved for three (Easter Island 2, Marquesas and Tonga) of five bark-cloth samples assayed, as summarized in Table 1.
Figure 5. Amplification of the microsatellite SS05 locus using DNA obtained from different B. papyrifera tissues and bark-cloth.
Lane 1:100 bp DNA Ladder, lane 2: Morus (leaf), lane 3: B. papyrifera (leaf), lane 4: B. papyrifera (fresh bark), lane 5: B. papyrifera (root), lane 6: B. papyrifera (root hair), lane 7: Easter Island bark-cloth sample 2, lane 8: Negative control, lane 9: H2O.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0056549.g005
In this study we used samples of bark-cloth from different origins and textures to establish a protocol to extract amplifiable DNA. As shown in Figure 1, the different fibres were quite dissimilar in coarseness, colour and density. Nonetheless, it was possible to extract DNA from all tested samples. For achieving this, pieces of bark-cloth were subjected to a simple protocol based on mechanical shearing or grinding of the material and the use of CTAB detergent. Compared to yields obtained from fresh leaves, DNA extracted from bark-cloth was significantly lower (Figure 2).
DNA extractions from bark-cloth showed spectrophotometric absorption profiles with a characteristic maximum at 260 nm and most samples exhibited an appropriate 260/280 ratio. Although purity ratios and spectral profiles are important indicators of sample quality, the best indicator of DNA or RNA quality is functionality in the downstream application of interest ; in our case, PCR amplification for molecular marker analysis. We first chose to analyse the ITS region as this is a well-known robust marker and because its sequence corresponds to a multicopy region of the nuclear genome. We evaluated the amplification of the complete ITS region, a sequence of approximately 700 bp, which amplified leaf DNA, but failed in all bark-cloth samples (Figure 4A). In contrast, the ITS1 region, which spans only 300 pb was successfully amplified in the same samples (Figure 4B). These results are probably due to the fragmentation of nucleic acids that occurred during the manufacturing of bark-cloth. Breakdown of genomic DNA has been described in ancient plant material, suggesting that fragments of more than 300 bp often cannot be amplified from extracts of ancient plant DNA . Due to its harsh treatment during manufacture, bark-cloth may be considered equivalent to ancient plant material.
We then assayed the amplification of the microsatellite locus SS05 (originally developed for Morus) on the same DNA samples obtained from bark-cloth. Amplification products of approximately 400 bp in three out of five bark-cloth samples were obtained. In comparison to ITS sequences which correspond to multicopy regions, microsatellites are single copy nuclear markers, a fact that may explain the lack of amplification of these sequences in some samples due to mechanical shearing. This result suggests that bark-cloth specimens from different islands may have been subjected to dissimilar treatments during manufacture or storage, and some might have been more aggressive on DNA integrity. No direct correlation between texture and success in PCR amplification could be observed, based on the relative coarseness of the bark-cloth samples, as both the thick coarse cloth from Easter Island and the thin almost white sample from the Marquesan archipelago yielded amplification products.
The bark-cloth samples used for this study are all contemporary material, and not museum specimens or ancient material. We used these modern samples as proof of principle for the extraction of DNA and to implement an appropriate protocol based on molecular markers for later application to historic materials. It is expected that only small amplification products can be obtained, therefore the target regions for PCR reactions should be between 80 and 300 bp , and previous knowledge of the target DNA sequences chosen for analysis is necessary. Also, markers which are present in multiple copies such as chloroplast or nuclear ribosomal (ITS) markers have more chances of survival than single copy markers. This is in agreement with reports of DNA survival in other materials, such as leather, where multicopy mitochondrial DNA survives the tanning process, whereas single copy nuclear markers do not . As with ancient plant DNA, when applying these protocols to museum specimens, precautions will have to be taken to avoid contamination with modern plant DNA.
In our case, cross contamination between bark-cloth and fresh tissues from the same species was avoided by using a separate laboratory to perform DNA extractions, and amplification reactions were then set up in a UV-treated PCR cabinet. DNA amplifications were achieved only for fragment lengths of around 300 bp (ITS1 and SSR); sequencing of ITS1 fragments revealed the presence of DNA ascribed to the Polynesian haplotype of B. papyrifera . Moreover, our negative and blank controls were shown to be free of contaminant DNA in PCR reactions for both ITS and SSR markers.
As museums are wary of removal of even small pieces of material from intact historical or ethnographic bark-cloth specimens for destructive analyses, it is necessary to find small detached pieces from specimens in order to perform this kind of study. The small size of fragments used in this work (1 cm2 or less) may satisfy the requirements of museum curators. As discussed above, the use of molecular markers for the analysis of cultural materials can provide valuable insights into the cultural practices of the people who made them. Since bark-cloth in Polynesia is made mainly but not exclusively from B. papyrifera fibres, molecular markers could also be a useful tool for identifying the botanical species used to manufacture bark-cloth. Molecular markers may also proof helpful for the identification of bark-cloth specimens of unknown provenance. A wealth of historical information housed in international collections can therefore be explored with minimal damage to valuable ethnographic artifacts.
Non-invasive extraction procedures are extremely valuable for the analysis of museum samples, as shown for insect collections  and would have been of immense value for examining intact historical tapa specimens. The possibility of using non-invasive methods opens unprecedented possibilities of research at a molecular level; unfortunately a non-invasive procedure assayed in this study did not yield positive results.
Contemporary, historic and ancient plant materials have been studied using appropriate molecular markers, as reported for processed, submerged and unprocessed wood – and also for papyrus . This study on bark-cloth adds a new source of materials of plant origin for genetic analysis. Overall, this work outlines a simple method showing that it is possible to extract and amplify DNA from bark-cloth using molecular markers for the analysis of ethnographic material. The present protocol may not be limited to paper mulberry bark-cloth, and can prove useful on other kinds of cultural materials made of plant fibres. The feasibility of genetic analysis opens up new scenarios for the study of textile materials of cultural importance.
We thank Daniela Padilla and Camila Charó (Escuela de Antropología, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile, Santiago, Chile), for preliminary analyses.
We are grateful to Roen Huffard and Marie McDonald Waimea, Big Island of Hawaii for the gift of Hawaiian bark-cloth.
Conceived the idea: AS. Designed experiments: XM DS. Performed the experiments: XM CP FA. Analyzed the data: XM CP FA SL. Wrote the paper: XM DS AS.
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- 14. Rachmayanti Y, Leinemann L, Gailing O, Finkeldey R (2009) DNA from processed and unprocessed wood: Factors influencing the isolation success. Forensic Sci Int: Genetics 3: 185–192. doi: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2009.01.002
- 15. Asif MJ, Cannon CH (2005) DNA extraction from processed wood: a case study for the identification of an endangered timber species (Gonystylus bancanus). Plant Mol Biol Rep 23: 185–192. doi: 10.1007/bf02772709
- 16. Deguilloux M-F, Pemonge M-H, Petit RJ (2002) Novel perspectives in wood certification and forensics: dry wood as a source of DNA. Proc Roy Soc London B 269: 1039–1046. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2002.1982
- 17. Speirs A, McConnachie G, Lowe A (2009) Chloroplast DNA from 16th century waterlogged oak in a marine environment: initial steps in sourcing the Mary Rose timbers. In: Haslam M, Robertson G, Crowther A, Nugent S, Kirkwood K, editors. Archaeological science under a microscope: studies in residue and ancient DNA analysis in honour of Thomas H. Loy. Terra Australis 30. ANU E-Press. 175–189.
- 18. Hartnup K, Huynen L, Te Kanawa R, Shepherd LD, Millar CD, et al. (2011) Ancient DNA recovers the origins of Māori feather cloaks. Mol Biol Evol 28(10): 2741–2750. doi: 10.1093/molbev/msr107
- 19. Lodhi MA, Guang-Ning Y, Norman FW, Bruce IR (1994) A simple and efficient method for DNA extraction from grapevine cultivars and Vitis species. Plant Mol Biol Rep 12: 6–13. doi: 10.1007/bf02668658
- 20. Blattner FR (1999) Direct amplification of the entire ITS region from poorly preserved plant material using recombinant PCR. BioTechniques 27: 1180–1186.
- 21. Hall TA (1999) BioEdit: a user-friendly biological sequence alignment editor and analysis program for Windows 95/98/NT. Nucl Acids Symp Series 4: 95–98.
- 22. Thompson JD, Higgins DG, Gibson TJ (1994) CLUSTAL W: improving the sensitivity of progressive multiple sequence alignment through sequence weighting, position-specific gap penalties and weight matrix. Nucl Acids Res 22: 4673–4680. doi: 10.1093/nar/22.22.4673
- 23. Higgins D, Sharp PM (1988) CLUSTAL: a package for performing multiple sequence alignments on a microcomputer. Gene 73: 337–244. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(88)90330-7
- 24. Zhao W, Miao X, Jia S, Pan Y, Huang Y (2005) Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci from the mulberry, Morus L. Plant Sci. 168: 519–525. doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2004.09.020
- 25. Varma A, Padh H, Shrivastava N (2007) Plant genomic DNA isolation: An art or a science. Biotechnol J 2: 386–392. doi: 10.1002/biot.200600195
- 26. Borges DB, Amorim MB, Waldschmidt AM, Mariano-Neto E, Vivas CV, et al. (2012) Optimization of DNA extraction from fresh leaf tissues of Melanoxylon brauna (Fabaceae), Genet Mol Res. 11: 1586–1591. doi: 10.4238/2012.may.22.8
- 27. Seelenfreund D, Piña R, Ho K-Y, Lobos S, Moncada X, et al. (2011) Molecular analysis of Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) Vent. (Magnoliophyta: Urticales) from the Pacific, based on ribosomal sequences of nuclear DNA. New Zealand J Bot 49: 413–420. doi: 10.1080/0028825x.2011.579135
- 28. Schlumbaum A, Tensen M, Jaenicke-Després V (2008) Ancient plant DNA in archaeobotany. Veget Hist Archaeobot 17: 233–244. doi: 10.1007/s00334-007-0125-7
- 29. Vuissoz A, Worobey M, Odegaard N, Bunce M, Machado CA, et al. (2007) The survival of PCR-amplifiable DNA in cow leather. J Archaeol Sci 34 (5): 823–829. doi: 10.1016/j.jas.2006.09.002
- 30. Gilbert MT, Moore W, Melchior L, Worobey M (2007) DNA extracting from dry museum beetles without conferring external morphological damage. PlosOne 2: e272. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0000272
- 31. Marota I, Basile C, Ubaldi M, Rollo F (2002) DNA decay rate in papyri and human remains from Egyptian archaeological sites. Am J Phys Anthropol 117: 310–318. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.10045


