Menopausal transition (premenopause) is the phase in the ageing process of women representing the transition from the reproductive stage of life to the non-reproductive stage. With improvements in average life expectancy, women live an increased proportion of their lives in the postmenopause. The consequences of oestrogen loss are the early symptoms (psychological and vasomotor), the genitourinary syndrome (intermediate), as well as postmenopausal osteoporosis with increased risk of fractures and cardiovascular diseases (late). The diagnosis of climacteric syndrome is based on typical clinical symptoms. Perimenopausal women should understand physiological changes occurring in menopausal transition. They should be encouraged to live a healthy lifestyle. Menopausal hormone therapy is indicated for relief of the acute symptoms of menopause and for treatment of urogenital atrophy. It should be administered in the lowest effective dose for the shortest period of time. The treatment should be initiated before the age of 60 years or within 10 years after menopause in order to decrease its risks. The benefit/risk profile needs to be individually re-assessed every year.
Environmental conditions contribute to a large percentage of wheat yield variability. This phenomenon is particularly true in rainfed environments and non-responsive soils to N. However, the effect of P application on wheat is unknown in the absence of N fertilizer application. This study was conducted from 2012 to 2019 in permanent beds established in 2005. Treatments were arranged in a split-plot design and consisted of superimposing three P treatments (foliar, banded and broadcast application) plus a check (0P) within each one of four preceding N treatments (applied from 2005 to 2009). Foliar P generally showed a greater response than granular P treatments even though the soil tests high P (>30 mg/kg). Precipitation estimated for two different growth intervals explained through regression procedures the Years' effect. Seasonal precipitation (224–407 mm) explained variation of relative yield, N harvest index (NHI) and P agronomic efficiency (AE). Reproductive stage precipitation (48–210 mm) explained soil N supply. In dry years, foliar P application improved predicted relative yield 14% and AE 155 kg grain/kg P compared to granular P treatments. Similarly, soil N supply increased 15 kg/ha in dry moisture conditions during the reproductive stage. The NHI consistently improved over the crop seasons. This improvement was relatively larger for 0 kg N/ha. On average, NHI increased from about 0.57 to 0.72%. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) readings at the booting growth stage were negatively associated with NHI. Foliar P in this non-responsive soil to N showed the potential to replace granular P sources. However, the omission of granular P needs to be further studied to estimate the long-term effect on the soil P test.
ABSTRACT: Temperature affects plant development therefore phyllochron has been used as a predictor for developmental events to define the time for agricultural managing practices. This study aims to evaluate changes in phyllochron and thermal sum required for flowering by oat genotypes developed at different decades at three temperature regimes; the effect of high temperature on phytomere development; and identify the development stage at the moment of meristem transition to reproductive stage. Three environments were obtained by sowing in the fall, in the spring, and under constant temperature (17oC), always at inductive photoperiod. Despite changes in nominal values small differences were found among genotypes’ phyllochron. Adding specific optimal and maximum temperatures into the growing degree days’ calculation demonstrated phyllochron stability among environments. Plant cycle length and thermal sum correlated with the number of developed phytomeres. UFRGS 078030-2 plants flowered earlier, had a small number of phytomeres, and greater tolerance to elevated temperatures than the other genotypes. More recent genotypes transit to reproductive stage at an earlier Haun stage than older ones.

Roots play an important role in wheat grain yield, especially under drought stress conditions. To investigate root characteristics under drought stress conditions in bread wheat, 90 lines F10 obtained from the crossing (‘Yecora Rojo’ × ‘Chinese Spring’) randomly with the parents of the population were examined. The study was conducted in the form of a split-plot design with a randomized complete block base in three conditions including: 1. no stress, 2. application of drought stress at the beginning of the vegetative stage, and 3. application of drought stress at the beginning of the reproductive stage. The results showed, interaction between genotype and condition of drought was significant for all root-related traits, except shallow root dry mass, at the level of 1 % probability. The response of root-related traits to different types of drought stress was very complex. The longest root length, decrease for 13.3 % was during stress at the beginning of the vegetative stage in comparison to non-stress conditions, while the same trait increased for 4.9 % during stress at the beginning of the reproductive stage, comparison to non-stress conditions. The results of principal component analysis under non-stress conditions showed that by considering the distribution of genotypes compared to the first two components, genotypes can be identified that have more yield with the proper root condition and vice versa.

AbstractHigh temperature elicits a well-conserved response called the unfolded protein response (UPR) to bring protein homeostasis in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Two key UPR regulators bZIP28 and bZIP60 have been shown to be essential for maintaining fertility under heat stress conditions in Arabidopsis, however, the function of transcriptional activator bZIP17, a paralog of bZIP28, in heat stress response at reproductive stage is not reported. Here we found that bzip17 mutant plants were sensitive to heat stress in terms of silique length and fertility comparing to that of wildtype (WT) Arabidopsis plants, and transcriptomic analysis showed that 1380 genes were specifically up-regulated and 493 genes were specifically down-regulated by heat stress in the flowers of WT plants comparing to that in bzip17 mutant plants. These bZIP17-dependent up-regulated genes were enriched in responses to abiotic stresses such as water deprivation and salt stress. Further chromatin immuno-precipitation coupled with high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-Seq) uncovered 1645 genes that were direct targets of bZIP17 in MYC-bZIP17 expressing seedlings subjected to heat stress. Among these 1645 genes, ERSE-II cis-element was enriched in the binding peaks of their promoters, and the up-regulation of 113 genes by heat stress in flowers was dependent on bZIP17. Our results revealed direct targets of bZIP17 in flowers during heat stress responses and demonstrated the important role of bZIP17 in maintaining fertility upon heat stress in plants.
Endophytic bacteria play potentially important roles in the processes of plant adaptation to the environment. Understanding the composition and dynamics of endophytic bacterial communities under heavy metal (HM) stress can reveal their impacts on host development and stress tolerance. In this study, we investigated root endophytic bacterial communities of different rice cultivars grown in a cadmium (Cd)-contaminated paddy field. These rice cultivars are classified into low (RBQ, 728B, and NX1B) and high (BB and S95B) levels of Cd-accumulating capacity. Our metagenomic analysis targeting 16S rRNA gene sequence data reveals that Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Spirochaetes are predominant root endophytic bacterial phyla of the five rice cultivars that we studied. Principal coordinate analysis shows that the developmental stage of rice governs a larger source of variation in the bacterial communities compared to that of any specific rice cultivar or of the root Cd content. Endophytic bacterial communities during the reproductive stage of rice form a more highly interconnected network and exhibit higher operational taxonomic unit numbers, diversities, and abundance than those during the vegetative stage. Forty-five genera are significantly correlated with Cd content in rice root, notably including positive-correlating Geobacter and Haliangium; and negative-correlating Pseudomonas and Streptacidiphilus. Furthermore, Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States analysis shows that functional pathways, such as biosynthesis of siderophore and type II polyketide products, are significantly enhanced during the reproductive stage compared to those during the vegetative stage under Cd stress. The isolated endophytic bacteria from the Cd-contaminated rice roots display high Cd resistance and multiple traits that may promote plant growth, suggesting their potential application in alleviating HM stress on plants. This study describes in detail for the first time the assemblage of the bacterial endophytomes of rice roots under Cd stress and may provide insights into the interactions among endophytes, plants, and HM contamination.


Mainly, mindfulness implies the maintenance of one’s thoughts, emotions, thinking, current circumstances, and our environment. The maintenance of thoughts basically means to adjust according to the present feelings.
Mindfulness meditation insinuates the practice of tuning mind in the present moment. In Simple terms, it means to focus on what is going on now and forget past and future and act according to the current scenario.
As a result, several benefits of mindfulness meditation can be observed. The meditation involves imagination training, body relaxation, and several breathing exercises.
