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Common Respiratory Problems
The main goal of the respiratory system is to transfer oxygen from the air we breathe to the red blood cells, where the oxygen will be transported throughout the body and be available for all organs and tissues. In addition, carbon dioxide, a waste product of metabolism, is eliminated from the body via the lungs. While this seems a simple task, it is one that, if compromised in any way, will severely affect the athletic ability of a horse, if not his very life.
A horse with a sinus infection with an indwelling drain for flushing.
Average room air (at sea level) contains about 21% oxygen, 70% (or thereabouts) nitrogen, and the remainder is made up of a variety of gases, including pollution. So, in fact, the air we typically breathe is not very rich in oxygen. As the altitude gets higher, the percentage of oxygen in the air becomes less (the air becomes "thinner"). The body can do a few things to compensate for the reduced concentration of oxygen in the air of higher altitudes, but it takes several weeks for the adjustment. That is the reason careful training and conditioning are required when athletes (human and horse alike) work at higher-than-normal altitudes.
Within the red blood cell there is an iron-rich protein called hemoglobin to which the oxygen molecule binds when the red cell is in the lungs. There are a number of factors that can affect the red blood cells' ability to bind or release oxygen. For example, iron deficiency can lead to anemia and a reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. Red maple leaf poisoning causes a change in the hemoglobin that decreases its binding to oxygen, and carbon monoxide toxicity prevents the release of oxygen from hemoglobin. There are numerous other toxins that can have an effect on the binding affinity of oxygen for hemoglobin.
The oxygen content of the blood is typically measured as a "partial pressure." This is somewhat relative to the atmospheric pressure (in addition to how well the lungs are working), which is 760 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) on average. If the lungs are normal, the partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood is generally above 90 mmHg. This is measured by a machine called a blood gas analyzer.
An arterial sample of blood is obtained from one of the arteries in the head area of an adult horse (or one of the leg arteries in a foal) for analysis. Another, more subjective way to evaluate blood oxygen content is to look at the mucous membrane (gum) color. If the gum color has become blue, the membranes are said to be hypoxic (low in oxygen). The only problem with this assessment is that it generally requires a substantial drop in blood oxygen content before this condition is observed--so it is a very bad sign.
Other ways to evaluate the respiratory system include respiratory rate and character of breathing, bearing in mind that there are other things that can have an effect on these parameters. For example, pain can increase the respiratory rate and cause shallow breathing. A good physical examination--from the nose on back--is required to assess adequately the respiratory system. Is there a nasal discharge, and if so, what is the content of it--clear thin fluid, thick green discharge, thick yellow discharge, blood content, foul smelling, one nostril or both? Is there normal air flow out of both nostrils? Is there any asymmetry to the head? Has the horse been coughing, and if so what is the character of the cough (dry/wet)? Can a cough be induced by squeezing the windpipe (trachea)? Is the horse extending its head and neck to breathe? Are there any painful swellings around the head? Does the horse make a noise while breathing (at rest? at work? on inspiration? on expiration?)? Does the horse have extra abdominal movement while breathing? Is there a fever? Are there any other horses on the property with similar signs?
All of these things must be assessed and can give clues to the specific problem. Other important factors include travel history, geography of the travel, age of the horse, vaccination status of the horse, time of year, and prior illness.
Airway Anatomy
Respiratory problems typically are classified as upper or lower respiratory. The anatomy of the upper airway is complex, but a good understanding of it is necessary to aid in diagnosis and understanding the disease processes common to the horse. I will go through the anatomy here, then discuss specific diseases later on in this article and in part two next month.
We will start with the nostrils, as these are the entry point for air and that ever-so-precious oxygen. The nostrils have numerous muscles that permit their flaring (dilating) to allow for air movement with the least resistance at that point. Occasionally, some horses will have small nostrils that don't open well while exercising to the point of affecting airflow and therefore performance--there are minor surgical procedures and other interventions to help correct that problem.
Going up the nostrils, there are three passages stacked on top of each other that lead back toward the throat. It is possible for these delicate passageways to become inflamed and lead to nasal passage obstruction. Occasionally, foreign bodies (plant material, wood, etc.) can become lodged in a nasal passage and cause inflammation/obstruction. Foreign objects, such as sponges, have purposefully been inserted into these passages.
The horse's head has extremely large sinus cavities that drain into the nasal passages. Horses have a long nasal septum, so the sinuses drain into the nasal passages on the same side they are located--a nasal discharge only coming from one nostril is sinus drainage.
The next stop on the way toward the back of the throat is the openings to the guttural pouches. A guttural pouch is a structure unique to horses, rhinos, and tapirs. This structure is an outpouching of the eustachian tube. Whereas our eustachian tube drains from the inner ear to the back of our throat, the horse has a pouch that is fairly large (it holds several hundred milliliters) with the opening draining just behind the nasal septum on each side. A discharge from the guttural pouch can drip down the outer wall of the throat and out the nostril on the same side as the affected pouch, or, if the discharge is great and flowing rapidly, it can come from both nostrils.
The guttural pouch is a unique, but somewhat scary structure for several reasons. The interior of the guttural pouch contains some very important physiologic features that can be affected by guttural pouch disease; there are four major nerves coming directly out of the brain (cranial nerves) that travel on the inside of the pouch, as well as two major arteries (the internal carotid artery on the way to the brain and the maxillary artery supplying much of the blood to the head). Guttural pouch disease will be discussed later in this article.
As we continue traveling the respiratory route, we come to the voice box or "larynx." The laryngeal area is a very important area with several common disease processes affecting airflow at this point in the anatomy. In the normal horse, this structure coordinates swallowing and protects the trachea and hence the lungs from the inhalation of feed material. It should be noted at this point that the normal horse cannot breathe through his mouth; horses are obligate nasal breathers, so anything that occludes the upper airway will cause an airway obstruction and respiratory distress.
The laryngeal area is where the soft palate ends (remember that the soft palate separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity). The larynx is the junction between the nasal cavity and the trachea (windpipe). A triangle-shaped structure called the epiglottis juts out with the point facing forward and sits on top of the soft palate. As we go farther back, just before entering the trachea, there is a V-shaped structure with small bulges on each side called the arytenoids (these are adjacent to the vocal cords and often called "the flappers"). It is the arytenoids that are pulled open wide during inspiration to allow for maximal unobstructed airflow. There are several problems that occur in this area which will be discussed later.
Just after going past the arytenoids, we are in the trachea and on the way down to the lungs. Before leaving the head, I want to mention that there are many lymph nodes in the head area that can cause significant problems if they become enlarged.
The windpipe of an adult horse is about three inches in diameter and travels down the center of the neck into the thoracic (or chest) cavity, where it splits into the two main branches just above the heart. The branches of the trachea, now called bronchi, branch off many times until all the little (microscopic) branches connect to what's called an "airsac." The airsac is where oxygen exchange happens. The structure at this level becomes so fine that there is nothing but a single thin membrane separating a single red blood cell from the oxygen in the airsac. It is at this level that the oxygen diffuses across the membrane into the red blood cell and the carbon dioxide diffuses out of the red blood cell and into the airsac to be eliminated.
The thoracic cavity can be called the pleural cavity. The "pleura" is the thin cellular membrane lining the chest cavity (inside of the ribs) and covering the surface of the lungs. Within this cavity, the lungs are fully expanded and in intimate contact with the chest cavity; there is only a very small amount of fluid present within the chest cavity when everything is normal.
Further Evaluation of the Respiratory System
In addition to the thorough physical examination mentioned above, there are several other procedures that can be performed to evaluate the respiratory system further. First, we need to listen to the lungs. With many horses, especially those with an extra inch of fat over their ribs, the lungs can be difficult to hear. It is very useful, since we just can't ask them to take a deep breath, to place a plastic trash bag over a horse's muzzle, allowing the horse to rebreathe its expired air for a few minutes. This will serve several purposes: 1) He will take a deep breath so we can listen for any abnormal noises that might indicate certain disease processes; 2) the lack of ability to tolerate this can be an indication of more subtle disease; 3) coughing while the bag is on or after it is removed can be an indication of disease; and 4) if the horse takes a long time to recover from the bag, it also is an indicator of disease.
The use of a fiberoptic endoscope can be of great assistance in evaluating respiratory disease. The upper airway can be directly evaluated, including the sinuses, guttural pouch, and the structures of the larynx. Sometimes it is necessary to evaluate the larynx while the horse is exercising (a task accomplished with the help of a high-speed treadmill). The scope also can be taken deep into the lungs to look for abnormal fluid and obtain samples for evaluation and culture.
Should pneumonia or pleuritis be suspected, a transtracheal wash (see The Horse of March 1997) can be performed to collect material for evaluation and culture
Radiology and ultrasonography can be of great benefit. The head, as well as the lungs, can be radiographed and ultrasounded. Radiographs of an adult horse's lungs usually only can be accomplished at a referral center with a high-powered machine, but ultrasound examination easily can be performed in the field. Ultrasonography can be of significant benefit in evaluating respiratory disease in the horse. In addition, routine blood work also can be of benefit.
Now, with all the background out of the way, I'd like to go through some of the more common respiratory diseases.
The Upper Airway: Nasal Passages
The nasal passages can be affected by foreign body-induced abscesses. There has been a variety of foreign bodies, ranging from small plant awns to pieces of wood several inches long, found in the nasal passages. The clinical signs associated with such problems range from obstruction and reduced air flow in one nostril to the presence of a variety of nasal discharges (clear, yellow/white pus, bloody, etc.). The diagnosis is made using endoscopic examination.
More invasive problems in the nasal passages include cancer and fungal infections. The type of cancer called squamous cell carcinoma has been observed in the nasal passages and sinuses and can cause a variety of nasal discharges. One of the common characteristics of this cancer is that the discharge often is foul/fetid smelling and the tissue is ulcerated and bleeds easily.
