text:
|Conservation status
|Scientific classification
| Animalia
| Chordata
| Mammalia
| Perissodactyla
| Equidae
| Equus
| Asinus
| E. africanus
| E. africanus asinus
|Trinomial name
| Equus africanus asinus
Linnaeus, 1758
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus,[1][2] is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E. africanus. In the western United States, a small donkey is sometimes called a ' (from the Spanish word for the animal).
A male donkey or ass is called a jack, a female a jenny, and offspring less than one year old, a foal (male: colt, female filly).
While different species of the Equidae family can interbreed, offspring are almost always sterile. Nonetheless, horse/donkey hybrids are popular for their durability and vigor. A mule is the offspring of a jack (male donkey) and a mare (female horse). The much rarer successful mating of a male horse and a female donkey produces a hinny.
Asses were first domesticated around 3000 BC,[3] approximately the same time as the horse, and have spread around the world. They continue to fill important roles in many places today and domesticated species are increasing in numbers, but the African wild ass and another relative, the Onager, are endangered. As "beasts of burden" and companions, asses and donkeys have worked together with humans for millennia.
Jennies are normally pregnant for about 12 months, though the gestation period varies from 11 to almost 14 months.[4] Jennies usually give birth to a single foal. Twins are very rare: only about 1.7 percent of donkey pregnancies result in twins, and both twins survive in only about 14 percent of cases.[citation needed]
Donkeys vary considerably in size, depending on breed and management. Most domestic donkeys range from 0.9 to over 1.4 m tall, though the Mammoth Jack breed is taller, and the Andalucian-Cordobesan breed of southern Spain can reach up to 1.6 m high.
Donkeys are adapted to marginal desert lands, and have many traits that are unique to the species as a result. Wild donkeys live separated from each other, unlike tight wild horse and feral horse herds. Donkeys have developed very loud vocalizations, which help keep in contact with other donkeys over the wide spaces of the desert. The best-known call is referred to a "bray," which can be heard for over three kilometers. Donkeys have larger ears than horses. Their longer ears may pick up more distant sounds,[citation needed] and may help cool the donkey's blood. Donkeys in the wild can defend themselves with a powerful kick of their hind legs as well as by biting and striking with their front feet.
Donkeys' tough digestive system is somewhat less prone to colic than that of horses, can break down near-inedible vegetation and extract moisture from food very efficiently. As a rule, donkeys need smaller amounts of feed than horses of comparable height and weight. Because they are easy keepers, if overfed, donkeys are also quite susceptible to developing a condition called laminitis.Braying is the characteristic sound made by an ass, donkey, and most mules. Donkeys use this sound to communicate and will bray more frequently when a new donkey is encountered. The sound typically lasts for twenty seconds.[5][6] The sound may be rendered onomatapoeically as "eeyore" and so this was used as the name of the donkey in Winnie-the-Pooh. Donkeys may be trained to bray or not to bray upon command. This may be used as a form of mockery.[7][8] Braying may be considered a simile for loud and foolish speech. For example,[9]
There are braying men in the world as well as braying asses; for what's loud and senseless talking and swearing, any other than braying
Donkeys have a life span of 30 to 50 years.[10]
Etymology of the name
Until recently the synonym ass was the more common term for Equus asinus (as in jackass, meaning "male donkey"). The first written use of donkey is as recent as 1785.[11] While the word ass has cognates in most other Indo-European languages, donkey is an etymologically obscure word for which no credible cognate has been identified. Hypotheses on its derivation include the following:
- Perhaps of imitative origin.[13]
The homonymity in the United States with a vulgar term ass for "buttocks" might have influenced its gradual replacement by donkey there, though this does not account for the parallel change in Britain and Australia.[citation needed]
Scientific name
Traditionally, the scientific name for the donkey is Equus asinus asinus based on the principle of priority used for scientific names of animals. However, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature has ruled in 2003 that if the domestic species and the wild species are considered subspecies of each other, the scientific name of the wild species has priority, even when that subspecies has been described after the domestic subspecies.[2] This means that the proper scientific name for the donkey is Equus africanus asinus when it is considered a subspecies, and Equus asinus when it is considered a species.
The ancestors of the modern donkey are the Nubian and Somalian subspecies of African wild ass.[14][15] The African Wild Ass was domesticated around 4000 BC. The donkey became an important pack animal for people living in the Egyptian and Nubian regions as they can easily carry 20% to 30% of their own body weight and can also be used as a farming and dairy animal. By 1800 BC, the ass had reached the Middle East, where the trading city of Damascus was referred to as the "City of Asses" in cuneiform texts. Syria produced at least three breeds of donkeys, including a saddle breed with a graceful, easy gait. These were favored by women.[citation needed]
For the Greeks, the donkey was associated with Dionysus, the god of wine. The Romans also valued the ass and would use it as a sacrificial animal[citation needed]
Equines had become extinct in the Western Hemisphere at the end of the last Ice Age. However, horses and donkeys were brought back to the Americas by the Conquistadors. In 1495,[citation needed]the ass first appeared in the New World when Christopher Columbus brought four jacks and two jennys. It is from this bloodline that many of the mules which the Conquistadors used while they explored the Americas were produced.[citation needed] Shortly after America became independent, President George Washington imported the first mammoth jack stock into the country. Because the existing Jack donkeys in the New World at the time lacked the size and strength he sought to produce quality work mules, he imported donkeys from Spain and France, some standing over 1.63 m tall. One of the donkeys Washington received from the Marquis de Lafayette, named "Knight of Malta", stood 1.43 m and thus was regarded as a great disappointment. Viewing this donkey as unfit for producing mules, Washington instead bred Knight of Malta to his jennys and, in doing so, created an American line of Mammoth Jacks (a breed name that includes both males and females).
Despite these early appearances of donkeys in America, the donkey did not find widespread distribution in America until it was found useful as a pack animal by miners, particularly the gold prospectors, of the mid-1800s. Miners preferred this animal due to its ability to carry tools, supplies, and ore. Their sociable disposition and adaptation to human companionship allowed many miners to lead their donkeys without ropes. They simply followed behind their owner. As mining became less an occupation of the individual prospector and more of an industrial underground operation, the miners' donkeys lost their jobs, and many were simply turned loose into the American deserts. Descendants of these donkeys, now feral, can still be seen roaming the Southwest today.
By the early 20th century, donkeys began to be used less as working animals and instead kept as pets in the United States and other wealthier nations, while remaining an important work animal in many poorer regions. The donkey as a pet is best portrayed by the appearance of the miniature donkey in 1929. Robert Green imported miniature donkeys to the United States and was a lifetime advocate of the breed. Mr. Green is perhaps best quoted when he said "Miniature Donkeys possess the affectionate nature of a Newfoundland, the resignation of a cow, the durability of a mule, the courage of a tiger, and the intellectual capability only slightly inferior to man's." Standing only 32-40 inches, many families recognized the potential of miniature donkeys as pets and companions for their children.[citation needed]
Although the donkey fell from public notice and became viewed as a comical, stubborn beast which was considered "cute" at best, the donkey has recently regained some popularity in North America as a mount, for pulling wagons, and even as a guard animal. Some standard species are ideal for guarding herds of sheep against predators, since most donkeys have a natural wariness toward coyotes and other canines and will keep them away from the herd.
Economic use
Donkeys have a notorious reputation for stubbornness, but this has been attributed to a much stronger sense of "self preservation" than exhibited by horses.[16] Likely based on a stronger prey instinct and a weaker connection with man, it is considerably more difficult to force or frighten a donkey into doing something it perceives to be dangerous for whatever reason.
Although formal studies of their behaviour and cognition are rather limited, donkeys appear to be quite intelligent, cautious, friendly, playful, and eager to learn. They are often pastured or stabled with horses and ponies, and are thought to have a calming effect on nervous horses. If a donkey is introduced to a mare and foal, the foal will often turn to the donkey for support after it has been weaned from its mother.[17]
Once a person has earned their confidence they can be willing and companionable partners and very dependable in work[citation needed]. For this reason, they are now commonly[citation needed] kept as pets in countries where their use as beasts of burden has disappeared. They are also popular[citation needed] for giving rides to children in holiday resorts or other leisure contexts.
Present status
There are about 44 million donkeys today. China has the most with 11 million, followed by Pakistan, Ethiopia and Mexico. Some researchers think the real number is higher since many donkeys go uncounted.[18]
The vast majority of donkeys are used for the same types of work that they have been doing for 6000 years. Their most common role is for transport, whether riding, pack transport, or pulling carts. They may also be used for farm tillage, threshing, raising water, milling, and other jobs. Other donkeys are used to sire mules, as companions for horses, to guard sheep, and as pets. A few are milked or raised for meat[18]
The number of donkeys in the world continues to grow, as it has steadily throughout most of history. Some factors that today are contributing to this are increasing human population, progress in economic development and social stability in some poorer nations, conversion of forests to farm and range land, rising prices of motor vehicles and gasoline, and the donkeys' popularity as pets.[18][19]
In prosperous countries, the welfare of donkeys both at home and abroad has recently become a concern and a number of sanctuaries for retired and rescued donkeys have been set up. The largest is the Donkey Sanctuary of England, which also supports donkey welfare projects in Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, and Mexico.[20]
Feral donkeys
Donkeys can become feral and cause problems, notably in environments that have been evolutionarily free of any form of equid, such as Hawaii.[21]
Donkeys in warfare
Donkeys have been used throughout history for transportation of supplies, pulling wagons, and, in a few cases, as riding animals. During World War I a British stretcher bearer, John Simpson Kirkpatrick, serving with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, used a donkey named Duffy to rescue wounded soldiers, carrying them to safety in Gallipoli. There is a statue of John Simpson Kirkpatrick and his donkey in his home town, South Shields.
According to British food writer Matthew Fort, donkeys were until recently used in the Italian Army. The Mountain Fusiliers each had a donkey to carry their gear and in extreme circumstances, the animal could be eaten.[22] In 2006, security forces in Afghanistan prevented a man with a donkey which he had laden with 30 kg (66lb) of explosives and a number of landmines, which would have been set off by a remote controlled detonator, from entering a town in Zabul Province.[23]
Types of donkeys
Domestic donkey breeds
An incomplete list of donkey breeds includes the:
- Abyssinian Donkey
- American Spotted Donkey
- Cypriot Donkey
- Mammoth Jack
- Miniature Mediterranean Donkey
- Baudet de Poitou: The Poitou Donkey breed was developed in France for the sole purpose of producing mules. It is a large donkey breed with a very long shaggy coat and no dorsal stripe.
- Spotted Ass
The Spanish brought donkeys, called "burros" in Spanish, to North America, where they were prized for their hardiness in arid country and became the beast of burden of choice by early prospectors in the Southwest United States. In the western United States the word "burro" is often used interchangeably with the word "donkey" by English speakers. Sometimes the distinction is made with smaller donkeys, descended from Mexican stock, called "burros", while those descended from stock imported directly from Europe are called "donkeys".
The wild burros (or more accurately, feral burros) on the western rangelands descend from animals that ran away, were abandoned, or were freed. Wild burros in the United States were protected by Pub.L. 92-195, the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 (see also Kleppe v. New Mexico). These animals, considered to be a living legacy, are periodically at risk when there are severe drought conditions. To reduce herd populations and preserve grazing land, the Bureau of Land Management conducts roundups of burro herds and holds public auctions.
Wild burros can make good pets when treated well and trained properly. They are clever and curious. When trust has been established, they appreciate, and even seek, attention and grooming.
Donkey hybrids
A male donkey (jack) can be crossed with a female horse to produce a mule. A male horse can be crossed with a female donkey (jennet or jenny) to produce a hinny. A female donkey in the UK is called a mare, or jenny.
Horse-donkey hybrids are almost always sterile because horses have 64 chromosomes whereas donkeys have 62, producing offspring with 63 chromosomes. Mules are much more common than hinnies. This is believed to be caused by two factors, the first being proven in cat hybrids, that when the chromosome count of the male is the higher, fertility rates drop (as in the case of stallion x jennet).[citation needed] The lower progesterone production of the jenny may also lead to early embryonic loss. In addition, there are reasons not directly related to reproductive biology. Due to different mating behavior, jacks are often more willing to cover mares than stallions are to breed jennys. Further, mares are usually larger than jennys and thus have more room for the ensuing foal to grow in the womb, resulting in a larger animal at birth. It is commonly believed that mules are more easily handled and also physically stronger than hinnies, making them more desirable for breeders to produce, and it is unquestioned that mules are more common in total number[citation needed].
The offspring of a zebra-donkey cross is called a zonkey, zebroid, zebrass, or zedonk;[24] zebra mule is an older term, but still used in some regions today. The foregoing terms generally refer to hybrids produced by breeding a male zebra to a female donkey. Zebra hinny, zebret and zebrinny all refer to the cross of a female zebra with a male donkey. Zebrinnies are rarer than zedonkies because female zebras in captivity are most valuable when used to produce full-blooded zebras.[25] There are not enough female zebras breeding in captivity to spare them for hybridizing; there is no such limitation on the number of female donkeys breeding.
Wild ass, onager, and kiang
With domestication of almost all donkeys few species now exist in the wild. Some of them are the African Wild Ass (Equus africanus) and its subspecies Somalian wild ass (Equus africanus somaliensis). Also the Asiatic wild ass or Onager, equus hemionus, and the kiang, equus kiang, of the Himalayan upland.
There was one other, now extinct species called the European Ass (Equus hydruntinus) which became extinct during the Neolithic. In the wild the asses can reach top speeds equalling zebras and even most horses.
Cultural references
The long history of human donkey use has created a rich store of cultural references.
Religion and myth
- Greek mythology includes the story of King Midas who judged against Apollo in favor of Pan during a musical contest, and had his ears changed to those of a donkey as punishment.
- In both Jewish and Christian traditions, the messiah (Jesus Christ in the later case) was often described as riding on a donkey. As noted, in the context of the Hebrew Bible this connoted wealth and affluence befitting the House of David, as at the time commoners are described as simply going on foot. However, in later times when the aristocracy used horses, depicting the messiah as riding a donkey came to have an opposite connotation, as indicating a simple, sober way of life and avoiding luxury. The same connotation is evident in the description of saints such as Francis of Assisi as riding donkeys.