The history of Meditation is as old as the evident history of the world. Many revealed and non-revealed religions showcase the benefits of mindfulness meditation. For instance, Guttam Budha got salvation due to meditation and reached the landmark of spirituality.
Similarly, various Islamic Sufi saints are of the prescribe mindfulness meditation to their pupils, so they get to know themselves and the purpose of their birth in the materialistic world.
The teachers spiritual one asserts that the meditation can heal the soul and body along with putting the light on the abyss of darkness that one confronts in life.
Mindfulness meditation is the key that opens locked doors which hampers the progress and holds a person back from doing certain tasks in life.
You can check this beginners guide of meditation.
Many books are written on the above-mentioned subjects; many videos on internet coupled with several articles, exhibits the way of meditating, but we are gonna describe the ways which are easy lucid and clear and would help you train your mind for the mindfulness meditation.
Besides, if you find that it is difficult for you and you could not maintain your focus, you may consult any meditation center or a good book or article to have the control. You can also check out these powerful mindfulness practices.
Mindfulness ameliorates your overall self.
Mindfulness leads to complacency. Mindfulness practice makes it simple to relish small things in your life. It empowers you to fight with hard times. Most importantly, you can deal with your worries as your focus would be shifted to present only.
Have a better and improved physical health.
A study suggests those who meditate are healthier than those who do not. Mindfulness involves various relaxing and breathing exercises that would control blood pressure, improve heart and create better sleep with a good stomach.
It embellishes your mental health.
According to psychologists, meditation is one of the best ways to tackle depression in various mental diseases that include chronic anxiety and many phobias. The mindfulness meditation trains your mind to fight all the negative thoughts; thus leading you to have a positive and healthy mindset.
It makes you stronger.
When you focus on now, the fear of future goes away. Practicing mindfulness meditation teaches you how to remain strong in adverse scenarios and tackle all the rough and hard moments in life. It makes you quite intuitive and mentally balanced, which help in rooting out any worse before it occurs.
You may become so strong that you may not fear anything except doing wrong to others.
It makes you a true human being.
Mindfulness meditation teaches us how to behave with others. It teaches how to be kind; how to help people in need and how to remain generous. It prevents one from falling prey to any worldly or greedy desire that may have adverse repercussions.
Moreover, mindfulness make you know your true spirit of having a birth and teaches you how to spread blessings; hence making you a true human being.
You would feel confident and brave.
According to a sage, ” confidence is the key that can unlock any door of success.” when you start practicing mindfulness meditation, you realize that you are becoming more confident, your fears and thoughts that were holding you back are getting away.
The power of this mediation can aggrandize your chances of success by giving you confidence and courage.
Ever thought of being happy at 24 hours and a full week? This is quite possible, the ability to live in present due to mindfulness meditation makes you feel happy and positive all the time.
Once you mastered the meditation you will get to know that there is no worry but it’s your mind that makes them and you will be able to fight all the odds and feel happy and vibrant all the time.
In a nutshell, Mindfulness meditation is more than magic, it can change your life holistically and make you the best version of yourself that you have never ever thought.
“I want the window seeaaat!” “No, I’m already sitting there.” “But I came first. Mom… Read More
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In 1978 the Wedel Marsh was diked – despite mass protests led by conservationists. The NABU branch in Hamburg did, however, ensure that the extraction site of marine clay needed to build the dams was turned into a substitute habitat for wading and aquatic birds. Working according to guidance and active support of many bird enthusiasts, a 10-hectare body of water was created on an area measuring roughly 17.5 ha. Ever since, the area has been rented by NABU Hamburg and is maintained and further developed by dedicated volunteers on an ongoing basis.
The Carl Zeiss Bird Station was opened in 1984. For more than 30 years, this area, which lies some 15 km to the west of Hamburg, has been used to observe the birds on the Wedel Marsh. This is the perfect place for ducks, geese, wading birds and gulls to find food and to breed.
One full-time and several volunteer supervisors tell visitors all about the local nature, offer them binoculars for loan and inspire people on tours that take in the local bird species.
The reserve around the bird station is an excellent habitat for many bird species thanks to the sheer structural diversity that’s packed into such a small space.
Three observation points offer an unobstructed view of nearby islands and waters.
Height-adjustable viewing ports allow visitors to observe aquatic and nesting birds, sometimes from just a few meters away. Protective walls are in place to prevent visitors from disturbing the birds. Heiner Hofmann is no stranger to the Wedel Marsh; the photographer likes to enjoy the nature around the bird station and has already taken some excellent photos here.
In June 2016 he saw young little ringed plovers for the first time at the Carl Zeiss Bird Station. The birds had all gathered on a gravel island. Their parents were visibly worried when an increasing number of large gulls appeared – a threat to their young. They flew back and forth from the riverbanks to the gravel island, and tried to lure the young birds by calling out to them. Despite their efforts, around an hour later the young birds decided to swim back to their parents. After all, their little wings were still too small for a quick flight back.
Up to 160 bird species can be observed here over the course of a year.
For Hofmann, one very special moment is when thousands of barnacle geese pay a visit to the area early in the year. “In the space of a year, I managed to capture one really impressive image”, says Hofmann. “As they’re known to do at the beginning of each year, some 10,000 barnacle geese gathered around the Carl Zeiss Bird Station in search of food. Suddenly I spied a white-tailed eagle in the distance. The geese paused for a moment and raised their heads. They become more and more agitated, their calls ever louder. All of a sudden they all took off into the sky, as if on command. They flew so closely together – I’ve not seen anything quite like it since.”
The birds that migrate along the East Atlantic Flyway use the Wedel Marsh as a key stopover, where they can enjoy plenty of rest and shelter during the winter. This is how thousands of teals find food in the freshwater mudflats near the former island of Fährmannssand, the sunken town of Bishorst and the Mühlenberger Loch river basin.
Other bird species also spend the winter in the Wedel Marsh; they include barnacle geese, greylag and white-fronted geese, as well as common mergansers. They find protection and sustenance in the area’s grasslands. For more information, please visit: Carl Zeiss Bird Station
Thousands of migratory birds use the freshwater mudflats as a place to “refuel” before continuing their journey that begins in Scandinavia or northern Russia and ends in more southern climes.


Student: Maximilian Balmus
The Fontan circulation is a surgically established treatment for complex congenital heart diseases in which one of the ventricles is functionally unable to pump blood, leaving the heart with a single working ventricle. While this surgery keeps patients alive, changes to the circulation yield significant complications, resulting in a reduction in life expectancy. In Fontan circulation, systemic and pulmonary circulations are coupled in series without a ventricle supporting the flow of blood to the lungs. Therefore, pulmonary blood flow and diastolic filling of the ventricle are reliant on passive flow of systemic venous blood through the pulmonary arteries. This has lead to the common hypothesis of pre-load inefficiency – which suggests that reduced pre-load limits the capacity of the congenital heart to increase its workload under exercise.
As a result of pre-load inefficiency, Fontan patients also exhibit exercise inefficiency. While normal morphological hearts can produce up to a five-fold increase in cardiac output in response to exercise, Fontan patients typically only achieve 50-60% of predicted maximal exercise capacity, as their ability to improve cardiac output is impaired. As increased HR increases metabolic demand of the heart (for the same cardiac output), this response mechanism to increased demand in the body suggests potentially significant inefficiency in Fontan patients.
Chronotropic modulation presents a potential improvement to work efficiency in the Fontan heart by limiting HR increase. This effect is currently being examined as part of an ongoing clinical study at KCL. Using MRI under rest and exercise conditions, Fontan patients will be scanned and noninvasive pressure estimates obtained. Exercise MRI will be acquired in patients under normal conditions and after administration of a negative chronotrope. Acquired data will then be used to generate computational models of the heart, assimilating known anatomy and function. These models will then be used to assess work efficiency, gauging whether chronotropic modulation leads to an improvement in work efficiency under exercise.


