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We report the discovery of an enigmatic, small eel-like fish from a 35 m-deep fringing-reef cave in the western Pacific Ocean Republic of Palau that exhibits an unusual suite of morphological characters. Many of these uniquely characterize the Recent members of the 19 families comprising the elopomorph order Anguilliformes, the true eels. Others are found among anguilliforms only in the Cretaceous fossils, and still others are primitive with respect to both Recent and fossil eels. Thus, morphological evidence explicitly places it as the most basal lineage (i.e. the sister group of extant anguilliforms). Phylogenetic analysis and divergence time estimation based on whole mitogenome sequences from various actinopterygians, including representatives of all eel families, demonstrate that this fish represents one of the most basal, independent lineages of the true eels, with a long evolutionary history comparable to that of the entire Anguilliformes (approx. 200 Myr). Such a long, independent evolutionary history dating back to the early Mesozoic and a retention of primitive morphological features (e.g. the presence of a premaxilla, metapterygoid, free symplectic, gill rakers, pseudobranch and distinct caudal fin rays) warrant recognition of this species as a 'living fossil' of the true eels, herein described as Protoanguilla palau genus et species nov. in the new family Protoanguillidae.
1. Introduction
Ever since Charles Darwin coined the term 'living fossil' in On the Origin of Species (p. 107 in [1]), organisms that have been called living fossils have received considerable attention. These extremely long-lived or geologically long-ranging taxa with few morphological changes can aid in forming a picture of ancient forms of life. Most ancient forms of life, however, have gone extinct with no known fossil remnants. Exceptions are represented by a few extant animal lineages that have remained morphologically static over geological time scales (e.g. horseshoe crabs, plethodontid salamanders and lampreys [2]).
Recently one of us (J.S.) collected a small eel-like fish from a 35 m-deep fringing-reef cave in Palau. Compared with true eels, this fish has a disproportionately large head, short compressed body, distinctive collar-like gill openings and slightly produced caudal fin rays (figure 1a–e; see also video in the electronic supplementary material). Despite some early questions about its affinities, preliminary phylogenetic analysis based on whole mitogenome sequences and numerous osteological features confidently placed this fish within the true eels. Additional morphological and molecular analyses demonstrate that in some features it is more primitive than Recent eels, and in others, even more primitive than the oldest known fossil eels, suggesting that it represents a 'living fossil' without a known fossil record.
Anguilliformes are a distinctive group of teleosts, comprising 819 species in 19 families and 146 genera [3,4]. They share a unique ribbon-like 'leptocephalus' larva [4] with their closest relatives, tarpons (Order Elopiformes), bonefishes (Order Albuliformes) and notacanths (Order Notacanthiformes) [5,6]. Anguilliforms first appeared as fossils in the Cretaceous about 100 million years ago (Ma) [7] and have lost their pelvic fins, and their dorsal, anal and caudal fins have become confluent [8]. Many eels are adapted for occupying small spaces or burrowing, but they occur in diverse habitats, ranging from benthic shallow-water to deep-shelf, slope and abyssal plain, open-water, meso- and bathypelagic realms [4].
Here, we describe a new family, genus and species for this enigmatic eel. We demonstrate, based on convincing evidence from morphology and whole mitochondrial genomes, that this genus is the most primitive living member of the Anguilliformes, and we accordingly assign it to a new family. In accordance with article 8.6 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, copies of the PDF file of this work have been deposited in the following three publicly accessible libraries: (i) National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC; (ii) Natural History Museum, London; and (iii) National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo.
2. Material and methods
(a) Morphology
Counts and measurements of all eight known specimens, follow Böhlke [9]. All sizes in millimetres are standard length. Institutional abbreviations are as listed at http://www.asih.org/codons.pdf (see the electronic supplementary material for further details and comparative specimens).
(b) Molecular methods
A whole mitogenome sequence from one of the specimens (CBM-ZF 12278) was determined using a combination of long and short polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) and direct cycle sequencing techniques [10].
Mitogenome sequences from the new eel and various actinopterygians were concatenated with the pre-aligned sequences used by Azuma et al. [11] with MAFFT v. 6 [12]. To address issues of the phylogenetic positions of the new eel (i) among Actinopterygii and (ii) within Anguilliformes, and (iii) to investigate its divergence time, we constructed three datasets based on different taxon and character sampling (electronic supplementary material, table S3). Character sampling in datasets 1 and 3 follows Azuma et al. [11], who excluded entire third codon positions from protein-coding genes because of their positively misleading phylogenetic signal at higher taxonomic levels [13,14] and because of their extremely accelerated rates of changes, which may overestimate divergence times [15]. For dataset 2, we added transversional changes in the third codon positions for resolving relationships within the order, following Inoue et al. [3]. Unambiguously aligned sequences were divided into four or five partitions (two or three codon positions, rRNA and tRNA genes) and subjected to partitioned maximum-likelihood (ML) analysis using RAxML v. 7.2.6 [16]. The best-scoring ML tree was estimated using a general time reversible (GTR) + Γ model of sequence evolution with 1000 bootstrap replicates. Probabilities of alternative hypotheses were calculated using the likelihood-based approximately unbiased (AU) test as implemented in CONSEL v. 0.1k [17].
A relaxed molecular-clock method implemented in an MCMCTREE program in PAML v. 4.4 [18] was used for dating analysis. One of the constrained, best-scoring ML trees that are congruent with the morphology-based phylogenetic placement of the new eel was used for divergence time estimation (see below). The ML estimates of branch lengths were obtained under the GTR + Γ substitution model. The independent-rates (IR) model was used to specify prior of rates among internal nodes. Twelve fossil-based time constraints from Azuma et al. [11] were used (electronic supplementary material, table S4).
More details of the methods can be found in the electronic supplementary material.
3. Results and discussion
(a) Taxonomy
(i) Protoanguillidae (Palauan primitive cave eels; Ngkelelaruchel; Mukashi-unagi) fam. nov. Johnson, Ida & Miya (figures 1–4).
Diagnosis: Gill opening terminates as ovoid tube with low, fringed collar; pseudobranch present; knob-like, toothed gill rakers present; premaxilla present, autogenous; symplectic autogenous; metapterygoid present; anterior end of vomer with small, ovoid, autogenous toothplate; body relatively short, total vertebrae 87 or fewer (79–87, mean = 83.3); hypurals 3 and 4 not fused to each other; pterosphenoid not excluded from posterior margin of orbit.
(ii) Protoanguilla gen. nov. Johnson, Ida & Miya.
Diagnosis: That of the family.
Type species: Protoanguilla palau sp. nov.
Etymology: From the Greek protos, first, and the Latin anguilla, eel, in reference to the early divergence of the genus among anguilliforms.
(iii) Protoanguilla palau sp. nov. Johnson, Ida & Sakaue.
Holotype: NSMT-P 98249, female (176 mm SL), cave at 35 m depth, western fringing reef of Ngemelis Island, Republic of Palau, collected with hand net and torch light by J. Sakaue, 30 March 2009.
Paratypes: Collected from same location as holotype: FSKU-P24231, 58.2 mm SL, 16 November 2009; FSKU-P24232, 43.9 mm SL, 17 February 2009; USNM 396016, 2 (60, 65.2 mm SL), 16 November 2009; USNM 396051, 150 mm SL, 30 March 2009; USNM 396052, 45.5 mm SL, 24 April 2010; NSMT-P 98250, 46.3 mm SL, 17 February 2009; CBM-ZF 12278, 49.6 mm SL, 17 February 2009; CBM-ZF 12279, 71 mm SL, 16 November 2009.
Description: Body elongate, snout depressed; opercular region sub-cylindrical, mid-trunk moderately laterally compressed, posterior portion of tail extremely laterally compressed; pelvic fins absent; pectoral fins inserting on lower 1/3 of body; dorsal and anal fin bases long, exceeding 2/3 body length. Gill membranes united, fused with isthmus. Scales minute, elliptical, embedded; arranged in basket weave pattern on body, absent from around eye, lips and anterior part of snout; those on basal part of median fins and lower jaw ovoid; lateral-line scales formed by tubular latticework of flexible bone extending outward from ovoid basal plate. All fin rays bilaterally paired and segmented, only those of pectoral branched; pectoral fin rays 19 (18–19 in paratypes); dorsal fin rays 182 (176–189); anal fin rays 181 (175–191); caudal fin rays 10 (5 + 5); vertebrae 21 preanal + 66 post-anal (20–23 + 56–64); lateral-line scales 80 (80–84). Neural spines well developed on all vertebrae, anterior approximately 16 with broad laminar expansions that enclose yellowish fat globules; neural arches forming a tunnel-like shield around spinal cord and firmly interlocked with adjacent arches. Lateralis system (terminology after Böhlke [9]) on head conspicuous, openings large with elevated fringe; m 4, pop 4, io 7, so 4, e 1, T 2; lateral line complete. Knob-like, toothed gill rakers present in two rows on each arch; 0–4 on outer row of first upper arch, 9–15 on outer row of first lower arch (variation ontogenetic). Jaw and pharyngeal teeth villiform. Upper and lower lips well developed, thick. Pyloric caeca absent. Sagitta extremely large, length more than 1/4 head length. Anterior nostril opens in short tube just above upper lip, posterior just before anterior rim of orbit without tube. Olfactory rosette large, about one-third snout length, lamellae approximately 40.
Etymology: Palau, where the type series was collected, a noun in apposition.
(b) Morphological evidence
Robins [8] listed 38 'general features' of Recent adult eels, noting that 'most are not specializations (synapomorphies) of the order, but are shared with other primitive fishes' (p. 13 in [8]). He also concluded that the Cretaceous genera Anguillavus, Urenchelys and Enchelion are not eels, a conclusion later rejected [19] and conclusively refuted by two more recent, detailed morphological and phylogenetic doctoral theses [20,21], and two follow-up papers [7,22] that erected three additional genera (Luenchelys, Hayenchelys and Abasaadia), based on cladistic analyses. Two other Cretaceous taxa are excluded from consideration here: Eoenchelys, because of its placement as the sister group of the highly derived Saccopharyngoidei; and Enchelurus, because of its putative placement as the sister group of Anguilliformes plus Notacanthiformes [20]. We also exclude the latter group from comparative discussion, because of their further specializations (e.g. extreme reduction of the entire caudal region [23]).
To date, there is no morphology-based consensus on which Recent eels are the most primitive. Conjectures based on gill-arch structure [24] and other osteological features [25–27] suggest that they would most probably be found among the families Synaphobranchidae, Congridae or Anguillidae, and the results of the fossil-inclusive analyses [20,22] generally concur.
We have critically reviewed characters of Recent and Cretaceous eels proposed in previous studies (e.g. [7,20,22,28–30]) and additional features, and herein identify characters that cladistically diagnose the Recent eels and variously fossil-inclusive groups, based on outgroup comparison with basal elopomorphs [3,6,29].
The following morphological features are those shared by Protoanguilla and all anguilliforms (including the Cretaceous Abisaadia, Luenchelys, Anguillavus, Hayenchelys and Urenchelys) that we find to be unique or rare enough at this level to be considered synapomorphic for the order.
— Ethmoid fused with vomer (figure 3). In all Recent and fossil eels, the snout is formed by a single bone that bears teeth, meets the parasphenoid ventrally, and meets the frontals and encloses the ethmoid commissural sensory canal (when present) dorsally [8,20]. This bone is generally called the ethmovomer, and has been shown to incorporate the ethmoid and vomer, which fuse in early ontogeny [31]. Reports of a separate vomer in some eels (e.g. Simenchelys [32]; Pythonichthys [33]; Luenchelys [30]) are erroneous, as this bone can easily be seen to be an autogenous toothplate underlying the true vomer.
— Pterotic extends anteriorly above prootic to contact pterosphenoid [7,20,28,29] (figure 4).
— Dermopalatine and autopalatine absent [33] (figure 2). There is no morphological or ontogenetic support for the surmise [8,34] that the palatine is fused into the ethmovomer in many eels. The autopalatine ossifies in the palatine process of the palatoquadrate and, as far as is known [31,35–37], this fails to develop in eels. The 'palatine' described and illustrated as separate in Serrivomer [38–40] is clearly a dermal element, described elsewhere as fused to the pterygoid [41]. If there is a separate bone in serrivomerids, the condition must be secondary [8].
— Pectoral girdle displaced posteriorly [8,20], so that the junction of the supracleithrum with the cleithrum is at or posterior to the fourth vertebra.
— First pharyngobranchial absent and pharyngobranchials without uncinate processes [24] (figure 3). Pb1 is present, but unossified, only in chlopsids (except Chilorhinus) and the congrids Pseudophichthvs and Ariosoma. Unreported for fossils.
— Gill arches free from braincase and displaced posteriorly [8,20,29]. Among Recent eels, only Simenchelys and Protoanguilla have the first two epibranchials located anterior to the occiput, a position similar to that in Cretaceous forms, except Luenchelys, in which the position is as in other Recent eels [30].
— Opercular series characterized by a distinctive pattern in which the opercle is rostrocaudally elongated with a bottle-neck articular condyle and broadly bordered ventrally by subopercle [20,41] (figure 2).
— Uppermost branchiostegals curving dorsally behind and often slightly above opercle [8,20,42] (figure 2).
— Posterior ceratohyal almost equal to or longer than anterior ceratohyal (figure 3). While it is true that the 'anterior end of the ceratohyal is elongated' (p. 11 in [8]), we find that the unusual feature of the hyoid bar of most eels, including Cretaceous forms [20,21,30], compared with that of other teleosts, is elongation of the posterior ceratohyal relative to the anterior ceratohyal. Notable exceptions are found in Derichthys and some ophichthids [43].
— Branchiostegals more numerous on the posterior than on the anterior ceratohyals [20,42] (figure 3; equally distributed in Luenchelys [7,30]).
— Posteriormost one to four branchiostegals with spatulate expansions distally (figure 3). This expansion is well developed among Recent eels in anguillids, synaphobranchids, heterenchelyids, moringuids and Protoanguilla, and its widespread occurrence in Cretaceous forms leads us to conclude that it is a synapomorphy of eels [7,20,42].
— Dorsal part of suture between anterior and posterior ceratohyals deflected posteriorly (figure 3). In Recent [41] and Cretaceous [20] eels, with the possible exception of Luenchelys [30], the anterior ceratohyal sends back a dorsal projection to overlie the dorsal edge of the posterior ceratohyal.
