text:
Did the U.S. and the Saudis Conspire to Push Down Oil Prices? Article by Mike Whitney, republished with permission from Counterpunch.
"Saudi oil policy… has been subject to a great deal of wild and inaccurate conjecture in recent weeks. We do not seek to politicize oil… For us it's a question of supply and demand, it's purely business."
– Ali al Naimi, Saudi Oil Minister
"There is no conspiracy, there is no targeting of anyone. This is a market and it goes up and down."
– Suhail Bin Mohammed al-Mazroui, United Arab Emirates' petroleum minister
"We all see the lowering of oil prices. There's lots of talk about what's causing it. Could it be an agreement between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia to punish Iran and affect the economies of Russia and Venezuela? It could."
– Russian President Vladimir Putin
Are falling oil prices part of a US-Saudi plan to inflict economic damage on Russia, Iran and Venezuela?
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro seems to think so. In a recent interview that appeared in Reuters, Maduro said he thought the United States and Saudi Arabia wanted to drive down oil prices "to harm Russia."
Bolivian President Evo Morales agrees with Maduro and told journalists at RT that: "The reduction in oil prices was provoked by the US as an attack on the economies of Venezuela and Russia. In the face of such economic and political attacks, the nations must be united."
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the same thing,with a slightly different twist: "The main reason for (the oil price plunge) is a political conspiracy by certain countries against the interests of the region and the Islamic world … Iran and people of the region will not forget such … treachery against the interests of the Muslim world."
US-Saudi "treachery"? Is that what's really driving down oil prices?
Not according to Saudi Arabia's Petroleum Minister Ali al-Naimi. Al-Naimi has repeatedly denied claims that the kingdom is involved in a conspiracy. He says the tumbling prices are the result of "A lack of cooperation by non-OPEC production nations, along with the spread of misinformation and speculator's greed." In other words, everyone else is to blame except the country that has historically kept prices high by controlling output. That's a bit of a stretch, don't you think? Especially since–according to the Financial Times — OPEC's de facto leader has abandoned the cartel's "traditional strategy" and announced that it won't cut production even if prices drop to $20 per barrel.
Why? Why would the Saudis suddenly abandon a strategy that allowed them to rake in twice as much dough as they are today? Don't they like money anymore?
And why would al-Naimi be so eager to crash prices, send Middle East stock markets into freefall, increase the kingdom's budget deficits to a record-high 5 percent of GDP, and create widespread financial instability? Is grabbing "market share" really that important or is there something else going on here below the surface?
The Guardian's Larry Elliot thinks the US and Saudi Arabia are engaged a conspiracy to push down oil prices. He points to a September meeting between John Kerry and Saudi King Abdullah where a deal was made to boost production in order to hurt Iran and Russia. Here's a clip from the article titled "Stakes are high as US plays the oil card against Iran and Russia":
"…with the help of its Saudi ally, Washington is trying to drive down the oil price by ?ooding an already weak market with crude. As the Russians and the Iranians are heavily dependent on oil exports, the assumption is that they will become easier to deal with…
John Kerry, the US secretary of state, allegedly struck a deal with King Abdullah in September under which the Saudis would sell crude at below the prevailing market price. That would help explain why the price has been falling at a time when, given the turmoil in Iraq and Syria caused by Islamic State, it would normally have been rising.
The Saudis did something similar in the mid-1980s. Then, the geopolitical motivation for a move that sent the oil price to below $10 a barrel was to destabilize Saddam Hussein's regime. This time, according to Middle East specialists, the Saudis want to put pressure on Iran and to force Moscow to weaken its support for the Assad regime in Syria… (Stakes are high as US plays the oil card against Iran and Russia, Guardian)
That's the gist of Elliot's theory, but is he right?
Vladimir Putin isn't so sure. Unlike Morales, Maduro and Rouhani, the Russian president has been reluctant to blame falling prices on US-Saudi collusion. In an article in Itar-Tass, Putin opined:
"There's a lot of talk around" in what concerns the causes for the slide of oil prices, he said at a major annual news conference. "Some people say there is conspiracy between Saudi Arabia and the US in order to punish Iran or to depress the Russian economy or to exert impact on Venezuela."
"It might be really so or might be different, or there might be the struggle of traditional producers of crude oil and shale oil," Putin said. "Given the current situation on the market the production of shale oil and gas has practically reached the level of zero operating costs." (Putin says oil market price conspiracy between Saudi Arabia and US not ruled out, Itar-Tass)
As always, Putin takes the most moderate position, that is, that Washington and the Saudis may be in cahoots, but that droopy prices might simply be a sign of over-supply and weakening demand. In other words, there could be a plot, but then again, maybe not. Putin is a man who avoids passing judgment without sufficient evidence.
The same can't be said of the Washington Post. In a recent article, WP journalist Chris Mooney dismisses anyone who thinks oil prices are the result of US-Saudi collaboration as "kooky conspiracy theorists". According to Mooney:
"The reasons for the sudden (price) swing are not particularly glamorous: They involve factors like supply and demand, oil companies having invested heavily in exploration several years ago to produce a glut of oil that has now hit the market — and then, perhaps, the "lack of cohesion" among the diverse members of OPEC." (Why there are so many kooky conspiracy theories about oil, Washington Post)
Oddly enough, Mooney disproves his own theory a few paragraphs later in the same piece when he says:
"Oil producers really do coordinate. And then, there's OPEC, which is widely referred to in the press as a "cartel," and which states up front that its mission is to "coordinate and unify the petroleum policies" of its 12 member countries…. Again, there's that veneer of plausibility to the idea of some grand oil related strategy." (WP)
Let me get this straight: One the one hand Mooney agrees that OPEC is a cartel that "coordinates and unify the petroleum policies", then on the other, he says that market fundamentals are at work. Can you see the disconnect? Cartels obstruct normal supply-demand dynamics by fixing prices, which Mooney seems to breezily ignore.
Also, he scoffs at the idea of "some grand oil related strategy" as if these cartel nations were philanthropic organizations operating in the service of humanity. Right. Someone needs to clue Mooney in on the fact that OPEC is not the Peace Corps. They are monopolizing amalgam of cutthroat extortionists whose only interest is maximizing profits while increasing their own political power. Surely, we can all agree on that fact.
What's really wrong with Mooney's article, is that he misses the point entirely. The debate is NOT between so-called "conspiracy theorists" and those who think market forces alone explain the falling prices. It's between the people who think that the Saudis decision to flood the market is driven by politics rather than a desire to grab "market share." That's where people disagree. No denies that there's manipulation; they merely disagree about the motive. This glaring fact seems to escape Mooney who is on a mission to discredit conspiracy theorists at all cost. Here's more:
(There's) "a long tradition of conspiracy theorists who have surmised that the world's great oil powers — whether countries or mega-corporations — are secretly pulling strings to shape world events."…
"A lot of conspiracy theories take as their premise that there's a small group of people who are plotting to control something, to control the government, the banking system, or the main energy source, and they are doing this to the disadvantage of everybody else," says University of California-Davis historian Kathy Olmsted, author of "Real Enemies: Conspiracy Theories and American Democracy, World War I to 9/11?. (Washington Post)
Got that? Now find me one person who doesn't think the world is run by a small group of rich, powerful people who operate in their own best interests? Here's more from the same article:
(Oil) "It's the perfect lever for shifting world events. If you were a mad secret society with world-dominating aspirations and lots of power, how would you tweak the world to create cascading outcomes that could topple governments and enrich some at the expense of others? It's hard to see a better lever than the price of oil, given its integral role in the world economy." (WP)
"A mad secret society"? Has Mooney noticed that — in the last decade and a half — the US has only invaded nations that have huge natural resources (mainly oil and natural gas) or the geography for critical pipeline routes? There's nothing particularly secret about it, is there?
The United States is not a "mad secret society with world-dominating aspirations". It's a empire with blatantly obvious "world-dominating aspirations" run by political puppets who do the work of wealthy elites and corporations. Any sentient being who's bright enough to browse the daily headlines can figure that one out.
Mooney's grand finale:
"So in sum, with a surprising and dramatic event like this year's oil price decline, it would be shocking if it did not generate conspiracy theories. Humans believe them all too easily. And they're a lot more colorful than a more technical (and accurate) story about supply and demand." (WP)
Ah, yes. Now I see. Those darn "humans". They're so weak-minded they'll believe anything you tell them, which is why they need someone as smart as Mooney tell them how the world really works.
Have you ever read such nonsense in your life? On top of that, he gets the whole story wrong. This isn't about market fundamentals. It's about manipulation. Are the Saudis manipulating supply to grab market share or for political reasons? THAT'S THE QUESTION. The fact that they ARE manipulating supply is not challenged by anyone including the uber-conservative Financial Times that deliberately pointed out that the Saudis had abandoned their traditional role of cutting supply to support prices. That's what a "swing state" does; it manipulates supply keep prices higher than they would be if market forces were allowed to operate unimpeded.
So what is the motive driving the policy; that's what we want to know?
