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Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research
versão On-line ISSN 2219-0635
versão impressa ISSN 0030-2465
Onderstepoort j. vet. res. vol.80 no.1 Pretoria Jan. 2013
Descriptions of diplostomid metacercariae (Digenea: Diplostomidae) from freshwater fishes in the Tshwane area
Esmey B.E. MoemaI; Pieter H. KingI; Johnny N. RakgoleII; Chantélle BakerIII
IDepartment of Biology, University of Limpopo, Medunsa campus, South Africa
IIDepartment of Virology, University of Limpopo, Medunsa campus, South Africa
IIIElectron Microscope Unit, University of Limpopo, Medunsa campus, South Africa
The metacercarial (larval) stages of diplostomid digeneans are known to inhabit freshwater fish, causing tissue damage in the process. Due to their widespread diversity, little is known about their life cycle. The classification of these parasitic stages to the species level using only the morphology is very challenging due to the lack of genitalia; they are regarded to be the most important structures in the identification of these organisms. In this study, additional morphological information through light and scanning electron microscopy is given for two different diplostomids found in the cranial cavity of Clarias gariepinus and the vitreous chambers of Tilapia sparrmanii and Pseudocrenilabrus philander. The diplostomid metacercaria inhabiting the cranial cavity of Clarias gariepinus was morphologically identified as Diplostomulum (Tylodelphys) mashonense and an unknown metacercaria of the genus Diplostomum was found in the vitreous chambers of Pseudocrenilabrus philander and Tilapia sparrmanii. Both parasitic species' 28S recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid genomic regions were successfully amplified using Dig 125/1500R primer pairs. The assay yielded a product of approximately 1300 base pairs as seen on the gel images. There were 14 nucleotide differences over the entire analysed sequences resulting in a 1.1% (14/1273) nucleotide difference. In line with the morphological characteristics of these parasites, there seemed to be a slight difference in their genetic makeup. The application of molecular techniques on digenetic trematodes seems very promising and may yield great potential in future descriptions of morphologically similar parasitic species.
According to Gibson, Jones and Bray (2001), adult parasites of the family Diplostomidae are parasitic in many birds and mammals. Larval forms of this family use a variety of freshwater snails as first intermediate hosts and various fish species as second intermediate hosts.
Beverley-Burton (1963) from Zimbabwe and Niewiadomska (1984, 1986) from Poland pioneered early studies on the adults of the genus Diplostomum. Larval forms belonging to the genus Diplostomulum were also previously studied from the eyes and brain of freshwater fish from various parts of the world. These included the work done by: Pandey (1973) from India; Prudhoe and Hussey (1977), Chibwana et al. (2013) from Tanzania and Nigeria; Mashego and Saayman (1989) and Madanire-Moyo, Luus-Powell and Olivier (2010) from South Africa; Hendrickson (1978a, 1978b) and Hoglund and Thulin (1992) from the Baltic Sea.
The aim of this research was to study the morphology and phylogeny of two diplostomid metacercariae; one from the eyes and the other from the cranial cavity of different freshwater fish species from two localities in the proximity of Tshwane, Gauteng Province, South Africa.
Materials and methods
Diplostomid metacercariae were collected through dissections of three freshwater fish species, namely Pseudocrenilabrus philander Weber, 1897, Tilapia sparrmanii A. Smith, 1840 and Clarias gariepinus Burchell, 1822 (C. gariepinus). They were collected from the Supersand Dam (25°35'02.42"S, 28°10'38.98"E, altitude 1198 m above sea level [a.s.l.]) situated ± 2 km north of the Bon Accord Dam in the Onderstepoort area, Gauteng and the Boekenhoutskloof farm Dam (25°32'45.18"S, 28°26'12.47"E, altitude 1214 m, a.s.l.), approximately 15 km north of the Roodeplaat Dam Nature Reserve in the proximity of Tshwane, Gauteng Province, South Africa. Live forms of the metacercariae were studied using a compound microscope with the aid of vital stains. Specimens were fixed in 2.5% phosphate buffered glutaraldehyde (pH = 7.2-7.4), 5% saline buffered solution and 70% ethanol respectively and stored until required. Standard techniques for light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to study the internal and external ultrastructures of these parasites. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques were also performed pertaining to molecular structures on the same species.
Light microscopy
Specimens fixed in 70% ethanol were stained in haematoxylin or eosin and Van Cleave's haematoxylin staining solutions. Stained specimens were mounted on slides using DPX mounting medium. Projection drawings of mounted specimens were made by means of a drawing tube attached to a Nikon compound microscope (Nikon, Tokyo, Japan). For each description, a maximum of 20 specimens were drawn and measured, with all measurements given in micrometres (um). Morphological measurements are presented in the text as follows: minimum to maximum values, followed by the average value and standard deviation in parentheses. All light micrographs were taken using a Nikon Coolpix®990 digital camera fitted to the compound microscope.
Scanning electron microscopy
Specimens fixed in 2.5% gluteraldehyde were washed in Millonig's phosphate buffer (pH = 7.2) and dehydrated through an graded series of ethanol (from 70% ethanol to 100% ethanol) for 30 seconds to one minute in each concentration. They were processed as follows: overnight critical point dried (Polaron, Watford, UK), mounted on aluminium stubs, sputter coated with gold (Emscope; Quorum Technologies, Ashford, UK) and examined using a Leica Stereoscan 420 SEM (Leica Electron Optics, UK).
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Specimens for PCR were suspended in 5% saline buffered solution (200 μL) and frozen in a -70 C freezer until required. During the extraction process, specimens were thawed and excess buffered saline solution (BSS: 800 mL distilled water, 8 g NaCl, 0.2 g KCl, 1.44 g Na2HPO4 and 0.24 g KH2PO4; pH = 7.4) was removed. Deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA) were extracted using a QIAamp DNA mini kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA, USA) following the manufacturer's instructions. Two parasite samples obtained from different locations, the brain and eyes of two fishes, were extracted in duplicates. In brief, specimens were transferred to 220 μL lysis solution (200 μL ATL Buffer and 20 μL Proteinase K) in microcentrifuge tubes. Samples were incubated at 56 °C for four hours followed by the addition of 200 μL of absolute ethanol. The DNA in the lysate was allowed to bind to the spin columns and washed twice with the supplied buffers before being eluted in 200 μL of elution buffer. The extracted DNA of parasites was stored at -20 °C until analysis. The 28S rDNA was amplified using the primers DIG12 (5-AAGCATATCACTAAGCGG-3) and 1500R (5-GCTATCCTGAGGGAAACTTCG-3) (Tkach et al. 1999; Tkach, Pawloski & Mariaux 2000). The PCR reaction was performed in a final volume of 25 μL. The reagents at a final concentration of 0.2 μM for dNTPs, 1.5 mM MgCl2, 0.2 μM each of primers and 1 U per reaction of Taq polymerase (Bioline, BioTaq, London, UK) were used. The PCR products were sequenced on the ABI 3100XL sequencing platform (Life Technologies, Foster City, CA, USA). The sequences were edited using ChromasPro v1.5 (Technelysium Pty, Ltd, Queensland, Australia). Additional sequences were downloaded from GenBank (accession numbers are shown on the phylogenetic tree in the results section) and aligned using ClustalW within BioEdit (Hall 1999). The phylogenetic trees were constructed using MEGA v5.22 (Tamura et al. 2011).
This research project met the requirements of the Medunsa Research Ethics Committee (BP 05/2005) and the Animal Ethics Committee (AEC 02/05) of the University of Limpopo, South Africa. Fish species that were collected were kept under controlled laboratory conditions with sufficient light, air and food according to acceptable standards. They were anaesthetised using clove oil prior to dissection.
Metacercaria: Diplostomid metacercaria A [Diplostomulum (Tylodelphys) mashonense] (Figure 1a).
The host is Clarias gariepinus sampled from the Boekenhouts-kloof farm Dam in the Gauteng Province and its preferred site in the host is the brain cavity.
The metacercariae were found unencysted in the cranial cavity of the sharptooth catfish, C. gariepinus. A few were collected around the frontal lobe, however, the majority of these larval stages had migrated posteriorly into the cavity. The numbers varied from a minimum of eight to over a hundred specimens per fish host. The metacercaria appeared to be off-white and elongated (Figure 1a; Figures 2a and 2b). The foliate body measured 946 um-1917 µm (1409 µm ± 302 µm) long x 240 µm-485 µm (375 µm ± 75 µm) wide.
The body was comprised of a long and distinct forebody, followed by a small hindbody. It had an oral sucker (Figure 2c), which was situated at the anterior end of the body. It measured 36 µm-90 µm (70 µm ± 17 µm) x 42 µm-96 µm (72 µm ± 14 µm). The tegument around the oral sucker was surrounded by non-ciliated serrated receptors (Figure 2c). Bordering the oral sucker were two pseudosuckers (Figure 1a), 54 µm-120 µm (73 µm ± 22 µm) x 24 µm-84 µm (48 µm ± 16 µm), which were situated bilaterally at the anterior end of the body. The oral sucker (Figure 2c) continued into a muscular pharynx measuring 24 µm-60 µm (46 µm ± 13 µm) x 30 µm-60 µm (47 µm ± 10 µm). A short oesophagus measuring 30 µm-108 µm (40 µm ± 27 µm) x 12 µm-24 µm (19 µm ± 4 µm) bifurcated into two long intestinal caeca, 772 µm-1371 µm (1111 µm ± 247 µm) x 18 µm-36 µm (28 µm ± 7 µm), within the hindbody at the posterior end of the body.
A spherical acetabulum that was similar in size to the oral sucker (Figure 2d), was situated midventrally on the body and measured 36 µm-90 µm (71 µm ± 17 µm) x 30 µm-96 µm (67 µm ± 21 µm). The tegument around the acetabulum wall (Figure 2d) had no sensory receptors, but had ridges that were equally distributed around it. An oval-shaped holdfast organ (Figure 2e) with a deep fissure measured 156 µm-198 µm (180 µm ± 15 µm) x 24 µm-150 µm (101 µm ± 48 µm) and was situated between the acetabulum and the posterior end of the body. Genital primodia, consisting of two testes, occurred anteriorly in the hindbody. The anterior testis was asymmetrical, measuring 102 µm-467 µm (199 µm ± 120 µm) x 114 µm-263 µm (179 µm ± 50 µm), and lay in line with the junction of the forebody and the hindbody. It was also placed more to the right in the hindbody. The posterior testis on the other hand was bilobed and measured 96 µm-155 µm (126 µm ± 27 µm) x 138 µm-221 µm (176 µm ± 24 µm) (Figure 1a).
The excretory system was not observed due to the copious amount of calcareous bodies found in the body. The anterior body tegument was relatively smooth in the area around the oral sucker (Figure 2f), but became unevenly ridged posteriorly (Figure 2g) with non-ciliated papillae all over the body surface (Figure 2b-h). There were no spines on the body tegument.
