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Some women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) require therapy with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists during pregnancy. It is not clear whether these drugs are transferred to the fetus, via the placenta, and then cleared, or whether structurally different TNF antagonists have different rates of transfer.
We studied 31 pregnant women with IBD receiving infliximab (IFX, n=11), adalimumab (ADA, n=10), or certolizumab (CZP, n=10). Serum concentrations of the drugs were measured at birth in the mother, infant, and in cord blood, and then monthly in the infant until the drugs were undetectable. Drug concentrations in the cord and the infant at birth were compared with those of the mother.
Concentrations of IFX and ADA, but not CZP, were higher in infants at birth and their cords than in their mothers. The levels of CZP in infants and their cords were <2 μg/ml. The median level of IFX in the cord was 160% that of the mother, the median level of ADA in the cord was 153% that of the mother, and the median level of CZP in the cord was 3.9% that of the mother. IFX and ADA could be detected in the infants for as long as 6 months. No congenital anomalies or serious complications were reported.
The TNF antagonists IFX and ADA are transferred across the placenta and can be detected in infants at birth; the drugs were detected in infants up to 6 months after birth. CZP has the lowest level of placental transfer, based on levels measured in cords and infants at birth, of the drugs tested.
Women of reproductive age diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) face the dual challenge of being healthy enough to conceive and carry a successful pregnancy while protecting the fetus from potential adverse effects of medical therapy needed to maintain remission. As therapeutic options for IBD evolve, more patients are in a position to consider pregnancy; however, the safety profile of these medications during gestation has not been fully established.
Women with IBD have higher risks of pregnancy complications such as spontaneous abortion, preterm birth and complications of labor and delivery compared to the age matched general population, even when their disease is inactive.1 In addition, active disease is associated with a further increase in preterm birth2 and likely miscarriage. As stopping effective medications for IBD can lead to a high risk of flare within a year, this is not a preferred option for woman IBD patients contemplating pregnancy.3 This is the reason why most guidelines recommend continuing therapy through the majority of pregnancy.4 The actual qualitative and quantitative exposure of the fetus and newborn to drug and the subsequent risk of birth defects, infection and immune suppression are not fully understood in IBD patients.
In the pregnant woman, maternal antibodies are transported across the chorionic villi by the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) to provide immunity to the newborn. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations in fetal blood increase steadily from early in the second trimester until delivery, with most antibodies being transferred during the third trimester. IgG1 is the most efficiently transported immunoglobulin subclass. 5-6
Infliximab (IFX) (Janssen, Malvern, PA) and adalimumab (ADA) (Abbott, Abbott Park, IL) are both complete anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α antibodies that have shown efficacy for induction and maintenance of remission in patients with Crohn's disease (CD).7-8 Certolizumab pegol (CZP) (UCB, Brussels, Belgium) is a PEG (polyethylene glycol)-ylated Fab′ fragment of a humanized anti-TNFα monoclonal antibody and has also shown efficacy in Crohn's disease.9 IFX and ADA should theoretically cross the placenta at high rates in the third trimester as they are both of the IgG1 subclass. CZP does not have an Fc portion and in theory should not be actively transported across the placenta. Any transfer should be by passive diffusion and should result in minimal concentrations in the newborn. In support of this hypothesis, a study of pregnant rats10 receiving a murinized IgG1 antibody of TNFα and a murinized PEGylated Fab′ fragment, demonstrated much lower concentrations of drug in the infant and in breast milk after exposure to the Fab′ fragment compared to the full IgG1 antibody. The aim of this study was to determine the cord blood and infant serum concentrations of IFX, ADA and CZP on day of birth in infants exposed to one of these 3 anti-TNFα agents in utero and compare these levels to those of the mothers. A secondary aim was to determine the duration of post-partum exposure to anti-TNFα in newborns with detectable anti-TNFα levels at birth.
Pregnant women with Crohn's disease receiving IFX, ADA or CZP were identified in our practice, by referring physicians and through the Crohn's Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) PIANO (Pregnancy IBD and Neonatal Outcomes) Registry.11 With respect to recruitment from PIANO, patients on anti-TNF agents during pregnancy were identified through the database and the sites were contacted to see if the patients were interested in contributing samples. If they consented to participate, plasma was collected from the mother, the cord blood and the infant on the day of birth and shipped to the appropriate lab for testing. In a subset of infants, blood was collected after day 1 of birth due to logistical reasons. If concentrations were detectable in the newborn, they were offered retesting monthly until concentrations were undetectable. Blood was collected in lithium heparin, spun and separated into cryotubes, and then stored frozen at −70°Celsius (C) prior to shipping. Breast milk from mothers receiving CZP only was collected in clean plastic tubes and frozen. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure drug concentrations in plasma and milk. Methods for plasma drug concentrations were similar for all 3 agents.
IFX serum levels were commercially tested by Prometheus Labs (San Diego, CA) with a lower limit of quantification of 1.41 μg/ml as described previously. 12 Briefly, the IFX assay is a microplate ELISA in which IFX bound to immobilized TNF-α is detected with horseradish peroxidase–conjugated antihuman IgG (Fc-specific). The cutoff value, based on the mean (+3 standard deviation) value in serum samples from 40 patients who had never received IFX, is 1.40 μg per milliliter. Concentrations below the cutoff value are reported as negative.
ADA serum levels were measured by Abbott Laboratories (Ludwigshafen, Germany) using a fully validated enzyme linked immunoassay method in double-antigen bridging format. Streptavidine pre-coated microtitre plates were coated with biotinylated recombinant TNF-α. Calibration standards, quality controls, and study samples were pipetted into the individual wells. Captured ADA molecules were detected by the addition of a TNF-α-horseradish peroxidase conjugate followed by tetramethylbenzidine substrate. The resulting colour intensity was proportional to the ADA content of the sample. The assay is fully validated to conform to regulatory guidelines and has been used in all the clinical trials performed with ADA. Intra assay controls are run in each assay and the assay is only valid if they are within the acceptance criteria (± 25%). In addition, the standard curve also has acceptance criteria which have to be passed in each assay (±−20%). The lower limit of quantification was 3.13 ng/mL in 10% serum, the concentration used in this assay.
CZP samples were sent to UCB Celltech, Slough, U.K. The stability of CZP and antibodies to CZP has been demonstrated in whole blood at +4°C, room temperature, and +37°C for 48 hours. CZP stability has also been shown in plasma at −20°C and −70°C for 2 years [UCB data on file]. For CZP, serial dilutions of CZP standard or sample were added to microtiter plates coated with recombinant human TNFα (Strathman Biotech, Hanover, Germany). Captured CZP was revealed with horseradish-peroxidase-conjugated goat anti-human kappa light chain (Cappel, ICN, Costa Mesa, CA, USA) followed by tetramethyl benzidine substrate. This assay was fully validated for use with human plasma, is fully validated to conform to regulatory guidelines and has been used in all the clinical trials performed with CZP. Intra assay controls are run in each assay and the assay is only valid if they are within the acceptance criteria (± 25%). In addition, the standard curve also has acceptance criteria which have to be passed in each assay (±−20%). [UCB data on file] To assess suitability for measurement in milk, unexposed breast milk samples were spiked with CZP at 30, 8 and 1 μg/ml and demonstrated full recovery of drug, with no background signal in the control unexposed sample. Among CZP exposed patients, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to measure the total polyethylene glycol (PEG) concentrations in plasma samples only. The NMR measurement quantifies the total PEG which is made up of the intact CZP and free PEG. Therefore, the level of free PEG can be calculated by subtracting the level of PEGylated Fab' calculated by ELISA from the total PEG determined by NMR. The samples and serial dilutions of CZP in control human plasma were analyzed using a modification of an existing validated method, with the modification necessary due to the different volumes of plasma available for analysis.
One patient had breast milk samples collected on the day of CZP injection, 3 days later and then 6 days after injection. Breast milk samples were not analyzed by the NMR method as it was not validated for quantification in this matrix.
Thirty one women were enrolled in the study – 11 exposed to IFX, 10 to ADA and 10 to CZP. There were 2 sets of twins in the CZP group for a total of 33 infants. Maternal characteristics are noted in Table 1.The median age of the mothers was 32.5 years [range 22-42].
Of the 11 mothers who received IFX (Table 2), only 4 patients were on standard 5 mg/kg every 8 week dosing; 1 was on 10 mg/kg every 6 weeks; 1 on 10 mg/kg every 8 weeks; and 5 on 5 mg/kg every 6 weeks. Five of 11 deliveries were by cesarean section. The median gestational age was 40 weeks [38-41]. The median gestational weight was 3260 g [2834-3968]. There were 6 female infants and 5 male infants. There were no reported birth defects or neonatal intensive care (NICU) stays for any of the infants. One infant had hand-foot-mouth at age 9 months and recurrent respiratory tract infections. A second infant had an upper respiratory infection at 2 weeks. Nine of 11 infants were breastfed and all mothers had been on IFX prior to pregnancy and continued it in the post-partum.