Certainly there's a strong case to be made for market share. No one denies that. If the Saudis keep prices at rock bottom for a prolonged period of time, then a high percentage of the producers (that can't survive at prices below $70 per barrel) will default leaving OPEC with greater market share and more control over pricing.
So market share is certainly a factor. But is it the only factor?
Is it so far fetched to think that the United States–which in the last year has imposed harsh economic sanctions on Russia, made every effort to sabotage the South Stream pipeline, and toppled the government in Kiev so it could control the flow of Russian gas to countries in the EU–would coerce the Saudis into flooding the market with oil in order to decimate the Russian economy, savage the ruble, and create favorable conditions for regime change in Moscow? Is that so hard to believe?
Apparently New York Times columnist Thomas Freidman doesn't think so. Here's how he summed it up in a piece last month: "Is it just my imagination or is there a global oil war underway pitting the United States and Saudi Arabia on one side against Russia and Iran on the other?"
It sounds like Freidman has joined the conspiracy throng, doesn't it? And he's not alone either. This is from Alex Lantier at the World Socialist Web Site:
"While there are a host of global economic factors underlying the fall in oil prices, it is unquestionable that a major role in the commodity's staggering plunge is Washington's collaboration with OPEC and the Saudi monarchs in Riyadh to boost production and increase the glut on world oil markets.
As Obama traveled to Saudi Arabia after the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis last March, the Guardian wrote, "Angered by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the Saudis turned on the oil taps, driving down the global price of crude until it reached $20 a barrel (in today's prices) in the mid-1980s… [Today] the Saudis might be up for such a move—which would also boost global growth—in order to punish Putin over his support for the Assad regime in Syria. Has Washington floated this idea with Riyadh? It would be a surprise if it hasn't." (Alex Lantier, Imperialism and the ruble crisis, World Socialist Web Site)
And here's an intriguing clip from an article at Reuters that suggests the Obama administration is behind the present Saudi policy:
"U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sidestepped the issue (of a US-Saudi plot) after a trip to Saudi Arabia in September. Asked if past discussions with Riyadh had touched on Russia's need for oil above $100 to balance its budget, he smiled and said: "They (Saudis) are very, very well aware of their ability to have an impact on global oil prices." (Saudi oil policy uncertainty unleashes the conspiracy theorists, Reuters)
Wink, wink.
Of course, they're in bed together. Saudi Arabia is a US client. It's not autonomous or sovereign in any meaningful way. It's a US protectorate, a satellite, a colony. They do what they're told. Period. True, the relationship is complex, but let's not be ridiculous. The Saudis are not calling the shots. The idea is absurd. Do you really think that Washington would let Riyadh fiddle prices in a way that destroyed critical US domestic energy industries, ravaged the junk bond market, and generated widespread financial instability without uttering a peep of protest on the matter?
Dream on! If the US was unhappy with the Saudis, we'd all know about it in short-order because it would be raining Daisy Cutters from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea, which is the way that Washington normally expresses its displeasure on such matters. The fact that Obama has not even alluded to the shocking plunge in prices just proves that the policy coincides with Washington's broader geopolitical strategy.
And let's not forget that the Saudis have used oil as a political weapon before, many times before. Indeed, wreaking havoc is nothing new for our good buddies the Saudis. Check this out from Oil Price website:
"In 1973, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat convinced Saudi King Faisal to cut production and raise prices, then to go as far as embargoing oil exports, all with the goal of punishing the United States for supporting Israel against the Arab states. It worked. The "oil price shock" quadrupled prices.
It happened again in 1986, when Saudi Arabia-led OPEC allowed prices to drop precipitously, and then in 1990, when the Saudis sent prices plummeting as a way of taking out Russia, which was seen as a threat to their oil supremacy. In 1998, they succeeded. When the oil price was halved from $25 to $12, Russia defaulted on its debt.
The Saudis and other OPEC members have, of course, used the oil price for the obverse effect, that is, suppressing production to keep prices artificially high and member states swimming in "petrodollars". In 2008, oil peaked at $147 a barrel." (Did The Saudis And The US Collude In Dropping Oil Prices?, Oil Price)
1973, 1986, 1990, 1998 and 2008.
So, according to the author, the Saudis have manipulated oil prices at least five times in the past to achieve their foreign policy objectives. But, if that's the case, then why does the media ridicule people who think the Saudis might be engaged in a similar strategy today?
Could it be that the media is trying to shape public opinion on the issue and, by doing so, actually contribute to the plunge in oil prices?
Bingo. Alert readers have probably noticed that the oil story has been splashed across the headlines for weeks even though the basic facts have not changed in the least. It's all a rehash of the same tedious story reprinted over and over again. But, why? Why does the public need to have the same "Saudis refuse to cut production" story driven into their consciousness day after day like they're part of some great collective brainwashing experiment? Could it be that every time the message is repeated, oil sells off, and prices go down? Is that it?
Precisely. For example, last week a refinery was attacked in Libya which pushed oil prices up almost immediately. Just hours later, however, another "Saudis refuse to cut production" story conveniently popped up in all the major US media which pushed prices in the direction the USG wants them to go, er, I mean, back down again.
This is how the media helps to reinforce government policy, by crafting a message that helps to push down prices and, thus, hurt "evil" Putin. (This is called "jawboning") Keep in mind, that OPEC doesn't meet again until June, 2015, so there's nothing new to report on production levels. But that doesn't mean we're not going to get regular updates on the "Saudis refuse to cut production" story. Oh, no. The media is going to keep beating that drum until Putin cries "Uncle" and submits to US directives. Either that, or the bond market is going to blow up and take the whole damn global financial system along with it. One way or another, something's got to give.
Bottom line: Falling oil prices and the plunging ruble are not some kind of free market accident brought on by oversupply and weak demand. That's baloney. They're part of a broader geopolitical strategy to strangle the Russian economy, topple Putin, and establish US hegemony across the Asian landmass. It's all part of Washington's plan to maintain its top-spot as the world's only superpower even though its economy is in irreversible decline.
MIKE WHITNEY lives in Washington state. He is a contributor to Hopeless: Barack Obama and the Politics of Illusion (AK Press). Hopeless is also available in a Kindle edition. He can be reached at [email protected].


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Cam Newton and George Hardy have two things in common. They're both Auburn men and they're both the best at what they do.
Cam is the best college football player in the country this year, and maybe ever.
George starred in the worst movie ever made – but it's the best worst movie ever made… so best, so worst they made a movie about the movie: Best Worst Movie.
The 2009 documentary (just released to DVD) is about both the making of, and the cult following that has sprung up around Troll 2 (1990), the Les Miles of horror films, which inadvertently abandons cinematic convention like plot and coherent dialog (and even a title that references the story–here are no trolls in Troll 2) with such awkward sincerity it broaches the sublime. George Hardy stars in both, first as the strong-jawed, starvation-practiced, see-no-evil dad who forces his family to endure the most ill-conceived vacation ever in Troll 2, and then in Best Worst Movie as the lovable Alexander City dentist and— it's almost too good to be true—former mid-70s Auburn cheerleader coming to comical terms with his status as a cult film icon.
Hipsters and geeks and Joe Movie Buffs have, through the magic grapevines of what Hardy calls the "MySpace Generation," embraced Troll 2, performing its most poignant scenes for each other a la The Rocky Horror Picture Show at annual viewing parties and festivals. The catchphrase of choice for Troll 2 enthusiasts is Hardy's most memorable line, forcefully delivered after he snaps out of a time-freezing spell cast on him by his dead father-in-law, only to discover his son Joshua (Michael Paul Stephenson, who directed Best Worst Movie) urinating on a buffet of slime-covered pastries in order to keep his family from eating them and thereby summoning a pack of vegetarian goblins: "You can't piss on hospitality! I won't allow it!"
TWER staffers recently pilgrimaged to Alexander City to interview Hardy (receiving some free dental work in the process), and we hope a fuller treatment of "the rich man's Craig T. Nelson"—his new life in the hipster spotlight, and his old life on the Barfield "Bodda Getta" sidelines—will be featured on TWER after Auburn wins the national championship.
But in the meantime, we thought it fitting to have him send a message to all of the Thayer Evans' and Pete Thamels and Joe Schads of the world… to all the Bryant-Denny DJs… to all the Heisman Trophy voters who pretended to make a statement with blank ballots or bogus votes… to the Oregon Ducks… to all of the trolls out there trying to keep a fellow champion down:
You can buy Best Worst Movie here. And you should.
If you like TWER and would like to help us keep the lights on and the obsession with Auburn lore unhealthy, click here.
Keep Reading:
* O Brotherman, who art thou?
* In the time of "Got 13″ she was a Tiger
* James Garner and the Auburn plaque in 'Tank'
* Alice Fraasa demonstrates the AU Gang Sign
* Auburn's Miss Universe contestant, Audrey Moore
* Auburn amputee has tiger-striped prosthetic legs


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There are plenty of hardware specifications to consider when installing a new workstation in the office, but one you should focus on first is the power supply unit (PSU). Choosing a faulty, substandard PSU often leads to unstable systems and poor performance. Make sure you have the perfect power supply for your workstations by following this guide.
