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Cape fire report 12/14
(Police/Fire Report ~ 12/14/01)
Cape Girardeau Friday, Dec. 14 Firefighters responded to the following calls Wednesday:At 4:20 p.m., a motor vehicle accident and fuel spill at Dennis Scivally Park. At 5:35 p.m., a motor vehicle accident on Interstate 55. At 7:39 p.m., an emergency medical service at 624 Boxwood...
Obesity deaths may eclipse tobacco fatalities
(National News ~ 12/14/01)
WASHINGTON -- Some 300,000 Americans a year die from illnesses caused or worsened by obesity, a toll that may soon overtake tobacco as the chief cause of preventable deaths, the surgeon general said Thursday. Surgeon General David Satcher called for major steps by schools, communities and industry to fight fat...
U.S. seeks answers from Israeli leader, action from Arafat
(National News ~ 12/14/01)
WASHINGTON -- Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday that getting rid of Hamas and other terrorist organizations is the key to peace and security for Israel and statehood for the Palestinians. At a news conference, Powell said Yasser Arafat must "go after these organizations," and that the administration was enlisting European governments to help make the same pitch to the Palestinian leader...
Missouri's Blunt sees House post as a lock
(National News ~ 12/14/01)
WASHINGTON -- More than a year in advance, Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt has enough support from his colleagues to become the third-ranking Republican in the GOP-controlled U.S. House, he said Thursday. Blunt said that more than half the 220 other House Republicans have promised their support since word broke Tuesday that the No. 2 Republican, Majority Leader Dick Armey of Texas, would retire when his term ends next year...
Bush invokes executive privilege
(National News ~ 12/14/01)
WASHINGTON -- President Bush invoked executive privilege Thursday to block Congress from seeing prosecutors' memos in controversial criminal cases in a move that angered lawmakers already concerned about access to sensitive information. The president said he invoked the legal privilege, which gained notoriety during Nixon and Clinton scandals, because he was concerned that sharing such documents with Congress could chill prosecutors' private deliberations in criminal cases...
Blues tumble in OT
(Professional Sports ~ 12/14/01)
ST. LOUIS -- Mats Sundin scored 43 seconds into overtime Thursday night, giving the Toronto Maple Leafs a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Sundin scored a power-play goal on a 2-on-1 break with Alexander Mogilny seconds after Al MacInnis shot high on the other end. The Maple Leafs had a 4-on-3 advantage after Scott Young was penalized for holding the stick at the end of the third period...
The old Pro-ehl - Veteran receiver makes big contributions
(Professional Sports ~ 12/14/01)
ST. LOUIS -- Eventually, the St. Louis Rams had to get Ricky Proehl back into the offense. The glue-fingered possession receiver is no longer the forgotten option after playing a major role in last week's victory over the San Francisco 49ers. After totaling two catches in two weeks and playing sparingly in each game, he responded with a season-best six receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown...
Teams look tentative, talk trades at meetings
(Professional Sports ~ 12/14/01)
BOSTON -- The big names went to the big markets at the winter meetings. New York's Yankees and Mets and the Boston Red Sox took care of business at baseball's five-day swap session, while most other teams preferred to wait as trade talks became more fashionable than flashing cash...
Contraction negotiations collapse
(Professional Sports ~ 12/14/01)
NEW YORK -- Talks collapsed Thursday on the proposed deal between players and owners that would delay any elimination of major league teams until after the 2002 season. The sides were close to agreement on a deal Monday that would ensure two teams -- most likely Minnesota and Montreal -- would not be folded before next season...
Giambi cleans up his act, signs big pact with Yanks
(Professional Sports ~ 12/14/01)
NEW YORK -- Jason Giambi became baseball's first big free agent to change teams this year, agreeing to a $120 million, seven-year contract with the New York Yankees on Thursday. After days of anticipation, the Yankees announced the deal that brought one of baseball's most feared hitters to a team that has won four of the last six World Series championships...
Defense bill passes pay hikes
(National News ~ 12/14/01)
WASHINGTON -- Overcoming objections to base closings, Congress gave final approval Thursday to a $343 billion defense authorization bill. It includes the largest military pay raise in two decades, an increase in anti-terrorism money and full funding of President Bush's missile defense efforts...
FDA - Red Cross creates blood risk
(National News ~ 12/14/01)
WASHINGTON -- The government asked a federal judge Thursday to hold the American Red Cross in contempt of court for repeated violations of blood safety regulations, including shipment of contaminated blood. The Food and Drug Administration's unprecedented action charges the Red Cross with "a cavalier disregard" for blood quality standards. ...
Cape police report 12/14/01
(Police/Fire Report ~ 12/14/01)
Cape Girardeau Friday, Dec. 14 DWICharles David Reiner, 44, of 311 Estate Drive was arrested Wednesday for driving while intoxicated. ArrestsJoe L. Hatchett Jr., 45, of 812 S. Benton, was arrested Wednesday for contempt of court. Wendy Lou Farrow, 45, of 510 N. Middle, was arrested Wednesday for contempt of court...
Toybox still in need of donations
(Local News ~ 12/14/01)
Brightly colored packages of Candyland board games and a jungle of stuffed animals are spread out under the Christmas tree at Notre Dame Regional High School, where students held a toy drive for Toybox. The collection helped boost the coffers, and more toys are beginning to trickle into Toybox donation sites. However, the donations received so far still aren't going to be enough to fill all 513 application requests...
Woman, 78, would appreciate basics
(Local News ~ 12/14/01)
Mrs. R. lives alone in subsidized housing. Her only supplemental health coverage comes through Medicaid and Medicare programs. At 78, her circulation is poor, and she has hypertension and breathing problems. She would like some gifts for Christmas, but will rely on Christmas for the Elderly to provide them...
Publisher weighs leaving state as anthrax cleared
(Local News ~ 12/14/01)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The tabloid empire American Media Inc. says it plans to stay in Florida, at least for the next year or two while its headquarters is cleaned of anthrax. Chief executive David Pecker said last week that he might relocate his $400 million publishing operation outside Florida because of lack of support from county and business leaders...
Holden to visit Jackson Wednesday
(Local News ~ 12/14/01)
Gov. Bob Holden will be making a brief stop in Jackson, Mo., Wednesday at the high school to talk about his education plans and goals for the upcoming legislative session. Holden is scheduled to arrive at the school at 2 p.m. The stop is one of several the governor will make to schools around the state throughout the week...
Two request public defenders in death of tigers
(Local News ~ 12/14/01)
A Cape Girardeau couple charged with conspiracy in the deaths of four endangered tigers requested public defenders Thursday in a hearing in U.S. District Court. "My clients and I have agreed to disagree," said attorney Al Lowes, who had been representing Todd and Vicki Lantz...
Jackson November permit status 12/14
(Local News ~ 12/14/01)
The following is the November permit status of new buildings, expansions and remodeling projects and the status of those projects in Jackson. Rodney Bollinger, Jackson Planning and Zoning superintendent, provided information for this report monthly...
Jackson fire report 12/14
(Local News ~ 12/14/01)
Jackson Friday, Dec. 14 Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday:An alarm sounding at 517 E. Jackson. An emergency medical service at 631 August. Carbon monoxide alert on Ridge Road. A motor vehicle accident on South Hope....
Retail sales slip 3.7 percent last month
(National News ~ 12/14/01)
WASHINGTON -- Retail sales plunged by a record 3.7 percent last month as the holiday shopping season was getting under way. But more recent information looks brighter for the economy, suggesting the huge wave of job layoffs is abating. Noting the new government reports Thursday, analysts said they still believe the current recession, the country's first in a decade, will be a mild one that will be over by late spring...
NASCAR addresses age of drivers
(Professional Sports ~ 12/14/01)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- NASCAR set an age requirement of 18 for participants in its major series, another move in its push for stronger safety measures. "It was in the best interests of safety, competition and professional development that we institute these new age requirements," NASCAR President Mike Helton said Thursday. "Younger competitors need as much experience as they can accumulate before competing at NASCAR's professional levels."...
Couples, O'Meara share lead at Tiger's tourney
(Professional Sports ~ 12/14/01)
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Their world rankings suggest Mark O'Meara and Fred Couples don't belong in the elite field at the Williams World Challenge. The 6-under 66s they posted Thursday proved otherwise. The two guys Tiger Woods invited to his $4.1 million tournament turned in a stellar performance to share a two-stroke lead after the first round at Sherwood Country Club...
Sports digest 12/14/01
(Professional Sports ~ 12/14/01)
Hospital releases Buck following cancer surgery ST. LOUIS -- Longtime St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster Jack Buck is home after spending a week in the hospital following surgery for lung cancer. Buck, 77, was released Wednesday night from Barnes-Jewish Hospital, a hospital spokesman said...