The median time from last IFX dose to delivery was 35 days [2-91]. In every case, the cord or infant level of IFX was higher than the mother's at the time of delivery. Infants had day of birth levels ranging from 2.9- 39.5 μg/ml which took anywhere from 2 to 7 months to become undetectable. The median ratio, as expressed as a percentage, of cord to maternal drug level was 160% [87-400]. Two patients had a flare of disease in the third trimester and the post-partum and one patient had a flare only in the post-partum despite having their last dose of drug within 14 days of delivery.
Of the 10 mothers on ADA (Table 3), 9 took 40 mg every other week and one took 40 mg weekly. All mothers were on ADA prior to pregnancy and 9/10 continued it in the post-partum. Five of 10 deliveries were by cesarean section. The median gestational age was 39 weeks [38-41]. The median gestational weight was 3388 g [3090-3742]. There were 5 female and 5 male infants. There were no reported birth defects, infections or NICU stays for any of the infants. One infant had brief pulmonary edema at birth which resolved. Six of 10 infants were breastfed.
The last dose was given a median of 5.5 weeks prior to delivery [.14-8]. In every case, infant or cord blood levels were higher than the mother's plasma level of ADA on the day of birth and the median ratio of cord to maternal ADA level was 179% [98-293]. Infant levels at birth ranged from 4.28-17.7 μg/ml. Levels were detectable for at least 11 weeks from birth. Of the 5 patients with a post-partum flare, two also had flares in the third trimester and 3/5 (60%) with flares stopped drug at least 35 days prior to delivery.
Five mothers received CZP for the first time during pregnancy. Of the 10 mothers receiving CZP (Table 4), the last dose was given a median of 19 days prior to delivery [5-42]. Six of 10 deliveries were by cesarean section. The median gestational age was 37.8 weeks [36-40] with both sets of twins born preterm (at 36 weeks gestation). The median gestational weight was 2800 g [1956-4110] with 5 of the infants defined as low birth weight (<2700 g); 3 of 5 preterm infants (<37 weeks) were from the twin pregnancies. There were 8 female infants and 4 male infants. There were no reported birth defects, infections or NICU stays for any of the infants. Nine of 12 infants were breastfed and the mothers of 8/9 of these infants continued to receive CZP in the post-partum.
PEG was detected in all plasma from mothers, except for mothers 4 and 8 whose levels were below the lower limit of quantification (9μg/mL). No PEG was detected in any of the infant plasma or cord plasma. For the babies 4, 5, 8, 9A, and 10A&B the volume of plasma was below that required for analysis and therefore was made up with control human plasma. This dilution increased the lower limit of quantification and this increase is shown in Table 4.
For patient number 8 and 9, the results for each twin (A, B) are reported separately. In every case, the concentrations in the infant were less than 2 μg/ml, so further testing was not done on the infant. The median ratio of cord to maternal CZP level was 3.9% [1.5-24].
For patient 2, concentrations were checked a second time when the infant was 1 month of age. The mother was receiving CZP 400 mg every 4 weeks and received a dose 1 week prior to delivery and 3 weeks after delivery. The infant was breastfed. At week 4 from delivery, the mother's plasma level of CZP was 22.93 μg/ml and the infant's level was 0.84 μg/ml. PEG levels in the mother were 29.3 μg/ml, and were undetectable in the infant. Breast milk was sampled at 1 and 2 weeks from delivery. Three more breast milk samples were collected after the first-post delivery injection (week 3) at 4 hours post injection, 3 days post injection and 6 days post injection. Concentrations in each of the 5 breast milk samples were undetectable.
In this study of 31 pregnant women with Crohn's disease who gave birth to 33 infants, IFX and ADA demonstrated significant placental transfer as measured by cord blood levels at birth. CZP, however, had only minimal placental transfer to the infant, suggesting passive diffusion rather than active transfer. CZP was not detected in breast milk. In the mothers with sufficient PEG to measure, there were only low levels of free PEG when comparing the total PEG levels with the CZP levels. Due to the sensitivity of the assay it is impossible to say how much free PEG could be present in the cord blood and infants but it appears that free PEG does not accumulate in the fetus to any significant degree. There were no reported birth defects or serious adverse outcomes related to medication use in any of the pregnancies.
As IFX and ADA are both complete IgG1 antibodies, which are actively transported across the placenta, transfer would be expected to increase significantly in the third trimester with minimal active transfer in the first trimester during the crucial period of organogenesis.5-6 The first such observation of IFX levels in the newborn was a case report 13 that noted higher than detectable IFX concentrations in an infant born to a mother on IFX therapy every 4 weeks. Our observation that day of birth IFX concentrations are higher in the infant than in the mother is consistent with another study of four patients where IFX was stopped at 21, 26 and 30 weeks prior to delivery.14
Previously, IFX had not been detected in significant levels in breast milk15-16; however, a recent study found that levels (100 ng/ml) could be detected at 1/200th the level in maternal serum 2-3 days after infusion.17 Another study of 3 patients also detected ADA concentrations in breast milk18 with a peak at 6 days post-injection. These concentrations were 1/100th of serum concentrations. This suggests that both IFX and ADA are inefficiently transferred to breast milk and their use is compatible with breastfeeding. The one patient on CZP tested in this study did not have detectable levels, though it is feasible that there may be minimal transfer with this agent as well at the nanogram level.
Infliximab is a pregnancy category B agent with cumulative evidence suggesting it is low risk drug during pregnancy. 19,20 A series21 of 22 patients reports exposure to IFX within 3 months of conception, continued until 20 weeks of gestation and then stopped to minimize placental transfer. In the third trimester, several of the patients flared, there were 4 miscarriages, 1 stillbirth at 36 weeks (umbilical strangulation), 2 preterm births, 3 low birth weight infants and no congenital anomalies.
ADA and CZP are also pregnancy category B drugs. Three case reports22-24 and the OTIS (Organization for Teratology Information Specialists) registry25 suggest ADA is low risk in pregnancy. There was no difference in the rate of spontaneous abortion and stillbirth for those with CD compared with the general population and the rates of congenital malformation and preterm delivery are also within the expected range. For CZP, 16 pregnancies are reported in the package insert: 4 healthy infants, 8 therapeutic abortions, 1 spontaneous abortion, 1 preterm birth and 2 unknown.
While the above data support the use of anti-TNF therapy during pregnancy, several concerning findings have also been reported. A study by Carter et al26 notes congenital anomalies reported to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) among infants exposed to anti-TNFα agents. The authors stated that there were 34 specific types of congenital anomalies in total, and 19 (56%) of those had features that were part of the VACTERL spectrum. They concluded that this commonality raised concerns of a possible causative effect of the TNF antagonists; however, as the most common anomaly in their series was a cardiac defect (one of the most common anomalies in the general population) the association is only speculative. Furthermore, by the nature of voluntary reporting to the FDA, the denominator of pregnant mothers' treated with TNF antagonists is not known and therefore it is not clear if the rate of occurrence is higher than expected.
The PIANO registry (Pregnancy in IBD And Neonatal Outcomes)11 is a prospective registry of over 1000 pregnant women with IBD. An analysis of over 896patients who completed pregnancy (326 unexposed, 204 immunomodulator exposed, 291 biologic exposed and 75 exposed to combination biologic and immunomodulator) did not find an increase in congenital anomalies by drug exposure. However, at 12 months of age, infants exposed to combination therapy with an immunomodulator plus either ADA or IFX had a significant increase in infections [1.35 (95% CI 1.01-1.80] compared to infants exposed to monotherapy. However, the same was not true for CZP combination therapy exposed infants suggesting a role for newborn exposure to anti-TNFα and immune development. These results are preliminary as the entire cohort has not reached 12 months of age and the majority of the infections were minor (upper respiratory infections and otitis media). As infants may have therapeutic levels of IFX and ADA for several months from birth, response to vaccination is also a concern. There is a case report of a infant exposed in utero to IFX who received the Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine at 3 months of age.27 The infant became ill and died at 4.5 months of age of disseminated BCG. This case has emphasized the importance of withholding live vaccines to infants under 6 months of age exposed to IFX or ADA in utero. In our experience, infants exposed to IFX in utero have appropriate response to standard early vaccinations. 28 However, live vaccinations are contraindicated if concentrations of anti-TNF agents are detectable in the infant (first 6 months of life for IFX and ADA exposure). In the past, live vaccines were first encountered by infants in the United States at one year of age (varicella, measles-mumps-rubella) at which point IFX/ADA concentrations should be undetectable. However, currently, rotavirus live vaccine is given orally at 2 months of age. Despite its mode of administration and being significantly attenuated, the safety of this vaccine in this setting is not known and the mother and pediatrician should be cautioned against its use if either IFX or ADA concentrations may be present. Outside the US, the infant may be exposed to other live vaccines in the first 6 months including BCG, oral polio and smallpox.
