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Authors > Deirdre Sullivan All Authors Select Author
Deirdre Sullivan
Deirdre Sullivan is a writer from Galway. Her first book, Prim Improper, was released in 2010, and followed by two more books, Improper Order and Primperfect, which was the first YA novel to be shortlisted for the European Prize for Literature.
Needlework, Deirdre's fourth novel for young adults, was launched by Margaret Martin, the director of Women's Aid in 2015, and went on to be awarded a White Raven and the CBI Honour Award for fiction.
Deirdre's most recent book, Tangleweed and Brine is a collection of dark fairy-tale retellings that focuses on the internal lives of women. It won an Irish Book Award for Best Young Adult Book of The Year 2017 and an Irish Times Ticket Readers Choice Award for Best Young Adult Fiction 2017. Also, Jack Zipes said some lovely things about it, which made Deirdre the kind of happy that involves mild crying.
Deirdre's most recent novel, Perfectly Preventable Deaths, published in June 2019.
Deirdre loves reading, knitting, bodily autonomy and guinea-pigs. She is thinking about getting a cat.


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Nissan back on Patrol
We all know that Nissan sells a seven-figure Rand value car in South Africa. GT-R. No surprise there. But now, there's a second Nissan million Rand offering, an SUV. A very large SUV with a name which is self-explanatory: Patrol.
It's been a very long time waiting for the seventh-generation Patrol to compete with its old rival, Land Cruiser's 200. In a country where luxury seven-seater SUVs at times earn their keep by traversing terrain that will make most double-cab 4×4 owners scout for safer passing, Patrol and Land Cruiser provide what most European large SUVs can't: old-school engineering strength, with modern cabin convenience and luxury.
Technically, the seventh-gen Patrol is not a complicated car. There's no turbocharged engine, torque vectoring or air-suspension. Instead you get a massive 5.6-litre naturally-aspirate petrol V8, body-on-frame construction and sensibly sized 18-inch wheels rolling fat profile tyres. It's an enormous vehicle at nearly 5.2m in length, and with a turning circle of 12.5m, not something you'd want to commute in during peak traffic.
That said, there's no shortage of cabin space and despite the odd Japanese teak wood finish, there's an oxblood leather option which is pretty decent, and a vast array of standard equipment. You're unlikely to get a nasty option list surprise with Patrol, because there's essentially nothing to load onto the sticker price of R1 299 00.
The engine is unusual, an un-boosted V8 with that lusty sound and throttle linearity so rarely encountered in a contemporary SUV market dominated by twin-turbocharged engines. Shifting through a seven-speed automatic transmission, you're always aware of Patrol's substantial 2746kkg mass, but it's not lazy, just predictably thirsty. Nissan claims average consumption of 14.1l/100km, but you are likely to see something a lot closer to 20l/100km if you are accessing that V8 engine's performance.
Toyota only offers its Land Cruiser 200 in diesel and ultimately, despite its 140-litre fuel tank, Patrol will always be a range disadvantage to the 200 due to its comparative fuel thirst. If you're seeking the superior dune driving SUV between the two, Nissan is on to something with this new SUV. See, the spread of power across a wider rev-range than any turbodiesel (it peaks at 5800rpm with 298kW), is also managed by seven gears instead of six, which theoretically makes Patrol the better sand blasting off-roader. It's a notion supported by evidence of Patrol's popularity in the UAE.
Patrol is targeted at a very specific audience, those who require the space of a seven-seater luxury SUV, but aren't bothered about body roll in corners. It's a customer who spends their December vacation doing serious African Safari touring, and they wish to do it in luxury: with Bose surround sound, seated on quality leather upholstery. They also wan to get there quickly, where the petrol V8's performance and overtaking benefit mitigates against its crushing fuel consumption.
The only luxury SUVs which offer this blend of passenger comfort and off-road ruggedness, are 'Cruiser 200 and Patrol. Toyota dominates the market with an average of 100 Land Cruiser 200s sold each month, and Nissan is seeing Patrol as a halo product, instead of a Land Cruiser volume competitor.
If you need something a touch more appealing on the eye than the 200, and don't mind the corpulent fuel consumption of running a large capacity V8, it's a very welcome return to purpose for Patrol. Makes a lot more sense for people wo actually gravel travel (or go on Namibian/Mozambique sand driving expeditions) than a seven-seat Land Rover of similar size.
Nissan Patrol 5.6-litre V8, 298kW, 560Nm, 0-100kph in 7.9 sec, top speed: 210kph,


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Seeking A Rarity
You can't see anything except what is in front of the headlights and there are only a handful of other vehicles on the road at 5am. I put on some good tunes and begin the hour and a half drive down to Cape May, NJ to seek out a rare bird.
I miscalculate my timing and end up at the harbor in Cape May a solid half-hour before sunrise. I find the Nature Center where the bird I'm looking for has been reported and park the car. It's really dark out and I decide to wait in the car since it's about 30 degrees with a light breeze. After about 10 minutes of waiting I start to see some small birds in the water as my eyes have adjusted to the darkness. I put the car window down and pick up my binoculars and I can see there are a few Bufflehead ducks swimming around. That is all I need to grab the camera and head down to the shoreline.
In the dark it's hard to see clearly where to place my feet as I climb down the large boulders to the small area of sand at the edge of the water, thankfully it is low tide. This allows me to get closer to the birds, get a better angle for photos and also somewhat hide myself among the rocks. With all the movement of me climbing down, the ducks swim away. I get settled in to a comfortable spot and just try to hold still in the chilly morning wind. I decide to look through my camera to see what kind of settings I can get and notice that at 8000ISO I am able to get the shutter speed up to 1/30 sec. I think "if I can brace myself and relax I might be able to make a sharp photo". I frame up a photo, relax my whole body, and squeeze off a series of photos. The photo posted above is one of those photos, it works!
Not even 5 minutes after I climbed down to the shoreline I see a male Bufflehead coming closer to me. I know I won't be able to get a really sharp photo but take a few shots anyway to see what might happen. The photo below is an unexpected surprise, I catch one of the ducks right as he is diving and it makes for some really cool motion in the photo. The sun hasn't even come up and I'm already getting some interesting photos.
I sit still for another 30 minutes, photographing whatever comes close enough and keeping my eyes out for the bird I am seeking. I've come to this specific spot in hopes of photographing a Western Grebe, a bird that is anything but common on our side of the country. The Western Grebe's normal range consists of the west coast of the US and sometimes extending to the middle of the country. Sightings along the east coast of the US are quite rare.
My patience wears off finally and I climb up the rocky shore to the road and start walking along the edge of the harbor to see if I can find the Grebe. As I'm walking along I find a little piece of land that juts out into the water and I head out to get a better look. As I'm scanning the water with my binoculars I see a large group of ducks off in the distance. After a more thorough look I can see they are a small flock of Red-Breasted Mergansers, maybe I'll get lucky and they will come closer, the males are gorgeous. I'm just about ready to walk back and I see a single bird way out in the distance. Once again I put the binoculars to my eyes and I'm thrilled! I can instantly tell by the shape, even though I've never seen it in person, that it's the Western Grebe. Not knowing where it will go I immediately take a photo just so I have something documenting my sighting. It's a tiny dot in the frame but you can still tell what it is.
The Grebe starts swimming in my general direction and joins up with the group of Mergansers I saw a bit earlier. Slowly, very slowly, it keeps getting closer and closer as it swims along the harbor heading back to where I had started the morning. I attempt to predict where the bird is going to go and move ahead to that spot, each time climbing down to get near the water. I'm taking photos, lots of them, not knowing if the bird will come closer but hoping it will keep heading my way. When the Western Grebe finally stopped swimming it was directly in front of the Nature Center, exactly where it has been reported.
By now the tide is starting to come in and there is less and less beach for me to lay on by the minute. I finally have to lay/hold/bend over the rocks to stay near the water's edge but it is worth it since the Grebe is coming even closer. The bird seems curious as to what I am and decides to come in for a closer look. It keeps, what I'm sure it thinks is a safe distance from me, but comes close enough for some really great photos. I am so happy as I'm firing off photo after photo of the bird, I can't wait to see what I get! After about 15-20 minutes the Grebe has enough of me and swims out to a buoy that it seems to like to stay near and I climbed up the slope and head to my car. I am so thankful to have had such a successful trip because I know how easy the search for a rare bird can end in failure. I head off to Cape May State Park to finish off the morning with whatever else I can find. I love bird photography!