Wounded al-Qaida Arabs wire themselves to explode
(International News ~ 12/14/01)
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Thirteen wounded al-Qaida loyalists -- grenades and other explosives strapped to their waists -- kept authorities and most hospital workers away Thursday at Kandahar's main hospital. The standoff illustrates the difficulty of restoring order in Kandahar a week after the Taliban handed over the city to a tribal council -- and then promptly fled with their weapons...
Afghan tribesmen, U.S. special forces advance in snow
(International News ~ 12/14/01)
TORA BORA, Afghanistan -- As U.S. planes strafed and bombed al-Qaida positions, Afghan tribesmen and American special forces advanced against Osama bin Laden's fighters in a snowy mountain canyon Thursday, vowing to wipe them out after surrender negotiations fell through...
Russian leader - U.S. exit from ABM treaty 'mistake'
(International News ~ 12/14/01)
MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called the U.S. decision to withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty a "mistake." In a nationwide television address, Putin repeated Russia's often-stated position that the 1972 treaty is a cornerstone of world security...
British may make babies to donate blood
(International News ~ 12/14/01)
LONDON -- British couples will be able to create a child to donate umbilical cord blood to a sick sibling, under a ruling announced Thursday that allows them to select test-tube embryos whose tissue type matches that of the ailing child. But the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority drew the line at allowing the creation of donors for bone marrow transplants because of the pain and risk to the baby...
Arabs ask for U.N. intervention in conflict
(International News ~ 12/14/01)
UNITED NATIONS -- Arab nations called Thursday for an immediate open meeting of the U.N. Security Council, and adoption of a resolution demanding an end to Israeli violence against Palestinians and establishment of a "monitoring mechanism" to help cool the conflict...
Low-key Bruce Robison having a high-profile year
(Entertainment ~ 12/14/01)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- It's a good time to be Bruce Robison. His "Angry All the Time," as sung by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, has been the No. 1 country music song in the nation. Singers Brad Paisley, Allison Moorer, David Ball, keith urban and Lee Ann Womack had been in the audience at Robison's Nov. 8 show, scouting his songs...
Third AbioCor heart patient dies
(National News ~ 12/14/01)
LOS ANGELES -- A 74-year-old man who received a self-contained artificial heart has died, eight weeks after the device was implanted, doctors said Thursday. He was the third recipient of the pioneering device to die. Doctors at UCLA Medical Center, who implanted the AbioCor heart into the patient Oct. 17, said the man died Wednesday...
NASA struggles with shuttle navigation unit
(National News ~ 12/14/01)
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA struggled Thursday to understand a fleeting but perplexing problem with one of space shuttle Endeavour's key navigation devices. One of three inertial measurement units aboard Endeavour malfunctioned early Thursday, setting off an alarm in the cockpit after the astronauts had gone to bed...
Army's anthrax strain matches type in recent deaths
(National News ~ 12/14/01)
For years, U.S. Army scientists in Utah have been developing a powdered form of anthrax that matches the strain used in the deadly letters that have killed five people since September, according to a published report. Officials at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah confirmed that they have produced dry anthrax powder in recent years, say reports in The Washington Post, The New York Times and the Baltimore Sun...
Repairing airport is Marines' aim
(International News ~ 12/14/01)
SOUTH AFGHANISTAN -- U.S. marines took control today of the heavily damaged airport outside the former Taliban stronghold of Kandahar, saying they hoped to rebuild it with the help of local contractors. Marines from Camp Rhino, southwest of Kandahar, rolled through the city overnight on their way to the airport, about 10 miles to the southeast. ...
New Afghan leader begins work
(International News ~ 12/14/01)
KABUL, Afghanistan -- Afghan leaders have a long tradition of dramatic entrances and exits, but Hamid Karzai is playing against type. The 43-year-old hereditary tribal leader, set to take office next week as Afghanistan's interim prime minister, spent a workmanlike first day in his capital on Thursday, shunning the spotlight in favor of meetings meant to defuse tensions in advance of the power handover...
Anti-radiation drug won't be stockpiled in Missouri, Illinois
(State News ~ 12/14/01)
ST. LOUIS -- Missouri and Illinois are making no plans to stockpile an anti-radiation drug that would be used in the event of a nuclear plant accident. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Thursday that both states keep the drug potassium iodide for workers who would respond to a nuclear accident. But health officials in the two states do not intend to distribute it to the general public, citing logistical problems and the false sense of security it would instill...
Jennifer's Branson theater for sale; show's run ends
(State News ~ 12/14/01)
BRANSON, Mo. -- Branson's favorite dancing blonde is calling it quits -- at least for now. Jennifer Wilson, who is credited with making morning shows a marketable time slot in the Ozarks music mecca, is looking for someone to buy or lease her 950-seat theater along Highway 76. She made the announcement Wednesday, a day after completing her show schedule for the year...
State plans new U.S. 65-I-44 ramp
(State News ~ 12/14/01)
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A proposed ramp change for the interchange at U.S. 65 and Interstate 44 in Springfield would reduce congestion and improve safety, Missouri Department of Transportation officials said. Some 71,400 vehicles a day pass through the interchange. It has been the site of more than 200 wrecks -- including five fatalities -- in four years...
Nursing home, government settle Medicare claims suit
(State News ~ 12/14/01)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The federal government has announced an out-of-court settlement in its civil lawsuit against the operators of a Joplin nursing home over allegations of making false claims to Medicare and Medicaid. The settlement, announced Wednesday, requires NHC Healthcare Corp. to pay $250,000 to the government. The lawsuit had also alleged that NHC failed to comply with a number of federal health care program regulations...
Couple who found body to use reward for scholarships
(State News ~ 12/14/01)
DIAMOND, Mo. -- The couple who helped find the body of a southwest Missouri school superintendent will use part of the $15,000 reward to fund scholarships in his name. Brian and Kim Shaner of Diamond accepted the reward money earlier this week. The reward, totaling $15,125, was funded by friends of the late Diamond school superintendent, Greg Smith...
State considers overhauling methods to fund Medicaid
(State News ~ 12/14/01)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- While insisting Missouri's Medicaid program is legal, Gov. Bob Holden has nonetheless offered to satisfy federal concerns by considering a change in the program's funding formula. Federal Medicaid administrator Thomas Scully has threatened to withhold more than $1.6 billion from Missouri if it does not change its Medicaid program, which he says violates a 1991 law...
Nixon - Changes fail to end loopholes
(State News ~ 12/14/01)
ST. LOUIS -- Attorney General Jay Nixon on Thursday blasted state lawmakers supporting a plan he says would fail to close loopholes in Missouri's popular "no-call" law, which is aimed at warding off bothersome telemarketers. More than nine in 10 no-call complaints to Nixon's office blamed telephone, insurance or finance companies, he said. Because they are regulated by federal agencies, all of those industries are exempt from the current law, which took effect in July 2000...
Holden to spare employees in cuts
(State News ~ 12/14/01)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Bob Holden plans to cut more than $200 million from the state budget without laying off any state employees, officials in Holden's office said Thursday. The governor, who already has vetoed or cut $359 million from the $19 billion state budget, is to announce the latest round of cuts today...
Security measures delaying renovations at KC airport
(State News ~ 12/14/01)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Renovation work at Kansas City International Airport is running almost two months behind schedule because of increased security measures following the Sept. 11 terror attacks, officials said. The extra security measures affecting construction workers have included a ban on parking trucks and other vehicles next to the terminals and checkpoints in a restricted work area...
Black diners aim $100 million suit at Cracker Barrel
(National News ~ 12/14/01)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Twenty-one people filed a $100 million federal lawsuit against Cracker Barrel restaurants Thursday, accusing the Tennessee-based chain of widespread racism by segregating black customers in the smoking section and denying them service...
States could provide anti-terrorism help
(Editorial ~ 12/14/01)
After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, one of the frequently asked questions was why U.S. intelligence agencies didn't have better information that might have been used to prevent such deadly mayhem. While finger pointing does little to assuage the aftermath of those attacks, it does cast a spotlight on what might be considered some weaknesses in the way information is shared among the intelligence gatherers and law-enforcement agencies...
Holden seeks federal help with vaccine for smallpox
(State News ~ 12/14/01)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Bob Holden says the potential for a smallpox outbreak is a major threat and wants the federal government to supply vaccinations to key public health and emergency personnel. In a letter to national homeland security director Tom Ridge, Holden raises several concerns, including smallpox precautions and the need for better state and federal communication...
Five shot to death in two Indiana homes
(National News ~ 12/14/01)
LOWELL, Ind. (AP) -- Five relatives, including a baby girl, were found shot to death in two houses Friday in what authorities were investigating as a murder-suicide. A husband and wife and their 30-year-old son were discovered dead at one home, Sheriff John Buncich said. At the second home, the son's wife and baby daughter were found slain. The victims' identities were not released...
Art of communication can be scribbling on blank slate
(Column ~ 12/14/01)
The best TV viewing these days are the commercials. While I am amused, entertained and uplifted by some commercials, I unfortunately rarely remember what product is being promoted. My wife, who only pays close attention to "Jeopardy" and a couple of hour-long dramas, generally watches TV by looking up from whatever book or magazine she happens to be reading. She never sees commercials...
