ALASKA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE PROJECT
Artist in Residence: US Fish and Wildlife Service
I began working as an artist in residence with US Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska in 2016. That year I visited the southern portion of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Gwich’in people of Arctic Village. Since that summer, I have returned to complete projects throughout Alaska’s National Wildlife Refuge System – there are 16 Refuges total. I spend time in the wilderness learning about the land and animals and lead community service projects, art workshops, and murals in the Native villages. The resulting artwork is an ode to the way the people have been living in harmony with the wilderness for thousands of years and the interconnection that exists between all life forms in these precious public lands.
Yukon Flats and Togiak National Wildlife Refuges 2018
The first expedition of the summer was to Yukon Flats NWR by boat down the Yukon River from Circle to Fort Yukon, then Beaver, then out at the bridge. The week long journey brought us into the lives of the Gwich’in, Yup’ik, and Inupiaq people and in flow with one of the most powerful, wild and fertile rivers in the North. It was from these waters that I tasted the best salmon of my life – Yukon King, or better yet Yukon Gold – it melted on my tongue and delivered nutrients, omegas, and fat for fuel. It was at the connection of the Porcupine River and the Yukon where I met the most amazing woman – Julie Mahler – who had spent 40 years of her life raising her family on a homestead far away from even the most remote village, tucked into the tundra and fed by the river.
A flight to Anchorage and then to the coast brought me to Dillingham, where I got my first taste of what it’s like to be a village swarmed with commercial fishing. I flew out to Togiak from there, and experienced the constant hum of boat engines as the Yup’ik people of the village picked their set nets for salmon. It was a record year for sockeye salmon in the Bristol Bay area, and everyone was excited and eager. And yet the task comes with risk and danger. All was present in the swirl of Togiak. A helicopter ride thanks to USFWS into the Refuge sent me waist deep in river water flowing thick with spawned out chum salmon and surrounded by feasting bears, gulls, eagles and ravens. I ended my stay in Togiak by painting a mural on the Traditional Council’s storage container, all the while monitoring packs of children with loaded paintbrushes.
The artwork produced from these trips belongs to Fish and Wildlife to utilize for education, outreach, and relations. I hope what I share with you seeds a deep love for wilderness, a respect for traditional ways of life, and a desire to take care of the environments we live in with every step we take.
Julie Mahler, Fort Yukon
Clara Joseph, Beaver
Final Commission for US Fish and Wildlife Service, Fairbanks
Featuring: Julie Mahler of Ft. Yukon and Clara Joseph of Beaver
The Yukon River flows 1,982 miles from Canadian mountain glaciers, across Alaska, and into the Bering Sea. A churning river of chocolate-colored silt, it sprawls across the land in braided tributaries and channels. This is the highway for the life-giving kin of this land – the salmon. The salmon create a vibrant cycle of life that is joined by moose, caribou, wolves, bear, and thousands of migratory birds that flock to the wetland ponds and lakes that pockmark the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge.
Born from this wilderness of water and boreal forest are Julie Mahler of Fort Yukon and Clara Joseph of Beaver. Molded by the river’s lessons for decades, these Gwich’in women carry the rhythm of the river under their skin, and their eyes and smiles tell stories of winter freezes, spring break-ups, and summer abundance. The Yukon provides life for the Gwich’in and calls to the wild-at-heart, who come from around the world to canoe, kayak, boat, fish and learn from the tremendous river that prevails across the Yukon Flats.
Linda Kirby, Togiak
Final Commission for US Fish and Wildlife Service, Dillingham
“Made of This”
Featuring: Elsie Abraham, Aubrey Gosuk, and Skylar Wassillie of Togiak
It’s salmon season in Togiak Village, and everyone’s on the water. Home to people of Yup’ik Eskimo heritage, it is nestled in Togiak Bay, with Togiak National Wildlife Refuge spilling for 4.7 million acres behind it. In this expansive wilderness, the Ahklun Mountains give way to tundra and willow-edged rivers carrying fleets of spawning salmon inland from the Bering Sea. No fish will go to waste – they feed the mouths of humans, bears, wolves, ravens, eagles and dissolve as nutrients in the soil and water.
Togiak elder Elsie Abraham knows well this precious balance of her wild home, and takes good care to extend this knowledge to the younger generations like Aubrey Gosuk and Skylar Wassillie, whose joy is palpable as they reel in jack salmon and rainbow trout from Togiak River. Complete with harvests of sour dock, stinkweed, and salmon berries, the natural abundance here fills bellies and hearts. They are made of this. A cycle unbroken.
Arctic and Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuges 2017
The summer of 2017 I was invited back up to work with US Fish and Wildlife Service as an artist in residence in their National Wildlife Refuge system in Alaska. In 2016, the residency culminated with a beautiful artwork that described the southern portion of the 19 million acre Arctic Refuge and the Gwich’in people. We were presented a challenge: the Refuge is millions of acres more than I could ever see in one visit and there are two distinct groups of Native people who call it home, the Gwich’in in the South and the Inupiaq Eskimos in the North. So we did another project!
The first part of the month of August was spent along the Hula Hula River in the Brooks Range Massif in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and in Kaktovik, a small village of Inupiaq Eskimos on the Arctic Coast. I then flew across the state of Alaska (which is a third of the size of our country!) and spent the latter half of the month along the Kuskokwim River in Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge visiting village after village of Yup’ik Eskimos. YK Delta NWR boasts the largest population of Native people, and the Yup’ik continue to this day to retain a great portion of their traditional ways of life on the river: fishing for salmon, hunting moose and caribou, and harvesting berries from the tundra.
The resulting work below are sketches created in the field, portraits drawn of the people who shared stories with me, and the final two pieces for US Fish and Wildlife Service, owned and used by them for education, environmental efforts, and Native relations. The projects continue to evolve and touch me deeply, and I hope the artwork will continue to inspire for years to come.
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Ida Angasan, 72 years old, Kaktovik
Isaac Akootchook, 96 years old, Kaktovik
Final Commission for US Fish and Wildlife Service, Fairbanks
“The Arctic Miracle of Life: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge”
Featuring: Betty Brower and Isaac Akootchook of Kaktovik
At the northernmost point of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, rivers split at the Continental Divide and wind through the Brooks Range Massif. Out onto the flat Coastal Plain they flow, depositing nutrients into a teeming Arctic Ocean. Here, mother polar bears den in the winter and caribou birth calves in the spring. Wolves pursue caribou and Dall’s sheep over tundra trails, and bowhead whales carrying ancient threads of the sea nourish a people who call this place home – the Inupiaq Eskimos of Alaska.
Elders like Betty Brower and Isaac Akootchook who thrive here know it to be a land of self-reliance, but also radical interdependence.
By recognizing the cycles that push and pull at the North of the planet, we can find roles in supporting this persistent
Arctic Miracle of Life.
Kuskokwim River, Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge
Sophie Sakar, 75 years old, Chuathbaluk
Patricia Yaska, Chuathbaluk
Samuel Jackson Sr., 93 years old, Traditional Chief Kwethluk
Polly Andrews, 32 years old, Anchorage
Final Commission for US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bethel
“Inextricably Intertwined: Kuskokwim River and Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge”
Featuring: Samuel Jackson Sr. of Kwethluk and Sophie Sakar of Chuathbaluk
Winding down the Kuskokwim River towards the delta, the earth flattens, trees disappear, and the expanse of tundra becomes unfathomable. Upriver, 75-year-old Sophie Sakar collects the abundant wild blueberries of the late summer tundra, her backdrop, the Russian Mountains, of the last undulations in the terrain. Those same hands that boil moose in stew, take apart whitefish for akutaq, and fillet salmon for drying, rebuilt her village from the ground up.
Downriver, Samuel Jackson Sr., speaking only his native tongue, tells harvest stories as his eyes trail flocks of geese overhead. At 93 years old and the traditional chief, his family legacy spans up and down the river. The magic of the wild Kuskokwim is evident as rounding every bend of the river sends waterfowl and osprey into flight, and through its history with its people, the Yup’ik Eskimos of Alaska, who to this day live inextricably intertwined with the river that sustains them.
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 2016
I traveled with the US Fish and Wildlife Service as an artist in residence to Arctic Village, a village of 120 Gwich’in people, and into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. At 19 million acres, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is the largest in the country, and is located entirely above the Arctic Circle. It is a land of strong contrasts, all at once vast and untouched, and still altered by climate change and the continued use of resources. By walking upon this land alongside the people who have existed here for a thousand generations, my ideals were tempered, yet my inspiration soared.
Traveling to these remote locations and being altered by the land, animals and people is a gift I know only one way to fully repay: with my creations. The final pieces are owned and used by the US Fish and Wildlife Service for education, inspiration, Native relations, and activism. Below you will view my sketchbook entries created in the field, portraits of elders in Arctic Village, and the final piece that includes the portrait of Trimble Gilbert, Gwich’in Elder of Arctic Village.
David Solomon, Arctic Village
Ernest Erick, Venetie
Trimble Gilbert, Arctic Village
Final Commission for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fairbanks
“As Above So Below: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge”
Featuring: Trimble Gilbert of Arctic Village
Through the layered complexities of the Arctic landscape, the continuity and the connection of all things surface. The Arctic loon calls out from the mouth of the Teedrinjik River, cutting through mighty mountains and sparse spruce forest. The call is met by the swans flying above and the caribou grazing below. Merging with the mountainside, Gwitch’in elder Trimble Gilbert bears a look that is telling of the depth of the People of the Caribou, their understanding of the land’s workings, and wondering what is to come.
Melting permafrost reveals that a land, even this vast and untouched, is subject to the effects of climate change. Here, in one of the wildest places on our planet, we find context and lessons for life. The importance of wilderness is immeasurable.
As above, so below.