The Harlequin Theatre & Cinema
Find out about The Harlequin Theatre & Cinema in Redhill. You can book cinema and theatre tickets online through The Harlequin website, call the Box Office on 01737 276500 or just pop in to see us.
What's on this season at The Harlequin
We've got a varied and exciting season coming up for you this autumn.
Our pantomime will be 'Beauty and the Beast'. starring Cheryl Fergison (EastEnders and Big School) and guarantees fun and mayhem. More family shows include Morgan & West, Ballet Theatre UK showcase their spectacular production of Swan Lake and CBeebies' favourite double act, Chris & Pui bring songs and rhymes for everyone to join in with!
We are also excited to be welcoming for the first time the UK's leading constitutional historian David Starkey. Jasper Carrott is back with his 'new' stand up routine and Michael Portillo talks about life - A Fame of Two Halves.
Our music highlights, include 80's icons Toyah and T'Pau. Chas & Dave are on the road once again and Irish Boyband singer, Shane Filan from Westlife brings his 'You and Me Winter Tour' to Redhill. Barbara Dickson will perform her classic hits, as well as other material in her own inimitable style.
In addition to our live events and cinema programme, we now screen live and recorded performances from some of the world's leading theatre, ballet and opera companies, such as; Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre Live, Bolshoi Ballet and speical one off screenings.
This is a packed season of events - not to be missed!
The Waller Cinema
Screening in digital, The Harlequin mixes the latest releases alongside independent, art-house and foreigh language films as well as event cinema screenings of major theatre, ballet, opera and talk events. Visit our website www.harlequintheatre.co.uk to sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and to check out the latest cinema listings.
Adults £7, Concessions £6, Groups (10+) £5.50
Take the family to see a 12A or under film on a Monday for just £20 (4 people, max 2 adults)
Come and see a film for £5 on a Tuesday.
Baby Club Screenings
Enjoy the latest screenings with your baby (up to 18 months) in a calming and relaxing environment.
Come and see a film before 4pm on a Thursday and enjoy a tea or coffee and a slice of cake for £6!
Saturday Morning Cinema Club
A great chance to come and see some fantastic family films for fantastic value during term time – all tickets just £2!
Our Subtitled Screenings are film screenings with caption subtitles. These are similar to English subtitles for foreign language films, but for English language films. They inform the cinemagoer of any significant music, sung speech or sound effects – especially if any of these are taking place off-screen.
Audio Described Screenings
An audio described performance is a standard screening ideal for visually impaired people. It works by playing a recorded narration, explaining what's happening on screen, during gaps in the dialogue, through personal headphones.
Why not pick up a cinema loyalty card?
Collect 10 stamps and get a free cinema ticket! Just visit the Box Office on your next visit for further details.
For up to date listings and to book your tickets visit The Harlequin website or call the Box Office on 01737 276500.
Last updated : 18/09/2014


