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Stress Signaling Responses in PlantsView this Special Issue
Plant Responses to High Frequency Electromagnetic Fields
High frequency nonionizing electromagnetic fields (HF-EMF) that are increasingly present in the environment constitute a genuine environmental stimulus able to evoke specific responses in plants that share many similarities with those observed after a stressful treatment. Plants constitute an outstanding model to study such interactions since their architecture (high surface area to volume ratio) optimizes their interaction with the environment. In the present review, after identifying the main exposure devices (transverse and gigahertz electromagnetic cells, wave guide, and mode stirred reverberating chamber) and general physics laws that govern EMF interactions with plants, we illustrate some of the observed responses after exposure to HF-EMF at the cellular, molecular, and whole plant scale. Indeed, numerous metabolic activities (reactive oxygen species metabolism, α- and β-amylase, Krebs cycle, pentose phosphate pathway, chlorophyll content, terpene emission, etc.) are modified, gene expression altered (calmodulin, calcium-dependent protein kinase, and proteinase inhibitor), and growth reduced (stem elongation and dry weight) after low power (i.e., nonthermal) HF-EMF exposure. These changes occur not only in the tissues directly exposed but also systemically in distant tissues. While the long-term impact of these metabolic changes remains largely unknown, we propose to consider nonionizing HF-EMF radiation as a noninjurious, genuine environmental factor that readily evokes changes in plant metabolism.
1. Introduction
High frequency electromagnetic fields (HF-EMF, i.e., frequencies from 300 MHz to 3 GHz, wavelengths from 1 m to 10 cm) are mainly human-produced, nonionizing electromagnetic radiations that do not naturally occur in the environment, excluding the low amplitude VHF (very high frequency) cosmic radiation. HF-EMF are increasingly present in the environment [1] because of the active development of wireless technology, including cell phones, Wi-Fi, and various kinds of connected devices. Since living material is not a perfect dielectric, it readily interferes with HF-EMF in a way that depends upon several parameters, including (but not restricted to) its general shape, the conductivity and density of the tissue, and the frequency and amplitude of the EMF. The interaction between the living material and the electromagnetic radiation may (or not) induce an elevation of the tissue temperature, thus defining the thermal (versus nonthermal) associated metabolic responses. In the case of a thermal response, the resulting heat dissipation is normalized with the specific absorption rate (SAR) index. This has led to considerable research efforts to study the possible biological effects due to exposure to HF-EMF. While the vast majority of these studies have focused on animals and humans because of health concerns, with contradictory or nonconclusive results [2], numerous experiments have also been performed on plants. Plants are outstanding models compared to animals to conduct such investigations: they are immobile and therefore keep a constant orientation in the EMF and their specific scheme of development (high surface area to volume ratio) makes them ideally suited to efficiently intercept EMF [3]. It is also quite easy in plants to achieve genetically stable plant lines through the selection of species that favor asexual reproduction [4] or self-pollination [5]. Furthermore, metabolic mutants are easily available for several species and constitute invaluable tools to understand the way the EMF signal is transduced [6]. Indeed, several reports have pointed out that plants actually perceive HF-EMF of even small amplitudes and transduce them into molecular responses and/or alterations of their developmental scheme [3–9]. The way that HF-EMF interact with plants remains essentially unanswered. However, since EMF evoke a multitude of responses in plants, they might be considered as a genuine environmental stimulus. Indeed, EMF exposure alters the activity of several enzymes, including those of reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism [7], a well-known marker of plant responses to various kinds of environmental factors. EMF exposure also evokes the expression of specific genes previously implicated in plant responses to wounding [5, 8] and modifies the development of plants [9]. Furthermore, these responses are systemic insofar as exposure of only a small region of a plant results in almost immediate molecular responses throughout the plant [6]. These responses were abolished in the presence of calcium chelators [6] or inhibitors of oxidative phosphorylation [10] which implies the involvement of ATP pools. In the present review, we describe exposure devices, SAR determination methods, and biological responses (at both the cellular/molecular and whole plant levels) observed after plant exposure to EMF. We focused this review on radiated (i.e., EMF that are emitted through an antenna) HF-EMF (mainly within the range of 300 MHz–3 GHz) and consequently will not address the biological effects of static magnetic fields (SMF), extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF), or HF current injection, since their inherent physical properties are dramatically different from those of high frequencies. Therefore, the HF-EMF we consider should be viewed through the prism of classical electromagnetism: macroscopic electrodynamics phenomena described in terms of vector and scalar fields.
2. Exposure Systems and Dosimetry
HF-EMF are a combination of an electric field and a magnetic field governed by Maxwell's equations. At high frequency, these vector quantities are coupled and obey wave equations whether for propagating waves or for standing waves. In vacuum, the former travel at the speed of light (≈3 108 m s−1) and have the structure of a plane wave (Figure 1(a)). In other media, the speed decreases and the spatial distribution for the electric and the magnetic fields are generally arbitrary (thus not being a plane wave). The latter, which do not propagate but vibrate up and down in place, appear in some particular conditions (e.g., bounded medium like metallic cavity) and play important roles in many physical applications (resonator, waveguide, etc.).
In both cases, HF-EMF are characterized by an amplitude of the electric () or magnetic () components (measured in volts or amperes per meter), a frequency (number of cycles per second of the wave quantity, measured in hertz), and a wavelength (distance between wave crests, measured in meters). These properties are related through the following equation:where is the speed of the wave in the considered medium and is the period of the wave (time between successive wave crests, measured in seconds). The wavelength is then the distance traveled by the wave during a period .
The electromagnetic power density associated with an electromagnetic wave (measured in watts per square meter) is obtained by a vector product between the electric and magnetic field vectors (namely, the Poynting vector) for every point in space. The total HF-EMF power crossing any given surface is derived from Poynting's theorem [11]. For an incident plane wave in vacuum, the time-averaged electromagnetic power (measured in watts) illuminating a surface of 1 m2 orthogonal to the direction of propagation is given by the following equation:where is the characteristic impedance of free vacuum space (377 Ω).
The absorbed electromagnetic power (), converted to heat by Joule effect in a volume () and averaged over a time period, is given by (3) for an electrically and magnetically linear material that obeys Ohm's law (conductivity in siemens per meter):
2.1. Diversity of Exposure Devices
Due to the wide variety of electromagnetic waves, physicians developed a lot of electromagnetic exposure facilities, mainly for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) test purposes. Some of these devices are used for plant exposure to HF-EMF.
HF-EMF exposure set-up is usually made up with the following two basic elements: (i) HF source (radio frequency generator, Gunn oscillator) associated with a radiating element (antenna, strip-line) and (ii) a structure that allows the propagation of EM waves and the exposure of the sample. The simplest exposure set-up relies on the use of standard cell phones as a source of HF-EMF [12, 13] radiating in an open-area test site. While this apparatus has the advantage of being simple and economical, it poses many limitations that may compromise the quality of the exposure. Indeed, these communication devices are operated with different protocols that may modify or even interrupt the emitted power. Also, the biological samples are placed in the immediate neighborhood of the antenna, which is a region where the electromagnetic field is not completely established (near-field conditions) and therefore is difficult to measure; this situation may constitute an issue for bioelectromagnetics studies. These apparatuses are nowadays used only in a small proportion of studies. Moreover, the use of open-area test sites exposes the biological samples to the uncontrolled electromagnetic ambient environment. The use of shielded rooms is a good solution to overcome this issue. Indeed, anechoic chambers provide shielded enclosures, which are designed to completely absorb reflected electromagnetic waves. However, these facilities are often large structures requiring specific equipment and costly absorbers to generate an incident plane wave (far-field illumination) and are consequently seldom used for plant exposure [14, 15].