Higher isn't always better
Many users assume the higher the total wattage, the better the performance of the PSU. While enormous 1800W PSUs are useful for running multiple drives and graphics-intensive applications, they're unnecessary and often cost you an arm and a leg.
Most computers don't run at full capacity all the time. In fact, if your computer has mid-level graphics cards, processors, and RAM, 600W is more than enough.
To find out exactly how much you need, online PSU calculators will give you a rough estimate of your daily power consumption. Once you've calculated how much wattage you need, you'll ideally want a PSU that has a slightly higher total wattage limit to provide some headroom in case you want to install additional components later.
Pay attention to efficiency ratings
Highly efficient PSUs tend to have more effective components, consume less energy, and produce less heat, which saves you from huge monthly energy and cooling bills.
The best way to determine whether your PSU is efficient is to look for ones with "80 Plus" certifications. This certification means that a unit is at least 80% efficient, and loses approximately 20% as heat.
Note that higher efficiency ratings equal higher prices, so be sure to weigh the potential energy and cooling savings against the upfront cost of the PSU.
Consider larger PSUs
Although they can be quite cumbersome, larger PSUs are more reliable than lightweight models. Large PSUs are equipped with more advanced internal components and better cooling management. Fans are larger too, which means they can move more air, make less noise, and keep your workstation cool.
Choose your cables wisely
When it comes to cabling, you have three options: hard-wired cabling, partially modular cabling, or fully modular cabling.
- Hard-wired cables are attached directly to the PSU box. While this setup is cheaper than the other two cabling options, the number of plugs are limited and not suited for customization.
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Research the manufacturer
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Look for customer reviews about the specific make and model of your PSU. If that's not possible, get a hardware technician's expert opinion.
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JHBuild is a program that can be used to pull a number of modules from a variety of sources (CVS, Subversion, Git, Bazaar, tarballs...) and build them in the correct order. Unlike some build scripts, JHBuild lets you specify what modules you want built and it will then go and build those modules plus dependencies.
Although JHBuild was originally developed to build GNOME, it is now able to build a number of the modules in freedesktop.org CVS. Extending it to handle new modules is usually trivial (assuming the build infrastructure matches the other modules it handles).
Uptodate JHBuild Documentation is available on GNOME Library. There is also useful contents in the Jhbuild page of GNOME wiki.
To install JHBuild, you will need to check it out of Gnome git. I recommend checking it out into the directory where you will store the working copies of the modules you want to build. This can be done with the following commands:
$ git clone git://git.gnome.org/jhbuild
Jhbuild can be installed to ~/bin
(which should be in your path) with the following commands:
$ cd jhbuild
$ ./autogen.sh
$ make
$ make install
Before making use of JHBuild, you should make sure the required build tools are installed.
To use JHBuild, you will need to install various build tools. These include:
- Python >= 2.0 with expat support (jhbuild needs the Python XML modules).
- autoconf 2.5x
- automake 1.4-p6, 1.7.x, 1.8.x and 1.9.x (these are parallel installable).
- libtool >= 1.5
- gettext >= 0.10.40
- pkgconfig
Some packages won't require all of these tools, while others may have more prerequisites.
On a Red Hat Linux 9 system, most of these prereqisites should be included with the distribution. The remaining packages can be found in Rawhide. I installed automake-1.7.8
, automake16-1.6.3
, libtool-1.5
and libtool-libs-1.5
RPMs from Rawhide over a fresh RH9 install to satisfy the prerequisites.
Fedora Core 2 contains acceptable versions of the above tools.
Slackware 12 contains acceptable versions of the above tools, with the exception of automake, only version 1.9.6 is included.
Feel free to add notes about other distros as needed -- JamesHenstridge
The Configuration File
JHBuild uses a configuration file to control what gets built. The configuration file is ~/.jhbuildrc
, and uses standard Python syntax. There are a few sample configuration files distributed with jhbuild. Below is a sample configuration file suitable for building cairo and dbus:
# what to build?
moduleset = 'freedesktop'
modules = [ 'cairo', 'dbus' ]
# if you have write access to the repository, you can change
# what cvsroot is used to check things out. The default is
# anonymous pserver access.
cvsroots['cairo.freedesktop.org'] = ':ext:firstname.lastname@example.com:/cvs/cairo'
# where should working copies go?
checkoutroot = os.environ['HOME'] + '/cvs/freedesktop'
# in what prefix should things be installed? (must be writable)
prefix = os.environ['HOME'] + '/prefix'
# extra arguments to pass to the autogen.sh script?
autogenargs = '--enable-maintainer-mode --disable-static'
# use an alternative install program that preserves the
# mtime on header files if they haven't changed. Speeds
# up rebuilds.
os.environ['INSTALL'] = os.environ['HOME'] + '/bin/install-check'
Here is a list of some of the variables that can be set in the ~/.jhbuildrc
- moduleset: the collection of modules containing the modules to be built. The 'freedesktop' module set includes the freedesktop.org modules, so should be sufficient. If you want to build some Gnome modules as well, set this to 'gnome-2.24'. This can also be the URL of a modules file, which makes it possible to maintain module sets outside of Gnome Subversion.
- modules: a list of the modules to build. The list of modules covered by the 'freedesktop' moduleset can be found in jhbuild/modulesets/freedesktop.modules.
- skip: a list of modules to skip. Useful if you want to use the system version of some modules.
- cvsroots: a dictionary mapping CVS repository names to cvs roots. Used to override the default cvs roots.
- checkoutroot: where to store working copies of the modules that get checked out.
- prefix: where to install things. Must be writable by the user.
- autogenargs: arguments to pass to all
speeds up the build for many modules. - module_autogenargs: a dictionary of additional
arguments, keyed by module name. - always_autogen: if set to
, then always run theautogen.sh
script for a module before building. The default is to only runautogen.sh
if the toplevel makefile for a module is not present. - branches: a dictionary of branch names, keyed by module name. Useful if you are doing some development on a branch, and want jhbuild to build that branch instead of the default.
Checking Your Build Configuration
You can check whether your jhbuild configuration is okay by running the jhbuild sanitycheck
command. This is not guaranteed to find all possible problems, but can detect a number of common ones.
Note that some errors the sanity check reports will only affect a subset of packages, so take the results with a grain of salt.
Using JHBuild
Once you have set up your JHBuild configuration file, you can start using it to build modules. To build the list of modules listed in the configuration file (plus the dependencies), use the build
$ jhbuild build
If an error occurs during the build, a menu will be displayed so you can decide what to do. Options include rerunning the build stage, ignoring the error and starting a shell.
To build one or more modules not listed in the configuration file (plus their dependencies), use the build
command, but with the module names as arguments:
$ jhbuild build fontconfig Xft
If you were part way through a jhbuild run and exited, you can restart the build at a particular module using the --start-at
$ jhbuild build --start-at=Xft
To build one or more modules without their dependencies, use the buildone
$ jhbuild buildone cairo
To see what modules would be built by the build
command, use the list
$ jhbuild list
If you have the GraphViz software installed on your computer, you can generate a graph of the modules that jhbuild builds:
$ jhbuild dot | dot -Tps > dependencies.ps
$ gv dependencies.ps
You can run a completely non-interactive build, and have the results saved to a set of files, together with an HTML index page with the tinderbox
$ jhbuild tinderbox -o outputdir
Note that in this mode that if a package fails to build, no package that depends on it will be built either. The results of the build will be saved in outputdir
Extending Jhbuild
JHBuild stores information about modules in simple XML files. The jhbuild/modulesets/freedesktop.modules file describes the freedesktop.org modules that are currently supported. This list includes:
- fontconfig
- the X libraries
- the X server
- cairo
- dbus
- startup-notification
Patches to support additional modules are welcome, and should be filed as bugs at bugzilla.gnome.org under the jhbuild
-- JamesHenstridge - 03 Nov 2003


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The Gold Dredge and Dredging for Gold View our collection of gold dredging dvd's and books.
In the beginning of the Gold Rush, the miners were limited because they could only work the areas that were accessible to hand tools along the banks of the streams and rivers. Their equipment was limited to gold pans, sluice boxes and rockers. As time progressed and as they became more experienced, they realized that the deeper gavels in the riverbeds were often richer than the surface gravel along the banks.
In the early 1900s, several crudely built steam powered dredges were active on some of the northern rivers of California. The divers worked futility on the bottom of the rivers with heavy diving helmets and cumbersome diving suits.
Although history reveals that dredging has been in existence throughout the world for many years, it is just recently that it has reached such a high degree of popularity due to advanced technology in dredging equipment. Dredges of today are lighter, more portable and more efficient than ever.
A small portable backpack dredge of today can weigh as little as forty pounds and cost around eight hundred dollars. It can process as much gravel as a larger three hundred-pound dredge, some twenty years ago. One of the most exciting features of this type of dredge is that it allows the prospector to penetrate areas that were otherwise impossible to reach with heavier and more cumbersome equipment.
They are also far more efficient than the machines of old. It is not uncommon to see a dredge profitably working the tailings of some of the old mines and tailing dumps.
