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Faculty Profile
Arnold Eskin
John and Rebecca Moores Professor
Department of Biology and Biochemistry
Office: HSC 356
Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com - (713) 743-8381
Education: Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin
A number of properties of a neuron change in a coordinated fashion to store a given type of memory. Our long-term goal is to determine which properties of neurons change, and how these properties are regulated during formation of memories. Plasticity of glutamatergic synapses is important in the storage of information in the brain. Neuronal and glial plasma membrane glutamate transporters play major roles in removing released glutamate from the synaptic cleft. Although the function of glutamate transporters has received considerable attention, only recently did we demonstrate that glutamate uptake is regulated during expression of long-term synaptic plasticity. Glutamate uptake is increased during long-term sensitization in Aplysia, during long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus of the rat, and during morphine addiction and withdrawal in the rat. These findings suggest that long-term regulation of glutamate uptake during changes in synaptic efficacy may be a phylogenetically conserved mechanism that occurs along with different types of synaptic plasticities. Furthermore, deficiencies in glutamate uptake have been implicated in a number of diseases including ALS, epilepsy, and Alzheimers. The immediate goal of our experiments is to elucidate the general principles and functions of regulation of synaptic glutamate uptake associated with synaptic plasticity. In our research, we focus on well-studied long-term learning in Aplysia (long-term sensitization and learning that food is inedible) and synaptic plasticities in the hippocampus of the rat associated with LTP.
Understanding how learning and memory are modulated is an important aspect of understanding how memories are formed. Emotional state, various environmental factors, and diseases of the nervous system can impact the formation of memory. The long-term goals of this part of our research are to define factors that normally modulate memory formation and to determine how these factors modulate learning and memory. In addressing these goals, we discovered that the circadian clock modulates a simple form of long-term memory, long-term sensitization of the tail-siphon withdrawal reflex in Aplysia. Animals form long-term memory when they are trained during the day but form much less memory when they are trained at night. However, short-term memory of the same behavior is formed equally well during the day and night. Our current experiments extend our previous research by investigating circadian modulation of other forms of memory and the mechanisms responsible for circadian modulation of long-term memory. One set of experiments is to determine the scope and function of circadian modulation of learning and memory. We will investigate circadian modulation of a more complex associative form of learning (learning that food is inedible), and we will investigate circadian modulation of learning in nocturnal species of Aplysia. A second set of experiments is to determine the neuronal circuitry involved in the circadian modulation of learning and memory. A third set of experiments is to determine whether the circadian clock modulates learning and memory through modulation of facilitatory serotonergic neurons in the learning and memory circuitry. A fourth set of experiments is to determine which biochemical and molecular events necessary for the induction of long-term memory in sensory neurons are responsible for the circadian modulation of memory. We will investigate circadian modulation of synthesis of ApC/EBP mRNA and activation of MAPK and PKA during the formation of memory. In addition to elucidating the modulation of learning and memory, this research will provide insights into how the circadian clock regulates its outputs to produce rhythms. Furthermore, knowing the mechanisms by which memory formation is modulated will aid attempts to improve memory as well as to treat diseases that affect memory.
- Collado MS, Lyons LC, Levenson JM, Khabour O, Pita-Almenar JD, Schrader L, Eskin A. (2007). In vivo regulation of an Aplysia glutamate transporter, ApGT1, during long-term memory formation. Journal of Neurochemistry, 100(5):1315-28.
- Pita-Almenar JD, Collado MS, Colbert CM, Eskin A. (2006). Different mechanisms exist for the plasticity of glutamate reuptake during early long-term potentiation (LTP) and late LTP. The Journal Of Neuroscience: The Official Journal Of The Society For Neuroscience, 26(41):10461-71.
- Lyons LC, Collado MS, Khabour O, Green CL, Eskin A. (2006). The circadian clock modulates core steps in long-term memory formation in Aplysia. The Journal Of Neuroscience: The Official Journal Of The Society For Neuroscience, 26(34):8662-71.
- Lyons LC, Rawashdeh O, Eskin A. (2006). Non-ocular circadian oscillators and photoreceptors modulate long term memory formation in Aplysia. Journal of Biological Rhythms, 21(4):245-55.
- Chin J, Liu RY, Cleary LJ, Eskin A, Byrne JH. (2006). TGF-beta1-induced long-term changes in neuronal excitability in aplysia sensory neurons depend on MAPK. Journal of Neurophysiology, 95(5):3286-90.
- Lyons LC, Rawashdeh O, Katzoff A, Susswein AJ, Eskin A. (2005). Circadian modulation of complex learning in diurnal and nocturnal Aplysia. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America, 102(35):12589-94.
- Khabour, O., Levenson, J., Lyons, L.C., Kategaya, L.S., Chin, J., Byrne, J.H. and Eskin, A. 2004. Co-regulation of glutamate uptake and long-term sensitization in Aplysia. J. Neuroscience, 24(40):8829-8837.
- Antzoulatos, A.G., Cleary, L.J., Eskin, A., Baxter, D.A. and Byrne, J.H. 2003. Desensitization of postsynaptic glutamate receptors contributes to high-frequency depression of Aplysia sensorimotor connection. Learning and Memory 10:309-313.
- Fernandez, R.I., Lyons, L.C., Levenson, J., Khabour, O. and Eskin , A. 2003. Circadian modulation of long-term sensitization in Aplysia. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 100:14415-14420.
- Levenson, J., Weeber, E., Selcher, J.C., Kategaya, L.S., Sweatt, D. and Eskin, A. 2002. Long-term potentiation and contextual fear conditioning increase neuronal glutamate uptake. Nature Neuroscience 5: 155-161.
- Chin, J., Burdohan, J.A., Eskin, A. and Byrne, J.H. 2002. Inhibitor of glutamate transport alters synaptic transmission at sensorimotor synapses in Aplysia. J. Neurophysiology 87: 3165-3168.
- Chin, J., Angers, A., Cleary, L.J., Eskin, A. and Byrne, J.H. 2002. TGF-B1 alters synapsin distribution and modulates synaptic depression in Aplysia. J. Neuroscience 22: RC220 (1-6)
- Levenson, J., Weeber, E.J., Sweatt, J.D. and Eskin, A. 2002. Glutamate uptake in synaptic plasticity: from mollusk to mammal. Current Molecular Medicine 2:593-603.
- Hattar, S., Lyons, L.C., Dryer, L. and Eskin, A. 2002. Circadian regulation of the transcription factor, ApC/EBP, in the eye of Aplysia. J. Neurochem. 83:1401-1411.
- Blumenthal, E.M., Block, G.D. and Eskin, A. 2001. Cellular and molecular analysis of molluscan circadian pacemakers. Handbook of Behavioral Neurobiology: Circadian Clocks, Plenum Press (in press).
- Levenson, J., Sherry, D., Dryer, L., Chin, J., Byrne, J.H. and Eskin, A. 2000. Localization of glutamate and glutamate transporters in neurons of Aplysia . J. Comparative Neurology 423:121-131.
- Levenson, J., Endo, S., Fernandez, R., Kategaya, L., Byrne, J.H. and Eskin, A. 2000. Long-term regulation of neuronal high affinity glutamate and glutamine uptake in Aplysia . Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97: 97:12858-63.
- Sloan, M.A., Levenson, J., Tran, Q., Kerbeshian, M., Block, G.D. and Eskin, A. 1999. Aging affects the ocular circadian pacemaker of Aplysia californica. J. Biol. Rhythms 14:151-159.