- In contemporary Israel, the term "Messiah's Donkey" (Chamoro Shel Mashiach חמורו של משיח) stands at the center of a controversial religious-political doctrine, attributed to Rabbi Avraham Yitchak Hacohen Cook, under which it was the Heavenly-imposed "task" of secular Zionists to build up a Jewish State, but once the state is established they are fated to give place to the Religious who are ordained to lead the state. The secularists in this analogy are "The Donkey" while the religious who are fated to supplant them are a collective "Messiach". A book on the subject, published in 1998 by the militant secularist Sefi Rechlevsky, aroused a major controversy in the Israeli public opinion.[26]
- In Genesis the King of Shechem (the modern Nablus), killed by Jacob's sons, is called "Hamor" - showing that at the time this animal was held in high enough esteem that it was no disrespect for royalty to use its name as their first name. (See Dinah, Shechem, Animal names as first names in Hebrew).
- In Numbers 22:22-41 "The Lord opened the mouth of the donkey" (vs. 28) and it speaks to Balaam. In Judges 15:13-17 where the hero Samson slays Philistines with the jawbone of an ass. Additional references can be found in Deuteronomy 22:10, Job 11:12, Proverbs 26:3 and elsewhere.
- Muhammad, the prophet of Islam said that dogs and donkeys, if they pass in front of men in prayer, will void or nullify that prayer.[27] He also said that "when you hear the braying of donkeys, seek Refuge with Allah from Satan for (their braying indicates) that they have seen a devil."[28]
- Several were buried in Hor-Aha's tomb
- The ass was a symbol of the Greek god Dionysus, particularly in relationship to his companion, Silenus.
- The most common Greek word for ass appears roughly 100 times in the Biblical text. In the Gospels, Jesus rides a donkey into Jerusalem (Mark 11:1 in which colt refers to a donkey colt).
- There are numerous references to the donkey ("hamor" or "chamor" חמור) in the Hebrew Bible, (Old Testament). It mostly appears reflecting the natural environment of Israel and as an aspect of the agricultural economy. Ownership of many donkeys is a sign of God's blessing. The Bible often specifies whether a person rode donkeys, since this was used to indicate a person's wealth in much the same way luxury cars do today. (Horses at that time were used solely for war, powerful kings such as Solomon being the only ones who could afford to import them from Egypt.)
- Traditionally, Mary is portrayed as riding a donkey while pregnant. Legend has it that the cross on the donkey's shoulders comes from the shadow of Christ's crucifixion, placing the donkey at the foot of the cross. It was once believed that hair cut from this cross and hung from a child's neck in a bag would prevent fits and convulsions.
- In Hindu Mythology a donkey [in sanskrit ] gardbha is vahana [ vehicle] of God Kalaratr .
Fable and folklore
- European folklore claims that the tail of a donkey can be used to combat whooping cough or scorpion stings.
- In Panchatantra which is a collection of animal fables, where are two stories of donkey 1) The Lion and The Foolish Donkey and 2)The Singing Donkey
- In Hitopadesha there is a story of Donkey named The Donkey and the Dog
- One of Aesop's fables has an ass dressed in a lion skin who gives himself away by braying.
- La Fontaine's fable about the donkey of a miser who made the donkey work hard and eat less, coming to one day when thieves came and the donkey told his master to run for his life; however, the donkey didn't care about escaping, because one way or another he would continue working hard.
Any number of donkeys appear in world literary works.
- In The Golden Ass by Lucius Apuleius Platonicus, the narrator is turned into a donkey by mistake and spends most of the novel in that shape. (Also see below under "Insult and vulgarity".)
- In William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, the character Bottom has his head turned into that of a donkey by Puck who was told by Oberon, king of the fairies, to change it.
- Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes, is one of Robert Louis Stevenson's earliest published works and is considered a pioneering classic of outdoor literature
- In Don Quixote, Sancho Panza rides a donkey he refers to as "my rucio" or "the rucio", an elegant (and ironic) designation of the texture of the animal's fur.[29]
- Eeyore, the gloomy donkey from A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh books.
- In Pinocchio, naughty boys turn into donkeys and are sold off to hard labour by the evil Coachman. In the book, Pinocchio turns into a donkey for a time.
- Platero in Juan Ramon Jimenez's Platero and I
- Benjamin, the skeptical donkey from George Orwell's Animal Farm.
- Puzzle in C. S. Lewis's The Last Battle.
- The Disney film Fantasia (1940) features a Dionysian character on a donkey.
- A donkey is the central character of the film Au hasard Balthazar by Robert Bresson.
- Donkey is the name of a fictional donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy) in the animated movies Shrek, Shrek 2 and Shrek the Third, all from DreamWorks Pictures.
Proverb and idiom
- A German proverb claims a donkey can wear a lion suit but its ear will still stick out and give it away.
- British colloquial expressions include "donkey's years", a long time or many years, probably a pun on "donkey's ears", while "to talk the hind leg off a donkey" means to tire somebody with one's talk.
- Speed bumps are called in the Rioplatense Spanish of Argentina "lomos de burro", that is, "donkey's backs."
- Classical Greek expressions about donkeys included: onos pros eortēn = "a donkey at the festival" (gets all the work); onos hyetai = "a donkey is rained on" (i.e. he is unaffected or insensitive), onos pros phatnēn = "a donkey at a feed trough" (like the English expression "in clover").
- English proverbs include "better be the head of an ass than the tail of a horse", "if an ass goes a-traveling, he'll not come back a horse", and "better ride on an ass that carries me home than a horse that throws me" (though all these are now obsolete).
- Budweiser used a donkey in advertising during Super Bowl in 2004, called the Budweiser donkey he trains to join the Budweiser Clydesdales, complete with hair extensions.
- The Jack and Jenny is a pub name seen in Britain.
Insult and vulgarity
- In Arabic, حمار (ḥimār), meaning "donkey", is a derogatory term that refers to someone of very limited intelligence. Another usage is حمار شغل (ḥimār shuġl, literally "work donkey"), roughly equivalent in meaning to workaholic but with a distinct derogatory note and typically implying that the work is routine and non-creative; for example, someone might say, "Give that job to Ali, he's a work donkey anyway and he won't mind." A similar expression in English, "donkey work", refers to heavy, repetitive tasks.
- In modern Greek usage, the neuter form of the term "donkey" (γαϊδούρι, gaidouri) is used to denote extreme rudeness or bad manners.
- In many variants of the Portuguese language, the words "burro" and "asno" (both meaning "donkey") are used to describe someone dumb or thick (especially someone with difficulties at learning).
- In modern U.S. slang, referring to someone as a dumbass means that they are unintelligent. Many people would find this term vulgar. In contrast, to refer to someone as a jackass in modern slang provides a connotation of being obnoxious, rude, and thoughtless, with or without the added connotation of stupidity. This usage is also considered vulgar by some Americans.
- In football, especially in the United Kingdom, a player who is considered unskilful, and to rely overly on his physical attributes to cover up his technical shortcomings, is often dubbed a "donkey."
- The term "donkey" in British English is used in horse racing to refer to unsuccessful horses.
- The donkey has long been a symbol of ignorance. Examples can be found in Aesop's Fables, Apuleius's The Golden Ass (The Metamorphoses of Lucius Apuleius) and Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
- The term "donkey" is frequently used to refer to unskilled poker players, especially those playing in a predictably loose and unthinking fashion. Compare "patzer" in chess.
- The unmodified word ass and the adjectival form asinine have entered common use in the English language as terms used to describe a person who is stubborn, foolish, or disagreeable.
- In an election under a preferential voting system, a vote that simply writes down preferences in the order of the candidates (1 at the top, then 2, and so on) is called a donkey vote.
- The "ruc català" or "burro català" (Catalan donkey) is a relatively recent symbol of Catalonia. It was chosen when the need was felt in Catalonia to produce something genuinely Catalan to oppose to the Spanish Osborne bull. The bull was perceived by Catalans as a centralistic symbol of Castile, alien to their culture.[30]
- The donkey is also the symbol for the Democratic Party of the United States, originating in a cartoon by Thomas Nast of Harper's Weekly (Nast also originated the elephant as the symbol of the Republican Party (United States).
See also
- Exploding donkey
- Jennet, a type of medieval horse)
- Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land
- ↑ Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder, ed (2005). "Equus asinus". Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?s=y&id=14100004.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (2003). "Usage of 17 specific names based on wild species which are pre-dated by or contemporary with those based on domestic animals (Lepidoptera, Osteichthyes, Mammalia): conserved. Opinion 2027 (Case 3010).". Bull.Zool.Nomencl. 60 (1): 81–84. http://www.iczn.org/BZNMar2003opinions.htm#opinion2027.
- ↑ Rossel S, Marshall F et al. "Domestication of the donkey: Timing, processes, and indicators." PNAS 105(10):3715-3720. March 11, 2008. Abstract
- ↑ ""The Donkey; Gestation and Care of Jennet During Gestation"". Agriculture and Rural Development. Government of Alerta. November 1990. http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex598#Gestation. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
- ↑ EA Canacoo, FK Avornyo (1998), "Daytime activities of donkeys at range in the coastal savanna of Ghana", Applied Animal Behaviour Science
- ↑ G Whitehead, J French, P Ikin (1991), "Welfare and veterinary care of donkeys", In Practice (British Veterinary Association)
- ↑ To Prevent a Donkey's Braying, The Daily Telegraph, May 30, 1895
- ↑ This mule brays to order, The New York Times, January 1, 1903
- ↑ Tryon Edwards, A Dictionary of Thoughts, p. 560, http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=NvvxD5Qx2HoC&pg=PA560
- ↑ http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex598
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Grose Dict. Vulg. Tongue, "Donkey or Donkey Dick, a he or Jack-ass", Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition, 1989 (OED Online, subscription, accessed May 8, 2008)
- ↑ Merriam-Webster Unabridged (MWU). (Online subscription-based reference service of Merriam-Webster, based on Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002.) Headword donkey. Accessed 2007-09-13.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Houghton Mifflin (2000). The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (4th ed.). Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin. pp. 535. ISBN 978-0-395-82517-4. http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/epub/ahd4.shtml.
- ↑ J. Clutton-Brook, J. A Natural History of Domesticated Mammals 1999.
- ↑ Albano Beja-Pereira, "African Origins of the Domestic Donkey," in Science, 2004
- ↑ ABC.net.au
- ↑ Donkeys
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Starkey, P. and M. Starkey. 1997. Regional and World trends in Donkey Populations. Animal Traction Network for Eastern and Southern Africa (ATNESA)
- ↑ Blench, R. 2000. The History and Spread of Donkeys in Africa. Animal Traction Network for Eastern and Southern Africa (ATNESA)
- ↑ The Donkey Sanctuary (DS). 2006. Website. (accessed December 2, 2006).
- ↑ "Conflict grows between residents, donkeys." Lucas, Carolyn. Nov. 7, 2009. Hawaii Tribune Herald (online; accessed November 9, 2009).
- ↑ Fort, Matthew (2005-06-20). Eating Up Italy: Voyages on a Vespa. HarperPerennial. ISBN 0007214812.
- ↑ "Afghan Police Stop Bombing Attack From Explosives-laden Donkey". Fox News. 2006-06-08. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,198637,00.html. Retrieved 2007-11-04.
- ↑ American Donkey and Mule Society: Zebra Hybrids
- ↑ All About Zebra Hybrids
- ↑ Hofesh.org
- ↑ Al-Nawawi, Sahih Muslim, 3-4:450-1; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 5:194, 197, 202, 208; Abu Bakr Ibn al-'Arabi, 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi bi Sharh Sahih al-Tirmidhi (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyya, n.d.), 1:133. All reported in El-Fadl.
- ↑ Sahih al-Bukhari, Template:Three digit.sbt.html#Template:Three digit.Template:Three digit.Template:Three digit 4:54:522
- ↑ The word "rucio" (in Spanish).
- ↑ Ruc català - (Catalan donkey)
- Blench, R. 2000. The History and Spread of Donkeys in Africa. Animal Traction Network for Eastern and Southern Africa (ATNESA)
- Clutton-Brook, J. 1999. A Natural History of Domesticated Mammals. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521634954
- The Donkey Sanctuary (DS). 2006. Website. Thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk (accessed December 2, 2006).
- Huffman, B. 2006. The Ultimate Ungulate Page: Equus asinus. (accessed December 2, 2006).
- International Museum of the Horse (IMH). 1998. Donkey. (accessed December 3, 2006).
- Nowak, R. M., and J. L. Paradiso. 1983. Walker's Mammals of the World. Baltimore, Maryland, USA : The Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0801825253
- Oklahoma State University (OSU). 2006. Breeds of Livestock. (accessed December 3, 2006).
- Starkey, P. and M. Starkey. 1997. Regional and World trends in Donkey Populations. Animal Traction Network for Eastern and Southern Africa (ATNESA) 220.127.116.11
External links
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WinterWolf Studios Photographer
Brandi ClairePhotographer Female Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
My Website: Brandi Claire PhotographyMy MM URL: http://www.modelmayhem.com/brandiclairephotography
Mayhem # 2910380
About MeHello. My name is Brandi, and I am looking for models for my photoshoots. I am currently building a portfolio. I am an artist by nature and photography became one of my favorite mediums to work with.
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President Obama is trying to rally the Democratic base five weeks before pivotal congressional elections, focusing largely on his most enthusiastic backers from two years ago: Young people.
"I need you fired up," Obama told about 17,000 students last night at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. "We need you to stay fired up because there is an election on November 2nd that's going to say a lot about the future -- your future and the future of our country."
In a speech broadcast to some 200 other campuses, Obama reminded the students that few pundits thought they would vote in the numbers they did two years ago -- and Republicans are counting on a reduced youth vote this year.
"They're counting on you staying home," Obama said. "They're counting on your silence. They're counting on amnesia. They're betting on your apathy, especially because a lot of you are young folks."
As a result, the Republicans are positioned to regain the U.S. House and perhaps the Senate:
OBAMA: So now the pundits are saying that the base of the Republican Party is mobilized. The prediction among the pundits is this is going to be a bloodletting for Democrats. That's what they're saying in Washington.
AUDIENCE: Boo!
OBAMA: And what they're saying is -- and the basis of their prediction is that all of you who worked so hard in 2008 aren't going to be as energized, aren't going to be as engaged. They say there is an enthusiasm gap and that the same Republicans and the same policies that left our economy in a shambles and the middle class struggling might ride right back into power.
AUDIENCE: No!
OBAMA: Now, that's what they're saying. I'm not making this up. You guys read the papers. You guys are watching the television. They're basically saying that you're apathetic, you're disappointed, you're "oh, well, we're not sure that we're going to turn out."
Wisconsin, we can't let that happen. We cannot sit this one out. We can't let this country fall backwards because the rest of us didn't care enough to fight.
(Posted by David Jackson)
David's journalism career spans three decades, including coverage of five presidential elections, the Oklahoma City bombing, the 2000 Florida presidential recount and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He has covered the White House for USA TODAY since 2005. His interests include history, politics, books, movies and college football -- not necessarily in that order. More about David
Follow the Oval on Twitter: @The Oval, @djusatoday.
Also contributing to the Oval: Richard Wolf @richardjwolf; Aamer Madhani @AamerISmad