There are three basic types of dredges on the market today. They include surface dredge, submersible dredging tube and the underwater submersible dredge. The surface dredge is the most popular, efficient and versatile gold recovery machine. The Surface Dredge The surface dredge floats on the surface of the water. The material is pumped to the surface through a suction hose into an efficient sluice box that is capable of recovering extremely fine particles of fine gold. The sluice box can either rest on the bank, or float on the surface of the water. Another advantage of the surface dredge is it can easily be operated with or without diving equipment. Marlex plastic floats are normally preferred as they are rugged and stable in rough water and are extremely lightweight. Modern dredges are provided with a Single or �multi stage� recovery systems, such as a the new 3 stage sluice. The multi stage sluice boxes are preferred, because they have a greater capacity to recover a finer grade of gold and black sand concentrates that often hold values. Normally, the smaller size dredges from two to three inches in size are equipped with single sluice boxes, as their primary function is portability and compactness. The Underwater Dredge The underwater dredge is the less popular of the dredges available, because it lacks somewhat in its ability to recover as fine of gold as the surface type. It is designed mainly for compactness and portability, but is limited also in its application, as it is cumbersome to handle underwater. The submersible dredge must be held relatively level while in operation and cannot reach around corners and hard to get at places. It also is not practical to use in shallow water, as it must be completely submerged when operated properly. It is physically described as a flared metal or plastic tube with an attached metal elbow at a forty five to sixty degree bend . High pressure water is pumped into the bend, creating a vacuum at the end of the bend. It is powered by a high pressure water pump is located normally on a float that sets at the surface of the water and is pumped down to the dredge via a high pressure hose. At the end of the flared tube a riffle tray is attached containing a series of gold traps. As the gold bearing gravel is sucked into the dredge the heavier particles, including gold, becomes entrapped into the riffle tray. The lighter non gold bearing particles flow back into the river. The submersible dredge of today is mainly used for sampling and when a good streak is found, the surface dredge is employed to do a more efficient job of recovery. WHAT IS A SINGLE SLUICE BOX, DOUBLE SLUICE BOX, TRIPLE SLUICE BOX AND THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY OF THE 3 STAGE SLUICE BOX? The single sluice box processes all dredged material through a single recovery box. A single box includes a short classifier screen at the entrance, to separate the larger cobbles from the smaller, which are most likely to contain small gold particles. This design is still used in most small dredges, due to their lightweight compact design. The double or triple sluice also separates and classifies the dredged material at the entrance of the sluice. The smaller heavy material falls into separate sluices for a more selective recovery. When the dredged material is separated by size, it ensures better recovery. Higher velocity water is required to move the larger cobbles through the sluice. Lower speed or velocity is required to recover fine gold in the lower or separate sluices. When the speed is high enough to carry off the larger non-value cobbles through a single sluice box, a loss of fine gold can occur if the material and flow is not separated. The latest technological design is the new 3 stage sluice box. The new box works similar to the double or triple sluice, classifying the fine material into separate compartments or sluices for processing. The differences are: 1. The material is classified 1/3 of the way down the box allowing the fine gold to fall and settle out of suspension. 2. The material passes over two different classifier screens allowing more complete separation. Experience finer gold recovery, in a lighter and more compact dredge that will out perform any double or triple sluice on the market! This system is extremely easy to operate for quick and easy clean up. It provides quick identification of values in the primary recovery riffle section. The top edges of the sluice box are rolled for Greater safety and strength. They are equipped with heavy duty latches and a longer rubber damper that is used for more even distribution of material over the recovery area to assist in settling fine gold out of suspension. Currently available only with 4, 5, and 6 inch dredges. GENERAL OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION SHOULD ENABLE YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE BASIC THEORY OF OPERATION OF A PORTABLE DREDGE. For more complete understanding on this subject, we recommend you read any one of a variety of books available through the Keene Library of Books, such as The Gold Miners Handbook, Dredging for Gold or Advanced Dredging Techniques. The vacuum on a portable dredge is created by a "venturi principal". A volume of water is pumped through a tapered orifice (jet), by a special designed water pump. A high velocity jet stream is created within the jet tube producing a powerful vacuum. As indicated in the diagram gravel is dredged into the suction hose and is delivered to the sluice box header. As a slurry of water and gravel enters the header box and is spread evenly over a classifier screen. The smaller and heavier particles drop below the classifier screen into an area of less velocity, allowing a slower and more selective classification of values. Often values are recovered and easily observed before they even enter the riffle section. The lighter non bearing values and larger aggregate are returned back into the water. The riffles, or gold traps in the sluice box are best described as "Hungarian Riffles". This type of riffle has proven to be the most efficient gold recovery system. As material flows over the riffles a eddy current is formed between each riffle opening. This force allows the heavier material to settle out of suspension and the lighter, non value bearing material to be washed away. This continuous self cleaning principal allows a dredge to be operated for prolonged periods of time. Normal conditions require a sluice box to be cleaned only once or twice a day. PRIMING THE PUMP Before starting the engine, the pump must be fully primed. This means the pump must be full of water and all air removed. All jetting pumps provided with our dredges have a mechanical water pump seal. Without the presence of water in the pump, friction could cause a seal to overheat and require replacement. Priming the pump on some of the smaller models is accomplished by thrusting the foot valve back and forth under the surface of the water in a reciprocating motion. This will cause water to become pumped into the foot valve assembly into the pump. A pump is fully primed when water is observed flowing out of the discharge end of the pump. It sometimes may become necessary to hold the discharge hose above the level of the pump to complete the priming operation. The larger dredges that have a rigid foot valve, are easily primed by removing the cap provided on the foot valve and filling, until water overflows. Caution must be exercised to prevent sand from entering the foot valve or intake portion of the pump. Excess amounts of sand could dam age the water pump seal, or pump impeller. It is recommended that the intake portion of the foot valve be placed in a sand free environment underwater, such as a small bucket or pan. PRIMING THE SUCTION HOSE Priming the suction hose need not be of concern in most dredging operations, but is important to understand the principal. When the tip of the suction hose is taken out of the water during operation air will to enter the suction system and cause the suction power to cease temporarily, until submerged again. The suction will commence as soon as the air is passed through the system. It is important to ensure that no air leaks occur in the suction system. SUCTION SYSTEM OBSTRUCTIONS The suction system can become jammed while dredging. This can be caused by dredging an excess of sand, causing the suction hose to load up, or a rock that has become stuck in the suction system. Rock jams generally occur in the jet, or just before entry into the jet. This can easily be cleared by removing the rubber plug located on the front of the header box and thrusting the probe rod through the header box and down through the jet in an effort to strike the obstructed area. It may occasionally be necessary to remove the suction hose to remove an obstruction. Sometimes obstructions can easily become dislodged by back flushing the system. Back flushing a suction system can be accomplished on some models by reversing the flow of the suction hose at the header box, by blocking the flow of the water as it enters the header box. If this is not successful. it may be necessary to locate the blockage in the transparent hose and dislodge it by a striking the obstruction, taking care not to damage the hose. SOLID CONTENT Care must be exercised to prevent dredging excess amounts of sand. A solid to water balance must be maintained. The solid content being dredged should never exceed 10%. If a suction tip is buried into the sand and not metered properly the solid content could cause the suction hose to become overloaded with solids and suction will cease, this will also cause the sluice box to become overloaded with solid content, resulting in a loss of values. SLUICE BOX ADJUSTMENT Most models have a slight adjustment to raise or lower the sluice box. The proper sluice box adjustment can effect the recovery of values. If the sluice does not have enough angle, the sluice box will "load up" causing the riffle openings to fill with unwanted excess material. Too much angle will cause the material to flow too fast, resulting in loss of values, evidenced by the riffles running too clean. The optimum adjustment of a properly working sluice box is evident by only a portion of the riffle visible while operating. A loss of values can also occur if the solid content of the suction discharge is too heavy in solid content. Remember, the solid content should not exceed 10 %. A normal sluice box tilt is approximately 1/2 inch to the running foot. A four foot sluice box should have an approximate tilt of 2" CLEANING THE SLUICE BOX Before attempting to clean the sluice box, it should be allowed to run with only water for a few minutes in order to wash out any excess gravel that have accumulated. Either turn engine off, or let run with a slow idle, then remove the classifier screen and replace the wing nut to prevent losing it. Unsnap the riffle latches, fold the riffle tray up, and let rest against the header box, taking care not to let it drop back into place while cleaning. This could result in a potential injury! Place a wide tray, bucket or large gold pan at the end of the sluice, then carefully roll up the riffle matting and wash into the container at the end of the sluice. Rinse any excess gravel that remains in the sluice into container. All material must be removed before replacing the riffle matting, riffle tray and classifier screen. ENGINE SPEED Most small engines are throttle controlled. The speed of the engine can be controlled with the use of a lever. Although the rated horsepower is achieved on most small engines at 3600 R.P.M., it may not be necessary to operate the dredge at full speed. Lower speeds conserve engine life and fuel economy. Be sure to read all instructions and especially the engine instructions that are provided with each unit. ENGINES ARE NOT SHIPPED FROM THE FACTORY CONTAINING OIL. OIL MUST ADDED PRIOR TO USE! ENGINES OPERATED WITHOUT SUFFICIENT OIL SUPPLY WILL INVALIDATE ENGINE WARRANTEE! TROUBLE SHOOTING [A] IF SUCTION DECLINES 1. Check the suction device for an obstruction. An obstruction can be removed by probing the obstructed area with the provided probe rod. I may be necessary to check the suction hose for a visible obstruction. This can be remedied by either back flushing the system or dislodging the obstruction with a gentle blow. 2. Check the pump for loss of prime or blockage. The foot valve may be too close to the surface of the water and air may enter the intake of the pump via a small whirlpool. The pump intake or foot valve screen may be plugged with leaves or moss, restricting flow into the intake of the pump. Check and tighten all clamps to prevent an air leak. IF PRIMING THE PUMP BECOMES DIFFICULT 1. Check all clamps for an air leak. 2. It may be necessary to check the foot valve for a small leak. This is accomplished by removing the foot valve assembly from the pump and blowing air into the hose portion of the assembly and listening for an air escape. It may be necessary to remove the hose and check the rubber valve for an occurrence of a leak, or for a small obstruction preventing the valve from sealing. 3. If a water pump seal is either defective or damaged, a leak will be evident on the inside portion of the pump around the drive shaft. Often a new pump will leak slightly, until the seal and gasket has become fully seated. This is a common occurrence in most new pumps. Principal of dredging operations courtesy of Keene Engineering. Keene is our preferred dredge mfg. Visit keene at: http://www.keeneengineering.com/ |
and we'll enter you for FREE into our monthly GOLD GIVE AWAY! Gold Prospecting Questions? EMAIL USCopyright 2022 Motherlode Outfitters Gold Panning Paydirt / Mining T-Shirts Drywashers / Metal Detectors Suction Dredging for Gold Browse Site Map |


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Behavioural challenges in children and adults with CdLS
The term 'behavioural phenotype' is used to describe a strong association between specific behaviours and a genetic syndrome. Understanding the associations between behaviours and genetic syndromes provides very useful information for all people with an intellectual disability as well as those who have specific syndromes.