There are several species of fungus that can invade the nasal passages and nasal septum. These fungi cause invasive fungal granulomas (masses of abnormal tissue made up of a certain cell type). The diagnosis of fungal granulomas typically is made by obtaining a biopsy of the affected tissue. The prognosis for either squamous cell carcinoma or invasive fungal granulomas in the nasal passages is quite poor; their treatment is extremely difficult.
The horse's head is about 50% sinus cavity (a fact that brings a new definition to the term "air-head" for some horses). The main sinuses are called the "frontal" and the "maxillary." The frontal sinus is in the area between the eyes and back, and the maxillary sinus is from the eyes down and associated with the teeth. The sinuses mostly are interconnected via a complicated network of passages within the bones that create them. As said before, the main connection to the nasal passage is via the maxillary sinus by way of the naso-maxillary opening; the right maxillary sinus drains into the right nasal passage and the left maxillary sinus drains into the left nasal passage. The naso-maxillary opening is halfway from the nostril to the end of the nasal septum, so drainage from a diseased sinus comes from the nostril on the same side as the affected sinus.
The most common cause of a sinus infection in the horse results from an infected tooth root. The average horse has six pairs of cheek teeth on each side (a pair is one top and one bottom). There are three premolars and three molars, with an occasional horse having an additional premolar often referred to as a "wolf-tooth" as the first cheek tooth. Any injured tooth (broken or cracked from trauma) can develop an infected root, but the third and fourth cheek teeth (the fourth premolar and first molar) are predisposed to the development of infected roots without any history of trauma.
The classic presentation of a horse with a tooth root abscess is one with an incredibly putrid-smelling nasal discharge consistently coming from one nostril. The horse generally is bright, alert, responsive, has no fever, usually eats normally, and is normal in every respect with the exception of the stinky nasal discharge. The diagnosis of a tooth root abscess generally is made by taking radiographs of the head; the tooth itself usually is normal in appearance from inside the mouth. Treatment of a tooth root abscess typically involves removal of the affected tooth and systemic antibiotics and/or flushing of the sinus. The sinus is entered by drilling a small hole through the bone. After the hole is made, a piece of tubing can be inserted into the hole and a variety of flush solutions can be pumped into the sinus; the flush solution will drain out the naso-maxillary opening and come out the nostril.
Other problems that can cause a nasal discharge related to a sinus problem include the growth of a tumor inside one of the sinuses with or without secondary infection. In addition to radiographs, an endoscope can be inserted through a drill hole to aid in the evaluation of the sinus's interior; samples of abnormal material can be acquired for culture or microscopic evaluation via the endoscope if necessary.
Another problem that can occur within the sinuses, but is relatively rare, is a fungal infection. The specific predisposing factors to sinus fungal infections are unknown, but most of the fungal sinus infections I have observed were associated with chronic antibiotic administration.
The Guttural Pouch
Guttural pouch empyema (pronounced em-py-ema) is a bacterial infection of the guttural pouch. Affected horses might be free of clinical signs, with the exception of a thick white to yellow nasal discharge; some are systemically ill. The discharge is most obvious when the horse is eating off of the ground and swallowing. As in us, the opening of the eustachian tube (guttural pouch in the horse) opens up when horses swallow, and with their head down low, the stuff runs right out.
Guttural pouch empyema is most often associated with a chronic Streptococcus (strep) infection, which includes one species of Streptococcus that causes strangles (Strep. equi). It is important to rule out strangles and the presence of any swollen lymph nodes. If the infection is chronic, there might be the development of concretions of pus called "chondroids." The presence of chondroids complicates treatment as they must be removed before the infection will clear up. The treatment of guttural pouch empyema typically involves flushing the affected pouch with any one of a variety of flush solutions and the administration of systemic antibiotics.
Guttural pouch tympany is a disease of foals. The classic clinical appearance of a foal with guttural pouch tympany is that of a chipmunk with its cheeks full. The bulging in these foals is right behind the jaw and might be quite tight; the swelling can be tight enough to cause a partial obstruction of the upper airway and respiratory distress. If a young horse is standing with his head and neck extended in respiratory distress with a large swelling behind his jaw, veterinary assistance should be obtained immediately.
Guttural pouch tympany is caused by an overfilling of either one or both guttural pouches with air. The inciting cause is a malformation of the opening of the guttural pouch that acts as a one-way flap valve such that air goes into the pouch, but not back out of the pouch. The correction of guttural pouch tympany involves surgically connecting the affected pouch to the normal pouch (if one of the pouches is normal). If both pouches are affected, the correction involves attempting to reconstruct the guttural pouch openings surgically. These procedures can be performed with the aid of an endoscope and might involve the use of laser surgery.
Guttural pouch mycosis is a fungal infection of the guttural pouch. The guttural pouch is open to the environment and as a result is not sterile. It is unknown what exactly is responsible for the development of guttural pouch mycosis. Fungal infections generally are associated with fungal species that are primary pathogens (organisms that have the ability to cause disease in healthy beings) or immune-suppressed individual horses or those receiving long-term and chronic antibiotic therapy.
The cellular immune system is very important in fighting fungal infections, and as a result, any deficiency in that system will predispose to fungal infection. With respect to chronic antibiotic therapy, many areas of the body are not sterile and have a normal population of bacteria, fungal, and yeast organisms. There is some aspect of this normal population that is self-controlling so that the bacteria suppress the fungi and so forth. So, if part of the normal bacterial population is suppressed by chronic antibiotic therapy, the fungal part of the population can overgrow and become a problem.
As mentioned before, the guttural pouch is full of vital structures (the nerves that control swallowing and the internal carotid artery). The typical site of fungal infection within the guttural pouch, unfortunately, is right on top of the internal carotid artery--the fungal infection often involves the internal carotid artery. For this very fact, any evidence of bleeding from either one or both nostrils should be treated as an emergency and promptly evaluated.
The opening of the guttural pouch is before the nasal septum, so rapid bleeding can come from both nostrils. But, because the guttural pouch opening is on the outer wall of the nasopharynx, if the bleeding or discharge is only a trickle, it might just run down the side of the opening and only be evident in the nostril on the same side as the affected pouch.
The onset of guttural pouch mycosis can be extremely insidious with, at times, very little warning of a catastrophic hemorrhage. There often are several episodes of minor bleeding prior to a more serious bleeding episode, and there can be a potential history of non-hemorrhagic nasal discharge for variable periods of time prior to the discharge containing blood.
It is important to note that horses suffering from guttural pouch mycosis can suddenly hemorrhage to death from a bleeding internal carotid artery. Again, I must stress that evidence of bleeding from the nostrils should be treated as an emergency and promptly evaluated.
It is possible that the bleeding might be associated with other sources of hemorrhage, but if the cause is the guttural pouch, time is of the essence with respect to treatment.
The diagnosis of guttural pouch mycosis is made easily with the use of an endoscope--the general cost of basic endoscopic equipment approaches $15,000. Although technically difficult, the endoscope can be passed up the nostril and into the guttural pouch in a standing, sedated horse. The entire interior of the guttural pouch can be evaluated.
The classic appearance of guttural pouch mycosis is a green fluffy (not unlike the appearance of mold on the bread in your kitchen) fungal growth in the upper corner of the pouch--typically right on top of the internal carotid artery.
Due to the risk of spontaneous fatal hemorrhage, medical management of guttural pouch mycosis is attempted only if financial constraints prohibit surgical intervention. There are several different surgical approaches for the treatment of guttural pouch mycosis--all of which by some methodology involve the occlusion of the arteries in the guttural pouch area. These procedures are technically complicated and include a simple ligation (to tie off) of the internal carotid artery or the passage of balloon tip catheters up the various arteries.
With the balloon catheter technique, when the catheter is in position, the balloon is inflated and left in place until the blood clots and the arteries are permanently occluded. The balloon techniques are the most effective as they can occlude all potential routes of blood flow.
Once the blood supply coursing through the fungal infection is eliminated, the infection generally resolves. Sometimes the guttural pouch is flushed with various anti-fungal agents to aid in the elimination of the fungal infection.
Guttural pouch mycosis is a terrible disease that potentially can have a fatal outcome. Remember, any horse with evidence of bleeding from the nostril should be promptly evaluated.
The Laryngeal Area
Making a diagnosis of laryngeal abnormalities can be extremely difficult. This is because many of the abnormalities might only occur at high speed after the horse has been exercising for some period of time.
The development of the high-speed treadmill has led to great advancements in both the diagnostic capabilities and evaluation of treatments with respect to laryngeal dysfunction. The high-speed treadmill allows the horse to reach near-racing speeds while allowing for the insertion of the endoscope during exercise. This direct visual evaluation of the laryngeal area while exercising is of great diagnostic use.
Dorsal Displacement Of The Soft Palate
Dorsal displacement of the soft palate is a disease process well known to performance horse owners. The abnormality might be intermittent or persistent and might only occur at racing speed (and then only after the horse has been exercising for a period of time). All of these factors can make an accurate diagnosis more difficult or require treadmill evaluation.
If the displacement is persistent, there could be nerve or muscle dysfunction contributing to the persistence of the problem. The majority of horses suffering from displacement do so intermittently; intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate is a commonly reported cause of upper airway obstruction in the racehorse. Of 151 horses which were presented to Cornell University with complaints of respiratory problems or poor performance, 29 (19%) were diagnosed as having dorsal displacement of the soft palate when exercised on the high-speed treadmill.
Dorsal displacement of the soft palate has been a recognized affliction of horses since 1949, but the specific cause of this problem remains unknown. Factors that contribute to displacement of the soft palate range from an attempt to breathe through the mouth--causing the palate to be pushed upwards--to a lack of general muscle tone in the palate area associated with unfitness.
Remember that the soft palate separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity. If the soft palate displaces, it flips up over the top of the epiglottis and partially obstructs the airway; normal placement of the soft palate is essential for unobstructed breathing. The classic history of a horse which displaces the soft palate includes exercise intolerance, generally poor performance, and/or the making of a sudden respiratory noise and simultaneous loss of exercise tolerance--the horses are said to "choke-up" or "swallow the tongue." Remember, the horse cannot breathe through his mouth, so until he swallows a few times and replaces the soft palate, he cannot breathe.