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Upcoming EdCamps
April 29, 2017: SlEdCamp hosted by @StateLineICE at Winnebago High School - For more info, visit http://bit.ly/1KujmYx
September 16, 2017: EdCamp NorthShore 17 hosted by Kipling Elementary, Deerfield - For more info, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/edcamp-northshore-17-tickets-33493684512?af...
Previous EdCamps
April 30, 2016: EdCamp DuPage @EdCampdupage hosted by @ Wheaton North H.S. - For more info https://sites.google.com/site/edcampdupage/
September 17, 2016: EdCamp Illinois @edcampillinois hosted by Palatine H.S. in Palatine - For more info http://www.edcampillinois.com/


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Reglar Wiglar
Picking the easy targets since 1993
Interview by CHRIS AUMAN
Indy comics maven and distro champion, John Porcellino has been publishing comics for, oh I'd say about thirty years or so. With his long-running, autobiographical King-Cat Comics currently on its seventy-second issue, Porcellino shows no sign of slowing down any time soon. The Reglar Wiglar caught up with Spit & a Half proprietor between zine & comics fest jaunts and asked him a few questions.
I was reading the "Comic Confidential" post on your blog and the parallels to my own discovery of things like MAD Magazine, Cerebus and Dragon Magazine are eerily similar. It's a generational thing obviously, but these were things that, back then, you had to discover piecemeal. With the internet do you think that kind of discovery still exists? Back in the olden days, if you discovered a band that had released a ton of records or an artist who'd published a ton of comics, it might take you years to track them all down and now, not so much...
What do you think the kids are geeking over now, is it just video games? Is there hope for the future?
You were introduced to MAD Magazine by a nun of all people! Do you think she was secretly cool or just naive?
Judging from your blog, seems like you're doing a lot of traveling. Are you trying to hit up every small press expo and comic fest in the country?
Is that self-supporting—is your distro, (Spit and a Half) able to foot the bill for these excursions?
Seems like you have a fascination for dying cities, judging from your love of the old Denver and your pictures of Cairo in Southern Illinois. True?
While we're on the subject, Does blogging help?
The first issue of King-Cat was published in 1989, do you think you'll publish KC indefinitely or is there a goal you want to reach, 100 issues or 25 years, or something?
What's the process behind King-Cat, do you keep a journal and draw the comics at a later date?
King-Cat is autobiographical, ever publish something you wish you hadn't?
I think I'm out of the loop, how did you end up in Gainesville, FLA (King Cat #71)?
But you're in South Beloit, IL now, correct? How did that all transpire?
There is a documentary in the works about you, can you talk about that or is there any news on that front?
How did The Next Day come about, did someone approach you to illustrate it?
Seems like many comics artists are also musicians. Who or what are the Felt Pilotes?
I've been playing in bands since I was a teenager. The Felt Pilotes were the band I began in 1991 or so, my last band. At some point my ears went bad and live, loud rock music was no longer an option for me. It was at that point I really began to focus more directly on my comics.
Any other musical collaborations in the works?
Any other non-musical projects in the works?
|© 1993-2017 Reglar Wiglar Magazine