Good morning Adventurers! We hope you are all ok. Don’t forget to send us your videos/photographs/messages for our hello video – it will be lovely to see you all your smiling faces! We have planned the following activities for you – we hope you enjoy doing them!
Are you ready to plan your story?
Today we are going to use a storyboard to draw and write the main events of our stories.
Think about the opening, build-up, problem, resolution and ending. All the stages for a super story!
I’ve loved seeing all your superhero work so far, well done!?
Good luck with your storyboards and enjoy your day.
Today Adventurers, I thought we would have a go at some word problems involving addition and subtraction. There are some questions if you head on over to tapestry.
Read the questions carefully and decide which operation you need to and then write the number sentence and the answers.
There is a sheet for the year 2 pupils and one for the year 3 pupils.
It’s that time of the week again – French Thursday! Last week I asked you to design a rainbow and label the colours in French.
This week, we will continue working on colours. I have added a sheet that will help you to identify the colours and support your pronunciation when saying the out loud. There is then a sheet with some colour names that have been jumbled up – can you figure out what each colour is? Don’t worry about printing the sheet off – you can just write the answers down on a piece of paper.
As always, there is more information on Tapestry and if you are doing your own work, that is great too.
We hope you have a lovely day.
Mrs Roe and Mrs Burton


Blacksmithing uses two operations to transform mild steel or wrought iron: forging and shaping. Forging is using a hammer and anvil to alter a piece of steel’s dimensions. Shaping is changing the piece’s lines in relationship to the air around it. A line becomes a circle, a spiral, or an abrupt bend. The tools employed in shaping can be as simple as a hammer and anvil or as complex as a series of blacksmith-engineered jigs. This post will be about the shaping involved in transforming a length of forged stock into a grip.
In this photo the ends of the piece of stock have already been forged and the hole punched for the screw before the shaping process begins.
Two work areas are involved. The primary work area is the forge, shown above. The forged pieces before being bent are to the lower right, beside the tongs. In the fire we have two groups of forgings being heated. The group to the left is being heated prior to the first bending and the group to the right is being heated prior to the second bending. Grips that have been through both first and second bending operations are out of the fire, to the upper right of the tongs.
In this photo the HF20 grip is being bent after being heated in the forge. A second bend is required to make the grip.
The other major work area is the vise bench, just a step away from the forge. The vise holds a special jig used for bending the grips. The vise table is used as a cooling surface and to support the metal block used for leveling the grips.
After reheating the stock, the second bend is made and the piece is measured to make sure it is the proper size, 2 5/8 inches long. We try to get the grips close to this size, plus or minus a little. Blacksmithing is not an extremely precise art.
Further heats for the grips are made in a “soaking” fire. This is different from a normal forging fire in that very little air is given to the fire. The aim is to achieve a gradual heat which soaks from outside to inside, producing an even heat throughout the piece. In this case we are using a soaking heat because we have 30 items in the fire at one time.
Coke is placed around and over the grips and they are left to warm slowly. We turn the blower handle only now and again to maintain the fire.
When heated thoroughly, the pieces are removed from the fire one at a time and twisted open using two pairs of pliers. After all the grips are opened, they are placed again in a soaking fire, this time with the forged ends downward for best heating.
Next the grips are taken from the fire one at a time and the forged ends are shaped over a tool held in the vise. We use a hammer to flatten the forged ends against the tool.
The rest of the work is primarily done cold. This is the process of getting the grips to sit properly upright on the forged ends without tipping or wobbling. Here George is leveling the grip by using a small French pattern hammer’s peen to strike a forged end. A master grip is sitting upright to the right of his hands.
We use forge masters and templates for all the production work we do. These provide a comparison. In the case of this grip style, the master grip reminds us how much to open the grip in the step shown earlier. Another template shows to what size the grip ends are to be forged. There will be variation, but we try to keep what we make within fairly narrow boundaries of size and shape.
A final soaking fire is used to reheat the grips before putting the finish on them. The aim of this heat is to create an even layer of scale to take the finish, without blisters or bubbles. For this heat, we first place narrow pieces of 16 gauge mild steel in the fire, to partially block the air coming up from the tuyere. The grips are placed on the steel pieces and covered with coke. They will sit in this reducing fire for about 20 minutes, and be given air only now and again from the blower.


AFM is a well-known technique. However, there are also many different variations of AFM, some of which are well-known and some which aren’t. In this article, we look at one of the lesser-known AFM variations, known as electrostatic force microscopy (EFM). This is a variation of AFM that is similar to magnetic force microscopy (MFM), another AFM technique, and can be used to determine the electrostatic forces between a sample and the AFM tip. Here, we look at how this is done.
Andis Rea / Shutterstock
What is Electrostatic Force Microscopy (EFM)?
Electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) is perhaps one of the lesser known variations of AFM. Many variations use AFM principles alongside those of another technique. However, EFM is one of the few methods where it is an adaptation of just AFM principles for deducing specific properties of materials.
In the case of EFM, it measures the electrostatic force between the sample and the tip as a function of the electric field gradient distribution above the sample surface. The main differences between standard AFM and EFM are that EFM operates in an imaging mode not used in conventional AFM approaches and that it uses a conductive tip to scan the surface.
How EFM Works
EFM works on a similar principle to magnetic force microscopy (MFM), in that it uses a dynamic non-contact lift mode to measure the forces between the tip and the sample. The differing factor being the types of forces measured. In the case of EFM, it measures the electrostatic forces that arise from the attraction and/or repulsion of charges between the tip and the surface. EFM is operated in a non-contact mode because these forces are long-range forces. Because they are long-range forces, the distance between the tip and surface can be as much as 100 nm (or more).
EFM generally performs two scans when imaging a surface. This is the principle of the AFM lift mode (not seen with conventional AFM imaging methods), which means that after one scan, the cantilever and tip are lifted to a greater height before scanning again. The first scan is done as per the usual non-contact mode of AFM and is scanned close to the surface. The tip is then lifted to a greater distance away from the sample for the second scan to measure the electrostatic interactions between the tip and the surface.
The first scan measures the van der Waals forces that are always present between the tip and the sample, and this enables the basic topography of the surface to be mapped. When there is an interaction, the change in the position of the cantilever is recorded by a laser beam deflecting off the cantilever onto a position-sensitive photodiode (PSPD). This position location mechanism is also present throughout the second scan (to locate the different interactions) to enable the topography of the surface and areas of intermolecular attraction/repulsion to be mapped and correlated.
In the second scan, as the tip is set to scan the surface, an electrical current is passed through the tip. This can be as either an alternating current (AC) or a direct current (DC). As the electrical current is passed, the cantilever beam oscillates at its resonant frequency (or close to it). As the tip passes over the sample, it is at a distance where electrostatic forces come into play. When there is a long-range connection between the tip and the surface, the resonant frequency changes due to a change in the force gradient.
For attractive forces, the resonant frequency lowers, and this makes the cantilever “softer”, whereby the tip is pulled closer to the sample. For repulsive forces, the process reverses, and the cantilever becomes “stiffer”. This is manifested through a higher resonant frequency and through the tip moving away from the sample. The changes in the resonant frequency are deduced using either phase detection, frequency modulation or amplitude detection methods.
EFM doesn’t have as much widespread use as other AFM techniques. However, it is most commonly used to map the electronic characteristics of sub-micron electrical materials (often for those with complex structures and/or molecular assemblies). On an overall application front, EFM is used for detecting electrical failures, detecting trapped charges, mapping electrical polarizations and for performing electrical read/write processes.


By: John Van de Vaarst, National Clinician
“Hey ref, call it both ways!” “That was a foul 5 minutes ago!” “Your partner was right there, why are you making the call?” “Why are you calling that as an assistant referee, when the referee is allowing that type of play?” These are a few examples of commonly used comments from coaches when there is an appearance that the game is not being officiated consistently by the officials assigned. This article will focus on several areas where the lack of consistency can create problems for the officiating team and overall game management.