- Levenson, J., Byrne, J.H. and Eskin, A. 1999. Levels of serotonin in the hemolymph of Aplysia are modulated by light:dark cycles and sensitization training. J. Neuroscience 18:8094-8103
- Chin, J., Angers, A., Cleary, L., Eskin, A. and Byrne, J.H. 1999. TGF-B1 in Aplysia : Role in long-term changes in the excitability of sensory neurons and distribution of TBR-II-like immunoreactivity. Learning and Memory 6:31
- Sankrithi, N. and Eskin, A. 1999. Effects of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors on transcription and ocular circadian rhythm of Aplysia. J. Neurochem. 72:605-613
- Zwartjes, R.E., West, H., Hattar, S., Ren, X., Noel. F., Nunez-Regueiro, M., MacPhee, K., Homayouni, R., Crow, M.T., Byrne, J.H. and Eskin, A. Identification of specific mRNAs affected by treatments producing long-term facilitation in Aplysia. Learning


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Severe storms moved their way across Connecticut on Saturday afternoon.
Gusty winds downed trees in Middletown earlier today as a powerful thunderstorm roared through. Frequent lightning, hail to dime size, and torrential rain also accompanied the afternoon storms.
In Meriden, the water rose to car doors along Prescott Street.
Weather Stories
The Middletown Police Department reported several trees down including a tree that blocked Higby road. In Meriden, flooding was reported in several areas.
Temperatures reached 80 degrees in the Hartford area earlier Saturday for the first time since October 2. That warmth, coupled with moderate levels of humidity, generated enough instability to fire today's thunderstorms.
The thunderstorms weakened by sunset and though a scattered shower is possible through the overnight hours the weather will dramatically improve. Sunshine and warm temperatures are expected statewide on Mother's Day.
Send your weather photos to email@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Popularity of Streaming Service: Disney Launches Its Own
The video streaming service can be defined as an online source for series, movies, TV shows, and other types of steaming media. Such a service require fees per view or per subscription and is available now for Disney's audience. In 2017, Disney announced its ...Read More


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The Neotropical avifauna is more diverse than that of any other biogeographic region, but our understanding of patterns of regional divergence is limited. Critical examination of this issue is currently constrained by the limited genetic information available. This study begins to address this gap by assembling a library of mitochondrial COI sequences, or DNA barcodes, for Argentinian birds and comparing their patterns of genetic diversity to those of North American birds.
Methodology and Principal Findings
Five hundred Argentinian species were examined, making this the first major examination of DNA barcodes for South American birds. Our results indicate that most southern Neotropical bird species show deep sequence divergence from their nearest-neighbour, corroborating that the high diversity of this fauna is not based on an elevated incidence of young species radiations. Although species ages appear similar in temperate North and South American avifaunas, patterns of regional divergence are more complex in the Neotropics, suggesting that the high diversity of the Neotropical avifauna has been fueled by greater opportunities for regional divergence. Deep genetic splits were observed in at least 21 species, though distribution patterns of these lineages were variable. The lack of shared polymorphisms in species, even in species with less than 0.5M years of reproductive isolation, further suggests that selective sweeps could regularly excise ancestral mitochondrial polymorphisms.
Citation: Kerr KCR, Lijtmaer DA, Barreira AS, Hebert PDN, Tubaro PL (2009) Probing Evolutionary Patterns in Neotropical Birds through DNA Barcodes. PLoS ONE 4(2): e4379. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0004379
Editor: Robert DeSalle, American Museum of Natural History, United States of America
Received: November 13, 2008; Accepted: December 29, 2008; Published: February 5, 2009
Copyright: © 2009 Kerr et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Funding: This research program was funded by grants from CONICET and from the Lounsbery Foundation to PLT and by grants from NSERC and from Genome Canada through the Ontario Genomics Institute to PDNH. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
DNA barcoding, the survey of sequence diversity in a standard gene region (5′ segment of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I, or COI, for animals), has a strong track record for identifying species in varied taxonomic groups [1]–[3]. One particularly comprehensive study of DNA barcodes revealed that 94% of 643 North American bird species possess diagnostic barcode sequences [4], [5]. Moreover, the few cases where barcode sharing limited taxonomic resolution in this fauna involved closely allied species that often hybridize. Similar results have been obtained from the Palearctic; Yoo et al. [6] reported that barcodes reliably identify Korean birds (92 of 450 species were examined).
There remains a need for similar investigations in the Neotropics, the hotspot for avian diversity with a fauna of 3,370 breeding species including 3,121 endemics [7]. Aside from this high taxon diversity, tropical species often possess greater genetic structure than their temperate zone counterparts [8]–[11]. For both these reasons, it has been argued that the Neotropical avifauna will challenge DNA barcoding [12]. Yet, the only previous test of barcoding in Neotropical birds disagreed with this conclusion as it found that 16 species of the endemic family Thamnophilidae could be discriminated [13]. Clearly, a larger-scale investigation is needed. Moreover, a broad survey of sequence diversity at COI in Neotropical birds permits the analysis of patterns of genetic divergence and geographic distributions of distinct lineages, as well as comparisons with other geographic areas (particularly the Nearctic, where most avian species have already been barcoded; [4], [5]). This contribution would be highly valuable to study diverse aspects of evolution in birds and to detect species, or groups of species, requiring more detailed investigations of taxonomic status.
The Argentinian avifauna includes 980 species, approximately 25% of Neotropical bird species [14], [15]. The present study examines patterns of barcode divergence in over half of the bird species native to Argentina. In addition to testing the effectiveness of DNA barcodes for species identification, we explore cases where different species share COI sequences and those where single species include two or more divergent lineages. Finally, and more critically, we analyze patterns of sequence divergence in the birds of Argentina and compare them with those in North America with a view towards understanding the origins of the diversity in South American avifauna and obtaining a broader perspective on mitochondrial genetic variation in New World birds.
In total, 1,594 sequences were obtained from 500 species representing 51% of the bird species known from Argentina, including 22 of 23 orders and 68 of 81 families (Table S1 provides a species list). On average, 3.2 individuals (range 1–19) were analyzed per species, with 389 taxa represented by multiple specimens. Only sequences longer than 550 bp with less than 1% ambiguous base calls were included (average sequence length was 692 bp), except four sequences possessing 1–3% ambiguous calls that represented the sole records for their species.
The mean sequence distance among congeneric taxa was 7.6%, while the distance to the nearest congener averaged 6.2%, based on 282 comparisons. In genera represented by multiple species, 92% of species were more than 1.0% divergent from their nearest congener and 83% were more than 2.5% divergent (Figure 1). COI delivered a species identification for 98.8% of species, using either a distance-based criterion or, in cases of very low divergence (less than 0.5%), using diagnostic nucleotide substitutions. Mean intraspecific distance was 0.24% based on the 389 species represented by multiple specimens (weighted equally regardless of the number of individuals). There was a weak association between intraspecific variation and sample size (linear regression, p<0.01, R2 = 0.12).
Distance to nearest congeneric neighbour for 282 species from genera represented by multiple taxa (black) and mean intraspecific distance for the 389 species of birds with two or more sequence records (white).
A few cases of low (<1%) divergence between congeners were detected. In most cases, discrimination by COI was possible because each species formed a distinct cluster in a neighbour-joining tree or showed diagnostic sequence differences. For example, sequences of the mockingbird species Mimus dorsalis and M. triurus showed three diagnostic substitutions, and the woodpeckers Veniliornis frontalis and V. passerinus differed by two nucleotides. Two goldfinch species (Carduelis atrata and C. crassirostris) and three ground-tyrants (Muscisaxicola capistratus, M. frontalis and M. maclovianus) also showed low divergences but were separable. Two ducks, Anas puna and A. versicolor, possessed five diagnostic substitutions, although the latter species showed considerable within species variation at other nucleotide positions. However, in all these cases, barcodes delivered reliable identifications because sequences for each species formed a single cluster (bootstrap support exceeded 70% in all cases, with the exception of A. versicolor, which had 57% support). Three other ground-tyrants (Muscisaxicola flavinucha, M. cinereus, M. rufivertex) with even lower genetic divergences were paraphyletic, impeding straightforward identification. Additionally, there was one species complex where barcode resolution was clearly compromised- six species of Sporophila (S. cinnamomea, S. hypochroma, S. hypoxantha, S. palustris, S. ruficollis, S. zelichi) all shared barcodes.