A perfect engine of corrosive satire, this drama follows the adventures of an amoral cameraman to its logical and unsettling end.
"I'm not human," little Dennis says at one point in "Martian Child." So he believes. The lonely orphan has convinced himself that he was not abandoned by his parents, but arrived here from Mars. To protect himself against the sun, he walks around inside a cardboard box with a slit cut for his eyes and wears a weight belt around his waist to keep himself from drifting up into the sky. At no point during the film does anyone take mercy on the kid and explain that the sun is much more pitiless on Mars, and the gravity much lower.
Still, this isn't a film about planetary science but about love. Dennis attracts the attention of a lonely science-fiction writer named David (John Cusack), a recent widower who can't get the cardboard box out of his mind and goes back to the orphanage one day with some suntan cream. Eventually, almost against his own will, he asks Dennis to come home with him for a test run and decides to adopt him. The movie is the sentimental, very sentimental, story of how that goes.
Few actors in the right role can be sweeter or more lovable than John Cusack, and he is those things almost to a fault in "Martian Child," which is so bland and safe that it might appeal more directly to children than adults. Cusack plays another widower in his much more affecting movie "Grace is Gone," which opens Dec. 7, and you might wonder why he took two fairly similar roles so closely together.
This is not to say "Martian Child" lacks good qualities. Young Bobby Coleman plays Dennis as consistent, stubborn and suspicious, and Amanda Peet has a warm if predictable role as the woman in David's life who starts out as best friend and ends up where female best friends often do, in his arms. But it is Joan Cusack, John's real-life sister playing his movie sister, whose contribution is most welcome, because she brings a little sassiness to a film that threatens to drown in lachrymosity.
The movie leaves no heartstring untugged. It even has a beloved old dog, and you know what happens to beloved old dogs in movies like this. Or if you don't, I don't have the heart to tell you.
And there is the standard board of supervisors in control of adoptions, which without exception in this genre adopts a policy against adoptive parents who are loving, or who exhibit the slightest sign of being creative or unorthodox in any way. I suspect they would rather have a kid adopted by a mercenary than a science-fiction writer, especially one who hasn't already ripped off Dennis' gravity belt and left him to float up into the sky, where it is very cold and even lonelier than inside a cardboard box.
This message came to me from a reader named Peter Svensland. He and a fr...
An installment of comments section Bingo focusing on Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar."
For decades, John T, McCutcheon's "Injun Summer" appeared every autumn on...


Re: who had right away?
Originally Posted by Maine Sail
When ever I hear someone use the term "Right of Way" as related to boats I immediately assume, perhaps incorrectly, that he/she has no clue as to the COLREGS...
I'm sure you are right to some degree. I will bet most boaters have never actually read any part of the COLREGS. At best, they were taught these rules in some other type of formal training.
However, I think the term right-of-way is often used as slang for the concept of stand-on and give-way, but doesn't suggest as much a misunderstanding of the rules as we may think.
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In the harsh marine environment, something is always in need of repair. Margaritas fix everything.
Last edited by Minnewaska; 11-01-2012 at 11:46 AM.


Bio / AccomplishmentsWalter F. Courtenay Award as Middle Tennessee Council Outstanding Eagle Scout. High school Valedictorian. Appointments to USMA, USNA, USCGA. National Honor Society. Key Club. Letterman in Cross Country and Track for four years. Co-captain senior year. Honored by Daily News Journal as Male Scholar-Athlete for 1999. 2nd degree Black Belt and Assistant Instructor in Tae Kwon Do. Attended University of Memphis on Presidential Scholarship, majoring in Civil Engineering. Member and officer Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) fraternity. Completed university honors program.