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(The bassist is Larry Gray, whose work I know only from his
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Festive season for Indian CEOs1 min read . Updated: 12 Feb 2008, 07:26 PM IST
Festive season for Indian CEOs
Festive season for Indian CEOs
October, the onset of the festive season that usually sees an increase in sales for most consumer product companies in India, proved a good month for most of the 20 high-profile corporate and policy leaders tracked by the Mint Influencers Index.
Not only did 15 and 16 of them see their influence rise in the month across Indian and global print media, respectively, the entire group of influencers saw itself being cited more often than it had been in September.
In Indian print media, the influencers were cited 50% more in October (1,336 times) compared with September (894). And in global print media and news services they were cited 107% more in October (1,144 times) compared with September (551).
Evidently, there was a lot of India and Indian CEOs in the international press in October.
The index is a monthly, objective measure, based on media analysis by Factiva, which tracks these leaders, looking at the volume of media citations for each of them as a proxy for their rising or waning influence. The assumption is that visibility and a share of voice is good for them and their companies, and, in the case of global media, collectively the index is a good surrogate for the growing or waning attention that Indian business and economy generate outside the country.
October's top-ranked influencer across Indian and global media is finance minister P. Chidambaram. However, the person whose influence, as measured by visibility in Indian and global media, soared the most in October is M. Damodaran, head of India's stock market regulator Sebi. He was cited 450% more in Indian media in October compared with the previous month and 4,250% more in global media, following a decision by the regulator, in October, to clamp down on anonymous inflows of foreign capital into the country's stock markets.
See Graphic: Mint Influencers Index
Your comments are welcome at firstname.lastname@example.com


text: DAR Reviews the Auralic Polaris Auralic is on on something of a roll at the moment. Digital Audio Review has just posted a review of the Auralic Polaris all-in-one system. John Darko likes it a lot. Read the full review here or visit our Auralic product page for detailed specs and options. Lee Bevan21 March 2017 Facebook0 Twitter Pinterest0 0 Likes