Hebert et al. [4] suggested that a sequence threshold of ten times the average intraspecific variation could be used to identify those cases where a current species might represent more than one taxon. For the birds of Argentina, this threshold lies at 2.4% and its application flags 13 species as possessing unusually high sequence variation (Table 1). Another way of identifying species in need of taxonomic scrutiny involves the search for taxa whose specimens form two or more distinct clusters with high bootstrap support (i.e. >98%) in a neighbour-joining tree. If applied to Argentinian birds, eight more species are flagged, all showing maximum intraspecific distances higher than 1.5% (Table 1).
More than 10% of the Argentine avifauna (111 of 980 species) also occurs in North America, but 45 of these species are migrants that do not breed in Argentina, five are pelagic visitors to both regions, and six are introduced to one or both areas. However, barcode data are available for 42 of the remaining 55 species, which possess natural breeding ranges extending from Argentina to North America (see Table S2). Seven of these widely distributed species displayed substantial genetic divergence (>2.4%) between North American and Argentinian populations, three displayed smaller divergences (1.5–2.4%), while the remaining 32 showed limited or no divergence.
Barcodes in Argentinian Birds
Just nine of the 500 bird species included in our study cannot be distinguished using COI sequences. Three of these are Muscisaxicola ground-tyrants, which have low interspecific divergence and appear to be paraphyletic. The remaining six species, which all share barcodes, are members of the southern capuchinos, a sub-group within the genus Sporophila that includes nine species (seven of them present in Argentina) and shows little mitochondrial sequence variation [16]. Members of this group are believed to have diverged within the past 0.5M years, fueled by sexual selection and a fragmented landscape, and they are known to hybridize [16]. Although shared mitochondrial sequences have also been reported in white-headed gulls [5], in Darwin's finches [17], and possibly in crossbills [18], the present study reinforces earlier evidence that such cases are exceptional in both Nearctic and Neotropical locales despite the known existence of hybridization in birds, which involves around 10% of the world's species [19].
Five additional genera with very low interspecific divergences included a pair or triad of species; none of these cases was a surprise. Mimus dorsalis and M. triurus are regarded as sister taxa [20], while Veniliornis frontalis and V. passerinus are so similar morphologically that Nores [21] designated them as allospecies, and Moore et al. [22] suggested that they diverged only 0.35 Mya. Anas puna and A. versicolor [23] have sometimes been considered conspecific [24], but the present results support the conclusion that they are young species. Arnaiz-Villena et al. [25] suggested a very recent expansion of Carduelis in South America to explain the low genetic divergence between C. atrata and C. crassirostris. Finally, Chesser [26] proposed a middle-late Pleistocene diversification for Muscisaxicola because of the shallow divergences between its member species. Further instances of low divergence between species will undoubtedly be revealed as taxonomic coverage builds for Argentina, but there is no evidence that young species radiations are any more common in this region than in North America. Further studies in northern, more tropical areas of South America are needed to establish if this similarity is a consequence of the comparison of two mainly temperate regions in opposite hemispheres or if the same trend is present throughout the Neotropics.
Two evolutionary inferences derive from the present results. First, the relative paucity of very closely related species implies that high species diversity in southern Neotropical birds does not owe its origin to an elevated incidence of young species radiations, a finding that is consistent with recent proposals [27], [28]. Second, and more generally, the low variation within species and the fixation of diagnostic COI sequences even in young species groups conflicts with expectations based on stochastic models of mitochondrial variation, which argue that ancestral polymorphisms will persist for millions of generations [29]. Instead, the rapid emergence of fixed differences is compatible with the growing evidence that selective sweeps recurrently strip variation from mitochondrial gene pools [30], although demographic factors have not been ruled out as a possible explanation.
Tropical taxa are generally thought to show more genetic structure than their temperate zone counterparts, even in the absence of geographical barriers [31]. Work on North American birds revealed deep barcode divergences in 2.7% of species (15/546), all involving allopatric lineages, usually east-west splits. The incidence of deep splits was slightly higher in Argentina with 3.3% of species with multiple records (13/389) showing divergences greater than the 2.4% threshold. Another eight species possessed distinct barcode clusters with 1.5–2.4% divergence, producing a total of 21 species with marked population structure (5.4% of the species examined). Interestingly, these cases of divergence included situations of allopatric, parapatric and sympatric divergence.
Fourteen of the 21 species showed allopatric divergences although there was no simple pattern of geographic structuring. Some cases involved north-south divergence. For example, Patagonian populations of Cistothorus platensis and Cinclodes fuscus possessed almost 5% divergence from those in northwestern Argentina (Figure 2B), which is consistent with previous findings [32]. Other barcode splits coincided with environmental gradients or known barriers to gene flow. For example, specimens of Upucerthia dumetaria from different elevations in the Andes diverged by as much as 5.4%, while 4% divergence between lineages of Thamnophilus ruficapillus (see Figure 2A) coincided with isolation caused by the Chaco woodland [21]. Some cases of allopatric divergence seem to represent overlooked species; specimens of Serpophaga subcristata from northeastern Argentina and those from Patagonia and Buenos Aires province not only exhibit 2% COI divergence, but differences in morphology and vocalizations [33]. Likewise Troglodytes aedon possessed three COI lineages with divergences as high as 5% and its Neotropical populations are thought to include several species (J. Klicka, unpublished data). In other cases, the situation is unclear. For example, two subspecies of Vanellus chilensis (northern V. c. chilensis, southern V. c. fretensis) show just 1.5% divergence, but this matches the divergence between other closely allied species in the same family (e.g. Charadrius alticola and C. falklandicus).
Species ranges are highlighted in green and circles indicate collection sites. Hollow and filled in circles correspond to lineages represented on superimposed neighbour-joining trees (shaded circles represent sites with overlap). (A) Barcode lineages are allopatric and coincide with disjunctions in the distribution of populations (e.g. Thamnophilus ruficapillus). (B) Barcode lineages are allopatric, but species distribution appears continuous (e.g. Cinclodes fuscus). (C) Barcode lineages are parapatric (e.g. Vireo olivaceus). (D) Barcode lineages are sympatric (e.g. Manacus manacus).
Five of the 21 species with deep divergences involved cases of parapatry. For example, populations of Vireo olivaceus in northeastern and northwestern Argentina possess up to 3.1% sequence divergence, but both COI lineages occurred at one northeastern site (Figure 2C). Does this area represent a region of sympatry between reproductively isolated species or a contact zone between phylogeographic groups? More specimens from this location need to be examined for variation at nuclear loci to resolve this uncertainty [34].
Interestingly, two of the 21 species possessed divergent mitochondrial lineages in sympatry. One of these species, Manacus manacus, includes four colour forms that are sometimes regarded as different species [35]. Specimens from Parque Nacional Iguazú included two COI groups with 3.5% divergence and males of both lineages were collected from a single lek (Figure 2D), suggesting that the divergent COI groups in M. manacus represent a rare case of deep intra-specific divergence. However, further study is required to determine the origin of such genetic variation and the taxonomic status of this species. Furthermore, this sympatric distribution of lineages could prove to be parapatric with increased sampling (the same could theoretically be true for any of the above examples of allopatry if a region of overlap has been left unsampled). This emphasizes the need to collect several specimens per locality, as well as to sample the entire distribution of each species.