Consistency is defined as condition of adhering together : firmness of material substance
b : firmness of constitution or character : persistency. Being consistent as an official and an officiating team throughout the game requires fairness, ability to make tough decisions, team work and more.
Referees must be consistent with foul recognition. A trip near the center of the field is fairly easy to call. The referee observes the foul and sounds the whistle. The same foul occurs in the attacking third of the field or approximately twenty five yards from the goal and for some reason it becomes more difficult for the referee to sound the whistle. When the same foul occurs in the penalty area and is committed by a defender, many referees seek out options so the call does not have to be made. These examples clearly indicate a lack of consistency and potential problems for the referee. Referees must be willing to make the “tough call” no matter what the outcome of the restart may be. A trip in the penalty area cannot be ignored or a lesser call such as dangerous play be made by the referee so that he/she does not have to award the penalty kick. Top referees have the ability to make the hard calls without hesitation and be able to control the game because of their abilities.
Many state high school associations utilize the duel system of control for varsity and sub varsity games. Consistency in this type of system can become a problem when the two officials assigned observe the level of play in different ways. For example, a higher level official is assigned with a newer official. The newer official can recognize a foul but has not learned the difference between the spirit of the game and the rules of the game. The experienced official is allowing play to flow when the ball is in his/her end of the field. When the play is near the newer official a play that was allowed is now being called a foul. This leads to frustration by the players and coaches involved. Another example is when the play is very close to one official and that individual has a clear observation of the situation. The other official from a far distance sounds the whistle and calls a foul. In this instance coaches and players question the official who was closer as to why the foul was signaled. Officials assigned to a duel system of control need to learn how to “read” the other person’s style of officiating and strive to work together so the game is call in a consistent manner.
When the diagonal system of control is being utilized the referee should spend some time during the pregame discussion reviewing ways to work as a team and be consistent. One suggestion is to include in the pregame a statement that the assistant referees should observe what the referee is calling and what is being allowed as fair play during the beginning of the game. The assistants should make the same type of decisions as the referee during the game. A real life example is during the first half the assistant referee raised the flag on several occasions when the ball was heading for the goal line and the defender was shielding the play. The assistant referee felt it was obstruction. The referee was allowing the game to flow so the assistant was not recognized. This scenario created several problems. First, the coaches saw the raised flag and began questioning why the referee was not acknowledging the signal. This creates problems for the referee since the coach now feels the referee is ignoring a foul situation. Secondly, fans become concerned and begin to challenge the referee with comments. Lastly, the players can become frustrated because the referee and assistant are not a team. In this case the referee must discuss the situation with the assistant at half time so that the second half does not have the same problem. Working as a team is critical for the success of any officiating crew.
In summary, every official should strive for consistency in every game. This will result in better game control and enjoyment for the players, coaches and fans.


|Skinny cooks can't be trusted.|
|Home Gallery of Optical Illusions Optical Illusion Quiz|
Line Pattern Optical Illusion
Is this illusion made up of anything but horizontal and verticle lines?
Scroll down for the answer and explanation.
Only horizontal and verticle lines are in this image! The diamond shapes in the middle are formed by patterns of the other lines.
Our mind tries to make sense of what we see. In this optical illusion, the straight up and down lines are interpreted as being grouped together into patterns to form shapes.
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Transient ischaemic attack (TIA)
A transient ischaemic attack (TIA) happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is temporary cut off. This can cause symptoms similar to a stroke such as speech problems and numbness in face, arms and legs. Phone 999 immediately if you have symptoms of a TIA.
Symptoms of a TIA
A TIA or ‘mini stroke’ doesn't last as long as a stroke. The effects of a TIA often only last for a few minutes or hours and go (fully resolve) within 24 hours.
The main symptoms of a TIA can be remembered with the word FAST: Face-Arms-Speech-Time.
- Face – the face may have dropped on one side, the person may not be able to smile, or their mouth or eye may have dropped
- Arms – the person with suspected stroke may not be able to lift both arms and keep them there because of arm weakness or numbness in one arm
- Speech – their speech may be slurred or garbled, or the person may not be able to talk at all, despite appearing to be awake
- Time – it is time to dial 999 immediately if you see any of these signs or symptoms
Other symptoms may include loss of vision, dizziness, difficulty walking or poor coordination.
When to seek medical advice
In the early stages of a TIA, it's not possible to tell whether you're having a TIA or a full stroke. This is why it is important to phone 999 immediately and ask for an ambulance.
Even if the symptoms disappear while you're waiting for the ambulance to arrive, an assessment in hospital should still be carried out.
A TIA is a warning that you may be at risk of having a full stroke soon. An assessment can help doctors to find the best way to reduce the chances of this happening.
If you think you may have had a TIA previously, but didn't seek medical advice, make an appointment with your GP, as soon as possible.
Causes of TIAs
During a TIA, one of the blood vessels that supply your brain with oxygen-rich blood becomes blocked.
Certain things can increase your chances of having a TIA, including:
- having high blood pressure (hypertension)
- being obese
- having high cholesterol levels
- regularly drinking too much alcohol
- having atrial fibrillation (a type of irregular heartbeat)
- having diabetes
- having chronic kidney disease
- having sickle cell disease
People over 55 years of age are also at a higher risk of having a TIA or stroke.
Although the symptoms of a TIA can get better in a few minutes or hours, you'll need treatment. This is to help prevent another TIA or a full stroke happening in the future.
Your treatment will depend on things, such as your age and medical history.
As well as medication to treat the underlying cause of your TIA, you're likely to be given advice about lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your stroke risk.
A TIA is often a sign that another one may follow and you're at a high risk of having a full, life-threatening stroke soon.
There are a number of ways you can lower your risk of having either a TIA or stroke in the future. These include:
- maintaining a healthy weight
- eating healthily
- taking regular exercise
- limiting how much alcohol you drink
- not smoking
More useful links
The information on this page has been adapted from original content from the NHS website.
For further information see terms and conditions.


May 23, 2013
A newly synthesized material might provide a dramatically improved method for separating the highest-octane components of gasoline. Measurements at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have clarified* why. The research team, which included scientists from NIST and several other universities, has published its findings in the journal Science.*
Created in the laboratory of Jeffrey Long, professor of chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, the material is a metal-organic framework, or MOF, which can be imagined as a sponge with microscopic holes. The innumerable interior walls of the MOF form triangular channels that selectively trap only the lower-octane components based on their shape, separating them easily from the higher-octane molecules in a way that could prove far less expensive than the industry's current method. The Long laboratory and UC Berkeley have applied for a patent on the MOF, which is known by its chemical formula, Fe2(bdp)3.
High-octane gasolines, the ultra or premium blends at fueling stations, are more expensive than regular unleaded gasoline due to the difficulty of separating out the right type of molecules from petroleum. Petroleum includes several slightly different versions of the same molecule that have identical molecular formulae but varying shapes—called isomers. Creating premium fuel requires a refinery to boil the mixture at precise temperatures to separate the isomers with the most chemical energy. The trouble is, four of these isomers—two of which are high octane, the other two far lower—have only slightly different boiling points, making the overall process both challenging and costly.
The new MOF, however, could allow refineries to sidestep this problem by essentially trapping the lowest-octane isomers while letting the others pass through. The lowest-octane isomers are more linear and can nestle closer to the MOF walls, so when a mixture of isomers passes through the MOF, the less desired isomers stick to its surface—somewhat akin to the way a wet piece of paper sticks.
Matthew Hudson and his colleagues at the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) used neutron powder diffraction, a technique for determining molecular structure, to explore why the MOF has the right shape to selectively separate the isomers. Their research was essential to validate the team's model of how the MOF adsorbs the low-octane isomers.