As we continue to study behaviour in Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) we often learn about the causes of behaviours that are shown across all people with an intellectual disability.
This information helps to guide education, treatment, assessment and early intervention strategies for people with CdLS and similar conditions. This is one of the main reasons why we study behavioural phenotypes.
It is worth remembering that a number of medical and health problems are associated with CdLS that might be relevant to behavioural problems including gastrointestinal, eye, dental, ear and orthopaedic problems. We will only briefly mention these problems as more detailed information is available elsewhere.
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Las características cognitivas y conductuales en el SCdL
It is important to know the health problems that are associated with CdLS and how they might be effectively treated. This is always the first step in trying to understand change in behaviour.
Previous research into the behavioural characteristics of the syndrome has largely focused on the prevalence and nature of self-injurious behaviour in CdLS and possible underlying causes. More recently, research has widened and has begun to consider other behavioural characteristics of the syndrome. Interest in these 'new' areas of research in CdLS have enabled a broader understanding of the syndrome and has provided a good foundation for future research, assessment and intervention. In this article we focus on three areas of behaviour that we feel are key to understanding the problems faced by people with CdLS and their carers. These are self-injurious behaviour, autistic-like characteristics and behavioural changes with age. In each section we outline the nature of the behaviours, the possible causes of the behaviour and, most importantly, we outline the strategies we think may help with these problems.
Self Injurious Behaviour
What is the nature of self-injurious behaviour in CdLS?
Self injurious behaviour occurs in about 60% of children and adults who have CdLS at a level which causes tissue damage (bruising or bleeding) at least once in a month.
Severity and frequency vary significantly between people, from an occasional scratch, bang or bump to frequent self-injury, resulting in open wounds in a small minority.
It is worth noting that whilst self-injury is common in CdLS it is no more common than we would expect by chance.
If we compare the prevalence of self-injury in CdLS with that seen in people who are matched for degree of disability and mobility, age and sex, then there is very little difference.
What does differ between these groups are the more mild forms of self-injury (very mild skin picking and the occasional bump of the head for example) which we see much more commonly in CdLS than a matched group.
The other difference is that in CdLS the self-injury is much more likely to take the form of biting and to be directed towards the hands\lower arms.
Self-injury has a significant impact on quality of life for everyone concerned and deserves the attention of researchers and clinicians alike.
Here we outline the causes and treatments for self-injury in CdLS.
What are the causes of self-injurious behaviour in CdLS?
There are three main causes of selfinjurious behaviour in CdLS and there are other factors that can make things worse when any of these causes is responsible.
The most important thing to do is to keep an open mind about the possible causes of self-injury and then to systematically work through assessments to address each cause.
- Pain and discomfort
- The research of Angelo Selicorni and his colleagues in Milan has confirmed the clinical observation of many professionals that gastro-oesophageal reflux is associated with self-injury. The evidence for this is mounting with the Milan group showing that self-injury decreases when reflux is treated and we have recently found that self-injury is significantly associated with reflux related behaviours such as back-arching, excessive drinking in the morning, teethgrinding, touching the throat and chest area and a number of other behaviours.
Another important finding is that the behavioural signs of reflux are not just associated with self-injury but also with aggression and damage to the environment.
We have just developed a questionnaire that lists all the reflux associated behaviours and we hope it will be ready for distribution soon.
There should be no doubt in anyone's mind that reflux causes selfinjury and must be properly investigated before anything else is done. These investigations should take place even if it is felt that reflux has been successfully treated in the past because things can change over time.
It is important to remember that there are some other common causes of pain for people with CdLS such as middle ear infection, crowding of teeth, tooth decay, pain in the hips and discomfort in the sinuses (possibly related to reflux).
These should always be investigated even if the self-injury may not be directed toward where you think the source of the pain might be. People can self-injure to block chronic pain and a common example is hair-pulling.
- A learned behaviour
- Our most recent research shows that for some people with CdLS self-injury can be a learned behaviour. In other words the behaviour occurs because it is followed by a rewarding event or interaction. Most commonly this is contact with someone with whom the person would like to spend time, no matter how brief this time might be. The other common reason is that the person wants something to stop or go away.This is usually a task or chore but can sometimes be an overwhelming social situation (see below).
To assess whether the self-injury is learned you can keep charts that will show you whether there is a pattern to something in the environment triggering the behaviour.These are useful for behaviours that occur between around five and ten times a day. If the behaviour is more frequent then a more structured assessment is required.
The most commonly used method is called experimental functional analysis (also known as analogue conditions). This can be conducted by an applied behaviour analyst or clinical psychologist and involves systematically manipulating levels of social contact and tasks to see if the selfinjury is associated with a lower or higher level of attention or the presence of a task.
When we used this method in our recent research, we found that seven out of ten people with CdLS showed evidence that the behaviour was learned.
- Anxiety and low mood
- From interviews with parents and carers, particularly of more able young adults with CdLS, we think that some forms of self-injury are associated with anxiety (see below). At present we only have anecdotal evidence for this and we need to do more research.
The most common form of selfinjury in this case is picking at the arms and legs and this may or may not break the skin.
This behaviour can occur when the person feels under stress and this is often related to an upset in routine or a change in the person's broad social environment, for example moving to a new school.
If health problems are ruled out then this mild picking of arms or legs might be related to increased anxiety (that can sometimes look like low mood) and environmental causes of this must be assessed.
- What parents and carers can do to reduce self-injurious behaviour?
- For self-injury that is related to health conditions the best way to intervene in an effective way is to resolve any pain or discomfort.
The first assessment should be for reflux, especially if there are other signs that this might be present.
After that the other well known health problems associated with CdLS should be investigated and treated.
It is said that prevention is better than cure and this is certainly true for learned behaviour. Even if the selfinjury is initially occurring in response to pain, it is possible for the person to learn to show self-injury if the behaviour is followed by a reward.
When you first see self-injurious behaviour, be careful how you respond. Try to delay your natural protective response by saying to yourself "One, two what should I do?" This will give you time to check whether you are about to reward the behaviour. You can then work out a way of responding that keeps the child safe but is not rewarding.
There are two main components to any effective strategy for learned behaviour and applied behaviour analysts and clinical psychologists should help with these.
- The first is finding a way of responding to the behaviour that is not rewarding, whilst protecting the child from harm,
- and the second is teaching the child an effective way of communicating what they have learned to say with their self-injury. This is called Functional Communication Training and can be very effective in the long-term.These interventions need planning and everyone needs to be on board.
This is not an easy task but it is important. People learn quickly when the same outcome is always achieved. For self-injury that appears to be related to anxiety, the strategies described below can be helpful.
Three things tend to make selfinjurious behaviour worse in CdLS.
- The first is the problem with inhibiting behaviours that we see in many people with CdLS (see below). This means that when a behaviour is rewarded it is very difficult for the person to stop showing the behaviour in the future and this is one reason why prevention is better than cure.
- The second is the likely impaired pain perception that we think many people with CdLS have in their arms.This may mean that if the behaviour is learned, the natural pain that would normally be experienced, when biting for example, does not check the behaviour and so the bite can be harder than would otherwise be the case.