Metacercaria: Diplostomid metacercaria B (Figure 1b).
The hosts are Tilapia sparrmanii and Pseudocrenilabrus philander sampled from the Supersand Dam in the Gauteng Province and its preferred site in the host is the vitreous chamber.
These metacercariae were found unencysted in the vitreous chamber of small southern mouth-brooders (P. philander) and banded tilapian (T. sparrmanii) species. The number of specimens varied from a minimum of two to a maximum of 12 per fish host. The metacercaria (Figure 1b; Figures 3a and 3b) was whitish in colour with an elongated body. The spatulate body measured 832 µm-1263 µm (1019 µm ± 138 µm) long x 257 µm-407 µm (340 µm ± 50 µm) wide.
The body was comprised of a well-developed oral sucker (Figure 3c), which measured 42 µm-72 µm (55 µm ± 9 µm) x 30 µm-60 µm (51 µm ± 10 µm). This sucker was located subterminally at the anterior end of the body and the tegument around it was not armed with receptors. Well-developed pseudosuckers (Figure 1b and Figure 3a) measuring 24 µm-42 µm (34 µm ± 6 µm) x 36 µm-84 µm (59 µm ± 15 µm) flanked the oral sucker.
The mouth that was located in the oral sucker connected to a muscular pharynx measuring 30 µm-54 µm (43 µm ± 8 µm) x 30 µm-54 µm (43 µm ± 6 µm). The pharynx lead to a very short oesophagus that measured 24 µm-84 µm (39 µm ± 18 µm) x 18 µm-24 µm (19 µm ± 2 µm). The oesophagus then bifurcated into two long intestinal caeca, 557 µm-988 µm (717 µm ± 141 µm) x 18 µm-42 µm (29 µm ± 7 µm), ending at the posterior end of the holdfast organ. A spherical acetabulum (Figure 3d) measuring 30 µm-66 µm (51 µm ± 12 µm) in diameter was situated along two-thirds of the body length. It was somewhat smaller than the oral sucker.
An elliptical holdfast organ (Figure 3e) with hymen measured 96 µm-180 µm (131 µm ± 29 µm) x 42 µm-96 µm (68 µm ± 18 µm) and was situated at the posterior end of the forebody. A conspicuous V-shaped excretory bladder (Figure 1b and Figure 3a) measuring 138 µm-240 µm (172 µm ± 32 µm) x 72 µm-132 µm (98 µm ± 21 µm) was situated at the posterior end of the hindbody. No flame cells were observed due to the rod-shaped calcareous bodies in the body. The genital primodia were also not observed, most probably due to the developmental stage of the parasites that were examined. An excretory pore was present at the posterior end of the hindbody (Figure 3h).
The non-ciliated receptors were observed posterior to the oral sucker (Figure 3f) surrounding the acetabulum (Figure 3d) and in most of the body tegument (Figures 3g and 3h).
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Parasite samples were successfully amplified using the Dig 125/1500R primer pairs. Three of the extracts tested positive: two from the brain and one from the eye. The assay yielded a product of about 1300 base pairs (bp) as seen on the gel images. Brain sample sequences were 100% similar. The sequence of eye sample differed from the one obtained from the brain by having one base pair longer in the sequenced region. In addition, there were 14 nucleotide differences over the entire analysed sequences resulting in a 1.1% (14/1273) nucleotide difference. Table 1 shows the specific locations of the base differences. The sequences were submitted to Genbank under the following accession numbers: KF189071 (brain) and KF189072 (eye).
Nucleotide positions were only based on the analysed regions of the two sequences. A phylogenetic tree (Figure 4) was constructed using the two sample sequences along with the similar sequences downloaded during a Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis from the Genbank database.
In this study, two dissimilar diplostomids were found to infect three fish species. Diplostomid metacercaria A was only found in the cranial cavity of C. gariepinus, whereas diplostomid metacercaria B was only found in the vitreous chamber of T. sparrmanii and P. philander. From this study it is evident that the two diplostomids are host specific and site specific due to the niches where they were sampled.
Both the cranial cavity and the eye diplostomid metacercariae were found unencysted at their respective sites. They were found to be moving freely in the cerebrospinal fluid in the region of the frontal lobes and vitreous humour of the eye, respectively.
Eight catfish that were dissected and examined in the present study were infected with the larvae in their cranial cavity. However, they did not show any signs of distress caused by these parasites. Khalil (1963) described Diplostomum tregenna, Nazmi Gohar, 1932 from the cranial nerves of Clarias lazera from the River Nile. He observed three stages of this parasite; the third stage was well-developed showing genitalia. Beverley-Burton (1963) described an adult diplostomula of Diplostomulum (Tylodelphys) mashonense (D. [T.] mashonense); the metacercariae were discovered in the cranial cavity of Clarias mossambicus, which was synonymous to C. gariepinus in Southern Rhodesia (now known as Zimbabwe).
Similarly, Mashego and Saayman (1989) described D. (T.) mashonense collected from C. gariepinus from dams around the Limpopo Province (formerly known as Lebowa). The latter authors' observations were that the metacercariae concentrated more on the frontal lobes of the brain in young hosts and thereafter they were found to have moved posteriorly as the hosts aged. This phenomenon was also observed during the present research study. These larvae were found to be very similar to the one described by the abovementioned authors and further, it was also very difficult to observe the excretory system including the flame cells. The metacercariae found in the cranial cavity of C. gariepinus during our investigation can therefore be identified as the larval stage of D. (T.) mashonense.
Tilapia sparrmanii specimens were found to be more frequently infected by eye diplostomid metacercariae than P. philander. It is still unclear as to why this should be the case, but immunity and the daily activities of the fish species may possibly have an influence. Hendrickson (1978a, 1978b) made observations about the eye diplostomids Diplostomum scheuringi, Hughes, 1929 and Diplostomum spathaceum respectively that were sampled from Wyoming fish. However, in his study observations were that some fish species were less infected than others and that these parasites had little, if any, effect on the sight of the fish.
Pandey (1973) described another type of eye diplostomid, Diplostomulum opthalmi (Pandey 1970), from freshwater fish in India. The eye diplostomid metacercaria observed in the present study is very similar to the one described by Hendrickson (1978a, 1978b) and Pandey (1973). However, it differs in the body tegument and size, has suckers that are spined and there is an absence of pseudosuckers. In order to classify this diplostomid species as a new species, the adult stage of this larval parasite will have to be found or experimentally raised. Only then would the taxonomic status of this species be able to be commented on.
Although the diplostomid metacercariae in the present study seem morphologically similar to the metacercariae described by other researchers, morphological studies are simply not sufficient. The morphology of organisms may undergo micro-evolutionary adaptation over time as the environment changes due to many external factors. Factors like pH, temperature, nutrients, light, health, age, as well as angles of observation may introduce variation of the same organism and are therefore very subjective even with standardised guidelines (Huyse, Poulin & Théron 2005). Phylogenetic studies were thus conducted on these metacercarial stages.
In line with the morphological characteristics of the two parasites, there seemed to be a slight difference in their genetic make-up. From the 1273 bp of a 28S region, a 1.03% difference exists at DNA level. This is thought to be a highly conserved region for most organisms and should therefore be common to organisms of the same species. Lower homology values will be expected for non-conserved regions of these organisms, such that their full length sequences could differ by as much as 15%. The power of phylogenetic analysis is undermined by the lack of parasite sequences in the Genbank database and therefore renders a limitation into complete characterisation of these organisms. The phylogenetic tree thus constructed, clusters the parasites in the present study with those that belong to the Superfamily Diplostomoidea and can unfortunately only resolve the samples studied to the Order Strigeidida. There are mixed families within the same node when analysing this phylogenetic tree to the family level.
This is the first study to report on the larger fragment of the 28S rDNA of diplostomids from the cranial cavity of C. gariepinus and the eyes of P. philander and T. sparrmanii. Presently there are no related sequences in the GenBank database. However, there is a recent report on phylogenetic studies of diplostomids collected from the brain of C. gariepinus sampled from Nigeria and Tanzania, of which the sequences covered up to the ITS-2 region (Chibwana et al. 2013). Unfortunately the sequences of the present study cannot be compared to those generated in the previous work due to the fact that they both target exclusive DNA regions. The only sequence that links to the sequences from our study (and that of Chibwana et al. 2013) is Alaria alata (accession number JF820609). Since there are no related sequences in the database, we can only base our nomenclature on the morphology.
This was a pilot study from the Department of Biology, which aimed to assess the possibility of applying molecular biology techniques to the investigation of larval digenetic parasites. The application of molecular techniques on digenetic trematodes seems very promising and may yield great potential in future descriptions of these parasitic species.
We recommend a full length genome analysis of these two organisms in order to establish more definitive evidence of whether they belong to the same species. Further than that, archived specimens that have been described using biological and morphological characteristics should be genetically analysed in order to increase the information in the database of these organisms in GenBank.
SEM equipment utilised during this investigation was supported by the Department of Science and Technology in partnership with the National Research Foundation of South Africa. The Department of Virology, Medunsa campus allowed us to utilise their PCR laboratories for molecular work.
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationship(s) that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.
Authors' contributions
E.B.E.M. (University of Limpopo) was the principal investigator and this study forms part of her doctoral thesis. P.H.K. (University of Limpopo) was the postgraduate supervisor of this study. C.B. (University of Limpopo) was a co-worker involved with all aspects of micrography and technical finishing of photographic plates. J.N.R. (University of Limpopo) was involved in the phylogenetic studies of the present study.
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Esmey Moema
PO Box 139
Medunsa 0204, South Africa
Esmey. firstname.lastname@example.com
Received: 22 Apr. 2013
Accepted: 24 June 2013
Published: 25 Sept. 2013