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Mini Review ARTICLE
Microneurographic research in women
- Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, and UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
This article reviews microneurographic research on sympathetic neural control in women under both physiological and pathophysiological conditions across the lifespan. Specifically, the effects of sex, age, race, the menstrual cycle, oral contraceptives, estrogen replacement therapy, and normal pregnancy on neural control of blood pressure in healthy women are reviewed. In addition, sympathetic neural activity during neurally mediated (pre)syncope, the Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), obesity, the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), gestational hypertension, and preeclampsia, chronic essential hypertension, heart failure, and myocardial infarction in women are also reviewed briefly. It is suggested that microneurographic studies provide valuable information regarding autonomic circulatory control in women of different ages and in most cases, excessive sympathetic activation is associated with specific medical conditions regardless of age and sex. In some situations, sympathetic inhibition or withdrawal may be the underlying mechanism. Information gained from previous and recent microneurographic studies has significant clinical implications in women's health, and in some cases could be used to guide therapy if more widely available.
Microneurography was developed in the mid-1960s in Sweden for percutaneous recordings of action potentials in human peripheral nerves (i.e., tibial, peroneal, median, or radial nerve), mostly in groups of sympathetic fibers (multiunit activity) but also in single axons (single-unit activity) (Wallin, 2012). In this review, we only focus on multiunit recordings. By using this technique, postganglionic efferent nerve discharges leading to the skeletal muscle (the muscular bed), which is called muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) can be recorded (Wallin et al., 1974). Criteria for adequate MSNA recordings include (1) pulse synchrony; (2) facilitation during the hypotensive phase of the Valsalva maneuver, and suppression during the hypertensive overshoot after release; (3) increases in response to breath holding; and (4) insensitivity to emotional stimuli (Wallin et al., 1974). The number of sympathetic bursts per minute (burst frequency), the number of bursts per 100 heart beats (burst incidence), and the number of bursts multiplied by mean burst area of the integrated neurogram (total activity) are used as quantitative indexes (Vallbo et al., 1979; Halliwill, 2000; Wallin, 2012). The advantages and limitations of microneurography have previously been reviewed (Wallin and Charkoudian, 2007).
Over the past 20 years or so, microneurographic studies have been performed in women of different ages under various physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Microneurography has become a potent and useful tool in clinical autonomic function assessment (Mano et al., 2006). Information gained from previous and recent microneurographic research has helped us better understand sympathetic neural mechanisms in women's health and disease.
Physiological Conditions
Impacts of Sex and Age on MSNA
There are sex and age-related differences in the prevalence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease in humans. One of the important determinants for these differences is sympathetic neural control. Numerous studies have indicated that sex and/or age affect sympathetic neural activity at rest or during perturbations. For example, basal MSNA has been found to be lower in young women compared to young men (Matsukawa et al., 1998b; Narkiewicz et al., 2005). MSNA increases with age, and the increment is greater in women than in men (Iwase et al., 1991; Ebert et al., 1992; Fagius and Wallin, 1993; Matsukawa et al., 1998b; Narkiewicz et al., 2005). Therefore, elderly women have a similar or greater basal MSNA and a greater increase in arterial pressure for a given increase in MSNA than elderly men (Matsukawa et al., 1998b; Narkiewicz et al., 2005; Studinger et al., 2009; Hart et al., 2011; Okada et al., 2012b) (Figure 1). The latter may be one of the mechanisms for sex differences in hypertension in seniors (Fu et al., 2008b).
Figure 1. Resting muscle sympathetic nerve activity increases with age and the increment is greater in women than in men. Adapted with permission from Matsukawa et al. (1998b).
Baroreflex control of MSNA or sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity has been reported to be similar between young men and women (Tank et al., 2005; Fu et al., 2009; Studinger et al., 2009; Hart et al., 2011). With women of more advanced age, sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity remains unchanged (Ebert et al., 1992; Studinger et al., 2009) or decreases (Matsukawa et al., 1998a; Hart et al., 2011). A recent study showed that sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity was lower in elderly women than elderly men, which was associated with greater arterial stiffness in women (Okada et al., 2012b), perhaps leading to less baroreceptor distortion for a given pressure pulse.
Studies regarding the effects of sex on sympathetic neural responses during orthostasis are few and the results are inconsistent; similar (Fu et al., 2005, 2009) or attenuated (Shoemaker et al., 2001) MSNA responses have been reported in young women compared to young men. One explanation for these inconsistent findings may be the impact of the menstrual cycle. Two of the three studies (Shoemaker et al., 2001; Fu et al., 2005) did not control for menstrual phases in female subjects. It was found that women during menstruation (i.e., the early follicular phase, low estrogen and progesterone) tended to have smaller increases in MSNA total activity (P = 0.102 for sex) but similar increases in burst frequency during orthostasis compared to men; however, these differences were small and not statistically robust (Fu et al., 2009) (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) burst frequency (A) and total activity (B) responses during a graded upright tilt in men and women during the early follicular phase (when both estrogen and progesterone are low) and the mid-luteal phase (when both sex hormones are high). Values are means ± S.E.M. Tilt5, Tilt10, Tilt20, Tilt30, Tilt40, and Tilt45, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 45 min after 60° upright tilt. Adapted with permission from Fu et al. (2009).
With regard to other well characterized stimuli such as static handgrip, similar (Jones et al., 1996b) or attenuated (Ettinger et al., 1996; Jarvis et al., 2011) MSNA responses have been reported in young women than young men. Jones et al. found that women and men responded with comparable increases in MSNA during 1 min of handgrip (Jones et al., 1996b). However, a common metabolic endpoint (i.e., fatigue) is necessary for comparisons between the sexes and/or age. Recent work from our laboratory showed that young women demonstrated attenuated increases in MSNA during static handgrip to fatigue and post-exercise circulatory arrest, indicating a blunted metaboreflex (Jarvis et al., 2011). Conversely, during a cold pressor test, heart rate and MSNA responses were similar in men and women, suggesting that central integration and the efferent pathway were comparable between the sexes (Jones et al., 1996b; Jarvis et al., 2011). During mental stress, young women demonstrated a smaller increase in arterial pressure than young men, but changes in MSNA and heart rate were not different between the sexes (Carter and Ray, 2009).
Taken together, sympathetic neural control can be affected by sex and/or age in humans. Young women during menstruation tend to have attenuated increases in MSNA total activity but not burst frequency during orthostasis as compared to young men, while these differences are not statistically robust. On the other hand, young women have a blunted exercise pressor reflex, which may protect them from developing hypertension and cardiovascular disease. It should be noted that the MSNA difference between men and women is much smaller than the range of MSNA observed in healthy individuals (Wallin et al., 1993; Charkoudian et al., 2005; Wallin, 2007; Joyner et al., 2010). Thus, the influences of genes, age, or other factors may be much greater when compared to a sex effect. The greater age-related increase in basal MSNA and decrease in baroreflex function may be responsible for the high prevalence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease in elderly women.
Racial Differences in MSNA
Black women have a higher prevalence of hypertension compared to white women (Burt et al., 1995), which may be due to racial differences in sympathetic neural control of blood pressure. It was previously found that physiological or psychological stressors increased MSNA more in young blacks than in young whites (Calhoun, 1992; Calhoun et al., 1993), especially in those with a family history of hypertension (Calhoun and Mutinga, 1997). Conversely, some investigators showed that there were no significant differences in basal or stimulated norepinephrine spillover between young blacks and whites (Stein et al., 2000). Ray et al. found that compared to young whites, young blacks had lower MSNA responses but similar vasoconstriction during orthostatic stress, indicating an enhanced sympathetic vascular transduction in blacks (Ray and Monahan, 2002). Consistent with the study of Ray et al., we recently found that elderly blacks had a blunted sympathetic neural responsiveness but greater pressor response during orthostasis compared with elderly whites (Okada et al., 2012a). However, sex was not investigated in this study.
Although at rest young lean black men were found to have a greater MSNA than white men, basal MSNA was similar between young black and white women (Abate et al., 2001). In black women, adiposity seems to be a major determinant of sympathetic discharge (Abate et al., 2001). It is possible that black women have enhanced sympathetic neural responses and/or sympathetic adrenergically medicated vasoconstriction during perturbations compared to white women, which may be the mechanisms for the higher prevalence of hypertension in this population.
Racial differences in sympathetic neural control in women have not been investigated extensively. There is no clear synthesis possible at this time.
Menstrual Cycle Effects and Oral Contraceptives in Premenopausal Women
Results regarding the effects of the menstrual cycle on sympathetic neural control in healthy young women are controversial. Some (Minson et al., 2000a; Park and Middlekauff, 2009) but not all (Jones et al., 1996b; Carter et al., 2009; Fu et al., 2009; Jarvis et al., 2011) investigators have reported that the fluctuations of female sex hormones during the menstrual cycle may affect basal MSNA and sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity at supine rest in women. Two studies have uniformly demonstrated that the menstrual cycle can affect MSNA responses during orthostasis (Carter et al., 2009; Fu et al., 2009). For example, it was found that an increase in MSNA total activity during upright tilt (Fu et al., 2009) and lower body negative pressure (Carter et al., 2009) was smaller in the early follicular phase (day 1–5 after the onset of menstruation, low estrogen and progesterone) than in the mid-luteal phase (day 19–22, high estrogen and progesterone). However, both studies showed that the menstrual cycle did not influence sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity responses during orthostatic stress (Carter et al., 2009; Fu et al., 2009). On the other hand, MSNA responses during static handgrip (Minson et al., 2000a; Jarvis et al., 2011), mental stress (Carter and Lawrence, 2007), and vestibulosympathetic stimulation (Lawrence et al., 2008) were all similar between menstrual phases.
To date, there are only two studies published regarding the effects of oral contraceptives on sympathetic neural control in young women. Minson et al. previously showed that oral contraceptive use did not affect basal MSNA, but it affected resting sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity (Minson et al., 2000b). Furthermore, the authors found that changes in baroreflex sensitivity with oral contraceptive use differed from changes in baroreflex sensitivity during the normal menstrual cycle (Minson et al., 2000b). Conversely, Carter et al. showed that oral contraceptives did not alter cardiovascular and sympathetic neural responses to an orthostatic challenge in young healthy women (Carter et al., 2010). Whether similar observations can be made during other perturbations such as the cold pressor test and mental stress needs to be determined.
Taken together, recent studies have shown that the menstrual cycle can affect MSNA total activity responses during orthostatic stress, and women during the early follicular phase have attenuated upright total activity. However, sympathetic neural responses during static handgrip, mental stress, and vestibulosympathetic stimulation are not influenced by the menstrual cycle. Oral contraceptives appear to have limited impact on sympathetic neural control in young women. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.
Impacts of Estrogen Replacement Therapy on MSNA in Postmenopausal Women
Menopausal estrogen loss is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular events in women (Burt et al., 1995). Supplemental estrogen has been proposed to reverse, to some extent, deficits in blood pressure control and protect against the development of hypertension and cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women (Hunt et al., 2001). However, the therapeutic effects of estrogen supplementation may be influenced by the dosage, the type of estrogen used, the duration of treatment (i.e., acute versus chronic) and/or the route of administration (i.e., transdermal versus oral). For example, low-dose estrogen replacement therapy was found to be not effective in decreasing MSNA and blood pressure in postmenopausal women (Oneda et al., 2008). Transdermal administration of estrogen supplement suppressed basal MSNA without augmenting arterial baroreflexes, and sympathetic inhibition was evident only with chronic rather than acute estrogen administration (Vongpatanasin et al., 2001; Weitz et al., 2001). Conversely, oral administration of estrogen does not change basal levels of MSNA (Hunt et al., 2001; Vongpatanasin et al., 2001; Moreau et al., 2003).
These studies suggest that chronic transdermal administration of estrogen supplement at a high dosage may be necessary in the restoration of the deficits in sympathetic neural control of blood pressure in postmenopausal women.
Sympathetic Neural Control During Normal Pregnancy
Normal pregnancy is associated with dramatic changes in hemodynamics, which occur through autonomic control mechanisms (Ekholm et al., 1994; Fu and Levine, 2009). Earlier human studies on sympathetic activity during pregnancy focused only on plasma norepinephrine concentrations, which ranged from increased to decreased compared with non-pregnant conditions (Zuspan, 1979; Tunbridge and Donnai, 1981; Barron et al., 1986; Chapman et al., 1998). With microneurography, Greenwood et al. found that basal MSNA increased in normotensive pregnant women during the third trimester of gestation (Greenwood et al., 1998, 2001). A decrease in baroreceptor-mediated inhibitory restraint on central sympathetic outflow may be one potential explanation for these findings. It is also possible that changes in hormonal factors associated with pregnancy may cause sympathetic activation. Greenwood et al. followed three normotensive pregnant women 6 weeks after delivery and found that sympathetic activity decreased dramatically (Greenwood et al., 1998). Their preliminary data indicate that the end of normal pregnancy may be associated with an increase in resting sympathetic outflow and pregnancy per se may result in sympathetic activation despite a normal blood pressure.
We recently found that basal MSNA and MSNA in the upright posture were markedly greater, while diastolic pressure was lower and peripheral vascular resistance decreased during early pregnancy (i.e., ≤ 8 weeks of gestation) compared to pre-pregnancy in healthy young women (Jarvis et al., 2012). These results suggest that sympathetic activation may be a common characteristic of early pregnancy in humans. These observations challenge conventional thinking about blood pressure regulation during pregnancy, which suggests that sympathetic activation occurs only at the end of pregnancy, and to our knowledge, there are no published sympathetic nerve recordings during early pregnancy in humans. Our study has shown that marked sympathetic activation occurs within the first few weeks of conception, and may provide the substrate for pregnancy induced cardiovascular complications. If we confirm that women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy have a greater increase in MSNA or sympathetic vasoconstriction early on during pregnancy when compared to women with normotensive pregnancies, we could make an early diagnosis or prediction. Early prevention or treatment targeted to the appropriate pathophysiology may be initiated, which may reduce maternal and fetal death or morbidity, as well as cardiovascular risks in women later in life.
Taken together, sympathetic activation is a common phenomenon during normal pregnancy in healthy women, which occurs as early as 4 weeks of gestation, remaining high throughout the entire pregnancy. It may represent a compensatory mechanism induced by peripheral vasodilation; in addition, alterations in hormonal factors associated with pregnancy may also contribute to sympathetic activation in pregnant women.
Pathophysiological Conditions
Syncope and Sympathetic Withdrawal
Syncope is a common clinical condition affecting up to 40% of otherwise healthy people (Ganzeboom et al., 2006; Serletis et al., 2006), especially young women (Robertson, 1999; Fu et al., 2004). Based on current conventional wisdom, loss of sympathetic tone (Wallin and Sundlof, 1982; Dietz et al., 1997; Morillo et al., 1997; Mosqueda-Garcia et al., 1997) with relaxation of vascular resistance (Lewis, 1932; Barcroft et al., 1944; Weissler et al., 1957; Epstein et al., 1968) is thought to play a major role in neurally mediated syncope. However, Cooke et al. reported that withdrawal of MSNA was not a prerequisite for (pre)syncope despite significant decreases of arterial pressure in healthy individuals (Cooke et al., 2009). We recently showed that MSNA decreased rapidly at presyncope often after the onset of hypotension, while a moderate fall in cardiac output with coincident vasodilation or a marked fall in cardiac output with no changes in peripheral vascular resistance may contribute to (pre)syncope (Fu et al., 2012). Blood pressure and MSNA responses in the development of presyncope seem to be similar between young men and young women, as well as between menstrual phases in women (Fu et al., 2009).
In a retrospective study in healthy young individuals without manifest cardiovascular disease, we found that approximately 10–15% of the presyncopal subjects (all females) had no significant decreases in MSNA prior to presyncope, while these subjects appeared to have greater increases in plasma epinephrine concentration (Fu et al., 2008a), suggesting that stimulation of β2-adrenergic receptors without changes in vasomotor sympathetic activity may also elicit (pre)syncope in humans, though this must be tested in a prospective design.