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ESPN.com presents another edition of MMA Live for November 13.
This week the crew talks about UFC 91 including Randy Couture, Brock Lesnar, as well as speaking to UFC president Dana White leading into the big weekend.
Before Demetrious Johnson and Chris Cariaso square off in Saturday's UFC 178 main event, check out Johnson's second, and more definitive, victory over Joseph Benavidez.
Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone is about to step into the
Tito Ortiz has been involved in numerous feuds during
What does UFC champion Ronda Rousey have to do
Comments are closed.
Click an image below for Ring Girl Gallery


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Chelsea are ready to match Diego Costa's £32m release clause to lure the striker to Stamford Bridge from Atletico Madrid over the summer, according to reports from The Express.
The Brazilian-born forward has announced himself as one of Europe's leading marksmen this term with a whopping 19 La Liga goals in as many appearances.
His excellent form has alerted a number of the continent's elite sides, with both Manchester United and Arsenal rumoured to be paying close interest.
However, Jose Mourinho is ready to beat the Blues' domestic rivals with a release clause-triggering offer.
It is thought that the buyout figure of £32m will only become active at the end of the season, which has deterred the London club from mounting a serious swoop for his signature this month.
'The Special One' also has a trump card up his sleeve, with he and Costa both being represented by agent Jorge Mendes, which could smooth negotiations.
The 25-year-old is fully committed to Atletico for the remainder of the season, with winning a spot in the Spanish – to whom he has pledged his international future – squad for the World Cup.
[cat_link cat="chelsea" type="grid"]


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The Best of York are pleased to present The Design House , based in Fulford, York - an interior design company offering a unique and personal design experience for discerning private and commercial customers alike.
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A large body of their interior design work comes through the recommendations made by satisfied clients, who have been pleased with The Design House's personal yet professional work ethic whatever the budget. So, whether you are looking to create a new ambience in your current home, your next home or commercial space, The Design House will help your interior renovation down to the smallest detail to suit your needs completely.
Please call Tracie Jarvis at the The Design House on 01904 628202 or 07905 617961 to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation. She will be more than happy to cater for your individual interior design needs. The Best of York can vouch for the incredible range of quality fabrics and accessories on display at The Design House.
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Tracie JarvisThe Design House88 Main StreetFulfordYorkYO10 4PS
When contacting the Design House, please mention The Best of York.


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LspCleaner is a small application to clear viruses from your AutoCAD lisp files. To start the clearing process, just press "Auto Scan" button. Application will scan all the Autocad related folders and it will remove virus data from the lisp files. If you want to scan a specific folder use "Scan Folder" option.
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"X:PathtoProgramlspcleaner.exe" /auto /nobackup
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/nobackupThis argument disables automatically generated backup files with ".bak" extension.
Please disable your anti-virus software before running cleaner. Otherwise your software may think lspcleaner is a virus, because it reaches files with the virus.