Bin Laden tape a chilling account of terrorists' plan
(National News ~ 12/14/01)
In a chilling glimpse of terrorist planning, Osama bin Laden said in a videotape released Thursday by the Pentagon that the deaths and destruction achieved by the Sept. 11 attacks exceeded his "most optimistic" expectations. Bin Laden appeared calm and at times amused as he talked about the attacks on the hour-long tape the Bush administration said was found in Afghanistan. U.S. warplanes pressed the hunt for him and his supporters there Thursday...
Cape County carved four ways by judges
(State News ~ 12/14/01)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Cape Girardeau County will be divided among four state House districts instead of two for the next decade. New legislative redistricting maps for both the House of Representatives and Senate were drawn by a panel of six state appeals court judges and submitted to the Missouri secretary of state's office Thursday, two weeks ahead of the Dec. 27 deadline. The new districts will be in use beginning with the 2002 legislative elections...
New county budget totals $13.5 million
(Local News ~ 12/14/01)
JACKSON, Mo. -- Cape Girardeau County commissioners on Thursday approved a $13.5 million budget for 2002 that's slightly smaller than this year's budget and includes no money to build a juvenile detention center. H. Weldon Macke, the county's auditor and chief budget officer, said the county is putting $300,000 in escrow should it be forced by circuit judges to build the detention center. The matter currently is before Missouri's Judicial Finance Commission...
Fruitland Livestock 12/14
(Local News ~ 12/14/01)
Fruitland livestockFRUITLAND, MO. -- FRUITLAND LIVESTOCK AUCTION TUESDAY. RECEIPTS, 838; LAST WEEK, 656; LAST YEAR, 417. COMPARED TO LAST WEEK FEEDER STEERS STEADY TO 1.00 LOWER AND HEIFERS SOLD 1.00-3.00 LOWER. SLAUGHTER COWS AND BULLS SOLD STEADY TO 1.00 LOWER; DEMAND AND SUPPLY LIGHT. ...
Know your Sheryl Crow
(Entertainment ~ 12/14/01)
Born Sheryl Suzanne Crow on Feb. 11, 1962, in Kennett, Mo. Graduated from the University of Missouri. CDs 1. "Tuesday Night Music Club" 2. "Sheryl Crow" 3. "The Globe Sessions" 4. "Live in Central Park" Hits 1. "All I Wanna Do" 2. "Leaving Las Vegas"...
'Late Night Catechism' extended to March 24
(Entertainment ~ 12/14/01)
ST. LOUIS -- The run of "Late Night Catechism," the interactive comedy playing at the Grandel Theatre's Grand Hall, has been extended through March 24. The one-woman show takes audience members back to the children they once were. The irrepressible Sister, played by Colleen O'Neill, teaches an adult catechism class to the audience and progresses from benevolent instructor to drill sergeant...
A tribute and an experiment in technology
(Entertainment ~ 12/14/01)
When renowned artist Robert Rauchenberg played Scrabble with his mother, they would allow a word to be used if they agreed it deserved to be in the dictionary. Likewise, images melded to other images can make a new kind of sense. That is the impression left by "Sarah Riley: Prints and Watercolors," an exhibition now at the Kelsen Gallery. The gallery at 13 S. Spanish St. is open from noon-5 p.m. weekdays. The exhibition continues through Jan. 2...
U.S. forces join Afghan guerrillas in battle for Tora Bora
(International News ~ 12/14/01)
Associated Press WriterTORA BORA, Afghanistan (AP) -- Enemy gunners hit two Americans on Friday as their band of special forces joined Afghan guerrillas attacking an al-Qaida machine-gun nest in the Tora Bora mountains. A tribal leader claimed Osama bin Laden may be cornered in a nearby cave...
Trace amounts of anthrax found in fumigated Senate building
(National News ~ 12/14/01)
Associated Press WriterWASHINGTON (AP) -- Trace amounts of anthrax were found in a fumigated Senate office building, and officials said Friday that they would try again to kill the lingering spores with chlorine dioxide gas. Environmental Protection Agency technicians planned to begin the new fumigation operation at the Hart Senate Office Building later in the day...
Two Americans wounded in fighting
(International News ~ 12/14/01)
Associated Press WriterTORA BORA, Afghanistan (AP) -- Intense fighting between U.S. special forces and al-Qaida machine-gunners left two Americans slightly wounded Friday, a witness said, as a top Afghan commander claimed to have located and surrounded a cave in which he believed Osama bin Laden could be hiding...
U.S. special forces in combat at Tora Bora
(International News ~ 12/14/01)
TORA BORA, Afghanistan (AP) -- U.S. special forces battled to take an al-Qaida machine-gun position Friday, and two of the Americans were slightly wounded in an exchange of fire, a witness said. Twelve members of the U.S. special forces and dozens of tribal eastern alliance fighters were trying to take out an al-Qaida defensive position near the terrorist organization's Tora Bora cave and tunnel complex when they came under machine-gun fire, said one of the Afghan fighters...
O'Leary resigns as Notre Dame coach
(Professional Sports ~ 12/14/01)
AP Sports WriterSOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) -- George O'Leary resigned as Notre Dame football coach less than a week after being hired, admitting he lied about playing the game in college in his personal biography. "Due to a selfish and thoughtless act many years ago, I have personally embarrassed Notre Dame, its alumni and fans," O'Leary said in a statement released Friday by the university...
Recession pushes industrial production down in November
(National News ~ 12/14/01)
AP Economics WriterWASHINGTON (AP) -- In more signs of the far-reaching impact of the country's recession, the government reported today that output at the nation's factories fell again in November but the spreading economic weakness helped keep consumer inflation in check...
Seven Palestinians are killed in Israeli sweep in West Bank
(International News ~ 12/14/01)
Associated Press WriterJERUSALEM (AP) -- Israeli troops raided four Palestinian towns and villages in the West Bank early Friday, killing seven Palestinians in gunbattles and arresting dozens of suspected militants in the most extensive sweep in 15 months of fighting...
Afghan commander claims to have found bin Laden's cave
(International News ~ 12/14/01)
Associated Press WriterTORA BORA, Afghanistan (AP) -- Intense fighting between U.S. special forces and al-Qaida machine-gunners left two Americans slightly wounded Friday, a witness said, as a top Afghan commander claimed to have located and surrounded a cave in which he believed Osama bin Laden could be hiding...
Bin Laden tape seen as damning by those convinced of his guilt
(National News ~ 12/14/01)
Associated Press WriterWASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush called the Osama bin Laden videotape a declaration of guilt by a terrorist and said anyone questioning the tape's authenticity is reaching for a feeble excuse to support him. "I mean, this is bin Laden unedited," Bush said Friday. "It's preposterous for anybody to think that this tape is doctored...
No layoffs planned under latest budget balance moves
(State News ~ 12/14/01)
Associated Press WriterJEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The state will cover a $212 budget gap without laying off employees by cutting spending and diverting money from intended uses, Gov. Bob Holden's office announced Friday. Holden had already vetoed or cut $323 million from the $19 billion state budget for the current fiscal year, which began July 1. The latest moves are needed to keep the budget balanced in a dire financial situation, he said...
Marines secure airport, search for booby traps, evaluate runway
(International News ~ 12/14/01)
Associated Press WriterKANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) -- Hundreds of U.S. Marines occupied the Kandahar airport Friday, carefully picking through unexploded weaponry and debris left by the Taliban in their hurried retreat. It was the biggest Marine deployment since the U.S. military established a firebase in southern Afghanistan in late November. Some landed at the airport in helicopters in the early morning darkness...
Dunklin County officers see few leads in murder probe
(State News ~ 12/14/01)
Daily Dunklin Democrat KENNETT, Mo. -- Law enforcement officers have a lot of questions and few answers as they investigate the death of a young man whose body was found in a roadside ditch near Kennett on Wednesday. While the victim remains unidentified, his death has been ruled a homicide...
Out of the past 12/14/01
(Out of the Past ~ 12/14/01)
10 years ago: Dec. 14, 1991 Robert W. Foster, executive vice president of Southeast Missouri State University, issues challenge to students earning degrees from Southeast to make difference in whatever path they choose; Foster, who is retiring this month, delivers commencement address in afternoon at Show Me Center; there are 451 undergraduates and 28 graduate students in winter commencement ceremony...
Births 12/14/01
(Births ~ 12/14/01)
Swick Daughter to Trent and Robin Swick of St. Louis, St. Mary's Hospital, 12:34 p.m. Monday, Nov. 19, 2001. Name, Madelyn Elizabeth. Weight, 6 pounds 14 ounces. First child. Mrs. Swick is the former Robin Holden, daughter of Bob and Mitzi Holden of Cleveland, Ohio. She is employed at Millenium Hotel in St. Louis. Swick is the son of Martha McDowell Swick of Imperial, Mo., formerly of Jackson, Mo. He is employed at Travelers Insurance in St. Louis...