In contrast, numerous studies are based upon dedicated apparatus of relatively small volume (Figure 1(b)), namely, the transverse electromagnetic (TEM) cell [16]. TEM cells are usually quite small (about 50 cm long × 20 cm wide) and therefore only allow the use of seeds or seedlings as plant models. Many TEM cells are based upon the classic "Crawford cell" [17]. They consist of a section of rectangular coaxial transmission line tapered at each end to adapt to standard coaxial connectors. A uniform plane wave of fixed polarization and direction is generated in the sample space for experiments between the inner conductor (septum) and the upper metallic wall. Because this cost-efficient device is enclosed, high amplitude EMF can be developed with relatively little injected power. Under some conditions, two parallel walls of the TEM cell can be removed (therefore constituting the so-called open TEM cell) without dramatically compromising the performances. This configuration is adequate to allow plant lighting. Special attention must still be paid to the relative position of the samples in the system since the disposition of the different organs within the EMF could severely affect the efficiency of the plant samples' coupling with the electromagnetic field. The main TEM cell limitation is that the upper useful frequency is bound by its physical dimensions limiting the practical size of samples at high frequency.
The gigahertz transverse electromagnetic (GTEM) cell has emerged as a more recent EMF emission test facility (Figure 1(c)) [18]. It is a hybrid between an anechoic chamber and a TEM cell and could therefore be considered as a high frequency version of the TEM cell. The GTEM cell comprises only a tapered section, with one port and a broadband termination. This termination consists of a 50 Ω resistor board for low frequencies and pyramidal absorbers for high frequencies. This exposure device removes the inherent upper frequency limit of TEM cell while retaining some of its advantages (mainly the fact that no antenna set-up is required and the fact that high field strength could be achieved with low injected power).
Waveguides are another kind of screened enclosures that are seldom used in plant exposure [19, 20]. These classical and easy to use exposure devices generate traveling waves along the transmission coordinate and standing waves along the transverse coordinates. In contrast to the TEM cell, waveguides do not generate uniform plane waves but rather allow the propagation of more complex EMF, namely, propagation modes. Each mode is characterized by a cutoff frequency below which the mode cannot propagate. When the ends of the waveguide are short-circuited, a so-called resonant cavity is constituted, from which a recent large facility, originally designed for EMC studies, namely, the mode stirred reverberation chamber (MSRC, Figure 1(d)), is based. While this equipment is expensive and technically difficult to set up, it is the state of the art in terms of electromagnetic field characteristics, allowing the establishment of an isotropic and homogeneous field in a volume large enough to hold a dedicated plant culture chamber (either transparent or shielded toward EMF [6]). This latter characteristic permits experiments on large plants that are kept in an adequate controlled environment [6]. Our group pioneered the use of this facility, based on judicious combinations of standing waves patterns in a complex screened enclosure, in plant bioelectromagnetics studies [8] and extensively described the MSRC functionality [21]. Finally, each exposure set-up may differ in concept, polarization, frequency, or incident power but these setups always need to be optimally designed and based on well-understood physical concepts in order to assess well-controlled HF-EMF exposure conditions (homogeneity, repeatability, reproducibility, etc.).
2.2. Different Types of Exposure Signals
From each of the previous exposure devices, two very different types of EMF can be used to expose plants. The most commonly encountered mode is the continuous wave (CW) mode, in which the biological samples are continuously exposed for a specific duration to an EMF of given frequency and amplitude (rarely more than a few dozen V m−1). The second mode is the pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) mode, in which the biological samples are subjected to several series of discontinuous pulses of ultrashort duration EMF (within the range of μs to ns) and usually of very high amplitude (up to several hundred kV m−1). This last kind of exposure [22, 23] is seldom used because of the scarcity and great complexity of the equipment needed to generate the EMF and the difficulty to design the dedicated antennae able to deliver such ultrashort power surges [24].
The HF-EMF could also be modulated (i.e., varied in time at a given, usually much lower frequency). Only a few studies explicitly addressed modulation effect on biological responses. Răcuciu et al. [25] exposed maize caryopses to low levels (7 dBm), 900 MHz RF field, for 24 h in either continuous wave (CW), amplitude modulated (AM), or frequency modulated (FM) modes. They found that 12-day-old plant lengths were reduced by about 25% in modulated EMF (AM or FM type) compared to control (unexposed samples), while CW exposure had an opposite (growth stimulation) effect, suggesting that EMF modulation actually modifies biological responses.
2.3. Dosimetry
In order to compare the biological effects observed in different exposure conditions, the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements officially introduced in 1981 an EMF exposure metric, the specific absorption rate (SAR). The formal definition of this basic dosimetry (the amount of dose absorbed) is "the time derivative of the incremental energy absorbed () by (dissipated in) an incremental mass contained in a volume () of a given density ." From this definition and (3), the SAR (measured in W kg−1) is given by the following equation:SAR is the power absorbed by living tissue during exposure to CW-EMF (this quantity does not apply to PEMF mode because of the very short duration of the pulses that do not cause temperature increase in the samples). SAR can be calculated from the dielectric characteristics of plant tissues at the working frequencies, using (4). While could be easily determined, the value of is dependent upon the frequency and is difficult to assess in the range of GHz. It is usually evaluated from the literature [40], since the experimental set-up to measure this parameter at a given frequency (waveguide, open waveguide, and coaxial line technique, e.g., D-Line) is rarely used because of its complex set-up. From the biological heat-transfer equation, the SAR can also be determined using the temperature increase evoked in plant tissue after exposure to EMF, using the following equation:where is the heat capacity (J K−1 kg−1, which is available for some tissues in the literature) and (measured in Kelvin) is the sample temperature increase corresponding to the elapsed time (measured in second) since the beginning of HF-EMF exposure. Either for animals or plants, the SAR measurement is subject to uncertainty [46]. Since the specific heat is frequency independent and the temperature distribution is usually more uniform than the internal electric field, (5) provides, for detectable temperature increases, a better way for SAR estimation.
In animal and human tissue, SAR is determined using dedicated phantoms [47] filled with a special liquid that mimics the dielectric properties of biological fluids. While this approach is adequate in animals, in which the developmental scheme produced volumes, it could not be adapted to most plant organs (e.g., leaves) that have a high surface area to volume ratio [3] but could be used in fruits and tuberous structures. In contrast, surface temperature can be easily assessed with dedicated instruments (e.g., Luxtron® fiber optic temperature probe) and used to feed (5) [45]. The SAR can also be determined using the differential power method based on the measurement of power absorption (reviewed in [48]) that takes place in the absence or presence of biological samples [39]. The SAR is then calculated by dividing the absorbed power by the mass of the living material.
3. Biological Responses
Biological responses should be considered as reporters of, and evidence for, the plant's ability to perceive and interact with EMF. These responses can take place at the subcellular level, implying molecular events or modification of enzymatic activities, or at the level of the whole plant, taking the form of growth modification. Tables 1–3 summarize some work reporting HF-EMF effects observed at the scale of the whole plant, biochemical processes, or gene regulation, respectively.