— Interhyal absent in adults [42] (figure 3). In Recent eels, the interhyal appears in cartilage early in development, never ossifies, and is lost in the post-metamorphic glass eel stage [31,36,43]. In adults of Recent eels that we examined, the posterior ceratohyal attaches by a cord-like ligament, above the usual articulation site of the interhyal, to the medial face of the hyomandibular. An interhyal has not been reported in Cretaceous eels [20,30].
— Angular, articular and retroarticular fused into a single bone [20,29,44] ontogenetically [31] (figure 2).
— Two pairs of upper pharyngeal toothplates present and autogenous (not fused to pharyngobranchials); lower pharyngeal toothplates autogenous (not fused to fifth ceratobranchials) except in some species of Conger [24] (figure 3). Data for Cretaceous forms are limited.
The following are synapomorphies of Recent eels and Protoanguilla lacking in Cretaceous eels:
— Endopterygoid absent (figure 2). The palate of all Recent eels comprises a single dermal bone [8], the ectopterygoid. Cretaceous eels also have a dermal endopterygoid [7,20,22].
— Scales on body absent (or, when present, non-imbricate), embedded and arranged in 'basket-weave fashion' [8] (figure 1). A similar (though distinguishable) pattern is found in some zoarcoids and ophidioids. Most anguilliforms lack scales, but they are present in this pattern in Anguilla, synaphobranchids and Protoanguilla. Cycloid, non-imbricate scales have been reported in some Cretaceous eels, but not in the distinctive basket-weave pattern [21,45]. Another unusual feature of Protoanguilla is the presence of lace-like lateral-line scales, also found among ophichthid, congrid and nettastomatid eels, all of which lack body scales [46]. Tubular lateral line scales have also been reported in some Cretaceous forms [21,37], but whether solid or lace-like is unclear.
— One or no hypohyals (figure 3). In most Recent eels, the anterior end of the hyoid bar is fully ossified, with no separate hypohyal [42]. A single hypohyal occurs in Myroconger, Coloconger, serrivomerids, and at least some chlopsids, synaphobranchids, ophichthids, muraenesocids, nemichthyids and perhaps congrids. All other Recent eels examined have no separate hypohyal. The only Recent eel with two hypohyals is the synaphobranchid Simenchelys [32], but two are found in the Cretaceous forms [7,20].
— Dorsal and anal fins confluent with caudal fin (figure 4). All Recent eels have the dorsal and anal fins confluent with the caudal [8,20,47], but in Simenchelys [8,32,47] there is a gap between the last dorsal pterygiophore and fin ray and the caudal skeleton and uppermost caudal fin ray. A similar gap is seen dorsally and ventrally in Protoanguilla, and the caudal fin rays are abruptly longer than the adjacent dorsal and anal fin rays. Among Cretaceous eels, the last dorsal and anal pterygiophores are well anterior to the neural and haemal spines of the second preural centrum, the most posterior being those of Urenchelys (posterior to second and third preural centra, respectively) [7,20].
— Caudal fin rays fewer than eight in each lobe (figure 4). Among Recent eels, only Simenchelys has more, most commonly 18–19 in total [8]. Caudal fin ray counts are difficult in fossil eels, but there are no reports of fewer than 16 in total [20].
— Post-temporal absent [8,29]. The post-temporal is present in all Cretaceous forms, although it lacks an ossified lower limb [20,30].
— Epurals absent (figure 4). Only the Cretaceous forms have one or two (Luenchelys) epurals [7,20,29,30,47].
The following are derived soft-tissue features of Recent eels and Protoanguilla unknown in Cretaceous eels:
— Pyloric caeca absent [8].
— Nostrils widely separated, the posterior one just anterior to the orbit [8] (figure 1), except in serrivomerids and nemichthyids.
— Gill membranes united across the isthmus, openings restricted [8] (figure 1).
The following are synapomorphies of Recent eels lacking in Protoanguilla and Cretaceous eels:
— Premaxilla absent (figure 2). The single tooth-bearing bone that forms the snout in all Recent eels has sometimes been referred to as the premaxillo-ethmovomer, indicating that the ethmovomerine complex (see above) also incorporates the premaxillae dorsally [8,22,30,35,38]. There is no ontogenetic evidence that the premaxillae are fused to the ethmovomer rather than lost [31], nor is there any reason to believe that the incomplete bony tubes that 'unite posteriorly just in front of the mesethmoid bones' observed in larval Anguilla are rudiments of the premaxillae, as Norman (p. 398 in [35]) suggested. In our opinion, they are more likely to represent rostral ossifications enclosing the ethmoid commissural sensory canal, and further ontogenetic studies are needed. In any case, autogenous but tightly bound premaxillae are present among eels only in Protoanguilla and the Cretaceous forms.
— Symplectic fused to quadrate (figure 2). Contrary to Robins's statement that 'there is no ossified symplectic' in Recent eels (p. 11 in [8]), the symplectic is not lost, but fused with the quadrate during development [31]. The 'cartilaginous symplectic' he reported in synaphobranchids [8] is the persistent remnant of the hyosymplectic cartilage between the hyomandibular above and the symplectic below. Protoanguilla is unique among Recent eels in having a fully autogenous symplectic. In the Cretaceous eels, the symplectic is variously reported as fully autogenous or fused to the quadrate only at its distal tip [7,22,30].
— Metapterygoid absent (figure 2). The suspensorium of all Recent eels lacks a metapterygoid [22,28,30], a cartilage bone primitively and commonly present in teleosts. A separate bone illustrated in that position [26] for Myroconger was apparently an artefact owing to breakage. The two small bones described as appearing anterior and lateral to (and eventually fusing with) the hyomandibular in the early development of the ophichthid Myrophis [31] are almost certainly membrane components of the hyomandibular, with which their continuity could not be discerned by alizarin staining. Protoanguilla is unique among Recent eels in having a fully developed and separate metapterygoid, a feature that also characterizes the Cretaceous taxa.
— Upper hypurals fused (figure 4). Cretaceous eels have three autogenous upper hypurals [20,22]. In Recent eels, the upper plate comprises a single plate that may [47] or may not [31] show evidence of originating from two individual hypurals. Protoanguilla is unique and primitive among them in having the uppermost two hypurals (presumably 3 and 4) free from one another, although the uppermost fuses ontogenetically to the ural centrum.
The following are features of Protoanguilla in which it is more primitive than all known eels, Recent and Cretaceous:
— Gill rakers present (figure 3). The primitive and most common condition among teleosts, including other elopomorphs, is to have one or (usually) two rows of bony, club-shaped or lathe-like, usually tooth-bearing rakers along the lengths of each hypo-, cerato- and epibranchial, and these toothed rakers are well developed on the gill arches of Protoanguilla. Such structures are lacking in all other Recent eels and the Cretaceous forms [8,20]. We observed a few smaller and much less extensive flat toothplates near the cerato-epibranchial junction on the first three arches in the synaphobranchid Synaphobranchus and the chlopsid Kaupichthys, and similar plates may be present in some Cretaceous eels, though this is far from certain.
— Fewer than 90 vertebrae. Most Recent and Cretaceous anguilliforms have vertebral counts between 98 and 200 [25], and counts above 300 are recorded in the nemichthyid Nemichthys and the saccopharyngoid Saccopharynx. Fewer vertebrae are found only in the Cretaceous Luenchelys (90) [22], and the highly specialized saccopharyngoids Monognathus and Cyema, with as few as 88 [25] and 70 [40], respectively. The low number in Protoanguilla (79–87) is another primitive feature with respect to anguilliforms in general.
— Pterotic does not approach anterior margin of pterosphenoid, and the latter bone participates in the posterior margin of the orbit (figure 4). All Recent and Cretaceous eels share a specialized configuration in which the elongate pterotic extends near to or beyond the anterior margin of the pterosphenoid, and the basisphenoid articulates dorsally with a ventral flange of the frontal, to exclude the pterosphenoid from the orbital wall [7,20]. The structure sometimes labelled orbitosphenoid in Cretaceous eels [29] is clearly a frontal flange. Protoanguilla exhibits the primitive and common teleost configuration, in which the pterotic does not reach the anterior margin of the pterosphenoid and the basisphenoid articulates dorsally with the pterosphenoid, which in turn is not excluded from the orbital margin by a frontal flange. A similar condition of the pterotic is found among anguilliforms only in Coloconger, wherein the pterosphenoid is partly exposed to the orbit ventrally, though mostly excluded by a large triangular frontal flange (not recognized by Smith [48]) that does not actually articulate directly with the basisphenoid.
The following features are present among Recent eels only in Protoanguilla and are unknown for Cretaceous forms:
— Pseudobranch present. Although we have not confirmed this histologically, Protoanguilla bears a corrugated ovoid structure inside the opercular cavity in the usual position of a pseudobranch. A pseudobranch is present in the larvae of Recent eels, but lacking in adults [8].
— Collar-like gill openings (figure 1).
The preponderance of morphological evidence indicates that Protoanguilla is an anguilliform eel that diverged very early in the evolution of the Anguilliformes and is morphologically more primitive than all living eels. It shares at least 15 characters diagnostic of both Cretaceous and Recent taxa of the order, and seven derived characters of Recent eels lacking in the Cretaceous forms. Most notably, Protoanguilla differs from all Recent eels in having a premaxilla, metapterygoid, free symplectic and uppermost two hypurals free from one another, all primitive features that also characterize Cretaceous eels, and is more primitive than the latter in having a fully developed set of gill rakers, fewer than 90 vertebrae and a pterosphenoid that forms part of the posterior margin of the orbit.
(c) Molecular evidence
After confirming the phylogenetic affinity of Protoanguilla with the true eels within the whole Actinopterygii (electronic supplementary material, figure S1), we performed partitioned ML analysis of the dataset comprising 58 anguilliforms (representing all 19 currently recognized families) plus 11 outgroups. The resulting phylogenies placed Protoanguilla as sister to three synaphobranchids, the most basal anguilliform clade, with a relatively high bootstrap probability (BP) of 84 per cent (electronic supplementary material, figure S2). Exclusion of the third codon positions from the dataset recovered an identical tree topology regarding the phylogenetic position of Protoanguilla with a BP of 80 per cent (electronic supplementary material, figure S3).
Considering a short internal branch from a common ancestor of Protoanguilla and synaphobranchids in the molecular phylogenies (figure 5; node A in electronic supplementary material, figures S2 and S3) and the robust morphology-based phylogenetic hypothesis, the two BPs (84% and 80% in electronic supplementary material, figures S2 and S3, respectively) are disproportionately high. We therefore evaluated three alternative phylogenetic positions of Protoanguilla in relation to 'synaphobranchids' and 'other eels' using the AU test [49]. These are as follows. Tree 1: non-constrained ML tree ((Protoanguilla, synaphobranchids), other eels) molecular phylogeny (electronic supplementary material, figures S2 and S3). Tree 2: constrained ML tree enforcing monophyly of synaphobranchids + other eels as suggested by the morphological data (Protoanguilla, (synaphobranchids, other eels)). Tree 3: constrained ML tree enforcing monophyly of non-synaphobranchid eels (synaphobranchids, (Protanguilla, other eels)).
AU test shows not only that the latter two hypotheses based on the constrained ML topologies (electronic supplementary material, figures S4 and S5) cannot be rejected (p = 0.297 and 0.166 for tree 2, and p = 0.404 and 0.361 for tree 3; electronic supplementary material, table S5), but also that the two BPs (84% and 80%) in the non-constrained ML topologies (electronic supplementary material, figures S2 and S3) are somewhat overestimated (p = 0.632 and 0.657; electronic supplementary material, table S5). Significantly, Protoanguilla is placed as the most basal anguilliform taxon in any of the clades (electronic supplementary material, figures S4 and S5), indicating its early divergence. Thus, Protoanguilla appears to represent an ancient independent evolutionary lineage within anguilliforms, whose placement within the basal anguilliforms is difficult in a molecular phylogenetic context.
(d) Divergence time
The divergence time analyses are based on the topology that places Protoanguilla as the sister group of all other eels (tree 2: the hypothesis robustly supported by the morphological evidence). The resultant timetree indicates that Protoanguilla diverged from other eels during the Triassic–Jurassic boundary around 220 Ma (figure 5; posterior mean 217 Ma with a 95% credible interval between 193 and 243 Ma). Ambiguities in the placement of Protoanguilla among basal anguilliform lineages have limited impact on the divergence time estimations, with greatly overlapping posterior means and 95 per cent credible intervals of 199 Ma (170–228 Ma) for tree 1 and 203 Ma (181–226 Ma) for tree 3 (electronic supplementary material, table S7). Thus, we consider that Protoanguilla represents an ancient anguilliform lineage that dates back to the early Mesozoic (around 200 Ma), which is comparable to that of the entire Anguilliformes (posterior means 199–217 Ma; electronic supplementary material, table S7).
(e) Occurrence
Protoanguilla is presently known from a single fringing reef cave at 35 m depth in Palau.
As an elopomorph, it almost certainly has a leptocephalus larval form, and letptocephali (particularly those of anguilliforms) are known to have long planktonic durations (2–10 months) [50]. Accordingly, we believe that Protoanguilla probably has a considerably broader distribution than currently known, even though no leptocephali matching its unique meristic formula (fewer than 90 vertebrae, more than 170 dorsal fin and anal fin rays) have been identified in extensive worldwide larval fish collections. In any case, historically, the Protoanguilla lineage, estimated to have diverged ca 200 Ma, must have been much more widely distributed, because the Palau-Kyushu Ridge formed only around 60–70 Ma [51].
We sincerely thank H. Rebelkuul, A. Bukurrou and K. Kami-ishi for their cooperation with our collection of the specimens. We also thank J. G. Inoue for his help in preliminary phylogenetic analysis, Z. Yang for his advice on the selection of appropriate priors in MCMCTREE analysis, and V. G. Springer, G. D. Smith, L. Rüber and G. Nelson for their useful comments on the manuscript. Ai Nonaka and Sandra Raredon provided technical assistance. Portions of this study were supported by grants-in-aid from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Japan to M.M. (17207007 and 22580229), and from the Herb and Evelyn Axelrod Chair in Systematic Ichthyology.
- Received June 20, 2011.
- Accepted July 26, 2011.
- This journal is © 2011 The Royal Society
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 work is properly cited.