Charges serve no real purpose to the community
(Letter to the Editor ~ 12/14/01)
To the editor: When I read the Dec. 8 headlines in the Southeast Missourian I was truly sickened to live in a county where one of our officials would somehow think the charges he has decided to file against April McDonald could possibly be the wishes of the people who elected him...
Civil liberties have allowed nation to endure
(Letter to the Editor ~ 12/14/01)
To the editor: Well now, let me see. Who were our first civil libertarians? Could they have been people like our Founding Fathers? I am tired of you Democrats and you Republicans eating away the basic liberties of our great country. One of the main reasons this country has endured for over 225 years is because of things like civil liberties. ...
Better water on tap
(Local News ~ 12/14/01)
A $17.5 million expansion to Cape Girardeau's water plant on Cape Rock Drive is six months behind schedule, but city officials say it should be done by this summer in plenty of time to meet increased warm-weather water demands. An added bonus, they say, is that when the work is finished the city's 15,000 water subscribers should notice a difference. Not only will the expansion increase water capacity, but a water-softening process will be instituted, they said...
Friedgen wins coach of the year
(College Sports ~ 12/14/01)
After Maryland won its first six football games, athletic director Deborah Yow was so happy with her rookie coach that she boldly predicted the Terrapins would win a national championship before Ralph Friedgen retired. The Fridge came pretty close in his first try...
Jackson man arrested on charge of molesting girl, 5
(Local News ~ 12/14/01)
JACKSON, Mo. -- A Jackson man was arrested Wednesday, accused of sexually molesting a 5-year-old girl. Joe Cecil Motley, 28, of 137 Lindsey is charged with a class B felony of child molestation for having sexual contact with a child under the age of 12...
Rape allegations arise from CU recruit party
(College Sports ~ 12/14/01)
BOULDER, Colo. -- Police are investigating a University of Colorado student's allegation that she was gang-raped at a party for football recruits. CU Police Lt. Michael Irving said Thursday that campus police are working with Boulder police on the investigation, but declined further comment...
Charleston girls score at buzzer, nip Delta 46-45
(High School Sports ~ 12/14/01)
DELTA, Mo. -- Charleston's Missy Whitney negated a dramatic comeback by Delta, tipping in a missed free throw at the buzzer for a 46-45 victory in high school girls basketball action Thursday night. Whitney and teammate Tyshanta Williams each finished with 19 points...
Top talent assembles for Tiger Classic
(High School Sports ~ 12/14/01)
More than 200 athletes representing 16 schools all have one goal. To become the best of the best. And the Tiger Classic wrestling tournament definitely gives them the opportunity. As is always the case, some of the state's best wrestling programs will participate in the 27th annual Tiger Classic at Cape Central High School's Field House...
Tigers stumble in stretch
(High School Sports ~ 12/14/01)
The look of frustration on coach Derek McCord's face told the whole story. Cape Central's inexperience showed down the stretch in a 65-57 loss to Farmington at the Tiger Fieldhouse Thursday night. The Tigers (1-5), who started four sophomores, failed to score in the last three minutes of the contest after a tie at 57-57...
Speak Out A 12/14/01
(Speak Out ~ 12/14/01)
More enforcement SLOW DRIVERS are not as dangerous as fast drivers. At least you can see where they're going. I wish Cape and Jackson ran more speed radar than they do, or at least put out the radar screen machine so everyone knows when they are speeding. I also wish they'd ticket tailgaters. At night, your lights blind the person you're tailgating...
Shirley Jobe
(Obituary ~ 12/14/01)
COBDEN, Ill. -- Shirley Jobe, 63, of Cobden died Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2001, at her home. She was born April 11, 1938, near Cobden, daughter of Adolphus and Catherine Tripp Dillow. She and Gene E. Jobe were married July 21, 1960, in Herrin, Ill. Jobe was an elementary teacher at schools in Elgin, Springfield and Dongola, Ill., retiring in 1994. She was a member of Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church near Cobden, and Illinois Teachers Association...
Harmon Robertson
(Obituary ~ 12/14/01)
Retired Lt. Col. Harmon E. Robertson, 80, of O'Fallon, Ill., died Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2001, in O'Fallon. He was born April 27, 1921, in East Lansing, Mich., son of James Earl and Adeline Hoose Robertson. He married Virginia Lee Tarver, who died in 1990...
Isma Greer
(Obituary ~ 12/14/01)
JACKSON, Mo. -- Isma Greer, 94, of Jackson died Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born April 4, 1907, at Egypt Mills, Mo., daughter of Hardy and Anna Gallaher Brooks. She and Ernie L. Greer were married Dec. 14, 1935, in Jonesboro, Ill. He died Aug. 3, 1987...
Robert Hafford
(Obituary ~ 12/14/01)
CAIRO, Ill. -- Robert E. Hafford, 66, of Cairo died Thursday, Dec. 13, 2001, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug. 12, 1935, in Cairo, son of Lloyd C. and Minnie Fair Hafford. He married Judy Watkins. Hafford was retired from the Southern Clay-Lowe Plant in Olmsted, Ill...
Georgia Likens
(Obituary ~ 12/14/01)
Funeral for Georgia Katherine Likens of Cape Girardeau will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Grace United Methodist Church. The Revs. Anselm Williams and Jerry Statler will officiate. Burial will be in Cape County Memorial Park. Friends may call at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Funeral Home from 4-8 p.m. today...
John Martin
(Obituary ~ 12/14/01)
MURPHYSBORO, Ill. -- John Martin, 58, of Murphysboro died Thursday, Dec. 13, 2001, at his home. Wilson Funeral Home in Karnak, Ill., is in charge of arrangements.
Thomas Marshall
(Obituary ~ 12/14/01)
JACKSON, Mo. -- Thomas F. Marshall, 70, of Jackson died Thursday, Dec. 13, 2001, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 17, 1931, in Chicago, son of Travis and Ruby Friese Marshall. He and Mary Smith were married July 16, 1955...
Michael Backfisch
(Obituary ~ 12/14/01)
NEW HAMBURG, Mo. -- Michael Joseph Backfisch, 53, of New Hamburg died Thursday, Dec. 13, 2001, at his home. Amick-Burnett Funeral Home at Benton, Mo., is in charge of arrangements.
Henry Moyers Jr.
(Obituary ~ 12/14/01)
JACKSON, Mo. -- Henry Moyers Jr., 73, of Jackson died Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2001, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 14, 1928, at Elvins, Mo., son of James H. and Ruth Gamblin Moyers. He and Mary Flanagin McCullough were married Feb. 9, 1979...
Mollie Lacy
(Obituary ~ 12/14/01)
JACKSON, Mo. -- Mollie L. Lacy, 81, of Jackson died Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2001, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 7, 1920, near Marble Hill, Mo., daughter of Kergious and Ella Mae Seabaugh Crites. She and Albert Walter Lacy were married Feb. 18, 1939, at Benton, Mo. He died Nov. 5, 1995...
Students seek hosts for visitors in March
(Editorial ~ 12/14/01)
For the third time since 1982, Central High School will be the host next March of the Missouri Association of Students Councils. This means 1,200 middle school and high school representatives will be in Cape Girardeau for three days of programs and fun...
Stories from Friday, December 14, 2001
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Posts Tagged Rahul Dravid
Desperate measures?
Well, that's one way to stop Rahul Dravid after he's made a hundred and looks like he will only be dislodged from the crease by the coming of the Apocalypse, or, failing that, when every last available opposition bowler has collapsed from exhaustion and a broken spirit.
I'm obviously not advocating the use of extreme force against Dravid (partially because I LOVE him, and have done since about 1998) but I'm also an ardent supporter of Bangladesh, as heartbreaking an existence as that often is. They deserved the opportunity to rub Sehwag's dismissive attitude right back in his face, but sadly for them and us, life is never that perfect. Today's result wasn't quite the capitulation it looks like from the scorecard, though – both Tendulkar and Dravid had multiple lives because of dropped catches, an affliction Bangladesh have apparently caught from Pakistan, somehow. Gary Kirsten must be placing calls for full-body Hazmat suits for his boys lest the infection pass on to them (not, it must be said, that India aren't perfectly capable of spilling sitters all on their own and while in perfect health.)
The obvious segue here is to Pakistan and their eventful week, but thinking about that makes me very depressed, so we're not going to go there. Suffice it to say that Mohammed Yousuf, comically inept fielder as he is, doesn't deserve this shit, any more than the lovely Younis Khan did before him. Ijaz Butt is a blustering assclown surrounded by many other blustering assclowns, and the lot of them should move to some piece of land in Larkana and spend their days playing Monopoly or firing off Kalashnikovs or whatever the hell else they need to do to keep them from screwing up a talented team even more than it's already been screwed up (which is to say, potentially past repair.)
Oh, look, I did go there. Huh.