text: Sijun Forums :: View topic - How did Sijun become so quiet? Log in to check your private messages Sijun Forums Forum Index >> Digital Art Discussion View previous topic :: View next topic Author Topic : "How did Sijun become so quiet?" mickememberMember #Joined: 19 Jan 2000Posts: 1666Location: Oslo/Norway Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 12:38 am This place used to be a very active forum. At least 10 years ago. Sijun was one of the very first digital art-forums and now there is just around 1 active thread. Why? What happened? Back to top SumalethAdministratorMember #Joined: 30 Oct 1999Posts: 2896Location: Australia Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 1:33 am The extreme quiet Sijun is experiencing right now is actually only a couple of weeks old, and it seems to go through a flat spot like this from time to time. To date, it has recovered from each flat spot. I guess people just need a break from time to time, or maybe it'll take a particularly inspiring post to kick start a new season. It hasn't been at those insane 98-00 levels for a long time though. Sijun was the only digital art forum back then, but it was probably inevitable that members would split off and form their own communities, and for the professionals (those providing the best feedback) to burn out. And once the commercial juggernauts got rolling - cgtalk and conceptart - there was no way back to what it was. The consolidation to a handful of themed threads here on Sijun was an unusual trend, but it has been like this for four or five years now. And even though the feedback side of things has died right down there still a very large number of people visiting the forums, so it has become more of a place to enjoy fresh art and watch new artists develop, rather than be the feedback-driven site that it was in those early years. Dhabih has been happy for us to cultivate a relaxed, easy-going community, rather than drive for market share or a particular purpose. It is whatever it is, and the people who visit seem to enjoy it for that. And the speedpainting thread is one of the all-time great internet forum threads. _________________Art Links Archive -- Artists and Tutorials Back to top mickememberMember #Joined: 19 Jan 2000Posts: 1666Location: Oslo/Norway Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 2:42 am I see. Might pop by the speedpainting thread, but it would be fun if the other sections became alive again. I learned so much from this place and i hope it will blossom again. This time around i will stick by longer and see how it turns out. I especially need to paint more rather than to draw so i hope my stay here might improve that. Well, good to see you around here anyway Back to top durgldeepmemberMember #Joined: 14 Sep 2001Posts: 844 Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 3:08 pm Sumaleth, thanks for the overview. Summer (northern) might be part of it too? Back to top darylmemberMember #Joined: 28 Oct 2000Posts: 441Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 12:14 am Still browsing through the speedpainting thread daily _________________homepage:blog Back to top LemurmemberMember #Joined: 22 Apr 2010Posts: 318Location: NYC Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 10:18 am i'd say the summer has been a part of it, I notice the cycle of certain people taking breaks (including me lol) but it always keeps rolling Back to top balisticmemberMember #Joined: 01 Jun 2000Posts: 2599Location: Reno, NV, USA Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 3:51 pm Welcome back, Micke. The real reason it's so quiet is that Shizo doesn't seem to be around _________________brian.prince|light.comp.paint Back to top durgldeepmemberMember #Joined: 14 Sep 2001Posts: 844 Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 7:53 pm I like that Sijun isn't "commercial". That's why I'm here rather than elsewhere. If 'non-commercial' tends to cheapen real effort, I think we should realize that real people are involved and that a few (or many; as mentioned) have put a lot of effort into the forum, to date. Personally I don't think it's okay to shrug at that or say 'whatever happens, happens'. But that's just me. What began as a "personal homepage" unpredictably became something else. I think that's really cool; and also heavy. Forums can be a lot of work (been there); seems there's a balance between active management and letting it unfold naturally (kinda like bonsai). Easier when a lot of people do a little rather than a few a lot (burnout)? I tend to take the past effort seriously (cross-linking to relevant topics). I see Sijun as a whole, as an 'art piece' in itself (digital within digital): made by real people. Simply 'letting it go' isn't an option I can understand, really - except when real life gets in the way (yep, got the T-shirt there). Anyhoo, those are my thoughts (useful or not; relevant or not). Brief as I can make it (not nearly short enough). Now I'm gonna post it before I start re-writing again... Last edited by durgldeep on Mon Sep 13, 2010 10:38 am; edited 1 time in total Back to top TomasismemberMember #Joined: 19 Apr 2002Posts: 813Location: Sweden Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:47 am well written, durgldeep sijun is special place for me. maybe because that I learned me much here how to paint. especially when spooge was here around. So if anybody who wants start an artist's career, he should look over spooge's posts history, learn and voila. no need for school or teacher. I try to point out durgldeeps meaning over archival stuffs, what we need are old paintings that texts refer to. texts stay archived yeah but other material are lost forever. To visit conceptart.org is like to attend in market under big discount days. Yelling, pushing, grabbing stuffs, lol. Back to top durgldeepmemberMember #Joined: 14 Sep 2001Posts: 844 Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:27 pm Sad that so many images have disappeared (agreed). Though that was partly the image hosting shakeup, I guess (new/better sites appeared...). Just checked archive.org, they *do* have a few images (that aren't in the current/local pages): Speed-painting: http://web.archive.org/web/20061104000239/http://forums.sijun.com/viewtopic.php?t=29807&start=0 Self-portrait thread: http://web.archive.org/web/20060616164509/http://forums.sijun.com/viewtopic.php?t=29784&start=0 Cool. Anyhow, huge undertaking to restore even those (even if people volunteered and copyright owners agreed) - of course the thing to do would be restore the really useful/educational threads. Guess it's up to individuals to be concerned about that (or not). That much hasn't changed. Back to top SumalethAdministratorMember #Joined: 30 Oct 1999Posts: 2896Location: Australia Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 9:17 pm Yeah, that's something I've thought about too. I thought I might be able to write a script that searched for old images on the archives sites, cached them locally, and inserted them into the database. Maybe one day when I've got some free time. It's interesting that the way it works now, with images randomly disappearing with age, is similar to the way memories work._________________Art Links Archive -- Artists and Tutorials Back to top durgldeepmemberMember #Joined: 14 Sep 2001Posts: 844 Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 5:48 pm Sumaleth wrote: Yeah, that's something I've thought about too. I thought I might be able to write a script that searched for old images on the archives sites, cached them locally, and inserted them into the database. Maybe one day when I've got some free time. It's interesting that the way it works now, with images randomly disappearing with age, is similar to the way memories work. FWIW (likely just me crossing Ts and dotting Is again), I'm thinking (as above) that copyright would still apply; ie. maybe some people let their accounts lapse on purpose, thereby withdrawing permission to publicly display the images. Quite sure archive.org gets around this with an opt-out policy: they'll remove any page/image immediately, on request - which would work in a Sijun restoration too, now that I think of it. I'm a stickler for this stuff (the rights of artists to control their own work; mainly after seeing a certain comic book artist stand up for himself, rightly so). Might be overdoing it. I don't know code so can only admire the idea/ability. Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Sijun Forums Forum Index -> Digital Art Discussion All times are GMT - 8 Hours Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Digital Art----------------Digital Art DiscussionWork in ProgressGallery/Finished Work Miscellaneous----------------Random MusingsArchive : Sep99 - Dec00 You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum Powered by phpBB © 2005 phpBB Group