3.1. Cellular and Molecular Level
Numerous reports [4, 7, 33] indicate an increase in the production of malondialdehyde (MDA, a well-known marker of membrane alteration) along with ROS metabolism activation after exposing plants to HF-EMF (Table 1). Membrane alteration and ROS metabolism activation are likely to establish transduction cascades that enable specific responses. Indeed, the critical role of calcium, a crucial second messenger in plants, has long been pointed out [6, 10]: the responses (e.g., changes in calm-n6, lecdpk-1, and pin2 gene expression) to EMF exposure are severely reduced when plants are cultivated with excess of calcium or in the presence of calcium counteracting agents (Figure 2) such as chelators (EGTA and BAPTA) or a channel blocker (LaCl3). The importance of calcium in the establishment of the plant response is also highlighted by the fact that early gene expression associated with EMF exposure involves at least 2 calcium-related products (calmodulin and calcium-dependent protein kinase) [5, 10]. This response is also energy-dependent: an important drop (30%, Figure 3) in ATP content and adenylate energy charge (AEC) occurs after HF-EMF exposure [10]. It is not clear for now if the AEC drop is the consequence of altered membranes allowing passive ATP exit or if higher consumption of ATP occurred because of increased metabolic activity. Indeed, it is well known that a drop in AEC stimulates the catabolic enzymatic pathways through allosteric modulations. Nevertheless, inhibiting ATP biosynthesis with the decoupling agent carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazone (CCCP) abolished plant responses to EMF exposure [10]. Nitric oxide (NO) is another signaling molecule that is tightly related to environmental factors' impact on plants [49]. NO rapidly increases after various kinds of stimuli including drought stress or wounding. Chen et al. [50] recently demonstrated the increased activity of nitric oxide synthase and accumulation of NO after exposing caryopses of wheat for 10 s to high power 2.45 GHz EMF. Similarly, Qiu et al. [51] showed in wheat that the tolerance to cadmium evoked by microwave pretreatment was abolished by the addition of 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (carboxy-PTIO), an NO scavenger, suggesting that microwave-induced NO production was involved in this mechanism. Taken together, these results advocate for the EMF induction of NO synthase. However, these studies used high power EMF (modified microwave oven) as stimulating tool and the fact that a temperature increase of the sample was the cause of NO increase is not excluded. To our knowledge, the involvement of NO has not yet been demonstrated after low power (i.e., nonthermal) EMF exposure. Furthermore, well-known actors of plant responses to environmental stimuli are also involved: the tomato mutants sitiens and JL-5 for abscisic (ABA) or jasmonic (JA) acids biosynthesis, respectively, display normal responses (accumulation of stress-related transcripts) when whole plants are exposed to EMF [6]. In contrast, very rapid distant responses to local exposure that occur in the wild plants (Figure 4(a)) are impaired in sitiens ABA mutant (Figure 4(b)) and JL-5 mutants, highlighting the existence of a transmitted signal (whose genesis and/or transmission is dependent on ABA and JA) in the whole plant after local exposure [6]. The nature of this signal is still unknown, but very recent work has demonstrated that membrane potential is affected after exposure to EMF [14]. It could therefore be hypothesized that electrical signals (action potential and/or variation potential) could be the transmitted signal, strongly implying that HF-EMF is a genuine environmental factor.
(a) Standard (0.73 mM calcium)
(b) Standard + calcium (7.3 mM)
(c) Standard − calcium (0 M)
(d) EGTA (0.5 mM)
(e) BAPTA (0.4 mM)
(f) LaCl3 (0.1 mM)
3.1.1. Alterations of Enzymatic Activities
Table 1 summarizes some of the enzymatic activities that are modified after exposing plants to HF-EMF. As previously noted, ROS metabolism is very often activated after plant exposure to EMF. Enzymatic activities such as peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and ascorbate peroxidase have twofold to fourfold increase [4, 7, 18, 27, 33]. The question remains open to determine if this could be the consequence of a direct action of EMF on living tissue. Indeed, the very low energy that is associated with the EMF at these frequencies makes them nonionizing radiations. Side effects of elevated ROS metabolism are also noted: H2O2 production [4, 7], MDA increases [4, 7, 33], and protein damage [30]. An increase in polyphenol oxidase [27] and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase [26] may indicate stress responses linked to an increased lignification, a common response of plants to environmental stress.
Protein content is reduced in Vigna and Phaseolus [27, 32] as well as in Triticum [13]. It is not yet known if the decrease in protein content results from an increase in protein degradation and/or a decrease in protein synthesis, but this may constitute a stimulating field of investigation, since evidence shows that mRNA selection from translation occurs after plant exposure to HF-EMF [10]. Hydrolytic enzymatic activities (α- and β-amylases and invertases) responsible for the production of soluble sugar increase in germinating seeds after exposure to HF-EMF [12, 28, 32], while the starch phosphorylase activity, phosphorolytic and potentially reversible, is diminished. In contrast, HF-EMF exposure causes a drop of soluble sugar that may be related to the inhibition of Krebs cycle and pentose phosphate pathway in Plectranthus (Lamiaceae) leaves after exposure to 900 MHz EMF [29], suggesting that seeds and adult leaves respond in a different way to HF-EMF exposure. The accumulation of proline, reported by several authors [7, 33], and an increase in terpenoid emission and content in aromatic plants [34] are also classical responses of plants to environmental stresses.
3.1.2. Modification of Gene Expression
While numerous reports focused on enzymatic activities alterations after exposure to EMF, only a few studies concentrate on gene expression modifications (Table 2). Tafforeau et al. [44] demonstrated using Gunn generator (105 GHz) several reproducible variations in 2D gel electrophoresis profiles, showing that gene expression is likely to be altered by the exposure treatment. Jangid et al. [52] provided indirect proof (RAPD profiles) suggesting that high power microwave irradiation (2450 MHz, 800 W cm−2) modifies gene expression in Vigna aconitifolia, while these results do not exclude a possible thermal effect of microwave treatment. Arabidopsis thaliana suspension-cultured cells exposed to HF-EMF (1.9 GHz, 8 mW cm−2) showed differential expression of several genes ( values < 0.05) compared to the control (unexposed) condition in microarray analysis [36]. Most of them are downregulated (while At4g39675, At5g10040, and AtCg00120 displayed a slight increase; see Table 2). However, the RT-PCR value lowers the significance of these variations and these authors consequently concluded the absence of HF-EMF effect on plant gene expression. In contrast, short duration, high frequency, low amplitude EMF exposure (10 min, 900 MHz, 5 V m−1) performed on whole 3-week-old tomatoes in MSRC [5, 6, 8, 10] demonstrated altered expressions of at least 5 stress-related genes (Table 2), suggesting that whole plants are more sensitive to HF-EMF than cultured cells. These experiments have been independently replicated by Rammal et al. [35], using a longer exposure period and a far less sophisticated exposure set-up (cell phone). Stress responses of plants quite often display a biphasic pattern [53]: a very rapid increase in transcript accumulation that lasts 15–30 min, followed by a brief return to basal level, and then a second increase (after 60 min). This pattern was observed after tomato exposure to EMF so we questioned the meaning of the early and late population of transcripts in terms of physiological significance by measuring their association to polysomes (which reflects their putative translation to proteins). We found that the early (0–15 min) mRNA population was only faintly associated with polysomes, yet being poorly translated, while the late mRNA population (60 min) is highly associated with polysomes [10]. This result strongly suggests that only the late mRNA population may have a physiological importance since it is the only one to be efficiently translated into proteins.