In other news, Australian Graham Manou has always seemed like a perfectly nice guy, famous mostly for his last-minute subbing-in for an injured Brad Haddin just moments before the start of the third '09 Ashes test at Edgbaston. What we didn't know, though, is that you really, seriously don't want to fuck with Graham Manou. He will cut you.

subset: commoncrawl


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- Methodology
- Open Access
MalariaSphere: A greenhouse-enclosed simulation of a natural Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae) ecosystem in western Kenya
© Knols et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2002
- Received: 9 November 2002
- Accepted: 18 December 2002
- Published: 18 December 2002
The development and implementation of innovative vector control strategies for malaria control in Africa requires in-depth ecological studies in contained semi-field environments. This particularly applies to the development and release of genetically-engineered vectors that are refractory to Plasmodium infection. Here we describe a modified greenhouse, designed to simulate a natural Anopheles gambiae Giles ecosystem, and the first successful trials to complete the life-cycle of this mosquito vector therein.
We constructed a local house, planted crops and created breeding sites to simulate the natural ecosystem of this vector in a screen-walled greenhouse, exposed to ambient climate conditions, in western Kenya. Using three different starting points for release (blood-fed females, virgin females and males, or eggs), we allowed subsequent stages of the life-cycle to proceed under close observation until one cycle was completed.
Completion of the life-cycle was observed in all three trials, indicating that the major life-history behaviours (mating, sugar feeding, oviposition and host seeking) occurred successfully.
The system described can be used to study the behavioural ecology of laboratory-reared and wild mosquitoes, and lends itself to contained studies on the stability of transgenes, fitness effects and phenotypic characteristics of genetically-engineered disease vectors. The extension of this approach, to enable continuous maintenance of successive and overlapping insect generations, should be prioritised. Semi-field systems represent a promising means to significantly enhance our understanding of the behavioural and evolutionary ecology of African malaria vectors and our ability to develop and evaluate innovative control strategies. With regard to genetically-modified mosquitoes, development of such systems is an essential prerequisite to full field releases.
- Indoor Residual Spray
- Breeding Site
- Virgin Female
- Human Landing Catch
- Malarial Disease
Two proven vector control strategies are currently advocated to reduce transmission of malarial disease in Africa, namely indoor residual spraying (IRS) [1–5] and insecticide-treated bednets (ITNs) [6–9]. Both methods are based on the use of residual insecticides in the intra-domiciliary domain and target mosquito vectors either before (ITNs) or after host-feeding (IRS). Impressive reductions in childhood morbidity and mortality have been demonstrated in a variety of epidemiological settings [6], and it can be expected that IRS/ITNs will remain in the forefront of malaria vector control for at least the remainder of this decade. In spite of their proven effectiveness [5–9], both methods have some drawbacks and limitations, such as insecticide resistance [10–13], environmental or human health concerns [14, 15] and socio-economic or cultural acceptance by communities. It is also clear that these powerful tools are not sufficient on their own to eliminate or drastically reduce the malaria burden from the most intensely endemic regions of the Tropics, notably sub-Saharan Africa [16, 17]. An expansion of this limited arsenal of vector-control tools, with new strategies to reduce human exposure, the size of mosquito populations [18], or transmissibility of disease, is therefore needed, and preferably appropriate for use in an integrated fashion with IRS/ITNs [19–21].
New innovative strategies, involving the release of genetically-engineered mosquitoes, aimed at rendering vector populations less susceptible to infection by human pathogens have seen enormous developments over the past few years [22–27]. If transposable genetic elements can be used to drive genes coding for refractoriness into fixation in wild vector populations, a substantial reduction in disease transmission may result. However, advances to date have been confined to laboratory settings and many questions relating to the fitness, behaviour, ecology and phenotypic characteristics of transformed insects remain unanswered [27–29]. The spread of desired traits, such as refractoriness to Plasmodium infection, will depend on the reproductive fitness, evolutionary cost of the introduced trait [30, 31], and manifestation of life-history behaviours, such as dispersal and mating [32], by engineered specimens. For instance, given the likelihood of assortative mating, transgenic males and females may face strong competition upon release, which necessitates an increased understanding of the behavioural and ecological determinants of gene flow in mosquito populations [33]. The characteristics of genetically-engineered mosquitoes should preferably be similar to those of their wild con-specifics but may be compromised by genetic modification, selection for specific traits or routine laboratory maintenance and difficult to assess realistically under standard laboratory conditions [32, 34].
Many of the ecological and population biology issues thus remain serious challenges to the application of genetically-engineered mosquitoes [28]. Moreover, until such time that the probability of potential public health benefits can be maximised, it will be unlikely that approval for release can and will be granted [27]. The use of large contained field-based research settings is now widely advocated to face the shortfalls in our understanding of the behaviour and ecology of genetically-engineered vectors, prior to their release in the wild [23, 27, 28, 35, 36].
Contained semi-field systems have been used for a variety of studies on mosquitoes, albeit outside Africa [37–40]. In Kenya, we have recently rejuvenated this approach and developed semi-field systems to study the behavioural ecology of malaria vectors [32, 41–44]. By doing so we have generated a wealth of information on the behaviour and ecology of An. gambiae s.s. in such confined settings. In this article we present the first attempts to complete the life-cycle of this important vector in such systems, as a first step towards studies involving genetically-engineered specimens.
Inside the sphere, a traditional Luo house (3.2 × 2.8 × 1.7 m, Fig. 1A,1B) was built from walls of a clay/soil mixture. A mixture of wood ash and clay was used for plastering and smoothing the wall surfaces. The roof (2.8 m at its apex) was made of grass thatch mounted on a wooden frame. The house has a single door and no windows, which is typical for a local 'simba' house. Eaves (height 15 cm) all around provide ventilation and serve as the predominant entry point for mosquitoes [48]. The hut contains a single bed for a volunteer to occupy during experiments.
Two breeding sites (diameter ca. 30 cm; Fig. 1C,1D) were constructed, by burying plastic containers below ground surface level. These were partially filled with soil collected from known An. gambiae breeding sites in the area. We maintained the depth of the site at 15 cm by replenishing it with water collected from Lake Victoria. In each site we suspended a HOBO® Optic Stowaway Tidbit data logger just below the water surface, and recorded the temperature at 30 min intervals.
In order to monitor climatic conditions inside the system, we fitted six more HOBO® H8 data loggers, three inside the hut (at 0.5, 1.5 and 2.5 m from ground level) and three outside the hut on a pole at similar heights (Fig. 1A). These recorded temperature and relative humidity at 15 min intervals. Climatic data were collected in February (peak summer) and June (onset of the cold season).
Plants in the MalariaSphere. Species marked with an asterisk have been planted, all other species occurred naturally. Popular names are shown in brackets.
Ageratum conyzoides L. (Goat weed)
Amaranthus hybridus L.* (Smooth pigweed)
Asystasia schimperi T. Anders
Bidens pilosa L. (Black jack)
Brassica oleracea sp. * (Wild cabbage)
Colocasia esculenta L.* (Coco yam)
Commelina benghalensis L.
Corchorus tridens L.
Cynodon dactylon L. (Bermuda grass)
Digitaria velutina Forsk. (Velvet fingergrass)
Eichornia crassipes Mart. (Water hyacinth)
Euphorbia sp.
Hibiscus fuscus Garcke
Hoslundia opposita Vahl.
Indigofera sp. (Indigo)
Ipomoea batatas L. (Sweet potato)
Ipomoea cairica L. (Messina creeper)
Kyllinga macrocephala L.
Lagascea mollis Cav. (Acuate)
Ipomoea batatas L.* (Sweet potato)
Lantana camara L. (Wild sage)
Manihot esculenta Crantz* (Cassava)
Musa paradisiacal* (Plantain banana)
Panicum maximum Jacq. (Guinea grass)
Pennisetum purpureum Schum. (Napier grass)
Ricinus communis L. (Castorbean)
Sechium edule Jacq. (Vegetable pear)
Senna hirsuta L. (Hairy senna)
Senna occidentalis L. (Negro coffee)
Sesbania sesban L. (Egyptian sesban)
Vigna schimperi Baker
Vigna unguiculata L.* (Cowpea)
The strain of An. gambiae s.s. mosquitoes used in the experiments originates from Njage village (70 km from Ifakara), south-east Tanzania, and has been maintained under laboratory conditions since April 1996. Adult insects were kept in standard 30 × 30 × 30 cm netting cages and offered 6% glucose as a carbohydrate source. The cages were kept under ambient climatic conditions and females given the opportunity to feed on an arm of a volunteer for 10 min three times per week. Eggs were collected on wet filter paper disks (9 cm diameter) and transferred to plastic containers containing water from Lake Victoria. Larvae were fed daily on Tetramin® fish food. Upon pupation, insects were transferred to cages for emergence.