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It's that time of year when social obligations of the holiday variety outweigh one's attempt to maintain a basic grasp of sanity and reality. Fear not, however, gentle reader... I am here to help you get dressed for these events quickly and in style.
Snowflakes? Check. Inverted pentagram and crosses? Check. Goat skull in a Santa hat? Check. While they bill it as a "sweater" (it's actually just a sweatshirt), Century Media is offering this awesome, "Black Christmas" accoutrement for just $20.
Additionally, if you despise all the Christmas music that's undoubtedly being jammed into your ear-holes, might I recommend an album I recorded a few years ago with The Priestess and The Fool? It's totally free to download and we cover a handful of off-the-beaten-path holiday gems (plus, I love playing The Pogues at a country rhythm).
Click here to visit the site or click here to directly download the zip file.

subset: commoncrawl


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October 20, 2018
Saturday, 10 am-1 pm
Audience: Groups, Adults, High School Students, Middle School Students, Families, Seniors, Educators, Volunteers
Event Type: Volunteer
Help restore and maintain park trails. Projects include retreading trail, restoring native habitat, moving materials, replacing fence, and constructing and maintaining trail structures. This program is great for those who are not afraid to get dirty, want a great workout, and enjoy meeting new people!
Volunteer programs take place every 3rd Saturday of the month, 10 am-1 pm.
Individuals and Families
Drop-in individuals are welcome. Registration is not required for participation, but highly encouraged.
Groups of five or more may require special arrangements and must be confirmed in advance. Fill out the Group Project Request Form or visit our Groups volunteer page to learn more.
Age, Skills, What to Bring:
- Volunteers ages 15 and up are welcome.
- Bring your completed Volunteer Agreement Form (PDF). Volunteers under the age of 18 must have the parent/guardian approval section signed.
- We'll be working rain or shine. Wear clothes that can get dirty. Long pants and closed-toe shoes are required. Bring layers for changing weather and rain gear if necessary.
- Bring a personal water bottle and sunscreen.
- No experience necessary. Training and tools will be provided. Fulfills community service requirements.
Meeting Location
View the Golden Gate Trail Crew program page for meeting location and map link.
Contact Information
For general questions regarding volunteer programs, contact us at (415) 561-3044 or email@example.com.
You can also view the Volunteer FAQ page for more information.
The Golden Gate National Parks Volunteer Program is a cooperative parkwide effort of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, the National Park Service, and the Presidio Trust.