There was a wide range in maternal levels at birth for all 3 agents likely reflecting the mother's dose, dosing interval and individual pharmacokinetics as well as the immature reticuloendothelial systems of the newborns which are slow to clear antibody. For example, ADA patient # 1 and #2 received their last dose 7 and 56 days prior to delivery, yet the infants had a similar concentration of drug at birth (6.17 and 6.01 ug/ml respectively). The same is true for IFX patient #4 and #7 who received their last dose at 14 and 55 days from delivery but had similar infant serum drug levels of 23.6 and 28.2 ug/ml respectively. Therefore, attempting to time the last dose of anti-TNF agent prior to delivery will not consistently result in low results for all patients. However, it will certainly result in a lower level for the individual patient and lower subsequent cord blood levels compared to dosing close to delivery.
Based on the results of this study and available safety data, IFX, CZP and ADA can be used through conception and the first and second trimester of pregnancy on schedule. However, the significant placental transfer and subsequent slow post-partum clearance of IFX and ADA raise concerns about its use during the third trimester. At this time, we do not know what a safe or harmful level of drug in the newborn is and what the full consequences of neonatal anti-TNF exposure to newborn development will be. The risks and benefits of therapy should be individualized and pediatricians should be cautioned to monitor for potential infections and other abnormalities. This concern must be balanced against the risk of disease flare which has far more consequences to neonatal development. Significant disease flare will increase the risk of adverse outcome 2, impact nutritional status, and may require the use of potentially harmful diagnostic testing, medication, and even surgery. Additionally preterm birth, a known sequelae of disease flare, is a strong predictor of poor newborn and childhood outcomes.29 Physicians may want to consider minimizing or avoiding adalimumab and infliximab use within 4-8 weeks of delivery to minimize placental transfer if the mother is in a stable remission. While the half-life of ADA is similar to IFX, given the biweekly dosing of ADA, it may need to be continued later into the course of the pregnancy than infliximab to reduce the risk of flares in the mother. Based on the minimal placental transfer described in this study, CZP can be continued on schedule throughout pregnancy until delivery without concern for significant placental transfer. As detectable CZP levels in the newborn are minimal and there is no detectable transfer in breast milk, rotavirus vaccine can be given to the CZP exposed infant on schedule. However, this is not the case with ADA and IFX exposure as live vaccine should be withheld for at least 6 months unless levels in infant serum can be documented to be negative. In the pregnant woman and the woman considering pregnancy in the very near future, CZP may be considered as the anti-TNFα agent of choice given its lack of placental transfer; however the ultimate decision needs to be based on the clinical scenario and patient preference. Furthermore if a pregnant patient is doing well on ADA or IFX, there is no indication, and even a potential risk, of switching to CZP as the goal remains to maintain a quiescent disease state which is critical for a successful pregnancy.
With special thanks to Yelena Idomsky and Albina Gitis at UCSF. Dr. Y Beral (Maternity of Calais), Dr. S Depret (Maternity J de Flandre ,CHRU , Lille ) and L Dubuquoy (Inserm U 995 ,Lille ), France.
Grant support: Abbott Labs provided support for the study and performed the assays for adalimumab levels; UCB performed the assays for certolizumab pegol levels; Prometheus labs provided research rates to perform the assays for infliximab levels. Crohn's Colitis Foundation of America Senior Research Award. None of the sponsors had any input into study design.
Disclosures: Dr. Mahadevan and several of the authors serve as consultants and/or received research support from UCB, Janssen and Abbott
Author Contributions: All authors participated by contributing patients to the study, collecting samples and assisting in writing and editing the manuscript.
Animal species: Human
PubMed Central Canada is a service of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) working in partnership with the National Research Council's national science library in cooperation with the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the U.S. National Library of Medicine(NCBI/NLM). It includes content provided to the PubMed Central International archive by participating publishers.


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ALS patients request more information about cognitive symptoms
Dr J. Frost, PatientsLikeMe Inc., 222 Third Street, Suite 0234, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA (tel.: 617 999 4003; e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com).
Background and purpose: Once thought to impact only voluntary motor function, ALS/Motor neuron disease (MND) is now seen as a multi-system disorder in which a minority of patients experience mild cognitive dysfunction or frontotemporal dementia. Despite clinical guidelines advocating supplying complete information to patients, educational materials on ALS often state that the mind is unaffected. We sought to establish how much patients and caregivers understand about ALS, what they have been told to expect by their physician, and if they would have appreciated more complete information.
Methods: A two-part survey was administered online. An 'ALS quiz' gauged participants' knowledge of physical and psychological aspects of ALS. A second questionnaire assessed which symptoms patients had discussed with their clinician and explored patients' desire to receive information on psychological effects.
Results: A total of 247 ALS patients and 87 caregivers participated. Participants knew less about psychological symptoms than physical ones (72% correct responses versus 82%; paired t(333) = −5.04, P < 0.001). Patients commonly reported being told by their doctor about physical symptoms such as problems walking (85%) or stiffness/cramps (74%) but not psychological issues like emotional lability (46%) or cognitive change (11%). The majority of patients (62%) and carers (71%) indicated a desire to be informed that cognitive change or dementia might occur.
Conclusion: ALS is a multi-system disorder. However, despite a desire for more information from patients and their carers, healthcare professionals continue to primarily address only the physical consequences of the disease.

subset: commoncrawl


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Cardboard boat – level 2
10-05-2016 15:00
Do you think you could build a boat completely from cardboard? Maybe you say, "no", but two men from England say, "of course you can!"
Over ten days, they turned 300 old boxes into a boat. They even made some life jackets and put a small outboard on the back. They made everything else from waste packaging, including the flag, which they made from bubble wrap.
They put the boat into the River Thames and all went to plan.
Difficult words: cardboard (the strong paper from which boxes are made), outboard (an outboard motor), waste packaging (material which is used as protection for things – bubble wrap, cardboard etc.).
You can read the original story and watch the video in the Level 3 section.
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This lecture is the first in a three-part series on WWI with Mark Albertson, historical research editor at Army Aviation magazine.
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High quality artisan chocolate makes all the difference in flavor when preparing chocolate treats and desserts for the holidays.
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Georges Delaselle Garden
The Georges Delaselle Garden was originally created in 1897 and is home to more than 2,500 species of plants from all the continents. Located on the eastern tip of Ile de Batz, this garden is a remote oasis on a large area of rock buffeted by the winds.
The garden covers 2.5 hectares and is characterised by two different landscapes separated by a 16th-century Calvary mound.
It is a picturesque and romantic labyrinth with contrasting designs, open views to the surrounding seas and dry-wall terraces. Visitors come upon many surprising areas as they make their way around the garden, ranging from the Bronze Age necropolis embedded in palm lilies (Cordyline), to the Palm Grove, an idyllic jungle dug into the sand, to the Cactus Garden with its green theatre of succulents, to the Maori Garden with its range of colours of New Zealand flax.
The Georges Delaselle Garden is:


text: No recent wiki edits to this page. The fallout from the "Iron Dominion" saga continues to settle as our heroes deal with the aftermath and face some tough choices ahead. What secrets will Sonic and Tails find in the seemingly abandoned EggDome? Will Espio finally confront his former teammates, the Chaotix? Will Princess Sally make a final choice of who to set her heart on? The answers to these and other questions await in this intriguing tale!


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Saguaro Sunset Photo Photographer
Sara SundaeModel Female Tucson, Arizona, US
My Website: My Facey Book
Mayhem # 1002463
About Me
Don't ask.
"Sara herself, is very vintage. She has an old soul I'd say. She doesn't just dress the part she is the part." -Saguaro Sunset Photo.
Seriously the coolest thing anyone's ever said about me!
I view all photo shoot opportunities as an artistic collaboration and as such do not believe any one party is more deserving to be paid then another. Not only do I model at my shoots, but I do my own hair/wigs, MU, and wardrobe. That's the work of 4 people! I make most of my costumes/props and spend lots of $$$ buying materials. I don't just show up and pose.
I am mainly interested in shooting:
-with photographers that are interested in magazine submissions (which can mean waiting to share them online for months)
-cosplay, historical, sci-fi themes
Costumes I have/am making:
90's Xmen Cartoon Rogue suit
Classic Harley Quinn- in production
Mermaid- in production
Classic Snow White
Steampunk Snow White
Star Trek TOS Science Officer
Generic Jedi
Jedi Snow White (being rebuilt)
Destiny Awoken Warlock (Heart of the Praxic Fire robe- in production)
Marvel's Black Cat
Xmen Rogue Shi'ar suit (pink space suit with armor)
Xmen Rogue Ultimate Xmen look
Xmen Rogue black suit/green tee shirt look
Art Nouveau Wonder Woman
Where I'll Be:
Tucson Comic Con November 5th & 6th
Photographers: please understand that I rarely can do last minute shoots, I need confirmed appointments and at least 48 hours to plan and put things together for both our benefit.