Life-cycle completion
In order to assess whether all major life-history behaviours (i.e. mating, sugar feeding, host seeking and oviposition) occurred successfully in the sphere, we attempted to complete the life-cycle during three separate experiments by introducing i) a group of 100 blood-fed females, ii) groups of 500 virgin females and 1500 males or iii) batches of 500 eggs in both breeding sites:
i) In the first experiment we introduced 100 three-day-old females (F0), which had been held in cages with males since the time of emergence. They were blood fed (for the first time) on the forearm of a volunteer for 15 min and subsequently released (at 21.30 hrs) from a paper cup placed on the bed inside the hut. We then monitored the presence and development of eggs, larvae and pupae by inspecting the breeding sites at daily intervals. Following emergence of the first adults, we deliberately waited for six days before entering the greenhouse at night, in order to assess whether mosquitoes would successfully mate and survive/feed on the plants in the system. On day 17, 19, 20 and 21 following the introduction of females, a volunteer slept inside the hut from 21.30 hrs until 07.00 the following day, which allowed the F1 population, and any of their parents that had survived, to feed on human blood. We subsequently searched the breeding sites daily for newly oviposited eggs until day 27.
ii) As some of the parental (F0) females could have survived until day 17, it needed to be ascertained that virgin (newly emerged) insects survived, mated and blood-fed successfully too. We therefore introduced 500, 3 to 5 day-old virgin females, which had emerged from the pupa individually in glass vials, together with 1500, 5 to 7 day-old males at 21.00 hrs. Starting three days afterwards, a volunteer slept in the hut for 5 consecutive nights. We observed daily whether eggs were laid in the breeding sites to ensure that insemination, blood feeding and oviposition had taken place for two weeks following the release. All pupae were collected from the breeding sites as they appeared so that assessments of survival by the F0 generation would not be confounded by the emergence of an overlapping F1 generation.
iii) A third experiment was started by introducing 500 eggs at night (22.30 hrs) in each of the two breeding sites. Concurrently we reared one thousand eggs from the same batch under standard laboratory conditions described above. This enabled us to determine the sex ratio and thus the number of males and females released. A volunteer occupied the hut for four consecutive nights, starting on day 22 after the start of the experiment. Thereafter, the breeding sites were monitored daily for the presence of eggs/larvae until day 32.
Ethical considerations
A research protocol for the above experiments was submitted to the Kenya National Ethical Review Committee, based at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), in which the discomfort and potential risks of (non-infectious) mosquito bites to volunteers was explained. Ethical clearance was subsequently granted (protocol KEMRI/RES/7/3/1). BNN, BGJK and GFK were involved in the experiments, and do not object to their names being revealed for publication. A parasite-free environment was ensured through a) regular screening of the volunteers' peripheral blood for Plasmodium parasites and b) non-occupancy of the sphere beyond 5 days after the mosquitoes were given the first opportunity to obtain a blood meal. As malaria infections in mosquitoes take at least 10 days to reach the sporozoite-infective stage [49], this procedure minimised risks of volunteers being infected within the experimental set up.
Results and Discussion
Air temperature conditions (for June, Fig. 2A) inside the hut at various heights fluctuated much more considerably but nevertheless remained relatively consistent throughout the observational periods. Average temperatures increased both inside (23.1, 23.8 and 23.9°C for 0.5, 1.5 and 2.5 m respectively) and outside the hut with height as did the range over which these fluctuated daily. Corresponding data for February inside the hut showed higher averages (24.8, 25.1 and 25.2°C for 0.5, 1.5 and 2.5 m respectively). Between the seasons, maximum variation between temperatures was found outside the hut at 2.5 m, from 37.0°C (February-maximum) to 16.4°C (June-minimum). The smallest variation was observed inside the hut at 0.5 m, from 28.7°C (February-maximum) to 19.7°C (June-minimum). As such, the range over which temperatures fluctuated between seasons was 2.3 times larger outside (2.5 m) than inside (0.5 m) the hut. Haddow [52] recorded mean temperatures between October and December in local huts (at 1 m height) in the Kisumu area and found an average temperature of 24.2°C (range 21.0–27.0°C). Our own measurements inside the hut in the sphere between 18 October and 15 November (2000) at 1.5 m height gave values of 24.0 ± 1.76°C (range 19.8–29.1°C) whereas measurements inside 4 local houses in Mbita of similar design during that same period gave higher average values (0.5–0.8°C) and absolute maxima (0.8°C). Ambient conditions inside local houses are more constant than outdoor climatic conditions (this study and [52]) and it would seem that the sphere itself exerts a similar, albeit small, insulating effect: slightly lower temperatures and smaller ranges over which these fluctuate, both inside and outside the hut.
Relative humidity (RH) data (Fig. 2B) were collected during the same periods. Being close to Lake Victoria, relative humidity is fairly constant and averages inside the hut during June ranged from 63.5% (1.0 m) to 69.3% (2.5 m). Minimum values were always higher inside the hut than outside, providing more suitable microclimatic conditions for resting mosquitoes. Rainfall, as expected, increased the RH, sometimes for several days. Measurements in October/November, both in the sphere and a local house of similar design in Mbita Point, showed slightly higher average RH values outdoors in both settings than indoors with minimal differences between the sphere and the village hut. Overall, as with temperatures, the range over which the RH fluctuated was smaller inside than outside the hut and minima inside the sphere were always 3 to 4 % higher than those measured in village huts.
Although small, these climatic differences may affect development of immature stages and survival of adults, and research findings from experiments inside the sphere should be compared with field conditions at slightly higher altitudes.
Life-cycle completion
Blood-fed females
The first adults were seen inside the hut on day 11, and continued to be present until the end of the experiment (day 27). Starting in the morning of day 22, we observed new eggs in the breeding sites and subsequent larval development.
From the above it can be deduced that specific behaviours of the adult insects occurred during certain time periods (Fig. 3). Oviposition activity took place twice during this trial, meaning that females survived until eggs were mature, that they successfully located a breeding site, accepted it for oviposition, and laid eggs. Other potential breeding sites, like the leaf axils of the banana trees in the sphere, were examined but were not found to harbour eggs, larvae or pupae. The period for reaching sexual maturity for males may be at least one day and for females up to 60 hrs [54], so mating of the F1 generation may not have taken place until dusk on day 14. In spite of regular observations during dusk, we did not see any swarming activity typically associated with mating in An. gambiae [55–57]. This is a particularly interesting point, because in contrast with other settings (e.g. [56]), where mating swarms were frequently observed we failed to do so over a 3-year period in the Mbita area as did Charlwood (pers.comm.) who observed only one anopheline swarm during 4 years in the Kilombero valley of Tanzania, raising the question as to whether swarming is an obligate component of the An. gambiae life-cycle or a facultative adaptation to local ecological and/or seasonal conditions. Alternatively, maintenance of mosquitoes in laboratory cages for several years forced this strain to become stenogamous (i.e. the ability to mate in small cages), and this adaptation may have interfered with its ability to swarm when introduced into the sphere.
As newly emerged adults rarely survive for more than 48 hrs without the availability of an energy source [58], mosquitoes must have supplemented their energy reserves with carbohydrates from the plants in the sphere (Table 1) for up to 6 days before they were allowed access to a blood source, in the form of a human volunteer sleeping in the hut. Some plants like Castorbean (Ricinus communis L.) were flowering at the time of the experiment, and may have provided nectar sources. In cage experiments (Impoinvil et al., in prep.) we have observed a mean survival time of 7.0 ± 0.2 days on this plant, which is comparable to mosquitoes given 6% glucose (8.7 ± 0.2 days). However, given the fact that An. gambiae mosquitoes emerge from the pupal stage with a deficit not only in carbohydrates, but also lipid and protein [59, 60], which usually is compensated for by consuming a (small) blood meal within the first few days of adult life [61], it is likely that mortality during the 6-day post-emergence period in the current trial was too high to have a good number of the 80–90 females that emerged survive long enough to obtain their first blood meal.
Within 15 min of entering the hut at night, the volunteer noticed the sound of mosquitoes and subsequently felt mosquito bites on his exposed lower limbs. This implies that females were receptive to host cues, entered the hut, probably through the eaves [48], and then successfully located and fed on the human host. At sunrise, several engorged females were seen resting on the walls, indicating successful blood feeding and endophily (indoor resting), which is typical for this species [62]. Following maturation of eggs, the second oviposition began during the night of day 21, thus completing the life-cycle. We continued to observe both immature and adult insects (presumably mostly from the F1 generation) until day 27, when the experiment was terminated (by refraining from entering the sphere for about 1 month).