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Enter This Year's Iowa Financial Know-How Challenge, You Could Win $1,000 for Your School
Your school could have a chance at $1,000 when your students increase their financial understanding in the Iowa Financial Know-How Challenge between Feb. 18 and March 29. Also, by participating in the Challenge, you can work toward Iowa Core 21st Century Skills requirements. Enter at www.studentloan.org/EnterChallenge.
Iowa high schools that incorporate the online financial literacy tutorial Student Loan Game PlanSM into their classrooms by March 29 can register in the Iowa Financial Know-How Challenge and be entered in a drawing for a chance to win one of 30 cash prizes. The drawing will award each winning school $1,000 total for its financial literacy programs and scholarship fund.
Iowa Student Loan®, the Iowa Department of Education, the Iowa Jump$tart Coalition, Junior Achievement of Central Iowa and the Iowa College Access Network are the proud sponsors of this program.
Increase Students' Financial Knowledge
Your students will learn how they might reduce their need to borrow for college through Student Loan Game Plan, an innovative online tool from Iowa Student Loan.
"Students often borrow for college without realizing the effect it will have on their future finances and lifestyle," said Steve McCullough, president and CEO of Iowa Student Loan. "Student Loan Game Plan provides high school students with achievable ways to save for college and helps them understand the consequences of overborrowing for their education."
Help Meet Iowa Core Requirements
Student Loan Game Plan, as well as other materials and resources offered by the partnering sponsors, helps meet financial literacy requirements for the Iowa Core 21st Century Skills.
Learn More
For more information about the Challenge and how available resources align with the Iowa Core requirements, visit www.studentloan.org/EnterChallenge. You can also contact Matt Brown at Iowa Student Loan at (800) 243-7552, ex. 7656, or by email at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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|Up a level
CMFRI, Kochi (2010) Harvest of open sea cage farmed Asian Sea bass Lates calcarifer at Chemmencherry near Chennai. Fishing Chimes, 30 (9). pp. 43-45.
Jasmani, Safiah and Jayasankar, Vidya and Shinji, Junpei and Wilder, Marcy N (2010) Carbonic anhydrase and Na/K-ATPase activities during the molt cycle of low salinity-reared white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. Fisheries Science, 76. pp. 219-225.
Kizhakudan, Joe K (2010) Open sea cage farming of Asian sea bass Lates calcarifer in the Bay of Bengal, off Chennai- National Training on Sea cage farming- 2010. [Teaching Resource]
Kizhakudan, Shoba Joe and Mohanraj, G and Batcha, Hameed and Rajapackiam, S (2010) Ray fishery by trawlers off Chennai and some aspects of biology of the scaly whipray Himantura imbricata (Bloch & Schneider, 1801). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India, 52 (1). pp. 92-95.
Pillai, S Lakshmi and Thirumilu, P (2010) Parasites of shrimps and crabs from the Chennai coast. Marine Fisheries Information Service T&E Series (204). pp. 19-20.
Prasanna Kumar, S and Roshin, P Raj and Narvekar, Jayu and Dinesh Kumar, P K and Vivekanandan, E (2010) What drives the increased phytoplankton biomass in the Arabian Sea? Current Science, 99 (1). pp. 101-106.
Sethi, S N and Ram, Nagesh and Mahendran, V and Sethi, Shalini and Das, B K (2010) Molecular characterization of endemic freshwater prawns, Macrobrachium lar of Andaman. e-planet, 8 (1). pp. 1-5.


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- The voracity of market moves since New Year belies the underlying deterioration in the major economies. Certainly, there are vulnerabilities exposed by the start of US rate tightening, & China slowing. But, the danger now is the reaction outweighs the reason.
- Sharp equity declines are traditionally associated with key macro shocks &/or a toxic policy mix. Current policy can hardly be accused of being toxic, suggesting China & the US Fed are the main culprits. Yet, their main macro risks should still be contained.
- Even with 'true' real growth of just 3%, China in 2015 will have generated over two years nominal growth equivalent to the entire GDP of Spain. Expecting it to carry on doing more was unrealistic.
- Then there's the Fed. Its expectation of raising the funds target to 3½% after 2018 looks unrealistic. But, we doubt it will be dissuaded from hiking again in this cycle. We expect two more 25bp US rate hikes by Christmas, taking us to a still low 1% 'peak' rate.
- Which suggests another two years of negative real rates - in the US & UK - on top of the six years we've had. The ECB & BoJ will have to make their rates more negative, aiming to keep long yields down.
- A complication for the UK, though, is its EU referendum. Our base case is Brexit is avoided. But, uncertainty will build, & should Brexit occur, the BoE may have to be the biggest sponsor of gilts, via QE.
- China has the wherewithal to soften its landing, but must avoid a policy 'face-off' with the US. Renminbi devaluations are an extra incentive for the Fed to take only baby steps. Fortunately, China should prefer 'drip-feed' devaluations to help its balance sheets.
How grizzly is this bear market?
Reaction to ECB rate decision


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Heston Blumenthal's gourmet restaurant has been closed after a vomiting virus outbreak.
The TV chef apologised to customers at his exclusive two Michelin-starred Dinner, which will remain closed for a week after 45 diners and members of staff were infected with norovirus.
A council spokesman said 24 diners and 21 staff had been taken ill.
Staff were asked to wash their hands more often, and hygiene improvements have been made, he said.
It is the same vomiting virus which forced him to close another restaurant, the Fat Duck, five years ago.
The award-winning Fat Duck, in Bray, Berkshire, was left out of action for two weeks in 2009 follwing an outbreak of the winter bug that left over 500 people feeling sick.
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, the 47-year-old said his personal experience and knowledge of the virus meant he knew that it was best to "err on the side of extreme caution".
"I am very sorry for the inconvenience to those customers affected by cancellations," he said.
"However, I will reopen the restaurant safe in the knowledge that we have done everything we can do to continue to strive to create the perfect environment and food for my guests to enjoy."
Blumenthal said that he aimed to amaze guests with "taste sensations beyond their imagination" rather than exposing them to a "really nasty couple of days of heaving".
A total of 24 diners and 21 members of staff were taken ill at the restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental hotel on Hyde Park, Westminster City Council said.
James Armitage, the council's food safety manager, said: "Test results this week have shown that there has been an outbreak of norovirus at the Dinner restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Knightsbridge.
"The operators have now temporarily closed the restaurant and we believe this is the responsible thing to do.
"Westminster City Council food safety officers have already carried out a thorough inspection of both the restaurant premises and working practices and will continue to work closely with Public Health England and the restaurant operators until the restaurant is given the all-clear.
"We have already asked the restaurant to improve some of its hygiene procedures - including telling staff to wash their hands more often. All the changes were made immediately."
Dinner's website said that it was expected to remain closed for a week from today.
Opened to critical acclaim in 2011, the restaurant specialises in historical English food and caters for about 1,000 customers a week.
A meal for two can cost around £190, and signature dishes include the Meat Fruit recipe from 1500 - a chicken liver mousse made to look like a mandarin orange.
An investigation into the Fat Duck outbreak in 2009 found that norovirus was brought into the restaurant by shellfish contaminated with human sewage.
The three Michelin star establishment was shut for 10 days, with 529 customers reporting symptoms in what was one of the largest known outbreaks of the bug in a restaurant.
The highly-contagious norovirus is the most common stomach bug in the UK. It causes vomiting and diarrhoea and can be spread from contaminated surfaces and equipment or if an infected person does not wash their hands before handling food.