I’m straight-up sick of the ZZ Top beard. While a healthy beard can be pretty sexy when pulled off correctly (see Ryan Gosling in The Notebook or Marisa’s man candy), most dudes with excessive facial hair end up looking well…like a terrorist or that fire-and-brimstone patriarch of Duck Dynasty. A caveman beard is overplayed, not aesthetically pleasing, and the only kind of statement it makes at this point is that you probably enjoy telling people you play the mandolin and pay way too much for shitty coffee.
Not to mention, something about an navel-length beard is inherently creepy. Pair that with shifty eyes or any kind of atypical behavior, and you can’t really blame the public for some sort of moral panic. Is it right? Of course not, you’re a Lost Ogle reader and therefore know the derplahoman dangers of jumping to conclusions based on physical appearance.
So can we really blame the locksmith for this sort of a mix-up? From New on 6:
Dig up your spiffiest lederhosen gang, because the alleged best Oktoberfest in the country is back in Tulsa this weekend!
If you’ve never hiked across the river for this hot mess of an occasion, this is a great year to start. The weather’s projected to be perfect, our home state’s football games are early-ish on Saturday, and I for one can never think of a sound reason to pass up a bratwurst washed down with a cold dunkel.
I’m a veteran of this high holy holiday…but in case you aren’t, I’ve listed out a few need-to-know tips to maximize your utility for the weekend. Here’s goes.
You see that photo above? That was me and my friends being idiot college kids at OU/Texas seven years ago. I was but a wee freshman, and this was my first trip to the Red River Rivalry free from the watchful eye of attending with my parents. Notice how we’re all posing for this drunken picture in a shower at the Sheraton hotel, with our solo cups and silly hand signs and crimson attire. I can pretty much guarantee Soulja Boy or Eli Young was playing in the background from an iPod playlist or mixed CD that someone made special for this very occasion.
Things have changed a lot since then. Nowadays, my idea of a big night usually means take-out from P.F. Changs and an OnDemand movie. No one warned me about the rapid rate you age in the years between 23 and 25. While I hung tough my first post-grad year and again experienced the OU/Texas I had come to love, two years after I felt out-of-place and adrift on McKinney Street, and last year I cut my losses and
cried into my chili watched the game with friends in my backyard.
I thought it’d be both fun and depressing to do a little retrospective analysis and map out what my OU/Texas weekend looked like in college vs. what is probably going to go down this weekend. Here goes.
Friday, 10:00 am
Then: Roll over in bed and fumble around for a glass of water and some Advil. Damnit, why did I drink that extra LIT last night at Suger’s?
Now: Spreadsheet. I’m spreadsheeting. Hehe, spreadsheet–wonder if Cosmopolitan has created a position called “The Spreadsheet” yet.
Friday, 10:07 am
Then: Spring out of bed and get dressed. God, I feel wonderful! If I hurry up and eat lunch, I’ll have enough time to run 3-4 miles, shower, and pack before we leave for Dallas!
Now: Nothing interesting on Cosmo’s website. Wonder if it’s someone’s birthday today? Mosey to the breakroom in hopes of finding a cookie cake.
Then: Pick up friends then head to Classic’s. Southbound roadtrips should always start with a Sprittle or an Eskimo Frosty.
Now: Spreadsheets. Maybe I should make a grocery list on a spreadsheet. Bread, rotisserie chicken, humus, apples…
Friday, 2:00 pm
Then: ROCK ME MAMA LIKE A WAGON WHEEL–OMG look, a car full of Lambdas!
Now: Face wash. I need to add face wash to my grocery list.
Warning: this post contains lewd ogling of the male form, superficial conclusions drawn from completely subjective units of measure, and adds exactly nothing to technical or statistical preseason rhetoric for OKC’s beloved basketball team.
It is, however, a hot debate among the women of Oklahoma, and must be hashed out in public forums at least a few times a year. Plus, Marisa and I are sick of the overwhelmingly male-driven content on the site and need something for ourselves. So listed below is the active roster according the Thunder’s foxiest players. Feel free to debate my picks in the comment section ladies and / or gents.
12. Perry Jones III
Tall and strong PJ3 makes the countdown because of his boyish good looks, mysterious personality, and because there’s 12 players in an active roster and I needed a dude I was vaguely familiar with to fill up this slot.
11. Kendrick Perkins
Big Perk makes this list because every lady loves a bad boy. You know, a bad boy who likes to drink milk, tweet goofball sentiments, and has a viral internet meme based on his uh, soft and tender emotional side.
10. Jeremy Lamb
Even though he’s only a few years younger than me, ogling my babyfaced Lambikins makes me feel like a cougar. But not an awkward and creepy one like Demi Moore or Madonna–more like a chic cougar, in the same vein as Sandra Bullock dating Ryan Gosling and Cameron Diaz dating Justin Timberlake.
I’m pretty sure I still hold the record for most detentions ever received in a single day at Jenks High School. I still remember the chilly November day when my assistant principal called me in to her office and showed me an entire laundry list of misdemeanor offenses–tardies, dress code violations, forgetting to wear the stupid student ID lanyard, texting during class–I’d committed over the last few months. She wrote me up for 42 hours of detention, maniacally laughed, then shooed me to AP Lang so she could get back to admiring photos of her cats.
A couple days later, I told the head principal what happened, and he reduced my sentence down to from 42 detentions to sorting books at Jenks Southeast Elementary’s library after school for a few days. I’m definitely not denying that favoritism was involved – after all, I was one of those annoyingly involved kids who was in like eight clubs, class secretary since middle school, did the morning announcements in his office every day, and frequently brought him Starbucks lattes. But I also like to think that leader of my fine school recognized that an ancient punishment rubric developed by people who don’t even interact with students doesn’t always contain the most sound logic.
Of course, there are always those unprecedented cases when no one knows what to do, freaks out, and loses sight of the entire point of school and students and ethics and reason and all that good stuff. Like when kids write erotica about their band directors.
From News on 6:
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Recently I had the best massage ever.
Like, honestly ever.
I’m biggggggg on massage & was really blown away by this one…
Come to find out: it was a medical massage. Not just a regular massage.
The therapist, Lisa, addressed my neck, foot, & lower back pain. And here’s the rad/insane thing: I’m still ( after a month ) pain free.
So. Naturally I booked my grandma AKA ‘The Nanz’ a little massagey-poo with Lisa.
Because The Nanz deserves a medical massage, right?!
So The Nanz had her massage & was OMFG-ing with me.
Anyway— point: instead of a resort-like, plain, old rub down that takes away the pain for five seconds, try a medical massage next time. Address/fix the actual issues!
Ok!!! Now meet Lisa Hassler:
+ Introduce yourself.
Lisa Hassler: Hi Lauryn, my name is Lisa Hassler. I’m a certified medical/sports massage therapist in San Diego, California with over twelve years experience. I have a business called San Diego Medi Massage in the Bankers Hill area.
+ Ok, so what the heck is the difference between a massage & a medical massage?
LH: If you get a massage at a day spa or while staying at a hotel, you will get a massage by someone who is usually unwilling to address injuries or any health issues you may have. They are instructed to stay away from injured areas. It’s likely they won’t know the difference between a healthy muscular structure & an injured or compromised area. Although we’re not allowed to diagnose an injury, a medical massage therapist will have the experience to feel the difference & suggest you talk with your trainer or doctor.
A medical massage is done by a certified therapist who has a background working with physicians, chiropractors, physical therapists, &/or anyone in the medical field who has a greater knowledge of injuries and after surgery care like me. They’re striving for lasting effects, corrections, pain management, etc.
+ Who needs a medical massage?
LH: Everyone can benefit from medical massage. While massaging, I go over your body, finding any possible unknown injuries, tears in the muscles, problem areas or anything that makes you susceptible to injury!
If you’re pregnant or unable to move regularly, medical massage is great for circulation which helps keep water weight and edema ( swollen tissue- usually in ankles ) at bay.
If you’re an athlete, it helps keep you at your peak performance and if injured, it gets you back on the field faster by flushing out the tissues from swelling, etc.
Younger, “wiser” ( older ), active, inactive, pregnant, stressed out office people- everyone needs a massage to be at their peak health.
+ Benefits of massage?
LH: Medical massage is useful in addressing conditions such as:
Carpal tunnel syndrom, rotator cuff injuries, pain associated with bulged or injured spinal disks ( medical massage cannot ‘fix’ the disk, but can help alleviate much of the pain associated with the injury ), migraines/headaches, constipation, range of motion issues, Plantar fasciitis ( foot pain ), repetitive use injuries such as tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, TMJ, pain associated with restricted fascia, sports/exercise injuries, auto/work injuries, edema (swelling), PTSD ( Post Traumatic Stress Disorder )
Massage also promotes circulation & hydration by releasing your stuck fascia. It lengthens and stretches muscles. It flushes out left over ‘gunk’ & residue from inflammation, allowing proper blood flow for faster healing time, leaving your body feeling free & more fluid.
+ How do massages effect hormones?
LH: According to Researchers at the Group Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle, Washington, “massage works better than common treatments including chiropractic therapy and acupuncture. It’s not clear why, but several studies show massage reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol while boosting the feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine.”
This helps slow your heart rate, reduce blood pressure, & block the nervous system’s pain receptors. It’s amazing how many ways massage therapy can replace the prescribed pills we take on a regular basis!
+ What does massage do for the lymph system ( I’m so curious about this— see why here )?
LH: Tiffany Field, Ph.D., director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine reported in Health Magazine says: “massage helps ward off bugs by boosting your natural killer cells, the immune system’s first line of defense against invading illness. We know that cortisol destroys natural killer cells. Therefore, since massage decreases cortisol, your immune cells get a boost. Massage even seems to boost immunity in those people with severely compromised immune systems, such as breast-cancer patients.”
+ Best at home product to give your man a massage:
LH: Okay- I really like Sensual Black Currant Vanilla Massage Oil from Bath and Bodyworks. It lasts a long time and doesn’t absorb into the skin too quickly and the scent is lovely.
+ Ok, let’s get real: can massages really help with cellulite?
LH: Cellulite is pockets of fat cells lying underneath the skin. They press against the underlying connective tissue called fascia. When the fat cells fill up, it limits the space under the skin, which pushes the connective tissue out causing that ripply appearance we all despise. Medical Massage improves the circulation which carries out the excess fluid and fat from the cells that cause the ripple affect. I do this by using a myofascial release and vigorous friction massage and a few other techniques I have learned. It will reduce the skin dimpling appearance…which is why many clients come see me before their wedding, pool party, summer beach days, etc!
How often do you recommend a massage?
LH: Dr. Oz C. Mehmet, M.D. ( CNN ) says it best: “all of our surgery patients are offered the treatment [massage] — I call it ‘service with a smile’ — and it’s a mandatory weekly prescription I give myself.”
I agree with Dr. Oz, but not everyone can get a weekly massage. If you have an area that needs attention ( shoulder or neck pain, etc. ), I would suggest weekly but every other week is still effective in treating the area. It’s likely it took a long time to get huge knots or whatever the problem is in your back or neck.
Chronic pain sufferers know it doesn’t usually happen overnight- so it will take a few corrective massage sessions to correct an issue to provide lasting relief. If you don’t have injuries, then I suggest every three weeks or once a month for stress relief, proper circulation, & injury watch care.
It’s much easier to maintain a healthy body while getting regular massages verses wait until you get an injury to get medical corrective massage.
+ To book an app with Lisa, e-mail her at: SanDiegoMediMassage@yahoo.com.
++ Use the code ‘SkinnyMassage’ for 10% off the first treatment ( redeemable for new clients only ).