3.2. Whole Plant Level
The biochemical and molecular modifications observed after plant exposure to EMF and described in the previous paragraphs might induce morphogenetic alterations of plant development. Indeed, an increasing number of studies report modifications of plant growth after exposure to HF-EMF (Table 3). These treatments are effective at different stages of plant development (seeds, seedlings, or whole plants) and may affect different organs or developmental processes including seeds germination and stem and root growth, indicating that biological samples of even small sizes (a few mm) are able to perceive HF-EMF. Seed exposure to EMF generally results in a reduced germination rate [27, 37, 39], while in other cases germination is unaffected [42] or even stimulated [16]. The seedlings issued from EMF-exposed seeds displayed reduced growth of roots and/or stem [13, 28, 32, 37–39, 41] but rarely a stimulatory effect [16]. This point strongly differs from exposure to static magnetic fields or extremely low frequency EMF, in which the stimulatory effects on growth are largely predominant [54]. Ultrashort pulsed high power EMF (PEMF, 4 μs, 9.3 GHz, 320 kV m−1) also tends to stimulate germination of seeds of radish, carrot, and tomato and increase plant height and photosynthetic surface area in radish and tomato [20] and roots of tobacco seedlings [22]. These different effects of PEMF compared to HF-EMF on plants may be related to their fundamental difference in terms of physical properties. Exposure to HF-EMF of seedlings or plants (rather than seeds) also generally resulted in growth inhibition [9, 18, 27, 28, 39]. Singh et al. [7] showed that rhizogenesis (root number and length) is severely affected in mung bean after exposure to cell phone radiation, possibly through the activation of several stress-related enzymes (peroxidases and polyphenol oxidases). Akbal et al. [38] showed that root growth was reduced by almost 60% in Lens culinaris seeds exposed in the dormant state to 1800 MHz EMF radiation. Concomitantly, these authors reported an increase in ROS-related enzymes, lipid peroxidation, and proline accumulation, with all of these responses being characteristic of plant responses to stressful conditions. Afzal and Mansoor [13] investigated the effect of a 72 h cell phone exposure (900 MHz) on both monocotyledonous (wheat) and dicotyledonous (mung bean) plants seeds: germination was not affected, while the seedlings of both species displayed growth inhibition, protein content reduction, and strong increase in the enzymatic activities of ROS metabolism. It is however worth noting that growth of mung bean and water convolvulus seedlings exposed at a lower frequency (425 MHz, 2 h, 1 mW) is stimulated because of higher elongation of primary root [11], while duckweed (Lemna minor, Araceae) growth was significantly slowed down not only by exposure at a similar frequency (400 MHz, 4 h, 23 V m−1) but also after exposure at 900 and 1900 MHz for different field amplitudes (23, 41, and 390 V m−1) at least in the first days following the exposure [18]. Surducan et al. [15] also found stimulation of seedling growth in bean and maize after exposure to EMF (2.452 GHz, 0.005 mW cm−2). Senavirathna et al. [55] studied real-time impact of EMF radiation (2 GHz, 1.42 W m−2) on instantaneous growth in the aquatic plant, parrot's feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum, Haloragaceae), using nanometer scale elongation rate fluctuations. These authors demonstrated that EMF-exposed plants displayed reduced fluctuation rates that lasted for several hours after the exposure, strongly suggesting that plants' metabolism experienced a stressful situation. It is worth noting that the exposure did not cause any plant heating (as measured using sensitive thermal imaging). Some other kind of morphological changes also occurred after plant exposure to HF-EMF: induction of epidermal meristems in flax [44], flower bud abscission [43], nitrogen-fixation nodule number increase in leguminous [42], or delayed reduced growth of secondary axis in Rosa [45].
These growth reductions may be related to a lower photosynthetic potential since Răcuciu et al. [40] showed that exposing 12-day-old maize seedlings to 0.47 W kg−1 1 GHz EMF induces a drop in photosynthetic pigment content: the diminution was especially important in chlorophyll a, which was reduced by 80% after 7 h of exposure. Ursache et al. [56] showed that exposure of maize seedlings to microwave (1 mW cm−2, 10.75 GHz) also caused a drop in chlorophyll a and b content. Similarly, Hamada [57] found a decrease in chlorophyll content in 14-day-old seedlings after exposing the caryopses for 75 min at 10.5 GHz. Kumar et al. showed a 13% decrease in total chlorophyll after 4 h exposure of maize seedlings to 1800 MHz (332 mW m−2). These modifications may be related to abnormal photosynthetic activity, which relies on many parameters, including chlorophyll and carotenoid content. Senavirathna et al. [58] showed that exposing duckweeds to 2–8 GHz, 45–50 V m−1 EMF induced changes in the nonphotosynthetic quenching, indicating a potential stressful condition. Three aromatic species belonging to Apiaceae family (Petroselinum crispum, Apium graveolens, and Anethum graveolens) strongly respond to global system for mobile communications radiation (GSM, 0.9 GHz, 100 mW cm−2) or wireless local area network (WLAN, 2.45 GHz, 70 mW cm−2) exposure by decreasing the net assimilation rate (over 50%) and the stomatal conductance (20–30%) [34].
4. Conclusion and Future Prospects
An increasing number of reports highlight biological responses of plants after exposure to HF-EMF at the molecular and the whole plant level. The exposure conditions are, however, far from being standardized and illustrate the diversity of exposure conditions employed. However, future work should avoid exposure in near-field conditions (i.e., in immediate vicinity of the emission antenna) where the field is instable and difficult to characterize. Similarly, the use of communication devices (i.e., cell phones) should be avoided as emission sources since it may be difficult to readily control the exposure conditions because of built-in automation that may overcome the experimental set-up. The use of specialized devices (TEM cells, GTEM cell, waveguides, MSRC, etc.) in which a precise control of exposure condition can be achieved is highly preferable.
Shckorbatov [59] recently reviewed the possible interactions mechanisms of EMF with living organisms. While the classical targets (interaction with membranes, free radicals, and intracellular regulatory systems) have all been observed in plants, a convincing interpretation of the precise mechanism of HF-EMF interaction with living material is still needed. Alternative explanation (i.e., electromagnetic resonance achieved after extremely high frequency stimulation which matches some kind of organ architecture) has also been proposed for very high frequency EMF (several dozen GHz) [60]. However, the reality of this phenomenon in vivo (studied for now only through numerical simulations) and its formal contribution to the regulation of plant development have not yet been experimentally established. Amat et al. [61] proposed that light effects on plants arose not only through chromophores, but also through alternating electric fields which are induced in the medium and able to interact with polar structures through dipole transitions. The possible associated targets (ATP/ADP ratio, ATP synthesis, and Ca2+ regulation) are also those affected by exposure to HF-EMF [10]. It could therefore be speculated that HF-EMF may use similar mechanisms. The targeted pathways, especially Ca2+ metabolism, are well known to modulate numerous responses of plants to environmental stress. While deeper understanding of plant responses to HF-EMF is still needed, these treatments may initiate a set of molecular responses that may affect plant resistance to environmental stresses, as already demonstrated in wheat for CaCl2 [62] or UV [63] tolerances, and constitute a valuable strategy to increase plant resistance to environmental stressful conditions.
Conflict of Interests
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper.
The authors would like to gratefully acknowledge the LRC BIOEM ("Laboratoire de Recherche Conventionné"—LRC no. 002-2011-CEA DAM/Institut Pascal) for its financial support.
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Why Should I Register at My Parish?
Fr. William Saunders
I am a recent convert to Catholicism. However, when I wanted to register at the church where I attended adult catechism classes, the parish secretary declined my request because I did not live within the parish boundaries. What are the benefits and significance of parish registration?A reader in Fairfax
Before delving into the question of parish registration, we must first be mindful of what a parish is. The word parish itself originates in Judaism and identifies the body of people. "Parish" denoted the Israelites living in exile in Egypt. Later, "parish" signified the earthly existence of Israel living in this world but not as part of this world; rather, as a parish of pilgrim people of God, the Israelites looked forward to the heavenly Jerusalem.
In Christianity the term was similarly used to denote the Church community living in the Kingdom of God now in this world but with a view to its fulfillment in the heavenly Kingdom. St. peter reminded the early Church, "Conduct yourselves reverently during your sojourn in a strange land" (1Pt 1:17), highlighting that idea of a pilgrim people journeying toward heaven.
During the time of persecution, the parish was each individual community headed by a bishop. By A.D. 100, the bishop would send priests to offer Mass in homes especially in the rural areas. Moreover, each priest would also carry some of the holy Eucharist consecrated by the bishop to be distributed to the faithful at these sites as a sign of their unity as a whole Church.