If you're browsing models, have a project you think I'd be perfect for- feel free to message me.
Have you worked with Sara Sundae? Add Credits for Sara Sundae! >>
See Sample Worked together 2-10 times; Most recent: July 2016
Credit Notes
*Tara O'Connor #327957
Nick Florio #79553
Travis Haight #618249
*Deee-Liteful Images #378772
Educated Savage #446339
John Covington #720883
Sabrina Jones #602727
Bobbysoxer Photography # 731376
*NrNr Photography/Robert Hicks #574792
Desert Mirage Photography #125015
*Alvin Johnson #1333598
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Hardwood Pin Ups
John Foley #1284216
No Regrets Photography #1130759
Holly Seeber Photography #1220193
*Saguaro Sunset Photo #2692395
The Light by Ta Ziyah #2369251
AZ Skies Photography #2777592
*Untold Memories
*(have worked with multiple times)
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Cat's Pajamas's Magazine 1st and 2nd issues.
Creative Cosplay Magazine Issue 2
Saguaro Sunset Photo Photographer
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Tara O Photos Photographer
Robert Hicks Photo Photographer
Nick Florio Photographer
DarkUnicor... Photographer
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The global preventive vaccines market accounted for a value of USD 27.6 billion in 2015 and is expected to reach USD 55 billion by 2021, growing at a CAGR of 12.4% during the forecast period from 2016 ...
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This review is from: BYTECC BT-3260T-BK 32"-60" Tilt TV Wall Mount LED & LCD HDTV up to VESA 600x400mm max load 175 lbs., Compatible with Samung, Vizio, Sony, Panasonic, LG and Toshiba TV
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This review is from: Baaqii WA035 PCI 300M 802.11n/g/b 300Mbps Wireless WiFi WLAN Network Card adapter
Pros: Arrived as expected (not fast, not slow). Works fine once installed.
Cons: Driver was incredibly difficult to install and no customer service from seller.READ FULL REVIEW


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This is a great group space where like-minded folks have gotten together in a supportive environment to learn about environment and food production."
I have enjoyed the course so far, it is the highlight of my week.
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- Converts 2.5" SATA SSD/HDD to a 3.5" SATA hard drive
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Avoid 01/16/2014
This review is from: ICY DOCK EZConvert MB882SP-1S-1B 2.5" to 3.5" SATA 6Gbps SSD & HDD Converter / Adapter / Mounting Kit / Bracket (Supports 7mm & 9.5mm drive height)
Well, maybe I got a defect, but the Serial ATA cable does not snap in. Therefore, it does not go all the way in. Now I have to RMA and pay a restocking fee. I think restocking fee should be removed if its a clearly defective item... newegg your really going to restock a defective item....?
Other Thoughts:
No reason to buy this. Just get a normal 2.5 to 3.5 converter mount and avoid another connection.... more connections means more possible problems. Also, its plastic.....
2 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes / No Thanks for the valuable feedback you provided!


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775 posts tagged with university.
Displaying 51 through 100 of 775. Subscribe:
Movies with studying montages for end-of-term blues
Hey, my spring term is almost over, and its been kind of brutal! But I rewatched Real Genius last night and am feeling pretty okay about things again. What are some similar movies I can stockpile for future terms? Setting should be university, or maybe something post-university with a research/impossible-thing-to-build-but-hey-they-build-it-anyway angle.
Dual Citizenship Dilemma
My Mom was born in Portugal. I was born in Canada. I can get my Portuguese Citizenship. But will that keep me from getting a job in Astronomy? [more inside]
Present for someone into festivals, food, comics, drama and hospitality
My lovely brother is graduating from university in southern California, and I'd like to get him something special, reasonably-priced, and memorable...that matches his interests...that I can order online or take home from Hong Kong, where I live. [more inside]
Feeling ambivilant about my PhD program. Should I apply for this job?
I'm finishing up the second year of my PhD program. This is a particularly stressful time in the program--I'm finishing my coursework and should be ABD in a couple of months. I am planning on making a decision at the end of next month whether or not I want to keep on. But I just found out about a great job opportunity with a nonprofit organization I like and have a relationship with and I am really really qualified for. So now I'm wondering...would it hurt to apply? [more inside]
Name That Story part 4928
Trying to remember the name of a short story I read some years ago. It involved a university class and criticism of Walt Whitman... [more inside]
Choosing the right fit for undergraduate ethnomusicology
I'm an older student transferring from community college to a four-year to study ethno/musicology. I've been admitted, and now it's time to make the final decision. Do I go for a pretty attractive program at a good school (UCSB), or for a potentially less attractive program at one of the top schools in the country (Berkeley)? [more inside]
I've screwed up. Help me keep my job?
Ever really, really mess up without meaning to? I'm there now. [more inside]
how to deal with deceptive students?
I administer an online learning platform for a university in Massachusetts. Whenever a semester ends, I always get several reports from students claiming to have completed work that the system has no record of. In a recent case, I checked everywhere I could and even contacted the vendor, but I didn't find a shred of evidence to support this student's version of events. Yet he still insists he completed the work and won't back off. What can I say to him, and other students like him, without seeming like an asshole who won't help?
Can a sabbatical cure work misery?
I'm a newly-tenured faculty member in a very toxic department in a US university. I'm pretty miserable at my workplace, but it's difficult to find a job in my field. I am also interested in taking a sabbatical for the 2016-2017 academic year, or perhaps later, but that would commit me to staying at my university for another year past that. Is it possible a sabbatical would make things much better for me at work? Or should I go ahead and focus on finding a new job? [more inside]
"I'm desperate" is probably not the right answer.
Only a few graduate programs have invited me to interviews. One of the programs isn't highly ranked or well-known and isn't in the greatest location (let's just say it would be unusual for someone from my state to go...where? THERE?), but I need to think of a compelling explanation for why I would choose their program over others during the interview. To be frank, they'll probably develop as good a reputation as any other, but there's nothing special about their program that would make people rush halfway across the country. Still, how do I avoid sounding desperate or contrived during the interview?
Professional Development
How do I find free online professional development resources? [more inside]
Not intelligent enough to become a social researcher?
Lately, I have seem to have doubts about my intelligence; particularly with the notion of becoming a social researcher. I have always wanted to explore the field of social research. I have a penchant for learning new knowledge and theories; my curiosity never seems to wane. However, I have little confidence that I'm able to obtain a Master's Degree in Critical Sociology. I need to build my confidence and reassure myself that I have the capability, passion, devotion, and worth ethic to learn and strive towards this career goal. I would be most appreciated for some scope of advice, tips, and encouragement. [more inside]
Best research universities for behavioral economics and applied psych
I'm looking for universities that have strong research in behavioral economics, decision science, political psychology, organizational psychology—basically, applying psychology to understand systems and society. Any universities come to mind? [more inside]
What to do after Tenure?
Recently Tenured Prof - Now what? Research limp, teaching meh, admin not thrilling. What did you do? Nonstandard (social-justice?) career/activity arcs for PUI Science faculty? Dealing with midlife-minicrisis? [more inside]
Help me teach my undergraduate students postmodernism?
Please help me with texts, videos or visual guides to postmodernism - something my theatre students struggle to grasp every year. [more inside]
How do I spend my leave of absence from university?
I can finally put my mind away from school for about 8 months, but I feel like these 8 months will be the critical period and my last chance to gain a sense of what I want to do. [more inside]
Give your best visual guess about a job candidate's ethnicity
As part of my friend's job, she was asked to give a visual guess of a job candidate's ethnicity. She felt uncomfortable doing so, and has questions about it. [more inside]
how do I report cheating/bribery if it hasn't happened yet?
I go to a large public university in Canada and it has come to my attention that people are bribing their way into the university and/or paying people to write their personal statements. There's also rampant cheating - people paying to have their essays written or having people sit in on tests for them. Most of these are international students and they are a valuable resource at my school so I do not know if anyone will listen to me or who I should even tell. [more inside]
Seeking fellow victims...
Reading the news articles about the accusations of rape made against Bill Cosby has suddenly made me resolutely certain of the fact that my rapist has had other victims. My question is, how does one "find" those other victims... without going to court or being super public about having been raped? [more inside]
Online listings for academic education technology jobs in North America
A UK colleague, who has worked for about a decade at various management and director levels in the UK academic sector (Education technology projects and services) is starting to consider moving abroad, but continuing the same line of work. His contact network in the education/academic sector outside of the UK is weak, and he doesn't know where to start looking online for positions in USA or Canadian Universities, Colleges, and Education Technology services and businesses that serve academia. Which are the good websites, and online listings, for these kinds of positions?
How can I be a better teacher to international students?