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Everything Is Contagious
This is the second of two articles on the recent outbreak of social contagion studies.
The newspapers are saying a social plague has struck mankind. Scientists contend that everything from obesity to happiness to loneliness can be "socially contagious"—meaning that if your friend gets fat, gets happy or grows lonely, you are at increased risk of doing the same. The leading advocates for the new social contagionism are sociologist Nicholas Christakis and political scientist James Fowler. Their work—now summarized in a popular book called Connected —suggests that our behaviors, emotions, and even our body types can be passed from friend to friend to friend like a flu virus. As Fowler told Stephen Colbert in a January interview, the research suggests that people don't really make individual decisions at all but, instead, function as part of a "human superorganism"—like a herd of buffalo or a flock of birds.
It's a strong claim—and an assault on a lot of traditional social science. Christakis and Fowler propose a new conceptual creature to embody their contagious vision: Homo dictyous, or "network man." (In Greek, dicty means "net.") Network man has contagion in his veins; he wants the same things as others to whom he is connected. He is meant as an alternative to Homo economicus, the tongue-in-cheek "economic man" who unfailingly pursues his own self-interest, contagions be damned. Homo economicus has been ailing in recent years—laid low by studies showing that nice-guy behaviors like altruism seem to be legitimate human traits. Indeed, Homo dictyous—and his social contagionist masters—seem poised to overthrow old Homo economicus and his individualist paradigm once and for all. The question is: Do they have the data to do it?
There's a famous social-science conundrum called "the Reflection Problem" that goes something like this: If you see a group of teens smoking weed in a parking lot, how did they end up together? Did one of them start using pot first, and then influence the others to try it? Or did the group start hanging out because they all liked to get high? Ask a sociologist, and he'll likely tell you the cause is peer pressure, aka social contagion. Ask an economist, and she'll probably say they're simply "birds of a feather." Without extensive interviews, it's really hard to tell who's right. But figuring out the truth is important: If it's contagion, then getting a few trend-setting teens to quit drugs could cause others to follow suit. But if it's a birds-of-a-feather thing—sometimes called "homophily"—then there is no social multiplier; you need to cure the entire flock.
This observational puzzle lies at the heart of the contagious epidemic. When Christakis and Fowler got interested in networks and health, they devised a way to draw on records from the famous Framingham Heart Study, a decades-long analysis of heart disease in a Massachusetts town. Physicals were done every four years, on average, and at these exams participants gave information about their families and named one of their friends. From these data, the scientists were able to construct a social network for the town. When they filled out the network with information on subjects' weight, happiness, and smoking status, they saw clusters of smokers, clusters of happy people, and clusters of fat people break out over time. But were these clusters "birds of a feather" or pockets of contagion? It was a gnarly math problem, but Christakis and Fowler's analyses seemed to rule out homophily or an environmental effect. In the end, they concluded that the cause was contagion, with the influence extending out three degrees, on average. With obesity, they even found that friends could contagiously influence one another when they lived hundreds of miles apart.
It was a lot of contagion. While many studies have documented the impact of peer influence, the magnitude of Christakis and Fowler's three-degrees-of-infection claim, as well as their emphasis on contagious transmission, was unusual. Indeed, studies that have tried to parse the relative contributions of contagion and homophily have sometimes found the latter has a more potent effect. For example, papers on teen behavior from the 1970s concluded that the importance of "birds of a feather" may be equal to or greater than that of peer pressure. More recently, Cornell scientists studying the online encyclopedia Wikipedia found that site editors who communicated were highly similar to one another even before they first met (PDF), indicating a key causal role for homophily. A December paper on the adoption of the Yahoo Go mobile-phone application across the company's instant-messaging network of 27.4 million users concluded that the flocking together of similar people may explain more than 50 percent of the clustering that is often attributed to contagion in network studies.
Christakis and Fowler do attempt to account for the influence of homophily and environmental influence in all of their papers, but the size of their contagion effect—and some of its unusual features—has led some experts to wonder whether their methods may be overstating the case. Indiana University mathematician Russell Lyons, for example, says the claim that obesity can jump from friend to friend over hundreds of miles should be taken as evidence against contagion. It's not obvious how fatness might be transmitted from afar, he says, whereas homophily should apply as normal. Friends who share many traits might see their weights rise and fall in concert regardless of geographical distance.
Lyons is hardly the first to question the social epidemic. In 2008, economists Jason Fletcher and Ethan Cohen-Cole published a study showing that implausible traits like acne, headaches, and height could appear contagious if you used statistical techniques similar to those used by Christakis and Fowler. When Fletcher and Cohen-Cole applied stricter methods to control for environmental influences, the contagion effect disappeared.
Christakis and Fowler responded by suggesting that acne, headaches, and even height might indeed be contagious, because the adolescent data used by Fletcher and Cohen-Cole were self-reported. A teen with acne might influence his friends to worry more about zits, so they would start reporting more acne problems; the same would apply to headaches. Even height could be contagious, they said, in the sense that short teens with tall friends might exaggerate their stature. Thus, Fletcher and Cohen-Cole's peer-reviewed cordon sanitaire was breached by the logic of the social contagionists. In e-mailed comments and a phone interview, Christakis took issue with Fletcher and Cohen-Cole's analytical methods, pointed out that other researchers have found evidence that is suggestive of contagious obesity and noted that the acne and headache effects were not statistically significant at conventional levels. (The evidence for contagious height, however, was statistically meaningful.)
Yet the social contagionists appear to have statistical problems of their own. Russell Lyons says he has identified numerous logical flaws in each of the Framingham studies on contagious obesity, smoking, happiness, and loneliness—flaws that appear to undermine seriously the authors' arguments for contagious transmission. He has compiled his criticisms in a new paper, now under review, entitled, "The Spread of Evidence-Poor Medicine via Flawed Social-Network Analysis."
One of Lyons' key criticisms relates to a central feature in Christakis and Fowler's contagion claim—that in the Framingham networks, "one-sided" friendships and mutual friends produce different effects. Consider two hypothetical friends who participated in the obesity study, Harry and Nancy. Let's say that Harry considers Nancy a friend, but not vice-versa. In that case, the contagion only goes one way: If Nancy gets fat, then Harry's risk for obesity goes up. If Harry got fat, on the other hand, there would be no effect on Nancy's risk for obesity—since she doesn't consider Harry a "friend." Christakis and Fowler propose that obesity contagion follows the arrow of esteem; in essence, people can only infect you with fatness if you admire them. They tout this as proof that the environment isn't causing their clusters of obesity. If, say, a McDonald's opened up near Harry and Nancy, it should make both of them gain weight simultaneously; the direction of esteem would not matter.
But Lyons says the authors have misinterpreted their data. In fact, their numbers show that these two scenarios are statistically indistinguishable. The margins of error are so big that when analyzed properly, there is no evidence for the "esteem" effect at all—meaning that it's impossible to diagnose contagion. This problem plagues each of the papers on obesity, smoking, happiness and loneliness.
Lyons also points to a deeper logical flaw in the "esteem" argument: Even if the effect were visible in the data, it could be caused by any of contagion, homophily, or an environmental effect. For example, suppose Harry chooses Nancy as a friend entirely because they are "birds of a feather." If Nancy gets fat, we would expect Harry's obesity risk to increase, too, because they share so many traits. If, on the other hand, Nancy names Harry as a friend, but Harry names someone else, we would expect Nancy's weight gain to have less of an effect on Harry. (Harry's choice of someone else indicates there is someone more similar to him than Nancy, because no one knows Harry better than Harry!) An identical argument can be made if Harry and Nancy's friendship is based entirely on environmental similarity. We would still see the same directional differences that the social contagionists interpret to be an "esteem" effect.
After discussing these issues with Lyons, Yahoo social-network researcher Duncan Watts, who wrote a blurb for Connected, says he thinks there are serious problems with the studies. "I think it's pretty clear that they did not do things properly," he said in a phone interview. When I reached Christakis for comment, he told me that he thought technical questions like these are best resolved in peer-reviewed journals rather than in the pages of Slate.
These critiques don't mean that peer pressure is a myth. (Remember high school?) The skeptics would never claim that contagion doesn't exist; they simply believe the contagionists have exaggerated its power using faulty methods and thin data. Christakis and Fowler have also begun to insinuate that "contagious" individuals ought to clean up their act based on their findings. In his appearance on The Colbert Report, Fowler said that he had "actually made a positive change" in his own life by losing five pounds and keeping it off after realizing that his behavior might affect people as distant as his "son's best friend's mother." Here, Fowler implies that before he lost weight, his love handles were doing harm to others, like a puff of secondhand smoke in the faces of his friends and family.
It's not clear that the social contagionists have enough evidence to be telling people that they owe it to their social network to lose weight. It's also not clear that it was ever a great idea to call fat people contagious in the first place, because stigma carries its own negative health consequences. Social network analysis undoubtedly will play a key role in deciphering how social relationships affect health. But as the field develops, there is a danger that health professionals may fall too hard for this attractive new web of causation, while giving short shrift to key environmental factors that undeniably shape health. As for Homo dictyous—although he may be less of a selfish jerk than Homo economicus, he seems to have a caught a bad case of the contagions. Perhaps it's best to flock away for now.
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text:
Please note: each application is assessed on an individual basis and may be subject to additional requirements, such as undertaking short course(s), work experience and/or English language qualification(s). Meeting particular minimum entry requirements does not automatically guarantee a place.
In order to complete your programme successfully, it is important to have a good command of English and be able to apply this in an academic environment. Therefore, if you are a non-UK applicant* you will usually be required to provide certificated proof of English language competence before commencing your studies.
For this course the minimum requirement is Academic IELTS of 6.5 overall with 6.0 in Writing and 5.5 in Reading, Listening and Speaking.
Applicants who do not meet the English language requirements may be eligible to join our pre-sessional English language course.
Please make sure you read our full guidance about English language requirements, which includes details of other qualifications we'll consider.
* Applicants from one of the recognised majority English speaking countries (MESCs) do not need to meet these requirements.
Admissions team
*5p per minute from a BT landline. Call charges from other providers may vary.
This course is taught at Penrhyn Road
Admissions team
*5p per minute from a BT landline. Call charges from other providers may vary.
This course is taught at Penrhyn Road


text:
Tim Peake's International Space Station mission seeks name
The European Space Agency is asking people to choose a name for British astronaut Tim Peake's next mission.
Citizens and residents of all the Agency's member nations are eligible to enter the competition.
The winning entry needs to be short and snappy and will be the official mission name and incorporated into the logo.
Major Peake is due to go to the International Space Station towards the end of 2015 and spend six months there carrying out scientific experiments.
It is customary for the public to help choose mission names every time a European astronaut goes into orbit.
Names that reflect an astronaut's nationality are encouraged, but they should also have a wider European flavour, and be easy to pronounce.
Previous mission names have included "Marco Polo" for the Italian Astronaut Roberto Vittori, "Odissia" for Belgian Frank de Winne, and "DELTA Mission" for Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers' flight to the ISS. DELTA was an acronym for "Dutch Expedition for Life Science, Technology and Atmospheric Research".
The aim of the competition, according to Rosita Suenson of the European Space Agency, is to engage the public.
"We want people to feel part of Tim's mission," she told BBC News.
So what makes for a successful mission name?
According to Ms Suenson, it must be short, one or two words or an acronym, as it has to be incorporated into the mission logo. Proper names and those that might be subject to copyright are unlikely to succeed.
"It should be a name that is easy to pronounce in other European languages," explains Ms Suenson. "And it should be one that we can own in Europe."
Early favourites
Once the copyrighted, hard to pronounce and parochial entries are weeded out, a team of linguists checks the remaining options to ensure that seemingly innocuous entries are not inadvertently rude in another European language.
A short-list is then passed on to Major Peake, who makes the final choice.
Ms Suenson suggests that entrants should consider a name that embodies the man, his mission aims and his interests.
An early favourite is "Beagle 3" - a successor to "Beagle 2", which was the name of the UK's inspirational, but ultimately unsuccessful, attempt to put a probe on the surface of Mars.
Another suggestion is "Starman", inspired by the song of that name by David Bowie. In the UK, Tim Peake is often referred to simply as "Major Tim", which references a character from another Bowie hit- "Space Oddity".
And a name that would celebrate UK science and reflect the microgravity experiments that Tim will be conducting on the ISS might be "Newton".