No real progress in fighting cases of crime, corruption
Once again, crime is in deadly focus; once again, we have the slew of poorly thought-out, knee-jerk “solutions” such as hanging, one-strike, precepting the Army and so on being promoted as the way forward. Seems as though we haven’t learned from the SoE (state of emergency) that these steps alone bring no lasting benefit.
We then have the customary use of “statistics”, meant to illustrate the progress being made, progress that we, of course, remain totally unconvinced of. And just in case that doesn’t work, we have ideas such as “criminals killing criminals” and the need to “bleed to heal” being touted. Judging by the amount of blood that has been shed over the past decade, we should be living in paradise by now. As if that isn’t enough, you have cut prices of flour and rice to grab our attention.
In the midst of all, the causal factors behind a lot of our criminal activity remain largely unaddressed. The primary underlying cause is international organised crime, especially drug, weapons and human trafficking and their accompanying offences, such as money laundering, corruption of legal and law enforcement bodies and destruction of communities.
What action has been taken to deepen co-operation with international agencies? It seems we can’t even have adequate co-operation between our local agencies. What is being done to secure our porous borders? Has any tangible action been taken in relation to money laundering? The key to reducing crime is taking the money out of it.
Another way to reduce money in the hands of the underworld is to legalise certain activities and put proper controls in place. Why not take a serious look at legalising certain drugs, updating our immigration policies to encourage the people we need to come and keep the ones we don’t want out, and, of course, revamping our legal and penal systems to place a greater focus on restorative justice.
Running a close second to international organised crime is corruption, a most insidious activity that seems to become more entrenched with each successive administration. Corruption and wastage take away resources and focus that should be used to develop the country’s infrastructure, to educate our people and to build our international profile.
Recently, we have seen senior administration personnel partying hard with persons accused of serious financial crimes. Would they consort freely with persons accused of robbery, rape and murder? The fact that this has occurred in the shadow of the Section 34 debacle is a slap in the face of the populace. This would probably be listed as yet another “misstep”, but what is the number of missteps that equates to incompetence.
The lack of real economic development across too many areas in this rich country is another significant causal factor of crime. And no, being the second or third-richest country in the Caribbean isn’t outstanding economic development. With our natural resources, geographical position and human resources, it’s almost a shame. That’s like
Usain Bolt coming second in an under-15 race.
Various governments haven’t even put in place anti-crime measures such as computerisation of the Licensing Office, providing police with needed tools and technology, streamlining the Police Service, empowering communities and ensuring an efficient and well-funded judiciary.
Lots of gun talk, chest-thumping and little to no real progress on the anti-crime front. We deserve and must demand better.


Essay:How do movies or television influence people's behavior? Use reasons and speci
Hello teachers and friends,
please read this essay and give me the corrections .I finished this essay in 32 mins.
Please let me know how much points I can get in this essay.
How do movies or television influence people's behavior? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.
Media always have influence people's behavior.Most of the times it is totally different than the reality.There are some educational movies,cartoon films and movies on fairy tales.Some of them are inspiring and encouraging and motivating. And there are some action,violent and horror movies also.The daily News on TV which are important too.They are also addictive and time consuming.They all have different effects on different people.
For children there are lots of educational movies some of them are Disney,Leap Frog which helps children to learn alphabets, counting, colors etc.Cartoon films which make them happy and teaches them a lot like shearing,helping and caring.And those simple acts helps them to be a better person.Fairy tales shows some amazing things which broadens the imagination power of the kids.
Some movies based on real life are motivating.Those movies make you feel that even you can do things which are out of your reach, you want to work hard if you watch such movies.Inspiring and encouraging movies are also there,they help you in certain ways.And besides that they are entertaining.
But some television shows and movies are violent.Lots of action scenes,and murders, terrors which are not good. They influence the kids to act like that.Horror shows and movies are even worst, some people can't even sleep if they watch it.Other disadvantages of movies and TV shows are: they are addictive, time consuming.Because of that your outdoor activities reduces and it automatically affect your health due to less physical activity.Besides that the rays coming out of the television are harmful to the eyes.This may be the reason behind using glasses and lenses these days.
To conclude, Television and Movies have both advantage and disadvantage.It will teach you all goo and bad stuffs.It all depend upon parents and people watching it.For kids parents have to guide them,and tell them that this is good you should do that.But if something is wrong you got to tell them immediately.For adults,they know everything what to take and what to avoid from that.They can read the instruction before watching the movie.
All in all,Guide yourself while watching all kinds of shows and movies.And always try to get something good from that.
Score : 5.0 - 5.5
1. Very good & logical points.
2. You have balanced your views.
3. Best part is that you have discussed about TV's influence on different age groups.
4. Variety of examples are there in your essay.
5. Language used is simple.
6. For such topics where the topic does not ask to take a side , always discuss the plus and minus points.


- Tough lesbians catfight audition.
- Two cougars turn a catfight into the perfect excuse to fuck.
- Laura chen is either really stupid or just into getting fucked up messy, because for some reason she lets professional looking kety pearl blindfold her and then sabotage her outfit with globs of colorful paint!! Not exactly a messy catfight in the traditi.
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- Catfight breaks out by the pool and ends in hot lesbian sex.
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- Catfight club vol2 - 03.
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- Great catfight between amirah adara and bibi noel.
- Rough catfight at a carwash.
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VINCI – A Tablet (Device) For Young Children
Baby (Technology) Steps For Young KidsVINCI is invented by Dr. Dan Yang, CEO of Santa Monica, California-headquartered Rullingnet Corp. Dr Yang, an entrepreneur in the telecommunications industry, was fascinated by the fact that her young daughter Hera eschewed normal toys but enjoyed interacting with mobile technology including phones and laptops. As a mother herself, she realized that current technological products did not properly address the needs of very young children, and so set about creating a company to design the first child-friendly interactive learning devices for young children. “It is a well-known fact that the first three years of a person's life is the most critical period during which a character and an attitude will be initially formed, and, like every parent, I want to provide my child with fun tools that will help her build a positive attitude toward learning while developing essential skills necessary for the modern world,” says “mompreneur” Yang, who have filed various patents for VINCI and which should be available commercially sometime later this year.
Daniel Goh is the founder and chief editor of Young | Upstarts, as well as an F&B entrepreneur. Daniel has a background in public relations, and is interested in issues in entrepreneurship, small business, marketing, public relations and the online space. He can be reached at daniel [at] youngupstarts [dot] com.