Have you ever wondered how cats become skilled hunters? Much like many other mammals, cats acquire their hunting prowess through a combination of instinct and learning, primarily from their mothers. This intriguing process involves a mix of observation, play, and innate abilities.
1. Learning from the Queen: The journey towards becoming a proficient hunter begins with the mother cat, known as the queen. She plays a pivotal role in teaching her kittens the fundamentals of hunting. The queen typically demonstrates hunting techniques through actions like stalking, pouncing, and capturing prey.
2. Play and Sibling Interaction: As kittens grow and develop, they engage in play sessions with their littermates. These play sessions are instrumental in refining their hunting skills. Through mock battles and playful hunting games with their siblings, kittens learn coordination, stealth, and agility, which are vital for successful hunting.
3. Observational Learning: Studies have highlighted the importance of observational learning in a kitten’s hunting education. Kittens that have the opportunity to watch their mother in action tend to become more proficient hunters than those who don’t have this privilege. It’s as if they are absorbing valuable lessons through careful observation.
4. Instinctual Abilities: Remarkably, even kittens who never have the chance to witness their mother hunt can often tap into their innate instincts to figure out hunting techniques on their own. Cats possess a natural predatory instinct that drives them to stalk and capture prey. This instinctual behavior can emerge even in the absence of formal training from their mother.
5. Putting Skills to Use: Once a cat has acquired hunting skills through these various methods, they may display their hunting behaviors in everyday situations. This might include playfully chasing after toys, attempting to catch a buzzing fly, or, in some cases, bringing real prey home. The prey can range from small creatures like mice and birds to larger game such as rabbits.
In essence, the journey of a cat’s hunting education is a fascinating blend of maternal guidance, playful interactions with littermates, observation, and instinctual abilities. While some cats may never have the chance to observe their mother’s hunting prowess, they often possess an inherent talent for stalking and capturing prey. This innate skill, honed through play and experience, underscores the timeless and primal nature of a cat’s hunting instincts.


According to https://www.medicalnewstoday.com — looking at “puppy dog eyes” triggers a 300% increase in a person’s oxytocin levels – the “love hormone” involved in maternal bonding.
According to https://www.Helpguide.org :
- Dogs in particular can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, ease loneliness, encourage exercise and playfulness, and even improve your cardiovascular health.
- One study even found that when people with borderline hypertension adopted dogs from a shelter, their blood pressure declined significantly within five months.
- People with dogs have lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those without pets.
- More than any other animal, dogs have evolved to become acutely attuned to humans and our behavior and emotions.
- While dogs are able to understand many of the words we use, they’re even better at interpreting our tone of voice, body language, and gestures.
- And like any good human friend, a loyal dog will look into your eyes to gauge your emotional state and try to understand what you’re thinking and feeling.
- Stroking, hugging, or otherwise touching a loving animal can rapidly calm and soothe us when we’re stressed or anxious.
- Playing with a dog or cat can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine, which calm and relax.
- One of the reasons for these therapeutic effects is that dogs (and cats) fulfill the basic human need to touch.
- Taking a dog for a walk, hike, or run are fun and rewarding ways to fit healthy daily exercise into your schedule.
- Studies have shown that dog owners are far more likely to meet their daily exercise requirements
- And exercising every day is great for the animal as well. It will deepen the connection between you, eradicate most behavior problems in dogs, and keep your pet fit and healthy.


While partaking in High Country activities, such as hiking to a waterfall or overlook or fishing on the banks of one of the area’s stocked trout streams, the chances of picking up a tick are highest in the warm summer months. Because ticks carry diseases such as Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, it is important to prevent tick bites.
Tick prevention comes in several forms. A bug spray containing DEET will deter ticks from attaching to you. Other options include treating your clothes with a spray on insect repellant, which lasts through about six washes. Tick repellant clothing which protects wearers from ticks is another good option. This clothing provides protection from ticks which lasts through 70 washings.
When prevention isn’t possible, quick removal of the tick is essential. The longer a tick is attached, the greater chance that a disease will be transmitted. The only method which should be used for tick removal is the use of tweezers. Any other method, including squeezing the tick, putting alcohol on it, or holding a hot match to the tick will only increase the chances of spreading disease from the tick to your body.
To remove a tick, use a pair of tweezers and pinch the tick as close as possible to your skin. Pull in the opposite direction from which the tick is embedded.
Once the tick is removed, be sure to wash the bite area and your hands well with soap and water or alcohol to reduce the chance of infection. Place the tick in a plastic bag and write on it the date the tick was removed. In the event you begin experiencing symptoms related to a tick bite, the tick can be tested to determine whether or not it carried disease.
Be sure to call your doctor if you are unable to remove the tick, or if the ticks head remains in your skin after removal. It is time to call the doctor if you feel weak or very sick, have a headache or fever 2 to 14 days after the bite, a rash develops 2 to 14 days after the bite, or if the bite looks infected.
For more information on tick bite prevention or removal, visit the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/


Diabetes presents with very high glucose levels in blood. It is essential that every individual does a regular check on the blood glucose levels.
The more routine laboratory investigations for diagnosis of diabetes are fasting blood glucose (FBG), random blood glucose (RBG) and urine glucose tests. The less routine investigations include 2-hour post prandial (2-hr PPG) and oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT). Glycated Hemoglobin (HB A1C) test is relegated for the management of diabetes.
The FBG test is the most common method used in diagnosis. It measures the amount of glucose in the blood after fasting for 8-12 hours. After the fast: Normal blood glucose level should be between 3.6-5.9mmol/L; Blood glucose level of 6.0-6.9mmol/L is referred to as border line and individuals with such levels stand the chance of developing diabetes in the future; Blood glucose level greater than 7.0mmol/L is deemed hyperglycemia (above normal glucose level) and could be as a result of diabetes. The same idea is employed in the RBG test, except that fasting is not a prerequisite of this test. The reference ranges for the RBG are therefore different (a little higher) than those of the FBG. When the blood glucose reaches a threshold (usually above 11mmol/L), it starts appearing in urine. This is when the urine glucose test is employed in telling if one is diabetic.
The 2-hr PPG and OGTT tests are based on the same principle; how glucose is responded to and regulated by an individual’s system. If they are to be done, they are commenced right after a routine FBG which gives a base line. For the 2-hr PPG, the individual is given a carbohydrate laden meal and blood samples taken every 30minutes for blood glucose measurement for 2 hours. For the OGTT, the individual is given glucose solution (usually 70g of glucose in 300mls of water) and blood samples taken every 1hour for blood glucose measurement for 3 hours. The OGTT test has replaced the 2-hr PPG since it is more sensitive and controlled. A curve is drawn from a graph of glucose level against time and compared to the normal for inferences to be made.
The HB A1C test is used in monitoring the blood glucose levels over 3-4months. HB A1C is basically hemoglobin with bound glucose. In diabetics, the high level of blood glucose induces the binding of some of the glucose to hemoglobin. The life span of red blood cells is 120days. When a diabetic with high HB A1C starts a management regimen, the regimen is deemed effective if after 3-4months (approximation of 120days), the HB A1C comes down to reduced or normal levels. This is because in 3-4months, new red cells would have replaced the old ones and being exposed to the low levels of blood glucose due to the regimen, there wouldn’t be inducement for binding. However, if the regimen is ineffective, the HB A1C level remains high after 3-4months because the new red cells would still be exposed to high levels of blood glucose, and binding of glucose to hemoglobin would be induced.
Know your blood glucose level. Kindly contact +233540666781
This article was written by Joseph Ofori and reviewed by Arnold Agyapong Prempeh, both professional Medical Laboratory Scientists.


Tollers are generally healthy. However, like almost all dog breeds, they have specific potential genetic disorders. Luckily Toller breeders have several DNA tests available that allow us to avoid producing them. When you are searching for your next Toller please ensure the breeder is testing the Sire/Dam for the following:
- Hip Dysplasia – an abnormal formation of the hip socket that can lead to severe arthritis and lameness.
- Cardiac – A check for any malformation of the heart or great vessels.
- Eyes (CAER) – A check for any inherited eye disease.
- Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA) – an inherited disease causing defects in the formation of the eye.
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) – a group of diseases that cause the retina of the eye to degenerate slowly over time.
- Juvenile Addison’s Disease (JADD) – a rare, early onset, chronic endocrine disorder in which the adrenal glands do not produce sufficient steroid hormones.
- Cleft Palate (CP1) – a birth defect whereby a hole in the roof of the mouth develops while the puppy is in utero.
- Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) – A debilitating disease that causes gradual paralysis
- Degenerative Encephalopathy (DE) – a new neurodegenerative disease
THE DYSPLASTIC HIP JOINT
Hip Dysplasia is a terrible genetic disease because of the various degrees of arthritis (also called degenerative joint disease, arthrosis, osteoarthrosis) it can eventually produce, leading to pain and debilitation.
The very first step in the development of arthritis is articular cartilage (the type of cartilage lining the joint) damage due to the inherited bad biomechanics of an abnormally developed hip joint. Traumatic articular fracture through the joint surface is another way cartilage is damaged. With cartilage damage, lots of degradative enzymes are released into the joint. These enzymes degrade and decrease the synthesis of important constituent molecules that form hyaline cartilage called proteoglycans. This causes the cartilage to lose its thickness and elasticity, which are important in absorbing mechanical loads placed across the joint during movement. Eventually, more debris and enzymes spill into the joint fluid and destroy molecules called glycosaminoglycan and hyaluronate which are important precursors that form the cartilage proteoglycans. The joint’s lubrication and ability to block inflammatory cells are lost and the debris-tainted joint fluid loses its ability to properly nourish the cartilage through impairment of nutrient-waste exchange across the joint cartilage cells. The damage then spreads to the synovial membrane lining the joint capsule and more degradative enzymes and inflammatory cells stream into the joint. Full thickness loss of cartilage allows the synovial fluid to contact nerve endings in the subchondral bone, resulting in pain. In an attempt to stabilize the joint to decrease the pain, the animal’s body produces new bone at the edges of the joint surface, joint capsule, ligament and muscle attachments (bone spurs). The joint capsule also eventually thickens and the joint’s range of motion decreases.
No one can predict when or even if a dysplastic dog will start showing clinical signs of lameness due to pain. There are multiple environmental factors such as caloric intake, level of exercise, and weather that can affect the severity of clinical signs and phenotypic expression (radiographic changes). There is no rhyme or reason to the severity of radiographic changes correlated with the clinical findings. There are a number of dysplastic dogs with severe arthritis that run, jump, and play as if nothing is wrong and some dogs with barely any arthritic radiographic changes that are severely lame.