subset: commoncrawl


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Once upon a time, a water faerie dreamt, of wonders, of rainbows and, of stars.
she saw a rainbow, and caught a star, the brightest of them all.
upon that star, a wish she made.
then, a beautiful tune heard she, from the woods.
and there, in the enchanted forest, begins her adventures...


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Community Report Card Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Community Report Card?
It is a document which presents views on how a community is doing. What topics are included varies by community and can vary over time. Certain issues, or indicators, are included as important measures of a community's well-being.
What are the benefits?
- Increases everyone's awareness about their community.
- Engages and motivates people and agencies.
- Feedback provides a better understanding of community perceptions of local problems.
- Identifies what we don't know and what issues to work on.
- Encourages joint planning and problem solving.
- Support for grant writing and responding to funding opportunities.
What topics or indicators will be included in the Danbury Area Community Report Card?
The indicators to be measured in the initial Danbury Area Community Report Card are in the following areas:
- Access to Health Insurance
- Child Abuse
- Diseases
- Education
- Emergency Room Visits
- Health & Lifestyle
- Mental Health
- Poverty
- Pregnancy
- Suicide
Complete listing of the indicators
Can other indicators be added to the Danbury Area Community Report Card?
No additional indicators are expected to be added to this initial Report Card.
In the future, however, we anticipate collaborative efforts with community organizations will increase the number of indicators and breakdown indicators further, for example, by ethnicity.
What towns will be included in the Danbury Area Community Report Card?
The ten towns included are:
- Bethel
- Bridgewater
- Brookfield
- Danbury
- New Fairfield
- New Milford
- Newtown
- Redding
- Ridgefield
- Sherman
The goal is to measure every indicator for each of the towns; however data may not always be available for each town.
How is the Danbury Area Community Report Card being written and who is involved?
In January 2007, representatives from the United Way of Western Connecticut, Danbury Hospital and Danbury's Health Department met with Western Connecticut State University's President to discuss a collaborative effort to produce an annual Danbury Area Community Report Card.
A steering committee was formed to review existing Community Report Cards and determine preliminary indicators which would best measure our well-being. The committee decided the initial report card would concentrate on health related issues, with the understanding that additional indicators could be added in future reports.
Preliminary indicators were shared with community stakeholders for their feedback, which resulted in the list of final indicators.
Two Western Connecticut State University graduate assistants have been hired to create a project plan, determine availability of the data on the indicators for the ten towns, acquire data and compile data into the final report.
The report will be reviewed by health and social services professionals as well as a sample from the general public to give feedback on clarity and readability before being published.
When will the Danbury Area Community Report Card be available?
The goal is to have the report printed as well as available online in September 2008.