I am an American university professor in a social science at a research 1 university. In the past decade or so, at my university (and all universities that I've worked at) there has been a huge influx of international students, especially from Asia. My current undergrad classes are between 50-75% "English language learners." There are a lot of challenges in teaching these students and I'm looking for some concrete advice. [more inside]
How to contact someone from Mars One without sounding like a spammer
I am a researcher at a university and I have an exciting idea for a research project that the Mars One project offers a unique opportunity to carry out, without requiring the mission to carry any extra equipment and that could run during the training stage, on earth, so it isn't a good fit for their "university challenge" competition. Rather I would like to contact someone from the team to discuss it. They say on the website they welcome contact from universities and scientists, but there is no information about how to contact them. [more inside]
How to go about getting a college degree part-time as a hobby
Could an adult will a full time career, but a few hours a week to dedicate to the purpose, pursue getting an undergraduate degree from a university just for the fun of it? And if so how? [more inside]
What % of your reading do you need to remember at post-grad level?
I'm interested in doing a Chinese Studies MA but I don't know how much of my reading I need to remember. Any advice? [more inside]
Going to university and becoming a talking therapist
I have made the decision that I want to change careers to become a counsellor (talking therapist) and I'd additionally like to specialise my therapy (but not exclusively) in gender and sexual identity issues. What study paths should I follow to turn this ambition into a specific plan? I never went to university after leaving school - so I would like to go back into academic education and get a degree while working towards this career rather than just doing a vocational course. Difficulty level: UK. [more inside]
Video games about universities and academic life
I'm looking for example of digital or video games - either online, free, commercial, or bought from a shop, on a PC, mac or games console - which simulate the experience of being a student, academic, lecturer or professor from an academic, social, or economic perspective. For example, the Sims 3 University Life expansion pack gives a (relatively shallow) social perspective on academic life as a student. Are there any others, especially ones with more depth or accuracy?
How do you go to university when you're older?
If you didn't go to university when you were "supposed to," and you've found yourself at nearly-30 with a job, career, house, obligations, how do you then start to study once you think you might have found your calling, the field you really want to delve deeply into? I'm thinking mainly about the financial and logistical concerns - but also, personal stories of doing so. [more inside]
Moving to Maryland to go to college
I was born in Maryland and moved to Virginia for high school. I did two years worth of math/computer science courses at NVCC. I've been working 9 to 5 in DC as a programmer for the past several years, and I make $65k a year, of which I save about $15k. As far as I can tell, the only viable path to finishing a computer science degree in the area would be to use what savings I have (let's say $60k) to be a full time student at the University of Maryland for two years. This is only practical if I pay in-state tuition. The university explicitly bars those who "reside in Maryland primarily for a purpose other than that of attending an educational institution in Maryland". If I move to Maryland, do I have any chance of being considered an in-state student after a few years? I want to be both pragmatically and ethically in the clear here. [more inside]
Can I get students to sit closer to the front of a large lecture hall?
I often teach in university lecture halls that have many more seats than there are students. Invariably, the students will fill the rows farthest from me, the professor. I think it sets up a very weird and distanced dynamic between us, but I don't know how or if I can fix it. [more inside]
Fastest way to finish Bachelor's degree while working full time
Went to U of Utah for undergrad (1992-1998) and ended up leaving before finishing my Bachelor's to pursue a job opportunity. I did horribly in school (2.3 GPA) and had about 108 semester units. Now, I'm older (40 yrs) and arguably wiser and want to get my Bachelor's degree to possibly go after an MBA. I live in Santa Clara, CA now (Bay area) and work full time. I'm trying to figure out the fastest/easiest way to get a Bachelor's degree from an accredited school that also looks good on a resume and that I can use to pursue a higher degree. [more inside]
Nontraditional. Returning? Student?
Broke and in default on old student loans. Is it possible to go back to school? [more inside]
What are the pros and cons of supervising others at work?
What are the pros and cons of supervising others at work? I have never supervised others in my entire working career. Given my story beneath the fold, should I consider doing so? [more inside]
How far from land were prison hulks placed?
I teach a course on corrections and while going over a brief history of the evolution of prisons I mentioned how decommissioned sailing vessels were used to hold prisoners. A student asked me how far from land might they be placed and I didn't know the answer. Does anyone know? [more inside]
How should I respond to a classmate regarding racial bias?
I'm an Asian female attending a University. I wanted to run for a leadership position in an organization that consists of 70% Asians. A Caucasian classmate of mine who wants to run for the same position thinks that I'll get elected over him because of the group's demographic. I found out from a mutual friend that he might withdraw from the election. How should I go about addressing this issue with him? I really want to make it a fair competition and convince him that the group demographic should not benefit me in anyway because I have the same amount of interactions with them as he does. I also want him to know that I have other skills and attributes that would make me fit the officer role, and not my race. Thank you for your advice!
Strategies for reading in college
What are the best strategies for reading in college, and actually comprehending what you're reading to make connections? How do people read hundreds of pages a week and comprehend it all?
Job search confusion abounds....
Hey Mefites, I need help in getting an out-of-state job. Can you help? [more inside]
Reputation of Masters Programmes in Europe
I am saving to go to Europe to do a masters degree. I am interested in International Relations, International Law, Human Rights, and European Affairs (history and institutions of the EU, European Law). I'm Australian but I also have UK dual nationality. I am starting to investigate programmes but am finding it hard to narrow down the options and find the best one for me. My question is: how do I work out which master's programmes have the best/ worst reputation?
Eyeing a career change from Engineering: Am I being reckless?
I recently graduated and I've been working as a Jr. Engineer for a few months now. I realize now that this is not a career/field I want to be in and have been strongly thinking about going back to school to get a Computer Science degree. The problem is that I have 35k in loans from my previous degree and I need to make a decision soon. Am I being reckless for wanting to do a career change so soon? [more inside]
Constitutional Law and Higher Education
I am currently interested in a legal counsel position at a large state university. While I am qualified for many aspects of the job, my one weakness is a requirement of having a good working knowledge of current Constitutional law and how it currently is applicable to higher education and similar institutions. I am looking for any good online (preferred) or even recently published resources that will provide that thorough knowledge that I seek. Can you help me? [more inside]
How to be admitted to an open enrollment university without transcripts?
I am trying to take courses at the local branch of a larger University in Ohio. The more rual branches have an open enrollment policy, however still request transcripts from previous schools attended. There was a very clustered situation, involving the retroactive removal of my financial aid package, at a previous school, too crazy to fix but it left me with a $15,000 bill that I am not realistically going to pay off making the minimum wage I happen to be earning, right now. I don't want to wait any longer to finish my degree, so remaining out of school until I come up with $15,000 is not a path I am pursuing. I would like to get advice from those out there with some knowledge, how can I gain admission to a university without this very expensive transcript?
how can I kindly reject PhD students?
I have just begun as an assistant professor in the humanities at a prestigious university, and I am getting more emails from prospective PhD candidates than I can handle, gracefully or otherwise. I am presently a total n00b (read: incompetent at my job) and can't realistically take more than one a year. But I have no idea how to deal with these emails. Any suggestions on how to handle them, from anyone in similar but wiser positions? Agonized details below. [more inside]
academic library access for the independent academic?
I live in the West Midlands, home to a few good university libraries. Unfortunately, none of these libraries offer memberships to community members. My own alma mater, Birmingham City University, does not have an alumni library membership. It's very annoying. I would really like access to SagePub and T&F for journal articles. Can you recommend a university or college in the UK, Europe, or anywhere that offers remote access to their library's databases and where I could buy an annual membership?
What to expect at a university comms/marketing position?
I've been hired to be the Director of Marketing for a humanities faculty at a small but prestigious North American university. I've spent the last nine years at a mid-sized national ad agency. I start in two weeks. What should I expect in my new position? [more inside]
Four Years in our Nation's Capitol!!! What to do?!! What to do?!!
What should be my nephew check out while he's going to school in Washington, D.C.? [more inside]
Master in Bioengineering at EPFL vs Biomedical Eng. at Imperial College
I summarize this dilema below: I have been accepted at EPFL (Switzerland) for the master in bioengineering with an EPFL Excellence Fellowship and also at the MsS in Biomedical Engineering at Imperial College London. Both Universities are very well ranked in these areas, as you can see in this bioengineering rank. In most rankings, Imperial College is a few places above EPFL and London is a great city but I would have a really good scholarship if I go to EPFL (18000$ per year) and the tuition is much lower (about 1000$ vs 13000$ at Imperial). [more inside]
Posthumous PhD
Do you know of anyone who received a posthumous PhD? How was the graduation ceremony handled? Who accepted the degree on their behalf? And, where were they in terms of their dissertation -- already filed, soon to file with a few revisions, etc.? [more inside]
Restaurant Gift Certificate Recommendations at University of Indiana
Our nephew will be attending the Kelley (sp?) Business School of the University of Indiana at Bloomington. He will not have a car, and will be living in the dorms. Mrs. W and I would like to get him some gift certificates to nice eateries within walking distance. What restaurants do you recommend?