This year, Robotronica at the Queensland University of Technology’s (QUT’s) Gardens Point Campus revealed some of the latest developments and trends within the field of robotics. As one of the volunteers at this free event, I was given the chance to see a variety of demonstrations, workshops, games, and discussions that informed, inspired and surprised me in many ways.
Here are some of the programs in which I took a particular interest:
Robotic Arm demonstration
First off, RAWrobotics delivered a collaborative presentation on their new product: a robotic arm named Orion5. People were given the opportunity to see Orion5 robotic arms performing interesting tasks — such as sword fights — and gave them the chance to work with 3D simulation software that enabled them to control a real robotic arm.
Robot Play Zone
The kids and their families had fun exploring a variety of robots that were used in various education and STEM programs, such as Ozobot, Lego EV3 Drawing Robot, Bee-Bot, and so much more.
Ozobot was designed to recognise different colours and colour sequences comprised of up to four colours. Kids used their imagination to create fun and colourful paths and intersections — some on pieces of paper, and others on digital screens and surfaces — using iOS and Android applications to do so. For example, if you were to draw a red line, Ozobot would recognise the colour and react by turning itself red. If you were to draw a blue or a green line, the same thing would happen with the respective colours. If you were to draw these three colours in sequence, you could have Ozobot perform specific commands like slow down, speed up or spin.
The Lego EV3 Drawing Robot — just as the name suggests — was a drawing robot built with a Lego Mindstorms set. Kids would put different coloured pens and markers in the robot’s pen holder, and place sheets of paper or paper plates underneath the pen. The robot would then leave a trail of colour on the paper.
Bee-Bot was a robot that could be programmed to go from place to place. It allowed children to practise how to use directional commands in order to find treasure on a pirate map. Children were provided with a Bee-Bot Treasure Island mat; they then had to pick a spot on the map to hide the treasure. Students then programmed the Bee-Bots to move forwards, backwards, left and right when the arrow keys on their backs were pressed.
Orbiter, a realistic 3D space flight simulator game, enabled visitors to experience the magic of space flight. Visitors began their simulation at a special space centre, and journeyed to various international space stations. They were also given the chance to go on a tour around the solar system — more specifically, around high-resolution models of celestial bodies!
The story of Ben-E-Bot (“Benefitting the Elderly Bot“)
Ben-E-Bot is a chatbot designed to help the elderly in their daily life. This robot utilises simple technologies like Makey Makey boards and Littlebits blocks, and it can do things like hold everyday conversations with the elderly, or facilitate non-verbal interactions between the elderly and their long-distance family members.
For those of you who don’t know, Makey Makey boards are circuit boards that allow students to create circuits using objects that can conduct even the tiniest bit of electricity. The boards plug into a computer via a USB cable, and they essentially allow you to make interfaces (like a directional pad, for example) out of everyday objects. LittleBits are a collection of electronic building blocks that snap together using magnets. They allow you to create smart electronic devices without requiring you to solder, wire or program anything.
FotoEcho is a virtual mirror installed in a small room that captures the visitor’s face. This room is equipped with facial tracking technology, sound, and animation. The way it works is like this: someone on the display screen tells a story for the visitor — a story that usually carries messages of suffering, or overcoming hardship. Over the course of the narrative, the user’s face is captured and effectively “hijacked”, for — by the end — the face telling the story is that of the visitor’s! The point of FotoEcho is to have visitors experience empathy and connection by, quite literally, seeing from the narrator’s perspective.
Cartman — short for “Cartesian manipulator” is a robot that can pick and pack. It looks a little bit like a gantry crane, and contains a spinning gripper. It also comes equipped with weighing scales, and two cameras to detect different objects. This robot has six degrees of freedom, and both a claw and a suction gripper that enable it to complete tasks with more flexibility than any old off-the-shelf robot. Its many features make it ideal for working in, say, a warehouse — among other things!
Baxter is a factory worker arm robot that can be employed as a handy pair of working arms. What really distinguishes Baxter from other worker arm robots is that it’s safe to have around humans; it doesn’t need a cage or any other kind of safety measure to prevent it from harming anyone.
Just like how humans make use of nonverbal cues — particularly facial cues — in conversation, Baxter uses facial experiences to communicate what it intends to do: prior to moving either arm, it conveys the appropriate cues on its face (which is, in reality, a tablet). Its arms are fitted with sensors so that, when an arm detects resistance or obstruction mid-movement, said arm automatically retracts, so as to not harm the obstruction. Baxter can be programmed with code, or you can manually teach it movements to memorise.
Harvey is a harvesting robot — or, more specifically, a capsicum-picking robot — made by QUT. Through machine learning, it has been trained to identify and pick ripe capsicums. It began its journey by first studying images of capsicums, and then moving on to plastic capsicums, before finally progressing to real capsicums. It uses a suction cup to take hold of the ripe capsicum, and then a cutter piece on its arm to cut the stem. At Robotronica, there was a collaborative demonstration that gave children an understanding of how robot arms can help us in the future with manual labour tasks, such as automated fruit harvesting and warehouse packing.
NAO and Pepper
Visitors had the chance to interact with QUT’s NAO Robot, and SoftBank Robotics’ Pepper. Pepper is a humanoid robot based on NAO, and the world’s first individual humanoid robot that can recognize emotions. Pepper comes equipped with computer vision and complex sensors. Its upper body moves on wheels, allowing it to move faster and smoother than its older sibling, and it comes equipped with a tablet on its chest, enabling greater interactions between Pepper and, say, a user.
Robogals — an organisation that is advocating for a greater presence of women within the STEM field — ran a hands-on workshop. In it, students used EV3 robots to program and complete a number of interesting challenges, like the robot sumo tournaments, and battles against other EV3 robots.
QUT STEM workshop
The QUT STEM workshop introduced students to the basics principles of programming by using a driverless Arduino car around a track. For those of you who haven’t heard of it before, an Arduino is a circuit board that comes equipped with microcontrollers. They are a great way of teaching students the basics of electrical engineering and programming, and probably one of the best choices you can make as far as equipment goes if you’re keen on getting into electrical or robotic projects!
Super Box World
Super Box World proved to be a great opportunity for children and their families to tap into their their creativity. It allowed them to build their own robots out of cardboard. Coupled with custom motorised parts, children and families were able to make interesting robots that could make simple electromechanical movement — we’re talking wobbling, rolling and walking cardboard robots!
Throughout that day, visitors were served and entertained by a robot named Mr. Partybot. He is a simple, remote-controlled trolley with a plastic shield, and he spent the day greeting visitors and stirring up excitement amongst the students. He gave children a vision of the future in which robots might socialise with humans and be part of our society.
Not only is Robotronica a great day out, it’s a fantastic chance to learn about robots and all the incredible things that they can do. The event runs once every two years, so if you’re interested, the next one will be running in 2019.
If you’re impatient to get a glimpse at some fantastic robots and what they’re all about, join us on our free holiday tour of the Australian Centre for Robotic Vision!
By Elnaz Karimpour
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September furthered the third quarter’s advance with the S&P 500 Index rising 0.6% and the S&P 500 Value Index up 0.4%. The portfolio posted an increase of 1.4% as the month had a defensive tilt.
For the quarter, the S&P 500 and S&P 500 Value rose 7.7% and 5.9%, respectively, while the portfolio advanced 6.7%. All sectors posted a positive return but there was a fair bit of dispersion with Health Care being the best sector (up 14.5%) and Materials being the worst (up only 0.4%).
For the year-to-date period, the portfolio continues to lag the S&P 500’s gain of 10.6% by about 2.9% but it is outpacing the S&P 500 Value’s return of 3.5% by about 4.2%. Our underperformance relative to the S&P 500 is almost entirely explained by our underweight in Information Technology, which, as a sector, is up 25% over this period, and our overweight to Consumer Staples, which is actually down 3.7%.
All of our third quarter trading activity occurred in September. We trimmed Dollar General, due to valuation and position size as it had become our largest holding. The company’s stock has appreciated 40%+ over the trailing year, and its prospective expected rate of return is now lower, but still attractive. The company continues to execute nicely, and we remain favorably disposed to the dollar store business model which has historically shown a great combination of defensive strength in a weak economy along with long-term earnings prospects greater than the market. We also trimmed Kroger, which has been a holding that has generated a lot of conversation. We added to our position in 2017 when the Amazon threat was perceived to be a death knell for Kroger and that addition in the low $20 range proved timely as our recent trade reduced the position size at a share price around $32. We added to the ConAgra position we initiated in the first quarter because the stock price has barely moved as we have gained even more confidence in CEO Sean Connelly’s vision within frozen foods and snacks. Finally, having reduced our State Street position in the first quarter at prices well over $100, we had the opportunity to add back to this well-run company when it announced its intention to acquire Charles River. We believe this deal will further strengthen the company’s offerings to its sophisticated client base and, with the stock back down to the mid $80s, the risk/return profile became quite attractive again. All of the trades were valuation driven. We were able to reduce positions in companies that have performed well and expected future rates of return have decreased while adding to companies that are executing well but whose stock prices are flat to down, and whose valuations are not capturing the strong fundamentals.
Regarding the broader market, Chart 1 shows a nearly 40-year history of the performance of “growth” versus “value.” For the period from 1979 through 1997, “growth” and “value” seesawed back and forth with the two styles eventually having similar returns. The two-year period of 1998 and 1999, shows “growth” dramatically outperforming “value” as the dot-com period favored growth stocks, particularly Technology. However, the “value” style had a strong bias for the next seven years, which more than offset growth’s advantage during the dot-com period. Since 2007, “growth” has clearly outperformed “value” and valuations for growth relative to value are higher than any time outside of the Tech bubble of the late 1990’s (Chart 2, below).
Russell 1000 Growth vs Russell 1000 Value Returns
Source: Russell, BofA Merrill Lynch US Equity & US Quant Strategy
For illustrative purposes only.
Russell 1000 Growth vs. Russell Value Relative Valuation
Source: BofA Merrill Lynch US Equity & US Quant Strategy, FactSet, FTSE Russell
For illustrative purposes only.
The year-to-date period has also been marked by a number of major market bubbles. We would note the unwinding of the Bitcoin craze, which saw the price of Bitcoin rocket from less than $900 in January of 2017 to nearly $20,000 by the end of that year before crashing back to about $6,600 recently. Lately, we have seen the mania surrounding cannabis create some major volatility. The poster child would be Tilray, Inc., a Canadian company that engages in research, cultivation, production and distribution of medical cannabis. In August, this company traded at about $20 a share but, in September, it spiked to over $300 before rapidly collapsing to $143 by the end of the month. At its peak, Tilray had a market capitalization of nearly $23 billion on estimated 2018 sales of less than $50 million. This reminds us that investors can get caught up in crazes and lose focus on valuation. At Coho Partners we seek business models that are enduring, with consistent earnings and dividend growth, and where the valuations are reasonable. We are essentially “partnering” with the managements of these companies to understand their long-term operating and financial strategies, which we believe we can monitor on an ongoing basis via a conservative dividend discount valuation methodology. This process has proven successful in the past, and we believe it will do so in the future.
Part of our process is to define sectors as either being “demand defensive” or “economically sensitive.” Demand defensive sectors tend to include companies whose business models are reasonably well-insulated from gyrations in the economy. Economically sensitive sectors contain businesses whose fortunes are much more tied to changes in the economy. Thus, their earnings tend to be much more volatile. To us, demand defensive sectors are Consumer Staples, Health Care-related issues, Integrated Energy, Telecommunications, and Utilities. Everything else is “economically sensitive” and much more impacted by the cycle. However, in September, a number of large and well-known companies were reclassified by S&P from Information Technology, Consumer Discretionary and Telecommunications to an entirely new sector called Communications Services. The old Telecommunications sector is no more. The new Communications Services sector still has the three legacy telecommunications companies in it, but some of the larger additions include Facebook and Alphabet (Google) from the Information Technology sector and Comcast, Disney, and Netflix from the Consumer Discretionary sector. The characteristics of this new sector are dominated by the non-telecom issues with Alphabet, Facebook, and Netflix accounting for over half of the overall weight.
Telecom had historically been a demand defensive sector for Coho but with this new sector now dominated by more cyclical issues, it seems to make sense to count the entire Communications Services sector as economically sensitive. Even the legacy Telecom group is not what it used to be with AT&T owning and/or chasing media companies instead of just being a service provider. The new group will have approximately a 10% weighting in the S&P 500 with just 2% being the legacy telecom stocks (Verizon, AT&T, and CenturyLink.) Despite these reclassifications, there will be no impact to the way we go about creating our investable universe.
The views, opinions, and content presented are for informational purposes only. They are not intended to reflect a current or past recommendation; investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice of any kind; or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities or investment services. Nothing presented should be considered to be an offer to provide any Coho product or service in any jurisdiction that would be unlawful under the securities laws of that jurisdiction. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. There can be no assurance that the portfolio will be successful in limiting volatility.