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Product Details
Final Finish by Dr. Beasley's®. This unique spray gloss designed to instantly remove surface dust, smudges, and fingerprints from your vehicle's paint. With an easy, quick application, it's ideal for freshening up the paintwork in between waxing or polishing. It can also be used on interior surfaces, making it the ultimate detail spray on the market today!
- Effectively removes smudges, streaks, and fingerprints from your car's paint
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- Can also be used on interior surfaces such as vinyl seats, dashes, or wood trim
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The Final Finish by Dr. Beasley's is the perfect touch-up tool for in-between washes and waxes to keep your car looking great. Simply spray and dry to reveal a coat of protection that rids surfaces of dust, smudges, fingerprints, and streaks. Great for showroom vehicles and safe for all finishes, it will not harm, haze, or streak the car's surfaces. It can also be used on glass, chrome, aluminum, rubber and woodwork to yield brilliant shines all around your car. This truly is the ultimate in finishing technology, making the Final Finish the best detail spray on the market today.
While offering premium quality detailing goods on the market, Dr. Beasley's is also constantly striving to educate the car care world with decades of expertise, engagement, and experience. There is no other detail product manufacturer that has more relevant experience than Dr. Beasley's does. The primary goal of the company is to provide their numerous clients with highly reliable handcrafted car care products that will make their vehicle feeling and looking like the day it was bought. Bright luster of body parts, fresh air inside the cabin, clean and polished to a mirror-like shine surfaces are the personal assistants of the doctor with a melodious name – Dr. Beasley's.


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Latest Weather Blog
Stench draws visitors
COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA- A foul stench that smells like rotting dead bodies and blue cheese is drawing visitors in droves to Orange Coast College.
The smell is from a huge and rare Indonesian flower that's blooming this weekend. It's known as the corpse flower.
The putrid smell, likened to rotting flesh, is its trademark and the greenhouse where its blooming is open to the public for those that want to experience the scent.
The flower doesn't use bees to spread its pollen, instead it uses flies.
It produces two chemicals the flies find appealing.


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|Story Views
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Silver ChartThose that view the message of the market on daily basis are likely confused by trading noise. While trading noise contributes to the long-term trends, it does not define them. Human behavior tries to explain trading noise as a meaningful trend. This confuses the majority which, in turn, contributes to their role as bagholders of trend transitions. Silver's overall trend, revealed…
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Trump lays the groundwork for larger Syria war
Clinton Insider Divulges Intel Only a Few Are Allowed to Know — Muller, Rice, Podesta and the Whole Crew
Project Veritas 6-28-17… "CNN Part 2: Van Jones, 'Russia is "Nothing Burger"'"
X22Report Fed Just Announced the Final Confirmation That the Economy Is About to Crash - Episode 1318a
Breaking: China Attacks India - Strong Implications for WW III
Obama Is Coming Back for the Red Wedding (Videos)
Paul Craig Roberts Deep State and Trump (Video)
Life Expectancies Decrease by 25%- Gulf Coast Has a Dead Zone the Size of New Jersey
Trump Taken Over! Mideast Co-Conspirators Advance Greater Israel Project!
Dynamite! Van Jones Blows the Lid Off Phoney Russia Investigation! See Before Video Gets Banned
Review: Deep Web
Trump lays the groundwork for larger Syria war
'Mystery Smell' Baffles British County (Video)
CNN HIts News Low By Using Sesame Street's Elmo To Attack President Trump's Travel Ban
European Parliament Members Express Concern over Human Rights in Iran and Support for Democratic Opposition
Britain Backs US to Launch Strike on Syria and Fears of Another Assassination
Former Atheist Mark Zuckerberg Wants Facebook To Become More Like A 'Church' To Bring World 'Closer Together'
North Carolina Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Attempting to Commit an Act of Terrorism Transcending National Boundaries
Ransomware Attack on Shipping Ports in Asia, Europe and North America
Proddatur News
Will Elon Musk's Tunnel Project Uncover The Reptoid Caves Under LA?
Lauren Southern: Activist or Journalist? _Tim Pool
Roswell: 70th Anniversary and Alleged New Witness (Video)
Stadium Boondoggles Spread to the Minor Leagues
The Ranger
Johnny Depp's Disrespect for White House Runs Deep (Video)
X22Report World Is Being Distracted On Purpose, Here's Why - Episode 1318b - YouTube
Alex Jones - HD Commercial Free - Wed (6-28-17) Doug Hagmann, James Wesley Rawles, Roger Stone
Arkansas Temporarily Bans the Sale and Use of Dicamba Herbicide
Can You Believe This! Womans Dead Body in Walmart Bathroom Found Three Days Later! (Video)