Barcoding the Avifaunas of Argentina and North America
Although species coverage is higher for North America (643 species, 93% of fauna) than for Argentina (500 species, 51% of fauna), sample sizes are high enough in both regions to provide a good sense of overall patterns of COI variation. Mean intraspecific divergences are congruent - 0.23% in North America and 0.24% in Argentina. The nearest neighbour distance for congeneric taxa is lower in North America (4.3%) than in Argentina (6.2%), but this regional difference will undoubtedly lessen as species coverage builds for Argentina. Barcode sequences are effective for species identification in both settings; 94% of North American birds and 98% of birds from Argentina birds can be identified to a species level. The incidence of deep intraspecific divergences is similar in the two regions (2.7% versus 3.3%), but distributional patterns vary. Most of the genetically divergent groups in North America reflect east-west allopatry [5], while divergences in Argentina are more complex; some are north–south, others are east–west, and yet others occur along altitudinal gradients or in response to specific habitat barriers. Moreover, some cases of deep barcode divergence in Argentinian species involve parapatric or sympatric lineages.
Aside from a test of congruence in barcode patterns, this study provided information on sequence divergences for 42 species whose breeding range extends from Argentina to North America. Fifteen of the 32 species with low divergence are waterbirds (e.g. herons, rails, cormorants, ducks); their use of coastal habitats facilitates gene flow [36]. Seven other species are tropical raptors with limited ranges in North America and whose long-distance movements ensure gene flow [37]. The few small passerines in this group may represent recent range extensions into the southernmost United States. The 10 species with deeper genetic divergences (>1.5%) were largely plain-coloured passerines (Troglodytes aedon, Vireo olivaceus) and birds with cryptic lifestyles (Nyctidromus albicollis, Glaucidium brasilianum). Most possessed a disjunct range, typically with northern migratory and southern non-migratory populations (e.g. Athene cunicularia, Troglodytes aedon, Vireo olivaceus). Some groups, such as the vireos, are thought to have evolved migratory behaviour on multiple occasions [38], switches that might provoke rapid speciation because they isolate breeding populations [39]. The status of all 10 species with deep splits requires further evaluation, but the need for taxonomic revisions has already been suggested in some cases (e.g., ref. [40]).
Aside from revealing cases of geographic divergence, the coupling of North American and Argentinian results revealed two cases of barcode sharing. Parula americana, a species ranging from eastern North America to Central America, shares barcodes with P. pitiayumi, a tropical species whose range extends north to Texas. A recent range expansion from a common ancestor has been proposed as the most likely cause for the low divergence between these species [41]. The second case of sequence overlap involves Anas americana, restricted to North/Central America, and A. sibilatrix, confined to the southern cone of South America. While ducks generally exhibit low genetic divergences, these two species possess striking plumage differences. Peters et al. [42] proposed that rapid phenotypic changes have been provoked by divergent selective pressures in the northern and southern hemispheres.
The taxonomy of Neotropical birds remains largely reliant on dated morphological studies [43], but molecular data promise to expedite a newly detailed understanding of this fauna [44]. Although levels of genetic differentiation do not dictate taxonomic status [45], barcode analysis illuminates those taxa and those segments of their ranges where further research is justified. Taxonomic decisions cannot be based simply on COI sequences, but barcode surveys are a powerful tool for rapidly identifying those species in need of further investigation. The occurrence of limited variation between well-known sister taxa suggests that even more cryptic species may persist than a liberal thresholding approach, such as the 10× rule, might indicate [46]. The present study shows the way in which a broad-ranging analysis of sequence diversity in a single gene region can also deliver insights concerning the diversification of faunas as opposed to small groups of species. Interestingly, Argentinian and North American birds showed similar incidences of deep intraspecific divergences and of barcode sharing. The underlying causes of both these situations are of great importance to our understanding of avian speciation. We expect that follow-up investigations of sequence variation at other loci, and studies on morphology, behaviour, vocalization and distributions (e.g., ref. [47]) will rapidly advance understanding of the diversity and diversification of the Neotropical avifauna.
Materials and Methods
Most specimens (88%) were collected by the Ornithology Division of the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia" (MACN) between 2003 and 2007, sometimes in collaboration with other institutions. A few additional specimens were donated (6%), confiscated from illegal traders (4%), or obtained from skins of birds collected after 1995 (2%). DNA was usually extracted from frozen samples of pectoral muscle, liver or heart, but a few extractions were from blood (1%) or small pieces of skin/toe pads from museum skins (2%). All samples derive from the tissue collection at the MACN.
A voucher is present in the MACN or in another collaborating institution for 99% of the specimens that provided a tissue sample for analysis. While most of these vouchers were study skins, a few were skeletons or specimens in ethanol. In the case of blood samples, birds were photographed prior to release to provide an e-voucher. All specimens were identified in the field and validated after preparation; taxonomic assignments follow Clements [48]. Only specimens with confirmed species identities were included. Adults were preferred over juveniles and, in the case of species with sexual dimorphism, males were chosen over females. Specimens were examined from all localities with representatives of a species, but no more than three individuals were analyzed from a single location, excepting a few species with particularly high genetic divergence.
DNA extracts were obtained using glass fibre columns with vertebrate lysis buffer, and an automated protocol using a Biomek FXP liquid handler [49]. Extracts were eluted in 50 µl of molecular grade water. COI sequences were amplified using the primer pair of BirdF1 (5′-TTCTCCAACCACAAAGACATTGGCAC-3′) and COIbirdR2 (5′-ACGTGGGAGATAATTCCAAATCCTGG-3′). When PCR failed and degraded DNA was the suspected cause, internal primers were used in conjunction with those above: AvMiR1 (5′-ACTGAAGCTCCGGCATGGGC-3′) and AvMiF1 (5′-CCCCCGACATAGCATTCC-3′). PCR reactions were initially run following the thermal cycling program in Kerr et al. [5]. Later samples used a shorter program which was equally effective: One cycle at 94°C for 1 min, five cycles of 94°C for 1 min, 45°C for 40 s, and 72°C for 1 min, 35 cycles of 94°C for 1 min, 51°C for 40 s, and 72°C for 1 min, and lastly one cycle of 72°C for 5 min. PCR products were visualized on 2% agarose gels (E-gel 96, Invitrogen) and were bi-directionally sequenced on an ABI 3730×l DNA Analyzer. Sequence records were assembled from forward and reverse reads using SEQUENCHER, version 4.5 (Gene Codes) and aligned by eye using BioEdit version 22.214.171.124 [50].
Specimen and collection data, sequences, and trace files are available in the project 'Birds of Argentina–Phase I' in BOLD (http://www.barcodinglife.org). Sequences have been deposited in GenBank under accession numbers FJ027014–FJ028607. BOLD process IDs, museum numbers, and GenBank accession numbers for each specimen analyzed are outlined in Table S3. Comparisons to COI sequences for North American birds employed data available from BOLD in the container project 'Birds of North America–Phase II' (sequences are also available from GenBank under accession numbers AY666171–AY666596, DQ432694–DQ433261, DQ433274–DQ433846, and DQ434243–DQ434805).
Sequences were compared using the Kimura 2-parameter distance option [51] in the BOLD Management & Analysis System [52]. Linear regression was performed using R version 2.5.0 [53]. Intra- and interspecific variation were examined visually with neighbour-joining trees generated using the 'Taxon ID Tree' option on BOLD. Bootstrap support using 1000 replicates was calculated using MEGA version 4.0 [54]. Sequences of pairs or trios of species with low divergence were analyzed by eye for the identification of diagnostic nucleotides (positions fixed within each species but different between them), which have previously proven to be robust in other species (Kerr et al., unpublished data).