Scottish secretary of the PCS Union Lynn Henderson says politicians should think again
ANY "progressive politician" who crossed a PCS picket line during recent industrial action "should consider their own conscience", writes the Scottish secretary of the PCS Union, Lynn Henderson.
Writing on her own blog in a piece titled 'Picket lines, principles and the Parliament', Henderson recounted a recent two-month rolling programme of strike action by PCS members working for the Scottish government, parliament, culture and justice bodies over pay.
While members of fellow unions are often sympathetic on strike days by cancelling meetings in order to avoid crossing picket lines or refusing to take on the duties of a striking co-worker, politicians in Scotland have shown much less solidarity, Henderson says.
She writes: "Last Thursday, with the exception of 10 principled MSPs (five Labour and the five Green and Independent members), SNP and Labour politicians alike saw fit to cross our picket lines en masse. That the parliament functioned that day can only be down to management pressure on non-PCS staff to cover the duties of striking workers. To use industrial language, this is scabbing.
"Therefore any progressive politician crossing our lines and participating in Parliament business on a strike day should consider their own conscience.
"We expect as much from the Tories and Liberals, but many MSPs that otherwise style themselves as champions of the underdog appear oblivious to long held labour and trade union movement principles when it comes to the unionised Scottish parliament workers that deliver parliamentary services to them at Holyrood day in day out.
"Surely these hard working and loyal public servants withdrawing their labour, sacrificing a day's salary in protest against austerity pay are as worthy of support and solidarity as any other Scottish worker in dispute."


2017 Malbec, Le Potager du Sud, 'Grand Cuvee', VdP Gascogne, France
Regular price £9.95
Malbec is known worldwide as Argentina`s flagship grape, however, before Argentina, the bold and flavourful Malbec (also known as Cot) was a local hero of the southwest of France. Named Potager after the `Kitchen gardens` that are popular in the region, it bursts with pervasive aromas of blackberry and mulberry combined with hints of green pepper. It is full flavoured and well structured, juicy black fruits on the palate are backed by fine yet soft tannins.