text:
Traffic Technician is very similar to another occupation for which we have
a full profile.
Check out our full profile for:
Traffic Technicians
Conduct field studies to determine traffic volume, speed, effectiveness of signals, adequacy of lighting, and other factors influencing traffic conditions, under direction of traffic engineer.
Agency of Transportation Technician (AOT Technician)
Automatic Traffic Recorder Technician (ATR Technician)
Civil Engineer
Civil Engineering Technician
Data Collection Technician
Engineering Aid
Engineering Planning Survey Technician
Engineering Technician
Field Traffic Data Technician
Field Traffic Investigator
GPS Analyst Technician (Global Positioning Systems Analyst Technician)
Planning Technician
Red Light Technician
Signal Engineer
Speed Zone Investigator
Survey Technician
Traffic Analyst
Traffic Control Technician
Traffic Designer
Traffic Engineer
Traffic Engineering Technician
Traffic Field Investigator
Traffic Inspector
Traffic Investigator
Traffic Monitor Specialist
Traffic Operations Engineer
Traffic Recorder Technician
Traffic Research Field Technician
Traffic Signal Technician (TST)
Traffic Systems Technician
Traffic Technician
Transportation Analyst
Transportation Planning Technician
Transportation Specialist
Transportation Technician
Weight in Motion Field Data Collection Technician


text:
Cu, pronounced "tsu", is a condiment from the North of China.
Normally, it is used as dip for dumplings or, with finely sliced
scallion added, for spring rolls. Try adding a bit of honey for extra
sweetness or some finely grated ginger for freshness. Apart from the
traditional uses, cu can be used with steamed fish, for tempura, as a
dressing on salads, or with steamed vegetables.
Cu can keep for several weeks in the refrigerator in a covered container.


text:
Citadel Floor Finishing Systems is the world's leading manufacturer of polyaspartic and polyurea floor coatings for the commercial and do-it-yourself markets. Its products are marketed under the Citadel and Integrité brands for professional contractors and RockSolid brand for do-it-yourselfers.
Headquarters: North St. Paul, Minnesota Phone: (866) 765-4310 Website: www.citadelfloors.com
This website uses cookies and other tracking technologies (also known as pixels or beacons) to aid your experience (such as viewing videos), as well as "performance cookies" to analyze your use of this website and to assist with marketing efforts. If you click the "Accept All Cookies" button or continue navigating the website, you agree to having those first and third-party cookies set on your device. If you do not wish to accept cookies from this website, you can choose to not allow cookies from this website by updating your browser preferences. For more information on how we use Cookies, please read our Privacy Policy.


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Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP ("Robbins Geller") ( http://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases/longwei/) today announced that a class action has been commenced in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of purchasers of Longwei Petroleum Investment Holding Limited ("Longwei") (NYSE:LPH) common stock during the period between May 17, 2010 and January 3, 2013 (the "Class Period"). If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than 60 days from January 4, 2013. If you wish to discuss this action or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, please contact plaintiff's counsel, Samuel H. Rudman or David A. Rosenfeld of Robbins Geller at 800/449-4900 or 619/231-1058, or via e-mail at email@example.com. If you are a member of this class, you can view a copy of the complaint as filed or join this class action online at http://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases/longwei/. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. The complaint charges Longwei and certain of its officers and directors with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Longwei is an energy company based in the People's Republic of China that engages in the wholesale distribution of finished petroleum products. The complaint alleges that, during the Class Period, defendants issued materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's financial performance and future prospects. Specifically, it alleges that defendants misrepresented and/or failed to disclose the following adverse facts: (a) that, contrary to Longwei's Class Period statements that it had taken action to provide shareholders with more transparent disclosures and to keep investors better "informed" as to corporate activities and the Company's financial condition, Longwei's Class Period financial reports and statements contained false and misleading statements and omissions; (b) that, contrary to Longwei's Class Period statements that it had intentionally increased inventory of crude products "to take advantage of additional product purchases during a period of fluctuating prices," the Company's inventory "on-hand" was increasing during the Class Period because the Company was experiencing lower demand and decreasing sales; (c) that, contrary to Longwei's Class Period statements that it was funding its corporate acquisitions of additional operating facilities, including the acquisition of a facility from Huajie Petroleum Co., Ltd., from "operating cash flow from operations," Longwei was instead obtaining and funding these acquisitions with the millions of dollars being generated through the exercise of warrants to acquire Longwei stock issued in its October 2009 private placement; (d) that, contrary to Longwei's Class Period reports of strong demand fueling quarter after quarter of "record revenues," Longwei's facilities in the cities of Taiyuan and Gujiao in China's Shanxi Province were not operating as profitably as represented by Longwei during the Class Period; (e) that, contrary to Longwei's Class Period financial reports filed with the SEC, Longwei was not disclosing a $32 million investment in a tourism business made by its subsidiary Shanxi Zhonghe Energy Conversion Co., Ltd.; (f) that, contrary to Longwei's description of its Class Period corporate acquisitions, Ming Zhao and Puda Coal Group had undisclosed ties to Longwei's Zhonghe and Huajie facility acquisitions; (g) that, contrary to Longwei's statements that its Class Period financial reports complied with Generally Accepted Accounting Principals, a minority interest in Longwei's Taiyuan Facility owned by defendant Cai Yongjun, Longwei's founder, CEO and Chairman, was not reflected in the Company's balance sheet as a non-controlling interest during the Class Period; (h) though Longwei's 2011 Annual Report stated that Longwei's wholly-owned subsidiary Shanxi Heitan Zhingyou Petrochemical Co., Ltd. was an operating subsidiary with taxable income during fiscal 2011, the Company's 2012 Annual Report would state that Zhingyou was a non-operating subsidiary during fiscal 2012 and that Zhingyou generated no taxable income for Longwei during fiscal 2011; (i) though Longwei's 2011 Annual Report stated that Zhingyou reported operations at its Gujiao Facility during fiscal 2011, the Company's Tax Reconciliation Report filed on June 29, 2012 for the calendar year 2011 stated that Longwei operating subsidiary Taiyuan Longwei Economic & Trade Co., Ltd. was Longwei's only facility that generated taxable revenue and paid income tax and VAT tax for calendar year 2011; (j) that, as a result of the foregoing, Longwei was not on track to "repeat the success of [Longwei's 2007] Gujiao acquisition with the near-term closing of the assets of the Huajie facility" or to "nearly double [its] overall capacity"; and (k) that, as a result of the foregoing, contrary to its repeated Class Period statements, Longwei was not on track to achieve $70 million in net income on $500 million in revenues in fiscal 2011 or $78 million in net income on $576 million in revenues in fiscal 2012.
On January 3, 2013, GeoInvesting.com published a report exposing the fraud perpetrated by Longwei. The complaint alleges that the Company's stock price was hammered on the publication of GeoInvesting.com's expose, with the trading price of Longwei common stock falling more than 72% from its opening price of $2.29 that day to a closing price of $0.62, on extremely high trading volume.Plaintiff seeks to recover damages on behalf of all purchasers of Longwei common stock during the Class Period (the "Class"). The plaintiff is represented by Robbins Geller, which has expertise in prosecuting investor class actions and extensive experience in actions involving financial fraud. Robbins Geller represents U.S. and international institutional investors in contingency-based securities and corporate litigation. With nearly 200 lawyers in nine offices, the firm represents hundreds of public and multi-employer pension funds with combined assets under management in excess of $2 trillion. The firm has obtained many of the largest recoveries and has been ranked number one in the number of shareholder class action recoveries in MSCI's Top SCAS 50 every year since 2003. According to Cornerstone Research, the firm's recoveries have averaged 35% above the median for all firms over the past seven years (2005-2011). Please visit http://www.rgrdlaw.com for more information.