"It's easier to separate the isomers with higher octane ratings this way rather than with the standard method, making it more efficient," says Hudson, a postdoctoral fellow at the NCNR. "And based on the lower temperatures needed, it's also far less energy-intensive, meaning it should be less expensive." Hudson says that while industrial scientists will need to work out how to apply the discovery in refineries, the new MOF appears to be robust enough in harsh conditions to be used repeatedly a great many times, potentially reducing the necessary investment by a petroleum company.
* Z.R. Herm, B.M. Wiers, J.A. Mason, J.M. van Baten, M.R. Hudson, P. Zajdel, C.M. Brown, N. Masciocchi, R. Krishna and J.R. Long. Separation of hexane isomers in a metal-organic framework with triangular channels. Science, May 24, 2013. DOI: 10.1126/science.12334071


Distribution in scandinavian waters
Maximum diametre: 4,1 cm, but is seldom more than 1,5 cm in
Appearance: The exoskeleton is white to light grey. There appears
to be a gape between the two top plates because the seams are thick
and the joints irregular. Rock barnacles are usually relatively flat
in form, but do on occasion grow in height, this species to has a somewhat
Depth: From close to mean
sea-level to about 60 m; on rare occasions noticably deeper.
Environment: This species is often found on shells,
but can also be found on for example cliffs,
rocks or wood. It does not build apparent bands
like the northern rock
barnacle and the brackish water bay
Classification: The gaping rock barnacle belongs to the cirripedia
group, which is a crustacean under the arthropods.


|Above: Looking down into a vat of fermenting Heathcote Shiraz.
We may consider ourselves winemakers, however, the unseen engine behind wine fermentations are yeasts & their enzymes. Wine is essentially the result of competition between such microbes, a process which we have learnt to control in order to produce predictable results. Below yeast cells are pictured magnified and at various stages of 'budding'.
2.7 Yeasts & Primary Fermentation
When we look down into a vat of fermenting wine, we're witnessing one of the first bio-chemical reactions observed by humans - a wild, bubbling and foaming, exothermic mass that seems closely akin to boiling,(the word is derived from the Latin 'fervere' meaning "to boil").For early peoples it was a miracle - Egyptians praised Osiris for the brewing of beer and the Greeks believed Dionysius was in charge of the fermentation atop Mount Olympus. As late as 1850, the European vigneron knew little better. Fermentation was subject to local conditions (yeast populations) which would infect beer or wine spontaneously, often with unpredictable or undesirable results. The cause of the mysterious transformations were traced to the foam of newly made beer or wine which could be passed on from batch to batch and proved similarly effective in leavening bread. *
The first insights into the precise mechanism of fermentation were repeatedly undermined by 19th century arguments over the concept of 'vitalism', the theory that the origin and phenomena of life are dependent on a force or principle distinct from purely chemical or physical forces. Fermentation was considered to be simply a chemical reaction and yeast (which was not yet even classified as a definite substance, much less a living organism) was thought to play a physical rather than a chemical role, "...it was held that either the catalytic action at the yeast cell or the molecular vibrations from the decomposing organic matter arising from the death of the cells, sparked the chemical changes resulting in fermentation."(1)
In a word, fermentation was considered akin to putrefaction.
The living nature of yeasts emerged during 1837 and 1838 when three publications appeared by C. Cagniard de la Tour, Theodor A. H. Schwann and F. Kuetzing. Each had independently observed yeasts through the microscope, multiplying by 'splitting in two', and each had concluded that yeast was a living micro-organism that reproduced by 'budding' (i.e.-, via an outgrowth that separates to form a new organism without sexual reproduction taking place). However, the scientific establishment of the time ridiculed suggestions that such organisms might be responsible for the world's great wines. Europe's preeminent organic chemist, Friedrich Wohler, anonymously attacked the partisans of the theory in an influential review of the time (the Annalen der Pharmacie) - Wohler reported that he had seen 'wine animals' through the microscope and offered a disparaging parody of his contemporaries observations:
The controversy was finally brought to a conclusion by the great French chemist Louis Pasteur (1822-1895). During the 1850s and 1860s, he conducted a series of classic investigations, which while not conclusive, strongly suggested that fermentation was initiated by living organisms:
|Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)|
In 1877, working to improve the French brewing industry, Pasteur published his famous paper on fermentation, 'Etudes sur la Biere', (translated into English in 1879 as 'Studies on Fermentation'). He defined fermentation (incorrectly) as"life without air, "but correctly showed specific types of microorganisms cause specific types of fermentations and specific end products. We know now that these microorganisms are yeasts - a group of about 160 species of single celled, microscopic fungi that reproduce asexually. They exist nearly everywhere. Not all are useful. Some cause the spoilage of sugar rich foods, others cause disease.
However, many of Pasteur's contemporaries remained unconvinced. Influential German chemist, J. von Liebig conceded there were similarities between fermentation, putrefaction, and infectious diseases, but refused to believe that living organisms were the main causative agents. Throughout history, the truth has often been found between two extremes. So it was in this case - "... with the discovery of enzymes - complex organic catalysts produced by microorganisms such as moulds, yeasts, or bacteria - [it became apparent] that Pasteur was not entirely right, nor Liebig entirely wrong".(3)
As late as the early 1900's no one knew exactly what enzymes were or how they acted, but our understanding of them was to solve the fundamental mystery of fermentation. A detailed elucidation has taken scientists years of study. It is ongoing and still yielding surprising results.
Not all yeasts are suitable for the fermentation of wine. Most of the commercially significant yeasts used in making alcoholic drinks today are 'cultured yeasts' for which the wine industry have the brewers to thank. ** All yeast was wild once. Most of the cultured yeasts in use today have been isolated and passed on from "good" ferments somewhere in the world, thus there are 'Champagne isolates', 'Burgundy isolates', etc. Cultured yeasts consist of only one strain of yeast, do not contain mould, bacteria or other yeasts and have been optimised for a predictable outcome, though they may vary in their nitrogen and micro nutrient requirements and contribution to wine flavour. They're purchased in freeze dried form and vacuum packed. The winemaker re-hydrates the yeast in warm water bringing them out of their state of suspended animation. The hydrated yeast is then added to the freshly crushed juice, usually at around 5 billion cells / litre (ratios which guarantee a strong start to the ferment and a clockwork finish). Members of the genusSaccharomyces, or"sugar fungi"especiallySaccharomyces cerevisiaeof which there are more than 1,700 catalogued strains, andSaccharomyces bayanus, are the most commonly used cultured yeasts in the wine industry due to the unique qualities they possess:
2. They can quickly establish a viable population in an environment of high sugar (190-270 grams per litre) and high acidity; they ferment quickly, overwhelming and preventing other spoilage yeasts getting going first, only stopping when all the grape sugars have been utilised - else we'd be drinking sweet, low alcohol wines.
3. In conditions where most microbes would die, cultured yeasts are alcohol tolerant. That is, they can continue to ferment sugars to alcohol even during the latter stages of fermentation when the sugar is low but the alcohol content is high. (Most yeasts can't ferment much more than 4% alc. Very, very few can ferment to 13.5-14% alc. And even less can go to the 16%+ alc. So you want yeast that can ferment all the sugar. Even a little residual sugar can make food for spoilage bacteria).