After the legalization of Christianity, the diocesan structure soon came into existence. The bishop oversaw the care of the entire diocese, referred to as "the Church," e.g. the "Church of Arlington," and appointed priests as pastors in his stead to care for the local, smaller communities, now designated as "parishes." By the time of Popes Zosimus (417-18) and Leo the Great (440-461), parishes were given specific geographical areas by the bishop to ensure the pastoral care of the people. However, because of the politics surrounding the feudal system of the Middle Ages, sometimes the jurisdiction of the bishop as well as the territory of parishes were not so clear.
The Council of Trent (1545-63) addressed the parish structure of the diocese and established these governing principles: The bishop is pastor of his flock. He must live within and personally govern his diocese, which includes visiting his parishes. He must ensure the authentic preaching of the faith and administration of the sacraments. Therefore, to meet the needs of the faithful, the bishop creates parishes with specific boundaries and appoints properly educated pastors and assistants.
The present <Code of Canon Law> reflects this history, stating, "A parish is a definite community of the Christian faithful established on a stable basis within a particular Church; the pastoral care of the parish is entrusted to a pastor as its own shepherd under the authority of the diocesan bishop" (No. 515). Even if a bishop determines that the pastoral care of a parish or parishes is entrusted to a team of several priests, one priest should direct the activity and be responsible to the bishop. Likewise, in the case of the death of a pastor or when no resident pastor can be appointed, the bishop must still appoint a priest with the powers and faculties of a pastor to ensure the pastoral care of the faithful (No. 517).
The pastor has grave responsibilities to his flock. He must preach the Word of God; instruct the people in the faith; promote apostolic works; see to the Catholic education of children; reach out to those either who have stopped practicing the faith or who do not believe; ensure the devout celebration of the sacraments, particularly the most holy Eucharist and penance; and foster family prayer and devotion (No. 528).
However, parish life does not depend solely on the priests. The Second Vatican Council's "Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People" asserted that the laity should be filled with an apostolic spirit and work closely with their priests. "Nourished by their active participation in the liturgical life of their community, they engage zealously in its apostolic works; they draw men toward the Church who had been perhaps very far away from it; they ardently cooperate in the spread of the word of God, particularly by catechetical instruction; by their expert assistance they increase the efficacy of the care of souls as well as of the administration of the goods of the Church (No. 10).
Therefore, the pastor, his assistants and the faithful work together to build a sense of community within the parish, particularly through the celebration of the Mass. For this reason, under normal circumstances, adults are to be baptized in their parish church and infants in the parish church of their parents; and couples are to be married in the parish where either the bride or groom lives. Through the spirit and practice of the laity and clergy working together to foster this community, the relationship of the parish to the bishop is strengthened ("Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy," No. 42).
To help ensure this dynamic in the parish, the Church requires registration. Parish registration creates a two-fold obligation. On one hand, the pastor is obligated to support the mission and needs of the parish. On the other hand, the individual is obligated to support the mission and needs of the parish.
In her wisdom, the Church has seen the practice of registering at the church responsible for a particular territory as the best way for both priests and laity to meet these obligations. The <Code of Canon law> stipulates, "As a general rule a parish is to be territorial, that is, it embraces all of the Christian faithful within a certain territory; whenever it is judged useful, however, personal parishes are to be established based upon rite, language, the nationality of the Christian faithful within some territory or even upon some determining factor" (No. 518).
In our society today, sometimes a person may feel more comfortable at a particular parish or like the ambiance of a particular parish even though it is not the territorial parish where the person lives. When a pastor allows these individuals to register, he also accepts the responsibility for their spiritual care. For instance, if a person were sick or dying, that parish priest now has the responsibility for that person. The ironic part is that in cases of emergency, usually the priests of the closest parishthe territorial parishget the call.
Pope Pius X reminded us that the purpose of the parish is to gather people with their different backgrounds and talents and insert them into the universality of the Church. The parish is a microcosm of the whole Church. While nurturing the souls of the faithful members, the parish as a whole must be ready to respond to the broader needs of the diocese and the national and international Church. The faithful must also have a sense of serving the needs of all the faithful throughout the world and of building up the Kingdom of God now.
Fr. Saunders is president of Notre Dame Institute and associate pastor of Queen of Apostles Parish, both in Alexandria.

subset: commoncrawl


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Can You Help Us With Photographs Of This Trek?
We are looking to enrich this documentation with more photos. Pictures go a long way in explaining the trail, more than words ever can. If you have done this trek, can you share your photos with us? We will include them on this page, with due credit to you. Click here to contribute.
The trek through Andharban is one of the most refreshing treks in the Sahyadri region. The name 'Andharban' is a compound word, coming from Andhar, meaning 'dark', and ban, which means 'forest'. Literally the 'dark forest', Andharban is a trail through dense overgrowth, with beautiful views of the Devkund waterfall, Plus Valley and the Tamhini Ghat along the way. Scattered throughout with numerous small streams and waterfalls, it is a descending trek – it begins at an elevation of approximately 2,160 feet in the Sahyadri mountains and descends down into the valley, to reach the backwaters of the Bhira Dam.
Trek Details
- Altitude: 2,160 ft
- Time taken: 4-5 hours, 13 km
- Trek gradient: Easy-moderate. Mostly descending trails with a few flat walks.
- Water sources: None. Carry at least 3 litres of water.
Andharban is open all day. In fact, people sometimes treat this as a night trek as well, the only extra precaution being that they need to carry torches and be extra careful to the trail. However, for someone going for the first time, it is always recommended that they trek during the day, as it is easier to lose your way after nightfall, and one small wrong turn could mean that you wander into the Kundalika Valley. It is best to depart for Andharban early in the morning, timing the journey so as to reach the start point latest by 9 am.
The start point of the trek is about 200 metres away from Pimpri village, at a location called Independence point near the Pimpri Dam. There is no specific marking for the start point, but the trail is clearly visible. You can ask nearby villagers for directions if needed. A path winds through a broken chain-link fence. Here, trekkers need to pay a fee of Rs.50 per person before embarking on the trek. There is no permanent counter as such, just a temporary shelter, but the fee is legitimate, and trekkers get a formal receipt acknowledging the charge paid.
The trail essentially maps a shallow U-shaped turn around the backwaters of the Bhira Dam, in the Kundalika Valley. In spite of being a continuous drop, the extreme humidity and slippery route make it slightly tough. It takes around 4-5 hours to cover the 13 km trail.
The trail runs completely through a dense jungle and is far from any human habitation. Make sure you carry light snacks, and enough water to last (at least 3 litres) as there are no sources of drinkable water along the route.
Being a jungle trek, Andharban offers views of flora and fauna, with several species of birds to be seen, such as the chaatak, the Malabar whistling thrush, dwarf kingfishers, and minivets among several others. The Indian Giant Squirrel has been seen around the area, although sightings are rare.
The path continues along the top of a wall abutting the Pimpri dam for about a hundred metres, after which it turns right, and enters an open area. You'll see paddy fields on both sides of it. This road continues for about 200 metres before reaching two tall bushes. Turn right here. This point is easily recognizable because of a visible, well-made route, and a signboard marking the start of the trail a few metres ahead on the right.
This trail continues straight for a while, with the Kundalika valley on the left and the mountains to the right. This is not yet the start of Andharban. The undergrowth slowly begins to grow dense as we go in deeper, although it is still easy to navigate. Through the course of the trek, we encounter three major streams of rivers, the first of which is reached at the end of this path, after about an hour's walking. This can sometimes be turbulent during the monsoons, and might need ropes to cross it with.