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Will Ridge Stop The Wedding? Bold and Beautiful Scoop From Thorsten Kaye
May 15, 2014 3:19 PM EDT
In a first for daytime drama, CBS's The Bold and the Beautiful went all the way to the Middle East for the wedding of Brooke Logan and Bill Spencer (Katherine Kelly Lang and Don Diamont, pictured below). The exotic adventure, shot in Dubai and Abu Dh… Read more


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Help - First Time Users
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) preserves and promotes public confidence in the U.S. financial system by insuring deposits in banks and thrift institutions for at least $250,000; by identifying, monitoring and addressing risks to the deposit Insurance funds; and by limiting the effect on the economy and the financial system when a bank or thrift institution fails.
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The FDIC Web Site provides many tools to assist you in locating and printing information on the site:
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3 teachers In 3 s3x scandals!
"Prime News" reports on a flurry of teacher sex scandals, one allegedly involving eight members of a school baseball team. Courtesy of CNN
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Volkswagen Group expects the era of the combustion car to fade away after it rolls out its next-generation gasoline and diesel cars beginning in 2026.
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text:
I have more than 150 village points, each with a village name attribute
village. The same village name may appear on multiple points.
I want to assign individual IDs for each village name, say
vill_A = 1,
vill_B = 2, and so on. I tried to calculate
[village], but it didn't work.
Any suggestions?


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Budget your way to the best motorhome holiday
A motorhome, campervan or caravan holiday through New Zealand's South Island will save you money, time and effort.
A motorhome, campervan or caravan holiday through New Zealand's South Island will save you money, time and effort – so you can enjoy the most of the island, and spend your cash on the things you really want to experience.
More to see and do, less to spend
Here's our tips to getting the best value out of your motorhome holiday:
Choose travel times off-peak season, and look out for deals from companies such as Cheapa Campa
Take advantage of New Zealand's Freedom Camping arrangements – but make sure you respect the restrictions. (Please note that as of Dec 2016 Christchurch will no longer allow Freedom Camping)
Hire a motorhome with a built in kitchen such as the Cheapa 6 Berth so you can stock up on delicious New Zealand food and wine and enjoy eating your meals at your campsite. Try and find a local farmer's market wherever you go.
For skype calls to loved ones back home, check out free wifi at local libraries, McDonalds and various cafes in the towns you visit.
Make the most of Happy Hour at the pub, where you can get a cheap beer and chat to the locals about their town.
Do an internet search for 'free activities' in the towns you choose to visit – you'll be amazed at the suggestions you discover.
If you're travelling with kids, put together an activity and snack pack for on the road – they'll demand less stops and you can get to where you're going faster.
- Make the most of New Zealand's natural beauty with the nation's national pastime – go tramping! It's free and the scenery is just as exhilarating as the rush from an expensive adrenalin sport.
The South Island is number one for scenery in many traveller's books. With your luggage safely stowed and no need to pack and repack for new hotels every night, you can truly enjoy each location on your itinerary. Hopefully you have at least one to two weeks to spend in this beautiful part of the world.
Although still in recovery mode, Christchurch is open for business, and full of plenty of free and low cost activities for budget travellers. Heading North, stop off at the mountain-edged coastal town of Kaikoura – if your budget doesn't stretch to a whale watching tour, you might still be able to catch sight of beautiful marine dolphins from the shore. Further north you can spend some of your hard-saved cash on some locally produced wine in Blenheim.
Follow the island anti clockwise through Marlborough (with a stop off at Abel Tasman National Park) and then head down the wild West Coast through Greymouth and Hokatika, stopping off at Franz Joseph Glacier, before hitting New Zealand's number one destination – Queenstown. Here, you can still have a wonderful time on a budget especially if you take advantage of Cheapa Campa's Summer Special – Click on the deal beside this article to secure a great offer for your New Zealand holiday!


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Wrestling playoffs
Fred T. Foard 38, Ashbrook 25 � Ashbrook�s playoff run ended in the third round against the top-ranked Tigers (38-2), who went on to win their next match Thursday to reach Saturday�s 3A state championship.
Raykwon Armstrong (113), Chris Brice (138), Will Brandon (145), Zikees Pendergrass (152), Assael Mendoza (170) and Alex Mendez (195) won their individual matches for Ashbrook, which ended its dual-team season at 23-7.
Ashbrook will send 13 wrestlers to the 3A West regional Feb. 23 at North Gaston.
Varsity boys basketball
West Mecklenburg 79, East Gaston 70 � East Gaston (11-12, 4-8) suffered its fifth straight conference loss to wrap up the regular season. The Warriors will compete in the MEGA 7 3A/4A Conference tournament next week.
Gaston Day 39, Statesville Christian 26 � Omarri Holland (12 points), Andi Boston (nine points) and Morgan Whitesides (nine points) led Gaston Day in the SPAA semifinals. The Lady Spartans (16-10) will take on Davidson Day at Charlotte Victory Christian on Friday.
West Mecklenburg 41, East Gaston 35 � East Gaston completed its regular season at 7-16 overall and 4-8 in the MEGA 7 3A/4A Conference. The Warriors will play in the conference tournament next week.
Middle school boys basketball
Bessemer City 49, Belmont 30 � Jahari Guthrie (15 points), Kristian Bell (11 points, nine rebounds, eight steals) and Isaiah Cole (10 points) led Bessemer City(4-2), which visits Stanley on Monday. J.R. Scipio (eight points) paced Belmont (0-5), which hosts York Chester on Monday.
Cramerton 47, Stanley 31 � Amiri Waddell (13 points) led Cramerton (3-3), which visits Mount Holly on Monday. Zach Hayer (11 points) paced Stanley (1-4), which hosts Bessemer City on Monday.
Grier 90, Mount Holly 26 � M.J. Armstrong (21 points), Jordan Diggs (16 points), Ja�Quail Brown (13 points) and Chris Moore (12 points) led Grier (4-2), which visits Cramerton next Thursday. Mount Holly (2-3) hosts Cramerton on Monday.
Southwest 62, Friday 35 � Quan McCluney (16 points, nine rebounds) and Cress Worthy (13 points, five assists) led Southwest (5-0), which visits Chavis on Monday; Thomas McNeal (seven points) led Friday (4-1), which hosts Holbrook (3-2) on Monday.
Chavis 43, York Chester 20 � Tre Lockhart (16 points) led Chavis (4-2) hosts Southwest on Monday. York Chester (0-5) visits Belmont on Monday;
Middle school girls basketball
Bessemer City 36, Belmont 18 � Ashley Johnson (11 points), Logan Hamby (10 points) and Breanna Dover (seven points) led Bessemer City (2-4), which visits Stanley on Monday. Abby Henry (eight points) paced Belmont (1-4), which hosts York Chester on Monday.
Grier 27, Mount Holly 14 � Trinity Jones (18 points) and Olivia Brigman (6 points) lead Grier (6-0), which visits Cramerton on Thursday, Dory Leone (4 points) paced Mount Holly (2-3), which hosts Cramerton on Monday.
Stanley 41, Cramerton 27 � Deaja Smith (17 points) and Haley Conner (11 points) led Stanley (4-1), which hosts Bessemer City on Monday; Sydney Bowen (23 points) led Cramerton (2-4), which visits Mount Holly on Monday.
Chavis 20, York Chester 13 � Rikayla Kirkland (six points) led Chavis (2-4), which hosts Southwest on Monday. York Chester (0-5) visits Belmont on Monday;
Friday 55, Southwest 39 � Alisha Fisher (34 points) led Friday (5-1), which hosts Holbrook (2-3) on Monday. Nykeria Chambers (11 points) led Southwest (4-1), which visits Chavis on Monday.