The diagnosis is made based on history and endoscopic examination of the laryngeal area with the horse at rest and during exercise. Many horses can displace their soft palate at rest normally (and even more so if sedated for the examination), a fact that makes the observation at rest less meaningful. Treadmill evaluation can greatly aid in this diagnosis. It has been observed that up to 30% of horses suffering from intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate have some other throat problem observed during high-speed treadmill examination.
Treatment of a displacing soft palate can involve something as simple as using a "tongue-tie" or a "figure-eight" noseband. In addition, if the horse is observed to be generally unfit, an attempt should be made to raise his level of fitness. Also, if during the examination there is any evidence of inflammation in the throat, an attempt should be made to reduce the inflammation. This can be accomplished by using systemic anti-inflammatory drugs and/or the topical application (in the back of the throat) of a variety of anti-inflammatory throat sprays.
The tongue tie is an attempt to "pull" the larynx forward and make it harder for the soft palate to displace. Should the tongue tie, noseband, or anti-inflammatory therapy fail as a treatment, there are several surgical options. The three main surgical options involve the trimming of part of the soft palate and/or the resection (surgical cutting) of part of the "strap" muscles (the long thin muscles on the underside of the neck), or changing the shape of the soft palate by injecting it with certain materials.
Both of the palate surgeries can be performed utilizing the endoscope and can involve the use of the laser. The strap muscle surgery usually is performed with the horse under sedation and given local anesthetic. In recent reports, all three of the surgical options indicate a success rate of approximately 60%.
Epiglottic Problems
The epiglottis is the triangle-shaped piece of tissue that sits pointing forward at the entrance to the larynx. The epiglottis flips up and covers the opening to the wind-pipe during swallowing and protects against food material's entering the respiratory system. There are several problems that can occur involving the epiglottis. There is a generalized inflammation of the epiglottis that is called epiglottitis ("itis" meaning inflammation), the cause of which is unknown. It is hypothesized that other laryngeal abnormalities can predispose to the inflammation, as well as irritation by allergens, foreign bodies, poor quality roughage (hay), other environmental irritants such as dirt/dust, and/or the stresses involved with performance training. It has been observed that approximately 90% of horses with inflammation of the epiglottis are racehorses.
The clinical signs associated with epiglottic inflammation include exercise intolerance, making respiratory noise, coughing, and, occasionally, trouble swallowing or breathing. The diagnosis of epiglottitis is made using the endoscope and observing the hallmark signs of inflammation (redness, swelling, ulceration) of the epiglottis. The treatment involves rest for a minimum of two weeks, with endoscopic rechecks prior to resumption of exercise. The use of systemic and topically applied (sprayed up the nose with a catheter) anti-inflammatories is necessary. Inflammation of the epiglottis is a serious problem; it has been reported that up to 50% of racehorses affected with epiglottic inflammation developed performance-limiting complications.
Another problem occurring with the epiglottis is called epiglottic entrapment. The epiglottis has a firm cartilage inner make-up, so the structure is rather stiff. Epiglottic entrapment occurs when some of the soft tissue surrounding the epiglottis envelops it and stretches across it like a balloon. The clinical signs associated with epiglottic entrapment include exercise intolerance, making respiratory noise, coughing, and, occasionally, trouble swallowing or breathing. The diagnosis is made by use of the endoscope and observing the classic appearance of the epiglottis entrapped by the soft tissue. Epiglottic entrapment has been observed as a complication in 5% of horses having inflammation of the epiglottis. Treatment of epiglottic entrapment involves cutting away the soft tissue that has entrapped the epiglottis; this procedure often is performed with the horse under sedation and by using a laser via the endoscope.
Laryngeal Hemiplegia
Next to the vocal cord area of the larynx are structures called the arytenoids (pronounced ah-ret-e-noids). The arytenoids open and close in a vertical manner and are at the window to the windpipe. During inspiration, the arytenoids open wide and allow for maximal air flow through the laryngeal area into the trachea. The arytenoids are moved by a series of small muscles surrounding them under control of the laryngeal nerves. The right laryngeal nerve has a relatively straight shot from the brain to the larynx, but, due to some fluke of nature, the left laryngeal nerve travels from the brain all the way down the neck, flips around one of the major blood vessels near the heart, and travels all the way back up the neck before finally connecting to the muscle responsible for opening the left arytenoid.
A disease process has been described where the left recurrent laryngeal nerve degenerates, causing the left arytenoid to open improperly, if at all. The specific cause of this degeneration is unknown. The paralysis of the left arytenoid is usually not complete, with only 10% of horses having this abnormality showing complete paralysis. However, 70% of horses examined have some degree of asynchronous movement of the arytenoids when viewed via the endoscope. The draft breeds appear to be at greater risk for the development of this disease.
The clinical signs of laryngeal hemiplegia (meaning paralyzed on one side) include the making of a respiratory noise on inspiration and/or variable degrees of exercise intolerance. Not all horses experience exercise intolerance; that depends on both severity of the lesion and the horse's individual performance sport. The noise is a "roaring" type of sound; hence these horses often are called roarers. For high-stress endurance horses, the paralysis can affect overall athletic performance. For the less strenuous performers, such as low hunters, the noise produced is considered an "unsoundness" and might result in decreased placement in the ribbons.
The diagnosis of left laryngeal hemiplegia is made based on history, clinical signs, resting endoscopic examination, and potentially, high-speed treadmill endoscopic examination. The degree of paralysis is graded on a scale of 1 to 4 with respect to degrees of severity.
If the exercise intolerance is confirmed to be resulting from the airway paralysis, or the respiratory noise is unacceptable, surgical intervention is the currently accepted treatment. Surgical correction involves placing a permanent suture into the affected arytenoid and fixing it into the open position. In addition to the arytenoid suture, various pieces of tissue within the larynx are trimmed away depending on the individual case. The surgery is technically difficult and requires a great deal of skill.
For adult horses, the surgery is not a guaranteed fix--the success rate is reported to be 40-60% in adult racehorses. The outcome is reported to be slightly better for sport horses or young racehorses, with an 80-90% success rate.
Another treatment option currently being evaluated is the nerve-muscle pedicle graft. With the nerve-muscle pedicle graft, a small piece of muscle and its accompanying nerve are "transplanted" onto the muscle responsible for opening the arytenoid. This procedure shows promise, with successful cases having normal laryngeal function restored within one year of the surgery.
Other Inflammatory Conditions
In addition to the epiglottis, the other parts of the throat's anatomy can become inflamed for a variety of reasons. As with the epiglottis, other laryngeal abnormalities can predispose the horse to inflammation, as well as irritation, by allergens, foreign bodies, poor quality roughage (hay), other inhaled environmental irritants, and/or the stresses involved with performance training. The entire area might be inflamed, or just parts of the soft palate, surrounding tissue of the throat, or parts of the larynx itself (the flappers) could be affected.
The clinical signs associated with throat inflammation include exercise intolerance, making respiratory noise, coughing, and, occasionally, trouble swallowing or breathing; coughing might be one of the more prominent signs along with generalized throat inflammation. The diagnosis is made using the endoscope and observing the hallmark signs of inflammation (redness, swelling, ulceration). The treatment involves rest for variable periods of time in addition to the use of systemic and topically applied (sprayed up the nose with a catheter) anti-inflammatories.
Lymph Nodes
There are many lymph nodes within the tissues of the head. A series of these lymph nodes surround both guttural pouches and the laryngeal area. Due to the location of these lymph nodes, there is great risk for them to affect the respiratory system. One of the more common causes of severe lymph node swelling and abscess formation in the head area is strangles. (For more information on strangles, a bacterial infection caused by Streptococcus equi, see The Horse of May 1997.)
As the lymph nodes swell and become large abscesses, they often take the path of least resistance, which sometimes is inward. It is ideal if the abscess enlarges toward the skin and ruptures/drains to the outside world, but sometimes it goes the other way. In severe cases of strangles, the lymph node swelling can become so great that there is enough compression of the laryngeal/upper trachea that airway obstruction occurs. Acute respiratory distress, to the point of requiring a tracheotomy (emergency surgery opening the lower part of the trachea for breathing), can be a complication of strangles. I also have seen several cases where a strangles lymph node ruptured into the guttural pouch and caused a thick white nasal discharge. I also have seen several cases where the lymph node ruptured into the trachea, spilling pus directly into the windpipe and causing extreme respiratory distress. If your horse has any evidence of lymph node swelling in the head area, or difficulty in swallowing/breathing, you should seek veterinary consultation and carefully monitor the horse.
Next month in Part 2 of Common Respiratory Problems, we will cover the lower airway, including reactive airway disease, viral pneumonia, bacterial pneumonia, shipping fever, pleuritis, and COPD.
About the Author
Michael Ball, DVM
Michael A. Ball, DVM, completed an internship in medicine and surgery and an internship in anesthesia at the University of Georgia in 1994, a residency in internal medicine, and graduate work in pharmacology at Cornell University in 1997, and was on staff at Cornell before starting Early Winter Equine Medicine & Surgery located in Ithaca, N.Y. He is also an FEI veterinarian and works internationally with the United States Equestrian Team.
Ball authored Understanding The Equine Eye, Understanding Basic Horse Care, and Understanding Equine First Aid, published by Eclipse Press and available at www.exclusivelyequine.com or by calling 800/582-5604.
Related Content
Diagnostics (AAEP Convention 2012)
Does Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Cause Lung Inflammation?
Electrolyte Use in Performance Horses
Alternative Treatment for "Roaring" in Horses (AAEP 2011)
Treating Equine Upper Respiratory Tract Ailments (AAEP 2011)
Equine Head Flexion and Airway Inflammation (AAEP 2011)
In Depth: Evaluating the Upper Respiratory Tract (AAEP 2011)
Equine Rhinitis in Respiratory Infection Cases (AAEP 2011)
Epiglottic Abnormalities in Nonracehorses: A Review
'Map' Airborne Particles in Barns to Minimize Airway Disease


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Since the provision of one lecture per year to each Branch is conditioned upon resources, the Committee reminds Branches and Lecturers to employ all possible cost-saving measures when making arrangements. The following rules and guidelines have been designed to assist in the conservation of program funds.