Coromandel Pure Honey is a small boutique family owned business located at Eagle’s Nest, which is nestled in the hills of Pauanui, located on the pristine Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand.
We are very passionate about the environment and the plight of the honeybee and in turn the future we leave for our next generations.
The beautiful gardens of Eagle’s Nest are rich with native manuka, pohutukawa, puriri and other native trees, along with a stunning range of native and exotic flowering plants fueling the production of stunning manuka and mutifloral honey that has a unique taste.
Coromandel Pure honey is sold in its most natural state. Keeping the honey raw and unpasteurised, the honey is filtered through only mesh strainers and straight into the jar in a hygienic and certified honey kitchen. Samples are taken and tested not only for the manuka concentrations but also to ensure there are no toxins that are harmful to humans.
Coromandel Pure Honey sells honey and pure beeswax food wraps to organic shops and information centres throughout towns on the Coromandel Peninsula. All products can also be purchased online.
Coromandel Pure Honey also hosts prestige hands-on beekeeping and honey tasting tours through the beautiful Eagle’s Nest gardens. The bee tour starts with a short lesson about the importance of bees and their lifecycle, before guests put on their own beekeeper’s suits, before walking through the native bush on a purpose-built shell path linking beehive sites together high up on a mountainside in Pauanui. With European honey bees and Bumble bees coming to and from their own handcrafted wooden homes, you can witness queen bees in action and learn about the role they play in their hives, the rearing of new honey bees, and mature foragers coming to and from their hives with rich pollen and nectar sources. Learn about the different stages of how honey is created after the nectar is brought back to the hive by the bees and how they turn it into delicious honey.
To top it all off at the end, take off your bee suit and sit on our stunning deck with breathtaking views overlooking the ocean and the Coromandel Peninsula coast, whilst enjoying a delicious morning or afternoon tea, including a Raw Honey tasting experience!!


Dr Beatriz San Martín Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP On 17 April the UK High Court made a reference to the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”), requesting that the term “human embryos” in Article 6(2) of the Directive 98/44/EC, commonly referred to as the Biotech Directive, be clarified. The referral focuses on whether artificially stimulated ova that are incapable of developing to term should nevertheless be classified as human embryos. Background International Stem Cell Corporation (ISC) applied to patent a new method for activating an oocyte in the absence of sperm through parthenogenesis, the initiation of embryonic cell development without fertilisation, using a variety of chemical and electrical techniques. The technique is viewed as a vital method for producing human embryonic stem cells for research purposes. An ovum activated in such a way is known as a parthenote and contains half the amount of genetic material found in fertilised cells; they contain a set of maternally derived chromosomes but cannot develop to full term due to the absence of paternal chromosomes. Development can occur to different stages after activation but typically parthenotes only reach the blastocyst stage, about five days after activation and develop no further. In contrast to fertilised cells, parthenotes are not considered as totipotent, in that they do not have the capacity to produce a complete human being. They are instead considered as pluripotent being only capable of differentiating into embryonic tissues, such as those for the lungs, bones or nervous system, but not extra-embryonic tissues, such as the placenta. The case The case was an appeal by ISC to the High Court following the decision of the UK IPO to refuse two UK patent applications in the name of ISC, both relating to stem cell research. The refusal was made on the basis that paragraph 3(d) of schedule A2 of the Patents Act 1977 (implementing the Biotech Directive) specifically excludes from patentability ‘uses of human embryos for industrial and commercial purposes’. The CJEU considered parthenogenesis before in Brüstle where, in the context of the Biotech Directive, a wide interpretation was given to what constitutes a “human embryo”. The Court concluded that (emphasis added): “That classification [of a ‘human embryo’] must also apply to … a non-fertilised human ovum whose division and further development have been stimulated by parthenogenesis. Although those organisms have not, strictly speaking, been the object of fertilisation, due to the effect of the technique used to obtain them they are, as is apparent from the written observations presented to the Court, capable of commencing the process of development of a human being just as an embryo created by fertilisation of an ovum can do so.” On addressing this point, ISC said that the only sensible way of interpreting Brüstle was to question what is meant by ‘capable of commencing the process of development of a human being’. According to ISC, clarification is needed on whether an organism must: (a) be capable of commencing the process of development which leads to a human being; or (b) be capable of commencing the process of development even if that process is incapable of leading to a human being. ISC argued that the test adopted by the CJEU was directed at the first alternative because a parthenote is not totipotent and therefore whilst it can commence the process of development it can never actually lead to the full development of a human being, therefore it should not fall within the patent exclusion for a ‘human embryo’. The High Court ruled that the issue was not ‘acte clair’ and has referred the matter to the CJEU for determination. In expressing his own view, Henry Carr QC, sitting as Chancery judge, said he felt that parthenotes were not the same as fertilised ova at any stage and that if the process of development was incapable of leading to a human being, then it should not be excluded from patentability. This author agrees entirely with this position. Comment Capturing commercial value from stem cell research would be far easier under a narrower definition of what constitutes a ‘human embryo’ in terms of patentability. Despite stem cells having the potential to revolutionise the treatment of human conditions, including cancer, heart disease, and spinal injuries, the current caution from the pharma industry and reluctance from venture capital houses mean that research is underfunded and yet to reach its full potential. The field is laden with controversy but the law has to strike a balance between encouraging investment in biotechnology and the need to respect the principles safeguarding the integrity of the person. In considering the Biotech Directive and the potential for stem cell technologies to transform medicine, the Court emphasised that excluding processes which are incapable of leading to a human being would not strike a balance at all and was “more akin to a total exclusion from patent protection of the fruits of stem cell research, to the detriment of European industry and public health”.


Time to meet new friends!
Time to meet our new friends. Just like us, they love bamboo. They like to eat bamboo! Not the thick fully grown sticks that we use in our clothing, but the soft leaves, young green twigs and shoots.
Pandas spend most of the day eating. In the Chinese mountains it is usually very cold. To stay warm, pandas need a lot of energy. So they have to eat a lot, up to 40 kilos of bamboo per day. To achieve this, the pandas need to eat fourteen hours a day.
Research has shown that pandas do not actually digest their favorite foods at all, barely 17% are digested.
Did you know that the panda is very slow because it puts a lot of energy into chewing the tough bamboo and detoxing its meal?
Bamboo, especially the new shoots, contain a highly toxic substance, called bamboo-kun. This is an antimicrobial agent that gives the plant a natural resistance to pests, bacteria and fungi.
This is responsible for the great properties of our clothing: Antibacterial and anti-allergic. Bamboo clothing is well tolerated by the skin and you stay fresh longer on hot days.
The panda that eats the bamboo is less happy with this, it causes him trouble with digestion.
But the panda is completely adapted to this. Evolutionary, he has armed himself against the poison and has learned to tolerate it well.
Pandas are solitary animals. That means that they live alone, and not in pairs or in a group. Pandas only come together during mating season.
Is bamboo cultivation good or bad for the panda population?
Don’t worry, we will keep away from the natural habitat of the panda. We do not cut the bamboo from the natural habitat of the panda, this is protected area. Pandas eat Bashania faniana bamboo, this is the most common species in the mountain regions of China where the panda lives.
For the production of our fabrics and clothing choose Moso Bamboo. Moso or Groove bamboo is extremely suitable for processing into textiles and as a substitute for wood.
More bamboo cultivation has a positive effect on the environment. It offers an alternative source for the wood, construction sector and textile industry. This way deforestation is prevented.
Did you know:
• The scientific name for the panda is Ailuropoda Melanoleuca. Melanoleuca means black and white in Latin and that is exactly the color of the fur of the Panda.
• The Chinese name of the panda is 大熊猫 (dà xióng māo). That literally means big bear cat.
• The name panda as we know it comes from the Nepalese word Poonya, which means bamboo eater.
• A giant panda has 6 fingers: 5 normal fingers and an extra finger that helps hold the bamboo.
• A panda is busy chewing bamboo 14 hours a day, because bamboo is very tough and difficult to digest.
• At birth, a panda weighs approximately 150 grams (= the weight of a kiwi). He is 900 times lighter than his mother.


Although Pelvic Floor Therapy is usually associated as a women’s health issue. Pelvic Floor dysfunction is often found in pregnant women and after giving birth.
However many men also suffer from symptoms which are associated with Pelvic floor dysfunction and many of us guys are not even aware that there is even a problem with these muscles.
Pelvic floor muscles are a group of supportive muscles stretching from the tailbone at the back of the spine ant attach to the pubic bones at the front.
1) These muscles support the pelvic organs, bladder, and bowel, so that they don’t fall down and drop from the pelvic area.
2) Pelvic floor muscles also control the sphincters which include the anus and the urethra.
3) They are also important in erectile function during sex.
Physiotherapy evaluation and treatment by a pelvic floor therapist can strengthen or release the particular muscles around the pelvic floor. As a therapist specializing in the field of Men’s health it is of utmost importance to educate men of all ages about their bodies.
Knowledge and understanding about the reasons for the symptoms in the Pelvic floor together with treatment can greatly improve quality of life for men who has problems with bladder or erectile function.