Supporting Information
Table S1.
List of species included in the study (with common English and Spanish names provided), plus the number of individuals analyzed for each.
Table S2.
List of species with natural breeding ranges extending from North America to Argentina. The number of individuals sampled per continent is provided, plus mean genetic distance when applicable.
Table S3.
List of all specimens included in the study and their associated BOLD process IDs, museum numbers, and GenBank accession numbers.
We thank Michael Andersen, George Barrowclough, Pilar Benites, Sara Bertelli, Miguel Blanco, Kimberly Bostwick, Mariana Bulgarella, Sebastián Cabbanne, Luciano Calderón, Leonardo Campagna, Luis M. Chiappe, Santiago Claramunt, Muir Eaton, Cecilia Kopuchian, Kevin McCracken, Luciano Naka, Mark Robbins, Paul Sweet, Robert Wilson and Gabriel Zunino for aid with fieldwork. We also are grateful to Yolanda Davies and Jorge Navas for their assistance with specimen curation at the MACN, and to many colleagues at BIO (particularly Sujeevan Ratnashingham, Nataly Ivanova, and Janet Topan) for their assistance with informatics and laboratory support. For authorizing permits we thank the National Fauna authorities (particularly Edgardo Ramadori and Eduardo Fernández), the National Parks Administration (Paula Cichero, Néstor Sucunza, and Justo Herrera), and the authorities of the Offices of Fauna of Buenos Aires (Manuel Pedreira and Mónica Casciaro), Catamarca (Enrique Fra and Roberto Salinas), Corrientes (Sergio Zajarevich), Chubut (Sandra Rivera), Jujuy (Juan Pablo Villafañe), Mendoza (Gustavo Solá), Misiones (Ernesto Krauczuk and Miguel Rinas), Neuquén (Alejandro Del Valle), Río Negro (Mauricio Faillá), and San Juan (Marcelo Jordán). We also thank Mark Stoeckle for helpful comments on this manuscript.
Author Contributions
Conceived and designed the experiments: KCRK DAL PDNH PLT. Performed the experiments: KCRK DAL ASB. Analyzed the data: KCRK DAL ASB PDNH PLT. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: PLT. Wrote the paper: KCRK DAL ASB PDNH PLT.
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Protecting the Arctic from Climate Disruption
While some view summer as the ideal vacation, George Divoky sees those three months as the busiest months of his year. The scientist has traveled to Cooper Island in extreme northern Alaska every year to study sea birds for the past 40 years. In his decades of work in the Arctic Circle, he's seen the effects of climate disruption up close.
"I don't know what's going to happen next. The island is rapidly eroding, the birds can't find food for their young because the pack ice has melted out far from the island," said Divoky, director of Friends of Cooper Island.Divoky said the bird he's studying, Black Guillemots, are laying their eggs earlier - which is due directly to an earlier snow melt. On top of that, he's seeing an even bigger direct threat to his life: Polar bears are encroaching on the island to eat the birds' eggs because the pack ice - a polar bear's favorite habitat - is melting.
"I have to use a cabin now because the polar bears wrecked my tent. People ask me if I believe in climate change and I say, 'Well I believe in polar bears, and for 30 years I didn't have them in my front yard on my island, but now they're there.' And it's because their preferred habitat is melting."
Yet Divoky knows these realities are hard to convey to the average person who does not live on an island in northern Alaska. Climate disruption's effects are being felt across the Arctic, threatening animals and plant species and affecting the way of life for many Native tribes.
Summer sea ice is now one-half what it was in 1979 to near 2000. "What gets me depressed is how quickly the Arctic is changing and what it means for the world. While the sea ice loss is reported as a change in ice extent, it is important to remember that this is also an ecosystem loss. This is a rather sudden loss of 50% of one of the biggest ecosystems in the world," said Divoky.
"If this was a tropical rainforest, people might be all over it saying 'How could we do this? But because it's the Arctic and since it is so remote and inhospitable, people aren't seeing it."
What people are seeing, though, is how climate disruption is severely affecting the lower 48 of the U.S. Severe droughts, wildfires, Superstorm Sandy - Americans are experience the realities of a warming climate and melting Arctic.
Divoky says U.S. leaders must take action on climate, and so should the average American. "People can and should do everything they can to get off fossil fuels."
You can take action today by joining our 100 Days of Action for Climate and Clean Energy. Find local events, write letters, spread the word - you can do it all on our www.StandWithThePlanet.com website to help encourage climate action and clean energy investment.
Whether it's moving beyond coal to clean energy to power our homes and businesses, to stopping oil drilling (which would also have sever effects on the Arctic), action is needed now.
We must ban new drilling - including oil and gas, oil shale, tar sands, and other dirty fuels - on our public lands and outer continental shelf to protect iconic places like the Arctic Refuge and National Parks.
Dirty energy exploitation of our public lands is a no-win situation for special places in America's Arctic. There, destructive drilling would not only ruin the pristine landscape -- it would dredge up more dirty fuel that will only further melt the Arctic when burned into our climate.
The faster we take action on climate disruption now, the less chance Americans will be able to echo what Divoky says about his time in the Arctic: "It's a situation where I don't know what's coming next. Climate change is something I'm living. I'm not just downloading data points from a computer and plotting the effects of change. I am experiencing, as well as observing, the uncertainty that comes with a rapidly changing climate."


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The content of this page has not been approved by the Court nor does it constitute legal advice. It is for the purpose of providing general information only.
Following the implementation of the Court approved Settlement Agreement, Class Counsel identified that a shortfall continued to occur in the pension benefits being received by certain class members. After a thorough investigation, it was determined that certain class members were not receiving the full benefits provided to them under the Settlement Agreement. . As explained below, the parties were able to resolve most of the settlement administration issues as amongst themselves (the "Settlement Administration Matters" – see section 1 below), however, one issue required the plaintiffs to bring a motion before the Court for directions to enforce the terms of the Settlement Agreement (the "Settlement Implementation Matters" – see section 2 below).
1. Settlement Administration Matters
GM Canada, GDLS and Class Counsel, together with their respective actuarial advisors, have carried out a comprehensive review of the pension benefits being paid to class members which resulted in a detailed analysis of the GM Plan, the GDLS Plan, the Settlement Agreement, and the calculation of the Wrap-Around Benefit. As a result, the parties have negotiated a "Settlement Implementation Agreement" which clarifies the calculation methodologies to be used by all parties in calculating various aspects of the Wrap-Around Benefit and related benefits under the GM Plan.
As a result of the review, both GM Canada and GDLS have made changes to their pension administrative systems, practices and procedures as described in the Settlement Implementation Agreement, to ensure consistency in determining the GM Plan benefit offset used by GDLS in the calculation of the Wrap-Around Benefit.
Copies of the Settlement Implementation Agreement as well as illustrative sample benefit calculations can be found below:
Settlement Implementation Agreement (May 20, 2015)
Illustrative Sample Benefit Calculations
Settlement Administration Notices
On or about June 24, 2015, a Notice of Settlement Administration Matters was distributed to class members (or a class member's surviving spouse, designated beneficiary or estate) which provides a further explanation of the additional calculation issues, identified by the parties, which relate to the Wrap-Around Benefit pursuant to the Settlement Agreement.
Each class member (or a class member's surviving spouse, designated beneficiary or estate) will also receive, in due course but no later than December 31, 2015, a personalized information package from GDLS confirming whether or not any adjustment is required to be made to his or her Wrap-Around Benefit as a result of the Settlement Implementation Agreement, and if so, the personalized information package will provide specific information about their individualized adjustment.