The ASMBL program is administered through the Office of Branch Activities in the Membership Services Department of ASM.
Office of Branch ActivitiesMembership Services DepartmentAmerican Society for Microbiology1752 N Street, NWWashington, DC 20036Phone - (202) 942-9381Fax - (202) 942-9346Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
- The ASMBL Committee invites individuals to nominate Lecturers from all areas of interest to the ASM community. Anyone wishing to nominate an individual to this program should submit the candidate's Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a letter supporting the candidate's qualifications to the
- Chair of the ASMBL Committee (c/o Membership Services Department, ASM, 1752 N Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036; email@example.com).
- Nominees must be ASM members.
- Self-nominations will not be accepted.
- Lecturers who have participated in the program over the previous 5 years are not eligible to serve again unless there is a specific need for a topic that justifies the selection of that individual.
The ASMBL Committee solicits nominations from the general ASM membership through various sources:
- Microbe: October, November, and December issues
- ASM Homepage
- Call for nominations is published throughout the year ASM Listservs – One posting in November
- Branch and Lecturer Surveys – Submitted throughout the year
- Branch Presidents – One letter in November
- Division Chairs – One letter in November
General Information
- Branches are permitted to request
- one Lecturer per fiscal year of the program.
- The fiscal year of the program begins July 1 and ends June 30.
- Branches select Lecturers from a list released each year prior to the start of the new program year (July 1). The list is published annually in an issue of Microbe and on the ASM Homepage (www.asmusa.org). Lecture topics, biographical sketches of the Lecturers, instructions for contacting Lecturers, and other program materials are provided to Branches prior to July 1 each year.
- Lecturers are appointed to the program for up to 2 years.
Requests for Lecturers
- Branches assume all responsibility for securing Lecturers for their meetings. When a meeting date and location have been established, a Branch representative will contact the Lecturer directly to invite him/her to the meeting.
- Once a Lecturer accepts a Branch invitation, the Branch must complete a "Lecturer Confirmation Form" and return it to the ASM Office of Branch Activities for processing.
The following conditions must be met for a Lecturer request to be approved:
- As of September 2001, ASM has been able to guarantee only one speaker per Branch per program year.
- The scheduled date for the presentation must fall within the Lecturer's speaking term. Expiration dates are noted on the ASMBL Lecturer list. For example, "
- ('09)" following a Lecturer's name indicates that the Lecturer's term ends on June 30, 2009.
- The "Lecturer Confirmation Form" must be sent (via email, fax, or mail) to the ASM Headquarters Office of Branch Activities at least 8 weeks in advance of the scheduled lecture
Branches are expected to send Lecturers a copy of the meeting program as soon as it is available.
Requests for More than One ASMBL program Lecturer
- Financial support is not available from the ASMBL program for more than one Lecturer per program year. If any additional Lecturers are utilized, Branches will have full responsibility for Lecturer reimbursement. However, Branches may be able to obtain additional funding for a second Lecturer through their Regional Planning Coordinators.
- In the event that Branches secure additional Lecturers, they can send ASM a copy of the letter confirming the Lecturers, and may use the program slides to introduce the lectures.
Adherence to ASMBL rules will allow:
The ASMBL Committee has instituted the following reimbursement policy for Branches and Lecturers. This policy has been designed to limit program expenditures to afford the maximum number of lectures each program year.
Each year, the ASMBL must justify all expenditures. Expenditures contrary to the policy may be considered "unreasonable," and may jeopardize future funding.
These rules are extremely important and we urge you to seek guidance, in advance, if you have any questions about them. Please contactAnne Dempsey at (202) 942-9381 or email@example.com or email@example.com if you need assistance.
Thank you for your understanding of the program's need to conserve resources.
Expense Reimbursement Rules – Branches
- Branches will contact Lecturers directly to determine availability and discuss meeting dates and lecture content. Lecturers should be contacted at least eight weeks prior to the meeting date. Advance planning will permit Lecturers to obtain airline tickets at reasonable rates.
- Branches will provide Lecturers with information on a convenient method of local transportation to and from the airport at the host location. Whenever possible, Branches should arrange for representatives to meet Lecturers at the airport, and to transport them to the meeting site or hotel. Branches must discuss this and all other local transportation options with Lecturers. Instructions and details about local transportation should be provided to Lecturers at least 2 weeks in advance of the meeting.
- Branches are expected to assume all responsibility for hotel arrangements. These arrangements must be made at a reasonable cost.
- ASMBL program funds cannot be used to provide Lecturers with honoraria. Branches may choose to use their own funds to provide honoraria, but they are not obligated to do so. If Branches want to provide honoraria, they should verify in advance that Lecturers are allowed to accept honoraria, especially when arrangements are being made with State or Federal government employees.
General Expense Reimbursement Rules – Lecturers
ASM will pay full travel and subsistence expenses for each Lecturer except as noted in these rules:
- Lecturers should not participate in the program if they require or expect honoraria. ASM does not provide honoraria. (However, ASM does not prohibit Branches from providing honoraria to Lecturers.)
Specific Expense Reimbursement Rules – LecturersAir Transportation Lecturers should book air transportation at the lowest available/excursion fare. No first class travel will be reimbursed without prior authorization from ASM headquarters.Branch meetings are usually held on a Thursday, Friday, or a Saturday. The cost of air travel may be reduced significantly (sometimes as much as by 50%) by staying over Saturday night and departing on Sunday. Lecturers should investigate the cost difference between traveling weekdays without a Saturday night "stay-over" and staying an additional day to depart on Sunday. Lecturers are free to arrange their schedules to permit an extended stay if cost savings can be realized.
Lecturers should make reservations as soon as lecture is confirmed to permit airline bookings at the lowest available fare. Lecturers are required to purchase airline tickets at least 14 days in advance of the travel date.
Lecturers may be reimbursed in advance for airfare by submitting a copy of the ticket with a reimbursement request to ASM Headquarters.Travel by Car Lecturers may drive to the meeting site if more convenient and reasonable than air transportation. The program will reimburse Lecturers at the rate of $0.585 per mile (rate effective as of 7/1/08). The $0.585 includes the cost of gas, oil, maintenance, etc. Tolls and parking fees are not included in the mileage allowance and will be separately reimbursed by the program. (Note – the mileage reimbursement rate is set by the IRS, and is subject to change.)Rental Cars The cost of rental cars will not be reimbursed without prior authorization from ASM Headquarters. Lecturers must submit the "Rental Car Pre-Approval form" prior to the meeting date if they wish to rent a car.Hotel The program will reimburse Lecturers for a maximum of 2 nights of hotel accommodation for any one lecture. However, if Lecturers choose to extend their stay over Saturday night to reduce travel costs, the program will reimburse them for the additional nights of hotel accommodation.There may be occasions when three and possibly four nights of hotel accommodation are necessary, e.g., when there is extended travel distance, protracted flight time, etc. These circumstances will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. More than 2 nights of hotel, except in the case of those who stay over Saturday night, must be approved in advance by ASM headquarters.
Reimbursement Requests Lecturers will receive expense reimbursement forms at the beginning of the program year. Additional expense forms are available from ASM Headquarters. Reimbursement requests must be completed in full, signed and submitted within 30 days of the speaking engagement to be assured of reimbursement. Reimbursement requests should be sent to:Anne Dempsey, Membership Services, ASM, 1752 N Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036.Receipts for hotel, food and transportation costs must be attached. Extraneous expenditures such as hotel movies are not reimbursable.
Rules about Honoraria ASMBL program funds cannot be used to provide Lecturers with honoraria. Branches may choose to use their own funds to provide honoraria, but they are not obligated to do so. If Branches want to provide honoraria, they should verify in advance that Lecturers are allowed to accept honoraria, especially when arrangements are being made with State or Federal government employees.
Branches play an important role in facilitating student participation in ASM. According to Section 11 of the ASM Bylaws, Branches are responsible for overseeing the functioning of Student Chapters. Branch interaction with existing ASM Student Chapters and prospective Student Chapters is highly encouraged, and the ASMBL Program can foster this interaction.
Branches are requiredto make arrangements in advance for Lecturers to meet formally or informally with students at Branch meetings.Branches should invite students to participate in events surrounding the scheduled ASMBL Lecture to increase student attendance at the Branch meeting. Some suggestions include:
- Distribute promotional flyers to Student Chapters inviting them to participate in the Branch meeting and meet with the featured Lecturer.
- Include a representative from ASM Student Chapters in Branch program planning meetings.
- Invite the Lecturer to present a lecture to Student Chapters. The Branch would be responsible for reimbursing the local travel expenses to and from the Student Chapters.
Branches should provide the Lecturers with an itinerary so they will be prepared to meet with students in addition to presenting their lecture.
Members of the Council Policy Committee
Independent of the ASMBL Program, Branches may invite members of the Council Policy Committee (CPC), consisting of Officers and Board Chairs of the National Society and members of the headquarters staff, to speak at Branch meetings. CPC members and other individuals who attend local Branch meetings as official representatives of ASM will be reimbursed by ASM for their travel according to the General Volunteer Reimbursement Policy.
Program Materials
ASM provides Branches with the following information to help them publicize the American Society for Microbiology Branch Lectures:
- Program CDs containing background information on ASM Branch Lecturers and topics are mailed to Branch Presidents and Presidents-elect at the beginning of the program year. Additional program CDs will be made available to Branch Secretaries or other Branch members upon request. The CD contains information that will enable Branches to select appropriate Lecturers for specific audiences. Information on the CD may also be useful for program preparation and Lecturer introductions. A list of ASM Branch Lecturers and topics is also available in the Membership section of the ASM Homepage (archive.asm.org).
- Power Point slides with an introduction script are included on the program CD. The slides are to be used as an introduction to ASMBL presentations.
- Press release samples and instructions prepared by the Director of Public Communications at ASM can be mailed to Branches upon request.