BioInterfaces in Technology and Medicine (BIFTM)
Innovative approaches for controlling living systems provide a paradigmatic solution to major societal problems. Existing strategies frequently lack the specificity and efficacy demanded by modern medicine and biotechnology. More worrying, for certain applications, even after decades of research there are still no reasonable strategies to control living systems. Thus, the overarching challenge of the programme BioInterfaces in Technology and Medicine (BIFTM) is to develop new key technologies to control living systems.
Please find further information on the BIFTM homepage.
Science and Technology of Nanosystems (STN)
The Helmholtz Research Programme STN takes on the challenge of controlling and shaping materials from the atomic and molecular up to the macroscopic scale to explore their entire potential of novel functionalities.
STN is dedicated towards research and development of
- quantum phenomena and molecular building blocks
- new and novel functional materials
- new optical and photonic systems
Our activities span the entire range from fundamental science to high performance technologies and integrated systems.
Please find further information on the STN homepage.


|Postdoctoral research fellow position at the Immunology Service, Department of Laboratory Medicine, NIH Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD|
We have an opening for a post-doctoral fellow to carry out research in the field of primary immune deficiency and immune dysregulation disorders. The position is available immediately and the position is offered for an initial term of 2 years, with the possibility of additional years based on accomplishments.
The candidate must have received a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in Biological Science (cell biology/life science/immunology/molecular biology) and have experience handling human samples, primary cell culture, flow cytometry, and molecular biology tools (e.g., cloning, transfection, PCR, sequencing, western blotting, ELISA, immunohistochemistry, etc.). The candidate must have a strong background, and a strong interest, in human immunology and molecular biology.
Information about NIH postdoctoral fellows’ stipends could be found at https://researchtraining.nih.gov/
To apply, please send inquires containing a cover letter, CV with a description of previous research, list of publications and contact information for 3 references to Sergio D. Rosenzweig, MD, PhD, Chief Immunology Service, DLM, CC, NIH (firstname.lastname@example.org)