Each class member (or a class member's surviving spouse, designated beneficiary or estate) who ceased to be an employee of GDLS prior to January 1, 2007 will also receive, in due course but no later than December 31, 2015, a personalized information package from GM Canada confirming whether or not any adjustment is required to be made to the benefits paid from the GM Plan.
Each class member who ceased to be an employee of GM Canada on or after January 1, 2007 through to December 31, 2014 should have already received a personalized information package from GM Canada regarding whether or not an adjustment was required to be made to the benefits paid from the GM Plan (See Below).
2. Settlement Implementation Matters
During the course of the comprehensive review of pension calculations for class members, many issues were identified and resolved; those issues are set out in the Settlement Implementation Agreement as described above. There was however one issue which arose in the course of the parties review: specifically whether the general freeze under the GM Plan that applied to recognition of earnings after December 31, 2006 also applied to recognition of earnings increases at GDLS beyond December 31, 2006 (the "GDLS Earnings Issue"). GM asserted that the freeze did apply to class members. Class Counsel and GDLS disagreed.
Class Counsel brought a motion before the Court for directions to enforce the terms of the Settlement Agreement. On December 3, 2014, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice released a decision requiring General Motors to administer its pension plan pursuant to the terms of the Settlement Agreement. Specifically, the Court ruled that GMCL must take into account earnings with GDLS on and after January 1, 2007, in the formula used to determine what increase, if any, to apply to the pension earned under the GM Plan as at March 1, 2003.
Reasons of Justice Haines (December 3, 2014)
Settlement Implementation Notices
On or about April 24, 2015, a Notice of Settlement Implementation Matters was distributed to class members (or a class member's surviving spouse, designated beneficiary or estate) which provided a further explanation of the December 3, 2014 decision as well as information about the general impact of the Court's decision.
An individualized notice was also sent to class members (or a class member's surviving spouse, designated beneficiary or estate) who ceased employment with General Dynamics, by retirement, termination or death, on or after January 1, 2007. The individualized notice provided specific information about the effect of the Court's decision on a class member's individual situation.
If you do not receive a copy of any of the notice(s), please contact Class Counsel to ensure that the parties have your updated contact information.
Summary of the Case
The class action against General Motors of Canada Limited ("GM") and General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada Corporation ("GD") was commenced by Statement of Claim issued February 4, 2005. The claim sought relief in respect of an alleged shortfall in pension benefits payable to salaried employees who transferred from GM's defense-based business to GD pursuant to contracts of employment effective March 1, 2003.
In essence, the claim alleged that the salaried employees' pension plans of GM and GD did not interact in such a way as to provide certain Class Members with the same pension benefit they would have received if all of their career service in the business was accrued under the GM pension plan as it was written the date of transfer.
The alleged shortfall is known as the "wraparound liability" or a "wraparound benefit". Put another way, the shortfall is the amount by which the benefit that would have been paid under the March 1, 2003 terms of the GM pension plan if the Class Members had continued under the terms of that plan, exceeds the amount payable under the existing terms of the GM and GD pension plans.
Summary of the Settlement
A Settlement Agreement was reached between the parties to resolve the litigation. The settlement is a compromise of disputed claims.
The Settlement Agreement requires GD to amend the GD pension plan in order to provide 100% of the alleged shortfall referred to as the "wrap-around benefit" to Class Members effective January 1, 2011.
For those Class Members who retired prior to January 1, 2011, and who have experienced a wraparound shortfall, a "catch-up payment" will be made in order to pay 100% of the value of the wrap-around benefit to such retirees from the date of their retirement to January 1, 2011, plus interest. Effective from January 1, 2011 forward, the pension benefit of each such retiree Class Member will be increased to reflect a "wrap-around benefit" enhancement where applicable.
For those Class Members who left the employ of GD after March 1, 2003 and elected to receive a commuted value payment, a similar catch-up payment will be made where such a commuted value payment should be increased to reflect the "wraparound benefit".
If a Class Member dies or terminates employment before receiving payment of the "catch-up payment", or any other benefit provided for under this settlement, the person entitled under the terms of the GD pension plan will be entitled to the catch-up payment or death benefits calculated taking into account the wrap-around improvement.
For those Class Members who are employees of GD and have yet to terminate or retire following the acquisition from GM, pension benefits will accrue pursuant to the wrap-around amendment where applicable.
The wraparound amendments will be made to the GD plan on an indefinite basis. However, GD has agreed that no amendments will be made to the GD pension plan in respect of the "wrap-around benefit" prior to March 1, 2013. After that time, GD reserves the right to amend or terminate the "wrap-around benefit" subject to applicable statutory requirements and the provision of reasonable notice to Class Members under applicable law. No such amendment can remove the "wraparound benefits" accrued to Class Members up to the date any such amendment might be made.
The Defendants have agreed to the above terms in exchange for a full and final release of the claims against them. The full particulars of the release are contained within the Settlement Agreement.
Settlement Documents
- Settlement Agreement
- Court Approved Notice of Settlement Approval Hearing (February 28, 2011)
- Court Approved Information Supplement to the Notice of Settlement Approval Hearing (April 20, 2011)
- Court Approved Notice of Settlement Approval (May 27, 2011)
View Documents
- Amended Statement of Claim (569KB PDF)
- Motion for Certification (710KB PDF)
- Statement of Defence of GM (490KB PDF)
- Statement of Defence of GD (365KB PDF)
- Certification Decision of Justice Haines (608 KB PDF)
- Notice of Certification and Opt Out Form (138KB PDF)
- Endorsement Justice Haines (360KB PDF)
Class Members
If you have questions related to this action please contact Class Counsel at 519.679.9660, ext. 6711 or 1.800.263.0489, ext. 6711 or by e-mail at:


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Salvete Omnes!
Here's the current plan for the first publication of Re-Enactment Ireland.
Last date for submission of articles – 10pm on Wednesday the 15th of October
*Review of articles by the editor's – 16th to 22nd of October
Publication – Friday the 31st of October
*This periods allows for articles to be returned to authors for inclusion of editorial comments and returned.
OK, some general guidelines…
Articles can be about…
1) Historical events (Battles etc.), general historical periods, historical figures etc.
2) Re-enactment groups and activities
3) Re-enactment equipment and projects
4) Re-enactment crafts and skills including food
6) Historical peoples and societies
Basically anything of a historical/Re-enactment content BUT must conform to the following rules…
1) All sources must be quoted
2) Quotations from other sources must be recorded as such
3) No boasting about biggest, best, first etc
4) Where other groups are referenced their permission must be sought
5) The publishers will take no responsibility for the content of articles
Basically folks, we all want this to be a successful publication that we all get something out of. We would like this publication to be a community based project and show Irish re-enactment in a positive light. With this in mind, I'm sure you will understand that anything likely to cause controversy or offence will not be passed by the editors.
For the first edition, everybody making a contribution will also have an accompanying article featuring them and their group and highlighting what they do and the events they run.
Apart from articles, the magazine will feature a full list of events and event reports, letters to the editor's and their responses and personal advertising such as buy and sell etc.
We are currently working with two UK based re-enactment and living history based forums/websites with a view to distribution in the UK but this will ultimately depend on exactly how we electronically publish the magazine.
So what do we need? We need articles on every aspect of history and re-enactment from the Neolithic to today, Stone Age implements to Desert Storm, Celtic re-enactment to WWII and beyond and preferably in an Irish context. Basically if you think people would like to read it, then we'll publish it but please REMEMBER, we need your help not only in providing material but also to help us edit it – no one's an expert on everything, so don't be shy!
The official website will be up and running in the next few days and email addresses will be published then.