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Gwyneth Paltrow doubts she will ever collaborate on music with her husband.
The Hollywood actress sings as well as acts. Gwyneth is married to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and although there have been whispers about the pair teaming up on a musical number, Gwyneth insists that will probably never be the case.
"I don't think so. He does his job, I do my job, we have the kids..." she trailed off in an interview with the UK edition of OK! magazine.
Chris is constantly creating ideas for new music projects. The blonde beauty says the household is always filled with his inspiration.
"Yeah, he plays music all the time. There's always music around," she smiled.
Aside from her acting and singing talents, Gwyneth is widely admired for her natural looks. The 39-year-old star regularly appears on most beautiful lists but insists she doesn't pay much attention to them.
"Not that often, but sometimes," she said when asked if she ever looks in the mirror and thinks she's beautiful.


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NEW ORLEANS -- Warren Sapp and Jonathan Ogden were among the seven new members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced on Saturday. That means 10 other finalists fell short after a gut-wrenching process.
Everyone on the list is deserving in some way, but only five modern-era candidates can make it each year. Here's a look at the men who didn't make it.
The Biggest Snubs
It's hard to believe New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan didn't make it. My strong guess: He picked the wrong year to be a candidate for the first time. Warren Sapp, Larry Allen and Jonathan Ogden all made it on their first try. Sapp probably knocked Strahan out of the mix ... for now. I'd be really surprised if Strahan didn't make it next year.
|The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the seven newest members for enshrinement in its 2013 class. Take a look some of the best photos from the press conference.
After that, I believe that Charles Haley, Andre Reed and Will Shields were the biggest snubs. Haley and Reed made the final 10, but did not get in. Reed may wind up getting in now that Cris Carter got through. Haley will be a strong candidate every year until he makes it. It's a matter of time. Shields probably got knocked out early in the process because there were two first-ballot offensive linemen that got in.
In good position
Jerome Bettis and Aeneas Williams also made it to the final 10 names. That bodes very well for their chances of making it in future years.
Uphill battle
It's hard for NFL owners to make the Hall of Fame. Eddie DeBartolo Jr. and Art Modell didn't make the final 10, and may never wind up breaking through. Bob Glauber of Newsday, who was in the room, believes Modell won't be a finalist again.
Other players that didn't make the final 10: Tim Brown and Kevin Greene. Most Hall of Fame finalists eventually make it in, but both men will have to sweat it out.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.


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Governor Vexed With Secrecy in Sending Illegal Immigrants to Nebraska
Federal Government Says It Is Just Following the Law
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—In a sign of the far-reaching impact of the U.S. immigration crisis and its political fallout, Nebraska's governor says 200 children who entered the country illegally were sent to his state this week without warning and that federal officials are refusing to identify them or their locations.
Gov. Dave Heineman, a Republican, said federal officials also wouldn't answer questions about public school attendance by the children and the potential costs to taxpayers....


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Students and faculty at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) will have an opportunity to learn about the University's commitment to service learning at the first "Service Learning Expo," scheduled Tuesday, Nov. 27 from 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom.
Dr. Marcela Uribe, TAMIU program director, service learning coordination/Engaging Sophomores, described service learning, which was launched at TAMIU in the Fall of 2011.
"Service learning has become a teaching strategy of significant importance in higher education. It provides an educational experience in which students participate in a credit-bearing course paired with an organized community service.
"For example, students in a leadership class will partner with a community group like the Mexican Consulate in Laredo (Language Arts in Spanish EDEC 4336), to tutor adults trying to obtain their Elementary or Middle School Certificates and, in the future, a GED. At the core of service learning are guided and structured reflections that support learning by enhancing course comprehension, integrating academic and service concepts and developing civic and social justice responsibilities," Dr. Uribe explained.
She said the Expo offers a one-stop opportunity for TAMIU students and faculty to jointly explore the University's service-learning opportunities.
"Service Learning Expo participants will learn about TAMIU's service learning classes and review student exhibits and projects and their service to the community. TAMIU faculty that are already collaborating to create curricula providing experiential learning promoting civic responsibility among students will take part," she explained.
Ten current classes offer service learning for 230 students and generate 2300 hours of community service, she said.
Among current TAMIU service learning classes are: Public Speaking (Comm 1315) with students donating infographics specially created for PILLAR, a bullying and suicide prevention program; Interpersonal Communication (Comm 2318) where students volunteer at Casa de Misericordia, learning about domestic violence and how interpersonal communication is key to preventing violence. Young Child (EDEC 2324) students are engaged in the HEB Read 3 and can be teacher aids in a structured literacy intervention.
The sponsoring TAMIU PROF (Professional Resource Opportunities for Faculty) Center promotes excellence in teaching and learning across the disciplines at TAMIU.
For additional information, contact Uribe at 956.326.3133, email email@example.com, click on tamiu.edu/profcenter or visit offices in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, room 415.
University information is also available at tamiu.edu and on Facebook and Twitter. A free smartphone and tablet App is available for download at www.tamiu.edu
Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests
and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information
Services at email@example.com
Texas A&M International University
5201 University Boulevard
Laredo, TX 78041
© 2019


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For example, in the last ten years has any principal of the firm attended an RICS Professional Conduct Panel.
By way of an example, have there been any offences under the Property Misdescriptions Act 1991. Have there been any convictions or are there any charges pending by Trading Standards?
Road traffic offences that do not lead to a disqualification or prison sentence need not be mentioned. Please refer to Bye-Law 5(2)(4).
Section 4(2) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 leads to an entitlement to disregard convictions which have become spent under the Act.
This entitlement applies to our scheme.
The 1986 Act means that courts can impose orders disqualifying company directors. Further legislation enables disqualification undertakings to be given by director. These undertakings have the same effect as disqualification orders but do not need the court to be involved.