Should I take an extra (extra) year?
Please help me navigate the final stretch of undergrad. Mountain of details (for a relatively small decision) inside. [more inside]
Academic Job Dilemma: My PI screwing me over?
I have a staff position in academic research. I received a verbal job offer two and a half weeks ago for a higher position in a different lab, and I gave notice to my current PI (my boss) immediately. I haven't gotten the official job offer yet, and I think my PI might cause me to lose the offer... Also, I'm kind of just freaked out in general and need some fresh eyes. Am I freaking over nothing, or is trouble brewing here? [more inside]
Timeline for graduate housing?
How far ahead should I be looking for graduate apartments? [more inside]


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Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib
|Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib
Mecca, Hejaz
|570-571 AD / 53-52 BH (aged 24-25)
|Cause of death
|Unspecified illness
|Resting place
|Darun-Nabiya, Madina Munawwara, Hejaz
|merchant and clay-worker
|Āminah bint Wahb c.July 570 AD - c.Jan 571 AD
|Son: Muhammad
|Father: 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib
Mother: Fatimah bint Amr
|Part of a series on
Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib (/æbˈdʊlə/; Arabic: عبدالله بن عبد المطلب) (c.546–570) was the father of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He was the son of Abdul-Muttalib ibn Hashim and of Fatimah bint Amr of the Makhzum clan.[1]
He was married to Āminah bint Wahb.[2] Tabari also refers to another unnamed wife.[3] However, Aminah's son Muhammad was Abdullah's only child.[4]
His father chose for him Āminah daughter of Wahb ibn 'Abd Munāf who was the grandson of Zuhrah, the brother of his great-great-grandfather Qusayy ibn Kilāb. Wahb had been the chief of Banū Zuhrah as well as its eldest and noblest member but had died some time previously and Āminah became a ward of his brother Wuhaib, who had succeeded him as chief of the clan.
His father went with him to the quarter of Banū Zuhrah. There, he sought the residence of Wuhayb and went in to ask for the hand of Wahb's daughter for his son. 'Abdullāh's father fixed his marriage with Aminah.[5] It was said that a light shone out of his forehead and that this light was the promise of a Prophet as offspring. Many Arabian women approached 'Abdullāh, who is reported to have been a handsome man, so that they might gain the honor of producing his offspring. However it is believed that, as decided by God, the light was destined to be transferred to Āminah through 'Abdullāh after consummating the marriage.[6] 'Abdullāh's father was the custodian of the Kaaba in Makkah. 'Abdullāh lived with Āminah among her relatives the first three days of the marriage. Afterwards, they moved together to the quarter of 'Abdul-Muttalib.
Soon after their marriage 'Abdullāh was called to Palestine and al-Shām (present day Syria) on a trading caravan trip. When he left Āminah was pregnant. 'Abdullāh was absent for several months in Gaza. On his way back he stopped for a longer rest with the family of his paternal grandmother, Salma bint Amr, who belonged to the Najjar clan of the Khazraj tribe in Medina. He was preparing to join a caravan to Mecca when he felt ill.
The caravan went on without him to Mecca with news of his absence and disease. 'Abdul-Muttalib immediately sent his eldest son al-Harith to Medina. Upon his arrival, al-Harith learned that his brother had died and that he had been buried there a month after falling ill. Harith returned to Mecca to announce the death of `Abdullāh to his aged father and his bereaved wife Āminah.[7][8]
'Abdullāh left five camels, a herd of sheep and goats, and a slave nurse, called Umm Ayman, who was to take care of his son Muhammad.[9] This patrimony does not prove that 'Abdullāh was wealthy, but at the same time it does not prove that he was poor. Furthermore, 'Abdullāh was still a young man capable of working and of amassing a fortune. His father was still alive and none of his wealth had as yet been transferred to his sons.[10]
His name "'Abdullāh" means "servant of God" or "slave of God".
In Latin script, 'Abdullāh ibn 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib (Shaybah) ibn Hāshim ('Amr) ibn Abd Manāf (al-Mughīra) ibn Qusayy (Zayd) ibn Kilāb ibn Murra ibn Ka`b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghālib ibn Fahr (Quraysh) ibn Mālik ibn an-Naḑr (Qays) ibn Kinānah ibn Khuzaymah ibn Mudrikah ('Āmir) ibn Ilyās ibn Muḑar ibn Nizār ibn Ma'ād ibn 'Adnān.[11]
His ancestors and the family tree[edit]
See also[edit]
- Abdullah (name)
- Family tree of Muhammad
- Umm Ayman (Barakah) the slave girl of Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib
- ^ Muhammad ibn Sa'ad. Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir. Translated by Haq, S. M. (1967). Ibn Sa'd's Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir Volume I Parts I & II, pp. 99-100. Delhi: Kitab-Bhavan.
- ^ Muhammad Mustafa Al-A'zami (2003), The History of The Qur'anic Text: From Revelation to Compilation: A Comparative Study with the Old and New Testaments, pp. 22, 24. UK Islamic Academy. ISBN 978-1872531656.
- ^ Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari. Tarikh al-Rusul wa'l-Muluk. Translated by Watt, W. M., & McDonald, M. V. (1988). Volume 6: Muhammad at Mecca, p. 6. Albany: State University of New York Press.
- ^ Ibn Sa'd/Haq p. 107.
- ^ Cook, Michael. Muhammad. Oxford University Press: New York, 1983. ISBN 0-19-287605-8.
- ^ Ibn Kathīr The Life of the Prophet Muḥammad : Volume 1. Trans. Prof. Trevor Le Gassick. Garnet Publishing: Lebanon, 1998. ISBN 1-85964-142-3.
- ^ Ibn Sa'd/Haq pp. 107-108.
- ^ Armstrong, Karen. Muhammad : A Biography of the Prophet. HarperSanFrancisco: San Francisco, 1993. ISBN 0-06-250886-5
- ^ Ibn Sa'd/Haq p. 109.
- ^ Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources, Martin Lings, George Allen & Unwin, 1983, p24
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2006-02-23. Retrieved 2006-01-08.


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Todd Huizinga, Acton Institute's director of international outreach, was a guest analyst recently on Newsmakers, a public affairs program produced by WGVU television in Grand Rapids, Mich. Episode description from Aug. 22: "As tensions heighten between Russia and Ukraine, what is Russian President Vladimir Putin's worldview and what role does Ukraine play in it? How has the shoot down of Malaysia Airline flight 17 killing 298 on board changed the dynamics of the conflict? We explore the internal and external factors in play." Run time is 26:45.
Note: This is an update and addition to two previous posts, "Explainer: What's Going on in Ukraine?" and "What Just Happened with Russia and Ukraine?."
So what just happened in Crimea?
On Sunday, Crimeans voted overwhelmingly to break with Ukraine and join Russia. Today Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty making Crimea part of Russia (it was a former satellite state of the Soviet Union). Putin says he does not plan to seize any other regions of Ukraine.
Why would Russia want to annex Crimea?
In 1997, Crimea and Russia signed a treaty allowing Russia to maintain their naval base at Sevastopol, on Crimea's southwestern tip (the lease is good through 2042). The base is Russia's primary means of extending military force through the Mediterranean. (The Black Sea is connected to the Mediterranean Sea through the Bosphorus Straits.) Without a military base in Crimea, Russia would be weakened as a global military power.
Earlier this month Russia's parliment authorized a Putin to use the military on Crimea. (Technically, Russia's parliament authorized Russia's military forces to enter "Ukraine," giving themselves a legal cloak to target more than Crimea.)
Where (and what) exactly is Crimea?
On March 4, Acton's Director of International Outreach, Todd Huizinga, participated on a panel discussion hosted by Calvin College on Ukraine and the Cold War. Huizinga focused on the EU during the discussion; he was joined by Prof. Becca McBride who focused on Russia; Prof. Joel Westra, who focused on the Global Security Implications; and Dr. Olena Shkatulo, assistant professor of Spanish at Calvin, who is from Ukraine. The moderator was Prof. Kevin den Dulk.
Ukraine – The Last Frontier of the Cold War from Calvin College on Vimeo.
Note: This is an update and addition to a previous post, "Explainer: What's Going on in Ukraine?"
What just happened with Russia and Ukraine?
Last week, pro-EU protesters in Ukraine took control of Ukraine's government after President Viktor Yanukovych left Kiev for his support base in the country's Russian-speaking east. The country's parliament sought to oust him and form a new government. They named Oleksandr Turchynov, a well-known Baptist pastor and top opposition politician in Ukraine, as acting president.