Males and virgin females
The second experiment, in which we released 500 virgin females together with 1500 males demonstrated that mating does occur in a relatively small, semi-field system. After the third night that a volunteer had slept in the hut, we observed eggs in the breeding sites. The production of offspring, though, was low, and we only collected 40 pupae by the end of the trial period. This may have been caused by heavy rainfall during three consecutive nights (day 2–4), which may have affected the survival of the adults and/or larvae or washed away the larvae from the breeding sites due to overflow. Since we observed few mosquitoes, we decided to conduct a human landing catch during two nights inside the hut, starting two nights after sleeping in the hut had ended. Apparently no host-seeking females were present, as no mosquitoes were collected. Nevertheless, the life-cycle was completed, as manifested by the harvested pupae, which were removed from the breeding sites to prevent emergence of the F1 generation which would have compromised interpretation of survival of the F0 generation.
Our results have shown that by starting either at the post-blood feeding, pre-mating, or egg stage, a new generation of insects can be reared under these semi-field conditions, and that all life-history behaviours were successfully completed to a lesser or greater extent. This therefore represents the first and promising step towards continuous maintenance of parasite-free An. gambiae populations under semi-natural conditions that can be experimentally manipulated in studies of malaria vector ecology and transmission control. Russell and Rao [38] used a large outdoor cage, based on a design by Hackett and Bates [37], to study swarming and oviposition behaviour of An. culicifacies Giles in India, and showed that such systems can be used to unravel aspects of the behavioural ecology of anophelines. Our study shows that such systems can now also be developed for studies on African malaria vectors in order to start filling the gaps in our understanding of the behavioural ecology of these insects [65].
This system has obvious advantages over natural outdoor conditions. First and foremost, it provides a suitable intermediate between laboratory-based studies addressing mosquito behaviour and ecology, and the field situation. Too often, conclusions are drawn from results obtained under laboratory conditions that necessitate speculation as to what may or may not happen in the field. Fixed climatic conditions, cage-experiments, olfactometers and windtunnels, in which the mosquito strains used have been laboratory-reared for sometimes decades, may readily distort behavioural and ecological phenomena. Here we have shown that, beyond introducing F1 generation malaria-free mosquitoes from wild populations, it may be possible to rear vectors in situ within a semi-natural system that may minimize such artefacts. Conversely, the advantage of using insectary-reared mosquitoes is in the level of control that may be exerted that would not otherwise be possible: Experiments can be conducted all-year-round, with fixed numbers of insects, of known age and physiological status, in a malaria parasite-free environment under ambient climatic conditions. This enables more direct inferences to be drawn from data analysis as compared to longitudinal field studies, because of constant conditions and simplified experimental design.
We have recently evaluated the efficacy of several plants traditionally used by the Luo community as repellents in a similar semi-field set-up, and simple logistic regression, on data collected during four nights per plant, yielded significant results. Within a year of nearly continuous experimentation, the repellency of 8 plant species and 3 combinations thereof was evaluated through thermal expulsion or direct burning [41], and 9 species and 2 combinations thereof were tested in potted form [43]. Such studies would have taken several years under field conditions, and would be limited to times when mosquito densities would have been sufficiently high to permit meaningful experiments. Another recent study [44] focused on the survival of An. gambiae maintained on a variety of diets (blood or sugar alone, or a combination of both) and revealed similar results to those obtained under laboratory conditions [66]. Within one year of starting studies on the behaviour of mosquitoes around bednets in a semi-field setup, we transformed a regular conical bednet into a trap that may catch up to 70% of the females released [42]. Recent field evaluation of this trap shows it to be a promising replacement for the human landing catch (Mathenge et al., in preparation.). With the trap now being considered for commercial manufacturing (it took a mere two years to reach this stage), this would have been impossible without the availability of a semi-field set-up in which continuous experimentation ensured rapid progress towards product development.
Even though our system resembles more closely the field situation, it remains to be ascertained to what extent. Our current study was mainly qualitative in design and focused on life-cycle completion. Various observations were made that have been reported before from field studies. For instance, observation of eggs in the breeding sites in the morning of day 22 during the first trial implies that these originated from females that fed once on day 19, as those that fed on day 17 should have laid before. However, it is likely that these females fed twice, on day 17 and day 19, and should be classified as pre-gravids [61, 67], before fully maturing a batch of eggs. Furthermore, in the absence of a human host, mosquitoes survived up to six days after emergence, confirming field results that feeding on plant sugars does occur and may be an important feature of the life-cycle in this species [68] (Foster and Knols, unpublished data). Obviously, there are limitations associated with these studies. Some phenomena, like dispersal, cannot be studied. There may be other, yet unknown, factors that affect the behavioural ecology of the insects in such systems. Or, as Bates [69] wrote, following his outdoor cage studies in Albania: "One still cannot be sure that the reactions of the mosquito are 'natural' because there is always the barrier of wire liable to be encountered on extended flights; and when the flight of a mosquito has been interrupted by this wire barrier its further activity may be definitely unnatural". Rightly so, and even though we did not observe any obvious distorted behaviours, it is imperative that findings from semi-field studies be verified under natural outdoor conditions.
Additional studies in which the release and performance of field-collected, blood-fed mosquitoes in the sphere is compared with that of laboratory specimens in terms of egg-recovery, developmental periods and important behavioural characteristics (like swarming) will provide further insight to what extent such systems mimic the natural Anopheles environment and colony adaptation impairs natural behaviours.
Nevertheless, since Bates' days, advances in science merit a renewed impetus towards semi-field studies in contained near-natural environments, particularly with respect to transgenic mosquitoes. Fitness evaluations of engineered strains of vectors are mandatory for transformation technology to become an established disease control tool in Africa. Perhaps this alone, is ample justification for more intensive sphere studies, hopefully not only in Kenya, but also in other African countries likely to be involved in this endeavour. Studies on gene flow, mating behaviour and reproductive fitness, combined with studies on the effects of laboratory maintenance on the genetic make-up of transformed strains to be released, can be conducted in semi-field systems [28, 36]. Such systems, particularly when used to study genetically-engineered mosquitoes will require more advanced containment levels than the system described here. Guidelines for facility location, physical and biological containment, safety practices and calamity control need to be developed and adapted from existing arthropod containment guidelines [36, 70].
There are several good reasons to further such studies in disease-endemic settings. Under such conditions it will be possible to transform offspring from wild mosquitoes, conduct experiments under local ambient climatic conditions and evaluate transgene spread and fixation in offspring from field-collected gravid females that emerge in a semi-field setup. Last, but not least, it will enable scientists from developing countries to become more directly involved in evaluating the potential use and application of transgenic mosquitoes for future malarial disease control.
We thank Dr. J.J. Bos of Wageningen University and Research Centre (The Netherlands) for assistance with plant nomenclature. Dr. Graham White provided useful references of historical studies in large outdoor cages. Bernard Okech is thanked for availing climate recordings from village huts in Mbita Point. We thank both anonymous reviewers for useful suggestions to improve the manuscript. This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, USA (grant numbers U19 AI45511, D43 TW01142, D43 TW00920). EMM and WRM receive financial support from the UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) under grants ID 980794 and 980692 respectively. GFK acknowledges support from the Swiss Tropical Institute.
Authors' Affiliations
- Mnzava AE, Rwegoshora RT, Tanner M, Msuya FH, Curtis CF, Irare SG: The effects of house spraying with DDT or lambda-cyhalothrin against Anopheles arabiensis on measures of malarial morbidity in children in Tanzania. Acta Trop. 1993, 54: 141-151. 10.1016/0001-706X(93)90060-O.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
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Viewing customers as the focus of business models for e-mobility
Successful services are geared to the customer. However, how can providers adapt their services optimally to their customers? What do successful business models for innovative e-mobility services look like?
The users and their requirements should be in the focus of innovation. Only then will it be able to prevail in the market. A fundamental necessity is a consistently user-focused innovation management with a set of methods and tools for systematic service-related user analysis. The second building block of a successful service is its systematic translation into a marketable offering. This involves defining the business model which ensures the economic sustainability of a customer-focused service.
Exploring customers' needs using innovative methods
The DELFIN project deals with already established and new methods of user analysis which can also be used efficiently by small and medium-scale enterprises. The result is a comprehensive model of innovation including process descriptions, methods, templates and examples from practice. A modular structure permits flexible customisation to the specific situation of an organisation.


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People will gather in a place where they feel comfortable while conversing or just spending time with each other. Our country welcome outdoor water fountain is the perfect style for a classic front porch or patio. The durable polyresin and fiberglass fountain is designed to look like a pile of pitchers stacked on an old fence with a welcome sign tied around a knob in the fence. It is painted in colors of gray, green, brown, red and ivory and features three LED lights.
The water begins flowing from the top pitcher, into the second pitcher and eventually ends up in the "wicker" basket at the base where it recirculates back to the top pitcher. The LED lights in the second pitcher and basket help illuminate your outdoor space at night.


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Physics Teachers, New Cairo
TAX FREE salary FROM £18k - £25k (DOE) + housing allowance + annual return flights, schooling + medical insurance + health club membership etc
International Schools
m2r Education are working with one of the leading British Schools in Egypt, they are fully accredited and a member of the British Council and COBIS.
With 75% of the TAX FREE salary paid in GBP and with the current exchange rate and cost of living, you should not have to touch any of this, so a great opportunity to save!