Ticks and Fleas Prevention
Parasite prevention are two words that should be on the tongue of every responsible pet owner. Nevertheless, many inexperienced pet parents don’t fully realize the repercussions that a parasite problem could have for the health of their beloved furbaby, and even the humans living in their home. Cats, dogs and even ferrets are all at risk, so don’t let your pet remain unprotected. Here is what you need to know about tick and flea prevention.
What are ticks?
Ticks are small, wingless parasites that are most often found living outdoors in tall grasses, bushes and woodland. They hitch a ride on your pet when she brushes past, clinging on to her fur and then making their way to an area of the body where her blood runs close to the surface and where they are fairly well hidden. The underside of your pet’s body, including the stomach and thighs, tend to be popular locations. Ticks survive by drinking the blood of their host, swelling in size to accommodate their intake of blood. Once they are full, they will drop off until they become hungry again and start to look for another meal.
How will ticks affect my pet?
In addition to causing some degree of blood loss through their consumption, ticks are well known for transmitting a variety of different diseases, some of which could have potentially serious or even fatal consequences for your pet. Lyme disease is also spread by ticks, and if an infected tick bites you or another human rather than your pet, you too could contract the disease.
There is one further problem. Some ticks have a toxin in their saliva that causes paralysis. While some pets might experience this mildly, if the toxin affects the respiratory system, it could prevent your pet from breathing and put her life at risk.
What are fleas?
Fleas are probably the most well-known of all parasites, but many owners fail to realize quite how much of an impact they can have on their pet and indeed, their home. Fleas reproduce rapidly and what can begin as just a few of these parasites can quickly turn into a massive infestation. They don’t just live on your pet either. Fleas can survive for a number of weeks without a host and will live and lay eggs in your carpets, between your floorboards and all over the lower level of your home.
Fleas jump onto their host from wherever they are and will drink their blood to survive. The more fleas your pet has, the more likely she is to become anemic as a result of the blood loss the fleas cause. Some fleas carry diseases such as typhus and tapeworms, which could cause a secondary problem for your pet. Flea saliva is also highly irritating to many animals, with some experiencing such a bad reaction to it that they develop flea allergy dermatitis – a skin condition that usually requires topical medication to improve it. If your pet scratches persistently, she risks breaking the skin and causing an infection which will then require antibiotics.
Effective tick and flea prevention
The good news is that there are now more products to protect pets from ticks and fleas than ever before. Even better, flea and tick preventatives are often combined into one solution, making effective protection fairly affordable for owners.
Exactly which type of prevention is right for your pet will depend on her species, breed and size, and our vet will be happy to help you determine the most suitable variety and brand. Typically, you can choose from:
- Oral medications
- Spot-on treatments
You can also buy products designed to protect your home and yard from these pesky parasites.
It is important to recognize that all flea and tick preventatives are only effective for a period of time before they require being re-administered. You must note the lifespan of your chosen preventative and make sure to schedule repeating it before it runs out or your pet could be vulnerable. The same can be said for household preventatives.
If you would like more advice on the best flea and tick preventatives for your pet, please don’t hesitate to get in contact our knowledgeable and professional veterinary team.


Blazers are a wonderful, lightweight alternative to a regular jacket and also make an effortlessly stylish addition to your outerwear collection. Our luxury ladies blazers work perfectly for both city and country styling, drawing upon both timeless and fashion forward influences for a stylish accompaniment to any outfit. Tailored for a fitted silhouette, each of our designer women’s blazers are designed by top womenswear brands such as Really Wild, Sporting Hares and more. Invite a luxury women’s blazer into your wardrobe and enjoy versatile and stylish layer wear no matter what the occasion. Explore ladies outerwear such as ladies coats and ladies jackets at Crofton & Hall for more inspiration.


Agroindustrial company which offers a wide range of cuts of Pork, Chicken, Beef, Sheep and Goats, in addition to a great variety of sausages and smoked meats.
Company dedicated to the import and export of agricultural products.
Company based in Moncion. Santiago Rodriguez, dedicated to poultry farming, and the production of balanced feed for chickens, pigs and dairy cows.
Company dedicated to the processing and commercialization of beef and pork.
Company located in Santiago, Dominican Republic dedicated to the production of poultry genetic material.
Company of the poultry sector which represents the best brands of the market. Offers the services of sale of baby chicks and fertile eggs and chickens, and counts with a poultry food factory.
Agricultural company engaged primarily in the production of eggs with more than 25 years in the market.
Corporate group with more than 24 years in the Meat Industry. It is constituted by several companies that dedicate, to the slaughter of Cattle and Pigs, Import of Meats, Fish and Seafood; Service of Storage with Modern Refrigerators, and Manufacture of Sausages.
Business group based in Santiago, Dominican Republic, dedicated to the poultry farming.
Company based in Santiago, Dominican Republic, dedicated to the production and distribution of livestock products. Its facilities include chicken and pigs farms, food factory, and hatchery.
Company based in Moca, Dominican Republic, dedicated to the sale of poultry equipment.
Company leader in Animal Nutrition. Offers premixes, veterinary pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, growth promoters, anti-fungal, and disinfectants.
Dominican company founded in the Cibao Valley, with two decades producing quality poultry products.
Project funded by the United States Department of Agriculture dedicated to strengthening the Dominican Livestock Value Chain.
Industry engaged in the production and processing of chicken and other meat products.


U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, convened a hearing titled “Advancing the Internet of Things in Rural America,” on November 7, 2017. The hearing examined the use and benefits of the Internet of Things (IoT) in rural communities, and the infrastructure needs necessary to advance the IoT market to ensure rural America has access to products and devices that are driving the digital economy.
Below are links to the senate hearing, NDIA’s written testimony, and other news sources that have addressed the hearing. On the hearing page, you will find the written statements of the witness panel and the full video of the hearing. Angela Siefer was the only consumer representative testifying. Angela’s testimony is at 01:01:20, and an interesting exchange between her and Senator Wicker begins at 2:08:40.
For rural America, IoT innovation starts better broadband, GCN
In a Nov. 7 hearing to examine advancing the use of the internet of things in rural communities, testimony focused on a more fundamental issue — widespread broadband deployment.
In testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee’s Communications, Technology, Innovation, Angela Siefer, director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, said, “The first step toward such a strategy is to improve access and adoption data.”
Siefer urged the Federal Communications Commission to provide more accurate data on what areas had reliable access to the broadband internet.
Additionally, the FCC’s recent lowering of baseline upload and download speeds in its definition for broadband, she said, would artificially inflate the progress being made on broadband expansion. Siefer’s organization represents community organizations that seek to reduce digital disparities.
Senate Explores IoT in Rural America, Multichannel News
In addition to connectivity, adoption is key, said Angela Siefer, director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance.
She said she would like to say there was a federal broadband adoption program, but there isn’t.
“We need a federal strategy that addresses infrastructure, and that addresses adoption, and we have to do it together,” she said. She said the FCC data is not accurate, which is a ‘huge problem.”
Limited broadband stymies telemedicine adoption, Senate hears, Modern Healthcare
To actually help people get broadband, the government must adopt an “organized federal strategy,” said Angela Siefer, executive director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance. Siefer has personally seen the effects of remote monitoring, as it helped her father in the last years of his life. The VA provided the connected device he used to monitor his breathing.
Nebraska company urges Congress to encourage rural broadband expansion, 1011 Now News
Angela Siefer from the National Digital Inclusion Alliance questioned if that private sector investment is doing enough to increase access and she’s said she is critical of leaders for not having a unified strategy.
“So there’s a handful of programs for infrastructure, federal programs, I can tell you there are no functioning broadband adoption programs right now. I would like to tell you otherwise, but that’s not true,” Siefer said.
FCC Dinged Over Lack of Federal Strategy for Rural Broadband Adoption
“They have the authority,” she (Siefer) said of the FCC. “But I don’t know if they have the political interest.”