The end of summer brings on many changes in the White-tailed Deer, especially the male, also called a buck. As their antlers grow during the summer, bucks live alone or join bachelor groups. Female deer (doe) and their babies (fawns) remain a family unit for up to a year or until the doe gives birth the next spring. In late summer, the does and fawns are plentiful in the fields at dusk.
This doe was crossing a field of Queen Anne's Lace to get to her fawns waiting at the edge.
As the deer begin to shed their summer coat and their brown-gray winter coat grows, the velvet on the buck begins to die and get rubbed off. That is when things start to happen.
The winter coat of this albino deer will remain white but the velvet begins to be shed as expected. If you look closely, you can see blood on his left ear where the velvet has begun to come off.
Many people would argue that this is a leucistic deer and not an albino deer. Let's explore the differences.
Albinism is caused when they have little or no melanin in their bodies. The hair is white because it lacks pigment and the skin appears to be pink because the flowing blood shows through the deer's pale skin. They generally have pink eyes but they sometimes have pale blue eyes. Albinism negatively affects their eyesight as well.
Leucism is a condition in which there is partial loss of pigmentation resulting in white, pale, or patchy fur. Patchy fur is referred to as Pie-bald. Leucism does not affect the eyes or nose so the eyes remain brown and the nose remains black.
Because of the pink skin that is very noticeable on the ears and nose and the pale blue eyes, it's hard to deny he is an albino.
During this time of year, the food source begins to change and testosterone begins to build. As the bucks shed their velvet, the bachelor groups begin to disband. All the deer you enjoyed watching the past few months are no longer easy to find. As fall approaches, the fields of soy bean plants and other plants the deer love begin to yellow and acorns begin to drop. Their feeding patterns change from the fields to oak trees growing throughout the forest. The dense forest will give them more cover as they feed on their favorite fall harvest.
The life span of an albino deer is shorter than a normal colored deer. One reason is that they cannot hide as well and predators can find them easier. In the photo below, the albino has completed his shed but the small buck next to him is still in the process of rubbing it off.
As velvet sheds, they do not tolerate humans as much and they move more cautiously. A short three weeks ago you could pull off to the side of the road in your car to watch big deer munching on Soy Bean leaves. Now, they are simply not the same deer.
All of the photographs in this blog were made in very low light. Camera shutter speeds were slowed and ISO (sensitivity level of the camera's sensor) was set much higher than I normally set it. Results were not always the best as I recorded many blurry ears and tails swishing at the flies and blurry lower jaws as they chewed the soy bean leaves. I am happy to get what I got and I am equally thrilled to be able to share these beautiful animals with you.
The photo below is an example of everything I said above. I found this lone buck one evening exiting the woods were I was set up in a blind. He was heading toward a huge oak tree where the acorns were already hitting the ground. His coat is in transition between his summer and winter coat and his remaining velvet is barely hanging on.
Seeing an albino deer is a rarity so I made four or five visits to the area he was known to feed. There were several other deer in the area and a few really big bucks. The really big bucks didn't get that way by being friendly. I don't have any photos because they didn't take too kindly to me lifting a Canon (600mm lens) through the window of my vehicle.
I think the white-tailed Deer is one of the most beautiful animals roaming the earth. Although the antlered deer are what we're watching for as the mating season gets closer, I still spend time photographing the females and their little ones too. This next photo is a doe and her two fawns. Although the spots have faded as their winter coat comes in, they are still noticeably smaller than mom.
This little guy still has some spots remaining.
I love photographing animal behavior. Unfortunately, I don't have time to do enough of it. Animal Behavior photography, in my opinion, is photography of wildlife in their natural setting without interrupting their activities and hopefully, discrete enough that they don't know you are there. Let's face it, you may be able to be hidden for a short time but animals have keen senses and discover anything that is different. At that point, our best hope is that you are hidden well enough that you don't pose a threat.
Photographing from a vehicle is a perfect example. Deer see a lot of vehicles drive by and never look up from their feeding. That makes vehicles a good blind as long as you remain in it.
I feel so fortunate when I am lucky enough to witness interaction between wildlife and their babies or even the show of affection like these two fawns grooming each other.
Here are a few more shots of the bucks feeding in the soy bean field.
I couldn't take my eyes, or my lens, off the two fawns in the back of the field.
The grooming continued. Doesn't it look like they are giving each other a hug?
Did you know that a deer's vision is better at night than it is during the day? Also, the colors green, orange, and red appear as shades of gray to the deer. I don't know that I would like that!
September is a time of pre-rut where testosterone builds in the males and hormones escalate in the females. Many bucks begin to "feel each other out" by sparring. Sparring is not an all-out dominance fight but more of an action of pushing each other around.
It was getting very dark when I made this photograph. Most of my photos were blurry but I managed to save a couple like the one below.
When it gets too dark for photos I switch to video until it gets too dark. This video contains clips of bucks sparring along the woodland edge. There were several cars or trucks that drove by during these clips and a few stopped to watch. Unfortunately, most people leave their car running so my microphone picks that up. Hopefully, you can ignore the annoying background noise.
I hope you enjoyed these pre-rut photographs and video. Watch for a November photo blog documenting my White-tailed Deer rut season.
Thanks for looking,
According to the calendar, autumn has arrived. If you’ve walked outside of your northeast home lately, you’ve noticed it still feels like August. With temperatures in the 80’s, we humans make the appropriate adjustments to enjoy the prolonged “summer”. Wildlife and nature, on the other hand, keeps doing what it does in October.
Goldenrod is in bloom, Pokeweed berries are ripening, many wildflowers turned to seed, the sweet and bitter fruits and nuts are ripening into nutrition to be eaten and cached by wildlife, and finally, the deep greens of our summer foliage has begun to turn into yellow and red hues across our landscape.
I have been consumed with Elk, White-tailed Deer, and fall songbird migration photography lately but in the process, there are always special moments and sights to capture in my camera. This photo blog is a compilation of photos and a short video displaying wildlife and nature seen during my time “in the field” the last couple months.
I hope you enjoy these late summer photographs such as this Gray Catbird perched in the, yet-to-ripen, Pokeweed plant.
The setting sun is like a spotlight on the thin ears of the Cottontail Rabbit.
When we bought this property 20 years ago, I was happy to find it is in the middle of several Eastern Black Walnut trees. Yes, they are messy but I don't have to pick up the fallen fruit. My yard is a popular place in the fall when all the neighborhood Gray Squirrels come to gather nuts. I put down lime on certain parts of my lawn to reduce the acidity from the husks the squirrels leave behind. Keeping the trees is the least I can do to help them through the winter.
This bird nesting box has been empty for several months now but this Tufted Titmouse had to check if anyone was home.
Elena and I were in Benezette for a long weekend to photograph the Elk rut. It happened to be during a hot and dry stretch of weather. It affected photography of the rut because the heat would force the elk into the woods earlier in the morning and keep them in there longer in the evening. It wasn't a great weekend for elk photography but I did grab a few interesting shots of other topics.
Here is a Cedar Waxwing perched on a Pokeweed plant.
If you've ever been to Benezette, or any mountainous area for that matter, you will realize that the morning usually greets you with heavy fog. Of course, fog leaves behind dew.
When the sun finally emerged this one morning in Benezette, we were greeted by several hundred dew drenched spider webs glistening in the fields.
Below is a photograph of a Banded Garden Spider and an interesting tidbit I found about web construction from the Department of Entomology at Penn State University.
"A behavioral study of web construction determined that the majority of Argiope trifasciata orient their webs along an east-to-west axis. The spiders hang head-down in the center of the web with their abdomens facing south. Since the underside (venter) of the spider is mostly black, the orientation of both web and spider is believed to maximize solar radiation for heat gain—an important consideration for spiders that are active late in the year."
Waiting for elk to emerge in the evening can be a snoozefest if you let it happen. Instead, I watched several Monarch butterflies visiting the flowering Goldenrod that dappled the landscape. The journey in front of this butterfly is amazing when you think about it. The monarch is this large-winged insect that weighs 1/2 gram or less and seems to be at the mercy of whichever way the wind is blowing. The journey it is on will take him to the final destination of Mexico or southern California where it is warm year round.
On one of my more productive elk visits to Benezette I got to spend the day with my good friend Tom Dorsey, who lives in that region of the state. After spending a very good morning with the elk, Tom took me on a tour of many of the back roads through the mountains and Elk State Forest. Once Tom drove us out of the area I am familiar with, I had no idea where I was. By the way, I keep mentioning elk with no photos. The elk photos will be in an upcoming blog about my experiences during the 2017 elk rut.
Close to the end of my tour, Tom took me to a place called Shaggers Inn Pond. It is tucked away in the forest of Clearfield County. We spent about an hour there watching the birds including a Bald Eagle all the way down in size to fall songbirds chirping in the bushes. Shaggers Inn PondClearfield County, PA
Back in western Pennsylvania, wildlife photography opportunities continue. One day, I spotted a few Wild Turkey and several of their poults (babies). The field grasses were too high to photograph the poults so here is one of the adults.
One day, while photographing birds in my back yard, I saw this Gray Squirrel sitting in the fork of a tree gnawing the husk from the fruit of one of my Eastern Black Walnut trees.
I have a trail cam that I move around my backyard to see how my bird feeders get emptied over night and see what might be coming in to get a drink or bath at the fish pond. All summer, I've had two Raccoons visit now and then. So far, my fish have been safe. One morning, I noticed one of the Raccoons in a large, hollow maple tree that was here long before we were. It was very early in the morning and I think he was ready for a day of napping.
He found a spot to relax.
I'd like to share a short video of clips made in my backyard. I love to watch the American Goldfinsh pulling seeds from the dried Echinacea flower. Also in the video is the Gray Squirrel peeling the husk from a walnut you saw earlier in this blog. And, of course, I have to share video of the Raccoon in the tree.
One evening my friend, Jake Dingel, and I went out looking for White-tailed Deer. We were hoping to find them in the process of shedding their velvet. On our way past a marsh, we spotted a Green Heron perched on a stump in the water. We stopped and photographed the bird.
The heron caught me off guard when he lunged to make a catch and I didn't get any photos worth sharing. This photo was after he returned to the stump with a small frog.
I wish I had my macro lens instead of only the 600mm when I saw this Praying Mantis. It could be a little sharper but it is still worth sharing.
One Saturday morning, after reports of a rare Sabine's Gull being seen at a lake about an hour away in Clarion County, Elena and I decided to go see the bird. Unfortunately, the day before was the last time it was seen as it continued on its migration.
During our wait at the lake, we spotted several fall warblers that I will share in an upcoming photo blog. We also got to watch this Osprey dive into the water and retrieve a fish. Unfortunately, the wind was blowing into our face and since birds land, take off, and fish into the wind, its back was toward us the whole time. The only photos I have to share are after the catch, like the one below.
That's all for now. I hope you enjoyed this series of photos. Soon I will be sharing photos of White-tailed Deer and the American Elk herd in Pennsylvania. I hope you check back soon.
Thanks for looking,
August brings about another kind of migration to the northeast region of the United States. Shorebirds begin to make their yearly trek toward their winter homes. The Lake Erie shore attracts many of these shorebirds and one particular beach in northern Ohio is one of them. Not only does the beach at Conneaut, Ohio have the Lake Erie shoreline, there is also a large sand bar containing a mud flat (when it’s not flooded) and a photography friendly marshland.
The sand bar is a two hour drive for me so I don’t go very often, especially since most of the birds have lost their colorful breeding plumage. However, it is a good place to see a nice variety of birds.
In this photo blog, I’m going to show you a very difficult bird to find, our smallest heron, the Least Bittern. Then, I’ll share a few photos of a bird that has managed to avoid my camera lens until this year, the American Avocet. Then I’ll share a video containing clips of the Least Bittern, American Avocet, and more.
The Least Bittern is very well camouflaged, making it one of the most difficult North American marsh birds to spot.
The least bitten measures between 11 and 14 inches in length with its neck outstretched. When in a relaxed position, I’m guessing they are half of that.
The Least Bittern uses its long neck to search for and catch prey without leaving the perch. If you look closely, you can see the target on the Spatterdock leaf, a dragonfly.
The Least Bittern eats mostly small fish (such as minnows, sunfishes, and perch) and large insects (dragonflies and others); also crayfish, leeches, frogs, tadpoles, small snakes, and other items.
In this photo, this female bittern just caught a dragonfly nymph. (A dragonfly’s life span is about one year with very little of that time being spent as an adult dragonfly. A dragonfly nymph is the middle, and longest, stage between the egg and adulthood. During the nymph stage, they spend their time underwater so, unless you witness a Least Bittern catch one for a snack, you seldom see them.)
Bittern can feed in water that is too deep for them to walk in because of their habit of straddling reeds.
As I mentioned earlier, the Least Bittern is our smallest heron measuring between 11 and 14.2 inches in length. Even with a wingspan of 16 - 18 inches, it only weighs between 1.8 – 3.6 ounces.
The Least Bittern has adapted for life in dense marshes. As I previously mentioned, rather than wading in the water like larger herons, they move about the marsh clinging onto cattails and reeds with their long toes. It slips its thin body through even the most thickest marshes.
Because of its preferred habitat, it often goes unseen except when it flies. Perhaps the only way you will know one is nearby is because you hear its cooing and clucking call notes. However, sometimes you can find them in the open such as these bitterns I found hunting on the Spatterdock.
Until this day I’ve never seen an American Avocet. I was really happy to see at least one come to my shore today. At 16.9 to 18.5 inches in length, they are a lot larger than I thought they were.
Probably the most distinguishing mark of an American Avocet is their long, upturned bill. I would love to see one of these beautiful birds in the spring when they are in breeding plumage. In the photo below you can still see the fading rust color of its neck.
This avocet stayed at the edge of the shoreline, however, they do prefer shallow water and large mudflats.
Their diet consists mostly of small crustaceans and insects, also some seeds. They feed by walking through the water with the tips of their bills in the water and slightly open. They filter food items from below the water surface.
During migration, the birds need to eat and sleep during their stopovers. This avocet was preening for a little while and its eyes were beginning to close in the warm sun.
We had an interesting visitor one morning. As I and a small group of photographers and birders waited for the Least Bittern to venture into the open, this immature Great Blue Heron walked up on us and wasn't afraid at all.
As I promised, here is a short video of some of the birds that can be found in a marsh.
I hope you enjoyed this little compilation of photos from Conneaut, OH. There's always an adventure waiting around the next turn.
See you there,
I hope you have enjoyed the recent short blog posts highlighting some of the rare or seldom seem warblers in the western Pennsylvania region. It was a great, but tiring, spring season. Juggling work and home life, I managed to get out to photograph warblers on weekend mornings and evenings and a few vacation days here and there during the month of May.
I realize many readers have never seen some of these birds and that is a benefit of what I do. If you are able, I hope these photos encourage you to get out in nature and enjoy yourself. There is no happier moment than when you are out in nature, worries and concerns set aside, watching these little beauties decorate your world from the ground to the tree tops.
Sadly, many of these birds you are about to see are falling victim to human "progress". Urban development, among other things, are causing habitat loss in their breeding grounds. Breeding habitat is very specific for our songbirds. They can't simply go to the next standing tree or shrub! Steps of conservation are being taken but will it be enough? We, as shepherds of this land, need to be more concerned with the results of our actions in regards to wildlife.
I hope you enjoy the photos of the 28 species of warbler I photographed this spring. I thought I had 29 species until I found out about the reclassification of the Yellow-breasted Chat. I included him in the end of this blog for ol times sake.
Maybe these photos will encourage you to make plans to learn more about these little beauties and become more active in their future.
|American RedstartMale||American RedstartMale|
|Black-and-white WarblerMale||Black-and-white Warbler|
Black-throated Blue Warbler
|Black-throated Blue WarblerMale|
Black-throated Green Warbler
|Black-throated Green WarblerMale||Black-throated Green WarblerMale|
|Blackburnian WarblerMale||Blackburnian WarblerMale|
|Blue-winged WarblerMale||Blue-winged WarblerMale|
|Canada WarblerMale||Canada WarblerMale|
Cape May Warbler
|Cape May WarblerMale|
|Cerulean Warbler||Cerulean Warbler|
|Chestnut-sided WarblerMale||Chestnut-sided WarblerMale|
|Common YellowthroatMale||Common Yellowthroat|
|Golden-winged WarblerMale||Golden-winged WarblerMale|
|Hooded Warbler||Hooded Warbler|
|Kentucky Warbler||Kentucky WarblerMale|
|Louisiana Waterthrush||Louisiana Waterthrush|
|Magnolia WarblerMale||Magnolia WarblerMale|
|Mourning WarblerMale||Mourning WarblerMale|
|Northern Parula||Northern Parula|
|Pine WarblerMale||Pine WarblerMale|
|Prairie WarblerMale||Prairie WarblerMale|
|Prothonotary WarblerMale||Prothonotary Warbler|
|Worm-eating Warbler||Worm-eating Warbler|
|Yellow WarblerMale||Yellow WarblerFemale|
|Yellow-rumped WarblerMale||Yellow-rumped Warbler|
|Yellow-throated Warbler||Yellow-throated Warbler|
|Yellow-breasted ChatMale (Black Lores)||Yellow-breasted ChatMale (Black Lores)|
Thanks for looking,
The Yellow-breasted Chat is the largest of our warblers. At least it was our largest warbler. After writing the original version of this blog I found out the warbler classification of the Yellow-breasted Chat is in jeopardy because of several changes being proposed by the the American Ornithological Society's North and Middle American Classification Committee. Here is a partial quote from the proposal. "The Yellow-breasted Chat is no longer part of the wood-warbler family, Parulidae, and gets its own family Icteriidae, not be confused with the blackbird family Icteridae." Well, the change is official and if you care to read about it, you can here.
Regardless of its classification, the Yellow-breasted Chat is a pretty cool bird. If you hope to see one, you better look in the spring while the male is singing for a mate or protecting his territory because they are fairly quiet the rest of the summer.
|YellowBreastedChatRangeMap||Yellow-breasted ChatMale (Black Lores)|
One of the fun moments of bird photography is when the bird sits on a branch for an extended period of time and preens. The preening session usually ends with a total body fluff-up like this male is doing in the next photograph. Notice the black coloration in the region between the eye and the nostrils? That area is called the lores. A male chat has black lores and the female has gray lores. Yellow-breasted ChatMale (Black Lores)
Although the Yellow-breasted Chat's population has declined in parts of the southwest, their population is mostly stable. As more eastern forests are being cleared to create brushy habitat, their population has been increasing. Keep in mind when I refer to "forests being cleared" I don't mean for urban development. That doesn't help their population at all. Clearing forests is a good thing when old growth is logged out creating habitat for many birds that prefer new-growth areas.
Thanks for looking,


As demands placed on agriculture to meet the world’s growing population become ever greater, sustainability is much more than a buzzword. Today’s egg farms use water and arable cropland more efficiently, while using less fuel, compared to farms 50 years ago. Quite simply, they do far more with considerably less.
Every aspect of the egg production process, from cultivating feed to raising the laying hens, has led to a reduced environmental footprint.
Due to increased feed efficiency, advancements in hen housing and manure management, egg farms now use less water and energy on a daily basis and release less polluting emissions.
A study by the Egg Industry Center demonstrates how the egg community has reduced its environmental footprint over the last 50 years through improved hen feed, better disease control and lower death loss, advancements in hen housing and subsequent reduction of natural resource use. Researchers conducted a life cycle assessment, comparing 1960 and 2010 U.S. egg production to evaluate environmental impacts encompassing every aspect from cultivating feeds to raising the laying hens.
Hens housed in cages under the UEP Certified program use 15 to 25 percent less feed per egg than hens in cage-free or free-range environments. These UEP Certified farms also have smaller carbon footprints due to lower feed usage, more efficient use of natural resources and less land usage.