In the southern part of the country, Crimean Prime Minister Sergey Aksyonov, elected in an emergency session last week, said he asserted sole control over Crimea's security forces and appealed to Russia "for assistance in guaranteeing peace and calmness" on the peninsula. On Saturday, Russian president Vladimir Putin asked his own parliament for approval to use the country's military in Ukraine. The request comes after Putin has already sent as many as 6,000 troops into Crimea.
Why would Russia want to invade Crimea?
The rapidly changing events in the Ukraine are causing concern throughout the world. On March 4 at 3 p.m., a panel discussion entitled "Ukraine: The Last Frontier in the Cold War?" will be held at the Calvin College DeVos Communications Center Lobby area in Grand Rapids, Mich.
The panel will feature Todd Huizinga (Senior Research Fellow at the Henry Institute, Acton Institute Fellow, and co-founder of the Transatlantic Christian Council, with expertise on the European Union), Becca McBride (professor of Political Science at Calvin College, with research focus on Russia), and Joel Westra (professor of Political Science at Calvin College, with research focus on international relations and global security issues). Kevin den Dulk (Executive Director of the Henry Institute and professor of Political Science at Calvin College) will serve as the moderator.
On Monday, I linked a podcast that Ancient Faith Radio host Kevin Allen did with Metropolitan Antony, primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the United States, about the ongoing crisis in the Ukraine. Allen has followed up with another interview, this one with Ukraine expert James Jatras, a former U.S. diplomat, U.S. Senate staffer and a member of the American Institute of Ukraine. Jatras talks about a number of issues, including the legal basis — or lack thereof — of the current government in power, deep seated government corruption on all sides, the prospect for elections, Church-State relations, and insights into Ukraine's trade relations with both the West and Russia. The current situation, he warns, is fraught with risks on all sides.
"Will they be able to hold elections?" he asks. "Will violence break out in other parts of the country? Let's hope not. I think ultimately a lot of this may be decided by the economy … Whom do you even send the aid to in Ukraine? I don't think there will be much aid coming to Ukriane from the West. At some point they're going to turn back toward Russia."
Jatras continued: "I think somehow, the Europeans especially, and the Russians need to work out some understanding between themselves and … see if they can help promote reconciliation among Ukrainians. And that's going to be a very tall order."
Listen to "Ukraine – Another Perspective" on Ancient Faith Radio.
In this edition of Radio Free Acton, Paul Edwards joins our crew to host a discussion of the crisis in the Ukraine, with perspective provided by Acton Director of Research Samuel Gregg, Director of Communications John Couretas, and with an insider's perspective of current events from an evangelical Christian currently residing near Kiev. (Our friend from Kiev remains anonymous in order to ensure his safety and security.) Paul and his guests discuss the geopolitical context of the crisis, the different forces currently acting on the Ukraine that have brought the situation to the current acute state, and the religious and social undertones that are shaping the contours of Ukrainian society as it copes with the unrest.
You can listen to the podcast via the audio player below.


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CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE - Middle Township High School football fullback Zack Vogelei pounded the middle of the line the old-fashioned way against Ocean City on Saturday.
It was a good day for old-school football, since the Panthers were wearing vintage purple-and-gold throwback uniforms.
Middle took an early 20-point lead and withstood two Ocean City comebacks to win it 41-21
The Panthers have won three straight games and improved to 3-2 overall and 3-1 in the Cape-Atlantic League National Conference. Ocean City dropped to 0-5 overall and in the conference.
Vogelei, a 6-foot-1, 230-pound senior, scored five touchdowns on runs of 4, 15, 2, 5 and 3 yards and has nine on the year. He totaled 210 yards on 17 carries and caught one pass for 24 yards. He also made some big defensive stops at linebacker.
Vogelei scored the first three touchdowns of the game. Ocean City was geared up to stop the outside running of Middle's Nigel Case, who entered the game with five touchdowns on the year.
"It definitely helped me that they were watching our other runners," said Vogelei, 17, of Cape May Court House. "The line was opening holes for me. It was a great experience. It all started with the line. I didn't think about scoring five touchdowns. As long as we stay as a team and keep winning games, that's what matters."
Down 20-0, Ocean City shocked the Panthers before halftime by scoring two touchdowns in 24 seconds.
Red Raiders running back Owen Dierolf made a diving catch in the left side of the end zone on a 26-yard pass by quarterback Joey Keyes. When Middle decided not to run out the clock out with one second left in the first half, Ocean City cornerback Jon Toro picked off a pass and romped down the right sideline for a score. Keyes' extra point cut the lead to 20-14.
Middle Township coach Frank Riggitano admitted that the pass was his idea.
"It was my fault, and I apologized to the kids at halftime," Riggitano said. "It made me sick to my stomach, but they bailed me out."
The Panthers took the momentum right back after the second-half kickoff. Return man Terrance Toney returned the kick 30 yards to the Middle 41. Vogelei's 48-yard run, a 2-yard run by Case and a O.C. late hit penalty put the ball on the Red Raiders' five. Vogelei powered off right tackle for a score on the next play. Darrell Shelton's kick made it 27-14.
"Ocean City tried to stop our outside game, and they did that effectively, but Zack had a big day," Riggitano said. "As bad as we appeared at times, we still put up 41 points."
Early in the fourth quarter, Ocean City clicked on a fourth and 11 at the Middle 19. Wide receiver Matt Shuler (6 catches for 60 yards) caught a touchdown pass as he beat a defender for the ball on the right sde.
But with 5:40 left, Middle's Toney ran 2 yards up the middle to score for the Panthers and it was 34-21.
Ocean City rarely threw the ball in its first four games, but Keyes attempted 22 passes Saturday, completing 11 for 141 yards and two touchdowns.
"We had no choice but to throw (a lot), but it's not what we wanted to do," Ocean City coach Kevin Smith said. "We did OK with it. I think the big play was when it was 20-14 and they had a second and 17, and (Vogelei) got about 50 yards. That gave them the momentum. We didn't tackle well. A lot of what we have to do is on the defensive side of the ball. (Vogelei) was 'the man' on both sides of the ball."
Middle travels to unbeaten Cedar Creek next Saturday for a 1 p.m. game.
"We're excited about the game, and we know they're excited about being undefeated," Riggitano said. "We're looking forward to next Saturday."
Note: The throwback uniforms were Riggitano's idea. Middle Township opened in 1907 and its first colors were purple and gold, the colors of Cape May County. A new high school was built in 1916 and the school changed its colors to orange and black.
Contact Guy Gargan:
Ocean City 0 14 0 7-21
Middle Township 6 14 7 14-41
MT-Vogelei 4 run (pass failed)
MT-Vogelei 15 run (Shelton kick)
MT-Vogelei 2 run (Shelton kick)
OC-Dierolf 26 pass from Keyes (Keyes kick)
OC-Toro 70 interception return (Keyes kick)
MT-Vogelei 5 run (Shelton kick)
OC-Schuler 19 pass from Keyes (Keyes kick)
MT-Toney 2 run (Shelton kick)
MT-Vogelei 3 run (Shelton kick)
First downs 11 13
Rushing 69 324
Passing 141 24
Turnovers 2 2
Rushing-OC-Woolley 19-66, Dierolf 4--4, Chavarria 6-17, Keyes 3--10. MT-Case 11-61, Vogelei 17-210, Durso 2--4, McNeill 5-7, Toney 9-50.
Passiing-OC-Keyes 11-22-141-1. MT-Durso 1-3-24-1.
Receiving-OC-Schuler 6-60, Birch 2-32, Dierolf 3-49. MT-Vogelei 1-24.
Records-Middle 3-2; O.C. 0-5.


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BRIEF REPORT 4/4/2012 by SDS (Seductive Dividend Stocks)
The goal of this communication is to compare several mutual funds and ETFs (I'll use the word FUN-D for any of these) with passive and "blind" investment into David Fish list of Dividend Champions (dripinvesting.org/Tools/Tools.asp) during 12/31/2007-3/30/2012.
Data Description
David Fish published the list at the first time in December 2007 and it is available from Robert Allan Schwartz WWW site (www.tessellation.com/dividends/). Initial list contained 139 companies with dividend growth history from 24 to 54 years.
I formed "blind" Dividend Champions portfolio from 1 stock of each company in the December's list. David Fish missed 3 companies (CTBI, BEN, BWL.A) that are now in his CCC list and I did not considered these stocks (1).
I used open prices on 12/31/2007 for stocks purchases (2) as well as open prices on 3/30/2012 for stocks sales (3) and ignored any fees related with these transactions. No other transactions were occurred between 12/31/2007 and 3/30/2012, dividends were just collected and not re-invested. The same approach I used for each FUN-D described below and for calculations I ignored load and annual fees.
For prices and dividends I mostly used Yahoo.com although some dividend information was taken form Morningstar.com. Both sources show ex-dividend date, I presumed that payday is in the same quarter as ex-date for simplicity.
The expense for set-up of "blind" Dividend Champions portfolio is $6401.27 and the same amount was invested in each FUN-D. Hence the calculations presented below show apple to apple comparisons before fees and taxes.