The trail picks up on the opposite bank, and continues for almost 1.5 km of a flat walk through a winding route before reaching another rivulet, after a sharp U-bend. This rivulet too tends to overflow. However, a cable has been provided at the crossing. After a slight ascent up into the hills (about 10 ft of climb), the trail winds into a dark forest, and it is here that Andharban truly begins.
Although the forest can get quite dark, especially due to the presence of fog during the rains, the trail throughout is very clearly visible, with little chance of going awry. Trekkers should watch out for leeches. We suggest you wear full-sleeved/length clothes. There are markers set by previous travelers to mark paths to avoid. In several places, fallen tree logs have been placed horizontally across trails that need to be avoided.
The walk through the dense forest is one of a very gradual descent. It continues for almost three kilometres before it climbing a small hill. Here, it opens into a wide open plateau-like space. Plus Valley to the left provides a wonderful view. This is a good place to set up a temporary camp and lunch. Alternately, one could walk 5 more minutes to get to Hirdi, a small village nearby. Hirdi does not have too many options for dining, although bathroom facilities can be availed of here.
From Hirdi, the road turns right, and leads downwards into the valley. A gradual descent begins here. The easiest way to spot the route is that there are several slippery round stones marking the trail. This descent continues for almost 2 km. The trail then opens into a wide plateau (people camp here for the night, sometimes, but it is preferable to walk ahead for better views, and to keep a distance from the village).
From this point onwards, the road, again, is a mostly flat walk, except now the backwaters of Bhira Dam can be seen to the left/front side. This patch of the trail, although easy, is long. It ends at a wide river flowing across the trail. This river, although broad, is shallow and easy to cross even during the rainy season.
Past the river, the road continues straight onwards, and, slowly, small huts and shops can be seen on the left side of the road. Walking straight on, the trail reaches Patnus village, and, ahead of it, Bhira village. Patnus has several lodges for staying overnight and/or changing into fresh clothes, as well as options for lunch (one small dhaba owned by 'Kulkarni Kaka' is recommended). The village is the end point for the trek, and also where the trekkers should ideally ask their vehicles to arrive for pickup.
Trekkers are recommended to begin the journey by 9 am at the latest, reaching Patnus by 3/4 pm, and then driving back to Lonavala before nightfall. If you choose to stay overnight at Patnus, there are several lodges and rooms (costing Rs. 500 per person on an average, including food ), and even a few camping sites.
Andharban is open all year round, but the best time to visit would be the monsoon, and the post-monsoon period, when dense fog settles down in the forest, and everything is fresh and green. Although purely a descending trek throughout, Andharban manages to elevate the senses to a completely new level.
➤ Short Itinerary
- Andharban is an unusually trek in Maharashtra, where the trail is descending throughout
- Trek through a deep forest that becomes almost dark when it's blanketed under fog
- Get fantastic view of the Bhira Dam and Plus valley through clearings on the trek
➤ How to Reach the Base of Andharban Trek
Andharban trek begins at Pimpri village near Tamhini Ghat. This is situated 50 km south of Lonavala. It can be reached either by a private vehicle, or public transport. State Transport buses run from Lonavala to Bhamburde village (around 35 km away), from where one can walk down to Pimpri village 14 km away, or hire a vehicle for a one-way trip. Pimpri village can also be reached by a private vehicle, by driving down from Lonavala towards Tamhini Ghat via the Lonavala-Aamby Valley road, which takes 1.5 hours on an average, or take a shared rickshaw (unreliable).
It is preferable to go to Andharban in a private vehicle with a hired driver (which costs around 1500-2000 rupees per vehicle if you can haggle), as trekkers usually leave the vehicle and follow the trail into the valley while the driver takes the vehicle down to the dam, to pick the trekkers up at the end of the walk. Rarely, trekkers may camp at the base near Bhira Dam, and walk back up the same way the next morning. One could, in theory, drive down to Pimpri, park the vehicle at the start point, and come back up to the start, hailing a cab from Bhira or Patnus village. There are, however, no reliable public transport services when coming back from Bhira, unless you manage to avail a lift. I'd say the best option for travel would be to hire a cab for the day from Mumbai/Pune itself, which amounts to 2300- 3000 rupees at the maximum for a four-seater.
➤ Trek Contribution
Photographs courtesy: Uday Sukhthankar
Information courtesy: Omkar Kokamthankar, Uday Sukhthankar, Vidya Sukhthankar, Nihar Shrotri.
This trek has been researched and documented by Revati Tongaonkar & Sneha Rao


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About MassModern
Atomic Ranch Summer 2015
Contact Us
To The Trade
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Frank Lloyd Wright
Taliesin Group Rectangular Dining Table #2002
Heritage-Henredon, 1955
Rectangular dining table, top over a double "V" base, Taliesin design to edges. Two original 16" leaves with conforming Taliesin molding detail.
64"w x 42"d x 29"h.
This table is marked "#36."
This is a great example of Wright's hallmark piece from the Taliesin Collection. The condition of the table is excellent. The table is strong and sturdy. The mahogany on the table top is extremely active with a warm 59 year patina. Wright's "Greek Key" border molding detail is in exceptional condition with each of 178 repetitions of the design complete with no losses. The table bases maintain similar warmth and patina. There are two near-mint condition table leaves in their original box. There are no significant condition concerns to this table, with several specific observations made below.
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Table Leaves
The most exciting aspect of this table may be the expansion leaves, which were found nearly unused in the original carton. Although the carton shows signs of water contact, these leafs are in incredible condition. Always boxed, there is absolutely no fading from light exposure. There are no usage marks. The leafs maintain the exact color and sheen level as when they left the Henredon workshop in 1955. The molding detail on the leafs is in flawless condition.
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One Owner
Our table has a wonderful one owner history. A young couple bought the table at Bloomingdales New York flagship store in 1956, then using it at their Manhattan apartment until approximately 1964. Their growing family then moved to Westport, CT, where the table was used
until the early 1980's
. The table remained not in use at the Westport home until September 2014. We were fortunate to hear this history directly from the couple who originally purchased the table in 1956.
Overall condition is excellent / excellent+
The table is 100% original. There has been no restoration of any kind; no apparent repairs. All hardware is present and functional. The table has been waxed, with the leafs left untouched. The table shows as very warm and very original.
There is an extensive further condition report available; see the link below.
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The table bases all show very nicely. There are minor shoe scuffs to each of the four interior base panels. Each of the bases has a substantial cloth felt-like pad attached, which we have found useful and have retained. One outer base has three other marks.
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Extended Condition Report and Additional Photos
click here
All images and text copyright
2008 - 2014, 2015, 2016
except no claim to copyright in images or text rights
retained of others displayed on this page


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The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
One of Oklahoma's more than fifty All-Black towns, Brooksville is one of only thirteen still existing at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Located in Pottawatomie County four miles southwest of Tecumseh, Brooksville was established in 1903. Originally the town was named Sewell, after a white doctor who owned much of the surrounding land and who attended the residents. In 1912 the name changed to Brooksville in honor of the first African American in the area, A. R. Brooks, a cotton buyer and farmer. His son, W. M. Brooks, became the first postmaster. In 1906 Rev. Jedson White organized St. John's Baptist Church. Soon afterward, the congregation built a church that still exists. White also promoted the town throughout the South, urging African Americans to settle there. Brooksville had a Santa Fe Railroad station, three hotels, two doctors, and two mills.
In 1924, with the aid of the Rosenwald Fund, a new school was built. Banneker School, under management of W. T. McKenzie, was a rock building of four large rooms, a three-hundred-seat auditorium, a small library, and a well-equipped domestic science room. George W. McLaurin, the first African American graduate student at the University of Oklahoma, taught at the school. After a fire, the original building was replaced by a wooden one that served students until the school closed in 1968. The building then became a community center for the town and stands next to the new city hall. A declining cotton market and the Great Depression made life difficult in Brooksville, as in many Oklahoma communities. Most of the residents departed, but the town survived. It incorporated in October 1972, and the census reported populations of 46 and 69 in 1980 and 1990, respectively. At the turn of the twenty-first century Brooksville had 90 residents, but by 2010 the number had dropped to 63.