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|2013-01-05, 05:41
|Link #441
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
It's funny you should say that, because I would say "Maou" is probably the most ambiguous term a translator in this field is likely to encounter, and everybody handles it differently. This comes from the fact that it's not a word that actually means anything beyond "Demon Boss guy who probably lives in a castle and has spooky horns, who probably has a lot of hit points." (Outside its use as a Buddhist theological term, which is a bit off topic.)
Just to list a few examples offhand:
So it's one of those things where really, it's not worth getting upset about it. There are probably a half dozen other ways to handle it that I can't think of at the moment.
So really, it's one of those things where you can't really go wrong whatever you pick. In my experience "Demon King" is the most common, and so that's what we went with.
|2013-01-05, 05:50
|Link #442
We're Back
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Discord
Age: 30
Calling them "Satan" or "Tyrant" seem to be flavor text though but whatever.
|2013-01-05, 06:07
|Link #443
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Aah, yup. That's another one I just remembered. The HJ Bunko Light novel "魔王の学校に俺だけ勇者!" (I'm the only hero at a school for Demon Kings) uses the term "Magic Kings". It even has a character whose attack summons a Demon King, which is called "Magic Kings the Gathering", a thinly veiled rip-off of the card game "Magic the Gathering".
Granted, that it's a horribly minor property (I wouldn't be surprised if less than 10 to 15 people on the entire North American continent have ever read it.) but its another example of just how ambiguous the word is.
Interestingly enough, it has multiple female "Magic Kings", (An entire classful, in fact. It's a Z-grade Harem Comedy, as you could probably tell from the title.) and nobody in it seems to care.
I guess my point is that given that the word has so many divergent meanings, calling her "Demon Queen" is perfectly fine, if that's how you want to go about it. It's not the decision I would make, and if I were checking a show where the translator did it I would probably have them change it. But people seem to like it, for whatever reason. So let 'em have it. The official's the way you like it, and it's going to stay that way, especially now that episode 1 has aired.
That said, I can almost guarantee you I won't be translating Onna Kishi as "Paladin".
|2013-01-05, 06:10
|Link #444
I disagree with you all.
Join Date: Dec 2005
|2013-01-05, 06:42
|Link #445
Bag Giver
Join Date: Jan 2012
I can only recall one example where '魔王' referred to a class of titles rather than a specific person in the story. It is Disgaea, where Atlus translated the term as Overlord, where the term encompasses both male and female. Personally, I'd have preferred a term that is gender neutral or has no feminine form in use ("overlord" would be an example of the latter), but as the translator has chosen to use Demon King, it is still preferred to Demon Queen for in story justifications.
|2013-01-05, 07:26
|Link #447
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
I see no problem if the translators leave the title as "Maou" - after all, you don't translate "Tsar" as "Emperor" or " Kniaz'" as a "Prince", and it really has no complete equivalent in human ranks of nobility or military...
As for the story - I really hope they do find something to fill all that big empty space that exists instead of the explanation of how Maou came up with all the necessary information for her civilization-building plans; its not like they have mass economic research facilities and programs out there in the fantasy lands! Hindsight is 200/200...
|2013-01-05, 07:38
|Link #448
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
|2013-01-05, 07:46
|Link #449
Join Date: Sep 2004
Based on the first episode I wish it was a bit more serious and with less focus on fanservice. I'm still very interested in the show, though. I'm just a little disappointed because I was really looking forward to this show based on the premise and word of mouth.
|2013-01-05, 08:43
|Link #452
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: event horizon
|2013-01-05, 08:48
|Link #453
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
on the side note 魔王 in vietnamese old language (somewhat similar to chinese and japanese) means "ma vương" or "lord of devil"
- "ma" (魔): "ghost" "undead" or "devil"
- "vương"(王): "lord" while doesnt explicitly imply female or male
Last edited by zero7090; 2013-01-05 at 11:02.
|2013-01-05, 09:09
|Link #454
Logician and Romantic
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Within my mind
Age: 37
Making the translated term gender neutral would made no sense. Not in the contest of the script. And there are many historical examples where "King" or its many different terms were once applied to female rulers. And that the term "Queen" was only in widespread use once women were able to rule in an official and regular capacity. It is well known that the term "Queen" in both European and Chinese languages were late additions to the vocabulary.
In other words, "King" used to be gender neutral because there are only men in that job. Because "Queen" did not exist. And that's pretty much why in-story, Ruby Eyes call herself Demon King. There was no other word to use.
|2013-01-05, 09:35
|Link #456
Logician and Romantic
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Within my mind
Age: 37
There are many terms describing women in Asian Royal Court positions. But 女王 wasn't one of them.
|2013-01-05, 09:47
|Link #457
I disagree with you all.
Join Date: Dec 2005
|2013-01-05, 09:59
|Link #459
Join Date: Mar 2006
It's kind of a silly argument to have. Either go literal or keep it as is. Complaining about gender accuracy misses the point of why they are called that and why they don't have actual names.
As an example, there is a character in Code:Breaker named Prince. She's a girl. It's a nickname/title and she has a real name, but everyone in the story calls her Prince even after they notice she's a girl. It makes no sense to change the translation to Princess just because of the reveal if none of the characters in the story actually call her that.
|2013-01-05, 10:07
|Link #460
Kimi no na wa?!
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Hong Kong
In any case, I had a mixed reaction to this episode. I may be used to the manga version of the characters, but I generally liked the art design and the look of the characters. This episode took the entire time to set up the premise for the rest of the story, which I believe it needed as this is the most important part, but hopefully there won't be pacing problems with this anime. (I highly doubt it, considering it's 1 cour unless they make a second season.) The backgrounds and music were excellent, better than I expected. Really captured the feeling of the surroundings kind of like a middle age storybook. The OP particularly stuck out as good, though spoiling around a dozen later events.
On the other hand, I thought they could have had a bit less fanservice. Maybe it's just a bit of a bias based on what I've read in this thread about the animation studio, but I felt that some of it was unneeded, such as that hug pillow scene. They may have wanted to show the fact that the Demon Queen had been waiting for Hero since he was small early on, but it felt extremely forced.
Nevertheless, the premise for the story has been set up, and the animation studio may prove itself yet. The voicing was really good (I had a few 'Hey, it's that voice!' moments though, particularly from Female Knight after coming right of Kokoro Connect Michi Random) and fit the characters. I'll be watching this to the end, in any case, as I just really like the series.
|economics, fantasy, harem
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Pepper Ballet Skimmer - Black Suede
Looking for low-key glamour? Look no further than this cool pair of round-toe vegan leather ballet flats that have that classic everyday appeal. Ribbon trim, simple bow and cushioned footbed will offer all-day comfort.
- Vegan faux suede upper
- Manmade sole
- Imported
- Made in an ethical, Sweatshop-free facility
FIT: True to size.


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Style # 189543
Amp up your pencil skirt collection with this high-shine bebe skirt, featuring classic back slit and double seam waist detail. Whether you style it work or out for play, this style is sure to sculpt a sharp look. Hidden back zipper at back. Fully lined.
- 48% acetate, 45% nylon, 7% spandex.
- Center back to hem: 23" (58 cm)..
- Dry clean.
- Imported.
- Model is 5'9" and is wearing a US size 6.
Tiana High Waist Skirt is rated out of 5 by 10.
Rated 5 out of 5 by bebeshopper1 from Beautiful, sexy, sophisticated, elegant skirt! I love this skirt, it is a must have. It is very flattering and sexy and can be worn to work or any other occasion. I had been looking around for nice, flattering pencil skirts for a long time until I found this one. Bebe please make more of this skirts available in red, black, and other colors... this pencil skirt is perfect.
Date published: 2012-11-29
Rated 5 out of 5 by fashionista1 from sexy, sleek skirt love this skirt for a night out on the town. I purchased the red color and its well worth the $90 price tag bc the high quality and fit. pair this look with a leather jacket, patterned tights and booties for an edgier look or keep it super girly with a peplum top and statement necklace. either way you will get a lot of use out of this skirt!
Date published: 2012-11-18
Rated 5 out of 5 by ThaiBeauty from buy two sizes up I love this skirt. Its a sexy classic. I bought this in red. I held off on ordering it online because I wasnt sure of the sizing.Went to purchase this item in the store. Had to get a size 8! Im usually in between a size 2 & 4 but this skirt runs pretty small. Great fabric and color. This is definitely a holiday must have!
Date published: 2012-11-09
Rated 5 out of 5 by raja from great but too small i oredered it too small and need to return for bigger size
Date published: 2012-11-08
Rated 3 out of 5 by Anonyme from Great fabric, but... The fabric is soft and shiny, but if you've got thighs, it doesn't really look good. I would recommend this product to a girl with little thighs!
Date published: 2012-11-08
Rated 2 out of 5 by DianaS from wrong sizes Well, the skirt is nice. BUT, the size runs indeed very small. I have several skirts from bebe and they are all in a size 4. This time the skirt turned out to be very small...i couldn't even zip it up. Very upsetting, BEBE! Why should i waste my time on returns just because you label sizes however you want! Now I don't know whether I should buy this skirt in size 6 or just skip it. Unfortunately, I live 2 hours away from the closest BEBE store and don't know if I should even bother myself by getting the skirt in size 6 as I don't know if it's gonna be big on me.... LABEL your sizes right, consistently! You charge a lot of money for your products so show some quality ....
Date published: 2012-11-07
Rated 5 out of 5 by sandycandy85 from Classic must have!! "Initially was hesitant, but absolutely fell in love the second I tried it on. Feels very sexy and still classy. I got this in red."
Date published: 2011-11-23
Rated 1 out of 5 by bebefan_2 from way too small "This skirt runs way too small. I have always worn a 0 in Bebe skirts. I even have some 00's. In fact, I just received the Black and metallic silver striped skirt with the zipper in the front in a size 0 and it fit fine. This is the first time I have ever returned anything for being too small. For this skirt, I need a size 2! I am 5'1" and 97 lbs. It could be that this skirt keeps becoming unavailable because the sizes are wrong, so beware!"
Date published: 2011-11-17