• Generalized Seizures; Partial Complex Seizures; Seizure Disorder; Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
Principal Proposed Natural Treatments
• Ketogenic Diet; Nutritional Support
Other Proposed Natural Treatments
• Acupuncture; Electromagnetic Therapy (rTMS); Fish Oil; Food Allergen Identification and Avoidance; Manganese; Melatonin; Nigella sativa; Taurine; Traditional Chinese Herbal Remedies (Saiko-Keishi-To and Sho-Saiko-To) ; Yoga
Herbs and Supplements to Avoid
• 5-HTP; 2-Dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE); Ginkgo; Glutamine; Hyssop; Ipriflavone; Japanese Star Anise; Nicotinamide; White Willow
Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain that causes recurrent episodes called seizures. A seizure is sometimes described as an electrical storm in the brain leading to abnormal movements, sensations, and states of consciousness. In reality, however, it is more orderly than a storm. During a seizure, nerves function in an abnormally synchronized manner, a kind of lockstep that can continue for seconds or minutes. The results range from mild changes in awareness to violent convulsions.
Isolated seizures can occur for many reasons. The term epilepsy is applied when a person has recurrent seizures with no known treatable cause. If the seizure occurs in a localized part of the brain, it is called a partial seizure . If it affects much of brain, it is called a generalized seizure .
The most common forms of generalized seizures are absence seizures (petit mal) and tonic-clonic seizures (grand mal). Petit mal seizures involve a brief lapse of consciousness that occurs suddenly and lasts for a brief time before disappearing; there are usually no symptoms afterward. A grand mal seizure involves: loss of consciousness, convulsions of the body, tongue biting, and often urination. A state of confusion follows the seizure.
Partial seizures come in three main varieties. They can be simple (involving just an arm, for example) or complex (involving more complicated movements and loss of consciousness). Finally, some may turn into generalized seizures. There are several medications used to treat epilepsy, generally with considerable success. Most of these drugs can cause significant side effects, though. Fortunately, some of these side effects may be partially correctable through nutrient supplementation (see the Nutritional Support section).
Principal Proposed Natural Treatments
There are no well-established herbs or supplements for the treatment of epilepsy. However, a number of supplements may be useful for treating nutritional deficiencies caused by anticonvulsant drugs. Besides herbs and supplements, the ketogenic diet might be helpful for controlling seizures in children.
Note : Epilepsy is far too serious a condition for self-treatment. For this reason, none of the treatments listed below should be used without the advice and supervision of a doctor.
Before drug treatments for epilepsy were invented, scientists noticed that fasting tends to reduce seizure frequency. Subsequent investigation pinned down a metabolic state called ketosis as the causative factor. Ketosis occurs during fasting and also while consuming a diet high in fat and very low in carbohydrates (the ketogenic diet).
When effective anticonvulsant drugs were developed, the ketogenic diet fell into disfavor, but in recent years medical interest has returned. Today, the diet is seeing increased use in the treatment of people who do not respond fully to standard medications. Most studies have involved children because they tend to be more agreeable than adults to the diet.
Evidence suggests that the ketogenic diet may almost completely stop seizures in about half of all children with epilepsy and reduce seizure frequency less dramatically in another third. 1-6 Unfortunately, the ketogenic diet can cause side effects, such as fatigue, nausea, reduced immunity, mental confusion, dehydration, constipation, and increased tendency to bruise. 2,3,7-13 Major side effects seen occasionally with certain forms of the ketogenic diet include kidney stones, gallstones, impaired liver function, severe hypoproteinemia (dangerously low levels of protein in the blood), and kidney injury. 14 Vitamin and mineral deficiency may also occur with some ketogenic diets, but the use of a multivitamin/multimineral supplement can easily prevent this. 15
Many drugs can impair the body’s ability to absorb or metabolize certain nutrients; however, anticonvulsants are particular offenders. Meaningful evidence indicates that common anticonvulsants interfere with the body’s handling of folate , biotin , calcium , vitamin D , and vitamin K . In addition, one anticonvulsant, valproic acid, affects the nutrient-like substance carnitine . For these reasons, it is often recommended that people using anticonvulsants take supplements that provide these nutrients.
However, there’s a potential catch to correcting such “nutrient depletions.” In some cases, taking the nutrient can impair the absorption or alter the metabolism of anticonvulsant drugs. In other cases, it is possible that nutrient depletion is part of how the anticonvulsant operates! For this reason, physician supervision is essential when taking any supplements.
Folate (also known as folic acid) is a B vitamin that plays an important role in many vital aspects of health. Unfortunately, most drugs used for preventing seizures can reduce levels of folate in the body. 16-21 In turn, low serum folate levels can cause elevated levels of homocysteine, possibly increasing the risk of heart disease. 22
Low folate levels are also linked to increased risk of a variety of birth defects. Because anticonvulsant drugs deplete folate, babies born to women taking anticonvulsants are at increased risk for such birth defects.
However, the case for taking extra folate is complicated by the fact that high folate levels may speed up the normal breakdown of phenytoin 19,21 and possibly other anticonvulsants. This could lead to breakthrough seizures. For this reason, folate supplementation during anticonvulsant therapy should always be supervised by a physician.
Numerous anticonvulsants can reduce body levels of the essential vitamin biotin , probably by interfering with its absorption. 23,24 Valproic acid may affect biotin to a lesser extent than other anticonvulsants.
It is not clear whether this biotin deficiency actually causes any problems. Nonetheless, it is not good to be short on any essential nutrient, and for this reason biotin supplementation has been recommended during long-term anticonvulsant therapy. Keep in mind, though, that the action of anticonvulsant drugs may be at least partly related to their effect on biotin levels. For this reason, physician supervision is strongly advised before adding biotin to an anticonvulsant regimen.
Many anticonvulsant drugs increase the risk of osteoporosis and other bone disorders. 25,26 This is believed to be due in part to the fact that they impair calcium metabolism (see also the sections on vitamin D and vitamin K below). Effects on calcium may also increase the tendency toward seizures by lowering blood levels of calcium. 26
Calcium supplementation may thus be beneficial for people taking anticonvulsant drugs. However, some studies indicate that antacids containing calcium carbonate interfere with the absorption of phenytoin and perhaps other anticonvulsants. 27,28 For this reason, calcium supplements and anticonvulsant drugs should be taken several hours apart.
Phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, and primidone speed up the normal breakdown of vitamin K into inactive byproducts, thus depriving the body of active vitamin K. Use of these anticonvulsants by pregnant mothers can lead to vitamin K deficiencies in their unborn babies, resulting in bleeding disorders or facial-bone abnormalities in the newborns. 33,34 For this reason, mothers who take these anticonvulsants may need vitamin K supplementation during pregnancy.
In other circumstances, anticonvulsants seldom deplete vitamin K enough to cause bleeding problems. However, vitamin K deficiency may contribute to anticonvulsant-induced osteoporosis.
Valproic acid (Depakene) and possibly other anticonvulsants may reduce the body’s levels of the substance carnitine . 35-44 For this reason it has been suggested that people using these drugs should take supplemental carnitine. However, there is no evidence as yet that taking carnitine will provide any noticeable benefit; the one study that did attempt to evaluate this possibility failed to discern any meaningful effect. 45
Other Proposed Treatments for Epilepsy
Herbs and Supplements
The traditional Chinese herbal remedies known by the Japanese names saiko-keishi-to and sho-saiko-to have also been suggested for epilepsy, but the supporting evidence for their use remains highly preliminary. 46-48 Both of these combination treatments consist of bupleurum, peony root, pinellia root, cassia bark, ginger root , jujube fruit, Asian ginseng root , Asian skullcap root, and licorice root , but the proportions vary.
A double-blind study performed in Iran reportedly found that use of an extract of the seed of the Nigella sativa plant helped control seizures in children. 80
Other supplements sometimes suggested for epilepsy (but with no meaningful supporting evidence) include vitamin B 1 , vitamin B 6 , beta-carotene , and glycine . Herbs traditionally regarded as “nervines” or nerve-relaxants are also sometimes proposed, such as the following:
However, there is no meaningful evidence that they can help, and some of these herbs present significant safety concerns.
Note : Most herbs used for epilepsy are sedatives, as are many anticonvulsant drugs. Combination treatment could lead to dangerous over-sedation. People with epilepsy should, therefore, seek medical supervision before using any herbs or supplements.
A special form of electromagnetic therapy called rTMS has shown promise for epilepsy. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 24 participants with epilepsy localized to a specific part of the brain and not fully responsive to drug treatment were given twice daily treatment with rTMS or sham rTMS for a week. 54 The results showed a mild reduction in seizures among the participants given real rTMS. However, the benefits rapidly disappeared when treatment was stopped.
Acupuncture has been proposed for the treatment of epilepsy, but at this time there is no convincing evidence for its effectiveness. A single-blind, controlled trial of individualized acupuncture for 34 people with severe epilepsy found no benefit. 56 And, in a comprehensive review involving 10 Chinese trials and 1 Norwegian trial, acupuncture was largely found to be ineffective. 82
Yoga has also been studied as a potential treatment. A review of 2 randomized trials involving 50 people found mixed results, though. 83 One trial comparing real yoga to sham yoga or no treatment found that real yoga did reduce the frequency and duration of seizures. But, another trial did not support the use of yoga. The researchers emphasized the need for more studies.
Herbs and Supplements to Avoid in Epilepsy
Numerous herbs and supplements have been associated with unexpected or unexpectedly severe seizures. 67 In most cases, however, the evidence linking any particular natural product to increased seizure activity remains circumstantial. Some of the more worrisome potential “pro-seizure” agents are discussed here. In addition, we discuss herbs and supplements that may interact with medications used for seizures. See also the discussion of folate and biotin above.
Ginkgo seeds contain a seizure-promoting substance called 4-methoxypyridoxine (MPN). 57 Although ginkgo seeds are seldom used today, seizures have also been reported with the use of the more normal form of the herb: ginkgo leaf extract. 58,59,73 One possible explanation is that ginkgo-leaf products may have been contaminated ginkgo seeds. Another possibility has been proposed as well: ginkgo may affect the brain in ways similar to tacrine, a drug also used to improve memory and which has been associated with seizures. Finally, it has been suggested that ginkgo might impair the effectiveness of dilantin and depakote. Regardless of the explanation, people with epilepsy should probably avoid ginkgo.
Many anti-epilepsy drugs work by blocking the effects of a substance called glutamate; for this reason, high dosages of the closely-related amino acid glutamine could conceivably overwhelm these drugs and pose a risk to people with epilepsy.
Manufacturers of the supplement DMAE warn that it might increase seizure risk.
Tea made from the herb hyssop is thought to be safe, but hyssop essential oil, like most essential oils , is toxic in excessive doses. Some of the constituents of hyssop oil are thought to increase risk of seizures. 74,75 For this reason, hyssop essential oil should not be used by people with epilepsy.
Japanese star-anise contains substances that can trigger seizure activity. 76-78
Grapefruit juice slows the body's normal breakdown of several drugs, including the anticonvulsant carbamazepine , allowing it to build up to potentially dangerous levels in the blood; this effect can last for 3 days or more following the last glass of juice. 62
The herb white willow , also known as willow bark, is used to treat pain and fever. White willow contains a substance closely related to aspirin known as salicin. Aspirin is known to increase phenytoin levels and toxicity during long-term use of both drugs. 64 This raises the concern that white willow might have similar effects on phenytoin, though this has not been proven.