Taken together, sympathetic withdrawal at (pre)syncope occurs in the majority of healthy people without manifest cardiovascular disease. In a small subset, stimulation of β2-adrenergic receptors without sympathetic withdrawal may elicit (pre)syncope. Recent findings suggest that sympathetic withdrawal may not be a prerequisite for (pre)syncope, because MSNA decreases rapidly at presyncope after the onset of hypotension. A moderate fall in cardiac output with coincident vasodilation or a marked fall in cardiac output with no changes in peripheral vascular resistance may contribute to (pre)syncope in this population. These patterns may uncover distinct patient populations with different mechanisms and could be a target for pathophysiology specific therapy if borne out in clinical trials.
Neural Control in the Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome
The Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS, also called Chronic Orthostatic Intolerance) affects >500, 000 Americans, the vast majority of whom are premenopausal women (Robertson, 1999). POTS is characterized by orthostatic tachycardia without significant hypotension (Raj et al., 2005). Patients with POTS were previously reported to have altered baroreflex function (Stewart, 2000), hyperadrenergic activity (Jacob et al., 1997), or postganglionic sympathetic denervation and inadequate peripheral vasoconstriction (Stewart and Weldon, 2000).
Microneurographic studies have shown that POTS patients have a similar (Bonyhay and Freeman, 2004; Muenter Swift et al., 2005; Lambert et al., 2008; Fu et al., 2010) or greater (Furlan et al., 1998) basal MSNA when compared to healthy controls. All (Muenter Swift et al., 2005; Lambert et al., 2008; Fu et al., 2010; Baumert et al., 2011) except one (Furlan et al., 1998) studies reported enhanced MSNA responses during orthostasis in POTS. Sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity at rest was similar (Bonyhay and Freeman, 2004; Fu et al., 2010) or even greater (Bonyhay and Freeman, 2004; Muenter Swift et al., 2005) in POTS patients than healthy controls. MSNA responses during static handgrip and the cold pressor tests were comparable between patients and controls, even though absolute values of heart rate were consistently higher in POTS (Fu et al., 2010).
Taken together, these results indicate that modulation of the sympathetic nervous system by the baroreflex, muscle metaboreflex, mechanoreflex, and central command may be intact in patients with POTS.
Sympathetic Neural Activity in Obesity
Obesity is associated with an increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease in humans. It has been proposed that the sympathetic nervous system plays a role in obesity, while ethnicity may alter the relationship between sympathetic activity and obesity (Spraul et al., 1993; Weyer et al., 2000). For example, it was found that in Pima Indians there was no relationship between an increase in sympathetic activity and an increase in adiposity, which may contribute to the low prevalence of hypertension in this population (Weyer et al., 2000).
Jones et al. found that percent body fat was related to basal MSNA in both young men and women, but the regression line was shifted downward in women because of lower levels of MSNA (Jones et al., 1996a). They also reported that waist-to-thigh ratio was a better correlate of MSNA than percent body fat; MSNA and waist-to-thigh ratio were correlated significantly in men but not as strongly in women. These observations were confirmed by the study of Tank et al. showing that adjusting for age, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and body mass index were predictive for MSNA in men but not in women (Tank et al., 2008). These results suggest that abdominal fat is an important adipose tissue depot regulating MSNA in men, while women may be protected from sympathetic activation through a hitherto unknown mechanism (Tank et al., 2008).
Nevertheless, obesity was found to be a major determinant of sympathetic discharge in women (Abate et al., 2001). Obese normotensive women had a greater basal MSNA than lean women (Negrao et al., 2001; Ribeiro et al., 2001; Lambert et al., 2007). However, they had smaller increases in MSNA during static handgrip and post-exercise circulatory arrest compared with age-matched lean women, indicating a blunted metaboreflex in obesity (Negrao et al., 2001). Body weight reduction in obese women resulted in a decrease of blood pressure that was at least partially caused by a reduction of MSNA (Andersson et al., 1991). It was also found that weight loss by diet or diet plus exercise training reduced MSNA during mental stress in obese women (Tonacio et al., 2006). An improvement in baroreflex control, decreases in free fatty acids and plasma leptin levels, or an increase in insulin sensitivity after weight loss may be responsible for the reduction of MSNA (Tonacio et al., 2006).
Taken together, the sympathetic nervous system plays a role in obesity in both men and women, but ethnicity may alter the relationship between sympathetic activity and obesity. Waist-to-hip ratio correlates with MSNA in men but not in women. Nevertheless, obese women have a greater level of basal MSNA compared to lean women. In obese women, weight loss decreases blood pressure, at least in part, due to a reduction in MSNA.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine abnormality in women of reproductive age characterized by androgen excess and hyperinsulinemia (Schlaich et al., 2011). It has been proposed that PCOS is a state of sympathetic overactivity (Lara et al., 1993; Sverrisdottir et al., 2008). Testosterone was found to be a predictor of sympathetic nerve activity in women with PCOS and increased basal MSNA was associated with a higher level of testosterone in these patients (Sverrisdottir et al., 2008). A recent case report in two obese PCOS patients with hypertension showed that renal denervation exerted beneficial effects not only on blood pressure control but also on insulin resistance, renal, and endocrine abnormalities characteristic of PCOS (Schlaich et al., 2011). Three months after the denervation, basal MSNA decreased in both patients (Schlaich et al., 2011). Additionally, low-frequency electroacupuncture, and physical exercise could reduce MSNA and improve clinical symptoms in women with PCOS (Stener-Victorin et al., 2009).
Thus, patients with PCOS have sympathetic overactivity, which may be attributable to increased levels of testosterone. Interventions that can reduce sympathetic activity may improve symptoms in these patients.
Gestational Hypertension and Preeclampsia
Central sympathetic outflow has been found to increase in women with normal pregnancies and is even greater in hypertensive pregnant women during late pregnancy (Greenwood et al., 1998, 2001, 2003) (Figure 3). These findings suggest that sympathetic activation during the latter months of pregnancy may help to return arterial pressure to non-pregnant levels, and when the increase in activity is excessive, hypertension may occur. This notion is supported by the findings of Schobel et al. showing that preeclamptic women had excessive sympathetic overactivity (i.e., more than three times as high as that in normotensive pregnant women) during late pregnancies (Schobel et al., 1996). It has been proposed that pregnancy induced sympathetic overactivity constitutes a precursor of preeclampsia, which is physiologically compensated for by vasodilating mechanisms, leading to preeclampsia only when they fail (Fischer et al., 2004). However, it remains unclear whether sympathetic overactivity is a cause or consequence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.
Figure 3. Resting mean frequency of single-unit muscle sympathetic nerve activity (s-MSNA) in the three groups of subjects, NN, NP, and PIH, expressed as mean (height of columns) and S.E.M. (bars). NN, normotensive non-pregnancy; NP, normotensive pregnancy; PIH, pregnancy-induced hypertension. *P < 0.05; †P < 0.001. Adapted with permission from Greenwood et al. (2001).
A previous study showed that preeclampsia was not associated with greater sympathetic hyperactivity than gestational hypertension, suggesting that any renal impairment in preeclampsia involves mechanisms that are not solely dependent on sympathetic hyperactivity (Greenwood et al., 2003). In patients with preeclampsia, epidural anesthesia reduces uterine artery vascular resistance (Ramos-Santos et al., 1991; Ginosar et al., 2009). These results indicate that sympathetic vasoconstriction may be specifically augmented in preeclamptic women. However, it is completely unknown whether women with gestational hypertension and preeclampsia have excessive sympathetic activation and/or enhanced sympathetic vasoconstriction early on during pregnancy, or whether sympathetic overactivity occurs only at term, providing the substrate for both of these complications.
Taken together, both gestational hypertension and preeclampsia are associated with sympathetic overactivity. However, whether sympathetic overactivity is a cause or consequence of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy remains to be determined.
Essential Hypertension, Heart Failure and Myocardial Infarction
Women with chronic essential hypertension have increased levels of basal MSNA compared with their normotensive counterparts, and MSNA is significantly related to blood pressure (Lambert et al., 2007). However, young and middle-aged (mean age 51 years old) female hypertensive patients have a lower level of sympathetic activity compared to aged-matched male patients (Hogarth et al., 2007). Postmenopausal women (mean age 58 years old) continue to have a lower level of basal MSNA than similarly aged men even after the development of chronic essential hypertension (Hogarth et al., 2008). Whether older (i.e., ≥ 65 years old) and/or very old (i.e., ≥ 80 years old) hypertensive women have a similar or even greater MSNA compared with age-matched hypertensive men needs to be investigated.
Recent studies have shown that basal MSNA is not clearly different between middle-aged female and male patients with chronic heart failure (Antunes-Correa et al., 2010). The benefits of exercise training on neurovascular control and functional capacity in patients with heart failure are independent of sex (Antunes-Correa et al., 2010).
Sympathetic activation occurs following acute myocardial infarction (Karlsberg et al., 1981; McAlpine et al., 1988; Graham et al., 2002; Hogarth et al., 2009) and is related to the extent of myocardial damage (McAlpine et al., 1988; Hogarth et al., 2009). Following uncomplicated acute myocardial infarction, women were found to develop a relatively greater magnitude of sympathetic activation lasting until its resolution at 9 months. This is consistent with reports of their worse prognosis observed during this time period with important potential clinical implications (Hogarth et al., 2009).
Taken together, sympathetic activation is associated with hypertension and cardiovascular disease in both women and men. Sex may affect the degree of sympathetic activation and the prognosis of the disease. Such information may be useful for selection of treatment for female patients.
Previous and recent microneurographic studies suggest that sympathetic neural control may be affected by physiological changes such as age, race, fluctuations of female sex hormones during the menstrual cycle, use of oral contraceptives, and pregnancy. In additional, pathophysiological conditions such as syncope, POTS, obesity, PCOS, hypertensive pregnancy, essential hypertension, heart failure, and myocardial infarction may also affect sympathetic neural control in women. In many medical conditions, excessive sympathetic activation is a primary or secondary underlying cause regardless of sex and age. In some situations, for example, syncope, sympathetic inhibition or withdrawal may be one of the determinant factors. Results obtained from these studies provide valuable information regarding women's health and disease, which has significant clinical implications and is relevant to public health.
Conflict of Interest Statement
The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be constructed as a potential conflict of interest.
The author is deeply grateful to Dr. Benjamin D. Levine for his constructive and helpful comments and suggestions. This review article cannot be completed without his support. Support for this work was provided in part by the National Institute of Health (K23HL075238, R21HL088184, and R01HL091078 grants).
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Morillo, C. A., Eckberg, D. L., Ellenbogen, K. A., Beightol, L. A., Hoag, J. B., Tahvanainen, K. U., Kuusela, T. A., and Diedrich, A. M. (1997). Vagal and sympathetic mechanisms in patients with orthostatic vasovagal syncope. Circulation 96, 2509–2513.
Mosqueda-Garcia, R., Furlan, R., Fernandez-Violante, R., Desai, T., Snell, M., Jarai, Z., Ananthram, V., Robertson, R. M., and Robertson, D. (1997). Sympathetic and baroreceptor reflex function in neurally mediated syncope evoked by tilt. J. Clin. Invest. 99, 2736–2744.
Muenter Swift, N., Charkoudian, N., Dotson, R. M., Suarez, G. A., and Low, P. A. (2005). Baroreflex control of muscle sympathetic nerve activity in postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Am. J. Physiol. 289, H1226–H1233.
Narkiewicz, K., Phillips, B. G., Kato, M., Hering, D., Bieniaszewski, L., and Somers, V. K. (2005). Gender-selective interaction between aging, blood pressure, and sympathetic nerve activity. Hypertension 45, 522–525.
Negrao, C. E., Trombetta, I. C., Batalha, L. T., Ribeiro, M. M., Rondon, M. U., Tinucci, T., Forjaz, C. L., Barretto, A. C., Halpern, A., and Villares, S. M. (2001). Muscle metaboreflex control is diminished in normotensive obese women. Am. J. Physiol. 281, H469–H475.
Okada, Y., Galbreath, M. M., Jarvis, S. S., Bivens, T. B., Vongpatanasin, W., Levine, B. D., and Fu, Q. (2012a). Elderly blacks have a blunted sympathetic neural responsiveness but greater pressor response to orthostasis. Hypertension. [Epub ahead of print].
Okada, Y., Galbreath, M. M., Shibata, S., Jarvis, S. S., VanGundy, T. B., Meier, R. L., Vongpatanasin, W., Levine, B. D., and Fu, Q. (2012b). Relationship between sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity and arterial stiffness in elderly men and women. Hypertension 59, 98–104.
Oneda, B., Forjaz, C. L., Bernardo, F. R., Araujo, T. G., Gusmao, J. L., Labes, E., Abrahao, S. B., Mion, D. Jr., Fonseca, A. M., and Tinucci, T. (2008). Low-dose estrogen therapy does not change postexercise hypotension, sympathetic nerve activity reduction, and vasodilation in healthy postmenopausal women. Am. J. Physiol. 295, H1802–H1808.
Park, J., and Middlekauff, H. R. (2009). Altered pattern of sympathetic activity with the ovarian cycle in female smokers. Am. J. Physiol. 297, H564–H568.
Raj, S. R., Biaggioni, I., Yamhure, P. C., Black, B. K., Paranjape, S. Y., Byrne, D. W., and Robertson, D. (2005). Renin-aldosterone paradox and perturbed blood volume regulation underlying postural tachycardia syndrome. Circulation 111, 1574–1582.
Ramos-Santos, E., Devoe, L. D., Wakefield, M. L., Sherline, D. M., and Metheny, W. P. (1991). The effects of epidural anesthesia on the Doppler velocimetry of umbilical and uterine arteries in normal and hypertensive patients during active term labor. Obstet. Gynecol. 77, 20–26.
Ray, C. A., and Monahan, K. D. (2002). Sympathetic vascular transduction is augmented in young normotensive blacks. J. Appl. Physiol. 92, 651–656.
Ribeiro, M. M., Trombetta, I. C., Batalha, L. T., Rondon, M. U., Forjaz, C. L., Barretto, A. C., Villares, S. M., and Negrao, C. E. (2001). Muscle sympathetic nerve activity and hemodynamic alterations in middle-aged obese women. Braz. J. Med. Biol. Res. 34, 475–478.
Robertson, D. (1999). The epidemic of orthostatic tachycardia and orthostatic intolerance. Am. J. Med. Sci. 317, 75–77.
Schlaich, M. P., Straznicky, N., Grima, M., Ika-Sari, C., Dawood, T., Mahfoud, F., Lambert, E., Chopra, R., Socratous, F., Hennebry, S., Eikelis, N., Bohm, M., Krum, H., Lambert, G., Esler, M. D., and Sobotka, P. A. (2011). Renal denervation: a potential new treatment modality for polycystic ovary syndrome? J. Hypertens. 29, 991–996.
Schobel, H. P., Fischer, T., Heuszer, K., Geiger, H., and Schmieder, R. E. (1996). Preeclampsia – a state of sympathetic overactivity. N. Engl. J. Med. 335, 1480–1485.
Serletis, A., Rose, S., Sheldon, A. G., and Sheldon, R. S. (2006). Vasovagal syncope in medical students and their first-degree relatives. Eur. Heart J. 27, 1965–1970.
Shoemaker, J. K., Hogeman, C. S., Khan, M., Kimmerly, D. S., and Sinoway, L. I. (2001). Gender affects sympathetic and hemodynamic response to postural stress. Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. 281, H2028–H2035.
Spraul, M., Ravussin, E., Fontvieille, A. M., Rising, R., Larson, D. E., and Anderson, E. A. (1993). Reduced sympathetic nervous activity. A potential mechanism predisposing to body weight gain. J. Clin. Invest. 92, 1730–1735.
Stein, C. M., Lang, C. C., Singh, I., He, H. B., and Wood, A. J. (2000). Increased vascular adrenergic vasoconstriction and decreased vasodilation in blacks. Additive mechanisms leading to enhanced vascular reactivity. Hypertension 36, 945–951.
Stener-Victorin, E., Jedel, E., Janson, P. O., and Sverrisdottir, Y. B. (2009). Low-frequency electroacupuncture and physical exercise decrease high muscle sympathetic nerve activity in polycystic ovary syndrome. Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol. 297, R387–R395.
Stewart, J. M. (2000). Autonomic nervous system dysfunction in adolescents with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome is characterized by attenuated vagal baroreflex and potentiated sympathetic vasomotion. Pediatr. Res. 48, 218–226.
Stewart, J. M., and Weldon, A. (2000). Vascular perturbations in the chronic orthostatic intolerance of the postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. J. Appl. Physiol. 89, 1505–1512.
Studinger, P., Goldstein, R., and Taylor, J. A. (2009). Age- and fitness-related alterations in vascular sympathetic control. J. Physiol. 587, 2049–2057.
Sverrisdottir, Y. B., Mogren, T., Kataoka, J., Janson, P. O., and Stener-Victorin, E. (2008). Is polycystic ovary syndrome associated with high sympathetic nerve activity and size at birth? Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 294, E576–E581.
Tank, J., Diedrich, A., Szczech, E., Luft, F. C., and Jordan, J. (2005). Baroreflex regulation of heart rate and sympathetic vasomotor tone in women and men. Hypertension 45, 1159–1164.
Tank, J., Heusser, K., Diedrich, A., Hering, D., Luft, F. C., Busjahn, A., Narkiewicz, K., and Jordan, J. (2008). Influences of gender on the interaction between sympathetic nerve traffic and central adiposity. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 93, 4974–4978.
Tonacio, A. C., Trombetta, I. C., Rondon, M. U., Batalha, L. T., Kuniyoshi, F. H., Laterza, M. C., Suzuki, P. H., Gowdak, M. M., Barretto, A. C., Halpern, A., Villares, S. M., and Negrao, C. E. (2006). Effects of diet and exercise training on neurovascular control during mental stress in obese women. Braz. J. Med. Biol. Res. 39, 53–62.
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Pubmed Abstract | Pubmed Full Text| CrossRef Full Text
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Keywords: muscle sympathetic nerve activity, arterial pressure, sympathetic neural control
Citation: Fu Q (2012) Microneurographic research in women. Front. Physio. 3:278. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2012.00278
Received: 04 April 2012; Accepted: 28 June 2012;
Published online: 18 July 2012.
Edited by:Elisabeth Lambert, BakerIDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Australia
Reviewed by:Jens Jordan, Medical School Hannover, Germany
Julian Mark Stewart, New York Medical College, USA
Copyright © 2012 Fu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in other forums, provided the original authors and source are credited and subject to any copyright notices concerning any third-party graphics etc.
*Correspondence: Qi Fu, Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, and UT Southwestern Medical Center, 7232 Greenville Avenue, Suite 435, Dallas, TX 75231, USA. e-mail: email@example.com