- Power Point slides with an introduction script are included on the program CD. The slides are to be used as an introduction to ASMBL presentations.
Media: Microbe, ASM Homepage, and Branch Homepages
Feedback from Participants
- Electronic evaluation forms will be sent to the Lecturer and Branch representative following each ASMBL Lecture. In addition to standardized forms for program evaluation, ASM collects letters from Lecturers and Branches in support of the ASMBL program to submit as part of grant proposals. These letters reinforce the request for funding of the program. We would appreciate letters from individual Branches explaining how the program enhances Branch meetings
- Branches are welcome to suggest ways in which the program may be improved. After Lecturers participate in Branch meetings, they are also encouraged to offer comments and suggestions about the program. These comments and suggestions are important, not only for budget justification purposes, but also in support of ASM's continued efforts to enhance this program and maintain its reputation for quality.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
We started our business in Indonesia about two months back by importing completely-built units (CBU). We would like to manufacture in Indonesia eventually because of the size of the market. Our phrase is build where you sell and that is often the most economic way, he said, adding that for the Malaysian market the company is already exporting vehicles from its Thailand assembly plant.
Karl Slym also said that South America would be an entirely new continent and a large market potential for Tata Motors, where a local plant would be necessary to avoid high logistics costs. FE had reported in its edition dated September 2, 2013, that Tata Motors officials have met government officials at the external affairs ministry for advice on its South America expansion plans.
We are not in South America, so thats an obvious attraction. Building where you sell makes most sense, especially in South America. We dont have a plant, however, the market is on our radar. The economic downturn in India tells us that if you are dependent only on one country, you get more hurt than others. Currently, only 5% of our sales are outside India, so we have a very strong focus on going global, Karl Slym said.
Tata Motors is also developing specific variants like adding an automatic transmission option to existing models such as the Vista and Nano hatchbacks, for export markets. All of these markets have got opportunities for small cars. They all have their own rules, but they have different tastes as well which means that there have to be variants on our current vehicles to keep them satisfied. The Nano has been on trial in Indonesia for many months. We will not go to any market with any car unless its been tried and tested in that market, Karl Slym said.
A big reason for increased focus on overseas markets is the fact that Tata Motors has had a tough run in India over the past two years, while its UK-based luxury marquee Jaguar Land Rover has enjoyed a strong run. In India, Tatas passenger vehicles sales are down 37% at 1.55 lakh units in April-December FY14, while commercial vehicles sales have also slipped 25.5% at 2.43 lakh units.
However, a major business restructuring plan undertaken over the past year under a new management is expected to show results from 2014 with new products focussed on higher quality standards expected to be unveiled starting with the Auto Expo next month.


text:
Every Sunday: Morning Worship
8 a.m. & 11 a.m., Traditional Worship; 9:30 a.m., Contemporary Worship; St. Peter's Lutheran Church, E.L.C.A, 10301 Coastal Hwy., O.C. For more information, 410-524-7474.
Open Wed., Thurs. & Sat.:
Shepherd's Nook Thrift Shop
9 a.m.-1 p.m., Community Church at Ocean Pines, Rte. 589 & Racetrack Rd., Berlin. Accepting donations of gently worn clothes and small household items.
Open Wednesday-Friday:
Stevenson United Methodist
Thrift Shop
5 Stevenson Lane, Berlin, across from the Laundromat. Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sale days every Friday, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
July 6: Yoga On The Beach
8 a.m., Gateway Grand, 48th St., Ocean City. Cost: $10, class. Call first to ensure space and to confirm class at 443-614-9424.
July 6: KC Bingo
5 p.m., doors open; 6:30 p.m., games begin; rear of St. Luke's Church, 9901 Coastal Hwy., O.C. Refreshments on sale. For more info, 410-524-7994.
July 7: Outdoor Flea Market
8 a.m.-1 p.m., Bethany United Metho-dist Church, Rte. 611 & Snug Harbor Rd., near Frontiertown. Breakfast and lunch served. Great soups and baked goods. For more information or to rent a table, 410-629-0926.
July 7: Building Materials Sale
8 a.m.-noon, Habitat for Humanity, Worcester Co., 301 E. Market St., Snow Hill. Building materials, appliances, doors, windows, cabinets, vanities, fixtures and more. Selection and pricing varies. Cash or check only. Proceeds from warehouse sales to fund the Flower Street project. Habitat is also looking for gently used items for future sales. Please contact, firstname.lastname@example.com.
July 7: Democratic Central
Committee Of Worcester Co. Meeting
9 a.m., Snow Hill Library. Public is invited to attend.
July 7: OP Boat Club Raft-up
Depart Yacht Club Day Marker 2 at 5 p.m. Sponsored by the Ocean Pines Boat Club. To attend, call 410-208-9507.
July 8-15: Eden United Methodist
Camp Meeting 2012
5:30 p.m., food shack opens; 7:30 p.m. services begin; Eden United Methodist Church, Richland Rd., Willards.Come expecting a blessing. Music and message nightly. Refreshments, oysters, crab cakes, cold platters on sale. Lawn chairs are encouraged. Sunday, July 15, 10:30 a.m., Blessing of the Fire Trucks. For more information, 443-232-9008 or 410-749-9204.
July 10: Boat Club Lunch Cruise
Noon-2 p.m., cruise from Suicide Bridge down the Choptank River. Sponsore by the Ocean Pines Boat Club. Cost: $35. Guests are welcome. For more information or to make reservations, 410-641-6278.
July 10: OP Plant Clinic
1-4 p.m., Ocean Pines Library. Got plant problems or bugs? Bring a bagged sample by and let the expert Master Gardeners find solutions to your questions.
July 10: KC Crab Night
5-7 p.m., Knights Of Columbus, 9901 Coastal Hwy., O.C. Steamed crabs, steamed shrimp, crab soup, pizza and more. Order crabs in advance Monday-Tuesday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. by calling 410-524-7994.
July 10: Longaberger
& Vera Bradley Bingo
6 p.m., doors open; bingo begins at 7 p.m.; Church of the Holy Spirit, 100th St., & Coastal Hwy., Ocean City. Prizes include Longaberger baskets, Vera Bradley bags and cash. Cost: $20, in advance; $25, at the door. Seating is limited. For tickets or more info, 302-436-7866 or 410-208-6255.
July 11: TOPS Meeting
5 p.m., Ocean City Library. TOPS, or Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a support group for weight loss and provides education on health issues. For more information, 443-365-4722.
July 11: Delmarva Hand Dancing
5:30-9 p.m., Skyline Bar & Grille (formerly Jordan's Rooftop), at the Fenwick Inn, 138th St., O.C. Jitter-bug, swing, cha-cha to the sounds of the 50's & 60's. Beginner and intermediate dance lessons 5:30-6:30 p.m. Followed by dancing until 9 p.m. For more information, 302-934-7951.
July 11: Boardwalk Labyrinth Open
6-6:45 p.m., free mediative Yoga class; Walking in candle light from 7-9 p.m.; St. Paul's Episcopal Church, inside Dewees Hall, just off the boardwalk on the northside of 3rd Street. parking available beside the hall. For more information, 410-289-3453. Wheelchair accessible.
July 12: OP Garden Club Meeting
10 a.m. Ocean Pines Community Cen-ter. This will be the "Christmas in July" meeting which will include an auction for recycled Christmas and garden items.
July 12: Bingo
5:30, doors open; 6:30, early bird games; 7 p.m., regular games; Ocean City Elks Lodge #2645, 138th St., across from the Fenwick Inn. $1,000 jackpot available, food, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. No one under 18 allowed in bingo hall during bingo.
July 12: Legion Bingo
Doors open 5:30 p.m., games begin 7 p.m.; American Legion Post 166, 24th St. & Philadelphia Ave., O.C. Food and drink available. For more information, 410-289-3166.
July 12: Star Charities Presents
Western Night For Diakonia
4:30 p.m., doors open; Casino at Ocean Downs. All-you-can-eat chicken and fish buffet. Prizes for best western attire, live harness racing, door prizes. Entertainment by Randy Lee Ashcraft & SDHS Cheering Rocketts. Cost: $26, person. Seating is limited. For reservations, 410-641-7333 or 410-208-3442.
July 13: Yoga On The Beach
8 a.m., Gateway Grand, 48th St., Ocean City. Cost: $10, class. Call first to ensure space and to confirm class at 443-614-9424.
July 13: OP Boat Club Raft-up
Depart Yacht Club Day Marker 2 at 5 p.m. Sponsored by the Ocean Pines Boat Club and the Power Squadron. To attend, call 410-641-6915.
July 13: KC Bingo
5 p.m., doors open; 6:30 p.m., games begin; rear of St. Luke's Church, 9901 Coastal Hwy., O.C. For more info, 410-524-7994.


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Pop star Dane Bowers admits assault during stag night in Norwich
PUBLISHED: 17:54 03 December 2012 | UPDATED: 18:19 03 December 2012
Singer and reality TV star Dane Bowers has been ordered to carry out unpaid work after admitting a drunken assault in Norwich's Prince of Wales Road.
The former Another Level singer and former partner of model Katie Price grabbed a man around the neck and "threw him about" during an early-hours confrontation between two groups of men, Norwich Crown Court heard.
Racist abuse was heard during the stand-off, and witnessed accused Bowers, to which he responded: "Don't accuse me of being a racist – my dad is black."
Bowers had been in Norwich for a friend's stag party and had begun drinking at 7pm on June 1, 10 hours before the assault, and told police that he rated himself to be "8 out 10" on a scale of drunkenness.
The 33-year-old, of Coulsdon, Surrey, had been due to stand trial accused of two counts of assault on separate victims and one of harassment – all allegedly racially aggravated.
He pleaded guilty to one count of common assault and one of threatening behaviour, both without any racial element.
Judge Stephen Holt today sentenced Bowers to 120 hours of unpaid work and ordered him to pay £1,000 in costs.
He told Bowers: "The problems on Prince of Wales Road on Friday and Saturday nights, and weekday nights, are a thorn in the side of this city.