1. Prasad AN, Stafstrom CF, Holmes GL. Alternative epilepsy therapies: the ketogenic diet, immunoglobulins, and steroids. Epilepsia. 1996;37:S81-S95.
2. Vining EPG, Freemen JM, Ballaban-Gil K, et al. A multicenter study of the efficacy of the ketogenic diet. Arch Neurol. 1998;55:1433-1437.
3. Freeman JM, Vining EP, Pillas DJ, et al. The efficacy of the ketogenic diet-1998: a prospective evaluation of intervention in 150 children. Pediatrics. 1998;102:1358-1363.
4. Neelam GK, Koehler AN, McGhee B, et al. The ketogenic diet in refractory epilepsy: the experience of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Clinical Pediatrics. 2000;39:153-159.
5. Mak SC, Chi CS, Wan CJ. Clinical experience of ketogenic diet on children with refractory epilepsy. Acta Paediatr Taiwan. 1999;40:97-100.
6. Lefevre F, Aronson N. Ketogenic diet for the treatment of refractory epilepsy in children: a systematic review of efficacy. Pediatrics. 2000;105:E46.
7. Wing RR, Vazquez JA, Ryan CM. Cognitive effects of ketogenic weight-reducing diets. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1995;19:811-816.
8. Woody RC, Steele RW, Knapple WL, et al. Impaired neutrophil function in children with seizures treated with the ketogenic diet. J Pediatr. 1989;115:427-430.
9. Hassan AM, Keene DL, Whiting SE, et al. Ketogenic diet in the treatment of refractory epilepsy in childhood. Pediatr Neurol. 1999;21:548-552.
10. Herzberg GZ, Fivush BA, Kinsman SL, et al. Urolithiasis associated with the ketogenic diet. J Pediatr. 1990;117:743-745.
11. Swink TD, Vining EP, Freeman JM. The ketogenic diet: 1997. Adv Pediatr. 1997;44:297-329.
12. Bloom WL, Azar GJ. Similarities of carbohydrate deficiency and fasting: weight loss, electrolyte excretion, and fatigue. Arch Intern Med. 1963;112:333-337.
13. Berry-Kravis E, Booth G, Taylor A, et al. Bruising and the ketogenic diet: evidence for diet-induced changes in platelet function. Ann Neurol. 2001;49:98-103.
14. Ballaban-Gil K, Callahan C, O'Dell C, et al. Complications of the ketogenic diet. Epilepsia. 1998;39:744-748.
15. Berkowitz VJ. A view on high-protein, low-carb diets [Letter response]. J Am Diet Assoc. 2000;100:1300,1302-1303.
16. Kishi T, Fujita N, Eguchi T, et al. Mechanism for reduction of serum folate by antiepileptic drugs during prolonged therapy. J Neurol Sci. 1997;145:109-112.
17. Reynolds EH. Mental effects of anticonvulsants, and folic acid metabolism. Brain. 1968;91:197-214.
18. Hendel J, Dam M, Gram L, et al. The effects of carbamazepine and valproate on folate metabolism. Acta Neurol Scand. 1984;69:226-231.
19. Berg MJ, Stumbo PJ, Chenard CA, et al. Folic acid improves phenytoin pharmacokinetics. J Am Diet Assoc. 1995;95:352-356.
20. Lewis DP, Van Dyke DC, Willhite LA, et al. Phenytoin-folic acid interaction. Ann Pharmacother. 1995;29:726-735.
21. Lewis DP, Van Dyke DC, Stumbo PJ, et al. Drug and environmental factors associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Part I: Antiepileptic drugs, contraceptives, smoking, and folate. Ann Pharmacother. 1998;32:802-817.
22. Arenz A, Klein M, Fiehe K. Occurrence of neurotoxic 4'-O-methylpyridoxine in Ginkgo biloba leaves, ginkgo medications and Japanese ginkgo food. Planta Med. 1996;62:548-551.
23. Said HM, Redha R, Nylander W. Biotin transport in the human intestine: inhibition by anticonvulsant drugs. Am J Clin Nutr. 1989;49:127-131.
24. Krause KH, Bonjour JP, Berlit P, et al. Biotin status of epileptics. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1985;447:297-313.
25. Wahl TO, Gobuty AH, Lukert BP. Long-term anticonvulsant therapy and intestinal calcium absorption. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1981;30:506-512.
26. Weinstein RS, Bryce GF, Sappington LJ, et al. Decreased serum ionized calcium and normal vitamin D metabolite levels with anticonvulsant drug treatment. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1984;58:1003-1009.
27. Carter BL, Garnett WR, Pellock JM, et al. Effect of antacids on phenytoin bioavailability. Ther Drug Monit. 1981;3:333-340.
28. McElnay JC, Uprichard G, Collier PS. The effect of activated dimethicone and a proprietary antacid preparation containing this agent on the absorption of phenytoin. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1982;13:501-505.
29. Hahn TJ, Hendin BA, Scharp CR, et al. Effect of chronic anticonvulsant therapy on serum 25-hydroxycalciferol levels in adults. N Engl J Med. 1972;287:900-904.
30. Jubiz W, Haussler MR, McCain TA, et al. Plasma 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D levels in patients receiving anticonvulsant drugs. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1977;44:617-621.
31. Brodie MJ, Boobis AR, Dollery CT, et al. Rifampicin and vitamin D metabolism. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1980;27:810-814.
32. Williams C, Netzloff M, Folkerts L, et al. Vitamin D metabolism and anticonvulsant therapy: effect of sunshine on incidence of osteomalacia. South Med J. 1984;77:834-836,842.
33. Cornelissen M, Steegers-Theunissen R, Kollee L, et al. Increased incidence of neonatal vitamin K deficiency resulting from maternal anticonvulsant therapy. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1993;168:923-928.
34. Cornelissen M, Steegers-Theunissen R, Kollee L, et al. Supplementation of vitamin K in pregnant women receiving anticonvulsant therapy prevents neonatal vitamin K deficiency. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1993;168:884-888.
35. Hug C, McGraw CA, Bates SR, et al. Reduction of serum carnitine concentrations during anticonvulsant therapy with phenobarbital, valproic acid, phenytoin, and carbamazepine in children. J Pediatr. 1991;119:799-802.
36. Chung S, Choi J, Hyun T, et al. Alterations in the carnitine metabolism in epileptic children treated with valproic acid. J Korean Med Sci. 1997;12:553-558.
37. Melegh B, Trombitas K. Valproate treatment induces lipid globule accumulation with ultrastructual abnormalities of mitochondria in skeletal muscle. Neuropediatrics. 1997;28:257-261.
38. Zelnik N, Fridkis I, Gruener N. Reduced carnitine and antiepileptic drugs: cause relationship or co-existence? Acta Paediatr. 1995;84:93-95.
39. Coulter DL. Carnitine deficiency in epilepsy: risk factors and treatment. J Child Neurol. 1995;10(suppl 2):S32-S39.
40. Melegh B, Pap M, Morava E, et al. Carnitine-dependent changes of metabolic fuel consumption during long-term treatment with valproic acid. J Pediatr. 1994;125:317-321.
41. De Vivo DC, Bohan TP, Coulter DL, et al. L-carnitine supplementation in childhood epilepsy: current perspectives. Epilepsia. 1998;13:1216-1225.
42. Matsuda I, Ohtani Y. Carnitine status in Reye and Reye-like syndromes. Pediatr Neurol. 1986;2:90-94.
43. Camina MF, Rozas I, Gomez M, et al. Short-term effects of administration of anticonvulsant drugs on free carnitine and acylcarnitine in mouse serum and tissues. Br J Pharmacol. 1991;103:1179-1183.
44. Rodriguez-Segade S, de la Pena CA, Tutor JC, et al. Carnitine deficiency associated with anticonvulsant therapy. Clin Chim Acta. 1989;181:175-181.
45. Freeman JM, Vining EP, Cost S, et al. Does carnitine administration improve the symptoms attributed to anticonvulsant medications?: a double-blinded, crossover study. Pediatrics. 1994;93(6 pt 1):893-895.
46. Yarnell EY, Abascal K. An herbal formula for treating intractable epilepsy: a review of the literature. Alt Compl Ther. 2000;6:203-206.
47. Narita Y, Satowa H, Kokubu T, et al. Treatment of epileptic patients with the Chinese herbal medicine “saiko-keishi-to” (SK). IRCS Med Sci. 1982;10:88-89.
48. Nagakubo S, Niwa S, Kumagai N, et al. Effects of TJ-960 on Sternberg’s paradigm results in epileptic patients. Jpn J Psych Neur. 1993;47:609-619.
49. Durelli L, Mutani R. The current status of taurine in epilepsy. Clin Neuropharmacol. 1983;6:37-48.
50. Marchesi GF, Quattrini A, Scarpino O, et al. Therapeutic effects of taurine in epilepsy: a clinical and polyphysiographic study [in Italian; English abstract]. Riv Patol Nerv Ment. 1975;96:166-184.
51. Fukuyama Y, Ochiai Y. Therapeutic trial by taurine for intractable childhood epilepsies. Brain Dev. 1982;4:63-69
52. Fauteck JD, Schmidt H, Lerchl A, et al. Melatonin in epilepsy: First results of replacement therapy and first clinical results. Biol Signals Recept. 1999;8:105-110.
53. Akram M, Sullivan C, Mack G, et al. What is the clinical significance of reduced manganese and zinc levels in treated epileptic patients? Med J Aust. 1989;151:113.
54. Theodore WH, Hunter K, Chen R, et al. Transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of seizures: A controlled study. Neurology. 2002;59:560-562.
55. Egger J, Carter CM, Soothill JF, et al. Oligoantigenic diet treatment of children with epilepsy and migraine. J Pediatr. 1989;114:51-58.
56. Stavem K, Kloster R, Rossberg E, et al. Acupuncture in intractable epilepsy: lack of effect on health-related quality of life. Seizure. 2000;9:422-426.
57. Kajiyama Y, Fujii K, Takeuchi H, et al. Ginkgo seed poisoning. Pediatrics. 2002;109:325-327.
58. Granger AS. Ginkgo biloba precipitating epileptic seizures. Age Ageing. 2001;30:523-525.
59. Gregory PJ. Seizure associated with Ginkgo biloba? [letter]. Ann Intern Med. 2001;134:344.
60. Coleman M. Myoclonus in the young after 5-hydroxytryptophan [letter]. N Engl J Med. 1977;296:820.
61. Hagan JJ, Hatcher JP, Slade PD. The role of 5-HT1D and 5-HT1A receptors in mediating 5-hydroxytryptophan induced myoclonic jerks in guinea pigs. Eur J Pharmacol. 1995;294:743-751.
62. Tatro D. A to Z Drug Facts. 2nd ed. [book on CD-ROM]. St. Louis, MO: Facts and Comparisons; 2000.
63. Monostory K, Vereczkey L, Levai F, et al. Ipriflavone as an inhibitor of human cytochrome P450 enzymes. Br J Pharmacol. 1998;123:605-610.
64. Inoue F, Walsh RJ. Folate supplements and phenytoin-salicylate interaction. Neurology. 1983;33:115-116.
65. Bourgeois BF, Dodson WE, Ferrendelli JA. Interactions between primidone, carbamazepine, and nicotinamide. Neurology. 1982;32:1122-1126.
66. Vaddadi KS. The use of gamma-linolenic acid and linoleic acid to differentiate between temporal lobe epilepsy and schizophrenia. Prostaglandins Med. 1981;6:375-379.
67. Tyagi A, Delanty N. Herbal remedies, dietary supplements, and seizures. Epilepsia . 2003;44:228-235.
68. Yuen AW, Sander JW, Fluegel D, et al. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in patients with chronic epilepsy: A randomized trial. Epilepsy Behav . 2005 Jul 7 [Epub ahead of print].
69. Gupta M, Aneja S, Kohli K. Add-on melatonin improves quality of life in epileptic children on valproate monotherapy: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Epilepsy Behav . 2004;5:316-321.
70. Gupta M, Aneja S, Kohli K, et al. Add-on melatonin improves sleep behavior in children with epilepsy: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Child Neurol . 2005;20:112-115.
71. Gupta M, Gupta YK, Agarwal S, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial of melatonin add-on therapy in epileptic children on valproate monotherapy: effect on glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase enzymes. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2004;58:542-547.
72. Gupta M, Gupta YK, Agarwal S, et al. Effects of Add-on Melatonin Administration on Antioxidant Enzymes in Children with Epilepsy Taking Carbamazepine Monotherapy: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial. Epilepsia . 2004;45:1636-1639.
73. Kupiec T, Raj V. Fatal seizures due to potential herb-drug interactions with Ginkgo biloba. J Anal Toxicol . 2006;29:755-758.
74. Hold KM, Sirisoma NS, Sparks SE, et al. Metabolism and mode of action of cis- and trans-3-pinanones (the active ingredients of hyssop oil). Xenobiotica . 2002;32:251-265.
75. Millet Y, Tognetti P, Lavaire-Perlovisi M, et al. [Experimental study of the toxic convulsant properties of commercial preparations of essences of sage and hyssop]. Rev Electroencephalogr Neurophysiol Clin . 1979;9:12-18.
76. Vandenberghe N, Pittion-Vouyouvitch S, Flesch F, Wagner M, et al. [An inaugural generalized tonic-clonic convulsive crisis following ingestion of Japanese star anise] Presse Med . 2003;32:27-28.
77. Nakamura T, Okuyama E, Yamazaki M. Neurotropic components from star anise (Illicium verum Hook. fil.) Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 1996;44:1908-1914. Erratum in: Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 1996 ;44:2344.
78. Okuyama E, Nakamura T, Yamazaki M. Convulsants from star anise (Illicium verum Hook.F.). Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 1993;41:1670-1671.
79. Mikati MA, Dib L, Yamout B, et al. Two randomized vitamin D trials in ambulatory patients on anticonvulsants: Impact on bone. Neurology . 2006;67:2005-2014.
80. Akhondian J, Parsa A, Rakhshande H. The effect of Nigella sativa L. (black cumin seed) on intractable pediatric seizures. Med Sci Monit. 2007;13:CR555-559.
81. Bromfield E, Dworetzky B, Hurwitz S, et al. A randomized trial of polyunsaturated fatty acids for refractory epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav. 2008;12:187-190.
82. Cheuk DK, Wong V. Acupuncture for epilepsy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008;CD005062.
83. Ramaratnam S, Sridharan K. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2000;(3):CD001524.
Last reviewed July 2012 by EBSCO CAM Review Board
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Copyright (C) 2011 EBSCO Publishing. All rights reserved.