In the meantime please contact email@example.com
Salvete Omnes!


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Sunday, December 14, 2008
Review: The Little Man in the Map
The delightful book, "The Little Man in the Map" by E. Andrew Martonyi is hands-down, the coolest, most entertaining tool to help children learn the names and location of all 50 States, ever.
True, it's not a "packaged curriculum" which many of us homeschooling Moms gravitate toward. But I found this book to be far more effective than my twelve years of geography classes combined.
Immediately after reading the book, my youngest daughter simply HAD to call her best friend, Julianah to tell her all about MIM. "Get a map!" she exclaimed. "Now, look for the little man...he's very easy to find."
Now, unless you know what you're looking for, MIM isn't that easy to find. Especially not over the phone where you can't "see" what the other person is talking about.
I tried to explain this fact to Abby, suggesting she show her friend the book in person later in the week. But noooo; that involves patience. Something Abby has very little of.
"Ok, start with Minnesota...huh?...What do you mean you don't know where Minnesota is?! Oh my gosh!" (Ahem...like she knew where it was before reading the book, right?) In the end, I'm pleased to report that her best friend did in fact find MIM, and all was well in the Land of Abby after that.
Now...back to the review!
The Little Man in the Map takes readers on a fun journey across the United States with a little help from "MIM" (Man Inside the Map—get it?), the story's official tour guide. MIM comes to life when the children discover that the shapes of specific States (Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana) form the little man's body and clothing.
Speaking in whimsical rhyme (reminiscent of Dr. Seuss but not as goofy), MIM teaches "his" readers to see pictures within the boundary lines of each State. The lush illustrations provided by Ed Olson serve as a powerful visual aid, making this book a superior alternative to a boring Geography textbook. (Something I was repeatedly stuck with during my entire academic career…)
The Little Man in the Map is a winner of The Independent Publishers and Moonbeam Children's Book Awards, as well as a Finalist in the Indie Book Awards Next Generation and ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Award contests. (So if you don't accept my word that this book is totally nifty, you can take theirs. Ha!)
This hardcover book is available separately for $19.95 or in a combo package with a coordinating wall map for $35.00 (wall map also sold separately). A handy Teacher's Guide is currently in the works, and from the sneak peek I received, I can assure you that it'll be well worth the wait.
Visit Schoolside Press.com and introduce your children to MIM, download free coloring pages, and place your order for this fabulous resource.
My children and I give "The Little Man in the Map" 2 thumbs way up! ;o)
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The UofP would not supply this diploma so I am doing research on some on-line campuses before I can start the next stage of my schooling. Ms. Black's resignation, which comes on the heels of the departures of numerous different extreme-score training officials, was practically as surprising as her appointment. Evidently, the ACLU and its Alabama affiliate have decided they know what's greatest for the children, not the training professionals within the native faculties. In distant villages or a nursing residence in Australia, it helps unfold training to keen students.
In a personal college setting in Nigeria, the Ministry of education is the chief authority and controller of schools. There have been tales in as we converse's New York Daily News and Politico New York regarding the dynamite NYC Opt Out press conference yesterday at City Hall, by which guardian leaders demanded that DOE inform mother and father all by means of the city that they have the best to resolve out of the upcoming exams. Many of these young individuals may discover trades and jobs that go well with them, however they could by no means be interviewed because of their lack of a diploma.
Special education college students at a Brooklyn constitution school did not get mandated companies and had been punished for habits that arose from their disabilities, based on a lawsuit filed in federal courtroom on Thursday. Extension of University Education Act: The Act equipped for the exclusion of non-White school college students fro the hitherto open universities and the establishment of segregated colleges on ethnic traces for the various non-White races. Other lecturers had been involved within the know-how alternatives and understand how they'll improve the standard of training they'll current.
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Handy, fingers-on expertise will set you up for the twenty first-century workforce. I tried a couple of times, but there were no acceptable jobs for the PhD educated chemist with put up doctoral expertise and loads of publications. During the month of July, 19 present Contra Costa County highschool students and recent graduates had been honing their job and life experience to rearrange them for added training and upcoming employment by participation throughout the Environmental Media Workshop.


text: Image via The Haute Pursuit How to Style Your Boyfriend's Jersey for You Janai Jones July 17, 2017 Fashion 3764 Tweet Share Share Email WhatsAppShares 0Athletic and leisure wear has become increasingly fashionable over the years. With this trend, even sports jerseys have become fashionable. Everyone is representing their favorite sports team or player and making it chic. For the ladies that want to hop on this trend you can simply borrow it from your boyfriend's closet and style it in one of the following ways Oversized One way to wear stylish 1990s jerseys, is to wear them oversized as a dress or with a pair of short shorts underneath. This is a pretty casual look and can be paired with a casual hat, like a baseball cap, and a pair of sneakers, like some high tops. Hoop earrings or a gold necklace would also go well with this outfit. Dress it up You can dress up a jersey by pairing it with dressier shoes such as heels, booties, or thigh high boots. The jersey can also be dressed up by adding a layer to it such as a cardigan or a light jacket. Jewelry that would go well with this would be chunky hoop earrings, chunky necklaces, and other chunky jewelry. Pair it With Jeans A jersey when styled well can look great with a pair of jeans. When you pair it with jeans you can dress it up by pairing it by heels or make it casual by pairing it with sneakers. You can go for a slouchy look by pairing your borrowed boyfriend's jersey with boyfriend jeans. This slouchy look can be casual or chic depending on the shoes you pair it with. This young women in the New York Jersey made her slouchy look chic by finishing the outfit with a pair of strappy heels. For a baseball jersey, you can wear it open with a crop top or bralette underneath and then pair it with high waisted jeans. This look can also be made casual or dressy depending on the shoes and jewelry you pair it with. This young lady paired her Dodgers jersey with a white crop top, distressed jeans, and nude platform heels. This woman in the Red Sox jersey has an exceptionally unique outfit as she tucked in her white jersey in to some white high waisted jeans creating an all white outfit with a pop of red from the detailing on the jersey, her lipstick and her flats.


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I'm reviewing the situation; can Baltimore sustain one more community theatre that popped-up overnight? The answer is yes, as Third Wall Productions makes their inaugural production of Oliver! snap jauntily to life in the found-space stage of the Episcopal Church of the Messiah in Hamilton. Produced by Jerry Gietka (who has commemorated producing the show in loving memory of his late sister Bernie) and Directed by Ed Higgins, with Kathryn Weaver as Musical Director, the first show of the first season is well under way for this new community organization, which is defining what it means to be a community theatre in Baltimore.
Oliver!, often mistook for a children's musical because of having so many child-aged characters, is a rather dark Dickensian musical with Music, Book, and Lyrics by Lionel Bart. The good folks at Third Wall Productions do their best to balance out the dark and ominous side of the performance with enjoyable entertainment for the whole family; they create a community effort and focus to bring the production to its feet. Popping up on the east side of the city, Third Wall Productions arrives on the scene as a dinner theatre with a few splendid options from the church's kitchen, most of which are in the Italian family style tradition.
One of the noteworthy elements of the production is how simplicity influences the design for functionality's sake without compromising the aesthetic of the overall performance. Set Designer Jordan Hollett, alongside Lighting Designer Jim Shomo and Costume Designer Mea Holloway, find little ways to spruce up the visuals without adding cumbersome scenic changes, intensive lighting cues, or costumes tha outshine the performers. Hollett's construction of the London Bridge— completely with nighttime silhouette city skyline— is a marvel, one that remains cleverly locked away behind platform flats that serve other purposes throughout the performance. Shomo brings brightly focused LEDs into the mix and uses them appropriately throughout the course of the show with startling red to flood the pub for Nancy's big Act II number, a gruesome green for when things are going sour, and other shaded effects to derive atmosphere from various scenes.