"Young men go out and get drunk – and it's a constant problem."
Kevin Molloy, mitigating for Bowers, said the assault had "clearly been fuelled by drink" but that Bowers strenuously denied the allegations of racist abuse given that his father and grandfather are Jamaican.
He added that Bowers had been a long-time supporter of the Sodje Sports Foundation, a charity which works in Africa, and the Kick It Out football anti-racism campaign.
A spokesman for Bowers said after the hearing: "He is upset that it's taken this long to clear his name and obviously the attached stigma of racism affected him workwise, and [the allegation of racial aggravation] was in any case always a bizarre allegation given that Dane's father is black and Dane himself is mixed race."


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yay, collectivism.
I'm not responsible for my **** ups... you are!
As a resident of a lost cause Red state I would like to thank the majority in the blue states in advance.
yay, collectivism.
I'm not responsible for my **** ups... you are!
Take from the productive and give to the useless.....
Governor Romney will not win, unless all polls are wrong or they are biased towards President Obama.
notice the overwhelming support for your thread topic.
Now, if you spent more time here, and paying attention to politics in general (which by the nature of these recent posts shows that you don't), you'd see that very few share your enthusiasm. Sure, we have Obama voters, but like most, they do so reluctantly because they just dislike Romney more.
I seriously can't wait for this election to be over. The know-nothings that come out of the woodwork every 4 years are worse than the regulars and the politicians themselves.
who are one and two = Florida and which other?
[QUOTE=Bonhomme Richard;4672580]Gee, I would have never guessed that.[/QUOTE
we always vote red. Not me, but my state. Get it.
It's quite clear you have an Alabama education - would it be Birmingham (HS not college)? One of the worst areas in the U.S. for crime and student failure. Certainly not U. Al or Auburn.
That aside, 47% of the people in this country DO NOT pay federal income tax. Fact. That means they are parasites on our society. Some paid once (retirees), some never paid and never will and are on intergenerational government welfare. Also Fact.
There are those who pay at a federal rate on earned income of 35%. A bit more than ZERO%. Sounds like they pay a lot.
Investment income (depending on type) is taxed at 15% max. Which also seems fair since corporate profits (from which dividends are derived) have already been taxed. Essentaiily MY invested capital is taxed TWICE. And now they want to tax it more? So civil service lazies and welfare queens can bask in the sun for doing zip?


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Since her childhood in L.A.'s eclectic urban culture, singer Leela James has woven the soul tradition into and around every corner of her creative identity. Deep within her rich and powerful voice are the echoes of Aretha Franklin, Mavis Staples, Gladys Knight and other iconic divas of generations past.
And yet, James' brand of soul is very much her own – a music inspired by past masters but galvanized by her own life experience and highly focused artistic vision. She brings it all home to the place where modern soul was born, Stax Records (a division of Concord Music Group) with the release of her new album, My Soul, on June 1, 2010.
"I called this album My Soul because the music is a more accurate reflection of who I am than anything else I've ever recorded," says James. "I did more of the writing, and I was involved with more of the creative process in general. When you listen to the individual tracks, one song may not necessarily sound like the other, but each is soulful in its own way, because each one comes from my soul. I'm the thread that connects all the songs." Following on the heels of an album of covers released in 2009, My Soul is a current portrait of an artist who has matured over the past decade, found her own voice and made her own way. "After my first two records, I knew I had to find a way to have more control over what was happening with my career," says James. "When I was younger, I was just excited to be making records, and I wasn't aware of some of the fine print that's a part of this business. I had to learn how to take charge of where my music was going, and how to get there."
Born and raised in Los Angeles, James was surrounded by music from a very early age – much of it from the soul, R&B and gospel traditions that predated her by at least a couple decades. "There was definitely a lot of Al Green played in our house," she recalls. "And there were other gospel singers too, like James Cleveland, The Mighty Clouds of Joy and Shirley Caesar." She recalls her neighborhood as an extension of her own home and family. As such, she absorbed the eclectic array of whatever was playing in her friend's homes and on the streets. There was the soul and R&B and funk from artists like Aretha, Smoky Robinson and Parliament," she says. "And there was B.B. King and all the other blues artists, and then the hip hop by Run DMC and LL Cool J. There was so much that I was exposed to."
Along the way, it never occurred to her that much of what she was hearing was at least a generation ahead of her time. "Good music is timeless," she says, "so you don't really stop to think that certain music is from a different period and you're too young to embrace it. If it's good, it's good." By the time she was in high school, she was singing in numerous talent showcases and competitions. "I knew it was something that I wanted to pursue," she says, "because I enjoyed the music and I enjoyed being on stage and making people feel good and getting a positive reaction from singing."
She made her recording debut with A Change Is Gonna Come, released on the Warner label in 2005. The album title alone – taken from the title of a 1964 posthumous hit by Sam Cooke and an anthem for the civil rights movement – speaks to James' deep-rooted belief in the soul tradition and its ever-present potential to influence history. In the midst of a change in management and label over the next four years, James kept busy with an aggressive tour schedule that introduced her to festival audiences in the Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa and elsewhere around the world. Along the way, she was nominated for 2006's Outstanding New Artist by the NAACP Image Awards and Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist of 2008 by the Soul Train Music Awards.
In 2009, she recorded Let's Do It Again for the Shanachie label. The album was a series of covers – mostly soul, R&B and funk tunes by the likes of Bootsy Collins, The Staples Singers, Al Green, James Brown and Bobby Womack. Also in the mix were songs originally recorded by lesser known artists like Betty Wright and Phyllis Hyman. Let's Do It Again prompted readers of soultracks.com – the respected website for all things soul, R&B and gospel – to tap James as Female Vocalist of the Year in the site's 2009 Readers Choice Poll in December 2009. But the time for James' tributes to the old masters – however legendary – is past. My Soul consists primarily of material written or co-written by James and crafted by an assortment of talented producers, including Gerrard Baker, Carl "Chucky" Thompson, Kadis & Sean and others. The album is a giant step forward in James' ongoing process of defining who she is and what the soul tradition has meant to her.
The first single off the album, "Tell Me You Love Me," is a track that James co-wrote with Andrea Martin and Gordon Williams. Gerrard Baker loops in a sample of James riffing on a line from "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye," the classic ballad made popular among soul audiences by the Manhattans in 1978. "The title says it all," says James. "A lot times, people – especially men – let their egos and their pride stop them from really expressing their feelings. Even when a woman knows her man loves her, she still needs to hear him say it." Other high points include the defiant opening track "Ain't New To This," wherein James stakes her claim as an artist to be reckoned with, balanced by the more light-hearted "Party All Night" and "Let It Roll." The latter, says James, was inspired by the optimistic sound from the heyday of Motown in the 1960s: "The message in this song is 'Don't sweat the small stuff.' You have to just keep your head when you're faced with difficult situations and difficult people, no matter how bad the energy might get."
On the more introspective side is "It's Over," which James describes as "a fed up song" about going in and out of the same relationship. "Eventually you're backed up against the wall, and you have to finally say enough is enough." Likewise, the multi-layered "If It's Wrong" examines the struggle between doing what feels good and doing the right thing – two courses that often don't intersect. "It's a song about the good angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other," she says. "You hear all these different tones and textures and voices in the song, but they're all me. That represents all the stuff that goes on in your head when you're struggling with the choices between right and wrong."
Clearly, Leela James's musical soul embraces an infinite range of emotions and human struggles. As an artist and as a person, making tough choices and doing the right thing – even if it's the hard thing – is what she's been all about for more than a decade. In the process, she has never lost sight of the core values of the soul tradition – passion, perseverance and a strong sense of identity. All of these and more are at the foundation of My Soul.
"In the past, people tried to put me in a box, based on what they thought soul should sound like," she says. "But soul is whatever comes out of you when you bring your deepest and most honest emotions to the forefront. All these songs are a representation of my soul."


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Two Tone Paint Job On A 1994 Chevy S10 - Two-Tone It Proper
With Tips From The Pros
Your project's paintjob and final assembly are what will either make or break the final outcome. After spending years perfecting every little detail, sending your masterpiece off to a paint shop only to have it ruined is not something that anyone looks forward to. Yet, it happens time and time again.
For Project Bada Bing, Jason turned to the pros at Hellfire Studios. Josh Garman really knows a thing or two about turning out a show-winning paintjob on time and has the years of experience and know-how to tackle every single project. Jason's S-10 is one of those long-term projects that pushes the build to the highest caliber and leaves no stone unturned, as you can tell from the killer feature on his chassis.
Every big project takes a skilled team, and this build was no exception. Scott George of Daytona Custom Paint did all of the bodywork after Jimmy Graham of Jimmy's Rod and Customs performed the fabrication and mods. Mike Letchworth from Lethal Fabrication lent a hand with the sanding duties, and Charlie Hitch of CH Detailing finished it off with the wet-sanding and buffing.
Follow along as we show you what it takes to complete the perfect classic paintjob. For more information, contact the company listed in the source box.
Hellfire Studios Inc.Plant City, FL


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Hi Everyone,
This one has most probably been asked numerous times before...How do I stop Zone alarms sending all of my emails with the extension with ZMC. My friends are just deleting all my emails because they can't open them.
Thanks in advance
Operating System:Windows XP Pro
Software Version:7.0
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Manhunt DVD
The May 1, 2011 raid on Abbottabad, Pakistan that culminated in the killing of Osama bin Laden took 40 minutes. The CIAs hunt for bin Laden took two decades. An official selection of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, Manhunt tells the remarkable true story of the nearly 20-year pursuit of the worlds most notorious terrorist. Directed by Emmy®-nominee Greg Barker, the film features testimony and recollections some shared for the first time from top CIA officers, many of them women, who labored to eliminate bin Ladens terrorist organization and eventually the man himself. Based on the book Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Bin Laden from 9/11 to Abbottabad by Peter Bergen, this documentary feature is a real-life spy thriller that reveals behind-the-scenes accounts from CIA analysts, targeters and operatives, who testify to the disagreements, frustrations, tragedies and triumphs that make up this fascinating yet painful chapter in American military and political history. How the pieces of this ever-changing puzzle come together of Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda, and their violent determination to strike the United States is the backbone of the story.