See Also
AFRICAN AMERICANS, ALL-BLACK TOWNS, FRATERNAL ORDERS–AFRICAN AMERICAN, McLAURIN v. OKLAHOMA STATE REGENTS, ROSENWALD SCHOOLS, SEGREGATION
"Brooksville," Vertical File, Research Division, Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City.
Frontier Lore, 1975 (Shawnee, Okla.: Pottawatomie County Historical Society, 1975).
Shawnee (Oklahoma) Escort, November 18, 1973.
Browse By TopicAfrican Americans
The following (as per The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition) is the preferred citation for articles:
Larry O'Dell, "Brooksville," The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=BR023.
© Oklahoma Historical Society


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Rae Allen reviewed:
Pirate Rage (The Federation Reborn Book 2)
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This review is from: Pirate Rage (The Federation Reborn Book 2) (Kindle Edition)
Less engineer and more military sci-fi, the ongoing story of rebuilding the Federation under pressure from a pirate empire continues to impress.
from Customer reviews on Amazon http://amzn.to/1NtLp4Q
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Join OurStage to discover and listen to new music from great indie artists.
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The music i produce is an expression of the many things that you may hear and feel in daily life. It is thought provoking and timeless music. I was born and raised in the Mission District of San Francisco, my name is Adonis a.k.a DJ A.D.Stylez and the crew is Just Rockin Productions i.e. J.R.P. consisting of my older brother and advisor B-Boy King Finesse, Royale the Maniac and MC Lonski out of Sacramento, Ca. He is an incredible lyricist and hot beat maker, also. I myself have been grinding since 1984 i.e. J.R.P.1984 and i am an Original B-Boy, DJ, MC and Graph Artist. I'm a big fan of all types of music, not just HIP HOP. For my own listening pleasure, I can't limit myself to just HIP HOP.Thank you for this moment in time....Now take a minute, 2 minutes to be exact and enjoy this for your listening pleasure. Projects: Close ya Eyes and Open ya Mind the J.R.P.Xperience, Mind Stimulation the A.D.Xperience, Blends of Kaos the MixTape Theory, SwaggMatic, just to name a few.


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Fiction: Beauty by Emma Hines
Words by Emma Hines
Image by Christine Stoddard
I can't wear the same outfit in public twice. Not because the tabloids will judge me, but because nothing I wear outside of the ten-foot high electrified fence that guards my house ever makes it back in one piece. Once, when I was feeling particularly masochistic, I looked up how much scraps of cloth that had touched my body were going for on eBay, and it made me sick.
My hair goes for more, though, which is why I have so little of it left. Most of my money goes towards wigs, to hide the bloody mess that is my scalp, and makeup to hide the blotchy mess that is my skin.
The line between a blessing and a curse is thin as the thread on a fairy-tale spindle.
You see, Faeries don't like it when you seek them out. Faeries don't like it when you wear iron in your party dress and corner them in the club. Faeries don't like it when you force them to promise you a favor.
Faeries do like it when you don't choose your words wisely.
Make me the most beautiful person in the world, so that everyone will love me!
I looked it up, and it would have been easier to give me clear skin, a straight nose, a better body, and healthier hair. Instead, it opted to change the beauty standards of every society on earth to match my appearance, which would have taken a monumental amount of energy, but, then again, that Faerie was pissed.
At first, it was fun. I got Instagram followers and modeling jobs and secret admirers who sent me dozens and dozens of roses every night. I paid an assistant a hundred dollars an hour to do my hair and help me dress read all the love letters to me while I lounged on my bed and ate chocolate after chocolate from red boxes shaped like hearts. People would stop me in the street to ask for my number, to flirt, and sometimes just to stare and admire the view. I got all the free drinks I could handle, and then a few drinks more.
But now.
Now they crowd around my house in droves, screaming my name to the point where I can't sleep at night. The love letters turned into pleas turned into threats of what they would do if they couldn't have me. I hired bodyguards, but they turned on me: first they wanted signatures for their children, then they wanted my old clothes for their wives or for themselves, then they wanted me.
Now I have a gun, and a fence with a voltage high enough to knock them out.
The enormous mansion, the one with enough rooms that I could trash one every week and just move to another without worrying about cleaning up the mess, is too big to defend well, but I can't move now. I'm trapped. They wait outside like vultures, screaming at me when I get my mail. I'd avoid going out of the house at all, but my mail is a delivery of food each week, pushed through a slot that people try to jam their hands through, fingers clawing at anything they can get. I have to put makeup on my arms so I can't see the red lines made from sharp nails.
So I spend my days doing my makeup and patrolling the halls, my gun drawn, making sure that none of the rooms have been broken into.
Tonight, though. Tonight is special.
I've done a lot of research on Faerie curses and how to break them. The Faerie must be beseeched on the anniversary of the curse being placed, and, if they are in the mood to do so, they will break the curse. I missed the date the two years before because I was too busy partying, and last year, I realized that I didn't know the name of the Faerie who cursed me, which is vital to summoning them before me.
The benefit of being a shut-in is that there isn't much to do but dig and dig and dig through blog posts and podcasts and conspiracy websites to find Faerie names.
So tonight, I barricade myself in my room and settle myself on my bed, the gun in my lap, loaded with iron bullets. I'm wearing the wig that most resembles what my natural hair used to look like, styled like my hair was the night I decided I was sick of being ugly and was finally going to do something about it. The dress I'd worn had been shredded in some late-night rave long ago, and I just can't bring myself to open the closet I'd shut months ago, sick of dressing up to march around my house like a soldier. Instead I wear the shirt and sweatpants I've been wearing for the past few days, hoping the Faerie won't care. The website made it clear that Faeries are more likely to take pity on pretty people.
Am I beautiful to the Faeries?
I'm about to find out.
I pull out the handwritten list of Faerie names I'd compiled and open my mouth to start whispering them to the darkened room-
"There's no need for that, beautiful one," a lovely voice says. I startle, my finger finding the trigger of the gun as I level it towards… towards… "No need for that, either." The gun is snatched from my hands and flung across the room, landing at the feet of the Faerie. It makes a face and nudges the gun neatly aside with its foot. "Clever of you to get iron bullets, though."
"How-?" I stammer, and it replies,
"When I'm bored, I like to come see how the most beautiful human in the world is spending her time." It comes over to where I am seated on the bed and picks up the list. "You've been busy, haven't you?"
"Please," I whisper. "Help me."
"I'd love to, I really would, but alas, I cannot," it tells me, shredding the list and sprinkling the scraps of paper on my covers.
"Can't Faeries break the curses they place?" I ask. The Faerie laughs, a sound that is so beautiful it makes me want to dig my fingers into my ears until they bleed.
"Certainly, we can," it says. "But what plagues you is not a curse. It is a gift. And it would be unspeakably rude to attempt to return or regift what I have given you, wouldn't it, little mortal?"
I scream and dive off my bed, lunging for the gun, and crash into the sheet-covered, full-length mirror that rests against the wall. But by the time I have it in my hands, the Faerie is gone, and I am left to stare at my reflection.
My wig is askew, revealing parts of my bloody scalp, and I've smudged my makeup, revealing patches of my ruined skin.
I'm hideous.
The next morning, I do not bother to put on a wig, to do my makeup, to dress up, when I go out to get the mail. Usually I'm able to tune out the screaming, but this time, I hear a girl shout, "Look at her hair!"