4. Cultured yeasts are strong and consistent fermenters even at cold temperatures.
5. They don't produce unmanageable amounts of foam during ferment.
6. Vinegar, rotten egg gas, and sulphur dioxide are all yeast by-products and certain strains produce large amounts. Cultured yeasts produce desirable 'wine like' aroma and flavour characteristics (depending on the strain) while strong odours or noxious substances are released, if at all, in only very small amounts. (4)
A less interventionist approach to inoculation is to let nature take its course. Wild yeast populations are present in the air around established vineyards and in wineries so that, left alone a grape that ripened until its skin split could potentially have its juice ferment. Such yeasts are variously known as 'indigenous' or 'ambient' - from herein we'll refer to them as 'wild yeasts'. In new wine regions, populations of wild yeasts take time to build up to levels that will be powerful enough to ferment grapes efficiently in the winery. "This means that many winemakers in areas new to wine have no choice but to import yeasts from elsewhere, at least in the beginning. Similarly, at the beginning of harvest, when the first grapes come into the winery, the yeast population is at its feeblest and may need encouragement." (5)
As the harvested fruit begins to arrive into the winery, fermentation typically begins slowly due to the naturally lower numbers of yeast cells present. Dividing from a small initial cell base means a wait of 3-4 days is not unusual before fermentation begins. When this occurs it is variously referred to as a 'natural', 'indigenous', 'wild' or 'spontaneous' fermentation.(6)As fermentation progresses, yeasts are literally everywhere, filling the air and covering clothes and equipment. According to Linda Bison, professor of viticulture and enology at the University of California, Davis, "...genetic testing indicates that from five to thirty different strains of yeast play a part in any given native fermentation. Some strains are active concurrently, while others might only shift into gear when another strain loses momentum. As the nutrient, temperature and alcohol levels vary in the must, different strains fall into and out of their metabolic sweet spots." (7)
Consequently, when wild yeasts are used it is unknown which strain will reproduce fastest so the sensory impact on the finished wine is left to chance. What's more, the wild yeasts that begin the fermentation are not necessarily the yeasts that finish it,"...in fact, nearly all fermentations of dry wines are completed by a species rarely found in vineyards, Saccharomyces cerevisiae... [which once used] establish residence in wineries and can survive for years. So while many producers embrace the romantic notion that native vineyard yeasts take wines dry, it's the yeasts in the fermentation facility that to the heavy lifting."(8)
Warrabilla winemaker Andrew Sutherland Smith agrees, "Often if you look at what actually does the fermenting it's the natural yeast found in the winery and on the grapes. For a lot of wineries that is a pretty conventional yeast that has been used in the winery previously (which is why there is heaps of it around). Many wild yeast ferments are relatively heavily sulphited with added SO2 to knock out the nasty yeasts that you don't want and there are plenty you don't want! There aren't that many [wild] yeasts that can cope with these conditions, especially if there is plenty of either natural or added acid in the grapes".
Wine's labeled as'Wild Ferment'may conjure up evocative imagery, but the title can be slightly misleading. Traditionally, wild yeasts and natural ferments have been more commonly accepted and used in Old World wine regions. Once a winery begins to use wild yeasts for each vintage, returning the pomace (the residue of grapes after being crushed) and lees (dead yeast cells) to the vineyard's soils helps to stabilize a sufficient yeast population suitable for reliable ferments. However, "Even those winemakers most determined to rely only on ambient yeasts tend to keep a small culture of them in a refrigerator from one year to the next so that they can add a starter culture to get the first fermentation going".(9)
Describing the Primary Fermentation of Wine
The sensory impact various yeasts contribute to wine flavour remains a subject of debate. (We'll discuss the pros and cons of wild vs. cultured strains below). Regardless of a winemaker's preference, the same basic mechanisms are activated during a wine's primary fermentation. Nowadays, the process of fermentation is generally reduced to a simple text book formula:
That is, when yeast comes into contact with grape juice, it begins to feed on sugars in the juice (fructose and glucose) and these are converted into alcohol by the yeast. Other byproducts of fermentation are aromas, flavours, carbon dioxide gas, and heat. This is greatly oversimplifying the matter.
Fermentation is more accurately defined as the chemical transformation of organic substances into simpler compounds by the action of yeast enzymes. Enzymes act by hydrolysis, a process of breaking down or predigesting complex organic molecules to form smaller (and in the case of foods, more easily digestible) compounds and nutrients. (For example, the enzyme protease[all enzyme names have the suffix 'ase']breaks down huge protein molecules first into polypeptides and peptides, then into numerous amino acids, which are readily assimilated by the body). In the case of wine, the enzyme 'zymase' within yeast converts the sugar in the grape juice into roughly equal parts of alcohol and carbon dioxide and releases energy in the form of heat. The process follows the formula:
This chemical equation describes the net change during fermentation of one glucose molecule giving two alcohol and two carbon dioxide molecules. But even this simplifies what is a many-stage process of biochemical reactions. Essentially, yeast's internal enzymes follow of a number of complex chemical reactions (known as glycolosis) during which glucose is gradually oxidized into pyruvic acid. *** The next step is dependent on the amount of oxygen available: If oxygen is present in excess, as it is in the natural environment, the end result of the fermentation is carbon dioxide and water. In winemaking, the environment is modified and controlled by limiting oxygen supply so that acetaldehyde (ethanal) is firstly formed which is then converted to alcohol (ethanol). Importantly, the biochemical reactions converting one compound into another are not 100% efficient - residual compounds accumulate and these can contribute so called 'secondary aromas and flavours' to the juice including acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, fusel oils and esters, the latter of which typically offer fruity characteristics to the finished wine. (The concentration and character of these yeast-derived secondary metabolites is strain dependent).(10)In either fermentation (aerobic - [with oxygen] or anearobic [without oxygen]), the energy released along the way in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is used by the yeast cells to grow and divide.(11)
A curious aside to all of this is that unlike most yeasts,Saccharomyces cerevisiae, (the yeast commonly used in winemaking), has evolved to produce alcohol (rather than energy) even when oxygen is plentiful. Given that it can yield far more energy per glucose molecule by using oxygen to respire, this behavior is baffling and counter-intuitive to survival. At first it would seem that by churning out alcohol, the yeast compromises its life. New research by John Aris of the University of Florida in Gainesville has revealed that in doing so, the yeast is actually gaining a strategic advantage over other organisms in its vicinity: "Ethanol [alcohol] is toxic to most microbes, so acquiring the ability to turn all the glucose available in a fruit into a sea of the stuff gave S. cerevisae's ancestors a big competitive advantage. 'It quickly converts the sugar into something it can use to defend its territory' says Aris. The yeast of course has evolved a high tolerance to alcohol. This strategy would be hugely costly in terms of the energy lost by forgoing aerobic respiration, were it not for ADH2."(12)- this is one of two enzymes givingS. cerevisaea unique dual ability. ADH1 performs the familiar role of converting acetaldehyde into alcohol while ADH2 does the opposite, it turns alcohol back into acetaldehyde.
"Unlike ADH1, though, ADH2 is produced only when sugar levels fall...Once all the sugar is gone, there's all this ethanol out there,"Aris says. The yeast's second trick is to take the ethanol and convert it to acetaldehyde which it then breaks down into oxygen to reclaim as much energy as possible."You could say it's delayed gratification," he adds. In short, S. cerevisae turns sugars into a poison that kills of any rivals, and then feasts on the poison. It's such a successful trick that some other yeasts have evolved a similar strategy, though S. cerevisae does it best."(13) In a very real sense then, wine is the result of competition between microbes.(14)
Thankfully, winemakers have learnt to prevent the latter part of S. cerevisae's (ADH2) activity by carefully controlling oxygen, so that the yeast can't feed on the alcohol it's produced. GivenS. cerevisae'sbehaviour it's clear why all wine fermentations must begin aerobically (the more oxygen the cells can get, the more they will multiply but the less alcohol they'll produce), then continue anaerobically (limiting the contact with air thereafter to ensure a ferment to dryness). Unfortunately, some microbes have now developed a tolerance for alcohol, making the addition of sulphur dioxide necessary in order to minimise the potential of unpleasant flavours or fermentations turning to vinegar. ****
The temperature of wine's fermentation is also significant for yeast,"...at a simplistic level, it plays a role in the overall extraction of flavour, tannin and colour in wine because it is directly related to the speed (and consequently length) of fermentation. However, its effect on the quality of the finished wine is much more important and intricate than this as virtually every chemical reaction involved in fermentation is effected by temperature."(15) Considerations for 'ideal' red and white wine fermentation temperatures vary between winemakers. We'll discuss this subject in detail in later chapters regarding 'Making Red & White Wine", as well as what's often termed 'secondary fermentation', that being 'Malolactic fermentation' which involves the action of bacteria.