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- Format: DVD [MOD]
- Rating: Not Rated
- Number of Discs: 1
- Run Time: 103 Minutes
- Region: 1
- Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen
- Studio: HBO Archives
- DVD Release Date: October 29, 2013
- Audio: ENGLISH: Mono
- Director: Greg Barker
- Genre: Documentary
- Release Date: 2013
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Drinking is always fun (and usually funny), but it's even better when your drunk-ass friends are on AIM. I've just spent the last 20 minutes trying to convince my drunk friend to break into our school's dorms just to pull the fire alarm.
Anyone else got any drunk AIM stories?


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Following the loss of control and subsequent grounding of the Shell drilling rig, Kulluk, that company's PR team goes to work.
Sitting in PR headquarters, mostly silent, members of the PR team wracked their brains trying to find a way to at least mitigate some of the negative publicity being aimed at the corporation.
Then it came. One member of the team jumped up and exclaimed, "I've got it! Let's spend some money on Facebook and try to get some extra 'Likes' over this whole thing!"
And everyone at Shell agreed.
The end.


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Despite being one of the most respected and commercially successful bands in rock history, Led Zeppelin have gotten into trouble more than nearly any other artist when it comes to copyright infringement — which inspired the blog Willard's Wormholes to create an imaginary trading card set, with one card per penalty.
The latest example of Zeppelin's alleged song-lifting comes courtesy of attorney Francis Alexander Malofiy, who represents a trust for Randy California, the deceased Spirit guitarist and writer of the song "Taurus," which sounds suspiciously similar to "Stairway to Heaven."
Related: Led Zeppelin is Being Sued Over 'Stairway to Heaven'
And yes, Randy California has his own card in the series — which is just .jpegs on the blog that you can download, print and, of course, save and collect. (Hey, if "Willard" takes the page down, they'll be collector's items!)
Like baseball cards, each "card" has an image on the front, and information on the back. In this case, the image is of the artist being ripped off, and a "back" with the story of the infringement.


text: Friday Sept. 21 Haven returns for Season 3. SyFy will be running Season 2 episodes leading up to the premiere. So what will happen between Duke and Nathan? What will we learn about Sarah/Lucy/Audrey? What more do the brothers know about The Troubles? And what's with the tattoo? For all this and more, stay tuned to this fun and creepy gem of a show.


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Sandy Alderson and the Mets Baseball Ops Explain the Facts of Life to Season Ticket Holders
By Steve Keane at 31 January, 2013, 11:10 am
Last night at Citi Field Sandy Alderson, Paul DePodesta, JP Riccardi and John Ricco sat down for a Q & A session with Mets season tickets holders. Of the season ticket holders in attendance were the first couple of Mets Blogdom Ed Leyro and Taryn Cooper. On Ed's Studious Metsimus site he gives a recap of the some of the questions posed to the group and the answers given by the Baseball Ops members assembled. Some of these stood out to me, such as being asked why it's taking so long for Alderson to make the Mets a contender. And Alderson replied ""We don't want to be there one year and gone the next." There is segment of Metsfandom whose craniums are as thick as a milk shake at the Shake Shack. When you inherit a holy mess both personnel and cash flow wise, it's going to take some time to straighten things out. Alderson and his crew have the Mets on the right path and the impatient Mets fan (who I believe like Chipper Jones said puts a Highlander cap on when the Bronx Bastards play in October) is either too dense or quite frankly too ignorant to see this. In case you missed it, MLB on its 2013 Prospect Watch ranked three Mets in the top 30 of its top 100 list, Travis d'Aranud at #6, Zack Wheeler #8 and Noah Syndergaard #29 . Wheeler and d'Aranud will be up by no later than mid-season, Syndergaard in two seasons at least add them to Matt Harvey and you have a nice foundation for the future. Oh yeah I know what you're saying but the outfield sucks!!!!
Alderson has let it be known in interview after interview that yes, the outfield is a problem spot and yes, I could have spent money to find a bonafide ML outfielder but he wasn't happy with the sticker price, something he also admitted he has to get over:
"We understand what the market dictates and we have to be prepared to exist in that market," said Alderson, who indicated there is an urgency to winning, and that he has not set out on a 10-year plan
Seems Alderson felt there were a couple or three players out there he could have signed but was unwilling to match the price set by the market. I wonder if he could have a do over, if he'd been a little more aggressive in bidding for Ryan Ludwick, Cody Ross or even Reed Johnson as any of those three would be the Mets top outfielder and none of them broke the bank in their newly signed deals. Ross was a player I wanted badly on the Mets as he hits with some pop from the right side of the plate and would have been a big upgrade in right field. To be fair here as well, there was not much else to choose from in the outfield free agent pool since there was no way in hell Josh Hamilton or Nick Swisher were going to be Mets, nor should they have been and my other wish list outfielder Shane Victorino got a year a couple of million dollars more than I thought he would from Boston and even though he's born and bred Phuck Phace I'd have taken a run at him. Would you be happy with a Duda, Victorino, Ross/Baxter outfield? I would.
The best part of all this is in 11 days Mets pitchers and catchers will report to Port St Lonesome and 5 days after that the full squad will be there and then we can see for ourselves what we have in store in 2013 with our own eyes (and the eyes of those covering the camp) and be done with all this off season speculation.
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HUD Extends Comment Period On Proposed Mortgage Reforms
May 8, 2008
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is extending the public comment period on the Bush Administration's proposed reforms to the real estate settlement process. The comment period for the Department's proposed rule to simplify and improve the process of obtaining mortgages and reducing settlement costs under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) will be extended 30 days until June 12, 2008.
"This critical rule will improve the complicated homebuying process and save families money at the settlement table. In light of Congressional and industry requests to extend the comment period for the rule, and our desire to develop the best possible rule, we are allowing additional time. However, we remain committed to finalizing a rule before the end of the Administration," said Deputy Secretary Roy A. Bernardi.
Over the past few years, HUD has aggressively reached out to interested consumer and industry groups to accept and give careful consideration to their thoughtful views and proposals to reform RESPA.
Since 1974, little has changed about how Americans buy and refinance their homes. Given the recent increase in home foreclosures, HUD remains committed to improving the complicated, unclear and costly homebuying process. HUD's proposal reforms to the more than 30-year old RESPA rules and improves disclosure of the loan terms and closing costs consumers pay when they buy or refinance their home. Visit RESPA reforms to learn more about the proposed rule.
The public comment period on HUD's proposed RESPA reforms was set to expire on May 13, 2008 prior to today's announcement.
Source: HUD
Contact ALTA at 202-296-3671 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Villa Roma,It's funny, I was just thinking about this just yesterday. I've been considering doing the exact same thing you did and was going to start researching this morning. I have the KSM150. My dough batches are generally in the 500-900g range. I can't see why I would have a problem using a spiral hook with my machine. I wonder why KA doesn't recommend this.
MTPIZZA....I bought the propane burner solely to use with the LBE to cook pizza. You can use the burner for many things like brewing beer, boiling lobster and corn or frying turkeys etc. as you mentioned.Here are 2 solutions to the issues surrounding useage of the spiral hook on a C hook mixer. The fix would simply involve removing the planetary housing and performing 2 machining operations. The illustration is for the K5SS mixer. The first illustration is the original design, followed by the 2 solutions.Solution 1:The first operation would be to widen the retaining ring groove on the attachment shaft to accept a new heavy duty retaining ring. The second operation would be to remove some material from around the planetary housing to allow space for a thrust washer and a nylon washer. A metal washer can also be used in lieu of the nylon washer. A machine shop would be able to do this work or someone with a lathe and drill press.Solution 2:The second illustration shows another fix using a redesigned bushing. It's a little more involved as the original bushing would have to be pressed out and replaced with a redesigned bushing but would be a better solution. The machining operations are similar to solution 1. Seems like someone could make a fortune modifying these mixers. Charge $30 and make $20 profit. You can easily modify 4 per hour so that would be $80 per hour or $640 a day!!! Let's just say there are 1 million mixers out there, can you say..... CHA-CHING? Sure, I knew you could! Villa Roma
In search of a spiral hook, I called Kitchenaid to make sure I was ordering the right one, I have a tilt-head Artisan model, and they said my mixer wasn't made to use the spiral hooks, so I'm out of luck. She even said, "yeah the C-hook makes the dough climb up the hook and they don't work that well." REALLY?? Then why do you offer it? Guess I should have splurged and gotten the Pro600.Bart
Hi Villa Roma,These images that you posted below, are these images from a company that actually does these modifications ?If so, that's interesting, because I never knew there was a place out there willing to modify KA mixers. If so, where did those images originate ? maybe they have info posted on where to send the mixer etc, for thoseinterested. A machine shop would be happy to do it for a small fee.
KitchenAid KSM90 is what i have. Is the spiral hook physically not able to lock in place on some of the older KA mixers, is that the problem?If it can, i have no problem buying one, thanks.
Could someone measure the overall length of their spiral hook? Is there any difference between the white and "burnished" aluminum in terms of length?


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11.0611 Duties of the Attorney General.Cite as [A.S.A.C. § 11.0611]
A. The Attorney General, or such officer as the Attorney General may designate, shall serve as legal counsel and provide legal services to the LBJ Chief Procurement Officer.
B. The Attorney General shall approve all LBJ contracts exceeding $10,000 as to legal sufficiency prior to execution, regardless of the authority of execution and administration.History: Rule 8, eff. March 3, 1999.


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The school's Arkansas Poll, which is conducted annually to gauge Arkansans' opinions about a range of issues, showed 67 percent of respondents listed the economy as the top problem or issue facing the state. That's a jump from 52 percent who listed the economy as the top issue facing the state in the poll last year.
"It's simply sucking all the air out of the room," said Janine Parry, a political science professor at the school who designed the poll. "It's clearly the top issue on voters' minds right now."