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Bontrager's Rhythm Shorts are hardcore baggies that please both the XC crowd and the all-mountain crew. Made from woven nylon that is breathable, quick-drying and durable, the Rhythms will be there with you season after season. And, you'll wear them on every ride to enjoy the comfort of the detachable liner shorts with Bontrager's inForm chamois. You also get handy pockets and an easy-adjust waist for a custom fit.
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Cool, breathable, and they look good. One velcro pocket designed for cell phone and another zippered pocket big enough for a wallet or other supplies. Shorts are baggy enough to be comfortable but fitted enough to not get in the way of riding. Chamois layer has adequate padding and is very breathable. Adjustable waist belt helps the fit. I'm planning to get another pair.
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It's hard to complain when three teams head to Ohio, all of them play two games, and none head back to town with a loss.
That was the case for the U18, U16 and U14 teams this weekend, as all three teams faced the Columbus Crew on Saturday, then traveled to Cleveland for another match Sunday.
U18s win a pair
The U18 squad walked away with two clean wins, soundly taking out the Columbus Crew 5-2 before beating the Cleveland Internationals 3-0 run their Mid-America Division record to 4-0-0.
The Fire jumped all over Columbus on a wet Saturday, finding good fortune off set pieces to open a 4-0 lead by halftime.
Collin Fernandez played a part in two goals: His pass from out on the left side led to Michael Jimenez finishing, and he also headed in a goal off a corner kick to make it 3-0 in the 37th minute.
Oscar Gonzalez opened the rush with a goal off a free kick in the 22nd minute and Jeff Farina capped the first-half barrage with a goal off a corner kick.
About a minute after Columbus scored in the second half, Qudus Lawal responded with a goal in the 77th minute. Columbus added a goal in the 90th minute for the final margin.
On Sunday in Cleveland, super sub Lawal struck again, finishing with two second-half goals in a 3-0 win over the Internationals.
"He's been on fire every time he comes off the bench," said Academy staff coach Victor Fernandez
Shannon Seymour (right) put in a first-half goal, with Colin Fernandez picking up another assist.
U16s tie twice
In a wild weekend, the U16s settled for two ties, in two very different matches.
They tied Columbus 4-4 in a topsy-turvy match, then had a scoreless draw against Cleveland. They're now 1-1-2 overall, good enough for a tie for sixth in the Mid-American division.
On Saturday, they came out flying against the Crew, with Rogioberto Rojas putting away two goals not even 15 minutes in.
But the Crew responded with four goals during a 12-minute stretch in the second half. Mauricio Pineda, brother of Fire first teamer Victor, cut the deficit to one in the 63rd minute and Jack Shaw found the equalizer in the 77th minute.
The Fire even had a later chance to take the lead but missed an open net.
Sunday's tie against Cleveland didn't have the same fireworks. The Fire came out clean, and Pineda, Jake Fernandez and Joseph Lee controlled play in the midfield, but they couldn't put a goal away in a 0-0 match.
U14s win twice
The U14s walked away winners of two matches, beating Columbus 4-2 on Saturday before crushing Cleveland 6-1 the following day to move to 3-0-1. With 10 points, they trail only the Chicago Magic (4-0-0, 12 points), which they play Sunday at College of DuPage, in the Mid-America division.
Against Columbus, in a game moved to a turf field because other matches and rainy weather had damaged the original field, the Fire had to come back from an early hole.
Nick Markanich put in a pair of goals, the first tying the match after Columbus took the lead from a steal and upper-90 finish in the 24th minute.
Vitalis Takawira Jr., son of former Kansas City Wizards striker Digital Takawika, put the Fire up 2-1 at the break with a goal in the 33rd minute while Markanich added his second goal in the 44th minute.
Columbus put in its second goal on a Fire miscue on a free kick in the 67th minute, but David Gorniak made a run down the left side and finished to solidify a two-goal win.
On Sunday, the Fire dominated from the start against Cleveland.
Part of a four-goal first half for the Fire, Adrian Ortega finished from the top of the box in the third minute.
Gorniak put in his second goal of the weekend in the 11th minute, hitting in a one-timer with his left foot on a cross sent toward the top of the box.
Takawira added another goal in the 25th minute and Anthony Markanich, Nick's twin brother, made a run up top from his left back position and scored to finish off the first-half burst.
There was a little drama in the second half, as backup goalkeeper Kyle Orciuch received a red card on a foul after a giveaway. Cleveland converted a penalty kick to make it 4-1.
Down to 10 men, the Fire still added two more goals, as Sebastian Padua and Paul Fulop both scored to cap the rout.
And cap a good weekend overall for all three teams.
As Victor Fernandez put it, all three teams needed points, and all three got some.
"They came out with 14 out of 18 points for the weekend, which is pretty good," he said.
All three teams are back in action this Sunday when they visit Chicago Magic at College of DuPage.
Chicago Fire U-18s vs. Chicago Magic U-18s - 11:00am CT
Chicago Fire U-16s vs. Chicago Magic U-16s - 1:00pm CT
Chicago Fire U-14s vs. Chicago Magic U-14s - 3:00pm CT


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At the BCC meeting last night at the South Walton Courthouse Annex, Tourist Development Council Director Dawn Moliterno gave a 90-day notice of resignation.
Moliterno replied to an email from The Sun with "(I) had a great New Year and looking forward to making up for lost time with my family."
Below is the full content of the letter she read to the commissioners, as well as constituents gathered, at the meeting last night.
Mr. Chairman, Commissioners, and Mr. Clerk,
Nearly 3 years ago this April I was approached by the County to become the Executive Director of our South Walton TDC. At that time this Board specifically cited the need for my leadership in stabilizing slumping bed tax revenues; completing the work that was in progress with Southwest Airlines and the new International Airport; developing standard operating procedures and guidelines for the TDC, specifically regarding financial and statutory compliance; and, of course, to lead an eager team. Little did we know just days after my hiring, a devastating oil spill would occur that greatly impacted our county.
Today, I can honestly say that I, with the help of a great team, have accomplished all that you asked me to do at the TDC, and much more. One of my weaknesses is that I do not enjoy, and am not very good at, talking about myself or my successes. But today it is necessary. My team at the TDC has exceeded everyone's expectations. We can all agree that the success of Southwest Airlines, and the addition of the new international airport, are critical to South Walton. I am honored and privileged to have been part of a team that worked on behalf of this region to see this critical issue through completion and the lasting impact it will have for years to come. Southwest is thriving, and not only didn't they need the St. Joe guarantee, they have continued to add flights to areas needed, such as Houston, and the seasonal St. Louis route. Serving on the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport Board I have seen first-hand how the airport will serve as a gateway for tourists, residents, and economic development and is on a road for continued success.
As significant as those accomplishments are, what has occurred at our TDC is even more special... 20 consecutive months of increase in bed tax revenue, South Walton Beaches continuously being named as the best beaches by various sources, we have successfully executed all of our BP marketing grants with all dollars properly spent and accounted for, we have created numerous standard operating procedures, and maintained compliance with state statutes and county ordinances, we have been audited as part of the County and by BP for our grants, and no financial violations were found, we created a detailed monthly report, we produce an annual report, an annual written strategic plan with written quarterly updates, all posted on our public partner site.
We are measured not only on bed tax collection but on many other metrics such as online interactive analytics, fulfillment with visitor interactions through sales, meetings, and visitor services, and brand execution across all mediums. I could go on for some time but I hope this gives a high level picture of the many accomplishments you set out for us to achieve and we exceeded them.
So one might ask why all the negative public comments that recently seem to follow the TDC?
In many cases we forget there is a constant movement of information and people in and out of the market. So although some projects1comrnunication can be old news to us to someone else they are just hearing about it for the first time. This is truly an area we can improve on at the TDC. We must remember that we are always talking to someone for the first time even if we have communicated it many times over multiple mediums. But, unfortunately most of what you saw play out was political rhetoric, hidden agendas, and just plain old political divisiveness. I have watched the discussion about the TDC and transparency come up when in fact the TDC is more transparent today than in its history. There is nothing we haven't shared or made public, many I mentioned earlier.
This team won over 13 national, regional, an local awards for their efforts and no one even noted it. I believe in freedom of speech and the right to criticize and have opinions but I have remained quite far too long about the cruel untruthful lies and accusations that have been splattered across the blogs about me and my family. The nameless cowards that write humble false things NOT about my professional record or facts, just pure hateful gossip. I taught my kids to stand up to bullies and I am doing just that... I will no longer allow the defamation of character to continue.
To the cowards, look at my parents, kids, and family here today, they are real people and they represent the families behind all county employees and constitutional officers that get subjected to this unacceptable behavior because their loved one works in government. Just because we work for the county does not mean we are incompetent, stupid, or do the terrible things one states on a blog. Clearly we are all responsible for own actions not everyone around us. I have had every email, phone record, and document you can possibly pull other than a body part as a public record and none of them have resulted in any wrong doing, discrepancy, or misappropriations. I am not responsible for anyone else but myself.
For all of the successes of the TDC, it still appears to be a lightning rod for criticism. Criticism is not a bad thing, however, and can be used to improve the jobs each of us perform. But, when the criticism is merely political rhetoric, it is not the least bit constructive. I am not looking for praise because everything I have mentioned is the job of myself and my team. But when the TDC is constantly questioned, without reason, and for purely political purposes, I must at least remind everyone of the positives that have been accomplished. To be blunt, I and the team at the TDC have done everything directed, asked and expected of us by this board.
I believe when you have done everything you set out to do the time comes that you move on to the next chapter in life. Therefore, I am herby tendering 90 days notice of my resignation. This should you ample time to find my replacement, allow for a smooth transition, and ensure critical elements such as strategic planning and budget preparation don't fall during this time.
As you know I represent NWFL on the Visit Florida Board. I will work with the state and regional boards I sit on to address my resignation since in many cases the seats are not transferable and we will want to encourage them to select another Northwest Florida representative. I have a Visit Florida Board Meeting and a FADM0 Board Meeting at the end of this month and next month where I will cast critical votes before my departure and transition off those boards accordingly.
It has been an honor to serve with such a dynamic team. You truly should be proud of the people who work for this county. I have raised my kids in Walton County and will continue to do so. This is my home and I will remain here.
Again, thank you for the opportunity to serve Walton County.
Dawn Moliterno


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Launching at the AIA National Convention and Design Expo, Booth 1908BOULDER, Colo. and CAMBRIDGE, England, May 14, 2012 — (PRNewswire) — � Limitless Computing Inc.®, a leading provider of 3D mobile Augmented Reality, and ArtVPS Ltd, developers of Shaderlight™, the interactive rendering software for SketchUp, today announced the launch of Shaderlight Cloud Rendering powered by Limitless Computing. Combining the highest quality rendering from Shaderlight and proven technology from Limitless Computing, this innovative new tool delivers the fastest, most effective workflow for SketchUp users.
Shaderlight Cloud Rendering powered by Limitless Computing renders SketchUp animations up to 30x faster, and scenes up to 5x faster, delivering high resolution, photorealistic visualizations direct from SketchUp in hours, not days. It frees up desktop computers for other work, enabling Shaderlight users to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
Offering a low-cost alternative to rendering scenes and animations in-house, pricing starts from under $10, delivering high quality rendered images without investment in costly hardware.
Launching in booth 1908 at the AIA National Convention and Design Expo, Shaderlight Cloud Rendering powered by Limitless Computing will be available to all SketchUp and Shaderlight users in June.
Graham Wylie, CEO at ArtVPS said, "This launch removes any final barriers for SketchUp users' wanting to deliver high quality renders, quickly, without tying up their systems. This is the natural progression for Shaderlight and we are delighted to be working with Limitless Computing on this exciting innovation."
"Anyone who has limited hardware resources or a tight deadline will find this powerful solution a tremendous value," commented Dr. Errin T. Weller, president, Limitless Computing Inc. "Animation sequences that would otherwise tie up workstations for days will be done on time and within budget."
About Limitless Computing
Limitless Computing Inc. is a Boulder, CO-based company that has been providing cloud computing since 2006 and specializes in Augmented Reality. Limitless Computing brought Augmented Reality to Google SketchUp in 2011 with the release of the mobile application SightSpace 3D for Apple and added Kindle Fire and Android devices in 2012. ( www.LimitlessComputing.com)
About ArtVPS
Founded in 2002, ArtVPS Limited quickly established itself as the leading developer of dedicated rendering hardware, developing the first processor designed exclusively to accelerate ray tracing of 3D data. ArtVPS is today leading the way in developing photorealistic rendering solutions that generate visually accurate representations of 3D scenes. Its revolutionary flagship rendering technology, Shaderlight, is a physically based, progressive ray-tracer that enables interactive, nonlinear changes to the materials, environments, lighting and textures at any stage within the rendering process – even on production-ready images. ( www.artvps.com)
Limitless Computing and logo are registered trademarks of Limitless Computing Inc. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
SOURCE Limitless Computing
|Limitless Computing
ArtVPS Ltd
Marilyn R. Kroner of Kroner Communications
Phone: +1-303-478-3044
Email Contact for Limitless Computing
Becky Lamont of ArtVPS, 00 44(0)1480 498574
Email Contact
Web: http://www.LimitlessComputing.com


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Touchable bubbles: Very strong bubbles!
Blow super strong bubbles that can be touched without popping. Shine a white light through the bubbles to see interference patterns within rainbows (a useful way to look at the frequency of visible light).
Great party fun! Use outdoors.
For children aged 5 and up under adult supervision
*Subject to item availability. Please leave your contact phone number where possible*
Delivery times are dependent on your location.
International orders please contact us prior to ordering
For your security and peace of mind all postage is registered through Australia Post and is a flat rate of $12 inc. GST throughout Australia.