Holloway, as the show's costume designer, creates some clever couture to ground the performance in the Dickensian era in which the show is traditionally set. Simple distressed looks on the workhouse orphans, slightly trickier threads for Fagin's gang, and of course a disparity in quality between the upper class and lower class garments are all a part of Holloway's sartorial makeup. Her grungy grime-covered vagrant outfits are perfect for both Bill Sykes and Fagin, and the blushing burgundy dress she fits to her own figure adds a nice depth to the character.
Musical Director Kathryn Weaver deserves a great deal of praise for marching the live orchestrations to a proper pace, and adjusting accordingly when her eager youth performers get slightly ahead of her. Balancing a live bare-essentials orchestra pit, whose only cloaking device is a black-drop scrim, is no easy task, but one that Weaver handles with ease. A noteworthy nod from the pit's performance goes to Andrew Zile, playing a live squeezebox during "Oom-Pah-Pah" at the top of Act II.
Director Ed Higgins, who finds himself slipped into the show as the well-groomed Mr. Brownlow, works again with Holloway— who proves herself to be indispensable to the production not only as the show's Costumer, but it's Choreographer and leading female role of Nancy— to chorale the many young performers during larger group numbers. The choreography Holloway puts forward is ambitious for a group featuring performers of all ages and skill-sets, but that doesn't stop her from ensuring everyone tries their best and has fun while doing it. The sense of community strength and pride is present in both Holloway and Higgins' work consistently throughout this performance, creating a wonderful opportunity for performers of all ages to try their hand at musical theatre.
With a bright voice, young Andi Rudai takes on the title role of Oliver Twist. Possessing good clear sounds for "Where is Love" and a spunky attitude throughout, Rudai does a fine job in this performance, especially when taking to the duet of "I'd Do Anything" a song sung opposite of Bet (Grace Volpe) and a secondary pairing of The Artful Dodger (William Zellhofer) and Nancy (Mea Holloway.) Volpe has a delightful little voice as well for being a young performer of just 12 years of age. Bringing a warm resonance to this duet and her duet shared with Nancy, "It's a Fine Life," there seems to be nothing these wonderful youngsters won't try.
Standout performances in the ensemble include that of Kali Baklor, who does appear as a named character late in the show, but gets her dancing ferocity on-point during "Oom-Pah-Pah" opposite Nancy, and again later in the quartet of "Who Will Buy," where she's given the chance to show off her pipes. Baklor delivers vivid facial expressions consistently and is a top-notch background performer. The Sowerberrys (Nick Ruth and Deborah Steinig) as well as their miserable daughter Charlotte (Sydney Hunt) all deserve a nod as well for their outrageous and somewhat melodramatic performances during the scenes in the funeral parlor. Ruth and Steinig take "That's Your Funeral" to laughable heights with their ridiculous accents and facial expressions. Higgins' choice to cast the pair opposite one another is a good one, if for no other reason than the vertical sight gag, which only adds to the absurdity of their existence.
A grumbling Mr. Bumble (Michael Zellhofer) and a shrieking Widow Corney (Jenifer Grundy-Hollett) add due terror where necessary, and bring a bit of the old vaudeville rhetoric into play when it comes to their duet "I Shall Scream." Zellhofer's chance to shine comes late in the second act when he's all too keen to be rid of the now Mrs. Bumble, and makes a compassionate plea to do so with haste.
With a bloomin' burst of baritone magic, young William Zellhofer masters the art of The Artful Dodger. Delivering a chummy and quirky rendition of the slick streetwise pickpocketing progeny, Zellhofer has one of the more decadent singing voices witnessed in the production. "I'd Do Anything" and "Consider Yourself" are two fine numbers with his warm sound carrying them along like a mid-afternoon breeze at the docks. Zellhofer toes the line of cheeky and foppishly fantastic, particularly when it comes to his facial expressions during "I'd Do Anything"— "…what, fisticuffs?" becoming a moment of utter delight. Watch his fancy footwork as it puts a pep in the step of everyone else who's dancing when he's shuffling about.
Director Ed Higgins makes a bold choice when it comes to actor James Fitzpatrick. Working under Higgins' guidance, Fitzpatrick fully commits to playing Fagin in the vein of Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow, the result of which is a fully foppish, flaming fruit of an old codger swankily flouncing about through numbers like "Pick a Pocket or Two." The blacked-out teeth are a nice touch on Fitzpatrick's part, and his patter for "Reviewing the Situation" is well-paced and delivered. The overall character choice, though at first a bit off-putting, is fully committed to and really vibrant across the ragtag band of hooligans in his charge, enabling Fitzpatrick to bring a bit of depth and dimension to the character.
Mea Holloway delivers Nancy as quite the street savvy strumpet and tarty trollop traipsing her way into "Fine Life." She don't mind taking it like it turns out and gives a fine performance throughout the show. There is a ferocity with which Holloway seizes all of her musical numbers, particularly "He Needs Me" though this is tempered with an earnest emotional connection to the character's strife. Cultivating a real crass lass with her pretty little ditty, "Oom-Pah-Pah" at the top of the second act, Holloway showcases her versatility as a performer, and even holds her own against the ferocious Bill Sykes (Lance Bankerd.)
Bankerd bursts onto the scene in a smoking blast of gravel that infects his voice quite soundly. A blasting villain that is just mean enough to terrify Nancy and the others, but just reserved enough to keep from truly frightening the children that might be watching, Bankerd delivers a stellar performance as the roustabout ruffian with ruthless intent. Though only having the one song, "My Name" it's a song that is performed with unforgettable clarity, particularly when it comes to hearing that rich melodious vocal sound that Bankerd commands overlaid by crackling, sooty grit thrown in with a liberal dose of gutter-slung cockney. Listen carefully to Bankerd, Holloway, Fitzpatrick, and William Zellhofer in a chilling rendition of "It's a Fine Life (Reprise)" and their harmonies are achieved with disturbing accuracy.
You best be reviewing, your situation, because the tickets they won't last so very long. And you want to be in on the ground floor of this new company as it gets underway, support the work they are doing for the community and all of the wonderful opportunities they will be providing for the stage as the years come down the line. It's a fine life they're creating indeed!
Running Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes with one intermission
Oliver! Plays through February 28, 2016 with Third Wall Productions at the Episcopal Church of the Messiah— 5801 Hartford Road in Baltimore's Hamilton neighborhood. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 443-838-4064 or purchasing them online.


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And yesterday we went to see the Impressionism exhibit that is now being held at the Albertina Museum in Vienna. If I say that the Josef Capek exhibit was a probe into the soul of a man, then the Impressionism exhibit is a probe into the soul of the impressionist style, which is my favourite painting style. I like impressionism so much because the impressionists were the first painters to find the courage to abandon efforts to depict reality as precisely as possible and instead they tried to convey a feeling with their work. They were also the first ones to step out of the studio and into actual nature to paint their paintings. Of course at first they were heavily criticized, but they perservered and as a result ended up producing some of the most breathtaking art of all time.
And as a sort of bonus, not only does this exhibition present some breathtaking paintings from the likes of Monet, Renoir or Van Gogh, but it also presents fascinating insights into how they went about their work. This exhibition is on until January 10, I believe, so if you're in the Vienna area at any time between now and then, I again highly recommend visiting it.
But even if you will not be anywhere near Prague or Vienna in the next couple of months, perhaps there is an interesting art exhibit somewhere near your home. Especially in the sometimes gloomy autumn days viewing beautiful works of art can have a tremendously positive impact on our mood and optimism. At least it certainly works that way for me. Happy art seeing!


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