Eastern Research Services, which conducted the phone poll for the school, interviewed 800 state residents for the University of Arkansas between Oct. 14 and Oct. 19. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Despite the concerns about the economy, the poll indicated Arkansans feel more confident about the state's future. Seventy-four percent of those polled said they feel that Arkansas is generally headed in the right direction. Twenty percent said they felt the state was headed in the wrong direction.
The numbers show that Arkansans are differentiating between the state's economic situation and the nation's. Though the state's unemployment is at a 24-year high, the state has weathered the economic downturn better than most other states and ended the fiscal year in July with a $94 million surplus.
"I think people are making a distinction here to what's happening elsewhere," Parry said.
The poll also showed that President Barack Obama remains deeply unpopular in Arkansas, a state he lost in the 2008 election. Thirty-two percent of those polled said they approved of Obama's performance as president, while 60 percent disapproved.
Obama lost the state's six electoral votes to Republican nominee John McCain by 20 points in the 2008 election. He lost the state's Democratic primary earlier that year to Hillary Rodham Clinton. Gov. Mike Beebe, a Democrat who had endorsed Clinton over Obama in the 2008 primary, pointed to the latest poll numbers as he predicted Obama couldn't win the state.
"I think you'd have to be living in a cave not to believe that Obama doesn't stand a lot of chance of winning Arkansas. ... I don't think he's going to carry Arkansas," Beebe said in an interview broadcast live on the Talk Business website.
The poll showed that Beebe, who was re-elected last year, remains popular in the state despite recent Republican gains. Seventy-two percent of those polled approved of Beebe's job performance, and only 13 percent disapproved.
Both of the state's senators didn't enjoy the same support. U.S. Sen. John Boozman, a Republican who defeated Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln last year, had a 40 percent approval and 24 percent disapproval rating.
U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor had a 47 percent approval rating, with 27 percent of respondent disapproving of his job as senator. Pryor, who is serving his second term, has said he's likely to run for re-election in 2014.
The poll also indicated strong support for a proposal on the ballot Nov. 8 to renew a $575 million bond program to repair Arkansas' highways. Sixty-three percent of respondents said they support the proposal to allow an existing 4-cent-a-gallon diesel tax approved in 1999 to be used to pay for the highway bond program.
Twenty-eight percent said they opposed the measure.
Arkansas Poll: http://www.uark.edu/depts/plscinfo/partners/arkpoll.php


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major macro economic indicators
|2016 (e)
|2017 (f)
|GDP growth (%)
|Inflation (yearly average) (%)
|Budget balance (% GDP)
|Current account balance (% GDP)
|Public debt (% GDP)
(f) Forecast
- High-quality infrastructure
- Tourist attractiveness
- Start of sector and geographic diversification, research and innovation capacities
- Lower labour costs and reform effort
- Limited size of the manufacturing industry, specialising in low and average value-added sectors (fuel, food, chemicals, automobiles, clothing, metals)
- High level of public and private debt
- Rigidity of the labour market and lack of domestic competition, insufficient investment
- Deterioration in the quality of bank portfolios
Weak investment is impeding growth
Economic activity slowed in 2016 due to a loss of momentum attributable to a contraction in investment, particularly in construction, and a slowdown in private consumption and exports (despite a rebound in sales abroad in the 3rd quarter). Growth is expected to remain modest in 2017 due to a very tentative recovery in investment and a slight loss of momentum in private consumption, a weakness that is expected to result from continued high levels of corporate and household debt, weak credit, an inadequate fall in unemployment, rising energy prices and an environment which has become more uncertain in the Euro zone. Exports are expected to increase only slightly, mainly because of rising wages, which will affect competitiveness.
In this context, inflation is expected to remain contained, despite the rise in oil prices.
The current account balance returned to positive territory in 2013 and has remained in equilibrium since. This should still be the case in 2017 thanks to tourism and manufacturing sales, although growth outside the EU (Angola) and fuel sales remain sluggish.
Corporate and government debt remain high; banks are struggling from the burden of non-performing loans
Business failures, primarily affecting the wholesale and retail trade, as well as the property sector, declined slightly in 2016, a trend which is likely to continue in 2017. Although declining, corporate debt remains high (152% of GDP in mid-2016) and is dampening investment, also hampered by cumbersome administrative procedures, ineffective judicial proceedings (insolvency regime in particular) and the lack of competition in professional services.
The banking sector remains very fragile, still burdened by the weight of non-performing loans (about 12% of all lending) and posting low profitability. This concerns mostly low-productivity firms in the non-tradable goods sector and limits the ability of banks to lend to viable firms, while making the financial system vulnerable to shocks. In a context of low inflation, low growth and low interest rates, the sector is struggling to generate the profits which would allow it to strengthen its equity margins. The government has already had to intervene to bail out a number of banks in recent years, including, most recently, Banif. The capital requirements of Caixa Geral de Depósitos and potential losses related to the sale of Novo Banco, established in 2014 from the ruins of Banco Espirito Sento, are likely to require the injection of additional public funds.
Although the country posted an excessive budget deficit in 2015, partly related to the rescue of Banif, Portugal avoided European financial sanctions. The country obtained a one-year extension to bring its deficit below 3% of GDP, which was made possible by freezing some government expenditure (intermediate consumption, investment). The continued recovery and a specific transaction (repayment of a guarantee granted to a bank) should help further reduce the deficit in 2017. However, the heavy burden of public debt (130% of GDP) continues to generate substantial risks regarding the sustainability of the debt. The debt dynamics are likely to remain sensitive to macroeconomic shocks and to a potential underestimation of the cost of rescuing the banking sector.
An unprecedented alliance rules the country
The Portuguese left was united during the no-confidence motion in November 2015, bringing down the centre-right government one month after the parliamentary elections. António Costa's Socialist Party has come to an agreement with the Left Bloc, the Communist Party and the Greens, and has since governed the country with the support of these groups in the Assembly (although they have refused to become part of the government). The prime minister took office on a promise to break with austerity (civil service wages were increased in early 2016, caps on pensions removed and the minimum wage raised) but made a commitment to respect European budgetary rules. This unprecedented alliance appears fragile but, for the moment, the electoral agreement was broken only very temporarily, in late March 2016 on a foreign policy issue. The Prime Minister has so far managed to balance the demands of the European Commission and those of his political allies, but they are urging him to negotiate over debt relief, which could complicate his task.
Last update : January 2017
Cheques too widely used and it is common to establish payment plans with post-dated cheques. They are payable on presentation and, if the bank account is not provisioned, they borne by the bank until the maximum amount of 150,00 € . In the case of bounced cheques, a individual person or a company is inhibited of receiving and issuing further cheques until the maximum term of two years (or, by court decision, by the maximum period of six years).
Bills of exchange are commonly used for commercial transactions inPortugal. In order to be valid, however, they are subject to stamp duty whose rate is set each year in the country's budget. The current rate of stamp duty is 0.5% of the amount of the bill, with a minimum of one Euro.
A bill of exchange is generally deemed independent of the contract to which it relates.
While creditors, in the event of payment default, are not required to issue a protest notice before bringing an action to court, such a notice can be used to publicise payment default and pressure the debtor to honour his obligations, albeit belatedly.
In the event of default, cheques, bills of exchange and promissory notes offer effective guarantees to creditors as they are enforceable instruments in law and entitle holders to initiate "executory proceedings". Under this process, creditors may petition the court to issue a writ of execution and notify the debtor of such an order. Where the debtor still fails to pay up, creditors may request the court officer to issue an attachment order against debtor's property.
Electronic transfers via the SWIFT network are also widely used by Portuguese companies and are a quick, reliable and cheap way of payment.
If the buyer fails to order a transfer, the legal remedy consists in instituting ordinary proceedings, or summary proceedings based simply on an unpaid invoice.
Debt collection
Out-of-court collection starts with the debtor being sent 4 demands for the payment of the principal amount. Interests can be requested to debtor but are normally difficult to collect inPortugal.
Since 1st October 2004, interest rate set henceforth by decree of the Treasury Department, will be published in theDiário da República during the first fortnight of January and July each year and be applicable for the six coming months. Unless the parties have agreed different interest rates in their commercial agreement, the default interest rates to be considered are the above mentioned
The order to pay procedure (Injunção) applicable to commercial claims considered uncontested – and, since 19 March 2003, whatever the amount involved – is heard by the court in whose jurisdiction the obligation is enforceable or the court where the debtor is domiciled. Since September 2005, the injunction may be served as an electronic file.
The National Injunctions Office (Balcão Nacional de Injunções / BNI) located inOporto, has exclusive jurisdiction throughout the country with the electronic processing of the order to pay procedure.
Such action must be performed under electronic form when it is instituted by a lawyer.
Now, the majority of orders to pay procedure are electronically submitted to the BNI.
For disputed claims, creditors may initiate formal and costly "declarative proceedings" (acção declarativa), to obtain a ruling establishing their right to payment. They must then initiate the "executive proceedings" (acção executiva) to enforce the court's ruling.
Under the revised Code of Civil Procedure, any original deed established by private seal (i.e. any written document issued to a supplier) in which the buyer unequivocally acknowledges his debt is henceforth deemed an instrument enforceable by law. Since the 1st of September 2013, with the recent revision of the Code of Civil Process, the written signed payment plans can no longer be used to initiate "executory proceedings" unless they are recognized by notary.
Recourse in civil matters allows the judge to adapt the procedure to the needs of each case and accelerate the pace of the proceedings.
As well, a decree-law seeks to improve the process of the executive proceedings by suppression of some procedural formalities and by a better distribution of tasks between the judge of execution and the servant of execution (agente de execução).
In the scope of the recent restructuring of the courts in Portugal since 01 September of 2014, it was created more courts specified in commercial issues. The Courts of first instance were reduced to 23 Courts (in each capital of district) and there are 21 sections specialized in commercial issues called"secção de Comercio" (Secções de Competência Especializada). These sections deal specifically with insolvencies and matters related to commercial companies. It was created too 16 sections specialized in Enforcement Procedures ("Secções Especializadas").