Strategies for targeting residual HIV infection
Current Opinion In HIV and AIDS July 2016 V.11 N.4 P.359–361
Chomont, Nicolas; Perreau, Matthieu
aCentre de Recherche du CHUM
bDepartment of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
cDivision of Immunology and Allergy, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Seven years ago, Hutter et al. reported the unique case of a 40-year-old HIV-infected man who was cured of HIV infection following an allogeneic bone marrow transplant. Timothy Ray Brown, also known as the ‘Berlin Patient’ is until today the only person from whom HIV has been eradicated. This extraordinary and largely unexpected success fostered HIV cure research by opening novel therapeutic possibilities that could potentially surpass combination antiretroviral therapy (ART). Indeed, although ART has dramatically reduced the death rate from AIDS and improved the quality of life of many HIV-infected individuals, the possible long-term toxicity associated with ART, stigma and cost all contribute to the necessity of finding a cure….
PDF (CLIC in PDF)


The Oxford University Museum of Natural History reopened on Saturday after 14 months of complex renovation.
The occasion was marked with a ‘Dawn ’til Dusk’ event that saw the museum open its doors at seven a.m. and welcome over 5,000 guests over the course of the day.
The day’s program of events included live bands, bug handling, and a talk from museum director Professor Paul Smith.
Smith told the Oxford Student: “This has been a long, dark year with the museum closed to visitors…it will be very nice to see the doors opened again today and to have the sound of visitors filling the space once more.”
Renovation was undertaken on the Grade I listed building to fix water leakages in the glass-tiled roof, which were causing damage to some of the museum’s specimens.
Conservator Bethany Palumbo claimed she was “shocked” the first time she realised the harm caused to exhibits: “We found watermarks on the whales which was crazy. We also had a collection of buckets for emergencies,” she said. Other specimens were becoming faded due to exposure from UV light.
The restoration project, which is believed to have cost in the region of £2 million, involved more than 8,500 glass tiles being individually removed, cleaned and resealed. Where tiles required replacement, specialist heritage architects were involved to ensure they matched the style of the Victorian originals.
The closure also facilitated extensive conservation work on some of the museum’s specimens. The collection of whale skeletons were cleaned for the first time in 100 years.
The museum houses the University’s scientific collections of zoological and geological specimens. Amongst its most famous exhibits are a number of dinosaur skeletons discovered in the local area, and the world’s only Dodo specimen complete with intact skin.
Natural History back for good