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Cobedding and Recovery Time After Heel Lance in Preterm Twins: Results of a Randomized Trial
OBJECTIVES: Cobedding of preterm twin infants provides tactile, olfactory, and auditory stimulation and may affect pain reactivity. We carried out a randomized trial to assess the effect of cobedding on pain reactivity and recovery in preterm twin neonates.
METHODS: Stable preterm twins (n = 67 sets) between 28 and 36 weeks of gestational age were randomly assigned to a cobedding group (cared for in the same incubator or crib) or a standard care group (cared for in separate incubators or cribs). Pain response (determined by the Premature Infant Pain Profile [PIPP]) and time to return to physiologic baseline parameters were compared between groups with adjustment for the nonindependence of twin infants.
RESULTS: Maternal and infant characteristics were not significantly different between twin infants in the cobedding and standard care groups except for 5-minute Apgar <7 and postnatal age and corrected gestational age on the day of the heel lance. Mean PIPP scores were not different between groups at 30, 60, or 120 seconds. At 90 seconds, mean PIPP scores were higher in the cobedding group (6.0 vs 5.0, P = .04). Recovery time was shorter in the cobedding group compared with the standard care group, (mean = 75.6 seconds versus 142.1 seconds, P = .001). No significant adverse events were associated with cobedding. Adjustment for nonindependence between twins and differences in baseline characteristics did not change the results.
CONCLUSIONS: Cobedding enhanced the physiologic recovery of preterm twins undergoing heel lance, but did not lead to lower pain scores.
- generalized estimating equation
- Premature Infant Pain Profile
What's Known on This Subject:
Skin-to-skin contact with mothers and fathers has been associated with lower pain reactivity and enhanced physiologic recovery after heel lance. The effect of skin-to-skin contact between preterm twins during cobedding on pain response has yet to be studied.
What This Study Adds:
We demonstrate that cobedding significantly diminished time to recovery in preterm twins after heel lance but did not lower pain reactivity.
Twins, most of whom are born preterm, often require admission to a NICU for ongoing medical care. Preterm twins are exposed to numerous repeated painful procedures as part of their essential medical care, with as many as half of these procedures going untreated.1,2 The adverse effects associated with these procedures are both immediate and potentially long-term, affecting future sensation and behavior.3–6 At birth, preterm twins are typically separated as individual health needs are met.
Cobedding, a developmental care practice, involves caring for twins and higher order multiples in one incubator versus separating and caring for each infant in a separate incubator.7,8 Twins are generally diaper clad and swaddled together within a similar boundary, thus creating the opportunity for skin-to-skin contact and touch between them.9 Cobedding allows twins to remain in close proximity and have skin-to-skin contact with each other, thus creating opportunity for familiar recognition of auditory and olfactory stimuli and for a continuation of the twin relationship that began in utero. Findings from studies examining the effect of skin-to-skin contact on preterm and term infants with their mothers during heel lance and intramuscular injection have consistently reported less pain response and enhanced physiologic stability.10 No study has been conducted examining the effect of cobedding on twin comfort during painful procedures in the NICU.
Given that the practice of cobedding simulates numerous aspects of environmental and maternal context (proximity, tactile, olfactory, auditory, and memory) that have been shown to provide comfort to newborns,8,9,11–19 it was reasonable to propose that contact with or the presence of a twin who has shared the same uterine space since conception would have a similar comforting effect. Therefore, we conducted a randomized controlled intervention trial to determine the efficacy of cobedding preterm twins during a tissue breaking procedure (heel lance) in the NICU.
Study Setting and Population
A detailed description of the study procedure has been published previously.20 In brief, this trial was conducted after receipt of institutional ethics approval at 3 tertiary-level university affiliated NICUs in eastern Canada. Twins were considered eligible for recruitment if they were heavier than 1000 g, without major anomalies, requiring at least 1 medically indicated heel lance for blood procurement, and considered medically stable (without infection, indwelling chest tubes or umbilical catheters, or need for mechanical ventilation). Twins were not considered eligible if only 1 twin required overhead phototherapy at time of the heel lance.
Study Outcomes
The primary outcome was pain response measured by the Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP), a reliable and well-validated composite measure developed specifically for procedural pain in preterm neonates.21,22 Secondary outcomes included the physiologic recovery in response to heel lance determined by the length of time for heart rate and oxygen saturation to return to normal (baseline). Other outcomes of interest included frequency of the need for additional 24% sucrose administration and adverse outcomes, such as episodes of apnea, bradycardia, infection, and caregiver error.
Study Design and Intervention
After parental consent, eligible twins stratified by gestational age (≤ and >32 weeks) and site were randomized, using randomly permuted blocks of 2, 4, or 6, via a computerized off-site Web site accessed by the principal investigator (M.C-Y.) or research nurse.
Cobedding Care
Twins randomized to the cobedding group were placed diaper clad together in a Giraffe incubator close to each other (lying face-to-face, back-to-back, or in spooning positions), permitting them to touch each other. Larger infants were partially clothed in an open crib but still able to freely touch each other and remain nested together. All infants had cardiorespiratory monitoring while cobedding. One side of the incubator/crib was for twin "a," the other side for twin "b," and infants and their equipment were color coded. All infants were cobedded for no less than 24 hours before heel lance to allow for stabilization after transfer.
Standard Care
Twins who were randomized to receive standard care remained in a separate incubator as per NICU policy. Infants underwent a medically indicated heel lance in the incubator or crib just as twins in the cobedding group.
Physiologic data on heart rate was collected by using a Somte (McArthur Medical, Rockton, Ontario) data acquisition system with a sampling rate of 100 Hz averaged on a beat-to-beat basis. Transcutaneous oxygen saturation was collected via infrared oximeter (Massimo Radical, Irvine, CA) placed on a hand or the unaffected foot of the infant and connected to the data acquisition system. Close-up video recordings that focused solely on 1 twin's face were made by using a Sony (Toronto, Ontario) digital camera. Simultaneous monitoring and videotape recording obtained from the twin undergoing the heel lance and his or her cotwin not receiving but observing the heel lance lasted ∼15 to 25 minutes and encompassed 4 phases: baseline (1–2 minutes), warming (3–5 minutes), heel lance (2–6 minutes), and recovery (up to 11 minutes). Facial pain responses were coded second-to-second on a stop frame system in 30-second epochs as indicated using unmarked colored markers. Coders were not aware of the purpose of the markers or study objective. Coders were trained on pain responses with infant face images obtained from similar studies; interrater reliability after training was estimated to be more than 85%. One coder coded the infants in cobedding care and another coder coded infants assigned to standard care. During the study period, intrarater reliability of coders, checked every 3 months, remained over 90%. At the end of the coding period, the coder who had coded infants in the standard care group, with over 90% agreement, recoded 6 videos from the cobedding group.
The instant of the heel lance indicated the invasive part of the procedure and data were analyzed in 30-second epochs until the application of the bandage to the heel, which indicated the end of the procedure. The point at which the baseline heart rate and oxygen saturations were reached after the heel lance indicated recovery. The research nurse indicated phases with an unmarked colored card held briefly in front of the camera and confirmed with manually recorded phase times. The neurobehavioral state component of the PIPP was determined according to Prechtl's categories of quiet sleep, quiet awake, active sleep, or active awake at baseline.23,24 The study heel lance occurred within 10 days after randomization. If both twins underwent a heel lance on the same day, the lance occurred no less than 20 minutes apart between the twins. Order of heel lance was randomly assigned if they occurred on the same day with no order effect found effecting reported pain scores. Gestational age information, based on ultrasound estimation at 16 to 18 weeks, was obtained from the medical chart. Demographic characteristics and number of previous painful procedures were also collected by using chart review. Previous painful procedures included all procedures from birth until completion of heel lance. In compliance with current NICU best evidence and practice recommendations25 and per protocol approved by the institutional ethics board, all twins in each of the participating NICUs, regardless of group assignment, received 1 dose of 24% sucrose 2 minutes before the heel lance and were also offered a pacifier. Additional (rescue) doses of 24% sucrose were offered as deemed necessary by the nurse caring for the twins as per usual care practices.
Designated NICU nurses who had performed heel-lance procedures in previous studies in the NICU in a standardized manner, according to the institutional and NICU policies, performed the heel lance. All data were collected after randomization and data collection continued until completion of the study heel lance. Intervention fidelity was monitored and recorded daily to ensure that adherence to the study protocol was maintained. Infants assigned to the cobedding group were allowed to continue cobedding until 48 hours before discharge, at which time monitors were disconnected and the twins were separated. NICU staff and parents were informed that cobedding of twins in the NICU was for the purposes of research only.
Sample Size
Given that 24% sucrose has a known pain-relieving effect, the intervention of cobedding was considered an additional comfort measure. Based on a priori data,26,27 sample size was calculated by using a 2-sided α error of 0.05 and a power of 80%. The study was designed to detect a between group mean difference of 1 point or greater (SD 2.0) in the PIPP score; 128 participants, 64 assigned to the cobedding group and 64 to the standard group were required to identify this difference in the PIPP score (http://stat.ubc.ca/∼rollin/stats/ssize/n2.html). Twins were randomized as a pair (total 64 sets) but each twin was considered a participant. This sample size also provided >95% power to detect a >15-second mean difference in physiologic recovery (heart rate and oxygen saturation) between groups.
Statistical Analysis
All analyses used an intention-to-treat approach. Data were analyzed by the principal investigator (M.C.-Y.) using SPSS 17 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL). Blinding of each facial coder's group assignment was retained until the analysis was completed. Categorical data were analyzed by using χ2 tests. Primary and secondary outcomes were analyzed by comparing the means between the cobedding and standard care groups. The mean difference in PIPP scores was contrasted between groups using 95% confidence intervals and a P value from a Student's t-test. Also, because twin pairs were randomized together (ie, to cobedding or standard care), yet each was considered a participant, the analysis was corrected for potential nonindependence of outcomes between twin pairs with generalized estimating equation (GEE) procedures using SAS software (Proc Genmod, SAS 9.1, SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC)28 and differences in baseline characteristics were adjusted by using regression techniques. All data were analyzed in a research laboratory off-site from the NICU. Physiologic data were analyzed by using Compumedics E-series Profusion PSG II software (Northern Optotronics Inc., Cambridge Ontario).
Study Groups
Of the 178 sets of twins that were screened during the study period (November 2008 and March 2011), 91 sets were eligible for the study and 67 sets provided informed consent and were recruited (Fig 1). Of these, 36 sets (72 infants) were randomly assigned to receive cobedding and 31 (62 infants) to receive standard care. A major reason for not being eligible arose because some twins did not stay long enough in the NICU and were transferred elsewhere before eligibility. The refusal rate was 26%. Primary reasons for refusal were that the mothers felt too overwhelmed or that the parents were not interested in participating in any research.
Most maternal and infant characteristics were not significantly different between the cobedding and standard care groups at randomization (Table 1), except 5-minute Apgar <7, postnatal age, and corrected gestational age on the day of the heel lance were different, with the difference being nominally significant (P = .06 and .05, respectively).
PIPP Scores
In both the cobedding and standard care groups, peak mean PIPP scores were highest in the first minute after the heel stick and decreased over time. The mean PIPP scores were similar in both groups at 30 seconds, 7.1 (SD 2.8) in the cobedding group (n = 67) and 7.2 (SD 3.4) in the standard care group (n = 57), P = .91. PIPP scores were not significantly different at 60 or 120 seconds. There was, however, a significant 1 point higher mean score in the cobedding group, 6.0 (SD 3.0) compared with the standard care group, 5.0 (SD 1.8), P = .04 (95% confidence interval –1.99 to –0.02] at 90 seconds post lance (Fig 2). The remaining PIPP scores were not significantly different between the 2 groups.
GEE adjustment for potential nonindependence between twins and regression adjustment for corrected gestational age <32 weeks and postnatal age at heel lance, did not alter the findings and resulted in a P value of .03 for the difference in mean PIPP score at 90 seconds post heel lance.
Time to Recovery
Recovery time, defined as the period of time measured in seconds that elapsed after the application of the adhesive bandage (signifying the end of blood sampling) until the heart rate and oxygen saturations returned to an average baseline condition for a minimum of 5 to 7 beats, was over a minute shorter, mean = 75.6 seconds (SD, 70.0), in the cobedding condition compared with standard care, mean = 142.1 seconds (SD 138.1), P = .001 (Fig 3). Adjustment using GEEs for potential nonindependence among twins and adjustment for corrected gestational age <32 weeks at heel lance did not change these findings and resulted in a P value of .005, indicating faster recovery after heel lance in the cobedding compared with the standard care group.
Additional 24% Sucrose Dosing and Adverse Events
No group differences were found for frequency of additional 24% sucrose dosing or for the occurrence of adverse effects with respect to incidence of infection, temperature instability, apnea, bradycardia (heart rate <100 beats per minute), oxygen desaturation (<85%), and caregiver error. Most twins received only the initial dose of 24% sucrose 2 minutes before the heel lance (85.3% in the cobedding group and 83.6% in the standard care group). Ten infants in each group (14.7% of the cobedding group and 16.4% of the standard care group) received up to 3 additional sucrose doses. Six episodes of bradycardia and oxygen desaturation were recorded during our study (3 twins in each group) and these occurred immediately after sucrose administration, an occurrence rate of 4.4% in the cobedding group and 4.9% in the standard care group. The twins required minimal medical intervention, recovered quickly, had no sustained adverse effects, and all infants underwent heel lance. Four of the cobedding twins were separated briefly, <24 hours after randomization, secondary to concerns regarding possible infection. None were diagnosed with having infection. All were returned to the cobedding condition within 1 to 2 days and completed the study.
To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the possible comforting effect of cobedding for twins undergoing a tissue breaking procedure in the NICU. Our study showed that cobedding diminished time to recovery, consistent with other studies examining skin-to-skin contact with mothers.10 Cobedding did not lower PIPP scores in the initial minute post lance and PIPP scores at 90 seconds post lance were 1 point higher in the cobedding group; however, since the scores were <6 (a score considered to indicate no or very mild pain), the clinical relevance of this finding is uncertain.
An important finding in our study was the significantly quicker time to recovery in cobedding twins. Cobedding twins recovered more than a minute faster than the standard care group as assessed by the return of cardiorespiratory parameters to the baseline state. Pain reactivity or response is controlled by sympathetic activation of central nervous system, whereas recovery appears to be more closely linked with mature parasympathetic control. Both components play an integral part in the signaling and regulating of stress and pain response. The capacity to recover quickly, a sign of ability to maintain homeostasis, is an important maturational task that preterm twins must accomplish to grow and develop.29–32 Facilitation of homeostasis maintenance through cobedding has been reported in connection with short-term growth,11,16 stability in respiratory patterns,15 less central apnea,15 higher self-regulatory behaviors,14 and improved sleep,15 but not in the context of the additional stress of pain. Twin proximity and skin contact may support the acceleration or maturation of the autonomic system and thus facilitate faster recovery. Our findings that mean recovery times for cobedding twins were faster than those reported after 15 minutes of maternal skin-to-skin contact before heel lance33 (76 seconds vs 123 seconds) supports this hypothesis. The longer recovery time after maternal skin-to-skin contact may also reflect the slightly younger infants examined and this is consistent with our finding that gestational age <32 weeks was associated with prolonged recovery.
As expected, overall pain scores varied across the phases of the procedure, and twins, regardless of group assignment, had significantly higher scores within 30 seconds of the heel lance.34 Our lack of diminished pain scores after cobedding was not in keeping with reports from others examining skin-to-skin contact provided by mothers, which consistently show a lowering of pain scores for infants receiving maternal skin-to-skin contact during a tissue breaking procedure when compared with no treatment.10,35 This difference may relate to the lack of full ventral skin contact associated with previously studied skin-to-skin contact, as this is not possible among cobedding twins or may simply support the premise that mothers provide something unique when compared with other providers.36,37
The prolonged period of separation of the twins before initiating cobedding (mean 18.7, range 2–87 days) may have diminished recognition of the familiar twin scent and could potentially explain the lack of reduction in pain scores after cobedding. In addition, most cobedding twins (58%) underwent a single heel lance within 3 days of being cobed together. Whether a longer exposure to their twin may lead to an improved pain response during subsequent procedures is uncertain and further investigation of such issues is warranted. Because higher PIPP scores occurred later in the procedure at 90 seconds post lance, another possibility for the higher score may be that the presence of the co-twin created added stimulation.
To date, cobedding has not been associated with any increased risk related to temperature instability, respiratory compromise, infection, or misidentification,19 and our findings add to the current body of evidence related to the safety of cobedding of preterm twins in the NICU setting. Our study is the first to examine the effect of cobedding during a tissue-breaking procedure and no adverse effects were reported for the twin undergoing the heel lance or for the co-twin exposed to their twin's procedure. Limitations of our study include the inability to blind care providers to the intervention and slight decrease in sample size. Additional studies are needed to confirm our findings and explore the impact of a twin or another person's presence during painful procedures in the NICU on short- and long-term self-regulation in preterm neonates.
Cobedding enhanced the physiologic recovery of preterm twins undergoing heel lance, but did not lead to lower pain scores. Cobedding did not lead to a higher rate of adverse effects among twins undergoing heel lance nor among his/her co-twin.
We are grateful to the twins and parents who participated, the NICU and research staff, collaborator, Dr Ermelinda Pelausa, and our research coordinator Kim Caddell.
- Accepted April 30, 2012.
- Address correspondence to Marsha Campbell-Yeo, PhD, RN, Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, NICU, L3074.1, IWK Health Centre, 5850/5980 University Ave, PO Box 9700, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K 6R8, Canada. E-mail: marsha.campbellyeo{at}iwk.nshealth.ca
Dr Campbell-Yeo was responsible for all parts of the study, including conception and design; attainment of funding; acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of the data; and drafting the article. Dr Johnston provided supervision and contributed to the conception and design, attainment of funding, analysis and interpretation of the data, and intellectual revision of the article. Dr Joseph contributed to the conception and design, attainment of funding, analysis and interpretation of the data, and intellectual revision of the article. Drs Feeley and Barrington contributed to the conception and design, interpretation of the data, and intellectual revision of the article. Dr Chambers contributed to the conception and design, attainment of funding, interpretation of the data, and intellectual revision of the article. All authors have read and approved the final version submitted for publication.
This trial has been registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (identifier NCT00917631).
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: The authors have indicated they have no financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose.
FUNDING: Partnered funding for this study was obtained from the Groupe de Recherche Interuniversitaire en Interventions en Sciences Infirmieres du Quebec, the Canadian Nurses Foundation Nursing Care Partnership Program, CIHR, and the IWK Health Centre. Dr Campbell-Yeo is supported by a Clinical Initiative Fellowship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and has received doctoral fellowship support from the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation, and the Canadian Nurses Foundation. Dr Feeley is supported by a Clinical Research Scholar award from the Quebec Health Research Fund. Dr Chambers is supported by a Canada Research Chair. Dr Joseph is supported by a salary award from the Child and Family Research Institute.
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- Copyright © 2012 by the American Academy of Pediatrics