For an instant, I think that maybe this is it, maybe they'll realize how ugly I look-
But instead she grabs a fistful of her hair and yanks it right out of her scalp.
"It's a new trend!" she exclaims above the noise of the mob. She turns towards the cameras that are always waiting, hoping to catch a glimpse of me, and holds up the chunk of hair, the ends bloody. "Look, now I'm pretty, just like her!"
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Trusts and Estate
Experienced Virginia trusts and estate attorney
With more than 45 years of experience as an attorney, I possess in-depth knowledge about all aspects of trusts and estate issues, including:
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I serve clients in Eastville, Virginia and throughout Northampton County. Call my office at 757-695-3048 or contact me online today to schedule a free consultation.


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The United States is revoking visas for Nicaraguan officials responsible for violence against anti-government protesters, saying these are just the start of what could be more sanctions.
A mix of roya, climate change and low coffee prices in Guatemala are causing greater numbers of workers and some landowners to abandon the coffee farms and migrate north to the United States.
Brazilian President Michel Temer on Monday called for continuity of his policies after the end of his term in December. At a business event in Sao Paulo, the president urged his successor to maintain the agenda implemented by the current administration and said the reforms he initiated need to be continued.
Britain's Education Secretary Damian Hinds says it is a scandal that some children still start school unable to speak in full sentences or read simple words. Children who start school behind their peers rarely catch up - the gap just widens, Hinds will say in a speech pledging halve the number of pupils starting school behind in early talking and reading skills by 2028.
Leaders from the BRICS bloc of emerging economies share a positive outlook on Argentina's embattled economy, President Mauricio Macri said on Monday. Macri added that leaders from BRICS members - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - meeting in Johannesburg for the July 25-27 summit also expressed their support for the Argentine government's economic strategy.
Discovered resources globally of conventional oil and natural gas surpassed 4.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent in the first half of 2018, making for an exciting recovery with Guyana leading the way, according to analysis by Rystad Energy. Average monthly discovered volumes are 826 million barrels of oil equivalent. This is a 30% increase from 2017.
President Tsai Ing-wen will visit two of Taiwan's diplomatic allies, Paraguay and Belize, Aug. 12-20, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Maria Liu said on Monday. On the trip, Tsai will make transit stops in the United States - in Los Angeles on first leg and in Houston on the return journey, Liu said.
Argentina's hydrocarbons company YPF is facing a fresh lawsuit in the United States, this time for US$14bn, which is twice the market value of the state oil firm, over alleged corporate restructuring that the company was said to have carried out several years ago.
Argentina and Spain have signed a fisheries and aquaculture bilateral cooperation Memorandum of Understanding. The MoU was stamped in Buenos Aires during the recent G20 Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries ministerial meeting by Argentina's Luis Miguel Etchevehere and Spain's Luis Planas.
The planet's largest colony of King penguins has declined by nearly 90% in three decades, alarmed researchers said on Monday. The last time scientists set foot on France's remote Ile aux Cochons — roughly half way between the tip of Africa and Antarctica — the island was blanketed by two million of the flightless birds, which stand about a meter tall.


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For those unfamiliar, tinctures are herbal concentrates with medicinal purpose. They're typically taken under the tongue, which allows for fast absorption, particularly with extracts that are meant to aid with relaxation. Doses are usually taken by the drop, and the concentration of the tincture depends on the process involved in making it. Most tinctures are made by refining an extract with alcohol, although it's possible to make them with glycerine or apple cider vinegar. Alcohol is the most effective method of extraction because of it's the most potent solvent.
The great thing about tinctures is their versatility. You can add them to teas, foods, dressings, take them orally under the tongue, or apply them topically by adding them to lotions or oils. This applies to CBD tinctures as well. CBD is a compound found in marijuana that reacts to our body's natural endocannabanoid system. This aids with pain relief and soothing inflammation. It's also been shown to relieve seizures in people with multiple sclerosis, as well as help with walking, and pain. It can also aid with sleep, appetite regulation, and more.
Another benefit is mood regulation. CBD has been shown to aid with both anxiety and depression. Most medications that treat these conditions have a host of side effects, including drowsiness, insomnia, agitation, and headaches. It's also been used by cancer patients and has been shown to slow down or even inhibit cancer cell growth.
CBD has also been shown to potentially reduce acne. It's been added to many skin care lines because of its anti-inflammatory benefits and its ability to reduce sebum production in skin.
There are even signs that CBD may improve heart health through lowering blood pressure. It's also been linked to a reduction in occurrences of stroke and metabolic syndrome.
You can purchase tinctures or make them at home, depending on whether you like working with your hands. If you're looking to buy, you can check the quality of the product based on whether the company provides third party research. This information should be visible on their website or the packaging of their products. This information should also be available upon request or or online.
If you're buying you may also want to consider choosing brands that include a range of naturally occurring chemicals found in cannabis as opposed to only isolates.This will likely increase the potency of the tincture, thus making it more cost effective.
An article on the Ministry of Hemp Site lists several top ranked CBD oils available; I'll list a few below.
If you're not a fan of the taste of CBD extract, then there are flavored options available.
CW Hemp Extract Oil is a great product that comes in Mint Chocolate flavor, and is one of the best products on the market. It comes in varying strengths, ranging from 300mg to 2500mg.
Palmetto Harmony Full Spectrum Oil is made only from two ingredients; CBD and coconut oil.
Ambary Garden's Full Spectrum Daily CBD Hemp Extract is made with organically grown hemp sourced from Evergreen, Colorado, and ranges in strength ranging from 500mg – 5000mg. The flavor is moderate.
Medterra MedOil CBD Tincture is flavorless, which makes it good for cooking and comes in a variety of strengths and flavors.
Tinctures generally have long shelf lives and can be stored for years without losing potency.


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The Salve Co. is an invitation to experience the healing properties of natural ingredients, to restore, remedy and relieve. Our aim is to reimagine the salve for the modern soul, soothing your body and mind from the daily wear and tear of urban life.
Handcrafted in Singapore from only the finest natural ingredients, we are passionate about formulating products from raw ingredients in nature, which you can safely apply on your skin without a care.
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Signature Salves
Our Signature Salves provide the therapeutic care for better sleep, relief from tension and period discomfort, and healing for dry skin.
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Our Baby & Kids Salves are 100% natural and toxin-free, leaving baby's skin supple. Use for diaper care, repelling insects and soothing bites.
Show your loved ones how much you truly care by giving them a pampering sensory experience with our thoughtfully curated gifts, made with nothing less than the finest natural ingredients. Our gift sets are nestled in recyclable and reusable gift boxes, specially designed for an indulgent pampering of you and your loved ones. Choose from our ready-to-go Bundles or customisable Discovery Kit!
Never heard of a salve before?
Salves harness the healing properties of natural ingredients to restore, remedy and relieve. Inspired by the ancients and their belief in the natural healing properties of raw ingredients, our aim is to reimagine the salve for the modern soul.
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With us, you can definitely - feel better, naturally.


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The aim is to develop an agile approach to developing regulatory frameworks which stimulate innovation rather than hindering it. One essential element of a policy lab is the capacity to experiment with a focus on the user.
A policy lab can be a temporary initiative or a more long-term and permanent investment. Focus, purpose and methods may vary.
Vinnova is currently co-organising, following up and funding temporary policy labs (policy lab cases) with multiple authorities within the scope of a government commission. The idea is both to create demand for policy lab methods among authorities whilst building Vinnova's own capacity in the field. Parallel work is also underway to evaluate the approach and to work for a stronger and more permanent structure surrounding policy development in Sweden.
Similar investments at Vinnova can be found within the scope of testbeds, collaboration programmes and strategic innovation programmes.