A typical dry, table wine's fermentation is completed when all the fermentable sugars have been converted to alcohol. Once the wine is deemed free of fermentable sugar (dry) it is cooled and the dead yeast cells (known as gross lees) are allowed to settle. Alternatively, fermentation can be stopped prematurely to make wines of varying degrees of sugar (See chapter 2.11 Making Fortified Wine).
A Note on Stuck Ferments
Arguably one of the worst things that can happen in a winery is a stuck ferment. This is a fermentation that ceases before all the available sugar in the juice has been converted to alcohol and carbon dioxide. Instead, the juice is left in a semi-sweet, low alcohol state, vulnerable to bacterial spoilage and oxidisation. The wine is unsaleable. It's a winemaker's worst nightmare that's estimated to cost the world wide wine industry billions of dollars every year.(16)Once the fermentation is stuck, it's extremely difficult to restart due to a chemical compound released by dying yeasts that inhibits the future growth of yeast cells in the tank. There are several potential causes of a stuck ferment including excessive temperatures killing off the yeast or nutrient deficient must (yeasts require nitrogen, potassium and vitamins to reproduce)"...even if the yeasts survive, yet struggle, [as in a sluggish ferment] the process can lead to the formation of off flavours, such as volatile acidity (vinegar) and stinky sulphur based compounds."(17)If necessary, nutrients can be added to the must, however the most common method of minimising the chances of a stuck ferment is to use a cultured yeast strain with a high alcohol and high temperature tolerance coupled with diligent control of the fermentation temperature.
The Sensory Impact Debate: Wild vs Cultured Yeasts.
As has already been mentioned, besides creating alcohol, yeasts can contribute significantly to a wine's flavour and mouthfeel. Flavours and aromas can be adjusted through appropriate yeast strain selection so that winemakers can tailor a preferred style to a specific market demographic.(18)In a 2008 article in The Financial Times, UK wine writer Jancis Robinson articulated the crux of the yeast debate:"Like many observers of the wine scene I have been dimly aware of how the wines of the world are starting to taste much more similar, despite the fact that they come from a wider range of geographical sources than ever before. I strongly suspect that the widespread use of a relatively narrow range of commercial [cultured] yeasts has accentuated this phenomenon." (19)
Advocates of 'wild' fermentations believe that the risks they involve are justified because yeast populations native to their vineyards are an essential aspect of 'terroir' and enhance the individuality of the finished wine. Some believe that native yeasts can contribute superior mouthfeel, richer texture, a broader mid-palate and unusual aromas such as smoked venison and rose petals. Other winemakers steer a middle ground, separating the must into 10-12 vats and fermenting half 'spontaneously' and half using commercial yeast, then evaluating the performance of each vat before blending.
Proponents of cultured yeasts know these yeasts offer consistent sensory profiles making them powerful tools for producing specific or repeatable styles in their wines. The Lallemand company in the U.S., one of the major suppliers of cultured yeasts to the wine industry, has products listed on their online catalogue described in terms that would add confidence to the most inexperienced winemaker. Below are some examples of available cultures:
Enoferm Syrah: For classical Syrah aromas. Syrah is a Cote du Rhone isolate used for Syrah, Merlot and Carignane. It is a high glycerol producer and offers good mouthfeel and stable color extraction...Typical aromas include violets, raspberries, cassis, strawberries, black pepper and grilled meat.
Enoferm T306: For elegant aromatic whites. T306 was isolated from indigenous fermentations of Pinot Noir at Tyrrell's Vineyards, Pokolbin, in the Hunter Valley NSW Australia. It is used mainly for fruit focused Pinot gris, Chardonnay, Semillon and Chenin blanc for imparting aroma characters of exotic fruit and pineapple. In barrel fermented Chardonnay it contributes elegant white fruit and mouthfeel, particularly with lees contact time.
Enoferm VQ15: ...This new California isolate is used in concentrated reds, particularly Syrah, Zinfandel, Cabernet sauvignon and Merlot where a moderate fermentation rate is desired for rich, lush, balanced mouthfeel and full bodied wines. VQ15 has a moderate nitrogen demand and will allow good results with varietal flavor and red fruit and mineral aromatic note development when carefully rehydrated.... " (20)
And so on.
Whether the homogenisation of wine flavours due to the widespread use of such yeasts is a realistic concern or not remains difficult to ascertain. We put the question to several vignerons"Why is yeast selection so critical in the winemaking process? What influence can the type of yeast used have on the flavour and texture of a wine?"
Firstly, a response from Peter Gago, who has been responsible for some of Australia's most prestigious wines, including Penfold's Grange:
Then a voice of pragmatic indifference from across the Pacific, Chilean winemaker Sergio Cuadra of Eduardo Chadwick wines:
Perhaps the most compelling argument for cultured yeasts was a proverb of practicality from Tod Seghesio, winemaker at Sonoma Zinfandel specialist 'Seghesio Vineyards':
Australia seems to have its share of proponents for wild ferments. Corinna Rayment from Oliver's Taranga Vineyard in McLaren Vale is an unashamed enthusiast.
Troy Kalleske from Kalleske wines in the Barossa Valley shares this view.
Andrew Sutherland Smith from Warrabilla Wines in Rutherglen is open minded, but sceptical of the significance of the role yeasts play in wine flavour:
Regardless of winemaker's attitudes towards the influence of yeasts on wine flavour, it's clear that great wines have been and continue to be made with both wild yeastandcultured yeasts. Future developments in winemaking and wine styles appear destined to be tied in with our ongoing understanding of both. Australian scientists from the Australian Wine Research Institute are at the forefront. In 2008 they became the first in the world to decode all 6000 genes that make up the genome of a wine yeast. This means new strains of yeast can be developed without genetic engineering."To tailor-make your wine making process in such a way that you can shape your aroma profile, or the composition of your wine according to market specifications is absolutely critical, and the critical element in that process is the choice of yeast,"said Professor Sakkie Pretorius, the Institute's managing director."Use that information to develop strains that can adjust the alcohol levels, for example, to produce lower alcohol level of wine, or to produce better flavours and aromas according to certain market expectations."(22)The creation of 'designer wines' according to the tastes of niche markets and the potential for exotic new flavour profiles in traditional varietals may be the next major development the world's winemakers face. Whether the sensory effects of such yeasts will last for any length of time in the bottle is another matter. At present, it would seem that the use of cultured yeasts is intended to impart specific flavours in young wines, when they will be tasted, rated and sold. In other words, when it counts most.
- Micheal Ruhlman, The Elements of Cooking, Black Inc. 2008.