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TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Feb. 20, 2013) -
Element Financial Corporation (TSX:EFN) ("Element") is pleased to announce that it has amended the terms of its previously announced bought deal offering of common shares of Element ("Common Shares") to increase the size of the offering to approximately $150 million (the "Offering"). Under the amended terms of the Offering, a syndicate of underwriters co-led by GMP Securities L.P., Barclays and BMO Capital Markets and including RBC Capital Markets, Cormark Securities Inc., Scotiabank, TD Securities Inc., National Bank Financial Inc. and Manulife Securities Incorporated (collectively, the "Underwriters") have agreed to purchase, on a bought deal basis, an aggregate of 19,400,000 Common Shares at a price of $7.75 per Common Share for gross proceeds of approximately $150 million. The net proceeds of the Offering will be used to originate and finance, directly and indirectly, finance assets and for general corporate purposes. The Underwriters will also have the option, exercisable in whole or in part at any time on or up to 30 days after the closing of the Offering, to purchase up to an additional 2,910,000 Common Shares to cover over-allotments, if any, and for market stabilization purposes. In the event that the option is exercised in its entirety, the aggregate gross proceeds of the offering will be approximately $173 million.
The Company will file a preliminary short form prospectus for the Offering with Canadian securities regulatory authorities in all Canadian provinces. The Offering is scheduled to close on or about March 8, 2013, subject to certain conditions, including obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals.
The Common Shares have not been, nor will be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to U.S. persons absent registration or applicable exemption from the registration requirement of such Act and applicable state securities laws. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
About Element Financial Corporation
With total assets of approximately $1.5 billion, Element Financial Corporation is one of North America's leading independent equipment finance companies. Element operates across North America in three verticals of the equipment finance market - Element Capital provides large ticket equipment leasing, Element Finance serves the mid-ticket equipment finance market and Element Fleet provides vehicle fleet leasing and management solutions through the Company's TLS Fleet Management division.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release includes forward-looking statements regarding the expected issuance and sale of common shares and the use of proceeds from the issuance. Such statements are based on the current expectations and views of future events of Element's management. In some cases the forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "will", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "intend", "potential", "estimate", "believe" or the negative of these terms, or other similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release, including the issuance and sale of common shares and the use of proceeds from the issuance, may not occur and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Element, including risks regarding the equipment finance industry, economic factors and many other factors beyond the control of Element. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement or information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements or information. Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Element undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Contact Information:


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Engineers attending the forthcoming Western Electronics Show and Convention will find the San Francisco area a thriving center of electronic research. Intensive studies are under way today in solid state, microwaves, information handling, and other branches of the industry. Wescon is scheduling field trips to representative laboratories for those engineers who are interested.
Shockley Laboratories, Palo Alto, Calif., is growing ultra-pure silicon crystals to study imperfections in silicon p-n junctions. R&D manager Rudolf Biensele points out that, "The whole area of semiconductor technology is a peculiar blend of science and art. We keep finding areas of art that have heretofore been labeled 'science.' These areas that are not really under control are the ones that have been plaguing industry. It is these areas of sorcery that we are attacking."
Lockheed Missiles and Space Div. maintains a major research center in the Stanford Industrial Park, Palo Alto. There, a group is studying magnetic effects, thermoelectric effects, spin waves in thin ferromagnetic films, and the magnetic properties of rare earth materials.
With a view toward thermionic energy conversion, researchers at Varian Associates, Palo Alto, are studying plasma synthesis. If a plasma can be generated with low expenditure of electrical power, then low-temperature (1000° to 1500°C) emitters can be fabricated instead of the 2500°C presently needed for tungsten or tantalum. (Electronic Design, August 16, 1961, p. 28)
The original article carried more details than we could fit in this space. But perhaps the major point here is that in the early 60s, although a hotbed of electronics technology, the Palo Alto area wasn't dominated by semiconductors. As Fairchild grew and National Semiconductor moved from Connecticut, though, the area soon became known as Silicon Valley.