The school has a student population of nearly 1000 students with around about 90 academic staff and a substantial contingent of support staff. Students benefit from being able to learn on a campus with superb facilities.
The school is based in a clean and secure environment which is located to the east of Cairo - very convenient for Shorouk, Rehab, Nasr City and Heliopolis.
Currently the school requires Physics Teachers to join end of Aug/ Early Sept 19 on a two year contract.
Minimum criteria:
- Bachelor's Degree any subject
- PGCE in primary /QTS or equivalent
- Minimum 3 years' relevant teaching experience is essential
- Experience of the British Curriculum is essential
- Experience teaching physics to A-level.
- Native English speakers only
- Basic salary dependent on experience and qualifications (£18000 minimum salary per annum, TAX FREE) NOTE - 75% of the salary is paid in GBP and with the current exchange rate and cost of living, you should not have to touch any of this, so a great opportunity to save!
- Free furnished school accommodation or rent allowance
- Annual Flights
- Free sports club membership
- Free transport 3 days a week to malls etc.
- Service Completion Bonus
- Health insurance
- Visa
Please note all employment offers will be subject to 2 professional references and a current DBS check / police clearance
If you meet the criteria, please send your CV to apply. Please note, you will need to provide references.
Want to know more about living and working as a teacher in New Cairo? Watch the video below!


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of wondrous weight,
of mighty magic,
which that dyed the dread God,
which that made the holy hosts,
and were etched by Odin,
Odin among Aesir, for Alfs, Dain,
Dvalin for the Dwarfs,
Alsvith among Etins,
wrought I some myself.
Know'st how to write, know'st how to read,
know'st how to stain, how to understand,
know'st how to ask, know'st how to offer,
know'st how to supplicate, know'st how to sacrifice ?
Tis better unasked, than offered too much;
for ay doth a gift look for gain;
tis better unasked, than offered overmuch;
thus did Odin write, ere the earth began,
when he rose up, in after time.
- Havamal
Glenn Bergen
Go with Odin's wisdom, Freyja's love, and T


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Our graduates have careers in a diverse range of industries, from art directors in the fashion industry to editors in content marketing and advertising agencies to web designers in leading-edge design firms. Every day, our Digital and Print Publishing graduates apply in their careers the skills they learned during our intensive, 12-month program.
Use Industry Tools
The Digital and Print Publishing program provides hands-on experience with industry-standard tools:
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Illustrator
- WordPress
Make Real Products
An integral part of the Digital and Print Publishing program is the production of a new issue of Pacific Rim Magazine (PRM) and the LangaraPRM.com website. PRM is an award-winning, 64-page publication distributed to all Globe and Mail subscribers in British Columbia. Each issue of PRM is edited, written, illustrated, designed and coded by our students.
The goal of our program is for students to graduate with professional and diverse portfolios they can proudly present to employers.
Start a New Chapter In Your Career
Many great careers started with the Digital and Print Publishing program.
Meet one of our grads, Rebecca Van Dop, and hear about how she transitioned her career using the skills she gained in the program.
More alumni interviews can be found on the careers page.
Need more information? Contact Josué Menjivar by phone at 604-323-5432 or email email@example.com. Learn more about our faculty.


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Did you know that the Scottish government is coming under pressure over the issue of historic child abuse in football? I do. I know because I heard it on Good Morning Scotland.
Listen to the clip below.
Listeners are told 'pressure is growing'. This apparent 'pressure' is being exerted by a leading human rights lawyer named Raju Bhatt.
So let's listen to what Mr Bhatt had to say when asked very specifically if the current child abuse inquiry be widened to include historic abuse at football.
Raju Bhatt says to attempt to widen the ongoing inquiry into historic child abuse would "cripple it". In that moment he exposes the claims being broadcast by Good Morning Scotland as fabrication. There is no pressure being exerted on Scottish ministers to widen the scope of their ongoing child abuse inquiry. On the contrary, Raju Bhatt backs Nicola Sturgeon's decision.
So what's going on? Good Morning Scotland is pushing a Scottish Labour inspired line. Kezia Dugdale has demanded the inquiry be widened. But that isn't pressure. It's just Scottish Labour trying to weaponise the football child abuse issue that's currently hit the headlines.
BBC Scotland needed to create an impression of pressure. So it used a leading human rights lawyer to do it. The impression was created that Nicola Sturgeon was standing in the way of calls from a leading rights lawyer, and others, who were asking for an inquiry into historic child abuse at football.
Using child abuse to craft an SNP Bad narrative is about as low as it gets.
If you enjoyed reading this article please feel free to make a small donation.


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- This event has passed.
Acton University 2017
June 20, 2017 - June 23, 2017
Event Navigation
Acton University is a unique, four-day exploration of the intellectual foundations of a free society. Guided by a distinguished, international faculty, Acton University is an opportunity to deepen your knowledge and integrate philosophy, theology, business, development – with sound, market based, economics.
Learn more about Acton University and register at the Acton University website.


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Govt Sindh Announces Special Shuttle Bus Service For PSL 3 Final in Karachi. There is good news for the people of Karachi. Today the government of Sindh is all set to launch the special shuttle bus service for PSL 3 final in Karachi.
The special shuttle bus service will run for the different spots of the city to pick the cricket fans to the stadium. The PSL 3 final is all set to play on 25th March 2018 at Karachi National Stadium and the public can avail the shuttle bus service from various locations and routes of the city to reach the stadium.
The idea of running the shuttle bus service on the final of PSL 3 has approved by the Chief Minister Sindh during the meeting with concerned department.
All type of business activities will remain close during PSL 3 final in Karachi
According to media reports the shuttle bus service will be available for the public at 47 different points in Karachi and nearly 300 buses will run to fetch the people to national stadium.
The government of Sindh is also planning to keep in order the security situation in Karachi on the final of PSL 3.
For more updates stay in touch with daytimes.pk
You can follow us on Twitter, add us to your circle on Google+ or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Technology, Entertainment, Sports, Gadgets, Latest Government Jobs, Cooking Recipes, Health and Beauty, Autos and Vehicles and Much.


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Tips and tricks for hunting and trapping wild boar and feral hogs.
Don't pile your bait up on top of the ground! Use a post hole digger and dig a hole as narrow and deep as you can; then fill it up with your bait. The top picture shows that the hogs will gobble it up within minutes. If the bait is hard to get to; they will have to take turns; this makes them hang around longer and forces them to sneak in during daylight hours to beat the crowd. This will increase your odds of taking one.
Trail Cam Safety And Camo
My good friends Scott Young and Ivan Murphy came up with some great ways to keep your trail cams safe. The Top was made by Scott out of an old ammo can; the bottom was made by Ivan out of a cash box.
Trail cams have become a valuble hunting tool. They can help you predict the future and save you time in the field. I use them constantly for research and predictability. I like to check my pictures as much as I do hunting! I suggest investing in a good digital; they can take hundreds of pictures and video as well. It is almost a sport itself.
If you use a stand or blind; camo it please! Hogs don't have the best eye sight in the animal kingdom, but they are not stupid either!
Shooting Lanes
Shooting lanes, trails, high lines, pipelines etc, are great places to stalk hogs and look for sign. You can walk quietly and see them from a distance. If you want to bait them in these places; scatter it out over a long distance to make them keep coming back to find it. I use my 4 wheeler with an auto feeder on the back to scatter bait here and there along trails.
Hog Wallows
Wild boar love to rub on trees and wallow in the mud to rid themselves of lice , blow flies, etc. Telephone poles are their favorite because they contain creosole (a preservative and bug repellent). I cut one up that fell in my yard during Hurricane Rita and took it to the woods for the hogs; they use it constantly. You can see the bed they have made beside the bottom picture.
Stand Location
Put your stand were the hogs are if your going to stand hunt! If you want to be succesful; you have to be willing to work , and get dirty! I have to wade to this stand sometimes, but I stick em in the pump station regularly.
The Dominant Boar and Feeders
Dominant boar are like an old buck, they like to be by themselves. Every now and then you will catch one in the daylight showing his authority.
While we are on the subject of dominant boar; hunting them can be difficult and challenging; because they are loaners, and they are well educated to survival. Large tracks that are by themselves usually indicate a dominant boar.
Stake down any feeder that you use. This boar picked up my barrel "that weighs about 500lbs when full" with his snout. He managed to crack the barrel. If you forget to stake down a barrel, they may run off with it through the woods dumping all of your feed out and ruining your feeder and hunting success.
It's Hunting Time – Baby Hog Tracks
When you see baby hog tracks; its time to hunt. momma hogs have a hard time keeping up with the babies and feeding them; they love to eat! Not only does nursing deplete momma from calcium, and makes her eat more often, but the babies are learning to eat real food and are not educated to rules of survival. They will lead the whole heard into the daylight. They want to eat and the heard wants to protect them! Hunt them down now!