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Here can you get help for jDownloads!
Presently a new series of jDownloads is fast approaching the beta test state to incorporate many of the new features in Joomla 3.9. Within the next week or so we will be seeking volunteers to test the new series before general release.
Interested Joomla users should create here a forum account, or use their existing forum account, and send a short PM (Private Message) addressed to the administrator 'Arno' and with a subject title like 'test jD3.9'. Many thanks!
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Price: $18.65
Product ID : 388137X3_8X10ToothX.025Weight: 1.00 lbs
Manufacturer: Sterling Bandsaw Blades
Sterling Bandsaw Blade 137" x3/8X10 Tooth X.025
A hard edge, flexible back blade for horizontal cut-off machines, and contour and straight cutting on vertical band saw machines. Its economical cost makes it a good choice for cutting "easy to machine" metals, wood, plastics and other materials that do not require high production blades. Carbon is a light duty production blade that is well suited for machines with small wheel diameters.
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Moderator: B&F Moderator
waterhouserock wrote:haha yeah yeah...you may joke to cover yourself but this is a serious matter so lets do some basic maths...
cost of pressing approx 1000 7"s - £600 approx
value once sold at £6 each - £6000
throw artist £50 in ja.( wha??? a likkle food money fe dat ol tune, yeah man, me never know man still check fe dem ol tune deh!)
profit £5350 per title (minus distrubution costs and percentage to shops )
multiply by 6 titles a month....£32100 (minus distrubution costs and percentage to shops )
if distrubution and and percentage is as much as 50% thats still £15k a month
or another way £180k per year.
not bad for never producing a tune and running a charity for poverty struck artists.
would buy a mansion and a duck on skis no prob.
marniman wrote:. Bearing in mind that the plate is easily recognisable from the DKR release (missing the dubplate style shoutings).
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"Classic Rock Radio" is a high energy, exciting rock track. This is upbeat, positive music full of passion, motivation and a sense of freedom.
With it's confident attitude and highly charged, powerful guitars this piece is perfect for advertising, sports videos and extreme racing clips.
"Classic Rock Radio" is all about being a winner, living life to the max and striving for thrills and adventure. Make your project a success with this full throttle, exhilarating ride down the highway and blaze a trail with the radio turned up loud!
Files included: Main track 4:13 Loop 2:05 (wav)


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Robert C. Beck Sr.
Robert C. Beck Sr., 71, of M. Pleasant Road, Penfield, died on Friday, Dec. 20, 2013 at the DuBois Nursing Home after a lengthy illness. He was born Feb. 13, 1942 in Gardner Hill, Weedville, son of the late John and Pauline (Thurston) Beck. His loving wife of 51 years, Linda L. (Swartz) Beck survives.He was raised in St. Marys and has lived in Penfield since 1962. He attended Gardner Hill Church, and loved hunting, fishing, and his camp on Gardner Hill. He was employed by Stackpole Carbon Co., P&N Coal, Sky Haven Coal, and Tamberline Coal until his retirement. He was also a self-employed logger. In addition to his wife, he is survived by four sons, Robert C. (Bonnie) Beck Jr. of DuBois, Mark A. (Staci) Beck of Penfield, Jonathan G. (Kristen) Beck of Gardner Hill, and Dwight D. (Christine) Beck of Penfield; two grandsons, Nathan A. Beck of Penfield and Chad A. (Heather) Beck of DuBois; a step-granddaughter, Amy L. Long of Murrysville; two step-great-grandchildren, Reilly Long and Jacob Long of Murrysville; and a sister, Carol A. Beck of St. Marys. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by three infant sisters. Funeral services for Robert C. Beck Sr. will be held at 11 a.m. today, Monday, Dec. 23 at the Ralph M. Geer Funeral Home, Penfield, with the Reverend David Miller officiating. Interment will be in Gardner Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be held at the Ralph M. Geer Funeral Home in Penfield prior to the funeral from 10-11 a.m. The family suggests memorials to the Hahne Cancer Center.
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Enter Our Photo Contest »
It's time to show off your garden filled with American Meadows products!
Show meShowing plants & seeds that grow in my area:
Why Gardeners love Dahlias (See combination photo below.) Dahlias are one of the most rewarding summer flowers of all. They're really easy to grow with spectacular results. If you know them, you know all about it. If you don't, here is the information you need. Prepare to become 'hooked.'
First of all, Dahlias are great for cutting, as you can see in the large top photo of an arrangement showing a lavish deep red dahlia right next to a large, voluptuous rose.
Dahlias are native to Mexico, but there's about as much resemblance between the original and the Dutch hybrids as there is between an old toy car and a brand new Mercedes. Dahlias for today's gardeners offer a really big gardening treat.
The 'bulbs' are actually tubers, and look a lot like peony roots--sort of like a bunch of carrots. The plants grow quickly and some grow quite tall, always with lush deep green foliage.
Types of Dahlias. These plants have been hybridized into various heights from short bedding plants to tall bushy ones. But they are officially categorized by flower type or shape. The term, 'Dinnerplate Dahlia' is probably the most famous description, and though all gardeners use the term, it is not an official classification. 'Dinnerplates' are, simply put, the large plants with the huge flowers. The always-double flowers are up to 8', sometimes a whopping 10' across, so the name makes sense.
Photos A and C are examples of Dinnerplate Dahlias. As you can see, they come in both solids and bi-colors.
Photo B shows a whole border of tall dahlias in the garden.
Here are the official classifications:
'Decorative Dahlias' This group includes the Dinnerplates and also other taller (to 4 ft.) plants with double, chrysanthemum-like flowers. The famous 'Shogun Dahlias' are as tall as Decoratives, but have very heavy bloom of smaller bi-colored flowers for gardeners who want a large bushy plant covered with color.
'Cactus Dahlias' are the ones with the cactus-like blooms, often in super-bright bi-colors, always with the rolled, pointed petals. Like other groups, Cactus Dahlias can be of various heights, as long as they have 'cactus' flowers.
'Gallery Dahlias' are a newer group of shorter plants with flower-types of the Decoratives and Cactus groups. The Gallery group is named with terms from the art world including famous artists' names.
'Butterfly' or 'Impression Dahlias' are what the Dutch call 'bedding dahlias. They stay short, and are perfect for pots or borders. The names in this group all begin with 'F' like 'Futuro' and 'Fantastico'. The flowers are wide-open and daisy-like for a really colorful display of their brilliant hues. If well cared-for, watered, and dead-headed, they bloom constantly all season, making great masses of color.
There are other groups such as 'Ball Dahlias' and 'Pom Pom Dahlias' with spherical blooms, 'Colarette Dahlias' with uneven rows of petals creating a 'collar' effect--the varieties go on and on. Growing all of them is essentially the same, and best of all, it's easy.
Growing Dahlias: All the gardener needs to do is plant the tubers after spring frosts in good garden soil with full sun. It's best to position them against a wall or be ready to stake them, since they are brittle, and must be protected from high winds. (If you've grown perennial Delphiniums, the plant size and growth is similar, but success with Dahlias is much easier.) Keep them free of bugs, well-watered, and well-fertilized as they grow, and your dahlias will begin to set buds by midsummer and be in full bloom, usually during July or August. Then the huge flowers keep coming until frost.
When frost threatens, just pull the roots up, cut off the stems, and store the tubers until the following spring. Each fall, you'll be amazed how the 'bulbs' have multiplied during the summer, giving you more and more to divide and enjoy the next year.
One expert has said, 'Never have so many gardeners received so much for so little work, as when they grow dahlias.''
|Common Name
|Cactus Dahlia
|Botanical Name
|2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
|Ships As
|Bulb, Rhizome, Tuber
|Light Requirements
|Full Sun
|Flower Color
|Foliage Color
|Mature Height
|30-40" tall
|Bulb Spacing
|1 bulb / tuber per sq. ft.
|Planting Depth
|Bulbs/Tubers should be planted 1" to 2" below the soil line.
|Bloom Time
|Mid summer until frost
|Plant Type / Life Cycle
|Flower Size
|Up to 6" flowers
|Planting Time
|Spring / Summer
|Soil Type
|Sandy Soil, Loamy Soil, Acidic Soil
|Soil Moisture
|Average, Well Draining
|Easy to Grow, Cut Flowers, Extended Blooms
|Additional Information
|Hardy in zones 8-10
|Poisonous or Toxic to Animals
|Tubers and leaves are toxic if eaten in large amounts.
|Ships to Hawaii, Alaska & Canada
Shipping begins in late March based on ground temperatures, warmest zones first.
As soon as your order is placed you will receive an order confirmation email that will include your shipping information. We ship perennials and spring-planted bulbs at the proper planting time for your hardiness zone. Perennials and spring-planted bulb orders will arrive separately from seeds. If your order requires more than one shipment, there is no additional shipping charge. See our shipping information page for approximate ship dates and more detailed information. If you need express shipping or have any questions, please call Customer Service toll-free at (877) 309-7333 or contact us by email.
You will receive a second email the day your order ships telling you how it has been sent. Your order is scheduled to arrive at your door, fresh and ready to plant, usually within 3-5 days of leaving our warehouse, depending on your shipping address. We pack our plants to withstand up to 10 days in transit, in the event transit is delayed. We cannot guarantee arrival on a specific day. Please make sure to open your package upon receipt and follow the instructions included.
To determine if a plant is sufficiently cold hardy, the USDA created numbered zones indicating winter low temperatures; the lower the zone number the colder the winter.
Enter your Zip Code to find your USDA Planting Zone
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