** "The technical innovation that made pure cultures practical, and with them real progress in microbiology, came in a Danish brewery. Emil Christian Hansen studied the anatomy of various mushroomlike fungi, and then fermentation, before receiving the Ph.D. at Copenhagen in 1878. That same year, he took a job at the Carlsberg brewery, soon became director of the laboratory, and continued at that post until his death in 1909. He learned that several yeasts and bacteria could infect beer and give it bad flavors, and began trying to purify cultures of the desirable yeasts. He eventually succeeded in growing cultures from single cells and maintaining them indefinitely in special flasks, and found that there were actually several alcohol producing yeasts, each with different characteristics. Hansen's expertise was first put to use in 1883. The original "Carlsberg Bottom Yeast I," which had been obtained in Munich in 1845, had spoiled. J. C. Jacobsen, the owner of Carlsberg allowed Hansen to run a large scale fermentation with one of the new pure cultures, and on November 12 the beer turned out to be excellent. Jacobsen generously refused to patent the culture process, and Hansen published his method. Soon most breweries in Europe and America were using cultured yeasts. Our food and drink could now be "seeded," with more predictable results than were possible by trusting to the air or to a starter from the previous batch." - On Food & Cooking, Harold Magee. Unwin Hyman, London 1984
*** It is interesting that this same series of steps in decomposition of sugar is employed in humans during muscular activity, another form of fermentation. In man, and other mammals, the three-carbon compound pyruvate is converted to lactic acid and supplies energy for muscular action. - The Oxford Companion to Wine. Oxford University Press, New York, 1984
**** The story doesn't end there. "To reduce the need for such preservatives, some researchers are now working to give yeast extra weapons to do this for themselves. Sakkie Pretorius of the Australian Wine Research Institute in Adelaide, for example, has added genes for microbe-killing proteins taken from the lactic acid bacteria in yogurt and chicken eggs."
- The brewer's tale. 23 December, 2006. Andy Coghlan writing for New Scientist Magazine Print Edition.
2. On Food & Cooking. The Science & Lore of the Kitchen. Harold Magee. Unwin Hyman, London 1984.
3. History of Soybeans and Soyfoods: 100 BC to the 1980's", unpublished manuscript by William Shurtleff & Akiko Aoyagi. 2007
4. Adapted from Richard Gawel, Primary Fermentation of Wine. www.aromadictionary.com with additional comments from Andrew Sutherland Smith, Warrabilla Wines, Rutherglen.
5. Forget the Grapes, It's a Cultural Thing. Jancis Robinson. The Financial Times, Sept 20th, 2008.
6. Richard Gawel, Primary Fermentation of Wine. www.aromadictionary.com
7. 'The Unseen Engine of Fermentation' by Daniel Sogg, Wine Spectator Magazine. October 15, 2006 Issue
9. Forget the Grapes, It's a Cultural Thing. Jancis Robinson. The Financial Times, Sept 20th, 2008.
10. Yeast Selection. Yeast contributes to Shiraz aroma & flavour. Walsh, Heinrich & Skurry. The Australian & New Zealand Wine Grower, October 2006. Citing Nykanen, 1986; Lambrechts and Pretorius, 2000
11. The Brewer's Tale. Andy Coghlan writing for New Scientist Magazine Print Edition. 23 December, 2006.
14. As Scientists at the University of Auckland have pointed out. Source: Yeast's Struggle to Survive Makes Wine, 5th August, University of Auckland. http://www.auckland.ac.nz
15. David Powell & Craig Isbel of Torbreck Wines in response to a Vintage School questionaire, www.torbreck.com
16. Lisa Van de Walter, microbiologist and Winemaking Consultant, as quoted in 'The Unseen Engine of Fermentation' by Daniel Sogg, Wine Spectator Magazine.
18. Yeast Selection. Yeast contributes to Shiraz aroma & flavour. Walsh, Heinrich & Skurry. The Australian & New Zealand Wine Grower, October 2006.
19. Forget the Grapes, It's a Cultural Thing. Jancis Robinson. Sept 20th, 2008. The Financial Times
21. As quoted in 'The Unseen Engine of Fermentation' by Daniel Sogg, Wine Spectator Magazine. October 15, 2006 Issue
22. Australians map wine yeast code, ABC News October 2008. http://www.abc.net.au/news.
23. General information regarding fermentation sourced from The Oxford Companion to Wine. Oxford University Press, New York, 1984
24. The Elements of Cooking, Micheal Ruhlman, Black Inc. 2008.


Personal and Professional Accountability
Nursing and management skills is a broad field that an individual could practice a lot. This entails the inner fulfillment that goes beyond attaining the Bachelor’s degree in nursing. There are more things one ought to do to add to her/his academic qualification. For instance, it is necessary to join the nursing groups and organizations as they will add to the acquired knowledge from the school of nursing. The hunch to continue practicing nursing is an added advantage as it propels one forward to do their best in treating patients. It is also professional for a person to be updated with the current issues so that people can update themselves with the current trends in nursing (American Nurses Association, 2010). The nursing practioners may, however, face some challenges in the essence of joining the American Association of Critical Nurses. For instance, the association may be in need of the experienced nurses, which makes it hard to contribute towards the progress of the association.
This field requires a nursing mentor to do the things that will help a career grow. For instance, it means helping and mentoring nursing students and residents in order to help them grow. This is a helpful task as it will help to put into practice what is learnt at school. The major strength in mentorship is the growing of one’s career, as well as people looking up on a person as their role model. These mentees may proof very effective during the mentorship classes; therefore, it gives a person the fulfillment he wants in his career. One is always content whenever he sees himself helping others; moreover, other people try to become like the person or even better in the same career. However, the aim to mentor other nursing students and residents may be cumbered with a load of extreme need for resources. These resources entail the teaching or demonstration equipment, as well as resources which may not be readily available. The nursing mentor also needs to do his practice and take care of patients with a Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) condition. This means that more education is required in order to know how to handle patients with this delicate condition. One element of acquiring such knowledge is by spending time with the patients and learning from other nurses and doctors on the heart conditions. It is important to know how to take care of such patients while giving them hope of life, as well as supporting their families emotionally.
Personal Journey Disciplines
Nursing practice is a field where a nursing practioner works to acquire leadership skills. This is a discipline that comprises of several other skills that tend to accompany the leadership skills. For instance, the communication skills in any organization are very essential. They help to effectively interact with the others. A strength in this filed is the acquisition of diverse skills like attending to other people in urgency. Being made in charge of the nursing students will help a person to direct and teach others how to handle patients (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2011). This will also help to interact with peers and learn from them the best tactics of teaching others. This aids in decision and improve on a nursing mentor management skills. On the other hand, these tasks may be too many on his side, therefore making him less effective. For instance, the fact that a person is a manager in a certain department of mentoring other student nurses and residents may make a nursing mentor less active in the other curative roles in the hospital. To some extent, there is too much workload on some of these managerial posts. It makes the workload, which may cause a person to be too tired to think at the end of a working day.
Reflective Practice Reference Behavior
This is the evaluation of personal actions and thoughts and how they have influenced his behavior in the nursing practice. With 13 years of nursing practice, this medical practioner has developed several experiences that are considered as strengths, for example, personal integrity, empathy towards others, as well as skills on personal improvement. There are weaknesses as well, which include having to balance time for his personal things and work related tasks. This also includes his personal mistakes that could be used as a platform for improvement.
Application of Skills to Advocate for Change
Through being in a managerial position, he is able to apply the skills to bring change in the field of nursing. The interaction with other leaders from other associations will also help him provide an evidence-based change. More so, an individual’s scientific assumption also depicts awareness of self and environment as rooted in thoughts and emotions. The scientific assumption also shows that he will be capable of making decisions and are responsible for the integration of inventive procedures (World Health Organization, 2011).Through thoughts and emotions that arbitrate human actions, the system of change will depict the relationship of the scientific application that includes recognition, defense, and developing interdependence.
Goals for Leadership Growth
This will require advancement in his education as well as starting the Congestive Heart Failure association in the nursing homes. This is creating a team that will catapult the care that is needed to treat all the patients with this disease. The idea of post-discharge follow up is also a requirement in the development of leadership goals. This is because some patients sometimes get worse after being discharged from the hospital since they don’t follow the guidelines on how to take medication. This may have its weaknesses due to lack of cooperation from team members or even the patients.
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This is an oral language activity that can be done with pupils probably in middle and senior classes. On each card, a pupil is asked to name three things to do with sports. Initially, the pupil can simply name the required three items. However, the more you do this activity, the pupil could be required to speak some more about the three items they have mentioned and the reasons why they mentioned them. The aim is to develop fluency of thought, speech and delivery.