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Care, General Care Projects in Morocco by Alexandra Ho-Tai
Although I was originally going to go straight to university from high school, another thought was lingering in my mind. I had an unexplainable desire to have an entirely new experience before starting my post-secondary school education. And so, after much pondering, I decided to honour this desire and take a year off. But what would I do? The world is so large and filled with endless possibilities; I had to narrow it down.
I knew that I wanted to do volunteer work in a foreign country that spoke French. After searching online, I read about Morocco and I just knew that I had to go there. Although I looked at many organisations, Projects Abroad seemed to be the perfect fit with an excellent reputation.
I spent the first half of my year off working, saving up for this big trip, as well as preparing mentally. Although it felt like I had been preparing and planning for this trip for a long time, before I knew it, I was packing my bags, boarding the plane, and heading off to exotic African lands.
Arriving in Morocco
Flying all the way from Toronto to Casablanca was a little bit daunting - especially since it was my first time flying alone! However, I also felt very confident and ready for this new adventure. I had been communicating with the Projects Abroad team for a few months prior to leaving. Their thorough and caring responses ensured me that I was in good hands - and I was.
Upon arriving to Casablanca at the early hour of 5am, I was greeted by Adil - a Projects Abroad Morocco coordinator - who provided me with information about my placement as we drove to Rabat to meet my host family. Despite the early hour, I was greeted warmly by my host mother, who led me to my cosy bedroom and provided me with delicious mint tea (my first of many!) as I dozed off.
My first few days in Morocco were spent getting a feel of the area - what I would call "home" for three months. I arrived on a Saturday, so I had a few days to myself before I would start the placement. I spent these days getting to know my lovely host family better, as well as the area. I walked around lots, learning to manoeuvre the medina, as well as the surrounding city. Although it was incredibly different from my hometown, I felt very comfortable and excited to be surrounded by such beautiful landscapes and warm people.
My Care Placement
During my time in Morocco, I had the opportunity to work with dozens of children at both a local school and a disabilities centre. Although there were challenges that derived from language barriers, I learned so much from the experience - and had lots of fun alongside. Even though these children were brought up in a completely different environment than children I'm familiar with at home, I realised that there is universality in all children of the world: they are innately curious, enthusiastic, and giggly.
My tasks varied day-to-day: for instance, I would prepare work sheets, help with lessons, paint murals, or even plan an activity on my own. Although some days were very exhausting, it was always worth it. The kids were so cute and always said good bye with a precious "bisous" (kiss on the cheek).
Leisure Time in Morocco
After my placement ended each day, I would have a few hours in the evening to simply enjoy Rabat. Evenings were spent doing various activities, often with other volunteers. On Wednesdays, Projects Abroad organised a meet-up for all the volunteers; this was great way to meet other people, exchange stories, and make plans.
Aside from Wednesdays, I would often meet up with other volunteers for some impromptu nights of our own: for instance, on Mondays, my roommate and I would indulge in Moroccan pastries and watch some films; on Tuesdays, we would all eat delicious ice cream and walk around the city; and on Thursdays, we would dance to live Reggae music. Of course, some nights we would switch it up and go on adventures, such as swimming in the ocean at night, or having a barbecue on the beach. I was so grateful to have such wonderful, passionate, and fun friends in my new home!
The Weekends
Although I absolutely loved being in Rabat (it really did become a home!), I would always look forward to the weekends. Some weekends, the volunteers and I would stay in Rabat and enjoy the city - for instance, we would kayak, surf, or visit local attractions.
However, most weekends, we would explore the beautiful country more. The amazing thing about Morocco is its diversity; although it is a relatively small country, there is so much to see in this small space - from cities, to villages, to mountains, to waters, to deserts.
During my time in Morocco, I managed to visit over a dozen different places with other volunteers! I saw so many beautiful places, went on so many fun adventures, and simply made so many special memories.
When I replay these experiences in my mind, they are so magical and unreal: for instance, I watched the sunset over a sea of palm trees at the border of Algeria, saw three shooting stars while sleeping outside in the Sahara, and biked up a mountain to see majestic painted rocks. These are just a few of many amazing memories.
When I left Morocco, I felt confident that I had made the most of my experience. I'm not sure what I expected prior to my trip, but I definitely left with more than I could have wished for. Morocco has become a part of me; my experience there holds such a special place in my heart. It's the place where I learnt so much, met such amazing people, and just fell more in love with the world.
Shukran (thank you), Projects Abroad!
Alexandra Ho-Tai
Ce témoignage de volontaire peut faire référence à des actions impliquant des orphelinats. Retrouvez plus d'informations sur la vision actuelle de Projects Abroad au sujet du volontariat dans les orphelinats et la réorientation de nos actions vers des projets d'aide à l'enfance à dimension communautaire.
Ce témoignage est basé sur l'expérience unique d'un volontaire à un certain moment donné. Nos projets s'adaptent constamment aux besoins locaux, ils évoluent au fur et à mesure que des volontaires s'impliquent et s'adaptent aux saisons, ainsi votre expérience sur place pourra être différente de celle décrite ici. Pour en savoir plus sur cette mission, vous pouvez consulter la page de ce projet ou bien contacter l'un de nos conseillers de volontaires.


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Written by Gradye Parsons
Each month the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Moderator or Vice Moderator of the 220th General Assembly write a column of general interest for the church-at-large.
Thomas Edison said "The body is a community made up of its innumerable cells or inhabitants."
This sure sounds like Paul to the Corinthians. It is interesting to think of the body as a community instead of a mass of cells and organs. A revisit to Paul's image of the body in 1 Corinthians 12 can lead us into an understanding of community. The body parts in Paul's metaphor—feet, hands, ears, and eyes—are talking. It is not nice talk but it is conversation.


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From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have a split personality when it comes to cooking. Unlike a true foodie, I don't believe every morsel that I make for my family and friends has to take hours prepare or be made with only the finest and freshest of ingredients. I love to cook for those I love, and while I often spend hours in the kitchen, I don't feel that exhaustion is a measure of my affection for the folks who gather at my table. I guess that's how it happens that a kitchen that produces Veal Prince Orloff and has pressed a duck or two is also known for its Chili Mac. The recipe I'm featuring tonight is for a simple, old-fashioned snack cake that's topped with a coconut glaze. It is not meant for foodies. It's a lovely little cake that is inexpensive and almost effortless to make, but I must warn those of you who favor barely sweet desserts, that this one will send you into sugar shock. It really is meant for those who have a sweet tooth, a really sweet tooth. The are no tricks to making this cake, but I do want to remind you that this type of topping can burn in an instant, so please keep your eye on the cake when you put it under the broiler. I'm told that the cake is a good keeper, but I can;t speak to that as I've never had leftovers to deal with. I do hope that those of you who like sweet desserts you'll give this recipe a try. Here is how the cake is made.
Lazy Day Cake with Coconut Glaze...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Taste of Home Baking
1/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1-1/2 cups flaked coconut
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2) Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.
3) Scrape batter into prepared baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
4) Meanwhile, combine topping ingredients. Spread over warm cake. Broil 3-5 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature. Yield: 9 servings.
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