The third is the poor expressive communication that children and adults with CdLS experience.
This means that effective communication that can access rewards from others is hampered and self-injury is a behaviour that can replace poor communication in a very effective way.
The work of the Foundation in raising awareness of painful medical conditions such as reflux, has without doubt contributed to a decrease in the overall number of people with CdLS who start to show self-injury.
This raised awareness of health conditions is important and we must do more to try to understand how people show pain when they cannot communicate.
We are also working on early detection and intervention for selfinjury. This is a large scale project involving other syndrome groups who face similar problems.
Finally, the most important thing to remember when you are confronted with self-injurious behaviour is that it doesn't have to be like this. The most important thing to remember when you are confronted with selfinjurious behaviour is that it doesn't have to be like this.
The consortium of three charities and three universities looking at the issues around behaviour thanks to a grant from the Big Lottery. Front row: (L-R) Professor Pat Howlin; (Institute of Psychiatry, London); Professor Chris Oliver,(University of Birmingham) , Professor Richard Hastings (Bangor University) Back row: (L-R) The Consortium steering group: Sally Walburn (Angelman Syndrome); Alan Peaford, (Cornelia de Lange Syndrome) Louise Hull and Ray Clarke (Cri du Chat Syndrome).
Autistic Spectrum Disorder
What is the nature of autistic spectrum disorder in CdLS?
Several recent studies of individuals with CdLS have indicated that autistic-like characteristics are associated with CdLS. The three core characteristics of autistic spectrum disorder are:
- Poor or unusual social interaction skills
- Delayed development or difficulties in both verbal and non-verbal (e.g. gestures, pointing and showing) communication.
- The presence of repetitive behaviours, an insistence on sameness, restricted interests and behaviours such as lining objects up.
In trying to understand autistic spectrum disorder in CdLS it is important to compare children and adults with the syndrome with other children with the same degree of intellectual disability.This means we can be sure that any differences are associated with the syndrome rather than just being caused by an intellectual disability.
When we do this our research shows that people with CdLS are more likely to reach the diagnostic cut-off scores for autism on an observational assessment of autistic characteristics than people with Cri du Chat syndrome (CdCS) (who have a comparable level of ability and receptive language skills). A diagnostic cutoff score is the minimum score which an individual with a confirmed diagnosis of autism would achieve.
Figure 1 shows the percentage of individuals with CdLS and CdCS who score above the diagnostic cut-off for autism on the communication scale, the social interaction scale and total score of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule.
The figure shows that approximately 60% of people with CdLS score on this assessment at a level that would be expected to be observed in individuals with autism.
This does not necessarily mean that all individuals with CdLS should receive a diagnosis of autism. Rather it suggests that autistic-like characteristics are common in individuals with CdLS and that some people with CdLS might be considered to fall within the autistic spectrum.
When we look at the nature of the autistic-like characteristics in people with CdLS in more detail, our findings suggest that impairments in communication are the most prominent autistic-like characteristic associated with the syndrome.Although we have yet to identify the nature of communication impairments in CdLS more precisely, our results and observations, and those of past research, suggest that both verbal and nonverbal communication skills are compromised. Additionally, in those individuals who develop verbal communication, reluctance to use speech in particular environments, social situations or with unfamiliar people seems to be a very common problem.This is called selective mutism and we think the prevalence may be as high as 10% in people with CdLS who are able to speak.
In addition to impairments in communication, our results suggest that social interaction skills might also be compromised in CdLS.However, we think that the nature of these difficulties might be somewhat different to those observed in individuals with a diagnosis of autism.
From our observations and consultations with parents, social difficulties in people with CdLS are likely to take the form of social anxiety.This means that people with CdLS might find social situations highly anxiety provoking; this in turn might lead to social withdrawal or reluctance to take part in group activities. Others might appear extremely shy when around unfamiliar people and take time to 'warm up' in unfamiliar environments. Physical signs of anxiety include becoming pale, starting to shake, avoiding eye contact and looking tense and uncomfortable.
With regard to repetitive behaviour our recent research suggests that "compulsive-like" behaviours are very common in CdLS, particularly tidying up and lining up behaviours.These types of repetitive behaviours are also commonly observed in children and adults with autistic spectrum disorders.
What is the cause of autistic like characteristics in CdLS?
There are several explanations for the social, communicative and behavioural difficulties experienced by people with autistic spectrum disorders. One of these, which might help us to understand the cause of autistic-like characteristics in people with CdLS, such as difficulties with social interactions, is the 'Theory of Mind' account.This suggests that people with autistic spectrum disorders do not develop the ability to understand that their own thoughts and beliefs about the world may be different to those of other people.This means that when faced with a social situation people may find it difficult to understand or 'read' the social situation and thus social interactions become anxiety provoking (see Box 1).
The false belief task:
Fred puts his bar of cholcolate in the green box and then leaves the room. While he is away, his Mum moves his chocolate bar to the blue box.
Where will Fred look for his chocolate bar when he comes back?
Children with autistic spectrum disorders find it very difficult to undestand that Fred has diffrent knowledhge about the situation to themselves and will be more likely to answers that Fred will look in the blue box for his chocolate as this is where they know the chocolate is. Children with good theory of mind skills understand that Fred will look in the green box, as this is the last place he saw the chocolate.
A second theory, the 'Executive Dysfunction' account, might be useful in explaining some of the repetitive behaviours observed in the syndrome.This theory suggests that people with autistic spectrum disorders have difficulty in regulating their behaviour.
This includes stopping an ongoing response or behaviour, generating new responses and behaviours when they are needed and not starting inappropriate responses or behaviours.
This means that people might find it difficult to move from one activity or from one behaviour to another (and so keep repeating the same behaviour or activity) and find it difficult to not start a behaviour or response when that behaviour is not appropriate (even though they "know" they should not show a behaviour; (see Box 2).
The Stroop Task:
In this task, the individual is asked to read the colour of the ink the word is printed in and not the word itself. In doing so, the individual must inhibit the typical response to read the word and focus on the colour of the print. People with autistic spectrum disorders find it difficult to inhibit the typical response and might be slow to complete this task. Try to do this quickly and you will see what we mean!
What parents and carers can do to help with autistic characteristics in CdLS
The nature of autistic-like behaviours and characteristics in people with CdLS is extremely variable. Consequently, the way in which these behaviours and characteristics are managed will vary according to the level of ability of the individual and the precise nature of the difficulties.The following section provides a brief overview of some of the types of interventions that have been demonstrated to be useful in helping individuals with autistic spectrum disorders.
- Communication skills
- For those individuals who have not developed verbal communication, encouraging nonverbal communication skills (such as gesturing, pointing and showing), the use of objects of reference or formal sign or picture exchange system, such as Makaton sign language or PECS,may be important. However, input from speech and language therapists and educational specialists are critical to make sure the method is matched to the child.
Rewarding the use of nonverbal communication skills by responding to the individual in some way (this might be responding to a request or simply engaging with the person) may help to encourage the individual to use these techniques more consistently and increase motivation to use their skills.
The aim in this situation is to ensure that formal nonverbal strategies are more effective or efficient for the individual than other less appropriate communication strategies that the individual might have developed.
For more able individuals who develop verbal communication skills, role-play techniques can be used to teach people to increase the range of conversational topics and encourage more sophisticated conversational skills. This technique can be used to practice how an individual might introduce himself in a social situation or respond to common social questions. Encouraging initiation of conversation can be more difficult to develop.
- Social interaction skills:
- For younger children, or those who have not yet developed communication skills, a technique called Structured Interference has been used in individuals with autistic spectrum disorder to encourage and facilitate social interaction. Structured Interference helps the individual to understand the value of social interaction with others.The technique involves parents or carers engaging with the individual during what might typically be solitary play and withholding an object that might be required to complete the activity (such as a piece of a jigsaw puzzle or a block for building).The individual would need to engage in some way with the adult in order to obtain the object and finish the activity.
This technique can be extended to encourage individuals to engage with siblings.
For older children or those who have developed verbal communication skills, teaching simple conversational skills and appropriate responses to social questions can be helpful.
Role-play techniques similar to those described above can be a useful way for the individual to 'practice' social interaction skills and be better equipped for social situations when they arise.
- Repetitive behaviours
- For some children and families, repetitive behaviours, rituals or insistence on sameness behaviours are a source of great difficulty and disruption to family life.
As the individual gets older, repetitive and restricted interests might become increasingly marked and restrict the individual and their family from engaging in other activities.
It is important to note that repetitive behaviours may be difficult to stop completely and even if this is achieved, there is a good chance that the individual will begin to engage in a different type of repetitive behaviour in its place. Consequently, the aim is to manage repetitive behaviours behaviours by reducing the severity or frequency of the behaviour, establishing rules regarding when and where the individual is allowed to engage in the behaviour or adapting the focus of the behaviour to something that is more appropriate. Using these management techniques early on in younger children or when the behaviours first start to appear might make these behaviours easier to manage in the future.
A popular technique used to reduce or replace repetitive behaviours in individuals with autistic spectrum disorder is the 'Graded Change Technique'.