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Our Pre-school is led by Mrs. Denise McEvoy and supported by Mrs. Julie Osborn and Mrs. Claire Morris, who joined the Pre-School in September 2018 as Keyworkers, having previously worked in Haslemere Primary School for many years.
We are extremely lucky to have such a wonderful and dedicated team.
The Key workers provide both structured and unstructured play opportunities inside and outside. These activities are based on the Principals of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and designed to engage children in practical, first-hand experiences which will support children to discover, explore, investigate, develop their personal interests and areas of curiosity, and help to make sense of the world around them as they begin to understand specific concepts. Play opportunities are also set up to provide children with opportunities to apply newly acquired knowledge, demonstrating their skills and levels of understanding.
There are different areas of learning, these are:
Prime Areas
Communication and Language
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Physical Development
Specific Areas
Understanding the world
Expressive Arts and Design
We also teach the children basic Makaton, and teach concepts and languge using 'Concept Cat', and 'ECAT'. Our theme this term is 'Fairy tales', each week we will be looking at a different story.
Special Days
- Diwali
- Bonfire Day
- Christmas Dinner with parents
We look forward to meeting you.
Pre-School Team.
Contact Details
Mrs McEvoy
Pre-School is based within our Early Years Unit / Nursery at Haslemere Primary School
Entrance via Foxton Grove
Tel: 0208 648 9660
Hours 8:30am to 11:30am Monday-Friday Term Time only