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2014 GC tweeter replacement?
I have a 2014 GC Overland with the 9 speaker Alpine system. I have replaced the center speaker with a Polk and I would like to get more out of the tweeters. Has anyone replaced the stock tweeters from this system?
Re: 2014 GC tweeter replacement?
Since you have already use a Polk speaker for the center channel, I would stick with the Polk for the tweeters, or something similar to match the timbre (sound characteristics) of the upper mid-range to high frequencies. Generally, any tweeter that uses a soft dome material is a good match to Polk. This way, the front stage, as they call it, has that warm sound.
Alpine has tweeters that are very close sounding to the Polk's. I would try to find a shop to demo them. You need a 1 inch tweeter for it to fit properly or anything larger will require some playing.
Best for now.:)
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text:
Monster Rancher 3 Credits (PlayStation 2)
Published by
Developed by
ESRB Rating
Critic Score
100 point score based on reviews from various critics.
User Score
5 point score based on user ratings.
Monster Rancher 3 Credits
Other Games
In addition to this game, the following people are listed as working on other games. No more than 25 people are listed here, even if there are more than 25 people who have also worked on other games.
John Inada, 25 other games
Norma Matautia, 22 other games
Tom Lee, 20 other games
Atsushi Yamaguchi, 20 other games
Mimi Tabuchi, 18 other games
Masaki Fujita, 18 other games
George Ngo, 17 other games
Isamu Fukada, 16 other games
Keiko Kawashima, 15 other games
Brian Hoisko, 14 other games
Masashi Kubo, 14 other games
Jun Hasunuma, 12 other games
Hiroyuki Aoyagi, 11 other games
Takehiko Kanaoka, 11 other games
Atsuo Saito, 11 other games
Yoshikatsu Yoshizawa, 11 other games
Yuki Nakajima, 10 other games
Nobuki Nagai, 10 other games
Keiko Sugimoto, 10 other games
Satoshi Kanematsu, 10 other games
Yosuke Takahashi, 9 other games
Katsuyuki Shimizu, 9 other games
Yuichiro Watanabe, 9 other games
Lorena McDonald, 9 other games
Kousuke Wakamatsu, 9 other games
People who have worked on this game have also collaborated on the creation of the following games:
Monster Rancher 4, a group of 37 people
Monster Rancher Advance, a group of 35 people
Unison: Rebels of Rhythm & Dance, a group of 33 people
Rygar: The Legendary Adventure, a group of 29 people
Fatal Frame, a group of 21 people
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly - Director's Cut, a group of 17 people
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly, a group of 15 people
Kagero: Deception II, a group of 15 people
Fatal Frame III: The Tormented, a group of 15 people
Gallop Racer 2001, a group of 15 people
Super Swing Golf, a group of 14 people
Monster Rancher Hop-A-Bout, a group of 14 people
Dead or Alive: Ultimate, a group of 13 people
Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball, a group of 12 people
Dead or Alive, a group of 12 people
Ninja Gaiden 3, a group of 11 people
Dead or Alive: Xtreme 2, a group of 11 people
Monster Rancher, a group of 10 people
Ninja Gaiden II, a group of 9 people
Dead or Alive 2, a group of 9 people
Trapt, a group of 9 people
Gallop Racer 2004, a group of 9 people
Ninja Gaiden, a group of 9 people
Quantum Theory, a group of 8 people
Monster Rancher Advance 2, a group of 8 people
Credits for this game were contributed by Kurt Sample (963) and monkeyislandgirl (8608)