I downloaded all FUN-Ds with word "dividend" in the name from Morningstar and Lipper and selected FUN-Ds with the name that remind principles David Fish list of Dividend Champions, such as "Dividend Growth", "Dividend Achievers", "Rising Dividends", etc. Usually few mutual funds with different fees (which I ignored as mentioned already) co-exists in a "family". I compared holdings and results of two mutual funds from the same family: SIT Dividend Growth Fund Inst and SIT Dividend Growth S and they have very similar holdings and performance, so I just took the first fund from mostly alphabetical list in the fund family.
Symbols for FUN-Ds are in accordance with Morningstar.com and I used the symbol DFDC for "blind" Dividend Champions portfolio. Quarterly dividend data were calculated for DFDC and funds with monthly dividends, semiannual and annual dividends of some FUN-Ds were not recalculated for quarterly base used in this report.
Results and short analysis
Total profit of a DFDC investor during the holding period is about 6.6%. DFDC dividends 11.47% during 12/31/2007-3/30/2012 overcompensated 4.85% of capital losses.
DFDC is essentially passive market-weight portfolio and therefore I also compared it with famous (but active) market-weight index S&P 500 represented by SPY. More than half (72 of 139) DFDC companies were in S&P 500 in March 2012.
Comparison of regular DFDC dividends with total SPY dividends (fig. 1) shows that they were unstable and even decreased during considered holding period. In contrast with expectation of a dividend growth investing blind DFDC had rolling negative dividend change rates (DCR) calculated for 4 quarters and even negative annual DCR for regular dividends (4).
Fig. 1. Comparison of SPY dividends (per unit) and regular DFDC dividends during holding period (12/31/2007-3/30/2012).
Table 1. Dividend change rates for DFDC.
While both portfolio prices dropped (4.2% for SPY and 4.85% for DFDC) during the holding period a SPY investor collected only about 63% of total dividends a DFDC investor received (about 77% of regular DFDC dividends). Hence a SPY investor underperforms a DFDC investor. Nevertheless this result probably is not important because S&P500 index is not designed for dividend investing. Therefore I compared DFDC performance with FUN-Ds selected by name as described above.
Dividends from DFDC were $734.15 during the holding period including $ 130.96 special dividends. Analysis of dividends distributions shows that some FUN-Ds paid special dividends and payments of many FUN-Ds included Capital Gains Distributions (it seems Yahoo does not separate them from Income Distributions). Hence total Distributions for FUN-Ds and total DFDC dividends are considered in income streams.
Results are presented in table 2. The first column shows FUN-Ds symbols. The second column shows total dividends extracted from each investment vehicle after investment of $6401.27 in each of these 12/31/2007 till 03/30/2012. The third column compares amount of dividends from the second column for different FUN-Ds with income from DFDC. Red numbers in these columns show FUN-D income underperformance to compare with "blind" Dividend Champions portfolio DFDC. The forth column compares prices at the ends of holding period, numbers in red indicate losses. The last fifth column shows total gains (in black or green) or losses (in red).
On the first glance some FUN-Ds outperform DFDC but with average annual fee 1.25% (and unfortunately most of outperformed FUN-Ds have also ~ 4% load) we need to deduct ~ 5% from FUN-Ds results. Total investment returns in the last column in green indicate that FUN-D outperformed DFDC at least 6% (I choose this number here to compensate FUN-Ds charges).
Table 2. FUN-Ds and DFDC performances.
Analysis and Conclusions
Although only 88 companies from original 2007 list of Dividend Champions keep status of Dividend Champions now according to very restrictive David Fish rules, DFDC outperformed S&P500 and many dividend FUN-Ds. Total return oriented DG investor might consider SunAmerica Focused Dividend Strategy A Fund and Franklin Rising Dividends A Fund (FDSAX and FRDPX) instead of self-made portfolio. Both FDSAX and FRDPX had positive capital gains and delivered more dividends than DFDC during the holding period before fees and other charges. Comparison of these FUN-Ds dividends per unit (right scale) and total DFDC dividends (left scale) is shown in figs. 2 on quarterly and annual bases (FRDPX paid only annual dividends).
Fig. 2A: DFDC vs. FDSAX: Quarterly dividends.
Fig. 2B: DFDC vs. the best FUN-Ds: Annual dividends.
Unfortunately, both these FUN-Ds both as well as similar mutual funds in their families are quite expensive, so I doubt that they are really better choice than DFDC for a DG investor.
As already stated DFDC is the passive portfolio. In reality a DG investor was able to detect some (but not all) possible dividend omissions and cuts, sell stocks of such companies and invest for example in Dividend Champions missed in original 2007 list.
On another hand, most of DG investors probably prefer some selection (e.g. stocks with high yield or strong positive DCR) from David Fish list of Dividend Champions instead of blind market-weighted equal number of stocks DFDC portfolio (5).
Last 4+ years probably were one of most difficult for dividend growth investing because of multiple dividend omissions, cuts and freezes. Also market weighted portfolio is probably not optimal for a dividend -oriented investing (6). Nevertheless DFDC provided reasonable good return for investors (total gain about 6%).
I'm grateful David Fish for discussion.
(1) Inclusion of these companies improves slightly performance of Dividend Champions portfolio in terms of dividends and price appreciation.
(2) Yahoo doesn't provide prices for BUD, ENSI, FPU, HNBC, ROH, WWY, HB on 12/31/2007 because mergers and acquisitions (see footnote 3). I took prices for these stocks as they listed on 01/15/2008 from David Fish list of Dividend Champions for January 2008.
(3) Hillenbrand Industries (HB) was separated into 2 companies Hillenbrand and Hill-Rom (HRC & HI). I presume that one HB stock was converted into one HI and one HRC stocks and use their prices on 3/30/2012 and dividends from these companies from split in 2008 till 3/30/2012.
Anheuser-Busch (NYSE:BUD) was acquired in 2008 by InBev and became ADR IPO. I presume that one Anheuser-Busch stock was converted into one Anheuser-Busch InBev SA stock, both with the same symbol BUD. David fish (personal communication) noted that "original BUD I believe was bought out for cash and new ADR BUD may not be a 1-for-1."
Under the merger agreement each common share of Florida Public Utilities (NYSE:FUN) converted into 0.405 shares of Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE:CPK) common stock on 29 October 2009 (open price $30.68). I assume that DFDC investor immediately sold CPK.
ENSI was acquired for $61.50/share cash by Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE).
First Niagara Financial Group Inc. (NASDAQ:FNFG) exchanged 0.474 share of their common stock for each outstanding common share of Harleysville National Corp. (HNBC) on 4/9/2010 (open price $14.66). I assume that DFDC investor immediately sold FNFG.
Dow Chemical Company (NYSE:DOW) acquired Rohm and Haas (ROH) for $63 per share in cash (www.dow.com/coating/news/2009/20090309e.htm).
The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company (WWY) merged with Mars, Incorporated, Mars paid $80 cash for each WWY share (investor.wrigley.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=927...)
(4) IMO special dividends should not be counted in dividend change rates DCRs. See http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/725729-sds-seductive-dividend-stocks/439261-single-factor-dividend-income-model-part-1-25-march-2012 for DCR role in DG investing.
(5) Of course "1 stock each" portfolio is not rational because trading cost of 4+ years round trip is about 30% of investment.
(6) I'd cover this topic in another SA post.


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As of Summer 2013, Next Level is partnered with NIKE and US Sports Camps. Elevate your game at one of our sessions this summer!
Learn from some of the best Ultimate Frisbee players and coaches across the country this summer at our camp in Eugene! Click on the "Register" links on the right to be forwarded to our camp pages within US Sports Camps. All specific details surrounding each session can be found on their website! www.ussportscamps.com
What is Next Level Ultimate?
Next Level Ultimate, in partnership with NIKE and US Sports Camps, offers high school players the opportunity to partake in a 5-day overnight summer camp focused on improving at Ultimate Frisbee. Players local to our camp sessions also have the option to attend as day-commuters at a reduced admission price. Our overnight camps attract high school players on both a national and international level.
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Washington DC
Centerpieces Wedding Photography
Eric Ripert Floral Design Greenworks by Shane Still Life
Today's featured Little Black Book photographers, Amy & Srinu Regeti, are the most incredible talents! I got totally lost on their website while working on Mikel and David's wedding feature. Such vivid details, such incredible scope to each and every one of their images! Take a look at these still lifes they featured on their blog…
They were shooting a dinner party at the Ritz Carlton in DC given in honor of Chef Eric Ripert (Le Bernardin Cookbook: Four Star Simplicity).
On their blog, Amy said they had less than 15 minutes to "sweep through and grab all of the shots" they could.
These stunning florals are from Greenworks by Shane.
Wow! Just stunning! For more of Amy & Srinu's Regeti's extraordinary work, check out their fantastic website and blog!