This approach works to gradually change the repetitive behaviour by slowly, but progressively, changing the nature, severity or frequency of the behaviour.
For example, slowly limiting the number of objects that the individual is allowed to line up or restricting the number of rooms in the house in which the individual is allowed to engage in the behaviour, limiting the number of 'special objects' the individual is allowed to carry with them or establishing rules regarding when and where the individual is allowed to carry the objects with them.
For many families, insistence on sameness and adherence to routine can be very problematic. In such situations, making sure that changes are predictable can help.
Giving the individual plenty of warning about any changes to the environment or routine by talking about what will happen, when it will happen and developing a timetable for the change might help to make the changes less anxiety provoking for the individual.
Behaviour Changes in Young Adults and Adolescents
There is some research that shows that some adolescents and young adults with CdLS show a change in their behaviour and may experience low mood and\or anxiety as they become older.This research is at an early stage and we have yet to answer several questions such as: what is the true nature of this change? (is it really low mood and social anxiety or something else?), how many people show this change? (it may be that we have seen more people with these problems because parents and carers know we are interested in this area) and what might be the cause of this change?
What is the nature of this change?
Our initial research shows that the change in behaviour can take three main forms and these may occur in any combination.These include low mood and loss of interest and pleasure in activities once enjoyed, increased social anxiety or generalised anxiety, and an increase in or first appearance of aggressive outbursts or self-injurious behaviour.
Low mood and a loss of interest and pleasure in activities once enjoyed.Our recent research has indicated that some individuals with CdLS seem to show lower levels of mood and interest and pleasure in activities with age (see Figure 2).This may appear as: lack of motivation, loss of appetite, loss of self help skills previously learned including washing and dressing, appearing more tearful or tired and feeling more unwell than usual.
Figure 2: lowering of mood and interest and pleasure in actiovities with age in CdLS
We used the Mood Interest and Pleasure Questionaire (MIPQ), which is a measure of mood suitable for individuals with a range of intellectula abilities, in children and adults with CdLS. A lower scrore on this measure indicates lower levels of mood. The graph demonstrates the way in which scores on the MIPQ become significantly lower with age suggesting that changes in mood may occur as individuals becom older.
Anxiety / Social anxiety.In the previous section, we described the presence of social interaction difficulties in individuals with CdLS that were associated with the presence of autistic spectrum disorders or autisticlike characteristics.We described the way in which people with CdLS might find social interactions highly anxiety provoking and how this might appear in people with CdLS. Our recent research shows that social interaction difficulties might become more pronounced as people with CdLS become older (See Figure 3).This might mean that social situations become more difficult for individuals to cope with or more anxiety provoking as they become older because of the increasing social demands that are made on people. See box 3 for an account of a social outing for young adults with CdLS which was organised by Lisa Collis, working with the CdLS Foundation (UK and Ireland). In some individuals, anxiety may not be restricted to social situations but might be more generalised, for example a person may feel anxious if there is a change in their routine (see below).
Figure 3: Changes in social interaction skills with age in CdLS
We used the Social Communication Questionairre (SQC), which is a measure of autistic like characteristics. In this measure a higher score indicates the presence of greater difficulties. The graph describes scores on the social interaction domain of the SQC only. The graph demonstrates the way in which scores on the SQC become significantly higher with age suggesting that changes in social interaction abilities might occur with age.An increase or the first appearance of aggression towards others, outbursts and self-injury (usually in the form of skin picking).As discussed above, self-injurious behaviour is reported to occur in around 60% of individuals with CdLS, although this is not considered to be significantly higher than expected given the degree of intellectual disability associated with the syndrome. In contrast to this, our research suggests that people with CdLS are significantly less likely to demonstrate aggression in comparison to other individuals with a similar level of ability who do not have CdLS.However, during adolescence and early adulthood some parents have reported an increase in the frequency and intensity of aggressive behaviour (and self-injurious behaviour). In some people, parents report that these behaviours occur for the first time during this period of change.
Box 4 describes a young man who demonstrated an increase in aggressive outbursts during the period of early adulthood. For this young man, it is possible that changes at school triggered the aggressive behaviour and when he moved to a day provision with less demands and more structure he appeared happier and the aggression decreased.
Box 3: An account of the social outing for young adults with Cornelia de Lange SyndromeBackground: Parents of some mildly affected individuals with CdLS have reported that their young adults sometimes feel they find it difficult to make friends. To find out more about this, a social outing to the theatre and a meal at a restaurant with five adolescents/young adults with CdLS was arranged, to encourage development of social interaction skills and friendships among individuals. This is an account of the outing.
Interaction: During the outing, four of the five individuals with CdLS didn't appear to start conversations with each other or with the volunteers who had come on the trip. This may have been because some individuals with CdLS experience social anxiety and so find interactions with unfamiliar people extremely difficult. Also, some people with CdLS may have a general difficulty with initiating conversations. For example, one parent commented that their child would never start a conversation even with a family member, which may mean that some people with CdLS take a very passive role in conversations. This would mean that they may respond if a person spoke to them but they are less likely to start talking to someone.Social anxiety: During the outing, two individuals with CdLS seemed to experience high levels of anxiety that resulted in the individuals feeling unwell and having to remove themselves from the situation. Both individuals experienced this anxiety at the theatre and at the restaurant. The anxiety took the form of breathlessness, feeling faint and feeling sick. The anxiety experienced in the theatre may have been in response to the crowded unfamiliar setting and/or the fact that they did not know the volunteers or their peers. The anxiety experienced at the restaurant may have also been because of the high social expectations of having meal, such as having to interact with other people.
Coping strategy: During the performance at the theatre, one person with CdLS felt that she needed to make several phone calls to various family members despite missing some of the show. She may have done this to help re-establish order and predictability in this new situation. After making the phone calls, the person appeared happy and relaxed so it seemed that this was an effective coping strategy for dealing with this new situation.
Despite the ups and downs during the trip, the general feedback from parents and individuals showed that most people had enjoyed their afternoon and everyone learned a good deal about the problems that people were experiencing.Box 4: Example of an individual with CdLS demonstrating an increase in aggressive outbursts during early adulthoodOver a period of five years Darren started to show a deterioration in his behaviour, particularly at school. This mainly took the form of experiencing obsessions with particular people and being aggressive towards them. Darren would repeat the particular person's name for several hours during the day and when the chance became available he would pinch them or push them. In addition, if the person that Darren was preoccupied with was in the same room, he would often show behavior indicative of anxiety; Darren would appear white and clammy, he would shake, bite his hand and pick his fingers. At this point Darren would be more likely to show aggression towards that person. The obsessive-like behaviour occurred approximately once a week initially and over time it gradually increased to every day.
By Christmas 2005, Darren left school because it caused him too much distress. Since leaving school, Darren seems much happier and is showing much less aggressive behaviour. Darren has recently started to attend a day unit one day a week, which caters for people with autism. The unit is very small and highly structured. Darren currently seems to enjoy attending the unit and when he arrives home afterwards, he appears happy and relaxed. In addition, the reduction in Darren's aggressive behaviour has remained consistent since starting the new placement.What is the cause of this change?
There are a number of possible causes for these changes. The two main reasons for this change are:
- Pain and discomfort.Pain and discomfort can lead to people experiencing low mood. Possible causes of pain and discomfort should always be investigated as a first step.The common causes of pain and discomfort in children and adults with CdLS are: reflux, middle ear infection, tooth infection, sinus disorders and hip problems. Other health problems can be experienced by children and adults with CdLS such as, kidney problems and bowel problems that can also cause people to feel low or lead to behaviour change.We cannot emphasise enough the importance of investigating physical health conditions when there is behaviour change.
Life events and significant change. From our observations,we have noted that the period of low mood or behavioural change in people with CdLS often seems to arise around the time of a life event or significant change (such as illness, bereavement in the family, moving house, changing from a school to a college or change of teacher).
Many people with CdLS appear to show 'autistic-like' characteristics (see above), particularly a strong preference for routine and insistence on the sameness, which means that they can find such changes extremely difficult to cope with, due to the unpredictability and possible increase in social demands that these changes bring.
This change may increase the person's level of anxiety. If the situation persists and the person repeatedly finds the situation overwhelming they may feel unable to cope with the related anxiety.
This persistent heightened anxiety might, in turn, lead to the person experiencing low mood. For some people, aggression or behaviour outbursts may also occur and these may lead to the person being excluded or removed from the new situation.
This removal can act as a reward for this behaviour because it has enabled the person to change their environment and re-establish predictability with a return to how things were before. See box 5 for an example of some of the difficulties a person with CdLS experienced during the transition from school to college.
What can parents and carers do to manage this possible change in young adults with CdLS?
Given these changes there are a number of things that should be investigated and we would suggest:
- Ensuring that all possible medical conditions are being appropriately treated and regularly reviewed.This also means being sure that all professionals and carers are aware of these conditions and the signs that something may be wrong.
- If a change in situation or life event is going to happen and is unavoidable then the person should be prepared for the change as much as possible. This can be done by gradual introduction to the new situation using planned timetables of preferred, low demand and familiar activities in the new setting for short periods of time as the initial step.New activities and longer periods of activities can then be gradually introduced. See box 6 for an example of someone that is successfully integrating into the workplace after leaving school using this method.