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Nintendo Cuts GameCube Price Following Moves by Its Rivals
Nintendo Co., intensifying the pricing war against videogame rivals Sony Corp. and Microsoft Corp., cut the U.S. retail price of its GameCube machine by 25%.
The price reduction, which was announced Monday and takes effect Tuesday, follows announcements from Sony and Microsoft last week that they were trimming the prices of their videogame players by a third. Nintendo will slash the price of the GameCube to $150.


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A Word on Robin Williams.
Celebrities, like regular people, die all the time. They die in quiet, lonely bedrooms, they die on roads, they die in public places, and sometimes, they die by their own hand. I must say, normally a celebrity death doesn't really hit me too hard; you see the posts on Facebook or Twitter, you chase the news, you reflect on a movie or a song, and then you go back to your day, maybe with a shout out to the fallen on social media. But this one hit.
I know what if feels like to have deep, bottomless energy, and I also know what it feels like to lose touch with it, and sink down into depression. In fact, the former can be looked at as compensation for the latter. I've never had the drug addictions, but I've battled my demons, same as anybody else. And when I heard that Robin had taken is own life, probably as a result of depression, it scared me very, very much. Here is a man who has accomplished everything, who has millions in the bank, and is generally adored by all. And yet that wasn't enough to keep him from falling.
Anyone that has battled depression knows the hardest part is how completely illogical it is. You know you should be OK; you understand that there is no reason for the feelings you feel, the worry the clings to you, and grips you tighter and tighter. But that doesn't change one, key thing: you do feel this way, you can't bluff it, and you can't pretend it isn't there.
If we learn one thing from this, I hope it is this: reach out, and get help as soon as you feel the grip of it. Don't let pride get in the way: the black dog doesn't care who you are, or what you do, or the company you keep.
The longer you grapple with the 'why', the harder it will get to figure it out, shake it, move it aside, and march on. The best advice I ever got was to treat depression like diabetes: you can pretend you don't have it, but it won't make it go away, and it won't get you better. Face it, trust someone, and start to heal; and know that if you can't find a person nearby to talk to, there are other options. Here's one: http://suicidepreventionaust.org/
RIP, Robin Williams, truly one of the funniest men there ever was.


text: Hello friends!! Thought it was time for me to share my NYC mini album that I created using mostly 3x4 cards and a PL kit. I have a new found love for mini albums and thought it would be fun to create an album using PL cards. The process to create this mini album was rather simple, just pile it on. LOL! I kept my pictures to mostly 3x4 to compliment the PL cards and added large pieces of pattern paper to create the covers. As you can see, all those 3x4 PL cards you've been collecting can also be used in a mini album, they really simplify the process. Enjoy!


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Cats are often very clean animals and want little or no persuasion to use a litter field. Never rest room train a kitten. For instance, you would possibly see that there's blood in your cat's urine or feces, litter clumps out of the blue increase in measurement or numbers, your cat instantly stops using the box or has diarrhea or constipation. This version of Find out how to Toilet Prepare Your Cat was reviewed by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS on March 22, 2017.
One could level out that outside cats do not have litter packing containers in any respect so there isn't any need to fret. -Rest room prepare your cat is only a few weeks and save 1000's on cat litter. For litter, you should utilize sand, shredded newspapers, or wood shavings, however commercially ready cat litter made from ground clay or different materials is probably the most handy and sanitary.
In case you are fortunate, you will be able to re-prepare your cat to use the litter field , but it may create a critical battle if your cat has not seen one for a long time. Crystal cat litter with infused scented lavender crystals; pink colour. Lee, who said she is a little bit bit like a clear freak," finds this all far preferable to a litter field, though she mentioned it baffles her mates.
Going to the toilet outside the litterbox is likely one of the prime causes cats are surrendered to shelters, so instructing your cat to constantly go in a designated space — either a litterbox or a rest room — is far more important than eliminating litter from your cat's routine.
Some pet parents want not to take care of the cleanup required by an indoor yard, litter box or pan, that's where cat rest room coaching is available in. For those who're new to the techniques required to begin cat bathroom coaching, Petco has a couple of completely different kits to help you get began.


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Please note that all dogs have been on display at the Chinese New Year festivities and therefore may have some imperfections. All Art Dogs for sale are available for collection from the Guide Dogs NSW/ACT office in Chatswood at the buyer's expense. Collections can be made during business hours by appointment after full payment has been received.
About the artwork
An elderly man stood alone in the corner of a dark pub, staring out a window with a blank, distant look upon his face. His shoulders were hunched over and knees crumpled. Every day, a new patron sat with this man, to try to discover the reason he just sat and stared all day. He told them all the same story, about a mysterious dog who could lead you to all the happiness and wealth you deserve. The dog from this story was a majestic creature, who roamed the earth searching for the next lucky soul. A shady gentleman asked the man one day, "What does this dog look like, where can I find it?" The man replied, "I'm blind, I don't know what it looks like! You cannot find this dog, but it can find you." Years passed and the shady man had been searching everywhere for this dog. He returned to the pub where the elderly man once stood. He wasn't there - in his place, sat a Guide Dog staring out the window. He walked over to the dog and started patting its head. He stared out the window with the biggest and brightest smile anyone had ever seen.


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Bridal Set with 1 Carat TW of Diamonds in 14kt White Gold
DescriptionA perfect pair, this 14kt white gold bridal set is a breathtaking start to the rest of your lives. The engagement ring features a center pear diamond, surrounded by a double halo of round brilliant diamonds leading into the shoulders. The matching wedding band is perfectly moulded and set with round brilliant diamonds, for a match made in heaven.
Product Details
- Collection Evermore Bridal
- Total carat weight 1.00 (1)
- Centre carat weight 0.34 (1/3)
- Centre Diamond Clarity I1
- Centre Diamond Colour I+
- Centre Diamond Cut Pear
- Centre Diamond Setting Prong/Claw
- Sidestone Diamond Clarity I2
- Sidestone Diamond Colour I+
- Sidestone Diamond Cut Round
- Sidestone Diamond Setting Prong/Claw
- Metal colour White
- Metal content 14 Karat
- Engagement Style Halo
- Gemstone Diamond Set
Delivery & Returns
FREE delivery for all online orders.
Once your order has shipped, please allow 2-7 business days for delivery depending on your location. Orders requiring ring sizing take up to three (3) additional business days to complete.
If for any reason you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase, you may return it online or in-store within 60 days of delivery for an exchange or full refund. Subject to meeting the requirements of our refund policy.
For more information, visit our FAQ page.


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Glitz and glamour are the best words to describe the look that we all aim for on New Year's Eve. We want to ring in a shiny new year with sparkly dresses, gleaming hair, and dazzling makeup!
One of my top makeup looks for this New Year's Eve is the vampy femme fatale as modelled here so perfectly by actress Michelle Trachtenberg.
To give your burgundy lip lasting power, use a lip pencil all over the lip underneath the lip colour to keep your eye and get the maximum amount of glamour by keeping eye makeup really simple and classic like a black, liquid liner on the upper lashes with a softer, smokier line on the outer half of your bottom lashes. To add more light, pair it with a yellow gold or champagne shadow. The finishing touches – slightly rosey cheeks and a set of perfectly groomed and shaped brows to frame it all into one beautiful picture!
Now that's starting the new year right!