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Member Since: January 7, 2011
Country: United States
I grew up tinkering with technology with my dad in the garage. I studied art and physics at Berkeley. Now I teach 9th grade engineering in NYC.
Math and Engineering Teacher
Computer Science Teachers Association
Python, Java
UC Berkeley Teachers College, Columbia University
Robots, art, superconductivity, education
Design, Fabrication, and Test of a Superconducting Dipole Magnet Based on Tilted Solenoids Caspi, S. Dietderich, D.R. Ferracin, P. Finney, N.R. Fuery, M.J. Gourlay, S.A. Hafalia, A.R. Lawrence Berkeley Nat. Lab., Berkeley; IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity Volume 17, Issue 2, June 2007 Page(s):2266 - 2269
Ooooh! We need 40 arduino uno's for our engineering program at Columbia Secondary School (NYC public school in Harlem). Would clever 9th graders that can write procedural programs in Python be able to answer these questions?
No public wish lists :(


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Michelle Obama makes salad in Milan in home-cooking campaign
By Agnieszka Flak
MILAN (Reuters) - First lady Michelle Obama chopped parsley and pine nuts for a salad with 20 school children in Milan on Wednesday to spread her message: Make more home-cooked meals, and you will be healthier.
Flanked by American celebrity chefs John Besh and Mario Batali, Obama showed students from the American School of Milan how to cook, as part of her "Let's Move" initiative aimed at boosting nutrition and combating obesity among children.
Obama is due to visit Milan's nutrition-themed Expo 2015 world's fair on Thursday, with an entourage including former basketball star Alonzo Mourning and cutting-edge urban farmer Will Allen.
She said obesity has doubled globally since 1980.
"If you cook, you take a lot of control over what you eat, you can control the portions ... and it's a lot of fun," Obama told the group of 11- to 14-year-olds sporting white aprons they made especially for the visit.
Obama recalled how in her pre-White House days she rushed her daughters Sasha and Malia between activities, with no time to eat properly. Eventually, a pediatrician told her to slow down.
"So I cooked more," she said. "A lot of times, it was something simple ... but it was healthy ... and now our kids have no health issues at all."
Living at the White House, Obama never cooks, but she urged families to spend time together at the dinner table, saying her husband, President Barack Obama, stops at 6:30 p.m. every day to sit down with his family. Continued...


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Nichols earns scholarship for her senior year
May 17, 2013
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Colorado State women's basketball player Alicia Nichols has proved herself on the court, earning a scholarship for her final season with the Rams. Head Coach Ryun Williams made the announcement Friday.
The Brush, Colo., native played in all 30 games for CSU this past season, and was first off the bench in Mountain West action. Nichols was an instrumental cog in wins over UNLV and Nevada with double figures from the field in each contest.
"We are excited to be able to put Alicia on a full athletics scholarship," commented Williams. "Alicia is one tough Colorado kid who has definitely earned this. She was a huge part of our team this past season and we are excited for her to have a nice senior season."
A transfer from Northeastern Junior College, Nichols boasted the second-highest field-goal percentage on the team in her first year with the Rams at .432. She averaged 23.4 minutes, 5.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game in 2012-13.


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Training at issue in fire chief's dismissal
Monday night, the Fire Protection District Board of Trustees let the other volunteer firefighters in on the news. Many didn't take it lightly. WCIA-3's Erica Quednau has more.
Some of the volunteer firefighters walked out of the meeting, but not before quitting. One volunteer says Chief West was the best thing for the district.
He's leaving behind 15,000 hours of volunteer service and, in his time, responded to more than 5,000 alarms.
"It used to be a bunch of guys showed up, put your rubber boots on and go squirt water. Those times are gone. It requires dedication to be able to do the training."
It's training Randy West says lost him his title. He and his son, the deputy chief, required their volunteers to meet state requirements.
"There were two or three volunteers who objected to the trustees with the amount of training we were doing."
But, when they wouldn't change their program, "he asked me to remove him from the entire roster. Not from the deputy chief position, but from the entire roster. And I was not willing to do that."
So, the trustees asked him to resign.
"My record shows my ability to do the job. So I said, 'If you want to get rid of me, you can just fire me.'"
Instead, they decided not to reappoint West as fire chief.
"They just threw me completely off the roster. It has to do with the philosophy differences that the trustees have between his management style of the volunteers."
T.J. Shaumbaugh is the president of the Fire Protection District Board of Trustees. He says their decision to let West go had nothing to do with training methods.
"That's just not the case. We want as much training as we can get for our volunteers, but it has to be training that volunteers want to come to."
But West says that decision is costing the district.
"You can be a fireman, drive up and down the road in a firetruck with red lights and sirens on it. That's not getting the job done. My people are trained to tackle any situation in a professional manner and for the life's safety of the people in the district. Those people are all gone."
The trustees have appointed Steve Rittenhouse as the interim fire chief. His job is to mentor someone from the district to take the position.
The number of volunteers who quit Monday night is unclear. 26 were part of the district before West was let go. He says there are only three left. Shaumbaugh says twelve are left.
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Palm Desert man arrested for assaulting an officer
PALM DESERT, Calif. - A 37-year-old man was arrested today for allegedly attacking a sheriff's deputy when he pulled him over in Palm Desert today. A motorcycle deputy conducted a traffic stop on Yi Ming Li at about 11:40 a.m. on Gerald Ford Drive, west of Shepherd Lane, sheriff's Sgt. David Wright said. "During the investigation, the suspect assaulted the officer," Wright said.
Li was taken into custody after a brief struggle, during which two deputies received minor injuries, Wright said. Li was booked into the county jail in Indio on suspicion of resisting a peace officer and battery on a peace officer. He was being held in lieu of $25,000 bail and was expected to be arraigned on Tuesday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, according to jail records.


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The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown to Music's Biggest Night just got a little hotter. The show, which will feature the nominations for the 54th annual awards celebration, has added two new singers to the lineup. Usher and Rihanna will hit the Nokia Theatre stage in Los Angeles alongside previously announced artists, including Lupe Fiasco, Ludacris and Lady Gaga. LL Cool J will host for the second year. The show will air on CBS on November 30 at 10 p.m. ET.
(Photo: Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup)


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One US and two South Korean operators are vying for the claim to have launched the world's first commercial VoLTE service.
MetroPCS, in the US, plus SK Telecom and LG Uplus, of South Korea, have all this week announced commercial launches of the technology, which allows voice services to run over '4G' LTE networks.
In a press release, MetroPCS announced the "availability of the world's first VoLTE-capable handsets and the first sale of a VoLTE-capable handset at one of the company's Dallas/Fort Worth store locations".
MetroPCS is currently marketing just one VoLTE-capable handset, which is actually a South Korean device (the LG Connect 4G Android smartphone), but it expects to add more phones to its portfolio in the coming weeks.
"Being the first operator globally to reach this industry first speaks volumes about our company's innovative spirit and passion to achieve goals that we believe will have long-term benefit for our customers and for the company," said Roger Linquist, chairman and chief executive of MetroPCS, in a statement. "The initial move to LTE and this move to VoLTE allow us to achieve significant spectral efficiencies and will increase network capacity so that we can enhance the 4G LTE experience that our customers have today at a tremendous value. VoLTE also provides a foundational capability for future Rich Communication Services (RCS), which we plan to launch later this year."
MetroPCS is fond of claiming the first-to-market label, having previously argued it was the first US operator to deploy a commercial LTE network in September 2010.
Promoting VoLTE, however, may be difficult until the arrival of the RCS Linquist mentions. As MetroPCS appears to acknowledge, VoLTE's main benefits may be to improve efficiency and reduce costs for operators, with customers largely oblivious to the technological innovation.
MetroPCS's LTE network now covers some 90% of the footprint of its older, CDMA system. Because LTE can now support voice, as well as data, the operator could choose to shut down its CDMA network in years to come, running all services over a single, highly efficient technology. But that would require it first to shift customers over to VoLTE devices.
Earlier this week, SK Telecom "celebrated the first and second customers for the world's first high-quality nationwide VoLTE service".
SK Telecom is marketing the Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE phone and claims that its LTE network already covers some 99% of the South Korean population.
Unlike MetroPCS, SK Telecom insists the service, branded 'HD Voice', delivers noticeable improvements to customers. "The minute I purchased the phone, I tried out the VoLTE service and was impressed with its superior call quality and call connection time," said Hong Ok-jung, SK Telecom's second VoLTE customer, in a press release issued by the company.
In other press reports, the SK Telecom VoLTE service is said to provide much shorter call connection times than customers experience over 2G and 3G networks.
Not to be outdone, smaller rival LG Uplus launched its own VoLTE service at the same time. It is currently offering it to customers on the LG Optimus 2 smartphone, but aims to have a total of seven VoLTE-capable smartphones in its catalogue by the end of the year.