- If you are beyond the period of change then it is important to establish a highly structured routine within the new situation with preferred activities and reduced social demands. In the context of a school, college or day centre this means being sure that the professionals and carers working with the person are aware of these difficulties in order that they can help with implementing the routine. Again, new activities and social settings can be gradually introduced over time.
- If the low mood persists then you should seek referral to Psychiatry or Clinical Psychology for an assessment and intervention.
- After visiting two mainstream colleges for typically developing young adults, Craig felt that he did not want to attend these colleges when he left school. Consequently, his father secured him a part-time job at his work place, a steel works company. Craig was gradually integrated into the workplace over a long period of time. Initially Craig worked two hours per week at the steel works and this has gradually increased to three days a week, working four hours on each day. Over time this will increase until Craig works there full time.
During his time at the steel works company, Craig's responsibilities have also increased. Initially, Craig's job mainly involved sweeping the shop floor. Craig now has a wide range of responsibilities such as, shredding paper, processing timesheets of other employees and tidying up.
Craig's work colleagues feel that he has increased in confidence since starting to work there. Although Craig was quite quiet when he started work, he has become much more sociable over time, greeting other members of staff when he sees them around the workplace and also enjoying their company at work. Craig often says that he really enjoys working there.
The key to this successful move for Craig was listening to Craig's concerns, gradual change and making sure there was predictability and routine.Conclusion
It is clear that there are some behavioural challenges experienced by people with CdLS that have an impact on their quality of life and those involved in their care and support. It is also clear that although some behaviours might be associated with CdLS, this does not mean that the behaviours cannot be changed or that nothing can be done.
We are seeing an increasing number of families who tell us about positive behavioural change when they were able to find the cause of the problem. It is still surprising to us how frequently the cause is found to be a health condition and how frequently the health condition is found to be reflux. Even if you think this has been dealt with, it is always worth considering this as a possible cause.
We are grateful to the CdLS Foundation for sponsoring Jo Moss and Lisa Collis for their PhD work and we hope you think the results are worthwhile.
We will do more to try and understand the behavioural challenges we see in CdLS and we will keep you updated on progress. In the meantime, remember: it doesn't have to be like this.SUGGESTED READING:
Clements, J. (2005). People with Autism Behaving Badly. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Howlin, P. & Rutter,M. with Berger, M., Hemsley, R., Hersov, L. & Yule,W. (1989).Treatment of Autistic Children. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. Oliver, C., Moss, J., Petty, J.,Arron, K., Sloneem, J. & Hall, S. (2003). Self-injurious behaviour in Cornelia de Lange syndrome: A guide for parents and carers.Trident: London. Available free if you e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com


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JSRs: Java Specification Requests
JSR 352: Batch Applications for the Java Platform
List of Batch Applications Compatible Implementations The following information has been updated from the original proposal on the date shown. 2013.10.16: Scott Kurz, IBM, has become the Maintenance Lead. Maintenance Lead: Scott Kurz, IBM E-Mail Address: skurz Telephone Number: - Fax Number: -
2013.03.22: 2.18 Please provide a description of the business terms for the Specification, RI and TCK that will apply when this JSR is final.Specification license Original Java Specification Request (JSR)
Identification |
Request |
Section 1. Identification Submitting Member: IBM Name of Contact Person: Chris Vignola E-Mail Address: cvignola Telephone Number: +1 720 396 7501 Fax Number: +1 720 396 7501 Specification Lead: Chris Vignola E-Mail Address: cvignola Telephone Number: +1 720 396 7501 Fax Number: +1 720 396 7501 Initial Expert Group Membership: IBM Supporting this JSR: IBM Section 2: Request 2.1 Please describe the proposed Specification:This proposal intends to specify the following:
A batch job represents a series of closely related processing steps that, taken together, perform a discrete business process. For example, common bulk-oriented extract, transform, and load data processing fits this model. A batch job step is a unit of execution within a job, representing a discrete processing task within the overall business process. A job contains one or more steps. Steps may be executed in sequence or concurrently. Steps may be executed as singletons or multiple parallel instances. Steps may be optional, with the decision to execute or skip them conditioned on the outcome of prior steps in the same job. A batch application is a deployable unit comprised of one or more job steps. A batch executor is a container that manages the execution of batch jobs. It manages the lifecycle of a batch job, including the lifecycle of each of its constituent steps. The container optionally manages checkpoint transactions for transactional job steps that support positioned restart. A batch job manager (scheduler) is the initiator of jobs. It is responsible for responding to requests to run jobs and dispatching them to batch containers execution. The batch scheduler can also support various scheduled job executions, such as calendar and event based triggering. 2.2 What is the target Java platform? (i.e., desktop, server, personal, embedded, card, etc.)Java EE,SE 2.3 The Executive Committees would like to ensure JSR submitters think about how their proposed technology relates to all of the Java platform editions. Please provide details here for which platform editions are being targeted by this JSR, and how this JSR has considered the relationship with the other platform editions.The JSR should allow creation of batch applications that may execute in the Java SE environment or Java EE environment without change to the application. There may be different qualities of service among each environment - e.g. JTA transactions in a Java EE environment. 2.4 Should this JSR be voted on by both Executive Committees?No. By the SE/EE EC only. 2.5 What need of the Java community will be addressed by the proposed specification?The ability to implement batch applications using a standardized programming model; The ability to schedule batch jobs using standardized interfaces. 2.6 Why isn't this need met by existing specifications?There is no programming model definition for batch applications. Existing scheduling mechanisms in EE, such as timer based do not go far enough to cover common batch scheduling requirements, such as external dependencies. 2.7 Please give a short description of the underlying technology or technologies:The JSR will provide a Java API & SPI using annotations and CDI where beneficial. 2.8 Is there a proposed package name for the API Specification? (i.e., javapi.something, org.something, etc.)javax.batch 2.9 Does the proposed specification have any dependencies on specific operating systems, CPUs, or I/O devices that you know of?No 2.10 Are there any security issues that cannot be addressed by the current security model?No 2.11 Are there any internationalization or localization issues?No 2.12 Are there any existing specifications that might be rendered obsolete, deprecated, or in need of revision as a result of this work?No 2.13 Please describe the anticipated schedule for the development of this specification.For batch job, batch job step, batch application, and batch executor:
The batch job manager will be considered in a future revision of the specification. 2.14 Please describe the anticipated working model for the Expert Group working on developing this specification.The primary means of communication will be email, with conference calls and face-to-face meetings scheduled as needed. 2.15 Provide detailed answers to the transparency checklist, making sure to include URLs as appropriate:A project site will be used to track all issues and disseminate information on the progress of the JSR. - The public can read the names of the people on the Expert Group. This information will be on on the project page for the JSR. It will also be part of every specification draft. - The Expert Group business is regularly reported on a publicly readable alias. The Expert Group will conduct business on a publicly readable alias. - The schedule for the JSR is publicly available, it's current, and I update it regularly. The schedule will be available on the project page for the JSR. - The public can read/write to a wiki for my JSR. We'll use a public mailing list for comments. - I have a discussion board for my JSR and I regularly read and respond to posts on that board. We'll track such discussions and respond to them or redirect users to the public comment mailing list. - There is an issue-tracker for my JSR that the public can read. Yes, it will be accessible from the JSR project page. - I have spoken at conferences and events about my JSR recently. No. - I am using open-source processes for the development of the RI and/or TCK. Yes, the Reference Implementation will be developed as a java.net project. - The Community tab for my JSR has links to and information about all public communication mechanisms and sites for the development of my JSR. It will point to the project page for the JSR. 2.16 Please describe how the RI and TCK will de delivered, i.e. as part of a profile or platform edition, or stand-alone, or both. Include version information for the profile or platform in your answer.The batch components described herein shall run on SE and on EE without change. The EE EG shall determine where to include the RI and TCK and how best to integrate. 2.17 Please state the rationale if previous versions are available stand-alone and you are now proposing in 2.13 to only deliver RI and TCK as part of a profile or platform edition (See sections 1.1.5 and 1.1.6 of the JCP 2 document).N/A 2.18 Please provide a description of the business terms for the Specification, RI and TCK that will apply when this JSR is final.
2.19 Please describe the communications channel you have established for the public to observe Expert Group deliberations, provide feedback, and view archives of all Expert Group communications.java.net project "jbatch" Homepage: http://java.net/projects/jbatch 2.20 What is the URL of the Issue Tracker that the public can read, and how does the public log issues in the Issue Tracker?http://java.net/bugzilla/buglist.cgi?product=jbatch 2.21 Please provide the location of the publicly accessible document archive you have created for the Expert Group.http://java.net/projects/jbatch/downloads Section 3: Contributions 3.1 Please list any existing documents, specifications, or implementations that describe the technology. Please include links to the documents if they are publicly available.ANSI/ISA S88 Batch Standard - http://wen.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISA-88 3.2 Explanation of how these items might be used as a starting point for the work.The ANSI/ISA S88 Terminology (S88.01) will be loosely adopted. |